USA > California > San Benito County > History and biographical record of Monterey and San Benito Counties : and history of the State of California : containing biographies of well-known citizens of the past and present. Volume II > Part 2
USA > California > Monterey County > History and biographical record of Monterey and San Benito Counties : and history of the State of California : containing biographies of well-known citizens of the past and present. Volume II > Part 2
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
terprises in landed affairs he has been prominent in the public life of the county and for years has wielded a wide influence through his able service in the capacity of supervisor. Move- ments for the benefit of the county and the de- velopment of its material resources have received his earnest championship. One of his most helpful enterprises was the building and main- tenance of a telephone line fifty miles long ex- tending through the San Benito valley. By the inauguration of the system the farmers of the locality have been greatly benefited and the val- ue of the improvements has been proved on many occasions.
The supervisor has the honor of being a na- tive-born Californian. Taylorsville, Plumas county, is his native place, and September 2, 1857, the date of his birth. The year before he was born the family had crossed the plains in a "prairie schooner" drawn by oxen and the father, R. M. Butts, had established a home amid the primeval surroundings of Plumas county, but subsequently he removed to a ranch near San Jose and afterward devoted his attention to agri- cultural pursuits. At the age of twenty-one years the son started out to earn his own way in the world. For fifteen years he engaged in farm- ing on the Topo ranch, and during one of these years he harvested twenty-four thousand bags of wheat. Always he maintained a large area in grain, his wheat fields covering from one thou- sand to twenty-five hundred acres.
By the acquisition of the Pine Rock ranch in 1893 Mr. Butts became the owner of eight thou- sand acres in the vicinity of San Benito and here he has engaged extensively in the raising of cat- tle. At the present time he owns a herd of one thousand head. For some years it has been his custom to ship to his ranch horses raised in Ne- vada and these he puts in condition for profitable sale on the markets. In addition to the manage- ment of his vast estate of eight thousand acres he rents two large ranches in San Benito county, one of these comprising nine thousand acres, while the other has an acreage of six thousand. The management of such an immense acreage calls for the possession of keen judgment, quick- ness in decision, energy in action, tact in dealing with men, and comprehensive knowledge of the soil and its possibilities. These qualities we find
1
For Newlow
347
HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
that Mr. Butts possesses to an unusual degree and they have enabled him to achieve signal suc- cess in the chosen sphere of his usefulness. While personally managing his large tracts of land he makes his home on Monterey street, Hol- lister, where he owns an attractive modern resi- dence, surrounded by spacious grounds. As pre- viously intimated, a considerable portion of his time is given to the discharge of the duties inci- dent to the supervisor's work. His first election to the office occurred in 1896, since which time he has been re-elected every four years. The term upon which he has now entered will expire in 1912. His long and continuous service proves the high esteem in which he is held by the people.
The marriage of William Butts and Mary Hol- brook, a native of Maine, was solemnized in 1879. Two sons, William M. and Edward H., are energetic assistants to their father in his many ranch holdings. For years Mrs. Butts has been especially interested in the collection of In- dian relics and those now in her possession, all of which were found in San Benito county, clearly prove that this region was the abode of many savages in an epoch long before the advent of the Spaniards. Arrow-heads, war clubs, bas- kets and different varieties of petrified wood are included in the assortment, and there are more than three hundred mortars and pestles, some of which are valued at hundreds of dollars, the whole forming the largest collection of the kind in the county, if not in the entire state.
JOHN NEWLOVE.
The twenty-five years covering the period of John Newlove's residence in California repre- sented an era of great activity on his part, re- sulting in the accumulation of large landed tracts and extensive stock interests, and resulting as well in the attainment of an honored position as an upright man, generous friend, accommoda- ting neighbor and sagacious citizen. The welfare and progress of his adopted home were ever near his heart. When people began to purchase lands in greater numbers, when values rose in propor- tion, and when villages developed into important cities, he felt that his early predictions had been fulfilled and that the great west was coming into
its own heritage. The climate of the coast coun- try he always held to be unrivalled. His own early experiences had familiarized him with the fogs of England and later with the rigors of Canadian winters, hence he was amply qualified to appreciate the mild and sunny climate of the west.
