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 157

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 157

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While attending the American College at Louvain, Father O'Hara's vacations were spent in travel, hav- ing visited every country on the continent. He had the pleasure of visiting Rome and was fortunate in having an audience with Pope Leo. In 1902, and again in 1906, he made trips back to Ireland, where

Chas. Weeks

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he visited his parents, who were still living at the old home, and in the latter year he also traveled over the British Isles, However, on his return to his beloved adopted home in California he was more pleased than ever to get back to this favored section of the world.

CHARLES WEEKS .- A splendid example of the successful, progressive and enterprising Califor- nian is Charles Weeks, the widely-known poultry- man and wide-awake subdivider of Runnymede, the delightful suburb of Palo Alto, to whom Santa Clara County owes much for the extension of its fame. A man of real, natural genius who still had to pass through many interesting and instructive, if not always satisfying experiences before he "found" him- self, he has never failed to associate the highest integrity in the exercise of his gifts, with the result that he has come to render the most valuable ser- vice to his fellowmen, and to acquire, as well-merited returns on his varied investments, an enviable po- sition of influence and a comfortable competence.

He was born near Wabash, Ind,, on February 18, 1873, the son of Thomas C. Weeks, an esteemed resident of the Hoosier State, who was born in Wabash County. Ind., and who has come to be one of the most successful farmers and stockmen. He mar- ried, in that county. Miss Mary Frances Jackson, also born and reared in Indiana, a distant relative of General and President Andrew Jackson, and she died at her Indiana home in September. 1921, about seventy years of age, leaving a family of five chil- dren, four of whom are still living. In December. 1921, Mr. Weeks, in the enjoyment of his seventy- third year, came to California for a visit, leaving the attractive farm of ninety acres in Grant County, Ind., which has been the home place of the Weeks family since 1884. A sister of our subject, Mrs. J. F. Collins, resides at Runnymede, but the rest of the family are still residents of Indiana.

The only son in this interesting circle, Charles Weeks grew up at home until he was seventeen, attending the country district schools, and then he became a student at the Fairmount Academy, in Grant County, from which, in time, he was duly graduated. After that, he taught school for four years, and then he matriculated at De Pauw Univer- sity, where he pursued courses for three years, teach- ing at the same time. He next became interested in the restaurant business in Chicago, and after two years in that field and city, he removed to New York and for two years continued in the same field of en- terprise. In his famous poultry book-one of the best, by-the-way, ever given to the press by an Am- erican writer-Mr. Weeks tells how having dropped in to see a poultry show in the Eastern metropolis, the cackle of the high-grade fowls awakened mem- ories of earlier days, and he decided to embark in poultry-rasing.

In 1904, he came out to California looking for a place favorable to intensive farming and the raising of poultry, and as a trial, he bought a ten-acre place at Los Altos. He soon found that water was too hard to get there, so he sold his little holding and in 1909 came to Palo Alto. He there purchased five acres with a good pumping plant, tank-house and cot- tage, and this is now his well-known home-place; and since then he has bought an additional five acres, and has rebuilt, putting up a new residence, with a

large club-house and a lecture-hall, as well as an office, creating a social center along with the head- quarters of a poultry school. His office is located in a large and well-planned structure, and there he has also sleeping rooms for employees, a cook house and a dining-room, used at times for lectures. After his second trial, in New York City, of the restaurant business, he returned to Indiana, where for two years he experimented in raising poultry; and since he be- gan to study it both from a scientific and a business standpoint, he had attained to something definite and worth while in progress before he came out to the Coast.

During the past seventeen years in which Mr. Weeks has been in California, he has evolved "Weeks' System" of poultry raising and egg-pro- duction, and he has so developed his own undertak- ings in this line that he keeps 15,000 hens on his ten-acre ranch. He builds his own mammoth incuba- tors-seven machines which hatch out 25,000 eggs per annum; and he has made a specialty of breeding the justly celebrated variety of white Leghorns known as the Weeks heavy laying strain-the re- sult of careful selection, for years, of Leghorns promising vigor and heavy egg-production. He also breeds Duroc swine and rabbits. He is the prime mover in the annual fair held each year at Runny- mede, which has become of much interest to the gen- eral public, affording, as it does, a revelation of what may be ccomplished in poultry production, under the Weeks' System, with the proper conditions of soil, water and climate, in particular by the "little farmer." It was Bolton Hall, the great writer, who said, "three acres and liberty;" but it has been left for Mr. Weeks to demonstrate the possibility of a competency from one acre.

