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, 1923, Part 117

Author: Reed, G. Walter
Publication date: 1923
Publisher: Los Angeles : Historic Record Co.
Number of Pages: 1026

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, 1923 > Part 117

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

T. J. Pennish, the eldest, started in to take the usual public school courses, but owing to his frail health. he had to leave somewhat early. He sought outdoor, vigorous exercise in labor, and took up the plasterer's trade, and having started as a lad, he is now able to boast the longest service of any plasterer in Sacramento County. He has been in business for himself for the past forty-three years, and that is a record of which any honest workman may reasonably be proud. He has been an honest, capable and faithful artisan, with the result that he has worked on the principal buildings in Sacramento, and for the state, and he has been so deservedly suc- cessful that he is now about to retire. A Republican in his political preferences, he took an active part in politics as a young man, and once served as coun- cilman of the city of Sacramento. He is very loyal to Sacramento County, and never loses an oppor- tunity to speak a good word for its past, its natural attractions and its brilliant future, when it must fully come to its own.

In Sacramento, Mr. Pennish was married to Miss Helen Flannigan, an accomplished woman connected with one of the old and prominent families; and they have had several worthy children. Frank passed away at the age of twenty-nine, respected and la- mented; Alice has become the wife of Charles Vance, the Stockton attorney; and Howard, responding pa- triotically to the call of his country, saw thirteen months of arduous service, under severe exposure, as a member of the ambulance corps in France. Florence is Mrs. William Roberts; and the youngest child is Fred. Two grandchildren give particular joy to Mr. and Mrs. Pennish. Mr. Pennish is a member of Sacramento Lodge No. 6, B. P. O. Elks.

WILDEY M. PORTER .- A representative busi- ness man of Sacramento, who has done much to in- prove industrial and commercial conditions here, and so to extend the influence of the capital city as an ever growing trade center, is Wildey M. Porter, the senior member of the firm of Porter & Sprague, pro- prietors of the well-known radiator and fender works, with headquarters at 722 Twelfth Street. Mr. Por- ter came to Sacramento in 1910, removing hither from San Francisco; and having learned the tinner's trade, he found no difficulty in establishing himself here.

He was born at Modesto, Cal., in 1886. His father, John J. Porter, was a native of New York. He was a member of the crew on a whaler, and reached the Golden State by way of the Horn. Quitting the whaler, he located in San Francisco in the pioneer days of that city, and there learned the printer's trade. He later came to Sacramento, and was in this city at the time of the big flood, and in after years told of going up the principal street in Sacramento in a boat. He twice crossed the plains to the East, and was in the Black Hills, mining, when the Indians tried to run him out; and he bore the marks of his scrim- mage with the redskins till his death. During his seafaring days he traveled all over the world, and twice circumnavigated the globe. He spent twenty years in Modesto as foreman of the "Modesto Her- ald" under the proprietor, Tom Hocking. After he re- tired, he made his home in Oroville, and spent much of his time in writing, in which he had much ability, contributing to the local press and to fraternal maga- zines. He was a prominent Odd Fellow, being a past grand and district deputy grand master. While residing in Modesto, he married Miss Mary E. Miller, who was born in Iowa and crossed the plains with her parents in an ox-team train when a child. She passed away while they resided in Modesto, leaving besides her husband two children: Wildey M. and Miss Grace Porter, a teacher, residing in Stockton. Mr. John J. Porter continued to make his home in Oroville until he died.

Wildey M. Porter attended school in Modesto. He grew up in California, and has devoted his talents, his best energies and much of his best years to the hastening of the day when California shall come into its own as preeminent in many lines among all the states of the Union. In 1917 Mr. Porter was fortu- nate in forming his present partnership with Edward H. Sprague, also a native of California. Porter & Sprague have wisely limited the output of their sheet- metal works to the important industrial specialty of fenders and radiators. They employ eleven men; and although equipped with all the latest appliances, in- cluding an electric hammer-one of only two in Cali- fornia, they can hardly supply the increasing demand for their wares. Their establishment is termed the Palace of Radiators and Fenders, and has become a valuable addition to the industrial life of the city of Sacramento.

In 1910, Mr. Porter was married to Miss Alice Sibley, the ceremony taking place at Los Angeles. Mrs. Porter is a native of Merced, Cal., and rightly enjoys an enviable popularity quite her own. Mr. Porter is an Odd Fellow; and he is one of the valued members of the Sacramento Chamber of Commerce. In politics he is a Republican.

