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 190

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 190

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On June 15, 1908, Mr. Smith was married to Miss Lillian R. Sorensen, a native daughter, born at Liver- more, Alameda County, and they are the parents of one son, Harmon Andrew Smith, and a daughter, Marie Lillian Smith. Mr. Smith is prominent in lodge circles of Stockton, being a member of the Red Men, Stockton Parlor No. 7. Native Sons of the Golden West, the Elks, the Moose, Eagles and the Inde- pendent Order of Foresters.

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JOSEPH BIANCHI .- A highly successful vine- yardist of the Ripon district of San Joaquin County, Joseph Bianchi has done much for the viticultural in- dustry in this section, having now 1,500,000 rooted grapevines of all varieties in his nursery. He was born in the province of Lucca, Italy, February 4, 1875, and was only fourteen years old when he left his Italian home and came to America, a stranger in a strange land and not knowing a word of the Eng- lish language. At first he located in San Jose, where he spent a few months, then went to the Delta re- gion in Sacramento County, where he worked as a laborer; then he returned to San Jose and worked for the San Jose Brick Company for a short time, when he secured a job at the El Quito olive ranch near Saratoga; then he acquired a share in the San Jose Paste Company and was successfully engaged in this business until 1913, when he disposed of his interest in the company. During May, 1900, Mr. Bianchi made his first trip back to his native country, and one month later, June, 1900, he was married to Miss Agnes Matteucci, born in the village of Marlia, province of Lucca, Italy, a daughter of Yacopo Mat- teucci, a wealthy Italian rancher who engaged in ·raising olives and grapes. Returning to America with his bride, Mr. Bianchi established his home on San Salvador street, which he still owns. About 1901 he bought a ranch near Congress Springs, Cal., in part- nership with E. Puccinelli, and developed the prop- erty, which Mr. Bianchi later sold to his associate.

On September 10, 1918, Mr. Bianchi landed in Ripon and purchased the Swett nursery, consisting of sixty acres, between Manteca and Ripon. This ranch was developed by Frank T. Swett, a pioneer in

Andrew J. Smith

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HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY

irrigation farming, who was engaged extensively in raising nursery stock, supplying thousands of young trees to the farmers throughout his district. Mr. Bianchi is fast developing his ranch to vineyard; he already has thirty-five acres in vineyard and what was once an alfalfa field and almond orchard is now dotted with young grapevines. Mr. Bianchi also bought the ranch known as the Campigi ranch near Calla, which is probably the oldest vineyard in San Joaquin County, consisting of twenty acres which was planted by Dr. Latta of Stockton, which is now a highly productive and valuable vineyard.

Eight children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Bianchi: Chauncey, a graduate of San Jose high school, was employed by the Southern Pacific Rail- road Company for five years, and is now the general manager of the home ranch; Rose is the wife of Vic- tor Matteucci, proprietor of the Swiss Italian Res- taurant in Stockton, and they have one daughter; they own a ranch of forty acres near Manteca; Rin- aldo is a rancher; Angelino died at the age of four years; Louis is a graduate of the Weston grammar school and is now a student in the Stockton high school; Angelino A., Joseph, Jr., and Henry are all in grammar school. Mr. Bianchi made his second trip to Italy in 1905, spending about eight months visiting relatives and friends, then again, in 1912, when he spent six months. While residing in San Jose he was one of the organizers of the English Foresters and is a charter member of the Court of Christopher Columbus; also a charter member of the San Jose Chapter of Druids and a member of the St. Joseph's Order at San Jose, having been a member of the latter organization for the past sixteen years. He is a Republican in politics and a most loyal citizen of his adopted country.

MRS. LILLIAN E. BLANCHARD .- A well- known pioneer of Stockton who has resided in this city from childhood is Mrs. Lillian E. Blanchard, widow of the late Martin Blanchard, a native son of California. She was born at Waterloo, Iowa, a daughter of Uriah and Mary Ellen (Ward) Scott. Uriah Scott was a veteran of the Civil War and late in the sixties he brought his family to California, re- maining one year, when he returned to Iowa, and there passed away. The maternal grandfather of our subject, George F. Ward, was a native of Brandon, Vt., who settled in Chicago in 1836, and there was married to Miss Electa J. Watson in 1844. They had eight children, three of whom are living today. George F. Ward served three years in the Civil War in Company C, Twelfth Illinois Cavalry. In 1857 he located in Black Hawk County, Iowa, where he be- came a prominent citizen, being a member of the board of supervisors of that county; he was also a Mason of forty years' standing. He passed away in 1890 at the age of seventy-three years. In 1874 the mother of our subject with two daughters came to California, and the mother was married the second time to Herman Ward, a stock dealer and agent for the Mclaughlin estate. Herman Ward passed away at the age of sixty-eight years, while Mrs. Ward is still living at the age of seventy-six.

