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 144

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 144

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He was again forced to take over his old business in Chicago and conducted it eight years, going back and forth; thus he has made twenty-four round trips. In July, 1919, he sold the business and was free to stay on his California ranch. He has bought ad- joining land, so he now owns sixty acres devoted to raising apricots and prunes. The orchard is beau- tifully located on a hill, is above the frost and com- mands a magnificent view of the valley, having ample water for both domestic and irrigation purposes. Mr. Hauk has converted it into a hotel resort. He has a fine residence built of cobblestones and has

also seven cottages and a building 30x60 with ten sleeping porches, all modern and well-equipped. This resort he has appropriately named Alum Rock Lodge and it is popular and well-patronized.

Mr. Hauk's second marriage occurred in Schenec- tady, N. Y., when he was united with Miss Theresa Wendt, born in Gratz, Austria. They have had six children: Hans, deceased; Margarct Elizabeth, Hans Walter, Elsie, Arthur and Diana. Mr. Hank is a straightforward man, reliable in all he says and does; he is a thorough American, and when he votes he acts according to his dictates as a thinking, free citi- zen, spurning narrow partisanship.

MRS. EMILY J. HORN .- That a wide-awake, far- seeing and conscientious woman may successfully dis- charge all the responsibilities attending the manage- ment of an extensive ranch, and very creditably de- velop to a still higher degree valuable property sacred- ly entrusted to her by last will and testament, is an- ply and interestingly demonstrated by Mrs. Emily J. Horn, who was born in Eureka, Nev., and now re- sides on the Alviso Road, about three and a half miles north of San Jose, where she has a handsome fruit farm of forty-two and one-half acres. Her father, Charles H. Prince, was a hardy western pio- neer. For many years he conducted a freighting busi- ness, living in Eureka, Nev., where his wife was the only white woman for miles around. In 1872 he removed to San Francisco, where he continued to manage one of the best liveries in that city. He had married Miss Elizabeth Mates, who proved the most devoted of wives and mothers, but who died when Emily was ten years of age. The child attended the grammar schools in the Bay City, and when her father died, during her nineteenth year, she remained in San Francisco and kept up the home for her three brothers until she was married. Her parents both came from Walton-on-Thames, England, and so Miss Emily grew up with the combined advantages of the best influences of English and American life.

At San Francisco, she was married September 14, 1894, to Bernard J. Horn, a native of San Francisco, where he first saw the light, on July 22, 1862, the son of Bernard and Elizabeth Horn, New Yorkers, who came to California in the early '50s. The elder Horn had large herds of cattle, and as one of San Francisco's largest wholesalers, he supplied that bust- ling city and its vicinity for years with an immense quantity of the best fresh meat. With his brother, Thomas, Bernard J. Horn continued in the San Fran- cisco ineat trade, and in 1904 he purchased a ranch of forty-two and a half acres, where Mrs. Horn now engages in agriculture. He developed this ranch from a vacant piece of ground by planting it to alfalfa. Since his death, Mrs. Horn has planted 40 acres to Bartlett pears, and still further improved it by putting in an up-to-date pumping plant and an underground system of irrigation by means of cement pipe. Mr. Horn, to whom his devoted widow gives all the credit for having already brought the ranch to a very high state of cultivation, passed away, highly honored by a wide circle of friends, in 1914, and since then, true to his memory and in great part following the lines he laid down, Mrs. Horn has kept up the ranch herself. She has been very ably assisted in her work and operations by her youngest brother, Fred M. Prince, who is making his home with her on the ranch.

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

Mr. Horn was a Democrat, a San Jose Elk, a Mason, and a member of the Knights Templar Com- mandery No. 1, of San Francisco; Mrs. Horn main- tains a keen interest in public affairs, and lends a hand whenever she can for social betterment, while in her successful operation of the ranch property she helps to advance the permanent development of Cali- fornia agriculture.

SAMUEL T. MOORE .- Highly esteemed as one the most public-spirited, progressive and representa- tive citizens of Gilroy, Samuel T. Moore, the ex-post- master, enjoys exceptional popularity and influence among the business element in Santa Clara County. He was born in Missouri on March 10, 1849, and ac- companied his parents across the plains to California in 1853, settling for a short time near Sacramento. Later, he removed to Sonoma, where he was reared and went to school. He attended the Sonoma College, a school under the control of the Presbyterian Church, from 1865-69, where he received a thorough training in mathematics and languages; and then taught school near Plainsburg in Merced County. At the end of two terms, he removed to San Benito, where, some forty years ago he opened a store, start- ing on a modest basis, and with successive successful seasons he made good his enterprise; from 1876 to 1878 he was postmaster of San Benito. In 1886 he re- moved to Gilroy, invested in orchard property and later became a partner of Alvin L. Ellis in a general merchandise business; and when he acquired his part- ner's interest by purchase, he conducted the business under his own name until 1892, when he sold out. He then reorganized the Farmers Union, and successfully built that up to a good volume of business, when the heavy depression of 1896, caused its dissolution. This led to his taking over the dry goods department which he conducted until he sold it to Messrs. Roth & Winans, who are still in that field.

