YUBA COUNTY Biographies
ANDREW JACKSON LEMMON
A native son who has spent the better part of his life in Butte County is A. J. Lemmon, now a resident of Rackerby. He was born in San Francisco, January 8, 1858, a son of William and Jane (Cassidy) Lemmon, the former a native of Philadelphia, and a steam engineer, who came to California in 1852, via Cape Horn, and was engaged in placer-mining at Forbestown for several years; and the latter was a native of Ireland, who came to California when she was a young girl and here was married to Mr. Lemmon. She died at about sixty years of age. William Lemmon was murdered in 1895 when seventy years old, while going to his work in Forbestown, his assassin shooting him from a building beside the road.
A. J. Lemmon was the oldest of a family of five children, four of whom are living. He was educated in the public schools of Butte and Yuba Counties. When twenty-one years of age he was married to Miss Julia Russell, the ceremony occurring on December 25, 1879. She was born at Upham, Butte County, a daughter of Albert P. and Rosine (Morgan) Russell, natives of England and Iowa, respectively. The father crossed the plains to California in 1852. The mother, who was of Welsh parentage, also came across the plains, in an ox-team train with her parents, and it was here she and Mr. Russell became acquainted and were married. They followed mining and farming. Albert P. Russell died leaving an only daughter – Julia, now Mrs. Lemmon; and afterward his widow became Mrs. Day. She spent the remainder of her days in Butte County; and it was in the public schools of that county that Julia Russell received her education. Her union with Mr. Lemmon has been blessed with five children. Edith is a teacher in the departmental school in Modesto. Annie is Mrs. Soberanes, of Marysville. Mamie is the wife of Ernest Wyman, of Rackerby. Harry heard his country’s call and volunteered his services to “make the world safe for democracy,” serving in the United States Navy and being assigned to duty on the McDougal, a submarine-chaser. He is now assisting his father in his ranching and horticultural enterprise. Andrew, who was in the 91st Division with the United States Expeditionary Forces serving over seas in France, is now residing in Modesto.
In 1879 Mr. Lemmon engaged in mining at Brandy City, Sierra County, and also at Gibsonville, Plumas County, where he followed both hydraulic and drift mining, continuing for about ten years. From 1902 until 1916 he conducted a general merchandise store in Rackerby, where he owns twelve acres of land. Besides this property he had purchased in 1896 ninety acres near Wyandotte, in the Evansville precinct, Butte County, which he has set to peaches and figs, and which is irrigated from the Forbestown ditch. On his ranch he has about 100 gigantic fig trees of the Mission variety. These are as beautiful and productive fig trees as can be found in the State.
Mr. Lemmon was for ten years postmaster at Rackerby, and now Mrs. Lemmon holds the commission, and is serving with credit in that capacity as well as having charge of the P.S.T.&T. office. Mr. Lemmon possesses excellent business judgment, is a man of true worth, and both he and his wife are highly esteemed by a large circle of friends in Butte and Yuba Counties. He is a member of the Owl Lodge at Challenge; and he has served as a trustee of the Rackerby school district for about nine years.
History of Yuba and Sutter Counties, Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, 1924
p. 1123-1124
WILLIAM J. MELLON
A typical representative of the self-made man of our times is found in William J. Mellon, of Challenge, Cal., who is numbered among the early settlers of the town and has acquired a place of influence in public affairs, being the senior member of the board of supervisors of Yuba County. Coming to California in 1875, he spent three years at Eureka, Humboldt County. In 1878 he came to Butte County, and in 1889 located at Challenge, Yuba County. During these years he was engaged in lumbering. At a special election in February, 1895, Mr. Mellon was nominated on the Democratic ticket as county supervisor, to succeed Lewis Wilder, whose death occurred before he had taken his seat in the supervisor’s office. Being elected to represent the fifth district of Yuba County, Mr. Mellon took the oath of office in March, 1895. In 1898 he was reelected by an increased majority of votes; and at the expiration of each term of service since then, he has been reelected to the same position, and is now in the thirtieth year of his service as a supervisor. Politically, Mr. Mellon is a Democrat; and fraternally, he is a member of Table Mountain Lodge No. 124, F.&A.M., of Cherokee, and is a Scottish Rite Mason, being a member of Sacramento Consistory; and he also belongs to the Independent Order of Foresters, at Marysville.
In Chico, Cal., Mr. Mellon married Miss Lizzie Whelan, who was born in Cherokee, Butte County, Cal.; and they have had three children, namely: Mamie, William, and Gertrude. During the World War, the son enlisted for service; but he died in Stockton just before starting for his post, thus giving his life for his country. The Mellon family are domiciled at their residence near the town of Challenge.
History of Yuba and Sutter Counties, Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, 1924
p. 1124
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.