History of Santa Clara County, California, with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present, Part 108

Author: Sawyer, Eugene Taylor, 1846-
Publication date: 1922
Publisher: Los Angeles : Historic Record Co.
Number of Pages: 1928

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member of an old Canadian family of French descent. Mrs. Raymond was reared and educated in Santa Cruz County and by her marriage she has become the mother of two daughters, Helen and Evelyn. In politics Mr. Raymond maintains a nonpartisan atti- tude, voting for the man rather than the party. He is a public-spirited and progressive citizen of broad wews and kindly nature, and charitably inclined. A self-educated and self-made man, through the wise utilization of his innate powers and talents he has risen to a foremost position in manufacturing circles and while attaining individual prosperity he has con- tributed to the industrial expansion of this city.

WILLARD L. PRUSSIA .- The kind of substan- tial business energy best appreciated in the West finds expression in the life of Willard L. Prussia, president and manager of Prussia & Co., the exclu- sive woman's wearing apparel store located at 127-133 South First Street, San Jose, and one of the most energetic, cautious, and progressive men who have clected to profit by the resources of this community. He was born at Dansville, N. Y., February 2, 1867, the son of Jesse B. Prussia, also a native of Dans- ville, born in 1825. His mother was a native of Scot- land, but removed with her parents to New York when a girl of twelve years. She is now eighty-five years of age and resides with her son in San Jose, the father lived to be eighty years of age. Mr. Prus- sia's paternal grandfather was also a native of Dans- ville, born in 1797, his family coming over from Eng- land in an early day.

Willard L. Prussia received his early education in the public schools of Dansville, where, for forty-two years his father was engaged in the millinery busi- ness, and it was in his father's store that Willard be- gan his business training, working after school, Satur- days and during vacations. Recognizing his ability as a salesman, he was solicited by H. C. Taft, of the drygoods firm of Taft and Pennoyer, who own and operate a big store in Oakland, Cal., and he went there in 1884. Then he was for a time in San Diego, later went to Los Angeles, and while there made the acquaintance of I. Loeb of the firm of I. Loeb & Company, who owned the San Jose Dry Goods Company, and Mr. Prussia was engaged by Mr. Loeb in 1891. During this period he became acquainted with S. M. Goldberg, and this acquaintance developed into friendship and later into an important business association. Mr. Goldberg maintains a large office and business in New York City, employing a large force of buyers, who are sent to all the principal drygoods and suit centers of the world.

The firm of Prussia & Company was incorporated in 1909 under the laws of the state of New York; they have large and commodious quarters, fine show win- dows, beautiful interior decorations, well-lighted and finely-equipped with every modern convenience, and enjoys a large patronage of the best people in this city. Mr. Prussia is also vice-president of Harry Fink & Company, Los Angeles; Willard's of San Francisco, and J. F. Donovan & Company of Stock- ton. S. M. Golberg is the president of the four stores, and manages the buying of all the goods throughout the world. Mr. Prussia's optimistic spirit has sus- tained him all through the trials of his earlier years, and brought him to the present cra of prosperity.

The marriage of Mr. Prussia in 1891 united him with Miss Minnie Compton, a resident of Hamilton, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Prussia are the parents of one

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son, Leland S., who is at the present time connected with Willard's in San Francisco.

Fraternally, Mr. Prussia is a Thirty-second degree Scottish Rite Mason and of the Shrine in San Fran- cisco. He is also a member of the Elks and is a char- ter member of the Rotary Club. He is also active in the Chamber of Commerce and he served as president of the park board of San Jose under three mayors. Because of his perseverance, industry, integrity and faithfulness, he has steadily progressed in his chosen line of work, until his success is fully assured. He is a progressive citizen, and a potent factor in all move- ments that lead to the further development of the community in which he resides.

