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 90

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 90

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The marriage of E. N. Richmond on April 27, 1904, united him with Miss Marie De Ette Brough- ton, who was born in Illinois, and they are parents of two sons, Burnell Edmund and Richard Brough- ton. Mr. Richmond is vice-president of the Bean Spray Pump Company, and a director of the San Jose Building and Loan Association, which has aided very materially in making San Jose a city of homes. He belongs to the Sainte Claire, the Commercial and the Country clubs of San Jose; also the Cham- ber of Commerce, of which he served as president in 1912-1913; for two years he served as the president of the Board of Education. Fraternally he is a Ma- son and in politics is a Republican in national affairs, but strictly non-partisan in local matters. At all times he is ready to do his part in aiding those measures that have for their aim the upbuilding as well as the building up of town, county and state. It is, however, in the fruit industry where he is best known and counted one of the pioneers in the Santa Clara Valley.

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

ALEXANDER MONTGOMERY .- Among the pioneers of Cupertino, whose influence for advance- ment has been felt throughout the country, is Alex- ander Montgomery. He was born at Wern Point, County Down, Ireland, in 1840, the son of Samuel and Elizabeth (Thompson) Montgomery, natives of Ireland of Scotch parents. Alexander received his education in the schools of Ireland and in 1859 em- barked for the United States. He came first to Pitts- burgh, Pa., and remained there until 1865, when he landed in Santa Clara County. His brother John had preceded him to California as early as 1852 and was engaged in mining. When Alexander left Pittsburgh, he came via the Isthmus route to San Francisco, and from there he went to Virginia City, Nev., walking all the way from Sacramento. He was engaged in various occupations, working in a mill for a time, then for two years worked in the strawberry indus- try. In 1867, he purchased forty acres near the Lincoln schoolhouse on the Mountain View Road at ten dollars per acre. The next four years he was occupied in clearing this land and in 1870 he had a fine yield of wheat but the following year he sold his place and went to work for Thomas Kerwin west of Hollister. Upon arriving in California he tried to locate his brother, who had been lost track of, as there had been no letters to the mother in Ire- land for several years. Alexander finally found his brother's old partner, who said that John, with a partner, had gone to the mines near Boise City and had been killed by the Indians. The mother would not believe the sad news, saying that she knew that he was still alive. While at Hollister on a hunt- ing trip he ran across a man who asked Alexander if he had a brother in British Columbia, saying: "There is a mining man at Kootenay that looks just like you and his name is John Montgomery." Alexander wrote and in due time received a reply asking him to come up and share in the mining enterprise. Alexander made his way there, a very hard trip, being stranded in the snow and without food for four days. It was a pleasant reunion and after that there were regular remittances to the mother in Ireland. After eighteen months Alexander decided he did not like the cold winters of British Columbia and returning to California, he purchased 160 acres near Cupertino on Stevens Creek Road for $5,000. It was raw land, thick with brush and trees, but he cleared it and began raising wheat. In about two years he received a letter from his brother that he was sick and dying, so Alexander immediately went to Walla Walla where he purchased a horse, and started on the 800-mile trip to Kootenay. On the way he met his brother coming out with a pack train, just able to travel after recovering from pneumonia, but far from well. John told Alexander to go on and take charge of things and he would go on to Walla Walla, then on to San Francisco, but he died about a week after arriving in San Francisco. Mr. Montgomery arriving in Kootenay, took charge of affairs and ran the store until he could sell out the entire holdings, sending his mother the money his brother left, which was sufficient to make her independent and comfort- able her remaining days. He then returned to his farm at Cupertino after two summers and a winter in the North, and resumed ranching. He was the first man to grow wheat on this kind of land in this section, and it was such a novelty that people came

