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 80

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 80

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).

On November 14, 1889, Dr. Sargent was married at San Francisco to Miss Bettie Falk, a native of New York. Dr. Sargent passed away June 7, 1921. Highly esteemed among his many friends for his social nature and genial disposition, he formed strong friendships by his deference for the opinions of others and his kindly consideration.

ELDRIDGE L. REYNOLDS .- Among the old settlers of San Joaquin County Eldridge L. Reynolds ranks well to the fore, for he arrived with his par- ents in 1854, and almost continuously since that time has employed his energies in farming and stock- raising near Manteca. He has been successful, and as a citizen he ranks very high in the county. He was born in Grant County, Wis., December 2, 1844, the youngest son of James and Martha (Ramsey) Reynolds, natives of Kentucky, who crossed the plains to California in 1853 and in the fall of 1854 settled in San Joaquin County. The father, James Reynolds, paid $1.25. per acre for his ranch. He located on what is known as Sand Plains near the present location of the East Union Church and cemetery two miles northwest of Manteca. The first house built by James Reynolds was made of shakes, cut by hand, near Placerville, and were hauled by team to the ranch. Four sons are now living: David R., whose sketch will be found in this his- tory; Eldridge L., our subject, and Edward are twins; and James A. resides at Capitola. Both par- ents are deceased, the mother reaching the advanced age of ninety-five years.

Eldridge L. Reynolds received his education in the district school near his home and his teachers were ex-senator Samuel Meyer and Judge Woodard. At the time of his father's death he received 240 acres as his share of the estate and for forty-two years he farmed and improved the property, his principal crops being grain, which yielded from thir- ty-five to forty bushels to the acre in early days. On his ranch he erected a $2,500 residence and $1,100 barn; he also planted orange trees and a vineyard of table grapes. He became well known for his high grade Holstein cattle and for his fine draft horses of the Clydesdale breed, and mules. Mr. Reynolds and his twin brother ran a threshing out- fit in the valley for a number of years and became well acquainted in the county, and they also farmed together 1,000 acres of grain land on the west side,

which produced in one year 10,500 sacks of wheat.

The marriage of Mr. Reynolds occurred on Sep- tember 9, 1869, and united him with Miss Annie Campbell, a native of Wisconsin, one of his school- mates in that state, and his twin brother, Edward, married her sister. She and her sister came via Panama, stopping first in Nevada and a year later coming to San Joaquin County. She passed away March 25, 1911, an active member of the Brethren Church. As a youth Mr. Reynolds shot antelope and elk on the plains and grizzly bears were often seen in the mountains. Having sold his ranch in 1908, he is now living retired at his home, 920 South California Street, Stockton, enjoying the fruits of a life spent in useful and honorable toil and he has a very large circle of friends in this portion of Cali- fornia. In the earlier days he was an active mem- ber of the Grange in the East Union District.

CAPTAIN GEORGE H. MELONE .- The name of Capt. George H. Melone is a familiar one to nearly every citizen of Stockton which is not only his birthplace but has been his residence during his entire life, and he is honored and esteemed for the worthy part that he has taken in the various activi- ties of the county. He was born in Stockton, Cal., October 28, 1869, the eldest of four living sons born to George W. and Eliza C. (Davis) Melone, both natives of Missouri. George W. Melone left his native state and crossed the plains to California in 1851 and located in. Stockton where he established a general merchandise store, which he conducted for many years and at the same time was a successful auctioneer. For about two years he was the owner and proprietor of the Plaza store on Montgomery Street, San Francisco, in the days when the waters of San Francisco Bay came up to his back door, before the filling in of lower Market Street. He married Miss Eliza C. Davis, a daughter of J. M. Davis, a well-known California pioneer who crossed the plains in an early day. Seven sons and two daughters were born to Mr. and Mrs. Melone: Rus- sell S. died at the age of forty-two; Joseph died in infancy; George H., of this sketch; Alice H. died at twenty-three; Gilbert S., of the firm of Melone & Perry of Stockton; Walter died when fourteen years old; Mabel died when twelve years old; Otis is a motorman on Stockton Electric Railway; Edward D., with the Sperry Flour Company in Stockton. George W. Melone was a Democrat in politics and frater- nally was a member of Charity Lodge, I. O. O. F., and Centennial Lodge, K. P.

