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 170

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 170

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At Highland, Kans., in 1894, Dr. Willis was married to Miss Flora Shirley, a gifted daughter of Highland, and a lady now popular in Stocktonian social circles; and they have one son, James S. Willis. Dr. Willis belongs to the San Joaquin Blue Lodge of Masons, and to the Chapter Council, Sciots, and it is need- less to say that he is most welcome in these fraternal orders. Stockton may well be congratulated that Dr. Willis pitched his tent where his services are sure to be appreciated as they are likely to be needed.

LEON C. SCHWARTZ .- Among the successful and esteemed citizens of Stockton is Leon C. Schwartz, the genial and popular assistant cashier of the Com- mercial and Savings Bank of Stockton. During the ten years that he has resided in Stockton he has wit- nessed the phenomenal development of this part of the state, and there is considerable satisfaction in the reflection that he has done his share in promoting this progress and transformation. He was born in Jack-

son, Cal .. September 12, 1894, a son of Theodore and Ella (Gilbert) Schwartz, both natives of California, the father being of French descent. The preliminary education of Mr. Schwartz was obtained in the pub- lic schools of Jackson, supplemented by a business course at St. Mary's College in Oakland and further augmented by a course in stenography at Heald's Business College in Stockton. In 1912 he entered the employ of the Commercial and Savings Bank as a stenographer and messenger, and during his years of service has been in every department of the bank. He was promoted from time to time until he now occupies the position of assistant cashier and with the exception of the president, E. F. Harris, is the oldest employe of this institution. His life has been an in- dustrious and useful one, and he has the satisfaction of knowing that he has done the best he could, which has made him both prominent and influential in busi- ness circles. He is a member of the Stockton branch of the American Institute of Bankers, the Stockton B. P. O. Elks No. 218, and the Stockton Parlor, N. S. G. W., No. 7, and the Anteros Club.

ALLEN C. SHAW .- Associated for many years with the automobile industry, Allen C. Shaw brings a wide experience in this line to his present position as manager for F. D. Naylor, authorized agent for Ford and Lincoln cars at Stockton, their business being located at 317 North El Dorado Street. Mr. Shaw was born in Lincoln County, Mo., August 11, 1885, and his boyhood days were spent on the farm, and he attended the country schools. At the age of fourteen he entered the high school at Columbia, Boone County, and also took a course at the Prepara- tory Engineering School there. On February 28, 1906, he arrived in California and for a year ran a hoisting engine at the Penn Mining Company in Calaveras County. Coming to Stockton in 1907, he spent a year as master mechanic for the California Traction Company and then engaged in the auto- mobile business, operating the second garage built in Lodi. In 1910-1911 he was assistant manager for the J. L. Whitmore auto agency at Stockton and in 1912-1913 he was connected with the sales depart- ment of Hansel & Ortman, then becoming Pacific Coast representative of the Stromberg Carburetor Company of Chicago, with headquarters at San Francisco. Following this Mr. Shaw was connected with the engineering department of the Standard Oil Company at San Francisco until August, 1920, when he became associated with F. D. Naylor in Stockton as manager.

Mr. Shaw's marriage on September 5, 1906, united him with Miss Ethel Lamb, who was born in San Joaquin County, and they are the parents of one daughter, Ellen.

FRED B. STOWELL .- Construction work en- gaged the attention of Fred B. Stowell for a number of years and he was associated with some of the largest development projects both in this state and in Nevada. He was born in San Benito County, Cal., June 2, 1878, and attended the country schools of that county, and later at Hollister. When he was seventeen he went to San Francisco and took up the trade of machinist and blacksmith, and was employed by the Union Iron Works and the San Francisco Construction Company. Later he became a steam shovel engineer and was engaged all over the state in large construction work, and also in Nevada, where

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for two years, from 1903 to 1905, he was connected with the Truckee-Carson project. He was also with the Bucyrus Steam Shovel Company in Nevada, and in 1906 he took up his work with the Utah Con- struction Company and helped in the construction of the Western Pacific Railroad when that company was building its line through the state. He was with the Southern Pacific Railroad in building the Applegate Tunnel and worked on the Los Angeles aqueduct in the Mojave Desert at Lone Pine, and later assisted in the construction of the reservoir at Oakdale. Altogether he operated for two and a half years under ground. In 1916 Mr. Stowell came to Stockton and for four years was engaged in the gro- cery business; he is now the head of an automobile business at Miner and Hunter streets, buying and selling used cars.

