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 194

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 194

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Mr. Charles is a 32° Scottish Rite Mason and Shriner, being a member of Egypt Temple at Tampa, and with his wife is a member of the Eastern Star. Mr. Charles also is a member of the Stockton Rotary Club and of the local Chamber of Commerce. Mr. and Mrs. Charles are active members of the First Baptist Church of Stockton. He is a member of the board of deacons and both take an active part in the work of the church.

ANGELO COSTA .- Another inspiring instance of a poor boy who came into San Joaquin County with the unknown world of struggle all before him, and a boy who has since become a successful, prosperous man, thanks in part to the favoring California envi- ronment under which he grew up, is Angelo Costa. the pioneer vineyardist of Lodi, now living in com- fort at 605 West Lockeford Street. He was born about twelve miles from the ancient and beautiful maritime city, Genoa, and first saw the light on a farm on January 11, 1856. His father, Antonio Costa, owned a large fruit ranch, and raised olives, chestnuts. lemons, figs, grapes and a variety of fruits; and while Angelo attended the local schools he helped his father on the home ranch, and all the while was learning much of great value to him later. Like a good, patriotic Italian youth, also, he served for thirty-two months in the Italian Army, and so did his duty by his native land before he swung away to adopt another country, with its other life and ways.

He became particularly familiar with fruit and grape-growing while working under his experienced father's guidance, and when he came out to Califor- nia he was in a position to carry on the same kind of special agricultural pursuits here. He left Italy on a ship sailing direct for San Francisco, and arrived in the Bay City in 1879; and as a young man of twenty-three years of age, he located in Lodi, where he first secured work. He did not begin to get rich from the start, for his wages for the first month or two were only twelve dollars per month, and is

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board. His first work was in a vegetable garden, and later his pay was raised to twenty dollars per month.

Angelo worked hard and, what was quite as impor- tant, saved his money; and at the end of five long, busy years, he bought eight acres of grain land on West Lockeford Street, for which he paid $135 per acre in cash. He set out to improve the place at once, and soon built a two-story house, a barn and other outhouses; and there he has since made his home. He bought some 300 fruit trees, paying twenty-five cents for each of them, and then he planted some apples, pears and cherries; and later he set out alfalfa and wine grapes. He also installed a pumping plant on the property. He later bought land near Elliott on the Mokelumne River, in Section 17 of Elliott township, and from year to year he has bought more land, until he now owns some 455 acres.

His main ranch is improved not only with a fine irrigating system, but he has an orchard of 500 trees of the apple, pear, cherry variety, and. fine pasture and grain land. He also has fifty acres of wine grape vineyard, the whole making a finely improved place which has become, as a first-class investment, a good producer. He also owns a ranch of forty acres near Woodbridge. Thirty-one years ago Mr. Costa cast his lot with the Americans by becoming an American citizen, and ever since, in developing his own material interests, he has also patriotically contributed toward the development of the country, thereby proving of service to others working side by side with and coming after him.

At Stockton Mr. Costa was married by the Rev. Father William O'Connor to Miss Tessie Peirano of Italy, and they had four children: Maria, Charles, Katherine and Angelo.

ADOLPH CARIGIET. - For the past twenty years Adolph Carigiet was prominently and success- fully associated with the advancement of Stockton along the lines of building operations and his death on July 13, 1922, was a severe loss to his devoted family and the community. He was born August 7, 1871, in Canton Ticino, Switzerland, and in early boyhood learned the cabinet maker's trade, which he followed in his native land until he was eighteen years old. In 1889 he arrived in San Francisco and spent three years in that city following his trade, where he soon made a name for himself as an expert in his line; in 1902 he removed to Stockton and for twenty years was employed by such prominent builders as Messrs. Melvin, Daniels and Green; he also worked for the Union Mill Company for about eight years.

The marriage of Mr. Carigiet to Miss Albina Gian- nini was solemnized at St. Mary's Church, Stockton, April 29, 1903. Mrs. Carigiet is the daughter of John and Candida (Bertazzi) Giannini, both natives of Canton Ticino, Switzerland. Her father is now de- ceased and her mother's sketch appears in this his- tory. Mr. and Mrs. Carigiet were blessed with five children: Esther, a graduate of the Stockton high school, class of 1922; Ethel, Alice, Eda and Lois, the latter being deceased. Mr. Carigiet was prominently identified with the construction of most of the modern homes in the Sunnyside Addition to Stockton, which was opened up about ten years ago by Mrs. Candida Giannini and which has become one of Stockton's most favored residential sections. The death of Mr. Carigiet was keenly felt by his devoted family and large circle of friends and the community where he was so well and favorably known.

