USA > California > A history of the new California, its resources and people; Vol I > Part 52
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He lived in the east until he was about twenty-seven years old, and in 1852 embarked at New York city on the ship Racer, and after a long voy- age of one hundred and thirty-two days around the Horn arrived in San Francisco. In that city he became a clerk in the commission house of Wil- liam H. Stowell, who was one of the pioneer commission merchants of the state. In the fall of 1854 he arrived in San Joaquin county and in company with his two brothers engaged in general agriculture and ranching on the Sonora road about nine miles from Stockton. This business was carried on for a number of years, and the firm was familiarly known as the "Wright Boys." Having sold out his interest in this enterprise Mr. Wright opened a general merchandise establishment at Eight Mile Corners located on the Sonora road eight miles from Stockton, and later, near this same place, he once more took up ranching. Subsequently for a short time he was super- intendent of Melones' Old Mine, located at Robinson's ferry on the Stanis- laus river. Then for a number of years following this last mentioned enter- prise he continued his agricultural pursuits near the Corners, until 1877, when he moved into Stockton, where he has resided to the present time. Ever since coming to the county he has given much attention to the wheat growing and shipping industry, and since taking up his residence in the city of Stockton he has been particularly active in this line of commercial en- deavor. He is one of the influential Democrats of this part of the state, and for several years served as postmaster at Eight Mile Corners.
Mr. Wright was born in Washington county, New York, August 20, 1825, being a son of Caleb and Maria (Thorn) Wright, both natives of New York state, the paternal ancestors being English. On July 30, 1864, Mr. Wright married Miss Fannie Kennedy, who was born in the north of Ire- land, and in 1859 accompanied her parents direct to California, coming by the isthmus route. Her parents, Thomas and Fannie (Long) Kennedy, lo- cated on the Sonora road about nine miles from Stockton, but after several years of residence there they returned to their native north Ireland, where they died. Andrew Kennedy, an uncle of Mrs. Wright, came to California, crossing the plains in 1849. He had formerly lived in St. Johns, New Bruns-
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wick. It was owing to this fact that her parents came to California. Four children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Wright, two sons by the name of Henry A., the first one having died young, and the daughter Minnie M. is also de- ceased. Alice M. is the wife of Walter A. Morrisey, of Los Angeles. The living son Henry A., popularly known as "Chick" Wright, has a world-wide reputation as a champion amateur billiardist, and is a member of the well known grain brokerage firm of Yates and Wright at 303 California street, San Francisco. He is a very popular young man in business and social circles, and has been successful in whatever he has undertaken.
WARREN O. BOWERS.
Warren O. Bowers, who is known everywhere in Sacramento and pretty well throughout the state as Jo Bowers, is one of the two living pioneer hotel men of this city, where he has been a resident since 1873. He is now proprietor of the Capital Hotel, one of the first-class houses of the city and popular with the traveling public for its fine cuisine and comfortable accom- modations. Mr. Bowers, though for so long a citizen of the west and of Sacramento, has had a career of many phases of activity and experience and in various localities of the western world, beginning at railroading at his peaceful little New England state, thence being transferred to some of the most hazardous service during the times of the Civil war, and after that coming to the stirring and bustling west and partaking of its vigorous life and spirit through the subsequent years of his long and active life. He is well on toward the threescore and ten mark, but his interest in the world and his own business affairs is unabated, and he will no doubt yet play many a part in the great drama of life.
Mr. Bowers was born at Nashua, New Hampshire, April 26, 1838, a son of Thomas and Betsey (Conery) Bowers, both natives of New Hamp- shire, and of old English families established in this country many genera- tions ago, some of whose members were gallant soldiers in the war of the Revolution. Thomas Bowers was a farmer, and died in 1857, and his wife died in 1892. They were the parents of nine children, and those living besides Warren are: William, who lives retired in Worcester, Mas- sachusetts; James, in Montpelier, Vermont; Elmira, the wife of Charles Crafts, of Waltham, Massachusetts; and Nancy, the wife of David Barber, of Nashua, New Hampshire.
