History of Santa Clara County California with biographical sketches, Part 103

Author: Sawyer, Eugene T
Publication date: 1922
Publisher: Los Angeles : Historic Record Co.
Number of Pages: 1934

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HON. M. P. O'CONNOR .- Occupying a position of prominence among the most influential citizens of San Jose was the late Hon. M. P. O'Connor, well known throughout this section as Judge O'Connor. During the many years of his residence in this city he took an active interest in developing and advanc- ing its highest interests, devoting his energies to this purpose and giving of his means in a generous measure. As an attorney he was well versed in legal lore, attaining success at the bar, and as a rep- resentative of the people he served his constituents in both houses of the California legislature with recognized ability and fidelity.

He was born in Ireland May 8, 1823, and was taken to England in August, 1825. At the age of fifteen he came with his parents to the United States, and remained two years in the city of New York. In December, 1840, he removed to St. Louis, Mo. Entering the law office of Maj. U. Wright, in 1842, he studied law with the eminent jurist, and after being graduated from the law department of the Jesuit College, St. Louis, was admitted to the bar there in 1846. Beginning the practice of his pro- fession in St. Louis, the judge remained there three years, and then, in 1849, crossed the plains with mule teams, arriving in California by the Carson route August 17, 1849. He intended to at once open a law office, but there being little legal business of any kind, he turned his attention instead to mining, which he followed for a time. Locating in Nevada County, he subsequently engaged in the practice of law, but at the same time continued his mining operations. A man of strong mental caliber and of much force of character, Judge O'Connor soon ac- quired a place of influence in the community, and in the session of 1859 and 1860 he served in the state assembly, being elected as a Douglas Demo- crat. From 1860 to 1869 he practiced law in Nevada County. In a Republican county he was elected as state senator on the Democratic ticket, and served most satisfactorily to all concerned from 1869 until 1877. His mining operation added materially to his bank account, his name becoming familiar to all the people of that section of the state in which he re- sided. On his election to the senate he gave up his law practice. In 1874, accompanied by his wife, he Legan traveling throughout this and foreign coun- tries, returning from each trip in time to attend the sessions of the legislature. Locating in San Jose in 1884, Judge O'Connor erected a beautiful residence at the corner of Second and Reed streets, and later on built his home, adjoining the O'Connor Sanitarium.

1n 1862, in Grass Valley, Nevada County, Cal., Judge O'Connor was married to Mrs. Amanda (But- ler) Young, who was born in Carrollton, Ohio, and came to California in 1854 with her brother, J. Butler, of Grass Valley. A large-hearted, broad- minded woman, Mrs. O'Connor has a warm, sympa- thetic nature, and in the alleviation of the sufferings of others finds her greatest pleasure. She was al- ways interested in young girls, and those left with- out father or mother appealed especially to her tender heart and she longed to do something for them. The large house that she and her husband built at Second and Reed streets seemed to her well adapted for a home for a large number of people, and she and her husband, being devout Catholics, determined to make

agnes & Home

O'CONNOR SANITARIUM. SAN JOSE, CALIF. Conducted by the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

it in reality a home for Catholic orphan girls With this purpose in view this generous couple donated their beautiful residence to the Sisters of Notre Dame for an orphanage, and it is now known as Notre Dame Institute. It has accommodation for fifty orphans, and is one of the most noted institu- tions of the kind on the Pacific Coast. Mr. and Mrs. O'Connor also liberally endowed the institu- tion with a sum sufficient for its perpetual main- fenance. In 1889, prior to the establishment of the Notre Dame Institute by Mrs. O'Connor, the O'Con- nor Sanitarium, on the corner of Race and San Carlos streets, was erected by them. This is a large and beautiful brick structure, modern in its furnish- ings and equipments, and, with its attractive grounds, occupies fifteen acres, the grounds extending from Race to Meridian streets on the one side and from San Carlos to Sansevain streets on the other.

During their residence in San Jose, Mr. and Mrs. O'Connor made many trips abroad, and of the four- teen winters spent in Europe ten were passed in Rome. In their travels on the continent they gath- cred a rare collection of art treasures, and these they donated to Trinity College in Washington, D. C. They also endowed the chair of canon law in the Catholic University of America in Washing- ron, D. C. The benefactions of Judge and Mrs. O'Connor have reached many sections of California, and have proved a boon to numerous Catholic insti- tutions. They contributed liberally towards the up- building and perpetual maintenance of St. Patrick's Seminary at Menlo Park, and also assisted in the building of the Young Men's Institute Building on Market Street, near San Fernando. Judge O'Connor was an active member of St. Joseph's Church, and was a member of the California Pioneers' Society of San Francisco. He passed away June 9, 1909, sur- vived by his widow

It would be only just for the historian to pay a tribute to Mrs. O'Connor, who was one of the most faithful and cheerful of wives and helpmates. The abnegation of all social functions and demands of society in general in order that she could be a con- stant companion to her husband will be a living example for future generations. She went hand in hand with her husband in their princely generosity and the harmony of their natures and loving regard one for the other was as beautiful as it was rare. Thus, in the twilight of her life, while the shadows are lengthening, Mrs. O'Connor is listening for the call, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."

