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 17
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his fruits at the Eldorado county fair and was the recipient of numerous pre- miums. His hopes of success in the new world were surely gratified, for when death claimed him, yet in the prime of life, he was enjoying many of the lux- uries of life and left his family in very comfortable circumstances. He had hosts of friends in the county in which he lived so long, and his best friends were those who knew him longest.
Mr. Tinney was happily married, November 21, 1864, to Miss Mary Linehan, a native of Ireland, born March 5, 1834, whose death preceded his some years, occurring November 13, 1880. They were the parents of two sons and four daughters. The elder son, George, is engaged in the livery business at Auburn, Placer county, California. On January 31, 1900, he mar- ried Miss Mary E. Brady, a native daughter of California, being a resident of San Francisco. Their home has been made brighter by a little son, born February 3, 1901. Elizabeth is the wife of Daniel J. Akın, a farmer living near Granite Hill. Clara is engaged in teaching school; and Hannah, Ellen and John Henry occupy the home place, he having charge of the farming operations, which he has conducted since his father's death, having been reared to the business and being familiar with every phase of fruit culture as conducted in this locality. They are among the representative people of the community and are held in high esteem by all who known them.
CAROLINE ROGERS DEVOE.
The subject of this sketch, who is one of the representative women of California, came to the state in June, 1855. She was born Caroline Cotton in Schoharie county, New York, April 16, 1832, a daughter of Sir John Cotton. The latter was born in Columbia county, New York, January 26, 1788, and his father, the grandfather of Mrs. DeYoe, was a native of Germany, who after living some years in England emigrated to New York, where his descendants were prominent in the Dutch Reformed church. Sir John Cot- ton married Miss Maria Bame, also a native of Columbia county, New York, where they began their married life favorably, and Mr. Cotton lived to be sev- enty-three years old. A lady and gentleman of the highest respectability, they exerted an influence for good upon all with whom they associated during their long and useful lives and were especially helpful to the Dutch Reformed church. Mrs. Cotton, who lived to the advanced age of eighty-four years, bore her husband ten children, and three of their daughters are living, the eldest near Hudson, New York, aged eighty-three years.
Mrs. De Yoe was educated in her native county, finishing her studies at a ladies' seminary at North Chatham. She was married April 7, 1850, to Stephen Rogers, who was born in Saratoga county, New York, August 20, 1822, a son of Platt Rogers, whose pilgrim ancestor landed at Plymouth Rock. In 1853 Mr. Rogers came to California, by way of the isthmus of Panama, pulling a boat up the Chagres river and crossing the land on a mule. He mined half a day and made a "bit," as he was fond of saying, and then
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turned his attention to farming and the Calaveras river near Stockton. After he began to attain a little permanent success he several times asked her to join him, but her parents opposed her making the journey and prevailed upon her to remain with them for a time. At last he sent to her by a friend a letter which led her to override her parents' objections and she came to California, by way of Panama, bringing with her her little son, Stimpson P. Rogers. She visited her parents frequently as long as they lived, making the journey by way of the isthmus five times and later crossing the continent several times by rail.
Mr. Rogers prospered so well that it was not long before they owned one thousand acres of land, on the Calaveras river. He became prominent as a sheep and cattle raiser and gave such careful attention to his stock that in one dry season, when sheep were perishing all around him, he looked after eleven thousand sheep and saved them all. As he prospered he added to his landed possessions, acquiring in addition to the land already mentioned, seventeen hundred and fifty acres in Stanislaus county. He had two good residences on his home ranch and one hundred and ten acres of it was planted in fruit, and he had a vineyard of ten thousand grape-vines. Late in life he moved to Modesto, where he died, in 1888. He took a deep interest in everything pertaining to the welfare of the town, was helpful to the cause of education and was one of the organizers of, and until his death a stock- holder in, the First National Bank of Modesto. In politics he was a stanch Republican, but declined the many offices offered him.
