History of Santa Clara County California with biographical sketches, Part 136

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

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After working about on ranches for a few months Mr. Anderson bought a tract of land in 1892, in the Cupertino district and ever since that date he has been interested in the fruit business. He set out part of his land to various kinds of fruit as an experi- ment at first, then found the varieties that were the most productive and, after selling out, again invested in fifteen acres at Sunnyvale, which he now owns and keeps in first-class condition, and which is under a high state of cultivation. He is a member of the Cali- fornia Prune and Apricot Association and vitally interested in the cooperative movements that have been brought to the notice of the citizens of the coun- ty. In 1916 Mr. Anderson purchased twenty-four acres at Oakdale, Stanislaus County, which is also set to orchard fruits. Although he has interests in other sections of the state he believes that there is no bet- ter climate to be found anywhere than in the western part of Santa Clara County.

In 1912 Mr. Anderson accepted the position of superintendent of the Francis Carolan ranch on the Stevens Creek Road in the Cupertino district and since that time he has devoted a great deal of atten- tion to improving that beauty spot. He set out the orchard of some sixty acres, laid out the grounds and planted the flowers and shrubbery and has met with a gratifying degree of success in his labors. He brings to bear a thorough knowledge of the landscape gar- dener's art and the orchardist's training, and his efforts have been so successful that the property is now on a self-supporting basis.

The marriage of T. O. Anderson on February 9, 1921, united him with Miss Minnie Bertha Buckow, a native daughter, born in Sacramento, whose parents

Erve lo Strickland.

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were among the early settlers; she was a trained nurse prior to her marriage; and shares with her hus- band the admiration of a wide circle of friends in their community. Mr. Anderson is a Republican and fraternally is a member of the Odd Fellows and the Rebekahs, to which order Mrs. Anderson be- longs. He is ever ready and willing to assist all worthy movements for the building up of the county and his time and attention are concentrated upon his business activities and his intelligently directed efforts have been important factors in raising the horticultural standards of the Santa Clara Valley, while his public-spirited citizenship and sterling worth have won for him the respect of all with whom he has been associated.

ERVE C. STRICKLAND .- As manager of the Temple Laundry Company, Inc., the largest concern in this line in the city of San Jose, Erve C. Strickland is numbered among the progressive business men of this city. Mr. Strickland was born in Athens, Mich., on November 29, 1874, and was the son of C. E. and Sarah (Cullen) Strickland, who came to California in 1896, locating in Tulare. They now reside in San Jose.

Mr. Strickland attended the public schools in Mich- igan until 1888, when he removed with his parents to Augusta, Kan., and later to Topeka, where he graduated from the Topeka high school, then from Johnson's Business College in Topeka; thus he ob- tained a useful training, which served him in good stead on his entrance into the competition of the business world. His early inclinations were in the line of merchandising, and he had at different times fcur mercantile establishments in the state of Kansas. In 1897, disposing of his mercantile business, he came to California. However, on the breaking out of the Spanish-American War he enlisted in the Twen- tieth Kansas Volunteer Infantry as a private; heing a musician he became a member of the band and was advanced to principal musician and later to band- master. He was with his regiment in their Philip- pine campaign under General Frederick Funston and has the honor of having been engaged in every battle in which the Twentieth Kansas took part, for in that regiment the members of the band carried arms and served in the engagements and battles, two members being killed and five wounded. Mr. Strickland served as an aide under General Funston and was in the following engagements: Manila, February 4, 5 and 6; Caloocan, February 10; defense of Caloocan, Febril- ary 11 to March 24; Tuliajan River, March 25; Polo and Malinta, March 26; Marilao, March 27; Bocaue and Guguinto, March 29; advance on Malolos, March 30 and 31; defense of Malolos, April 1 to 24; Bag Bag River, April 25; Rio Grande, April 26, 27; San Tomas, May 4; defense of San Fernando, May 6 to June 8; battle of Bacolor, May 24; engagements north of San Fernando, May 25, and reconnaissance to Santa Rita, May 25. Returning with his regiment, he was mus- tered out at the Presidio, at San Francisco, in October, 1899, the regiment going east as a unit to Topeka, where they were disbanded. Mr. Strickland received a medal of honor from the State of Kansas and also one from the U. S. Government by order of a special act of Congress, and he he also received a letter from President Mckinley.

As a musician, Mr. Strickland began playing in bands from the age of twelve years, and in time he- came leader of bands in different parts of Kansas,

until he was director of the celebrated Mid-Continent Band at Topeka. After the Spanish-American War he became military instructor and bandmaster at Haskell Institute, Lawrence, Kan., a position he filled ably and well for two years, when he resigned in 1901 to locate in California. Engaging in the mer- cantile business in San Francisco for one year, he removed to San Luis Obispo, and followed general contracting until January 1, 1912, when he came to San Jose and purchased the Temple Laundry, then located at Seventeenth and East Santa Clara streets, which under his capable management grew to such proportions that in 1919 they found it necessary to seek larger quarters, and purchased their present site of seven lots on Fifteenth and St. Johns streets, extending back to Sixteenth. Here they erected an up-to-date building, 100x260, and also built a garage and a warehouse, and in 1920 they enlarged it by building an annex devoted entirely to family wash service. The whole plant is planned for facility of service and is equipped with the most modern ma- chinery. They employ more than a hundred people and have steadily grown until it is not only the larg- est laundry in the county, but is the largest and most complete plant between San Francisco and Los An- geles. The Temple Laundry uses sixteen motor de- livery trucks in their delivery department and cover the entire valley. Aside from the management of his large business, Mr. Strickland also finds time to de- vote to horticulture, in which he is greatly inter- ested. He owns a fifty-acre pear orchard near Monti- cello in the heart of the Berryessa Valley, Napa County, which he developed from a stubble field.

Mr. Strickland is very popular among the business men of San Jose and belongs to a number of fra- ternal and business organizations. He is a charter member of the San Jose Commercial Club and is a member of the Chamber of Commerce, the One Hun- dred Per Cent Club, the National Institute of Laun- drying, the State Laundry Owners' Association, and is president of the Santa Clara Laundry Owners Asso- ciation. He is also a member of the Order of Moose, the Spanish-American War Veterans and Veterans of Foreign Wars. In politics he is a Republican.

SAMUEL FREEMAN AYER .- One of the inter- esting and worthy pioneers who had the welfare of Santa Clara County uppermost in his mind and heart was the late Samuel Freeman Ayer, who was born Jannary 23, 1840, his parents, James and Elizabeth Ayer, at that time being residents of Sackville, New Brunswick. Samuel Ayer learned the carriage maker trade in Sackville and in May, 1860, he came to Cali- tornia by way of Panama. He first located in the town of Santa Clara, working a few months in the shop of John Dickson. He then received an ad- vantageous offer from Abraham Weller of Milpitas, removing to that place where he was employed in Mr. Weller's shop until the spring of 1861, when he leased the shop and set up in business on his own account.

He was married in 1862, his wife being Miss Amer- ica E. Evans, the accomplished daughter of Josiah Evans, one of the pioneers of the state and a gentle- man widely known and respected. In 1863 Mr. Ayer gave up his lease on the old shops and built new ones of his own, which he conducted successfully until 1868. At this time he purchased a tract of 150 acres situated a mile east of Milpitas toward the foothills, and giving up his shops he engaged in agriculture.

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

In 1875 the supervisorial districts of Santa Clara County were reorganized, a district being formed from the townships of Fremont, Alviso and Milpitas. An election for supervisor was held in 1876, and Mr. Ayer became a candidate. The district was Demo- cratic, but although Mr. Ayer was a Republican he was elected. He efficiently discharged the duties of his office and was reelected each time to succeed him- self, excepting two years when he was not a candi- date, remaining in office until his death on June 5, 1899; his widow surviving until December 22, 1920. This worthy couple had a family of nine children, eight of whom are living: Edith E. of San Jose; Ethel C. of Oakland; Mrs. C. H. Mitchell of Oak- land; Mrs. J. L. Ogier and Mrs. Frazer O. Reed, both of San Jose; Joseph E. and Samuel E. of Sar- gent, Cal .; Henry M. of San Jose. As a public offi- cial Mr. Ayer originated and carried to a successful termination some of the most beneficial measures of the county government. As a farmer he was al- ways in the front rank of progress and as a citizen he was esteemed and respected by all.

