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 234

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 234

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Mr. Allen's marriage, which occurred at Snelling, Cal., November 30, 1902, united him with Miss Eliza- beth Grubb, a native of Madisonville, Monroe County, Tennessee, and the daughter of Daniel H. and Sarah (Carson) Grubb, honored pioneers who were for many years residents of Snelling. Mr. and Mrs. Allen are the parents of one son, Lorin C. Allen, attending Stockton College of Commerce.

WILLIAM C. ALLEN .- It would be impossible to estimate the wealth that has been added to San Joa- quin County through the development of irrigation, and so to those men who have been instrumental in the working out and installation of economical irri- gation systems much credit is due. Among them may be numbered William C. Allen, of Lodi, who for many years has been engaged in this line of work. Descended from California pioneers, associated with Stockton from its earliest days, Mr. Allen is a native son of that city, his parents being Charles C. H. and Harriet (Morton) Allen, the former a native of Bos- ton, Mass., while Mrs. Allen was born in California; her mother, Mrs. Catherine Morton, having come to Stockton with Captain Weber's party, thus being among the first white women there. The father, who came to Stockton when it was but a village, was for many years before his death associated with the Hol- den Drug Company.

Three children were born to this honored couple: Mrs. Katie Kemp of Lodi, Cornelius Allen of Oak- land, and William C. Allen of this sketch. After fin- ishing his education in the public schools of Stockton he learned the plumber's trade with E. A. Whale in Stockton, later conducting a fruit store on Market Street there. He then went to San Francisco where he worked at his trade with Mangrum & Otter, going from there to Lodi, where for nine years he was asso- ciated with the plumbing department of Henderson Bros. Much of his work has been the installation of pumps and engines for irrigation, his experience cov-

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ering a wide field in this line, so that he is an expert in irrigation matters.

About four years ago Mr. Allen became agent for the Krogh deep well pump and the Crocker-Wheeler motor, and since then he has installed more than 400 of these pumps in the Lodi district. A first-class pump which has given complete satisfaction, the Krogh deep well turbine pump is designed to be placed in bored or drilled wells without the use of pits. The pump is located down in the well at such a depth that the impellers are submerged when the pump is idle, so that it is self priming, and one type has a tube sur- rounding and enclosing the shaft and bearings, pro- tecting them from contact with heavy gravel and coarse material carried in the water. Mr. Allen has made pump installations on the ranches of C. F. Woodruff, Earl Fruit Company, Claude Van Gilder, Louis Sanguinetti, Ed Hutchins, J. S. Stuckenbruck, Charles Buck and the Western Fruit Company ranch at Galt, all of whom can give testimony to the expert quality of Mr. Allen's workmanship.

Mr. Allen's marriage, which occurred at San Fran- cisco, June 2, 1909, united him with Miss Eleanor Huber, the daughter of August and Frances (Harriet) Huber. Her father was a business man in San Fran- cisco and her parents died there. Mrs. Allen was educated at St. Vincent's Convent in San Francisco. Mr. and Mrs. Allen are the parents of two sons, Al- bert and Noel Allen.

JOHN ANGERINA .- Since 1885 John Angerina has been identified with the agricultural interests of San Joaquin County and the residents of Stockton are particularly indebted to him for the fine fruit and produce which he has delivered to them for many years. He was born at Montemurro, near Potenza, Italy, November 21, 1864, a son of Antone and Cath- erina (Aliena) Angerina, both natives of the same place and both are now deceased. An older brother of our subject was a soldier in the national army of Italy. At nineteen years of age John Angerina de- cided to try his fortune in America, so left family, friends and native country for the New World and located in New York, where he spent two years. In 1885 he left for the West and settling in San Joaquin County found employment on a ranch near Ripon, where he remained for four years, and purchased seven and a half acres near French Camp with his savings. Within the next eight years he was able to buy out the interest of his partner in this tract of land so that he is now sole owner of it. He devotes all of his attention to the production of fruits and vegeta- bles, for which he finds a ready and profitable sale, owing to their superior quality.