817

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY

GARRETT DAVID SMITH .- Born at Isleton, November 26, 1863, Garrett David Smith is the son of Hart F. and Maggie (McKever) Smith, who were early settlers in Sacramento County and figured prominently in the development of its resources. The father was a native of Illinois, born April 16, 1832. He came to California in 1852, crossing the plains with an ox team, and settled on Brannan Island, buy- ing what was supposed to be a section of land, but upon being surveyed it was found to be 595 acres; this was tule land and the pioneer rancher started in reclamation work by building the first small levees with Chinese labor and wheelbarrows. Every few years these levees broke during high water and the land was flooded and laid waste; it was only in the later years of his life that the high levees were built, and even then, in 1907, after his demise, the family ranch was flooded out again. During his lifetime Hart F. Smith took an active and helpful part in pub- lic affairs, always interested in the welfare and ad- vancement of the county, and he served for several years as justice of the peace, and was known through- out the locality as Judge Smith. A member of the Masonic fraternity, he was buried with the rites of that order at his death, which occurred October 3, 1902. His good wife died aged sixty-two; she was born in Ireland, March 25, 1843, and had come to the state a little later than he, and they were married in California August 4, 1860.

Garrett D. Smith was the second child in a family of ten children born to these worthy pioneers, and received his education at the grammar school of Isle- ton district, supplementing his studies with a course at Clark's business college in Stockton. After finish- ing his schooling he worked with his father until the age of twenty-two, and then started on his own way in life, working for the next four years at the carpen- ter trade and part of the time as engineer, running and installing pumps in the Delta country. He then went to ranching, and cultivated a sixty-acre ranch on Grand Island, a part of the ranch known as the John Kennedy place; he later fell heir to this acre- age and his efforts have brought it to a high state of cultivation, one-third of it being in fruit and the bal- ance in asparagus and vegetables. In 1916 the home he had built on the ranch was burned to the ground, and he erected the new family residence. Mr. Smith owns a ranch of 132 acres on Brannan Island, a part of the old Hart F. Smith ranch, which he devotes to growing asparagus and beans. He is a member of the California Asparagus Growers' Association and also of the California Pear Growers' Association and the California Canning Peach Association. In 1913 Mr. Smith purchased a residence at San Mateo, where he made his home for several years until he returned to again manage his ranch.

On February 2, 1886, at San Francisco, Mr. Smith was united in marriage with Mrs. Marie Louise (An- son) Garrett who was born at Muscatine, Iowa, the daughter of Patrick F. and Anna (McCrow) Anson. Patrick F. Anson was a captain in the 35th Iowa Regiment, Volunteer Infantry, in the Civil War. Af- ter the war he came to San Francisco, where he was a business man. Mrs. Anson was a literary woman, contributing articles to the local press and magazines. Mrs. Smith was the eldest of seven children. She came to California when three years old with her parents and received her education at Notre Dame Convent, in San Francisco. Mr. Smith was bereaved

of his affectionate wife January 15, 1922, when she passed away mourned by her family and friends. She had taken part in civic and social life in Grand Island and vicinity, and was a member of the Daugh- ters of Isabella. Three children had come to Mr. and Mrs. Smith: Vida C., who was educated at Mt. St. Gertrude's Academy, Rio Vista, presides competently over her father's home. Warren A. was attending Rio Vista high school when, at seventeen years of age, he enlisted in the World War, serving in the 1st air craft battalion. He was sent overseas, and served thirteen months abroad, rising to the rank of first sergeant. Returning to California, he was honorably discharged as the youngest man in his company. He then took a course at White's Preparatory School in Berkeley and is now surveying in Washington. He married Bernice Holman and they have one son, Garrett E. Hart F., who is a graduate of Rio Vista high, married Mabel Peterson and is ranching at Isleton. By her first marriage Mrs. Smith had one daughter, Charlotte M., also educated at Mt. St. Ger- trude's Academy. She is now Mrs. Lynch of San Francisco and had seven children, six of whom are living: E. Walter; Philip G .; Camelia; Donald D .; Jack R .; Barbara I .; and G. Russell, deceased.

