J. Christian Borchard lived to the ripe old age of 86 years and six months per the newspaper account of his passing in 1903. The funeral services were at Santa Clara Catholic church. The life and times of the old settler read in part as follows in the Press Courier: "The history of Mr. Borchard's eventful life, especially of the early days, would be a most interesting one. While but a boy he came from Germany to Iowa and in the early 1860's decided to come to California with his wife and family. He made a trip across the plains in an old time wagon train, braving the dangers of weather and Indians. The experience of those months of hardship are hard now to realize. On the way, the stock took sick and perished and five hundred miles of the journey was made on foot. Ed Borchard at that time was a baby in the arms of his mother and carried by her this great distance. The party settled in the northern part of the state not far from the present site of Stockton and about a dozen years later Mr. Borchard came to Ventura county with his family, where he has remained ever since. He was of the hardy energetic type of early settlers of the county and put forth every effot to the acquiring of property all over the valley." The 44,000 acres of Rancho El Rio de Santa Clara o la Colonia was primarily used to graze cattle unti J. Christian Borchard planted the first commercial crop, barley, in 1867. Eventually, many other crops including lima beans and sugar beets became staples of the agricultural economy.

Native of Nesselroden, Germany
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Son of:
Johannes Andreas Borchard
19 Nov 1758 - 03 Nov 1828
Nesselröden, Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany
and
Maria Anna (Rittmeier) Borchard
22 Oct 1772 - 25 Dec 1845
Nesselröden, Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany

Siblings:
Maria Regina Borchard
Johannes Andreas Franz Borchard Maria Clara Borchard
Maria Sophie Franziska Borchard Johannes Franz Borchard
Johannes Heinrich Borchard
Caspar Anton Borchard
Contributor: Danjrus (46628123) June 2021