Sutter-Yuba County Biographies

RALPH HAINES DURST

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

 
            Among the men who have been connected with the hop-growing industry 
at Wheatland from the time of its inception, is Ralph H. Durst, a native of 
Austin, Nev., born March 28, 1865, but a resident of Wheatland since he was 
eighteen months old.  His father, the late Dr. D. P. Hurst, was born near 
Greenville, Mercer County, Pa.  He was a graduate M. D. from a medical college 
in Philadelphia and practiced his profession in Mercer County until he decided 
to come to California in 1853.  He came around Cape Horn in a sailing vessel as 
ship doctor and, on landing in San Francisco, made his way to the mines, 
spending the first winter at St. Louis, near La Porte, where he practiced 
medicine, and with several partners was also interested in mining.  Dr. Durst 
then came down into the Valley and practiced medicine at Colusa.  During these 
years he put in several crops of grain, but two dry years, 1864 and 1865, 
resulted in a complete failure of crops and he then removed to Nevada City, 
Cal., where he followed his profession until 1867, when he located at Wheatland. 
 Purchasing thirty-five acres just south of the town, adjoining the railroad, he 
built his residence.  He is well remembered as the pioneer physician, practicing 
over a wide area in southern Yuba and Sutter Counties, and in Placer County.  
Dr. Durst planted the first alfalfa grown at Wheatland.  He naturally had a 
great desire to follow agriculture, and in 1876 he bought the Riley ranch of 500 
acres, west of Wheatland.  In 1883 he planted the first hops on Bear River; that 
fall he added to his holdings by purchasing the Russian Ranch just southeast of 
Wheatland and extending back to Bear River, and on these rich bottom lands he 
raised hops, increasing the acreage devoted to that industry until he had 670 
acres.  He was active in reclamation work and in the building of levees, and he 
stood with the ranchers in the anti-debris fight.  He retired from practice in 
1885, on account of his health requiring an out-door life.  He passed away in 
1911, aged eighty-one years, and in his death the county lost one of its most 
enterprising men.  Dr. D. P. Durst was married in Colusa, being united with Rose 
Frances Haines, a native of Pekin, Ill., a daughter of Jonathan Haines, a 
manufacturer in that city on the Illinois River.  He invented and made the first 
header, and also invented and built the Buckeye mower.  His implements were also 
shipped to the Pacific Coast, and he made several trips to California. The 
daughter, Rose F., was born August 18, 1836.  She came to California and was 
engaged in teaching in Colusa, where she met and married Dr. Durst, the ceremony 
being performed in 1858.  She was a cultured and refined woman, of pleasing 
personality, and was a splendid helpmate to her husband, lending her hearty 
encouragement to him to gain his ambition.  She survived her husband until 
August 4, 1917, when she passed on, leaving a void not easily filled.  Four 
children were born to this pioneer couple:  John died at the age of forty-three; 
Murray passed away at fifty-two years; Ralph H. is the subject of this review; 
and Jonathan, a partner of Ralph H., lives in Oakland.
            Ralph H. Durst was reared on the home ranch and was educated in the 
public schools.  From a lad he assisted his father on the ranch and when he was 
eighteen years old his father set out the first hops grown on Bear River, so it 
was natural that he in turn became active in the growing and care of the hops 
from the beginning, and he has followed it and general agriculture ever since.  
After his father�s death he and his brother Jonathan took over the ranches and 
have since operated them as Durst Brothers.  In the spring of 1923, Mr. Durst 
individually purchased a 260-acre ranch on the south side of Bear River, across 
from the old Durst ranch, where he engaged in horticulture, having already set 
out an orchard of eighty-five acres to cling peaches.  Politically he is a 
staunch Republican.  Fraternally he is a member of Sutter Lodge No. 100, 
I.O.O.F., Wheatland, in which he is a Past Grand, and he is also a member of the 
Rebekah Lodge.
 
History of Yuba and Sutter Counties, Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, 1924
p. 1187-1188
  
 
     Ralph Haines Durst, of Wheatland, Yuba county, is probably best known 
throughout this section of the Sacramento valley as a hop grower, although he 
has also extensive horticultural interest. He has been identified with the hop 
growing business at Wheatland since the time of its inception and is regarded as 
an authority on that industry. He was born at Austin, Nevada, on the 28th of 
March, 1865, but has been a resident of Wheatland since eighteen months old. He 
is a son of the late Dr. Daniel Peters and Rose Frances (Haines) Durst, the 
former born at Greenville, Mercer county, Pennsylvania, and the latter at Pekin, 
Illinois, their marriage occurring in Colusa, California. Early in life Daniel 
P. Durst took up the study of medicine, graduating from Jefferson Medical 
College, in Philadelphia, and immediately afterwards entered upon the practice 
of his profession in Mercer county. In 1853 he decided to come to California and 
made a long voyage around Cape Horn in a sailing vessel as ship�s doctor. On 
landing at San Francisco, he started for the gold mines and spent his first 
winter at St. Louis, near La Porte, California, where he practiced medicine and, 
with several partners, engaged in mining. Dr. Durst then came to the Sacramento 
valley and entered upon the practice of medicine at Colusa, where he was 
married. During his stay at that place he put in several crops of grain, but the 
two dry years of 1864 and 1865 resulted in a complete failure of crops. He then 
removed to Austin, Nevada, where he followed his profession until 1867, when he 
located at Wheatland, California. Purchasing thirty-five acres of land just 
south of Wheatland, adjoining the railroad, he built his residence and became 
the pioneer physician of that locality. He enjoyed an extensive practice, 
covering a wide area of surrounding country in southern Yuba and Sutter 
counties, as well as in Placer county. 
 
