Need a quick reference to the Circle C characters for your fan fiction story but you don’t want to go through each character bio on the Behind the Scenes pages? Below you will find a quick description of as many Circle C characters I could think of. Links to the more detailed bios are also included if you want to learn more. If you can’t find the character you are looking for, comment and I’ll add him or her.
Circle C Characters Overview
Everything you need to make your fan fiction stories shine with realistically portrayed core characters. Links take you to more detailed bios if you need more information.
Family
James Carter (May 24, 1822 – March 14, 1874) died in a roundup accident in spring 1874 when Andi was almost 6. He is an identical twin to Benjamin Carter and has an older sister, Rebecca.
Elizabeth Carter (September 21, 1828) has 3 younger siblings (Aaron, Rose, and Mark). Aaron never married. Rose married Clive Hamilton and moved to England. If they have children, nobody knows about it. The youngest, Mark, married Dorothy (Dolly), and they have one daughter, Sofia, who is Andi’s age. They live in Pittsburgh, Elizabeth’s hometown. They have been out West once, when Andi was ten. A year later, Sofia died of scarlet fever.
Justin Thomas Carter (March 12, 1852); a lawyer; black hair, blue eyes. Married to Lucinda (Lucy) Hawkins September 1882. They have one son, Samuel James, born Thanksgiving Day, November 22, 1883, and they have a daughter, Andrea Grace, born November 15, 1884. They live in town (Fresno).
Lucinda Hawkins Carter (January 1, 1856); Born in San Francisco; kept house for her lawyer brother, Robert, in Fresno, met Justin, and they were married September 1882.
Chad Aaron Carter (April 7, 1853); runs the ranch; black hair, blue eyes; married to Ellianna (Ellie) Coulter from the Goldtown series. Chad and Ellie have two children, Susianna (January 1887) and Thomas (April 1890)
Ellianna (Ellie) Coulter Carter (August 14, 1855); Born in a gold camp; one brother, Jem. Mother died when she was six; came to Fresno as an old spinster and eventually marries Chad.
Katherine (Kate) Grace Carter Swanson (February 9, 1855); black hair; blue eyes; married to Troy Swanson, a con man on the run. Three children: Levi (January 21, 1871), Elizabeth (Betsy) (March 12, 1874), and Hannah (July 17, 1877). When Troy was on the run from the law, Katherine moved in with Aunt Rebecca in San Francisco.
Troy Swanson (aka as T.J. Silver) (June 16, 1850); Talked a young Kate Carter into running away with him (she was 15). A con artist, swindler, and all-around bad guy. Brown hair; brown eyes; returns to the Circle C to hunt down his runaway wife and kids; also robs stagecoaches; so far, it’s unclear whether he has been caught after leaving the ranch. No one knows where he is. He eventually turns himself in, serves his time, and is reunited with his family.
Mitchell (Mitch) James Carter (April 30, 1858); blond hair, blue eyes; helps run the ranch; goes to Berkeley (University of California) to learn more about ranching; so far unmarried and not spoken for.
Melinda Jane Carter Wilson (January 12, 1863); blond hair, blue eyes; married to Peter Wilson October 18, 1884; they live in town. Peter works for his father’s bank. They have one son, William John (October 6, 1889).
Peter Wilson (December 24, 1858); brown hair; brown eyes; same age as Mitch; they were best friends growing up; Peter lied to keep from being accused of killing Ben Decker, the town drunk; older brother to the town bully, Johnny; works at the bank; is finally reconciled and tells the truth; marries Melinda
Andrea (Andi) Rose Carter (May 26, 1868); black hair; blue eyes. Her best dream is to help Chad run the Circle C ranch. She married Riley Jared Prescott on June 12, 1886, and the Carter family deeded her “special” spot over to the new couple. Andi and Riley have 3 children. Jared Riley (July 4, 1887), and twin girls, Lillian (Lily) Joy and Charlotte “Lottie” Faith (June 10, 1890).
