Pen pictures from the garden of the world, or Santa Clara county, California, Part 115

Author: Foote, Horace S., ed
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Chicago : The Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 844

USA > California > Santa Clara County > Pen pictures from the garden of the world, or Santa Clara county, California > Part 115

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He served as Mayor until 1877, when the people thought they needed his services in the ensuing Legislature and elected him to the Senate by an overwhelming popular vote. At this session he was instrumental in framing and enacting the law provid- ing for a convention to reform the constitution of the State. During this term there was developed from

some hidden source an organized attack on the benev- olent and charitable institutions of the State. Mr. Murphy proved himself an able champion of these institutions, and succeeded in defeating their enemies. To his zeal in this behalf, the Ladies' Benevolent Society of San Jose owes the liberal appropriation which it received at that session. The suggestions made by him in regard to government and support of charitable institutions were afterward, in substance, incorporated into the constitution, and became a part of the organic law of the State.

At this session came up also the question of the State Normal School. The competing counties had never forgiven San Jose for carrying away this prize, and had always shown a disposition to cut down the appropriation for its support. San Jose had donated to the State twenty-two acres of ground in the heart of the city as a site for this institution. Heretofore the appropriations had been only sufficient for the current expenses of the school. One of the first acts of Mr. Murphy when he took his seat in the Senate was to ask through the Assembly Committee on Ways and Means, for money enough to improve the grounds of the State Normal School. This, to those who had opposed the location of the school in San Jose, was like flaunting a red flag in the face of a mad bull. They were determined that this appropri- ation should not be made, and many were the com- binations put up both in Senate and Assembly to de- feat this clause of the bill. But after a desperate struggle, the bill finally passed both houses with the appropriation intact.

Mr. Murphy's service as Mayor had familiarized him with the wants of the city, and while in the Sen- ate secured the enactment of several laws for its ben- efit, notable among which was the act prescribing the method of improving the streets, and under which the city worked so successfully until the new Consti- tution went into effect.

At this session, also, Mr. Murphy finished one of his greatest works in behalf of this community, in securing the passage of the law authorizing the Board of Supervisors to fund, without interest, the warrants held by the Lick Board of Trustees, for the con- struction of the Mount Hamilton road. For the his- tory of this transaction it will be necessary to go back a few years. Mr. Lick's first deed of gift contained a clause devoting $750,000 to the construction and equipment of an observatory, which was to be pro- vided with a telescope having the largest and most powerful lens known to science. Mr. Murphy was

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named as one of the Trustees, and took early occa- sion to point out to Mr. Lick that the proper location for the observatory would be Mount Hamilton, in Santa Clara County. Mr. Lick's objection to this proposition was that the mountain was inaccessible, there being no road to the summit. Mr. Murphy finally induced Mr. Lick to say that if there was a good road to the summit he would locate the observa- tory on Mount Hamilton. Mr. Murphy took the next train to San Jose, secured a special meeting of the Board of Supervisors, and, going before them, accompanied by Judge Belden, showed them the great desirability of securing this magnificent institution for our county. The Supervisors agreed with him, but were, owing to technicalities of the law, power- less to act. The road would cost a large sum, vari- ously estimated at from $60,000 to $120,000. The law required that all money collected in any road district by taxation should be expended in that dis- trict, and as the proposed road lay entirely in one district it would be too great a burden. Besides, they had nothing in the shape of a legal contract to show that Mr. Lick was not at liberty to change his mind after the road was constructed. The last objection was the one most difficult to answer, but it was finally met by giving a personal guarantee that Mr. Lick would stand by his proposition. A preliminary sur- vey of the country was made, and a practicable route discovered. Mr. Murphy returned to Mr. Lick, and so represented matters to him that he not only made the contract asked by the Board, but offered to loan the county money with which to build the road. It is not possible, in this brief sketch, to give in detail all the work done by Mr. Murphy to accomplish this work, but it is a historical fact that to Mr. Murphy is due the location of the Lick Observatory upon Mount Hamilton. Of the money needed to construct the road, Mr. Lick and his Trustees furnished something more than $65,000, taking therefor county warrants. It was a portion of these warrants that Mr. Murphy, while a member of the Senate, succeeded in funding without interest, saving to the county something near $20,000.

The people desired, in 1878, to send him as a dele- gate to the Constitutional Convention, but he said that as he had been instrumental in securing the passage of the law calling the convention, it would be indelicate for him to become a member of it. For this reason he firmly refused to allow his name to be presented as a delegate. The people, however, seemed determined to have his services in some capacity, and

almost unanimously re-elected him as Mayor of the city.

