History of Santa Clara County California with biographical sketches, Part 160

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

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On November 25, 1896, Mr. Dunn was married at Walnut Creek, in Contra Costa County, to Miss Ethel M. Godfrey, a native of Beaver, Minn., and the daughter of George and Emerette (Clark) God- frey. Mr. Godfrey came to California in 1889, as a farmer; and he is still living at the age of eighty-

J. J. Dunn.

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three years in San Jose. Ethel attended the Beaver grammar school, and on coming to California fin- ished her studies at Oakland. Seven children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Dunn, and five are still living. Harvey G. and Robert O. are with the Western Honey Corporation and queen-bee breeders. Ruby died when she was one year old. Bernice also lived to be only half a year older. Arthur L. is attending the Grant School. Lloyd died at nine months past. The sixth in the order of birth is Madeline. Mr. Dunn is a member of Observatory Lodge, No. 23, Odd Fellows, also the Encampment, and is just en- tering the Canton; while Mrs. Dunn is a member of Josephine Rebekah Lodge. Mr. Dunn is a member of the Presbyterian Church, and in politics is an in- dependent, believing in supporting the best man and measures regardless of party preferences.

JAMES A. SPENCER-A native son of San Jose and a member of one of the old and honored families of California, James A. Spencer is well known in business circles of the city as an expert well borer, having successfully followed that occupation for the past twenty-three years. He was born August 28. 1865, of the marriage of James C. and Frankie E. (Laird) Spencer. In 1853 the father started across the plains for the West and for three years he followed mining at Nevada City, Nevada, after which he came to California, settling at McCartysville, now known as Saratoga, in Santa Clara County. He purchased a small ranch near the town, devoting his attention to its improvement and operation and also engaging in hauling soda water from the Con- gress mineral springs to Santa Clara, the roads in those carly days often being is such condition that it was necessary to convey the soda water on pack mules. Mr. Spencer was a native of Columbus, Ohio, while his wife was born in Illinois, and when eight years of age she came to California by the Isth- mus route. In 1871 they became residents of San Jose, where the father engaged in teaming contract- ing, and also hauled wood from his ranch at Mc- Cartysville to this city and to Santa Clara. In his later years he became foreman of the John Tully ranch of 1,600 acres and acted in that capacity for twenty-five years. He passed away in 1920, but the mother is still living and is now seventy-six years of age. In their family were eight children, five sons and three daughters.

James A. Spencer acquired his education in the public schools of San Jose and when sixteen years of age he started out in life for himself, but in order to better prepare himself for a commercial career he took a business course. For a few years he was employed on ranches and then accepted a position as foreman of a construction gang employed by the Bay City Water Company at Coyote, California. For ten years he was thus active and the next three years were spent as chauffeur for the secretary of that company. In 1898 he embarked in the well-boring business, in which he has since continued, and his services are in constant demand. The excellence of his work is indicated in the fact that patronage comes to him unsolicited. He never allows the small- est detail of his task to be slighted and is thoroughly reliable and conscientious in all business transactions. He has confined his operations to the Santa Clara Valley and has put down wells for the Herbert Pack- ing Company of San Jose, the Richmond & Chase 45

Packing Company, also of this city, the Braslan Seed Company at Gilroy and numerous wells at Edenvale and other parts of the valley.

In San Jose, on March 8, 1890, Mr. Spencer married Miss Mary Frances Warren, a native of Saratoga, California, and a daughter of A. T. and Fannie Warren, who passed away during her girl- hood. Her father was associated with Ransom Wilkes in the operation of a sawmill at Long Bridge, the plant being run by water power. Mrs. Spencer acquired her education in the schools of Ben Lomond and Boulder Creek and by her marriage she has become the mother of three children. Oscar P. is assisting his father in business. Dorothy Florence married Chester C. Clevenger of San Jose, who is also interested in well drilling with his father-in-law. and they have two children, Dorothy and Betty. Francis Warren, the youngest of the family, is like- wise engaged in business with his father. Mr. Spen- cer gives his political allegiance to the Republican party and fraternally he is identified with the For- esters of America. He has never been afraid of hard work, realizing that success is gained only at the cost of carnest labor and persistency of purpose, and that he is a man of strict integrity and moral worth is indicated by the high esteem in which he is held by those among whom his life has been passed.

