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


CHARLES MANTER. Although a resident of California for more than forty-two years, it 
was not until recently that Mr. Manter settled upon his fine little fruit farm, two miles and a 
half west of Hanford. in Kings county, for during the period of his residence in California he 
has devoted his time and energies to various occupations, principally to mining and ranch- 
ing. A descendant of sturdy New England parents, and himself a native of Franklin county, 
Me., where he was born April 6, 1843, Mr. Manter is next to the youngest child in a family of 
six children born to James and Maria (Norton) Manter, and grandson of Benjamin Manter. 
The latter, a native of Massachusetts, was for many years a resident of that state, and early 
took to life on the water. He was a whaler, and upon several occasions took a trip around 
the West Indies. Late in life, he retired from the sea and moved to Franklin county, Me., 
when that locality was yet all heavy timber land. Here he cleared and improved a farm upon 
which he afterward died at the extreme age of ninety-nine years. His ancestors were from 
Scotland. 

The father of Charles Manter was born upon the above named farm in Franklin county, Me., 
and was a life-long resident of that vicinity. He followed farming and at the time of his 
demise was eighty-one years old. His wife, who was born in the same state, passed away at the 
age of sixty-two years, leaving six children. The boyhood clays of Charles Manter were spent 
upon the home place and he assisted his father in farm pursuits until he attained the age of 
nineteen years. In January, 1862, he left his New England home for California, the trip 
being made by water and by the Panama route. Upon reaching his destination, he located for a 
brief time in Placer county, but afterward found employment on a toll road in Nevada county, 
where he worked for a short time. Returning to Placer county, he worked on a farm for a 
couple of years as farmhand and during the winters he contracted at getting out timber for 
the mines. 

During the Civil war Mr. Manter showed his patriotism by enlisting in Company I, Eighth 
California Regiment, and saw about a year's service at San Francisco and vicinity, afterward 
returning to the mining district. Here he took up mining with disastrous results, losing every- 
thing, and for a year afterward he was deeply in debt. Leaving the mines, he secured work 
in the flour mills of Marysville, where he worked for a time, but mining still held out inducements 
to him in spite of his loss and caused him to return to the mines of Sierra and Plumas county, 
where he worked for wages until the fall of 1871, during which time he was again on the 
road to prosperity. In the fall of that year he went to Portersville, Tulare county, and became 
foreman of a large sheep ranch for several years. In December, 1876, he purchased a number of 
sheep which he took to a recently purchased eighty-acre tract in what is now Kings county, 
and upon this land, about three miles east of Lemoore, he followed sheep ranching and horse 
raising until January, 1903. selling out at that time. Soon afterward he purchased twenty 
acres of his present farm, which he planted in peaches and vineyards, and in the fall of the 
same year, by an additional purchase, he added twenty acres of land adjoining, the greater part 
of which is also in vines and peaches. His vineyards contain mostly the celebrated raisin grape, 
which is so extensively grown in this locality. Mr. Manter is unmarried and his present pros- 
perity is due to his undivided efforts, as he began entirely without capital, and, as a perusal 
of the above "facts will show, he has encountered many difficulties, which he finally overcame. 

During his short residence in this vicinity he has already gained the good will of his neigh- 
bors and he affiliates with but one fraternal order, the Masons. Politically a Republican, 
Mr. Manter could never be persuaded to accept office, preferring as he does to devote his 
undivided time to his business pursuits.