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Note: Abraham Linebaugh crossed the plains to Cold Springs, Cal. in 1852. He started west 13 Apr. 1852 just 12 days after his marriage. He had formed a partnership with his father-in-law, Jacob Fruits, and he and his family accompanied Abraham on the trip to Cal. They settled first in Cold Springs, Cal. and the following spring (1853), they moved to Yolo Co., Cal. In 1855, they returned to Sonoma Co. settling on a ranch near Bloomfield, Cal. where they lived the remainder of their lives. He farmed with his brother, John Linebaugh. Their wives were sisters. ____________________ 1860 Sonoma Co., Cal. Census, Annally Twp., P. O. Sabastopal, taken 19 July 1860, p 39 [Ancestry.com Image #131]:
A. Linebaugh - age 35 - Farmer - RE Value $3000 - Pers. Estate Value $3500 - b. Tenn. - Dwelling #277 - Family #278 Mary A. " - age 25 - b. Ind. Robert A. " - age 7 - b. Cal. Mary C. " - age 1 - b. Cal. _________________________ 1870 Sonoma Co., Cal. Census, Anally Twp., P. O. Bloomfield, taken 11 Aug 1870, p 12 [Ancestry.com, Analy Twp., Image #12]:
Linebaugh, Abraham - age 39 - Farmer - RE Value $32820 - Pers. Estate Value $3500 & 4600 - b. Tenn - Dwelling #87 - Family #81 ----, Mary Ann - age 38 - Keeping house - b. Ind. ----, Robert A. - age 17 - b. Cal. ----, Mary C. - age 9 - b. Cal. ----, Nellie L. - age 2 - b. Cal. _________________________ 1880 Sonoma Co., Cal. Census, Analy Twp., ED #133, taken 7 June 1880, p 10 [Ancestry.com, Bloomfield Prct., ED #133, Image #11]:
Linebaugh, Abram - age 49 - Farmer - b. Tenn. - F born Tenn. - M born Tenn. - Dwelling #76 - Family #82 ----, Mary - age 46 - Wife - Keeping house - b. Ind. - F born Ind. - M born Ind. ----, Nellie - age 12 - Daughter - At home - b. Cal. - F born Tenn. - M born Ind. Burgess, Ella - age 18 - Servant - Servant - b. Cal. - F born Maine - M born Maine ________________________ Loretta Linebaugh is the compiler of this story:
ABRAHAM LINEBAUGH Abraham was born on October 6, 1830 in Eastern Tennessee to John Jr. and Sarah Elizabeth (Tucker) Linebaugh. The name Abraham means "source or founder" and the name seems to fit this man quite well. His two older brothers, John (111) and Jacob were also born in Greene County, Tennessee. The family lived on a disputed portion of land near the Tennessee and Virginia boarder. The family moved to Fountain County, Indiana when he was about three years old. They traveled and settled with other Linebaughs' , Starnes' , Kellers', and Bowman's all of which were related in some way with each other. Joseph Linebaugh, child number four, was born in 1834 in Indiana. Then their mother Sarah (Tucker) Linebaugh died. Her death record has not been found as of this writing. Abraham's father remarried in 1835 to Elizabeth Stonebraker. Five half brothers and sisters were added to this union. Nancy J., Catherine, James B. , twins David Riley and Barbara were born in Indiana. Half brother Isaiah was born after the family moved to Page County, Iowa. Abraham attended public schools in Indiana, and learned the art of agriculture from his father. When Abraham was twenty years old, the family moved to Page County Iowa where his father died in 1863. Abraham met Mary Ann Fruits who was the daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth (Weir) Fruits. The Fruits lived in Montgomery County, Indiana which neighbors on Fountain County where the Linebaugh's lived. How they met we cannot be certain, but they were married in Page County, Iowa on April 1, 1852. Twelve days later on April 13, 1852 they joined her parents, Jacob and Elizabeth Fruits, her siblings, her sister Catherine (Fruits) Linebaugh who was married to John Linebaugh (111) and their infant daughter Sarah Elizabeth. The crossing of the plains and Sierras took four months. Their wagon was pulled by a team of oxen. They ran into the normal travel problems of that day. They were stopped by Indians who were searching for food. Then their trip was marred by the grandmother dying while they crossed the salt flats. (I