LOUIS BACIGALUPI .- Stocktonians may well have confidence in the local financial institutions when they are in such good hands as those of Louis Bacigalupi, the popular assistant cashier of the Com- mercial & Savings Bank of Stockton, a prominent and influential member of the Italian Colony so appre- ciated here. He was born at Cicagna, near Genoa, Italy, July 30, 1867, the son of Stephen Bacigalupi, who was one of the famous Argonauts of '49, coming via the Isthmus of Panama to San Francisco. He fol- lowed mining for a while and then, during 1862-1863, he conducted a well-known coal and wood yard in San Francisco. The next year, however, he returned to Italy, and there he married Miss Maria Dondero who was also born near Genoa. Stephen Bacigalupi engaged in the clothing business in Cicagna and met with well-deserved success, for he attended closely to his business until he retired. He passed away in 1919 at the age of eighty-three, his wife having pre- ceded him many years, passing on when only twenty- nine years of age, leaving a family of three children besides her husband to mourn her loss, Louis being the eldest.

It so happened, therefore, that Louis Bacigalupi completed his education in Italy, making a specialty of a commercial course, and in 1889, doubtless on account of his father's happy experiences here, he crossed the seas to America, and, pushing on west to the Golden State, located at Stockton. He clerked, first, in the store of Joe Gianelli, and later became proprietor of the Eagle Hotel, which he managed for ten years. In 1910, he opened the Taft Clothing Store, on South Center Street, and later he removed the same to its present location at 33 South Hun- ter. Street and even after entering upon his duties at the Commercial and Savings Bank he con- tinued to own the clothing business, which was managed by his son until it was sold in July, 1922. On February 1, 1912, Mr. Bacigalupi entered the employ of the Commercial and Savings Bank as teller, and he was soon advanced to assistant cashier and manager of the foreign department, which posi- tion he now holds. He was made an American citi- zen in 1890, receiving his papers immediately be- cause he had no difficulty in establishing that his father was a naturalized American citizen. Mr. Bacig- alupi, being public-spirited, with plenty of loyalty to Stockton and San Joaquin County, and thoroughly progressive in all his ideals and ways, has been able to render a real service, first to his fellow-coun- trymen coming here, and secondly to American soci- ety, of which he has become a part, and political circles, in which he is always active.

In San Francisco in October, 1893, occurred the marriage of Mr. Bacigalupi, which united him with Miss Rose Foppiano, a native of Amador, Cal., a woman of rare capability and personal charm. Her parents, Joseph and Elizabeth (Capalina) Foppiano, were also pioneer settlers of California, coming to the state at the time of the gold excitement, and following mining in Amador County, where Mr. Fop- piano passed away; his widow died in San Francisco. The fortunate union of Mr. and Mrs. Bacigalupi has been blessed with the birth of one son, Howard S., who married Miss Amelia Gneco, and they have a little daughter, Liberty Rose. Mr. Bacigalupi is prominent fraternally. He was made a Mason in Delta Lodge No. 471, F. & A. M., and is also a member of Stockton Chapter No. 28, R. A. M., as

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Spacigelufi

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well as Stockton Council No. 10, R. & S. M. He is a member of Stockton Commandery No. 8, K. T., and Ben Ali Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., in Sacra- mento. He is also a member of Stockton Lodge No. 218, B. P. O. E., and the Woodmen of the World, in all of which he is a live wire, and in which he enjoys an enviable popularity.

