Tulare County Biographies

Columbus P. Majors

Transcribed by: Craig A Hahn

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

 
     A California pioneer who recalls with interest early days in Tulare county 
when he took a prominent part in local affairs, is Columbus P. Majors, of 
Visalia. Mr. Majors was born in Morgan county, Ill., March 22, 1830, and in 1853 
crossed the plains to California with an ox-team, starting April 14 and arriving 
at Sacramento September 13 following. The party, which came with a train of 
nineteen ox-wagons, was made up of Iowa and Illinois people and was under the 
command of Captain L. M. Owen, who made one trip to the Pacific coast in 1849. 
The overland emigrants were several times compelled to corral their wagons, 
fearing attack by Indians, but made the journey without any very lamentable 
mishaps. For two years after his arrival in California, Mr. Majors worked in the 
Sherlock Flat mine on the Merced river, but it was not as a miner that he was 
destined to make his success in this state. He came to Visalia in 1855 and found 
the people all living in the old fort as a means of protection against the 
redskins, who were at the time menacing the settlers in this vicinity. He took 
up eighty acres of government land on the Cutler road and for many years raised 
cattle and sheep, and it was not until 1884 that he bought his present home 
ranch on Mineral King avenue. Here he has twenty acres of fine orchard, having 
planted all the trees with his own hands, and his peaches include Phillips 
cling-stones, Tucsan cling-stones, Fosters and Albertas. He has developed a fine 
farm on which he has met with well deserved success. 
 
     In 1861, after the Civil war had begun and while rioting was in progress at 
Visalia, Mr. Majors was captain of the Home Guard Cavalry, which was organized 
to keep order. His brother, John P. Majors, also came to California and was the 
first postmaster at Visalia, which was the first postoffice established in 
Tulare county. 
 
     In April, 1852 Columbus P. Majors married Miss Mary C. Owen, a native of 
Lee county, Iowa, who bore him a son and four daughters: Amador H.; Mrs. Anna L. 
Arkle, who passed away; Celestia J., who is Mrs. L. E. McCabe; Mrs. Caroline 
Arkle, and Mrs. Eva Sadler, deceased. During his active years Mr. Majors was 
identified largely with the public interests of the community and there was no 
call upon him in behalf of the general good to which he did not respond promptly 
and liberally.  
 
SOURCE:  History of Tulare and Kings Counties, California with Biographical 
Sketches - Los Angeles, Calif., Historic Record Company, 1913 Pp 241