NILS OLAF LARSEN .- The valuable contribu- tion made by the sons of Norway, toward the set- tling up and the development of the great Golden State, is well illustrated in the life and workmanship of Nils Olaf Larsen, the popular and successful ce- ment contractor of Sacramento. He was born on October 23. 1886, and when about reaching maturity, arrived in California. His parents were Lars A. and Andrina Nelson, and long before our subject was born, his father came to America and out West, and prospected for gold. Then, when Nils was about fifteen years of age, he returned to his Norwegian home, but he once more came to the United States, and in 1918 he expired. Mrs. Larsen survives him, in the old country, where she enjoys life, the center of a devoted circle.

Nils Olaf Larsen attended school in Norway, and when sixteen and one-half years of age made his first crossing of the Atlantic, to New York, where he remained for a year. Migrating West, he spent two years in Idaho, and pushed on to Oregon for half a year. About sixteen years ago, Olaf thought that California looked sufficiently beckoning to in- duce him to drop down toward the South; and for a year and a half he followed the stone-cutting trade he had already learned. Then, aware of the great future in artificial stone, he took up cement work; and as it has always happened in whatever Olaf undertook he made more and more of an established reputation for thoroughly good work. He usually confines himself to foundation and sidewalk work, but he is prepared to execute almost any kind of work in cement. Mr. Larsen has just invented and patented a power feeder for sand and gravel for the concrete-mixer which will do away with much labor and revolutionize the mixing of concrete. His exten- sive knowledge of Old and New World conditions, particularly in industrial fields, has been an import- ant factor in his favor.

In 1908, Mr. Larsen married Miss Christina John- sen, an accomplished and charming woman who died, all to young, on February 29, 1920. the mother of four children, Anton, Bertha. David and Grace.

818

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY

Mr. Larsen is a home man, and devoted both to his own hearth and to that of the old family home; and he has recently returned from a visit to his mother in Norway.

CAPTAIN EDWARD JEWELL LEAVITT .- A public-spirited man, who is one of the oldest captains and pursers on the Sacramento River, is Capt. Ed- ward Jewell Leavitt, who was born on February 18, 1858, at Fond du Lac, Wis., the son of Nathan and Mary (Jewell) Leavitt, born near Waterville, Maine. Mrs. Leavitt passed away when her son Edward was a babe of a few weeks. Mr. Nathan Leavitt, a Civil War veteran, served as captain of the 21st Wisconsin Volunteers, and came to California in 1875. Then he went to Texas as a prominent Republican. He was a great friend of Cecil Lyon, and was a member of the state Republican committee in Texas. He owned a large acreage of land, and passed away at the age of eighty-six on his ranch near Stanford. He was an esteemed member of the G. A. R.

Edward J. Leavitt was educated in the public schools of Wisconsin. He attended business college at Oshkosh, Wis .; and after his graduation, when he was seventeen years old, he came to California with his father, who bought a large ranch near Susanville, Lassen County. For a year and a half he was em- ployed with the Lassen County Flume & Lumber Company, being in charge of a sawmill. He went to Red Bluff on horseback and was employed from 1876 to 1877 on Dr. Glenn's 55,000-acre wheat ranch. the largest wheat ranch in the world. For two years he farmed in Ventura County. In 1879 he was em- ployed as a purser on a steamboat, and then was occupied as a bookkeeper for a business house at Princeton. He leased a flour mill, which he ran for three years. He then built a flour mill in Willows and ran it until he sold out. At this time he was em- ployed a second time on Dr. Glenn's ranch. On July 14, 1887, he became purser on the steamboat "Vero- na." One year later he was appointed captain of the United States snag-boat "Seizer." One year later he returned to enter the service of the Sacramento Transportation Company, now the Sacramento Navi- gation Company, and he has been with them ever since, except for one year when he was captain of the "Neponset." He has of late been pilot or pur- ser, and his business experience makes him a very valuable man to the company. For the past thirty- six years he has been employed by this one com- pany, thus proving his stability and efficiency.

At Princeton, on February 18, 1882, Captain Lea- vitt was united in marriage to Mary C. Scott, who was born in that vicinity. Her father, one of the early pioneers of California, was a justice of the peace and a business man of Princeton. They are the parents of four children: Zoe, now Mrs. M. Hur- ley, of Roseville; Winnie, wife of Capt. Alex. John- ston, of the boat "Feather Queen"; Teddy, an agent at Loomis, with the Southern Pacific Railroad Com- pany; and Vivian, the wife of Harry Wells, the as- sistant manager of the Hippodrome, at Sacramento. Captain and Mrs: Leavitt have nine grandchildren. Captain Leavitt is very fond of literature and out- door life, and is actively interested in community pro- gress and uplift.

