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 54
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Mr. Martin was married May 14, 1876, to Miss Carrie Day, daughter of T. B. Day, of this county. She was born in Wisconsin, but came to this State with her parents in 1851, when she was a inere child. Their family consists of five children: Maud May, born March 21, 1877; Bertha Blanch, January 8, 1879; Ethel, July 7, 1881; Thompson D., June 27, 1883, died July 3, 1887, at the age of four years; and Vesta B., born January 18, 1886.
Mr. Martin has been a member of the Masonic fraternity since 1868, belonging to Valley Lodge, No. 135, at Linden.
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OHN VAN VALKENBURGH was born in Oneida County, New York, February 1, 1827, a son of Lambert and Sarah (Dennis) Van Valkenburgh; the former a native of New York State and the latter of Connecticut. Grandfather Van Valkenburgh was a native of
Holland who emigrated from that country to the United States, settling in New York State, where the family liave resided ever since. John, the subject of this sketch, was one of ten chil- dren, who were all reared to man and woman- hood; his parents died in New York State. In 1846 he left New York, going to Cass County, Michigan, that at the time being a new coun- try. There lie turned his attention to the shoe- making trade, served his apprenticeship and afterward started a shop of his own. He left Michigan for California, February 22, 1849, made his journey across the plains with ox teams, arriving in Sacramento, September 1, 1849. His first meal there cost him $2.50 and consisted of pork, beans, hard tack and black coffee. He went to Coloma and started at min- ing below the old mill where gold was first dis- covered. While in that locality he discovered Union Flat, which has since been the seat of considerable mining. A town sprung up called Uniontown where he started in quartz mining and spent considerable money, but made a fail- ure, not knowing how to work quartz, situated near Coloma. He was the first inan to strike a pick in Nelson's Cañon, which turned out to be a district rich in minerals. He was among the first to operate in Oregon and Mosquette Cañon, which was among the richest mines struck there. In 1851 he went to Kelsey Diggings, where he was united in marriage to Miss Mary Elizabeth Lane, a native of Ohio, who crossed the plains in 1851. In 1852 Mr. and Mrs. Van Valkenburgh moved from Kelsey Diggings to Walls Diggings, thence to Michigan Bar, where he conducted a shoe shop and a livery stable. In 1863 he came down to this valley and bought a ranch, July 24, of that year. The ranch contains 160 acres and is situated on Cherokee Lane, Liberty Township. There Mrs. Van Valkenburgh died, April 17, 1885, at the age of forty-nine years. She was the mother of six children, viz .: Asa L., born March 10, 1854; Loyal H., December 18, 1855; Lizzie, December 18, 1857; Frank and Charles, deceased; and William T., the youngest of the family, born in
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San Joaquin County. Asa L., the oldest of the family, remained with his father until he was twenty-three years of age, when he built a shop on Cherokee Lane and started in the blacksmith business, running it for nearly seven years. Then he and his brother Loyal went to farming together. They own 320 acres in Sacramento County, and 160 in San Joaquin; they make their home on the latter; it is situated in Liberty Township, within half a mile of Cherokee Lane. Besides this the two brothers farmned consider- able more land, the greater portion in Sacra- inento County.
Asa was married, March 3, 1886, to Miss Della Stevens, a native of Kansas. He is among the largest operators in the farming industry in this section of the country. dealing mostly in wheat and stock, principally horses.
HARLES WAGNER, resident partner of the firm of Kullanan, Wagner & Co., pro- prietors of the Pacific Taunery of Stockton, was boru in Wurtemberg, Germany, January 23, 1837, a son of Christian and Johanna (Gunsser) Wagner. His father was a tanner and his grandfather, John Wagner, by occupation a brewer, was for a time in charge of his great- grandfather's tannery in Balingen, Wurtemberg, to which Christiau also succeeded, so that at least four successive generations of the Wagner family have followed the tannery business. Both the father and grandfather of the subject of this sketch lived to an advanced age; and the grand- mother Wagner also. Grandfather Christian Gunsser, a public surveyor and school-teacher, was sixty five at his death. and his wife reaclied the age of ninety-two. The mother, Johanna (Gunsser) Wagner, lived to the age of sixty.two years.