Warren O. Bowers was educated in the common schools of Nashua, and concluded his studies in the high school at the age of fourteen. He began work in the West India Goods store, but at the age of sixteen took up the career of railroading, which he continued until 1861, the last year being spent at Wilmington, North Carolina. He was there when the war broke out, and he then became engineer on board the steamer Alice, which plied between Wilmington and the West Indies, and was one of the swiftest of the vessels which comprised the blockade running fleet of the southern states. It was a profitable business, but was exceedingly dangerous, and became more so as the Union ships became masters of all the southern
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harbor lines. The Alice was one of the successful few that operated from 1861 to 1865, and though often fired upon it always escaped. As an ex- ample of what happened more than once, one morning at daybreak a steamer was sighted four miles astern, and it kept up the chase till four o'clock that day. The Alice was heavily loaded with cotton, and after being lightened of about seven hundred bales she began to gain and gradually got out of range of the big gun of the enemy, which had kept up a continuous firing, and most of the light work on the deck of the Alice was shot away before she reached Nassau.
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After peace had put an end to this eventful and dangerous occupation, Mr. Bowers engaged in various lines of work for two years, and in 1867 came to California by way of the Nicaragua route. He was then interested in the theatrical business, and brought Mr. and Mrs. Bates to the coast and toured them all over the state. In 1868 he once more took up railroading, being in the service of the Central Pacific for five years. He was then in the saloon business in Sacramento for four years, and at the same time bought the Union Hotel and conducted it for five years. In 1877 he bought the Golden Eagle Hotel, and managed it for nine years with great success. From that time until April, 1900, he was retired from active pursuits, but at the latter date he had the Capital Hotel rebuilt and refitted as a high- grade hostelry, and on May 30 opened it to the public, which has shown its appreciation of his efforts by its liberal patronage ever since. Mr. Bowers owns a small ranch at the edge of town, and on this he raises all the poultry, eggs, fruit and milk and cream for the use of his hotel, and also raises some fine horses. He has been a successful and judicious man- ager of his property, and has gained a gratifying degree of prosperity by his efforts.
Mr. Bowers has been active in the interests of the Democratic party, having attended county conventions, although never willing to accept office, and in his quiet way has been a considerable factor in matters political. He married, in Montpelier, Vermont, in May, 1859, Miss Eliza Kimball, a na- tive of Vermont and of Revolutionary stock descended from Scotch-English ancestors. Mr. Bowers has affiliated with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks for the past twenty-seven years, and is valiant commander of the Royal Arch.
GEORGE HARVEY CLARK.
George Harvey Clark, who is engaged in the undertaking business in Sacramento, was born April 24, 1864, in Florin, Sacramento county, his parents being J. Frank and Dilly A. (Lowell) Clark, both of whom were natives of the Empire state. The father came to California in 1852, crossing the plains with an ox team and locating at Florin, nine miles from the city of Sacramento. He was an expert accountant, but after coming to the west he abandoned his profession and turned his attention to agricultural pursuits. He was also secretary of the Capital Woolen Mills and later engaged in the retail grocery business in Sacramento. In 1875 he turned his attention to the undertaking business under the firm style of Wick & Clark, in which he
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continued up to the time of his retirement from active business life in 1892. His continuous industry and well directed efforts have proved the basic ele- ments in the acquirement of a competence, which in his later years provided him with all the necessities and many of the luxuries of life. Several times he was called to public service, acting as deputy under Assistant Treasurer Estadillo, and serving four successive terms as coroner of Sacramento county, his son, George H., succeeding him in that office. He was conscientious and faithful in the performance of every duty that developed upon him in this connection, and in his business career was found reliable and trustworthy. He died in the year 1902 leaving a family of two daughters and one son.
George Harvey Clark attended the primary and grammar schools in Sacramento in his boyhood days and afterward became a student in Howe's Business College. His education was concluded at the age of seventeen years, and he then engaged in business with his father and became his suc- cessor upon the latter's retirement. He has continued in the undertaking business up to the present time and is now associated with A. P. Booth under the firm style of Clark & Booth.
During the present year (1904) Mr. Clark and his associate have largely extended their undertaking business by the opening of magnificent parlors at 612 and 614 Van Ness avenue in San Francisco. The building, which is located between Golden Gate avenue and Turk street, has been especially constructed for the undertaking business and is modern and up-to- date in every one of its appointments.
