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 211

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 211

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William Christopher Housken began his education at the New Hope grammar school and later took a course at the Stockton Business College, after which he became manager of the Don Ray Company's store at New Hope, where he remained for six years. The marriage of Mr. Housken occurred at Lodi on De- cember 7, 1902, which united him with Miss Sigrid Sigilkoff, a native of New Jersey, and a daughter of Henry Siglikoff, a farmer, who came to Walnut Grove, Cal., when his daughter Sigrid was eight years old. Mrs. Housken is one of six children: Anna, Eva, Harry, Frank, Sigrid is Mrs. Housken, and Ar- thur. Mr. and Mrs. Housken are the parents of two children: Merle and George. After working in the general merchandise store in New Hope for six years Mr. Housken then went to Antioch where he became a pilot of river launches and did towing on the river for three years; he then went to Stockton and worked for two years in the Sampson Iron works. About this time he returned to the old home place where he has since resided with his family, and he operates the 270 acres where he raises alfalfa and beans, and grazes cattle.

Mr. Housken and his family live in the house where he was born, which was built by his father many years ago, but which has been greatly improved by additions made by Mr. Housken. He served as justice of the peace of Union township for two years and as a member of the school board of New Hope district, and he was active in the building of the new school building. Having always lived in San Joaquin County, he is deeply interested in all that pertains to her welfare and progress, and is a typical western citizen, alert and enterprising.

JOSEPH C. KENNISON .- Among the fruit men of San Joaquin County who are interested in all departments of that greatest of California industries, is Joseph C. Kennison, a native of the state, born at Jenny Lind, Calaveras County, on May 8, 1866. He is a son of Joseph L. and Miranda (Cutts) Kennison, both descendants of old New England families. Great- grandfather David Kennison was a member of the Boston Tea Party and also served in the Revolution- ary War and the War of 1812. He lived to be 115 years of age.

Joseph L. Kennison came via Cape Horn to Cali- fornia in 1849 and engaged in mining in Calaveras County; later he went into business at Jenny Lind. When their son, Joseph C., was a child of two years the family removed to Stockton, where the father followed his trade of brick mason and also did con- siderable contracting; many of the early brick build- ings in Stockton attest the kind of work he did. Joseph C. is the youngest child in a family of three, the others being J. F., residing in Oakland, and May, a resident of Los Angeles.

Joseph C. received his education in the Stockton and Oakland public schools; then took a course in the Stockton Commercial Business College; when he was fifteen years old he became a clerk for the Hart- ford Fire Insurance Company in San Francisco, and remained with them for four years. He then gave up inside work and went to San Ramon near Dan- ville, where he worked for wages on the James Boone ranch; then he removed to his native county and worked in the olive grove of H. H. Moore near Jenny Lind. In 1894 he bought ten acres of the tract he now owns and from time to time added more land until he now has forty acres; this was unimproved land on the Mokelumne River about two miles north- west of Lodi; he set out a vineyard to Tokay grapes and an orchard of peaches, also built a house and farm buildings. His ranch now has a peach orchard containing twelve acres, an apricot orchard of three acres, and the balance of twenty-five acres is in a fine, full-bearing vineyard. In politics he is a Republican and fraternally is affiliated with the Charity Lodge of the I. O. O. F. of Stockton.

CHARLES CLAY LITER .- One of the repre- sentative business men in the city of Lodi, San Joaquin County, is Charles Clay Liter. He was born in Lafayette, Mo.,. March 27, 1884, a son of Charles and Kate M. (Biggerstaff) Liter, the former a native of Illinois and a farmer who lived to be sixty-seven years old, while the wife and mother passed away at the age of twenty-seven. There were five children in the family: William C., Finley F., Mary Lillian, Claude Albert, and Charles Clay, the subject of this sketch. Charles Clay Liter received his education in the grammar and high schools of Blackburn, Mo., and at Brown's Business College at Kansas City, Mo., and at the age of nineteen was well equipped to enter the business world. After finishing school he owned and conducted a butcher shop at Blackburn for two years; then he removed to Fort Worth, Texas, where he operated a transfer business for three years; then he removed to Oklahoma and worked at McAlester and Muskogee for the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company for three years. While at Muskogee, within three months' time, he was promoted from the posi- tion of agent to assistant manager; he then came West to California and was the agent for the same

