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 43
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 43
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
647
HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
in partnership with William and Mark Moore and George Roberts he owns fourteen hundred acres in San Benito county which is intended to be used as a hunting preserve. Mr. Vosti is a trustee of the Somavia district school, and takes an intelligent interest in all beneficial measures or undertakings promulgated in his home locality.
JOHN HENRY EDWARD NADERMANN.
An illustration of the opportunities afforded by America to energetic and capable men from other lands may be found in the life and labors of John H. E. Nadermann, who recently erected and now occupies an attractive modern resi- dence on San Benito street, Hollister. Though born to poverty and familiar from earliest rec- ollections with the painful struggle for the ne- cessities of existence, he nevertheless belonged to an old and honored German family and was a grandson of a brave German soldier, who was captured by Napoleon's army and forced into the French army during the invasion of Russia; he escaped, however, by the aid of a Russian peasant woman. On a farm tilled by his father, Peter William, and situated near the city of Hanover, Germany, he was born, December 15, 1849, being the second child in a family of seven sons and two daughters. There he was made familiar with the details connected with agricul- tural pursuits. It early became apparent to his observing eye and keen mind that agriculture as followed in the old country afforded little in- ducement to hope for future success; hence his thoughts turned toward America, of whose op- portunities he heard frequently and always with deep interest.
Leaving home in youth to seek his own liveli- hood, Mr. Nadermann at once started for the United States. In those days the swift steam- ers had not come into general use, and he took passage on the sailing vessel Elizabeth. For many weeks the little ocean craft continued monotonously but safely upon the voyage. Eventually, however, severe storms were en- countered. One gale followed another until finally seven had been met and breasted, but the vessel had been stripped of its masts and sails and thus became little more than a derelict upon
the vast storm-tossed ocean. For this reason the voyage was protracted far beyond its ex- pected duration. Provisions were insufficient to meet the demand and the crew and passengers were limited to short rations. More than one- fifth of the number perished from exposure and lack of food. The starvation rations caused Mr. Nadermann to be reduced to a mere skeleton. When almost dead from hunger he was brought up on deck and revived with sea water. Finally he was able to take a little nourishment, and when the ship cast anchor at New York harbor in 1868 he was sent on shore, but it was seven- teen years before he finally recovered from the effects of the terrible ordeal through which he passed.
A short time after landing Mr. Nadermant entered upon an apprenticeship to the trades of baker and confectioner, and when he had ac- quired a thorough mastery of these occupations he began to follow them as a journeyman. Later he carried on a grocery business for ten years, but afterward resumed the baker's trade. Dur- ing the year 1884 he came to California, and after following the baker's trade at San Fran- cisco for one year he came to Hollister, where he bought a bakery business. For a few years he carried on the shop alone, but eventually he formed the firm of Nadermann & Smith, the junior partner being H. Smith, who in time bought out the interest of the original proprie- tor. During the year 1889 Mr. Nadermann erected at Newman, Stanislaus county, a build- ing equipped with the conveniences adapted to the bakery business. The building is still owned by him, but is leased to another party. When he dissolved partnership with Mr. Smith he engaged in the bakery business in Hollister, mak- ing his home in apartments above the bakery, and this is the site of his present business. When the memorable earthquake of 1906 oc- curred, his building was destroyed and he and his family barely escaped with their lives. A young lady, Miss Annie Burke, who made her home with them and was employed in the bakery received injuries, from the effects of which she died. After the earthquake Mr. Nadermann rebuilt the bakery and resumed business, his trade now extending along the coast for many miles.
648
HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
The first marriage of Mr. Nadermann took place in 1889 and united him with Miss Ida Schmidt, who died in 1892, leaving two daugh- ters, Violet and Edna. Afterward Mr. Nader- mann was united with Miss Mary Schmidt, a sister of the first wife and a woman of estim- able traits of character, sharing with him the respect of acquaintances. Having devoted his attention .closely to his business affairs and his leisure hours to the enjoyment of his home, Mr. Nadermann has not been active in social or- ders nor in politics; however, he has been in- terested in the work of the Fraternal Brother- hood and the Improved Order of Red Men, with both of which he holds membership.