MRS. MARGARET E. BAKER .- An esteemed representative of one of the best-known pioneers in the California electrical field, is Mrs. Margaret E. Baker, the widow of the late Terry E. Baker, whose gifted sons, taking up the progressive work where he was compelled to lay it down, have also contributed much in placing electrical devices, and the wonderful utility of electricity, at the disposal of thousands. Mr. Baker was born in Dubuque, Iowa, in Septem- ber, 1856, the son of Terry J. and Sarah Baker. His father was interested in race horses, and when he came to California in 1862 he settled at San Francisco and had a race track at Sausalito across the Bay. He was always interested in standard and thoroughbred horses and stock of all kinds, and when he passed away in San Francisco he was mourned by many, especially by the old-timers fond, in their pioneer life, of the turf and other sports.

The husband of our subject attended the Horace Mann school in San Francisco, and when only a young man took up railroad work with the Southern Pacific Railroad. He went to Los Angeles, and was one of the first men to be sent over the Tehachapi route, then by way of the Newhall tunnel. He was a conductor on Huntington's road, and was one of the popular officials of his day. At the time of the great railroad strike in 1894, Mr. Baker went to Arizona and became interested in the mines at Clifton. After the strike was settled, he went back to railroad work, and was in Bakersfield with the Southern Pacific Rail- road until 1903, when he came to San Jose and gave up railroading.

In 1902, Mr. Baker with his sons, entered the elec- trical field, and opened up a store with electrical fix- tures, at the same time that they contracted to do wiring of all kinds. Now these sons have so ex- panded the business that it extends throughout the Valley. They have the Santa Clara County agency for the Blue Bird clothes washer, and they also sell a full line of useful electrical appliances.

At Los Angeles, in September, 1874, Mr. Baker was married to Miss Margaret Wilson, a native of Chi- cago and the daughter of William and Mary (Bass) Wilson, born in Montreal and Chicago respectively. The former was of English descent while Mary Bass was of Scotch forebears; her father, Capt. Wm. Bass, was a sea captain and when he located as a pioneer at Ft. Dearborn, now Chicago, he sailed the Great Lakes for many years. Later he was a foreman for the Heath-Milligan Co., paint contractors in Chicago, and in 1873 he brought his family to California and settled at Orange. After making his home there for two years, he came to San Jose. After leaving Or- ange, he had a paint shop in Los Angeles, and there the family lived until Mrs. Baker was married. Four

sons were born of this union: Lewis E. is the capable manager of Messrs. T. E. Baker & Sons, and George W. is also with the same company; William T. was killed in motorcycle races at San Jose in 1913; Ed- ward M. is associated with his brothers in the con- duct of the business. Mrs. Baker is happy as the grandmother to four grandchildren. Richard is the son of Lewis E. Baker; Jeanette is the daughter of George WV. Baker; and Donald and Ned are the two attractive children of Edward M. Baker. Mr. Baker passed away April 27, 1915. He was an independent in politics, above petty partisanship; Mrs. Baker is a strong Republican, and her sons follow her lead. The eldest son is a Scottish Rite Mason and a member of Islam Temple of San Francisco. Mrs. Baker belongs to San Jose Chapter No. 31, O. E. S., and also to the Saint Claire Court, No. 31, Royal Order of Amaranth.

WILFRID F. ROBIDOUX .- A public-spirited man who is very well thought of in various parts of Santa Clara County is Wilfrid F. Robidoux, the expert blacksmith of Alviso. He was born at St. Etienne Beauharnois near Montreal, in the Province of Quebec, on November 12, 1869, the son of Moise Robidoux, the representative of an old Canadian fam- ily, who was long engaged in hotel enterprises and was a commission merchant dealing in livestock. He had married Filanise Emard and they had sixteen children; six of these died in infancy and the ten that grew to maturnity were: Filanise, who resides at Beauharnois; Azilda, who died at the same place; Alphonsine, who lives in Montreal; Moise, died at an age of thirty-five in Modoc County, Cal .; Domina, who lives in Montreal; Joseph resides in Santa Clara, but is employed in San Jose; Wilfrid, the subject of this sketch; Isabella died in Stockton; Louisa died in Montreal; Florentine lives in Montreal.

Wilfrid attended the grammar school in his home town, and when fifteen years old began to learn the blacksmith trade at Howick, Province of Quebec. After three years of apprenticeship, he left home, entered the States, and settled in Franklin County, N. Y., where he worked at his trade for wages until 1889. In that eventful year, soon after the general awakening along the Pacific Coast, he came out to Seattle and worked for a year and a half.