Mr. Moore served on the city council for eight years, and it was during his incumbency that the gas and water works were installed. In 1916 he was ap- pointed by Woodrow Wilson to the office of post- master at Gilroy, and was reappointed in 1920, but retired from that office on May 1, 1922. After taking the office, he accomplished much good in his depart- ment, making an increase of from twenty-five to forty per cent. In October, 1920, the new building, which was erected for the Government at an expense of some $20,000 by Michael Casey, was officially opened, and in its modern, complete form, it stands as a monument to its builder and the untiring efforts of Mr. Moore in his struggle for the progress of Gil- roy. From this office the rural delivery serves the people over routes cach fifty miles long. Two city routes were also established in 1919, and so, through Mr. Moore's efforts, excellent service, both in the de- livery and in the collection of mail has been pro- vided for both town and suburbs.

At Gilroy in 1874, Mr. Moore was married to Miss Sarah E. Dryden, a native of Missouri but a resi- dent of Santa Clara Valley for twelve years prior to her marriage. Her father crossed the plains for the first time in the year of '49, and he became a prom- ment rancher and orchardist at San Jose and Gilroy. Six children have blessed this union. Oscar is mar- ried, has two children and resides at San Diego. Lucille is the wife of H. E. Robinson, a prominent

merchant and ex-mayor of Gilroy; they have three children. Fannie is the wife of F. F. McQuilkin, an orchardist residing near Gilroy; and they have one child. Walter E. is married, has two children and lives at Redwood City, where he is a bond and in- surance merchant. Elizabeth has become the wife of Homer L. Burr, and they reside at Pomona, with their three children. Cecil is married and is a clerk in the Gilroy post office. He has one son. The fam- ily has long been associated with the First Presby- terian Church at Gilroy; and in 1871 Mr. Moore was made a Mason, and belongs to the Keith Lodge No. 187 F. & A. M., at Gilroy, and to Hollister Chapter No. 68 R. A. M., and the Scottish Rite Temple at San Jose and is a member of the Elks of San Jose. In politics he is a Democrat.

HENRY M. AYER .- A broad-minded and liberal- hearted man is Henry M. Ayer, the popular super- visor, a progressive public official, who was born at Milpitas, in this county, November 22, 1866, the son of Samuel F. Ayer, a California pioneer, who was also an able official of this county.

Henry M. Ayer attended the Milpitas school and then completed the course at the San Jose high school, and in 1887, after the proper amount of work there, the University of the Pacific conferred upon him the degree of Bachelor of Philosophy. The fol- lowing two years he lived on a cattle ranch in Nevada, and since his return to San Jose he has been interested in the same line of endeavor-that of raising and selling cattle. He has a couple of valu- able ranches, so that he has acquired first hand knowledge of certain phases of California agriculture.

In 1904 Mr. Ayer was first elected supervisor of Santa Clara County, and he has been reelected so often that he is now serving his fifth term, having presided as chairman for ten years of the time. Mr. Ayer has only had to advocate true progressive policies needed to help Santa Clara County to come to her own, and he has never failed of popular sup- port. Many of the forward movements of the county, such as the improvement in the highways, have either been initiated or at least sponsored by him, and he has continued in office long enough to see many measures requiring time for their development proven to be the very thing that was most needed. Mr. Ayer enlisted in June, 1898, in Company M, Eighth California U. S. Volunteer Infantry, for the Spanish-American War, serving seven months, when he received his honorable discharge at Alcatraz in January, 1899.

At San Jose, on December 30, 1896, Mr. Ayer was united in marriage with Miss Louise Schemmel, a native daughter of San Jose, where she was reared and educated and where she has a host of warm friends. She is a member of an old-time family, being the granddaughter of Adolph Pfister, who served for two terms as mayor of this city and was one of the founders of the city library. Mr. Ayer is a member of San Jose Lodge No. 522, B. P. O. Elks, and the Pastime and St. Claire clubs, and in national politics is a Republican. He is one of the most active men in Santa Clara County, giving substantial en- couragement to every plan for the promotion of pub- lic welfare, and he is found in the vanguard where progress is the watchword.

