USA > California > A memorial and biographical history of northern California, illustrated. Containing a history of this important section of the Pacific coast from the earliest period of its occupancy...and biographical mention of many of its most eminent pioneers and also of prominent citizens of today > Part 126
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a cattle range and wholly in a state of nature. There are now ninety acres of choice grapes, such as Zinfandel, Burgundy, Pinot, Riesling, Chasselas, Carignane, etc .; and eventually the vineyards will be increased to 200 acres. The cellar contains cooperage for 50,000 gallons of wines, and tunnels are being run into the hill that will give unlimited storage capacity. This year's make was 30,000 gallons. Upon the place are two fine, hard-finished residences, well kept gardens and grounds, and the usual barns, corrals, etc., of a gentleman's country-seat.
Mr. Hall is a native son of California, born February 10, 1859, at Auburn, Placer County. His father, E. M. Hall, Sr., is a prominent pio- neer and now a member of the well-known firm of T. Whiteley & Co., stockbrokers of San Francisco. Mr. Hall was raised and educated in this State.
He is married to Miss Lillian Tubbs, the daughter of H. Tubbs, Esq., the well-known inerchant of San Francisco. They have three children: Hiram, now seven years old; Ed- ward, now five; and Susie, an infant danghter.
N. HENRICK, proprietor of a packing honse and manufacturer of ice at Madi- o son, Yolo County, is one of the enter- prising and leading business inen of that connty. Hard work and good management have brought him to his present business stand- ing and financial status. He was born in Czier- nach, Germany, March 17, 1848, the son of Philip F. and Barbara (Fredner) Henrick, na- tives of the same town; his father was born in November, 1817, was a butcher by trade and dealer in live-stock, and finally died in his native country, in 1859. His wife, born May 11, 1822, is still living, at the old home. The genealogy of the family is traceable back for three centuries, in Cziernach.
In 1864 Mr. Henrick, onr subject, came to California, by way of New York and the Isth- mus; on the Atlantic side he sailed on the
steamer Arizona, and on the Pacific side the Golden City. He was on the sea thirteen days from Germany to New York, and twenty-four days thence to San Francisco. After remaining sone time with his uncle on a ranch in Solano County, he entered the butcher business in San Francisco and Sacramento at the time time. Seven years afterward, in 1870, he went to Cot- tonwood (now Madison), Yolo County, where he was manager and book-keeper for a large packing house and meat market owned by James Asbury of Woodland. Two years after- ward he went into the business for himselt again, on a small scale, and now he has a large icc manufactory and packing house there, and meat markets in a number of towns. He kills yearly about 5,000 hogs, and he also packs and wholesales all the other staple meats, lard, etc. He also has 220 acres of well-improved land within a quarter of a mile of Madison. He is a mem- ber of Madison Lodge, No. 287, I. O. O. F., and of the Encampment, No. 62.
He was first married in Sacramento in 1870, to M. L. Rehmke, and they had five children, namely: Frederick C., Adolph T., Anna M., Julins E. and Philip T. Frederick and Adolph T. were taken to Europe by their father to school for three years, and have just recently returned. Mr. Henrick's second marriage was in 1884, to Miss Caroline Bachstein.
POTTERTON, fruit-grower and vine- yardist, is one of the pioneer and prom- inent frnit-growers of the upper part of Napa Valley. Ilis fine ranch and orchards are located abont a mile and a half almost east of St. Helena, just at the edge of the foothills, and include both hill ranges and fertile bottom lands. In all he has about forty acres in trees and vines. The trees most planted are silver prunes, French prunes, and peaches and pears, although a variety of other kinds are grown for table use. He has erected a dryer of his own device that is certainly of most admirable con-
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struction, being so arranged that the fruit is evenly dried without the necessity of shifting the trays. The capacity of the dryer is about 2,000 pounds per day of ten hours. He has separation, dippers, etc., such as are usually found in like establishments. The dried fruit presented a very fine, glossy appearance, and the writer was much surprised to learn that artifi- cial glossing was not required.
