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 81

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 81

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On November 8, 1916, Mr. Zitlau was married to Miss Marjorie Littlehale, a native daughter of Stock- ton, and they are the parents of a little girl, Jane. Prominent in fraternal circles, Mr. Zitlau is a mem- ber of San Joaquin Lodge No. 19 F. & A. M. Stock- ton Chapter 28 R. A. M., Stockton Commandery, K. T., and Aahmes Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., Oak- land and belongs to the Yosemite Club, the Stockton Golf and Country Club, and is a charter member of the Stockton Den of Lions, being treasurer of this organization.

a. Zittau.

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HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY

MRS. ISABELLA SHERIDAN .- The earliest recollections of Mrs. Isabella Sheridan are associated with the crossing of the plains to California, where she has resided since she was four years old. She was born in Linn County, Mo., on April 15, 1848, the daughter of Solomon and Phoebe Epperly, her father a pioneer farmer of that state. Leaving Missouri with a span of horses and two oxen on the 14th day of April, 1852, the family came over the Sierra Ne- vada mountains by what is known as the Silver Lake route, and arrived in California on August 26, 1852. They settled at Vulcano and two years later at a point about two miles west of Lockeford near the old brick church, which still stands; there Mrs. Ep- perly bought out a claim and as there was no house on the place, the family lived in a tent until the father could build a house, which he did by cutting down trees, the logs were split and a flat surface hewed on one side of the log with a broad-ax. There were no nails to be had, and the logs were held together with wooden pegs, and the house was con- structed eighteen feet square. For two years the family lived in this house with only a dirt floor; then a wooden floor was put in. Clearing his quarter section of land was laborious and slow, there being a thick undergrowth of chaparral and scrub oak, but it was finally accomplished. Solomon Epperly lived to be eighty-five years old, the mother passing away at the age of sixty-nine. They were the parents of nine children: Hawkins is living at the age of ninety years; Patience is eighty-eight years old; Frank, Zeralda, Evelyn, Elizabeth, Julia, Isabella, our sub- ject, and Rebecca, only three now living.

Dr. D. J. Locke, Mr. Holman and D. J. Staples erected a schoolhouse one mile west of Lockeford made of canvas with benches made out of logs flat- tened on one side and in this schoolhouse Isabella Epperly started to school at the age of six years, with Mr. Wheelock as teacher, the school term cov- ering a period of about three months out of each year. About the time of the Civil War the Octagon schoolhouse was built, so-called because of its octag- onal shape.

Isabella Epperly made her home with her parents until her marriage on August 20, 1865, to Frank Sheridan, a son of William and Sarah Sheridan, his father a native of Ireland, where he passed away. Frank Sheridan came to California with his sister across the plains in 1852 from Missouri, where they had first settled upon reaching the United States. He received his education at Merced Falls, Cal., and grew to young manhood on a ranch and consequent- ly he became interested in the stock business and followed the butcher business as a livelihood. Mr. and Mrs. Sheridan spent one year in Lockeford; then they moved to Snelling where Mr. Sheridan conducted a butcher shop for eleven years; then they moved to Turlock and Mr. Sheridan engaged in the same line of business. In 1878 the family moved back to Lockeford and Mr. Sheridan ran a meat market until he passed away in 1897. They were the parents of seven children: the first one died in infancy; Caroline Louise is Mrs. W. L. Young of Lockeford; Anna Josephine is Mrs. Stamper of San Francisco; Katherine May is Mrs. Hartwell of Tracy; Cora Belle is Mrs. Winkleman of San Fran- cisco; Frank died in 1899; Emelda is Mrs. Craig of Fresno. Mr. Sheridan was a member of the old

Workman Lodge of Lockeford. Mrs. Sheridan is the second oldest pioneer living in Lockeford today and it has been her good fortune to see the improve- ments and developments of the county and state from a wilderness to its present prosperity.

JAMES J. HAYES .- A successful business man who is also an experienced horticulturist, and who in both undertakings has displayed ability as a system- atic manager, is James J. Hayes, who was a suc- cessful contractor and builder in Stockton for about twenty-five years. He was born at Swanton, Wayne County, Pa., on February 26, 1854, a son of Timothy and Julia (Carey) Hayes. The father was a native of County Cork, Ireland, and came to the United States in 1811 and saw service in the War of 1812. He was second cousin to President Hayes. The mother came from old Pennsylvania-Dutch stock and was the mother of fourteen children, seven sons and seven daughters, twelve of whom are still living. The father also served in the Mexican War and all through the Civil War was commander of the Army of the Potomac. He died aged 109, having rounded out a full life.

