Pen pictures from the garden of the world, or Santa Clara county, California, Part 53

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 53

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RVING HERRINGTON, Esq., a Justice of the Peace of Santa Clara, was born at Santa Clara, July 9, 1859. He is the oldest of four sons, and one of six children of Hon. Dennis W. and Mary H. (Hazelton) Herrington. He graduated at the public High School of Santa Clara in the class of 1876, and then took a higher course at " Franklin French Acad- emy," at Santa Clara, under Prof. Q. C. Collins. At the age of eighteen he began the study of law with his father, and continued three years, but as yet has not applied for admittance to the Bar. In 1884 he was elected a Justice of the Peace of Santa Clara, and re- elected in 1886.

July 29, 1885, he was married, at Santa Clara, to Mattie M. Bascom, daughter of Dr. J. C. and Fannie M. (Jones) Bascom. She is a native of Kentucky, and came to Santa Clara with her parents in 1883. She is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Herrington is an Odd Fellow and member of Santa Clara Lodge, No. 52, I. O. O. F.

ILTON W. BECK, contractor and builder of Santa Clara, came overland by wagon train to California in the summer of 1852. Locating first at Placerville, he worked in the gold cliggings till the fall of 1854, when he went to San Francisco and worked at his trade, that of mason and plasterer; and, making that city his headquar-

ters, he worked there and prospected through the State, until 1861, when, tiring of roaming over the State, he permanently located at Santa Clara, and en- gaged in contracting as a plasterer and mason.

Mr. Beck was born in Franklin County, Pennsyl- vania, July 4, 1830. He is a son of Henry and Mar- garet (Gordon) Beck. When he was eight years of age his parents removed to Licking County, Ohio. He lived with them there, and afterward in Randolph County, Illinois, until he was sixteen, when he went to St. Louis, Missouri, to learn the trade of plasterer and mason, serving an apprenticeship of three years; and he worked there until he crossed the plains for California. He secured only a common-school edu- cation.

In June, 1866, he was married, at Santa Clara, to Nina B. Diamond, of New York. They have two living children: Myrtie A., a student, attending the California State Normal School at San Jose, and Harry M., a clerk in the stationery department of the Bancroft Publishing House at San Francisco.

Mr. Beck is very unassuming in his ways, but yet a thoroughgoing and reliable business man, and is popular as a master mechanic and contractor. He takes pride in educating his children and fitting them for usefulness in life. Although not a church mem- ber, he is an attendant of the Methodist Episcopal Church, while his wife is a member of the Baptist Church. Politically he is a Republican.

WIRNOCH NEEL PINKARD is a native of North Carolina, being born in Surry County, that State, in 1821. When eleven years of age, he was taken by his widowed mother to Georgia, where he lived with her, in Jackson County, until he was sixteen, when he went to Marion County and began to operate for himself by working on planta- tions. In 1839 he went to the State of Mississippi, where he was employed as an overscer on a plantation in De Soto County. In 1840, in company with his brother, he went to Monroe County, Arkansas, where he suffered from sickness. He then returned to Mis- sissippi. Having no schooling, up to that time, and concluding that it was necessary to have something of an education, he attended school in De Soto County for ten months. He then went to Texas, and was again employed as an overseer over some negro slaves until 1849, when, buying a plantation, he followed farming until 1853, and finding there was no money

a. M. Van Fleet

FAIR VIEW FARM EVAPORATING ESTABLISHMENT ANVAN FLEET FEUP

I. Residence.

2. General View of Dryer.

3. Interior View of Dryer.

FAIR VIEW FARM-RESIDENCE AND EVAPORATING ESTABLISHMENT OF A. N. VAN FLEET.

