History of San Joaquin County, California : with biographical sketches of leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present, Part 101

Author: Tinkham, George H. (George Henry), b. 1849
Publication date: 1923
Publisher: Los Angeles, Calif. : Historic Record Co.
Number of Pages: 1660

USA > California > San Joaquin County > History of San Joaquin County, California : with biographical sketches of leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present > Part 101

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JOHN HUTCHINS .- Not many among the high- ly honored pioneers of San Joaquin County could boast a more enviable record, or a more interesting history than John Hutchins, who breathed his last nearly one-quarter of a century ago, and went to his long rest secure in the annals of the town as one of its honored founders. He was born in Canada, and in 1853 for six months braved the danger of a trip across the great plains to California, and upon his arrival here set out for the mines in Placer County. With four associates, he bought the site of the pres- ent town of Lodi, and these five men in association founded the place. He also induced the Southern Pacific Railroad to build its line through the town, and then he laid out the town and sold lots. He him- self bought seventy-seven acres running west from Sacramento Street up Lodi Avenue; and he also bought, for $11,500, 190 acres extending west for half a mile, and then north, between Lodi Avenue and Pine Street. He cleared the land of scrub and live- oak, and cutting up the wood of the trees, hauled it to Stockton for sale. As a farmer, he raised grain for many years; and later he planted one of the first commercial vineyards in the district. He also planted almonds and fruit. After a while John Hutchins found that he had more land than could be held by law, and so he disposed of a part of it, trading it off for a span of horses and a wagon.

At Stockton, Mr. Hutchins was married to Miss Anna Nevin, a native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, who had crossed the plains ten years later than he, and had then been able to make the journey in three months. Five children were born to them: Nellie M .; John, of Ripon; Edward; Mary, now Mrs. Jahant, and Cather- ine, now Mrs. Larson, of Lodi.

Edward Hutchins was born on his father's ranch, a part of which is now within the city limits of Lodi, on October 30, 1872. He attended the Lodi public schools, Woodbridge College, and St. Mary's Col- lege, at Oakland. . As a young man, he worked on his father's ranch; and later he was in charge of the home farm. He has since divided a part of the pro- perty, some seventy-five acres, now within the city limits, and he has laid out the Hutchins Oak Street Addition, and Hutchins High School Addition, with such building restrictions as will insure the establish- ment and maintenance of a very select residential

district, it being the largest and most important real estate project of its kind ever undertaken in the city of Lodi. A part of the home ranch is still in possession of the family, and there they have a vineyard of 110 acres.

At San Francisco in 1894, Edward Hutchins was married to Miss Ada L. Corbin, an attractive lady from West Virginia. Mr. and Mrs. Hutchins ne- glected no opportunity to further the interests of their community.

FRANCIS MARION BARNETT. - Popular among the most interesting pioneers now enjoying a retired life in California is Francis M. Barnett, of 914 West Poplar Street, Stockton, who was born near Camden, Benton County, Tenn. on May 31, 1840, the son of Bird B. and Martha (Walker) Barnett, the former a native of Tennessee, while the latter was a native of South Carolina. They were of

the good old-fashioned type of Americans, being good citizens; good neighbors and good friends; having rested from their earthly labor they have left behind the man enviable record. They were the parents of eight children, six boys and two girls, of whom only two are living, Francis M., the subject of this sketch and F. Joseph, of Fresno. In July, 1849, Bird B. Barnett started across the great plains with an ox team, bringing with him his family, setting out from the Missouri River; he was frequently forced to stop for some time along the route, and so the trip was long and tedious, and they were obliged to winter in Salt Lake City. The next spring they started for California and on Independence Day of 1850 Mr. Barnett led his famiy into California, com- ing over the Carson Valley route to Placerville, then called Hangtown. Mr. Barnett opened a hotel nine miles from Coloma, and also used his oxen to haul supplies to the mines.

