USA > California > A history of the new California, its resources and people; Vol I > Part 36
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His life began in the rather humble home of his parents at Kennebunkport, Maine, in 1839. His earliest ancestors had come to Maine from England some generations before his birth. He was reared in hardy and thrifty sur- roundings on his father's farm. attending in season the common schools. But at the age of thirteen years he slipped from the parental nest and went to sea as a sailor before the mast, for the following four years visiting nearly all the climes and ports of the world. He returned home at the age of fifteen and spent six months in school, when he once more went on the watery highways and worked before the mast. In the course of these journeyings he arrived in San Francisco in 1855. on the clipper ship Galatea.
He went to Sacramento and then to Butte and Plumas counties, and for two years tried his luck in mining, with poor success. Teaming and lumber- ing were his next ventures, then working in a store. He became interested in the Bank of Butte County, built the Ophir flour mills, acquired mining inter- ests and constructed sawmills, and after the hard and meager returns of his youthful years began to develop rapidly into the master of many and impor-
Yours Truly Lev @Jerkins
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tant enterprises. In 1872 he formed a partnership with Captain Charles Goodall, the firm known as Goodall, Nelson and Perkins, from which Captain Nelson retired in 1876, and it has been known as Goodall, Perkins and Com- pany to this day. This firm has been one of the leaders in developing the transportation interests of the state, and has for a number of years controlled the most extensive business on the coast, extending from Alaska to Mexico and employing two thousand men. The firm is largely interested in the Pacific Whaling Company and other corporations. Mr. Perkins is also largely interested in other lines of enterprise. He is a director of the First National Bank of San Francisco, a director of Central Trust Company and Central Bank of Oakland, director of the Bank of Butte County, of the Pacific Steam Whaling Company, of the Arctic Oil Works, etc. He has been successful, and is a man of moderate wealth, wielding a large influence in all the business circles of the west.
Senator Perkins is one of the foremost Republicans of the west, and has been prominent in politics from his early years in the state. He has served two terms in the state senate, having been elected both times from a Demo- cratic district. As the representative of the people and in his business he has done much to advance the welfare of his state and has promoted many enter- prises bearing directly on California's prosperity and growth. In 1879 he was elected governor of California by a majority of twenty-two thousand. In 1893 he was appointed by Governor Markham to succeed United States Senator Stanford, deceased; in 1895 was elected to serve out that unexpired term. and on January 13, 1897, was elected to the senate for the full term expiring in 1903. In January of the latter year he was again re-elected on the first ballot for the term of six years, receiving every vote of the Republican members of the legislature. On motion of a Democratic member his election was made unanimous. Senator Perkins is a fair speaker and a good reasoner, and these qualifications combined with his personality are further sources of his power as a man of affairs.
In addition to his steamship and other interests and his long political career, Senator Perkins has been identified with many public and charitable institutions. He has been for twenty-two years president of the Boys and Girls' Aid Society; for two years was president of the San Francisco Art Association; president of the Chamber of Commerce in 1878; a trustee of the Academy of Sciences since 1886.
He is one of the prominent Masons of the state : was grand junior warden of the Grand Lodge, F. & A. M., of California, in 1871 ; grand senior warden in 1872; deputy master in 1873; grand master in 1874, by unanimous vote. He has been through all the offices of the commandery up to grand commander of the Grand Commandery the Knights Templar of California, in 1882, and held that office during the triennial conclave held in San Francisco, and at which meeting he was elected grand junior warden of the grand encampment of the Knights Templar in the United States.
Senator Perkins was married in Oroville in 1864 to Miss Ruth A. Parker, and they have three sons and four daughters.
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FREDERICK W. HATCH, M. D.
Dr. Frederick Winslow Hatch, of Sacramento, who has been a resident of California for more than half a century, has attained to an eminent posi- tion in his profession through the exercise of his native talents and acquired ability, and in recognition of his prominence he has been appointed for the second time by the governor of the state to the position of general superin- tendent of state hospitals. Devoted to his profession and actuated by broad humanitarian principles which prompt his best possible service for the relief of the sick and suffering, he is well qualified for the arduous and responsible duties which devolve upon him in connection with the office.
