Ventura County Republican Project: History and Genealogy

Ventura County Republican Project: History and Genealogy

"A Memorial and Biographical History of the Counties of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura, California" (1891), page 308.

Thomas Harwood

Thomas Harwood, of Saticoy, is a California pioneer, who came into the State in 1850. He was born in Gibson County, Indiana, November 24, 1841. He was the son of Thomas Harwood, Sr., a native of New York, and the grandson of Ruthland Harwood, who came from England. His mother, Sarah Harwood, was a native of England, They had six children, only three of whom survive. Thomas Harwood obtained most of his education in California, as he was only nine years of age when he came to this State. For fifteen years he was engaged in the freighting business from Marysville to Virginia City, with a ten-mule team and a large wagon. The distance was 120 miles, over mountain roads; the round trip was performed in twenty days. They hauled five tons and cleared nearly $500 each trip. Some of the mountain sides were steep, and the road formed many loops to make the grade possible, and then the hind wheels were dragged down on shoes to keep them from revolving. From there Mr. Harwood went to Butte County, and engaged in ranching; he had 2,400 acres of land, on which he kept about 2,000 sheep. The net income while he was on this ranch was about $3,000. He continued in this business about twelve years when he sold out and came to Ventura, and bought a fine ranch where he now resides. The ranch contains 152 acres, for which he paid $18,000. There are twenty-five acres of bearing apricot trees, the fruit of which they market both green and dry, and a large orange and lemon grove and other citrus fruits; and he is now raising large quantities of beans and corn, both being a paying crop. In two years, at the present prices, the property will have paid all expenses and will have returned the purchase money. He raised 2,100 pounds of Lima beans to the acre, on forty acres of land, which are now worth five cents per pound; the land only cost him $70 per acre. He has raised ninety bushels of shelled corn to the acre, and it is now worth $1 per hundred pounds; he is also raising some Belmont horses.

Mr. Harwood was married in 1876, to Miss E.A. Mastin, born November 14, 1859, in Quincy, Plumas County, California; her parents were natives of Georgia and South Carolina. They have four children, three born in Butte County, California, as follows: Thomas F., born September 26, 1879; Oliver, December 4, 1881; Henry Irvin, October 9, 1883; and Frederick W., born in Ventura County, August 21, 1887. Mr. and Mrs. Harwood are members of the Congregational Church. In his political views Mr. Harwood is a Republican, and has frequently held the office of School Trustee. He is an intelligent California, and is alive to the interests of his State, and highly esteemed by his neighbors.


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Ventura County Republican Project: History and Rootsweb Genealogy posted by Jon Miller and Tony Larson.