Escalon, California

History

Before the advent of the railroad, the traveler in riding over the French Camp road to the Stanislaus River would notice far out on the plains a large two-story brick house. It was surrounded by trees and shrubs, barns, granaries, and was the only house for miles around. It was the home of "Johnny" Jones, who crossed the plains in 1852 and pitched his tent where Escalon now stands, the country at that time being Government land covered with sage brush. He acquired the amount of land allotted to settlers and started to farm it, planting the first grain ever grown in the Escalon country. He seeded it by broadcast and dragged it in with brush. The yield was heavy and sold for five cents a pound.

He began raising cattle for market and purchased more land until he owned 8,000 acres, a tract more than three miles square. Six to twelve-horse teams were used to plow the fields where Escalon was later developed. In 1867 Jones built his brick house on the prairie, at a cost of $12,000. His brother Richard made the bricks from a field east of Sexton station. In those days all freight carried from Stockton to the mines above Sonora went via the French Camp road, and many of the teamsters boarded and lodged at his farm. The plains were the homes of many antelope, which Jones often served on his table.

From the History section of Escalon, California on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.