Pen pictures from the garden of the world, or Santa Clara county, California, Part 46

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 46

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Dr. Babb was married, in 1848, to Miss Lydia Hulbert, of Hillsdale, Michigan, and during all these years of editorial service resided in the city of Cin- cinnati or its suburbs, and was active in all its phil- anthropic and religious work. During the war he

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proved himself a stanch patriot; was chosen Chaplain of the Twenty-second Ohio Volunteers in November, 1861, and was at the capture of Fort Donelson, the battle of Shiloh, and the siege of Corinth. In 1873, owing to failing health, he decided to remove to a friendlier climate, and came to California. Until 1874 he resided in San Jose, but then purchased the " Laurel Ranch," which he is now so wonderfully im- proving.

Mrs. Babb is a daughter of Chancey Hulbert, an eminent attorney at law of Northern Ohio, who died in early manhood. They have two children, Frank H. and Helen, both living with their parents. The son is a graduate of Marietta College, Ohio, and not only takes entire charge of the orchard and the stock, but is also active in other spheres of usefulness, being President of the Young Men's Christian Association, of San Jose, and Superintendent of the Sunday- school of the First Presbyterian Church.

It should be stated further that Dr. Babb is still an associate editor of the Herald and Presbyter, where, over the now well-known and favorite initials of " C. E. B.," his weekly letters are weekly expected. The Interior, of Chicago, and the Occident, of San Fran- cisco, also make weekly calls upon his facile and forcible pen. After coming to California, Dr. Babb, in a measure, recovered his voice, and has frequently added preaching on Sunday to his vast week-day preaching. He has even occasionally taken pastoral charges for short periods, and always is an original and vivid speaker as well as thinker. His style is chiefly characterized by simplicity, earnestness, pict- uresqueness, and a wonderful freshness and aptness of illustration. He is of slight, nervous figure, with a delicate, refined face, keen blue eyes, abundant gray hair, and the active movement of a young and vigor- ous man. He is extremely cordial in manner, and overflowing with cheerful sociability. Whoever en- ters his cottage door finds welcome, good cheer, whole- some and inspiring thought, and a charming domestic atmosphere.

OHN P. BABB. There is no happier lot in the world than that of the proprietor of a landed estate, who lives upon his acres and devotes him- self to their cultivation-that is, where the soil is fertile and the climate genial, such as is the case in the Santa Clara Valley. That is the reason why

everywhere, throughout the length and breadth of the county, "hill-side and hollow, and the verdant plain," all are dotted with the residences of comfort and con- tentment. One of these delightful cottages, which bespeak at once both thrift and culture, is. the Hill Crest Orchard, near the head of Fleming Avenue, in the Mount Pleasant School District, amid the roll- ing foot-hills that skirt the base of Mount Hamilton. It is the home of Mr. John P. Babb, who owns sixty acres here, twenty-five of which are orchard land, pro- ducing apricots, French prunes, and almonds, as also a scattering variety of peaches, apples, plums, cher- ries, etc. All are thrifty and vigorous, betokening at once careful attention and a favoring soil and loca- tion. There is also a small vineyard, including Mus- cat, Black Hamburg, Flame Tokay, Sweetwater, and Malaga grapes, designed chiefly for table use. The remainder of the ranch is devoted to hay and the raising of live stock, water for every purpose being obtained at a depth of forty feet.

Mr. Babb was married in 1861 to Miss Nettie Het- field Williams, a native of Cincinnati, Ohio. They have two children, Clement E. and Walter W., both at home with their parents, and members of the Young Men's Christian Association, of San Jose. Mr. Babb was born in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, May 28, 1837, the son of John P. and Mary (Shriner) Babb, and is the brother of Rev. Clement E. Babb, D. D., whose interesting biography precedes this. His father died when he was but four years old; his mother died four years after. At the age of twelve years he removed to Indiana, but four years afterward returned to Pennsylvania. When eighteen years old he be- came a shipping-clerk in a commission house in Cin- cinnati, afterward learning the duties of a printer; shortly he was promoted to the reportorial staff of the Cincinnati Gazette. In 1860 he engaged in farm- ing in Jennings County, Indiana, continuing there until 1874, when he came to this county in California and purchased the valuable ranch where he now re- sides, which at that time was wholly unimproved.