On June 5, 1891, he landed in Santa Clara County and worked for H. E. Holthouse in his shop at Milligan's Corner, continuing with him, on a wage scale, for ten years; and in 1902, he bought out the tools in Mr. Chisholm's blacksmith shop in Alviso and with them started up in business in the old shop right south of this present location. The old shop, however, did not satisfy him very long, and he built a new shop, 1913, which he equipped with modern machinery, including a band saw, a rip saw, a planer, an electric forge, emery wheels, an outfit for acetylene welding, and whatever else in his judgment that he needed to enable him to do not only all kinds of

first-class smithy work, but the most expert automo- bile repairing. This shop he still owns and occupies. It was not long before Mr. Robidoux had made for himself a reputation for absolutely dependable work, and this reputation he has casily maintained, with the result that he enjoys the patronage not only of his town, but of many residents of Santa Clara County who appreciate the best workmanship. His general position, as a man of affairs, in the community is at- tested by the fact that he is chairman of the board of trustees of Alviso.

Jemy Co Baken

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

At Santa Clara, on April 25, 1897, Mr. Robidoux was married to Miss Mary E. Holthouse, a native of Taylorville, Plumas County, Cal., and the daughter of the late E. H. Holthouse, a native of Hanover, Germany, elsewhere mentioned in this work, who had married Mrs. Elizabeth ( Madden) Ratcliff, a native of Ireland. The father crossed the plains in 1852, and settled in the Rush Creek mining district, where he panned for gold. When Mary Holthouse was four years old, her father moved to Alviso, and she attended the Braly School. Now, two of her brothers are ranching near Mountain View, Mark and J. Fred, sketches of whom also appear elsewhere in this work. Another brother is Herman E., and still another, Huge N., who is deceased; there is also a half brother, W. P. Ratcliff, of San Francisco. On October 20, 1915, Mrs. Robidoux died, being the mother of two very promising children: Joseph Ar- mand, looking forward to the priesthood, is a student at St. Michaels, at Hillyard, Wash., and Moise Henry, who is studying to become a lawyer at the University of Santa Clara. Mr. Robidoux is a Republican, and a member of both the Woodmen of the World and the Foresters of America.

PETER D. LANDON .- An industrious orchard- ist who has materially advanced husbandry in Cali- fornia is Peter D. Landon, whose success has cn- abled hin to retire in comfort at 4 Broadway, San Jose. He was born at Mountainville, Hunterdon County, N. J., on April 11, 1849, the son of Calvin Columbus Landon, a contractor and builder of bridges and large frame work, who plied his trade so expertly that much of his work is used to this day throughout New Jersey and New York.

When only ten years of age, Peter, fortunate in the love of a devoted mother, whose maiden name was Charity Ann Everett, set out to try to do for himself, with the result that even his elementary schooling had to be neglected, and all prospects of his ever being an advanced student faded away. At the age of twenty, he migrated west to Illinois, and for two years he worked on a farm near Washington, in Tazewell County. It was not what he wanted, but he accepted the situation philosophically and prepared to take the next important step.

In 1872 he progressed further West and reached California, and it was not long before he had dis- covered the wonderful attractions of the Santa Clara Valley and had begun to take up ranch work for others in the Valley View district. Eight months later he rented a grain farm in the Evergreen dis- trict, and for two years he farmed on shares, raising grain and hay. In 1877-78 he was in Dallas, Texas, but he returned to Santa Clara County more satis- fied than ever that here was the opportunity for young men willing to work. Accordingly, he set to work with a harvester, and for ten years he con- tinued successfully harvesting grain. In 1888, he became an orchardist, renting acreage for a few seasons until he could buy land and start anew; and from that time on until he retired, after selling his orchards near Campbell some two years ago, he never knew failure.

