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 77

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 77

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

Wilton Collegiate Institute, Wilton, Iowa, his name appearing first in their catalogue; later he returned to Lebanon, and while pursuing his studies in the classical course became a teacher in the institution and secured his A. B. degree and followed teaching in various places until coming to California on March 13, 1876, and settling in San Mateo. The same year he secured a position as instructor in A. L. Brewer's Military Academy, where he remained for one year, when he became principal of the public schools of San Mateo, after which he returned to the Academy for another year, and then was professor of Eng- lish at Washington College, Irvington, for a period of about two years.

The marriage of Mr. Worthen on June 7, 1878, united him with Miss Mary J. Hoyt, who was born July 18. 1857, in East Concord, N. H. Her girlhood was spent in the home called the "Mountain Farm," noted for its beauty and its sightly location. Presi- dent Pierce, after his return from public service, liked this place, and offered a price for it far in ex- cess of its real value; but the property had been in the Hoyt family so many years that the father could not give it up. The History of Concord contains a picture of the place, and much interesting informa- tion regarding it, as does the Hoyt Family Geneal- ogy. which was published after a family meeting held in Providence, R. l., a number of years ago, when all the branches were represented. Senator John Sherman represented the Connecticut branch of which General W. T. Sherman was a member, his mother being Mary Hoyt, a native, of Connecticut. The Hoyt family is of English origin, and its American history dates from the coming of two brothers to America in 1636-1638. The great-grandfather of Mrs. Worthen was the second male child born in Con- cord, N. H. Two of the grandfather's brothers served in the Revolutionary War, Abner being with General Stark at Bennington, and the other brother, Stephen, saw Major Andre executed. A description of the childhood home of Mrs. Worthen is well worth quoting: "The house in which I was born was, in Indian times, an old garrison-house, and the port-holes are still under the clapboards. The frame is of solid oak, and very heavy. The History of Concord, at the time of its publication, gave the date of building as 1748. My grandfather bought the house and moved it from the fort to his farm. Grand- mother lived in the house sixty years. My childhood caught glimpses of that old New England life, and had the advantage of two generations; for while I played the games of the present day, my play-room was the attic, with its loom and spinning-wheel, its tin bakers and mysterious chests." Mrs. Worthen graduated from the New Hampshire State Normal School in 1873; from the National Normal of Le- banon, Ohio, in 1875, and from the California State Normal School at San Jose in 1877, and taught in San Mateo, Alameda and Santa Clara counties for fifteen years. Her parents, J. T. Hoyt, born in New Hampshire, and Mary J. (Cronkleton) Hoyt, a native of Ohio, came to California in 1875, locating in San Mateo and later in San Jose, where they both passed away. Mrs. Worthen is a member of Sequoia Chapter, D. A. R., of San Francisco; is past matron of San Jose Chapter No. 31, O. E. S., and belongs to the W. R. C. and Ladies of the G. A. R., and has served on the board of trustees of the Willow Glen school for a number of years.

Mr. Worthen has been the owner of valuable ranch property, and was vitally interested in the cause of the farmers, and as early as 1893 became affiliated with the Patrons of Husbandry. During the years of 1899 to 1901 he served as master of the State Grange, and because of his very efficient and untiring service, he was presented with a beautiful medal by San Jose Grange No. 10, of which he was master two years. He represented the Grange at their Na- tional Convention held at Springfield, Ohio. His report of the "Committee on Trusts" was well re- ceived, and this report was instrumental in bringing about a solution of the trust problem, and exposing the crooked working of many of the trusts. For the past twenty-five years he has made annual crop re- ports to the U. S. Government from Santa Clara County; he has also given of his time and efforts to the preservation of the forests and water-sheds of California. During his residence in Santa Clara County, he has bought, improved and sold several ranches. Fraternally, he is a member of the Masons, Friendship Lodge No. 210, F. & A. M., and served as master in 1899-1900, and for ten years has been Chaplain; he is also a member of San Jose Chapter. No. 31, O. E. S. He is a thirty-second degree Scot- tish Rite Mason, and is a frequent contributor to the "New Age," the official organ of the Supreme Council of the thirty-third and last degree of the A. & A. Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Southern Jurisdiction U. S. A. He is a member of Sheridan- Dix Post No. 7, G. A. R., Department of California and Nevada, of which he was commander in 1920. Mr. Worthen is a writer of prose and poetry and contributes an article each month to the official bulle- tin of Friendship Lodge No. 210, F. & A. M. Mr. and Mrs. Worthen are members of Trinity Episco- pal Church.