R. G. Hilllow

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

FRANK CHAPMAN WILLSON .- An exper- ienced, successful rancher who has become an au- thority on matter pertaining to horticulture and nur- series, Frank Chapman Willson is also known as an excellent business man who has contributed definitely toward the expansion of California industry and com- merce. He was born in Ontario, Canada, on Feb- ruary 9. 1862, and there grew to maturity. His father, Robert Willson, was a farmer and stockman, and Grandfather Robert Willson, a native of Penn- sylvania, was a pioneer settler of Ontario County, Ontario. Coming there in the early days he bought Government land and was the first white man to cut a stick of timber on his farm where the town of Ux- bridge, Ontario, now stands, Indians then being found on all sides. Originally the Willson family were En- glish and they represent some of the best pioneer stock. They were Quakers and as such came to be well known in Pennsylvania before their migration to Canada. The maternal grandmother of Robert Willson, the father of the subject of this sketch, was Elizabeth Linton, a daughter of John Linton, who was a son of Sir Roger Linton of England. John Linton was educated for the ministry, and turned Quaker, for which, his father, Sir Roger Linton, dis- owned him, and so he came to America. Mrs. Robert Willson, the mother of our subject, was Huldah Orvis before her marriage, and she was a native of Ontario, Canada, her parents coming from Vermont.

Frank Chapman Willson was a young man when his father died, and his mother removed to North Dakota with her six sons and one daughter about 1884. They settled in Barnes County, where they lived for three years, and Mr. Willson, who had had a high school training, taught school for two winters. In the winter of 1886-87, he came out to California and for some years lived at Stockton. It was his desire to engage in fruit growing in California, as he had worked in orchards and nurseries in Canada, where he made the most of his opportunities. Here he found many kinds of fruit not grown in the East, and wishing to learn the growing of these new var- i:ties, he spent several years in the Stockton nur- series, acquiring a knowledge of California fruit grow- ing that has been valuable to him in later years.

In 1892 Mr. Willson came to Santa Clara County and established a nursery at 192 North Market Street, San Jose. Later he purchased a portion of the Mur- phy ranch near Sunnyvale, and planted nursery stock in between the rows of his orchard, and so had his first nursery crop. He succeeded well both with his orchard and nursery and then bought bare land, planted orchards and grew one crop of nursery trees in between. Four different tracts, aggregating 110 acres, were handled this way, it being his belief that new land was needed for growing healthy trees, free from all disease. Two of these orchards he later sold, largely on account of the distance between them and the difficulty in getting competent labor.

Among other things for which Californians will ever feel grateful to Mr. Willson is the Willson Wonder Walnut, which he originated, and which has had a great sale. In his nursery he first built up a good home trade, and he took great care to make good his claims to recognition in propagating walnut, peach, cherry, apricot and prune stock, and he was equally successful in producing a splendid brand of sun-cured fruit. He has a large and valuable cherry orchard,

the principal varieties being the Black Tartarian, the Royal Anne and the Bing, and his exhibit of the lat- ter two won the medal of honor and the gold medal at the Panama-Pacific Exposition at San Francisco. Mr. Willson has made a careful study of everything pertaining to successful horticulture, and is espe- cially well informed on the problems of eradicating pests and diseases.

At Sunnyvale, in 1900, Mr. Willson was married to Miss Mabel E. Wilson, a native of Iowa and the daughter of Lewis and Harriet Wilson, and their fortunate union has been blessed with the birth of two children, Harold O. and Helen E., both in the Palo Alto high school. Mr. Willson is a member of the San Jose Grange and the Modern Woodmen of America. A Quaker by birthright, he adheres to the principles of that religion and particularly governs his life by the Golden Rule of doing unto others as he would be done by.

