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 63
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He then engaged in mining in the gulch and became associated in busi- ness with a John Hoffman, who though of the same surname was not a relative. They spent the winter together and in the spring purchased a number of cattle, which they took to Grass Valley, erecting there a little butcher shop. Our subject then slaughtered the cattle, selling the beef for thirty-five cents a pound. After a few months, however, prices greatly de- preciated there, and with William Barker and Tom Bryne he went to Mission house, six miles above Auburn, where five hundred men were engaged in building a canal. There he followed the butchering business, securing twenty- five cents per pound for his beef. When the work on the canal was almost completed he and his companions proceeded to the Mokelumine river, where he secured a claim of one hundred and sixty acres of bottom lan:l. They cut hay on the Mokelumne Hill, and soon afterward Mr. Hodges and Mr. Bryne built a log stable and corral and engaged in the livery business. In the spring Mr. Bryne returned to the ranch and Mr. Hoffman began mining on Mokelumne Hill, taking out from eight to ten dollars per day, and on one occasion securing fifty-two dollars in a single day. In connection with his partner he planted barley. wheat and vegetables upon the ranch and the same spring cut about sixty-five tons of wild oats.
On the Ist of June. 1852. they came to Jackson and purchased a lot opposite the present site of the Globe Hotel, where they embarked in the livery business. They built the stable of shakes which they split in the motin- tains, the building being twenty-eight by forty feet, with a corral in the
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rear. They hauled their hay to the town, and in the conduct of their business met with good success. In 1854 Mr. Hoffman purchased a lot on Main street, on which a brick stable is now located, paying one thousand dollars for it. He built a two-story frame structure on the place, and there conducted a livery in connection with his partner until the following year, when the busi- ness relation was dissolved. Mr. Hoffman retaining the ownership of the stable and his partner securing the ranch for his share of the property. Subsequently the stable was destroyed by fire and a large amount of hay also was lost. In 1860 he bought the brick stable built by Judge A. C. Brown, the purchase price being thirty-five hundred dollars. He afterward purchased the lot and frame house above it and made a livery barn forty feet wide and one hundred feet in length, with a large yard in the rear. He successfully conducted the business until 1885, when he sold out, having in the meantime accumulated a comfortable competence.
In 1859 Mr. Hoffman had purchased the forty acres of land upon which he now resides,-the tract adjoining the town-site of Jackson. Since then he has added to the property until he now has two hundred acres, the place being improved with large barns and a fine residence. He has also erected a number of other good dwellings and from his property investments derives a good income. He also has various mining interests and has met with creditable success in his business affairs during the greater part of his life. This has resulted from industry, economy, capable management and sound judgment.
In 1862 Mr. Hoffman was united in marriage to Miss Christina Clamm. a native of Germany, born March 2, 1836, and was a daughter of Colonel Frederick and Calina ( Bauman) Clamm, both natives of Rheigonheim, Ger- many. They are members of the Methodist church and take an active in- terest in its work and upbuilding. Mr. Hoffman has been a lifelong Republi- can. casting his first presidential vote for John C. Fremont. He belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and has filled all the offices in both branches of the organization. The story of pioneer life in the west is familiar to him, and he has experienced many of the hardships and trials borne by a brave band of frontier settlers who came to California when the state was in its primitive period and the work of civilization had hardly been begun. He has ever been true to the duties devolving upon him, as is ex- emplified in his life and honorable business methods, and thus has he won and retained the confidence and respect of his fellow men.
NILS L. KNUDSEN.
The German element in our national civilization is an important one. The citizens who have come to America from the fatherland possess in a large measure the power of assimilation that enables them to adopt the man- ners and customs, as well as the language, of the people in the new world. They are industrious, conduct business interests on broad principles and at- tain success as easily as any other class. Mr. Knudsen is by no means an
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exception to the rule. He belongs rather to the large majority whose pro- gressive and intelligent industry is having an influence more and more marked on our general prosperity as we enter upon the new century.
