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 133

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 133

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On July 9, 1896, at Vacaville, occurred the marriage of Mr. Jarvis to Miss Estella Evinger, born in Illi- nois, who came to California with her parents when eight years old; her father settled and engaged in farming at Lincoln and there her early life was spent; her death occurred in 1916.

Mr. Jarvis' second marriage, April 28, 1918, united him with Miss Mary Kintchen, born in Detroit, Mich., and reared at Chicago, Ill. Fraternally Mr. Jarvis

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is a member of River Lodge No. 256, I. O. O. F., of Grafton and of the Native Sons parlor of Court- land. Politically he is a Republican, liberal in his views and voting for man rather than party.

DAVID H. OSBORN .- An enterprising rancher who is also an experienced orchardist, is David H. Osborn, of Sutter Island, near Courtland. He was born in Ohio, on March 23, 1858, the son of J. R. and Mary Martha (Clippinger) Osborn, the former a native of Ohio, and the latter of Maryland. His father came out to California for the first time in 1851, and tried mining; and having returned to Ohio, he married, and in 1875 came West again with his family. An uncle, David Osborn, had come to Cali- fornia in 1850, and put in a brief season in the mines near Placerville, and later he took a team and car- ried supplies from Sacramento to the mines, in the mountains. He then settled ou Randall Island, and there J. R. Osborn joined David in farming. In time, Uncle David deeded to his brother a ranch of fifty acres, and later the subject of our story ac- quired title to this property. David H. Osborn, to- gether with his uncle, built many levees along the ranch, making them at first so low that wheelbar- rows could be used in their construction; but these levees were washed out during the floods, and the land was submerged, time after time. After raising the level of the levees three times, the one now adequately serving the community was erected by means of dredgers.

David H. Osborn lived on Randall Island until twenty-five years ago, when he bought his present ranch on Sutter Island, built there a fine home, and improved it to fruit trees. He has now some of the most fertile acres to be found anywhere in Califor- nia, but the wonderful results he enjoys have been made possible only by years of hard, unremitting work, inspired by optimism and guided by past expe- rience; and Mr. Osborn is certainly entitled to the high honors of a sturdy pioneer who stuck by the job and never gave up the ship. Sacramento County, and indeed California in general, cannot be too grate- ful to such pathbreakers as Mr. Osborn, his father and his uncle, who have opened up new avenues to lasting prosperity, and have truly advanced the stages of civilization. .

MRS. MARGARET A. JOURNEY .- A woman of much capability who is making a success of her poultry ranch at Galt, where she has resided for the past five years, is Mrs. Margaret A. Journey, a na- tive of Waukesha, Wis., whose parents, Peter and Caroline Hansen, were both natives of Denmark. The father, who was an architect and builder, died at the age of fifty-six, the mother passing away at forty-eight. Mrs. Journey, who was their only child, attended school at Waukesha and Milwaukee and then took training as a nurse in the Wisconsin General Hospital at Milwaukee.

Coming to California with friends in 1905, Mrs. Journey was married at Martinez, on June 15, 1908, to Richard W. Journey, who was born at Quincy, Ill., and came to California around the Horn with his father, two brothers and a sister in 1863, being only two years old at the time. His father, Jefferson Journey, settled at Brighton, Sacramento County, and there Richard was reared. At the time of his mar- riage he was farming at Merced and later they moved

to Turlock and engaged in raising cantaloupes. In 1918 they moved to Galt and purchased four acres at the north end of Oak Street, and there Mrs. Jour- ney still makes her home, having developed it into a successful poultry ranch. Mr. Journey's life came to a tragic end on June 20, 1922, when he was killed by the Southern Pacific train at Galt. Besides his widow, he was survived by three children born of his first marriage with Miss Minerva Spurgeon, a native of Illinois. They are: Mrs. Hazel Pearl Blohm of Sacramento; Arthur B., an engineer on the Southern Pacific; Mrs. Ora O. Johnston of Sacramento. Mr. Journey was a trustee of the district school at Mer- ced during his residence there and was one of the oldest members of the Woodmen of the World at Turlock. In her political affiliations Mrs. Journey is a Republican. She is a member of the Ladies of the Maccabees at Turlock.