Born in Lincolnshire, England, May 29, 1832, John Newlove was only fourteen years of age when he crossed the ocean and settled in the vicinity of Toronto, Canada. Here some years later he was joined by a brother and two sisters. He had a thirst for knowledge, but was able to secure only a limited schooling ; however, he was a great reader and improved his time when he was not engaged in work in reading good books and in this way he made of himself a well-edu- cated man. After he arrived in Canada he found employment on a farm and worked for wages until he was married, and after that he rented land and was engaged independently until he came to California. He had become dissatisfied with the long and severe Canadian winters and during 1864 he came to California by way of the Isthmus of Panama. His first location in the state was near Linden, San Joaquin county, on land he leased, and here he tried ranching until 1867, when he came to Monterey county and leased land near Santa Rita, that was owned by a Mr. Soto. This included large acreage suit- able for grain and he accordingly gave his at- tention to raising wheat and barley on this place for three years. He then moved to the Graves ranch and continued with success for three years more. In 1873 he moved to San Luis Obispo county, settling near the town of that name, and there he devoted the greater part of his time to stock raising, meeting with good success in this line.
The last removal made by Mr. Newlove was in 1881, when he took up his home in the Santa Maria valley, Santa Barbara county, and there he bought a large tract of land and improved it, making it one of the most valuable in the section and this later became one of the most valuable tracts in the state, as here oil has been developed in large quantities. He lived on this place until his death, in 1889, when he passed away amid the scenes of his labors and was recognized as one of the leading men in the county, one whose word
348
HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
was as good as his bond and who had been liberal and just to all with whom he came in contact, either in business or socially. When it is con- sidered that he came to the state without means and that in twenty-five years he had accumulated a competency and reared a large family, it will be conceded that he was a man of ability and re- source. During his residence in the various places in the state he was always in favor of good schools and served as trustee for many years to maintain competent teachers. Other movements for the general upbuilding of the state found in him a hearty co-worker.
December 15, 1860, in Canada, John Newlove and Miss Maria Beynon were united in marriage. She was born, reared and educated in Canada and after four years they came to California, where Mrs. Newlove has since resided and now makes her home in Pacific Grove, surrounded by her children, whom it has been her ambition to fit for positions of trust and responsibility. The family comprises the following children: Sarah J., who became the wife of H. W. Head, the family residing in Pacific Grove; Charles W., also a resident of that city ; Frank H., residing on a ranch at Rio Grande; Henrietta L., the wife of R. F. Martin, of Santa Maria; Ida A., who be- came the wife of F. C. Twitchell and lives in Or- cutt; Walter I., of Pacific Grove; Ernest A., of Santa Maria ; and Percy E., of Santa Cruz. Wil- bur W. died at the age of twenty-four years and two children died in early childhood. The sons in their several fields of labor are following the example set by their father and inherit his ster- ling qualities and like him are willing to do their share to advance local interests.
JAMES H. KING.
Although measured by years the identification of Mr. King with the building interests of Pa- cific Grove is of comparatively brief duration, when measured by results it will be seen that he is a man of intense energy whose activities have scarcely been diminished by the flight of years with their lessening physical powers. Since com- ing to his present place of business he has been given contracts for many dwellings, among them being three houses for Mrs. Lovejoy, three for
G. E. Williams, two for Thomas Cope, the Culp home, the Adams house, the residence of H. S. Ball on Central avenue, the homes of L. A. Meade and Mrs. De Vinney, all in Pacific Grove, besides two commodious houses in Oak Grove.
