, CALIFORNIA
JOSHUA
CASSARETTO
from History of Merced County, by John Outcalt, 1925
Another of the native sons of the golden State who has made his
influence felt in agricultural circles is Joshua Casaretto, now living
in retirement on his ranch on Bear creek about three miles from
Merced. He was born at Hornitos, Mariposa county, on April 19,
1859, a son of the late Giuseppe and Catherine (Daneri) Casaretto, the
former born in Genoa, Italy, and the latter at Chiavari. Giuseppe
Casaretto left his native country in 1852 and came by way of Panama to
California to make his fortune in the mines, but after trying his luck
until 1855 he decided the surest way to fortune was in something ore
substantial and he engaged in working a the trade of stone mason. He
had married in Italy and when he sent for his wife and son in 1855, he
quit mining for his trade. They settled in an adobe house near
Benton's Mill; then in the late fifties he moved to Hornitos and built
a stone store building, which he later traded to Mr. Olcese, who had a
store at Indian Gulch, for his building and business there, but this
did ot prove to be a profitable exchange for the store at Indian Gulch
was soon to be extinct with the dwindling of the mines. In 1857 Mr.
casaretto moved to Merced Falls and took up his home, working at his
trade and raising stock. He died of blood poisoning while at
Snelling, on June 28, 1885, when fifty-eight years old. Three
boys and one girl in the Casaretto family grew up and are still living;
John lives at Merced Falls on the old home place; David is a butcher in
Atwater; Joshua is the subject of this review; and Mrs. Julia Fee lives
in Modesto. Her husband was the son of the late Peter Fee, who
came to California in 1849 and conducted the first hotel in the mining
section of Mt. Bullion, knows as Norwegian Tent, because it was only a
tent house. The elder Casaretto was a man of integrity of character and
was highly esteemed.
Joshua went ot the school in Indian Valley and was brought up on the
mountain ranch owned by his father and spent much of his time in the
saddle, during which time he learned to speak the French, Spanish,
Italian and English languages fluently. In 1870 he was a joint
owner in a sheep and wool growing business; and in 1872-1873 , with
John and David, his brothers,
conducted a general store at Hopeton, but continuing his sheep business
until 1884, when he was forced to quit during the Clevelad
administration when wool dropped so low in price that no one could
afford to keep sheep. He then turned his attention to cattle and
horse raising on a part of the old homeplace, and at the same time was
made manager of the Casaretto interest. He sold out his stock
interests in 1919 and decided to retire when he moverd to his present
place of eighty-six acres. The rich Bear Creek land had such an
attraction for him that he once more began farming, raising Poland
China hogs and fruit;' he also owns 1800 acres of foothill land in
Mariposa County where he runs some stock and with the help of his sons
they are makeing a success of their ventures.
When Mr. Casaretto married on Septermber 9, 1902, he chose for
his wife Miss Marceline Leota, born November 15, 1861 on a ranch at
Mokelumne Hill, Claveras County, the daughter of Leon Leota, born in
Marseilles, France, and a man of considerable intellect and
culture. He was proficient in seven different languages; came to
Californai in 1851 ad settled in the mining section. He was the
second man in Calaveras county to reveive a patent from the United
States Government for land. Her mother was May Mullin, born in
Ireland of Scotch parerns, and she died in Oakland in 1915. Mr.
and Mrs. Casaretto have two boys, Victor Emanuel and Emanuel Victor,
who are assisting their father to run the ranches owned by
him. Mr. Casaretto is a republican and the family belongs
to the Catholic Church.
-------------SEE OBITUARY FOR JOSHUA CASARETTO
RETURN TO MARIPOSA COUNTY FAMILY CHRONICLES
GO TO MARIPOSA COUNTY HISTORY AND GENEALOGY