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 197

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 197

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Mr. Hess was made a Mason in San Jose Lodge, No. 10, F. & A. M., of which he is senior warden. He is also a member of Howard Chapter, No. 14, R. A. M., and San Jose Council, No. 20, R. & S. M., San Jose Commandery, No. 10, K. T., Islam Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., San Francisco, and is a member of the Sciots and the Commandery drill corps. He has been a Modern Woodman for the past eighteen years, and is escort in San Jose Camp, No. 7777, and holds membership in Liberty Camp, No. 5134, Royal Neighbors of America. He is a stockholder in the San Jose Building and Loan Association, and in national politics is a Republican.

JAMES SMITH .- A native of England, James Smith was born in London, February 4, 1842. Com- ing to the United States at an early age, he grew up in Maine and when twenty years of age he enlisted December 28, 1862, at Skowhegan, in Company E, First Maine Cavalry, going to Virginia with his regi- ment. On October 12, 1863, he was wounded and captured by the rebels and was sent as a prisoner to Belle Isle. After enduring suffering and starvation he was exchanged at Richmond, March 7, 1864. He was honorably discharged June 20, 1865, on the ex- piration of the war. Among some of the engage- ments in which he took part are Brandy Station, Culpepper C. H., Middleburg, Charles City Cross Roads, Slaughter Mountain, Weldon Railroad, and numerous skirmishes. After his discharge he came to New York City, where he was employed in Lloyd's Leather Factory. In England he had known the Lloyd family and an attachment sprang up be- tween Alice Lloyd and himself which resulted in their marriage in 1874. Alice Lloyd was born in England and came to Connecticut with her parents when she was two years old. Her mother passed away three weeks after they landed, and she was brought up by an elder sister and educated in the Brooklyn schools, whither her father had removed and established Lloyd's Leather Factory.

After their marriage Mr. Smith removed to Con- necticut and worked in a leather factory at Peabody six years, when he came out west to California, arriving at San Francisco, Cal., in 1881. In 1887 he located a homestead of 160 acres at Wrights, Santa Clara County, where he was engaged until

1894, when he came to Campbell, where he built a residence and resided until his death in 1915. He was a member of the G. A. R. and the U. V. L. Mr. and Mrs. Smith had two children: Joseph George, served in the First California Regiment in the Spanish-American War, and is now in Alaska; Alfred William, is an expert automobile mechanic and a graduate of the International Cor- respondence Schools; he now makes his home with his mother. Mrs. Smith continues to reside in Camp- bell, looking after the interests left by her husband and is a valued member of the Methodist Church.

ANTON M. JENSEN .- A successful contractor and builder in Los Gatos is Anton M. Jensen, a native of Denmark, born in Jylland, February 22, 1885, a son of Hans and Cecilia (Askov) Jensen, farmers of the island kingdom, who had nine chil- dren, seven of whom are living, Anton M. being the fifth eldest. He received a good education in the ex- cellent schools for which Denmark is noted. When fourteen years of age he apprenticed at the carriage maker trade for four years at Esbjerg and during this time he attended night school, where he studied architecture and drawing, a knowledge of which he has found of great value and assistance these later years. Soon after completing his apprenticeship he came to the United States in 1903, locating first in West Denmark, Wisc., where he worked at the carpenter trade for eleven months. Having a brother, Nicholai Jensen, a rancher at Salinas, Cal., Anton came hither in 1904. He entered the employ of the Western Union Telegraph Company, working on the line through to Los Angeles for two months, then spent cleven months working at the carpenter trade in Fresno, after which he came to San Leandro, being employed in the woodworking department of the Best Manufacturing Company. In February, 1906, he located in Los Gatos, working at his trade here and in San Jose.

In 1906 Mr. Jensen was married in San Jose to Miss Juanita Gerlefsen, also born in Denmark, who came to Los Gatos with her parents when she was three years old. Her father, Hans Gerlefsen, was the blacksmith on the Hume ranch until he established the first blacksmith shop at Austin Corners. After two years he sold the business, since which time he has been engaged in orcharding near Los Gatos. His wife was in maidenhood Anna Petersen, and Mrs. Jensen is the only child. In 1909 Mr. Jensen began contractng and building in Los Gatos and many fine homes and business buildings bear testi- mony of his ability, among them being Crescent Dell, Austin school house, the G. Wood and B. C. Scott residences, Saratoga; Saratoga school, Crider, Beck- with and Nicholas residences, Los Gatos; Crider's store, Field and Fred Berryman buildings in Los Gatos. Mr. Jensen is the leading contractor in Los Gatos and is very successful. He owns a fine resi- dence on Santa Cruz Avenue, where he resides with his wife and two children, Gertrude and Wanita. He is a member of the Odd Fellows, and with his wife is a member of the Rebekahs of which Mrs. Jensen is a past noble grand; and she is also a mem- ber of the Civic Center, Ladies' Aid and the Pres- byterian Church. Mr. Jensen is enterprising and progressive and is a member of the Los Gatos Cham- ber of Commerce.

