History of Santa Clara County California with biographical sketches, Part 176

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

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In 1866 he made the trip back home via Panama, returning via the same route a year later. In 1869 he again returned East via Panama and the same year brought his father and mother out by rail, just after the railroad was connected at Promontory Point. Mr. Francis then purchased sixteen acres of raw land in Union district, setting out an orchard of prunes, peaches and apricots. His family made their home on this place while he was engaged in the saw- mills in the Santa Cruz Mountains. In 1870 he began work in Froment's mill, and worked up to sawyer. After eight years he left, to become sawyer for Jim Cunningham, on Boulder Creek, for two years, and then with Hubbard & Carmichael Bros .. with whom he was head sawyer for twelve years, continuing steadily with them until all the available timber was made into lumber and the mill shut down, when he retired to his ranch where his family had resided all these years. In 1917 he sold the ranch and purchased a residence at 26 Asbury Street, San Jose, where he now makes his home.

Mr. Francis was married in San Jose to Miss Ade- laide La Montague, who was born at Malone, N. Y., also descended from an old French-Canadian family, their union having been blessed with five children: Dennis was accidentally killed in 1915 while driving in an automobile race in Fresno; Victor, Milton and Roy are engaged in the automobile and garage busi- ness in San Francisco; the latter was an aviator and was the first boy who ever flew over this county,

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and during the World War he was instructor at Kelly Field, Texas, holding a captain's commission; Venia is Mrs. P. A. Jerome of Lassen County. Politically, Mr. Francis gives his allegiance to the Republican party, while, religiously, he is a member of St. Joseph's Catholic Church.

HAROLD J. STANLEY .- An energetic business man of progressive ideas and up-to-date business methods is Harold J. Stanley, proprietor of the Ford Garage and Ford agency at Los Gatos. He was born in Alliance, Stark County. Ohio, June 7, 1891. His father, B. T. Stanley, was born in Damas- cus, Ohio, while his mother was Anna Nicholson, born at Harrisonville, the same state. They were farmers there until 1904, when they brought their family to Los Gatos, Cal., where they engaged in ranching. The parents now live on San Jose Avenue.

Of their three children, Mr. Stanley is the second oldest. His first schooling was in his home district in Ohio, and after coming to California he attended the Los Gatos grammar and high school, supple- mented with a course at Heald's Business College He then began the study of architecture in San Francisco, but after two years, found the confinement incident to the work of an architect too wearing on him so he turned to carpentering until 1913, when he began dairying, establishing Stanley's dairy farm supplying Los Gatos families with milk. On January 1, 1922, he sold his dairy business and equipment but retained his twenty-acre ranch on Kennedy Road, where he resides with his family. On May 1, 1922, he purchased the equipment and machinery of the Ford Garage at Los Gatos from Mrs. Hart and was also appointed the Ford agent. The garage is lo- cated on Santa Cruz Avenue, and is well equipped for complete Ford service.

Mr. Stanley was married in Los Gatos to Blanche Angel, who was born in Wisconsin, and their union has been blessed with three children, Helen, Leonard and Rachel. Mr. Stanley is enterprising and pro- gressive and takes an interest in civic movements that have for their aim the upbuilding of the community. He is a member of the Automobile Association and politically indorses Republican principles.

WALTER ALLEN VAN LONE .- A native son who is proud of his association with Santa Clara County is Walter Allen Van Lone, who was born on the old Logan ranch in the Santa Cruz Mountains half way to the summit from Los Gatos, October 12, 1863. His father, William D. Van Lone, was a pioneer of California, crossing the plains in 1854 and after mining a while came to the Santa Cruz Moun- tains, where he had first come as early as 1857, and located permanently in 1859. He was married here to Miss Romelia Allen, who was born near Clay- ton, N. Y., July 25, 1836. Her father, Thomas Al- len, was born in Johnstown, N. Y., in 1807, a descend- ant of Ethan Allen, the hero of Ticonderoga, and her mother was Anstres Cary, born in Utica, N. Y., in 1811. Three of their children grew up; James J., of Los Gatos, Elizabeth died in California, and Romelia. In 1859 with her brother, James J., she crossed the plains in an ox-team train with Zenas Sikes and his wife to California. Romelia remained with Mr. and Mrs. Sikes at Alviso for a year and then she and her brother came to the Burrell ranch at the Summit of the Santa Cruz Mountains, for a year, then she was with the Hubbard family, where

