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 27
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Shepard some time before his removal to Cali- fornia. During 1881 he was united with Miss Anna E. Vaughn, of England. They are the parents of three children, namely : Herbert F., who is in the employ of the Western Pacific Railroad; Gertrude, who resides with her parents ; and William Thomas, Jr., also at home, and now a student in the high school of Stockton.
ABNER RICHARDSON ALLARD.
Few of the pioneers of the west became more experienced and expert in the mining industry than Mr. Allard, who, although never making any valuable discoveries of gold and never stak- ing any rich claims, was nevertheless regarded as an accurate judge of mine valuations. Nearly forty years have come and gone since he passed from the scenes of earth. Had his life been spared, undoubtedly he would have reaped the success of which he was eminently worthy, but he was taken in the prime of his strength, ere yet his hopes had been brought to their fruition. Ever since his demise the widow has remained a resident of Stockton, where she has a large cir- cle of friends among those in whose midst so many years of her life have been passed.
Born in Ashland, Mass., February 22, 1834. Abner Richardson Allard passed the years of youth in attendance at school and in learning at home those lessons of industry, integrity and perseverance that proved helpful to him in man- hood's years. In the spring of 1857 he set sail from New York City for Panama on the steam- er George Law (later known as the Central America). After crossing the isthmus he took passage on the vessel Golden Gate for San Fran- cisco, where he arrived in due time, after having met on the latter steamship the young lady who later became his wife. During the fall of the
same year both of these vessels were het at det The last voyage of the Golden Gate has leveme historic, owing, not only to the large loss of lite, but also to the fact that the vessel carried large amounts of treasures and valuables. Of recent years a wrecking company has been organized to clive for the treasures contained in the shop, as I if success attends the effort it will reopen to the world a tragic page in the early history of the west.
On arriving in California Mr. Mard went ill- rect to the mines at Big Oak Flat, TuolumDe county, where he met with fair success Next be went to Forest Hill, Placer county, and fornell a company for the purpose of sinking a shaft ad jacent to the famous Jenny Lind mine. For two years mining operations were conducte 1, but never a touch of color was found. Leaving the mine, he went to San Francisco and became fore- man for the Sanford Fruit Company, being en- gaged in gathering and packing frun for the' concern, and continuing in the position for one year. November 27, 1861, at Stockton, He was united in marriage with Miss Georgiana Shack- ford, who was born in Boston. Mas., and care to California at the same time with his, the two becoming acquainted on board the ship Her father, John Shackford, sailed from Boston and arrived in California via the Isthums of P. roma in August, 1849. After following mming Gir eight years in AAmador county he came to the valley and engaged in farming, following ihn until his death, in 1868.
After his marriage Mr. Allard went tu Washos. Nev., and secured a position there as for man of the Golden Curry mine, in the managente of which he was unusually successful Meanwhile his brother-in-law. Samuel Shackford. hai es- listed in the Union army, joming a regiem af cavalry, and had been ordered to Ariz mus with low troops. The ranch which Mr. Shark furil owed in the vicinity of Stockton was left m the charge de Mr. Allard, who returne | from Nevada oo calc op its management. continuing en the ranch cond the return of the soldier inden the troot Daring 1863 he came to Stockton, and have made how
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home until he died, December 24, 1871. Mean- while he had become well known among the resi- dents of the city and had been particularly ac- tive in politics as a local worker of the Republi- can party, in whose interests he had frequently "stumped" the county, using his fine gift as a public speaker for the benefit of his party's can- didates. At his death he left one son, Arthur H., and he is also survived by his wife, who re- sides at No. 626 East Miner avenue, and occu- pies a high place in the regard of the old settlers of Stockton.
DANIEL SPAULDING AUSTIN.
