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 183

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 183

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Since his arrival in Lodi, Mr. Barzellotti has taken an active part in its development. He built a new stone sewer system and twelve miles of pav- ing; he planned and built the municipal swimming baths in the city park, the first municipal baths constructed in the state. He is secretary of the City Planning committee which has had charge of all recent improvements. He takes a great interest in his work and has advocated the annexation of more territory to the city. In 1915 he took an active part in the campaign for bond issue for city improvement which was passed unanimously and Mr. Barzellotti has witnessed many substantial developments in the municipality. He specializes on scientific irrigation, the development of which has been the greatest factor in the progress of central California; he has frequently been called upon to lecture on this inter-

esting subject and is considered an expert on muni- cipal engineering and irrigation topics; he has writ- ten extensively on these subjects for a number of periodicals. Mr. Barzellotti is engineer of reclama- tion district No. 548, located in the Delta district and containing 13,000 acres, this tract of land being originally from five to six feet below tide-water; he was also irrigation engineer on the development of two large ranches on Rough and Ready and Roberts Islands. Mr. Barzellotti is serving as vice-president of the San Joaquin County Association of Civil En- gineers. - Fraternally, he is identified with the Lodi Lodge, No. 256, F. & A. M., and Scottish Rite Lodge of Perfection, No. 1, San Francisco.

The marriage of Mr. Barzellotti united him with Miss Amelia Louise Wetman, a native of San Fran- cisco. The state of California and the locality which he has selected for his permanent home owe much to men of the caliber of Mr. Barzellotti.

JACK BARRON .- A well-known, hustling realty dealer whose operations have had considerable sig- nificance for others as well as for himself, is Jack Barron, of 411-12 Commercial & Savings Bank Building, Stockton, a native of San Francisco, where he was born on March 1, 1881. As early as his thir- teenth year, he started to work on a ranch at River- bank, and when more experienced, he continued farm labor on ranches in the Delta district. Later, he was in the employ of the Stockton Glass Works as a fireman.

In 1916 he started in the real estate business by buying cheap lots in Stockton, which were then con- sidered not worth bothering with, but in the selling of which he was successful, realizing some profit. He next associated himself with Kenneth T. Howe, the real estate dealer; and how they came to start together is very interesting. Mr. Howe had a horse which he wished to sell, and Jack said that nothing could be easier,-and at a good price, too. Jack made the sale, and Mr. Howe said that a man who could get that price for a horse, could also sell real estate. So Jack started in, and in the Mineral Baths Tract made a record for sales, taking first prize among other salesmen. He later became the exclu- sive agent for Mosswood Park, which was owned by Mrs. Mary B. Percival, selling off many lots there and he is still agent for the property.

Early in 1920 Mr. Barron became associated with P. H. Stitt in the sale of lots and houses in Tuxedo Park; and one of his first big deals there was in closing the sale of a $17,000 residence; and since that time he has sold real estate all over Stockton. He also buys lots and builds cottages and bungalows which he sells at a good profit and in this venture has met with very satisfactory results. Mr. Barron employs six and seven salesmen in his business, and along with his other transactions he buys and ships grapes, deals in farming and grape lands, and does a general real estate, loan and insurance business. He is a good judge of values, a wide-awake student of changing market conditions, and first, last and all the time, dependable. Mr. Barron's signs 10x30 feet in size bearing "Barron's Real Estate Exchange," are to be found on all roads and principal highways leading out of Stockton. Mr. Barron belongs to the San Joaquin County Realty Board; and as a Master Mason, he is a member of the San Joaquin Blue Lodge. -

Jack Barron

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HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY

JOHN VINCENT CRAVIOTTO, M. D .- A dis- tinguished member of the medical fraternity in Cali- fornia is John Vincent Craviotto, the physician and surgeon, whose fine suite of offices are located on North Sutter Street, Stockton. He was born near Genoa, Italy, on August 1, 1879, and when five years of age, he was brought to California by his parents, who settled at San Francisco. He attended the local schools, and later went to St. Ignatius College; and in 1899 he was graduated from the University of Cali- fornia with the Ph.G. degree. Five years later, he was graduated from the Cooper Medical College, affiliated with Stanford University; and then he received the coveted M. D. degree. He was an intern in the City and County Hospital and also the French Hospital at San Francisco for a year, and in October, 1905, he removed to Stockton and began to practice medicine.