During his former terms as Mayor there had been inaugurated a system for the improvement of the channel of the Guadaloupe River. The waters of this stream had, by its almost constant overflow, been a source of great inconvenience and danger to the early settlers. As the country became settled, and the brush cleared off, this annoyance decreased, but still, in heavy winters, the water would leave the banks, flood- ing the lower portion of the city, frequently coming up as far as the Convent wall. Under Mr. Murphy's administration the channel was cleaned out and straightened, and levees constructed along the banks, so as effectually to prevent incursions from the water, no matter how heavy might be the rainfall.

In his last term as Mayor the present magnificent system of sewerage was given, effect, and the city effectually barricaded against diseases having their origin in imperfect drainage.

In 1880 the State Normal School buildings were burned to the ground. Immediately a bill was in- troduced into the Legislature to re-locate the school, and the battle of ten years before was again re- newed. At this time Mr. Murphy was not a member of the Legislature and owed no extraordi- nary duty to its constituents; but he left his business, and, going to Sacramento, devoted his time, energy, and influence in behalf of San Jose. After a struggle which continued during nearly the entire session, he succeeded in securing his object, and an appropriation was made with which the present magnificent build- ings were erected.

In 1883 he was again elected to the State Senate by a larger majority than was received by any other candidate on the legislative ticket. It would be im- possible to enumerate all the positions of trust Mr. Murphy has held, or all the public enterprises in which he has been a leading spirit. He served as Judge Advocate General on the staffs of Governors Booth, Pacheco, and Irwin; he was Chairman of the Board of Freeholders to frame a new Charter for San Jose; he was chosen Presidential Elector at Large on the Democratic ticket in 1888; he stood by the San Jose Woolen Mills when that enterprise was about to fail, and with money and counsel assisted to make it a success; with the exception of one term, he has been President of the Commercial and Savings Bank since its organization; in short, he has never been out of office since he left school. Although a man of great intelligence and information, he has never been out of

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the limits of the State of California on any extended traveling tour. Whatever journeys he has made have been hurried trips on business. In his extensive busi- ness relations he has come in contact with hundreds of people of all nationalities, of all sorts of disposi- tions, and in all walks of life, and they are all his friends. Like his father and his grandfather, he is noted for his charities, and when worthy objects are presented to his notice they receive assistance, with- out regard to nationality or religious creed.

Mr. Murphy was married, in 1869, to Miss Annie McGeoghegan, and has a large family of talented children.

W. HOLLENBECK was born in Eaton, Madi- son County, New York, December 15, 1814. His parents, Abraham and Betsy (White) Hol- lenbeck, were natives of Connecticut. They were married in that State, and at a very early date removed to Madison County, New York, and were among the early pioneers there. In 1836 they re- moved to Cass County, Michigan, where their son, Albert G. Hollenbeck, was living. Abraham died there in December, 1836, and his widow returned to Madison County, New York, and died there in 1859. They had five sons and three daughters, of whom two are now living. Benjamin W., the subject of this notice, was raised on the old home place, and lived there and in adjoining counties at times until he came to California, in 1859. He came by way of Panama, and landed in San Francisco June 25 of that year. He first went to San Jose, where he remained a few weeks looking around, and then went to work for a man named "Jake" Hansen, in Little Calaveras Val- ley. After a while he took a trip up North, but, find- ing nothing to suit him, returned to this valley and bought a place near Saratoga, and went to work get- ting out redwood timber from the mountains. He lived there five or six years, and then bought his pres- ent place in the Lincoln School District, where he has lived ever since. It was rough, stumpy lumber ; the tops of the trees were taken off, leaving the stumps standing ten or fifteen feet high, and it cost a great deal of labor to get them out. The place originally contained 160 acres, but he has sold off portions of it, so that he now has but sixty acres remaining. He has a vineyard of forty acres of wine grapes five years old, and besides has an acre or two of fruit-trees of differ- ent varieties. The rest of the land is used for hay

and grain. In 1887 he made 10,000 gallons of wine. The same year he built a winery at a cost of $1,500 for machinery and cooperage. The building was erected some time before this.

Mr. Hollenbeck was married in Madison County, New York, to Susan M. Hart, in 1857. She was a native of that county. They have two children, viz .: George E. Hollenbeck, and Addic, wife of H. M. Leonard, of Santa Clara. They also buried a daugh- ter,-Minnie,-wife of Olof Hanks, who died January 7, 1887.