. Dr. Hatch, born in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on the 4th of December, 1849, is a son of Frederick Winslow and Sarah R. Hatch, the former a native of Virginia and the latter of New York. The Hatch family is of English origin and the first of the name in America crossed the Atlantic during colonial days, settling in Massachusetts. Later generations of the family, however, removed to Virginia and there the grandfather of Dr. Hatch labored for the spiritual welfare of his fellow men as a minister of the Epis- copal church, and later went to Washington, D. C., where he twice filled the part of chaplain of the United States senate. Dr. Frederick W. Hatch, Sr., became a practicing physician and in the year 1851 made his way to Cali- fornia, locating in Sacramento, where he engaged in the practice of medi- cine and surgery up to the time of his death, which occurred in 1883. He was not only active in his calling but took an active part in many public measures which promoted the general welfare of the county and state. He was secretary of the state board of health for a number of years, filling that position at the time his life's labors were ended. He was also a member of the Sacramento school board and county superintendent of schools, taking a deep interest in education and putting forth effective effort, the result of which is still manifest in the present excellent school system of the city. It was owing to his efforts that the first high school building of Sacramento was erected, and his influence was likewise potent in other lines resulting to the good of the community. His family numbered five children: Thur- ston B., who died at the age of thirty-five years; Frederick W., of this re- view : Mrs. A. L. Blanchard; Frank and Henry.
It was in 1853 that Dr. Hatch, whose name introduces this record, was brought to California, together with the other children of the family, the journey being made by way of the Nicaraguan route. Reared in Sacramento, he attended the public schools and then the high school of this city, con- tinuing his studies until he reached the age of eighteen years, when he as- sumed the duties and cares of a business career. He first followed civil engineering in the employ of the Central Pacific Railroad Company for two years, when, determining to enter upon the practice of medicine as a life work, he began reading in the office and under the direction of his father, while his collegiate training was received in Jefferson Medical College, of Philadelphia, in which institution he was graduated in 1873, his degree being at that time conferred upon him.
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Dr. Hatch then returned to California and practiced for a few years in Sacramento. In 1879 he was elected second assistant physician of the Napa State Insane Asylum, remaining there until the fall of 1889, when he was elected superintendent of Agnew's State Asylum, filling that position in a most capable manner until 1897, when he was appointed by Governor Budd to the office of general superintendent of state hospitals under the new lunacy law, which had just gone into effect. He was reappointed by Governor Gage, and is now serving for the second term. His previous experience as superintendent of asylums for the insane, added to his comprehensive and accurate general knowledge of medicine and surgery, well qualified him for the position, and his course is one which has given eminent satisfaction to the public, the profession and the administration.
In 1882 occurred the marriage of Dr. Hatch and Miss Florence Fol- lansbee, a native of California and a daughter of one of the pioneer residents of northern California, who located in the state when it was the scene of wild mining excitement and when the commercial and industrial activity for which it is now famous had scarcely been instituted. Dr. Hatch and his wife have one daughter. Dr. Hatch gives his political allegiance to the Re- publican party, and is strong in his advocacy of its principles, but has sought or desired no political preferment outside the strict path of his profession. Socially he is identified with the Elks and the Masons. Well known in California where almost his entire life has been passed, he takes great pride in the achievements of the state, in its marked and rapid progress, and its present leadership in many lines of activity, and he is numbered among those who have always upheld its intellectual and professional status.
JOSEPH STEFFENS.
Joseph Steffens, prominently identified with business interests as a bank director and president of the Chamber of Commerce in Sacramento, is hon- ored and respected by all. His position in the public regard, however, has not come merely as a tribute to his success, but is in recognition of his per- sonal worth and the honorable and straightforward methods that he has ever employed in his business career.
