USA > California > Sonoma County > History of Sonoma County, California, with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the county, who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present time > Part 65
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6.Q. Payson.
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cisco in the early '50s, when that metropolis was a small hamlet. From there he went to the mines. It is presumable that no special success followed his mining efforts, as the records make no mention of it, but it is known that he finally located in Marin county and followed agriculture throughout his active years. His marriage united him with Miss Rose Pefferini, who was born in Switzerland. Five children were comprised in the parental household, three sons and two daughters, William V., Arnold F., Belardo L., Elvezia R. and Corenia. Elvezia R. became the wife of Elvezio Bolla and they reside at Lake- ville, Sonoma county, with their two children.
It was on the homestead ranch in Marin county that Arnold F. Garzoli first saw the light of day, July 25, 1880. With his brothers and sisters he was reared and educated in that locality, in the meantime becoming familiar with agriculture through performing his share of the ranch duties. Though still a young man he has undertaken responsibilities in the lease of a large tract of eight hundred acres on Rural Route No. 2 from Petaluma. Here he has a dairy of over one hundred fine milch cows, besides twenty head of young stock which will ultimately be added to his herd. Ten head of horses and fifty hogs also form a part of the live- stock on the ranch. In the above enumeration only a part of Mr. Garzoli's under- takings have been mentioned, for his poultry industry is undoubtedly the largest under the control of one man within a large radius. Four thousand laying hens contribute to the immense success of this thriving enterprise.
Before her marriage Mrs. Garzoli was Miss Erminia B. Pellascio, who was born in Bodega, Sonoma county, in 1882, the daughter of Peter Pellascio, who was born in Switzerland in 1846. His wife was formerly Lucy Manetti, and was born in Switzerland also, in 1843. Eight children were born to this couple, five sons and three daughters, Oliver, Joseph, Charles, Atelio, Henry, Jennie, Lucy and Erminia. Mr. and Mrs. Garzoli have been blessed with two children, Jesta R. and Carrie L., and they and their children are communicants of the Roman Catholic Church at Petaluma. Politically Mr. Garzoli is a Republican, but has never sought or held public office. He is one of the reliable and substan- tial citizens of Petaluma, and exerts an influence for progress in both agricultural and social circles.
CONRAD C. BOYSON.
One of the industrious and thorough-going ranchers of Sonoma county is Conrad C. Boyson, whose well-appointed and productive ranch is pleasantly located a convenient distance from Petaluma, on Rural Route No. 4. Becom- ing a rancher from choice, he is here giving expression to his interest in and knowledge of fruit-raising, dairying, stock and poultry raising, in all of which branches of agriculture he is having remarkable success, and as rapidly as circumstances will permit he is enlarging each branch of the business under his control.
Germany has been unstinting in the supply of noble, industrious sons whom she has sent to all parts of the world, but it is safe to say that no country has appreciated them more than has the United States. Among those who have assisted in developing her latent possibilities and at the same time have made
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comfortable homes for themselves and their families. is Conrad C. Boyson. He was born in North Schleswig, Holstein, Germany, in 1855, the son of Boy Boyson, also a native of the Fatherland, born in the year 1820. The latter was a carpenter by trade, and throughout his active years he followed this as a means of livelihood in his native land. He lived to attain a good old age, dying at the age of eighty years. In young manhood he married Miss Dartha Arfsten, who was born in Germany in 1826, and of this marriage three children were born, John W., Conrad C. and Carolina. John W., a resident of Petaluma, married Miss Lucy Mamson, and they are the parents of seven children. Caro- lina, who still resides in Germany, is the wife of Christ Koch and the mother of one child, Boyd D.
