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 171

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 171

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

GABRIEL J. VISCHI, M. D .- A worthy repre- sentative of the medical profession in California, Dr. Gabriel J. Vischi, the rising young physician and surgeon, of 38 South Sutter Street, Stockton, is also a cultured linguist, speaking English, Spanish and Italian fluently. He was born in San Francisco on June 19, 1892, the son of Joseph and Valentine (Val- ente) Vischi, the former a native of Italy, and the latter a Californian. His father came out to the Golden State in 1876, a jeweler by trade, and he opened the first Italian jewelry store in San Fran- cisco, in which city Mrs. Vischi was born. He and his estimable wife make their home with Dr. Vischi. Her father was Joseph Valente, and he was an early settler in the Bay City. He was a mining engineer, operated in Indian Gulch, in Calaveras County, and came to be identified with the pioneer doings in a section of California made immortal by both Mark Twain and Bret Harte.

Gabriel Vischi attended the grammar schools of San Francisco and then was graduated from the Polytechnic high school of that city, after which he entered the University of California, which conferred upon him, in 1912, the Ph. C. degree. Four years later he was graduated, after a thorough course in medicine, from the San Francisco College of Physi- cians and Surgeons, when he received the M. D. de- gree; and then, for a year, he was an interne at the San Francisco County Hospital. When the United States shared the responsibilities of the World War, he entered the service, in October, 1917, as Orthopedic Surgeon, and was commissioned first lieutenant of the Medical Corps. He was stationed at the base hospital at Camp Lewis, and later at Camp Kearney, and then he was detached and sent to the hospital at Fort McKinley, five miles from Manila, in the Philip- pine Islands, where he remained from July to Septem- ber, 1918. He was then ordered to Siberia with Field Hospital No. 4 Company, and the Ambulance Company No. 4, and in far-off Siberia he saw active service from September, 1918, to June 4, 1919, advanc- ing rapidly and becoming one of the leading surgeons. Had not the armistice been signed when it was, he would have been duly commissioned a major. Ar- riving back in San Francisco on July 17, 1919, he was honorably discharged on August 4.

Dr. Vischi then located at Stockton, greatly en- riched through his experience as a physician and surgeon of responsibility in the Army; and he has ever since been active in the practice of his profes- sion, enjoying the entire confidence, as well as the highest esteem, of a wide circle of friends. He is a member of American Medical Association as well as

the state and county medical societies. He belongs to the Karl Ross Post of the American Legion, and to the Veterans of Foreign Wars Association; and he is also a member of the Stockton Red Men, the Eagles; the Druids, and the Yeomen. Miss Ethel Vischi, his older sister, is an artist of exceptional natural talent and enjoys the distinction of having studied at the Johns Hopkins Art Institute and the Best Art School. She excels in china painting, illus- trating, photographic work, modeling, and in both oil and water-color painting. Miss Ada Vischi, his younger sister, also makes her home with Dr. Vischi and is secretary for George F. McNoble, attorney- at-law.

HAROLD A. WALKER .- Not everyone filling a position of responsibility enjoys the confidence ac- corded Harold A. Walker, foreman for the Pacific Gas & Electric Company at Stockton, who is in charge of the sub-station and the operation of high- tension lines, and has the good-will of both employer and employee. He was born at San Jose on April 26, 1886, the son of Pitt M. Walker, a native of Ala- meda County, Cal., and the grandson of Jared Tuttle Walker, a native of Michigan, who crossed the great plains in 1850, and was one of the pioneer miners in the Mother Lode district, trying his luck through- out San Joaquin County on his way to the Southern mines. In 1860 he located near Irvington, in Ala- meda County, and soon made a reputation as a raiser of fine horses. He owned the Nutwood Stock Farm at Irvington, and also engaged in a warehouse busi- ness there. He was one of the Vigilance Committee of Alameda County which warred upon the cattle and horse thieves infesting that district, and he also belonged to the Old Mission Peak Lodge of Masons, of Irvington, one of the first lodges of Masons to be formed in the state.

