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 99

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 99

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Mr. and Mrs. Tripp are the parents of two chil- dren: Russell Butler served ten years in the Cali- fornia National Guard, becoming captain of Com- pany M. Fifth Regiment. He resigned his office as city clerk and enlisted for service in the World War, was commissioned a second lieutenant in Sep- tember, 1917, and later a first lieutenant in the Three Hundred Sixty-fourth Infantry, Ninety-first Division, and was sent overseas, participating in its activities in France. He spent four months at the University of Poitiers in the study of international law. On his return to the Presidio he received his discharge in August, 1919. He is now editor of the Stirringrod and also of the Western Confectioner. He and his wife, Mary E. Tripp, have a son, William Russell. Bessie B. Tripp married R. C. McCrone and they reside at San Jose. Herbert MF. Tripp is a Republican and is a member of the Masons, Odd Fellows and the Native Sons of the Golden West, while his wife is affiliated with the Eastern Star and the Rebekahs, in which she is a

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past noble grand. She is also prominently identified with the Women's Relief Corps of San Jose and was department president of California and Nevada in 1914, and presided at the convention held here in 1914. They make their home at 396 South Second Street, where they dispense a cordial hospitality to their many friends.

MICHAEL BROEDEL .- An enterprising, thor- oughly up-to-date manufacturer, who well deserves his phenomenal success, is Michael Broedel of 556 South First Street, San Jose. He was born in New York City on September 11, 1857, the son of John and Catherine (Baker) Broedel, and came out to California on March 3, 1873, to join his brother, Adam, who had already been ten years in the Golden State. In the fall of 1873 the parents of our subject followed, and for years they lived on the Coast in the quiet enjoyment of Western life. Both of these worthy people are now dead.

Michael Broedel attended the grammar schools of Greenville, Pa., to which place his people had moved when he was a child, and after coming to San Jose, in 1873, he learned the blacksmith's trade under W. H. Hollis, with whom he remained for nine years from April, 1874. Then he started a shop of his own at the New Almaden Mines, and ran it at a fair profit for several years. In 1890 he established a shop in San Jose, where he endeavored, with ever- increasing success, to turn out the best work; and from that has grown his present modern blacksmith and machine shops and woodwork business, where the services of from eighteen to twenty-five skilled mechanics are required to meet the demands of an appreciative public. His equipment is one of the best on the Pacific slope, a fact for which the people of San Jose frequently give thanks, when they find that it is no longer necessary to go to San Francisco for expert service.

Some years ago Mr. Broedel purchased a lot 100x 1371/ feet at 556 South First Street, and in 1906 he built a two-story modern building, where he en- gaged in business. His building and business were burned to the ground in 1918. He immediately re- built, constructing a brick building 100x1371/2 feet, which now houses his big business. Mr. Broedel is also a half owner with Frank Hennessey in the Hen- nessey Trucking Company, operating a fleet of motor trucks in Santa Clara County, in which they are making a success. Naturally Mr. Broedel belongs to the Chamber of Commerce and heartily supports its various programs. He is also a charter member of the San Jose Commercial Club.

On May 31, 1912, at San Jose, Mr. Broedel was married to Miss Sidney West, who was born in Lake County, California. He is a Knight Templar and a thirty-second degree Scottish Rite Mason, being a member of all the Masonic bodies in San Jose, and is also a member of the Sciots. By a former marriage Mr. Broedel had two children, William M., who as- sisted Mr. Broedel in his business until his death at the age of twenty-six, and Charles X.

JOHN A. LOVELL .- A most interesting repre- sentative of several of the worthiest pioneer families was the late John A. Lovell, the well-known and highly-respected citizen of Santa Clara, who lived retired at 1091 Harrison Street some time before his demise. He was born in Hopkins County, Ky., on No- vember 18, 1842, the son of Ira Joseph and Ann Laurette (Campbell) Lovell, with whom he crossed the plains in a large train captained by an uncle,

