California Biographies 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 LE GRAND, unlike many other towns that have sprung up in the west 'during the last few years, had many natural advantages to offer as inducements to settlers, and as a result its growth has been steady and permanent. Situated in the center of the most fertile spot of the San Joaquin valley, a few years ago the town site was a part of the Dickinson estate, but the building of the San Francisco & San Joaquin Valley Railway through the eastern part of Merced county opened a market for the hitherto unknown country and consequently lands formerly devoted to wheat were divided into small tracts to sell to homeseekers. In this way the splendid lands of Mrs. Luella Dickinson and others were thrown open to settlers upon such terms as made it pos- sible for the most humble family to own a home. Through the generosity of Mrs. Dickinson the right of way was granted to the railroad company on the condition that they erect a depot and freight station, the town site, however, to remain a part of the property of the Dickinson estate. As a result a very handsome depot and ware- house were built, and in July, 1896. the embryo town took definite shape. In September of the following year the town site was surveyed and laid out and the growth of the town from that time has been phenomenal. What Chicago has accomplished on an immense scale has been done by Le Grand in miniature, for almost in a single night the transformation from a dreary ranch into a bustling town took place, and today there stands on the same ground a prosperous town, a town of steady, rapid, substantial growth, that gives no evidence of falling off in the future, but on the contrary shows every sign of continued prosperity and growth. The Le Grand Improvement Club has not only been instrumental in inducing residents to set out trees and otherwise make permanent improvements, but through their efforts, $300 was raised to buy the right of way through two pieces of property in order that the road into Mariposa county could be thrown open. The opening of this road has been of untold benefit to the citizens of Le Grand and the whole of Mariposa county is now easy of access from the town. The soil of the surrounding country is a sandy loam susceptible of irrigation without baking, but by far the greater part of the land is very fertile and productive without irrigation. Sur- face water can be obtained at a depth of from twelve to fifteen feet, and by agreement with the Dickinson estate the railroad company supplied all the water necessary for town purposes for two years, for which purpose they erected a substantial tank with a capacity of fifty thousand gallons. The place now contains several hotels, general merchandise stores, drug stores, livery stables, blacksmith shops, general provision stores, harness shops, dressmaking parlors, bar- ber shops, churches, schoolhouse, hall and a number of handsome residences. In the sur- rounding country can be seen growing side by side all the different varieties of citrus and deciduous fruits, which prove to the most skeptical the truthfulness of all that is claimed for this section, showing the capability of the soil without water, save the natural rainfall. The same can be truthfully said not only of these particular lands, but of the thousands of acres owned by Price Brothers, the Ipsom estate, the Turners, the Burchells, and in fact all the lands surrounding this prosperous town, which has inducements offered by no other part of the state.