History of Santa Clara County California with biographical sketches, Part 237

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

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Mr. Gatter's second marriage was on July 23, 1919, to Miss Gertrude Alice Clunan, a native daughter of the Golden State and of Santa Clara County, and they are the parents of a son, born February 17, 1922. His first marriage united him with Elizabeth A. Gould, born in Boston, Mass., and by whom two children were boru: Christian H. C. and Elizabeth S. He is a Republican in political affiliation, and is fraternally associated with the local organization of Moose. Mr. Gatter finds great enjoyment in outdoor life, particularly in photography, in which line he has become very proficient. He is interested in all civic improvements, and is a man of well-directed energy, which has served to bring him success.

JOSEPH SPENCER GREENLEY .- Among the rising young business men of San Jose and of Santa Clara County is J. S. Greenley, of the firm of Bell & Greenley, auto trimmers. Their place of busi- ness is at 505 South Market Street, and there they are operating the largest business in this line in Santa Clara County.

Mr. Greenley was born in Knox County, Mo., on June 1, 1891, and was the son of Joseph E. and Virginia (Fort) Greenley. He was educated in the schools of Missouri and California, the family having come to this state, settling first at Los Gatos, when he was very young. Here he worked in a cannery and also spent a great deal of his time in gopher trap manufacturing. In the year of 1914 he, in part- nership with Mr. Bell, formed the firm of Bell & Greenley, on October 13. Here they employ ten men and are engaged in the making of auto tops,

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doing trimming and upholstering, and have built up such a growing trade that they take in work from all over Santa Clara County as well as local orders. Both men are expert workmen in their line and as they give every job the benefit of their personal at- tention and thorough workmanship, they have estab- lished a reputation of which they may well be proud.

Mr. Greenley's marriage united him with Miss Emily Pascoe and they are the parents of two children: Virgil Henry and Ruth E. Mr. Greenley is a member of the Masonic lodge, also an interested worker in the Chamber of Commerce and the Auto Trades Association. He is deeply interested in the progress of Santa Clara County and takes a live interest in the happenings in San Jose.

DR. WILLIAM D. GORDON-Enterprising and successful, Dr. William D. Gordon, veterinarian, is named among the representative men of Santa Clara County, where he has been located in San Jose since 1914. Born in Forfarshire, Scotland, on September 9, 1879, the son of James and Wilhelmina (Guthrie) Gordon, he left the old world for the new in 1905. James Gordon, the father, was born in Banffshire and the mother in Montrose, Scotland, and on both sides were among the oldest and most prominent families of the realm. His father, now deceased, was a civil engineer by profession, and his mother, who, after his father's death, came to America, makes her home in Hanford, Cal., nearly eighty years old. Of eight children that grew up, William D. is the sev- enth. Three brothers and a sister also reside in Cali- fornia. George is a veterinary surgeon with the State Bureau of Animal Industry at Sacramento; Andrew R. M. is a physician and surgeon in Los Angeles; Robert is an attorney in Oakland; Mrs. Mary Grant resides in San Francisco.

After graduating from the common schools of his birthplace William D. entered the Croydon Poly- technic school near London, and after graduation at- tended a military school at Aberdeen, Scotland, dur- ing which time he served in the British army as a member of the Gordon Highlanders. On his dis- charge he came to Hanford, Cal., in 1905, and as- sisted his brother, Dr. George Gordon, in his veter- inary practice until he entered the San Francisco Veterinary College, graduating from that institution in 1914 with the degree of D. V. M. He practiced for a short time in Hanford and later in the same year removed to San Jose, where he has since made his home and achieved success. In addition to fol- lowing his profession he was appointed the first chief meat inspector for San Jose and was later chief food inspector, which office he faithfully and efficiently filled for two years. Dr. Gordon established the first meat inspection in San Jose, which system is still in use. Recently he bought out the practice of Dr. Browning and since that time has conducted the veterinary hospital at 66 North San Pedro Street, where he treats all domestic animals.

At Hanford in 1911 he was married to Miss Ella Grace Church, a native of Michigan. They are the parents of two children: William D., Jr., and Jean Ella. Dr. Gordon is a stanch Republican in his politi- cal convictions, and fraternally is affiliated with the Masons, Elks, Woodmen of the World, Rotary Club and Chamber of Commerce. He is also a member of the California State Veterinary Medical Association and the American Veterinary Medical Association.

