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 183

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 183

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Mrs. Cora Mason Tomlinson died, and in 1904 Mr. Tomlinson married Mrs. Hattie E. Voyle, daughter of Lyman McGuire, an old resident of Saratoga. By his first wife he had four children: Harry A., now of Mill Valley; Walter L., of San Jose; Milder L. and Warren Norris, who are both living in Saratoga. With these children, the present Mrs. Tomlinson's daughter by her former marriage, Mrs. Ethel M. Sidensol of San Jose, was brought up, and to her Mr. Tomlinson was always an affectionate father. For the greater part of his life in Saratoga he was a member of the Christian Church, and was also a member of the Odd Fellows and the Rebekah lodges.

Mr. Tomlinson is greatly missed in Saratoga, where he had formed many strong friendships. He was a man of fine presence, of most agreeable manners, of a kindly disposition and excellent character. It was

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always a pleasure to meet him because of his un- failing courtesy, which was that of a true gentleman, and his own engaging friendliness which aroused a responsive feeling in others. He was enthusiastic over the progress that Santa Clara County had made and devoted much time and energy to the develop- ment of his particular locality.

GEORGE C. LAWRENCE .- An enterprising horticulturist who did much toward the development of the Summit district was the late George C. Lawrence, a native of Lee County, Iowa, the son of Joseph Lawrence, who was a veteran of the Civil War and died from the hardships he experienced in that struggle. His widow married again and brought her children to California, locating on a farm in the Summit district, Santa Clara County; here Mr. Law- rence grew to manhood, receiving a good education in the public schools. Aside from farming, he en- gaged in teaming, hauling lumber and wood from the mills to the station. He met with success and, realizing that land is the best investment, he pur- chased an unimproved ranch on the Summit. About this time he made a visit back East to see his mother's people in Missouri, and there he met Miss Minnie Murray and the acquaintance resulted in their marriage at Edina, Mo., April 1, 1887. She was born near Ft. Madison, Iowa, a daughter of Hiram and Nancy ( Martin) Murray, natives, respectively, of Ohio and Pennsylvania. They were farmers in Lee County, Iowa, until they removed to Knox County, Mo., where Mr. Murray purchased and im- proved a 160-acre farm. The parents died there, the old farm being now owned by one of the sons. Of the seven children born of this union, five are still living, Mrs. Lawrence being the youngest of the family. She was reared on the home farm near Edina, Mo., where she had the advantages of excel- lent public schools. Immediately after his marriage Mr. Lawrence brought his bride to his home in the Santa Cruz mountains, while he continued teaming for a while. He also improved the ranch, built a residence and cleared away the trees and brush and broke the ground. When he had the soil in good shape he set out a prune orchard and vineyard, and in time had a nice income. In all this Mr. Lawrence always gave much of credit for his success to his noble wife, who from the first entered heartily into his ambition and gave him every aid within her power that they might eventually obtain a compe- tency. However, Mr. Lawrence was not allowed to enjoy the fruits of his labors, for he was stricken by death June 5, 1908, at the age of forty-nine. He was in poor health, so May 1, 1908, with his wife he made a trip to Missouri to visit his old home, and while there he passed away on the above date; his body was interred in Los Gatos Cemetery. His death was a deep loss to the community where he was so well and favorably known. He served as school trustee and manifested much interest in the cause of education. Fraternally he was a member of the Los Gatos Lodge of Odd Fellows and the Rebekahs. In politics he was a Republican.

The union of Mr. and Mrs. George C. Lawrence was blessed with two children: Lena, the wife of Dee Adams, who is a horticulturist and is operating Mrs. Lawrence's orchards; Roy is also engaged in orcharding on the Summit. Mrs. Lawrence, after her husband's death, continued to operate the ranch

with the aid of her son until she rented it to Mr. Adams. She is a member of the California Prune and Apricot Association and is an ex-president of the Summit District Mothers' Club.

ROBERT O. SUMMERS .- A well-trained, widely- experienced and thoroughly up-to-date general con- tractor, who has been effective in upbuilding Santa Clara County, is Robert O. Summers, who was born in Byron, Ontario, Canada, on October 21, 1871, the son of Robert and Esther (Sissons) Summers, both of English descent. The father was a contractor and builder and, in 1873, he brought his family to Cali- fornia and settled at San Jose, where he followed the same business endeavor until he retired in 1908. He died in September, 1911, honored for his high integ- rity and his enterprising methods. Mrs. Summers is still living. Of their six children Robert is the second oldest, and coming to San Jose in his second year, this is the scene of his first recollections. After attending school, he learned the carpenter's trade, mastering its every detail, and in 1905 he embarked in his present business of contracting and building, with offices at 17 North First Street. He has thus been able to influence public taste, and to add to this city some of the best specimens of modern architecture.