Mr. Knudsen was born in Germany on the 18th of September, 1854, his parents being Nils and Anna Maria ( Thygesdatter ) Knudsen, both of whom were natives of Germany. The father was a prominent business man in his locality and was a very highly respected citizen. In religious faith he was a Protestant. In the family of Mr. and Mrs. Knudsen were seven children, five of whom are living. The subject of this review is now the only one in California. He acquired an excellent education in his native land, in- cluding the mastery of several languages. Subsequently he traveled in differ- ent parts of the world, thus gaining a comprehensive knowledge of men and customs in other countries. He was also practically trained in different lines of work and was taught to have a regard for the opinions and feelings of others and entertain respect for those older than himself. Thus an excellent character foundation was laid, while his education prepared him for life's practical and responsible duties.
In 1877 he came to America, bringing with him considerable capital with which his father had provided him in order to enable him to gain a good start in the new world. He arrived in Chicago, traveled all over the country and in 1887 took up his abode in Los Angeles, California. He was for some time in San Francisco and Sacramento, and also resided in Amador county. After coming to Tuolumne county he served for four years as a bookkeeper for the Rawhide Mining Company. In 1895 he purchased a lumber business in Sonora from George W. Hale, and also became the owner of a sawmill. He at once began to make improvements in the plant and from the beginning of his connection with the enterprise his trade has steadily increased in volume and importance. He engages both in the manufacture and sale of lumber and is at the head of one of the leading industries of the state. In his yards he keeps a large supply of all kinds of lumber, and he also deals in grain. Among his buildings are good offices and store rooms, and he has an ex- tensive planing-mill supplied with all the needed machinery for prosecuting his work in a first-class manner. There is also a well equipped blacksmith shop, containing an apparatus in which refractory horses can be easily shod. Sixty-two horses are utilized in hauling the lumber from his mill and he employs fifty skilled workmen. He employs only experts and pays to them good wages, thus commanding the best service. His mill has a capacity of twenty-five thousand feet of lumber per day, and, on account of the excellency of its quality, his reasonable prices and his honorable dealings, he has se- cured a very liberal and constantly growing patronage. On his grounds are also large stables and corrals for the shelter and protection of his horses, both at the mill and in Sonora. He is a man of excellent business ability and executive force, and his practical knowledge of the best methods of the manufacture of lumber enables him capably to direct the efforts of the work men and thus secure excellent results.
Socially Mr. Knudsen is an active and valued member of the Masonic
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fraternity, belonging to the blue lodge, chapter, council and commandery. He has served as the senior warden in the blue lodge and junior warden in the commandery, and has been Royal Arch captain in the chapter. In politics he is a stanch Republican, and in 1900 was elected a member of the board of trustees of Sonora, where his efforts toward the upbuilding and improve- ment of the city are very efficient. He was married January 17, 1894. to Miss Olive Sarah Hale, a daughter of George W. Hale, the former owner of the lumber and sawmill business, of which Mr. Knudsen is now the head. They have a large and beautiful residence in Sonora and their home is blessed with the presence of two little children,-Hale and Anna Maria. Their home is celebrated for its charming hospitality, which is widely extended to their many friends. They are popular people, of sterling worth, and enjoy the warm regard of all with whom they have been brought in contact. The record of Mr. Knudsen is that of a man who has, by his own efforts, worked his way upward to a position of affluence, whose life has been one of industry, perseverance and systematic and honorable business methods; and this, to- gether with his diligence and ability, has won him the patronage and con- fidence of many. He is now numbered among the most prominent and in- fluential men of this portion of the state, and his native genius, keen discern- ment and unfaltering application are the stepping-stones on which he has mounted.
ALEXANDER M. GALL.
The inevitable law of destiny accords to tireless energy and industry a successful career, and in no field of endeavor is there greater opportunity for advancement than in that of the medical profession, whose votaries must, if successful, be endowed with native talent, sterling rectitude of character and singleness of purpose, while equally important concomitants are close study. careful application and broad knowledge, in addition to that of the more purely technical order. Dr. Gall has won distinction in his profession, result- ing from his possession of those necessary qualifications, and is one of the most successful practitioners of Jackson.
