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 162

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 162

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Popular as a fraternal fellow, Mr. Chapin holds membership in the Masonic order, the Odd Fellows. the Encampment, the Elks and the Native Sons of the Golden West. He takes a deep interest in the welfare of the men under his employment and authority, and never lets an opportunity escape him to improve their situation and prospects; with the

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natural result that no railroad manager in all the world could enjoy a more grateful or heartier sup- port from the employes. This is a fortunate circum- stance for the public and may account for much of the excellency in the service afforded steadily by the two corporations mentioned.

Mr. Chapin was united in marriage in San Fran- cisco to Miss Josephine Walsh, daughter of Hon Thos. Walsh of Eureka, Cal., where she was born. Mrs. Chapin passed away on March 26, 1922, having been in ill-health for the past two years.

ALPHONZO M. KELLEY .- Although not a Californian by birth, Alphonzo M. Kelley has spent so much of his life in this state that he is thoroughly acquainted with its possibilities and intelligently con- versant with its history. He was born near Clinton, 111., on January 5, 1860, and is the son of Dr. Thomas Kelley, whose long and useful life was spent in al- leviating the sufferings of others. His grandfather, Alexander Kelley, was born near Barboursville, Ky., a son of James Kelley, who immigrated from Ireland in an early day and settled in Kentucky, but later removed to Illinois, and he passed away in Clinton. The farm of Alexander Kelley was located six miles southeast of Lincoln, near Two Mile Grove, in Logan County, Ill., and there his oldest child, Thomas Kel- ley, was born September 18, 1836. In 1841 the family removed to Dewitt County, Ill., where grandfather Kelley engaged extensively in farm pursuits until his death. His paternal grandmother was Miss Lucinda Anderson before her marriage, who was born in Ohio. Her father was Joel Anderson, a native of Pennsyl- vania, of Scotch descent, and was a farmer by oc- cupation. At twenty years of age Thomas Kelley began to teach school in Dewitt County; later he took up the study of medicine under Dr. John Wright. On August 24, 1861, he enlisted as a pri- vate in Company K, Forty-first Illinois Infantry, and at Bird's Point, Mo., was mustered into the army of the Tennessee, with which he participated in the battles of Forts Henry and Donelson, Pittsburg Landing. Shiloh, Hatcher's River, Coldwater, Miss .; siege of Vickburg, Jackson, Miss .; and the Georgia campaign from Resaca to the fall of Atlanta. While on the Jackson battlefield, Mr. Kelley was promoted to be first lieutenant of Company K, and there too he was wounded in the right thigh; he made his escape from the field and after his recovery rejoined his regiment and remained at the front until the ex- piration of his term of service and was mustered out at Springfield, Ill., October 8, 1864. He then en- gaged in farming and continued his medical studies under Dr. Wright and in 1868 entered Rush Medical College from which he was graduated in 1871; in the fall of the same year he came to California and set- tled in the Santa Clara valley. In 1875 he became a partner of Dr. Benj. Cory, a pioneer physician of San Jose, and remained with him for sixteen years. Most of his time was devoted to his professional duties, but he found time to engage in the fruit in- dustry. He purchased a tract of 150 acres in Tulare County, which was planted to orchard and vineyard, but was later sold. He married Miss Alice Leeds, a native of Batavia, Ohio, and she died in Illinois during the war. Our subject is the only son of that union. Dr. Kelley's second marriage united him with Mrs. Sarah A. Watkins, a native of Ohio,

who passed away in 1902 in San Jose. Three daugh- ters and one son were born to them: Mrs. C. H. Leadbetter, of Portland, Ore .; Mrs. B. B. Alexander, of San Diego, Cal .; and Mrs. F. A. Towner, of San Jose. Dr. Kelley was active in county and commit- tee work of the Republican party, and during the administration of President Harrison, in 1891, was appointed postmaster of San Jose and held the office for over four years; he served as county physician and was engaged as surgeon to the O'Connor Sani- tarium. He was made a Mason in Illinois. He passed away at the age of sixty-seven at the family home on Third and William streets, San Jose, on February 14, 1906.

Alphonzo M. Kelley was educated in the schools of San Jose and in 1884 received his A. B. degree from the College of the Pacific and his A. M. in 1886 from the same institution. During his father's incumbency he served as assistant postmaster of San Jose. For a number of years he taught in the public schools of the county, and also was city editor of the Mercury during the last year of the ownership of Mr. Owen. In 1898 he purchased a tract of 160 acres situated on the Llagas road and has resided there since 1900.

