USA > California > San Joaquin County > An illustrated history of San Joaquin County, California. Containing a history of San Joaquin County from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its future prospects; > Part 52
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Mr. Learned then returned to Sacramento, thence to Rich Bar, on the Feather river, where he took up a claim, but not being successful lie went to Downieville, where lie purchased two claims paying for each of thein $1,000. After working them for about two months he sold them out and started for Mariposa river, but stopped on the way at Nevada City, where he cast his first vote in this State, on the a lmission
of the State into the Union. Not being satis- fied with the diggings at Mariposa, and finding that the greasers were making more than the Americans, he became disgusted and turned back. This was about the last of his mining experience.
He then went to San Francisco, where he built a house, intending to have it finished by the time that his wife arrived, for whom he had sent. He bought a small dairy of twenty- six cows, for which he paid $7,000, it being the first that had been started in San Francisco. It proving to be very profitable lie continued at it for two years. He made the first cheese that had been made in this State, and it sold for one dollar a pound. During all this time in all his transactions the partner and companion of Mr. Learned's was Henry P. Fales, who came out to this country with him, and is now a resi- dent of Madison, Wisconsin. After leaving the dairy business there lie invested in real estate, which he left in the hands of an agent. In 1854 he went back East, spending some time at dif- ferent places, finally going to Wisconsin, re- mained there for six years, then found that the climate was too cold for his health and returned to San Francisco in 1861 across the plains. He inade his home there until 1866, when he re- turned and went to Oakland, where he entered into the flouring business with a Mr. Pendleton. In 1872 the mill was destroyed by fire. In 1871 Mr. Learned purchased his property inthis county in partnership with Sabin Harris, of Oakland. Including some subsequent pur- chases they had about 4,000 acres of land, part of which was tule land, purchased with the in- tention of reclaiming and dividing it off into smaller lots. Their operations were frustrated, however, by other parties turning water into the land, which resulted in a litigation in the courts, which has been a heavy loss to Mr. Learned. He has made his residence in San Joaquin County since 1872, and is now turning his attention to the breeding of fine horses, a number of which are on the place where he lives.
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Mr. Learned lost his wife, who died in the winter of 1869. She was the inother of two children-Charles B., who is a graduate of the State University, and Ella M., a graduate of tlie Stockton High School and of the State Normal at San Jose; for the past three years she has been teaching in the public schools of the State.
ILLIAM B. HAY was born in Virginia, April 24, 1807. He was reared and educated in his native place. In 1835 he went to Memphis, Tennessee, where he was engaged in the mercantile business until 1844. Selling out his business there he went to Inde- pendence, Missouri, where he carried on the same business. May 25, 1852, he came to Cali- fornia by water, landing in San Francisco. He went immediately to the inining district and spent ten years in mining. In 1859 he went to Chinese Camp where he resided five years. Later he came to Tulare Township, purchased land, and is at the present time engaged in the real estate business at Tracy. In 1872 he was elected Judge, holding the office till 1884, and notary public for eight years.
He was married, March 24, 1832, to Miss Emma C. Birch. They had five children, viz .: Dorothy H., George W., Gns B., Arden D. and Virginia. His first wife having died, lie was married in 1860, to Mrs. Ellen Garret.
HARLES H. WAKEFIELD .- The men who have come to the front in California have in every instance been men of great energy of character, who would not permit themselves to be deterred by any difficulty, and who invariably pushed on with a confident heart. They are nearly all self-made men, also, who have begun with little or nothing, and have proven their worthiness by their success. As a natural result their lives have nsually been eventful ones, embracing much more than the
ordinary interest, and hence we feel not the least hesitation in entering fully into the history of a man who came to California in the early times. Such a man is Charles H. Wakefield, the subject of this sketch.
He is a native of Oxford County, Maine, and is a son of George and Eliza (Clark) Wakefield, both of whom were natives of the same State. Mr. Wakefield's mother died October 24, 1879, at the age of seventy-four years, while his father survived her until 1887, when he died at the age of eighty-tliree. They were the parents of six children, five sons and one daughter, of whom one, L. D. Wakefield, is a prominent resident of San Joaquin County, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this work.