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BIOGRAPHIICAL SKETCHES.

in that business there, he sold out and came to Cali- fornia. Here for a short time he worked in gold dig- gings in Yuba County, when he went to Brown's dig- gings in the mountains in Plumas County, in search of his brother, who had preceded him to California, in 1850. On finding his brother he became associated with him in gold digging there and at Spanish Flat, in Sierra County, until 1862, when he quit mining and came to Santa Clara County, accompanied by his brother. Having purchased land near Saratoga, he lived there and farmed until 1882, when, purchasing a pleasant home in Santa Clara, he settled there to spend the residue of his life, having prudently saved up enough to enable him and his devoted wife to peacefully pass life's closing days within the shadow of the church of which they are both consistent mem- bers, both being Catholics.

Up to June, 1864, Mr. Pinkard had lived the life of a bachelor, and a greater part of that time his home was a bachelor's hall; but at that date he was married, at Santa Clara, to Catherine Davis, a native of Ire- land, a devout Catholic and a good wife, as can be seen in the arrangement of their pleasant home. Orphaned at the age of only four years, and reared by a widowed mother until he was sixteen, young Pinkard had to buffet the world for a living at a tender age, and, manfully meeting the vicissitudes of life, he passed from youth to manhood without suc- cumbing to the snares and temptations of the world, as many youths have in more favorable circumstances; and, having passed a vigorous middle age, he is now in the sear and yellow leaf of old age, the happier for his frugality and industry, and will undoubtedly pass the rest of his days in quietude and peace.

LBERT N. VAN FLEET was born in Wood- ville, Mississippi, May 7, 1846. His parents were Martin and Elizabeth (Jones) Van Fleet, the former a native of Schenectady County, New York, and the latter of South Carolina. The Van Fleet family descended from the Holland Dutch. James Van Fleet, the great-grandfather of the subject of this sketch, came from Holland and settled at New Amsterdam, now New York. Martin, when twenty- two years old, went to Louisiana and from there to Mississippi, where he married, his wife having been a widow and the owner of a sugar and cotton plantation of 3,000 acres. They afterward moved back to Louis-

iana and located in New Orleans, where they lived five years, when they moved to Livingston County, Illinois, remaining there five years. Mrs. Van Fleet died there in 1859, and the next year Mr. Van Fleet moved to Seneca County, Ohio, where he lived three years. He was married again in Ohio, to Mrs. Har- riet (Parks) Burrows, and in February, 1863, came to California and settled in West Butte, Sutter County, where he died in 1869. Albert N. was educated in Republic, Ohio, and at Hesperian College at Wood- land, California. During his attendance at college he taught school for four years to defray his college ex- penses. He was married August 5, 1865, to Elizabeth Harling, a native of Monroe County, Kentucky.

After his marriage he settled in Yuba County, where he lived eighteen years on his ranch of 400 acres. In October, 1883, he came to Santa Clara County, and the next year sold his farm in Yuba County and bought his place of forty-five acres on Fruit Vale Avenue, between Los Gatos and Saratoga. Mr. and Mrs. Van Fleet have two children: Allen A. and Nora E., the latter the wife of William Buck- nall, a resident of this valley.

Mr. Van Fleet engaged in fruit-drying in 1884, and the enterprise under his management has been very successful. Extensive improvements have been made ea .h year, the results of 1887 showing a marked in- crease over the previous year, the drying and packing season of that year lasting about four months. For thirty days during the season he dried thirty tons of fruit per day! Mr. Van Fleet employed, in drying this large amount of fruit, two large evaporators of the T. C. Walter manufacture, from fifty to one hun- dred hands being employed in this work, all white labor. He is very particular in the handling of his fruit, and gives this department his personal supervis- ion. The brand of his fruit is styled the "Fairview Farm," which readily finds sale in this and Eastern markets. On his own ranch Mr. Van Fleet has six acres of silver prunes five years old, twelve acres in French prunes and the rest in other kinds of prunes and peaches.

RS. LOUISA FINE, relict of the late Morgan Fine, came with her husband to California in 1849, and, after a long and tedious trip over the plains, located in the beautiful valley of Santa Clara. She was born in Washington, D. C., January 15, 1809, but when about three years of age she was taken by her parents, Richard and Eleanor (Alandger)

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PEN PICTURES FROM THE "GARDEN OF THE WORLD."