EDWIN BETSCHART .- A successful business man who is making a name and a place for himself in Sacramento County is Edwin Betschart, one of the owners and proprietors of the Glenn Dairy, located at 3637 Folsom Boulevard. He is a native of Switzer- land, born on June 17, 1891, the son of Balz and Celestina Betschart, both born and still living in their native country of Switzerland.

Edwin Betschart attended the excellent schools of Switzerland, and when he was twenty-three years of age decided to come to the "Land of Opportunity." Setting sail for America, he stopped for a short time in Minneapolis, Minn., and in 1915 came on to Cali- fornia and found work on ranches in Sacramento County, where he also became acquainted with the ways of the people and learned to speak the English language. He was careful with his money, and on November 1, 1916, he and a partner bought a milk business that had an output of only seventy gallons daily, delivered to residents of the city and in part sold at wholesale. At the entrance of the United States in the World War, Mr. Betschart bought out his partner's interest and carried on the business alone until the fall of 1918, when he sold a half-interest to C. P. Inderkum. Together, these men have gradually developed a fine business, their output now being 2,000 gallons of milk daily. They employ eight people and run five wagons to distribute their product, which is sold at both wholesale and retail. They own their own property; their plant is equipped with the most modern machinery obtainable; and their sanitary methods readily meet all requirements, so that their many patrons may be assured of getting only the very best that science can procure. As a consequence, their milk and cream are favorably known both to the trade and to the hundreds of individual customers whom they serve daily. The one aim of these wide- awake young men is to give perfect satisfaction to all with whom they deal.

Mr. Betschart was united in marriage with Miss Bertha Schelbert, also born in Switzerland; and they have one child, Edwin, Jr. Mr. Betschart is a mem- ber of the Helvetia Lodge of the Swiss Verein, and of the Foresters of America. He received his final citi- zenship papers in June, 1922, and votes with the Republican party, taking a live interest in all that pertains to the development of Sacramento County and California. He supports all progressive move- ments for the betterment of the community in which he has cast his lot, and is a very loyal American citizen.

GEORGE W. BOTTORFF .- A spirit of enter- prise and progress has actuated George W. Bottorff in all the activities of life and has brought him today to the prominent position of general foreman of the Southern Pacific Railroad car shops. He was born in Napa County, September 4, 1860, a son of P. S. and Mary (Matlock) Bottorff. P. S. Bottorff and his wife are among the old-timers of California, hav- ing crossed the plains with ox-teams in an early day and settled in Mendocino County, where they re- mained for one year, then removed to Napa County where they engaged in farming and stock-raising on a large scale.

George W. Bottorff received his education in the schools of Napa County and in the university at Nashville, Tenn., where he attended for a year and a half; then he took special work in Oak Mound school, at Napa City, where he finished his schooling.

Edwin Betschart

821

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY

He then assisted his father on the extensive stock ranch, continuing until reverses overtook the grain farmers, when for several years there was no market for their crops; then he removed to Sacramento and entered the shops of the Southern Pacific Railroad Company, first as foreman of the car shops, then for the past ten years as general foreman of the department.

The marriage of Mr. Bottorff united him with Miss Laura Haynes, a native daughter of California, and they are the parents of the following children: Fred resides in Alaska; Jessie is a teacher in the public schools of Sacramento; Daphne holds a position with the state of California and H. C. is city manager of the city of Sacramento. Mr. Bottorff is a Republican in politics, and fraternally is a member of the I. O O. F. and the Maccabees.

PONA BROWN .- A native son who has had much experience as a miner, farmer and stock-raiser is Pona Brown, who was born near Michigan Bar, on December 31, 1861. His father, Vanness Allen Brown, who was familiarly known as Frank Brown, was a native of Michigan, who when eighteen years of age crossed the great plains in an ox-team train in 1852 to Michigan Bar, Sacramento County, where for a time he followed mining and later on farming. He died at Lodi at the age of sixty-seven years. He had married Anna Baker, a native of Missouri, who had come with her parents to Michigan Bar in the fifties. She passed away at the age of fifty years. This worthy pioneer couple had six children, five of whom are living: Ora, of Sacramento; Pona, the subject of this review; Phill, who lives at Michigan Bar; Allen, in Stockton; and the youngest, Mamie, now Mrs. Dris- coll, of Stockton.

