History of Santa Clara County California with biographical sketches, Part 72

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

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locating in the Santa Clara Valley, he bought and sold real estate, speculated in lands, made improve- ments of noteworthy character, and proved himself a capable and progressive business man. For many years he served on the boards of directors of the Security State Bank of San Jose and was also presi- dent of the Milpitas Land & Live Stock Company, owners of 8000 head of cattle, 800 head of horses and a flock of 7000 sheep. utilizing for the same a tract of 32,000 acres of patented land in Humboldt County, Nevada, besides a range of 100 square miles.

Of Mr. Curtner's first marriage six sons and two daughters were born, seven reaching maturity: Wal- ter J. of San Jose; Frank died in 1909; William re- sides near Warm Springs, while Allen lives in Sun- nyvale; Jacob lives on the home place; Josephine is Mrs. Myers of San Jose; Grace is Mrs. Holman. After the death of his first wife, Mr. Curtner mar- ried Miss Mary E. Myers, who was born in Logans- port, Ind., and passed away in California. The two children of this union were Albert H., deceased, and Arthur D., residing on the old home place. The third marriage of Mr. Curtner united him with Miss Lucy Latham, a native of Illinois, who survives him. While the magnitude of Mr. Curtner's landed interests de- manded his personal attention to the exclusion of participation in public affairs, yet he was always a warm supporter of the public schools, aided in pro- moting the standard of education in his district, and, reminded of his own recollections of the deprivations of his boyhood, always contributed liberally to move- ments for the development of educational facilities. The establishment and building of Irvington Semi- nary may be attributed to his zeal and financial sup- port, and while at first he was associated with a corporation in the undertakings, he afterward ac- quired the entire institution. After it was burned, about 1898, he sold the property, which was rebuilt and is now operated under the present title of Ander- son Academy. He was a stanch adherent of the Re- publican party, and kept himself intelligently con- versant with the issues of the times, yet always de- clined office and never gave his consent to the use of his name in candidacy for positions within the gift of his fellow-citizens. Pre-eminently his tastes were toward private undertakings, not public affairs, yet he was never negligent of his duty as a citizen. He real- ized that whatever success crowned his efforts was due in a large degree to the opportunities afforded by the fertile soil and fair climate of the coast coun- try, and he was ever alert to promote the advance- ment of the state. His public spirit and progressive citizenship were a large contribution to the material and educational development of the community in which he resided. Mr. Curtner was a man of a won- derful tenacity of purpose and with an ambition to succeed placed higher than in most men, he worked incessantly to that end. His judgment was splendid and seemed unerring. Having faith in the future for California lands, he saw how it would rise in value, so when land was low and went begging he bought thousands of acres, knowing full well it would rise again and he would take his profit. When Beard & Ellsworth (the men who owned the ranch and for whom he worked when he came to California) went broke, Mr. Curtner purchased the ranch. On his vast tracts he set out hundreds of acres of orchard and he was an upbuilder and leader in developing the horticultural and agricultural interests in the valley. He always kept his word, hence he had unlimited credit. He bought a large part of the Murphy lands, subdivided them and sold to incoming settlers, and

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also did the same with the entire Ynigo ranch, as well as other large tracts, thus opening the way for small farmers to secure places they might improve and help to build up the county. He was generous and kind, assisting by his backing and influence many deserving young men who made a success in the world and became prosperons, influential and a credit to the community. Having had a hard and uphill struggle as an orphan boy, he naturally had a warm heart for the orphans, as well as widows who were left helpless, and he was very liberal in his donations to institutions of that kind. Among some of his be- quests were $30,000 to home benevolences; $30,000 to the Pratt Home; $20,000 to the San Anselmo Or- phanage; $6,000 to pay balance of the debt on the Oakland Orphanage; $5,000 to the Santa Clara County Pioneers for a building. He helped many boys and girls that were unable to secure a higher education but for his aid. His life record may well serve as a source of inspiration and encouragement to others, showing that success and an honored name may be won simultaneously. This millionaire cattleman and rancher, who was one of the valley's greatest philan- thropists, passed to that Great Beyond November 1, 1916, honored and loved by everyone.

