History of Contra Costa County, California; with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present, Part 108

Author: Munro-Fraser, J. P
Publication date: 1926
Publisher: Los Angeles, Calif. : Historic Record Co.
Number of Pages: 1118

USA > California > Contra Costa County > History of Contra Costa County, California; with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present > Part 108

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Mrs. Giumini returned to Valona on November 8, 1926, after an extended trip to Europe, which included a visit to her girlhood home. She left Valona on May 2, and returned much refreshed in body and spririt. She reports a very pleasant visit and enjoys the distinction of

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having been a guest of Prince and Princess Borromeo, at Isola Bella, Lago Maggiore, Italy, on October 15 and 16, as the specially invited guest of the Princess, who received Mrs. Giumini in the Throne-room of the Prince's palace. She found the Prince and Princess greatly interested in America and thoroughly democratic in their manner. She also had the pleasure of attending the anniversary session of the Peace Conference at Locarno. The pleasant recollections of the many delightful incidents of her visit will linger with her until her dying day.

HARRY EUGENE AINE, JR .- A very efficient construction en- gineer employed by the Standard Oil Company at the Richmond refinery is Harry Eugene Aine, Jr., whose home is located at No. 341 Dimm Street in the Mira Vista Section. He is a son of Harry Eugene Aine, Sr., of French descent and a carpenter and builder of Richmond, who is now deceased. The father was born on the high sea, while the vessel in which his parents were coming to the Pacific Coast was rounding Cape Horn. The family settled at Virginia City, Nev., where Harry's grand- father and father were both engaged in mining for a time, and where the grandfather owned considerable valuable property. In 1871 the father went back to Chicago to help in rebuilding that city after the great fire of that year, but he failed to make the right business connec- ions and turned his face westward again. He went to Omaha, Nebr., and there made connection with a railroad company and for some months was engaged in bridge building. In 1873 he brought his family to Berk- eley, Cal., where his wife and children remained and where the latter were reared and educated. Mrs. Aine was in maidenhood Miss Eliza- beth Geissberger, and her parents came from New York to California in an early day and were farmers on the San Pablo grant. The old Geissberger homestead is still standing at San Pablo.

Harry Eugene Aine, Jr., was born at Omaha, Neb., on May 13, 1872, and was educated in the Berkeley schools, his parents coming to this State when he was only about eighteen months old. At the age of fourteen he began working at the carpenter's trade with his father. Three years later he entered the employ of the Giant Powder Works, and when he was twenty-one he was a foreman in that plant and re- mained there several years. His next position was with the Southern Pacific Railroad, in their shops, in Sacramento and he remained there until 1901, when he came to Richmond and entered the employ of the Standard Oil Company as a carpenter at the beginning of the construc- tion of their great plant in this city. Soon he was promoted to be fore- man, and later was placed on general construction work. The workmen labored under great difficulties, especially in wet weather, as there was nothing but heavy adobe mud in the flat lands. Standard Avenue in Point Richmond had to be paved before material for the plant could be landed where it was to be used. Often the men had to be pulled out of the mud, losing their rubber boots in the operation. One entire hill had to be scraped into the bay in the plant construction. At one time Mr. Aine

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had two-thirds of the workmen about the plant under his supervision. In 1914 he was assigned to the engineering department and is now assis- tant engineer, also acting in an advisory capacity about the plant. He has had much to do with perfecting the salt water plant, the largest of its kind in the world. In 1908 he was head of construction during the building of the tanker Benicia, which is still doing duty on the bay. Take it all in all he has been a valuable man in building up the greatest of oil refineries in the world.

In 1907 Mr. Aine was united in marriage with Miss Nettie Dawson. By a former marriage he has a son, Everett Eugene, who was educated in the schools of Richmond and graduated from the University of Nevada, at Reno, and who is now employed at the El Segundo refinery in South- ern California. Mr. Aine is a member of the Richmond Elks and the Masonic lodge ; he belongs to the Berkeley Country Club, was one of the organizers and is its president, and has served as chairman of the road committee. He also belongs to the Standard Oil Rod and Gun Club, which he helped organize in 1921, and ever since has served as president. When the first street car line was installed in Richmond Mr. Aine acted in an advisory capacity in the construction of the road and purchasing its equipment. Being a competent construction engineer his advice is often sought on construction problems; and he willingly gives of his time to help promote all worthy projects for the advancement of his home city. He is active in civic affairs and with his wife has a wide acquaintance in the bay region. He is a golf enthusiast and enjoys camping in the moun- tains. He and his wife are lovers of the esthetic and he spends much leisure time in beautifying their home place.

