USA > California > San Mateo County > History of San Mateo County, California, including its geography, topography, geology, climatography, and description, together with an historical sketch of California; a record of the Mexican grants; the early history and settlement, compiled from the most authentic sources; some of the names of Spanish and American pioneers; legislative history; a record of its cities and towns; biographical sketches of representative men; etc., etc > Part 32
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G. F. Keiffer. Is an old settler of San Mateo county, and was born in Rockingham county, Vermont, June 11, 1836. When eight years of age, his parents moved to Saline county, Missouri, where he was educated. In 1853 the family came to California, crossing the plains in ox teams. Their first stopping place was Martinez, Contra Costa county, but in 1854 they took up a permanent residence on San Gregorio creek, in this county, where the family, consisting of his father, Joseph Keiffer, his mother, four sisters, and himself, conducted a prosperous farming enterprise. Mr. Keiffer married Mary Rhodes, daughter of Daniel Rhodes, of Visalia, Tulare county, and they have seven children; Sarah J., Ruth A., Daniel M., Annie, Dora E., Hugh H., and Alice A.
J. B. Harsha. At present residing on San Gregoria creek, was born in Butler county, Ohio, August 3, 1830. At the age of seven years he accom- panied his parents to Lafayette, Indiana, and thence to Missouri, where he remained until coming to this State. Leaving Grundy county he crossed the plains with ox teams, and settled at Mud Springs, near Hangtown, where he mined until 1853, in the fall of which year he took up his residence at Peta- luma, Sonoma county, where he remained until 1860. After a short residence at Point Reyes, Marin county, he came to this county in the fall of 1863, and settled near where Mr. Quentin now lives, at San Gregoria. He soon after
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located permanently on the ranch he now occupies, on San Gregoria creek. He married Josephine Keiffer, but they have no children.
Edwin L. Johnson. Was born in Pomfret, Windham county, Connecti- cut, September 15, 1835. He was reared and educated in his native town, and February 20, 1853, he left New York City on the steamer Ohio, crossed the Isthmus of Panama, and arrived in San Francisco on the steamer Nor- thern, March 30th of the same year. His first settlement was the old Mis- sion Dolores, where he lived about three years, when he removed to Turk street, San Francisco, where he engaged in the dairy business. In 1857 he came to this county, and in company with his half brother, John S. Colgrove, and Ansel S. Easton, located on the Black Hawk ranch, which they farmed in partnership until 1860. About this time Mr. Colgrove bought the Laurel creek farm, and Mr. Johnson, in 1864, was engaged by S. B. Whipple to superintend his ranch at San Mateo. He held this position until 1870, when he returned to the eastern states. On December 11, 1873, his half brother was killed by a Southern Pacific railroad train, and in the spring of 1874 Mr. Johnson returned to California, settling up his brother's estate. He went east again in April, 1875, and returned again in 1878, but did not remain long. In 1881 he once more came to California, this time to remain permanently, and since that time he has made San Mateo county his home. Mr. Johnson is well known both in this county and San Francisco, and has a wide circle of warm and devoted friends.
John S. Colgrove, his half brother, came to California in 1850, settling in San Mateo county in 1854, when he took charge of the business of I. C. Woods. As has been stated, he purchased the Laurel Creek farm, where he resided until his death. Mr. Colgrove was a gentleman highly respected by all who knew him, and his death removed from the community a citizen whose place it would be difficult to fill.
Braddock Weeks. Was born in Wayne, Kennebec county, Maine, Decem- ber 6, 1812, and emigrated to Ohio in 1846, where he remained until he came to this coast via Panama in 1852, landing in San Francisco in January of that year. He lived in Santa Cruz until he came to this county, in 1856, where he has since resided. He married Clarissa A. White. They have one child liv- ing, Albion, and one dead, Frank.
0. McMahon. Was born in Ireland, December 23, 1825, and landed in New York City April 1, 1848. He went to Fall river, Massachusetts, where he was in the employ of Adams & McKinsey, afterwards living in Newport, Rhode Island, still in the employ of the same firm, with whom he remained until he came to this State, via the Isthmus, in 1851. He mined on Weaver
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creek, El Dorado county, about one year, and then returned to Sacramento, where he remained until 1853, when he came to this county and became con- nected with the stage line running between San Francisco and San José. He was engaged in this business until he settled on the farm where he is now residing. He is the proprietor of the well known and popular McMahon House. He married Elizabeth Flournoy, and Ellen Marrat, Margaret Ann, and Elizabeth, are the names of their children.
