Looking at this great family photograph of my grandparents and their five sons, I wondered when it was taken. Perhaps the automobile in the background might provide some clues. Read more »about Dating An Old Family Photograph
Articles Referencing: Bates, Charles Frederick
Walnut Slope Ranch History
In 1921, Gilbert and Beatrice Bates purchased Walnut Slope Ranch in Valley Center, California and moved their family from nearby Ramona. This year (2021) marks the 100-year anniversary of that purchase. This article takes a look at how the property came to be the home of at least four generations of the Bates family. Read more »about Walnut Slope Ranch History
The Bates Family Celebrates Christmas 1912
In December 1912, the Santa Ana Register ran an article describing a Christmas celebration at the home of my grandparents, Gilbert and Beatrice [Lockwood] Bates. Of the twenty-two attendees, at least twenty-one were close family members who had moved from Michigan to California. Read more »about The Bates Family Celebrates Christmas 1912
Highlighting My Bates Lineage
This article provides an overview of my Bates lineage. It covers the four generations of the Bates family that I have been able to trace so far, starting in 1795. I have included a brief biographical sketch about each generation and listed other family names connected to the Bates family tree. Read more »about Highlighting My Bates Lineage
Migration – From Michigan to California
Around 1906, my grandparents and great grandparents moved from Michigan to California. This included all my grandfather’s siblings except one, as well as most of my grandmother’s family. All told, there were at least 21 family members, possibly more, so I’ll call it a migration. I think that the Bates moved out together, but I think the that the Lockwoods may have moved a bit later. I have not determined what may have prompted them to leave Michigan. In this post, I will present what I do know about where they settled in California. Read more »about Migration – From Michigan to California