The marriage of Mr. Angerina occurred at Stockton in January, 1897, and united him with Miss Vincenza Amadola, also a native of Italy, born in the vicinity of Milan, who came to Stockton, Cal., with her par- ents, where they still reside. They are the parents of seven children: Catherine, Mrs. Joe Russo, has two sons and resides in Stockton; Antone; Louis served four and a half years in the U. S. Army; John, George, Thomas, and Theresa. The family are iden- tified with the Catholic Church at Stockton and fra- ternally Mr. Angerina is a member of the S. E. S. of Stockton. He has systematically developed his ranch until it is a model of neatness, the main reason for the quality and quantity of the products of his orchard and garden. Recently he erected a comfort-

able residence on the ranch, which enhances its value and where the family reside in comfort. He has never had occasion to regret his determination to seek a home in America, for he found good business op- portunities here of which he took advantage, and as the years have passed his labors have been crowned with success.

VIRGIL ANTONINI .- An experienced and suc- cessful rancher, Virgil Antonini is a native of the Province of Genoa, where he was born at Castiglione, Italy, November 17, 1891, the son of Giabotta B. and Carlotta Antonini, both of whom are still living in that sunny southland. Four children made up the family, Virgil being the eldest; his sister Louisa has come to reside in California, while Henry and Anna have remained in Italy. Virgil's father was a road supervisor, and he made sure that the lad enjoyed the best of grammar school advantages in his native land. At the age of eighteen he came out to the United States, and was fortunate in early making his way to the Pacific Coast, where he soon found in California all the essentials of a Golden State. Reaching Stock- ton, he took up farm labor, and for about ten years worked for wages. He was industrious and also thrifty, and when he could, he joined a partner and purchased his present ranch of twenty-two acres. This ranch has peaches, cherries and grapes, all choice fruit, and is amply irrigated. His partner is Dr. J. V. Craviotto, the ranch being under the direc- tion of Mr. Antonini. They believe that they own one of the finest farms of the size in San Joaquin County, and they purpose to so develop it that it shall stand in the front rank of California acreage.

At Stockton, on October 3, 1917, Mr. Antonini was married to Miss Rosie Capurro, a native daughter, having been born at Fair Oaks, a suburb of Stockton. Her parents were Frank and Mary (Repotta) Ca- purro, her father having been a native of Italy who had come out to California about twenty-five years ago, when he settled at Stockton. Mr. and Mrs. Ca- purro had four children, and among these our sub- ject's wife was the second in the order of birth. Mary, now Mrs. Pagano, was the eldest, while Matilda, who became Mrs. Leandro, was the third. The youngest child was named Carrie. Two children have blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. Antonini: Louis and Ray- mond. Mr. Antonini belongs to the Italian-American lodge called Giardenieri, and he is a member of the Moose of Stockton.

GEORGE L. BARBER .- A well-known citizen and prominent agriculturist of northern San Joaquin County is George L. Barber, who is an equal partner with his brother, Edward H. Barber, in a valuable ranch of 425 acres three miles northwest of Thornton, devoted to general farming and dairying. He was born in Summer Hill, N. Y., January 22, 1870, a son of George H. and Catherine (Potter) Barber, the former a native of New York, of English descent, who served in an Illinois Regiment in the Civil War. At the age of four years George L. Barber accom- panied his parents to Stockton, Cal. Here the father remained for a year. He then tried farming in So- noma County for one year, and then returned to San Joaquin County, where he eventually purchased 100 acres of land three miles northwest of Thornton, a portion of the present holdings of the Barber broth- ers. Both parents are now deceased. The father died

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in 1907 at the age of seventy-seven, and the mother was fifty-five when she passed away.

The education of George L. Barber was begun in the district schools of California. When he was thir- teen years old, he returned to New York and lived with his mother's people at Utica, where he attended the grammar school. Later he entered the Geneseo State Normal School. After teaching school for a year, in 1890 he returned to California, to the home ranch, which is now equally owned by himself and his brother, Edward H. Barber.

The marriage of Mr. Barber occurred on May 4, 1903, uniting him with Miss May Chamberlain, a native of Oregon, and a daughter of Henry K. and Lucy (Levitte) Chamberlain, natives of Illinois and Massachusetts, respectively, and both from families of Revolutionary stock. Her father was a farmer by occupation, who came to Oregon and took up govern- ment land, and later went into the sawmill business. When Mrs. Barber was two years old, her mother died; and five years later her father was killed, leav- ing a family of eleven children, seven of whom are now deceased and four living. Those living are: Lucy, Mrs. Sherman Alford, of Stockton; Nettie, Mrs. George Alford, of Mountain View; Emma, Mrs. Ralph Snell, of Mountain View; and May, Mrs. Barber. Annie, now deceased, was Mrs. Hansen, of Fresno. Mr. and Mrs. Barber are the parents of four children: James Henry, Edward L., Phillip Sherman, and Robert L. Mr. Barber has served as trustee of the New Hope school district.

