History of Santa Clara County California with biographical sketches, Part 239

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

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Mr. Larson's marriage in San Francisco united him with Miss Margaret Malley, born in Canada. Two children have been born to them: Carl A., Jr., and Evylin Margaret. In politics Mr. Larson votes with the Democrats, and fraternally he is a member of the Masons, Modern Woodmen of America, Wood- men of the World, Loyal Order of Moose, and Fra- ternal Brotherhood and the United Commercial Travelers. His pleasing personality has won him a host of warm friends. He is a popular and substan- tial man of the community, and has always mani- fested a lively interest in his adopted city.

JUDGE JAMES ALONZO FORBES. - An eminent and scholarly gentleman who was a prom- inent lawyer and business man, James Alonzo Forbes was born in the British consulate at San Francisco February 16, 1843, a son of James Alexan- der Forbes, an Englishman who was among the first foreigners to locate in the Santa Clara Valley who is elsewhere represented in this history. James Alonzo Forbes was educated at the University of Santa Clara, where he was graduated from the de- partment of law and afterward admitted to the prac- tice of law in California. He was married at the old

Mission Santa Clara, January 20, 1867, being united with Miss Asencion Valencia, born in Santa Clara, August 15, 1849, a daughter of one of the prominent old Castilian families among the very early settlers of this valley. She was educated at Notre Dame Convent. James Alonzo Forbes was prevailed upon to go to Sacramento to translate the old Spanish laws into English, a task he accomplished, but the confining work connected with its completion broke down his health and he removed to Jolon, Cal., and engaged in the practice of law. In those days it was a wild country, with many lawless people, and he used his refining influence to a moral uplift and higher order of civics. Through his influence and work in this direction a school was started. The public funds available at first not being sufficient he paid the balance out of his own pocket. He prac- ticed law and had a large clientele, and was solicited to accept the position of Justice of the Peace, but resigned before the close of his term on account of his health. With the aid of Joseph K. Knowland. M. C., he reconstructed San Antonio Mission Chapel, six miles from Jolon. He procured the Indians to make the adobe and superintended the work of resto- ration. He cooperated with the Native Daughters' organization in that county in their work of preserv- ing the pioneer landmarks and was a charter mem- ber of the Landmarks League. He was well read on early history and was considered an authority on all topics of early times in California. As such he as- sisted Bancroft in the preparation of the history of the state, including a narrative regarding the native Indians. He served as translator and interpreter for Dr. Henshaw of Berkeley and J. Alden Mason, Professor of Ornithology of Philadelphia, Pennsyl- vania, in his preparation of a work on the Salinian Indians. In 1868 he acted as translator of the state statutes from Spanish to English and, previous to this, during the Civil War he was assistant to the United States' enrolling offices.

Mr. and Mrs. Forbes' family were as follows: Robert Y. of Santa Maria; Frederick E., James A., Jr., and Louis P., all reside in Jolon; Mrs. Amelia Coates of Oakland; Mrs. Anita Hamilton, died Sep- tember 5, 1921; Mrs. Henrietta Peel of Oakland; Mrs. Martha Sepulveda and Mrs. Phoebe Cooler reside in San Jose. Mr. Forbes passed away and his widow now makes her home in San Jose. He was a scholar and gentleman of culture and refinement and left an influence for good that will always be felt.

JEAN B. BALCOMB .- The manager of the Palo Alto Engineering and Construction Company at Palo Alto, with offices at 548 Emerson Street, Jean B. Balcomb was born at Binghamton, N. Y., on June 26, 1868, being a son of Francis and Lydia E. (Goodno) Balcomb, the former a leading carpenter and builder at Binghamton, N. Y., who later moved out to Kansas where he died in 1888. The mother is still living, making her home at River Forest, near Chicago, Ill. Jean B. was five years of age when the parents moved from New York state to Danville, Ill., and was ten years old when the parents removed to Russell County, Kans. There the father bought a farm, but continued to work as a carpenter and builder. Jean B. started working with his father in Illinois at building when only eight years of age,