From the beginning of his professional experience, Dr. Craviotto has not only been in great demand as one of the leaders in the Italian Colony of San Joaquin County, but he has steadily taken high rank as one of the ablest of physicians and surgeons, often called in consultation and for serious cases requiring the specialist. He is physician for the Concordia Grove of Druids, the Cavalotti Lodge of Foresters, and the Italian Garden Society. He is a member of the American Medical Association, and the State and County Societies, and he has a fellowship in the American College of Surgeons. He is president of the Stockton Italian Club, and belongs to Lodge No. 218 of the Elks, to the Young Men's Institute, to the Druids, and the Fraternal Order of Eagles and the Foresters of America. And he is a member of the advisory board of the Bank of Italy at Stockton and of the Security Building & Loan Association and for the past twelve years he has been a member of the State Lunacy Commission.

In San Francisco, in 1904, Dr. Craviotto was mar- ried to Miss Lydia Spadina, a native of San Fran- cisco; and they have six children, all born at Stockton: Concessa, Irene, Angela, John Vincent, Jr., Vincent Angelo, and Yollanda.

FRANK E. COLLINS .- Lifelong identification with the fruit business has enabled Frank E. Collins to make a marked success in this line, which year by year is assuming vaster proportions in the state of California, distributing thousands of dollars in every fruit-growing community each season and making possible the development of additional tracts of land. A member of an honored pioneer family, Mr. Collins was born at Vacaville, Solano County, July 2, 1868, the son of James R. Collins, who crossed the plains in an ox-team train in 1849, spending some time in the mines. In 1853 he located on a ranch near Vaca- ville, and there he made his home for sixty-four years, being the pioneer fruit man of that district. At one time he had seventy-five acres in vineyard and later a large orchard of plums, pears, peaches and apricots.

Frank E. Collins was reared on the home ranch near Vacaville, and after his school days were over he started in the fruit business with his father. At the age of eighteen he entered the employ of the Earl Fruit Company, starting in at the bottom to learn every detail of the work. He later became a buyer for the company, spending the winters in the citrus fruit district in Orange County, and the sum- mers handling the deciduous fruits in the San Jose

district. Later he was local agent for the company at San Jose and in 1903 he planted an orchard of 160 acres near Merced to figs and peaches. In 1904 after sixteen years with the Earl Fruit Company, Mr. Collins became associated with the Pioneer Fruit Company, spending one season in Placer County and later operating at San Jose, Napa and Red Bluff, be- ing with this company altogether twelve years. The year 1917 was spent with the Pacific Fruit & Pro- duce Company at Portland, Ore., and on returning to California in 1918, Mr. Collins located at Lodi and formed a partnership with W. T. Owens, as Owens & Collins. Their business has thrived from the start, and in 1920 they shipped 150 cars of fruit and grapes. In addition to handling on consignment, they have a lease on a fine 100-acre Tokay vineyard. Their table grapes are packed under the Royal Arch brand, which has a fine reputation in the Eastern markets, having topped the New York market on numerous occasions.

January 12, 1901, at San Francisco, Cal., Mr. Col- lins was united in marriage with Miss Harriet Ruth- erford, a native daughter, born in Wyandotte, Butte county, whose parents, James M. and Geraldine (En- slow) Rutherford, were natives of Kentucky and Ohio. Her father came to California in 1852, but her grandfather Thos. Enslow crossed the plains to Cali- fornia in 1849, to Butte County; they were pioneer settlers there. Mrs. Collins is past president of Ivy Parlor, N. D. G. W. A woman of great capability Mrs. Collins has contributed much to her husband's success, having had many years of experience with their business as forelady in the packing house. She superintended the packing of a car of apricots at Hanford which was the first car to go East from the San Joaquin Valley in the spring of 1921, and which brought the highest price in the Eastern mar- kets, due to its careful packing and the superior quality of the fruit. Mr. and Mrs. Collins have one son, Leon Collins, who is foreman for the Owens & Collins Company, so that all the family have a vital interest in its success.

