History of Santa Clara County California with biographical sketches, Part 126

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

USA > California > Santa Clara County > History of Santa Clara County California with biographical sketches > Part 126

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

Any account of the life activities of Mr. Anderson would be incomplete were no mention to be made of his association with the political history of the commonwealth. Elected to the assembly in 1897-99

A Freeman

799

HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

and 1901, he soon became a force in the Legislature. Measures for the benefit of his district received his stanch support, nor was he less earnest in the promo- tion of all movements for the welfare of the entire state. In 1899 he was selected as speaker of the house, and he filled that difficult post with the same tact and ability displayed in every relation of public life. A still higher honor awaited him in 1902, when he was elected lieutenant-governor of California, and he filled that eminent position for four years, retiring with the good will of the party he had served with such fidelity and distinction. It would seem impossi- ble for a citizen having so many duties in public of- fice, in business connections and in banking circles, to enter with any activity into fraternal and social cir- cles, but Mr. Anderson has not allowed his existence to be dwarfed into a tedious round of irksome cares. On the other hand, he has enjoyed society with the same enthusiasm characteristic of his identification with the other opportunities of life, and at different times he has been a leading member of the Bohemian, Pacific Union and Family clubs and Union League, all of San Francisco, and the Sutter Club of Sacra- mento, also the Woodmen and the Benevolent Pro- tective Order of Elks. Practical philanthropy, whether exercised privately or through the medium of fraternal organizations, receives his steadfast sup- port, and movements inaugurated and inspired by a desire to help the needy, to encourage the depressed or to uplift the fallen, have benefitted by his saga- cious counsel and sympathetic participation.

JAMES M. PITMAN .- Business enterprise found a stalwart exponent in James M. Pitman, whose pro- gressive spirit and determination have been manifested in all that he undertook, and by his individual effort, intelligently directed, he has gained a prominent posi- tion in the business circles of San Jose, and is well and favorably known throughout the State of Cali- fornia for his uprightness and integrity of character. He is one of the organizers and was elected the first president of the Western Title Insurance Company of San Jose.

A native of California, Mr. Pitman was born near Marysville, Yuba County, January 30, 1851, a son of Andrew Jackson and Armenia A. (Lewis) Pitman. both natives of Missouri. His father was among the early settlers who crossed the plains in 1849. After a short experience in the mines, he decided that Cali- fornia was a good country in which to settle perma- nently, so, returning to his home in Missouri by way of the Isthmus of Panama, he made the trip back across the plains the following year; this time accom- panied by his wife. His first residence was on the Yuba River, where he followed the occupation of mining, with the historic "rocker," continuing there until 1852. In that year he removed to the Santa Clara Valley, settling temporarily near the town of old Mountain View. In the fall of 1852 he purchased a ranch just north of Mayfield, which he owned until 1861, and which later became a part of the Palo Alto Ranch, now the site of the Leland Stanford, Jr., University, the new Stanford Stadium being located on part of the old Pitman farm. There Mr. Pitman devoted himself to farming and dairying, which busi- ness he continued on the ranch he purchased in 1861, adjoining the town of Palo Alto on the northeast. Mr. and Mrs. Pitman eventually removed to San 37

Jose, where they spent the remainder of their lives, both passing away in 1896. Of their eight children, one of whom died in infancy, James M. is the eldest; Marion L. is a farmer and truck grower living near Palo Alto on part of the old homestead; Cornelius Y. is county assessor of Santa Clara County; William A. resides in San Francisco; Bernard, commonly called Berry, passed away at the age of thirty-five, leaving a wife and child; Belle M. is married and resides in St. Helena; Ernest resides in San Jose and is a sign and screen painter of note.

James M. Pitman obtained his early education in the schools of Mayfield and Santa Clara, supplement- ing this with a course in the Pacific Business College at San Francisco. He particularly excelled in mathe- matics, and at the early age of fourteen he had gone as far as trigonometry. He was always an excellent penman, and this, coupled with his mathematical ability, served to make him a valuable county officer. In 1869 he engaged in farming near Mayfield, con- tinning there until 1874. During this year he was elected secretary of the State Grange, but resigned the office in January, 1875, later removing to Quincy, Ill., where he went into business with an uncle. His stay there was of short duration, however, and in 1876 he returned to California and became deputy county recorder under W. B. Hardy, retaining that position for four years. He then engaged in the dairy business at San Jose for two years.

