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 GEORGE A. CATE. � A California pioneer with an exceptionally inter- esting career and important family historical associations, a man of attractive personality and a most entertaining conversationalist, and an extensive opera- tor in husbandry, is George A. Cate, who is fortunate in having associated with him as another man of affairs his own son, Arthur B. Cate. He was born in Quincy, Ill., on December 17, 1843, the son of Joseph Cate. a native of New Bedford. Mass., who, as the oldest of the family, early settled near Quincy. In 1849, Joseph Cate crossed the plains to California with his younger brother, Thomas, the two traveling by ox teams, and he became a miner and a truckster on Feather River. After while he returned East by way of Cape Horn ; and as the two boys had become separated his folks induced him to return to the West in order to search for Thomas. He therefore crossed the plains again with ox teams to look for Thomas ; but he did not find him. He returned East once more, and there located with his family near Hamil- ton, Hancock County, Ill., where he took to farming. In 1861, when the Civil War was in full swing, Mr. Cate volunteered as a member of the Missouri Regiment known as the Black Hawk Cavalry; and his son, Joseph H.. was in the same regiment. During service the father was thrown from his wagon and hurt; and having received an honorable discharge he returned home. After this reverse, Joseph H. Cate was taken prisoner in Missouri by Quan- trell, but was paroled and sent to St. Louis, from which place he also returned home. About the same time, however, a new company was being formed, and a neighbor came to persuade our subject (George A.) to join; and al- though he was serving an apprenticeship at the tinsmith's trade he replied that if he could get permission from his father and mother and employer he would enlist. These having given their consent, he enlisted in August. 1862, as a member of Company C, One Hundred Eighteenth Illinois Volunteer Infan- try. Soon after a particularly sad accident occurred to his brother, Joseph H., whom he had coaxed to join the same company with him, and who is said to have been, with George A. himself, one of the best soldiers in that organiza- tion. At the siege of Vicksburg, Joseph H., in his overzeal to spy upon the enemy, looked over the ramparts to get a good view of the enemy, and he was shot and killed. George A. Cate was mustered in at Camp Butler and placed on guard duty during the winter. In the spring of 1863, he went to St. Louis and on to Memphis. Joseph H. had never been sick a day in the army, but George was taken ill with swamp fever and was sent to the Memphis Hospital. When the authorities attempted to clean out the quarters of the invalid soldiers, on account of the expected attack on Vicksburg, George, who was convalesc- ing, was sent to Cairo, then to Quincy and later to Keokuk, and in December, 1863, was placed in the hospital at Keokuk. This hospital was located so near his home that Dr. Comer sent him to his folks for a couple of weeks, and then he returned to the hospital where he remained until he was well. On its way to Vicksburg, George A. joined his company, which was stationed at Black River, and so he saw Pemberton's surrender. His regiment went on to Baton Rouge, where he was stationed for some time, and later removed to New Orleans. At Baton Rouge, on October 1, 1865, he was mustered out from the service he had entered on August 12, 1862, and he returned home. George's father, who had taken up farming after his discharge, went to Kansas with George, but afterward returned to Illinois, where he died, a prosperous ranchman. Mrs. Cate, who was Sarah J. Wilson before her mar- riage, was born at New Bedford, Mass., and had a brother, George Wilson, who was interested in whaling. He was a man of influence and served his fellow citizens several times as mayor of New Bedford. She came to Califor- nia after the World's Fair, traveling with George and his wife ; and having taken up her residence awhile with them, died here in December, 1893. She was the mother of four children, a girl and three boys, and of this family, George is the only son still living. The daughter, Maggie, now Mrs. Morton, resides in Chicago. When the family removed to Hancock County, Ill., George was reared and educated there at the public schools, and worked on a farm until he was sixteen. Then, as already mentioned, he was apprenticed to a tinsmith, but at eighteen enlisted for service in the army. After this he farmed awhile in Illinois with his father, but in 1870 he went to Kansas and located a home- stead near Belleville, Republic County, which he considerably improved. Later, he returned to Illinois. While in Hancock County, on March 11, 1873, Mr. Cate was married to Miss Cornelia Wilson, a native of Schuyler County, and the daughter of William Wilson, who was born at Enniskillen, Ireland. He came to the United States with his parents when ten years of age ; and the grandmother having died at Liverpool, England, the family came on to Illinois. There William was married to Susan Eiler, who was born in Ohio, and later they moved to a place near Nauvoo where Mr. Wilson was a farmer. Both parents died there. Eight children made up the family, and three of these are still living. Mrs. Cate, who was reared and educated in Nauvoo, was the eldest, and she has two brothers, Thomas H., who was a member of the Seventh Iowa Cavalry Regiment that enlisted in 1861 ; and Robert, who was in Com- pany D of the One Hundred Eighteenth Illinois Regiment. Mr. Cate continued farming in Kansas until 1890, when he removed to California, and located in Fresno County, where he bought forty acres of stubble-fields, which he set out to vineyards; and in this business he has continued ever since. He built a fine residence and later sold the Kansas farm. Now he has a vineyard of twenty acres, and five acres given to alfalfa. He gives some attention to gardening, and he has six acres of peach trees. The whole tract is under the Enterprise Canal, and also has a pumping plant. He belongs to the California Associated Raisin Company, and to the Cali- fornia Peach Growers, Inc. He is also a member of Post No. 92, G. A. R., at Fresno. Four children have come to Mr. and Mrs. Cate : Margaret, Mrs. Stan- hope, resides in Clovis and has six children ; Edward Melvin resides with his family of three children in Fresno, and has a farm in Tulare; Ruth, the youngest, is Mrs. Greaves, who lives on the home farm; and Arthur B., who has one son, operates the home farm. He leases forty acres of his father and owns seventy acres, and also leases other land. They also run the cannery on the place and put up the Variety Brand of tomatoes. The ranch is known as Variety Farm, and they work it in cooperation with others.