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 225

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 225

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Charles grew up in Santa Clara County and ob- tained what education he could in the district schools; and has been intimately connected with orcharding

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from its very beginning in Santa Clara County, as forty years ago he helped his father plant a large family and commercial orchard, and Charles helped to plant and care for it.

Mr. Stevens' marriage occurred in 1892 and united him with Miss Fannie Fisher, who was born on the old Fisher ranch at Coyote, being a daughter of Thomas and Anna ( Hanks) Fisher, pioneer farmers and stockraisers of this county. After his marriage Mr. Stevens engaged in farming and orcharding on his wife's twenty-acre ranch at Coyote. In 1919 they sold it and bought the present place of ten acres, on Pastoria Avenue, near Sunnyvale. Mr. and Mrs. Stevens are the parents of one son, Lawrence O., who assists his father on the ranch. At the outbreak of the World War, Lawrence volunteered in the service of his country and served for two years in France as a mechanic in the aviation corps, being among the first to go to France. He married Miss Ceda Evans of San Francisco. Mr. Stevens is a member of the Woodmen of the World, and of the Prune and Apri- cot Association, and cooperates in every measure for the good of the community.

STEVE SCORSUR .- A resident of California since 1887. Steve Scorsur was born in Dalmatia. Austria, August 14, 1861. His father, John Scorsur, followed the sea for many years until he retired to his farm. He had married Miss Mary Lopizich and they were blessed with six children-four boys and two girls-and two sons and two daughters are still living. One brother. John Scorsur, is a fruit buyer and lives on Pine Avenue, The Willows. The parents both passed away on the home farm in Dalmatia.

The fourth child of the family, Steve Scorsur, grew up on the farm and as there were no public school advantages in those days did the best he could to pick up an education, though most of it was obtained in the great school of experience. When sixteen years old he went to sea, first in the Mediterranean trade, and then in the transatlantic, touching at Phila- delphia, Boston, New York, Providence, and Gal- veston, Texas, his first trip to the United States be- ing when he was nineteen years old, when he landed in Philadelphia. He continued his scafaring life until 1887, when he came to Galveston on a three-masted schooner, Martin L. Smith, and there he left the ship and came to San Jose, Cal., where he had uncles and cousins living. He found employment in the fruit business, working for James Scorsur, but soon went to Los Angeles, where he was employed for two years. Thence he removed to Madera, where he be- came proprietor of a restaurant, being in business there when Madera County was organized, and was a warm friend of Judge Connelly. After eight years in Madera, Mr. Scorsur sold out his interests there and returned to San Jose, purchasing his present place of one acre on San Antonio Street, where he erected a residence, built a dryer and engaged in buying and selling fruit, in which he has been very successful. He also owns a ranch on Foxworthy Road, where he is engaged in raising prunes and apricots.

Mr. Scorsur's marriage took place in San Jose, March 12, 1901. uniting him with Miss Mary Geno- vich, who was born in Dalmatia, and came to Amer- ica that same year. Their union has been blessed with five children: John, a graduate of Heald's Busi- ness College, is now a bookkeeper in the Bank of

Italy at San Jose; Mary was educated in the San Jose high school and Heald's Business College and assists her mother in presiding over the home; Peter, Stephen and Anthony are attending the grammar school. Mr. Scorsur is a member and former vice- president of the Austrian Benevolent Society of San Jose. A man of affable manner and kindness of heart, he has established an enviable reputation as an enterprising and progressive citizen, and is well and favorably known and held in high esteem througout the community. The family are members of St. Patrick's Catholic Church and take a generous part in its benevolences.

BROUSEN P. LAUSTEN .- An able and trust- worthy city official of Palo Alto who has been identi- fied with the business life of this city since 1901, is Brousen P. Lautsen, Palo Alto's pioneer and leading merchant tailor. A native of Denmark, where he was horn April 9, 1868, he came to America with his par- ents, Laus C. and Marie (Nielsen) Lausten, in 1874, settling at Oakland, Cal., where Brousen P. attended the public schools and supplemented his education with a business college course. He then served a regular apprenticeship with one of the best merchant tailors in Oakland, after which he worked for ten years in the leading tailoring shops in that city.

Mr. Lausten then opened up a shop of his own in Oakland, which he conducted for five years, and in 1901 he removed to Palo Alto. Here he established the business that is now the oldest in its line in the city, and the succeeding years have brought him un- qualified success. His workmanship is expert in every particular and his shop, at 109 The Circle, is the head- quarters for the latest and most authoritative fashions. He has a large patronage among the university pro- fessors and students, who appreciate his fine taste and craftsmanship.

