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 102

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 102

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HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY

EDWIN S. VAN PELT .- A pioneer citizen of Stockton with many interesting memories of its earlier years, Edwin S. Van Pelt for thirty years conducted the thriving business of the River Express Company of Stockton, and his activities were closely linked with the days of Stockton's development from a small town to a prosperous, modern city. A na- tive son, proud of his birth in the Golden State, Mr. Van Pelt was born at Mokelumne Hill, Calaveras County, on July 2, 1858, his parents being John W. and Sarah Jane (Kilton) Van Pelt, both of good old Eastern stock, the father a native of Long Island, N. Y., and the mother of Grafton, N. H. The former who was of Holland Dutch descent, descended from the early Knickerbocker families of New York, came to California in the early days of the mining excite- ment, and passed away when Edwin S. was a small child; the mother was married again to E. B. Cogs- well, and they removed to a ranch at Bellota, San Joaquin County, where Mr. Cogswell died; after which the mother resided with her only child, Edwin S., until her death.

Mr. Van Pelt spent his boyhood days on this ranch, attending the neighborhood school, completing his education with a course at the Stockton Business College, and going back to the home ranch for a time. In 1886 he bought out the business of the River Express Company in Stockton, at that time only a small affair, one wagon being used to deliver freight in Stockton. Austin H. Kilton was his part- ner in those early days, but he later sold his interest to Mr. Van Pelt, who incorporated the business as the River Express Company, Inc. Mr. Van Pelt soon began the expansion of this pioneer business, handling freight on the steamers running from San Francisco to Stockton, up the Sacramento River to Sacramento, also to Napa and Vallejo. For some time he conducted an express line across the Bay to Berkeley and Alameda, taking freight at a very low rate, and in the early days did nearly all the express business between San Francisco and Stockton, and was the means of making the Wells Fargo Express Company reduce their rates, but even then the River Express Company held the business. This company was the pioneer in shipping furniture from Stockton to San Francisco without unloading, their wagons filled with household goods being driven onto the boat at Stockton and hauled to their destination in San Francisco. In Stockton five wagons were used in hauling and draying in connection with the express business, besides the equipment kept in the other cities. For this purpose they had offices in San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda, Napa, Val- lejo, Sacramento, Benicia and Antioch. They first began shipping parcels but the business grew rapidly and became so popular they enlarged it so they han- dled everything and made deliveries in all the cities. The people appreciated Mr. Van Pelt's service so his company had most of the express business at the points named. In this connection the Wells Fargo Company's contention was that the River Express Company could not pay losses but Mr. Van Pelt's company always paid the claims and when the steam- er J. D. Peters was sunk in a collision in San Fran- cisco Bay, November 2, 1898, although the Califor- nia Navigation Company, owner of the steamer, was exempt by law, Mr. Van Pelt decided he wanted to pay the loss from the standpoint of equity and fairness and paid all the claims of his company, forty-

five in number, amounting to about $2,600. For thirty years Mr. Van Pelt conducted the affairs of this company, building up a large, lucrative and suc- cessful business, and in April, 1916, he disposed of it, having accumulated a competency in the years of his activity in its affairs. For many years he was a stock- holder in the Union Safe Deposit Bank and the Mor- ris Plan Bank.

On the organization of the Security Building and Loan Association October 25, 1912, Mr. Van Pelt accepted the presidency, being well qualified for the position, and under his guidance it had a very rapid growth, conducted as it was along broad and liberal lines. However, wishing to retire from business, he resigned the presidency January 4, 1922.

Mr. Van Pelt is recognized as one of the best posted men in building loan matters in the state. He served as a director on the board of one of the other local building loan associations of Stockton for eight- een years and represented them several times as a delegate to the conventions of the California Build- ing Loan League, a state organization. At the league's annual meeting held in Los Angeles in May, 1910, Mr. Van Pelt was elected president of the state organization. At that meeting he was honored by the league when Stockton was selected as the 1911 meeting place. While president of the state organi- zation he succeeded in reorganizing it and was in- strumental in creating more interest in league affairs by the associations throughout the state. In 1916 he was selected as the state league's representative to the annual convention of the United States League of Building Loan Associations held in the city of St. Louis, Mo., and attended the convention. Mr. Van Pelt has always taken an active interest in building loan association matters and always attends the an- nual meetings of the state organization. By reason of the fact that he is a past president, he has a voice on the floor in all annual meetings of the state league.

