USA > California > San Joaquin County > History of the State of California and biographical record of San Joaquin County; containing biographis of well-known citizens of the past and present. Volume II > Part 11
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JOHN B. DOUGLASS.
As the name would indicate, the Douglass family is of Scotch origin, and the first repre- sentative in this country was the grandfather, John Douglass, who left his birthplace, Edin- burgh, Scotland, in young manhood, and settling in New London, Conn., followed his trade of cooper. He was blessed with the sturdy quali- ties of his countrymen, among them steadfastness of purpose and determination to succeed in what- ever he attempted, and as a consequence he was a valued citizen of the little settlement of New London. He lived to reach the remarkable age of ninety-six years, and might have lived to be a centenarian, had he not met with an accidental death while working at his trade at that time. Grandmother Douglass passed away when in her seventy-sixth year. Among the children born to this worthy couple was a son John, whose birth occurred in New London, Conn. Early in life he was attracted to a life on the sea, and when he was a mere boy he shipped on a sea-going vessel. For twenty-two years he followed the sea continuously as chief officer of a merchant vessel engaged in the New York and Liverpool trade, and it was while thus engaged that he was lost at sea in 1837. His wife had died the year previously, at the age of twenty-two, leaving two children, John B. and Margaret, the latter becom- ing the wife of James Cullen of Bloomington. Ill. She died in 1909, at the age of seventy-six years.
John B. Douglass (known familarly as Jack) was born August 6, 1830, in New York City, the eldest child born to his parents, John and Eliza
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(McDevitt) Douglass. As he was left an orphan at the early age of seven years he received very meagre school advantages and was very early in life forced to depend upon his own resources. At the age of sixteen years he became a clerk in a shoe store in New York City, and for several years thereafter was variously engaged through- out the east. The news of the finding of gold in California found him an eager listener to the wonderful tales of fabulous wealth to be found in the eldorado on the Pacific coast, and thus it was that in 1849 he set sail on the barque Flora bound for California by way of Cape Horn. Ar- riving safely in San Francisco that year he went directly to the mines of Coloma, where for four- teen months he mined with only average re- sults.
By way of Panama Mr. Douglass started for the east September 5, 1850, but the following spring he returned to California by the same route. Coming direct to Stockton, he opened a public house, a venture which proved so suc- cessful that he determined to remain in the west permanently, and before the close of the year 1852 he returned east to claim his bride. He was married in New London, Conn., January 10, 1853, to Ellen Dart, and three days after their marriage the young people started on their wedding journey, with Stockton as their destina- tion. Until the following fall Mr. Douglass con- tinued the management of the public house pre- viously mentioned, and then went to Tuolumne county, and in Columbia conducted a similar es- tablishment in addition to acting as stage agent for sixteen years. In the meantime, in 1857, he returned east on a visit with his wife. For a number of years he was a member of the board of trustees of Columbia, for several years was president of that body, and was also a member of the school board. While making that city his home he also acquired valuable mining stock, some of which he still retains. Selling out his interest in Columbia in 1869, he came once more to Stockton and has since made this city his home. Here he again opened a public house, which he ran from 1869 to 1885 in partnership with Steph-
en Badger. In whatever community Mr. Doug- lass has chanced to live he has taken more than a passing interest in the well-being of the locality and has been an acquisition to its citizenship. For over eleven years he served as chief engineer of the Columbia fire department, for seven years was a member of the National Guard of Colum- bia, and after coming to Stockton served for seventeen years in the latter organization here. During this time he attained the rank of cap- tain, holding this office until his resignation from the body in the spring of 1888. Fraternally he has been affiliated with the Independent Order of Red Men since 1874, and with the Knights of Pythias since 1876. He is a member of the Ex- empt Firemen of Stockton, having been a mem- ber of Weber Engine Company No. I in early days, and later of Eureka Company No. 2.
Two children were born of the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Douglass. The eldest, William Grant, was born December 27, 1860, received his education in the high school and business college of Stockton, and is now an engineer ; his marriage united him with Annie Goodman, and they have one son. Joseph Smith, deceased, was born May 8, 1863, and married Annie Hentzelmann; she is also now deceased, at her death leaving one daughter, who survives.
WILLIAM CHARLES WHITE.
