Merced County Biographies

JOHN S. HULEN

Transcribed by Kathy Sedler

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


        When the lure of gold was drawing thousands to California in the early 
fifties, among the hardy and adventurous argonauts who crossed the plains in 
1854 was Andrew Jackson Hulen. With the cheerful optimism of youth he began the 
quest for the precious metal at Chinese Camp and Downieville. Of how much gold 
he found, there is no record, but it is recorded that he found something a great 
deal more precious, a faithful wife, Mary Ida Lewis, to whom he was united in 
marriage on September 2, 1873, in Contra Costa County, where he turned his 
attention to freighting among the farmers and merchants. He had filed on a 
quarter section in Merced County, but he gave that up and settled at Volta in 
1894, and rented 100 acres of Uriah Wood; he also leased 800 acres and went in 
for grain farming. He finally bought ninety acres near Volta, where he spent the 
balance of his life, dying in 1917, at the age of eighty-six; his good wife is 
still living and is sixty-seven years old. Of this union there were born ten 
children: Lee A., deceased; John S., born April 13, 1876, who was married 
September 14, 1913, at San Rafael to Nettie Jeffers, born at Volta, Merced 
County, a daughter of Benjamin and Eliza (Knight) Jeffers, both born in 1843, 
the former in Jones County, Iowa, and the latter in Columbiana County, Ohio; 
George R.; Margaret A., Mrs. A. C. Shafer of Manteca ; William F., deceased; 
Lewis; Alice, Mrs. Smith Acker of Merced; Edna, Mrs. Weisman of Modesto; Frank; 
and Woodson, familiarly known as "Jack."
        George Robert Hulen was born on February 16, 1879, near Lakeport, Lake 
County, Cal., was educated in the Santa Nella district school and remained with 
his father until 1904, when he went out and worked for wages as a ranch hand. He 
was frugal and saved his money and in eight years was able to acquire some 
stock, and in 1912 he came to his present location four miles west of Volta and 
bought eighty acres devoted to alfalfa on which he runs a dairy of sixty cows. 
He also owns thirty acres five miles south of his home. This is also under the 
canal and devoted to alfalfa. He is an independent in politics, voting for the 
best men and measures regardless of party. He is a member of the Mountain Brow 
Lodge No. 82, I. O. O. F.
 
History of Merced County, California � Los Angeles, Historic Record Co., 1925
page 898-899