History of Santa Clara County California with biographical sketches, Part 132

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

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JAMES S. CARSON .- An efficient and, therefore, a very popular official is James S. Carson, the super- intendent of the Santa Clara County Poor Farm, near Milpitas, who was born in South Mountain, Canada, on August 31, 1856, the son of James and Elizabeth (Pelton) Carson. His father was a farmer having a ranch of 100 acres devoted to general farm- ing; and he reared a family of nine children, among whom our subject was the next to the youngest born. He attended the public schools at South Mountain; but his father having died when he was only ten years of age, he began to make his way in the world from his thirteenth year.

He first worked five years on a dairy farm, milk- ing: and in 1871 he came to Marin County, Cal., and engaged in hay-bailing at Tomales. He then went to Santa Clara County, removed to San Luis Obispo County, and after returning to Santa Clara County spent about seven years farming.

In 1905 he became superintendent of the County Farm near Milpitas, and he has since continued in that responsible office requiring for its successful ad- ministration experience, common sense, and humane sympathy. Besides performing his official duties there, Mr. Carson manages a farm of 100 acres of his own known as the old Sinnot ranch. The County Farm has about 230 acres, 100 of which are devoted to vegetables and hay, and the balance to pasture and grazing. There is a dairy of thirty-five head of milch cows, with about 100 head of stock on the farm, and the place has three irrigation wells. The Farm cares for from 150 to 300 unfortunate persons. varying according to season, many leaving in the summer months, others coming in the winter, about two-thirds of this number being incapacitated in some way; but enough are able to work, to help keep the farm in running order. Perhaps particularly as the result of his experienc with those who come to him as the county's representative for relief, Mr.

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

Carson believes in the selection of men for office regardless of partisan claims. Mr. Carson's mother, who came to California about 1896, and died here five years later, was of Scotch descent, and his father of Irish descent, so that he has been for- tunate in his blood-inheritance.

At Oakland, Cal., on Christmas Day, 1888, Mr. Carson was married to Miss Margaret Mokler, a native of Tomales, Cal., the daughter of Charles and Mary Mokler. Her father was an early settler and a dairyman at Tomales, and highly respected. Four children have been born to this union: Nellie is Mrs. Joseph Ramelli of Milpitas; May has become Mrs. James Cropley of San Jose; Stella has become Mrs. John Martin of San Jose; and Ralph is a stu- dent at Santa Clara College.

JOHN COX .- Great honor is due the courageous pioneers of the Golden State in view of the great hardships they experienced in their untiring efforts to blaze a path for a later civilization, and John Cox. now deceased, may well be counted among these noble men. He was born in Iowa, July 9, 1849, the son of William and Dicey (Baggs) Cox, both natives of Ohio, who were pioneers of Santa Clara County. John Cox, the eldest of their family of nine children, crossed the plains with his parents in an ox-team train in 1852 and was reared on the home farm in the Saratoga district in Santa Clara County, receiving a good education in the local schools while assisting his parents in their ranching. His marriage occurred at Los Gatos October 15, 1879, and united him with Miss Almeda Morrison, born near Cedar Rapids, Iowa, December 31, 1861, a daughter of Willis and Sarah (Williams) Morrison. Her grandfather, David Morrison, of Scotch-Irish parentage, was born on the Atlantic Ocean, while his parents were emigrating to the United States. He lived in Indiana and there married Eliza Allen, a descendant of Ethan Allen, the hero of Ticonderoga. Sarah Williams was born in Indiana, a daughter of Adin Williams, a native of old Kentucky. Willis Morrison was a wheelwright and a farmer, who came to California in 1863 via Panama, while his wife joined him in 1864, making the journey across the plains, bringing their three children. Mrs. Cox was at that time a small child but still remembers the thrills incident to the trip. Mr. and Mrs. Mor- rison were the parents of nine children. Willis Morrison spent a short time in the mines when he arrived in California and then came to Santa Clara County and worked in the sawmill near Wrights, then went to Oregon, where he ranched for a short time and returned to Santa Clara and bought 160 acres near Saratoga. Later he spent two years at railroad work in Southern Oregon and then moved to Los Angeles County and bought a ranch of sixty acres of walnuts. He passed away in 1915 at the age of eighty-one years, being survived by his widow, now eighty-five years old. At the time of their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Cox located on the farm of 105 acres on Saratoga Avenue where she still re- sides. A grain field then, they began setting out orchards of prunes that are now full bearing. At the time of Mr. Cox's death they owned a ranch of 150 acres. He was an energetic man and was never idle, however, he was not permitted to enjoy the fruits of his labors for he passed away August 15, 1916. He was a man widely known and esteemed as an up-