When James J. Hayes was eleven years of age he ran away from home and made his way to California where he joined his uncle, Colonel Thomas Hayes, who was at one time in command of Fremont's army and during 1864 he raised a company of men to join the southern forces and James J. Hayes joined them. Poncho Vallejo, son of Ex-Governor Vallejo, fur- nished about 200 horses for this company and they started out from San Francisco on their journey south; at Fort Yuma they were captured by Colonel Miles after crossing the Colorado River at Yuma. Bribing the guard with whiskey, they crossed the line as immigrants, but the news soon reached Colo- nel Miles who went after them and captured the entire company and sent them back to San Francisco on the sloop of war, St. Mary, where they were held prisoners of war for ninety days. James J. Hayes lived with his uncle until he passed away in 1868, then he took up the trade of ship carpenter and in 1887 settled in Stockton, where he engaged in the contracting business until about ten years ago. He built many of the older and larger buildings here.

The marriage of Mr. Hayes occurred in France in 1890 and united him with Miss Mary Parsaul, a native of Canada, born of French parents and who had gone to France to complete her musical educa- tion and there the young people met and were mar- ried. They are the parents of one daughter, Ethel, now the wife of S. D. Hewlett, manager of J. W. Galway & Company, and they have a daughter, Babe Hayes Hewlett, a graduate in June, 1923, of Stockton high school and a girl of fine literary talent. During twenty-two years spent in traveling, Mr. Hayes was a United States deputy marshal and it was during one of his trips to the district of Normandy, France, for the ship company that he was married to Miss Parsaul. Mr. Hayes is a member of the National Builders Trade Council and politically is a Demo- crat. He owns a sixteen-acre ranch devoted to orchard and alfalfa which has been developed into a very fine home place. He has always been a chicken fancier and was one of the organizers of the first poultry association in Stockton. He is still rais- ing show birds and has some that he has exhibited at all the poultry shows in the state and taken prizes.

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HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY

WILLIAM WESLEY FITZGERALD, M. D .- One of the most representative citizens of San Joa- quin County who has made a name for himself as a physician and surgeon and who is also widely known as the pioneer in the English walnut industry of the county, is W. W. Fitzgerald of Stockton. A native son, he was born on a ranch about seven miles east of the city on June 1, 1868, the son of the pioneer, Philip Fitzgerald, a native of New Jersey but who was reared in Indiana from early boyhood and there followed farming until he set out for California in 1850, and arrived in Stockton in 1851, after having traveled for months behind slow-moving oxen. He first tried his luck at mining, then engaged in freight- ing to the mines from Stockton with ox teams. As he prospered in hauling supplies to the mining camps he bought land in the vicinity of Linden and there he set out one of the first vineyards, consisting of ten acres, in the county. As he had demonstrated that grapes would grow successfully here he enlarged his vineyard to thirty acres. In the early days prices were very good for wine grapes and the value of land increased in proportion when it was found that it would grow trees and vines. Philip Fitzgerald was twice married: his first wife was Miss Jane Kindle and a native of Wisconsin. They had five children: William W .; Emily; Josephine; Albert and Ottie. His second marriage with Miss Dora Hoffman re- sulted in the birth of three children: James W., Mark, and Clarence. Both parents of Dr. Fitzgerald are now deceased.

W. W. Fitzgerald attended the public schools of San Joaquin County, finishing with a course in the Stockton Business College. Desiring to become a physician he entered Jefferson Medical College at Philadelphia and in due time received his M. D. degree, then he followed his profession in Philadel- phia for a time. Upon the death of his father in 1895, he returned to Stockton and soon was recognized as one of the leading physicians and surgeons in the county, his practice taking him to almost every sec- tion of it, and for years he remained active as a leader in professional circles. During the years of his active practice he had associated with him at different times four young physicians, all of whom have become prominent in the profession. For many years Dr. Fitzgerald was surgeon for the Southern Pacific.

While acting as railroad surgeon Dr. Fitzgerald made frequent visits to Southern California, and being a keen observer as to the possibilities of the soil and climate of San Joaquin County, having been reared on a ranch, he concluded that soft shell walnuts would thrive here. He brought scions of the various kinds of English walnuts from the South and grafted them on to the black walnut trees in various parts of the county to test out both climatic and soil condi- tions. After several years' careful scientific experi- mental work he selected the Eureka and Payne varie- ties as the best suited to the local conditions and in 1909 he set out one of the very first commercial English walnut groves in the county, consisting of sixty acres, four and one-half miles southeast of Lodi. Still continuing his experimental work he demon- strated that the climatic conditions were ideal for the culture of walnuts as the trade winds from the ocean which follow the Bay to Stockton cool the hot air of the locality and enables the nuts to fill and mature. These two species named are hardy, uniform in size and command the highest prices in the markets of

the East. After experimenting for about five years Dr. Fitzgerald set out his first grove in 1909, and one of 100 acres on Cherokee Lane in 1915.