there was sickness and death, and she helped them out. In 1862 she married W. D. Van Lone and they farmed in the valley for two years and then purchased a place near Saratoga, then called Mc- Cartysville. In 1869 they moved to a farm near Tracy, where they were ranching until 1875, when they returned to the Santa Cruz Mountains and pur- chased a ranch on Bear Creek Road, which they im- proved to orchard and vineyard. There they resided until November 1, 1920, when the ranch was sold and they located in Los Gatos and there Mr. Van Lone passed away May 24, 1922. Their union re- sulted in the birth of six children: Walter, our sub- ject; William of Los Gatos: George of Lexington; James, deceased; Elizabeth, Mrs. Laddick of Alma: and Charles, deceased. Mrs. Van Lone's brother, James Allen, is now ninety years old; he served as postmaster at Tracy from 1906 until 1911, when he resigned and returned to Santa Clara County and makes his home with his sister in Los Gatos. Mrs. Van Lone was very helpful and capable when there was sickness in the homes of the community, waiting on the neighbors when in sickness, sorrow and need, heing so well thought of for her qualities as a nurse that a physician said of her, when he came in re- sponse to a call: "You don't need me when you have Dr. Van Lone."

Walter A. Van Lone was educated in the public schools in Tracy and in the Brown district at the Summit. He followed farming, orcharding, and get- ting out tanbark until 1890, when he built a box mill on the home ranch and manufactured box shook from 1892 till 1896. In 1898 he began work as a tool dresser for a local oil company and in 1899 he was with the Golden Gate Oil Company in Moody Gulch. In July, 1901, he went to Santa Maria in the same capacity, for different oil companies, until 1904, when he returned home for a year. In 1905 he was with the Brookshire Oil Company and in 1907 became driller for them, continuing until 1916, when he re- signed and returned to the ranch and worked for a local oil company, and since November, 1920, he has also had charge of his father's estate. In 1890 Mr. Van Lone joined Ridgely Lodge No. 294 of Odd Fellows in Los Gatos and he is also a member of the Rebekahs. He was made a Mason in Hesperian Lodge No. 264 F. & A. M. at Santa Maria, and in all of these orders he is well received and popular.

SAMUEL MARTIN .- A merchant whose well- organized, dependable service is much appreciated by a discerning public is Samuel Martin, the experi- enced dealer in feed and grain at 180 South Market Street, San Jose, in which city he was born Decem- ber 10, 1869. His father, James B. Martin, who had married Miss Margaret Craven, came with her to California around Cape Horn from New York in a sailing vessel in 1860, landing at San Francisco. Hc was a stationary engineer. After leaving San Fran- cisco he went to Monterey and where he remained until he came to San Jose in 1863, where he was engineer at Fremont's Planing Mill and when he gave up this line of work and became a merchant. In 1886 he died, highly esteemed by all who had dealt with him. Mrs. Martin, whose qualities as a good neighbor have always been appreciated, is still living and resides at Cupertino. Of their six chil-

H. J. Stanley.

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

dren, all of whom are living, Sam, as he is familiarly called by his friends, is the youngest.

After the usual elementary schooling, he went to work as a mere youngster, and until 1890 he fol- lowed the grocery trade with the Mariposa Store, after which he went into the grain business with his brother, H. B. Martin, of the firm of H. B. Martin & Company, and for eighteen years was with him, working from the bottom up to assistant manager. Then, in 1908, he opened a store for himself on South Second Street, and later he came to his pres- ent location at 180 South Market Street. From the beginning he has been phenomenally successful; and it is natural that he should carly have been selected as a director of the Growers' Bank, of which he was one of the organizers and first vice-president. He is a member of the Merchants' Association, the San Jose Chamber of Commerce, the San Jose Progres- sive Club and a charter member of the Commercial Club of San Jose.

At San Jose, in 1906, Mr. Martin was married to Miss Lila B. O'Hanlon, the daughter of Robert J. O'Hanlon, a well-known pioneer of his time; she was born at San Jose and reared here and is a grad- nate of San Jose high school and San Jose State Normal. The union has proven a happy one, and they are the parents of two children, James Beau- mont and Lucretia Birch Martin. Mr. Martin be- longs to the Woodmen of the World, and he is a charter member of Observatory Parlor No. 177, of the Native Sons of the Golden West.

