USA > California > Santa Cruz County > History of Santa Cruz County, California with Biographical Sketches > Part 17
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The parental family originally included nine children, but of this number only three are now living, as follows: A. E .; Arthur W., of San Jose; and Jesse, of Laurel, Mont. Soon after the birth of A. E. Joy his parents removed to Ventura county, and it is with that locality that his boyhood experi- ences are associated. Up to the age of seventeen years he was a pupil in the schools of Ventura, after which he entered upon an apprenticeship to learn the carriage-maker's trade, completing it three years later, and thereafter he followed the business for five years. Giving up the business at the end of that time, he became interested in the insurance and real-estate business at Ventura, an undertaking which was more in keeping with his taste and one which he followed with increasing success until 1893. His identification with Watsonville dates from the latter year, and it was during the same year that he inaugurated his present business, carrying it on alone until 1900, when, on October 31, he formed a part- nership with David F. Maher, and the association then formed
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has continued to the present time. In October, 1908, however, the business was incorporated under the name of the Watson- ville Globe Real Estate Company, with a paid-up capital stock of $25,000, Mr. Maher acting as attorney for the company: The business transacted by the company is not limited to Watsonville or even to the county, but extends to all parts of the state, including transactions in real estate, and the plac- ing of insurance and loans. As an indication of the discrim- inating care which has always been a prominent feature of the company it may be said that during the seventeen years of its experience as money lenders not one cent has been lost. A rule of the office made years ago has never been deviated from throughout its history, in that, during business hours; the doors of the office have never been closed, this in itself proving the officers to be men of alert business acumen.
In Ventura, Cal., October 20, 1885, Mr. Joy was united in marriage with Miss Maggie E. Grainger, a native of War- rensburg, Mo., and five children have come to brighten their fireside, Florence A., Myrtle E., Richard A., Elmer R. and Clifford. Fraternally Mr. Joy is identified with the Odd Fellows, and politically he is a believer in Republican prin- ciples. It has been Mr. Joy's privilege to travel extensively throughout the United States and Canada, but he has found no place more congenial than his home in the west, to which he has always returned, contented with his lot.
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JAMES INGHAM.
For many years closely identified with business enterprises in Watsonville, Mr. Ingham made his home in this city from his arrival in 1871 until his death in 1895. Born in England in August of 1829, a son of James Ingham, he traced his lineage to a long line of Anglo-Saxon ancestry and belonged to a family honorably associated with the material develop- ment of Great Britain. When less than a year old he was taken by his parents from the old English home across the Atlantic to the new world. It was while the family were on board ship that he learned to walk. In the prosperous city of Rochester, N. Y., the family found a home and work and friends, and there he received fair advantages in the public schools, later taking up the trade of a wagon-maker and wood-worker, in which he acquired remarkable proficiency. From Rochester he came to California during 1851 and set- tled in Sacramento, securing employment at his trade. Later he was similarly occupied in Marysville. His next place of employment was in San Jose, where he remained for ten years. From that city he came to Watsonville in 1871 and here he secured work as a blacksmith and wagon-maker. A few years later he embarked in business on his own account.
The manufacture of spring wagons was a specialty of Mr. Ingham. The line that he made was particularly suited to the requirements of ranchers of this section and proved far more satisfactory than wagons of eastern manufacture, made for eastern roads. A large business was done in the repair of wagons and agricultural implements. From four to six skilled mechanics were employed, two of these being farriers, competent to sustain the reputation of the shop for satis- factory horse-shoeing. Two years after starting his wagon shop Mr. Ingham added a warehouse for agricultural im-
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plements, selecting for this purpose a building, 28x100 feet, on Main street, directly opposite his blacksmithing and wagon shop. In the warehouse he kept wagons, buggies and agri- cultural implements, suited to the needs of the locality. He had the exclusive agency for the Oliver plows, the Studebaker wagons and the harvesting machinery of the D. M. Osborne Manufacturing Company, of Auburn, N. Y., at that time one of the principal concerns in the country.
