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 134

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 134

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).

Mr. Bernardis was born in 1886, in Austria, and there he was educated. He had heard much about the United States and the advantages in the New World, having met a few Austrians who had tried their luck out here and had come back for a visit, and he had also learned something of the far-away California; and hither he undertook to come, in 1903. The great Eastern metropolis interested him not a little, but he stuck to his resolution and hurried West, and stopped in San Francisco until 1906, when he located in Sacramento.

Able easily to impress strangers with both his na- tive ability and his worthiness. Paul Bernardis found employment in the Southern Pacific Railroad shops, and there in time he was fitted for his life-work. When he came to form his partnership and create the Capital City Mills, he moved aggressively in the great work Sacramento city looked to its contractors to do, and the firm did all the interior wood-work and finish for the Physicians Building, Sutter Candy Store. Mc- Clatchy residence, Judge O'Brien's residence, the Rideout Hospital and grammar school at Marysville, and also the Post Office Building there, and since 1921, among other notable structures, the public schools of Elmhurst, Eldorado, Newton Booth, High- land Park, now called the Sierra, Bret Harte, and ad- ditions to the Fremont and the Leland Stanford, and furnished and installed the work in the Rosemont Grill, at Sacramento. In national politics a Repub- lican, Mr. Bernardis never fails to support, in good non-partisan fashion, the men and the measures he regards as best for the locality in which he lives and

917

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY

thrives. He is also a live wire in the Chamber of Commerce at Sacramento.

At Sacramento, in 1910, Mr. Bernardis was married to Miss Nellie Lubetich, of Sacramento; and they have a son, born May 17, 1923. Mr. Bernardis en- joys the social life of the Elks and the Druids, to which he belongs, and is fond, as is his good wife, of all out-door life. He is interested in the past history and the future prospects of Sacramento County.

CHARLES JOHN PETERSON .- A general con- tractor who is ever ready to undertake anything feasible within his field, is Charles John Peterson, a native of Michigan now headquartered at the Build- ers' Exchange in Sacramento. He was born at Lud- ington, Mason County, on October 22, 1883, the son of Herman Julius and Bertha Peterson, his father being an expert cabinet-worker who is still living, although his devoted wife, our subject's mother, is dead. Both parents have deserved well of their gen- eration.

After attending the public schools of Michigan, Charles John Peterson learned the carpenter trade and followed it since he was fifteen years of age. In 1913, he came out to California and Sacramento, and he secured a good post as foreman with the Liberty Iron Works, and erected their buildings; and then he was in the employ of the U. S. Fibre Products Company, and put up their structures. Since the spring of 1922, he has been established for himself. He accepts the largest contracts, employing regularly eight or more men. The public have long since come to believe that whatever they may commit to the care of Charles Peterson, will be well done. Mr. Peterson is a Republican, but does his own thinking and voting.

In July, 1904, Mr. Peterson and Emma Clara Stockstad, of Minnesota, were made man and wife, the marriage ceremony occurring at Bismarck, N. D .; and now their family includes a daughter, El- vira, two sons, George and Harold, another daugh- ter, Edna, and another son, the youngest born, Charles John Peterson, Jr. Our subject is a mem- ber of the Order of Vasa, and of the Master Build- ers' Association; and is fond of fishing and hunting; and like his fellow Americans, native and adopted, in Sacramento County, he rejoices in the environment in which he luckily finds himself.

GEORGE H. WOODS .- Well-known in trans- portation circles, formerly as manager of the Motor Carrier Terminals, Inc., and at present of the Shasta Transit Company, George H. Woods has devel- oped an cxecutive ability to handle large undertak- ings. He was born in Springfield, Mass., November 23, 1889, the son of George H. and Catherine (Scott) Woods, both now deceased. Our subject was edu- cated in the public schools of his native state and at an early age entered his father's jewelry store as a clerk and then engaged in newspaper work. In 1912 he came West to California and for three years was connected with the Los Angeles County highway commission, after which he was engaged in various undertakings. He was in Fresno for a time and while there was employed in the auto-stage business; then we find him engaged in the same line at Oak- land, continuing until 1921, when he came to Sacra- mento, the Motor Carrier Terminals, Inc., hav- ing been organized in October the previous year.

