History of Santa Clara County California with biographical sketches, Part 207

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

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Mr. Tonkin's marriage united him with Miss Eliz- abeth Cook, born in Keokuk, Iowa, the daughter of August and Dorothea (Wolf) Cook, who brought their family of two children, via the Isthmus of Panama, to Sacramento, Cal. where Mr. Wolf was car inspector for the Southern Pacific Railroad Company for many years until his death, December 23, 1887, his widow surviving him until May 11, 1892. They were the parents of five children, three of whom grew up. Christina is the widow of Will- iam Tonkin, residing in Union district; Elizabeth, Mrs. John Tonkin, deceased; Amelia, Mrs. Hemmen- way, died at Sacramento.

Mr. Tonkin was bereaved of his faithful wife in January, 1901, when she passed away, leaving him two children; Raymond enlisted in the World War December, 1917, serving in Battery D, Three Hun- dred Forty-fourth U. S. Field Artillery, and was sent overseas, sailing for La Havre, France, July 4, 1918, serving on foreign soil for nearly eleven months, returning to Camp Jackson, South Carolina, in June, 1919, and thence to the Presidio, San Fran-

cisco, where he was mustered out after nineteen months' service. He was married in 1920 to Augusta Pohlman, born in Medford, Ore., and he assists his father on the home ranch; Gladys presides gracefully over her father's home. Nonpartisan in his views when local political matters are concerned, Mr. Ton- kin takes deep interest in the country's progress. He is a member of the Prune & Apricot Association and fraternally he is affiliated with the Knights of Pythias and the Sons of St. George.

WM. EDWARD TRIMBLE .- A resident of Cal- ifornia since 1870, who is greatly interested in the preservation of early landmarks and history of the Valley is Wm. Edward Trimble, who is a native of Callaway County, Mo., born February 14, 1854, a son of Wm. H. Patsey (Hughes) Trimble, natives of the same state who were farmer folk and spent their entire lives in the vicinity of their birth. William H. Trimble had a brother, John Trimble, who crossed the plains to California in 1849, bringing a herd of cattle and became a successful stockman, owning a ranch at Milpitas and Trimble Road, the latter road being named for him.

Wm. Edward Trimble was reared on the farm and had the advantages of a good public school educa- tion. When sixteen years of age he concluded to come to California, so in 1870 we find him on his Uncle John Trimble's farm at Milpitas, for whom he worked faithfully for five years, when he started in the cattle business for himself on the Mt. Hamilton range, but later he changed his operations in the cattle business to Evergreen. In October, 1910, he came to Lakeside as keeper for the San Jose Water Company and in the same conscientious way he is looking after the interests of the water company, to the benefit of the consumers.

Mr. Trimble was married in San Jose to Miss Mary Ann Selby, who was born near San Jose and is a sister of W. H. Selby, who is also represented in this volume. Their union has been blessed with two children: Claude Selby is a very successful rancher in Sonoma, Mexico. Gladys is Mrs. How- ard Waltz of San Jose. Mr. Trimble is enterpris- ing and public spirited, has great faith in the future success of this county and is one of the good boosters for the Santa Clara Valley.

MARCUS HARLOE STEVENS-A well-known orchardist of Mountain View, Marcus Harloe Ste- vens, who is popularly known as "Mark" Stevens, with his capable wife operate a fine orchard of four- teen acres at the end of Levin Avenue, southeast of Mountain View, which has been his home during the past eleven years, and which he has built up, planted and brought to a high state of cultivation. He is a native son, having been born at Half Moon Bay, on December 8. 1859, being the oldest son of Benjamin Franklin Stevens, born in New York, who as a young man, took to the sea, joining a whaling expedition and for several years cruised far and wide as a whaler, rounding Cape Horn five times. The whaling fleet that he was with sailed around Cape Horn to the Sandwich Islands (now Hawaii) and there he heard rumors of rich gold diggings in Cal- ifornia. He obtained his discharge, but found, to his dismay that there was no vessel going from Honolulu to San Francisco; so he shipped back to New York around the Horn, and, arriving there, reshipped via the Horn for San Francisco, receiving

