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 70

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 70

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Mr. Lyndon then, with a natural yearning for the scenes of his boyhood, returned to his old home in Vermont; and in 1866 he attended the Academy at Alburg Springs and for two terms supplemented his schooling. California and its lure had seized his im- agination; and in December, 1868, he started via the Panama route, arriving in San Francisco January 23, 1869. His brother, John W. Lyndon, who was James' senior by eleven years and had come out to California in 1859, had preceded him to Los Gatos and had established there a lumber yard, where later the Wilcox House and the railroad depot stood; and James hurried to Los Gatos and accepted a position as clerk in John's employ. In 1872 he bought his brother's business and ran it for a year, when John bought an interest in it, and returned to his former activity; a year later, James sold his interest to John, and embarked in hotel management at the Ten Mile House, later known as the Los Gatos Hotel, which he made more and more famous as a hostelry, until he sold out in 1875. He again clerked for his brother, remaining with him until 1883; but in that year he set up in the lumber business for himself near the depot in Los Gatos, which business he continued to manage for years.

Mr. Lyndon was best known, perhaps, particularly in San Jose, as the broad-minded Republican sheriff of Santa Clara County, an office he filled most cred- itably. Under President Harrison, he was also post- master of Los Gatos, and he had the honor of serv- ing as the mayor of that law-abiding town, and he was a member of the board of town trustees. He was an active member of Los Gatos Lodge No. 282, F. & A. M., and of Ridgley Lodge, I. O. O. F., and he belonged to the Ancient Order United Workmen; he was past post commander of the E. O. C. Ord Post of the G. A. R.

At San Jose, on August 12, 1873, James H. Lyndon was married to Miss Anna J. Murdock, a native of Ontario, and she and five of their children who still survive, cheered by their lives and affection the sturdy pioneer when he breathed his last, on March 28, 1912, one of the most widely known and best-beloved citi- zens of the county. These worthy sons and daugh- ters are: James Lloyd Lyndon of San Jose; Wil- liam W. Lyndon of San Francisco; Clarence H., Mrs. Ray Lyndon Lee, and Mrs. May Nichols of Los Gatos, and Mrs. Hazel Ryland of Oakland. Santa Clara County today owes much of its present prosperity and greatness to men like Mr. Lyndon, for by enduring hardships and indefatigable work and

404

HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

true optimism they paved the way that the future generations may enjoy. Mr. Lyndon was very active and energetic and was ever to be found a leader in the vanguard of progress.

BENJAMIN O. CURRY .- Foremost among the enterprising and progressive men of affairs in Santa Clara County, where he is a successful horticulturist, banker and realty operator, is Benjamin . O. Curry, who came to California nearly a half century ago. He was engaged in mining for about twenty years, when he purchased land at Campbell, which he im- proved and during these years he also built up a large clientele in the realty business, in all of which he has attained signal and splendid success.

A native of Norway, Mr. Curry was born May 7. 1852, being reared on a farm and in that healthy atmosphere grew up to be a strong athletic young man, at the same time receiving a good education in the public schools of his native heath. Not sat- isfied with the the narrow confines of that country, he resolved to cast in his lot with the land of the Stars and Stripes, of which he had heard, as well as rcad, good reports. Arriving in New York City in 1872, he made his way to Marquette County, Mich., where for a period of about two years he followed mining. In March, 1874, he came to California and proceeded to Eureka County, Nev., where he pros- pected and mined for ten years. During these years he studied the English language, completing a course at the Eureka Business College. In his prospecting he became one of the discoverers of the Black Rock mining district in Nevada, which in time proved a valuable mining field. His operations included both Eureka and White Pine counties. In 1884 he came to Eldorado County, Cal., engaging in mining on the mother lode, acquiring and operating quartz gold mines as well as timber lands in the high Sierras, where he spent the summers.

