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 80

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 80

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His parents were Josiah and Nancy (Eld- ridge) Farmer, and as a boy he was raised in the same part of New York State where the great leaders of Mormonisn were brought up. He was a play-mate of Brigham Young, Joseph Smith, Mr. Clausen and Mr. Hooper. Mr. Farmer's cousin, H. S. Eldridge, was one of the most prominent of them and was in charge of the co-operative store at Salt Lake City, and was also president of the Salt Lake City and Ogden banks; he owned a third of the co-oper- ative store and was also its manager.

In 1837 Mr. Farmer married Miss Phœbe

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HISTORY OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.

Farmer, and they had five children, of whom three are now living, in California, namely: Winfield Scott, now engaged in the cattle busi- ness in Solano County; Hiram Miło, now an engineer for the Southern Pacific Railroad Company; and Emma, now the wife of J. C. Rounds, of Vallejo. One son, Coburn, died in 1880, and a daughter, Mrs. Ella Rounds, died in 1873. Mrs. Farmer died in 1884, and in 1886 Mr. Farmer married Mrs. Mary Ballard, a native of Pennsylvania.

ATTHEW ROOT BARBER, fruit- raiser near Martinez and an old and re- spected pioneer of the county, was born Angust 7, 1815, in Delaware County, Ohio, son of Joseph Barber, of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and Clara, daughter of Rev. Daniel Kent, of Benson, Vermont. When he was two years old his parents moved to Bond County, Illinois, where they were engaged in farming and stock- raising. Losing both his parents when young, he was taken by the family of Hon. Elam Brown, of Morgan County, Illinois, to bring np. He obtained the usual common-school education and at the age of twenty-one started out in the world for himself. He followed farming and wagon-making until March 15 , 1849, when he joined a train for the Golden State. After a weary journey of six months, he stopped at Hangtown and followed mining in that vicinity for a short time: then he en- gaged in the redwood lumber trade near San Antonio, then in Conta Costa County. He wrote tickets at the residence of Hon. Elam Brown for the election of delegates to form a State Constitution; also wrote tickets for the election of the first county officers. The county then included also Alameda County. After that he followed the carpenter's trade, building several of the first houses in Martinez, some of which are still standing. On February 14, 1851, he returned to Illinois by way of the Isthmus and New Orleans, and brought overland his family

and a drove of cattle, arriving at Martinez August 22, 1852. During the ensuing fall he purchased his present beautiful place, then con- sisting of unbroken hills and plains with no im- provements, two miles from Martinez. Upon his fine farm he now raises a variety of excellent fruit, including grapes, which alone occupy au area of fifty acres. Mr. Barber was elected to the office of Public Administrator for four suc- cessive terms, as shown by the records. His marriage to Miss Orpha Bean, of Pike County, Illinois, took place November 14, 1837, and their children are: Maria B., born December 30, 1838, is now Mrs. Lander, of Martinez; William H., born February 8, 1841, deceased; Daniel N., born August 5, 1843, deceased; Elam B., born June 13, 1847; and Clara E., born January 29, 1849, is deceased. Her first husband was Hon. George W. Bailey, of Mar- tinez, and her second husband was Judge James E. Goodall, of Bodie, California.

ON. HENRY HOOK .- One of the best known officials of the United States Cus- tom House of San Francisco, is Assembly- man Henry Hook, of Martinez, Contra Costa County, who is cashier. He, like many other prominent citizens of this State, came to Cali- fornia with his parents in early times, his fam- ily arriving here in 1850, coming direct from Arrow Rock, Missouri, where young Hook was born, October 1, 1848. Almost immediately upon the family's arrival in this city they de- parted for the gold fields of Hangtown, now Placerville, where they remained till 1851, when they moved to Sacramento and engaged in the merchandise business, and continuing in that line until the fall of the following year, when they moved to this city, and continued in the same line of business, locating on Jackson street, where they carried on a very large busi- ness, until they were driven out by the fires of 1852-'53. William Hook next turned his at- tention to the building of a hotel to accommo-

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date the State Legislature at Vallejo; but be- fore the completion of the hotel a change was made in the location of the State capital, and the capitol building started here in Vallejo was never completed. We next find the enter- prising father of the subject of this sketch located in the mercantile business at Martinez, Contra Costa County, going there in 1854, where the family has since resided, the firm then being known as Agnew & Hook, the former being the founder of the well-known dry-goods firm of Murphy & Grant, of this city. Mr. Hook amassed a large fortune, and con- verted the same into farms throughout Contra Costa County, giving his realty interests his whole time. He gave up his mercantile pur- suits, and died, near Martinez, in 1882. Young Hook was given an excellent education, attend- ing the public schools of that county till 1865, when he entered the Benicia College, graduating in 1867.

