History of Santa Clara County California with biographical sketches, Part 259

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

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In San Jose, on June 15, 1919, Mr. Scaglione was united in marriage with Miss Antoinette M. Cribari, a daughter of Thomas and Clementine (Bisceglia) Cribari and a sister of Paul A. Cribari. She was also born in Aprigliano, where she attended school, and accompanied her parents to San Jose in 1900, where her mother had several brothers, the Bisceglia brothers having been early settlers and pioneers in the cannery business, and it was in Santa Clara County the young people met, acquaintance resulting in their marriage, a union that has proven a very happy one. Mrs. Scaglione, a woman of pleasing personality and possessed of much native business ability, has been of much assistance to her husband in aiding him to accomplish his ambition. She is liberal and kind-hearted and much of her time is given to help others, as both Mr. and Mrs. Scaglione are generous and take pleasure in aiding those who have been less fortunate in this world's goods. They make their home in an attractive residence on the southeast corner of Bird and Coe Avenues. Mr. Scag- lione is a valued member of the Builders Exchange and the Italian-American Club, of which he is a di- rector. He is independent in his political views, but for America first, last and always. He is a self-made man, before whom the door of opportunity has swung open because of his persistency of purpose and lauda- ble ambition, which have enabled him to overcome all obstacles and difficulties in his path. As the archi- tect of his own fortunes he has builded wisely and well, and he now ranks with the leading contractors of his adopted city. As a citizen he is loyal and public-spirited and all movements tending to promote the welfare and prosperity of his community, county and commonwealth receive his hearty support, his influence being at all times on the side of progress and development.

PASQUALE TONINI .- A successful dairyman, farmer and stockman, Pasquale Tonini is the senior partner of the firm of Tonini & Giottonini, who operate an up-to-date dairy on the Sabatti dairy and alfalfa ranch of forty acres, three miles north of San Jose, where they make their home, and in addi- tion are the lessees of a 500-acre dry farming stock ranch at Edenvale, where they keep 100 hcad of cattle. Both young men were employed by Mr. Sabatti on this dairy farm for several years before buying out the stock on April 20, 1920. They are hard workers and experienced dairymen, and their place, known as the California Dairy, is most orderly and sanitary in every particular. They cooperate harmoniously in all their work, and besides them- selves they employ two milkers, taking rank among the leading dairy farmers in their section.

Mr. Tonini was born in Canton Ticino, Switzer- land, at Airolo, a city of 2,000 people near the en- trance of the great St. Gothard tunnel, which his father helped to bore. His parents were Andrew and Catherine (Meyer) Tonini, dairy farmers of that section, where they are still living, the parents of fifteen children, cight boys and seven girls, Pasquale being the fourth child. Here he spent a happy boy- hood, educated in the public schools and brought up in the Catholic faith. He was early taught by his parents how to care for livestock and all the de- tails of dairy work, so that this experience has stood him in good stead, in later years. On October

Louis As. Leaglione

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17, 1912, when he was seventeen, he left his old home for the New World, sailing from Havre, France, on the "La France," and landing at New York on October 25. San Luis Obispo, Cal., was his destination, and on reaching here on November 3, he went to work at once, for twenty-five dollars a month. After that he worked for a year for thirty dollars a month, being employed by John Walter, the well-known dairy farmer at San Luis Obispo.

After four years at San Luis Obispo, Mr. Tonini came to San Jose and for the next three years was engaged by Mr. Sabatti on his present ranch. His partner was also working for Mr. Sabatti, and the two young men saved their earnings so that they were able to buy out the dairy in April, 1920. Here they have sixty fine milch cows, their herd being headed by two full-blooded Holstein sires. Both are good business managers and they are meeting with splendid success in their undertaking. Always am- bitious, Mr. Tonini has acquired an excellent com- mand of English through self study, and a practical knowledge of American business methods that has been a great asset in conducting his dairy along modern lines.

In 1919 Mr. Tonini was married to Miss Lena Giovanola, a native daughter of Piedmont, Italy, whose parents are Joseph and Marianna ( Francioli) Giovanola. They are the proud parents of a son, Theodore A., born August 11, 1921. Though born under different flags, Mr. and Mrs. Tonini have much in common in their language, religion and ancestry, and California home life has been enriched and benefited by their advent. They are faithful to their religious training and are regular worshippers at the Church of the Holy Family in San Jose.

