Sacramento Valley Biographies

BAYOTT KUPSER

Transcribed by Sally Kaleta, August 2009.

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

             The property owned and operated by Bayott Kupser is located
eight miles northeast of Marysville, Yuba county, and consists of ten
hundred and twenty-two acres, a large part of which is rich in gold deposit,
although the attention of Mr. Kupser is given to the raising of grain, hay
and fruit on the remainder of the land. He is one of the enterprising
agriculturists of this section, where he came with his parents when nine
years old. His parents, John and Maria Ursula Kupser, were both natives of
Switzerland, where they owned a small farm. In 1844 with their two children,
they came to the United States and located in Dubuque, Iowa. There Mr.
Kupser worked at his trade of carpenter and cabinet-maker for a short time,
when he removed to Galena, Ill., and followed the same occupation. In April,
1849, he started overland to California, owning a part of the outfit. At
Fort Laramie the party fell out and one man in anger sawed the wagon owned
by himself and Mr. Kupser in two. Nothing daunted Mr. Kupser took the hind
wheels and with two yoke of oxen made a conveyance with which they set out
once more for the Pacific coast. They experienced many hardships in the way
of attacks from the Indians, cholera, etc., and after they had crossed Green
river they ran out of their provisions, being forced to live on acorns for
three days. Their oxen gave out, the cart broke, but in spite of all these
difficulties they arrived at Bidwell's Bar in November of that year. In Yuba
city, Sutter county, Mr. Kupser bought a house and began to work at his
trade. He put out seven acres of vineyard and otherwise improved his place,
making his home there until 1869, in which year he sold out and took up one
hundred and sixty acres of land near Live Oak. There he followed ranching
the death of his wife in 1877, at the age of sixty-three years. In 1878 he
remarried and spent one year in Yuba City, then moved to San Jose, where he
died in 1891, at the age of seventy-six years. He was a Republican in
politics, and the family were devout members of the Roman Catholic Church.
The parental family comprised three children: Bayott,  the subject of this
review; Mary, the widow of S. E. Kennard, of Oakland, Cal.; and John, who
resides in San Francisco.

          Born in Switzerland, January 18, 1840, Bayott Kupser was but four
years old when he was brought to America by his parents and nine when he
made the trip across the plains, the greater part of the way being compelled
to walk. He attended public schools in Illinois for two or three years, and
after the removal to California became a student in the schools of Yuba
City. He remained at home with his father until he was thirty-seven years
old giving his best efforts toward the improvement and cultivation of the
home ranch. He then married and bought the home place, which he conducted
for some time, finally selling out and locating in the vicinity of Browns
valley, Yuba county, where he purchased a half-interest in fourteen hundred
acres of foothill and river land, and began the raising of sheep and cattle.
He also had a vineyard of considerable size. In 1885 he sold his interest in
that tract and purchased a part of his present home, consisting of three
hundred acres, and the following year, added by purchase seven hundred and
twenty-two acres. Of this property six hundred and eighty acres are bonded
to a company at $250 per acre for dredging purposes, as the land is rich in
gold deposit. It was previously valuable as farming land, but since the
overflow has been covered with brush and sand. The remainder of the land is
utilized for the raising of grain and hay, while he also has fifty acres
devoted to grapes, having increased the acreage from ten acres, which he set
out in 1887. He has a small orchard of oranges, apples, and other fruits.

         May 6, 1877, Mr. Kupser was united in marriage with Mary Gard, who
was born in Prussia, December 17, 1856. Her father, Jacob Gard, a native of
the same place, and a farmer there, came to the United States in 1864, and
after mining in California for four years, returned home. In 1872 he brought
his five children to California, and took a homestead in Brown's valley,
where his death occurred at the age of seventy-five years. His wife,
formerly Katherine Langendofer, was a native of Germany, where she died at
the age of forty-six years. They were members of the Catholic Church. Mrs.
Kupser was about sixteen years old when she came to this section, and at the
age of twenty-one she became the wife of Mr. Kupser, by whom she has the
following children: Francis B., who married Sarah Pierat of Yuba county
March 5, 1905; Herbert Milton and Ernest Charles, the latter being located
in San Francisco. Mr. Kuper is an independent Republican in politics, and
although interested in the advancement of the principles he endorses has
never cared for official recognition. He has served three years as school
trustee, and his oldest son, Francis B., is now (1905) serving as clerk of
the board. Mrs. Kupser is a member of the Catholic Church.

"History of the State of California and Biographical Record of the
Sacramento Valley, Cal.," J. M. Guinn, The Chapman Publishing Company,
Chicago, 1906, Pages 984-985.