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 209

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 209

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GEORGE MILTON KOONTZ .- A life-long resi- dent of San Joaquin County, George Milton Koontz was born on the old Koontz ranch in the New Hope district of San Joaquin County, December 30, 1883, a son of Henry and Clemence (Hay) Koontz, the former a native of Ohio and the latter of Illinois. The father was two years old when his parents left Ohio for Illinois. There he remained until he was twenty years old, when he came to California. He came via Panama, and upon his arrival in San Francisco re- mained there but a few days, proceeding thence to San Joaquin County. He purchased land in the vicin- ity of New Hope, and there spent the remainder of his life. In 1874 he was married to Miss Clemence Hay, and to them were born six children: John L .; Elizabeth, deceased; William Henry; Katherine, Mrs. L. R. Burrow; Clemence A., Mrs. Robert Thisby, deceased; and George Milton, of this review. The father passed away in December, 1913, when seventy- seven years old; the mother died when only thirty- two years old.

George Milton Koontz was reared on the home farm, assisting his father in farming, and received his education in the New Hope district .school. At thir- teen years of age he began to make his own way and learned the painter's trade, which he followed for two years. He then worked on a dredger for five years, building levees in the various reclamation districts of the county. In 1908, Mr. Koontz became pump and bridge tender for the Western Pacific Railroad at Thornton; and he has held that position ever since. He owns thirty-four acres of the old home ranch, which is devoted to orchard and alfalfa.

On September 10, 1912, in Stockton, Mr. Koontz was married to Miss Ethel Elizabeth Mills, a native of San Francisco and a daughter of Bertram and May Bell (Binkley) Mills. Her father was a native of England, who came to Salt Lake City with his par- ents when he was five years old, and was there reared and educated. In 1887 he came to San Francisco where he engaged in seafaring. He was engineer on the steamship Big China, plying between San Fran- cisco and China ports. Mrs. Koontz is the eldest of a family of three children, the others being May Bell,

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Mrs. Ford of Sacramento; and Gladys Henrietta, Mrs. Molakidis, residing in San Francisco. Mr. and Mrs. Koontz are the parents of three children: Dorothy Gladys; Milton George, deceased; and Bernice Mae. Mr. Koontz is a member of the Native Sons of the Golden West, of Galt.

WILLIAM HENRY KOONTZ .- A man of rec- ognized enterprise and ability, who is also a native of San Joaquin County, is William Henry Koontz, a man of influence and substantial position in his local- ity. He was born at Thornton, Cal., November 16, 1880, a son of Henry and Clemence (Hay) Koontz, natives of Ohio and Illinois, respectively. When the father was two years old his parents removed to Illi- nois, where he was reared, remaining in that locality until he had passed his twentieth birthday, when he came to California. He had been educated in the schools of Illinois, such as existed in a pioneer region, and after arriving at years of maturity emigrated to the Pacific Coast via the Isthmus route. Arriving in San Francisco, he proceeded at once to San Joaquin County and settled upon a ranch in the New Hope district, where he spent the balance of his life. On June 29, 1874, he was married to Miss Clemence Hay; and they became the parents of six children: John L .; Elizabeth, deceased; William Henry, of this re- view; Katie, Mrs. L. R. Burrow; Clemence A., Mrs. Robert Thisby, deceased; and George M. The father lived to be seventy-seven years old; the mother passed away at the age of thirty-two.

William Henry Koontz received his education in the New Hope district school, and assisted his father on the home place until his twentieth year, when he started out for himself. He leased 400 acres in the tule lands of San Joaquin County, where he raised hay and beans. When his father's estate was divided, he received thirty acres as his share, which he culti- vated for a number of years and then sold.

