This is sort of weird and probably only for collectors. This great tree was most likely planted in the 40's or later but has survived all these years. Yet, unnamed and unique, this variety, possibly a seedling, is small, buttery, juicy and flavorful, like a russeted Seckle. Sometimes they are mealy. The strong russeting weaves across the thickish skin and contributes to its somewhat grainy texture. Some people believe that the russeted varieties have some of the best flavor, and this seems to be true with this pear. The Colfax Russet also has a unique physical characteristic in that the fruit blends into the stem and the stem blends right into the branch without much physical delineation. The tree grows slowly and is most likely not a heavy producer. For the lover of the unique and unusual.

Illinoistown was renamed Colfax in honor of the 17th US Vice President Schuyler Colfax, Jr. who had visited this bustling town during the construction of the First Continental Railroad around 1865. Colfax was located in the pear belt and was famous for Bartlett pears. Many people here planted orchards and were easily able to load up their produce directly onto the transcontinental railroad. The dreaded fire blight became a real nuisance by 1900 and many of the orchards all over California were progressively wiped out. There are still some strong survivors in these mountains but the fire blight still rips through here regularly.