ANDREW RYDER (excerpts)

. . .born in Jamaica, Queens County, Long Island, N. Y. in 1843. . . .served in the Civil War as a member of Company F 71st Regiment, N. Y. S M. . . .he struck out for the great west in 1865 coming via the Isthmus of Panama with two friends, Ed Francis and Ed Dow. He entered the employ of the Central Pacific Railroad at Sacramento and as baggage master, ran out of Sacramento to Colfax until the road was extended. He soon made conductor and ran trains as early as 1866. After the road was completed he ran to Truckee and also from Truckee to Wadsworth, Nev. As conductor he ran the special that carried the railroad officials to Promontory Point at the time of the driving of the golden spike.
 
He moved to Loomis in 1899, setting out 108 acres to fruit orchard. Mr. Ryder named his ranch “Greystone Orchard”. Mr. Ryder was one of the prime movers in the organization of the Bank of Loomis; Mr. Ryder had built a frame store; and when this was destroyed, at the time of the big fire in Loomis, he immediately rebuilt it of hollow tile. Part of the building was occupied by the bank until they built their own home.

A pioneer of Loomis, Mr. Ryder located here when the little place was called Pino; and many thought the place should have been named Ryder after him, when the name was changed from Pino. He passed away on October 27, 1920.