THE O'CONNOR SANITARIUM .- Preeminent among the beneficent and noteworthy institutions of San Jose of which the ambitious and appreciative citizens of Santa Clara County are justly proud may well be mentioned the O'Connor Sanitarium, which was taken possession of by the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, at the invitation of the Hon. and Mrs. M. P. O'Connor, and the suggestion of the Most Rev. Archbishop Riordan, on March 19, 1889, although it was erected in 1887 by Mr. and Mrs. O'Connor, who wished to provide an institution for the care of the aged, the sick and the afflicted. Since its erection, the growth and development of the insti- tution have been along broad and progressive lines; and as it is purely non-sectarian, with much-needed benefits available to all, the unostentatious relief of the unfortunate poor of the community, as one phase

of its activity, has been far-reaching and effective in its service in the cause of humanity.

Tastefully laid out in lawns, orchards, orange plot and pinery, traversed by concrete walks and driveways affording opportunity for ideal exercise and recrea- tion, the spacious fourteen acres surrounding and forever protecting the Sanitarium are advantageously situated in the beautiful and healthful Santa Clara Valley, at San Jose, within easy access of San Fran- cisco, and upon these grounds are the substantial brick buildings, grouped in architectural harmony, consisting of main building, two wings, nurses home, chapel, kitchen, laundry, power house and garage, while properly apart stands the isolation building, for contagious diseases. Numerous sheltered porches, a solarium and garden pavilion enable the convales- cent to enjoy the benefits of the outdoor air.

Fully supplied with all the modern appointments such as one might expect to find in any up-to-date institution of this kind, the O'Connor Sanitarium, which in 1918 installed a splendid pathological labor- atory, and in March, 1921, secured the latest X-ray instruments, is especially equipped for the care of surgical cases, and the operating rooms are as com- plete as science and mechanical skill can make them. On each of the floors are surgical dressing and treat- ment rooms, and there are two large wards for pa- tients of both sexes, and a smaller ward for chronic diseases. In addition, there is also a children's ward, for here special attention is always paid to the needs of these little sufferers. In the obstetrical division, adjoining the remodeled ward and private rooms is the delivery room with furnishings and equipment planned to provide every convenience for the phy- sician and safeguard for the patient; and the nursery, with its row of basket-beds, open grate-fireplace and sanitary tubs, is ideally arranged for the care of the new-born infant. There is a complete chemical lab- oratory, and a pharmacy in charge of a thorughly- competent Sister pharmacist; and there are dressing rooms and lavatories for the attending physicians, with all the facilities for personal asepsis and anti- sepsis, thus minimizing the liability to incurrence or transference of the disease being treated. Baths, sterilizers, efficient apparatus for fumigation, a diet kitchen and a complete telephone service, all aid in rendering the isolation and other buildings perfect for the purposes for which they were designed. The O'Connor Sanitarium is patronized by the physicians of San Jose of all approved schools of medicine; and in recent years the total number of cases handled have been 1,012 in the year 1911, between 1,000 and 1,100 annually in the years 1912, 1913, 1914, and 1915; 1,171 patients in 1916, 1,538 in 1917, 2,440 in 1918, 1,982 in 1919, and 2,577 in 1920-showing an almost phenomenal recent growth. The San Jose Training School for Nurses, an accredited school, one of the divisions of the Sanitarium activity, was es- tablished in 1898 and incorporated in 1906.

EDWIN H. LEITCH .- Enterprising and capable, Edwin H. Leitch is the type of citizen whose pres- ence in San Jose has been most helpful to the per- manent welfare of Santa Clara County. He was born in Alviso, Santa Clara County, February 15, 1872, and was the son of Isaac H. and Ann (Mc- Quillan) Leitch. The father was born in New York City and came to California in the year of 1853, where he secured employment as a miller. He first went to San Francisco and then to Alviso, where he

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

worked for Bray Bros. and was a miller there for a number of years. He then engaged in farming until his death, which occurred in 1896, the mother sur- viving him until 1913. Mrs. Leitch came to the United States from her native land, Ireland, at the age of fourteen years, and was married to Isaac H. Leitch in San Francisco.

