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 162

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 162

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AARON RUSSELL BECKWITH .- A worthy representative of one of the most interesting of Cali- fornia pioneer families is Aaron Russell Beckwith, a native of Porterville, Tulare County, where he was born on March 26, 1888, the son of C. J. and Lena (Jefford) Beckwith, the former an extensive grain- farmer. When our subject was five years of age, his parents removed to. Woodland, Cal., and there en- gaged in agricultural pursuits. They had nine chil- dren, and six are living today. The father came from Ohio in 1862, and the mother's family also hailed from the Buckeye State.

Aaron Beckwith attended the grammar school at Woodland, and when only fourteen years of age en- tered the service of the Southern Pacific Railroad. He accepted various jobs at first, and then was placed in the maintenance of way department. For nine years he remained with the Southern Pacific, working on the Stockton division, and most of the time having his headquarters at Tracy. On August 23, 1909, he was married at Sacramento to Miss Violet A. Noble, a native of Galt, Cal., the daughter of George W. and Elizabeth Noble, and a member of a family who came to Sacramento County many years ago. Mrs. Noble is still living at Galt. A son, Mrs. Beck- with's brother, made his home at Tracy until 1915, when he moved to the present ranch, known as the Noble Ranch, located on Dry Creek, about four miles from Galt. This ranch consists of 246 acres, and is the property of Mrs. Noble; and here Mr. Beckwith is conducting a dairy. He has twenty acres of alfalfa, and the rest of the land is in pasture.

Mr. and Mrs. Beckwith have one son and one daugh- ter, Chester Russell and Grace Elizabeth. Mr. Beck- with still retains his membership in the Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen. When Acampo and its won- derful environment shall have been fully developed, the influence of the life and work of Mr. and Mrs. Aaron Russell Beckwith will be felt and always duly recognized. Mr. Beckwith's uncle, Byron, started the irrigation ditch in the Woodbridge district, and also opened the first drug-store at Lodi, which he later sold to Graham. He afterwards moved to Colusa, where he died.

HENRY BECHTHOLD .- A native of the Isle of Krem in the Black Sea, Henry Bechthold has never- theless been an American, to all intents and purposes, during his life, for he was but sixteen years old when brought by his parents to the United States. He was born on September 5, 1860, a son of Henry and Lottie (Baumbach) Bechthold, also natives of southern Rus- sia, where they were farmers. In 1876, when but sixteen years old, Henry Bechthold made the journey with his parents from Russia to Hutchinson County, S. D., where his father took up a homestead and timber claim. Henry is one of a family of eleven children, namely: Henry, George, Colena, Lottie, Elizabeth, Marian, Katherine, Abraham, John, Deph (deceased), and Louisa. The father died at the age of fifty-six, and the mother at the age of forty.

Henry Bechthold had no educational privileges, but his years of wide experience and observation have served to make him a well-informed man. He re- mained at home with his parents until his marriage on June 25, 1880, which united him with Miss Wilhel- mina Klauss, also a native of southern Russia, a daughter of Lewis and Wilhelmina (Haus) Klauss.

Her father, Lewis Klauss, brought his family to America and homesteaded a tract of land in Hutchin- son County, S. D. After their marriage, the young people remained on a farm until 1903, when they sold out and came to California. They settled in Lodi, and Mr. Bechthold purchased fifteen acres just north of Lodi on the Cherokee Lane, the Mokelumne River bounding his land on the south; later he added twenty- six acres, making in all forty-one acres. Two years ago he sold two acres of bottom land; and on the remaining thirty-nine acres he erected a house, where he has since resided with his family. He first planted five acres to vineyard and ten acres to peaches, but later pulled out the peach trees and planted the ten acres also to vineyard; and his fifteen-acre vineyard is now the finest in the Lodi section. His land is irrigated by water pumped directly from the Mokel- umne River. Mr. Bechthold has recently built a gasoline and oil service station, costing about $2,000, on one corner of his ranch; and he is engaged in run- ning this business, while his sons lease the home place. Mr. and Mrs. Bechthold are the parents of twelve children: Adolph, Lottie (now Mrs. Fritz, of Fresno), Malvina (Mrs. M. Gatzert, of Lodi), Lida (Mrs. J. D. Christner, of Lodi), Fred, Robert, Christ, Henry Jr., William, Emily, Edwin and Benjamin. The last three still reside at home. Mr. Bechthold is a Re- publican. He and his family are members of the Baptist Church of Lodi.

