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 219

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 219

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John G. Clark.

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architectural devices to facilitate this. The com- munity communicates personally with the public by voice only, the sisters not being visible, and this is accomplished by the "speak-room." consisting of two apartments (an outer and an inner speak-room), sep- arated by a fixed grille of metal, veiled on the inner side. The outer speak-rooms are directly accessible from the public lobby of the convent, where is the "turn," a revolving cylinder of wood, with shelves, on which alms, in food or money, may be conveyed to the community. This "turn" is a symbol of the dependence of Carmel on the charity of the world. and herein, perhaps, may be found the key to the never-failing support given this institution.

JOHN A. CLARK, M. D .- A prominent and promising member of the medical profession in Cali- fornia. Dr. John A. Clark is especially interesting as the son and worthy representative of one of the pio- weers and most eminent men in the department of medicine and surgery along the Pacific Coast, his father, Dr. Jonas Clark, having settled in the Golden State, with all the prestige of a former associate of Professor Oliver Wendell Holmes, three decades or more ago; a sketch of his life is given on another page in this history.

Dr. John A. Clark was born at Knights Landing. Yolo County, Cal., on October 20, 1879, and received his educational grounding in St. Ignatius College in San Francisco, then in the public schools in Gilroy. Entering the University of Santa Clara, he was graduated therefrom in 1901, when he received the degree of A. B., after a very creditable record in lit- erary and classical studies. He entered the Medical College of the University of California in 1903, and four years later received the coveted M. D. parch- ment. While attending the University of California he was instructor in anatomy. After that, during 1909, he pursued post-graduate work at Harvard, and in 1910 he was instructor in Histology and Anatomy at Santa Clara College. After his return to Gilroy, Dr. Clark opened an office with his father, and in 1911, when the latter became superintendent of the Santa Clara County Hospital, he took upon himself the entire practice. In 1917, responding to the na- tion's call, Dr. Clark entered the U. S. Army; but owing to a broken vertebrae in his back, dating from the year previous, and from the effects of which he has never fully recovered, he was honorably dis- charged. From 1914 to 1918, Dr. Clark amply dem- onstrated his public spirit by serving as councilman of Gilroy for two terms, and from 1910 to 1914 hc was city health officer. In national politics a Re- publican, he has long stood for the highest stand- ards possible in civic life and duty. His high repu- tation as a very skilful surgeon has given him addi- tional influence in any cause he seeks to advance.

At Oakland, in August, 1913, Dr. Clark was mar- ried to Miss Mary E. Devine, who died in February, 1916; and then he married the sister of his deceased wife, Kathleen Devine, daughter of Thomas and Kathryn (Flynn) Devine. Three children have blessed the second union; Marie, John and Alice. While a student, Dr. Clark was a member of the honorary society, of the Alpha Omega Alpha, and also of the Zeta Omicron; and he belongs to the San Jose lodge of the B. P. O. Elks. He is a member

of Santa Clara County Medical Society, the Califor- nia State Medical Society and of the American Medical Association.

CHARLES J. RONECKER .- A native son, the representative of an interesting, long-established family, whose excellent workmanship as a plumber and sheet metal worker has entitled him to the con- fidence of all dealing with him and his firm is Charles J. Ronecker, of Messrs. Bowen & Ronecker, of 910 Main Street, one of Santa Clara's most sub- stantial business houses. He was born in San Fran- cisco on July 8, 1891, the son of Charles Ronecker, who was well-known in the commercial circles of the Bay City, and who died in 1914, leaving a widow and two children. Besides the subject of our re- view, there is a daughter, Jennie L., now the wife of Roy Tuttle, a Santa Rosa druggist. Charles Ronecker married Kate Dockery, a native of Marys- ville, Cal., who also came from a pioneer family. An uncle, J. P. Dockery, was one of the organizers of California Parlor No. 1 of the N. S. G. W., he himself being prominent in that order; he was chief milk inspector at San Francisco for twenty years.

Charles J. Ronecker attended the public schools of San Francisco and Santa Cruz, and then learned the plumber's trade as an apprentice to C. L. Meis- terheim in San Jose. In 1914-16 he built up the Marin Oil and Burner Company of San Rafael, and he did so well that he was able to make a trip to the Orient. In April, 1921, with Fred Bowen, Mr. Ronecker founded the firm of which he is now the wide-awake junior member. They were formerly employed by Le Vin & Son on South First Street, San Jose, and are now working shoulder to shoulder, and well known for the thoroughness with which they carry out a contract, they are building up an enviable trade in Santa Clara and environs, and their establishment has become one of the most

dependable assets in the growing city.