The year 1871 found Conrad C. Boyson among the immigrants who landed at the port of New York, he then being a youth of about sixteen years. From the eastern metropolis he came direct to the Pacific coast country, locating near Bloomfield, Sonoma county, Cal., which has been his home continuously ever since. In the years that have intervened he has made a number of trips back to the homeland, and while he never lost his old fondness for the land of his birth, he nevertheless returned to his adopted home after eachı visit with a feeling of contentment that Fate had dealt so kindly with him in directing his life course toward the new world. Before leaving his native land he had gathered a good in- sight into his father's trade of carpentering, but he has never made any use of it as a means of livelihood. Instead, he has given his entire time and thought to agri- culture, at first on a ranch of three hundred acres which he purchased in the vicinity of Bloomfield, which he conducted as a dairy, and since 1893 he has owned and occupied his present ranch near Petaluma, renting the first-men- tioned ranch to a tenant. 'Here he has six hundred acres of excellent land, admirably suited to the varied uses to which he has put it. Twelve acres are in bearing orchard, besides which he has thirty acres in young orchard, almost exclusively in apples, and in connection with the orchard he also maintains a drier or evaporator, in which the fruit is prepared for shipment. Besides the fruit from his own orchard he dries and ships from his plant such other fruits as he is able to purchase from ranchers throughout Petaluma township. It may be interesting to those unfamiliar with the fruit business to know that in the process of evaporation fruit loses in weight in the ratio of seven pounds to every eight. Mr. Boyson also has a dairy of sixty cows, keeping his herd about this size all the time by the addition of about ten head of young stock each year. He also has about twenty head of shire and Belgian breed of horses, besides about three thousand chickens of the White Leghorn breed. It is Mr. Boyson's purpose to enlarge both the chicken and dairy industries as rapidly as conditions will permit, which is equal to saying that he will accomplish what he undertakes.
In San Francisco in 1879 was celebrated a marriage ceremony that united the destinies of Conrad C. Boyson and Miss Ida R. Carstens, the latter also a native of Germany, born in 1857. Four children were born of this marriage, Clarence C., Dorothy B., Edna J. and Ilma R. Mrs. Boyson was one of a fam- ily of seven children born to her parents, Jens and Elke (Sorensen) Carstens, who were born in Germany in 1809 and 1820 respectively, the former being a veterinary surgeon by profession. Mr. Boyson has been a member of the
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Grange at Two Rock for the past fifteen years, and for the same length of time he has also served as a trustee of the Walker school district. Politically he is a Republican, and fraternally he is identified with the Odd Fellows lodge at Bloomfield. In addition to his agricultural interests Mr. Boyson is a factor in financial matters in his community, being a stockholder and director in the California Savings Bank of Petaluma. The two big rocks from which the Two Rock country gets its name are located on the land of Mr. Boyson and E. P. Nisson.
BENJAMIN F. HOAR, JR.
In the enumeration of enterprises contributing to the development of Sonoma county it would be difficult to mention any that has lacked the sympathetic sup- port of the honored pioneer, Benjamin F. Hoar, a citizen for many years actively associated with ranching interests and commercial activities, in which he still bears a leading part notwithstanding the fact that his busy life has passed into its twilight. A man of versatile ability, he has found varied avenues for his energies. During the pioneer era of our history he found employment in the mines. Later he sought a livelihood by the development of a ranch and the tilling of the soil. By trade a carpenter, he has been employed in this occu- pation at different periods of his life and he has further labored as a plumber and as a surveyor. It is worthy of note that he has been a skilled workman in every occupation engaging his attention and his success, though modest, is none the less commendable and gratifying.
The early days of Benjamin F. Hoar were passed in Maine, in a region whose picturesque lakes and dense pine forests are a delight to the eye in summer, but stern and storm-bound in the winter months. Born at Rangeley, Franklin county, April 14, 1838, he remembers well the hardships incident to earning a livelihood from the sterile soil or from the woods as yet untouched by the axe. The rigorous climate and lack of opportunities impelled him to seek a home elsewhere and as early as 1859 he came via the Isthmus of Panama to California, landing at San Francisco in October after a voyage lasting three months. His first employment was as a miner in the mines at Dutch Flat and he remained there from the time of his arrival in the state until 1863 without any interval of leisure. Upon leaving the mines in 1863 he came to Sonoma county and invested his savings in the purchase of eighty acres from John Peters. Leasing the property, he went to the mines in Nevada county, Cal., and continued there until 1869, when he returned to Sonoma county as a permanent resident, and now lives in Healdsburg.