GUY ADAMS .- A hard-working rancher, whose intelligent foresight, industry and thrift have been crowned with success, is Guy Adams of Lodi. He was born about six miles from Riverside, Cal., on July 14, 1888, a son of C. F. and Laura (Jones) Adams. C. F. Adams was a blacksmith by trade and dealt in irrigation pumps; he was also an expert well- borer. He left Monroe, Iowa, and came to California about 1885. There are three children in the family: Guy; Ralph, residing at Acampo; and Florence.

Guy Adams obtained his education in the district schools near Riverside and Corona, and after finish- ing the grammar school attended the Corona high school. At the age of eighteen he started out for himself, going to Seattle, Wash., and while there took a business course. He then found employment with the electric railway of Seattle, which occupied him for one and one-half years. Returning to California and to Acampo in 1912, he spent eighteen months in the fruit sheds, after which he leased and worked a number of ranches in the Acampo district.

Mr. Adams' marriage in Acampo, on July 29, 1914, united him with Miss Elizabeth McKindley, a daugh- ter of Josiah and Emma A. (Mattice) McKindley. Mr. McKindley is an old and honored pioneer, who came to California in 1853 with his parents. When twenty years of age, he hauled provisions and lum- ber, besides doing a general freighting business from Volcano and other points to the mines in the early days. Later he became an extensive farmer, at times cultivating as many as 4,000 acres at once. In 1901 he purchased 196 acres southeast of Acampo, a grain- farm in a very run-down condition, which he imme- diately began to improve, building a fine house and barn and setting the land out to vineyard and or- chards. From time to time he sold off portions as he developed them, until he reduced it to about 116 acres, the finest portion of the ranch. Of this ranch,

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forty acres are in peaches, four in apricots, six in cherries, twelve in prunes, and thirty in a vineyard, the remainder being in beautiful grounds or vacant land. The property was sold to a syndicate in 1923, and Mr. McKindley erected a modern home on Cher- okee Lane, near the Houston School, in 1922-1923.

In 1915, Guy Adams located on his father-in-law's ranch and managed it until it was sold. In 1919, he purchased eighty acres east of Acampo, and is devel- oping a fine orchard property. Ten acres have been cleared and planted to cherries; the balance is devoted to alfalfa and to the raising of hogs. This ranch is run by Mr. Adams' father and brother. Politically, Mr. Adams supports the candidate best fitted to serve the community, regardless of party affiliations; fra- ternally, he is a Mason, a member of Woodbridge Lodge, No. 131, and a past master of the order; and a member and Past Grand of the Jefferson Lodge of Odd Fellows, at Woodbridge. He and his wife are members of the Order of the Eastern Star, of which Mrs. Adams is past worthy matron; and she is also identified with the Rebekah Lodge.

JOHN E. GAYOU .- A worthy pioneer citizen of San Joaquin County now living retired in Stockton, where he is recognized as an honored and highly re- spected upbuilder, is John E. Gayou, who was born on June 19, 1860, in the adobe house at the corner of American and Washington streets which was erected by his father about 1850. He is one of a family of five children born to John and Mary (Euhart) Gayou, both natives of France and both now deceased. John E. and a sister, Mrs. Martin, are the two surviving children of this pioneer couple. John Gayou, the father, came around the Horn to California in 1850 and located in Stockton, where he engaged in driving pack mules, laden with supplies, to the southern mines. Soon after his arrival in Stockton, he pur- chased from Captain Weber the lot at the corner of American and Washington streets, 100 feet square, where the family home was established and where his son John E. resides.

John E. Gayou obtained his education in the Cen- ter, Lafayette, and Jefferson schools, and at the age of fourteen started to work on a threshing machine. He still improved his spare moments in reading and studying, however, so that he is accounted a well- educated man; he speaks French and Spanish fluently. He learned the trade of lather and plasterer, and fol- lowed the trade of lather in Stockton, San Francisco, and other parts of the state until 1893, when he was appointed a member of the police force of Stockton. He relates many thrilling experiences he has had dur- ing his twenty-eight years of service on the police force.

The marriage of Mr. Gayou united him with Miss Catherine Murphy, a native of Stockton, Cal., and five children were born to them, two of whom are now living: William A. and Emma, the wife of B. F. Spry, born at Oakdale, where his father was an old settler and a farmer. B. F. Spry conducted a grocery store at Pittsburg, Cal., for four years, but is now a resi- dent of Stockton. Mrs. Gayou is now deceased. Mr. Gayou belongs to the Stockton Parlor, No. 7, N. S. G. W. He has erected three houses on the home place bought by his father more than seventy years ago, which he rents to good advantage.