He is a member of the First Presbyterian Church of San Jose, being one of its Deacons, his whole family being also members in good standing of that church.

During the war he was a Sergeant in Company B, 1.37th Indiana Volunteers, entering the service in 1864. He remained until the close of the struggle, being on detached service in the Commissary Department at Tullahoma, Tennessee, and having charge of the books of that department. After the conclusion of hostili- ties he received an honorable discharge.

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

It should be further stated that Mrs. Babb's parents were named John M. and Catherine J. (Lane) Will- iams; her father was of a good New Jersey family, and is still living, residing near Wrights, Santa Cruz Mountains. Her mother, a native of Ohio, died when Mrs. Babb was quite young.

HOMAS S. MONTGOMERY, President and Manager of the firm of Montgomery, Rea & Co., is one of the representative business men of San Jose, whose career has been excep- tionally successful. The company of which he is the head was incorporated in November, 1887, to carry on a general real-estate, building, insurance, and loaning and investment business, and is the outgrowth of the real-estate business established ten years previously by Mr. Montgomery in San Jose. After nine years of profitable operations alone, he formed a part- nership with Mr. James Rea, the Vice - President of the company, in 1886; and a year later other gen- tlemen became interested, and articles of incorpora- tion were taken out. The company makes a specialty of building and selling houses on the installment plan. The volume of business transacted is among the largest in the Santa Clara Valley, their sales of real estate alone, in 1887, aggregating $2,000,000. In one day in August, 1887, their sales amounted to nearly $400,000. Besides their real estate and insurance, the company has a large rental and collection business, including the control of many of the prominent bloeks of the city. Mr. Montgomery estimates that the value of all classes of real estate in and about San Jose has doubled during the past seven years.

The gentleman whose name heads this sketch is a native son of the Santa Clara Valley, born thirty-two years ago. At thirteen years of age he started out in life as a newsboy, and at sixteen became entirely self-dependent. He took a course of business train- ing, graduated at two business colleges, and taught in the San Jose Institute two years. He was then em- ployed as bookkeeper two years, after which he began dealing in real estate. He is a director in the com- pany which erected and owns the Hotel Vendome, incorporated for $250,000, and also one of the organ- izers and a director of the Garden City National Bank. His parents settled in Santa Clara County in 1853, and still reside here. His father is a Virginian by birth, and his mother is a native of Ohio.

AVID UMBARGER, residing on the Monterey road, south of San Jose, has the honor of being one of the " Forty-niners " of California. He is a native of Wythe County, West Virginia, born in October, 1815, his parents being Leonard and Mar- garet (Cooper) Umbarger, both of them residents of Virginia. David was reared in his native county, and resided there until 1838, when he went to Clark County, Illinois. In 1846 he removed to Kentucky. On the second day of April, 1849, he set out for Cali- fornia, and at West Liberty, Missouri, he became one of a party bound for the golden coast. Their jour- ney was a long one, the route adopted taking them by way of San Diego, from which point they went by water to San Francisco, sailing through the Golden Gate on the eleventh of January, 1850. He at once went into the mines of Mariposa County, and after- ward to a camp on Curtis Creek, near Sonora. He spent the winter in San Francisco, and in the spring resumed mining at Auburn. From there he went to Nevada, and thence to the Yubas, and on Feather River. In 1853 he came to Santa Clara County, locating where he now resides, he having bought land at this place in 1851. He has made every vestige of improvement to be seen here, and has been an eye- witness to the great transformation which has since occurred in this valley. His ranch is an attractive place of 138 acres, devoted to grain and pasture. It is productive land, and is well kept up.

Mr. Umbarger is a member of the Christian Church, and is a Democrat in politics.

EREMIAH B. CHURCH. Among the well- known citizens of Santa Clara County is the sub- ject of this sketch, a few facts in regard to whose life are herewith given. Mr. Church is a native of the Province of Nova Scotia, and dates his birth July 2, 1829. His parents, George and Annie (Brownell) Church, were also natives of Nova Scotia. Until the age of eighteen years he was occupied upon his fa- ther's farm, where he became well versed in the practi- cal labors of farm life. In 1847 he left the farm and learned the trade of blacksmithing, a calling that he followed until 1852. In that year he embarked on the ship Mary Merrill, for a voyage around Cape Horn to California. This long but uneventful voyage ter- minated in September of the same year, when he dis- embarked at San Francisco. Soon after his arrival