Born in New York June 4, 1847, James H. King is a son of Daniel and Sarah King, also natives of the Empire state and descendants of colonial eastern families. Love of country came to him as a heritage from a line of patriotic an- cestors. When the Civil war began his sympa- thies were warmly aroused in behalf of the Union, but being only fourteen years of age he could not enter the service. However, in 1864, at the age of seventeen, he was accepted in the Union navy subsequent to his enlistment at Erie, Pa. His first assignment was to service on the Silver Lake, which had been remodeled by the government from a Mississippi river steamboat in order to do service on that stream during the rebellion. Boarding the ship at Owensboro, Ky., on the Ohio river, he proceeded to the front with his company. Soon he was wounded at Nashville, Tenn., and was then trans- ferred to the hospital at Memphis, where he was obliged to remain for three months pending his recovery from wounds. As soon as he was again able to serve his country he was assigned to the ship Red Rover, on the Mississippi river, and continued there until August of 1865, when peace having been declared he was given an honorable discharge.
The necessity of earning a livelihood took the youthful war veteran to the Erie canal, where for one year he ran on canal-boats from Buffalo to Troy. During the following year he was engaged in the manufacture of oil barrels at Cleveland, Ohio. During the year 1867 he went to Dover, Ohio, and became interested in the car- penter's trade, which he followed for some time. Eventually he began to take contracts for build- ing both in that city and at Cleveland, Ohio. During 1883 he received the contract for the erection of the Gordon avenue Methodist Epis- copal church at Cleveland, at that time con- sidered to be one of the most handsome edifices in the city. Many commodious residences also were erected under him on contract, and in every instance he maintained an efficient oversight of the work, striving to secure the most permanent
349
HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
results at the least expenditure of time and money and material.
On leaving Ohio in 1904 Mr. King came to Pacific Grove and has since made this place his home, residing at No. 513 Fountain avenue. For some years he has been prominently identified with the Builders' Exchange on Monterey and Pacific Grove. Other organizations have been utilized as a medium of affiliation with the busi- ness and fraternal interests of the locality. As might be expected, he maintains a warm interest in the Grand Army of the Republic and enjoys meeting with the boys in blue and recounting tales of the olden times of struggle. The Inde- pendent Order of Foresters numbers him among its members, and he is further associated with the Order of Good Templars, being a stanch advocate of temperance movements and showing by his identification with the Prohibition party his strict views concerning the suppression of the liquor traffic. While living in the east in 1870 he married Miss Lucy E. Frink, who was born in Ohio and died in Pacific Grove during April of 1906. A son and daughter blessed the union, Frank I. and Dora E. The second mar- riage of Mr. King was solemnized May 28, 1908, and united him with Miss Ellen Parker, a native of Ohio and a woman of estimable character, who shares with him the esteem of acquaint- ances.
PERRY. M. JACKS.
Possessed of a temperament that fitted him for daring deeds and the endurance of frontier hard- ships, Perry M. Jacks came to the regions of the southwest at a period when ample opportunity was afforded him for the exercise of his natural instincts and the gratification of his desire for adventure. The record of his life reads like a romance, such as was lived out in the careers of the hardy pioneers of the early half of the nineteenth century, and his death on his ranch near Salinas was the cause of general mourning for one who had meant so much to the upbuild- ing of the county and state.
Born in Howard county, Mo., September 3, 1828, Perry M. Jacks was a son of Thomas and Cynthia (Martin) Jacks, both natives of Ken- tucky and representatives of well-known and
prominent families of the south. When their son Perry was still a small child the parents changed their abode from Howard to Platte county, in which latter locality he received every possible advantage for an education, for his parents were well-to-do and able to provide excellent training. He became especially proficient in mathematics, and in later years prepared the manuscript for a book on the subject, but it was never published, however. It was while he was living on his pa- rents' large plantation in the south that he was aroused to activity through the reports of the finding of gold in California, and with a friend, James King, he set out for the eldorado, via the same trail taken by General Fremont. They brought with them ox-teams and a band of horses, which they readily disposed of at good prices. As their main object in coming to the west had been to engage in mining they lost no time in reaching the mines, locating on the Feather river in Plumas county, where Mr. Jacks had secured several mining claims. After he had followed practical mining for a time he ascertained that a demand for accommodations for the many newcomers to the mines offered inducements not to be overlooked, and he therefore erected a hotel in the vicinity of the mines, and also bought mules and cattle from the emigrants as they passed through on their way to the various parts of the state. After he had accumulated con- siderable stock the Indians made a raid on them and a stampede followed. With the aid of the miners Mr. Jacks formed a posse which effectu- ally quieted the redskins for a time, for they discovered that Mr. Jacks was a fine shot and they stood in awe of him.
