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 92

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 92

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The first marriage of Mr. Carr united him with Miss Muriella York; and they were the parents of one daughter, now Mrs. Alice D. Mason, who resides in New Hampshire. Mrs. Muriella Carr is now deceased. Mr. Carr was married the second time, to Miss Emma Pearl, a native of Maine. He followed farming in New Hampshire for many years, and then learned the shoemaking trade, in which he was engaged for a time. Afterwards he worked in the lumber camps of New Hampshire, removing later to Parsonfield, Maine, and again engaging in farming.

On account of impaired health, Mr. Carr canie West to California and located in Sacramento County, on the Freeport road; and later, in 1898, he purchased his present ranch of fifteen acres in the Fruitridge sec- tion of the county. Here, in 1899, he built a fine resi- dence: and he has otherwise improved his ranch, set- ting out an orchard and vineyard, and through unceas- ing industry has now become independent. Mrs. Carr passed away at the family home; and some time after his wife's death, Mr. Carr went to New Hampshire to visit his daughter, and while there was married the third time, to Miss Emily Frances Door, born in New Hampshire, and a daughter of Stephen D. and Melvina Frances (Staples) Door, both natives of New Hampshire and well-to-do farmers of that state. Stephen D. Door was supervisor of Milton Township. N. H., for many years. Nineteen years ago Mr. Carr returned to Sacramento. He has since resided on his home place at Fruitridge, and is now contemplating subdividing his ranch into acre lots, making a desir- able investment for home-builders in this section of Sacramento County. In politics, Mr. Carr aligns him- self with the Democrats.

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HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY

ROBERT PORTER .- Among the well-known native sons of Sacramento County is Robert Porter, who has long been successfully engaged in agricul- tural pursuits; he is now the proprietor of the Point Lookout Ranch, consisting of twenty acres, located eighteen miles northeast of Sacramento and three miles southeast of Rosevillc. He was born on his father's ranch in 1875, a son of Henry S. and Amelia (Brown) Porter, both natives of Ireland and both now deceased. Robert Porter had the advantage of a good education in the public schools of Sacramento County and from early manhood was associated with his father in ranching. At twenty years of age he became superintendent for Hall, Luhrs & Company on their extensive ranch located at Orangevale, and was occupied until 1906 in that capacity. Then he returned to the home ranch to be with his parents, remaining there until 1911, when the parents removed to the E. C. Bedell ranch near Roseville, where they made their home until they passed away.

On October 23, 1911, Mr. Porter was married to Miss Maude A. Chapman, a graduate of Wesley Hospital. Mrs. Porter passed away in 1918, and on June 4, 1919, Mr. Porter was married to Miss Pearl Simpson, a graduate nurse of White Hospital in Sacramento. Mrs. Porter is a daughter of the late Dr. William Simpson, a prominent physician and surgeon. She was born in Florida and grew to young womanhood there. She came West in 1911, and was graduated from White's Hospital in 1916. Mrs. Porter specializes in surgical cases, and is very suc- cessful in her profession. She is an active member of the Rose Chapter of the Eastern Star, at Roseville. Mr. Porter is past president of Granite Parlor No. 83, N. S. G. W., in Folsom City, and is also a mem- ber of the local farm bureau. The ranch home of Mr. and Mrs. Porter is highly improved with all modern equipment, and is highly productive.

JAMES BYRON ROWRAY .- Since 1918 James Byron Rowray has served in a creditable and able manner as general manager of the Sacramento- Northern Railroad. His birth occurred in Jerseyville, Ill., on November 7, 1873, his parents being James B. and Margaret (Pittenger) Rowray. James Byron Rowray acquired his education in the grammar and high schools of his native city and when he had laid aside his textbooks began his independent career as a telegraph operator with the Chicago, Peoria and St. Louis Railroad, following this occupation for three years, when he took up the duties of station agent and dispatcher, which he followed for two years. On February 1, 1897, he resigned to come to California, where he became ticket agent with the Pacific Electric Railroad at Pasadena; two years later he became dis- patcher for the same company and in 1901 became train-master. In March, 1902, he was made superin- tendent of the suburban lines in Los Angeles; in February, 1904. he became superintendent of the inter- urban electric lines in Los Angeles, a position he oc- cupied until 1911, when he removed to Sacramento and on May 1 of the same year entered upon his duties as superintendent of the Sacramento-Northern Railroad, occupying that position until July, 1918, when he was made general manager of this company.

