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 51
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Cal., where he found employment with the Standard Oil Company for four years, being fireman in the refinery, where he had charge of eighteen men. Being anxious to enter business for himself, he became a cement contractor, in which work he has been successful both as a foreman and as a contractor. Prominent among the buildings for which he did the cement work are the City Hall and the Mechanics Bank at Richmond, and he was foreman of construction for the municipal wharf, for the Pullman Company's shops, and also for bridge work on the State Highway.
On October 15, 1899, William M. Pennington was united in mar- riage with Miss Mary Lawdermilk, the daughter of Doctor Lawdermilk, a graduate of the Medical University of Illinois, and also of the Medical University of Louisville, Ky. Doctor Lawdermilk has to his credit, as a literary effort, the History of Greene County, Mo., of which Spring- field is the county seat. Mrs. Pennington's mother died when she was three years old. One brother is living at Weed, Cal. Mr. and Mrs. Pennington are the parents of four children : Gusta, who is now Mrs. J. R. Jackson, residing at Hercules, Cal., where her husband is employed with the powder works; Barney Nathan, an employee of the Union Oil Company, in the labor department; Carl Alfred Alexander, also employed by the Union Oil Company, and greatly interested in music; Minnie, a student in the Junior High School, where she is taking a business course. Fra- ternally, Mr. Pennington is a member of the Modern Woodmen, and also belongs to the Spanish-American War Veterans. For eighteen years he has had the distinction of being the person selected to fire all salutes over the graves of veterans, both G. A. R. and Spanish-American War Veterans. In 1925 he took an extended trip in his auto, going back East and South as far as his old home state of Tennessee, where he visited his mother. The trip consumed nearly three months extending from June 29 to September 22. He took all of his family except his married daughter. Among the places of interest visited outside of the larger cities was the monument to Lincoln, at Springfield, Ill. During his journey he was in fifteen States and had a view of twenty-three States.
Mr. Pennington stands for the highest principles in all business trans- actions and is a firm believer in obedience to law, which he ably upholds through his position as deputy sheriff of the county. He served as a mem- ber of the building committee when the City Hall was built at Richmond. His successful career is the reward of industry, thrift, persistency of pur- pose, and judicious management of financial affairs.
EDWARD HOWE HARLOW .- A pioneer in railroad service with the Santa Fe, the late Edward Howe Harlow of Richmond, came to this locality when what is now known as West Richmond was called East Yard, and helped to build the first car shops in order that the necessary repair work on engines and cars need not be done in the open. This was in June, 1900. In September of that same year his family joined
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him and have lived here almost continuously ever since. These shops burned down and were immediately rebuilt more substantially. Mr. Har- low was installed as master mechanic and remained in charge of the shops until 1907, when he was sent to Albuquerque, N. M., and for eigh- teen months was in charge of the shops at that place. Returning to Richmond he was in charge of the Valley Division, which extended as far as Bakersfield, but as the business of the company increased he was later made master mechanic of the terminal and at the time of his death, on January 26, 1922, was superintendent of shops. He was always working for the advancement of his community and was largely instrumental in selecting the site of the Pullman Company when they decided to establish a branch for the Pacific Coast. He took an active part in church circles and helped establish the first Episcopal Church at Point Richmond, also he and his wife helped organize St. Edmund's Church in Richmond and he served as warden for many years. He was a Mason, belonging to the Lodge, Chapter, Commandery and Shrine, the latter of Oakland; was also a member of Richmond Lodge No. 1251, B. P. O. E. No matter how busy he was he always found some time to assist with all progressive movements for the betterment of conditions.
E. H. Harlow was born in Janesville, Wis., on September 1, 1856, and is descended directly from Richard Warren, who came over in the May- flower, a descendant of this Warren having married a Harlow. Mr. Harlow was educated in the Episcopal school in Janesville and at the age of sixteen entered the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad shops there and finished an apprenticeship as a machinist in their Chicago shops. After he had mastered his trade he worked as a journeyman until he was sent to the shops of that company at Harvard, Ill., where he was a fore- man. He went from place to place for the Chicago and Northwestern, finally going with the Santa Fe in 1889 and spending seven years, from 1893 until 1900, at Gallup, N. M. In the latter year he was sent to Rich- mond. He was a thorough master of all branches of his trade and was held in high esteem by his superiors.
