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 87

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 87

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).

Blanche O Eljas

A.D. hadong

539

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY

two weeks without cost, thus keeping up practice and really brushing up again if a wee bit rusty, while employment is being obtained.

Mrs. Blanche O. Edgar's maiden name was Burger. She is the only daughter of the late Ambrose H. Burger and his wife Caroline Burger. The former was born in Pennsylvania, while the latter, who is still living in the city of Sacramento, is one of the very well-known pioneers of this section, and dis- played unusual business ability as a breeder of reg- istered dairy cattle and as a hop-grower. Mrs. Edgar was reared and educated in Sacramento County, being a graduate of the Sacramento High School and later a student at the University of Cali- fornia, where she pursued a special course of study. She had eight years' experience in real-estate and insurance work, before establishing the Standard School in March, 1916.

The Standard School, so efficiently conducted by Mrs. Edgar, offers courses by the latest and most approved methods in shorthand, bookkeeping, type- writing, bank or bookkeeping machines, calculating machines, penmanship, spelling, arithmetic, filing, business English, practical grammar, salesmanship, Spanish, and dictaphone; while the school's account- ing, calculator and office-assistant courses prove shortcuts to good salaries. Students are also given the opportunity to do practical commercial work, for which they are paid, after class hours; and this has been a God-send to some, enabling them to earn, in a dignified and agreeable manner, the necessary cost of tuition at the same time that they are receiving instruction and gaining speed. The motto of the Standard School is suggestive: "Promise is most given when the least is said"; for confidence is the product, not of promises, but of performance.

H. D. GRADON .- A highly trained, experienced engineer whose good work is now being demon- strated in the Natomas Reclamation District No. 1000, is H. D. Gradon, a native of Portland, Ore., the son of Israel and Isabella (Creigh) Gradon. His father was born in Ohio in 1816, and migrated to Oregon by way of the great plains, traveling by means of the ox team and the covered wagon. He was an expert wagon-maker, and had great success in that line of business in Portland, having been among the founders of that early city. He was crowded out of business only by the keen and ruthless competition of Eastern manufacturers. He died at Portland in 1890, at the age of seventy-four, highly esteemed by a wide circle of acquaintances and admirers of his sterling char- acter. Mrs. Gradon was also born in Ohio, and died in Portland in 1874, at the age of forty-seven. She was a remarkable woman, and left her impress upon that city in one of its most important formative periods.

H. D. Gradon was graduated from the Portland high school in 1876, a member of the second class graduated from the high school, Portland then being the only town having a secondary school. Already, he had shown a special talent for mathematics, a mental aptitude which has contributed to his success in a field requiring a thorough knowledge of mathe- matics. When only sixteen he accepted a job as chainman to a United States government surveying party under Engineer George S. Pershin, and spent

three months in the Santiam section of eastern Ore- gon. For this work he received $35 per month. At the age of eighteen, he took another job on a cattle range in eastern Oregon, at $40 per month; and he recalls his experiences in mining at Spanish Gulch, his initial effort, and the very profitable results.

In 1880, Mr. Gradon entered the Department of the Interior, under Surveyor-General Tolman, and seven years later he opened his first offices at Portland. Thereafter he was generally recognized. both in and out of Portland, as a thoroughly competent civil engineer. In 1893, Mr. Gradon was elected city engineer of Portland, and held that office for three years, during which time much new work was accom- plished in the building of streets and sewers. He was also engaged on public and private jobs as surveyor. as in the building of the narrow-gage railway in Willamette Valley, Ore., and later in the service of the United States government on a survey in western Oregon.

Mr. Gradon had much to do in major engineering projects in Idaho and Oregon, which brought him directly into touch with the remarkable resources then lying undeveloped, but which are now being exploited. He recalls, among many other experi- ences, an association, in 1883, with a young civil engi- neer named Emery Oliver, now general manager of Natomas Company of California, who was employed by him for a couple of years, and was later his part- ner. In the construction of the Western Pacific Rail- road, Mr. Oliver was a division engineer, and it was in order to become his associate that Mr. Gradon left Portland in 1905 for California. His first job was in the construction of fifteen miles of road, in 1905-1907, running out of Oroville. In 1907, the difficult engin- eering problem of mastering the Feather River Route loomed up, and Mr. Gradon was called upon to "put it over," which he did in record time.