Always actively identified with political matters, Mr. Pitman was unanimously nominated for the of- fice of county recorder on the Democratic ticket, but a labor ticket was put in the field at the same time, lessening the Democratic vote, and his opponent, W. H. Stephens, was elected on the Republican ticket. He again entered the race at the next general elec- tion in 1882 and was elected county recorder, in which capacity he served for four years. At the end of his term of office, he went into the abstract business, uniting forces with T. C. Edwards, the firm being known as Edwards & Pitman, continuing thus until 1891, when they formed a partnership with Pomeroy & Howes, organizing the San Jose Abstract Com- pany, of which Mr. Pitman became president, serving for twenty-seven years. He mapped every piece of property in the county, and among other notable things, he made a plat of the city of Los Gatos. He is a stockholder of the First National Bank of San Jose, the Garden City Bank & Trust Company, and for many years served as president, and is now vice- president, of the San Jose Building and Loan Asso- ciation. He has been actively interested in orange growing for a number of years, owning and operat- ing a large and productive property known as Over- look Groves, near Terra Bella, Tulare County. Since 1909 he has been secretary of the Grand View Heights Citrus Company, having 1700 acres in Tulare County.

In 1876 Mr. Pitman was married to Miss Carrie I. Fletcher, a native of Massachusetts, who came to California with her parents at an early age. They are the parents of three children: Florence V .: Blanche, their second child, died aged seven years; and Homer F. Homer is engaged in ranching and is manager of the Overlook Orange Grove. He married Miss Victoria Cuka and they have three children: Martha, Marjorie and Barbara. Florence V. is now Mrs. Howard W. Cowell and the mother of two children:

800

HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

James P. and Geraldine. Mr. Cowell is engaged in the auto business in San Jose and is secretary of the Western Title Insurance Company.

In fraternal circles, Mr. Pitman is a member of Garden City Lodge , I. O. O. F., and for years was a member of the Native Sons of the Golden West, of which he is a past president. He is a stanch sup- porter of the Democratic party and is an active and . conscientious member of the First Presbyterian Church of San Jose. He has always been a promi- nent figure in the business circles of San Jose, ever ready to serve the community in which he has resided for so many years. He served as a member of the board of education of the San Jose schools for four years, and was appointed on the board of trustees of the San Jose State Normal School by Governor James M. Budd. His has been an upright, honorable and useful life, in which he has ever displayed unfal- tering loyalty to high standards of citizenship and he has labored effectively and earnestly to uphold those interests which make for public improvement.

JAMES J. STANFIELD .- For over sixty years the Stanfield family has been numbered among the upbuilders and promoters of Santa Clara County and as an orchardist and financier James J. Stanfield has contributed to the prestige of a name that has long been an honored one in this part of the state. He was born in the Union district of Santa Clara County, August 12, 1862, a son of John and Margaret (Cairns) Stanfield. In 1858 the father arrived in California, having made the voyage around Cape Horn, and after spending three years in San Francisco, he came to the Union district, purchasing a tract of 260 acres, being one of the first settlers in the district and a pioneer fruit grower, as well as banker, in Los Gatos. He is elsewhere mentioned in this history.

James J. Stanfield is the only surviving member of a family of three children and after completing his education, which was acquired in the public schools of the Union district, he assisted his father in the operation of the home farm. Later, aside from horti- culture, he turned his attention to finance, and as early as 1887 he became connected with the Bank of Los Gatos, of which in time he became vice-president. With keen insight into business affairs and situations and a thorough understanding of every phase of banking, he labored effectively to promote the suc- cess of the institution, which ranks with the substan- tial financial enterprises of this part of the state. In 1919 he sold the home farm which he had brought to a high state of cultivation until it was one of the fin- est orchard and vineyard properties in the valley. He had previously purchased the old Howe place near Winchester, which he cultivated until 1922, when he disposed of it to again make his home in Los Gatos. All these years he had specialized in raising fruit, having acquired a comprehensive knowledge of horti- culture under the able instruction of his father in earlier years and a continued study of the industry from a scientific point, and much success rewarded his efforts.

