USA > California > Santa Cruz County > History of Santa Cruz County, California with Biographical Sketches > Part 19
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WILLIAM W. REYNOLDS.
Now retired from the active business cares which have en- grossed his attention for so many years, William W. Rey- nolds is rounding out the years of a well-spent manhood in his comfortable and substantial residence at No. 196 Water street, Santa Cruz, having been a resident of this city for over half a century. Mr. Reynolds is a native of the south, his birth having occurred in Eastern Tennessee April 1, 1833. He is a son of Nehemiah and Phebe (Woolsey) Reynolds, both of whom were descendants of old southern families. The history of the Woolsey family can be traced as far back as 1793, and included among its members are the Rev. W. B. Woolsey, who founded Woolsey College, in Greene county,
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Tenn. Nehemiah Reynolds was born in 1811 and passed away in 1874. Between these dates was enacted a career that par- took largely of the sterner side of life, not the least of his trying experiences being his expedition across the plains in 1850. With him came his son William W., who was then about seventeen years old, and who made the entire distance on foot, with the exception of three days, when he was obliged to ride on account of sickness. The wife and mother died in Missouri in 1850, one month after the father and son started for California. The lives of the travelers were in constant jeopardy on account of attacks from Indians, and Mr. Rey- nolds still has a scar on his leg where he was shot by one of them. After reaching their destination father and son went to the mines, first in Amador county, later in Placer county, and still later in Calaveras county, following mining alto- gether for about five years. Being a carpenter by trade William Reynolds was frequently called upon to build flumes and sluice-ways for the miners, work which was not only con- genial, but furnished him with a dependable income.
Giving up work in the mines in 1856, William W. Reynolds came to Santa Cruz county the same year and locating in the town of the same name, began to work at his trade of car- penter and builder in earnest. The fact that he was one of the first builders to locate here necessarily enlarged his op- portunities, and so conscientiously did he carry out the con- tracts entrusted to him that those who employed him once were sure to seek his services on their next contract. Many of the buildings erected by Mr. Reynolds during the early days are still standing, in an excellent state of preservation, and bear silent testimony to his splendid workmanship. He assisted in building the Odd Fellows block, which has three times been partially destroyed by fire, and he also assisted in building the old clock which adorns the tower. Ever since
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locating in Santa Cruz in 1856 Mr. Reynolds has made his home here continuously, with the exception of two years spent in Mexico following his trade, during which time he erected the old custom house at Ensenada. He enlisted for service in the state militia and was mustered in the Union army as a member of Company G, Fifth California Volunteer Infantry, just before the beginning of the Civil war in 1861, becoming first lieutenant of his company. He was kept in California, however, so was prevented from taking part in active service.
The marriage of Mr. Reynolds, which was solemnized Janu- ary 4, 1865, united him with Mary Simpson, a native of Scot- land. She passed away October 4, 1909, mourned by a large circle of friends who had been endeared to her by her many kindly traits of character.
George W. Reynolds, a brother of the subject of this sketch, was captain under Gen. Joseph Lane in the Indian wars on the Pacific coast for the United States government. By pro- fession he was a physician and surgeon and subsequently served in that capacity for the government.
EDWARD J. KELLY.
The first member of this branch of the Kelly family to locate in the United States was Eugene Kelly, one of four brothers, and a grand-uncle of Edward J. Kelly, who came to this country from Ireland in the early part of the nine- teenth century, and ultimately became one of the first land- owners in the Pajaro valley, Santa Cruz county, Cal. A man of penetration and possessing a keen business understanding, he grasped opportunities as they presented themselves and in time became a prominent factor in the upbuilding of his community. His abilities however were not confined to this
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locality, but extended to San Francisco, where he was the founder of the wholesale dry goods establishment of Murphy & Grant and one of the founders of the Donohoe-Kelly Bank, also the founder of the Eugene Kelly Co. Bank, of New York City.