GEORGE J. BOEKENOOGEN.
The famous advice given to young men to go west came first from the pen of Horace Greeley. and was followed by many of the most am- bitious spirits of the latter half of the nineteenth century. Not alone did George J. Boekenoogen put the adage to the test, but likewise did his father before him, the family having moved in an early day from Herkimer county, N. Y., where he was born in 1845, to Iowa, settling at Pella, Marion county, where he attended the local schools. The sparsely settled regions of the west were then attracting considerable at- tention and he was scarcely out of school when he determined to seek a home on the Pacific coast. During 1864. when a little less than nineteen years of age, he joined a train of emi- grants and crossed the plains to California, landing in safety at Yreka, Siskiyou county, and going from there to Fort Jones, same county, for the purpose of spending the winter.
After having remained for one year in Oregon and returning thence to San Francisco for the purpose of receiving medical treatment, Mr. Boekenoogen spent eight months in the city and then for eighteen months was employed in Santa Cruz. During 1869 he came to the Salinas valley and for a time remained at Monterey. From 1871 to 1873 he leased and conducted the Los Coches trading post. During that time he aided in the organization of the Soledad school dis- trict and made the assessments and collections
to build the first school in the valley south of the Oak Grove district, four miles from Salinas. The new district extended from mountain to mountain on east and west, and from the Spence place on the north to the Dunphy ranch on the south. Three buildings were erected, one at Metz, another at Gloria and the third at Sober- anes, and one teacher was engaged to teach four months at each school.
Upon leaving the stage station Mr. Boekenoo- gen engaged in hauling freight to Watsonville and Moss Landing and after two years at that employment he rented seven hundred acres near Gonzales, where he engaged in farming for two years. At the expiration of that period he spent a year as a farmer in the Alisal district, after which he formed a partnership with a brother- in-law, John Kalar, and for three years rented from David Jacks one thousand acres in the Chualar Canon. During 1879 he moved to Gon- zales and for two years made his home with his father-in-law. Abraham Parsons, who had put up the first house in that village. From there he moved to land back of the Pajaro de Sanchez, where he bought three hundred and forty acres of unimproved land, and since then he has given his attention to the improvement of the property. Barley is raised in large quantities. A specialty is made of the dairy business and of raising cattle. In addition to managing his own ranch he rents and cultivates four hundred acres in the neighborhood.
The marriage of Mr. Boekenoogen, solemnized in 1875, united him with Miss Phoebe Parsons, daughter of Abraham and Emily Parsons, who in a very early day came from Tucker county, W. Va., to California and settled among the pioneers of Gonzales. There are three children in the Boekenoogen family. The elder son, Thomas, who resides in San Francisco, is mar- ried and has a daughter, Isabel. The second son, John A., assists in the management of the home ranch. The only daughter and youngest child, Eva V., resides with her parents. The family hold membership with the Baptist church at Gonzales. Upon the organization of that con- gregation Mr. Boekenoogen was chosen to the office of deacon and in that capacity he has since officiated. Ever since he assisted in organizing this church he has been deeply interested in its
649,
HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
welfare and has contributed generously to its maintenance, as well as to the various mis- sionary and charitable projects under its super- vision. Interested in education as he is in re- ligion (believing these two to be the foundation stones upon which must be built the permanent prosperity of any community), he has done his share in helping local educational work, for twenty-four years has been a trustee of the Fairview school district and at this writing holds office as president of the board of trustees of the union high school at Gonzales, in the or- ganization of which he took a prominent part.
WILLIAM ALBERT ARCHER.
The fact that Mr. Archer has been a con- tinuous resident of Salinas for the past thirty- five years is ample evidence that he has no de- sire to make his home elsewhere. When he located here at that time it was not chance that led him to become one of her citizens, but rather was the result of careful thought and inquiry and after a residence in other parts of the state. He was born in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1854, the son of William C. and Mary M. Archer, they too being natives of the same state.
