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 233

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 233

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HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY

On August 7, 1911, at Sault Sainte Marie, Mich., Mr. Lange was married to Miss Esther Florence Thi- bault, born in Bay City, Mich., a daughter of William and Virginia (Beneteau) Thibault, natives of France and Canada, respectively, who came to the United States when young. William Thibault was captain of the E. K. Roberts, one of the first passenger steamers on the lakes, running between Detroit and Bay City. He passed away leaving his wife and four children; subsequently the mother married again and became the mother of six children by her second husband Mrs. Lange is the third of her father's children, who were as follows: William, Vollie, deceased, Mrs. Lange, and Francis. Mrs. Lange received her edu- cation in the schools of Sault Sainte Marie, Mich., and after finishing school taught for two years; then began the study of nursing and was in training at the time of her marriage to Mr. Lange. Mr. and Mrs. Lange are the parents of four children: Beatrice E., Florence B., Glenn A., and Virginia M. Again returning to California, Mr. Lange conducted a dairy for three years on the Cosumnes River in Sacramento County; in 1915 he became superintendent of the Hen- derson ranch on Dry Creek in San Joaquin County, where he remained for a year when he purchased his present place of twenty-five acres. He improved the ranch with a good house, set out twelve and a half acres to vineyard and planted the balance to alfalfa. Mr. Lange is a member of the Knights of Columbus of Lodi, while Mrs. Lange is a member of the Y. L. I. of Lodi and also conducts a branch of the San Joa- quin County free library.

GEORGE L. POTTER .- A wide-awake, efficient and very popular representative of the banking fra- ternity of San Joaquin County is George L. Potter, to whose experience and enterprise much of the suc- cess of the Loan Department of the Commercial and Savings Bank of Stockton may well be ascribed. He was born on his father's ranch, fifteen miles east of that city, on February 14, 1883, the son of Seth W. and Mary A. (Kiel) Potter, both natives of Wisconsin, and both still living. His father located in San Joa- quin County in 1871, and there went to work on various ranches. Later he found employment in the Minor Blacksmith Shop at Atlanta, and after awhile he bought the establishment. Later still he pur- chased 320 acres of land which he farmed to grain for many years. He still resides on fifty acres, a part of the old home ranch. Twelve children were born on the home-place, and nine are still in the en- joyment of life. Mary C. has become Mrs. C. A. Hedges. Charles Wilbur and George L. come next. Clara E. is the wife of R. A. Cooke, of Tulare County. Hattie E. is Mrs. E. Gall, of Milton. Seth N. is with the Sperry Flour Company at Stockton. Fred K. is farming the home ranch. Laura A. is the wife of Ed Lloyd of San Francisco, and Dwight S. is a student at the University of California.

George Potter attended the Zinc House, now the Atlanta School, and after working on the home ranch, he became foreman of Frank South's ranch near Clovis, in Fresno County, a tract of 2,000 acres given up to the cultivation of grain. At the end of four years he located in Fresno and learned the glazier's trade, in the Madera Planing Mill, and in time he became the head glazier. Coming to Stock- ton, he pursued a course of study at the Western School of Commerce, and later he enjoyed a course

in salesmanship under the direction of the Sheldon Correspondence School at Chicago. Then he entered the real estate firm of Dietrich & Leistner, taking charge of the rent department, and later he went in for sales management, having charge of the subdivi- sions, Burkett Acres, Bour's Park, Brookside, Ripon Colony, the Potter Tract, the Escalon Colony Tract, The Oaks Subdivision, and the North Oaks Division. After having given eleven years to real estate devel- opment with this company, he accepted an offer, in September, 1918, from the Commercial & Savings Bank of Stockton to take charge of their loan depart- ment; and he has served in that capacity ever since.

At Stockton, in 1921, Mr. Potter married Violet Y. Rushing, a native of Tuolumne County, and their home is blessed by two children of Mr. Potter by a former marriage,-Leroy D. and Galen D. Mr. Pot- ter belongs to the Yosemite Club, and to the Wood- men of the World; and he is a member of Lodge No. 218 of the Elks at Stockton.