CHARLES OSTMAN .- One of the successful orchardists of Sutter Island, Sacramento County, Charles Ostman comes of a long line of illustrious forebears in his native country. Born in West Jutland, Sweden, January 12, 1852, he is the son of P. G. and Catherine Ostman, and the direct descend- ant of an old and very powerful military family of Sweden, his grandfather having been a field marshal in the Swedish army. The name was handed down from one generation to another, instead of the usual way of adding "son" to the given name of the father, and the Ostmans were of the military aristocracy. At one time in the early government of Sweden the family plotted against the crown to overthrow the government and establish themselves in power. This plot was frustrated and some of the family migrated to Finland.

Charles Ostman received his early education in his native land, and when seventeen years old came to the United States with his parents, finishing his education with three terms at college at Rushville. Il1. The family settled in Moline, Ill., and in 1869 Charles started out to make his own way in the world, first working in dry goods stores as clerk, which he put to good advantage later, as in 1875 he came to California and for ten years had, a merchandise store in San Francisco. In 1885 he came to Sacramento County and purchased fifty-six acres of land in the tules of Sutter Island, on Sutter Slough. Here he has developed a productive ranch, but not without many hardships and discouraging circumstances; three times the floods destroyed the work he had put in on improvements, and only after the high levee had been thrown up by the dredges has his work shown for some account. He now has a fine orchard of shipping pears, using a six-inch pump for irriga- tion and has installed all modern improvements on the place, such as packing shed and the necessary farm buildings for carrying on his work, and from the bare undeveloped land now has surrounding his home a beautiful orchard of marketable fruit, evidence of his years of industry and good management.

The marriage of Mr. Ostman, which occurred in San Francisco December 22, 1879, united him with Louisa Johnson, born in Smalland, Sweden, and daughter of John Isaacson and Carolina (Peterson) Isaacson. Her father was a farmer in the old coun- try, and in 1869 she came to the United States with her aunt, her father following later, and the family settled in Calhoun County, Iowa, at Manson, for a

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time, where the father bought a quarter section of land, which he farmed for a short time and later sold. One son has been born to Mr. and Mrs. Ost- man, Alvin Charles, who married Hannah H. Han- sen, a native of Denmark, and they are the parents of five children: Charles Peter; Louisa Charlotte; Morris Alvin; Erma Marie; and Alvin, Jr., the fam- ily making their home on a fourteen-acre fruit ranch on Steamboat Slough, Sutter Island. The son, Alvin Charles, owns a home ranch of fourteen acres of his own, also another ranch of forty-four and one-third acres. Our subject's wife owns fifty-six acres indi- vidually, in her own name, and Mr. Ostman owns 124 acres, all on Sutter Island, and has become wealthy, having been unusually prosperous. He gives full credit to his good wife, who has borne up bravely under adverse conditions, such as the floods. They have worked hard, lived frugally and contributed steadily to charitable and religions matters, to Red Cross, Sunday school, missions and benevolences generally.

In national politics Mr. Ostman is a Republican, in local matters giving his decision to the right man for the office. He was raised in the Lutheran Church, but affiliates with the Swedish Mission Church of America; but since this denomination has no church at Courtland he attends the Baptist Church of that place. He is a firm believer in living rightly and in each man doing his share in the world's work.

WILLIAM EVERTS DOWNING, M. D .- Walnut Grove is fortunate in the possession of so efficient and conscientious a member of the medical profession as Dr. Downing. Born at Suisun, Solano County, August 19, 1880, he is the son of Dr. Wil- liam G. and Clara (Perkins) Downing, the father a native of Missouri, who came to California in 1874 and settled at Suisun. William G. Downing was a graduate of St. Louis Medical College, and was a skilled physician; he had an extensive practice in Solano County, and died aged fifty-eight years; the wife and mother, a native of Michigan, is still living, aged sixty-two, and makes her home at Berkeley.

William Everts Downing was the first born in a family of five children, and after finishing his pre- liminary education attended Stanford University, class of 1902, and Cooper Medical College of San Francisco, graduating in 1903 with his degree of M. D. After serving as interne for two years at the German Hospital and the Waldeck Hospital, San Francisco, he went to Suisun and engaged in practice with his father.

In 1917, Dr. Downing located at Walnut Grove, and has since practiced throughout the Delta coun- try, where he has made many friends and is well- known throughout the valley. December 21, 1917, at San Jose, Dr. Downing was married to Miss Beatrice Kennedy, a native of Philadelphia, Pa., (laughter of John and Beatrice Kennedy, the father a banker. She was educated in Philadelphia, Pa., and came to California in 1915. Two sons have blessed their marriage, William Green and John Everts.

