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 83

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 83

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).

The marriage of Mr. Dobbins, which occurred in San Francisco, June 1. 1904, united him with Daisy Kearny, also a native of Rio Vista, and daughter of James and Mary (Isbell) Kearny, the former born in Nova Scotia, and the latter in Missouri, both now deceased, James Kearny passing aged sixty-seven and his good wife reaching only forty-five years. The family made their home one year in San Francisco and then moved to Colusa, later returning to the metropolis, and there Mrs. Dobbins received the greater part of her schooling, attending the John Swett Grammar School of that city. Three children have blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. Dobbins: Louise, Georgia, and George, Jr., and for the past fourteen years the family have made their home at Courtland. Fraternally Mr. Dobbins is a member of the Native Sons of Courtland, and his wife of the Native Daughters of that place; he has always taken a keen interest in bettering educational facilities in his community and has served on the board of trus- tees of both the Bates joint grammar school and the Courtland union high school. He has also been inter- ested in civic affairs, giving of his time and personal endeavors for the advancement of his community. While in business at Rio Vista, Mr. Dobbins served as city clerk for two years.

50+

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY

JOHN WESLEY SHARP .- An early pioneer of the Walnut Grove section of Sacramento County, whose brief life and manifold accomplishments were fraught with more than ordinary interest and signifi- cance, was John Wesley Sharp, who from the date of his arrival in Walnut Grove, in 1850, until the time of his death, was effectively engaged in con- structive effort in the vicinity of the town and com- munity he helped there to establish.

John Wesley Sharp was born in New York in 1823, and there spent his early days, later coming to Ohio. There he was married, in 1845, to Miss Sophia Bar- rett, born at Uniontown, Ohio; and soon after their marriage, the young couple located in Iowa, where their two eldest children, Mary Ann and Robert W., were born, the latter in 1849. In 1850, the young couple, with their two children, came across the plains, in wagons drawn by ox teams, via the overland trail, through Salt Lake City. They stopped for a short time at Dry Creek, a settlement near Coloma, Cal .; and at that place a daughter was born, whom they named Elizabeth. From Dry Creek they came down to Sacramento with their little family, and after stop- ping a short time in the city, came on, in 1850, to Walnut Grove. Mr. Sharp was so impressed with the favorable aspects of the country in that locality, that he stopped and there settled and lived out the rest of his days. He named the place Walnut Grove, on account of three very large walnut trees under which they camped on the bank of the river the first night after their arrival. In all, eight children were born to John Wesley and Sophia Sharp: Mary Ann and Robert W., both born in Iowa; Elizabeth, born at Dry Creek, Cal .; and Berdine, Martha Jane, Sher- wood, Alpharetta, and Clara Belle, born at Walnut Grove. Elizabeth became Mrs. Dye, and passed away at Walnut Grove in 1913; Sherwood died in 1917; and Berdine, Martha Jane, and Alpharetta are also deceased, the last two having died in infancy. Robert W. Sharp was for years a captain on the Sacramento River boats. Elizabeth (Shanklin) Sharp, John Wesley Sharp's mother, came to Cali- fornia in 1859, and died in 1867.

John Wesley Sharp was a blacksmith by trade, and built and ran the first blacksmith-shop in Walnut Grove. He also conducted the first hotel there, and an old document dated 1859 mentions this as the first polling place in the town. He built and ran the first store in Walnut Grove, erected the first residence, did the first farming in the vicinity, and ran the first ferry-boat across the Georgiana Slough to Andrus Island. Through Mr. Sharp's efforts, the post-office was established at Walnut Grove; and he was ap- pointed the first postmaster, holding the office until his death, after which Sperry Dye succeeded him; and when Mr. Dye resigned, Mr. Sharp's daughter became postmaster. Mr. Sharp gave the site for the first schoolhouse at Walnut Grove, and also gave to the California Transportation Company the site for the first steamboat landing there. With a prophetic foresight, he also said that some day there would be a railroad along the river, to haul the farmer's produce to the city markets. Among his other activities he purchased a ranch of 360 acres on the Sacramento River, reaching from the river to Snodgrass Slough, and on this land conducted a large dairy. Mr. Sharp was most enterprising and progressive. He crowded

a full life into but a short span; for his death occurred at the age of fifty-three. His wife survived him, living to see her seventy-first year.

