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 68
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It was soon after his return from the war that Mr. Manion was married to his first wife, Miss Rebecca Hatton, the daughter of Joseph and Millie Hatton, also residents of Lafayette county. About two years after their marriage Mr. Manion and his wife undertook the, long and toilsome overland journey that was to bring them to their new home on the Pacific coast. The journey was accomplished in safety, though not without enduring innumerable hardships, which finally caused the death of the young wife, her death occurring the same year, 1850.
Mining had been the chief attraction in bringing Mr. Manion to the Pacific coast, hoping thereby to become a partaker in the good fortune which the mines contained, but his experience and training had been in an entirely dif- ferent line and he became impatient when success was not immediately forth- coming. However, he continued to follow mining more or less for two years, after which he gave it up entirely and instead took up farming in Sonoma county. His first experience was on a rented ranch in Los Guilicos valley, re-
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maining there for one year, then going to Bennett valley. There he was one of the few settlers who had as yet attempted to carry on agriculture on an ex- tensive scale, and his movements were watched with interest by the less ven- turesome. Others seeing his success followed in his footsteps, and it is chiefly owing to his leadership that Bennett valley became the thriving agricultural center that it now is. For over twenty years he continued in that locality, when, in 1873, he removed to Santa Rosa valley, and located two miles south of the city, on two hundred and sixty acres of land which he purchased, at the same time retaining his ownership of four hundred acres in Bennett valley. Mr. Manion had been a resident of Santa Rosa valley about fifteen years when death removed him from the midst of those who in the meantime had learned to love and revere him. His death occurred October 11, 1887.
Some time after the death of his first wife Mr. Manion was united in marriage with Miss Elizabeth Barnett, a daughter of James and Rebecca (Bryant) Barnett, natives of Kentucky. In company with a brother Miss Barnett started across the plains in 1851, but before they reached their journey's end the brother was stricken with a mortal sickness and she continued the journey in company with the rest of the party. Four children were born of the marriage of Mr. Manion and his wife, as follows: William H., of whom a sketch will be found elsewhere in this work; Sarah F., who became the wife of W. C. Wooley; Lily Belle; and Lulu. Mr. Manion was a stanch member of the Christian Church, giving liberal assistance to its charities, in fact he gave unstintingly of both time and means for any cause that would uplift his fellowmen, whether of a religious or secular nature. None knew him but to love him, and his friends were as numerous as his acquaintances.
THOMAS MEEK.
In the rich and fertile districts of California that are devoted to the raising of luscious fruits there has been established no more important branch of hor- ticulture than that relating to the growing of grapes. Prominent among the men who are doing much to promote this special branch of horticulture is Thomas Meek, a well-known resident of Alexander valley, Sonoma county, a large land owner and the proprietor of an extensive winery.
A native son of the state in which his interests are centered, Thomas Meek was born in San Bernardino county in 1872, the son of a pioneer settler in the west, Nathan Meek. A native of Ohio, he was attracted to the far west some time before the finding of gold in California had drawn the attention of the world to this part of the country. As early as 1847 he crossed the plains with ox-teams, driving a band of cattle, as he did also on two later trips, in 1849 and 1852. During the early mining days he reaped a splendid income from a trading post which he maintained on the Feather river. continuing there as long as the enterprise warranted it, after which he located in San Bernardino county, and in the town of that name he established and ran a saw and flouring mill. He passed away in the locality which had benefited by his pioneer efforts, in 1874. The son Thomas was then only two years old, and when he was four years old
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his mother came to Sonoma county and located at Windsor. In this place he was reared and educated, and early in life become proficient in the duties of ranch life, working for others until he felt competent to manage a property of his own. His advance as a rancher and property owner has been continuous and steady, and in the comparatively short time that he has been engaged in business he has gathered about him much valuable real-estate, now owning three of the finest ranches in the county, all in Alexander valley, besides which he rents two other places of over two hundred acres. The one on which he resides consists of one hundred and twenty acres, of which one hundred acres are in vineyard, and altogether he has two hundred acres in grapes, all of which are manufactured into wine. The winery is one of the most complete and up-to- date establishments of the kind in this part of the county, being equipped with all the latest machinery and appliances, and the output of dry wines, which amounts to over two hundred thousand gallons annually, has no superior. The entire acreage of the five ranches farmed by Mr. Meek amounts to over four hundred acres, of which three hundred and fifty are in grapes, while the re- mainder is in hay, one hundred tons being the yearly average output. Twenty head of horses are required to carry on the work of Mr. Meek's large under- taking, which in point of productiveness and appearance has no superior in the county. It goes without saying that Mr. Meek is an enthusiastic booster for the locality in which he has achieved such wonderful success, and as he is still a young man, his success thus far is in all probability but a foretaste of what awaits him in the future.
Mr. Meek's marriage in 1898 united him with Miss Flora E. Young, who is a native of New York state. Although Mr. Meek is a busy man, he is still not unmindful of his duty as a citizen, and may always be depended upon to fur- ther any cause for the advancement of the community, county or state. Polit- ically he is a Republican, and fraternally he belongs to the Eagles.
ALONZO BARTLETT BRANDT.
As the name might indicate, the Brandt family is of German origin. Henry Brandt, the father of the gentleman whose name appears above, was born in 1818, in Hamburg, Germany, while the birthplace of his wife, who before her marriage was Sophronia Aldridge, was Mattituck, L. I., N. Y. All of their seven children, three sons and four daughters, were born in the east. They were James, Alonzo, George, Sophronia, Eliza, Emma and Clara. The eldest of the children, James, married Nellie Canby, and two children, William and Inez, were born of this marriage.
Alonzo B. Brandt is a native of New York, born at Mattituck, L. I., July 30, 1841. By way of Cape Horn he came to California on the Reporter in 1859. landing at San Francisco. His identification with Sonoma county dates from the year 1901, since which time he has amply demonstrated his ability as a rancher. Near the village of Vinehurg he owns a tract of thirty-one acres, five of which are in orchard, while the remainder is in hay. He also has a few head of live-stock, and in the raising of turkeys he realizes a good income, having at the present time a flock of fifty.
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The marriage of Alonzo B. Brandt united him with Miss Mary E. Aitken, who was born in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, Scotland, and came to this country in infancy with her parents, James and Agnes (Alexander) Aitken, the vessel dropping anchor at Boston, Mass. In 1852 her parents came by way of Panama to San Francisco, and in that city she was reared and educated. Three chil- dren, two sons and a daughter, have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Brandt, James A., Hariam B. and Norma B. The eldest of the sons, James A., chose as his wife Mildred Meyers, and they have two children, Chester and Bernice. Politically Mr. Brandt is a believer in Republican principles and never fails to support the candidates of this party whenever occasion offers. Although he is a Pro- testant, he has not identified himself with any of the church organizations, but he lives in accordance with the Golden Rule. In San Francisco he joined the fire department in 1861, serving in old Knickerbocker Engine Company No. 5 until the paid department was inaugurated, and thereafter he continued with the department for many years.
THOMAS MACLAY.
With logical and discriminating qualities of mind and far-reaching judg- ment Thomas Maclay has become one of the prominent men of Petaluma, lend- ing himself heartily to the promotion of every movement calculated to advance the progress and welfare of the community. A native of Scotland, he was born in the city of Glasgow in March, 1859, the son of Scotch parents. Thomas Maclay was given the best advantages for an education that his parents could possibly bestow, which consisted of a good training in the common schools and university, as well as a thorough course in the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons at Glasgow, from which institution he graduated with honors and with the degree of M. R. C. V. S. After graduating, he was chosen as chief assistant to the principal and as demonstrator of anatomy, serving at the col- lege in that capacity for about two years.
It was with a complete theoretical and practical knowledge of veterinary medicine and surgery that Mr. Maclay came to the United States in 1884, and in June, 1885, at the urgent request of the late Josiah H. White, Esq., of Lake- ville, this county, and on the advice of Professor Law of Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y., he came to Petaluma and commenced the practice of his pro- fession. During the few years in which he followed his profession he worked a transformation in the treatment and care of horses that had its effect all over the state. Recognizing the need of organizing the scattered forces of those interested in the profession he vigorously advocated and diligently labored for the organization of the California State Veterinary-Medical Association, and was an active participant in passing laws in the state for the protection of the profession as well as the protection of the horse and cattle industry. For three years he rendered efficient service as president of the association, and for a time served as veterinary inspector of Sonoma county.
