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 129

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 129

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Mr. and Mrs. Maisel are the parents of one son, Owen L., who married Eleanor Laumeister. Dur- ing the late war he served with the 319th Engineers in France, Mr. Maisel passed away on April 21. 1917, at the family home in Stockton, mourned by his devoted family and a host of friends. He was at all times interested in the development of his local- ity, and his sterling qualities of mind and heart made him well liked and esteemed by all who knew him.

CHARLES METZLER .- For the past nineteen years Charles Metzler has made his home in San Joaquin County on his fine orchard and farm one and one half miles north of Linden. All of the im- provements on his ranch have been made by Mr. Metzler, and it is now, one of the most desirable and profitable orchards in the valley. Forty acres are de- voted to peaches, six acres to almonds and twenty acres to French prunes, the balance of the ranch being devoted to diversified crops. He was born near Mer- gentheim, Wurtemberg, Germany, June 28, 1849, a son of Martin and Catherine (Ohm) Metzler, both natives of that country. His mother passed away the same year he was born and later his father was married to Miss Mary Beckstein, who proved a kind stepmother to the motherless boy. His father passed away in 1856.

From his earliest recollections, Charles Metzler had a desire to locate in America. He received a good education in the excellent schools of his native land and in August, 1872 he arrived in New York City, where he worked for three years in a tannery for nine dollars per week; however, he saved enough money in three years to pay his way to California, ar- riving in San Francisco in the fall of 1875. He first located at Redwood City, where he conducted a bak- ery, but later suffered the loss of his property by fire; he then removed to San Jose, where he engaged in farming near Los Gatos for five years. During this time his first wife, Anna C. (Meyers) Metzler passed away, leaving three children: Carl of Arroyo Grande; Fred of Paso Robles, and Mrs. Annie Wil- 53

son of San Leandro. He was married the second time in San Francisco, December 6, 1884, to Miss Helena Martens. She was born in Oldenburg, Ger- many, a daughter of John J. and Helena C. (Von Aschwege) Martens, and the mother and the daugh- ters came to California in 1882. John J. Martens, who was an expert miller, died in 1868, survived by his wife who passed away in Linden, December 24, 1906, mourned by three sons and three daughters.

Mr. and Mrs. Metzler are the parents of five chil- dren: Emma, the wife of Adolph Dauth, has three children and they reside in San Francisco; Henry W. represented in this history; Elise married George D. Gill, they have three sons and reside in Bellota; Hel- ena, the wife of John S. Platt, has two children and they reside in Linden; Albert is a rancher. Mr. Metzler completed his U. S. citizenship in 1882 at San Jose. From 1885 to 1903 he was occupied in general farming in Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties and while residing there was a school trus- tee for the Monterey and Jolon districts, serving for three terms. Mrs. Metzler's sister, Mrs. Frank L. Meier, came to the Linden section in 1876, where Mr. Meier has become a prominent prune grower and is an authority on horticulture in this district. Mrs. Metzler is a stanch member of the Methodist Church in Linden, and the family enjoy the respect and esteem of many friends in San Joaquin County.

HOLMAN BROS .- Prominent among the suc- cessful men of affairs whose strenuous lives enable them, while carving out some fortune for themselves, to also serve their fellowmen and help to advance the community, the Holman brothers, grain and stock- men of the Farmington section of San Joaquin Coun- ty, rank among the foremost in these important industries. They own and operate 1,177 acres of choice wheat land, where they exercise the most modern system of planting, cultivating and harvest- ing of crops, thus reaping a fine quality and a large quantity of choice grain. The company known as the Holman Bros. is composed of James T. Holman, senior partner, and William Edgar, both born in Randolph County, Mo., members of a family of six children born to William B. and Martha (Prather) Holman, also natives of Randolph County, Mo. The Holman and Prather families came to Missouri from Kentucky in the early '30s and here the father and mother of the Holman brothers were born, reared, educated and married. William B. Holman was a successful merchant and at the same time carried on quite extensive farming interests in Missouri until 1874, when he brought his family to California and settled near Linden, where he engaged extensively in stock and grain raising until his death in 1908, survived by his widow until 1920, when she, too, passed away. William B. Holman spent more than a third of a century in the Linden section and was identified with its development in an unselfish way. Fraternally he was a Mason. After his father's death, James T. Holman, being the eldest of the family, assumed the responsibility of the family and large farming interests left by his father, and his brother William Edgar became partner with him in the stock and grain busines, which has been so suc- cessfully carried on by them.