Mr. Kelley has been married twice. The first mar- riage, in October. 1893, united him with Miss Meggie L. Robb, well-known as a teacher in the high school of San Jose. She died in 1898, and the second union occurred on March 21, 1907, and united him with Miss Janet Whitehurst, a daughter of the late A. Whitehurst, banker and lumberman of Gilroy, Cal. Politically Mr. Kelley is a Republican and has been on the county central committee from his dis- trict. His culture and social qualities draw to him many lasting friendships, and he is esteemed and respected for his true worth.

PONTUS OSTENBERG .- Among the alert young business men of San Jose is numbered Pontus Ostenberg, who is conducting one of the leading in- dustrial enterprises of the city, being associated with his brother in the manufacture of deep well pumps. and although recently established, the business has already assumed large proportions. Mr. Ostenberg was born in Des Moines, Iowa, June 3, 1886, a son of John A. and Amelia Ostenberg, who reared a family of five children. One of the sons, Zeno Os- tenberg, is a graduate of Leland Stanford Univer- sity and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He was a lieutenant in the World War, being in the Naval Aviation service, and was stationed suc- cessively at North Island, San Diego, and Pensacola, Fla. The father is a master mechanic and for sev- eral years was prominently identified with business interests of San Jose but now lives in Los Angeles.

Pontus Ostenberg remained in his native state until eight years of age, when he accompanied his parents on their removal to Vermont, where they resided for four years. When he was twelve years of age the family home was established in San Jose and he here attended the public schools. On lay- ing aside his textbooks he began working for his father, who was engaged in the building of engines, manufacturing the Ostenberg motor and also being the inventor of the Victory oil motor. His brother Neroy, who is also a native of Des Moines, Iowa, enlisted on June 27, 1917. He became a member

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of the Naval Reserve and for thirteen months was in training at the camp at San Pedro, Cal. He then went to Mare Island, where he remained for a short time, after which he was stationed at the submarine base at San Pedro. He entered the service as a second class machinist, and was furloughed to the Reserve on June 25, 1919, as a first class machinist.

In 1919, in association with his brother Neroy, Pontus Ostenberg opened a shop on West Santa Clara Street in San Jose, where they have since en- gaged in the manufacture of deep well pumps. Both are expert mechanics, having inherited their ability along this line from their father. They manufacture the Ostenberg deep well pump, which they have protected by patents. From its inception the busi- ness has been a success and their present yearly output is thirty pumps, which they expect to increase to 100 in the near future. In the conduct of his in- terests Mr. Ostenberg displays sound judgment, en- terprise and marked administrative ability and suc- cess in substantial measure is rewarding his efforts.

MRS. MELINDA C. PLANK .- A highly- esteemed woman who is particularly interesting as a successful manager of large affairs, is Mrs. Me- linda C. Plank, who was born in Guaymas, Sonora, Mexico, on October 12, 1847, the daughter of Charles Rich Conant, a native of Pittsford, Va., where he was born on December 5, 1807 a lineal descendant of the celebrated Roger Conant, the founder of Salem, Mass., and the first governor of that colony, contin- uing in office three years as stated in the Conant genealogy. Roger Conant was born in Devonshire, England, on April 9, 1592, and our subject is of the eighth generation of Conants in America. Roger was married in London, England, in November, 1618, and came out to Massachusetts in 1623 on the vessel named "Anne." Fort Conant, now known as Stage Fort, was named after him. In time, Charles Rich Conant moved to Putnam, Ohio, with his parents, and came in 1830, with the David Crockett party to Texas, later coming to Mexico, traveled through So- nora and at Buena Vista, in 1840, he married Miss Simona Maldonado, then settled at Guaymas. He became interested in both lands and mines in So- nora, Mexico, but in 1849 he rushed north to Cali- fornia at the news of the discovery of gold, return- ing the next year to Mexico to bring his family to California. He and his wife had six children, and they were named Charles, Thomas, James Francis, Mary Melinda,-the subject of our review; Simona Frances and Joseph Benjamin.