le. a. Larson

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and grew to young manhood in the state of Kansas, being the third of a family of six children: Clara, Mrs. W. W. Greene, lived in Oregon where she died in 1917; Ernest is a professor at the State Normal at Arcata, Cal .; Jean B. of this review; Emily Lydia, the wife of R. R. Grant, resides at Andrews, Ore .; Francis is a lawyer at Chicago, Ill .; Mary, resides with the mother at River Forest, Ill., and is a noted reformer, being a writer and lecturer, who was in France during the war and after the war, spoke throughout England for the cause of Prohibition.

After the father's death, Jean B. Balcomb helped to support the widowed mother and family and paid for his schooling and education out of his own earn- ings. He began to work for the American Bridge Company, doing certain lines of carpenter work when but eleven years of age, and when fourteen went with a surveying party in Kansas, being soon promoted to rear chainman. Entering the Colorado Agricultural College at Ft. Collins, Colo., he obtained the C. E. degree in 1895, and hecame an irrigation engineer, and later became U. S. mineral surveyor, being thus engaged at Cripple Creek, Black Hawk and Tell- uride. He then came out to California in 1900, doing post-graduate work in civil engineering at Stanford University in 1900-1901. After that he held positions with the Pittsburgh Filter Company one year, Hud- son River Concrete Company one year, the Lake Construction Company, Chicago, six years, the Iowa Mausoleum Company, Waterloo, Iowa, and the Buena Vista Power and Irrigation Company in Har- ney County, Ore., for five or six years until the breaking out of the late war, when he was placed in charge of the Officers' Training classes at Ft. Rosen- crans, Ore., and was promoted to major in the En- gineering Corps; his commission as major was on the way at the signing of the armistice. He was appointed as a member of the Federal Board in 1920 and served as educational director at San Francisco and later was assigned to the Base Hospital at Palo Alto, serving until the spring of 1922, when he be- came the manager of the recently organized Palo Alto Engineering and Construction Company. This company has signed up for $80,000 worth of work within the past two months. Among the jobs may be mentioned the remodeling of the City Hall at Palo Alto-a $20,000 job, the Tamplin residence, and the Los Altos grammar school. Mr. Balcomb's engineer- ing work is known to San Francisco, Chicago, Kan- sas City, New York City and other places. He de- signed and partly built the new sewer system for Kansas City, Mo., in 1905. He put in the O. K. Sewer at Kansas City, twenty-five feet in diameter, capable of discharging 70,000 gallons per second, at that time-1905-the largest in the world.

Mr. Balcomb was married at San Francisco in 1903 to Miss Rose Gibbs, of Los Angeles, Cal, who is a graduate of the University of Southern Califor- nia and a post-graduate student at the University of California and Stanford. Mr. and Mrs. Balcomh have become the parents of five children: Violet, a soph- omore at Stanford; Jean, a junior in the Palo Alto high school; Leland, Ernest and Rose. The family live at No. 335 Emerson Street, Palo Alto. Besides his work as engineer and builder, Mr. Balcomb ren- dered valuable services as a member of the graft

investigation commission upon which he served for six months. He is a very instructive talker and is the author of a system of classification and charts for employment and promotion purposes. He is a mem- ber of the Chamber of Commerce of Palo Alto and enters heartily with the upbuilding spirit of that community where he is recognized as a man of un- usual ability. He counts honestly by his ability as a construction engineer. His father, a leading builder, was thrown upon his own resources when only thir- teen upon the death of his father, Silas Balcomb, who was a lumber man. The Balcomb family is of pre- revolutionary connection, of Welsh and English origin, and have been actively engaged as builders and lumbermen from the earliest times. Great-grand- father Jonathan Balcomb moved from Connecticut and settled in Pennsylvania, and thence the family moved to Broome County, New York, in the early part of the last century. They were active in Colo- nial days. Fought through the French and Indian and Revolutionary wars. As an heirloom there is in the family an old musket which saw service in the hands of a Balcomb in the French and Indian War.