In the meantime, Mr. Gradon invested in a profit- able orange and olive ranch near Oroville, and also made some wise investments in San Francisco prop- erty, which he still owns, having sold his ranch at the end of five years. He had formerly owned a beautiful country estate in Marin County, near San Anselmo, called Woodacre Lodge, which also has since been sold.

In 1910, Mr. Gradon took up his work with the Natomas Company of California as associate engineer; and his services have been especially valuable, as he has often been retained as the consulting engineer in difficult problems of engineering. As far as his material circumstances are concerned, Mr. Gradon would not need to work at his profession; but he has no desire to be "retired." His offices overlook the racing waters of the Sacramento River, and here the plans and maps for Reclamation District No. 1000 have been drawn since 1915.

While at Portland, Mr. Gradon was married to Miss Dorothea Grethe, a native of Germany who first came to Portland in 1884; and the happy couple reside at Natomas Park on the Sacramento River, ten miles north of the capital. He is a member of Portland Lodge No. 142 of the Elks, in which his membership number is 180, in a membership that now numbers over 4,000. In national politics, Mr. Gradon is a Republican.

540

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY

HERMAN F. UTZ .- A highly respected represent- ative of important commercial affairs, whose wide and varied experience enables him to serve his fel- low-citizens, is Herman F. Utz, who was born January 3, 1887, at St. Paul, Minn., the son of William Arnold and Emma (Schade) Utz. His father came to Cali- fornia in 1907 and settled in Sacramento. He was en- ployed in the Southern Pacific Railroad Company shops as a pattern-maker, and is now retired from active service. He and his wife are residing in Sacra- mento.

Herman F. Utz was educated in the public schools of St. Paul, Minn. When he was twenty years old he came to Sacramento, and became an apprentice in the machinist trade.' He has been employed in various shops and cities from Alaska down the coast to Sac- ramento, where he settled in 1919. In 1922 he estab- lished the Capital Machine Works at 526-528 Twelfth Street. His plant is equipped with complete and mod- ern machinery, and he specializes in crank-shaft and cylinder grinding, employing about four men. As one of the substantial citizens of Sacramento County, Her- man F. Utz takes pride in advancing all measures for the general good of his locality.

The Capital Machine Works is a partnership com- posed of A. C. Penner and H. F. Utz. Mr. Penner is at the present time shop superintendent of the In- diana Machine Shop at Oroville, Cal., a Gugen- heim interest. This leaves our subject to have full charge of the Capital Machine Works, although Mr. Penner is still a half owner.

PETER FRANCIS BENDER .- An experienced, progressive builder, who finds it more profitable to operate in general contracting, is Peter Francis Bender, now residing at North Sacramento. He was born at the capital city on June 11, 1884, the son of Peter Francis and Mary (Russmeier) Bender, the former a fairly early pioneer, who was married in Chicago and came out with his wife to California as a veteran patriot, just after the Civil War. By his marriage with Mary Russmeier two old-time families were joined together. Mrs. Bender is still alive, to give joy to a circle of devoted friends. Mr. Bender has closed his earthly account, but still lives in the esteem of those who knew him.

Peter Bender went to the Christian Brothers Col- lege, and then, for five years, was a messenger boy for the Postal Telegraph Company. After that, he learned the carpenter trade; and for the past fourteen years he has been in the building game, and for twelve years has been associated with a partner. He employs from five to ten men. Among other build- ings erected by him are the H. Nicolaus Building, 728 K Street, Sacramento, and the Sorenson-Brasher Building and Masonic Hall, in North Sacramento; and he puts up many homes and flats. His work is characterized by good taste and perfection in finish and detail. He is an esteemed member of the Build- ers' Exchange.

In politics, Mr. Bender is a Progressive Republican; but he is first, last and all the time an American, enthusiastically devoted to his birthplace and its environs; and he may always be counted upon for a non-partisan support of the best men and the best movements or measures, for the benefit of the com- munity in which he lives.

ADOLPH TEICHERT, JR .- Among the native sons who are making a success of large constructive endeavor and are deeply interested in the growth of the Golden State, taking a material part in its rapid development, is Adolph Teichert, Jr., who was born in the city of San Francisco, April 24, 1885, a son of Adolph Teichert, an old-timer in the state and a pro- minent contractor, who has attained a high place in business and social circles in the city of Sacramento.