The marriage of Mr. Rowray occurred in Pasa- dena in 1901 and united him with Miss Agnes Petrie, a native of Eldorado, Kans., who came to California in 1890. Fraternally Mr. Rowray is a thirty-second-

degree Mason and a member of the Shrine; he is a charter and life member of B. P. O. Elks Lodge No. 672 in Pasadena; in Sacramento he is a member of the Sutter and Del Paso Clubs. He gives his political allegiance to the Republican party.

JAMES LOUIS KERCHEVAL .- Fortunate is the community that numbers among its citizens such a sturdy, far-sighted and highly esteemed public official as was James Louis Kercheval, born August 13, 1858, on Grand Island, the son of Reuben and Margaret Kercheval. Mr. Kercheval obtained his early educa- tion in the Onisbo grammar school, and the California Military Academy at Oakland, and began to shift for himself when he was eighteen years of age. In 1876 he became a clerk on the Sacramento River boat "Old Pioneer." He worked on the Sacramento River for eight years and for the California Transportation Com- pany for seven years, and also for the Stockton Line. He served on the "J. D. Peters," running to Stockton. In 1889, on his inheritance of fifty-seven acres from his father, he came to Walnut Grove, where he there- after made his residence. His father, Reuben Ker- cheval, who was at one time a member of the legisla- ture, spent years of his life endeavoring to reclaim the property. Untiringly, he built up levee after levee, which as often would be washed away. On the erec- tion of the dredger levee, however, the land was fin- ally brought to its present stage of development. Al- though the land was at first all laid out as an orchard, James Louis Kercheval recently began taking out some of the orchard and planting the land to aspara- gus. When he received the property, there were no buildings on it, and he erected a fine house and barn and the other needed farm buildings.

Mr. Kercheval performed many official duties, be- sides managing his farm. He served as deputy county assessor for fifteen years, first under Thomas H. Burkee and later under A. J. Kay; and in this capa- city he made a commendable record. From 1908 on, he was the secretary of Reclamation District No. 3, of Grand Island, which district embraces approximately 16,500 acres of land. For seventeen years he acted as trustee of the Walnut Grove school district. He was a member of the Elks, in Sacramento; a past grand of the Odd Fellows, in San Francisco; and a member of the Encampment and Canton in Sacramento, and of the Rebekahs, in Isleton.

Since the date of the interview from which this biography was written, Mr. Kercheval was called to the Great Beyond, on March 25, 1923. He is sur- vived by his widow and a daughter by his former marriage, Josephine, now Mrs. George H. Thomas. Jr., of San Mateo. Mrs. Kercheval was in maidenhood Hazel Nurse. She was born in Capay, Yolo Coun- ty; and in that county her marriage took place on January 23, 1920. She is a daughter of Mack C. Nurse, a native of Ohio, who crossed the plains in an ox-team train with his parents in pioneer days. Here he after- wards married Miss Jennie Clark, who was born in Yolo County, a daughter of Columbus Clark, one of that county's earliest pioneers. Mr. and Mrs. Nurse are now deceased. They had a family of seven chil- dren: Arthur, of Capay; Maude, Mrs. Hogeboom, of San Francisco; Wade, of Capay; Mabel, Mrs. Lov- gren, of Sacramento; Hazel, Mrs. Kercheval; Ethel, Mrs. Wait, of Sacramento; and Archie, who lives in Tracy. By a former marriage, Mrs. Kercheval had three children: Mae, Harvey (deceased June 23,

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HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY

1923), and June Denning. Since her late husband's death, Mrs. Kercheval is assuming the management of his affairs and carrying out, as far as she is able, his plans and ambitions for the ranch.

DAVID A. WILLIAMSON .- For many years of his life identified with the lumber business, David A. Williamson has for some years been the manager of the T. S. Ferguson Lumber Company, one of the principal business firms of Galt. A native of Indi- ana, he was born in Whiteside County, January 21, 1858. His parents, John and Amanda Williamson, were both natives of New York, the father being a physician. The Williamson family are of Holland descent, settling many years ago in New York, where many members have attained prominence. One of them, D. D. Williamson, was elected to the office of comptroller of New York City during the early part of the nineteenth century and was thereafter elected to this office for thirty terms without opposi- tion, a tribute to his ability and the place he occupied in the confidence of the people. He was one of the founders and the first president of the Farmers' Loan & Trust Company, holding this office for many years. Another member of the family whose talent won prominence for her was Miss Mary Williamson, a sister of the subject of this sketch, her death occur- ring recently at Berkeley, Cal. She was an artist with the needle and a designer whose work took the grand prize at a number of world expositions.

