California Biographies

Source: History of Fresno County, California, with biographical sketches of 
the leading men and women of the county who have been identified with 
its growth and development from the early days to the present (1919)

History By Paul E. Vandor 
Illustrated, Complete In Two Volumes 
Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, California, 1919
 
Notes: Missing+page1185-1186

Transcribed by Peggy Hooper

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


JAMES ABNER PERRY.� Among the early settlers and prominent 
men of Fresno County, was James Abner Perry, born in Tennessee, in 1837. 
When a youth he came to Arkansas, where he grew to manhood. In 1857, he 
and his father and other members of the family joined an ox-team train, 
crossing the plains. The senior Perry brought some fine horses of the Mor- 
gan breed, a strain of most excellent and valuable horses still found on the 
Perry ranch. Before arriving at Salt Lake, the train divided, some taking the 
route that led to the massacre of their party at Mountain Meadows, while the 
Perry family continued with their leader, old Captain Fancher, and arrived 
safely in California, thus escaping the horrors of the Mountain Meadow mas- 
sacre, by the Indians, in 1857. 

James Perry mined for a time, then located on Kings River, where he 
farmed and raised cattle, his ranch being in the Eureka, now the Round 
Mountain district. On February, 25, 1880, he was married at Academy to 
Miss Martha Ely, born at Talladega, Ala., a daughter of Merritt and Soph- 
ronia (Blasingame) Ely. Her father was a planter and died in Alabama, leav- 
ing a family of nine children whom Mrs. Ely brought to California in 1876. 
She located a claim on Little Dry Creek, where she began improvements. 
This she afterwards sold and moved to Kings River, making her home there 
for many years. She spent her last days in Fresno and died at 829 O Street. 
Mrs. Perry is the second oldest of their nine children, five of whom are living; 
she received her education in the public schools in her native state. 

After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Perry continued farming on their 
ranch on Fancher Creek, and there Mr. Perry died, on December 31, 1899. 
He was a prominent and highly esteemed citizen. Six children were born to 
them : Caroline Ethel, a graduate of the Fresno State Normal, is teaching at 
Tollhouse ; Constance S. is assisting her mother ; Bernice, who is Mrs. A. W. 
Green, resides near Tollhouse ; Lyman runs the Perry ranch for his mother 
and is meeting with deserved success; Ruth, who is Mrs. Shafner of Clovis ; 
and Hazel, who is also at home. 

Since her husband died Mrs. Perry has continued the stock-raising and 
farming, being assisted by her children, her son Lyman being now in charge 
of operations. They have added to their landed holdings and now have 606 
acres in the Round Mountain district and 160 acres at the head of Watts 
Valley, besides her homestead of 160 acres in Burroughs Valley, which she 
has improved with a residence. The ranches have fine springs and are valu- 
able stock farms. Mrs. Perry is among the old-time settlers and is well posted 
on early-day history, and is an interesting conversationalist, being enthu- 
siastic for the preservation of incidents and personal history of early days. 
She is a Presbyterian in religion, and both she and her late husband were 
greatly interested in the cause of education, Mr. Perry serving as trustee of 
the Eureka school district.