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 151

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 151

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General Littebrant next served as a lieutenant- colonel in the recruiting service at St. Louis, Mo. Shortly after the war with Germany was declared, he was promoted to a colonelcy and was assigned to the 23rd Cavalry. The organization of this regiment was under way when he joined it, and he carried the task to completion. Later the regiment was changed into artillery, and General Littebrant asked to be sent to Fort Sill, Okla., for a special course in artillery instruction. After this, he rejoined his regiment, now the 81st Field Artillery, and took up the strenuous training which he felt would be needed to fit the regi- ment for service on the battlefields of France. On October 1, 1918, he was appointed a brigadier-gen- eral and assigned to the 19th Field Artillery Brigade. This organization was scheduled to sail for France in December, 1918, but the armistice put an end to his hope of leading his brigade in battle. His failure to get to the front was the greatest disappointment of his life. He was honorably discharged as a brigadier- general, March 1, 1919, but remained at Camp Mc- Clellan, Ala., where an experienced officer was needed in demobilizing the troops. For the last two years his health had not been good. He died of heart fail- ure at his home near the camp, July 2, 1919, leaving a widow and two daughters: Laura, the wife of Capt. C. Palmer Clark, of the air service; and Marian, wife of Frederick M. Kcalor, of St. John, N. B. Thus ended the earthly career of a distinguished soldier who spent more than thirty-five of the best years of his life in the service of his country.

General Littebrant was a man of fine appearance and notable military qualities. Tall, well propor-

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tioned, and of soldierly bearing, he displayed out- wardly those physical attributes which, added to his mental qualities, united to make him a successful leader of men. His kindly disposition, his unfailing sense of humor, and his devotion to his friends and family, were other qualities that made for him many friends. His family, and his native city and state as well, may justly be proud of his record.

GEORGE WADSWORTH .- Prominently identi- fied with the educational matters of the West Side section of San Joaquin County is George Wadsworth, the efficient principal of the West Side Union high school. He was born in Brooklyn, Iowa, on Novem- ber 7, 1886, a son of George and Mary (McMurray) Wadsworth, both natives of County Antrim, Ireland. His father came to America about 1835 and settled at Rock Island, Ill., where he remained for a few years then removed to Iowa, where he was married. His mother came to America at the age of eighteen with a party of friends and became a sturdy pioneer woman of the Middle West. Prior to the construction of the railroads in the Middle West, George Wadsworth, Sr., operated a stage route from Rock Island, Ill., to St. Paul Minn. When the great gold excitement in Color- ado was at its height, he freighted from Iowa to Cripple Creek, Colo., and built up a fine and profit- able business. He was a prominent Republican in his day and was a man of sterling qualities. While resid- ing at his home in Iowa he was killed by lightning during a severe electrical storm in 1909.

George entered the district school in Brooklyn, Iowa, at the age of five years and in 1900 had finished the grammar department; three years later he was graduated from the high school; the following two years he taught school, being only eighteen years of age. He then entered the University of Iowa and in 1910 received his A. B. degree; the following year he removed to Victor, Iowa, where he became the super- intendent of the city schools, and in this capacity proved himself capable and successful. In 1911 he re- moved to Glenn's Ferry, Idaho, and became much in- terested in the development of the country schools and acted as district superintendent. At the end of one term, however, he withdrew to enter the real estate business. Having acquired a half interest in the Glenn Ferry Gazette, he was editor of this weekly newspaper of the Snake River Valley; he also founded the Glenn Ferry Realty Company, which is today a widely known firm. The citizens of this new section showed their appreciation by electing him city clerk and as such he made some very difficult decisions, which were upheld by the higher courts when ap- pealed. During the period of fourteen months he proved up on a 160-acre homestead and did some ex- cellent pioneer work in the matter of irrigation de- velopment. Mr. Wadsworth was most successful as editor of the Glenn Ferry Gazette, but in 1914 returned East and entered the University of Chicago law school, completing the three-year course in two and a half years, receiving his J. D. degree in 1916. He then returned West and during 1916 and 1917 was super- intendent of schools at Grangeville, Idaho. In April of 1917 he was admitted to the bar at Lewiston, Idaho, but during the fall of that year he removed to Tracy and entered upon his duties as principal of the Union high school, at the time the new buildings were com- pleted, and filled the position of principal to the en- tire satisfaction of the citizens of the West Side sec- tion. In the latter part of March, 1922, Mr. Wads-

worth resigned his principalship and formed a part- nership with Leland S. Kepler in the practice of law and the new firm is enjoying a fast growing practice.

