Tulare County Biographies

ZENIAS KNIGHT

Transcribed by Kathy Sedler

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

 
A son of James H. and Mary M. (Worley) Knight and a well-known citizen of Tulare 
county, whose residence is half a mile southeast of Monson, Zenais Knight was 
born in Jones county, Iowa, November 16, 1854. In 1860, before he was yet six 
years old, he came as an emigrant to California. A train of one hundred wagons 
left Wyoming, Iowa, and at Baker, Idaho, was divided into two trains, one of 
which, consisting of thirty to forty wagons, started for Oregon, while the other 
came on to California. Of the Oregon party an aunt of Mr. Knight was a member. 
Indians at that time were very troublesome and they attacked the train, killing 
most of the emigrants, appropriating the stock and burning the wagons. The lady 
mentioned was one of those who escaped and it was not until four or five years 
afterwards that she was enabled to inform her California friends of the fate 
that had overtaken the train. The journey to California was made by way of Omaha 
and Lone Tree, Neb., up the Platte River valley, by Salt Lake and down the sink 
of the Humboldt to Hangtown, where the party rested for a few days. The Oregon 
party consisted of about seventy-five individuals, the California party of about 
one hundred and seventy-five.
The Knights located in Green River valley, after a short stop at Sacramento and 
took up one hundred and sixty acres of railroad grant land which they had later 
to abandon. The father lived out his days in California; the mother is living in 
Merced county. Zenias Knight's early days were passed as a pioneer in a new and 
undeveloped country. Work was plentiful and educational advantages few, but by 
reading, study and observation he became well informed. He married, at Hanford, 
Miss Sarah E. Halford, who was born in California, and they have had seven 
children: Warren, Walter, Laura, Alice, Wallace, Harvey and Zenias. Alice 
married Jacob Christen and had a son named Christopher. They live at Dinuba. 
Warren, a resident of Bakersfield, married Elizabeth Worthley.
After his marriage for a time Mr. Knight lived in Merced county. From there he 
moved to eastern Oregon, whence after seven years he came back to California and 
located in Tulare county. He bought sixty acres of land in 1904 which he has 
since developed into a fine fruit ranch, giving attention at the same time to 
stock. He has eight acres of peaches five years old and from twelve acres of his 
land he secured three cuttings of alfalfa in 1911. His stock consists of eight 
head and he has ten good hogs.
When Mr. Knight first came to this county there was not a house between Visalia 
and Fresno, and he saw herds of from five hundred to seven hundred antelope and 
many elk, while bear were numerous in the swamps. The whole country was a vast 
undeveloped plain. He was acquainted as boy and man with many pioneers and one 
man of note among several he knew was Evans of doubtful fame. In 1867 and 1868, 
then only a big boy, Mr. Knight freighted between Stockton and Bakersfield, 
often visiting Sacramento, hauling mill stuff. He recollects that on one 
occasion the transportation charges on a steam boiler amounted to $50 more than 
the original cost of the boiler at Sacramento. Those were the days of primitive 
things in California. In the later development of this part of the state Mr. 
Knight has manfully borne his part. Politically he is a Republican. He formerly 
had membership with the Baptist church. In every relation of life he has been 
public-spiritedly helpful to those with whom he has been brought in contact.
 
History of Tulare and Kings Counties, California with Biographical Sketches - 
Los Angeles, Calif., Historic Record Company, 1913, pp. 581-582