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 130

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

USA > California > Santa Clara County > 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 130

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Mr. Rengstorff's marriage united him with Miss Nellie S. Baker of San Jose, formerly a teacher in the public schools at Mountain View. She comes from a distinguished pioneer family. Her mother, now eighty-six years of age, crossed the plains with her parents in 1847, when eleven years old. They were bound for California, but meeting a person who told them of the fate of the Donner party, they despaired of getting through to California, so changed their course and went to Oregon instead. Mrs. Baker is living with Mr. and Mrs. Rengstorff, and is one of the oldest of the people, now living, who crossed the plains to the Pacific Coast. Mr. Rengstorff is a stockholder and director in the

Af Snyder

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

Farmers and Merchants Bank of Mountain View. Mr. and Mrs. Rengstorff are both actively interested in the Christian Science Church of Mountain View, she being the first reader and he the second. They have been adherents of this faith since 1911 and are both prominent in the affairs of that movement. They move in the best circles, and have many friends. Mr. Rengstorff gives his support to the Republican party. He is a thirty-second degree Mason, and is past master of the Blue Lodge at Mountain View. Mr. and Mrs. Rengstorff are men- bers of Mira Monte Chapter O. E. S. at Mountain View, and Mr. Rengstorff is also a member of Islam Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., of San Francisco.

LAURENCE G. RANDALL .- Popularly and widely known, Laurence G. Randall, the manufac- turer of fine candies, frozen puddings and ice creams at Mountain View, enjoys the patronage not only of his own town and immediate vicinity, but also of other parts of Santa Clara County, where connois- seurs are willing to journey some distance in order to get the very best. This enviable reputation, the result of honest dealing and clever, progressive en- terprise, has enabled Mr. Randall to build up a wholesale trade of large volume.

A native son, Mr. Randall was born in San Fran- cisco on May 9, 1892, the son of William J. Randall, who had been born on the boundary line of Califor- nia and Nevada. Grandfather William E. Randall was a '49er, of Scotch origin, and came out to the gold coast from the East. William J. Randall was a well-known newspaper man, and had the largest "Call" route in the Bay City, running from Larkin Street and the City Hall to the Beach. He married Miss Abbie L. Perham, and both died in 1909, within nine months of each other. They had three children, and two have grown up to maturity. William Edgar Randall is the noted cartoonist on the New York Dramatic Mirror; he was injured in an automobile accident in San Diego, and since then he has drawn his cartoons left-handed.

Laurence Randall was in the upper grade of the grammar school in San Francisco when his parents died, but he managed to enjoy the benefits of three and one-half years in the high school after that, when he started out into the world and entered the confectionery trade, at which he served a regular apprenticeship at Selby O'Brien's, and with other leading confectioners. He learned the business thor- oughly and for five years worked at Venice, Cal. Then, in 1919, he came to Mountain View and bought out Lovejoy's Candy Store; and with his long experience at Venice, and two years in San Diego, in the service of Barbour Brothers, he had no difficulty from the first to get the interested atten- tion and satisfaction of the Mountain View public, the people of this locality being especially loyal in supporting home industries. "Randall's" has be- come famous for its luncheon menus, its ice creams, its fancy specials, and its varied thirst-quenching suggestions. The store has one of the best-main- tained soda fountains in California, and a most at- tractive ice cream parlor.

Mr. Randall's mother was of English origin, by way of an early New England family, some of whom served with the Green Mountain boys in the Revo- lutionary War; and she was born in New Hamp- shire and educated in Vermont. They were Unitar- jans, noted for their altruistic, intellectual interest in

society, and our subject has inherited their com- mendable traits, with the natural result that he makes and holds friends. He is a member of the Native Sons of the Golden West, and is president of the Mountain View Parlor, one of the liveliest parlors in the state, having recently initiated thirty-two mem- bers at one meeting. He also belongs to the Elks. He was married at San Diego to Miss Helen Mc- Dougall, a daughter of John McDougall, the pro- prietor of the Del Monte Restaurant at Mountain View; and they have two children, Laurence, aged six, and Jack, who is three years old.

GEORGE P. BURKETT .- One of the represen- tative citizens of San Jose who has the distinction of being the president of the largest truck and storage business in the county of Santa Clara is George P. Burkett, who began at the bottom and worked up from an employee to be the owner and manager of his own business. He was also counted among the prominent ranchers of his neighborhood for some time, during the ten years that he was engaged in raising stock near San Felipe. He was born in North Carolina, at Jefferson, Ashe County, in April, 1856, and was the son of Daniel and Nancy (John- ston) Burkett. His father was a planter of North Carolina, who lived his entire life of one hundred years and eight months in that state, dying in 1919.

