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 58
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 58
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HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
undertake the management of a ranch of his own, and coming to Monterey county in 1905 he selected the ranch on which he now lives, near Gonzales. Here he has two hundred acres of choice land, well suited for dairy purposes, on which he maintains a fine herd of one hun- dred cows. The milk is all converted into cheese, a well-equipped, sanitary factory for the pur- pose having been erected on the ranch. About one hundred and eighty acres of the home ranch are in alfalfa and hay, while on a like amount of land adjoining, which he rents for the purpose, he raises barley exclusively. Mr. Pozzi's specialty is undoubtedly dairying, but nevertheless he also does a large business as a stock-raiser, raising not only his own dairy stock, but also large num- bers of hogs and horses for the market.
Before her marriage Mrs. Pozzi was Miss Amelia Loquasi, at the time of her marriage a resident of Gonzales, and this has since been the home of the young people. Fraternally Mr. Pozzi is a member of the Odd Fellows lodge at Gonzales.
HANS HANSEN.
Denmark is the native land of Mr. Hansen and 1847 the year of his birth. During boyhood and early youth he was sent to the Danish schools and secured a fair education in the lan- guage of his forefathers. Upon attaining man's estate he was self-supporting, and from that time onward he made his own way. Coming to the United States in 1872, he settled near Hol- lister, in what is now San Benito county (then a part of Monterey county), and here he worked for wages until the autumn of 1873. Next he secured employment in the Salinas valley, and here he remained for a considerable period in the employ of others, but in 1879 he started to farm for himself and rented a part of the Thomas Fields ranch. During 1884 he removed to a portion of the P. Zabala ranch, which he culti- vated until 1890, and since then he has operated eight hundred acres of the Santa Catalina grant. The raising of barley has been a source of con- siderable profit to him, while in stock he has been particularly successful with horses, and some of those raised on his ranch rank among the best specimens to be seen for miles in any
direction. So closely has his attention been given to the management of the ranch that he has no leisure for identification with politics or fraternities. His membership in insurance or social organizations is limited to the Fraternal Brotherhood at Soledad, to which he has be- longed for some years. His marriage united him with Miss Inga Wind, of Soledad, by whom he has four children, all still at home, namely : Minnie M., Jesse P., Meta and Ralph C. The family has a high standing among the people living in the vicinity of Soledad, and the agri- cultural enterprise of Mr. Hansen has won for him not only a neat annual income, but also rec- ognition as a progressive rancher and capable man.
ERNEST C. WHITE.
Not only is Ernest C. White a native son of the state, but he is also the son of a native son, a fact in which he takes just pride. January 27. 1881, he was born into the home of Jesus M. and Julia (Anzan) White, the former of Eng- lish descent, and the latter of Spanish origin, although both parents were born in California. All of the six children of this marriage were born and reared in Monterey county, on the parental homestead near Dunbarton.
When Ernest C. White was a small child he was bereaved by the death of his father, this circumstance also making it necessary for him to shoulder responsibilities much earlier than would otherwise have been the case. Thus it was that after completing his studies in the pub- lic schools of his home town he took up the responsibilities of carrying on the old home- stead for a time. This experience quickened his ambition and desire to strike out on his own behalf, and thereafter for a number of years he added to his experience and exchequer also by working on nearby ranches. His first independ- ent venture dates from the year 1906, when he leased from D. W. Rohrback thirty acres of land located near Pajaro, the greater part of which was in orchard, principally in apricots and apples. He also made a specialty of raising chickens, having on his place an average of seven hundred White Leghorns throughout the year, for which he found a ready market in Oakland and San
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Francisco. Two years experience on leased land encouraged Mr. White to become a property owner, for by so doing he would have the en- tire profits of his labors. He has enjoyed this independence for the past year, having in 1908 purchased the property on which he is now living. This consists of one hundred and four- teen acres of land near Dunbarton, for which he paid $26 an acre. Over half of the land is cleared and sowed to grain, yielding bountiful crops, for the land is exceedingly rich and equally well adapted to any commodity which the owner may choose to raise.