Onr subject was born on May 7, 1838. He stayed at home until he was about nineteen years old, during which time his education was received at the district schools of his neighbor- hood, with the exception of about three months' schooling received elsewhere. The first trip he ever made out of his native State was in the fall of 1857, when he went West. He spent about two years in Minnesota and Wisconsin, after which he returned to his home in Maine, and after visiting liis parents and relatives there, he started for the Pacific coast. He sailed from New York, November 21, 1859, on board the steamer Northern Light, for Panania, where he changed steamers, and in due time reached San Francisco, after a voyage of twenty- one days and fifteen hours from the time of leaving New York, which was then one of the quickest passages that had been made. Our subject did not tarry long in the great mnetropo- lis, bnt came up to Stockton, and from there np into Calaveras County, where his brother, L. D. Wakefield, was then living. The latter was quite largely engaged in the stock business, and as soon as Charles arrived the two brothers formed a co-partnership, which they continued up to the fall of 1873. In 1861 Charles turned his attention to teamning, and soon after that the great gold excitement broke out in Nevada, when he commenced making trips over the
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mountains, going to almost all of those mining towns, which business for a while was a very profitable one, up to the time the railroad was completed through that country, when teaming rapidly began to go down. The brothers were together in this business, as well as in the raising of stock, and remained in that country up to 1865, when they closed out their stock interest and carried on teaming altogether up to about 1867. During this time they would winter at different places, sometimes on their little farm in Calaveras County, and then again would run into Stockton and put np there.
About 1865 they came to San Joaquin to live. The first land they owned here now forms a part of L. D. Wakefield's place. When they turned their attention to farming, they operated quite extensively, the heaviest of it being car- ried on in Stanislaus County, where they went in 1867, and where our subject was interested up to 1874, they at one time farming as high as 3,000 acres. In the fall of 1873 he bought and moved upon the place where he now lives and has since resided. The home place contains in the neighborhood of 340 acres, which was obtained in two different purchases. it is situ- ated on what is known as the Frost and Leach road, or the county road running from the Eight-Mile House, on Cherokee Lane, to the upper Sacramento road, and is one of our most highly-improved farms, which certainly is an object of pride to San Joaquin County, and a tribute to the cultured taste and refinement of its owner in fitting up so beautiful a home. The landed possessions of Mr. Wakefield in this county amount to something over 500 acres, all of which is excellent grain land. Our subject has always taken a great interest in the we.fare of the county, and anything that he could bestow on what he thought would be for the public good has always met with his favor. In political matters he has taken more or less an active interest. He is a Republican from principle, and has often been a member of the county conventions, and on one or two occasions has been a delegate to the State conventions.
He was united in marriage, in November, 1869, to Mary E. Hoenshell, daughter of Abra- ham Hoenshell, an old settler of this county. Mrs. Wakefield is a native of Pennsylvania, where she was brought up to the age of twelve, when she came to this State with her parents. She is a lady of most excellent worth, and a valuable member of society circles. The Wake- field family have never been together since they first separated. There are now only three of them left; the one besides the two in this county, is George W. Wakefield, a deaf mute, and the youngest of the family. He was the only one to remain at home before the death of his parents; obtained a finished education, and is still residing on the old home place.
ON. JOSEPH M. CAVIS, lawyer, and one of the representative men of Stock- ton, is a native of New Hampshire, born at Dunbarton, Merrimac County, July 1, 1825, his parents being John and Nancy (Mills) Cavis. The family is an old one in this country, the subject of this sketch being in the sixth generation from the founder of the family in America, who came from the Isle of Man. When the subject of this sketch was ten years of age his father removed with the family to Hop- kinton, New Hampshire, and there he attended the academy, preparing for college. He was graduated at Dartmouth College, in the class of 1846. He immediately entered the law office of David Cross, at Manchester, and after a year and a half spent in legal studies there, went to Troy, New York, where he was admitted to the bar November 8, 1848. In that city he was in the office of Willard & Raymond. A couple of months after his admission he went to Holyoke, Massachusetts, was admitted to practice, and remained there until September, 1852. In 1852 he started for California, sailing from Boston on the ship Northern Light, October 25. The vessel rounded Cape Horn on the 1st of January, 1853. At night in that region lie
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HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY.
