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 56
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ILLIAM CARTER was born in Hancock County, Kentucky, December 25, 1825, lris parents being Moses Davis and Ann (Thorp) Carter, the former a native of Virginia, and the latter of North Carolina. When our subject was about a year and a half old, lris mother having died at that time, he was taken to Caldwell County, where he was raised by his
grandmother, his mother's mother. His father, when William was a sinall boy, moved to Mis- souri and settled in Clark Connty, where he lived till his death in 1851. In 1848 or '49 our subject went to Missouri, where he remained nntil the fall of 1852. He stayed in Clark County until 1853, when he started for Califor- nia. The trip was made across the plains with ox teams, the party consisting of Mr. Carter, his wife and one child, together with Mrs. Carter's fatlier, George . M. Carlock, his wife and family. They arrived in Placerville after a journey of four and a half months. Directly they went to Kelsey, El Dorado County, where Mr. Carter engaged in mining that winter. In the spring of 1854 lie moved to Cañon creek, where he worked in a saw-mill through the summer. He then moved upon a ranch two miles from George- town and farmed it two years, then sold it, and commenced mining again at the head of Irish creek, which occupation lie carried on till he came to this valley in 1860. He first bought a man's claim of three eighty-acre tracts, all adjoining. He then filed a pre-emption on 160 acres of it and the other eighty lie let lay until the railroad came throngh here and they took possession of it, and Mr. Carter afterward bought it; he now owns altogether 240 acres. It was all wild land. The land is now under the best of improvements, all of which points to the energy and thrift of its owner.
Mr. Carter has been a member of the Masonic fraternity since 1851, and of the Christian Church since about 1866, of which church he is a devoted member and has served as Deacon for inore than fifteen years. Politically he has never taken any active part. As he says, he thinks it a man's dnty to vote and pay his taxes, which he has every year done, except when crossing the plains. He has voted the Demo- cratic ticket always. He has served the. people of Liberty Township as Justice of the Peace for two years in a most creditable manner.
Mr. Carter was married in Clark County, Missouri, February 5, 1852, to Miss Elizabetlı Carlock, a native of Darke County, Ohio, where
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she was born September 15, 1834. Their fam- ily consists of nine children, two sons and seven danghters, as follows: Martha Ann, Mary Fran- ces. Margaret Drucilla, Saralı Elizabeth, Will- iam Edward, Emma Lee, Carrie Agnes, Myrtie Estella and Albert Baker.
ILLIA MILLER LOMAX, M. D., of Stockton, was born in Delhi, Ontario, April 10, 1858, a daughter of Joseph A. and Eliza (McClellan) Miller, both natives of Canada, but residents of California since 1875. Her father, born in 1829, became a physician of the old school; her mother, born in 1838, is a resi- dent of Stockton. Grandfather William Mc- Clellan, became a Baptist minister, was pastor of a church in Delhi twelve years, and died in Norwich, Canada, in 1868, at the age of fifty- six years. Grandmother Mary (Cudney) Mc- Clellan lived to be seventy-five, dying in 1887. Grandfather Cndney, English by birth, was mar- ried to a Miss Grant, a native of the United States. Grandmother Mary Miller lived to be seventy-nine. The children of Josepli A. and Eliza Miller are: (1) the subject of this sketch. (2) Herschel B., born in Norwich, Canada, January 31, 1860, educated in the local schools, came to California in 1875, studied for some time in the State University at Berkeley, taught school in Oakland, read law in the offices of J. Campbell and Judge Baldwin for a while, then entered the office of a railroad president in San Francisco as a secretary. He continued his legal studies in spare hours, and entered the Hastings Law College of that city, and was ad- mitted to the bar in 1887. He was married in Oakland, in 1887, to Miss Aggie Martin, born in Milton, Canada, about 1863. (3) Leila Ada, born in Galt, Canada, in 1865, was graduated at the Oakland high school and has learned stenog- raphy and type-writing, and is now employed as stenographer in the office of George Seybolt, United States Mail Inspector, at San Francisco. (4) William Gnstavns Adolphus, born in 1868,
is also a stenographer. (5) Mary Eva Bordett, born December 15, 1871, is attending the Stock- ton high school.