CHARLES GARDNER LATHROP .- For many years business manager and treasurer of the Leland Stanford, Jr., University, the late Charles Gardner Lathrop was a brother of the late Mrs. Leland Stan- ford, being her junior by twenty-one years and the youngest of a family of seven children, a son of Dyer and Jane Ann Lathrop. He was born at Al- bany, N. Y., May 11, 1849, and educated in the public schools of Albany, and at an age of fourteen years, went to work in the Union Bank of that city. In 1877 at an age of twenty-eight, he came to California At first he engaged in the brokerage business at San Francisco, then spent some time in the service of the passenger department of the Southern Pacific, after which he joined his older brother, Ariel Lathrop, in the management of Governor Stanford's business affairs. Together they opened up the first set of books that the Governor had ever kept, and when Stanford University was founded, the scope of their activity was enlarged so as to include the affairs of the University.

In 1892 Ariel Lathrop returned to the east and Charles assumed full control of the duties which the two brothers had previously exercised. After Gover- nor Stanford's death, in June, 1893, Mrs. Stanford retained him in the same position, appointing him a member of the board of trustees, and in 1892 making him treasurer and business manager of the Uni- versity. In 1899 Mrs. Stanford in an address to the board of trustees insured his retention in this respon- sible position by directing that upon her death "my brother, Charles G. Lathrop, shall become and remain treasurer and business manager of the board of trustees, and I wish him to have the same powers and duties that he now has."

In 1912 Mr. Lathrop felt that the state of his health required him to be relieved from a portion of his responsibilities, and therefore formally tendered his resignation as business manager, but the board per- suaded him to continue in the office. On January 20,

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1914, he once more tendered his resignation and urged its acceptance, saying: "During all these years I have tried to serve the interests of the University faithfully and to discharge the duties of the position to the best of my ability. For the last two years, however, I have felt that I have not been in a condi- tion physically to give the work the attention it requires, and l therefore desire to be relieved of the duties which I have been discharging in my capacity as business manager for the board of trustees. My withdrawal of this office will be a relief to me, and I am sure, would serve the interests of all con- cerned." On this occasion the Board accepted his resignation as business manager with expression of regret, continuing him, however, as treasurer.

The University lost a most conscientious and faith- ful servant in Charles G. Lathrop. Loyalty to his sister and to her wishes for the University was the guiding principle of his life. Any proposal which ran counter to his conception of her desires met his in- flexible opposition, and he worked with unwearying zeal for what he believed would be her plans for Stanford. His own particular province was the busi- ness and financial management of the University; but he manifested keen interest in other departments of its activities and lent them support. For years he maintained a fund in the library for the purchase of books relating to California, particularly its early history, and he was one of the chief contributors to the medical department library. The undergraduates in him had a friend ever ready to help finance trips for their athletic teams, while he liberally offered trophies to stimulate competition in sports. He was one of the earliest members of Stanford Union.

Mr. Lathrop's first marriage took place at Albany, N. Y., in 1870, and united him with Libbie Griswold of that city, by whom he had two children: Leland Stanford Lathrop, has one child, Leland Stanford Lathrop, Jr, and resides at Belvidere, Cal .; Jennie Lathrop, who is now Mrs. Watson, and resides in Los Angeles and has two children, Helen and Robert. Mrs. Lathrop died on July 3, 1885, and on January 19, 1893, at San Francisco, Cal., he was married to Miss Annie Mary Schlageter, a daughter of Hermann and Barbara Ulrich Schlageter, a native of Mariposa, Cal., while her parents were both born at Buehl- Baden, in Germany, and were married at Louisville, Ky. They moved thence to San Francisco, Cal., in the late fifties. The father was a mechanic in earlier life, but later became a hotel proprietor in Mariposa County. Mr. and Mrs. Schlageter had nine children, Mrs Lathrop being the eighth. The youngest of the family is Dr. H. J. Schlageter of San Francisco, well known physician and surgeon, now resigned from the army. Of Spanish-American and World War fame he received the rank of lieutenant-colonel in France and had charge of U. S. Base Hospital No. 86.

Mr. and Mrs. Charles G. Lathrop together selected the site of their beautiful home at Alta Vista and together planned and built the palatial residence where Mrs. Lathrop still lives. It is beautifully located, overlooking the University quadrangle and the campus, as well as San Francisco Bay. Here Mr. Lathrop enjoyed an ideal family life with his wife and child, a daughter, Hermina, now the wife of Major Robert Du Rant Harden of Letterman

General Hospital, Presidio, San Francisco, which has been the place of their domicile ever since the Major's return from France. They have two children, Jane Ann and Barbara. Major Harden held the rank of lieutenant-colonel in the U. S. Medical Corps in the late war and was in command of U. S. Base Hospital No. 87, at Toul, France.