JOHN BRICHETTO .- Prominent among the ex- perienced and highly progressive financiers of Cali- fornia to whom San Joaquin County in particular owes much for its up-to-date development along the broadest and most permanent lines, is John Brichetto, the well-known farmer and banker of Stockton, who was born at Banta, Cal., on February 5, 1881, the son of G. and Luigia (Canale) Brichetto, the former of whom is now deceased, and both of whom were natives of Italy. The father came to San Joaquin County in 1867, here mined, and then worked at tunnel construction for the Southern Pacific Rail- road Company. Then, for a while, he settled in the San Joaquin Gardens on the river, and later located at Banta, where he raised and sold vegetables. In 1872, he opened a general store at Banta, which he conducted for many years. He was a large farmer and landowner in the Banta district at the time of his death, in 1916, and owned 9,000 acres of land on the West Side. Several children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Brichetto, and among them were Irene, Minnie. Joseph C., Mrs. Mollie Raspo, and John, who was educated in the public schools of the locality, and at Santa Clara College. When through with his studies,

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his brother. Joseph C., under the name of Brichetto Bros., and they are now known as large grain farm- ers on the West Side, farming about 3,000 acres. Mr. Brichetto is president of the Board of Directors of the Banta-Carolinia Irrigation district, recently formed, which will care for the irrigation of some 20,000 acres in the Tracy and Banta districts.

In addition to his activity in agricultural circles, Mr. Brichetto is also prominent in banking circles. He is a member, for example, of the Advisory Board of the Stockton Branch of the Bank of Italy, and pre- viously he was a director in the San Joaquin Valley National Bank of Stockton. He was also a director in the Bank of Tracy. He was once postmaster at Banta, and he is at present manager of the G. Brich- etto estate ..

In the year 1916, at San Francisco, Cal., Mr. Brich- etto was married to Miss Nancy Kneass, a native of San Francisco and the daughter of E. D. Kneass of San Jose, Cal., a gifted lady, sharing the responsibili- ties and the rewards of her husband's strenuous life. Mr. Brichetto belongs to Lodge No. 218 of the Stock- ton Elks, and the Olympic Club of San Francisco.

O. H. CHAIN .- Foremost among the successful building contractors of Stockton is O. H. Chain, who has done his full share in the building up of the city, with its miles of well-kept streets lined with attrac- tive homes. Born on October 18, 1884, Mr. Chain was reared on the home farm near Huron, Atchison County, Kans., until he was eighteen years old, when he struck out for himself, going to the mines at Silver City, Idaho, where he worked for a time, and then on to Spokane, Wash., where he was employed in the Union Iron Works. After traveling through the Cana- dian Northwest, seeing much new country and gain- ing much experience, he returned to Spokane and then came on to Portland, Ore., where he took up his present line of work, starting as a carpenter's helper.

In 1905 Mr. Chain located at San Francisco, fol- lowing the trade of carpenter there until 1909, help- ing to rebuild the city after the fire of 1906, and then spent a few months both at Goldfield, Nev., and Prescott, Ariz., in the building business. Coming back to California in 1908, Mr. Chain settled in Stock- ton in 1910, and having found an ideal home and business place, he has remained here ever since. He was first employed as foreman on county bridge con- struction work, and then was associated with the planing mill of Totten & Brant in stair-building work.

Starting in business for himself in 1911, Mr. Chain began building and selling residences, and his thor- ough workmanship and dependable construction won him success from the start. He has erected over 100 homes in Stockton, among them the E. Allen Test residence on North Hunter Street, and the home of Mrs. Frank E. Murphy in Tuxedo Park, as well as many other fine residences in various parts of the city. He has also built the following: the Hobbs- Parsons Produce House; warehouse for the Wagner Leather Company; a brick building for the Union Planing Mill; three galvanized iron buildings for the Stockton Box Company; a two-story brick garage building for Dr. J. V. Craviotto; a two story flat and laundry building on El Dorado Street; a four-flat building for Mrs. Silva on San Joaquin near Vine Street; an addition to the Dameron Hospital; the

Japanese school building on Washington Street; building for the Geiger Iron Works; garage for John Yardley on North San Joaquin Street; brick garage for Everybody's Investment Company, on Aurora Street; business block of five brick stores for C. A. Slack in Tracy; factory for the Superior Manufac- turing -Company in Lodi; building for Standard Oil Company at main plant, Stockton; garage for E. B. Stowe on East Weber. Avenue; apartments for Mrs. Amelia Anderson, East Main Street; four flats for himself at 930 North Commerce Street; residence for Neil I. Ross in Yosemite Terrace; Victory Grammar School; Parisian Cleaning & Dyeing Works.