The subject of this sketchi was educated in the public schools, graduated from the high school, and was married in Calistoga, California, in 1876, to E. L. Lomax, born in Ohio, in 1844, a soul of Mr. and Mrs. William Lomax, and was divorced from him in the Oakland courts in 1879, being granted the custody of their two children, both born in San Leandro: Ada Bnr- dette, December 21, 1876, and William Benoni, born July 4, 1878. Mrs. Lomax studied medi- cine from 1878 to 1881, and was graduated at the California Eclectic Medical College April 28, 1881, and came to Stockton in August of that year. She has built up a lucrative practice, making a specialty of the treatment of women and children, an important field of labor, in which she has been eminently successful.
A. CAMPBELL, the popular incumbent of the City Clerk's office of Stockton, is a native of Indiana, born twenty miles from Logansport, March 13, 1838, his parents being George and Rachel (Bilderbeck) Campbell. When he was but an infant the family removed to Grant County, Wisconsin, settling near Po- tosi. They afterward removed to Shallsburg, Lafayette County, and there the subject of this sketch made his first start in life, clerking in a store. In 1858 he joined the rush being made in that year for California, and made the trip via Panama, on the steamers Star of the West and Golden Gate, whichi carried respectively 700 and 1,200 passengers. He arrived at San Francisco November 15, 1858, and two days later was in Stockton, where he met his brother, John A. Campbell, who lived on the sand plains twelve miles from Stockton, where he had located in 1851 and where he was farming in partner- ship with P. G. Sharp. Our subject went to work for them, and when their partnership was dissolved he continued in the employ of Mr.
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Sharp. After remaining with him six years, farming, threshing, and teaming over the moun- tains, he took np a place on the Mariposa road sixteen miles from Stockton, where he resided until 1872, when he moved into town. He was then book-keeper for Sperry & Co. until 1882, and next entered into partnership with L. HI. Lang in the operation of the Hunter street barley mills; that partnership was dissolved in 1885, and from May, that year, until the next January he was in Tulare County. He then returned to Stockton. At the election held on the first Monday in May, 1886, he was elected City Clerk, and has twice been re-elected; his present term holds until May, 1891.
Mr. Campbell was married in this county, November 27, 1867, to Miss Sarah E. Awalt, a native of Iowa. They have nine children, viz .: Frederick, Clara May, Thomas, Lottie, Sadie, Chester, Kittie, Ralph and Roy.
Mr. Campbell has passed the chairs of Stock- ton Lodge, No. 11, I. O. O. F., and of Parker Encampment, No. 3, and he and his wife are members of the Rebekah Degree Lodge. He has been Recorder of Stockton Lodge, No. 23, A. O. U. W., since 1886, and for the same length of time has been Chief of Records of Iroquois Tribe, No. 35, I. O. R. M. He is also a member of Centennial Lodge, No. 38, K. of P.
Mr. Campbell is a careful, painstaking and obliging officer, and enjoys a high degree of popularity both in city and county.
HARLES HUNTING is a native of Iowa, where he was born, in Jackson County, November 14, 1849, his parents being Charles W. and Caroline (Edwards) Hunting, the former a native of Vermont, and the latter of North Carolina. Charles W. Hunting moved from Vermont to Illinois, thence to Iowa, where he was married to Caroline Edwards, his first wife. She died in 1859, the mother of six children, of whom three are now living: L. C.,
Charles and Simeon, all residents of San Joa- quin County. Those dead are Olive and Laura and one who died in infancy. In 1863 the fam- ily came to California and located in this county in Liberty Township, where they have since re sided. Mr. Hunting was married to his second wife in Iowa before coming to California. Her name was Sarah Jane Brady; she is the mother of six children, four of whom are deceased. The two living are: Mary Jane and Nancy A.
Charles Hunting made his home with his parents till he was eighteen years of age, since which time he has made his own way in the world. He has been engaged in farming for himself for about twenty-one years. The first land he bought was in 1874, consisting of 160 acres on the line between Liberty and Elliott townships. He has about 400 acres in section sixteen, just across the road on the south, all of which is devoted to general farming and stock- raising.
Mr. Hunting has been a member of the Odd Fellows since 1883, belonging to Elliott Lodge, No. 288.
Mr. Hunting was married, December 15, 1872, to Isadora Mallard, a native of Iowa, born Feb- ruary 27, 1855, daughter of Fayette and Sarah Katharine (Osborn) Mallard; the former a na- tive of Vermont, now deceased. Mrs. Mallard is now a resident of Stockton. Mr. and Mrs. Hunting have seven children: Clara Estella, born October 7, 1873; Minnie Loretta, April 29, 1876; Georgie Lester, June 13, 1879; Elsie Dora, April 29, 1881; James Willis, February 25, 1884; Gracie Myrtle, September 27, 1887; and Charles Albert, August 2, 1889.