George H. Melone received a good education in the public schools of Stockton and his spare time was spent with his father helping in the store and was thus occupied until he was twenty-four years old, when he took a position as watchman on the passenger steamer Mary Garrett. He then became captain of the Victory, a vessel in the reclamation service. The reclamation of the Delta lands was begun in 1898 by John Hurd. Mr. Melone was the superintendent of the dredger pumps of the River Land and Reclamation Company and as such occu- pied a prominent place in the reclaiming of these lands. After eleven years of reclamation work he entered the employ of the California Navigation & Improvement Company as captain of the J. R. Mc- Donald. At that time this company owned and operated two passenger steamers, three tow-boats and nine barges. Captain Melone then became pilot

452

HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY

on the passenger steamer J. D. Peters and in De- cember, 1920, became captain of the T. C. Walker.

The marriage of Captain Melone united him with Miss Lottie Muller, born in Stockton, a daughter of Daniel Muller, a hotel keeper of early days in Stock- ton. Mrs. Melone's maternal grandfather was Adam Schimmelpfennig, a native of Germany who came around the Horn to California and settled in Stockton in an early day. He was an accomplished musician, and was a member of Stockton's first bands. He bought a block of land from Captain Weber extend- ing from Main Street to Weber Avenue and from Ophir to Sierra Nevada, the deed being signed by Capt. Weber himself. At time of purchase this land was in the country, but it is now a fine residence section of Stockton. Captain and Mrs. Melone are the parents of one daughter, Alice L. Fraternally Captain Melone is a member of the Stockton Elks.

CHARLES F. CAMPBELL .- For the past thirty- three years Charles F. Campbell has occupied a con- spicuous place among the leading business men of San Joaquin County and with one exception has been the longest in his line, that of the shoe business. He was born in San Francisco, Cal., September 15, 1872, his parents being George W. and Mary A. (Grace) Campbell, natives of Maine and Ireland, respectively. Charles F., the subject of this sketch, is the fourth of six children, the others being George H., who died at thirty-nine years, was well known in Stockton business circles; Florilla, John P., Mrs. Ella Spurr, and Mrs. Grace Myers. George W. Campbell came to California in 1849 and the following year settled in Stockton, where he engaged in teaming to Tuo- lumne County; then he located in San Francisco where he conducted a butcher business. Returning to Stockton in 1877 he engaged in teaming and draying for a number of years. He was an Odd Fellow and a member of the Volunteer Firemen. Both parents are now deceased. When the family returned to Stockton, Charles F. Campbell was five years old, so that practically his entire life has been spent within the confines of San Joaquin County. He attended the Franklin, the old South, now the Jackson, and the old Lafayette schools. At ten years of age he began to clerk in a cigar store after school hours and during vacation, first for King & Sequera, at the corner of Hunter Street and Weber Avenue; later in Smith's cigar store on South Center Street; also for Miles Pearman and the Mekow cigar store on Center Street. At seventeen years of age he was a clerk in the store of Arndt & Gumpert at 181 El Dorado Street. Thirty-three years ago he entered the shoe business in Stockton, his first em- ployer being John Garwood and for twenty years the store was located at 324 East Main Street. On August 1, 1909, he organized the Campbell & Gealey Shoe Company with R. W. Gealey as partner; later Mr. Gealey sold his interest to his brother, J. W. Gealey. The first store was located at 309 East Main Street and four years ago it was moved to 339 East Main Street. Campbell & Gealey are leaders in their line and year by year have gained prestige, always keeping their stock up-to-date and carrying only the best lines of shoes manufactured.

On April 23, 1901, Mr. Campbell was married to Miss Annie E. Donegan, born in Jacksonville, Ore., and they are the parents of five children: Charles F., Jr., Hubert G., Kenneth E., Margaret and Florilla A. Mr. Campbell is one of the organizers of the Stock-

ton Midway Oil Company whose field is in Kern County, and is secretary and treasurer of the com- pany. He is a charter member of the Stockton Knights of Columbus and was grand knight for one term and for the past twelve years has been financial secretary; he has also been a delegate to the grand lodge; he is a member of the Young Men's Insti- tute, has passed through all the chairs of that organi- zation, and belongs to the Stockton Progressive Bus- iness Men's Club.

REDWOOD W. FISHER .- A lifelong resident of San Joaquin County, who as a farmer and dairyman has been very successful and attained a place of prominence in his locality is Redwood W. Fisher, the owner of a fine dairy ranch four miles west of Ripon. He was born near Lathrop, Cal., August 25, 1889, the second son of William R. and Jennie (White) Fisher.

A pioneer rancher, William R. Fisher was born in Providence, R. I., in 1847, and about 1862 came to California and located in San Joaquin County, where he and his brother, Morton C. Fisher, were active in the reclamation work on Roberts Island during the early days. There were three children in the family, all of whom survive the parents: John White Fisher resides in San Francisco and is associated with the Fiske Rubber Company; Redwood W. is the subject of this sketch; and Mrs. Percy Hollingsworth Burns resides in Berkeley, Cal. The father passed away at the Fisher home in Stockton, February, 1917, and the mother survived until April 9, 1922, when she died, leaving a large estate, of which our subject is ad- ministrator.

