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 85

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 85

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MATTEO IMERONE .- A leading citizen and business man of Crockett is Matteo Imerone, who owns and operates one of the largest and most up-to-date bakeries in this part of Contra Costa County. He is a very progressive citizen and gives his support and cooperation to all worthy projects for the upbuilding of the county and State. Mr. Imerone was born in Italy, near the city of Touraine on October 8, 1880, a son of Giovanni Imerone, who was a baker by trade, as was his father before him, hence it is but natural that Matteo should follow in the footsteps of his sires. He was a pupil in the public schools of his native town and grew up in the bakery business, working with his father from the time he was old enough to do anything until he had mastered every detail of the trade and felt competent to go out into the world on his own responsibility. In 1902 he came to the New World and after arriving in New York came directly to San Francisco and found em- ployment at once. He continued as a wage earner and attended night school in order better to carry out the tasks he was to undertake about two years later, when he came across the bay and opened a bakery in Oakland on Jefferson Street between Fifth and Sixth. From the begin- ning he met with good success and he carried on his business there until selling out in 1908. While he was carrying on his business he attended night school in Oakland and soon mastered English enough to express himself in that tongue.

In 1907 he was looking about the central part of the State for a growing town in which to locate, and after spending considerable time decided that Valona held just what he was looking for and he made a permanent location in the town and bought out a small bakery and began to build up a business. Four years later he was to lose considerable as his business was destroyed by fire. He next secured the property on the opposite side of the street where was located a grocery store. He

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bought the property, closed out the grocery stock, and installed the most modern machinery and appliances to carry on and develop a trade in bakery goods, and today his judgment has been justified, for he was able, with the help of seven employees, and the operation of three motor- driven machines and a truck, to extend his wholesale and retail business from Pinole to Bay Point. The capacity of the Valona Bakery is about 2500 loaves of bread per day, and he turns out all kinds of plain and fancy bakery goods that are noted for their wholesome qualities.

When Mr. Imerone married in 1902, in his home town in Italy, he chose for his wife Miss Theresa Gallo, who has proven a worthy helpmate. This marriage has resulted in three children: Eva, a grad- uate of Heald's Business College of Oakland, is assisting her father in his business; Lillie, a graduate of the Crockett High School, Class of 1926, is now taking a teacher's course in the Oakland Normal; Harry is attending the Valona John Swett High School. Mr. Imerone received his citizenship papers in 1908 in Oakland. Fraternally he is a member of the Eagles and the I. D. E. S., both of Crockett, and the Elks of Vallejo. Since coming to Crockett he has been identified with all move- ments for bettering the condition of the people and was at the front when the movement for incorporating Valona and Crockett was started, though it did not succeed at that time. He is a very active member of the Crockett-Valona Business Men's Association, and a fire commissioner of the Carquinez fire district. As he has prospered he has shown his faith in his adopted town by investing in property and owns some val- uable business and residential property besides his own place of business, which is a two-story stucco building, erected in 1926, containing his bakery and residence. He is a shrewd business man and tries to live up to the Golden Rule as nearly as possible. In politics he is a stanch Republican. It is to such men as Mr. Imerone that Contra Costa County owes much of its prosperity.

WILLIAM W. HUTCHISON .- A well-known operator of dredges in the Delta country is W. W. Hutchison, of Antioch, who is one of the pioneers in reclamation work in this part of the State and has executed many large contracts in Contra Costa County. He was born in Stock- ton, January 26, 1892, the son of John D. and Annie Beatrice (Tither- ington) Hutchison. His father was born in Montreal, Canada, of Eng- lish parents; the mother was born in England. Although they have a fine home in San Francisco, most of their time is spent on their ranch near Marysville, Cal. The father is aged sixty-five years, and the mother fifty-four years. There are three daughters: Dorothy, who married J. Goddard, a newspaper man in Fresno; Norma, wife of Shirley Truitt, a ship designer in San Francisco; and Melva, wife of Dr. J. Raphael, of Oakland. Both parents came to California when young, and were married in this State. J. D. Hutchison is a pioneer reclamation expert and was captain of the first dredger ever built in

