Plumas County Biographies

James Ford

Transcribed by Craig Hahn, Dec. 2004

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


son of James and Polly (Wing) Ford, was born in Grafton, Grafton county, New 
Hampshire, October 18, 1817. When nineteen years old he joined a U. S. surveying 
party, and assisted in the survey of the southern part of the Black Hawk 
purchase, which embraced a large territory now in Iowa. In 1840 he accompanied 
his father to Randolph county, Illinois, where they were engaged in running 
steam and water saw-mills for several years. In April, 1852, he started for 
California, coming overland with his wife, and spent his first year mining on 
Spanish creek. In March, 1853, he located the ranch of 460 acres he now lives 
on, having to pay fabulous prices for the first seeds planted. At the time he 
settled in the north arm of Indian valley, there were only two other farms, 
those of A. G. Light and William Hussey, Mrs. Ford being the only white woman in 
the north arm for two years. James Ford was married March 3, 1852, to Mrs. 
Martha McCord of DeWitt county, Illinois, where she was born October 6, 1835. 
The children born to them are as follows: Maggie B., born February 1, 1856; 
Frances Rowena, April 12, 1857; Mary Alice, March 28, 1859; Harriett L., January 
11, 1862;  Jesse M., April 29, 1864; James Trumbull, April 20, 1866; Sheridan 
J., September 23, 1868; Sallie M., April 5, 1871; Martha Grace E., June 5, 1873; 
Annie E., June 17, 1875; Albertie W., December 6, 1878�all of whom are living.
 
Illustrated History of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra Counties, with California from 
1513 to 1850. � Fariss and Smith, San Francisco,  1882. p 300