JOHN F. CARDOZA .- A progressive native son and self-made man who has learned to do by actually doing, and is today a leading carpenter and builder of Santa Clara County, is John F. Cardoza of Moun- tain View, residing with his family on Bailey Avenue, in the community in which he has been known and respected for over thirty years. He was born at Half Moon Bay on October 19, 1883, and when six years of age came with his parents, Jess and Mary B. Cardoza, farmer folks of Santa Clara, to Mountain View. His father was born in the Island of Fayal. in the Azores, while his mother first saw the light in the near-by Island of Flores. Mrs. Cardoza died in June, 1918.

John was sent to the public school in Mountain View while he was growing up on his father's little six-acre place near that town, and when nineteen years of age he took up carpentering. He formed a partnership with a young brother, Joc Cardoza, now a contractor at Hollister, and they commenced build- ing. He had to be satisfied with day work at first, and then they made contracts to put up barns and tank-frames, and after that they built bungalows and other residences, and even concrete bridges. So well did Mr. Cardoza and his brother succeed in establishing a reputation for both ability and de- pendability that they were commissioned to erect

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many of the notable structures in and around Moun- tain View, including the Catholic Church at Sunny- vale. They also put up the residences of Frank Rose, Mrs. Merrill, Dutro at Sunnyvale, Ehrhorn, Lund, Charles F. Hartley, Frank Abbott, Larry Randall at Mountain View, and Haag's Dairy. Mr. Cardoza's prosperity is expressed in part in his purchase of twenty-seven acres at Hollister recently, which he has planted to prunes and apricots, and he owns his cozy bungalows, constructed by him in 1920.

In 1903 Mr. Cardoza was married to Miss Jennie Brown, a daughter of Frank Brown of Redwood City, in which town she grew up; and they have four children-Jessie and Lucile, who are in the Moun- tain View high school, and Jean and Jack. The Cardozas belong to the Catholic Church at Moun- tain View, and Mr. Cardoza is a member of the Foresters, the Native Sons of the Golden West, and the I. D. E. S. In politics he follows the standards of the Republican party.

JOHN W. DICKINSON .-- A well-known former member of the San Jose Fire Department, whose local patriotism has made him one of the unselfish supporters of every movement for the welfare of the Golden State, is Jolin W. Dickinson, recording sec- retary of the Independent Order of Foresters and prominent in lodge circles. He was born at Battle Creek, Calhoun County, Mich., on May 6, 1855, the son of John W. Dickinson, who was a physician in his early career but later in life gave up professional work for farming. He married Miss Cynthia Stiles, and they came to have a family of five children. A long distance intervened between their farm and the nearest school, and so our subject enjoyed scarce- ly three months of schooling in the year.

When John was twenty years of age, he started to make his own way in the world; he took odd jobs, and lived in Michigan until 1889, when he came to California. Here he entered the service of the Lake Box Factory of San Jose, for which he was foreman during the ensuing three years; and having made a success of box-making, he became foreman of the box-making department of the Santa Clara Fruit Exchange, which position of responsibility he continued to fill for the next seven years. Later he was made janitor in charge of the First Christian Church of San Jose.

Mr. Dickinson has also become a most active lodge worker. He entered the Independent Order of Foresters in 1892, and soon passed through all of the chairs of the order; and in 1900 he became their recording secretary, and this office he has held for the past twenty-one years. He is also a member of the Junior Order of the United American Me- chanics and has held every chair in that order at San Jose. He served for thirteen years in the San Jose Fire Department under the administration of Mayor Warwick, and was assigned to Engine No. 2, then known as the Empire Engine Company. .

At Marengo, Mich., on June 20, 1875, Mr. Dickin- son was married to Mrs. Sarah M. Sturges, a native of New York and a widow with one son, Charles Sturges, who married Miss Minnie Haywood, and they had four children-Bertha, now Mrs. Widney of San Francisco; Jessie, who has become Mrs. Mc- Mullen of San Francisco; Florence, Mrs. Baker of San Jose; and Pansy, the wife of Elmer William- son, a merchant of San Jose.