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his board and $100 for his services as a sailor. The captain of the vessel was parsimoniously inclined, and set young Stevens ashore, without money and even without breakfast on a cool September morn in 1849. So in a mood of dejection, he loitered on the wharf hungry and penniless, when he met a former associate, a sea captain whom he had met on the China Sea. The captain immediately passed him onto his own ship with instructions that he be treated as his guest. Mr. Stevens soon found a job lightering, at which work he excelled, and was soon making $100 a tide. He continued at this work until the next spring, when he had sufficient money to equip properly for a mining expedition up the North Fork of the American River. At first he engaged in placer mining and met with excellent success, clearing up $10,000 in a comparatively short time. A brother who was with him decided to go back East and farm the home place and take care of the aged parents, but he mysteriously disap- peared after his arrival home and is thought to have been robbed and murdered for the gold he carried. B. F. Stevens remained and formed a large com- pany on the American River, for the purpose of diverting the waters of that stream and thus se- cure the gold at the bottom of the river bed, but no gold was there, and so his first fortune had van- ished. He then went to Santa Cruz County and engaged in farming for four years, thence went to the Half Moon Bay country where he met and mar- ried Miss Sophronia C. Duke, who was born in Ohio and had come to California with her mother and stepfather, John Platt Height, when six years of age, her own father having died when she was only three. She was employed on Judge Michael Wolf's large dairy farm near Half Moon Bay and was married at fifteen, her first child, our subject being born when she was only sixteen. She was a noble mother and died in 1906. while on a visit to her daughter Josephine in San Luis Obispo County. The parents moved up to Monterey County in 1869 and engaged in farming near Soledad, where B. F. Stevens died in 1885. They were the parents of five children: Marcus Harloe, the subject of this sketch, named after Capt. Marcus Harloe, chief wharfinger at San Francisco, an intimate friend of his father; Wm. H. died when nineteen years old in 1880; Mary died when four years old in 1867; Josephine is the wife of Postmaster Charles U. Margetts, of Shandon, San Luis Obispo County; Sar- ah F. is the wife of Wilson J. Dry, a railroad man in the employ of the Salt Lake Route, residing in Los Angeles. Mark, being the oldest son and child in the family, was early called upon to help on the farm. His educational advantages, so far as school- ing is concerned, were meager, but notwithstanding this, Mr. Stevens has become a very well-informed man, having obtained his knowledge through wide reading and actual business contact with the world.

He was married in 1887 to Miss Grace L. Hulse, the daughter of A. P. Hulse, of the pioneer firm of Hulse and Kneadler, dealers in cement. lime and building materials at San Jose. Mrs. Stevens' mother is now Mrs. Augusta Ingraham and is still living. She is an honored pioneer and at family reunions enjoys the distinction of being the oldest of four generations of daughters. She is a granddaughter

of Judge Brown of Ohio, who was for many years the warden of the Ohio State Penitentiary.

After his marriage Mr. Stevens farmed at Sole- dad for two years, when he sold his 320-acre farm and spent the next five years at Seattle. In 1895 he returned to Santa Clara County, Cal. and bought a five-acre place on the Springer Road. Needing more land, he sold it and bought in his present neighbor- hood where he has lived since 1911. Here he has built a commodious country residence. Eight acres of the place is at present planted to French prunes while the rest is in peaches, apricots, walnuts and apples. In 1915 he raised thirty-five different kinds of fruits and vegetables on his place and he often helps out in making exhibits at local fairs, where his products uniformly attract favorable comment.

Very quiet and conservative in his ways, he leads a consistent Christian life, having been a member of the Baptist Church since he was twenty-two years old. He has served as treasurer, deacon and Sun- day school superintendent of the Baptist Church at Mountain View. In politics he is a Republican. He is known as one of the most generous of neighbors and takes an active interest in the general welfare of his community and is a member of the Prune & Apricot Growers Association, the Masons and the Modern Woodmen. Mr. and Mrs. Stevens have two children: Alpha Tacoma (born in Tacoma, Wash.), now the wife of Merl N. Job, electrical worker at Palo Alto and they have two children-Thomas Stevens and Ruth Jean; Grace Wenonah.

KNUT H. HANSEN .- A young man of sterling worth, Knut H. Hansen, is one of the recent acces- sions to Palo Alto business circles and has recently become the owner and proprietor of the University Creamery, with its store, manufactory and ice cream parlor at 209 University Avenue. He brings to his business, the efficiency and competency, born of years of hard and painstaking work, especially in the ice cream line, having for several years held positions of responsibility with several of the leading manufac- turers and caterers on the Pacific Coast and in the Middle West. He was born at Copenhagen, Den- mark, November 11, 1880, and is the only son of Harold and Judith (Haslund) Hansen, the former be- ing the well-known Danish chemist for several years employed by Christian Hansen, an own cousin, as chemist in the originating and manufacture of Han- sen's butter coloring. The parents came to America. settling in St. Paul, Minn., in 1891, and to California in 1895, and the father died in 1917, leaving his widow and four children. The mother resides with our sub- ject in Palo Alto, while the three living daughters are: Mrs. Julian Heidekker of Berkeley; Mrs. Thyra Haslund of St. Paul, Minn., and Mrs. Inga Nyby, the wife of Ib Nyby, oil man, in Kern County, Cal.