In Oakland. Mr. Lausten was married to Miss Rose Ohair, a native of Iowa, and they have become the parents of five children: Roy, Marie, Doris, Eliza- beth and Jack. Mr. Lausten some time ago erected the attractive home at Hawthorne Avenue, where the family make their home. In the development of the civic life of Palo Alto. Mr. Lausten has taken his full share of responsibility. He was a member of the city council fifteen years ago and is again serving on that body, and holds the important post of chairman of the committee on public works. Prominent in Ma- sonic circles, Mr. Lausten is a member of Palo Alto lodge No. 346, F. & A. M. is past high priest of Palo Alto chapter, R. A. M., and belongs to Commandery No. 47, Knights Templar.

-GEORGE W. HARMS .- An enthusiastic advocate of municipal ownership who did much to further this civic development in the days of its adoption at Palo Alto, George W. Harms is also well known through- out the vicinity as a pioneer blacksmith of this city, though he has recently entered a new field, being pro- prietor of the Palo Alto Soda Works. He is a native son of California and was born February 22, 1874, at Pleasanton, Alameda County. His father, Theodore August Harms, was born in Germany and came to California when a young man, and in Alameda County he married Louise F. Hauschildt, also a native of Germany, who came to California when she was eighteen years old. She died May 3, 1922, at the age of seventy-eight, but the father passed away more

Steve Scorsur

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

than thirty years ago. They were the parents of six sons and four daughters, two of the daughters having passed away.

The seventh child of the family, George W. Harms, grew up on his father's farm at l'Icasanton, and at the age of sixteen began his apprenticeship in the blacksmith's trade, serving for four years in the shop of C. B. Steane at Pleasanton. On January 16, 1906, he came to Palo Alto and immediately opened up a blacksmith's shop of his own at the junction of The Circle and Alma Street, where the La Paloma res- taurant now stands. Then he located at 426 High Street, and in 1909 he removed to 601 Emerson Street. where he continued until he disposed of his business in 1921. On March 1 of that year he became the proprietor of the Palo Alto Soda Works at 942 High Street, and has complete charge of its business. The products of this growing concern are sold all the way from Mountain View to Millbrae.

Mr. Harms' marriage united him with Miss Ethel Mckenzie, a native daughter of California, and they are the parents of two children, Lloyd and Elizabeth, both in the Palo Alto high school. Mr. Harms has built two residences in Palo Alto and the family home is now at 680 Homer Avenue. When the plan ot municipal ownership was in its early stages. Mr. Harms was one of its ardent supporters and a stout champion of the advantages during the days when the idea still met with considerable opposition. For three and one-half years Mr. Harms had charge of the collection department of the municipal water and light bureau, a post he filled faithfully and well. He has always been prominent in fraternal circles and is a past master of Palo Alto Lodge No. 346, F. & A. M., past high priest of Palo Alto Chapter, R. A. M., was first consul commander of the Woodmen of the World, past chancellor, Knights of Pythias, and for more than twenty years has been master of finance of the latter order. In politics he is a Republican.

FRANK A. LE SUER .- Concentration of his ener- gies to any particular enterprise which he has on hand doubtless is one of the paramount secrets of the suc- cess that has attended the business undertakings of Frank A. Le Suer. Identified for the past nine years with the theatrical business, he is well qualified for the work in which he is engaged, and the magnitude of the business is due to his constructive work.

He was born on November 27, 1859, in Lawton, Mich., near Kalamazoo. His father, Henry Le Suer. was a native of New York, born near Jamestown; and his mother was born at Ann Arbor, Mich., both parents coming from old Virginia stock. His father was engaged in the mercantile business most of his life and lived to be seventy-eight years old; his mother passed away when our subject was seventeen years old. They were the parents of three children, two daughters and one son; Hattie V., Mrs. I. G. Betts, resides in Los Angeles; Frank A. of this sketch; and Jennie is Mrs. Davis of Los Angeles.