Funeral services for Mr. Lathrop were held in Memorial Church, Wednesday morning, May 27, 1914, Chaplain Gardner officiating. In religion he was a Protestant, but Mrs. Lathrop adheres to the Catholic faith in which she was reared. She careful- ly keeps up the traditional hospitality of the Lathrop home and takes a live interest in the great institution that her husband served so well. A loving mother, a kind friend and neighbor, she and the Lathrop name continue to be most highly respected.

FRED E. LESTER .- A native son of Santa Clara County, Fred E. Lester was born at the old Lester family home on South Lincoln avenue, San Jose. April 5, 1888, a son of Nathan L. and Sarah E. (Spicer) Lester, pioncer settlers of the county, repre- sented on another page in this work. He is next to the youngest of their seven children and was reared on the home farm, educated in the public schools and at the Pacific Coast Business College, where he was graduated in 1908. From a boy he was trained in horticulture and early in life took charge of the home place and is still operating it, two ranches in all, of which sixty-seven acres are devoted to prunes.

In 1915 Mr. Lester was married to Miss June Von Dorsten, the ceremony taking place at her parent's home, a daughter of Otto F. and Matilda (Snyder) Von Dorsten, natives of Colusa and Calaveras coun- ties, respectively. Her grandfather, H. A. Von Dorsten, crossed the plains with an ox-team train in pioneer days and was one of the earliest settlers of Colusa County, becoming a stockman and grain grower near Princeton; afterwards he came to Santa Clara County and improved the Von Dorsten orchard on Foxworthy road, that is still owned by his two sons. Mrs. Lester's maternal grandfather, P. N. Snyder, came to San Francisco via Cape Horn and was a pioneer miner in Calaveras County, where his active business life was spent; but he died in Santa Clara County. His wife, Caroline Hodecker, came via Panama with her parents to Calaveras County and married there, and she also died in Santa Clara County. Mrs. Lester is the oldest of two children and a graduate of the San Jose State Normal School.

While still operating his mother's ranch, Mr. Les- ter finds time for still further enterprises. In 1914 he became interested and associated with his brothers, Nathan L. and William W., in a 175-acre orchard and was active until 1918, when they divided the property and the partnership was dissolved. He then became associated with Otto F. Von Dorsten in orcharding, and they own a splendid orchard on Fox- worthy road and a large orchard on Almaden road, devoted to the raising of prunes. He is a member of the California Prune & Apricot Association and the California Walnut Growers' Association. Mr. and Mrs. Lester have three children: Edith Annette, Fred Raymond, and Marjory Alice. In politics Mr. Lester is a Republican, and he belongs to Fraternity

Charlee L. Burdick

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Lodge No. 399, F. & A. M., of San Jose, and with his wife is a member of the San Jose Chapter No. 31, O. E. S., and both are members of the First Congre- gational Church of San Jose.

CHARLES L. BURDICK-Among Santa Clara County's retired ranchers, in whose life the word success is spelled by far-sightedness and persever- ance is Charles L. Burdick, who is numbered among the G. A. R. veterans of San Jose, with a proud record for service in the stirring days of the Civil War. Charles L. Burdick was born in Warren County, New York, near Athol and not far from Warrenburg, the county seat, on June 6, 1847, and was the son of David and Polly (Fuller) Burdick. The father was a farmer and a lumberman and his birthplace was at the same place as that of Charles. David Burdick was also a bridge and barn builder and Charles learned the business under the instruc- tion of his father. The Burdicks trace their family back as far as 1653, when Robert Burdick came over from England and settled at Rutherford, Connecticut. His great-great-grandfather Burdick died in battle during the Revolutionary War, fighting under Gen- eral Sullivan.