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he engaged in mining in Placer County. He was en- gaged in mining for about two months, being com- pelled to abandon the occupation en account of ill health. He then came to Santa Clara County, ar- riving in December, 1852. His first enterprise in the county was in renting a farm two and one-half miles southwest of San Jose, which he cultivated for the next three years. In 1859 he rented the farm of John Townsend, on the Milpitas road, north of San Jose, and there engaged in general farming until 1868. In the latter year he took up his residence in San Jose, where, in partnership with W. O. Barker, he en- gaged in the livery business, they being the proprie- tors of the Grey Eagle Stables. This business was successfully conducted for three years, when his fail- ing health compelled his retirement from the firm. His continued ill health compelled him to abandon all business enterprises until 1874, when he was ap- pointed by the Board of Supervisors as Superintend- ent of the Santa Clara County Infirmary, a position he has held almost continuously since that date. Mr. Church's management of this important institution is worthy of notice. He seems to be "the right man in the right place." His long experience, untiring zeal, and straightforward business management have placed the Infirmary in the ranks of the best conducted pub- lic institutions in the county. The records of the in- stitution are kept in the most systematic manner, for which he is entitled to great credit, as the system was almost entirely inaugurated and perfected by himself. In political matters Mr. Church is a strong and con- sistent Republican. He is a member of Garden City Lodge, No. 142, I. O. O. F., being Past Grand of the same. He is also a member of the A. O. U. W., and is trustee of the Grand Lodge, which office he has held for the last seven years.

In 1860 he married Miss Emily Page, the daughter of James and Elizabeth Page, who were residents of Nova Scotia. They have four children living, viz .: George F., Arthur P., Lillian E., and Ethel P. Arthur P. resides at Los Angeles, Lillian E. is a teacher in the public schools in San Benito County, and the others are residing with their parents.

RS. MARY A. HAYES. In the lovely valley of Santa Clara, where there are so many feat- ures to charm and delight the eye of the lover of the beautiful, it is indeed a difficult task to select the most handsome individual places; but even here there are some which present so many attractions

as to be worthy of much more than a passing notice. Some six miles south of San Jose, on the main high- way between that point and Monterey, is one of these notable places. It is the farm residence of Mrs. Mary Hayes and her family, and is said by those competent to judge, to have no superior in natural beauty in the State of California. In this tract are 240 acres, and of this, a beautiful natural grove of live-oak trees cover thirty acres. This is the residence plat. Along its front, and bordering the avenue, is a row of stately eucalyptus trees, which adorn the place without intercepting the view from the roadway. When the present owners took possession, in 1887, the grounds were already handsome, but a vast amount of labor, judiciously directed, has since been expended in beautifying them. An evergreen bower, inclosing flower beds in many designs, occupies a portion of the space between the residence and the road front. The winding walks are also bordered with evergreens and roses. The building improvements, which are to be on an extensive scale, will require some time before the plans of the owners are realized. In 1887 the contract was let for the construction of the stable building, and the same year finished, at a cost of $10,- 000. It is a handsomely designed structure, not ex- celled in the county, and has every appointment for the housing and comfort of fine driving horses. Among its beauties may be mentioned five attractive sleeping-rooms for attendants. The crowning building improvement, however, is to be the palatial residence, which will be commenced and possibly completed in 1888, at a cost of between $50,000 and $75,000. Eastern architects are now engaged on the plans for the building. One eighty-acre tract on the place has been set aside for fruit-growing. Already thirteen acres have been planted to choice varieties, suited to the climate, including apricots, pears, peaches, plums, French and German prunes, almonds, cherries, quinces, apples, and figs. About 500 vines have been set out, -all choice varieties of table grapes. The Southern Pacific Railroad Company has located a station at this point on its line, and has appropriately named it "Eden Vale." The owners of this property, although comparatively new-comers to this valley, are public- spirited and take an active interest in the welfare of Santa Clara County.

Mrs. Mary Hayes, the head of the family, is the widow of Anson E. Hayes. From published volumes of genealogy of the Hayes and Folsom families, the following facts are mainly obtained: Anson E. Hayes was born at Granby, Connecticut, August 27, 1813.