Edward Robson. Is a native of Manchester, England, where he was born December 20, 1830. He arrived in the United States in 1840, with his parents, who settled at Kenosha, Wisconsin, afterwards locating in Lake county, Illi- nois, where they only remained a few years, when they returned to Kenosha and resided there until coming to this State, via the Isthmus, in 1858, landing in San Francisco in July of that year. Mr. Robson first settled near Colma, and then located on his present farm in 1859. He was dispossessed by David Mahoney in 1863, but regained possession by law in 1866, and has lived here ever since. He is one of the old settlers of township No. 1, and bears the highest reputation in the community where he resides. He married Elizabeth Burlly, a native of England, and their children are Minnie, Josephine and Ellen Mercer.
William C. Alt. The subject of this biography was born in Germany, February 15, 1838. He landed in New York City in 1852, and remained there three years, when he removed to New Brunswick, New Jersey, where he lived seven years. He afterwards resided in Newark in the same state, until 1868, when he came to California, via Panama, arriving in San Francisco Sep- tember 28th of the same year. He remained in San Francisco until the fol- lowing March, when he came to San Mateo where he has since lived, following the trade of shoemaking, which he learned while a resident of New York City. He is married, and his children are William C., Henry E. and Anna G.
Charles W. Swanton. Was born in Bath, Maine, August 22, 1823, and when he was about six or seven years of age, his parents moved to Bangor, in the same State, where they resided five or six years, afterwards settling at Augusta. They lived here three years and then moved to Portland. Mr. Swanton came to California in 1858 via Panama, landing in San Francisco in August of that year. He went to Mariposa county and took charge of a quartz mill for General J. C. Fremont, remaining there four months, when he located for a time in Bear valley, in the same county, afterwards returning to San Francisco. He came to Pescadero in 1861, and purchased the hotel now known as the Swanton House, of which he is still the proprietor. He is mar- ried, and has two children.
Me gaston
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James Reed. Mr. Reed was born in Oneida county, New York, June 11, 1834. He was reared on a farm, and with his parents moved to Oswego county, in the same state. They lived here two years and then settled at Utica. Mr. Reed lived in New York until he came to California in 1863, via the Isthmus, landing in San Francisco August 2d of that year. He remained in that city about one year, and then located at Searsville in this county, in 1864. In the fall of 1865 he located at Pescadero, working on various ranches in that sec- tion until 1870 when he settled permanently on his present farm. He visited the eastern states in 1873 and remained there four months. All the buildings on his ranch were erected by himself, and he combines dairying with his ordi- nary farming operations. In 1879 he erected a commodious barn which is one hundred and forty by seventy-three, and capable of sheltering about one hundred cows. His dairy house was erected in 1882, at which time he also built a windmill, from which pipes are laid to all the buildings on the ranch, thus supplying the entire premises with fine spring water, fresh from the cool reservoirs of the neighboring hills. Mr. Reed married Elizabeth Patterson.
John H. Sears. The gentleman whose name heads this sketch was born in Sullivan county, New York, February 3, 1823. When eighteen years of age he located in Wayne county, Pennsylvania, where he resided until he came to this state. Sailing from New York on the Nancy E. Mayhew, he crossed the Isthmus and arrived in San Francisco on the Powhattan, August 1, 1850. Like the majority of the early argonauts to this coast, he proceeded direct to the mines. After a short residence at Downieville he returned, in the winter of 1850, to San Francisco, and in the following spring visited the southern mines, where he remained during the summer and fall of 1851. Leaving Mariposa county he went to Monterey, and thence up the coast to San Francisco again. In January, 1853, Mr. Sears came to this county, locating near the Mountain House, at that time kept by Jack Hayes. He remained here until the following January, when he built a house on the site of what is now known as Searsville, a name applied by a representative of the Alta who visited the place in the spring or summer of 1854, and in a series of papers descriptive of the section referred to the settlement by that designation. The building erected by Mr. Sears was occupied as a hotel and known as the Sears House. Mr. Sears moved to La Honda in the winter of 1861-2, and gave the place its name. He is married, and their children are named respec- tively William M., Ida J., and Anna L. A little grandson, Leonard M., also lives with them.