from different parts of the county to see his wheat crop. He was ever willing to give his neighbors the benefit of his experience and assisted them in the clearing of their land. He was successful in having an abundant yield from his acres, and as a stimula- tion to greater activity along agricultural lines, he made a wager that his particular ranch could beat anything in Santa Clara County in producing wheat. His yield was one and one-half tons of clean wheat to the acre. He also engaged in dairying, bringing the first fine Jersey cows to this section. He set out a sixty-acre vineyard, built a winery and a distillery, manufactured cream of tartar and made the first prune brandy, thus making a market for small and unsaleable prunes. After the prune brandy was intro- duced in the Eastern states, he received orders for car load lots and the revenue paid the Government was over $18,000 a year. He closed the winery and dis- tillery some years ago and devotes his time to horti- culture, having set out orchards of prunes and apri- cots and built a large, fine residence with well-kept, attractive premises. He built a store on the corner of his ranch and established a merchandise business, and when the railroad came he offered them $1,000 if they would put it on the other side of the road, but to no avail; he then bought five acres across the road and laid it out in lots and moved the store to the new corner location and built an addition to it. It was run by the Home Union for ten years, then by Dixon & Wilson, Archibald Wilson being Mr. Montgomery's nephew; later the store was incorpor- ated as the Cupertino Store, Inc., of which Mr. Wil- son is president and manager and the business has grown very large and successful, being now one of the largest mercantile establishments in Santa Clara County, outside of San Jose.

In the early days, Mr. Montgomery was a member of the Presbyterian Church in San Jose and there he met a young lady, Miss Mary Jane Mellrath, who was born about five miles from his birthplace in Scotland and had come to San Jose to visit her brother, the acquaintance thus formed resulted in their marriage. She was a splendid woman and an able helpmate, aiding him in his dairying and horti- cultural enterprises. Mfr. Montgomery gave the site for the Presbyterian Church and was the largest contributor to its building and he has been the main- stay of the church. His wife, who was also a devout member, passed away September 6, 1919, at the family home. Mr. Montgomery is an adherent of the prin- ciples of the Republican party, and served as post- master of Cupertino for several years. It is most interesting to converse with him of the early days when this was a frontier region and he can well be proud of his part in the growth and prosperity of the Santa Clara Valley.

ROBERT A. McARTHUR .- An energetic and prosperous rancher is found in Robert A. McArthur, who is the manager of his mother's orchard prop- erty. He was born in the rural district near Sioux City, Iowa, on October 13, 1893, the son of Alexan- der and Ida (Sturiz) McArthur. The mother was born in Iowa and descended from an old Pennsyl- vania family, while the father came from Ayr. Scot- land, to America when twelve years old, with his parents, who located in Cook County, Ill., and farmed on land that is now built as the city of Chi- cago. Later, they went to lowa and began farming in Sioux County. He acquired two sections of land,

Montgomery

Cilet

Mary J. Montgomery

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

raised short horn cattle and engaged in general in Sioux County. His father acquired two sections of land, raised short horn cattle and engaged in general farming. In 1902 he removed to Santa Clara County and purchased a ranch on Pine and Lincoln in the Willow Glen district, and here he resided until his death in 1909, aged seventy-two years. Now his widow resides on Morrison Avenue, San Jose. Mr. and Mrs. Alexander McArthur were the parents of five children: John A .: Robert A., of this sketch: William E .: Mary: Ralph E. Coming to California when nine years of age, Robert A. received his edu- cation in the Willow Glen grammar school and the San Jose high school, where he was graduated in 1912. This completed his education except for a semester at Stanford University in 1914-15. In 1912, in company with his brother, John A., he went to Alberta, Canada, and bought a half section of land and engaged in wheat-raising. More land was added until now they own two sections of land near the town of Gleichen. In 1920 Robert A. returned to Santa Clara County, but his brother remained in Canada in charge of the ranch.

In 1918 Mr. McArthur made a trip to Atchison County, Mo., where he was married on December 5. to Leora Kime, a daughter of J. A. and Roxanna (Clark) Kime. Her parents were frontier folks in Missouri, her father arriving before the railroads were built, and she is the second oldest of a family of five children: Kenlen, Leora, Harold, Alfred, and Mil- dred. Mr. and Mrs. McArthur are the parents of two children, Jean and Dorothy. In 1919 Mr. Mc- Arthur's mother purchased a forty-acre ranch set to prunes, peaches, cherries and apricots, on the Home- stead Road adjoining the Stevens Creek Road; and in 1920 an additional thirty-two acres was added about three-quarters of a mile from the first ranch and located on the Homestead Road. Both ranches, comprising seventy-two acres, are devoted to or- chards of full-bearing trees and are irrigated from the same well. Mr. McArthur is a Knights Tem- plar Mason and Shriner, and with his wife is a member of the Eastern Star, and he is also a mem- ber of Stanford Chapter Theta Delta Chi. He has been a close student of horticulture and thus has become a well-posted and successful orchardist.