ALLEN R. LATHAM .- A veteran of the Civil War, Allen R. Latham is a native of New Hampshire, horn at Concord, December 8, 1842. The family is traced back to William Latham, who came from England in the Mayflower in 1620. Mr. Latham's father, Allen Latham, was born in Tyme, N. H., No- vember 5, 1818 and settled in Lamont, 111. He practiced dentistry for fifty years and passed away November 25, 1894. Mr. Latham's mother was Clara Eastman Jenness, born in Chichester, N. H., April 9, 1820, and died in Danville, Ill., August 22, 1852. Their only child to grow up was Allen R., who came with his parents to Illinois in 1852, attended school in Danville and studied dentistry under his father until 1862, when he volunteered in Company M, Second Illinois Light Artillery, but was later placed in Com- pany H of the same regiment. He was in the Battle of Harper's Ferry, then with General Burnsides in Eastern Tennessee and later with General Thomas at Nashville. He was mustered out at Camp Butler, Ill., July, 1865, as corporal, after two years and nine months' service. After the war he made his way to what is now Ludington, Mich., and followed saw- milling until 1872, and then located in Springfield, 111., where he practiced dentistry and later engaged in the drug business. In 1886 he removed to Delta, Colo., where he engaged in general merchandising, in- cluding a drug department, the firm being Latham & Williams. Setting out he came to California in June, 1891, and a month later he located in Los Gatos. Finding it to his liking he engaged in the grocery trade for five years and then followed clerking in the Farmers' Union and also in A. W. Bogart's hard- ware store for some years. During these years he had purchased and improved a ten acre ranch to prune orchard; he cared for this orchard for many

years until the work became too arduous, when he sold it. Meantime as early as 1892, he purchased his present place of two and one-half acres which he has set out to orchard.

Mr. Latham was married at Hamlin, Mich., to Emma Christina Gustafson, born in Sweden, who was reared in Michigan from the age of fifteen years. Mr. Latham was bereaved of his wife on May 15, 1919. Their union resulted in the birth of two chil- dren; Robert Allen died in August, 1917; John Ed- ward died January 1, 1909; he had married Florence Blank, who survives him and presides over Mr. Latham's home. She has one son, Allen Emmett, a graduate of Oakland high school, class of 1922. Mr. Latham was made a Mason in Pierre Marquette Lodge, Ludington, Mich., in 1872, is a past master of Springfield, Ill., Lodge No. 4, A. F. & A. M., and is now a member of Los Gatos Lodge No. 292. He is a member of Howard Chapter No. 14, R. A. M., and San Jose Commandry No. 10, K. T., and all the Scottish Rite bodies in San Jose. He is also a mem- ber of E. O. C. Ord. Post No. 82, G. A. R.

FRED G. MUSSO .- One of San Jose's progres- sive young business men is Fred G. Musso, who was born in Italy, January 14, 1888, the son of Eugene and Mary Musso, both natives of Italy; the latter with their family came to San Jose in 1892 to join the father who had preceded them by two years. Both parents are still residing in San Jose.

F. G. Musso was educated in the grammar and high schools of San Jose, later attending St. Joseph's College. He also attended night school in order to acquire a speaking knowledge of the English language. His first position was as an apprentice with a drug company and at the end of three years, he took the examination for assistant pharmacist; later taking a correspondence course and successfully passed all examinations, and at the end of five years became a registered pharmacist and for fourteen years was engaged in his chosen profession.

Desiring to own a business for himself, Mr. Musso established what is known as the Musso Outing Equipment Company, with an attractive store and factory at 190-192 West Santa Clara Street, where he manufactures the famous Musso "Auto-Home- Camp-Bed." The products of his factory are so popular that he ships to all parts of the United States; to the South Sea Islands; the Hawaiian Is- lands; the Samoa Islands; but his greatest field is in this state and the adjoining states of Utah and Nevada. This "camp-bed" is moderate in price. comfortable to sleep upon, and the pleasure of a camping trip is enhanced by the comforts it affords. and it is winning prosperity for its maker. He al- ready has one patent and something like fourteen claims, with others pending. He opened his business in a very modest way, working principally among his friends, but the business has so increased, that it has become necessary to seek larger quarters. His present payroll consists of fifteen men and fifteen women constantly engaged in the manufacture of camp equipment.

The marriage of Mr. Musso united him with Miss Edith Starkey and to them has been born one son, Frederick Warren. He casts his vote with the Re- publican party, and fraternally he is a member of the Independent Order of Foresters; he is also a men-

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ber of the Drug Clerks' Association and the One Hundred Percent Club of San Jose. He adheres to the teachings of the Catholic Church. He is a great lover of outdoor life and finds time to take his fam- ily on hunting and fishing trips. He helieves there is a great future for Santa Clara County, and is an enthusiastic supporter of all movements for the bet- terment of the beautiful Garden City.

