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 54
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Mrs. Charles J. Wood graduated from the Normal School in San Jose, and for ten years taught in the Contra Costa schools. She has been untiring in educational and Grange work, having served most suc- cessfully as Grange lecturer for many years. Although devoted to her family and home, she has always found time to aid in Red Cross and similar benevolent work when occasion required. Mr. and Mrs. Wood have three sons. Howard C. graduated from the University of California with his B. S. degree as civil engineer in 1923, and is now actively en- gaged in this work. George C. received his B. S. degree from the same university in 1922, graduating with honors from the College of Agri- culture. He has been director of the local farm bureau, and is at present engaged in operating the home farm near Danville. Waldo E. is a senior in the University of California College of Agriculture, specializing in forestry. He was awarded the McDonald scholarship in 1926 for his high standing. These young men have been elected to various honor societies, and are a credit to their parents, their country and their Alma Mater. The Wood family are respected wherever known, and dispense a true California hospitality at their "Woodside" home.
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JOHN F. SWETT .- A native of California, John F. Swett was born in San Francisco on August 1, 1879, a son of John and Mary L. (Tracy) Swett, and at the age of six was taken by his parents to their newly- acquired country home near Martinez to secure the advantages of rural life. He attended the Alhambra Grammar school from which he was graduated in 1892. One year later he returned to San Francisco and entered the Lowell High School, graduating in 1897. He then entered Stanford University that same year, taking a course intended to prepare him for the legal profession. In the midst of his college course, however, he suffered a severe attack of measles, which so weakened his eyesight and impaired his health, that he was compelled to give up all thought of a pro- fessional career. He returned to his home near Martinez and with his father and elder brother took up the management of Hill Girt Ranch, which consists of one hundred acres of orchard and vineyard situated in Alhambra Valley, four miles south of Martinez.
In 1918 John F. Swett was united in marriage with Miss Aileen Mor- row, daughter of Stuart Morrow, a prominent business man of San Francisco.
After the death of his father and the retirement of his brother, Frank T. Swett, who became president of the Pear Growers' Association, Mr. Swett has managed the ranch property alone. In spite of his handicap of ill health he has been successful in a business way and Hill Girt Ranch has been one of the best-kept up and most prosperous of the fruit ranches of Contra Costa County.
DAVID MACARTNEY .- A veteran Odd Fellow and a pioneer of Antioch, David Macartney was born in Belfast, Ireland, on March 8, 1849, and when a babe in arms was taken to Australia, where his father went to work in the gold mines. Some years later the family, consisting of the father, mother, three sisters and our subject came to California. David being the youngest member of the family was then fourteen years old, and is now the only living member of the family. After a short stay in San Francisco the Macartneys came to Antioch, where his father, who had begun as a cabin boy and worked his way to master mariner, died.
Owing to the death of his parent our subject had to go to work, being the only son he became the head of the family. He became an em- ployee of the Union Coal Company at Black Diamond, at a time when the coal was hauled from the mouth of the mines with four and six-horse teams. He was first in charge of the coal at the wharf where it was loaded onto two-masted, flat-bottomed schooners at Antioch, taken to San Fran- cisco and other places for distribution. Five years at Antioch and one year at Black Diamond were spent by Mr. Macartney, then he worked at various kinds of business, and served two terms as postmaster during Cleveland's and McKinley's administrations, till 1901. He has been engaged in business in Antioch for many years and is about the oldest shopkeeper now doing business in that city. He has been a member of the
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Odd Fellows for over fifty years, a member of the Encampment, of which he is treasurer. He has been a member of the Congregational Church in Antioch for sixty years; has served as a member of the school board for many years, part of the time as secretary.
On October 30, 1925, David Macartney married Miss Rebecca Davis, the ceremony being performed at Martinez. She was born at Win- chester, Ill. There she taught school, as also at White Hall, Ill., and in Athens, Texas. She came to Los Angeles in 1909 as private secretary to her aunt, Mrs. Faithful Ebey. Mrs. Macartney is eligible to member- ship in the Daughters of the American Revolution by virtue of her great- great-grandfather George Ebey, serving as a member of a company of 100 picked men who fell at Stony Point on the Hudson, under command of Mad Anthony Wayne.