Frank A. was educated in the grammar and high schools, graduating from the Charlotte high school with the class of 1883. Immediately following his graduation, he entered the First National Bank as clerk, and by hard work and his usual determination to succeed he rose to be teller, and when he resigned his position in 1911, he was cashier of the bank. For ten years he was employed by Daniel Scott & Com- pany, a wholesale tobacco company of Detroit, Mich.,

as their traveling salesman for the northern portion of Michigan. After ten years on the road he went back to Charlotte, Mich., and was solicited to enter the employ of the First National Bank again, and he ac- cepted and was made cashier, J. M. C. Smith being the president of that institution. Mr. Smith now rep- resents that district of Michigan in Congress as a member of the House of Representatives.

The marriage of Mr. Le Suer occurred in Erie, Pa., in 1886 and united him with Miss Nellie C. Schneider, and they are the parents of one daughter, Dorothy, the wife of William Longmire, a graduate of Stan- ford University; he is an oil geologist with the Pierce Oil Company, and they reside in Lawton, Oklahoma.

Having for some time a desire to locate on the Pacific Coast, Mr. Le Suer resigned his position with the First National Bank of Charlotte, Mich., during September, 1911, and located in Palo Alto. Hc took a rest from active business cares for six months, then in conjunction with his brother-in-law, Mr. Betts, plans for a new building were drawn and negotiations were opened with Mr. Wetzel, a capitalist of Kings City to erect the building known as the Varsity Thea- ter, which furnished excellent amusement in the way of moving pictures. In 1921, Mr. Betts sold his inter- est in the Varsity to Mr. Le Suer and a partnership was formed with E. J. Arkhus, the proprietor of the Stanford Theater, and the two theaters were incor- porated under the name of the Palo Alto Theater Company, with a capitalization of $50,000. Mr. Le Sucr is the capable and genial manager of the Var- sity, while Edward Lowry is the manager of the Stan- ford. Fraternally, Mr. Le Suer is a Knights Templar Mason. A man of fine presence, excellent judgment and executive force, he has brought to his business experience and ability, and spares neither time nor money in securing the best pictures to present to Palo Alto's theatergoers.

PETER H. MEYER .- A very progressive and suc- cessful rancher who has been a force making for gen- eral prosperity in the Rucker district since the spring of 1898 is Peter H. Meyer, who was born near Stade, Germany, on February 24, 1862. In the carly '80s, after an excellent training in the thoroughgoing Fatherland, he migrated to the land of still greater opportunity, following westward to San Francisco the path of his brother, who had come out to the Coast metropolis in 1872. He brought with him the blessed heritage of good parentage, his father having been Henry Meyer, and his mother, before her mar- riage Miss Annie Buck. Both were highly esteemed in their day and place of residence, and sincerely mourned when they passed away over thirty years ago. Setting to work in San Francisco, Peter Meyer entered the service of a large mercantile establish- ment on Market Street; and in 1885, about one year hefore he was made a citizen of the United States, he established his own store at the corner of Pearl and Market streets which he conducted successfully for twelve years. Then he became a prune rancher, operating on some seventy-five acres in the Rucker district, and he acquired a fine home on Woodward Avenue, which he still owns. He belongs to the California Prune and Apricot Association, in which he has become a live wirc.

At San Francisco, on February 8, 1890, Mr. Meyer was married to Miss Mary Fauser, the daughter of John Fauser, a merchant of San Francisco, in which

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city she was reared and cducated. Two sons have sprung from this fortunate union. John grew up to be a ranchman, is married and has one son, and resides at Rucker. Walter H. owns a fine ranch near San Martin. Mr. Meyer is a Republican, and since 1886 he has been an Odd Fellow.

HENRY C. MINTER .- A rancher who has at- tained his enviable prosperity in the very locality in which he has continued to live, and who therefore thoroughly merits, as he also thoroughly enjoys the esteem and good-will of his fellow-citizens, is Henry C. Minter of the Watsonville Road, five and a half miles northwest of Gilroy. He was born near St. Joseph, Mo., on May 11, 1875, the youngest child and only son of Henry Minter, who met a premature death by accident in 1877. As a result, the lad, Henry, was thrown upon his own resources when he was eight years old, although he came to California in 1882 with his mother, who had remarried, and his stepfather, D. J. Howard. They at first located at Arbuckle, in Colusa County. Mrs. Howard lives in Gilroy, as do her daughters by Mr. Minter; Mrs. C. H. Pierce, Mrs. R. A. Howard and Mrs. M. Baptiste. In 1887, Henry struck out for himself, for good, and finally came down to Los Gatos; and began driving teams, hauling wood and freight into Los Gatos when he was so small he could not load his wagon; and in 1888, having acquired a fine span of horses, he entered into a teaming contract. He filed a claim on 160 acres of timber land in San Luis Obispo County; but having proved up, he sold out and then returned to Los Gatos. In the meantime he supported his mother and sent two of his sisters through school.

