History of Santa Clara County California with biographical sketches, Part 135

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

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VOLNEY AVERILL .- A man who gave his best effort for the preservation of the Union and has also done much to improve and build up the horticultural industry in Santa Clara County is Volney Averill, a native of Vermont, born near Highgate Springs, Franklin County, August 12, 1847, a son of Mark Richard and Adah (Durrin) Averill, both natives of Vermont who lived on their New England home- stead until 1852, when they removed to Whiteside County, Ill., and were farmers near Prophetstown until they retired and their demise occurred there.

Of their eight children, Volney is sixth and the only one now living. Like the farmer boys of that day, he assisted his parents on the farm while at- tending the public school near by. Thus his edu- cation was not neglected. However, his patriotism was stirred to such an extent that, having obtained his father's consent, he left his books and enlisted in October, 1864, in Company B, Thirty-fourth Illinois Volunteer Infantry and was sent south In a detach- ment of the Fourteenth and Twentieth Army Corps he took part in the battle of Nashville under General Thomas, after which he guarded the block house near Chattanooga until March, 1865, when he was sent with others via Washington to Wilmington, N. C., joining his regiment in Sherman's Army at Golds- boro, N. C. After the military operations were over he marched to Washington, and had the pleasure of taking part in the Grand Review. After this he was stationed at Louisville, Ky., until he received his honorable discharge, July 12, 1865, being mustered out at Chicago, Ill., July 17, of that year, still under 18 years of age. He attended school that winter in Sterling, 111., then spent a year working on a farm, when he went to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, as traveling salesman for an agricultural implement house for two years and then spent a year as a clerk in their store.

In the fall of 1869 he came to California, living in the Santa Cruz Mountains where he was employed on a ranch for a year and then returned to lowa and engaged in farming for two years-but the call of California and its splendid climate was too strong, so in the spring of 1873 he returned to Santa Clara County and immediately took up ranch work in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

On June 2, 1873, Mr. Averill was married to Miss Alice Schultheis, who was born on the old Schul- theis ranch on the summit in this county, a daughter of Martin Schultheis, a pioneer, who with his wife Susan (Byerly) Schultheis, crossed the plains in an ox-team train in the early fifties and located in the mountains above Lexington and there reared their family, becoming successful farmers and valued citi- zens. In 1874 Mr. Averill bought fifteen acres which he cleared and set out to orchard and as he prospered he bought land adjoining until he owned 75 acres, 35 acres being devoted mostly to French prunes. His orchard lies well to the summit, on the Santa Cruz and Santa Clara County line, his resi- dence being in the latter county. Mr. Averill was

one among the first to engage in raising prunes for commercial purposes in his section, and he has been a close student of conditions of soil and climate, and has cared for his orchard in the most scientific way.

Mr. and Mrs. Averill's union was blessed with seven children: Anna, Mrs. Flynn, passed away, leav- ing three children; Fred resides in Seattle; Mrs. Mamie Piper died leaving one child, as did Mrs. Flor- ence Banich at her death; Bessie, Mrs. Romes, lives near Palo Alto. Alice assists her mother to preside over the house; Arthur E. owns the home ranch, is married and has two children. Mr. Averill is a popu- iar member of E. O. C. Ord. Post 82 G. A. R. at Los Gatos, and is a stanch Republican.

THOMAS MAHER .- Living in the midst of the fine prune orchards of the Santa Clara Valley, Thom- as Maher and his family reside in comfort on the thirty-acre ranch, known as "Fairfax Farm," on the San Francisco highway near Mountain View. One of the old settlers of the Golden State, Mr. Maher has been a resident of California since 1864. He was born October 14, 1851, at Freeport, Stephenson Conn- ty, Ill., his parents, Michael and Ann (Ryan) Maher, both being natives of Ireland. The father, a hard- working farmer, was wont to supplement his income by working in the lead mines near Galena, Ill., and in Lafayette County, Wis., and it was while working at the latter place that he died, leaving a widow and eight children -- seven boys and one girl-to face life without him. To add to their hardships, the Civil War broke out and two of the older boys, Ed and Steve, enlisted and served for three years. Ed Maher now resides at Parsons, Kans., and was for- merly sheriff there, while Steve Maher is a contrac- tor at Colton, Cal. The only daughter is Mrs. Maria Anderson of Sacramento. After the sons returned from the army, the family decided to come to Cali- fornia, crossing the plains when Thomas Maher was only twelve years old. They settled at Michigan Bar in Amador County and all seven of the boys went to mining. It was hard work and the educational advantages were decidedly meager in that typical placer mining camp, but they managed to get along. Thomas saved a part of his earninigs, and while yet in his 'teens, went to San Francisco where he be- came engaged in the furniture business, continuing there for forty years, and at the same time conduct- ing a transfer business.