Harold A. Walker first attended school in the country districts of Calaveras Valley, and then he continued his studies at the well-equipped San Jose high school. He took up by himself the study of electrical engineering, and entered the employ of the Standard Electrical Company of San Francisco. Later this company was merged with the Bay Counties Electric Company under the name of the California Gas & Electric Company, and it is now known as the Pacific Gas & Electric Company. He at first commenced work with the traveling maintenance crew, with headquarters at San Jose, and he was

then advanced to the operating end, and connected with the sub-station and steam plants. For the next eight years he was load despatcher in the Oakland office in charge of operations in the power plants, sub- station and transmission service, a position corre- sponding, in a general way, to that of train despatcher on the steam railroad. In 1917 he was called to Stockton to take charge of new business, estimating line extensions, etc., and later, as a mark of the con- fidence of the company in his ability and fidelity, he was advanced to his present position. He has made good, and proven the correctness of his judg- ment in seeking this field as his life vocation. Natur- ally, he is a member of the National Electric Light Association of America.

At Oakland, Cal., in the year 1912, Mr. Walker was married to Miss Edna J. Lange of Napa, and their home has been blessed with two children: Dor- othy and Madeline.

1188

HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY

LLOYD R. WOODHULL .- An experienced, popular and important representative of the famous Sperry Flour Company is Lloyd R. Woodhull, in charge of their grain buying at Stockton. He was born at London, Ontario, Canada, on July 2, 1891, and was for a while in the employ of a wholesale firm manufacturing clothing at London. In October, 1910, he arrived at Stockton, and once landed here, he became bookkeeper for the River Express Com- pany, serving that concern from December, 1910, until May 15, 1911, when he entered the employ of the Sperry Flour Company as timekeeper. He worked his way up from the bottom, acting as ship- ping clerk, billing clerk, and bookkeeper; and then, under the leadership of George R. McLeod, he be- came buyer for the company. When Mr. McLeod resigned as head of the buying department, he was appointed in his place, in the spring of 1922-a post of much responsibility, indeed one of the best at the disposal of the widely-known flour firm.

In 1915 at Stockton, Mr. Woodhull married Miss Alice Ridenour, a native of Stockton, whose parents came to that city many years ago as pioneers and so deserve the lasting gratitude of all coming after and profiting by their sacrifices and self-denials. In April, 1918, he entered the World War as a private in Com- pany K, 364th Infantry, 91st Division, known as the Wild West Division, with which he was sent over- seas, and served with it in all of its many and fierce engagements until the end of the war. The 91st Division stands out conspicuously in the annals of the American divisions as a fighting organization. Complete in every detail, it traveled further from its home base than any other division and it did as much actual fighting as any other national army division, and much more than many. The officers were all from California, Washington and Oregon, and the enlisted men were gathered from all the far Western states and from Alaska. A green fir tree was adopted as the shoulder insignia to be worn by the members. The division began intensive training as soon as it was formed, and on June 19, 1918, it received its orders and set out for overseas. The last units of the division arrived in France on July 26, 1918, and left their training area on September 6, 1918; and from September 11 to 14 it constituted a part of the reserve of the St. Mihiel offensive. From there it moved to the northwest of Verdun, where it took an active part in the Meuse-Argonne offensive. On September 26 it advanced from west of Avecourt to north of Gesnes, and continued in the offensive until October 6, when the greater part of the troops re- treated to the Nattancourt area. On October 19, the division went under the command of the King of the Belgians; and from October 31 to November 4 took part in the Lys-Scheldt offensive west of the Escault (Scheldt) River, in the vicinity of Auden- rade. Later, the 91st Division, of which our subject was luckily such an honored member, took part in the ceremony which marked the joyous return of the King and Queen of Belgium to the city of Brus- sels; and after that it was moved to the Le Mans area; and during March and April of 1919, the divi- sion embarked for the United States. Nineteen men of this division were awarded the distinguished serv- ice cross, but the majority of those who also did meri- torious things received no special reward for their faithful performance of arduous duty.

CHAUNCEY A. LEASE .- It has been fortunate for the State of California to attract to her confines such men as Chauncey A. Lease, roofing contractor, now residing at Stockton. He was born in Bremer County, Iowa, on March 10, 1856, the son of Chaun- cey A. and Jeanette (Nutting) Lease, natives of Ver- mont and New York, respectively, but pioneers of Illinois and Iowa. In 1869, when thirteen years old, Chauncey A. accompanied his parents to Missouri, and well does he remember the journey overland in an open vehicle when for days there was continuous snow; he was in company with a cousin and a brother, the parents and smaller children being in a covered wagon. The family settled near Centralia, Boone County, and there the lad grew to manhood on the home farm and during the winter months attended the district school. When he was twenty-one he left home to go West, having a span of horses and his sole capital was twenty-five dollars in his pocket.