On February 2, 1903, at Thornton, Mr. Koontz was married to Miss Alice Thornton, also a native of San Joaquin County. She is a daughter of Arthur and Emma (Greives) Thornton, the former a native of Scotland and the latter of Ohio. Her father was born in 1838 and came to America with his parents in 1852, settling in Iowa. His parents removed to Kansas, where the grandmother died; the grand- father, William Thornton, was buried on the plains in 1854. Arthur Thornton started across the plains for California in 1854, in the employ of the Govern- ment. Arriving in Salt Lake City, he remained there for the winter, and the following spring again resumed his journey. He had been commissioned by the gov- ernment to take some horses, wagons and mules to a fort. This being accomplished, he again set out for California. Upon his arrival at Benicia, he left the employ of the government and went to work at odd jobs for wages. He finally settled in San Joaquin County and was the proprietor of the New Hope Hotel for many years, and also operated a blacksmith shop and general mercantile business. He married Miss Emma Greives, and they became the parents of six daughters: Mary Alvernia, Mrs. W. J. Bates; Clara B., Mrs. Lawton; Maggie Lander, deceased; Jessie C., residing at Thornton; Alice T., Mrs. Koontz; and Georgie M., deceased. Both parents are now deceased. Alice Thornton received her educa- tion in the Thornton schools and later entered the College of Notre Dame at San Jose, where she fin-

ished her education. Mr. and Mrs. Koontz have had one child, who died in infancy. Mrs. Koontz was severely injured some time ago in an automobile acci- dent, which necessitated an operation to remove por- tions of the fractured skull. She is fortunate to have recovered sufficiently to enjoy good health once more. Mrs. Koontz received a gift of a ten-acre ranch from her father, which is devoted to the growing of apri- cots, and she is also interested in her father's estate with her three sisters. Politically Mr. Koontz gives his support to the Republican party. While he is not a member of any church or fraternal organization, he is known as a citizen of high principles and a sup- porter of "whatsoever things are of good report."

G. W. KUESTHARDT .- A period of twelve years covers the time in which G. W. Kuesthardt has ac- complished much in the way of development work in the Ripon section of San Joaquin County. As an expert deep-well driller he has succeeded in develop- ing hundreds of wells throughout California; he has also developed two ranches, one of forty acres near Ripon and one of twenty acres, which was formerly a part of the Hughes estate, west of Ripon, where he has erected a fine residence and where he now lives. He was born near Arnsburg, Germany, May 28, 1866, a son of G. C. W. Kuesthardt, born in Hessen, Ger- many. The father was a finely educated man and was in charge of a children's home at Arnsburg, Germany, for twenty-four years and passed away while in the discharge of his duties in 1876, survived by his widow and eight children. One son, Samuel Kuesthardt, came to America and located at Toledo, Ohio, where he was ordained as a minister in the Lutheran Church. Following the father's death, G. W., our subject, and his mother left Germany for America, arriving in October, 1876, and went directly to Toledo, Ohio, to visit the son and brother Samuel; then they went to Minnesota where they visited at the home of Rev. J. C. Clubsteak, a brother-in-law of our subject, and remained in Minnesota for about one year. Return- ing to Toledo, Ohio, G. W. entered school and there completed his education. After his school days were over, he learned the cabinetmaker's trade and then went to Norwalk, Ohio, where he found employment in an organ and piano factory, working at his trade until 1884. In 1885 he and his mother came to Cali- fornia, locating in Los Angeles, where he followed carpenter work and at the same time developed a ten- acre orchard near Pomona, and he and his mother resided there until 1906.

From 1896 to 1906, Mr. Kuesthardt followed deep- well drilling in Southern California with marked suc- cess. In 1905 he made a visit to Stockton and decided to transfer his activities to San Joaquin County, so in 1906 he removed to Ripon, where he bought forty acres close to town and one acre within what is now the business section of Ripon. Mr. Kuesthardt has equipped his well-drilling outfit with the most modern appliances which greatly facilitate his work, and he has been very successful in his line of work. Among his larger deep-well drilling contracts were those for the Simon Newman ranch, the Associated Pipe Line Company, and other large properties, corporations and municipalities. Mr. Kuesthardt bought twenty acres south of Ripon, which he subdivided; this is known as the Sunnyside subdivision, and today many of the finest homes in Ripon are located here; later he bought twenty acres of the Hughes estate west of

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Ripon, where he has erected a fine residence, which is his present home.