WILLIAM H. GEORGE .- A native son of California who has made a name and place for himself in the business world of the State is W. H. George, secretary of the Cowell Portland Cement Company, one of the principal industries of Contra Costa County that has helped to spread the name and fame of this section of the State. He was born in San Francisco on July 11, 1872, a son of Henry C. and Eliza (Baker ) George, pioneers of the State.

William H. George attended the public schools of San Francisco, graduating from the grammar school in 1886. Immediately upon leav- ing the school room he went to work for the Henry Cowell Lime and Cement Company and has remained with this company ever since, work- ing his way through the various departments of their business until he reached his present position. He has been so closely associated with the business that he has become an integral part of it and has helped to de- velop the plant to its present magnitude. He is also secretary of the Henry Cowell Lime and Cement Company; secretary and manager of the Bay Point and Clayton Railroad Company; and president of the Builders' Exchange of San Francisco. The company he represents main- tain their business offices at No. 2 Market Street, San Francisco. Mr. George is actively interested in promulgating the principles of the "Open

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Shop," which means the right of a man to work as he sees fit and to maintain harmony in industrial circles. His position of president of the Builders' Exchange for the past five years shows his fitness for such an important position.

W. H. George was married in San Francisco on October 7, 1896, to Miss Lillie Isabel Daly, a daughter of John D. and Lillie Frances Daly, and they have a daughter, Isabelle Cowell George. Mr. George is a Republican in politics. Fraternally he is a Knight Templar Mason and a Shriner ; he also belongs to the Woodmen of the World. He is active in club life and holds membership in the National Union, the Olympic, the Press and the San Francisco Commercial Clubs. In every movement for the upbuilding of his native State W. H. George has always shown his public spirit by co-operating with every project for the best interests of the people and the State.

THEO. WEISSICH .- The superintendent of the Pittsburg branch of the Western California Fish Company is Theo. Weissich, a native of San Francisco, where he was born on January 12, 1898. His father, William O. Weissich, Jr., was born at Live Oak, Sutter County, Cal., and was a son of William O. Weissich, Sr., a California pioneer of 1849, and Augusta, his wife. W. O. Weissich, Jr., is said to be the first Ameri- can-born man to engage in the wholesale fish business in California; and he is now the president of the Western California Fish Company, the largest exclusively fish company in San Francisco, and is prominent in business circles in the bay cities. This fish company and packing concern has become the largest of its kind by purchase of the American Fish and Oyster Company and the California Fish Company at Pittsburg, and maintains plants in Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Francisco, Oakland, Point Reyes, Bodega Bay, Shelter Cove, Eureka, Trinidad, Crescent City and Pittsburg, and also at Smith River, Ore. They have their own brand, CAL-PAC, which is a guarantee of quality and has a high stand- ing in commercial circles. They specialize in Zalon, which is smoked shad cured in Russian style; Bloaters; Barbecued Sable Fish, commer- cially known as Kippered Cod; and Smoked Salmon. The brands are well-known to the trade all over the country, and also in foreign climes.

Theo. Weissich attended the public schools in San Francisco and worked in and about the fish plant operated by his father, where he learned the details of the business from the bottom up and fitted himself for the responsible position he now holds, that of superintendent of the Pittsburg plant for this large fish concern. That he is looked upon as an able business man is attested to by his standing in business circles in Pittsburg. He is enterprising, and takes an active interest in matters pertaining to the development of city, county and State.

On May 25, 1919, Mr. Weissich was united in marriage with Miss Shirley Paulsen, of Santa Cruz. Mr. and Mrs. Weissich reside at No. 1092 Black Diamond Street, Pittsburg, and move in the best social circles of this fast-growing city.

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ROY AVERY WATKINS .- Among the younger generation in Cali- fornia, as well as elsewhere, we find men who have demonstrated both tact and capacity for business and have met with gratifying success. Of this class we mention Roy Avery Watkins, who, since 1925 has held the responsible position of city manager of Pittsburg. This plan was adopted by the city in August, 1919, and R. M. Dorton was the first city manager. Mr. Dorton resigned in 1925, on account of his removal to Monterey, and Mr. Watkins was appointed to succeed him, and entered upon his duties on July 1, 1925. He has demonstrated his ability to hold such a position of trust and responsibility and the city has been greatly bene- fitted by his systematic and economical management.

