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 71
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94
when George Sperry returned to Stockton and Mr. Corson was given charge of the mill np to October 10, 1883. He then went to Stockton and was employed in the mill there till July, 1884. He then returned to Lodi, purchased the Lodi mills and has been in business ever since. It is a full roller mill of the newest and best pattern, run by steam power, and the ca- pacity is 200 barrels daily. It has connected with it warehouses with a storage capacity of about 8,000 tons. Mr. Corson has made all the improvements himself, expending $11,650. Without doubt he makes as fine flonr as can be obtained on the coast. The inill is situated in the heart of a wheat-growing district and forms a ready market for the farmers' wheat. In the first place the mill cost $28,000, which includes ground and all. Afterward the mill was rented by Sperry & Co. of Stockton and finally pur- chased by its present owner.
Mr. Corson was married, November 24, 1886, to Miss Eva Sawtelle, of Sacramento, danghter of O. P. Sawtelle. They have one son-Clar- ence L., born March 3, 1889.
Mr. Corson is a member of the Masonic Lodge, K. of P., and A. O. U. W., and the Ma- sonic Chapter, all of San Joaquin County.
P. MADDEN .- Among the most notable improvements that the country tributary to Stockton has yet shown in the direction of horticulture, are those lately made by the gen- tleman whose name heads this sketch. In April, 1888, Mr. Madden bought eighty-eight acres just over the line in Calaveras County, twenty- five miles from Stockton, on the Valley Springs and Burson road. The natural advantages of the land for fruit culture were apparent and Mr. Madden decided to devote the land to that purpose, and by October, 1888, he had prepara- tions on the place so far advanced that he was able to commence planting. The ground was first plowed to the depth of twelve inches and then harrowed twice, twenty-two men being
503
HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY.
employed in the work. All holes for trees were dug two and a half feet deep, and of the samne width, and when the trees were put in, they were filled up with top dirt. The num- bers and varieties planted were as follows: Bartlett pears. 2,000; German prunes, 400; French prunes, 400; olives, 3,000; almonds, 600; Italian chestnut, 300; oranges, 200; figs, white Adriatic and black Sumatra, 300; peaches, principally Crawford, running from early to late, 300; and a number of apricots, apples, plums, etc., of choice varieties. Of vines he planted 32,000 of the principal wine and table varieties. Among them may be mentioned seedless Sultana, Flaming Tokay, West's Pro- lific, Burgundy, Black Prince, Muscats, etc. After planting he plowed the ground twice, cultivated it three times and harrowed it twice, besides hoeing about each tree five times. Tlie planting was finished about the middle of February, 1889. The olive trees were planted twenty-four feet apart, with two rows of grape vines between the rows. The trees were topped two feet from the ground when they were set in, and they have averaged a growth of six feet for the first year. The land was formerly covered with chapparal, and the soil, which is of a fine black loam, is from three to five feet deep. Water is abundant and may be found any place on the ranch, within five feet of the surface. Everything planted on the place showed such a fine progress that when a few olives seemed to be going backward, or lagging, that fact became plainly noticeable from con- trast. Mr. Madden thought he would try the effect of an artificial irrigation, and sank a well eight feet in width each way, and eight feet deep. When they had got down seven feet, the water came in faster than they could bail it out and rose within four feet of the top.
One of the noteworthy features about this model ranch is the rabbit-tight fence that sur- rounds it, and which was built at a cost of $600 per mile.
A trench eight inches decp and fourteen inches wide was dng around the tract, and the posts,
after being thoroughly tarred, were placed in the ground. Then the fence of woven wire and slats was put on, being made on the place with the aid of a wire-twisting machine, and each slat being well coated with coal-tar. Then the earth was banked up at its base, leaving the slats twenty-four inches in the ground. The posts had been left two feet above the slats, and two barbed wires were then strung on the top of the fence. The plan adopted is an original one, and is thoroughly effective for the purpose designed.
Mr. Madden, whose enterprise has given to Calaveras County its largest and its finest fruit ranch, is a native of Cumberland, Maryland, bnt reared in Stockton. He received his educa- tion here, finishing at St. Mary's College, where he attended in 1869, 1870 and 1871. He en- tered the employ of Peyton & Holines, and when he left them engaged in farming on Calaveras river. Following this he was at the Yosemite bar, Stockton, for two years, after which he entered into partnership with John Gall. Since 1887, Mr. Madden has been sole proprietor of the " Independent saloon," the first-class resort of Stockton. Beginning with that year he has also had the bars at the ball park and race track.