A native of Canada, Mr. Steffens was born in 1837, his parents being Joseph and Mary Anne (Graham) Steffens, both of whom were natives of that country. In the year 1840 the father removed to Illinois, settling in Carroll county, where he engaged in farming. His wife died in her native country soon after the birth of her son Joseph, who was the youngest of a family of eight children. The father afterward married again and by the second union had eight children, who were reared in Illinois.
Joseph Steffens was reared upon the family homestead in Illinois, early becoming familiar with farm work in its various departments. The summer months were spent in the fields and during the other seasons of the year he attended the district schools until he had mastered the elementary branches of English learning, when he became a student in the Mount Morris Semi- nary at Mount Morris, Illinois. Subsequently he pursued a business course
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in Bell's Commercial College of Chicago, graduating with the class of 1858. He afterward went to Freeport, Illinois, where he entered upon his business career as a clerk in the employ of G. M. Clayton & Brother. He was re- tained in the services of that firm for three years, when in 1862 he gave up his position in order to come to California, crossing the plains with a team of horses. He arrived in San Francisco on the 9th of September, 1862 -- admission day. Here he entered upon a business connection with the firm of Fuller & Heather as a bookkeeper. In 1868 the firm consolidated with Mr. Whittier under the style of Whittier, Fuller & Company, and Mr. Stef- fens continued with the house in San Francisco until the following year, when he came to Sacramento to take charge of the branch establishment in this city. In 1874 he was admitted to a partnership in the business and retained his connection therewith until the spring of 1892, when he disposed of his interests and retired from the firm. He then became an active director in the. California State Bank and has continued as such to the present time. For ten years he was president of the Sacramento board of trade and is now the president of its successor, the Sacramento Chamber of Commerce.
In 1865 occurred the marriage of Mr. Steffens and Miss Louise Symes, of Hoboken, New Jersey. They have four children, Joseph Lincoln, Louisa, Lottie and Laura. The son has taken up literary pursuits and is on the edi- torial staff of McClure's Magazine, being one of the best known writers in the country. Mr. Steffens holds membership relation with the Masonic fraternity and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, while his political affiliation is with the Republican party. For seven years he was a member of the board of management of the Stockton State Hospital, to which position he was appointed by Governor Markham, and by Governor Gage he was appointed a trustee of the state library, which position he is now filling. Endowed by nature with high intellectual qualities, to which have been added the discipline and embellishment of culture, his is an attractive personality. While he has won · marked success in business he has at the same time kept in touch with the thinking men of the age and is thoroughly informed upon many of the sub- jects which concern the general interests of society and the welfare of the nation.
THOMAS B. HALL.
Thomas B. Hall is senior member of the firm of Hall, Luhrs and Com- pany, of Sacramento, which is the largest wholesale grocery concern in the city, and which, through the indefatigable industry and business man- agement of its proprietors, has been built up to its present prominence from unimportant beginnings and a small amount of capital-if by capital is meant money. From porter to proprietor would aptly characterize the business ca- reer of Mr. Hall, and every successive step of progress has been earned by his earnest and diligent efforts. The hazard of speculation has never figured in his life. He has simply devoted his whole energies to grasping the de- tails of the business of his choice, and each increase in his prosperity has been the logical result of some previous well defined business policy, so that his large enterprise is founded on the rock of substantiality, financial integ-
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rity and reliability, and since its establishment has never suffered from the storms of financial calamity without or injudicious management within.
