USA > California > A Volume of memoirs and genealogy of representative citizens of northern California, including biographies of many of those who have passed away > Part 101
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John Hoesch, whose name introduces this review, resided in his native city of Louisville until 1859 when he came to California and took up his residence in Marysville. In 1861 he became a student in Santa Clara Col-
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lege, which in those days was a leading institution of learning in the state. There he continued his studies until the summer of 1865 when he returned to Marysville and engaged in the drug business, conducting a store that his father had purchased for him. After five years he sold the property and accepted a position in the United States land office, also, in addition to his duties there, acted as city editor of the Marysville Appeal, occupying that position until the summer of 1875, when on account of illness he removed to San Francisco. There he engaged in the money brokerage business until 1880, when, through the influence of Governor George C. Perkins, he was ap- pointed secretary of the board of health of San Francisco, continuing during the governor's administration.
On his retirement from office he formed a business connection with the Merchants' Exchange Association, remaining there for a short time, after which he became an insurance agent and also did fraternal society writ- ing for the San Francisco Chronicle. His time was devoted to the duties of those positions until after the election of Governor Waterman, when he was once more appointed secretary of the board of health and remained in that office until the election of Governor Markham, during whose adminis- tration he also served for about a year. He was then appointed financial expert of San Francisco, by Mayor L. R. Ellert, and filled that position until removal by a Democratic administration. Subsequently he was several times appointed the expert of the grand jury and held the position as outside deputy, for John D. Liebe, during his term as assessor of San Francisco. In 1898 he filled the position in the county clerk's office at that place, and is now acceptably serving as deputy secretary of state in Sacramento.
On the 2d of November, 1872, Mr. Hoesch was united in marriage to Kate Sinclair, and they now have three daughters, Mary, Josephine and Louise. Mr. Hoesch is a member of the Ancient Order of United Work- men, the Maccabees and the National Union, and was recorder of Mag- nolia Lodge. A. O. C. W., for over twenty years and chairman of the grand lodge of that order for ten years. He cast his first presidential vote for U. S. Grant and has never wavered in his allegiance to the Republican party. Where to find him on party or public questions is never a problem : he will be where a loyal citizen, with a keen sense of justice and the best interests of government and the social organizations ought to be, and back of this constancy of elevated purpose he throws all of his magnificent energy and the force of his intellectuality.
CYRUS H. HUBBARD.
During his long residence in California Colonel Cyrus llayden Hub- bard has been prominently connected with the business, military and political interests of the state, and in all life's relations has ever commanded the respect and confidence which in every land and every clime is given to men of genuine worth and ability. His record of loyalty upon the battlefields of the south is equaled by that of reliability in commrecial transactions, and
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upon the pages of the history of Sacramento county he well deserves hon- orable mention.
Mr. Hubbard was born in Poland, Mahoning county, Ohio, February 22. 1841, and is a representative of one of the most prominent families of the United States. Fortunate is the man who has back of him an honorable ancestry, and happy is he if his lines of life are cast in harmony therewith. Colonel Hubbard is a worthy scion of his race and well may he be proud of his lineage. Centuries ago the old Greek philosopher Thucydides said : "Both justice and decency require that we should bestow on our forefathers an honorable remembrance." The ancestry of Colonel Hubbard can be traced back one thousand years to the old Norse king Hubba. In England the Hub- bard family has long been very prominent. John Gillebrand Hubbard was for many years a director-general of the Bank of England. The Hobards, Hobarts and Hubbards are all descended from the same ancestry. In 1595 George Hubbard crossed the Atlantic to America and established a home in the new world. Our subject is of the eighth generation in direct descent from him. In the various important and honorable walks of life representatives of the name have figured prominently, and the family has been especially hon- ored in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts and Virginia, where its rep- resentatives have held very important positions. Three of the early governors of Connecticut were Hubbards, while the chair of the chief executive of Maine has twice been occupied by those of the name, and once in Vermont. Virginia and Minnesota a Hubbard has occupied the position of governor of the state. During the Revolutionary war they manifested marked valor upon the field of battle and several of the name were high in command in the Colonial army. Henry Hubbard, father of our subject, was a merchant by occupation and engaged in the manufacture and sale of hardware and stoves. He married Eliza Ann Robinson, who belonged to a family of no less prominence in Kentucky than his own.
