History of Santa Cruz County, California with Biographical Sketches, Part 13

Author: Martin, Edward. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Los Angeles, Calif., Historic record company
Number of Pages: 376


USA > California > Santa Cruz County > History of Santa Cruz County, California with Biographical Sketches > Part 13


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


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The marriage of Mr. Judd and Caroline Williamson was solemnized July 22, 1872, and was blessed with five children. The eldest, Carrie Belle became the wife of Jesse Wood, of Watsonville. Elbert Hayes died at the age of twelve and


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Ida May at the age of sixteen years. Hugh William, a clerk in the Watsonville postoffice, married Jessie Tinan, of San Jose, member of a pioneer family of the Pajaro valley. Os- wald Bissell, a farmer and surveyor, married Franc Turney and resides at Watsonville. The father of Mrs. Judd was William Williamson, a native of Ireland, who came from Illinois to California during 1854 and afterward engaged in lumbering in the Santa Cruz mountains. He aided in the es- tablishment of the Pioneer flour mill and at one time he was interested in mining and merchandising at Forest Hill. At the age of sixty-five years he passed from earth, his death occurring at about the same time as that of his devoted wife, Artimesia (Sands) Williamson, and both were interred in the cemetery at Watsonville near the scenes familiar to them for years. They were respected by all who knew them and he was said among friends everywhere to be one of Nature's noblemen, a man with acute reasoning faculties, warm-hearted to the point of self-sacrifice, kindly toward all, fond of little children and thoughtful toward the aged, possessing the cheer- ful optimism characteristic of his race blended with the ener- getic temperament of the American.


F. S. MACQUIDDY.


No work transcends in importance and far-reaching results that of an educator. The minister appeals to a weary human- ity. The physician labors to help those handicapped by dis- ease. The lawyer pleads for justice and the observance of our laws. Indispensable as are these professions, that of teaching surpasses all of them in importance and future influ- ence upon our race. To the teacher come the sturdy little children to be taught the laws of health and hygiene. Thither


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come the inquiring minds to be taught good from evil. The bright and the dull, the quick and the slow, alike come under the influence of the educator, and the results cannot be meas- ured by the present, but extend into the shadowy future. Many thoughtful students of history maintain that our gov- ernment could not long survive the enormous foreign element added to the population each year, were it not that the chil- dren of these immigrants, through their studies in our free schools, become transformed into intelligent, loyal and patri- otic Americans, ready to die, if need be, for the preservation of our nation.


The profession of teaching has occupied the mature years of Professor MacQuiddy, who holds the responsible position of superintendent of the Watsonville schools. He enjoys the honor of being a native-born son of California. Born in Han- ford, Kings county, in 1879, he is a son of J. T. MacQuiddy, and a grandson of Major T. J. MacQuiddy, whose association with the early settlement of California is recorded in the annals of our state history. Primarily educated in the gram- mar-schools of Hanford and Traver, he later attended the high school of Hanford and in 1898 was graduated from the Stockton high school. After leaving that school he was em- ployed for one year in the office of the Stockton Register, but resigned at the expiration of that time in order to devote his attention to advanced study. During 1899 he matriculated in the University of California, from which he was graduated in 1903 with the degree of B. S. During the last year of his university study he acted as assistant in the zoological depart- ment and accomplished results as an instructor that would have been creditable to a teacher of wide experience.


For two years after leaving the university Professor MacQuiddy acted as principal of the high school of Winters, Yolo county. During 1905 he came to Watsonville as head


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of the science department. Early in the year 1907 Super- intendent Townsend resigned his position and Professor MacQuiddy was appointed to fill the vacancy created by the resignation. Since then he has given his attention closely to his many responsible tasks. There are under his supervision thirty-one teachers and about one thousand pupils, and only those who have undertaken similar responsibilities realize the magnitude of his work. The results, fortunately, are justify- ing the mental strain and physical effort. Steady progress is noticeable in every department of the work. The deep respect which the whole student body has for the superin- tendent is a powerful factor in his oversight of the school. Kindness has inspired respect. Yet, while kind, he is also firm. These two elements are so mingled in his administra- tion that he has gained wide recognition as a disciplinarian. Without prejudice he can view every side of a case of disci- pline, which enables him to be just in the treatment of offend- ers. His influence has never been doubtful, but is always positively on the side of the elevating and the noble in life.