Mr. White's marriage occurred in this county and united him with Miss Elsie Goodwin, who like her husband is a native of this state and county. Mr. White is keenly interested in the various activities in his home county and town, and fraternally is a member of the Fraternal Brotherhood of Watsonville.
H. PAULSEN.
Descended from a long line of sturdy Ger- man ancestors, Mr. Paulsen was born in the Fatherland in 1861. He was reared and edu- cated in the manner usual in well-regulated German homes, and when the proper time arrived he was apprenticed to a trade which was intended to provide for his future support. How- ever, when he attained more mature years he determined to come to the United States, and thus much of the planning for his future career in his native land was never carried out. The ship on which he sailed from the Fatherland landed him a stranger on our shores in New York, May I. 1883, and for about five years thereafter he remained in the east, being vari- ously employed in a number of states in that section of country. His advent in California dates from the year 1888, at which time he lo- cated in the Pajaro valley, Monterey county, and entered upon the business which he has fol- lowed ever since, the raising of sugar beets. After following this in the valley for ten years, he went to San Benito county and became fore- man of the Spreckels ranch, a position which he filled creditably for eight years. Promotion awaited him, however, and at the end of that
time. in 1906, he was transferred to the com- pany's ranch No. 2 and made superintendent. This comprises twelve hundred acres on the Salinas river and is conceded to be the best and most productive of the numerous ranches owned by the company. All of the land is in sugar beets with the exception of that set apart for the raising of grain and hay for stock. Water for irrigation is supplied from the Monterey County Water Company's plant, owned by the Spreckels Sugar Company. The plant is located on a natural slope, and the water flowing of its own accord into ditches irrigates thousands of acres of land through Fort Romie and The Mis- sion and surrounding country. One of the com- pany's pumping stations is located on the ranch, by means of which twenty acres can be irrigated in twenty-four hours, the greater part of the water used here coming from the Arroyo Seco canal. The old ranch house which still does duty as headquarters is an old adobe building in a perfect state of preservation, which was built by the early Spanish inhabitants during their connection with the history of this country. Since coming to the ranch Mr. Paulsen has made wonderful improvements in its appearance, com- bining utility and beauty in planting five hundred eucalyptus trees as a wind break around the build- ings. Some of the trees have grown fifteen feet in one year. So great has been his success with his first undertaking along this line, that he has been encouraged to continue these improvements, and recently has planted two thousand blue gum and red gum trees.
Mr. Paulsen is the father of four children. The eldest, Henry, is associated with his father in the maintenance of the ranch: William is bookkeeper at Spreckels Sugar Company's ranch No. I : Mabel is attending Notre Dame Academy at Watsonville; and John is a student in the Gonzales high school. Fraternally Mr. Paulsen is a member of Pajaro Lodge No. 90. I. O. O. F .. and also of Gilroy Lodge. Fraternal Brotherhood. As is becoming and right for every public spirited citizen to do, he takes a deep interest in educa- tional matters, and while in San Benito county served as trustee of Spreckels district school for eight years, and in Monterey county has served in the same capacity in the Soberanes district for the past two years. Mr. Paulsen may with jus-
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tice feel proud of the success that has come to him since he took up his residence in California, and certain it is that among those who realize what he has accomplished he is counted one of her upbuilders.
LEO PINCINI.
Born in the canton of Ticino, Switzerland, in 1883, Mr. Pincini passed his boyhood and youth in the midst of surroundings known to his an- cestors for generations. Not satisfied with the limitations of his home surroundings, however, he came to the United States in 1902, and the same year came to California. In Monterey county he found employment in a dairy in the vicinity of Soledad, remaining there for about six and a half years, when he decided to undertake a business of his own. In 1908 he rented eight hundred acres of the Francis Doud ranch lying near Soledad. Of this acreage he has one hundred and fifty acres in barley, and upon the remainder he maintains a dairy and raises cattle, horses and hogs. Altogether he milks twenty-five cows and averages about fifty head of cattle in his pasture.
Mr. Pincini has never formed domestic ties. He is a member of but one fraternal order, being identified with Soledad Circle, Foresters of Amer- ica.
JOHN BENSON SMITH.
