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 221

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 221

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

The marriage of Mr. Miller occurred May 7, 1895, and united him with Miss Wilma Clara Wilcox, a native of Council Bluffs, Iowa, born March 28, 1879, a daughter of Robert Riley and Julia Ann (Summers) Wilcox, who came to California in 1886 and located near Ripon. Her father passed away November 25, 1904, and her mother at Lathrop in 1915. In 1895 Mr. and Mrs. Miller moved to Ridgway, Colo., where he followed brick and stone mason work for a few months and in January, 1896, they returned to Kansas, locating at Eureka, where for two years he engaged in farming; then in 1898 they returned to Lathrop, Cal., which has been their home ever since. Mr. Miller purchased twenty acres of the H. W. Cowell subdivision and was the first rancher to develop a por- tion of this subdivision. Four years were spent on this place, when he had a good opportunity to sell, receiving a good profit for his hard work; he then went to work on the Goodwin ranch, The following year he purchased 140 acres, which he developed and then sold, making a good profit. Fourteen years ago Mr. Miller purchased the general merchandise busi- ness of J. A. Bell at Lathrop. Through the years the business has steadily grown until he now does $30,000 worth of business each year. In 1919 he erected his present building, two stories with store below and apartments above; he also has other desirable income property in Lathrop. Mr. and Mrs. Miller are the parents of five children: Hiram E., deceased; Velma; Byrl W .; Ivan Donald; Floyd Loyal. For two years Mr. Miller was the president of the Chamber of Commerce at Lathrop and Mrs. Miller is active in the affairs of the W. C. T. U. In politics Mr. Miller is a Democrat and fraternath is identified with the Modern Woodmen of America. In his work in Cali- fornia he has prospered and has accumulated a la property, owing to his own well directed efforts and the assistance of his devoted wife, who bet ande been a faithful helpmate and counselor to him.

1518

HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY

FRANK LEE MILLER .- How much a young man may accomplish of what is worth while, if only he directs his energies and expends his time in the proper way, is admirably illustrated in the case of Frank Lee Miller, a viticulturist of Youngstown, San Joaquin County, Cal. He was born in Tulare County, Cal., near Porterville, on October 7, 1893, the son of R. B. and Della Mae (Groves) Miller. The father, who was born in Tennessee, passed away when Frank Miller was a small lad.

Frank Lee Miller began his education in the public schools of Porterville, and when his mother located in Woodbridge, San Joaquin County, he attended the Lodi schools and then finished his education with a commercial course at Heald's Business College, at Stockton. His mother, who was born at Farmington, San Joaquin County, Cal., still lives at Woodbridge and owns forty-eight acres of old vines.

The marriage of Mr. Miller occurred in Stockton on January 26, 1917, and united him with Miss Edith Hester Buck, a daughter of Charles Buck, whose biography appears in this work. She received her education in the Houston school. Mr. and Mrs. Miller are the parents of one daughter, Edith. Soon after his marriage, Mr. Miller purchased a thirty-five acre vineyard in the vicinity of Youngstown, thirty acres of which is in Tokay, and the balance in Zin- fandel and Burgess grapes. Mr. Miller has improved his property with a fine irrigating system, having piped the water to every part of the vineyard. Be- sides looking after his vineyard and matters pertain- ing to it, he is an independent fruit buyer, selling through the Pacific Fruit Exchange and the Wood- bridge Fruit Company; and his efforts in obtaining good prices for the producer are appreciated by the farmers of the locality.

DENNIS MORAN .- A native of Ireland, Dennis Moran has nevertheless been an American to all in- tents and purposes during his entire life, for he was only about one year old when brought by his parents to the United States. He was born on January 7, 1860, a son of John and Mary (Sullivan) Moran, also natives of Ireland, who on arriving in the United States settled at Fitchburg, Mass.

Dennis Moran attended school in Fitchburg until he was eighteen years old, when he left home to make his own way in the world. First going to the Pan Handle country in Texas, near Amarillo, he rode the range for two years. Next he went on horse- back to Nebraska to a point south of Fort Robinson on Running Water Creek, and remained there for one season; then continuing on horseback to Jules- burg, Colo., he engaged in the cattle business there for three years. Returning to Nebraska, he was not satisfied to remain there, and soon hit the trail for the country around Cheyenne, Wyo., where he en- gaged in the cattle business for the next four years. Again he returned to Nebraska, and for ten years followed the stock business on the White River.

