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 79

Author: Lewis Publishing Company. cn
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Chicago : The Lewis publishing company
Number of Pages: 1000

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 79

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de la plus petite espéce," " petite olive excell- ente," "olive de petite espéce." Translated into English these mean, "Olive of the smallest species," " small excellent olive," " small spe- cies of olives." Of this variety he now has at his home in Napa a large supply, in the nursery, in hot-house, and in beds under glass, besides orange and lemon trees, he having lately added to his stock five varieties of the orange.

Mr. Flamant married the daughter of James W. Simonton, for many years general agent of the Associated Press of New York, and of the Call and Bulletin, of San Francisco, and has two sons: Adolphe, Jr., and James. He is of a good family and position in France, and a gentleman of high literary and social attain- inents.

ENJAMIN ELY, one of the well known farmers and stock-raisers of Yolo County, and a pioneer of 1850, dates his birth in Ralls County, Missouri, September 25, 1820, a son of Thomas and Margaret (Howard) Ely, the father a native of Virginia and the mother of Kentucky. The father, a fariner by occupation, removed from Virginia to Kentucky at an early age, and in 1818 removed to Missouri, becom- ing a pioneer also of that State, and he re- mained there in his humble calling until his death, which occurred in 1837, when he was forty-seven years old. The maternal grand- father of Benjamin Ely, namely James Howard, served through the entire war of the Revolution and received a pension for the same. Mr. Ely's mother died at her daughter's (Mrs. Griffin) resi- dence in Yolo County, in 1877, at the age of eighty-four years.

After the death of his father, the subject of this biographical notice, took charge of the home płace until he was married, April 15, 1850, when he started for the Golden West, with ox teams, and he arrived at Placerville as the sun was sinking behind the golden hills on August 26. After mining two weeks on the American

River, he suffered a siege of sickness, and on recovering he went to Sacramento and con- tracted to cut a certain amount of wood for $9 a cord, but was balked in the enterprise, and thus suffered a fatal blow to his brightest pros- pect. In 1851 he returned to Missouri by way of the Isthmus, being forty-five days on the way. He settled down there at farming, with the ex- pectation of remaining there the rest of his life; but ere long he saw that California was the eenter of business and excitement, which made him restless, and he sold out and in 1857 he caine again to the land of golden opportunities, bringing with him a drove of cattle. This time he had serious trouble with the Indians. Twice he had a hard-fought battle with the red savages, and he was wounded in his hand, the scar still remaining. He settled near where Winters is now located, and where he has ever since re- inained, making one of the best improved farms in the county. He has suffered losses and draw- haeks, however, but his enterprising spirit has carried him through. He now has 1,600 acres of choice agricultural land, in a state of fine cultivation. His large and handsome residence was erected in 1869. The place is situated fifteen miles southwest from Woodland and six miles from Winters. The latter is a thrifty town, the second in size in the county. Mr. Ely also has eighty acres of foot hill land, planted in choice fruit trees and vines. His place is properly known as Buckeye, there being at one time a thriving town on a portion of this ranch by that name; but the starting of Winters by the railroad drew Buckeye to that place, and its original site has relapsed into a portion of Mr. Ely's wheat-field. Mr. Ely has a finely furnished home. The interior is splendidly decorated, in great part by the artistic hand of one of his own daughters, who is an excellent painter.

The marriage of Mr. Ely to Miss Elizabeth Daniels, a native of Kentucky, took place in 1840. They have had ten children, viz .: John H; Margaret J., now the wife of M. O. Harlan; Sallie, wife of James McClure; Benjamin;

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James D; Nancy S, now Mrs. Leslie Button; Mary B., now Mrs. Lucius Spergin; Robert Lee; Dixie, the wife of James G. Crucher; and George E.