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

HENRY BONETTI -- A conspicuous example of the outstanding success that can be gained solely through one's own efforts is found in the life of one of Santa Clara County's prosperous citizens, the late Henry Bonetti, who left his native country at the tender age of thirteen, coming to this country all alone to get a start in life while young, and through his untiring efforts and keen business ability he ac- cumulated a comfortable fortune and was one of the largest landowners of Santa Clara County. A native of Switzerland, he was born in Canton Ticino on Jan- uary 2, 1862, the son of Juliano and Addolorata Bo- netti. His father was a leader in the public affairs of his community and a keen business man, being the postmaster in his home town and also the owner of a large merchandise store there. Attracted to America by the tales of the Argonaut days, he made the trip around the Horn in 1852, landing in San Francisco, spending about two years in the mines. He then went to Australia, where he spent ten years, engaging in the stock business, and then returned to Switzerland, having circumnavigated the earth. Here he was married and blessed with a large family, and remembering the opportunities that awaited one in California and being very ambitions for his children, he asked his eldest son, Henry, if he would not like to go to this new land. Although but thirteen, Henry readily assented and started on the long trip alone. Arriving at New York, he crossed the continent to Sacramento and came by boat down the Sacramento River to San Francisco. He remained there but a short time, going to Olema, Marin County, where he worked on a dairy and stock farm for about three years, getting five dollars a month and his board.

In 1877 Juliano Bonetti brought his large family to California, first settling in Marin County, going to San Luis Obispo County in the latter part of 1878, where they acquired considerable land. From there they moved on to Guadalupe, Santa Barbara County, and there bought a large acreage. After having es- tablished all of his children in ranching and other lines of business, Mr. Bonetti, with his wife and two youngest children, returned to Switzerland, where he passed the remainder of his days, living to be seventy-seven years old; Mrs. Bonetti lived to be seventy-one years of age. Of their eleven children, of whom Henry was the eldest son, but four are now living: Americo and Pia, now Mrs. Pezzoni, now live in San Jose; Victoria is in Switzerland and Marino is in New York.

At the time the father returned to Switzerland, Henry Bonetti and his brother, Teofila, leased the ranch in Guadalupe and prior to his marriage sold his interests to his brother. Henry acquired some land in Guadalupe, and when his father died, as ad- ministrator, he sold the father's ranch and his own in Santa Barbara County, where he was extensively engaged in the dairy business, having a herd of 200 milk cows, and was also engaged in breeding cattle and sheep on a large scale. He established a Swiss cheese factory on his place, and produced some of the finest Swiss cheese in the state, employing his own countrymen, who were expert cheese makers.

In 1908 Mr. Bonetti removed to San Jose, where he purchased the ranch of Dr. Charles Wayland, consisting of 130 acres, the Melrose estate of 130

acres, and the J. H. Henry ranch of 4,000 acres. Later he disposed of the first two ranches and a part of the Henry ranch, but still was the owner of 3,554 acres of fine land. In 1914 he purchased the William Bogen place at 1440 Alameda, and this has since been the family home.

The marriage of Mr. Bonetti, uniting him with Miss Artemisa Arellanes, occurred at Santa Maria, October 4, 1888. She was born in Ventura County and was educated in the convent at San Luis Obispo, and was the daughter of Juan B. and Francisca Arellanes, her father being an early settler and prom- inent stock-raiser of Santa Maria. Eleven children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Bonetti, six sons and five daughters: Alfonso, Henry, Oliver and James are on the ranch in Santa Clara County; James at- tended the Agricultural School at Davis; Edward attends Santa Clara University. Theodore, Peggie, Artimisa, Mary, Dolly, and Edwina were all edu- cated in the convent at Hollywood, Cal. In political affairs Mr. Bonetti gave his support to the Republi- can party. He was heartily interested in the welfare of his adopted country and was a liberal subscriber to all the Red Cross and Liberty Loan drives during the war. Mr. Bonetti died December 29, 1921, aged almost sixty years.