A native of Aberdeen, Scotland, he was born March 30. 1866, and in 1869. when only three years of age, was brought to California by his parents. His Scotch ancestry extends back to one of the noted Highland clans. His father. George Gall, was born in the parish of Reign, near Aberdeen, and was a respected farmer there. He married Miss Isabella Marshall, and in the land of hills and heather they became the parents of five children. In 1860 they started for New York, on a westward bound steamer, and from the American metropolis made their way to California, locating first at Stock- ton, where the father engaged in merchandising. continuing there to make his home until May. 1808, when he was called to his final rest. at the age of sixty six. His wife had departed this life in 1873. Four of their chil- dren, two sons and two daughters, yet survive them.
Dr. Gall was educated in the schools of Stockton, graduating at the high
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school in 1886. He subsequently engaged in teaching for five years, and then, with the desire to make the practice of medicine his life work, entered the California State Medical College, now the medical department of the State University, in which he was graduated with the degree of M. D., in 1893. He began his practice in connection with Dr. Hudson, his former preceptor, and soon afterward came to Jackson, where he has met with ex- cellent success both as a physician and surgeon. He has a comprehensive knowledge of the principles of medical science, and is particularly well in- formed concerning surgery and his operations have been very successful. This has gained him marked prestige in his chosen calling, and his skill and ability have won for him a liberal and constantly increasing patronage.
On the 8th of August, 1896, the Doctor was united in marriage to Miss Elsie Blanche Robertson, a native of San Andreas, California, and a daughter of the late Dr. E. B. Robertson, of Jackson. Dr. Gall and his wife have a host of warm friends in this city where he has so long resided and where he has attained marked prominence in his profession. He is a member of both the blue lodge and chapter of the Masonic fraternity and belongs to the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows and the Knights of Pythias lodge. A young man of marked energy, enterprise and laudable ambition, his career will be one of continued progress and marked success. His public and private life are above reproach and have gained him the confidence and good will of all with whom he has come in contact.
WILLIAM F. WILDMAN.
The popular agent of the Southern Pacific Railroad Company at Auburn is William Francis Wildman, who is numbered among the native sons of California and is a citizen of whom the state has every reason to be proud, for he is true to every public duty, and in private life commands the respect and esteem of his fellow men. His standing in Auburn is indicated by the fact that he is now serving as one of her trustees, called to that office by popular suffrage.
He was born in Sutter Creek, Amador county, on the 27th of June. 1856. His father, W. T. Wildman, was a native of Danbury, Connecticut, and when he arrived at the years of maturity he married Miss Julia Campbell, a native of Rochester. Vermont. In 1850 he came to California, making the trip by way of the isthmus of Panama, and on reaching San Francisco they proceeded up the river to Sacramento and thence to Sutter Creek, where the father engaged in merchandising during the most of his time until his death, which occurred in October. 1898, when he had attained the age of seventy-four years.
.At the time of the Civil war he strongly espoused the cause of the Union. believing that the south had no right to sever its allegiance to the national government. He joined the ranks of the Republican party, believing its prin- ciples contained the measures that would best promote the welfare of the country. He voted for President Lincoln when it required great personal cour-
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age to announce me - self as a Republican in this locality. He was, however. brave and fearless in the support of his convictions and was a noble and worthy pioneer of California. Ilis estimable wife still survives him and is now, 1900, in the seventy-third year of her age. Hers has been an upright life and this has gained for her the esteem of all who know her. Mr. and Mrs. Wildman were the parents of four children, our subject and three daughters. Of this number. Adelaide died in the fifteenth year of her age ; Helena is now the wife of W. J. McGee, of Jackson, Amador county, an at- torney of that city: and Mary is the wife of J. N. Kirkland, a resident of Alameda, California.