Returning to his home, he engaged in farın- ing one year. At the age of twenty years he was appointed abstract clerk in the naval office of the United States Custom House, remaining in that position until 1875, after which he ac- cepted the position of salesman in the carpet de- partment in E. Hook's well-known store in Oakland. After ten years of continuous labor, he took a trip over the United States, visiting every large city of the country, and was the guest of President Hayes, at Columbus, Ohio, just before his election. He commenced farm ing on the ranches lie now owns, in Contra Costa, in 1877. In 1886 he was nominated for County Treasurer of Contra Costa County. Having made such a thorough canvass when running for that office, and being energetie and active, the Republicans of that county nomi- nated him for the Assembly in 1888. He was elected by a large majority. While a member of the State Legislature, Mr. Hook filled several prominent positions on various committees. He was the father of the agricultural bill that was passed by both houses, separating his county from Alameda and San Francisco. He was also

a strong advocate of, and was mainly instrument- al in having the appropriation bill of $10,000 passed for the location of the United States Grange, thereby causing the first sitting of the United States Grange in California; was also the main-stay and backer of the Feeble-minded Home bill, which is now located at Hillgirth, Sonoma County. At the solicitation of his many friends he was induced to accept the posi- tion which he now fills,-cashier of the United States Custom House. Since he has been con- nected with the Custom Ilonse he has made many friends, who speak of him in the highest terms.

In 1873 Mr. Hook married Miss Elizabeth A. Benningham, assistant principal of the Oak- land High School, and they have one child, born February 8, 1875, and named Elizabeth Ben- ningham.

ICHARD AND THOMAS HEXT, farm- ers in Yolo County, west of Davisville, are the sons of Richard and Elizabeth (Lucom) Hext, natives of England. Richard was born in March, 1835, and Thomas, May 13, 1832; the former came to California in 1851, and the latter in 1854. Richard located in Sacramento, and worked at different jobs for ten years. On the arrival of his brother they went together into Yolo County, and purchased a tract of 450 acres on Putah Creek in 1857, and in 1869 he purchased the place where they now live, containing 960 acres and situated west of Davisville four miles, and ten miles from Woodland.

E. LA RUE, a farmer near Davisville, Yolo County, is a son of H. M. and Eliza- beth (Lizenby) La Rue, and was born four miles from Sacramento, September 19, 1859. In 1870 he moved into Sacramento city, where he received his education, graduating in 1880

VIEW OF PROPERTIES OF A. BRUN & CO. Showing their Howell Mountain Vineyard and Cellar; Nouveau Medoc Winery and Depot, Warehouse, etc. OAKVILLE, NAPA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.

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from the University of California at Berkeley with the degree Ph. B. He then went into Yolo County and took charge of his father's farm near Davisville, a beautiful place of 2,100 acres, in which he now has an interest. There are ninety acres in grapes and sixty in alınonds, but his attention is chiefly devoted to the rear. ing of horses and mules and grain-raising.

April 20, 1887, he was united in matrimony, in San Francisco, with Miss Addie E. Rankin, who was born in that city October 29, 1860. They have one child, born May 6, 1888, named Morgan E.

A. BRUN & Co .- This firm, which occu- pies a leading position among the wine- makers of Napa County, are the proprietors of the now well known Nouveau Medoc Vine- yard. Their vineyard and wine cellar is situ- ated on Howell Mountain, where they take ad- vantage of choice qualities of the mountain vintage. They have a fine, large, stone wine cel lar at the vineyard. The depot and shipping warehouse of the eomyany is situated at Oak- ville beside the railway, a switch being laid into the grounds, thus affording unusual facil- ities for shipping. The firm has built up a large trade, especially with New Orleans, whither a large part of their product goes every year, both red wines and white. The ware- honses are spacious, well arranged and have a large cooperage capacity.