George had only the opportunity of attending the common school of Jefferson, N. C. In 1879, he left his native state and went to Pueblo, Colo., and here worked for the Pueblo Transfer Company a short time and then he engaged in farming there, raising grain and some stock. In 1883, he came to Cali- fornia and settling in Santa Cruz, worked first for the Daniels Transfer Company, which at that time was located where the St. George Hotel now stands. On January 1, 1889, he came to San Jose and en- gaged in the transfer business for a number of years in partnership with his brother-in-law, S. F. Mikel, who later sold out his interest, and in 1891 Mr. Burkett organized the San Jose Transfer Company, Inc., of which he was made president. In the early years of the company, horses were used and at one time the company owned a hundred head of horses and had their own corral and also were the owners of their warehouses. Now instead of using horses, they have about twelve trucks, ranging from one to five-ton capacity. The San Jose Transfer Company handles a great deal of transfer business through the different forwarding companies of the Bay Cities, shipping goods to all parts of the United States. In connection with his transfer business Mr. Burkett ran a stock farm near San Felipe for about ten ycars, where he had an average of 100 head of cat- tle and leased over 800 acres of land. His transfer business had grown to such an extent that so much of his time had to be given to it that in 1914 he discontinued ranching and confined his entire at- tention to his other enterprise.

Mr. Burkett's marriage, which occurred at Jeffer- son, N. C., in the year of 1878, united him with Miss Isabel Mikel, who was born in Jefferson, N. C., and was the daughter of M. L. and Nancy (King) Mikel. Mrs. Burkett's father was connected with a cotton mill in the South. Mr. and Mrs. Burkett are the parents of three children: Edgar is married and is now residing in San Jose; Katheryn lives at home, and Fannie became the wife of Cyril Odelin and they also make their home at San Jose. Mr. Burkett

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is a popular member of Garden City Lodge I. O. O. F. of San Jose, and has passed all the chairs, and is a member of the Encampment; he is also a Mason, a charter member of Fraternity Lodge No. 399, F. & A. M., and of the Scottish Rite bodies. In national politics, he is a Democrat, but is always ready to sanction good men and good measures regardless of party lines.

DARWIN J. SOPER -For more than two score years, Darwin J. Soper has been identified with the county of Santa Clara, locating in San Jose during the year of 1880. He first was employed in the wagon building business for a number of years, later purchasing land and engaging as an orchardist until 1903, when he disposed of his ranch, retired from active business life and has since made his home in San Jose. Mr. Soper was born on May 1, 1841, in Wayne County, but reared in Niagara County, N. Y., and was the son of Jeremiah and Amelia ( Wheeler) Soper, both natives of New York; the father was a mechanic and a blacksmith by trade and a good one.

With the school a mile and a half away, Mr. Soper's education was obtained only by a struggle and as the educational methods of that early day were crude. he had to work hard for the educa- tional privileges which he did receive. He lived and worked at home until the war broke out when he enlisted in August, 1862. entering Company F. One Hundred Fifty-first New York Infantry, and was under Captain Wilson and Colonel Emerson. There were only eighty-eight men in his company, but they went through some of the worst battles of the war and their numbers were decreased to such an extent that there were not enough men left to form a company and so it was later merged into Company C. He served in the Army of the Potomac under General Meade and in all these battles came through safely. He sustained a wound in the battle of the Wilderness, which, however, did not prove serious. After the battle of Weldon Railroad, Mr. Soper was detached and sent to Baltimore and Frederick City and was in the East to meet General Early's army which was marching on Washington. Later at that dramatic moment. when Gen. Robert E. Lee sur- rendered to General Grant, Mr. Soper was directly in front of General Lee. In June, 1865, he was dis- charged in Rochester, N. Y., and then returned to New York. Then he farmed for four years, and when he disposed of his holdings and went to car- riage building and wagon making at Newfane, N. Y. He remained there but for a short time, however, and disposing of his business and went to Alpena, Mich., and followed his trade at this place for a number of years. In the year 1880. Mr. Soper came to California and settled in San Jose, where he again followed his trade, and worked for four years as fore- man at the bench and four years of the shop for the San Jose Agricultural Works. He had purchased an orchard of ten acres in the Willows in 1883, and in 1888 he gave up his trade for this new undertaking. He kept adding to his acreage until he owned in all, fifty-five acres of the very best fruit land which he set out to prunes, peaches and apricots. He had one ranch at Campbell, Cal., and one at Payne, Cal. In 1903, he sold the ranches and came to San Jose where he retired from active business life.

