John Thurman, and his wife, Lettie Jane Thurman, emigrated from their home in Tennessee, to Arkansas, in 1848, and from there in 1852, they joined a party of about 65 families, who crossed the plains to California. Mrs. Thurman died during the journey, at the copper mines, in Arizona. The remainder of the family arrived in the San Gabriel Valley in September 1852, and located one and one half miles south of El Monte, where he engaged in farming. Mr. Thurman later purchased land between El Monte and Savannah. He died, July 6, 1876, at the age of 68. The names of eight of the ten children born to him who lived to come to California are: Nellie (Mrs. John Hicks), Frank, Ephriam, Margaret (Mrs. Thomas C. Swagard), R. Monroe, Stephen D., Alexander and John S.