During the World War he gave much time to the different Red Cross, Liberty Loan and other drives for raising war funds. Dr. Gordon is very musical and is possessed of a pleasing bass voice and is a member of Richard's Choral Club. The family are members of the First Presbyterian Church. Believ- ing implicitly in the future greatness and prosperity of this favored section, Dr. Gordon takes a keen in- terest in all matters pertaining to the development and upbuilding of Santa Clara County.

FRANK D. HILL .- Listed among the advertising men of San Jose, we find Frank D. Hill, the com- mercial artist, whose commercial signs and show cards prove to be a drawing card to firms in almost any kind of business. Frank D. Hill is a native of Cali- fornia, having been born in San Jose, March 1, 1893, the son of George and Charlotte (Cornish) Hill. The father was born in Maine and came with his parents to San Jose when he was a boy and here he was reared on the farm. Later he bought land and improved it, setting it out to fruit trees. He was among the early orchardists of Santa Clara County. His parents are now living in Lassen County.

Frank Hill received his education in the public schools of San Jose and at Hopkins Art School at San Francisco. He learned his profession by practical experience, at first beginning ou a small scale, and later, as he began to receive more work, he estab- lished his place of business at 39 South First Street and here he is engaged in doing first-class com- mercial art work, painting attractive signs and making neat, business-getting show cards.

Mr. Hill's marriage united him with Miss Alice Austin, who is also a native of San Jose, and they are the parents of one child, Betty. Mr. Hill is deeply interested in Santa Clara County and is a public spirited and respected man, always for all projects that tend for the upbuilding of his native county. In national politics he is a Democrat, but in local affairs, he is liberal in his views and votes for men and measures instead of adhering to strict party ties. Mr. Hill is an outdoor man, fond of his car and the open-air pleasures it brings, and likes to hunt. He is a very popular member of the Ob- servatory Parlor of the Native Sons.

HARRY A. HOUSER .- Among the rising young men of San Jose will be found Harry A. Houser, attorney-at-law, who was born in Colusa, Colusa County, California, on November 5, 1895, the son of Charles and Philomena (Erisay) Houser. His father died while they were in the East. Harry received his education in Santa Clara University, specializing in law, and he received his LL. B. degree in 1917, and was admitted to the bar on motion. He then went into the county clerk's office and served a year as assistant probate clerk.

After the United States entered the World War to aid the cause of the Allies, Mr. Houser desired to enlist for active service in the defense of his country, but was unable to do so on account of a disability, so entered the legal department of the government and was stationed at Angel Island. He then entered the office of Louis Oneal and was with him for a year and a half, then became associated with R. C. McCornish, where he has continued very successfully.

Mr. Houser is prominent in the social affairs of San Jose's younger set. He is a member of the American Legion, Santa Clara Post No. 233, a

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

member of the Santa Clara Parlor of the Native Sons of the Golden West, in which he is past president, and is a member of the Knights of Columbus and the Y. M. I. In national politics he is a Republican.

OSCAR M. LANHAM .- Resourcefulness coupled with energy has enabled Oscar M. Lanham to succeed in his chosen line of work. A native of the state of Nebraska, he was born at Plattsmouth, October 13, 1884, the son of David E. and Hannah (Johnson) Lanham. The Lanham family migrated to California in 1896, and the parents resided in San Jose until 1918, when they removed to Lassen County, where they reside. The oldest of three children, Oscar M. Lanham received a common school education in San Jose. Upon leaving school, he was employed by an oil burner company, where he became thoroughly familiar in this line of work, working up from the bottom. Being fully convinced that there comes a time when nothing is to be gained by working for others, he established his own business at 325 West Empire Street in San Jose, where he built his resi- dence and shop, and is now the agent for S. T. Johnson Company of San Francisco and the Rotary Oil Burner Company of Oakland, installing their furnaces in residences, business houses and large buildings, having a variety of different sizes. Owing to his principles of integrity and his capability in this field, his business is steadily growing.

His marriage in San Jose united him with Miss Mary Maderis, a native daughter of San Jose. Three children have blessed the union: Wesley, Jack, and Stanley. In politics he is independent and prefers to vote for the man rather than to be governed en- tirely by party lines. Fraternally he is a member of the Woodmen of the World. Loyal to the city which has been his home from early boyhood, he labors for the advancement of San Jose, as well as for his individual business interests.