Of later years, however, Mr. Maclay has not been so prominently identi- fied with the profession, his attention of late being centered largely in the various banking and land companies with which his name is connected. Two
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of the strongest financial institutions in Petaluma are under his immediate supervision as president, the Wickersham Banking Company and the Petaluma- Swiss-American Bank, the latter organized in May, 1910. It is housed in the finest and most modern banking building north of San Francisco, and thus far in its career has shown a stability and solidity of which the officers may well be proud. Besides the president, Thomas Maclay, the officers are Charles Filip- pini, vice-president; R. Righetti, cashier; W. R. Hall, assistant cashier ; and F. A. Allenberg, accountant. Mr. Maclay is also president of the Novato Land Company and the Albion-Idaho Land Company. These various positions of responsibility and trust do not exhaust the ability of Mr. Maclay, for he is rendering equally good service to his fellow-citizens as president of the Chamber of Commerce of Petaluma and as Sonoma county's representative on the California development board. From his very earliest association with the town he showed an interest in her welfare, and at one time filled the office of city clerk for six years and was also city treasurer for a time. Still later he was secretary of the Sonoma and Marin District Agricultural Association for about eight years and at the same time was secretary of the Sonoma and Marin Agricultural Society. For seven years he was captain of "C" Company, Fifth Regiment of Infantry, N. G. C., and at the present time is a member of the board of library trustees of Petaluma. The above enumeration gives abundant proof of Mr. Maclay's versatile ability, and also speaks in flattering terms of the high regard in which he is held among his fellow citizens.
Mr. Maclay's marriage, in 1891, united him with Miss Lizzie C. Wicker- sham, a daughter of Isaac G. Wickersham, a pioneer banker of Petaluma, of whom a sketch will be found elsewhere in this volume. Few names are better known in fraternal circles than is Mr. Maclay's, and here as in financial and business matters he is a leader among his associates. He is a Past Exalted Ruler of Petaluma Lodge No. 901, B. P. O. E., an office which sought the man and which he filled for three consecutive years. In Masonic circles he is also well known, being past and present commander of Mount Olivet Com- mandery No. 20, K. T .. and is also a member of the Shrine, being identified with Islam Temple of San Francisco.
G. MORETTI.
Although born of Swiss parentage under the native skies familiar to his ancestors for many generations, the greater part of Mr. Moretti's life has been passed under the Stars and Stripes, for this has been his home ever since he was fifteen years of age. He was born in the canton of Ticino, Switzerland, in 1866, one of the five children born to his parents, Joseph and Agata ( Bolla) Moretti, born in Switzerland in 1825 and 1840 respectively. In 1879 the father set out alone for the new world in the hope of finding here a better opportunity for supporting and rearing and educating his children. He was not disappointed in the venture, for in California, where so many of his countrymen had already located, he found quite a colony of his countrymen who welcomed him and gave him practical advice and help. By the time he had been here two years he had
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laid by sufficient means to enable him to send for his wife and family, and the year 1881 found them taking passage for the United States. Besides the sub- ject of this sketch, the family consisted of one son and three daughters, Peter, Margueretta, Catharina and Petronila.
On the homestead ranch in Sonoma county G. Moretti was given practical experience in the duties which make up the life of the agriculturist, and it was this knowledge and experience which enabled him to launch forth on his own account and make a success of his undertaking. In the vicinity of Petaluma he is recognized as a rancher who thoroughly understands the business which he has undertaken, and on the ranch of one hundred and sixty-six acres which he leases no portion of the land is allowed to remain idle. Here he maintains a dairy of twenty-six cows, a poultry industry supported by one thousand White Leghorn chickens, and the land not in use for these purposes is all in hay, the latter commodity yielding a good yearly income.