In 1911 Mr. Van Pelt built the Van apartments on North American Street, a modern two-story apart- ment house, up-to-date in every particular and always filled. He also purchased the residence next to his apartment house and remodeled it into four modern apartments and this fine properties are bringing him a splendid income. He has also recently purchased a twenty-acre orchard near Oakdale which is in charge of his son, Percy E. Van Pelt.

Mr. Van Pelt's first marriage occurred in Stockton uniting him with Miss Minnie May Davenport, born at Linden, whose parents were pioneers of that sec- tion. She passed away leaving two children: Percy E., who served nineteen months in the U. S. Navy during the World War is now in charge of the Oak- dale orchard, and Arthur C., of Colfax. His second marriage at San Jose united him with Mrs. Eunice (Stilson) Taylor, who was born at Corvallis, Ore, a daughter of Frelinghuysen Stilson, born in Delaware County, N. Y., an early settler of Corvallis. A col- lege man, he was a prominent educator in Oregon and was superintendent of schools of Benton County and one of the founders of the Oregon Agricultural College at Corvallis, where he spent his last days. Mrs. Van Pelt's mother was Jessie Marian Thompson, a native of Yamhill County, Ore., a daughter of Ar- thur Henry Thompson, a native of New York, who crossed the plains in 1847 over the old Oregon Trail. He settled at Astoria when there were only three families in that place and served as justice of the

EDWIN S. VAN PELT

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HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY

peace. He soon made his way to California, lured by the gold mines and was killed on Sutter Creek by the Indians. Mrs. Stilson also died in Oregon. Mrs. Van Pelt, the eldest of their five children, received her education in the public schools and at St. Helen's Hall, Portland. In Yakima, Wash., she was married to James G. Taylor, who was a prominent railroad man and became master mechanic of the Western Pacific Railroad at Stockton, a position he held until his death. Two children resulted from this union: Mrs. Grace Roles and Roy James.

Mr. Van Pelt is very prominent in fraternal life and is past grand of Stockton Lodge No. 11, I. O. O. F., and for ten years served as treasurer of Charter Oak Lodge, K. of P., and is also past chancellor. He has seen many changes in this locality and well re- calls in the early days of Stockton when he drove his team along Main Street in the winter time and the mud would be splashed all over the sidewalks, a de- cidedly different picture than Stockton of today, with its miles of well-kept streets and beautiful homes.

JOSIAH McKINDLEY .- A decidedly representa- tive man in the Acampo district, one who has faith in the future of this region, and of whose life work the district is proud, is Josiah McKindley, a native of Dent County, Mo., where he was born on August 1, 1852, the son of Alexander and Sarah (Shealor) Mc- Kindley. His father came to California in 1853, cross- ing the great plains in a prairie schooner drawn by an ox-team; he was a farmer and provided a com- fortable farm-home for his family of five children. He died here in 1861; but his devoted wife lived to see her seventy-fifth year. When Mr. McKindley reached El Dorado County, he went at once into the mines, where he was moderately successful. Then he moved to the vicinity of Volcano, in Amador County, and after being there a short time, removed to the vicinity of Healdsburg in Sonoma County, where he took up government land. He was contested by an old Span- ish-grant holder, however, and lost out on his title; and this dissipated the fruits of years. In 1863, Mrs. McKindley was married a second time to a Mr. Strickland, of Volcano, who was both an hydraulic and a placer miner.

Josiah McKindley attended the district school near Healdsburg, and when yet a lad, started out for him- self. He worked at all kinds of hard labor to get ahead; he lumbered, logged in the forest, and worked in the mines in Amador County, mining at Sutter near Volcano. When he was twenty years old, he took up teaming by contract, and not only provisions and lumber but did a general freighting from Vol- cano and other points to the mines. Later, he re- moved to Elk Grove, Cal., and followed grain-farm- ing; he leased land, and for fourteen years planted it to grain, and at times cultivated as many as 4,000 acres at once. Then he sold out his stock and his implements, and in 1900 bought 196 acres just south- east of Acampo station-a grain-farm in a very run- down condition when he purchased it-and he imme- diately started to improve it in every way. He built a fine house and barn and all the necessary outbuild- ings for a successful ranch, and began setting the land out as both a vineyard and an orchard. From time to time he sold off portions as he developed them, in small lots, until he had reduced the property to about 116 acres, the finest portion of the ranch, on which he had his residence. Of this land, he had forty acres in peaches, four in apricots, six in cherries, twelve in

prunes, and thirty in a vineyard, while the remainder was either devoted to yards or was vacant.