After many years of professional work Dr. Fitz- gerald retired in 1918. Having been the pioneer in the walnut growing industry in San Joaquin County, others have followed in his footsteps until the indus- try is now looked upon as becoming one of the prin- cipal horticultural projects in this section. Always willing to help others who are following his lead, his counsel is often sought by those contemplating the planting of English walnut groves; and besides he has been contributing to various journals on the sub- ject of walnut growing and culture, also has given many lectures, In 1915 he was asked to address the American Pomological Society at its meeting in Berkeley on this subject. From a hobby the growing of walnuts has become a very profitable commercial enterprise with Dr. Fitzgerald and he is a member of the California Walnut Growers Association.

Dr. Fitzgerald was united in marriage on Septem- ber 8, 1914, with Miss Dorothy Eproson, a native daughter, born at Milton, and she shares with her husband the good will and esteem of all who know them. He is a member of Morning Star Lodge No. 68, F. & A. M .; Stockton Chapter No. 28, R. A. M .; Stockton Council No. 10, R. & S. M .; Stockton Com- mandery, K. T .; and Islam Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S. in San Francisco; he also belongs to Charity Lodge No. 6, I. O. O. F., Stockton Lodge No. 218, B. P. O. E., and the Iroquois Tribe of Red Men. Taking his career from any standpoint it shows that Dr. Fitz- gerald has been a benefactor in professional, commer- cial and horticultural circles and is entitled to the commendation of his fellow citizens who hold him in high esteem.

JAMES A. BARR .- High on the list of educators who have achieved marked success in their calling is found the name of James A. Barr, a man of fine intellectual attainments and executive ability who has devoted many years to the furtherance of the high standards of the state's educational system and has also found time in his busy life for much public service work. A native of Kentucky, Mr. Barr first saw the light of day in a log cabin near Union Star, Breckinridge County, on July 19, 1863. His parents were Henry Harrison and Susan Mary (Moorman) Barr, now deceased, and they were both born in the Blue Grass State. Leaving their Kentucky home the family went to Illinois and from there to Mis- souri, continuing their westward migration to Cali- fornia in 1875. They settled at Collegeville, San Joa- quin County, and there the father farmed for three years, then removed to Stockton with his family.

The only child in the Barr family, James A. Barr, was twelve years old when his parents arrived in Cal- ifornia. For a time he attended the rural school at Collegeville, and then for a year and a half he was in the Stockton high school. He was obliged to go to work early in life but his ambition for an educa- tion never wavered and he educated himself by long hours of study at night, after his day's work was over. His first employment was as office boy in an employment agency Center Street, Stockton, where he received ten dollars a month; next he was with the Pacific Bakery for two years, getting fifteen dollars a month the first year and twenty-five dollars the second year, arising at four o'clock Sunday morn-

W.W. Fitzgerald m. d.

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HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY

ings to deliver baked beans to the customers. For a time he worked in a grocery store, all the while saving his money, and he was then able to attend the Stockton Business College for six months, Fisher R. Clarke being at the head of the school.

After he had received a teacher's certificate, Mr. Barr started out with a horse and buggy, looking for a position, and after driving three or four days through the country up into Calaveras and Amador counties, he was assigned to the Julian district school in Amador County, sixty dollars a month being the salary of country teachers at that time. His second school was in the Clements district, and the next year he was elected principal of the Jefferson school in Stockton. After four years there he became prin- cipal of the Fremont school, but after teaching there only three months he was elected to the office of city superintendent of schools of Stockton, holding this important post for twenty years, from 1891 to 1911, continuously, probably a record in California schools. An enthusiast in all matters relating to educational activities, during this long term of service Mr. Barr left the imprint of his high ideals on the public school system of Stockton, wisely shaping its policies and progress.

