USA > California > A memorial and biographical history of the coast counties of Central California > Part 43
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He was a man of great energy and executive ability. He had broad ideas of business, and was successful in his undertakings. He died September 22, 1870, in the prime of his life. Mrs. Bassett still survives, and is in good health, and lives at Pacific Grove, Monterey county.
Mr. and Mrs. Bassett had six sons and two daughters, as follows: William Thomas, who was born in Fall River, Massachusetts, June 4, 1848, and is now a member of Company F, cavalry, of the United States Army; Alice Annet, born in San Francisco, June 8, 1854, and is now a resident of that city; Edward, and Abner, born March 1, 1857, the first white twins born in the Golden Gate City; Edward is foreman of a coal mine, and Ab- ner is now superintendent of the Carmelo Land and Coal Company of Monterey. He was reared in Virginia City, Nevada, and be- came an expert mining engineer, and managed the construction of the most extensive mine shafts in the Comstock lead mines, one being 3,368 feet deep-the deepest perpendicular shaft in the world. He married Catherine Mahoney March 9, 1888; she is a native of New York. They have one son, Edward Franklyn, born at Pacific Grove, California, March 19, 1890. The next born in Mr. Bas- sett's family is Mary Watt, born also in San Francisco, March 12, 1859, and is now living in that city, married; Charles, born also in that city, April 16, 1861, learned locomotive engineering and was employed in this eapacity by the Southern Pacific Railroad Company until 1882; next for a time he ran stationary engines, and later pursued mining in Idaho, from 1884 to 1888, when he disposed of his mining interests and is now living at Hailey, Alturas county, Idaho. He married in Idaho Miss Brella S. Stone, a native of Humboldt county, California, and they have one dangh-
ter, Bessie, born May 22, 1883. Frank, the youngest of Mr. Bassett's children, was born at Virginia City, Nevada, March 30, 1867, died at Ketchum, Alturas county, Idaho, De- cein ber 26, 1888, of typhoid pneumonia.
LEXANDER P. BOYD was born in Orange county, New York, September 30, 1825, son of Alexander Boyd. In his father's family were five sons and two daughters, all of whom are still living except two sons The parents were also natives of Orange county, and each lived to the advanced age of eighty-seven years.
After attaining his majority, the subject of our sketch went to New York city and was there employed as clerk in a drug store for six years. Early in 1852 he started from New York for California, by way of Cape Horn, and arrived at San Francisco on the 1st of September of that year. From San Francisco he went to Sacramento, where for two years he clerked in a hardware store. He then sought the mines and was engaged in inining two years. We next find him at Oroville, where he conducted a hardware business twelve years. At the end of that time he disposed of his interests there and returned to his old home in New York. On this return trip he had the pleasure of being one of the first passengers to go East from this coast by rail. After a sojourn of about six months amid the scenes of his early life, he returned to California, coming direct to Hollister, then Monterey county. This was in 1869. He then began dealing in lumber, in which he is still extensively engaged, and now controls the lumber business in this part of the country.
Mr. Boyd was married, in 1876, to Miss
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Mattie Chapman, and has one daughter, Grace, aged fourteen years. As a business man and citizen, Mr. Boyd stands high in the community where he has so long resided.
ENAS CHURCHILL. - The well- known citizen whose name heads this sketch is a resident of Tres Pinos and come to California in 1864. Few have been more active and successful in the develop- ment of the material resources of the county than he. He was born in the town of Alexandria, Genesee county, New York, November 2, 1819, and there lived until 1828. His parents then removed to Alden, Erie county, New York, where they remained until 1833, and then spent six years near Avon Springs, in Livingston county, same State. Our object spent his early youth and manhood in Macon, Kane and De Kalb coun- ties, Illinois. When a mere boy he was the first to mount the first bent, a portion of the first building, a tavern that was built in the present city of Sycamore, De Kalb.
The father of our subject, also Zenas, was a farmer by occupation and a natural-born mechanic. His wife was Alınira Castle, and they were both natives of Massachusetts. These two had ten children, of whom one, Enos, an inventor, is at San José; another, a daughter, is in Illinois; and another daughter is in Iowa; both daughters are married; these, with our subject, constitute the survivors of this once large family.
Upon coming to California, Mr. Churchill operated a threshing machine, and later fol- lowed mercantile pursuits at San José until 1866. He then, by searching the Government records at San Francisco, ascertained the ex- istance of the Government lands in San
Benito county, and took up his present place near Tres Pinos. He now owns 212 acres of choice land, upon which he has developed one of the finest nurseries and farms in the State. He has demonstrated the practicability of raising plums, peaches and apples without irrigation. While he has proven that it can be done in his immediate locality, he does not assume that it can be done in all others. About forty acres of his farm is set to a variety of fruits. The beautiful nursery contains a fine variety of ornamental and fancy shade trees, beside a full stock of fruit trees. He has about 10,000 assorted table- grape vines. His farm is in a fine state of cultivation.