James McCormack. Mr. McCormack was born in Ireland in 1841, and when seven years of age came to the United States with his parents, who settled at Carthage, Jefferson county, New York, and afterwards at Rutland. He left
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New York City in December, 1863, for San Francisco, where he arrived Janu- ary 15, 1864. He located at Santa Cruz, where he lived until October of that year, when he came to Pescadero, where he has since resided, engaged princi- pally in the business of farming and dairying. In 1873, in company with P. G. Stryker, he bought the store of John Garretson, the business of which they conducted until 1877, when they re-sold to Garretson. While in partnership with Mr. Stryker he did not give the business his personal attention, being at that time deputy assessor and road overseer, and one of the agents of the Fast Freight Line from Pescadero to San Francisco. He married Julia S. Shaffrey January 12, 1866, their children being Alice A., Frances, Ella M., Florence A., James, Lilian E. and Julia.
Loren Coburn. Brookfield, Orange county, Vermont, was the birthplace of Mr. Coburn, the date being January 11, 1836. When eighteen years of age he removed to Massachusetts where he remained until he started for California, in 1851. Leaving New York on the steamer Falcon for Cuba, he crossed the Isthmus, taking passage at Panama on the steamer Panama, arriving in San Francisco June 1, 1851. Mr. Coburn at once proceeded to the northern mines, via Sacramento and Greenwood valley, remaining four months at the placers of the Middle Fork of the American river. Returning to San Francisco with the intention of again visiting the eastern states, he was induced to embark in the livery business at Oakland where he remained four years, finally disposing of his business and purchasing another of similar character in San Francisco which he conducted for about eleven years. In the meantime he had pur- chased the Butano ranch, containing four thousand four hundred and forty- four acres, and afterwards added the adjoining Punto del Ano Nuevo ranch, con- taining four leagues, to his estate, by purchase. He then sold his business in San Francisco, leased his ranch to the Steele brothers in 1862, and in 1866 went east, where he remained until 1868, when he returned to San Francisco. In 1872 the lease of the Steele brothers having expired, he removed to Pigeon Point and assumed charge of his property, and has resided there ever since. When Mr. Coburn returned from his eastern trip, he bought ten thousand acres of land on the Salinas river, in Monterey county, and has since pur- chased large tracts of timber land near the home ranch at Pigeon Point. His business at this place is dairying, stock raising and shipping. Mr. Coburn is eminently a self made man. His entire career has displayed a force of char- acter and indomitable energy, which, in the long run, never fails to land the possessor of these qualities on the top round of the ladder. He has amassed quite a fortune, but one would not observe that from his conduct, for he is a plain, every-day man. He is married to an estimable woman, who has in the past, and is now contributing her share towards leading a contented and happy life.
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A. Honsinger, proprietor of the Greenwood Dairy farm, is a New Yorker by birth, his native place being Schenectady. He was born June 15, 1825, and when five years of age his parents moved to Lorain county, Ohio, where young Honsinger was early instructed thoroughly in the farming industry and the dairy business. He left Lorain county for California in 1866, and located at first on one of the Steele ranches, where he maintained a dairy until he took possession of the ranch where he is at present residing, in 1870. The Green- wood Dairy farm is situated at the head of Greenwood creek, and contains three hundred and fifty acres. He stocked the ranch with two hundred and thirty head of cattle, but by reason of a temporary, partial suspen- sion of business on his part, reduced this number to about twenty head. The milk house is located north of his residence, and beyond this building in the same direction are the barns. Mr. Honsinger has every appliance for making butter of a very superior quality, and his long experience in the busi- ness renders the product of the dairy a very desirable article in the market. He married Harriet Williams, and has three children, Frederick, Hattie, and Jessie.
Joseph B. Hollinsead. Among the pioneers who crossed the plains to this state in 1849, was Joseph B. Hollinsead, who arrived in San Francisco in December of that year. He was born in Louisville, Kentucky, December 7, 1832. On his arrival in San Francisco he worked at his trade of carpenter until the gold excitement drew him to the mines. He continued to make San Francisco his home, until he removed to this county, in 1860, locating on the ranch now owned by Mr. Pinkham. After a short residence on this place he returned to San Francisco, and when he returned to San Mateo, settled on the farm where he is at present located. He married Mary A. Camring, and they have five children, named respectively Jeremiah, Joseph, Ella, Alice and Sarah E.