The marriage of Mr. Wadsworth-occurred in Sep- tember of 1921 and united him with Miss Marguerite Humphrey of Fresno, a daughter of Mrs. Anna Hum- phrey. Mrs. Wadsworth is a graduate of the Uni- versity of California. Fraternally, Mr. Wadsworth is a member of the Sumner Lodge of Odd Fellows and of the Masons, and is secretary of the Lions Club.

FRANK DE LA RALLS .- Among the foremost representatives of the agricultural industry in San Joaquin County is Frank De La Ralls, who for the past eighteen years has been the capable and efficient manager of the Sargent estate. Energetic, progres- sive and public-spirited, he has been successful in his own private ventures and has done much for the wel- fare of his county and state. A native son of Cali- fornia, he was born at Woodbridge, October 13, 1871, a son of W. A. G. and Laura (House) Ralls, the former a native of Missouri and the latter of Ken- tucky. The father came to California with his parents when he was four years old and grew up and lived in San Joaquin County all his life. The mother passed away when our subject was six years old, while the father lived to be seventy-six years of age.

Frank De La Ralls received his early education in the Woodbridge grammar school, and then entered the San Joaquin Valley College, completing his educa- tion at the age of fifteen, when he took up the butcher trade at Woodbridge. He worked for Thompson & Folger in their shop in Woodbridge for eight years; then became associated with the Earl Fruit Com- pany of Lodi as a clerk, and later as outside man, working for the same company for a number of sea- sons. For one season, also, he was with the Valley Fruit Company, after which he went into the fruit business for himself, having his headquarters in Lodi and buying and selling grapes and fruit. Eighteen years ago he became the manager of the Sargent estate for the late Dr. J. P. Sargent, but for two years thereafter continued his own business of buying and selling fruit. For the last sixteen years he has de- voted his entire time to the management of the vast Sargent estate.

The marriage of Mr. Ralls occurred at San Fran- cisco, March 10, 1904, uniting him with Miss Mary Susan Sollars, born near Clements, San Joaquin County, a daughter of Solomon and Martha (Giles) Sollars, natives respectively of Indiana and Missouri. Solomon Sollars came to California with his parents, who crossed the trackless plains with ox-teams, the toilsome and tedious journey lasting six months. Solomon Sollars and his wife were married in Jack- son in 1867, on September 25, and were farmers at Clements, where the mother died. Mr. Sollars spent his last days in Lodi, where Mary Sollars attended school. Mr. Ralls owns a very productive sixty-two- acre ranch on the Terminous road, under the Stockton- Mokelumne irrigation system. The ranch is devoted to the growing of wine and table grapes. In politics Mr. Ralls is a Democrat, and for a number of years has been a member of the Democratic central com- mittee of San Joaquin County. He is also a deputy sheriff of the county for land and crop protection work, and was deputy horticultural inspector of north San Joaquin County for one term. Fraternally, he was made a Mason in Woodbridge Lodge No. 131.

Is Gally

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F. & A. M. He is a member of Stockton Chapter No. 28, R. A. M .; Stockton Commandery No. 8, K. T .; and Lodi Parlor, N. S. G. W. He has a wide ac- quaintance in the county of his nativity, and his suc- cess in business is well-merited and has served as a source of inspiration and encouragement to others.

WILLIAM E. O'CONNOR .- Thirty years ago William E. O'Connor became a permanent citizen and business man of Stockton. He is the proprietor of a wholesale cracker and candy business, an en- terprise he directs with most gratifying results. He is the exclusive agent in northern San Joaquin Val- ley and southern Sacramento Valley for the products of the American Biscuit Company and the Pacific Coast Candy Company. He was born in the Wild Horse Valley, Solano County, Cal., November 19, 1868, a son of James and Mary (Bray) O'Connor. James O'Connor was an early pioneer of California. He mined at Indian Creek, Calaveras County, and as early as 1852 was in Stockton and shot ducks where the courthouse now stands. Later he settled in Wild Horse Valley, where he followed farming and stockraising. In 1883 he sold out and located near Pismo Beach, San Luis Obispo County, and there followed farming until his death. Wild Horse Valley was famous in the early history of Solano County, and received its name from a band of wild horses that roamed the valley, led by a beautiful stallion so fleet of foot that he eluded capture for a long time. In a very early day a cavalcade of 100 horsemen formed in Wild Horse Valley, at the spot where Mr. O'Connor was born, for the pur- pose of lassoing this beautiful wild stallion. They formed a cordon across Wild Horse Valley and came down the ridge in a circle, thus closing in and driving the band of wild horses before them, down through Green Valley Falls to a point on the bay opposite what is now Mare Island. While they were attempt- ing to lasso the stallion, a mare about fourteen years old raced wildly up and down, and finally plunged into the bay and swam across to the island, and she was for several years the only living thing known to be on the island; it was named "Mare Island" and is so chronicled in the original deed passing title to the first American owner.