In the public schools of Sutter Creek William F. Willman acquired his early education, which was supplemented by a three-years course in the col- lege at Napa. After putting aside his text-books he began railroading, at Benicia, in 1883. and was employed in different cities until 1886, when he was appointed to his present position as the agent for the Southern Pacific Railroad Company at Auburn. For fourteen years he has capably filled this position to the entire satisfaction of the corporation and to the patrons of the road. Ile is a capable business man, always courteous and obliging and has become very popular among those who have occasion to travel to or from Auburn.
In 1885 Mr. Wildman was united in marriage to Miss Annie Smith, a native of Napa county, California, and they now have two children .- Milton F. and Adelaide. Mrs. Wildman is a valued member of the Congregational church and Mr. Wildman belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. serving now in the capacity of secretary of his lodge in Auburn. For the second term he is filling the position of trustee, and as such favors every enter- prise that he believes will result in benefit to the town. He has a nice home in the city and both he and his wife enjoy the regard of a host of friends.
DAVID LAMPSON.
David Lampson, one of the pioneers of California still living and engaged in business, has been prominently identified with the growth and development of Calaveras county and is the obliging proprietor of the Paloma Hotel. His residence in California covers the period of its earliest .develop- ment, for he arrived Dere in 1853. when a collection of mining camps stood in place of the now thriving towns and cities. Ile is a native of New York, his birth having occurred in Ogdensburg, that state, on the 6th of Angust. 1829. Ilis parents were Thomas and Phoebe Lampson, both of whom died when he was only ten years of age, and from that time until the present he has made his own way in the world, unaided by any one save his good wife, who has ever been a faithful companion and helpmate to him. He had no early educa- tional advantages, but he managed to learn to read and write and also gained a fair knowledge of arithmetic. In the years of practical experience he has constantly broadened in knowledge, becoming a well informed and thoroughly capable business man.
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After the death of his parents Mr. Lampson lived for three years with a family named Wright, but by them was treated so roughly that he left their home and secured work of a German family of the name of Hanse. They were farming people and also conducted a dairy, and he performed such work as was required in those lines of business. They gave him thirty dollars as a compensation for his first year's labor there, and during that time he mani- fested such fidelity and diligence that he was afterward paid increasing wages by the month. He was strictly temperate and economical and he saved his money, thus gaining the nucleus of his present possessions. In 1853 he sailed from New York on the Ohio, which traveled the Atlantic waters, and cross- ing the isthmus on foot he then took passage on the Golden Gate for San Francisco. One hundred and sixty of the passengers on that boat died on the voyage and were buried in the ocean! On the 20th of February, 1853, Mr. Lampson went to Stockton and to Sonora, after which he proceeded to San Antonio, where he secured a placer claim, beginning life on the Pacific coast as a California miner. He worked for himself with a rocker and sluice-box, meeting with fair success. He secured five hundred dollars in four months, after which he went to Columbia, Tuolumne county, where he took out three thousand dollars in six months; but his claim caved in and he was badly crushed, eight of his ribs being broken, and he was severely injured in other ways, so that by the time he was again well and able to work the mine his means were almost exhausted. When he had entirely recovered. however, he returned to Columbia, where he continued mining for six months, with good success. Subsequently he went to San Antonio and to Railroad Flat, where he followed both mining and farming, his efforts being attended with creditable prosperity.
Mr. Lampson purchased one hundred and sixty acres of river land near the latter place and there raised timothy and clover hay, wheat and other grains, being paid good prices for his products. He resided upon his farm for twenty-eight years and made it a valuable property, which is still in his possession and yields to him a good financial return. On leaving the farm he came to Paloma and erected here the Paloma Hotel and a large hall, in which entertainments are held. Here, with the assistance of his good wife, he is doing a successful business, caring for and entertaining the traveling public in a most capable manner. The guests receive a cordial reception and every effort is made for their comfort and pleasure. He is also the owner of a group of mines, the Lava Bed and Wallace, with one hundred and sey- enty acres of land on which he has a patent.
