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 129

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 129

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MRS. MARY FREYER .- An able woman who has demonstrated much ability in the commercial field as the wide-awake manager of a growing local mer- cantile establishment, is Mrs. Mary Freyer, a native of Germany, but now the merchant of Dillard Station. She was born in the province of Posen, the daughter of Henry Gerth, a farmer by occupation and a musi- cian by profession, who had married Miss Wilhelmina Schüller. When only eight years of age, she accom- panied her father and mother to the United States, and they settled at Chicago, where her mother breathed her last, in August, 1872. The worthy couple had four children, Agnes being an elder sis- ter, and Charles and William, younger brothers.

Mary Gerth attended the good schools in Chicago, and on January 2, 1881, she was married at Chicago to Gustave Julius Erdmann, a native of Germany, who had crossed the ocean in the same ship with her, and whom she met again in later years. They settled for a while at La Cygne, Kans., and then moved to Rog- ersville, Mo., where he was active as a railroad man. They had six children. Charlotte is Mrs. Edward E. Johnson, of Sacramento. John was the second in the order of birth. Lida, Mrs. George Luethey, and Elsic, who married W. K. Potter, live at Denver, Colo. Margaret, Mrs. John Ruff, is in Los Angeles, and Wil- liam in San Francisco.

After the death of her husband, Mrs. Erdmann moved to Denver, and from there ou to Chandler, Okla. On September 1, 1905, Mrs. Erdmann married August Freyer, also a native of Germany; and from

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Oklahoma they came to California, and lived for a couple of years at San Francisco. In 1918, attracted by the future prospects of Dillard Station, she moved inland to this center, and opened a grocery store; and ever since she has afforded this convenience to the farming community, she has done well with her enterprise. Mrs. Freyer, having come to exercise and enjoy the political franchise, marches under the banners of the Republican party; but she is first, last and all the time an American, and is one of the best possible boosters for Dillard Station and Sacramento County.

AMOS WILLIAM NORRIS .- An expert in twen- tieth-century building is Amos William Norris, who was born at Sacramento on July 29, 1885, the son of Wilbur William and Mary (Groff) Norris-the former a boy of two years when he came out to California by way of the Horn, the latter a native of Lincoln, in Placer County, California. Mr. Norris, who was also a contractor in building, and his good wife are still living, esteemed by the many who have known them as worthy representatives of old pioneer families.

Amos William Norris attended the public schools, and then he went to the best business college avail- able; with such excellent results, in his studies, that he was able to take charge of his father's business, in 1910, and make it his own. Since then he has built some of the finest residences in the city, includ- ing the Curtis warehouse, the finest of its kind in the state. He has come to make a specialty, in fact, of warchouse construction, and has put up, sometimes within the shortest time on record, some of the most attractive structures hereabouts. He has thus set a pacc, and established a standard in construction, while never allowing the trend to deviate or the quality to deteriorate, and it may well be ascribed to him that he has done much to form a healthy and artistic public taste in architectural art. He is a member of the Board of Freeholders, and in that official capacity is also able and disposed to exert what influence he can for the betterment of the community at large. He is president of the Sacramento Builders' Exchange, and a director of the Chamber of Commerce. In na- tional politics, he is a Republican.

On July 5, 1903, Mr. Norris married Miss Maggie Cox of Sacramento. They have three children, Wil- bur J., Nilan E., and Walter A. Mr. Norris is a thirty-second degree Mason, a Shriner, an Odd Fel- low, a Woodman of the World, and a member of the Sciots, and belongs to the Sutter Club.

JAMES E. BOWEN .- A prominent place among the hardware dealers of the county must be accorded James E. Bowen, the well-known proprietor of the popular Bowen's Hardware Store, in Sacramento. A Hoosier of the very progressive sort, he was born at Clay City, Ind., on October 2, 1885, the son of J. M. and Rose ( Bailey) Bowen, who came to California with their family in 1893. J. M. Bowen was a master in the hardware trade, and with the cooperation of his son, he established the present firm, in 1917. Their headquarters are at 2951 Thirty-fifth Street, and there they carry the most complete stock of high-grade, but very reasonable, wares and furnishings and materials, making it a delight for either housewife or builder to inspect their display and reserves.