ALFRED FORBES TOMKIN .- A descendant of one of the oldest and most highly respected families in Santa Clara County, Alfred Forbes Tomkin was born at Santa Clara June 6, 1860, the oldest of seven children born to Alfred Royce and Martha Frances (Forbes) Tomkin, and a grandson of James Alexan- der Forbes, all represented in this work. When Al- fred F. was eight years of age his parents moved to San Jose, where he attended the public schools. After his schooldays were over he followed clerking for a time, but he preferred the great outdoors, so he chose farming and soon drifted into horticulture. In 1896 he purchased twenty acres of the San Mar- tin ranch, five miles north of Gilroy, where he built a large and comfortable residence and set out or- chards and vineyard, and there followed fruit raising. In 1908 he sold a part of the ranch and moved to San Jose, where his children could enjoy better edu- cational facilities. He makes his residence at No. 33 Little Delmas Avenue.

Mr. Tomkin was married in San Jose, February 26, 1882, to Miss Lillie Tuck, born in Cambridge, England, her parents being Henry and Susan (Man- ning) Tuck. In 1871, on account of the father's health, the family moved to San Francisco where Mr. Tuck died the same year. The widow with the chil- dren came to San Jose, where the daughter, Lillie, completed her education in Notre Dame Convent. Mr. and Mrs. Tomkin have six children: Frederick Royce, an electrician with the San Jose Gas & Elec- tric Company; William Joseph, proprietor of the machine shop on South First Street; Charles Alexan- der, a rancher in this county; Martha Frances is the wife of Charles H. Atkins of San Jose; Alfred I. is a farmer at Orland; Madeline Louise is Mrs. Spicer of San Jose. Mr. Tomkin has served as school trustee of San Martin district. He and his wife are students of Christian Science. He is now among the old settlers of the county, as well as a native son, and can be well proud of his ancestors who were among the very first English speaking people to locate in Santa Clara County.

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

S. N. HEDEGARD .- A pioneer in the growing of rice, both in Texas and California, and an authority on its culture, S. N. Hedegard is also engaged in fruit growing on his ranch near Campbell. Mr. Hedegard was born near Aalborg, Denmark, on May 3, 1874, the son of Ole and Johanna (Larsen) Hede- gard, members of old families of that part of Den- mark. In 1893 Ole Hedegard came to the United States, where he spent several years, returning to his native land and passing away there. The mother is still living at her old home. S. N. Hedegard was fortunate in receiving a good education in the schools of his Danish home, but when he was seventeen he made up his mind to seek the larger opportunities across the ocean, and came to the United States, lo- cating first at Atlantic, Iowa, working on farms there for two years. He then removed to Southern Texas, settling near Houston, and there entered the rice in- dustry. In 1894 he was employed on the ranch where the first crop of rice was grown in Texas. He then engaged in rice culture in Texas, and in time became one of the large growers there, continuing until he came to Watsonville, Cal., in December, 1905, where he purchased an apple ranch, giving his time to its care for the next seven years. Mr. Hedegard next located in Butte County, where he again pio- neered in rice growing, remaining there from 1913 to 1916. He produced the first crop of rice for com- mercial use in Butte County in 1913, and the first successful crop in Colusa County in 1914. as one had been tried there in 1913, but failed to harvest.