Mr. Curry was married in Eldorado County in 1891. being united with Miss Carrie Hakemoller, a native daughter of Eldorado County, where her par- ents were very early pioneers, a union that has proven a very happy one. During his years of min- ing Mr. Curry's vacations were spent in different parts of California looking for a permanent location. One vacation was spent in Santa Clara Valley and his admiration was so great he decided on it for a permanent home. In 1891 he purchased land near Campbell and began improvements by setting but an orchard and building a residence and other necessary buildings. While his orchard was growing he saw the possibilities in the real estate business and started dealing in farm and city property at Campbell, and he is now one of the prominent real estate men in the county. After several years of successful busi- ness, the town grew with the surrounding country and he saw the need of a business building: he planned and erected the Curry Building, a modern two-story brick and concrete business block. It is centrally located on a corner and artistically de- signed after the mission style so as to present a beautiful appearance to either street. In this build- ing are located some of the most important offices of the city, among them, the post office, a drug store, and his own real estate office, and a number of others on the second floor. A few years ago Mr. Curry bought eighty acres on Union Avenue, known

as the Fountain Farm, there being forty acres in vineyard and forty acres in French prunes. He also had a ten-acre orchard in the foothils near Los Gatos, so for years he operated 100 acres of orchard and vineyard. He has since disposed of all but his home place on Park avenue. He has been the presi- dent of the Improvement Club, which was organized in the interests of the city and he also served as school trustee for nine years. He was the promoter of a new business block in Campbell, now occupied by the Growers' National Bank, a moving picture theater, and three stores. This building cost more than $60,000, a great improvement to the city-it not only made a beautiful office building, but lends an atmosphere of prosperity that makes an impres- sion on travelers looking for locations. In 1920 Mr. Curry was one of the principal organizers of the Growers' National Bank, which has been a success and fills a local long felt want and he has been the president since its organization.

Mr. Curry, with his wife and three children, re- sides on the old home place. Myrtle was educated at the Conservatory of Music of the College of the Pacific, afterwards studying under celebrated violin- ists, and has become an accomplished musician. Olva and Ethel graduated from the San Jose State Normal and for several years were engaged in edu- cational work. The Curry home is attractive, show- ing much culture and refinement and here they make their numerous friends welcome with a true Califor- nia hospitality. Politically Mr. Curry is a Republi- can and cast his first vote for Gen. U. S. Grant. He is a member of the San Jose Chamber of Commerce, as well as a charter member of the San Jose Com- mercial Club. He is also a member of the State Real Estate Association. As stated above, he is an ex- president of the Campbell Improvement Club and has been an Odd Felllow since 1876; he was one of the organizers of Morning Light Lodge No. 42, I. O. O. F., Campbell. The California Automobile Association also numbers him among its members and he has always been a strong advocate of good roads. Mr. Curry has always been a booster for cooperation, believing it is the only way to make a success of the marketing of fruits, thus he has been a member of every cooperative fruit organization in the valley, at present being a member and ardent supporter of the California Prune & Apricot Growers, Inc. With his wife and daughters, Mr. Curry is a member of the Congregational Church at Camp- hell, and he is a liberal contributor to its benevo- lences. A man of pleasing personality, Mr. Curry is liberal and kind-hearted and has ever been ready to assist those less fortunate than himself, and all movements that have for their aim the upbuilding of the town and county receive his hearty support.

WILLIAM B. HOBSON .- For nearly three- quarters of a century the Hobson family have been closely associated with Santa Clara County, of which William B. Hobson is a native and for many years was engaged in the mercantile business in San Jose. He first saw the light on November 11, 1857, in a house that stood on the present site of Luna Park, and was the son of George and Sarah P. (Speinhour) Hobson. The Hobsons are of Southern extraction, George having been born in North Carolina in Feb- ruary, 1823. At an carly age he migrated into Mis-

407

HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

souri and there met and married Miss Speinhour, like himself a native of North Carolina, born on May 18, 1828, and they were married on January 10, 1847. Early in the spring of that same year they started for the then unknown West, travelling with an emigrant train of sixty wagons by way of Forts Laramie and Hall and arriving at Jolinson's ranch, near the present site of the city of Sacramento in October, having taken about six months to complete the journey. They soon came on down into the Santa Clara Valley, but did not tarry long here, going to Monterey, then the capital of California. They only stopped there a few months and during the time their eldest child was born, and then came back to San Jose in January, 1849, and this city and county has ever since been the scene of the activity of the Hobson family.