MRS. LUCY LATHAM CURTNER .- This es- timable lady who is following in the footsteps of her philanthropic husband is a woman much loved and appreciated by the citizens of Santa Clara Valley, who admire her for her many attributes of virtue and for her kindliness and straightforwardness of pur- pose. Lucy Latham was born at Elkhart Grove, Logan County, Ill., January 16, 1839. Her father was born in Kentucky, but reared in Illinois. Her grand- father, James Latham, was Indian agent in Illinois and was the first white man to cross the Sangamon River. Her mother was Margaret Stephenson, also a native of Kentucky, a woman of much refinement, who saw to the rearing and education of her family and from whom her daughter, Lucy, inherited many of the traits which have made her so well liked and appreciated. She was the fourth oldest in a family of six children. When she was fourteen years of age her parents moved to Springfield, Ill., where she at- tended Esterbrook's Academy, and afterwards went east and finished her education at Pleasant Hill semi- nary, Washington County, Pa., when she returned to Springfield. In that city she had the great pleasure of knowing Abraham Lincoln, the savior of his coun- try, and was elated at his nomination for the presi- dency in 1860. She also knew Mrs. Lincoln and Dr. Todd and his family. Her brother-in-law and sister. Rev. and Mrs. J. H. McCullough, had come to Cali- fornia, where Rev. Mccullough was president of Irvington College, and in 1884 Miss Latham joined her sister at Irvington, and it was there she met Mr. Curtner and the acquaintance resulted in their mar- riage May 26, 1885, and they took up their residence on the Curtner place at Warm Springs. She immedi- ately entered into all of her husband's ambitions and threw herself into the work of aiding and encourag- ing him, her confidence in his ability being rewarded more and more in watching his wonderful rise. She warmly acquiesced and encouraged him in his benev- olences and was delighted in his munificent bequests to charitable institutions, especially those to the or- phans' and widows' homes, and since his death has continued the work and has contributed all she could to the same end.

Soon after her husband's death she took up her residence at 36 South Thirteenth Street, San Jose. Her niece and grandniece, Mrs. Margaret Valpey and Miss Lucy Valpey, are making their home with her and assist her in dispensing good cheer and old- time hospitality. She is very naturally a stanch Re- publican in political preferment, having been reared in the environment of the old Abolition party, and is a devout member of the Christian Church, taking an active part in its many benevolences. Mrs. Curt- ner was reared in an atmosphere of culture and refine- ment and is a woman of very pleasing personality, is well read, and having a retentive memory, is a pleasing conversationalist. Liberal and generous, she is ever ready to help those who have been less for- tunate and do what she can to alleviate suffering and pain. She is modest and unassuming and her acts of charity are always done in an unostentatious manner. It is indeed a pleasure to know this inter- esting woman, who knew and was a friend of the great Emancipator.

LILLIE BLACKFORD .- A native of Nevada, Lillie Blackford is a representative in both the paternal and maternal lines of pioneer families of the state and in San Jose. The Blackford family was established in Virginia during the Colonial period in the history of this country. The paternal grand- father, Samuel Blackford, started across the plains to California with his family in 1850, traveling with ox team and prairie schooner and going by way of Salt Lake Valley. His wife succumbed to the hard- ships of the journey and passed away ere they reached their destination, while he was kidnapped by Indians, but managed to make his escape and rejoin the party. He started ont with a large number of cattle but ere he reached San Jose these were all stolen from him by cattle rustlers, who left only the ox team. He acquired from the Spanish government a 160-acre ranch on the Los Gatos road, about four miles from San Jose, and on this place he built a good house, devoting his land to the raising of grain and continued active in the management of the farm until his death.

His son, George W. Blackford, was born in Ohio in December, 1843, and he became a member of the second class that was graduated from the University of the Pacific in San Jose, where he completed a law course. Going to Marysville, he there opened an office, but at the end of a short time returned to San Jose, where he wedded Miss Lillie G. Hassinger, a native of Philadelphia, Pa., and a representative of an old Maryland family. In 1859 she had come to California with her parents, who settled in Santa Clara County. Following their marriage the young couple went to Dayton, Nevada, where Mr. Blackford practised law for a few years and then returned to San Jose, becoming one of the prominent attorneys of this city. He also devoted considerable attention to fruit raising and took much pride in the develop- ment of his home ranch which he, too, had purchased from the Mexican government, which he irrigated by means of deep wells; also adding many other improvements and converting it into one of the model farm properties in Santa Clara County. On that place he resided until 1885, when he erected a beauti- ful home at 53 South Sixth Street, San Jose, and here his daughter Lillie is now living. He passed away

J . J. Parkinson

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

on January 29, 1909, and Mrs. Blackford died April 29, 1914, and in 1917 the ranch was sold.