OSEPH W. PERRY, undertaker on Castro street, between Band C streets, Haywards, is by nature a mechanical genius. In his work-shop adjacent to his " parlors " (sales- room) he manufactures guitars, mandolins and various other stringed instruments of exquisite design and workmanship. He is also a designer of patterns and does general cabinet work. He was born on the Western Islands, ( Azores) July 12, 1844. At the age of fifteen years he came to California, locating at Yreka, Siskiyou County. In 1879 he came to Ilaywards and learned the shoemaker's trade. After a time he engaged in keeping a boarding-house and a saloon for three years, when he established his present business. He is considered by his townsmen an enter- prising and successful business man. He was naturalized at Yreka in 1865, and he is now a member of the Portuguese Beneficiary Associa- tion. His parents. Joseph and Marianna (Bit- tencurt) Perry, were also both natives of the Western Islands. The father was a carpenter by trade, and from him our subject has inherited his mechanical skill. He was married at Hay- wards, February 4, 1889, to Miss Mary Rod- rick, who is also a native of the same islands. They have one child, who is named Mary.

AMUEL E. HOLDEN, one of the most promising and enterprising of the business inen of Napa County, where he has resided for the past fifteen years, was born at West Concord, New Hampshire, February 3, 1845. He was educated in the public schools of that town and at the Wesleyan University, of Middle- town, Connecticut, graduating at that institution in 1869. In September, 1862, at the age of

seventeen years, Mr. Holden enlisted in the Sixteenth Regiment of New Hampshire Volun- teers, which served in the Department of the Gulf, under General N. P. Banks, during the first Red River campaign, and also at the siege of Port Hudson. This regiment was sent np the Atchafalaya River from the Teche country, and took possession of Fort Burton, at the junc- tion of the Atchafalaya with the canal, which was the means of supply, from the Attakapas country and Texas, of the Confederate force at Port Hudson. This cut off the Rebel supplies from the west, while Banks invested them closely on the east. But while occupying this position the Mississippi and its tributaries were very high, and the Rebels cut off the levees and flooded the whole country, thus ereating a mala- ria which nearly annihilated the regiment. It is said that they lost as many men from malaria contracted in those Louisiana swamps as any other New Hampshire regiment lost in the same length of time from battles and disease combined.

Mr. Holden is a member of Kit Carson Post, No. 74, of Napa. His father, Benjamin F. Holden, was for many years engaged in woolen mannfacture at Concord, New Hampshire, and founder of the firm of B. F. & D. Holden, after- ward incorporated, and now doing business under the name of the Concord Manufacturing Company. Mr. S. E. Holden still retains an interest and a directorship in this company. In early life most of his spare time and his vaca- tions from school were spent in the factory, where he not only acquired a habit of industry, but also gained a valuable acquaintance with wool and the machinery for its manufacture.

After his graduation in 1869, Mr. Holden studied law for three years with Minot, Tappan & Mugridge, of Concord, New Hampshire, and was admitted to the Grafton County Bar in 1872. He formed a partnership with Hon. S. K. Mason, of Bristol, New Hampshire. During his residence in Bristol, a charter was obtained for the Bristol Savings Bank, and Mr. Mason was elected President, and Mr. Holden Treas

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HISTORY OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.

urer. This bank, without capital stock, and in a small town of 2,000 inhabitants, in the course of three years accumulated deposits to the amount of $60,000. He held this position until he left the State. In 1869 he was married to Miss Mary E. Taylor, danghter of J. S. Taylor, of Sanbornton, New Hampshire. They had one child, Hattie M., who died in infancy. In 1875 the failing health of his wife determined him to bring her to this State, but the change was too late to be of any benefit, and she died at Napa two months after leaving her New Hampshire home. In 1879 he was married to Miss Anna Sinythe, danghter of Hon. Robert Smythe, of Mt. Vernon, Iowa. They have three children, Robert Smythe, Harold Emery and Philip Sawyer. They lost one daughter, Grace E., who died in 1887, at the age of four years. Mr. Holden is a member and steward of the Meth- odist Episcopal Church; also a member of the Masonic order, Napa Lodge, and of Golden Gate Commandery, Knights Templar, of San Francisco. Mr. Holden's first business connec- tion subsequent to his arrival in Napa was as book-keeper for, and later as a member of, the firm of B. F. Sawyer & Co., now the Sawyer Tanning Company, of which he is president and one of the directors. He was actively interested in the organization and establishment of the Napa City Water Company, and is its president. His early familiarity with the manufacture of woolen goods doubtless explains his interest in the Napa Woolen Mill, and it fits him especial- ly for the presidency of that corporation ; and finally, as a member of the board of trustees of Napa College, he lias acted as its president since the death of Judge Chancellor Hartson.