MRS. CLARA BELLE LORD .- Like a chapter of pioneer history reads the life-story of Mrs. Clara Belle Lord and her parents, John Wesley and Sophia (Barrett) Sharp, a separate account of whose lives and labors is given in detail above. Her father came from New York to Ohio, and was there mar- ried to Miss Sophia Barrett. Soon afterward the young couple located in Iowa, where their eldest two children were born. In 1850, with their two children, they came across the plains in wagons drawn by ox teams, following the overland trail through Salt Lake City. Arriving in California, they stopped for a time at Dry Creek, a settlement near Coloma; and there a daughter, Elizabeth, was born. From Dry Creek, they came on to Sacramento, and after a brief stay in that city finally arrived, in 1850, at Walnut Grove. There they established their permanent home, and there their family was reared and educated. Eight children were born in the family: Mary Ann; Rob- ert W., long a captain on the Sacramento River; Elizabeth, Mrs. Dye, deceased in 1913; Berdine, de- ceased; Martha Jane, deceased in infancy; Sher- wood, deceased in 1917; Alpharetta, deceased in in- fancy; and Clara Belle, of this review. The father died at the age of fifty-three; the mother reached her seventy-first year.

The youngest child in her parents' family, Clara Belle Sharp, was born at Walnut Grove, and there she was brought up and received her early schooling. The first school of Walnut Grove was a subscription school, taught by a Mrs. Tyler; but later a district school was established, and it was this school that Clara Belle attended, supplementing her education there with a course at Mrs. Perry's Seminary in Sac- ramento.

At her parents' home, on August 31, 1884, Clara Belle Sharp was married to Dr. Charles C. Lord, a native of Missouri, born November 23, 1862, a son of Carl C. and Lucia (Stocking) Lord, who were natives of Ohio. The father came to Alameda County when Charles C. was a small child, and was prominent in public life in that section, serving for many years as treasurer of the city of Berkeley. Mrs. Lord made her home in San Francisco for a short time, and for a time in San Diego, and then returned to Walnut Grove, where she has for years resided on a part of her father's estate. She owns 150 acres of the orig- inal ranch, running from the Sacramento River at Walnut Grove to Snodgrass Slough. The land is devoted largely to asparagus and hay, though there are fourteen acres of bearing pear trees, and an addi- tional young pear orchard is being developed. One daughter, Clara Belle, 3rd, was born to Dr. Charles C. and Clara Belle Lord; and she became the wife of Hervey Edwin Salisbury, who was born at Folsom, Cal. His father was a native of England, who came to California in the early days and settled at Folsom, and later at Stockton and Sacramento, where his death occurred in June, 1922. Hervey Edwin Salis- bury is identified with the Pacific Fruit Express at Walnut Grove; and he is also superintendent of Mrs. Lord's ranch, and with his wife and family makes his home there. Four grandchildren now brighten the life at the home ranch-the children of Mr. and

JohnH@harf

Sophia Sharp

509

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY

Mrs. Salisbury: Hervey Melvin, Edwin Lyle, Don- ald Eldridge, and Gerald Alan.

Mrs. Lord has been identified with the growth and development of the section where her parents settled and helped to found a town; and she has carried on the family traditions, doing her share toward bringing about further improvements in the interest of posterity. Her father was a stanch Repub- lican, and she also supports the platforms of that party. She is progressive in all community matters, and is a worthy daughter of her esteemed parents.

CHARLES E. BUNNELL .- A popular, because efficient and fearless public official, is Charles E. Bunnell the level-headed justice of the peace of Courtland, who is also a successful broker and man of affairs in the commercial world, and has been able to exert an enviable influence in favor of broad and permanent development in this part of the favored county of Sacramento. He was born in the capital city on February 23, 1870, the son of Charles E. and Elizabeth D. (Woodman) Bunnell, well known to our readers, as worthy and sturdy pioncers. The father was born in the state of Connecticut, July 8, 1831, and came to California in 1854, moving to Stockton in 1867. He died in a hospital in San Francisco in 1902, leaving his widow, who is still living and resides in Courtland with our subject, who is unmarried. The mother was born January 28, 1847, at Fort Madison, Iowa. Her father, "Squire" James Woodman, crossed the plains in 1849, and seven years later brought his family out to California. They had six children: Nellie is now Mrs. Nellie Callaway, whose sketch appears in this volume. Charles E. is the subject of this re- view. Edward E. is a rancher on Merritt Island in Yolo County. Frederick W. died at forty-one years of age, unmarried. Bessie C. is single and resides at Courtland with her brother, Charles. Minnie E. is now the wife of E. G. Kirtlan, a broker who re- sides in Courtland.