Redwood W. Fisher was reared and educated in Stockton, where he attended the El Dorado school. He took up the study of the clarinet and at eight years of age became a member of the Stockton boys' band, under the leadership of E. B. Condy; later he became a professional musician and followed it for fifteen years in Stockton and vicinity.

In April, 1913, Mr. Fisher was married to Miss Laura Inez Hutchinson, a daughter of Frank and Mary Ellen (Nutt) Hutchinson, prominent citizens of Ripon, whose sketch is also found in this volume. Mr. and Mrs. Fisher are the parents of four children: Frances Inez; William Redwood; Janette White; and Lizette Warner. Before turning his attention to ranching, Mr. Fisher was associated with his brother in running a bicycle store in Stockton, which they operated for five years. In 1914, Mr. Fisher purchased forty acres of bare land west of Ripon which he has developed into one of the best and most profitable dairy ranches in the county. Mr. Fisher is a Republican in politics and serves as a trustee of the San Joaquin school district southwest of Ripon and is counted a leader in district affairs.

MRS. ALICE LASELL HURD .- A well known resident and general agriculturist of the Lodi section of San Joaquin County, Mrs. Alice Lasell Hurd was born on the old Norton homestead, purchased in 1862 by her father. She is the daughter of Oscar O. and Maria J. (Elliott) Norton, the former a native of Schulyer County, N. Y., born January 1, 1832 and the latter a native of New Hampshire born October . 8, 1836. Grandfather Willis W. Norton was also a native of New York and he was a schoolteacher and farmer; he passed away in 1884 at the age of eighty-

WRFisher

455

HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY

two years, and Grandmother Norton passed away three years later at the age of eighty-three years.

Oscar O. Norton was the second oldest in a family of seven children and was reared on a farm in New York until the age of nineteen, attending school in the winter, and going two years to Starkey Seminary. When nineteen years old he went to work for him- self, teaching school. In 1854 he went to Illinois, where he taught school and worked at the carpen- ter's trade, which he had learned in New York. In 1859 he came to California, going on a visit to his old home first, then taking passage at New York City on the steamer Star of the West; on the Pacific side he took the Golden Age, arriving in San Fran- cisco, July 15, 1859. He came immediately to Stock- ton and obtained work in the harvest fields and worked until he purchased his first property from Thomas F. Smith, which was located about ten miles from Stockton and they farmed in partnership until Mr. Norton bought him out. In 1865 he bought an added eighty acres, and in 1872 eighty more, mak- ing 320 acres. His next purchase was the property, a portion of which is now the home place of Mrs. Hurd, in 1880, consisting of 160 acres. The fol- lowing year, Mr. Norton, erected a handsome resi- dence and carried on general farming, raising grain and stock and also planted about eight acres to vine- yard, this being one of the first commercial vine- yards in the county. He became one of the leading farmers of his locality and his home was one that attracted the attention of the passers-by.

Mr. Norton was a member of Lodi Grange, No. 92, and also of the Congregational Church at that place. On October 4, 1860, he was married to Miss Maria J. Elliott, daughter of Edmund and Sarah Elliott, who crossed the plains in 1859. The ox-team train in front of the Elliott train was burned by the Indians and many of its members came on to Cali- fornia with the Elliott train. Alice E., the subject of this review, and Arthur L. now residing in Southern California are the surviving members of a family of three children. The father passed away on April 28, 1909, at the age of seventy-seven years and the mother at the age of seventy-six on December 31, 1912.

Alice E. Norton attended the old red school house south of Lodi until she was thirteen yars old, then to Lodi and finished her education at Mills College at Oakland. On January 1, 1885, she was married to Alvah S. Lasell, born at St. Albans, Vt., on Oc- tober 26, 1856, a son of Smith and Sarah Lasell. In 1875 Mr. Lasell came to California and for six years was employed as miller with the Sperry Flour Com- pany at Stockton; in 1888 he moved to Santa Cruz County and conducted a lumber mill between San Jose and Soquel; then as Mrs. Lasell's father became unable to handle his ranch, they moved there and conducted it until Mr. Norton's death. When the estate was divided by Mrs. Norton, Mrs. Lasell received forty-five acres with the buildings as her share. Mr. and Mrs. Lasell were the parents of one son, Lester Norton Lasell, who is residing on ten acres of the old Norton place. He married Lillian Widerey and they have three children-Donald W., Marion Alvah, and Lois Ellen. Mr. Lasell was a trustee of the Live Oak school board and was in- strumental in securing the erection of the present school building; he was also an active member of the Almond Grower's Association and fraternally 28

was a member of the Odd Fellows and the Knights of Pythias of Stockton. Mr. Lasell died in 1917.