Mr. Hall was born in the state of Illinois, January 5, 1853, a son of Richard and Frances (Hague) Hall. In that same year his father joined in the rush across the plains to the new Eldorado, and brought his family and located in the city of Sacramento, where he secured work on the Folsom and Placerville Railroad, the first ever constructed in California. The only un- pleasant feature of this employment was that he never received compensa- tion for his work, the projectors evidently considering that the glory of working on the first railroad was sufficient pay. For these reasons he soon became dissatisfied and concluded to abandon frontier life for civili- zation. With his family he started to return east, via the Panama route,. on the ill-fated steamer Yankee Blade, which in the course of the voyage was wrecked off the coast of Santa Barbara. The family had a hard struggle to reach the coast five miles away, where they were finally picked up by the steamer Brother Jonathan (which was recently wrecked in northern waters), and were taken to Los Angeles. After remaining there one week they re- turned to San Francisco by another steamer. Richard Hall concluded that the fates opposed his return to the east, and he accordingly went back to Sac- ramento, where he remained until 1856, and then bought a farm in Solano county, where he successfully tilled the soil until his death, in 1889. He was a native of Ireland and of English descent. His wife was a native of Eng- land, and came from an old English family of prominence. She emigrated to this country in girlhood, and was married to Richard Hall in St. Law- rence county, New York. Her death occurred in 1868. She left two sons and six daughters. William, the elder son, and two daughters have since died, and the daughters now living are: Mrs. Nancy Bloom, of Dixon, Solano county ; Mrs. Bertha Goe, of Trinity county; Mrs. Amelia Frahn, of San Francisco; and Mrs. Jane Lemoine, of Texas.
Thomas B. Hall spent his early days on a farm, became familiar with all the labor and discipline incident to the tilling of the soil, and the training which he received there has remained with him as a valuable asset through- out his commercial life. He has always retained his interest in agriculture, and has operated a farm in addition to his mercantile business. He received his education in the public schools of Sacramento, and in Silveyville, Solano county, graduating in 1868. For the following year he attended the Pa- cific Business College of San Francisco. With all the aspirations of a boy of sixteen, and the vigor and rugged constitution of a boy fresh from rural life, he came to Sacramento in 1869 and secured a position as porter in the wholesale grocery firm of Milliken Brothers. Seven years from that time he had mastered all the details of the business and risen to a place of confidence and responsibility with the company, so that in 1876 he succeeded his employers in the business and established the Hall, Luhrs and Company, which has continued without change of name or partnership ever since. The first location was at the corner of Third and K streets, but by 1883 the increasing volume of trade made it necessary that more commo- dious quarters be secured, so that the present location on Second between I
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and J streets was selected, where the firm has had an uninterrupted course of prosperity ever since and is now doing the largest wholesale grocery busi- ness in the city.
Mr. Hall was one of the organizers of the Mount Shasta Mineral Springs Company of Siskiyou county, and his firm held the controlling interest un- til the enterprise was well started, and then sold to other parties. He is a Republican, and has taken such interest in politics as is consistent with the busy life of a merchant and good citizen. He was one of the freeholders and a framer of the city charter, and as a member of the chamber of com- merce for many years has done much work of a public nature, and has been repeatedly called upon to act on committees having charge of public works and enterprises. He was very active in the organization of the Orangevale colonization project, which was carried to a happy and successful conclu- sion and was an enterprise of great importance to the city and county of Sac- ramento. It had the effect of settling up large tracts of land with desirable people, and the work is one to which all the men connected therewith can point with pardonable pride. Mr. Hall was president of this company from its inception to the end. When the auditing board to the commissioner of public works was first organized, Mr. Hall was appointed a member by Gov- ernor J. H. Budd, and served on it six years, until it was wiped out of exis- tence by Governor H. T. Gage and a new board organized.
Mr. Hall has had quite a military career, and as a result of it carries the title of captain. He joined Company E, of an artillery regiment, in 1885, and soon after his enlistment was made a corporal. Shortly thereafter he was elected captain of Company G, of the same regiment, and held that posi- tion for ten consecutive years, until 1896, when he concluded that he had served his country long and faithfully and desired to give someone else a chance to secure the title. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and is the present eminent commander of the Sacramento Commandery No. 2, K. T. and is also a Noble of the Mystic Shrine.
Mr. Hall was married in Sacramento, March 25, 1876, to Miss Selina A. Govan, a native of Philadelphia and a daughter of James and Elizabeth Govan, of Scotch and English families, and descending from a long line of stonemasons, marble-cutters, contractors and builders. Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Hall: Ward E., now cashier of the firm of Hall, Luhrs and Company; and Miss Ethel B., a student at Stanford University.
