.

An experienced, successful orchardist who well represents the spirit of progress which has placed California in the lead in scientific agriculture, is Joe J. Ferreira, who was born on the Isle of Pico. in the Azores, on April 21, 1867. His father was Manuel J. Ferreira, one of a well-to-do family of farmers, stockmen and ranch owners; and his mother, before her marriage, was Miss Annie J. Rose. Of strong, moral character, Mr. Ferreira became a large factor in the building up of the fine home parish in which he died, full of years and honors, aged seventy-two, on March 24. 1888. Mrs. Ferreira came out to America and California and lived to a fine old age, passing away on August 18, 1916, at the home of our subject, while he still lived on Maybury Road.

Joe Ferreira had very little schooling, but he had the capacity to look far into the future, and with plenty of courage and faith in himself, he left home at the age of twenty-two and came out to America. Two brothers had preceded him hither. John E. having come eleven, and Manuel some seven years before. He at first made for Siskiyou County where he went to work in the mines for four years; and then he entered upon stockraising and general farming. Four years later, he returned to his Old World home to bring out to California the other members of the family; and on his once more settling in California he purchased a farm in Siskiyou County.

On November 26. 1903, Mr. Ferreira was married to Miss Mary Noya, who was born on the Island of Flores on June 22, 1886, the daughter of Joseph Noya, a quartz miner, and his wife. Mary. Mr. Noya passed away on April 24. 1920, honored by all who knew him. Eight children sprang from this union. Mary and Joseph are students; then come Helen and Annie. Margaret and Tony are twins; and George is the youngest born, of those surviving. The last in the order of birth was Minnie, and she died when two and a half months old.

In 1904 Mr. Ferreira purchased sixteen acres in the Campbell orchard district in the Santa Clara Valley and removed to this county; and three years later he sold his ranch and bought twenty-six acres of orchard on the Maybury Road. In 1914, he acquired forty acres of excellent soil on the McKee Road, and twenty-eight acres of this he has planted to French prunes, nine acres to pears, one acre to peaches, one to apples, and one to alfalfa.

Mr. and Mrs. Ferreira and family are devout members of the Church of the Five Wounds, at East San Jose, to the support of which they have donated generously. Mr. Ferreira was made a citizen of the United States some thirty years ago, while a resident of Siskiyou County, and having joined the ranks of the Republican party, he has ever since held himself ready to support any measures for the upbuilding of the town and county. He is a strong member of the C. P. & A., and he also belongs to the U. P. E. C. and the I. D. E. S.; while Mrs. Ferreira is a member of the S. R. P. S. I., and the Ladies' Society of the Church of the Five Wounds.

From Eugene T. Sawyers' History of Santa Clara County,California, published by Historic Record Co. , 1922. page 1443