builder of the district and he and his wife were members of the Methodist Church. Since his death his widow continues to reside on the home place. looking after the interests left by her husband and aiding the various movements for the upbuilding of the Saratoga section. Mr. and Mrs. Cox were the parents of eight children, seven of whom are liv- ing; Clara is the wife of E. C. Stamper, and they are the parents of three children-Arthur, Eveline and Donald; Cora is the wife of Robert K. Wells and they have four children living-Eleanor, Herbert, Chester and Clyde; John W. married Alta Laddick and they have one child-Raymond; Frances is Mrs. Fred Mc- Coy and she had a child by her first marriage named George Rowell; Jessie, Mrs. Robbins of Roseburg, Ore .; Willis M. married Ethel Gage and has one child. Milton; and Frank, the youngest of the family.

WILLIAM GRIFFITHS .- Of a constructive and mechanical turn of mind, William Griffiths has turned his talents to the manufacture of a house- hold necessity and is thereby establishing a busi- ness in Santa Clara that is a credit both to him- self and the town. Mr. Griffiths, who was born in San Francisco on April 2, 1884, is the son of James and Johanna (Mahoney) Griffiths, the lat- ter a native of Ireland. The father, who was born in Bristol, England, was a boilermaker and he came to San Francisco in the early days of 1856. Here he followed his trade for a number of years, work- ing for such pioneer firms as Monahan, Scott and the well-known Union Iron Works. Later he went to Mexico and built boilers for the various Mexi- can railway companies; his death occurred in San Francisco in 1890. There were three children in the Griffiths family: Mrs. Sellers and Mrs. Fuentes. both of San Francisco, and William, of this sketch.

William Griffiths, the youngest of the family, was only six years old at the time of his father's death, and as a mere lad he had to go to work. For seven years he was with the Union Iron Works at San Francisco, and just before the earthquake there in 1906 he had become interested in the cement busi- ness, and was engagd in building foundations, walks and buildings. During this period he became ac- quainted with Charles Wesley, the originator of the cement laundry tray, who had recently come from Chicago, and after a time he was engaged by Mr. Wesley to make the necessary molds for the trays, such as are now manufactured by Mr. Griffiths. They are built according to the standard specifica- tions adopted by the Pacific Coast Cement Tray Manufacturers Association, reinforced by means of wire netting, with zinc bottoms and rims and the necessary plumbing connections.

In 1913 Mr. Griffiths came to Santa Clara and bought the property at 829 Franklin Street, which he has remodeled into modern apartments, one of which he occupies, while in the rear he is building a structure to accommodate his growing manufactur- ing interests. He is now manufacturing on an av- erage of 150 trays per month and they are meeting with excellent satisfaction and a constantly increasing demand, being made of the best materials.

Mr. Griffiths was married in San Francisco to Miss Eva Pyne, born and reared in Santa Clara. She is the daughter of William and Mattie (Murphy) Pyne, and one of a family of four children. Her father, who was born in London, England, came

John boy.

Almeda box.

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

to Santa Clara in 1897, and passed away there in 1900. Grandfather Pyne was a Civil War veteran and a California pioneer. Mrs. Pyne, who makes her home with Mrs. Griffiths, was born in Phila- delphia, Pa., a daughter of Thomas Murphy of that city. Mr. and Mrs. Griffiths are the parents of two children, Willie and Budd. Mrs. Griffiths efficiently assists her husband in his business, and is the office manager, stenographer and bookkeeper, while Mr. Griffiths manages the sales department and oversees the work of the shop. He is a member of the Plasterers and Cement Finishers Union of San Jose. Both he and Mrs. Griffiths are prominent members of the Episcopal Church at Santa Clara, and have made for themselves a lasting place in the community through their progressive spirit and enterprise.

JAMES LOGUE .- A substantial farmer of the Sunnyvale district, James Logue has acquired valu- able holdings there through his years of industrious labor, having been a resident of California since 1875. County Derry, Ireland, was the scene of his child- hood and there he was born on March 2, 1853, his parents being Michael and Ellen (McKenna) Logue. He attended school until he was fifteen, meanwhile helping his father, who was engaged in farming, and later he went to work for his grandmother. When he reached the age of eighteen he made up his mind to come to America, and going from Belfast to Liverpool, he crossed the ocean to New York, land- ing there the first week of October, 1871. He im- mediately went on to Pittsburgh, Pa., where he had two cousins, and while there he remembers well seeing the fire engines being loaded on the cars to be rushed to the great Chicago fire.

