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 140

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 140

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PAUL OARD .- In the Oard Radio Laboratories, Stockton possesses an industry that is decidedly out of the ordinary. Located in a handsome plant at South and Aurora streets, this concern, specializing in the manufacture of radio apparatus of a very high quality, distributes its product across the entire United States.

Paul Oard, the founder of this concern, one of the pioneer radio men of the industry, and an inventor whose devices have contributed materially toward the progress of the radio art, was born in Salem, Ore., October 28, 1894, the son of Sherman and Edith (Pelton) Oard. In a sudden and distressing accident three years later, the father met death while with the Northern Pacific Lumber Company of Portland, leaving Mrs. Oard the breadwinner of the little fam- ily. In later years, Mrs. Oard, visiting friends in California, met and married H. R. McCoy of Stock- ton, now a retired Delta farmer.

Mr. Oard while still in Stockton high school, be- came fascinated with the possibilities of the radio art, which at this time, 1911, was emerging from the experimental stage into its present commercialized form. In 1912, passing the Government radio exam- ination with flying colors, he entered the services of the Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company as a ship operator, and while with this concern for the follow- ing two years visited the major part of the globe.

In 1914, barely out of his teens, Mr. Oard resigned from the Marconi Company, and returning to Stock- ton, opened his first place of business. Shortly after- wards he put his first radio patent through the Pat- ent Office. The business prospered in a modest way until the United States entered the World War, and all privately owned radio stations were closed by Government order. In view of Mr. Oard's thorough knowledge of the radio art he was appointed radio instructor by the Government and by the state of California for Stockton high school, and in this capac- ity took active part in the training of operators for the Government service. As a result of his untiring services, Stockton furnished a larger proportionate number of radio operators than any other city in the state of California.

With the close of hostilities and the resumption of radio activity Mr. Oard plunged actively into the manufacture of radio apparatus again. It was at this time that the Oard Radio Laboratories came into existence, with Mr. Oard's stepfather, H. R. McCoy, as the silent partner. Shortly after the organizing of the concern, possession was gained of what is now conceded to be one of the most valuable of wireless patent licenses, the famous Armstrong Regenerative circuit, which gave the Oard Radio Laboratories a commanding position in the radio world.

In 1921, George A. Turner, prominent capitalist of Stockton, and also an inventor, became interested in Mr. Oard's work, and incorporated the Portable Wireless Telephone Company for the express pur- pose of acting as distributors of the Oard radio ap- paratus. Under his able and capable direction a strong organization was launched which in a short while was distributing through the medium of sev- eral hundreds of dealers across the United States. Prominent among the radio devices is the now famous Phantom Radio Receptor, one of Mr. Oard's inventions which possesses the property of being able to receive radio messages over distances of sev-

Paul & Qand

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HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY

eral thousands of miles without the use of outside aerial wires or connections.

Although the bulk of business done comes from east of the Rocky Mountains, and although several flattering offers have been received relative to estab- lishing the manufacturing plant on the Atlantic Sea- board, Mr. Oard prefers to keep the industry in Stockton. At this writing, the books of the company show that over one thousand dealers and jobbers are handling the Oard products, the concern not handling any retail trade. A national advertising policy is also followed.

The marriage of Mr. Oard united him with Miss Lucial Garrow, a daughter of Alexander Garrow, whose life history is to be found in these pages. Mr. and Mrs. Oard are the parents of one daughter, Ruth Lucial. In politics, Mr. Oard is a Republican and is a member of Truth Lodge, I. O. O. F., of Stockton.

HENRY A. FRERICHS .- A wide-awake believer in irrigation and development, Henry A. Frerichs as president of the board of directors of the West Side Irrigation District uses his influence in creating a new era of prosperity for the enterprising city of Tracy and environs. He was born in San Francisco on August 9, 1868, and a few months later was taken by his parents, John and Magdalena (Schneider) Frerichs, to San Joaquin County, making the trip by boat to Mohr's Landing, near Bethany, then by wagon across the country to a tract of government land just south of what is now the thriving city of Tracy. Mr. and Mrs. Frerichs were venerable and honored citizens of this county, numbered among the worthy pioneers to whom the county owes a debt of gratitude for what they accomplished in reclaiming its wild lands. John Frerichs died on November 7, 1907, having been preceded by his wife, who passed away on October 14, 1907.