When the volunteer fire department was in vogue, Mr. Madden took an active part, holding, at different times, several leading offices, and was treasurer of the department for three years. He was a member of Weber Company (volun- teer) until disbanded. He has been prominent in the councils of the Republican party and active in the ranks, having served many times as delegate to county and State conventions, and being now on the city and connty central committees.
OHN TRETHEWAY, JR., a farmer of Elliott Township, was born in Cornwall County, England, May 7, 1851, a son of John and Rebecca Arthur (Pinch) Tretheway, both natives of England, who came here at an
-
504
HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY.
early day. He remained in England until 1867; April 13, 1867, he sailed for New York, landing April 27. He went direct to Morris County, New Jersey, where lie was engaged in mining. July 7, 1867, he started for San Francisco, via the Isthmus, and landed in Stockton the 28th of July, where he met liis brother George, who was working for two men named Treadway and Kettleman, on a farm about fifteen miles from Stockton on the lower Sacramento road. Withont losing any time onr subject went to work for the same men, staying with them three months, when he and his brother rented a piece of land of 320 acres, which they farmed for one year. At the end of that time, George, James Jory, a brother-in- law, R. B. Harris and John, all bought the place in partnership in the year 1870. Later on John Tretheway, father of the subject of this sketch, bought George and Jory's interest; he has since sold his interest to his son John, and returned to England, where his wife died at Stepliens Parish, Cornwall, in 1875. Mr. Tretheway, our subject, is one of the most ex- tensive land owners; the ranch on which lie resides contains 720 acres.
He was married January 1, 1878, to Miss Amanda Goodwin, who was born in Napa County, California, May 8, 1857. They have a family of five children, viz .: Effie A., born November 7, 1878; John D., July 23, 1880; Charles W., April 23, 1883; George F., July 16, 1886; and Almon R., February 8, 1889. The family are all members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
OHN BEER, a farmer of Castoria Town- ship, was born in England, July 31, 1842; emigrated to the United States, arriving at New York April 20, 1872, and settling in Can- ada; arrived at Stockton March 5, 1876, and three weeks afterward was engaged by Martin & Rock; at the end of six months he was em- ployed by P. G. Sharp, and remained with him
ten years, as foreman. The farm of 480 acres which he now occupies, he first leased of Martin & Rock for three years, that firm then dissolv- ing partnership. Mr. Beer then rented the land of J. W. Rock for three years more. Mr. Beer is one of the most extensive grain-raisers of San Joaquin Connty.
July 19, 1870, in London, England, Mr. Beer inarried Ellen Harle, and they have had three children, of whom William Henry is the only one living.
OSEPHINE MELVINA TODMAN, an attorney of Stockton, was born in Silver City, Nevada, November 16, 1862, a daugh- ter of John H. and Melvina (Grist) Todman The father, born in Canada abont 1835, of English parentage, came to Silver City as a mining expert, and superintended the erection of the first quartz mill in that region. He is still interested in 1890 in the Cœur d' Alene and other mines. The mother, born in Penn- sylvania of German parentage, about 1840, died in Silver City, November 21, 1862. Grand- fatlier Zachariah Grist, born some time in the first decade of. this century, was accidentally killed in Oakland about 1886.
From childhood Miss Todman has been reared in San Francisco, residing chiefly with Mrs. Hattie A. Leonard, the mother of Mr. Tod- man's second wife, and was there educated in the public schools, and at the age of seventeen entered as a student in Hastings' Law College, a department of the University of California. She was graduated an A. B. from that institu- tion in April, 1883, and was admitted to the bar December 21, 1883, being it is thonght, the youngest lady candidate who ever songht or ob- tained that recognition. Miss Todman then treated herself to a needed rest for abont a year at the home of a maternal aunt, Mrs. William More, of Los Gatos. Miss Todman opened a law office in Stockton, California, in February, 1885, and eight months later occupied a position
505
HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY.
in the office of Hon. James H. Budd, as assis- tant and clerk. In 1890 she still fills that position, utilizing her legal knowledge almost entirely in office work.