Mr. Logne remained in Pittsburgh for three years, hauling coal and lime, and then came west to San Francisco, Cal., arriving in April, 1875. He worked for the contractor who was building the Grand Hotel, shoveling sand for him, and after a month came to San Jose. His first employment was with Joseph Keep on North First Street, then with Roy McLaughlin and Judge Archer, being three years with the latter. On July 5, 1880, he came to the great Murphy ranch at Sunnyvale and worked under Michael Farrell, who was then foreman, for three years. By that time he felt that he should begin operations on his own account, and accordingly rented a place of 165 acres on the north side of the Mountain View and Alviso road, remaining there for a number of years. Later he began to pur- chase land, his first purchase being seventy-three acres from the late C. C. Morse, the seedman; this he sold and since he has made three different pur- chases from George Swall of Mountain View, and he now has 1761/2 acres, a valuable tract of land which he keeps up to the highest state of cultivation, every- thing being run systematically. "A place for every- thing and everything in its place," has always been strictly adhered to by Mr. Logue.

In 1887, Mr. Logue was married to Miss Catherine Mulhall, who was born at Morristown, N. J., and came to California in 1876. Her father, Jerry Mul- hall, was a contractor in Santa Clara. Five chil- dren have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Logue: Aloysius died at the age of sixteen; Mary, a grad- uate of the San Jose State Normal, is a teacher at the Mountain View grammar school; James M. was in the U. S. Navy during the war and got as far as

England; he is now at home and helping operate the farm; Genevieve died at the age of eight; Cath- erine is a graduate of the Mountain View high school and is now attending the State Normal School at San Jose. The family are members of the Roman Catholic Church at Mountain View, and Mr. Logue is a member of the Prune and Apricot Growers, Inc., a stockholder and director in the First National Bank of Mountain View and a stockholder in the Sunnyvale branch of the Bank of Italy. Politically he is a Democrat and a stanch supporter of all that pertains to the welfare of his community, where he is held in the highest respect.

THE FARMERS & MERCHANTS NATIONAL BANK OF MOUNTAIN VIEW .- The thriving city of Mountain View has been fortunate in the part played by the far-sighted and experienced bankers in her agricultural and commercial develop- ment through which she has come to take a place of influence, and prominent among the agencies which have made for the greatest progress must be mentioned the Farmers and Merchants National Bank, the leading banking institution of Mountain View. Its success is duc, in great measure, to the fact that it possesses every banking facility and meets every local requirement, and its increased working capital, together with added modern con- veniences, which have added greatly to the con- venience and general satisfaction of the patrons, has widened its territory, added to the number of its patrons, and enabled it to do business on a broader and more liberal basis. Much of the im- provement and growth is due to the personal at- tention to every detail, and the hard, conscientious work by Wilbur L. Camp, the first cashier of the institution and now serving as the capable and efficient president.

In 1905 J. S. Mockbee together with Wilbur L. Camp and a few other men-men of vision and faith who expand communities and develop com- monwealths-seeing the necessity of a banking in- stitution, established the Farmers and Merchants National Bank of Mountain View. It was duly incorporated under the laws of the State of Cali- fornia, capitalized at $50,000, $25,000 of which was paid up at the time of organization, and a beauti- ful and commodious bank building was erected at 200 Castro Street. In 1898 the Bank of Mountain View had been organized and in 1909 it was ab- sorbed by the Farmers and Merchants National Bank. In 1918, Mr. Mockbee resigned as president of the bank, owing to impaired eyesight, and Wilbur L. Camp was elected to fill the position and has associated with him vice-presidents J. S. Mockbee and M. Farrell; O. W. Whaley, cashier; P. C. Whaley and W. A. Griffin, assistant cashiers, and a board of directors composed of himself, George Swall, H. A. Rengstorff, J. S. Mockbee, O. W. Butz, George Jagels, M. Farrell, O. W. Whaley and A. M. Crittenden. Its present paid-up capital is $100,000 with a surplus of $20,000, and total re- sources of over $1,000,000. The bank has a fire, burglar-proof vault, with safe deposit accommoda- tions and ample rooms for the convenience of its patrons, with commodious offices for its officers, its general equipment being the equal of any insti- tution of its size in the country. It is no wonder that the Farmers and Merchants National Bank enjoys

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

the entire confidence of the people of this section, for it has become a member of the great Federal Reserve system, and as such is sure to provide the best of banking conditions through good times and bad

The high standing of each of the officers of the Farmers and Merchants National Bank of Mountain View, their well-known personal character, their ex- perience and ability, and the reasonable conserva- tism thus far demonstrated in the progressive pro- grams of the institution, give a double assurance to patrons and public alike as to the present healthy state of the bank. Mountain View is justly proud of this institution and the bank looks proudly to- ward the city of Mountain View of tomorrow.

FRED W. WEHNER .- Through his straightfor- ward methods of doing business and a high degree of personal integrity, Fred W. Wehner has truly been an upbuilder of the county and has established an enviable place for himself throughout the commu- nity. He has recently turned his business over to his son, Fred E., who is now running it, being well qualified for the responsibility, since he has been as- sisting his father for a number of years. Mr. Wehner now lives retired at his pleasant country place on Alum Rock Avenue, where he has a modern, beau- tiful bungalow situated on an eminence giving a beau- tiful view of the valley and city of San Jose, and here he engages in poultry raising, having very fine poultry yards. Mr. Wehner was born in Hanover, Germany, June 26, 1861, the son of John C. and Hannah (Angerstein) Wehner, both natives of Ger- many, from whence the family came to America in the year 1872, when our subject was eleven years old. Fred was next to the youngest of a family of thirteen children born to this worthy couple, who both passed away in San Jose.

Coming to San Jose in 1872 he was educated in the public schools. After school days were over, when sixteen years old, he began work as a machin- ist in the Alameda foundry and machine works at San Jose, owned by Fred Altman, continuing for about four years. During this time at their works he worked on the couplings and connections for the San Jose electric light tower at Market and Santa Clara Streets, which was famous all over the United States. He was sent to aid in its construction, start- ing when it was forty feet high, and then worked until the tower was completed to the topmost plat- forms, 200 feet high. He next went to northern Arizona, where he ran a stationary engine in the San Francisco Mountains near Flagstaff, at that time just a small railroad station; then came to West Berkeley and ran the engine for the Wentworth Boot and Shoe Company about one year. The fol- lowing four years he was with N. Clark & Sons Terra Cotta Company, in San Francisco,. Next he went to Vineyard Canyon, Monterey County and engaged in farming and stockraising for fourteen years, when he sold out and returned to San Jose in 1903. Here he began general teaming contracting, and since then continued in this line and in cement contracting, for a period of eighteen years. Many of the fine roads for which Santa Clara County is noted, have been constructed by him, among them being the Home- stead, the Story, the King, and the Berryessa roads: and Lucretia, Stone and Capitol Avenues. He has done extensive work in rock, gravel and cement, and his business continues to progress steadily since he turned it over to his son, F. E. Wehner.

The marriage of Mr. Wehner occurred in San Francisco, September 16, 1883, and united him with Miss Katherine E. Hennessey, a native of Springfield, Mass., and to them have been born three sons and a daughter; Fred E., as stated, is running the busi- ness; Ethel E. completed a business course and was employed by the Union Oil Company when she passed away in 1909, at the age of twenty-three; William Walter is a druggist at Gustine; Richard Harold is a public accountant, located at San Jose; he served in the U. S. Army during the World War. Mrs. Wehner is a cultured woman, enjoying the esthetic and beautiful things in life, and their home home is very attractive, both Mr. and Mrs. Wehner taking pleasure in showering their hospitality on their many friends. Mr. Wehner is a member of the Builders Exchange of San Jose and the Fraternal Brotherhood. He is a stanch adherent of the princi- ples of the Republican party and an enthusiast for outdoor life. He is held in high esteem as a pro- gressive citizen of San Jose and has ever manifested the deepest interest in questions of public concern.

ELMER E. CHASE .- A man of marked executive ability through which he has attained a high degree of success, is Elmer E. Chase of the Richmond-Chase Company. He was born in April 1, 1861, near Ro- chester, Minn., a son of George G. and Maria S. (Parce) Chase, and came with his parents to San Jose, Calif., in the year 1874. His father followed his trade of carpenter for a number of years; later en- gaging in agricultural pursuits. Both father and mother passed away in San Jose. There are three daughters and one son living.

Mr. Chase attended the public schools of Rochester and San Jose; later attending high school for a short time. His first venture into the business world was as an ordinary farm laborer; then he was employed by the Golden Gate Packing Company and served from general factotum to the responsible position of president and manager, serving in all some forty years. This was the oldest business of its kind in the state and was sold to Hunt Bros. in 1918. The experience of forty years in this particular line served to fully equip him for his later investments. In 1919, with E. N. Richmond, he formed a corporation known as the Richmond-Chase Company, dealers in dried and canned fruits. They operate two canneries-one of them located at Stockton-and two large packing plants and own and control about 600 acres of prune orchards. During the busy season, some 1500 people are employed to take care of their products. While his own individual business is the center of his activ- ities, yet Mr. Chase finds time to be of great value to the community. He served as president of the Board of Education for four years; he was a member of the board of freeholders that framed the city manager form of government and was elected a member of the city council at the general election in 1916, and served as president of the council two years; he also filled an unexpired term twenty years ago. He has served some ten or twelve years as president of the state organization of the Canners' League and in 1922 was re-elected to that office; is now president of the Security Warehouse and Cold Storage Com- pany, second vice-president of the Bank of San Jose, and president of the Traffic Bureau of the Chamber of Commerce. He is a loyal adherent of the principles of the Republican party, and fraternally is an active member of the Masons and the Elks. He is also a

F. Tr. Wehnen

Kute E. Wehner.

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

member of the Country Club, the Rotary Club, and Chamber of Commerce, having served as president, and the San Francisco Commercial Club, and a di- rector of the San Jose Commercial Club.

Mr. Chase's marriage to Miss Edith Granger, daughter of the late F. B. Granger, united him with a prominent pioneer family of Alameda, and three children have been born to them: Elmer E., Jr., associated with Richmond-Chase Company; Bernice, a student in high school, and June, who died in 1918 while a student at Stanford. Kindly by nature, public spirited, honorable and upright in all his business transactions, Elmer E. Chase is a man whom any city may well be proud to number among her citi- zens. He is very fond of music and for twenty-five years took an active part in amateur operas put on in San Jose, and was a member of the San Jose Orchestral Society during its existence.

ERNEST WOODBURY CONANT .- A native Minnesotan of acknowledged proficiency who has proven most efficient as a California public official, is Ernest Woodbury Conant, the popular treasurer of Santa Clara County, with headquarters at San Jose. He was born in Hennepin County on July 2, 1862, the son of Timothy Conant, a veteran of the Civil War, who saw hard service with Sherman on his famous march to the sea when he was a member of Company F of the Fourth Minnesota Infantry, which had previously been commanded by Gen. John A. Logan, one of Sherman's most dependable aides. He married Miss Martha Davis, and with their family they came to California in 1874, and on February 17 settled in Santa Clara County, where Mr. Conant became an orchardist in the Willows, in which field of activity he continued until his death, in 1889, the same year in which his good wife died.

After finishing with the elementary schools, Ernest Conant was duly graduated from the high school at San Jose, and then he pursued successfully certain courses in the University of California at Berkeley. When his father's health became impaired, he took charge of the home ranch; and so he came to busy himself with the drying of fruit, and the planting of more orchard. After a while, he was able to ship fruit East; and he still has an orchard and takes good care of it. He belongs to the Chamber of Commerce and contributes in every way possible for the stimula- tion of those industries and lines of activity peculiar to this section.

When Mr. Conant married, he chose for his wife Miss Agnes Pender, a graduate of the State Normal, a native daughter, her father having been a '49er; and now they have three children, Ernest Leslie, David Jordan and Mabel Agnes, and a grandson, Ernest Roger Conant. Ernest Leslie, ranch super- intendent for Fred Thomas, on Ryer Island, Sacra- mento County, is married and father of Ernest Roger Conant. David Jordan, who served the Government as the head of the engineering department of the ground school at Berkeley during the World War, with rank of Second Lieutenant, is now engineer for the Western Well Works in San Jose. Mabel Agnes is in training for the duties of a professional nurse; all three graduated from the San Jose high school Mr. Conant is a Mason, holding membership in San Jose Lodge No. 10, F. & A. M., of which he served two successive terms as Master and is now Senior Past Master of No. 10; a member of the Royal Arch Chapter and Knights Templar and of Observatory

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History of Santa Clara County California with biographical sketches, Part 132

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