Henry A. Frerichs attended the Ellis district school and finished his schooling in the Willow dis- trict, which has since been incorporated in the Tracy schools. Henry A. Frerichs has always been identi- fied in farming enterprises since he was old enough to help his father, and subsequently he has been active in perpetuating the policies of his father, who was a most successful man. At the time the first survey was made in the West Side Irrigation Dis- trict, Mr. Frerichs was active in making the system cover 60,000 acres, but due to the great opposition this was cut down, so that now about 12,000 acres are benefited, which means a loss to the county of many thousands of dollars. Mr. Frerichs owns 160 acres of the original homestead settled on by his father in 1868, which has been developed into a model alfalfa ranch.

The marriage of Mr. Frerichs united him with Miss Susie C. Lingenfelser, a native of San Fran- cisco, where she was reared and educated. They are the parents of three children: Myrtle is Mrs. Henry C. Fiske, a rancher near San Joaquin City, and they have one child; Harry J. married Miss Marion Johnson of Los Angeles, Cal., and they reside in Tracy. He served in the Ninety-first Division for ten months; then with the 316th M. P. overseas for twelve months; then he re- turned to the United States and was honorably discharged at the Presidio, San Francisco, in 1919; Claude J. was corporal during the late war in the 13th Division, 75th Infantry, Company L, and received his honorable discharge in January, 1919,

and is now at home with his parents on the ranch. Mr. Frerichs is a charter member of the N. S. G. W. of Tracy, and his sons are also active members; he is also a member of the Woodmen of the World. Politically he is a Republican, a trustee of the West Side Union high school for many years; also serves as county deputy assessor, which position he has filled for the past six years. He gives his support to every worthy project for the betterment of his locality and is highly interested in the affairs of the local Farm Bureau.

JOHN W. FREDERICK .- A native son and life- long resident of San Joaquin County, who is also a prosperous and enterprising agriculturist is John W. Frederick, residing on his 160-acre ranch three miles west of Ripon, which he farms to wheat and barley. He was born on the place where he now resides, November 4, 1871, a son of John and Nancy (Under- wood) Frederick. John Frederick was born in Indi- ana and later was taken to Iowa by his parents, where the family lived until 1860 when they crossed the plains with an emigrant train to California. The Frederick family located near Stockton, on the Peter Clapp ranch, where they remained for one year; later they removed to the salt grass land and range country three miles west of Ripon. At that time the land was thought to be worthless for farming. John Frederick had married in Iowa Miss Nancy Underwood, a daughter of Philip Underwood, born in Iowa, and the Underwoods accompanied the Fred- ericks to California in 1860. Seven children were born to this pioneer couple: Mary Ellen resides at home; Flora, Mrs. Frank Stephenson, has two daugh- ters and one son, and are ranchers on the homestead near Ripon; Mrs. Birdina Curtis resides in Ripon; Ida, Mrs. H. A. Buchanan, resides at Folsom, and has four sons; Eliza, Mrs. John Garrison, resides in Ripon and has four daughters and four sons; John W., the subject of this sketch, and James W., resides with his wife in Modesto, where he is engaged in the real estate business and ranching.

John Frederick homesteaded 160 acres and pur- chased 160 acres, making 320 acres, which he farmed to grain; he also raised considerable stock on his ranch. He bought ten acres of timber land near Taylor's Ferry on the Stanislaus River, which is now owned by our subject. John Frederick served as a school trustee of San Joaquin school district until he passed away in 1885. The mother and sons managed the ranch until 1896, when our subject took full charge of it and leased other lands on which he raised large quantities of wheat and barley, besides having considerable stock. In 1900 the original house built by his father more than a half century ago, was replaced by a more commodious residence which stood for seventeen years and then was destroyed by fire; three years later Mr. Frederick built his modern residence where he and his family now reside. The mother passed away in Ripon in 1916, and John W. became administrator of the estate.

In 1920 John W. Frederick was married to Miss Kathryn Nutt, a daughter and third child of thirteen children born to Henry D. and Sarah M. (Hull) Nutt, natives of Indiana and Iowa, respectively. Mr. Frederick purchased the interests of all his brothers and sisters and owns the original 160 acres, as well as the ten acres of timber land on the Stanislaus River, which his father purchased so many years ago for the permanent home of the Frederick family.

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HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY

The irrigation activities of San Joaquin County has always found an ardent supporter in Mr. Frederick and his influence for the advancement of his partic- ular locality has been given enthusiastically.