MORRIS DAVIDSON .- The Engineering and Foundry Company of Stockton, now one of the fast growing and steadily developing industrial enterprises of Central California, was organized in 1915 by Morris Davidson and S. G. Mix, well-known foundry specialists familiar with all methods of casting, busi- ness men thoroughly alive to the iron trade. Morris Davidson, the president of this company, was born in Russia on May 15, 1876, and there received his education. At the age of twenty he set out for the new world, arriving in America in 1896, and immedi- ately came to Stockton, California. He tried working on ranches, but after a few months decided to enter industrial life, and opened a small store on Weber Avenue, dealing in furniture, scrap iron and metals; later, as his business grew, he removed to Park Street and a few years ago bought land on North East Street, where he has the largest wholesale iron and metal business in northern California. Mr. Davidson's advancement has been continuous and commendable, and today he is recognized as one of the leaders in his business in the great State of California. The plant of the Engineering and Foun- dry Company is located in the heart of the industrial district of Stockton, the buildings are modern and the equipment of the highest mechanical order. Doing a general foundry business, this company deals exten- sively in semi-steel and gray iron castings, the real quality products of the industry. Huge melting fur- naces with capacity to produce the largest sizes of castings, or the smallest, meet all requirements of high-class production. The mechanical department is equipped with the most approved machinery and superior workmanship is the motto of this steadily growing establishment. Orders come from many of the larger industrial plants of Stockton and from the cities and towns surrounding, and because of the facilities of the plant, all work is given the quick attention that makes friends and establishes confi- dence. With the building of new roads in this section of Central California, and the proposed construction of the great Stockton harbor project, which means an expenditure of some $4,000,000, and the establishing of wonderful harbor facilities for the city, the building of more boats and launches, and the increasing of business by the more important institutions of Stock- ton, the Engineering and Foundry Company finds it necessary to keep thoroughly abreast with the times.

Mr. Davidson is the owner of the Branch Sporting Goods Company of Stockton; secretary and treasurer and holder of a controlling interest in the A. H. Pat- terson Company, agents for the Hudson and Essex automobiles; president of the Stockton Glass Com- pany; director in the Turlock Oil and Gas Company, and is one of the directors of Everybody's Investment Company. The latter company erected a garage on Aurora Street and has other valuable real estate holdings throughout the city.

Mr. Davidson is married and the father of two children, Marian and Stanley. During the World War Mr. Davidson was active in all the Liberty Loan

drives and had charge of the salvage department of the Red Cross for which he devoted an entire build- ing, free of charge, for their use. At the election on May 2, 1922, Mr. Davidson was one of the fifteen freeholders elected to draft a new charter for the city of Stockton. In politics he is a Republican.

R. HAROLD DeVINNY .- One of the great industries that has grown up in San Joaquin County is the fruit packing and shipping business, and as district manager of the Producers' Fruit Company of California, R. Harold DeVinny has a guiding hand in the policies of one of the largest concerns operating in the San Joaquin Valley. He was born at Roch- ester, N. Y., on June 8, 1880, the son of Dr. C. L. and Hattie (Landon) DeVinny, natives of that state and both now deceased. The family took up their residence at Stockton in 1884, and for twenty-five years Dr. DeVinny was a prominent physician there, serving a number of terms on the San Joaquin County Board of Health. There were two children in the De Vinny family, R. Harold, of this sketch, and Mrs. Florence S. Seawright of Bakersfield, California.

Coming here when small boy, R. Harold De Vinny was reared at Stockton, attending the public schools there and graduating from the Stock- ton high school in the class of 1898. For the next eight years he was bookkeeper and cashier for the Stockton "Independent," and in 1906 he came to Lodi, where he purchased a vineyard of twenty acres. Since then he has increased his holdings until he now has sixty acres of highly developed land, equipped with three pumping plants, the whole place being cared for according to the most modern and approved scientific methods. Twelve acres are in cherries, peaches, plums and prunes, while his vineyard, which is twenty-two years old, contains a variety of table grapes, Tokay, Cornichon, Ferrera, Emperor and Morocco, all bringing the highest prices in the Eastern markets. In 1920 the ranch produced 30,000 crates of fruit and grapes.

In 1909 Mr. DeVinny entered the employ of the Earl Fruit Company at Lodi as field manager and his marked ability has given him repeated promo- tions. He is especially well qualified to fill his present position, having made an exhaustive study of horticulture through reading and study, sup- plemented with years of practical experience on his own properties. During the selling season of 1920, the Earl Fruit Companay sent him on a tour of all the Eastern markets, thus familiarizing him with all the problems of distribution at these points, and he has visited all the fruit sections of California, getting much valuable information in this way.

At Stockton, on June 7, 1905, Mr. DeVinny was married to Miss Frances L. Brown, a native of Canada, and they are the parents of two children: E. Bruce and Harriet Elizabeth.