In 1909, at San Francisco, Mr. Chain was married to Miss Louise F. Petry . of that city, and they are the parents of a son, Hubert Victor. Progressive and public spirited, Mr. Chain can always be counted on to contribute to every worthy undertaking for the city's upbuilding. He is a member of the Mer- chants, Manufacturers & Employers Association, the Chamber of Commerce, and a director of the Builders Exchange.

ANDREW G. ERICKSON .- Among the attract- ive and enterprising business firms of Stockton is the Gold Medal Creamery located at 31 South Cali- fornia Street, owned and operated by Andrew G. Erickson. He was born on a farm in McPherson County, Kan., on February 20, 1890, was taken by his parents to Victoria, Texas, where the father, also named Andrew Erickson, passed away. The family remained there until our subject was eleven years of age, then the mother and nine children came to California in 1901, settling in Stockton.

The education of Andrew G. Erickson was obtained in the public schools of Stockton, his business train- ing starting when he was employed by the San Joa- quin Creamery and the Stockton Creamery, where he learned butter making; he then took a course along the same line of work at the University of California farm at Davis, Cal .; then for five years he was in charge of butter-making for the Oakdale Creamery in Oakdale, Stanislaus County. In 1918, in company with his brother, Arthur L., the Gold Medal Creamery was purchased, which was at that time a very small business, 200 pounds of butter was made daily in the window of the factory, now 1,500 pounds is the daily output of this factory, a remark- able growth in four years. In May, 1921, Mr. Erick- son purchased the interest of his brother, who is now the proprietor of the Paramount Creamery at Tur- lock, Cal. Mr. Erickson's store space has been doubled and modern machinery installed. His Gold Medal brand of butter has become very popular, three-fourths of the leading hotels and restaurants in the city using it. He buys cream from the lead- ing dairies in the county, and it is pasteurized, made into butter, and sold throughout the city. Mr. Erick- son has made a scientific study along the line of butter-making and other milk products and is con- sidered one of the best informed men in the county on the subject, and is at the present time one of the largest butter makers in the city.

The marriage of Mr. Erickson united him with Miss Bessie Lenfesty, a native of Calaveras County, Cal., and they are the parents of three daughters, Ernestine, Phyllis and Charlotte. Fraternally he is a member of Truth Lodge of Odd Fellows.

Andrew & Enchron

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HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY

WESLEY DANIELS .- A building contractor who not only thoroughly understands his business but is especially well posted as to local conditions, is Wes- ley Daniels, the senior member of the firm of Messrs. Daniels & Green of Stockton. He was born near Hamilton, Ont., on January 23, 1860, and learning the trade of a carpenter and millwright, he followed millwrighting in Canada, and also at Davenport, Iowa, and Peoria, Ill. In 1889 he came out to the Pacific Coast, and at Los Angeles he worked for a couple of years as carpenter. In 1891, he reached Stockton, and he has been here ever since.

For five years, Mr. Daniels worked for Thomas D. Lewis, and in 1908 he formed a partnership with H. P. Green, as Daniels & Green, and commenced building by contract. From the beginning, the firm was very successful; and having once established their reputation for superior, dependable work, they have seldom or never been idle. They have erected many of the notable edifices in San Joaquin County, includ- ing the office building of the California Navigation and Improvement Company, and the remod-

eled Washington and Jackson schools. They built the North, Weber and Hazeltine schools, the Hotel Lincoln and the Taft Hotel, and a two-story brick block for the City Development Company at the corner of Main and American ave- nues. They remodeled the interior of the Commer- cial & Savings Bank, and also the City Bank, and built the annex to the Smith & Lang Block, as well as the Botto & Brassesco Block and the Marshall Building. They put up the Oneto and Campodonico Building, and the Flannigan Block, and are also to be credited with the fine St. Agnes Convent, the Stockton Dry Goods Company Block, the Pacific States Telephone and Telegraph Building, the Mey- ers Meat Market Block; a house for F. J. Viebrock.

While in Canada, Mr. Daniels was married to Miss Jessie Kern, a native of that great Northern country; and their particularly fortunate union has been greatly blessed with the birth of four children: Myrtle, Fred, Wesley J., and Margaret.

P. A. BUELL .- Born on a farm near Cleveland, Ohio, Park Arbington Buell, generally known as P. A. Buell, was the son of Sidney Buell and Amelia W. (Ballou) Buell. After his father's death, his mother brought her little family to California, and built a home at Santa Rosa.