ALVIN RYLAND WARD .- Descended from an old Eastern family, who have been prominent in the history of their old homes, Alvin Ryland Ward, after many busy years in the industrial world, is enjoying the comforts of his beautiful orchard home near Morgan Hill. Mr. Ward was born at Cumber- land, Md., on June 10, 1852, the son of James William and Maria (Ryland) Ward, the former a native of Winchester, Va. Grandfather Joel Ward was a resi- dent of Harper's Ferry, and prominently connected with the history of that place. The Wards have for years past been an exceptionally long-lived family, nearly all of them reaching the age of ninety or over. Our subject has two brothers living, John J. Ward of Bellingham, Wash., and Delono Ward of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Mrs. Ward passed away when Alvin R. was only two years old, and in 1857 the Ward family removed to Wheeling, W. Va, and here he received most of his schooling. He entered the plumbing shop of Redding Bros. at Wheeling, but in a short time he had an opportunity to take up the trade of a machin- st, and glass mold maker. He worked in the shop of A. J. Sweeney until 1869, when he removed to Bellaire, Ohio, where he followed his trade for many years. In 1906 the family removed to San Fran- cisco, arriving there in March, Mr. Ward accepting a position with the Illinois Pacific Glass Manufac- turing Company at Fifteenth and Folsom streets. They went through the harrowing experiences of the earthquake and fire, this occurring shortly after their arrival, and in the fall of 1907 he acquired a ranch of ten acres located on San Pedro Avenue, near Morgan Hill. This property was a barren piece of land when they came to it, but by much hard work they have planted it to French prunes and walnuts and have made of it a fine property, from which they derive much satisfaction and where they enjoy the country life with city facilities.

At Bellaire, Ohio, Mr. Ward was married on Janu- ary 31, 1881, to Miss Junnietta Kuhns, who was born at Quaker City, Ohio, December 2, 1858, the daugh- ter of J. H. Kuhns, a pioneer of Ohio. Two children were born to them: Wilbert Clarence, a graduate of the University of Illinois, passed away at thirty-one, and Renna May died when she was seven. Mr. Ward is a member of the Blue Diamond Walnut Growers' Association of Santa Clara, is a Republican in politics and belongs to the Knights of Pythias.

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

JONATHAN FRANKLIN JACKSON .- Among the native sons of California who have demonstrated their ability to make a success in agriculture and horticulture is Jonathan Franklin Jackson, who was born near Edgewood, Siskiyou County, July 1, 1872, a son of Samuel and Caroline (Sherrill) Jackson. The father was born, near Gainesboro, Va., January 27, 1827, the family being of Scotch and Irish descent. He remained on the home farm in the Old Dominion until October, 1851, when he went on a visit to Ohio, where he spent the winter, then on to Illinois, going from there to St. Louis and from there to New Orleans. There he met two men returning from California whose stories of the Golden State interested him so that he decided to make the jour- ney himself. With about $500 in his pocket he came via the Isthmus of Panama, landing in San Francisco in November, 1852. He went to Sacramento and worked in a bakery for eighty dollars a month, then to Lower Springs, near Shasta, where he began mining, then on to Weaverville. In the fall of '53 he went to Yreka, but finding it dull went on to Cottonwood, where he had a rich claim in Rocky Gulch; he soon sold this for the small sum of $250 and went to Virginia Bar, so named by him for his home state. He brought in a ditch by which he operated his placer for a time, and then continued on to Big Shasta Valley, Siskiyou County, where he bought the place which became his home, where he resided until his death. The improvements con- sisted of a log cabin without a roof, 400 rails and a few potatoes planted. Mr. Jackson raised three crops and then rented the place and went to Green- horn, that county, where he bought two claims and again engaged in mining. After two years he con- cluded that farming was, after all, more profitable so returned to his ranch.

On January 10, 1861. Samuel Jackson was mar- ried to Miss Caroline Sherrill, also of Scotch descent and a native of Independence County, Ark. Mr. Jackson added to his purchases from time to time until he had a large ranch of approximately 4,000 acres. He engaged extensively in the stock business and became a well-to-do and influential man. He died on November 4, 1904, at the age of seventy-seven, while Mrs. Jackson had preceded him on April 21, 1902, aged seventy-one. Samuel Jackson was a liberal and kind-hearted man and on his large ranch he dispensed the good, old-time hos- pitality and was much esteemed and honored by everyone. He and his wife were the parents of four children that grew up and are now living: Thomas Jefferson resides in Texas; Samuel Henry lives in Oakland; Alice Virginia is Mrs. Koppel of Oakland. and Jonathan Franklin of this review, known as Frank Jackson to his numerous friends.