He stopped in Mitchell County, Kans., where he homesteaded 160 acres of land and took up a timber claim of like amount; this he proved up on and made his home for eleven years. While living on his land he helped to build houses made out of the native stone that was quarried on the land and was of such con- sistency that it could be cut with a saw into any size of block desired. After it had stood for a time it gradually hardened and then was plastered in the inside and made very good stone houses for the set- tlers. He gave the land for the first school house in his district in Mitchell County, and here church and Sunday school services were held. When Mr. Lease sold out in 1888 it was to come further West and he arrived in California November 29, locating in Santa Cruz.

Once in the Golden State he was not long in finding employment and soon began general contracting and cement work with his brother, George E. Lease, as a partner, and this business arrangement continued until 1913. In 1898, with twenty-five others, Mr. Lease bought a schooner and equipped for a mining expedi- tion to Alaska, where he remained eight months. The brothers did contract work in various parts of the state during the intervening years; one contract was completed in Marin County on the ranch owned by Mr. Hotalling, which took a little over a year; then they did the stone and cement work on the first two buildings of the State Polytechnic school at San Luis Obispo in 1902. They made a specialty of roofing work and that with their general contracting kept them unusually busy. The work was given personal attention and evidences of the stability of the build- ings erected are to be seen today in Santa Cruz and elsewhere, and it is to his credit that he built the first concrete house in Santa Cruz.

Mr. Lease located in Stanislaus County after twenty-five years residence in Santa Cruz, and bought an alfalfa and dairy ranch of seventeen acres located near Modesto. His ability as a builder soon became known and he accepted a position as superintendent of concrete construction work for T. K. Beard and in this position did some very important work in the state. In 1915 he moved to Stockton, still retaining his ranch near Modesto, which he sold in 1918. After taking up his residence in this city, he gave his entire attention to roofing contracts and during the passing of the years has roofed more than 2,500 buildings throughout the San Joaquin Valley. He put on the first white rock roof in the city and was the originator

At Least

1 1

1191

HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY

of the crushed glass roof. Three fourths of the homes in Tuxedo Park and Yosemite Terrace have been roofed by Mr. Lease, besides apartment houses, garage buildings, buildings at the county fair grounds; he also roofed school buildings at Lodi; bank and other buildings at Tracy; school at Manteca; and did work for the Diamond Match Company in Butte County. In his roofing work he uses hot asphaltum or roofing cement to cement the various layers : of wool felt or asbestos paper used, then the entire sur- face is given a coating of the hot preparation and then the desired color of crushed brick, rock or glass is sprinkled over and in twenty-four hours it is dry.

The marriage of Chauncey A. Lease was celebrated in Kansas on February 1, 1879, when he was united with Miss Phoebe Catherine Johnson, who was born in Ohio, at Barnesville, Belmont County. She is a daughter of Pius and Sarah E. (Jarvis) Johnson, both born in Ohio of pioneer forefathers. Their union has been blessed by the birth of five children. The eldest son and child, H. Fred Lease, died in Missouri, aged one year. Bessie Belle is the widow of William R. Hedgepeth, the well-known optometrist of Santa Cruz, by whom she had one daughter, Doris Eliza- beth. Rupert I. is the head of the grocery depart- ment of C. D. Hinkle of Santa Cruz, and the father of two children, Elsworth; deceased, and a daughter, Helen. He is also one of the enterprising men of Santa Cruz, having been engaged in buying, improv- ing and selling property there. Jesse E. is a millman by trade and followed it in Stockton prior to the war, when he worked in the shipyards at Oakland and Bay Point. He is now engaged in a mill and wrecking company with W. E. French in Stockton; he had a daughter Vivian, now deceased. The youngest child is Chauncey A., Jr., who is a graduate of the Stockton high school, class of '18; also a graduate from the Agricultural School of the University of California at Davis, class of '22, and is taking charge of the vineyard. Mr. and Mrs. Lease take an active inter- est in the various circles in the Central Methodist Episcopal Church at Stockton and in national politics they support the platform of the Republican party. In all his work Mr. Lease has had the active cooperation of his devoted wife. Mr. and Mrs. Lease. have always been strong advocates of temperance. To show his confidence in the future of San Joaquin County, Mr. Lease has invested in ranch property and is the owner of a twenty-acre vineyard near Escalon, and with a partner owns twenty acres two and one-half miles from Farmington, devoted to prunes and cher- ries; and he is preparing to plant seven and one-half acres to the Clarkadota fig in the near future. San Joaquin County may well be proud of the invaluable contribution made to its permanent growth and real progress by such citizens as Mr. Lease and his family.