SAAC DANA HOLDEN, druggist of Stock- ton, was born in Boston, October 20, 1843, a son of Erastus S. and Jane E. (Dana) Holden. His mother, born in Watertown, Massa- chusetts, December 19, 1817, a daughter of Isaacand Hannah Dana, was married about 1840, died in Boston about 1852, leaving one surviving
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child, the subject of this sketch. Grandfather Isaac Dana, who was the son of John, who was the son of Benjamin second, son of Benjamin first, son of Richard, from England, who arrived in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1640. His father, Erastus Sanrin Holden, for many years a prominent citizen of Stockton, was born in Maine, abont 1813. E. S. Holden received the nsual education of that period and was after- ward graduated from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy, and brought up to the business of a drnggist in Boston. He was married about 1840, and continued in his business of druggist in Boston until seized by the gold fever, when he left Boston late in 1849 for California, arriv- ing in San Francisco early in 1850. He went to the mining district of Sonora and spent some little time prospecting, but soon returned to San Francisco and organized tlie wholesale drug house of Reddington & Co., consisting of John H. Reddington, Charles Story and himself. The firm was dissolved in 1852, Mr. Holden receiving as his share in the distribution among other things the branch stores in Sonora and Stockton. He had settled in this city in 1852 in charge of this branch, and afterward estab- lished a wholesale business to facilitate trade with the southern mines. Besides his drng business Mr. Holden was interested in a larger local enterprise of the period. He was vice- president of the Western Pacific Railroad from its inception, and originator of the Stockton & Copperopolis Railroad, as well as of the Stock- ton & Ione Railroad. He was one of the original promoters of the San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Society, and its president for sev- eral years, and chief contributor to the special library in the old Agricultural Hall, and was a correspondent of the more prominent agri- cultural papers. He owned several farms within a radius of five miles from Stockton, aggre- gating perhaps 1,500 acres. He imported valuable stock into this county, and came to be regarded as an authority not only on stock but on general agriculture and horticulture as well. He was first vice-president of the State Agri-
cultural Society in 1856; president of the board of directors of the State Insane Asylum- for three years; a commissioner of the Yose- mite valley for several years, and one of the original locators of the Copperopolis mines. He built in this city what was regarded as a model residence for the period, a brick house of nine rooms, among the first large liouses of that material in the city, withi highly cultivated gronnds covering a whole square. He imported plants from Mexico and Japan for the ornamen- tation of liis grounds; bored one of the first artesian wells for irrigation and household pur- poses. Mr. Holden filled the office of Mayor of this city for six years or more. He was also interested in quartz-mining for a time, but his favorite specialty was railroad building, in which he was a bold and fortunate operator. It is said he was offered $300,000 to step out of the Western Pacific Railroad, which he de- clined. He was married in this city about 1854, to Miss Maria M. Lyon, born abont 1840, a daughter of Captain Lemuel Lyon, United States consul to Japan nnder President Grant's administration. Her mother died compara- tively young and the children were sent for by her father, who was a sea captain. They came to California abont 1852, and settled with him in this city for some years. He afterward moved to Oregon, from which State he was ap- pointed as consul to Japan, where he died at the age of about seventy years. Mr. Hol den's health being broken down, chiefly from over-work, he moved to San Francisco with his second family, in 1880, and died in that city, Angust 11, 1885, leaving three sons: Wilson F., Erastus and Warren P., who with their mother are still residents of that city.
The subject of this sketch, I. D. Holden, np- on the death of his mother in 1852, found a home with his aunt, Miss Emma Dana, until he came out to rejoin his father in 1856. About 1860, he entered his father's drug store on the corner of Maine and El Dorado streets in this city, where he remained as clerk, manager and proprietor ever since. He studied the business
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theoretically and practically, and has been sole proprietor since 1879, conducting it with great success.