James E. Bowen went through the grammar and high schools, and then put in fifteen years with the

Thompson-Diggs hardware concern, familiarizing himself with the business. He had already spent four years in San Francisco in getting a good introduction to the hardware trade: so that the almost twenty years of experience have enabled him, since joining with his father, to carry on an exceptionally successful business. Mr. Bowen takes a very live interest in furthering trade conditions generally, and he is a member of the Merchants', the Retail Merchants', and the Oak Park Merchants' Club, and the State Hard- ware Association, and also of the Sacramento Cham- ber of Commerce.

In 1912, Mr. Bowen was married to Miss Hazel Woods, a native daughter of Sacramento, and they have three children, Lois, Beth and Gale. When the lure of outdoor life calls him away from work, Mr. Bowen delights in hunting and fishing, thus recuper- ating for another drive forward in the daily activities of one of Sacramento's most representative commer- cial houses.

JAY H. SMITH .- The lure of the land and agricul- tural life has ever had an attraction for Jay H. Smith, who is now residing on his beautiful and well cultivated orchard home eighteen miles east of Sacra- mento, consisting of ten acres planted to vineyard, prunes and almonds. He was born in Sangamon County, Il1., July 5, 1873, the eldest son of Jacob and Harriet (Gould) Smith. Jacob Smith was born in Germany and was a lad of six years when he accom- panied his parents to America, where they settled at St. Louis, Mo. At sixteen years of age he enlisted as a drummer boy with Company C, 7th Missouri Volunteer Infantry and was in active service through- out the Civil War, serving under Generals Sherman and McPherson. After his return to civilian life, he engaged in farming and was married to Miss Harriet Gould in Sangamon County, Ill .; and later removed to Hamilton County, Nebr., where he took up a large tract of land and also served as justice of peace of his township; he was an energetic citizen of his section and a leader among the members of the G. A. R. He passed away in 1916 at the age of seventy years.

Jay H. Smith received a good education in the Nebraska schools and in 1892 the family came to Cali- fornia, locating at Orangevale, which at that time was a frontier section of California when not more than 200 acres of land was under cultivation as orchards. The family located on ten acres and later added an- other ten arces to the original purchase. The mother of our subject is now living retired at Hayward, Cal.

The marriage of Mr. Smith occurred at Orangevale and united him with Miss Annie C. Rickey, a native of Nevada, who accompanied her father, A. R. Rickey, to California. Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Smith; Ernest resides in Humboldt County, Cal .; Leroy resides in Oakland, Cal .; aud Viola is in the University of California at Berkeley. In 1902 Mr. Smith purchased ten acres, which he has developed into one of the show places of Sacramento County; he also owns desirable real estate in the city of Sacra- mento. For the past twenty-three years, Mr. Smith has had charge of the engineer work of the Orange- vale water-works. He has taken an active part in the development and progress of the Orangevale section of the county. Today there are 2,300 acres in highly productive orchards and vineyards in contrast with 200 acres thirty years ago; Mr. Smith has served as

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HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY

school trustee of Orangevale and for five years was postmaster; he has also served as deputy sheriff and deputy constable of the town. Fraternally he is affil- iated with Folsom Lodge No. 64, I. O. O. F. During the World War he worked untiringly for the success of the different drives of the community.

ALEXANDER CULBERSON HENRY .- A high- ly esteemed official, widely known and popular among the fellow-members of his fraternal order throughout the state, is Alexander Culberson Henry, the efficient custodian of the Masonic Temple at Sacramento. He is a Canadian by origin, having been born at Toronto, on August 28, 1866; and has father was Alexander Henry, who had married Miss Ruth Hunter. They were well-situated citizens of the great domain to our north; and they lived and died in their country, esteemed and honored.

Alexander Henry improved his opportunities in the grammar and high school courses of the Canadian city, long famous for its popular education, and then he became a tonsorial artist, and worked at his trade for twelve years. His skill also secured for him a ten- year contract with the Southern Pacific, and he was stationed by them at Rocklin. He reached California as early as 1891, and in 1911 came to Sacramento, where he was a foreman for three years with the Union Oil Company. After that, he mined for a couple of years at Placerville, and then he was en- gineer for the St. Francis Hotel for two years. In all of these varied engagements, Mr. Henry had excep- tional opportunities to study human nature and also to be himself drilled in loyal, dependable service; and it is not surprising that in March, 1922, he should be appointed to the very responsible post of custodian of the Masonic Temple, at Sacramento. His experience, his natural liking for work, his temperament and desire to serve-all these have drawn to him a wide circle of good friends, who are gratified that he should be placed where he is.

