Santa Barbara County Biographies

DANlEL TOY

Submitted by Peggy Hooper

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


DANlEL TOY, a rancher of Santa Maria, was born in Wilmington, Delaware, in 1853. His 
father was a blacksmith, who followed his trade until fifty years of age; then, in 1865, 
he moved to Iowa and engaged in farming. Our subject lived at home until 1874, when 
he started in life for himself, continuing farming. In 1878 he bought a small farm; but, 
thinking he could do better in California, he sold out his interests in 1880 and came to 
Santa Barbara County. He first settled at Santa Ynez, where he was engaged in farming 
until 1885, and then bought his present ranch of 160 acres south of town, and there 
established himself for a permanent home, making  improvements, with a view to future 
comfort and convenience. He raises the usual crops of hay, potatoes and beans, but 
makes corn the leading crop, of which he planted about twenty-five acres. He has planted 
a small orchard, and has trees in his nursery for fifteen acres more, all to be winter apples, 
the trees being imported from Illinois. He has set out 15,000 gum trees, for wind-break 
and fuel. Mr. Toy makes a specialty of small fruits, strawberries and raspberries doing 
remarkably well ; he also keeps 200 fowls, and about fifteen head of horses and cattle, 
and his place bears evidence of his Eastern thrift coupled with intelligent farming. 

Mr. Toy was married in 1877, at Storm Lake, Iowa, to Miss Laura Mudgett, a native 
of Maine, and they have four children: �Zalia, Susan, Rebecca and Hugh. 

History of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura Counties, California  - by 
C.M. Gidney, Benjamin Brooks, Edwin M. Sheridan, Vol I, II.  -Lewis Publ. Co., 
Chicago, 1917.