The father of the gentleman whose name heads this sketch, Edward Kelly, was also a native of the Emerald Isle. In young manhood he immigrated to the United States, and for a time made his home in Illinois, but finally came to California. Returning to New York City from Illinois, he embarked on a vessel bound for the west, and after a voyage attended with the usual experiences and hardships he finally reached the Pajaro valley in 1850. He at once entered upon a farming and stock-raising enterprise which he continued for over thirty years, or until his death in 1884. His wife, who in maidenhood was Ellen McAleer, was like himself a native of Ireland, but has been a resident of California since 1873. Two children were born of the mar- riage of Edward and Ellen (McAleer) Kelly, Mary E. and Edward J.
Born near Watsonville in 1876, Edward J. Kelly was reared and educated in the vicinity of his birth. After graduating with credit from the grammar school of Watsonville he took a course of instruction in Santa Clara College, graduating therefrom in 1897. A predilection for the legal profession determined him to take a course in Columbia University in New York City, from which he graduated in 1902 with the degree of LL. B. The same year in which he graduated he was admitted to the bar in New York City and practiced his profession there for one year. Returning to California at the end of that time, he located in Watsonville but instead of following his profession at that time, he engaged in raising apples on one hundred and fifty acres of land in this vicinity,
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on the border of Kelly lake. He continued this business ex- clusively for six years, when, having in the meantime (1908) been admitted to the California bar, he opened an office for the practice of his profession in Watsonville and has since built up a satisfactory practice. He still maintains his or- chard, which increases in value and productiveness from year to year. Fraternally Mr. Kelly is identified with but one order, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of Santa Cruz, holding membership in Lodge No. 824.
HIRAM JACOB WOOD.
Old Father Time has brought many changes to Watsonville since first Mr. Wood established his home in this then vil- lage, almost forty years ago. An unattractive hamlet, crude in architecture and barren of adornment, met the eyes of the few visitors whom the search for homes or the demands of business brought hither. In the transformation wrought dur- ing the passing years Mr. Wood has borne his part. The contribution that he has made to material advancement is of especial value, by reason of the fact that as a contractor and builder he has introduced needed changes in architecture whereby the style of building has been brought into harmon- lous relationship with the climate. While utility has not been made secondary, greater prominence has been given to the artistic element in building. As a result the architecture of Watsonville and the surrounding valley elicits the warm- est encomiums from those whose delightful privilege it is to visit the city.
New York City is the native home of Mr. Wood and June 21, 1847, the date of his birth. The family comprised but two children, the elder being John W., who died in 1868, at
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the age of twenty-five years. The father, Abraham Chase Wood, a native of Orange county, N. Y., and for some years an employe of an ice company in New York City, came to California in 1853 and engaged in mining for some years. In 1858 he became interested in ranching in Monterey county. Next he engaged in the teaming business in Watsonville and also did a large business in breaking colts, for which work he had a special aptitude. While living in Monterey county in 1861 he became a Mason, while before he left New York he had identified himself with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. His death occurred in Watsonville in August of 1900, at the age of seventy-six years and six months. A year before he died he had lost his wife, Charlotte A. (Robin- son) Wood, who passed away at the age of seventy-two years and six months.
It was on the 31st of December, 1856, that Hiram Jacob Wood, with his mother and brother, arrived in San Fran- cisco, where they for a time made their home and where he attended the public schools, later learning the trade of a carpenter. From 1868 to 1872 he worked at his trade in San Juan, and during November of 1872 he removed to Wat- sonville, where he worked as a carpenter under James Waters. At the expiration of four years he began to take contracts for building. The first house that he erected stood on the east side of the plaza and is now owned by S. H. Fletcher, but was built for Jerome Porter. The fine work- manship noticeable in the Moreland Notre Dame Academy is due to his conscientious labors during the filling of the contract. The Spreckels residence in the town of the same name was erected by him, also the John T. Porter building, as well as banks in Watsonville and Gilroy, and residences in these two cities, also at Salinas and other places. At various times he erected houses for himself, but these were
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sold to other parties, and he had now completed for his family a commodious house on Jefferson street. Many car- penters have been furnished employment by him during the busy times and he has taken pride in the prompt filling of all contracts.