His ability having been demonstrated while he was with the California Transit Company, it was but natural that he should become the manager of the new company; and the progress the company made showed that he was the right man for the place. In May, 1921, the Shasta Transit Company was formed and on July 1, 1922, Mr. Woods resigned his position with the Motor Carrier Terminals, Inc., and became a partner and manager of the Shasta Transit Com- pany, operating between Sacramento and Redding.

Mr. Woods is a World War veteran, having served with the engineers corps and spent sixteen months in France. After his honorable discharge he took up civilian life once more and is found among the public-spirited and respected men of his com- munity. His recreation is found in fishing and in clean out-of-door sports. He is a member of Sacra- mento Lodge No. 6, B. P. O. Elks, and the Ameri- can Legion.

PETER LEONI .- The kind of substantial business energy best appreciated in the city of Sacramento finds expression in the life of Peter Leoni, general contrac- tor and builder. He was born in Italy, on May 19, 1877, the son of Joseph and Rosaline Leoni. His father is living in Italy, and his mother is deceased.

Peter Leoni was educated in the schools of Italy. He also took a course in the International Correspond- ence School. In 1901 he emigrated to the United States and located in Santa Clara, and in 1902 he came to Sacramento, where he has resided ever since. For some time he was employed as a cabinetmaker in Siller Bros. He has been in business for himself for the past twelve years, and has been very successful as a contractor, confining his work mainly to houses and flats.

Mr. Leoni went back to Italy to get married. where he was united with Miss Theodolinda Bigiogni. They are the parents of two children: Rosalie, and Alice. Mr. Leoni prefers the platform of the Republican party, and he has the pleasure of being a founder of the Builders' Exchange. Fraternally, he is a Druid. He is an enthusiastic supporter of any plan for the promotion of the public welfare. He left Sacramento with his family April 1, 1923, for a six months' visit with relatives and friends, and from last reports ar- rived safely with his entire family after a pleasant ocean voyage.

ALLYN L. BURR .- The importance of providing adequately-stocked and well-managed headquarters for builders needing roofing and other supplies is well illustrated by what Allyn L. Borr has done, in organizing a, center for the convenience of architects and contractors, and the response of the building trades to his commendable enterprise, on continuous exhibition at Eleventh and R Streets in Sacramento, in which city he was born on October 22, 1885, the son of R. P. and Emma (Lord) Burr. His father was also both a native son of California and of Sac- ramento, who, as a real pioneer, was long associated with Messrs. Baker & Hamilton. Both Mr. and Mrs. Burr are still living, the center of groups of devoted friends.

Allyn L. Burr was rather fortunate in his school- ing and start in life, having not only attended the grammar and high schools, but also the Belmont preparatory school, from which he was graduated; and then he followed civil engineering as a profes-

018

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY

sion. He was in railroad work for eight years, and then in the real estate business for two years; and after that he was associated with the Johns Manville Company for another eight years, as manager of their northern California territory.

On March 1, 1921, Mr. Burr established himself in business, and since then he has been kept busy doing large roofing jobs, many of them being state contract work. Mr. Burr is careful in the extreme as to the training and experience of the men he em- ploys, and one result is that his work may always be regarded as thoroughly dependable. Hle is a Repub- lican in politics. Fraternally, he is a Mason, a Knight Templar, and a member of the Shrine.

Allyn Burr was married to Miss Ruth Seadler, a native daughter, by whom he has had a son, Jim, and twin daughters, Emma May and Alice. He is fond of hunting and fishing, and annually pays his respects to Sacramento's great outdoors.

L. H. CHAPMAN .- Possessing just the qualities which insure success, L. H. Chapman has spared no effort and, by indefatigable labor and attention to the wishes of the trade, has won the esteem and pat- ronage of the public. Seventeen years ago he entered the firm of Friend & Terry Lumber Company as office boy and has won his way upward until he now occupies the position of manager of the firm. He was born in MeHenry County, Ill., December 7. 1883, a son of Edgar and Ann ( Heilman) Chapman.

L. H. Chapman received his education in the gram- mar and high schools of Cedar Falls, lowa, whither his parents had removed when he was a young lad. He remained in lowa at the family home until 1905, when he removed to California and located in Sacra- mento; directly on locating in Sacramento he entered the employ of Friend & Terry Lumber Company serving first as office boy, and then being steadily ad- vanced until he became manager of the firm in 1921. From the first his interest in Sacramento was pro- nounced, and his faith in the future of the city has been emphatically and practically demonstrated.

