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 135

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 135

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Coming out to Santa Cruz, Cal., in 1890, Mr. Brooks embarked in the hotel business, removing to San Jose in 1899. For two and a half years he managed the Vendome Hotel. His exceptional abil- ity as a good executive having become recognized, he was drawn into Chamber of Commerce work, and for thirteen and one-half years was the secre- tary of the San Jose Chamber of Commerce. He worked hard, with the single idea of building up that organization so valuable to the city, and his hard, intelligent work bore the best of fruit, the Cham- ber of Commerce expanded and grew by leaps and bounds, and now his services are recognized as most efficient in the field department of the California Prune and Apricot Association.

At Oakland on September 12, 1900, Mr. Brooks was married to Miss Estella B. Ede, a native of Plumas County. Cal., and the daughter of Stephen and Ellen Ede. Two children have blessed this union; and they bear the attractive names of Phillip and Bernice.

In May, 1920, Mr. Brooks was elected city coun -. cilman, taking office in July. 1920, for a period of six years, and he is rendering very valuable serv- ice. He has made a study of traffic and traffic con- gestion and was the originator of the safety zone ordinance and also of the new parking ordinance which greatly relieves the congestion in the busi- ness district. Mr. Brooks championed, against much opposition, the advent of the Western Pacific into San Jose; in fact in all these years there has not been a movement that had for its aim the better- ment of the city and county but Mr. Brooks has had an active part in putting them over.

A Republican in national politics, Mr. Brooks is intensely patriotic, and was active during the late war in all bond and Red Cross drives, some of which he personally conducted. He was also active in the American Protective League, connected with the

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

Intelligence Department of the U. S. government. As one fond of outdoor life and especially interested in agriculture, he has done much to advance the de- velopment of the horticultural, agricultural and com- munity interests not only of Santa Clara County, but of the commonwealth of California. He is di- rector and vice-president of the San Jose Chamber of Commerce and is a charter member of the Com- mercial Club. He is also an active member of Ro- tary Club, the San Jose Grange and is repre- sentative of the Chamber of Commerce and the board of supervisors of Santa Clara County to the California Development Board. He is a Knights Templar Mason and a member of Islam Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., of San Francisco, and of the Elks and Odd Fellows, and in each of these or- ganizations enjoys a well-earned popularity.

GEORGE W. LYLE .- Exceptionally fortunate in her long line of wide-awake, intrepid sheriffs whose patriotism, intelligence, energetic aggressiveness and personal bravery have added so much to the superb stature of American manhood, California is at pres- ent to be congratulated because of a recent accession to the shrievalty officers' ranks in the person of the accomplished, public-spirited and popular sheriff of Santa Clara County, George W. Lyle of San Jose. A native of Missouri, he was born at St. Louis on August 14, 1885, and grew up in that bustling metrop- olis of the Louisiana Purchase at a time when the traditions of such men as Fremont, the Chouteaus, Blair, Schurz, Shaw and Eads still inspired youth and infused life on the Mississippi with largeness of spirit, and when Pretorious, Francis, Lehman, Simmons, Busch and others were pointing the way to still great- er accomplishments. His father was Phillip Lyle, and his mother, before her marriage, was Ella Hansberry; they were blessed with three children, and among these our subject was the oldest child.

Having progressed through the usual courses of the excellent public schools in St. Louis, and finished the high school curriculum there brought to such a high standard by William Torry Harris, afterwards U. S. Commissioner of Education, George Lyle at- tended the famous Christian Brothers College in St. Louis, one of the finest Roman Catholic institutions in America, owing much of its material prosperity to the St. Louis philanthropist, John O'Fallon, who spent more than $1,000,000 for local benevolent pur- poses, gave to Catholic science $100,000, and, in his broad-mindedness, also gave liberally to the non- sectarian Washington University. Mr. Lyle was thus well-equipped to go out in the world; and it is not sur- prising that he succeeded in all of the several and varied enterprises into which, as a young man yet uncertain of his desired-for goal, he threw himself.

In 1902, he formed the lucky resolution to move West, and to move immediately; and the same year his bright star guided him into Santa Clara County. For twelve years he was constable, having been elected for four terms; and in 1918, he was chosen by popular vote for the more responsible office of sheriff,-his good record for faithful, unselfish serv- ice undoubtedly playing an important role. Indeed, his election was far more than an ordinary tribute, for he was supported in his candidacy on a nonpartisan ticket. He has always been a "man above party," and this may be one of the secrets of his unusual influence and success. In addition to the thorough

discharge of his official duties, Mr. Lyle is a live member of the Chamber of Commerce.