Over twenty years have passed since the death of John B. Smith, of Salinas, but nevertheless he is remembered as one of her best beloved citizens, as he is also of the entire county. Like so many of those who came to the state at the time of the gold fever he came from a far-dis- tant country to take advantage of the oppor- tunities here offered, making his way by way of Panama from Nova Scotia. He was born in that Canadian province in 1834, and remained in the environment of his birthplace until he was about eighteen years old. From the time he was fifteen years old, or at the time gold was first discovered in California, he had been in- terested in the stories which he heard of the fabulous wealth contained in the mines, and his ambitious spirit could not be quieted until he too had made an attempt to obtain some of this coveted wealth. It was this ambition that
prompted him to set sail from his native land in 1852 via Panama bound for the eldorado. Land- ing at San Francisco in due time he immediately came to Santa Clara county, where, in the Santa Cruz mountains, he made his first attempt as a miner. Later he followed the same occupation in the northern part of the state, on the Amer- ican and Feather rivers.
It is not related that Mr. Smith made the fortune he had expected to in the mines, and we are justified in presuming that he did not do so from the fact that he finally gave up mining altogether and engaged in other pursuits. When he was in Santa Clara county the first saw-mills were built in that part of the country, in the redwoods, and for one year he was employed in one of them in the Santa Cruz mountains. In the meantime he had been looking about for a suitable location in which to purchase land and settle down permanently, and this he found near Alviso, Santa Clara county. He did not remain there but a few years however, for in 1868 he came to Monterey county and settled on property which was to be his lifetime home. This purchase consisted of three hundred and sixty acres, partly improved, located not far from Salinas. For twenty years thereafter he con- tinued to add to the acreage as he was able, until at the time of his death the homestead embraced eight hundred acres. His practical and scientific knowledge .of farming accounted for the success that came to him, and in addition to raising the various crops general in this locality, he also made the breeding and raising of fine draft horses a special feature. In this he took more than ordinary interest, for he was a great lover of horses. While he was still a young man comparatively, Mr. Smith passed away on the home ranch near Salinas in 1888, at the age of fifty-four, his wife having died nine years previously, in 1879.
Six children were born of the marriage of John B. Smith and his wife. The youngest of these, Edward E., was born in 1879, the same year in which his mother died, so he has no re- membrance of that parent's love and tender- ness. His loss, however, was lessened con- siderably by the devoted care of his father and older brothers and sisters. He has never known any other home than the ranch on which he now
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HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
lives, owning one hundred and fifty-three acres of his father's original purchase, and with his wife he resides in the old homestead erected by his father many years ago. His marriage in September, 1900, united him with Miss Carrie Raine, a daughter of Alexander Raine, of whom an account will be found elsewhere. Inheriting from his father a love for horses, Mr. Smith is also making a specialty of raising fine animals for the market, as well as beef cattle, and is counted one of the most progressive and sub- stantial ranchers in this part of Monterey county. Fraternally he is associated with the Eagles, and politically he is a Republican.
Personally John B. Smith was a man of keen perception and close observation, and as he also possessed a good education and conversational powers above the average, he was a delightful companion. Not only was he entertaining, but whatever he said had the added merit of truth, his accounts of life in the west during the pioneer days being a recital of his own experiences. Throughout the greater part of his life in the west he was successful, but his prosperity did not narrow or circumscribe his life, on the other hand he gave liberally of his means to all who were struggling to get a foothold, besides giving with a lavish hand to all charities. At his death Monterey county lost one of her best citizens and the state one of her upbuilders.
JOHN L. D. ROBERTS.
Associated intimately with the development of the suburban town of Seaside is the name of Dr. Roberts, who from the founding of the place has been an active promoter of its material prog- ress and a stanch believer in its climatic ad- vantages. He is a nephew of D. J. Houghton, who was born in Canada near the city of Ottawa and in 1870 came to California from Utica, N. Y., somewhat later buying one hundred and sixty acres (including what is now Seaside) from Captain Jocelyn, an eccentric character of the early days. Eventually Mr. Houghton sold this quarter section to his nephew, who associated himself with Dr. Heintz in the development of the land and the laying out of the town site first known as East Monterey.