R. C. SUESS .- A man of good business ability, R. C. Suess is filling a long felt need in operating a radiator and fender repair works in San Jose, and is an expert in his line of work. His business, located at the corner of Market and William streets in San Jose, in with the Eagle Auto manufacturers, con- stitutes the principal radiator and fender repair works of the city. Mr. Suess was born in Houston, Texas, July 4, 1876, a son of Henry and Margaret (Nebut) Suess, the father being engaged in farming and stock- raising in that state. R. C. attended the public schools of his native state, but the school of practical experienced proved the most profitable. When the call came from his country for his services, he en- listed in Company C, First Infantry, serving two years of the Spanish-American War, at Havana, Cuba; Savannah, Ga., and in Florida. He afterwards rendered valuable service on the police force of his home town. He was later employed by the Houston and Texas Central Railway and by other large shops, becoming an expert sheet-metal worker.

The marriage of Mr. Suess in 1900 united him with Miss Annie Small, a native of Hill County, Texas, and eleven years later they removed to San Jose, Cal. They are the parents of three children: Walter, who enlisted with the Thirteenth Infantry and saw service in France, Germany and Austria-Hungary; Chester, a student in the grammar school in San Jose; Vernon assists in his father's business. The family residence is at 42 North Willard. Fraternally Mr. Suess was made a Mason in the Blue Lodge at Corsicana, Texas; is a member also of the Scottish Rite, the Sciots and is a Shriner, being a member of Islam Temple, San Francisco. He is a Democrat in his political affiliations, and with his family he attends the Baptist Church of San Jose. He is a man of engaging personality, of strength and in- tegrity of character, and has a striking spirit of good-fellowship that is winning for him an enviable position among the business men of San Jose.

Artemisa Bonetti ABonetti

Sadie E. Carper Samuel. Alearper

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

SAMUEL H. CARPER .- A native Ohioan whose . ability and has some fine specimens in oil of his own previous experience in civic affairs as an honored painting; Effie J. is musical, having studied voice cul- ture; she is now Mrs. William James of San Jose and they have three children, Raymond, Wilma and Estella. Mabel is Mrs. H. T. Forsythe of San Jose and she has a son, Leonard Drake, by her first mar- riage. Dottie, a graduate in voice at the College of the Pacific, is the wife of J. A. Tyson, a rancher at Los Gatos and they have one child, Dorothy Nadine. public official has made him particularly welcome as a citizen of California, is Samuel H. Carper. well known for his success in the building line. His head- quarters are at 419 Josefa Street, San Jose, but his field of work is anywhere in Santa Clara County. He was born at Bettsville, Seneca County, Ohio, on July 25, 1858, the son of Frederick Carper, a native of Berkeley County. W. Va., who had married Miss Mary A. Britton, also of West Virginia.

Grandfather William Britton was of English de- scent, the ancestors being owners of valuable property that is now a part of the business section of London, England, an estate that has never been settled. The ancestors on both the Carper and Britton sides served in the War of the Revolution. Frederick Carper was a blacksmith and removed with his family to Seneca County, Ohio. He served in the Civil War, enlist- ing in 1861 in Company K, Forty-ninth Ohio Volun- teer Infantry, and afterwards served in the Forty- seventh Ohio, and was with Sherman in his Georgia campaign and on the March to the Sca, serving until the close of the war, when he removed with his family to Keokuk, Lee County, lowa, where he followed his trade. His wife passed away there and later he came to the Coast, and died in Oregon.

The eighth in a family of nine children, Samuel Carper attended the public schools and lived at home until he was a young man, and besides farming, learned the carpenter's trade. In Clark County, Mo., August 11, 1878, he was married to Miss Sadie E. Cobb, a native of Montgomery Co., that state, a daughter of Isaac and Martha (Hamblin) Cobb, the latter being a direct descendant of Daniel Boone. On the Cobb side Mrs. Carper is a distant relative of William Jennings Bryan. Her paternal grandfather served in the War of 1812 and she also had ancestors who served in the Revolutionary War. Isaac Cobb was captain in the Confederate army during the Civil War, while her uncle, Col. Alvin L. Cobb, served under General Price.

Mr. and Mrs. Carper resided in Missouri until 1883, when they removed to the Chickasaw Nation, Indian Territory, where he worked at his trade and on farms, as well as riding the range after cattle. Next they returned to Missouri, where he was employed for two years, after which they removed to Taylor County, Iowa, where he engaged in farming and carpentering at Athelston, being occupied there until 1897, when he came to California and located in San Jose. Since then he has always followed the building business and has contracted with various individuals to build a number of handsome houses. For some years they resided in East San Jose, but in 1902 they build their present residence on Josefa Street.

