USA > California > Sacramento County > History of Sacramento 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, 1913 > Part 85
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After having completed the regular course of study in the Rock River Seminary and the business course of Bell's Commercial College in Chicago, for several terms Mr. Steffens taught school. From 1859 until 1862 he clerked with G. M. Clayton & Brother, of Freeport, Ill., and in that position he gained a thorough knowledge of paints and oils. Meanwhile having heard inch concerning the climate and opportunities of California, he resigned his position and during the spring of 1862 started across the plains with Levi Carter, of Stockton. On the 9th of September he arrived in San Francisco. There he became bookkeeper with Fuller & Heather, dealers in paints and oils. Soon demonstrating the value of his services, his original salary of $50 per month was increased from time to time. Upon the consolidation of the firm with Cameron, Whittier & Co., under the title of Whittier, Fuller & Co., he remained with the new con- cern, which eventually became the leading firm in its line in the west. The stores owned by Fuller & Heather in San Francisco and Sacra- mento were acquired by their successors and the headquarters of
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the new firm were established at the corner of Fourth and Pine streets, San Francisco, where the young clerk remained for one year.
Recognition of his remarkable business ability and thorough knowledge of paints and oils caused the officials of the company to appoint Mr. Steffens manager of the Sacramento house in 1869 and to admit him in 1874 as a member of the firm, after which he was placed in control of the financial affairs of the concern in this part of the state. It was largely through his intelligent and intense devo- tion to the business that the house gained a position second to none in its specialty, and he continued his intimate identification with the developing enterprises until long after the necessity for strenuous labor had ceased. Meantime he had attained prominence in the citizenship of Sacramento. In December of 1882, he was elected president of the Sacramento Board of Trade and in that office he had charge of the publication of the annual reviews. These he com- piled and edited, thus giving permanent form to statistics of great value. When the board was merged into the Chamber of Commerce he continued to serve as president and his resignation in 1904 ended a long and honorable service as the head of a most important organization. As a member of the Sacramento Improvement Associa- tion and as a director of the California Museum Association he was closely connected with two important enterprises of great value to the community. For a number of years he acted as a member of the board of directors of the state hospital at Stockton and his resignation deprived the directorate of one of its most helpful mem- bers. After he had resigned all other positions, he still consented, however, to serve as a director of the California State Bank of Sacramento and made that institution his business headquarters.
With the exception of casting a Republican ballot at all elec- tions Mr. Steffens was strennously opposed to any participation in polities. The uncertainties and vexations of partisan affairs re- pelled him, presenting as they did an unattractive contrast to com- mercial enterprises. Although he kept posted concerning national problems, he declined any offers of nominations for himself with steadfast persistence and the only time when his fellow-citizens pre- vailed upon him to become a candidate was in 1884, when he per- mitted the party leaders to nominate him for mayor on the Republi- can ticket. Although not a politician he possessed gifts as a public speaker and writer, but preferred to devote these addresses and writings to other matters than politics. When the last spike was driven at Ash- land, Ore., he delivered the address of the occasion, as he did also at Placerville on the completion of the Southern Pacific Railway. At the Margaret E. Crocker flower festival he was also the principal orator. His series of letters to the Record-Union during his journey of twelve thousand miles through the United States attracted wide attention and
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many of the predictions as to the future of the country which he then made have become a reality, indicating the accuracy of his forecasts.
The marriage of Mr. Steffens and Miss E. Louisa Symes, of Hobo- ken, N. J., was solemnized in San Francisco January 15, 1865. Their only son, Lincoln Steffens, is one of the most prominent writers in the entire country and through his articles on municipal corruption and state governments, his name has become a household word. The three daughters are: Louise, the wife of A. H. Suggett, of San Francisco; Lottie, the wife of J. J. Hollister, of Santa Barbara county ; and Laura, who is an assistant in the State Library. Mr. Steffens' demise occurred January 31, 1912, his wife having passed away August 15, 1910. Thus Sacramento was bereft of another of her useful citizens and upbuilders.