In 1915 Mr. Hedegard raised the pioneer rice crop in Yolo, Tulare and Kern counties, having 640 acres in Kern, 160 acres in Tulare and 640 acres in Yolo County, harvesting a good crop. In 1916 he raised the first successful rice crop in Stanislaus County. The secret of his success is due to investigation of soil, climate and water, and using an earlier matur- ing variety of rice for seed than had been used in the earlier experiments. He has continued growing rice cach season and is now growing rice in Yolo and Glenn counties, having about 950 acres this sea- son. He has two complete farm outfits and some seasons he has raised as much as 4,000 sacks of rice. He is a member of the Pacific Rice Growers' Asso- ciation. Since 1918 Mr. Hedegard, with his family, has made his home at Campbell, Santa Clara County. where he owns several orchards devoted to raising prunes and apricots. His home place adjoins Camp- bell on the west. where he has a large, comfortable residence. He is also engaged in the real estate and insurance business in Campbell, his offices being centrally located on Campbell Avenue. Intensely interested in the development of this favored section, he is president of the Campbell Improvement Club and a member of the board of trustees of the Camp- bell Union grammar school, now erecting a new building at a cost of $180.000. He organized and is president of the Hedegard Fruit Company, fruit buy- ers and shippers, and they have a dryer on Pine Avenue. He is a member of the California Prune and Apricot Growers' Association.

At Watsonville in 1907 Mr. Hedegard was mar- ried to Miss Annie M. Petersen, a native daughter of California, born in Watsonville, a daughter of Peter and Esther Petersen, who came from Den- mark to the Pajaro Valley, Santa Cruz County, in 1880, and became pioneer apple growers, improving

a fine orchard. They now reside in Campbell. Mrs. Hedegard is the eldest of their two children. Mr. and Mrs. Hedegard have been blessed with four chil- dren-Leo P., Esther J., Milton S. and Sanford. Mr. Hedegard is a member of Daneskjold Lodge No. 17 of Dania, in San Jose, in which he is past president and ex-representative. He was an organizer of the Danish Brotherhood Lodge No. 303 at Woodland, and was its first president. In 1921, with his wife and two children, he visited Denmark, and also trav- eled into Germany, France and England, and also visited a number of important cities in the United States and Canada en route.

MAJOR WILLIAM ALEXANDER LORD .- An honored Civil War veteran, Major William Alex- ander Lord was born in Rochester, N. Y., August 31, 1837. His father, David E. Lord, owned a line of boats on the Erie Canal and also steamers on the lakes, being engaged in the transportation business until 1842, when he sold his interests and removed to Pennsylvania, where he was farming in Erie County until 1852, then he located in Chicago, Ill .; later he purchased a farm in Champaign County, Ill. William A. Lord, after completing the public schools, graduated from Bell's Commercial College and then from the Northwestern University with the degree of A. B. He then assisted his father on the Cham- paign County farm until the war, when he was authorized by the government to raise a company of men for service, furnishing their own horses and equipment, and he was commissioned a first lieuten- ant, and as such they campaigned in Missouri until they joined the Fifth Missouri Cavalry. Next they were a part of Col. Seigel's Regiment, the Thirteenth Missouri Cavalry. The officers resigned in a body in order to join their own state forces as well as having their men credited to Illinois. He was then commissioned captain of Company H, Fourteenth Illinois Cavalry, and they took part in the Morgan Raid and afterwards joined Sherman's army at Re- saca. He took part in the Georgia and Atlanta cam- paigns and was commissioned brevet-major by Pres- ident Lincoln for gallant, meritorious services during these campaigns. Under General Stoneman, he took part in the Sunshine Church Battle. He was ap- pointed an aide-de-camp on the staff of General Schofield and took part in the Battles of Franklin and Nashville. He was at the capture of Raleigh and at the taking of Fort Fisher. Major Lord was mustered out with his regiment at Pulaski, Tenn., after a most distinguished service of four and a half years, and the establishment of a warm, personal friendship with General Schofield that lasted until the latter's death. Major Lord then served as a Deputy U. S. Marshal in the Indian Territory for a year, when he took up the practice of law in Nash- ville, Tenn., until 1870 he located in Chicago, 111., engaging in the wholesale business. In 1901 he re- moved to Seattle, Wash., where he built a residence, living there until 1916, when on account of ill health he removed to San Diego, but a year later located in Los Angeles. In 1920 he came to Los Gatos, where he built a comfortable residence and makes his home.