Robert Rawls. There are few residents of San Mateo county who are unacquainted with Bob Rawls, the stage driver. His bright smile, his hearty laugh, his ready wit, his keen repartee, are the delight of all who know him, and he is a prime favorite all along the route from San Mateo to Pescadero. True to the traditions and manners of his guild, of which he is a bright type, his affability, especially with the ladies, has gained for him many devoted friends. He was born in Chester county, Illinois, May 16, 1835. He resided in Fairfield, Jefferson county, Iowa, from 1857 until 1860, when he removed to Arkansas, where he remained until the following year, when he crossed the plains to this state, settling at San Luis Obispo, and driving the stage to San José, a position he held for six years. He then came to this county, and has been driving between Spanishtown to Pescadero ever since. There is no
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more popular or competent driver in the state, and Messrs. Taft & Garretson simply further their own interests in employing him on their line. He is mar- ried and has three children; Edward, Mary, and Ellen Elizabeth.
G. W. Baldwin. Mr. Baldwin was born in Newark, New Jersey, May 30, 1833, and served an apprenticeship in a machine shop in that state. He left Newark in 1855, and arrived in San Francisco November 28th, of that year, working at his trade in that city until 1863, when he came to San Mateo county, settling at La Honda for a time, and afterwards removing to Pesca- dero, where he has ever since resided, engaged in the occupation of farming. He married Harriet M. Simpson, and has one child, Mary E.
William M. Taylor. Mr. Taylor was born in Chester county, Penn- sylvania, August 10, 1844. While still young his parents moved to Phila- delphia, where he learned the trade of a machinist. For some time he followed his trade in connection with mercantile pursuits, finally emigrating to Cali- fornia, and settling in Pescadero township, in this county, where he, now resides on a beautiful farm in the mountains, surrounded by charming scenery and environed by a climate unsurpassed in the world. He married Mary Mullen, and one child, Lillie, is the offspring.
H. H. Pinkham. Born in Somerset county, Maine, September 1, 1836, Mr. Pinkham left his native state in 1859, and crossing the Isthmus arrived in San Francisco during that year. Remaining there only ten days, he went to Oregon, returning June 17, 1863, and settling near Pescadero in 1866, where he engaged in farming in connection with the dairy business, receiving his milk supply from a herd of about fifty cows.
Henry Wurr, a pioneer of 1852, was born in Germany February 26, 1824, where he spent his boyhood days, and received his education. He emi- grated to the United States and settled at Davenport, Iowa, in 1846 .. He left Davenport in 1852 and crossed the plains with ox teams, settling near Red- wood City in the fall of the same year. In 1856 he removed to Pescadero, where he is at present residing. He has, for many years, been interested in the milling industry. His children are Hedvig, Blomquist, Ora, Elen and Charles.
J. H. Pratt. The subject of this sketch was born in Otsego county, New York, June 10, 1826. He was reared on a dairy farm, and thus became con- versant with every department of that industry. Reports which he received of the soil and climate of California impressed him so favorably that in 1869 he came to this coast intending to locate permanently. He secured a lease of
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the Miller & Lux ranch, at Gilroy, where he remained until 1870, when he removed to the Steele ranch, in this county. In the course of fifteen months he went to San Luis Obispo, and afterwards to Stockton, and Dixon, Solano county. He lived in the latter place until his return to San Mateo county in 1881. He is at present located on R. K. Brown's White House ranch, which he has leased, and where he is principally engaged in the manufacture of cheese. He was married to Caroline E. Fitch, June 5, 1856, and had two children, Clayton and Frank, both of whom were drowned off Nuevo Island in the spring of 1883.
W. H. Gardner. Mr. Gardner was born near Fall river, Massachusetts. In 1852 he shipped as a sailor, and came to this coast in 1858, having in his voyages visited many foreign countries. Soon after his arrival in this state he embarked on a voyage to Tahiti and Hongkong, China, and was absent eight months. On his return in June, 1859, he settled at Pescadero, on the ranch where he has, since that time, resided continuously.
Hugh McDermott, is the present incumbent of the office of justice of the peace for San Mateo township. He was born in Ireland in March, 1829, and came to the United States in 1847, settling in Luzerne county, Pennsylvania, where he lived about five years, when he located in Orange county, New York. He came to California via the Isthmus, in 1857, landing in San Francisco March 27th of that year. He was for a time engaged in mining in El Dorado county, afterwards pursuing the same occupation in Grass Valley and Sierra county. Crossing the mountains into Idaho territory, he prospected for a time, and was afterwards employed by the government in assisting to construct Fort Boise. He returned to California in 1865, and settled in this county, where he has since lived. Prior to the last election, Mr. McDermott had held his present office for two terms. He is married but has no children.