Stimpson P. Rogers, a son of Stephen and Caroline (Cotton) Rogers, became one of the most prominent business men of Stanislaus county and died in his thirty-fifth year, deeply regretted by all who had known him, for his honest, upright character and many lovable traits attracted the friendship of all whom he met. He built the first brick block at Modesto and the first stone sidewalk and was prominently identified with numerous public improvements, and. until his untimely death, was a stockhokdler in and cashier of the First National Bank. His little son and only child. Stephen Roy Rogers, died in the sixth year of his age, leaving his grandmother bereft of all relatives in California, and she erected to the memory of the boy and his father a costly and handsome water fountain at the central point in Modesto.
For six years after the death of her husband. Mrs. Rogers lived a sad and lonely life. April 25, 1894, she married Nathan Emory De Yoe, a furniture merchant and prominent. resident of Modesto, and after their marriage they visited her relatives and his in the east. Mrs. De Yoe has proved herself a true friend to Modesto and has advanced its interests in every way possible. She was prominent in founding the Rogers' Ladies' Library Association, which has a library of nearly one thousand volumes, and to which additions are frequently made. She formerly owned five thousand acres of land on the Coast Range, thirty-two miles east of Modesto, but has sold it and is in receipt of one hundred dollars per month interest on deferred payments on account of it. She has built one of the handsomest residences in the city and her home is widely known as one of refinement and elegant hospitality.
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GEORGE SQUIER.
George Squier, now deceased, was one of the highly esteemed citizens of Dutch Flat who came to California in 1852. He was born in Hamilton, Ohio, on the 24th of January, 1826, and represented a family that was founded in America by English emigrants. In 1836 his father, Samuel Squier, removed to Michigan and became one of the pioneers of that state, and from his tenth year until his removal to California George Squier resided in the Wolverine state. In 1850 he was united in marriage to Miss Rebecca Parker Allen, a native of Ellery, Chautauqua county, New York. Together they crossed the plains to California, in 1852. On the 20th of April of that year they left the Missouri river, arriving at Placerville on the 30th of July. They reached their destination in safety, but Mrs. Squier suffered greatly from mountain fever during the latter part of their perilous journey.
The subject of this review engaged in mining at Placerville for about two years, securing some gold there, after which he went to Chilly Bar, on the American river, where he purchased a claim and followed mining. Subse- quently he engaged in the same pursuit at Kelsey, Eldorado county, and mined on the American river at Euchre Bar. At Pokerville, in that county, he mined for a few months, having a river claim there, but that property did not prove profitable and he removed to Sacramento. In September, 1858, he arrived at Dutch Flat and continued mining for a number of years. Dur- ing the latter part of his life he held the office of watchman at Dutch Flat. His death occurred on the 19th of March, 1898, at the age of seventy-two years and the community in which he resided mourned the loss of one of its valued citizens, for he was a man of the highest integrity of character and true to every trust reposed in him. In politics he cast his first vote for Buchanan, after which he affiliated with the Republican party, and socially he was a charter member of the Order of Red Men, filling all the offices in the local lodge. In 1869 he purchased the home in which his widow and their daughter now reside. It is a pleasant and comfortable residence located on the little flat where the first pioneers of the town took up their abode, and from the number of people of that nationality who lived on the flat the place naturally took its name. This name became dear to the hearts of the older settlers, who had always opposed its change. Mrs. Squier is a most estimable and agreeable lady, a worthy representative of the pioneer women of Califor- nia. Their daughter, Abbie, belongs to the society of the Native Daughters of the Golden West and is the first past president of the parlor at Dutch Flat. She is a successful school-teacher and for eight years has had charge of the primary department at this place. She and her mother are valued mem- bers of the Baptist church, and to the daughter we are indebted for the his- tory of the father. Throughout the pioneer days and through the later period of the development and progress in California Mr. Squier always took a deep interest in the upbuilding and improvement of his state, and as one of the representative citizens of his adopted county he is well worthy of honorable mention in this volume.
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FRANK R. LEEPER.