CHARLES EDMUND WILLIAMS .- An enter- prising business man of Stockton, whose foresight and optimism have been of real service in the develop- ment of the important commercial interests of the Gateway City, is Charles Edmund Williams, one of the founders of the firm of Williams & Moore, pio- neer shippers of wool, hides and tallow, and manu- facturers of soap, of 148 South Aurora Street. Mr. Williams was Batesville, Independence County, Ark., the son of Robert and Eliza (Ridgway) Williams, the former a native of Virginia, the latter of Pennsylvania, and both now deceased. His father passed away while Charles was a baby; and his mother, with five children, in 1853, crossed the plains in an ox-team to California, locating at Stockton.

Here Charles, attended the local schools, and in this city he secured his first employment, in a grocery store. Then, in partnership with B. W. Owens and and E. Moore he engaged in raising sheep in Central Nevada, and also in San Joaquin Valley, and in this enterprise he continued for ten years. Early in the '80s he formed, with Edward Moore, the partner- ship of Williams & Moore, and they began to deal in wool, hides and tallow, becoming one of the pioneer concerns in that field. Mr. Moore died about thirty years ago. In recent years the firm has added to their plant a soap manufacturing department, under the name of the Stockton Soap Works. The plant is located in the industrial district, on South Aurora Street, and there are manufactured the well-known and popular soap products: "Stocktonia," a laundry soap, and "Angora," a borax favorite used for toilet and bath, and also a general line of laundry soaps for the trade. In partnership with James Jamieson, Mr. Williams has become one of the owners of a muscat vineyard of 130 acres south of Fresno, which was developed from raw land and is now in full bearing. Mr. Williams is a member of the Sun-Maid Raisin Growers, and is a director of the Harris Har- vester Works of Stockton.

As one of the oldest living pioneers in the county, Mr. Williams has witnessed many of the most im- portant and interesting changes that have taken place in this part of the Golden State. He was a member of the Hook and Ladder Company of the Stockton Volunteer Fire Department in early days, and served one term in the city council as a representative from the Second ward and two terms as councilman-at- large. He was elected mayor of Stockton in 1903, and served until 1905, one of the best mayors the city ever had. He is a stanch Republican.

At Stockton, in 1881, Mr. Williams was married to Miss Lillian Wood, a native of New Jersey; and they have been blessed with three children. Maude is the eldest; Hazel, the second-born, has become Mrs. George M. Burton, of Stockton, and the mother of one daughter, Catherine; and the youngest is Byna. Mr. and Mrs. Williams are communicants of the Central Methodist Church. Mr. Williams has been through all the chairs of Charity Lodge, I. O. O. F., and is a member of the Independent Order of Foresters.

JOHN W. HIEB .- An enterprising contractor of Lodi whose thorough training and dependable work- manship have brought him a high degree of success in his chosen line of work is John W. Hieb, who for a quarter of a century has been numbered among the residents of the Lodi district. A native of South Dakota, born August 2, 1880, he was reared at Menno, his native place. His father, William Hieb, who was born near Odessa, Southern Russia, came to Lodi from South Dakota in 1897 and bought thirty acres of raw land one mile south of Lodi and planted a vineyard, one of the first to be operated on a com- mercial scale in the district. After living there a number of years and bringing the place to a high state of development, he disposed of it and now makes his home in Lodi, retired from active business. He was the founder of the Salem Reformed Church and has always been active in its affairs. The following are his eight children: William W., a rancher; John W., the subject of this review; Jacob W. is a partner in the firm of Hieb Bros., contractors; Mrs. Magde- lene Kost; Mrs. Katie Youpp; Mrs. Alida Bender; Albina, deceased, and Mrs. Pauline Walder.

John W. Hieb was educated in the public school in Menno, S. D., and at the same time from a boy as- sisted his father on the old homestead. He was a natural mechanic and worked as a helper to a car- penter, building residences, barns and churches. He was seventeen years of age when he arrived in Lodi and he assisted his father in the planting of the vine- yard and in its care. He then took up carpenter work, and first was with a bridge construction crew for the Southern Pacific Railroad, and later he received a careful training in his trade with O. Corbin, one of the pioneer builders of Lodi, being five years in his employ, and holding the position of foreman for the three last years of that period. During this time he superintended the construction of a number of fine residences, among them the homes of Frank Beck- man, Mrs. Anna Hudson and Dr. Tennyson. Mr. Hieb then entered business with August Marklein, and during their partnership they built the grammar school at Franklin, St. John's Episcopal Church at Lodi, and practically all the business section of Vic- tor, in addition to the Evangelical Church there and many of the homes. Later this firm was dissolved and Mr. Hieb took in his brother, Jacob W. Hieb, as a partner.