On October 18, 1892, occurred a double wedding which united James T. Holman and Miss Luella G. Needham and William Edgar Holman with Miss

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HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY

Lillian V. Needham, accomplished daughters of Charles E. and Olive L. (Drake) Needham, and sis- ters of Hon. James Carson Needham, judge of the Superior Court of Stanislaus County, residing at Modesto. Mr. and Mrs. James T. Holman are the parents of one son, Earl Leigh, a graduate of the University of California who served in the A. E. F., during the World War, as second lieutenant in the engineers; at the present time he is assistant super- intendent and engineer state controller light and power at Sacramento. Mr. and Mrs. William Edgar Holman are the parents of one son, Charles. James T. and William Edgar Holman are members of the Farmington Lodge, I. O. O. F., while their wives are both active in the Rebekah Lodge and all are stanch Republicans. James T. Holman serves as a trustee of the Farmington school.

MRS. LAURA B. VAN LOON .- A leader in social, religious and civic circles, Mrs. Laura B. Van Loon has taken a prominent part in the life of the community since taking up her residence at Ripon in 1906. She was born at Ceres, Stanislaus County, the daughter of Mark and Mary (Horn) Williams; the father, who was of Welsh descent, was born at Fayetteville, Ark., his parents being among the early settlers of that region, while Mrs. Williams was born at Springfield, Mo., of English and Welsh ancestry.

Mrs. Van Loon was reared and educated at Ceres and when twenty-four years old was married to Fran- cis E. McKee, who was then in the general mer- chandise business at Lathrop, Cal. After a time he sold his store to Reynolds Bros., Sydney W. Rey- nols being one of the firm, and went to Le Grand, Merced County, where with Benjamin Eastman as a partner he built up a good merchandise business. In 1902 he sold this business and removed to Pacific Grove, where he resided for some time, and in 1906 came to Ripon, where with Sydney W. Reynolds he established the firm of McKee & Reynolds, buying out the store of E. C. Dickinson, who at that time was conducting the business under the firm name of Yaple & Company. It was the pioneer establish- ment in its line in Ripon and through the well di- rected energy of Mr. McKee and his partner, a splendid business was built up. Mr. McKee's suc- cessful eareer was cut short, however, as his death occured on September 22, 1916, following an opera- tion for appendicitis, leaving his widow and one daughter, Neva Arline, now the wife of H. J. Sim- mons of Pacific Grove and they are the parents of a son, James Francis Simmons. Mr. McKee's half interest in the business was equally divided between wife and daughter, and the former still retains an active interest in the management of the business.

Her second marriage occurred on February 12, 1919, and united her with L. L. Van Loon, the popular agent for the Southern Pacific Railroad at Manteca, who formerly occupied this position at Ripon. Mr. Van Loon was born and reared at La Crosse, Wis., becoming a telegraph operator at the age of nine- teen. He has continued in this line ever since, holding responsible positions on the Salt Lake and Southern Pacific Railroads. Mrs. Van Loon is active in the membership of the Congregational Church at Ripon, and was prominent in the erection of the beautiful new edifice. She is serving as deaconess and was formerly superintendent of the Sunday school, from 1916 to 1920. She usually serves on the election

board, and has been president and vice-president of the local W. C. T. U. Though now a progressive Republican, she heretofore voted as a prohibitionist and is proud to have worked for the successful adoption of the Eighteenth Amendment.

MRS. MARIE OTT COOPER .- An honored pion- eer resident of San Joaquin County, Mrs. Marie Ott Cooper has been privileged to see and have part in the development that has come about in the past half century, making this one of the progressive and pros- perous sections of the Golden State. She was born near the River Neckar, Wurtemberg, Germany, Jan- uary 23, 1858, the daughter of Frederick and Barbara (Trick) Wille, both natives of that place and well-to- do farmers; the father was born on December 26. 1833, and the mother on December 6, 1835, and they resided in their native land until 1878, when they came to America. They were the parents of four children, of whom three now survive: Mrs. Anne Schneider of Stockton; Mrs. Marie Ott Cooper of this sketch, and Mrs. Barbara Gasser of Eureka, Cal.