At Oakland in 1903, Mr. Stowell was married to Miss Mary Garbarino, a native daughter of Cali- fornia, and they have one daughter, Bernice May, who has shown unusual aptitude in her studies. She has already completed a two years' commercial course in the Stockton high school and will graduate from that school in June, 1923, having taken the four years' academic course in three years. Mr. Stowell is the owner of valuable mining claims in the Mother lode, where he was engaged as a hoisting engineer for some time.

HUGH J. TYE .- A distinguished representative of the California Bar is Hugh J. Tye, the senior mem- ber of the well-known law firm of Messrs. Tye & Edwards, having offices in the Savings & Loan Bank Building at Stockton. He was born in that city on August 26, 1880, the son of Hugh Tye, who was also born in Stockton, while his father, Hugh Tye, the grandfather of our subject, was born in Connecticut and came out to California and Stockton in 1852. Hugh attended St. Mary's College at Stockton, hav- ing first gone to the Washington and the Yorks pri- vate schools, and at the age of fourteen he was a messenger boy in the Stockton postoffice, under Post- master Eli Thrift. He later entered the employ of the Southern Pacific Railroad, and after. that was a member of the Stockton police force. While doing police duty he studied law under Judge Webster; in 1911 he was admitted to the bar in California.

Mr. Tye was elected police judge of Stockton in 1914, and served for four years; but he was then defeated in his candidacy for the office of district attorney. He thereupon formed a partnership with Lawrence Edwards, under the firm name of Tye & Edwards, and together they have built up a large and lucrative practice. This law firm is now located in the Commercial and Savings Bank Building.

On May 8, 1903, at Stockton, Mr. Tye was married to Miss Elizabeth T. Freeman, a native of Stockton whose family came from New York to San Joaquin County in early days; and they have three children: Lucile, attending the Dominican College at San Ra- fael; Gordon, attending St. Mary's College at Stock- ton; and the youngest is Hugh J., representing the fourth generation with the given name of Hugh. Mr. Tye has been active in the fraternal order of the Eagles, being past president of the Stockton Lodge, and he belongs to Stockton Parlor No. 7, N. S. G. W., the Yosemite Club, and the Stockton Golf and Coun- try Club.

WILLIAM PHELPS .- A prominent Delta ranch- er and grain farmer, William Phelps has witnessed the wonderful growth and improvement in the Tracy district of San Joaquin County and has given sub- stantial assistance to the various movements and measures which have contributed to its welfare and progress. He was born at Livermore, May 8, 1868, a son of Harrison and Lavina Phelps, who settled in San Joaquin County in 1881. The father passed away in 1888, and subsequently the mother married Julius Englander, a pioneer of the county and at present foreman on the Bixley holdings on Rob- erts Island, where they reside. Harrison Phelps was employed on the Kidd ranch on Union Island and there William Phelps attended school and grew to young manhood, becoming a favorite with the farm hands. On this ranch were bred and raised some of the finest race and harness horses of California and many of them became world renowned. In 1891, Mr. Phelps engaged in ranching on his own account on the Williams tract, and the first year the land yielded a harvest of twenty-five sacks of barley to the acre, for which he received sixty cents per sack at the San Francisco wharf; then he found employ- ment on the Bixley ranch and not until 1905 did he try ranching again on his own hook.

The marriage of Mr. Phelps occurred at Stockton and united him with Miss Anna Silva, a sister of Mrs. J. J. Ratto, and a daughter of Manuel and Teresa Silva of San Miguel, Cal. Mr. and Mrs. Phelps are the parents of five children: Hazel, Lloyd, William, Jr., Richard, and John. Since 1919 Mr. Phelps has farmed extensively to grain on the B. M. Bixley ranch, nine miles north of Tracy on the Elk Ridge Road; he also owns desirable real estate in the Rosedale addition to Tracy. He is a Democrat in politics, and gives hearty encouragement to all enterprises for promotion of the general welfare.