At the age of twenty-one, Mr. Minter was mar- ried to Miss Mary Alice Gibson, a native daughter, having been born in San Felipe, San Benito County, of sturdy pioneer parents; and two children were born of the union. Walter H. Minter operates the North End Garage at Gilroy, and Myrtle M. is a pupil in the Adams school.

For many years, Mr. Minter contracted to team loads out of the mills in the Santa Cruz Mountains, and executed one of the largest contracts on record, transporting 3000 cords of wood from the timber to the cars in the Glenwood district for the McKearnin Bros. of Santa Cruz; but in 1908 he endeavored to abandon this field of work, and took a temporary job at Gilroy at thirty-five dollars per month on the "Old Farmer's" ranch, near his present home in the Bodfish district. In 1910 he purchased the largest portion of the Holman ranch of 115 acres, for which he incurred heavy indebtedness; but with unremitting industry he has won out, and made a pronounced success as a fruit-grower. He has developed an or- chard of eighty acres, of both prunes and fancy pears, and this has yielded some handsome returns. He also farms the creek bottom and sand lands. He has remodeled the ranch dwelling, and has also erected a fine home on the ranch for the tenant. He has in- vested heavily in modern, up-to-date equipment, and gone in for the most scientific, advanced methods, and within ten years he has become independently well-to-do. He belongs to the Farmers' Union, and contributed largely to the construction of the pack- ing house at Gilroy, which has since been taken over by the California Prune & Apricot Growers, Inc., in which Mr. Minter holds $1,300 worth of shares. Mr.

Minter and Mr. Fairbush constructed the Five Party Telephone Line at a cost of $1,500, building seven miles of line together. With his neighbors, he built the electric line to supply electricity to their homes, and he was largely instrumental in the bond issue for the new Adams school building, and is a member of the board of trustees of the district.

Mrs. Minter, one of the most estimable and highly- esteemed ladies in this vicinity, having passed away in September, 1916, Mr. Minter remarried in 1918, choosing for his second wife Mrs. Esther E. (Lange) Gimbel, of San Francisco, who had one daughter, Margaret. Mr. Minter is a Master Mason, and there are no more popular members of that historic or- der in the Keith Lodge in Gilroy; he also belongs to the Odd Fellows, and both himself and wife are members of the Rebekahs.

THOMAS M. WILLIAMS, M. D .- A distinguished member of the medical profession in California, who stands out prominently in all the elements which make up the strongest manhood, as well as the most interesting and honorable traits characterizing Ameri- can professional life, is Dr. Thomas M. Williams, of 300 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto, where he maintains his well-appointed suite of offices. He was born in West Virginia, in Greenbrier County, on July 16, 1871, the son of Albert G. and Elizabeth (Donnally) Williams, both representatives of old Virginia fam- ilies of Irish, Welsh, Scotch and English extraction. The father was a farmer, and on the home farm, with its natural advantages, Thomas grew up.

He attended the public school in his native county, and then went to a preparatory school at Morgan- town, W. Va., and in 1893 came out to California, and soon afterward entered Stanford University, where he was graduated in 1897 with the Bachelor of Arts degree. He then went East to New York and, entering the College of Physicians and Surgeons, the medical department of Columbia University, was grad- nated in 1901, with the M. D. degree. After that he put in two years at the New York Post-Graduate Hospital as an interne. In the spring of 1904 Dr. Williams commenced practicing medicine in Palo Alto, and there he has since continued, save for a year spent in still higher post-graduate study in Eng- land and Germany. During the late war he held a first lieutenant's commission in the U. S. Navy, and was located at the U. S. Naval Base Hospital No. 2, at Strathpeffer, in the Scottish Highlands.

At Elyria, Ohio, May 20, 1901, Dr. Williams was married to Miss Dora Moody, a native of Vermont. She is also a graduate of Stanford University in the class of 1897, with the A. B. degree, and thus as classmates they became acquainted. They are the parents of two children. Elizabeth and Rhona. Dr. Williams is a member of the American Medical Asso- ciation and the state and county medical societies. He is still keenly interested in athletics, having played center on the Stanford football team in 1895-96. For several years he has been chairman of the Board of Athletic Control of Stanford University, and in that capacity was most active in the building of the new Stanford Stadium, constructed in 1921 at a cost of $250,000 and capable of seating 60,000 spec- tators. Dr. Williams' name will forever be insepara- bly connected with it, since he, as chairman of the board, in association with others, contributed the

Henry b. Hinter

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force, foresight and enthusiasm that resulted in its materialization, thereby creating and perpetuating a keen interest in Olympian games and college athletics.