CHARLES W. HORNBACK .- There is no finer market to be found in Contra Costa County than the Community Market in Antioch, presided over by Frank J. Silva and Charles W. Hornback, the subject of this sketch. He is a native son and was born at Somersville, Cal., on Febru- ary 21, 1892, the son of William and Annie (Wallace) Hornback, the latter born near Antioch. The father was born in Napa County, a son of James Hornback, a Kentuckian, who came to California in the early fifties and followed ranching near Napa. The father, now seventy years old, is still living and one of the trusted employees of the Paraffine Com- panies, Inc., in Antioch. These worthy parents have two children; Charles W., of this review; and Maybelle, employed in the Community Market.
Charles W. Hornback went to the local schools and had eighteen months in the Riverview Union High. He began as a clerk in the stores in Antioch when he was thirteen and when eighteen was employed with L. Meyer and Company, continuing until he formed his present partner- ship with Frank J. Silva in 1920. They bought out Walter H. Weeks, successor to Ross & Serpa. The latter had bought out G. C. Carman, a pioneer merchant. The present location of the concern is in the C. M. Belshaw building. All business of the company is conducted on a cash basis and they give their customers the benefit of the saving of bookkeepers' salaries. Four persons are employed in the market.
Mr. Hornback was married in San Francisco on July 26, 1920, to Miss Ruth V. Shears, a native of Nebraska. They have two children; Ramona and Robert Charles. Mr. Hornback is a member and a Past President of the Native Sons of the Golden West; belongs to the Masonic Lodge and to the Sciots, of Antioch. He enlisted for service in the World War in San Francisco and served in Motor Truck Train 406, saw four- teen months service in France and when the armistice was signed returned to the United States and was discharged at the Presidio in June, 1919. He is a charter member of the American Legion, Harding Post at Antioch. Mrs. Hornback belongs to the Eastern Star and the Rebekahs. They are Republicans.
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JOHN N. CANEVARO .- The title of pioneer is justly merited by John N. Canevaro, for few men now living in Pittsburg located in this sec- tion of the county before Mr. Canevaro. When he came there were only four houses in the settlement, which was then called Black Diamond. Dur- ing his long residence here Mr. Canevaro has witnessed the marvelous de- velopment of this community from a bare settlement to an up-to-date city of 9000 population.
John N. Canevaro was born near Genoa, Italy, on August 26, 1851, a son of G. B. and Catherine (Solari) Canevaro, and fourth in a family of eight children. His father was a farmer; and his mother, as a young woman, was a weaver of velvets and silks. When John N. Canevaro was twenty-five years of age, he was united in marriage with Miss Geronirna Piaggo, who also was born near Genoa. This union was blessed with two children before the parents emigrated to America in 1878. They sailed from Havre, France on the French Line Steamship Canada, arriving in New York City the latter part of July. From there they continued their journey by railway to San Francisco, Cal., arriving there on August 14, 1878. Mr. Canevaro at first engaged in the fishing industry. Later he was employed by the Nortonville Railroad, a road used in those early days to haul coal from the Black Diamond mines to New York Landing, and afterwards he was made section boss of the Som- ersville Railway, which was formerly known as the Nortonville Railroad.
Five children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Canevaro: Baptiste, who lives in Pittsburg; Frank, who was born in Italy and died in San Francisco at the age of twenty-four years; Nicholas, a florist in San Francisco; Kate, a teller in the Pittsburg branch of the Mercantile Trust Company of California ; and Narciza, assistant cashier of the same company at Pitts- burg. The two sisters in the bank are very efficiently discharging their duties, and have proved to the general satisfaction of their employers that women can and do successfully manage important business affairs. The Canevaro family are highly esteemed in the community and enjoy the fellowship of a large circle of friends. On August 22, 1926, Mr. and Mrs. Canevaro celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary in a very fitting manner.
DANIEL OLDHAM .- Since 1900 Daniel Oldham has been a resi- dent of California, most of the time residing in Crockett and vicinity. He is a native of Ireland, born January 6, 1874, the son of Richard and Julia (Manning) Oldham, who have always resided in their native Ireland. After obtaining such schooling as he could at his home young Daniel de- cided he would come to America and accordingly in 1900 made the neces- sary arrangements and landed in San Francisco after an interesting trip across the continent by rail from New York. His first work was on the railroad for a year; by that time he had become used to the ways of the west and then he went to work for a water company in the mountains, again returning to railroad work. In 1902 he arrived at the Selby smelter
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and worked for a while. His roving disposition led him to go to Salt Lake City to accept employment with the Bamburger Mining Company, which he secured through an uncle. While so employed he was the vic- tim of a premature blast and then decided he had had enough of mining and so returned to San Francisco, and later to work at the smelter in Selby, where ever since 1904 he has had steady work, though he ranched for a very short time.
