History of Santa Clara County California with biographical sketches, Part 67

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

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WILLIAM C. OVERFELT .- On the pages of Cal- ifornia's pioneer history appears the name of William C. Overfelt, and although many years have elapsed since Mr. Overfelt passed away, his memory is still green in the hearts of his family and friends, and as a pioneer of 1846 his name still lives in the annals of the state. His was a life of toil, beginning early in life, but he was fortunate in that he had estab- . lished himself upon an independent basis by the time he arrived at middle age. Had his life been pro- longed, no doubt he would have reaped a larger suc- cess, for his resourceful mind and keen judgment won the confidence of associates and were the fac- tors in his growing prosperity.

A native of Virginia, he was born in 1827, and was descended from German ancestry. At the early age of five he was deprived of his mother. His father, Michael Overfelt, a native of the Old Dominion, and a pioneer of Missouri, followed the wagonmaker's trade in addition to that of being a farmer. At the age of fourteen, being obliged to earn his living, William was bound out to a farmer, with whom he re- mained until he was twenty-one. With an older brother, John, he then embarked in the flour milling business in Callaway County. However, before their enterprise had been placed upon a substantial found- ation, a desire for adventure came over him and with a party of seventeen young men he made preparation to come to the coast. The journey across the plains, begun in the spring of 1846, was made with pack mules and oxen and contained the usual dangers and hardships. The greatest peril they encountered was at Kings River, where the waters had overflowed the bed of the river and formed an angry sea, imperiling the lives of those who attempted to cross.

Like almost every pioneer, Mr. Overfelt tried his luck in the mines, being engaged principally in Mari- posa County. About 1852 he came to Santa Clara County and with others bought and settled on Gov- ernment land, on which he engaged in farming and stock raising. The marriage of Mr. Overfelt oc- curred December 27, 1854, uniting him with Miss Mary Pyle, a sister of John F. Pyle. Her father, Thomas Pyle, was a son of Edward G. Pyle, a very early pioneer of California, and mentioned in history as one of the party who returned to Donner Lake in March, 1847, hoping to arrive there in time to re- lieve the ill-fated Donner party. Mrs. Overfelt was born in Illinois and accompanied hier father's family to California, where she attended a subscription school and also had the the advantage of study, for some years, with a private tutor engaged by her father. After her marriage she settled with her hus- band on a tract of 160 acres, located on Penetencia Creek, one-half mile from Berryessa. After almost four years on that place they sold and removed to a part of the Pyle homestead, where Mr. Overfelt con- ducted a dairy and stock raising business until his death, May 26, 1876, when only forty-nine years of age. Both he and his wife were from an early age identified with the Methodist Episcopal Church South, and contributed generously to charitable and religious movements. After the death of her husband she continued the management of the farm. Mr. and Mrs. Overfelt were the parents of two sons and three daughters, Charles F. and E. J. being engaged

Mary Overfelt

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in stock raising and farming. The oldest daughter, Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Hatch, resides in San Jose. Martha Ellen is deceased, and Mildred L. resides with her mother on the home ranch.

MRS. MARY OVERFELT .- A splendid example of what a far-seeing, progressive and industrious wom- an may accomplish, when thrown upon her own re- sources, is furnished in the life and activities of Mrs. Mary Overfelt, the highily esteemed pioneer, who was born in Illinois about thirty miles from Chicago, on October 26, 1839. Her grandfather, Edward G. Pyle, was a native of Virginia, and one of the Revolutionary patriots who also participated in the War of 1812. He moved to Kentucky, where Thomas Pyle, the father of our subject, was born in 1810. Later the family migrated to Indiana, then to Illinois, and afterwards to Missouri, and in all their adventures they were sturdy frontiersmen. In 1846 Edward Pyle brought his wife, three sons and three daughters, with two sons-in-law, to California, and they were members of what was known as the Pyle-Whiteman party, consisting of Mr. and Mrs. Whiteman, Mr. and Mrs. Laird, Mary Pyle, who later became Mrs. Gordon, and Thomas, Edward and John Pyle.

Thomas Pyle had married Miss Elizabeth Goodwin, who was born in 1812, and was a member of a family that came from Ohio, where her Grandfather Good- win was a magistrate in an early day. Thomas Pyle was accompanied by his wife and family, which con- sisted of four children: Edward G. who lived until February 10, 1915; Mary, Mrs. Overfelt; William Henry, who died on February 28, 1912; John Francis, who passed away on July 8, 1921. Mary Pyle was then a girl of seven years, so that the events of that memorable trip are stamped indelibly on her mind.