Charles R. Conant and his family settled at Stock- ton in the spring of 1850, living on the vessel Attila, which he partly owned, and for a short time the prospects were satisfying, and then he went to Stan- islaus County and there built a dam on the Stan- islaus River, intending to use the water for irrigat- ing land. But just as the dam was about com- pleted, a freshet washed it away in 1852. He then came back to Stockton and bought an interest in a foundry, which he conducted for years. He was really a physician by profession, as his father be- fore him had been, although he was interested in these various enterprises, and for sixteen years he had practiced medicine before coming to California, and during the early cholera epidemic he and Dr. McLean were the only doctors to fight the epidemic in Stockton. He had an interest in mines at Cop-

peropolis, Cal., but he died eventually near Alamas, Mexico, in 1863. His wife had died there eight months previously.

Miss Melinda Conant was married at Alamos, Mexico, on July 25, 1868, to Frederick Plank, a na- tive of Cold Springs, N. Y., where he was born on November 2, 1843 the son of Philip and Mary Plank. Philip Plank, a mechanic by trade, spelled his name Planque; and in 1851 Frederick accompanied his parents from New York to California by way of Panama, and later he and his father went to Sonora, Mexico, where Dr. Plank became interested in mining in the Alamos district. At the time of their marriage, Dr. Plank's father was chief engineer of the Mint at Alamos, Sonora, Mex., and he also was interested in mines in Chihuahua. After their mar- riage, Dr. Plank continued mining very successfully. in Baucari, and located many valuable claims, but in 1884, the couple moved back to California and lived at San Francisco until 1888, when they re- moved to San Jose. While here Dr. Plank bought the David Spence property on the Alameda, and also bought lots and several orchards, improved them and sold at a profit. Later still, they moved back to Lower California, engaged in mining near Los An- geles Bay, and stayed there until 1906, when they returned to San Jose. Dr. Plank then bought the Rudolf Spence home on the Alameda, and there the family lived until 1920, when they moved to 326 North Sixth Street.

Mr. and Mrs. Plank had a family of seven chil- dren: Frederick died, aged twenty-eight; William, at home; Francis died, aged thirty-one, leaving a son, Frederick Edmund; Amelia, Mrs. C. C. Coo- lidge of San Jose and mother of four children, Elea- nor, Frederick, Adele and Claire; Adela, wife of J. W. A. Pearson of Mexico City; Charles at home, and Mary Lucy who died in infancy. Dr. Plank passed away while in San Francisco on December 29, 1911, and is buried in San Jose. Mrs. Plank still has extensive mining interests in Lower Cali- fornia and lands in Sonora, Mexico, and still re- tains the old hacienda at Baucari.

WILBUR H. DRAPER .- A successful career is that of Wilbur H. Draper, a native son of San Jose, who has worked his way steadily upward until he now occupies the position of manager of the George B. McKee Paint Company and is most capably dis- charging the responsible duties which now devolve upon him. He was born August 2, 1887, a son of Edwin W. and Martha J. (Beck) Draper, the former a native of Jackson, Mich. In 1863 the father crossed the plains to California, first going to San Fran- cisco, where he lived for two years. He then re- moved to Livermore, purchasing a 200-acre farm in the Panoche Creek country and devoting his atten- tion to the raising of grain and stock. For eight years he operated that place, which he then sold, and coming to San Jose, he engaged in threshing grain for many years, having a Minnesota Chief thresher. He became well known in that connection, operating in the San Joaquin and Santa Clara Val- leys, engaging in threshing in the former locality for ten successive seasons and also going as far south as Salinas. In Centerville, Alameda County, he mar- ried Miss Martha J. Beck, a native of Missouri, and purchasing a five-acre tract in San Jose, he there made his home until his demise on December 24, 1918, this ranch being now occupied by the subject

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of this review and his mother. In the family were three children: Wilbur H .; Edwin A., in The Willows; and Mrs. F. E. Whipple, who is residing in East San Jose.

Mr. Draper attended the grammar and high schools of San Jose and the Cox Business College and for four years assisted his father in threshing. In 1907 he entered the employ of the George B. McKee Paint Company, starting in as an appren- tice and steadily advancing through merit and ability until he is now serving as manager. He thoroughly understands all phases of the business and this prac- tical knowledge, combined with his keen insight and sound judgment, has enabled him to so manage the affairs of the company that its trade has shown a steady growth. In his political views Mr. Draper is a Republican and is a Scottish Rite Mason and a Shriner of Islam Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S.

