Sutter-Yuba County Biographies

WILLIAM LYTKEN

Transcribed by: Kathy Sedler

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


 
            A native son of Sutter County, and a successful horticulturist, 
William Lytken was born at South Butte, January 1, 1878, a son of Hans and Susie 
(Anderson) Lytken, both natives of Copenhagen, Denmark.  Hans Lytken left 
Copenhagen and came to the United States while still a young man; and later, in 
1862, he came via Panama to California and settled in Sutter County, where he 
farmed leased land for a number of years.  When the mother of our subject came 
to California, the family settled at South Butte, where Hans Lytken purchased 
eighty acres of land, southwest of the present site of Sutter City.  Five 
children were born in their family, namely:  William, of this review; Hans; 
Lena, deceased; Anna, now Mrs. Stanley McLean; and Frank.  Hans Lytken passed 
away at Sutter City in 1918, aged seventy-eight years; and his wife passed away 
at the age of sixty-eight years.
            William Lytken attended school in Pennington and Sutter City until 
twelve years old, when he started out for himself.  He worked at odd jobs on 
ranches in the neighborhood of his home and later did teaming; and being 
thrifty, in 1910 he was able to purchase ten acres of land at Tudor.  He has 
developed this to Tuscan cling peaches, and has erected a comfortable residence 
and installed a four-inch electrically operated pumping plant for irrigation 
purposes.
            On February 12, 1904, at San Francisco, Mr. Lytken was married to 
Miss Lillie Gottwals, a daughter of the pioneers Conrad and Margaret (Harr) 
Gottwals, both natives of Germany.  Conrad Gottwals was brought up and educated 
in the schools of Germany and there learned the wagonmaker�s trade.  While yet a 
young man, he immigrated to the United States and worked for a number of years 
at his trade in St. Louis, Mo.  Being desirous of bettering himself financially, 
he came to California in the early fifties, worked in the mines for two years 
and then returned to the East.  On March 26, 1853, he married Miss Margaret 
Harr; and together they crossed the plains to California, the journey requiring 
130 days.  Mr. Gottwals rented land in Yolo County for three years.  Then, in 
1856, he took up government land in Colusa County, and there the family resided 
until 1860, when he began freighting from Marysville to the mines.  In 1868, Mr. 
Gottwals bought a squatter�s claim; and with the passing of years he added to 
the original purchase until he had 320 acres at the time of his death, which 
occurred on August 8, 1874.  Eleven children blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. 
Gottwals, of whom Mrs. Lytken is the youngest.  Mr. and Mrs. Lytken are the 
parents of two children, Hope Maxine and Raymon William.  Mr. Lytken is a 
Republican in politics; and fraternally he is identified with the Woodmen of the 
World at Yuba City.
 
History of Yuba and Sutter Counties, Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, 1924
p. 1256