FRANKLIN H. SARGENT
The possibilities connected with the development of a tract of fruit land brought Mr. Sargent to Fair Oaks during the year 1901. It was not, however, until some years later that he was able to establish a permanent home on the land he had then purchased. Meanwhile the trees on the tract were being cared for carefully and scientifically, the land was kept under cultivation and every facility afforded for the satisfactory growth of the fruit until the bud had developed into the ripened product ready for the market or the table. On the tract that he purchased in 1901 a house had been partly constructed and some trees had been planted. With personal energy he finished the work of tree-planting and house-building and started the improvements that now make the place one of the most valuable in the district.
Franklin H. Sargent was born April 10, 1851, at Searsport, Me., where he was educated in the public schools, and he then worked his way through the Castine (Me.) Normal school and Scofield's Com- mercial College in Providence, R. I., where he was graduated. Having followed the trades of brick and stone mason and plasterer in his east- ern home, Mr. Sargent resumed employment at these occupations upon coming West, as, until his tract came into bearing, he could not secure a livelihood from its cultivation. San Francisco offered a fine field for his trades and accordingly he went to that city, secured work first as a mason and plasterer, but later as a contractor and builder. For seven years he continued in San Francisco and Berkeley, and meanwhile he established an enviable reputation for skilled workmanship. During the entire period of his residence in the western metropolis he had kept in touch with his Fair Oaks tract and had seen that the trees received
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due attention as needed. Finally, in 1909 returning to Sacramento county, he took up work at his trade here and at the same time per- sonally cultivated the little farm. Of the ten acres, five are in peach trees of the Philips cling variety, which bore a valuable and large crop for the season of 1911; the balance is in oranges, olives and almonds. Gratifying as has been the work of the past, the promise for the future is greater, and the owner has every reason to feel proud of his attrac- tive home place.
The residence which Mr. Sargent has improved and enlarged forms a valuable accession to the fine country homes of the county. Provided with an abundant supply of hot and cold water, equipped with excellent lavatory accommodations, and lighted by electricity, its improvements are thoroughly up-to-date and its conveniences are conducive to the comfort of the occupants. Mrs. Sargent, who became the wife of this progressive horticulturist at Fair Oaks in 1902, is a woman of culture and refinement, a native of Jamestown, N. Y., where she was the re- cipient of collegiate advantages. By his former marriage, Mr. Sargent has a son, H. P., who resides at Fair Oaks and is serving as deputy connty clerk of Sacramento county ; by his marriage to Adella B. Buck- ley, a native of Fair Oaks, he has one son, Franklin Buckley Sargent, who is a prime favorite with the paternal grandfather.
In politics Mr. Sargent has voted the Republican ticket ever since he became a voter and, while always refusing official honors, he has not failed to support friends who are candidates, giving freely of his time and influence to promote their cause. While still a resident of Maine he was initiated into the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and served through the chairs of the local lodge, in which he rose to be past grand. In addition he was connected with the Encampment and served in its offices including that of chief patriarch. The Knights of Pythias also had the benefit of his intelligent identification for many years and the local lodge chose him to serve in various important capacities, including that of Chancellor Commander.
JOSEPH F. AZEVEDO
It is an established fact that the man of courage and tenacity of purpose, who governs his actions by conservative judgment, uner- ringly progresses toward snecess, no matter what his start in life. In Mr. Azevedo, who is now identified with the Sacramento Valley Bank and Trust Company, is found a type of citizen who early realizes the value of a definite aim, as well as true and honorable principles, and who forges ahead regardless of discouragements or divers opin- ions as to his wisdom in carrying out his plans.
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Although a native of Terceira, one of the Azore Islands, his birth having occurred therein March 6, 1886, Mr. Azevedo has spent his life in the United States from the time he was about two years old. His parents, Manuel J. and Maria (Pexioto) Azevedo, were also na- tives of the Azores. Manuel J. Azevedo came to California in 1854 and engaged in mining, later following vegetable farming and freight- ing his produce to Virginia City. He returned to his old home to retire from active life, but the charms of California had won him and he came back to Sacramento county in 1887. Ranching at Free- port for a time he then became interested in the Eagle Winery at 1517 Eighteenth street, Sacramento, successfully conducting a large business until his death in 1909.