CHARLES R. DUSTIN .- A very successful rancher who follows vineyarding according to the most-approved, scientific and practical methods, is Charles R. Dustin, who was born in Utah on April 12, 1851, while his parents, Fornatus and Rosaline (Call) Dustin, were on their way from Illinois to California. He is the third child and son of a family of eight children. His father, who was a native of the Prairie State, first settled in San Bernardino County, Cal., where he farmed until 1858. On his way to California he saw a place in Utah which he thought would make a great immigrant supply sta- tion and in 1858 he went back to the locality and established a station there. The great massacre of 1859, however, turned the tide of immigration to an- other route, and so the station was not the success he had believed it would be. In 1859, therefore, he abandoned the enterprise, and returned to California. In 1861 he settled in Stockton and engaged in team- ing, part of the time to Stockton, and part to Sacra- mento; and so it happened that our subject went to the schools of both cities. In 1867 Mr. Dustin settled on the place now occupied by Charles R. Dus- tin, buying from the United States Government a squatter's title to 160 acres; but afterwards he lost his title to the railroad company, they having won in the courts in a claim to the land. He then paid for the land a second time, giving the railroad company $12.50 an acre. After that, he cleared up the land, and hauled wood to the market, and our subject re- calls that he has seen as many as 4,000 cords of wood taken from each quarter-section.

Charles Dustin remained on the home ranch as long as his father lived, and then continued there with his mother. The title to the land, however, was not perfected until after his father's death, and then it was put in his mother's name. After- wards she gave him one-half of the quarter section, or eighty acres, which he now owns. It was a joy to him that his mother lived to be nearly eighty years of age.

In 1880 Mr. Dustin was married on the old home ranch to Miss Eliza Driscoll, who was born in Iowa and was only two years old when she came across the plains with her parents, John and Sarah Ann (Allen) Driscoll. Her father, John Driscoll, was a farmer, and Mrs. Dustin was reared and educated in the vicinity of her father's farm house in San Joaquin County, Cal. The mother died when Mrs. Dustin was sixteen years old. The father continued to live on his 400-acre farm on Cherokee Lane until his death at an age of seventy-one. Her parents had eight children: George, a rancher near Wallace, in Calaveras County; Allen, who died unmarried; El Dorado, born in Eldorado County and residing in Shasta County, single; William, residing in San Francisco, married and the father of eight chil- dren; Eliza, wife of the subject of this sketch; Mary, now the wife of M. A. Sparks of Galt, Cal., where he has served as deputy assessor for many years; Rachel T., the widow of S. H. Holman, residing in San Joaquin County, near the Calaveras County line; and John L., a plumber in Stockton. Of Mr. Dustin's brothers and sisters, Andrew and Oscar, elder brothers, are deceased, as is also Nora, a young- er sister. Calista, Mrs. Wilkinson, is a widow and lives at Lodi. Fanny, the widow of Dave Thompson, lived in Utah and died on March 13, 1923. May and Arthur, the next in order of birth, and Lilly,

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& A Justin Eliza Dustin

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the youngest, are also deceased, Arthur having died on April 5, 1923. Thus only two are left living: Cal- ista and our subject. Mr. and Mrs. Dustin have had four children. Ora and Mabel are the two eldest, and the youngest is Rena. Elmer, the third-born, met death by a sad accident four years ago. Mr. Dustin, who is a Republican, served on the school board of the Houston district for one term. He is a member of the Masonic Lodge of Lodi. He has forty acres of vineyard set to Zinfandel and Tokay grapes, and the balance of his fine ranch is devoted to the growing of grain. Such leaders in agricultural industry as the Dustins are the foundation of a com- monwealth; and San Joaquin County is well satisfied that Mr. and Mrs. Dustin cast their lot here.

AHREN F. GOETJEN .- A progressive and useful citizen, who well deserves the prominence he has attained, is Ahren F. Goetjen, member of the board of directors of the Banta-Carbona Irrigation District, residing three miles south of Tracy, and now engaged with the Union Oil Company. He was born at San Francisco on September 18, 1871, and when only six years of age lost his father. He received a good common-school education in the Lincoln district school in San Francisco, and in 1882 came to San Joaquin County, and spent about fourteen years in the home of the late John Mohr, of Bethany, working on his ranch.