CHARLES W. THOMAS .- Well known in San Joaquin County, not only for his successful participa- tion in building operations, but also as a prominent Mason, is Charles W. Thomas, who is now the man- ager of the Sciots Club of Stockton. His birthplace is Clifton Hill, Mo., where he was born August 4, 1868, a son of Wayne and Martha (McDavitt) Thomas, the former a native of Kentucky and the latter of Missouri. Wayne Thomas was a grower of large quantities of tobacco in the South until 1874, when he arrived in California, settling at once in 74

San Joaquin County, where he rented land which he farmed to grain. The ranch was known as the Brick ranch and is located near Bellota; later he purchased twenty-five acres near Linden, where, with his son, Charles W., our subject, he planted an orchard of peaches, apricots and prunes and at the same time followed his trade of carpenter in the district. Wayne Thomas joined the Masonic order while residing in the East and upon taking up his residence in San Joaquin County he was demitted to the Linden Lodge. He was married three times. There were no chil- dren by the first wife and one daughter by the second wife, Mrs. Malinda Rose; there were five children by the third wife: Mrs. Lazetti Matlock; Mrs. Lulu Ilgenfritz; William B .; John J .; and Charles W. Wayne Thomas was a Mason for fifty years and he passed away in 1912; his wife is also deceased. Charles W. was educated in the Linden school and learned the carpenter's trade with his father and followed his trade in Linden and Stockton; he built the Linden Hotel and was proprietor for ten years. Three years ago he located in Stockton and was em- ployed on the construction of the Masonic Temple.

The marriage of Mr. Thomas united him with Miss Clara Bernasconi, a native of Calaveras County, Cal., and three children have been born to them: Martha J .; Viola Lulu; and Charles Clifton. Mr. Thomas has been a Mason for thirty years; he is past master of the Valley Lodge No. 135, of Linden; a 30th degree Mason Scottish Rite, and in January, 1922, he was' appointed manager of the Sciots Club in Stockton. Mr. Thomas is energetic, progressive and practical, and is therefore meeting with well deserved success.

ANDERSON ALLEN .- A successful and enter- prising rancher of San Joaquin County, residing about nineteen miles southeast of Stockton on the French Camp Road, is Anderson Allen, who owns his home ranch and is associated with his son in farming another. He has been a resident of Cali- fornia for the past forty-seven years and for the past fifteen years has been actively engaged in farming pursuits in San Joaquin County. He was born in Adams County, twenty miles south of Quincy, Ill., August 24, 1848. His father, Hiram Allen, was of Scotch parentage, born in Tennessee, where his an- cestors were prominent in the early history of that state. He married Miss Kisiah Perrick, of Scotch descent, who was born in Kentucky. After mar- riage the young couple settled in Illinois, and in 1857 they removed to central Kansas, where he home- steaded 160 acres and resided there many years; then the family removed to Council Grove, Kans., and the father passed away in 1886 at this place, the mother surviving him until 1913. They were the parents of three sons and three daughters. Anderson Allen re- ceived his education in the schools of Kansas, and in 1875 came to California and located at Visalia. For the following three years he worked at various places in the state, farming and then in the lumber camps of the Santa Cruz Mountains. In 1878 he located near Tracy, San Joaquin County, where he engaged in grain farming for three years with Mr. Geddes. In 1881 he removed to Byron, Cal., where he pur- chased 160 acres, and he farmed to grain and raised stock on this land for twenty-five years.

On April 28, 1886, Mr. Allen was married to Miss Anna von Glahn, a native Californian born in San

1192

HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY

Joaquin County, a daughter of Christopher and Catherine (Boschen) von Glahn, both natives of Ger- many: Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Allen: Alma V., Mrs. James Carter, resides at Manteca; William P. is deceased; and Arthur B. re- sides at home. Mr. Allen was especially interested in educational development and served as school trustee of the Excelsior district and was instrumental in organizing the Brentwood Union high school in 1905. In 1907 Mr. Allen sold his land at Byron and removed to San Joaquin County. Locating near Es- calon, he purchased land and developed it, later sell- ing it at a fair profit; thus he bought, developed and sold three different ranches. Ably assisted by their son, Mr. and Mrs. Allen åre now busily engaged in improving land which Mrs. Allen inherited from her father's estate, and in making of it a model home ranch. Mr. Allen has made a close study of irriga- tion and is a stanch advocate of it, having demon- strated by years of experience the increased pro- ductivity of irrigated lands. Mrs. Allen attended the Western Normal School at Stockton from 1881 to 1883 and taught in the public schools of the county for four years before her marriage. She takes a prom- inent part in the social affairs of the community.