assume that this was Elizabeth Fruits, but am not certain). They settled in the hamlet of Cold Springs, California which was very near "Hangtown". Hangtown was later renamed, Placerville, and Cold Springs never developed into a town. In the spring of 1853, the family moved to rural Dixon, California where they lived about two years. Their first son, Robert Alexander was born in Dixon on March 16, 1853. In 1855 they purchased 1200 acres of land in the Blucher Valley of Sonoma County California. In Sonoma County three major Mexican land grants converge in Analy township at a place where two gigantic rocks exist. A small village, first called Dos Piedras and later renamed Two Rock, emerged. This area marked the Old Mexican trail from San Rafel to Bodega Bay and Ross. Abraham's land was between Petaluma and Sebastopol and the closest postoffice was in the village of Bloomfield which had been named after Frederick Gustavus Blume. The area was in constant transition when they arrived and land was being bought and sold frequently. After the gold rush ended, there were thousands of newcomers that settled in the big city of San Francisco, others tried their hand at farming and ranching and found they were not successful. Sonoma County became the bread basket, meat and poultry supplier, dairy center, and fruit basket of the area. Products were in great demand and prices were good. I mention one of the early pioneers to this area as an example of the character of some of these early folks. William D. Canfield was the only remaining holder of land from the original land grants. He was born in Arlington, Vermont, moved with his wife to Springfield, Pennsylvania to farm, in 1842 moved to Oskaloosa, Iowa and built the first house and laid out the public square, then in 1847 he moved his family of five children to Oregon to join Dr. Whitman's mission work. Soon after their arrival, another group of missionaries of a different persuasion came and tried to win the Indians away from the original group. A massacre occurred and Mr. Canfield was shot in the hip, but managed to escape. Later he and his family came to Sonoma County. He opened a school on his property, hired the teacher, and invited children in the neighborhood to come to his school. John and Abraham sent their children to his school.
.1 Abraham and Mary had five children. Robert Alexander was born in Dixon, California and Sarah J. (1855-1856), Mary Catherine (November 24, 1858-July 18, 1932), Martha E. (1861- 1867) and Nellie E. (January 1, 1867- July 18, 1881) were all born in the Blucher Valley near Bloomfield, California. Only Robert and Mary reached their maturity. The family would have worked hard as all these early pioneers did, but they would have enjoyed trips to visit their Uncle John and Aunt Catherine and their cousins. They also must have visited their grandfather Jacob Fruits and the Aunts and Uncles on the Fruits side of the family. Abraham and Mary had been married for twenty eight years when she died on November 28, 1880 at the age of 47 years 2 months and 11 days. She was buried at the Pleasant Hill Cemetery near her father. On her tombstone are two inscriptions. One states- Consistent Member of the Christian Church for Past 25 Years. The other one states: I KNOW THOU HAST GONE TO THE HOME OF THE BLEST THEN WHY SHOULD MY SOUL BE SO SAD? I KNOW THOU ART GONE WHERE THE WEARY ARE AT REST. AND THE MOURNER LOOKS UP AND IS GLAD. Abraham found himself fifty years old, a widow, with two married children and a twelve year old daughter- Nellie- to raise. Abraham was to know more sorrow and joy in the next couple of years. Nellie died on July 18, 1881 and was buried next to her mother. The engraving over her grave and the graves of her two siblings- Sarah and Infant- reads: ONE BY ONE MY FRIENDS ARE GATHERED TO THAT NEAR AND SHINING SHORE IN THE BLOOM OF YOUTH AND BEAUTY HATH MY DAUGHTER GONE BEFORE. Abraham married Olivia Millington on February 15, 1882 in Sonoma County, California. She was the daughter of Seth and Nancy Millington. Seth