would amuse himself by picking out the con- stellations, and on the night mentioned, off Cape Horn, the sun's entire disc was visible at nineteen minutes after nine o'clock. They landed at San Francisco, February 23, 1853, and Mr. Cavis, after remaining in the city a couple of weeks, went to Sacramento, to take charge of some real estate. He remained in the Capital City about a year, then went to Co- lumbia, Tuolumne County, and commenced mining. This engaged his attention nntil Sep- tember, 1855, when he entered into tlie prac- tice of the law, having been admitted to the Supreme Court of California in June, 1855. In September, 1861, Mr. Cavis was elected to the State Senate of California, and at the election of September, 1862, he was again elected to the same position. In October, 1863, he was elected District Judge of the Fifth Judicial District, which at that time comprised the connties of Tuol- umne, San Joaquin, Mono and Alpine. It was a tremendously large circuit, and entailed con- siderable hardship upon the judge whose duty it was to make it. His term of office expired on the 31st of December, 1869, and during the first week in January, 1870, he removed to Stockton, and opened an office here. In March, 1876, he was appointed by the President as Postmaster at Stockton, assuming the duties of the office in May of that year. He served three full terms, retiring from the office April 15. 1838, leaving behind him the record of a splendid administration. He has since re- opened his law office, and is now again engaged in practice.
Mr. Cavis was married in New Hampshire, October 4, 1849, to Miss Emma Maria , Chan- dler. They have one child: Joseph William, born Marclı 22, 1852, who is now chief clerk of the Stockton postoffice.
Judge Cavis is a member of Columbia Lodge, No. 28, A. F. & A. M., Stockton Chapter, R. A. M., and is now serving his fourth termi as Eminent Commander of Stockton Commandery, Knights Templar. He was a Whig in the days of that party's greatness, and he has been a
Republican since the organization of the party, having cast his vote for its first Presidential candidate-John C. Fremont. He has always taken an active part in the councils of the party, and in' 1875 was honored by the Republican State convention with the nomination for Lieutenant-Governor, and shared in the general defeat of that year. He has taken a lively in- terest in church work, and for eighteen years has been a trustee and secretary of the " First Congregational Society of Stockton."
DWARD ELBRIDGE HOOD, the official court reporter and stenographer of San Joaquin County, was born in Nashua, New Hampshire, November 27, 1844, a son of John A. and Jane (Baker) Hood, both born in Massachusetts, the mother in 1816, and the father a few years earlier. The father, by trade a carpenter and millwright, came to California in 1850, and mined in Tuolumne County until 1853. The mother with her two children, the subject of this sketch and his sister, afterward Mrs. F. M. Renous, came ont in 1852 by the Panama route, arriving in San Francisco in May of that year. In 1856 the family settled in Yreka, Siskiyou Connty, where the father has since followed his trade of carpenter, and where father and mother still reside in 1890. After his arrival E. E. Hood went to school in San Francisco until 1856, when he moved to Yreka, going to school a few months each year until- 1862. Meanwhile he began to learn the art of printing in 1857; and in 1862 went to a college and in 1864 to a law school, from which he was graduated and admitted to the bar, October 1, 1866. The ensuing year he came to this city and practiced his profession until he was ap- pointed conrt reporter in 1873. He had com- menced to learn phonography while learning his trade of printer, and by long practice had be- come an adept in that art. He is a member of Morning Star Lodge, No. 68, F. & A. M.
Mr. E. E. Hood was married in Stockton,
Daniel Houser
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September, 14, 1867, to Miss Esther Hull, born in Galena, Illinois, a danghter of Philip and Cla- rissa Hnll. Tue mother, of American descent for several generations, died about 1879, aged perhaps sixty; the father is engaged in stock- raising in Arizona, in 1890, aged over eighty years. Mr. Hood's grandfather, Jeremiah Hood, born in Massachusetts, and a farmer by ocenpa- tion, moved with his family to New Hampshire and died in Miltord, in 1864, aged about eighty ; his wife Mary, some years his junior, died a few years before, aged probably abont seventy. Grandfather Baker died in middle age, but his wife Nancy survived until abont 1872, being over seventy at her deatlı. Mr. and Mrs. E. E. Hood have fonr children,-William Haskell, born in 1868, by occupation a seaman and now a master mariner, holding the position of mate of a merchant vessel since 1889; Francis J., born in 1875; Philip L., born in 1876; and Lettie Etta, born in 1878,-all three attending school in Stockton.