While living there Mr. Maher was married to Miss Mary DuPont, born in San Francisco, the daughter of Francis and Rosalie DuPont, who came from France to San Francisco in the early '50s. The father was employed as foreman on the Fairfax Farm in Marin County, and was living there at the time Mrs. Maher was born. Five children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Maher: Anita, Charles; Ada, the wife of Mortimer Samuels, the owner of Fairfax Farm; Dennis; Jewell, the wife of Wm. Hopkins, in business in San Francisco; and Florence; she, as well as Mrs. Hopkins, have scored successes on the music- al comedy stage. A twin sister of Mrs. Hopkins passed away some years ago. Mr. and Mrs. Maher have made their home on the ranch since 1915, en- joying the quiet comforts and beautiful surroundings of this vicinity. Mr. Maher gives his time to super- intending the cultivation of the thirty acres of Fair-

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fax Farm, which contains one of the finest and most productive apricot orchards of its size in the Santa Clara Valley. The members of the Maher family adhere to the Roman Catholic faith.

PHILIP G. SHEEHY .- Those who have watched the career of Philip G. Sheehy in its unfolding have noted the steady progress that he has made as a member of the bar in the handling of important ligitated interests. At the present time he is senior member of the firm of Sheehy and Helwig, expert accountants, of San Jose. He was born near Watson- ville, Santa Cruz County, in May, 1872, and is the son of John and Ellen (Bowen) Sheehy. The father came to California in the year 1852 by way of the Isthmus of Panama; here he engaged in mining and later followed farming as a pioneer of the Pajaro Valley. During the year of 1895 the family removed to San Jose, where the father passed away in 1908. The mother still resides in San Jose; she also crossed the Isthmus on mule back.

Mr. Sheehy began his education in the public schools of Santa Clara; upon graduation he entered the Hastings Law School where he spent one year ; in 1900 he was admitted to the California bar and to the Federal Court in 1903. For eight years he served the city of Watsonville as city attorney, and from 1913 to 1919 he was deputy internal revenue collector for six of the central coast counties. At the end of this time, he formed his present partnership with Mr. Helwig. Their business relations have been con- genial and they are counted among the successful business men of San Jose.

Mr. Sheehy's marriage on October 10, 1905, united him with Miss Loretta Freiermuth and they have five children: Ellen, Rose Marie, Philip G. Jr., Anita and John J. Mr. Sheeby adheres to the principles advocated in the platform of the Democratic party. Fraternally he is a member of the Woodmen of the World, and is also a member of the Chamber of Commerce and the Hundred Per Cent Club. Fond of the great outdoors, he spends as much time in the open as his busy life will allow. He is a broad- minded, public-spirited man and citizen of fertile ideas and boundless energies, and that which he has won only presages a future of continued efforts and consequent success.

JAMES B. LEAMAN .- An enterprising man of affairs, whose anticipation of the needs of the com- munity has not only resulted in marked public serv- ice but has enabled him to do well for himself, is James B. Leaman, the proprietor of the Red Star Laundry Company, and who, until March 1, 1922, maintained one of the highest grade vapor dry-clean- ing establishments in the state. He was born at San Jose on March 21. 1890, thus commencing life luck- ily as a native son, and his father was James B. Lea- man, who came to California in the historic year of '49, traveling by way of Panama, then returned East, and the next year came back to the Golden State by way of the great plains. He was the sheriff of Yuba County, and later the Collector of the Port of San Francisco; and as early as 1887, he settled here and was highly esteemed as an experienced, retired capi- talist. In 1890 he established the Red Star Laundry, from the management of which he retired just twenty years later. On April 11, 1911, he passed away, leaving behind the most enviable record of use-

fulness. He married Miss Mary B. Harmon, and as an accomplished woman devoted to her husband's memory, she has survived him to this day.