Born in Eldora, Iowa, March 20, 1892, R. A. Watkins is the son of O. H. and Mattie Jane (Fitzgerald) Watkins, both of whom are now residing in Glendale, Cal. Mr. Watkins was reared and educated in Eldora, Iowa, until attaining the age of fourteen years, when he decided to make his own way in the world. He went to Clinton, Iowa, where he began serving an apprenticeship in a machine shop; he also attended night school, where he completed his high school course. We next find him in Milwaukee, Wis., where he continued his apprentice- ship as a machinist and where, during his spare time, he completed a course in accounting at a business college in Milwaukee. Determined to equip himself thoroughly for his life work, he entered the Engineering College at Ames, Iowa, where he spent two profitable years. His first position was with the Waterloo Gas Engine Company, at Waterloo, Iowa; where he rose to be head foreman. A better position was offered him with the American Machine Products Company, at Marshalltown, Iowa, and in 1915 he was serving as general works manager for this company. When war was declared he answered the call by enlisting in the U. S. Navy in June, 1917, at Philadelphia. He became engineering officer on the U. S. Submarine L. 4, of which the late General Hancock was the commanding officer. Later Mr. Watkins was transferred to the Aviation Department of the Navy, with the rank of lieutenant, his especial work being that of director of the field service, engineering and purchasing. Supervising the purchases of the Naval Departments he traveled all over the United States, and during his term of service was stationed at New York City, Washington, D. C., and Pensacola, Fla. During his stay in Pensacola he was detailed to go across to France, but the signing of the armistice intervened. He was released from active service in 1919, and received his honorable discharge in 1923. In 1919 he accepted the position of general works manager for the Clarinda Lawn Mower Company, at Clarinda, Iowa, holding this position until Novem- ber, 1920, when he removed to Sacramento, Cal., and there accepted the position as superintendent of equipment for the California State High- way Commission, which he filled until 1925, when he settled in Pittsburg.

At Marshalltown, Iowa, June 5, 1916, Mr. Watkins was married to Miss Helen Gundlach, who was born and reared in Marshalltown. They are the parents of one daughter, Geraldine Helen. Mrs. Watkins was

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for some time society editor on the Long Beach Press, and was advanced to the position of circulation manager. Mr. and Mrs. Watkins are active members of the Masonic fraternity; both belong to the Eastern Star in Sacramento; Mr. Watkins is a member of Nodaway (Iowa) Lodge No. 140, A. F. & A. M .; Long Beach Chapter, R. A. M., and the Knights Templars at Sacramento. He is a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers; he is also a member of the Lions Club of Sacra- mento. Mr. Watkins was one of the first boys to join the Boy Scout movement in Iowa, and is still very much interested in that great move- ment. He is a member of the City Managers Association of America.

HERBERT WALLACE PHILLIPS .- An efficient employe of the Santa Fe Railroad Company is Herbert Wallace Phillips of Richmond. He was born in St. James, Minn., on January 5, 1882, a son of Nelson F. Phillips, who was a railway conductor and died in Los Angeles in July, 1920. The mother was in maidenhood Clara Jane Herrick, whose father, Seth Herrick was English. She died at Santa Ana, Cal., in March, 1921. The family are a mixture of Welsh, Scotch and English.

Herbert W. attended school in Glendive, Mont., but had lived in Minneapolis three years previous to going to Montana. In May, 1894, with his mother, he landed in Santa Ana, Cal., where she had relatives, and for a time the lad attended the school at Tustin, also in Santa Ana. He worked in a store for three years and in the meantime took a night course in business. He learned the trade of plumber in Santa Ana, fin- ishing in Los Angeles, where he took up steam fitting. Later he was a motorman on the Los Angeles Street Railway for seven years. In the meantime his father had come to Los Angeles and was employed by the Salt Lake Railroad. Herbert W. thought he would like railroading and with a friend went to the Santa Fe office and applied for a job. On July 1, 1909, he was sent to Winslow, Ariz., where he worked on one of the coal burners, then alternated on an oil burner, and ran on the road four years. He was on the coal chute eighteen months, then stationary en- gineer, and finally got into the roundhouse as hostler for eighteen months. With this experience he was sent to Richmond, where he has since lived. He believes in the future of Richmond and has strengthened that belief by investing in property here. He is satisfied with his job and knows the railroad company always give their employees a square deal. Mr. Phillips first trip to Richmond was in 1914, when he came to visit a friend, and he was strongly impressed with the outlook for a large city and when he had an opportunity to settle here jumped at the chance.

