USA > California > Merced County > A history of Merced County, California : with a biographical review of the leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present > Part 78
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JOSEPH CARDOZA
The Azores Islands have sent many of their inhabitants to America, and they have usually done so well and have sent back such glowing reports of their success that it was natural that as Joseph Cardoza was drawing towards manhood he should be fired with the ambition to seek that El Dorado where so many of his countrymen had gone. He was born December 27, 1888, in Terceira. His mother, Jane Lawrence Cardoza, had died at the age of twenty-five. His father, Antone, is still living at the age of sixty-eight. There were only his brother Manuel and sister Mary, so the ties to keep him at
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home were not strong and the year 1907 found him in Boston, Mass., and not long thereafter near Sacramento, Cal., where he found em- ployment on a dairy farm at Freeport, on the Sacramento River. A year later he was in Los Banos, still working in the dairy business. Then he went into the business for himself, leased land and carried on five strings of cows. After eight years in company with his brother he was able to buy a ranch of 225 acres from M. M. Wood in 1918, and here he had 130 cows. Then he and his brother and a third partner, F. S. Pacheo, bought a second ranch of 140 acres near Los Banos, and ran a dairy on this place. He and his brother now own 295 acres. In the spring of 1922 he and his brother started into the dairy business again and they now have about seventy-five cows on the 225-acre ranch bought of Mr. Wood.
On June 6, 1922, Mr. Cardoza was married at San Francisco to Mary Augustino, born in Bedford, Mass., and daughter of Joseph and Margaret Augustino, natives of Flores of the Azores.
Mr. Cardoza is a director of the Los Banos branch of the Mercan- tile Trust Company of California and stock inspector for it. He is not identified with any political party, but votes for the man he thinks is best fitted for the office. Fraternally, he is a member of the U. P. E. C. and an ex-vice-president of the I. D. E. S. and belongs to the Eagles. He is a member of the Catholic Church.
ANTONE FURTADO
An example of the rewards in store for young men of ability and industry who are fortunate enough to have been born in Merced County, the descendants of worthy parents who came here and took advantage of the opportunities at hand, may be found in Antone Furtado, born October 4, 1900, at El Nido, Merced County, the seventh of eight children born to the late John F. and Margaret (Silva) Furtado, both natives of the Azores Islands, and now de- ceased. He was reared on the home ranch, attending the Russell dis- trict school, and during his spare time, when not busy at his books and school tasks, he took an active part in the ranch work, and when old enough, took part in grain raising on an extensive scale with his older brothers and his parents, in the El Nido district.
Tony Furtado, as he is familiarly known, has shown his business acumen by careful handling of business long before he reached his majority, and since then he has made some splendid investments and has become one of the richest of Merced County's young men. His home ranch, in Franklin District, where he located in 1920, consists
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of twenty acres devoted to alfalfa and dairy, and he owns a part of the estate of his father, the late J. F. Furtado.
The marriage of Mr. Furtado, which occurred in Merced, Sept. 6, 1920, united him with Bessie A. King, born in Le Grand, on June 8, 1902, the daughter of Joseph and Marie King, venerable poineers of Merced County, born in the Azores, and now deceased. Two children have come to bless their marriage: Carmel M., born on April 29, 1922, and A. Merlin, born on January 24, 1925. After the death of Mrs. King, in 1915, Mrs. Furtado inherited the home prop- erty on 21st Street. The father died August 5, 1912. Mr. Furtado belong to the I. D. E. S. society, and the Knights of Columbus, and he is very sincerely interested in the advancement and further de- velopment of the resources of his home county. He knows its possi- bilities, and has faith in the prosperous future in store for this section.
J. J. GONZALES
A building contractor of Atwater who has always had his share of the building business of that fast-growing settlement is J. J. Gon- zales, a native son, born in Bear Valley, Mariposa County, on May 1, 1873, the oldest child of Manuel and Mary (Silva) Gonzales. Manuel Gonzales was born on the Island of Pico in the Azores, and in the early sixties landed in San Francisco and soon afterwards located in Mariposa County. At the age of thirty he married Mary Silva, who is still living at the age of seventy-four years and resides at Atwater. Manuel died there in 1923.
J. J. Gonzales attended the public schools of Mariposa County and as he grew up he followed mining in the creek channels in that county. The results were far from satisfactory to the ambitious lad and he started in to learn the carpenter's trade and learned it from the bottom up. He came to Atwater in 1906 and for some time his attention was divided between ranching and carpentering as he secured jobs here and there. In 1913 he gave up ranching to devote his time to contracting and building and has since been thus engaged, doing his share of the home building in Atwater and the surrounding country.
