History of Santa Clara County California with biographical sketches, Part 80

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

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In the spring of 1853, when John Selby was eighteen years old, he set out from home to cross the continent to California, and having reached Santa Clara County in the fall of the same year, he then went to Marin County and worked in the redwoods district and remained there for a year. Then he came to San Jose and leased land in the Berryessa district and then bought and fenced in form himself some 150 acres of land in this district. In 1860 he sold that farm and moved with his devoted wife to the Mission Road, in the Orchard School district, about five miles north of San Jose, where he had acquired some 100 acres, but he sold part of this and besides his own land, some fourteen acres, he leased twenty- six acres. Eight acres he devoted to orchard culture, and had peach trees, several varieties of pear trees, cherry trees, apricot trees. besides some English black walnuts, persimmon, fig, plum, and apple trees and all kinds of berries, showing the fertility of the soil. He devoted the remaining six acres of the land to pasturage, and in addition to cultivating his fine farm, engaged in carpentering, often taking contract work. In 1906, at the ripe old age of eighty-two, Mr. Selby passed away, full of honor and rich in friends. He was a member of the Board of Super- visors of Santa Clara County, elected in 1892 for one term of four years, serving there as a broad-minded Democrat, and for a number of years was the presi- dent of the Pioneer Society of Santa Clara County.

Seven children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Selby. Mary became Mrs. William E. Trimble of Los Gatos; Emma J., now deceased, was Mrs. R. B. Roberts of San Jose; William H. Selby, living in Naglee Park; Lizzie Lee married W. E. Coombs and resides at San Jose. The fifth is George Wray, an oil man of Santa Barbara County; a child also died in infancy, and Lulu passed away at the tender age of four. In 1908 Mrs. Selby sold the ranch and bought a place in Naglee Park, where she lived until she received her injury. when she sold out. In 1917 Mrs. Selby had a fall. in which she broke her right arm, and this has since been a serious handicap, although she is still re- markably active for a woman of eighty-one. She is also an earnest, highly-esteemed member of the Pio- neer Society, and of the Methodist Episcopal Church

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South. She resides with her granddaughter, Mrs. Waltz, at 132 Balbach Street, San Jose, the center of a group of very devoted friends.

MRS. MARIA ANTONIA CAREAGA .- The interest which attaches to the biography of California pioneers is an expression of gratitude which their fellow-citizens feel towards those forerunners of civilization who have done so much to make both habitable and attractive this glorious section of the Far West. Not only as a pioneer of the state, but also as one of the early residents of San Jose and vicinity, Maria Antonia Careaga enjoys the respect and esteem of the citizens of Santa Clara County.

Mrs. Careaga's maiden name was Maria A. Bo- nevantur, a daughter of Monsieur Bernardo Bo- nevantur, who had come from France and married Albina Boronda, a charming member of one of the very early pure Castilian families of Monterey. Her father was a carpenter at San Juan Bautista, and passed away when our subject was only ten years old. Her mother reared the family as best she could, the only one now surviving being the subject of this sketch. Her maternal grandfather Boronda was a native Californian, but great-grandfather Bor- onda came from Spain.

Maria A. Bonevantur received her education in the San Juan convent, and her marriage to Ramon F. Careaga was solemnized amid all the festivities char- acteristic of the social life in a family of such ancient traditions. After their marriage at the old historical mission, she accompanied her husband to his ranch and was his able helpmate and counsellor, encourag- ing him in his ambitions, and success came to them above their greatest expectations.

For many generations the Careaga family has been distinguished in California not only for its participa- tion in the gradnal development of the state, but be- cause it is one of the important historical links be- tween Castilian Spain and the flourishing colonies which her prophetic vision and unbounded energy planted in the New World. The earliest Careaga of whom we have record as a direct forebear of this esteemed family, was a Spanish nobleman born in medieval Castile and sent to Mexico as a military man by the King of Spain. A descendant was Colonel Satornino Careaga, also a soldier, who came from Mexico to Monterey, California, when he was but seventeen years old. He was a member of Captain Muñoz's command, and with all the chivalry ever characteristic of the Careagas, he risked his life and sacrificed his comfort to protect the depend- ent and exposed San Jose Mission. His son, Ramon F. Careaga, the husband of our subject, who died on February 7, 1914, was a handsome, splendidly pre- served gentleman, who could look back to many stir- ring events in which he had participated, or of which his father, in the good old days when the Spanish Dons gathered their children about them, had told him as a part of the cherished family tradi- tion. There were personal anecdotes about Governor Portola, and the expedition to Monterey; there were recollections of Pio Pico, Echeandia, Micheltorena, Castro, Flores, Juan Bandini, Abel Stearns, and finally of Fremont and Stockton, with all of whom and their contemporaries the Careagas had had much to do, first in fighting for Spain and then for Mexico, and ultimately in helping to build up young America on the Coast.