In Janesville, Wis., Mr. Harlow was married to Annah Cummings on July 15, 1890. She was born in Chemung Township, McHenry County, Ill. Her grandmother, Mary Bentley Smith, was descended from Capt. Caleb Bentley of Revolutionary fame. Mary Bentley Smith was born and married in Massachusetts, then went to Horseheads, N. Y., with her husband, pioneering that section, thence went to McHenry County, Ill., in 1836, when that was the frontier. Grandfather Smith had the honor of naming Chemung Township in Illinois, they having come from Chemung County, N. Y. Mrs. Smith was four years old when George Washington was inaugurated president of the United States and she had the pleasure of living under the administration of every president from Washington to McKinley. She died in Los Angeles in 1901, aged 106. She was the mother of thirteen children. Mrs. Harlow is a member of the Daughters
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of the American Revolution, has taken an active part in church and Sun- day School work and was a teacher in the Sunday School in Richmond, and a member of the Ladies' Aid.
Mr. and Mrs. Harlow had five children, two of whom died in child- hood. Philip L. was born in Janesville, Wis., graduated from the Rich- mond High School, married and has two children, Edward and Elthea, who, with their father, reside with Mrs. Harlow; he is foreman in the experimental laboratory at the Standard Oil refinery, is a Mason and an Elk, and belongs to the Carquinez Golf Club. E. George was born at Gallup, N. M., and also graduated from the Richmond High and is employed with the Standard Oil Company; he is deeply interested in Y. M. C. A. work in Richmond, and is a Mason. He has a son Paul. A. Page Harlow was also born at Gallup, N. M., and went to the Richmond High; he served with General Pershing on the Mexican border and with his company enlisted for service in the World War, and was a bugler with the replacement troops. He learned the trade of machinist at the Stan- dard Oil refinery; was graduated from the A to Zed school in Oakland and is now preparing for secretarial work at the Y. M. C. A. college in Chicago. He takes a great interest in young boys. He also belongs to the Masonic order. Both Mr. and Mrs. Harlow were very active in civic affairs in Richmond and did their full share to make the city a better place in which to live and rear families. The family home has been lo- cated on Florida Street since 1905.
NUMA SIMS BOONE .- Among the most successful farmers and stock-raisers of San Ramon Valley is Numa Sims Boone, who has been a resident of the county since his birth. He is a son of the early pioneers, James O. and Sallie (Sims) Boone, who were both natives of Missouri, the former born February 28, 1828, and the latter November 7, 1841. James Boone first came to California in 1846 with ox-teams and located at what is now Dutch Flat, Placer County. While living in that locality he hauled, with his ox-team, the lumber for building the first house in that place, and also carried on a freight business between Sacramento and Dutch Flat, for which he received twenty dollars per day. James Boone had two brothers, Wellington and John, who came to California by way of Cape Horn. After James' arrival John was taken sick and the three brothers started back East by vessel, and while on the way he died and was buried at sea. The two brothers continued their journey and after arriving at New Orleans took a boat up the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers to Saint Joseph, Mo. James bought a farm and after- wards married Sallie Sims, and for two or three years they lived in Missouri, until Mrs. Boone's health failed and he decided to take her to California. They came by way of the plains and were six months in making the trip. Upon arrival in California they located in Yolo County, in the Putah Creek section, but as this place did not suit Mrs. Boone,
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after residing there three years he took his horse and wagon and started in search of a place that he thought would make a satisfactory home for his wife. Upon arriving at Danville in 1852, Mr. Boone said, "This is where I wish to locate," and having purchased 160 acres of land, he then returned to Yolo County for his wife. Here they made their home until Mrs. Boone's death on April 16, 1895. He spent his last years with his daughter, Mrs. Dr. Moore, in Benicia and passed away at her home on May 24, 1902. Their family consisted of three children : Lina, who married C. E. Dingle; Cora, an artist residing in Oakland, where she is supervisor of oil drawings in the public schools, and where her paintings are so highly prized by art lovers that the city has reserved one room in the City Auditorium for the exhibit of her pictures; and Numa Sims Boone, of this review.
