Fresno County, California Biographies Source: History of Fresno County, California, with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present (1919) History By Paul E. Vandor Illustrated, Complete In Two Volumes Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, California, 1919 Notes: Missing+page1185-1186 Transcribed by Peggy Hooper This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm JOHN BALEY. � A farmer and dairyman with an intensely interesting family history, interwoven with the most stirring chapters in the formation of the Golden State, is John Baley, a native son who first saw the light at Visalia on June 29, 1864. His father was William Wright Baley, of Illinois, who was reared in Nodaway County, Mo., and crossed the plains in 1849 with two brothers, Caleb and Gillum. The latter was later a judge in Fresno County for fourteen years, while Caleb died in the mines on Feather River the same year that he came to California. After mining for three years, W. W. Baley returned to Missouri, where he had married, years before, Miss Nancy Funderburk, a native of Tennessee, who grew up in the Iron State. In 1859, in the same train with Rev. Joel Hedgepeth and his parents, W. W. Baley and his brother, Judge Baley, again crossed the plains with oxen and wagons. Along the Colorado River the Indians attacked them and killed and wounded many. Judge Baley killed the chief, but the Indians stole their cattle, or killed what they could not lead off. Captain Rose w r as in charge of the train; the Rev. Hedgepeth as a lad was there; and so was Mrs. McCardle, then Ellen Baley, who was lost but later was found. All the party, including the children, had to walk back to Albuquerque, a tramp of six weeks ; and when they had sojourned there for ten months, recuperated and gathered together some stock, they continued their overland journey to Visalia. For some time thereafter Mr. Baley was engaged in teaming from Stock- ton to Visalia, hauling provisions and supplying the wants of the settlers along the way ; and in the fall of 1864 he came to Fresno County and located some land at Academy. He had been assisted in the work of teaming by his son Henry, and the latter now helped him in the raising of stock and grain after he had handsomely improved his property. Comfortably situated a mile from town, Mr. Baley continued there until he died, on November 18, 1882, aged sixty-two years. At the same place later Mrs. Baley passed away, on March 6, 1900, in her eightieth year. Eleven children made up the interesting family of Mr. and Mrs. Baley, and seven of these grew to maturity : Sarah Margaret, who became Mrs. John G. Simpson, died at Exeter on May 3, 1918; Nancy Jane passed away at Visalia on August 6, 1861 ; Henry Gillum is in Fresno ; Bertheney Eliza- beth, died on December 1, 1846; William Washington passed away in Exeter, on July 6, 1915; George Pierce died at Tollhouse, on June 3, 1913; Caleb died at Sentinel, on August 8, 1912 ; Mary Patience passed away on the plains ; Benjamin Baxter bade good-bye to earthly scenes at Academy, on November 22, 1867, and he was the first person buried in the Academy cemetery; John is the subject of this sketch ; and Isabell Catherine, who was born at Acad- emy, is the wife of the Rev. J. M. Parker of the Methodist Church South, and resides at Corning in Tehama County. Reared at Academy, John Baley attended the local public school there and at the same time served his apprenticeship at farming. He assisted his mother, and while having a good time, for a lad, learned all about raising grain and stock. When ready for the more serious responsibilities of life, he was married near Woodville, in Tulare County, on December 29, 1886, his bride being Miss Filora Odom, a native of Cass County, Ga. Her father was the Rev. Alex Odom, who was born in Forsyth County, that state, and who, having duly studied theology, entered the ministry of the Methodist Church South. Before taking holy orders, he joined the Confederate Army in the Civil War; and when he began to preach, in 1868, he first occupied the pulpit in Georgia. In 1874 he came to Fresno County as a pastor; and while at Academy the following year, he organized St. Paul's Methodist Episcopal Church in Fresno. He also organized other churches throughout the state, from Shasta to Kern County. He was forty years in the ministry, and during that time he was for three years elder of Colusa district, when he made his headquarters at Chico. He spent his last years at Clovis, and died at the home of Mr. and Mrs. John Baley. Mrs. Odom was Elizabeth Fendley before her marriage, and she was born in Gordon County, Ga. Now she makes her home with Mrs. John Baley, and she is the honored mother of nine children, eight of whom grew up : S. Oscar is in Roseville ; Filora is Mrs. Baley ; Mary is Mrs. Moutrey of Oakland ; George M. is in Clovis ; William R. is in Fresno ; Bessie is Mrs. Lester of Clovis ; Ethel has become Mrs. Henry Ambrosia of Clovis; Atticus resides at Rutherford, Cal, and Maggie J., who died at the tender age of eight. After his marriage, Mr. Baley continued farming, and operated the old homestead at Academy, where he had resided from the time he was six months old. For a while he leased lands from the Simpsons, utilizing as many as 600 acres ; and there he came to have some three thousand or more head of sheep. He also went in for grain-farming, and employed from two to eight horses in the work. In 1915 Mr. Baley sold out and located at Barstow, where he engaged in raising alfalfa. He bought eighty acres eleven miles from Fresno, checked and leveled the land and prepared it for alfalfa of which he can get several crops a year. His land was under the Herndon canal, and having installed an electric pumping-plant, with a ten-horsepower motor, and a four-inch pump feeding into a reservoir of half an acre, he had the best of facilities for irriga- tion. He ran a dairy of twenty cows, and his two sons, William Odom and Thomas M., were associated with him in managing the farm. Having brought it to a high state of cultivation he sold it in 1919, and purchased eighty acres on Belmont Avenue, west of Madera Avenue � an alfalfa farm where he now resides. Aside from the canal he has two large pumping plants ample for irrigating the whole tract. It is his intention to set it to Thompson seedless. Five children have come to Mr. and Mrs. Baley: Leona is Mrs. F. C. Simpson of Sanger ; William Odom, is serving as a member of the United States Marines at Mare Island, is an expert marksman and is instructor of rifle range ; Thomas Marvin, assists his parents on the ranch ; and Bessie Belle, graduate of Sanger High, is at home. The memory of one son Elmer H., is affectionately treasured. They are members of the Methodist Church South, at Academy, of which Mr. Baley is a trustee ; and he has also served as a school trustee in that district for years. He is a member of the Wood- men of the World, and in national politics adheres to the principles of the long-established Democratic party.