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

He came of an old New England family, who were prominent in colonial and revolutionary times, and was a cousin of ex-President Rutherford B. Hayes. He came in early childhood to New York, and resided there until 1842, when he removed to Waterloo, Jef- ferson County, Wisconsin, where he followed agricult- ure until his death. He was twice married: First in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, July 4, 1848, to Helen Jerusha Hopson, daughter of Simeon and Ruth Hop- son. She was born at Scriba, New York, May 16, 1826, and her death occurred July 24, 1852, at Waterloo, Wisconsin. Mr. Hayes was married the second time, May 14, 1854, to Miss Mary Folsom. She is a native of Holland, New York, and a daughter of Rev. Abraham and Miriam (Bean) Folsom. Rev. Abraham Folsom was born in New Hampshire, August 9, 1784, and was a son of Daniel and Mary (Moody) Folsom. He was one of five brothers who became ministers, out of a family of seven. Abra- ham learned the blacksmith's trade, but in 1803 was ordained a Free-will Baptist preacher. In 1813 he was married, at Gilmanton, New Hampshire, to Miriam Bean, who was born May 5, 1786, and died at Waterloo, Wisconsin, in January, 1866. From New Hampshire he went to Tunbridge, Vermont, and from there to New York in 1828. He became pastor at Cuba, in the latter State, officiating in that capacity over one flock for twenty-one years. He is described as a man of singular modesty and simplicity, and was regarded as an eloquent preacher and a very re- markable man. Though called to the office of a teacher and preacher, he did not entirely forsake the business of a mechanic, but showed his ability, when desired, using his tools in manual labor. His children were: Hannah (deceased), Abraham French, Edna (deceased), Stephen, who died in 1878, William A., who resides, in Tuscumbia, Missouri; Jeremiah, who resides in Alexander, Dakota; Matilda (deceased), Lucina, who resides at Eden Vale; Mary (Mrs. Hayes), and Lodema, the wife of Isaac Atwood, who also re- sides at Eden Vale.

Mrs. Hayes was but three years of age when her father removed to Cuba, New York, and there she re- mained until she had reached twenty-four, when the family removed to Waterloo, Wisconsin. She had taught school while in New York and resumed the profession for a time in Wisconsin, and in the latter State she finished her schooling at the educational institutions of Waterloo and Columbus. Her chil- dren were three sons, the youngest of whom, Charles Carroll, was born August 24, 1861, and died February

26, 1865. The two surviving sons make their home with their families, at the Eden Vale Farm. The older, Everett Anson, married Nettie L. Porter, a graduate of Wisconsin State University, at Madison, and daughter of Clinton H. (deceased) and Mary (Monroe) Porter, both of whose parents were natives of New York. They have two children: Sibyl Char- ity and an infant boy. Mr. Hayes is a graduate of the Wisconsin State University, both in letters and in law. He practiced law as a profession for six years, a portion of the time in Madison, in the firm of E. A. & J. O. Hayes, and the remainder with Colonel Knight, at Ashland, as a member of the firm of Knight & Hayes. J. Orley Hayes, the younger brother, married Miss Clara I. Lyon, a graduate of Wisconsin State University, and daughter of Judge William P. Lyon, of the Supreme Court of Wiscon- sin. Her mother was Adelaide, nee Duncan. Mr. Hayes was educated at Wisconsin State University, and is a graduate of the Law Department. He prac- ticed his profession five years, and then, like his brother, was compelled to make his practice subserv- ient to the management of the great business interests of the family in the Lake Superior Iron Mines. These mines are the celebrated "Germania," at Hur- ley, Wisconsin, and the " Ashland," which is in Mich- igan, though only one mile distant. These two mincs employ about 1,000 mcn in taking out ore. The min- eral extracted is all the best Bessemer ore, and the output at Hurley reaches over 300,000 tons per an- num. One-half of the Ashland mine sold, a short time since, for the highest price ever known in the history of iron mining in this country. E. A. and J. O. Hayes are the principal officers in both com- panies. While they are eminent in their chosen pro- fession, the placing of these great mining interests on their present footing has compelled them to withdraw, for the time, almost entirely from their law practice.

S. BRIGGS, master builder on the construction · of the buildings for the Leland Stanford, Jr., University, is a man who has made his own way in the world, and progressed to positions of re- sponsibility from modest beginnings. He is a native of North Lancashire, England, born March 19, 1833, and was reared there to the age of twenty-three years, learning the stone-mason's and general building trades. He came to America in 1857, and to California in the following year.