While devoting his attention closely to the building busi- ness, Mr. Wood has neglected no duty falling upon a pro- gressive citizen. Helpful to local enterprises, he has been quick to respond to appeals for aid in cases where the ob- ject to be attained was without question one of value to the growth of the place. Under the new city charter he was elected a member of the board of aldermen and has given faithful service in that position for a number of years. His marriage united him with Annie, daughter of Asa Ross, of Santa Rosa, a native of Missouri. They are the parents of five children, namely: Jesse C., a plumber by occupation and married to Carrie B. Judd, of Watsonville; Lottie B., a teacher by profession who died January 17, 1907; Annie May, wife of H. L. Towle of San Francisco; Estella H .; and Leona Gertrude, at home.
BENJAMIN K. KNIGHT.
The district attorney of Santa Cruz county has been a life- long resident of the city of Santa Cruz, where he was born August 28, 1874, and where since attaining manhood he has been an influential citizen and successful lawyer. His father, Benjamin Knight, M. D., came here from Rhode Island in 1869 and continued in professional labors from that time un- til his death during December of 1905, meanwhile attaining high rank for skill and success in the treatment of disease. For some time before his demise he had the distinction of be-
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ing, in point of years of active practice, the oldest physician in the entire county. While especially prominent through his professional associations, he was also a leader in civic move- ments and bore an active connection with many projects of un- doubted value in the permanent welfare of the community, so that his death was a loss not alone to the medical frater- nity, but also to the entire citizenship.
The early education of Benjamin K. Knight was secured in the schools of Santa Cruz, and after he had completed the course of study connected therewith he secured employment. in the office of District Attorney Lindsey, where he remained for one year. In 1891 he matriculated in the Hastings Law School at San Francisco, and there pursued his studies with steadfast devotion. In order that he might enjoy special ad- vantages for professional work, during the fall of 1893 he entered the law department of the University of Michigan and there took the regular course of study, graduating in 1895 with an excellent class standing. On his return to Santa Cruz he entered the office of the district attorney as an assis- tant during September, 1895, and continued to fill the same position until the fall of 1898, when Mr. Lindsey retired from the office and Mr. Knight was elected. Since then he has filled the position with credit to himself and to the satisfac- tion of the people. During January of 1897 he was married, in San Jose, to Miss Helen Bliss, a native of Nova Scotia. By the union he is the father of three children, Benjamin B., Marion and Edith. The Native Sons of the Golden West number him among the leading members of the local parlor, and he also is very prominent among the Elks, having been honored with the office of exalted ruler of the Santa Cruz Lodge on the occasion of the second election held in the his- tory of the organization. Like his father, he is progressive and public-spirited, warmly interested in measures for the
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common welfare, eager to advance local prosperity, enthus- iastic in his faith in the possibilities of his native city and a generous contributor to the advancement of projects for the benefit of town and county.
M. V. BENNETT.
The suns of many summers have ripened the rich harvests of grain and have tinged with red and golden hues the luscious fruits grown on California's fertile soil, since M. V. Bennett passed out of active identification with the development of Santa Cruz county and from this life entered into the life eternal. Notwithstanding the long period that has elapsed since his death, his memory lingers green and fresh in the hearts of the older citizens of Santa Cruz. Among the pio- neers his name is often mentioned and his personality is un- forgotten. To the generation that has grown to maturity since his demise he is known principally through their profound admiration for his widow, who interests the young people by narrating many stories connected with pioneer days in Santa Cruz, depicting before their vision the many changes wrought through the arduous efforts of the early settlers: In her com- fortable home, an attractive bungalow on Mission street, she entertains friends by vivid accounts of pioneer experiences, concerning which she retains a minute recollection. In the old Roman Catholic church of this city she was an active worker and she and Mrs. E. A. Culverwell sang there as members of its first American choir. Not only religious activities, but also the most cultured social functions, received the benefit of her refined tastes and enthusiastic leadership.