Knut H. Hansen came to America with his parents in 1891 and at the early age of thirteen went to work upon a dairy-farm near St. Paul. He contin- ued to work in Minnesota and Wisconsin in the creamery line until 1907, when he came to California where he has specialized in the manufacturing of ice cream, having held positions of responsibility with such well-known firms as Christopher's at Los An- geles and Sherry Bros., of San Francisco. It is safe to say that he has no superior in his line in Santa Clara County. He came to Palo Alto in

Y. F. Ridley

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

1919 and for three years was engaged with Mr. A. T. Nielsen, the proprietor of the Altamont Creamery. On June 1, 1922, he bought out the University Creamery and looks forward to a suc- cessful and honorable business career.

LaFAYETTE RIDLEY .- For two decades La- Fayette Ridley has made his home in Santa Clara County and during this period he has concentrated his attention upon the cultivation of the soil, being now engaged in operating a highly productive farm in the Union district. A native of Arkansas, he was born near Little Rock, May 17, 1860, of the union of James and Louisa (Gibson) Ridley, both born in Tennessee. His parents came to California in 1861, settling in Yolo County, where both passed away.

In the public schools of this state LaFayette Ridley acquired his education and for a time he fol- lowed agricultural pursuits in Yolo County, special- izing in the growing of wheat. In 1900 he engaged in the hotel business at Oakland, and the following year came to Santa Clara County, and is now oper- ating the Riggs place of 100 acres in partnership with his son. The property is situated in the Union district, on the Los Gatos and Almaden Road, and he brings to its cultivation a true sense of agricul- tural economics, never allowing a foot of the land to be unproductive, hence his labors have been crowned with success. He is also operating two other orchards, devoted to raising prunes, peaches, cherries, apricots and grapes; he also raises hay and grain. Mr. Ridley, like his father has been a splendid horseman, having a natural ability to judge the fine points of a horse. He has owned some val- uable drivers in his day and he now has very fine draft horses on his ranch. He also uses a tractor in connection with his teams.

Mr. Ridley has been married twice. His first union was with Miss Lovina Giguiere, who passed away leaving two children: Edgar, who is associated with his father in his farming operations; and Pearl, now the wife of Charles Johnson of San Jose. For his second wife, Mr. Ridley chose Miss Florence John- son, born in California, and the circle of their friends is a large one. He is a Republican in his political views and for forty years has been identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He has never been afraid of hard work and has labored dili- gently and persistently to attain his present success. Recognizing the duties and obligations as well as the privileges of citizenship, he has ever taken a deep and helpful interest in public affairs and his aid and influence are always on the side of advance- ment and improvement.

FRANK PHILLIPS .- A progressive, enterprising young business men of Palo Alto, Cal., Frank Phil- lips is a native son of this state, born at Half Moon Bay, San Mateo County, Cal., and for the past seven years has conducted the Elite Market located at 218 University Avenue, Palo Alto. His parents are Manuel and Mary Phillips, retired farmers living at Half Moon Bay, the parents of seven children, four sons and three daughters, of whom six are living. One son, Joe, is in the dairy business in Palo Alto

Frank grew up on his father's farm and received his education in the public schools of the district. Early in life he selected the meat market business for his life occupation and worked in his home town until 1913, when he came to Palo Alto and was em-

ployed in several markets and became efficient in all lines of the business. In 1915 he purchased the market formerly owned and conducted by George Carey and since Mr. Phillips assumed control, the business has received new life and is steadily grow- ing. Mr. Phillips caters to the best trade in Palo Alto, his market is sernplously clean and sanitary, and he carries the usual line of fresh and salted meats, has ample coolers, refrigerators and has the most modern, sanitary and up-to-date refrigerator show cases. In his political views, Mr. Phillips is a sound Republican, and he belongs to the N. S. G. W. He owns an attractive prune orchard of five acres beween Mountain View and Mayfield, and belongs to the Prune Growers' Association. A generous, public-spirited citizen, he subscribes liberally toward the support of all projects for the benefit of the town and county.