The subject of this sketch attended school to the age of fifteen and afterward learned his father's business. He left Wurtemberg in the fall of 1855, for California by the ship "Bavaria" from Havre, France, to New York, thence by
steamer " Northern Light" to Chagres, across the isthmus on mule back, then by steatner to San Francisco, where he arrived January 19, 1856. Proceeding to the mines by way of Stockton, he made one month's trial in Calaveras County, near what is now Copperopolis. The result being unsatisfactory he returned to this city and with his brother, Jacob C., started the tannery in which he is still interested in 1890. Meanwhile, in 1859, the subject of this sketch, desiring to perfect himself in his trade, left Stockton for San Francisco and portions of the State where tanning industries were carried on, and finally worked for eighteen months in tanneries at Santa Cruz, where at that time the best article of leather was made. After an absence of two years he returned to his labor in the tannery here, which was established by him- self and brother in 1856. They continued to manufacture, and in 1865 adopted the style of Wagner Brothers. In 1869 Jacob C. Wagner retired and Moses Kullman became a partner, under the style of Kullanan, Wagner & Co., which has since remained unchanged, witlı, however, some change in the membership of the firm. In 1870 Herman, a brother of Moses Kullan, was admitted into partnership, and in 1874 Jacob Salz purchased an interest. Moses Kullman, at his death November 6, 1878, be- queathed half his interest to his brother Herman, and the other half to a nephew, Charles Hart, who thus became a member of the firm. The " Pacific Tannery " has thus been an important industry of this city for thirty-four years, with a constantly growing demand for its products wherever these have been introduced, having long since outstripped the factories of like pro- duction. In quality, their sole-leather con- petes successfully in the markets of the world; is sold all over the United States, and the firmn has standing orders for the markets of Japan, while. their harness-leather goes all over the States and Territories of the Pacific coast. The annual expenditure for raw materials is over $250,000, and their working force ranges from fifty to seventy-five men. After a fire which
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swept the main buildings of the tannery in 1875, the same were rebuilt on a more extensive and substantial scale, brick and iron structures taking the place of former frame buildings and being provided with the latest and best machinery and appliances. The tannery now covers an area of 300 x 250 feet, besides 200 x 150 feet occupied by storehouses for bark.
Mr. Charles Wagner was married in Stockton, in 1867, to Miss Philipina Simon, born in Basenbach, Bavaria, in 1846, a daughter of Jacob and Katrina (Rothenbuchi) Simon, now deceased, the mother in 1866, and the father in 1867, both well advanced in years.
Mr. and Mrs. Wagner have two children: Edward Charles, born November 24, 1869, has been educated in the public schools and at a business college, and at the age of eigliteen began to learn his father's business; Bertha Emily, boru July 23, 1873, has also received a good education, and both are living with their parents.
Mr. Wagner is a member of Stockton Lodge, No. 11, I. O. O. F., and of the Stockton Turn- Verein, of which he is a trustee, having at differ- ent terms been president of that society. He is an advanced liberal in his views and a pro- gressive man in all the realmns of thought.
M. ELLIS, farmer of Castoria Township, was born in West Virginia, in 1834. He removed to Wisconsin when a lad of thirteen, and in 1864 he came to California. He left Wisconsin, with a train of 100 people, May 2, 1864, and reached Stockton September 19, 1864. He rented from 600 to 1,000 acres of land in Castoria Township, which he farmed until 1886, when he purchased the ranch on which lie now resides. In contains 117 acres, situated seven miles from Stockton, on the Dur- ham Ferry road, which is devoted to the raising of grain.
He was married to Miss Mary Graves, who was born in 1834, daughter of H. B. Graves,
and died in June, 1872, leaving one son, John H. In September, 1875, he was married to Miss Mary A. Martin, a native of Wisconsin, born in 1836. Mr. Ellis is a member of the G. A. R.
MASA ALLEN GUERNSEY, a farmer of Elliott Township, was born in Wind- liam County, Vermont, October 15, 1806, son of Amasa and Mary E. Guernsey. Ile fin- ished liis education at the academy at Gouver- neur, New York, which he attended three years, studying all the higher branchies, including Greek and Latin. Being inclined to the min_ istry, he accepted the position of pastor of the Baptist church at Fowler, New York, where he organized the church and preached for six years as missionary there and in other places. Ile then went to Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he was pastor of the church there for two years. On occasions he preached in Detroit, Michigan. He next went to Strongville, Ohio, where he remained four years. During that time he was pastor of the church there, increasing the inem - bership from eighteen to 150 inembers in good standing. He went to Wisconsin, settling at Kenosha. While there lie built the first chinrch made of concrete in that State; it was 40 x 60 feet.
