History of Santa Clara County California with biographical sketches, Part 131

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

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Mr. Carmichael was married at Santa Cruz Sep- tember 1, 1898, to Miss Tilly Lyman, born in Santa Clara County, a daughter of Serena B. and Mathilda ( Miller) Lyman, natives of Missouri, who crossed the plains, locating in Santa Clara County, and afterwards had a large ranch in the Santa Cruz Mountains, where they spent their last days. Of their five children, Tilly is the eldest and was educated in the public schools of Saratoga. Mr. and Mrs. Carmichael's un- ion has been blessed with three children; Flora Bell is a graduate of the San Jose State Normal School and is now teaching at Hollister; Agnes Mathilda is a graduate of Heald's Business College, San Jose, and is bookkeeper for the American Can Com- pany in that city; Duncan Donald assists his father on the ranch. Mr. Carmichael is a Presbyterian in religion. He has a good memory and a fund of stories of his experiences in lumbering in the Santa Cruz Mountains and is able to narrate them in-

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

terestingly, so that it is a pleasure to converse with him. He is an enthusiast over the possibilities of the beautiful Santa Clara Valley and uses his ef- forts in behalf of all progressive measures.

GEORGE WARREN HANSON .- On a well-im- proved property of five acres in the vicinity of San Jose, resides George W. Hanson, a highly respected and well-known citizen of the county, who has lived in Santa Clara County for over forty years. He was born in Strafford County, N. H., June 22, 1841, the fourth son of a family of eight children, a son of Aaron and Deborah (Hall) Hanson. The father, who died in December, 1861, was one of three broth- ers who came to America from England, one set- tling in Vermont, one in Maine and Aaron in New Hampshire, all following farming pursuits. George W. helped his father with the farm work until the outbreak of the Civil War. In August, 1862, George W. enlisted in Company E, Thirteenth New Hamp- shire Infantry, serving under General Burnside in the Army of the Potomac and on December 11-12 of the same year, he was in the battle of Fredericks- burg, Va. In the Spring of '63 he was transferred from the army to the navy, serving, for a time, on the frigate Minnesota; later on the gunboat Flor- ida and still later on the gunboat Quaker City. He was in the siege of Fort Fischer, North Carolina, and for a long time was in the service of running down and capturing blockade runners. These prizes of war were sold and his share amounted to $800. In 1865 he was discharged at Philadelphia, Pa., and returned to his home in New Hampshire, en- gaging in farming until 1866, when he removed to Minneapolis and worked at market gardening. He gave up this work and accepted a position in a grocery store, working for two years, and tlien went out with the first surveying parties for the Northern Pacific, running the lines from St. Cloud to Red River. He then returned to Minneapolis and bought out one of the partners where he had worked and continued in the grocery business for two years, then disposed of his share and removed to California in 1875, settling in San Jose.

On December 10, 1868, in Minneapolis, he was united in marriage with Miss Martha A. Keesling, a native of Indiana, a daughter of Thomas and Eliza- beth (Hasty) Keesling. Her father was engaged in farming in Indiana, but removed to Lake Minne- tonka, Minn., and was for years engaged in the mercantile business. Soon after settling in San Jose, Mr. Hanson became a cement contractor, doing work for the city and the state, also general con- tracting, being thus engaged for twenty years, doing work in Watsonville, Hollister and as far south as San Diego, in all of these places putting in the very first cement work in them. He laid the cement walks about the Normal School buildings and did considerable work at the Agnew State Hospital. He invested his earnings in real estate, a ranch on Lee Avenue of ten acres; one near Campbell of fifteen acres, and one at Mountain View of fifteen acres, all fruit land. Reverses came in 1893, his farm- ing projects were a failure, but the worst misfor- tune which befell him was the loss of his health. He had been receiving a pension from the gov- ernment of eight dollars per month, but during President Cleveland's administration Mr. Hanson's pension, together with several others, was discon-

tinued, and for two years, he was in straitened circumstances. The pension was finally re-estab- lished, but was reduced from $8 to $6 per month. He later secured a position as a rural mail carrier and held this position for twelve and a half years. In 1905 he retired from active life, content to spend his remaining days on the beautiful five-acre cherry orchard that has been his home for the past thirty- five years. Mr. and Mrs. Hanson are the parents of two sons: Eugene W. is a druggist of Watson- ville. He married Miss Flora Lord and they have two children, Waldron and Frederick Pierce. The other son, Herman is a dentist, he married Marie Hayes and resides in San Jose. In his political con- viction, Mr. Hanson is a stalwart Republican. He is a member of Sheridan-Dix Post No. 7, G. A. R. Department of California and Nevada, of San Jose. Public-spirited and hospitable, he has always been on the square in all his dealings and he has friends all over the Santa Clara Valley.

EBERHARDT HENRY HOLTHOUSE .-- Among the carly settlers of California and one who became prominent as an orchardist of the Santa Clara Valley was Eberhart Henry Holthouse, a na- tive of Nahne, Osnabruck, Hanover, Germany, born in 1827. He was the son of Herman and Mary Elizabeth (Brockman) Holthouse, who were also natives of the same place, where he received a good common-school education and was taught the details of 'farm work. Leaving his native land in 1849, he crossed the ocean to the New World in a sailing vessel and landing at New Orleans went up the river to St. Louis, Mo. Here he spent two or three years at various occupations, crossing the plains in 1852, with an emigrant train of ox teams. There were many hardships encountered through the loss of stock and they were obliged to abandon some of their wagons, but after a long and tedious trip, Mr. Holthouse reached Placer County, in the fall of the year, having spent six months in making the trip. He purchased a claim in Placer County and commenced mining. For seven years he followed this occupation and his venture proved profitable. most of his time being spent in the mines of Plumas County. From 1859 to 1870 he engaged in various pursuits, among which were quartz-mining, stock raising, farming and general merchandise business. At the expiration of this time, he removed to Al- viso, where he rented a farm and engaged in stock- raising and dairying for about four years, then pur- chased a place of 140 acres two miles southwest of Alviso on the corner of Mountain View and Al- viso roads, most of the farm being devoted to the raising of hay and grain and pasture for his cattle and horses. Here he later planted twenty acres to orchard of apples, pears, peaches, prunes and plums, and about seven acres he set to strawberries. Two fine artesian wells furnished all the water needed, and a comfortable residnce was erected.

In 1864 Mr. Holthouse married Mrs. Elizabeth (Madden) Ratliff, a native of Dublin, Ireland. They were the parents of five children; Herman E., Hugh N., deceased, Mary E., Mark H. and J. Fred, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this work. Mrs. Holt- house passed away December 27, 1902, and Mr. Holthouse May 30, 1920, at the age of ninety-three, honored and respected by all who knew him.

Carlon R.Willson

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

CARLON R. WILLSON .- A son of a worthy pio- neer, Carlon R. Willson has won for himself a posi- tion of prominence among the agriculturists and dairy- men of Santa Clara County by his untiring industry and integrity. He was born July 5, 1857, at San Felipe, Cal., the son of Albert Willson, a native of Keene, N. H., born March 10, 1829, and one of the earliest pioneers of Santa Clara County. Grandfather Charles Willson was born in Massachusetts and even- tually located in New Hampshire, where he died in 1846. His wife, Lavina Collins, before her marriage, who was also a native of Marlboro, N. H., came to California in 1853, accompanied by her son, Horace Willson, and settled at Gilroy, and she died at the age of eighty-six.

Learning the trade of a brickmason, Albert Willson was engaged in this line for about six years at Ran- dolph, Mass., and vicinity until starting for California by way of the Isthmus of Panama. He sailed from New York on January 9, 1852, and arrived at San Francisco on February 15, having walked across the Isthmus. His first work in California was on the canal at Robinson's Ferry, and then for four years he resided at Shaw's Flat, where he tried his luck as a miner. On March 12, 1856, he was united in mar- riage with Miss Eliza Jane Hildebrand, a native of Mt. Auburn, Ind., whose father, Abraham W. Hilde- brand, was also a pioneer of Santa Clara County, having crossed the plains in 1853, locating first at Shaw's Flat, where he mincd. Later he removed to the Pajaro Valley and engaged in farming and stock raising. The day after his marriage, Albert Willson came with his bride to Santa Clara County, locating on the Soap Ranch-so named because soap was made there- now known as the San Felipe district, where he leased land for some years, then purchased a tract of 500 acres and adding to it until he owned 617 acres. Here he made a specialty of dairying and cheese making, which he carried on extensively, sup- plying the markets in San Francisco. He passed away on September 15, 1904, honored and respected as one of the community's sterling citizens. Mrs. Willson is living in Gilroy, hale and hearty, at the age of eighty-five years.

Carlon R. Willson received his early education in the San Felipe school and the Gilroy high school, and in 1874 entered the California Military Academy at Oakland, graduating in 1878. In 1881 he returned to his father's native state to claim his bride, Miss Agnes M. Reed, who was reared and educated at Keene, N. H., and they immediately set out for Cali- fornia, settling on San Felipe ranch on their arrival here. Two children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Will- 'son: Ada L., died in childhood, and Agnes A., now the wife of Wm. P. Spratt, manager of the College Avenue branch, Bank of Italy, in Oakland, and the mother of two children, Margaret W. and Jeradine.

For thirty years Mr. Willson was actively and ex- tensively engaged in farming and stock raising, and his holdings consist of 1000 acres of fertile soil, well watered and supporting a large herd of cattle. He has followed in the footsteps of his father in the manufacture of cheese, the family having been en- gaged in that business for over fifty years, shipping to the San Francisco markets. He is a member oi the California Cattlemen's Association, and for many years was a director in the old Bank of Gilroy,

which was absorbed by the Gilroy Branch of the Bank of Italy, and he is a member of the advisory board of the bank, his long years of residence here making him an authority on land values. Always a friend of education, he is president of the board of education of the Union high school and a member of the board of trustees of the grammar schools of Gilroy; is a member of the Chamber of Commerce, and fraternally, is affiliated with the Elks, Odd Fel- lows and Masons. Mr. Willson is a valuable asset to the community where he has lived for so many years, and his ability and sterling worth have made for him a high place in the esteem of his fellow citizens.

MARK H. HOLTHOUSE .- The career of Mark H. Holthouse adds another to the many illustrations which Santa Clara County has furnished of the splen- did results attained by intelligence, industry and per- severance in combating discouragement and overcom- ing difficulties, and his example along horticultural and agricultural lines may well be emulated by the younger generation. He owns and successfully op- erates perhaps the largest ranch in the northern part of Santa Clara County, comprising some 688 acres devoted to dairy, hay and grain. A Cali- fornian by birth and breeding, he was born August 27, 1872, in Alviso, Santa Clara County, a son of Eberhardt Henry Holthouse, a native of Osnabruck, Hanover, Germany, who came to America when a young man, living for a time in St. Louis, Mo. In pioneer days crossed the plains to California, locat- ing in Plumas County, where he engaged in gold mining, and afterward followed mercantile pursuits. In 1870 he removed to Santa Clara County where for four years he was engaged in dairying near Al- viso, and in 1874 he purchased a ranch and profit- ably followed in general farming and stockraising. He married Mrs. Elizabeth (Madden) Ratliff, a na- tive of Dublin, Ireland, a daughter of Michael Mad- den. She left her home in Ireland to come to America, settling in New York City, and two of her brothers came to California in 1850 by way of the Horn. Mr. and Mrs. Holthouse were the parents of five children, Mark H., the subject of this sketch, being the fourth in order of birth. Mrs. Holthouse passed away December 27, 1902, at the home farm near Alviso, and Mr. Holthouse lived to be ninety- three years old.

Mark H. grew up on the old Holthouse home ranch; and when he reached the age of twenty- two purchased ten acres of the Murphy subdivi- sion, adding to it from time to time until he had seventy-three acres, which he farmed to alfalfa and grain; subsequently he sold the tract to good ad- vantage. His first marriage united him with Miss Esther Martin of Alviso, and they were the parents of four children; Theodore H .; Mark Vernon; Wil- fred E., and Nadine, a trained nurse, graduate of O'Connor's Sanitarium at San Jose. His second marriage was to Mrs. Anna (Arbiter) Hill, and there are three children in this family; Hugh James, Frederick John and Armond. Mrs. Hill had one child, Will Hill, by her first husband and he lives on the Holthouse ranch.

Three years ago Mr. Holthouse and his brother, J. F. Holthouse, bought what is now known as the Ynigo dairy ranch of 688 acres from the Hirsch Land Company on a ten-year contract and later Mark H. took over the interest of his brother and

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

is now the sole proprietor. He has greatly added to the productivity of the ranch by developing wells for irrigating purposes, having eight in all, which are run by electric power. He has brought the ranch to a high state of cultivation, planting it to alfalfa. tomatoes, sugar beets, hay, and grain, be- sides a number of acres of grazing land, and he has sixty milch cows of the Holstein breed. Mr. Holthouse is ably assisted in the ranch work by his sons and Mrs. Holthouse is indeed a capable help- mate. The family stands very highly in the com- munity and the hospitable spirit of their home is greatly enjoyed by their many friends and acquaint- ances. Mr. and Mrs. Holthouse are stanch Repub- licans. Mr. Holthouse has served on the election board; also as a juryman. His example of thrift and industry has had its influence on many young men, and his efforts in behalf of progressive meas- ures have been given unreservedly.