When a boy in his Canadian home on the shores of Lake Ontario Mr. White heard much concerning the boundless riches of the west. He was about nine years old when word came to his little village that gold had been discovered in large quantities in California, and at once he determined that, as soon as he was a man, he would come to the Pacific coast. Meanwhile, the years passed uneventfully in study, work and
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Edek Hedger
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play, at his birhtplace, Picton, Prince Edward county, Ontario, where he was born July 12, 1840, and where he was educated in local schools. On leaving school he was apprenticed to the trade of a carpenter and served his time, gaining a thorough knowledge of every detail connected with the occupation. Thoroughly trained by a master builder and with a native talent for such work, he became unusually proficient as a car- penter, and it is said that no task was too intri- cate or complicated for his patient and resource- ful skill.
At the age of twenty-two years Mr. White left his Canadian home and bade farewell to the friends of youth. It was now possible for him to carry out his plan of migrating to the Pacific coast and after 1862 he always made California his home. For three years he engaged in mining in the Copperopolis district and he was also em- ployed in building shafts for mines, such work bringing him fair wages. Not long after he had settled in Stockton he formed a partnership with F. R. Thomas in the planing-mill business and they erected a mill which they provided with all the equipment of that period. From the first the firm prospered. The members were recog- nized as men of business ability and tireless en- ergy. Besides selling mill products they took contracts for building and their business activ- ities covered a large scope of country. Mr. White disposed of his interest in the mill to Mr. Buell after he had been identified with the busi- ness for a period of twenty years, and after that he lived retired, with the exception of man- aging his property interests in Stockton and else- where.
Some years after coming to Stockton Mr. White was united in marriage with Miss Sarah Sawyer, who died in 1893. They became the parents of two daughters now living, namely: Carrie, who married J. L. Whitmore and re- sides in Stockton; and Miss Etta M., who occu- pies the old homestead at No. 19 East Poplar street, Stockton. This residence was erected by Mr. White and here he passed away, Decem- ber 28, 1905, after a long and honorable asso-
ciation with the interests of his home city. Deeply concerned in enterprises for the local wel- fare, he gave his support to such with earnest- ness. Through a membership of twelve years as city councilman he was in a position to en- courage projects for the development of commer- cial, educational and philanthropic measures, and these received his practical help. At the time of his death he was a member of the board of supervisors and his service on the board was intelligent, practical and public-spirited. Vari- ous fraternities were benefited by his sagacious co-operation, including the Masons, Independent Order of Odd Fellows and Benevolent Protec- tive Order of Elks.
EDWARD RICHARDS HEDGES.
As compared with what it is today, Stockton was little more than a hamlet, when in 1860, Ed- ward R. Hedges located here and courageously established a mercantile business which was des- tined to thrive and become a factor in the up- building of the town and surrounding country. From the time of organization until the present, a number of changes in the firm name have been recorded, but through them all Mr. Hedges re- mained the moving spirit until he retired from active life. The name of Hedges-Buck Company is a familiar one throughout the San Joaquin valley and in the mountain counties as well, where they transact a large wholesale business.
A native of New Jersey, Edward R. Hedges was born in Bottle Hill, now Madison. October 18, 1827, the son of Timothy Hudson and Har- riet Lavinia (Richards) Hedges, who were also natives of that state. The ancestors of the Hedges and Richards families were among the earliest settlers of Connecticut and Long Island respect- ively, and during the war of the Revolution were among the most sterling patriots of New Jersey.
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The founder of the former family in America was Sir Charles Hedges, who having married without his parents' consent, came to America in 1720 and settled in Long Island. From him de- scended Timothy Hudson Hedges, a native of New Jersey, born at Madison, Morris county, October 1, 1793. For some years he engaged in business as a dealer in wooden-ware at Madison, where he married Harriet Lavinia Richards, born in Columbia, that state, July 13, 1798. Their marriage was solemnized November 7, 1818, and in 1836 they removed to St. Louis, Mo., taking passage from Pittsburg on the first steamboat that ever went down the Ohio river to that city. There Mr. Hedges engaged in the manufacture of brooms. In the interests of his business he bought a farm in St. Clair county, Ill., and en- gaged in the raising of broom corn. While still in the midst of successful and promising com- mercial activities he died in 1840, during a visit to his Illinois farm. His wife died at Eagle Lake, Texas, December 31, 1880. They were the parents of four children, but all are deceased excepting Edward R., of Stockton.