William E. O'Connor attended the Harmony school and afterwards the Central public school in Napa until the family removed to San Luis Obispo County. He assisted his father in the ranch work on the home place near Pismo Beach, and later was employed in driving an eight-mule team between San Luis Obispo and Shandon over what was known as the Rocky Canyon road, over Cresto mountain and across the San Juan River to the southeastern part of the county, hauling grain, lumber, etc. In the harvest season he worked with threshing outfits and engaged in farming. In 1890, wishing to en- large his knowledge, he attended Heald's Business College in San Francisco, where he was graduated in 1891. In January, 1892, he located in Stockton, where he worked for C. V. Thompson, a produce shipper, for two years; then he clerked in a general store and was agent for the Shasta mineral water in Stockton. In 1895 he became associated with E. E. Rowe as agent for the Shasta water and the American Biscuit Company. Two years later he bought his partner's interest, and has continued the business alone. He is now representing the American

Biscuit Company and the Pacific Coast Candy Com- pany, his territory extending from Galt on the north to Merced on the south.

The marriage of Mr. O'Connor united him with Mrs. Ellis Viola (Lyman) Brown, a native of Colum- bus, Ohio. In 1898 Mr. O'Connor was elected city assessor of Stockton on the Democratic ticket, serv- ing two years. He has been a very active member of Stockton Parlor No. 7, N. S. G. W., is past president and has frequently been a delegate to the Grand Parlor. Mr. O'Connor was grand marshal of the Native Sons' parade at Stockton on Admission Day of 1912, said to be the most interesting and memorable parade of Native Sons ever held in Cali- fornia. He is past exalted ruler of Stockton Lodge No. 218, Elks, and was delegate from the local lodge to the grand lodge convention held in Boston in 1917, and is a member of the Woodmen of the World. and of the Stockton Rotary Club, the Chamber of Commerce, and the United Commercial Travelers. Mr. O'Connor has always been greatly interested in athletics, particularly horsemanship, in which he excels, and naturally has been frequently selected as marshal of parades and big days in Stockton. Politi- cally, he is a Democrat, and has been a member of the county committee, as well as a delegate to county and state conventions. His life has been an active, useful and honorable one, and has been crowned by successful accomplishments.

FRANCIS R. HAMSHER .- A progressive and successful rancher, now living near Youngstown, is Francis R. Hamsher, born in Monroe, Wis., on July 24, 1866, a son of Francis and Katherine Elizabeth (Denis) Hamsher, and the grandson of a sea captain in His Majesty's navy, who saw service in the War of 1812. Later, he became a frontiersman, settling in Wisconsin in early days. The father died when Francis R. Hamsher was five years old. The mother lived to be seventy years old. They had a daughter. Edith, who is also deceased.

When Francis R. Hamsher was fifteen years old, he went to South Dakota, then a part of Dakota Ter- ritory, and settled near Aberdeen, where his mother took up a homestead and also taught school. He lived there until he came out to California, in 1888. Here he settled near Red Bluff, in Tehama County, and worked for a year, and then came into San Joa- quin County, arriving in the fall of 1889. He drove the bus for the Yosemite House of Stockton, and later, for nineteen years, he was engaged during the harvest season in the threshing of grain, buying and operating a Holt combined harvester and thresher. He farmed about one thousand acres of land on the islands near the terminus for seven years during that time, and then purchased a place on the Lower Sac- ramento road, near Kingdon, a grain farm of forty acres. In 1911, Mr. Hamsher came to his present location, where he bought 120 acres of land, one- fourth of which was in vineyard. Since then he has sold off eighty acres, leaving forty acres. He is just completing a fine new bungalow, into which he and his wife will move.

On October 13, 1890, Mr. Hamsher was married in Stockton to Mrs. Florence F. (Hitchcock) Upton, the daughter of Charles N. and Elizabeth Hitchcock. She was born near Baton Rouge, La., and came to California with her folks in 1876. She had previous- ly married Walter Upton, and they became the par- ents of a son and a daughter: Harvey Upton.

