Charles M. Silva (1823-1894) was a native of Richmond County, New York who moved to California in 1849. A resident of Newcastle, California from 1864 to 1894, Silva first planted several fruit trees and strawberry vines there in 1868. He was one of the first to discover the adaptability of Newcastle's soil for growing fruit trees and plants and became one of the pioneers of the fruit and nursery business in Placer County. Silva and his son, Edward, operated a nursery, C.M. Silva & Son, in Newcastle. In 1870, the Silvas had about ten acres under cultivation, and although their fruit trees had not matured, they received approximately nine hundred dollars per acre each year from different kinds of berries. They marketed five tons of strawberries in 1870, averaging twenty cents per pound. They shipped thirty thousand dollars worth of fruit in 1874 and the business had doubled annually for the preceding four years. In 1875, they had thirty acres planted in fruit trees and strawberries.
From the description of C.M. Silva & Son correspondence, 1874-1886. (University of California, Davis). WorldCat record id: 61274552