OSEPH S. BORGES, a progressive farmer residing near Haywards, was born in Por- tugal, at St. George, October 8, 1833; be- came a seaman at the age of twenty years, mak- ing his first voyage on a whaling vessel; after ward he was in the merchant service eight years,

a portion of this time being in the revenue serv- ice. In 1862 he was a passenger on the schooner Starlight, which was captured by the Confeder- ate ram Alabama. In 1863 he came to Amer- ica, landing at New Bedford, Massachusetts, and from there by way of Panama to California. The first three years he spent in mining in Yuba County, but not with the desired success. Going East he spent a year at Boston, and then returned to this State, locating in Butte County one year. In 1879 he purchased his present home of twenty-seven acres a mile east of Hay- wards, where he has an orchard of many choice varieties of fruits and nuts, which he sells to the local trade.

He is an active Republican. Was married at San Leandro, in May, 1878, to Mrs. Mary Bor- ges, his brother's widow, there being five chil- dren by her former marriage. Only Manuel and Annie are now living. By the present marriage there is one child, named Joseph. Mr. Borges' parents were Antonio and Maria (Joaquina) Borges, both natives of Portugal, who lived to pass their eightieth birthday.

M. HARRIMAN, a prominent citizen of Winters, was born April 30, 1814, in

· Kanawha County, West Virginia, a son of John and Naucy (Morris) Harriman, both of whom are also natives of Virginia. They trace their ancestry back to Wales. One of the grandfathers was a pioneer of West Virginia, and was in the noted battle of Point Pleasant. Ile was afterward shot off his horse by Indians while sheriff of the county. John Harriman, the father, was a farmer and lived and died on the same farm where he was born. He was born April 29, 1790, and died July 18, 1840; his widow died in 1865, in the same place; she was born Jannary 7, 1791. Mr. S. M. Harri- man, our subject, was bronght up on a farm. At the age of twenty-one years he married Miss Eveline G. Spurlock, a native of Virginia, and in the spring of 1839 he moved to Ray County

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Missouri, where he remained until 1861, en- gaged in farming and mercantile business. He then started for California, with an ox team. On Raft River he and his party were attacked by robbers, with whom they had a desperate battle for thirteen hours, and they were finally overcome and robbed of everything. They were then obliged to complete their journey to California on foot, arriving at Sacramento Sep- tember 19, 1861. He at once proceeded to Yolo County, took up land and began farming in Buckeye Township; and this he improved for twenty-two years, when he sold out and removed to Winters. At that place he owns and rents considerable property. Mrs. Harriman died May 6, 1886, at the age of sixty-nine years and six months, leaving three children: Thomas B., Nancy (wife of J. C. Campbell), and Nellie (wife of John Hansford); and there were six others, now deceased. Mr. Harriman is a mem- ber of the Masonic fraternity and of the Baptist Church, being baptized as early as May 15, 1833. He was ordained in the ministry, in Ray County, Missouri, in 1859, and filled the pulpit for over thirty years in Missouri and California. At present he is living with his children, a retired life. He preached the first series of ser- mons ever delivered in Colorado, at Boulder City. He has been a very active man during his life, and is still active. His residence is on Russell street, in the enterprising town of Winters.