Having disposed of the grammar school work in the Richland district school, and taken a commercial course in the business college at Auburn, Charles E. Bunnell started out for himself at the age of twenty- two, when he took up farming. He leased from time to time from 100 to 200 acres of land in the delta of the Sacramento River, and there he raised fruit, beans and grain. Four years ago, he bought a ten- acre orchard, and he has operated this, while always making his home at Courtland. In 1906, he built his first residence in Courtland; and when this was burned to the ground, he immediately rebuilt it. He is a broker of wide experience and absolute de- pendability, and he deals in beans, grain and aspar- agus.

A favorite among citizens who care for law and order and the good repute of the community in which they and their families dwell, Charles Bun- nell was elected justice of the peace of Franklin Township, and served for eight years; and when Franklin and Georgiana Townships were consoli- dated into the present Georgiana Township, he con- sented to stand again as a candidate, and was re- elected justice of the new and enlarged township. He has served, with satisfaction to everybody. He is a trustee of the Franklin Masonic Hall Association. This association has just completed building the

new Masonic Temple. In national politics a Repub- lican, Judge Bunnell is never a partisan when it comes to the consideration of supporting what seems to be best, in men or measures for the locality in which he lives. He is a past master of Franklin Masonic Lodge No. 143 of Courtland, and a member of the Onisbo Chapter, No. 164, of the Eastern Star of the same place.

JOHN E. HAGEL .- As a native of Sacramento County, John E. Hagel is taking an active part in its development, as a rancher, residing on the old home ranch and remodeling the property into a modern California holding. Born there on July 7, 1895, he is the son of John and Susan (Thomas) Hagel; the former a native of Philadelphia, Pa., born July 16, 1842, of German parents who early in life settled in that metropolis. The father, a son of Godfrey and Christiana (Winegardner) Hagel, was rcared and educated in the locality of his birth, and in September, 1861, he enlisted in Company I, Eighth Pennsyl- vania Cavalry, under Colonel Gregg, for service in the Civil War, and took part in battles with the Army of the Potomac. He was captured at Chancellors- ville, and confined in Libby Prison at Richmond, suf- fering privations and hardships never to be forgotten; he was finally paroled and exchanged, and rejoined his regiment, participating in Sheridan's raid on Rich- mond and in the siege of Petersburg, and was honor- ably discharged in October, 1864. He returned to Philadelphia and resided there until 1868, when he came to California via Panama, and for a time worked as a ranch hand. Later he acquired a 300-acre ranch and engaged in general ranching and stock-raising. His death occurred at the age of seventy-six, while his wife is still living, at Lodi. Cal.

John E. Hagel attended the Alabama district school and supplemented his education with a course at Heald's Business College in Stockton. In 1910 the Sacramento County ranch was rented and the family moved to San Joaquin County where a ranch was purchased on Wyandotte Avenue southeast of Lodi, where they made their home until 1920, when this property was sold and they lived in Lodi. John E. enlisted for service in the World War, June 14, 1917, in the U. S. Naval Reserve, and was later called into active service and sent to the submarine base at San Pedro; after a stay of twenty days at that point he was sent to New York and stationed at the navy yards at Brooklyn as an armed guard. He was in this branch but ten days when transferred to the U. S. S. Rochester for trans-Atlantic service, in which he remained six months and made three round trips to Europe, serving as a non-commissioned officer, with rank of gun captain. He received his discharge in June, 1921.

The marriage of Mr. Hagel, which occurred at Sac- ramento, March 19, 1918, united him with Grace Irene Hovard, born in Fairbury, Nebr., the daughter of Noah and Ollic (McAdow) Hovard; she attended the Alpine district school of San Joaquin County and the Lodi high school. Two children have been born to them: Marjorie Grace, and John William.

In April, 1922, Mr. Hagel moved his family to the old home ranch in Sacramento County, and he has remodeled the place into a modern ranch home, and in partnership with his brother, Thomas M., is devot- ing his time to improving and cultivating the pro-

510

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY

perty, which had been allowed to get into a run-down condition by former tenants. Fraternally he is a Mason, belonging to the Lodi lodge, and is a member of the Scottish Rite Consistory and of Ben Ali Temple of Sacramento. He is also a member of the Smith-Lippi Post of the American Legion, of Galt.