George Hobson tried his luck in the mines and met with gratifying results. He and his companions struck a rich lead and from one pocket alone each man washed ont $1,000 in three days. Two years of mining satisfied Mr. Hobson and he returned to Santa Clara County and turned his attention to ranching, which was conducted in a very primitive fashion in those days, a great deal of the manual labor being done by the Indians. San Jose was then a squalid village, made up of adobe huts and the majority of inhabitants were Spanish and unedu- cated Mexicans. Mr. Hobson followed farming and also engaged in the dairy business, running the first milk wagon ever seen on the streets of the town. In 1861 he moved his family to what is now known as Luna Park, where he owned about 1,200 acres; two years later he moved to a ranch of 160 acres upon which was an adobe house and in later years this section was subdivided and became a part of San Jose, and Hobson Street, near where the ranch house was located, was named in honor of George Hobson. Here he and his wife with their three sons established their home, which soon became the center of hospitality of the English-speaking residents of the town. There were nine children in the family, of whom two sons and four daughters reached mature years. Thaddeus died in 1911; those now living are William B .; Mrs. Mary Henderson; Mrs. Annie Botsford; Mrs. Martha Macanley; and Mrs. Sadie Connel. George Hobson died in 1892 and Mrs. Hobson passed away in 1919, having reached the good old age of ninety-one.

William B. Hobson attended the public school and the old San Jose Institute and after quitting school he worked on a ranch for three years. Finding ranch life not to his liking, he came to San Jose and in 1876 bought ont the clothing business of Obanion & Kent, who had established the business in 1875. Mr. Hobson carried on the store alone until 1882, when he took his brother, T. W. Hobson, in as a partner, and they carried on the business under the firm name of T. W. Hobson & Company, which continued active under the inspiriting influence of the two Hobsons until W. B. retired in 1921. The reputation of the firm for square dealing, strict business integrity and reliability enabled them to build up a large and successful trade among all classes of people.

The marriage of W. B. Hobson uniting him with Miss Marguerite O'Shaughnessy, occurred in San Jose on January 13, 1886. He is a member of the Chamber of Commerce and takes an active interest in every movement that has for its aim the building

up of San Jose and Santa Clara County. He is a charter member of San Jose Parlor No. 22, N. S. G. W .; belongs to the Elks, the Country Club and to the National Union. In his younger days he served for some years in the State Militia. Popular as a citizen, genial in disposition, while a man of large interests, he has never allowed himself to become completely absorbed in business, but has found time for the pleasures of out-door life and is fond of hunting, fishing, and trapshooting.

SAMUEL M. OUSLEY .- A representative type of the pioneers of the early days was found in Samuel M. Ousley (some members of the family spell it Owsley), who came to California in 1853, braving the hardships of a trip across the plains and the privations of the early pioneers of the county. He was born in Kentucky, February 18, 1813. On Jan- uary 11, 1837, he was united in marriage with Miss Electa Rockwell, a native of Connecticut but a resident of Ontario County, N. Y., and in 1839 he removed with his family to Andrew County, Mo., where he resided until 1852. By this time the stories of the wonderful opportunities of the Golden State had reached into every village and city east of the Rocky Mountains, and every place added its number to the emigrant trains which were continually leav- ing for California. Mr. Ousley with his wife and seven children joined one of these trains, and after experiencing the hardships of so long a journey, arrived at Salt Lake City. The family stopped at a Government fort ninety miles this side of that city during the winter. and in the following spring con- tinned their journey, arriving at Deer Creek, near Placerville, in July, 1853. The next March they left this place and settled in Gilroy, Santa Clara County. The land titles being doubtful, he simply located his home and turned his cattle upon the open pas- tures, with the understanding that he would buy when the title was made clear. This did not happen during his lifetime, as on October 1, 1855, he was killed by the falling of a bucket while working in a well on Captain Angney's farm, and the mother was left the sole provider for a large family-six daughters and three sons: Sarah J. married Joseph H. Thomas, and died, leaving a family of three chil- dren: Caroline E. married I. Horace Thomas, and has one living child; Emma E. became Mrs. Francis Hoey, and died. the mother of nine children, seven living; John S., deceased; Porter W. and Bryant R., twins, the former living at home; M. Anna, at home: Mary Electa, born on Goose Creek. on the border of California, and Clara M., a native daughter of Santa Clara County. Left as she was in a strange land and with her almost helpless family, the eldest girl being only sixteen years old, her farm unpur- chased, Mrs. Onsley never once despaired. She went on from year to year, carrying her burden alone, watching carefully the moral as well as the physical training of her children; and each doing his or her share to keep the family together and help in its support, every year adding a little to the estate. She paid twice for her farm of 630 acres, erected good buildings, gathered around her the comforts of life, and lived until November 12, 1900, aged eighty-four years and five months, in the midst of her grown-up family in the twilight of life, with the assurance of a life well spent in service for others.

