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 241

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 241

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HERMAN RINN .- A representative type of the enterprising business men of the day is found in Her- man Rinn, the capable and well-informed buyer for the American Fruit Growers, Inc., of California. He was born in Hampshire, Kane County, Ill., on Oc- tober 8, 1872, the son of Henry and Margaretha (Schoch) Rinn, the former still living, and a resident of Lodi. Mrs. Rinn died in Lodi. When he was a lad of twelve years his parents removed to Fergus Falls, Minn., and there he grew to manhood and en- gaged in farming pursuits for over thirty years, which were years of successful achievement, bringing with them the reward of financial independence. Sixteen years ago he arrived in Lodi and soon thereafter purchased a tract of twenty acres three and a half miles southeast of the city, which was set to al- monds. He immediately set about improving the farm by setting out an additional orchard and vine- yard and planting some alfalfa. His first experience as a fruit buyer was with R. D. Biggs & Company of Lodi; then when T. H. Peppers entered the Lodi district, he became a buyer for them. The second year it became T. H. Peppers Co. and then Mr. Peppers became one of the organizers of the Amer- ican Fruit Growers. They deal exclusively in grapes

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HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY

and through his years of experience and application to business, Mr. Rinn has become thoroughly in- formed on viticulture and is among the best known and most successful buyers in the field.

Mr. Rinn's marriage, January 9, 1902, united him with Miss Rosa Veit, a native of Germany, and they are the parents of three children, Robert, a student in the Stanford University; Paul and Ruth. Mr. Rinn is a member of Lodi Lodge No. 256, F. & A. M., of the Modern Woodmen, and of the Mokelumne Club. He has never had occasion to regret his determination to come to the West, and, utilizing the opportunities here offered, has made a name and place for himself.

DAVID RISSO .- A member of the firm of Risso & Rossi, proprietors of a thriving grocery business at 2309 North California Street, Stockton, David Risso is one of the city's enterprising young business men. He was born at Stockton, February 6, 1893, the son of Joseph and Mary (Risso) Risso, both born in the vicinity of Genoa, Italy; the father is deceased, but Mrs. Risso is still living; they came to Stockton many years ago and Joseph Risso was engaged in vegetable raising with others in the Italian Gardens. Mr. and Mrs. Risso were the pa- rents of five living children: Louis A., John, David, Mrs. Louisa Osborn and Victor.

While gaining his education, David Risso worked after school hours as a delivery boy on a milk route, and when old enough he took up ranch work on the Smith ranch on the Lower Sacramento Road. Later he worked in the wholesale store of Foppiano & So'ari, also with the Hobbs-Parsons Company, and then was fruit buyer for this district for the L. Scatina Company of Oakland. During the war Mr. Risso trained at Camp Lewis, serving for eleven months, but owing to an injury did not see active service in France. He was in the 362nd Infantry, 91st Division, and received his discharge at the Presidio, San Francisco. Previous to his war serv- ice, when only seventeen years old, he had acquired an interest in a grocery store on North California Street, and after his return from the army, with a partner, P. J. Perazo, he opened up another grocery on this street, but later Mr. Perazo sold his inter- est, and the present firm is Risso & Rossi, and they have built up a thriving business that is steadily in- creasing. Mr. Risso is also the owner of the Amer- ican Fruit Market at 537 East Weber Avenue. His marriage united him with Miss Eugenia Rossi, and they have a son, David Risso, Jr. Mr. Risso keeps up his war associations by membership in Karl Ross Post. American Legion.

JULIUS RODE .- The owner of a well-improved vineyard property five miles west of Lodi on the Sargent Road is Julius Rode, whose twenty-acre ranch has been brought to a high state of productiv- ity. He was born at Volinsk, Russia, November 1, 1854, a son of Daniel and Helen Rode. The father was a farmer in Russia, having 150 acres, which was devoted to general farming. There were thirteen children in the family, Julius being the third in order of birth. The father lived to be seventy years old and the mother died at the age of forty-six.

Julius Rode was reared and educated in his native country and there learned both the Russian and German languages, and the English alphabet. He remained at home with his parents until he was twenty-four years old, then bought a farm of his

own which he operated for twenty-five years. In the late difficulty in Russia a brother and sister-in- law of Mr. Rode died from starvation in that famine- stricken country .. Mr. Rode sent for his brother's two children, one of whom is married and has one child, to come to the United States, but owing to the immigration laws, they are not allowed to leave there because the quota of Russian immigrants is filled; one will leave in March, 1923; the others in December. The fare from Russia to America for the four is $1,250.