Mr. Hieb has been connected with the contracting of over 500 residences and business blocks in and around Lodi, and for some of the homes he has drawn his own plans and specifications. Among his work we note the following: Seven churches in Lodi, the Congregational Church near Victor, the Farmers & Merchants Bank and the White Front Store at Lodi, the residences of H. J. Cooper, Dr. A. C. Boehmer, G. G. Hieb, J. G. Hieb, Max Elbert, all of Lodi, and a $24,000 residence for Louis Chapdelain one mile west of Lodi, one of the best in the county. He just completed the Evangelical Church, Lodi, at a cost of $25,000, and the William Spooner residence, costing $12,000. He has had an average of twenty-one men in his employ in recent years and his reputation for fine work has brought him all the business he can handle. He owns a number of lots in Lodi on which he expects to build residences later. He is also a stockholder in the Farmers & Merchants Bank.

In 1900 Mr. Hieb was married to Miss Caroline Hieb, a native of Menno, S. D. She is the daughter of Gottlieb and Magdelene (Mettler) Hieb, who were

Golm AN Hich Carolina Hieb

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HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY

also born near Odessa, Russia. They emigrated to Menno, South Dakota, where Mr. Hieb was engaged in the mercantile business for twenty-five years, until he disposed of it and located in San Joaquin County on a farm near Victor, where he engaged in viticul- ture until he retired to Lodi where he and his wife resided until their death. They had five children: Jacob G. resides in Oakland; Mrs. Magdalene Han- del of Lodi; Mrs. Christine Ulmer of Lodi; Mrs. Caroline Hieb and Gottlieb, a resident of Oakland. Mr. and Mrs. Hieb are the parents of three children, Leon, Herbert and Bernice. Mr. Hieb and family are members of the Salem Reformed Church and he has served as trustee for several years. For the last twelve years he has done more building in Lodi and vicinity than any one engaged in the building busi- ness. He has made a study of his line and also has studied architecture, and draws the plans for resi- dences, churches and public buildings.

GEORGE ALLEN LADD .- San Joaquin County owes much to such well-organized, well-conducted business concerns as the Ladd Dairy farm in the Montezuma district in the vicinity of Stockton, whose proprietor is George Allen Ladd, a worthy repre- sentative of a pioneer family of California, dating back to 1853. He was born on the ranch where he now resides, March 25, 1875, a son of Walter Eugene and Juliette Estella (Ayers) Ladd, and is the eldest of a family of four children, the others being Walter E., Elmer A., and Juliette. His grandfather, George Samuel Ladd, was a New Englander by birth and reached California, with his brother Ira W. Ladd, also represented in this history, in 1853, and both were prominently associated with educational and commercial enterprises of the county. George Sam- uel Ladd married Miss Abigail Bourland, a native of Arkansas. She survives her husband, who passed away in 1902, and she resides in Stockton.

Walter Eugene Ladd, the father of our subject, was born in 1859 and in 1885 he was married to Miss Juliette Estella Ayers, a native of Lodi, San Joaquin County. Walter Eugene Ladd passed away in Sep- tember, 1918, the mother still surviving.

After finishing the grammar school in the Monte- zuma district, George Allen Ladd attended Heald's Business College in Stockton, where he took an elec- trical course; later he was employed in an electrical supply establishment in Stockton where he remained for four years; he then entered the employ of the Southern Pacific Railroad as machinist, continuing with them for a period of three years. He then accepted a position with the Southern Sierra Power Company as operator, but three months later on receiving word of his father's death, he returned to Stockton and assumed control of the ranch interests left by his father, continuing to operate the dairy established by his father a number of years ago and steadily improving his herd of dairy cattle; he is much interested in the new and progressive methods of handling his dairy and gives his personal attention to all the details of the business.

