Michael Bryte (June 25, 1828 – February 3, 1887) was a California pioneer and dairy farmer. He also served two terms as the Sheriff of Sacramento County.

Life and career

Bryte was born in Clear Creek Township, Ashland County, Ohio in 1828.[1] He moved to California in 1849[2] or 1850[3] to find gold but eventually started working for a dairyman named Schaadt, and in 1855 married his daughter Elizabeth.[3] He purchased Schaadt's dairy in 1853 and renamed it Ashland Dairy, which proved to be a successful endeavor in part due to Bryte using California Steam Navigation Company steamships to transport products to other regional markets.[1] By 1879 Bryte owned over 1,500 acres of land and farmed 2,500 acres in Sacramento County.[2][3]

Bryte served on the Yolo County Board of Supervisors,[2] and served two terms as the Sheriff of Sacramento County between 1872 and 1874.[1][3] During his tenure as Sheriff, the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department arrested and hanged notorious stalker and murderer Charles "Mortimer" Flinn.[4]

In 1910,[5] Bryte's son George would sell the family dairy farm, and it would be turned into the community of Riverbank, now known as Bryte, California, named after the family.[1][3][2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "In History's Spotlight". Ancestry.com. Newspapers.com. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d "History of West Sacramento". City of West Sacramento. City of West Sacramento. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Behind the History of Bryte" (PDF). West Sacramento Historical Society. 2020.
  4. ^ Bernstein, Matthew. "Charles Flinn: The Brutal Murderer Known as 'Mortimer'". HistoryNet. World History Group. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
  5. ^ "6,000 Acres Purchased in Yolo". The Sacramento Bee. 1910-12-09. p. 1. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
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