Tulare County Biographies

GEORGE ULYSSES WRAY

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 most popular and well-known citizens of Tulare county who by the 
exercise of untiring energy and inflexible will has forged to the fore in many 
industrial circles is George Ulysses Wray, who was a pioneer stock-raiser in 
this vicinity, having settled about five miles east of Tulare City in 1874. He 
is a brilliant type of the
self-made, self-reliant man, who in spite of many hardships and numerous 
impediments in the road for knowledge has so thoroughly overcome them that he is 
today numbered among the reliable and noteworthy short-story writers, his chief 
theme being nature study. Added to this he is a newspaper correspondent of some 
note and active interest and wide knowledge of all current events and political 
subjects makes him a valued acquisition on the publishing staff.
George W. Wray, his father, was born in Crawfordsville, Ind., and came across 
the plains in 1851. He was a cabinet-maker by trade and upon coming to 
California followed mining at Hangtown, now Placerville, in Eldorado county. He 
was married at Suisun City to Miss Ethalinda Vanderburgh, who was born in Iowa 
and came across the plains in 1861. After his marriage he engaged in farming and 
the nursery business at Placerville and continued to live there until they came 
to Tulare county in 1874. Mr. Wray was the first man to make a success of 
farming under the no-fence law by taking up trespassing stock under a law passed 
by the state legislature in 1875, and was also organizer of one of the best and 
oldest ditch systems in Tulare county. This is known as the Farmers' Ditch 
company, and he served as its superintendent for over twenty years, and he was 
the largest stockholder during that period. Mrs. Wray is now living near Los 
Angeles at sixty-four years of age, Mr. Wray having passed away November 24, 
1910. They were the parents of a family of ten children, seven daughters and 
three sons, who are all living. George W. Wray had homesteaded a tract of a 
hundred and sixty acres on the north fork of the North Tule river, which he 
proved up, and which his son, George U., bought at the time of the former's 
death in 1910.
The eldest of his parents' family, George U. Wray was born at Placerville, March 
25, 1869, and was about five years of age when he was brought by his parents to 
Tulare county. Owing to the unsettled conditions at that time educational 
facilities were meager and the boy was obliged to go to work on the stock farm 
at an early age. When he was fifteen he started out for himself, working at 
general farming for wages for four years, when he engaged in farming and 
stock-raising for himself. . When he was twenty-one he homesteaded a hundred and 
sixty acres east of Milo. On March 25, 1904, he was married in Fresno county to 
Miss Josephine Wood, who died without issue at the present home of George U. 
Wray in May, 1905. Mr. Wray came to his present ranch about fourteen years ago 
and bought a hundred and twenty acres, also homesteading the hundred and 
sixty-acre tract mentioned above, and he now owns two ranches aggregating four 
hundred acres of land on which is done general farming and stock-raising. He has 
started a young nursery and is clearing land, intending to put in about 
twenty-five acres to apples and it is also his intention to raise his own 
nursery stock.
Mr. Wray has steadfastly refused political preferment, for he is widely known 
for his unusual ability and broad intelligence of matters of moment. He was 
tendered the nomination for supervisor on the Populist ticket at the time 
Populism was at its height in Tulare county, but declined this honor. 
Nevertheless he has taken a very active interest in politics, being forcibly 
active wherever there is a principle at stake and he is known as an ultra 
radical progressive. In fighting the saloons he has been especially active and 
he has assisted in wiping out several of these evils in the county through his 
writings and active political work. Notwithstanding the fact that he was 
handicapped by few advantages when a child, he is of an active, alert and 
inquiring mind, and through extensive reading, close observation and natural 
intelligence he has become well-informed and is acceded to be among the most 
entertaining as well as instructive writers of the day. For two years he was a 
correspondent for the Visalia Times, also the Farm View, which was printed at 
Porterville, and for fourteen years served as the regular local correspondent 
for the Porterville Enterprise, and is now local correspondent for the 
Porterville Recorder. He is strongly opposed to the liquor traffic and has 
written many stirring articles against it. Having ever lived the simple life, 
close to nature, lie has become quite a hunter and has experienced many 
thrilling adventures which he has told in a number of short stories with such 
interesting style as to endear him to his many readers, not the least of which 
are the young readers of the Youth's Companion and similar popular publications. 
A few years ago lie started writing up his own experiences in hunting bear, 
deer, etc., in the Sierras, writing under a nom de plume, which are printed in 
magazine form and attract much favorable attention.
 
History of Tulare and Kings Counties, California with Biographical Sketches - 
Los Angeles, Calif., Historic Record Company, 1913, pp. 563-565