Kings County Biographies


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



JOHN L. KURTZ
 
a prosperous rancher of Tulare County, has from a poor boy made his own way in 
the world and risen to a position of prominence and wealth.
            He was born in Germany, of German parents, November 15, 1837.  In 
his native land he learned the shoe-maker�s trade.  In 1855 he came to the 
United States, landed at Philadelphia, and there began work at his trade.  
Afterward, for six months he was employed on a farm.  In 1858, learning that 
land in Illinois could be purchased cheap, he went there and worked for wages 
until the spring of 1861.  At that time he crossed the plains for California, 
driving a mule team for Mr. Eli Walker.  The long and tedious overland journey 
was a memorable one. At the Thousand Springs valley the Indians stole their 
horses.  When the theft was discovered Mr. Kurtz and Mr. Walker started in 
pursuit, and by showering bullets on the red men succeeded in capturing the 
horses, although they shot three of them.  They arrived in the Sacramento valley 
November 10, 1861.  Mr. Kurtz at once found employment on a fruit farm, and 
worked for a Mr. Rich off and on the most of the time for six years.
            In 1867 he was married to Miss Mary Wyman, a native of Indiana and a 
daughter of Josiah Wyman.  On the first of October, about a year after his 
marriage, he came to his present location and pre-empted 160 acres of land.  
With his wife and baby he moved on to it, his worldly goods at that time 
consisting of a horse and wagon and $45 in cash.  He built a small house, and, 
as they had no stove, cooked at an open fire.
            He fenced ten acres and planted it to corn and then worked out to 
get money to live on.  He went thirty miles to Visalia to get his seed wheat, 
and from it raised a good crop.  About that time he had to build a levee in 
front of his place to keep the water from overflowing his land in the spring.  
He continued wheat farming till 1886 with good success, in the meantime 
purchasing 320 acres of land joining him on the North, making a ranch of 480 
acres of choice land.  On it in 1878 he built a good home, and from year to year 
continued to make other improvements, bringing the place up to its present high 
standard of development.  Since 1886 he has been giving considerable attention 
to the fruit business; now has thirty acres in bearing orchard � pears, peaches, 
nectarines, apricots and French prunes; has a vineyard of raisin grapes, seventy 
acres, sixty of which are bearing.  He still sows wheat on a half section of his 
land.
            To Mr. and Mrs. Kurtz eleven children have been born. Their oldest 
son, John E., a native of Sacramento, is married and settled in life.  Their 
other children were born at their present home and are named as follows:  Frank, 
Maggie, Andrew, William, Mene, Otto, Lester, Eddie, Olive and Raymond.
            Mr. Kurtz is a Master Mason, an Odd Fellow, and a member of the 
Farmers� Alliance.  He is president of the Lemoore Fruit Packing Co.  His 
political views have always been Democratic but he has not given much attention 
to politics.
 
Memorial and Biographical History of the counties of Fresno, Tulare and Kern, 
California
Chicago, The Lewis Publishing Company, 1892  p. 664-665
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler