History of Santa Clara County California with biographical sketches, Part 180

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

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Mr. Funkler's mother died when she was cighty years old, but his father is still living in Germany, at the fine old age of eighty-three. William was married June 21, 1891, in San Jose, to Miss Johanna Ruff, a resident of San Jose since 1890, and they have had six children: Jennie has become Mrs. L. L. Whitehurst, and the mother of two children; Clara is a graduate trained nurse, in charge of Dr. Beatty's offices; Augusta is a graduate of the State Normal School and a teacher in the public school at Hilo. Hawaiian Islands; Sophie has become Mrs. Howard Steinmetz and resides at Pacific Grove; Louise, a stenographer, is an employe of the Monterey Lumber Company, in Monterey; Emma is a graduate of the Gilroy high school. The family reside at 58 Forest Street, Gilroy. Mr. Funkler is a past officer of the Druids, and he is also a member of the Moose Lodge.

H. C. SCHMIDT .- A splendid example of what a man may accomplish who works intelligently, honor- ably and persistently, is afforded by H. C. Schmidt, a well-known and influential citizen of Palo Alto. He was born in Baltimore, Md., January 28, 1863, and grew up in that city, and learned the plumbers trade. He then established a plumbing business in Baltimore and manufactured and sold a number of articles of his own patenting used by plumbers.

Mr. Schmidt's marriage united him with Miss Cora Belle Watts, a native also of Baltimore, Md., and they are the parents of one son, H. W. Schmidt, manager of a moving picture film exchange in San Francisco; he is married and has one child. When Mr. Schmidt

Frank Di Fiore

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

removed to California he first located in San Francisco and followed his trade of plumbing and many of the best plumbing jobs in the Bay City attest the fine workmanship and thoroughness which characterized his work, among them being the Butler building on Sutter Street. Owing to labor troubles in San Fran- cisco he removed to Palo Alto in 1912 and seeing the possibilities of the moving picture industry, he bought out one of the first moving picture establishments of Palo Alto, located at Emerson Street and University Avenue. Not only did he encounter all the handicaps and perplexities incident to the experimental stage of the motion picture theater but met set-backs resulting from bitter opposition. Firmly determined to excell in his line he put all of his first four year's earnings into rehabilitating the old picture show and six weeks thereafter was burned out by a fire of undoubted in- cendiary origin and all of his savings went up in an early Sunday morning blaze without a cent of insur- ance. Undaunted he arose Phoenix-like from the ashes, and three years thereafter huilt the "Marquec" now known as the Stanford theater, at 217 University Avenue and ran it successfully for six years. He made a modest fortune, when he disposed of it and is now reinvesting it in the erection of the Schmidt block on Emerson Street, adjoining the postoffice. The build- ing will be reinforced concrete and will contain three store rooms and two smaller shops in the rear. Mr. Schmidt is an able business man whose standing in the community is among the best, financially and socially. He deserves much credit for his enterprise and has absolute faith in the future prosperity of Palo Alto and the Santa Clara Valley and expects to in- vest all of his means in the upbuilding of Palo Alto. He owns a good residence at 313 Waverly Street and is about to erect a more pretentious one. After six- teen years experience he considers Palo Alto the best city socially and commercially in California. He and his wife are highly respected in the community.

MARK E. KENNEDY .- Numbered among the rising young men of Santa Clara County, whose good business judgment and energy are contributing largely to its substantial growth, is Mark E. Kennedy, teller of the Campbell branch of the Garden City Bank & Trust Company. He was born in Santa Clara County in 1899 and is the son of Robert W. Kennedy. who is now a retired farmer living in Campbell, a native of Missouri who crossed the plains when he was but eight years old with his parents, a good old pioneer family, who faced the hardships of an over- land journey and the even greater hardships connected with settling in a new region. Robert W. Kennedy chose for his helpmate, Miss Ella Giles, a native of Shasta County, Cal., and spent an active life as one of the large ranchers of this county, and now is en- joying, in the afternoon of life, those comforts which have been justly earned by arduous effort and close application to his business affairs.