Their son, Cyrus H. Hubbard, was educated in the common schools of Poland, Ohio, and in the Methodist Academy of that place, but put aside his text books at an early age in order to assist his father. His youth was passed in the manner usual to most boys of the period, his time being devoted to play and work. In the events of the day he manifested a hearty interest. which is always shown in a wide-awake and growing boy, and thus the years of his life passed until the inauguration of the Civil war, when, fired by the spirit of patriotism, he responded to the country's call for troops, enlisting in June, 1861, as a member of Company E. Twenty-third Ohio Infantry. He served throughout the entire struggle between the two sections of the country, was several times promoted, and in August, 1865. was honorably discharged with the rank of quartermaster of his regiment. He was with his command either as a private soldier or officer in all of its important engage- ments. The Twenty-third Ohio Infantry was one of considerable import- ance, being numbered among the famous four hundred "fighting regiments." It has furnished to the Union eminent statesmen and business men, including both Presidents Hayes and Mckinley, and others who wore the blue in the
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Twenty-third Ohio have won fame in the council chambers of the nation. Colonel Hubbard participated in many hard fought engagements, including the battles of Giles Courthouse, South Mountain, Antietam, Buffington Island, Cloyd's Mountain, Lynchburg. Cabletown, Kerrtown, Winchester, Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek and many skirmishes. He was captured at the battle of Kerrtown, July 24, 1865, and after being held a prisoner for about thirty days he succeeded in making his escape. He returned home with an hon- orable military record, for on the field of battle he displayed marked loyalty and bravery.
Having no business connection in the east Colonel Hubbard determined to seek at once a home in California, and traveling by the way of the isthmus of Panama reached San Francisco in October, 1865. Soon he secured a position as barkeeper with the firm of Holbrook & Merrill, and not long afterward was offered and accepted a position with the firm of Baker & Ham- ilton, with whom he remained for twenty-seven years as manager of their important business, which under his direction grew from a small beginning to an immense concern, becoming one of the largest in its line in the state. His reliability, capable service and fidelity to his employer's interests are indicated in unmistakable terms by his long connection with the house. For many years he has been connected with the hardware business and with fruit-growing in Chico, Butte county, where he now spends most of his time, and his keen discernment and sound judgment in business affairs are mani- fest in his capable control of his horticultural enterprise."
On the 3d of February, 1869. Colonel Hubbard was united in marriage to Paulena A. Smith, daughter of Sydney Smith. She died December 5, 1871, and the Colonel was again married December 24, 1876, his second union being with Mary Blanche Cushman, daughter of M. S. Cushman. They now have two children,-Muriel, born in December, 1878; and Hazel, born in February. 1882.
In politics Colonel Hubbard has always been an ardent Republican, believ- ing firmly in the principles of the party of his choice. He is not, however, a biased person who is willing to accept unscruptilous measures or to sup- port corrupt men in office, for he believes that a public office is a public trust and that the utmost honesty and fidelity should be manifest on the part of those who are thus raised to official honors. This belief was manifest in his own official career after he was elected mayor of San Francisco for a two- years term. His administration was business-like, honest and progressive. and under his leadership many needed reforms and improvements were secured. His interest in military affairs has never abated, and with a sol- dier's love of the life he is still thrilled by the beat of a drum and the music of the fife. While residing in Sacramento he was for thirteen years con- nected with the national court of California, and through a considerable period was a staff officer. For eight years or more he served as adjutant general of the brigade. He has been a prominent member of the Grand AArmy of the Republic through a long period and is also a valued representative of the Loyal Legion. For almost a third of a century he has been a Master
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Mason in good standing, and now holds membership with Tehama Lodge. No. 3, F. & A. M., and Sacramento Chapter, R. A. M. Although not a church member, his sympathy is with the Methodist church, in which he was rcared. In the various relations of life he has ever been true to the prin- ciples of right, justice and honor, and his many friends in Sacramento county esteem him highly for his sterling worth.
