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Did you know that…
…Seymour Carr, a former native of Syracuse, New York, came across the great
plains by way of the historic Salt Lake rout in 1859 and eventually settled near
Clay Station with his wife, Mary (O’Neill) Carr, a native of Missouri? Like many
others of his day, his beginnings here in our great state were humble. However,
most of Seymour Carr’s 72-year sojourn upon this earth was not spent in the
shadow of others. Rather, Seymour became the figure who cast the shadow upon
which others stood.
Seymour came West after his parents died in Des Moines,
Iowa, in the winter of 1851-1852. In California he tried his luck at mining
before pursuing agriculture on the Connel Ranch on the Cosumnes River. In 1870,
Carr acquired a 240-acre ranch at Clay Station where he remained until his death
on May 14, 1912. He served two terms in the state legislature as assemblyman.
In
Galt, he served a two-year term as justice of the peace. He became a school
director, a member of the Grange and an Odd Fellow, was an active member of
Phoenix No.239, and his wife was a charter member of Rei Rebekah Lodge No. 132. He and Mary also raised seven children. Alice married Thomas L. White of Pacific
Grove. Esther C. married Peter Germain also of Clay Station, who owned a
140-acre stock farm and vineyard and who was a trustee of the Alabama district
school. Elmour settled in San Jose; Ella A. became Mrs.Ed Hauschildt and William
D. remained on the home place with his youngest brother, James. Maude, the fifth
child, became Mrs. William Henning of Forest Hill.
Did the energy for life, the
vision of creating a better place, or the unselfish joy of service to public
life shared by the early Carrs end with their passing? No way! Seymour and Mary
would be proud of their children and grandchildren. After paging through
Sacramento history books and old newspaper clippings from the Alta Mesa Fair, lo
and behold, I found Seymour and Mary’s posterity following closely in their
footsteps.
William D. Carr, born on Sept.5, 1874, is described as “a poultry man
whose success has come as reward of courage and optimism…has 500 to 600 hens in
his yards…and three acres devoted to an orchard.” It always surprises me to find
out that the children of our early pioneers whose families were well established
in a business usually left the safety of “the nest” to find their own way but
inevitably returned to the nesting place to continue the family’s affairs into
the next generation. It seems that William did just that. At the age
of 21 he worked on ranches.
He also eventually became a lineman for the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph
Company in northern California before he returned to the Clay Station ranch
where he received 26-and-a half acres as his share of the Seymour estate. Like
his father before him, public service was paramount. William was a deputy state
fire warden who “…gladly gave his attention to the conservation of the natural
resources of the district in which he lived and prospered.” William D. also
attended the Alabama district school. Do any of you have memorable photos of
early Alabama school days that include both William and his sister, Esther Carr Germain?
The Thursday, Oct.7, 1971, edition of The Galt Herald featured an
article about the Alta Mesa Fair and a photo of a very handsome Dick Carr with
the livestock judge, Charlie Angel. However, this is where things get a little
fuzzy. My gut feelings tell me he was the son of William D. …Dick, are you and
your relative out there somewhere? You were obviously an active member of the
community like those who came before you. Claude Ballew – you were Alta Mesa
Fair Master of Ceremonies back then. Please contact me so we can fill in
the blanks and write the next chapter in the lives of the Carr’s.
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