ASHER D. HICKOK .- Going back in memory fifty years, Asher D. Hickok can vividly recall those days spent in riding the range, when not even the most optimistic could foresee the wonderful transfor- mation in the development of the Golden State now enjoyed by the present generation. Mr. Hickok was born in 1855 at Rochester, N. Y., and after a boyhood spent at Troy, in that state, he came to California in 1872 on an emigrant train, landing in Marysville. He secured work in the Coast Range in Colusa County with Skillings & Corey, large stock raisers, and he rode the range for them, sometimes driving cattle to Nevada, continuing with them until 1875, when he went to San Francisco and entered the employ of John Morton in the transfer and express business.

In 1879 Mr. Hickok returned to the sheep business in Colusa County. In 1894 he purchased a mountain ranch of 897 acres on Stony Creek in Indian Valley. He started in with a capital of $600 and a collie dog, engaging in dairying and raising cattle and hogs, and this he developed into one of the finest stock ranches in Northern California, paying for it in thirteen years. He had 175 acres in alfalfa, and this he irrigated with water from Stony Creek. The place was stocked with registered Jerseys and Dur- ham cows, and he sold thousands of pounds of butter. Some of the corn he raised made eighty bushels to the acre and one stalk which reached the height of eighteen feet was taken to Willows and placed on exhibition. In 1912 Mr. Hickok disposed of his

wm Phelps

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ranch and came to Lodi, where he purchased a thir- teen-acre vineyard, which he developed into a fine property, disposing of it in 1916, and since that time he has lived retired from active business.

In 1879 Mr. Hickok was married to Miss Ella L. Leyde, who was born in Minnesota, and four sons have been born to them: Frank W., William R., Ralph A. and Clyde E. Having gone to work at the age of seven, Mr. Hickok has realized the great benefit a more extended period of schooling would have been, so that he has always been a supporter of all progres- sive movements in educational affairs, serving for a number of years as trustee of the Stony Ford school district in Colusa County. With his wife he attends the Christian Church at Lodi, in which he is a deacon, and a generous supporter of all its benevolences. A Republican in national politics, Mr. Hickok was elected one of the city trustees of Lodi in April, 1920, and is a member of the committee on streets. He has proved a most efficient public official and with the other members of the board of trustees is enjoy- ing the full confidence of the people of Lodi, who appreciate the fine business administration being given this thriving city.

DR. JOHN M. GARDNER .- Well-known in the San Joaquin Valley as a specialist of the eye, ear, nose and throat diseases, Dr. John M. Gardner is a native of Virginia, born at Hillsville, Carroll County, on June 16, 1874. He was educated in the grammar and high schools of that city; later entered the State Normal at Marion, Va., and after graduating he taught school for a number of years and then took a business course at Nashville, Tenn., and entered the employ of the Norfolk & Western Railroad, and from 1898 to 1905 was in their auditing department at Roanoke, Va. Leaving the employ of the railroad company he entered the University College of Medi- cine at Richmond, Va., in 1905, and spent three years, completing his course in 1909 at the University of Nashville and received the M. D. degree. For two years he engaged in the general practice of his pro- fession in Oklahoma and in October, 1910, came to California and engaged in the United States Indian service for one year, and early in 1912 located at Lodi, where he began to build up a general practice.

Deciding to specialize in his profession, Dr. Gard- ner went East and took a post graduate course in the Chicago Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat College and was graduated in 1918. Coming back to California, he enlisted in the Medical Corps of the U. S. Army and was attached to Ambulance Company No. 263, 16th Sanitary Train, 16th Division, at Camp Kearney, and remained there until he was honorably discharged in 1919. To further perfect himself in his specialty he went to New York and during 1918 and 1919, did special work in the New York Post Graduate Medi- cal School and Hospital, also in the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, returning to Lodi in October, 1919, where he took up his specialized work and is the only specialist in his line in Lodi. In 1922 he returned to the same institutions in the East and did further special work.

Dr. Gardner's marriage united him with Miss Har- riet T. Brown, a native of Philadelphia, Pa., who is a very successful dentist. She is a graduate of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of San Francisco, receiving her degree of D. D. S. in 1909. She is a

member of the State and County Dental associations. They are the parents of one daughter, Eleanor Vir- ginia, born in Lodi. Fraternally Dr. Gardner is a member of Lodi Lodge of Masons No. 256; of the Lodi Knights of Pythias No. 41; also of the Red Men; and a member of the State and County Medi- cal, and the American Medical Associations.