On April 28, 1897, Mr. Summers was married to Miss Maude Hyde, an accomplished lady, born at Marysville, and they have had six children. Robert died at the age of eight. The others are Esther, Frances, Jane, Phyllis and Bert. Mr. Summers is a thirty-second degree Scottish Rite Mason; he also belongs to the Independent Order of Foresters, the Lions, the Chamber of Commerce, and is a charter member of the Commercial Club of San Jose.

JOHN J. CUTTER .- Prominent in the formative days of Dakota Territory, where he was a large landowner and took an active part in its civic and political life, John J. Cutter brought with him con- siderable means when he settled in the Mountain View district, in 1893, where he then bought his home place. He is the owner of an excellent fruit ranch of twenty-three acres on the San Francisco High- way, sixteen and a half acres being given over to prunes, five acres to apricots, while the balance is occupied by the residence and barn yards. Ten acres were in year-old trees when he purchased the place, and the rest he has planted; he has brought it up to a high state of cultivation and it has become one of the valuable properties of that district. Mr. Cutter was born in McHenry County, Ill., December 1, 1850. His parents, Richard and Helen (McLean) Cutter, were natives of New York, born, respectively, in Tompkins and Richmond counties, and they came to Illinois in the early days. The father, who was a cabinetmaker, maintained a shop on his farm, so that early in life John J. had much of the responsibilities of the farm work on his shoulders. The father died in 1862, leaving the mother with eight children, of whom our subject was the third; of his three sisters, one died in infancy.

When sixteen years old, Mr. Cutter set out for himself, going to Mackinaw, Mich., where he spent one year among the fishermen. He has obtained a fairly good education, having attended his home dis- trict school and also a college at Rockford, Ill., so he next went to Missouri and joined a party of sur-

Geo. le Lawrence

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

veyors: his brother, Eugene, had already become a surveyor for the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railroad, and was later with the Kansas City, Memphis and Mobile Railroad. John J. did not continue in this work very long, however, returning to Illinois and passing through Chicago the day before the great fire that laid that place in ruins in October, 1871. The next spring he went to Sioux City, Ia., where he worked for a time in the railroad yards as a brake- man, and then started further west to Dakota Terri- tory, expecting to enlist in Custer's cavalry. He was taken sick, however, and instead he later joined a party of surveyors. Taking up a homestead of 160 acres and a timber claim of the same amount in Turner County, Dakota Territory, he proved up on them, meanwhile being made postmaster at Parker, in that county, being first appointed by President Arthur and reappointed by President Harrison. He served in this office with satisfaction to all the com- munity and became influential in the local councils of the Republican party. In 1893 Mr. Cutter came to Mountain View and purchased his present ranch, then a grain field, except for ten acres in young trees, and was joined by his family the following year.

In Sioux City, la., in 1874, Mr. Cutter was married to Miss Laura M. Edminster, the danghter of L. H. Edminster of Sheldon, Ia. Mrs. Cutter was born in Washington, Me., her parents being members of old down-east families of culture and education. She came with her parents to Appleton, Wis., when ten years old, and after attending Appleton College, tanght for some time in both Wisconsin and Iowa. With her husband she passed through the common pioneer experience in Dakota Territory, when their crops suffered from grasshoppers, prairie fires, hail and blizzards, but she has always been a stanch and able helpmate. After her husband left for California, she was retained by the Government to run the post office at Parker, an office she ably occupied for abont a year, until she joined Mr. Cutter at Mountain View. Mr. and Mrs. Cutter are the parents of two children, both born in Dakota Territory; Janet M., is Mrs. H. W. Reynolds of Fresno, and Lawrence E., is a professor of mechanical engineering at Stanford Uni- versity; he married Miss Lottie Deidrich of San Jose and they have one son, Richard D. Mr. Cutter is a stanch Republican, as is his wife; he belongs to the Masons at Mountain View, and both are members of the Eastern Star there.

