California Biographies, San Joaquin Valley

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 the state of California and biographical record of the San Joaquin 
Valley, California. An historical story of the state's marvelous growth from 
its earliest settlement to the present time.
Prof. James Miller Guinn , A. M.
The Chapman Publishing Co., Chicago 1905
Notes: Missing Page: 865-866,983-984,1175-1176


 JOSHUA BENTON CRAVEN. Few of the men now living in the Kings river region have been identified 
with the locality for a longer period than Mr. Craven claims as the duration of his citizenship in this part 
of Fresno county, and doubtless no one has been more assiduous than he in endeavoring to place the 
live-stock business upon a permanently substantial basis. The labors of years have found tangible 
evidence in the accumulation of property, which is of sufficient extent to place him among the large 
land-owners of Clark's valley. On taking up his present place, twelve miles east of Sanger, in 1870 he 
acquired the title to one hundred and sixty acres, but by addition this has been increased to four 
hundred and sixty acres, in one body, in the homestead. He also owns a mountain ranch of ten 
hundred and forty acres and two hundred and sixty acres of grazing land just back of the home place, 
the whole forming ample facilities for the pasturage of his stock, numbering two hundred head of 
cattle and one hundred and fifty head of hogs. 

In Ray county, Mo., Joshua Benton Craven was born, December 26, 1839, being a son of Solomon and 
Sarah J. (Kincaid) Craven, natives of Tennessee. As early as 1828 his father became a farmer in 
Missouri, where he improved a tract of land in Ray county. Many years later, following the tide of 
emigration westward, in 1865; he crossed the plains to Oregon and settled in Polk county, where he 
took up a tract of farm land and remained until death. In that same county also occurred the death of 
his wife.

They were the parents of nine sons and five daughters, of whom the subject of this narrative was fifth 
in order of birth. Little of special moment occurred to mark the years of his early youth, which were 
spent in the schoolroom during the winter months and in the field at work during the summer. When 
he was twenty years of age the longing to see more of the world led him to join a party bound for. 
Pike's Peak. However, the boom had burst before he reached the mines, and thereupon he pursued 
his way to the coast. During his first winter in California he worked for Mr. Potter, on Kings river, then 
secured employment with William Hazelton. In 1867 he made a start for himself by embarking in the 
cattle business and three years later came to the ranch he still owns and occupies. 

For many years Mr. Craven has filled the office of school director and his work in that position has 
been helpful to the welfare of the school, whose interests he has labored to promote by every means 
within his power. Active in the local work of the Democratic party, in no capacity has his political service 
been more helpful than as a member of the county central committee, a responsible position that has 
been filled ably by him for twenty or more years. After coming to California he married in Kings county, 
Miss Virginia A. Robinson, who was born in Boone county, Mo. They became the parents of eleven 
children, seven of whom are living, namely : Sallie, who married W. D. Mitchell, of Sanger, this state ; 
Nellie, Wesley, Chesley, Jennie, Kittle and Laura, who are with their parents on the home farm.