He too has devoted some attention to official service, and in 1888 was elected coroner of Sacramento county, in which position he served for two years, and was then re-elected in 1890, so that his incumbency covered four years. In 1892 he was appointed by the board of supervisors to the same office and again served for four years. In 1899 he was elected mayor of Sacramento, and in 1901 was chosen for a second term, which covered the years 1902-3. Over his official record there falls no shadow of wrong or suspicion of evil, and in his administration of business affairs he was pro- gressive and business-like, having careful regard for the expenditure of money, yet manifesting none of that ultra-conservatism which blocks prog- ress and improvement. His elections have come to him as a candidate of the Republican party, of which he has long been an earnest and active cham- pion, taking a deep interest in local and state politics and frequently attend- ing the county and state conventions as a delegate.
In 1886 was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Clark and Miss Emma Garfield, a native of Sacramento and a daughter of Seth Garfield, superin- tendent of the Pioneer Flour Mills of Sacramento, who came to California in pioneer days, establishing his home in the capital city. One son has been born of this marriage, J. Frank Clark, named in honor of his paternal grand- father. Mr. Clark belongs to the Masonic fraternity and also has member- ship relations with the Odd Fellows, the Elks, the Native Sons of the Golden West, the Fraternal Order of Eagles, the Red Men, the Druids and the Knights of Pythias. Having spent his entire life in this county and been active in its business, political and fraternal circles, he has a wide acquaint-
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ance and enjoys the highest esteem and regard of those who have known him throughout his entire career.
O. A. LOVDAL.
The subject of this sketch is O. A. Lovdal, president of Lovdal Brothers Company, probably the largest growers of hops in the world, owning and controlling its own hop farms and valuable drying plants and store houses, with offices in Sacramento and New York city. Most of the land of the company is situated just northwest of Sacramento city, in Yolo county, in Reclamation District No. 537, the district containing between three thousand and four thousand acres of which Lovdal Brothers Company own over two thousand acres. The company also owns over one thousand acres of land outside of this district, all of the property being rich alluvial soil and situated on or near the banks of the Sacramento river in what is known as the great Sacramento Valley.
Lovdal Brothers Company also own one of the largest Bartlett pear orchards in the world, containing in one tract about one hundred and fifty acres of sixteen-year-old pear trees, with a capacity of yielding 40,000 boxes of fruit per annum.
As river bottom land, that is reclaimed, in California is considered the richest and most productive in the state, it may be interesting to refer to some of the accomplishments of the land owners of Swamp Land Reclama- tion District No. 537. They own and control the largest clam-shell dredger in the state, it having a bucket with a capacity of four and one-half cubic yards, and capable of handling 400 cubic yards per hour, or 8,800 cubic yards per day of twenty-two running hours. This dredger complete including two electric dynamos for lighting purposes, cost the district $54,000. The boom is 145 feet long and is capable of building a levee forty feet high with a base of 150 feet. Nineteen feet is the height of the levee that is being built for the district, and it will then be seven feet above the high-water mark. The dredger has now completed four and one-half miles of levee, the entire distance for the back levee being five miles. When the back levee is completed it is the intention of the directors of the district, of which Mr. Lovdal is president, to repair their front or river levee, making when complete a circle around the district of fifteen miles, on which will be a boulevard twenty-five feet wide on the surface with one hundred and twenty foot base.
Mr. Lovdal is a pioneer in the reclamation of lands, and his methods are original; one in particular, that has attracted the attention of some of the most eminent engineers of the state, is the idea of excavating the ditch on the land side and building the levee on the outside. This leaves the surface of the land outside of the levee intact and prevents the pressure of the water above from seeping through the levee as rapidly as it would with a ditch on the outside, thereby allowing the water to have a greater pressure.
The lands along the Sacramento river are not covered with water, but are subject to overflow and this manner of reclamation adds much to the productiveness of the soil, and increases the land value and protects the crops
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from being overflowed. When all the work is completed the land in this district will produce a net profit of ten per cent on $1,000 per acre.