JOHN BOYD LO ROMER, an architect of Stockton, was born in New York city in 1844, a son of James A. and Eliza (Boyd) LoRomer, who were both natives of the same city. The grandparents, who both lived to a ripe old age of about ninety years, were of the old Knickerbocker stock of the early settlers of New York and New Jersey. J. B. LoRomer, after receiving the usual public-school education, was sent to Princeton College, New Jersey, and after a two years' course went into the Novelty Iron Works in the designing depar ment, having evinced a special talent for drawing. While there he availed himself of the opportunity afforded to the youth of New York by the Cooper Institute, and after his taste finally set- tled on a profession, he entered the office of a prominent architectural firm, and continued to use freely the aids of that institution in perfect- ing himself in his art. He was thus engaged for a few years, when he enlisted in the First New Jersey Cavalry Volunteers, in 1863, at the age of nineteen, and served under Sheridan in active service until mustered out at Trenton, New Jersey, June 5, 1865, after the Grand Re- view at Washington, District of Columbia. He carries the mark of a sabre cut received at Five Forks, Virginia, and was shot twice in other battles. He had two horses killed under hiın in one morning, the day after starting on the Richmond raid, May 7, 1864, but escaped nn- hurt on that occasion. He left New York No- vember 20, 1867, for California by the Nicaragua route and arrived in San Francisco shortly after and found employment as a draughtsman in his profession. He spent the years from 1868 to 1873 in San Diego and Los Angeles at this pro- fession. Returning to San Francisco in 1873 he opened an office on his own account and con- tinned until 1878, when he went to Portland,
where he remained (with the exception of a brief sojourn in Seattle and Walla Walla, Washı- ington Territory) until coming to Stockton in February, 1885. The subject of this sketch has built many public buildings and private resi- dences throughout the coast, many of which are noted for their substantial appearance, as well as their architectural beauty. Among the most noted is the handsome court-house of Clackamas County, Oregon, besides many business blocks and private residences in the city of Portland, Oregon. There are several worthy of mention in the city of Stockton, such as the business blocks of R. Gnekow, Simpson & Gray, Sheriff Cun- ningham, and the Sperry Mills office, besides the private residences of Frank Davis, A. B. Sperry, P. B. Fraser and many others. He recognizes a marked improvement here since 1885, and a still greater one since his first visit to the city in 1873.
Mr. LoRomer was married in Santa Rosa, of this State, to Miss Minnie G. Raab, a daughter of the late George and Minnie (Cassington) Raab, a well-known citizen in the early days of Stockton. Mrs. LoRomer (nee Raab) was lett an orphan at an early age. She was reared in this city, where she received a public school edu- cation, graduating with honors; and she is an excellent penman and musician.
OHN KELLER, of Elkhorn Township. was born September 30, 1840, in Crawford County, Ohio. His parents, John and Chris- tine (Rosmann) Keller, were natives of Germany and occupants of the farm. John, senior, was brought up to agricultural pursuits, and in 1833 emigrated to America and settled in Ohio, pur- chasing land upon which he resided until his death in 1887, at the age of eighty-four. The subject of this sketch, who was also reared to agricultural pursuits, left home at the age of nineteen years; in 1864, he came overland with horse-teams, with a company of nineteen, start- ing March 14, and arriving in Sacramento on
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June 20, with only $50 in greenbacks, which when exchanged for coin amounted to only $20. His first engagement was cutting hay on Staten Island, for which his wages was $40 a month. Going thence to El Dorado County he engaged in mining for three months, and then returned to the San Joaquin valley and was employed during the summer upon a farm; and in the fall he began cutting wood. The following spring he rented land and followed farming upon his own account until the fall of 1874, when he went East. Coming again to the Golden State in 1875, he rented land in partnership with Mr. Harshner and continued until 1881. In the fall of this year he purchased his present prop- erty, consisting of 160 acres, being the north- east quarter of section 1, township 3 north, range 5 east, which is four miles fromn Wood- bridge. Here Mr. Keller has made all the improvements that are now upon the place; and his premises are as neat and tidy as any in that part of the county. His fine resi- dence was erected in 1884, and is indeed an ornamental structure.
In 1884 Mr. Keller married Miss Dora Brack, a native of this State, and their children are: Christin E. and John Cleveland.
OSEPH PUTNAM, farmer of Elliott town- ship, San Joaquin County, was born in Windsor County, Vermont, April 13, 1823. His father and mother died when lie was seven years old and he made his home with his grand- father, until he too died: he then went to his uncle in Charleston, New Hampshire, where he lived until nineteen years of age. He then went to Boston, Massachusetts, where he was employed by Boyd & Beard, who were in the bottling business, bottling all varieties of liquors. He worked for them until twenty-five years of age, then came to California by water, on the ship Pharsalia, arriving in San Francisco, where he remained but a short time. He took a row-boat to Stockton and went from there to
the mines, where he worked until 1850. Then lie and a man named F. Lowern took up land on the Mokelumne river. He sold out in 1851 and visited the States. On his return he bought 160 acres of land, a part of his old claimn. At the present time he owus 380 acres of bottom land in Elliott Township, also 800 acres in Tulare Township, where his son, Joseph F., has control of the land. On his old homestead he has about forty acres of bearing fruit trees and raises fine fruit, which he ships to Stockton and San Francisco. For a number of years he gathered and sent fruit to the State Fair. He was the first man to raise hops in this county.