James B. Leaman, Jr., enjoyed the usual advantages of a grammar and high school education, and for a while was a student at Stanford University. Then he studied law for a couple of years. He attempted to conduct the laundry and cleaning business while still studying, but soon found that he could not carry on the two, and hence left the university for the counting room. The Red Star Laundry has an ever increasing business in which are employed sixty- eight persons; and such has been his success in the past, due to the generous, appreciative patronage of the local public that his business had quadrupled since he took charge. He never fails to demonstrate his live interest in the welfare of Santa Clara County; is a member of the Chamber of Commerce, and served three terms as a director; is a director of the Rotary Club; belongs to the Commercial Club and the Country Club.

At San Jose, on October 25, 1913, Mr. Leaman was married to Miss Margaret Shillingsburg, a native of California, and they have two children, Margaret and Robert. Mr. Leaman is a thirty-second degree Scot- tish Rite Mason and a Shriner, a Native Son of the Golden West, an Elk, and he is fond of fishing and hunting, and of outdoor life in general. In national politics he is a Republican.

PETER STOCK .- An enterprising business man of wide experience, is Peter Stock, the genial pro- prietor of The John Stock Sons Hardware Store, so long an emporium not only for the people of San Jose but for Santa Clara County as well. He was born in San Jose at what is now the entrance to the Ryland Block, the son of John Stock, whose name, as far back as 1854, represented the pioneer stove store. An uncle, Frank Stock, had really settled in San Jose in 1852, when he started a small stove and iron store, the first of its kind in the place; and two years later his brother John joined him, coming from Chicago Their store was situated on Market Street; and a short time afterward Frank Stock bought a lot on First Street, the present site of the Woolworth Store and Pellerano Drug Store, and erected the first brick building in First Street, into which they then moved.

In 1861 John Stock bought his brother's interests, and from that time until he retired, he carried on the business in his own name. Meanwhile, he bought the lot and built the front part of the store now occupied by John Stock Sons, and into this he moved in 1869. In 1884 John Stock retired, succeeded by his sons, John L., Frank and Peter H. Stock. On April 1, 1898, he lost his devoted wife, whose maiden name was Susanna Berg; and on January 27, 1916, he passed away. This worthy couple had seven children, among whom Peter is the youngest son.

He enjoyed both grammar and high schood ad- vantages, and at the age of eighteen entered the business with his father. In 1884 he joined his brothers in succeeding his father, enlarging the busi- ness. The firm became The John Stock Sons and in 1919 Peter Stock became sole proprietor.

At San Jose, in the year 1885, Mr. Stock was mar- ried to Miss Elizabeth O'Brien, a native of Boston, Mass., and like himself a member of St. Joseph's Catholic Church; and their union has been blessed by four children. Clara has become Mrs. Melehan;

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

Hazel married Jay Jones; and Evelyn is Mrs. Adrian Anderson. Geneva, the third in order of birth, is at home. There are also eight grandchildren,-four boys and four girls. Mr. Stock is a member of the Chamber of Commerce and Merchants' Exchange.

CHARLES C. LESTER .- A scientific orchardist who well represents twentieth century progress in California in this important field of agricultural in- dustry, is Charles C. Lester, who was born near Norwich, Conn., on January 9, 1881, the son of Amos Lester, who first saw the light in the historic town of Ledyard, in New London County, Conn., on De- cember 3, 1839. The Lesters settled in New London al- most as early as did the Ledyards, for whom the town was named; and the paternal grandfather, after whom Amos Lester was named, was probably born in Ledyard and died there in 1842, aged sixty-six years. His old homestead housed three generations of the family, and there Isaac A., his son, and Amos, his son's son, entered into the Lester family circles, the former having been born on the first anniversary of the inauguration of James Madison, in 1810. Isaac Lester joined another well-known Colonial family of New London County, by marrying Mary Chapman. who was born in Ledyard on March 12, 1815, a daugh- ter of the farmer, Ichabod Chapman.

Amos was the eldest of two daughters and nine sons born to Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Lester, and before he migrated to California in 1861, he graduated from the New Britain Normal School and taught school in Connecticut for a few terms. Settling in Napa Coun- ty, he met with only varying success on his first ranch, and he returned in 1866 to his old home in New London County, locating at Norwich. Two years later, on May 28, he was united in marriage with Carrie G. Spicer, a native of Ledyard, where she was born on May 28, 1850, so that their marriage took place on the bride's birthday. She was the daughter of Judge Edmund Spicer, who was born in Ledyard in 1812 and died in 1890, completing a very creditable career as a probate jurist of his na- tive town. In 1890, the lure of the great West again drew Amos Lester to California; and after putting in a year near San Jose, where he had an interest in twenty-five acres of orchard with two brothers, he re- moved to the home in time so widely known as the Lester place, four miles southeast of Gilroy. He bought 463 acres which he brought under a high state of cultviation, and came to make a specialty of horti- culture. He followed only the most scientific, up-to- date methods, and thus he was able to attain an en- viable financial standing in the community, represent- ed by his former participation, as a director, in the Napa Bank. Long a member of the Presbyterian Church, he became an honored elder there; and having joined the ranks of the Republican Party in the second administration of Abraham Lincoln, he became one of the patriotic citizens whose counsel was often sought by the leaders of the G. O. P. Eight children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Amos Lester; and besides Charles C., the subject of this sketch, John S., Minnic B. and Milton M. came to live on the home ranch, while another son, Henry W., settled in San Jose. An infant son and a daughter, Mary, and another son, Amos Everett, died in Connecticut.

Charles C. Lester was reared and schooled in the Down East State of his forefathers, and when nine

years of age accompanied his parents to California. He attended the Willow Glen School and later was graduated from the San Ysidro public school. From boyhood, he had his share to do of the chores about the farm, and at the age of twenty, he struck out on his own resources, and in 1901 leased the home place from his father, twenty-five acres of which had been set to prunes in 1892. In 1904 he acquired the ranch by purchase, and farmed it to hay and grain, while also conducting a dairy, and for about eight years he operated the Lester Cheese Factory at Gil- roy. As he became more and more interested in fruit culture he bought, in June, 1917, 200 acres lo- cated one mile nearer Gilroy than the home place: eighty acres of this was in prunes, fifty acres in bearing, and twenty acres in apricots, at time of purchase. He set to work with his customary en- ergy and planted the balance to prunes. In 1916, with some associates, Mr. Lester bought the Pacheco Ranch of 551 acres and as manager of the cor- poration he began developing the place. In 1917 he purchased the interests of the others and now is sole owner; that same year-1916-he bought 100 acres on the Pacheco Road, near the home place, and this he has set to prunes. It was in 1919 that he and Hon. H. S. Hersman bought from Miller & Lux Estate 120 acres now known as the Hersman- Lester orchard on South Monterey Road. On this tract is one of the best orchards in the county; in 1919 the yield reached 800 tons of green fruit from ninety acres of prune trees, the balance of the trees being apricots, and 375 tons of dried prunes.

The attraction of the Pacheco ranch, where there are 38,000 trees, affords a wonderful vista in blos- som time, but demands the highest developed or- ganization and the utmost industry in harvesting the crops. The planting of this ranch was accomplished under heavy odds and at great expense in 1916-17. when Mr. Lester lived at the ranch eighteen months and supervised 100 men in the huge task of first clearing the land of trees and stumps. In 1918 he had a bumper crop of tomatoes, for he had set out 275,000 plants between the trees; the yield was im- mense, some 4,000 tons of tomatoes being gathered and sent by truck to the California Packing Cor- poration at San Jose, transportation requiring the service of ten trucks. The heavy rains at that period. the first known for that season of the year for a period of fifty years, destroyed more than twice that amount, as the ground was saturated with water for ten days. About fifteen per cent of his total acre- age of prunes are of the Imperial variety, the bal- ance being French prunes. To get a fair idea of the extent of Mr. Lester's operations, one can well afford, when motoring through this district, to tarry long enough to inspect these orchards. He has long surrounded himself with men of superior caliber as his lieutenants and he has twenty men regularly employed on his ranches and at special seasons that number runs into three figures. Mr. Lester util- izes only the most modern of machinery on his ranches and has ever been at the fore in his field of agricultural enterprise because, by the hardest work and unremitting attention, at much cost to him per- sonally, he has mastered and assured every detail. It is said that Mr. Lester is one of the largest in- dividual growers of prunes in California, a fact of which Santa Clarans may well be proud. Always

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alive to the interests of his locality he assists in all movements for the public good and is serving as a member of the city council of Gilroy. In 1914, in connection with Hon. H. S. Hersman and E. R. Green. Mr. Lester increased the capital stock of the First National Bank of Gilroy from $25,000 to $75,- 000 and served as a director until the bank was merged with the Garden City Bank and Trust Com- pany, becoming the Gilroy branch.

At Gilroy, on November 19, 1914, Mr. Lester was united in marriage with Miss Henrietta Pieri, a daughter of Mrs. Mollie Pieri, and the family home is located at 63 North Eigleberry Street, Gilroy. Mr. Lester is a member of the B. P. O. Elks of Watsonville and of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Gilroy. In April, 1921, he was elected by the growers a member of the voting board of the California Prune and Apricot Association.

JOHN ROLL .- After many years of faithful serv- ice in Santa Clara County, John Roll has been re- elected time and again to the responsible office of supervisor, while his associates have honored him for the past four years by selecting him as chairman of the board. He has served them in that capacity more than twenty-seven years, being chosen by a large majority at each election. His mind and heart have been engrossed in the well-being of the county and such has been his success in the solution of many difficult problems that his fellow-citizens more and more have reposed confidence in him.

The Roll family settled in the state of Wisconsin as early as 1846, being pioneers of the then very sparsely settled territory and it was there, six years later, that John Roll was born, receiving his education in the public schools of his state. After his school days were over, he was employed at railroading in Iowa and Minnesota, later, in 1882, removing to Ari- zona where for eighteen months he followed mining.

In 1884 he removed to Santa Clara,. Cal., and for ten years was employed by the Pacific Manufacturing Company. During this time he served four years as a member of the board of trustees of Santa Clara, thus aiding in securing the municipal water works and electric light plant for the town. In the year 1894, he was elected supervisor for the fourth supervisorial district of Santa Clara County, to which position he has been reelected each time and is now serving his seventh term and at the present time is chairman of the board. Always interested in having good roads his years of experience in that endeavor have well qualified him as a judge in that line and he is looked upon as an authority in road building not only by the people of his county but throughout the whole state. The County Hospital has also received his strong support and for twenty years he has been at the head of the hospital committee and it is largely due to his energy and zeal that Santa Clara today has one of the finest county hospitals in the state.

Mr. Roll is well and favorably known throughout the state and was one of the organizers of the State Supervisors' Association and at the first meeting was elected treasurer of the association, a position he was honored with by election each year until at the meet- ing in Sacramento, 1920, when he was elected presi- dent, the highest honor that could be bestowed on him and thus he acted as presiding officer for the accustomed one year.

The marriage of Mr. Roll united him with Miss Emma M. Runge, also a native of Wisconsin. Five

children have been born to them: Robert I., Julia, deceased; Clara, August E., and John H. The latter served his country overseas in the World War. Mr. and Mrs. Roll also have four grandchildren. Politically a Democrat, Mr. Roll has served both his party and his community acceptably and efficiently. Fraternally he is a Knights Templar Mason and a Shriner, being a member of San Jose Commandery No. 10, K. T., and Islam Temple A. A. O. N. M. S., San Francisco, as well as a member of the Odd Fellows and the Red Men. He is at all times deeply interested in the welfare of his community and has never failed to accomplish the duties nearest him and aided materially in the county's advancement to a foremost place in the great commonwealth of California.

THEODORE O. ANDERSON .- One of the pros- perous and influential horticulturists of Santa Clara County is found in Theodore O. Anderson of the Cupertino district, where he is superintendent of the Carolan property of eighty acres and also is the owner of valuable property at Sunnyvale and at Oak- dale, Stanislaus County. Born in Gothenburg, Sweden, on June 10, 1869, and educated in the good public schools there, Mr. Anderson made up his mind that after his school days were over he would seek broader opportunities in America than were offered in his native land and accordingly, in 1888 he came to this country, remaining for two years at Erie, Pa. In 1890 he arrived in California and set about looking for a location that suited him. He spent the first six months in Fresno and found the climate very hot and then, having heard of the Santa Clara Val- ley, came to San Jose and ever since this county has been his home.

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History of Santa Clara County California with biographical sketches, Part 135

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