Mr. DeVinny is a member of Charity Lodge No. 6, I. O. O. F., of Stockton, and the Lodi Lodge No. 41, Knights of Pythias, and is a prominent member and a director in the Lodi Lions Club. He is president of the Methodist Men's Club of Lodi, also a trustee of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Lodi, and was the chairman of the building com- mittee when, in 1919, their large and beautiful church edifice was built on the corner of Church and Oak Streets in Lodi. Mrs. DeVinny is an active member of the Methodist Church choir and is a prominent Sunday school worker. This church has the largest

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organ of any church or theater in Lodi. The chimes in this organ were donated by Mr. and Mrs. De Vinny, in remembrance of Mr. DeVinny's mother, the late Hattie E. DeVinny.

JUDGE E. E. DOUGLASS .- One of the repre- sentative citizens of Manteca, San Joaquin County, is E. E. Douglass, justice of the peace of Castoria township since 1918, who has been identified with the varied interests of town and county for a period of eleven years. He was born at Morristown, Vt., on March 30, 1886, the son of Albert and Ellen F. (Baker) Douglass, both natives of the same place. The Douglass family in America dates back to the Scotchman known as Black Douglass, a general in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. Frank Douglass, superintendent of the U. S. mails at Boston, Mass., is a cousin of our subject. Douglass Castle still stands in northern Scotland, a monument to the early members of this illustrious family. The father, Albert Douglass, was a farmer by occupation and from 1870 to 1880 rode the range in the Middle West, after which he returned to Vermont, where he married Miss Ellen F. Baker, and there they reared their family. The father passed away in 1915, and is survived by his widow who resides in the old home in Vermont. During 1917 and 1918 she visited her son, our subject, at Manteca.

E. E. Douglass received a good education in the schools of Morristown, Vt., and remained at home until he was twenty-one, when he came to Cali- fornia, arriving at Stockton in March, 1907. He found work on the Woodward ranch near Lathrop and five months later he returned to Stockton, where he took and passed the civil service examina- tion and served as a clerk in the Stockton postoffice for three years. Then he resigned his position and became a salesman for Hodgkins & Stitt, real estate and insurance brokers at Stockton, where he re- mained until 1911, when, with a partner, he estab- lished himself at Manteca on Yosemite Avenue, the firm being known as Woodward & Douglass from 1911 to 1914. In 1911 and 1912 this company put on the Overshiner Addition to Manteca. In 1914 the partnership was dissolved and then Mr. Douglass organized the E. E. Douglass Company and for the following three years was actively engaged in construction work, among his contracts being the Treder Building, Hotel Waldorf, Dr. Goodal's resi- dence, and almost an hundred other structures in Manteca and environs. Mr. Douglass had the op- portunity of reading law with Attorney W. H. Wall, and since being elected to the office of justice of the peace in 1918, his knowledge of law has been invaluable to him; during the same year he reopened his real estate office.

The marriage of Mr. Douglass occurred in 1912 and united him with Miss Ada Griffin, a native Californian, born near Corona, a daughter of Mrs. J. J. Rawleigh of Manteca, and they are the parents of three children: Frances, Dorothea and Donald. In 1920, Mr. Douglass was appointed clerk of the board of trustees of the Manteca grammar school and in April, 1921, he was elected for a term of three years; he also was appointed city recorder in 1920, and still serves. He is president of the Masonic Temple Association of Manteca and since 1920 has

served as secretary of the Associated Charities. In politics he is a Republican and a member of the county central committee, also a member of the Lions Club of Manteca; he is also a liberal con- tributor to the Union Church at Manteca and be- longs to Tyrian Lodge No. 439, F. and A. M. of Manteca.

PETER HEIL .- Prominent among the most suc- cessful vineyardists of San Joaquin County is the in- dependent packer, Peter Heil, who is widely and fa- vorably known for his association with the Peppers Fruit Company of Lodi. He was born in Russia, on April 21, 1865, and was reared on a farm. In 1887, when he had attained his twenty-second year, he came across the ocean to the United States, and made his way to the West, at first as far as South Dakota, where he worked on the great Dakota farms. Later, he rented some land, and for four years farmed for himself. Then he removed to Pierce County, N. D., where he took up a homestead of 160 acres; and having built for himself a home, he proved up on this, and cultivated the land. At the end of eight years, when he had added many improvements in buildings, he sold out and prepared to reinvest the proceeds. He decided, however, to come to Cali- fornia; and so it happened that he came out to Lodi, arriving in December, 1905. He saw the old Green Ranch, and taking a fancy to a part of it, he bought twenty-five acres from J. W. Robinson. This was located near Victor, and he at once began to plant a vineyard of Tokay and Zinfandel grapes. He built a new set of buildings, including a fine residence, and installed two pumping plants-one of seven horsepower for the farm, and the other of two horse- power for the house, but these he has replaced with a ten horsepower motor. He put in cement pipes as a part of a first-class irrigation system, and also erected a packing shed. He has since sold off a part of this ranch, but he still has fifteen acres, and there he makes his home. In 1920, he produced twelve tons of Tokay, and seven tons of Zinfandel grapes per acre.

