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 ANTONIO STORNETTA.� While feeling keenly the limitations by which he was surrounded and rebelling somewhat because of the want of opportunity which hedged him in on the small farm in Switzerland, Antonio Stornetta was in reality laying the foundation for the enviable reputation which he now enjoys as one of the foremost dairymen on the Mendocino coast. Fie was born in Canton Ticino, Switzerland, in 1850. In this pictur- esque and beautiful shut-in country he toiled laboriously in making butter and cheese in which his countrymen excel, and when he came to the United States in 1874 at the age of twenty-four, strong of body and ambitious to succeed, he brought with him as fine a knowledge of general dairying as one could wish to find. Borrowing the money for his ocean passage, Mr. Stornetta had abso- lutely nothing with which to begin life in the United States, yet his faith in the future was supreme, and seemed to influence good fortune in his favor. At least, after arriving in Marin county he readily found employment in a dairy, his remuneration consisting of $15 per month. However, work was not forthcoming during the entire year and his profits were soon consumed with the necessities of life. Eventually he found a more paying dairy posi- tion, receiving for his services $30 a month and board. This seemed large returns to the man accustomed to the struggle and stress of existence, and he minimized his expenditures, and saved wherever he could, in time accumu- lating a neat little nest egg. Thus encouraged he rented a dairy farm in Sonoma county for a short time, in 1886 coming to Point Arena, where he rented the farm of L. Morse. This farm he stocked with milk cows, and as business came his way he cleared a considerable portion of the land, enlarged liis dairy and rented more land, until he had as many as one hundred and seventy-five or two hundred head of cattle. Ever since he has conducted one of the finest dairies anywhere on the coast. In connection with his dairy Mr. Stornetta organized the Point Arena creamery, but in 1902 he built a creamery of his own, and has since made his own butter, operating under the name of the Garcia River Creamery. Already he has a fine trade of more than local extent, his butter and creamery goods finding their way to the town and into the country for many miles. He con- ducts a nine hundred acre ranch on which he has ninety cows. For two years he leased his cattle and subleased the farm and established a dairy business at Fort Bragg, having two hundred and fifty cows and being asso- ciated with Mr. Biaggi. Returning, he has since devoted his entire time to the original dairy. He owns a three hundred acre farm on Alder creek which he purchased in 1902 and now leases. Taken all in all Mr. Stornetta is to be congratulated upon his splendid success in life, for he came to a strange country in debt, with no knowledge of the language, and has forged his way to the front in spite of these obstacles. Mr. Stornetta was married in San Francisco to Miss Giovanina Biaggi, also a native of Ticino, Switzerland, and seven children constituted their fam- ity : Ida, John, Flora, and Dewey are all at home, Eugene, Stella and Bobby are deceased. A Republican in political sentiment, Mr. Stornetta has evinced his pub- he spiritedness in many avenues of effort for the public welfare, fraternally as a Mason, being a member of Point Arena Lodge, F. & A. M. ; Ukiah Chap- ter, R. A. M. ; the Ukiah Commandery Knights Templar ; and the Point Arena Lodge and Encampment, 1. O. O. F. The Druids of Fort Bragg also number him as a member.