Thomas Caswell

THOMAS CASWELL 1843-1927 The Manufacturer and More

compiled by JEC, Ruth, Mary and Earl and edited by Judy (Todhunter) Rosmus

     Thomas Caswell was born on October 12, 1843, (1) in County Armagh, Ireland. He was barely five when he was uprooted and brought to Ontario. Three years later the family moved from Darlington Township, east of Toronto, to Granton. There he went to school with his brother, John. Like many of that generation, his schooling was limited to a few winter months. This did not prevent him from educating himself.  He possessed an inquiring and analytical mind, an overwhelming desire for knowledge, a sense of justice, a desire to better conditions for himself, his family and his fellow man.

Thomas Caswell

     As a young man Thomas left home to work as a logger near Greenville, in the forests of Michigan. He was joined by his younger brother, John. They worked together contracting logs for lumber mills.

Tom & Mary

     In the spring of 1870, Tom visited Iowa, looking for farmland. Fascinated by the luxuriant growth of grass and wild flowers, he paid cash for a 180-acre farm in Cherokee County.

     Tom met and became engaged to Mary Orinda Andrews, a school teacher from Hector, New York. He and Mary (“Mate’’) were married at her home in New York on April 5, 1871. They began their married life in a one-room cottage on the unbroken prairies seven miles from Cherokee, Iowa, where Thomas began raising registered Aberdeen Angus cattle.

     Mary’s ancestors had come from County Essex, England in 1840, to Farmington, Connecticut. Her father, Charles Thomas Andrews, had been a teacher and school administrator in New York and had also worked on several Republican newspapers.

     Like his father-in-law Thomas was always alert for the issues of his day.  He wrote many articles for the newspapers and at one time published a newspaper in Iowa.  He ran for the Iowa State Assembly and came within a few votes of being elected.

 Back row: Andrew, Wallace, Adella, Henry

Front row: Thomas, Mary, Earl

(Adella & Earl died in a diphtheria epidemic)

Children of Thomas Caswell and Mary Orinda Andrews:

-      Adella Caswell, B: Abt. 1872 in Ontario, D: Abt. 1885 in Iowa.

-      Wallace Caswell, B: 27 Mar 1875 in Cherokee, Iowa, D: 03 Dec 1949 in St. Helens, California, M: Jennie June Whitmore, 12 Jan 1910 in Ceres, Stanislaus, California.

-      Charles Henry Caswell, B: 23 Jul 1876 in Cherokee, Iowa, D: 26 Jun 1949 in Modesto, Stanislaus, California, M: Helen Anne Cross, 28 Dec 1910 in Ceres, Stanislaus, California.

-      Richard Andrew Caswell, B: 13 Feb 1878 in Cherokee, Iowa, D: 1955 in Cherokee, Iowa, M: Bertha Ophelia Wright, 17 Nov 1909 in Cherokee, Iowa.

-      Earl Caswell, B: Abt. 1880 in Iowa, D: Abt. 1885 in Iowa.

          Adella and Earl died of diphtheria, the curse of that generation’s children. The three remaining sons, after spending their boyhood on the Cherokee farm, went off to college: Henry to Buena Vista College in Iowa, Wallace and Andrew to law school at the University of Michigan.

Adella Caswell

While deconstructing one of my grandmothers picture frames, I discovered this photo behind another with a note from my grandmother Dell (Donnan) Todhunter saying that she was named after Adella.  The photo was an old tintype.

 Thomas and his three sons had inventive minds. A number of patents for farm equipment were issued to them and they established the Caswell Manufacturing Company. Eventually the company was under the management of Larry French, husband of Andrew’s daughter, Betty.

Caswell Manufacturing Company

     Caswell Brothers began on the Caswell farm south of Cherokee. About 1897 they began doing foundry work. By mixing certain ores they could melt, form metal and make castings. The founding of the Caswell Manufacturing Company was in 1903. The company was located at the south edge of Cherokee, just one block south of the present site.

     During the next 15 to 20 years they manufactured grain binders, tandem hitches and a remote system for driving and controlling some of the very first farm tractors - a drive belt aligner used on threshing machines. At one time they also made the benches and overhead shelters used in parks and golf courses. The Caswell Bros. had many plans for equipment that was years ahead of the time. They experimented with combines and field balers, however proper power was lacking at that time to run them properly.

