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 195

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 195

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Hospital, and now presides over her father's home, caring for him and ministering to his comfort; Ar- thur W. of Ceres, Cal .; Harriette E., Mrs. Tozier of Corvallis, Ore .; Raymond died when a few months old. Mr. Covert was married a second time in Los Gatos to Miss Nannie Mitchell, born in Spiceland, Ind., and she passed away February, 1916, after they had been married twenty-four years.

Mr. Covert served as school treasurer while on the farm. He is a member of E. O. C. Ord Post. No. 82, G. A. R., of which he is a past commander and is a member and deacon in the Presbyterian Church.

MRS. LOUISE MCLELLAN-FINLEY .- An en- terprising woman who is endowed with much busi- ness ability is Mrs. Louise MeLellan-Finley who has been a resident of Santa Clara County since 1879. She was born in St. Paul, Minn., a daughter of Rob- ert G. and Catherine (Garrett) Aldrich, natives, respectively, of England and Natchez, Miss., the latter being a member of a prominent old Southern family, Grandfather Garrett being a large planter. Robert G. Aldrich was in the Merchant Marine ser- vice as a second mate in the Queen's Navy. Decid- ing to leave the sea he located in New York and there met and married Miss Garrett and soon after- wards removed to St. Paul, Minn., where he built up a resort on Lake Como. Later he removed to Port- land, Ore., and seeing the great possibilities in the salmon industry he established a salmon packing plant on the Columbia River, twenty miles above Astona, a place known since that time as Aldrich Point. In time he became the largest salmon packer on the coast in his day, shipping his product all over the United States, as well as Europe and to the Islands of the Pacific. Having sailed extensively he knew merchants in important ports of the world and had no difficulty in introducing his goods. After his death his widow continued the business for a year when she disposed of it, after which she spent twenty years of her life with Mrs. Finley in California, but was in Portland, Ore., at the time of her death.

Louise Garrett had the advantage of the excellent public schools of Portland and in that city she was married to Edward F. Mclellan, who was born in Santa Clara County. They immediately came to Mr. McLellan's ranch on Monterey Road, this county, where they engaged in general farming. Some years ago she became Mrs. Finley, and about eighteen years ago she purchased the present ranch of forty- five acres. It was a run-down place, but she im- mediately began improvements, setting it to prunes, doing everything about the place but plow. The result has been most satisfactory as it is now a valuable orchard place, yielding a good income. "Bon Air" (Good Air) as she has named the place is located fourteen miles west of San Jose, is a beauti- ful place, well watered by springs and has splendid soil and a delightful climate. Thus Mrs. Finley nat- urally takes much pride iu her accomplishment. Being a good judge of values and experienced in orcharding she finds time aside from her ranching enterprise to engage as a real estate dealer, her head- quarters being at 34 East Santa Clara Street, San Jose, where she is associated with Frank E. Quilty. By her first union Mrs. Finley had three children, two of whom grew up: Harry, was educated at San

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Jose high, later becoming a professional nurse at the County Hospital; he died in Medford, Ore .; Ralph M., is a talented singer and professionally he is well known on the stage as Geo. W. Stanley. Mrs. Finley is a member of the Neighborly Club of San Jose and in religious views is an Episcopalcan. She is a member of the California Prune and Apricot Growers' Association.

MANUEL J. ALLEMAO .- Another Portuguese- American who has fully justified his wisdom in re- solving to bid adicu to the familiar associations of the Old World and seek his fortune in the New, is Manuel J. Allemao, who was born on the Island of Pico, Azores Group, Portugal, on September 8, 1856, the son of Antonio Jose and Rosa (Cosacio) Allemao, both natives of the same island. His father was a prosperous farmer and a devout Christian, who exerted an enviable influence on account of his ex- emplary way of living, and this influence extended to the end of his allotted sixty years. Mrs. Allemao died at the age of forty-five. Manuel J. is the oldest of their eight children; of the others, Antonio re- sides on the old home place; Marie was married, came to the United States, and passed away in the East: Violante is married and lives in the East; Jo- seph is a farmer at Clarksburg, Yolo County; Mrs. Rosa Souza lives at Sacramento; Mariana was mar- ried and died at the old home; and John is a farmer in their native land.