Frank Robert Leeper is numbered among California's native sons and is now residing at Stockton. He was born at Angel's Camp, May 4, 1865. His father, Robert B. Leeper, was a California pioneer of 1852, and was one of the valued citizens of Angel's Camp. He was born in Cass county, Illi- nois, on the 16th of September, 1836, his parents being Robert and Julia (Runyan ) Leeper, natives of West Virginia and Pennsylvania, respectively. In 1828 they removed to Illinois, becoming pioneer settlers of that state. They located on a farm and made it their home throughout their remaining days. They were members of the Presbyterian church and were people of the highest respectability. They left their property to their son, Robert B. He was reared in the state of his nativity and became a man of broad reading and intelligence. He always kept well informed on topics of interest and the questions of the day and his opinions were the result of mature deliberation and earnest consideration of the questions involved. He came to California in 1852, making the journey across the plains with a government train of one hundred head of cattle. He was then seventeen years of age, full of life, energy and spirits. He relates an incident showing how he exchanged a red flannel shirt with an Indian for a pair of trousers. The shirt had shrunk con- siderably in washing, but the Indian strutted around in it with little else on, to the great amusement of the men in the train.
When Mr. Leeper arrived in Stockton he had a cash capital of fifty cents and this he invested in crackers and cheese. In order to earn a livelihood he engaged in herding cattle for a time, but a little later he might have been found driving a delivery wagon in San Francisco, for Shepherd Brothers, at seventy-five dollars per month. They invited him to invest his wages in town lots, but he declined. Later the stakes which designated the division of the lots were covered with sand and no one could identify the property. Subse- quently Mr. Leeper came to Angel's Camp and engaged in placer-mining. He was afterward the discoverer of the Utica Quartz mine, which he operated for a number of years. In 1884 he sold the property to Charles D. Lane for ten thousand dollars. It became one of the greatest producing mines in Cali- fornia and is still being worked, many men being employed there. Three years after the disposal of the mine, Robert Leeper sold the Jackson mine, which adjoined the other, for eight thousand dollars. His work in those mines and his faith in this section of the country were the two most important elements in the development and growth of Angel's Camp. In 1898 he built a fine brick block in the town, which is still in the possession of the family and is now rented by a large mercantile firm.
Robert B. Leeper was an active member of the Democratic party, doing all in his power to advance its interests. He was a liberal member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and passed all of the chairs in both branches of the fraternity. In business he was active and successful and he contributed liberally of his time, money and influence for the upbuilding of the town and the advancement of its interests. His word was regarded as a
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synonym for everything that is straightforward and honorable, and over his life there falls no shadow of wrong or suspicion of evil. His neighbors and friends had the utmost confidence in him and their trust was never betrayed in the slightest degree. His stanch integrity furnished to his fellow towns- men and to his family an example that is well worthy of emulation, and his memory remains as a benediction to all who know him.
Robert B. Leeper was married in 1863 at Angel's Camp, to Miss Susan B. Stephens, a native of Missouri, who was reared in Racine, Wisconsin. She was the daughter of Christopher Stephens. They had two children, Julia, the wife of Theodore Whitlow, and resides in Angel's Camp; and Frank Robert, of this review. The father departed this life in 1899, dying in the comfortable home which he had built at Angel's Camp, near the Utica mine.
Frank Robert Leeper, who until recently occupied the old home place, was in his boyhood very active and energetic. His neighbors and the older people sometimes accused him of being very "mischievous," for he was full of life; but it has always been found that the men who amount to the most in the world are of that character in youth. Later their energy is turned into channels of usefulness and they become prominent, substantial and reliable citizens. Thus it has been that Mr. Leeper, as he grew to manhood, "put away childish things" and is now spoken of as following closely in the foot- steps of his father, being an honest, enterprising and progressive citizen. He pursued his education in the public schools of Angel's Camp, in the Hop- kins Academy, of Oakland, and was graduated at the Pacific Business College in December, 1891.
On the 3d of February, 1892, Mr. Leeper was united in marriage to Miss Lottie L. Fisher, a native of San Francisco. Unto them were born two children, but one is now deceased. The surviving son is a bright little lad who was born on the 30th of September, 1895, to whom they gave the name of Robert F. The wife and mother also passed away. She was a most lov- able woman, a member of the Second Presbyterian church of San Francisco, and a devoted Christian woman who had many friends. In 1896 Mr. Leeper again married, his second union being with Miss Eunice Ford, of Oakdale, California. This marriage was blessed with one child, named Ford Arthur. October 16, 1900, in San Francisco, Mr. Leeper married Ida E. Howell, of Stockton, and moved to Stockton, where he has his two boys with him.