When Charles was eight years old, he came with his parents to Lake County, Illinois, settling near Waukegan, but the family lived there only a year, when they went to Minnesota where his father took up a timber claim in Blue Earth County near Man- kato, Minnesota. However, he did not like the new country and there were no schools, so they moved back to Lake County and here Charles made his home until the War of the Rebellion broke out. In February 1864, when he was past sixteen years of age, he enlisted at Chicago, Illinois, in the Thirty- ninth Illinois Infantry, serving under General Butler in the Army of the Potomac at Richmond and was at Bermuda Hundred. He served in the army until December, 1865, having been at Appomattox Court House when Lee surrendered. He was also one of the soldiers at Norfolk, Virginia, when it was under martial law, and Colonel Mann was the mayor of the town and his forces policed the town and kept order; in all he spent four months in this city, having also been stationed in Richmond. He participated in five of the largest engagements of the war. In 1869, his father moved to Iowa, and in November, 1870, took up government land in Sionx County. Charles fol- lowed his father and took up 160 acres of land during the year 1871. It was here that David Burdick served as township assessor in Lincoln township, and Charles Burdick was his assistant; his father also served as justice of peace of Lincoln township and at that time Charles Burdick served as clerk of the same township. David Burdick also served on the school board, and having the interest of the community at heart, he served in these different positions faithfully.

Charles Burdick's marriage, which occurred March 16, 1869, in Cypress, Wis., near Kenosha, united him with Miss Annie Lowe, who was born in Lake County, Illinois, and was the daughter of Warner and Frances (Bell) Lowe. Her father was a native of Pennsylvania and the mother was born in Ohio. Mr. Burdick and his young wife drove from her home in Illinois to Iowa, across the country in a wagon and a span of colts; arriving at his father's home in Floyd County, they spent the winter of 1871 there and then went on to Sioux County and

took up government land and lived there until 1878, when he disposed of this property and came to Cali- fornia, settling in Monterey County, nine miles from King City, and preempted 160 acres of hill land. Here he engaged in raising stock and hay and in De- cember, 1888, he came to San Jose, and took up the business of contract building, specializing in first- class dwellings and continuing in this business until he retired in 1920. He is now spending his days very comfortably, helping others to strive for and gain the success that he has worked so diligently to obtain. Mr. and Mrs. Burdick were the parents of four child- ren and also are the grandparents of five: George B. resides in San Jose and is in the employ of Richmond- Chase Company. He married Agnes Ferguson and they are the parents of three children-Donald L., Kenneth D., and Muriel; Belle became the wife of A. E. Reynolds and resides on a farm near Kings City in Monterey County and she has one son. Har- old; Maud married A. O. Kent, a plumber of San Jose, and they are the parents of a son, Keith Kenneth Kent; Frank B. is a butcher by trade, single, and living in San Jose. Mr. Burdick has lived in East San Jose since 1893, locating there when there were very few homes in that vicinity. He is very popular and influential in the city of San Jose; in 1906 he was one of the organizers and member of the first board of trustees of East San Jose; served a number of years on the school board in Iowa and in Monterey County; is a member of Sheridan-Dix Post No. 7, G. A. R., of San Jose, and during the year 1901 was its commander, and since 1905 has been a member of the cemetery committee of this post and its secretary since 1911. In national politics, he is is a stanch ad- herent to the views of the Republican party. Mrs. Burdick is a member of the Ladies of the G. A. R.

MRS. ELLA S. PARKHURST-Since 1878 Mrs. Ella S. Parkhurst has made her home in San Jose and as one of the honored pioneer residents of the city she enjoys the unqualified esteem and regard of a large circle of friends. She is a native of Michigan, her birth having occurred about ten miles from Ann Arbor, and her parents were Thomas and Susan (Whitehead) Featherly. Her family originally settled in New York State, whence her father re- moved to Michigan and for sixty years operated a farm in that state, passing away there when eighty- two years of age. He was an honored veteran of the Civil War, in which he served for four years in Company G, Third Michigan Cavalry.

The sixth in a family of eight children, consisting of four sons and four daughters, Ella S. Featherly attended the grammar schools of Whitmore Lake. Michigan, and in 1875, when twenty-one years of age, she came to Marysville, California, being accom- panied by her oldest and youngest brothers and one sister. For three years she remained at Marysville and then came to San Jose, where she was married October 10, 1878, to Lorenzo Dowe Parkhurst, who was born near Montpelier, Vermont, and came to California in the '60's. He became the owner of several hundred acres of land in Sutter County, while later he conducted a large general merchandise store at Yuba City and also engaged in the grain business. Possessing marked executive ability, his interests were most capably and successfully managed and after coming to San Jose he lived retired until his demise, which occurred September 10, 1888, when

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he was forty-five years of age. In 1881 he built a large residence at the corner of Lincoln and Willow streets, in which Mrs. Parkhurst now resides. He was of English parentage and in his passing San Jose lost one of its valued citizens, his associates a faithful friend and his family a devoted husband and father.