In the fall of 1851, Mr. Barnett removed to San Joaquin County, where he bought a place on the Calaveras River, and raised hay, which was taken to the mines to feed the stock, during 1851-52-53. During this time he built a residence and barns on the Copperopolis Road, three miles east of Stock- ton, now the old Marsh place, and lived there until 1855. From the Calaveras ranch they were routed out by Captain Weber, who had the Spanish grant, although Mr. Barnett had paid the former owner; he then moved to Mariposa County. From the latter year, however, he engaged in the stock business and raised cattle and sheep, continuing in that field after he had located in Mariposa County, where he also had a first-class dairy. He drove cattle up and down the valley, and over the mountains to Nevada, and became a large landowner and prominent cattle- man of early days, holding title at one time to some 3000 acres of land in Fresno County.

Francis M. Barnett attended the Stockton public schools, and was associated with his father many years in the Valley. When twenty years of age, he became a. cowboy and rode the range, making trips over the mountains, driving cattle to Nevada, some- times crossing the desert eighty miles on a stretch, without water for the stock. He had many inter- esting experiences, including trouble with the In- dians and outlaws.

In 1874, he started in business on his own account, buying a stock ranch of 4000 acres near Oakdale, in Stanislaus County, in the vicinity of Cooperstown. There he engaged in sheep-raising, and later took

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up the cattle industry. He still owns the ranch, which, however, he rents out for service to others, and to which he fondly reverts in memory, in the days of his comfortable retirement. He likes to look back, also, to the time when he attended the first public school, in Stockton, in 1851-52, and he has many other interesting recollections of pioneer days. In 1866 his father built a residence on Union and Channel streets and there the parents made their home for the remainer of their lives ..

Mr. Barnett was married at Knights Ferry, May 10, 1881, to Miss Ada F. Parker, a native of Knights Ferry, the daughter of Dominicus Parker, a native of Maine who crossed the uncharted plains as early as the year '49, and thus became one of the Argo- nauts. He teamed to the mines, and later located in Knights Ferry, where he followed his trade of blacksmith. He died in 1882, survived by his de- voted wife, who was Frances Babb before she was married and was also from Maine. They had five children, and two are now living, Ada, Mrs. F. M. Barnett and Mrs. Mary E. Allard, of Stockton. Four children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Barnett, and three sons are now living. Hal A. is the junior member of the well-known real estate firm, Hodg- kins & Barnett, of Stockton; Sidney B. is secretary of the Stockton Hardware & Implement Company, and Donald C. is purchasing agent of the Harris Manufacturing Company of Stockton. For many years Mr. and Mrs. Barnett have spent their sum- mers at Pacific Grove, where they own a comfortable home. Mr. Barnett has been a member of the Odd Fellows for many years.

JOHN CHATTEN THOMPSON .- Very early in the colonization of America the Thompson family be- came established among the pioneers of the New World, the first of the name making settlement upon Virginia soil, where he gained notable prosperity. John Thompson, a native of the Old Dominion, grew to manhood on a stock farm, and at an early age ac- quired a thorough knowledge of the raising of stock. He was given a good education in private schools, and while living in the old home neighborhood he married Mary Adams Williams, a native of Virginia, where for some years they continued to make their home. They were the parents of four children, all of whom were born in Tazewell County, Va. John C., the subject of this reveiw, was the second son. An- other son, Hon. Rees B., formerly a member of the legislature of California, died on July 3, 1908. A daughter, Mrs. Eliza Thompson Yerby, died in Los Angeles, and another daughter, Mrs. Sarah L. Thomp- son Wheeler, made her home at Milton, Calaveras County, Cal., but died in Oakland. Eventually they followed the tide that drifted over the mountains into Kentucky and Missouri, and for six years lived in northwestern Missouri. The discovery of gold called attention to the unknown riches of the Pacific Coast, and John Thompson determined to try his fortune in that country. Having made the necessary prepara- tions and disposed of his possessions in Missouri, dur- ing 1852, he and his family crossed the plains and after a fatiguing and eventful journey, during which his wife died in the Big Meadows of the Humboldt Basin, now Nevada, he arrived at his destination.