Mr. Gonzales was married in 1905 to Anne DeNeves, born in Bear Valley, Mariposa County, the daughter of the late Mathew DeNeves, who died in April, 1925 at the age of seventy-seven. His widow, Mary DeNeves, is still living. Of the union of Mr. and Mrs. Gonzales four children have been born: William, Elmer, Franklin and Thelma, all born in Merced County.
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WILLIAM C. COTTON, M. D.
Born in San Antonio, Texas, on December 4, 1882, W. C. Cotton was the fourth in a family of eight children born to Charles F. and Mary F. (Edgar) Cotton. Charles F. Cotton was born at Fort Smith, Texas, in 1849, became a journalist and publisher and after forty years of active life retired to San Antonio. Mrs. Cotton was born in San Antonio. Her father was a member of General Miles' Scout troops, and a captain in the regulars in the Mexican War with General Taylor. He served for fifteen years as Vice Consul of Mexico City. He lived to be eighty-two years of age. The grandparents on both sides of the family helped make history in the early days when Texas was a territory.
William C. Cotton was educated in the public schools in San An- tonio, graduating from the high school. He began life's work as a copy boy in the office of the Daily Express of San Antonio, receiving three dollars per week as a wage. Becoming dissatisfied with the out- look he went to Chicago in 1900 and entered the employ of W. R. Hearst, left copy work to take up the mechanical end of the newspaper and rose to be color man at sixty-five dollars per week and was thus en- gaged for four years, continuing newspaper work until 1911. He had entered Valparaiso University in Chicago in 1907, and upon receiving his M. D. degree in 1911, became an intern in Bellevue Hos- pital and two years later went to Bloomington, Ill., and became asso- ciated in office work with Dr. Benson.
In 1917 Dr. Cotton enlisted for service in the World War, was First Lieutenant of Benjamin Harrison Medical Casuals A. E. F. three months later, serving until 1919. He was Chief of Staff at Win- chester, England, in charge of 200 men and thirty-five nurses and seventeen doctors. He received his honorable discharge at Camp Riley, Kans., in March, 1919. After the war he came to Atwater, Cal. and engaged in the practice of his profession and since then has built up a lucrative practice and has made a large circle of friends.
In Chicago, in 1902, Dr. Cotton was united in marriage with Marie Steele, daughter of the late Carl S. Steele and Marie O. Steele, now a resident of Los Angeles. Mrs. Cotton was born in Ohio. They have two children: Opal, an advanced student and Russian Ballet dancer in Los Angeles; and William Edgar, attending the public schools in Merced County. Dr. Cotton is a Republican in politics. Fraternally he is a member of Yosemite Lodge No. 99, F. & A. M. and the Sciots, both in Merced; Merced Lodge No. 1240, B. P. O. E. and a charter member of the Atwater Camp, Woodmen of the World; and he is a member of the Atwater Booster Club. He is a member of the Atwater Fruit Exchange and the California Peach and Fig Asso-
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ciation. He owns 100 acres of highly developed orchard and vine- yard in Merced County, and is a one-fifth owner in Mercy Hospital in Merced. He was president of the Merced County Medical Society in 1923, and health officer of the county in 1922, 1923 and 1924.
While in Chicago Dr. Cotton was one of the founders of the Federated Newspaper Trades of that city and served as secretary in 1911-1912. He was prominent in politics while in Chicago and opened the Victor Berger campaign at Milwaukee, Wis. He is a personal friend of Eugene Debs and was formerly an active mem- ber of the Socialist party. He is a profound thinker, brilliant debater and ready writer and scholar. He has been the champion of the under dog, so to speak, wherever he finds he can do some good. Take it all in all he has been and is a very useful member of society.
FREDRICK W. HANSEN
Of all the immigrants who come to our shores there are none who make a better class of citizens than the Danes. Loyal Americans, frugal, honest, temperate and industrious, they soon rise to positions of honor and respect. Typical of that class in every respect, is Fredrick Hansen, section foreman of the Santa Fe Railroad at Merced. A native of Denmark, he was born August 2, 1862, a son of Christian and Mary Ann Hansen. His father was a miller and with his brother conducted a grist mill until his death. He was injured in a runaway of his team, from the effects of which he never fully recovered.