In June, 1910, Mr. Lyle was married at Santa Cruz to Miss Ora Van Curen, of Elmira, Solano County, Cal., a talented lady who has proven just the help- mate desired by a man of his laudable ambition and temperament; and to this union have been born two children, bright, promising boys named, respectively, George and. Robert. Mr. and Mrs. Lyle and family enjoy the highest esteem of all who know them in San Jose and elsewhere, and Mr. Lyle is not only popular with his associates in office, but he is a favorite in the circles of the Elks, Woodmen of the World, the Commercial Club and Chamber of Com- merce, in which organizations he is a member.

JAMES A. LAFFEY .- A ranch superintendent who is not only a man of valuable experience, but has proven an executive of exceptional foresight and initiative, is James A. Laffey, the superintendent of the California Packing Corporation's ranch at Milpi- tas. He was born at San Jose on August 15, 1880, the son of Michael and Elizabeth (McCormick) Laffey. and grew up full of the California spirit, his mother's mother, Ann McCormick, having come into the Golden State about the time of its entrance into the Union. She is still living at San Jose, at the ripe old age of ninety-two,-abundant evi- dence, if any were needed, of the beneficent effects of the California climate upon those advancing in years. Michael Laffey came to California from County Mayo, Ireland, about 1870, and as he was a butcher, he engaged with Gus Wendt, Sr., in the retail meat trade. He died in 1909, at the age of sixty-one, survived by his widow, who still makes her home at Sa Jose.

James Laffey attended the Orchard School, and then went to St. Joseph's College, and at thirteen years of age he started out into the world to do for himself. For five years he worked for the Ogier brothers on their ranch, and then he spent about an equal length of time in the R. D. Fox nursery, a ranch of some 300 acres devoted to the raising of fruit and ornamental trees. He then leased his grandmother Ann McCormick's place on the Gish Road and farmed for two years, where J. C. Mc- Cormick, his grandfather, had invested in the land and made his home.

In 1907, Mr. Laffey accepted a position with the California Fruit Canners' Association, with which company he remained until and after it became the California Packing Corporation. He worked on the Milpitas ranch, and for the last fifteen years he has been ranch superintendent for the company at Mil- pitas. This ranch comprises 1680 acres, and is the largest single acreage known in the world that is devoted exclusively to the growing of sugar peas for canning. The company puts up six sizes of peas, from the tiny sifted to the larger size. A Republican in matters of national political import, Mr. Laffey works for the stimulation and steadying of trade, and he also lends himself, in the most admirably nonpartisan manner, to the promotion of the best interests of the community.

At San Jose, on January 12, 1912, Mr. Laffey was married to Mrs. Winifred Monroe Lewis, a native of Sierra County, Cal., and the daughter of C. C. and Fannie ( Chandler) Monroe, the father, late of the San Jose police force, while her uncle was Police Captain

Volney Averill

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

J. A. Monroe. Mrs. Lewis already had a daughter, Maude Frances Lewis, who graduated as a trained nurse from the Santa Clara County Hospital at San Jose, a member of the class of '21. Mr. and Mrs. Laffey make their home on a part of the C. P. C. ranch, and it is needless to say that where they re- side, there is true California hospitality. Fraternally, Mr. Laffey is a member of the Elks.

VOLNEY AVERILL .- A man who gave his best effort for the preservation of the Union and has also done much to improve and build up the horticultural industry in Santa Clara County is Volney Averill, a native of Vermont, born near Highgate Springs, Franklin County, August 12, 1847, a son of Mark Richard and Adah (Durrin) Averill, both natives of Vermont who lived on their New England home- stead until 1852, when they removed to Whiteside County, Ill., and were farmers near Prophetstown until they retired and their demise occurred there.