AUGUSTUS PURDY .- A vineyardist who has found in farming and viticulture his best sphere of action and the source of his greatest prosperity, is Augustus Purdy, the owner of a fifteen-acre vine- yard three miles east of Lodi. He was born near Middletown, Orange County, N. Y., on June 2, 1861. a son of Isaac and Julia (Miller) Purdy, descendants of an old New York family. Isaac Purdy was a car- penter, and also farmed on a small scale in New York. There were eight children in the family, as follows: Amelia, deceased; George, deceased; Nancy, deceased; Hattie, Mrs. Wilson, of Middletown; Au- gustus of this review; Emma, Mrs. A. Lozier, of Middletown; Libby, Mrs. Simon Bates, of Middle- town; and Ella, Mrs. Kindred, of Stockton. The father lived to be sixty-seven and the mother eighty years old.

Augustus Purdy received his education in the pub- lic school, and helped in the support of his family until he was twenty years old, when he left the parental home to look out for himself. He found employment with the New York, Ontario & Western Railroad, and was foreman for a portion of the road on the east slope of the Shawangunk Mountains. Many times it was necessary to rout the men. out at night to work on the road, to protect it from the torrential rain storms. Here Mr. Purdy worked for ten years, but was then obliged to resign on account of his health.

On December 4, 1886, at Washingtonville, Orange County, N. Y., Mr. Purdy was united in marriage to Miss Jennie Bouton, also a native of New York, born near Washingtonville, and a daughter of Shubal and Charlotte (McElroy) Bouton. Her father was a stonemason by trade. He died in 1874. She was third in a family of four children of this union, the others being Isaac, of New York, and Rebecca, de- ceased, and Mrs. Mary Frathes. Mrs. Purdy was ed- ucated in the public school at Washingtonville and at Newburgh on the Hudson. After Mr. Purdy resigned from his railroad work he rented a 150-acre farm. near Middletown, which he operated for one year. He then sold out his equipment and went to work for the railroad company in the machine shop, but was obliged to give this up also. Then he went to Cornwall on the Hudson and worked for the Orrs Mills poultry farm, where he remained for one year, after which he worked one year for Mr. Still-

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HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY

man, the New York millionaire. Next he ran an ex- clusive boarding house and summer resort on Storm King Mountain, and also ran a livery stable in con- nection with this. In 1905 he came to California and invested his savings in a ten-acre tract of land which was only a stubblefield, lying east of Lodi about two and a half miles. This he has developed into a fine Tokay vineyard, and has added another five-acre piece adjoining; he has built a good house and put in a good irrigation system with a four-inch pump and a ten-horse-power motor. Mr. and Mrs. Purdy are the parents of one son, Carlos A., born in Lodi, who is assisting his parents. Fraternally, Mr. Purdy was affiliated with the Red Men, No. 103, of Blooming- burg, N. Y. In politics he is a Republican.

CHARLES RASCH .- Among the prosperous and successful vineyardists of the Lodi section is Charles Rasch, who has been a resident of the county since 1903. He was born in Metz, France, on September 27, 1861, a son of Peter and Tilly (Loup) Rasch, and is the sixth in a family of thirteen children. The father, Peter Rasch, expert machinist, lived to be seventy-eight years old, and the mother lived to be seventy-seven.

Charles Rasch received a grammar school educa- tion, and at the age of eighteen came to the United States, locating in Pittsburgh, Pa., and there served an apprenticeship of three years with the Baldwin Locomotive Works, and altogether worked about six years in Pittsburgh. He then went to St. Louis and worked in the railroad shops of the Chicago and Alton Railroad for one year, when he went to Omaha, Neb., and there worked for a time for the Union Pacific Railroad; he then removed to Cincinnati, and was employed by the Burlington & Ohio Railroad for over a year. . Returning to Pittsburgh for a short visit he then went to Brainerd, Minn., and went to work in the shops of the Northern Pacific, where he remained for the next sixteen years; he was then transferred to Livingston, Mont., where he worked for the same company, and again transferred to Ta- coma, Wash., where he spent one year. He then quit the machinist's trade and returned to Minne- sota, where he bought eighty acres near Deerwood. He cleared the land and lived on it for the next five years, when he sold out and came to California in the fall of 1903 and settled near Lodi. Here he pur- chased thirty acres of vineyard; as it was maturing. he sought employment elsewhere. He went to New Mexico and worked for a time in the Santa Fe shops at Albuquerque as a locomotive machinist. During the strike of 1905 he was thrown out of employment and returned to California, going direct to Sacra- mento, where he worked for about three years in the Southern Pacific shops. At this time he settled on his thirty-acre vineyard and built a house and barn on it, where he lived for about twelve years, when he sold it and bought a three-acre vineyard two and a half miles southeast of Lodi on Harney Lane. He built a residence and put in an irrigation system, and he and his family have resided there ever since.