The business affairs of our subject are of an important character. He owns and operates a five-stamp mill near the Leeper & Bennett mine, and he is now working that mine, which is a satisfactory producer. Like his father, he is a stalwart Democrat and in 1893 he had the honor of being appointed postmaster of Angel's Camp. He at once began the improvement of the office by putting in new lock-boxes and adding many other conveniences. During his incumbency the receipts of the office were greatly increased, and it was raised from an office of the fourth class to one of the third class. Mr. Leeper is widely and favorably known throughout the state, his abili- ties well fitting him for a position of leadership in political, business and social life. The terms progress and patriotism might be considered the keynote of
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his character, for throughout his career he has labored for the improvement of every line of business or public interest with which he has been associated, and at all times has been actuated by a fidelity to his country and her welfare.
JOHN PEREIRA.
The well known California pioneer of 1850 whose name is above is a son of a Portuguse father and mother and was born in Funchal, Madeira, Portu- gal, in 1814, the second in order of birth of a family of eleven children, of whom only himself and two sisters survive. His father's and mother's families have long been well known in Funchal. Mr. Pereira came to the United States in 1838 and afterward learned the shoemaker's trade. Eventually he went to New Orleans, Louisiana, where he worked at his trade until 1849, when he set out for California by way of Panama. Soon after his arrival at San Francisco he went to Sacramento and from there to Marysville. Yuba county. From Marysville he went to Foster's Bar, on the Yuba river, and at first en- gaged in the work of turning the river from its course to facilitate mining in its bed, but was obliged to abandon this labor because working in cold water gave him rheumatism. He mined there successfully, however, for six weeks, in which time he and his comrades took out about eighteen hundred dollars each. But Indians had killed several white men there and threatened another attack, and the miners abandoned their claim and went back to San Francisco. Three months later, yellow fever broke out there and Mr. Pereira was seriously thinking of returning to his native land, when he was induced to buy a stock of goods and engage in trade in Jamestown. He sold his goods on credit, and. the season being very dry and mining poor. he was unable to make collections and was soon without merchandise or capital. He mined on Wood's creek for a time, with poor success, and was taken sick and carried to Jamestown on an improvised stretcher. Upon his recovery. with Dr. Clark as a partner, he bought a team of horses and a wagon and engaged in teaming between Jamestown and Sonora. Later they established a livery stable and a stage line from Sonora to Columbia Hill and other lines to Stent and to other points in Tuolumne and Mariposa counties. In 1857 Mr. Pereira and Dr. Clark dissolved partnership. Mr. Pereira retaining the livery and all other property except the stage line, which in the division went to Dr. Clark.
The historic Fraser river excitement followed. with all its hopes and disappointments, and was instrumental in almost depopulating Jamestown for a time and in ruining its business. Mr. Pereira remained and bought land and became one of the pioneer fruit and grape growers of Tuolumne county, own- ing three hundred and fifty-nine acres and prosecuting the vineyard and wine business vigorously and successfully, making wine some years to the amount of eighteen thousand gallons. He sent his fruit and wine by large wagon loads to all parts of the surrounding country and secured a large and valuable trade, and was one of the foremost in building up Jamestown. He became interested in quartz and gravel mines and now owns valuable mining claims in addition to extensive real-estate hoklings. When the railroad was built
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to Jamestown he gave twenty-five acres to the company for passenger depot grounds and donated one hundred and forty acres for a town site, and for many years he has been active and prominent in constructing and improving roads in all directions from Jamestown. He also built the Jamestown hotel, now known as the Willow hotel, at an expense of six thousand, five hundred dollars. While this enterprise was in progress many of his townsmen believed the hotel was not needed and would not be a success, but no sooner was it opened than it was found inadequate to accommodate its patrons, and it became one of the popular hotels of the town and was a paying investment for Mr. Pereira, who rented it for some time at one hundred dollars a month and eventually sold it for four thousand dollars.