Many of California's best citizens were drawn hither on account of the mining boom of the early '50s, and of the number a large proportion were swerved from their original intention upon reaching the scene of activities, but nevertheless remained and engaged in other lines of endeavor. Among this number was the late Daniel S. Austin, who from 1850 up to the time of his death, Feb- ruary 14, 1903, engaged in ranching in the vi- cinity of Stockton, owning six hundred acres of choice land. A native of the east, he was born in Utica, N. Y., June 15, 1830, the son of Daniel S. Austin, and up to the age of ten years attended the schools of that city. The death of his mother occurred about this time, and soon afterward father and son removed to Michigan, where, in Marshall, the son further pursued his studies in an academy. Later he became a clerk in a store, and it was while there that he decided to cast in his lot with the settlers and argonauts then flock- ing to California. Crossing the plains in 1850, he came direct to Sonora and for five years en- gaged in mining. He then moved to the vicinity of Stockton, and just cast of this city he and a partner obtained one thousand acres of choice farming land upon which for many years they engaged in wheat and stock-raising.
A number of years after locating in the west Mr. Austin was united in marriage with Miss Mary Ellen Downing, a native of the middle west, her birth occurring in Schuyler county, Ill., June 6, 1842. Her father, Major Albert A. Downing, had come to California in 1848, and in 1855 his wife and daughter undertook to join him in the west. They were finally successful in reaching their destination, Stockton, but not without undergoing severe perils and hardships. The journey on the Atlantic to Panama was made on the ship Northern Light, and after disembark- ing they found the settlement in control of Will- iam Walker and his band of filibusters, and were thus detained two weeks, whereas one day would have been sufficient time to make the trip across the isthmus. After two weeks of suspense and fear under the reign of terror Mrs. Downing and her daughter walked to the Pacific side of the isthmus, where they hailed with delight the sight of the American flag and the ship Sierra Nevada, which was to take them to their destin- ation. The family were reunited and thereafter made their home. near Stockton, where the daughter attended school for a time. After her marriage to Mr. Austin in 1859 she made her home on the Austin ranch just outside of the city until after the death of Mr. Austin, since which time she has resided at No. 222 South Union street. At his death Mr. Austin left be- sides his wife two daughters, Mrs. Kate Mills, a widow, and Maggie May, who married Henry Linne.
The only son born of the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Austin was Charles Wesley Austin, whose birth occurred on the homestead ranch January 7, 1863. He received an excellent education in the public schools of Stockton and also in Clark's Business College, after which he returned to the home ranch and assisted in its management until called into public life by his election to state as- sembly on the Republican ticket, 1896. He rep- resented his constituents in Sacramento in the Twenty-seventh assembly district for one term, during the winter of 1896-97, when, owing to sickness, he was compelled to return to his home
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in Stockton. At this time he was also honored by nomination for sheriff of the county, but con- tinued ill-health made acceptance impossible. Pneumonia finally developed and within one month he passed away, February 6, 1898. His passing was the cause of general mourning throughout Stockton and vicinity, for he was widely known and highly respected as one of the most promising young men of the county. He was a member of the Native Sons of the Golden West and Oakdale Lodge, I. O. O. F.
ENOCH PEYTON.
The earliest representative of the Peyton fam- ily in the United States was the English immi- grant Valentine Peyton, M. D., who served with the army of Virginia as surgeon in the Revolu- tionary war. He married a relative of Gen. George Washington, and among the children born to them was William Washington Peyton, born in Virginia in 1799. He became a man of considerable prominence in his community, and in addition to owning a plantation of several hundred acres, also owned three flourishing gen- eral merchandise stores. His marriage with Lucy Mason, who was born in Virginia in 1801, united him with a family of equal prominence with his own, Charles Mason, one of the English engineers who perpetuated his name in the famous "Mason and Dixon line," being a member of this family. She was a daughter of Enoch and Lucy (Roy) Mason, her father being a large planter at Clo- ver Hill, Stafford county, Va., where the death of both occurred when they were only fifty years of age. During the boyhood of Enoch Peyton the family home was transferred from Virginia to Mississippi, the father settling on a cotton plantation near Jackson, and there his death oc- curred in 1847. His wife had died in 1838, leav-
ing ten children, but of this nunder only ine ie now living, Miss Mary E. Peyton, of Stickam. she being the last representative of the ahl southern family.