With a brother, Juan B. Careaga, also born in Monterey County, and Daniel Harris, Ramon bought about 18,000 acres of the old ranch belonging to the De la Guerras (early Spaniards who, with their wide territory, figured prominently in the state history) ; and later, in the division, Harris took some 7,500 acres, while the Careaga brothers held more than 10,000. In the final subdivision, Ramon received 6,970, and this property has become the center of the Santa Maria oil fields. More than that, it was on Ramon Careaga's historic land that oil was first discovered in the Santa Maria Valley. One day, while the Careagas were walking across their finely situated acres, one of the parties discovered, here and there, some outcroppings of asphalt-an intruder on the surface of the rich soil which would have been most unwelcome had not the experience of the intelligent observer recognized in the dark substance the coveted indications of rich oil deposits. It was not long before that which was assumed and hoped for to be true was proven a certainty. On March 14, 1900, the erection of the great rig for the first well was begun and they soon struck oil, but the well had to be abandoned on account of some obstacle. A sim- ilar experience was met in the attempt to sink well number 2; but nothing daunted, the riggers and drillers moved farther up the canyon and soon had, in well number 3, such a flow of oil that at last the precious liquid was obtained in paying quantities. The long waited-for event was duly celebrated by a big barbecue, for which the hospitable Careagas furnished four of their choicest beeves, the meat being partaken of by hundreds of visitors.

After her husband's death, Mrs. Careaga moved to San Jose, where she enjoys a quiet and comfort- able life. They were the parents of eleven children: Luis S. is married and resides at Santa Barbara; Ra- mon A. married Miss Cora Riley and they have two children, Ramon F. and Alberto J. and reside in San Jose; he passed away in 1919; John T. mar- ried Miss Alberta Roe and they have one child, Adelbert; Eleanor M. became the wife of John Carr and the mother of two sons. John F. and Leland and they reside on the Careaga ranch; Bernardo F. married Miss Gnssie Hawkins and they have two children, William B. and Eugene F .; he passed away in 1919; Antonio F. resides on the Care- aga ranch and so does James F., who is a farmer and stockman; and Charles M. resides on the northwest oil lease of the Careaga ranch near Bicknell, and looks after the oil and gas inter- ests of the estate. He married Miss J. Hawkins and they have one child, Durward; Rita J. is the wife of Mr. Hawkins and they reside in San Jose. Evan- geline is now Mrs. Dana, also on Careaga ranch, Santa Barbara County. Angela is Mrs. Suffert and makes her home in San Jose.

Mrs. Careaga had the comfort and pleasure of having her mother with her during her last days and enjoyed ministering to her comforts until she passed away at the age of seventy-seven. Mrs. Careaga has always been interested in educational affairs and during her husband's lifetime gave land for two school sites on their property. Mrs. Careaga resides in a comfortable residence on Sierra Avenue, San Jose, and enjoys dispensing the same old-time California hospitality that her husband and their forebears were so noted for.

Walden Lords

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

WALDEN LORDS .- It is interesting to write the story of the pioneer who braved the dangers of frontier life and by enduring privations and hardships helped to conquer the wilderness, making it habit- able and bringing comfort and happiness to the com- ing generations. Such a man was the late Walden Lords, a native of Ohio, born at Mansfield, August 14. 1825. His father, John Lords, was a New Eng- lander, born in Maine, who was an early settler and farmer at Mansfield, Ohio. He married Mrs. Mary (McLaughlin) Osborne, who had one child by her first marriage, Nial Osborne, who, when he grew to manhood, was filled with the desire for adventure, and in 1843 he crossed the plains and mountains by the old Oregon Trail to the Williamette Valley, Ore., where he remained a couple of winters, then coming to California he was one of those sent in an expedi- tion to the relief of the Donner party in 1846. He made a trip east and returned, and a second time when he came out in 1849 he was accompanied by our subject and his brother, Ira. Nial Osborne later returned to Iowa where he spent his last days.