Born in Arkansas October 18, 1836, M. V. Bennett was only six years of age when the family came to the west. In those
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days little attempt had been made to settle the regions west of the Missouri river. The wild mountain fastnesses and dreary plains were given over to the buffalo, to other wild animals and to the savages. To attempt to cross the plains was to face an almost certain death, yet the emigrant family, with courage unsurpassed, joined the first emigrant party that ever crossed the plains. The year 1842 witnessed the removal of the caravan from the regions of civilization through the deserts and over the plains to the unbroken and untilled lands of the northwest. Oregon was the destination of the party and through manifold dangers they traveled thither. No friendly hands had blazed a path for them to follow. Their task it was to find a fording place across the streams and to open a highway through the dense forests.
The expiration of eight months of travel found the party in Oregon, but the Bennett family very shortly proceeded southward to California, where as yet few Americans had pre- ceded them. The father became the owner of land in Santa Clara county and property in San Francisco that afterward acquired great value. When he came to Santa Cruz he built the first saw-mill in the county, locating it on Love creek near the village of Felton. The boyhood days of M. V. Ben- nett were spent principally in Santa Clara county and he was educated in the Methodist College at San Jose, where he was a schoolmate of C. B. Younger and other men afterward prominent in the history of California. After leaving college he was sent east to Rhode Island and took a course of study in civil engineering at Providence. On his return to Cali- fornia he associated himself with his father in the lumber business near Felton. Later he removed to Santa Cruz. For eight years he served as county assessor and for a long period he also officiated as county surveyor. While filling the lat- ter position he had charge of the re-survey and subdivision
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of the famous Lompoc rancho of forty-seven thousand acres, also the San Julian rancho in Santa Barbara county, both of these extensive properties being owned by Colonel Hol- lister, who was one of the leading men in the early history of this part of the state.
The high standing of Mr. Bennett as a civil engineer led to his appointment in 1881 to fill a position as mineral surveyor in Mexico, and he remained there in the employ of a large mining company until his death, March 28, 1884. The passing of this prominent citizen was mourned in Santa Cruz county, where he had been a leading man of affairs and the owner of valuable property interests. Fraternally he was connected with the Knights of Honor and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. His marriage had been solemnized in Santa Cruz May 6, 1861, and united him with Miss Mary J. Boyle, a native of Massachusetts, and a member of a pioneer fam- ily of the western coast. Six children were born of their union, but the sole survivor is Mrs. C. E. Towne, of Santa Cruz.
C. E. CANFIELD.
To a period antedating the American occupancy of Cali- fornia the identification of the ancestors of Mr. Canfield with the history of the coast country may be traced and he him- self has been a lifelong resident of the state, his birth hav- ing occurred in the city of Monterey October 31, 1865. His maternal grandfather, James Watson, was an honored and distinguished pioneer of Monterey, where he opened and con- ducted a general store, one of the first to be established in that place. Among his friends none was more prominent than Gen. John C. Fremont and it was his privilege to assist that great "pathfinder" in his early explorations under the aus-
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pices of the United States government. The two men formed a warm friendship which neither time nor absence served to lessen. They were alike in their fearless temperaments and in their desire to promote the settlement of the west.
The father of C. E. Canfield was no less prominent than the grandfather. Colbert A. Canfield, M. D., the first physi- cian resident at the Presidio and for years an official of the old custom house at Monterey, contributed greatly to the de- velopment of Monterey county along lines of permanent value. His knowledge of the west brought him recognition throughout the entire country. The possessor of varied tal- ents, which found their outlet in many fields of usefulness, he became most widely known through his articles published in magazines and through his profound ability as a writer and thinker. During a long period he acted as Pacific coast agent for the Smithsonian Institute. Conchology was one of his leading hobbies and it was possible for him to gratify his de- sire for study in that specialty. A splendid collection of shells rewarded his assiduous labor. Articles on the subject from his pen frequently appeared in leading periodicals and he was recognized as an authority concerning the shells on the Pacific coast.