The marriage of Mr. Rasch occurred in Minnesota in April, 1885, and united him with Miss Tilly Hov- ing, a native of Sweden and a daughter of Andrew Hoving. Her father came to the United States when she was a small child and settled in Michigan, where he mined and later farmed a homestead, and there Mrs. Rasch received her education. They were the parents of three children: Arthur C. Rasch, a

merchant at Stockton, is married and has two chil- dren, Margery and Geraldine; Violet, a twin of Ar- thur C., died at six months; and Geraldine died when about ten years of age. In politics Mr. Rasch is a strong Republican and during his residence in Deer- wood served one term as constable, and was also township assessor for one term.

ORA REED .- An enterprising and progressive business man, Ora Reed conducts a modern black- smith and machine shop at 112 East Pine street, where he is ably and conscientiously serving his pa- trons. He has been a resident of California since 1892 and of Lodi for the past four years, and he has found this locality not only an ideal place from the standpoint of climate, but also as offering excellent business opportunities, and as a recruit from the Middle West he has thoroughly identified himself with the life and activities of this country. He was born in Cherokee County, Kans., March 7, 1884, a son of Thomas Jefferson and Ida Elizabeth (Tac- kett) Reed, natives of Joplin, Mo., and Iowa, respec- tively. Grandfather Tackett was a corporal during the Civil War under General Grant in the Army of the Cumberland; he passed away after the close of the war from pneumonia. Grandfather Reed also was a veteran of the Civil War and lived to be sixty years old, passing away in San Jose, Cal. The father was a lead miner and removed from Missouri, his native state, to Kansas, where our subject was born. There are seven children in the family: Jessie, Ora, the subject of this sketch; Ethel, Goldie, Gen- eva, Ray, and John. In 1892 the family removed to California and settled at Fresno, where the father engaged in farming.

Ora Reed attended grammar school in Fresno and at twenty years of age was apprenticed to learn the blacksmith's trade, which took him five years; then he worked at his trade in various places until 1918, when he came to Lodi, where he began to work for Mr. Pimm, and in 1921 purchased the business, which he has since conducted. In 1921 the firm be- came Reed & Classon. On November 17, 1906, Mr. Reed was married to Miss Lena R. Hedges, born in Lake County, Cal., a daughter of C. C. and Nancy Hedges. Her father was a farmer in the Dinuba section of Tulare County, Cal. Mr. and Mrs. Reed have one child, Erna. Mr. Reed is a Democrat in politics and fraternally belongs to the Odd Fellows and the Red Men of Lodi, and is past sachem of the latter order.

JOHN REIMCHE .- Among the excellent vine- yards in the Lodi section of San Joaquin County is that owned by John Reimche, whose fifteen-acre vineyard lies three miles from Lodi on the Kettleman Lane. He is a native of Krem, South Russia, being born on August 7, 1878, a son of George and Sophie (Bechthold) Reimche, also natives of Russia. Grand- father Peter Reimche was a Russian by birth and a farmer in his native country, and his son, George, fol- lowed in his footsteps and engaged in agricultural pursuits in Russia until he removed to the United States in 1893. He first settled in South Dakota, later removed to Kansas, and still later to Alberta, Canada, and engaged in farming in each locality. It was not until 1910 that he came to California and set- tled in San Joaquin County, where he bought and im- proved a five-acre vineyard three miles east of Lodi. John Reimche, our subject, is the eldest of his nine

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HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY

children, and in 1893 accompanied his parents to the United States, settling in Hutchinson County, S. D., where he assisted his father with the farm work for five years.

On December 20, 1898, Mr. Reimche was married to Miss Lena Baumbach, a daughter of George and Lottie (Delck) Baumbach, the parents of eight chil- dren, as follows: Conrad; George; Jacob; David; Elizabeth; Mrs. Lena Reimche; Lydia and Kath- erine. Her father, George Baumbach, died at the age of seventy-four and the mother at forty-eight years of age. The same year of his marriage, Mr. Reimche bought eighty acres from his father-in-law and continued to farm until 1907, when he removed to California and settled on a twenty-acre vineyard near Lodi, which he had. purchased. He built a house on this place and put it in fine condition, then sold it; he then bought a ten-acre vineyard on Ket- tleman Lane and built a house and outbuildings, also installed an irrigation system; later he bought a five- acre vineyard on Hogan Lane. Mr. and Mr. Reimche are the parents of four children: Bertha, deceased; Ida, Hilda, and Albon. In politics Mr. Reimche is a Republican and in religious faith a member of the Church of God.