Edwin received his education in the public schools of Alviso and then entered the employment of S. B. Hunkins in a general store. Being ambitious he took the U. S. Civil Service Examinations, and re- ceived an appointment as assistant postmaster at Alviso and later entered the San Jose post office, where he was employed for a period of ten years as chief mailing clerk. He then served two years with the Southern Pacific Railroad Company and another year in the wholesale tobacco business in San Jose. In the meantime, being of an ingenious turn of mind, he spent his spare time in inventing and developing an oil burner. Taking a position with C. L. Meisterheim, a dealer in pumps, etc., he was with him for twelve years and was practically in charge of the business, and when Mr. Meisterheim disposed of the business, he continued sixteen months with his successors. He then started in business for himself, establishing the Leitch Pump and Supply Company at 400 West Santa Clara Street and has been very successful.

Mr. Leitch's marriage united him with Miss Eliza- beth D. Parker, a native of Colfax, Cal., and they are the parents of two children, Marjorie E. and Emer- son H. Mr. Leitch is a member of the Knights of Columbus and of the Catholic Church.

L. R. CODY-Those who have had the good for- tune of intimate association with L. R. Cody, Horti- cultural Commissioner of Santa Clara County, know that his work along the lines of practical and scien- tific horticulture has been a primary factor in the development of the fruit industry. Although his work and interest have been largely confined to California horticulture, the development along these lines in the other states, as well as in Europe and the Orient, has not escaped his attention. Orchard- ists and propagators throughout the Santa Clara Valley cannot value too highly his services in fos- tering horticultural enterprises and disseminating in- formation so necessary for their calling.

Mr. Cody was born in Chester, Howard County, Iowa, on January 31, 1877, the son of Frederick A. and Alta E. (Ray) Cody, who came to California in 1895. He attended the public schools in Con- necticut but was forced to abandon his academic work for the school of experience quite early. He became an assayer for a mining corporation in Mex- ico, and after spending some six years there re- turned to California to take up the study of agri- culture and its allied lines.

After spending four years in viticultural work at Fresno, he moved to the Santa Cruz County moun- tain apple section, arriving in Santa Clara County in the spring of 1907, where he has since made his home. His work at the old California Nursery in the field and as a salesman, as well as his experi- ence as foreman with the San Jose Branch of the Cottage Garden Nursery, developed an intimate knowledge of plant life and methods of propaga- tion which has made him a recognized authority. In connection with this work he has made an exter sive study of California flora and is an active member

of the California Botanical Society. Likewise, al- ways interested along entomological lines, he has spent his spare time in the study of insect life and its control in relation to the welfare of California horticulture, as well as pathology with the same practical end in view; thus he has acquired the most complete collection of economic insects of any commissioner in the state.

Attracted by Mr. Cody's ability, Mr. E. L. Morris, County Horticultural Commissioner at that time, per- suaded him to enter the public service as horticultural inspector. Upon Mr. Morris' resignation, he was suc- ceeded by Mr. Cody on June 1, 1918, with reappoint- ment to this responsible position, November 13, 1918.

At Meriden, Conn., Mr. Cody was married to Miss Alice May Smith, who was born in New Haven. They have a promising son, Frederick Russell, now attending the San Jose high school. Mr. Cody has held all of the principal offices of the local Grange, belongs to the W. O. W., Masons and Sciots, and is a consistent Republican in state and national affairs.

MAJOR WILLIAM A. COULTER .- A dis- tinguished representative of the Union forces in the Civil War, Major William A Coulter, of 15 South Thirteenth Street, San Jose, has lived to occupy a position of especial honor in a period when a younger generation has also exhibited in such a mas- terful way the same shining characteristics. He was born at Harrisburg, Pa., on October 8, 1839, the son of James Ramsey Coulter, who was born at Wil- liamsport, Pa., and became a newspaper man, mas- tering the details of the business from the work of the reporter, through the editorial sanctum, and to the counting room of the publisher. As a young writer, James Ramsey Coulter was affiliated with Alexander Cummins, the owner of the Evening Her- ald of Philadelphia, and some years later with the staff of the New York World. It was in the years just prior to the Civil War when James Ramsey Coulter and his brother William became prominent as newspaper men in Pennsylvania, and for nearly twenty years they pulled together as partners. The Coulter ancestry reaches back to Scotch-Irish settlers who came out to America during the Colonial period.