In January, 1921, Mr. and Mrs. Worthen disposed of their valuable ranch property, and erected an ar- tistic, modern home at 1014 Willow Street, San Jose. It has been the privilege of Mr. and Mrs. Worthen to be identified with the growth of California since 1875. The part which they have borne in the work of development is that which each patriotic and pub- lic-spirited citizen feels it an honor to bear, and they feel repaid for whatever sacrifice they have made. The Worthens are a patriotic family, members of which have participated in every war in our country since the Revolution.

Mr. Worthen is the author of many beautiful poems, and herewith is given one of his favorites, en- titled

"MY CALIFORNIA"

My Golden State, of thee I sing, Let ev'ry voice loud anthems ring:

Thy mountains high, thy giant trees,

Thy land-locked bays, thy sail-decked seas.

Thy sun-kissed skies, thy balmy breeze,

Thy wealth of flowers and humming bees.

Of all the daughters East and West, Thine, California, are the best.

Dame Nature yields her bounteous store

To feed and clothe the rich and poor.

Law, love, toil, consistency

And happy homes with constancy,

The bulwarks of Democracy,

Be these our stay from day to day. Then Peace shall flow from peaks of snow To where the golden poppies grow.

W. L. Woodrow

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

WILLIAM L. WOODROW .- The late William L. Woodrow, pioneer undertaker of San Jose, was born in Pembroke, Genesee County, New York, on July 5, 1835. He was the son of Benjamin and Mary F. (Sprague) Woodrow, the former born in England and the latter a native of New York State. When our subject was a lad of six years his parents removed to Churchville, Monroe County, New York and there they remained four years. In the meantime, in 1844, the mother passed away, then in 1845 the family re- moved to Spencerport. ncar Rochester, and here William went to live and work on a farm for Lemuel Brown. The only opportunity the lad had to secure an education was by attending school during the winter months, but by his association with Mr. Brown he acquired habits of industry and attention to business and the duties of life which were such po- tent factors in his successful business career in later years. When he was fifteen the family removed to a farm in Lee County, Iowa, and here, though only fifteen, William carried on farm pursuits until 1856.

On December 9, 1856, occurred the first marriage of Mr. Woodrow, which united him with Miss Mar- garet E. Wilcoxson, a daughter of one of the oldest and most respected families of Clay Grove, Iowa. After his marriage Mr. Woodrow farmed for himself until 1862, when he decided to come to California. He started with his wife and two children, across the plains in ox wagons, and after a journey of four months he arrived at the end of his journey. He engaged in mining and dealing in mining properties in California and Nevada for four years and then he came to Santa Clara County and here engaged in ranching near Berryessa for a time. However, this did not prove to his liking and in 1871 he bought an interest in an undertaking business that had been under the management of Marcus Trueman, and as Trueman and Woodrow the business was carried on successfully for several years, when Mr. Woodrow became sole owner.

Mrs. Woodrow passed away on January 2. 1882. having borne her husband five children, four of whom are now living: Jane L., Mary F., Charles W., George, and Grace E. The second marriage of Mr. Woodrow occurred in 1883, when Miss Emma H. Kellner became his wife. She is a native daughter, born in San Francisco, the daughter of the late Rev. Augustus Kellner, who was sent to California by the Rock River Conference from Chicago, to estab)- lish the German Methodist Episcopal denomination in this state. He built churches in Stockton, Sacra- mento. Marysville, San Francisco, and elsewhere. The church in San Francisco he established in the early '50's and of it he was the beloved pastor until his death in the early '60's. One daughter, Hazel Augusta, was born to Mr. and Mrs. Woodrow, but she died in infancy.

Mr. Woodrow was prominent in fraternal circles and was a member of the Masons, the Odd Fellows and other orders. He served as president of the State Funeral Directors Association and was an active worker in the Methodist Episcopal Church for over forty years, serving as one of the stewards and as treasurer. He died on October 10, 1911, mourned by a wide circle of friends as a man who was ever willing to lend a helping hand to those in distress and to aid every cause that had for its object the upbuilding of Santa Clara County and the state.

ORLANDO L. BAKER .- Coming here in early manhood without means or influential friends, Or- lando 1. Baker has worked his way unaided to a position of independence. He was born in Hornells- ville, now Hornell, Steuben County, N. Y., January 19, 1836, a son of James and Anna (Mcintyre) Baker. His father, James Baker, was a farmer, who removed to Michigan when Orlando L. was one year old, and where he purchased timber land, which he cleared and on which a home was built. Here the father passed away, when Orlando was ten years old.