WILLIAM W. ANDERSON. - Well known among the successful ranchers of Santa Clara Coun- ty. William W. Anderson, who resides at the corner of Sierra and Piedmont roads, enjoys the distinction of being one of the representative citizens in his own native district. He was born at Berryessa on July 4, 1871; and his parents were Phillip and Rebecca (Ca- hill) Anderson. His father was a native of Aber- deen, Scotland; and having migrated to Nova Scotia, he moved westward by way of the Isthmus, traveling from Amherst, N. S., to San Francisco; while his mother was a native of Nova Scotia, and the mem- ber of a family originally hailing from England, and she also came alone to California by way of the Isth- mian route. Mrs. Anderson passed away in 1888, survived for thirty-one years by her devoted hus- band. They had seven children, Margaret Alice of

Berryessa being the eldest, and our subject the sec- ond-born. Then came Mabel V., of San Francisco; Leslie C., who died in March, 1917; Roscoe A., of Los Angeles; A. Ray, of Berryessa; and Emily Oressa. Phillip Anderson, who was a blacksmith, came into Santa Clara County after the short stay of six months in San Francisco; and at Berryessa he opened a shop which proved of great service to the community, so that for years he reared his family from the products of his smithy labors.

William Anderson attended the Berryessa gram- mar school and later enjoyed the advantages of the high school at San Jose, and when nineteen years of age, he started to work upon ranches for wages. Then his father purchased a ranch of 252 acres in the hills some four miles east of Berryessa and along the Ber- ryessa Road, and this investment led to our subject associating himself, for many years, with his father in ranching enterprise. The farm was devoted to grain and stockraising, and at the present time Mr. Anderson has from 150 to 200 head of stock there. For the past three years, Mr. Anderson has been a member and clerk of the board of trustees of the Ber- ryessa School, and he belongs to the Alnm Rock Camp No. 724, W. O. W.

On November 27, 1895, Mr. Anderson was married to Miss Mamie J. Smith, also a native of Berryessa, and the daughter of Christopher Columbus Smith, her mother, Sierra Nevada Ogan, being the daughter of John Martin and Lucy Ann ( Harris) Ogan. Mr. Ogan came to California in 1853, by way of the Salt Lake Ronte from Missouri, and settled at the same location-the corner of Sierra and Piedmont roads. He purchased 160 acres of an old Spanish grant, and found himself possessed of rich grain-farm land. Mr. and Mrs. John M. Ogan had a family of nine chil- dren, and Mrs. Smith was the youngest. Mary Ann Ogan, the eldest child, became Mrs. Campbell, and is now deceased. Pathena Katherine also married, taking a Mr. Wells for her husband, and is among the great silent majority. Zella Frances became Mrs. H. Verser and died. Thomas Dudly Ogan is de- ceased, and so is Euphemia, the wife of John Shuart. Higgeason Ogan is dead, and also Elizabeth Jane, who was Mrs. W. A. Smith. James Robert, the eighth in the order of birth, is residing at Reedley, and the youngest, as already stated, is Mrs. C. C. Smith, Mrs. Anderson's mother. Mrs. Anderson's grandfather, John Ogan, lived to be eighty years old, and his wife, Lucy Ann (Harris) Ogan, attained her sixtieth year. Mrs. C. C. Smith was born in Utah, en route to California, while the family was coming across the plains, and was therefore named Sierra Nevada; she is still living with Mr. Anderson's family. and with Mr. and Mrs. Anderson belongs to the Pioneer Society of Santa Clara County. Mr. and Mrs. C. C. Smith had seven children. Mrs. Anderson was the eldest; then came Charles T., who is now at Susanville; and the others are: O. J. Smith, of Ber- ryessa; Beede, who is Mrs. Nisbet, of Concord, Cal .; Euphemia, who has become Mrs. A. W. Mathew, of Fallon, Nev .: Robert R., who resides on Aum Rock Avenue: and Maud, Mrs. Arnold Gifford, of Berry- essa. Mrs. Anderson attended the Berryessa school and grew up familiar with and in sympathy towards this locality and its enterprising people.

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

Following their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Anderson lived on the Anderson Ranch of 252 acres on the Sierra Road, in the hills, for about twenty years; but in 1915 moved down to the old Ogan ranch, at the corner of the Sierra and Piedmont roads, and have lived there ever since. They have been favored with six children. Nevada has become Mrs. C. W. Haag of Bakersfield; Bessie A. is a graduate of the County Hospital in San Jose; Warren is at home; and so are Esther, Zella and Alice. Both Mr. and Mrs. Anderson are Republicans; and they are "boosters" of the ideal kind, ready to work for Santa Clara County and California.