Adolph Teichert, Jr., when two years of age, came to the capital city with his parents; and here he grew to manhood, enjoying the privilege of the excellent public schools of this city. He graduated from the Sacramento high school in 1903, after which he en- tered the department of civil engineering in the University of California, receiving the coveted degree of Bachelor of Science in 1908. Although he had been offered a position as instructor in civil engineer- ing at the University of Montana, he declined it, choosing rather to assist his father in the contract- ing business. He had grown up in the business, for each summer from the time he was a youth he had assisted his father in his large affairs, thus becoming thoroughly familiar with every department of the business. In 1912 he was taken into partnership, and the firm became A. Teichert & Son, and the busi- ness has been carried on under that name ever since. They are specializing in road-building and street-pav- ing, and among their large contracts are the highway from Galt to New Hope and a section of the State Highway, from Fresno to Fowler and from Fowler to Kingsburg. They built the section of the State Highway from Stevens Creek Bridge to Millikens Corners, Santa Clara County, and did the paving of the streets in Redwood City, and the surfacing of Tu- lare County Highway from Lindsay to Porterville, Tulare County, and from Porterville on through Terra Bella to Richgrove, thirty-one miles. With Thomas Ambrose as a partner, they built the Sacramento By- pass weir, to take care of the flood-waters from the city. They built two sections of the Yolo County Highway and Sacramento City Sump No. 2, and have paved numerous streets in this city, Turlock, and Oakdale. In the line of construction of buildings, they did the concrete work on many of the large busi- ness buildings in Sacramento. The firm is well sup- plied with the necessary equipment for large con- struction. Their paving-plant at Thirty-seventh and R Streets is most adequate and complete, including among other things steam rollers, tractors, trucks and teams.

In the capital city. on February 28, 1912, Mr. Teichert was united in marriage with Miss Augusta Quass, who was born in this city, a daughter of Henry T. and Catherine (Heilbron) Quass, the father a native of Germany, while the mother was born in Sacramento. Her grandfather, Adolph Heilbron, was one of the pioneers of the county and one of its early sheriffs, and was a very prominent and influential business man. Henry Quass was also one of the pioneer business men in this city, and is now living in comfortable retirement. Augusta Quass was edu- cated at Notre Dame, San Francisco, and at the Sacramento high school, and afterwards spent a year abroad in the study of music in Dresden, Germany, during which time she also traveled throughout Ger- many, France, Switzerland, Italy and England. Their union has proven very happy and has been blessed with the birth of three children: Adolph Jr.,

T. Juichent Sr.

543

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY

second, Frederick, and Henry. Mrs. Teichert is a woman of much culture and refinement, having tastes for the beautiful and artistic; and she presides grace- fully over her husband's home. A woman of pleasing personality, she is much loved and esteemed in the circles of the Saturday, Tuesday, and Delphian Clubs. Mr. Teichert has been very prominent in fraternal circles. He was made a Mason in Union Lodge, No. 58. F. & A. M., and was exalted to the Royal Arch degree in Sacramento Chapter, No. 3, R. A. M., and knighted in Sacramento Commandery, No. 2, K. T. He is also a thirty-second-degree Scottish Rite Ma- son, being a member of all the bodies of the con- sistory in the capital city, and a charter member of Ben Ali Temple, Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, in Sacramento. While at college, he became a member

of the Delta Upsilon Fraternity; and locally he is a popular member of the Exchange Club and the Del Paso Country Club. He holds membership in St. John's Lutheran Church. A believer in protection for America and Americans, he is a strong Republican in his political views. Mr. Teichert gives his un- divided time to the management and enlarging of the business of A. Teichert & Son, a work for which his professional training and years of experience well Qualify him. He is an active member of the Con- tractors' Association of Northern California, his firm being among the large contractors in northern Cali- fornia. Mr. Teichert is a man of energy, never idle, and drives his business forward to success, throwing into his work much zeal and enthusiasm.

SAMUEL S. HAYWOOD .- A very experienced and enterprising fruit-rancher who has always sought to operate in the most scientific manner, and has therefore obtained results such as may be accepted as a standard of the progress hereabouts in California husbandry, from year to year, is Samuel S. Haywood, now residing on Pecan Avenue, in Orangevale. He owns some ten acres of fruit- orchard, in a beautifully laid out home-place, eight- een miles from the state capital. He was born at Springfield, Vt., on September 12, 1859, the only child of Charles H. and the late Ellen (Stimson) Haywood, whose interesting lives are elsewhere sketched in this historical work; and he was reared on his father's hillside ranch, while he attended the local schools. His education included good courses at the Springfield high school, where he further pre- pared himself for the duties of life.