At Pomona, in 1900, Mr. Kuesthardt was married to Miss Mabel F. King, born near Sheldon, Ill., a daughter of George R. and Mary (Bonzell) King, both natives of Illinois. Her parents removed to Dakota and later came to California, locating in Po- mona about 1884. Mr. and Mrs. Kuesthardt are the parents of three children: Ruby, Ella, and Roger. In 1888, while residing in Los Angeles, Mr. Kuest- hardt received his final U. S. citizenship papers and has since voted the Republican and Progressive tick- ets. After four years of experimentation and propa- gation, Mr. Kuesthardt has perfected what is known as the "Honey Persian" melon. During the season of 1922, he produced over 150 tons of marketable melons from fifteen acres.

RUSSELL B. KINCAID .- A widely known business man of Ripon, Russell B. Kincaid is also a native of this vicinity and the popular and successful proprietor of the Ripon Meat Company. He was born on the Kincaid ranch near Ripon, December 18, 1881, the youngest son of the Hon. F. H. Kincaid, a native of Iowa, a Civil War veteran, and in early days a member of the California Legislature. Russell B. Kincaid was reared on the ranch and attended the River district school until he was fifteen years of age; then he worked on the home place until he was twen- ty-one, when he went to Merced to learn the carpen- ter's trade, which occupied him for two years. In 1904, in partnership with Mr. Powell of Escalon, he bought the meat department of Yaple & Company. After four months the partnership was dissolved and Mr. Kincaid became sole owner and has since conducted the business on conservative business lines. Four years ago he took as his partner, A. E. Van Slyck. The company maintains a slaughterhouse one and a half miles southwest of Ripon, on the Stanislaus River, which has been conducted on strictly sanitary lines for the past fourteen years. The town shop is a model meat market in every particular and the com- pany enjoys a growing business, catering to the trade throughout south San Joaquin County.

The marriage of Mr. Kincaid occurred at Stockton, which united him with Miss Clara Garrison, a daugh- ter of John and Eliza (Frederick) Garrison, pioneers of Ripon. Five children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Kincaid; Estella, Inez, Russell B. Jr., William, and Evelyn. Mr. Kincaid is a member of the Ripon Merchants' Association and Woodmen of America and Mt. Horeb Lodge, I. O. O. F. He owns a fine residence in Ripon and other valuable real estate. An excellent business man, he has gained for himself a handsome competence, which places him among the substantial residents of the community.

EDWARD M. COONEY .- Already well estab- lished in his chosen profession, at an age when many young men have hardly made a choice of their life work, Edward M. Cooney has a brilliant future be- fore him in the field of architectural designing. He was born at Dos Palos, Merced County, on June 27, 1895, and was reared and educated at Stockton, at- tending St. Mary's College and the Stockton high school. Gifted with a natural talent as an artist, he began when quite a youth to draw cartoons for dif- ferent newspapers, but feeling that the profession of architectural designing offered greater opportunities, he decided to take up this interesting work.

In order to gain a thorough knowledge of design- ing and a practical experience in all its details, Mr. Cooney took employment with several architect's of- fices in Stockton, spending four years in securing the training he desired, and in 1917, he branched out for himself and began to practice his profession. His love for his work and his assiduous application to it have brought him splendid success and his clientele is steadily increasing.