Manuel was reared on the old home farm and at- tended the local day schools, but being the oldest of the family it was necessary for him to assist with the work, hence his school advantages were very limited. When about eighteen years of age, he had a desire to come to California, having heard of the great op- portunities that awaited young men of energy who were not afraid to work, so he planned, as soon as he was able, to come hither. On October 15, 1888, he reached the United States, and pushing westward, located at San Francisco, where a younger brother had settled some four years before. Later, he located near Los Banos, where he worked on a grain ranch for four years; and then he removed to Sacramento, but remained only a short time, when he sold his place and came into the Santa Clara Valley about 1893. He bought thirty acres and set out an orchard, later selling seven acres and retaining the twenty- three acres located on Senter Road, five miles from San Jose. Here he built a residence and other build- ings and has an orchard of apricots and prunes; and he still owns this fine ranch, which is well equipped for handling the fruit.

Mr. Allemao now resides in a beautiful residence at 906 South Tenth Street, in San Jose, in which city, about twenty-six years ago, he was married to Miss Mariana Constance Rives, the daughter of Man- ucl Bernardo and Marie Constance Rives, natives of Portugal, where the father passed away. They had four children; Manuel died at the age of twenty- four years; Maria C. is Mrs. Silva of Livingston, Cal .; Antonio Teixiera lives in San Jose and is a fine portrait painter and architect; Mrs. Allemao came to California when twenty-seven years old with her mother to join her brother, Antonio, who had been here some years. The mother died afterwards in Flagstaff, Ariz. It was in San Jose she met Mr. Allemao and they were married. Mr. and Mrs. Al-

lemao were the parents of a daughter, Maria Constan- cia, who died when sixteen months old.

Mr. and Mrs. Allemao have always been warm supporters of religion and religious work; and to their generosity is due the two wonderful bells in the Church of the Five Wounds, East San Jose, costing over $1,500, besides contributing liberally to the building of the church, and when the cornerstone services were held Mr. and Mrs. Allemao furnished the marble cornerstone at a cost of $150. They are very kind-hearted and generous and many a poor and needy family have been made happier by their aid.

JOHN S. WILLIAMS .- A man who has ac- quired success in the mercantile line as well as tak- ing an active part in the building up of San Jose and Santa Clara County is John S. Williams, a native son, born at Hayward, on Christmas Day, 1871, the son of John P. and Anna Williams, who were among the pioneer settlers of this great commonwealth, the father having come to this state when he was but a lad. In time he became a farmer in Santa Clara County, continuing to follow the line of agriculture for forty-five years, passing away in 1919, his esti- mable wife having preceded him several years.

John S. Williams attended the public schools of San Jose, but his acquirement of knowledge did not end then, for he has been a student all of his life. As a boy he assisted his father on the home farm, but having a keen desire for a business career, he was not content to remain on the farm. In his six- teenth year, in 1886, he obtained a position in the store of G. R. Silva, one of the leading clothiers in San Jose, and there he began to learn the busi- ness he had selected as his life work. After five years of valuable experience he began business on his own account, and in 1891 he opened a store, which was destined to be the nucleus of his present large clothing establishment, in a building adjoining his present store. It was not long until he outgrew it and from time to time he sought larger locations, all being in this block. In 1911 he purchased the present site and building which he remodeled for his purpose, being located at 44-48 North Market Street. The fixtures and equipment in the store are most modern and of latest design, thus making a most up-to-date clothing establishment in a building 50x137 feet, so that now he has the largest exclusive clothing store in the city of San Jose. After having become firmly established in San Jose Mr. Willianis began to reach out into other communities and he now has six branch stores named in the order they were acquired or started: Livermore, Watsonville, Modesto, Hanford, and Turlock. For some years he had a store at Hollister, which he removed to Merced in 1922. All the stores are exclusive clothing and men's furnishing goods stores. This vast business has all been built up from a little store started thirty- one years ago by a youth with a very small capital. His success has come through the same source that success alone comes, such assets as perseverance, honesty of purpose, hard and dilligent work. Mr. Williams has in his employ about sixty persons. However, these large affairs are not the limit of Mr. Williams' capability, for he is intensely interested in agriculture; he owns a twenty acre orchard on Wil- liams Road, near Campbell, devoted to prunes, and

Manuel Jose allemão

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

also owns a 175 acre alfalfa ranch near Tracy. This acreage he has improved from a stubblefield. It is Mr. Williams' intention to convert the place into three dairy ranches. He is connected with various financial institutions, being a director in the Secur- ity State Bank of San Jose and a stockholder in the Bank of Italy, and the Growers' Bank of San Jose, being one of the original stockholders of the latter institution. He is also a stockholder in the New Commercial Club Building.