In the summer of 1922 Mr. McKindley sold off 106 acres of his farm. This leaves him 10.51 acres upon which he built a beautiful country residence in 1922- 1923, where he and his family are comfortably and happily domiciled.

The marriage of Josiah McKindley and Miss Emma A. Mattice took place at Volcano on March 30, 1875, the bride being a native of Illinois, who was brought to California about 1856, when she was a little child, by her parents, Simon and Agnes (Stockton) Mat- tice-the former a miner at Volcano; and they had seven children. Mr. and Mrs. McKindley have nine children. Flora, Mrs. J. W. Pritchard, of Acampo; Daisy is Mrs. Agnew, of Fresno; Elizabeth is Mrs. E. Adams of Acampo; Sarah, or Sadie, is Mrs. S. Smithson, of Acampo; Ernest Mahlan lives at Lodi; William A., a government agent, is also there; Hazel passed away in her fourteenth year; Rosabelle is Mrs. Holt, of Acampo; and Edith, who resides with Mr. and Mrs. McKindley, is now Mrs. Story.

Mr. McKindley was president and manager of the Acampo Fruit Growers Association; and since it was reorganized, he has been a director and a vice-presi- dent. The new organization is known as the Acampo Growers Association.

FRANK E. HOGAN AND GEORGE HOGAN .- Well known in San Joaquin County as successful ranchers of the Lodi section, Frank E. and George Hogan own and operate a 126-acre orchard and vine- yard located on the corner of Hogan Lane and Cher- okee Lane, two and a half miles south of Lodi. Both were born on the old Hogan ranch, settled by their father in 1875. Frank E. Hogan was born on August 11, 1879, a son of George and Elizabeth (Bennett) Hogan, the former a native of New York and the latter of Illinois. The father, George Hogan, was taken by his parents to Ohio, when he was a small child. There they remained for a number of years, going thence, to Illinois, where his father, Edward Hogan, passed away in 1876. George Hogan was reared on a farm until thirteen years old, when he started out for himself, working five years on a farm. He then started for California, in 1864, crossing the plains with a train of about forty families. The trip occupied about four months and was a very pleasant one, as they had no sickness and lost no stock. George Hogan spent about a year on the John Dodge ranch on the Calaveras River, and then purchased land on the Waterloo road. This he sold at the end of a year, and went on the upper Stockton road, where he rented land and farmed for one year. In 1875, he purchased 380 acres of land three and a half miles from Lodi and ten miles from Stockton on the Cher- okee Lane road, which was devoted principally to the production of hay, grain and stock; he also set out a small vineyard for family use. His marriage occur- red in Illinois in 1861 and united him with Miss Eliz- abeth Bennett; and they were the parents of twelve children. He was a member of the Lodi, I. O. O. F. Lodge, No. 259, and also of the Lodi Grange, No. 92. George Hogan became a very prosperous farmer. He passed away on August 9, 1894, at the age of fifty- seven years; and the mother died June 2, 1899, aged fifty-nine years.

The two brothers, George and Frank E. Hogan, jointly own the home ranch which now contains 126 acres, 42 acres of which are in vineyard; the

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balance is devoted to almonds, pears and plums, with sixteen acres in alfalfa and some grain land. There are two large walnut trees on the place that were set out by the father forty-six years ago and each season yield a large crop; Frank E. Hogan lives in the house built by his father many years ago.

The marriage of Frank E. Hogan occurred in Lodi on November 8, 1908, and united him with Miss Mina Williams, a native of Henry County, Mo., and the daughter of James Alvis and Anna (Godwin) Will- iams. She is the third in a family of five children: Clyde, of Los Banos; Mrs. Hogan; Harry, a mechanic at Lodi; Marie, residing in Lodi; and Charles, living at Los Banos. Mrs. Hogan received her education in the grammar schools of Missouri, and in 1906 came to California. Her father lived in Lodi until 1910. when he removed to Los Banos, where he resides at the present time. Mr. and Mrs. Hogan are the parents of twin girls, Eleanor Lucille and Leanor Louise. In politics he is a Republican and he is a member of the N. S. G. W.