The public schools of Monterey and Santa Cruz afforded C. E. Canfield an opportunity to acquire a fair education. Upon leaving school he secured employment as a clerk in a grocery in Santa Cruz, and later in 1892 he started in the grocery business on his own account with F. H. Stikeman. After two years he bought out Mr. Stikeman and continued the business alone until 1898, when he sold out, after which he became a commercial traveler for a wholesale house. Two years were spent on the road. Later he engaged in promot- ing the oil business in Bakersfield and at Santa Maria, but more recently he has been interested in the real-estate and
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insurance business, transacting a brokerage business in real estate throughout the entire state. As agent for fire, life and accident insurance companies, he has established a business of considerable importance, the work of which demands much of his time. The only fraternal organization with which he is identified is the Native Sons of the Golden West and in the work of this order he has been interested and active. His attractive residence in Santa Cruz is presided over by his accomplished wife, whom he married April 19, 1893, and who was formerly Miss Cora B. Picknell, member of a pioneer family and herself a native of the state. They are the par- ents of two sons, Carlton E. and Laurence P., who are now students in the local schools.
CHARLES M. CASSIN.
Perhaps no profession has proved more alluring to ambi- tious and educated young men than that of the law and among the many who have chosen its practice with every reasonable hope of success, mention belongs to Charles M. Cassin of Santa Cruz. It is his good fortune to possess the natural endowments of mind without which professional prominence is impossible. Supplementary to these splendid native en- dowments is the education which has enabled him to utilize these gifts and enlarge their field of usefulness. In the past he has laid the foundation of broad knowledge of the law without which success cannot be reached. For the future there are not wanting friends to predict an increasing prominence and professional influence. His popularity among the mem- bers of the bar led to his election as president of the Santa Cruz County Bar Association and in that honored post he is now officiating.
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The Cassin family belongs to sturdy pioneer stock. During the year 1859 Michael Cassin migrated to California and set- tled in San Francisco, where his son, Charles M., was born January 10, 1868. During the infancy of the son, in 1868, the father became an early settler of Monterey county. For many years he engaged in ranching in the Pajaro valley and from there he came to the city of Santa Cruz during the early '80s. Establishing a home in a comfortable cottage, he con- tinued to reside here until his death in 1907. Possessing the fearless courage and hardy constitution necesary to frontier labors, he was well qualified for the tasks confronting the pioneer, and during the long period of his residence in Cali- fornia he aided in the material upbuilding of the state.
It was the privilege of Charles M. Cassin to receive excel- lent educational advantages. Upon completing the studies of the Watsonville public schools he entered Santa Clara College and there prosecuted the regular course, graduating in 1888 with a high standing. From early youth he had planned his life with a view to entering the profession of law and he took up the study of the same in Notre Dame University in Indiana, but later took the regular course in the University of Michigan, besides which he had the advantage of study in the office of Judge Maguire in San Francisco. In the spring of 1891 he was graduated from the law department of the University of Michigan, where he had made a study of the general laws of our country, while his studies in San Fran- cisco were along the line of our state laws. January 1, 1893, he opened an office in Santa Cruz, where for two years he served as city attorney and where eventually he formed a partnership with H. C. Lucas under the firm name of Cassin & Lucas. At this writing he holds the presidency of the Santa Clara Alumni Association. The Native Sons of the Golden West number him among their active members. In addition
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he has been very prominent in the Benevolent Protective Or- der of Elks, having been honored with the office of exalted ruler as well as numerous less conspicuous positions. During 1896 he was united in marriage with Miss Josephine Murphy, who was born and educated in Watsonville. They are the parents of six children, Katherine, Charles M., Jr., Marion, Gerald, Anna and Robert.
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