In August, 1904, Mr. Oldham married Abbie Creedon, also a native of Ireland and who came here in 1902. She has one brother and six sis- ters all residents of the United States. Mr. and Mrs. Oldham have three children : Richard, who had two years in high school; John, who graduated from the high school; and Julia Rita, who is a senior in the high school and plans teaching as a vocation. Mr. Oldham had two brothers who came to America, but returned to Ireland, where they are living; and he has a sister in Berkeley, and two in San Francisco.
Mr. Oldham is of a jovial disposition, looks on the bright side of life and thoroughly enjoys life in California, where he expects to end his days. The family are Catholics in religious faith. He is a member of the I. D. E. S. and Woodmen of the World and carries some insurance in the com- pany fostered by the smelter management.
JOHN G. REGELLO .- A pioneer of San Pablo, who came here in 1880, when he was but seventeen years old, John G. Regello has witnessed the great advancement of Western Contra Costa County since that time. He was born in Portugal on March 3, 1863, and at the age of seventeen made up his mind he would try his luck in California. His first work upon arriving here was found in the grain warehouses at Port Costa where he worked for a few years. He saved his money, and as soon as he could he leased land and began ranching, for eight years raising hay and grain on the Nicholl and Mintzer estates. He was successful and bought the Alvarado tract, continuing his ranching operations. He raised some fine cattle and horses, having some race horses that won renown. For twenty-three years he lived on this tract and then he sold it to B. Schapiro, who subdivided it into city building lots. Mr. Regello retained his home site, where he has lived ever since. He then bought thirty- six acres of the Ghirardelli property and sold an interest to the late Her- bert Brown, but still retains some of the land. With others Mr. Regello bought the Rivers-Andrada tract, located in North Richmond, which contained about 100 acres, and this has been subdivided and sold. He has been a public-spirited man and has done his part to make it possible for people to make their homes in Richmond. Mr. Regello owns 147 acres of alfalfa in Merced County, bordering the Merced River. He was at one time a director of the Bank of Richmond.
In 1891 Mr. Regello married Miss Beatrice Lucas, also a native of Portugal, who came here when a young girl. They have had four chil- dren : Mary, Mrs. M. A. Perry, of Concord; Frances, Mrs. A. F. Rose,
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now living at Atwater; John, assistant cashier of the Mercantile Trust Company in Richmond, living at home; and Elizabeth, Mrs. Lawrence P. Vim, of Richmond. Mr. Regello and his wife are still living retired in the enjoyment of their hard-earned money, but they believe in doing all the good they can to as many as they can. Mr. Regello belongs to the U. P. E. C. of California. He spends much time in his garden.
John Regello, the son, was born on August 1, 1898, in Richmond. He attended the San Pablo Grammar School, and in 1916 was graduated from the Richmond High School. In 1915 he began working in the Mercantile Trust Company Bank of Richmond as messenger boy, was advanced to bookkeeper, and then teller in the Savings Bank, and later was advanced to teller and then to assistant cashier. He is apt at figures, and in school made a specialty of arithmetic, thus preparing himself for the work he is now doing. He is a member of the American Institute of Banking at Oakland, and belongs to the Elks, Knights of Columbus, and U. P. E. C., and to the Kiwanis and the Carquinez Golf Clubs. He stands high in the estimation of all who know him, and is rapidly forging his way to the front in banking circles.
HENRY TIMM .- Among the pioneers of El Cerrito is Henry Timm, now living retired in his comfortable home on Schmidt Lane. He has been a resident of the State since 1884, and of Contra Costa County since 1902, when he located on San Pablo Avenue and engaged in busi- ness. A native of Schleswig-Holstein, he was born March 21, 1858, and was educated in the public schools of his native country and also learned the nursery business, which he followed while in Europe. In 1878 he left home and came to America, and located in Pottawattamie and Carroll Counties, Iowa, and there worked as a farm hand four years. Then he drifted about the Northwest, working for the Great Northern Railroad during its construction through Idaho, Washington and Montana, and during that time saw some of the "wild and woolly West." For some time after coming to the West he worked as a camp cook for a pack- train outfit.