EVERED HAMILTON NORTON .- An experi- enced and well posted lumberman, Evered Hamilton Norton was born in Charlottetown, Prince Edwards Isle, February 23, 1860, and is descended from an old and prominent family, among whose members we find Dr. Norton of Drake University, Iowa, and Dr. Schurman, ex-president of Cornell University, and ambassador to China. Our subject's father, John H. Norton, who was born in Wales, migrated to Prince Edward Isle when a young man and in time became a prosperous farmer. He married Miss Ellen Veal, a native of England. John H. Norton was one of the early Argonauts; with others he purchased and equipped the brig Fannie, loaded her with ready- made or fitted houses for the San Francisco trade sailing her around Cape Horn on a nine months trip to the new Eldorado. However, he remained but a short time when he returned to his eastern farm, and there he and his wife spent their last days.

Of their seven children Evered H. is the fourth and was reared and educated in Charlottetown. When he reached the age of twenty-one years, with his brother, Rupert, as a partner, he purchased a hard- ware store in that city and immediately branched out into the wholesale business, in which they were very successful acquiring a large trade throughout Prince Edwards Isle, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. During these ten years he applied himself so closely to the business that his health became impaired and he sold his interests and traveled for four years. His first trip to California was in 1886. He was married in London, England, to Miss Lillie Deason, a native

of Cornwall, a daughter of Commodore Jno. Deason, who was in the deep water trade at the head of a merchant fleet engaged in the East India trade.

In 1900 Mr. Norton removed to Colorado and for seven years was superintendent of the Great Western Sugar Company at Loveland, being connected with the enterprise from its start and his years of business experience contributed greatly towards its success. He then spent two years in Southern California, and in 1914 he located in Wenden, Ariz., engaging in ranching, and also started a lumber yard at Wenden, continuing the business there until June, 1919, when he came to Los Gatos. Looking the place over he was so pleased with it that inside of two hours he had decided to locate and make it his home. He brought his family and built a residence, and im- mediately became interested in the business affairs of the city. He purchased the local lumber yard and continued business as the Los Gatos Lumber Com- pany, being associated with his son, J. E. Norton, and his son-in-law, H. K. Phelps. They enlarged the business until it is six times as large as when they took it over, constructing a planing mill for the manufacture of finishing lumber, etc. In 1921 they established a yard in Santa Cruz with a planing mill in connection, and they are now contemplating establishing a lumber yard in Boulder Creck. Deep- ly interested in the great West, Mr. Norton retains his farming interest in Arizona. Mr. and Mrs. Nor- ton have two children: Jack E., is manager of their Santa Cruz yard, and Grace, is the wife of H. K. Phelps, manager of the Los Gatos yard. Mr. Norton is a member of the Los Gatos Chamber of Com- merce, the Merchants Association and the Lumber- men's Club of San Jose. Interested in national pol- itics as a stanch Republican, Mr. Norton with his family are members of St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Los Gatos in which he is vestryman.

CHARLES H. HUBER .- The satisfactory results of the work of Charles H. Huber as an automobile painter of Palo Alto numbers him among the suc- cessful and enterprising business men of that thriv- ing city. He is associated with Ferdinand Luscher, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this work, and their business is located at 251 High Street. He was born in Canton Zurich, Switzerland, September 11, 1877, as were his parents. His father. Frederick Huber, owned and conducted a large painting estab- lishment in Zurich and was considered a foremost man in his line.

Charles was educated in the schools of his native canton and reared in the religion of Zwingli, the faith of his parents. When he was seventeen years old he left home and traveled over France and Eng- land working at his trade of carriage painter. While on this trip he met his partner, F. Luscher, a master carriage painter, and in 1898 they came to America and landed at New York City; being unable to find work, Mr. Huber walked to Philadelphia, a distance of ninety miles, where he entered the employ of the Baldwin Locomotive Works, and remained with them for one year. He then returned to New York, and from there sailed to South America and worked in Buenos Ayres for three months, when he returned to England and worked for another year at his trade; he then made a trip to his old Swiss home, and in 1901 returned to New York, and soon thereafter left

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for San Francisco, accompanied by Mr. Luscher. In casting about for a suitable location, they visited Palo Alto, and within one week after their arrival, the young men had purchased the first paint shop here. The business grew to such proportions that they were obliged to enlarge their quarters and in 1905 their present shop was built. When the firm first started, their work was mostly carriage painting, but as the automobile has come more and more into use, their business has grown in proportion. They cater to the best trade and do first-class work and are easily the the foremost automobile painters of Palo Alto.