In 1853 he camne to California, by water, landing in San Francisco, and going directly to Sacramento. From there he went to Petaluma, where he was engaged in teaching school in So- noma County, also preaching, but his eyes failed him and he had to resign. He was the organizer of a church there and of one in Blucher valley, where he remained for five years. In 1858 lie came to this county and bought a ranch, con- sisting of a half section of land. Mr. Gnern- sey has been married four times. His first wife was Miss Lydia Holebrook, a native of Gouverneur, New York, who died in 1857. They had four children, namely: Susan K., Ju- lia H., Cornelia D. and Amnasa A., Jr. His
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second wife was Frances L. Buckner, a native of Virginia, who died December 20, 1867. He was then united to Lucinda Moore, a native of Illinois, who died July 20, 1876. His present wife is Mary R. Stowe, a native of Geneva, New York.
RANCIS A. MILLNER, merchant and Postmaster of Elliott, is the son of James, a pioneer of 1849, and Bertha (Prender- gast) Millner; the fatlier a native of England, and his mother of Newfoundland. They had a family of seven children, all of whom are in California; J. F., who resides in Mono County, is in the mercantile business, and George is en- gaged in mining at West Point. The subject of this sketch is a native of Prince Edward's Island. When he was three years of age he was taken to South America, where he remained four months, thence to the Cape of Good Hope, where they stayed six months, thence to New Zealand. He stayed there ten years, then came to California. He was employed as a clerk in a mercantile establishment in San Francisco from boyhood until he went into business for himself in Elliott, wliere he owns the store and two acres of land. He handles a large stock of goods and does an extensive business. Being an upright business man, he is liked by all. He is one of the most prosperous and energetic mer- chants in San Joaquin County. His aged mother makes her home with him.
NEVIN, farmer of O'Neil Township, was born in Pickaway County, Ohio, July 29, 1834, son of Alexander and Sarah Nevin; the father a native of Alleghany County, Pennsylvania, born November 1, 1805, and died in Lodi, California, April 4, 1884; the mother was born in Ohio, in 1813. His parents removed to Fulton County, Illinois, when he was but a small boy, later to Lynn County,
Iowa. When he was twenty-eight years of age they started across the plains to California. They found the journey a very long and tire- some one, but at last arrived in Stockton, where the subject of this sketch was two years engaged in the harness-making business. He then pur. chased a farm in San Joaquin County, which he farmed for about sixteen years, then came to the place where lie now resides. The ranch con- tains 172 acres, situated about four and a half miles from Stockton. The principal product of the farm is wheat.
Mr. Nevin was married to Miss Mary C. Keagle, who was born in Centre County, Penn- sylvania, February, 1836. She lias three broth- ers and two sisters residing in California, namely: John L. Keagle, farmer in San Joaquin County; Alfred, farmer, Sacramento County; Charles H. Keagle, city of Stockton; Mrs. C. T. Elliott, of Lodi; Mrs. H. Timis, of Lodi.
Mrs. and Mrs. Nevin have six children: Edwin A., born July 21, 1858; Wilbur H., July 24, 1860; Lena M., November 28, 1863; Eugene H., March 24, 1867; Frank L., December 8, 1869; and Herbert We, November 7, 1872.
AMES G. NOLAN was born in Ireland, December 22, 1828, son of Michael and Bridget (Russell) Nolan. In their family there were eight children, of whom two sons and two daughters came to the United States, namely: Mrs. Mary Coleman, resident in Sonoma County, California: Mrs. Annie Crowley, of Anderson, Indiana; Michael and James G. In 1857 James G. and his brother Michael sailed from Liverpool, Marchi 1, on Sunday morning, on the sailing vessel thie William Tapscot, belonging to the Tapscot line of vessels. After a rough voyage of over forty days they landed in New York April 13. The two brothers separated in Pennsylvania, James coming to California, and leaving his brother there; notli- ing has ever been heard of liim since.
James got employment under the Govern-
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ment at St. Louis, and took charge of a band of cattle at Fort Leavenworth; after that he got a team of four mules and drove them across the plains to Salt Lake, where they turned them out for the winter. Mr. Nolan was discharged from service at Fort Bridger, and the next fall joined a party on their way to California, taking the southern route and landing in San Bernar- dino, in 1858. At Cucamonga, in that county, he hired out to a man and built for him the first house that a white man ever lived in in that place. After remaining there two months he and a partner named John Dunn started out to beat their way north. At French Camp they dissolved partnership and divided their purse of twenty-five dollars, after which Dunn was seen no more. James came to Stockton and got employment on a ranch, where he received $25 dollars a month; he remained there over two years. He purchased the place he now lives on in 1862; at the time the whole country was under water, the flood being thien at its height. He has been a continnous resident there ever since.
He was married, November 2, 1862, to Miss Kate Burns, a native of Ireland, who came to America, landing in New York, in May, 1854. She came to California October 9, 1861. Mr. Nolan is a Democrat, politically. His first vote was cast for Lincoln in 1864.