It was during 1887 that the town site was platted. Later the government established a postoffice and the village was then named Sea- side. The first residence in the new town was erected in 1888 by Dr. Roberts, who for twelve years thereafter gave his attention exclusively to the practice of medicine in the vicinity. In 1909 the population is about five hundred and the district enjoys a popularity indicative of in- creasing numbers. William Hannan laid out the town site of Del Monte Grove and built the first house there. In the early days there was not even one house east of Del Monte, but the en- tire tract of unimproved property was utilized by Mr. Houghton for the pasturage of his stock.
During 1905 H. R. O'Brien laid out the Vista del Rey addition to Seaside and later added the Hot Springs tract, another addition to the vil- lage. Del Monte Heights was laid out in 1907, and in 1909 Messrs. Petersen and A. G. Metz platted what is known as the Oak Park addi- tion. Satisfactory railroad service has been se- cured, which gives the people four daily mails. It has been the ambition of the promoters of the enterprise to make the town attractive to people of quiet tastes, refined and cultured minds and progressive spirit, men and women who while desiring good schools, churches and climatic ad- vantages, will in turn become desirable acquis- itions to the citizenship of their community. In the work of development Dr. Roberts has been a capable promoter and his standing in the com- munity is the highest. He was elected on the Democratic ticket to the board of supervisors from the fifth district. For sixteen years he was a trustee of the Del Monte school district. em- bracing Seaside or East Monterey, in the or- ganization of which he maintained an interested part, and in addition he has been a trustee of the joint union high school of Monterey.
JOHNSON EDGAR WILMOTH.
The colonial settlement of Virginia witnessed the arrival in the new world of the paternal an- cestors of Mr. Wilmoth, whose maternal an- cestry, the Carrick family, also belonged to the sturdy pioneer element of the Old Dominion. The parents were Virginians by birth as well
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HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
as lineage and, while they had meagre advantages and limited education, they possessed such fine traits of character that they won friends in every circle of society. For a time they endeavored to gain a livelihood from the soil of a Virginian farm and also they resided for a time in Wheel- ing, W. Va., where the father, Isaac Wilmoth, followed the trade of carpenter, but the Civil war with its attendant business complications had greatly impaired the prosperity of that re- gion and other fields offered greater returns to investment and industry.
Coming to California in 1878 the family settled at Santa Cruz, where the mother died. There- upon the father returned to Virginia, but in 1882 he again came to the coast, this time set- tling in Monterey county, where he became in- terested with his sons in ranching. A man of sturdy qualities, fine physique and robust con- stitution, he remained active until advanced in years, and died in November, 1906, at the home of his son, when eighty-four years of age. His children are as follows: L. B., of Salinas; Mrs. Mollie E. Smith, of Oakland: Mrs. W. Par- sons, of Salinas; Mrs. E. C. Callihan, also of Salinas; H. W., of Siskiyou county, and John- son Edgar, who was born in Virginia in 1874 and is now living in Monterey county. All of the children were born in the east, but grew to maturity in Monterey county ; all were educated in the common schools and all are married and have families. They have proved sterling acqui- sitions to the citizenship of their several com- munities and by their honorable characters have added prestige to the family name.
By working for wages on a ranch and by hold- ing a position in Blanco, as well as by leasing land, Johnson Edgar Wilmoth secured a start in life. In 1900 he came to his present place comprising one hundred acres in the vicinity of Salinas and here he has since engaged in raising beans, barley, black oats and potatoes. A sys- tematic rotation of crops is one of his theories which practical experience has proved absolutely necessary to the continued fertility and produc- tiveness of the soil, and of recent seasons more and more of the ranchers are becoming converts to this idea, the result being evidenced in the increasing products of the land. Since he came to the community he has seen many changes and
has been foremost in all movements for the gen- eral good. Not the least important task by which he aided the district was the filling of the posi- tion of roadmaster of Pajaro district No. 1, un- der Mr. Mann. Active in the Democratic party, he has served as a delegate to county conven- tions and in other ways has aided that political organization. His family consists of his wife (formerly Josephine Phillips and a native of Monterey county) and their children, Etta E., Jack E., Gerald H. and Stanley Garth.