Mr. and Mrs. Parkhurst became the parents of a daughter, Veda G., now the wife of George Moore, who was formerly engaged in merchandising in this city, and they have a son, Kenneth Parkhurst Moore. Mr. Parkhurst was a Mason of high standing, having membership with the order at Marysville, and Mrs. Parkhurst is a member of the Eastern Star; the woman's auxiliary of the Maccabees; the San Jose Circle, Ladies of the G. A. R .; and the Loyal Workers of San Jose, which is a branch of the Woman's Relief Corps; and for twenty-five years has been an active member of the local Grange, manifesting a keen interest in the development, upbuilding, and progress of Santa Clara County.

GIACOMO PEIRANO .- A progressive and influ- ential Italian-American who will long be remembered for his usefulness to his fellow-countrymen in the Golden State and his successful efforts to help de- velop this promising portion of the great Pacific commonwealth, was the late Giacomo Peirano, who was born near Genoa, Italy, on November 26, 1853, and when sixteen years old crossed the ocean to America. He came on West, and in 1870 arrived a: Sonora, in Tuolumne County. There he joined his brother, who had come here some years before and was running a market garden for the miners, and for a couple of years he remained in his employ.

In 1872 he came to San Jose and started a grocery at the corner of Market and Saint Augustine streets; and there he was in business for five years. On November 25, 1877, he was married at San Jose to Miss Anna Savio, a native of Torino, Italy, whose father had died when she was a baby, so that she was adopted by a Mr. and Mrs. Giraud, with whom she came to America by way of the Horn when she was ten years old. They stayed a short time in San Francisco, and then moved inland to San Jose, where Mr. Giraud was the gardener at the College of Notre Dame. Miss Savio attended school at Notre Dame, but when she was twelve years old her adopted mother was taken ill, and after that she had to work to care for the invalid. The old Giraud home was on South Market Street, opposite the Columbia Hos- pital, and there Mr. Giraud continued to live until he was eighty-two years of age.

In 1880 Giacomo Peirano went into the commis- sion business, and bought and sold grain, hay, fruit and farm products. His sons, Aldo and Paul Peirano, joined him, and they had a store at 73-75 North Market Street. In 1907 he sold out and went to Seattle and there conducted a commission business until 1910. at which time he returned to San Jose. leaving Aldo and Paul to run the business. 1n 1911 Aldo returned to San Jose and Paul took in a part- ner, but in 1914 he sold out and worked for other Seattle firms. In 1919 Paul returned to San Jose and opened the Seattle Grocery at the corner of River and Santa Clara streets. On December 8. 1919. Giacomo Peirano passed away, the father of six children: John died when he was eight years old; Mary lived for only four months; Aldo is at home; Paul is the well-known merchant; Joseph

and Vera are both dead. Mrs. Giacomo Peirano continued to live at the old family home-31 South River Street, which they built about 1900.

Paul Peirano attended the common schools in San Jose, and when old enough he began to help his father in business. At San Jose, on Easter Sunday. 1908, he was married to Miss Clara Solari, a native of Murphy, Calaveras County, Cal., who passed away in 1911. On June 6, 1915, Mr. Peirano was again married, this time to Miss Mildred Stingley, the daughter of William P. and Celia Anna Stingley, and a native of Kansas. Her father came to Califor- nia by way of the Reno route when she was a little girl, and in later years he and his faithful wife were farmer folk, although at first, as an emigrant travel- ing in a prairie schooner, he had the mining fever. Mr. and Mrs. Paul Peirano and their family are all Democrats; and he is a member of Eagles No 1. at Seattle. His father, Giacomo Peirano, was presi- dent of the Italian-American Society for a number of years, and also head of the building of the Italian Church in San Jose.

JUDGE T. H. MILLER .- Prominent among the most popular Federal officials in Santa Clara County may well be named Judge T. H. Miller, the efficient postmaster at Morgan Hill. He was born at Woods- town. N. J., on July 1, 1863, a son of Anthony and Anna (Hudson) Miller, who came to America from Ireland, a newly-married couple. His father was a native of Germany, but his mother was born in Ire- land; she was a sister of the late Rev. Father Hudson of St. Mary's Parish, Gilroy.

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History of Santa Clara County California with biographical sketches, Part 160

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