History of Santa Clara County California with biographical sketches, Part 161

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

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In 1867 the Miller family came to California and located in San Francisco, and at the age of nine T. H. went to Gilroy and made his home with his uncle, Father Hudson. Here the lad grew to young manhood, enjoying an excellent public school educa- tion; and on graduating, in 1880, he entered the employ of the Machado Rancho Company, near the present site of Morgan Hill. In 1888 he acquired. by purchase, a ranch of fifteen acres on the Watson- ville road, near the State Highway, and there he con- tinued farming successfully for twenty years.

For the last ten years, Judge Miller has lived at Morgan Hill; in 1902 he was elected justice of the peace for Morgan Hill Township, and for twelve consecutive years he served in that responsible of- fice. He resigned, in fact, only because, in 1914, President Wilson appointed him postmaster at Mor- gan Hill, an office he has conducted to every- body's satisfaction ever since. He owns the Post Office building on Monterey street, having erected it in 1908. Two good rural free delivery routes have been built up since 1914, and this may be one reason why, although the Judge is a Democrat, he has been retained by the present administration. He is a member and past officer of the American Yeomen.

At San Jose, Cal., on April 8, 1888, Mr. Miller was married to Miss Clara Vandervorst, the daughter of Henry and Johanna Vandervorst of San Jose, where she was both reared and schooled. Four children make up the family: Thomas J., has a wife and one son, and resides at San Jose; Harry V., who is now pursuing the electrical engineering course in the Uni- versity of Santa Clara, saw service in the late World War as first lieutenant in the U. S. Army; Frank I., is employed by James Slavin at Tres Pinos; and

Jacob P. Fulmer Jennie E. Felmer.

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Albert J., is a student at the Live Oak High School. The family attend the Roman Catholic Church of St. Catherine Parish; the Judge is a member of the 1. O. F. and the American Yoeman.

JACOB P. FULMER-An honored veteran of the Civil War and now retired from active business cares. Jacob P. Fulmer is enjoying the fruits of years of toil, content to spend his remaining days in the beautiful Santa Clara Valley. He was born in the town of Steuben, Oneida County, New York, Novem- ber 12, 1843, a son of David and Mary (Schell) Ful- mer, of old Knickerbocker stock on both sides, the father following the occupation of farming. They were the parents of three children, two boys and a girl. On account of having to assist with the farm work, the schooling of Jacob P. was very meager, with no opportunity of attending school after he was twelve years old. September 6, 1862, he enlisted, with his father's consent, for he was under age, in Company I, One Hundred Forty-sixth New York Infantry under General Warren; later being under General Jenkins and General Grinnley. The first battle that his company engaged in was at Fredericks- burg, Virginia. Following is a list of the battles in which he was engaged: Bristow Station, Rappahan- nock, Mine Run, Wilderness, Weldon Road, Chapel House, Hatcher's Run, White Oak Road, Five Forks and Appomattox Court House. In the battle of the Wilderness, he was wounded in the right arm and started for the hospital at Washington, D. C. He left by the steamer "State of Maine" but before he reached the hospital, gangrene had set in and his sufferings were intense. At the time of his injury he was a corporal, the bullet piercing his chevron. He remained in Washington only four days, when he was removed to Baltimore, as the wounded were coming in so rapidly that those who were able to be removed were taken away to make room for others. He was able to rejoin his company in 1864. His corps was the last to be mustered out at Arling- ton. Virginia, and he returned to Syracuse, New York, and was discharged as a sergeant July 16, 1865. After his discharge from the army, he returned to his father's home and remained for eight years.

The marriage of Mr. Fulmer at Booneville, New York, in 1869 united him with Miss Sarah Hurlburt, a daughter of Francis and Sarah (Beardsley) Hurl- burt. Her parents were farmers in Ava, New York, where Mrs. Fulmer was born and reared. One son, Francis B., who now resides in Oakland, was born to Mr. and Mrs. Fulmer. Mrs. Fulmer passed away at the family residence at Oneida Castle, New York, in 1883. The second marriage of Mr. Fulmer, Nov- ember 11. 1885, united him with Mrs. Jennie (Bris- tol) Austin, a daughter of Alfred and Sarah Bristol. She was born and reared in Oneida County, N. Y., and taught school two years before her first mar- riage. Her father was a carpenter by trade, follow- ing it for years while residing in New York. By her first marriage Mrs. Fulmer had two children, Nellie, Mrs. Haskins of Madison, Wisconsin, and Winfield, who is a cheese buyer in Green Bay, Wisconsin. In 1881, Jacob P. Fulmer took up the trade of cheese making in Oneida, New York, and was thus engaged for ten years. Then he removed to Byrds Creek, Richland County, Wisconsin, and opened a cheese factory, which he conducted for eight years. In 1901 he sold out his interests in Wisconsin and

removed. to Corning. Tehama County, California, when he was engaged in fruit packing. In 1912 the family removed to San Jose and have continuously resided there since, with the exception of one year when they lived in' Santa Clara.

