Anita " I hope this helps" does not begin to tell you that this information has hit me beyond my wildest dreams, I can be obsessive about minute details, this adds great color to the lives of my grand mother Luella Hicks Tyler (born at Cherry Hebert Ranch )and her parents who I am sure lived there for a short time she was the second child of seven and the only one born away from Elkins, Randolph, VA-WV Also, I had heard that some of the books containing profiles charged for them. Anyway to say that I am pleased does not begin to tell you how grateful I am for you and this wonderful list that I am on ----- Original Message ----- From: "A. Mason Design" <amason@redshift.com> To: <NORCAL-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, April 19, 2002 3:47 PM Subject: HEBERT Biographies > From the "History of the State of California and Biographical Record of > Santa Cruz, San Benito, Monterey and San Luis Obispo Counties" by Prof. > J.M. Guinn, A.M., The Chapman Publishing Co., Chicago, 1903 [aka "Mug > Book" due to the fact that the person profiled paid for inclusion and > wrote their info]: > > CHERI ZEPHRIN HEBERT > > To an unusual extent Cheri Z. HEBERT, owner and manager of the Natividad > ranch, six miles northeast of Salinas, inherits the natural gifts which > made his father, Zephrin HEBERT, one of the most famous of the > California pioneers of the early '50s. The son was educated in the > public schools and Santa Clara College, and his entire life has been > spent on the extensive property redeemed from uselessness by his > far-sighted and laarge-hearted father. > > One of the most interesting, buoyant, and commanding personalities upon > the horizon of the days of gold was Zephrin HEBERT, who came as did > others with little save his dauntless courage and ressourceful > intellect, to conquer and develop the latent possibilities of the coast. > > To himself and contemporaries the dire necessities of pioneership > whetted their sensibilities to the keenest edge, leaving them no > alternative in the battle for existence but eternal vigilance and > desperate exertion. They knew little of leisure, and accepted the > conditions and triumphed over the obstacles in such manner that within > little more than half a century wonderful happenings, unprecedented in > the history of the world, have followed in the wake of their prodigious energy. > > An optimistic and humor-loving nature contributed much to the success of > Mr. HEBERT, who saw in all situations, however strenuous or dire, > something redeeming and often laughable. Adventures crowded into his > life, and left their strengthening rather than weakening influence, so > that adversity proved his best friend. > > A native of Breaux Bridge, St. Martin parish, LA, Mr. HEBERT was born > January 17, 1826, and was the youngest of seven brothers and two sisters > born to parents who were also natives of Louisiana. His father was a > farmer and planter, and his estate was taken away from him during the > war of the Rebellion. When fifteen years of age, Zephrin relinquished > his share of the homestead to his brothers and sisters and lived for a > time in New Orleans, starting for California via Chagres and Panama in > the year 1850. > > He was the fortunate possessor of $700, a sum which looked large indeed > until after walking from Chagres to Panama he found that a ticket for > San Francisco would cost him $500. He therefore abandoned all idea of a > steamer passage, and embarked for $75 on the brig "W. Brown," but was > three months at sea, often on very short allowances of food and water. > > This voyage was enlivened by many interesting happenings, not the least > of which being the circumstance of the passengers taking matters into > their own hands and placing an obstreperous and drunken captain in irons. > > Arriving in San Francisco, Mr. HEBERT carefully observed the crude and > ofttimes dangerous conditions by which he was surrounded, and resolved > to have as little as possible to do with things purely hazardous. > > Almost immediately he secured work in a butcher shop and grocery store > at $200 per month, and later on engaged in an independent business along > the same line on the corner of Jackson and Dupont streets. This proved a > successful venture, and after making $3,000 he yielded to the > solicitations of his gold struck partner and joined him in an expedition > to the mines. > > The mind of Mr. HEBERT was far too conservative and well balanced to be > long impressed with the questionable methods of mining, and the fact > that their pack mule ran away at the start, scattering their pans and > other paraphernalia along the trail, did not strengthen his convictions > in favor of mining. > > The mines abandoned to more trustful souls, Mr. HEBERT returned to San > Francisco and operated a butcher's stall, and subsequently started a > wholesale butcher business, at the same time dealing extensively in > sheep with a partner by the name of SEDGELEY. > > Having purchased three thousand acres of land at Natividad, Monterey > County, CA, in 1865, Mr. HEBERT came ot live on his property in 1868, > and was thereafter prominently identified with his locality up to the > time of his death, June 25, 1896, at the age of seventy-three years. > > He was a Democrat in politics, but aside from the formality of cassting > his vote was rarely heard of in political circles. He was earnestly > interested in all that had to do with the development of the resources > of Monterey County, and had infinite faith in her possibilities of > climate and soil. > > He was a life member and one of the organizers of the Monterey District > Agricultural Association, and was one of the founders and a stockholder > of the Salinas City Bank. He was liberal in his views, but yet > determined and not easily changed, and he was remarkable for his > strength of character and influence over those with whom he came in contact. > > Hope this helps, > Anita C. > Monterey County > > > ==== NORCAL Mailing List ==== > Visit the NORCAL Lookup Library NORCAL Library > http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~yvonne/norcallib.html >