The individual members of the firm are Messrs. Jean Adolph Brun and Jean Chaix, both natives of " La Belle France." Mr. Brun, the head of the firm, was born July 25, 1845, and is the son of Jean and Jeanne Delphine (Delaveaux) Brun. He resided in France until 1872, having had much experience in his native country in wine, eider and oil-making. In the last named year he came to Montreal, Canada, where he remained fourteen months, being en- gaged in the manufacture of photographic mate- rials. He then went to England, and after a 32

stay of thirty days in that country sailed for Australia. Here he engaged in the same brsi- ness and continued it for eight months. In September, 1874, he came to California, and shortly afterward to Napa County, and began as a laborer, being engaged in several cellars as wine-maker. In 1877 he formed a partnership with Mr. Chaix, and began the business of wine manufacture at Oakville. He was married Octo- ber 23, 1880, to Miss Emma Mermond, a native of San Francisco, born September 10, 1860.

AMES TOPLEY, proprietor of the Pioneer drugstore, Vallejo, has been a resident of California since 1852, and in the drug business in this town most of this time. He was born in Dublin, Ireland. While yet a boy he went to Canada, and lived with relatives in Kingston. He spent a short time learning to be a farmer, but gave that up and entered a store in Kingston, and began learning the prin- ciples of commerce. Later he moved into the United States, and lived most of the time in the State of New York until the breaking out of the Mexican war, when he joined the First New York Regiment of Volunteers, commanded by Colonel Ward B. Burnett and afterward called the Second Regiment. He served dur- ing the remainder of that struggle, being in the command of General Scott at Vera Cruz, Cerro Gordo, Contreras, storining of the Castle Cha- pultepec, Garepa de Belen and in the street fights in the city of Mexico.

Returning from the war with the regiment to Fort Hamilton, New York, in 1848, he was innstered out. Then, through the influence of Colonel Ward B. Burnett, civil engineer of the Philadelphia Navy Yard, he obtained employ- ment of the United States Dry Dock Building Company, and remained with them until 1852, when he was sent to California, in company with others, to aid in building a dry dock at the Mare Island Navy Yard, arriving in Sep- tember. After concluding his engagement

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there, he went to the mountains of Nevada County, and there engaged in mining. He soon returned to Vallejo, worked for a time for the United States Government, and later entered the employ of W. W. Chapman, who was the pioneer drnggist of this village. Within two years he succeeded Mr. Chapman in the store, and has continued in that situation to the pres- ent time,-a long period for one position. He has been Coroner one terni and half another, when he resigned on account of constant press- ure of his business, and he has been School Trustee two terms. He is a member of Naval Lodge, No. 87, F. & A. M., of Vallejo, and of Naval Chapter, No. 35; also of Golden State Lodge, I. O. O. F., of Vallejo. He has been treasurer, and one of the trustees of the Presby- terian Church of Vallejo ever since its corpora- tion.

He was married in 1860, to Miss Anna Igell, and has three children. His two sons, James HIenry and Willie H., are engaged in the drug business with their father; they are both graduates of the Pharmaceutical Department of the State University. The daughter, Anna D., is now a pupil of the Irma Ladies' Seminary at Vallejo.

EORGE W. HEMENWAY, Postmaster 393 at Winters, Yolo County, is a son of Henry B. and Ennice (Guild) Hemenway, the former, a native of Massachusetts, born in 1813, and died March 17, 1875; the latter, born in 1815, in Vermont, is still living in Wheaton, Illinois. George was born at Wayne, Illinois, thirty miles west of Chicago, June 17, 1842; gradnated at the Commercial College at Whea- ton, learned the trade of printer, and from the age of twenty seven years to about thirty-six years he was a book-keeper in Chicago. In 1877 he moved to Lyon County, Kansas, and pur- chased a farın of 240 acres, which he improved until 1887, when he came direet to his present place of residence. On ecming to California,

he did not dispose of his Kansas farm, lest he might wish to return to it; but he is more than pleased with the Golden State, and his intention is to remain at Winters, where he has purchased a fine home and two stores occupied by A. Ilazelrigg. He is at present Postmaster of the village, and ere this sketeh is printed he will have established also a stationery store.

In 1869, in Chicago, he was united in matri- mnony with Anna P. Filer, a native of Illinois, and they have five children: Walter, born in 1871; Ella, 1873; Fred, 1875; Harvey, 1879; Jessie, 1887.

ENRY CRANER, a merchant at Winters, Yolo County, is a son of Panl and Eva (Landsberg) Craner, natives of Prussia, and Henry himself was born in that country, in 1840. At the age of fifteen years he camne by water to California, settling in Placer County three years, engaged in mereantile business in partnership with his brother, Julius, and for two years he was similarly engaged in Vaca- ville; then he started a store in Buckeye, Yolo Coanty, the second store in the place. In 1875 the town of Buckeye was moved to Winters, and Mr. Craner went to Cottonwood (now Madison), and started a store there which he conducted until 1878, when he came to Winters, where he is now the proprietor of the leading mercantile house in the place.