Dr. Downing recently owned a 120-acre ranch in the Delta, south of Walnut Grove, which he improved and then sold, having bought the property as an investment. While keeping abreast with his scien- tific work, he has found time to take part in the fraternal and civic affairs of the valley. He is a member of Rio Vista Lodge of Masons, as well as the chapter of O. E. S., of Vallejo Lodge No. 559

of the Elks, Beta Theta Pi, and Nu Sigma Nu fra- ternities, and the County, State and American Medi- cal Associations. In politics he is a Republican, re- serving his support to the men and measures best calculated to advance his home community.

ALEXANDER BARQUIST .- A rancher thoroughly familiar with California conditions, who has attained an enviable success, is Alexander Bar- quist, who resides about a mile north of Galt, on a ranch of fifteen acres. He was born in Vermland, Sweden, on December 12, 1861, the son of Niels and Keis (Johnson) Larsen, his present name having been given to him when he enlisted in the Swedish Army. There were ten children in the family; and the father, who was a shoemaker, died when our subject was only eleven years of age, honored for his honesty and for his good workmanship. Mrs. Larsen lived to see her seventy-fifth year.

Alexander Barquist went to school in Sweden, but from the date of his father's death, he had to work and neglect further study. When he was eighteen years old he entered the Swedish Army, where he served three years; and after receiving his honorable discharge, he came to the United States and stopped at Chicago, working there for three months. He then worked in a sawmill on the Menominee River, until 1904, and in October of that year he came west to Fresno, and spent a winter, when he went to Sanger, in Fresno County, and secured employment in the Bennett Lumber Yards, where he stayed for fifteen years; and during that time he purchased ten acres of raw land, which he set out to Lovell and Susque- hanna peaches; but when the fruit got to bearing, in the first year, peaches were not worth marketing, a bitter disappointment, for our subject had worked many nights by lantern light cultivating and improv- ing this place, and after many years of hard labor had brought it into bearing, only to find that his crop had no market value, there being that year such a glut and surplus of fruit. So he became discouraged, and left Fresno County, and in the winter of 1918 he came to Galt, and bought thirty acres of Tokay vine- yard, two and one-half miles east of Galt. He then sold this, and purchased a tract of fifteen acres on the highway, one mile north of Galt, known as the Demonstration Farm, through its use by the large company who were colonizing this district to show the crop possibilities of Galt land. The front part of this ranch was in oranges when Mr. Barquist bought it, but finding that these had no commercial value, he has grubbed them out, and is setting the land out to pears and a vineyard of Mission and Zinfandel grapes. There is a four-inch pump on the ranch driven by a motor of seven and one-half horse-power; and there is a modern dwelling, built in 1911.

On December 7, 1893, Mr. Barquist was married at Marinette, Wis, to Miss Lena Borman, a native of Norland, Sweden, that is, really of Sundsval, and the daughter of August Gustave and Olive (Osland) Borman, the former a carpenter in Sweden. When Lena was five years old, her parents came out to the United States and to Oconto, WVis., where her father bought eighty acres of land, which he farmed until his death, in 1900, at the age of sixty-two. Mrs. Borman made her home in Oakland, Cal., the center of many devoted friends, until her death in 1923, about seventy-nine years of age. They had seven

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children, and all were given such educational advan- tages as could be commanded; and Lena Borman went to the school at Marinette, Wis., there getting a good start in preparation for her life duties. Three children have come to bless this happy union. Ruby is Mrs. Joseph Hall, of Stockton; Ray is with his father; and Lucille is a pupil of the high school at Galt. Mr. Barquist belongs to the Brotherhood of American Yeomen.

JOHN WESLEY MOSSMAN .- An enterprising promoter of the legitimate subdivision and transfer of promising, desirable land, whose high standards and consistency in transactions have done much to stabilize the realty market, is John Wesley Mossman, the junior member of the Mossman Land Company. He was born on a farm at Hardin, Iowa, on October 7, 1884, the son of Albert Lee and Julia Murillo ( Maxson) Mossman, the former now a partner with our subject in the above-named concern. He attended the excellent common schools in Iowa, and later added to his educational outfit in the higher school of practical experience.

At Postville, Iowa, in the year 1910, Mr. Mossman was married to Miss Estelle MI. Welsch, a native of the Hawkeye State, by whom he has had one child, Betty Lucile, an attractive young lady increasing in popularity. He belongs to the Odd Fellows; and when he cannot find diversion and inspiration enough in fraternal circles, he makes off for the out-of-door world, being very fond of both hunting and fishing.