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company for the following five months. From 1912 to 1915 he was a tea and coffee salesman for a Fresno company; then was transferred to Oakland in the same capacity for the same company where he re- mained for the next five years. In January, 1920, he arrived in Lodi in search of a location for an electric appliance store, but was unsuccessful; however, he rented a furnished room and began to sell vacuum cleaners; the following May he secured a small store building at 10 North School Street and put in a stock of electrical appliances. He rented a place of business from the blueprints and upon completion of the build- ing moved into the Gilbeau Building in November, 1921, where he built up a fine, growing business in electrical supplies. In January, 1923, he sold this business to the Mexer Electric Company and contin- ues with them.

In Blackburn, Mo., on October 11, 1905, Mr. Liter was married to Miss Edna A. Watson, born at Miami, Mo., a daughter of Benjamin and Sallie Watson. Mr. and Mrs. Liter have two children: Mary Estelle and Martha Louedith. Mr. Liter is a Republican in poli- tics and fraternally is a member of the Eagles. He is a member of the committee appointed to reconstruct the electrical construction ordinance for buildings in the city of Lodi; he is also an executive on the Lodi playground committee. He was instrumental in estab- fishing the Exchange Club in Lodi and was its vice- president during 1922. He and his family are mem- bers of the First Christian Church of Lodi, where he is a teacher in the Bible school. Mr. Liter is a public- spirited citizen, a friend of education and promoter of general progress, and enjoys the thorough confidence of his fellow citizens.

WALTER E. MAESTRETTI. - Among the younger generation of ranchers of the Elliott district is Walter E. Maestretti, who is making a decided success of his agricultural activities. He is a Cali- fornian by birth, born at San Francisco on December 3, 1890, a son of Emilio and Media Frances (Orr) Maestretti, the former a native of Canton Ticino, Switzerland, and the latter of San Francisco, Cal. The father, Emilio Maestretti, was born in 1863 and when sixteen years of age came to California and began work as a sheepherder; later he went into the sheep business for himself. In 1893 the father bought 160 acres at Clay Station, Sacramento County, and engaged in general farming, specializing in the raising of turkeys on a large scale. Emilio Maestretti mar- ried Media Frances Orr, a daughter of Andrew Younger Orr, a native of Scotland, who came around the Horn as a sailor with Captain Sir Herbert Austin. Landing in San Francisco, he immediately went to the mines at Camp Seco; later when he returned to New York he enlisted and served in the 142nd New York Volunteer Infantry, and being a baker by trade he followed it throughout the Civil War. They are the parents of seven children: Walter E., the subject of this sketch; Emma; Andrew, born at Clay Station July 1, 1895; George resides in Sacramento; Josie is the wife of Andrew Aldrich; Alfred, living in Sacra- mento; and Wesley.

The education of Walter E. Maestretti was ob- tained in the district school near Clay Station and when he was twenty-two years old he left home and settled in the Elliott section of San Joaquin County, where in partnership with his brother Andrew, he farms a 144-acre tract of land. Besides their farming

activities, they own a Holt seventy-five-horsepower tractor, a Holt harvesting outfit, and a full line of grain farming implements and are kept busy a great portion of the time doing tractor contract work throughout the county.

Mr. Maestretti entered the service of his country during the World War in December of 1917, and was sent to Camp Lewis and placed in the Ninety-first Division, Fifth Battalion, Company Fifteen of the One Hundred and Sixty-sixth Depot Brigade, but on account of illness was unable to leave Camp Lewis and in January of 1918 was discharged from the serv- ice and returned to his home in Elliott.

PABLO MIRAMONTES .- The name of Mira- montes has been a prominent one in the early history of California since the grandfather of our subject received a grant of California land as a reward for his valiant service to the King of Spain. Our subject was born at Halfmoon Bay in 1875, a son of Jose Miramontes, who was born at Yerba Buena, now San Francisco, March 28, 1835. The California grant of land was known as the Miramontes grant and em- braced all land from the Pacific Ocean to Half Moon Bay and the Coast Range of mountains; this rancho included the famous Palo Alto rancho and Leland Stanford's lands in the Coast Range. Jose Miramontes was married twice and four children were born of the first union; of the second union six children were born, all now deceased but Pablo, the subject of this sketch. When Pablo was eleven years old he was taken by his parents to San Joaquin County and Jose Miramontes was employed on the ranch of Undine & Williams in the Delta; later on he was in charge of the livestock on the Williams & Bixler farms which he held until his death in 1912.