This charming suburb of Palo Alto famed for its balmy, bracing climate, situated on the bank of the San Francisquito Creek, has a deep-black, loamy and very productive soil, and excellent irrigation facilities. Such was his faith in this section from his advent here, that Mr. Weeks has bought, sub- divided and sold four valuable tracts, the first sub- division having been the Charles Weeks Poultry Colony. This was parceled out into one-acre lots, all of which were sold off during the first year, in 1916. The next year, another subdivision, also of 160 acres, was put upon the market, and this tract, Subdivision No. 2, he also sold within the year. In 1918, Mr. Weeks cut up a third tract of 160 acres, known as the Woodland subdivision. and this he also sold within the year after it was opened. In 1919, he offered Subdivision No. 4, upon which he installed a large pumping plant and an extensive reservoir, from which he piped water to each lot, thereby saving much labor and expense to the lot-purchasers; and the arrangement has proven very satisfactory to all concerned. Mr. Weeks has already laid out and sold 600 acres in Runnymede proper, in one-acre lots. thus greatly encouraging the ambitious person who hopes to attain his goal with a small amount of land, often all he can conveniently afford, and he is still adding to the Colony by buying and subdividing. from time to time, small, contiguous tracts, and only recently has acquired three new tracts at Runny- mede, near Palo Alto, of twenty-five, fifteen and ten acres, respectively, where he is working his realty wonders. When Mr. Weeks first came to Los Altos,

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he had only $1,275; and both there and at Palo Alto he lost money, in the beginning, actually get- ting into debt to the tune of $10,000. Then, through actual and sometimes bitter experience, he worked out the original system for which he has become fa- mous, and after that he made poultry pay. He found that the primary consideration was the right kind of hen, and then that it was necessary to have the best kind of soil, an abundance of green feed, and plenty of good water; and since he began to do well for him- self, he has devoted no little part of his time and energy to assisting other folks to succeed and make money. Having made a pronounced success of every subdivision at Runnymede, near Palo Alto, after many months' of investigation of land in the vicinity of Los Angeles, Mr. Weeks selected Owensmouth, Los Angeles County, as the ideal location for another colony. This he has named Runnymede No. 2. He is now busily engaged in colonizing the first forty acre unit, being a portion of the large Jenal Estate, adjoining the town of Owensmouth which is only 26 miles from Los Angeles on the lines of the Southern Pacific and Pacific Electric, while the Highway Boulevard, Sherman Way, passes the prop- erty, Mr. Weeks says that this is destined to be- come more famous than the renowned Runnymede at Palo Alto, and will afford an opportunity for hundreds of people to own a self-supporting gar- den-home in a cooperative community where the highest science is used in intensive production on small acreage.

Mr. Weeks is the editor and publisher of the "Lit- tle Farms Journal," a bright poultry paper now published monthly; and he has made himself famous as the author of the fresh, instructive, diverting and handsomely-illustrated volume, "Egg Farming in California;" which bears this inscription: "This book is dedicated to all who are interested in intensive production on small acreage-to those who love na- ture, and enjoy plants and animals-and especially to those who contemplate a state of higher indepen- dence on the land." The volume opens with a des- cription of Mr. Weeks' boyhood days, then tells how he progressed backwards-from the city to the old farm; continues with an account of his first attempts at poultry raising in California; pictures the new poultry ranch as it is possible on rich soil with plenty of water, and next describes the most intensive egg- farm in the world. There are other absorbing chap- ters on sanitation in poultry houses, and the keeping of poultry in the back-yard, and the spirit of uplift and value to humanity in the whole book may be judged from such chapter-headings as "The Sanest of Arts, the Art of Making a Living on a Little Land," "The Producer, the Hero and Savior of the War-Mad World," and "Runnymede-a Place of Higher Independence for Man in His Own Garden Home." Mr. Weeks' style is clear and interesting, and this may account for his demand, not only as a contributor to the leading agricultural journals of the day, but as a lecturer, as well. He makes ex- tended lecture-tours, sometimes absenting himself for weeks at a time; and he has been particularly ac- tive in cooperating with farm bureaus around Los Angeles and San Diego. He employs ten men regu- larly, and has in G. S. Oliver, a most efficient and trustworthy office manager. He has been one of the most enthusiastic supporters of the State Land Set-

tlements near Durham, and seldom fails to attend a poultry association meeting in California.