FANNIE BONNEY SNITJER .- In the annals of events in Santa Clara County the life history of Fan- que Bonney Snitjer should be recorded, as it is of great interest. A native of Missouri, she was born in Clark County, the daughter of Joel and Eveline H. (Worthington) Bonney, born in Maine and Missouri, respectively. Her grandfather, Edward Worthington, was married in Kentucky to Miss Elizabeth Wayland, a native of that state. They drove across the country to Clark County, Mo., and were the seventh white family to locate in northeast Missouri, where they did much to improve the country. Mrs. Snitjer's great-grandfather, Elijah Wayland, was a native of Cermany, a son of a nobleman, and coming to Virginia in the early days, served through the Revolutionary War. The Worthington family were also of Revo- lutionary stock and members of the family also served in the Indian wars. Edward Worthington had a land grant in Kentucky, but moving out to Missouri, his property in Kentucky was sold for taxes and it is now the site of Louisville. Joel Bonney came from Farmington, Maine, to Clark County, Mo., when he was a young man and there he married Miss Worthington. He was a graduate M. D. and prac- ticed medicine in Clark County until the Civil War, when he located in Quincy, Ill., where he practiced for fifty years. He was a thirty-second degree Scot- tish Rite Mason, and spent his last days with Mrs. Snitjer, where he died, being survived by his widow who, at the age of ninety-four, lives with and is ten- derly cared for by Mrs. Snitjer. Mr. and Mrs. Bon- ney had five children: William, a prominent attor- ney was judge at Ellensburg, Wash., when he passed away; Oscar was an attorney and a judge of Adams County, Ill., spending his last days in Quincy; Fan- nie is Mrs. Snitjer; Joe Laura was the wife of John W. Lord of Chicago and died in 1921; Dr. Sam- uel B. Bonney resides in Los Angeles.

Fannie Bonney received her education in the pub- lic schools and Franklin high school of Quincy, I11 .. then entered La Grange College, La Grange, Mo., where she finished her college course. She was mar- ried at her parents' home in Quincy, Ill., to Drikus Snitjer, who was born in Holland, where he obtained a good education, being well advanced in his studies when he came with his parents to St. Louis, Mo.,

when fourteen years of age. He secured employ- ment in the Singer Sewing Machine Company's plant in St. Louis, where he worked for a few years. leaving the company to engage in business for himself in Quincy; later, however, he accepted the position of manager for the same company in St. Louis. When he first started to work for this company he received fifty cents a week and when he left the com- pany to come to California he was general manager of the Singer Sewing Machine Company, receiving $26,000 a year. The family removed to California in 1894 on account of the poor health of Mrs. Snitjer; for a time they lived in San Jose, but later bought seventy acres on the Homestead Road set to young orchard and here Mrs. Snitjer regained her health. Mr. and Mrs. Snitjer were the parents of five chil- dren, two of whom grew to maturity, Alice and Edwin. Mr. Snitjer was a Republican in his politics, and fraternally was a Mason and Knight Templar. He passed away in 1918 at the family home in San Jose. Mrs. Snitjer has recently purchased a fifty- acre orange grove at Lindsay, Cal., well irrigated and in full bearing.

When Mr. and Mrs. Snitjer removed to San Jose they had one child, Alice, who married Albert Arm- strong, a native of New York, who lost his life in the service of his country in the Spanish American War, while a member of Roosevelt's Rough Riders in Cuba. Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong were the parents of one daughter, Bonney. Mrs. Armstrong later married Dr. Richardson Burke of San Jose, who has since passed away. Mrs. Burke is a very capable woman and is prominent as a platform lecturer, and during 1910 she covered the eastern, northern, west- ern and southern boundaries of the United States in an automobile on a campaign for woman's suffrage.

Bonney Armstrong was born in San Jose and at- tended the grammar and high schools there, continu- ing her education at Hollins, Va., and Columbia University, New York. Her marriage united her with Elbert J. Brown, who was reared in San Jose and attended the public schools there. He was first em- ployed by the W. R. Grace Company and then be- came purser on the Pacific mail steamer, Peru, from which he was later transferred to the Newport, and was then appointed agent for the Pacific Mail at San Jose de Guatemala. While living at San Jose de Guatemala, Mr. Brown and his fiancee decided not to wait for his return to the United States. He then sailed for San Francisco on the Newport and was met by his future bride, and together they went to San Jose de Guatemala, having been married on board the Newport by Captain Yardley. After living in San Jose de Guatemala for three monthsr Mr. Brown received a promotion, being transferred to Yoko- hama, Japan. While residing there, a son, George Elbert, was born to them. Mr. Brown was later transferred to Kobe as agent there for the Pacific Mail Steamship Company, and is now general mana- ger for the whole Philippine territory, with head- quarters at Manila.

Edwin Snitjer married Miss Bertha Quentine of New Haven, Conn., and they have three children- Frances, Billie, and Louise. He has just perfected a compound nailing machine for use in packing houses which has a capacity of 30,000 boxes a day, and is already being installed in the packing houses at Fres-

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

no for the raisin crop. Mr. Snitjer makes his head- quarters in San Francisco.