BAPTISTE SILACCI.
In Ticino, Switzerland, Mr. Silacci was born June 24, 1852. Contrasted with the beauties of nature by which he was surrounded was the sordid nature of the occupation in which he worked, for he was accustomed to earn his liveli- hood as a chimney-sweep and when only eight years of age he went to Italy, being employed there for six months in sweeping chimneys. Though the country was rough and the ex- perience arduous, the next year he was willing to go again in the same capacity.
A decision to join his brother, Peter, in Cali- fornia, led Mr. Silacci to cross the ocean to the United States and on Christmas day of 1873 he arrived in Salinas, then a small village sur- rounded by land still in the primeval condition of nature. Shortly after his arrival he secured employment on a dairy farm with Mr. Matthews, with whom he remained for seven years, and then, in 1880, he took charge of a dairy farm. Frugal industry enabled him to purchase a tract of land and he thus acquired two hundred and thirty-two acres of level land, on which he pros- pected for and discovered water in sufficient quantities for his use.
A later purchase enabled Mr. Silacci to acquire five hundred and ninety acres of land across the creek, for which he paid $16,000, and on that tract (which was entirely in pasture) he also found all the water needed for the stock. At this writing he conducts a dairy of forty cows and sells large quantities of butter in the city markets. The calves are raised on the ranch and at maturity are sold for fair prices. In 1889 he bought additional land, for which he paid $57
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HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
per acre. As a dairyman and rancher he is re- sourceful, energetic and progressive, and justly stands high among men of his class in the county.
The marriage of Mr. Silacci united him with Miss Matilda Petersen, who was born in Den- mark, but came to the United States at an early age and settled in Nebraska, coming from there to California in girlhood. At her death, which occurred March 29, 1905, she left seven children, William, Percy, Emil, Alvin, Henry, Sadie and Nemo. The youngest child was only eighteen months old at the time of her death. For years Mr. Silacci has officiated as trustee of his dis- trict. Politically he votes with the Republican party and fraternally he is connected with the Masons at Salinas. Ever solicitous to promote the welfare of his county, he has labored in favor of good roads, good schools and all public im- provements, and for two years he gave con- siderable time to enlisting the co-operation of others in the building of a telephone line through the neighborhood, an effort that brought its final satisfactory culmination in the securing of an excellent system now in service.
A. GAMBETTA.
Though familiar with the details and interested in general ranching to some extent, Mr. Gam- betta has found one department of agriculture in which his success has been especially note- worthy. For years he has made a specialty of making butter and is now conducting quite an extensive business in this line on his ranch near Salinas.
Mr. Gambetta is a native of Switzerland, born in the canton of Ticino in 1863, and he was also reared and educated in that vicinity. He was still under age when, in 1882, he immigrated to the United States, and, coming direct to Cali- fornia, settled first in Marin county. His fa- miliarity with the dairy business as conducted in his native country was the means of his seeking and obtaining employment of this character in his new location, and for two years he continued with the same employer in Marin county. He then came to Monterey county and was for a time employed on the dairy ranch of B. Silacci, and for two years thereafter was similarly em-
ployed on the ranch of William Logwood. Go- ing to Alameda county at the end of that time he accepted a position with W. Mix, a well- known rancher and orchardist in that county, and while with this latter employer he extended his knowledge of general farming as conducted in this country that has ever since been of value- to him. An experience of about six years in the various localities mentioned in diversified ranch- ing made it easy for Mr. Gambetta to decide upon the special line for which he was best suited when the time came for him to settle down to a business of his own. However, before assum- ing this responsibility, he came to Monterey county and for a . time worked on the Zabala ranch, later on the ranch owned by B. Salacci,. and still later on the ranch of Owen Smith, in the Corral de Tierra. Since 1891, however, he- has been established on his own ranch near Sa- linas, where he has two hundred acres of as fine land as is to be found in Monterey county. Here he follows general ranching on an exten- sive scale, although he makes a specialty of but- ter making.
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