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ranching on a part of the old Northrup ranch; and Cecil, now Mrs. Rea, of Stockton. Her father was a native of New York, and a Grand Army veteran, who was wounded five times during the Civil War. After marrying in Louisiana, and there establishing a household, he came on to California, and Mrs. Hamsher attended the grammar schcools of Stock- ton. Three children have been granted Mr. and Mrs. Hamsher: Katherine, now Mrs. Buskey, who is living at home with her one child, Olive; Clyde, who is at Oakdale and has two children, Millert and Caroline Deete; and Bessie, Mrs. K. O. Glover, who has one child, an infant. Mr. Hamsher has put ten of his forty acres into alfalfa, and he has a fine irrigating well on his ranch. Some time ago he felt that he ought to straighten out his ranch lines; so he purchased a tract of six acres adjoining, and now his ranch embraces forty-six acres in all.

JOSEPH G. WHITE .- A successful farmer and dairyman is Joseph G. White, the progressive agri- culturist residing about two miles south of Tracy. He was born in the little village of Calietta, on the Isle of Pico in the Azores, on November 5, 1868, under conditions which threw him upon his own resources since his seventh year, on which account he had to shift as best he could with far less school- ing than most boys enjoy. In 1884 he left his na- tive land and came out to California, following his brother, Manuel, eight years his senior, and his sis- ter, now Mrs. Perry, who had reached California five years earlier. On reaching San Francisco in the fall, Mr. White made his way to the home of his relatives in Siskiyou County; and in that vicinity, for about three years, he busied himself with work on ranches. In 1887 he went to San Luis Obispo County for a while, but he soon returned. In 1888 he took up 160 acres under the Homestead Act, and proving this up, in 1905 he made a suc- cessful exchange for some orchard property in the Cupertino district of Santa Clara Valley, where the family lived for six years, near San Jose, when he was occupied with horticulture.

In the fall of 1911, Mr. White sold out and re- moved to Tracy, purchasing ninety acres in the Burk Tract, which he set out into alfalfa, building there a sanitary dairy of the best type. About five years later, he again made a change, this time acquiring 160 acres near the southern limits of Tracy, in partnership with his son-in-law, Joseph Teixeira. He received his citizenship at Yreka in 1890, and since then he has been a stanch Republican.

At Scott Valley, in Siskiyou County, in 1890, Mr. White was married to Miss Louisa Silva, a daugh- ter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph N. Silva, who were early pioneers in Siskiyou County. Thirteen children were born to this happy union. Mary is the wife of Joseph Teixeira and the mother of three children. Manuel lives at home. Julia is Mrs. Joseph Melo of San Jose, and the mother of one son. Emma died at the age of sixteen. Joseph is single. Louisa is the wife of Joe Vierira, and they have one son and live near Gustine; Wilhelmina comes next; Josephine is the wife of Antone Seemias, and they reside near Hanford; Carlos is the ninth; and the others are George, Emile, Bernice and Edward. Mr. White is a Roman Catholic and the president of the I. D. E. S .; and he has also served as president of the S. E. S. of Tracy.

WILLIAM EDSON HANKS .- Prominent among the most interesting of early pioneers in San Joaquin County is William Edson Hanks, the retired con- tractor and brick-mason, who was born at Augusta, Maine, on April 2, 1854, and accompanied his mother and sister to California. They set out from New York, intending to cross the Isthmus of Panama, but when once on the Atlantic, their vessel, an old side-wheeler, was struck by lightning and disabled, reaching Aspinwall after thirty days. From the Isthmus, the Hanks party came up the Coast of the Pacific on the steamer, "Star of the West," landing in San Francisco in the fall of 1862. His parents, Rob- ert and Delia (Hudson) Hanks, were also both na- tives of Augusta, Maine, and Grandfather Hanks was prominent in early Colonial history as a sea- captain. He was master of the ship "Augusta," and was known far and wide as "Captain Bob." Robert Hanks, the father, was a sailor, but he had learned ship-carpentering as a trade.

Robert Hanks had come on ahead to California, seeking gold in 1856, and he came direct to the mines via Panama and went near Table Mountain, Tuolumne County, and for twelve years was success- ful in prospecting. He moved to Stockton in 1867, and with Steve Davis at Lindsay Point, Stockton, followed his ship-carpentering trade. Robert Hanks also served as deputy sheriff in Tuolumne County under Dan Patterson, and on coming to Stockton was prominent for years in political circles. He lived to reach the age of eighty-seven, passing away on May 20, 1916. Mrs. Hanks had died in 1872.