     In the 1935 to 1938 era, farm tractors were selling well in the Middle West farm area. With this came many ideas for labour saving attachments that would fit on these farm tractors. One idea, that was probably the greatest of current labour saving devices, was the Caswell Hydraulic Manure Loader. This machine had a protected design patent and over the next 20 years thousands were sold throughout the US and Canada.

Since the 1950’s many of the labour saving pieces of equipment used in livestock and faming production have been developed by the Caswell Manufacturing Company. At times the factory has employed 50 to 80 people. The old buildings were abandoned in 1953 and a new factory was built in 1960. Another building was needed for diversifying into non-farm products.

        The Caswell Manufacturing Company is still very much in operation. It is by far one of the oldest businesses in Northwest Iowa. Caswell Brothers were very progressive in their ideas and contributed greatly to our early inventions.

        Advertisement from Winnifred Colt:

One standard product was the “Farro-Crate” although longer and lower, it resembled a baby’s crib made of iron rods.  It was narrow enough that the sow had to spend most of her time on her side.  The piglets had easy access to her, and it reduced the chances of their being killed by crushing beneath her weight.

     Having developed asthma, for health reasons, Tom came to California seeking a better climate. After looking up and down the San Joaquin and Sacramento valleys early in 1902 he bought approximately 300 acres near Ceres. His timing was excellent, for irrigation, by a series of canals, had just been completed.  He purchased 320 acres and a residence north of Ceres that was the spacious home of the pioneer D.K. Woodbridge family.

     Thomas bought a large home on Whitmore Road. He grew alfalfa and field crops on his Ceres and Tuolumne River ranches. He also raised beef cattle. His son, Henry bought a half section of land on Vivian Road, at the west end of Whitmore Road. He put this land under irrigation and developed for alfalfa and field crops. Son, Andrew also bought a farm in the area, although he spent his adult life managing the implement factory, assisted by Wallace and Henry, who made many trips to Iowa to consult with his brother.

CASWELL MEMORIAL STATE PARK

        The Caswell Memorial State park was established as a memorial to Thomas Caswell (1844 – 1927) and his sons Wallace Caswell and Charles Henry Caswell.  It was Thomas Caswell’s dream when in 1915 he purchased the 640 acre ranch along the Stanislaus River to donate it for an industrial farm for orphan boys. . Much of the farm was in pasture and hay, but there was some rich river bottom soil and one of the largest oak groves along the Stanislaus River. Native grapevines festooned the giant trees, birds nested in the branches and blue herons had a rookery nearby.

      Thomas deeded the acreage to the Presbyterian Church for this purpose. However, other obligations prevented the church from developing the property and the deed and property was returned to Thomas in 1917.  Thomas and his son Henry then developed the open land but left the oak groves along the river in their natural state.

In the Modesto newspaper dated March 6^th, 1917:

“An announcement that the Caswell Industrial Farm would be founded in a bend of the Stanislaus River five miles southwest of Ripon was made here.  A 430 acre ranch was to be donated by Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Caswell of Ceres…The farm, deeded to the Presbyterian Orphanage of San Anselmo was to be for orphan boys and girls.”

     Eventually the Presbyterian Church decided against the orphanage because of its other responsibilities.  This decision was a great disappointment to Thomas Caswell.

     After Thomas Caswell’s death in 1927, the Stanislaus River Ranch was inherited by his sons.  Wallace and Henry took great pride in the old oak grove and frequently took family groups and friends to enjoy the wilderness area.  They spoke of the possibility of a park along the river.

     Henry and Wallace Caswell died within months of each other in 1949.  Both were service minded and had shown an interest in the establishment of a park.  After their deaths, the family felt a park would be in accordance with the philanthropy dreams of Thomas Caswell and his sons.  The family gave 65 acres of the parkland to the state. Although the family offered to provide more acreage, the State did not accept it.(2)

     It was the desire of the Caswell family that this unique grove of oak trees, the largest remaining grove of Valley Oaks in the state, be maintained in its natural primitive condition.  This wish has been respected and no roads or developments occur within.

     Many relatives of Thomas have enjoyed exploring, picnicking and hiking in the grove along the river.  All of us want future generations to enjoy the area as we have.