Thomas H. Perry. Thomas H. Perry was born in Ireland, May 2, 1822. He came to the United States in 1852, landing in New York City in March of that year. His residence in that city continued, with the exception of two years at Lake George, until he came to this state via the Isthmus in 1863, arriving here January 31st. He settled at San Jose where he remained until 1864, when he came to San Mateo and here opened a boot and shoe shop, December 11, 1866, conducting this business continuously ever since. He married Sarah McDonald, his second wife, March 8, 1853. She was born in the county Tyrone, Ireland, January 12, 1828. He had two children by his first marriage, one of whom, James, born July 10, 1843, enlisted in the war of the rebellion and served with distinction, being engaged in many battles, until he was stricken with a fever contracted in the swamps of Virginia. He was
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sent to the hospital, from which he was discharged by President Lincoln, returning home, where he died June 28, 1863. John C., another son, was born February 4, 1847, and is now residing in San Francisco. Mr. Perry's first wife was Sarah Finnegan, who was born in the city of Louth, Ireland, March 3, 1840.
J. R. S. Bickford. Was born May 20, 1842, in Biddeford, Maine. He went with his parents to Somerset, in that state, and thence to Bangor, where he received his education. He came to this state across the Isthmus, landing in San Francisco in January, 1864. He remained in San Francisco until the 4th of April following, and then came to San Mateo, where he was engaged in the lumber trade for a period of nearly seven years, afterwards residing at Laurel Hall three years. After working at the carpenter's trade for four years he opened a general merchandising store in Byrne's building. He was burned out, and then moved to his present location, near the corner of Second Avenue and D street.
George H. Fisher. Mr. Fisher was born in Burks county, Pennsylvania, on the 25th of December, 1838, and was reared on a farm. He came to Cali- fornia in 1861, via the Isthmus, arriving in San Francisco March 30th of that year. His first venture was as a miner at Chinese Camp, Tuolumne county, where he was married to Leonora James, March 5, 1865. They resided at Chi- nese Camp until they came to this county, in 1868, settling at Spring Valley, where Mr. Fisher had charge of the Spring Valley Water Company's lake at that place for six years. He then moved to San Mateo, where he now resides. He was elected justice of the peace for township No. 2, which office he held for a length of time.
Eugene Walker. Mr. Walker, who is one of the pioneers of San Mateo county, was born in Chatauque county, New York, April 13, 1829. At the age of sixteen years he moved to the state of Pennsylvania, where he was engaged in boating on the Allegheny and Ohio rivers, remaining until he came to California via the Isthmus, in 1857. He settled first at West Union, in this county, and resided there until 1858, when he moved to Pescadero. His wife died here. Mrs. Walker was one of those devoted women who, leaving home, relatives, friends, and all that was dear to happy childhood, followed her hus- band to a far off and almost unknown country. She rests from the toil, care and sorrow of this world, beneath a little mound of earth, a short distance from the village of Pescadero. Mr. Walker lived in Pescadero until 1861, when he engaged in the business of freighting, in Nevada, for James G. Fair, Whipple and Treadwell. He followed this business eight months, and then accepted a position with the Southern Pacific railroad company, where he
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remained for three years. He was afterwards employed on the ranch of George H. Howard, and October 6, 1864, he settled in San Mateo, where he has since lived, being the first proprietor of the San Mateo Hotel. He has held the position of deputy sheriff, and is well known throughout the county . The name of his first wife was Mary Whipple, a native of Vermont, and the issue of this marriage was a son, John H. His second wife was Margaret Smith, and they have one daughter, Clara Agnes.
James Whitehead. Was born in Prince Edward's Isle, June 4, 1841, and comes of that sturdy race of civilizers who left the healthy moor and romantic glens of Scotland to populate other lands with a people whose energy, genius and patriotism have ever been a bulwark for the countries where they may settle. Mr. Whitehead went to Texas in 1859 and remained there about three years, returning at the end of that time to his native land. A year later he came to California, and after sojourning in Solano and other interior counties finally came to San Mateo and settled at Half Moon Bay, where he lived until he came to the town of San Mateo, in 1874. This has been his home since that time. He married Margaret L. Nash in 1875.
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