In San Jose occurred the marriage of Mr. Wil- liams when he was united with Miss Antoinette Du- buis, who was born in San Jose of French parents, a daughter of a pioneer family of this county. Their union has been blessed with the birth of two chil- dren, Adeline and John S., Jr. Mr. Williams has served on both police and fre commissions, being chairman of the board for four years. In fraternal organizations, he is a member of the Odd Fellows, Foresters, the Native Sons of the Golden West, the Druids, Modern Woodmen of the America, Wood- men of the World, and the Elks. He is also a mem- ber of the Chamber of Commerce, of which he has been a director for years, and is also a director of the Merchants' Association, serving as its president for two terms, and is a trustee of the California Prune and Apricot Association. He is a charter member of the San Jose Commercial Club, as well as the Rotary Club, and is a stanch Republican.

GEORGE S. KIDDER .- A native son born near Santa Clara, Cal., February 25, 1874, George S. Kidder is the son of Charles S. Kidder, born in Norridgewock, Maine. Arriving at young manhood he crossed the plains to California in 1856, and after mining for a short time he settled in Santa Clara County. He was a natural mechanic, having learned seven different trades. He followed ornamental painting, designing and painting some of the early signs in this city, and is well remembered. He died on the old Owen ranch on Stevens Creek road in 1886. He was married in this county to Sarah F. Owens, a native of Indiana, the daughter of Rev. Isaac Owens, who brought his family across the plains in 1849 at the head of an ox-team emigrant train. He was the first superintendent of California mis- sions sent out by the Methodist Episcopal Church. Arriving in California he gave his time and labored faithfully, founding churches in different sections of the state. He was presiding elder for many years and devoted his life to the Methodist Church and its insti- tutions. He was one of the founders of the University of the Pacific, and trustee for many years. He owned a farm on the corner of Stevens Creek and the Los Gatos and Santa Clara roads. His death occurred in San Francisco; four of his five children grew up: John, Sarah F., William, and Hiram, now all de- veased. Mrs. Kidder later married C. J. McHugh, and she purchased a ranch in San Felipe Val- ley beyond Evergreen, where she reared and edu- cated her family. She spent her last days with her son, George S., passing away in 1917, aged seventy- three years. Of her union with Mr. Kidder there were seven children, five living: Mary L., was Mrs. Albert, who died in the spring of 1922; Elizabeth, was the wife of Frank Lee, and she died in 1920; Mrs. Lorena S. Nichols, resides in Shasta County; Charles

L.,, lives in Shasta County; Geneva F., Mrs. Kricker- berg, lives at the old home in San Felipe; George S., is the subject of this sketch; Gertrude J., is Mrs. B. Ingram of Escalon. There was one child born of the second marriage, Cornelius J. MeHugh, a mining man in Plumas County.

George Kidder grew up on the San Felipe Valley ranch, receiving his education in the Highland school. He assisted his mother on the farm until he was twenty-one years of age, when he engaged in mining in Plumas County. At the first tap of the drum for the Spanish-American War he immediately respond- ed and enlisted in May, 1898, in Company C, First California Volunteer Infantry, being mustered in at the Presidio, and was sent on the first expedition to the Philippines, following Admiral Dewey's victory at Manila, it being conceded it was the first ex- pedition of the army sent from the United States to a foreign port. Leaving San Francisco on the trans- port City of Pekin, they sailed into the harbor of Guam. Ladrone Group, and took possession for the United States, leaving a small detachment of troops and came on to the Philippine Islands, landing at Cavite, July 3, 1898. They moved on to Paranaque. where they had several engagements, and were in the final assault on Manila before its capture, August 13. 1898. Being stationed there for several months he was taken with typhoid fever and nearly died. When convalescent he was mustered out at Manila, De- cember 25, 1898, and came home via Hongkong. On his return he engaged in the transfer business in San Jose under the name of Garden City Transfer & Stor- age Company for several years, after which he again mined in Plumas County. Returning to San Jose at the time of the earthquake, in 1906, he did special police duty, during which time he was accidentally shot through the leg, which laid him up for over a year. He then had a private detective agency for nearly a year, with offices in the Ryland Block, afterwards serving two years as a patrolman. In 1910 he was appointed chief of police of San Jose by the Fire & Police Commission, under Mayor Charles W. Davi- son, and continued during the two years of his second term. Since that time he has been engaged as a real estate dealer, being associated with Cooper- Challen Realty Company. Mr. Kidder is still inter- ested in mining in Plumas County, being one of the owners of the Rich Bar Mining Company. Rich Bar is a historic spot, being the place where the first white child was born and the first postoffice estab- lished in California after American occupancy. The mines there were very rich, millions of dollars worth of gold having been taken from the bar. The Rich Bar Mining Company is now engaged in tunneling for the old mine bed on the east branch of the North Fork of the Feather River, with a fine showing for a coarse gold property.