The progenitor of the Richards family in America was Thomas Richards, who was born in Dorchester, England, in 1605, and during 1630 immigrated to America and established the name in Hartford, Conn. He survived the voyage only two years, however, his death occurring in that settlement in 1632. One of the descendants of this ancestor was another Thomas Richards, who was born in Columbia, N. J., in 1769, and figured as a soldier in the Revolutionary war. His mar- riage united him with Sarah Sayre, who became the mother of Harriet L. Richards, and she, in turn, the mother of Edward R. Hedges. Sarah Sayre was the daughter of Deacon Ephraim Sayre, the descendant of Joseph Sayre, who was born in Bedfordshire, England, and immigrated to America in 1665, settling in Southampton, L. I. Ephraim Sayre was a farmer and tanner, and was highly esteemed in the Presbyterian Church at Bottle Hill, now Madison, which he served as deacon. During the Revolutionary war he rendered active service as one of the Min-
ute Men, and participated in the battles of Con- necticut Farm, Springfield and Monmouth. At the time of the war he was residing in a house erected by his father in 1745 (a view of which is here given), and this place he threw open to soldiers and officers, whenever the occasion re- quired. Some of the wounded in the battle of Springfield were there cared for and the kitchen was used as a hospital. The house was the headquarters of Gen. Anthony Wayne for a con- siderable period while the army was in the neigh- borhood in the winter of 1780-81. The room oc- cupied by the general was the front one in the north end and in it many conferences took place between "Mad Anthony" and the illustrious Gen- eral Washington, who with his staff was fre- quently in the house, although he was stationed at Morristown. The chair in which he sat dur- ing these visits to the Sayre house is still pre- served, as a priceless relic, by members of later generations.
There is in Morris county no landmark more famous than the old Sayre house, which is still standing and in the possession of the descendants of the original owner. For some time Rev. James Campbell, known throughout the country in his day as the "fighting dominie," held relig- ious services in this house. Here were spent the early years of Baxter Sayre, the famous aboli- tionist. To this home of his childhood often returned with delight the philanthropist, David A. Sayre, of Lexington, Ky. Here occurred the birth of Sarah Sayre April 1, 1773; here she started the first Sunday-school in New Jersey, and her house, too, was one of the stations of the famous underground railroad to Canada. In this old home she passed into eternal rest in 1860. The old walls had also looked down upon her bridal, when she became the wife of Thomas Richards, a farmer, who was born in Columbia, N. J., in 1769, and died November 3, 1816. Their daughter, Harriet L., spent many happy girlhood days beneath the shelter of the old roof; here she passed the years of early married life, and here her son, Edward R., first opened his eyes to the light.
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The Deacon Ephraim Sayre Homestead, at Madison, N. J. Headquarters of General Anthony Wayne in the Revolution, and birthplace of E. R. Hedges.
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The earliest recollections of Edward R. Hedges cluster around this old homestead, where he was born October 18, 1827, and where, when a small child, he sat on the knee of the famous General Jackson. When he was eight years of age his parents removed to St. Louis, where his education was received largely in the English, mathematical and classical high schools. With a party of five young men, equipped with two wagons and mule-teams, and about five thousand pounds of supplies, he left St. Louis, March 8, 1850, and on the 28th of August, same year, he arrived at Hangtown, Cal., the party having in the meantime lost some of their mules by at- tacks from the Indians. From Hangtown the party went to Sacramento, and after recuperat- ing went on to Rough and Ready camp, where they engaged in mining with fair success. From the latter camp Mr. Hedges and two of his com- panions went to a point above Downieville and put in three flumes; the venture was not a success, however, and they lost the greater part of their gold. In 1857 Mr. Hedges went back to Sac- ramento and from there to Amador county, where, at Iowa Flats and Hoodsville, he opened a general store in each town. Business was contin- ued there until 1860, when he came to Stockton and embarked in merchandising on the spot where James E. Kidd's paint store is now located. During the year 1864 the firm of Hedges & Howland was organized. Three years later the name was changed to Hedges & Buck, and event- ually the concern was incorporated as the Hedges-Buck Company. During January of 1889 E. F. Parker purchased an interest and in the same year Mr. Buck withdrew, but his name is still a part of the title. Subsequently Mr. Drury became a member of the company, he having purchased the interest of Mr. Parker, who died in 1902. The grocery business is the oldest con- cern of its kind in the county. From a small beginning the trade has steadily increased, until at this writing the company has a large wholesale business throughout the San Joaquin valley and in the mountain counties as well.
