California Genealogy and History Archives
Biographies
of
Sacramento County
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WILLIAM
R. GALLUP Above
is the name of an honored pioneer and in his day a leading business man
of Sacramento. Born at Stonington, Conn., May 19, 1828, William R.
Gallup passed most of his active life in California and died while busy
at his ranch in Yolo county January 8, 1906. He was of old New England
ancestry which came of Revolutionary stock and the names of his
forefathers were made prominent in the early history of our country and
have been handed down as those of patriots and soldiers. The originator
of the Gallup family in America was Capt. John Gallup, who came from
Parish of Mastern, County of Dorset, England, to Massachusetts in 1630
on the Mary and John. Mr. Gallup is also a lineal descendant of Major
John Mason, born in England about 1600, who was a lieutenant in the
English army and served under Lord Halifax in tlie Netherlands. He came
to America in 1630, served in the early Indian wars of Massachusetts as
a major and finally settled at Dorchester, Mass. It was in 1853 that Mr.
Gallup came to California by way of the Isthmus of Panama, accompanied
by several persons from and near his former home, and all looked forward
to the adventure into strange lands and new and memorable experiences.
In the absence of railroads freighting was a leading business in the new
state, and it was to that that Mr. Gallup gave his attention. In 1863,
nearly ten years after his arrival, be returned east and on May 3, 1864,
be married Miss Eliza Morgan, who was born in Ledyard, Conn. She is a
lineal descendant of Elder William Brewster, a passenger on the
Mayflower in 1620. Returning via Panama with his young wife, be settled
down in Sacramento and began acquiring real estate. One of his purchases
was ground which included the present site of the Sacramento Bee
building, on which he built and made his home till 1901. Then the
extension of the business district bad made the land too valuable for
residence purposes and the locality less pleasant as a home neighborhood
than it had been, and Mr. Gallup bought a fine house at No. 1521 I
street, which is still included in his estate. For many years from 1862
be was extensively engaged in sheep-raising in Yolo county, his two
ranches being located near Woodland, but he maintained his home at
Sacramento, where his numerous important interests centered. Since his
death Mrs. Gallup has continued the farming and stock business started
by her husband fifty years ago. Two daughters were born to Mr. Gallup and they were named Ida M. and Effa M. The latter married J. D. Lord of Sacramento, who is manager of the extensive Gallup real estate holdings in Yolo county. The wife of this pioneer, mother of the daughters just referred to, has been an almost lifelong member of the Baptist Church, in the work of which he always took a generously helpful interest. In his political affiliations be was a Republican, but he was never active in political work, preferring the tranquility of his pleasant home to any honors that might have come to him in a public career. At the same time he was so public-spirited that there were few movements looking to the general good that did not command his co-operation in one way or another. He was a worthy citizen in every way and built up and improved his flocks and. farm lands in Yolo county. He was literary, well posted and informed on all general topics as well as history, and was much appreciated by his old friends and acquaintances for his conversational ability and his many acts of kindness and charity. |
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Source: Transcribed by Peggy Hooper 2011 |