408

HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

YGNACIO BERNAL .- One of the best loved men in Santa Clara County, Ygnacio Bernal, was born on February 25, 1841, in the same adobe house on the Santa Teresa Rancho where his father, Don Bruno Bernal first saw the light, and he died on April 22. 1906. Between these dates he helped materially to develop his native county and to uphold the traditions of the Spanish Dons of the carlier period.

His grandfather, Joaquin Bernal, was sent to Mex- ico and California in 1769 by Carlos III of Spain, to investigate the mineral wealth of the country as a mining engineer and assayer and for the valuable services he gave his sovereign he was granted favors and had his pick of land grants in California. He selected Santa Teresa, which consisted of 10,000 acres, and part of this is still in the possession of the Bernal heirs. When Joaquin Bernal petitioned the Mexican government in 1834 to have the title confirmed he stated that he was ninety-four years old, had a "pos- terity of seventy-eight children," had "2,100 head of cattle, 1,200 sheep, three mares and fifty tame horses." This is one of the very few grants in the state that has not passed entirely out of the family to which it was first granted, there still being 374 acres of the most valuable land in the county owned by the Ygnacio Bernal family. Joaquin Bernal had been educated at Barcelona, Spain, and was a very brilliant man of parts. He married Josefa Sanchez, who lived to be 110 years old and at that age she was able to thread needles for her grandchildren.

Among the children of Joaquin Bernal and his wife, we mention Bruno Bernal, grandfather of the present generation of Bernals now living on the ranch. He was born there in an adobe house in 1800 and in his time was one of the prominent men of the locality and entertained with the true Spanish hospitality. He succeeded to part of the Santa Teresa acres and de- voted much of his time to raising horses. At the time when General Fremont made his expedition through California he and Captain Weber took 300 broken horses, some of the best in the state, for their soldiers and forgot to pay for them. Bruno Bernal married Antonio Maria Ortega, one of the heirs of eleven leagues of land known as the San Ysidro Grant, part upon which the city of Gilroy was built, but through neglect she never got any part of her inheritance. Over the Santa Teresa hills is situated the San Vin- cente Rancho, granted to Jose Berryessa, who mar- ried one of Joaquin Bernal's daughters. This is one of the richest grants in the state, for upon it is located the Almaden mines that have been producing quick- silver for ninety years and the total in dollars runs into the millions. It was once abandoned by Antonio Sunol after he had spent $400 in trying to develop it. Mrs. 'Berryessa sold it for $60,000 to the Almaden Mining Company, which now owns a great part of the land. Upon the Bernal ranch is situated the Santa Teresa Spring, noted for its medicinal qualities and for the fact that it never ceased to flow its usual amount, no matter what period of the year. These springs are visited by many each year.

Ygnacio Bernal attended the Santa Clara College in 1854-5-6, and was among the first students there after it was established. He was one of the gold medal students for his standing in classes and high grade upon completing his courses there. Returning to the ranch he acted as secretary to his father and virtually

managed the affairs of the ranch, as he was quick at figures and an expert linguist, speaking fluently four languages. At the age of nineteen he was united in marriage with Miss Jesusita Patron, born in Lower California and who came here with her brother. Dur- ing their trip they were lost for about three months, but arrived in safety at Monterey. At the time of her marriage she was sixteen years old. They were par- ents of nine children, five of whom are still living: Pedro A., the discoverer of the marl deposits on the home ranch; Ynez, widow of S. F. Agraz and the mother of a son, Urbano; Salvador F., is married and has a daughter Jane, he is a resident of this county; Miss Jacoba P., is at home with her mother; Antonio A., is married and resides at Madrone and has a son, Antonio A., Jr. The following children have passed away: Ygnacio, Dionicio and Anita C. Mrs. Bernal resides at the home place and to her is given great credit for rearing her family and keeping the ranch ownership in the Bernal family. Mr. Bernal was devoted to his wife and family, and in their forty-five years of married life he was only separated from her about a month, when he went to Mexico as an inter- preter. He was a man of imposing appearance, kindly disposition, lovable nature and was a friend of every one who knew him. He planted the first orchard in this section, had the foresight to see that the fruit industry must become the largest branch of industry in this county and had implicit confidence in it.