1
OHN J. COLLINS was born in Eastport, Maine, March 17, 1836, son of Miles and Julia (Coleman) Collins, both natives of Ire- land. In 1834, shortly after their marriage, they left their native country for the United States, locating in Maine. About 1838 Mrs. Collins died, leaving two children, the subject of this sketch and a little daughter, who died about three weeks after the death of her mother. Miles Collins was once more married, in 1847, to Miss Mary Irvine. She died in 1887 the mother of four children, all of whom are living in the East. Miles Collins died in Eastport, in November, 1889.
John J. Collins, the subject of this sketch, spent most of his boyhood in his native place, although part of the time he was with his uncle, who resided at St. John, New Brunswick.
When he was quite young, probably ten years old, lie attempted to learn the tailor's trade at intervals while he was going to school; but as it was too confining for a boy of his age he gave it up at the end of six months. His work had been very systematic and he was able to make an ordinary pair of pants, all but the cutting. In the fall of 1847 he began to learn the tinner's trade; this was not a trade of his choice, as lie had always desired to become a machinist; but as there were no shops of this kind at that time he turned his attention to the tinner's trade. At the end of four years he was thought competent to go into business for himself; accordingly he went to Lynn, Massa- chusetts, in August, 1855, and engaged with the firm of Rice Brothers, with whom he remained over four years. Going to Boston he worked there a year, then went to Point Duchêne, on the Gulf of St. Lawrence, where he worked in a canning factory for some parties in Boston for
about six months. At the breaking out of the war in 1861 he went to Boston and joined several of the military companies being organ- ized there, but it was so long before they be- gan to get their clothes and equipments that he became uneasy and, leaving there, joined the navy. He enlisted in Boston and was taken to New Bedford for medical examination, passed that and was put down as a machinist. So inany were applying to be admitted to the navy at that time that a law had been passed that none but those of a mechanical turn of inind should be admitted. He was sent to Charles- town, where he passed another examination by the authorities. He remained on the receiving ship Ohio for some three months and was then transferred to the United States frigate Con- gress, one of the largest vessels in the navy. She sailed from Boston on the 6th of September for Fortress Monroe, under Captain Golds- borough, remaining there until March 9, 1862, when the vessels were attacked by the rebel fleet and so many destroyed, an account of which is so well given in our national history. Mr. Collins was wounded and taken prisoner during that engagement. He was taken to the hospital at Portsmouth, Virginia, where he was confined two months, and was then sent to Libby prison at Richmond. A short time after, lie with a large body of men were paroled and returned to Fortress Monroe, where they re- mained but a few days, were then sent to Balti- more, remained three weeks, were then paid off and discharged, not being fit for further duty. Mr. Collins returned honie and shortly after engaged in business for himself at Newton, Massachusetts. Not being very successful he went to Eastport, where he remained until March, 1867, when he came to California, land- ing in San Francisco on the first of April. Af- ter working there for about three months at his trade he came to Stockton. Later he went to Woodbridge, where he started up a little busi- ness for himself. Two years later he went to Lodi and Angust 6, 1870, became a permanent resident of that place. He has one of the finest
50G
HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY.
hardware stores in the county, and on the whole lias been successful. Hisgreatest loss was during the fire that occurred October 11, 1887. A year after he put up the building he now occupies, which forms one of the finest business houses in Lodi. He was marrried in 1872 to Mrs. Sarah Spaulding, who died in Sonoma, July 4, 1884. He was married to Mrs. Agnes Gondonin, his present wife, in 1887. She has been a resident of California for a number of years.
DWIN R. ELLIOTT, of Elkhorn Town- ship, was born June 26, 1841, in Kane County, Illinois, his parents being Edmund and Sarah Elliott, both natives of New Hamp- shire. The father was a fariner by occupation, althongh, when a young man, he taught school for a time. He died in 1883, in California, at the age of eiglity years. There are eight clil- dren in the family living, all residing in Cali- fornia.
The subject was raised on a farm in Illinois, and remained there until 1859, when he came to California and joined his father, who had come in 1857, in San Joaquin County. After his father's death he took tlie homestead and has now 380 acres of choice farming land ten miles from Stockton on the Cherokee Lane, five miles from Lodi. Mr. Elliott does a general farming business. He raises fruit for family use. He is a member of the I. O. O. F. of Lodi, also of Lodi Grange, No. 92.
He is one of the good, substantial citizens of this county. He is a successful farmer as may be seen by the prime condition of his ranch.