California is conceded to be the most profitable hop-growing country in the world, land well cared for producing an average yield of 2,000 pounds per acre and often producing over 3,000 pounds per acre.
Mr. Lovdal has devoted his time and energies in pursuit of his vocation as a hop grower since he was a young man, and by close and careful atten- tion to business has attained a place of influence throughout the state. He is a man of strict integrity and broad-gauge character, and is very public- spirited, although his business career has not allowed him to participate to any great extent in public affairs.
Mr. Lovdal was born in St. Joseph, Missouri, in 1856. His father, O. O. Lovdal, was born in Norway and came to America at the age of twenty- five years, locating in St. Joseph, Missouri, where he commenced business as a merchant tailor. Having heard and read of the west and its wonderful resources and opportunities, he left St. Joseph with his family and came to California, locating in Sacramento county.
Mr. Lovdal's mother, whose given name was Tobena S. Olsen, was a great help to her husband in all his undertakings. She was a woman of broad mind and amiable character, and it was because of her many noble qualities that she was so successful in rearing and keeping together her family. Mrs. Lovdal died May 1.5, 1895. It is probably due to memory of Mr. Lovdal's mother that all members of the family have held so close together up to the present time, thus enabling them to form a company which with their com- bined interests makes it as already stated the largest hop-growing firm in the world.
The firm consists of the father, O. O. Lovdal, O. A. Lovdal, president ; W. E. Lovdal, vice president : G. B. Lovdal, treasurer; W. E. M. Beardslee, secretary; Mrs. Ovedia A. White, Mrs. Katie B. Fisk, and Mrs. Emma T. Beardslee.
Mr. Lovdal was educated in the public schools of Missouri and Califor- nia, having come to Sacramento when he was fifteen years of age. He at- tended the Sacramento high school and the State University, leaving the last-named school at the age of twenty-one to take up the hop business with his brother, T. B. Lovdal, who died in March, 1901. For the past twenty- nine years he has engaged in the various departments of the hop business and in general farming in Sacramento and Yolo counties.
Mr. Lovdal is a man of family, having three sons and one daughter.
In politics Mr. Lovdal is a Republican and in voting with his party takes a good citizen's interest in all public affairs.
JOHN SAMUEL DALY.
John Samuel Daly, who has been one of the rising and successful at- torneys of Sacramento since 1898, is a native of this state and county, and at an early age has gained a place of high esteem among his fellow citizens and his brethren at the bar. While he is especially devoted to his profes-
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sional work, he has also some very extensive agricultural interests in this county, and has proved himself to be an enterprising and progressive spirit in all that he has undertaken.
Mr. Daly was born on a ranch near Antelope, Sacramento county, Cali- fornia, June 5, 1873, His father, Judge Elisha Daly, was a pioneer of the state, having crossed the plains in 1850. He settled in Sacramento county and engaged in farming during the remainder of his life, which came to a close in 1891. He was of Irish descent, and held the office of district judge while living in one of the New York counties before his emi- gration to the west. He married Eliza Ramsey, who was born in Ireland, and her father, who was an Irish landlord, recently died at the age of one hundred and two years. She is still living on the ranch near Antelope. There were five sons and eight daughters in the family, as follows: John S., Elisha, Louis, Eugene, George, Jane, Hannah, Josephine, Maggie, Mary, Emma, Belle and Minerva.
John S. Daly was educated in the public schools, and graduated from the Stockton Business College in 1892. He then took a course in the San Jose State Normal School, graduating in 1896. For the following six months he taught school, and then entered the law department of the Stan- ford University. While in college he was a prominent football player, being on the team all through his college work, and played the position of half back. After two years' study in the university he took the bar examination and was admitted in 1898. Since then he has been engaged in a general practice in Sacramento, and has been very successful. He was appointed notary public in 1899 and reappointed in 1903.