At Palo Alto, in 1905, Mr. Weeks was married to Miss Alice Johnson, of Fairmount, Ind., and their union has been blessed with the birth of two children -Thomas B. and Charles, Jr.

FRANK EMILE BOURGUIGNON-An enter- prising leader in California's ever-growing agricul- tural industry is Frank E. Bourguignon, a native son who was born in San Francisco on July 7, 1877, the son of Emile H. Bourguignon, a native of Brussels, Belgium, where he was born on March 9, 1849. He was the son of Maximilian and Desiree (Housoy) Bourguignon, both natives of the same locality, and the parents of four children, of whom two sons and a daughter attained maturity. The eldest, Emile, was sent to the local public school, and when a mere lad he was apprenticed to learn landscape gardening. At eighteen years of age he became a Belgian Gren- adier, and during five years of service he was pro- moted to be a sergeant. On leaving the army, he went into business at Brussels; but when the Centen- nial of our nation drew attention to the United States in 1876, he crossed the ocean with his family and came direct to California.

For a couple of years, he lived in San Francisco, and having canvassed the situation thoroughly, he removed in 1879 to San Jose, and established himself in the florist business. He began, as it were, at the beginning; but by 1903 he had 60,000 square feet under glass, and was raising flowers which he had no no difficulty in selling in the markets in San Jose, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Sacramento. Dur- ing the winter time, he made a specialty of raising cucumbers. Mr. Bourguignon was twice married, his first step in matrimony having been taken in Belgium, and his first child, Frank, being born in San Francisco. At San Jose he became the husband of Miss Oraza Waltham, a native of Nova Scotia.

Frank E. Bourguignon attended the grammar and high schools in San Jose, and afterwards went to the Garden City Business College, where he was gradu- ated in 1895; and then he remained with his father, assisting him in his growing enterprises, as a flori- culturist, until he was twenty-eight years old. Setting up for himself, he went in the business of growing vegetables and garden seeds, and leased 200 acres twelve miles south of San Jose on Coyote Creek, and devoted the acreage to raising seeds for twelve years, then he was in employ Northrup King & Com- pany of Minneapolis and travelled over the North- west as buyer and contractor, continuing with them for three years. He then returned to Moorpark Avenue to take charge of his father's greenhouses and he has been there since, conducting his own hot- house business. His father died on August 2, 1916, rich in the accomplishments of seventy-two worth- while years, and also rich in friends and the esteem of his fellow-men; and Mrs. Bourguignon passed away in 1888, also beloved by all who knew her.

Mr. Bourguignon's ranch consists of three acres on Moorpark Avenue, two acres of which are under glass, about 90,000 square feet, the largest in the county. He has fifteen greenhouses in all, and he dlevotes these to the raising of hot-house vegetables for the Thanksgiving, Christmas and winter trade, most of his produce being shipped out of Santa Clara

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County for the fancy trade. He raises lettuce and tomatoes, but his specialty is hot-house cucumbers.

At San Jose, May 22, 1905, Mr. Bourguignon was married to Miss Serena Carteri, a native of Santa Barbara County, California, and the daughter of Leon Carteri and his wife, who was Matilda Foxen before her marriage. Mr. Carteri was famous as one of the most extensive stock-growers of the Pacific Coast, and one who did much to advance, along permanent, broad lines, its vast agricultural inter- ests. He was born in Toulouse, Southern France, in 1839, a son of Bertram Carteri, a prominent and well-to-do man, and after completing a college course, he sailed from his native land in 1868, and coming direct to California, established a large mercantile business at Santa Ynez, in Santa Barbara County. He subsequently became part owner of the Foxen and Shaw ranches, and the sole proprietor of two other large farming estates. Besides, he rented the Santa Rosa ranch, and the Santa Lucia ranch at Lompoc, and once able to command these extensive tracts, he embarked in stock-growing and dealing, and became one of the largest operators in that field in Cali- fornia. He had about 40,000 sheep, 20,000 head of cattle, and 500 horses, fed them and shipped them to all the near-by markets. Notwithstanding these cares. Mr. Carteri left his immense interests long enough to go to Europe and travel for three years; and having returned to Santa Barbara County, he continued his operations, and subsequently leased ranches in Sisquoc, Santa Maria and Casmalia. Dur- ing 1897 and 1898, he rented mountain ranges in Te- hama and Plumas counties, later removing his stock to ranges in Yuba County. Selling his Santa Bar- bara lands, Mr. Carteri in 1900 moved with his fam- ily to San Jose; and continuing stock-raising, he rented the Webber ranch in Santa Clara County, and the Topo ranch in San Benito County, and de- voted the former to cattle, and the latter to sheep raising. Finally, he disposed of all his northern stocklands, and devoted his entire time to his Santa Clara and San Benito County ranches; and having bought the estate at the corner of Thirteenth and Santa Clara streets, San Jose, he improved a fine home by creating a beautiful yard and attractive surroundings, and made it one of the most desirable places of residence in the city. While out driving with a friend, however, in the summer of 1903, a runaway team caused Mr. Carteri's horses to run away, and he was thrown from the carriage and dragged on the ground, receiving injuries that caused his death six weeks later. He passed away on Sep- tember 5, 1903, a consistent member of St. Patrick's Church, and was buried in Calvary Cemetery.