Our subject married, in 1846, Miss Marion Parker, a daughter of Arza Parker, a farmer of Illinois. Mrs. Churchill died October 28, 1891, leaving two sons and one daughter.
APTAIN J. B. R. COOPER .- Captain John Bautista Roger Cooper was born on the Island of Alderney, England, in 1792, and came to the United States, when a boy, with his mother. He followed the sea from an early age, and came to California as master of his own vessel, the Rover, in 1823. Although he sold his vessel to Governor Arguello, he continued in command of her, making trips to China and elsewhere. Be- coming acquainted with the Vallejo family, he first asked the hand in marriage of one of the danghters, Doña Magdalena, who refused him, though her father favored the match. On his return from his next voyage, and on the same day of his arrival, she came from the San Carlos Mission, having just been married to Don Antonio del Valle, and that evening he danced " la Jota Ynglesa " with
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her at her father's honse. Afterward, he made love to and, in 1827, married her younger sister, Doña Encarnacion, with the consent of her father, who higlily esteemed him. Padre Ramon Abelle was the priest who married them.
Captain Cooper continued his seafaring life for many years; eventually, however, he acquired land, and gradnally quit the sea, although from 1839 to 1844 he made many trips to the Mexican coast and to the Islands, in command of a vessel belonging to the Government called the California. In 1846 he made a voyage to Peru, and in 1849 he went as master of the Eveline to China. In one of his earlier voyages to China on the Rover, under a contract with the Governor (Arguello), owner of the vessel, Captain Cooper became involved in a lawsuit with the Governor; the matter was finally referred to arbitrators, whose decission was that Captain Cooper was entitled to $5,000. From 1850 until some time in the '60s, Captain Corper lived with his family in Monterey, where he was greatly liked by his neighbors, About the year 1865 he moved to San Fran- cisco, where he died in 1872, and where his family still resides.
Captain Cooper was a half-brother of Thomas O. Larkin, their mother having been twice married.
There were born to the Coopers six children, three of whom are still living: Juan Ban- tista, Henriqne, Ana Maria Guadalupe (Mrs. Wohler), and Amelia (Mrs. Molera).
Mrs. Cooper is eighty-two years of age (1892), and is still in the enjoyment of ex- cellent health. Although her home is in San Francisco, she, with her daughters, makes a visit each summer to the old historic capital, Monterey, where she was born and lived so many years, and where, in her
youthful days she was a belle. The family still retain the old homestead which Captain Cooper built so many years ago, and they also retain their large land holdings in the county.
Mrs. Cooper's parents were Don Ygnacio Vallejo, sarjento distinguidio, and his wife, Doña Maria Antonia Lugo, who had thirteen children; they were, in the order of seniority :
Ysidora, who married Soberanes; Josefa, who was married three times, first to Alvar- ado, then to Estrada, and afterward to Ma- dariaga; Magdalena, who married Antonio del Valle; Juana, unmarried; Prudenciana, who married José Amesti; Geronima En- carnaciog, who became the wife of Captain Cooper; Rosalie, who married Jacob P. Leese; Maria de Jesus, who married Honorato For- tonl; José de Jesus, who married Ortego; Mariano Guadalupe (the General), who married Carrillo; Salvador, who married Carrillo; Juan Antonio, unmarried; and Ygnacio, unmarried.
Both the Cooper and Vallejo families have filled a large place in the early history of California.
HOMAS L. BALDWIN, a pioneer of California, one of the organizers of San Benito county, and an influential citizen of Hollister, was born in Morgan county, East Tennessce, September 20, 1828.
In 1833 the Baldwin family moved to Missouri, and on his father's farın in that State the subject of our sketch spent his early life. In May of that year, 1850, he started from St. Joseph, Missouri, with ox teams on the overland journey for California, being accompanied by John Westbrook, Frank Vanghn, and his brother, D. C. Baldwin. Arriving in the Golden State, they spent a
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brief time in the mines at Placerville, El Dorado county, and from there went to Ne- vada county, where they engaged in mining and merchandising until 1869. In September of that year Mr. Baldwin came to Hollister, and, in partnership with H. M. Hayes, en- gaged in the general inerchandise business, and in 1874 purchased his partner's interest. He was elected president of the San Benito County Bank, which position he filled most efficiently. Subsequently he re-engaged in the merchandise business, under the firm name of Baldwin & Griffeth, remaining so occupied until December, 1882. Since that time he has been ranching, buying and selling grain and doing a general warehouse business. He owns three ranches, one a stock ranch on which are found fine cattle. In public affairs he has taken an active part, being in politics a Republican.
