Joseph Libbey Folsom facts for kids
Joseph Libbey Folsom (born May 19, 1817 – died July 19, 1855) was an officer in the U.S. Army. He also became a very successful real estate investor in California when it was first becoming a state. He is known for founding the city that is now called Folsom, California. Folsom bought a large piece of land called Rancho Rio de los Americanos. This purchase caused many legal arguments that continued for years, even after he died. The case eventually went all the way to the highest court in California.
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Early Life and Family
Joseph Folsom was born on May 19, 1817, in a town called Meredith, New Hampshire. He was the fourth child of Abraham and Mary Folsom. His family had lived in New Hampshire since the 1600s. Joseph had five brothers and sisters. When Joseph was only six years old, his father passed away. After that, his family moved about 27 miles southwest to Northfield, New Hampshire.
Joining the Military
In June 1836, when Joseph was eighteen, he joined the Military Academy at West Point. This is a famous school for training army officers. He studied there for four years and graduated with high honors in June 1840.
After graduating, he became a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army's 5th infantry. He served in Florida during a conflict called the Second Seminole War. In 1844, he returned to West Point. For two years, he taught soldiers about how to fight in battles.
Moving to California
In late 1846, Lieutenant Folsom left West Point and traveled to California. He was part of the First Regiment of New York Volunteers. They sailed for six months before reaching a port in Yerba Buena, which is now San Francisco, in March 1847.
Once in California, he was promoted to the rank of Captain. He worked as a Staff-officer in the Quartermaster's department. This meant he helped manage supplies and equipment for the army. He was also the first person to collect taxes on goods coming into the Port of San Francisco from 1847 to 1849.
Real Estate and Founding Folsom
Captain Folsom became very interested in buying land. He bought a large area from the mother of William Alexander Leidesdorff for $75,000. This was a lot of money back then! Because land values in California grew very quickly, Joseph Folsom became a millionaire.
In 1854, he chose a piece of land near Sacramento and decided to build a town there. He first named it "Granite City." In 1855, Joseph Folsom hired an engineer named Theodore Dehone Judah to plan and map out the new town. Folsom named the streets after his friends, family, and other important people in California. He also became the second president of the Sacramento Valley Railroad.
Joseph Folsom had some health problems, including a painful nerve condition. He also showed signs of pneumonia. He sadly passed away suddenly on July 19, 1855, at the age of thirty-eight. He was visiting friends at Mission San José (which is now Fremont, California) when he died.
In February 1856, the people in charge of Folsom's property decided to change the name of "Granite City" to Folsom, in his honor.