Seeking a suitable location, John Thompson came to San Joaquin County and selected land near New Hope, where he acquired the title to 500 acres; and here he engaged in raising small grain, and also cattle

and horses. After two years he returned to Missouri and married Mrs. Jane Hardesty. He crossed the plains a second time to his California home, bringing again a large drove of cattle. Being a man of tire- less energy and wise foresight, he prospered in his undertakings and became one of the leading citizens of his county, where he rendered efficient service as a supervisor and in other ways identified himself with public affairs. Reared a Democrat, and always stanch in his allegiance to that party, he nevertheless favored the Union cause at the time of the Civil War and in 1861, upon being elected to the state legislature, en- tered the office with the understanding that his sup- port would be given to the Union. During his serv- ice he never faltered in his allegiance to the Union, and as a member of various important committees he proved helpful to the welfare of the state and nation. He later was a Douglas Democrat, a believer in states rights, and when the Southern states seceded his sym- pathies were with them. In no matter, public or private, was his integrity ever questioned. His force of character left its impress upon the early history of the county, where he continued to reside many years. The latter part of his life he spent with his daughter, Mrs. H. C. Yerby, where he died in October, 1886, at the age of eighty-four.

John C. was born in Tazewell County, Va., in Jan- uary, 1835, and in childhood gained a practical know- ledge of the frontier through residence in Missouri, during the pioneer days of that state. It was his good fortune to be the son of an advocate of liberal edu- cation, a man who devoted himself to giving his chil- dren the best advantages possible to the period. Hence, it was his privilege to receive instruction from a private tutor and later he was a student in Grand River College, Grundy County, Mo. He left school to come to California in 1852, and thereafter devoted his time to work on the home ranch, where he soon gained a thorough knowledge of all kinds of stock. After attaining his majority he began to buy and sell horses and cattle, and prepared cattle for the home markets. In 1861, he formed a partnership with James. P. Folger, under the firm name of Thompson & Folger, which partnership was successfully con- tinued until the death of Mr. Folger in 1885, after which the business was incorporated under the name of Thompson & Folger Company. From time to time the company made investments in land, until eventually it acquired holdings of about 3,000 acres, where stock of fine breeds were to be found, and good improvements in the way of buildings were made, with the various accessories which tend to the success of the rancher or lighten his labors. In addition to his stock interests he developed vineyards.

The marriage of Mr. Thompson took place at Ione, in 1863, and united him with Miss Caroline Rutledge, whose parents, John and Nancy (Fulton) Rutledge, migrated from Virginia to California at an early day and settled in San Joaquin County. They were the parents of four children: Edward R., deceased, at one time city attorney of Stockton, and a well-known member of the San Joaquin County bar; Mrs. Richard C. Minor, of Stockton; John H., president of the Stock- ton Iron Works, and manager of the Thompson & Folger Co., and the John C. Thompson Estate; and Mrs. Edward F. Haas, of San Francisco. Fratern- ally, Mr. Thompson was a Master Mason, identified with the Woodbridge Lodge, No. 131, and was also a member of the Stockton Elks, No. 218. He was one of the founders and a trustee of the Woodbridge Col-

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lege. A number of industries received the benefit of his cooperation and counsel in addition to the ranches with which his name was closely associated; he acted as a member of the state board of managers of the state hospital, held the office of director in the Far- mers & Merchants Bank of Stockton, and was vice- president and one of the founders of the Bank of Lodi, (now the Lodi National Bank); these various posi- tions indicating his high standing as a man of ability and as a progressive citizen. He passed away on February 20, 1911.