Mr. Cooney is special architect for the Wagner Leather Company and has drawn plans for a number of their new buildings, including the $50,000 four- story brick building, a large warehouse costing $30,000, at the foot of Weber avenue, a $35,000 three-story building for the artificial drying of leather, and other units for this company, such as sawtooth buildings, a commission that in itself de- notes his capability. Among the residences he has designed are the Manthey home, and those of F. Quail, A. Sattui, George Chillion, G. Battistini, F. Hazelquest, P. Sanguinetti, and Mr. Thrash; also the parochial residence, mausoleum for Father Ban- dini, a $60,000 apartment house on California and Lafayette streets, Red Men's Hall, and the addition to St. Joseph's Home, the M. Dentoni garage on North California street and others in Stockton. He has also drawn plans for stores and homes at Man- teca, Tracy and Lodi, and one of the latest important commissions he has accepted is that of the new Lil- liputian Studios, the first studio to be erected in Stockton, devoted to the making of moving pictures.

DANIEL CLIFTON GIBSON .- An enterprising, progressive and very successful rancher is Daniel Clifton Gibson, who was born at Clyde, Wayne County, N. Y., on September 1, 1870, the son of Daniel Gibson, a native of Vermont who removed to New York and later married Miss Maria Hosler, who was born at Montreal, of English parentage. They were favored with six children, all of whom are liv- ing today: Mary, the wife of Newton Mahaffey, of Stockton; Daniel C., the subject of this review; Fan- nie, Mrs. Fred Mathews; Alice, Mrs. Edward Cot- ton; Margaret, Mrs. Canning; and Mrs. Louise Trick- ler, of New York. The father was a stonemason by trade.

Dan Gibson, as he is familiarly called by his friends, attended the Wayne County schools, and when twenty-one left home to come to California. Arriving here in 1891, he settled in San Joaquin County. Later, he went to Comanche, Cal., and mined for some seven years, and then he returned to San Joaquin County and located at Clements, where he was for three years in the service of Chris- man & Clements, merchants. While clerking, he rendered himself popular because of his efficiency and his willingness to accommodate. There he joined the Modern Woodmen of America; he is a past consul of the lodge at Clements, and has filled all the chairs.

At Clements, on May 19, 1902, Mr. Gibson mar- ried Miss Nora Mehrten, the daughter of Daniel and Mary (Poppe) Mehrten. Daniel Mehrten came to California in early days and followed mining at Comanche. He married Mary Poppe, a native of New York, who crossed the plains with her parents, Bernard and Elizabeth Poppe, when she was a girl: Mr. Poppe located a claim on the Mokelumne River, near Mackville Corners, and there set out the first commercial orchard in these parts. He died at

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eighty-four, and his wife at seventy-six. Mrs. Mehr- ten inherited the Poppe place and resided there until she died, in July, 1910, at the age of seventy-one. Mr. Mehrten also died while living near Clements. They had eight children: Mrs. Lizzie Barton, of Berkeley; Henry, deceased; Mrs. Annie Simpson of Wheatland; Daniel, residing near Clements; George, deceased; John, residing near Clements; Charles, at Comanche; and Nora, Mrs. Gibson, of this sketch. She inherited 1071/2 acres of the old Poppe place, and there the family make their home. Mr. and Mrs. Gibson have four children: Clyde; Mary, Mrs. Wil- liam Classen, of Lockeford; and Florence and Olive. Mr. Gibson is a Democrat.

ELMER E. GORDON .- The pioneer plastering contractor of Stockton, Elmer E. Gordon has built up the same reputation for fine work as his father, who was known throughout this district in the early days for his excellent workmanship in the building up of Stockton and the outlying towns. He was born in Calaveras County, July 8, 1868, his parents being Aaron and Eliza J. (Anderson) Gordon, the former, a native of Ohio, now deceased, while Mrs. Gordon, who was born in Indiana, in November, 1835, is still living.