On November 16, 1878, at Santa Barbara, Mr. Carteri was married to Miss Matilda Foxen, a native of Santa Barbara and the daughter of William Ben- jamin Foxen. The latter was born in Norwich, Eng- land, and had the distinction of being the first Eng- lish or American settler of Santa Barbara County. At Goleta he huilt the first schooner used for mail service between Monterey and old San Diego; and having established himself as a merchant in Santa Barbara County, he had seven stores there in full operation, and in addition extensively followed agri- cultural pursuits, having a fine stock ranch. He proved of great aid to General Fremont, who had a camp on his farm and received from Mr. Foxen his

needed supplies. Mr. Foxen married Edwarda Osuna, who was born in San Diego of Spanish ancestry, her parents, descendants of the Spanish nobility, having emigrated from Castile, Spain, to California, to act as administrators of churches along the Pacific Coast, and to help organize and build new churches through- out California. Mrs. Foxen lived to be eighty-three years of age, passing away at Santa Barbara. Mr. and Mrs. Foxen had fourteen children, eleven of whom grew to maturity, and Matilda was the young- est child. She was brought up in Santa Barbara and attended St. Vincent's College. A lady of exceptional refinement and culture, she is an active member of St. Joseph's Catholic Church. Mrs. Bourguignon has a family of six children, Desiree, Elise, Frank Emile Jr., Leon, Bertrand and Andre. Mr. Bour- guignon is a protectionist and holds strongly to the platforms of the Republican Party.

CARL CAMPBELL .- A native of Pennsylvania, Carl Campbell was born at West Sunbury, Butler County, April 3, 1881, the son of Allen and Katherine ( Meckling) Campbell. The father, born in Butler County of Scotch descent, was a veteran of the Civil War, having served two enlistments. He enlisted the first time August 7, 1862, under Capt. John F. White in Company C of the One Hundred Thirty- fourth Pennsylvania Infantry and served nine months, and was discharged May 27. 1863, at Harris- burg, Pa. He enlisted a second time as corporal under Capt. W. R. Hutchinson in Company A of the Sixth Pennsylvania Heavy Field Artillery, which was known as the Two Hundred Twelfth Pennsylvania Volunteers, enlisting on August 30, 1864. He was honorably discharged June 13, 1865, at Fort Ethan Allen, Va., after the close of the war. After his dis- charge he returned to his occupation of farming and also owned and operated a grist mill at West Sun- bury, Pa., in partnership with his brother, James. Allen Campbell was married at Butler, Pa., in 1876. and the young couple began housekeeping at West Sunbury, Pa., where the bride was born, a daugh- ter of Joseph and Martha (Muntz) Meckling, Mrs. Campbell being one of a family of seven children.

In 1892 the family removed to California, where the father purchased a ranch of sixteen acres on the Porter Road, just east of San Jose, which is now devoted to prunes and apricots. Allen Campbell was a strong supporter of the Prohibition party and was a popular member of Sherman-Dix Post, G. A. R .. in San Jose, and with his wife was a member of the United Presbyterian Church. This Civil War vet- eran passed to the Great Beyond on December 21. 1919, His widow still resides on the home place

with her son, Carl, who looks after her interests, thus shielding her from needless care and worry. This worthy couple had five children. Blanche is a teacher in the Los Angeles schools; Bessie is the wife of William Holland of Evergreen; Carl, the subject of this review; Homer Ward is principal of the Elmhurst school in Oakland, while Joseph died when sixteen years of age.