GEORGE HAGAR.
Holding marked prestige among the prominent business men of Colusa county is Colonel George Hagar. There are few men whose lives are crowned with the honor and respect which is uniformly accorded him, and through more than fifty years' connection with the west his has been an unblemished career. With him success in life has been reached by sterling qualities of mind and a heart true to every manly principle. In his varied business interests his reputation has been unassailable, and to his duties of citizenship he has always displayed a loyalty that has classed him among the valued residents of the commonwealth. He has passed the eightieth milestone marking earth's pil- grimage but is still connected with the active concerns of life, being the well known president of the Colusa County Bank, of Colusa, which position he has occupied since 1876.
Colonel Hagar is a native of Massachusetts, his birth having occurred in Lincoln on the 17th of February, 1820. His boyhood days were spent upon a farm, but not wishing to carry on agricultural pursuits as a life work he entered mercantile circles, and at the age of sixteen secured a clerkship in a general store in Keene, New Hampshire, where he remained for several years. Later he engaged in merchandising on his own account. He was one of the first residents of the old Granite state to be attracted to California as the result of the gold discovery on the Pacific slope. Believing that it would prove an advantageous field of labor even if he did not find wealth in the mines, he left his home and took passage on a sailing vessel which rounded Cape Horn and proceeded up the Pacific coast, arriving in San Francisco after a voyage of six months. He at once made his way to the mines, going first to Big Bar, where he studied the working of the sluices and made him- self familiar with mining operations. Two months, however, served to con- vince him that the pursuit was not one which he wished to follow and he made his way to Stockton, where he conducted a general store for four years. In 1852 he came to Colusa and with others purchased the Jimeno grant. In 1860 he became a permanent resident of Colusa and has since been actively identified with the business interests, his efforts contributing largely to the material prosperity of the town. He became one of the charter members of the Colusa County Bank in 1876, and throughout its existence he has been its president. His thorough knowledge of the banking business. the safe, conservative policy which he has followed and his capable management have made the institution one of the most reliable and prosperous in this section of the state.
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In 1867 Mr. Hagar was united in marriage to Miss Sarah E. Winship, of Colusa, and they have one daughter, Alice W., who is now married. Theirs is one of the most palatial homes in Colusa, both its external and internal appearance being such as to please the most fastidious taste, while its hos- pitality charms all who pass through its portals. In early life, while a resi- dent of New Hampshire, he served as a member of the state militia, and thus won his title of colonel. In politics he has been a stanch Republican since the organization of the party, believing firmly in its principles, for it has ever stood as the champion of reform, progress and advancement. He is now an honored member of the Pacific Union Club of Pioneers, of San Francisco, and well does he deserve a place in the ranks of the organization. for he was one of the first to come to the Golden state after the discovery of the precious metal had been made. Prior to that time California practically rested under Spanish conditions, making little progress, but from all sections of the country there came good, enterprising men, chief among whom were the emigrants from New England, whose ingenuity, energy and unfailing perseverance enabled them to accomplish a great work in laying the founda- tion for the state and building thereon a substantial structure. He takes just pride in what has been done, for the works of man have vied with those of nature in making California one of the most wonderful as well as one of the most progressive states of the Union.
JAMES C. FORD, M. D.
Dr. Ford's standing as a citizen is indicated by the office which he is now filling,-that of president of the board of trustees of the city of Rocklin, Placer county. That he is a capable physician and prominent business man is a fact also widely recognized. He is a native of Missouri, his birth hav- ing occurred on the 11th of March, 1838. From Ireland came his ancestors. who were early settlers of the state of Virginia. His grandfather, Hezekiah Ford, being the progenitor of the family in the Old Dominion. William C. Ford, the Doctor's father, was born in that state and was married there to Miss Martha Epperson, a native of Virginia, descended from one of the old families of that commonwealth. They removed to Missouri and spent the remainder of their days in that state, the father following the trade of the wheelwright. They were respected and valued members of the Baptist church and enjoyed the high regard of all with whom they came in contact by rea- son of their many excellent characteristics. The mother passed away in the forty-eighth year of her age, but the father attained the age of seventy-nine years. They were the parents of twelve children, eight of whom grew to years of maturity, while five are still living.