In the year 1890 Mr. Henry was married to Miss Eliza Hamilton, of Canada, an accomplished woman who has materially helped her husband to attain to his present encouraging advancement; and their one son, Culberson Hamilton, bids fair to do high honor to the family name. He spent a year in the American service overseas, during the World War, and he is now one of the staff of the state forestry, helping to do the great work annually accomplished by that in- valuable department. Mr. Henry is a Knight Templar Mason and a Shriner.

JOHN A. CONWAY .- What progress, scientific- ally and commercially, the drug trade in California has effected, is well demonstrated in the activities and the prosperity of the Oak Park Drug Company, at Oak Park, Sacramento, whose proprietor is John A. Con- way, a native of the bay city. He was born on June 1, 1875, the son of M. H. and Isabella (Johnston) Con- way, pioneer folks who were joined in matrimony in San Francisco. They very cheerfully met the heavy responsibility of living in an earlier era, when the hard work of state development lay before them; and they did what they could to make of California a truly Golden State. Mrs. Conway is still living, the center of many devoted friends.

Trained in the grammar and secondary schools of San Francisco, John Conway was apprenticed early to

learn the drug business in a practical way, and after- ward he attended college, was graduated and received his certificate. He came to Oak Park in 1909, and established this business, in which he has been so successful. The store was not adequately equipped for trade when he first took hold of it, for Oak Park had only a few people in it; but now he carries a full line, attractively displayed and offered at reasonable rates, and the resident in the Oak Park neighborhood no longer needs to journey to town for anything in the line of drugs or accessories.

In 1914 Mr. Conway was married, at Sacramento, to Miss Rose Cahil, the daughter of a miner, from an old pioneer family. They both are fond of the beauties of the natural world in Sacramento County, and Mr. Conway is an enthusiast for fishing and hunting. He belongs to Sunset Parlor of the Native Sons of the Golden West, and also to the Elks. In matters of national political moment, he prefers the guidance of the Republican party.

WILLIAM R. GREEN .- A rancher whose well- earned experience has enabled him to speak with authority on California agricultural conditions, is William R. Green, widely known for his trim acre- age at Wilton. He was born near Jackson, in Ama- dor County, on October 22, 1881, the son of William Orange Green and his good wife, who was Miss Francis Gebhardt before her marriage, and was a na- tive of Germany, while Mr. Green came from New York. He came out to California when a lad, ac- companying his parents, who settled in Amador County; and there he followed farming most of his life. He died at the age of seventy-one, living to be three years older than his wife; both were highly esteemed for what they actually were, and were mourned in their departure. They had seven chil- dren: Ida, Mayme, Rose, William, Charles, Ethel, and Hazel.

William R. Green attended the Jackson district school, and thereafter, until he was twenty years old, helped his father. Then he became an employee of - the Standard Electric Company, now absorbed by the Pacific Gas & Electric Company, at Electra; and he teamed for them in Amador County for three years. He then purchased a livery stable at Jackson, which he conducted for the following five years, and when he sold out, he purchased his present ranch of sev- enty-five acres at Wilton, known as part of the Put- ney Ranch, and moved onto that property in 1911, since which time he has conducted a first-class dairy there. He has at present about twenty-six milch cows, and raises alfalfa. He is a Republican in mat- ters of national political import, and stands pat on the platforms of the G. O. P., as being best for the farmer.

At Stockton, on May 9, 1910, Mr. Green was mar- ried to Miss Ellen Alta Gritton, a native of Volcano, Amador County, and the daughter of George A. and Margaret (Johnson) Gritton, the former a native of Knox County, Illinois, and a son of George Gritton, a native of Kentucky. George Gritton came to Cali- fornia in the gold rush, and mined for a few years; and then he got into public work in Amador County, served for four years as coroner and public adminis- trator, and was then elected to the office of treasurer of that county, and held that office for sixteen con- secutive years. He had just been re-elected for a term of four years, when his death occurred, and he

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passed away in his sixty-sixth year. He was a highly-esteemed citizen, and left a very enviable rec- ord as a public official. Mrs. Gritton, the mother of Mrs. Green, was a native of Helsingland, Sweden, and a daughter of William and Ellen Johnson, and came to the United States with her parents when she was two years old. They first settled in Illinois, and later, in 1859, came to California and settled in Ama- dor County, and there Margaret was reared and edu- cated. She still resides with the Greens on the Wil- ton ranch, enjoying life at the age of seventy-two. Mrs. Green has a sister, Lucy Georgia Gritton, who also makes her home on the Green ranch. Four chil- dren have blessed the married life of Mr. and Mrs. Green; and they are Duan, Evan, Donna, and Donald Burton by name. Mr. Green belongs to the Jackson Lodge of Odd Fellows, and to the Encampment at Sutter Creck.