GEORGE RATH, a farmer near Wood- land, is a son of Andrew and Margareta (Harzer) natives of Germany; the father, a farmer by trade, died in Germany, January 23, 1889; and the mother died when George was a small boy. Tlie latter was born in Ger- many in 1856, and in 1872 he emigrated to America, landing in New York city. where he remained six months, and then came on to Cali- fornia by railroad, locating in Woodland. His first employment was an engagement with Mr.

C. Coil in farming, and next for Fred Mast, and finally he purchased, in 1880, a tract of 320 acres in what is called Hungry Hollow, Yolo County, and there he lived until last year, when he came to his present place two miles dne west of Woodland on Main street, where he has fifty-two acres and raises clover and stock; on the larger tract in Hungry Hollow he raises wheat principally.

He married Sarah Mast in 1880. She was born in Minnesota and came to California with her parents when but four years of age. Mr. and Mrs. Rath have three children, Emma E., George F. and Frieda A.

C. HOWARD, a farmner and fruit-drier near Woodland, is one of the leading

O men in his lines of business in Yolo County. His place two miles from Woodland comprises 115 acres and is well improved. He has an apparatus by which he dries forty-five tons of green grapes at one time, it requiring two weeks to dry them. All his life he has been industrious and energetic, and well de- serves the little fortune he now enjoys. His parents, Eli and Harriet (Boldman) Howard, are still living, in Hamilton, County, Ohio,-the father born in Kentucky, in 1833, and the mother in Ohio, in 1835. Mr. Howard, whose name heads this sketcli, was born in Lewis County, Kentucky, in September 1858, and came to Yolo County in 1882, where he was first employed on a ranch. In 1881, in Kentucky, he married Miss Isabel Chapin, a native of that State. Their children are Edward G., Carry, Minnie B. and Charles L.

AMES S. ROLLINS, carriage builder and repairer at Yankville Station, Yolo County, was born May 26, 1829, in Waldo County, Maine. His father, Samuel Rollins, was born March 14, 1794, in New Hampshire, and was

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in early days a house carpenter. The mother, whose maiden name was Olive Beal, was born May 22, 1806, and is still living, in Maine, with scarcely a gray hair in her head! In 1862 Mr. Rollins came by way of Panama to Cali- fornia, and after a brief visit at several points he began plying his trade for Mr. W. B. Smith at Liberty Pole Corner, and during the next autumn bought him out and ran the business alone for five years. He then sold out and purchased a farm of 200 acres abont four miles and a half northwest of Black's, and this he cul- tivated, besides running a blacksmith and carriage shop. He sold out this place in 1878 and bought the tract of six and a half acres which he now ocenpies with a fine residence, at Yankville Station. He is still carrying on the carriage-making trade, and enjoys the rep- utation of being a very fine workman. Also in connection with the shop he has his place set to fruit trees and raisin grapes.

He was married in 1855, in Maine, to Miss Mary E. Norton, and they have had one daughter, Estella S., now the wife of N. B. Park- hurst, in Maine. For his present wife Mr. Rollins married, in 1869, Miss Nattie F. Young, a native of Sandusky County, Ohio, and their two children are: Dallas V., born May 6, 1871, and Blanche A., January, 20, 1876.

ICOLAUS GADING, a prominent and prosperous farmer of Mount Eden, was born in Germany, October 25, 1824, and early in life chose seamanship as a vocation and followed it for twelve years. In 1854 he came around Cape Horn and located where he now resides, on a farın of 325 acres, all of which is devoted to general agriculture, excepting a few acres of orchard. His father, Christofer Gad- ing, was a native of Germany, a cooper by trade, and came to America in 1855; and his mother, whose name before marriage was Johanna Rose, was also a native of Germany

and died in 1849. Mr. Gading was married at Mount Eden, March 20, 1855, to Miss Adelia Meyers, a native of Germany, and they have six children living and one deceased: Christo- fer N., Mary, Johanna, Claudenia (deceased), Adelia, and Bertha and Lena, twins.