Joseph F. Azevedo supplemented his public school education by a course in St. Mary's College, Oakland, and upon his graduation in 1905 secured a situation as messenger in the service of the Fort Sutter bank. By virtue of his innate truthfulness and courtesy, he soon established himself in the eyes of his employers as a lad worthy of the highest confidence, and accordingly received promotion from time to time, having reached the position of cashier ere he relinquished his duties May 15, 1911, to assume his present position of assistant cashier of the Sacramento Valley Bank and Trust Co., which he has conducted with characteristic skill and devotion to detail.
On August 28, 1909, Mr. Azevedo married Miss Ida Nuttall, whose father, Levi Nuttall, for many years was associated with the Southern Pacific Railroad Company, serving in the repair depart- ment of the shops at Sacramento.
Mr. Azevedo is an active member of Sacramento Lodge No. 6, B. P. O. E., as well as the local Council, Knights of Columbus, and as a young man of energetic, congenial personality and broad, in- tensive measures is regarded as one of Sacramento's most progres- sive citizens.
THOMAS VEAL BICKLE
The early memories of Thomas V. Bickle cluster around scenes in Cornwall, England, his native country and the home of ances- tors for generations uncounted. The qualities that have given force and virility to the Anglo-Saxon race appear in his own char- acter and have brought him a gratifying degree of material success as well as a reputation for remarkable skill as a pharmacist. It was his good fortune to enjoy excellent advantages in his home land and in addition to having a thorough classical training he also had
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exceptional opportunities as a student in the Westminster College of Pharmacy, in London, from which he was graduated with the class of 1895, with the degree of M. P. S. Although the family did not occupy a position of wealth they possessed high social stand- ing and considerable means, so that he had opportunities for travel and culture not open to all. His father, Thomas Bickle, Sr., was an Englishman of high standing in Masonry and a leading member of the order in the country. For some time he occupied the posi- tion of instructor to the present King of England, then stationed as midshipman on the boat, Britannia, at Dartmouth.
After having been engaged as a pharmacist in England for a number of years in 1905 Thomas Bickle came to the United States and later traveled considerably throughout the continent on a tour of inspection. During this period of travel he remained in Colorado for three months. The year 1906 found him a newcomer in Sacra- mento, where his excellent credentials secured for him a business position on the very day of his arrival. The firm that was his first employer retained his services for two years, after which in 1908 he associated himself with P. F. McMorry. The death of the latter in October of the same year cansed the establishment to be put on sale by the estate and he immediately purchased the same, since which time he has conducted the pharmacy on the same prin- ciples of integrity, skill and accuracy that gave to the store its early enviable reputation. The store is located at No. 529 K street and numbers among its regular patrons a large proportion of the leading residents of the city.
About a year before leaving England the marriage of Mr. Bickle was solemnized in Devonshire and united him with Miss Minnie Rowe, a native of England and the daughter of a leading farmer of Devon. Since becoming a resident of the west Mr. Bickle has entered into the activities of the Foresters of America, while prior to his departure from England he long had been influential in the Masonic Order. It was his happy fortune to be identified with the United Grand Lodge of England during the period when the late King Edward of England, then Prince of Wales, held office as grand master. Besides this fortunate early experience in Masonry Mr. Bickle has maintained a later interest in the order and gives his influence toward the philanthropies that characterize its history. In addition he has been interested in and identified with the Sons of St. George.
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ROBERT N. BRAMHALL, M. D.
The district of Fair Oaks has in Dr. Bramhall an honored mem- ber of the medical profession and a successful practitioner of the science, who since coming to this locality as a permanent resident in 1902 has identified himself closely with all the activities of the community, has contributed to the development of the fruit industry and has promoted enterprises for the material, educational and professional advancement of Sacramento county. His residence, with its beautiful setting of lawn and trees and its attractive loca- tion on a slight eminence, is regarded as one of the most substantial and convenient in the entire district. Thoroughly modern in all of its appointments, it is utilized not only for a home but also for an office. Surrounding the neat two-story residence are two and one-half acres almost wholly studded with native oaks.