ARTHUR BURR LANGFORD .- More than any other state in the Union, California traces its vigor- ous growth and prosperity directly to the sturdy character and untiring perseverance of its pioneers, and fortunate among those of the present generation who have inherited from their ancestors these same noble qualities is Arthur Burr Langford, ex-sheriff of Santa Clara County. He was born at Concow, a stage station in Butte County, Cal., on May 4, 1878, the son of Robert Jackson and Frances Helen (Freeman) Langford, the former of old Welsh stock and the latter of Scotch descent.

The Langfords are numbered among the settlers of the Jamestown Colony in the earliest days of our country-their names are found in Virginia as early as 1668, and during the Colonial and Revolutionary wars their names are also found enrolled in the army of patriots. The grandfather of our subject, Pleas- ant Shields Langford, was born in Albemarle County, Va., but following the trend of migration westward with hundreds of others in whom the pioneer spirit was strong, he lived in Indiana and

Ohio, then settled in Washington County, lowa, where he remained until the spring of 1853. Setting out for California, he arrived in the Golden State on September 15 of that year and for a time settled at Santa Clara, later taking up a Government claim in the vicinity of Bainter's Gulch, near Los Gatos, where he erected the family home, which is still standing. Pleasant Shields Langford was the father of eleven children, only one of whom is now living, H. Clarence Langford of San Jose. Of the other sons, Robert Jackson Langford, the father of our subject, was born in lowa in 1852, so was but one year old when his parents came to California, and the remainder of his life was spent in Santa Clara County. He was prominent in the business life of the community and for twenty-two years a dealer in wholesale and retail meat. In 1898 he was elected sheriff of Santa Clara County, taking office in Janu- ary, 1899, and had served two years of his second term when he passed away on February 20, 1905. honored as an efficient public service. Mrs. Robert Langford was born in Illinois and came across the plains in an ox-team train in 1865, the family settling in San Jose. She is the mother of three children: Arthur Burr Langford of this sketch; Claude Pleas- ant Langford, who died in childhood, and Leo Morse Langford, an employe of the Standard Oil Company at San Jose, where Mrs. Langford still resides.

After finishing the grammar school, Arthur B. Langford pursued the usual courses of study in the high school, graduating with the class of '97; and when he ventured into the world for himself, he tried the butcher trade, mining in British Columbia, and ranching, riding the range for Miller & Lux. In 1901 he was deputy sheriff under his father and in 1906 he was elected sheriff, following the demise of Robert J. Langford. He was elected twice there- after and in all served as sheriff for twelve consecut- tive years, the longest period this office has ever been held, a tribute to the efficiency and capability with which he discharged the duties of this responsible post.

On March 30, 1904, Mr. Langford was married at Santa Clara to Miss Alice Lovell, the accomplished representative of an old pioneer family. Her parents were John A. and Eda ( Jackson) Lovell, and her paternal grandfather came to California as early as 1849, returning East and bringing his family here in 1853. Grandfather Jackson was also numbered among California's early settlers and was provost- marshal of San Francisco during the Civil War. Mr. Langford is a Mason, a member and past master of Fraternity Lodge No. 399, F. & A. M .: life mem- ber of Howard Chapter No. 14, R. A. M .; San Jose Council No. 20, R. & S. M .; San Jose Commandery No. 10, K. T .; a life member of Islam Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., San Francisco, and past patron, Frat- ernity Chapter No. 288, O. E. S. He also is a member of Garden City Lodge No. 142, [. O. O. F .; San Jose Lodge No. 522, B. P. O. Elks: Observatory Parlor No. 177, N. S. G. W., serving as president for two terms; Society of California Pioneers of Santa Clara County; San Jose Lodge No. 47, K. of P .; Alamo Camp No. 80, W. O. W .; the National Union, and San Jose Tent No. 27, K. O. T. M., of which he is past commander. Mr. Langford is a Republican, but his sympathies and interests extend far beyond the confines of his party, so that he may always be found supporting every progressive measure for the community's welfare.

