JAMES R. MELSON, of the firm of Kuykendall & Melson, contractors and builders, has been a resident of Sonoma County four years. He is a native son of California, born in El Dorado County, thirty-four years ago. His father, Isom Melson, came with his father from Indiana, during the early gold excitement, to California, and engaged in mining for a number of years. Some years ago he returned to the East and settled in Missouri, where he still lives. The subject of this sketch is one of four children, one sister being deceased and two sisters living in "Washington Territory. Mr. Melson learned the carpenter's trade in Sutter County, and for the past eight years has been steadily engaged in the building business. He contracted for buildings, in partnership with a brother-in-law, in Sutter County, and after leaving that place in 1883, he worked one season in Mendocino County, where he erected a number of buildings and then came to Santa Rosa. After working a year for another contractor, he launched out in business for himself. In 18S7 he formed a partnership with Mr. Kuykendall, which continues to the present time. They have erected about twenty-live buildings, principally residences, and have now (August, 1888) four under contract, costing from §3,000 to $4,000 each. They employ an average of thirteen skilled mechanics, paying the most of them $3 per day. Mr. Melson also designs buildings when desired. He was married October 12, 1885, to a lady who was born in Norway, reared in Minnesota from her early girlhood, and who came to California some years ago. Her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Swenson, were among the early settlers in New London, Minnesota, and are now residents of Santa Rosa. Mr. Swenson owns and operates a tannery near the Santa Rosa brewery. Mr. and Mrs. Melson have one child—-a son. In a message dated 2/21/2012 12:21:48 P.M. Pacific Standard Time, gc-gateway@rootsweb.com writes: This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: spudderbud1 Surnames: Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.california.counties .sonoma/6143/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Does anyone have access to "An Illustrated History of Sonoma County, California", printed 1889 by The Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago? I'm looking for the bio of J.R. Melson on page 425. Thanks, Nancy Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board. ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to CASONOMA-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message