Mrs. Cooper was educated in a private school at Reutlingen, Germany, and on August 7, 1875, she was married to Martin Ott, who was one of San Joaquin County's prominent early settlers. He was born in Wurtemberg, Germany, February 8, 1837, and in 1853 came with his father and brother to America, settling in Detroit, Mich., where Martin Ott clerked in a mercantile establishment until 1858. Starting to California by way of the Isthmus of Pan- ama, he arrived at San Francisco in June, 1858, and remained there for nine months, when he went to Tuolumme County, where he engaged in mining until 1867. He then came to San Joaquin County and bought 200 acres of land on the San Joaquin River and farmed for a time, but on account of ill health he removed to San Francisco. After two years he re- turned to his farm where he began cultivating the virgin soil and became extensively interested in rais- ing chicory, and with Carl Dangers established the San Joaquin Chicory Factory on the San Joaquin River, being engaged in this business for twenty- seven years. He made his home on the ranch until his death on January 11, 1897, passing away at the age of sixty, a man of sterling worth, beloved and es- teemed by all who knew him. April 4, 1875, he started back to his old home in Wurtemberg and there, as stated above he was married in 1875 and then returned to California with his bride. Mr. and Mrs. Ott became the parents of four children; Minna, a graduate nurse, resides at Stockton with her moth- er; Fred W., a rancher and deputy county assessor, is represented elsewhere in this work; Emma, who graduated as a nurse at Mt. Zion Hospital in 1903, resides at home; Leonore married H. Barstow; they have a daughter and reside in Berkeley.

Mrs. Ott's second marriage united her with A. D. M. Cooper of San Francisco and San Jose, the noted artist and authority on the American Indian who is well known on both sides of the Atlantic. About fifteen years ago Mrs. Cooper built a commodious residence at 127 West Willow Street, Stockton, and here are to be found some of Mr. Cooper's finest canvases and many Indian curios of great value. A member of the Lutheran Church since her early girl- hood, Mrs. Cooper gives much time to its activities and is a generous contributor to its benevolences.

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Martin Ott

Marie Ott Cooper

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HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY

CHARLES PROFIT ANDERSON .- Among the successful vineyardists of San Joaquin County, Charles Profit Anderson has made a decided success of his viticultural activities and his home place near Ripon, known as the Cannan vineyards, has long been known for the excellency of its table grapes, principally Tokays. He is a native of Stockholm, Sweden, born August 15, 1864, a son of Lars and Annie (Anderson) Anderson, both natives also of Sweden. Lars Anderson was born in 1817 and in 1865 came to America. The family consisted of nine children: Ellen, Martin, Betty, Fannie, William, Annie are all deceased; Peter T. resides in Washing- ton state; Nels L. owns a fine citrus ranch at Lind- say, Cal. and Charles Profit, the subject of this sketch. Lars Anderson located at Chicago, Ill. and later re- moved to Gladstone in the same state. He was a Republican in politics and received his U. S. citizen- ship at Oquawka, Henderson Co., Ill. The father passed away in 1885, survived by his wife who passed away four years later, in 1889.

Charles Profit Anderson entered the public school at Gladstone, Ill., at the age of six years and finished school at the age of thirteen and at eighteen years of , age he left home to make his way in the world. He selected acting as his vocation and his first appear- ance was in Chicago as an Irish comedian, receiving a salary of sixty dollars per week and expenses; then while in Minneapolis, Minn. he signed up with Sells Bros. Circus for $125 per week and all expenses and during 1885-6-7 received $500 per month for his work and traveled all over the world. After completing his contract with Sells Bros., he took up the study of electrical engineering and entered the shop of Thomas A. Edison at Schenectady, N. Y. where he spent four years; then he went to New Orleans and was em- ployed four months in the installation of an acetylene plant. He then entered business for himself and removed to Corpus Christi, Texas, where he con- structed a large light and power plant and also in- stalled an electrical system for a large storage plant.

On November 30, 1891, Mr. Anderson was married to Miss Ella Stewart, a native of Texas, a daughter of James and Eugenie (Gazelle) Stewart, an old New Orleans family, of French descent. After his mar- riage, Mr. Anderson removed to Fort Worth, Texas, where he became general manager of the Standard Light & Power Corporation at Fort Worth where he remained for five years. Being advised by his phy- sician to engage in outdoor employment he moved to Edmond, Okla., where he purchased 480 acres of land which he farmed to wheat and also engaged in stock raising on a large scale. At the time of the Galveston storm and flood Mr. Anderson lost $6,000 and soon thereafter sold his place and removed to Missouri, locating near Forsyth, and there bought a ranch of 1,000 acres where he extensively raised cattle and hogs. Again Mr. Anderson suffered severe reverses and in 1903 he disposed of his holdings and removed to California, and in going about from place to place was impressed with the advantages of the Ripon section of San Joaquin County, so pur- chased 160 acres near the town. For two years he was hampered by ill health, but the California climate proved beneficial and he was able to accomplish splendid results in viticulture and he is considered a pioneer in this industry in the Ripon section. His first experience in setting out a vineyard was on