Of their eight children, Volney is sixth and the only one now living. Like the farmer boys of that day, he assisted his parents on the farm while at- tending the public school near by. Thus his edu- cation was not neglected. However, his patriotism was stirred to such an extent that, having obtained his father's consent, he left his books and enlisted in October, 1864, in Company B, Thirty-fourth Illinois Volunteer Infantry and was sent south In a detach- ment of the Fourteenth and Twentieth Army Corps he took part in the battle of Nashville under General Thomas, after which he guarded the block house near Chattanooga until March, 1865, when he was sent with others via Washington to Wilmington, N. C., joining his regiment in Sherman's Army at Golds- boro, N. C. After the military operations were over he marched to Washington, and had the pleasure of taking part in the Grand Review. After this he was stationed at Louisville, Ky., until he received his honorable discharge, July 12, 1865, being mustered out at Chicago, Ill., July 17, of that year, still under 18 years of age. He attended school that winter in Sterling, Ill., then spent a year working on a farm, when he went to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, as traveling salesman for an agricultural implement house for two years and then spent a year as a clerk in their store.

In the fall of 1869 he came to California, living in the Santa Cruz Mountains where he was employed on a ranch for a year and then returned to Iowa and engaged in farming for two years-but the call of California and its splendid climate was too strong, so in the spring of 1873 he returned to Santa Clara County and immediately took up ranch work in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

On June 2, 1873, Mr. Averill was married to Miss Alice Schultheis, who was born on the old Schul- theis ranch on the summit in this county, a daughter of Martin Schultheis, a pioneer, who with his wife Susan (Byerly) Schultheis, crossed the plains in an ox-team train in the early fifties and located in the mountains above Lexington and there reared their family, becoming successful farmers and valued citi- zens. In 1874 Mr. Averill bought fifteen acres which he cleared and set out to orchard and as he prospered he bought land adjoining until he owned 75 acres, 35 acres being devoted mostly to French prunes. His orchard lies well to the summit, on the Santa Cruz and Santa Clara County line, his resi- dence being in the latter county. Mr. Averill was

ofte among the first to engage in raising prunes for commercial purposes in his section, and he has been a close student of conditions of soil and climate, and has cared for his orchard in the most scientific way.

Mr. and Mrs. Averill's union was blessed with seven children: Anna, Mrs. Flynn, passed away, leav- ing three children; Fred resides in Seattle; Mrs. Mamie Piper died leaving one child, as did Mrs. Flor- ence Banich at her death; Bessie, Mrs. Romes, lives near Palo Alto. Alice assists her mother to preside over the house; Arthur E. owns the home ranch, is married and has two children. Mr. Averill is a popu- lar member of E. O. C. Ord. Post 82 G. A. R. at Los Gatos, and is a stanch Republican.

THOMAS MAHER .- Living in the midst of the fine prune orchards of the Santa Clara Valley, Thom- as Maher and his family reside in comfort on the thirty-acre ranch, known as "Fairfax Farm," on the San Francisco highway near Mountain View. One of the old settlers of the Golden State, Mr. Maher has been a resident of California since 1864. He was born October 14, 1851, at Freeport, Stephenson Coun- ty, Ill., his parents, Michael and Ann (Ryan) Maher, both being natives of Ireland. The father, a hard- working farmer, was wont to supplement his income by working in ,the lead mines near Galena, Ill., and in Lafayette County, Wis., and it was while working . at the latter place that he died, leaving a widow and eight children-seven boys and one girl-to face life without him. To add to their hardships, the Civil War broke out and two of the older boys, Ed and Steve, enlisted and served for three years. Ed Maher now resides at Parsons, Kans., and was for- merly sheriff there, while Steve Maher is a contrac- tor at Colton, Cal. The only daughter is Mrs. Maria Anderson of Sacramento. After the sons returned from the army, the family decided to come to Cali- fornia, crossing the plains when Thomas Maher was only twelve years old. They settled at Michigan Bar in Amador County and all seven of the boys went to mining. It was hard work and the educational advantages were decidedly meager in that typical placer mining camp, but they managed to get along. Thomas saved a part of his earninigs, and while yet in his 'teens, went to San Francisco where he be- came engaged in the furniture business, continuing there for forty years, and at the same time conduct- ing a transfer business.

While living there Mr. Maher was married to Miss Mary DuPont, born in San Francisco, the daughter of Francis and Rosalie DuPont, who came from France to San Francisco in the early '50s. The father was employed as foreman on the Fairfax Farm in Marin County, and was living there at the time Mrs. Maher was born. Five children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Maher: Anita, Charles; Ada, the wife of Mortimer Samuels, the owner of Fairfax Farm; Dennis; Jewell, the wife of Wm. Hopkins, in business in San Francisco; and Florence; she, as well as Mrs. Hopkins, have scored successes on the music- al comedy stage. A twin sister of Mrs. Hopkins passed away some years ago. Mr. and Mrs. Maher have made their home on the ranch since 1915, en- joying the quiet comforts and beautiful surroundings of this vicinity. Mr. Maher gives his time to super- intending the cultivation of the thirty acres of Fair-

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

fax Farm, which contains one of the finest and most productive apricot orchards of its size in the Santa Clara Valley. The members of the Maher family adhere to the Roman Catholic faith.

