"LEWIS HARRISON McINTOSH, one of the earlier settlers of California, and one of Butte County's most successful ranchers, is a native of Bath County, Kentucky, born January 19, 1837. His father, Frederick McIntosh, was of Scotch descent and a native of Pennsylvania. When a young man he removed to Kentucky, and was there married to Rebecca Helpenstien, of German origin and a native of Kentucky. They reared ten children, and the whole family crossed the plains together and came to this State in 1852. They settled in Colusa County on that tract of choice land known as the Lone Tree ranch. While out hunting, in 1854, the father met with an accident which resulted in his death. In 1858 Lewis and his brother John purchased 3,000 acres of unimproved land, commencing at the river and extending back on the plain five miles. Until 1865 they worked together and improved the property, and in that year our subject bought out his brother's interest and became owner of the whole tract. On this magnificent ranch Mr. McIntosh has worked incessantly, sparing neither time nor money in developing its resources. Among the improvements he has made are a fine dwelling-house, a whole village of barns and farm buildings and an orchard for family purposes. For a time he was largely engaged in sheep-raising, but more recently has given his attention to grain farming and stock-raising. He has some fine Durham cattle, and is producing roadsters and carriage horses. He devotes 1,500 acres to grain, principally wheat, raising all the way from twenty to forty bushels of wheat to the acre. He has all the machinery and modern appliances on his ranch for conducting his farming operations in the most approved manner. This farm is one of the finest model ones in Butte County-the very choicest farming country in the State of California. Mr. McIntosh also has two other ranches, one a sheep range of 8,000 acres, and the other a fruit and grain ranch of 1,300 acres, which he purchased in 1874. In 1872 Mr. McIntosh was happily married to Miss Inlea Smith, a native of Illinois and a daughter of James Smith. Her father was one of the first settlers of Joliet, and a prominent citizen of Ilinois for many years. Mr. and Mrs. McIntosh have had three children, two of whom died in infancy. Jennie E., their only surviving child, was born in Colusa County. For the purpose of giving her the advantages of the excellent schools at Chico, Mr. McIntosh removed to this city in 1883 and purchased a beautiful and attactive home, which they remodeled and fitted up, and in which they now reside. The grounds and whole exterior as well as the interior of the residence indicate the refined and cultured taste of its owner. Our subject has invested a portion of his surplus funds in the Bank of Butte County, one of the most successful banks in Northern California. In his political views Mr. McIntosh is a Democrat. He was appointed by Governor Bartlett one of the first Trustees of the State Normal School. He takes a deep interest in all that pertains to the growth and prosperity of the county, and, in connection with the Agricultural Society, has been an active and earnest worker in the interest of agriculture. It has been said by some one that it takes more executive ability to conduct a farm successfully than almost any other business. Mr. McIntosh has proved himself eminently successful in this vocation. Is a Knight Templar. Personally he is quiet and unassuming in his manner, possesses well poised mental faculties, and is in every sense a true gentleman. To all appearance he is in the prime of life, notwithstanding he has been a rancher for thirty-three years. Mrs. McIntosh is equally as well preserved, and both have the promise of a long and pleasant life."

The Lone Tree Ranch  "Lone Tree Farm Residence of Lewis Harrison McIntosh, Colusa County, Calif." From "History of the State of California and Biographical Record of the Sacramento Valley, California", by Prof. J. M. Guinn, A.M., 1906 Click on it for larger version.   The Lone Tree ranch of Lewis Harrison McIntosh ". . . Thus within the short period of about thirty years the railways of the West have entirely changed that part of the republic. They have converted what was once a broad extent of unoccupied territory -- sometimes seemingly barren and worthless -- into groups of rapidly growing commonwealths, rich in mines of precious metals, rich in farms, in ranches, and industries of every kind. Some of these farms, in the Far West, exhibit stock raising and agriculture on a scale never seen before, for they embrace from 5000 to 40,000 acres each, and have 50,000 head of cattle or sheep. There are single wheat fields of 13,000 acres, and single farms which extend for many miles, -- covered as far as the eye can see, with one mass of grain rolling in golden waves. These are the kind of farms on which thirty-three horse harvesters, steam plows, and steam harvesters are in use . . ." From "Leading Facts of American History" by D. H. Montgomery, published in 1890 A thirty-three-horse harvester Farming in the Northern Sacramento Valley, 1870's Farming in Colusa County with the Sutter Buttes in the background, 1870's. The identity of these farmers is not known but the painting dates from the 1870's in Colusa County. The man in the center may be Dr. Hugh J. Glenn, who was the largest wheat farmer in the state during his lifetime, and a man of great prominence in political and commercial life in California. Glenn County was developed out of the northern portion of Colusa County in 1891 and named for Dr. Glenn. Mule-powered harvester in Colusa County, 1900 Farming in Colusa County with the use of mule-powered harvesters in 1900. The identity of these farmers is unknown except that they were harvesting in Colusa County.

Lewis was appointed to the First Board of Trustees of the Chico State Normal School, known today as California State University Chico. On April 19, 1887, the first five Trustees were named: John Bidwell, F. C. Lusk, J. W. B. Montgomery, L. H. McIntosh, A. H. Crew. Click on the University logo above to see the CSU Chico history page listing Lewis.