Mr. Baker secured his early education in the schools of the district, working on his father's farm in sum- mer, and after the death of his father, he assumed a good share of the farm work. When he was four- teen, his mother was married the second time to Andrew Kilberry and the family removed from Stur- gis, Mich., to Indiana, where Mr. Kilberry owned a 130-acre farm. When nineteen Mr. Baker deter- mined to start out for himself, and engaged in farm- ing for a time, renting a thirty-acre farm in the Wa- bash Valley, near Peru, which he planted to corn. His residence on the farm covered a period of two years, after which he left for the goal of his ambi- tion, Pikes Peak, Colo., when gold was discovered. They met so many discouraged men returning from Pikes Peak that they decided to go on to California, crossing the plains in the usual way, a wagon drawn by oxen. The trip was accomplished without mishap, although accompanied by many hardships. They crossed the Missouri River at Nebraska City, Fort Hall, then by Sublette Cut-off and on to Lassen County, Cal. Three years were spent in Plumas County. In the fall of 1860 he took up a mining claim in Virginia City, and with his usual determina- tion and patience, he labored day after day. until a tunnel 180 feet long was dug into the hillside in search for gold, but without success. He then re- turned to Plumas County and went to work in a store. At the same time he farmed, his brother, Simeon, carrying on the work. They raised grain, but traded the grain for a fourteen-acre potato crop and disposed of the potatoes to his employer for cash, thus making a double profit. During the year ,of 1862 he removed to Santa Clara Valley and pur- chased a ranch of eighty acres, a portion of the old Santa Teresa grant. This he successfully farmed for six years, but was obliged to relinquish all right to same on account of its being a part of a Spanish grant. He then purchased a 120-acre tract on Mc- Laughlin Avenue, on which he raised grain; also hav- ing a number of cattle and horses. He also rented additional grain land, which brought him fine return for his labor. After spending seventeen years on his ranch, he sold out and bought a thirty-seven-acre tract on the Senter Road, on which he built a house and where he resided for twenty-three years. He still retains ten acres of this land.

The first marriage of Mr. Baker occurred Decem- ber 18, 1867, in San Jose and united him with Miss Mary A. Pruett, a native of Missouri. Her father died when she was a small girl, and her mother was married the second time, to Joseph Aubrey, a pioneer of Grass Valley, who came to California in 1850, set- tling first in Grass Valley, two years later coming to Santa Clara Valley, where he purchased land and engaged in farming. Mrs. Baker's schooling was ob- tained in the public schools of San Jose. She passed away in San Francisco in 1894, the mother of one

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

daughter, Lillie A., now the wife of Frank H. Buck, who resides on a ranch of the Santa Teresa grant. Mr. and Mrs. Buck have one daughter, Mary A. On July 26, 1897, Mr. Baker's second marriage united him with Miss Paulina Cottle, a native daughter, born in Santa Clara County. a daughter of O. B. Cottle, a pioneer of 1850.

Mr. Baker is a man of the type which has been most largely responsible for the latter-day develop- ment of the West. Politically he adheres to the principles of the Democratic platform. He has always done .all in his power for the advancement of his local community, and at his advanced age, enjoys a large circle of friends and acquaintances.

THOMAS BODLEY .- What it means to have a man of exceptional ability and above reproach in an office of peculiar responsibility and requiring for its successful administration much tact and common sense, is well demonstrated in the care with which Thomas Bodley manages the county tax collector's office, bringing him into personal relation to thou- sands throughout Santa Clara County. He is not only a native son, but like a number of others who have risen to prominence in this part of the state, he was born at San Jose, and first saw the light on December 15, 1860. His father was Thomas Bod- ley, a Kentuckian, born in 1821, and his mother in her maidenhood was Miss Julia A. McCabe, a na- tive of Missouri, and she crossed the great Ameri- can plains by ox-team train in the Argonaut days of '49, reaching at length the land of promise in safety, and Mr. Bodley came via Cape Horn that same year. In 1856 they were married at San Jose; and liking this region better than that of any of the other favored Coast sections, they continued to live here. Mr. Bodley, who was a Royal Arch Ma- son, was one of the first undersheriffs appointed by William McCutchen; and later he served in the State Legislature, and was also district attorney for a term. He died on September 17, 1887. Mrs. Bod- ley is still living. at the fine old age of eighty-three. These estimable parents had seven children, among whom only three are now living.

The second oldest of the family. Thomas, went to. both the grammar and the high schools, but owing to his father's death, he had to leave off his studies early and take up bread-winning work. He was for a while with Judge Buckner, in the justice's court, and then for four years he was in the county clerk's office. After that, he was city assessor and clerk for six years; then he was undersheriff for two years, and then for twenty years he was chief dep- uty of Tax Collector W. A. January. On the lat- ter's death, he was appointed to fill out his term; and then, for a second term, he was re-elected with- out opposition. He is a Democrat, as party politics go: but his partisanship never prevents him from pulling generously with his fellow-citizens for what- ever seems to the best and most lasting interests of the community in which he is such an efficient and interested part.

In Nevada County, on January 10. 1884, Mr. Bod- ley was married to Miss Grace Downey of Nevada County, a gifted and devoted lady; and their union has been favored with the birth of two children, both daughters. Grace has become Mrs. R. N. Fergu- son. the wife of an oil expert now in Bakersfield; immediately after the war he was in the service of

the Polish Government; they have two sons, John and Richard; Miriam is Mrs. G. Smith of Bakers- field. Mr. Bodley is a member of Friendship Lodge No. 210 F. & A. M., has served as president of Native Sons Parlor No. 82, when it was called Palo Alto Parlor, and also an Elk; he gives himself up, when he can, to outdoor life, and he is fond of both baseball and fishing.

MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM B. WARD-The eminently desirable advancements, of one kind or an- other, made in the science and art of modern Ameri- can undertaking owe much to such farsighted, ideal- istic men as William B. Ward, and indeed to such re- markable women as his accomplished wife who, owing to the fact that Mr. Ward has been an invalid for the past twenty-five years or more, has been conducting the business as perhaps the first woman registered as an embalmer in the State of California. Mr. Ward is a New Yorker by birth, having begun life at Utica in the eventful year of '49, when so many were begin- ning their gold-seeking careers far to the west; in the excellent schools of the Empire State he was given his first preparation for a vigorous matching-up with the world; and in 1868 he pushed westward, in the wake of the '49ers, and luckily pitched his tent in Santa Clara County.

He learned the business of an undertaker and in 1888 established himself in San Jose, attracted to the city on account of its promising future; he is now the oldest undertaker in Santa Clara County. When he was incapacitated from participating so ac- tively as before, his devoted and gifted wife took hold of the helm; and in 1909 they built their present at- tractive residence funeral parlors, a quiet. dignified place of real attraction, modernized in every way. and fortunate in a first-class automobile equipment. The extent of their business demands the steady em- ployment of several graduate embalmers, each of whom takes that interest and pride in all that is done that it is next to impossible for the patron to be dis- appointed in respect to the smallest detail.

At San Francisco, on Christmas Day, 1880, Mr. Ward was married to Miss Mary A. Sheridan, the daughter of Patrick and Bridget (Maloney) Sheridan. who came out to California by way of the Isthmus of Panama in the early spring of 1863 and made their home in San Jose the remainder of their lives, highly esteemed by all who knew them. Mary Sheridan was born in Decatur, Macon County, Illinois, accom- panying her parents to San Jose when she was a little child, so she is to all intents and purposes a native daughter, as this is the scene of her first recollec- tions. She grew up and received a good education at Notre Dame Convent and the San Jose State Normal School, thus laying the foundation of the knowledge that stood her in such good stead when it became necessary for her to assume the management of their business, a matter of which Mrs. Ward is very thankful to her parents that they saw to her educa- tional preparation with so much care.

Five children and six grandchildren have sprung from this fortunate union of Mr. and Mrs. Ward. The first born was Burton L. Ward, who is a grad- uate embalmer and is ably assisting in the conduct of the business; Gertrude is the wife of D. W. Gray. of San Jose; Mabel has become Mrs. Presley Brown, of San Francisco; Rita is married and is now Mrs. C. G. Sheffield and resides with her husband in New York City, while the youngest child is Mary W. Mar-

W. B . Ward

Www.Bland

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

quart of San Jose. After they had established the present business in 1888 Mr. and Mrs. Ward saw the great need of a woman embalmer, so Mrs. Ward be- gan the study and in due time took a course in the Clark's School of Embalming in San Francisco, from which she was graduated in 1890, and since then she has had charge of that department of the business. Thus she is the first woman graduate embalmer in the state. This in connection with her experience in conducting the affairs of the business came in very fortunate when Mr. Ward became an invalid and she immediately assumed charge of the business, which has grown very satisfactorily and they have become very successful. To accomplish this has required much hard work and close application on the part of Mrs. Ward, for at the same time she had to see to the rearing and educating of her children. In the conduct of their large business Mrs. Ward is ably assisted by her son-in-law, D. W. Gray, and her son, Burton L.