Mr. Moretti's marriage united him with Miss Albina Matei, and five chil- dren have blessed their marriage, three sons and two daughters, as follows: Renotto, Silvo, Leo, Linda and Stella. The children are being reared in the faith of the Roman Catholic Church, the family attending the church of that denomination in Petaluma.
SAMUEL LARISON.
From the time of his arrival in Sonoma county in 1855 until his death in 1898, at the age of seventy-five years, Samuel Larison advanced with certain steps toward an assured position in the agricultural affairs of the county and state. To him belongs credit for planting the first grape vines in the Oak valley and he was also the first to venture in the manufacture of wine in this part of the county. . Those less venturesome than he were not slow in profiting by his ex- perience, and from the suggestion which he gave by his experiments, sprang the tremendous vineyard and wine-making industry which has made Sonoma county such a wealthy agricultural center.
Not unlike so many who came to California from states to the east, Mr. Larison was a native of Ohio, born in Cincinnati in 1824, the son of James W. Larison, who came from Pennsylvania and became a pioneer settler at old Fort Cincinnati. Mr. Larison was born and reared in an agricultural community and as soon as he was old enough he began his independent career by working as a farm hand, first in his native state, and later in Iowa and Indiana. It was while he was in the latter state that he made up his mind to come to California, crossing the plains in the year 1853 in a train consisting of fifty-three wagons. The finding of gold had been the attraction which brought him to the west and he consequently lost no time in making his way to the mines of Marysville, which was then attracting considerable attention on account of the rich prospects there. After an experience of two years as a miner in which he met with more or less success, he came to Sonoma county and located on a ranch of one hun- dred and sixty acres near Cloverdale. Some idea of the unsettled condition of the country may be gathered from the statement that at the time he settled in the valley there were only ten acres of fenced land in the country round about.
A. Carbuche
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but he lived to see the entire valley thickly settled by a happy, contented people. Not a little of the credit for the thrift and enterprise which sprang up in the valley was due to the impetus which the settlers received from his pioneer efforts as a vineyardist and wine-maker, and in following his example the united efforts of the many have made this one of the most thrifty grape-growing and wine-making centers in the state.
The marriage of Mr. Larison in 1848 occurred in Indiana and united him with Miss Elizabeth Folsom, who was born in Virginia. A large family of eight children were born to this noble pioneer couple, but of the number only two are now living, Mrs. M. J. Mowbray and Seymour Larison. Mr. Larison was a well-known figure in Masonic circles, having been a charter member of four lodges, and at the time of his death was a member of Santa Rosa Lodge, in which he had attained the Royal Arch degree.
ALEXANDER CADWELL.
Whatever of prosperity has come to Sonoma county in the past, and what- ever of pre-eminence the future may bring to it, a large share of the credit for this consummation belongs to the pioneers, those brave men who came here in an early day and endured privations without complaint and overcame obstacles that seemed insurmountable. Among these persevering pioneers mention should be made of Alexander Cadwell, who toiled and labored faithfully and well in the years when settlers were few and discouragements numerous. The record of his life contains much for the encouragement and emulation of the young and furnishes another proof that California offers favorable openings for people of determination and perseverance.
A native of New York state, Alexander Cadwell was born October 28, 1825, the son of parents who were imbued with the pioneer spirit, for when their son was a child of six years they took their family and household effects in a "prairie schooner" to the middle west. At that time, 1831, Illinois was con- sidered the frontier. and Indians and wild animals abounded in Lasalle county, where the Cadwells settled. There the family were living on a farm when the news of the finding of gold in California came as a wave of glad tidings over the whole country, and among those who responded to its message was Alex- ander Cadwell, then a young man twenty-four years old. Joining a party of immigrants, he set out to cross the plains with ox-teams, but when they reached Salt Lake City he and a friend left the party and made the remainder of the journey to California on horse-back. They finally reached their des- tination and at once made their way to the mines of Butte county, being inter- ested there and in Placer county until the year 1856. The records do not state with what success Mr. Cadwell met in his mining ventures, but it is safe to pre- sume that his luck was of the average kind and not the extraordinary, for it is known that during a part of this time, for two years, he carried on a tavern near Sacramento.