Mr. Potterton was born in Lancaster, Eng- land, December 6, 1820, his parents being both of English stock. In 1846 he left England for the United States and for a time was engaged in wool-combing in Massachusetts. In the fall of that year he returned to England, but sailed again for America in March, 1847, it being a curious circumstance that both trips were made on board the same ship and with the same captain; and while the first voyage took four weeks the latter took four weeks and one day. He took up wool-combing again, but after about six months engaged in a woolen manufactory in Connecticut. Finally he de termined to come to California, and sailed via Nicaragua in the fall of 1855. Although ship- wrecked and having to put into Norfolk, Vir. ginia, he finally reached San Francisco in safety, in the early part of 1856. He went first to the mines on Dry Creek, Nevada County, where he stayed two years. He then started for the Fraser River, but on reaching San Francisco was so discouraged by the reports of some re- turning that he gave up the trip. He took a position as butcher on a Pacific mail steamer and went on from Panama to New York. He remained East until 18-, then went out to Oregon, but not liking it came back to Cali- fornia and engaged in the chicken business at the corner of Folsom and Twenty-second streets, San Francisco. IIe afterward worked for a time in Mission Woolen Mills. In the fall of 1868 he purchased his present snug farm of 160 acres, and in March, 1869, came up here to reside. Since that time he has transformed it from a wilderness into almost a garden, and now has a very valuable piece of property, with
a comfortable residence on the hillside beside the road. This was built about four years ago, as the house he had formerly occupied was ac- cidentally blown up in December, 1885.
Mr. Potterton was married October 11, 1862, to Mrs. S. M. Boyd, nee Anderson, at Aurora, Illinois. They have had four children: Frank, born January 24, 1870; William, Angust 30, 1872; Eugene, August 6, 1874, and Nellie, born 1877, but died young. Frank is learning the trade of blacksmithing. William is now in the mountains for his health and Eugene at home. Mrs. Potterton has a daughter by a former marriage, who is now Mrs. Annie Ma- cauley, lives at Calistoga, and has three children. Her brother, John Anderson, was the first man to locate in the Yosemite and was the first white man to be buried there.
Mr. Potterton is a Democrat of pronounced but liberal views.
DUCKWORTH is now the sole proprietor of the St. Helena Foundry and Machine Shops, the only establishment of its kind in the vicinity. The business was begun ori- ginally in July, 1883; under the firm name of Taylor, Duckworth & Geming, all these gentle- men having been previously in the employment of the Government at the Mare Island Navy Yard. In 1886 Mr. W. L. Russell bought out Mr. Taylor's interest, and the firm was then Duckworth, Geming & Co. At the end of that year Messrs. Duckworthi & Gemning bought out Mr. Russell, and finally in October, 1889, Mr. Duckworth bought out his remaining partner, and is conducting the business alone. From the tirst he had been the moving spirit; and it was largely owing to his energy and business tact that it was a success from the very first, and has possessed constantly increasing dimensions. It was begun first as a planing-mill, but was soon expanded to include also the general work of a foundry and machine shop. In addition, all kinds of job work is done, the making of presses,
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pumps, etc., etc. The specialty of the establish- inent is wine-machinery of all kinds, as screw and toggle and hydraulic presses, elevators, crushers and stemmers, pomace cars, and in fact everything pertaining to wine-machinery. It is generally conceded that they manufacture the best hydraulic wine-press on the coast. At the Mechanics' Fair, 1888, they carried off first premium. General agricultural work, making and repairing of machinery, blacksmithing, etc., are also included, and the setting up of boilers, engines, mills, etc. In the summer of 1889 a disastrous fire occurred, involving a loss of $15,000, and leaving nothing but the substan- tial stone walls of the main building standing and a damaged engine and boiler. This building is 75 x 45 feet in size and two stories and a half in height, and at time of visit preparations were being made for a large addition to contain the dynamo room and blacksmith shop,-for Mr. Duckworth is the Superintendent of the St. Helena Electric Light and Power Company, and supplies the power by which the dynamo is run. A new 125-horse-power engine has just been placed in position, to afford greater power. The situation of the works is near the Southern Pacific Railroad depot.
Mr. Duckworth was born in 1850, in Stark County, near Peoria, Illinois, where his parents still reside,-his father being a farmer of the section. Young Duckworth was raised as a farmer, and brought up to the hard work and honest endeavor that farmers' sons usually ex- perience. Failing health induced him to come to California in 1878, and for a time worked in the railway shops at Sacramento, and later for five years at the Mare Island Navy Yard, in the employment of the Government. In 1883 he came to St. IIelena, and has since tlien been identified with the progress of this section. When he began here he had only his hands and a determination to do his best. He prospered with the prosperity of the town, and notwith- standing the severe losses by fire, is now well above circumstances and commands the fullest confidence of the community by his promptness
and integrity,-as good an example as can be cited of what may be accomplished by industry and rectitude in this country, and a splendid instance of the self-made man. He has a family consisting of wife and three children, his oldest daughter being married. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias.