In San Jose on September 6, 1888, Mr. Landon married Mrs. Sarah Cordelia (Cottle) Hight, the eldest daughter of the honored pioneer, Royal Cot- tle, now deceased. She was born near Albany, Ore., on December 15, 1848, and when only eight years old was taken to San Jose by her parents, who were

the first orchardists in the Willow Glen district. Nine children were born to this union: Alice is a teacher in Montana; Metta Cora is now the wife of David Yarbrough of McKittrick and the mother of three children; Leslie is an engineer and the father of two children and resides with his family at Mayfield; Bert married, became the father of three children, and died, leaving a widow who resides at Kernville; May is also deceased. The sixth in the order of birth is Charles, and the next younger is Etho, now Mrs. W. W. Loyst, they have two children and reside on Lupton Avenue, Wil- lows; Vernon D. is also married and resides witli his wife and two children at Oakland; and Ray- mond Everett, a chiropractor, is also married, has one child, and maintains his liome at Boscobel, Wis.

Raymond enlisted in the United States Army for service in the World War, and made an excellent record. He left home October 5, 1917, left America on December 14, 1917, arrived in England ten days later, and reached France on January 18, 1918. He was wounded at the battle of Cantigny, on May 28, 1918, took part in the battle of St. Mihiel, which raged from September 12 to September 15, and in the Meuse-Argonne drive, on October 4, he was wounded a second time, and was in the hospital for three months. After serving as a private in the First Division he left Bordeaux on the twenty-ninth of June, arrived in America at Newport News, July 10, and reached San Jose on July 28, 1919. In 1920 he graduated from the Palmer School of Chiroprac- tic, Davenport, Iowa, and now he has a lucrative practice at Boscobel, Wis. Mr. and Mrs. Landon are deservedly proud of their family-nine children, eleven grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.

JOHN A. COROTTO .- For many years a resi- dent of Santa Clara County, John A. Corotto has prospered in his business, the manufacture of wine. He was born on January 28, 1870, in San Jose, the son of Angelo and Mary (Raggio) Corotto, who came to San Jose in 1869 and then went to Hollister, San Benito County, in 1874, and here they made their home. Mrs. Corotto's people were also pioneers of California, having come here in 1861; both of her parents passed away some time ago.

John A. attended the schools of San Benito County, but received a limited training as he left school at the age of fourteen to help his father on the ranch, where he lived until he was in his seven- teenth year. He then came to San Jose to work and became employed by Raggio Bros., who were com- mission merchants. After working here for two and a half years, he bought a half-interest in this concern and after three years sold out and engaged in the manufacture of wine.

Mr. Corotto's marriage united him with Miss Catherine Sturla of Gilroy, the daughter of James Sturla, and they are the parents of one child, Gene- vieve P. Mr. Corotto was very active in all the war drives, especially among the Italian-American Club, and as an appreciation he received a letter of thanks from James K. Lynch of the Federal Reserve Board of San Francisco, and one from John H. Cal- kins of the U. S. Treasury Department, for the good he had accomplished during the war drives, while he was on the Liberty Loan Committee. One of his cousins, Virgilio Corotto, lost his life in the World War. For three years he served as secretary of the Italian Benevolent Club and is past presi-

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dent of San Jose Parlor No. 22, Native Sons of the Golden West, in which he has been a member for twenty-five years. He is also a member of the Red- men, B. P. O. Elks, the Eagles, the Pastime Club, Chamber of Commerce and the Camels. He is a di- rector in the Bank of Italy, San Jose Branch. He is a Republican, serving on the county central commit- tee and a delegate at large at one time.

CHARLES W. CUTLER .- Halest and heartiest of octogenarians in Santa Clara County today, Charles W. Cutler, the well known pioneer enjoys life as one should who in his day has contributed so much, and in many ways, partly as a path-breaking pedagogue, to the upbuilding of each section in which he has lived and toiled. He was born in Wayne Township, Ashtabula County, Ohio, on January 23, 1838, in the same congressional district claiming the birth or later activity of such eminent anti-slavery leaders as Joshua Reed Giddings, V. F. Wade, James A. Garfield, and others. He spent his boyhood on his father's farm, while he also attended the most primitive of country schools. His father, Elijah T. Cutler, born in Con- necticut in 1796, was an extensive land owner, miller and lumber manufacturer in Ohio and was descended from one of two Englishmen of the same name who sailed from England in 1637 and arrived at a port in Massachusetts on the Rose of Yarmouth. Thus well established, the family in time became distinguished through several members who took high positions in Massachusetts and other parts of New England. Elijah T. Cutler was married three times and Charles W. was the son of his union with Miss Olive Wal- worth, the daughter of Charles Walworth.