Fredrick Hansen was educated in the grammar schools of his native country and grew up at home until he was sixteen years of age, when he joined the army. After four years of service, at the age of twenty, the lure of adventure and the desire to make his for- tune induced him to emigrate and he eventually arrived in Wisconsin, where he got employment on a farm at twelve dollars a month. Characteristic of his frugal countrymen, he soon accumulated enough surplus funds from even such small wages to enable him to begin farming on his own account, which he did at Iowa Falls, Iowa. That it was not entirely to his satisfaction is evidenced by the fact that in 1900 he turned his steps still further westward and he arrived in Livermore, Cal., that fall. For four years he worked on a ranch, and at the same time had charge of a section of the Southern Pacific Railroad. His next move was to Stockton, where he worked for the Santa Fe until he came to Merced in 1909, since when he has been section foreman on the railway up to the present.
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It was in Iowa Falls that Fredrick W. Hansen was united in marriage to Miss Josephine Marie Larsen, a native of Denmark, but reared in the United States. The children of the union are as fol- lows : Louis, who is a partner in a drug store in Stockton; Dorothy, wife of Frank Blair of Stockton, and mother of a son; Edward, also in Stockton; Mabel, wife of John Fragie, of Merced, and mother of a son and daughter; Agnes, Mrs. Herbert Dean, of Oakland; and Roy, who served in France in the World War, was wounded and came back physically unfit from shell shock. Mr. Hansen is a Demo- crat in politics. He is deeply interested in Merced City and County and is a public-spirited and highly respected citizen.
ALBERT WALKER CHINN
The name of Albert Walker Chinn has become well known to the citizens of Merced County and is synonymous with thrift, honesty and integrity. After coming to Merced in 1918 he acted in the capacity of representative of the California Nursery Company until entering the employ of the California Peach and Fig Growers Association. He was born in Lincoln, Nebr., April 2, 1883, his parents being Edward F. and Ida (Walker) Chinn. The father is now deceased and the mother makes her home with our subject in Merced.
Albert Walker Chinn attended district school adjacent to Lin- coln and then completed the high school course in Lincoln. After finishing school he worked in a meat packing establishment for ten years, and also engaged in ranching in Nebraska prior to coming to California in 1912. Arriving in California he ranched for six years, then when he came to Merced in 1918, he became the representative of the California Nursery Company. During the World War, Mr. Chinn served in the U. S. Army with credit to himself and his coun- try. When casting his vote he considers man above party ; fraternally he is affiliated with the Moose Lodge, and he belongs to the Cham- ber of Commerce of Merced.
WILLIAM D. CARLIN
A fair type of the rising young men of California, whose success thus far is promising of a bright future, is William D. Carlin. The youngest of four sons and the fourth in order of birth of five children, he was born in Eureka, Cal., on May 4, 1895. His father, also W. D. Carlin, a native of Michigan, married Barbara Fleckenstein, a
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native of Iowa. He came to California at the age of eighteen and followed agriculture quite successfully. He was well-known among the dairy and creamery men. He died in Eureka in 1900; the mother died the same year.
The son, W. D. Carlin, went to the school in Eureka, and further prepared himself by a course in electrical engineering in the Inter- national Correspondence School. He was brought up on a ranch and later drifted into the employ of the Sacramento Valley Sugar Com- pany and was the staff engineer for two years at Hamilton City. He next took up field and contract work with the California Fruit Can- ners Association in their Stockton office covering territory as far south as Turlock. Drawn away by the Oatman gold boom, for five months he was occupied in Kingman, Ariz. Returning to California, Mr. Carlin worked for the Western Auto Stage Company in Merced. From that he entered the employ of W. C. Dallas, working gradually into ranch and general machinist business with the Dallas Ranches, Inc. He owns desirable real estate in Antelope Valley, Long Beach, and Eureka, Cal. He came to Atwater in 1919 and has unbounded faith in its future.
W. D. Carlin was married on August 10, 1916, to Miss Elizabeth Sale, a native of Kentucky. She was reared in Kentucky and Colo- rado and studied pipe organ under Elizabeth Graham. Although she has practiced little of late, she is always interested in that line of art. They have one son, William D., Jr., born September 2, 1919.