As early as 1860, when he was a lad of six vears, he made his first acquaintance with Cali- fornia, coming across the plains that year with his father, who brought with him a drove of cattle. Four months were consumed in the journey, which was replete with interest and ex- citement for the child, who nevertheless was a great help to the father in assisting in driving the cattle. After selling them the father went to San Joaquin county and purchased a ranch of three hundred and twenty acres near Linden, on which he raised grain successfully for five years. Then, in 1867, he purchased a band of horses and drove them back across the plains, disposing of them in Iowa and Missouri. As on the former trip across the plains the father and son made the journey together. Instead of returning by the same way, however, they took the more round-about way, going by way of Panama and the Pacific ocean to San Fran- cisco, thence to their home in San Joaquin coun- ty. After remaining on the ranch near Linden
two years longer they rented the property and went to San Luis Obispo county, where for five years they were profitably engaged in the cattle business. Mr. Archer's identification with Sa- linas and Monterey county dates from the year 1875, and for nearly thirty-five years he has given to this locality the same wholesome interest that has characterized his residence in other portions of the state.
In 1867 Mr. Archer married Miss Melissa Tucker, a native of Virginia. Two children have been born to them, Edgar and Lulu May, the latter the wife of W. L. Shelton, and both are- residents of Salinas. Politically Mr. Archer is a believer in Democratic principles and has al- ways cast his vote for that party's candidates. While he is keenly interested in matters of a pub- lic nature he has at no time been prompted in this interest by a desire to hold office, although' undoubtedly his abilities would be appreciated by his fellow-citizens could he be prevailed upon- to accept public office.
JOSEPH P. ALVES.
A well-known rancher and stock-raiser of Monterey county is Joseph P. Alves, living near- Metz station. In 1856 he emigrated from the Azores Islands, where he was born in 1829, and where he received such education as the times and place afforded. From his island home he became familiar with the sight of passing vessels and as he grew up imbibed a taste for the water which finally led him to ship as a sailor on a whaling vessel.
After passing two years on the high seas Mr. Alves decided to again become a landsman, and it was then, in 1856, that he came to the United States, the vessel on which he made the voyage casting anchor in San Francisco in April of that year. In Alameda county he found work on ranches in the vicinity of San Leandro, Hay- wards, Centerville and also near Portersville, Tulare county, after which, in 1869, he came to. Monterey county and has since made this the scene of his labors. Forty years ago, when he- first came to this section, Metz, his present post- office, was unknown and there was little in the appearance of the surrounding country to war -.
-
ยท650
HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
rant him in taking up the half section of land which he then made application for from the government. A part of this land has been planted to orchard, a large section is devoted to the raising of hay, while the remainder of the land is used as pasturage for his horses and cattle, of which he raises large numbers, as well as some hogs.
Mr. Alves' marriage united him with one of his countrywomen, Miss Rosie Deserpa, who was also born on the Azores Islands. One son, John, has been born of this marriage, father and son working together in the care and maintenance of the home ranch. The son, however, relieves the father of the hardest manual labor of the ranch, while enjoying his counsel and co-opera- tion. Ever since settling in this section Mr. Alves has shown an interest in and worked for the development of his community, and for two terms served as school trustee of the Metz dis- trict.
SAMUEL OSCAR PUGH.
An influential position among the ranchers of the vicinity of Gonzales is held by Samuel Os- car Pugh, who was born in Missouri, September 22, 1851, but has made his home in California since a child of three years. His father, James Purvey Pugh, was born in Tennessee, June 30. 1829, and at three years of age was taken to Indiana by his parents, who settled in Owen county on a tract of raw land. Eight years later they became pioneers of Missouri, where they de- veloped a farm in Newton county. In that locali- ty he grew to manhood and took up agricultural pursuits for himself. May 1, 1854, accompanied by his family, he left the old Missouri home for the west, making the journey slowly across the plains and being detained through the following winter at Salt Lake City on account of sickness. April 26, 1855, he again started on his jour- ney toward the coast, and in due season he ar- rived in California, where he took up a claim on the Russian river, in Sonoma county. Three years were spent on that tract, and he thence re- moved to the vicinity of Santa Rosa, where he engaged in farming for seven years. From 1866 to 1869 he made his home in the Pajaro valley, near Watsonville, and later farmed near
Gonzales, where he took up land in the foot- hills and developed an improved estate. Since 1907 he has made his home with his son, Samuel, on the latter's ranch.