GEORGE W. CALKINS .- A rancher whose in- telligent operations and enviable results entitle him to general respect is George W. Calkins, living at his home on the Saratoga Road. Mr. Calkins was born in Richmond. Wis., 1863, and is the son of George and Mary (Markham) Calkins, who were both natives of England. Mr. Calkins' parents came to the United States when they were very young, and began farming in Wisconsin. The father passed away some time ago in Wisconsin, while the mother spent her last days in Santa Clara County. Of their six children, George is the youngest. He attended school in Wisconsin, after which he followed farming until 1893.

Mr. Calkins was married in Lawson, Colo., in 1893, to Miss Bertha Bullock, born near Janesville, Wis. They came to California and settled in Santa Clara County in the year 1893, where he purchased his present property, consisting of twenty-two acres, which was set to prunes, peaches and apricots. His orchards are considered among the very best in that vicinity and he has spent much time and labor and planning in bringing them to this degree of product- iveness. He is a believer in cooperative marketing and is a member of the California Prune & Apricot Growers Association and the California Peach Growers Asociation and the Farmers Educational and Cooperative Union of America. Mr. Calkins is a man who has always worked for the forward movement of the community in which he lives and has made many good friends. Politically, he is a Republican. He is a member of the San Jose Grange and of the Woodmen of the World. In religions faith, he and his wife are active members of the First Methodist Episcopal Church in San Jose.

A. E. TANNER .- As manager of the California Garage, 328 University Avenue, Palo Alto, A. E. Tan- ner has shown unusual capability and initiative in this position, for which his training and experience has well qualified him. Mr. Tanner, popularly known as "Steve" Tanner among his friends, is the son of E. H. Tanner, who is at the head of this firm, and who is also a resident of Palo Alto. He was born at Oscoda, Mich., September 24, 1889, and when he was seven years old his parents removed to San Francisco, Cal., where his boyhood days were spent. At the age of twenty he became connected with the Tacoma Motor Car Company as a machinist and was with them from 1909 until 1911. He then became

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

a machinist for the Tacoma Bottling Company, later joining the sales department of that concern, and then city salesman for four years.

In 1912 Mr. Tanner was married to Miss Ida M. Edwards of Tacoma, Wash., also a native of Michi- gan, and one son has been added to their household, Albert E., Jr. In September, 1921, E. H. Tanner and our subject took over the business of the California Garage, one of the largest and finest garages in the Santa Clara Valley. They maintain a well-equipped machine shop and service station, and handle a full line of tires and all auto accessories. They also have a well-organized sales department, having the agency for three high-grade and popular makes, the Hudson, Essex, and Franklin cars. The Tanner family have been a very substantial acquisition to the business and social circles of Palo Alto, where they have rapidly made a place for themselves.

L. A. MONIER .- A business man whose steady stream of success is well deserved is L. A. Monier, the popular proprietor of the Liberty Cash grocery at 254 University Avenue, Palo Alto. He was born in France on June 23, 1879, the son of Antoine Monier, who was an artillery officer for thirty years in his native land. As our subject grew to manhood, he too enlisted in the French Army, training for five years; then for two and a half years was at Nancy, France, and two and a half years in Susa, Tunis, Africa, a French possession, serving as an artillery- man. Having completed his ten years of military service under the French flag, he came to America with a sister. Arriving in San Francisco in 1903, he entered the Park Riding School and learned the art of riding and training horses and was there at the time of the great earthquake and fire in 1906. He then removed to Berkeley and was employed in a creamery; then he went to San Mateo and entered the employ of Levy Bros. department store. His intelligence and capabilities were soon recognized and he was given the position of buyer for the firm, and for twelve years he filled the position with thorough- ness and faithfulness, and the training has been in- valuable to him. In 1917, in company with his brother-in-law, he visited Palo Alto with the view of establishing his own store and during that year opened his store in this beautiful college city. He handles a first class stock of domestic and imported delicacies, and staple and fancy groceries, and em- ploys five clerks to take care of his growing busi- ness. Mr. Monier's marriage occurred in Oakland, Cal., and united him with Miss B. Gelin, and they are the parents of one child, Marie T. Mr. Monier contributes generously to all that tends to the de- velopment of Palo Alto and county.