N. GENEVIEVE CHIPMAN, M. D.
Numbered among the successful members of the Medical profes- sion is N. Genevieve Chipman, M.D., of Livingston. Dr. Chipman is held in high esteem for the ability she has evinced in her profession, the earnestness and thought she gives to her work, and the spirit in which she ministers to the needs of suffering humanity. Her birth occurred at Savanna, Ill., and she was graduated from the high school at that place, after which she entered the Lewis Institute at Chicago, Ill., where she began her preparation for the practice of medicine. Completing her course there she entered the Chicago College of Medi- cine and was graduated with the class of 1915. She began practice in Chicago and continued until 1917. When the call came for doctors and nurses for government service she went into the United States Public Health service and was assigned to Nitro, W. Va., near Charleston, where the munition plant of the government was located. Dr. Chipman was honorably discharged from the service on December
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11, 1918, and returned to Chicago, where she resumed general prac- tice. In November, 1919, she removed to California and settled at Turlock, where she became associated with the doctors Julien, con- tinuing until November 1, 1923, when she took over the office and prac- tice of Dr. Gilbert C. Saunders in Livingston. Dr. Chipman keeps abreast of the times and is an active member of the County Medical Society, the State Medical Society, the American Association and the National Woman's Medical Association.
HARRY E. DOYLE
Successful in his chosen work, Harry E. Doyle is entitled to a place among the substantial citizens of Merced County, to which loca- tion he came in 1917, when he assumed the agency for the Dodge Brothers motor cars. His fireproof building is located at 644 Seven- teenth Street in Merced. A son of William S. and Adaline (Legg) Doyle, he was born in Ellenville, N. Y., on January 28, 1889. Both parents are still living in New York State.
Harry E. Doyle completed the grammar and high school courses ; then took a course in the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute at Troy, N. Y., and completed his education at Stanford University. In 1917 he removed to Merced to take over the agency for the Dodge Brothers motor cars, and during the time of his residence in this section his strongest interests and associations have been in the community which he selected for a home.
The marriage of Mr. Doyle united him with Miss Helen Jones, a native of Porterville, Cal. Fraternally, Mr. Doyle is a member of Merced Lodge No. 1240, B. P. O. E.
Mr. Doyle takes great pride in his growing business, but finds time during the heated season to spend a few weeks in the open, camping beside a mountain stream and indulging his fondness for fishing.
REVEREND MANUEL CORDEIRO
Active in the Roman Catholic Church circles in Merced County, whose interests he has zealously upheld for twenty years, is Rev. Manuel Cordeiro, pastor of St. Anthony's Church in Atwater; he also serves the church of the Immaculate Conception at Buhach. He was born in Fenaes da Luz, Azores Islands, on May 13, 1879, a son of Anthony and Mary da Encarnacao Mello. His father died when
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Manuel was but two years old but the mother still makes her home in Fenaes da Luz. Father Cordeiro was educated in the schools of the Azores and attended Angra Seminary, where he took his work in the classics, theology and philosophy. He was ordained to the priest- hood on December 23, 1905, and was called to the San Francisco dio- cese by Archbishop Riordan. He was assistant pastor at Center- ville, Cal., for two years, then was called East and for over two years labored in St. Michael's and in Santo Christo churches, in Fall River; Our Lady of Lourdes, in Staunton; and St. John's, in New Bedford, all of the Fall River diocese in Massachusetts. Father Cordeiro then returned to California and for four years was assist- ant pastor at Santa Maria Parish. He was the first pastor of and served four years at Our Lady of Guadalupe, at Guadalupe, both in Santa Barbara County. During the late World War he served as chaplain at Balboa Park, San Diego, Cal., for eight months working among the Knights of Columbus. Then he was assistant pastor in Riverside and at the same time was chaplain at Marshfield Camp; also during this time he had charge of the Arlington Parish for seven months, during the illness of the priest in charge. After that he was appointed pastor at Elsinore, still retaining his position as chaplain. After these labors he was granted leave of absence and made a trip to his old home in the Azores Islands to visit his mother and remained there one year. Returning to California he was placed in charge of the school and church at Bakersfield; then his next appointment was pastor of Our Lady of Victory at Compton, Cal. In 1922 he came to Atwater as pastor of St. Anthony's, and the Immaculate Concep- tion at Buhach. This includes the towns of Livingston, Winton, Delhi, Hilmar, Amsterdam and Cressey. Thus he ministers to all the Portuguese of this part of Merced County.