ARLINGTON CAFETERIA .- Known through- out Central California as the "House of Good Eats" the Arlington Cafeteria has been built up into a pros- perous business by Henry Burk and his associates. Since 1912 Mr. Burk has given his entire time and attention to building up an institution that reflects much credit to his abilities as a manager and to the city of Stockton where such an establishment is appreciated. Henry Burk was born near Frankfort- on-Main, Germany, December 12, 1874, and came to the United States when a young lad, arriving at Chi- cago on July 22, 1889, where he had a brother en- gaged in the produce business. Henry worked for this brother ten years and mastered every detail of the produce business. He made a decided change when he came West and engaged in the hotel busi- ness in Spokane, Wash., which he continued until he came to San Francisco and once more engaged in the produce business. After spending two years in Love- locks, Nev., Mr. Burk came to Stockton on Novem- ber 19, 1912, and with C. G. Berlin as a partner, bought the Arlington Cafeteria from F. A. Parker, who had established the business a year previous.

When the new management took over the business they had a patronage of from 600 to 700 people; this has more than doubled as from 1,400 to 1,500 people are served daily at this location. The space occupied by the cafeteria has been enlarged several times and each time modern methods and equipment were added to bring everything up to the highest standard and simplify labor. The management manufacture their own ice; have their own bakery; have installed a modern heating system for winter, and have a cooling system for summer, fresh air being circulated every few minutes by what is known as the Wash Air Sys- tem; have installed two Crescent dishwashers with a capacity of 4,000 dishes per hour, and after being

washed all dishes are sterilized in water at a tempera- ture of 150 degrees. Fifty people are employed and it takes the entire output of a 120-cow dairy to supply milk and cream, and 1,000 hens for the eggs that are used daily. Only the very best the market affords is served to the patrons of this ideal eating place and every courtesy is shown by owner, management and employees. The public is cordially invited to inspect the kitchen where every sanitary device is found to prepare and care for the food consumed by the patrons of the Arlington Cafeteria.

In January, 1918, George W. Burk, a nephew of Henry Burk, bought an interest in the business. He was born in Chicago, in June, 1890, and received his schooling and business training in that city and it was there he became a Mason. After acquiring his inter- est he easily mastered the details of the cafeteria business and demonstrated his fitness in the manage- ment of various departments. He is a member of the Stockton Elks and the Rotary Club. Charles A. Schroeder is the assistant manager and since 1919 has shown himself. a very capable man in caring for the responsibilities that are thrust upon him. On July 1, 1920, Henry Burk purchased the interest of Mr. Ber- lin and with the hearty co-operation of George W. Burk and Charles A. Schroeder carries on one of the important enterprises of Stockton.

In 1895 Henry Burk's parents came from Germany to make their home in the United States. His father died on June 22, 1914, in Stockton, and now his moth- er, aged eighty-two years, is living in contentment at the home of her son Henry at Stockton. While living at Spokane, Wash., Mr. Burk was united in marriage with Miss Minnie Brown, a native of Min- nesota, and she shares with him the esteem of a large circle of friends. After an absence of many years, Henry Burk made an extended European trip, his travels taking him to many places of historical interest in Europe, as well as in America.

FRED BAERWALD .- Classed with the enterpris- ing and progressive business men of Lodi is Fred Baerwald, the proprietor of a grocery store located at 427 East Locust Street, where he has built up a good paying business. He was born in Vohlinien, Russia, February 16, 1861, a son of Ludwig and Anna Baer- wald, both natives of Russia. Ludwig Baerwald was a school teacher in his native country and was the father of seven children by his first wife, Anna Baer- wald: Samuel, Fred, and Henry grew up; while John, Martin and Edward all died while small chil- dren; the seventh died at birth, when the mother also passed away. Subsequently the father married the second time and there were eleven children in the second family: Adolph, Ernst, August, Reinhardt, Emil, Reinhold, deceased, Edward, deceased, Amelia, Ottilia, Agatha, and Mary, deceased. The father passed away at the age of fifty-three.