CHARLES F. SILVA .- Standing today among the avowed financial and business leaders of Sacra- mento County, Charles F. Silva has distinguished himself throughout his entire career by his shrewd business management and high integrity; and the large measure of success he has won is well de- served, due, as it is, entirely to his own efforts. He has been identified with the development of Califor- nia since 1878, when he crossed the Atlantic with his brother, Frank F. Silva, from his home on Fayal, in the Azores Islands, where he was born December 14, 1867, the son of John and Annie (Poshote) Silva, hoth natives of that country.

Charles F. Silva spent his early youth in a home of culture, receiving there a training which combined both love and firmness, and which left upon him a lasting impression. Although but eleven years of age when he left his studies to accompany his broth- er to the new land, he had acquired, by concentra- tion and natural aptitude, knowledge greatly exceed- ing in extent that ordinarily absorbed by one of a similar age, and was, therefore, fairly well equipped to engage in the battle of life. Upon reaching Bos- ton, after a voyage of three weeks, the brothers came at once to Sacramento, Cal., which they had chosen as their destination. With only $2.50 in his pocket, Charles paid one dollar of this to reach Vernon, Sutter County, where he went to work milking cows 011 a dairy ranch for fifty cents a day, with long hours and hard work. Saving his small earnings, when he was thirteen he paid a man fifty dollars to teach him cheese-making; and he then went into this business for himself, buying milk for five cents a gallon. Next he rented a ranch in Yolo County, bought cows and established a dairy and cheese plant, and then bought the Ramsey ranch of 160 acres six miles above Vernon on the Feather River. He also rented the Hoover ranch and the Clark and Cave ranches on the Sacramento River, and also entered the boating business, buying a gasoline boat and a barge. He had also purchased the Point ranch, and here he cut wood which he transported down the river to Sacramento.

In 1900 Mr. Silva took up his residence at Sacra- mento, purchasing the Meadows place on Front Street, between O and P, and established a wood, hay and grain business. He also bought the steamers "Neponset" and "Neptune," with a barge, the "Co- lumbia," and three barges, and then the "Neponset" trading boats "Jercy" and "Inder," the San Jose barge "Sutter," and the barge "Vernon," and with Cap- tain Jones as a partner, engaged for years in the transportation business, their route including the towns on the Sacramento River between the capital and Butte City. All these years Mr. Silva had also engaged in the cattle and sheep business. At length he sold out his interests in the boats, to give his time to the stock business. He enlarged his interests from year to year, and developed a large retail business, having four meat markets in Sacramento, and did a large wholesale business as well. Of late years he has specialized in Hereford stock; and he is now well-known all over the state as a breeder of these

fine cattle. He was at one time the largest indi- vidnal cattle dealer in California, shipping thousands of head from Mexico in addition to his large ship- ments from all over the state.

Mr. Silva has probably been interested in the sale of more large ranches than any other man in this district. With a number of Sacramento capitalists he bought the Fair ranch of 10,000 acres for $600,000, reclaimed it and sold it in two years for $1,250,000; he bought another ranch of 8,000 acres and sold it to the Sutter Basin Company for $365,000, and has bought, developed and sold many other large prop- erties in northern California. He has been actively associated with various reclamation projects from the beginning of activities in that line to the present. He was the organizer and director of the Sutter Basin Company and of the Natomas Land Company, trustee of the Vernon Reclamation District, manager and trustee of the Fair ranch, and manager and di- rector of the Sacramento River Farms Company, his executive ability and indomitable energy pecul- iarly fitting him for these positions, in which his services have been of incalculable value. At one time he ran cattle in Modoc County, but he has dis- posed of these and has invested heavily in city property in Sacramento, including business blocks, warehouses and residences. He has lately pur- chased a 21,000-acre ranch in Modoc County, which he devotes to cattle-raising. He owns a ranch of 243 acres all in fruit in Yuba County, and 670 acres on the Feather River in Butte County, one-half of it being in fruit. Mr. Silva is still a large dealer in cattle. Always a lover of horses, Mr. Silva for many years engaged in breeding standard-bred ani- mals, and at one time had the finest standard-bred stock in the state. He raised the well-known pacer, Teddy Bear, that broke the record which had stood for six years at the California state fair, making a mile in 2:05.