FRED W. LARSON .- To learn one thing thor- oughly, and then to spend the active years of life in the industry for which both study and natural inclina- tion have fitted one, is to carry on the world's work to the best of any man's ability. Such a man is Fred WV. Larson, one of the successful orchardists of Santa Clara County, and a native of Denmark, where he · was horn May 9, 1884, a son of Augustus and Metta Larson, the former born in Sweden and the latter in Denmark, and still living there. aged seventy-two.

Fred W. Larson was educated in the schools of Denmark and at the age of eighteen came to the United States, crossed the country to California and stopped for a period in San Francisco. He engaged in farm work and became deeply interested in horti- culture. The first place he bought was located at Bakersfield, but he never lived there; later he sold this and removed to Palo Alto and in 1917 located on his present place on Moor Park Avenue, consisting of fifty acres, which had been planted to prunes and walnuts and is among the oldest orchards in this locality. He has lived in the county since 1904.

Mr. Larson's marriage united him with Miss Emma Anderson, a native of Kansas, and they are the parents of three children: Cecil, John, and Thomas. In national politics Mr. Larson is a Republican, but is a supporter of the best obtainable for the local wel- fare, both in respect to measures and men. He is a firm believer in cooperative methods and is a mem- ber of the Prune and Apricot Growers, Inc. Frater-

nally he is an Odd Fellow and a Knight of Pythias. As a lover of the great outdoors, Mr. Larson thor- oughly enjoys looking after his beautiful orchard, which is rewarding him for the care and cultivation which he has given it.

WILLIAM ASHLEY RIGGS .- A native son of California and a member of a pioneer family of the state, William Ashley Riggs is well known through- out Santa Clara County as a horticulturist and the owner of valuable orchards. He was born in the Union district, near Los Gatos, December 5, 1864, and his parents were Zadok A. and Phoebe E. (Cairus) Riggs, born at Columbia, Boone County, Mo., and Enniskillen, Ireland, respectively. Grand- father Zadok A. Riggs was born in Kentucky, of old Southern family and died in Missouri. Mrs. Phoebe (Cairus) Riggs is descended of old Scotch family of Protestants and came to New York State about 1854 and to California in 1857, via Panama.

Zadok A. Riggs, the father of our subject, came to California across the plains in an ox-team train, leav- ing St. Joseph, Mo., May 1, 1850, and arrived in California September 12 of that year. After mining two years at Mokelumne Hill he came to Santa Clara County, November 30, 1852, and purchased a squatter's title to the old Riggs Ranch.

Later the ranch was thought to be in the Narvaez Grant and Mr. Riggs paid Isaac Branham, owner of part of the grant, and later the Government survey showed it was Uncle Sam's domain, and he then paid the Government for it and obtained his patent to 160 acres. Here he engaged in general farming and at about 1889 began setting out orchards. He passed away May 30, 1892. He was the second white man in Almaden township, the first being James Dwyer.

Mrs. Riggs survived her husband until August 24, 1919, being then 83 years old This worthy couple had five children only, two of whom grew up: Wm. A. of this sketch, and Zedd S., who resides in Los Gatos. After completing the public school, W. A. Riggs attended the Garden City Business College, from which he was graduated in 1883, and for a time he devoted his attention to general ranching. From 1910 until 1913 he was employed as bookkeeper by a wholesale produce and meat firm of Portland, Ore. On his return to Santa Clara County in 1913 he was associated with his brother in the real estate busi- ness as the Riggs Realty Company in Los Gatos, continuing there for five years, when he sold his inter- est in the business to his brother to accept a posi- tion of assistant cashier of the First National Bank of Los Gatos. In 1918 he was elected a member of the board of trustees of Los Gatos, serving finance and fire and water committees. He resigned his position with the bank in July, 1920, and also as city trustee, and removed to Klamath Falls, Ore., to be office manager of the shook manufacturing plant of the Growers' Packing and Warehouse Association of California. He continued there until May, 1921, when he resigned to return to Los Gatos, and soon afterwards he accepted the place as foreman of the Los Gatos Cured Fruit Company, and is rendering excellent service in that connection, his constant aim being to perform his duty according to the best of his ability. Mr. Riggs and his brother still own 100 acres of Z. A. Riggs homestead, which is devoted to raising prunes, grapes and hay.