Riley Prescott (January 18, 1866); Sid McCoy (the foreman’s) nephew; lived on the ranch for over two years when he was ages 8-10; his father, an army captain, was stationed at the Presidio in San Francisco. Riley’s mother was ill, so Uncle Sid took Riley in. When his mother was well enough, she came to the ranch at Christmas one year and stayed a year until she was completely well. Riley’s father was transferred to another fort and the family was reunited. Riley returned to the Circle C as a hired horse trainer (wrangler) when Andi is almost 16. She barely remembered him.
Rebecca Carter (July 7, 1812 – January 11, 1886) is James Carter’s older sister by ten years. Lives in a mansion in San Francisco in the Pacific Heights district. Opened her home to Katherine and the children. Fussy and demanding older woman. She has a heart condition and passed away January 11, 1886.
Benjamin Carter (May 24, 1822) is James Carter’s twin brother. Married to Aunt Lydia. They have one son, Daniel, who is a couple years older than Andi. Daniel is pampered, as he is the only surviving child out of their four children. They live in New York City.
Daniel Paul Carter (November 10, 1865); Andi’s first cousin; blond hair, blue eyes; a Mitch “look-a-like”; the youngest and only surviving child of Benjamin and Lydia (out of four children–Greta, Paul, and Ruth); a charming but spoiled young man, used to running things; has been in serious trouble in New York City and other places; is sent out West for a chance of reforming his character. He returns 5 years later to Memory Creek ranch.
Circle C ranch hands are Sid McCoy, head foreman of the Circle C ranch. Worked for the Carters for twenty years; bossy but big-hearted Jake: blacksmith/farrier; Luke, Brett: ranch hands Cook (Manuel): Circle C’s main cook. Marty: Cook’s assistant and cook-in-training Wyatt: another foreman and longtime Circle C hand. Rodrigo: Mexican harvest foreman in the orchards. Diego: Mexican ranch hand; married to Luisa José: Mexican ranch hand; married to Nila, whom Andi met on the in Long Ride Home. Joselito: young, newer hand; son of José and Nila; brother to Rosa. Flint Hadley: new ranch hand; Andi lassos better than he can.
House servants Luisa: Mexican housekeeper; runs the house and oversees the meals; married to Diego; Nila: under Luisa; married to José; cared for Andi on the road in Long Ride Home. Rosa: helps around the house; promised (and now married) to Hector, a vaquero (cowboy) from the nearby Bent Pine ranch; Rosa and her brother, Joselito, are the two surviving Garduno family members. Three other children perished in Mexico as infants: Pedro, Sarita, and Julio.
Li: the Wilsons’ Chinese house servant; Lin Mei: house servant at Miss Whitaker’s Academy in San Francisco
Friends and Other Characters
Richard Cory Blake (March 1, 1867) blond, gray-blue eyes. Andi’s good friend. One year older. Known since she was six years old and he was seven years old. Likes to horse race and fish. Cory’s father, Sam, runs the livery stable in town. Great friends but Andi has never seriously considered any friendship going further. But in fan stories, you can do what you want and imagine Andi and Cory married. His mother is Mary. He has twin sisters, Amy and Amanda, who are eight years younger than Cory. They are sweet-looking but a couple of holy terrors.
Jack Goodwin (February 9, 1867) black hair; dark eyes. Father owns Goodwin’s Mercantile, a general store in town. Mother died a few years ago (open-ended, not sure how she died).
Johnny Wilson (January 1, 1866): dark hair; hazel eyes. The bane of Andi’s existence since she was 6 years old. Two years older than Andi. The class/town bully. Father is president of the Fresno County Bank (Charles). Mother is Margaret. Older brother, Peter, who marries Melinda. Johnny is sent to military school and comes home partially reformed and much more polite.
Rosa Garduno (April 20, 1867); black hair; dark-brown hair. Speaks only a little English. Andi’s best friend from the age of about 12 until she is 15 and Rosa at 16 marries and leaves the ranch.
Sadie Hollister (May 1, 1868): one of the no-account, backwoods kids who like to cause mischief in town. They on the border of the Circle C ranch and occasionally have disputes with the Carters over land, cattle, etc.