Numa Sims Boone was born in Danville, Cal., on May 14, 1867, and began his life work as a farmer on the old home place; but later he engaged in stock-raising for himself. He has been very successful and at present superintends 2400 acres, raises grain and hay, has various kinds of stock, and has on the old home place a twelve-acre pear orchard which he helped set out when he was sixteen years of age, and from which he receives an annual rental of $1200. In stock-raising he keeps only full-blooded sires. At present he has only thirty-five horses, and he plans for the future to use tractors for all of his work. Mr. Boone has been very successful in raising hay, some seasons selling from $30,000 to $50,000 worth. In 1926 his yield of barley was thirty-five sacks to the acre, and his lands produce a phenomenal crop of tomatoes and cucum- bers. The ability and resourcefulness of Mr. Boone as a progressive farmer, his good judgment in business affairs, and his wise management of financial matters are widely recognized. He was elected to the im- portant office of president of the San Ramon Valley Bank at Danville, a position he held for ten years, but has since sold his interests in the bank.
On August 31, 1899, Numa S. Boone was united in marriage with Miss Minnie Thorn of Alameda, a daughter of Capt. Charles and Jean- ette (Travis) Thorn, both natives of the State of New York. Captain Thorn was a seafaring man and ran the first passenger steamer boat from San Francisco to Alviso, the fare being eighteen dollars one way. He brought the lumber for building the first house in Santa Clara from New York. He had it set up, and it was in this house that Mrs. Boone was born. Mrs. Boone as a young lady attended the Denman School in San Francisco, after which, for some years, she was a business woman. Mr. and Mrs. Boone are the parents of two children: Travis Moore, who is a graduate of the technical school at Oakland, and now is the manager of the home ranch; and Eleanor Sims, who graduated from Mills College, class of 1926, and contemplates studying medicine. Fra- ternally, Mr. Boone is a charter member of the Woodmen of the World at Danville.
Thos. S. Duane
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THOMAS S. DUANE .- One of Central California's successful nurs- erymen is Thomas S. Duane, who has been engaged in horticultural work since a boy of ten years. Since coming to Contra Costa County, in 1884, his work here has been of inestimable value to this part of the State. Born in Genesee County, N. Y., on February 5, 1862, he is the son of Patrick and Margaret (Daily) Duane. He was reared in the State of New York and attended the grammar school at Dawes Corners, Genesee County; but his schooling was limited, for when only ten years old he went to work in a nursery for Nelson Bogue, a nurseryman in that State, and remained with him for twelve years, during which time he was thoroughly grounded in the rudiments of horticulture.
After having worked in leading nurseries in the Empire State, Mr. Duane came to California in 1884, first stopping in Los Angeles for a short time and then coming to Oakland and from there to Martinez. He was welcomed to Contra Costa County by the late Prof. John Swett, John Muir, and Mr. Heffner, who were engaged in fruit culture here. Mr. Duane leased fifteen acres of Henry Raap the day he arrived in this county, and immediately started a nursery ; and he has been in the nursery business ever since, selling his products all over the State. He has a wide acquaintance in every section where fruit is grown, and his' advice is sought by hundreds who contemplate the planting of orchards. Besides his home ranch of 100 acres two miles from Martinez, in Franklin Can- yon, where he is proprietor of the Martinez Nursery, he holds under lease the Rodeo Valley Nursery. He has established an enviable reputa- tion as a nurseryman and horticulturist and has a wonderful variety of nursery stock, among which are twenty varieties of apples and about the same number of varieties of peaches; Kadota, Smyrna and black figs ; Bartlett, Beaury Boss, and Beaury Hardy pears; Japanese persimmon ; Concord walnuts ; almost every variety of grapes; Royal Ann, Black Re- publican, Chapman and Bing cherries (he having developed the latter variety, on which he took the gold medal at the St. Louis Exposition) ; loganberries, blackberries and raspberries ; three varieties of currants ; and fourteen varieties of plums, among them the Duane plum, propagated by himself, and which is known as the French Prune No. 1. Besides these he has practically every variety of fruit grown in California which he has found favorable to the soil of Contra Costa County, for which section he is a great booster at all times. He has planted and cared for several orchards. The Busbee orchard of seventy acres of olives, ten acres of almonds, and twenty acres of walnuts was planted by Mr. Duane and brought into bearing from the bare land. He had a five-year contract with Mr. Busbee, which singularly was only a verbal contract, his word being recognized as sufficient even in a business contract. This was also the case in his contract with James Sutton, when he planted and cared for sixty acres for a period of three years ; and also the same arrangement was made in planting the Jackson place, of twenty acres; and thirty acres for Mr. Doyle.
