Hugh J. Glenn
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Hugh James Glenn (September 18, 1824 – February 17, 1883) was a prominent 19th-century physician, stockman,
wheat Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeologi ...
farmer and politician in California. In 1879, he ran in the California gubernatorial election as the candidate of both the Democratic and the New Constitution parties but lost to
Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
George C. Perkins. At the time of his death he was considered the largest wheat-grower in California.
Glenn County, California Glenn County is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 28,917. The county seat is Willows. It is located in the Sacramento Valley, in the northern part of the California Central Valley. The ...
is named after him.


Early life and education

Glenn was born near Staunton, Virginia, in 1824. He was the son of George Glenn (1802-1875) and Mary Gleave Anderson (1805-1845). His father came to Monroe County, Missouri in 1831 and settled in
Paris, Missouri Paris is a city and county seat of Monroe County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,161 at the 2020 census. History Paris was platted in 1831, and named after Paris, Kentucky, the native home of one of the first settlers, Mrs. James ...
. Hugh went to school in Paris and was educated as a physician at McDowell's Medical College in
St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
. Glenn served with Colonel Alexander William Doniphan's Missouri Volunteers in the
Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...
, returning to St. Louis in 1847. He resumved his medical studies at Cooper Medical College, where he graduated with honors in 1849. He practiced in St. Louis for two years. He married Nancy Harrison Abernathy, daughter of Missouri politician James R. Abernathy, on March 15, 1849, in Monroe, Missouri. On May 3, 1849, Glenn left Missouri to join the California Gold Rush, leaving with an ox team and wagon. He sold his gold claim and operated a livery stable in Sacramento, later selling it for a good profit. He returned to Missouri in 1852 with $5,000 and came back to California in 1853, bringing his family with him.


Ranching and political career

Glenn became a cattle rancher, and in 1868 moved to
Jacinto, California Jacinto is a small unincorporated community in Glenn County, California. Named for Jacinto Rodriguez, who received a Mexican land grant in the area in 1844, it is located on the Sacramento River The Sacramento River ( es, Río Sacramento) i ...
, then in
Colusa County Colusa County () is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 21,839. The county seat is Colusa. It is in the North Valley of California, northwest of the state capital, Sacramento. History C ...
. He bought on the north end of
Rancho Jacinto Rancho Jacinto was a Mexican land grant in present-day Glenn County, California given in 1844 by Governor Manuel Micheltorena to Jacinto Rodriguez. The grant extended along the west bank of the Sacramento River, and encompassed present-day Ordb ...
. He continue to add to his holdings, until he had purchased the entire Rancho and also of Rancho Larkin’s Children. In all, he had , cultivating of them in grain, earning him the nickname of the "Wheat King" of California. He had his own machines and blacksmith shops, boring, turning and planing machines. He employed 50 men in seeding and 150 men in harvest. On August 8, 1879, he brought in 5,779
bushel A bushel (abbreviation: bsh. or bu.) is an imperial and US customary unit of volume based upon an earlier measure of dry capacity. The old bushel is equal to 2 kennings (obsolete), 4 pecks, or 8 dry gallons, and was used mostly for agric ...
s of wheat in one day. Peter French moved to Jacinto where he met and accepted employment as a horse breaker with Glenn. French was promoted to foreman. In 1872, Glenn sent French to Oregon with 1,200 head of
Shorthorn The Shorthorn breed of cattle originated in the North East of England in the late eighteenth century. The breed was developed as dual-purpose, suitable for both dairy and beef production; however, certain blood lines within the breed always emp ...
cattle, where he bought land. In 1883, French married Glenn’s daughter, Ella Abernathy Glenn. Glenn began his public career on the California State Board of Agriculture. In 1879, he ran in the California gubernatorial election as the candidate of both the Democratic and the New Constitution parties. He lost to
Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
George C. Perkins.


Death

On February 17, 1883, Dr. Glenn was murdered on his ranch at Jacinto by Huram Miller, who worked for him as a bookkeeper. Miller was an alcoholic and Glenn finally struck him, after being verbally abused by the drunken employee. Miller brooded for several days, then shot Glenn in the head from ambush with a load of buckshot. Glenn was survived by his wife and three sons and one daughter. His remains were taken to Oakland for interment. Peter French continued to manage the Oregon operation for the Glenn family, selling more cattle to help pay the family’s debts. In 1894, Glenn’s heirs decided to incorporate the French-Glenn partnership into the ''French-Glenn Livestock Company'', making French the company president. The land was later sold in small parcels, a great part purchased by the Sacramento Valley Irrigation Company and subdivided later years.


Legacy

In 1891,
Glenn County Glenn County is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 28,917. The county seat is Willows. It is located in the Sacramento Valley, in the northern part of the California Central Valley. The ...
was created and named in honor of Hugh James Glenn, who purchased on the north end of
Rancho Jacinto Rancho Jacinto was a Mexican land grant in present-day Glenn County, California given in 1844 by Governor Manuel Micheltorena to Jacinto Rodriguez. The grant extended along the west bank of the Sacramento River, and encompassed present-day Ordb ...
in 1867. In 1908 more land was reported for sale: "The Glenn Rancho contains 86 square miles, embodying 55,000 acres, occupies a strip five miles wide and sixteen miles long on the west bank of the Sacramento River .... "


References


External links


Biographies of Hugh James Glenn


{{DEFAULTSORT:Glenn, Hugh James 1824 births 1883 deaths People of the California Gold Rush California Democrats People from Missouri People from Colusa County, California 19th-century American businesspeople