The early recollections of Mr. Pugh are asso- ciated with Sonoma county, where he lived be- tween the ages of three and fifteen years. In 1866 he accompanied the family to the Pajaro valley, and afterward attended school at Watson- ville. In 1869 he came with his father to the Malarin ranch, in the vicinity of Gonzales. Dur- ing January of 1877 he bought a squatter's title to one-quarter section of land, which he proved up on and which is now the family home. In addition he secured another one hundred and sixty acres by homesteading, and this he farmed until 1908, when he bought an adjoining tract of two hundred and thirty-three acres, forming a part of the Soberanes ranch. The entire tract has been cultivated in wheat and barley. In ad- dition he raises all the horses he needs in his ranch work and also makes a specialty of cattle and hogs.
Besides his ranch interests Mr. Pugh has in- terests in the Los Borras mines, in Monterey county, where he has erected a quartz mill and developed the property. Placer mines in the same section, in which he is interested, have proved a source of revenue, and from one of the claims he took a nugget weighing twenty-five ounces and four pennyweights. On an adjoining claim, belonging to other parties, was taken a nugget weighing seventy-three ounces, which was the largest ever found in the entire district.
His marriage in 1874 united Mr. Pugh with Miss Emily Helen Moon, who was born in Iowa, February 15, 1852, and reared in Watson- ville. They became the parents of eight chil- dren. The eldest daughter, Effie N., wife of S. H. Stalnaker, of San Luis Obispo, has three children, Irwin, Myrtle and Idella. The eldest son, Henry P., married a Miss Hitchcock, and after her death was united with Miss Kitty Dye ; he resides on the home ranch. Grace A., wife of A. B. Vanscoy, of San Luis Obispo, has two children, Arthur W. and Violet V. S. Reuben is unmarried and remains with his parents. Del- mar A. married Miss Pearl Hysell and has a daughter, Myrtle; they live on a ranch which he owns and which stands near the old home-
1
651
HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
stead. Alice I. is with her parents. Daisy H. M. is a student in the San Luis Obispo Polytech- nic school and Weaver W. resides with his par- ents on the ranch. Upon the organization of the Fairview school district, in 1881, Mr. Pugh aided in the erection of the school building, and has since served as a trustee. For years he served as a member of the county executive com- mittee of the Populist party, but more recently he has become an independent voter and gives his franchise to the men and measures he deems best qualified to represent the people.
FRANK CORDA.
Twenty-five years have passed since Mr. Corda came to the United States, a stranger to language and customs, but this temporary inconvenience has long since been forgotten in the events and successes which have come into his life. He is a native of Switzerland, and at the time of his birth in 1866 his parents were living on a farm in the canton of Ticino. His earliest recollections are of the clear skies and snow-capped mountains ever visible from his boyhood home, and it was in the midst of such uplifting influences that he grew to a sturdy young manhood on the parental homestead.
Many of his companions had come to the New World and secured a firm footing and their suc- cess tended to make Mr. Corda dissatisfied with prospects in his home land. Thus it happened that as a lad of eighteen years he set out from the old home in Switzerland and came to the United States, the vessel on which he made the voyage landing its human freight in the port of New York. California was his objective point, and hither he came at once, locating at first in Santa Clara county, where for about five years he found his services in great demand on the ranches in the county. Later he was similarly employed in the vicinity of Gilroy, and at the same time was financially interested in a liquor business in that city, his partner, however, hav- ing charge of the business. Upon disposing of his interest in 1893 he removed to Gonzales the same year and took charge of the Matt Will- iams dairy on shares, an undertaking which proved a wise one, and one which he maintained
for thirteen years with increasing success from year to year. The acreage included five hun- dred acres, upon which he maintained two hun- dred and fifty cows, this being one of the largest and best conducted ranches in the county. In the meantime, in 1901, Mr. Corda and a partner had purchased a ranch near Gonzales, compris- ing one hundred and ninety-nine acres, which for about five years was under the care of the part- ner, Mr. Corda still retaining the superintendency of the Williams ranch. In 1906, however, Mr. Corda moved upon the property and two years later, in March, 1908, he purchased his partner's interest and has since conducted the ranch alone. Although he raises large numbers of cattle and hogs and also has a large portion of the land de- voted to raising alfalfa, he makes a large feature of the dairy business, and the milk from his eighty cows is all manufactured into cheese, for which purpose he maintains a factory on the ranch. To supply sufficient pasturage for his cows and stock he rents two hundred acres of adjoining land.