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California, which was used on Staten Island for Mr. Hagin. He was one of the first men to undertake the reclamation of land. At that time he was employed by J. B. Hagin in Staten Island and had 500 Chinamen under him, working with shovel and wheelbarrows, building levees. They were paid seventy-five cents per day of eleven hours and boarded themselves. He was very successful with the work in this way until the acreage became so large that other methods had to be used to build higher levees, and the dredges were then introduced. He led a very active life along the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers and is well-known by the early settlers of the Delta section. When he sold out his business to his son, he bought a fine piece of land on the Feather River bottoms and cleared it from the jungles, and now has 225 acres of fine productive land. His work as an independent dredger operator began in 1911 and continued till 1915, with headquarters at Antioch. This company was known as the Sacramento Dredging and Ditching Company, a close corporation, and in the latter year W. W. Hutchison succeeded to the business, his father retiring to his ranch in Yuba County.

W. W. Hutchison came to Antioch in 1901 and went through the grammar school, after which he spent two years at the Riverview High School. In the mornings and evenings, and on days when he was not in school, he worked as a chore boy on ranches in order to pay his way in school. On the ranch of Mrs. Von Baum part of his duties was to milk from four to ten cows and deliver the milk in Antioch to customers before school, and this he followed up for three years. In this way he earned his board and room when attending school. Suffice it to say that he appreciates the value of educational advantages. When older and with a little capital, our subject bought out the Peterson Plow and Agri- cultural Implement Works at Antioch, as the Hutchison and the Sacra- mento Dredging and Ditching Company had a great deal of blacksmith- ing to do and took it to this place. After getting possession of the plant Mr. Hutchison installed labor-saving machinery and equipped it in the most modern way, and for several years made $10,000 worth of plows and implements for the trade. When the tractors lessened the demand for the Peterson Plows the business was sold, in 1922.

In 1915 W. W. Hutchison bought out all the stockholders in the Sacramento Dredging and Ditching Company, and since then has been sole owner. He has two to four good outfits at work nearly all the time. Two outfits were at work for two years on the Arboga system, for the Fleishhacker interests. He constructed the irrigation and drainage system on the Pescadero Ranch near Tracy, reclaiming some 4000 acres and putting in fourteen miles of canals and twenty-six miles of laterals. In 1920 a partnership was formed with D. O. Jordan, who bought a half interest in one outfit, and operates under the name of Hutch- ison & Jordan, with headquarters at Stockton. During 1920, 1921, and 1922 they rebuilt the drainage system on Grand Island, a $25,000 con- tract which took ten months to complete. During 1923, 1924, and 1925

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Mr. Hutchison did a great amount of work for the Edmonds Reclaimed Land Company on 2000 acres of Clear Lake in Lake County, handling 250,000 cubic yards of dirt. He reclaimed 1000 acres on Long Point Island for C. A. Lauritzen, now used as a gun club. He also dredged Ellis Lake at Marysville. Mr. Hutchison gives employment to from sixteen to fifty men, according to the size of his contracts.

On November 30, 1915, William W. Hutchison was married in San Francisco to Miss Teresa Bergantz, of Placerville, the daughter of an old pioneer of that place. They have had the following children : William W., Jr .; Marion Jean, who died at four years of age; and John Robert, Paul Clifford, and Charles Theodore. Mr. Hutchison is a member and Past Master of Antioch Lodge No. 175, F. & A. M. (1918), and belongs to the Royal Arch Masons, the Eastern Star and the Sciots, and also to the Vallejo Elks. Mrs. Hutchison is a member of the Eastern Star Chapter. Politically, Mr. Hutchison is a Republican. The family belong to the Congregational Church in Antioch. Like all native sons of this day and age, Mr. Hutchison is deeply interested in the preservation of the old landmarks and early history of California and the great Northwest.

PETER LARSEN .- A resident of El Cerrito since 1912, Peter Larsen has lived at the corner of Oak Street and Central Avenue for thirteen years and has watched the gradual growth of this district, indeed has aided very materially in its growth by following the building business. He was born at Trondhjem, Norway, on April 13, 1880, attended the public schools in the farming country where he lived, and worked on the farm until he was eighteen, then spent two years at the carpenter trade. He had remembered the description of various countries when he was studying history in school and decided he wanted to go to Australia, ac- cordingly he shipped as a sailor before the mast and went around the world, but when the ship touched the Australian port the crew were not given any money and he did not want to desert the vessel, so he came with it to San Francisco, landing in 1902. During his life as a sailor he was employed on ships of almost every nation. Arriving in California he went into the coasting trade and worked on vessels plying from Puget Sound to San Diego. In 1905 Mr. Larsen entered the quartermaster's de- partment of the U. S. Government on vessels plying between the Philippine Islands and Pacific Coast ports. Meeting with an accident that same year, he made San Francisco his headquarters, and when able to work returned to the carpenter's trade, which he has continued up to the present time, meeting with good success in his operations.