     Dr. Durst planted the first crop of alfalfa ever grown at Wheatland. He had 
a great liking for agriculture and in 1876 bought five hundred acres of land 
west of Wheatland. In 1883 he planted a field of twelve acres to hops on Bear 
river, and this was the first hop field in this part of California. That fall he 
added to his holdings by purchasing the Russian ranch, just southwest of 
Wheatland, extending back to Bear river. On these rich bottom land he planted 
another one hundred acres to hops the next year, and planted more every 
succeeding year until he had six hundred and seventy acres in hops and became 
the country�s biggest hop grower. He was actively interested in reclamation work 
and in the building of levees and he stood with the ranchers in the anti-debris 
fight against hydraulic mining, which filled up and raised the river beds and 
flooded the bottom lands. His hop fields and lands were located in Yuba, Sutter 
and Placer counties, his residence and office being in Yuba county. Partially on 
account of seeking to regain his health by leading an active outdoor life, but 
more particularly since his extensive hop fields demanded his entire time and 
attention, he discontinued the practice of medicine, to the regret of hundreds 
who had benefited by his able ministrations. He passed away in 1911, at the age 
of eighty-one years, and in his death the state of California lost one of its 
most progressive and enterprising men.
 
     In 1858, at Colusa, California, Dr. Hurst was united in marriage to Miss 
Rose Frances Haines, who was born in Pekin, Illinois, August 18, 1836, a 
daughter of Jonathan Haines, a well known manufacturer at Pekin, on the Illinois 
river, who invented and built the first header and also invented and built the 
famous Buckeye mower. His implements were shipped to the Pacific coast, and he 
made several trips to California. The daughter came to California and was a 
teacher in Colusa when she met and married Dr. Durst. She was a cultured and 
refined woman, of pleasing and attractive personality, and proved a true 
helpmate to her husband, lending her hearty encouragement to him in the 
realization of his ambitions. She passed away August 4, 1917, greatly mourned by 
all who knew her. 
 
     Dr. Daniel P. and Rose F. Durst had four sons. (1) John Haines, the eldest, 
born September 9, 1859, became a lawyer, and served as city attorney of San 
Francisco and county attorney of San Francisco county. He married and left one 
son, Vernon Durst, of San Francisco. John H. Durst died at the age of 
forty-three years. (2) Murry Haines, born June 14, 1861, died in 1914, at the 
age of fifty-three years. He was a graduate of the University of California, and 
was known as a leading hop grower of this state. He visited London and various 
European countries in the interest of the sale of California-grown hops. He 
married and at the time of his death left three children, Dorris, Edward and 
Audrey. (3) Ralph Haines is the immediate subject of this review. (4) Jonathan 
Haines, who died in St. Francis Hospital, San Francisco, June 14, 1930, was 
married, but left no children. He was a partner in the ownership of the Durst 
hop ranch at Wheatland. Jonathan was a well known newspaper man and editor, as 
well as a hop grower. He learned the printing trade under John Landis, the first 
editor of the Wheatland Four Corners. He financed that paper and later became 
the editor, serving until the press of other business made it expedient to quit 
the editorship. 
 
     Ralph Haines Durst is now the only surviving son of Dr. Daniel P. Durst. He 
was reared on the old Durst ranch, received a public school education, and 
engaged with his father, and later with his brothers, in the hop raising 
industry. From boyhood he had assisted his father on the ranch and when he was 
eighteen years old his father set out the first hops grown on the Bear river, so 
it was natural that he in turn should became actively interested in hop growing, 
which he followed continuously from the inception of the industry in this state. 
That and farming have comprised his activities in the main. After the death of 
his father, Ralph and Jonathan took over the ranches which have since operated 
under the firm name of the Durst Brothers. In the spring of 1923 Ralph Durst 
individually purchased two hundred acres of land on the south side of Bear 
river, across from the old Durst ranch, and has devoted this to horticulture, 
having planted it largely to clingstone peaches.
 
     Politically he is a stanch republican, while fraternally he is a member of 
Sutter Lodge, No. 100, I. O. O. F., of which he is a past grand. His religious 
connection is with the Protestant Episcopal Church. He is worthily maintaining 
the family prestige so well established by his father, and throughout the 
community in which he has spent his life is deservedly held in high regards. 
  
Source: Wooldridge, J.W. Major History of the Sacramento Valley California, Vol. 
3 pgs. 128-130. The Pioneer Historical Publishing Co. Chicago 1931.

Transcribed by Craig Hahn.