Sacramento Valley Biographies

CYRENUS JAMES BURDICK

Transcribed by Sally Kaleta, July 2009.

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



         One of the old settlers and prominent men of Butte county, Cal., is
Cyrenus J. Burdick, who came to this state in 1859. His father, Joshua
Burdick, was a native of Rhode Island and spent his early life  as a cod
fisher, removing from his native state to New York and in 1835 going to
Michigan, locating in Jackson county, where he engaged in farming until his
death, which occurred in that county. His wife, who was formerly Hannah
Davis, was born in Massachusetts, and her death also occurred in Michigan.
They reared a family of thirteen children, six sons and seven daughters.

        Cyrenus J. Burdick was born at Hanover, Jackson county, Mich.,
November 9, 1837, and received a limited education in the common schools of
that state, where he spent his early life in farming. Coming to California
in 1859 with ox teams, he first located at Strawberry valley, Yuba county,
where he remained for six months and then went to Forbestown for a short
time, later going to Nevada, where he worked at logging in various places,
but soon came back to California and in 1862 located on his present home
place, one and one-quarter miles west of Durham, the place at that time
consisting of one hundred and sixty acres, to which he has added from time
to time until he now owns nine hundred and ten acres of fine land upon which
he carries on general farming, the raising of stock, and the growing of
grain, in addition to which for over twenty years, he leased land for the
growing of wheat, frequently having as much as thirty-two hundred acres
under lease at one time. His wife was formerly Sarah A. Dibble, a native of
Michigan.

       Mr. and Mrs. Burdick became the parents of eight children, four of
whom are still living. In order of birth they are: Two who died in infancy;
Ella, wife of I. A. Franklin of Durham; Charles, deceased; Minnie, wife of
John Collem, of Chico; Fred, deceased; Jessie A. and Lela, who are at home.
Mr. Burdick was one of the organizers of the Durham Milling Company, which
was organized in 1897 and still is one of the stockholders. He is a
Republican in politics and served as school trustee of the Durham school for
fourteen years. He is a member of Durham Lodge No. 311, I. O. O. F., and of
the Ancient Order of United Workmen of Chico.

"History of the State of California and Biographical Record of the
Sacramento Valley, Cal.," J. M. Guinn, The Chapman Publishing Company,
Chicago, 1906, Page 564.