California Biographies Mendocino and Lake Counties, California Transcribed by Peggy Hooper This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm Source: History of Mendocino and Lake Counties, California With Biographical Sketches History by Aurelius O. Carpenter And Percy H. Millberry Illustrated, Complete In One Volume Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, California, 1914 LEWIS M. RUDDICK.� The record of the life of Lewis M. Ruddick shows a quiet round of patient, purposeful endeavor fired by an ambition to attain independence and governed by a strict regard for honesty. Laborious and industrious in temperament, he had the qualities that make for thrift and independence. His early life showed little of excitement or adventure nor (lid it bring to him any educational advantages, for the hampering environ- ment of pioneer days in Indiana forced him into the broad highway of self- support at the age of only thirteen. Self-reliance was developed through his early struggles in the world. Lack of education had it compensations in the mental traits developed in those years of youthful effort. Born in Jackson county, Ind., in 1836, he was just starting out to earn his livelihood when he learned of the discovery of gold in California. Being then too young in years to earn the money needed for a long trip to the coast, he patiently bided his time and finally at the age of nineteen he had the long coveted opportunity to come west. A tedious but to him interesting trip via the Isthmus of Panama had its finish when he disembarked from an ocean vessel in the harbor of San Francisco during 1855. Naturally the mines attracted him by their alluring opportunities. Yet he had little good luck in his mining ventures in Amador County and after a visit in 1857 at the old eastern home and a return trip via Panama the same year, he turned his attention to agriculture. A tour of investigation into Mendocino county led Mr. Ruddick to invest in one hundred acres of raw land near Ukiah, where in 1864 he began to raise hops, being one of the pioneers in the industry. Later he acquired additional land, which he devoted to hops. In some seasons the crop proved very profit- able, while at other times he was less fortunate. On the whole, however, he regarded the hop industry as well adapted to the soil and climate. In addi- tion he planted prune trees and other varieties of fruit, not only for a family orchard, but also for sale. From 1864 until his death, June 18, 1910, he remained on the same farm, successfully engaged in general farming and fruit-growing, patiently caring for the land with prudent forethought, making improvements as needed and by wise cultivation maintaining the original fertility of the soil. It was his good fortune to have an efficient wife as helpmate and children as industrious and capable as himself, and when the time came for him to lay aside heavy responsibilities, they took up the man- agement of the property, added other lands to the original holdings, and now have four of the best kept and most productive ranches in the valley. The children, eleven in number, are May (Mrs. Cowsert, of this county), Myrtle, Lewis, Ernest V., Elmer, Vernon, Archie, Myrle, Freda. Leva and Ila. all at home. The mother bore the maiden name of Sarah S. Miller. From her native place. Lafayette county. Mo., when three years of age she crossed the plains to California with her parents, James and Rosanna (Gann) Miller, in 1860, settling in Calaveras county. In 1871 they located on the old Miller place adjoining the state hospital near Ukiah, which place she now owns. When she had completed her education, on the 1st of July, 1875, she became the wife of Mr. Ruddick, thereafter establishing a home on the farm that continued the center of the activities of their later years. She survives her husband and makes her home at the old homestead and with her sons she supervises the four ranches of the estate. Mendocino County Biographies Lewis M. Ruddick Transcribed by: Pat Howard Whose portrait appears in this history, is a native of Jackson county, Indiana, being born in September, 1836. At the age of thirteen, he engaged to work in a carding-mill, which business he followed four years. In October, 1855, he crossed the Isthmus of Panama, and arrived at San Francisco about the first of November. He went at once to Amador county, where he followed farming and mining until March, 1857, when he came to this county and settled on his present place, consisting of one hundred and thirty-five acres, located about four miles south-east from Ukiah, where he has since been engaged in farming, excepting the winter of 1859-60, which he spent in the East, and the summer of 1862, which he spent at Washoe, and about one year that he spent on Reese river, where he went in the fall of 1863, and returned the following fall. Mr. Ruddick married, July 1, 1875, Miss Sarah S. Miller, a native of Missouri. SOURCE: History of Mendocino County, California - San Francisco, Cal. Alley, Bowen & Co., Publishers. 1880 Pp. 666, 667