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

LENORA CANTUA .- A representative of an old and esteemed family of Santa Clara County is Miss Lenora Cantua, the only surviving child of her fa- ther. Joseph Manuel Cantua, who was born in Santa Clara in 1828. She was born near the new Almaden Mines, Santa Clara County. Cal., May 20, 1872, and was the youngest of the family. Her father removed to the Almaden district when he was thirty years of age and engaged in raising cattle and sheep and became the owner of considerable land well stocked with cattle and sheep. He married Ramona Beulna, a native of California, born in Monterey in 1837, and they were the parents of the following children': Haviel, who died when forty years old: Manuela, passed away aged sixty-five. the mother of sixteen children; Joseph is survived by two children, who live in San Jose: Isabel died an infant; the next girl was also named Isabel, who lived to the age of sixty- five: Charles; Amelia; Theodora; Tiothilo: Antonio E .; Lenora, our subject; then the next son was named Antonio. All are deceased except Lenora Cantua. Her father passed away on May 4, 1890, at the age of sixty-two years and her mother died on May 6, 1900, aged sixty-three.

During the year of 1876 the family removed to the ranch home in the Uvas district, which is now the property of our subject, and consists of 317 acres of fine land beautifully located, rolling and wooded. Miss Cantua has adopted a bright boy by the name of Adolph Bosques, who was born in San Jose Feb- ruary 18. 1906, a son of Charles Bosques, and who was taken into her home when only three years of age. He takes an active interest in helping with the work on the ranch and is being trained for the man- agement, which he will assume within a few years. The Cantua rancho is devoted to the raising of grapes and fruit, and also supports several head of cattle, much of the ranch being fine grazing land. Miss Cantua by hard work and good management has ample means and is held in high esteem by all who know her.

RICHARD FELIX ROBERTSON .- Occupying a position of distinguished preferment as a represent- ative of the bar of San Jose and a prominent figure in the public life of the state. Richard Felix Robert- son has attempted important things and accomplished what he has attempted. He is a man of unusual men- tal versatility and in every sphere of life in which he has acted he has left an indelible impress through his ability and tireless energy, which never falls short of the successful accomplishment of its purpose. He is of Scotch descent, the ancestry in the paternal line being traced back to the Robertson family of Perth, Scotland, who emigrated to Virginia and were contemporaries of Daniel Boone in the settlement of Kentucky. In the maternal line he is a direct de- scendant of Dr. Manuel Hedeza, who was a surgeon in the army of Spain and went to Mexico while that country was still under Spanish rule.

Richard F. Robertson was born in Mazatlan, Mex- ico, October 12. 1863, a son of Richard Lew Robert- son, who served as United States consul at that city from October, 1861, until March, 1864. He married Canuta Hedeza, who was born in Culiacan, Mexico. In the public schools of San Francisco. Cal., their son, Richard F. Robertson, pursued his education and he was later graduated from the Kent College of Law of that city. He started out in life as a

messenger boy, working for the American District Telegraph Company from 1879 until 1881, when he resigned his position to accept employment in the ticket office of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company. Following the amalgamation of this road with the three others running parallel to it, and the consequent reduction in the number of employes, he entered the service of the Southern Pa- cific, acting as interpreter and translator of Spanish, and also working in the construction department. On November 1. 1883, he went to visit his people, who were then residing in Los Gatos. Cal., and being favorably impressed with the place, he decided to make it his home, accepting a position with the Southern Pacific Railroad, with which he remained until April, 1884. He was the first to suggest to that company the advisability of the Mayfield cut-off, thereby decreasing the railroad distance of twelve miles to Los Gatos and to Santa Cruz, and this also gave railroad service to a section which had been built up, but with no adequate railroad facilities.

In April, 1884, Mr. Robertson engaged in the hotel business in partnership with his stepfather, A. Berry- man, and in April, 1887, they sold out to the late Charles W. Holden. Later they secured from Har- vey Wilcox the lease cf the corner upon which now stands the First National Bank in Los Gatos and ac- quired the insurance agency of the old and well- known firm of Proctor & Trailer, which Mr. Wilcox was at that time conducting. They operated the business under the firm name of Berryman & Rob- ertson until 1903, when they disposed of the enter- prise to Milligan Brothers & Company. In 1885 Mr. Robertson's initiative spirit led him to become one of the founders and constructors of the Los Gatos Gas Works, and in 1889 he became one of the organ- izers of the Commercial Bank of Los Gatos, and also of the Los Gatos Building & Loan Association. In the same year he planned the Los Gatos Ceme- tery and for twelve years was its secretary and superintendent.