To the union of John Lords and Mrs. Osborne were born six children, of whom Walden was fourth in order of birth. He was reared on the Eastern farm, where from a boy he was kept busy, assisting in the farm work as was the custom of farmer boys in those days. He crossed the plains with his half- brother, Nial Osborne and on arriving in California he followed mining at Placerville and later in the region of lone, but it did not yield the profits he had expected, so he settled down to farming, purchasing land near Galt, Sacramento County, where in time he came to own 400 acres which he devoted to grain and stock raising. Here he also married, being united with Mrs. Mary (Slattery) Huston, who was born in Ireland and came to New York City when a girl of sixteen years, and there her first marriage oc- curred to William Huston. Soon afterwards the young couple came via Panama to San Francisco and thence to Sacramento. Mr. Huston followed mining until his death.

In 1872 Walden Lords rented his ranch and came to Santa Clara County, where he purchased a farm at Alviso, where he began his career as an horti- culturist, in which he became so singularly successful. He engaged in raising berries and also set out an orchard of Bartlett pears, and in time came to have an orchard of 80 acres,. principally Bartlett pears, which yielded him a large return. He was bereaved of his faithful wife in 1903, after which he spent most of his time in San Jose at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Jennings, and there occurred his death on November 3, 1909, an honored member of the Santa Clara Valley Pioneers, who buried him with honors. Mrs. Lords by her first marriage had one child, Delia Huston, who became the wife of Oscar Emmerson of San Jose, while Mr. and Mrs. Lords had three children: Ella is Mrs. Jennings of San Jose; John M. Lords resides on the old home ranch which he superintends; Walden died when twenty-two years old. It is a pleasure to note that since the death of Walden Lords his ranch has been kept in- tact in the family, who have taken the best of care of it and treasure the orchard improved by their pioneer parents, whose memory they cherish and revere.

W. W. & ELLA LORDS JENNINGS .- Promi- nent and popular among the most interesting of pro- gressive and useful citizens in Santa Clara County, W. W. Jennings and his gifted wife, Ella Lords Jennings, of 371 South Thirteenth Street, San Jose, exert a wide and helpful influence in favor of better conditions in California which is helpful and prom- ising to others as well as to themselves. Mr. Jen- nings was born in the Empire State, the son of Charles W. and Emma (Ward) Jennings, both na- tives of Leicestershire, England, who came to Seneca Falls, N. Y., where the lad first saw the light of day, and he migrated to California soon after the great realty boom in 1888. He was an employe of the Southern Pacific Railroad Company, on the Coast Division route, and later embarked in the grocery business, and he followed that trade for many years at the corner of Santa Clara and Teresa streets in San Jose. In 1920 he sold out and took a position in the employ of Black's Package Company of San Jose, with which concern he has been ever since.

At Alviso, on October 16, 1890, Mr. Jennings was married to Miss Ella Lords, the daughter of Walden Lords, a frontier pioneer, who is also represented on this page. Ella Lords attended the Alviso school, and having decided to follow a pedagogical career, attended the San Jose State Normal School. Having graduated, she taught school at Monterey, in the old Capitol Building, and then, when she was be- ginning to be of valuable service to society as a trainer of the young. she concluded to marry and establish her own family. Her union with Mr. Jen- nings was a fortunate one, and this is especially true on account of the cooperation she has afforded her husband, with her exceptional ability, in all of his enterprises. To their union have been born one son and one daughter,-Walden A. Jennings, a mechanic doing expert service on Mare Island for the United States Government, and Emma E., a talented, es- teemed school teacher, a graduate of the State Nor- mal at San Jose, who lives at home.

W. W. Jennings is clerk of the San Jose Camp of the Modern Woodmen of America, and he has also passed through all the chairs of the Maccabees at San Jose, and is an active member of the Woodmen of the World of San Jose, besides being a member of the Royal Neighbors in the same city. Both Mr. and Mrs. Jennings are Democrats, although the best of nonpartisan "boosters" of their home district; and Mrs. Jennings is a member of the Vendome Parlor of the Native Daughters of the Golden West, and is recorder of the local lodge of Royal Neighbors as well as recorder of the State Camp of that order.