The Mossman Land Company was established in October, 1920, to deal in choice city and country property, and opened its offices at 1009 J Street. Before coming to California, Albert L. Mossman had been in the real estate business, while our subject was conducting a garage; and their past experience has proven valuable to them in the new field and the newer country. They have thus far progressed so steadily that it is evident they are to keep pace with the development of this favored section.

HENRY KOHNKE .- Widely known among the most experienced of Sacramento County sheepmen, Henry Kohnke, who lives about eight miles east of Galt, on the Galt Road, is also favorably known as a man who has attained success. Like many another progressive agriculturist in California, Mr. Kohnke was born in Germany, seeing light for the first time at Neuhaus, in the kingdom of Hanover, on May 28, 1862. His father was John Kohnke, a laborer, who lived to be seventy-five years of age; and his mother was Miss Adelheidt Krohnke, before her mar- riage, and she passed away when in her forty-eighth year. She was the devoted mother of seven children, the eldest being John Otto, and after him Jurgen, Katherine, Clans, Henry, the subject of our story, and Peter, who is deceased, and Peter.

Henry attended the grammar schoo's of Germany, and in 1881 came out to the United States when he was still in his teens, and he worked for wages for a year in Denver. Then he spent two years in helping to build the Oregon Short Line through Idaho and Southern Oregon from Corvallis to Euk- rena Bay; and after that, coming into San Joaquin County, California, he joined the Woods Bros., at Roberts Island, and worked for them for ten years.

Then he went to Terminous and leased 200 acres for two years, and next he superintended the Newell

Ranch at the same place for four years. Having con- cluded that engagement, he returned to the 200 acres, and cultivated the same for another year. Then he made a trip to Iowa, where he worked on a farm for the balance of the year; and upon returning to Cali- fornia he came to Acampo and purchased twenty acres two miles north of Lodi, on Cherokee Lane. He set out vines and otherwise developed the land, and built a comfortable home and the necessary farm buildings, installed a four-inch pump and a ten-horse- power motor on the Acampo place, and was there for about twelve years.

In the autumn of 1917, Mr. Kohnke came to Galt Road, and purchased 560 acres on Dry Creek, about eight miles east of Galt, which he made into a sheep ranch, bringing 300 head of sheep there; the ranch being locally known as the old West place. He has succeeded, not only for himself but in helping others. As a Republican, he has done what he could to ele- vate the standards of citizenship and to effect such improved laws as conserve trade and protect invest- ments; and at present he is a school trustee of the Brown district, being a warm advocate of the public schools.

At Lodi, on December 28. 1904, Henry Kohnke and Miss Alwine Andresen were married, the bride being a native of Schleswig-Holstein, where she was born at Isle Fohr, the daughter of John and Anna Andresen. In 1901, the family came to the United States and to Lodi, and here the mother died, at the age of seventy-one, while the father returned to his native country, and died there at the age of seventy-six. Alwine was one of five children. The eldest, Lawrence, is deceased, and so is Matilda. The others are Hans and Lena, and Mrs. Kohnke, who was christened Alwine. She was educated in Ger- many, where she had an excellent training; and now, as enthusiastic an American by adoption as may anywhere be found, she finds happiness in sec- ing the progress of her five children-Anita, Alwine, Otto, John and Amanda-at the Brown district school. Mr. Kohnke is an Odd Fellow and a Re- bekah, of the Lodi lodges, and Mrs. Kohnke also belongs to the last-named fraternal order, in which she shares her husband's popularity.

GEORGE H. SMITH .- A successful asparagus- grower, who has been able to point the way to others. while progressing himself, is George H. Smith, wide- ly and well known on Sherman Island. He was born at Lockeford, in San Joaquin County, on April 11, 1886, the son of Hans Christian and Caroline (Jessen) Smith, both of whom were natives of Schleswig- Holstein, Denmark. They came out to California over forty years ago, and here MIr. Smith made a good, if hard, living, as an able and honest black- smith. They had three children, Amelia C., George H., and Cathalyn D., now Mrs. F. H. Turner, of San Francisco.

