Kings County Biographies


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



 
COURTNEY, SAMUEL EDWARD
 
     This well known nurseryman, who is an agent for the Capital City Nursery 
and whose residence in the Emma Lee Colony, northeast of the limits of Hanford, 
is a native of County Antrim, Ireland, and, was born in 1862. The Courtney 
progenitors came from Holland with Prince William and fought in the religious 
wars. On the maternal line Mr. Courtney is of Scotch and Danish extraction. He 
was about eighteen years old when he came across the ocean to Ontario, Canada, 
and lived at Oshawa for some time there after. In 1885 he volunteered for 
service in the suppression of the insurrection known as the Northwest rebellion. 
After his discharge he lived for two years at Fort William, with his brother, 
and they were employed in the construction of a large elevator, quartering 
opposite the historic battleground at Quaminisque; and they endured many 
hardships in that new country, the temperatures often registering as low as 
sixty degrees below zero. They bought property in that vicinity, but eventually 
went to Halifax, N. S., where Mr. Courtney married and was engaged in farming 
and as a builder until 1892. Then he sold out and went to Boston, where he 
worked six months as a carpenter. During his stay in Boston he heard much of 
California and the wonderful opportunities it held out to the horticulturist, 
and coming out in 1893 and locating at Hanford, he found employment at his trade 
and later as a contractor, built many residences there and throughout the 
country round about. In 1902 he became a salesman for the Capital City Nursery 
Co., of Salem, Ore., and during his second year of work in that capacity sold 
$16,000 worth of peach and apricot trees (most of the trees being Albertas), all 
of which were planted in Kings county. He has handled the line ever since, 
adding to it local and home grown stock, and his yearly sales during the last 
few years have averaged $6,000. In 1903 he bought five acres of land for a home 
at the northwest corner of the city, paying $100 an acre for it; it is now worth 
$1,000 an acre. He has built on it a fine house and other necessary buildings 
and has set it out to fruit trees. He is also the owner of twenty-two and a half 
acres in the Crowell addition, a good portion of which he has set out to fruit. 
Another tract which he owns is one of sixty acres, three and a half miles east 
of Hanford, which he intends to put in vines and trees, and he intends to 
improve this property still further. Having a liking for horses and cattle, he 
has devoted some attention to raising both and intends to go into business more 
extensively. In 1911-12 he bought out four small nurseries ad has disposed of 
their stock, his nursery business being one of the most comprehensive in this 
part of the sate. Its numerous offerings include twelve varieties of peaches, 
seven of plums, ten of such apples as do well in the San Joaquin valley country, 
three of prunes, three of apricots, seven of table grapes, Franquette walnuts, 
olives, plums, eucalyptus trees, shade trees, palms and roses. 
 
     The place on which Mr. Courtney lives was formerly owned by one Knudson, 
who was shot at the time of the Mussell Slough trouble; brought home, died under 
an old walnut tree which is still standing in the nursery yard. In 1887 Mr. 
Courtney married at Halifax, N. S., Miss Annie Roper, a native of Nova Scotia, 
and they have had children as follows: James; Hugh. Deceased: Millicent M.; 
Blanche M.; and Samuel Ernest. Three of these are living. Millicent M. is the 
wife of Charles Fellows of Modesto, who is also in the nursery business. 
 
     Mr. Courtney was converted to the Presbyterian church in the north of 
Ireland, when a boy. His father James Courtney, of French Huguenot stock, was an 
evangelist in his home locality. He was connected with the Salvation Army of 
Hanford from the start and has always been in the fight for the right and 
advocates and supports all worthy movements. He is a National Prohibitionist, 
secretary and treasurer of the Kings county delegation, and took a leading part 
in the fight to eliminate liquor traffic from his city. 
 
  
SOURCE:  History of Tulare and Kings Counties, California with Biographical 
Sketches - Los Angeles, Calif., Historic Record Company, 1913 Pp 352, 353, 354
Transcribed by: Craig A Hahn