Enoch Peyton was born in Stafford ommet. Va., in September, 183t, and receivel a limited education in the schools of Virginia and Mis- sippi. When he was fifteen years old he were to New Orleans to take a position wuh his bralær William W., who was a commission merchant there. It was there he conceived the ilea of p ing to the Pacific coast in search of the fortune which all gold seekers hope to find. With at other brother, Randolph, and a comra le, Wilune Crow, he set out to make the journey to Califor- nia by way of the Isthmus in 1850, and im Au- gust 21 of that year they landed at San Fran- cisco. Going to the mines on the north fork wt the American river, they prospectel there for two months, taking out an ounce of goll du: in one day. From there Enoch Peyton and Will iam Crow went to the mines at Sonora, on the way stopping for a short time at Martniez anil Stockton. Randolph Peyton, however, remains 1 in Stockton and engaged as clerk in a mure Realizing that there was a larger pront in team- ing to the mines than in delving in the novos themselves, Enoch Peyton bought a trao an ! began carrying supplies to the mining campe. and it was not long before he owned fix coist All supplies for the southern mines went thr ogle Stockton, and the hauling business mercased in the same ratio as interest in the mmes increased Mr. Peyton's reputation of being the most re liable man in his line gave him pracocalle de monopoly of the hauling on that road, and he followed the business successfully for @men years. He also took teams to the mine in Tilale but he finally sold his outfit and remaitrey in the mines there from 1863 to 188. In the laure year he returned to San Joaquin county anf inn tled on one hundred and sixty acre sar Cof- legeville, which he began to cultivare che ful- lowing year. He also owned three hundred and twenty acres above Collegeville. In 1871 be Me- gan raising sheep in Fresno county, driving lur
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flocks to the mountains during the summer months, and grazing them on his own and rented land adjoining during the winters. Oftentimes his flocks numbered six thousand head. In 1875, however, he sold his sheep and opened a public house in Stockton at No. 232 Main street, fol- lowing this throughout the remainder of his life. He was a member of the Society of Pioneers of San Joaquin county.
In Stockton Mr. Peyton was married in 1868 to Mary V. Bateman, the daughter of Dr. E. B. Bateman, an account of whose interesting life will be found elsewhere in this volume. At his death, November 12, 1894, Mr. Peyton left a widow and two sons to mourn his loss, two other sons having died previously. Named in order of birth the children were as follows: George Nuttall, who died in 1879; Edmund Randolph, a resident of Stockton; Charles Mason, who died in 1879; and Harry W., also a resident of Stock- ton.
STOCKTON IRON WORKS.
Not only is the Stockton Iron Works one of the oldest enterprises in California, but it also claims that honor when compared with industrial enterprises throughout the country. It had its inception in the summer of 1868, when H. L. Farrington, G. C. Hyatt and H. S. Farrington started the business on a small scale under the firm name of Farrington, Hyatt & Co., a success- ful business being carried on under this name for a number of years. December 23, 1887, H. L. Farrington died, and on April 1, 1889, the business was sold to Tretheway, Earl & Dasher, the new proprietors starting out to expand the business by reaching out into new territory. Up to this time the class of work had been largely agricultural and steamboat machinery, with a few dredges. Mr. Tretheway, foreseeing the
great possibilities in the reclamation of the thou- sands of acres of virgin delta lands of the San Joaquin and Sacramento Valleys, made extended trips into the tule basins and overflowed tracts to study the needs and to develop and make such improvements in dredge machinery as would justify the effort. Just what results have been obtained by these efforts may be seen by taking a daylight ride by steamer on the San Joaquin river and its tributaries, which form the bound- aries of the many islands, containing thousands of acres of the richest soil and most productive lands within the state of California, if not in the world. Around these large bodies of land may be seen many of the ponderous dredges produced by the Stockton Iron Works continuously swing- ing their long arms day and night, reaching to the bed of the river and grabbing with their huge clam-shell buckets the sand and clay to be deposited on and further strengthen the immense levees now existing, varying from ten to twenty feet high, and from one hundred to two hun- dred feet wide at their base, of which there are many miles, protecting vast areas of enclosed lands.
