Fresno County, California Biographies

Source: History of Fresno County, California, with biographical sketches of 
the leading men and women of the county who have been identified with 
its growth and development from the early days to the present (1919)

History By Paul E. Vandor 
Illustrated, Complete In Two Volumes 
Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, California, 1919
 
Notes: Missing+page1185-1186

Transcribed by Peggy Hooper

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


MRS. AMERICA FRANCES YANCEY.� That women have made a 
positive success in practically every field of life, and even in those under- 
takings requiring capacity and experience for which men used to be regarded 
as alone equipped, is demonstrated in such a story as that of Mrs. America 
Frances Yancey, long identified with one of the well-known hostelries of 
California. She is the daughter of Judge Gillum Baley, a native of Illinois, 
where he was born not far from Springfield, on June 19, 1813. He died in 
November, 1895. Her mother was Permelia Eleanor Meyers before her mar- 
riage, and she was born in West Tennessee on June 22, 1819. Their marriage 
took place in Missouri, and in that State, before he came West to California, 
Mr. Baley was engaged in farming and stock-raising. He was also judge 
there for a couple of years ; and the reader will recall that Missouri court 
decisions in those days generally meant a short-cut to justice. 

In 1849 her father crossed the great plains with two of his brothers, and 
at once went to mining, continuing in that hazardous enterprise until 1851, 
when he returned to Missouri. After seven years more in the Iron State, he 
started again to cross the continent hoping once more to enjoy the good 
things of this promised land. He started in a caravan of ox teams, but when 
the party reached the Colorado River, they were robbed by the Indians. He 
therefore put back to Albuquerque, N. M., and remained there ten months. 
A new mule-team party was later made up and, joining it, Mr. Baley came 
to California by way of Yuma. 

In December, 1860, he reached Visalia, and soon came on to Fort Miller 
in Fresno County. He located at the town of Millerton, and again tried his 
luck at mining�this time along the San Joaquin River. He- followed mining 
up to 1866, when he was elected County Judge, and that high office he held 
for twelve years, serving the last term in Fresno where both he and his wife 
passed away. He was also County Treasurer for a couple of years. At one 
time he bought a grocery store, but in the spring of 1898 he sold it again. In 
the same town he ran a boarding house for a number of years, Mrs. Baley 
being an experienced housewife and manager. 

Mrs. Yancey was born in Platte County, Mo., on September 30, 1840, and 
came with her parents to California and Fresno County; and while en route 
to California she was married in New Mexico, on September 9, 1859, to Au- 
gust Block, a native of Nockel, Prussian Poland, who was journeying to Cal- 
ifornia with the Judge Baley train. Mr. Block died on March 15, 1864, having 
followed farming until his death, leaving two children : Minnie, who married 
Thomas Dean, and died in San Francisco; and William, who makes his home 
with Mrs. Yancey. 

Later, in July, 1865, Mrs. Block married Charles Abraham. Yancey, a 
native of Virginia who came to California in 1854 and followed mining and 
teaming, continuing in that line until 1868. The first of August in that year, 
Mr. and Mrs. Yancey opened the Toll House, the first hotel in that section; 
and while managing that he also engaged in farming and stock-raising. Mr. 
Yancey passed away on July 23. 1911, and the responsibilities he had cheer- 
fully borne then devolved upon the brave woman who had been so truly a 
helpmate. Like Mr. Block and. indeed like Mr. Baley. Mr. Yancey left behind 
him an enviable record as citizen, neighbor and husband. 

Mr. and Mrs. Yancey, through their generosity and kindness, endeared 
themselves to every one and were familiarly known as Uncle Abe and Aunt 
Frank, and to this day Mrs. Yancey is addressed as Aunt Frank. By her 
marriage to Mr. Yancey she had two children: Mrs. Virginia E. ALUs, who, 
with her husband, now runs the Toll House; and Alax LL, engaged in gen- 
eral merchandising at Tollhouse. 

Since her husband's death. Mrs. Yancey continues to live at Tollhouse, 
having turned the management of the hotel over to her daughter. Mrs. Vir- 
ginia Mills. Aside from her Tollhouse ranch of over 700 acres, she with Mrs. 
Mills and her nephew, Robert M. Johnson, own the Johnson ranch of 1.000 
acres in the Pine Ridge School district, which is well watered and wooded 
and an ideal ranch for stock-raising, and on this place Airs. Yancey enjoys 
spending her summers. She is an old-timer, and it is interesting to hear her 
tell of early-day events.