Mr. Huber's marriage in Palo Alto, in 1908, united him with Miss Annie Haeberlin, of Bisseg, Switzer- land, and they are the parents of two children, Annie and Carolina. Mr. Huber belongs to the Fraternal aid of Palo Alto and in politics he is a Republican. He is in full sympathy with the excellent municipal and public spirit of Palo Alto, and has made many friends, both in social and business circles.

FRED BERRYMAN .- Prominent among the in- dustrial establishments which have played an im- portant role in the material development of both Los Gatos and the surrounding territory must be mentioned the well-equipped plumbing and heating shop of Fred Berryman, widely known in Santa Clara County for its superior sheet-metal work. Mr. Ber- ryman was born at Marquette, Mich., on November 11, 1876, the son of Charles Berryman, who had mar- ried Miss Mary Jane Rodgers and had come out to California with the family when our subject was three years of age. The family located in Grass Valley, where Mr. Berryman engaged in mining; and then in 1883, when he wished a new field in which to try his luck in the same line, they came into Santa Clara County. Sad to relate of so worthy a pioneer who did much to help develop the resources of the Golden State, Mr. Berryman was killed in a mine accident, leaving a widow who is still living, devoted to his memory. Fred attended the public school at the Almaden mines, and when he had fin- ished his studies, he came to Los Gatos in Novem- ber, 1892, where he was apprenticed to learn the trades of plumber and sheet-iron worker. Once de- clared a competent journeyman, he continued in the service of various employers until 1910, when he set up in business for himself. Prior to the first business venture on his own responsibility, he was foreman for ten years for O. Lewis & Sons; and he has been in his present location for the past thirty years. Among other contracts successfully completed by him was the remodeling in the Lyndon Hotel, the heating work in the Bank of Los Gatos, and the plumbing. heating and sheet-metal work in the First National Bank. Mr. Berryman has also done much of the work in his line required by the newer and better residences. He carries a full line of supplies and steadily employs three men. In December, 1921, he purchased his present lot and began construction of his business building. 35x88 feet at 32 Santa Cruz avenue. In February, 1922, he took his son, Fred W., into partnership. under the firm name of Fred Ber- ryman & Son.

At Los Gatos, on March 3, 1899, occurred the mar- riage of Mr. Berryman and Miss Calista Mae Fres- hour, a native daughter, born at Aptos, Santa Cruz County and they have four children; Fred W., who is associated with his father in business, and Alice,

Charles and Arthur. Fred W. graduated from Los Gatos high school in June, 1917, and a few days later, though only seventeen years old, he enlisted in the Ambulance Corps of U. S. Army, stationed at Camp Fremont, thence to West Virginia, and was in New York City, ready to embark for overseas, when the Armistice was signed. He was mustered out in March, 1919, since which time he has been with Mr. Berryman. He is married to Juanita Nelson. Fred Berryman was made a Mason in Los Gatos Lodge No. 292, F. & A. M., and with his wife is a member of the O. E. S. He is also a member of San Jose Lodge No. 522, B. P. O. E., the Woodmen of the World, Independent Foresters, the Los Gatos Cham- ber of Commerce and the Merchants' Association. He has been an active member of the Los Gatos Volun- teer Fire Department for twenty-eight years and for about twenty was secretary of the department. He is still an active member, and he subscribes to the platforms of the Republican party.

HENRY LAPACHET .- A hard-working, experi- enced and very successful rancher whose intelligent industry has enabled him to become the owner of a dairy-ranch, is Henry Lapachet. He is ably assisted in his growing enterprise by his wife, who helps him materially to make his contribution toward the prog- ress of agriculture in California. He was born in the Basses-Pyrenees, at Eysus, on February 26, 1882, the son of John and Emily Lapachet, and he grew up on his father's farm, and at the same time he went to school. When he was nineteen years old he crossed the ocean to America, and on reaching the United States, made his way directly to San Fran- cisco. There he accepted work on a dairy farm and continued there for eight years. He then went to Monterey County and worked for three years on the Spreckles Ranch near Kings City; and he next made his way to San Benito County and worked in a dairy near Hollister.