Dr. Bramhall was born in Abingdon, Va., March 18, 1878, and removed with his parents to Chicago when he was six years of age. His fine mental endowments came to him as an inheritance from his father, Col. Frank J. Bramball, a man of unusual ability, born, reared and educated in New York City, a graduate of one of the law schools of the metropolis and for years an attorney of that great city. An appointment as collector of internal revenue for a district in Virginia caused him to remove to that state and there he remained for some time discharging the duties connected with the office. Later he filled a like position in Tennessee. When he resigned therefrom he removed to Chicago, where he was engaged in business. Ultimately he removed to California and was among the first to select a tract at Fair Oaks, where he cleared the land and planted fruit trees. The last years of his eventful life were quietly passed at his home in Oakland, this state.
During the residence of the family in Chicago Robert N. Bram- hall received a classical education and also completed a course in electrical engineering, following that occupation for only a short time. Always he had been attracted by the science of materia medica, and he abandoned engineering to take up the study of thera- peutics, which he prosented in the medical department of North- western University. On the completion of the regular course in 1902 the degree of M. D. was conferred upon him by the faculty. Immediately afterward he came to California and joined his father at Fair Oaks, where he has since devoted his attention to the prac- tiee of his profession and has built up an extensive patronage ex- tending over the entire settlement and for miles around.
The family of Dr. Bramhall comprises his wife and daughter,
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Elinor Eugenia. His marriage was solemnized in Chicago July 15. 1902, and united him with Miss Emma E. Smith, who was born in Iowa, but grew to womanhood in Chicago and received a classical education in the city of Boston. Descended from an old family of New England, she comes of distinguished lineage, her grand- father, Rev. Samuel Francis Smith, D. D., having been the author of the national hymn, America. From childhood she has been an adherent of the Baptist denomination and a contributor to its benev- olent and missionary movements. The family have a high social standing at Fair Oaks and enjoy to the highest degree the confidence of acquaintances. The Doctor's life is indeed a busy existence. As a relaxation from his professional duties he finds pleasure in looking after his orange and olive grove, which covers fifteen acres in Fair Oaks Colony. These manifold duties do not prevent him from dis- charging with fidelity every duty as a citizen and every responsi- bility as a neighbor, and he is always found to be a firm supporter of every principle of justice in civic and social affairs.
EDWARD SHERBURNE BROWN
For twenty years a successful commercial man of Sacramento, Mr. Brown has exemplified throughout his career the qualities of manly ambition and wise judgment and in his practical interest in civic affairs has justly won a place among the most influential and highly respected citizens of his community.
Born October 24, 1869, in Sacramento, Mr. Brown is fully ac- quainted with the vast improvements which have taken place since that period, both in his home city and through the state in general, and although he has visited many attractive and beautiful sections of the United States, enjoys the conviction that California exceeds them all, not alone in climate, but in resources as well. His father, John R. Brown, whose birth occurred in Brownville, N. Y., in 1833, attended West Point as a youth, and in the role of civil engineer came to California in 1860 to assist in the original survey of the Central Pacific Railroad between Sacramento and Reno. Afterward he was advance agent during the construction of the road until December, 1868, when he resigned to engage in the life insurance business in Sacramento. He became special agent for the North- western Life Insurance Company of Milwaukee, Wis., and for a number of years filled that office, when he again entered the employ of the Central Pacific Railroad as agent and continued with the
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company until his death, which occurred in Sacramento February 7, 1884. Mr. Brown was prominent among the Masons, Redmen and Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and at his death was buried with Masonic honors. His wife, to whom he was united in marriage in the old Congregational Church on Sixth street in Sacramento, was formerly Miss Elizabeth MacMillan, born in Buffalo, N. Y., daughter of Hugh and Ann (Miller) MacMillan, natives of New York. Hugh MacMillan was a successful shipbuilder by trade. Mrs. Brown, who was widely beloved for her womanly sweetness and sympathy, passed away in January, 1902, after a life of great devotion to her husband and three children.