John Williamson came to Indiana in its early, front- ier days and practiced medicine in the vicinity of Lafayette for a number of years. He died there at the age of seventy-six, his wife living to be eighty- one. One of a family of eight children, three of whom are living, David A. Williamson attended the Lafayette schools, and at sixteen he went to work in the lumber business, and thus he was steadily engaged until in 1886, when he went into this busi- ness for himself in Indianapolis, Ind. He met with success and continued there for the next seven years, but as with thousands of others, the panic of 1893 ruined his business. He then became a bookkeeper for a wholesale meat establishment and was with them for three years, then went to New York, where he worked in a similar capacity for a year, when he became the western representative of the National Provisioner, having its headquarters in Chicago for a year. Next he went to Toledo, Ohio, and spent a year in the lumber business and then came to Berke- ley, Cal., in 1902, where for two years he was asso- ciated with Henry W. Taylor. He then engaged in contracting in Berkeley and from there went to Wil- lows, Glenn County, where he continued in the build- ing business. In the fall of 1917 he came to Galt and here he became manager of the T. S. Ferguson Lum- ber Company.

In Lafayette, Ind., September 7, 1887, Mr. William- son was married to Miss Sally Ayers Ford, born at that place, the daughter of William and Lida (Ayers) Ford, her education being completed at Purdue Uni- versity. Mr. and Mrs. Williamson have three chil- dren: Geneve is the wife of Dr. Harms of Galt; Bartlett R. is a berry-basket manufacturer at San Francisco; John A. resides at Sacramento. Mr. Wil- liamson is a member of the Masonic Lodge at Galt and both he and his wife arc members of the Eastern Star; he belongs to the Sacramento division of the National Lumbermen's Association known as the

"Hoo-Hoos" and is the oldest member of the order on the Pacific Coast. He is a past master of the Grange and is now clerk of the board of trustees of Galt union high school district.

JEROME NICHOLAS FRANCIS .- Born on a farm situated on Sutter Island, Sacramento County, January 19, 1867, Jerome Nicholas Francis is a son of Nicholas and Mary (Comer) Francis, among the earli- est settlers of that locality. The father was born in Alsace-Lorraine, and the mother was a native of Ire- land. Nicholas Francis brought his wife to Sacra- mento County in 1857, and for three years ran a livery stable and feed yard on J Street, Sacramento. Then he invested his savings in 160 acres on Sutter Island, and began its development; but owing to its being swampy land the flood of 1862 destroyed all his im- provements. He then sold this farm and removed to Rio Vista, where he purchased 160 acres of land; and there he continued to farm until his death at the age of seventy-nine. His wife passed away in her thirty- sixth year. They were the parents of seven children: Jerome Nicholas, of this sketch; Anna, Mrs. Joy of Dixon; Thomas and. Mary, both deceased; Coroline, Mrs. J. W. Crone of Sacramento; Barbara, deceased; and Mrs. Elizabeth Blackwell, also of Sacramento.

Jerome Nicholas Francis received a good education in the public schools, and at the age of twelve years he began to make his own way. He worked for two years in the Rio Vista livery stable, receiving fifteen dollars per month for his work; at the age of fourteen he took a job at driving a header team, and received $1.25 a day; he then took up ranch work at Isleton, where he remained for five years. Later, when he re- turned to the delta section of Sacramento County, he began his work among fruit trees, and as the years went by he became an expert in budding and grafting seedling fruit trees; this he followed until 1885, when he became superintendent of a large ranch for Trask & Meyers in the Pierson district. He then ran a nursery on Grand Island, and later one at Courtland, raising trees, and also budded trees for orchardists and took contracts to prune and graft orchards.

On. August 1, 1889, Mr. Francis was married to Miss Margaret McCarthy, born in San Francisco, a daughter of John and Hannah McCarthy. John Mc- Carthy settled on 160 acres above Isleton in 1867. Mr. and Mrs. McCarthy were the parents of five chil- dren, all now deceased with. the exception of one son, John C., who resides in Stockton. Both Mr. and Mrs. McCarthy are also deceased. After his marriage, Mr. Francis went to Shasta County, where he superin- tended a ranch for four years; then he removed to San Joaquin County and was superintendent of a ranch below French Camp for three years. Returning to Sacramento County, he became superintendent of the lower delta road district, having about 125 miles of road to look after. Mr. Francis had, during the years, accumulated considerable money, but owing to the critical illness of his wife he spent the greater part of it for medical aid. He was unable, however, to save her life, and she died in 1909. In 1913 Mr. Francis was married the second time, in San Francisco, to Miss Lillian Huntley, a native of Boston, Mass., and a daughter of David and Fannie (Richards) Huntley, natives of Vermont and New Salem, Mass., respective- ly. Her father was a traveling salesman, and died in Massachusetts. Mrs. Francis was educated at the New Salem Academy, and then trained at the Massa- chusetts General Hospital, Boston, where she was

