Why Merced County, California

The Co-operative Land and Trust Company of San Francisco had acquired large tracks of land in the Merced area and was actively promoting and encouraging farms and others to come try their hand.  The pricing strategy on the land was for payment in cash and the balance of the purchase price from one-third of the crop each year.

SALES CONTINUE IN MERCED LAND

MERCED, June 2.—Although summer is ordinarily considered the dull season for the country land business, there seems to be no decrease this year in the demand for small farms. This is especially true of irrigated lands adapted to alfalfa growing. The Co-operative Land and Trust Company of San Francisco reports a brisk demand for its alfalfa farms in Merced Colony No. 2. In spite of the approaching summer season, home seekers are coming to Merced every day, and beginning work on newly acquired farms. (Source: San Francisco Call, Volume 110, Number 3, 3 June 1911)

John seems to have grown tired of the cold Idaho winters and was looking for a warm place to retire.  Central California must have seemed like the perfect place to retire, even if only to spend the cold months and then return to Idaho during the remaining months.  Unfortunately, his wife did not see things the same way and John was left to manage the land on his own while his wife stayed in Idaho year round.

Example of newspaper ad from Co-Operative Land and
Trust Company promoting land in California