In the prosecution of his hotel and mining in- terests Mr. Jacks made considerable money, which he invested in property in San Francisco at a time when it could be had for little or noth- ing. This he sold in 1853, and returned to Mis- souri via the Isthmus, but before he reached his destination he was taken sick with Panama fever and arrived home on a cot. During the first year that he spent in Missouri he was united in marriage, in 1854, to Miss Elizabeth Headrick, a daughter of George G. and Matilda (Withers) Headrick, both families being descendants of Revolutionary ancestors. Mrs. Jacks was born in Kentucky, but on account of slavery her pa-
350
HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
rents later moved into Indiana. After the death of her father in that state, the mother freed her slaves and returned to Kentucky. She remained in that southern state for some years, later went to Missouri, and finally, after the marriage of all of her children, removed to Des Moines, Iowa, where she passed away.
Upon coming to Missouri in 1854 Mr. Jacks engaged in the general merchandise business at what was then known as West Point, now Ox- ford, remaining there for seven years, and dur- ing this time he established a branch store on the line between Iowa and Missouri. At the time of the breaking out of the war between the north and the south he was the owner of con- siderable land and held many slaves, but these he wisely freed at once in Iowa. He was non- partisan in his views, liberal to both sides, and to those in straitened circumstances he never re- fused help. The settlers tried in every way to intimidate him and force him to leave the coun- try, for they knew he would have to sacrifice all of his holdings. They thought him to be a sympathizer with the south, but he was not at heart. He had bought up many cattle, and just as the war broke out he was intending to drive them to Ottumwa, Iowa, and ship them from there to Chicago. It was threatened that he would never reach his destination, but owing to the fact that he was a Mason, he was allowed to go on his way unmolested. At another time he was threatened by a guerrilla, who had met him for the express purpose of killing him, but his wife, seeing the danger, knocked up the gun as he was about to fire and the shot went into the air. However, he was wounded by a bayo- net in the back and cheek and was given five min- utes in which to leave the country. In this wounded condition he kept in hiding until such time as he could get away in safety, his wife in the meantime suffering great anxiety on account of these threats. As a member of the Eastern Star she was enabled to bring influence to bear which spared her husband and gave her news of his condition. Finally they succeeded in dispos- ing of their possessions in Missouri and started for the Caribou mines, but on account of bad roads and the fact that Indians were on the war- path they retraced their steps until they reached the Oregon trail and entered that state by The
Dalles and the Columbia river. They located near Salem, and during the four years they re- mained there their two sons, Thomas B. and Henry C., were born, both of them now residents. of Monterey county.
In 1866 Mr. Jacks again came to California, this time settling in Eureka, Humboldt county, where it was his intention to establish a dairy business. Land proved too high, however, so after remaining there three months he came as far south as Healdsburg, Sonoma county, with a pack train. They remained there only seven weeks, however, Mr. Jacks in the meantime com- ing to Monterey county in the hope of finding a place to settle with his family. The family exchequer had by this time become completely exhausted and it devolved upon Mrs. Jacks to do what she could until better luck came to them. She heroically went to work at the millinery business, and later kept a hotel and served meals to passers-by, in fact her ready brain and willing hands supplied the wants of the family for some time. Gradually Mr. Jacks retrieved his lost fortunes, and in 1874 he was enabled to purchase two hundred and thirty acres of land for $60 an acre. No improvements whatever had been made on the place, so everything now seen on it has been placed there by Mr. Jacks and his fam- ily. He made a specialty of grain, raising this on the home place, as well as on the thousand acre tract on the Arroyo Seco which he leased one year and five hundred acres at Natividad.