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FOHN W. BARNEY was born in Coles County, Illinois, June 19, 1849. His parents, David and Catharine (Davis) Barney, came across the plains to California in 1850, and established themselves in the hotel business in the mining districts, at which they continued until 1853, in which year they came to Santa Clara County. Mr. Barney was reared and educated in this county, attending the public schools until 1862. In that year he left school and went to work at farm labor. Although but a lad, he was strong and willing to work, and was able to do the work of a man in the harvest-field. At the age of nineteen years he went into partnership with John Reed in harvesting grain. After one season of this he sold out his interest in the machinery, etc., and engaged himself in teaming and hauling grain to Al- viso. In 1869 he entered into partnership with James A. Hutchinson, and rented two hundred acres of land near Salinas, Monterey County, and for the next three years was engaged in raising grain. He was also quite extensively engaged in teaming, which he continued until 1878. In this latter year he removed to Wash- ington Territory, where he worked at farm labor for about a year. In 1879 he returned to Santa Clara County, and in January of the next year married Mrs. Sarah J. (Layton) Ware, widow of David Ware, of Santa Clara County. In 1880 he located in Wash- ington Territory, Lewis County, intending to make his home there. While there he met with an accident which resulted in the loss of his right leg. This com- pelled an abandonment of all prospects of building up a home in that country, and he returned to Santa Clara County. His disability was such as to render him unable to follow laborious pursuits, and in 1882 he located in Alviso, where he opened a saloon in the Alviso Hotel, a calling he has since pursued. Mr. Barney has, through his misfortune, been compelled to take up a calling that is not congenial to his tastes, but he is conducting it in a straightforward and re- spectable manner. From the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Barney, three children have been born, viz .: Charles A., Frank, and Morgan Daniel. From Mrs. Barney's previous marriage there is one child living, Albert D. Ware.

OHN D. SHAFTER. This well-known and highly respected resident of Santa Clara County is a native of Vermont, having been born in Athens, of that State, in 1820. His parents, John

L. and Ruth (Dean) Shafter, were both natives of Vermont, living on a farm which they owned at Athens, and where they died and are buried, the mother dying in 1866, aged seventy-eight years; the father in 1868, aged eighty-one years. Mr. Shafter's paternal grandfather was born in England in 1759, removing to the United States with his parents when quite young. He became a soldier in the War of the Revolution, and later represented his district for many years in the State Legislature. The maternal grand- father was of English descent. Mr. Shafter attended the district schools of his native place and worked on his father's farm until the breaking out of the gold fever in California, when, with others composing a stock company who bought the ship Regulus, he came to California by way of Cape Horn. Captain Brad- ford was the ship's commander, and they were 210 days in making the trip, arriving safely in San Fran- cisco October 10, 1849. They had loaded the ship with provisions, with the timbers of a house ready to put up upon its arrival, to be used for mercantile pur- poses, and also with freight for others. On their arrival, however, they abandoned their plan of operat- ing together as a company, and sold their house and provisions. The ship was taken to Benicia and an- chored there, to be used as a home in case any of the owners should have occasion to use it as such, on account of sickness or other cause. Their chests and other effects were stowed in the ship, which was then left in charge of two keepers. These guardians after- ward sold the vessel without authority, appropriated the proceeds, and returned to Massachusetts. Mr. Shafter, with others, went to the mines, working in El Dorado County until the spring of 1852, with the usual average results, when he returned to the old farm in Vermont to take care of his father and mother. Perhaps another motive was mingled with filial duty, as he was married in September of 1852 to Miss Susan Richmond, a native of the same town. There were born to them three children: Frank R., now engaged in fruit-raising in Santa Clara County; Florence R., wife of Charles Bothwell, of San Jose, and Minnie, who died in San Francisco in 1862. Mr. Shafter lived on the Vermont farm from 1852 to 1859, his eldest child being born there; the other two were born at Point Reyes, California. In 1859 Mr. Shafter re- turned with his family to California, and took charge of the celebrated Point Reyes Ranch for its owners. Here he lived for five years, improving the ranch and developing the dairy industry at that point. In 1864 he rented a ranch at Point Reyes, and, buying stock,

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Pen pictures from the garden of the world, or Santa Clara county, California, Part 46

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