On October 26, the Pyle-Whiteman party arrived at Sacramento and located at Sutter's Fort, one and a half miles from the old town, where they remained over the winter, while Thomas Pyle went out to help subdue the Spaniards under General Fremont. He returned to his family at Sutter's Fort early in the spring of '47, and then the Pyle family went to the Mokelumne River, thence to the Stanislaus River. where they wintered in Stanislaus County. Two and a half years were spent on the Tuolumne River and in the spring of 1850 they settled in Santa Clara County. Thomas Pyle had come here in the fall of '49 and bought a ranch of some 500 acres, but when it was surveyed, finally, it lacked ten acres of that area. He devoted this land to raising garden truck, which sold readily in the town, and stock raising. After the death of Grandmother Pyle, Grandfather Pyle made his home with his son Thomas. He had come to this county at an early day and had pur- chased some lots when San Jose was plotted. He had spent a short time at the mines, but preferred the life of a rancher, as a surer way to wealth.

Mary Pyle attended the Berryessa school, where she studied, first under Mr. Harrison and then under Mr. Kimball, and later she attended the Hammond private school in San Jose. She remained on the home ranch until December 27, 1854, when she was married to William C. Overfelt, a native of Vir- ginia, where he was born in April, 1827. His father, Michael Overfelt, was born September 25, 1780, and died on March 12, 1864, and his mother, before her marriage on October 10, 1805, was Miss Polly Ayers. William Overfelt came to California from Missouri in 1849 and settled at first at Placerville, where he mined. He then came to the Penetencia Creek dis-

trict and bought 160 acres, where he raised stock and grain, but sold this ranch, being afraid that he would lose it through a dispute over the old Spanish title. About 1858 he moved to the old Pyle ranch, his wife's part of the estate being about seventy acres, and he also purchased the portion of his brother-in-law, Edward Pyle, thereby coming to own over 100 acres. Later, with Mr. McCracken, he pur- chased some 300 acres of land on which Los Gatos now stands.

Mr. Overfelt passed away May 26, 1876, the hon- ored father of five children, then living. The chil- dren born to Mr. and Mrs. Overfelt are: William Elijah died at the age of eighteen months; Charles Franklin resides in San Jose with his wife, formerly Rose Lenz, and their two children, Dorothy and Harold; John Thomas died at eight years, and Chris- topher, while in infancy; Elizabeth has become Mrs. Wm. D. Hatch and lives on North Thirteenth Street, San Jose; she is the mother of two daughters-Veva B., Mrs. Frank S. Locke, and Leah, Mrs. Jay Hanna; Edward Jackson lives on the home ranch; Martha E., Mrs. F. S. Easterday, died on August 6, 1915; Mildred L., for a number of years a teacher in the public schools of the state, is at home.

Directly after her husband's death, Mrs. Overfelt. carrying out the plans made by herself and husband prior to his death, built the home in which she now lives at the corner of Jackson and McKee roads, and moved into it in 1877. dispensing there a generous Californian hospitality to her many friends. William Overfelt, with Joseph McKee and George Wood, were the three men who first secured the first free public school in the county, east of San Jose, and or- ganized the Pala district, Mr. Overfelt being one of the trustees for many years. During his lifetime he sought to do his duty as a citizen under the ban- ners of the Democratic party. Mrs. Overfelt is in- dependent in her views and votes for the best men and measures, regardless of party lines. Her two sons, Charles F. and E. Jackson Overfelt, are well- known and successful ranchers of the valley, where they also have achieved prominence as breeders of Percheron and Belgian draft horses, and at one time they had five prize stallions.

DON WALTER LUTHER .- A native son of California and of an early settler of Santa Clara County, Don Walter Luther is successfully carrying on the horticultural and agricultural operations in- angurated by his father. He was born in Hollister, September 5, 1882, the son of Jacob and Francis (Green) Luther, natives of Germany and Michigan, respectively. His father came to California from Wisconsin in 1858, was a successful stockman in Monterey County, and in 1889 began developing the Luther orchard of 110 acres near San Jose, now one of the finest producers in the valley. He died March 11, 1916, leaving a widow and four children.