Belt, to Garrard County, Kentucky, where she was reared, and where in 1826 she was married to Mauzy Porter, who died in 1828, by whom she had two sons, both deceased. In 1830 she removed with her father's family to Lafayette County, Missouri, where, in 1834, she was married to Morgan Fine, with whom in April, 1849, she started for California in pursuit of health, traveling three months in a caravansary of canvas-covered wagons drawn by ox teams. They located on a tract of government land containing 160 acres in Santa Clara County, and theirs was the first house built between San Jose and Santa Clara, on or near the Alameda, it being a rude structure built of boards split out with a frow, and in which they lived until they provided a better house years after. Im- proving this land, they lived together on it until the death of Mr. Fine, July 17, 1879, at the age of sev- enty-nine years. They have four sons and two daughters: Leagara B., of Santa Ana, California; Alexander C., of Santa Cruz County, California; Andrew, a physician of Oakland, California; Maria, wife of Geo. T. Ritch, of Sacramento, this State; Amanda W., wife of J. J. McDaniels, of Santa Clara; and John, who is still with her at Santa Clara.

In his youth Mr. Fine became a member of the Christian Church, and through life was a consistent Christian. At the building of the University of the Pacific, at San Jose, although under the auspices of the Methodist Episcopal Church, he contributed to it of his means and aided it by his influence. His daughter, Mrs. McDaniels, was one of its first gradu- ates.

After the death of her husband, Mrs. Fine remained on the farm until 1882, when she sold it and became a resident of Santa Clara, with the intention of spend- ing the closing days of her life there. In her girl- hood she united with the Christian Church in Ken- tucky, and she is now a member of the church at Santa Clara, being a member of the same denomina- tion for sixty years.

JOHN HETTY, a member of the Board of Trus- tees of Santa Clara, and a mechanic, was born in Baden, Germany, in 1822. By the death of both his parents he was obliged when quite young to pro- vide for himself. At the age of fifteen he emigrated to America, locating at Sandusky City, Ohio, where he became apprenticed to learn the carpenter's trade, serving two years. He followed his trade at San-

dusky twelve years, when, in the fall of 1849, he went to New York city and took passage on the sailing ship Powhattan for San Francisco. On account of the vessel receiving an injury, it was 228 days in making the voyage, arriving at San Francisco July 29, 1850. It was detained forty days at St. George, one of the Bermuda Islands, for repairs, and several days before reaching the island, passengers and crew were obliged to work the pumps to keep the ship from sinking. At San Francisco he, with others, purchased a small vessel, called a whale-boat, in which they went to Marysville, selling the boat at the end of the voyage. They mined in the gold diggings near Marysville, where he remained until 1854, when he came to Santa Clara and permanently located.

In 1860 he was married, at Santa Clara, to Miss Margaret Groh, by whom he has four children: Louis B., an electrician and bell-hanger of San Francisco; Lucy D., a teacher in the Santa Clara public school; Mamie, still at home; and Julius, in business as elec- trician with his brother Louis at San Francisco. By a former wife, deceased, he had two children: Mrs. Emma Sassenrath, of Santa Clara, and Charles, a farmer of Colusa County.

He is a member of Santa Clara Lodge, No. 52, I. O. O. F., and of Santa Clara Encampment, No. 32, I. O. O. F., and has passed the chairs in both. He has been a representative in both the Grand Lodge and Grand Encampment of the State of California, and also attended the Sovereign Grand Lodge held at San Francisco in 1869. Politically, he is a Repub- lican. He has been four times elected a member of the Board of Trustees of Santa Clara, having served seven years, and at this writing is serving an unex- pired term.