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The marriage of Mr. Duane, which occurred in Martinez on July 17, 1894, united him with Miss Sarah Jane Rodgers, born at Pleasant Hill. Contra Costa County, a daughter of Patrick Rodgers, the well-known pioneer rancher of that place, who fifty-six years ago bought a ranch at Pleasant Hill and became identified with early life in the county. Four children blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. Duane. Ruth Margaret is the widow of John Kellogg Cushing, former city editor of the Martinez Gazette, who died on May 20, 1924. William died in childhood. Joseph James married Miss Mildred Sliger of San Francisco, who was born and reared in Bedford County, Pa. They make their home with Mr. Duane, and he assists his father in operating the nursery. The fourth child, Verna Mary, is the wife of George Dewey Welch, proprietor of the Alhambra Motor Company of Martinez. She is a graduate of the Martinez-Alham- bra Union High School and attended the State Teachers' College in San Francisco. Mrs. Welch majored in music at the College of the Holy Name in Oakland.
Public-spirited and actively interested in the betterment of his commu- nity, Mr. Duane has served as foreman of the Grand Jury and is a strong believer in law observance and law enforcement; and while he has de- clined public office, he supports the men he deems most capable of effi- ciently administering the county's affairs. During the World War he served on Liberty and Victory Loan drives, helping to put Franklin Can- yon over the top in each instance, and also was active in Red Cross work. Before the day of paved highways in the county, he hauled 1100 tons of rock for roadwork, donating his services for the cause of good roads, especially the Franklin Canyon road. Mr. Duane was the means of having the first sewer system installed in Martinez, about 1893. He is a stock- holder in the Martinez Bank, and a large property owner, owning a block of residence property on Alhambra Avenue in Martinez. He is a Demo- crat in politics, and a Catholic in church membership.
Hard work and an intense interest in horticulture, applied with busi- ness sagacity, have been the secret of Mr. Duane's success. During his years of work here he has been associated with Prof. John Swett, propri- etor of the "Hill Girt" Ranch, and with John Muir, naturalist and botan- ist, in various horticultural ventures, and together they accomplished some wonderful things for Contra Costa County. Mr. Duane, a big man phys- ically as well as mentally, has been in the nursery business fifty-four years. He knows the soil and climatic conditions of this region thoroughly, and has been a real factor in the development of the county, demonstrating its possibilities along horticultural lines and paving the way for future in- tensive development by new settlers, attracted to the locality by the re- sults of his work. He is a friend of education and has served as a member of the Alhambra Union High School Board since 1904; and he was one of the first to start the agitation for the consolidation of the grammar schools, believing that the country children should have the same advantages that are enjoyed by the children in the cities. Besides
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being a fruit grower and nurseryman, he is a manufacturer of a pure olive oil that holds the highest test of any olive oil in the world. This he makes under the most sanitary conditions and markets under the name of the Thomas S. Duane Brand.
MANUEL BAETA .- How eastern Contra Costa County rewards those who intelligently till the soil and pursue agricultural pursuits is strikingly illustrated in the case of Manuel Baeta who owns two large and valuable ranches, one of about 300 acres adjoining Pittsburg, de- voted to grain and hay, and the other of 320 acres, two and a half miles east of Brentwood, being in the heart of the alfalfa growing section of the county. For many years Mr. Baeta, as a young man, worked with the threshing crew of Mr. Grigsby, a pioneer thresher of that section. By hard work and strict economy he was able to purchase the home farm of 320 acres from Mr. Grigsby, which is mostly in alfalfa, although there is a forty-acre vineyard of choice table grapes on the property. This ranch lies east of the thriving city of Brentwood and is fast becom- ing very valuable owing to the rapid growth of that city as an agricul- tural center. Manuel Baeta was born on the Island of Flores, in Azores group, in 1865, and when a little over seventeen years old resolved to come to California and reached here in 1883. His native land failed to provide him a fortune or even to give him the rudiments of an education, a loss which he has keenly felt; but through business and general reading he has become a practical man of affairs and is a thorough farmer.
Mr. Baeta was married at Antioch to Miss Margaret Jacinta, a na- tive of Antioch. For seventeen years Mr. Baeta rented land and farmed successfully until his naturally thrifty nature enabled him to ultimately buy his fine ranch properties. To Mr. and Mrs. Baeta have been born five children : Oliver runs the 320-acre home farm located two and a half miles east of Brentwood; Margaret, Edith and Grace are students at the State Teachers' College in San Jose, Cal., and Mabel is in the public school. In the fall of 1925 Mr. and Mrs. Baeta removed to San Jose, where they now reside. Fraternally, Mr. Baeta is a member of the I. D. E. S. and the U. P. E. C.
