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


JOHN W. BONHAM. � Citizens like John W. Bonham, who lives on 
Cache creek, in Long Valley precinct, are in the intelligent improvement of 
their own lands contributing steadily to the progress of their section of Lake 
county. The successful and profitable development of one tract in a locality 
adds to the potential value of every other acre there, and an interprising 
worker sets a pace for his neighbors which quickens all the life of the district 
in which he resides. Mr. Bonham is recognized as one of the energetic men 
of his precinct, and he is also popular personally, for he has substantial quali- 
ties of character which have commended him to all his fellow citizens. Be- 
longing to a much respected family of French origin, which has been in Cali- 
fornia since pioneer days, he is a son of Hiram Jefferson and Martha Ann 
(Heard) Bonham, who are now living at Yuba City, in Sutter county, this 
state, the former eighty-four years old, the latter eighty-one. 

Hiram Jefferson Bonham was born in the state of Missouri, and was 
married in Wisconsin to Martha Ann Heard, a native of Illinois. When they 
crossed the plains to California, in 1863, their family consisted of five children, 
and three more were born after their settlement in this state. After about ten 
years' residence in San Joaquin county they moved to Tehama county, where 
they made their home for a number of years. Mr. Bonham was a farmer by 
occupation. Of his children, Emma, Mrs. Westfall, lives at Corning, Tehama 
county ; Harvey is a farmer at Santa Rosa ; Mary J., Mrs. Rannells, is a 
resident of Lower Lake; Lizzie, Mrs. Hurlburt, resides at Colusa; John W. 
receives mention later ; R. D. is now head clerk in Jago's Cash Store at Lower 
Lake and represented elsewhere in this work ; Charles A., of Yuba City, is 
engaged in business as a stock dealer and almond grower; Nellie is the wife 
of Sarshael Smith, a miner, and lives at Elgin mine, Sulphur Creek, Colusa 
county. 

John W. Bonham was born in Grant county, Wisconsin, and was only 
four or five years old when his parents brought their family out west. They 
lived in San Joaquin county until he was about fourteen years of age, when 
they removed to Tehama county, and he attended public school in both coun- 
ties, receiving very fair educational advantages. His school days over, he 
began to follow agricultural work, having been engaged in farming and stock 
raising ever since he started to earn a living, and he continued to remain in 
Tehama county until he reached the age of twenty-five years, since when he 
has been a resident of Lake county. Upon coming here he settled at once 
at his present location on Cache creek, buying one hundred and sixty acres 
and taking up another tract of the same size from the government, all of 
which he still retains. He has been engaged in its improvement ever since 
and has fifty acres under excellent cultivation, besides which he has a tract of 
six acres, devoted to market gardening, to which branch of his work he has 
been devoting special attention for the last three years. Mr. Bonham has 
gone about this venture systematically in order to prove or disprove its 
feasibility, has put in a pumping plant so as to irrigate his garden, and is 
experimenting faithfully in order to test the possibilities of truck farming in 
this section. He has a family vineyard and orchard, and is working con- 
stantly with the object of making a desirable home here as well as raising 
the value of his property for agricultural purposes. His progressive though 
conservative policy has brought him substantial rewards. The farm is in a 
rather mountainous district, and is also valuable for stock raising, in which 
Mr. Bonham has engaged to some extent. 

While living in Lake county Mr. Bonham married Miss Elsie Stemple, 
daughter of Leonard and Rebecca (Brenard) Stemple, her mother still sur- 
viving and living near the Bonhams. Five children have been born to this 
marriage, namely : Clarence, Alta, Dyton, Victor and one that died in infancy. 

Socially Mr. Bonham is a member of the lodge of the Independent Order 
of Odd Fellows at Corning, Cal. In matters of public policy he is a Repub- 
lican, but he is not an active party man or one who mingles to any extent 
in public affairs.