JAMES H. AUSTIN .- Counted among the sub- stantial citizens of the Summer Home district of San Joaquin County, James H. Austin was born at Iron- 'dale, Mo., April 7, 1860, a son of Rufus H. Austin, a native of Ohio. An uncle, Horace Austin, as a mere lad, served in the Seminole War in 1835; then in the war with Mexico he was captain in the U. S. Regu- lars, and in the Civil War served as captain in the 108th Illinois Volunteer Regiment from 1861 to 1865.

In 1878 James H. Austin was graduated from the Waterman, Ill. high school; two years later he en- tered the college at Dubuque, Iowa, in the depart- ment of civil engineering, having earned his tuition as clerk in the employ of the C. B. & Q. R. R. He spent three years there, then became identified with the Southern Pacific Railroad Company in the oper- ating department at San Francisco in 1882, where he worked for five years; then he was transferred to Santa Barbara, where he became station agent for the same company, this being the opening of the road; here he remained until 1894. He then became as -. sistant to William Hood, chief engineer for the Southern Pacific, and for the following ten years was very active in this work. After the coast line from Santa Margarita to Santa Barbara was completed in 1901, Mr. Austin was sent to Ogden, Utah, where he was put in full charge of the east end of the thirty- mile trestle across Salt Lake out of Ogden, which was completed in May, 1902. From Ogden, Utah, he went to Sparks, Nev., and while here he decided to leave the service of the railroad. In 1900 he had purchased twenty acres of the Peter Clapp homestead in San Joaquin County at twenty-five dollars per acre, and desiring to locate on it and improve it, he gave up engineering work; later he purchased ten more acres, which he set to an orchard of almonds, peaches and apricots and a fine vineyard, all in full bearing now and highly productive.

Mr. Austin was married in December, 1904, to Miss Mabel Temple, a native of Scotland, who had re- sided in California since 1896, and they have one son,

Neil T. Mrs. Austin is secretary of the Farm Bu- reau of the Summer Home local and is prominent in Eastern Star circles. Mr. Austin is a prominent Mason, being past master of the Santa Barbara and Manteca lodges, and the initial master of the Man- teca lodge; he is past high priest of the Royal Arch Chapter, a member of the Commandery, both of Santa Barbara, and for the past twenty years has been a member of the Islam Temple of San Fran- cisco. In politics he is a stanch Republican.

L. F. GRIMSLEY .- An enterprising representa- tive of an early pioneer family is L. F. Grimsley, whose activities for the progress and prosperity of his native city and county are well known. He was born on a ranch twelve miles east of Stockton, Cal, on October 3, 1877, a son of Louis E. and Minnie (Klinger) Grimsley. His father is a native of Illi- nois who migrated to California in an early day and located in Stockton and engaged in farming pursuits; later he entered the employ of the Holt Manufactur- ing Company, where he has been for many years, and at the present time is foreman of the plumbing depart- ment. His maternal grandfather, George Klinger, a native of Germany, was also a California pioneer who located in Sacramento in 1852; he was a saddle and harness maker by trade; when he later located in Stockton he was associated with ex-sheriff Tom Cun- ningham in a harness shop. Later he bought a ranch east of Stockton and followed farming and it was on this ranch that the mother of our subject was born. Both parents are living and reside in Stockton.

L. F. Grimsley received his education in the Linden district school; later he was employed by the Holt Manufacturing Company in the sales and shipping de- partment and was in their employ for seventeen years, thirteen years of which he traveled as a salesman. In 1913 he became the agent for the C. L. Best Traction Company's tractor and at the present time is distrib- utor for eight counties in California. The C. L. Best Traction Company was established in San Leandro thirty years ago; they first manufactured a steam tractor and about ten years ago started the manufac- ture of the popular C. L. Best gas tractor. The Cali- fornia Packing corporation are using the Best tractor in the developing of a 3800 acre apricot and peach or- chard in Merced County, the largest of its kind in the world; Libby, McNeil & Libby also use them on their large ranch in San Joaquin County; the East Side Investment Co. have four of these tractors on their 20,000 acre ranch in Merced County; the California Delta Farms Company of Stockton also use one, and the Merced Irrigation District are using three sixty horsepower tractors on their irrigation project and about five hundred C. L. Best track-layer tractors are at present in use in subject's territory.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

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 171

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