DE COSTA, a landlord of Stockton, is a native of Portugal, born at Vivellos, about two days journey from Lisbon, January 21, 1830, his parents being Manuel and Maria Louisa (Ignacio) De Costa. He spent his early boyhood days at his native place,
and there received his education. His mother died when he was quite young, and when in his fourteenth year he went to sea. He sailed on a three years' whaling cruise around the world, from Fijal, on the barque " Pembrook, " of New London, belonging to a Mr. Lawrence, and commanded by Captain Porter, of the Hudson river. Three days after lie shipped, they raised a school of whales, and two sperm whales were captured, which yielded sixty and seventy. five barrels of oil, respectively. They had them tied alongside the ship and young De Costa, who remembered the Bible passage which told of Jonalı being swallowed by the whale, kept looking and wondering how such a thing could be. A few days later he asked a fellow-conntry- man how it was possible for the whale to swal- low Jonah. The man replied, " It is only written. " Young De Costa was sea-sick for nearly three months, and one of the crew told the captain he was afraid to look over the rail, lest he should be swallowed by the whale. The captain said, "Antonio, look out! the whale will swallow you. " Off Cape Verde Islands they spoke a vessel, and displayed their directions on a blackboard, but received no reply. The ship was clipper-built and a fine vessel, but only a man at the wheel was visi- ble. The captain thonght she was a pirate, but if she was, she did not molest them. They stopped at one of the Cape Verde group, and remained a week. Mr. De Costa went ashore in the captain's boat, and saw the black natives and found they could speak some of his own language. He had seen but one negro before except on the ships. The captain was a great man for fishing, spent three days in that occupa- tion, and then, when they had got enough fish, they made for St. Paul's Island, inhabited by the French at that time, and a great fishing place. Some of tlie men went ashore, and, see- ing a patch of cabbage, made for it. The French- men got after them with guns, and drove them back aboard the ship, annonncing that they would not allow them ashore any more. They then engaged in fishing, and when they had caught
507
HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY.
five or six barrels, a whale was sighted, and they made for it, dropping their fishing. The whale was captured, and turned out 100 barrels of oil. They continued their cruise, and one day the captain ordered the ship before the wind; the men did not know what he was up to, but they were making directly for Australia. They touched at Sidney, their first port for the cruise. Then they made for Hobart Town. Their voyage thereafter took them to New Zea- land, Sandwich Islands, up to the Artic regions, and thence they cruised back to New Zealand. Then most of the crew ran away. They pro- ceeded to Van Dieman's Land, then Hobart Town, and more of the crew deserted. Then eighteen convicts were shipped, on tickets of leave, making a full crew again. They had been four days out when they sighted a school of whales. Four men were at the lookout, and the cry of " whale " went up. The captain ordered them below, and Mr. De Costa aloft. When they got on deck, they refused to go on the boats, and mutinied under a leader. The second mate took hold of the wheel, and put straight back to New Zealand, with eighteen of the crew in irons, on an allowance of bread and water. About a week later they reached port, the inain council was got on board, and the eighteen were lashed to the rigging and given two dozen lashes apiece. They then sigued articles clear from the ship, and were put ashore. The vessel could get no crew how- ever, and finally went to Auckland harbor, where, also, they found it impossible to get a crew for whaling. Finally the captain put up everything for sale except the ship, and took freight and passengers for California, Mr. De Costa being promoted from cabin boy to steward. The trip to California occupied seven months. They stopped at the Fiji Islands, Samoan Islands, at Tahiti (where they re- mained a couple of weeks and got fruit), and at Honolulu. There Mr. DeCosta bought a barrel of oranges. When he got to San Francisco he had two dozen left, which he sold tor twelve dollars. Two days after landing at San Fran-