Don Walter attended the Santa Clara and San Jose grammar schools and the high school of San Jose. He was reared on the farm and when his father passed away, he went on with the management of the ranch, and has been justly rewarded for his industry and perseverance. His mother, himself and his sisters reside on the home place, living together in harmony, each cooperating and doing their part and having explicit confidence in each other.

On December 29, 1915, in Santa Clara, Mr. Luther was united in marriage to Miss Glen Monroe, a native of Oregon, a daughter of Julius and Anna

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

Monroe, originally from Missouri. Mr. and Mrs. Luther are the parents of one daughter, Alice Don- aldina. In national politics, Mr. Luther is a Repub- lican, and fraternally is a member of the Odd Fel- lows lodge of Santa Clara. The advancement and prosperity of Santa Clara County has a strong sup- porter in Mr. Luther, and his interest and influence is readily given to the upbuilding of his locality.

JOSEPHINE RAND ROGERS .- California is proud of her gifted and patriotic women, and well she may be, for ever since her entry into the Union, the Golden State has been singularly blessed with the number of women of exceptional public-spirited- ness and unusual, even rare talent and enviable quali- fications. In the beginning, to be sure, the women who helped to lay the foundations for the great com- monwealth, in keeping with the attitude of most of their sex throughout the land, contented themselves to labor in the quieter, less observed, but by no means isolated paths of life; but as the years went by, and a larger influence because of a larger free- dom and service was accorded them, thanks to a broader sentiment as to the value of women to soci- ety, and a greater tolerance as to suffrage-a senti- ment and a tolerance, by the way, fostered in part by the effective reform work of broad-minded, clear- visioned and courageous women-the so-called weaker, but the ever fair sex came to the fore; and ever since has been doing a larger, and quite its full share of the world's daily work. In this shin- ing company of far-seeing and courageous leaders, Mrs. Josephine Rand Rogers of Santa Clara Valley has borne her part in her adopted state.

Mrs. Rogers, as Josephine Almira Rand, was born at Forest Home, the old Rand homestead, situated between Niagara Falls and Buffalo, N. Y., on No- vember 6, 1869. She was the daughter of Calvin Gordon Rand of Batavia, N. Y., who had married Almira Hershey Long of Tonawanda, N. Y. Her maternal grandmother was of the old Hershey fam- ily of Lancaster, Pa., one of the oldest and most prominent families in Eastern Pennsylvania; her maternal grandfather, Benjamin Long, was an ex- tensive landowner of Pennsylvania, who later settled in Western New York, where he became one of the most influential and prosperous citizens of that sec- tion of the country. Her father was the son of Dr. James Rand of Batavia, N. Y., a descendant of Robert Rand, who came to America from England in 1635 and whose many descendants have made the name Rand a synonym for sterling worth and achievement in this country. An uncle of Mrs. Rogers, Chas. F. Rand, was the first volunteer in the Civil War and was decorated by Congress for being the first volunteer and also for bravery in service. He was also decorated by the New York State Legislature.

Calvin Gordon Rand was a school teacher in his earlier years, but later was the successful manager of a large estate which had been given him by his wife's father and on which was located beautiful Forest Home. He died when our subject was two years of age.

There were nine children in the family, and among these Josephine was the eighth. The others were as follows: Benjamin Long, who had a successful career as a banker, later became president of the Rand

Manufacturing Company of North Tonawanda, N. Y .; Mary Hershey, who passed away in her twentieth year, had devoted her young life to education and music, having graduated from the Buffalo High School, also was member of the first graduating class in the Chautauqua course; James Henry, presi- dent of the Rand Manufacturing Company, was the inventor of the Rand ledger used throughout the United States and Canada, also inventor of the vis- ible index system and a large number of time-saving devices; Cora Belle is the wife of F. Everett Reynolds of Brockport, N. Y .; Elizabeth Hershey is the wife of Rev. B. Frank Taber of Ithaca, N. Y., a Baptist clergyman, now at Washington, Pa .; Eugene died at the age of seven; George Franklin was well known in financial circles in this country and in Europe for his remarkable ability as a banker. At the age of thirty-five he was president of three na- tional banks. Later, as president of the Marine Trust Company of Buffalo, he was recognized as one of the greatest bankers of the country. He be- came of international interest from his gift of 500,000 francs to the French Government for the erection of a monument in memory of the bayonet trench heroes at Verdun, and his check for the amount was presented in person to M. Clemenceau on December 5, 1919. Three days later, as Mr. Rand was crossing from Paris to London by aeroplane, he met instant death by an accident to the machine when landing. His heirs honored the check given to France, how- ever, and the monument was erected. Its dedication, a year later, was attended by great pomp and cere- mony. The famous war generals, Marshal Foch, General Joffre and General Petain, being present; also it was the first public official appearance of the newly elected president of France, M. Millerand. Seven members of the Rand family were also present for the occasion. Mr. Rand's gift to France marked an epoch in world history, for it was the first time a citizen of one country had given a monument to another country to commemorate the heroism of that other country's soldiers. Josephine Almira, was next in age in the family; Clara Nancy, now the wife of Frederick Robertson, a banker of North Tona- wanda, N. Y., was the youngest.