Mr. Kidder's marriage occurred in San Jose in 1907, where he was united with Miss Mabel M. Moyer, who was born near Ames, Ia, coming with his parents to California, who were carly settlers at Dos Palos. Their union has been blessed with three children, Donald, Marion and Lois. After his re- turn from the Philippines Mr. Kidder joined the National Guard, serving a year in Company B, Fifth Regiment, until he went to the mines, when he ob-

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tained his discharge on account of his removal. He belongs to the Spanish-American War Veterans and of the Red Men, and San Jose Chamber of Com- merce, and is an active member of the First Christian Church in San Jose.

ARTHUR W. BOGART .- A man of exceptional business qualifications, with broad and liberal views in commercial affairs, was the late Arthur W. Bo- gart, a native of Nova Scotia, who was a shoe manu- facturer until he came to San Francisco in 1871, where he became one of the early shoe manufacturers in that city, being associated with Messrs. Earl and Sawyer of the firm of Earl & Company, the business growing to large proportions. When Mr. Bogart's oldest son reached the age of twenty-one he sold his interest in Earl & Company and started the hard- ware business on Market Street, the firm being A. W. Bogart & Son, and they built up a large and profitable business. Mr. Bogart's years of very active life had finally worn on him and his health became impaired and he retired from business, choosing Los Gatos as his home, but it was not long he could remain idle, however, so he purchased frontage on Santa Cruz Avenue and built the Bogart Building, and there he started a hardware store. He also built other busi- loss property in Los Gatos.

Mr. Bogart was married in Lynn, Mass., to Jemima .A. Templeman, a native of Massachusetts, the daughter of Andrew and Patience (Beardsley) Tem- pleman, born in Maine and Nova Scotia, respectively. Her grandfather, John Templeman, was a native of England, a seafaring man, and as captain sailed to the various foreign ports of the world. He married Miss Avis Graham, who travelled with him until he met an accidental death at St. Johns, New Brunswick, his widow being left with four children. Mrs. Temple- man, a woman of remarkable personality, then sold lier husband's shipping interests and engaged in the mercantile business and thus reared and educated her children. Andrew Templeman was the eldest child and ably assisted his mother until he became inter- ested in shipping, becoming a vessel owner and cap- tain sailing into different ports. He was largely in- terested in fishing at the Grand Banks, the headquar- ters for his dozen fishing vessels being Pt. Lorne He was a splendid man and one of the best of husbands and fathers. He passed away at the age of fifty-one years, the father of fifteen children, Mrs. Bogart be- ing the eighth. Only five of the children are now liv- ing. After her husband's death, Mrs. Templeman continued the business, passing away at the age of seventy-five years. Mrs. Bogart was deeply inter- ested in her husband's success and his passing away at their San Francisco residence on February 13, 1916, left a deep void and sorrow in her life. They had eight children, four of whom grew to maturity: Sewall was associated with his father in San Fran- cisco until he moved to San Jose, where he became a very successful business man. He passed away, aged thirty-one, leaving a widow and two children-Sewall Jr. and Edith. He was a prominent Knight Templar and Shriner. Frank is a violinist, is located in Oak- land; he is a member of the hardware firm of Bogart Mercantile Sales Company, is married and has two children. Mrs. Florence Brooks is the only daughter. Harry Andrew Templeman, a graduate of Brewer's Military Academy, studied music in Italy, has a fine baritone voice and sang in opera in Europe, as well

as the United States; he is located in Fresno as a teacher of voice, is married and has a daughter, Bar- bara Adeline, who studied piano and toured Europe. She is now the wife of Adrian Rogers Moreland of San Francisco.

