W. W. CHILDS
Bio-Pen Pictures
SURNAMES: PUTNEY, MOSHER,
W. W. Childs was born in Livingston County, New York, of one of the old New York families of Scotch extraction. He was reared in his native county, to a farm life, and married there, in 1841, Miss Nancy M. Putney. In 1850 they removed to Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, and there made their home for eleven years, Mr. Childs being engaged in agriculture. After spending the winter of 1861-62 in Clark County, Missouri, they came to California and settled in El Dorado County. The larger part of his life in that county Mr. Childs devoted to mining interests, meanwhile improving a vineyard and orchard property from a state of nature. The ranch consisted of 100 acres, about 40 acres of which was devoted to vineyard and orchard, and the remainder to general farming. Three or four years before leaving the county, he disposed of his mining interests, and then devoted his entire time to cultivation of his farm.
His son, Prof. C. W. Childs, having become a resident of Santa Clara County, he concluded to purchase property in his neighborhood, and make it his home. This he accomplished in 1883, when he became the owner of a ten-acre orchard tract, situated on the Almaden road, four miles from the business center of San Jose. The orchard comprises prune-trees chiefly, although it also contains quite a number of peach-trees, which are highly productive. In 1887 from sixty peach-trees five years old were gathered seven tons of fruit. There is also a general family orchard, and in it are to be seen two very rare trees, of the species “strawberry tree.” They were brought from Italy, at a cost of $200 for fifty trees, the two specimens being the only ones which lived. The fruit, in size, flavor, and color, resembles the cultivated strawberry.
Mr. and Mrs. Childs have five children, of whom Prof. Charles W. Childs is the eldest. Nellie is the wife of J. L. Mosher; Frank is a resident of El Dorado County; Warren is a member of his father’s household; and Fred lives near his parents.
Mr. Childs was
formerly an old-line Whig, and when that party became the Republican party of
to-day, he still adhered to it, and has ever been true to its principles.
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. 337-338
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler
Proofread by Betty Vickroy
SANTA CLARA COUNTY BIOGRAPHY PROJECT