The marriage of Mr. Moran occurred at Crawford, Neb., on November 19, 1889, and united him with Miss Sadie Losee, a native of Indiana. She was of old American stock dating back to the Revolutionary War, and also had two uncles that were in the Civil War. When she was a young girl her parents re- moved to Iowa and settled near Des Moines, and there she was reared and educated. Her father was a farmer in Iowa and died in Des Moines at the age

of thirty-one; and when the family removed to Ne- braska they continued in agricultural pursuits. After his marriage, Mr. Moran went to South Dakota and located near Bellefourche, where he became a well- known stockman, his herd averaging about 500 head; and he continued in this business for ten years. Then the family removed to British Columbia, but remained there only a few weeks, and then to Lodi, during the year of 1911. He first purchased ten acres in vine- yard east of Lodi on the East Pine Street extension, and this has been his home place ever since; he has installed a pumping plant with a four-inch pump driven by a ten-horsepower motor. From time to time he has added to his real estate holdings, until he now has fifty-seven acres, mostly in vineyards. Mr. and Mrs. Moran are the parents of one son, Walter, whose sketch will be found also in this volume.

HENRY B. MUNSON .- A prosperous farmer and stockman who resides in the vicinity of French Camp is Henry B. Munson and he has been eminently suc- cessful as regards material affairs, likewise is he prominent and of broad spirit concerning the larger community affairs and the questions and interests of the world about him. He is classed as one of the representative men of San Joaquin County, and has been tested and proved a man of capability and worth in various relations of a busy life. He was born on the old Laudenbach ranch near Ripon, October 6, 1876, a son of A. B. Munson, a native of Maine, who came to California via Cape Horn on a small sailing vessel in 1850. He is now living retired at his home, 628 North Sierra Nevada Street, Stockton.

Henry B. Munson was reared on his father's farm and began his education in the Castle and Barefield schools. In 1884 his parents removed to Turlock, where they conducted the Fountain Hotel for one year. After two years at Turlock, Mr. Munson re- turned to the ranch on the French Camp Road near French Camp, where he remained until 1894, when he moved to Stockton and became associated with his father in contract construction of roads and pave- ments in Stockton. While the father was the head of the business, yet our subject took actual charge as construction foreman when but nineteen years of age. In 1905, A. B. Munson obtained the Government contract to build the retaining wall on the north side of the Yuba River, from Deguerra Point to Marys- ville, which work was successfully completed in 1907. He also had charge of the construction of the Orland Irrigation project from 1907 to 1909. The contract for the construction of the retaining wall on the Yuba River required three years to complete and is a per- manent example of the kind of work done by this firm for the U. S. Government; also many of the sub- divisions of Stockton have been improved with pave- ments and street work done by this company. The firm discontinued business in 1915.

The marriage of Mr. Munson, which occurred in December, 1910, united him with Miss Mabel B. Du Bois, who was born near Hurley, N. Y., and came to California in the early part of 1910. She is the daughter of Peter and Lillian (North) Du Bois, both natives of New York, and they are now residing at Kingston, N. Y. Mr. and Mrs. Munson have two chil- dren, Marian D. and Harold David. For the past twenty years Mr. Munson has been a member of the Odd Fellows and also of the Junior Order of United American Mechanics. In politics he is a Republican

-- - --- - ----- 1 1

1 1

- - -

1519

HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY

and is known as a citizen of high principles. Mr. Munson is now located at French Camp, where he is engaged in buying and selling livestock throughout San Joaquin County.

NEWTON WALTER MAHAFFEY .- A very en- terprising citizen of Stockton who is connected with manufacturing interests that assist in the upbuilding of Stockton is Newton Walter Mahaffey, who was born at Stanford, McLean County, Ill., June 15, 1864. His father, Jonas L. Mahaffey, traced his ancestry back to the Revolutionary War. Great-great-grand- father Mahaffey was a soldier in that struggle and served as one of Washington's body guard. A fam- ily tradition handed down tells of how by his keen perception and quick action Mr. Mahaffey at one time saved the General from capture by a traitorous plan. Jonas L. Mahaffey was engaged in farming and also had a grist and sawmill when the Civil War came on. Nevertheless he enlisted, serving as fifer with the colors. The mother of our subject was Christania Price, who afterwards married Joseph T. Rees and now lives in Stockton.