In the spring of 1884, Samuel S. Haywood was married to Miss Carrie M. Woodward, the ceremony taking place at Saxton River. She was born in Springfield on May 27, 1860, the daughter of George and Susan (Allbee) Woodward, natives of Rocking- ham, Vt. He then took up actively both stock-rais- ing and dairying, in Vermont, and continued there in that field until the fall of 1886, when they moved to western Nebraska and settled near Cambridge. There he took a ranch of 640 acres which he devel- oped into land burdened with alfalfa and grain crops, and he engaged in cattle- and hog-raising on the bot- tom lands of the Republican River. Three years later, his father removed to Nebraska, taking with him some of the choice harness horses, thereby cre- ating the foundation of harness-horse stock in Ne- braska. He owned a number of notable horses, but "Clegg Right" was perhaps the record-holder, doing the mile in 2:30. The Haywood ranch was known

far and wide for its reliability in horse-dealing, and it was natural that our subject and his parents should take an active part in all state and county fairs.

Early in 1901, Mr. and Mrs. Charles H. Haywood made a tour to and along the Pacific Coast, and eight years later, Samuel Haywood made a thirty- day visit to the Golden State. They were all so well pleased and stimulated by what they saw here that in 1913 they moved out to California, the old folks to retire in a comfortable home, and our subject to enlarge his field of activity. He and his wife became strong devotees of California; one result of which has been that, although they are still deeply interested in both Nebraska and Vermont, they expect never to return there to live. Having acquired their property here in March, 1913, they made the necessary im- provements, remodeling their home and adding to its comfort and beauty. A Republican in matters of national political moment, Mr. Haywood is a popular past noble grand of lodge No. 132, I. O.O.F., at Cambridge.

GEORGE EDWARD ALLEN .- An experienced rancher whose repeated successes have helped to stimulate those who share with him the great work of developing the natural resources of the Golden State, is George Edward Allen, whose trim farm lies along the highway north of Arno. He was born in Sutter Creek, Amador County, on October 4, 1873, the son of George and Annie E. (Bradbury) Allen, his father having been a native of Rochester, N. Y., while his mother came from Maine. Mr. Allen came to California in 1862 by way of the Panama route and settied in Amador County, where he embarked in the stock-raising business. In course of time, he acquired between 7,000 and 8,000 acres of land; and when he died, at the age of fifty-five, he had completed a record of great usefulness. Mrs. Allen lived to be sixty-five years of age, and was beloved by all who knew her. Mr. Allen was a stanch Republican. The worthy couple had five children, our subject being the second in the order of birth. Flora, the eldest, is now deceased, as is Bessie, the youngest, who died at the age of five. Those coming after George into the family are Sophie, Mrs. Minasian, living at Berkeley, and John F., who lives at Sutter Creek.

George Edward Allen was sent to the Sutter Creek grammar school, and later attended the university at Santa Clara; and when a young man, he started out for himself. He went to Carbonado, Wash., and for two years clerked in a general merchandise store serving a mining plant; and then, returning to San Francisco, he worked in the bay city for a year. Then he came back to the old home place at Sutter Creek, and has remained with his folks ever since. Owing to his father's death, the Allen Estate Com- pany was formed, and they control the old home place referred to, and in addition land which the company began to acquire, about fifteen years ago, in Sacra- mento County. They own 1,170 acres known as the old Hicks estate, and also the old McConnell ranch of 1,435 acres, and these two ranches join each other, about one-third of these 2,605 acres being devoted to the raising of beans, while the rest is given to the raising of grain. Much of the land is leased out by our subject, who built a house on the ranch, and lives there, although at first he used to come here only at intervals.

