Leonard W. Buck

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Leonard W. Buck
Member of the California Senate
from the 19th district
In office
February 16, 1883 - January 5, 1885
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Personal details
Born(1834-07-08)July 8, 1834
Truxton, New York, U.S.
DiedJune 4, 1895(1895-06-04) (aged 60)
Oakland, California, U.S.
Resting placeMountain View Cemetery
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)Anna M. Bellows
Children2 sons, 3 daughters
RelativesFrank H. Buck (grandson)
OccupationBusinessman, rancher, politician
Military service
Branch/serviceUnion Army
Years of service1862-1863
RankLieutenant
Battles/warsAmerican Civil War

Leonard W. Buck (July 8, 1834 - June 4, 1895) was an American businessman, rancher and politician.

Early life[]

Leonard W. Buck was born on July 8, 1834, in Truxton, New York.[1] He was educated at the Courtland Academy in Homer, New York.[1] During the American Civil War, he served as a Lieutenant in Company H, 175th New York Infantry Regiment from 1862 to 1863.[2]

Career[]

Buck was a salesman of hardware goods in Clinton, Iowa from 1865 to 1873.[1]

Buck established a ranch in Vacaville, California in 1874.[1] He also established a ranch in Lodi, California (400 acres purchased from B.F. Langford in 1887).[3][4] He grew fruit, especially tokay grapes and peaches.[3] Buck pioneered the fruit shipping industry and is credited with sending California fruit to east coast markets.[5]

Buck served in the California State Senate.[1] He founded the California Fruit Union in 1885 (disbanded in 1894) and served as Vice President of the California State Board of Horticulture.[6][7] Additionally, he served on the board of directors of the Bank of Vacaville.[3]

Personal life[]

Buck married Anna M. Bellows in 1856.[1] They had two sons: Frank H. Buck and Fred M. Buck, and three daughters, Mrs J. B. Corey, Emma L. Buck and Anna M. Buck.[3] They resided at 929 Adeline Street in Oakland, California from 1887 onward.[1][2]

Buck was a Freemason, and he served as the master of the Vacaville lodge in 1884.[8] He often used the pen name "Nel" (Len spelled backwards) in personal writings.[9] Emma Buck and Mrs. Bellows sustained bruising after they were accidentally thrown from a horse and buggy in 1880.[10]

Death[]

Buck was accidentally thrown from a horse and buggy on June 3, 1895, at the intersection of 12th Street and Castro Street, Oakland, California.[11] He suffered a cerebral hemorrhage as a result of the accident and died the next day at his home in Oakland, California.[1][3][2] He was buried at the Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland. By the time of his death, he was worth an estimated US$300,000.[1]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Death Deeps Mystery. Ex-Senator Buck Dies Without a Word or a Gleam of Consciousness. The Tragic Story Is Untold. Miss Harrington's Body Laid Away With No Clew to the Murderer or His Motive". The San Francisco Call. June 5, 1895. p. 5. Retrieved May 5, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ a b c "Mr. Buck Dead". The San Francisco Call. 1895-06-05. p. 1. Retrieved 2021-06-11.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Died As Day Dawned. External Peace Spreads Her Wings Over the Career of Senator Buck. He Passed Away As If Asleep. Conscious Never Returned From the Moment of the Disaster. His Life Was A Busy One. How He Aided in Building Up the Fruit Industry of California". Oakland Tribune. June 4, 1895. p. 1. Retrieved May 6, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "B.F. Langford sale L.W. Buck". The Los Angeles Times. 1887-12-05. p. 4. Retrieved 2021-06-15.
  5. ^ "Died As Day Dawned". Oakland Tribune. 1895-06-04. p. 1. Retrieved 2021-06-11.
  6. ^ "By-laws of the "California fruit union" San Francisco December 15th, 1885". Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. Retrieved 2021-06-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. ^ "Russian Thistle". The Sacramento Bee. 1895-11-07. p. 8. Retrieved 2021-06-11.
  8. ^ "The Late Senator Buck. Vacaville Lodge of the Masons Honors His Memory". The San Francisco Call. June 16, 1895. p. 24. Retrieved May 5, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "L.W. Buck's Pen Name". The San Francisco Call. 1895-06-10. p. 12. Retrieved 2021-06-11.
  10. ^ Ronald H., Limbaugh (1978). Vacaville, The Heritage of a California Community. United States of America: Vacaville City Council. p. 96.
  11. ^ "Hacked to Death in a Flat". The San Francisco Examiner. 1895-06-02. p. 12. Retrieved 2021-06-11.

External links[]


Stub icon

This article about a member of the California State Senate is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by .

  • v
  • t
Retrieved from ""