The marriage of Mr. Ladd united him with Miss Nellie M. Whitmore, a native of Ceres, the daughter of Col. Richard Keith and Annie (Pagels) Whitmore, pioneer ranchers of Stanislaus County. Mrs. Ladd may well be proud of the civic and the military record of her father, Col. R. K. Whitmore. He came from New Jersey to California about 1875, and while 59

still a young man undertook the farming of grain at Stockton. After a while he moved to Ceres, and quite naturally assumed leadership in the early days of that town. He married Miss Annie Pagels, and she, too, has her share of the credit as a founder of the promising town. More and more he became active in public affairs, and for twenty-five years he served in the California National Guards. He was for a while major of infantry, and he was mustered out as colonel of the Sixth California Regiment Infantry after seeing creditable Spanish War service. In Ceres, honored by all, he passed away in 1911. Mrs. Ladd's brother, Richard Keith Whitmore, is cashier of the American Bank of Modesto. Mr. and Mrs. Ladd have one daughter, Alice W. Mr. Ladd is a Republican in matters of national politics; but when it comes to boosting Montezuma district and San Joaquin County, he is always willing to throw aside narrow partisanship if by so doing he may be able to advance any good cause.

MRS. MARY A. LEWIS .- Among the honored pioneers of San Joaquin County is Mrs. Mary A. (McHugh) Lewis, who resides on a portion of the old McHugh ranch on the Upper Sacramento Road eight miles from Stockton. This ranch contains 136 acres of rich and fertile land, which is devoted to fruit and grain raising. She was born at Columbia, Cal., September 22, 1865, a daughter of Patrick and Elizabeth (O'Connor) McHugh, natives of Ireland. Both parents crossed the plains to California in early days and were married in San Francisco and went to Columbia, Tuolumne County, where Patrick McHugh engaged in mining. Mr. McHugh worked nine years for one man in St. Louis, Mo., at seven dollars per month and even then saved money so he could defray his expenses to California. He had three brothers, Timothy, John Bernard and Mike, who also came to California. The two former came to California with Patrick, mined together for a while and then began farming in San Joaquin County in 1868 and owned about 1,100 acres of land together. All have now passed away; Patrick McHugh died in February, 1893, his widow surviving him until April, 1906. Six children were born to this pioneer couple: Anna died at the age of one year; Katherine, Mrs. Pat Dolan, resides near the old home; John died at the age of forty-eight years; Mary A. is the subject of this sketch; Elizabeth, Mrs. Odor, resides on part of the old McHugh ranch; and Arthur J. makes his home with Mrs. Lewis.

Mary A. McHugh received her education in the Calaveras district school and remained at home until her marriage, which occurred in Stockton on May 11, 1890, and united her with Jefferson D. Lewis, a son of Peter and Susan Lewis, natives of Virginia and Nebraska, respectively. Jefferson Lewis was a lad of twelve years when his parents settled in San Joaquin County. He worked for the Holt brothers for many years during harvest time, then he rented an eighty-acre ranch in the Waterloo district which he farmed to grain. Mr. and Mrs. Lewis were the parents of two children: Arthur J., a farmer near the old home, has three children; Jefferson assists his mother and has one child. Mrs. Lewis reared a cousin, Katherine O'Connor, from nine months old, who has been brought up as her own. Mr. Lewis passed away in September, 1893. Mrs. Lewis inher- ited 136 acres of the old McHugh ranch on which

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HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY

she built a fine residence in 1917, and where she now makes her home. Twenty acres is devoted to orchard, ten acres to vineyard, and the balance is hay and grain land; the ranch is irrigated by means of a pumping plant. Mrs. Lewis is a Republican in politics and a member of the Catholic Church, and is numbered among the representative and well- known pioneer women of her locality, enjoying the good will and esteem of her many friends.

W. D. MOBLEY .- A representative and success- ful wheat grower of San Joaquin County is W. D. Mobley, who is one of the best authorities on wheat and its production in the state of California. His home ranch is situated three miles southwest of Farmington, and consists of 330 acres of rich grain land. His business career has been crowned with a gratifying measure of success that has been honor- ably won, and because of his prominent position in the agricultural community he certainly deserves mention in this volume. He was born in Vernon County, Mo., February 19, 1873, a son of Thomas R. and Mary (Reese) Mobley, both natives of Ken- tucky. Thomas R. Mobley, with his wife and six children, left Missouri for California in 1875, arriv- ing in the Golden State the same year. They set- tled near Milton, where the mother still resides, the father having passed away in 1900. W. D. Mobley received a good education in the schools of Calaveras County, supplementing with a year's course in the Linden high school.

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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 140

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