Mrs. Cutler died in Ohio in 1839, and Charles Cutler was reared by an aunt. Maria Walworth, a younger sister of his mother, who afterwards became his stepmother and kind guardian. Elijah Cutler died on June 25, 1860, and in that year Charles W. went in company with a brother to Bernardston, Franklin County, Mass., and there entered Powers Institute, later enrolling in Oberlin College, at Ober- lin, Ohio, where he began his academic experience and laid the foundation for some especially useful work in life. In 1862 he went to Elkhorn, Walworth County, Wisconsin, where he engaged in teaching school, resigning the principalship of the Elkhorn schools on May 16, 1864, to enlist in Company F, Fortieth Wisconsin Infantry, but was soon made a clerk of the special inspector of cavalry, with head- quarters at Memphis, Tennessee. He received his honorable discharge on September 30, 1864, at Madi- son, Wisconsin, and becoming more interested than ever in what he believed to be his life work -- that of teaching - he again became principal of the public schools at Eikhorn, Wisconsin, in the fall of 1864, filling that position to the satisfaction of everyone for several years. He was also principal of the schools at Burlington and Green Bay, Wisconsin, serving a year in each place and leaving behind an excellent record and many friends.

On April 15, 1867, Mr. Cutler was married to Miss Helen Morse, and two children were born to them, both of whom died in infancy. On April 1, 1871, Mr. and Mrs. Cutler came out to the Pacific Coast, and, once here, he gave up his professional work and for fifteen years was active in various commercial enterprises, becoming prominent in San Francisco, where he remained until he came to the Santa Clara Valley in 1886. He invested in a fine ranch home in

The Willows and has ever since been more or less active in both horticultural and educational circles in Willow Glen district. In 1893 he helped organize the Willow Glen Fruit Union and for part of the ten years in which he was a stockholder, he per- formed the duties of secretary and manager. On June 6, 1896, Mrs. Cutler passed away, lamented by a wide circle which had come to appreciate her sterling and admirable qualities.

On October 20, 1897. Mr. Cutler was remarried, taking for his wife Miss Isabella McBeath, a descend- ant of interesting Scotch parentage, the ceremony occurring at Chicago. During 1903-04, Mr. and Mrs. Cutler made an extended tour of the British Isles and continental Europe, which they greatly enjoyed. They visited many places of note, among them Geneva, Naples, Rome, Paris and London, and they also spent some time in Edinburgh at the homes of relatives of Mrs. Cutler. In 1915 they made a trip East via the Canadian Pacific, revisiting Wis- consin, where both had lived in former years. They took in the cities of Milwaukee, Chicago, St. Louis, Urbana, Ill., in all of which places they had friends, after which they proceeded to Mr. Cutler's old home in Ohio, thence on to Boston, Mass., from which place they visited Springfield, Northampton, and then spent Thanksgiving with Mrs. Olive W. Peet, Mr. Cutler's sister, at Salem, Mass. On December 15, 1915, they came via New York and Philadelphia to New Orleans, La., and from there sailed to Havana, crossing Cuba to Fort Batabano, where they took a steamer for the Isle of Pines, and there they had Christmas dinner with Mrs. Snodgrass, a sister of Mrs. Cutler. Returning to New Orleans, they came by the Southern Pacific via Los Angeles to San Jose, after a delightful and interesting six months' trip. Since then, buoyed up by pleasant memories of these and other delightful experiences in life, Mr. and Mrs. Cutler have lived in quiet enjoyment of their home, Mr. Cutler at eighty-three finding much for his hand to do in his beautiful garden. He is a veteran Odd Fellow and can look back with particular satisfaction on his experience as past grand of the lodge with which he has been connected since March 5, 1875. He is also past commander and for seven years served as adjutant of Sheridan-Dix Post No. 7, G. A. R., while Mrs. Cutler is a member of the Sheridan- Dix W. R. C. and of the San Jose Woman's Club.