EOPOLD DAHLSTROM, a foreman machinist in the machinist department of the Pacific Man- ufacturing Co. of Santa Clara, was born at the village of Trolhätan, Sweden, June 4, 1843. His parents were Lars Magnus Johnson (a sea captain) and Fredericka Louisa (Muller) Johnson. His father dying when he was very young, his mother was mar- ried to Arvid Dahlstrom, whose name he bears. Thrown upon his own resources at the age of nine years, and remote from any school, he had no school- ing advantages. At the age of twelve years he began to learn the trade of blacksmithing at a country place in Sweden known as Jädersfors, and worked there

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

until he was nineteen. He then went to Red Rock, in Gotta Elf, Sweden, where he worked two years in the shop of an uncle, and while with him attended evening school, and with that and private study he obtained a fair education. On gaining his majority, in 1864, he went on a sea voyage to England, making a three months' cruise, after which he went to Gotten- berg, Sweden, where he worked as a machinist in the railroad shops for several months. He then went to Stockholm, Sweden, and worked nearly a year; re- turned to Gottenberg, and worked nearly a year; then went to the village of Lella Edet, where he opened a shop of his own and carried on blacksmith- ing and machine work until 1871, when he emigrated to America, landing at Castle Garden, New York, June 2, 1871. From there he went to Moline, Illi- nois, where he was employed as a machinist in John Deere's Plow Works till October, 1882, when he was employed by Messrs. Mattison & Williamson, to come to California and work in their shop at Stockton as fore- man, and was so employed there until September, 1884, when he came to Santa Clara and purchased eighteen acres of land near Santa Clara, which is now a profit- able fruit ranch, where he enjoys the happiness and comforts of a pleasant home, the product of his own earnings. The special varieties of fruit that he grows are the apricot and prune. With his fruit culture, he is also foreman in the machine department of the Pacific Manufacturing Company of Santa Clara, a position that he is well qualified to fill.

May 1, 1868, he was married, at Gottenberg, Sweden, to Miss Nellie Christina Nelson, by whom he has six children: Mrs. Matilda Anderson, of Golden City, Colorado; Mary Lois, Annie, Charles Leopold, Oscar Frederick, and George James. All of their children are still with them excepting the married daughter. He is a member of Charity Lodge, No. 6, I. O. O. F., of Stockton, California.

RS. AVELINE CHANDLER is the relict of Isaac Chandler, late of Santa Clara, who located in 1849 on land that is now the site of that vil- lage. He was of English ancestry. His father, Reu- ben, and two uncles, Zachariah and Isaac Chandler, were among the Pilgrim Fathers who landed from the Mayflower on Plymouth Rock. He was born in Con- cord, Vermont, in 1788, where he was reared. When twenty-four years of age he went to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he engaged in the mercantile business until

1830, when he removed to Jacksonville, Illinois, where he was in business until he came to California in 1849. When he located in Santa Clara, he was for a number of years engaged in hotel-keeping, and accumulated considerable property in Santa Clara, and also at Half-Moon Bay, and on the Santa Cruz Mountains. He died at Santa Clara, September, 1872. Mrs. Chandler, nee Aveline Austin, is the daughter of Owen and Sarah (Camron) Austin. She was born at Harris- burg, Pennsylvania, but was reared in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Newport, Kentucky. She was married in Cincinnati, in 1824, where she lived with her husband and reared a large family. In 1853 she endured all the hardships incident to traveling over the plains, to join her husband in California, who had preceded her four years. Mrs. Chandler is one of the noblest of women, whose many friends extol her for her inesti- mable qualities. Her Christian fortitude has borne her up when tried with trouble. Of her eleven chil- dren, nine grew to maturity, and two died in infancy. Those living are: Mrs. Martha A. Whittle, of Santa Cruz, California; Mrs. Emmarilla T. Jenkins, of Santa Clara; William A .; Mrs. Susannah J. Morgan, of Santa Cruz; Mrs. Mary L. Wilson, of Los Angeles; and Mrs. Julia C. Hicks, of Santa Clara. John L. died at Santa Clara, February 3, 1864, aged twenty-seven years; Eliza, wife of B. F. Whipple, died at the same place, January 5, 1875, aged forty-four years; and Albert D., at Menlo Park, September 18, 1879, aged thirty-two years. Mrs. Chandler is a member of the Santa Clara Methodist Episcopal Church.