Benjamin Campbell. William Campbell, our subject's grandfather, was one of California's first settlers, and was born in Fayette County, Ky., on November 12, 1793, the son of David Campbell. He grew up on the rugged frontier, with very limited educational advantages, and he came to know the grim reality of life through three wars, in two of which he actively participated. As far back as the War of 1812, he served in a regiment of Kentucky Volun- teers, and he was thus able to bequeath to his de- scendants the sturdiest American virtues. On Sep- tember 24, 1816, he married Miss Sarah McNary, who died within five years; and then, on Septem- ber 24, 1822, he married Miss Agnes Hancock, a native of Kentucky. Mr. Campbell led the quiet life of a farmer of moderate means in Kentucky and Missouri; but finally stirred by the spirit of adven- ture, he and his wife and children made the long journey, almost three years in advance of the gold- seekers of '49. He at once saw the future in Santa Clara County, and settled here, and he became a leader in the development of the Valley, and assisted by his two sons, David and Benjamin, he put up the first sawmill within the county limits for cut- ting the great redwood trees. A natural mechanic, he built his own threshing machine in 1847; and it not only threshed, but it separated the grain from the straw and chaff, and had a capacity of ten to twelve bushels an hour. If not the first separator ever operated in California, it was the first one ever built in the state, and this fact is all the more interesting because he was a typical pioncer who did a man's work in subduing the wilderness. He had a brave, undaunted spirit, and he was always helpfully optimistic as to the destiny of the great common- wealth. His devoted wife, alas, did not live to enter into even his dreams, for she died in the autumn of the year when he removed to California, the mother of seven children. William Campbell passed away peacefully on December 2, 1886, after having made his home for years with his son, Benjamin.

Benjamin Campbell, John A. Lovell's uncle, has passed into history as the first permanent settler of the Hamilton district. He was born in Muhlenburg County, Ky., on October 16, 1826, and since the years of his young manhood, he was identified with developments in California, fortunate in a favoring association in business with his father. On reaching California, father and son found the country in the turmoil which terminated in its conquest, not by force or numbers, but by American valor, and they both soon took a very active part. In the spring of 1851, Mr. Campbell purchased a site for his home, on what was later Campbell Avenue, near Camp- bell Station, in the Hamilton district; and as his original purchase was a squatter's right, he was forced to defend himself in litigation extending through eighteen years. Finally, he bought a quit- claim of those who contended for it under Mexi- can grants, and later obtained from the U. S. Gov- ernment a patent of 160 acres. As the years went by, he became much interested in horticulture; Campbell Station was built on his land, and was followed by the establishing of the Campbell post office, when he was made postmaster. In 185] Mr. Campbell returned East to Saline County, Mo., and on Christmas day he was married to Miss Mary 1. Rucker. The next year he came back to Cali-

m. Broedel.

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fornia, bringing his wife, and they established them- selves permanently here, becoming active and prom- inent in the Methodist Episcopal Church, South.

Ira J. Lovell, the father of our subject, was born in Logan County, Ky., on November 6, 1811, the son of Michael Lovell, who spent his carly boyhood on the Chesapeake Bay, some sixty miles from Bal- timore. Like his father, Ira became a tiller of the soil; so that it was rather natural, perhaps, that he should push westward, with his wife and seven children, in 1852, braving the hardships of an ox- team journey across the plains and mountains to the Golden State. The party was six months on the way, suffered much from sickness and experi- enced various troubles during the latter part of the trip; but on the first of October they arrived in the Santa Clara Valley, and became pioneers of Redwood township. After a year at Santa Clara, Ira Lovell located in the autumn of 1853 upon the homestead, in what is now the Moreland district, where he continued to reside. The land was cov- ered with oak and chaparral, and he soon obtained a good title to the 231 acres, although it was part of a Mexican grant. Much earlier, in 1835, in fact, in Kentucky, which was her native State, Mr. Lovell was married to Miss Ann L. Campbell, the daugh- ter of William Campbell, just referred to. Orig- inally a Henry Clay Whig, Ira Lovell became a supporter of the Democratic party; and he also was active in good works under the banners of the Methodist Church, South, his good wife sharing the pleasure of such religious and sociological endeavors. William Campbell was one of the surveyors who laid out the city of Santa Clara, and he and Mr. and Mrs. Ira Lovell, the parents of our subject, are all buried at Santa Clara.

Nine children were born to the worthy couple; the eldest son, William Lovell, became a lawyer, and was three times district attorney of Santa Clara County. Mary is the widow of William Beauchamp and resides in San Jose. James became a minister of the Methodist Church, South, and died at Lom- poc. John A. is the subject of our review. Theo- dore, when seven years old, was drowned near Visalia while driving cattle across a stream. Joseph W. became a rancher and died. Maggie, who also crossed the plains, married L. T. Cook, who lives retired at San Jose. Hugh was born in Kentucky, married and had one son, Farley Lovell, who re- sides in Southern California; but he himself is now deceased. Ella has become the wife of George L. Beaver, the retired capitalist and father of a son and two daughters, and they reside at Palo Alto.