Mark E. Kennedy attended the public schools of Santa Clara County and after graduating from the grade school and high school he attended Stanford University. During the late war he enlisted in the hospital corps of the U. S. Navy, served at Goat Island, then at San Diego, Cal., and after the armis- tice was stationed at Ft. Lyon, where he was honor- ably discharged October 13, 1919, spending eighteen months in all. Upon returning to Campbell, he entered the real estate business, and had an up-to-

date office where he dealt in both farm and city prop- erty, also giving considerable of his time to insur- ance. In January, 1921, he sold his real estate inter- ests and June 15, 1921, entered upon his present position with the Garden City Bank & Trust Com- pany at Campbell. Mr. Kennedy was married in Campbell, November 17. 1921, when he was united with Miss Mary Jane Conway, of Missouri, a grad- uate of Carrollton high school. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Campbell, and was made a Mason in Charity Lodge No. 362, F. & A. M., at Campbell.

PETER AND JEAN CASAURANG .- One of the oldest established bakcries in the northern part of Santa Clara County is that of Casaurang Bros., pro- prietors of the Mayfield Bakery, also known as the French Bakery, the firm being composed of Peter and Jean Casaurang. This establishment is located on Lincoln Street, Mayfield, and occupies a large lot, 100x150 feet, upon which are a number of buildings -the bakery, the flour warehouse, garages for two touring cars and four Ford delivery trucks; sleeping rooms for the help and living quarters for the fam- ilies of the two partners. Both of the brothers, as well as two other men are constantly employed in conducting the steadily growing business.

These premises were leased by Peter Casaurang and Emil Claverie, in 1911; Mr. Claverie having died in 1918, the firm was changed to Casaurang Bros., and they purchased the property in 1919 and immediately set to work to remodel and enlarge it, expending the sum of $7,000. They built one new oven and relined the old one, which is now over fifty years old, being the oldest oven actually in use in the county. The premises are clean, orderly, sanitary, light and well ventilated, and their head baker is Pascal Bamerio, who is a master of the art of baking, making the celebrated French bread which has made their bakery famous. In their flour warehouse may be found at all times a stock of from one to three car loads of the best brands of white and rye flour and three auto trucks are in constant use, delivering the bakery goods to Mayfield and vicinity, Menlo Park, Palo Alto, Red- wood City, Portola, La Honda and Los Altos, so that they do an extensive business.

Peter L. Casaurang was born December 13, 1888, and Jean L. on November 11, 1890, and both are natives of the Basses-Pyrenees country of France, where their parents are well-to-do and prosperous peasants, owning a large acreage which is devoted to farming and stockraising. The parents have reared a large family of children, all of whom were educated in the schools of France in the Roman Catholic Church, a faith from which they have never departed. Peter Casaurang came to San Francisco from France in 1907, and two years later he was joined by his brother Jean. Both of them worked in some of the best bakeries of San Francisco until 1911, learning every detail of the business.

Jean Casaurang was married in San Francisco to Miss Marie Hounau, who was also born in France, and they have two children, Marcella and Bernard; he was in class 4, in the late war, and the armistice was signed before he was called. Peter L. Casaurang however, served for two years and seventeen months in France, in the Third Bakery Company, which made a million pounds of bread for the army daily. On re- turning to the United States, he immediately resumed his work at the bakery after receiving his honorable

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

discharge. He was, in France, during the war, united in marriage, his betrothed being Miss Aline Houde- ville, of Dijon, France. He is a member of the Odd Fellows at Mayfield, while Jean belongs to the Red Men. They take rank among the leading business firms of the north end of the county, are able. ener- getic and deserving of the success they are achieving.

HENRY WILLIAM EDWARDS .- A resident of California for nearly all of his life, Henry William Edwards was born in Chicago, Ill., March 1, 1841. His father, Henry Edwards, a native of England, settled in Utica, Ill., where he was engaged in the stock business. He was a pioneer of California of 1850, and as early as 1853 came to San Jose and became a farmer on the Almaden Road. Henry W. Edwards came to California when a lad with his father in 1850, and was educated in the public and private schools of San Jose. In 1863 he went to Nevada and tried his hand at mining in different camps. However, he did not meet with much suc- cess, so when he returned to San Jose he had only fifty dollars as his capital when he started farming on leased land near Edenvale.