Five children of Mr. and Mrs. Carper are living: Myrtle is Mrs. E. F. Foss of San Jose; she has one child living, Irma Foss, a valued employe of the San Jose postoffice, and a stepson, Wayne R. Waddell. who is like a grandson to Mr. and Mrs. Carper. He enlisted in the U. S. army for four years in Septem- ber, 1918, trained at the Presidio, and is serving in the Motor Transport department; being good at calcu- lating he has served a portion of the time in the com- missary department. Samuel F. Carper resides at 47 Wabash Avenue, San Jose, and is among the best car- penters in the city; he is also an artist of no mean 54

About ten years ago Mrs. Carper took up the propa- gation of the dahlia and she has since put out many hundreds of bulbs of all varieties. She is an ardent student of this flower and is a member of the Dahlia Association of California and the Flower Growers Club of San Jose. She raises all of her dahlias at their city home and experience shows that she has an ex- cellent location for this fascinating industry, and she finds a ready sale for all the cut flowers and bulbs. By propagation she has been enabled to raise some very beautiful varieties, which she has named and reg- istered. Her Sammie Boy, Royal, Henry W. Mc- Comas and Sunmaid have all won prizes.

While at Athelston, Iowa, Mr. Carper was always active in the civic affairs of the community and for three terms served as mayor of Athelston; he was also constable for a couple of terms and after that for two years was deputy sheriff. Since coming to San Jose he has had many opportunities to engage in civic work, but has preferred to give all his time to his building business, and so to help influence the build- ing of the future. He is a member of San Jose Local 316, United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America. He is a strong Republican and Mrs. Carper is an active member of the Baptist Church.

WALTER I. YOUNG .- An enterprising business man of Los Gatos is Walter I. Young, born at So- quel, Santa Cruz County, March 27, 1877, of a pio- neer family. His father, W. A. Young, a native of Kentucky, came out to Missouri and in 1853, crossed the plains with his parents in an ox-team train. During the migration, Grandfather Young, who was a physician, was at the head of the party and locat- ing at the Mountain House, Butte County, he prac- ticed medicine and mined until his death. W. A. Young was married in Butte County, to Elizabeth Emily Ruggles, who was born in Missouri. Her father, Elisha P. Ruggles, was also born in Missouri, and brought his family across the plains in 1853, the journey being accomplished in true pioneer style. He also brought a herd of cattle and located in Santa Clara County, where he acquired a ranch of 2000 acres which he later traded for the Mountain House in Butte County, thinking at the time he had made, a good trade. After ten years he disposed of the Mountain House and engaged in farming at Nelson, Butte County, until his death. He was a thirty- second degree Scottish Rite Mason.

W. A. Young attended the Santa Clara College, then studied medicine for two years, when he en- gaged in mining in Butte County, and there he mar- ried, but never resumed the study of medicine. He also mined in Nevada for a time after which he came to Santa Cruz County, where he engaged in manufacturing lumber for some time. He then pur- chased a ranch at Redwood Lodge which he im- proved to orchard and vineyard, residing there until his death in 1897, his widow surviving him until 1917, passing away in San Jose. This worthy pioneer couple

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were the parents of six children, five of whom are : living. Walter I., the youngest, received his school- ing in the Highland district, which was supplemented with a course at the Salt Lake Business College, where he was graduated in 1894. After spending some time at sawmilling, he entered the employ of the Pacific Gas & Electric Company and ten years were spent in various places over their system.

Walter I. Young was married at Campbell, Santa Clara County, May 21, 1913, to Miss Iris Maude Seroy, who was born in Cabery, Ill., a daughter of Joseph E. and Elizabeth (Wroot) Seroy, born in Kankakee and Somonauk, Ill., respectively. Grand- father Seroy was born in Canada and Great-grand- father Seroy in France, while her Great-grandfather Wroot came from England to Illinois. Joseph E. Seroy brought his family to Bakersfield, Cal., in 1892, where he was in the real estate and oil business, later taking up his residence in Oakland, where he now resides and in that city he was bereaved of his wife in 1917. Mrs. Young is the second oldest of their family of five children and is a graduate of the Berkeley high school. While stationed at Stockton for the Pacific Gas & Electric Company, Mr. Young resigned in September, 1918, and began auto truck- ing, hauling fruit from the Santa Cruz Mountains to Los Gatos and San Jose and during the season he hauled rice and grain in Butte County. In the spring of 1920 he purchased the transfer business of George G. Curtis, in Los Gatos and continued the business as well as the handling and transporting of fruit and grain to the warehouses and markets. Young's Transfer office and headquarters being lo- cated across the railroad from the depot in Los Gatos, central place for his growing trade. Mr. and Mrs. Young have two children, Rob- ert and Carmelita. Mrs. Young is a member of the Rebekah Lodge at Durham, the Eastern Star in Los Gatos as well as the local Civic Center, Young Mat- ron's Club and the Sew and So Club. Mr. Young is a member of the Odd Fellow's Lodge in Soquel.