In 1911 Mr. Larsen was united in marriage at Oakland, with Miss Dagny Andersen, born at Christiania, Norway. Now that he had formed domestic ties Mr. Larson looked about for a suitable place to establish a home and decided upon Rust, at the county line. He bought property and erected his home and began to work for the betterment of local

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conditions and take an active interest in the community life. He worked hard for the incorporation of a city, which was called El Cerrito, was elected a member of the first board of trustees and put in four years on the board. The first two years he was a member of the Health and Safety Committee, and the second two years on Streets, Highways, Park and Sidewalk Committee. In 1912 he became an American citizen in San Francisco and ever since has voted the Republican ticket at national elections. He belongs to the Gustav Vasa society of Richmond. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Larsen has been blessed with one daughter, Clara Marie, a graduate of the Richmond Junior High School, Class of 1926.

CLARENCE M. SHOEMAKER .- The superintendent of the Cali- fornia Wharf & Warehouse Company at Brentwood is Clarence M. Shoe- maker, one of the most highly esteemed men in eastern Contra Costa County. He is secretary and treasurer of the Brentwood Hall Associa- tion which erected the Masonic Temple in 1924. The officers besides Mr. Shoemaker are Judge Robert Wallace, Jr., president; O. C. Prewett, vice- president; and these with William Estes, comprise the board of trustees. Mr. Shoemaker is a member of Brentwood Lodge No. 345, F. & A. M., and serves as its treasurer ; he also belongs to Pyramid No. 24, Sciots, in Antioch. He is an up-to-date rancher, with all his other interests, and is developing a sixty-acre tract of land near Brentwood. This is planted to walnuts, now coming into bearing.

C. M. Shoemaker was born at Bainbridge, Ohio, on January 7, 1885, and was graduated from the Bainbridge High School, after which he took a college course, in the meantime taking the United States Civil Ser- vice examination for first-class clerical work. Passing satisfactorily, he entered the government employ, spent two years in Iowa, and then came on to California. Six months were spent in the government offices in San Francisco, and then he was sent to Washington and from 1905 to 1907 was connected with the office end of the work done by the government on the jetties. One year was spent in the transfer work, and he then entered the forestry service in the office in Willows. In 1915 Mr. Shoemaker went to Idaho and improved a ranch, and at the same time was a court reporter at Gooding, Idaho, for two years. While there he became well acquainted with Governor Gooding. He returned to California in 1917, and has since been in charge of the Balfour-Guthrie interests at Brent- wood. Besides his work for the company, Mr. Shoemaker finds time to assist in the development of worth-while projects for the advancement of his locality.

C. M. Shoemaker was united in marriage at Vallejo, Cal., on Febru- ary 5, 1915, with Miss Estella Danner, born in Colusa of a family that came to this State from Ohio. They have a daughter, Eleanor E. The family live in Brentwood in a house owned by the Balfour-Guthrie Co.

البد كيه

Lalu L. Di Betta

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LULU L. DI BETTA .- An accomplished and enterprising busi- ness woman, Lulu L. Di Betta is devoting her time and energies to the management of her drug store located at Main and Castro Streets, in Martinez. She is the eldest in a family of seven children born to John F. and Cecil (Musacchia ) Di Betta, both natives of Italy. Her father was a barber by trade, being thus occupied for many years; but on account of his failing health, in 1918 the family removed to California from New Orleans and they now reside at Martinez.