Fifteen years ago Pablo Miramontes succeeded his father, having full charge of all the livestock on the Williams & Bixler ranch. For many years he did competitive riding at fairs and rodeos in Sacramento and Stockton, winning the highest honors on every occasion. His record is entering a track and in an hour and a half, breaking and riding five of the wildest horses that could be obtained. Six years ago he was obliged to give up exhibition riding on account of an accident received while working on the ranch. He has broken 135 head of work horses on the Bixler ranch and takes special pride in his work. He lives a quiet, retired life and is well and favorably known by all who know him as an authority on livestock.

JOHN J. NOWAK .- A rancher whose thorough understanding of the agricultural conditions in Cali- fornia has enabled him to attain substantial success is John J. Nowak, of Dry Creek, about three and one- half miles northwest of Elliott school. He was born near Galt on January 14, 1889, the son of Adam and Katherine Nowak, his father having come to Califor- nia when about twenty-one years old. Adam Nowak grew up a farmer, and reared a family of five children; Stanislaus; Anna became Mrs. Joseph Steiner; John J. is the subject of our review; Frank, born October 5, 1890, is next to the youngest; Clara is now Mrs. Albert Schmidt.

The children attended school in the Alabama dis- trict, in Sacramento County, enjoying home-life for a while in that section, the recipient of all the affec- tion bestowable by parents who are still living and are honored residents at Lodi. After a while the

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father removed from the Alabama district to San Joaquin County, where he bought a ranch of 220 acres on Dry Creek, northwest of Elliott. This is the ranch which our subject is today operating, leasing it from his father; and there he has fourteen acres of Zin- fandel grapes, while the balance is in alfalfa and pas- ture and grain land. His father had improved this ranch with all necessary farm buildings, all of which proved a great advantage. John Nowak has a small dairy of ten cows, and is assisted by his brother Frank, who is working for him.

Besides having something worth while to show for his farm enterprises, Mr. Nowak has a military record of which he may well be proud. On April 28, 1918, he entered the U. S. service in the World War as a member of Company C, 316th Ammunition train, 91st Division, trained for two months at Camp Lewis, and was then sent across . to France, where he went through all the drives in which the 91st Division par- ticipated. He served as a truck driver, and experi- enced several narrow escapes. He returned to Amer- ica safely with his regiment, and on May 13, 1919, was honorably discharged at the San Francisco Pre- sidio. Reaching home, he took up the problems of. the ranch, and with increasing success he has been solving them ever since.

MRS. W. L. BRENNAN .- A favored native daughter of San Joaquin County is found in Mrs. W. L. Brennan, a daughter of the late John O'Malley and the widow of the late W. L. Brennan, both prom- inent and highly honored citizens of this county. She was born on the John O'Malley ranch two miles above Atlanta, on the French Camp Road, where her father owned 1,320 acres of grain land, which he farmed successfully for many years. John O'Malley was born in Ireland and in young man- hood came to the United States and settled in Con- necticut, where he was later married to Ann Eliza- beth Brennan, also born in Ireland. John O'Malley came to California in the early 'fifties alone and upon arriving in Stockton became steward of the Weber House, now known as the Occidental Hotel. His wife and two children, born in the East, joined him in Stockton in 1855. This worthy pioneer couple were the parents of nine children, five of whom are now living. John O'Malley retired from the hotel business on account of his health and went to the mines near Copperopolis, but soon became interested in farming and became unusually prosperous in the raising of wheat and other grain. The O'Malley family have always been prominent in the Catholic Church and John O'Malley donated large sums of money for its advancement. Both parents are now deceased, and while their heirs have sold considerable of the property, they still retain the old home place of 130 acres because of its tender associations.