COL. CARL J. YOUNG .- One of the most inter- esting men in the Santa Cruz region, the proprietor of Idlewild Inn, is Col. Carl J. Young, who was born in Cecil County, Md., in 1850, descended from a prominent old Southern family. His father, Ed- ward Young, served as a captain in the Civil War, after which he became a business man in Wilming- ton, Del. He married Margaret Gray, who was of Scotch descent. Carl J. Young was reared on the Eastern shore in Maryland and at Wilmington, Del., completing his education at Hyatt's Military School in Wilmington. In 1869 he came to Elko, Nev., en- gaging in mining, locating many mines. He opened the Merger mines, a part of the Tonopah Extension, and was among the pioneer miners in Goldfield, Manhattan and Tonopah. In fact, it is impossible in this brief space to discuss his prominence and activity in mining, as well as Nevada politics. Serv- ing as colonel on the staff of Governor Dickerson, he has since then borne the title of colonel. He has been in and out of California for many years and had a mining and real estate office in San Francisco for a number of years.

Colonel Young was married in Nevada to Miss Etta M. Heffernan, a native of Massachusetts. In 1921 he purchased Idlewild Inn, above Alma, and with the assistance of his estimable wife is rapidly

making of it a popular family resort. It is a large, modern hotel with many cottages set in the midst of ten acres of ground, watered by Moody Gulch, where redwood, oak, madrone and other native trees abound, making a most beautiful setting for a year around resort. Colonel Young is also engaged as real estate dealer and has charge of the selling of building lots in the Idlewild Inn tract. A man who is well traveled and well informed on climate, Colonel Young finds that the Santa Cruz Mountains in Santa Clara County has the most ideal climate in the world. Thus he is well pleased that he cast in his lot in this beautiful and healthful region.

GEORGE STEPHEN BUCKLEY .- A native son who was a highly esteemed business man of Los Gatos was the late George Stephen Buckley, born at Colfax, Nevada County, June 15, 1878 His father, Mark Buckley, was an Eastern man of Scotch-Irish parentage who crossed the plains in pioneer days. He was a merchant in Colfax until 1888, when he located on a ranch at The Willows, near San Jose, where he died. George Buckley's mother was Elsie Kirkwood, a native of New Zealand of Scotch par- ents. She died in San Jose. George Stephens was the youngest of their ten children, and made his home in Santa Clara County from ten years of age. After graduating from the San Jose high school, he entered the Affiliated Colleges in San Francisco where he was graduated in 1900 with the degree of Ph. G. He first followed his profession in San Jose, then in San Francisco, where he was a pharmacist with Mc- Donald's Pharmacy.

In that city Mr. Buckley married on January 3, 1901, Miss Clara Agnes Campbell, who was born in Marysville, Yuba County, a daughter of Thomas William and Mary Elizabeth (Sweeney) Campbell, born near Boston, Mass. Thomas W. Campbell was an engineer. Crossing the plains to Marysville, Cal., in pioneer days he followed engineering there, until he died in 1879. Mrs. Campbell, when fourteen years of age, came via the Isthmus of Panama to Marys- ville; she survived her husband until 1921, passing away at the age of seventy-three years at the home of Mrs. Buckley, where she had spent the last four- teen years of her life. Clara Agnes was the youngest child of their family and finished her education at the Marysville high school. After his marriage Mr. Buckley was manager of Kirk's Pharmacy in Grass Valley until 1907, when he came to Saratoga as man- ager of Hogg's Pharmacy for two years until Dr. Hogg sold out, after which Mr. Buckley followed his profession in San Francisco until 1913, when he pur- chased the same old drugstore in Saratoga he had previously managed, and as a proprietor he built up a splendid business. He was square and honest in his dealings, a man of fine and pleasing personality.

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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 197

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