Mr. Riggs was united in marriage in Los Gatos November 16, 1892, to Miss Flora Thomson, and

B.L, Stebbins

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

they have a daughter, Mildred. Mrs. Riggs was born near Eugene, Ore., and her parents, John and Bertha Thomson, came from Iowa to Santa Clara County, Cal., and later removed to Oregon; when Mrs. Riggs was eight years of age they returned to Santa Clara County.

Mr. Riggs' political support is given to the plat- form and candidates of the Republican party, and fraternally he is identified with the Odd Fellows, belonging to the Subordinate Lodge and Encamp- ment, and is a past grand of the order. In all of his business affairs he has displayed keen discernment, and the years have marked his progress along lines which lead to success.

C. L. STEBBINS-The mercantile interests of San Jose are well represented in the person of C. L. Stebbins, one of the city's younger business men, who has proved himself a potent factor in the upbuild- ing of important enterprises and the development of resources in the Santa Clara Valley. Born in San Jose April 9, 1893, he is the son of C. R. and Bell Walton (Taylor) Stebbins, who were for some time located at Marysville, and they later settled in San Jose, where the father was employed by the Santa Clara Valley Mill and Lumber Company for a number of years. He passed away in 1916, but the mother still resides in San Jose.

C. L. Stebbins was educated in the grammar and high schools of San Jose, graduating with the 1913 class. Immediately upon graduation he was em- ployed by the California Fruit Canners Association and for six years he had charge of the receiving room for the company. When the merger was made and the California Packing Corporation took over the above association's business the new company recognized Mr. Stebbins' ability, and retained his services, and he continued in their employ in the same capacity at plant No. 3 until June, 1919, when he was transferred to plant No. 4 as assistant superintendent. 1n 1920 he was promoted, being made superintendent of the plant, a position he is filling most capably.

The marriage of Mr. Stebbins in 1915 united him with Miss Etta V. Ludwig. Three children have been born to them: Chartley Irene, Richard Walton and Eunice. Politically Mr. Stebbins is a supporter of the Republican party. He is a member of Frater- nity Lodge No. 309, F. & M., and is an active and consistent member of the First Methodist Episcopal Church of San Jose. Much of his success is due to his genial, tactful and considerate manner, as well as his business integrity, and unfailing perseverance. He gives unreservedly of his time and means to all progressive movements for the further development of Santa Clara County.

ALEXANDER MATRACIA .- An enterprising fruit and vegetable shipper who has studied the fruit trade of California with such scientific care that he is now rated as one of the experts in his field, is Alexander Matracia, the district manager of the Stewart Fruit Company at San Jose. He was born at Palermo, Sicily, on April 30, 1871, the son of Alex- ander and his good wife Mary Matracia, who breathed her last at Chicago, to which city she had come to join her son after his locating there in 1886. He began his schooling in Sicily, and attended school for only a short time in Chicago. When he was eleven years old, his father having died about a month before he was born, Alexander came to New Orleans,

where he remained about five years. After that, he made his way to Chicago, and there he was engaged in the wholesale fruit business until 1910, when he came west to California. He came direct to San Jose where he engaged in business as fruit and vegetable shipper. He continued successfully, though on a small scale, until he met Mr. Stewart of the Stewart Fruit Company, who had known Mr. Ma- tracia in Chicago. He had closed his San Jose plant a few years before because it was not paying, but Mr. Matracia assured him the business would pay. Mr. Stewart had confidence in the ability of Mr. Matracia, and in 1907 he became the manager of the San Jose branch and has built up a splendid trade. The Stewart Fruit Company employs seventy-five women and fifteen men in the busy season and has headquarters both in Los Angeles and in San Fran- cisco. Mr. Matracia's wide and practical experience enables him to meet and master every emergency such as so often, and suddenly, arises in this trade with perishable stuff. He belongs to the San Jose Chamber of Commerce, and to the Italian-American club, and it is needless to say that his counsel there is much appreciated.

At Chicago, in 1906, Mr. Matracia was married to Miss Esther Johnson, who was born in and who passed part of her life in Michigan. She is an ac- complished woman able to assist her husband materi- ally and shares with him the social life of the Wood- men of the World and the Modern Woodmen of America. They have a daughter, Marian. Mr. Ma- tracia votes with the Republican party, and with Republicans seeks to improve trade relations and so add to the country's prosperity.