HOMAS WILLIAM HUMMEL, a book and job printer of Stockton, was born in this city, November 2, 1862, a son of John and Mary Hummel, both living in 1890, aged respectively sixty-thrce and sixty-one. The father, a native of Germany, atter some years' residence in the Eastern States, came to California in 1849, and was married here. The subject of this sketch received a full course in the public schools of this city and began to learn the art of printing at the age of sixteen in the office of the Independent. At the age of twen-
ty he began to work as a journeyman here and afterward in San Francisco, earning from $2 to $3.50 a day. In 1884 he bought a half interest in the Stockton Commercial Record, and remained with it two and one half years. In 1886 he sold out his interest and started his present business at 363 Hunter street, where he has an excellent modern equipment for first-class work in his line, his office being fitted up with a view of turning out as nice work as any on the coast, from a visiting card to a three-slieet post- er, or a two-hundred-page book. He also does book binding in all its branches. Mr. Hummel was married in Oakland in 1885 to Miss Nellie Pope, born in this county, in 1867, a daughter of T. J. and Mourning (West) Pope,-her father a well-known rancher of this county; she has two brothers, James and Grant, who are also ranchers near Lodi, and are both mar- ried. She has three married sisters: Lena, now Mrs. J. Smith of Oakland; Maggie, the wife of H. J. Strother, a rancher near Atlanta; Eliza, the wife of William Ridley, a rancher, also of this county. She has two unmarried sisters, Lillie and Katie, living with their mother in Oakland; also another sister, Carrie, the wife of Fred Smidt, a business inan of Portland, Oregon. Mrs. Hummel is a member of the Rebekah Lodge, I. O. O. F. of this city. Mr. and Mrs. Hummel own a comfortable home in this city. Mr. Huminel is Deputy Grand Mas- ter for District No. 7, I. O. O. F., and a mem- ber of Parker Encampment, No. 3, and Charity Lodge, 46, I. O. O. F. He is also a member of Stockton Parlor, No. 7, N. S. G. W., and of Conrt San Joaquin, No. 2,786, A. O. F.
AMILTON J. KEEN, rancher, was born in Eastport, Maine, December 25, 1825, his parents being Jonas, a mechanic by trade, and Maria (Warren) Keen, both natives of Maine. They had four children - three sons and one daughter. When the subject of
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this sketch was about four years old his mother died. He remained with his father until he was seventeen years old, during which time he worked a few years at the carpenter trade, with his father. In 1843 he went to Boston, where he remained six years working at his trade. In the spring of 1849 he took passage on the sail- ing vessel Susan Jane, bound for San Francisco, via Cape Horn. It was a merchant vessel, heavily loaded with lumber. There were twelve passengers on board, all men. It took five months and eleven days to make this voyage. They encountered a gale, in which they came very nearly being shipwrecked upon the rocks of the Falkland Islands; otherwise the voyage was pleasant until they arrived at San Fran- cisco, October 11, 1849. He remained there until March 1, engaged at his trade. He then went to Sacramento and worked there at his trade for four weeks. On the 1st of April he went into the inines at a place called Horse Shoe Bar, on the American river, thence to Yankee Jim's, in 1852. In the summer of 1852 he worked at Big Bar, on the middle fork of the American river, where he and five others put in a flume of 11,000 feet, and lost money by the operation. In 1855 he went to Oroville, on the Feather river, where he was married in Feb- ruary, 1858. He left there during the same year and went to a place called Smartsville. In the spring of 1859 he gave up mining and came to this valley, where he has since made his home, giving his attention to farming. He bought a squatter's claim to 160 acres in what is now known as Liberty Township. In 1864 he gave up the first claim, and purchased the place where he now lives, of the same inan, Levi Allen. It is situated in section 25. He owns abont 800 acres, all cultivated land, under the best of improvements; he has paid as high as $80 an acre for some of the land; has super- intended the working of it himself, and through his own industry and business ability has placed himself in the list of our most successful farm- ers. Politically Mr. Keen has been a consistent and valuable member of the Republican party
ever since he has been in this State. He is a member of the U. B. Church, having joined it at Woodbridge sixteen years ago.
His wife, whose maiden name was Martha A. Ware, is a native of Virginia, having moved with her parents to St. Louis, where her parents died, leaving the family to the care of their uncle, P. G. Camden, Mayor of the city of St. Louis. She afterward accompanied her married sister across the plains, arriving in California in 1853.
Their family consists of three children, viz .: Walter H., Camden W. and Amy. They have lost one daughter, Ida, who died at the age of eleven months. Their first son, Walter, is en- gaged in the manufacture of combined harvest- ers. The second son, Camden, is a graduate of the San Joaquin Valley College at Woodbridge, California, and is now a law student in the uni- versity at Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Their daughter, Amy, is a student at the San Joaquin Valley College at Woodbridge, California.