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HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY

graduated. Coming to San Francisco in 1904, she practiced her profession in that city until her mar- riage. Mr. Francis purchased a thirty-four-acre ranch on the Sacramento River. He and his wife have made all the improvements, building their home and other farm buildings, setting out the orchards, and making the needed changes to bring the ranch to a high state of productivity. Mrs. Francis, under her husband's instruction, learned to bud the trees, and is now considered as expert as anyone at budding. She enjoys the work greatly. They have ten acres in orchard, five acres being in pear trees. Mr. and Mrs. Francis have an adopted boy, Richard Francis. In politics, they are Republicans.

FRED GIER FAWCETT .- A well-known con- tractor and builder of Galt, who is also successfully engaged in ranching, is Fred Gier Fawcett, who after many years spent away from his native state is again located close to the place of his birth. He was born at Liberty, San Joaquin County, just across the line from Galt, November 21, 1864, the son of George and Harriet (Gier) Fawcett. The father, who was a native of England, first resided in Ohio on coming to the United States, later going to Illinois, and dur- ing the gold rush he came to California, making the journey across the plains in an ox-team train. He first settled in Sacramento County near Galt but later purchased property at Liberty, San Joaquin County, and removed there. He then went to Colfax, Nev., where for three years he was the proprietor of a sawmill, and after selling out there he went to Nebraska, where he lived until his death. It was while the family were living at Colfax that Mrs. Fawcett passed away, when only twenty-eight years of age, leaving two small children, Fred Gier, of this sketch, and his sister, Ora. His sister was sent to the home of relatives in Ohio, while Fred went to live in Iowa, being reared and educated at Wyoming, Jones County, and there he also learned the carpen- ter trade.

In 1889 he returned to California, settling at Stock- ton, where he worked at his trade for five years. He then went to Tuolumne County, where he engaged in carpenter work for a few years and in 1898 he came to Galt, where after working for others for a time, he established himself as a building contractor; and he has ever since been successfully engaged in this line. On June 10, 1891, at Stockton, Mr. Faw- cett was married to Miss Weltha Hawley, born at Tecumseh, Nebr., the daughter of R. A. and Eliza- beth Hawley; both parents are still living at Stock- ton and have passed the ripe old age of eighty. The Hawley family came to Stockton from Nebraska about twenty-eight years ago, and Mr. Hawley for a number of years had a store and potato-chip factory 011 Main Street. Mrs. Fawcett is one of a family of nine children, six of whom are living.

Mr. and Mrs. Fawcett are the parents of seven children: Harry Gier of Los Angeles; Robert of Galt; Fred of San Francisco; and Margaret, Ger- trude, William and Richard of Galt. Mr. Fawcett is a Republican in his political views and is prominent in the ranks of the Odd Fellows, being a past grand of the Galt Lodge, while Mrs. Fawcett is a past noble grand of the Rebekahs. Nine years ago Mr. Fawcett erected the comfortable residence in Galt where they have since made their home, and he also owns and operates a good ranch of sixty acres one mile from Galt on Dry Creek.

JAMES PELLANDINI .- An experienced dairy- man who has met with good success since coming to the Galt district is James Pellandini, a native of Swit- zerland, born at Arbedo, Canton Ticino, October 3, 1874. His parents were Fulgenzio and Angelino Pel- landini, both natives of that country, where the father passed away at the age of fifty-eight, while the mother still makes her home there. They were the parents of ten children: Cecil, James, Mary, Eliza- beth, Peter, Louis, Joseph, Josephine, Maggie, and Germano.

Educated in the schools of his native canton, James Pellandini made his way to the United States in 1892. After a short time at San Francisco, he went to Liver- more and for one season worked in a large winery. He then went to Olema, Marin County, where he was employed on a large dairy ranch, and thereafter spent five years at Santa Maria, Santa Barbara County. After three years in Plumas County in the same line of work, he was for two years on a dairy ranch at San Bruno, and from there came to Galt, running the old Gates ranch on shares for three years. He then started in the dairy business for himself, leasing the Thomas ranch of 700 acres four miles northwest of Galt; and here he still makes his home, having a fine dairy of 120 cows and prospering steadily, so that he has been enabled to purchase a ranch of 330 acres on the Lincoln Highway at Arno.