Mr. Soper has been married three times and had children by cach wife, four of them now living: Frank D. of Oakland; George H. of San Jose; Millie

Parselle of San Francisco, and Daisy, the wife of Wm. R. Breyfogle of Madera. Mr. Soper is a Re- publican in politics and in Michigan was one of the township supervisors of Long Rapids township and was one of the highway commissioners; he was also very active as a school trustee and in general was a very public-spirited man. Mr. Soper has also been prominent in the Sheridan-Dix Post No. 7, G. A. R., having served as commander in 1893.

DR. JAMES A. CUTTING .- A physician of broad and comprehensive training who has devoted his time and talents to the study of mental diseases and who stands high in the field of psychiatry, is Dr. James A. Cutting, assisting physician at the State Hospital for the Insane at Agnew. The medical staff of this institution consists of Dr. Stocking, head physician, Dr. Mullen, Dr. Cutting, Dr. Whisman and Dr. Stevenson, all of high standing in this par- ticular field of therapeutics. A man of brilliant mind, Dr. Cutting has a thorough knowledge of medicine and surgery, and his kind and considerate disposition, his long experience and his scrupulous attention to sanitation and the kind and proper treatment of in- sane patients render his services here very valuable. There are now 1739 patients at the hospital, 959 be- ing men and 780, women.

Dr. Cutting was born at Riceville, Iowa, October 4, 1883. the son of Charles D. and Anna (Bourne) Cutting, both parents belonging to old Eastern fam- ilies, the father born in New Hampshire, while Mrs. Cutting is a native of Massachusetts. For many years they farmed in Iowa, later settling on a ranch at Campbell, Cal .. and they are now residing there, retired from active business cares. Five sons were born to these worthy parents: Prof. Theodore A. Cutting of the Los Gatos high school; Will Cutting, a rancher at Campbell: Frank Cutting of Pacific Grove; Carl Cutting, a rancher at Campbell, and Dr. Cutting, of this sketch. The latter was nine years old when he came with his parents to California and here he grew up on a ranch at Campbell, graduating from the Hamilton grammar school at Campbell. He attended the Santa Clara high school for one year, and when the Campbell high school was opened, he took the remainder of his course there, graduating in 1902.

Entering Stanford University, he pursued the clas- sical course, graduating in 1906 with the A. B. de- gree, and continued there for a post-graduate course in physiology and anatomy. He then matriculated at Cooper Medical College at San Francisco, now a part of Stanford University, and completed the medical course with the class of 1911. The next two years he spent as an interne at the Lane Hospital in San Francisco, and in 1913 he came to the State Hospital at Agnew, entering upon his duties as as- sisting physician on July 15, of that year, so that he is now one of the oldest physicians. in point of ser- vice at this institution. In September, 1921, Dr. Cutting was added to the faculty of the Medical De- partment of Stanford University, as instructor in psychiatry. He lectures there every Monday and is a valuable acquisition to that great institution.

On March 16. 1914, at San Jose, Dr. Cutting was married to Dr. Margaret White, who is also a gradu- ate physician and a specialist in mental diseases. She was born in Kentucky but was reared in Oak- land. Cal., and in 1909 she graduated from the Med-

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ical Department of the University of California. She was appointed as assisting physician at the State Hospital at Agnew and was a member of the medical staff when Dr. Cutting took up his duties therc. Dr. and Mrs. Cutting are the parents of two chil- dren, Arthur Graham and Barbara Ann. He is a member of the American Medical Association and the State and County Medical societies, and while at Cooper Medical College was a member of the Phi Beta Phi fraternity.

NEIL CARMICHAEL .- Probably one of the best known and most expert millmen of Santa Clara County is Neil Carmichael, who lives on his twenty- one acre orchard home, beautifully situated on the Mountain View Road, just north of Saratoga, and one of the finest properties in the county. A native ot Bruce County, Ontario, Neil Carmichael was born near Port Elgin, September 20, 1861, the son of Don- ald and Anna ( Mckinnon) Carmichael, both natives of the Island of Mull, Scotland. They were married in Toronto, Canada, and were farmers in Bruce County until they passed away. Nine of their thir- teen children grew up, of whom Neil is the seventh.