Mr. Fulmer is prominent in G. A. R. circles, being past commander of the Maywood post at Corning, and is at the uresent time, junior vice-commander of the Sheridan-Dix Post No. 7, of San Jose. Mr. Ful- mer owns considerable real estate in San Jose, among the more valuable being a half-interest in an apart- ment house located at 247 West San Carlos Street. Politically, he is a stalwart Republican, adhering strictly to the principles as advocated by their plat- form. With his wife he is a consistent member of the Centella Methodist Episcopal Church of San Jose. Mrs. Fulmer is a member of Sheridan-Dix W. R. C. No. 2, San Jose, being past president of Maywood Corps. Mr. Fulmer has led an upright, honorable and useful life in which he has ever dis- played unfaltering loyalty to high standards of citi- zenship.

GASTON R. FONTAINE,-A competent and trusted employe of the Southern Pacific Railroad Company who has also demonstrated his ability as a rancher, is Gaston R. Fontaine, the son of the well-known nurseryman, Henry Fontaine, and his wife, who was Miss Fannie Plausa before her mar- riage. Gaston was born in Paris, France, Novem- ber 9, 1883, the second of a family of seven chil- dren, his elder brother, who died at the age of thirty-eight. having been Henry Fontaine, Jr. Mau- rice and George live at San Jose. Jennie is now Mrs. Phillips and lives at Oakland; Raymond is with his mother, in San Jose; and Carmen has become Mrs. Hubbard, and lives near her sister, Jennie.

In 1893, Henry Fontaine, Sr., came to Kansas City, and having found a good location about three miles out of Kansas City, he established himself in the nursery business, and went in for specializing in ornamental stock. Thus it happened that Gaston commenced his schooling at Kansas City and finished at San Jose, where his father removed in 1898, when he purchased two acres of land on North Thirteenth Street, and continued handling fancy stock. He built a greenhouse on his little ranch, and successfully developed his enterprise, so that when he died at San Jose in 1904, he was accounted a worthy citi- zen, whose services had been of real benefit to the community. For a number of years, Gaston worked with his father, and then he left home to accept a post of responsibility in the service of Mr. Meyers, who had a fine nursery at Burlingame. At the end of three years, the offer of the Southern Pacific Railroad Company drew him into that corporation's service, and he has been with that concern at San Jose ever since 1907.

At Redwood City, on October 6, 1914, Mr. Fon- taine was married to Miss Elizabeth Sprugasci. the daughter of Angelo Sprugasci, a native of Biasca. in Canton Ticino, Switzerland, who had married Miss Louise Vanina; he was a carpenter and had the following children: Dorina, Mose, Elizabeth, Adele, Veronica, who fell a victim in 1919 of the influenza; and Antonio. When she was twenty-three years of age, Miss Elizabeth came alone to Califor- nia, and settled in Santa Clara County. Mr. Fon- taine has purchased a prune and apricot ranch of three acres on North Thirteenth Street, near his

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mother's place, and there he has just finished a modern bungalow home. A naturalized citizen, he endorses the platforms of the Republican party, and under the banners of that great organization seeks to march to civic victory.

Gaston Fontaine's brother, Raymond Fontaine, served in the World War. entering into service on November 2, 1917. He trained at Camp Mills, N. Y., and in March, 1918, was sent to France with the Intelligence Department of the Eighteenth Infantry, First Division. He was in many severe battles, in- cluding the Aisne, Marne, St. Mihiel, Meuse, Ar- gonne, and the great defensive sector. He was once gassed with chlorine, but he survived to be one of twenty-five men who took a strong point in the lines near Soisson,-the service being estimated by his superiors as of such hazard and value that he and his comrades were awarded a medal for dis- tinguished bravery. He also was awarded the bravery shoulder cord by the French government. This redoubt was located on Hill No. 204. and the place and act are now historic.