Mr. Heil has also bought and sold other vine- yards with profit. Besides the home-ranch, he owns a Tokay vineyard of fifteen acres located one and a half miles south of Victor, which he bought in 1918 for $600 per acre. He installed a fine pump- ing plant, with cement pipes, and has made it one of the most productive in the county; in 1920 it yielded some sixteen tons to the acre. That year Mr. Heil received $1,000 in cash per acre. The same year, he purchased another vineyard of ten acres nearby, for which he paid $2,000 per acre; and this he has also improved with a good pumping plant and sold at an advance in price, and bought twenty acres, 31/2 miles southwest of Victor. In addition to the above property, Mr. Heil owns a house and two lots in Victor, and five lots in Lodi.

In South Dakota, in the year 1890, Mr. Heil was married to Miss Caroline Newhearth, a native of Russia, who came to the United States with her folks when only one year of age. They have had eleven children, only seven of whom are now liv- ing. Emanuel and Ella were born in Dakota; and Leodine, Freda, Theodore, Eugene and Regina were born in California. The family attend the German Reformed Church of Lodi.

Peter Heil Karolina Heil

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JOHN C. CHRISMAN .- A citizen of Tracy whose worth has been recognized in that he was elected secretary of the West Side Irrigation District, is John C. Chrisman. His father, John Chrisman, crossed the plains with an ox team in 1859, from Mt. Carroll, Ill., and settled in French Camp. In 1869 he removed to Tracy, San Joaquin County and here John C. was born on November 5, 1878.

John C. as a lad received his schooling in Tracy, and many were the days spent in the wheat field. In 1900 he was appointed to a clerical position at the County Hospital, where he remained for three years; he then entered the employ of the Santa Fe Railroad in the same capacity and remained with them until 1907, when he removed to Oakland and became clerk of the store department of the Southern Pacific Rail- road and occupied that position for the next three years. He then entered the Dixon Business College in Oakland and upon the completion of the course went to Stockton and entered the Stockton Business and Normal College, taking the normal course, from which he was later graduated. He then followed teaching and was principal of the grammar schools at Live Oak, Linden, Ripon and Tracy.

In Stockton on December 29, 1908, occurred the marriage of Mr. Chrisman and Miss Leona A. Patton, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Patton, honored pioneers of San Joaquin County. They are the parents of two children, Robert P. and Greta. The family returned to Tracy in 1915, and two years later Mr. Chrisman was elected to the office of secretary of the West Side Irrigation District, which position has received his undivided attention. Fraternally, he is a past grand of Sumner Lodge of Odd Fellows, and past Patriarch of Tracy Encampment, and at the present time is historian and publicity manager of this organization. Mr. Chrisman has frequently con- tributed to the newspapers of the county articles on local institutions, which have been well received. Republican in politics, he has always given his time and means to the advancement of the principles of that party. He and his family are associated with the First Presbyterian Church of Tracy, and since the retirement of his father, John Chrisman, from the board of trustees, he has taken his place. His prop- erty interests are at Linden in the eastern portion of the county and are growing more valuable each year. During the war Mr. Chrisman was deputy food administrator for the West Side.

FRANK L. CORNWELL .- Prominent among the industries of California that have proven of great benefit to San Joaquin County and so have added greatly to its wealth, prosperity and progress, must be rated that of well-boring, and one of the pioneers in the business is Frank L. Cornwell. He was born in the city of Lodi on December 27, 1889, a son of Thomas A. and Sarah E. (Taylor) Cornwell. His father was a native of Illinois and came to California in an early day and followed farming for a short time; he then removed to Lodi and worked for Knox Thorpe for three years as a well driller; he then went into business for himself and was a pioneer in the business, going through the period from hand tools to machine tools. His mother was born on the old Taylor ranch in San Joaquin County; her father was a farmer who came to California in 1849; he is now deceased. There are four children in the Corn- well family: Charles, John M., Frank L., the subject 85

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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 194

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