On November 26, 1878, in Russia, Mr. Rode was married to Miss Julia Friedmann, a daughter of Gus- tav and Augusta Friedmann, farmers in Russia. In 1902 Mr. Rode sold his property in Russia and came to America, first settling in Oklahoma, where he bought a quarter-section of land, which he farmed for three and a half years. He then sold out and came to California, first settling in San Joaquin on Dry Creek, where he purchased sixty acres on which he ran a dairy and there the family resided until 1917, when he sold his ranch and moved to Lodi. There he lived three years, then purchased his present homeplace of twenty acres, ten acres of which are in almonds, interset with a Tokay vine- yard, five acres in prunes, and five acres in vine- yard. In 1921, Mr. Rode erected a fine, modern bungalow on his place and has further improved it with an irrigation system. Twelve children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Rode: Gustave A .; Mrs. Emma Holfield of Alameda; Mrs. Elsie Kramer of Oakland; Robert E. of Hayward; Mrs. Lydia Altnow of Thornton; Adolphine died in Russia; Rudolph: William H. of Oakland; Frieda died in Russia; Julius of Lodi; Erna and Reinhold are at home.

While residing near Galt, Mr. Rode was a school trustee in his locality. In politics he is a Repub- lican, and in religious faith belongs to the Pente- costal Church at Lodi. He is proud to be a citizen of America and is a booster for San Joaquin County.

RUDOLPH E. RODE .- Coming to California in 1905, Rudolph Rode has gradually worked his way up until he ranks among the successful vineyardists of the Lodi section of San Joaquin County. He has made good use of his opportunities since arriving at manhood, and the prosperity that has come to him is from his own efforts. He was born in Voly- nia, Western Russia, January 29, 1892, a son of Julius and Julia (Friedmann) Rode, also natives of Russia. The father brought his family to the United States from Russia in 1902 and first settled at Orlando, Okla., where he bought a quarter- section of land on which he farmed for three years, and in 1905 brought his family to California.

Rudolph Rode went to school for a short time in Russia and when the family settled in Oklahoma he went to school for three years; then when he came to San Joaquin County, he attended the Liberty district school. Rudolph remained at home with his folks until 1912, when he went to San Francisco and there took a six months' course in a business college, then returned to Lodi, where he became a clerk for Beckman, Welch & Thompson, remaining with them for four years; he then worked for the Standard Oil Company for a year.

On February 15, 1916, in Lodi, Mr. Rode was mar- ried to Miss Bertha A. Bender, a native of Menno, S. D., and a daughter of John K. and Christina (Bender) Bender, farmer folk in their native land of

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HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY

Russia, who migrated to the United States in 1903, and later came to California. They were the par- ents of four children : Charles J .; John A .; Mar- garet, Mrs. Henry Bender, and Bertha; Mrs. Rode. The father passed away in 1916 and the mother in 1906 at their home in Lodi. Mr. and Mrs. Rode have two children, Ruth and Donald, and the family are members of the Lutheran Church in Lodi. In 1920 Mr. Rode purchased his present ranch on the Lincoln Highway about five miles southwest of Lodi, consisting of sixty acres of grain land; here he built a fine bungalow and has fifteen acres in alfalfa, thirty-five acres in vineyard and the remaining ten acres is used for grain raising; he has a six-inch pump for irrigation, which throws sufficient water for the proper irrigation of his land.

JOHN ROHRBACH .- A vineyardist who has built his success upon the foundation of his own energy and capable management is John Rohrbach, now residing on his home ranch of twenty-two and a half acres two and one-half miles southeast of Lodi, San Joaquin County, on Kettleman Lane. A native of Southern Russia, he was born near Odessa on March 5, 1857, the eldest son of Jacob and Magdalena (Hottel) Rohrbach, both natives of Russia, although the Rohrbachs originally came from Germany. There were eight children in the family, as follows: John, our subject; William, Jacob and Fred; Margaretta Christina, Magdalena and Katherine. The father lived to be sixty-three years old and the mother seventy-five.

John Rohrbach received his education in the Rus- sian schools, where they taught the German lan- guage, and remained at home with his parents until he was twenty-one; then spent five years in the Rus- sian army. At Odessa on February 20, 1884, he was married to Miss Christina Frey. She is the youngest of a family of six children of Mr. and Mrs. Martin Frey, namely, Martin, John, Caroline, Barbara, Eva and Christina. After their marriage, the young peo- ple came to America and settled in Lyman County, S. D., where they homesteaded a quarter-section of land and resided for the next thirteen years.