PHILIP G. SHEEHY .- Those who have watched the career of Philip G. Sheehy in its unfolding have noted the steady progress that he has made as a member of the bar in the handling of important ligitated interests. At the present time he is senior member of the firm of Sheehy and Helwig, expert accountants, of San Jose. He was born near Watson- ville, Santa Cruz County, in May, 1872, and is the son of John and Ellen (Bowen) Sheehy. The father came to California in the year 1852 by way of the Isthmus of Panama; here he engaged in mining and later followed farming as a pioneer of the Pajaro Valley. During the year of 1895 the family removed to San Jose, where the father passed away in 1908. The mother still resides in San Jose; she also crossed the Isthmus on mule back.

Mr. Sheehy began his education in the public schools of Santa Clara; upon graduation he entered the Hastings Law School where he spent one year; in 1900 he was admitted to the California bar and to the Federal Court in 1903. For eight years he served the city of Watsonville as city attorney, and from 1913 to 1919 he was deputy internal revenue collector for six of the central coast counties. At the end of this time, he formed his present partnership with Mr. Helwig. Their business relations have been con- genial and they are counted among the successful business men of San Jose.

Mr. Sheehy's marriage on October 10, 1905, united him with Miss Loretta Freiermuth and they have five children: Ellen, Rose Marie, Philip G. Jr., Anita and John J. Mr. Sheehy adheres to the principles advocated in the platform of the Democratic party. Fraternally he is a member of the Woodmen of the World, and is also a member of the Chamber of Commerce and the Hundred Per Cent Club. Fond of the great outdoors, he spends as much time in the open as his busy life will allow. He is a broad- minded, public-spirited man and citizen of fertile ideas and boundless energies, and that which he has won only presages a future of continued efforts and consequent success.

JAMES B. LEAMAN .- An enterprising man of affairs, whose anticipation of the needs of the com- munity has not only resulted in marked public serv- ice but has enabled him to do well for himself, is James B. Leaman, the proprietor of the Red Star Laundry Company, and who, until March 1, 1922, maintained one of the highest grade vapor dry-clean- ing establishments in the state. He was born at San Jose on March 21, 1890, thus commencing life luck- ily as a native son, and his father was James B. Lea- man, who came to California in the historic year of '49, traveling by way of Panama, then returned East, and the next year came back to the Golden State by way of the great plains. He was the sheriff of Yuba County, and later the Collector of the Port of San Francisco; and as early as 1887, he settled here and was highly esteemed as an experienced, retired capi- talist. In 1890 he established the Red Star Laundry, from the management of which he retired just twenty years later. On April 11, 1911, he passed away, leaving behind the most enviable record of use-

fulness. He married Miss Mary B. Harmon, and as an accomplished woman devoted to her husband's memory, she has survived him to this day.

James B. Leaman, Jr., enjoyed the usual advantages of a grammar and high school education, and for a while was a student at Stanford University. Then he studied law for a couple of years. He attempted to conduct the laundry and cleaning business while still studying, but soon found that he could not carry on the two, and hence left the university for the counting room. The Red Star Laundry has an ever increasing business in which are employed sixty- eight persons; and such has been his success in the past, due to the generous, appreciative patronage of the local public that his business had quadrupled since he took charge. He never fails to demonstrate his live interest in the welfare of Santa Clara County; is a member of the Chamber of Commerce, and served three terms as a director; is a director of the Rotary Club; belongs to the Commercial Club and the Country Club.

At San Jose, on October 25, 1913, Mr. Leaman was married to Miss Margaret Shillingsburg, a native of California, and they have two children, Margaret and Robert. Mr. Leaman is a thirty-second degree Scot- tish Rite Mason and a Shriner, a Native Son of the Golden West, an Elk, and he is fond of fishing and hunting, and of outdoor life in general. In national politics he is a Republican.