The Bernal family are prominently associated with the present day development of the county, they be- lieve in progress and are public spirited and sup- porters of all worthy projects for the general advance- ment of the county, where they hold an honored posi- tion. They are devout Catholics. The family have many relics of the days of Spanish occupation which have been plowed up on the ranch and which are valued very highly by them, among them a sweet- toned bell that the herd mare wore, also old Spanish spurs used in breaking wild horses, house keys, etc.

As a matter of interest and romance there is sup- posed to be buried on the Santa Teresa ranch a treas- ure of $10,000. This money belonged to an old French saddle maker, Changarra by name, who came to the ranch in the '30s and Don Bruno Bernal gave the man a place in an adobe where he could carry on his work. Not only did he make saddles for Mr. Bernal but many which he sold. As he would get some forty or fifty made up he would start out and dispose of them, going as far south as Santa Barbara. He made serviceable saddles, not the ornate gold and silver mounted kind that the Spanish Dons used for their trips and visits. The Frenchman made considerable money and as there were no banks Changarra buried his cash, changing its hiding place every time he added to the hoard. He was known to have accumu- lated $10,000 when he made his last journey to dispose of his wares. On his way back from Santa Barbara, between Paso Robles and Bakersfield, he camped for the night, sleeping under an oak tree. In the morning he was found dead and the buried treasure on the Bernal ranch at once became an object of search, but to this day it has not been recovered and people have been searching for it ever since the death of "Old Changarra." Seers, mediums, occult persons have heen sought in hopes of disclosing the hiding place but it still remains "buried treasure."

Jesusita P. Bernal.

Ignacio Bernal

411

HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

ROYAL COTTLE, Sr .- A sturdy pioneer of high ideals and plenty of inspiring confidence in the region of his adoption was the late Royal Cottle, whose good works will long continue their uplifting influ- ence. A native of Missouri, and of St. Charles County, he was born on March 27, 1810, the son of Oliver Cottle, who had married Miss Charity Lowe, a native of Vermont. Grandfather Cottle, also a Ver- monter, had pitched his tent in Missouri so early that it yet belonged to the Province of Louisiana, and built a mill on Garden Creek, in St. Charles County. Charity Lowe was a belle of Tennessee, and she and Oliver Cottle were married, according to primitive documents, in Missouri. They had twelve children, and Royal was the eldest, and when his father died of yellow fever while on a trip through the South, he led the way, with his mother and the rest of the family, in 1833, into Des Moines County, łowa, where they became some of the earliest pioneers of the Hawkeye State.

There, too, on October 12, 1841, he and Miss Sarah Parker, a daughter of Ohio, were united in marriage, and two children were horn to them- Frank and Charles. In 1847, the Cottles joined 100 or more emigrants and crossed the great plains to the Oregon Territory, and in that state Mr. Cottle continued agricultural pursuits, and he also devoted part of his time to a small grist and saw mill, in which he had a partnership interest. A daughter, Sarah Cordelia Cottle, who later married Chas. Hight, was born during these pioneer days in Ore- gon, and there Mrs. Cottle passed away on the eight- eenth of December, 1848.

The discovery of gold in California brought Mr. Cottle south with the rest of the Argonauts; and having joined John S. David in partnership, they built and opened a store in Sacramento. They paid $700 per thousand for lumber, and gave the day laborer ten dollars for his help. After a short time, however, Mr. Cottle sold out his interest to his part- ner, and in the fall of 1849 made his way back to Oregon, where he believed the more stable conditions superior to those of the panicky gold regions. In 1857, however, he came once more to California and settled in San Jose, this time bringing his family. Before leaving the Beaver State, however, he had taken his second wife, Miss Mary Bryant before her marriage; and among their four children, Mrs. An- nette Weatherford, Royal, Jr., and Mrs. Alice Erick, were the three to grow to maturity. The former is the only one to survive.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

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 70

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