Aaron Gordon brought his wife and three children to California via the Isthmus in February, 1868. His wife's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Anderson, re- sided in Calaveras County, but he soon located in Stockton, where he followed the business of brick and plastering contracting, and he was one of the pioneers in this line. He was a factor in the devel- opment of Oakdale and Lodi, building many of the structures there, and in Stockton, among many others, did the brick work at the County Hospital and the plastering of the Franklin, Jefferson and Weber schools and the "What Cheer" House. He was widely known to the earlier residents of San Joa- quin County and built up a reputation for fair deal- ing and honest work that is still well remembered. Many of the buildings which he erected in those early days are still standing. He was a veteran of the Civil War and served in Company A, Eighty- third Illinois Regiment, and was a charter member of Stockton Post, G. A. R. Public-spirited and in- terested in the upbuilding of the neighborhood's best interests, he served as a school trustee of the Home- stead district. Mrs. Gordon's father, Josiah Ander- son, came to California in 1849 and mined with suc- cess. He returned East with bags of gold, paid off his debts and returned to San Joaquin County with his family, spending his last days in Stockton. Four children are living of the family of Mr. and Mrs. Aaron Gordon: Virgil R., Elmer E., Mrs. Emma G. Matteson, and Mrs. D. C. Loos.

Elmer E. Gordon went to school in Stockton and learned the trades of bricklayer, cement worker and plasterer under his father, working with him in dif- ferent parts of the county until his death. In recent years he has specialized in plastering contracting and his work can be found on many of the finest build- ings of Stockton, among them the Stockton Savings & Loan Bank building, the San Joaquin Valley Bank, now the Bank of Italy, the San Joaquin Building, Elks Building, Sciots Hall, Gall Building, Gianelli Building, additions to the Smith & Lang Building, St. Agnes Academy, the beautiful home of Frederick K. Rindge, one of the finest mansions in the valley, Oakdale Church, many schoolhouses outside of

Stockton and a large number of residences in the city. He is a member of the Builders Exchange.

In Stockton, on July 8, 1905, Mr. Gordon was mar- ried to Miss Maude Frodsham, a native daughter, born in San Francisco, and they make their home at 1622 South Sutter street, Stockton, where they own a comfortable bungalow. Mrs. Gordon is the daugh- ter of Edward E. and Mary E. (Frodsham) Frod- sham, who were born in England and came to Cali- fornia across the plains. Mr. Frodsham was a miller in San Francisco, coming to Stockton in 1894, and there he died; his wife had preceded him in 1880. The youngest of eight children, three now living, Mrs. Gordon was educated in the schools of San Francisco. Grandfather William A. Frodsham was a watchmaker, as were his ancestors, who were cele- brated chronometer manufacturers. After his father's death, Mr. Gordon gave up his contracting work for some time and traveled as a colporteur for the International Bible Students Association, distributing religious literature in Nevada and over a large terri- tory in California, but in 1915 he again engaged in contracting.

MRS. JOHN HENNING .- San Joaquin County has always honored its teaching profession, of late years so well represented by Mrs. John Henning, who was in maidenhood Myrtle Harnly, and who was born in this county, near Acampo, the daughter of Jacob Harnly, a native of Mansfield, Ohio, who married Miss Emma Ray, born in Woodbridge, Cal. Grandfather John Harnly had a large flour mill on the Ohio River in early pioneer days. Jacob Harnly came to California in 1876, and operated a grain ranch of 160 acres at the northern end of the county. Mr. and Mrs. Harnly were married in Woodbridge, and Mrs. Henning's grandparents, Samuel and Mel- vina (Guard) Ray, were married while members of an ox-team train, en route across the plains from Illinois to Oregon, in 1849. Both the Ray and the Guard families were in the same train, and the young married couple reached California in 1851. The mater- nal grandmother's people were natives of Virginia, and before the Civil War the entire family moved to Illinois, on account of their sympathy with the views of the Abolitionists. In 1851, Grandfather Ray set- tled at New Hope, San Joaquin County, where he bought 640 acres of land, a part of which lay in Sec- tion No. 13, Union Township, and a part in Section No. 18, Elkhorn Township, and here he raised cattle for years. Samuel Ray's house was on a high knoll, and the cowboys used his place as a refuge from the flood waters. He died at the age of sixty years, but his wife lived to be seventy. Jacob Harnly died in 1918, but Mrs. Harnly is still living in Lodi. Our subject has only one sister, Mrs. Effie Valentine, who resides at Lodi. Mr. Harnly at one time leased a part of the B. F. Langford estate, now known as the Cory ranch, when the ranch was completely cov- ered with large oak trees and brush. He employed Chinese to clear it and raised wheat for years.

