JAMES M. KENYON
Bio-Pen Pictures
SURNAMES:STRATTON, ROBERTS, GARDINER, SLAVANS,
resides in Santa Clara, but is the owner of a fine farm of 242 acres, situated on the Saratoga and Alviso road, at its junction with the Homestead road, about two miles west of Santa Clara. This land, with the exception of about eight acres, which is planted with prune-trees, is devoted to the production of hay and grain and stock-raising.
Mr. Kenyon was born in Adams County, Ohio, May 29, 1817. There his father, Jonathan Kenyon, and his mother, Sarah (Stratton) Kenyon, made their home for many years. His early youth was spent upon his father's farm, until the age of sixteen years, when he left home to learn the carpenter's trade. He was successful in his undertaking, and became an intelligent and skilled workman, and a thorough master of his trade, at which he worked for over twenty-five years. Mr. Kenyon is a California pioneer of 1849, as well as an early settler of this county, being one of the hardy men who, with their families, at that early day made their slow and laborious way across the immense plains of our country with ox teams. On his arrival he followed the example of thousands and sought for wealth in the mines, but soon tiring of this life, in 1850 he took up his residence in San Jose, where he built for himself a house and prepared to follow his trade as a carpenter and builder. Finding but little building in progress, and small prospect of much being done in the immediate future, he turned his attention to other business ventures. Having been reared to a farm life, and seeing the rich and uncultivated lands lying unoccupied around him, he was soon induced to purchase the property above mentioned. The same business tact and foresight that he had displayed in the pursuit of his trade soon assured him of success in his new business and placed him in the ranks of the leading farmers of the county.
In 1837 Mr. Kenyon went from Ohio into Missouri, where he married Miss Martha Roberts, daughter of Woodford Roberts, of Andrew County, Missouri. Of the children born of this marriage there are now living the following: John Fletcher, of Saratoga, Santa Clara County; Benjamin Franklin, who is married and lives upon the farm above mentioned; James Monroe; Sarah, the wife of Daniel Gardiner, of Saratoga, Santa Clara County; and Emma, the wife of H. H. Slavans, of Woodland, Yolo County, this State.
Although hale and hearty, and in full possession of all his faculties, the
subject of our sketch has retired from the active pursuits and operations of the
farm, turning the same over to his son, whom he has trained to succeed him in
its successful management, and, with his wife, is living in comfort in Santa
Clara, enjoying the rest which an active and successful business life of nearly
sixty years has made a necessity.
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. 437-438
SANTA CLARA COUNTY The Valley of Heart's Delight