Mr. Edwards was married December 11, 1867, to Miss Alice C. Hall, who was born in Lincoln, Mo., but was from childhood a resident of California. Her father, Andrew J. Hall, born in Kentucky, settled in Lincoln, Mo., where he married Delia Cottle, a native of Missouri, a daughter of Edward and Celia Cottle. In 1850, leaving his family in Lincoln, Mo., Andrew Hall and his two brothers-in-law, Thomas and W. Cottle, came to California, engaging in mining. An- drew Hall was destined to never see his family again, for he died at Georgetown in 1851. The Cottle boys returned to Missouri, and in 1854 the Cottle family emigrated to California, coming across the plains in an ox-team train, of which Edward Cottle was the captain. They made the six months' journey safely, for Grandfather Cottle had laid in a large supply of coffee, sugar and bacon, and wisely distributed a generous portion of it at three different times to the Indians. Arriving in Santa Clara County in October, 1854, Edward Cottle purchased a portion of the Santa Teresa ranch and engaged in stock-raising, making a specialty of raising standard and thorough- bred horses, having brought some fine specimens with him across the plains. His wife passed away in 1855. He continued to reside on the ranch until his death at the age of seventy-two years. Andrew Hall's widow brought her two little children, Alice and William Hall, in her father's train to California, presiding over his home until she married a second time, becoming the wife of James McLellan, who was also a pioneer of California, and they lived on their ranch on Monterey Road, one-half mile south of the present city limits of San Jose. After Mr. McLellan's death his widow spent the last years of her life with her daughter, Mrs. Edwards, passing away at the age of almost eighty-seven years.

Alice Hall attended Miss Buckman's private school and San Jose Institute, from which she was gradu- ated, after which she engaged in teaching for two years, until her marriage to Mr. Edwards. As Mr. Edwards prospered he purchased eighty acres, and by subsequent purchase acquired 450 acres in the Oak Grove school district, devoting his time to rais- ing grain and stock until he began setting out or- chards. He was interested in the Farmers' Union in

early days and was one of the founders of the Home Union, being president of that large mercantile es- tablishment for many years. He was also interested in banking. His ranch was well improved with a large, beautiful country residence, but it was de- stroyed by fire, after which he purchased a large residence on South Second Street in San Jose, where he made his home until his death, March 31, 1915. Mr. and Mrs. Edwards were blessed with two chil- dren: Mrs. Cora Conklin died in San Jose, and Wilbur J. is the president of the Security State Bank of San Jose. Henry W. Edwards was a member of San Jose Chapter No. 10, F. & A. M., and in politics he was a stanch supporter of Republican principles. He was a man of splendid judgment and an able manager, very liberal and enterprising and always ready to do his part in the building up of the county and state, and worthy objects always received his hearty support and cooperation. In his business dealings he was honest and reliable, having the con- fidence of all with whom he came in contact in a business way. His friendship was greatly prized, and at his passing Santa Clara County lost one of her best citizens. Since his death Mrs. Edwards continues to reside at the old home and, with the assistance of her son, looks after the large estate left by Mr. Edwards, who always gave much credit for his success to his wife, who encouraged and aided him in every way. Mrs. Edwards is now one of the pioneers and, having been very observant, she is a fund of information, and it is interesting to hear her discourse of early days in Santa Clara County. She attends the Episcopal Church.

FRANK J. MILLER .- A far-seeing, enterprising and successful business man of Palo Alto, whose success in his affairs has been due to his tenacity of purpose is Frank J. Miller, the capable proprietor of Miller's grocery, located at 203 University Avenue. He was born in Vienna, February 28, 1881, of respected parents who were in comfortable circumstances, and grew to manhood in the beautiful capital of Austria. His education was obtained in the fine schools of his native city; he gained a reading, writing and speaking knowledge of the Slavic languages, as well as German. Early in life he began working in stores and bakeries in Vienna, as a salesman, as well as baker and caterer, but desiring to better his condition, he came to America, arriving here when he was twenty-four years old, and worked in bakeries and delicatessen shops in New York, Chicago, Denver and San Francisco. He was married in San Fran- cisco to Miss Josephine Mesenburg. a native daughter of California, born and reared in San Francisco. the daughter of a well-known business man of the Bay City, and a woman of much ability; she is truly a helpmate to her husband and he attributes much of his success to her assistance and encouragement.

Fourteen years ago Mr. Miller located in Palo Alto and started in business in a modest way. He has a thorough knowledge of the grocery business, delica- tessen and bakery lines, as well as the art of catering, serving and furnishing viands for banquets, parties, etc. Since coming to the United States, he has ac- quired a good knowledge of the English language and of business management. He has built up a large and paying business in Palo Alto, using two auto trucks for delivery, and employs a number of bakers and clerks. Mr. Miller has built his residence

HW Edivarda

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

at 115 Emerson Street, with all the comforts and conveniences of a thoroughly up-to-date American home. Mr. and Mrs. Miller are the parents of one son, Frank J., Jr., a bright lad of eleven years. Mr. Miller carries a full line of groceries, and makes all his delicatessen and bakery goods in his own shop in his building at University Avenue and Emerson Street. Mr. and Mrs. Miller have won the friendship of their townspeople and are justly popular in Palo Alto business, fraternal and social circles.