The marriage of Mr. Chapman united him with Miss Dorothy Fletcher, a native of Massachusetts, and a graduate of Wellesley College. They are the parents of two children: Fletcher and Laurence, Jr. Mr. Chapman is a thirty-second degree Mason and also a member of the Shrine; locally he is affiliated with the Rotary and Sutter Clubs.

WILLIAM D. THOMAS .- A man of high integ- rity whose experience also counts for much in the Sacramento business world, is William D. Thomas, wholesale dealer in lumber and active in manufactur- ing, with offices at Sacramento in the Capital National Bank Building. He was born in North Carolina on December 12, 1874, the son of C. W. R. and Samantha (Buie) Thomas, both descendants from old-time stock. His father's forebears were American, but his mother's were of Piedmont Scotch. C. W. R. Thom- as was a farmer, and he operated rather extensively and as best he could under the hotter Southern skies.

William D. Thomas attended the public schools of North Carolina, and also went to the high school, and then he engaged in the lumber business in the Carolinas. This opportunity to add to his experience proved of great value later, when he came to Sacra- mento, in 1910, the same year when he arrived in the state; for from the first he met with success. He sells

only at wholesale, and he has an interest in a sawmill in Plumas County. He supports the Democratic party.

Mr. Thomas was married, in 1909, to Miss Lura B. Brann, from Kansas, and now they have two child- ren, Albert B. and Evelyn I. Thomas. The esteemed companion shares Mr. Thomas' public-spiritedness, and also feels a deep interest in the past, the present and the future of Sacramento County. California owes not a little to such men as William D. Thomas for the development of its resources, including that of lumber; and it is fair to expect that our subject may be heard from more and more as the years go by.

RICHARD J. MURPHY .- A well-known and valued citizen of Sacramento is found in Richard J. Murphy, the capable superintendent of the County Hospital located in the capital city, a position he has ably filled for the past eight years. He was born in San Francisco, Cal., September 4, 1854, a son of James and Catherine (O'Connor) Murphy. James Murphy came to California in 1854 via Panama and engaged in mining and farming in Eldorado County and it was in the schools of that county that Richard J., the son, obtained his education. James Murphy passed away in Placer County in 1913, the mother having preceded him. Of their five children, Rich- ard J. is the eldest.

The boyhood days of Richard J. Murphy were spent on his father's farm and there he learned the practical lessons of life; he was educated in the public schools and early left the parental home. Coming to Sacramento in 1878, he went to work in the Southern Pacific Railroad shops in the boiler department and was there for five years. In 1881 he removed to Folsom and for three years was guard at the state penitentiary under Warden Thomas Parkman and for three years was lieutenant of the guard; and then for seventeen years he was captain of the guards, under McComb, Aull, Wilkeson and Yell. He spent one year at San Quentin prison as turnkey; then for eight years and a half Captain Murphy was postmaster at Folsom under Roosevelt, being reappointed hy Taft. In 1915 he was appointed steward of the County Hospital at Sacramento and two years later was appointed business superintendent of the hospital.

The marriage of Captain Murphy united him with Miss Mary Farmer and they are the parents of one daughter, Isabel, now Mrs. Rudolph Draesemer and there is one grandchild, Isabelle. Captain Murphy is a stanch Republican and has been a member of the county central committee. Fraternally he is a member of the Modern Woodmen and is a charter member of the Granite Parlor, N. S. G. W .. of Folsom.

ALBERT H. BECKER .- Another rising member of the California banking world whose privilege it is to work for the leadership of Sacramento County among the most favored sections of the great Golden State, is Albert H. Becker, the genial and ever-accom- modating assistant cashier of the Sacramento branch of the United Bank and Trust Company. Sacramento is the scene of his birth, October 16, 1894, and P. F. and Elizabeth Becker are his esteemed parents, a worthy couple proud of their record for usefulness in the world.

Albert Becker attended the grammar and the high schools of Sacramento, and when only fifteen years of age, was accepted by the Fort Sutter National Bank. Since then, he has steadily advanced, and from

919

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY

January 1, 1921, until the bank was taken over by the United Bank and Trust Company, held the respon- sible position of assistant cashier. Always having the best interests of the bank at heart, and inspired by the appreciation of patrons who have noted his desire to help and to please, Mr. Becker, by his winning per- sonality, has added to the list of customers dealing with the institution, and has thus further strengthened one of the acknowledged pillars of strength in the capital city.