MRS. MARGARET FORD .- An energetic, ex- perienced and highly progressive American woman who has demonstrated her ability as a successful Cali- fornia agriculturist, is Mrs. Margaret Ford, whose maiden name was Margaret Ferguson. She was born on Fairchild Lane, about eight miles out of Stockton, on May 4, 1858, the daughter of William Ferguson, who had married Miss Mary Ray. Her father was a native of Ireland, and came from County Armagh in the province of Ulster, and her mother was a native of New York. They were married at Little Falls, N. Y., and came in the pioneer days, in 1854, to Califor- nia, settling in San Joaquin County, on Fairchild Lane. Mr. Ferguson was a farmer, who for years leased ranches, but toward the latter part of his life bought a farm of ninety-nine acres on Fairchild Lane, which he continued to cultivate until his death. He passed away at the age of seventy-six, in 1904; and Mrs. Ferguson breathed her last in 1908, at the age of eighty-three. They had five children. Mary, the eldest, married H. A. Miller, a highly esteemed citizen of Clements; Margaret is the subject of our interesting story; James, whose life was valued by those who knew him, is deceased; Isabel has become Mrs. Wm. Hines, of Stockton; and Laura is Mrs. W. J. Herson, of the same city.

Margaret Ferguson attended the Greenwood school. On the 31st of May, 1874, she was married at Locke- ford, in the old red-brick church, to Charles Ford, born in Ireland, but who came to the United States with his parents at the age of eight. The Fergusons and the Fords started for California about the same time, but Charles Ford's father died before he reached the Golden State. Mrs. Ford, Charles' mother, owned a fine ranch of 1821/2 acres on Fairchild Lane; and when our subject married, she and her husband moved onto the place. At the death of his mother, Charles Ford inherited the ranch, and on Mr. Ford's lamented demise, in 1905, she took charge, and now owns the entire acreage intact. The death of Mrs. Ford, Sr., occurred only six weeks previous to that of Charles Ford; hence the transfers of the estate were made in rapid succession. Mrs. Ford is a Re- publican, and exerts her best influence in the use of the franchise and in endorsing approved political movements, to favor such legislation as will assure the best interests of the community and state.

Five children and seven grandchildren have added to Mrs. Ford's earthly joys. Clara is Mrs. G. W. Gordon, and resides on the Jack Tone road. Mamie has be- come Mrs. Charles Farthing of Stockton. Thomas and William are at home, and make themselves inval- uable there. Nettie is Mrs. James Atkins of Linden. Mrs. Gordon is the mother of four children-Blanche, Arthur, George and Robert, and Mrs. Farthing has one child, Charles Llewellyn. Mrs. Atkins had two daughters: Margaret Alice, now deceased, and Irma May.

THOMAS ROBERT BROWNE .- No man is better known to the implement trade of the West than Thomas Robert Browne, who has had broad experience in this line of business and represents the Cushman Motor Works of Lincoln, Nebr., in the states of California, Nevada and Arizona, maintain- ing his headquarters at Stockton, Cal. The Golden State claims him as one of its native sons, for his birth occurred at San Francisco, August 24, 1863. His father, Robert T. Browne, was one of the early pioneers of that city, to which he came in 1858 by way of Cape Horn, and the son was born in a house on the present site of the California market, in the lheart of the business district.