ANIEL HOUSER, senior member of the firm of Honser, Haines & Knight, mann- facturers of combined harvesters and other agricultural implements, was born in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, March 11, 1827, a son of Jacob and Magdalena (Schrecon- gost) Houser, both natives of that State. The mother died at the age of thirty five, and the father at fifty-one, the result of being thrown from a bnggy. They had nine children, of wlioni three are living, the subject of this sketch being the oldest. Grandfather George Schrecongost, a native of Germany, was brought to Pennsylvania at the age of eight by a kid- napper, became a farmer and lived to be ninety- eight years old; his wife, a native of that State, was seventy-eight at her death. Grandfather John Houser, born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, also a fariner, died at the age of sixty-five, and his wife, by birth Susannalı Roope, lived to be eighty-four. The subject of this sketch received 23
a limited education in public and private schools, but learned farming early and afterward the trade of carpenter. He worked at his trade from about the age of twenty-one to twenty- nine, in his native county, and was there mar- ried in 1848 to Elizabeth Swigert, born in that county about 1834, who died in 1849, soon after the birth of their only child. In 1850 he was married to her sister Catharine Jane. Mrs. Mary Swigert, the mother of both, was Mrs. Col- lins, born in Pennsylvania, about 1806, is living in this county in 1890. In 1856 he moved to Illinois, settling at Mount Carroll, on a farm of 100 acres, which he improved and cultivated, also working occasionally at his trade. Selling his farm in 1862 he set out for California across the plains, taking four months, less three days, to get to the city of Stockton. He bonght 160 acres twelve miles south of this city in Castoria Township, which he afterward increased to about 900 acres in three farms. Renting some more land he went into wheat raising in a larger way, and his attention was then called to the need of the farmers in this section in the line of supe- rior agricultural implements. Being also a carpenter he thought he conld improve on the harvesters already in use. The first machine of that class was made abont 1870, and see- ing its defects he began to experiment on one that was in use in this section in 1874. In 1875 he bought one made in Buffalo for use on the sinaller Eastern farms. He endeavored to accommodate it to his vicwe by making some clianges, but as in the previons experiment he was dissatisfied with the result. In 1876 he made one of his own and filed a caveat in Washi- ington on what he regarded as a valuable improvement, a combination of the thresher and header, which was the origin of the Houser Combined Harvester. In 1881 he erected a building on Center street for the mannfacture of his combination, and in 1883 received one patent for the original invention, and the other in 1885 for an improvement on the first. About 1885 the Houser Combined Harvester was con- solidated with the Shippee Company, and the
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Honser inventions and devices were united with those of other inventors under one man- agement, giving a great impetus to that line of manufacture in this city. In November, 1889, Mr. Houser formned a partnership under the style of Honser, Haines & Knight for the man- ufacture of the Haines & Houser Harvester. In the new machine certain improvements, designed by Mr. Houser and Mr. Haines, both experts in this line, will be introduced. The plant has entailed a large outlay in buildings and machinery while making ample provision for enlargement to meet the expected growth of the new business. The buildings already erected cover an area of 80 x 250 feet, covered on the outside walls and roof with corrugated iron.
Meanwhile Mr. Houser came to reside in this city, in 1882, and began to sell his lands in this county in 1883. In 1885 he moved his family to Los Angeles, where he bought 400 acres of fruit land near Covina. His second wife died the same year, leaving nine children : John O., Harvey N., Nathaniel H., Ervin D., Denis V .. Della, Mary, Elina and Rosetta. Della is the wife of H. L. Knight, junior partner in the new firm. By the first wife there is one daughter, Sarah J., now Mrs. Charles T. Blanchard of this city. Mr. Houser was again inarried in 1887, to Mrs. Susannah (Royer) Stoner, of Center View, Johnson County, Missouri, a widow with six living children, three of whom-D. P. (the book- keeper of the firm), Robert and Katie-are living in Stockton, and three -- Leroy, Vinnie and Jennie -are on the Stoner estate in Missouri. Mr. Houser again took up his residence in this city January 1, 1889, where he was rejoined by a part of his family in February of that year, the others remaining on their fruit-farm in Covina, Los Angeles County.