Mr. and Mrs. Blackford became the parents of six children, of whom the subject of this review is the eldest. The others are May F., now the wife of F. H. Herbert, of San Francisco; Mrs. Alice L. Dinsmore, a resident of Los Gatos; Mande C. Black- ford, who is at home with her sister; Mrs. Florence G. Moody, of San Jose; and Walter G., who is also living in this city. Miss Blackford is a member of the Episcopal Church, while the other members of the family are Presbyterians in religious faith. She gives her political allegiance to the Democratic party, to which her father also adhered, and is interested in all that pertains to the welfare and progress of com- munity, state and nation. By inheritance she bears a name that has ever been an honored one in connec- tion with the pioneer development and later upbuild- ing of the state and in her own career she exemplifies those commendable qualities which have at all times been a distinguishing trait of the family.

J. F. PARKINSON .- A prominent Mason who is so identified with the early history of the town that he well deserves the title of the Father of Palo Alto, is J. F. Parkinson, of 616 Cowper Street, in which attractive thoroughfare he is a familiar figure-six feet, three inches tall, and weighing 240 pounds. His life-story is intimately the history of Palo Alto, for he built the first residence here, put in the first lum- ber yard, incorporated the first bank, and drove the first spike in the great railway he had promoted. He was born in Marshall County, W. Va., on December 2. 1864, when his father, Dr. Benoni Parkinson was serving in the Civil War with the rank of a major He had just finished his course of study as a physi- cian and surgeon, at the Waynesburg, Pa., Medical College, when the war commenced, and he lost no time in enlisting, registering from West Virginia. He served as army surgeon throughout the great struggle, and had four enlistments and several pro- motions to his credit. He was the son of John Parkinson, a native of Virginia, a contractor on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, when it was built through the Cumberland Mountains. The Parkinson family, dating back to both England and Scotland, settled in Virginia and in time became prominent in both the Old Dominion and the Keystone State, active in business and in the professions, especially as law- vers and doctors. Dr. Benoni Parkinson was mar- ried in Virginia on October 14, 1862, after which he went to the front. He was born on March 3, 1836, and died at Palo Alto on February 7, 1899, after residing in this city for six years. His bride, before her marriage to Dr. Parkinson, was Katherine Mary Gray, and she was born in Greene County, Pa., on November 28, 1840. Her parents were Francis and Sarah (Roseberry) Gray, and the Grays and the Roseberrys were both English settlers in Virginia. She died at Washington, Iowa, in 1880, highly es- teemed by all who knew her.

When J. F. Parkinson, who was the eldest in a family of seven children, was six years old, his par- ents removed with him to Washington County, lowa, in 1870; and then Dr. Parkinson gave up the practice of medicine and embarked in the lum- ber trade. He also helped to organize a number of banks in Iowa and the Middle West, and he owned a number of farms in Iowa, and our subject helped

to run them during school vacations, and also helped in his father's lumber yard. He attended the public schools in Washington, lowa, and he completed the courses at Washington College, having previously taken a business course at Burlington. Then he went to the University of Michigan, where he pursued a classical course; but he was taken with hemor- rhage of the lungs, which led him to quit college and to hurry west to California in the hope of regaining his health. Thirteen relatives of his mother from Pennsylvania and Virginia had crossed the plains to California in 1852, lured by the prospects for gold, and a cousin, Mr. Morris, was still living at Wood- land, in Yolo County, in 1888, and welcomed our subject to the Golden State. This cousin's widow and sons are still living in Yolo County, although Asa Morris, Jr., the well-known cattleman, was killed in an automobile accident in July, 1921.