In the public schools of San Francisco, Thomas R. Browne acquired his education and as a boy he entered the employ of the Baker & Hamilton Com- pany of San Francisco, with whom he gained his first knowledge of the hardware and implement busi- mess. In the early days the farm implements were shipped to the firm in cases, being sent via Cape Horn, and after reaching their destination they were taken out and reassembled. This task was assigned to Mr. Browne, who thus became thoroughly familiar with the mechanism of mowing and threshing ma- chines and in fact all kinds of farm implements, and this knowledge led to his being placed in charge of the implement and machinery department. For twen- ty-eight years he remained in the service of that house, being one of their most trusted and valued employes, and in August, 1907, he resigned his place and accepted the position of sales manager for the H. C. Shaw Company of Stockton and came hither. In 1912 he resigned and opened an office in Stockton as manufacturers' agent for various lines of farm machinery, in which connection he has been very successful. He acts as agent for the Cushman Motor Works of Lincoln, Nebr., and has established agen- cies at various points throughout California, Nevada and Arizona. He caters exclusively to the wholesale trade and handles the famous Cushman gas engine, making shipments to Alaska, Siam, India, the Ha- waiian Islands and South America. One of its prin- cipal uses is in the grain and rice fields as an auxil- iary engine on the self-binders and in the towns of Colusa, Willows and Biggs and other districts in Butte, Glenn and Colusa Counties more engines for binders have been sold than in any other equal area in the United States. The engine is well adapted for use in conjunction with hoists for mining and dredging purposes and in irrigated sections for pump- ing outfits. Through the untiring efforts of Mr. Browne the farmers in the Delta district were finally induced to use the elevating potato digger equipped with the Cushman auxiliary engine, for which there is now a large demand. He is also agent for a sprayer for trees and vines and likewise handles the Toro motor cultivator and mower. While connected with the firm of Baker & Hamilton he spent several years in their spare parts department and is consid- ered the best informed man west of Chicago in that line.

In 1889, in San Francisco, occurred the marriage of Mr. Browne when he was united with Miss Mary E. Harrington, a native daughter, born in San Fran- cisco, where she was reared and educated, a cultured woman who has been a splendid helpmate. Her parents were pioneers of San Francisco, having emi- grated hither in the early days. Mr. and Mrs.

Thomas Brown.

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HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY

Browne's union has been blessed by the birth of four children: Roberta; Thomas R., Jr., is with the South- ern Pacific Railroad; Leo L. is assisting his fa- ther in business; Berenice is Mrs. C. Edward Tyner of Stockton. Mr. Browne was a member of Cali- fornia National Guard for three years, serving as first lieutenant of Company E, First Regiment.

Mr. Browne is a communicant of the Catholic Church and he is also connected with the Knights of Columbus, the Elks, and the Kiwanis Club, in which he is a director and is a member and director of the California Tractor and Implement Club. Through his membership in the Stockton Chamber of Com- merce he does all in his power to promote the wel- fare and prosperity of this city and he is in all re- spects a public-spirited citizen.

JAMES PATRICK NOLAN .- An enterprising, progressive and highly successful vineyardist to whom much credit is due for his contribution to the advance- ment of husbandry in California, is James Patrick Nolan, living two miles to the northwest of Acampo, and widely and favorably known throughout San Joaquin County. He was born in County Wicklow, Ireland, on January 19, 1871, the son of Edward and Anna (Murray) Nolan, the former a shoemaker by trade, who had to work so hard for a living that our subject was denied the opportunity to attend school in Ireland. In 1885, however, he came out to the United States, for a larger schooling in the New World, and ever since he has made his own way. He migrated west to California, and came early to the vicinity of Acampo, where he has continued to make his home within a short distance from where he first worked. His father never came to America. His grandfather and grandmother were Michael and Bridget (Russell) Nolan; and there were two uncles and aunts, brothers and sisters of his father, who came out to the United States. One of these, James G. Nolan, reached California in 1858, and died near Acampo on October 28, 1903. Michael came to the United States and was last heard from in Pennsyl- vania. Mary married and became Mrs. Coleman, and she died at Santa Rosa about sixteen years ago. Annie also married, and as Mrs. Crowley lived at Terre Haute, Ind. An uncle, James. G. Nolan, came to America and pushed on as far west as St. Louis. There he took charge of a band of cattle, to be driven to Fort Leavenworth, Kans. After that he drove four mules to Salt Lake City. In 1858 he came over- land to California and settled at Cucamonga, in San Bernardino County, and there he built the first house occupied by a white man. After working only two months on this house, he started north with John Dunn as a co-partner and fellow-traveler. They reached French Camp, and there dissolved partner- ship; and when they divided their capital, each took a half of twenty-five dollars. Uncle James then came to Stockton and accepted a job at $25 per month tendered him by John Welch, and this job he kept for two years. In 1862 he purchased 160 acres about two miles northwest of Acampo, and this came to be known as the old Nolan Home Ranch. On Novem- ber 2, 1862, James G. Nolan married Miss Kate Burns, who had come to America from Ireland in 1854, and had settled for a while in New York, finally reaching

California on October 9, 1861. Mr. Nolan was a Democrat, but he cast his first vote, in 1864, for the illustrious Republican, A. Lincoln.