John A. Lovell attended the public schools in Kentucky and later he went to school near Campbell; and as he grew up, he helped to farm the grain. In 1872 he was married to Miss Eda Jackson, a native of Santa Clara and the daughter of A. J. and Amanda (Senter) Jackson, the former the well- known provost-marshal in California during the Civil War. He was a native of New York State, and came out to California in pioneer days; and he built his home here over thirty years ago; and for twelve years he served as constable, marshal and deputy sheriff. Two children blessed this union: Bertha became Mrs. F. A. Alderman and is now a widow, with a son, Alton, fourteen years old; and Alice is the wife of Arthur Langford, and resides at San

Jose. In national political affairs, Mr. Lovell was a Democrat; but he always gave his loyal and enthu- siastic support to whatever was best for the com- munity. He passed away on September 5, 1921, mourned by his family and many friends.

JOAQUIN J. SILVEIRA .- Dairying has as- sumed an important place among the industries which are contributing to the development and up- building of Santa Clara County and among those who have made it a close study is numbered Joaquin J. Silveira, the owner of two valuable dairy farms, which in their equipment and operation are the ex- pression of the latest scientific research along this line. He was born on the island of St. George in the Azores, July 10, 1865, a son of Antonio and Marie (Encarnacion) Silveira. The father successfully fol- lowed farming and stockraising and passed away at the age of seventy-two, while his wife reached the age of sixty-eight years. In their family were five sons and two daughters, of whom the subject of this review was the third son. His oldest brother, Antonio Silveira, was a sea captain and his demise occurred in Brazil. The next son preceded Joaquin J. Silveira to Santa Clara County, where he still makes his home.

When eighteen years of age Mr. Silveira arrived in Boston, Mass., where he remained for six weeks, and then made his way across the continent to Marin County, Cal., to join an older brother. He obtained employment in a dairy and for a year was thus occupied, when he went to Monterey County, where he obtained similar work. At the end of a year he removed to San Benito County, where he resided for twelve years, and then went to Stanislaus County, purchasing a farm of 117 acres near Newman. Upon this place he conducted a dairy for six years and is still its owner. He next came to Santa Clara County and in September, 1906, bought his pres- ent farm of eighty-two and a half acres on the Lawrence Road. He has made many improve- ments on the property, greatly enhancing its value, and is operating a modern, well equipped dairy, keeping for this purpose high-grade Holsteins, now having 48 milch cows, he has had broad experience along this line and his specialized knowledge of dairying has been the chief factor in his present suc- cess. He also has financial interests, being a stock- holder in the Portuguese-American Bank at San Francisco, and he is likewise president of the Portu- guese Dairy & Land Company of San Francisco.

Mr. Silveira was married at San Juan, in San Benito County, when twenty-seven years of age, to Miss Mariana Nascimento and they have become the parents of ten children: Mary, the wife of Joseph Borbas, a rancher of Sunnyvale; Antonio; Mariana, the wife of Frank Dutra, who is conduct- ing a dairy farm in the Brady district, keeping a herd of sixty cows; Florence, wife of M. S. Simas of San Francisco; Willie, Annic, Ernestine and Arthur, Clara, who died at the age of five years, and Johnny. Mr. Silveria gives his political alle- giance to the Republican party and is a member of the I. D. E. S. at Santa Clara, the U. P. E. C. at Sunnyvale, of which he is president, and has also been a director of the S. E. S. at Santa Clara. His life record illustrates the power of honesty and diligence in insuring success. His labors have al-

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ways been constructive and intelligently carried for- ward and have resulted in placing him in the front rank of the progressive dairymen of this section of Santa Clara County.

