MONROE C. PARK
Fruit Farming

 Bio-Sawyers
SURNAMES:  McNOWN

            Monroe C. Park was born in Lenawee County, Michigan, February 24, 1846.  His parents, Thomas K. and Sabrina E. Park, were natives of Vermont, settled in Michigan in 1844, lived there nine years, and then removed to Goshen, Elkhart County, Indiana, where they lived two years.  They then went to Iowa County, Iowa, where they remained three years.  In the spring of 1858 they moved to Franklin County, Kansas, near Centropolis, where they lived seven years.  They then moved to Shawnee County, four miles from Topeka, where they died, the mother in October, 1883, and the father in January, 1887.  They reared five children, three daughters and two sons.  One son has since died.

            Monroe, the subject of this sketch, lived with his parents till twenty-three years of age. He was married April 1, 1869, to Lucy E. McNown, a native of Racine County, Wisconsin.  After his marriage he went upon a farm of seventy-five acres, which he had purchased when twenty years old.  He made improvements and lived there till September 23, 1874, when he rented his place and emigrated to California.  He first located in Santa Rosa, where he remained about a year.  He then moved to a place near Guerneville, in the same county, and went to teaming, hauling wood and pickets to the railroad.  He continued in this business about a year and a half, then went to Mendocino County and took up 160 acres of government land under the homestead act in the Redwoods on the Mavarro River, and staid there six years.  He improved the place during that time by putting up buildings, fences, etc. In the fall of 1883 he came to Santa Clara County and moved on his present ranch, which he purchased in 1881, after selling his Kansas ranch.  His farm in Mendocino County he sold in 1887.  He now has a nicely improved ranch of twenty acres all in fruit.  He has 890 French prunes four years old, 180 silver prunes two years old, 353 apricots two and four years old, 130 peaches mostly four and six years old, 109 cherries six years old, 38 yellow egg plums four years old, 22 Bartlett pears two years old, 23 apples from four to six years old, and 20 fig trees three years old, besides other choice trees.  He has three acres in vines, mostly Muscat and table grapes, from four to six years old.  Mr. and Mrs. Park have four children, viz.:  Edward K., born January 27, 1870; Celia E., February 24, 1872; Clara E., September 18, 1873; Edith M., May 7, 1886.

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. 298-299
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler
Proofread by Betty Vickroy