In 1915, Mr. Lapachet came to Santa Clara County, and the following year he bought a ranch of fifteen acres, devoted to dairying, on the Trimble Road, near Coyote Creek, about four miles northeast of San Jose, and here he has a fine dairy of from twenty to Twenty-five cows. The products are of the highest standard and nothing has been neglected in making the place thoroughly sanitary and wholesome.

At Redwood City, Cal., on August 28, 1914, Mr. Lapachet was married to Mrs. Leontina Castillon, widow of the late John Castillon, by whom she had two children: Albert and Bernice, both living at the home of our subject. Mrs. Lapachet's maiden name was Leontina Sibers, a native of San Francisco, the daughter of John Baptiste Sibers and his wife, who was Julia Sarraille before their marriage. John B. Sibers came to California in 1875 from the Basses- Pyrenees, in France, and settled in Santa Clara Coun- ty; and at a beautiful spot near Hillsdale he conduct- ed a dairy. Leontina Sibers was only eleven months old when her parents moved to Hillsdale, and conse- quently she has grown up closely identified with Santa Clara rather than San Francisco. Her mother died in 1903, but her father is still living, at an ad- vanced age. Mr. and Mrs. Lapachet have three chil- dren: Lucile, Hazel and Henry. They are both Re- publicans, and seek to do their duty as citizens inter- ested in public questions.

Hned Berryman.

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MARION VIRGIL COOK .- Of the third gen- eration of California's early settlers, Virgil Cook can well look back with pride on the long associa- tion of his family with the Golden State. He was born in Fresno County on July 9, 1894, the son of Francis M. and Sarah Elizabeth (Cartwright) Cook. Both parents were descended of old pioneer fam- ilies, the father coming here in 1868, while the mother crossed the plains with horse teams, leaving their home in Coles County, Ill., the day Fort Sumter was fired upon, taking four months and eleven days to make the journey across the continent, arriving in Chico, Butte County. Mr. and Mrs. Cook were married in Colusa County, and became the parents of four sons, Francis Elmer and Thomas Edwin, both deceased; James E. and M. Virgil. Francis M. Cook passed away in Tulare County on September 13, 1914.

When Virgil Cook was five years old, the family moved from Fresno County to Tulare County, and there he was reared, having the advantage of three years in the high school and a good course in a business college at Fresno. After his father's death he returned to the home ranch and with his brother, operated it until 1917. When the World War broke out he enlisted in the Quartermaster Corps and after five months spent in this country he went overseas

and spent sixteen months and then was discharged in May, 1919, in New York. He once more took up ranch work in Tulare County and on January 1, 1920, he removed with his wife and mother to Val- ley View, where he purchased seventy acres and he has a fine prune orchard of forty-five acres.

Mr. Cook's marriage, which occurred on June 25, 1919, at Porterville. united him with Miss Harriette Corwin, a native of Montana. Although one of the later residents of this district Mr. Cook has entered heartily into all its affairs and with the industry and care which he is giving his orchard, he is making of it a successful and profitable investment. He be- longs to the Masonic lodge in San Jose.

GUSTAV LAUMEISTER .- A sturdy highly-es- teemed early settler, with a wealth of pioneer remi- niscence, who has always worked for the best in- terests of Palo Alto, is Gustav Laumeister, of 275 University Avenue, Palo Alto, known as University Park when he first pitched his tent here, inspired with the idea that the proposed Leland Stanford Uni- versity would be the cause of a good-sized city, in time. He came to this place from Menlo Park, to work at carpentering for John McBain, the contract- or, and he helped to put up the flags for the lot sale for the Pacific Investment Co. That was in 1888, and there was then no house in Palo Alto in which to live, but Mr. Laumeister had the faith of a seer and a patriot, and he bought lots in Uni- versity Park, which was later renamed Palo Alto. He bought as much as he was able, and built as fast as he could, and he has grown and prospered as a suc- cessful builder and a director in the Palo Alto Mu- tual Building & Loan Association, where he has his office at 257 University Avenue. His high intelli- gence, general education and executive ability, easily enable him to make his assistance felt.