DOXEY ROBERT WILSON, M. D .- The high professional attainments of Doxey Robert Wilson, M. D., have given him a place of prominence in the medical fraterntiy of San Jose, and his experience and training have well qualified him for his, responsible post as superintendent and physician in charge of the County Hospital. A native of Indiana, he was born at Noblesville, on April 19, 1884, and was the son of Coleman and Mattie (Doxey) Wilson. He received his education in the public schools and Culver Military Academy of Indiana and later attended Stanford University, taking his medical work at Cooper Medical College. He received the M. D. degree in the year of 1908 and at the convocation of that college in 1920 a fellowship in the American College of Surgeons was conferred upon him. For two years Dr. Wilson served as an intern at the Santa Clara County Hospital and then devoted some time to private practice in San Jose, before his ap- pointment in 1913, to the position of superintendent and physician in charge of the County Hospital where he has shown signal administrative and cxec- utive ability. In 1918 Dr. Wilson enlisted in the Medical Department, U. S. A., was commissioned first lieutenant and served in the orthopedic department of Letterman Hospital at San Francisco and at Camp Lewis, Washington, he received his honorable dis- charge in April, 1919.

Dr. Wilson's marriage united him with Miss Eliza- beth Cornell, a native of San Francisco, Cal., and they are the parents of three children: John, Martha and Elizabeth. Dr. Wilson is very popular in the Wood- men of the World and the Odd Fellows lodges. He is a member of the American Medical Association and the State and County Medical Societies. In national politics, he is a Republican, but being a man above party ties, he is liberal in his views, voting for men and measures rather than party ties.

EDWARD R. POLHEMUS .- A highly progres- sive business man of San Jose who is doubly inter- esting as a representative of one of the oldest, his- toric families in the state, is Edward R. Polhemus, the efficient and popular secretary and treasurer of the California Plow Company at San Jose. His na- tive city is San Francisco, where he was born on August, 1889; and his parents, now both deceased, were Edward and Eunice (Blanchard) Polhemus. As early as 1860, the father settled near Anaheim, where he had a sheep ranch; then he migrated north and spent some years in Seattle; but lured by the old spell of California, he came back to the Golden State and once more lived at San Francisco, where he passed away.

Edward R. Polhemus attended both the grammar and high schools of San Francisco, and then went to Stanford University and in 1909 he said good-bye to lecture-halls and entered the exporting trade in San Francisco. Ten years later, in June, he came to San Jose and soon after associated himself with the California Plow Company, a concern still in

its infancy, but of great promise. He was made secretary and treasurer, and as he was already expe- rienced in handling agricultural implements, and es- pecially tractors and all that goes with that Twen- tieth Century device for the farmer, the development of the plow manufacturing enterprise moves steadily forward, on broad, permanent lines. In November, of 1921, Mr. Polhemus became interested in the Valley Oil Refinery, located at the corner of Pol- hemus Street- and Stockton Avenue, San Jose. This company operates two stills and make a superior quality of gasoline; also lubricating oils, distillates and an oil especially made for spraying.

Mr. Polhemus, who is an Episcopalian, is a Scot- tish Rite Mason, a Shriner and an Elk, and also a member of the S. E. A., a college fraternity. He is fond of sport, and is well known is yachting cir- cles. In political movements, he invariably assumes the attitude of the man above narrow partisanship, and his influence as a citizen is far-reaching.

CHRIS RASMUSSEN .- Since coming to San Martin in 1908, Chris Rasmussen has done much toward the upbuilding of this section, for in addition to developing his own ranch, he has done a great deal of work for others in the line of orchard plant- ing and taking care of orchards, operating every season both with horses and Yuba tractors. Mr. Rasmussen is a native of Denmark, born near Aarhus, on May 9, 1880, his parents being R. P. and Mary ( Vester) Rasmussen, both members of well-known families of that part of Denmark. The father stood high as a teacher, and he gave his son the oppor- tunity of schooling in good educational institutions. Mrs. Rasmussen passed away in 1896, but the father is still living at Aarhus at the age of seventy-nine.

