Tulare County Biographies

JAMES SWEENEY

Transcribed by Kathy Sedler

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

 
One of the prosperous and highly respected fruit growers of Tulare county, Cal., 
is James Sweeney, who owns a fine ranch near Farmersville. Mr. Sweeney was born 
in Kentucky June 10, 1858, and left home when very young, working his way here 
and there around the country. For quite a while he lived at Cairo, Ill., and 
later at St. Louis, Mo. His opportunities for schooling were limited, but he has 
a good fund of practical information, which he gained in the "college of hard 
knocks," and which he finds very useful in various emergencies.
In 1890 Mr. Sweeney came to California and for some time worked for wages on the 
John Jordan peach, prune and grape ranch of eighty acres near Hanford, Kings 
county, which he later rented and operated for twelve years. He came to his 
productive ranch of one hundred and ten acres near Farmersville, in 1902. It was 
formerly the property of R. E. Hyde and is one of the best improved farms in the 
vicinity. He owns a tract of twenty acres near by and two town blocks in 
Farmersville. On his ranch he has four hundred apricot trees, three acres of 
Tragedy French prunes, ten acres of Laval peach trees and three acres each of 
orange clingstone, Muir and Susquehanna peaches, and has recently set out 
eighteen acres of French and Robe De Sargent prune trees. Besides he has thirty 
acres in alfalfa and keeps hogs, turkeys and a dairy of twelve cows. 
The woman who became Mr. Sweeney's wife was Miss Bridget Sweeney, of the same 
name, a native of Missouri, who has borne him nine children, viz.: Timothy, 
Albert, Nora, John, Mary, Dorothy, Michael, Maggie and Viola. As a farmer Mr. 
Sweeney is thoroughly up-to-date and in all his plans and work progressive. His 
place is well improved and outfitted with good buildings, modern machinery and 
appliances and every essential to its successful cultivation. As a citizen he 
takes an interest in all affairs of the community and extends public spirited 
aid to every movement for the general benefit.
 
History of Tulare and Kings Counties, California with Biographical Sketches - 
Los Angeles, Calif., Historic Record Company, 1913, pp. 741-742