cisco the crew ran away, and all that remained were the captian, Mr. De Costa and the cook. That was in October, 1849. When Mr. De Costa got ashore from the boat, he was waist deep in mud, having had to wade, and the others were having fun at his expense. The vessel dis- charged her freight, but no crew could be ob- tained to go out on her; so the captain wrote to the owners. It required six months to get an answer, and when it came, he sold the vessel to a Chinese company for junk. Mr. De Costa had waited, with the captain and the negro cook, for the answer. He was introduced to Louis McLean, who was bullding the boat " Erastus Corning " on Rincon Point, and joined his force. He worked on the vessel un- til she was launched, and went on her on the trial trip. While moving along the wharf, the little boat Sagamore, alongside, blew up, killing twenty or twenty-five, and scaring everybody on the " Erastus Corning." On this vessel Mr. De Costa commenced running to Stockton in the spring of 1850, under Captain McLean, and he was steward on her over a year. Then Cap- tain McLean built the boat " Sophia, " and being very much attached to Mr. De Costa, begged the latter to go with him to the new boat. He went, and they were six months in building her. Mr. De Costa was sent by Captain Mc- Lean one day with a note to Joseph Hammond, asking him to join the " Sophia. " They lay the other side of Rincon Point, and as Mr. De Costa was on his way, while passing the Oriental Hotel, he saw two men (Steward and another Anstra- lian) hanging by the neck on Battery street. It made him feel as if he wanted to go home, and it was the first thing he told Hammond when he found him. When the " Sophia, " the fastest little boat on the river, was ccmn- pleted, Mr. De Costa became her steward, and ran on her to Stockton for quite a while. Finally she joined the Steam Navigation Com- pany and Mr. De Costa steamboated for that company until 1861, running meanwhile to Stockton, to Alviso, Napa, Sacramento and almost making a couple trips to Portland, Ore-
508
HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY.
gon, on the " Brother Jonathan " and to Mexico one trip on the " Surprise, " with De Wolf, wlio afterward lost the "Brother Jonathan. " In 1861 Mr. De Costa was married, in San Fran- cisco, to Miss Maria Lilly, a native of London, born near the Thames, and they went to the Sand- wiclı Islands on their wedding trip. For a year or two he kept a hotel at Honolulu, and did well, but having California on the brain he could not rest in peace till he came back. He finally located in Stockton, but lived several places. He liad a ranch, but has sold it, and now has a number of pieces of improved resi- dence property. His own place of residence is a model of beauty, handsomely improved, and surrounded with beautiful trees and flowers.
Mr. De Costa lost his faithful wife by death, No- vember 7, 1888. He has had a remarkably varied experience, all over the world, and has been in California since the pioneer days; yet is a won- derfully preserved man, and time has dealt very gently with him.
RANCIS COGSWELL, Vice-President of the Bank of Lodi, is a native of Lawrence, Massachusetts, born March 25, 1861. His early education was received at Lawrence. When lie was sixteen he entered the Pacific National Bank of Lawrence as book-keeper, and in 1888 left there as teller of the bank, having had ten years of experience in banking. He then came to California and located at Lodi, in- corporating the Bank of Lodi. The father of the subject of this sketch, Jolın F. Cogswell, is a na- tive of Gilmanton, New Hampshire. In early life he moved to Andover, Massachusetts, where he remained sonie five or six years and then went to Lawrence, Massachusetts, and engaged in the railroad business, the Boston & Maine Railroad, the father of John F., and grandfather of our subject, being president of the road. Mr. Cogs- well has made his home in Andover ever since. He is now vice president of the Florida Midland Railroad, which takes up about half of his time:
the remainder is spent in California. Francis Cogswell, together with a brother, has a ranchi of 160 acres in Orange County, Florida, upon which is a fine orange grove of forty acres.
The bank is in a prosperous condition. It is one of the principal features of Lodi and is very convenient for her business men and the farm- ing community in the vicinity. See page 191.
LBERT LYON WULFF, a dealer in paints, oils and wall-paper in Stockton was born in El Dorado County, California April 16, 1860, a son of H. C. G. and Caroline (Lelirke) Wulff, both Germans by birth. The father came across the plains in 1849, at the age of about twenty-three, from St. Louis, Missouri, where he had been for some time engaged in the furniture business. He first went to min- ing in Placerville, and continued in that line about six years, when he bought 160 acres and went to farming. In time the 160 acres grew by repeated purchases to 1,400 acres in one body, devoted to stock and grain-raising chiefly, with some attention to orchards and vineyards. There was also some hydraulic mining on the place. The fatlier had been well, even highly educated in his native land, and that fast re- ceived recognition in his new home, but lie could be induced to fill no office except of school trustee. He died in the spring of 1885, aged fifty-nine years. The mother, born in 1835, is still living on the ranch with six of lier ten living children, two others having died in in- fancy. There were eight sons and four daughters.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.