In 1896 he was married to Miss Elvira Meyer, who had come to Tracy, from San Francisco, in 1894; and their union was blessed with four children. Olga was the eldest; she died nine years old; Adolph H. is now in the Government service in Honolulu; Metta was married in September, 1922, to Samuel Peterman of Banta, who ranches on Mr. Goetjen's farm; Fred, Jr., is the youngest.

Mr. Goetjen farmed for twelve years on the Mc- Laughlin Grant; his house with all contents burned in 1916, on the Mclaughlin tract, and he also suf- fered flood, but he saved enough to buy 160 acres of choice land south of Tracy, known as the C. Brande- man home-place, concluding the purchase in 1916. Having risen from the ordinary ranks of men through his own efforts, Mr. Goetjen has stood for progress and has long been one of the strongest and most active advocates of increased irrigation, and he is now one of the board of directors of the newly-organized Banta-Carbona district. He is a Republican in poli- tics and is serving as a trustee of the Valley School district. He is a charter member of the Native Sons of the Golden West, at Tracy, and as a member of the Knights of Pythias, he is both a past officer and a past district deputy, now serving as trustee.

JULES DONEUX .- A well-known citizen of San Joaquin County may be found in Jules Doneux, who has lived in the county for the past fifteen years. He has been a prosperous business man and agriculturist, and his career is most creditable from every point of view. He was born in Faribault, Minn., June 10, 1882, a son of Pierre and Rosalie (Joachim) Doneux. The father was a general farmer in Minnesota, where he conducted an eighty-acre ranch in the vicinity of Faribault. There were six children in the family: Mary, Rosie, Adele, Josephine, Joseph and Jules. The father passed away in 1921, his wife in 1912.

Jules Doneux received his education in the grammar schools of Faribault and remained in that locality

until he had passed his twenty-fourth birthday, when he came to California, coming directly to San Joaquin County. He was one of the founders of the cream of tartar factory at Woodbridge that manufactured cream of tartar from grape tartar, and he later be- came manager of the plant, where he remained for seven years; this plant put out the greater portion of grape cream of tartar manufactured in the United States. Afterwards he engaged in ranching, becom- ing the foreman of the 180-acre ranch belonging to Mr. Chapdelain, located on the Kelly road west of Lodi. He has found in agriculture a more profitable source of income, and through his untiring efforts has become a most capable and efficient foreman.

The marriage of Mr. Doneux occurred on Septem- ber 30, 1907, in Faribault, uniting him with Miss Mary Bowe, also a native of Minnesota, where her father was a farmer. Mrs. Doneux is one of a family of seven children born to her parents, and she re- ceived her education in the Faribault schools. Mr. and Mrs. Doneux are the parents of three children: Cletus, Roland, and Leona. In politics, Mr. Doneux is a Democrat. He is affiliated with the Knights of Columbus.

JOHN A. FEELEY .- A native son of California, born in Stockton fourty-four years ago, is John A. Feeley, whose entire life has been spent within the confines of San Joaquin County, where he has en- gaged in farming, building contracting, and carpen- try. His birth occurred at the Beaver Street home of his parents, James William and Bridget (Norton) Feeley, April 1, 1879. Both parents were born in Roscommon, Ireland. James W. Feeley was eighteen months old when his parents came to America. They settled in Ohio, where he grew to young manhood. At eighteen years of age he joined a group of thirty young men, to seek his fortune in California; his brother John F. Feeley had already made a stake in the mines at Nevada City. The party of thirty young men came West via the Nicaragua route, by steamer to San Francisco, and after a long, perilous journey, arrived in Nevada City. Nine years were spent in the mines. From there he went to the Almaden Mine, in Santa Clara County, where he worked as a carpenter. At San Jose, Cal., on June 28, 1874, he was married to Miss Bridget Norton, who came to California in 1852, and was reared in San Francisco; the year following they removed to Stockton, where James W. Feeley became a building contractor with J. A. McDougall. He was thus occupied until 1882, when he bought a ranch of 350 acres near Burwood, on the Stanislaus River. This he operated for four- teen years, and then sold out and removed to a ranch near Farmington, which he farmed until 1906, when he removed to Stockton and built a home at 1705 North California Street. Four children were born to this pioneer couple: Joseph and Mary, both de- ceased; James Patrick, who resides in Oakland; and John A., of this sketch. James W. Feeley was a member of the California National Guard, and of the Board of Exempt Firemen, having served as as- sistant foreman of Eureka No. 2. In politics he was a Democrat. Mrs. Feeley passed away on February 17, 1919, aged eighty years. Mr. Feeley lived until March 7, 1922, when he passed away at the family home in Stockton.