In 1904 Mr. Rohrbach sold his interests in South Dakota and removed to California where he pur- chased his present home place of twenty-two and a half acres; ten acres of this tract was in an almond orchard and the balance was a grain stubble field. He set out a vineyard on the grain land, installed a pumping plant, and built a good house and other farm buildings. Mr. and Mrs. Rohrbach are the parents of one son, Fred, who is at home with his parents. In politics, Mr. Rohrbach is a Republican and in religious faith a member of the German Re- formed Church of Lodi.

GILBERT McMILLAN ROSS .- An eminently experienced, successful and prosperous mining en- gineer, Gilbert McMillan Ross, of 444 West Poplar Street, Stockton, is a native of Northern Scotland, where he was born on January 20, 1851. He was educated in England and South Wales; and after an exceptional training in chemistry and mining engi- neering, he came to the United States in 1869. He traveled by way of Panama, and at length reached San Francisco; and from the Bay City he went inland to Virginia City, Nev., where he was assayer and surveyor of bullion in the mines. He was also for a year an assistant assayer in the United States

mint at Carson City, Nev. From there he went to Virginia City and had charge of the handling of the bullion and of the assaying in the Big Bonanza mine, already one of the big producers. He was thus closely associated with pioneer miners of the early days in Nevada, and later had charge of mining prop- erties, some of them owned by himself, in Nevada. Later still, on coming to California, Mr. Ross had charge of the Copperopolis Mines west of the Mother Lode, and also had charge of gold mines on the Mother Lode, in Calaveras and Amador counties. For the past fourteen years, Mr. Ross has been con- sulting mining and metallurgical engineer with head- quarters in Stockton, and he still has valuable mining interests in both Nevada and California. He is a member of the American Institute of Mining Engi- neers. Mr. Ross spent months of his time obtaining the data for the map of the Bret Harte trail which was issued by the Stockton Chamber of Commerce, furnishing the topographical, engineering and mining data. This map establishes the mining belts of Cen- tral California, including the Mother Lode and the gold and copper belts. Mr. Ross has also always taken an active part in civic affairs in the district in which he has lived, exerting an enviable influence by his pen and his oratory; he has contributed arti- cles to the newspapers on mining, political economy and educational topics, and as a forceful, convincing speaker, he has participated in public meetings. He is particularly interested in the conservation of Cali- fornia water; and although once defeated as a can- didate on the Democratic ticket for a seat in Con- gress, he continues to work in favor of this eco- nomic reform. He belongs to the Stockton Water Consumers' League, and to the Stockton Chamber of Commerce, where he has served on various com- mittees.

At San Francisco, Cal., Mr. Ross was married to Miss Ellen Ward, a native of Vermont; and their union was blessed with five children, four of whom are living. Margaret has become Mrs. H. E. Zobel of Berkeley, and she has a son and a daughter and also a grandson. Mary Ethel and Ella B. are the second and third born, and John R., the youngest, is a mechanical engineer with the Holt Manufacturing Co .; he is married and has a daughter and a son.

SACCONE BROTHERS .- Designers and builders of many of the fine homes of Stockton, the five brothers comprising this firm, John C., George W., Victor, Benjamin and Leo Saccone, were all born at Oroville, Butte County, Cal. Their parents were Joseph and Angeline (Malins) Saccone, the former a native of Italy, while Mrs. Saccone was born in Germany, and each had emigrated to California when they were in their teens and were married in. Oroville. The father was a farmer and died when the boys were small and the mother brought her family to Stockton in 1908. She purchased a ranch of seventy-five acres and after living on it for about two years disposed of it and purchased eleven lots on East Lindsay Street in the 1300 and 1400 block. Assisted by her sons she built twelve houses on this property and on their return from the war she gave each a home. Since that time they have built many fine homes, ranging in price from $4,000 to $10,000, and among them are the following: Three for Mr. Bacigalupi, two for Mr. Buthenuth, two for Mrs. Kuhlmann; also homes for Mr. Fassler, L. S. Repetti, Mr. Moresco, E. J. Blanchard in Yosemite Terrace

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HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY

and Mrs. Alice M. Hopkins in Sperry's Addition and numerous others.