Shortly after severing his connection with the schools of Stockton, Mr. Barr was elected to the secretaryship of the California Teachers' Associa- tion, helping to organize this body. He took up his residence at Oakland and after one year in office he was honored by election to the office of Director of Congresses, to take charge of the conventions to be held at San Francisco during the Panama-Pacific Exposition in 1915. This was a most important posi- tion and Mr. Barr fulfilled its duties with great suc- cess, serving for four years, and being the means of additional thousands of visitors attending the Expo- sition. He made several trips across the continent, visiting many states and interviewing big, influential men. Through Mr. Barr's efforts 928 conventions were held in San Francisco during the Exposition, more than twice as many as were held in St. Louis, and four times as many as were held in Chicago dur- ing its exposition. A postage stamp campaign was also used by Mr. Barr in his publicity work, 750,000 letters being sent out, $13,000 being spent for post- age. At present he is assistant secretary of the Cali- fornia Teachers' Association, the duties of the office requiring his spending a part of the time in San Francisco, the remainder being spent at his Stockton home, looking after his business interests here.

Mr. Barr's marriage united him with Miss Julia Inez Mann, a native daughter of Stockton, whose father, Stephen H. Mann, was a pioneer gold miner of the state, and who lived to the fine old age of ninety-two years. Mr. and Mrs. Barr are the parents of two children: James A., Jr., and Doris, and the family make their home at 105 East Magnolia Street, Stockton. Public spirited and loyally interested in the commercial as well as the educational progress of the community, some twenty years ago Mr. Barr developed the plan on which the Chamber of Com- merce of Stockton was based, giving much of his time to its organization and helping in increasing the membership in a week's campaign from twenty to 600. He is past noble grand of Truth Lodge No. 55, I. O. O. F., past chief patriarch of Parker En- campment, and belongs to the Stockton Elks and the California School Masters' Club.

Almost every man has some hobby and Professor Barr has one of the most interesting that one could imagine. For forty years he has been making a study of Indian life as found in San Joaquin County and he has collected the largest assortment of Indian implements from that region to be found anywhere. In that collection is found an assortment of 157 Obsidian curved knives, the largest collection of its kind in the possession of an individual in the U. S. He has pipes, beads, clay-balls, arrow and spear heads, etc. He has studied Indian lore and is an authority on the history of the Indians of early days. Besides this he has been gathering data and tabulat- ing same, of historical topics of almost every de- scription; and to top it all he has a large collection of unmounted photographs covering the development of the city, county and industrial life. This work has taken Mr. Barr years to gather, tabulate and index, but it means much to the coming generations who may have an opportunity to enjoy this wonder- ful collection in a museum that may possibly be erected by some public-spirited citizen of Stockton.

THOMAS B. PARKER .- Well known through- out San Joaquin County, Thomas B. Parker is a representative of best ideals of citizenship and pro- gressive enterprise, and is one of the extensive farm- ers of the county, having a fine estate of 150 acres. one and a half miles east of Lockeford, a portion of the ranch settled by his father in the early '50s. A native Californian, he was born on his father's ranch in San Joaquin County, October 22, 1862, a son of Thomas B. and Margaret (Givens) Parker, both natives of Hopkinsville, Ky., and in early days moved to Missouri and located in Henry County. The father first came to California in 1850 and engaged in the stock business, but two years later returned to Missouri, where he remained for a time. Then he brought his family across the plains in 1854, driving the cattle, while his family came behind as a part of a large emigrant train. Settling in the northwestern part of San Joaquin County, Mr. Parker bought a squatter's right to 320 acres, but afterward had to , pay the railroad for it. On a portion of this ranch our subject is living today. The father passed away when Thomas B. was about a year old and his mother afterwards married M. E. Bryant.

Thomas B. Parker had very little opportunity for schooling, but the education he received was while attending the Athearn school, then located on the Mokelumne River bottom, and the Mackville and Elliott schools. When he was nineteen years old he left home and went to Mason Valley, Nev., where he worked for Mason, of Miller & Lux, Mason being the head of the Nevada ranch. He then returned to Lockeford and worked on various ranches for three or four years.