EDWARD ALDERS .- It took Edward Alders eighteen years to reach his present prominent and influential position as a fruit grower in the Farm- ington district of San Joaquin County. He has had a somewhat varied career, but since 1904, when he took up horticulture, he has never faltered and suc- cess has crowned his efforts. He is the owner of a fine, highly cultivated and productive forty-seven-acre ranch near Farmington, twenty-seven acres of which is in vineyard and fourteen acres in an orchard of plums and peaches. He was born in Stockton, Cal., April 24, 1877, the eldest son of Charles Milton and Annie (Gately) Alders. Charles Milton Alders was born near Lancaster, N. Y., and at the age of twelve years came to California all alone, via Panama. Charles Milton Alders was reared in Stockton and there was married to Miss Annie Gately. He was engaged in the butcher business until he opened the Halfway House on the French Camp road a few miles from Stockton, which he conducted until 1884, when the family removed to Farmington. Mr. and Mrs. Alders reared seven children, all of whom are living. Charles Milton Alders was a man of true worth. For twelve years he was the proprietor of the Central Hotel in Farmington. At his death in 1908 the property was left to his wife, who con- tinued to operate the hotel until 1911, when the busi- ness was turned over to her son Edward, the sub- ject of this sketch, who successfully handled the busi- ness until 1919.

Edward Alders received a good education at the Farmington school, which he later supplemented with a business course at the Santa Cruz Business College. From an early age he began a career extending over thirteen years as market hunter, shooting ducks and geese, which he shipped to the San Francisco market. Most of his hunting for the first nine years was done on the Miller & Lux ranch east of Ingomar, which is now the Gustine Gun Club. The next four years he hunted on the Stevenson ranch near Hills Ferry on the Merced River. Alders Levee. which is now a part of the Gustine Gun Club's premises, was named after our subject because of the fact that he had maintained his camp there for many years. With the savings from his hunting he was able, in 1904, to buy his present land in the White district near Farmington, located on the Bellota Road, and was one of the first ranchers to plant a vineyard in this section. More recently he has improved this ranch with a concrete-piped irrigation system, getting his water from a deep well equipped with a six-inch pump. His property has steadily advanced in value and productiveness, and the quality of his Tragedy plums has won for him prizes at the county fair.

On March 31, 1909, at Stockton, Mr. Alders was married to Miss Berde M. Dodge, a native of Stock- ton, a daughter of Charles M. and Ada (Heward) Dodge. Grandfather Heward was a native of Eng- land who came to America in 1852. Charles M. Dodge, a native of Vermont, came to California in

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the early eighties, and for twelve years conducted Dodge's Bazaar in Stockton. Mrs. Alders graduated from the Stockton high school in 1907, then at- tended the Western Normal School, and afterwards followed the profession of teaching in the public schools of Sierra County until her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Alders are the parents of three children: Charles Averel, Arlen Edward, and Ada Anna.

Fraternally Mr. Alders is identified with the Knights of Pythias at Newman and the N. S. G. W. at Stockton. Mrs. Alders maintains an active in- terest in educational matters and is serving as trustee of her home school district.

MRS .. MARY THOMAN AGIEN .- Among the pioneer women of San Joaquin County, Mrs. Mary Thoman Agien is well and favorably known. She is a good business manager, and since her husband's death has most creditably borne the obligations and duties laid upon her by that event; she owns the family residence in Stockton where they have resided since 1910, as well as desirable store rental property located at 1146 East Main Street and other valuable real estate in that city; also property in San Bruno, Half Moon Bay and San Francisco. She has lived in California since 1880, when she accompanied her parents from Kansas to San Joaquin County. She was born near St. Joseph, Mo., in Kansas, a daughter of R. R. and Julia (Summers-Titman) Wilcox, na- tives of Rhode Island and Indiana respectively. The father passed away in 1899 at Ripon, the mother sur- viving him until 1914 when she passed away at Lathrop. Mrs. Agien was reared in San Joaquin County and attended the Old Crow school, walking from the home place near Ripon to school every day, a distance of a mile and a half.