On August, 22, 1888, in San Francisco, Lillian E. Scott was united in marriage with Martin Blanchard, a native of Sonoma County, Cal., and a son of Mar- tin and Ruth Blanchard, the former a native of Ver- mont, who came to California in early pioneer days.

Martin Blanchard was a plastering contractor by trade, and during his active career had the contract for many of the large buildings in Stockton, among them being the high school. Four children were born to them; Floyd Martin is married and has one son, Floyd Barnett; the family reside in Marysville and he is a draftsman; Beulah; Lillian A. is Mrs. George H. Dietz, and they have three children, George Rob- ert, Janis Lillian and June Edith; Mary Edna is Mrs. Averil Thomas and they reside in Stockton. Mr. Blanchard was a member of the Knights of Pythias and Odd Fellows lodges of Stockton. He passed away July 28, 1922. Mrs. Blanchard is a member of the Ladies of the G. A. R. in Stockton and is the owner of flats on Magnolia street.

JOSEPH WILLIAM BONNET .- The owner of a forty-acre ranch in the third voting precinct of Ripon, where he conducts a dairy and farm under the South San Joaquin Irrigation District, and where he has resided since 1902, Joseph William Bonnet was born at Boerne, Kendall County, Texas, March 7, 1884. He is the son of the late John Charles Bon- net, who was born on the Alsace-Lorraine border, in Germany, and died in Texas in 1892, being then sixty-five years old. He was the second husband of Joseph Bonnet's mother, and served in the Civil War as first lieutenant. There were five children born to Mr. Bonnet's parents: Lillian Ann, wife of E. A. Schrader, a rancher near Ripon; Joseph William, of this review; Louise, wife of J. L. Kiernan, in the fuel and ice business in Turlock; Kate, wife of E. D. Hughes, a rancher six miles east of Turlock; and Alice, wife of Ray Watson, newspaper man at Fresno. Kate and Alice are twins. The mother's maiden name was Catherine Chambers. She was born in County Mayo, Ireland, and came to America and married Sebastian Farschon, her first husband, in Chicago, where he was a brick mason. Later they went to Texas, where Mr. Farschon died, leaving four children, namely: John W., formerly the black- smith at Ripon (See his sketch in this work); George P. (deceased in Texas), who was married and left a widow and four children; William Austin, a rancher and ditch-tender near Ripon, where he owns forty acres; and Mary, who became the wife of Charles Moser, of Monterey, Old Mexico, where she died, leaving no children.

Joseph William Bonnet lived in Texas until six- teen years old. He came to California in 1900 and became a helper of his half-brother, John W. Far- schon, in his blacksmith shop at Ripon. Two years later the mother and the rest of the family came out to California and they settled on the farm now owned and operated by Mr. Bonnet, which has been the Bonnet home-place ever since 1902.

Mr. Bonnet was married at Stockton, in 1909, to Miss Ethel W. Whitesides, a daughter of John L. and Mollie E. Whitesides, who came from Texas, where Mrs. Bonnet was also born. Her father was born in Kentucky, as was also her mother. Mr. and Mrs. Bonnet have six children: LeRoy S., Thelma M., Mildred A., John Joseph, Vera Amy, and James Alton. Mr. Bonnet has loyally lent his help and influence in furtherance of the general welfare, particularly so in the development of the South San Joaquin Irriga- tion District. He and his interesting family are highly regarded and mingle with the best families in the Ripon district.

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HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY

JOHN D. GILGERT .- One of the pioneer fami- lies in the Golden State is that which now finds a worthy representative in San Joaquin County in John D. Gilgert, who is also a native son of the county where he has resided all of his life. He was born on the Gilgert homestead near Collegeville, May 30, 1864. His father, John G. Gilgert, was born in 1826 in Germany and in 1847 came to New York where he followed his trade of wheelwright in Her- kimer County until 1852. He came to California via Cape Horn and from San Francisco came to Stock- ton where he worked in a blacksmith shop until 1860 when he moved to Collegeville and located on a farm of forty-eight acres, a portion of the Dan Kitchings ranch. The blacksmith shop opposite the Kerrick Tavern, or Eight-Mile House, on the Mari- posa Road was conducted by a close friend by the name of John Aust and Mr. Gilgert bought him out and moving the shop to his farm, made wagons, car- riages, farm implements and tools; his products and workmanship were known far and wide and at the present time his wagons can be found on many of the neighboring ranches. In 1857 he was married to Miss Sybella Martenstein, a native of Germany, who came to California in 1852. They were the par- ents of six children of whom John D. is the eldest son. Since he was twenty-five years old J. G. Gil- gert had been a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and in 1883 he passed away at the family home. His wife now makes her home with her son John D., our subject, who obtained his education in the public school at Collegeville and at the age of eight years was set to work doing odd jobs around his father's shop and learned the trade. When he was twenty-three years old he located near Oakdale where he farmed for eight years and on his return to San Joaquin County he farmed the Jack ranch for twelve years.

In 1888 Mr. Gilgert was married to Miss Chris- tina Rapps, a native of Wisconsin, who came to California in 1885. Her sister Adaline married a brother of our subject and they reside in Stockton. Mr. and Mrs. Gilgert are the parents of six chil- dren: Birdie is a graduate of the Stockton High school, the San Jose State Normal, Los Angeles Bible Institute and is at present doing missionary work at Sells, Ariz., among the Indians; Walter, an engineer, married Miss Mabel Morris and they have three children; Anna is a stenographer for the Western Electric Company at Oakland; Carlton married Miss Chrystal Yandell and has two daugh- ters and is associated with his father in business; George R. married Hazel Ward of Madera County, and is also interested with his father in business; Lillian is a graduate of Stockton High school. About ten years ago Mr. Gilgert purchased the property on the northeast corner of Jack Tone and Mariposa roads and remodeled the buildings on the place and opened the Collegeville store, handling groceries and meats. He conducts three meat routes in the county, one route covering a distance of seventy miles. For twenty years Mr. Gilgert was a trustee of the Collegeville school district. He is now deputy county clerk and holds the office of registration clerk. He is a Republican in politics. He joined Oakdale Lodge of Odd Fellows in 1891 and became past grand; about ten years later he transferred his membership to Truth Lodge No. 55 at Stockton

and with his wife is a member of Rainbow degree, Lodge of Rebekahs, of which his daughter Lillian is also a member.

FRED E. DANIELS .- A native son of Stockton who has risen to a high degree of success in the building business is Fred E. Daniels, junior member of the building firm of Daniels & Green. Born July 4, 1890, in Stockton, he is the son of Wesley and Jessie (Kern) Daniels, both natives of Canada, who came to California in 1888 and spent two years in Los Angeles, locating in Stockton early in the year 1890. Four children were born to them: Myrtle, Fred E., Wesley, Jr., and Margaret, and a sketch of the parents appears elsewhere in this history.

The second of the family, Fred E. Daniels at- tended the public schools of Stockton and entered the employ of Roberts & Clark as a boy, working up from the bottom in every department of the mill. Later he was engaged for a year in carpenter work with Bob Melvin, as outside man. Thirteen years ago he became associated with his father in the firm of Daniels & Green, pioneer contractors of Stockton, and has since been busily engaged in promoting the firm's work, with the exception of the time he spent in Moore's Shipyard at Oakland, during the World War. A valued member of the firm, he superintends the outside work and the crews of workmen em- ployed by them, displaying unusual capacity as an executive in this line.

In Oakland on September 9, 1913, Mr. Daniels was married to Miss Lena Albera, who was born in Italy, the daughter of Pasquale Albera, a manufacturer of Oakland, in which city Mrs. Daniels attended school. Mr. and Mrs. Daniels are the parents of one daugh- ter, Marian Clair. Mr. Daniels is a member of Stockton Parlor No. 7, N. S. G. W., and of Truth Lodge No. 11, I. O. O. F. The family reside in their comfortable home at 1029 West Park Street, which Mr. Daniels erected about six years ago. Fond of hunting and fishing, he finds his greatest recreation in these sports in the High Sierras.

