Fred C. Burton was born in 1879 on the family’s Scott Valley, Calif., homestead, one of 12 children of Stephen and Sarah Burton. His mother died when he was nine years old.
For several years, Burton worked on ranches and farms in Scott Valley and in the mines, including the McKean, the Sheba and the large Morrison Carlock Mine near Greenview.
Burton married Gertrude Bryan in 1907, whose father, Sgt. James Bryan, had served at Fort Jones. Sgt. Bryan arrived at Fort Jones in 1852 and became one of the first to ranch and farm in Scott Valley. Gertrude had attended teacher’s college at the Chico Normal school before marrying Burton.
The newlyweds moved to Nome, Alaska, where Burton became the mine foreman for the Miocene Ditch Company, a placer company. After two years, they returned to Siskiyou County and purchased the Forest House Ranch outside of Yreka. Burton was the third owner of the ranch and mountain inn, which in its heyday boasted the largest apple and fruit orchard in California, produced its own wine, and was popular with travelers and neighbors alike.
Source: Burton, Fred W. "Fred C. Burton, 1909 to Now." Siskiyou Pioneer, The 3.8 (1965): 4. Print; Burton, Fred W. "Gertrude Bryan Burton." Ibid. 5. Print.