GENERAL JOHN H. DICKINSON.
General Jolın H. Dickinson is one of the most conspicuous figures in the history of jurisprudence in San Francisco, having gained distinctive preferment at the bar of the central portion of his state. He entered upon practice in 1873 and his success came soon, for his equipments were unusually good, he having been a close and earnest student of the fundamental prin- ciples of law. Nature endowed him with strong mentality and he developed that persistent energy and close application without which there is no suc- cess. His advancement has been continuous and commendable, and to-day
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he is recognized as one of the leaders of his chosen profession in his adopted city.
General Dickinson was born April 8, 1849, in Parkersburg, Virginia, and is a son of Josiah S. and Mrs. (Jackson) Dickinson. The father was a merchant and came to California in pioneer days in the development of this state, arriving in the year 1850. The following year he removed to Oregon, where he engaged in merchandising and in agricultural pursuits. He attained the advanced age of eighty-three years, but his wife died when the subject of this review was only about nine months old.
General Dickinson was in his infancy when brought by his father to the Pacific coast. His education was acquired almost entirely by studying at home, his going to school being all comprised within a period of one year. In 1868 he located in Benicia, California, and there became military instructor and teacher in St. Augustine's College. He occupied that posi- tion until July, 1873, and in the meantime took up the study of law, which he pursued so assiduously that he passed the supreme court examination and was licensed to practice in the spring of 1873. In August of that year he entered upon his professional career in San Francisco and gradually worked his way upward until he has now a distinctively representative clientage.
The interests which have made claims upon the time and co-operation of General Dickinson have been those for the betterment of mankind, and the improvement of his city or the welfare of his state receives his endorsement and assistance. In April, 1871, he became a member of the National Guard of California, joining Company B of the First Regiment, at which time he was made captain. He was chosen colonel of the First Infantry on the 28th of June, 1880. and was twice re-elected to that position, continuously serving in that capacity until 1891. In 1891 he was made brigadier general of the Second Brigade and was retired as such in May, 1895, and in February, 1898, was appointed major general, commanding the entire National Guard of California, a position which he still holds. He has been equally prominent in political circles and in 1879 was elected state senator, serving during the first two sessions held under the new constitution. He was also elected to represent Marin and Contra Costa counties in the sessions of 1895 and 1897.
On the Ist of January, 1875, General Dickinson was married to Miss Annie Shipman, a daughter of Mrs. S. O. Putman, of San Francisco. To General and Mrs. Dickinson has been born one son, Reginald H., who is now conducting a ranch at Skagg's Springs, California.
General Dickinson is prominent in the Masonic fraternity, being past- master of California Lodge No. 1, F. & A. M., and also belonging to Golden Gate Commandery, K. T., and also to the Mystic Shrine. His political allegiance has ever been given to the Republican party, and as the promoter of its interests he has left the impress of his individuality upon the political history of his adopted state. He took an active part in the incorporation of Sausalito and was president of its board of trustees during the first eight years of its existence. In the various positions of prominence in which he has been found his course has been characterized by a masterful understanding of the problems presented and by a patriotic devotion to those measures
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which he has believed conducive to the public good. He is popular among the political leaders of the Golden state, and at the same time in professional circles in San Francisco he occupies a position of distinction.
BEHREND JOOST.
Behrend Joost is one of the leading representatives of the business interests of San Francisco, and there is in the city probably no man who has done more for the business development and substantial upbuilding of this part of the state than has Mr. Joost. He certainly deserves great credit for what he has accomplished, as he started out in life empty-handed, possessing no capital in money but having a rich store of determination, of strong pur- pose and integrity. Upon these qualities as a foundation he has constructed his success and as the architect of his own fortunes has builded wisely and well. His career is certainly one well worthy of emulation and he belongs to that class of representative American citizens who while promoting their individual interests have also advanced the general welfare and public pros- perity.
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