BATTISTA RIBA .- A retired San Joaquin County farmer who has accomplished his success by hard work and consistent living is Battista Riba, who makes his home at 138 East Sonora street, Stockton. He was born in the province of Cuneo, Italy, Novem- ber 11, 1849, a son of Antonio and Teresa (Ferrargo) Riba, both natives of Cuneo. The ancestors of our subject are of French descent, and settled in Italy many generations ago. Battista Riba. grew up on his father's farm in Italy and was accustomed to hard work. In 1881 he arrived in America, one of a party of twelve who went to Lincoln, Neb., but did not remain. The party left directly for San Francisco, and from there Mr. Riba went to Cloverdale, where he began clearing land and planting vineyard for a large company; this is one of the earliest vineyards planted in California. Later he removed to Bakers- field and engaged in the dairy business for a short time. In 1882 he arrived in Stockton and rented a sixty-acre vineyard; his products brought a good price and for three years he was rewarded with good profits from his hard work. In 1886 he made a six- months trip to his old home in Italy, and upon his return to California settled at Delano, where he homesteaded land, which he later sold and then re- moved to Tulare, where he engaged in the stock business for the following ten years. In 1902 he farmed near Ripon and Bellota. He also owns a ranch of 640 acres near Farmington. Selling the Delano ranch, he invested the proceeds in city prop- erty located at 138 East Sonora street, Stockton.

Mr. Riba was married in 1879 in Italy to Miss Anna Capolino, a native of Cuneo, born in 1863, and who accompanied her brother to America. Three children were born to them. Vincent has a wife and two children and is a rancher at Peters; Mary Ann is the wife of O. J. Galassi, and they have two living chil- dren; Bert married Miss Anna Campodonico and they reside in Stockton, where he is employed with the I. X. L. Clothiers. Mrs. Riba passed away at the family home July 4, 1916. In 1888 Mr. Riba re- ceived his United States citizenship papers and has since voted the Republican ticket.

GORDON L. BENEDICT .- A resident of Lodi since his fourth year, Gordon L. Benedict has been identified with its activities since his school days were over, and has contributed much to its commercial progress through his association with the fruit pack- ing industry, now being a partner in the firm of Pope & Benedict. A native son, Mr. Benedict was born at Burson, Calaveras County, November 20, 1890, the son of George L. and Katie Benedict, the former a native of New York, Mrs. Benedict being a native daughter of Humboldt County. The father located in the Lodi district in 1894, and there followed farm- ing until his death, Mrs. Benedict also having passed away.

Mr. and Mrs. George L. Benedict were the parents of two children, William and Gordon L., of this sketch. After attending the Salem grammar school at Lodi, he completed his schooling at the Lodi Union high school, and in 1909 started in the fruit packing business with the San Joaquin County Table Grape Growers' Association at Lodi, learning all branches of the business, later becoming assistant secretary of the company. In 1920 he formed a partnership with Demas R. Pope, as Pope & Bene- dict, representing the E. J. Foley Company of Fresno as district agents, and in 1920 they shipped out 319 cars of fruit and grapes. In January, 1921, this firm became the representative of the T. H. Pepper Com- pany for the Lodi district, one of the largest fruit packing firms operating in the San Joaquin Valley, and since then they have built up a rapidly increasing business. In addition to his activities as a member of this firm, Mr. Benedict is secretary of the Lodi Shippers' League.

Mr. Benedict's marriage, which occurred at Stock- ton, united him with Miss Ruth E. Hunt, who was born in Sacramento, Cal., the daughter of W. A. and Villa Hunt, and they make their home at 241 South Hutchins Street, Lodi. Prominent in the fraternal life of the community, Mr. Benedict is secretary of the Fraternal Order of Eagles of Lodi, a member of the Stockton Elks, and of Lodi Lodge No. 256, F. & A. M., and with Mrs. Benedict is a member of the Eastern Star.

CORNELIUS CLARK .- Since an early period in the development of California, Cornelius Clark has resided within the borders of the Golden State, and is now an esteemed resident of San Joaquin County. He is a native of Lawrence County, Ohio, born on August 18, 1853, a son of Wilson and Margaret Ann (Hereford) Clark, the father a direct descendant of Abraham Clark, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, while the mother was the daughter of General John Hereford, who served under General Washington. The family of Herefords were origin- ally from Herefordshire, England, and are descend- ants of the early Norman kings. Grandfather John Hereford was twice married and was the father of two large families. Mrs. Margaret Ann Clark was the youngest of the second set of children and died at the age of forty-five years, while the father, Wilson Clark, lived to be eighty-seven years old. There were six children in their family: Anon Barnes, John A., Mary, Cornelius, the subject of this review, Sarah E. and Charles.