The marriage of Mr. Hoar was solemnized in 1863 at Dutch Flat, Grass Valley, and united him with Miss Eugenia E. Chichester, who was born at Pleas- ant Hill, Iowa, December 2, 1848, being one of four children forming the family of Elias H. Chichester, a native of Holland, born in the year 1830. Five sons and four daughters comprised the family of Mr. and Mrs. Hoar, namely: Ed- ward. Benjamin F., Jr., Charles A., Henry H., John A., Addie E., Mary L., Inza E. and Eugenia E. Charles A. married Emma Hamlin and is the father of a son and daughter, Vernon and Frances. Henry H., a resident of Woodland,
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this state, married Gertrude Harman, and has a daughter, Zelma. Addie E., Mrs. James McDowell, of Healdsburg, has five children, Albert, Frank, Harry, Archie and Hazel. Mary L. married Joseph Stephens, a resident of the Sand- wich Islands and a prominent worker in the church of the Seventh Day Advent- ists. They have three daughters, Anna, Mildred and Delphina Stephens. Eugenia is the wife of George Typher, of Healdsburg, and has one son, Buster Brown Typher.
Benjamin F. Hoar, Jr., was born in Grass Valley, Cal., September 21, 1868. When he was a child of one and a-half years his parents removed to Cotati, where he was reared, and was a pupil in the Copeland district school. After attaining mature years he farmed for three years on his father's place, after which he be- came an employe of the Cotati Rancho Company, and has been with this company almost continuously since, and at the present time he is assistant foreman. In 1910 he purchased three and eighty-five hundredths acres of land near Cotati, well equipped for the raising of chickens, and this he rents to a tenant.
Ever since Mr. Hoar acquired the right of franchise he has been a consistent supporter of Republican principles and has given allegiance to the men and measures representative of the party. Of a genial, sociable disposition, he has found identification with lodges a source of pleasure as well as an opportunity to aid in charitable work. The Knights of Pythias at Petaluma number him among their members, as does the Improved Order of Red Men in the same town. As vice-grand he has been officially connected with the Eagle Lodge, I. O. O. F., which has a membership of forty-eight and has accomplished much for the philan- thropic and moral upbuilding of the community. He is an active worker with the Native Sons of the Golden West at Santa Rosa and is heartily in sympathy with the activities of this prominent organization. He is also identified with tlie order of Moose of Petaluma. In the early days his father brought down many a fine specimen of game, nor was he less successful when wielding the fishing line and thus it came about that he acquired a local reputation for skill in these popu- lar sports.
ELIO M. GENAZZI.
This genial and popular citizen of Sonoma county has been a resident of California since 1885, which marks the length of time he has lived in the United States, coming to this country alone when he was a mere lad. His quick adapta- bility enabled him to readily master the language and customs of his adopted country, and has been the secret of his success as an agriculturist. Until he was fourteen years of age he lived in Switzerland, where he was born in 1871. When he had attained the age just mentioned he bade farewell to home and friends and came to the United States, proceeding at once to California, and locating in So- noma county. Here he has realized his expectations fully, and he is thankful indeed that a kind Fate directed his thoughts to this land of opportunity.
Mr. Genazzi is the descendant of a long line of Swiss ancestors and is the eldest of a large family of children born to his parents, Giacinto and Marie (Campigli) Genazzi, natives and life-time residents of that country, where the father carried on a mercantile business. The four sons included in the
Rcharles
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parental household were as follows: Elio M., Giacinto, Edward and Frederick. while the daughters were Linda, Mary, Jeanie, Aureglia, Guiditta and Daria. Aureglia became the wife of Basilio Gorzolia and has three children. Walter. Enio and Daria. Linda is the wife of Silva Magistochi, and the mother of two children, America and Perini. As the eldest child in the parental family Elio M. Genazzi early realized the necessity of relieving his parents by beginning to be self- supporting, and he bravely undertook the task by immigrating to the new world. While he still has the love for his home land which is natural and just, he loves his adopted home no less fervently, for here he has been enabled to accomplish what would have been impossible in the land of his birth. Not far from Peta- luma he is located on a ranch of six hundred and seventy-six acres of land which he leases from Mr. Forsyth. Here he has a dairy of sixty milch cows, besides which he has about thirty head of young stock, and in the near future these will contribute to the dairy industry. Besides the stock mentioned he also has five head of horses and two hundred chickens of a good variety.