A native son, he was born at the Old Mission of San Jose, in Alameda County, on January 27, 1865, the son of the late John A. Laumeister, a native of Frankfort, then in the State of Bavaria, who was

also a well-educated and well-trained man of excep- tional ability as a practical miller and millwright. When Germany broke out into Revolution, in 1848, he sympathized with and joined such revolutionists as Carl Schurz, and fled to America for refuge, sailing with his family to New York. He gained American citizenship at the earliest date, in 1852, and while in New York he helped to build the Croton Mills. The same year in which he became a full-fledged Ameri- can, he migrated west to California for the purpose of erecting the old Pacific Mill; and later he built and managed the Laumeister Mills at Mission San Jose, Calif. He had become married in Philadelphia to Miss Fredericka Haussler, a native of Wurtem- berg, Germany, who proved an excellent helpmate, congenial to a man of his clear mind, determined character and, withal, kindly heart. Although reared under Catholic auspices in Bavaria yet he became a very active and well-known Freemason in Califor- nia, and a landowner of some importance near the Mission San Jose, where Gustav Laumeister was born, and where he passed his youth. In latter life, he was largely engaged in buying grain. He died in 1893, in his seventy-fifth year, as the result of an old injury. His wife outlived him by several years, attaining the age of eighty-six. There were two daughters, sisters of our subject: Anna had become the wife of Professor P. M. Fisher, of Oakland, for- merly Superintendent of Schools in Alameda County and now principal of the Oakland Polytechnic, and also formerly editor of the State Educational Journal, but she is now deceased; Christina W. is Mrs. Am- brose Megahan of Oakland.

Gustave learned the carpenter trade under his fa- ther, as well as under other expert builders, having attended the public schools and Washington Col- lege in Alameda County, and he also studied archi- tectural drawing, which has been of the greatest service to him. He went to Menlo Park in 1886, there to follow carpentering and building; and hav- ing become acquainted with ex-Governor Leland Stan- ford while yet a boy at the Mission San Jose, he naturally lost no time in coming over to University Park as soon as it became known that Mr. Stan- ford intended to create there a great institution of higher learning. He boosted the plans of the South- ern Pacific Townsite Company, later the Pacific In- vestment Company, for the upbuilding of Palo Alto, fell at once into the progressive spirit of the new town, invested heavily, and has never regretted it. He not only built houses for his own investment, but he and his good wife participated actively in the so- cial life of the new burg; and it is an item of no little interest that the first Mrs. Laumeister, formerly Emma Loveland of Menlo Park, played the organ at the cornerstone laying for the Leland Standford, Jr., University, while Professor Ellwood of San Jose, conducted the singing. Mr. Laumeister recalls clear- ly the simple but very impressive ceremonies, at- tended, of course, by Governor Stanford.

At first Mr. Laumeister put up small residences, but he soon undertook to erect larger and more pre- tentious structures, and public and business build- ings. To his credit, for example, is the Peninsular Hospital edifice, recently sold to the city of Palo Alto, and he also designated and erected all the large and beautiful buildings of the Castilleja School in Palo Alto, and many lesser buildings and business blocks

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in the city, and he is still very actively engaged in building operations. But his interest in the upbuild- ing of Palo Alto is not limited to his own building enterprises; he has energetically backed the movement to secure a waterfront and a public wharf for the town, and by personally buying the right of way in 1920, Mr. Laumeister has well nigh assured this commendable project. He was also the first to pro- pose having the Middlefield Road both graded and macadamized, and made available to relieve the tre- mendous and growing traffic on the State Highway running through Palo Alto.

In 1909, and for the second time, Mr. Laumeister was married when he took for his wife Miss Mabel Seale, a daughter of the well-known pioneer, Thomas Seale, who owned all the land where Palo Alto now stands, in fact, owned all the land from the San Francisquito Creek to a point far beyond the Em- barcadero Road. A portion of this he sold, how- ever, to Timothy Hopkins. The Seales have always been deservedly prominent. Miss Emma Laumeister, our subject's only daughter, has become the wife of Ernest Haskell, the artist of international fame residing at New York. Always patriotic, progres- sive and generous. Mr. Laumeister rendered very valuable service during the late World War, par- ticipating actively on the Red Cross Home Service Commission. He is a Republican and is a member of the Masonic Lodge and Commandery of Palo Alto.

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History of Santa Clara County California with biographical sketches, Part 259

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