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ILLIAM CULLY KERR was born in Bain- bridge, County Down, Ireland, June 9, 1848. His parents, Jonathan and Mary (Cully) Kerr, are natives of Ireland, and still living. They had nine children, of whom two sons and two daugh- ters are now living. William C. was the fourth child, and the eldest now living. He was brought up on a farm, and lived with his parents until twenty years old, when in 1868 he came to California and settled in Santa Clara County. For the first three years he worked for W. H. Ware (lately deceased) on his farm. He then rented a piece of land, got a team, and, after putting in his crop, began to haul wood, lumber, and doing a general teaming business. He followed this business for six years, when he bought 118 acres of land where the Los Gatos and Saratoga Winery now stands. There was a house on the place, and he added improvements to it, and also on the premises around. The house, partially insured, was destroyed by fire about three and one-half years after he occu- pied it. Afterward he crected a new house, the one now owned by D. B. Austin. After living on the place about eight years he sold it to Mr. Austin and bought fifty-two acres of land where he now lives, from which he has sold thirty-two acres. In 1885 he bought twenty acres adjoining, but sold it again. He put up his present dwelling in 1884. The land was unimproved when he purchased it. The improve- ments, including his residence, cost about $4,000. He has twenty acres in French prunes, numbering 2,160 trees, now four years old, has 250 apricots four years old, fifty Coe's Golden Drop plums, fifty Yellow Egg plums, 100 apples, fifty Winter Nelis pears, and fifty Bartlett pears, besides a family orchard containing a variety of fruit. All the trees are about four years old. In 1885 Mr. Kerr bought 198 acres of land in Santa Cruz County, on which he has a saw-mill. He is a

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VIEWS OF THE FRUIT-DRYING ESTABLISHMENT OF W. W. COZZENS. IN THE WILLOWS.

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member of the A. O. U. W. Lodge in Los Gatos, and has been a member of Ridgely Lodge, I. O. O. F., in Los Gatos, since its organization, and is also a mem- ber and Clerk of the Christian Church of Saratoga.

Mr. Kerr was married in May, 1871, to Jane Stan- field, a native of County Down, Ireland. Her father, John Stanfield, is an old resident of Santa Clara County. Mr. and Mrs. Kerr have four children, viz .: Jonathan A., James E., Marion A., and Aillie C.

W. COZZENS, residing on Minnesota Avenue, at the Willows, is one of the leading horticul- turists and fruit-driers of Santa Clara County. His drying establishment was first opened for business in 1879. The business has increased steadily since that time, and is now of great magnitude. Every variety of fruit is bought by him, and prepared for market, his shipments of dried fruits of the crop of 1887 aggregating over 800 tons. Capital, enterprise, and business capacity combined form a monopoly that may be of great good to the many. Realize how much the fruit-grower has been benefited by the reg- ular market established by the fruit-drier, whose capital and skill are so necessary in preparing a crop for, and placing upon, the distant market, at the proper time and in the proper condition. Mr. Coz- zens is largely interested in growing fruits, and is the owner of over 200 acres, devoted to the raising of prunes, apricots, and peaches.

Born in Sacramento, June 5, 1853, he is a thorough Californian. His parents, William W. and Mahala (Simons) Cozzens, are of New England birth. His father was one of the pioneers, coming by way of Panama, in 1850, his wife joining him two years later. They settled at the Willows, in October, 1873. W. W. Cozzens, Sr., was an active business man, being for many years engaged in the wholesale hay and grain trade. He early turned his attention to horti- culture, and, as in other pursuits, with great success. His death, at the age of sixty-five years, occurred in August, 1883. His widow survives. Her daughter, Kate, is a teacher in the Normal School at San Jose.

W. W. Cozzens, who is the subject of this sketch, married, on February 4, 1883, Miss Anna B. Boyer, daughter of F. J. Boyer, now a resident of Washington Territory. They have two children, William L. and an infant son. Mr. Cozzens is a member of the Ameri- can Horticultural Society, and of the Ancient Order

of United Workmen, and in politics is identified with the Republican party.

On the preceding page views are given of a portion of Mr. Cozzens' property.