As the Democratic nominee in the election of 1883 Mr. Ingham was chosen for the office of town councilman. The following term he was again elected. The next election found him again chosen for the office and at the time of his death he was serving as president of the village. Movements for the benefit of town and county received his active co-opera- tion and substantial assistance. A progressive spirit charac- terized his citizenship. Though genial, friendly and accom- modating, he was nevertheless so modest in the recognition of his own abilities that he failed to give due credit to his own personal labors in the upbuilding of the community. It was his disposition to minimize the results of his activities and emphasize the patriotic labors of other citizens. Fra- ternally he was from youth an ardent disciple of Masonry and its teachings of philanthropy won his loyal support. While still living in Rochester he rose to the degree of Knight Templar. After coming west he was a charter member of San Jose Commandery No. 10, K. T., also of Watsonville Commandery No. 22, K. T., and at the time of his demise he was identified with the organization last-named as eminent commander.
During young manhood Mr. Ingham was married, but shortly afterward he lost his wife. His second marriage oc- curred four years later. March 2, 1872, in Watsonville, he was united with Miss Inez Snow, a lady of excellent educa-
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tion and noble character, and a member of one of the honored pioneer families of our state. She was born in Franklin, Mass., being a daughter of Cyrus and Victoria M. (Scott) Snow, who came to California in 1860. The father died in Santa Cruz in 1884 and the mother is now making her home with Mrs. Ingham in Watsonville, occupying a beautiful resi- dence at No. 517 Main street, and surrounded by every com- fort that enhances the pleasure of existence. It is worthy of note that Mrs. Ingham's homestead has been in the family for more than fifty years and was purchased direct from the old Spanish owners. Mrs. Ingham has only one child, a daughter, Elsie, who married Howard Smith of Watsonville and has one son, Lowell Ingham Smith. Hiram Scott, a brother of Mrs. Snow, came to California at the time of the gold excitement in 1849. Two of his sisters joined him here the following year. One of them, Caroline, became the wife of Lucius Sanborn, for years one of the leading citizens and successful merchants of Watsonville. The other, Sarah, be- came the wife of Thomas Cooper, who also conducted a store in this city. Somewhat later the elder Scott joined his chil- dren in California and continued to reside here until his death.
T. D. ALEXANDER.
The life of Mr. Alexander has been filled with successful undertakings, and his practical retirement from active participation in business is the sequel to duties well per- formed, meriting the reward of a peaceful and harmonious existence such as can be found at its best in central California. He was born in Washington county, Mo., April 2, 1827, the son of John P. Alexander. The records show that the Alex- ander family is of Scotch origin and became identified with
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this country during the early years of its history. For many years members of the family had contributed to the citizen- ship of the south, and from Raleigh, N. C., where he had been reared and educated, John P. Alexander removed to St. Louis, Mo., in 1805, when it was a small village of about six hundred souls. He was then a young man of twenty years, full of life and enthusiasm, and the history of the young town in which he settled is in part the record of his own life and accomplishments. He lived to see many of his hopes realized for the upbuilding of his home town, and as was fitting, he passed away in the midst of scenes familiar to him during the most useful years of his long life.
No less energetic and useful to the upbuilding of Watson- ville, Cal., is T. D. Alexander, who though now retired from active participation in business affairs, is still as keenly alive to the interests of his home town as in the early days of his residence here. He clearly recalls the organization of the first fire company in Watsonville, which was then a bucket brig- ade, and as a member of the company he as readily recalls the difficulties under which he and his comrades labored and notes a marked contrast between those days and methods now used in fire-fighting. Mr. Alexander was a young man of about twenty-five years when he settled in California in 1853, having been variously engaged in Missouri prior to that time. An elder brother, W. T. Alexander, had made two trips to California previous to this for the purpose of bring- ing cattle to the west, and on his journey to the west T. D. also brought a band of cattle across the plains. The party with which he came consisted of fifteen men, who left St. Joseph, Mo., in the latter part of March, 1853, and reached Volcano, Amador county, August 24. In that locality he en- gaged in the cattle and butchering business until the fall of 1854, when, though still retaining his interest in the ranch 8
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and cattle business, he tried his luck as a miner. It is safe to presume that his mining experiences were not of the most alluring order, for it is known that in the following year, 1855, he took a renewed interest in the cattle business. It was in that year that he went to Los Angeles, making that his headquarters while purchasing cattle throughout Southern California, which he later drove north and fattened for the market. Altogether he followed this business for about three years, during which time he brought north about six hundred head of cattle. Though he found the life of the cattleman an interesting one it was at the same time a strenuous one, and on one of his trips he stopped for a much needed rest at Watsonville, where two of his sisters were living. The im- mediate effect of this visit was renewed strength, and so pleased was he with the locality that it later became his per- manent home.