In 1919, Mrs. Lasell was united in marriage with Clarence W. Hurd, a son of Charles Hurd. A splen- did, new residence was completed on her ranch in August, 1920. The ranch has sixteen acres in vine- yard, nine of which is in full bearing and ten acres are devoted to alfalfa. Mrs. Hurd is a Republican and a member of the Lodi Woman's Club and is a past noble grand of the Rebekahs of Lodi.

JOHN CULVER HAMMOND .- The history of a community is best told in the lives of its citizens, and when these citizens are men of forceful character, progressive and public spirited, giving of the best of their lives not alone to the upbuilding of their own fortunes but to the establishment and maintenance of enterprises calculated to advance the general welfare of those about them, then indeed is such a career worthy of a place in the highest type of citizenship. Such qualities and characteristics have distinguished the life of John Culver Hammond, who came to California with his parents in 1864 and grew to manhood in San Joaquin County and who has proved a dominant force in the upbuilding of this commonwealth and the de- velopment of the county.

A descendant of one of the oldest and most promi- nent American families, dating back to 1634 when Elizabeth Hammond, her son Benjamin, and three daughters landed in Boston Sept. 18, 1634 on the ship Griffin, John Culver Hammond was born in North Abington, Plymouth County, Mass., on October 19, 1865, a son of George and Susanna (Shaw) Ham- mond. Grandfather Benjamin Hammond was a farmer in the vicinity of North Abington, Mass., and influential in that community. The father, George Hammond, was born in Carver, Mass., on. June 21, 1815, and his wife was born in North Abington, Mass., on April 21, 1816. George Hammond came to Cali- fornia by the Panama route in the spring of 1864 settling at Lockeford, San Joaquin County, where he engaged in farming on a quarter section of land which he purchased, and on which he made his home until his death at the age of eighty-nine years. George Hammond's first marriage united him with Susanna Shaw, who passed away on November 29, 1874, and they were the parents of eight children, namely: Delia Marcella Hammond, the oldest daughter, was born in North Abington, Mass., on May 30, 1836 and was married to Dr. Dean J. Locke and they had thirteen children, Luther J., Ada, Horace Mann, Nathaniel H, Ida, May, William W., Hannah, John Calvin, Edward, Eunice, George, and Theresa. Mrs. Locke is still living in Lockeford. The second daughter, Susan Lucretia Hammond was born in North Abing- ton, Mass., on January 13, 1839, and married George Shipley Locke, a brother of Dean J. Locke and they had eleven children, Sarah, A. J., Elmer Hammond, George Franklin, Wallace H., Almy, Lilla, John G., Mertice, Franklin H., and Almy G. Roland G. Ham- mond, the eldest son, was born at North Abington, Mass., on May 18, 1842, came with his parents to California and farmed near Lockeford until his death in 1901. He married Miss Rebecca Taylor in 1876 and they were the parents of six children; Alice Edna, Alberta Josephine, George, Estella May, Ina Pearl, and Nellie. Josiah Shaw Hammond was born at North Abington, Mass., on September 10, 1842, was

456

HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY

graduated from the San Jose State Normal School in 1868 and from Cooper Medical College at San Fran- cisco, in 1873 and is now practicing his profession at Butte, Montana. He married Miss Ann Eliza Simpson, a native of St. Louis, Mo., and they have six children, Emma Louise, Kate T., Hattie, Delia, Nelson, and Benjamin. Horace Alfred Hammond, the third son, was born at North Abington, Mass, on August 7, 1847, resides in Oakland, Cal., and is an engineer. His first marriage occurred on April 7, 1880, and united him with Miss Dolly McGregor, a native of San Francisco, who died in Oakland in 1884, leaving one child, Amy Evelyn. His second marriage united him with Miss Anna Elizabeth Harges. Han- nah Sturtevant Hammond, the third. daughter, was born December 12, 1849, and married Thomas B. Geffroy, who passed away in San Joaquin County. Mrs. Geffroy resides at Lodi and is the mother of seven children, Mabel, Carrie, Bertha, Arthur, Rich- ard, Susie, and Amy. Clara Cobb Hammond, the fourth daughter, was born in North Abington, Mass., on November 8, 1853; on January 24, 1872, she mar- ried Rev. Orville Allen Ross, of Uxbridge, Mass., and they were the parents of eight children, Nettie Tay- for being the only child living.