Mr. Pereira is a Democrat, active in party work, but is not personally an office-seeker. He is an Odd Fellow and a Mason, and, popular as he is in fraternal circles, he is no less popular in the business and social world. He was married at New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1846, to Miss Hannah Morgan, a native of Dublin, Ireland, who bore him eight children, of whom six are living, and died in 1871. His second wife was Elizabeth Brown, who died in 1897. His daughter Mary married S. Stoniga. John lives at Jamestown. Sarah married George Miller and lives in San Francisco. Frank lives on his father's ranch, and James and William live at Sonora. The home at Jaines- town in which Mr. Pereira is passing his declining years is a pleasant one, and he is honored by his fellow citizens not only as a pioneer but as a man who has lived a just and upright life, and has been generous in his support of every measure tending to the public good.
SAMUEL B. BURT.
An enumeration of those men of the present generation who have won honor and public recognition for themselves, and at the same time have hon- ored the state to which they belong, would be incomplete were the failure to make prominent reference to the one whose name appears above. A native of New York, Samuel Blane Burt was born in Corning. Steuben county, on the 16th of September, 1828. At an early date in the history of Springfield, Massachusetts, his ancestors, natives of England, located there, the progenitor of the family in the new world being Henry Burt. He took up his abode in Springfield, in 1638, and served as one of the selectmen of the town. Our subject is a representative of the eighth generation of his descendants. The great-grandfather, Benjamin Burt, became one of the pioneers of Orange county, New York, where occurred the birth of Belden Burt, the grandfather. Benjamin Burt, our subject's father, was also born in that county, and when he had reached man's estate he married Miss Dorcas Ackerson, a native of that locality and a descendant of one of the prominent Knickerbocker families of the Empire state. They were Baptists in religious faith and were indus- trious farming people. They became the parents of eleven children, only four of whom now survive. Both the father and mother died in their seventy-
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eighth year. Belden Burt, their eldest surviving child, now resides in River- side, California.
Samuel B. Burt, the next of the family, was educated in Alfred College, near Allegany, New York. During his youth he remained on his father's farm assisting in the work of field and meadow with the exception of the time passed in school. At the age of seventeen he began teaching and fol- lowed that profession for three years ere his emigration to California. The year 1850 witnessed his arrival on the Pacific coast. He sailed from New York on the steamship Georgia and after traveling on foot across the isthmus of Panama he took passage on the steamship Columbus, bound for San Fran- cisco. On the 7th of June he arrived at the Golden Gate and thence made his way to the Sacramento river, and by steamer to the city of Sacramento, going afterward to Salmon Falls, in Eldorado county, with a company of twenty who had a claim in the river bed. There he engaged in placer-mining for about a month and by the Ist of October had taken out one thousand dol- lars, his companions being equally successful. He then came to Placer county and located a mining claim seven miles below the town of Auburn, near where the Loomis is now mined. There he engaged in a search for the precious metal for a short time with fair success, after which he joined others in the building of a sawmill and began the manufacture of lumber, which at that time was worth two hundred and fifty dollars per thousand feet. The enterprise had hardly been started, however, before the price dropped to twenty-five dollars. Mr. Burt continued the operation of his mill for eight years and then went to Bath, where he engaged in merchandising for fourteen years. On the expi- ration of that period his building and its contents were destroyed by fire, the loss amounting to twenty thousand dollars. After this disaster he turned his attention to quartz-mining at Bath, but the new venture proved unprofitable, although he is still the owner of the mine, which has since produced about one hundred thousand dollars.
Mr. Burt's fellow citizens, recognizing his worth and ability, called him to public office and he was elected a member of the board of supervisors of Placer county. His course there was so commendable that in 1873 he was elected a member of the state assembly, and was later chosen to represent his district in the state constitutional convention, where he assisted in formulating the present organic law of California. Subsequently he was chosen by popular suffrage for the office of state senator, in which capacity he served two years, ably representing his district. An incident worthy of mention in connection with his election is that he made no canvass for the office and did not spend one dollar in treating .- something unusual in California. As a legislator he gave close and earnest study to every ques- tion which came up for consideration, and when his mature judgment sanc- tioned a measure he earnestly labored for its adoption.
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