It should be further stated that he employs from ten to thirty men according to the season.
F. INMAN, orchardist and nursery- man at St. Helena, was born in Rod- man, Jefferson County, New York, June 25, 1839. His early life until his eigh- teenth year was passed as a farmer's boy at the paternal homestead. After attending for two years the Union Academy at Bellevue, in his native county, he became a teacher in the pub- lic schools. In 1860 he began to be occupied in various pursuits in Illinois, Iowa and Wis- consin. In January, 1862, he enlisted as a private soldier at Dubuque, Iowa, in the Thir- teenth United States Regular Infantry, com- manded by Colonel (now General) William T. Sherman. This regiment was first stationed at Jefferson Barracks, near St. Louis, and at Alton, Illinois, and then ordered to Covington, Ken- tucky, to check Morgan in his raid. In Decem- ber they mnoved down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers to Memphis on the transport Forest Green, convoyed by gunboats, and led the fleet down the river to break the Rebel blockade. They afterward engaged in the battles of Chick- asaw Bayon and Yazoo Bluffs, camped at Mil- liken's Bend, assisted Grant in canal digging above Vicksburg, crossed the Mississippi at Grand Gulf, formed a column in the invest- ment of Vicksburg, captured Fort Gibson, Grand Gulf and Jackson, engaged at Raymond, Edward's Station, upper crossing of Black River, Champion Hill and in the advance line at the storming of Vicksburg, May 19, 1863. In the meantime Mr. Inman passed through the various grades of non-commissioned officers,
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being Sergeant and Captain, and leading the column of occupation into the city of Vicks- burg. In the summer of 1863 he was attacked by fever and agne, the direct result of exposure and a partial sunstroke, which in course of time developed an affection of the lungs. In 1864, on the advice of medical authority and on a surgeon's certificate of disability, he re- signed and returned to the scenes of his boyhood.
After partially recovering his health he en- gaged in the manufacture of lumber for a time; 1871-'73 was in a mercantile business, and, again losing his health, as a last resort he moved to California, with his wife and two sons, arriv- ing in January, 1876, and settling at St. Helena, Napa County. There he began farming, on thirty acres of land within the corporate limits of the town, with direct reference to his health. He has planted and developed an orchard and vineyard, and in 1880 he added the nursery business, and now has the leading nursery of the upper valley. Out-door work and climatic influences have greatly beneficed his health; still he does not believe that absolute recovery is possible. He is now serving his second term as a member of the Board of Education and a fourth term as a Town Trustee, being at this time President of the Board. He is also serving for the fourth year as Secretary of the Royal Arch Chapter of Freemasons. He is named by the local paper as a candidate for County Clerk in the coming election, of November, 1890. He is an honorable, hard-working and public-spirited citizen, and a faithful public servant, a sound business man, able, energetic and reliable.
R. G. B. CARR is the leading dentist of St. Helena, enjoying a large and increas- ing patronage, and being the successor of Dr. C. E. Davis, whose practice lie purchased in June, 1885. Dr. Carr is a native of Califor- nia, born at Grass Valley, Nevada County, November 16, 1861. His father is L. M. Carr,
a native of Maine, a well-known and prominent citizen of Grass Valley, a '49er, a carpenter and millwright by trade, and a miner in the early days. Dr. Carr was brought up and edu- cated in Grass Valley, and pursued the study of his profession at Virginia City, Nevada, where he practiced until he removed to Los Angeles in 1884, and conducted a large business in partnership with Dr. W. R. Bird, now of Bird & Palmer, and one of the leading dentists then. Dr. Carr was married to Miss -- Scott at Sacramento in 188 -. They have no children. Dr. Carr is a prominent member of the Native Sons of the Golden West, of which body he has been Second Vice-President. He is a popular and progressive young man with a bright future before him.