After her husband's death, Mrs. Bogart took up business affairs and is looking after their large in- terests and being possessed of much business ability is giving a good account of her stewardship. She has travelled extensively throughout the States and Can- ada, as well as in Europe, and every year or two makes a visit back to Massachusetts. In 1919 Mrs. Bogart completed a beautiful colonial residence on Glenridge Avenue, Los Gatos, where she makes her home and dispenses a generous hospitality to her num- erous friends. She is a member of the Eastern Star and the Presbyterian Church. Mr. Bogart was a man cf exceptional business ability and his enterprise and public spirit had much to do with the building up of Los Gatos where his memory is revered.

WILLIAM ORLANDO POST .- A successful orchardist on Castle Rock Road in the Santa Cruz Mountains, the proprietor of Lakeview Farm is Wil- liam Orlando Post, born in Saybrook, Conn., Sep- tember 23, 1850. His father, Selden Post, a farmer in Saybrook, died in 1871, aged forty-eight years. His mother, Harriett Lonise Tiley, spent her last days in California with her son, William O., coming out to this state when seventy-five years of age, and she lived to be ninety-one years old.

William O. was the only child of the union and grew up on the Connecticut farm, having the advan- tages of the public schools and also Essex Academy. But his education did not stop there, for he has been a student all his life by reading along various scientific lines. When a boy of twelve years it devolved upon him to run the Connecticut farm, his father having died, so he took up the duties that had fallen on his young shoulders. He was married in Ohio, in 1876, to Miss Sarah Augusta Worcester who was born in Pittsfield, Ohio, a daughter of James Worcester, a native of Vermont who moved to Ohio, where he was a farmer and contractor. Mrs. Post was edu- cated at Oberlin College, majoring in music.

After his marriage Mr. Post moved back to Connec- ticut and for a time followed farming, afterwards en- gaging in the clothing business at Deep River, Conn., for six years, until, on account of throat trouble he was advised by his physician to seek the climate of California. In 1887 he came to Pomona, where he resided for seven years, and then removed to Beau- mont, Cal., as manager of a large ranch, a position he filled for four years, when he removed to Red- lands, and there he resided until 1904, when he came to Los Gatos and purchased his present ranch of 43 acres. He has named it very appropriately Lake View ranch, lying at an elevation of 1800 feet, and here he has orchards of prunes, cherries and pears which yield him a good income. He ran a summer resort on the ranch until 1918 when he gave it up, wishing that he and his wife be relieved of the extra work and care. Mr. and Mrs. Post have three chil- dren: Vernon R., residing in Patterson, N. J .; Emma, Mrs. Byrdine Jones, resides in Modesto; Ezra James, is assisting his father on the ranch, a beautiful place overlooking the gentle slope of the mountain and valley. Mr. Post is a member of the Universal Es-

A. W. Bogart

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

peranto Association, the California Prune and Apri- cot Association. As a boy he carried a torch in the Abe Lincoln procession; however, of late years he is an independent in politics.

MONTEZUMA MOUNTAIN SCHOOL FOR BOYS .- Eleven years ago, Ernest A. Rogers and William J. Meredith, both teachers in the schools of California, became dissatisfied with the restrictions imposed, by the methods of instruction employed in the average school, upon the initiative and oppor- tunity for the expression of personal convictions by teachers. Through years of teaching and studying methods of instruction and the results accomplished they saw a great gap between what the public school is equipped to do and what is demanded of it. They had reached the point where their ex- perience pointed to a better way of doing things intimately related to the very foundation of human education. Since they did not have the opportunity for putting their ideas into practice while teaching in the public schools nor the natural environment conducive to natural education, at their own expense and by making sacrifices, they established the Montezuma Mountain School for boys in its pres- ent ideal location in the Santa Cruz Mountains, high above Los Gatos and the Santa Clara Valley. In 1912 they were joined by Homer J. Lloyd, who was not only deeply in sympathy with the idea, but also possessed keen business ability. Largely through his sacrifice, his untiring efforts, and his sound fin- ancial judgment, the school was able to maintain it- self until public recognition was assured its founders that the experiment was entirely sound and practical. It was an experiment and they found defects in their system, corrected them and experimented further un- til their method became more nearly perfect. The sum total is that the method now employed at Monte- zuma is conducive to the highest degree of three-fold development of boys-physical, mental and moral. The aim is to promote, by expert guidance, the change of disposition, the choosing of attitude, the formation of habits that will fit a man to function at his best in a democratic society. It is meant to give a boy such instruction and training that he will choose to do the right thing unhesitatingly because he knows it is right and sees that it is best for his community, state, nation and the world. It includes actual living in a self-governing com- munity, until good citizenship becomes habitual and, in a sense, instinctive.

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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 195

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