Victor Saccone, who looks after some of the busi- ness affairs of the firm, was born at Oroville, May 17, 1892, and completed his education in the Stockton schools and at Heald's Business College. He is a member of Stockton Parlor No. 7, N. S. G. W., and of Karl Ross Post, American Legion. During the World war he entered the service and trained at Camp Lewis, Wash., and served overseas as mess sergeant in Battery B, 347th Field Artillery, 91st Division, being stationed in the Verdun sector. After the armistice he was stationed in Germany with the Army of Occupation and altogether served for eight- een and a half months. On his return to San Fran- cisco he was mustered out at the Presidio, April 26, 1919, and returned home. On June 12, 1922, he was married to Miss Ethel Jury, born in Stockton. Two other of the brothers also served in the war, George W. as a mechanic in the aero squadron, building planes in England, and Benjamin as an observer in the air service, stationed at Fort Sill, Okla.

ANGELO M. FOPPIANO .- A wide-awake, pro- gressive business man representing one of the pros- perous business establishments of Stockton, is Angelo M. Foppiano, the senior member of the firm of the Foppiano & Solari Wholesale Fruit & Produce Com- pany of Stockton, doing business at 136 North El Dorado Street. He was born in the same city on August 30, 1887, the son of Matthew and Margaret Foppiano, both natives of Italy, the former being now deceased. Mr. Foppiano early settled in Stockton, and for a while he was with the Wagner Leather Com- pany, and later he was park superintendent. Then he farmed on the Weber Tract, and he was also head gardener at Stockton cemetery for fourteen years. He passed away in 1911, leaving an enviable record; and he is now survived by a devoted widow and four chil- dren: Angelo M., the subject of this review; David, Mrs. Norma Earl, and Mrs. Louisa Harvey.

Angelo attended the Washington School, and he also went to the County school on Linden Road, then to the El Dorado School, and after that to the Broth- ers' Catholic School. He followed various occupa- tions as a young man on grain farms, in vineyards and lumber camps, and on the Stockton Railroad, and then he was gardener at the cemetery and clerk for the Horan Furniture Company. In 1910, he formed a partnership with Emil Devincenzi and opened a retail fruit and produce store, under the name of the Avenue Fruit & Produce Company, at 536 East Weber Ave- nue; and when his partner died, he formed a partner- ship with J. J. Solari, and together they continued there for four years. Then they sold the business, and in 1914 opened a wholesale fruit and produce com- pany; and later P. Pezzi and C. Arata became part- ners in the same. The firm owns the Auditorium Building, a four-story brick structure on North El Dorado Street, one of the old landmarks of Stockton; and such has been the progress of this well-known wholesale establishment that both Mr. Foppiano and those associated with him may well be regarded as among the rising young business men of the city. He is the outside salesman for his firm, and he belongs to the Commercial Travelers Association.

Mr. Foppiano, in 1910, married, at Stockton, Miss Tessie Gagliardo, a native daughter, born in Cala- veras County; and they have three children: Thelma,

Evelyne and Arlene. Mr. Foppiano belongs to Stock- ton Lodge No. 218 of the Elks, and to the Iroquois Tribe of the Red Men.

AUGUST F. SALFIELD .- A popular and enter- prising building contractor of Stockton is found in August F. Salfield, who is well equipped by training and experience for architectural work as well as the erecting of every kind of building. He was born in San Francisco, February 4, 1891, being the son of David Salfield, a prominent architect of the Bay City. The preliminary education of August F. Salfield was obtained in the public schools of San Francisco; then he entered the Wilmerding School of Industrial Art, where he mastered architectural drawing and valuable experience came through association with his father in the office. Believing that the way to success in any line is more easily found if one understands how to do all branches of any particular line, he entered the employ of P. Anderson and McLarren & Peter- son, for the express purpose of learning the carpenter's trade; later while following his trade, he worked on a number of hotels and the Physicians and Sur- geons' Building in San Francisco.

Seven years ago Mr. Salfield located in Stockton, where he formed a partnership with H. W. Johnson, the firm name being Johnson & Salfield, and their business was contracting and building, specializing in the building of bungalows. In 1918, Mr. Salfield entered the building and contracting field alone and he has erected bungalows in Eldorado Heights and Yosemite Terrace. On the 140-acre subdivision of Eldorado Heights, he has erected some fifty bunga- lows, all being of his own artistic designing. In January, 1923, he took his brother Carl in as a part- ner and they built a planing mill where they do all kinds of millwork for the construction of their buildings.

The marriage of Mr. Salfield united him with Miss Ettienne Wiedemann, a native of Seattle, Wash., and they have one son, Theodore Salfield. Besides being a member of the Stockton Builders' Exchange, Mr. Salfield is an active member of the San Joaquin Lodge No. 19, F. & A. M., Stockton Parlor N. S. G. W. No. 7, and the Iroquois Tribe of Red Men.