In February, 1861, Mr. Lampson was united in marriage to Miss Abbie Warren, a lady of the state of Maine and a daughter of William Warren, who came to California in 1852. Mrs. Lampson arrived in the state in 1859, and is therefore numbered among the worthy pioneer women. Their union has been blessed with five children, of whom three are living: Robert Edward Lee, who is engaged in the operation of a mill: Augustus, a blacksmith at Mokelumne; and Orlando, who is on the ranch. A little son was killed in a runaway accident, bringing great grief to the family. Two sons are married
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and there are now eleven grandchildren. These constitute a family of which Mr. and Mrs. Lampson have every reason to be proud. Mrs. Lampson has been to her husband a faithful companion and helpmeet on the journey of life, hier careful management and advice being of much assistance to him. Mr. Lampson has been a life long Democrat, and for seven years he held the office of constable, proving a capable and painstaking officer. He was also a deputy sheriff of the county for several years, filling that position when Sheriff Paul had the chief office and together they rode thousands of miles in search of daring criminals of the worst character, and in the capture of some of the men showed undaunted bravery and fearless spirit. They succeeded in arresting and ridding the county of many of the worst men, and the lawless element of the community were thereby held in subjection. In the face of opposition and many difficulties and without opportunities Mr. Lampson has steadily advance !! in life and is to-day the possessor of a handsome competence. He is of a bright, cheerful disposition, genial and courteous, and has the good will and esteem of the entire community. He is now the oldest citizen of the city in point of residence, and bids fair for many years yet of active business life.
CHARLES P. VICINI.
California has won distinction for the high rank of her bench and bar. Perhaps none of the newer states can justly boast of abler jurists or attorneys. Some of them have been men of national fame, and among those whose lives have been passed on a quieter plane there is scarcely a town or city in the state that cannot boast of one or more lawyers capable of crossing swords in foren- sie combat with any of the distinguished legal lights of the United States. California certainly has reason to be proud of her legal fraternity. In Charles P. Vicini we find united many of the rare qualities which go to make up the successful lawyer, and he is to-day regarded as one of the most prominent representatives of the bar of the state. He possesses perhaps few of those dazzling, meteoric qualities which have sometimes flashed along the legal hor- izon, riveting the gaze and blinding the vision for a moment, then disap- pearing, leaving little or no trace behind : but he has, rather, those solid and more substantial qualities which shine with a constant lustre, shedding light in the dark places with steadiness and continuity. He has in an eminent degree that rare ability of saying in a convincing way the right thing at the right time. His mind is analytical, logical and inductive, and with a thorough and comprehensive knowledge of the fundamental principles of law, he com- bines a familiarity with statutory law and a sober, clear judgment which makes him a formidable adversary in legal combat.
Mr. Vicini is a native son of California, born on the 6th of September, 1869, of Italian parents. His father, John B. Vicini, was horn near Genoa, Italy, and when but sixteen years of age came to Calaveras county. Cali- fornia. in company with several young companions who, like himself, hoped to find wealth in the mines of this state. He first engaged in mining at Robinson's Ferry, then a rich and prosperous mining camp, in which he
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obtained a goodly supply of the yellow metal. Some time afterward he estab- lished a meat market and in that enterprise also prospered. At a later date he removed to Angel's Camp, where he purchased land and was engaged in farming for eight years, when he sold out and removed to Sutter Creek. Therebe purchased property and engaged in the harness and boot and shoe busi- ness. The success which had hitherto attended him did not desert him then, and he subsequently built a second story to his building and fitted it out for hotel purposes, the property becoming known as the Sutter Hotel. It is well conducted by E. B. Moore, who purchased it from Mr. Vicini, who, in disposing of the building, bought property on the site above Sutter Creek. There he built a large three-story hotel called the Summit House, and the enterprise is being conducted by his son, Stephen B., while the father has retired from active business, he, however, making his home there with his son. He married Catherine Peirano, a native of Italy but reared in Baltimore. They have had three sons and a daughter, namely : Stephen B .; Henry J., a farmer, stock- raiser and freighter ; Charles P. ; and Caroline, who is now deceased.
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