Neil Carmichael attended school until he was nine years of age when he was obliged to leave and help his father on the farm. This he did until he was seventeen. He then left home and went to the pin- eries of Tawas City, Mich., where he followed log- ging for two years; then baek to his native country for two years and in 1881 came to California, locat- ing in Santa Cruz County, where his brother Daniel had been logging and sawmilling since 1874 He worked in sawmills and became an able and expert man in handling the big bull teams on the skid roads, getting the logs to the mills, a very hazardous job and fraught with much danger. In 1884, with his brother Daniel he operated a mill for a year and then for four years operated one above Felton, when the two brothers, with Thomas B. Hubbard, formed a partnership to manufacture lumber, building their first saw mill on Oil Creek; subsequently moving five different times until they had cut the lumber from about 2,000 acres; then there being no more acces- sible timber, they quit manufacturing. Meantime, about 1890, Hubbard & Carmichael Bros. had estab- lished a planing mill and lumber yard in San Jose, where their lumber was hauled by big teams and the business grew to large proportions. During the time they operated their mills they cut over 125,000,- 000 feet of lumber. They still own about 2000 acres of land lying in Santa Cruz. Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. They also own 439 acres of alfalfa at Newman, Stanislaus County, where they ran a dairy of 500 cows until they sold the stock and now engage in raising alfalfa hay, which is shipped to dif- ferent markets. Mr. Carmichael is still interested as of yore in Hubbard & Carmichael Bros. Company, their large business and mill on West Santa Clara Street being a busy and active place. However, he low devotes his time to orcharding, for on shutting down the mill he moved to Saratoga with his family, where in 1913 he purchased the twenty-one acres of land, his present home, devoted to prunes and apri- cots and the following year built his beautiful and commodious house and continued to make improve- ments until it is one of the show places of the valley. He also owns business property in Saratoga. 38

The marriage of Mr. Carmichael occurred at Sa- linas and united him with Miss Bell Storts, born in Nebraska, but reared near Boulder Creek. Five children have blessed this union: Annie, now Mrs. Leslie Cox of Saratoga; Mary Bell in San Jose high school; Neil D., Lilly and Thos. B., at home. Mr. Carmichael endorses the platform of the Republican party. Fraternally he is an Odd Fellow and he and his family are Presbyterians. He is a member of the Saratoga Improvement Association and the Men's Club. Mr. Carmichael is a self-made man, proud of the success he has attained through honest effort, and believes in progress, doing all he can to build up the county of his adoption. He and his generous and accomplished wife are greatly esteemed by all of their friends and acquaintances and from their beau- tiful home they enjoy dispensing the old-time Cali- fornia hospitality.

JAMES M. REYNOLDS .- Among those who came to California after having attained success in the East and are now living retired in the city of San Jose, is James M. Reynolds, who was a rancher during the early days in lowa, where he had been a resident for many years. He is a native of Ohio, Laving been born in Adams County, near Sinking Springs on March 18, 1841, and was the son of John D. and Fannie (West) Reynolds, both families being old residents of Providence, R. 1. Mr. and Mrs. John Reynolds came to Ohio when they were young people where he was a log hewer and builder, having built many homes there in the early days, and he was also engaged in farming.

When ten years old, James moved with his par- ents to Warren County, Ill., and settled near Mon- mouth, Ill., where he went to school during the winter months and as a farmer boy, worked on the farm in the summertime. He was one of a family of seven children and being the third child, a great deal of the work fell upon his young shoulders. Only three of this family are now living, a brother, Joseph, is living in Santa Clara County, and a sister, Mrs. Jennie Brooks, is living in Hardin County, Iowa. James lived at home and helped his father with the work up to the time he joined the Union Army. He volunteered his services at the first tap of the drum and was mustered into service in May, 1861, at Peoria, Ill., in Company I, of the Seventeenth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, under Captain Bruing- ton and Colonel Ross, who were under General Grant. He was for a month at Peoria and before leaving this city the whole regiment was mustered in for a period of three years. They went to Alton, Ill., for a short time and then to Iron Mountain, Mo. Going down the Mississippi River, they spent the winter at Cape Girardeau, later going to Fort Henry, Tenn., a short time after that fort had been taken by General Grant. He participated in the seige of Fort Donelson and was then moved on to Shiloh, where they were engaged in the battle of Shiloh, and then to Vicksburg Landing, where he became very ill and was discharged. He remained home for a while, and when well enough began farming and also establishing family ties. In spite of this, having entirely recovered, he again enlisted, this time in Company 1, Second Illinois Light Artillery, and served with Sherman on the noted March to the Sea. In North Carolina, he served to the close of the war, when General Lee surrendered, and was then sent to Washington to turn over the cannons,