Fred Baerwald attended grammar school in Russia and after finishing the grade work continued his stud- ies until he received a teacher's certificate to teach in the grammar schools of Vohlinien, where he taught the German and Russian languages for three years. At the age of twenty-one years he entered the Rus- sian army, serving from 1882 until 1888 as a doctor's aide in the hospital department; later he became a druggist in the military hospital. After his discharge from the army he again taught school for seven years, until 1895, when he came to the United States, set-

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tling in Towner County, N. D., where he home- steaded a quarter-section of Government land; this he farmed for ten years when he sold it and bought a half-section of land in the same county; this was located near Egeland and he farmed this until 1919 when he sold out and moved to Bonners Ferry, Idaho, and engaged in farming on a 160-acre ranch.

The marriage of Mr. Baerwald occurred on Octo- ber 20, 1888, in Vohlinien, Russia, which united him with Miss Emelia Lange, a native of the same place, a daughter of Reinhold and Wilhelmina Lange. Her father was a teacher and a merchant in Vohlinien and was a soldier in the Russian army during the Turkish War of 1877. Mr. and Mrs. Baerwald are the parents of thirteen children: Elfrieda, Mrs. L. Klebaum, resides in Egeland, N. D .; Mrs. Martha Ide resides at Braham, Minn .; Meta, Mrs. A. Klebaum, resides at Egeland, N. D .; Mrs. Selma Filter and Mrs. Hertha Heath reside in Lodi; Mrs. Ella Peterson re- sides at Bonners Ferry, Idaho; Mrs. Alma Nystrom resides in Idaho; Irene, Gertrude, Rosamond, Ehr- hard, and Alfred all reside in Lodi; the next to the oldest child, Reinhold, is deceased. The family's resi- dence in Idaho was of only six months' duration, when they came to Lodi in October, 1920. At that time he purchased a ten-acre vineyard in Madera County devoted to Thompson seedless grapes and alfalfa, which he only held for a year, and in Decem- ber, 1921, purchased a grocery store at 427 East Lo- cust Street. In politics, Mr. Baerwald is a Republi- can and he and his family are members of the Luther- an Church of Lodi.

ULRICH BARDILL .- The country of Switzer- land has given to America many substantial citizens and among those in San Joaquin County is Ulrich Bardill, who owns a half interest in a fine fifty-acre ranch four and a half miles north of Stockton on Cherokee Lane Road, which is devoted to the raising of fruit, consisting of peaches, cherries and grapes. Canton Graubunden, Switzerland, was his birthplace and the date of his birth, December 29, 1872, his par- ents being Christ and Eva (Schmidt) Bardill. There are six children in the family: Christ, Ulrich, our subject, Peter, Mary, Celia, and Christina, all of whom are still in Switzerland with the exception of the subject of this sketch. The father was a farmer in his native land and lived to be eighty-eight years old, the mother passing away at the age of eighty- five. Ulrich received a good education in the excel- lent national schools of Switzerland, and at seventeen years of age came to California and found work at Redwood City in a Swiss-Italian vineyard of 110 acres; then he went to Monterey County and worked a number of years on dairy ranches at Salinas and Monterey. From there he went to San Francisco; then he removed to Eureka, Cal., where he was em- ployed in a dairy. In 1902 he came to San Joaquin County where he bought a fifteen-acre tract of bare land, four and a half miles north of Stockton on Cherokee Lane Road. He leveled this ranch, checked it and planted it to alfalfa. This was probably the first alfalfa grown in this section and the experiment proved a success. Later he purchased twenty-three acres adjoining and then in partnership with Mr. Orogone bought another fifteen acres. In 1919 he plowed up the alfalfa and planted the land to an orch- ard of peaches and cherries and also set out a vineyard, which he irrigates with two pumping plants. Mr.

Bardill has also improved his ranch with a house and other necessary farm buildings. He is interested in all that pertains to the upbuilding of the locality and feels that he made a wise choice when he determined to make his home here, where he has improved the opportunities that have led to success.