JO. H. SHEPARD .- The ability and enterprise of Jo. H. Shepard have materially aided the growth and advancement of Sacramento and as yard superin- tendent of the Friend & Terry Lumber Company his capabilities have been utilized in various directions with gratifying results. Sacramento is his native city, where he was born May 28, 1891, a son of L. G. and Elizabeth Maude (McDermit) Shepard, the former born in Yreka, Cal., and the latter in Nevada. L. G. Shepard was identified with the Friend & Terry Lumber Company for over thirty years. He passed away in April, 1922.

Jo. H. Shepard received his education in the gram- mar and high schools of Sacramento, and his first position was as a yard man with the Friend & Terry Lumber Company; he has steadily advanced through the many departments until he now occupies the re- sponsible position of yard superintendent for this ex- tensive firm, the largest of its kind in this section of California.

The marriage of Mr. Shepard united him with Miss Edna Frances Morrill, a native of Boston, Mass., and they are the parents of one daughter, Louise Ger- trude. Mr. Shepard is a Republican in his political preference.

LEE DOUGLAS MOORE .- A contractor well acquainted with conditions in California, and who, therefore, knows the ins and outs of his field of ac- tivity, is Lee Douglas Moore, who undertakes hauling, dumping and excavating, using the best of trucks and the most modern appliances. He was born in Lincoln County, Missouri, on April 4, 1887, the son of Thomas Henry and Martha Jane (Wyatt) Moore, both natives of the Iron State. Both Mr. and Mrs. Moore at- tained to the good old age of ninety years. They came to California in 1909. They were the parents of eight children, four boys and four girls, among whom our subject was the fourth child in the order of birth.

Lee Douglas Moore went to the public schools of his district, and then he attended Buchanan College for a couple of years. After that he lived on a Mis- souri farm until he was twenty-one, and then he was married to Miss Anna Kertley Craighead of Missouri, after which the young couple continued to farm there for a couple of years.

In 1910, unable longer to repel the alluring attrac- tions of California, Mr. Moore came out to the Coast and located at the city of Richmond; and there he engaged in contract-hauling and other heavy work,

which he continued until September 1, 1916, when he bought an auto-truck. In December of that same year he came to Sacramento, and he has done the hauling for the excavations at the new Capitol build- ings, and the new Senator Hotel; and he also gave several months to the California Packing Company's job. His business has grown, and he keeps five trucks busy all the time. Mr. Moore is never so busy, how- ever, that he cannot give some time to a first-class game of baseball; and he is fond of outdoor life gen- erally. His one son, Thomas Duff, shares these hob- bies and tastes. Mr. Moore favors the principles of the Democratic party.

JAMES J. NIX .- A scientific, yet eminently prac- tical rancher, whose up-to-date methods and almost astonishing results, demonstrating the resources of Sacramento County soil and climate, have long been a source of interest to others ambitious, like himself, of attaining a high goal, is James J. Nix, living upon his trim farm some two miles southwest of Wilton. He was born in Knox County, Tenn., on March 23, 1874, the son of Eben and Martha (Hunter) Nix, the former a native of South Carolina, while Mrs. Nix came from Tennessee. There they were married, and there Mr. Nix cultivated a farm of 300 acres, in Knox County. He lived to be sixty-six years old, while his devoted wife, who breathed her last in 1918, reached the grand old age of ninety. They had a family of ten children, each of whom reflected the high char- acter for which they were universally esteemed; Will- iam, John and Nute being the eldest, James, the subject of our story, the fourth in the order of birth, and the remainder Joann, Allen, Mary, Elizabeth, Clarcy and Margaret.