In April. 1902, Mr. Corda was united in mar- riage with Miss Paulina Anselmi, of Gonzales, and four children have come to brighten their home life, Lillie, Enos, Josie and Frank. Mr. Corda finds his time quite thoroughly taken up. with his private interests, but nevertheless he recognizes the need for social intercourse, and this he enjoys in the various fraternal orders with which he is identified, his name being on the mem- bership roll of the Odd Fellow's lodge of Gon- zales, the Encampment of Salinas, the Foresters of Soledad, and he is also a member of the Druids lodge of Gonzales.
G. MARQUEHOSSE.
In Mr. Marquehosse, Monterey county has a French-American citizen who reflects credit both upon his native and upon his adopted country, and who embodies those traits which make his countrymen welcome citizens wherever they choose to locate. Near the town of San Lucas he has charge of a ranch of five hundred acres upon which he makes a specialty of raising bar- ley, a commodity for which he finds ready de- mand, for his grain is of high grade quality.
As has already been intimated, Mr. Marque-
37
652
HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
hosse is a native of France and his birth occurred December 25, 1849. His boyhood, youth and a portion of his young manhood were passed in the neighborhood of his. birthplace, for he was two years past his majority at the time he bade farewell to home and friends and came to the United States to establish a name and place for himself on this side of the Atlantic. The year 1872 witnessed his landing at the port of New Orleans, where he was variously employed for about two years and a half, when he crossed the continent to California and located in Monterey county. On what is known as the Trescony grant in the vicinity of San Lucas he located on five hundred acres of rented land, and this has since been his home and the scene of his activities. As has been stated, he makes a spe- cialty of the raising of barley, conditions of climate and soil, as well as a complete understand- ing of scientific farming on the part of Mr. Marquehosse, all contributing to his success.
JOHN OBER.
To his neighbors and friends who are en- gaged in ranching in the vicinity of Soledad, the life of John Ober presents an example of in- dustry and worthiness creditable alike to his native country and to the country of his adop- tion. Born in Sweden in 1850, he was reared and educated in his native surroundings until 1870, when he immigrated to the United States and located in Nebraska. There and in other of the central states he passed about four years, when, in 1874, he came to California, coming direct to Monterey county. His boyhood was spent in an agricultural atmosphere and his life in this country thus far had been in farming communities, so on coming to California he fol- lowed his natural inclination for work of this character.
Not far from Salinas, and near Spence sta- tion, Mr. Ober purchased a ranch of sixty acres on which he labored with satisfactory results for the following twelve years, after which, for one year, he was located on the Alisal, in this vicinity also. A later removal brought him to Soledad where for eight years he had charge of one of the finest tracts of land in Monterey
county, the San Jo Jo ranch of twelve hundred acres. At the end of this time he purchased property with the means which he had accu- mulated in previous years, and since then has. been a continuous resident of this part of Mon- terey county. The purchase consisted of four hundred and seventy-two acres of the old Sole- dad Mission ranch, upon which he erected a fine residence for his family and made- such other improvements as were necessary to the com- plete equipment of an up-to-date ranch. Aside from the usual summer crops grown on well- regulated ranches he raises grain and alfalfa and also raises cattle and horses quite exten- sively. In partnership with eight others, Mr. Ober purchased in 1904 thirteen hundred and four acres of the San Jo Jo ranch, a part of the same property on which he resided just prior to the purchase of his present homestead. This partnership property has since been sur- veyed and divided among the various owners. Mr. Ober has disposed of the greater part of his portion, however, now owning only sixty acres, which he rents to a tenant. In addition to the various pieces of property which he owns in the county he also has a residence in Oakland, which he purchased in 1908.
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.