Carl Campbell attended the Hauck school in his district, and after his school days were over he assisted his father on the ranch until he assumed charge of the place. From a boy he has had much experience in orchard work, and being a close ob- server as well as a student of tree life, he has be- come well informed as an horticulturist, so aside

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from caring for his own orchard he is caring for several other orchards in the vicinity of his home, having a complete farming outfit for the purpose. He is also leasing lands and raising grain and hay. Mr. Campbell is a member of the California Prune and Apricot Growers, Inc., and fraternally is a mem- ber of Garden City Lodge of Odd Fellows and the Woodmen of the World, while politically he is a strong protectionist and Republican. A generous and big-hearted man, Mr. Campbell with his pleas- ing personality is highly esteemed and appreciated and can always be depended on to assist as far as he is able worthy and laudable enterprises for the improvement of the valley and enhancing the happiness of its people.

MRS. WILLIAM H. CARMICHAEL-Among those who are successfully following the profession of teaching in San Jose is Mrs. William H. Car- michael, whose many estimable qualities have won for her the respect and admiration of an extensive circle of friends. Mary Pierce, as she was known in maidenhood, is a native daughter of California, born in San Francisco, her parents being Patrick and Mary (Culligan) Pierce. In the late '50s her father came to California by the Isthmus of Panama route, first engaging in mining in Placer County, after which he went to San Francisco. He assisted in the construc- tion and became yard foreman for the Southern Pa- cific Railroad Company, occupying that position until his hand was crushed in an accident, when he acted as helper in the yard. After thirty years of faithful and efficient service he was pensioned by the com- pany and he passed when seventy years of age, con- tinning active until the last. The mother died dur- ing the infancy of the subject of this review.

The youngest in a family of five children, Mamie P. Carmichael, as she is familiarly known by her many friends and particularly by the Native Daugh- ters all over the state, pursued her education in Notre Dame College of San Francisco and after her grad- uation she entered the San Jose State Normal, from which she was graduated with the class of 1892. She then took up educational work, teaching for the first two years at Guadalupe and afterward at San Jose, being thus engaged until September 15, 1898, when she was married in this city to William H. Car- michael, a native of San Jose, born March 6, 1869, and a son of Jacob and Mary (Comons) Carmichael. Jacob Carmichael was born in Ohio, and coming to the Coast became a pioneer business man of San Jose, being engaged in general merchandising at the corner of Market and Post streets for many years, and became well and favorably known. The Car- michael family trace their ancestry back to Penn- sylvania and Virginia. Some of the ancestors served in the Revolutionary War, three of Jacob's brothers served in the Civil War, two of them being wounded. Jacob Carmichael passed away in 1881, his widow surviving him till 1914. They rearcd a family of four children, William H., Dr. Thos. Carmichael, Emeline, Mrs. A. J. Henry, of San Jose; and Cecelia, who is an instructor in the Grant School.

William H. Carmichael was born in the same house in which his widow now resides, at 312 West San Fernando Street, and on entering business life he secured a position in Spring's clothing store, grad- ually working his way upward until he became head salesman. For fifteen years he continued in this

responsible position, during which period he gained a comprehensive knowledge of the trade, and he then embarked in the clothing business on his own account as a member of the Carmichael-Belaris Company. At the end of ten years, in 1910, he disposed of his interest in that enterprise and became one of the founders of The Adler, Inc., Mr. Carmichael being vice-president and secretary, and established two stores in San Jose, one in San Francisco and one in Sacramento, with which he remained until his demise, March 15, 1912.

Mr. and Mrs. Carmichael became the parents of seven children: Jacob and Pierce, both graduates of San Jose High, now attending Junior College; William H., also a graduate of San Jose High, who is now connected with the Moorehead-Fleming Drug Company; Arthur and Merritt, who are attending high school; and Keith and Mary, who are pupils in the grammar schools.

When national issues were at stake, Mr. Carmichael cast his ballot in favor of the candidates of the Dem- ocratic party, but at local elections he voted for the man who in his estimation was best fitted for the office, regardless of political affiliation. His fellow- citizens recognized his worth and ability, and from 1894 until 1898 he served as police and fire commis- sioner. He discharged the duties of those offices with faithfulness and efficiency, being actuated at all times by a public-spirited devotion to the general good. He was a member of Palo Alto Parlor, now San Jose Parlor, N. S. G. W., and was past president, and served as district deputy several terms. He was also a member of the Independent Order of For- esters. He took a most active and helpful part in the work of public progress and improvement and his integrity in business affairs, his fidelity in friend- ship and his devotion to home and family were char- acteristics which won for him the high and enduring regard of all with whom he was associated.

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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 157

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