544

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY

At Carson City, Nev., on July 28, 1898, Mr. Allen was married to Miss Caroline Corotto, a native of Sutter Creek, her parents being Bartholomew and Mary Corotto. Her father was an Italian, and came out to California in pioneer days, when he was a mere lad. He died at the age of sixty-five, while his good wife passed away in her sixtieth year. Both were highly esteemed. Three children have been granted Mr. and Mrs. Allen, and they bear the names of George, Mildred and Clarence. Mr. Allen is a Republican, and he belongs to the Henry Clay Lodge of Masons at Sutter Creek, and also to the Royal Arch Chapter there: he is affiliated with the Placer- ville Commandery and Ben Ali Temple of Sacra- mento.

JAMES GRIFFITH .- The recent and almost phenomenal development of Sacramento County must be attributed in part, at least, to the foresight and courage, the experience and high standard of ethics, of such realtors as James Griffith, of the Griffith Com- pany, well-known dealers in high-grade real estate and dependable insurance. He was born in Ireland, on September 27, 1876, the son of Michael and Hanna (Gallagher) Griffith, estimable citizens and devoted parents, now at rest from their earthly labors; and he attended first the schools of his native district, and later those of the section in the United States to which he migrated.

When only twelve years of age, he crossed the ocean to New York, and after spending some time in the Empire State, moved on to Pennsylvania. Once through with school-work, and old enough to under- take heavier responsibilities, he set out as a commer- cial "drummer," and for twenty years he traveled while representing first-class firms.

In 1908 he came to Sacramento, where he is now at the head of an enterprising company of his own, deal- ing particularly with ranch properties, and renders a real service to those wishing to deal in first-class real estate, and to be properly protected by dependable insurance. He belongs to the Sacramento Chamber of Commerce, and never loses an opportunity to "boost" for the city and the county in which he is so pleasantly situated, and which gives him such a gener- ous support. In 1922 he became first vice-president of the Vita Rice Products Company of California.

In 1904, Mr. Griffith was married to Miss Beatrice Moran, a native of Ireland, who died in January, 1914. In February, 1918, he chose as his second wife a popular lady of Marysville, Miss Elizabeth Cutts, the daughter of James Cutts of that city. One child, Elizabeth Hanna, has blessed this happy union. Mr. Griffith is a member of the Knights of Columbus, in which he has attained to the fourth degree; of the Ancient Order of Hibernians; and also of the Young Men's Institute. He is very fond of fishing, and when it comes to a choice he never neglects the call of the rod and reel.

ALMON CHAPMAN .- A successful, esteemed pioneer whose life-story is well worthy of record and repetition, is Almon Chapman, the well-known printer of Chicago, and now an honored citizen of Fair Oaks Colony, where he has resided in pleasant retirement since July 4, 1897. He was born in Oneida County, N. Y., on December 3, 1839, the second of twelve children, seven boys and five girls, of the late Thomas and Rosetta Higley Chapman, four of whose sons served the Union under Old

Glory in the War of the Rebellion. His parents were born in western New York, his father in 1798 and his mother in 1818. The father was a carpenter and joiner by trade, and learned the trade in New York. The four sons who served in the Civil War were William W., who was with the 3rd Wisconsin Infantry, as was also Orange Howard; and Eugene, together with our subject, who enlisted while in Kansas in Company D of the 17th Kansas Volunteer Infantry, commanded by Capt. R. D. Monley. Al- mon Chapman saw four months of active service, and at the close of the war returned to Wisconsin.

In 1879, he removed to Lecompton, Kans., and making this town his headquarters, worked on flat- boats on the Kansas River. Then he went into the lumber camps, and later finally found what he really wanted-a job as a press boy in a printing shop. He got work from the editor of the "Lecompton Democrat," on which he was employed for two years. Removing to Atchison, Kans., he was there asso- ciated with Col. John A. Martin, the owner of the "Atchison Champion," Republican, acting as office clerk for several years, and there also was published one of his first attempts at producing "copy." For two years he was assistant postmaster at Atchison.

He entered the printing business as a journeyman, having learned his trade at Lecompton and Atchi- son, and later removed to Chicago, where he was engaged in an undertaking of some magnitude in the printing line, and as proprietor enjoyed a very lucrative business for about twenty years.

At Rockford Seminary, September 10, 1878, Mr. Chapman was married to Miss Amelia M. Hollister. a nicce of the late Anna P. Sill, the founder and first principal of the famous Rockford Female Seminary, at Rockford, Ill., now Rockford College. Anna P. Sill was born in 1816, in New York State, and was a descendant from John Sill, who came to Massa-

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 87

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