Upon taking up his residence in Watsonville Mr. Alexander readily saw a business opportunity in the erection of a hotel in the thriving town and the Pacific Exchange was the prac- tical development of this idea. This famous hostelry was erected on the present site of the Mansion house, and many old settlers are still living who can recall the hospitality and good cheer dispensed at this wayside inn, which was no less famous than was its genial host, T. D. Alexander. Besides the management of his hotel, Mr. Alexander also engaged in mining to some extent, and still later became in- terested in the real-estate business. As a development of the latter business he was entrusted with the handling of a number of large estates, among which may be mentioned in particular the Atherton and Spring estates. A keen fore- sight and accurate knowledge of real-estate values made his
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undertakings a success, and it is conservatively estimated that he bought and sold more property in the valley than any other man in his line of business.
Mr. Alexander's marriage in 1857 united him with Cather- ine Curley, who at her death September 21, 1906, left two children, W. P., a resident of Seattle, Wash., and Josephine, the latter residing with her father in Watsonville. Since taking up his residence in Watsonville many years ago no measure for the upbuilding of the town has failed to receive the hearty support of Mr. Alexander, who is generally recog- nÃzed as one of the town's most active and interested citizens. Fraternally he is identified with but one order, the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows.
JAMES BEECHLER, M. D.
The talents possessed by Dr. Beechler are signally diverse, yet happily and harmoniously blended to form a character well rounded in those attributes that bring material success. The startling contrasts of his native endowments are in- dicated by the statement that he is a poet, the author of many beautiful verses; further, that in youth he was a noted local wrestler and fighter, and after he entered the Civil war he came to be known as "Fighting Jim" Beechler. With the dreamy nature of the poet and the sturdy robustness of the fighter, he combined the qualities that have brought him prominence and success in the practice of medicine. So great has been his success in the treatment of asthma that during the past four years he has treated more than one thousand persons at the institution he has founded, Beechler's White Cross Sanitarium.
The native place of Dr. Beechler is Bryan, Williams county,
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Ohio, and 1840 the year of his birth. From early boyhood his studies were directed with the medical profession as the end in view. For a time he attended Bennett Medical Col- lege at Chicago, Ill., and the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, and in 1871 he was graduated from the medical de- partment of the University of Pennsylvania. Thereafter he practiced his profession in Chicago and later in New York City, also for a year held the chair of anatomy in Bennett Medical College and for a short time was an instructor in the University of Pennsylvania. Meanwhile he had achieved prominence through his service in the Civil war, having en- listed in 1862 as first lieutenant of Company H, in the Ninth Ohio Cavalry. At first he made a specialty of recruiting soldiers for the volunteer service. Later he was ordered to report to General Boyle at Louisville, Ky., and afterward he gallantly served his country on the Mississippi and Cumber- land rivers. To him was given the command of gunboat Liberty No. 1, which took all of the forts on the river and was the only boat out of seven to get through the lines without capture. While serving as adjutant-general on the staff of General Walker he was wounded so seriously that he was taken to the hospital to die, but a strong constitution and careful nursing enabled him to recover.