The Doctor was educated in St. Louis Medical College, of St. Louis. Missouri, in which institution he was graduated in the class of 1859. He began the practice of his chosen profession in the southwestern portion of his native state, but later returned to his old home in Montgomery county, where he practiced medicine for twenty-two years, having a large patronage. In
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1888 he removed to California, hoping that a change of climate would prove beneficial to the health of a beloved daughter. After arriving in Rocklin he resumed the practice of medicine and soon secured a large and constantly growing business. Soon he demonstrated his skill to successfully cope with the intricate problems that continually confront the physician. He has gained a wide acquaintance in this portion of the county and since establishing his home in Rocklin he has been actively identified with its interests and is recognized as a liberal and progressive resident, doing all in his power to pro- mote the growth and well-being of his town. His devotion to the public good has been recognized by his fellow citizens and the esteem in which he is universally held is indicated by the fact that in 1900 he was accorded the honor of being chosen president of the board of trustees of his town. The Doctor is also one of the successful and enterprising business men of Rock- lin. He and his brother-in-law, Frank Tull, are the owners of a large gen- eral mercantile store and drug business in Rocklin, but the Doctor gives his attention principally to the practice of medicine. He is devoted to the pro- fession on account of his love of scientific research and more on account of his deep and sincere interest in humanity, and he always responds to a call whether it comes from rich or poor and is enjoying the highest esteem of the families who call for his professional skill.
In 1867 was celebrated the marriage of Dr. Ford and Miss Ellen M. Tull. a native of Ohio. Three children have been born to them, of whom two are living: Jessie, who is now the wife of F. J. Metzgar and resides in Rocklin ; and Harry T., who is now in school. The Doctor is a member of the Masonic fraternity, having been identified with the lodge since 1860. He takes an active part in the work of the order, is a past master of his lodge and belongs to the chapter of the Royal Arch Masons. In politics he has been a life-long Democrat. His worth as a man and citizen are widely rec- ognized and Rocklin counts him among its valued representatives. His efforts have contributed in no small degree to the upbuilding, progress and sub- stantial advancement of the community during his residence in California.
PETER J. SHIELDS.
Peter J. Shields is a representative of one of the most prominent families in California and his own record has added luster to the history of those who bear the name in Sacramento. His father, John Shields, who for many years was one of the most prominent fruit-growers of central California, was born in Ireland April 26, 1835. a son of Patrick and Mary Shields. In 1843 the family came to the United States, settling in Kendall county, Illinois, where Patrick Shields, a farmer by occupation, devoted his energies to the cultivation of his fields until November, 1856, when his life's labors were ended in death, he being then sixty-five years of age. His wife survived him for several years, but has now passed away. They were the owners of a valuable farm in Kendall county, comprising two hundred and ten acres of land, and on an extensive scale the father carried on stock raising. In his family were three
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sons, Frederick, John and Dennis, the eldest and youngest being now resi- dents of Minnesota.