George H. Smith attended the Elliott district school of San Joaquin County, and for a year he went to the Salem high school at Lodi, and for a short time to the Oakland Polytechnic School of Engineer- ing. At the age of sixteen, he started out for himself, and he worked as a mechanic in the Gwin mines of Calaveras. He then became chief motorman of the Mokelumne Dredging Company at Wallace, Cal., and next, in rotation, spent a short time in each of the following jobs: round-house mechanic of the South

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ern Pacific Railroad in their Oakland shops, Southern Pacific fireman running out of Portland, and in the erecting engineers' department, and as a commercial traveler with the United Iron and Engineering Works at Oakland. After that he was chief engineer of the Venice Island Land Company of San Joaquin County, and he then served the Sampson Iron Works for a short time as a commercial traveler. Return- ing to the home farm in Elliott district, he was called to be engineer for the Ryer Island Reclamation dis- trict and spent seven years in dredging and ditching work for them. Finally, after working a short time for John W. Rush, of Tyler Island, he decided to take up farming for himself, and six years ago secured a long-term lease on 300 acres of land on Sherman Island, where he now lives, and a second parcel of 260 acres, on Sherman Island. This land is devoted to truck garden, and Mr. Smith is developing aspar- agus beds, and has so far set out eighty-five acres to asparagus. He is a Republican, believing in that party for industrial protection.

At Stockton, on November 3, 1917, Mr. Smith was married to Miss Georgia Jordan, a native of San Joaquin County, where she was born near New Hope, on August 12, 1892. Her father was George A. Jor- dan, a native of San Joaquin County, and he married Miss Caroline Titherington, from Liverpool, England. Her grandfather was an early settler and farmer in the Taisen section of San Joaquin County, before Thorn- ton was founded. Her father and mother are still living, and reside on Sherman Island, where they enjoy the esteem of all who know them; and Mrs. Smith has one brother, John Rolland Jordan. Mrs. Smith attended the Stockton grammar school, and later pursued the excellent courses of the Normal School in the same city; and the latter experience has assisted her in the problems of her own children, Elizabeth, Ann and James Harrison. Mr. Smith is a member of Rio Vista Lodge No. 208, F. & A. M., and he belongs to Antioch Chapter No. 262, R. A. M. Mr. and Mrs. Smith are both members of Rio Vista Chapter No. 222, Order of Eastern Star. Mr. Smith is a believer in cooperation for the marketing of farm products and is one of the original members of the Asparagus Growers' Association of California. A friends to the cause of education, Mr. Smith has con- sented to serve as member of the board of trustees of Riverside school district and is clerk of the board. The district has just succeeded in bonding itself for a new schoolhouse, which is in process of erection.

H. YATES PERRIN .- Sacramento County is to be congratulated upon having such a man of true worth and unquestionable character as H. Yates Perrin, a first-class automobile mechanic. He was born January 24, 1898, at Crockett, Cal., the son of Irving M. and Julia Margaret (Alberto) Perrin. His father, a successful business man, who for years con- ducted his affairs in Richmond, was born in San Francisco, and comes from one of the oldest families of California. His mother, also a native daughter, was born in San Pablo. They are now living at Alameda.

H. Yates Perrin was educated in the public schools of Contra Costa, and he graduated from high school in 1916 and then attended business college. During the latter part of his high school term and all through his college course he was employed as a private secretary. Every available moment was used

for a definite purpose, and being apt at mechanics, he studied automobile repairing in all its phases, and is regarded as an expert in this work.

Mr. Perrin was united in marriage to Sybil Florine Herrill, a native daughter of the Golden State, born and bred at Placerville, Cal. They are the parents of one daughter, Marille June. He is greatly inter- ested in all outdoor and indoor sports, being especi- ally fond of basket-ball, inasmuch as he has played professionally. Our subject has acted as deputy sheriff of Contra Costa County and is highly hon- ored and respected for his fair dealings. Fraternally he' is a Native Son of the Golden West, Sunset Par- lor, and an Eagle, and politically he adheres to the Republican party.

PAUL LEE BERNARDIS .- A wide-awake, far- seeing and experienced man of affairs in the Sacra- mento business world is Paul Lee Bernardis, one of the proprietors of the capital city Planing Mill, widely known as a very reliable establishment for any kind of work, however varied and difficult, it under- takes to do. Associated with him is J. P. Moore and all having dealings with the firm well know that they make a team of the best kind. They formed their partnership in 1914, the year made so memorable by the outbreak of the World War; and few business concerns have done more to meet the changed and ever-changing conditions brought about by the world upheaval than this representative northern California house. In their busy season they employ at least twenty men, and they turn out an immense amount of first-class interior and exterior finishing. They have their own lumber yard, make ice cream cabinets and refrigerators, and their products are called for from all parts of the state.

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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 133

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