P. CHAGAL, proprietor of the Union Restaurant, Stockton, is a native of Ans-
6 tria, born eighteen miles from Ragusa, February 12, 1859, his parents being Peter and Lucy (Croll) Chagal, the father a trader, fariner and land owner. He spent his boyhood days in his native country, and on the 10th of Sep. tember, 1875, he left there for America. On the 28th of October, 1875, he arrived at San Francisco and has been a resident of this State ever since. He worked six years with N. P. Milloglav, corner of Pacific and Battery streets, to December 10, 1881, then started in the res- taurant business for himself, corner of Sixth> and Broadway, Oakland. His next venture was Nick's Oyster House and Bakery on Seventh street between Washington and Broadway streets, in 1884. He next removed to San Francisco and opened a restaurant on Kearny street. There he remained until September 15, 1885, when
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he came to Stockton and opened the Union Restaurant, under the Commercial Hotel. June 15, 1887, he removed the Union Restaurant to its present location at No. 263 Main street, where he has always donc a prosperous busi- ness. Having acquired property on the Cop- peropolis road, two miles from Stockton, he put up handsome and substantial improvements in 1889, and opened a home for public enter- tainment, which, under the name of " Nick's Popular Resort" has already acquired a high degree of popularity.
Mr. Chagal was married in this city, Septem- ber 11, 1884, to Miss Mary Endich, a native of Stockton. Mr. Chagal is a member of the Y. M. I., No. 5, and of the Austrian Protective Society, San Francisco, and Company B, Em- met Guard, National Guard of California, of Stockton. He has taken an active interest in every inoveinent calculated to advance the wel- fare of Stockton. He has enjoyed almost a monopoly of the base-ball patronage since Stock- ton has had a professional club, and when tlie club of this city won the championship in 1888, he gave the boys and their friends an elegant champagne banquet. April 1, 1890, he re- moved to 475 Seventh street, Oakland.
UGUST MUENTER, a lawyer of Stock- ton, was born at Carolinensiel, Hanover, Germany, March 8, 1835, a son of Will- iam and Frederika Wilhelmina (Maurer) Mnen- ter. The father came to California in 1849, and sent for his family, consisting of his wife, two daughters and the subject of this sketelı, but died in San Francisco, October 30, 1850, at the age of forty-five. The family left home for California a few days before his death, and were five and one-half months on the voyage, per brig Reform, from Bremen, around Cape Horn, arriving in San Francisco, April 5, 1851. The mother died in Stockton on Jannary 1, 1880, aged seventy-five years.
The subject of this sketch came to Stockton
in May, 1851, and was engaged in mercantile life until the age of thirty-four. He was elected County Clerk in 1869 for one term of two years, and had read law as opportunity offered for some time previously, as well as during and after his term of office, and was admitted to the bar in April, 1874. He was in partnership with Judge Baldwin from March, 1875, to March, 1877, under the style of Baldwin & Muenter, and with J. C. Campbell from 1881 to 1883, as Campbell & Muenter. At all other times since his admission to tlie bar he has practiced alone.
He was married in Stockton in 1861 to his cousin, Miss Antoinette Maurer, a daughter of Henry and Frederika (Hildenbrock) Manrer, who came to America in old age and settled in Iowa, where they died, the father aged seventy- six and the inother seventy-four years. Mr. and Mrs. Muenter are the parents of two children: August E., born December 17, 1866, was graduated from the law department of the Uni- versity of Michigan, in Ann Arbor, June 28, 1888, and was admitted to practice as an at- torney at law by the Supreme Court of Cali- fornia, September 1, 1888. Being the owner of a large tract of land, and his health requiring out-door exercise, he has abandoned the profes- ion of law, and will devote himself to farming, lis lands. The second child of Mr. and Mrs. Mnenter is Antoinette B., born November 30, 1877, and is attending the public schools in Stockto 1. On February 26, 1889, at Stockton, Mr. and Mrs. Muenter lost their oldest son, Henry L., being at the time of his death nearly twenty-seven years old. Henry L. had studied medicine in San Francisco, Philadelphia, New York, Berlin, Munich and Vienna; graduated as an M. D. at the medical department of the University of California, in November, 1882, and from Jefferson Medical College in Phila- delphia, in March, 1884; and in March, 1887, after a thorough competitive examination, and upon his diploma from the University of Cali- fornia, was selected and appointed as one of the volunteer physicians in the university clinic for women at Munich, Germany, which position he
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