On the home ranch which he thus built up in Monterey county Mr. Jacks' earth life came to a close January 7, 1909, after a severe illness. of only a few days. Though he was not asso- ciated by membership with any denomination, no one believed more thoroughly or practiced more rigidly the Golden Rule than did Mr. Jacks. Everyone who knew him loved him, high and low, rich and poor, and the friends that he made he always kept. Politically he was a Democrat, although he was not an active partisan, support- ing the man most capable of filling the office, irrespective of party name. Fraternally he was a Mason, joining Albany Lodge No. 127 in Worth county, Mo., was a Royal Arch Mason, and with his wife was a member of the Eastern Star. Of the two children born to this worthy couple, Thomas B. is at home with his mother
William Palmitog
President of First National Bank
-
353.
HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
on the old home place, and Henry C., who is married and living on a ranch near San Ardo, Monterey county, is well known throughout this community.
WILLIAM PALMTAG.
The First National Bank of Hollister was established in 1891 under the title of the Farm- ers & Merchants Bank, with a capital stock of $75,000, which has since been increased to $100,000. Three years after the organization of the concern the Hollister Savings Bank was started and of these two institutions William Palmtag was the first, and has been the only president, the other officers of both banks being as follows: T. H. Slaven, vice-president, and C. H. Wagner, cashier. A general banking business has been conducted along conservative lines, with a specialty of first-class loans at moderate rates, and the two banks have the ad- vantage of owning their own building, a modern structure with appointments suitable for the needs of a large and important business. The gratifying success may be attributed to the pres- ident, who holds to an unusual degree the confi- dence of depositors and who is regarded as one of the most capable financiers in the county.
Born in Baden, Germany, in the village of Emmendingen, October 23, 1847, William Palm- tag received an excellent education in his native town. The family was large and nine of his brothers preceded him to California, where he arrived in 1864 on the anniversary of his birth, at the expiration of an uneventful voyage via Liverpool, New York and the Isthmus of Pan- ama. Proceeding to Nevada county he tried his luck as a miner and for several years he ex- perienced the ups and downs of a miner's exist- ence. Later he clerked in a grocery and during 1868 he settled on a farm in the Salinas valley, but the following year he gave up the land and went to Watsonville, where for three years he was employed as a driver in the brewery busi- ness owned by his brother. Coming to Hollis- ter in 1872 he embarked in the wholesale and retail liquor business. During 1883 he pur- chased the Theophile vineyard which had been planted in 1854 and which originally comprised thirty acres. After he had acquired the prop-
erty he planted one hundred and twenty acres in vines and erected a large winery with a stor- age capacity of two hundred and fifty thousand gallons. As soon as the quality of the product became known the business enjoyed a rapid growth and shipments were made to all parts- of the United States. For a time much of the- product was disposed of at Reading, Pa., where he established a business, and more recently he has had a branch in Salinas, Cal.
After the admission of Charles Bernhardt into. partnership, Mr. Palmtag spent six months abroad and returned to San Francisco in 1883, again on the anniversary of his birth. On his return he purchased the interest of his partner and soon consolidated his business with that owned by Messrs. Barg & Kleen. Eventually another change was made and the firm title be- came Palmtag & O'Connor. The vineyard that formed a portion of a ranch of four hundred and twenty acres, of which one hundred and' fifty acres were in vines and the balance in or- chard and farm crops, was owned by him until' 1906. The location is picturesque and the ranch is counted one of the most attractive spots in the county. It lies ten miles from Hollister in a beautiful valley near the Gabilan mountains. The entire place displayed the thrift and energy of the owner, whose labors with the vineyard brought him a business aggregating about $20,000 annually.
The political faith of Mr. Palmtag has made him a stanch champion of Democratic princi- ples, but with him partisanship disappears be- neath the weight of patriotism and loyalty to town and county. Elected supervisor in 1884, he served for fourteen years and meanwhile was honored with the chairmanship for ten years. Through his efforts, supplementing the labors of other progressive citizens, was rendered possible- the erection of the court house. With the co- operation of the entire board, he and other mem- bers of the committee selected for that purpose chose the site for the building. As supervisor he accomplished much toward the improvement of roads and the building of bridges, and all such work invariably was paid for promptly at com- pletion. In his district the roads were accounted' the best in the county. During his chairman- ship he promoted the issue of $40,000 of court-
ยท
354
HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
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.