After a brave participation in the famous seven-days' fight from Nashville to Murfreesboro, Dr. Beechler received an ova- tion from Generals Thomas and Walker for his gallant service. He was the only commanding officer who survived the battle with the gunboats on the river, where he had thirty-six transports under his charge. Among the famous battles in which he took part were Forts Henry and Donel- son (2d). Later he saw service in the west with the Indians and under General Miles he held the rank of surgeon in the United States army. During his service in the army he gave
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his time and energy to his country, free of charge. Prior to his first army service he was married in 1860 to Miss Jeanie Fairfield, a native of Ohio, who was reared and edu- cated in the city of Bryan.
Coming to California in 1895, Dr. Beechler entered upon professional practice. During 1901 he came to Santa Cruz county and settled at Soquel, where he opened a sanitarium on the hill overlooking the village. Later he added to and improved the property and now owns one of the best-ap- pointed places of the kind in the state. Modern appliances have been introduced. The equipment includes electric lights on the ground, the roof and the piazza, as well as in all the rooms. A beautiful white cross of lights appears on the front of the house and can be seen at night for miles in every direction. This gives to the sanitarium the name by which it is known throughout the state. Sun verandas are provided for patients. Fine baths have been installed with a modern system of plumbing. The operating room also is thoroughly equipped with modern appliances. Mrs. Georgia Henderson, the head nurse, who has filled the position since 1905, is a graduate trained nurse and much of the success of the insti- tution is due to her intelligent oversight.
While many diseases have been treated successfully by Dr. Beechler (rheumatism, appendicitis, gangrene, male and fe- male diseases and cancer) he makes a specialty of asthma. For years he suffered with the latter disease and vainly tried all known remedies. Finally he discovered a remedy which cured himself and has cured many others. For the secret of this cure he has been offered $100,000. Out of one hundred patients treated, he has cured ninety-five, and once cured, the disease never returns.
Asthma he discovered to be a yeast plant of fungus growth in the stomach and this is cut loose by medicines, being
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thrown out entirely by an emetic. Some patients recover at once, but others, in more serious state, recover more slowly. As previously stated, almost all that are treated recover, and these form the most enthusiastic advertisers of the sanitar- ium, their unsolicited testimonials being the cause of the com- ing of other sufferers, until at times the rooms are filled and the treatment of additional patients necessarily must be post- poned. By the alleviating of disease and the curing of chronic sufferers, the doctor is proving himself to be a true phil- anthropist, while at the same time he is reaping the financial reward merited by his arduous application to the work.
The following poem from the pen of Dr. Beechler has re- ceived favorable notice from many critics, among them John Uri Lloyd, president of Lloyd's library and museum at Cin- cinnati, Ohio.
OUR MYSTERIES.
We know not what it is, dear, this sleep so deep and still ; The folded hands, the awful calm, the cheeks so pale and chill ; The lids that will not lift again, though we may call and call; The strange white solitude of peace that settles over all.
We know not what it means, dear, this desolate heart pain, This dread to take our daily way and walk in it again.
We know not to what other sphere the loved who leave us go, Nor why we're left to wonder still, nor why we do not know.
But this we know: our loved and dead, if they should come this day-
Should come and ask us what of life-not one of us could say. Life is a mystery, as deep as ever death can be ;
Yet, oh, how dear it is to know-this life we live and see.
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Then might they say, these vanquished, and blessed is the thought,
So death is sweet to us, beloved, though we may show you naught;
We may not to the quick reveal the mystery of death; Ye cannot tell us if ye would the mystery of death.
The child who enters life comes not with knowledge or intent; So those who enter death must go as little children sent. Nothing is known; but I believe that God is overhead. And is life to the living, so death is to the dead.
LAWRENCE P. HELMER.