ROBERT NELSON FOOTE .- Among the re- cent additions to the ranks of horticulturists in the Linden section of San Joaquin County is Robert Nelson Foote, a representative of the well-known pioneer family of that name. For the past two years he has devoted his energies to fruit-growing and has made a very important success in this line of work. He is a native son of California, born at Marysville, September 23, 1878, the eldest in a family of four living children of Forrest and Leila (Woodworth) Foote. His mother passed away and subsequently his father was married to Mrs. Laura A. Coburn and they were the parents of four children: Frank, For- rest, Gertrude and Vivian. The sketch of Forrest Foote will be found elsewhere in this, volume. Rob- ert Nelson was reared on the farm and received his education in the district school in his locality. Early in life he learned the practical side of farming,. which has since been brought into use and has been the means of much of his success in fruit growing. He was in partnership with his father in ranching activities near Lockeford and later at Waterloo until 1914 when he gave up ranching and entered the employ of the Harris Manufacturing Company at Stockton. There he learned mill work, which he followed for six years; then two years ago he, pur-

Fred C. Daniels

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HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY

chased ten acres near Linden and has since followed fruit raising with gratifying success.

In 1912, at Stockton, Mr. Foote was married to Miss Laura Bentz, a native of Shelbyville, Ill., a daughter of John C. Bentz, who since 1909 has resided on a ranch on Cherokee Lane, San Joaquin County. Their daughter, Ellen Marie, is a student in the Linden grammar school. Mr. Foote is a Democrat in politics and fraternally is a member of the Improved Order of Red Men at Stockton. He and his family are members of the Congregational Church. He has demonstrated his business qualifi- cations through the successful control of his agricul- tural interests, which have made him one of the substantial farmers of the Linden community.

ELIA FRANCIS FOTTRELL .- Among the younger generation of successful and enterprising agriculturists is Elia Francis Fottrell who, with his brother, W. L. Fottrell, is engaged in farming 1,080 acres on the Stanislaus River, five miles southeast of Escalon, to wheat and oats, using the most mod- ern power machinery in their work. He was born at San Francisco, Cal., February 3, 1893, a son of Dr. Michael J. and Mary (Chulovich) Fottrell, natives of Ireland and California, respectively. Michael J. Fottrell came to California from Ireland in young manhood, locating in San Francisco, where he began the study of medicine at the Cooper Med- ical College, from which he was duly graduated. He has followed his profession for many years, and has become a prominent and successful physician and surgeon of the Bay city, having his offices in the Phelan Building, San Francisco. There are four sons and three daughters in the Fottrell family.

Elia Francis Fottrell received a good education at St. Ignatius College in San Francisco and in 1911 left school and played tennis for a number of years. His first notable playing was in 1907 on the courts of the California Club in San Francisco, where he showed unusual ability; then in 1909 he made a tour through Southern California, playing at Long Beach, Pasadena and other southern cities with great success. In 1910 he won the state championship, and be- came national champion runner up out of 200 con- testants at Newport in 1914, but was defeated by R. N. Williams at the finals. In 1912 Mr. Fottrell defeated the Canadian team for the championship of Canada. During 1913-14 he made a tour of the Orient, his part- ner being William Johnstone, now ex-national cham- pion, and appeared in the principal cities of Japan and other countries. Returning to America and his home in California he came to the Fottrell ranch near Escalon, which has been in the family for about twenty years, and he soon became so interested in his farming that his tennis playing suffered accord- ingly. This ranch of 750 acres includes some rich bottom land and also considerable timber land; 160 acres has been planted to alfalfa and large quantities of wheat and oats are produced on the rich bottom lands. He and his brother, W. L. Fottrell, are closely associated in conducting this ranch and are among the most extensive grain farmers in the dis- trict adjacent to Escalon. Both are members of the local Farm Bureau, W. L. Fottrell serving as direc- tor for two years.

On October 4, 1921, at San Francisco, Mr. Fot- trell was united in marriage with Miss Ursula Diet- rich, a native of San Luis Obispo County, a daughter

of Robert Dietrich of Paso Robles. Mr. Fottrell is a prosperous rancher, for he is energetic, progressive and practical, and is therefore meeting with well deserved success.

JOHN W. GARRISON .- An enterprising business man of Ripon, John W. Garrison is proprietor of the Model Market and is also the constable for Ripon township. He was born near Ripon, Cal., November 16, 1888, the eldest son and second child of a family of eight children born to his parents, John and Eliza (Fredericks) Garrison. The father was born in Ellis- ville, Ill., February 18, 1853, a son of William Pinckey and Amelia (White) Garrison, both natives of Indiana. Grandfather Garrison was a veteran of the Civil War. At twenty-nine years of age John Garrison left his home in Illinois and came west to California and directly to Ripon, where he worked as a farm laborer. Here he met and was married to Miss Eliza Fredericks, a daughter of John Freder- icks, a California pioneer, deceased. The parents now reside on a ranch near Ripon, where they engage in general farming.