MRS. MARIA FARRELL .- A woman of strong character and much business ability is Mrs. Maria Farrell, the superintendent of Calvary Cemetery, on Alum Rock Avenue, San Jose. She was born in County Kildare, Ireland, a daughter of William and Mary (Sex) Black, the Sex family being represented in this history in the biography of James Patrick Sex. William Black was an extensive farmer in Ireland, owning 150 acres of land, which was con- sidered a large farm in that country, and here the parents resided until their dcath.

The next to the youngest of their four children, Maria Black attended the national schools of County Kildare, and in 1888 came to California, locating at San Jose. The following year she was joined by her sister, Julia Black, who has made her home with her ever since. On January 31, 1894, she was mar- ried to Thomas Farrell, the ceremony taking place in San Jose. Mr. Farrell was born in County Lang- ford, Ireland, a son of Patrick and Mary (Farrell) Farrell, but while they had the same family name they were not related by consanguinity. They were tillers of the soil and a fine family. Thomas Far- rell left his home in Ireland to come to America, set- tling first in the vicinity of Boston, Mass., where he engaged in farming until he came to California in 1885, locating in the Laurelwood district of Santa Clara County, where he farmed until March, 1894, when he was appointed superintendent of Calvary Cemetery, a position he filled ably and well until his death, on February 11, 1912, a good man, who was well liked and esteemed by all who knew him, and a popular member of the Hibernians.

After Mr. Farrell's death, Mrs. Farrell was ap- pointed superintendent of Calvary Cemetery in his stead, as it was but natural that the board of trus- tees should turn to her, knowing full well that she was better qualified and more familiar with the work in connection with the work of the cemetery than any one else. She has demonstrated her ability and business acumen in connection with her po- sition to the satisfaction of both the people and the trustees. Mrs. Farrell is a Democrat in national politics, but is inclined to be nonpartisan in local affairs. She is a member of the Young Ladies In- stitute in San Jose, and a woman of much native ability, she is well liked and favorably known.

JOHN LINDSLEY WALLACE .- Now residing at 6 Mayellen Avenue, San Jose, was born at Win- nebago City, Faribault County, Minn., on February 12, 1883. He is the oldest son of the union of John Stower Wallace, a pioneer of Minnesota and Emma Forbes, another early resident of that state. Mrs. Wallace vividly remembers the incidents of the rush to forts and cities for protection following the news of the great New Ulm Indian massacre. A brother, Robert Lee Wallace, now a construction engineer of Los Angeles, is the only other issue from that marriage. By a former marriage J. S. Wallace had a daughter, Bertha L., now Mrs. Farrant Putnam, of San Jose. Both Mr. and Mrs. Wallace trace their ancestors back to pre-Revolutionary days.

John S. Wallace was a prosperous wood, coal and lumber merchant in Minnesota, but having made a couple of visits to California, decided to forego the discomforts of the severe winters and disposing of his business interests, came to California in 1895 to make Santa Clara Valley his permanent home. Be- ing interested in agricultural pursuits he purchased seventy acres of orchard property near Cupertino; and so it happened that although he had commenced his schooling in Minnesota, John L. Wallace com- pleted his elementary schooling in the Lincoln Dis- trict School. This was supplemented by two years' attendance at the San Jose high school, followed by a business college course at the Pacific Coast Business College and further supplemented by a couple of terms in the James Lick Polytechnic High of San Francisco.

Following the school work he labored on his father's ranches until January 1, 1906, when he opened . a small automobile repair shop at 255 South Mar- ket Street in partnership with Mr. A. C. Hardy. A year of close attention to business built up such a promising patronage that larger quarters were nec- essary and with the assistance of his father the prop- erty at the northwest corner of Market and St. James streets was purchased and a large building erected especially planned for the requirements of the automobile business. This at that time was the largest and best garage in California. At this time Mr. Hardy retired and Mr. Wallace's brother took his place, the business then being run under the name of Wallace Bros., until their interests were sold in 1914. They were early day agents for the following cars, namely: Rambler, Regal, Hupmo- bile, Oakland, Chandler and Hudson. As an item of interest it might be stated that their garage was a relay point for the first transcontinental and around the world automobile races.