HARLES W. VANDEGRIFT, who resides on his beautiful tract of eight acres at the Wil- lows, is a native of Ohio, having been born fifty miles north of Cincinnati, in 1836. He is a miller by trade, and followed that occupation until ten years ago, when he retired to his present home. He also was commander of a company of State militia stationed at Collinsville, Illinois, during the Rebellion, and although not mustered into active service they were equipped and ready for action at a moment's notice, and were held for service in case of an outbreak in Southern Illinois. He came to Cali- fornia in 1870, and conducted the mills at Nelson and Merced Falls, Merced County, for four years, after which he came to Alviso and managed the mills at that place for two years, when he bought the place he still owns at the Willows.

His father, James Vandegrift, was born near the close of the last century, and learned the milling busi- ness in the Brandywine Mills, in the State of Dela- ware. He was the first regularly instructed miller who crossed the Alleghany Mountains. Settling in Marysville, Kentucky, he engaged principally in build- ing mills in Brown County, Ohio, and in Mason County, Kentucky. He died in 1848, at Winchester, Ohio. His (Charles') mother, Margaret, nee O'Con- ner, was born in 1795, at Fort Washington-where Cincinnati now stands-being the second white child born there. She was united in marriage to Mr. Van- degrift's father at Marysville, Kentucky, in 1815. The issue of this marriage were nine children: Nancy, the first-born, died at the age of eighteen months; the second, William O., who was born in 1820, joined the Confederate army from Arkansas, and was proba- bly killed in service; Elizabeth, born in 1822, married Abner Neuman, and now lives in Brown County, Ohio; Mary J., still unmarried, lives in the same county; John A., born in 1826, lives in Brown County, Ohio, and is also unmarried; James Madison, born in 1829, died in Kansas in 1882; Andrew J., born in 1832, is living in St. Louis, Missouri; the subject of our sketch is their eighth child; their next is George WV., who was born in 1840, and is now living in St. Louis. Mr. Vandegrift was married, in 1862, to Miss An-

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geline B. Kneedler, a native of Collinsville, Illinois, daughter of Jacob Kneedler, a merchant of that city, and Martha W. (Blackiston) Kneedler, a native of Wilmington, Delaware. Mr. Vandegrift has three children: Albert E., born December 20, 1862, at Col- linsville, Illinois, and married to Miss Jennie French, of San Jose, in July, 1886; George W. was born in 1862, and still resides at home; Fannie M. was born in 1878, and attends school at the Willows. Mr. Van- degrift had four brothers in the Union army, all brave and patriotic soldiers.

Mr. Vandegrift is a charter member of Santa Clara Lodge, No. 238, Free Masons, a member of the I. O. O. F., having been Past Grand for twenty-five years; also an honored member of various other fraternal orders. He has been a Republican since Lincoln's first election, and believes in the protection of Ameri- can industries and the fruit interests of California.

APT. CHARLES A. FRENCH was born in Prospect, Maine, July 22, 1821. His parents, e Josiah and Sarah (Clewley) French, were natives of the same town, the former a descendant of the old Plymouth stock. In 1836 his parents moved to Bangor, Maine, where Charles was principally educated. Josiah French was an old sea captain and owner of vessels, and in his younger days Charles took numerous sea voyages with his father. When he was fourteen or fifteen years old he engaged in the mercantile business, which pursuit he followed for eight or ten years, part of the time in Bangor and part in Providence, Rhode Island. In 1849 he closed his business and went to sea. He had an interest in a merchant ship, and, taking command of the vessel, engaged in the Atlantic trade, doing business with European and West India ports. He has visited nearly all the different countries of the globe, making voyages to China and Australia, and engaged in trade with Brazil and the west coast of South America. In 1861 he entered the service of the United States Navy as Acting Master, and remained until the close of the war. He had command of five different men- of-war vessels, and resigned his commission as Acting Volunteer Lieutenant Commander in November, 1865. After the war closed he was engaged for one year in running a passenger and freight steamer from New York and Philadelphia to Savannah, Georgia. With this exception, his voyages were in the foreign trade.

In 1883 he retired from the sea and located in San Francisco, and about a year after bought his present ranch near Saratoga.

Captain French was married, in 1843, to Lorena Emerson, of Reading, Massachusetts. She died in 1871, leaving four children, two of whom are now living. He was married again in June, 1880, to Mrs. Jane M. Sykes, a native of Liverpool, England. His ranch contains twenty and a half acres, all in fruit, consisting of the following varieties: 1,200 French prunes, 300 apricots, 100 peaches, 30 cherries, 75 egg- plums, and a family orchard, together with 4,000 vines of different varieties, mostly table grapes.