On December 8, 1903, at San Francisco, Mr. Pellan- dini was united in marriage with Miss Rosie Raggem- bos, born in the same village in Switzerland as her husband. Her parents were Gottard and Angeline (Pellandini) Raggembos, her father being an official of one of the Swiss railways. He passed away at the age of eighty, but Mrs. Raggembos is still living in Switzerland, the mother of three children, Lucy, Pierre and Mrs. Angeline Pellandini. Mr. and Mrs. Pellandini have had eight children: James, who died when ten years old; Julius, Albert, Angeline, Lilly, and Ida; Minnie, now deceased; and William. Mr. Pellandini is a Republican in his political affiliations. Fraternally, he is a member of the Odd Fellows. at Galt.

ALBERT W. WRIGHT .- The son of one of Sac- ramento County's earliest pioneers, Albert W. Wright has himself been a resident of this county since 1853, contributing his share to the development that has taken place here in the intervening years. A native of Illinois, he was born in Will County, April 25, 1849, the son of Willis and Angeline (Van Amberg) Wright, both parents being natives of Ver- mont. The father came to Illinois in the frontier days and was a pioneer farmer there, and also en- gaged in carpentering. In 1852 he started across the plains and after a long journey of six weary months, reached California in 1853. He settled near the present site of Galt when it was in wild, unculti- vated state, with elk, deer and bear in the timbered regions, and established himself in ranching and in the stock business, and had hundreds of acres in Sacramento County and in the mountains. He lived to be seventy-three years old, Mrs. Wright passing away before him, the mother of seven children: Frederick, living at Galt; Albert W., of this sketch; James C., Eva and Frank Milton, deceased; and Ed- ward E. and Hattie M., also residing at Galt.

Albert W. Wright attended the old Dry Creek school in the "Pocket" and until he was twenty-six remained on the home place, assisting his father in

Mr. and Mrs. James Pellandini

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HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY

the dairy business. Starting out in harvesting, he later leased land and engaged in grain farming, and for a time was in the general merchandise business at Galt. After two more years of ranching he went into the well-boring business and has so been engaged for the past forty years, drilling wells for domestic use and having both a hand and power rig for this purpose.

Mr. Wright's first marriage united him with Miss Mary Goodyear, a native of Benicia, Cal., and a dis- tant relative of the famous rubber manufacturers of that name. She lived but a short time after their marriage, and in 1882 Mr. Wright was married to Miss Alice M. Somers, the daughter of Daniel B. and Eliza A. (Arnold) Somers, the father an early set- tler here, who was extensively engaged in ranching. Mr. Wright is a Republican in politics and a stanch friend of education, having served on the school board of Galt for the past twelve years, and was a . trustee at the time the old school was moved and the new one built. For forty-five years he has been a member of the I. O. O. F., and is a member of Elk Grove Encampment and past chief patriarch. With his wife he is a member of the Rebekahs, Mrs. Wright being a past noble grand of the Galt Lodge, and she was also a charter member and the first president of the Native Daughters of the Golden WVest at Galt. They reside in their comfortable home at Galt and Mr. Wright is also the owner of other property here.

W. W. HINSEY .- The name of W. W. Hinsey is well-known throughout the Sacramento Valley in connection with the fruit industry, and his progressive spirit and executive powers have had a stimulating effect upon business activity and growth in general. A native of Iowa, he was born at Dahlonega in 1862. His opportunities for attending school were very limited, as he early began providing for his own live- lihood. As a boy he worked for the Ottumwa Starch Company, and won promotion to the position of ship- ping clerk, leaving their employ to accept a more advantageous offer from the general mercantile firm of \V. A. Jordan & Sons. Twelve months later he started for the Pacific Coast, California being his destination. He arrived in Elsinore, San Diego County, at a time when the entire West was suffer- ing from business depression, many industries being closed down; and in search of an opening he drifted up to northern California. He came to the Fair Oaks colony in 1898, about two years after it was established, and has since been identified with its development, with the exception of four seasons which he spent in Placer County with George D. Kel- logg, of Newcastle. He has operated a number of small ranches in Fair Oaks, and in 1910 completed a beautiful home, which is situated on a tract of one and a half acres. His attention, however, has been chiefly given to his duties as secretary, treasurer and general manager of the Fair Oaks Fruit Company, which he has made one of the leading concerns of the kind in the state, displaying initiative, enterprise, keen sagacity and notable executive ability in direct- ing its affairs. Mr. Hinsey has made a close study of the business in which he is engaged, and has con- tributed many interesting and valuable articles on horticulture and fruit-raising to local papers and farm journals, being recognized as an authority in this field.

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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 92

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