Tulare County Biographies

JAMES MAXWELL CANN

Transcribed by Kathy Sedler

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

 
September 1, 1861, James Maxwell Cann was born in Kentucky. In 1880, when he was 
not yet twenty years old, he went to Missouri, where he remained until 1886. His 
parents were John Miller and Margaret Franklin (Calhoun) Cann, of English 
ancestry. He married, near Visalia, Tulare county, Miss Lizzie L. Howell, who 
was born near Bozeman, Mont., and they have two children. Lewis H. studied at 
St. Mary's College, Oakland, and is playing professional baseball known as 
"Mike" Cann; Margaret J. is attending the State Normal school at Fresno.
Soon after his arrival in this county, in the spring of 1886, Mr. Cann found 
employment in cutting grain with a combined harvester. In 1887 he was employed 
in a flouring mill and for several years thereafter was in the grain business, 
for different companies. There was little business then in the country round 
about except the raising of grain. At Sultana he was later employed in a grain 
warehouse until his fruit on his ranch had grown to the paying point, he having 
carefully nursed it in the meantime and done something toward the development of 
his land otherwise. His property is located in the Alta Irrigation district, the 
ditch for which was completed about twenty years ago. The district itself was 
established in 1889. Before the days of irrigation, land could have been bought 
for $2.50 an acre. With irrigation started, land cost Mr. Cann $37.50 an acre 
for open stubble field without improvement. He planted thirty acres to Malaga 
and Sultana grapes and has five acres of Elberta peaches. His Malagas have 
brought him $200 to $300 per acre, his Sultanas have yielded a ton and a quarter 
to the acre. His experience covers all of the latter-day development of this 
district, he having seen raw land hereabouts increase in price from $2.50 to 
$200 and $250 an in twenty-five years.
Having cast his first presidential vote for Grover Cleveland in 1884, Mr. Cann 
has been a consistent Democrat to the present time. In a fraternal way he 
affiliates with the Woodmen of the World. Mrs. Cann is identified with the Women 
of Woodcraft and with the Eastern Star, and is a communicant of the Christian 
church.
 
History of Tulare and Kings Counties, California with Biographical Sketches - 
Los Angeles, Calif., Historic Record Company, 1913, pp. 661