John W. Garrison attended the San Joaquin dis- trict school near Ripon until he was seventeen years of age, then found work on ranches in the neighbor- hood of his home. He then determined to learn the meat business and spent one year in a retail shop in Stockton; then returning to Ripon he entered the em- ploy of the Ripon Meat Company, and was also in- terested in grain farming until 1917; then he con- ducted a retail route through the south San Joaquin district, and two years ago bought the Model Market at Ripon, which he has improved, and the business has steadily increased in volume. In May, 1922, Mr. Garrison took as his partner A. L. Stewart and the association has already proved of advantage to the company. The company operates two retail meat routes over fifty miles in length, which is a great ac- commodation to their customers and a valuable asset to the company.

The marriage of Mr. Garrison occurred at Modesto, September 12, 1912, which united him with Miss Anita Bailey, a native of Salida, Cal., a daughter of J. D. Bailey, a retired pioneer rancher now living at Ripon. Mr. and Mrs. Garrison are the parents of two children: Maxine and Violet. In June, 1921, Mr. Garrison was appointed constable for Ripon town- ship and in 1922 succeeded himself to the same office unopposed. He is a Republican in politics and fra- ternally is a member of Mt. Horeb Lodge, I. O. O. F. and the Ripon Merchants' Association.

CHARLES FREDERICK .- A well-known ranch- er and prominent citizen of Ripon, Cal., Charles Frederick is a native son of San Joaquin County. He was born on his father's ranch, two miles west of Ripon, April 27, 1875, a son of the late Thomas and Susan J. (Crow) Frederick, pioneers of the county, whose sketch may be found in this volume. The father passed away July 4, 1920, and the mother re- sides in Ripon, a highly esteemed pioneer. Charles Frederick began his education in the district school in the vicinity of his home and later entered the Ramsay Business College in Stockton, from which he was graduated. The only son in the family, he was early in life taught the practical lessons in farm- ing, which he selected for his life's work.

In 1899, Mr. Frederick was married to Miss Jose-

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phine M. Grubbs, born near Woodland, Cal., a daugh- ter of Eli and Catherine Grubbs, California pioneers, now deceased. She is the youngest of five children. Her brother, Oscar, resides in Stockton, and there are three sisters. Mr. and Mrs. Frederick are the parents of two children: Carol M., a student in the University of California, and Dorothy, a student in the Ripon Union high school. In 1905, Mr. Fred- erick purchased the Hughes place four miles west of Ripon, consisting of 160 acres, which is devoted to grain raising and on which he has a fine, high-grade Holstein dairy herd. In 1910 a comfortable residence was erected, where the family reside. Since 1918, Mr. Frederick has been a director in the Bank of Ripon. Politically he is a Democrat and fraternally is a past noble grand of Mt. Horeb Lodge of Odd Fellows, and Mrs. Frederick is an active member of Phoebe Hearst Parlor, N. D. G. W., at Manteca. Both Mr. and Mrs. Frederick delight in outdoor life and every vacation season the family enjoys an out- ing in the high Sierras, where Mr. Frederick in- dulges in hunting and fishing for trout. He stands today as a leader in his line of activity, and belongs to that class of representative American citizens who, while promoting individual success, also contribute in large measure to general progress and upbuilding.

FORREST FOOTE .- For many years Forrest Foote was a prosperous agriculturalist near the town of Waterloo, where he owned a ranch consisting of 200 acres, and also a ranch of 160 acres in the north- eastern part of the county of San Joaquin. He is now living retired at his residence, 1324 North Lincoln street, Stockton. He was born in Steuben County, N. Y., March 5, 1852, a son of Dr. Erastus N. Foote and Marie H. (White) Foote. Dr. Foote, who was engaged in the practice of medicine in Steuben County, came out to California in 1852, making the trip via Panama, and for several years he was en- gaged in both placer and quartz mining in this state. He was a partner in the Foote & Thompson Gold Mining Company, which operated near Mokelumne Hill, and his gold mining enterprises were success- ful. He subsequently moved to Comanche, in Cala- veras County, where he practiced medicine and later continued his profession in Lockeford, San Joaquin County, where he was a widely known and accom- plished physician for many years. He died there in his seventy-ninth year. He was a Mason as well as a member of the State Medical Society.

Forrest Foote, the third oldest of the family, was four years old when he accompanied his mother and a sister from New York via Panama to California, where they joined the father in Calaveras County. He received his early education in Calaveras and San Joaquin counties, taking up agricultural pursuits in youth, and until his retirement from the active duties of life, he devoted his chief energies to that occupa- tion, in which he gained pronounced success. He

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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 190

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