Experiences giving him an insight into conditions in var- ious parts of the world were culminated by the arrival of Mr. Helmer in California, where he has made his home since 1867 and where for years he was interested in a ranching enter- prise. Born in Schleswig, Germany, in 1843, he was ap- prenticed to the trade of blacksmith at the time of leaving school and at the close of his term he worked as a journey- man in Schleswig. The daily round of duties thus imposed upon him did not prove congenial to the youth of stirring im- pulses and at the age of twenty-two he set sail for the United States and landed at the harbor of New York. He did not remain long in the east, but soon located in Chicago, and was interested there and in the middle west for about one year. The far west, however, appealed to him more strongly, and hither he came at the end of this time, coming directly to Watsonville, Cal., in 1867.
Mr. Helmer's knowledge of the blacksmith's trade stood him in good stead and as soon as he came to Watsonville he sought
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out a suitable location in which to establish himself in busi- ness. This he found in 1870, on the spot where the town hall is now located, and there he continued in business uninter- ruptedly until forced out by a disastrous fire. Following this he went to Freedom and established himself in the same busi- ness, but gave it up after a few years and turned his atten- tion to agriculture. Directly north of town he bought a ranch of ninety acres in the Alvarado tract, well adapted to general farming, which he conducted with success for many years or until 1901, when he subdivided the ranch and sold it off in small parcels. Since then he has lived retired from active business, making his home in Watsonville, where he owns valuable real estate. Besides the present beautiful residence occupied by the family Mr. Helmer has erected and occupied. six different houses on his property from time to time, one giving place to another until in his present home may be found all that is modern and up-to-date both in architecture and conveniences.
A marriage ceremony performed in Watsonville in 1871 united the lives of L. P. Helmer and Anna Jensen, the latter a resident of this city at the time of her marriage. Four children, equally divided as to sons and daughters, have been born into their household, and all have grown to maturity and are taking their place in the world's activities. Named in the order of their birth they are as follows: Peter; George; Anna, the wife of L. Cleveland, of Watsonville; and Elita, the wife of Charles Thume, of Pleasanton, Cal. In whatever lo- cality circumstance has placed him Mr. Helmer has taken an interesting part in its activities. Fraternally he is a member of the Odd Fellows order, holding membership in Pajaro Lodge No. 90, in which he has acted in the capacity of trustee for twenty-two years.
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JOSEPH F. ASTON.
Though not a native of California, Mr. Aston has been a resident of the state ever since he was six years old and is thoroughly in touch with the progressive element of Wat- sonville and the Pajaro valley. He was born in New York City July 6, 1858, the son of Franklin and Maria (Mannion) Aston, natives respectively of Baltimore, Md., and Ireland. They had made their home in the east for some time when, in 1864, they decided to come to the west and grow up with the new country. The voyage was made by way of Panama, landing them at San Francisco, where they settled and made their home for a number of years, or until April, 1872, when they came to the Pajaro valley and located in Watsonville. Here Mr. Aston opened a furniture establishment to which he later added undertaking, a combined business which he car- ried on very successfully for a number of years. His popu- larity among his fellow-citizens and his fitness for office led to his election as county assessor in the early '80s, a position which he filled acceptably for one term. His death occurred in August, 1894, at the age of sixty-two, while his wife sur- vived until 1899, her death occurring in April of that year. Seven children were included in the parental family, all of whom, five daughters and two sons, are living.
As has been stated, Joseph F. Aston was a lad of six years when removal was made to the west, and in the public schools of San Francisco and Watsonville he received his education. Even before his school days were over he began to make himself useful in his father's store, and at the time the latter was occupied with his public duties as county assessor the management of the business fell almost exclusively upon the shoulders of the son. At the time he was only twenty-three years of age, but he proved his capability and the experience
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which he then gained he has been able to put to good account in later years. In 1884, after his father resumed charge of the business, he went to San Francisco, from there to Tulare and Los Angeles, remaining altogether about four years, when he returned to Watsonville and opened an office as architect and builder. During the eleven years in which he followed this business he erected a number of substantial buildings in Watsonville and vicinity. It was in April, 1899, that Mr. Aston purchased a half interest in the business with which his name has since been associated with Mr. Wycoff, under the name of Wycoff & Aston, the leading undertakers of Wat- sonville.
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