Major Lord was married in Chicago, 111., August 11, 1871, being united with Miss Nellie Seger, who was born in Adrian, Mich., a daughter of Dr. A. W.

on Hedegaard annie m. Hedegard.

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Seger; she completed her education at Adrian Col- lege. Their union resulted in the birth of two chil- dren, one of whom grew up, W. D. Lord, a resident of Seattle. Major Lord is a Knights Templar Mason and Shriner and is a member of E. O. C. Ord., Post No. 82, G. A. R., and is also a member of the Loyal Legion. Mrs. Lord is a member of the Eastern Star and the Woman's Relief Corps, and both are mem- bers of the Episcopal Church. August 11, 1921, Major and Mrs. Lord celebrated their golden wed- ding anniversary to the great enjoyment of their many friends.

S. E. GUGLIELMONI .- A resident of California since 1890 who is greatly interested in the develop- ment of the favored section of the globe is S. E. Guglielmoni, who was born in Canton Ticino, Swit- zerland, October 10, 1875, where he grew to man- hood, receiving a good education in the excellent schools of his neighborhood. As soon as his school- days were over he came to California, arriving in San Francisco in the fall of 1890. His brother was . engaged in dairying and S. E. assisted him in the delivery department for a period of twelve years. In 1906 he came to Los Gatos, where he was with Mr. Mariotte in the conducting of the Los Gatos Hotel until 1920, except for four years spent in San Jose and two years in San Francisco. In December, 1920, he leased the Los Gatos Hotel and has since been the proprietor, and being well and favorably known, he is meeting with deserved success. He is also engaged in the cigar, tobacco and confectionery business, having a fine location. His business is aug- mented by his association with E. J. Calanchini, who is a partner with him in business as proprietors of the Liberty restaurant, which is a popular and well patronized placc.

Mr. Guglielmoni is a member of the Druids in San Francisco and also of the Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce. He is proud of his American citizen- ship and exercises his franchise as a Republican.

HERBERT STOCKTON. - The family rep- resented by the subject of this sketch, Herbert Stockton, has been identified with the growth and prosperity of Santa Clara County since 1860. He was born on the old Stockton homestead on the Branham Road, six miles southwest of San Jose, December 23, 1877, the son of Stephenson P. and Susan (Welch) Stockton. The father bought the residence portion of his land in 1860, consisting of seventy-nine acres, and the land being in a wild state, he paid only $8 an acre for it. Year by year he cleared the land and planted it to grapes, and in 1888 the whole tract com- prised a fine vineyard. An adjoining 100 acres were purchased and during 1882 thirty-five acres were set to vines. In 1887 the vines produced 300 tons of grapes. Twenty acres were also planted to prune trees, and the remainder of the acreage was used for raising hay and grain. The father, a native of Ala- bama, was born July 16, 1829; his mother died when he was young and he left home at an early age, drifted westward and in 1850 was in Arkansas. He first located in California in 1852, coming via Panama, and settled at Santa Cruz; in 1854 he went to Mon- terey and engaged in farming, preempting 160 acres; however, he only remained there for a short time

when he went to the mines in Mariposa County; later he engaged in stockraising in San Luis Obispo County. For several years he retained his interest in the business, but in 1859 turned it over to his partner, P. O. McFadden, and devoted his entire time to agriculture. His success as a viticulturist came from twenty-eight years experience. In 1869 he was married to Miss Susie Welch, formerly from Missouri who with her parents came across the plains in 1852. In politics Mr. Stockton was a Demo- crat. Mr. and Mrs. Stockton were the parents of three children: Paul, Frankie, and Herbert, the sub- ject of this review. Both parents were active in the Methodist Episcopal Church.