ENRY W. CRABB, the owner of the cele- brated To Kalon vineyard at Oakville, Napa County, is one of the leading and most ex- perienced and successful viticulturists of Cali- fornia. While others, such as Messrs. Krug and Pellatt, preceded him by a few years in the actnal manufacture of wine, he is yet a true pioneer in the business, by virtue of the fact that he was the first to introduce machinery into the working of grapes (in 1874), and was one of the very earliest to import foreign varieties and improve the Californian stock. He searched all over the world, bringing in about 300 varie- ties, and as a result of his experience, finds that about the best white wine grapes are the Sau- vignon Vert and Golden Chasselas, while in red wine grapes come Black Burgundy, Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In addition to the grapes from the 360 acres of his own vineyard, Mr. Crabb buys extensively from the surrounding country, and his vintages range from 200,000 to 500,000 gallons, according to the season. The cellars at To Kalon are plain and unpretentious, but very spacions and sernpulously clean the machinery and appliances of the most approved pattern; and the very greatest care is taken in
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every process, from picking the grape to send- ing out the finest wines. Comparatively little wine is bottled at the cellar, most of it being shipped in bulk. What is bottled is all three years old and must be perfect in every regard. The fine display at Platt's Hall, San Francisco, bearing the To Kalon trade-mark, will give an idea of the fine wines bottled at this winery. Mr. Crabb has agencies as follows: Pohndorff & Co., Washington. District of Columbia; G. Zoll, Chicago; Napa Valley Wine Company, Minneapolis; Connor & Hughes, Kansas City, Missouri, and B. Forget, New Orleans. Through these he has a large and increasing trade throughout the United States. The es- tate is a fine one, stretching from the county road back to the foothills, and has all kinds of soil from which to select the most suitable for the different vines. Abundant supplies of pure water for all purposes is obtained in the hills. Besides the vines, there are also thriving or- chards of almonds, oranges and lemons, per- simmons and general fruits-the whole place, indeed, being an orderly wilderness of vines and trees. The vines are chiefly foreign va- rieties grafted on resistant stocks, and the most celebrated wine is a Burgundy, produced from what is known as Crabb's Black Burgundy Grape, whose virtues Mr. Crabb was the first to discover. Most of the vines are fromn twelve to eighteen years old, and are well sheltered. As a successful wine-maker Mr. Crabb is with- ont a peer in the State, and his ideas are fre- quently embodied in papers which are read at the meetings of the Grape-Growers' and Wine- Makers' Association in San Francisco, exciting much favorable comment. There is also a very complete distillery, with appurtenances. It should be stated further that Mr. Crabb ships the To Kalon wines frequently to England, Bel- ginin and other European countries. He car- ried away a bronze medal at the Paris Exposi- tion in 1889, and has taken gold and silver medals and awards of merit at every local or State fair at which he has exhibited.
Mr. Crabb was born in Jefferson County,
Ohio, January 1, 1828, and is the eldest child of Henry and Esther (Walker) Crabb. When twelve years old the family removed to Adams County, Ohio, where he received his education at the schools of the district. January 4, 1853, he sailed from New Orleans for California, ar- riving in this State on the last day of that month. He went at once to the mines, and for six months worked in Placer and Nevada coun- ties. He then settled in Alameda County, near Haywards, and followed farming, until in 1865 he came to Napa County and purchased his present beautiful and valuable property. He was married in 1851 to Miss Rebecca A. Dono- hoe, who died in 1862, leaving three children: Amanda M., now Mrs. W. T. Johnson; and Adda H. and Horace A., both of whom assist their father. He married, secondly, Miss Eliz- abeth P. Carmer, a native of New York, and by this union they have one danghter, Cora Car- mer.
HOMAS G. ROGERS, who is one of the older settlers on the Pacific coast, was born in Ramsgate, Kent, England, April 18, 1818. The family removed thence to Shrop- shire, England, and there resided until, in 1833, they sailed for America, landing in the city of New York on Christmas day of that year. They stayed there through the winter and in the spring came on up into Ohio, where they suf- fered much. with the fever and ague. His father and sister died within six months. Ilis mother took a farm and remained there for five years. They then went on to Iowa, settling on the banks of the Mississippi, two miles below Fort Madison. When the next purchase of Indian lands was made, they moved on to that, being the first settlers there. Here they re- mained for two years, when they moved to the Des Moines River opposite Fort Keosanqua Thence Mr. Rogers went back to England, re- maining in the old country a twelvemonth and returning in 1846. He then got ready and
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crossed the plains by ox team to Oregon, the train consisting of eighteen wagons, and being called the Oscaloosa Company. They had a rather serious time, breaking up with the loss of forty head of draft cattle. He settled on the banks of the Columbia River opposite and above Fort Vancouver. In 1848 he came down to California and mined on the American River. He wintered at Hangtown, and upon his mother joining him next spring they came up to Napa County. They stayed successively at Bald- ridge's, Bale's, and Comb's, finally in 1851 pur- chasing his present place in the lower end of Conn Valley. He owns about 700 acres of land, some of the finest under the sun, of his own, and in addition his wife owns 300 or 400. This is devoted to the raising of cattle, horses, grain, hay, etc., and about 100 acres are farmed generally.