Hollister Kids (Their ages in 1877) Lily 13, Tom 12, Zeke 10, Sadie 9, Joey 7, Mimi 6, Jonah 5, Casey 4, father Vince; they delight in stirring up trouble; Andi is accused of being a Hollister when she runs down the new teacher in the fall of 1880. Lily, the oldest, left home but returned a year later with a baby (Family Secret). Sadie has two children when Andi meets up with her again, Jeffrey and Charlotte.
Felicity Livingston (February 2, 1864) brown hair; brown eyes. Lives on the Lazy L ranch outside the town of Livingston Flats. Father is Randall. Felicity returns with two children (two little boys. The youngest is Jared’s age) and a married last name (Bradford)
Virginia Foster (August 4, 1868): gray eyes; white hair. Teacher’s daughter; can’t ride a horse. Becomes the teacher when Miss Hall retired. Best friends with Patricia Newton.
Marcella (Macy) Walker (April 11, 1869) thin, scraggly; pale-blue eyes, shoulder-length pale hair; becomes the proud owner of Sunny, one of Taffy’s twin colts. Takes the colt back Arkansas to live in the Ozarks with Aunt Hester. Her three outlaw brothers are in prison for cattle rustling: Ty, Jase, and Rudy.
Jennifer (Jenny) Grant (January 16, 1868) red hair; brown eyes; logger’s daughter from Tacoma, Washington Territory; Andi’s roommate at Miss Whitaker’s Academy in San Francisco. Has five brothers: Seth, Caleb, Eli, Micah, and Gideon. They are all older than Jenny except for Gideon, who is a few years younger.
Juan Carlos: Mexican stable hand at Miss Whitaker’s in San Francisco; grandson of a “don” (nobleman) but works like a peón.
Lin Mei: young Chinese girl; black hair; brown eyes; works for Miss Whitaker’s Academy, a girls’ school in San Francisco; currently resides at the Presbyterian mission home on Sacramento Street in Chinatown
Sam Blake: Cory’s father; runs the livery stable in town
Gerald Foster: schoolmaster of the older students in the Fresno Grammar school; strict, no-nonsense but essentially fair
Miss Henrietta Hall: schoolmarm for the younger students in the Fresno Grammar school
Miss Edith Whitaker: proprietor and principal of Miss Whitaker’s Academy on Nob Hill in San Francisco; very strict; brown hair; spectacles
Antagonists, the “bad” guys
Jed Hatton: A supposed murderer, but Justin, his attorney, thinks he’s innocent; takes Andi hostage to use as a shield to get away to Mexico; abandons Andi and takes off; eventually caught, proved guilty, and was sent to San Quentin penitentiary. Eventually escapes with five other inmates and reenters Andi’s life.
Jeffrey Sullivan: an arrogant young man; blond; good-looking and knows it; a former beau of Melinda’s; has no good intentions
Mr. Hunter: groundskeeper and head stableman for the academy in San Francisco
Tyler (Ty), Jason (Jase), and Rudy Walker: Macy’s three rough, cattle-rustling and good-for-nothing older brothers; Rudy is red-haired and the most volatile. Serving time in San Quentin for cattle rustling.
Tomaso Procopio Rodendo: The handsome, intelligent Mexican outlaw who kidnaps Andi, Lucy, and baby Sammy for the purpose of revenge toward Justin for being the prosecutor in his trial many years before. His son, Joaquin, died while he was in prison, so he is determined to take Justin’s son for his own.
Mateo Vega: Procopio’s “side kick” and partner in the mischief going on at the Circle C. While Procopio is well-groomed and a Mexican “gentleman,” (polite and cares for Andi, Lucy, and Sammy), Mateo hates Andi for her gumption and would kill her at the drop of a hat. He almost gets his chance when Andi has her own baby, Jared.
Benita Rodendo: The esposa (wife) of Tomaso (Procopio), for whom the outlaw has brought Sammy Carter as a replacement for their own son, who died of a fever while Procopio was in San Quentin Penitentiary.
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