JAMES ARMANASCO .- An energetic and capa- ble foreman is found in James Armanasco, who has charge of the seventy-one ranch of A. T. De Forest, three and a half miles from Mountain View. He was born in Lombardy, Italy, April 16, 1894, the son of Gasparia Armanasco, who passed away in 1917. He attended the public school of Italy and received a good elementary education in the Italian language. At the carly age of fifteen, he had the misfortune to lose his mother, and the following vear he left Italy and came to America, settling in the state of Washington, where he spent six years, working on various farms. It is to his credit that, although he received a meager education, by applica- tion he has acquired a good business knowledge of the English language, so that he is able to readily speak, read and write it. Upon removing to Palo Alto he began working for M. H. Tichenor on his stock farm near Palo Alto, where his honesty and industry has suceeded in winning him many sub- stantial friends. Later he was offered the responsible post of foreman by A. T. De Forest, the duties of which he is fulfilling most capably. This ranch is devoted to dairy, poultry, thoroughbred Holstein cattle, and there are fourteen acres in Bartlett pears and three acres in raspberries.

Mr. Armanasco's marriage united him with Miss Mary Ann Rosatti, also born in Italy. Mrs. Armanasco has contributed, in no small measure, to the success of her husband. They are esteemed throughout the community for their straightforward- ness and strict honesty.

ARTHUR MOE .- Although one of the younger business men of San Jose, Arthur Moe has already made his influence felt in trade circles of the city and his cooperation has been a valuable asset in developing the Prestolite agency, of which he is one of the partners. He was born in Menominee, Dunn County, Wis., December 31, 1892, a son of Adam and Olea Moe. The father followed the occupa- tion of farming and the subject of this review at- tended the public schools of his native city until fourteen years of age, when he accompanied his parents on their removal to Spokane, Wash., Mr. Moe, buying a farm twenty miles from there.

For two years Arthur Moe attended the Spokane high school and then started out in the business world, securing a clerkship with the Spokane & East- ern Trust Company, with which he was connected for five years, gaining valuable experience along commercial lines. He then went to San Francisco, Cal., and for a year was engaged in clerical work on the exposition grounds. In 1916 he entered the employ of the Hercules Powder Company, working in the TNT department until the United States declared war against Germany when he entered the service. In August, 1918, he was sent to Camp Lewis, Wash., being assigned to Battery C, Thirty-seventh Field Artillery, and receiving training as a gunner. He was stationed there until January 1, 1919, and was discharged at the Presidio in San Francisco. He then entered the electrical business in Oakland as a partner of V. L. Bemis, an expert in this line, and at the end of a year they disposed of their in- terests in that city and came to San Jose, where they have since been located. They secured the Prestolite agency and under the firm name of Motor Electric Service Company are located at 245 North

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Second Street, and as automotive electricians have already become recognized as one of the leading enterprises of the kind in the city, their business being operated along the most modern lines.

In Oakland, Cal., on August 16, 1919, Mr. Moc . married Miss Verna Hansen, a native of Spokane, Wash., and a daughter of Ivan Hansen. One child has been born of this union, Verna Mac. Frater- nally Mr. Moe is identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and is a member of the American Legion and the Santa Clara County Auto- mobile Trades Association.

WILLIAM M. HERSMAN .- A resident of the Santa Clara Valley for more than thirty years, Wil- liam M. Hersman came to San Martin in 1891, to work on the ranch of his uncle, Rev. W. M. Hers- man. He was born at Middle Grove, Monroe County, Mo., January 1, 1865, his parents being George H. and Mildred (Pollard) Hersman, both natives of Monroe County, but of Kentucky parentage. The father passed away some time ago, but Mrs. Hersman is still living and makes her home at Darby, Mont., with a daughter.

William M. Hersman was reared on the home farm and at the age of eighteen completed the high school course at Strother, Mo., and two years later, in 1885, he removed to Kansas, where he continued to work on farms. In 1889 he continued his westward jour- ney to Montana, remaining there for two more years, and then came down to California, locating at Tem- pleton San Luis Obispo County, where he became foreman on the ranch of his uncle, Rev. Hersman, and after coming to Gilroy he spent four years on the ranch of his uncle there. Feeling that it was time for him to go to ranching on his own account, he then leased land, which he farmed to grain for several years, then leased the old White Place on Foothill Avenue, San Martin, and planted part of it to orchard, and he bought twenty acres on that avenue which he cleared and set to orchard, the land being covered with live oaks and stubble at time of purchase. In 1918 Mr. Hersman located on Monterey Road about two miles and a half from Gilroy, having sold his twenty-acre orchard and gone into partnership with his cousin, former Congressman Hersman, and C. C. Lester of Gilroy, where he has 120 acres in orchard.