Owing to the peculiar social and economic condi- tions of the community and section in which he started life, James Nix had little opportunity for schooling, and he helped his father faithfully upon the home farm until he was twenty-one years of age. Then he hired out on farms, generally for dairying, in Tennessee, and on leaving that state, in 1911, he went to Texas, and worked there for a season, thence to Wichita, Kans., and then moved on to Grand Junc- tion, Colo., where he stayed for a short time, and again proceeded on to Cedar Edge, Colo., stopping there only for a little while.

In 1912, Mr. Nix came to Wilton, Cal., and first bought sixteen acres of bottom land on the Cosumnes River, and to get a start, he lived in a tent, while he cleared some of the land for farming. In this way, he succeeded in paying for the farm. He raised fine crops of beans on this bottom land, and he has since erected a suitable dwelling and farm-buildings there. He has also added to this acreage from time to time, until he now owns seventy-two acres of bean and cat- tle land, and also vineyard. Mfr. Nix has a fine lot of domestic fowls upon his place, including about 100 Guinea hens, and he raises turkeys, ducks and geese, the place being especially adaptable for the latter. His sons help him, and by their combined hard work, they accomplish much.

The first time Mr. Nix married, the ceremony oc- curred in 1894, in the home-district of the bride, Knox County, Tennessee, when he made Miss Caroline Col- lins his bride. Her parents were Carr and Emeline (Dorr) Collins, and they came of old Tennessean families. The union was blessed with seven chidren. Stella is Mrs. W. S. Spivia, of Don Ray Colony.

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Victor is in Kansas City. Ida has become Mrs. A. Chalmers, of Elk Grove. Mary is Mrs. Chester Col- ton, who lives on an adjoining ranch. And the younger members are Edna, James and Ralph. Mr. and Mrs. Nix had five grandchildren through this line, Mrs. Spivia having four children, Gladys, Leon- ard, Bernice, and Leland, and Mrs. Chalmers a daughter, Clara Chalmers. The first Mrs. Nix died September 25, 1908, mourned by all who had come to esteem and love her. Mr. Nix married a second time at Wilton, on February 3, 1922, when he and Mrs. Katherine Kelly, a native of Saunders County, Neb- raska, became man and wife. Before her first mar- riage, she was Katherine Lungershausen, a daughter of Frank and Amelia Lungershausen, a Nebraska family, in which state her father was well-known as both a blacksmith and farmer by trade. Her father died a young man of thirty-two, but her mother is still living at Sacramento. She was one of a family of four children: Albert, Rudolph, Anna and Kath- erine. She married, in time, Daniel D. Kelly, a na- tive of Nebraska, the wedding occurring twenty-one years ago, and later they came out to Sacramento, where he was an employee of the Southern Pacific Railroad Company. He died about fifteen and one- half years ago, leaving an excellent record for useful- ness. Mr. Nix is a Republican in politics.

ALFRED W. BAKER .- Sacramento has long been noted for its thoroughly equipped, superior garage service, due in part to such experienced and energetic- ally progressive managers as Messrs. Livingston & Baker, who own and direct one of the best headquar- ters for motorists, at 2837 Thirty-fifth Street, to be found anywhere in Sacramento County. Alfred Baker was born at Oak Park, on March 2, 1893, the son of Wellington and Phillipinia (Kirchner) Baker. His father came out to California from Pennsylvania, about 1888, and here met and married Miss Kirchner, who was a native daughter from Pilot Hill; and as pioneers they did their part in improving conditions about them, and passed away mourned by all who knew and valued their worth.

Having finished his studies, Alfred Baker learned the machinist's trade, commencing when he was fif- teen years old, and thus grew up in machine shops. What he did not already know, his inquiring mind led him to master; and he was able, at an age when some young men are just beginning to find themselves, to boast an equality with the full-fledged hand-worker. The general result was that when Mr. Baker was ready to present himself for the most serious technical work, he had no lack of confidence in his ability to meet any emergency.

In April, 1921, he formed the partnership noted, with L. E. Livingston, of Sacramento, and they handle the Chevrolet car, carry a full line of supplies, and employ three men to do the expert repair work required. Their garage is one of the interestingly busy places of Sacramento, and speaks well for the preparations made to take care of the ever increasing number of Chevrolet-users, and of the larger number of motorists generally.

It will always be a great satisfaction to Mr. Baker that, despite the claims upon him of his artisan work and business ventures, he responded to the call of his native land, and served on behalf of the United States in the World War. He was ten months in France,

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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 129

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