T. A. GOODRICK .- Prominent among the live- liest and most efficient "boosters" that have ever come to Santa Clara must be rated T. A. Goodrick, the wide-awake, accommodating and pop- ular station agent of the Southern Pacific. He has been very alert in looking to the industrial welfare of the city, and has heartily joined the citizens as well as the railroad company's industrial agent in studying the best interests of the rising municipality.

A native son, Mr. Goodrick was born at Salinas on November 26, 1891, and in 1913 he was graduated from the Monterey high school. He then matricu- lated at the Oakland Polytechnic, and was graduated from that excellent institution with the class of '15. His progressive career as a student was such as might have been expected from a son of J. A. Good- rick, who was a native of Thorpe Bank, England, came out to California and married, at Salinas, Rufina Cantua, the granddaughter of General Castro, erstwhile Governor of California. Both of Mr. Good- rick's parents are living; and he has four brothers, he being the youngest of the family.

Our subject continued at Monterey as cashier for the Southern Pacific for two years, and then worked at relieving other agents at various stations along the line in the Coast division between Los Angeles and San Francisco. In October, 1919, Mr. Goodrick came to Santa Clara from Watsonville, and soon as- sociated himself with the Santa Clara Chamber of Commerce, in which he became vice-president and secretary of the industrial committee. A personal friend of A. K. Frye, the industrial agent of the Southern Pacific Railroad Company, having head- quarters at San Francisco, Mr. Goodrick was able to be of special service in inducing the Homer Knowles Pottery Company to locate at Santa Clara; and when the corner-stone of the building was laid with impressive ceremonies on June 9, 1921, he took an active part in the fitting celebration. On March 8, 1922, Mr. Goodrick was promoted to the responsi- ble post of freight and traffic agent of the Southern Pacific Railway at San Jose, this being the most im- portant freight agency on the Coast division out- side of San Francisco. He was chosen for his effi- ciency over competitors many years his senior, a fact in which he can well take pride.

HON. HUGH STEEL HERSMAN .- A thor- oughly representative man of Santa Clara County who has won his recognition entirely on his own merits is the Hon. Hugh Steel Hersman, former member of Congress from Santa Clara County. He was born at Port Deposit, Md., on July 8, 1872, the son of Rev. William Mathew and Mary Harvey (Steel) Hersman, well-known orchardists and ranch-

ers of the Coast counties. Reverend Hersman was a Presbyterian minister and both he and his wife be- longed to families who had been identified with the United States of America for more than two cen- turies, names of both families being found in the annals of those prominent in public affairs. Reverend Hersman and his family came to California from Maryland in 1880, and upon their arrival here were so well satisfied with conditions that Mr. Hersman at once identified himself with the communities where he lived as a Presbyterian preacher and continued during his entire life. He later bought property, first in San Luis Obispo County and later in Santa Clara County, dying on the ranch at San Martin in 1904. Mrs. Hersman makes her home in San Jose.

Hugh S. Hersman was educated in the Southwest- ern Presbyterian University of Tennessee, graduating with the class of '93, and receiving his A. B. degree. He then did post-graduate work at the University of California, and after finishing his schooling became identified with business and ranching interests with his father, and later on his own responsibility. He always took a decided interest in politics and was elected a member of the board of supervisors of Santa Clara County and served for two terms. In 1918 he was the choice of the people to represent his district in Washington as a member of Congress, and served one term. Mr. Hersman has important finan- cial interests and served as president of the First National Bank of Gilroy, and is now a director of the Garden City Bank & Trust Company of San Jose, since the merger of the two banks. With C. C. Lester he acquired 120 acres of fine orchard property south of Gilroy, said to be the finest prune orchard in that section of the county.

As a citizen, Mr. Hersman has endeavored to do his part to elevate the standards of citizenship under the banners of the Democratic party and adheres to the tenets of the Presbyterian Church. He is a public spirited and popular man, a man of sound judgment and financial acumen, and has a large circle of friends in this county and environs.