was at the time a Notary in Glenn County, California. Olivia was born on November 11, 1852 and died January 7, 1883 only six days after giving birth to their baby daughter. So we assume that she died of complications from childbirth. Olivia and Abraham named the baby Olivia Fay. Olivia was buried in her families burial plot in the Moke Cemetery which is now part of the Santa Rosa Rural Cemetery. (Plot # 77- map on back of picture of her stone). Abraham was a widower for the second time with a week old baby to care for. Abraham married Mary Williams Dyer on August 8, 1883 in Sonoma County. She was the daughter of James M. and Sarah A. Menefee. Mary was born August 25, 1854 near Louisville, Kentucky. She was the widow of Robert D. Dyer whom she married December 16, 1869. She brought more wealth into the family when she married Abraham. They must have either agreed or written what we would call a nuptial agreement. At least they kept some of their monies separate. Her will is listed in the back for your reference. She raised Olivia Fay as her own daughter. Abraham and Mary had a daughter, Lena Dell, born to them in 1884. The baby only lived to be 8 months and 21 days old. She too is buried at Pleasant Hill Cemetery. Over the years Abraham had bought and sold many parcels of land. However, it was all near Bloomfield. They probably raised different crops and animals over the years. At the time of their death, they had 500 sheep on 120 acres and the rest of the land (500 acres) was rented to his sons. His sons engaged in the dairy business. Abraham registered as a democrat to vote on July 5, 1879. He was a member of the local Grange, and the Bloomfield Encampment which was probably a branch of the Masons. Mary Williams Linebaugh died first on April 10, 1914. In her obituary it states that she took in several orphans and raised them, but it does not specify who or when. She left $10,000 to her husband, Abraham, and the rest of her money to her siblings. They had been married for thirty one years. Abraham died on September 5, 1915 at age 85 and joined so many of his family on Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Sebastopol. Abraham was a man with a vision, and the stamina to lead his family to the West. He was a hard working, good family man, and a man of faith in God. Pioneers like Abraham are what made America great! ____________________ From Diane Wiscarson:
Abraham accumulated an entire section of land in Sonoma County, near the Marin County border. Records show that he bought land as early as 3 April 1858 from E. L. Pond, which he added to throughout his life to eventually total about 1200 acres. By 1985 when Bobby Linebaugh died the Linebaugh Ranch has been reduced to about 250 acres from the original 1200 acres.
OBITUARY: Santa Rosa Press Democrat, Tuesday Morning, Sept. 9, 1915
LAST RITES FOR AGED PIONEER Funeral of the Late Abraham Linebaugh Held Wednesday Morning with Interment in Pleasant Hill Cemetery
Friends from far and near gathered Wednesday morning at the Linebaugh ranch in Analy township to pay their last tribute of respect to the late Abraham Linebaugh, one of the oldest and best known pioneers of the section, having been a resident there since 1855.
From the residence the cortege proceeded to Pleasant Hill cemetery, where the mortal remains of the deceased were laid to rest in the family plot. Above the newly-made grave the sweetest flowers of the summer time were scattered. There were many floral pieces.
The Rev. Peter Colvin of this city was the officiating minister and he spoke of the long and active and good life of the deceased. Six grandsons of the deceased acted as pallbearers. They were Marvin, Cecil and Clyde Hunt, William, Charles and Robert Linebaugh. ________________________________________ Pleasant Hill Cem., Sebastopol, Sonoma Co., Cal.
Abraham Linebaugh - Oct. 6, 1830 - Sept. 5, 1915 Mary W. Linebaugh - Aug. 25, 1854 - April 10, 1914 _________________
Abraham Linebaugh - - 1830 - 1915 [small stone]
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