J. FRED HOLTHOUSE .- A young man of ster- ling worth, who by strict integrity and close appli- cation to business, is being amply rewarded for his industry and perseverance is J. Fred Holthouse, who was born and reared on the 140-acre ranch which was developed by his father, Eberhardt Henry Holthouse, a pioneer of California of 1852. The father was a native of Germany and upon his arrival in America, he began the journey across the plains in an ox team. As most of the pioneers of Cali- fornia were drawn hither with the tales of the finding of gold, Mr. Holthouse entered the mines in Plumas County and was thus engaged until he removed to Santa Clara County in 1874. His mar- riage occurred there and united him with Mrs. Eliz- abeth (Madden) Ratliff, a native of Ireland, who came to California from New York some time in the early '60s. They were the parents of five chil- dren, four of whom are living, the subject of this sketch being the youngest. The mother passed away December 27, 1902, and the father May 30, 1920, at the age of ninety-three.

J. Fred Holthouse was born December 17, 1877, and he first attended the Braly public school. Later he supplemented with a business course at the San Jose Business College, from which institution he graduated in 1894. After finishing school he started out for himself, baling hay during the summer months and boring wells during the winter seasons. From the very beginning of his business career, J. Fred Holthouse prospered, but not without much hard work and many disappointments, but undaunted he stuck to the task and he is now running three well boring rigs, operated by hand power and employs three crews regularly. Wise is the man that oper- ates several lines of business, and Mr. Holthouse ex- cels in various lines in which he is interested. He is a rancher, well driller, pump manufacturer in San Jose and manufactures concrete irrigating pipe and concrete drain pipe at Sunnyvale. He owns and operates three White trucks and one service wagon, and gives steady employment to fifteen men in his well drilling operations and upon his ranch, employ- ing them the year round. He is the president of the California Concrete Products Company at Sun- nyvale and they turn out the best quality of concrete irrigation, drain and sewer pipe. He is vice-presi- dent of the Campbell & Budlong Machine Works, manufacturers of all kinds of machinery besides do-

ing jobbing work. They are located at 890 South First Street, San Jose, and are manufacturers of a deep-well turbine pump of which Mr. Holthouse has the exclusive agency in this district. Being thor- oughly familiar with the geological stratification of the soil in the great Santa Clara Valley where he has brought in hundreds of water-wells, his judg- ment in matters pertaining to water supply is given great weight. A good indication of the kind of work which Mr. Holthouse turns out is that he gives a two-year unconditional guarantee with all his wells and pumps, and thereby is building up a large and profitable business. Besides the home place of 140 acres, he owns a tract of 160 acres and an- other of 640 acres on the Gila River in Arizona.

Mr. Holthouse's marriage in 1901 united him with Miss Frances Arbiter, a native of Kansas, a daughter of William and Hedwig Arbiter, who were both natives of Germany. Mr. and Mrs. Holthouse are the parents of four children; Freda Adeline, a graduate of Notre Dame; Mary Louise, a student in high school; Henry F., in the grammar school, and Vincent, a student in the Braly school. The family are members of the Catholic Church at Santa Clara. Politically Mr. Holthouse is a Republican and fraternally, he belongs to the Druids. He is a man of strong executive force and by his industry and strict integrity has won for himself a place of prominence in the community which is undoubt- edly deserved and is justly popular. An enthusiast over the growth and prosperity of Santa Clara, he gives his time and means to the building up of the community.

LLOYD E. FREEMAN .- One of the oldest set- tlements of Santa Clara County, Santa Clara has of late manifested strongly the spirit of reconstruction and upbuilding, due to the progressive young busi- ness men who are now at the helm of this old Cali- fornia city. A leader among them, Lloyd E. Free- man, has done his full share to establish this spirit of enterprise since his coming here, as one of the owners of the Mission Garage at 945 Main Street.

A native son, Mr. Freeman was born in Marin County, March 8, 1896, and is a son of J. E. Free- man, also born in Marin County, and his wife, who was Lydia L. Perrins before her marriage. She is a native of Springfield, Mass., and is of English origin, being a third cousin of a member of the firm of Lea & Perrins, of "Worcestershire Sauce" fame. Mr. and Mrs. Freeman, who reside in Santa Clara, are the parents of five children: Mrs. Byron Smith; H. E. Freeman, with the Modesto Milk Company, where he resides; Lloyd E., of this sketch; Mabel, employed in San Jose; Arthur D., attending the Santa Clara high school.