Cornelius Clark received his education in the public schools of his native state auf 1881, first settling at Petaluma, where he remained

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until 1898, when he came to Lodi and purchased ten acres of land on the corner of Wyandotte Avenue and Cherokee Lane, a portion of the Larson subdivision, where he was the first settler and built the first house on the tract; later he sold this to his brother and bought another ten acres farther east on Wyandotte Avenue, and here he built a house and resides at the present time.

The marriage of Mr. Clark occurred on August 18, 1904, and united him with Mrs. Mary J. (Woodruff) Lee, a daughter of Jackson and Lila (Roberts) Woodruff. Mrs. Clark is a native of Adams County, Ill. On April 27, 1864, she started to California in a train of emigrants and drove an ox-team across the plains, coming via the Salt Lake route and on Novem- ber 5 of that year arrived in California. Soon after arrival, her husband, Mr. Lee, was taken ill and they returned East and remained there until his death in 1900. Returning to California she was married to Mr. Clark. Besides his agricultural activities, Mr. Clark is engaged in the egg production business, hav- ing several hundred laying hens and pullets, and is a member of the Poultry Breeders' Association and also of the Farm Bureau.

CHARLES ABERSOLD .- Well known for his connection with the business interests of the town of Mossdale, San Joaquin County, Charles Abersold is the proprietor and half owner of a store and garage, located on the Lincoln Highway, which has proven a most successful venture, for he operates a lunch room in connection with his store; also the long distance telephone station. His partner, S. Mauro, is in charge of the garage, while Charles Abersold looks after the store and lunch room. He was born near Beach City, Ohio, March 27, 1875, and received a good grammar school education. After leaving school he worked for the Eagle Machine Shop at Bucyrus, Ohio, and later was employed in the railroad shops in the same city. In November, 1904, Mr. Abersold came to California, direct to Lathrop, where his brother, C. C. Abersold, whose sketch also appears in this work, had settled ten years previous .. C. C. Abersold first engaged in the hotel business at Lath- rop and Charles worked in his employ there as a clerk for five years. After a trip back East he re- turned to Lathrop and again worked in the hotel, after which he was employed on the Stockton divi- sion of the Western Pacific Railroad. From 1914 to 1917 he ran the gas station and store at the San Joaquin bridge, which he sold out in 1917, and, in 1918, in partnership with S. Mauro, established his present business, which has been a success financially and a boon to the travelers on the highway. In poli- tics Mr. Abersold is a Republican and he is the owner of considerable stock in the Coast Tire & Rubber Company of Oakland. His usefulness in affairs and his energy and ambition give him a broad and bright outlook for the future.

JAMES LEONARD ALLEN .- The owner of an alfalfa ranch comprising 162 acres on Muller Road, Roberts Island, James Leonard Allen was born near Hannibal, Mo., April 27, 1867, a son of William H. and Catherine (Triplett) Allen, both natives of Mis- souri. The grandparents on both sides were pioneers of Marion County, Mo., coming there in the early days and homesteading the virgin soil, the Allen fam- ily, of German ancestry, coming from Kentucky,

while the Tripletts were of Scotch descent and early settlers of Virginia. James L. remained on the home farm until he was twenty-two, when he went to the lumber camps of Puget Sound, Wash., and eastern Oregon, remaining there until 1890, when he em- barked for San Francisco, coming directly from there to Turlock; where he first found employment with the Turlock Irrigation District, then went to work on the Hickman ranch at Hickman for one season. The following four years were spent as foreman on the large Patterson ranch on the Merced River. In 1895 Mr. Allen bought a tract of 240 acres near Snell- ing and by subsequent purchase added to it until he had 720 acres which he devoted to grain farming, meeting with success. He continued here until 1912, when he had an opportunity to dispose of his hold- ings at a good profit. He then removed to Merced and leased the Central Hotel, conducting it for two years. In 1914 he came with his family to Roberts Island and purchased the tract of land that is now his home. At the time of his purchase the prospect was far from attractive, but through careful planning and hard work, he now has the ranch in alfalfa and under irrigation. Mr. Allen markets his hay independently and over a period of six years he has received from $12 to $25 per ton. Mr. Allen's ranch is in the Woods Irrigation District and he has taken an active part in its development.

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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 233

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