PETE SANGUINETTI .- In 1894 Pete Sanguin- etti located on his fine ranch near the city of Stock- ton and has been successful and prosperous. His ranch of twenty acres is devoted to fruit raising. He was born at Chiavari, Province of Genoa, Italy, in June, 1869, a son of Nicholas and Julia (Lenato) Sanguinetti, both natives of Italy. There were seven children in the family; Dave, Jack, Guiseppe, Pete. the subject of this sketch; Thomas, also represented in this work; Rosa, Mrs. Steve Sanguinetti, and Mrs. Virginia Lenato, residing in Italy. Nicholas San- guinetti was a gardener by occupation in Italy and both parents passed away there, the father when sixty-three, and the mother at the age of seventy- two years. Pete Sanguinetti had no chance to attend school, as he was obliged to work as soon as he was old enough. At the age of eighteen, in 1887, he came to California, where he worked for seven years for wages; in 1894 he rented the ranch where he now lives and the first year raised hay, then he planted it to fruit trees, peaches, cherries and plums; he also improved it with a house, where he has since resided. In partnership with his brother Thomas, he pur- chased forty acres, of which the above twenty actes

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is a part and later a division was made, each brother taking twenty acres as his share.

On April 10, 1899, in Stockton, Mr. Sanguinetti was married to Miss Maria Demicheli, a native of Genoa, Italy, a daughter of Gregory and Mary (Bianci) Demicheli. There are five children in the family; Gregory resides in Italy; Dominica resides in Stockton; Mrs. Sarah Demicheli resides in Stockton; Antonio resides in Italy, and Mrs. Sanguinetti. Her father passed away at the age of eighty-eight and her mother is still alive at the age of seventy-seven and resides in Italy. Mrs. Sanguinetti received a grammar school education in Italy and came to Cali- fornia alone while still a young girl. Mr. and Mrs. Sanguinetti are the parents of four children: Roy and Joseph own a twenty-acre orchard and vineyard at Linden; and Violet and Norma. The family are members of the Catholic Church. Mr. Sanguinetti owns valuable rental property in Stockton, consist- ing of five houses. He is a Republican in politics.

LOUIS FOPPIANO .- Possessed of the sturdy ability and enterprise native to his race, Louis Fop- piano has steadily maintained his success and his fine forty-eight acre orchard and vineyard is a demonstra- tion of his prosperity. He was born on his father's ranch northeast of Stockton, May 27, 1879, his par- ents being John and Katherine (Rossi) Foppiano, both born in Genoa, Italy. Sixty years ago John Foppiano settled in California and, coming hither by Panama, as was usual in those early days, spent some time in the mines, his place of operation being Angels Camp. He then settled in San Joaquin County and after his marriage in Stockton he bought twenty-two acres of land about seven miles northeast of Stockton. This he developed to orchard and vineyard and here were born to this pioneer couple their nine children: Columbus is deceased; Jennie is Mrs. Oneto and re- sides in Stockton; Louis is the subject of this sketch; Eugene; Victor and Henry are ranchers in Morado precinct; Edith, Amelia and Clorinda, all deceased. John Foppiano passed away May 20th, 1920, at the age of eighty-nine years, while the mother resides in Stockton. Louis Foppiano attended the Greenwood district school in the neighborhood of his home and assisted his father in the substantial improvement of the farmstead until he was twenty-six years of age.

On February 22, 1905, in Stockton, Mr. Foppiano was married to Miss Rakela Stagnaro, born in Stock- ton, a daughter of Angelo and Jennie (Moresco) Stag- naro. Angelo Stagnaro was a native of Genoa, Italy, who came to California in early days and engaged in mining for a time, then settled in San Joaquin County, where he farmed. There are three children in the family; Mrs. Foppiano, who is the eldest; Louise, Mrs. G. B. Leonardini; and Louis F., a plumber in Stockton. Mr. and Mrs. Foppiano are the parents of three children, Edmund, Alma and Mae. After their marriage the young couple resided on the home ranch twenty months, then removed to their own place northeast of Stockton, where he built a comfortable residence and good farm. buildings. Louis and his three brothers purchased a tract of land which was later divided, Louis receiving as his portion twenty- eight and a half acres, which he has improved to orchard and vineyard. He also owns a half-interest in the home ranch with one of his sisters as a partner. Some years ago Mr. Foppiano purchased a

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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 241

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