Mr. Baldwin was married in 1855, and has four children living.
TOMASINI is a native of Northern Switzerland, born in Canton Ticino, July 31, 1851. In 1868, at the age of seventeen years, he came to America with twenty-four of his countrymen, and took up his abode in California. Born and reared on a dairy farm, Mr. Tomasini was thoroughly acquainted with the business in its every de- tail, and after his arrival in California he worked on a dairy in Marin county three years. He then engaged in the busines on his own responsibility, and from that time has continuously followed the same occupa- tion; of later years on a comparatively large scale, keeping at times as many as 200 cows. He purchased a government claim of ninety acres in Carmel valley, Monterey county, in
1875, and is improving the same as a fruit ranch. He has been very successful in his undertakings, and is regarded by all who know him as an honorable and upright man.
Mr. Tomasini was married in 1875 to Miss Concepcion Soberanes, who was born Decem- ber 8, 1853, daughter of Mariano Soberanes, the place of her nativity being Monterey. Her father is a highly respected citizen of Carmel valley. A notice of him appears else- where in this work. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Tomasini are: Christiana, David, Deo, Flora and Alma W.
OHN HARNEY, a prosperous dairyman of Monterey county, and a resident of Carmel valley, has lived in California since 1881. He is a native of Charleston, South Carolina, born December 18, 1858. In early life he learned the trade of printer, and followed the same as a press operator in New York city for about six years. Upon his arrival in California, he abandoned his trade, and commenced work on a dairy ranch for William Hutton. In 1889 he embarked in the business for himself in Carmel valley, keeping about 120 cows.
Mr. Harney's early life was one of peculiar hardship, and somewhat eventful. At a tender age he was left fatherless, upon the breaking out of the late rebellion. His widowed inother with several children lived only one mile from Fort Sumter, where hostilities com- menced, and the family suffered all the hard- ships incident to civil warfare. He grew up at Charleston, and aided in the support of the family until he went North. He is a self-made man, honorable and industrious, and is highly esteemed by his fellow-citizens.
December 25, 1885, he married Miss Eliza
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Vasquez, a danghter of Don Antonio Vas- quez. They have three children, Joan M., Jr., Eliza, and Mary Constance. Mrs. Harney is a lady of domestic accomplishments, re- tired and unassuming in her manner.
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ENDERSON BROWN, well known throughout San Benito county as a pio- neer and the first settler of Brown's valley, is a pioneer of the State, of 1850. He crossed the plains with an ox team, from St. Joseph, Missonri, and reached Ringgold, Placer county, August 22, of that same year. He was born in Mercer county, Kentucky, October 14, 1830. His father, William Brown, was a native of Virginia and was reared in the hills of the Blue Ridge mount- ains. He was a farmer and a pioncer of Mercer county, Kentucky, where he lived many years. His death occurred, April 25, 1890, when he was eighty-eight years of age, in Monroe county, Missouri. He had a fam- ily of eight children and Henderson was the fourth.
Our subject was twenty years of age when he came to California. He was a fair sample of a vigorous young man, both mentally and physically and full of hope and ambition. He engaged in mining about three years, on the middle fork of the American river, and then engaged in farming and stock-raising. He bought oxen of the immigrants as they ar - rived in California, and after allowing them to have free range on the open ground near Sacramento city he sold them for beef, some- times receiving as much as $154 for them. Mr. Brown continued to reside in Sacra- mento county, until 1867, when he removed to Yolo county and continued his business. In the spring of 1869 he located in Brown's
valley and removed his family there the fol- lowing fall. This is a pretty, fertile valley, lying in the mountains, about sixteen miles northeast of Hollister, near Paicines, and comprises about 2,169 acres. In 1887 our subject purchased 100 acres of land adjoining the city of Hollister, of which there is no better soil in San Benito county.
Our subject was married, in 1853, to Sarah R. Moore, a native of Missouri, who died, January 18, 1874, leaving four children, namely: Joseph E., Laura E., William H. and Lucella E. Mr. Brown married in 1875, in San Joaquin county, Miss Sarassada, a daughter of Peter Baker, a native of Indiana. She is a lady of business tact and force of character and she has four children, viz .: Lola, Clyde, Ethel aud Gladys.
NDREW ABBE, for many years a resi- dent of San Juan, is one of the pio- neers of California, and as such is en- titled to some personal mention in this work.