Mr. Phillips married Sara Jane Neville, born in Baltimore, Md., but reared in Texas. Her mother now resides with Mrs. Phillips. Her father, William R. Neville was a doctor and pharmacist and died in 1920. Their children are Elma Jane, born in Texas January 4, 1919, while Mrs. Phillips was making a visit to her home there; and Neville Edward, born February 8, 1924, in Richmond. While Mrs. Phillips was on a visit to Texas the call came for Mr. Phillips to go to Richmond and

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he had their household belongings packed and ready to ship when she returned from her visit. Mr. Phillips was an only child and when his mother passed away he inherited her property, which consisted of some property at Signal Hill, which he sold and with the proceeds of this sale and his back pay, he bought his first home in Richmond. As he has prospered he built his present home in 1921 at No. 1619 Clinton Street, where he has a modern bungalow. Mr. Phillips belongs to the Associa- tion of Stationary Engineers and Firemen of the Santa Fe system. His recreation is found in motoring.

MRS. MATTIE CHANDLER .- Prominent in the civic life of Richmond, where she is serving very acceptably as mayor, Mrs. Mattie Chandler has been a resident of the city since 1911, when she accom- panied her husband to this place. She was born in Iowa, a daughter of John Wagner, also born in that State, where he was a merchant and stock dealer at Knoxville. On account of better opportunities in the West he sold out and started for California, via New York City and the Horn, being accompanied by his wife and six children. The ship they were on, which was carrying the gold with which to pay off the soldiers in California, was wrecked by the captain near the coast of a small island, the captain getting away with that money, as well as considerable belonging to the passengers who had intrusted their money to his care. Mr. Wagner lost about $20,000. While waiting for a vessel to pick up the survivors of the wreck from this island a daughter was born to Mrs. Wagner. A British vessel rescued the people and brought them to San Francisco, where the Wagner family spent only a few weeks. The father once more turned his face towards Iowa and upon arriving at his old home, closed out his holdings and moved to Joplin, Mo., where he died at the age of fifty-seven years. They had thirteen children in their family.

Mattie Wagner was the twelfth child and was educated in the public schools in Joplin. She was united in marriage at Neosha, Mo., with James H. Chandler, born in Jefferson, Mo., and a barber by trade. When a young girl Miss Wagner came to California and made her home with an aunt in San Francisco, remaining with her until her death, when she went to the State of Washington, thence back to Iowa. In 1910 Mr. and Mrs. Chandler came to California and located in Stockton, where they made their home for a year, then moved to Richmond, where Mr. Chandler carried on a barber shop for years. They have a daugh- ter, Glessner M., a graduate from the Richmond High School and a business college, now in the employ of the City of Richmond in tic health department.

The first office ever held by Mrs. Chandler was when she served as a member of the school board in Joplin. She has always taken an active part in all progressive movements and is an active member of the Rich- mond Women's Improvement Club. She belongs to Acantha Chapter No. 249, O. E. S,. in which she is a Past Matron; she is also a Past Deputy Grand Matron, having served in 1920 for Contra Costa County.

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In 1924 she was appointed a member of the city council to fill a vacancy occasioned by the death of Mr. Carey, and in 1925 she was duly elected to the office, leading the field with 3300 votes; in 1926 she is serving as mayor, and as such she is an ex-officio member of the various committees of the city board of trustees. Mrs. Chandler belongs to the Wesleyan Methodist Episcopal Church and is president of the Ladies' Aid. As a city official she works for the greatest good for the greatest number and by her square dealing has won a host of warm friends. To Mrs. Chandler belongs the honor of being the first woman mayor of any California City.

FRANK MCDERMOTT .- Since the incorporation of El Cerrito (Little Hill) as a city, in 1917, it has been the aim of the officials to make it an attractive residential city and to that end there has been a continuous movement towards improvement. In 1924-1925 about $500,000 were spent in street paving; $65,000 bonds were voted for a fire hall and a fire alarm system; and one of the best and most systematic water systems has also been installed. Taking it all in all the one hold- ing the office of mayor of such an enterprising city must needs have plenty to do. Frank McDermott, with the cooperation of the entire board of trustees made wonderful strides towards rendering the citizens of this commonwealth every satisfaction while serving in the office of president of the board of trustees. He came to this location in 1911 and ever since that date has been a booster for improvements of every kind that would benefit the majority of the people.