Newton was her first born, being brought up on the farm in Butler County, Iowa. When he was eleven years of age he removed to Kansas with his mother and stepfather, where they located on a homestead in McPherson County, and there he pioneered it, assist- ing in breaking the raw prairie where they improved three different quarter sections of land. After com- pleting the district school he entered Lindsborg Col- lege, continuing his studies until within three months of graduation, when he had a serious spell of typhoid fever which prevented his graduation that year. After this he continued on the home farm until his marriage in McPherson, March 18, 1891, when he was united with Miss Mary Gibson, who was born at Sandy Hill, Washington County, N. Y., a daughter of Daniel Joslyn and Mary Ellen (Horsley) Gibson, natives respectively of Vermont and Montreal, Canada. The Gibson family are an old New England family who were pioneers of Vermont, while the Horsley family is an old and prominent English family, traced back to the tenth century. Grandfather Horsley emigrated from England to Montreal, where he died in middle life leaving a widow and thirteen children, and she came to Sandy Hill, N. Y.

Daniel Joslyn Gibson was a mason and builder. On the outbreak of the Civil War he was a widower with three children, nevertheless he volunteered his services and enlisted in Company I, 16th Regiment Heavy Artillery, New York Volunteers, serving until the close of the war. After the war he married Miss Horsley and he continued the building business, mov- ing to Clyde, N. Y., where he resided until he died at the age of ninety-two years. The mother passed away at the age of eighty-two years.

Mary Gibson graduated from the Clyde, N. Y., high school, after which she engaged in teaching in Wayne County, N. Y. She had a sister, Mrs. Smith Babcock, living at McPherson, Kans., and came out on a visit and it was there she met Newton Mahaffey and their acquaintance resulted in the marriage. Wishing to cast in their lot with the Golden State the young couple came to California in October, 1891. Mrs. Mahaffey had an uncle, John Horsley, who had come to California as a '49er and was a pioneer in Amador County, where he built the Silver Lake Road, as well as several other early toll roads. After spending

several months in Amador County Mr. Mahaffey came to Stockton, where he assisted in building the electric road. In the fall of 1892 they located at Burson, Calaveras County, and there engaged in farming for a while until he entered the life insurance field, representing the Fidelity Mutual Life Insurance Company, in which he met with excellent success. However, in 1899, he located in Stockton, where he engaged in contracting and for many years has spe- cialized in contract roof painting. Having made a study of the best ingredients necessary to make the most desirable roof paint he has originated a formula and is engaged in manufacturing Mahaffey's cement roof paint, which has become popular and in general use throughout this section of California, and he has the largest business as roofing contractor in this county. He resides at 1346 East Market Street with his family and this place is also the headquarters for his business.

Mr. Mahaffey has been interested in mining for many years, owning the Hose mine in Plumas County, a quartz mine with a five-stamp mill. He also has the Maypole mine at Mokelumne Hill. He is also interested in the McCree Petroleum Corporation, oper- ating at Tulsa, Okla., a successful oil company.

Mr. and Mrs. Mahaffey's union has been blessed with five children: Frank and Harry are twins; the former was with the postoffice department in San Francisco during the war and is now assisting Mr. Mahaffey in his business; Harry is with the Standard Oil Company. He enlisted in the U. S. Marine Corps and served overseas during the World War. During this time he qualified as an expert rifleman. Ruth is a graduate of Stockton high school and the Western Normal and was engaged in teaching in her home city for seven years. She was very prominent in campfire work, serving as campfire guardian and play- ground director. She is now the wife of Prof. A. W. Dowden, who served in the Medical Corps during the World War. They reside in Los Angeles, where Mr. Dowden is physical director at the Southern Branch, University of California. Walter and William are attending Stockton high school. Mr. Mahaffey is a member of the Sons of Veterans, while with the same patriotic zeal his wife is a member of Colonel Roosevelt Circle, Ladies of the G. A. R.

CHRISTIAN C. ABERSOLD .- A prominent and favorably known stock and grain farmer of the Moss- dale district of San Joaquin County is Christian C. Abersold, who owns and operates successfully a fine ranch of ninety acres, which is devoted to raising grain, alfalfa and also a small dairy is conducted. A native of Switzerland, he was born in Canton Berne. February 14, 1864, and at the age of two years accom- panied his parents, Gottlieb and Elizabeth (Leman) Abersold, to America where they settled near Wines- burg, Ohio, in 1856. The father was a thrifty man and was soon the owner of a farm near Beach City. Ohio, where a family of twelve children were reared. nine of whom are living at present. Both parents have passed away.