HENRY LOUIS KOPP .- A well improved and highly productive orchard on the Los Gatos and Al- maden Road pays tribute to the care and labor be- stowed upon it by its owner, Henry Louis Kopp, who for eleven years has made his home in Santa Clara County. He was born in Buffalo, Scott County, Iowa, October 3, 1867, a son of Mathias and Anna (Sochren) Kopp, both of whom have passed away. The third oldest of nine children, Henry L. Kopp ac- quired his education in the public schools of Buffalo and was employed at farm work until twenty years of age, when he came to the Pacific Coast in 1887, working at carpentry in San Diego, and in 1889 went to the North Star mine in Fresno County. There he proved up on a homestead which he still owns and then mined in Tuolumne County for five years. Later he went to Korea and China, spending three years in millwrighting in the Orient and on his return spent two years in Nevada and then went to San Salvador, Central America, in the employ of a mining company for one year. Returning to Santa Clara County, Cal., in 1911, he purchased a fifteen-acre tract of land, which he has since cultivated, devoting his attention to the raising of prunes and apricots, in which he has been very successful. He has worked diligently and persistently as the years have passed and the methods employed in the operation of his place are the ex- pression of the latest scientific research.

Mr. Kopp, in Sacramento in 1907, married Miss Irene G. Dingle, born at Virginia City, Nev., the daughter of John W. and Catherine (Cahill) Dingle, natives of England and Ireland, respectively. The father was a sailor, visiting all the great ports of the world, and rose to be captain. During the Civil War he ran a transport, carrying the Union wounded to the North. Arriving at San Francisco, he went to Virginia City, Nev., and here he met his future wife, Miss Cahill. Mrs. Kopp, the third of a family of eight children, graduated at the Virginia City high school and then taught in the schools of that city until her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Kopp have two children, Barbara and Jack Irving. Mr. Kopp's po- litical allegiance is given to the Republican party and he has ever taken a deep and helpful interest in pub- lic affairs, especially along educational fines, now serving his second term as school trustee of the Union district. He is a Master Mason and is an exemplary representative of the craft. Mrs. Kopp is president of the Parent-Teachers' Association.

GEORGE C. WHITE .- Preeminent among the highly-esteemed citizens of Old Gilroy, and honored both for what he is and what he has accomplished, George C. White is the center of a circle of devoted friends, and the envied of those who also know the excellent attributes of his affectionate and gifted wife, truly a right hand to him in recent years and trying experience. A native son, he was born at Old Gilroy, (San Ysidro), on April 22, 1883, the son of John E. White, the popular constable of Gilroy, whose life stoy is elsewhere related in this book. George was reared and schooled at San Ysidro, and he also at- tended the Gilroy high school; and then, in 1901, he entered the business college of the Oakland Poly- technic. After graduation, he took up his duties as

assistant agent for the Wells Fargo Express Com- pany at Gilroy, and in that responsible capacity re- inained for about two years, and then he filled posi- tions of the same kind at San Francisco, San Luis Obispo and San Jose.

About 1903, he took up railroading in another de- partment, and became a brakeman on the Southern Pacific Railroad; and he continued in that line of work until, on May 7, 1906, at South City, a terrible accident occurred, through which he lost his lower lumbs. Fully twelve months passed before he even partially recovered from the loss and shock. He did not give up, however, and immediately started, in a small way, on his father's dairy farm, and some years later, the accident nearly forgotten, he acquired a ranch of thirty acres near his father's, and he has since bought and sold a number of ranches, realizing a fair profit on each deal.

At Gilroy, in 1909, Mr. White was married to Miss Vera Louise Willson, the daughter of Fred W. Will- son, of the well-known pioneer ranch family of Gil- roy, and they have four children: George Willson, Sarah Lee, Margery Vera and Fadra Louise. Every- one who knows the circumstances gladly gives Mr. White great credit for his sunny optimism, his faith, his industry and his aggressive progressiveness, and also to his devoted, conscientious wife. Mr. White is a Mason and a Republican.

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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 225

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