Mr. Stanfield married Miss Sue M. Place, born in Jackson, Mich., and they became the parents of two children: Helen, who died when fourteen years of age, and John Harold, who is superintendent of plant No. 13, operated by the California Prune &

Apricot Growers Association at Los Gatos. He is married and has two daughters, Susan Bell and Margaret. Mr. Stanfield gives his political allegiance to the Republican party and his fraternal connections are with the Masons, the Elks and the Odd Fellows, and he is past president of Los Gatos Parlor, N. S. G. W. His entire life has been spent in Santa Clara County, and he has watched with interest its devel- opment and upbuilding, in which he has borne his full share, his worth as a man and citizen being widely recognized.

JOHN W. LYNDON .- One of the pioneer up- builders of Los Gatos was the late John W. Lyndon, who passed away July 14, 1913. A native of Ver- mont, he came to California and settled at Lexing- ton, Santa Clara County, in 1859, and a few years later in Los Gatos, where he engaged in the mer- cantile business, and organized the Bank of Los Gatos, and also the Los Gatos Gas Company. He subdivided the present town of Los Gatos into lots and built some of the first buildings. He ran a store and lumber yard, did a large business with the New Almaden and Guadalupe mines in their palmy days. He built the Lyndon Hotel, the Bank of Los Gatos, Vermont and other buildings, and gave his best efforts to the upbuilding of the town. By his first marriage he had two children, one of whom is living, Irma, now the wife of J. D. Farwell, of Los Gatos. He was a Republican, but did not aspire to office other than serve as city trustee, being a mem- ber of the original board. He was a Mason, and a member of the Episcopal Church.

JACOB MILAN COX .- One of the most popular men among the court house officials of Santa Clara County, who, for many years, filled the important position of office deputy in the county assessor's of- fice, was the late Jacob Milan Cox, who was born in Iowa, September 28, 1851, the son of William and Dicey (Baggs) Cox, pioneers of Santa Clara County. Jacob M. Cox was brought by his parents in an ox- team train in 1852, his first recollections being of the Saratoga section of Santa Clara County, where he received a good education in the public schools, after which he was graduated from the Garden City Business College. He followed the trade of cabinet maker and planing mill worker in the Fourth Street mill and afterwards in the Hubbard & Carmichael mill until he quit to look after his ranch, which he set out to prunes, apricots and peaches. Meantime he was appointed a deputy county assessor under L. A. Spitzer and later was made the office deputy, and continued his connection with that office for more than twenty years, becoming one of the best judges of property values in the county. His health failing, he resigned his office and lived retired at his home, 54 Union Street, San Jose, until his death.

His marriage occurred in Los Angeles and united him with Mrs. Laura (Trailor) Gordon, a represen- tative of an old pioneer family. Mr. Cox was very prominent in fraternal circles. He was a Knight Templar and Scottish Rite Mason and a member of Islam Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S, in San Francisco. He was a past officer in the Blue Lodge, Chapter and Commandery; he was also a past officer in the Odd Fellows and held to the faith of the Christian Church. A noble man and strong character, he was

James . A. Clayton .

803

HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

very influential and was much loved and highly esteemed by all who knew him. At his passing, Sep- tember 28, 1916, he was mourned by his family and friends and was buried with Masonic honors, in Oak Hill Cemetery, San Jose.

JAMES A. CLAYTON .- A sturdy, far-sighted and eminently progressive pioneer, an experienced, highly- esteemed and influential public official, James A. Clayton, who died on April 14, 1896, became an ex- tensive landowner and one of the best-known resi- dents of Santa Clara County, as he was one of the leading citizens of San Jose. He was born in Derby- shire, England, October 20, 1831, the son of John and Mary (Bates) Clayton, the former a lead-miner and farmer. They came to America in 1831, and set- tled for a short time at Mifflin, Iowa County, Wis., where John Clayton worked in the lead mines; in 1840 the family removed to a farm near Mineral Point, in Iowa County, where Mrs. Clayton died in 1853, followed four years later by her devoted hus- band. They were the parents of twelve children, for each of whom they did the best they could. In passing it might be mentioned that the farm from which the family moved at Mifflin was left to one of the younger sons and by him was sold at a later date and on this same farm was developed one of the most valuable and productive lead and zinc mines in Wisconsin, discovered by deepening a well that had been put down by Mr. Clayton.