Ed. Hanks, as he is familiarly called by all who know him, enjoyed the best obtainable educational advantages, attending the Franklin and Lafayette schools at Stockton. Then he entered the employ of William Confer & Bro., brick masons, and when two years with them, he started in business for him- self, soon taking as a partner Sol. Confer, son of his former employer. They built the Union Mill in 1890, and then completed the county jail in 1891. They also erected the Southern Pacific Depot in 1900-01, and put up the Clark-Henery Building in 1900, and scores of other fine buildings in Stockton and the County. In 1901, however, Mr. Hanks had the mis- fortune to lose his partner, by death. He next oper- ated alone for six years, and after that he entered into partnership with H. E. Robbins, and during 1907 and '08, they did an extensive business in rural buildings, going away as far as Fresno, Mr. Hanks holding a unique position as an authority on the construction of fireplaces, and he has been called to very distant cities to supervise their installation.

At Modesto, in 1884, Mr. Hanks was married to Miss Harriet Bacon, who was born at Pine Log, Tuolumne County, daughter of pioneer parents, and four children were born to them. Edward W., Del- vin O., William Robert, and Emma. Edward resides in Oakland engaged in the insurance business. Mrs. Hanks passed away on October 2, 1916, leaving a void in the home difficult to fill. Mr. Hanks has been an eyewitness to the remarkable growth of Stockton and San Joaquin County, in which he him- self has so actively participated, and it is not sur- prising to find him a member of the Exempt Board of Stockton firemen. He has served for nine years as president of Union No. 4, International Brick- layers Union of America. Since 1891, Mr. Hanks and his family have resided at 228 East Clay Street.

WEHanks

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HARVEY F. UPTON .- A highly progressive and very successful young rancher, making a specialty of vineyarding, is Harvey F. Upton, who was born in Stockton on October 22, 1886, a son of Walter and Florence (Hitchcock) Upton. When two years old, he lost his father. His mother after- wards married Francis R. Hamsher, whose life- story is elsewhere sketched in this volume.

Harvey F. Upton was sent to the schools in Stockton and Aberdeen, and when he was fourteen years of age began to make his own way. He learned the machinist's trade, both iron work and auto repairing, and worked at various times in the Sampson Iron Works, Sterling Iron Works, and Stockton Iron Works, becoming thereby an expert mechanic. His service with the Sampson Iron Works extended through eight years, and he also worked in several of the leading garages in Stock- ton. In the harvesting season he ran a Holt har- vester for his stepfather for many years.

In January, 1921, Mr. Upton began to improve the forty-five acres of land that had fallen to his wife, a part of the old Northrop estate. In 1913 he was married to Miss Mildred Northrop, a daughter of George L. and Elizabeth (Van Valkenberg) Nor- throp, both of whom were born in San Joaquin County. He has twelve acres in vineyard, one-half in Zinfandel and one-half in Tokay grapes. He has sunk a well, and has a good five-inch pump.

Mr. Upton endeavors to follow only the latest, most scientific and practical methods, and to use only the most up-to-date apparatus.

GEORGE THOMING .- Among those who have contributed largely to the agricultural development in San Joaquin County is George Thoming, who since 1866 has made his home in California and now resides in the New Jerusalem school district, where he owns 520 acres of fine land under a high state of cultivation. He was born in Holstein, Germany, December 28, 1843, a son of Michael and Wiebke (Thode) Thoming, who were also natives of Hol- stein. In his native country the son was reared and in its public schools received his education.

In 1886 he came to America, taking passage at Hamburg on a steamer for New York, and thence he came via the isthmus route to California. He left Hamburg on June 2 and arrived in San Fran- cisco on July 13, 1866. He remained in the neigh- borhood of that city for a short time and then re- moved to Solano County, whence he came to San Joaquin County in 1868, where his older brother, Thias Thoming, had come in 1864 and had taken up land under a Government preemption. In 1870 he took up his abode on the ranch in the New Jeru- salem school district, which has since been his home, consisting of 520 acres, all of which is under cultivation and yields him good crops in return for the care and labor which he has bestowed upon the fields. Mr. Thoming received his U. S. citizen- ship at San Francisco on July 8, 1871.

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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 151

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