A native of San Francisco, he was born July 4, 1876, the son of John McDermott, a landscape gardener of that city, who came from his native Ireland to make a home in the West, traveling via Panama to San Francisco. He had married in Ireland and with his wife, Mary Mc- Dermott, who was born in Scotland, came to make their home here. The mother died in 1879 and the father in 1905. Frank attended the public schools in Oakland, working as he went along to pay his own way. As a youngster he recalls having hunted over the hills where today hundreds of homes dot the landscape. He learned the trade of butcher and worked for P. Swords at Temescal, now a part of Oakland, until 1915. Then he went to work to learn a mechanical trade with the Byron-Jack- son Pump Works, and from that time to the present has gradually worked his way up with this company and is now rated as a specialist. Since 1915 he has lived in El Cerrito, which he considers one of the best residential cities in the bay section. In 1921 he was elected a member of the board of trustees, reelected in 1925 and chosen chairman or mayor to serve one year. In politics he is a Republican in national affairs.

Mr. McDermott was married in 1896, to Katherine Burkhardt, born in Maysville, Ky., but reared in Sidney, Ohio. They have one daughter, Frances, the wife of Ralph Buckley, a salesman for the Webber Com- pany of San Francisco. Mrs. Buckley attended the schools of Oakland and El Cerrito. While a resident of Oakland Mr. McDermott was fore-

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man of streets under Mayor Mott for eighteen months and always took an active part in the political life of the city as a member of the James G. Quinn Republican Club. Besides his home place on Liberty Street he owns a house and two lots on Curtis Street, and property in North Berkeley Terrace. He is a member of Richmond Lodge No. 1251, B. P. O. E .; Golden Gate Lodge, Foresters of America; the Butchers Associaton of Oakland; and the Machinists Union No. 284, also of Oak- land. Mr. McDermott has served his constituents faithfully and well and is held in high esteem by all who know him for he is a "hail fellow well met" and popular with all classes. Mr. McDermott erected a com- fortable home on Liberty Street, near Potrero Avenue, in 1926, where he resides with his family.

N. A. BECKER .- A man of wide experience and unusual ability, whose life from early youth has been spent in the iron and steel industry, is N. A. Becker, general superintendent of the Pittsburg plant of the Columbia Steel Company, where he has been employed since 1919. He . was born in Belleville, St. Claire County, Ill., on January 25, 1874, a son of N. A. Becker, Sr., a pioneer manufacturer of Belleville. The son attended the public schools of his native town and grew up in the iron and steel business, his father being the master mechanic of the steel mills in that city, and the son was with him a great deal of the time. His education was completed in Chicago, where he attended the chemical laboratories and chemical school conducted by C. C. Hall. His school work ended, young Becker returned home and began working in the roll- ing mill for fifty-five cents a day of twelve hours. Here he stored up some very valuable experience that has been worth-while in his later operations. He worked in various steel and iron plants in the East and Middle West, among them Cleveland, Ohio; Pittsburgh, Pa .; Birmingham, Ala .; Youngstown, Ohio; Milwaukee, Wis .; South Chicago and Joliet, Ill. He has assisted in installing machinery in every mill in which he has worked, and has built many furnaces. In 1902 he came to the Pacific Coast, then went to Old Mexico, where he built three different steel plants, remaining until he was driven out by the revolution in that country.

Coming to San Francisco Mr. Becker took charge of the Pacific Coast Steel Company's plant on February 1, 1914, remaining there for five years, during which time many improvements were made by him; and during the World War several large contracts were executed by this plant. In 1919 he came to Pittsburg as superintendent of the Columbia Steel Company's plant and since then has given his undivided attention to its successful management and has rebuilt considerable of the plant ac- cording to his own ideas. The manufacture of almost everything in the iron and steel line is carried on in this great institution.

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History of Contra Costa County, California; with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present, Part 108

Author: Munro-Fraser, J. P Publication date: 1926 Publisher: Los Angeles, Calif. : Historic Record Co. Number of Pages: 1118

Author: Munro-Fraser, J. P
Publication date: 1926
Publisher: Los Angeles, Calif. : Historic Record Co.
Number of Pages: 1118