In 1889 occurred her first marriage, which united her with Daniel Thoman, a native of Switzerland, who came to California in 1886. He was a carpen- ter by trade and for a number of years worked with P. A. Buell, building contractor, being entrusted with finishing work in which he was an expert; later he entered the contracting business on his own account, which he followed for fourteen years in Stockton and throughout the county. Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Thoman became the parents of two sons: Lloyd D. was born at Lathrop in 1891 and is a graduate of the public schools; he married Miss Nellie Morris and they have two children, Floyd D. and Nellie; they reside in Lodi, where he is proprietor of the Lodi Hardware Company. The other son, Elmer, was born at Lathrop in 1894, also a graduate of the pub- lic schools of the county; for eighteen months he served as a yoeman on the U. S. S. Virginia and dur- ing that time made five trips across the Atlantic. He is single and resides at the family home in Stockton. Mr. Thoman passed away on April 15, 1915, his un- timely death being a severe loss to his family and the community where he had resided for so many years. He was a member of the Foresters and the Knights of Pythias in Stockton. In 1918, Mrs. Thoman was united in marriage with J. Agien, a prominent business man of San Francisco, who has since made his home in Stockton. Mrs. Agien is a past noble grand of the woman's auxiliary of the Foresters of America, San Francisco Chapter, and is otherwise well known and highly esteemed in Stockton, where she has resided since 1910.

FELIX C. MINDACH .- The city of Stockton is indeed fortunate in the number of parks within her borders and much of the beauty of these lovely spots scattered throughout the city is due to the superin- tendent of city parks, Felix C. Mindach, for there is no one in this locality better versed in horticulture and floriculture than he. Since coming to California he has made a special study of all flowers, ornament- al trees, shrubs and plants grown here and he is considered an authority in this field.

Mr. Mindach was born at Forst, Brandenburg, Germany, March 29, 1862. He was educated in the schools of his home town and at the age of ten years started to learn the science of horticulture and floriculture, meantime continuing his attendance at the local schools until he completed the course at the age of fourteen years. He then apprenticed at the floricultural establishment in which he had already become greatly interested. So rapidly did he advance that after two years' service with the large nursery company which specialized in plants, flowers, ornamental trees and fruit stock, he was advanced to instructor, and in this position he instructed others in learning the rudiments of the business, most of them very much older than himself. After four years with this company, he traveled throughout Germany and became landscape gardener on a number of large private estates.

In 1886 Mr. Mindach crossed the ocean to New York; securing employment on a farm, he attended school during the first winter in order to master the English language. Later he located in Rochester, N. Y., and for a season was a landscape gardener on a large private estate there. In 1888 he arrived in California, and here he established himself in the nursery business, conducting one at Red Bluff and one near Corning, purchasing a small tract of land at the latter place. Selling out his nursery business he entered the employ of the Maywood Colony at Corning and became superintendent for W. N. Wood- son, the manager of this colony. Later Mr. Mindach came to San Joaquin County in 1902 and bought a twenty-acre ranch at Summer Home, near Manteca; there he established a nursery and soon after, in 1905, he moved to Stockton and bought two lots at 721 North East Street, where he erected the residence where he has since lived.

Soon after locating in Stockton, Mr. Mindach be- came engaged in laying out and improving the city parks. He first laid out Constitution Square and completed the laying out and improvement of Weber Park, and also laid out Washington Park and Lafay- ette Park, this work being done by the day. In 1910 he accepted the appointment as superintendent of Stockton city parks, a position he has held ever since, and since then he has laid out the following new parks-Liberty, Union and Columbus. The city of Stockton is unusually rich in parks, the acquisition of which has covered a number of years, and under Mr. Mindach's expert care they are beauty spots, indeed, giving enjoyment to thousands of residents and visitors alike and they are an index to Stockton's progressive and aggressive growth. In the sequence of their establishment they are as follows: Fremont, Independence, Eden, Weber, Lafayette, Constitution, Washington, Liberty, Union and Columbus. Some years ago the city acquired Victory Park, an area of twenty-seven acres, that is now being improved as fast as can be done with the means at the city's dis-

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J. B. Windach

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HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY

posal. Lately the city acquired Oak Park, of thirty acres, also being improved. At Union Park Mr. Mindach devotes about one-fourth of the area to a nursery for raising ornamental trees and shrubbery for planting the new parks and needed replacement in the old parks, which makes a considerable saving to the city.

Mr. Mindach's marriage in San Francisco united him with Miss Kate Rable, like himself a native of Germany, and they have been blessed by the birth of two children, Richard and Elsie. Mr. Mindach's special talents as a landscape gardener have made him a valued acquisition to Stockton, and the family have made many friends here.

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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 170

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