Mr. Daly has always been interested in the success of the Republican party, and has represented it at state and county conventions, but has never sought office. He has fraternal affiliations with the Red Men, the Patrons of Husbandry, the Tribe of Ben Hur, the Foresters of America, and the Tau Sigma Tau college fraternity. He has been much interested in the farming industry and has done much to promote organization of farmers and the general advancement of their welfare. He is a member of the Farmers' Insurance Company of Sacramento, and also its legal representa- tive. With his brother Eugene he conducts the home place of eight hun- dred acres. They have a vineyard of forty acres, and Mr. Daly planted thirty acres of almond trees, which have proved a profitable part of the industry. They also raise other fruits, and carry on general farming oper- ations .and raise stock. Their father was one of the first to recognize the value of California as a fruit state, and planted one of the first orchards in its boundaries, in 1856. At that time he paid six dollars for each tree. In the early days he hauled fruit to the mines at Placerville and sold all he could raise to the miners.
ADEN C. HART, M. D.
Dr. Aden C. Hart, physician and surgeon of Sacramento, has practiced his profession in this city for nearly ten years, and has gained high favor among a large and representative clientage. He is a practitioner of equip-
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ment equal to that of the best, and he has been a devoted student of his pro- fession since youth. His broad knowledge of his science and sympathetic manner have given him rank among the most skilful and popular physicians and surgeons in the city.
Dr. Hart was born in Nicolaus, Sutter county, California, May 7, 1868, and is a member of a family which has given several influential members to the professions and the public life of this state, among them Dr. Hart's brother, Judge E. C. Hart, whose biography also appears in this work, with some extended mention of the family history.
Dr. Hart was educated in the public schools of Colusa county, graduat- ing from the Colusa high school in the class of 1886. For the following three years he studied medicine under Dr. Joseph S. West in Colusa, after which preliminary training he entered Cooper Medical College, from which he was graduated in 1891 with the degree of M. D. He then located in College City, Colusa county, and practiced three years and a half. He came to Sacramento in 1895, and has carried on his practice here ever since. He took a post-graduate course in the famous New York Post-Graduate Col- lege, and in 1901 made a second trip to the same city and took advantage of the exceptional opportunities offered in the hospitals of the city. He has always paid much attention to surgery, and has made considerable reputation for his skill in this department of the work.
Dr. Hart was appointed a member of the state board of health by Gov- ernor Pardee, on March 14, 1903, to fill out the unexpired term of Dr. Win- slow Anderson, whose name was withdrawn. The appointment was con- firmed by the senate, and his term will expire May 29, 1905. He is a mem- ber of the Sacramento Society for Medical Improvement, the Northern Dis- trict Medical Society, the California State Medical Society and the American Medical Association. In politics he is a stanch Republican.
FRED BECKMAN HART.
Fred Beckman Hart, who hung out his shingle at Sacramento in May, 1903, announcing himself as an attorney at law, has, before the tarnishing of a single letter of that inscription, gained a fair share of the legal business of his city and taken a leading position among the lawyers of this part of the state. His preparation for his profession has been the best obtainable, and his reading and study have been both deep and broad. He is enthusi- astically devoted to the law, both in its theory and its practice, and his rare ability, already demonstrated, as a forensic pleader and in the more intri- cate department of research and exposition is certain to advance him rap- idly to the goal of his ambition. Mr. Hart inherits his tendencies toward a professional career, being a son of the late General A. L. Hart and having brilliant connections among the professions in California. He is a nephew of Judge E. C. Hart and of Dr. A. C. Hart, both men of remarkable ability in their special lines, and whose personal histories will be found on other pages of this work; various other members of name and family are promi- nent and highly esteemed in this state.
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Mr. Hart was born in Colusa county, California, January 23, 1879, and is a son of the late Attorney General A. L. Hart, who was born in Bloomfield, Indiana, and came to California in the early days. At the age of twenty-one he was elected district attorney of Colusa county, which posi- tion he held for several terms, and was elected to office of attorney general of the state, being the first incumbent of that office under the new constitution. He held the office for four years from January 5, 1880. His death occurred on June 30, 1901. Mr. Hart's mother is Mary Alice (Beckman) Hart, who was born in Sacramento, being a daughter of William Beckman, whose biography also appears in this work. She is still living, and makes her home in San Francisco. There are two other children of the family, A. L. being an attorney of San Francisco, and Mary Beckman Hart residing with her mother.
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