George Housken was born in Norway in 1838. Mr. Housken came to America and
directly to San Francisco, California in 1850 at the age of 22. He was a captain
and owner of the schooner “Reliance” which plied the Sacramento River and was
engaged in the Oregon lumber trade. In 1857 he acquired patented land and opened
a store at the head of Beaver Slough which empties into the South Fork of the
Mokelumne River. In 1873 he purchased 380 acres of land in Union Township. His
farm was well stocked with cattle and horses.
The legend is that his house was put together from two buildings that survived
from the 1860 Mokelumne City flood. It has had improvements made over the years.
This house still stands on Thornton Road about a mile north from the town of
Thornton.
George Housken married Katherine Ling of San Francisco, a native of Germany, in
1865. They had 8 children: Frank Oliver; Oscar (deceased prior to 1923); William
Christopher; Kate (Mrs. Fountain of Oakland); Augusta (Mrs. Von Enden of
Holland); Laura (Mrs. Cogshall of Berkeley); and Josie (Mrs. Von Doran of
Portland, Oregon).
Two of the sons remained in San Joaquin County. Frank Oliver Housken, born in
1868, was an attorney and admitted to the bar in 1890. He practiced civil law
specializing in real property law in probates. In 1901 he married Anna Lammer
and later lived in Tracy. Lammersville was named after her family.
William Christopher Housken was born in 1873 on the family ranch near New Hope.
In 1878 when William Christopher was 6 years old the levees were under
construction. He recalled that the majority of the work was accomplished using
wheelbarrows by Chinese laborers. In 1890 when he was 18 years old he enrolled
in the Ramsey Business College in Stockton for a year before returning to his
father’s ranch. The elder Housken by this time had two farms, 360 acres and 480
acres. Until 1898 William Christopher worked on the family ranch, then worked in
the Whittaker and Ray Store in Galt. He was later manager of the Don Ray
Company's store at New Hope for six years. In 1902 he married Sigrid Sigelkoff
of New Jersey who came to Walnut Grove with her family when she was 8 years old.
In 1907 William Christopher worked along the river for 6 years where he was a
pilot of river launches and towing at Antioch for 3 years; then worked for 2
years at the Sampson Iron Works. During this time he maintained a home in
Stockton. He returned to the family farm
near New Hope, trading homes with his father, where he raised alfalfa and beans,
and grazed cattle. William Christopher and Sigrid had twins: Merle (Mrs. Wight/Shirrella
of Modesto) and George H. Housken. William Christopher served as Justice of the
Peace and was a member of the New Hope School Board. The family lived in the
house where he was born, which was built by his father.
In 1907 he earned the title of judge by running successfully for justice of the
peace - serving for four years. In 1936 he was appointed to the Justice Court
and served until 1951. Several local couples were married by the judge at his
home including Bruno and Loretta Mori; and Floyd and Annabelle Lavaroni.
George H. Housken was born about 1910. He married Leola and they had one son:
George E. Housken. George H. Housken was a carpenter by trade. He died in 1988
at the age of 78. He served on the Reclamation District Board for 25 years.
George E. Housken born about 1942 continued to live on the property and built
his own machine shop and was known as a very good craftsman. He married and had
two sons.
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