JOSEPH M. STILLWELL .- A true pioneer of Santa Clara County. Joseph M. Stillwell, is well known and highly esteemed by the residents of San Jose, having here spent his entire life, covering a period of sixty-six years, for he was born in this city, on the Berryessa Road. Angust 6, 1855, the third son of Joseph C. and Plina A. (Young) Stillwell. The father was a na- tive of Kentucky and in times of peace followed farming and stockraising, but he defended the in- terests of the United States in the war against Mexico in 1846. He came to California that year, joined Fremont at Sacramento and rose to the rank of Lieutenant and after his services were no longer needed he settled down to ranching. He returned

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East for a visit and then came across the plains with the Samuel Young party. He later married Mr. Young's daughter and both he and his wife passed away in San Jose.

Reared upon a ranch, J. M. Stillwell attended the public schools of Santa Clara County and on entering business life took up the painter's trade, remaining in the employ of J. P. Jarman of San Jose until 1891. He has since had charge of the Lowell School of this city as janitor and is most capably discharging his duties in that connection, proving faithful, efficient and reliable.

Mr. Stillwell was united in marriage in 1876 to Miss Josephine Zingg, who was nine years of age when she made the journey across the plains from St. Louis, Mo., to California. Four children have been born of this union. Joseph C., who for the past eleven years has been custodian of the State Normal School at San Jose, is married and has one child, Loraine. Viola, a graduate of the Nor- mal, is now the wife of Thomas T. Dougherty and a resident of San Jose; Maude, who completed a course in the State Normal School, is the wife of T. F. Sourisseau, by whom she has one child, Thomas, and they reside at Campbell, Santa Clara County. William, also a graduate of the State Normal, is a teacher in the public schools of San Jose. He is married and has one child, Barbara. The family reside at No. 452 South Ninth Street, which has been their home for twenty-five years. Mr. Stillwell is identified with the Independent Or- der of Foresters. He has been an interested wit- ness of the growth and development of San Jose and has been an active factor in its progress. Wher- ever known he is held in high regard, and most of all where he is best known.

F. E. CORNELL .- No more interesting pioneer than F. E. Cornell can be found in all Santa Clara County, and certainly no citizen of Sunnyvale is more worthy of honor within the bounds of that rising municipality, for he had much to do with the very beginning of things here, and a great deal to do with blessing the town with a name which is truly descrip- tive of this beautiful and withall historic spot, which has recently taken in new life, by attracting a large number of energetic and well-to-do settlers, many of them having brought large means with them from their former homes in the middle west, as well as several very substantial manufacturing concerns whose varied products being added to the luxuriance of its fields and orchards have made this place known far and wide. A worthy representative of colonial Hol- land-American stock, Mr. Cornell was born at Byron, Fond du Lac County, Wis., on August 4, 1861, the son of James and Emaline (Warner) Cornell. He grew up on a Wisconsin farm, attended the country schools, and when he was ready for the undeveloped Pacific Coast, the Coast was waiting for him. His father, James Cornell, lured by the great gold discovery had come out to California from Wisconsin across the plains in 1849, but after two years returned to Wisconsin, married and settled down to farm life. No wonder young Cornell's heart was in California, so he came to San Jose in 1889. Determined to suc- ceed, he lost no time but took the first job offercd him and engaged in the shops of the San Jose Street Railway Company for two years. Thereafter, for five years, he was employed in the ladies' furnishing establishment of Orvis and Cornell at San Jose. He

came out to Murphy's Station (now Sunnyvale) in 1897, and quickly perceived a promising future in the simple environment greeting him, he started a general merchandise business here in October, 1897. The Southern Pacific Railroad Company had retained the name of Murphy's Station, so called from the fact that this was the home of Martin Murphy, Jr., who had built one of the first really good residences in California at this place, in the very early days, from plans and specifications and lumber already cut in the East and shipped around the Horn, all ready to be put up in California. This house is still standing and is still in excellent shape, and is the commodious summer residence of Mrs. Mary Carroll, a daughter of its builder. Martin Murphy, Sr., and family and Martin Murphy, Jr., and family were the first two white families from east of the Rocky Mountains to settle permanently in California, making their settlement within the confines of what is now Santa Clara County in 1846. Before the advent of the rail- road, all the lands upon which Sunnyvale now stands was a part of the broad and fertile acres of the Murphy Ranch, originally owned by Martin Murphy, Jr. As the settlers grew in numbers they renamed the place Encinal on account of the many beautiful live oak trees which flourished at this place.