Mrs. Becker was Miss Helen Flanagan of Sacra- mento before they were married, in the year 1916, and in her promising daughter, Constance, one may find the reflection of more than one of her own charms. She shares with her husband the social life of the Sutter Club, and his love for tennis and baseball; and she is also a favorite among his brother Elks and their ladies.

GEORGE B. BLUE .- A worthy and useful pion- eer, widely esteemed by his generation and now re- vered by posterity, was the late George B. Blue, a native of Union Springs, Cayuga County, N. Y., where he was horn on the 1st of April, 1833. He came out to California by way of Cape Horn in the late fifties, and at Sutter Fort, on April 2, 1864, was married to Miss Mary Jane Torney, who was born in Milwaukee, Wis. She crossed the great plains with her parents on their journey to Oregon, when only six weeks old, and came to be the mother of five children, of whom only Myron and Maude Blue, now Mrs. Eugene H. Pitts, both of Sacramento, are still living, Robert, George and Fred having died.

George Blue was in Virginia City in the days of the Comstock Mine excitement, and was personally acquainted with Mark Twain, and the Floods, Fairs and others of those famous days. A carriage-maker by trade, he had a factory in Virginia City, and later, in the early sixties, he engaged in the furniture busi- ness at 732 Market Street, San Francisco, having as a partner his brother, Myron H. Blue. His carriage- making shop in Sacramento was first on Seventh Street, later on Third Street, and last on Sixth Street. He also, at one time in early days, had a sawmill at Seattle, Wash. He passed all the chairs in the Odd Fellows and he belonged to the Red Men. He passed away in Sacramento at his old home at 1331 L Street, May 22, 1906; his widow survived him until March 21, 1913. Sacramento, town and county, are proud to claim such a good man and exemplary citizen as George B. Bluc.

WILLIAM H. DAILEY .- Another experienced carpenter in such demand that he has been led by circumstances to undertake contracting in a more or less extensive manner is William H. Dailey, of Sac- ramento, a native of Virginia City, Nev., who has more than made good in California. His parents were C. W. and Mary (Sheehy) Dailey, and his father came to California as a pioneer in 1858, and for a while tried his luck at mining. They ranched for five years, and then returned to Nevada, and spent some time in the principal mining camps. In 1887, the family came once more to California, and settled in Sacramento, where Mr. Dailey was a fore- man carpenter; and in 1915 he died at the age of seventy-nine years, six months, having well earned

the good name of an able and an honest workman. Mrs. Dailey, who was always a favorite with those who knew her, lived five months longer, and breathed her last at the age of seventy-five.

William Dailey attended the schools of Nevada, in particular those of Virginia City, and then he learned the carpenter trade; and after coming to Sacramento, he joined his father in contracting en- terprises. They built the Orphans' Home, the Oak Park skating rink, Mrs. Mason's residence on Twen- ty-first Street, and the old Consumers' Ice plant; and they erected a large number of residences, mostly of the better class, some as fine as any in town at that time. Their busy shop was where the Stoll Hotel now stands; and he is recalled as about the oldest in his line.

In 1881, Mr. Dailey was married to Miss Emma Klees, a native daughter, and a member of an old- time family, the heads of which had come across the great plains in the usual oxen-train; and two chil- dren and four grandchildren have sprung from this fortunate union. Mrs. Dimmick of Alta is the elder child; and Mrs. Evelyn Morse is the younger. Mrs. Dailey's father, John Klees, came across the plains in the spring of 1849. He died in 1902, but Mrs. Klees is still living. Mr. Dailey is a Republican; and for twenty-three years has been a Modern Woodman of America. He is very fond of fishing, and is a loyal hooster for the great playground of nature.

RICHARD DALEY TORNEY .- A pioneer whose decease is greatly lamented by all who knew him, was the late Richard Daley Torney, who was a native of Wisconsin. He crossed the untracked plains to Oregon, from Wisconsin, in 1846, he and his good wife taking their six-weeks-old baby, Mary Jane Torney, and two years later reached California. He was a building contractor and started the first livery stable in Sacramento, with one big white horse. His wife and child followed him from Oregon to Sacra- mento in 1849, and the family resided at Sutter's Fort for many years. Mr. Torney started the first levee around the city, following the flood of 1850, and he was assisted in the work by the man known as "Hon- est John" Bigler, who from 1852 to 1856 was governor of California.