At Gilroy in June, 1897, Mr. Hersman was married to Miss Eva White, a native daughter, born at San Ysidro, the daughter of Thomas White, and their marriage has been blessed with five children: Mil- dred is the wife of George Quale, a merchant at San Martin, and they have one child; Myrtle passed away at the age of sixteen; Margaret, George and Evelyn are at home. Now one of the old, established fam- ilies of this district, they are held in high esteem in the community, where they take an active part in all that pertains to the welfare of the people. While living at San Martin Mr. Hersman served as trustee of the San Martin school district two terms, the first time being appointed to fill a vacancy.

MANUEL S. SILVA .- Many lines of activity have felt the stimulus of the enterprise, business discern- ment and well defined plans of Manuel S. Silva, pioneer transfer man, rancher and capitalist of Santa Clara, who wields a wide influence in commercial circles of the city. He possesses initiative combined with marked executive ability, and to him oppor- 1unity has spelled success. He was born on the

island of Gracioso, in the Azores, February 20, 1851, upon the cstate of his grandfather, Manuel S. Silva, who reared a family of four sons and four daughters. 'The father, Joel Souza Silva, was married on that island to Callinna Souza Silva and they also had a family of eight children, consisting of four sons and four daughters. Mr. Silva followed the occupation of farming for many years and passed away at the age of seventy-four, while the mother died in 1859.

Manuel S. Silva, the youngest of the family, was reared upon a farm and through assisting his father carly became familiar with stockraising, dairying and the basic principles of agriculture. When sixteen years of age he sailed for America, landing at Bos- ton, Mass., and soon afterward became a member of the crew of a whaling vessel, sailing from Beverly, on which he cruised the Atlantic for fifteen months. They secured their first cargo of whale oil on the Western grounds, which lie between the United States and the Azores, going from there to the island of Fayal, in the Azores, where they disposed of their oil and other whale products. On their next whaling expedition they went to South Africa, thence to Brazil and the West Indies, taking in the Bar- badocs, Guadeloupe and Dominique Islands and re- turning to Fayal, whence they sailed for Beverly, Mass., where Mr. Silva left the vessel. Going to Boston, he there spent a week and then went to Fall River, Mass., where for five years he was employed in a calico mill. At the end of that period he started for the West, and after reaching San Francisco, Cal., arriving in 1873, he made his way to Half Moon Bay, where he spent four years, devoting his atten- tion to the development of a farm.

In May, 1878, Mr. Silva came to Santa Clara . County, being without funds. While residing in San Mateo County he had planted 1,000 sacks of seed potatoes, but owing to the prolonged drought of 1877 his crop was a failure and his indebtedness amounted to $1,500. Land in the vicinity of Santa Clara was then selling for twenty-five dollars an acre and farming was in a demoralized state. The farmers who did not understand soil and climatic conditions were in the habit of sowing forty pounds of seed grain to an acre and the yield was a very poor one. Mr. Silva and other Portuguese farmers conceived the idea of sowing a greater quantity of seed per acre and instead of forty pounds they sowed a sack to an acre. The result was a better stand and the yield per acre was practically quad- rupled, this method being later adopted by the other farmers in the district, which was devoted prin- cipally to the raising of hay and grain. For four years Mr. Silva cultivated rented land and then pur- chased twenty-six and a half acres near Santa Clara, which he still owns, afterward taking up his home in the city. Here he has engaged for many years in the transfer business, being a pioneer in this line in Santa Clara. Owing to his capable management the enterprise has grown from year to year until it has now reached large proportions. He handles all of the freight consigned to Santa Clara business houses over the Southern Pacific Railroad and his son assists him in conducting the business, which is 'operated along the most modern and progressive lines. They utilize two motor trucks, one having a capacity of two tons and the other of eight. They

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also have eight wagons which will carry from eight :o eleven tons of freight, with from two to eight horses for each wagon, these being used for bad roads and mountain traffic.