During his residence at Winters as principal of schools Professor MacQuiddy formed the acquaintance of Miss Vivian Englehart, whom he married in 1905 and by whom he has a son, Malcolm. Mrs. MacQuiddy is a daughter of the late Edward Englehart, who came across the plains to California in 1850 and from that time until his death many years after- ward, remained a resident of this state, loyal to its welfare and interested in its growth. Since his death Mrs. Englehart has continued to make her home at Winters. Both Professor and Mrs. MacQuiddy are members of the Episcopal church and stanch believers in the doctrines of the denomination, while fraternally he has identified himself actively with both the Masons and the Elks.


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JAMES WATERS.


It is a tradition among the present representatives of the Waters family that they are descended directly from an Eng- lishman who accompanied the colony of John Smith to Amer- ica during 1607 and settled in the southern part of Mary- land, where a grant of land was tendered by Lord Baltimore. From that time to the present the land has remained in pos- session of the family and is still cultivated by descendants of the original immigrant. On that old homestead Joseph Waters was born and reared, and thither he brought his bride, Elizabeth Jane Ayres, a member of an honored Scotch- American family. Not many years afterward death entered the home and removed the young wife. The only daughter died at the age of seven years. This left the father alone with his boy, James, who was born in Somerset county, Md., October 18, 1828, but accompanied his only surviving parent to Baltimore at the age of six years. There he gained a common-school education and at the age of sixteen years be- gan to learn the trade of carpenter under his father's over- sight. In the four years following he acquired a thorough knowledge of the occupation.


The discovery of gold in California proved the direct means of transferring the citizenship of Mr. Waters from Maryland to the western coast. During June of 1849 he em- barked on the brig Osprey and rounded the Horn and cast anchor at San Francisco after a long and tedious voyage. It had been his intention to immediately embark in mining, but an offer of $1 and hour as a carpenter proved too tempt- ing to decline and for a time he was busily and profitably engaged in building enterprises in the western metropolis. From there he went to the mines on the Feather river and on the banks of the American, where he remained for two years,


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but the fortune so ardently desired did not come to him. Returning to San Francisco he resumed work at his trade. The failure of the banking house of Page, Bacon & Co., in 1855, brought him a heavy misfortune in the loss of the sav- ings he had accumulated since coming west. His claim against the bank he sold for $500 and then he removed to Santa Cruz, where he took charge of the saw mill owned by Major Hensley. With Thomas Beck as a partner in 1857 he began to take building contracts. Two years later he came to the Pajaro valley for the purpose of rebuilding the Catholic church and St. Francis college. Immediately he de- termined to remove hither as soon as his business affairs would permit him to do so, and in 1860 he bought his first holdings at Watsonville.


From boyhood Mr. Waters had evinced a love for the study of plant life. Horticulture fascinated him with its possibilities. Naturally he decided to improve his new prop- erty with fruit and he chose apples and strawberries as be- ing especially adapted to the soil and climate. Trees were planted in sufficient numbers to render possible the establish- ment of a nursery business in a few years and meanwhile he supported himself by carpentering. Eventually, however, the nursery demanded his entire attention. During 1860 he bought forty acres and planted more than two thousand apple trees, but this immense orchard was entirely ruined in 1862 by an overflow of the river and he then sold the land to the Catholic church. With J. A. Blackburn as a partner in 1867 he planted five acres of nursery stock, and in 1873 he bought his partner's interest, becoming the sole propri- etor. Upon purchasing twenty-seven acres from Captain Sudden he moved the nursery to the corner of what was then known as Sudden and Fourth streets, Watsonville. His next purchase consisted of fifty acres adjacent to the Sudden


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tract and the new property he set out in strawberries, but eight years later he planted the fifty acres to apples, from which large crops have since been harvested. Meanwhile the nursery business had outgrown its quarters and he there- upon moved his plant to his new acquisition of fifty-two acres near the Pajaro depot in Monterey county. Later he purchased adjacent land, so that eighty acres were devoted to nursery stock.


The demand for the products of the nursery increased so that orders were not limited to California, but came from Oregon and even from Australia. By years of experience and experiment the proprietor reduced the business to a science. The stock was mainly raised from seed or from cuttings, but large importations were made from France and other foreign countries and in this way rare varieties of fruit were started. Every variety of seed and stone fruit was raised as well as trees for shade and ornamental purposes, and al- though no traveling men were ever employed, orders were constantly booked ahead of the supply ready for delivery. At the 1889 exhibition of the Pajaro Valley Fair Association, of which Mr. Waters was then president, he displayed a tree of the French prune variety, only six months from the bud and raised without irrigation, but already more than twelve feet tall. For the past few years he has experimented with seedlings and some of these experiments have met with grati- fying success. Of the small fruits strawberries have es- pecially interested him. As early as 1875 he sent east for Cinderella strawberries and planted five acres to that variety. He shipped the first strawberries from Watsonville to the San Francisco market. The variety, Linda, once very popu- lar, was originated by him and named in honor of his wife. Many of the large strawberry beds in the valley were started from stock bought at his nursery and, as he made it his aim


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to keep only the best varieties, the berries of the valley have acquired a widespread reputation for size and sweetness of flavor.


Civic duties have not been neglected by Mr. Waters, not- withstanding his heavy business responsibilities. In politics he always has favored the principles of the Democratic party. From 1877 to 1879 he served as county supervisor, having been elected on the Democratic ticket. As one of the first trustees of Watsonville he aided in early movements for the benefit of the little town. Realizing the need of adequate banking facilities, he assisted in the incorporation of the Bank of Watsonville and the Pajaro Valley Bank, purchased stock in both, became a member of their boards of directors, and at this writing acts as vice-president of the Pajaro Val- ley National Bank. In earlier years he was prominent and active in Masonry, and is past master of the blue lodge, past high priest of the chapter and past eminent commander of the commandery of Knights Templar. It was his privilege to attend the 1887 convention of the Knights at St. Louis and at its adjournment he proceeded to Maryland, where he visited scenes familiar to his youth. For years he was one of the most influential and active members of the Santa Cruz branch of the Society of California Pioneers.


The marriage of Mr. Waters was solemnized September 9, 1860, and united him with Malinda J., daughter of Stephen Short. Three children blessed the union, but death removed the only son, Willie, at the age of twelve years, and the elder daughter, Lola, Mrs. James Walker, at the age of twen- ty-five years. The younger daughter, Adele, alone survives. Mrs. Waters came across the plains in 1852, with her parents, from Henderson county, Ill., where she was born July 28, 1841. They came direct to Santa Cruz and from there to Watsonville, which has since been Mrs. Waters' home. In


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September, 1910, Mr. and Mrs Waters celebrated their golden wedding at their home and the occasion called together many old-time friends and pioneers. The family hold mem- bership in the Episcopal church, of which Mr. Waters is a vestryman. Mrs. Waters is a sister of Mrs. J. A. Blackburn and is a member of a family of eight brothers and sisters, all of whom were spared until the eldest had attained a very advanced age. Their mother also lived to a ripe old age and there was no break in the family circle until about 1887, when Mr. Short met with an accident that resulted in his death.


HON. WILLIAM H. LAMB.


The commercial and real-estate enterprises associated with the modern development of Santa Cruz owe much to the pub- lic spirit and judicious energy of Mr. Lamb, who since coming to this city in 1893 has been identified inseparably with the advancement of movements tending toward its permanent prosperity. Throughout the greater part of his active life he has been closely connected with the building up of towns and the improvement of property, than which no greater task can fall to the lot of an American citizen, cognizant of the rich but undeveloped resources of our great land. While working for the material growth of the country he has at the same time developed a noble, honorable character, the most valuable contribution a man can make to posterity. The richest bequest he will leave behind him at death will be an example of integrity never questioned, energy never daunted and responsibilities never evaded.


Born in Norwich, Chenango county, N. Y., January 15, 1838, William H. Lamb was graduated from the high school of his native town at the age of eighteen years and then went


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to Boston, Mass., where he secured employment in the whole- sale and retail dry-goods house of George W. Warren. Short- ly after his location in the east the country became involved in the memorable Civil war. At the opening of the struggle he enlisted in the Second Battalion, Independent Riflemen of Boston, but was rejected. Undaunted by the failure he at. once went back to his old home in New York, where he was accepted as a member of the Forty-fourth New York Regi- ment of Infantry, commanded by Colonel Ellsworth. After a time he was transferred to the Ninetieth New York In- fantry. His service in the Union army covered a period of four years and eight months and included at its close con- siderable reconstruction work in the southern states. With Generals Grant, Hooker, Reed and George B. McClellan, he participated in many of the most important engagements of the war, and six times he was wounded while in battles, but fortunately he escaped serious injury.


At the close of the war the young soldier returned to his old home at Norwich, N. Y., with a splendid record for mili- tary service, in which he had been honored with many promo- tions from the ranks as a fitting recognition of his bravery and intimate knowledge of war tactics. Taking up the avocations of peace, he entered into business at Norwich, where he re- mained for six years. At the expiration of that time he was engaged by the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad Company to act as their land agent in South Dakota. The road had recently built out into Dakota and its officials were solicitous to open up that country for settlement. Accordingly Colonel Lamb laid out and established the village of Clark in Clark county, S. Dak., and, while acting as land agent for the road, also conducted a general real-estate business and was pro- prietor of a hardware store. Taking up land from the govern- ment, he laid out towns on the railroad from Watertown, Cod-


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ington county, as far west as Redfield, Spink county. Mean- while he had gained the warm confidence and high regard of the pioneers of the region and their admiration for his abilities found recognition in his election to the state legislature, as representative of a district embracing nine counties, or about one-third of the entire state. Through able service in the as- sembly he was instrumental in benefiting his district, and few of the pioneers were more closely associated with local de- velopment than he, his time, means and influence for years being given to the task of promoting interest in that part of the northwest.


The failure of his health obliged Colonel Lamb to seek a less rigorous climate and with that object in view he came to California in 1891, settling at Petaluma, Sonoma county, but removing to Santa Cruz in 1893. Shortly after his ar- rival in this city he purchased a hardware store, one of the first established in the town, and since then with his two sons he has been active in its management, carrying a large stock of hardware and serving customers from all parts of the county. Aside from his commercial activity, he has been prominent in local politics. During his service as mayor of Santa Cruz he was instrumental in promoting many needed improvements and largely through his personal efforts the state militia decided to hold here its annual encampment. In partnership with T. L. Bell he located the site and erected the famous hotel Rowardennan at Ben Lomond in the Santa Cruz mountains, ten miles from the city of Santa Cruz. For many years he acted as president of the corporation, with H. F. Anderson as secretary, and under his executive leader- ship the enterprise met with encouraging success. Recently, however, he sold his interest in the company, in order that he might devote more attention to other important matters. With a number of other business men he organized a company and


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purchased the Anthony property on Pacific avenue. It is the intention of the company to extend the avenue through the land, thereby increasing the value of the surrounding property.


The first wife of Colonel Lamb was a Miss Hart of Boston, who died leaving a son, John R. During 1869 he was united in marriage with Miss Anna D. Peck, daughter of Hon. S. S. Peck, a member of the Canadian parliament. Two children were born of the second marriage, namely; William H. J., and Anna Louise, the latter a recent graduate of the Santa Cruz high school. Fraternally a Mason, Colonel Lamb has taken all of the Masonic degrees up to and including that of Knight Templar. During the summer months the family oc- cupy their picturesque summer home, Edgewood, situated near Ben Lomond and surrounded by a well-improved estate of eleven acres. In Santa Cruz he purchased what was known as the Chinese Garden on Mission hill and afterward extended Davis street, which has become one of the finest residence streets in the city. In addition he owns forty-four acres of valuable shore property near Capitola on the ocean front. Whatever community might be chosen as the scene of his labors, it would be safe to predict that his identification there- with would be intimate, for Nature endowed him with the abilities that everywhere would bring prominence and popu- larity. It was the good fortune of Santa Cruz that its charms of scenery and climate attracted him hither and led him to throw his splendid energies into the task of developing prop- erty and attracting settlers, in which labor he has enjoyed the comradeship of men equally loyal to the city and equally solicitous to advance the local prosperity.