Subsequent to the automobile business Mr. Wal- lace and his brother took up the development of a large tract of land in Arizona; he returning in 1916 to become general ranch development superinten- dent of The Lewis Company, which connection he continued until July, 1920. At this time he re- signed to enter the employ of Wallace & Bush, con- struction engineers. Upon the removal of their office to Los Angeles Mr. Wallace entered the em- ployment of the Rice-Greisen Company, brokers.

At Franklin, Sacramento County, on October 7, 1907, Mr. Wallace was married to Miss Helen G. Holman, a native of California and the daughter of pioneer settlers; her mother coming to California via ox emigrant train in the early fifties and her father by boat from Chile where he was born, the

Henry H . Builon,

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

son of a Scotch building contractor. Seven chil- dren have come to Mr. and Mrs. Wallace, five of whom are still living. Vivian Marie died at the age of three and Mabel Virginia, when five. The others are, Olive Corrine, Raymond Kenneth, Laverne, Hugh Lindsley and Floyd Holman. Mr. Wallace belongs to Lodge No. 522, B. P. O. Elks, and has always registered as a Republican.

HENRY HEBER BURTON-Everything stir- ring, forceful and vital that is contained in the mean- ing of the word pioneer finds its exemplification in the life history of Henry Heber Burton. There is no phase of western development with which he is not familiar and his memory forms a connecting link between the primitive past and the progressive present. For many years he was prominently iden- tified with cattle and ranching interests in the West, but is now living retired in San Jose at the age of seventy-eight years, enjoying a well-earned rest. He was born November 2, 1843, on the Pacific brig Heber, of Baltimore, while the family were en route from Australia to Oregon, just as the vessel was crossing the equator, this being in the vicinity of the Marquesas Islands. At Honolulu, the ship com- pleted its voyage and while the parents were await- ing the arrrival of a schooner to convey them to their destination in Oregon the babe was christened by the American consul, being named Henry in honor of the captain and Heber for the brig.

His father, John James Burton, was a native of London, England, and when a lad of nine years went with his mother to Australia. The paternal grandfather, James Burton, was a sea captain. He was captured by the French and held as a prisoner of war for seven years, being liberated after the battle of Waterloo. He again took up his sea- faring life, which he continued to follow until his demise, which occurred in Cuba as the result of an attack of yellow fever. The great-grandfather in the maternal line, Mr. Linnor, was also a native of England and was conscripted by the British govern- ment and forced into military service. He was sent to America to fight the Continental troops in the Revolutionary War, but at Philadelphia, Pa., de- serted the British forces and espoused the cause of the colonists. He enlisted in General Greene's army, with which he remained for seven years, or until Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown, Va., on Oc- tober 17, 1781. He also defended American interests in the War of 1812 and after its close he deemed it safe to return to England, which he had been obliged to leave without the opportunity of bidding farewell to his wife and family, who were residing in Lanca- shire. It was not until 1816 that he again had the opportunity of seeing the shores of his native land and he died shortly after rejoining his family.

Owing to the favorable reports of America handed down to posterity by Mr. Linnor, John J. Burton de- cided to visit this country. In New Zealand he had married Margaret W. Watson, and they went to Australia, and it was while they were making the trip from that country to Oregon that the subject of this review was born. In March, 1844, their ship, which was commanded by Captain Couch, crossed the Columbia River bar, and it took three weeks to get up the river before a landing was made at the present site of Portland. The father selected North

Yamhill, in Yamhill County, as his place of resi- dence, there taking up a donation claim of 640 acres in 1844 and locating the boundaries of his land by stepping it off. He was the first to locate in that region and this section became a landmark, the other settlers who followed in his wake using his land as the starting-point from which to measure their claims. Many years afterward when the government surveyors came to Oregon it was found that in lo- cating his land he had only exceeded the correct measurements by fourteen acres, and they afterward used this section as the point from which all other claims were surveyed. At that early period the only settlement of any size in the state was Oregon City, which had been founded by the Hudson Bay Company, of which Dr. John McLoughlin, who be- came known as "The Father of Oregon," was the head, the legal tender at that time being a bushel of wheat. Mr. Burton engaged in stockraising in Yamhill County until 1848, when he left his family on his claim and made his way to California, locat- ing on the north fork of the American River. There he engaged in placer mining, in which he was very successful, the miners in those days taking out about $100 a day. Having accumulated a good-sized stake, he returned to his family at the end of seven months. During his absence four or five other set- tlers had located in the community and Mr. Burton began the erection of a home, for which he pur- chased a small stove, paying for this luxury the sum of eighty dollars, as it had to be shipped there by way of Cape Horn. He also bought a wagon and devoted his energies to the cultivation and improve- ment of his land, which he at length converted into a valuable and highly productive property. He en- dured all of the hardships, trials and privations of those early days and was numbered among the pion- eer builders of the state. In the family of Mr. and Mrs. Burton were eight sons and seven daughters.