J. F. Parkinson, who was then twenty-three years old, had fallen in love in Iowa, and he had come out to the Coast not merely to regain his health, but to look for employment and secure a prospective home. His betrothed, Miss Helen M. Scofield, was born in Washington County, Iowa, and was a daugh- ter of William Scofield, the Washington, Iowa, attorney, and a cousin of General Scofield of New York, and Sarah (Maze) Scofield, a native of Ohio. Miss Scofield, it happened, had preceded our sub- ject to California, and had been spending the winter of 1884-85 with her folks at San Jose, while she also put in a year at school in San Jose, and hence young Parkinson went to San Jose for employment, believing that his intended wife would like to live there. He found something worth while in the service of J. P. Pierce, president of the Pacific Manufacturing Company, at Santa Clara, commencing work at the modest salary of sixty-five dollars per month; but he rose to a commanding position, with the largest salary granted anyone in that county. He worked for the Pa- cific Manufacturing Company in charge of their lum- ber yard at Santa Clara from 1888 to 1892; and dur- ing this time he had not only met with Gov. Leland Stanford, but he had become acquainted with the plans for the building of the Leland Stanford, Jr. University.

He could easily foresce that there was plenty of room for a good-sized town in front of the proposed Uni- versity site, and he resigned his position with the Pacific Manufacturing Company, and resolved to open up a lumber yard at Palo Alto which was then called University Park. He had saved considerable money, and so was able to commence in a small way, hauling his first load of lumber from Santa Clara on March 1, 1892. By the first of January, 1893, he had transacted $70,000 worth of business. He then started a hardware store in connection with his lumber yard, and then a plumbing and tinning establishment, and later still he built the first planing mill in Palo Alto. After that he started another lum- ber yard and hardware store at Mountain View, and still later he opened a hardware store and lumber yard at Sunnyvale, when that now thriving town was known as Encinal.

His business expanded so rapidly and steadily during those years that he prospered exceedingly, and with C. C. Spalding, W. E. Crossman and Mr. Richards of San Jose, Mr. Parkinson organized the first bank at Sunnyvale. He also organized, in 1892,

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the Bank of Palo Alto, on a wire from Iowa, from his father, who was the main stockholder. The bank was capitalized at $100,000, and Judge J. R. Welch of San Jose drew up the articles of incorporation and became the bank's first vice-president. Stock to the amount of $80,000 was taken by Dr. Parkinson and an uncle. George R. Parkinson, both of whom became well-known residents of Palo Alto, where they died. At that time, Mayfield was the nearest trading center, and had the only school and the only post office; it opposed every energetic forward move- ment proposed at University Park, and insisted on the people having children at the latter place sending them to the Mayfield school. Mr. Parkinson resolved that University Park must organize its own school district, and he set resolutely about to accomplish the task. In 1892 he gave, free of charge, all the lumber needed for the first school house in Palo Alto, which was built at the corner of University and Bryant streets, and in the fall of that year, the school house was opened for the twenty-five or more pupils. Mr. Parkinson also donated $250 for the building of the First Presby- terian Church in Palo Alto, the first church edifice in town, and he donated liberally toward the build- ing of all the succeeding churches in Palo Alto. He became a good friend of Governor Stanford, and he was thus enabled to do much toward carrying out his laudable enterprises.

Timothy Hopkins owned and laid out the townsite of what was at first called University Park, and when ambitious folks petitioned to have the name changed to Palo Alto, they were influenced by the Spanish name of Governor Stanford's extensive stock farm of 8,600 acres, included in the present site of the University, meaning "high tree," and referring to the large sequoia on the San Francisquito Creek at the extreme northerly point in Santa Clara County. It seems that the Cornell, Fitzhugh, Hopkins Com- pany of San Francisco owned sixty acres southwest of the old town of Mayfield and they plotted it and called it Palo Alto, and began to sell lots. Governor Stanford lost no time in enjoining them from the use of Palo Alto as a name, and this led to much litigation and hard feeling. The matter was finally compromised when Senator Stanford renamed the sixty-acre plot College Terrace, and this is now an addition to the town of Mayfield. Thereupon, Mr. Hopkins, by and with the consent of those who had bought lots in University Park about 1894, petitioned the board of county supervisors to call University Park Palo Alto; and the first post office was established in Palo Alto with Mr. Parkinson as postmaster. He was elected a member of the Palo Alto School Board and he served for eight years.