When Josephine was nearly two years of age her parents moved to LaSalle, four miles from Niagara Falls. A few months later her father died. Her early education was begun by her sister Mary. At the age of eight she began attendance at the country school, and when ten her mother moved her family to Brockport, N. Y., that the children might have the advantages of the State Normal School located there. Four years later her mother died.

Believing a change of climate might prove bene- ficial to Josephine, who had never been very robust, it was decided that she should make her home with her sister Elizabeth, who had become the wife of Reverend Taber and whose pastorate was in Man- hattan, Kans. Thither she went, accompanied by Reverend and Mrs. Taber and their young son. The next four years were spent in attendance at the pub- lic schools of Manhattan and in the Kansas State Agricultural College. It was in this college that she met her future husband, F. J. Rogers, who was a member of the college faculty. Deciding that she would fit herself for the teaching profession, Miss

Josephine and Rogers

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

Rand returned to New York and entered the Buffalo State Normal School. After graduation in 1890, she was offered a position in the Ithaca public schools, where she taught two years. Here she again met Professor Rogers, then an instructor at Cornell.

On June 27, 1893, at North Tonawanda, N. Y., at the home of her eldest brother, Benjamin, Miss Rand was married to Frederick John Rogers. Mr. Rogers was born at Neoga, 111, September 9, 1863. He was the second child of John Rankin Rogers and Sarah Greene Rogers. The Rogers family came from Maine, and their ancestry is traced to William Rogers, who came to this country in 1746. On his maternal side, the Greenes were the prominent fam- ily by that name in Ohio, whose ancestry is traced to 1636. John Rankin Rogers moved his family from one state to another and finally settled in Kan- sas. During the family's residence in that state, Frederick attended the State Agricultural College, from which he graduated and was placed on the teaching staff the following year. In this college Mr. Rogers was a classmate of Ernest Fox Nichols and at Cornell, whither the two young men went at the same time, they were roommates. E. F. Nichols later became the president of Dartmouth University, head of the physics department at Yale, and presi- dent of Massachusetts Institute of Technology. An- other roommate of Mr. Rogers at the Kansas col- lege was James G. Harbord, now Major-General of the U. S. Army and General Pershing's chief of staff. When Mr. Rogers left Kansas to continue his studies at Cornell, his father moved his family to the state of Washington, and here he was elected gov- ernor of the state in 1896. In 1900 he was reelected for a second term. This was a personal victory, for he was the only candidate on his ticket-the Demo- eratic-that was elected, but only a few months later he died in office. He is rated as one of the most efficient governors the state has ever had.

Upon her marriage, Mrs. Rogers accompanied her husband to Ithaca, where he was a member of the physics department. of Cornell University. Here they remained for seven years. In 1900 they re- moved to Stanford University, with which institu- tion Professor Rogers is still connected. The family spent one year at Princeton University-a sabbatical leave of absence from Stanford in 1914-1915, when Professor Rogers taught in the latter university.