James R. Coulter married Miss Lucy R. Balsley, who was the daughter of Jacob and Sarah (Harris) Balsley. Sarah Harris' cousin, John Harris, granted to the state of Pennsylvania the ground on which the capitol of Pennsylvania is built, as well as the beau- tiful capitol grounds surrounding this site, which he deeded to the state for use so long as the capitol shall remain in that place. The city takes its name from the Harris family.

William A Coulter attended the public schools at Harrisburg, and in 1859, he entered the Ohio Wes- lyan University in Delaware, Ohio. He became a member of the "Lenapee Grays," a military company, and had military training for a year before the Civil War broke out. On October 4. 1861, he enlisted in the Eighteenth United States Infantry, in the new army authorized by Congress, and "bunked" with Gen. William H. Bisbee, now retired. H. B. Car- rington, adjutant-general of Ohio, was put in com- mand of the newly-formed regiment. Mr. Coulter was captain and assistant adjutant-general of a divi- sion of cavalry in the battle of Nashville, Tenn. After this he was adjutant-general of a division of cavalry commanded by Gen. Joseph F. Knipe, and

D. P. Cody

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

took part in the campaign against Mobile, Ala., when General Canby had command; after this he was assigned to duty as assistant adjutant-general to Gen. J. M. Brannan, chief of the artillery to Gen. George H. Thomas, commanding the armies of the West. Later still, Mr. Coulter was made assistant- adjutant to Gen. A. M. Brannan, commanding the district of Savannah with headquarters at Savannah until 1866, and then he served as assistant adjutant- general to Gen. W. H. Emery at his headquarters in Washington, D. C. In 1866 he was commissioned major by the president and Secretary of War, for faithful service during the war. The Freedmen's Report was prepared by Major Coulter during these two years and sent to General Howard, who was in command of the Freedmen's Bureau for the United States. He sent it to Congress with the recom- mendation that the Freedmen's Bureau be extended another year and a bill was passed by Congress to that effect. Then the Major was assigned to duty at Richmond, Va., in Gen. E. R. S. Canby's head- quarters; the officer who was prominent in quelling the uprising of the Modoc Indians. In November, 1870, Major Coulter resigned from the army, on which occasion General Canby wrote him a letter complimenting him on his service and regretted he was leaving the service. While in Richmond, and before his resignation, he appeared before three judges at Richmond, passed the required examina- tions, and was admitted to the practice of law. After his resignation he established his residence in Wash- ington, vacating the mansion at Richmond that had been used, until the close of the war, by Jefferson Davis, and for nearly fifteen years he followed his profession in Washington, becoming there a well- known attorney, and fostering the rapid and sane development in house-erecting in that live city, com- pleting forty residences which he afterwards sold. He was admitted to practice in the Supreme Court of the United States.

Preceded by his wife's family, Major and Mrs. Coulter came out to the Pacific Coast in 1892, the couple having been united in matrimony at Wash- ington in 1890. Mrs. Coulter was Mrs. Augusta (Smith) Oakley before her marriage, and was born in Montgomery County, Md., of an old Maryland family. Her grandfather, Reverend Smith, was an eminent divine in the Methodist Church, and her uncle, Gen. Augustus Smith, was a brigadier-general in the Civil War from Illinois. Mrs. Coulter, by her first marriage, had one child, Roy Oakley, who re- sides at St. Paul. Major and Mrs. Coulter first located at San Francisco; there he practised law and was admitted to practice in the Superior Court of California, but later removed to Santa Clara County, where they invested in fifty acres which they devel- oped into a fine prune orchard. Still maintaining the interest awakened at Washington in worthy architec- ture, Major Coulter has done what he could to improve architectural standards in San Jose, and he has been very successful in beautifying a portion of the city. He now owns the Cosmos Apartments at the corner of East Santa Clara and Thirteenth streets, as well as the fine Coulter residence at 15 South Thirteenth Street, both of which he erected. Since 1910 he has leased his ranch.

During 1911-12 Major Coulter served as com- mander of the Union Veteran Legion, San Jose

Chapter, but in 1915 this chapter was disbanded, owing to the decrease in membership through deaths. He is a member of the California Com- mandery of the military order of the Loyal Legion, and in 1917 was senior vice-commander of the com- mandery. He has also served as patriotic instructor of the Col. A. G. Bennett Post No. 129, G. A. R., of San Jose, and was recently elected a delegate to the California and Nevada Departmental Encampment held at Stockton in May, 1921. Major Coulter has a large acquaintance with military and public men of the East. He knew many of the Presidents and cabinet men in the various administrations, viz .: Grant, Logan, Miles, Custer, President Johnson, Hayes, Garfield, Harrison, Arthur, Mckinley, Roose- velt, Cleveland, Taft and James G. Blaine, Henry Cabot Lodge, Senators Quay, Penrose, Philander C. Knox, etc. He is well informed and has a very inter- esting way of narrating events. A gifted speaker, he has often been called upon to participate in notable public gatherings, patriotic meetings and similar oc- casions. He is a Republican and a Knights Templar and Scottish Rite Mason, as well as a Shriner. Major Coulter served as war correspondent for the Harris- burg Telegraph and the New York Army and Navy Journal while on detached service for the Union Army, and he wrote many articles for publication after the war. The late Col. Harry Egbert, who died at the Battle of Manila, was his intimate friend, and while living in Ohio was a delegate and attended the congressional convention which met at Marion, Ohio, when

President Harding was a young newspaper man.