After attending school at Orland, Lloyd E. Free- man went to work there in 1912 in a small auto repair shop, where he laid the foundation of his present expert knowledge in this line. In 1915 he came to Santa Clara and soon thereafter entered upon his present business career as proprietor of the Mission Garage. The business has steadily grown until it requires the services of five men to handle its increased volume. Associated with Mr. Freeman are his father, J. E. Freeman and his brother-in- law, Byron Smith. The former has charge of the tractor department and not only looks after this end of the establishment, but does much contract

John Smith

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

work outside, plowing, cultivating, etc. Mr. Smith, who is an expert vulcanizer, has charge of the department of oils, gasoline, tires and tubes, while Lloyd Freeman, with two helpers, attends to the mechanical work of the garage. It is a well-estab- lished and organized firm in which the spirit of co- operation is made manifest in a growing and profit- able business. Of a genial disposition and an ex- cellent co-operator and organizer, Mr. Freeman takes a leading part in the community's activities, and in addition to his garage interests, he is a stockholder in the Homer Knowles Pottery Company.

JOHN SMITH .- A man who has earned an inde- pendency by hard work and honest toil is John Smith, who is now living in peace and contentment on his beautiful orchard home, "Rawdon Dell," of thirty- two acres located on the Saratoga Road, with his wife and his family of six children. A native of England, he was born in Yorkshire, September 23, 1853, and was educated in the schools of his native country. He worked at various occupations until he came to America, locating in Santa Clara County, 1888, where some of his relatives lived. He came into possession of land, which he immediately planted to orchard of apricots, prunes and cherries. In 1916 he built his beautiful house of splash cement and it is finely located and is one of the show places of the Valley. It is named Rawdon Dell after their old home place in England, of which Mr. and Mrs. Smith as well as the older children cherish fond memories. He has disposed of a portion of his acreage and now has thirty-two under high cultivation.

Before leaving England Mr. Smith was married to Miss Eliza Bilton, also born and reared in York- shire and four of their six children were born in England. When he first left England he brought with him his son Thomas and within a short time returned to England and brought the rest of the fam- ily. There are three sons and three daughters; Thomas is a merchant; Fred B. is an orchardist; Jennie B. is Mrs. F. J. Currier; Harry E., a grad- uate of Stanford University, is an attorney practic- ing in San Jose; May E. is graduate of the San Jose State Normal and is a teacher; Grace A. a graduate of Riverside Library School, is with the Santa Clara County Library in San Jose. There are seven grandchildren. The family are active in the affairs of the Congregational Church, Saratoga. Mr. Smith is Republican in politics and with his family he is intensely interested in everything pertaining to the development and future of Saratoga and sur- rounding country.

WILLIAM B. ORTLEY .- One is reminded of the fact that many interesting industries engage the attention of brainy folk in the world, without the world at large knowing much about it, from the story of William B. Ortley and his business enter- prise, the gathering and shipping of clams and oyster shells. He was born in Alviso,-a native son, by the way, proud of his association with the Golden State, in 1875, and his parents were J. J. and Almira (Wade) Ortley. The Wades came across the plains at an early day, and were enrolled among the sturdy California pioneers. Mr. Ortley was a boatman on San Francisco Bay, and it was then that he began to develop the shell trade, for he had a large ware- house, and many boats to carry bay freight. At that time, too, a great deal of the hay and grain was

shipped out of Alviso, and this was stored in his warehouse, prior to being shipped. Fruit has now taken the place of the hay and grain, and the ware- houses are used for different purposes, and business in general is not as extensive as it used to be.

Our subject, however, in part to make up for this falling-off of profitable trade, has developed the clam and oyster shell trade, and to carry that on he has a boat of 150 tons, with a pump attachment, with which he pumps out the shells from the bay bottom, and then hauls them to the shore. He then sacks the shells and wholesales them to poultrymen and commission merchants over the entire West. He also uses his boat to load bay barges of 300 tons with shells, and these barges run to Sacramento and Petaluma, where the shells are disposed of. J. J. Ortley, the father, lived to be eighty-six years old. and he continued long in active business, assisted by his son, who eventually took over the enterprise. Mr. Ortley ships, on the average, two carloads a month of shells, from which he derives a very satis- factory income, although his necessary operating and maintenance expenses are also high-much higher than most persons would be inclined to consider. Politically, Mr. Ortley is an independent, believing in holding himself above the narrowness of party lines, and giving his support generously to the man and the measures he believes to be best and most worthy of endorsement.

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History of Santa Clara County California with biographical sketches, Part 131

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