Christian C. Abersold received a good education in the schools of Ohio and the practical experience and knowledge received on his father's farm was a valuable asset when he started out for himself. He and his older brother John came to this county in 1885 and went to work on the ranch of P. G. Sharp. John

1520

HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY

our subject, remained on the ranch and soon became foreman, and two years later rented the stock and ranch, farming the land to wheat. He then rented the J. W. Graves ranch near Lathrop, where he farmed for a year, then moved to the Billy Johnson Live Oak Stock Farm, conducting same until 1898, when he rented the Clapp ranch and after one season there removed to the Boice place, from which he moved to Lathrop taking over the Lathrop Hotel in the fall of 1903, which he conducted for five years with fine success. He then sold his interests and pur- chased his present farm of ninety acres near the San Joaquin River bridge at Mossdale, and this has been his home ever since, on which he has erected a com- fortable residence and fine outbuildings. This ranch is farmed to grain and alfalfa and Mr. Abersold con- ducts a small dairy. He has been caretaker of the highway bridge for a number of years.

The marriage of Mr. Abersold at Vernalis, San Joaquin County, on November 10, 1897, united him with Miss Myrtle P. Graves, a daughter of Mrs. Eliza A. Graves, widow of Newton H. Graves. She was born near Lathrop, June 1, 1879, and attended the East Union school and when about fourteen years old removed with her parents to the West Side. They are the parents of ten children, eight of whom are living: Alfred Newton married Miss Loretta Long and they reside at Stockton; Orpha Irene, deceased; Selma C. is Mrs. Henry Hartman, and they have one child, Henry, Jr .; Ida Myrtle, deceased; Charles Franklin; William Vance; Pearl Elizabeth; Frank Ernest; Mary B .; and Ruby G. Mr. Abersold is a Republican in politics and for fourteen consecutive years he has served as trustee of the Mossdale school. Mrs. Abersold has taken a prominent part in the civic and educational affairs of her locality, serv- ing as treasurer of the Parent Teachers' Association of the Eighth district and in April, 1922, was elected president of the association. Mr. Abersold became an American citizen while residing in Ohio and he has never regretted that he cast in his lot with the citizens of the Golden State.

JOHN L. ABSHIRE,-An enterprising member of the agricultural class may be found in John L. Ab- shire, who is the owner of a fine ten-acre apricot and almond orchard situated on the Thornton Road, San Joaquin County. He was born at Forestville, Cal., August 20, 1870, his parents being John and Anna (Toney) Abshire. John Abshire was a native of Vir- ginia who crossed the plains to California in 1863, settling first at Woodland, and later moving to So- noma County. He married Miss Anna Toney, a native of Illinois, in the East, and the young couple came across the plains by prairie schooner and ox-teams. Ten children were born to them: Maggie, Alice, Sarah, John L., Andrew, May, living; and Margaret, James, Jane and Bell, deceased. The father lived to be sixty-four years old, and the mother, sixty-two.

At the age of twelve years, John L. Abshire began to contribute to the needs of the family support, and what education he received was obtained in the gram- mar school of Woodland. He remained at home with his parents until their decease. Removing to Fresno County, he worked for wages for five subsequent years; then returned to Woodland, where he met and married his wife, who was Miss Emma Smith. She is the sixth child born to Dr. Andrew M. C. and Cor- delia Laurana (Kellogg) Smith, natives of Ohio and

New York, respectively. Her father was a graduate of Pendleton Medical College, located at Pendleton, Ohio, and came to California with ox-team in 1849; later he returned to his native state, and when he returned to California he came around Cape Horn. He married Miss Kellogg, a member of an old New York family. This branch of the Kellogg family was represented in America by four brothers, who came over from Scotland in Colonial days. Great-grand- father Kellogg was a veteran of the Revolutionary War, and Grandfather Kellogg fought in the War of 1812, while her father fought in the Mexican War of 1846-48, in the 2nd Ohio Infantry, Company E. Her mother was thirteen years old when her parents came to California, and she was the eleventh woman in Yreka, Cal. The marriage of her father and mother is the second one recorded in Siskiyou County. The father prospected for gold in the early days and prac- ticed his profession. In those days the name Yreka was spelled with a "W" instead of a "Y." The town received the name from the yells of the Indians as they surrounded the mining camp, yelling "Wi-ree- ka." Dr. Smith was one of the organizers of St. John Lodge No. 37, F. & A. M., in Yreka, and rose to a thirty-second degree Scottish Rite Mason. He retired from practice and spent his last years with Mr. and Mrs. Abshire at Lodi. He passed away at the age of seventy-eight, while the mother passed away at Lodi at the age of sixty-four from the effects of an accident. They had ten children: Rozella, deceased; Maretta, deceased; Nettie; Clarence; Ensign, de- ceased; Emma; Warren; William, deceased; Clayton, deceased; and Albert.