April 15, 1882, in San Francisco, he married Rosa Lazarns, who was born in Prussia in 1856, and they have one son, Arthur, born June 18, 1884.

DININGER, proprietor of the Philadel- phia Brewery in South Vallejo, has been a resident of California for the past thirty-four years, and of Vallejo twenty-one years. His brewery was established in 1870, and has been conducted by him since that time.

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. HISTORY OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.

It has a capicity of thirty-six barrels at a bre w_ ing, and one, or if necessary even two brewings, can be made in a dry. The building covers a spice of 60 x 80 fest, part of it being of three stories and biseneit anl the remainder two stories. A malt cellar and kiln are attached to the brewery, in which the mult is prepared from the barley, so that the operations of brewing ar carriel oi in this establishment. The beer is minfacturel by the steam process. The cellars are derotel to the storage of beer, the clarifying vats, fer nenting tubs and preparation of malt. On the first floor are the boiler and engine, the brew kettles, a house for washing barrels, ets On the second floor are the malt kila, the cleaning machine, 'the malt-grinding machine, and mash machine and tank, the bar- ley-soaking tank and a space for storing malt; and on the third floor are the cooling vats and apparatus and condensing tanks. The market for the product of this brewery is in Vallejo, Solano, Sonoma, Napa and Contra Costa conn- ties.

Mr. Dininger wis born in the city of Erlan - gen, Bavaria, where he learned the art of brew- ing. It is from that city and the neighboring city of Kulmbach that the heavy beers known in this country as the Kulmbacher are imported. After the completion of his school career Mr. Dininger served an apprenticeship as brewer in Heliger's establishment in Erlangen, and he there learned to make that celebrated beer. Next he worked a year and a half in Berlin, in the Kunphmeyer Brewery. He came to Cali- fornia in 1856, direct from Germany, by the Panama ronte, and after three months spent in Si Francisco breweries he went to Los Angeles, where he contracted to make beer for Mr. Mason at the Columbus Brewery, at a certain price per brew, and remained there about a year. Under- standing by this time the ways and opportunities of the country, he decided to start a brewery for himself, and went to Long's Bar in Yuba County, a large mining camp at that time started a brewery and conducted it to the year 1864.

In 1858 he purchased 300 acres of land, which he also managed as a ranch, raising his own barley, besides some live-stock. The brew- ery was about five miles below Startsville, and the ranch about nine miles below. In 1864 the high water overflowed his land and covered it with " slickins." He therefore sold out his ranch, and had to abandon his brewery. He next started a brewing establishment at Meadow Lake, Nevada County, near the summit of the Sierras, at that time a lively mining camp, and he continued there until 1869, running at the same time a hotel, which he purchased at $1,- 000, its building having cost over $40,000! On account of a rare peculiarity in the nature of the gold-bearing quartz, preventing its success- ful reduction, the mining there was discon- tinued, the town went down and Mr. Dininger had to abandon both his brewery and hotel, as well as a quartz mill in which he was interested.

He came then to Vallejo, which was on a boom at that time, and established his present brewery. For the last fifteen years he has had a good trade. He still has great faith in the future of Vallejo, and believes that all the Southern Pacific trains crossing the continent will yet pass near his property. He is a inein- ber of the San Pablo Lodge, No. 43, I. O. O. F., of Vallejo; he has been City Trustee for two terms, and is now a member of the Board of School Trustees.

He was married in 1858, to Miss Madelina Young, a native of Baden, Germany, and they have nine children living: the son, Jacob, has now a half interest in the brewery ; the daughters are Josephine, Louisa, Daisy, Mamie, Madelina, Maggie, Rosie and Emma.

OSEPH C. HARRIS is the leading mer- chant of Millville, Shasta County. He is a native of Nevada, born May 1, 1864, and came with his parents to California in 1865, when one year old. He was educated in San Francisco. His father, Isaac Harris, came to

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California in 1851; was a native of Germany, born in 1833, being only eighteen years of age when he came to this State. He was married in San Francisco in 1863, to Miss Mary Sultan, a native of Germany, and they had eight chil- dren, of whom six are living. For years the father did business in Inyo County, where Joseph C. Harris learned the mercantile busi- ness in his father's store. His father died in Santa Cruz and was buried at San Francisco, where they then resided. Mr. Harris came to Millville in July, 1887, and bought the business now conducted by the firmn of Joseph C. Harris & Co., his mother being a partner. They have a new store of their own, do a large general merchandise business, their trade extending to the ranches fifty miles in some directions. Mr. Harris is a very obliging and capable business man, preferring a large business with moderate profits to a small business and exorbitant prices. Consequently his trade is constantly growing.