Mr. Abbe was born in Orange county, New York, March 7, 1828. In 1850 he came to this coast, making the journey via Panama, and npon his arrival here engaged in min- ing in the vicinity of Sacramento. He re- turned East in 1852, but subsequently came back to California and to San Juan, and began stock-raising near Frémont's Peak. Later, with a partner, he engaged in staging and freighting between New Idria mines and San José. He was one of the first set- tlers of the Hollister grant.
October 1, 1857, Mr. Abbe married Miss Mary Berry, a native of Lynnville, Iowa. Her parents were both of Kentucky birth, and her mother lived to the advanced age of
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eighty-two years and died in California. Mrs. Abbe departed this life at San Juan October 12, 1884. Following are the names of their fourteen children: William A., who died at the age of seven years; Olive B., wife of A. L. Waters; Frank B., of whom more exten- sive mention is made elsewhere in this work; George E .; Frederick N., a member of the firm of Abbe Brothers, San Juan; Mary C., deceased; Angie L., Susie M., Eleanor F., Charles H., Mabel C., Walter, Lois E. and Clara E.
Mr. Abbe is one of the old-time settlers of San Juan, where he has a typical California home, comprising eighteen acres, and where he enjoys the comforts of life and has the es- teem of a wide circle of friends.
J. BURT, a worthy member of the bar of Santa Clara county, has been a resi- dent of California since 1873, having come to this State from Alabama.
Mr. Burt was born in Talladega county, Alabama, September 29, 1852, son of J. C. Burt, a planter, merchant and mill owner of the town of Talladega, the county seat of that county. He was educated at the University at Virginia, graduating in the law department of that institution in 1872. He first practiced his profession in San José, California, devot- ing his entire time thereto for about twelve years. His ability as a lawyer is acknowl- edged in the courts in the State, and his en- terprise and push as a business man have won for him the admiration of the citizens of San Benito county. He has recently interested himself in the development of the Cienega limestone deposit in this country, mention of which may be found elsewhere in this work.
Mr. Burt was married May 29, 1876, to
Miss Sallie B., daughter of Robert Webb. Her father died on the Isthmus of Panama, while in Government service and en route to California to establish a United States mint at San Francisco. Mr. Burt is a native of New Orleans. They have six children: Fan- nie, Marion, Shirley, Nettie, Madaline and John.
P. BRYANT, a pioneer of California and an estcemed citizen of San Benito county, post office Mulberry, was born in Clark county, Kentucky, July 24, 1821. He was reared a farmer, and in 1850 came from his native State to California, landing in Sacramento on the 27th of August. For several years he lived in Yolo county, and from there went to Sonoma county, where he remained until 1868. That year he came to San Benito county. He lived in Bear Valley three years and in Hollister twelve years. He located his present farm on San Benito creek in 1889.
Mr. Bryant was married, in Missouri, in 1854, to Miss Angeline Ashcraft, a native of Kentucky. They have two danghters: Allie, wife of S. B. Hubbel; and Emily M., wife of F. W. Triplett.
H. KENT, deceased .- The subject of this brief sketch came to California, in 1852. He was a native of Harrison county, Ohio, born January 28, 1812. He was a farmer and stock-raiser by occupation and upon arrival in California, first located in Sutter county. Later he lived in Sacra- mento county, at Elk Grove, where he owned a large farm of 350 acres. Mr. Kent was a man of exemplary habits, good business
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ability, strict integrity and left behind hin a large circle of friends to monrn his loss, when he passed away, September 13, 1884.
Mr. Kent married, in Knox county, Illi- nois, February 24, 1831, Miss Martha M. Gray, a native of Richland county, Ohio, a danghter of Henry and Margareta Gray, her father a farmer of Knox county, Illinois. He was a native of Ireland, who emigrated to America, when a lad of nineteen. As he possessed a fair business education he filled various clerical positions and finally married and located in Knox county. Mrs. Gray was born in 1800 and is still living, with her chil- dren.
Mrs. Kent accompanied her late husband across the plains, driving the team long dis- tances herself. She is a lady of excellent parts and executive ability, and since her hus- band's untimely death has assumed charge of the estate. Mr. and Mrs. Kent had one son, W. H. Kent, now deceased, and a daughter, who died at twelve years of age. In 1887 Mrs. Kent removed to Pacific Grove, where she has since lived, surrounded by a wide circle of appreciative friends.
