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


SAMUEL ALEXANDER MOOREHEAD. For more than forty years a citizen of the glorious state of 
California, Mr. Moorehead, during his long and eventful life covering a space of seventy-one 
years, has followed diversified occupations, but the main occupation in which the greater part 
of his hopes have been centered is agricultural pursuits, with kindred branches ; this line of 
work still claims his attention on his beautiful home place five miles west of Crows Landing. 
Here he has a fine ranch of two hundred and six acres of choice land, devoted to general farm 
pursuits, but principally to raising wheat and barley. In addition to this he owns two hundred 
and forty acres near his homestead. 

Born January 10, 1833, in Greenbrier county, West Va., Samuel A. Moorehead is a son of John 
Moorehead. His education commenced in his native state and was continued in Iowa, whither 
his parents had removed with the family in 1850. They located on a farm in Louisa county and in 
this vicinity Mr. Moorehead began farm pursuits on his own behalf. In 1863 he was induced to 
start for California, crossing the plains behind horse-teams and stopping for a short time at 
Carson City. In December of the same year he reached Marysville, Cal.. remaining there also 
but a short time. In January, the year following, he began teaming to and from the mines 
hauling freight. This occupation, although somewhat hazardous, was a paying business and he 
followed it up to the time of his marriage, in 1868, afterward working in a sawmill. 

It was in the fall of 1869 that Mr. Moorehead took one hundred and sixty acres of land among 
the foothills in the San Joaquin valley. This land is located near the present home of Mr. 
Moorehead, along Crow creek, in Stanislaus county and here for years Mr. Moorehead 
followed ranching pursuits. By a subsequent purchase, eighty acres of additional land were 
added and Mr. Moorehead still owns this fine ranch, which now contains two hundred and 
forty acres. In 1889 he removed to his home place, which he purchased at that time and upon it 
he has lived ever since. His land is very productive, but with the aid of his combination 
harvester, he is enabled to handle the harvest easily. 

April 8, 1868. in Placerville, Cal., Mr. Moorehead married Alice Morgan, who was born in Ireland, 
but who accompanied a brother to New York and afterward to California. Of the six children 
born of this union, three are deceased. They are Alexander, Etta and Walter. Those living are 
Rena, now Mrs. Charley Carver; Lee, who resides at the home site ; and Fannie, now Mrs. 
Gilbert Ostrum, a resident of Knights Ferry, Cal. A Democrat in his political views, Mr. 
Moorehead has been useful to his party in many ways, and he has served many years as school 
director, being largely interested in the educational affairs of his locality. Fraternally he is a 
Mason, joining the order in Truckee, this state.