Description
The William G. Micke Collection consists of personal and business papers, books, and photographs related to the career of
Lodi grape grower and entrepreneur William G. Micke (1874-1961) and his wife, Julia Harrison Micke (1877-1952). Also included
are a variety of papers related to his will and probate, as well as to legal challenges levied against Micke's estate after
his death.
Background
A native of Missouri, William G. Micke was born on April 25, 1874. At the age of twenty-one, he moved to Nebraska, and two
years later to California, where he settled in Florin, Sacramento County. In 1902, Micke moved again, this time to Lodi, where
he purchased in partnership with John Merrill a fifty-six-acre parcel that had once been a race track for horses. Micke eventually
bought out the interest of his partner, acquired additional land, and became a successful shipper of grapes and other fruit
under the Race Track brand name. Micke and his wife, Julia Harrison Micke, the daughter of former Stockton, California, mayor
Bruce Harrison, were well-known local philanthropists. Thanks to them, San Joaquin County acquired Micke Grove Golf Links
and Micke Grove Regional Park, the latter of which features the Julia Harrison Micke Memorial Building, Micke Grove Zoo, and
a swimming pool that since Micke's death has been filled in.