RAYTON WINTON, a prominent farmer and worthy citizen near Haywards, was born in 1821, in Onondaga County, New York, and came to California in 1849, lived at Mission San José and later at his present place a mile west of Haywards, where he lias about 375 acres, 200 of which is an orchard of choice varieties of deciduous fruits; the remainder is utilized for general farming.

ON. JOSEPH P. JONES, Judge of the Superior Court of Contra Costa County, was born January 27, 1844, in Owen County, Indiana. His father, Silas W. R. Jones, is a native of Kentucky, and when a young man moved with his parents to the above named county. There he married Eliza- beth Allen, who was born and raised in that State, her parents having settled there from Ohio. In 1853, when the subject of this sketch was nine years old, his parents moved to Marion County, Oregon, where he attended the com- mon schools and received a thorough training at Willamette University, where he graduated as Artium Baccalaureus in the class of 1864. The following year he returned to his native State and studied law at the State University of Bloomington, graduating in 1867. Coming again to the coast and making a short sojourn in Oregon, he located among the mines in the northern part of this State and resided there until December, 1869.

In that year he came to Martinez, Contra Costa County, where he entered upon the prac- tice of his profession and in many ways has

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been identified with the history of this section for more than twenty years. Upon the election of Hiram Mills to the post of District At- torney, Mr. Jones was appointed deputy in the office, and continued as such until the fall of 1875, when he was elected, on the Republican ticket, to the office of District Attorney. This office he held until March, 1878. After a lapse of three years, Judge Jones entered the political arena, and in the fall of 1880 was elected to the Assembly, and served as a mem- ber of the general and special session of the Legislature of 1881, during which time he was a member of the Judiciary Committee, aud chairman of the Committee on Federal Relations. He continued the practice of law in partnership with Hiram Mills, a lawyer of great ability and one of the oldest members of the bar in Contra Costa County, up to the time of his election to the bench. In November, 1886, Mr. Jones was elected Judge of the Superior Court of Contra Costa County, to fill the nnexpired term of the late Judge Thomas A. Brown, taking his seat in December, that year; and this position he now holds. Judge Jones has the reputation of being careful and thorough, firm and dignified, sociable and courteous, strict but not syco- phantic. IIe is a progressive citizen, liberal and enterprising.

Ile was married in Martinez, February 2, 1870, to Jennie Frazer, a native of Oregon, and he has now four children living, namely: Madison R., Thomas Rodney, Carl Richards and Jennie Pearl.

NDREW B. AITKEN .- Among the many prominent and progressive business men of Tehama County, none, perhaps, are more worthy of mention than the above named gentleman. His residence in California dates back to 1858, and since that period he has been prominently identified with the mercantile business men of this and other sections of the State. Having been reared to a business life

from boyhood, he has indeed been a close ob- server of the ups and downs that naturally fol- low those pursnits, and he has witnessed the rise and fall of' many prominent business oper- ations. He himself has shared the fate of others before him, not so much perhaps through his own indiscretion or oversight as by the stumbling-blocks placed in his way by luke- warm friends in whom he had confided and confidentially trusted. As is natural in business life, onr subject found himself worshiping at the shrine and zealously courting Dame For- tune; and just at the time when he believed that she was fairly won-she evaded his grasp. and substituted her ungovernable daughter, Mis-Fortune, and left them to settle the question as best they might. The old adage that " bnsi- ness life seldom runs smooth " meets many cases. However, our predictions are that pro- gressive men will surely rise to the surface in spite of the impediments thrown in their way.