The fourth child of the family, Chris Rasmussen first was employed three years in the hardware busi- ness, after his school days were over. In 1900-01 lie served in the Danish Army as a corporal in an infantry regiment, training at Aarhus. After his military training was over he decided to migrate to the United States, and in 1903, arrived in Mitchell County, Iowa, a stranger in a strange land, but am- bitious to give his best efforts to making a success in the new land. For a time he worked out on farms, saving his money meanwhile, and in March, 1906, came on west to California, locating at Fresno, and for a short time worked on a ranch, and then entered the sawmill business at Shaver, then came to San Francisco. In 1908 Mr. Rasmussen came to the Santa Clara Valley, and purchased a tract of thirteen acres on Church Avenue, San Martin, which he devel- oped into a valuable property, four acres being in Royal Anne cherries. Here he made his home for six years, until the coming of his brother, R. U. Rasmus- sen, to this section. Disposing of this place to his brother, they purchased a larger ranch and there the three brothers reside, as M. Rasmussen is also con- nected with the farm. The place consists of twenty acres on Colombet Avenue, all being set to fruit trees. Efficient and hard working, he has given his orchard the best of care and is now re- warded by its excellent returns. In 1922 R. U. and M. Rasmussen purchased a thirteen and one-half acre ranch of young orchards, on Church Avenue. A loyal citizen of his adopted country, Mr. Rasmussen received his final citizenship papers in San Francisco in 1912. He belongs to the California Prune and Apricot Association, and in politics is a Republican.

Dory R. Wilson .

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JAMES EDWIN BLAUROCK .- A wide-awake, efficient business man of the type which always makes itself manifest in a progressive community, is J. Edwin Blaurock, the popular manager of the Pa- cific Fruit Product Company at San Jose. He was born in East Orange, N. J., on May 6, 1873, the son of Samuel and Hattie (Sommerville) Blaurock, worthy citizens, devoted parents and good neighbors, with a host of friends.

After leaving school Mr. Blaurock worked with his father in the plumbing business in East Orange but tiring of that he went to New York City and was employed as salesman and in other capacities until going to Colorado in 1897. He worked in the mining business, at plumbing and as salesman there,- then in 1904 went back to Chicago and was in busi- ness for himself until coming to California in 1909.

Mr. Blaurock spent two years in Sacramento and San Francisco,-in the former city with the John Bruner Company, and in the latter with the Coast Fire and Marine Salvage Company. On September 26. 1911, he came to San Jose, and he has been with the Pacific Fruit Product Company ever since, starting at the very bottom and working his way through the different departments until, since July. 1916, he has discharged the varied responsibilities of his present position.

In the busy season, the Pacific Fruit Product Com- pany employs some seventy-five people, and they pack dried fruit under contract for the California Prune & Apricot Association. They also maintain a jam department, and put up jam of a very high qual- ity, and they formerly packed cherries and other green fruit, selecting only the best raw materials, and preserving them in the most scientific manner. Mr. Blaurock's thorough training, partly in the com- mon schools of the East, partly in a business college, and partly in the great school of experience, has enabled him to manage this growing business con- cern with the true spirit of enterprise. In national politics a Republican, he is ready at all times to cast aside partisanship and to pull a long and strong stroke in favor of the best things locally.

In 1900, Mr. Blaurock was united in marriage at Cripple Creek, Colo., to Minnie E. Largent, a na- tive of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and they have a daugh- ter Edna May.

Mr. Blaurock is fond of all outdoor recreations; and fraternally he joins his fellows in the circles of the Brotherhood of American Yeomen and the Woodmen of the World, and is a member of the Chamber of Commerce.

SYLVAIN LE DEIT .- An enterprising, progres- sive business man who is never satisfied with the success of today but has his eye far ahead on to- morrow, is Sylvain Le Deit, of the Garden City Glass Company, at San Jose, in which city he was born on June 13, 1887. His father, Matthurin Le Deit, came to San Francisco in 1852 by way of the Horn, and for a while was a cowboy. Later in San Jose, he engaged in the poultry and butcher trade; and here he lived until his death, in December, 1907. He married Georgetta Gaire, a native daughter, who was born at San Francisco.

Sylvain attended the public schools and then worked in a mill. After that he learned the art-glass trade, beginning in 1902, and seven years later he established a business for himself, and in 1920 took into partnership Richard French, and purchased the 49

Garden City Glass Company. Now they have the largest art-glass plant between Portland and Los Angeles. Their shop is located at 122 Lenzen Ave- nue, and there they employ ten men regularly, turn- ing out everything from the plainest window glass up to the most artistic specimens, and sending their products all along the coast and the nearby western territory. Mr. Le Deit belongs to the Chamber of Commerce and never loses an opportunity to endorse and otherwise help any movement of benefit to his fellows in business as well as to himself.

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History of Santa Clara County California with biographical sketches, Part 176

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