thirty acres of his home place where he got a ninety-five per cent stand, thus proving the adapta- bility of the climate and soil for grapes. Mr. Ander- son also owns two other ranches-one of eighty acres near Avena, San Joaquin County, and the other one of twenty acres in Sacramento County, and both places are being rapidly developed.

Mr. and Mrs. Anderson are the parents of six children: Olive Ruth, the wife of Wellington Man- ley, employed in the registry department of the Sac- ramento postoffice and they have two sons; Ella De- Vie married William Smith and they reside in Los Angeles; Vera C. is the wife of Virgil Merritt and they reside in Williams, Arizona; Charles Arnold is foreman at the Ford garage at Colusa; Eugenie G. is the wife of James Smith and they reside at Sacramento; Zenobia J. is at home with her par- ents. In politics Mr. Anderson is a Republican and a stanch advocate of prohibition and fraternally is a charter member and a commander of Samson lodge, K. P., of Chicago. Mrs. Anderson is a talented woman, a graduate of Corpus Christi College, Texas, and takes an active part in all civic affairs of her locality and is a member of the executive committee of the South San Joaquin County W. C. T. U. Mr. Anderson finds great pleasure in fishing as a means of recreation and is classed as one of the best anglers in the county.

ED. N. PIERCE .- Capability and efficiency have marked the career of Ed. N. Pierce and as assist- ant superintendent of the San Joaquin General Hos- pital, located at French Camp, he conducts its af- fairs in a most satisfactory manner. He was born in Providence, R. I., December 23, 1859; his parents were also natives of the same state and during the Civil War his father gave his life at the Battle of Pittsburg Landing. At seventeen years of age, Ed N. Pierce enlisted as a seaman on the U. S. S. Pen- sacola and later was transferred to the U. S. S. Con- stitution; he followed a seaman's life for three years, then in 1880 arrived in California and was discharged from the service. He then removed to Solano Coun- ty, where he found employment on a large ranch and in 1883 he entered the Clarke Business College in Stockton where he remained for one year.

At Stockton, in 1884, Mr. Pierce was married to Miss Inez L. Austin and began farming near Calla Corners, remaining there until 1889, when Mr. Pierce became second nurse at the General Hospital at French Camp; later he became head nurse and chief assistant to the surgeon in the operating room. After nine years of service, he resigned and again en- gaged in farming at Calla Corners, and he was active in bringing about the organization of the South San Joaquin Irrigation District, covering approxi- mately 71,000 acres and he served six years as sec- retary; he still owns twenty acres at Calla Corners, which he continues to farm. Eight children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Pierce: J. Austin; Edna; Effie is the wife of George Murphy; E. N., Jr., is a rancher at Calla, he served with Gen. Pershing in Mexico in the 1st Division of the A. E. F .; Mark W. is a rancher and served his country in the Navy and during the war made fourteen round trips across the Atlantic; Lela is the wife of John Fair, prin- cipal of the Gilroy high school; Chester S. is the first superintendent of the agricultural department at

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HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY

the County Farm and during the war served with the motor transport ammunition train of the A. E. F .; Byron served as an aviator and was in training at Rockwell Field. Mr. Pierce is justly proud of his sons' war records. In 1915 he again took up his duties at the County Farm and has been made as- sistant superintendent of the farm and hospital. Po- litically he is a Republican and fraternally is a mem- ber of Mt. Horeb Lodge of I. O. O. F. at Ripon and is a past grand of the lodge and past district deputy, and twice been a delegate to the grand lodge; he is also a member of Tyrian Lodge of Masons at Manteca, and the Lodge of Perfection, Scottish Rite at Stockton.