During the winter of 1861-62, when the water was so high that the entire country was flooded, Mr. Hedges in company with Mr. R. Anderson occupied a store on Main street. The floor was lower than the sidewalk, and the water rose un- til the room was three feet under water. Goods were piled on a number of half-barrels of pork , they built a boat, took it into the store, loaded it. with goods and then rowed to a point thirteen miles above the city, to the Mose Eaton place, and from there hauled them to the mountains by team.
February 14, 1869, Mr. Hedges married Mrs. Alice (Davis) Nuttall, the daughter of James M. Davis, a prominent farmer in San Joaquin county, born in Virginia in 1816. He died at Beggs Station while making a trip to his ranch in Lassen county. Four daughters were born of this union, only two of whom are now living, Harriet Lavinia Stanton and Bertha Hedges Davies.
In Masonic circles Mr. Hedges has the dis- tinction of being the only Thirty-third-degree Scottish Rite Mason in Stockton. Besides hav- ing held offices in all the subordinate bodies he is Past Grand High Priest of the Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons; Past Grand Master of Royal and Select Masters; Past Grand Com- mander of Knights Templar : member of Oak- land Consistory No. 2, Scottish Rite, and of Islam Temple A. A. O. N M. S. of San Fran- cisco. He is a member of the San Joaquin County Society of Pioneers. Movements for the upbuilding of the city and county have found in him a ready supporter. Besides other inter- ests he is identified with banking circles. While he is ever ready to aid in public affairs, he has ยท steadfastly refused to take any part in politics. this being in accordance with a promise made to his mother when he left home, that he would under no circumstances allow his name to be put forward for any political office, nor would he become a politician in any sense of the word. Now in the evening of his days he is living in quiet retirement in the city of Oakland, where
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he is surrounded with the comforts he is justly entitled to after his many years of business ac- tivity.
CHARLES MORRILL KENISTON.
Legal, business and fraternal circles in Stock- ton mourned the loss of one of their most prom- inent workers when it became known that Charles M. Keniston was no more. The many fine traits of character that formed the warp and woof of his make-up came to him as an in- heritance from generations of New England an- cestors, and he himself was a native of that section of country in which his forefathers had lived and died. A native of New Hampshire, he was born in the city of Manchester January 7, 1851, the son of Charles Calvin and Rebecca J. (McPherson) Keniston, both of whom were also born under the shadow of the White Moun- tains. The paternal grandparents, Samuel and Lydia (Pingree) Keniston, were born respective- ly in 1798 and 1795, and at the time of the birth of their son Charles Calvin, June 23, 1827, were living in Franklin, N. H. The mother of Charles M. Keniston was a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William McPherson, and at her death, March 17, 1853, left a son too young to recognize his loss.
Charles M. Keniston was educated in the pub- lic schools of Manchester, fitted for college in Northwood Seminary, and was graduated from the normal school at Plymouth in 1872. He taught in that institution for one year and in other schools before and after graduation at in- tervals for about five years. During this time he had begun to read law in the office of Chief Justice Ladd of New Hampshire, a training which he followed up by private study. An un- rest and desire to see California brought him to the west in 1874, and for about two years there-
after he taught in the public schools of Stock- ton. During the two years thus spent he recog- nized that a large field of usefulness awaited him in the practice of the law and he determined to resume its study and fit himself more fully to cope with legal intricacies. Returning to the east, he entered upon a course in the Albany Law school and upon its completion was grad- uated and admitted to practice in New York and New Hampshire.