MRS. ELIZABETH MacLEOD .- Many lives have entered into the development of the state of Cali- fornia and none of them are more worthy to be con- sidered in a history devoted to the early days than Mrs. Elizabeth Macleod, who is numbered among the most successful horticulturists of Santa Clara County. She was born at New Monkland, Lanarkshire, Scot- land, October 14, 1848, and was the daughter of John and Elizabeth (Spears) McAllister. The father, who was superintendent of engines in the coal mines there, passed away at the age of thirty-seven, Mrs. MacAllister passing away at her home in Scotland at the age of ninety, having reared a family of nine children. The third oldest of the family, Elizabeth McAllister attended the local schools until her father's death, when she was twelve years old, and as her two older sisters had gone into business for them- selves she naturally became her mother's mainstay, assisting on the farm and helping to care for the younger children. Fond of horses, she was in her element when she had the reins in her hands, and thus she came to do every kind of farm work pro- ficiently. When twenty years old she was married to Edward Macleod, a native of Dumfriesshire, Scot- land. He was a stationary engineer and was so oc- cupied in his native land until 1871, and feeling there would be better opportunities in America, he crossed the ocean and located at Summerville, Contra Costa County, where he worked as engineer in the mines. In 1872 Mrs. Macleod, with her two children, joined her husband, and after spending some time at Sum- merville, she came to Santa Clara County. She first purchased a place near the San Tomas schoolhouse, and after two years, disposed of it and purchased fifty acres in the Cupertino district, where she now resides. When she began improving her place she had very little means and it was a hard struggle. Energetic and with a brave heart. she set out the orchards; she had good credit at the Farmers Union and at the Bank of San Jose, and she says she will never forget their kindness. This credit enabled her to carry on the improvements and build up her place until she could get ahead and pay back the indebted- ness on it. A woman of great capability, she drove a six-horse team herself in the fields, so the work never failed to go on, although she had to do much of it.

Mrs. Macleod's property is set principally to prunes and her orchards are among the finest in the locality. They have been given the best of care and she is now enjoying a splendid income from them. She also was the owner of a forty-acre orchard at Millikens Corners which she disposed of at a good profit, and then bought a place of thirty-five acres across the highway from her home, which she later sold to her daughter and son-in-law; she has also ow ned various other properties and has always given them her personal superintendence, so that they were well cared for. Mrs. Macleod is a stockholder in the Farmers Union and for some years was a trustee of the Doyle school district. She is an enthusiastic member of the California Prune & Apricot Growers, Inc., and was one of the first to take stock in this enterprise which she assisted in organizing. In 1901 she made a trip back to Scotland where she had a pleasant time, visiting her relatives and friends, and

on her return to New York she made arrangements with commission merchants to ship prunes to them and for the next three years she was engaged in buy- ing and shipping them, with good success.

Mr. and Mrs. Macleod were the parents of four children: James, who was born in Scotland, passed away at the age of thirty-two; Elizabeth, also born in Scotland, is an artist of ability and assists her mother in presiding over the home; Winifred is the wife of A. Schoenheit and they have one child, Helen Mar; John MacLeod died in infancy. Mrs. Mac- Leod is an active member of the Presbyterian Church, and takes a great interest in the uplift of the com- munity in which she lives. She is a woman of re- markable business acumen, and has demonstrated her ability in the operation of her orchards and the hand- ling of her financial affairs in a most satisfactory way, so that she is a leader among the horticulturists of the valley. Well read and experienced, she is a very interesting woman, being well informed and an agreeable conversationalist.

EDITH LEACH TALBERT .- Popular among the successful members of the pedagogical fraternity at San Jose is Mrs. Edith Leach Talbert, of the Lowell School, who was born at Geneseo, Henry County, Ill., the daughter of William Leach, a native of Massachusetts, who married Miss Anna H. Blake, like himself a descendant of the sons and daughters of the American Revolution. Miss Blake, in fact, was born at Taunton, and in that town alone she had twenty-three cousins bearing such well- known down-east names as Blake, Hathaway and Palmer.

When a young man, William Leach came West to Illinois, and when his daughter Edith was a mere girl he moved on to Kansas where, as a mill- wright. he had the record of installing and starting nine mills at such places as Benton, Halstead and Perryville. He made a specialty of flour mills and elevators, and lived to be eighty-four years of age. He and his good wife had six children, among whom our subject is the youngest, and four of the family are still living.

When Edith Leach was still in her teens, her father came out to Santa Clara County and settled at San Jose; soon after he retired from active life. She attended the various grades of the San Jose schools, and was a graduate of the State Normal School in the class of '92. She then taught for ten years in Santa Clara County, most of the time in the Willow Glen district. On June 25, 1902, she was married at San Jose to Franklin Lilburn Tal- bert. a native of Iowa, and to this union were born two promising children, Edith Blake and Ernest William Talbert, both of whom are students at the San Jose high school. In 1913 Mrs. Talbert resumed teaching, for which she had such natural aptitude and such an exceptional training, and for a year was engaged in grammar school work at Los Gatos. She then came to the Hester school and taught there for a number of terms and ever since she has been a valuable and esteemed member of the staff of the Lowell School at San Jose, one of the best institutions of its grade in all California.