He married Mary A. Fletcher, and they have nine children, namely: Nellie, wife of L. Athern; Joseph F., Lucy, wife of Win. E. Whipple; William S., Edwin E., Mary, the wife of Win. Siegel; Lora, Benjamin and Jen- nie. Mr. Putnam belongs to the Society of California Pioneers, and is a member of the Congregational church at Lockeford.
JOSEPH HARRIS TAM, born in Dela- ware, November 19, 1812, died September 8, 1865. He was a son or James Hamil- on Tam, and his ancestors were early Dutch settlers of Manhattan Island and the adjoining coasts. He lost his mother when he was only thirteen years old, and soon after his father's second marriage, left home because of a dis- agreement with his stepinother. He labored industriously to acquire an education, and taught school at intervals to enable liim to per- fect his education. He spent some time in college at Palmyra, Missouri, and was graduated at McKendree College, in Belleville, Illinois. He lived in Texas for some time, and took part in its war of independence. He was principal of an academy in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, about ten years. He was married in Lafayette, Indiana, September 12, 1846, to Miss Sarah Glassford, born in Mifflin County, Permsyl- vania, November 27, 1824, a daughter of Henry
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and Sarah (Hamilton) Glassford. The father came to America at the age of fourteen years with his Scotch parents, about 1795. The fam- ily settled on a farm in Mifflin County, Penn- sylania, where the elder Glassford lived to an advanced age. Henry Glassford, a farmer by occupation, served for a time in the war of 1812, and after his marriage moved to Cincin- nati, Ohio, about 1825, and afterward settled on a farm in Butler County, Ohio. Some years after he again moved on a farm near Lafayette, Indiana, and finally to White County, in that State, where he died in 1868 at the age of eighty-seven years.
After his marriage Mr. J. H. Tam taught school in Richmond, Ray Connty, Missouri, about two years, and with his wife set out for California in 1849. Arriving on this coast Mr. Tam went to mining for about a year near Marysville, and in 1851 bought forty acres of frnit land near Sonora City, which he kept eighteen months, when he sold out and came to this city in 1852. He bought land in this county and went to farming, owning 400 acres in one body and 260 in another. Selling his ranches he settled permanently in this city in 1860. He afterward became interested in cop- per-mining, and lost nearly all hisaccumulations in that venture. He died September 8, 1865. Mr. and Mrs. Tam have had seven children, of whom four are living: Amanda Josephine, born October 30, 1847, now the wife of David J. Martin, an assistant in the State Insane Asylum, of this city, has three sons and two daughters; Amelia Montana, born July 10, 1849, became the wife of B. F. Rodgers, of this city, and died December 20, 1887, leaving four sons and three daughters; Almira Julia, born April 16, 1851, now the wife of Russell A. Meyers, a steam boat engineer of this city; James Henry Glasstord Tam, born July 22, 1853, died August 15, 1860; Angusta Emma, born July 24, 1856, be- came the wife of Jolin Charlson, who died in 1887. leaving one sou and two daughters; Jo- seph Hamilton, the subject of this sketch, and John Thomas, born March 31, 1860, who, after
receiving a good public-school education, de- veloped some talent for the stage, and now fol- lows it for a profession.
Joseph Hamilton Tam, the subject of this sketch, was educated in the public schools and business college of this city, taking a full course, closing in 1877. He was book-keeper for Rogers & Norman from 1881 to 1884. He was elected city assessor in 1884, and held the office six months, when he was re-elected under the new charter for one year. Meanwhile he read law in the office of J. C. Campbell, and was admitted to the bar of the Supreme Court of this State. He was elected Police Judge in November, 1887, and held the position until he was legislated out of office by the new charter of 1889, and is now practicing law in Stockton. Mr. Tam is a member of the Stockton Lodge, No. 11, I. O. O. F .; of Nemo Lodge, K. of P., and by right of birth a member of the San Joaquin Valley Society of California Pioneers.
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