Mr. Cornell was appointed its first postmaster in 1898, the name of the post office being Encinal, while the name of the railway station was Murphy's Sta- tion. The name Encinal might have proven satis- factory enough and might have been adopted by the Southern Pacific had it not been that the company had already given that name to another station on their line. This situation led to a request to Mr. Cornell and other early settlers to suggest a new name. Together with Horace E. Smeld, Mr. Cor- nell submitted three other names but they were all rejected for various reasons.

A happy thought occurred to the postmaster and fellow-townsmen-Sunnyvale-and no sooner had they become convinced that such a name would best describe the locality, than Mr. Cornell in his official capacity, proposed the name for the town. The authorities of the government, as well as of the rail- road company, hastened to accept it, and it has cer- tainly proved a happy designation. Mr. Cornell con- tinued to be postmaster, and served from March 18, 1898 to April, 1915. Always sincerely interested in the welfare of the place, he is now serving on its Board of City Trustees, filling the vacancy caused by the resignation of Karl S. Hazeltine.

He is the efficient and popular teller of the Sunny- vale branch of the Bank of Italy, and is also the keeper of the records and seals in Sunnyvale Lodge, K. P. In whatever field he is active, he has the es- teem and confidence of everybody.

In April, 1897. Mr. Cornell was married to Miss Gertrude Payne, and their union has been blessed with three children, Mildred, Elton, and James, the two eldest being students at Stanford University. Mrs. Cornell shares with her husband the distinction of being a leading citizen at Sunnyvale, and at present is serving as one of the five trustees of the Sunny- vale Free Public Library. Mr. and Mrs. Cornell reside in an attractive home on Murphy Avenue, and all who know of their historic association with the town feel a pride in their presenece as high-minded citizens and warm-hearted neighbors and friends.

Prin Miles ileaux

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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY

IRWIN MILES WILCOX-For many years rep- resentatives of the Wilcox family have resided in San Jose, bearing an active and helpful part in the work of general improvement and progress in this section, and Irwin Miles Wilcox is actuated by the same spirit of enterprise and initiative which dom- inated his father. As head of the San Jose Broom Factory he is controlling one of the important man- ufacturing enterprises of the city, and he formerly had large dairy interests, displaying marked executive ability in the management of his affairs. A native of San Jose, he was born September 13, 1875, his par- ents being Miles W. and Adeline (Hopkins) Wil- cox. Both arrived in California in 1863, the mother crossing the plains in an ox-team train, and the father coming by way of the Isthmus of Panama. The young people met at Marysville and were mar- ried about 1866. Mr. Wilcox was engaged in manu- facturing brooms at Marysville, and later when they moved to San Jose he established the first broom factory here, building up a large business on Bush Street. He also established a glove factory and for many years conducted a successful business in this line, and in his passing away on July 27, 1911, San Jose lost one of her most public-spirited citizens. His widow survives him, and lives in San Jose.

Their only child, Irwin Miles, acquired his educa- tion at the San Jose public schools and the Garden City Business College, and following his father's death, took over the management of the broom fac- tory. With keen insight into business affairs, he has been able to formulate plans which have resulted in the continued growth of the business, manufacturing brooms for the Keystone Company of San Jose, Hedges, Buck & Company of Stockton, and other local trade. Mr. Wilcox was associated with his mother in the dairy business for many years. They had two ranches, one at Milpitas and the other at Santa Clara, devoted to alfalfa and dairying, and owned some fine pure-bred Jersey stock. From Mil- pitas they shipped their milk wholesale to San Fran- cisco, while the California Dairy, on the Santa Clara ranch, had one of the largest retail trades in San Jose. On the death of his father they sold the dairy busi- ness, in order to give more time to the manufacture of brooms. They still own the ranch at Santa Clara, renting it out to others. Mr. Wilcox also has valu- able real estate interests in San Jose, having firm faith in the future of this part of the state.

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History of Santa Clara County California with biographical sketches, Part 80

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