Returning to Stockton immediately after his graduation in 1877 Mr. Keniston was the same year made principal of the Franklin school, his record as a teacher of superior qualifications gained in previous years making his incumbency of the office very desirable. He filled this posi- tion with great credit to himself for three years and was thereafter, in 1880, elected superintend- ent of schools of the county, filling the position a term of three years. In the meantime the young and growing city of Stockton had out- grown its old original charter, and under the new regime in city affairs which followed Mr. Keniston was made first deputy city attorney under Frank H. Smith. Later, in 1883, he formed a partnership with Mr. Smith, under the name of Smith & Keniston, a title which con- tinued until January 1, 1885, when Stanton L. Carter was admitted to the firm, the name of which was then changed to Carter, Smith & Keniston. In 1887 Mr. Keniston withdrew from the firm and spent some time in Southern Cali- fornia, but after his reutrn to Stockton he was not as actively identified with legal affairs as formerly. On his return from the south in May, 1888, he accepted the position of Stockton agent for the California Steam Navigation Company, the name of which in 1889, however, was changed to the California Navigation and Im- provement Company. During all the years of his residence in Stockton he was identified with educational affairs in one capacity or another, first as a teacher and later as a member of the school board, in which body his knowledge and experience had considerable weight and he was an important factor in raising the standard of
.G. BROWN.
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the schools in this vicinity. He was at one time in the employ of the Union Transportation Com- pany as manager for about four years and for a time he was also interested in mining in Nevada county, and for two years was superin- tendent of a mine in Colorado.
Mr. Keniston's first marriage occurred in Lan- caster, N. H., in 1874 and united him with Miss Lucia Porter, whose married life was of short duration, as her death occurred the follow- ing year in Santa Barbara, Cal. Two years thereafter, in 1877, Mr. Keniston was married to Miss Nellie W. Nichols, the daughter of Martin M. and Flora A. (Leadbetter) Nichols, and a native of Monmouth, Me., born August 12, 1856. Three children, two sons and one daughter, were born of this marriage, but only the daughter, Lucia Nichols Keniston, is now living.
Not only was Mr. Keniston an ardent worker in behalf of young people through his associa- tion with educational affairs, but he was also interested in their welfare from a religious stand- point, no one doing more toward the organiza- tion of the Young Men's Christian Association in Stockton than did he, and he had the honor of serving as its first president. At the time of his death he was serving his second term as president of the board of managers of the State Hospital, and he had also served as superin- tendent of Rural Cemetery for eleven years. Throughout his life he had been a stanch Repub- lican, and as a worker in party campaigns had participated in a number of severe contests.
Few citizens of Stockton were more active in fraternal affairs than was Mr. Keniston, and in all the societies where his name was recorded he was welcomed as a genial friend and co-worker. He was a member of San Joaquin Lodge No. 19, F. & A. M., which he served as master in 1902; at the time of his death was High Priest of Stockton Chapter No. 8, R. A. M .; and a member of Stockton Council No. 10, R. & S. M., of which he was deputy illustrious master. He was a Scottish Rite Mason, having attained the thirty-second degree. In 1906 he was made
venerable master of Stockton Lodge of Perfec- tion No. 12, and was wise master of Albert Pike Chapter No. 9, Knights of the Rose Croix at the time of his death. He was also a member of Islam Temple of the Mystic Shrine of San Francisco; and during 1888 and 1889 he was patron of Homo Chapter No. 50, O. E. S. When he was a young man of twenty-one years he joined the Odd Fellows, and at the time of his death was a member of Stockton Lodge, which he had served as secretary for eleven years, and during the year 1889 was noble grand. Shortly before his death, December 15, 1908, he joined Stockton Lodge of Elks No. 218. He passed away, March 3, 1909, in the home of the family for many years, No. 721 East Weber avenue, where the funeral services were conducted, un- der the auspices of San Joaquin Lodge.
ALBERT GALLATIN BROWN.
The life history of Albert G. Brown is one of unusual interest. A quarter of a century has passed since he answered the roll-call to come up higher, but the exemplary life which he led and the noble deeds which he accomplished dur- ing his life are still fresh in the memory of those who were permitted to know him, either as friend or acquaintance. Through a career which began in 1801 and ended in 1884 he was a wit- ness of much of the development of the United States, no part of which was more interesting to him than the Golden State, where the happiest years of his life were passed. The son of Ben- jamin and Mary (Horn) Brown, he was born in Vassalboro, Me .. September 9, 1801, and grew to a sturdy young manhood in an environ- ment of untrammeled nature that had much to do with formulating the high and noble principles that characterized his entire life. The primitive
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