ARTHUR F. CASTLE .- A man of enterprise and ability, Arthur F. Castle occupies an assured position among the citizens of San Jose. Born in San Jose, Cal., October 8, 1879, the eldest son of Isaac Nelson and California (Reel) Castle, a sketch of their lives appearing elsewhere in this work. His father was a native of New York, migrating to California in 1852, coming by way of the Isthmus of Panama. He was an extensive landowner and spent many years in the cattle business and was well known throughout the state. He passed away at the family home in San Jose, January 21, 1911. Mrs. Castle has the distinc- tion of being the first white child born in George- town, Eldorado County. For many years she has been associated with her two sons in stockraising.

Arthur F. Castle attended the public schools of San Jose, supplementing with a course at Thomp- son's Business College at Hollister; he is also a graduate of Heald's Business College at San Jose. From the time he was eight years old he was in the saddle, inheriting much of his father's ability as a stockman, so with his mother and brother he leased the San Luis Ranch of 50,000 acres, part of which is located in Santa Clara County and part in Merced County. He proved very successful in this line of work and in 1918 they purchased a large tract of land in the Napa Valley; this was in partnership with his brother, Roy N. Castle, and his mother. They became well known as the most extensive cat- tlemen and stockmen in the Valley and were known throughout the whole state of California. This part- nership was dissolved in 1920, having disposed of their holdings, and Mr. Castle became the owner of the Castle Hair Store, located at 70 South First Street, San Jose. In 1921 he and his brother again

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engaged in stockraising on a large tract of about 4,000 acres lying near Gilroy.

In early manhood Mr. Castle married Miss Clara E. Matthews, who is a native of Calaveras County, Cal., and the daughter of W. W. and Rachael Mat- thews. They are the parents of two accomplished children. Lorrine, a student of the San Jose high school, and Yvonne, also attending the schools of San Jose. Politically, Mr. Castle is a Republican, and in fraternal circles is popular in the ranks of the Masons and Elks. A deep lover of music, he is also a gifted violinist, and his talent in this direction is the source of much pleasure to his many friends.

AUSTIN N. LOSSE .- With the development of the fruit industry in California the name of Losse is inseparably associated, and Austin N. Losse, a leading horticulturist of Santa Clara County, is ably carrying forward the work instituted by his father, who was a pioneer in the dried fruit industry in this state. Austin N. Losse, subject of this review, was born in Indianapolis, Ind., in 1881, a son of H. E. and Carrie (Keogh) Losse, both of whom are now deceased, the former passing away in 1918, at the age of sixty-five, while the latter's demise occurred in April, 1921. when she had reached the sixty- seventh milestone. The father came to the Golden State in 1887, arriving here at about the same time as A. C. Kuhn, now deceased. He settled in Santa Clara County, where he purchased land, on which he engaged in the raising of fruit, which he dried and packed. He became a pioneer in the dried fruit in- dustry, being one of the pioneer firms engaged in that business in Northern California. His initiative spirit and constructive effort enabled him to build up an enterprise of extensive proportions, the ca- pacity of his plant approximating 25,000,000 pounds of dried fruit a year. The superiority of the output gained for it a wide sale and the products of the plant were shipped to all parts of the globe, the business being conducted as H. E. Losse & Company. Mr. Losse was also interested in financial affairs, be- ing president of the Santa Clara Valley Bank, of Santa Clara, and he was preeminently a business man whose record was written in terms of success, for he possessed the ability to think in large terms and whatever he undertook he carried forward to a suc- cessful termination. He was a member of the St. Claire Club and was recognized as one of the fore- most citizens, not only of Santa Clara County, but of the state.

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History of Santa Clara County California with biographical sketches, Part 103

Author: Sawyer, Eugene T Publication date: 1922 Publisher: Los Angeles : Historic Record Co. Number of Pages: 1934

Author: Sawyer, Eugene T
Publication date: 1922
Publisher: Los Angeles : Historic Record Co.
Number of Pages: 1934