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guns and ammunition; he was mustered out in Springfield, Ill., on June 16, 1865. After the war, Mr. Reynolds and his wife went to Iowa and in 1868 settled in Grundy County, Iowa, near Grundy Center, where he engaged in farming until 1910, when he disposed of his farm, having then 200 acres, and came to Healdsburg, Cal., where he lived for two years. In 1912, he came to San Jose and here he has made his home since that time, the family residence being at 393 South Fifth.

On October 8, 1864, in Grundy County, Ill., near Morris, occurred the marriage of Mr. Reynolds, which united him with Miss Emma G. Thayer, a native of Ohio. They were married just before Mr. Reynolds enlisted in the defense of his country the second time. Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds became the parents of five children: Jessie is the wife of David Lennox and they reside at Marshalltown, Iowa, the parents of four children, Fannie, Edgar David, George and Grace; George is the father of one child, Glen; Rose R. became Mrs. Porter and is living at 393 South Fifth Street, in San Jose, and is the mother of a son, Robert; Elmer is living in Canton, Ohio, and is foreman of the Pennsylvania and Eric Railroad Shops in that city; John D. is living at Richmond, Va., and is engaged as manager of the American Locomotive Works at that city. Mr. Reynolds was bereaved of his devoted wife and helpmate when she passed away in the year 1918, at San Jose, leaving many warm friends who feel the loss of her kindly, generous spirit. Mr. Reynolds is a popular member of Sheridan-Dix Post G. A. R. of San Jose. In national politics, he is a stanch adherent to the Republican party.

CHARLES E. STRICKLAND .- A varied and in- teresting career has been that of Charles E. Strick- land, descended from an early pioncer of the state, and one whose efforts have contributed no little success to the development of California. A native of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Mr. Strickland was born July 18, 1845, a son of William and Julia (Huem) Strickland, both natives of Nova Scotia. When but an infant of six weeks, his family removed to Boston, Mass. William Strickland was the captain of his own ship, and as early as 1848 sailed around the Horn to San Francisco, the voyage consuming a year. Upon arrival in the Golden State, in 1849, his crew deserted the vessel and rushed to the mining district of California. However, this was only the be- ginning of his misfortune. While his ship lay at anchor in the bay, in charge of the first mate, the vessel caught fire and was completely destroyed. Discouraged by this severe loss, he engaged in the gold mining and was thus engaged for three years. In the meantime his family was anxiously awaiting news from him in Boston. He was rewarded for his energy and industry, and like many others of the early prospectors, became quite wealthy. Being anx- ious to return to his family in Boston, he accepted the captaincy of a ship bound for New York. Upon arrival there, he purchased another ship, intending to bring his family to California. All preparation was made, and the day arrived for leaving, the family happy in the reunion and delighted with the antici- pation of their future home in California. When out from Boston about six weeks, they encountered a severe storm, and their vessel was so severely dam- aged that it was completely dismantled, but they con- sidered themselves very fortunate in saving their

lives. A temporary set of sails was improvised, and they were able to return to New York. Upon arrival there, the ship was dry-docked, where it remained for six months undergoing a complete renovation. With undaunted spirit, plans were again formulated for the journey to California, but on the eve of de- parture, he thought it best to make the trip alone to San Francisco, dispose of his cargo and vessel and return to New York, and take his family on a reg- ular liner. This his family agreed to, and the father started on his long voyage alone. Everything was auspicious, until just after rounding the Horn, the vessel was caught in a terrific storm. Those on board were quickly loaded into a lifeboat, but it is supposed it was too heavily loaded, and it was sunk in the terrible storm. However, the first mate and a sailor cast off in a small rowboat, and succeeded in reaching shore. After the news of his death reached his family, they removed from their home in Boston to Hastings on the Hudson, and here Charles E. Strickland attended school. In the year of 1858 Mrs. Strickland married Samuel Winton, and the family moved to Michigan, where Mr. Winton pur- chased eighty acres in Calhoun County.

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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 130

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