Ward, both graduate embalmers and experienced un- dertakers who do the conducting of the funerals, which leaves her free to devote nearly all of her time to the business end. And being endowed by nature with much native ability and business acumen, her management has been a decided success. Mr. and Mrs. Ward are communicants of St. Joseph's Church. Fraternally Mr. Ward is a member of the Fraternal Aid and the Foresters of America, and they are mem- bers of the California State Funeral Directors As- sociation. Cultured and refined, Mrs. Ward is a woman of pleasing personality, who is prominent in civic and social circles, being a past president of In- stitute No. 32 Young Ladies Institute and past Poca- hontas of Minequa Council of the Order of Poca- hontas, and a member of Ladies of the Maccabees.

It is to men and women of the type of Mr. and Mrs. Ward that San Jose and Santa Clara County to- day owe much of their present development, for with- out their optimism and faith in their future greatness, as well as their willingness to put their shoulders to the wheel, we would not have such a large and pros- perous city and county. They have always shown their enterprise and public spirit by giving of their time and means to all worthy movements that have for their aim the upbuilding of the county and enhancing the comfort and happiness of the people, and their ex- ample is well worthy of emulation.

WALTER L. CHRISMAN .- Active in promoting the commercial development of San Jose, Walter L. Chrisman was one of the most enthusiastic work- ers in the different war drives and as an apprecia- tion received an acknowledgement from the chair- man of the Liberty Loan executive board commend- ing his good works in this city. He also served acceptably as president of the Alum Rock Park Board and is the present chairman of the Santa Clara County Republican Committee, a man of nat- ural business ability, resourcefulness and much in- fluence. Mr. Chrisman is a native of California, hav- ing been born in Pescadero, San Mateo County, on May 7, 1872, a son of Josiah and Mary (Britton) Chrisman, who were both pioneers of California. Josiah Chrisman was born in Phoenixville, Pa., of an old family in that region, dating back to pre- revolutionary days and of old Knickerbocker stock. He came to California via the Isthmus of Panama in 1864 and engaged in farming and stockraising in San Mateo County. On one of his trips to San

Jose he met Miss Britton, the acquaintance result- ing in their marriage. She was also born in Phoenix- ville, Pa., of Scotch and English descent and came to San Jose, Cal., in 1865 via the Nicaragua route. They continued farming and stockraising at Pesca- dero, San Mateo County, until 1893, when they sold out and removed to San Jose, where their sons had preceded them and here the family have since made their home. The mother passed away in 1916, but the father is still living.

Walter L. Chrisman attended the public schools of Pescadero and later the Garden City business college in San Jose, from which institution he grad- uated in 1891. He left school at the early age of thirteen and worked with Levy Bros. for about five years, and it was after this that he took a busi- ness course and became an employe of the Fifth Street Canning Company where he worked for a year, then in 1892, he engaged in the wood, hay and coal business with his brother, William H. Chris- man, this now being one of the oldest concerns of this kind in San Jose.

Mr. Chrisman's marriage, which occurred on De- cember 4, 1893, united him with Luda V. Hobson. a daughter of another prominent old pioncer fam- ily who had been identified with Santa Clara Coun- ty and San Jose for about half a century. They are the parents of a son, George L., who is now a stu- dent at the San Jose high school, class of 1923. Mr. Chrisman has been very active and prominent in making Alum Rock Park the beautiful and at- tractive place it is today, enjoyed by thousands of tourists aside from the citizens of the county. He served as trustee of the park board for eight years, being president of the board for two years, and it was during this time they succeeded in voting bonds to make substantial improvements and add 500 acres to the area of the park. They developed new springs and more mineral water from the old springs and built walls of cement and concrete to protect the springs against floods, making a per- manent improvement so valuable to the preserving of the mineral springs for the public; they also built the new upper road to the park. In this work he was heartily associated with the other members of the board, WV. L. Prussia, Victor Hancock, B. A. Harrington and Carl Stull.

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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 77

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