Mary Agnes O'Malley attended the Van Allen dis- trict school in the vicinity of her father's ranch and finished her education at St. Agnes Convent in Stockton. On November 13, 1882, she was married to William L. Brennan, familiarly known as Billy Brennan, a native of Ireland, who came to California in 1872. He was the proprietor of the San Joaquin livery stable, the leading one in Stockton for many years. He was a public-spirited citizen and among his various civic duties he was park commissioner. Mr. and . Mrs. Brennan became the parents of nine children: John James, Vincent John, William Leo,

Sylvester Ambrose, Austin Edward, are all deceased; the living children are Cyril Joseph; William Leland married Ruth Irene Craven and they have one child, William Leland, Jr., and reside in Stockton; Anna Clare; and Reginald Vincent, a student of dentistry at the Affiliated Colleges in San Francisco. Mr. Brennan owned considerable valuable real estate in Stockton, including a number of store buildings. He passed away November 23, 1914, mourned by all who knew him as a man of strict honesty and up- right dealings. He was known throughout the county as a stanch Democrat. Mrs. Brennan is a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church and the fam- ily home is located at 1119 North San Joaquin street.

LOUIS CALESTINI .- An enterprising realtor of Stockton, Louis Calestini, as a former member of the firm of Triolo & Calestini, and more recently of the Louis Calestini Real Estate Company, has become one of the active promoters of country and city prop- erty in this locality. A native Californian, he was born in San Francisco, Cal., on November 15, 1884, a son of Luige and Clementina (Reboli) Calestini, both natives of Italy. Luige Calestini came to Cali- fornia in early days and conducted a grocery store in Stockton.

At the age of six, Louis Calestini was taken back to Italy to be educated, and for eight years attended the grammar and high schools of Parma. After fin- ishing high school, he became a special writer on a weekly newspaper in Spezia, writing special articles on the "Life of the Students." In 1902 he returned to America and located in New York City, where he worked for the Butterick Pattern Company for two years. At the end of this time he came to Cali- fornia and became the receiving clerk for the Italian- Swiss Colony Company in San Francisco, which po- sition he occupied until 1908, when he became a real estate salesman. Close attention to business and hard work brought him considerable success, and three years later, in 1911, a partnership was formed with John P. Triolo in the real estate and insurance busi- ness under the firm name of Triolo & Calestini. Suc- cess crowned their intelligent efforts; and many large real estate deals, in city and country property, were consummated by them. During the past five years, they erected and sold twelve business blocks, among them being the following: the Realty Building, the Japanese Theater, a four-story Japanese lodging house, the Nippon Hospital. They have also built thirty fine residences and a number of apartment houses throughout the city. They erected seven buildings on Lafayette street between Hunter and Center streets. Some of their buildings they have sold the second time at a handsome profit. The J. E. Penny block on East Main street netted the owner a profit of $9,000 in two years. They sold the Bronx Hotel and the Masonic Temple building, and the Hodgkin block, on the southeast corner of El- dorado and Weber. They also sold over 200 lots in the business section of Stockton, on which business blocks have been erected. The two-story business block on South California street, where their office was located, was owned by them. Country property also received their attention, as they bought, devel- oped and sold many dairy and fruit ranches through- out the county. At one time they owned a seventy- acre dairy ranch on the Calaveras River near Lin- den, which was stocked with one of the best herds of Holstein cows in the county. The firm ranked

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among the first in the city and county. Recently Mr. Calestini withdrew from the firm, and is now doing business under the firm name of Louis Calestini Real Estate Company.

Mr. Calestini's marriage united him with Miss Mary Gianelli, a native Californian, and they are the parents of two children, Leo and Elma. Mr. Cales- tini has recently returned from a fifteen-months' trip to Italy. He was accompanied on the trip by his family, visiting places of interest throughout Europe.

WILLIAM J. SCOTT .- Among the well-known and successful contractors now operating in San Joa- quin County is William J. Scott of Stockton. He was born in Belfast, Ireland, on November 18, 1887, the son of English parents, and as a lad he attended school near Whitehaven, Cumberland, England, until he was fourteen, then he became apprenticed to learn the trade of carpenter in Cleator, England, the time being seven years to complete the trade and he had to give a bond of fifty dollars as a guarantee that he would remain the required period of time. The wage paid him was one dollar per week, and in addition he had to supply his own tools; in England it requires a greater variety of tools to carry on the carpenter trade and the lad had two chests full of different kinds of tools. He learned the trade on the large estate of M. Ainsworth, a member of parliament who owned mines and mills and houses that were occupied by the employees who numbered thousands, and his train- ing covered every department of wood working craft, pattern making, mill work, turning, etc. It is safe to say that the knowledge gained in those seven years have equipped Mr. Scott to be a specialist in almost every line of work where wood, brick or cement is used in building.