Emma Smith was born in Orofino, Siskiyou Coun- ty, where she was reared and attended the public schools. She then moved to Woodland with her par- ents, and soon afterwards married Mr. Abshire. Shortly after their marriage, Mr. Abshire moved to San Joaquin County, six miles southeast of Clements, where he engaged in raising bronze turkeys, which occupied his attention for five years; then he removed to Lodi and rented a forty-acre fruit ranch two miles south of Lodi on the Cherokee Road, where he farmed for the following fifteen years; then he moved to his present place on Thornton Road, a short dis- tance from Woodbridge, a part of the Wilhoit ranch. This place is improved with a good house and orch- ard, which is irrigated by a five-inch pump. Mr. and Mrs. Abshire are the parents of two capable and interesting daughters: Leone Laurana, a graduate of Stockton College of Commerce, is a bookkeeper in Stockton; and Rozella Lucile is also a graduate of Stockton College of Commerce, and is a notary public and stenographer in Lodi. In politics, both Mr. and Mrs. Abshire are Democrats, and they are also mem- bers of the Congregational Church at Lodi.

FRED C. ALLEN .- A straightforward citizen who feels a keen interest in all that pertains to the rapid and permanent development of San Joaquin County is Fred C. Allen, the well-known rancher residing east of Lockeford. He was born at Gorham, Maine on Jan- uary 25, 1868, a son of Hosea Roscoe and Eleanor C. (Thoms) Allen. The father, Hosea R. Allen, served in the 17th Regiment Volunteer Artillery of Maine, serving throughout the Civil War in the Army of the Potomac. After eighteen months of service he was disabled and was transferred and drove an ambulance; then he tried his hand at cooking, and finally was de-

---- - -

1521

HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY

tailed for hospital service, where he worked until he became so weak he was a subject for the hospital himself. In 1883 he came to California, and the same year returned to Maine .. In 1884 he brought his whole family to the Coast and settled four miles north of Lockeford in Elliott township, where he pur- chased 160 acres of grain land. There he passed away at the age of seventy years, while the mother lived to be eighty years of age.

Fred C. Allen attended school at North Bridge- town and later at the Fryberg Academy until he came to California. He was then sixteen years of age and started out for himself. He and his brother, W. S. Allen, who had come to California in 1880, leased about 800 acres and farmed to grain; then Mr. Allen moved to a portion of the old Megerle ranch, now the property of Charles F. Smith, and leased it for six years. Again the brothers entered into partnership and bought 200 acres of land adjoining Lockeford on the east; this was grain land and the brothers devel- oped a fifty-acre vineyard, which they afterwards sold. A property settlement was then made and his brother received fifty acres, thus leaving our subject 100 acres, which is his home place at the present time. He also owns 160 acres south of Clements. Mr. Allen has a ten-acre vineyard and a number of acres in alfalfa. Some five years ago the old house was burned to the ground and he has substituted a fine story-and-a-half modern structure to take its place.

Mr. Allen's marriage in Lockeford, on December 22, 1894, united him with Miss Ora Viola Hatch, a daughter of Forest R. and Charlofine Hatch. Mrs. Allen was born in Glens Falls, N. Y., and came to California with her parents when a young girl, receiv- ing her education in the schools of Lockeford. Her father, Forest R. Hatch, was a volunteer in the New York Infantry and served three years of the Civil War; later he engaged in farming. Mr. and Mrs. Allen are the parents of five children: Roscoe Forest; Clifton Le Roy; Fred D .; Flora Viola; and Alice Viola, deceased. In national politics, Mr. Allen is a Republican and fraternally he is a past grand of the I. O. O. F. Lodge of Lockeford.

K. G. BAUMBACH .- Numbered among the suc- cessful viticulturists of the Lodi district of San Joa- quin County, K. G. Baumbach shows careful super- vision and progressive methods in the care of his fine seventy-two-acre vineyard and orchard located on the Woodbridge Road north of Lodi. He was born in the rural district near Krem, South Russia, on March 6, 1872, the son of George and Charlotte (Delk) Baumbach, both parents natives of South Russia who came to America and located in South Dakota, where they homesteaded land and there both parents passed away.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

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 221

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