When James P. Nolan came to Acampo, he worked for three years for his uncle, in order to get a good start in farming, and then he rented a grain ranch of 500 acres two miles from his uncle's, where he fol- lowed agricultural pursuits for five years. He next bought forty acres of the old Nolan ranch, for which he was required to pay only seventy dollars an acre, and later he added another ten acres. Three years ago, Mr. Nolan refused $13,000 for the ranch. The entire ranch was open land when Mr. Nolan bought it, and since then he has set out all the vineyard and done all the improving himself; and he has just com- pleted an attractive ranch-house at a cost of $9,000. The ranch now consists of fifty acres of bearing vine- yard, twenty-eight acres in bearing Tokays and eight acres in two-year-old Tokays, five acres in Corni- chons, and one and one-half acres in Zinfandel grapes. The balance will soon be developed to vineyard.

At Lodi, on September 16, 1894, Mr. Nolan was married to Mary Rebecca Phillipi, a native of Penn- sylvania and the daughter of Isaac and Tilly Phillipi. Her father was a millwright, carpenter and farmer, and came to California when she was two years old. He settled in 1873 in Sacramento County, where he cultivated several hundred acres planted to grain. He then removed to Shasta County and farmed for a couple of years, and so it happened that Mrs. Nolan went to the Shasta County schools. The family then made a trip to Oregon and Washington, and returned later to San Joaquin County. Locating at Lodi, he lived there for about five years, associated with Mr. Van Gelder in the nursery business. In 1892, Mr. Phillipi moved to Acampo, and here Mrs. Nolan lived until her marriage. He attained his sixty-second year, survived by his devoted wife, who was seventy- one years old when she died Mr. Nolan's father, on the other hand, died in Ireland, and he was also sixty-two years old; and his mother also passed away in Ireland, leaving a family of six children, among whom Mr. Nolan was the fourth in the order of birth. Mr. and Mrs. Phillipi had twelve children, and of these only three are now living: Mrs. Nolan; Bessie, who has become Mrs. C. W. Thompson of Acampo; and Carrie, who became the wife of Harry Engels of Lockeford. Five children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Nolan. Anna M. died in 1916. Maurice I. Nolan en- tered the United States service during the World War, on August 28, 1918, and was sent to Camp Lewis, where he was placed in Company L, 75th In- fantry, 13th Division, and was made a corporal, and on February 1, 1919, he was honorably discharged from the Presidio at San Francisco, when he returned home and resumed the avocations of peace. James G. was married January 28, 1922, to Miss Nancy M. Baker, a graduate nurse from St. Joseph's Hospital, at Stockton. Carolyn is a graduate nurse from St. Joseph's Hospital at Stockton, and was married, February 4, 1923, to Mr. George L. Chapdelaine, a vineyardist at Lodi and Woodbridge. Frances lives at home. Mr. Nolan is a Democrat. He belongs to the Modern Woodmen of America and is affiliated with the Lodi Lodge.

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History of San Joaquin County, California : with biographical sketches of leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present, Part 101

Author: Tinkham, George H. (George Henry), b. 1849 Publication date: 1923 Publisher: Los Angeles, Calif. : Historic Record Co. Number of Pages: 1660

Author: Tinkham, George H. (George Henry), b. 1849
Publication date: 1923
Publisher: Los Angeles, Calif. : Historic Record Co.
Number of Pages: 1660