In 1899 this company incorporated and elected the following directors: G. C. Hyatt, president ; . A. L. Farrington, secretary and treasurer ; and W. E. Tretheway, superintendent, and the busi- ness was conducted under their management un- til Mr. Hyatt sold his interest and retired. On March Ist, 1907, the company was reorganized with the following directors: W. E. Tretheway, president and general manager; John Grant, vice-president ; John H. Thompson, secretary ; E. R. Thompson, treasurer, and Mrs. L. H. Trethe- way, and W. R. Thresher, assistant man- agers. The new officers at once purchased a site and commenced the erection of a mod- ern plant especially equipped for the manu- facture and repair of dredge and reclamation machinery, and located on the north side of the Stockton Harbor, where they have erected a private wharf for the receiving and shipping of their special machinery. On this wharf they have erected a large crane capable of lifting twenty
HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
tons and loading the same on cars, which are run · on a track leading to any part of the works, where it may be taken apart and repaired. On passing down the channel one may often see suspended from this wharf crane, a launch with its stern far out of the water and the mechanics at work upon it, replacing propellers and mak- ing repairs to rudder or other parts.
It is the company's aim to expand and grow and further develop their specialty of reclamation machinery, as the business may demand. Their works now cover about ninety thousand square feet of ground, upon which have been erected during the past year a steel building and large cranes for the making of iron castings, with a capacity of fifteen tons per day. Here are made the large gears, frictions, and winding drums and parts for their dredging machinery. Adjoining this building is the brass foundry, where are locat- ed four crucible furnaces with a capacity of melt- ing one thousand pounds daily in either brass or bronze castings for their own machinery, as well as supplying the smaller machine shops with this class of castings. The machine-shop building is 62x100 feet, two-story, the machine depart- ment occupying the entire lower floor, while the pattern department occupies the whole upper floor. In this building is installed the latest and best up-to-date tools to be had for this pur- pose. The blacksmith shop is one story, equip- ped with an electric traveling crane, a modern steam hammer operated by compressed air, also hydraulic presses and pneumatic air tools for the forging, bending, boring and drilling of the special heavy clam-shell buckets which this firn have developed for the digging of tough and hard clay soil which lies within their territory. This branch of their manufacture has been care- fully studied and given the personal attention of Manager W. E. Tretheway for the past fif- teen years with great success. There are also several other buildings for the grinding and clearing of castings, also storing sheds for coke, sand and coal used in the various departments. The building containing the general offices and the draughting department is built of brick, three
stories high, and supplied with the latest instru ments for the designing and blue-printmg of the drawings of their special manufacture At chf time (1909) there are five persons at work in this department designing new ideas.
The pattern storehouse is of wool, four surle high, with corrugated sides and astu tos fire- proof roof. In this building are stored the var- ious patterns of their customers, as well as their own, which are carefully guarded agant low by fire, as are in fact all of the buildings of this plant. For protection against fire there has been erected a water tower seventy five feet high. with a galvanized steel tank of twelve thousand gallons capacity, which is supplied with water from a deep well and a power duplex pump driven by an electric motor. From this tank is an out let pipe three inches in diameter leading ter all the departments, and at eighteen different pants there are stationed fire hydrants with twenty-five feet of one and a half inch fire hose attached to each for plug for immediate use in case of fire, Thor provisions have been wisely arranged from the suggestions of the officers and en ploce and in surance inspectors for the better care of and pre- tection to the thousands of dollars of property wi the company and its customers.
The attention of the company's officer to de details of their production, the integrity of the. business operations and the high standard vit work turned out have built up for them a Teputa. tion which has brought them a large trude which they are striving to mamtam. This omgway ships their manufactured prieldet as far sunth às Los Angeles and to Alaska on the teeth Andn tectural iron work and1 reclamatinn madopere ore their specialties, but they also il a guoeras jons bing and repairing of boilers. pattern nobig machine work and blacksmithing. and woch Irem or brass castings made to criler. They love at this time about one hundred anl twenty ave eso ployes on their pay roll. and now inr mure ar the growing business muy demand!