PETER STOCK .- An enterprising business man of wide experience, is Peter Stock, the genial pro- prictor of The John Stock Sons Hardware Store, so long an emporium not only for the people of San Jose but for Santa Clara County as well. He was born in San Jose at what is now the entrance to the Ryland Block, the son of John Stock, whose name, as far back as 1854, represented the pioneer stove store. An uncle, Frank Stock, had really settled in San Jose in 1852, when he started a small stove and iron store, the first of its kind in the place; and two years later his brother John joined him, coming from Chicago Their store was situated on Market Street; and a short time afterward Frank Stock bought a lot on First Street, the present site of the Woolworth Store and Pellerano Drug Store, and erected the first brick building in First Street, into which they then moved.

In 1861 John Stock bought his brother's interests, and from that time until he retired, he carried on the business in his own name. Meanwhile, he bought the lot and built the front part of the store now occupied by John Stock Sons, and into this he moved in 1869. In 1884 John Stock retired, succeeded by his sons, John L., Frank and Peter H. Stock. On April 1, 1898, he lost his devoted wife, whose maiden name was Susanna Berg; and on January 27, 1916, he passed away. This worthy couple had seven children, among whom Peter is the youngest son.

He enjoyed both grammar and high schood ad- vantages, and at the age of eighteen entered the business with his father. In 1884 he joined his brothers in succeeding his father, enlarging the busi- ness. The firm became The John Stock Sons and m 1919 Peter Stock became sole proprietor.

At San Jose, in the year 1885, Mr. Stock was mar- ried to Miss Elizabeth O'Brien, a native of Boston, Mass., and like himself a member of St. Joseph's Catholic Church; and their union has been blessed by four children. Clara has become Mrs. Melehan;

be hister

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

Hazel married Jay Jones; and Evelyn is Mrs. Adrian Anderson. Geneva, the third in order of birth, is at home. There are also eight grandchildren,-four boys and four girls. Mr. Stock is a member of the Chamber of Commerce and Merchants' Exchange.

CHARLES C. LESTER .- A scientific orchardist who well represents twentieth century progress in California in this important field of agricultural in- dustry, is Charles C. Lester, who was born near Norwich, Conn., on January 9, 1881, the son of Amos Lester, who first saw the light in the historic town of Ledyard. in New London County, Conn., on De- cember 3, 1839. The Lesters settled in New London al- most as early as did the Ledyards, for whom the town was named; and the paternal grandfather, after whom Amos Lester was named, was probably born in Ledyard and died there in 1842, aged sixty-six years. His old homestead housed three generations of the family, and there Isaac A., his son, and Amos, his son's son, entered into the Lester family circles, the former having been born on the first anniversary of the inauguration of James Madison, in 1810. Isaac Lester joined another well-known Colonial family of New London County, by marrying Mary Chapman, who was born in Ledyard on March 12, 1815, a daugh- ter of the farmer, Ichabod Chapman.

Amos was the eldest of two daughters and nine sons born to Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Lester, and before he migrated to California in 1861, he graduated from the New Britain Normal School and taught school in Connecticut for a few terms. Settling in Napa Coun- ty, he met with only varying success on his first ranch, and he returned in 1866 to his old home in New London County, locating at Norwich. Two years later, on May 28, he was united in marriage with Carrie G. Spicer, a native of Ledyard, where she was born on May 28, 1850, so that their marriage took place on the bride's birthday. She was the daughter of Judge Edmund Spicer, who was born in Ledyard in 1812 and died in 1890, completing a very creditable career as a probate jurist of his na- tive town. In 1890, the lure of the great West again drew Amos Lester to California; and after putting in a year near San Jose, where he had an interest in twenty-five acres of orchard with two brothers, he re- moved to the home in time so widely known as the Lester place, four miles southeast of Gilroy. He bought 463 acres which he brought under a high state of cultviation, and came to make a specialty of horti- culture. He followed only the most scientific, up-to- date methods, and thus he was able to attain an en- viable financial standing in the community, represent- ed by his former participation, as a director, in the Napa Bank. Long a member of the Presbyterian Church, he became an honored elder there; and having joined the ranks of the Republican Party in the second administration of Abraham Lincoln, he became one of the patriotic citizens whose counsel was often sought by the leaders of the G. O. P. Eight children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Amos Lester; and besides Charles C., the subject of this sketch, John S., Minnie B. and Milton M. came to live on the home ranch, while another son, Henry W., settled in San Jose. An infant son and a daughter, Mary, and another son, Amos Everett, died in Connecticut.

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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 135

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