AVID WEBSTER .- Mr. Webster came to California from the Province of On- tario, Canada, in 1867. He is a native of Ayrshire, Scotland, where he was born, October 14, 1835. His father, D. W. Web- ster, was a weaver by trade and reared a family of five sons and six daughters, and of those eleven children the subject of this sketch is the second born. His parents emi- grated to Canada in 1842, where our subject was reared, engaging in farming pursuits during his boyhood.
Upon reaching San Francisco he sought
and found work in the country. In 1872 he leased land on the Cooper ranch, near Castro- ville, where he carried on a successful busi- ness until the winter of 1890, when he pur- chased a farm of 132g acres, near Salinas, one of the best farms in that locality, and here he now resides.
Mr. Webster stands high in the estimation of his community, and his prosperity is due to his untiring industry and thrifty hus- bandry.
He was married in 1866, to Mrs. Elizabeth Warnock (a widow with three sons), by whom he has one son and two daughters, namely: David A., Mary Ellen and Agnes J.
S. TRIMMER, M. D., is a representa- tive citizen of Pacific Grove and a leading physician of Monterey county. He is a native of Niagara county, New York, where he was born, December 8, 1833. His parents were pioneers in Ohio, where they lived for many years, and from that State Dr. Trimmer came to California, in 1873.
Dr. Trimmer received his early education in the public schools of his Ohio home, and later took a course of study at Kingsville Academy, and then assisted his father in the lumber business, and later tanght school. In 1858 he took up the study of medicine and in pursuit of this attended the Michigan University, at Ann Arbor, and still later attended the Cleveland, Ohio, Medical Col- lege and from there received his diploma, in 1864. He then entered upon the practice of his profession at Pierpont, Ashtabula county, Ohio, and there continued until he came to the coast as aforesaid.
Dr. Trimmer located at Salinas, where he
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enjoyed a large professional practice, and the confidence and esteem of the public. Dur- ing his fifteen years' residence at Salinas he was elected on the City Board of Councilmen, took an active official part in the public ad- ministration of the public schools, and held the offices of County Coroner and Public Ad- ministrator. He took up his residence in Pacific, iu 1888, where he has largely in- vested in realty, and is here recognized as a substantial and influential citizen. Upon the incorporation of the city of Pacific Grove, Dr. Trimmer was elected a Councilman and chosen Chairman, which office he still holds.
In 1859 Dr. Trimmer was married, to Miss Rodah Benjamin, a lady of intellectual accom- plishments and social culture. Their family residence on Laurel avenue is one of the most spacious and elegant in its appointments in Monterey county. Dr. Trimmer is a meniber of Sausal A. O. U. W., Fraternal Lodge, Salinas I. O. O. F., Salinas Lodge, No. 204, F. & A. M., Royal Arch and Chapter, No. 95, Watsonville Commandery, Knight Templars, No. 22, and the Order of Eastern Star, No. 47.
HARTNELL .- In writing the biogra- phy of this gentleman, one touchies the link which connects with houor- able prominence the first of the Anglo-Saxon residents in Monterey county with the Amer- ican occupation of the State, since his father, William E. P. Hartnell, a native of England, settled in this county as early as 1822. He was an accomplished man of letters, as well as a far-seeing, enterprising business man. In order to afford more complete detail of his life we have given his history in a part on another page of this work.
His son, U. Hartnell, was born February 20, 1843, on the Alisal ranch, six miles east of Salinas, Monterey county. Young Hart- nell's mother, Maria Teresa de la Guerra, came of a family of wealth and prominence in Spain, and which, in the early occupation and settlement of California, figures honor- ably. Her father, José Antonio de la Guerra y Noriega, was comandante of Santa Bar- bara as early as 1822, and left a name as locally historic in the southern portion of California as it was of eminent worth and distinction in the annals of Spain.
The subject of this sketch was reared on the ranch, enjoying all the freedom and de- light which the patriarchal condition of the period afforded to the sons of large rancheros, and extending and partaking of the hospi- tality which caused California at this time to be regarded as a veritable Arcadia. His early education was received under the guidance of his sister. In 1854 he removed to the rancho of Todos Santos, Santa Bar- bara. His father dying here, he returned to the homestead in 1859, still continuing his studies, aided in his acqusition of the English language by a private tutor. Between 1863 and 1868 he found occupation as a clerk in Santa Clara. Returning to the ranch in Mon- terey county, he settled down as fariner and stock-raiser, continuing thus engaged until 1879, when he was chosen County Treasurer, which office he has filled ever since. At the election of 1890 his success as a candidate was so universally conceded that no opponent could be found to enter the lists against himn. His bond during his first years of office, when the duties of treasurer were combined with those of tax collector, was a heavy one, being $220,000, and in itself exhibits his personal standing for probity in the community.
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