Miss Lulu L. Di Betta was born in New Orleans, La., and there at- tended public school, finishing the eighth grade. Then she quit for the purpose of attending to her part of the business which the mother and three daughters had established, known as The Three Sisters' Store. In this business Miss Di Betta developed into a first-class drygoods and shoe buyer; and thus a foundation was laid for her success in future years. Adjoining The Three Sisters' Store in New Orleans was a drug store, and not content with her lot, she conceived the idea of becoming a pharmacist. In order to matriculate at the New Orleans College of Pharmacy she was required to have a high school education. Nothing daunted, she took the high school course at night school, passed her examinations creditably, and then entered the College of Pharmacy, from which she was duly grad- uated. She filled a number of positions in New Orleans, and when she came to Martinez in 1918 she took the state board examinations in pharmacy and was soon established in the responsible position of phar- macist in the Contra Costa Drug Store in Martinez, where she worked steadily for four and a half years. The close confinement began to tell on her health, however; so she gave up her position and took a trip back to her native city on a visit to friends and relatives. The following item taken from the New Orleans, La., "Modern Druggist" of March, 1920, gives an idea of the high esteem in which Miss Di Betta was held in her native city.

"A welcome visitor is Miss Lulu L. Di Betta, clever young New Orleans druggist, whom her confreres have missed since her departure to California. Her parents reside in Martinez, Cal., where Miss Di Betta is the owner of her own drug store. That town, only fifty miles from San Francisco, has a population of 4000, with only three drug stores, all of which are prosperous. One may be sure, with this attractive girl, the only woman druggist in the town, the Di Betta store is the most thriving of all! Miss Di Betta is a graduate of the New Orleans College of Pharmacy, 1917, and is registered in both Louisiana and California. She clerked at Mrs. Jahn's beautiful pharmacy in New Orleans for two years, where she made hosts of friends by her ingratiating manners, ready sympathy and skill. Her arrival in February created a general jubliee in drugdom."

Miss Di Betta adheres to the Catholic faith and is a member of the Young Ladies' Institute at Martinez. She belongs to the Rebekah Lodge, and in politics is a Republican.

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JAMES HOBSON .- The accommodating proprietor of the auto ser- vice company in Antioch known as Chase's Stable, with headquarters at 241 I Street, is James Hobson, a native son of the county, born at Judson- ville, at the Empire Coal Mine, of pioneer parents who are mentioned in the sketch of Mrs. Mary A. Dickinson on another page of this history. After attending the public schools, Jim Hobson, as he is familiarly called, started out to fight life's battles for himself ; and he has worked at many kinds of labor during his active career. He farmed at Oakdale, in Stanislaus County, for a time, operating 5000 acres, raising wheat and grazing stock. He met with ordinary results in this field of activity and then went to Oakland and became foreman for the Spring Construction Company, and worked at macadamizing and grading the streets in Oak- land in 1907. In 1908 he took his work stock and equipment and went to Pleasanton and graded the roadbed for the Western Pacific Railroad from Pleasanton to Sunol. His next work was done in building the levees on Old River near Tracy, working 100 head of stock, which he owned. He then began reclamation work on Tyler Island for Mr. McCormick, and the following year worked on Winters Island. He then came to Pitts- burg and contracted for making the first streets in the town, and later be- came foreman for Mr. Swain, who was grading and macadamizing the streets in Antioch. His next venture was made in partnership with H. G. Preston in the Chase Livery Stable, which was then in its heyday of activ- ity. They had seventy-five horses and sent out livery rigs of all kinds. It was Antioch's leading livery stable for many years. When the truck, tractor and automobile came into use to supplant the horse, Mr. Preston took up the undertaking business and Mr. Hobson began to build up his auto service business ; and in this he has succeeded far beyond his expecta- tions. He runs four auto busses that ply between Pittsburg and Antioch and runs on regular schedule to accommodate the employees of the vari- ous industrial plants who live at Antioch.

Mr. Hobson is well liked and has a host of friends. He is a member of the Antioch Odd Fellows Lodge and of the Stockton Elks.

JESSE CLARENCE HITCHCOCK .- A popular native son and the efficient manager of the Richmond office of the Pacific Gas & Electric Com- pany, Jesse Clarence Hitchcock is looked upon as one of the leading citi- zens of Contra Costa County. He was born at Nevada City, Nevada County, on September 23, 1874, a son of Joseph B. and Rebecca (Sears) Hitchcock, natives of Illinois and Ohio, respectively. The father drove across the plains and arrived at Sacramento in 1851, and then went to the mines in Nevada County and followed prospecting and mining at Cement Hill and at Round Mountain. The mother came to California on one of the first through continental trains in 1869, and was married in California to Mr. Hitchcock. Their children were: Jesse C., of this review; Elmer Rich, lives in Oakland and is the father of a son; Sabra, Mrs. Fred Hal- lett, of Sacramento; William lives in Oakland and has a daughter; Ala-

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meda, Mrs. Charles Walker, of Sacramento has seven children; Clara, married William Sherman, has a son and a daughter and resides in Sacra- mento; Adella, became the wife of James Jackson and lives in Oakland; Josephine, married Edward Snell, a dentist in Hollister, and has a son; Grace, Mrs. Clarence Bond, has four children and lives at Woodland. These children were reared in California and have made names and places for themselves in their respective homes.

