Land Deed for California Property

John Hansen Property in California

According to the memory of Wayne Bingham, John Hansen's grandson, John went to California to purchases a piece of property for a retirement home away from the severe Idaho winters.  In 1918 John took the train from Idaho Falls to Madera, California to get things started. The train took him from Idaho Falls down to Ogden, Utah and then across norther Nevada into Sacramento and then down to Winton, California. The property in Winton was 20 acres on which John planned to raise fruit trees. The current address of the property is 6641 Mercedes Ave, Winton, California.  After John's death in 1921 the property was let go by Alice Hansen to cover outstanding taxes and other fees on the property.

Property Owned by John Hansen (Shown in green north)
Overlaid on the 1917 USGS Map of Winton, California Area

Wayne Bingham and his daughter Colleen Reep recently went to the county offices to get the exact location of the property as well as visit the property to see what it looks like today.  There is a home which stands in the same location as the original home but appears to not be the original house that was built prior to John Hansen acquiring the property in 1918.  There are only a couple of trees around the house and the remainder of the property is unplanted.  The property today has been divided into a 15 acre parcel and a 5 acre parcel. All of the properties surrounding the property seem to all be orchards that are well maintained.

View of the property from the road looking south west

Another view of the house and garage

Merced County Assessor's Parcel Map from 1976 showing
details of property once owned by John Hansen (Lot #36 and #37)

Alice Elizabeth Bateman Hansen's Actual Birth Date

Alice Elizabeth Bateman Hansen and her family seemed to believe she was born on 29 August 1868¹ in Stifford, Essex, England. Alice's son, Lawrence Hansen, who is listed as the informant on her death certificate also listed 29 August 1868 as her birth date and location. Further research has uncovered her date of birth as most likely 18 July 1867² based on birth records located in England for Orsett registration district and Grays subdistrict. The information for this record was provided by Alice's mother, Ester Wiffin Bateman, who was most likely present for the birth.  The birth information was recorded on 28 August 1876 in Stifford.

Birth Record for Alice Elizabeth Bateman (1867)

Death Certificate for Alice Elizabeth Bateman Hansen (1961)

Stifford is located along the northern banks of the Thames River about 22 miles east of downtown London and is now broken into North Stifford and South Stifford. Additional information on Stifford, England can be located at http://www.northstiffordvillage.co.uk/index.html.

Stifford Parish Church

Source:

1. Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, death certificate no. 972, Alice Elizabeth Hansen (1961), Division of Vital Statistics, Boise.

2. England. Registrar General. Birth Certificates. General Registry Office, South Port., England, birth certificate (short form) for Alice Elizabeth Bateman, born 18 July 1867; citing entry 243, Orsett registration district and Grays subdistrict; General Registry Office, Southport.

From Bloomington to Taylor - Part 2

Based on the family information John Hansen and his family left Bloomington, Bear Lake, Idaho in 1899 to travel to their new property in Taylor, Bannock, Idaho.  In the booklet Bear Lake Pioneers of 1864 it states:

"When they came to Idaho Falls and Taylor, they left Bloomington down in the meadow near the outlet of Bear Lake in 1899.  Traveling in a white top buggy, wagons and the boys on horses who drove several cows and 30 head of sheep.  In the white top rode several chickens and the seed to plant.  They went down through Soda Springs to the Indian reservation.  Because of hoof and mouth disease they wouldn't let the animals cross the streams.  So the sheep came across in the white top buggy that is Blackfoot river as they came into Gosehn."

Sheep Wagons

Sheep wagons, which were common in Idaho's early history, were modified farm wagons with wide shelves extended outward from the sides to form benches and the cover extended over these benches to increase the interior space. They were equipped with a bed, table and stove inside and were used as living quarters for many Western sheep herders. A box for food supplies was attached to the outside with a hole cut in the into the side of the wagon to provide access to the food from the inside. The wagon's top was covered with canvas, and frequently had other layers (whatever was available) to add structural integrity and insulation.

There Goes the Neighborhood