In all of his undertakings Mr. Genazzi has the cheerful co-operation of his wife, who before her marriage was Miss Clelia Garzoli, a native daughter of the state, born in Marin county in 1881. Two children, both daughters, have been born of this marriage, Elma and Linda. Mrs. Genazzi's father, Peter Garzoli, was born in Switzerland in 1846 and came to California in 1863, when about six- teen years of age. His marriage united him with Miss Celesta Quanchi, who like himself was a native of Switzerland, her birth occurring in the canton of Ticino in 1862. Eleven children were born of this marriage, four sons and seven daughters, as follows: Jeremiah, Henry, Marion, Charles, Clelia, Belinda, Lena. Olympia, Clara, Lonisa and Emma. All of the children are native sons and daughters of California. In his political views Mr. Genazzi is independent, vot- ing for the man whom he believes to be best fitted for the office, and in his relig- ions views he is a Roman Catholic, this having been the faith of his ancestors for many generations.
ELBERT R. CHARLES.
One of the good old settlers of Sonoma county for whom no word is ever spoken but that of praise and to whom no worthy philanthropy has ever ap- pealed in vain is Elbert R. Charles. His father, Hon. James Monroe Charles, born in Lancaster county, Pa., was a pioneer settler of Illinois, locating near Jacksonville, Morgan county, and later in Quincy, Adams county, in 1832, and there he followed farming. Still later he moved to Hancock county, where he was quarter-master of the local regiment and was appointed sheriff to succeed the former sheriff, who was a Mormon. He was at the court house at Carthage waiting for orders, when the volunteers performed their work of destruction of Joseph and Hiram Smith. Subsequently he was in Clark county, Mo., for a short time, then on account of his health he came to California, bringing his family with him across the plains with mule team. In the course of three months they were settled in Sacramento, where, with Mr. Law, he built the levee from I to R street, this being a big undertaking and costing $50,000. From the time of his arrival in 1853. success seemed to follow him. The following two years
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he farmed in Yolo county and in 1856 he bought one hundred and eighty acres at Lakeville, Sonoma county, and later one hundred more from General Vallejo, where he settled down and improved the farm. In 1864 he purchased seven hundred and fifty acres more, adjoining the old adobe ranch. Remaining there through the 'zos, he then removed to the Ojai valley, Ventura county, where he bought a ranch, this proving equally as successful a venture as previous ones. This proved to be his last purchase, for he then located in Petaluma, where he · died in 1893. While there he was supervisor for some years and a member of the state constitutional convention, thus in public as well as private life his integrity, veracity and strength of purpose were never questioned. He was united in marriage to Jane Purdy, born in Westchester county; N. Y. Her death occurred in Petaluma, at which time she left two children; George W., who was a stockman in Humboldt county and was accidentally drowned in Eel river in 1898, and Elbert R.
Elbert R. Charles was born in Adams county, Ill., near Quincy, April 10, 1838. He received his education in the grammar schools in Illinois and Mis- souri and later in California, spending one year in a Presbyterian academy in Sonoma. Preferring the life of an agriculturist to that of a profession, he settled down to farming, showing his fitness by his subsequent success. His first ex- perience was near Lakeville, on a three hundred and twenty acre farm. Here he had his dairystock, sheep and horses, making a specialty of full blooded and graded Clydesdale horses, where for forty years he raised this stock, together with that of the Old Glory strain, with the result that he had some of the finest horses in the country, one team of Clydesdale carrying the laurels of the county for all time. In the year 1891 Mr. Charles located in Petaluma, following the express and transfer business, in partnership with Benjamin Cox, but later bought him out, continuing alone for several years, after which he became agent for the Standard Oil Company, with which he continued for seventeen years, and he is proud to say that he never had a word of complaint from the company during all this time.
Mr. Charles was united in marriage to Miss Virginia Rolett, who was born in Sonoma in 1846, her parents coming to Sonoma valley, Cal., from Vir- ginia two years previously, in 1844, and here they had the distinction of having built the first saw mill. She was reared and educated in California, where her demise occurred in 1901. Of their two children Everett passed away at the age of thirty years, and Clare is the wife of W. W. Hanger, of Fresno, Cal.
At the age of seventy-three years this optimistic, high-minded old gentle- man lives retired at his comfortable home No. 300 Sixth street, where his many friends are ever welcome to his hospitality. An active, useful, honorable life has its reward in his happiness, a happiness that radiates from his genial per- sonality.
FRANCIS DRAKE TROSPER.