Jesse C. Hitchcock attended the public schools in Nevada County and took a course in power and lighting. His first work was in the West Harmony gravel mine, where he remained about four years and obtained considerable experience. He then went to the Ragon mines as hoist en- gineer and blacksmith for a year; then to the Milligan mines for another year; and then to the Home quartz mine on Deer Creek and remained four years. He was advanced from time to time and during the course of his mining experience filled many important posts, for a time being head timberman. A short time was spent in Tonopah, Nev., and also as an in- dependent prospector on his own claim in Nevada County, Cal. Finding that the task of mining for precious metal was an uncertain quantity, Mr. Hitchcock went to Oakland and entered the employ of the Oakland Gas, Light & Heat Company in August, 1904. This company later became the California Gas & Electric Company and was finally merged with the Pa- cific Gas & Electric Company, one of the largest concerns of its kind in the State. Mr. Hitchcock has remained through the various changes and has become one of their dependable employees.

His first work with the Bay Counties Light & Power Company was in 1898, and consisted of the building of their dam that made Lake Vera, and the ditch down to the Rome powerhouse. He then was foreman of the crew putting in the pole line to Grass Valley, and also helped to install the second machine at the Rome Power plant. He next put in seven months at Bear Valley, then came back to Grass Valley, and later to Oak- land, all in the interests of his company, then known as the Bay Counties Power Company. This brings him to the time of his arrival at Oakland, before mentioned. In 1905 he was made foreman of construction and in 1910 was transferred to Richmond, then a fast-growing city. In 1919 Mr. Hitchcock was promoted to the responsible position of agent for the P. G. & E. in Richmond, the position he now holds. When he came here there were only twenty-nine people and concerns being served by his com- pany and this has increased until about 6000 are on their books and the number still increasing. The necessary office force has been enlarged to meet the demands of the business.

On September 20, 1896; Jesse C. Hitchcock and Miss Kathryn Hodge, of Grass Valley, were united in marriage. Her father and mother were Thomas and Delia Hodge, who had a family of twelve children, nine of them now living, viz. : Alex, John, Philip, Samuel, Louisa, Mary, Kathryn, Lavinia and Elizabeth. Sarah, Richard and Thomas Hodge are deceased. Of the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Hitchcock two children have been

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born : Jesse C., Jr., married Miss Beatrice Phelps and they have a daugh- ter, Lurline D .; Lurline is now Mrs. Daniel Bradley. Mr. Hitchcock is prominent in fraternal circles and is a member and Past Grand of the local lodge of Odd Fellows ; and is a Past District Deputy Grand Master of the Grand Lodge; is a member of and served as president of the Odd Fellows Hall Association in 1924-1925 ; belongs to the Encampment and the Re- bekahs of the I. O. O. F .; also to Richmond Lodge No. 1251, B. P. O. E .; Mckinley Lodge No. 347, F. & A. M. He is a charter member of the Ro- tary Club in Richmond; also belongs to the Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Hitchcock takes an active part in all civic affairs and is a strong booster for Richmond and the Bay section. He is a good mixer and is prominent in social circles and athletics. He says "I have never quit a job that I could not go back to, nor quit working for a man without giving him due notice."

WILLIAM HAMMOND .- An enterprising ranchman of Contra Costa County, located in the Lone Tree District, is William Hammond, who was born near Marshall, Calhoun County, Mich., on November 20, 1862, a son of Gen. William Hammond. The latter was a native of New York, but a pioneer of Michigan, and during the Civil War was quarter- master general of Michigan. He married Miss Sarah L. Turner, born at Batavia, N. Y., and eight children were born to them. The father died in 1866 at the age of fifty-two years. In 1870 the mother, with five of the children, came to California and settled in Santa Clara. In 1915 she passed away in San Jose, having reached the advanced age of ninety-six.

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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 85

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