Mrs. Talbert, who is a member of the Eastern Star, makes her home with her sister, Miss Annie A. Leach, whose early education was almost identi- cal with her own. Also a native of Illinois, she attended a business college at Lawrence, Kans ..

Elizabeth Macleod

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

but she never followed a business career. She is a gifted painter, a student of the artist Culp at San Francisco, and she has become noted for her china decorating. After the death of her mother, who passed away at the age of seventy-eight, Miss Leach cared for her father, who died at the age of eighty- four; since then she has maintained the family home, where she continues her art work.

WILBUR LEE CAMP .- Occupying a position of prominence among the most influential citizens of Mountain View is Wilbur Lee Camp, the efficient and capable president of the Farmers and Mer- chants National Bank. A native of Iowa, he was born at Swan, Marion County, February 25, 1876. His father. Jacob H., was a native of Pennsylvania and was an old-time school teacher and farmer. He removed to Ohio and thence to Iowa in 1851 where he married Miss Martha Smith, and they were the parents of six children, the subject of this sketch being the youngest. The father passed away when Wilbur L. was a small lad of eight years, but the mother still lives in Iowa in the old home town.

Mr. Camp attended the public schools and later Highland Park College, where he took the regular four years' course, completing two courses, the busi- ness course and the college course. He then entered the Northwestern University law school at Evans- ton, Ill., but before finishing he entered the rail- way mail service. In April, 1898, he enlisted for service in the Spanish-American War and was stationed in the Philippine Islands for a year and a half. He enlisted from Knoxville, Iowa, in Company D, Fifty-first Iowa Volunteer Infantry, his regiment being assigned to the Eighth Army Corps and was sent on the transport Pennsylvania to Manila. During his stay in the Philippine Islands his com- pany saw active service in putting down the Philip- pine insurrection and took part in the battles of San Roque, Pasai, Malolos, East and West Puhlan, San Tomas, San Fernando and several other engage- ments. Returning to San Francisco on the trans- port Senator he was honorably discharged in Novem- ber, 1899, with the rank of corporal. On his return to Iowa he again entered the railway mail service and was employed on the fast mail train on the Burlington route running between Chicago and Omaha and continued in this service until 1905 when he resigned to come to California. On his arrival he traveled throughout the state looking for a suit- able location in which to permanently settle, and finally decided on Mountain View as being the most desirable. Here he met J. S. Mockbee, an old-time settler and one of its foremost and wealthiest citi- zens; the acquaintance grew into friendship and soon developed into a business association and the Farmers and Merchants National Bank was organized and incorporated with a paid-up capital of $25,000, Mr. Mockhee becoming president and Mr. Camp cashier, serving in this capacity until 1918, when Mr. Mockbee resigned the presidency on account of impaired eyesight and Mr. Camp was unanimously elected to fill this important position. the duties of which he has handled to the satisfaction of all concerned.

The marriage of Mr. Camp occurred in Los Angeles and united him with Miss Elizabeth Burns, the daughter of R. V. Burns, a prominent attorney who had practiced his profession for twenty years

in Mountain View. He passed away in 1918, and the mother still makes her home in Mountain View. Mr. and Mrs. Camp are the parents of three chil- dren, Virginia, Anna Lee and Reynolds, and the family resides in a modern, up-to-date residence built in 1908 on Mariposa Avenue. Fraternally Mr. Camp is a Mason and belongs to Mountain View lodge No. 194. F. & A. M .; he is also a member of the Odd Fellows and the Woodmen of the World, and was a member of the Spanish-American War Veterans in Burlington, lowa. Mr. and Mrs. Camp are active and prominent members of the Presby- terian Church, in which he is serving as a member of the board of trustees. Mrs. Camp is a finished violinist and organist, presiding at the organ of the First Presbyterian Church. During the World War Mr. Camp served as chairman on the war work and liberty loan committees and through his energetic work Mountain View went over the top in all the drives. He owns a splendid eighty-acre farm near Mountain View of which thirty acres is in Bartlett pears and fifty acres in garden truck. His efforts have ever been along constructive lines and he has occupied a position of leadership, others being glad to follow the course that he points out, and he takes much pride in the particular locality which he selected for his permanent place of residence.

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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 99

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