There is no name better known in the western part of Sonoma county than that of Trosper, of which family the gentleman whose name heads this article is a member and is one of the rising young men and a native son of the county. F. D. Trosper was born near Occidental, on the Dutch Bill creek, in 1866. His
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father, Thomas Trosper, the pioneer, is represented with a sketch on another page in this volume. The second youngest of a family of five children, F. D Trosper was reared on the ranch in the vicinity of Cazadero, receiving his edu- cation in the public schools of that locality. Having been reared on his father's ranch and early learning the stock business, after he had reached his maturity he naturally turned to that occupation and at the age of eighteen leased a ranch near Cazadero for five years and gave his attention to stock raising and ranch- ing
Mr. Trosper was married at Cazadero to Miss Maruella Adams, a native of Ontario, Canada, and who came with her mother, Mrs. Zerviah Z. Adams, to Cazadero when she was eleven years old. After completing her education she taught music until her marriage. After their marriage the young couple located on the Adams place near Cazadero, where Mr. Trosper carried on dairying and farming for five years, after which time he located on his present place and, since 1898, has conducted a summer resort. The Trosper house is situated in the mountains on West Austin creek, two miles north of Cazadero, where he owns two hundred acres. For the pleasure of his guests who enjoy swimming he built a dam across the creek to deepen the water. This creek affords excellent trout fishing and the vicinity furnishes good hunting. The entire place is studded with redwood and pines and is considered a very fine resort. It is conducted the year round and Mr. and Mrs. Trosper are good entertainers and furnish their guests with music, books and both indoor and outdoor amusements, and not only do the grown people find great pleasure and enjoyment, but it is especially attractive to young people and children on account of the freedom and the many outdoor pleasures.
Besides his resort Mr. Trosper is extensively engaged in the raising of Hereford and Durham cattle and also Poland-China hogs and leases the old Hassett ranch of thirty-three hundred acres for the purpose. Mr. Trosper is a Democrat in politics and active in the councils of his party. He was elected justice of the peace of Ocean township in 1888 and has served continuously since that date. Judge Trosper is a man of fine physique and affable manner, making an ideal host. A staunch believer in education, he gives liberally of time, in- fluence and means for the maintenance of the schools, besides which he is in- terested in other worthy movements. He is especially interested in the introduction into the vicinity of high-grade stock and by his own efforts in this direction gives an impetus to the stock industry. Judge Trosper has been one of the most active politicians of his party in Sonoma county and by his personality has won and maintained a host of friends.
JOHN GOELLER.
Among the men who have achieved success in the cement and construction business, mention should be made of John Goeller, who has made his reputation in Petaluma and the surrounding country for the excellent character of his work- manship.
John Goeller was born in Buchenbach Amt, Kuenzelsau, Wurtemberg, Ger- many, January 25, 1852, one of a family of five children, all reared and educated
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on the farm of their parents, Henry and Chrintine (Grater) Goeller. At the age of twenty, in 1872, John Goeller, having a desire for a new field of labor and not taking the same interest in farming that his parents did, decided to follow the steps of his brother Harry, who had a few years previously left his native land to sail for the United States and had located in San Francisco, where he subsequently died. After spending a year in Michigan and becoming dissatis- fied with the result of his labor, Jolin Goeller came to Healdsburg, Sonoma county, finding employment in a brewery, where he remained for six years. He then went to Montana, where he was in the same line of work for four years. Returning to California at the end of that time he spent two years in Alameda county and in 1895 located in Petaluma, where for the past sixteen years he has so successfully and profitably carried on his present line of business.
Shortly after coming to Petaluma in 1895 Mr. Goeller met Mrs. Louisa Schnitz, a native of Bavaria, who later became his wife. They are members of the German Evangelical Church, to whose charities they contribute liberally. Fraternally Mr. Goeller is a Druid and through this order has many friends who esteem him for his distinctive qualities of character and good citizenship. Politically he sympathizes with Republican principles.
JOSEPH B. REID.
The remarkable changes wrought in California for more than forty years past have been witnessed by Joseph B. Reid, who came to the state in 1857 and ten years later settled in Sonoma county, which has been his home ever since. The blood of a long line of southern ancestors flows in the veins of Mr. Reid, and he also was born in the locality which had sheltered and sustained his fore- fathers. A native of Alabama, he was born in Jackson county in November, 1835, the oldest of sixteen children born to his parents, William and Elizabeth (Shores) Reid, natives respectively of Kentucky and Tennessee.
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