Of the personnel of the ompity we (gril-de the following: W. E. Tretheway. predde and general manager, in 1872. when sironi mert
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old, commenced an apprenticeship in the Risdon Iron Works of San Francisco, there obtaining knowledge of the manufacture of mining, marine and sugar making machinery. The last work in which he was engaged in that city was the build- ing of motive power for the California Street Cable Railroad, which is still being operated. In September, 1877, he came to the Stockton Iron Works to take charge of the pattern department, and has been identified with and given his whole attention to these works in the different depart- ments for the past thirty-two years.
John Grant, the vice-president, was born in Scotland and served an apprenticeship in a ship- yard on the Clyde. After about ten years of serv- ice at sea as ship carpenter he came to California from Australia and settled in Stockton, where he accepted a position with the California Naviga- tion & Improvement Company for a short time. In 1892 he built the wooden hull for the dredger, Roberts Island, which is still working in San Francisco Bay. Since that time, although not taking an active part in the works, he has built all of the dredge hulls for this company, and many barges and other craft for transportation in this state during the last twenty years. He gives his personal attention to this branch of the dredge- building industry, a class of work in which he is not surpassed.
John H. Thompson was born and reared in the town of Woodbridge, San Joaquin county, and is a son of J. C. Thompson. As secretary of the company he has charge of the office and finan- cial work of the institution in which he has been engaged for the past five years. He received his training in the office of the Sperry Flour Com- pany, and was secretary of the Wagner Leather Company of this city for seven years, and is still a stockholder in the latter company. He is also secretary of and prominently identified with . the H. C. Shaw Company of this city.
W. R. Thresher, assistant manager, was born in San Francisco, and was educated in Stockton. In 1884 he came from the high school and ap- plied for a position as apprentice in the works and was put to work in the pattern shop under
the charge of Mr. Tretheway. In 1889 he was. promoted to foreman of this department, a po- sition he filled with credit to himself and the com- pany. For his faithful service he was rewarded. by being appointed to his present position at the re-organization in 1907, a trust which he is fully qualified to fill.
The various departments, office and mechani- cal, are in charge of competent bookkeepers, fore- men, and assistants to execute the orders entrust- ed to this company and are men of wide ex- perience in their particular line.
WILLIAM O. CUTLER.
The quiet, unostentatious, but faithful, dis- charge of the duties devolving upon him as a citizen marked the life of Mr. Cutler in Califor- nia, and when he entered into rest, in June of 1897, there were many to join in expressions of friendship and sincere respect for the one taken from among them. For almost thirty years he had been a resident of California, having come here from the east in 1868, and thereafter he made his headquarters in San Joaquin and Cala- veras counties. A native of Massachusetts, born August 16, 1830, he passed the days of boyhood in Canada, having removed to a farm near Que- bec with his parents at an early age. The death of his father forced him to seek his own liveli- hood at an age when most boys were attending school and therefore he lacked the education he would have been glad to receive. When he left Canada it was to cross into Vermont, where he was employed as driver of a stage coach. Later he went to Massachusetts and worked by the day. During 1868, as previously stated, he came to. California and secured a position as stage-driver for Sisson & Co., with headquarters at Stockton. Eventually the stage line was transferred to Mil-
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ton and afterward he made Calaveras county his home.
The marriage of Mr. Cutler took place in Jan- uary, 1873, and united him with Mrs. Delphina J. (Eaton) Dennis, an honored pioneer woman of Calaveras county, who during a long resi- dence in the state won a host of warm personal friends. Her character suited her environment, for she was gentle, yet fearless, a capable nurse in sickness, kind to the needy and ever ready to sacrifice her own comfort to aid others less for- tunately situated. Her parents, True and Abi- gail T. (Comins) Eaton, were natives of New England and there lived on a farm for years. During January of 1862 they arrived in Cali- fornia, where Mr. Eaton died in June of the fol- lowing year. Mrs. Eaton died in Ione, Cal., in 1895, at the age of eighty-four years.
FRED O. GARDINER.
Among the younger generation of educators in the west few names are more prominently as- sociated with the educational development in San Joaquin county than that of Fred O. Gardiner, the efficient resident manager of the Stockton Business College. This college is one of the eleven institutions incorporated under the general head known as Healds Colleges, a system which taken collectively has been a tremendous force in preparing the youthful mind to compete with the problems of business life.
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