JOHN LYMAN BENNETT .- An enterprising man, the owner of a quarter-section of land eight miles northwest of Stockton on Telegraph Road, John Lyman Bennett has during his twenty-seven years of residence on the ranch made substantial improve- ments and has just set out a vineyard as well as built a residence and made other improvements. He was born at Poplar Grove, Boone County, Ill., March 31, 1869, a son of Highland Lyman and Ellen (Coleman) Bennett. The father died when John L. was a child, and leaving his native state, he and his mother went to Iowa and then to Dundee, Canada, where his mother taught school, receiving fifteen dollars per month for her work. In this way the two worked their way to California, and in 1875 finally arrived in the Golden State and Mrs. Bennett became a teacher in the San Joaquin County schools, teaching at the Lafayette school one year and the Elkhorn district school two years. Here she was married a second time to T. F. Waller and they engaged in farming in this district until their death. John Lyman received his education in the public schools. From a youth he assisted on the ranch and at the age of twelve years he was driving a six-horse team; later on he was able to buy a place of his own, which consisted of twenty acres, where he raised grain and hogs. In 1895 he purchased his present ranch of 160 acres on the Tele- graph Road, known as the old Feimster ranch and by hard work and economy has developed it into a well-improved and highly cultivated tract of land, the rich fields returning to him golden harvests as a reward for his care and cultivation.

Mr. Bennett's marriage occurred in Stockton on November 6, 1897, uniting him with Miss Margaret Walkmeister, born in Switzerland, who came to Cali- fornia with her parents, George and Elizabeth Walk- meister. Mrs. Bennett passed away on July 10, 1918. leaving three children, Lyman F., Neva E. and Erma Ruth. Fraternally Mr. Bennett is a member of the Red Men of Stockton, and politically he is a Re- publican.

EUGENE G. BENDER .- An enterprising, success- ful vineyardist, whose scientific methods have enabled him to attain exceptional results, is Eugene G. Bender, a resident of San Joaquin County, about two and one- half miles northwest of Acampo. He was born in Menno, S. D., on July 12, 1897, the son of C. J. Ben- der, whose life-story is written in another part of this historical work.

Eugene Bender was a lad when his father removed, with his family, to California, and he attended school at Lodi and Woodbridge, and there, as well as home. got such help of real, practical value that, when only sixteen, he was able to set out and make his own way in the world. He was offered a clerkship in a grocery and stuck faithfully at that work for three years. Then he took up mechanics and for a year worked in a garage at Lodi.

At Stockton, on April 5, 1916, Mr. Bender was mar- ried to Miss May Mclachlan, a native of Lodi, and the daughter of E B and Am .A. L.ohg

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parents came from Canada to California forty years ago. Her father, who was of Scotch descent, has passed away; but her mother is still living in Lodi; she had four children: Francis, the eldest, died in 1918; William served in the late World War, and made the supreme sacrifice, after terrible sufferings as the result of being gassed; Leo lives at Lodi; and May is Mrs. Eugene G. Bender. She was educated in the Lodi grammar school.

For four years after his marriage Eugene Bender leased and operated his father's ranch of 400 acres, and then his father moved upon it. Our subject, how- ever, retained, through a special lease, fifty acres; twenty are in a vineyard, and twenty in the open land; while on a tract of ten acres, which includes a vineyard of two and one-half acres, the balance open land, he has built a modern bungalow.

One child, Francis, was born to Mr. and Mrs. Ben- der, who are untiring in their own cooperation for better school and other facilities for the community generally. In national politics an enthusiastic Repub- lican, Mr. Bender never allows political partisanship to interfere with loyal local support.

JAMES W. BLAIR .- The proprietor of the only exclusive battery plant in Lodi, James W. Blair has built up a most successful business. He was born at Salt Springs, Mo., on March 22, 1892, and was reared there on the home farm until the age of ten years, the family coming to Lodi to make their home in 1902. Here he attended the public schools, and later the Acampo school, and then learned the plumbing trade with Henderson Bros. and A. P. Krumb of Lodi, following this line of work for five years, and then was with Fenton Wright in his bicycle shop. A bat- tery charging plant was included in this business, and this Mr. Blair bought, going into business for himself at 23 West Pine Street.

During the World War Mr. Blair entered the U. S. service, leaving the business in charge of his wife. He trained at Camp Fremont and sailed for Siberia in the fall of 1918, attached to the 31st U. S. Infantry, where he saw a year of service. Returning to Lodi, he occupied the new battery plant built for him by H. T. Mason at 109 North School Street, one of the most modern establishments of its kind in the state, the brick building 50 by 90 feet being especially equipped for an up-to-date battery charging plant. He is the agent for the popular Willard battery, and gives service in all makes of batteries, and being an expert in this line his business has grown very rapidly. When he started in business in his small shop on West Pine Street, he was charging six batteries at a time; this number has increased to a capacity of 125, with an average of twenty new jobs coming in daily.

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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 234

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