J. H. ELLSWORTH

 Bio-Pen Pictures
SURNAMES: CRAVEN

        John H. and Simeon Ellsworth own a place of fifty-seven acres, purchased by the first-mentioned in 1878. The next year the latter came from England with his wife. The two brothers share equally in the products of the ranch, as they have a common interest. When they purchased it the land was rough and uncultivated, although twenty-eight acres were partly cleared at the time. They now have forty-eight acres cleared, and have about one acre in family orchard, consisting of a mixed lot of apples, pears, prunes, peaches, figs, etc., most of them seven years old and in good bearing. They also have a young apricot orchard of fifty trees, and about seventy-five pear-trees mixed through their vineyard, which are six years old and bore splendidly last year. Of their fifteen acres of vines, seven acres are three-years old, five acres four years old, and three acres six years old, of mixed varieties. The others are Zinfandel and Matero. In 1887 the seven-acre vineyard of three-year-old vines produced over fifteen tons of grapes, and the five acres of four-year-old nearly thirty tons, or nearly six tons to the acre. The six-year vineyard of three acres or more produced in the neighborhood of twenty tons. In 1882 they had about three-fourths of an acre of old Mission vines, which were on the place when they bought it. That year they commenced making wine, and made about 100 gallons, although they had never had any experience in that line. They began in a primitive way, and have made more each succeeding year, adding or improving their facilities for doing so. The quality of their wine is considered to be of the finest. They have a wine cellar capable of holding 12,000 gallons. In 1887 they made nearly 10,000 gallons.

        John H. Ellsworth was born in England, October 7, 1833, and came to Summit County, Ohio, in 1857, and became employed as clerk in a store in Akron, where he continued for over two years. He came to California in 1859, by way of Panama, and arrived in San Francisco in January, 1860, with less than $10 in his pocket. He went first to Sacramento and remained a month, working at anything he could find to do, and then proceeded to El Dorado County and was engaged in mining there and in Placer County till 1874, with varied success. He then went to the Comstock Mines, in Virginia City, and remained there eight years, when he came to Santa Clara County and bought his present property.

        Simeon Ellsworth was born in England in July, 1839, and was married there in 1872, to Jane Craven, and came to California in 1879.

Pen Pictures From The Garden of the World or Santa Clara County, California, Illustrated. - Edited by H. S. Foote.- Chicago:  The Lewis Publishing Company, 1888.
Pg. 592-593