Mrs. Snitjer superintends her ranches and sees that they are properly taken care of. In religious faith she is a Baptist, in which church her mother has been a member for eighty-three years.

JOHN R. CARLO .- A merchant whose unre- mitting labor and enterprise, together with com- mendable public-spirit and unimpeachable integrity have brought their own reward, is John R. Carlo, of Milpitas, who was born at Horta on the Island of Fayal, in the Azores, on April 6, 1871, the son of Manuel and Anna (Fortado) Carlo, estimable farmer- folk, in excellent standing in the community in which they toiled and died. They had a good-sized family, but John is the only one living of the once happy, united circle. He attended the public schools at Horta, and when fifteen years of age came out to the United States, stopping for a short time at Bos- ton. Then, in August, 1886, at the beginning of the great boom here, he came on to California and set- tled at Warmsprings in Alameda County. There he again went to school, but having a good chance to get some work on a farm, he accepted a position which he held for seven years.

He then farmed a part of the old William Curtain ranch, on the Downing Road, the part now operated by J. F. Rose, and only at the end of eight years sold out his interest, being attracted to Milpitas. Here he entered into a partnership with Joseph Pashote, the father of the Pashote Bros., to conduct the grocery and general merchandise business now under- taken by the Pashotes, the partners buying out Mr. Cunha, but in 1908 he sold his interest to Mr. Pa- shote, and he built another store in Milpitas, which he has since conducted.

At Milpitas, in January, 1904, Mr. Carlo was mar- ried to Miss Lena Pashote, the daughter of Joseph and Mary Pashote, the former an early settler of San Leandro, where he engaged in farming. The bride was born in San Leandro, and in the excellent schools there received her education. Four children have blessed this union, Mary, John, Alfred and Joseph, all of whom attend the Milpitas school. In national political affairs a standpat Republican, and one who is influential in local councils, Mr. Carlo is popular in fraternal circles. He is a member of the I. D. E. S., and he is secretary of the Milpitas lodge; he is also secretary of the U. P. E. C. of Milpitas, is the supreme director of the S. E. S. of Milpitas, and a charter member of the Milpitas lodge of the Wood- men of the World.

HENRY D. MATHEWS .- An experienced and accommodating official, whose dependability is ap- preciated by all who come in contact with him, is Henry D. Mathews, a native of New York City, where he was born April 11, 1845. His parents were James H. and Mary Elizabeth (Gorse) Mathews, and they settled at St. Paul, Minn., when Henry was eleven years old. His great-great-grand- father, David Matthews, a native of England, set- tled in New York, and was mayor of that city from 1777 to 1783; at that time the family spelled their name with two t's.

Henry D. Mathews went to the public schools in New York City and St. Paul, and from his seven- teenth to his twentieth year was in the Civil War as

a member of Company G, Sixth Minnesota Volun- teer Infantry, serving from Angust 13, 1862, until August 19, 1865, when he received his honorable discharge. Returning to St. Paul, he was with James J. Hill when the latter was steamboat agent there, from April, 1866, to March, 1869; afterwards he was with the Northern Line of steamboats on the Missis- sippi River for a few years and then was agent for the Diamond Joe Line at St. Paul for about fifteen years. Becoming president and treasurer of the Northwestern Lime Company, he was thus occupied until 1894, when he disposed of his holdings to come to California.

On coming to San Jose, Mr. Mathews was presi- dent of the Los Gatos Wine Company, and when the Good Government League was formed in 1902, he was elected councilman at large for San Jose. After twenty months in that office, he was appointed city treasurer and four months later was elected to that office, in 1904. At the end of two years he was elected mayor of San Jose in 1906; owing to the effects of the earthquake of that year, much had to be done to public buildings and public works, and it so happened that the responsibilities of office were greater for Mr. Mathews in that period than they ordinarily would have been and he was able to accomplish just so much the more. On leaving the office of mayor, Mr. Mathews served as bank exam- iner under Alden Anderson, state superintendent of banks, until 1911, when he became manager of the Kennett branch of the First Savings Bank of Shasta County, continuing there for seven years. On Octo- ber 1, 1918, he resigned and returned to San Jose, and since then has been manager of the Safe De- posit Department of the Garden City Bank and Trust Company of San Jose.