ANDREW RIVARA .- The advancement of San Joaquin County and the upbuilding of the city of Stockton had a progressive promoter in Andrew Rivara, whose name has been connected with many of the influences and movements tending toward de- velopment along many avenues. Born in Italy, twen- ty-three miles northeast of Genoa on March 12, 1853, he was there reared and attended school until he was fifteen. His father was a farmer and owned and operated a flour mill. His son's duties were to deliver the grain to the mill on the backs of mules, and take the flour back to the bakery, a distance of seven miles. He made two round trips daily, thus cov- erin twenty-eight miles each day on foot. Tales of the wonderful opportunities of the New World had pene- trated to their village and when he reached the age of twenty-one he decided to cast his lot in this new country. In 1874 he married Miss Mary Musto and together they came to America, coming direct to Stockton, Cal., arriving on October 30. He secured employment. with Peter Musto, who ran a grocery store at El Dorado and Market streets; his hours were long, working from daylight to nine at night, receiving for his labor twenty dollars per month, which continued three years, when his wages were raised to thirty dollars per month. He then de- dided to go into business for himself, and opened a small grocery store on North Hunter Street near Lindsay, remaining in that location for seventeen years. He then bought a lot on the corner of Main and Madison streets and erected a store building and for the following twenty-three years carried on his business. During 1915 he sold his business, but is still owner of the property. He is now living retired from active business altogether, his extensive real estate holdings requiring all of his time. In partnership with three other men, he owns a sixty- acre ranch on the San Joaquin River southwest of Stockton, which is now a full-bearing vineyard and orchard, and he is the owner of a ten-acre ranch, seven of which is in vineyard, located near the race track east of town.

Mr. Rivara has built up a competency wholly through his own efforts and foresight and during his forty-eight years of continued residence in Stockton, has witnessed the remarkable and substantial growth of that city. For over thirty years he has been a member of the Italian branch of the Foresters of America. Mr. and Mrs. Rivara are the parents of nine children, of whom only three are living. Mrs. Laura Armanino, Mary, and Edna. They had a daughter, Adeline, Mrs. Mina, who died in 1918, leaving a son, whom Mr. Rivara adopted and is rearing and educating.

MRS. SARAH EMMA BURGESS .- A woman of much native business ability who is making a suc- cess of the profession she has chosen is Mrs. Sarah Emma Burgess, who has been a resident of Califor- nia since December 4, 1868. She is a native of Iowa, born at Maquoketa. Her father, Levi S. Preston, was a native of Pennsylvania. Grandfather Colburn Preston was born in Vermont and he married Sarah Webber. He was a veteran of the War of 1812, while Great-grandfather Preston served in the Revo- lutionary War.

Levi S. Preston migrated to Iowa when a young man and was married at Maquoketa in 1857 to Viola Haswell, also born in Pennsylvania, a daughter of Nathan B. and Ruth (Webber) Haswell, natives of Vermont. Nathan Haswell was an educator in Penn- sylvania and was also a writer and newspaper man. Viola Haswell was engaged in teaching in Iowa. The young couple farmed in Iowa until 1868, when Mr. Preston removed to Eagleville, Harrison County, Missouri, where he farmed for two years and then brought his wife and three children via New York to Aspinwall, then crossed the Isthmus to Panama City and thence by steamer to San Francisco, land- ing on December 4, 1868. For a time he followed farming near Brentwood, Contra Costa County, and later he resided for a time in Stockton, but spent his last days in Redwood City. His widow survived him until 1918, passing away in Stockton at the home of Mrs. Burgess.

This worthy couple had seven children that grew up, five of whom are living and Mrs. Burgess is the second oldest. Coming to San Francisco when six years of age she well remembers the long journey and interesting experiences of the trip. A studious child, she obtained a good education in the public schools of Contra Costa County. Her marriage oc- curred in San Francisco April 7, 1882, when she was united with Philip H. Burgess, a native of Massa- chusetts, born at Ashburnham, near Lynn, October 24, 1848, a son of Joshua and Susan (Piper) Burgess, who were descended from an old Puritan family. In 1856 the Burgess family removed to Mankato, Minn., where Philip was reared on the farm. History tells of the Indian massacre in that region during the period of the Civil War, but fortunately the Burgess family lived some distance back from the river, the line of the Indians' route of massacre, so they were saved. However, this stirred the patriotism of young Philip and he left his books and volunteered in the spring of 1864 enlisting in Company C, 11th Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, being sent into the South where he served faithfully with his command until after the close of the war, being mustered out in the summer of 1865 after a year's service and still only a boy of sixteen years. The following incident shows the difference in the treatment of the soldier boys of that day and the present: When he was returning on the train it was so crowded he was obliged to ride on top of the caboose and he went to sleep and woke finding himself on the edge of the car with his feet dangling over the side and caught himself just in time to save himself from falling.

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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 129

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