Mr. Aitken is a native of the old Keystone State, born in Luzerne County, June 13, 1853, and at an early age he came with his parents via Panama to California, locating in Tehama County. Our subject attended the public schools of Tehama and Yolo counties, and later attended the grammar schools of Sacramento, completing his education at Marysville. Here he was the recipient of a handsome prize given for best scholarship, by Mayor C. M. Gorham, now of San Francisco. Immediately following his school days, he became the clerk of Charles Heintzen, a banker, merchant and mine operator of Forest City, Sierra County, remaining in his employ until 1872, and was then employed by the firm of Cooley & Cady. After severing his connection with this firm he became the salesman of Harvey Simpson & Co., of Te- hama, remaining in their employ and handling the business of Wells, Fargo & Co.'s Express until 1878. He then came to Riceville, where, June 13, 1878, he opened a general merchan- dise store, operating it under the firm name of A. B. Aitken & Co., continuing until the rail- road was built, November, 1883, when his store

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and the town was moved near the road, and the town of Corning succeeded that of Riceville. The following notice appeared in the Corning Observer, September 21, 1889 :- "The firm of A. B. Aitken has closed its doors. Mr. Aitken is the successor to the firm of Simpson & Aitken, which started business twelve years ago at Riceville and entered on the road to prosperity. Two years ago Mr. Simpson retired from the firmn, to the surprise of all, and from what we can learn the good feeling that before existed did not continne. Poor crops and long credit, with a very low price for wheat and 35,000 sacks on hand was perhaps the cause. The only wish is that the suspension may be only temporary, and that Mr. Aitken will be on his feet again soon, as it would be a sad blow to Corning should this gentleman be compelled to retire from business. He has been its main stay for many years, and it was through his enterprise that Corning is what it is. With Mr. Aitken's retirement from active life, many things that were about to be purchased for the advancement of Corning will stand still in their present condition, unless we are blessed with another enterprising citizen like him."

Mr. Aitken was joined in marriage in Tehama Township, March 17, 1877, to Miss Ella I. Mil- ler, a native of Iowa, and they have three chil- dren: Jennie Irene, Liston E. and Irma J. Mr. Aitken affiliates with the order of F. & A. M., Moline Lodge, No. 150, of Tehama, also the Corning Council, No. 160, O. C. F. of Corn- ing. Politically he is a Republican and takes an active part in local politics, and is at the pres- ent time Notary Public of Corning.

OHN W. FARMER, the pioneer of the cheese-making interest in California, has been a resident of this State since June, 1855. Born in Cayuga Connty, New York, near the city of Syracuse in 1820, he early en- gaged in the dairy business as well as in buying

butter and cheese for the New York and Boston markets, and continued in that vocation until he came West. On his arrival here there was but one dairy ranch in Solano County, and there butter was the only product. Purchasing a ranch of 800 acres three iniles from Vallejo, he began to establish a dairy for the purpose of making cheese also. Soon afterward he sold 450 acres, at the price he gave for it, $13 an acre, and finally the remainder of the land be- came so valuable that it was sold, also at $100 an acre. He then bought another ranch, 550 acres, about six miles from Vallejo, then in Solano County, but now in Napa County, and on that place he followed dairying until about a year ago, devoting his attention principally to the manufacture of a fine grade of cheese; he had the reputation of making the finest cheese in California. While other cheese was selling at twelve and a half cents a pound he received no less than twenty-five cents a pound. For a number of years he also managed the ranches and dairies of General Frisbie, and later of the Vallejo Land and Improvement Company, but for the last few years he has been retired from active business. He has been a ineinber of the Masonic order for the past forty-eight years, being now the oldest Freemason in Solano County, a member of Naval Lodge, No. 87, of Vallejo, also of the Eastern Star Chapter. He has a charming home and family circle, and is now enjoying the rest which he has so well earned in his long life of labor and enterprise.

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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 79

Author: Lewis Publishing Company. cn Publication date: 1891 Publisher: Chicago : The Lewis publishing company Number of Pages: 1000

Author: Lewis Publishing Company. cn
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Chicago : The Lewis publishing company
Number of Pages: 1000