Myrtle Harnly attended Miss Beebe's private school at Stockton, as well as the Oakland high school, and then took courses at the Stockton Busi- ness College and the San Jose State Normal School. She then began teaching at Mackville, two miles north of Clements, where she taught for two years, and afterwards at Elliott, Acampo, and Waterloo, seven years in all, until her marriage. Just after the World War, she again engaged in teaching as prin-

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cipal of the Washington school, two miles east of Clements, where she is now teaching her fourth year. At Lodi, on April 14, 1907, Miss Harnly was mar- ried to John A. Henning, the son of A. P. and Sarah E. Henning, members of a worthy pioneer family whose life-story is elsewhere outlined in this work. Her husband attended school at San Jose and also in Shasta County, and at present is superintendent of public utilities for the city of Lodi. He has held this position ever since the city took over its utilities, and spent the five preceding years in the same posi- tion with a private company. He is a member of the Healdsburg Lodge of Masons. Three children have blessed their union: Clinton, Elma and Ellen Irene. Mrs. Henning is an active member of the Lodi Wo- man's Club, a member of the board of directors, and chairman of civics, and with the other members is having her name transmitted to posterity in the cor- nerstone box of the club-house just completed. She has been very active in the movement for procuring a permanent playground and recreation center for children and grown-ups in Lodi.

MARK WILLIAM HILD .- The distinction of be- ing a native Californian and the son of a California pioneer belongs to Mark William Hild, one of the leading electrical contractors of Stockton. He was born in Eureka, Humboldt County, Cal., on Decem- ber 25, 1886, a son of Charles and Melinda (Hughes) Hild. His maternal grandfather, Mark Hughes, crossed the plains to California in 1849 and pioneered in Tuolumne County. He died in San Francisco, having been a resident of Sonora until his death, serving as postmaster for years. Mr. Hild died in San Francisco and Mrs. Hild is residing in Stockton.

In 1896, when our subject was ten years old, the family located in Stockton and he was educated in the public schools of that city. After completing his education he learned the trade of electrical engineer with the firms of H. Belding & Company and Jack- son & Earl of Stockton; and during the years of 1904, 1905 and 1906 he followed his trade in San Francisco. In 1907 he became superintendent of the Electric Machine & Equipment Company of Stock- ton and held this position for eight years; during this time he superintended the installation of electrical equipment for the Hotel Clark, the Henery apart- ments, the Home apartments, the Belding building and other large buildings. In 1918 he started in busi- ness for himself and is located at No. 106 West Weber avenue, but in September, 1922, he moved to No. 519 East Market street, where a building has been constructed for his special use, everything of the most modern and up-to-date equipment and the finest establishment to be found in Central Cali- fornia. He has contracted for most of the large buildings that have been erected, among them being the St. Agnes Academy, the annex of the Lincoln Hotel, the Native Sons Building, the Yost and Dohr- man buildings, the Stockton Savings Bank, the F. R. Rindge residence, the California Cedar Products factory and the Valley Vineyard Products Plant of Manteca; he has also installed a number of pumping plant systems throughout the valley; he installed the water pressure system in the Hotel Clark, one of the best in this part of the state. He also has the agency for the Byron-Jackson pump for San Joaquin County and the agency for the Westinghouse motor for Stockton, and is kept constantly busy with the vari- ous branches of his business.

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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 209

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