John Bolton Hopper (1834 - 1913)

Born 3 Jul 1834 in Lafayette County, Missouri

Ancestors

Husband of Mary Fraces (Grove) Hopper — married 14 May 1861 in Sonoma County, California USA

Descendants

Died 15 Aug 1913 at age 79 in Shandon, San Luis Obispo County, California USA

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Biography

JOHN B. HOPPER - If John B. Hopper had done nothing more than set in operation the energy and enterprise represented in his progressive and successful family, he would have deserved the respect both of his contemporaries and of posterity; but he did something more: he lived the life of an exemplary citizen, neighbor and friend, and so contributed his full share to raising high the standard of all that is truly American and, more that that, genuinely Californian. John Hopper was born in Lafayette county, Mo., in 1834. His father was Charles Hopper, a native of North Carolina, who first settled in Lafayette county, and then, in 1854, five years after his brother Amos had crossed the plains, traveled west to California. John B. Hopper also preceded his father by three years in the trip across the prairie. Charles Hopper's train had trouble with the Indians, but it arrived safely in California, and the pioneers settled first in Napa county, then in Sonoma, and finally in Mendocino county. There Charles Hopper devoted the rest of his life to hunting, trapping and the tanning of hides. No pioneer, perhaps, ever enjoyed his life more; he loved California and had intense confidence in its future; and he was hale until his death, which occurred on a deer hunt when he was in his ninety-fourth year.

It was in 1851, when he was seventeen years of age, that John B. Hopper crossed the plains to California with the conventional ox teams and wagons. Ten years later, on May 14, he was married at Cloverdale to Miss Frances Grove, a native of Trenton, Butler county Ohio, who crossed the plains to California with her parents in 1853. Her parents were David and Catherine (Richter) Grove, natives, respectively, of Virginia and Germany. Arriving on the coast, they settled on Mark West creek, near Windsor in Sonoma county.

After his marriage, John B. Hopper set up as a farmer near Windsor. In 1868 he came to San Luis Obispo County, living one year on the Huasna, and then near San Miguel, where he engaged in sheep-raising. In that year of years for misfortunes, the period of the 1877 drought, Mr. Hopper lost heavily. He was compelled to sacrifice the savings of years of toil, and had to abandon the sheep business altogether. He then spent some time in Sonoma county, California, in Oregon, and in Yreka, California, but soon returned to San Luis Obispo County, locating in the Adelaida country, where he farmed until 1887. He pre-empted one hundred sixty acres of land in the Cholame valley, about ten miles above Shandon, and soon homesteaded a hundred sixty acres in the Eagle district, where he farmed until he retired. Strange to say, he, too, died while on a deer hunt, passing away at San Miguel, August 13, 1913, at the age of seventy-nine.....

... of the thirteen children born to Mr. and Mrs. Hopper, one, Elwood , died at the age of four...(record of rest)

Sarah, now Mrs. Yancy McFadden, resides near El Centro. Mr. McFadden was sheriff of San Luis Obispo County for over four years, and deputy sheriff for eight years.

Nancy married Mr. Brians of Los Angeles.

Mary married Mr. Young, and died in August, 1916, at Los Angeles.

John T. is a large farmer and stockman in the Eagle district.

Lucretia, better known as Mrs. Thompson, lives in San Miguel.

George L. resides in Shandon.

Emma, now Mrs. Arthur Waite, lives in Lemoore.

D LeRoy is a farmer and stockman of McMillan's cãnon.

Henrietta is the wife of Herbert Waite, of King City.

Oliver farms in Shandon

Everett farms in Shandon

Addie is the wife of Mr. Stanley, of Shandon

1900 Grandchildren Lela McFadden (July 1887 b.CA) and Wever W (June 1892 b.CA)

Sources

• findagrave.com

• 'History of San Luis Obispo County and Environs, California: With Biographical Sketches...' Pp 876 SLS Morrison JH Haydon, Los Angeles 1917

• '1900 U.S. Fed Pop Census' ED:0024 San Luis Obispo, CA Sht 2B

• '1850 U.S. Fed Pop Census' Bates county, Bates, MO Pp 264