LEWIS B. EBINGER .- A skilful and progressive blacksmith is Lewis B. Ebinger, whose shop on Ber- ryessa Road, about three miles east of San Jose, has become the much-frequented headquarters for resi- dents of that section. He was born on Maple Avenue, between Seventh and Eighth streets, in Los Angeles, on June 4, 1888, the son of Louis Ebinger, a native of Germany, who came to the United States when a young man. He crossed the great plains as a veritable '49er, and in time married Miss Minnie Boshard, a native of Switzerland. He started busi- ness in Los Angeles in a small way, and eventually became one of the notable bakers of the Southland. So successful and important was he that Harris New- mark, the famous pioneer in the City of the Angels, pays him a marked and highly complimentary tribute in his historic autobiography, "Sixty Years in South- ern California," where he says:

"Hail fellow well met and always in favor with a large circle, was my Teutonic friend, Lewis Ebinger, who, after coming to Los Angeles in 1868, turned clay into hricks. Perhaps this also recalled the days of his childhood when he made pies of the same material: but be that as it may, Lewis in the early

This . Goodrich

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

seventies made his first venture in the bakery busi- ness, opening a shop on North Spring Street. In the bustling boom days when real estate men saw naught but the sugar-coating, Ebinger, who had moved to elaborate quarters in a building at the southwest corner of Spring and Third streets, was dispensing cream puffs and other baked delicacies to an en- thusiastic and unusually large clientele. But since everybody then had money, or thought that he had, one such place was not enough to satisfy the raven- ous speculators; with the result that John Koster was soon conducting a similar establishment on Spring Street near Second, while farther north, on Spring Street near First, the Vienna Bakery ran .both Lewis and John a merry race." Lewis Ebinger con- tinued active as a haker until about eight years ago; and since then he and his wife have been living, re- tired, in Los Angeles. Six children were born to this worthy couple: Minnie, is Mrs. Burkhardt of Los Angeles, and Oscar and Arnold live in the same city; Lewis B., is the subject of our review; Estella and Erwin are also residents of the southern metropolis.

Lewis B. Ebinger attended the grammar school of his locality in Los Angeles, and when thirteen years of age started to learn the blacksmith trade in a three-year apprenticeship under his cousin, Fred Ebinger of that city. Then, for three years, he worked as a journeyman shoeing horses for the Los Angeles Jockey Club, and there he continued until the small tractors began to supplant the horse in agri- cultural industries. He then went to Sacramento, where he worked at his trade one and one-half years, after which he went to San Francisco, where he fol- lowed his trade for another year until he went back to Los Angeles, where he was married in 1913. After his marriage he went to Orange City, where he plied his trade for three years. Selling out his establish- ment, he went to Kern County, and at Taft put in a year and a half in the Southern Pacific Railroad shops, and being transferred to Maricopa, he contin- ued there for another year and a half in the employ of that company. He came to Santa Clara County in 1919, and here he opened a shop for himself near Berryessa, about three miles from San Jose. From the beginning he gave the community first-class serv- ice, and he has prospered steadily.

At Los Angeles, on July 15, 1913, Lewis B. Ebinger and Miss Lucy Harris, a native of Texas, were joined in matrimony, and they have three children: Erwin, Lynette and Vivian. The bride's father was a build- ing contractor, who moved into California when Lucy was eight years old. He located at Burbank, in the San Fernando Valley, and there made his home until he was killed, at Los Angeles, being struck by a motorcycle. Broadminded in political views and actions, Mr. Ebinger gives his hearty support to the best men and the best measures in the locality in which he lives and prospers.

C. LANFRI-The business standing attained by C. Lanfri is the result of years of practical experience, coupled with unfailing perseverance and as president of the Golden West and National Cleaners, located at 25-29 South Third Street, San Jose, has won the esteem and respect of his business associates of the Garden City. A native of Lucca, Italy, he was born March 13, 1885, a son of Thomas and Mistica (Bioc-

chi) Lanfri. The father was engaged in the marble quarries of Italy for a number of years, later passing away in his native city. The mother still resides in the country of her nativity. Seven children were born to them, of whom five are living; two are still resi- dents of Italy, the other three living in San Jose. C. Lanfri came to America soon after reaching the age of twenty-one, settling in San Jose. For eight months he worked in a macaroni factory. At the end of this time he entered the employ of Mr. Moody, of the Parisian Cleaners of San Jose, working for him three years. Following this the business known as the Golden West Cleaners was established, with a capital of $15,000, in partnership with the Landucci brothers, also employees of Mr. Moody. About the same time the National Cleaners was established by Peter Steffani. In November, 1914, the two compa- nies consolidated and was incorporated under the name of the Golden West and National Cleaners, Mr. Lanfri being president and manager.

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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 183

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