James A. Clayton was brought to America by his parents in infancy and remained at home until 1850. when he came out to California. One brother, Charles Clayton, who eventually became a member of Congress and the surveyor of the Port of San Fran- cisco, had preceded him to this state in 1844, and this doubtless influenced the ambitions and adventur- ous spirit of another brother, Joel Clayton, who made four round trips to California prior to 1850, driving superior American cattle, which he sold to the native Californians to improve their native wild herds. Though the country was infested with Indians, many of them hostile, he always managed to get through in safety, being a diplomatic leader.

In 1850 influence was brought to bear upon Joel Clayton, who had expected to retire after his various California expeditions with cattle, to make up a train and pilot it through to the West. This he did with the definite understanding that his orders on all mat- ters, even to making of wagons, be obeyed implicitly. The mother prevailed upon Joel to let James accom- pany him so that he would be under his protection en- route. Joel did so, but he made certain stipulations by which James was not to ride a horse or in a wag- on during the journey; also that he and his com- panion David Grenewalt, of the same age, were to keep the train of ten wagons supplied with fresh meat enroute. This was carried out to the letter by young James, although he endured many hardships and privations to do so. He and his chum were the only ones in the party who were permitted to have guns. The first and only real money he ever saw prior to coming to California was obtained from the sale of a hand-made saddle, made out of a pig skin taken from a pig he had raised until it was ready to kill. He tanned the skin by hand and when the saddle was finished it was taken down the river to one of the large cities where real money was in circulation and was sold for eight silver dollars; the

young man was then sixteen years old. His educa- tion was limited to but four months schooling one winter, but he was patterned after Abraham Lincoln and anxious to absorb knowledge so he borrowed every book he possibly could from those who had them in his neighborhood and by constant reading became a superior, self-educated man. It was also during the long winter evenings that he attended revival meetings held by some itinerant circuit rider, was converted and joined the Methodist Church. This act affected his entire life and he never back- slid from his teachings.

It took the train piloted by Joel Clayton eighty- seven days to reach California, arriving in Santa Clara County in August, 1850. This short time was made because of the superior leadership of Joel Clay- ton, by whom no single detail was lacking to keep men, teams and wagons in the best of condition, so that on their arrival they were able to state they had lost neither man nor beast during the long journey. It usually took six months or more to make a jour- ney of that length by most of the immigrants. James Clayton and his chum stuck together and he tried his luck in mining in Placer and Mariposa counties; even going to Australia. Upon arriving there the party was warned of the animosity the Australians had for the Californians because of the hanging in San Fran- cisco by the Vigilantes, of the "Sydney Ducks." The Californians were distinguished, in those early days, by their red-top boots worn outside of their pantlegs. By concealing their boot-tops and avoiding the public taverns Mr. Clayton and his chum reached the mines, which proved, to their disgust, that there was vastly more gold in California than in Australia. The young men had saved money enough to pay their way home aud were ready to make the return voyage. The ship being short of seamen the captain told them if they would ship as sailors and help bring the boat to San Francisco he would refund their passage money and pay them $100 in money; to this they agreed and James Clayton became third mate. After a haz- ardous journey, fraught with many hardships, the most important being the lack of water for drinking, they reached port. Upon arriving at San Francisco the captain decamped for the mines and the men were unable to get any part of their money by the sale of the ship and its cargo, there being so many sim- ilar cases of abandoned ships in the bay.

In 1853 Mr. Clayton became permanently identi- fied with Santa Clara County, located in Santa Clara, where he opened and conducted a photograph studio, this being the second one to be opened in the state, Later he moved the studio to San Jose, which had become the largest of the two towns, and in the latter part of the '50s, he moved there with his fam- ily. Then the photographer made his own plates and the "patient" had to sit for five minutes in order to have the impression made on the negative. While in Santa Clara, Mr. Clayton with John B. Hewston, started the first movement ever made in the town to curb the exteremely common use of liquor; and he started the first movement to open a Y. M. C. A. In 1861 Mr. Clayton was elected county clerk on the Republican ticket, and reelected in 1863; at the same time carrying on his photo studio. In 1867 he em- barked in the real estate business in San Jose and thereafter remained active in the realty field until his death. The result of his identification with this

804

HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

department of commercial and financial affairs was that he became a large property owner, was able to accomplish a great deal of good in his time, and left a large estate to others to administer and enjoy, when he finished his period.