On July 1, 1884, he landed in San Francisco with considerable money. He wanted to see something of the life of a large city and did so, much to his regret in later years. He drove a wagon for a large brewery in Oakland for several years and became acquainted with a large range of country about that city and Berkeley. He then opened up a grocery store and saloon in Berkeley, continuing thus until 1900, and then retiring for a couple of years. In 1902 he came to San Pablo Avenue and Schmidt Lane and bought property, where he built a house and store building and opened a liquor business, which he conducted until the Eighteenth Amendment went into effect, since which time he has been retired. During his active years in this vicinity he made the acquaintance of nearly every one of importance, as his place was a general stopping place for travelers. He
Mary A Young"
a.f. young.
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remembers early conditions, when the school house stood where the St. John's Catholic Church now stands, when farming was the only industry in this section of the country, and when the Italians had their extensive vegetable gardens here.
Mr. Timm was naturalized in 1885 in San Francisco, and since then he has voted with the Democrats. He is a member of the California Aerie of Eagles No. 1423, and of the Sons of Hermann in San Francisco. For recreation he likes camping in the mountains. He has never married.
ALBERT JEFFERSON YOUNG .- The twilight of a busy career finds Albert Jefferson Young retired from life's activities and living in a comfortable home on ten acres of land one mile from Danville, where he is enjoying the competency earned by years of diligent application to the duties of life. He was born at Independence, Mo., on June 24, 1841, the son of Thomas J. and Sarah J. (Patton) Young, natives of Kentucky and Missouri, respectively. His grandmother, Sarah (Smart) Young, was born in Danville, Va., and it was she who named the town of Danville, Cal. Her husband, James Patton, removed from Murfreesboro, Tenn., to Independence, Mo., in 1817, and it was while there that Sarah J. Patton was born. After one year spent in Independence, James Patton returned to Tennessee, but later he again settled in Missouri, and there he died in 1871. Thomas J. Young died while still a young man, but his widow reached the age of sixty-five years, passing away at Danville, Cal., in 1883. Mr. Young has a brother, Thomas Young, eight years his junior, now living in Turlock, Cal.
Albert J. Young attended the schools in Independence, Mo., and in 1856 was graduated from the Buchanan and Taylor Academy there. He then went to Council Bluffs, Iowa, and three years later was graduated from the high school of that city. While attending the high school he had the honor of meeting Abraham Lincoln in the home of a citizen of Council Bluffs and had the opportunity of talking with him there. In December, 1859, Mr. Young entered the office as a deputy clerk of the circuit court of Jackson County at Independence. Here he remained till the summer of 1861, when he resigned on account of ill health caused by the malaria. Following a long and severe illness of typhoid fever, his physician ad- vised him to equip himself with an outfit and take a trip overland to California. Through the advice of an uncle at Council Bluffs, who had been an old freighter, he secured the proper outfit for the journey across the plains. On May 31, 1862, accompanied by his mother, her sister, and his brother Thomas, he started on the long journey, and after a very en- joyable trip they eventually landed at Sacramento. They met many Mor- mons, among them being Jeremiah Folsom, one of the architects on the great Tabernacle then being erected in Salt Lake City, the foundation of which was then being laid. In 1898, when Mr. and Mrs. Young were making a trip East to attend a Presbyterian Assembly, they stopped in
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Salt Lake to visit Amelia Folsom, whom he had known in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and who was the last and favorite wife of Brigham Young. While there they learned many interesting facts about the Mormon activities in Salt Lake City. After their arrival in California, Mr. Young and his party settled in Napa, where his grandmother Young and other relatives were living. Here he rented land and he and his brother farmed; his brother looking after the ranch work while our subject was employed as a bookkeeper in a warehouse in Napa. An uncle from the San Ramon Valley in Contra Costa County paid the family a visit at Napa and advised them to move to this county and settle in the San Ramon Valley. This they did, and the two young men leased 100 acres of land from William Lynch in San Ramon and farmed for the following seven years. In 1869 Mr. Young bought 240 acres from T. T. Ramsey, where he now lives, and erected his present house. In 1884 he sold off all but ten acres to William Stone, retaining the house and ten acres for their home place.