In Chicago, in 1890, Mr. Mathews was married to Miss Martha E. Shideler, and their son is Henry D. Mathews, Jr., an automotive electrician. He was in the officers' training camp at Camp Taylor, and thus did his part to help along the American cause in the great World War.

Mr. Mathews is past master of Friendship Lodge No. 210, F. & A. M .. is a member of Howard Chap- ter No. 14, R. A. M., and past commander of San Jose Commandery No. 10, K. T. He is also a life member of Islam Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., at San Francisco, and with his wife belongs to San Jose Chapter No. 31, O. E. S. and to Rose Croix Shrine No. 7. of the order of the White Shrine of Jerusalem. He was formerly a member of Acker Post, G. A. R., in St. Paul, but since coming to California has been a member of Sheridan-Dix Post. An enthusiastic Californian, Mr. Mathews is a good "booster" and leaves no stone unturned to help along the great work of development of town, county and state. In May, 1920, Mr. Mathews was elected to the post of city councilman, taking up the duties of this office in July, 1920, for a period of six years, and is rendering very valuable service. He has made a study of traffic and traffic congestion, was the originator of the safety zone ordinance and is also the father of the new parking ordinance which greatly relieves the congestion in the business dis- trict. Mr. Matthews championed, against much oppo- sition the advent of the Western Pacific into San Jose which gives the city another railroad. In fact all these years there has not been a movement that

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had for its aim the betterment and development of the city and county but Mr. Matthews has taken an active part in the putting them over.

PROF. JOSEPH WESLEY RAINEY .- A man who has contributed to the pleasure of the music loving people and has done his share to raise the stand- ard of music in San Jose is Prof. Joseph Wesley Rainey, a native of County Antrim, Ireland, born October 8, 1838, a son of Hugh and Sarah Rainey. The father was a farmer and died when our subject was three years of age. When a lad of ten years he came to Birmingham, Mich., where he attended the public school. He showed much talent for music, possessing a splendid voice and he continued the study of music under Migalo Signor, a well-known teacher of his time in Detroit, and later Mr. Rainey was engaged in teaching singing. During the Civil War he showed his patriotism by volunteering his services, enlisting in Company D, Twenty-second Michigan Volunteer Infantry, on September 3, 1862, taking part in the battles of Danville and Hickman bridge, Ky., Peavine Creek, Chickamauga, Wauhat- chie and Missionary Ridge, Tenn, Atlanta, Ga. He was mustered out at Nashville, Tenn., June 26, 1865.

Mr. Rainey was married December 16, 1868, at Birmingham, Mich., to Miss Hattie Philbrick, who was born at Troy, Mich., a daughter of Henry Phil- brick, a native of New York State and a successful voice teacher in Michigan. Hattie Philbrick studied piano and voice and possessed a beautiful alto voice. They were located at Pontiac, Mich., where Mr. Rainey was chorister of the Methodist Episcopal Church and Mrs. Rainey was the organist, and in that city, too, he taught voice.

Becoming interested in the Pacific Coast region, Mr. and Mrs. Rainey removed to San Jose in 1883, where they became well known in music circles, Mr. Rainey as a teacher of voice and Mrs. Rainey as a teacher of piano. He was leader of the Methodist Episcopal choir for two years and the Presbyterian choir for seven years; at the same time Mrs. Rainey served as the organist. At the end of this period, Mrs. Rainey became organist for the True Life Church at Eden- vale, a position she filled for eighteen years, at the same time being a member of the church. Prof. Rainey continued teaching in San Jose and at the same time sang at the Catholic churches in that city for about thirty years, the last engagement being at St. Joseph's Church, over a period of nine years. Fossessing a very sweet and pure tenor voice, he gave his audiences much pleasure by his interpretation and clear rendition of solos, and continued his singing until eighty-one years of age. He and Mrs. Rainey now live retired, spending a part of the year in San Jose and the balance at their orchard home in the Lakeside district of the Santa Cruz Mountains, where he owns fifteen acres devoted to the culture of prunes, being an enthusiastic member of the Prune and Ap- ricot Growers Association. Thus at this cozy country home, Mr. and Mrs. Rainey in their liberal and kind-hearted way dispense a generous hospitality. They have one daughter Lessie M., the wife of Prof. Joseph E. Hancock, head of the Grant grammar school in San Jose, the parents of two children -- Velda and Joseph Rainey Hancock. Mr. Rainey is a Knights Templar Mason, a Knight of Pythias and a member of Sheridan-Dix Post No. 7, G. A. R., and

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History of Santa Clara County California with biographical sketches, Part 136

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