In 1852 an epidemic of cholera struck Sacramento, and Mr. Torney succumbed at the comparatively young age of thirty years, leaving a widow and daugh- ter in care of his brother-in-law, Elihu Cross. In the flood period, 1862, Sntter's Fort (the home of the Torney family) was the haven to which many persons were forced to go, to save their lives, and in a report of the Howard Benevolent Society, which raised funds and in other ways aided the refugees, a paragraph is devoted to a tribute to Mrs. Torney's hospitality and generosity; and a gold watch was also presented to her for her benevolent work in aiding the flood suf- ferers. Mr. Torney had purchased a part of the Sutter Grant on which the fort was located from General Sutter in 1849; and Mrs. Torney sold a portion of what her husband had bought to Mr. Garland, of Chi- cago, who paid $10,000, a large sum in those days for six blocks of land. Mr. Torney used to allow cattle to be driven into the corral of the Fort, and he charged as high as $100 per night, according to the number, for the privilege.

920

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY

D. H. McCULLOCH .- What electricity, in its manifold applied forms, does every day and hour for the benefit of humankind, and how much it may be worth as one of the ameliorating agencies of life, is suggested by the activities of the Electric Service Company, of Oak Park, Sacramento, so ably repre- sented by D. H. McCulloch, of 2941 Thirty-fifth Street. A native of Des Moines, Iowa, he was born on April 15, 1884, the son of D. R. and Alice (Hoggarth) McCulloch, who came out to California in October, 1890, when it was still possible to perform a good deal of pioneering for the benefit of the state. They worked hard, made progress, and in forging ahead for themselves, they helped many who traveled or labored with them. Mr. McCulloch was greatly missed, when he laid aside his carthly labors; and Mrs. Mc- Culloch is the center of a circle who believe in and are cheered by her.

Having finished with the public schools, our subject had some private technical training, and then took up mechanical engineering. He then entered the South- ern Pacific Railroad Company's shops, where he re- mained for five years, and he next went for a year and one-half to the Phoenix Boiler Works in Sacramento. After that, he returned East to Illinois, and entered the Silvas shops at Rock Island, stopping there a year. From Rock Island he went to the Indian Territory, for nine months, and then he was for four months with the Northern Pacific Railroad. Returning to Sacra- mento, after working at various shops, Mr. McCulloch engaged with the Electrical Supply Company, for a couple of years; and then for a couple of years he was with W. A. Strand. The next four years he was out in the open, ranching in Yolo County, and after that he was in electrical work for himself for ten months. In January, 1922, Mr. McCulloch embarked on his present business. He very naturally belongs to the Oak Park Merchants Club, where he enjoys the prestige of having the best-equipped and best- stocked electrical supply house for miles around.

Married at Sacramento, in 1907, to Miss Katherine Roguin, of the capital city, Mr. McCulloch is now the proud father of two children, Genevieve and David L. McCulloch. He belongs ot the Odd Fellows and the Eagles, and he is also a Republican.

GERALD R. JOHNSON .- The well-known firm of Messrs. Devlin & Devlin, lawyers, could not well be better represented than in the person of Gerald R. Johnson, whose knowledge of the law, experience, character and aggressive devotion to the best interests of his clients have made him one of the favorites among popular law practitioners in Sacramento County. He was born at the capital on August 10, 1897, the son of Howard K. Johnson, a county supervisor and the manager of the Sacramento Transportation Company, who had married Miss Minnie Meyers. Both parents have been highly esteemed by those who, for years, have known them and have witnessed their pioncer work, the result of public-spiritedness and a willing- ness to get behind all movements for local uplift.

Gerald Johnson attended both the grammar and the high schools of his native district, and then matricu- lated at the University of California, from which he was graduated in 1920 with the A. B. degree. He added to this training one year of post-graduate work, took the necessary bar examinations, and was ad- mitted to practice law in the courts of California in August, 1921.

It was rather natural that his native town should attract Mr. Johnson as a place of permanent residence and as the best field for his professional practice, and considering the relatively brief period since he first made his bow to the public as a full-fledged lawyer, he has done very well indeed. When the World War in- volved America, he enlisted, and became an ensign in the naval flying corps, seeing nineteen months of service at San Diego and Miami, Florida. In college, he was a member of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity; he belongs to the Y. M. C. A .; and he is a Mason.

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 134

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