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THOMAS HOSMER, a resident of Montecito, was born in Freedom, Maine, in 1833. His father was a mechanic and a
manufacturer of edged tools, and after leaving Freedom moved to Springfield, Massachusetts, where he carried on
a large establishment. Thomas learned his trade of machinist at Belfast, Maine, in the shop of Messrs. White &
Kimball, who did general country machine work, but especially work for shingle and saw mills. He remained with
them four years, and in the spring of 1858 came to California, first settling at Sacramento, where he followed
his trade for five years. In 1863 he became interested in a silver mine at Sonora, Mexico, went there and put up
a quartz mill, and after a year of hard labor and much expense he gave it up as an unprofitable investment, and
returned to San Francisco to follow his trade, working about three years for the Government at Mare Island, and
the rest of the time in San Francisco until the fall of 1871. In January, 1872, he came to the Montecito Valley
and purchased nineteen acres of land where he now resides. He began with the almond culture, but after two years
of heavy bearing the crop failed. He then grafted the trees with plums and prunes, but, not meeting with success,
the trees were taken out and oranges were put in their places, which are now doing well. He has about 700 orange
and lemon trees.
Mr. Hosmer was elected Supervisor in 1884 and reelected in 1888, proving an able and efficient officer. He was
married in San Francisco in 1863, to Miss Frances Dinsinore, a native of Anson, Maine, who came to California with
her parents in 1861, making the journey by steamer. Her father came to Montecito in 1868, bought what is now known
as San Ysidro ranch, and planted the first orange grove in the valley, containing 1,500 trees. The ranch has since
been sold to J. Harleigh Johnston, who has brought the fruit to a high state of perfection. Mr. and Mrs. Hosmer
have four children, three daughters at home, and one son, who is a member of the firm of Hunt, Hosmer & Co.,
of Santa Barbara.
From:
A Memorial and Biographical History
of the counties of
Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo
and Ventura, California
The Lewis Publishing Company
Chicago 1891
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