Henry Heber Burton, the third child and the eldest son in the family, was nine years of age when he attended his first school, in a log cabin which was open for but three months each year, in the winter season, and in order to reach the school he was obliged to walk two and a half miles. During the summer he drove an ox team and assisted his father with the farm work. Mr. Burton remained at home until his twentieth year, when he went to the Orofino district of Idaho, working in the placer mines there until September, 1864. He reached home in October of that year, in time to cast his first ballot for Abraham Lincoln. The Civil War was then in progress and on the 1st of December, 1864, he enlisted in Company B., First Oregon In- fantry, under Capt. Ephraim Palmer and Colonel Curry. He was kept under heavy drill at Fort Hos- kins, in Linn County, Ore., for a time and was then ordered to Vancouver, Wash., expecting to be sent east in the spring of 1865, but his regiment went in- stead to Idaho and Utah, where it was split up into companies, which were used in fighting the Indians. Mr. Burton's company was first stationed at old Fort Hall, near the present location of Pocatello, Idaho, and detachments ordered to various locations, guarding emigrants from depredations by the In- dians. He received his discharge at Vancouver, Wash., on December 4. 1865, after a year's service.

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

Returning home, Mr. Burton engaged in farming for a year and then attended school at Forest Grove, Ore., for nine months, after which he went to Eastern Oregon, in Umatilla County, where he became identified with the sheep business driving in 1,000 head, and when he sold out his interests four years later and went to Texas he had about 3,000 head. He first went by team to Denver and from there took the Pecos route to Texas, being for a distance of ninety miles without water while going from the Pecos River to the head waters of the Concho River. From Concho he proceeded to Houston, Texas, but the cattle in that section did not meet his requirements and he went north to Austin, where he purchased a thousand head, driv- ing the herd north through Indian Territory, follow- ing the Chism trail to Caldwell, Kans., and passing through that state, struck the Arkansas River at Great Bend. He continued along the Arkansas River to Colorado and spent the winter on the state line which divides Colorado from Kansas. Later he engaged in speculating, buying and shipping cattle to Chicago from Colorado, Kansas and Texas, and for three years was thus occupied. In the panic caused by Jay Cook in 1873 he suffered severe fin- ancial losses and was obliged to again build up his business. Going to Missouri, he engaged in buying and selling cattle, hogs and sheep in small quan- tities, shipping them to Chicago, and gradually re- trieved his losses. He then purchased 1,000 head of sheep in Macon County, Mo., driving them into Colorado, where he had formerly wintered his cat- tle. At the end of two years he sold his sheep and drove overland to Fort Worth, Texas. There he con- ducted a livery stable and wagon yard until the death of his wife, in 1877, when he rented the wagon yard and was on the police force for two years.

Subsequently Mr. Burton disposed of his interests at Fort Worth and returned to Yamhill County, Ore., where he farmed four years, at the end of which period he sold his property there and went to Portland. He became connected with the North- ern Express Company of that city and for twenty- eight years remained in their employ, doing faithful and efficient work. He then came to California, reaching Gilroy in January, 1912, but at the end of a year purchased a small ranch at Old Gilroy, upon . which he made his home until December 12, 1918. He then sold the property and took up his residence in San Jose, where he has since lived retired.

Mr. Burton has been married twice. His first wife was Miss Lizzie Scott, whom he wedded in Macon County, Mo., in August, 1873. She was born near Peoria, Il1., and as a child removed with her parents, Solomon and Martha (Davis) Scott, to Macon County, Mo., where she grew to woman- hood. Following her demise he was married at Bar- num, Texas, to Mrs. Mary F. Davis, who by a pre- vious union had become the mother of five children: William, Leona, Etta, Harold and John. She was born in Pike County, Mo., a daughter of Franklin and Nancy Robb, who were of Scotch descent and became residents of Adams County, Ill. Three sons of Mr. and Mrs. Robb defended the Union dur- ing the Civil War, while two others were soldiers in the Confederate Army. After reaching mature years Mrs. Burton removed to Fannin County,

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History of Santa Clara County California with biographical sketches, Part 161

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