In October, 1887, Mr. Harris was united in marriage with Miss Sarah Joseph, a native of Germany, and they have two children, namely: Irma, born in San Francisco, and Ralph, born at Millville. Mr. and Mrs. Harris are highly spoken of by their neighbors. The county from which they and their ancestors came has fur- nished the United States and California with many of its best and enterprising citizens, who by their industry, frugality and business ability have reached the very pinnacle in all the pro- fessions and business of the country.

RVILLE E. HAYWARD, a farmer near Martinez, was born in Macoupin County, Illinois, in 1852, a son of Ansel and Re- becca (Silsby) Hayward, the former a native of Massachusetts, who died in 1862, and the latter a native of Illinois, who died next year. Or- ville was edueated at Blackburn University, Illi- nois, and completed his education at the Pacific Business College of San Francisco, and then served Lake & Stone as book-keeper in that city

two years; next he was employed as clerk and book-keeper by Osmas Hansen, of Oakland, for some time. His health failing, he repaired to the mountains near Sonora and remained there until the year 1882, when he located where he now resides, two miles from Martinez, on the Lafayette road. He enjoys fair health and a pleasant home of ten acres, where he is raising table grapes, Bartlett pears, etc.

For his wife he married Miss Mary E. Bagge, who was born in Oakland, and they have two children: Emilie O., who was born September 3, 1887; and Orville A., born May 14, 1890.

REDERICK DERSCH, one of the promi- nent early settlers of Shasta County, was born in Bavaria, Germany, March 29, 1833. He learned the blacksmith's trade in Gerinany, came to the United States in 1850, and worked on the New York & Erie Railroad and at the locomotive machine shops in Roch- ester, and afterward in the machine shops at Detroit, Michigan. He then steamboated from New Orleans to St. Louis, and in 1853 started from Lexington, Missouri, to cross the plains to California. He drove cattle and sheep across the plains. Mr. Dersch came with Major and Colonel Ross, and they got across with their stock safely; but Captain Gunnison, who was only a few days before them, was killed. They went through to Los Angeles, arriving in December, 1853. It was then a sinall Mexican adobe village. From there he went to San Francisco and did farm work for Captain Simp- son a few months. Next he engaged in mining at Auburn, Placer County, making an average of ten dollars every day he worked. He pros- pected all through that country, and in June, 1855, went to Shasta County, and mined on Whisky Creek, remaining there until 1861, and making sometimes as high as one and two hundred dollars per day; and here he met with the loss of his sight by an accident. He was obliged to sell his claim and settle on a

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farm. He purchased a rich piece of land on Bear Creek of 160 acres, for which he paid $2,700. In 1863 he took his brother, George Dersch, in as a partner and they were together until 1875, in the sheep business, and it proved a successful enterprise. They kept as many as 4,000 sheep at a time, when his brother sold out. Mr. Dersch took his nephew, Fred Dersch, into partnership, and they purchased 5,000 acres of land adjoining, and have continued the sheep and stock business since. They have run as high as 13,000 sheep. Their land extended four miles along Bear Creek. In 1862, soon after he settled on the land, a band of Indians raided his place and took away his horses, the cow and the potatoes. A party pursued them, but they got away. In 1866 the Indians again raided them, with more fearful consequences. There were on the ranch at that time Mrs. George Dersch, her daughter, a six year-old child, and her son, Fred Dersch, then eleven years of age, and Mr. Frederich Dersch. The latter was in the orchard gathering peaches with the children. They heard rapid firing in the house, and soon Mrs. Dersch ran out of the honse and got over the fence into the orchard. They went to help her and she discovered that she was shot. Mr. Dersch had a bed back in the orchard where he slept in the summer, and while they were going back the Indians kept firing at them, and the sand and dirt flew around them so fast that the little girl said they were firing sand at them. Fred ran to a neigh- bor's for help. The Indians ransacked the house and carried off the blankets, bedding and other valuables, including a razor on which Mr. Dersch's name, and two rifles. As soon as they could get a doctor, he came and pronounced the wound fatal. She had been shot twice in the abdomen, and in three days death ended her suffering.

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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 80

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