OHN ALFRED LINQUIST, of San Jose Town- ship, is a native of Sweden, born December 15, 1861, his parents being John and Margaret (An- derson) Linquist. The subject commenced attend- ance at school in his native land, but at the age of seven years left home and emigrated to America, sail- ing from Stockholm to New York. He went to Min- nesota, and for seven years was engaged at farm work in the vicinity of Minneapolis. He then went back to the land of his birth, but returned to America in 1879. Landing at New York, he took steamer from there to Aspinwall, and again at Panama for San Francisco. He then came to Santa Clara County, which has ever since been his home.

He was married, January 12, 1887, to Mrs. Mary Pennoyer, whose maiden name was Fox. She was the widow of Harry Pennoyer. They have a beautiful place of fifteen acres, of which ten acres are planted to fruit. Mr. Linquist is a member of the Presby- terian Church. He is an intelligent, progressive man, and although he has been all his life a worker, he has given much attention to mental improvement and to good books. Mr. Linquist has four children by his first marriage, namely: Harry, Annie, Libbie, and Susie.

GILLIAM COX was born in Coshocton, Ohio, 00 January 21, 1827. His father, John Cox, was a native of Virginia, and went to Ohio when about eight years old, where he was married to Mary Hammel, a native of Pennsylvania, who was taken to Ohio also when very young. In 1846 they

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moved to Lee County, Iowa, where they made their permanent home, residing there until their death. They raised a family of two sons and five daughters. William, the eldest child, lived with his parents till 1852, when he, his father, John Cox, and a sister, Mrs. Serena Blythe, came across the plains, and were about six months making the trip. There were four wagons in the party who came through together to the Santa Clara Valley. Capt. Robert Gruwell commanded the party. William at once hired out as a farm hand, and he and his wife worked at everything they could get to do. The next season he rented a piece of land from his brother-in-law, Samuel A. Blythe, and put in a crop.

In 1854 he bought his present place (under a Span- ish title at that time), consisting of seventy acres. A few years afterward he bought more land, and now owns 315 acres, all of which is under cultivation. He has about fifteen acres in orchard and vineyard, the trees ranging from one to thirty years old. The vine- yard is four years old. He has about 100 French prunes from one to four years old; 50 peaches, to- gether with apricots, pears, apples, etc. Mr. Cox is one of the larger growers of grain and hay. The present year he cut his entire crop for hay, and has about 300 tons.

He was married, August 10, 1848, in Lee County, Iowa, to Dicey Baggs, a native of Champaign County, Ohio. They have five sons and two daughters, viz .: John, who has a ranch adjoining his father's; Jacob M., residing in San Jose; Maria, wife of Andrew Loyst, residing near Saratoga; Mary J. Cox, George W. Cox, residing in San Jose; and Joseph E., at La- fayette. They lost two children: Elmira, who died March 18, 1859, aged two years, and William, who died October 6, 1876, in his eighteenth year.

YMAN McGUIRE was born in St. Clair County, Illinois, September 19, 1850. His father, Joseph McGuire, was a native of Pennsylvania, and his mother, Catharine Halbert, a native of Virginia. Joseph's father removed to Illinois in 1826, when he was two years old, and he and his wife now live in Macon County, Illinois. They have a family of eight children, Lyman being the fourth. He lived with his parents until he was twenty-two years of age. when he went to Harristown, Illinois, and was engaged in the business of buying and shipping grain; he was

also Postmaster and station agent for the Wabash Railroad. He remained there eight years, when he moved on a farm in the same county (Macon), and remained there three years, and then, in 1884, came to California and bought a place of twenty-one acres in the vicinity of his present residence, but after two years he sold out and purchased the place on which he now resides, near Saratoga. It contains thirty-six acres, of which twenty-four are in fruit, consisting of 1,200 French prunes (500 of which are thirteen years old), 200 apricots, 500 peaches, 375 pears, 200 En- glish walnuts, and 100 apples. The place is nearly all in full-bearing trees. The product in 1887 was: Apricots, $240; walnuts, $100; prunes, $1,300; apples, $50. In that year Mr. McGuire purchased a Flem- ing Fruit Dryer with a capacity of 9,000 pounds of fruit per day, and the same year he handled 40 tons of apricots, 10 tons of peaches, and 60 tons of prunes in addition to his own fruit.

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Pen pictures from the garden of the world, or Santa Clara county, California, Part 115

Author: Foote, Horace S., ed Publication date: 1888 Publisher: Chicago : The Lewis Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 844

Author: Foote, Horace S., ed
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Chicago : The Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 844