YUBA COUNTY Biographies
GEORGE B. BOHON
A broad-minded and public-spirited citizen, ever ready to cast his influence on the side of the movement for the good of the community as a whole, is George B. Bohon, of the Arboga colony, Yuba County. He was born at La Grange, Lewis County, Mo., on October 18, 1849, a son of William Jackson and Mary (Blackwood) Bohon, natives of Kentucky. The maternal ancestors came from Scotland and settled in Virginia about 1683. In the days of Daniel Boon, the family went to Kentucky. In 1829, William J. Bohon settled in Marion County, Mo., twenty miles west of Quincy, Ill., and later moved to Lewis County, just north of Marion County. Here he engaged in farming, but at the time of the Civil War he was carrying on a mercantile business. Although he was a slave owner, he voted for Lincoln in 1860, being a strong Union man. When the war broke out he was warned by some negroes that the rebels of Price’s army were after his hide and he was forced to flee from his home. At that time, George B., then only a young lad, rowed his father across the river to Quincy, Ill., and none too soon, for the very next day about 2000 of the rebels came and demanded to know where the father was. They put a rope around the neck of our subject and demanded to know; and he told them he was in Quincy, knowing full well that they did not dare to venture there because there were some 2000 Union soldiers at that point. Upon his arrival in Quincy, Mr. Bohon joined the Union Army and served until the close of the war.
George B. Bohon attended a subscription school and then for five terms was student in the schools at Quincy, Ill. He was just ready to enter the university at Columbia, MO., when the war broke out and he had to relinquish his ambition. He remained at home till he was eighteen, and then was employed as a head clerk in one of the departments in the county courthouse at Palmyra, Marion County, Mo. Next he was for three years with the Hannibal Courier; then he went to St. Louis and was engaged by a wholesale house as traveling salesman, his territory taking him through Kansas, Missouri and Texas. He then went to St. Paul., Minn., and became associated with the Pioneer Press as traveling agent and correspondent, remaining with them for ten years. In 1895 he came to California, locating in Los Angeles, and later coming to Yuba County. Here he located on the Cline Bull ranch south of Marysville, where he has been ever since. He is now engaged in raising vegetables, and at the Yuba County Fair held in Arboga in 1923, took five out of six blue ribbons and a sweepstake.
Mr. Bohon was united in marriage, on October 26, 1871, with Miss Louisa Easton, the daughter of Joseph G., a banker, and Mary Easton. They were blessed with a son, William J., who is in Chicago. Mrs. Bohon passed away in 1874. Mr. Bohon is a stanch Republican, and while in Los Angeles was a delegate to the city, county and congressional conventions.
History of Yuba and Sutter Counties, Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, 1924
p. 1254-1255
JAMES B. BARRIE
Among the enterprising men who have given their best efforts towards the development of Yuba County is James B. Barrie, who was born in Lanark County, Ontario, Canada, October 24, 1848, a son of James and Marian (Chalmers) Barrie, natives of Scotland. His parents came to Canada when they were young folks and his father, who was a farmer, died when he was sixty-three years old. Mrs. Barrie preceded him to the grave. They were the parents of five children: James B., of this sketch, Anna, Marian, Christina, and W. J.
James B. Barrie started out for himself when he was fifteen years old. He went to Port Huron, Mich., and worked for his board and clothes and also attended school. Afterwards he was employed as cabin boy one season and then for two years he was on vessels on the Great Lakes and for three years was a teamster for a mill company at Alpena, Mich. He returned to his home and learned the trade of plasterer at the suggestion of a schoolmate, and worked with him for one season. In 1869 Mr. Barrie came to California on an immigrant train, four months after the first transcontinental train had passed over the road, and for several seasons he farmed at Arboga in Yuba County for his uncle, John F. Barrie, who started him teaming to the mountains. James B. Barrie drove a team for two years, then bought a team and worked for himself for a number of years. In 1876-1877 he worked on the New England orchard, then leased about 1200 acres and farmed and raised stock. He also ran a dairy of fifty to sixty cows until late years, when he began to raise cattle, now keeping 150 head of cattle and a bunch of horses.
On August 26, 1875, at Wheatland, James B. Barrie was united in marriage with Mary A. O’Donald, a native of California. She was born at Oregon House, Yuba County, a daughter of John O’Donald, who was a miner. Her parents were born in Ireland and were among the early settlers of Yuba County. She was educated in Nevada City. Mr. and Mrs. James B. Barrie were blessed with nine children: James H., at Hammonton; Mary, Mrs. Joe Perkins at Marysville; Anna, Mrs. Sam Kuster; John, William, David, Harry, Roy E., at Hammonton; and Floyd. John, who is a truck driver, married and had two sons. His wife passed away when the youngest boy was three weeks old, and Mr. James Barrie raised the children to young men. Mr. Barrie is a Republican. He is a member of Marysville Lodge No. 783, B.P.O.E., and has been a trustee for many years, and is a trustee of the Brophy school district.
History of Yuba and Sutter Counties, Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, 1924
p. 1255-1256
Copyright ©2003, 2004, 2005 Kathy Sedler ALL RIGHTS RESERVED These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor. The contributor has given permission to the Yuba Roots website to store the file permanently for free access, but retain the rights to their work.