Kings County Biographies

Transcribed by Kathy Sedler


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



MELVIN A. HILL
 
A native of Indiana, born in La Grange county on March 14, 1844, Melvin A. Hill 
is a son of the late William Remington and Sarah (Gregg) Hill, natives of Monroe 
county, N. Y., and South Carolina respectively. The former was born in 1815, 
went to Indiana at an early day and grew up with the pioneer life of that 
period. He married in that state about 1841, and remained there until September 
10, 1859, when with his wife and seven children he started across the plains 
with ox-teams and prairie schooners. Arriving in this state he settled down to 
the life of a rancher, following this until his death here, with the exception 
of a short time spent in Oregon, where he went to join his son Melvin A.
Melvin A. Hill attended school until he was fifteen and remained in California 
with his parents until 1864, when he went to Oregon. Soon after he returned to 
this state, and in 1874 we find him in Tulare county after having lived and 
labored for a time in Ventura county. Farming has been his occupation ever since 
reaching manhood. When he came to this part of the state Kings county had not 
been set apart from the mother county of Tulare and all trading was done in 
Visalia for many years. He bought one hundred and sixty acres of land on the 
Hanford-Tulare road, began its improvement and assisted to build the Lakeside 
ditch to supply the water for irrigation. All the improvements seen on his ranch 
have been placed there by himself and he has carried on general farming and 
stock raising with increasing success all these years. There is probably no man 
better informed than is Mr. Hill on the successful production and sale of crops 
and stock, and it would be impossible for any one to give himself more devotedly 
to his business or to have brought an enterprise to a higher plane of success.
In Santa. Barbara, Cal., on September 1, 1872, occurred the marriage of Melvin 
A. Hill with Cynthia Reuk, a native of Adams county, Ill., and two children were 
born to them, Henry, who is farming on eighty acres given him by his father, and 
Cora, who died in infancy. Mrs. Hill passed away in September, 1909, and on 
September 15, 1912, Mr. Hill was united in marriage with Mrs. Mary Ball.
Mr. Hill has not taken an active interest in politics other than to east his 
vote for the men and measures that he considers for the greatest good to the 
greatest number. He is interested in the cause of education and served as 
trustee of the Frazer district for two years. He is patriotically interested in 
economic questions local and national, advocated the organization of Kings 
county, and assists all worthy enterprises for the advancement of the interests 
of the people and county. His success has been of his own making and he is 
looked upon as one of the substantial pioneers of the county, and has a wide 
acquaintance in this section of the state.
 
History of Tulare and Kings Counties, California with Biographical Sketches - 
Los Angeles, Calif., Historic Record Company, 1913
pp. 718-719