Sutter-Yuba County Biographies

WILSON WESLEY ASHFORD

Transcribed by: Kathy Sedler

This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm

 
A varied and interesting career was that of Wilson Wesley Ashford, an early 
pioneer of Sutter County, and one whose efforts contributed no little to the 
development of the natural resources of that locality.  He was born February 12, 
1826, at Port Hope, Canada, a son of John and Margaret Ashford, both natives of 
Canada.  His great-grandfather, John Ashford, was born in England and was the 
first of his family to come to America and he located in New York.  His son, 
also named John Ashford, became a large farmer where the city of Rochester now 
stands.  At the time of the Revolution he was a United Empire Loyalist and 
removed to Port Hope, Canada.  His property in New York was confiscated by the 
United States Government and, as a compensation, the English government gave him 
a large tract of land in Canada, near Lake Ontario, two miles from the town of 
Port Hope.  He had two sons, John and Nathaniel, the former being the father of 
Wilson Wesley Ashford, who was one of six sons and three daughters, the others 
being James, Nelson, William, John Q., Lewis Joseph, Almira, Mary and Josephine, 
all deceased.  Most of the descendants of James and Nelson Ashford now live at 
Tudor, Cal.  The other four sons had no children.  William and John Q. Ashford, 
brothers of our subject crossed the plains in 1849 and settled about ten miles 
southwest of Yuba City.  Lewis Joseph Ashford joined them in 1850, and in 1856, 
Wilson Wesley settled in the same section in Sutter County, where he soon became 
a land owner and specialized in raising wheat, barley, hay and horses; he 
prospered and bought other ranches.  He had an upper and a lower ranch on the 
river, while his headquarters ranch was the present site of Tudor.  He also 
added to his holding by the purchase of the Stevenson and Pedro ranches, and 
eventually the O�Connor ranch was added to his holdings, comprising in all about 
1800 acres.  As early as 1874 he leased his ranches and located in Hayward.
Mr. Ashford was married near Tudor, on February 12, 1873, being united with Ida 
Estelle Burch, born in Marysville, a daughter of George Wells and Nancy 
(Shirley) Burch, pioneers of Sutter County.  George W. Burch was born in 
Muskingum County, Ohio, a son of Erasmus and Lucy (Wells) Burch.  George Wells, 
the ancestor, was born in England and was a soldier in the British Army.  He 
located in Virginia and there he married a widow, Mrs. Webb, who had two sons.  
They all removed to Kentucky, and later the family came to Ohio, where Erasmus 
Burch was a farmer.  After Erasmus Burch�s marriage he moved to Plymouth, Ind., 
where George W. was reared.  He was one of a family of thirteen children, all of 
whom grew up.  George W. Burch came to California across the plains in 1850.  In 
December, 1851, he returned East for his family and, in 1852, brought them 
across the plains with mule teams and wagons.  They made the trip in three 
months and did not lose a mule.  Arriving in California they spent the winter in 
Marysville.  Mr. Burch put in a crop of wheat at the Buttes, which is said to 
have been the first crop of wheat raised in Sutter County.  He then bought a 
ranch, now the Hauss place, but after a time it proved to be a part of the 
grant, so he had to give it up.  He had preempted 160 acres near there but sold 
it and purchased a ranch near what is now Tudor, and there he resided until he 
passed away.  His widow spent her last days in Hayward.  They had four 
daughters, Mrs. Ashford being next to the oldest and the only one living.  She 
was reared in Sutter County, finishing her education at Miss Poston�s school in 
Marysville.  George W. Burch was a great friend of Chief Wakataw, head of the 
rancheria near Yuba City, and this friendship lasted until the old chief died.  
Wilson Wesley Ashford died at Hayward in 1906, and his widow now resides in San 
Jose.  Mr. Ashford made bequests of portions of his land to the grandchildren of 
James and Nelson Ashford and they now reside on their own places in the Tudor 
section and are developing their ranches.  Wilson Wesley Ashford was a 
Republican in politics.  In the death of Mr. Ashford, Sutter County lost a 
progressive and influential citizen, for he believed in and worked for the 
advancement of the section he had chosen for his home.
 
History of Yuba and Sutter Counties, Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, 1924
p 1204