Herbert was educated in the grammar and also at the San Jose high school after which he was for a number of years employed as a shoe salesman; then for twelve years was in the taxicab business in San Jose. In 1917 he took charge of the old home place and has been actively identified with horticulture and his care was the means of bringing his orchard to a high state of productivity. He has recently sold forty-two acres of the original Stockton home place. Aside from orcharding Mr. Stockton is intensely interested in floriculture, specializing in the polleni- zation of flowers, and his exhibits at the fairs have won him many first prizes.

Mr. Stockton's marriage at San Rafael, January 1, 1901, united him with Miss Ida May Malone, a native of California, born in San Francisco, the daughter of Edward and Frances (Dunbar) Malone, born in New York and Stanford, Conn., respectively, and pioneers of San Francisco. They are the par- ents of three children: Gladys Veda, attending Col- lege of the Pacific; Ernest Pernell, attending San Jose high school, and Herbert Donald in Lowell grammar school. Mr. Stockton is a member of the old Garden City Wheelmen. In politics he votes the Republican ticket. Like his parents Mr. Stock- ton is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, while his wife and children are members of Trinity Episcopal Church.

SILVESTRO PANIGHETTI .- Among the very oldest settlers of the Montebello district is Silvestro Panighetti who was born in Novara, Italy, fifty-two years ago, where he grew up on his father's farm until eighteen years of age and then made his way to Santa Clara County. For a while he worked at Villa Marie and then for Vincenzo Picchetti, where he was employed as teamster for sixteen years. Having carefully saved some money he was enabled to pur- chase eighty-six acres, his present place, adjoining the Picchetti ranch, which he immediately set to work to clear of timber and brush, breaking the soil and preparing it in excellent condition for fruit grow- ing, setting out prune and apricot trees until now forty acres of the ranch is devoted to orchard.

Mr. Panighetti was married in San Jose, being united with Miss Louisa Perasi, also a native of sunny Italy, a union that was happy and blessed with three children, two of whom grew to maturity, Louis and Guido, who are assisting their parents in the operation of the ranch. A stanch Republican, Mr. Panighetti is also a member of the Italian Order of Foresters in San Jose.

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RICHARD HENEY .- A prominent factor in the upbuilding of the Monte Vista section of Santa Clara County was the late Richard Heney, who was born at Lima, N. Y., in 1845. His father, also named Richard Heney, was born in Belfast, Ireland, and emigrated to New York, where he became a mer- chant in Lima, that state. Later he brought his family to San Francisco, where he was one of the early men to engage in the furniture business, in partnership with his two sons, located in the Ban- croft Building, on Market Street. Richard Heney, Jr., was educated in the schools of New York state. After coming to San Francisco he was associated with his father and brother in the furniture busi- ness, the firm of William Heney & Company being among the largest furniture establishments in the city of that day. His health failed and he came to the Monte Vista section thirty-eight years ago and purchased 100 acres of raw land which he set out to vineyard; but the phyloxera destroyed the vines. He then replanted with French rooted vines and in time had a valuable vineyard and built up a large winery; his wines were noted everywhere and his display at the Paris Exposition brought him a medal and di- ploma. He was a student and was well read, taking great pride in the industry which he conducted in the most scientific way. He shipped his wines to various countries including England, where its ex- cellent quality netted him seventy-eight cents a gallon. He also set ont orchards of prunes. His residence was erected adjoining a group of oak trees, making one of the beauty spots of the country. Mr. Heney was not permitted to enjoy the fruits of his labors for any great length, for he passed away July 13, 1919. He was an active and genial man, never idle but always planning and doing things. Hope- ful and optimistic, he was enthusiastic for the future greatness of this wonderfully favored region in soil and climate. He was deeply religious, being a prac- tical Catholic, with a wonderful life record for verac- ity and honesty of purpose. Mr. Heney was a stanch Republican and his church membership was with St. Joseph de Cupertino.

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History of Santa Clara County California with biographical sketches, Part 239

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