TILLMAN B. LITTLETON .- Public spirited to an unusual degree, Tillman B. Littleton, the present commissioner of finance, revenue and public sup- plies of Stockton, has for many years taken an ac- tive part in civic affairs, contributing of his time and wide experience to the cause of good government. His father lost his life in the Civil War, and in 1873 the mother brought her family to California. She was a member of the historic old Cameron fam- ily of Tennessee, and was herself a native of that state. Her parents were members of one of the early parties that started across the plains in 1847. and they were both killed by the Mormons in the the Mountain Meadow massacre.

Tillman B. Littleton was born September 1, 1856, in Jackson County, Ark., and accompanied his moth- er to California in 1873, the family locating on a ranch on Waterloo Road. He finished his education in Stockton and attended the old Stockton Business College, where F. R. Clarke was one of his teachers. He then went to work on ranches, working for wages until he was able to go into ranching on his own ac- count. He rented considerable land and was one of the successful wheat raisers, one year producing 6,000 sacks, which he hauled to the Sperry Flour Flour Mills, receiving one dollar a bushel for it. Later he purchased a grain ranch of 160 acres on Waterloo Road, where he made his home for some time. In 1897 he disposed of this place and since then he has made his home in Stockton, being close- ly identified with its affairs since that time.

At first, on coming to Stockton, Mr. Littleton bought and sold hay, and later, becoming more and more interested in civic affairs he has devoted the greater part of his time to public work. He was elected superintendent of streets and held this office for one term and then for two years served as harbor master. Next he entered the street and sewer con- tracting business, building miles of macadam and gravel streets in Stockton, and in one summer he built $24,000 worth of sewers for the city. Entering again into the commercial life of the city, Mr. Little- ton bought out the Yolland Ice and Coal Company and for ten years conducted it with success, selling out when he was elected to his present office in 1918 for a term of four years. There were ten can- didates for this office, but Mr. Littleton was elected at the primaries, receiving more votes than all the

other candidates put together, a record to be justly proud of, and showing the high esteem in which he is held by his constituency through the splendid serv- ice he had rendered in other public posts.

Mr. Littleton's first marriage united him with Miss Katie Hayes, a native of Missouri, and one son, Roy J., now employed in the Central Bank at Oakland, was born to them. He is married and has two chil- dren, Frances and Gloria. Mrs. Littleton passed away in 1906 and Mr. Littleton was married a second time to Miss Kathryn Harvey, a native of California, and they have a daughter, Alice Loraine. In addi- tion to his busy life as a public official, Mr. Littleton is prominent in lodge circles, being a member of the Elks, Foresters of America, Loyal Order of Moose, and the Truth Lodge of the Odd Fellows. Poli- tically he is a Democrat.

LORENZ SEIFERT .- A trusted employee of the Wagner Leather Company who holds the unusual record of almost a half century's continuous service with this concern, is Lorenz Seifert, an esteemed citi- zen of San Joaquin County since the early days of 1870. Mr. Seifert is a native of Bavaria, Germany, born there April 1, 1851. His father, Bernhardt Seifert, was a fruit grower and a cloth manufacturer who married Barbara Krimm, Lorenz, being the sec- ond oldest of their nine children, only three of whom are living. Besides Lorenz there is Bernhardt, who lived in Germany and a sister, Mrs. Roth, who re- sides adjoining our subject. Reared . in the farming district, where he received a good education in the local schools, the early years of his life were spent in various occupations-in the meat business, on farms and in a furnace factory, and traveling on the road for the latter.

In June, 1870, Mr. Seifert came to the United States and located at Buffalo, N. Y., where he worked in a brickyard until December before coming to Cali- fornia. For several years after arriving at Stockton he worked for the Pioneer Tannery, and in 1874 he entered the employ of the Wagner Leather Company. He learned all the branches of the tanning business and became skilled and proficient. in the handling of leather, so that for close to half a century he has been one of the company's most capable and appreciated employees, still active in its business.