CLIFFORD M. FORD .- A recent graduate of Stanford University who by intelligence and good management is making a success of the restaurant business is Clifford M. Ford. He graduated with the class of 1921, majoring in business economics and is now putting his college training to practical use. He is one of the genial proprietors of the Stanford Cafe, located at 214 University Avenue, Palo Alto, Cal., W. C. McCombs and Lloyd E. Schwab being in partnership with him. He was born at Fullerton, Cal., November 1, 1898, the son of Elmer R. and Grace (McDermont) Ford, the former a native of

Battle Creek, Mich., and the latter the daughter of an Orange County pioneer, Alexander McDermont. His father became an extensive walnut grower and rancher in Orange County and both parents still reside there.

Clifford M. Ford grew up in Orange County and his education was received in the grammar and high schools of Fullerton, where he was graduated with the class of 1917. He then entered the Universty of California at Berkeley and began his course of busi- ness economics remaining there for two years; then he transferred his credits to the Stanford University and was graduated in 1921 with the degree of A. B. Mr. Ford's pleasing personality and kindly disposi- tion has brought him a large circle of friends who appreciate him for his honesty of purpose, integrity and worth. The Stanford Cafe is filling a long-felt need in the way of excellent quality at moderate prices; sanitation and modern equipment is strictly adhered to and the patronage is steadily increasing.

WILLIAM BENJAMIN ALLEN. - Prominent among the successful business men of Palo Alto, whose integrity and progressive methods have highly commended themselves to their fellow-citizens, and so provided for them a loyal, patronizing public, is William Benjamin Allen, a native son of Santa Clara County, who was born in San Jose in 1878. He is a son of Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Graves Allen, well- known pioneers, Mr. Allen having come to San Jose from New York State in 1856 and spending the greater part of his life in this vicinity. In 1871 he married Harriet Ables, whose family was prominent in the Berryessa District. William B. Allen was educated in the public schools of San Luis Obispo County, and when sixteen years old started working in a hardware store, and has continued in that import- ant field ever since. Pushing out into the world, he sailed for the Hawaiian Islands, where he remained for five years. At San Jose, on June 26, 1901, Mr. Allen married Miss Winifred Jeffreys, a native daugh- ter. They have two children, Lloyd Jeffreys, born in Honolulu, May 26, 1902, and Edyth Winifred, born in Palo Alto, January 9, 1906.

In 1903, Mr. Allen returned to California and pitched his tent in Palo Alto. Here' he established the Palo Alto Hardware Company, which is among the enterprises most worthy of mention in the com- munity. It is located in the Nevada Building, at a corner of University avenue and Bryant street, and occupies the entire ground floor and basement. The purchase of this building and the maintenance of high-grade stock are the substantial evidences of the faith the Palo Alto Hardware Company has in the permanent growth of this renowned academic center. The Palo Alto Hardware Company was incorporated at the same time it was established, and for the past nineteen years has occupied a leading place among the mercantile establishments of Palo Alto. It has been under the active management of W. B. Allen, its president and manager, who had associated with him, his father, B. G. Allen, as secretary and treas- urer, until the latter's death in January 1919. At all times the company has had an efficient staff of as- sistants, which has enabled it to maintain a high standard of service, much appreciated by this com- munity of representative people.

Chas Berry

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

CHARLES BERRY .- A wide-awake, experienced and successful man, and an early settler of Santa Clara County, Charles Berry has been closely identi- fied with many of the forward movements of Camp- bell. He was born in Lancashire, England, December 21, 1863, the son of John and Mary (Wilkinson) Berry who were also natives of Lancashire, where the father was a cotton manufacturer.

In 1877 John Berry brought his family to the United States, thinking of the better advantages and greater opportunities and in Marshall, Lyon County, Minn., he engaged in flour milling and farming until 1884, when he located in Santa Clara County where he engaged in farming. There, too, he and his wife died. Of their four children, Charles is the second oldest, and at the time of their arrival in this conn- try was only fourteen years of age. He received his education in the splendid schools of England where he was graduated before coming to America; then he assisted his father in the mill until he took up the study of telegraphy and on completing the course he entered the service of the Western Union Telegraph Company being stationed in the city of Chicago, until he moved to California to join his parents. He arrived in Santa Clara in 1885, where he entered the employ of the Southern Pacific Rail- road Company; then in 1886 he moved on to Camp- bell and since that time has been in the employ of the same company here as agent and is now in his thirty-sixth year in one position. He also served as postmaster of Campbell for two years and has been the Wells Fargo agent for thirty-five years.

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History of Santa Clara County California with biographical sketches, Part 207

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