Mr. Rogers was married August 11, 1879, to Mrs. Cord, formerly a Miss Henson, of Indiana. She had four children, two sons and two danghters, of whom the oldest son and youngest daughter reside with Mr. Rogers, the others being married and away. Mr. Rogers is a Republican, and a highly respected citizen.
H. CASTNER, SR., grape-grower and wine-maker of Napa Valley, has been a resident of California since 1861, the last twenty years of that time having been spent in Napa County. Mr, Castner was born in Waldoboro, Lincoln County, Maine, March 8, 1829, his father being a ship-builder at that point. He was brought up to the business of shipwright, following that avocation until he went West, at the age of twenty-eight, to Wheat- land, Rice County, Minnesota. There he fol- lowed farming for two years, and then until the spring of 1860 he followed his trade on the Mississippi, when he sailed for San Francisco via Cape Horn. After a tedious voyage of 162 days he reached his destination and immediately began to work at his trade for the Pacific Mail
Steamship Company, remaining with them un- til 1870. He then came to Napa County and purchased his present place. He owns a fine tract of fifty-one acres, thirty-five of which are set out in vines, adjoining Krug Station. His eldest son, W. H. Castner, Jr., owns forty acres not far off, thirty of which is in vines. On this latter place is the winery and cellars conducted by the two, which are very solidly constructed of stone and have a tunnel dug into the side of the hill for the better storage of wines. The capacity is 70,000 gallons. Only dry wines, such as clarets and white wines, are manufactured, no distillery being connected with the establish- Inent. For the purpose of securing the best, market possible the son conducts a wholesale and retail wine and liquor store at No. 5, Ninth street, San Francisco, near Market.
Mr. Castner was married in Lincoln County, Maine, to Miss Sarah C. Sonle, a native of that county. They have tive living children: William H., Jr., born October 1, 1856, in Maine, who is married and has three children, named re- speetively, John William, five years old; Ralph Waldo, aged three, and Elmer, aged one; Lewis Preston, born 1858, is married and has two children, and resides at Weaverville; Frank Ellsworth, now twenty-one years old, and is in Washington Territory; Albert Wendell, nine- teen years old, in charge of the San Francisco store, and Mary A, fifteen years old and resid- ing at home.
J. AIKEN, M. D., Medical Director of the Veteran Home Association, was ap-
O pointed to this position September 1, 1888, where he has for treatment cases especi- ally of rheumatism, asthma, catarrh, etc. He was born in Ohio in 1841, and as he grew np he was employed for a time in the Fifteenth Pennsyl- vania Cavalry, afterwards in the United States Sigual Service; was attending Washington (Pennsylvania) College when the war broke out; and he enlisted in 1862, at the age of
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nineteen years, and served until in 1865. He studied medicine at Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, and afterward practiced at Vir- ginia City, Nevada, for five years; next at Win- ters, Yolo County.
He has four sons and two daughters. The eldest son is attending University, the second is at Yountville, the third is attending high school, and the fourth is at home.
RED W. LOEBER is the pioneer in his department, namely, the breeding of stand- ard and blooded horses, in Napa County, and it is chiefly to his exertions that the Napa and Solano Agricultural Association, with its unequaled fair grounds and speeding traek at Napa City, owes its existence. When Mr. Loe- ber came to this valley in 1876, very little, if anything, was being done in the way of raising or breeding high-grade horses. He set the example, however, and already this portion of the State has attained a name for what is being done.
Mr. Loeber was born at Baltimore, Maryland, November 5, 1856, the son of John and Caro- line (Sommerlatt) Lober. His father has a prosperous stock business in that eity. Fred was educated for the life of a teacher, but did not pursue that calling, preferring to become his father's book-keeper. In 1876 he came to California, finally settling at his present loca- tion, about a mile below St. Helena in the spring of 1877. While the home place is rather sınall, the owner controls a large number of aeres on the bottom lands, where the grass is green almost all the year round, with a good water supply and plenty of trees to shelter the broodmares and the foals when they desire to get out of the sun's rays. In addition he has a mountain ranch above St. Helena, where he runs stock and other animals. His younger brother, Charles E. Loeber, has charge of this for him. The first stallion that Mr. Loeber used for breed- ing purposes was Naubuc, a full brother of the
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