ENRY FRANCIS CARPENTER, M. D., was born at Douglas, Massachusetts, in 1833. When seventeen years of age he went with his parents, Seba and Malinda (Learned) Carpenter, to Wor- cester, Massachusetts, where he lived with them until manhood. He completed his education in the Wor- cester High School in 1854, and in 1856 he entered upon the Christian ministry as a minister of the Ad- vent Christian Church at Worcester, being ordained at the Wilbraham camp-meeting, Rev. Edward Bur- ham officiating, assisted by Revs. H. L. Hastings and S. G. Matthewson. At different times he officiated as pastor at Barry, New York, Danielsonville, Connec- ticut, Poultney, Rutland, and North Springfield, Ver- mont, and Fitchburg, Massachusetts. In 1875 he came to California and accepted the pastorate of the Advent Christian Church at Vallejo, where he officiated until

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1879, when he came to Santa Clara, and engaged in the practice of medicine as a homeopathic physician, he having studied medicine while pursuing his minis- terial labors, and secured a diploma from the Cali- fornia State Medical Examiners in 1876. The doctor has built up a paying practice, and, besides, he is also editor of Messiah's Advocate and Herald of his Ad- vent, published at Oakland. He became its proprie- tor and editor in 1881, and in 1885 he transferred it to the Pacific Advent Christian Publication Society, he being retained as editor. Although of a very frail constitution, he is an inveterate worker, and is con- stantly engaged either as editor, physician, or minis- ter. Politically, he is a Prohibitionist.

October 29, 1856, he was married, at Worcester, Massachusetts, to Susie A. Vose, of East Princeton, Mass ichusetts. They have two children: Mrs. Lizzie Frances Downs, of Tustin, California; and Mrs. Anna Martha Worse, of the vicinity of Santa Clara, Cali- fornia.

OHN KNOWLES was born at Carlisle, in the north of England, August 2, 1832. His parents, Thomas and Sarah (Iveison) Knowles, emigrated to America with their family in 1841. They remained at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where they landed, until 1842, when they removed to Salem, Henry County, Iowa. His father dying when he was quite young, he was obliged to assist his widowed mother in maintaining her family, and consequently he re- ceived only a limited education. Thinking that he could carn more money by coming to California, and be better enabled to assist his mother, he, in the spring of 1852, made arrangements to accompany a neighbor by the name of Henry Brown, for whom he was to drive an ox team across the plains, thereby paying the expense of the trip. They arrived in August at a place between Sacramento and Stock- ton, where they camped. After working for Mr. Brown several weeks, putting up hay, and receiving no pay, as he supposed he would, he, nearly destitute of clothing and without a cent of money, started for Sacramento, where he accidentally met an old friend and school-mate, Jackson Ong, by whose assistance he obtained board and lodging until he found employ- ment at chopping wood by the cord on the banks of the Sacramento River a few miles from the city.

Being eager to earn money so as to go to the gold diggings, he over-did and was laid up some two or three weeks by sickness, and only a part of his hard

earnings were ever received; so, after recovering, he was again penniless; but, fortunately meeting with Enos Mendenhall, a friend from the East, he was em- ployed to drive a freight team, by which, within a month, he procured money enough to carry out his purpose of going to the gold diggings. He went to Doty's Flat, in Calaveras County, where he was em- ployed at $4.00 per day, and during the following winter he sent his mother $250. In the spring of 1853 he went to Sierra County, where he successfully mined on a large scale for nearly sixteen years, up to 1868, at the diggings of Pine Grove and Howland Flat. In 1860 he made a visit East, and returning he brought his mother and family with him. In 1879 he engaged in the grocery business at Santa Clara, and still carries on a successful business in that place. He is an Odd Fellow, being a member of True Fel- lowship Lodge, No. 238, I. O. O. F., of Santa Clara.