ELIJAH M. SALEEBY-The vicinity of San Jose and surrounding country are fortunate indeed to have as able and conscientious a druggist to care for the physical welfare of its citizens as is found in Elijah M. Saleeby, who is the proprietor of the University Drug Company, located at 50 East Santa Clara Street. Mr. Saleeby was born in Mt. Lebanon, Syria, on April 8, 1878, and was the son of Mitry and Helena Saleeby, the father being the superin- tendent of schools of Mt. Lebanon. The Free Church of Scotland had sent ministers and missionary teach- ers to these schools to educate the youth, and Mr. Saleeby's father, who was an educator, had the direc- tion of these schools in his hands. The father lived to be an old man, having attained the age of eighty- two years when he passed away in 1920, his wife having preceded him many years ago.

Elijah Saleeby attended the public schools and the high schools in Mt. Lebanon and then entered the American College of Pharmacy in Beirut, graduating at the age of twenty-two years with the degree of Ph. M. During the year 1901 he went to Egypt and took a position, where he worked for a period of two years, and then came to New York in 1903. He did graduate work in New York College of Pharmacy and spent four years in New York City as a pharma- cist, after which he voyaged to the Philippine Is- lands, became the chief pharmacist in the U. S. Civil Hospital for a short time, and then was the chief pharmacist of the Philippine General Hospital for two years. He then left the government work and opened a drug store at Zamboanga, in the Philip- pines, which he conducted for eight years, and dis- posing of this business he became the manager of the Martini Drug Company at Manila, P. I., at which place he stayed for one year. The year 1919 marks the returning of Mr. Saleeby to the United States, at which time he made an extended trip; starting from San Francisco, he traveled via Los Angeles, Denver and Washington, D. C., to Penn- sylvania, visiting his wife's people, who lived at Altoona, Pa., and also visited his friends in New York, and returned to California, this time settling in San Jose. He arrived during the month of July, 1919. and in August of the same year he purchased the University Drug Company of San Jose, which he has since conducted with gratifying success.

Mr. Saleeby's marriage, which occurred on De- cember 27, 1917, in Manila, P. I., united him with Miss Laura Teeter, who is a native of Pennsylvania, having been born near Altoona, the daughter of An-

drew and Katherine Teeter, and they are the parents of one son, Charles. Mr. Saleeby is a very public- spirited man and is interested in the progressive de- velopment of the country; is very popular in the San Jose Progressive Business Men's Clubs and is an active member of the San Jose Chamber of Com- merce. He is also a Mason, having taken the thirty- second Scottish Rite degrees, and is a member of Nile Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., at Seattle, Wash., and he is also a member of the Sciots and Eastern Star and of the Alameda and Santa Clara County Pharmaceutical Associations. In national politics his inclinations favor Republican principles.

ORA P. MILLS .- In each community are found men of business enterprise whose particular line of work has made them real builders of the prosperity of the county, and among them is Ora P. Mills, well known in business circles as a pump and irrigation expert. A native of California, he was born in Yolo County, at Cache Creek, in March, 1862, a son of E. and Millie Mills. In the early '50s his father crossed the plains to California and engaged in the cattle business on an extensive scale. Subsequently he purchased 640 acres near Vallejo, Cal., upon which he continued to reside until the sixties, when he left that locality owing to Indian troubles, and re- turned to Yolo County. In 1873 he removed to San Jose, and soon afterwards removed to Santa Maria Valley where he resumed his operations in the cattle business, winning a substantial measure of success in the conduct of his interests along that line.

After completing his grammar school course, Ora P. Mills yielded to the fascinations of circus life and ian away from home, concealing himself in one of the show wagons after the evening performance. He was not discovered until they had proceeded some distance from San Jose and the foreman of the canvas men at first threatened to send him back home, but speedily changed his mind when Ora dis- played his skill as a tight rope walker in walking up one of the guy ropes on the tent. He was but thirteen years old at the time he joined the circus, which was known as the Montgomery Queen Circus, and during that season they exhibited at Gilroy. Salinas, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Santa Paula and Los Angeles, going up the San Joaquin Valley to Sacramento. Subsequently Mr. Mills toured the entire Middle West with the circus, leav- ing the outfit at St. Louis, Mo., to accept a more attractive salary offered by the manager of the Fore- paugh Show. He was an expert performer and was the first performer to walk the tight rope from pole to pole without a balance rod. For six years in all he remained in the business and then having had his fill of circus life, returning to his home in San Jose, which he had visited twice during that interval.