He attended school in the Mt. Shasta and Cedar Park districts, making himself generally useful on his father's ranch from the time he was a lad, thus carly mastering the cattle business as well as gen- eral husbandry, remaining at home until after his father passed away. On June 28, 1905, at Santa Monica, he was married to Miss Ida H. Dunbar, a native of South Carolina and the daughter of N. A. H. and Mahala Anna (Pittman) Dunbar. The father was a native of County Kildare, Ireland, and came to South Carolina when he was sixteen years old. He was an energetic worker and business man

and became the owner of a large corn and cotton plantation near Union, S. C., now the townsite of one of the largest cotton mills in the South. His wife was of English, Scotch and Irish descent, be- ing a native of South Carolina, and they made their home on their plantation until their death, the wife and mother having survived her husband many years, her demise occurring in 1899. This worthy couple were the parents of seven children, four of whom are living, as follows: Mary Telula, wife of H. E. Bauknight, now of Goree, Texas; Ida H., Mrs. Jack- son; Geo. P. of Morgan Hill, Cal .; Henry A. of Union, S. C. Ida H. Dunbar received her educa- tion in Clifford Seminary, after which she remained at home caring for her invalid mother until her death, soon after which Miss Dunbar came to Cam- eron, Texas, where her brother, George P. Dunbar, resided. In 1902 she came to Santa Barbara, Cal., on a visit and sometime later, while in Ventura, she met Mr. Jackson, the acquaintance resulting in their marriage, which has proved a very happy one.

After his marriage, Mr. Jackson with his bride, located on his ranch of 485 acres in Siskiyou County, which had come to him on the settlement of his father's estate, and on which they erected a beau- tiful residence. The ranch was well wooded and watered, being irrigated by a ditch taken from the Shasta River, and had natural meadows and a fine range for his cattle. They made their home there for six years, selling it in 1911 and removing to the San Martin district in Santa Clara County, where they purchased a ranch of 926 acres devoted to hay and grain, and engaged in raising cattle, mules and hogs. For seven years they resided on this ranch and then sold it and bought their present place of fifty-three acres on the Homestead Road in the Cupertino district. It is a full-bearing orchard, twen- ty acres in apricots, two in cherries and twenty-eight acres in prunes, which Mr. Jackson has brought to a splendid state of cultivation, and it is now one of the finest orchards in the district. He has a splendid well, equipped with an electric pumping plant which throws 700 gallons of water a minute. This is located on the highest point of the ranch, so the entire tract is irrigated by gravity flow.

Mr. Jackson at one time owned a ranch at Ga- zelle, Siskiyou County, and one of 600 acres in Ven- tura County. This latter he exchanged for a citrus ranch in the El Cajon Valley, San Diego County, but on account of the distance he sold it. He also disposed of his 400-acre ranch in Mariposa County, as it was so far away from his home. Mr. and Mrs. Jackson also own a valuable four-story brick busi- ness building at 249-277 Pine Street, San Francisco. Since disposing of their Siskiyou ranch and coming to Santa Clara County with $30.000, they have been very successful, accumulating all their other prop- erty since then, which is valued at about $200,000, showing what can be done by united and well- directed effort. Mrs. Jackson is possessed of rare business ability and Mr. Jackson attributes much of his success to her able counsel and assistance. She is a cultured woman of a very pleasing personality and both have a large circle of friends. Politically they are believers in the principles of the Demo- cratic party, and are progressive and enterprising, aiding in all movements tending to improve and build up the community. Mr. Jackson has been a mem-

. Frunk Jackson

Ida H Jackson

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

ber of Mt. Eddy Camp, W. O. W. at Weed for more than twenty years, and Mrs. Jackson belongs to the Episcopal Church. Success has crowned the efforts of these energetic ranchers and in the mean- time they have found time to take an active interest in the affairs of their county and state.

MAX J. CROW .- Deservedly famous among the many show places of Santa Clara County are Crow's Nurseries, conducted by Max J. Crow & Son, at Gil- roy. Mr. Crow was born in Empire City, Nev., on August 8, 1866, and his father was Alfred M. Crow, a native of Kentucky who had migrated to Missouri in the early '40s. He was one of eight sons all of whom in time came out to California; and he led the way in crossing the great plains in 1850. Alfred M. Crow located at Shaw's Flat, where he became a stockman; and later on he entered the lumber busi- ness at Empire City; Nev., and supplied lumber to miners at Gold Hill, Virginia City and throughout the mines in that section. His first wife having died, he married Miss Martha L. Hicks, a native of Ala- bama who was reared and educated in Missouri: she crossed the great plains in 1865, in a party captained by Isaac P. Crow, an uncle of our subject, and she later married and settled at Empire City, Nev. In 1871 Alfred M. Crow and his family returned to Cal- ifornia, located at Stockton for a short time, later settling at Crow's Landing, Stanislaus County, where Mr. Crow died in 1884. Mrs. Crow, mourned as was her husband, by a large circle of devoted friends, passed away at Morgan Hill, Cal., in 1909. This family belongs to the Crow family that settled in Stanislaus County in the early '50s.

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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 144

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