Mrs. Josephine Rand Rogers is the mother of four children: Frederick Rand, born in Ithaca, N. Y., on December 27, 1894, who is now instructor on physical education in the Salinas high school. He attended the Palo Alto high school, Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire, and graduated from the Prince- ton, New Jersey, high school, and from Stanford University in 1920. His college course was inter- rupted by the World War. He enlisted shortly after war was declared in the Naval Reserve on April 12. 1917. He received his commission as ensign at San Pedro and was sent to Annapolis Naval Acad- emy, where he graduated in June, 1918. He was sent overseas and made chief inspector of fourteen- inch shells. at Sheffield, England, until the armistice was signed. He was then given the rank of licuten- ant, junior grade. While at Annapolis, Frederick Rand Rogers and Miss Beatrice Easterday were mar- ried in Baltimore, Md., April 6, 1918. This marriage

was the culmination of a friendship begun when Miss Easterday was a student at Castilleja school in Palo Alto, and Fred was a high school student in the same place. They have one child, Katherine Haller, born January 12. 1921. During Frederick's high school and college course he was a prominent athlete, playing on football and basketball teams and winning quarter and half-mile races. He is member of the Delta Upsilon fraternity. Robert Greene Rogers, the second son, born on December 5, 1895, graduated from the San Jose high school and en- tered Stanford University. He enlisted in the Naval Reserve for the World War, April 17, 1917, and re- ceived his commission as ensign, but the armistice was signed before he was sent overseas. He also took an active part in athletics during his high school course, playing on the football and basketball teams in high school and on the freshman football team at Stanford and made his letter S in high hurdles against California. He is a member of the Delta Upsilon fraternity, the Skull and Snakes, the Geol- ogy and Mining and Gymnasium Club. Josephine, the only daughter, was born on March 12, 1903. While a student in the San Jose high school, from which she was graduated in June, 1919, she played on the girls' baseball team, was elected to Torch and Laurel, girls' honorary society. She was placed on the "preferred list" of girls for entrance into Stan- ford. However she entered Mills College. John, the youngest, born March 27, 1907, is a student in the San Jose high school.

While Mrs. Rogers has been a devoted wife and mother she has been impressed with a sense of noblesse oblige-that for all the advantages, priv- ileges, and opportunities that have been hers she owes a return to the world. Believing that condi- tions surrounding the home and children are de- pendent upon conditions in the larger home, the community, state and nation, and realizing that the world is what we make it. Mrs. Rogers has been impelled to do her part. She has at times applied herself to the furthering of movements that were unpopular but just. With no thought of personal glory or advantage but in a spirit of self-sacrifice and ardent devotion to that which is right she has wielded an influence for good that has made itself felt beyond the confines of her own residence in city or state. Alert, broad-visioned and consecrated, she utilizes her time for the promotion of human wel- fare. Her pleasure is in contributing her part to the world's progress.

The public work to which Mrs. Rogers first applied her energies was in behalf of woman suffrage, in New York state in 1893. At that time the cause was exceedingly unpopular, and needed fearless champions. Ten years later, in Palo Alto, she again took up the work. Here it was also distinctly un- popular. Mrs. Rogers offered her services to the club that had voted to disband; she aided in increas- ing interest in the cause and enlarging membership of the suffrage club and at the time of the passage of the amendment to the State Constitution en- franchising women in 1911, the Palo Alto club was one of the most influential in Northern California.

Mrs. Rand Rogers' chief interest is in child wel- fare. While deeply appreciating the work done by charity workers, for needy children, and also in

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sympathy with the efforts made through reform schools to restore so-called wayward children to nor- mal attitude of mind, Mrs. Rogers bends her efforts toward prevention rather than cure. To provide for children right environment and intelligent training that would lead to their best development Mrs. Rogers claims is the fundamentally important work or those who have the welfare of children at heart. To this end she has labored unceasingly. The San Jose Day Nursery owes much to Mrs. Rogers' efforts. At the request of two ladies, who had conceived the idea of a Day Nursery for San Jose, Mrs. Rogers assisted in forming the organization and was one of its first directors. When funds were exhausted and the doors were about to close, Mrs. Rogers gave a dramatic reading as a benefit performance, which netted a large amount and was sufficient to continue the work, and acted as president of the board of directors until the institution was firmly established.

During this time Mrs. Rogers was also active in the Parent-Teacher Association. As district chair- man of the home department she originated the plan of having talks at the regular meetings bearing on the moral training of children. She agitated the question of the importance of intelligent, scientific parenthood with indefatigable zeal, and aroused in- terest that is bearing fruit an hundredfold. The first course of lectures on child training given by the University of California Extension Division were given in San Jose at the request and by arrangement of Mrs. Josephine Rand Rogers, who was then County Chairman of Child Welfare for the Woman's Committee of the Council of Defense. Courses in San Francisco immediately followed. The idea grew rapidly and soon became an established custom.

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History of Santa Clara County California with biographical sketches, Part 67

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