P. A. Buell remained at home until he was grown, receiving his education in the public schools. He came to Stockton in the early '80s and entered the employ of the White & Thomas Planing Mill Com- pany, remaining with them until he went into busi- ness for himself. He organized the P. A. Buell Plan- ing Mill & Lumber Company, with office at Center and Sonora streets. The mills covered an area of 50,000 square feet, and the yards occupied over ten acres on the south bank of Mormon channel.

After establishing himself in Stockton, Mr. Buell married Miss Ada Moore, the daughter of H. H. Moore, a well-known pioneer resident and business man of the city. Three children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Buell: Leon Moore, Henry H. and Amy. The eldest son died at the age of eight years. Henry H. is a graduate of Stanford University, and an elec- trical engineer by profession. He married Miss Rheda Ridenour, and they have two sons, Warren Henry, and Robert Allen. Amy graduated from Miss

Head's school in Berkeley, and received her degree from Mills College. She is the wife of John Stewart Greaves and they have one daughter, Nancy Jane.

P. A. Buell was a stanch Republican in politics, and fraternally a Knight Templar Mason and a member of Charity Lodge, I. O. O. F. He was prominently identified with many affairs which were beneficial to the public good. He was the organizer and presi- dent of the Commercial Association which was instru- mental in having the San Francisco and San Joaquin Valley Railroad built from Stockton; was identified with the building of the Sierra Railroad; was a direc- tor of the Jackson, Sutter & Amador Railway Com- pany, whose line was then in course of construction. He also visited Washington in the interest of the waterways of California. His last prominent work was the organization of the San Joaquin Valley Asso- ciation, embracing the twelve counties forming the low lands and slopes of that fertile valley. He was also the president of the Bown Mining Company of Tuolumne.

Mr. Buell continually and unselfishly devoted a large proportion of his time and best effort aiding and encouraging any worthy enterprise which he felt would redound to the advantage of his community. In his sudden and premature death on April 4th, 1900, Stockton lost a stalwart supporter of every civic movement for the welfare of his adopted city.

NICK COPELLO .- Well known in both the mer- cantile and the financial circles of Stockton is Nick Copello, a native son who was born at San Andreas, in Calaveras County, on June 26, 1876. His father, Joseph Copello, a native of Italy, came out to Cali- fornia in the early '50s, followed mining in Calaveras and Amador counties, and in 1894 took up his resi- dence in Stockton, where he conducted the Roma Hotel on Center Street. He died in 1895. The mother died in 1906. Of the children born to Joseph Copello and his wife, who was Benidetti Sanguinetti before marriage, the following are living: Nicholas, Mrs. May Bona, Mrs. Cora Tartaul, Mrs. Fred Rossi, and Mrs. Lyda Mazza, all of Stockton.

Nicholas, or Nick, as he is popularly known, was reared and educated in Amador City, and he worked as a boy in the quartz mill. Coming to Stockton in 1894, however, with his father, he was associated with him in the management of the hotel, and later he conducted a restaurant for himself. In 1900 he bought one-third of a block at the corner of Aurora and Washington streets, and engaged in the grocery business, and he is at present still interested in that line of trade at that place. He owns valuable real estate in Stockton, including some California Street property, and also land in Calaveras County. And he is a director in the Commercial & Savings Bank of Stockton. He is truly a self-made man, who has attained a large measure of success, mostly through his own efforts, so that the story of his life may well be an inspiration to other American youths.

At Stockton, in January, 1909, Mr. Copello was married to Miss Mamie Quirollo, a native of Cala- veras County; and their happy union has been blessed with the birth of one daughter, Lenora. Mr. Copello is a popular member of the Stockton Elks, Lodge No. 218, the Red Men, the Eagles, and the U. P. E. C. A large-hearted, optimistic American, he is interested in the success of his fellow Americans as well as in his own advancement and prosperity; and everyone

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who has any dealings with him, commercial, financial or social, knows that he is thoroughly dependable, and that whatever he once has promised to do, that he will perform.

EMIL FIMBEL .- Among the thriving industries of San Joaquin County is the Pickle Manufacturing Company, of which Emil Fimbel is the senior part- ner, not only the pioneer establishment in this line, but the only one of its kind in the county. Possessed of sturdy ability and enterprise, his success has been steadily increased as a result of each year's opera- tions. He was born in Alsace-Lorraine, February 10, 1854, in the town of Mülhausen, where his father, Jacob Fimbel, owned and operated a bakery.

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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 183

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