GEORGE W. HAINES, of the firm of Houser, Haines & Knight, manufacturers of the " Haines-Houser Harvester" and a full line of agricultural implements, was born in 1838 in Medina, Ohio, a son of Henry and Rebecca (Irving) Haines. The family mnoved to Steplien- son County, Illinois, in 1849, where the father
(a cousin of the Haines Brothers of that section, manufacturers of the " Haines Headers) " fol- lowed his trade of carpenter until 1854, when he moved to lowa, where he continued to work at his trade. In 1861 he came to this county with his family, and bought a ranch of 320 acres fourteen miles south of this city in Cas- toria Township. There the mother died in 1880, aged sixty seven; the father is still living in 1890, aged seventy-seven. Grandfather Isaac Haines, a native of Pennsylvania, also a carpenter, moved to Ohio, where he died at an advanced age, and his wife. by birtlı a Miss Givins, was quite old at her death. Grand- father George Irving, born in Pennsylvania, where he was married to Miss Kempfer, a native of that State, moved to Indiana after his wife's death. He was a carpenter as was also four of his sons, so that Mr. G. W. Haines may almost be said to have been born a carpenter. He was educated in his youth in the district schools of Illinois and Iowa and early learned the trade of his father, beginning at fourteen and working with him until the age of twenty-one, and after- ward for two years as a paid journeyman. With his family he came to Stockton in 1861 and went to work at his trade at four dollars a day, and farming some on 160 acres which he owned. In 1866 he helped to build a harvester near French Camp, one of the earlier imperfect ones, and in 1874 went to work with Mr. Houser, who made, after repeated experiments, the first really successful " harvester." Mr. Haines has been associated still more closely with Mr. Houser since 1881, always on wages, until November, 1889, when he becaine a partner in the firm of Houser, Haines & Knight. The main principles of harvesters are now public property, but the minor improvements, in the division of which both Mr. Houser and Mr. Haines are acknowledged experts, are always patentable. It is expected that the " Haines- Houser Harvester" will embody several that will commend that inachine to the farming community, who are always deeply interested in securing the best.
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Mr. Haines was married January 1, 1890, to Miss Laura Brooks of this city.
TANTON L. CARTER, of the law firm of Carter & Smith, of Stockton, California, was born at Clayton, Jefferson County, New York, on January 16, 1853. When about one year old, his father, removed to Carroll County, Illinois, where he lived upon a farm until 1862, when his father, who had previously emigrated to California, returned, and with his family crossed the plains and settled upon a farm, on the Mariposa road about eight miles from Stockton. Here the subject of this sketch, who had previously been in very delicate health, soon became accustomed to the laborious duties of a farmer, taking the entire charge of the farm one winter, while not twelve years old, during a lingering sickness of his father. When opportunity afforded he attended the only pub- lic school in the neighborhood, trudging five miles daily for this purpose. In the fall of 1866 his father removed to a larger farm upon the San Joaquin river, near the present railroad bridge; but the son, having been severely in- jnred by a runaway team, was incapacitated for hard labor and spent the winter in attendance upon the public school. The following year his father again removed to a larger farın, this time in Stanislaus County, near Paradise City, where the son did a man's work npon the farin and in the harvest field until the close of the year 1868, when the family removed to Stockton to enable the children to enjoy better facilities for education than they had heretofore been afforded. The subject of this sketch, then a vig orons lad of fifteen years, entered the grammar school, then the highest grade in the city, and upon the establishment of the High School the following year he became a inem ber of the second class and graduated therefrom two years later. At the age of eighteen years, having a strong de- sire to take a collegiate course, his father offered him the use of 160 acres of land to farm
for the purpose of securing the necessary means. This he plowed and sowed to wheat himself, and the crop grown thereon realized some $1,650; but unfortunately this money, with others, was stolen from his father by highway- men, who waylaid him upon his way from Mo- desto to Stockton, and none of it was ever recovered. The son in the meantime had taken charge of a warehouse at Ceres in which his father was interested, and upon the loss of his money reluctantly abandoned the idea of attend- ing college; and as his father desired to have him devote himself to a business life he remained in charge of the warehouse until 1874, when it was sold, and in the meantime he had, during his spare time in the winter months, taken a course of book-keeping in Heald's Business College at San Francisco, from which he received a diplo- ina as an expert accountant in the spring of 1874. Soon after this lie began the study of law, spending, however, his summers upon the farm and in the harvest fields. On April 11, 1876, he was admitted by the Supreme Court to practice in all the courts of the State, but re- turned and spent two years more in the office of the attorneys with whom he had read law, with the exception of one summer when he took charge of and carried on his father's farming and threshing business, his father being confined to his bed the entire summer.
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