Mr. Cadwell's advent in Sonoma county dates from the year 1857, when he settled in Knight's valley and took charge of a fruit ranch and nursery. With the knowledge which he had gained in this position, he located in the Stony
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Point section in the spring of 1859 and established a nursery which he main- tained for many years. Here he purchased a tract of one hundred and sixty acres, which was so thickly covered with oak timber as to make it seem im- possible of being made tillable. Mr. Cadwell was not dismayed with the out- look, however, but industriously set about clearing away and replacing it with fruit trees. From time to time he disposed of portions of the land, until today the ranch comprises fifty acres only, but every acre of it is under cultivation to the choicest varieties of fruit and returns a bountiful income. Apples form the principal crop, Gravenstein, Newtown pippin, Spitzenberg and Alexander vari- eties being the favorites, besides which cherry and pear trees yield abundantly of their luscious fruit. Thirty tons of dried apples is an average shipment from this ranch, while the shipment of fresh apples runs about four thousand boxes a season, the cherries averaging a yield of six tons, and pears seventeen tons. An up-to-date drier for the evaporation of fruit is one of the accessories that .has contributed to the wonderful success of the Cadwell ranch. This large ranch enterprise represents the unremitting efforts of Mr. Cadwell for nearly fifty years, coming here in 1859, and here he passed away April 19, 1906.
In Illinois, in November, 1866, Mr. Cadwell was united in marriage with Miss Hattie Wiswall, a native of that state, and the daughter of Jason and Julia (Dimmick) Wiswall, natives respectively of Pennsylvania and Connecti- cut. They made their home in Illinois until 1880, when they came to California and located in Redlands, San Bernardino county. There the father died in 1886, and the mother passed away at the home of her daughter in 1894. There were seven children born to Mr. and Mrs. Wiswall, six daughters and one son, all living with one exception. Two children blessed the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Cadwell, Howard and Josephine. The son married Miss Farbach, of San Francisco, by whom he has two daughters, Gladys and Alma. Josephine became the wife of Walter Towne, of Petaluma, and they have two children, Lorene and Helen. Mr. Cadwell's knowledge of fruit-raising made him a recognized authority on this subject throughout his locality and as such he was a valued member of the Petaluma Grange, of which he was also one of the founders. He was also a member and active worker in the Congregational Church. Since the death of Mr. Cadwell his widow has carried on the ranch, and in its management is maintaining the same high standard of excellence for which it was noted during the life of Mr. Cadwell.
FILLIP BETTINELLI.
In the vicinity of Petaluma, on Rural Route No. 3, Mr. Bettinelli is giving expression to his ability as an agriculturist on seven hundred acres of land which he leases from the owner, Mrs. Anna W. White. As the name might suggest, Mr. Bettinelli is of Swiss origin, and he was born in the canton of Ticino in the year 1863, the son of Lawrence and Giovannina (Casarotti) Bettinelli, who were born in Switzerland in 1840 and 1842 respectively. Five children were born to these parents, three sons and two daughters, Joseph, Fillip, Anton, Mary and Angelina. The eldest of the sons, Joseph, married Maggie Molendik, and they have one child, Mary. The two daughters, Mary and Angelina, are also married and established in homes of their own.
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Fillip Bettinelli endeavored to be content with the future prospects in his native country, for it was not until he was twenty-one years old that he made up his mind to come to the United States. Coming directly to California, he located first in Marin county, where he sought and obtained work as a ranch hand, and while working in the employ of others he was gaining valuable ex- perience which he intended to put to use in his own interests as soon as circum- stances made it possible. Some years later he leased land and began dairying, following this in Marin and Sonoma counties. In 1908 he leased the property upon which he now resides. In undertaking the dairy business he was prac- tically assured of success from the beginning, for no nationality understands that business as thoroughly and follows it with such success as do the natives of Switzerland. Here Mr. Bettinelli has a herd of one hundred cows of good breed, besides which he has seven head of horses and he also raises hogs. He ships his cream to the Gilt Edge creamery in San Francisco.
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