Thomas Jefferson Jordan

Thomas Jefferson Jordan was born September 8, 1852,  in San Juan, Monterey County, California. He was the first child born in California to Captain John and Eliza Jane Jordan. Thomas was five years of age when his parents moved to Tulare County in 1857. He was not old enough to help much in the moving process.

Thomas was ten years of age when his father, Captain John Jordan, was drowned. He helped his mother with the chores and jobs she had for him to do. He also helped with the finances by taking odd jobs like herding sheep for the sheep man, Mr. Brooks, up in the Yokohl Valley. Tom had an eye for minerals and he was always on the lookout for gold when herding sheep. He also kept close watch on his mother and helped her whenever he could.

After he left home and married, he moved up to the booming town of Traver, Tulare County, and went into the livery stable business. He also ran a stage line between Visalia, Goshen and Traver everyday. He did well in this business and bought more property around Traver. This town of Traver was a large grain shipping point where grain was stored and loaded on railroad cars for shipment. As the years went on, business got bad and things went from bad to worse for Thomas. He and his wife quarreled and soon divorced. They did not have any children. They sold the business and property and Tom went his way.

For several years, Tom made several trips up in the mining country. He then came back to Tulare County and filed a claim on a copper mine in the Yokohl Valley. When working this claim, he married Nellie. They lived in one of James Hamilton's houses at the mouth of Yokohl Valley near the Yokohl Creek, near what is now Highway 198.

This mine played out around 1911 and then Thomas and Nellie moved up on the San Joaquin River up in the foothills northeast of Fresno in Fresno County. There, Tom struck a good gold mine. He and Nellie made a good living for many years until the death of Tom in 1934. Nellie sold the mine and moved to Fresno. Soon she went over to Coalinga where she took care of John Jordan, her husband's brother, who was getting too old to help himself on his ranch. John Jordan Passed away and then she married Johnnie Jordan, the son of John Jordan.