Fresno County Biographies

A. Buckland

Submitted by Sally Kaleta, May, 2007

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

	A. Buckland, a resident of Washington Colony, Fresno County, 
was born in Canada West, in 1852. His father was a farmer, but more particularly 
a dealer in fine horses. He emigrated to California in 1872 and settled at San 
Jose. He brought out the first Yorkshire coach stallion and the second Suffolk 
Punch stallion - a draft horse, weighing 1,965 pounds - that ever came into the 
State. Both were imported horses and prize animals. In 1875 Mr. Buckland moved 
to Santa Rosa, purchased 154 acres on Mark West creek, and continued his stock 
business and farming operations. The subject of this sketch was married at San 
Jose, in November, 1876, to Miss Alice Clark, a native of Ohio, and in 1878, 
they moved to Washington Colony, Fresno County. Mr. Buckland first rented land 
here, and in December, 1880, bought his present property, twenty acres, at the 
corner of Lincoln and Orange avenues. He had but little money to start with and, 
after making the first payment on his land, a the resources of the county were 
undeveloped, he began teaming and working about the colony, getting knowledge of 
the country and also making a living. In the meantime he was improving his land 
by planting vines, fruit trees and alfalfa, and a very productive and 
well-improved ranch is the result of his untiring industry. His crop in 1890 
sold for $1,981. One hundred and forty-four apricot trees produced ten tons and 
1,600 pounds of green fruit. Like his father, Mr. Buckland is an admirer of fine 
horses. He keeps five work horses and a fine stallion, "Baird, Jr.", which 
weighs 1,455 pounds - a prize general-purpose horse. He also owns the celebrated 
imported Cleveland Bay stallion, Duke of Edinburg, also a great prize-winner, 
having taken ten first and one second. Besides cultivating his own land, Mr. 
Buckland rents 160 acres for grain farming. He is a man who takes a deep 
interest in any movement of his section of the country, and he has the respect 
of all who know him. As a member of the Board of trustees of the Oleander school 
district, he is an efficient officer. Mr. and Mrs. Buckland have two children, 
Ethel and Alfred, and in their comfortable home they are already enjoying the 
results of pioneer labors. 
Source: "The Memorial and Biographical History of the County of Fresno, Tulare, 
and Kern, California," Lewis Publ. Co., 1892, pp. 453-454.