Pona Brown was educated in the public school in Michigan Bar district. Here, too, from a lad he learned mining, which he followed off and on for twenty years, first at sluicing, then hydraulicking, and then as night foreman of Mr. Thomas' hydraulic mine. Finally he quit mining to devote his time to farming, having purchased the Derth ranch of nine- ty-five acres in the vicinity of Michigan Bar, and there he built his residence and has made his head- quarters ever since. He has since purchased the Breeding place of 120 acres, the John Andrus place of 160 acres, the Spooner place of 175 acres, all adjoin- ing, and forty-five acres, a part of the Gill place, making him owner of about 600 acres watered by Arkansas Creek and numerous springs, which makes it an excellent stock ranch. He devotes this area to raising horses, mules and cattle, and he also runs a small dairy. He devotes considerable time to the duties of road overseer in his district.

The marriage of Pona Brown and Miss Maggie Lowe occurred in Sacramento. She was born in Illi- nois, coming to California when six years of age with her parents, Thomas and Martha Lowe, who are old- time ranchers at Michigan Bar. The father is now ninety-seven years of age and the mother eighty years old. Of their two children Mrs. Brown is the youngest, the eldest being Mrs. Mintie Carpenter of Sacramento. Mr. and Mrs. Brown's union has been blessed with five children as follows: Frank served overseas in the United States army and is now in the employ of Sacramento County; Ernest died in March, 1921, aged thirty years; Ira lives at Elk Grove; Velma is Mrs. Rogers of Sacramento; and

Percy is assisting his father. Mr. Brown was school trustee of Michigan Bar district about twenty years and Mrs. Brown is now serving as trustee and clerk of the board. Mr. Brown is interested in civic and social matters and is enterprising and progressive, helping in all matters he deems beneficial to the growth and development of his native county and state.

JOSEPH W. SAUNDERS .- A painter known for his thoroughly practical knowledge of his trade, and for his initiative and executive ability as an experi- enced contractor, is Joseph W. Saunders, of Sacra- mento, who is also in constant demand as an accom- plished decorator. He was born in London, England, on September 16, 1852, the son of James John and Maria (Wright) Saunders, a worthy couple who lived, labored and died in their native land. They did the best they could for their family, and sent young Jo- seph to the best available private schools; but he abandoned his studies and left school when still young, and made off to sea.

Once embarked upon the career of a sailor, Joseph Saunders followed the sea, off and on, for twenty- five years; and during that time he visited South Africa and practically every European country. In 1868 he crossed the Atlantic in a small schooner with six men on board, and went to the coast of Green- land for codfish, which they took to Italy. In 1870 he went to Guano, and in 1872 and 1873 he was in South Africa, where he joined the police in Cape Town. Then he went on an expedition, killing seals and gathering guano on a group of islands under the British protectorate. He was shipwrecked on the coast of Jutland, but was saved by the crew at the life-saving station. At one time his ship was jammed in the ice in the Baltic for five months. He was the purser of a steamer plying between London and the Continent. In a collision, the boat was sunk; but all the passengers were saved. While catching seals and gathering guano, he with thirteen others spent twenty- two months on an island. They had no fresh foods nor vegetables, and their only eggs were penguins' eggs. Fresh water had to be brought 800 miles, and the only staple foods were rice, flour, and sugar. They had no butter, milk nor tea.

Meanwhile, Mr. Saunders had also learned the painter's trade; so that when he landed in New York. in March, 1882, he had a means of livelihood. He followed his trade there, until May, 1890; and then, coming out to the Northwest, he opened a bakery at Seattle, and in time bought forty acres of land at Cot- tage Lake, where he lived in the woods for four years. In 1894, he left there and went south to Los Angeles; but after six months in that city he came north to Sacramento. For a year he worked by the day at his trade, and then he opened a painting shop for himself; and ever since venturing to do contract work, he has met with success. He painted the Capi- tal National Bank, all the buildings of the county hos- pital, the county jail, the old high school, the city hall, and many business structures and even blocks; and as a member of the Master Painters and the Builders' Exchange, he has grown in the esteem of his colleagues. He is a Republican; and as a man of affairs and a patriotic citizen of his adopted land, he served as a school trustee in the state of Washington.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

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, 1923, Part 117

Author: Reed, G. Walter Publication date: 1923 Publisher: Los Angeles : Historic Record Co. Number of Pages: 1026

Author: Reed, G. Walter
Publication date: 1923
Publisher: Los Angeles : Historic Record Co.
Number of Pages: 1026