In 1895 Mr. Robertson took up the study of law and was admitted to practice in 1898. He became one of the organizers of the League of California Muni- cipalities and for seven years was a member of the committee on judiciary. He aided in drafting and proposing laws to the legislature concerning the gov- ernment of cities and acted in an advisory capacity to the committee on law of the Assembly and con- mittee of jurisprudence of the Senate. He likewise drafted the articles for the incorporation of the city of Mayfield. In 1903 he opened an office in the Auzerais Building, where he remained until the erection of the First National Bank Building, when he established his office there. In 1915. following the death of Mrs. Robertson, he became a resident of San Jose, where he has since followed his pro- fession, and the list of his clients is now an extensive one. His legal learning, his analytical mind, the read- iness with which he grasps the points in argument, all combine to make him one of the most capable lawyers who has ever practiced in Santa Clara County and the public and the profession acknowl- edge him the peer of the ablest representatives of the bar of this city. From 1898 until 1905 he served as city attorney of Los Gatos, making a most creditable record in that office.

José M. Cantina

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

At Los Gatos, on January 5, 1887, Mr. Robertson was united in marriage to Miss Cassie Shannon, a daughter of Thomas and Amanda ( Blackford) Shan- non. Her father was one of the original party of Jayhawkers, coming to California through Death Valley in 1849. Four children were born of this union, two of whom survive: Wilfred F. Robertson married Edith M. Shephard, of San Jose, and they reside at Sacramento, Cal. During the World War he enlisted in the U. S. Navy and rose to the rank of yeoman. Ynez Amanda married Justns Verne Cook, of Oakland. Mr. Cook also served in the Navy as chief yeoman.

Mr. Robertson is a member of Trinity Episcopal Church of San Jose, and fraternally he is identified with the Elks, belonging to San Jose Lodge, No. 522. He is also connected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, being a past noble grand of Ridgely Lodge, No. 294, of Los Gatos, and he has also held office in the Knights of Pythias, being a past chancellor of Los Gatos Lodge, No. 175, now consolidated with San Jose Lodge, No. 47, in which he still maintains his membership. He is likewise a prominent Mason, belonging to Los Gatos Lodge, No. 292, F. & A. M., of which he is a past master; Howard Chapter, No. 14, R. A. M .; San Jose Coun- cil, No. 20, R. & S. M .; and San Jose Commandery, No. 10, K. T. He is a stanch Republican in his po- litical views and a leader in the ranks of the party. He has several times served as a delegate to the county Republican conventions, of which he once acted as secretary, and in 1896 was secretary of the Mckinley League of Los Gatos.

Mr. Robertson is also a veteran of the World War and his military record is one of which he may well feel proud. On August 5, 1917, he enlisted in the One Hundred and Forty-fourth Field Artillery, which became known as the "Grizzlies," and in No- vember, 1917, was transferred to the One Hundred and Fifty-ninth Infantry. In January, 1918, he re- ceived orders from Washington, D. C., to assist in forming the First Army Headquarters Regiment, a requirement of the Government being that its mem- bers should be able to converse in French and other Continental languages, as from its ranks men were to be selected to act as military police, in charge of areas in France under American jurisdiction. Mr. Robertson was one of the first four men selected to open up the secret service office in Paris under com- mand of the provost-marshal. He was also at head- quarters in Tours for nine months, and during his service abroad was sent as confidential representa- tive of the Government to various places in France and Spain. He served under General Connor and Brigadier-General Bandholtz. On November 30, 1919, the Paris office was closed and on December 21 he returned to the United States, receiving his discharge at New York City, February 28, 1920. His life has been one of intense activity, intelligently directed into those channels through which flows the greatest good to the greatest number, and his efforts have brought him a measure of success that is most desirable and have also proven of benefit to his fellowmen in many fields. The nature and mag- nitude of his work in public and private connections have constituted a factor in California's promotion, power and prominence and he stands as a high type of American manhood and citizenship.

JOHN HUGHES .- A retired railroad man with a most enviable record of nearly two score years of faithful, fruitful service in the employ of the Southern Pacific Railroad, John Hughes, of Agnew, Santa Clara County, is a representative Frish-American citizen such as any community would be proud to number among its progressive citizens. As a matter of fact, he owns perhaps one-fourth of the town of Agnew, and so may easily be regarded as one of the leading residents in that flourishing part of the state.

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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 90

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