When he had finished his apprenticeship he went to London and in time became a foreman with a large contracting firm, later was manager, and before he left England he was a partner, the firm being known as Scott & Meech, general contractors at Brixton Hill, London, Southwest. This firm built hundreds of seven-room houses of brick and stone, with leaded- glass windows, for a man who owned the property and afterwards sold them. It was a frequent sight to see twenty of these houses going up at one time on a single street, enclosed by stone and brick walls, and often there would be several blocks of houses under construction at one time. Five special designs were used in every one hundred houses built. In England a man working for a contractor was under close scrutiny, as his family history, past experience and even the clothes he wore must be satisfactory to the employer.

William J. Scott had heard much about California and he was very anxious to see the land of sunshine and gold for himself and in 1911 he left his native land bound for San Francisco, and he arrived in the city of Stockton in the winter during a flood when many of the streets were under water. He was ac- companied by his brother, Samuel Scott, a mechanic who had hoped to find employment in some factory here but he was unsuccessful and soon went away. William J. was built of sterner stuff and remained. He could not find any work at his trade here so he went to Middle River to work on a cannery under construction. Arriving at his destination he ap- proached the foreman, who asked him if he had brought his blankets. This was his initial experience

into the life of the workman in this state and he was obliged to send back to Stockton for an outfit and he was bunked in a room with eight others. When the job was finished, Mr. Scott came back to Stockton and was engaged as a stair-builder by the Union Plan- ing Mill; later he worked for Totten & Bryant, be- coming foreman of their crew. He again was em- ployed by the Union Planing Mill Company as the manager of their plant, remaining until he took up contracting on his own account in 1913. It is needless to say that Mr. Scott had many trying experiences getting used to Western life and ways, often wishing he had remained back in England, but would never admit defeat and stuck to his work until he has risen to a position of prominence.

In 1913, Mr. Scott began taking contracts in Stock- ton, his first contract being the Golden West Hotel, and soon had a fine business started, giving every part of the construction work his personal attention. Among some of the homes he built during the ensuing years are M. Woodward, J. Patti, G. Jordan, H. Pat- terson, Grover Smith, J. Howe, S. H. Rothermal and E. E. Jenkins; he built the Elmwood school, Green- wood school, and Summer Home school near Man- teca; and he also has done considerable private work for E. F. Harris. He erected the modern block for Charles Gall on West Main Street and the new build- ing for the Black's Package Company on Weber Ave- nue, as well as remodeled their old store, and built and designed the Baccicco flats on East Poplar Street; he also rebuilt Cowell Bros.' building on Weber Ave- nue and Hunter Street.

The marriage of Mr. Scott in 1913 united him with Miss Margaret Black, born in England and a niece of the late Prof. Samuel Black of San Diego, the former president of the State Normal of that city. This union has been blessed by two children: Samuel James and Mary Janet-twins. Mr. Scott is a Scot- tish Rite Mason and a member of the Sciots and the Merchants, Manufacturers and Employers Asso- ciation since its organization, and Builders' Exchange. In religious connection he is an elder in the First Presbyterian Church, and superintendent of the Sun- day school. In 1920 he took his family for an extended trip back to England and visited points of interest, old scenes and friends of his youth, but having be- come typically Western he was not content to stay there, even though he had an offer from the builders' association to start him in business. He returned to the country of his adoption more than ever glad that he had pitched his tent in California where opportuni- ties are offered the busy man to make a name and place for himself on his own merits, as has been done by Mr. Scott. He is a "booster" for San Joaquin County and feels that it has only made a start for the prosperity that is to be granted it and its citizens in the future.

LOUIS S. PELETZ .- A public-spirited man who believes it to be both the duty and the privilege of the citizen to contribute in every way possible to both the building up and the upbuilding of the community, is Louis S. Peletz, a contractor and builder, located at 619 East Miner Avenue, Stockton. He was born in Russia on August 15, 1883, and attended school there for a short time, and learned the trade of car- penter and cabinetmaker. He then removed to Eng- land and from 1901 to 1903 worked at his trade; later, in 1903, he set sail for the United States and landed

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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 211

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