LOUIS A. BOOKSIN
Bio-Pen Pictures
SURNAMES: KROF/KRAFT, KIRK,
owns and occupies a fine residence on the corner of Booksin and Hicks Avenues, in the Willow District. He is very largely interested in horticulture. His home property contains seven and one-half acres, all in peach trees, of three varieties: Seller's Cling, Rock Cling, and Salway. About one-half the orchard is bearing at present. Mr. Booksin also has charge of the large interests of his father, Henry Booksin, who owns two fruit ranches at the Willows One, on Curtner Avenue, consists of an orchard of fifty acres, and contains 1,200 peach, 600 apricot, 450 cherry, 3,000 French prune, and 450 pear trees, besides a general variety for household use. The ranch on Meridian road consists of thirty-two acres—fifteen acres in apricots, and the remainder in 600 peach trees, 400 egg plum, 50 Ickworth plum, and 450 cherry trees. The ranch on Curtner Avenue is supplied with a steam-power pump, with a capacity of 1,500 gallons per minute. The one on Meridian road has a fiftyhorse-power engine, lifting a ten-inch column of water eighty-five feet. The pump's capacity is 1,500 gallons per minute.
Henry Booksin is a native of Germany. Coming to the United States a poor man, at the age of twenty-four, he became one of the first of Colusa County settlers. There he commenced at his trade, wagon-making, working under a tree in the open air. His business increased rapidly, from this small beginning. In 1857 he returned to Germany, and married a lady who was reared in his old neighborhood,—Miss Elizabeth Kroft. With his wife he returned to Colusa County, where he owned quite an extensive grain and sheep ranch, to which he afterwards made large additions. Here he lived until 1873, when he sold his ranch and removed to San Jose, where he owns a fine residence property. His wife died in 1867. She was the mother of four children, three sons and one daughter. Louis A., whose name heads this sketch, is the eldest. The others, Tennie, John, and Henry, all make their home with their father. For his second wife, Mr. Booksin married Miss Catharine Kroft, a sister of his first wife. On the first of December, 1886, Louis A. Booksin was united in marriage with Miss Elizabeth Kirk, daughter of Socrates Kirk, one of the leading men of the Willows. He built his fine residence in 1887, using only the best material and paying for labor by the day. It cost him $3,500, and he has one of the pleasantest homes in the district.
The Booksin family is fully in working sympathy with the Republican party. Mr.
Booksin is a thorough horticulturist. A practical knowledge of his business, and
a wise division of time and labor, enable him to successfully conduct three
fruit ranches, containing almost ninety acres.
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. 430