While residing at Half Moon Bay Mr. Silva mar- ried Miss Mary Julia Silva, who passed away March 20, 1902, leaving one son, Manuel S., Jr. He mar- med Miss Mary Francisco and they have a daughter, Lillie. They reside with Mr. Silva, Sr., in an at- tractive home at 1567 Main Street. Mr. Silva is a faithful member of the Santa Clara Catholic Church and is also identified with the I. D. E. S. and the S. E. S. Starting out in life empty-handed, he has worked his way steadily upward until he is today a dominant figure in business circles of Santa Clara.

CHARLES PENNELL AND ALICE H. REED. Within the past few years the poultry business has become a great industry, requiring a specialized and accurate knowledge of the work undertaken if one would win success. Among those who have gained prominence in this field of activity is Charles Pennell Reed, a well-known poultryman of San Jose, who is associated in business with his sister, Alice H. Reed. A native of the East, he was born in Hon- eoye, N. Y., December 29, 1877, a son of Thomas R. and Elmyra (Pennell) Reed. In young man- hood the father took up the occupation of farming, afterward engaging in the meat business, while later he became postmaster of Honeoye, N. Y.

In the public schools of his native city Charles P. Reed acquired his early education, while later he was graduated from the Ohio Wesleyan Uni- versity of Delaware, Ohio, entering that institution in 1896. In 1900 he came to the West, settling at Hoquiam, Wash., where he spent a few years in learning the lumber business. Going to Nevada, he opened a lumber yard at Goldfield, which he afterward sold, and opened another yard at Tono- pah, Nev. Subsequently he established a third yard at Fallon, Nev., which he conducted until 1910, when he sold out and came to San Jose, where he started in the chicken business on a small scale. From the beginning the venture proved a success and as time passed he gradually enlarged his interests, now de- voting his attention to the hatching and selling of baby chicks. He has made a thorough study of the business, which he conducts according to the most modern and progressive methods, and has added a new hatching house 60x80 feet in dimensions with a capacity of sixty incubators, utilizing only elec- trical machines. He keeps about 2,000 breeding fowls and produces all of the eggs used for hatching, having a capacity for hatching 30,000 eggs at one time. His chicken ranch, which comprises two and one-quarter acres, or fourteen city lots, is located on South Fifteenth Street, in San Jose. He has built up a large business, shipping to many points in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Utah and Wyoming, and during the season of 1920-21 he oper- ated twenty-two incubators at their full capacity and sold 50,000 baby chicks. In the conduct of the busi- ness he is assisted by his sister, Miss Alice H. Reed, who is an equal partner with him in the enterprisc. She was also born in Honeoye, N. Y., where she acquired her education, and is a most capable busi- ness woman, much of the success of the undertak- ing being attributable to her able cooperation and ex- cellent judgment. Since coming to San Jose Mr.

Reed's intelligently directed efforts and initiative have been strong elements in his success and he ranks with the leading poultrymen of the state.

MANUEL BRONK .- A successful rancher whose methods as well as his results are worthy of the most flattering study is Manuel Bronk, a native of San Luis Obispo, where he was born on March 22, 1894. the son of Joseph and Amelia (Scrafino) Bronk, the former a native of St. Miguel, and the latter of St. George of the Azores. Mr. Bronk came to California from the Azores in 1885, when he was eighteen years old, having stayed about one year in New York, and once he reached the Golden State he chose San Luis Obispo County as the most ap- pealing section, and for twelve years raised beans there on rather an extensive scale. He then re- moved to Ventura, and for ten years cultivated beans on a 400-acre ranch. Finally coming into Santa Clara County, he bought a ranch of twenty- seven and three-fourths acres on Capitol Avenue, devoted to alfalfa and dairying, with one result that, since he was ten years old, Manuel had to help his father, at that carly age even driving a team.

Manuel attended school in Ventura County for a while, and then continued for a year in Santa Clara County, after his father had removed hither. When he was fourteen years old, he left home and for eight years worked for other dairy ranchers, and after that he put in four years at orcharding on the Blackburn Ranch, at the corner of Alum Rock Ave- nue and Piedmont Road. In May, 1920, however. he returned home and entered into partnership with his father in running the home dairy; and now they have thirty head of choice cows on their ranch.

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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 219

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