RAY MUIR .- An able business man of Mayfield who is contributing to the growth of his town is Ray Muir, a native son of California and the grandson of a pioneer who came from the East in the days of '49. Mr. Muir was born at Willets. Mendocino County, and is the son of A. J. and Laura (Bigelow) Muir. The father, who was also born in Mendocino County, was engaged for many years in farming and stockraising, and also in the meat business, and he and Mrs. Muir still make their home at Willets.

One of a family of two sons and three daughters, Ray Muir grew up at Willets, attending the public schools there and also the Santa Rosa Business Col- lege. Before attending business college however, he worked on his father's farm and at the slaughter house in connection with his meat business, and after his graduation he helped incorporate and organize the Little Lake Meat Company at Willets, and for several years acted as its secretary and treasurer. In 1919 Mr. Muir came to Mayfield, where he leased the Mayfield Cash Market and started in business, handling a complete line of fresh and smoked meats. This is the oldest market in the northern part of Santa Clara County, in fact it was established and doing business before the town of Palo Alto was in existence, and has been operated continuously as a meat market with the exception of the two years just before Mr. Muir leased it. Under his propriet- orship the market is doing a prosperous business, as he handles only first-class products and gives his per- sonal attention to every detail of the business. Mr. Muir is at present fitting up a first-class meat mar- ket in the new Allison Peacock Block at 111 Lincoln Street in Mayfield. This market will be equipped with mechanical refrigeration and first-class fixtures; and particular regard will be paid to sanitation.

At Willets Mr. Muir was married to Miss Edith Lewis, a native of Canada, and they are the parents of one son, Ray, Jr. Mr. Muir was placed in Class 4 during the late war and was not called until just before the armistice was signed. Though a Democrat in politics, Mr. Muir is not unduly partisan but takes a live interest in all public matters, giving his aid and influence to all that will aid the community.

EUGENE DELYON .- Born under the French flag, on the Island of Martinique, Eugene Delyon has had the unique experience of a four years' resi- dence on the Island of Tahiti, in the South Seas, now the mecca of thousands of travelers whose tastes are for the far places of the earth. Mr. Delyon was born at Flor de France on July 13, 1882. and there he was educated and spent the years of his young manhood. A wish to see more of the world led him to leave his island home and his first view of the United States was when he crossed the continent on his way to the South Seas where for four years he conducted a shoe business on Tahiti.

Coming back to the United States, he located at Palo Alto and for four years was employed at Thoit's

Shoe Store there. He then started in business for himself, opening up a shoe store and repair shop at Stanford University. In 1910 he opened up a sec- ond shop at Mayfield and operated them both until the late war, when for a time he was in the service of his adopted country. At this time he disposed of his Stanford University shop to his brother, who still runs it, and since returning from the U. S. service he has given all of his time to his business at May- field. He carries a well-selected stock of footwear and has a full complement of shoe-repairing machin- ery, run by electric power, and he is himself an ex- pert in this work. This is the only exclusive boot and shoe store in Mayfield and Mr. Delyon has built up a substantial business there which bids fair to in- crease year by year, due to his genial personality and his up-to-date business methods.

STEVE ANDERSON .- A public-spirited official, who, as chairman of the committee on roads and high- ways of the city of Mayfield, is largely responsible for the excellent new reinforced-concrete highway running through this city, is Steve Anderson, a pio- neer resident of northern Santa Clara County and well known in business circles as a dealer in sand, stone and gravel and conducting a general teaming business. Mr. Anderson was born near Stockholm, Sweden, March 3, 1870, the son of Anders and Jo- hanna Person; the mother is still living at the old home place in Sweden. The father, who was for many years a carpenter, died at the age of eighty- nine years, on March 7, 1922, at his home in Sweden.