From 1891 to 1894, John A. Feeley attended St. Mary's College in Oakland. He then became a part-

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ner with his father in building operations and thor- oughly learned the carpenter's trade. For five years he worked at contracting in Stockton with his father, and then for three years was in partnership with his brother, James P. Feeley. Mr. Feeley is a member of Carpenter's Union Local No. 266, and for eight years has served as secretary of this branch; in 1920 he attended the national convention held at Indianap- olis, taking his father for a visit to old friends and acquaintances in Ohio.

JOSEPH J. RASPO .- A prominent young citizen of Banta, Joseph Raspo is the proprietor of the widely-known general merchandise store, and a pro- gressive man of affairs to whom the town is agree- ably indebted. He was born in Saluzzo, Piedmonte, Italy, on February 28, 1885, the son of Fillipo and Mary (Toulie) Raspo, whom he accompanied from Havre, France, arriving eventually at New York in Nevember, 1888, and coming on to Santa Cruz, where his father followed the life of a rancher, until he passed away there on February 18, 1902. As a lad our subject attended the public school in Santa Cruz until he was thirteen years old, when he was compelled to get out and maintain himself at the same time that he helped support his widowed mother. Mrs. Raspo then sold the small ranch and moved to Santa Cruz, where she is now a resident.

Joseph went into the lumber camp of the F. A. Hein Company, in the mountains, where he worked for wages until a serious accident occurred to him. Recovering, he drove a bakery wagon, building up a fine route and profitable business, later entering the employ of the Wells Fargo Co., with which cor- poration he continued for a couple of years at Santa Cruz; then he entered the employ of the E. I. Du- pont Powder Company, joining their staff as a mechanic.

In 1911, Mr. Raspo removed to Banta, where he entered the employ of G. Brichetto, who main- tained a general merchandise store there; and six years later he acquired a one-third interest in the concern and its trade, and in November, 1918, he be- came sole proprietor, purchasing the business from the Brichetto heirs. The April previous to his re- moval to Banta he had married Miss Mollie Brich- etto, the second daughter of the late G. Brichetto, and a gifted young lady who was born and reared at Banta, and who is a graduate of St. Agnes Sisters College. Three children have blessed their union, Frank J., Marie Louisa and Geraldine. The family now reside in a pretentious residence at Banta, for Mr. Raspo believes in endeavoring to have every- thing that may make life worth while. The family are Roman Catholics, and Mr. Raspo also belongs to the Santa Cruz Lodge of the Eagles. In matters of political import, he is a Republican, having been made a citizen of the United States in 1911.

When the pioneer, G. Brichetto, founded the busi- ness so enviably identified with his name since the seventies, he established himself in a small way as a purveyor of fruits and vegetables, thereafter erect- ing a Class A fire-proof structure, in Banta. The floor-space has since then been increased several fold. Here, besides the stock of merchandise may also have been found, from the time of their intro- duction here, the U. S. Post Office, and long dis- tance telephone.

EDWARD PRESZLER .- California is noted throughout the world for its splendid orchards and vineyards; and conducting important business enter- prises along these lines are many men of activity and energy, who in this department of labor have gained desirable success. Of this class is Edward Preszler, a prosperous vineyardist residing in the vicinity of Victor. He was born in Hutchinson County, S. D., on January 7, 1891, his parents being George and Margareta (Schnaidt) Preszler, both na- tives of southern Russia, born near Odessa. The former came to America with an older sister when he was seven years old, his parents having died when he was three years old. The mother came with her parents from Russia when she was three years old. They were reared in Hutchinson County, S. D., and there they were married. Geo. Preszler, when a boy of fourteen years, went to work for his brother- in-law, and for six years worked for him steadily. At the end of that time he had saved $1100. His wife received $500 from her parents, and with their com- bined capital they purchased 240 acres and began grain and stock raising, adding to their original farm until they had 320 acres. In 1901 they came to Cali- fornia with their family, arriving in Lodi in Febru- ary of that year. He purchased 154 acres, a stubble- field, near what is now Victor; and with the aid of his children he improved it to vineyard. In time the whole ranch was improved. Since 1921 he and his wife have lived retired in Lodi.

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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 162

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