In the spring of 1865, the trustees of the San Ramon school, know- ing his qualifications, asked Mr. Young to teach their school, which he did for the next four years. This was the beginning of his educational work in this State. His next four years were spent in the Sycamore school, and then he returned to San Ramon and taught another four years. In 1877 he was elected to represent Contra Costa County in the State legis- lature as the assemblyman from this county. Returning again to the school room, he was four years in the Tassajara school, from 1879 to 1883. Then for the following seventeen and one-half years he taught in the Dan- ville school without interruption, retiring from active school work in 1900. For twenty-five years he served as a member of the board of edu- cation of Contra Costa County. Mr. Young takes much pleasure in re- ceiving as his guests many of his former pupils, who enjoy their visits to their old instructor.
In 1868 Albert J. Young was united in marriage with Miss Mary A. Shuey, daughter of John Shuey, a native of Mendon, Ill., and a pioneer farmer of the Fruitvale section of Alameda County. Her mother was Lucinda Stow before her marriage. Mrs. Young was born on February 24, 1850, and came to California via the Isthmus of Panama when she was six years old. She is a graduate of Miss Blake's Seminary in Oak- land and is a gifted musician. She taught school in Contra Costa County for ten years. This union resulted in the birth of three children. Alice mar- ried J. L. Geddes, resides in Fresno and has one daughter, Florence. A remarkable coincidence is that Mrs. Geddes was born on March 18, 1871, the day her grandfather Patton passed away. Sarah L. Young is a gradu- ate of the grammar schools of Contra Costa County, the Oakland High School, and the San Francisco Teachers' College and now is the prin- cipal of the Dewey Grammar School in Oakland. The only son, Robert S., died in 1900 at the age of twenty-four years. Mr. Young is a member of the Presbyterian Church and has served as an elder and clerk of the
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Danville church for fifty-three years. At the expiration of fifty years of service as clerk, he was honored by a meeting of the Presbytery of San Francisco, which met in Danville to celebrate the event. He has served as superintendent of the Sunday School for half a century, and is now (1926) in active service as superintendent and teacher of a class in the Sunday School at Danville. Mr. and Mrs. Young are cheerful and happy in their comfortable home, and at the ages of eighty-five and seventy- six, respectively, are active in mind and body and enjoying life to its full. Mr. Young gives full credit for his long life and happy disposition to his mother's training and to his connection with religious work in the church and Sunday school.
FRED FRANK BREWEN .- One of the well-known and successful contractors of Richmond is Fred Frank Brewen, who has been active in many movements for the building up of the city in which he lives, and which he believes has a great future. He was born in California in a town that was first called Limerick, but later San Ramon, on November 6, 1871. His father was Eli Brewen, a blacksmith by trade, who died many years ago. The mother was in maidenhood Carrie Davis, and she is also deceased. Their family consisted of five boys and two girls. One son and one daughter live in Oregon, two reside in Martinez, and one died in Sonoma County. The parents were both born in Missouri and crossed the plains in an ox-team train in 1851. The father made a trip across the plains in 1849, and was so much impressed with the country that he went back for his wife and family.
Fred Frank Brewen attended the public schools and grew up to ranch work, after which he went into the lumber camps and to a shingle mill at Fortuna, Humboldt County, and got considerable experience in both places. He then went back to ranching. Being handy with tools, he worked at the carpenter's trade at various times and in 1892 entered the employ of what is now known as the Santa Fe Railroad Company as a carpenter. The road was known as the San Joaquin Valley Road and the People's Road until the rights of way were secured, and then the actual building and financing were done by the present company. Mr. Brewen was employed by the company for seven and one-half years, coming to 'Richmond in their employ. His ability to do various kinds of work and do it well made him a very valuable man, for he could do blacksmithing as well as car- pentering. He first saw Point Richmond in 1901, when there was little to forecast the future of the community. For years it was called East Yard, and then Point Richmond, and is now known as West Richmond. Mr. Brewen began working as a journeyman carpenter with Mr. Way, and was foreman during the building of the house Mr. Brewen now occupies. He worked on the Critchett Hotel, the Matson and Baker houses (these being among the early structures here), and the McNally Hotel, now oc- cupied by Thomas Kinney. In 1905 Mr. Brewen concluded he would take up the contracting and building business for himself, and his first contract
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