A standpat Republican, fond of the traditions of his party, Mr. Cutler has never aspired to public office, but has been willing to do his part as a loyal citizen toward elevating civic standards. He belongs to the Congregational Church of San Jose, has been a trus- tee and is at present a deacon, and has vigorously supported every movement for local uplift and public morals. Santa Clara County may well be proud of this record of one of the "first citizens" of San Jose.

LOUIS CHARLES DE CARLI .- Emphatically a man of energy, Louis Charles De Carli is one of the enterprising and active men of Santa Clara County, giving substantial encouragement to every plan for the promotion of the public welfare, and has been identified with Santa Clara County since 1881. Mr. De Carli was born in Auressio, Canton Ticino, Switzerland, on March 5, 1866, and was the son of August and Caroline (Bistacchi) De Carli. The mother is still living there at the age of eighty-four The father came to California in 1874 and

years.

C. W. Cutler

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

never returned to Switzerland, having passed away in San Jose in 1916, at the age of seventy-seven years. He was a contracting lumberman and road builder and lived most of his life in the Saratoga hills, following the life of the ancient Helvetians, hunting, fishing and always living the outdoor life. Longevity is a characteristic of our subject's ances- tors, his great-grandmother, Hellena Bistacchi, living to be 109 years of age.

Louis spent his boyhood days in Switzerland, where he graduated from the Swiss grammar schools, becoming proficient in both French and Italian. When fifteen years old, he came to the United States, arriving in California and went direct to Saratoga in 1881 and began as a farm hand, milking and doing general farm work. He has been in Santa Clara County ever since this time, except the four years from 1891 to 1895, that he spent with the Wellington Coal Company at Victoria, B. C. It was during this period that he was united in marriage with Miss Christine Geddes, who was born in Aber- deenshire, Scotland, and they became the parents of two children, Ethel Marie, who is now the wife of Lawrence Arnold, a fireman of San Jose, and Louis A., who was born and reared in San Jose, graduating from the grammar school. Ethel was born at Vic- toria and the little family came to San Jose in the year 1895. Mr. De Carli again engaged as a farmi hand, but being capable of speaking several languages fluently, he later became court interpreter in Santa Clara County. This was hard work, for it meant night study for fifteen months in the San Jose high school, but he is now able to interpret Italian, French and Spanish in all courts. During the four years, 1904 to 1908, he served on the police depart- ment of San Jose as patrolman and won one of the cleanest records of any officer in this city. By a special request of the victims of the Black Hand (Mafia) and the better element of the Italian citizens of San Jose and the Bay Cities, he entered the office of the district attorney of Santa Clara County as an investigator and detective in the year 1914 and served until 1917, he and William Drieschmeyer, also of that county, putting an end to the depreda- tions of the Black Hand band, also the arson gang, a notorious band of outlaws, fruit thieves and such malefactors as were jeopardizing the safety of the inhabitants of this fair city. Upon the completion of this work, the arson department of the Board of Fire Underwriters of the Pacific took Mr. De Carli into their employ to travel through the Pacific Coast district to stamp out the arson gangs and incen- diarism. During the war period he cooperated with the Government, aiding in the repression of the I. W. W.'s and other public enemies, serving until 1920, when he was taken with a severe attack of the influenza while located in Tehama County, and his health became so impaired that he had to quit this strenuous life, so he returned to his home and took up his business which had been handled by his son and wife. For ten years Mr. De Carli was in the transfer business and then engaged as a dealer in furniture under the firm name of De Carli and Son; his place of business is located at 174 South Second Street, San Jose. They started this business at 212 West Santa Clara Street and in 1910 moved to 192 West Santa Clara Street and in 1918 to 154 West Santa Clara Street, where they stayed for eight months and then March, 1920, came to 28

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History of Santa Clara County, California, with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present, Part 108

Author: Sawyer, Eugene Taylor, 1846- Publication date: 1922 Publisher: Los Angeles : Historic Record Co. Number of Pages: 1928

Author: Sawyer, Eugene Taylor, 1846-
Publication date: 1922
Publisher: Los Angeles : Historic Record Co.
Number of Pages: 1928