SAM PEDGRIFT .- Although seventy-one years of age, Sam Pedgrift is still the leading plasterer of Palo Alto, Cal. He is of English birth, but an American by choice and adoption, a man of un- questioned integrity, reliable and honorable in all his business affairs. He is of Saxon blood, originally removing from Holland to England, his name being "Von Grift," which in course of time became Ped- grift. It is related that a Saxon ancestor settled in England and was a soldier of the Crown, but left the army and took up the trade of plastering, and for seven generations, including our subject, have all been plasterers, very thorough in their line. He was born in Harleston, County of Norfolk, England, November 17, 1850, and when he was six years old was taken by his parents, James and Jane (Fox) Pedgrift, to London, where his father was a leading plasterer. They were the parents of twelve children of whom our subject is the only one living.

Mr. Pedgrift grew up at Kingston-upon-Thames and began to make his own way in the world when only ten years old; he worked around at various jobs such as a boy could do; then began to work for his father and when seventeen years old was a plasterer, having received practical knowledge during the time he worked with his father. He arrived in New York on June 1, 1872, and lost no time in getting to Chi- cago, where he got busy at his trade. An older brother, John Pedgrift, had also come to America, and the two brothers went into partnership as plas- terers, continuing for two years; then in 1874 Mr. Pedgrift removed to Denver, Colo., and after the first year began contracting. In 1885 he came to the Pacific Coast and settled in Victoria, British Columbia, and there resumed operations as a plas-

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terer. He was then chosen chief of the fire depart- ment and was there during the great fire which destroyed the entire city with the exception of one house. He spent one year in Victoria and one year in Vancouver, then in 1887 came to Southern Cali- fornia and settled in San Bernardino; he plastered the first house in Redlands. In 1901 he took a trip to the Hawaiian Islands and remained twenty months; returning to California he stopped at Hol- lister for a short time; then went to Stockton, and while there was foreman for the workmen that plas- tered the court house. He put in about three years working in Montana, mostly at Butte, and four years in Arizona, then went to Oakland and came for the first time to Palo Alto in 1904; then he returned to Oakland and was there until 1906, when he returned to Palo Alto. He has practically done all the repair work in and about Palo Alto and much of the plaster work at the Stanford University. He is an expert in his line and has done the largest and best jobs in Palo Alto and environs, including the Peninsular Hospital, and many residences and business houses; he does much art work as well as plain plastering.

In August, 1921, Mr. Pedgrift was married the second time to Mrs. Edith Byron, nec Ormshy,' a native of Chicago, Ill., reared in California, a daugh- ter of Elon Ormsby, a photographer at Oakland, Cal. Mrs. Pedgrift has one son by her first hus- band, Clarence B. Byron, who is married and resides in Oakland Mr. Pedgrift is the parent of four children by his first wife; Florence is the widow of Fred R. Brauer, a general contractor in Los Ange- les, Cal .; Jennie is the wife of Al Kastner of Los Angeles; Ethel and Robert reside in Los Angeles. While residing in Colorado and Montana, Mr. Ped- grift was active in politics, being a progressive Re- publican, and was well acquainted with Senators Wal- cott and Teller in Colorado, also the governor, Alva Adams, and all the leading political leaders in Mon- tana. Fraternally he is a member of the Odd Fel- lows, Woodmen and Knights of Pythias.

FERDINAND LUSCHER .- A first-class citizen, generous and enterprising, is found in Ferdinand Luscher, the senior member of the automobile paint- ers Luscher & Huber, pioneers in their line. He was born at Muhen, Canton Argau, Switzerland, August 1, 1874, the only child of his parents, Fritz and Louise Luscher, and he and his mother made their home with his grandmother, Mary Magdaline (Engisch) Luscher. He attended the public schools, and when sixteen years of age went to Aarau to learn the painter's trade. He showed great aptness in his work and was soon selected to do the finest kind of painting. After serving a three years' apprenticeship he became a journeyman painter, working in all the large cities of Switzerland. In his travels he picked up considerable French and Italian, as well as Ger- man; he then went to France and worked at Nice, Cannes, Monaco and Marseilles, then returned to Switzerland and spent one year, then went back to France and worked in many of the leading carriage shops in Paris and was head painter in the shop where all the de luxe carriages were made. He then went to London and for three years worked in the leading painting shops there, for Hooper & Company then the coach builders to royalty. Here he met Charles H. Huber, his present partner, and in 1898 the young men decided to try their fortunes in Ame-

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History of Santa Clara County California with biographical sketches, Part 237

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