On August 15, 1899, at Sacramento, Mr. Silva was united in marriage with Miss Theresa Kennedy, who was born in Oakland, the daughter of Daniel and Mary (Hurley) Kennedy, natives of Ireland and New Orleans, La., respectively. Nine children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Silva: Claire M., attending Chico Normal School; Charles C., on the ranch; and Ralph C., Alice C., Fred, Merrill C., Raymond C., Bertram C., and Teresa. Mrs. Silva died; and Mr. Silva was again married, his second marriage uniting him with Lois Blackwell, who was born in California. Two children have been born to them: Ellis and Glenn.

Thoroughly interested in the progress of the com- munity in which he had cast his fortunes, and pos- sessing a rare sense of diplomacy and foresight, from the time he took up his residence here Mr. Silva steadily rose in commercial circles, with a sure- ness of judgment and a certainty of success which were somewhat baffling to many of his competitors, who found it impossible to ontstrip this cool and self-possessed young business man whose affairs seemed to conduct themselves as if by magic. Not- withstanding his wide interests and heavy responsi- bilities, he has maintained a growing interest in municipal problems, and can be counted upon to fur- ther every progressive movement for the commun- ity's good. A Republican in politics, Mr. Silva takes a deep interest in civic affairs, but has never aspired to public office.

Chaves Fibra

4 4

513

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY

PETER S. WAHRHAFTIG .- A pioneer horticul- turist who deserves and enjoys the highest esteem of his fellow-ranchers interested in scientific agriculture, is Peter S. Wahrhaftig, one of the prominent citizens of Orangevale, who is advantageously located some eighteen miles north of Sacramento. A native of Russia, he was born at Kovel, on August 9, 1860, and there he spent his boyhood, while he enjoyed the ad- vantages of a good education. At the age of eighteen, he entered a lawyer's office as a clerk, and such was his progress there, while he became more and more familiar with legal procedure, that at the age of twen- ty-two he was appointed assistant city clerk of Kovel, a position of responsibility which he filled for the fol- lowing five years with credit to himself and to the municipality.

About that time, the government passed a law pro- hibiting any Jew from holding public office, and as Mr. Wahrhaftig was unwilling to tolerate such perse- cution, he hastened to leave his benighted country, and to seek America, which he had come to regard as the land of opportunity and freedom. He was the youngest child of Solomon and Rebecca (Wertz- man) Wahrhaftig, both natives of Poland, but long residents of Kovel, where Solomon Wahrhaftig, until his death in 1868, had served as high chief rabbi for many years. Agreeable to the decrees of destiny, therefore, in September, 1890, Mr. and Mrs. Peter S. Wahrhaftig and their three children, together with Mr. Wahrhaftig's aged mother, arrived in San Fran- cisco; and in December of that same year he removed with his family group to a tract of land in Orangevale, where he once more started out in the struggle for advancement.

By the hardest kind of work, and the steady per- formance of uphill tasks, Mr. Wahrhaftig gained a foothold in the land of his adoption and in a com- munity always eager to recognize worth and to wel- come the stranger who has come hither with the right kind of sensible, honest purpose; and as soon as he had paid for the first ten acres, he continued, from time to time, to add to his holdings. In the mean- time, his eldest son, Solomon, became an active part- ner with him in his work, and for the past ten years he has been closely identified with his father, and has proven of inestimable aid in their orchard and vine- yard enterprises, in which they have raised extensive- ly the finest Tokay grapes, olives, peaches, and other fruits. Mr. Wahrhaftig's mother, whom he had brought with him from Russia, passed away in 1902, at the home of another son, having reached the ripe old age of eighty-two years.

From the start Mr. Wahrhaftig, a firm believer in the government and country of his adoption, and al- ways an ardent supporter of its laws, became inter- ested in community welfare. Shortly after his arrival he was made a citizen. This was at Sacramento on September 5, 1895, and since then he has always been identified with all movements looking to the advance- ment of his community. Interested from the start in education, he served his community as school trus- tee for many years. Likewise, for many years, as director, and as secretary of the Orangevale Water Company, the utility which distributed water to his community, he served his community well. Though never an aspirant for public office, he has, by reason of his ability and rectitude, enjoyed a position of com- manding influence in the community, and has at all

times given the best of himself for the upbuilding of the state, which he truly loves.

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 83

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