MANUEL VIERA .- Among the early settlers in eastern Contra Costa County is Manuel Viera, now living retired on his productive ranch on the State Highway near Antioch. He was born on the Island of Pico, Azores group, on April 10, 1854, and attended the schools in his neigh- borhood until he was fourteen. With a brother he then came to America, arriving in New Bedford, Mass., and remained for a time with an uncle, Antone Viera, working for him in his boarding house and going to night school to learn the English language. In 1870 he and his brother John came on to California. Here Manuel sought his uncle, Charles Smith, who was farming the Oakley ranch in Contra Costa County near Antioch. Wheat was the principal crop, and after it was harvested it was hauled
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to Antioch for shipment by rail and boat. As soon as he could look about a little, young Viera found work on Sherman Island. It was while he was there that the late Charles Mclaughlin, who was owner of consider- able land and was irrigation agent for the Southern Pacific Railway, was attracted to him and offered to assist him in getting a start. He rented some 800 acres of the Marsh tract, near the landing, and met with a fair degree of success. This gave him a start and soon he began buying land; he also began the sheep business, and in time his flocks increased until he had some 2000 head. He also engaged in threshing and baling hay, run- ning two threshing outfits with about twenty men each. He threshed all over this section of the county and down into Alameda County as far as Livermore. He worked hard himself and kept investing in land. His first purchase was 480 acres, which he developed into a comfortable home place, and later added 368 acres of the Marsh tract, where he now lives. This ranch was covered with large live-oak trees, and these he had to clear off to set out his vineyard. In time he came to own some 850 acres of good farming and fruit land in this vicinity. He also invested in prop- erty in San Francisco, but lost the buildings at the time of the fire in 1906, and then sold his lots. He was always progressive and has kept abreast of the times, using more modern agricultural implements to facilitate his ranch work. He met with some bad luck with his sheep in the early days. One of the dry years he sent his flocks south into Fresno County, hoping to find feed for them, but he did not find it, and in driving them back to Contra Costa County lost about 1000 head. He pastured his sheep in the Berkeley Hills and Moraga Valley, before these sections were built up.
Manuel Viera was fortunate in choosing for his life partner a woman who has worked shoulder to shoulder with him and has given him every encouragement possible in his efforts to attain success. The wedding of Mr. Viera and Miss Elizabeth Whelihan, a native daughter of Califor- nia, born in San Francisco, occurred on April 17, 1882. Her parents were John and Dorothy (Flynn) Whelihan, who were born in Ireland and came to New Orleans when they were young, and there grew up and were married. One daughter was born in New Orleans. In 1854 they de- cided to come to California and took passage via the Isthmus of Panama. John Whelihan settled in Contra Costa County and became a well-known and prosperous rancher, but died in 1871 leaving six children: Mary, Elizabeth, Julia, John, Eugene and David. Of these, four are living. As a girl, Elizabeth Whelihan learned dressmaking, for her mother believed in bringing her children up to become useful citizens. Of the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Viera eight children were born. John F. runs the home ranch and is the father of four boys: John F., Jr., George, Robert and Richard C. Eugene J. is a rancher and has four children : Edward, Dor- othy, Donald and Bettyjean. Francis is also interested in ranching and real estate. May is an auditor in the quartermaster's department in San Francisco. Cyril, a graduate from the University of California, was made manager of the magnesite mine in which Mr. Viera is heavily interested
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in Stanislaus County, but died at the age of twenty-two. Elizabeth died at the age of eight months. Joseph G., a rancher in Antioch Precinct No. 5, has four children : Joseph G., Jr., Howard, Bernard and Catherine. He saw service in the World War. William, now in the automobile business in San Francisco, was in five major engagements during the World War. He is married and has had three children : William, Jr., Stanley and Wal- lace, who died in infancy. Mr. Viera has distributed his property among his children, to give them a start in life, and they have all become useful citizens. In politics Mr. Viera is a Republican. He has given liberally towards all public improvements and believes in living up to the Golden Rule. The family are members of the Catholic Church and have a large circle of friends in eastern Contra Costa County.
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