John Culver Hammond, the subject of this review and the youngest child of George Hammond's family, came with his parents to San Joaquin County in 1864 and was reared and educated at Lockeford. Previous to his death, George Hammond, the father, had sold a portion of his quarter section to his son Roland, but John Culver later leased this from his brother and engaged in general farming on the quarter section. John Culver received thirty-seven acres from his father's estate, which was grain land; he has since added to this until he now has ninety-five acres all in vineyard and the house in which he lives was built by his father in 1867.

The marriage of Mr. Hammond occurred in Locke- ford on September 21, 1882, and united him with Miss Lucie Jane Coil, a native of Lincoln, Ill., born on December 25, 1864, a daughter of James Anderson and Mary Eliza Coil, both natives of De Witt County, Ill. They were the parents of three children, Mrs. Hammond being the oldest. Charles C. Coil is a merchant of Lockeford, and Myrtle is Mrs. Frank Hill of Fresno, Cal. Mrs. Hammond came to California with her parents in 1874 and received her education in the Lockeford schools. Her father passed away at the age of seventy-nine, while her mother died at the age of thirty-four years. Mr. and Mrs. Hammond are the parents of five children, as follows: Horace Coil Hammond married Miss Lena Dudley and they are the parents of one son, John C. H. C. is an employee of the Southern Pacific Railroad at Oakland; Alice Ethel married Dr. Phillip Petch, a native of Humboldt County, Cal., now practicing medicine in Oakland and they are the parents of one son, Phillip, Jr; Myrtle Coil is a graduate nurse at the Stanford Hospital; James Anderson resides at home with his parents. On August 13, 1917, he entered the service of his country as a private and was sent to Camp Tanforan, Cal., in Battery B, 144th Field Artillery, 40th Division, known as the California Grizzlies. He remained at Camp Tanforan until October of 1917 when he was sent to Camp Kearney where he remained until August 2, 1918 and in Aug- ust 15 of that year left New York for France. He trained first at Poitiers; then was sent to Bordeaux

and after the armistice was signed was at Claremont- Ferrand, near Lyons, France, his foreign service cov- ering the period from August 15, 1918, to January 3, 1919. Returning to the United States and California, he was discharged at the Presidio, San Francisco, when he returned to his home in Lockeford. Clara Cobb Hammond, the youngest child is now Mrs. Charles Utterback residing at Christian Colony and they are the parents of two children, Charles, Jr., and Marjorie Jane. In politics, Mr. Hammond is a Re- publican, and fraternally is a past grand of the Odd Fellows, while Mrs. Hammond is a past noble grand of the Live Oak Lodge of Rebekahs, The family have been identified with the upbuilding of Locke- ford and have been factors in movements for the bet- terment . of the social and moral conditions of the people.

AUGUST J. ZITLAU .- A prominent young bank- er of Stockton whose rise in the financial world has been rapid, due entirely to his ability and initiative, is August J. Zitlau, vice-president of the Sacramento- San Joaquin Bank, Stockton, successors to the Farm- ers & Merchants Bank. A man of marked ability, he is eminently qualified for the important post he occupies and already he has become an important factor in the banking circles of the community. A native son of California, Mr. Zitlau was born at Oak- land March 18, 1886, the son of August F. and Cath- erine (Orth) Zitlau, well-known residents of Oak- land. The father came to San Francisco in the early days from his native land, Germany, and for many years has been engaged in the flour milling business. Mrs. Zitlau, also a native of Germany, came to this country when a child, her marriage to Mr. Zitlau oc- curing in New York and they came to California on their honeymoon.

August J. Zitlau attended the Oakland public schools and graduated from the Oakland high school, and displaying a decided bent for journalism, he en- tered the newspaper field, first on the reportorial staff of the Oakland Tribune, and later with its ad- vertising department. Here he remained for five years, a period that was of great value in its broad- ening view, and then accepted a position with the Anglo-California Trust Company of San Francisco. Fortunate in his association with this great financial institution, he gained a thorough grounding in the banking business, learning all of its details as well as accumulating a broad, comprehensive knowledge of the financial world and its operations. In 1913 Mr. Zitlau came to Stockton, becoming the assistant cash- ier of the Commercial & Savings Bank, resigning there in June, 1919, to become cashier of the Farmers & Merchants Bank, a post he handled so efficiently and constructively that when the bank merger with the Sacramento interests was made in the summer of 1920, he was appointed to the vice-presidency of this great financial institution.

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 80

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