     Family ties remained strong and Tom’s brothers and sisters relished each others company.  On Sunday afternoons their house would serve as a place for the gathering of the clan; relations would come visiting from Hughson, Modesto, San Jose, Canada and elsewhere. Alex moved near Ceres, dying there in 1911. A number of Margaret’s descendants settled in Hughson. After brother John moved to San Jose in 1905, visits were frequent between Tom’s and John’s families.

     Meanwhile, the younger generation was taking over. Wallace was raised on a farm near Cherokee, attended local school and graduated in law from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.  At the completion of their college work, Wallace and his brothers Henry and Andrew developed the Caswell Brothers Manufacturing Company in which many of their own inventions were utilized.  The company today continues to supply farmers of the Midwest with specialized farm equipment.

     It was on Wallace’s visits to Ceres to see his family that he met his future bride JennieWhitmore, whose grandfather Daniel Whitmore founded the town of Ceres.  Jennie had studies at the Curtner Seminary near Mission San Jose and was accomplished on the piano.  She was active in the early social and club life of Ceres, especially the W.C.T.U. and Garden Club. In 1909, Wallace married Jennie Whitmore, granddaughter of the founder of Ceres. He took her back to Cherokee, where he shared the management of the implement factory with Andrew.

     In 1933 Wallace and Jennie returned to Ceres and Wallace joined Henry in the management of the ranches. By 1942 ten ranches were listed on their time sheets.

     Wallace served two terms as president of the California Canning Peach Association.  He continued to participate in the management of the manufacturing company, traveling frequently to Iowa.  In Ceres he was President of the Chamber of Commerce, War Bond Chairman, and an enthusiastic fundraiser for the new Memorial Hospital in Ceres.  He was elected to the board of Directors of the Hospital Association in 1948.

      Although Wallace and Jennie had no children of their own, they had a warm and happy relationship with their many nieces and nephews.  Their residence in Ceres, the beautiful Victorian home built by Jennie’s father in 1903 was a gathering place for family and a host of friends on many occasions.  Meetings of community clubs and organization and church and school events were often centered in their home.  Friends from far and near were always welcome and their hospitality was widely appreciated and enjoyed. 

     Andrew had two girls Frances and Betty. Henry married Helen Cross, a school teacher and pianist. They had a son, Earl, and three daughters, Mary, Ruth and Edith. As of 1983 all of Henry’s children were living in Ceres or Modesto. Between them, Tom’s six living grandchildren had sixteen children, half of whom are still in the area.

     Henry’s four children settled in the Modesto-Ceres area.  On Helen’s death, Henry’s holdings were divided between the four children.  Earl and his wife Marydee (Killen) lived on their fruit ranch where Earl became known as a progressive almond grower. Mary and her husband William Bucknam farmed almonds and peaches. They later invested in a lodge and large acreage on the Klamath River. After Bill’s death Mary returned to Modesto to teach, with a specialty in art. 

     Ruth’s husband Homer Jorgensen, a consulting civil and sanitary engineer, headed his own engineering firm as well as managed their farm property. Ruth, a social worker before her marriage, was an energetic community volunteer. Edith and her husband, Robert Wheeler, worked tremendously hard to develop a line of high producing cattle, then sold out and moved into the ambulance business. Edith was a music teacher and flutist in the Modesto Symphony Orchestra.

     Andrews’s daughter, Frances, married William Morris, a chemical engineer. On Andrew’s death, Bill took over the Cherokee implement factory. When Bill died shortly after that, Betty’s husband, Larry French, took over the operation. Frances later married a long-time family friend, Marion D. “Bumps’’ Taylor and settled in Berkeley, California.

     The pioneering spirit that marked Thomas has been carried forward by later generations, and his descendants have remained closer to agriculture than some other branches of the family. One thing in their favour was that Thomas purchased a large amount of land just as the Ceres area was moving from extensive to intensive agriculture.

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(1)There are major discrepancies as to the date that the Caswells reached Ontario. John was born aboard the immigrant vessel, and thought the year was 1847 or possibly 1848.  He said his mother was not good with dates.  This date for Thomas’ birth was from his death certificate.

 (2)In 1955 more land was purchased from L.E. Eklund