In Stockton, in December, 1877, Mr. Seifert was married to Miss Lena Fetters, born in Bavaria, and they reared a fine family of children, all upright, in- dustrious citizens and assets to the communities where they reside. They are: Mrs. Lena Eldring- ham of Acampo has one child; Elizabeth, the wife of Walter Templeton of Stockton, is the mother of two children; Gussie, Mrs. Joseph Lynch of San Fran- cisco; Dora is the wife of Henry Green, a contractor of Stockton, and they are the parents of two children: Mrs. Anna Ellis of Stockton, and one son, Christo- pher Seifert, is also with the Wagner Leather Com- pany. Beloved by her family and many friends, Mrs. Seifert passed away in 1914. In the early years of his residence here Mr. Seifert was a member of the Turnverein, and he is now affiliated with the Druids. In religious circles he gives his support to the German Lutheran Church, contributing generously to its worthy causes. In 1876 he bought his lot at 1228 East Oak Street and built the comfortable residence, where he has resided ever since. He has built several other places which he has disposed of.

Sovery Seifert

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HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY

LOUIS GERLACH .- How unremitting, intelligent industry inevitably brings its own reward is well illustrated in the career of the late Louis Gerlach, pioneer cattleman of Stockton, who passed away at his home at 231 East Flora Street on June 6, 1921. He was one of Stockton's best known citizens and known throughout the West as one of the richest and most extensive operators in cattle and grazing lands in the country, his death bringing great sorrow to a large circle of friends in San Joaquin County and in Nevada, where his land holdings were very large. He was born in Prussia, Germany, April 25, 1836, and when only a young lad was apprenticed to learn the butcher's trade. Early in life he formed a determination to seek a land of greater opportuni- ties and when seventeen years old left for America. He first settled in Philadelphia, Pa., and worked at his trade for two years; then removed to Stockton, arriving in 1855, and for five years worked in the pioneer butcher shop of Henry Hodgkin; then for six years he ran his own shop at the corner of Hun- ter and Weber avenues; then sold out and engaged in stock trading. He then entered into partnership with Jacob Wagner, the founder of the Wagner Meat Company, and was thus occupied for about twenty years. He retired from the retail business in 1898, selling out to his partner, and devoted himself exclusively to stockraising in Nevada .. Mr. Gerlach owned thousands of acres of land in Nevada when the Western Pacific railroad was built and as the road traversed his lands their value was enhanced greatly. Previous to the coming of the railroad his cattle were driven 100 miles to Reno for shipment. With the completion of the railroad a station named Gerlach in his honor was established on his property and this shipping point became a prominent one. Mr. Gerlach employed a small army of men and to provide them will all the necessities and comforts he established a trading store there. Later the sta- tion became a division point from which railroad operations have since been directed. Until his health became impaired Mr. Gerlach directed his vast estate and its affairs personally, making frequent trips to Nevada for this purpose. He knew every foot of his holdings, arranged all details for the management of his business and was an executive of rare ability. He was held in affection by all the men employed by him and the suggestion of the humblest was given an attentive ear by the great operator, who had the faculty of winning the confidence and respect of his men. Mr. Gerlach was intensely loyal to a friend or faithful worker. Generous, big-hearted, loyal and true, much of his business was transacted without written contracts.

His word was accepted and his gesture concluded deals as finally as written docu- ments. At one time he owned 5,000 acres of grain and grazing land on the San Joaquin River; this he later sold. His largest holdings are 30,000 acres of grazing land in Washoe County, Nevada, and northern Modoc and Lassen counties, California. He has run as high as 12,000 head of cattle on this range. At the present time there are 15,000 head of sheep and 5,000 head of cattle on this large range, which he has owned since 1884. The present holdings in San Joaquin County are 1,500 acres on the Lower Sacramento Road, which is fine grazing land partly under irrigation. In partnership with a son-in-law, A. B. Lang, he owned 700 acres of grazing land on Cherokee Lane near Stockton.

Showing the low

price of land in Stockton in pioneer days, he pur- chased from Captain Weber 400 acres of land at $4 per acre, now a part of the residence portion of Stockton. Some four years ago, with his daughter Mrs. Baldwin, his son-in-law, A. B. Lang, and Mrs. Smith, he bought the Hale block at the corner of Main and San Joaquin streets; they later purchased the old Presbyterian Church adjoining the building on the south and an addition has been built to the block. He helped to organize two banks in Stockton, one being the First National, serving on the board of directors until his death, and was its vice-president. For nearly a half century Mr. Gerlach was one of the heaviest stockholders and a director of the Stockton Savings Bank, now the City Bank.

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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 102

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