Here the first marriage of Mr. Parker occured at Lockeford at the old Parker home on May 8, 1884, and united him with Miss Margaret Atwood, a na- tive of Logansport, Ind., who had come to Cal- ifornia on a visit and met and married Mr. Parker. They were the parents of two chil- dren: Roy met death by accident at the age of four- teen, and Edith died when twenty-two years old. Mrs. Parker passed away in January, 1920, from infiu- enza. His second marriage occurred on August 7, 1920, and united him with Mrs. Ossie (Wade) Holmes, a native of Morton, Miss., a daughter of Lafayette and Susan (Lingle) Wade, who were plantation

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HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY

owners in the rich delta land of the Mississippi River. Her parents are of Scotch-Irish descent and Mrs. Parker is one of the younger children. A brother, John W. Wade, is judge of the Circuit Court, first division, at Little Rock, Ark., and takes an active part in politics. After his first marriage, Mr. Parker continued to live on the old home place of 320 acres which his father had acquired so many years ago; of the original tract, he now owns 150 acres. While the old home buildings are still stand- ing, Mr. Parker has built a fine, modern residence, where he and his wife reside. About 20 years ago Mr. Parker and W. R. McGary purchased the Buck Springs Ranch of 440 acres in San Joaquin County. Later Mr. McGary sold out to Ed Harris of Stockton. Politically Mr. Parker is Democrat and fraternally is affiliated with Stockton Lodge No. 218, B. P. O. E. Mr. Parker's farming and stock-raising operations are conducted upon a large scale and he has been identified with this line of enterprise ever since launching into his active career.

MRS. MARY DOWNING BRADDOCK .- A pioneer woman of San Joaquin County, whose father first came to California in 1850 across the plains, is Mrs. Mary Downing Braddock. She was born at Fort Scott, Kans., a daughter of William and Martha (Butts) Downing, both natives of Tennessee, who were raised near Missouri. William Downing crossed the plains with pack mules and mined in Calaveras County for two years when he returned to his home in Missouri and moved his family to Fort Scott, Kans., where he farmed for a year; then in 1863 he crossed the plains a second time with ox teams via the Salt Lake route, arriving at Sacramento on Sep- tember 2, 1863; he located near Brighton, Sacramento County, where two of his brothers lived; then re- moved with his family to San Joaquin County locat- ing on the ranch known as the McComas place on Cherokee Lane; there he remained for two years, then removed to Santa Clara County and located at Evergreen where he farmed for one year. He then returned to Lockeford and purchased a quarter-sec- tion of land and engaged in farming that place for five years; then removed to Butte County and lived near Biggs until 1895, preempting a quarter section of Government land. Nine children were born to this pioneer couple: Martitia, James W., Mrs. Lydia Woods and Rufus are deceased; Mrs. Mary Brad- dock, our subject; John, deceased; Mrs. Ida Hersam, of Berkeley; Robert J. resides in Hanford, Cal .; Mrs. Lulu DeWitt of Portersville, Cal. The father passed away aged seventy-four, and the mother at the age of eighty years.

On March 27, 1879, at Biggs, Cal., Miss Mary Downing was united in marriage with D. W. Brad- dock, a native of Ohio, and a son of Josiah C. Brad- dock. Mr. Braddock received his education in Ohio and after coming to California in 1869 attended the San Francisco Normal School. He was teaching school at Biggs where he met and married Miss Downing. He was county superintendent of schools of Butte County for eight years and after removing to Stockton he was principal of the Jefferson school for ten years; he also owned a fruit ranch near Grid- ley in Butte County, and in 1895 the family moved to their present home located at 427 East Lindsay Street where they have since resided. Four children have been born to them; Charles resides in San Francisco; David, Grace and George all reside in

Stockton. Mr. Braddock has been engaged in the real estate business in Stockton for the past fifteen years; he and his wife are stanch Democrats. Fra- ternally he is a member of the I. O. O. F. and is a Knights Templar Mason, while Mrs. Braddock is a member of the Ladies of the G. A. R. and the auxiliary of the California Society of Pioneers.

JOHN FREDERICK STARK .- An honored name on the list of esteemed citizens of San Joaquin County was that of John Frederick Stark. He came to the county in 1883, and throughout the remainder of his life his interests were associated vitally with those of his adopted state. He lent his support to the educational, moral and social progress of his locality and his influence was always to be found on the side of the general welfare. He was born at Kiel, Germany, March 11, 1855, of German parents, who were farmer folk, and John Frederick was taught to work while still a young boy. He learned the carpenter's trade and spent twenty-six years of his life in his native country, when he decided to seek broader opportunities in the new world. He arrived in America in 1881 and first settled in Davenport, Iowa, where he spent two years, then removed to Stockton, Cal., and soon found work on the William and Bixler ranch on Union Island. He followed his trade and engaged in farming at the same time for about one year; then he rented a large tract of land and began his farming operations, which have proven successful. He bought his first land in 1901, which he developed into the home place, which he brought to a high state of cultivation. For three years Mr. Stark was assisted in his extensive farming opera- tions by his cousin, August Stark, then the latter moved to Texas, where he died in July, 1922.

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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 81

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