After returning to San Jose, Mr. Mills purchased a lot on the corner of Santa Clara and Orchard streets, which he has since owned. Going to Red- wood City, Cal., he worked as a machinist and car repairer for a time at that place and then made his way to Sacramento, where for some years he was employed in the shops of the Southern Pacific and later in the San Jose yards, remaining with that company until the time of the strike. He then pur- chased a ranch of thirty-three acres at Evergreen, which he set to orchard and devoted his time to the

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

raising of prunes, apricots and peaches, but was compelled to give up the place owing to his inability to secure water for irrigation, the efforts of three drilling crews having proved fruitless. He then de- cided to enter the drilling and pump business and has since been active along this line, in which he has become recognized as an authority in the Santa Clara Valley. He handles all kinds of deep-well pumps, including centrifugal, turbine and lift pumps. In 1888 he brought in a well on a ten-acre ranch belonging to his mother's estate and it proved 50 successful that a number of farmers in the vicinity were able to obtain a supply of water from it. He has made an exhaustive study of irrigation and has been very successful in his horticultural operations. The fruit from his ten-acre farm in The Willows was the finest in size and flavor delivered to the East Side Dryer in which he was a stockholder. He has the credit of being among the first to establish an irrigating system in the valley.

In San Mateo City. Cal., June 10, 1889, Mr. Mills was married to Miss Della F. McElhany, a native of Willitts, Cal., and a daughter of James M. and Mary ( Ford) McElhany. The family name was originally Fore, of French origin, and was changed to Ford. Mr. McElhany was of Scotch-Irish and Knickerbocker stock and settled in California and became a pioneer rancher of Mendocino County, sub- sequently he engaged in merchandising at Santa Maria. He built the first store, first hall, owned and operated the first newspaper, the Santa Maria Times. Both parents are still living. Mrs. Mills was educated at Healdsburg, Cal., and by her marriage she has become the mother of four children: Eldon Cecil, a resident of San Jose; Mrs. Lulu Maxey, also of San Jose, has three children, Zola, Junior and Kathleen; Delora W. is Mrs. Taylor of Berkeley and has one child, Naomi G .; and Ora P., Jr., who is attending San Jose high school. In his political views Mr. Mills is a stanch Democrat and fraternally he is connected with the Woodmen, being a member of the lodge of that order at San Jose.

MRS. DELIA VOLKERS .- Coming to San Jose a half century ago, Mrs. Delia Volkers has been an interested witness of the growth and development of this section of the state and her reminiscences of the early days are most interesting and instruc- tive. A native of the East, she was born in Rens- selaer County, N. Y .. her parents being James and Mary ( McGann) Linehan, who were born in County Clare, Ireland. They came separately to the United States and were married in New York State in about 1848 and were engaged in farming in Rens- selaer County, N. Y. In 1870 they came to San Jose, where they established their permanent resi- dence, the father passing away in his eighty-fourth year, while the mother's demise occurred when she was seventy-six years of age. They reared a family of nine children, of whom the subject of this review was the second in order of birth.

Mrs. Volkers attended the public schools of New York until ten years of age. As a child she recalls the Civil War, with its harrowing experiences, and also the death of Lincoln. She came with her parents to California in 1870 the journey being made by way of the Isthmus of Panama. She con- tinued her studies in San Jose, becoming a pupil at

the old Thirteenth Street School and then at Notre Dame College, and continuing at home until April 12. 1883, when she was married at the Santa Clara Mission to August Henry Volkers, a native of Nien- burg, Germany, and a son of William V. and Sophie Volkers, the former a butcher by trade. When a youth of fourteen years he came to the United States, crossing the continent to California on an emigrant railroad train. Previous to his marriage Mr. Volkers worked on various farms and after- ward he removed with his bride to Edenvale, where he was connected with the raising of grain and stock. About 1887 they took up their residence at 448 North Tenth Street, in San Jose, where they continued to make their home for twenty-seven years. Mr. Volkers was made collector for the Com- mercial Bank and remained in the employ of Mr. McLaughlin for several years. After this Mr. Volk- ers became manager of the Auzerais estate, of which he had charge for twenty-five years. When he re- signed they presented him with a silver service as a testimonial of his years of faithful service. He was next made superintendent of the First National Bank Building and was occupying that position at the time of his death, which occurred on September 6, 1916, when he was fifty-two years of age.

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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 162

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