January 22, 1863, when on a second visit East, he was married, at Mount Pleasant, Iowa, to Amanda Pepper, a daughter of John Pepper, of that place. Before going for his bride, he had provided a well- furnished home and a ranch near Santa Clara, which he still owns. They have three children: Oliver J., a farmer in San Luis Obispo County; Fannie S., and Nettie, still with them; the former daughter is a grad- uate of the High School of Santa Clara, with the class of 1885.

H. DAVIES, the subject of this sketch, was born in Sidney, Kennebec County, Maine, June 6, 1825. His father, Charles S. Davies, Esq., was a graduate of Dartmouth College, and a well-to-do farmer, who had seven children, all Republican sons, five older than E. H., and one younger. All were thorough mechanics, but all took their turn at farming until they were large enough to launch out in the world for themselves. At the age of nineteen he went to Boston, where he hired out to Messrs. Fuller & Son, bell-hangers, No. 17 Devonshire Street, at $13 and board per month. This gave Mr. Davies a good opportunity of seeing all parts of the " Hub," and also of sceing the interior of some of the finest dwellings, hotels, and steamships, of which he took advantage. In 1845 he returned to Maine, and with his brother Alonzo engaged in manufactur- ing fancy sleighs and buggies. At this he worked until 1850, with fair success, but thinking a change of climate might do him good, he started for Kenosha, Wisconsin, going to Buffalo by rail, and from there to

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Kenosha by way of the Great Lakes, on the steamer Empire, which consumed four and a half days' timc. He was there employed in his brother Joshua's ma- chine shop for one year, and then started for Maine, by way of Chicago. When he reached Chicago, being pleased with the appearance of the city, he thought he would remain and seck employment. The first place he entered was the machine shop of P. W. Gates, situated on Canal Street. When Mr. Davies asked for a situation, Mr. Gates inquired what kind of work he wanted to do. Mr. Davies replied that it made but little difference. "Ah!" said Mr. Gates, in a sarcastic way, "I presume you are a jack of all trades and good at none; we don't want you, sir." Mr. Davies thought he would make one more trial before leaving Chicago, and the next place he tried was the extensive machine shop of Messrs. H. H. Scoville & Sons, situated on Canal Street, near Mr. Gates'. Here Mr. Davies was very particular to state the kind of work he wanted. Mr. Scoville, the fore- man, asked him if he could run a tennoning machine, to which he replied that he did not know, as he never had run one. Mr. Scoville looked him in the eye and said, " I know you can; you look as though you could run anything; you can go to work at once." He re- inaincd there eighteen months, and was quite a favorite in the shop, no one getting higher pay than he.

In 1852 he returned to Maine, and engaged in his old business, that of carriage-making. In February, 1853, he, with H. A. Bachelder, S. S. Sargent, Henry Hatch, and Nathan Jordan, all of Oakland, Maine, and about a hundred other Yankees, took passage on board the ship Plymouth Rock, at Boston, bound for Melbourne, Australia, arriving there in eighty-eight days, being the quickest passage that had ever been made from Boston to Australia, by any craft whatever. After arriving at Melbourne, Mr. Davies, with his party of four, pitched their tent in Canvastown, which is on the opposite side of the Yarror River. They were compelled to stay for five days before their tools and provisions, which weighed several tons, could be taken from the ship. After selling a part of their provisions, and storing several trunks of clothing and notions, they hired a two-horse dray, and went to the "McIvor" diggings, a distance of 100 miles, making the journey in eight days. There the diggings were poor, and Mr. Davies con- cluded to let the rest of his party dig while he was making candles, filing saws, half-soling boots, and keeping boarding-housc. After a few months' stay, they hired another dray, and went to the "Bendigo"

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Pen pictures from the garden of the world, or Santa Clara county, California, Part 53

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