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HIRAM DANIEL SCOTT.


Even before the era made famous by the discovery of gold there had been adventurous men, attracted by the soil and climate of California, who had sought homes on these fair western shores and had brought to the Spanish aris- tocracy of the region a glimpse of the energy and enter- prise for which Americans are famous the world over. Among those who identified themselves with the west dur- ing the Spanish regime, mention should be given to the late Hiram Daniel Scott, for years one of the prominent ranchers of Santa Cruz county. In common with the ma- jority of the pioneers, he was fond of mining and exper- ienced all the changes of good and ill fortune incident to that occupation. When he came to this county there were few Americans, but he found the Spaniards friendly, and the Indians as well (of whom there were still a large number), gave him the kindest of treatment, their friendship at times proving of great personal benefit to him.


Born at Pittston, on the banks of the Kennebec river in Maine, January 28, 1822, Hiram Daniel Scott was a member of a large family, all of whom were forced to assume the task of self-support at the earliest possible age. Taking up the life of a sailor he rose by steady promotions until he was made second mate of a ship and in that capacity he sailed the high seas, visiting many of the ports of the west- ern hemisphere. As second mate of the sailing vessel J. C. Whiting, he sailed into the beautiful bay of Monterey during the year 1846. The ship had sailed from New York and had rounded the Horn on its way to San Francisco. Life as a sailor had grown distasteful to the mate and the view of the land near the bay was so inviting that he deserted the ship. For several days the captain waited for him, mean- 5


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while instituting a thorough search, but a Spanish family befriended him until the vessel had left the port. The little Spanish settlement of Santa Cruz presented no resemblance to the present progressive city. The houses were made of rough boards and shakes and contained no furniture not ab- solutely essential. As a rule, they were barren of com- forts, yet the people were happy and contented in their peaceful community by the sea.


When in 1848 news came of the discovery of gold at Sut- ter's mills, Mr. Scott and a companion were building a ves- sel on the beach, at a point in front of the present site of the Sea Beach hotel. The vessel was large and was being built for trading purposes along the coast. Although only about one-half completed when the news came, the men dropped their tools and abandoned the boat in order to hurry to the mines. It is not known how long Mr. Scott remained at the mines, but his remarkable success at that time is known. On leaving the mines he went to the present site of the city of Stockton, where the firm of Scott, Bonsall & Doak built and controlled the ferry and also built and operated a large hotel. This was known as the St. Charles and was the first hotel in Stockton; it was built at a cost of $100,000. Hun- dreds of cattle crossed the ferry every day at a rate of $1 per head, and other charges were in proportion, so that money came easily.


Returning to Santa Cruz county in 1852 Mr. Scott bought for $25,000 a tract of land which was known as the San Au- gustine ranch, but which is now known more commonly as Scott's valley. The ranch was situated six miles from town and was utilized for the raising of potatoes, hay and fine horses. In addition he bought a ranch on a creek that after- ward was given his name. During 1850 he was joined by two sisters, namely : Lucy, who afterward became Mrs. Ferguson,


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of Linden, San Joaquin county; and Sarah, who married Thomas Cooper, of Watsonville. The two girls came by way of Panama and their passage cost $1,000. A few years later the father, Capt. Daniel Scott, and two brothers, Ed- ward and Joseph, came to the western coast. During 1854 Hiram D. Scott returned to the old Maine homestead and after a visit with old friends brought to the west the remain-


ing members of the family, including his step-mother and two younger brothers, Henry and Frank; also a sister, Delia, who afterward became the wife of Jerome Porter; and an- other sister, Victoria, now Mrs. Snow, of Watsonville; to- gether with the youngest sister, Carrie, now Mrs. Sanborn, of San Francisco. The only surviving members of the once large family are Mrs. Sanborn, Mrs. Snow and Frank Scott, of San Francisco.




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