John Jacob Brown, the paternal grandfather of Edward S., occupied a prominent position throughout the war of 1812, having organized a company of which he became captain, later serving as general, and then, owing to his ability and devotion to duty, was appointed to the office of commander in chief of the United States army, faithfully performing his duties until his death in 1827.
At the age of fourteen, shortly after his father's death, Edward Sherburne Brown was forced to leave his studies, in which, however, owing to his concentrative ability, he had made rapid progress. He secured a position in the wholesale establishment of Lyon & Curtis. Five years later he transferred his services to Curtis Brothers & Company, and in 1892, in partnership with William M. Henderson and Charles E. Flye, under the firm name of Henderson, Brown & Flye, opened a wholesale fruit and produce store at Second and J streets ; later Mr. Flye sold his interest to his associates, and in 1900, Mr. Henderson having withdrawn from the company, the firm was incorporated under the name of the Ennis-Brown Company, with Mr. Brown as president and Scott F. Ennis as secretary and treasurer. The company is now located at Front and J streets, now a prominent wholesale district. The old Pioneer Mill on the water front, formerly occupied by H. G. Smith & Co., has been used as a bean warehouse, and has large cleaning machinery. Thoroughly fa- miliar with the work in which he has been so long engaged, Mr. Brown is considered an expert in that line, and his progressive methods are highly commended by his fellow citizens. He married in July, 1898, Lucy Elizabeth Purinton, a native of California, and to them have been born two sons and two daughters, viz .: Kenneth A., Dorothy E., Edward S. and Virginia Anna. Mr. Brown is an active member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, of the Sutter Club and the Chamber of Commerce. Active in local politics, he maintains a deep interest in all matters pertaining to the develop- ment and improvement of the city and is conceded to be a man of broad, generous principles and well-directed energy.
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AARON B. REYNOLDS
It was in 1901 that this successful lawyer came to Sacramento, and the admirable career that he has since made has brought him the congratulations of a wide circle of acquaintances. Aaron B. Reynolds was born in Fort Jones, Cal., July 28, 1878, a son of Isaac and Clara (Barr) Reynolds, pioneers of Siskiyou county. He at- tended the public school and the Siskiyou county high school and was graduated from the latter in 1898. He then entered the University of Michigan, at Ann Arbor, where he was graduated with the degree of LL. B. in 1901.
Almost immediately after leaving college Mr. Reynolds came to Sacramento and was admitted to practice at the bar of the supreme court and of the lesser courts. He entered at once upon the active practice of his profession, and has appeared in several cases of note which are a part of the judicial history of the county and the state. In all of these, as well as in many less important cases, he has been very successful, not necessarily winning all of them, but accomplish- ing in all of them all that it was reasonably possible for any lawyer to achieve. His clientele, now large, is constantly widening, and as the years pass matters of greater and still greater import are en- trusted to him. His advice is sought not alone by those who seek litigation, but by wise and careful men who would avoid it, and, once given, it is found to be sound and based on the true fundamental principles of the law.
His birth within the borders of California made Mr. Reynolds eligible to membership in the Native Sons of the Golden West, an organization in which he is deeply interested and which he advances by every means at his command. He preserves college memories by affiliation with the University club. In politics he is independent. He married, at Sacramento, February 8, 1905, Miss Beryl Patrick, and they have a daughter, Beth, now six years old.
JOHN QUINCY BROWN
A career of more than ordinary usefulness marked the busy life of John Quincy Brown, Sr., who served the city of Sacramento as mayor from 1881 to 1887, and had also filled the position of county recorder, public administrator, levee commissioner and other official positions which demanded the time and attention of a conscientious, painstaking citizen such as he. His birth occurred in Breckenridge, Ky., in 1829 and in 1850 he made his way to California, dying in the year 1892, at which time he was serving as member of the board of
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