Mr. Parkinson organized the Palo Alto Mutual Building and Loan Association, and became its first president. He also helped actively to establish the first newspaper in Palo Alto, the "Times," and after- wards himself owned the Palo Alto "Citizen," which in time was consolidated with the "Times." He owned the first water-works, supplied by two artesian wells, and before the town was incorporated, he laid four- inch water mains. He built the city line of street railway in Palo Alto, and also got the franchises for the Santa Clara County Interurban Electric Line. He then obtained franchises for a road extending from Palo Alto through Mayfield, Mountain View, Sunny- vale, Santa Clara and San Jose, and afterwards

bought out the J. H. Henry lines from Santa Clara to Alum Rock. In this project, he was bitterly fought by the Southern Pacific Railway, which bought these lines and renamed them, calling the now popular line the Peninsular Railway. When this was built, Mr. Parkinson drove the first spike in its construc- tion, on January 4, 1906.

More personal experiences of Mr. Parkinson are full of interest even for the stranger. In 1906 he was elected mayor of Palo Alto, and soon afterward his automobile turned turtle, and he was so severely injured that he was in bed for four years. A week after he was injured, the earthquake shook every- thing topsy-turvy in Palo Alto, and when some of the groceries and meat markets commenced to profiteer and to charge two and three times the regular price for what they had, fear made the public panicky lest starvation might confront the town. Thereupon Mr. Parkinson, although an invalid, drove around in his buggy and saw the extortioniers, and through his prompt and firm measures, he stopped the profit- eering, and the result was that Palo Alto got its provisions at prices prevailing before the great dis- aster. This act was generally applauded and the mayor of Palo Alto was exalted not only in his own city, but newspapers West, East, North and South, and even in editorials in English papers. Owing to the accident referred to, and its serious consequences, Mr. Parkinson sold his business and remained mayor only until the adoption of the new special charter; and then he sought to regain his health. Later, he endeavored to promote new ventures.

Parkinson's Addition to Palo Alto comprises Alba Park and Ravenswood, and his object in boosting the latter place was to promote a harbor for Palo Alto at the same time that he made it a manufac- turing center. He was on the point of realizing his dream, and had sold his holdings at Ravenswood to a New York man, J. W. Eisenhuth, the first builder of gas-engine automobiles in the United States, when the World War came on, and through a combination of unfortunate circumstances, which grew out of the war, what otherwise would have been his crowning achievement, and what would have made him a wealthy man, his bondsmen foreclosed on him, and he lost $500,000. He has regained his health, how- ever, and he is bravely making a second start. He is the president of the American Lumber Company, of Sonoma County, a corporation having a capital of $150,000 and a sawmill at Cazadero; and they bid fair to expand as rapidly as did some of the earlier enterprises with which Mr. Parkinson has been associated in his long business career.

If anyone in Palo Alto is entitled to the whole- souled esteem and good will for which mortals sen- sibly crave, it would seem to be Mr. Parkinson and his good wife, to whom he was married at Wash- ington, Iowa, in 1888, for together they have done much to help build up Palo Alto. Mrs. Parkinson was one of the ladies who organized the Palo Alto Woman's Club, and she gave the first book towards establishing the Palo Alto Public Library; and she worked as hard as any of the organizers when the ladies of Palo Alto took turns in serving as Librarian. It was Mr. Parkinson who conceived the idea of en- listing Andrew Carnegie's magnificent cooperation in the providing of a library building; and when com- mittees were appointed and correspondence con-

Sarah E. Lester

431

HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

ducted without any results, he went to New York and saw Mr. Carnegie personally, and was instru- mental in getting the $10,000 with which the present library building at the corner of Bryant and Hamil- ton streets was built in 1904. The influence of Mr. Parkinson's forceful character and clear-minded fore- sight has in a way permeated the very spirit of Palo Alto, which is known far and wide for its progres- sive ideas and its municipal utilities. Mr. and Mrs. Parkinson are living in the house at 616 Cowper Street which he built in early days, sold and then bought back again. They have had five children, and all have reflected creditably upon the family name. Katherine M. is the wife of S. E. Weaver, a newspaper man in New York City. Robert Rose- berry is vice-president of the local American Legion and a manufacturer of Safety First step-ladders at Palo Alto. He was in the Engineer Corps and served nineteen months in France. Benoni S. Parkinson is with the Tynan Lumber Company, at Salinas as the superintendent of their yard; and John F. Parkin- son, Jr., is a student at Stanford University. Kath- erine, Robert and Benoni are already Stanford grad- uates. Sarah Gray, in her fifteenth year, is a stu- dent in the Palo Alto high School. Mr. Parkinson is well up in Masonry and, as might be expected, en- joys the popularity and esteem due him.

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History of Santa Clara County California with biographical sketches, Part 72

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