Prior to 1887, all the salable property and grant lands in Santa Clara Valley passed through his hands at least once. He acted as advisor to the native Californians, by whom he was trusted implicitly to buy and sell for them, also to loan their money, often in the earlier days with no compensation. He started the first abstract and title business in Santa Clara County, one of the first in the state as well; was also one of the promoters and original owners of the first electric lighting plant in the county; one of the orig- inal promoters of the First National Bank of San Jose in 1874 and later became its president, serving for many years. This was organized to reduce the rate of interest to 10% per annum, the rate having fluctuated from 112% to 10% per month. After he had been in the realty business several years he branched out into the original booster for this Val- ley and prepared neat illustrated literature which he scattered widely in the Middle West and thus was the cause of so many settlers coming from as far East as Illinois to take up homes in this county. As a land boomer he was a success, the majority of the settlers coming from the mining camps in the early days, while later they came from the states west of Illinois. He always made good his guarantees.

In March, 1860, James A. Clayton was married to Miss Anna L. Thompson, a native of Indiana and the daughter of Robert P. and Amy F. Thompson, who had come to California in 1857. Seven children sprang from this happy union. Mary E. married Car- roll W. Gates and lived in Los Angeles; both are de- ceased; Edward W., now deceased, was for many years associated with his father and later with the James A. Clayton Company in the realty business; Willis C., also was connected with the James A. Clayton real estate interests and is now president of the First National Bank of San Jose; Ethel, grad- uated from the University of the Pacific and is asso- ciated with her father's company; Grace Elizabeth, died in infancy; and the youngest members of the family are John J., and Florence Clayton. Mrs. Clayton passed away in 1914.

Mr. Clayton was a member of San Jose Lodge No. 10. F. & A. M .; also of the Methodist Church, and in 1888 he served as lay delegate to the confer- once held in New York; was a standpat Republican, ard that same year was an alternate delegate at large to the National Convention held in Chicago. He was a trustee of the University of the Pacific, and no man ever did his duty more conscientiously in such a po- sition, and few have done more to advance on hroad. inviting lines the permanent interests of this important institution of higher education.

PETER J. DUNNE .- A most interesting man of varied experience such as many would-be students of life and the ways of the world might well envy, is Peter J. Dunne, the far-seeing manager of the exten- sive Catherine Dunne estate at San Jose. He was born southeast of Gilroy in Santa Clara County, and first saw the light on October 19, 1865. His father, James Dunne, was born in Ireland in 1817, but

came to America when quite young and located in New Orleans, where he worked at any honest labor his hands found to do. He had but a limited school- ing, thus his progress was slow. He prospered and married and he and his wife became the parents of five children of whom only one, J. F. Dunne, is alive. He owns the original Dunne estate of 15,000 acres of fine ranch land at San Felipe, where is carried 011 a general ranching business. This son was born in the '50s and spends part of his time in San Francisco. The other children were: Caroline, Catherine, Peter and Joseph, all dying before they reached the age of ten years. Mrs. Catherine Dunne, his wife, died on June 21, 1857, aged twenty-eight years. Mr. Dunne spent some time in South America after he left New Orleans as a flour merchant and he came to San Fran- cisco in the latter part of the '50s and engaged in the general merchandise business, meeting with good suc- cess. 'In 1862 he married Mrs. Catherine Murphy and they spent their married life on the San Felipe ranch, which Mr. Dunne had bought and proceeded to develop. This second marriage brought three children: Mary P., Peter J., and Catherine B., all born on the San Felipe Ranch, which was his home at the time of his death, June 8, 1874. He was a Democrat of the old school and was a man of energy and strict integrity and ready to assist any worthy project for the benefit of town, county or state. Mary Phileta married Joseph H. Rucker, the real es- tate dealer of San Jose; the second in the order of birth is the subject of this review; and the Catherine B. is Mrs. Ralph W. Hersey.

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

History of Santa Clara County California with biographical sketches, Part 126

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