John Shields, the second of that family and the father of our subject, spent the days of his boyhood and youth in his parents' home. He was only eight years of age at the time of the emigration of the family to the new world. He resided in Illinois until he had attained his majority and then determined to seek a home in California, whither he made his way by the New York and Panama route, leaving Illinois on the 4th of May, 1866, and arriving in San Francisco on the 14th of June. In the employ of another he operated a threshing machine for three months through all the valley from San Pablo to San Lorenzo. Thus he earned the first money he ever made in the Golden state. Subsequently he engaged in mining on the American river, working for three dollars per day for eight or ten months, after which he purchased a squatter's title to a ranch in Brighton township, Sacramento county. It was a tract of three hundred and twenty-four acres, covered with brush and timber, and with characteristic energy he began to clear the land and prepare it for the plow, placing fifteen acres under cultivation the first season. All of the improvements upon that place he has made himself and the highly cultivated ranch is a monument to his enterprise and indefatigable labor. He extended its boundaries in 1879 by an additional purchase of one hundred acres. He is one of the extensive fruit-growers and shippers in this part of California. About 1877 he began planting fruit trees and now has an orchard of more than one hundred acres planted to peaches, pears, plums, French prunes and other fruits capable of shipment. He also has a vine- yard of twenty acres, and his knowledge of horticulture enables him to pros- echte his work in a way to bring to him a handsome return. The place is on the old Coloma road, thirteen miles from San Francisco, bordering the American river, which bounds the ranch on the north. Mr. Shields has indeed been successful in his chosen calling and his opinions on fruit-growing are regarded as authority in this part of the country. He is a well-known representative of this industry, which is one of the chief sources of wealth to the state, and through his diligence and perseverance in business le has accumulated a handsome competence.
On the 18th of November. 1859. Mr. Shields was united in marriage to Mrs. Elizabeth ( Bow) Lynch, a native of Ireland, who came to California in 1855. Seven children have been born of this marriage: Mary, wife of Charles Deterding: Lizzie A., wife of M. C. Pike: Alice; Hannah, who is an accomplished musician, displaying particular talent in both instrumental and vocal music: Emily: Peter J .; and Robert F. Mrs. Shields is a lady of culture and refinement, widely known throughout the entire state.
Peter J. Shields, whose name introduces this record, was born in Sacra- mento county at the family homestead. His education was acquired in the public schools and in private institutions, and with a broad and thorough literary knowledge to serve as a foundation on which to rear the superstructure of professional learning he began the study of law and in course of time was admitted to the bar. Opening an office in Sacramento he has since been 51
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numbered among its leading practitioners, having gained a position of dis- tinction in connection with the legal fraternity. He is a man of strong mentality, keen discrimination and splendid analytical powers, and in the trial of his cases no detail escapes him, while at the same time he gives due prominence to the important points upon which the decision of every case finally turns. Well fitted for leadership he exercises a strong influence on public thought and opinion. Capable of filling important positions he was called to serve as secretary of the state board of agriculture and made for himself a record for integrity and ability unequaled by any predecessor. The success of the state exposition was in no small measure due to his efforts. Alert, wide-awake, progressive and enterprising, he is very prominent as a leader of public movements and at the same time he possesses those social qualities which render him a favorite in social circles and make him a popular resident of the capital city.
JOHN H. BATCHER.
John H. Batcher is one of the pioneer merchants of Sacramento, having in early days established a grocery store in this city. Throughout the inter- vening years he has been actively connected with the mercantile interests of this place and his well-directed efforts, guided by sound judgment and prac- tical common sense, have brought to him desirable financial returns. Mr. Batcher is a native of Germany, his birth having occurred in Bremen on the 24th of December. 1831. His father, John Batcher, was also a native of that country, and died there when about seventy-one years of age. He served as burgomaster of his town, and was a leading and influential citizen. His wife, who bore the name of Margaret Meyer, died in Germany, at the age of sixty-five years.
The subject of this review pursued his education in his native town and when twenty years of age entered the German army, serving for a year. After he had attained his majority he determined to seek a home and fortune in the United States and sailed from Bremen. After forty-two days spent upon the broad Atlantic he landed in New York, where for two years he occupied a position as clerk in a grocery store, but gold had been discovered in California and he believed the rapidly developing state afforded better advantages to those who wished for quick advancement in business life. Accordingly, in the spring of 1855. he started for California, by way of the isthmus, and after reaching Sacramento he secured a clerkship in a grocery store. Two years later he bought out his employer and carried on business on the same block until his retirement. while the city grew up around him. extending out in every direction. His honorable dealing and courteous treat- ment of his patrons secured for him a liberal patronage from the beginning. and his large and growing trade brought to him an excellent income. In 1876 he sold the store, having in the meantime derived an excellent income from his active operations in mercantile circles. He has also made judicious investments in real estate and is the owner of extensive ranches. He has no
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