In 1887 Mr. Anderson came to America, joining his brother Peter, who had been in California some time and who is now a successful building contractor in Oakland. Another brother, Martin, died in Oakland in 1917, while a third member of the family, Anton Anderson, is a well-known resident of Mayfield, being proprietor of the Mayfield Transfer Company. When Steve Anderson first came to California he went to work for Judge Stanley on his great ranch, vineyard and orchard in Napa County. There he remained for two years, when he came to the large stock ranch of Senator Leland Stanford at Palo Alto. He went to work.as a farm hand, but it was not long until Sena- tor Stanford learned that young Anderson was an expert horseman, and so set him to work teaming, handling the big teams in the ranch work. He was soon made stock foreman and had charge of the thousand head of work and draft horses on this immense estate. He helped raise grain where the city of Palo Alto now stands, and saw Stanford University built up nearly from the beginning. Mr. Anderson continued on the Stanford ranch for many years, and in 1911 he came to Mayfield and started his present teaming business, in which he uses four draft horses, while his son drives an auto truck.

Two children were born of Mr. Anderson's mar- riage to Miss Hannah Anderson, Sante Howard and Mabel. Mr. Anderson is captain of the volunteer fire company, having held that post for the past ten years. In 1920 he was elected a member of the board of trustees of Mayfield and as chairman of the com- mittee on roads and highways, he has done excel- lent work, the new road through Mayfield being one of the best pieces of highway in the state and a credit to the town. Republican in politics, his influence and counsel are eagerly sought by the local party leaders and he is justly popular. He belongs to the Druids and the Ancient Order of Foresters.

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HARRY JOHNSON .- A nurseryman and orchard- ist who uses modern methods and scientific care in the development of his holdings, is Harry Johnson, whose ranch lies on the Almaden Road, five and one- half miles south of San Jose. He is a native son of Santa Clara County and was born two miles south of San Jose on the Northern Road April 1, 1882, his parents being Andrew and Hattie (Farley) Johnson, born in Skane, Sweden, and Quebec, Canada, res- pectively. The father was a sailor who came around Cape Horn to San Francisco when he was eighteen years old. He quit the sea and was one of the early farmers here, coming here in the '70s, and here he married Miss Farley, who had come here with her parents. Andrew Johnson passed away when Harry was only four years old. Mrs. Johnson continued horticulture, making her home on the ranch until her death in 1908. They had three children, two of whom are living, Harry being the oldest; he obtained his education in the public schools, with the addition of a course at the San Jose Business College, where he was graduated in 1898, and then went to work on ranches in this vicinity. He saved his money and when he was only seventeen years old he was able to make a payment of $300 on his first piece of prop- erty, which he afterwards sold at a profit. In 1905 he began raising nursery stock, as well as fruit growing and in 1917 he purchased his present place, adding to it until he had ninety acres devoted to nursery and orchard, but he has since disposed of some of his holdings and now has a fine tract of forty-five acres, half of which is devoted to his orchard and nursery. He makes a specialty of growing trees that are par- tienlarly adapted to this locality and he finds a ready market for his stock. He also grows about forty acres of garden truck a year.

On March 4, 1904, Mr. Johnson was married to Miss Gertrude Greenwalt, born in this vicinity, a member of a well-known old-time family here. Her father, George Greenwalt, was also born here and her grandfather was a pioneer settler. Mr. Johnson is a Republican and as one of the community's public- spirited citizens he can always be counted upon to aid in any progressive movement. At present he is serving as school trustee of Pioneer school district.

MRS. CATTHERINA GERAUD MATTEIS .- A successful rancher of Santa Clara County is found in Mrs. Cattherina Gerand Matteis, who owns and controls 364 acres of land on the Croy Road, nine miles from Morgan Hill. She was born on August 5, 1859 near the village of Moncucco, Italy, and grew to young womanhood in her native village. On April 2, 1882, she was married to Ernest Matteis, who was born in Moriondo, Province of Turino, on June 5, 1858 and was reared and schooled in his native town. Their first child was born on January 15, 1884 and died in infancy. On April 5, 1885, Joseph A. was born near the place where his father first saw the light of day. During that same year the young peo- ple started for their new home in America and Califor- nia, and arrived in San Jose in October, 1885. During the following twelve years Mr. Matteis was occupied steadily as chief chef at the La Molle House in San Jose; later at the Overland Club and the California Restaurant altogether for about twelve years. In 1897 the family removed from San Jose to the Uvas district where Mr. Matteis had purchased 194 acres of forest lands, which has been gradually brought under cultivation and set to orchard and vineyard.

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History of Santa Clara County California with biographical sketches, Part 180

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