In this connection it will be well to give a little history of the Catholic Churches in this district. St. Anthony's Parish, as it is now known, was started as the Immaculate Conception Parish, Buhach, in the diocese of Monterey and Fresno. The parish is a memorial to Rt. Rev. Bishop Henry da Silva, who organized it in 1908, as he was passing through on a visit. The following year Rev. A. M. Souza was appointed pastor. He built the church and rectory at Buhach that same year, 1909. The first marriage solemnized in the church was on February 23, 1909, when Crespinus Stefani and Elizabeth Cor- della were united. The first baptism was on February 14, 1909, Blancha Rossi, daughter of David and Blanche (Fleming) Rossi. Rev. Fr. Joseph Cunha succeeded Fr. Souza in 1911. The latter founded the church in Atwater and in 1913 the building was erected. In December, 1913, Rev. Henrique A. Ribeiro took charge, and remained until November 14, 1914, when Rev. Manuel C. Grillo
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came to Atwater. He was succeeded by Father John Power in July, 1917; and in 1918 Rev. Abel Costa took charge and remained until 1922, when Father Cordeiro assumed the work of the parish. He changed the name to St. Anthony's. In 1922 the rectory was erected. The church is in a healthy condition and rapidly taking its place in the community.
In 1919 there was a movement started for a Catholic cemetery for St. Anthony's Church and the members of the church negotiated for five acres of land at Winton for that purpose. On February 3, 1920, the first burial was made when Maria Mattos was laid to rest. The cemetery is not yet officially recorded as a Catholic cemetery, although all of the conditions for which the property was purchased have been fulfilled. The committee in charge (in March, 1925) have not yet deeded the property to St. Anthony's parish.
Father Cordeiro is a Republican in politics and fraternally is identified with the Knights of Columbus, Third Degree of the San Diego Council. He is accorded a high place as a citizen for his efforts to coordinate his charge and in giving his best efforts and most unselfish endeavors to advance the general welfare of the locality where he resides.
JOSEPH V. ALVES
One of the enterprising business men of Atwater, and manager of the Martha Washington Stores Inc., on Broadway, is Joseph V. Alves. He is one of the many men who have come from foreign countries and, beginning at the bottom of the ladder, have taken ad- vantage of the abundant opportunities which this country offers and have climbed to wealth and affluence. The only son and the youngest of two children he was born in Flores of the Azores Islands on Decem- ber 25, 1882, a son of Antone R. and Mary (Alves) Vieira, farmers in the Azores. Mrs. Keaton of Fergus station is his sister. He re- ceived his education in the common schools of his native land and was reared on the small farm of his father. At the early age of fifteen he left the parental roof, in 1897, on a two-masted schooner to seek his fortune beyond the sea, and after a voyage of forty-one days landed in New London, and soon after came direct to California. He got work on ranches near Fresno at fifteen dollars a month. Later on the Bloss ranch near Atwater he earned thirty dollars a month. After being in California about a year he found it difficult to get mail addressed to him because there were so many here by the name of Vieira. So he had his name changed, taking the maiden name of his mother. In 1916 he left the ranch to go into business as part owner
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of the Broadway Cash Store, which was succeeded in January, 1921, by the Martha Washington Store, and which carries a fine stock and is doing a good business. He owns the store building and also resi- dence and rental property in Atwater. He was naturalized in Mer- ced in 1905, and as a Republican has fulfilled the duty of a loyal American citizen. He has been secretary of the U. P. E. C. for four years and he belongs to the Buhach Council No. 32, I. D. E. S. He was married in Merced to Mary C. Vincent, a native of Oakland and daughter of Fred Vincent of Atwater. They have two sons, Charles V., who is married and has a daughter; and Arthur. Mr. Alves is highly respected for his integrity and strict attendance to his own affairs. He has been an eye-witness of the growth of Atwater from a population of less than 100 to over 1000 at the present time.
ALAN B. MARTIN
As superintendent of the J. G. Ruddle orchards and vineyards, Alan B. Martin is demonstrating his knowledge of horticulture and viticulture, gained through experience and first-hand information. He is a native son of Merced County, born on December 10, 1892, in the city of Merced, a son of Mr. and Mrs. C. D. Martin, of that city, natives of New York State, and Snelling, Merced County, re- spectively. His father and his grandfather Boss were well known civil engineers in California. Alan B. attended the Merced Gram- mar and High Schools, and after two and one-half years in the latter, left school to enter the employ of the old C. M. F. Store, remaining with them three years.
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