| Livermore-Amador Genealogical SocietySelected Biographies from Baker'sPast and Present of Alameda County, CaliforniaVolume II, 1914 |
This is a verbatim transcription of selected biographies from Past and Present of Alameda County, California published by Joseph Eugene Baker in 1914. The biographies selected were mostly those of residents of Murray and Pleasanton Townships, which included the towns of Altamont, Dublin, Livermore, Midway, Pleasanton and Sunol, and their surrounding countryside. Some of the subjects lived elsewhere, but owned land or had business interests in eastern Alameda County.
It should be recognized that Baker's history, valuable as it is for genealogy and history, contains only biographies of those citizens who were willing to pay for their inclusion. The biographies are invariably flattering, are almost never of women, and may omit some important but inconvenient genealogical data. Readers are also cautioned that there are factual errors in Baker's book, according to one reviewer. No attempt has been made to find and correct such errors, although some typographical errors have been corrected.
The full text of Baker's book, Volume II, can be found online in Google Books.
Asa V. Mendenhall
Timothy C. Coughlin
Walter Joseph Petersen
William M. Mendenhall
Irving C. Lewis
William Ambrose Bissell
Jewett Castello Gilson
Hiram Bailey
Theodore Gier
Hon. William H. Donahue
James Bestor Merritt
Wilber E. Still
Lloyd M. Macdonald
Dr. Henry Gordon McGill
Hon. Thomas William Harris
Elmer Grant Still
Albert H. Merritt
Charles H. Wente
Dr. Joseph Kyle Warner
John J. Callaghan
[page 28] - Asa V. Mendenhall, who since 1898 has been in the active and successful practice of law in Oakland, was born in Danville, Contra Costa county, California, August 1, 1866, a son of William M. and Mary (Allen) Mendenhall, pioneers in this state. He acquired his education in the public schools of Santa Clara county and in Livermore College at Livermore. At the age of eighteen he drove stage in Amador and Alameda counties and continued at that occupation for three years, after which he embarked in the mercantile business in San Francisco. He also acted as traveling salesman for A. Shilling & Company and carried on his legal studies at the same time under the direction of his brother-in-law, G. W. Langan, of Oakland. He was admitted to the bar in 1898 and began practice as a member of the firm of Goodcell & Mendenhall, which partnership was dissolved in 1903. He was then alone in practice in Oakland until March, 1906, when he formed a partnership with his brother-in-law, Mr. Langan, under the firm name of Langan & Mendenhall. They have built up a large and lucrative practice, specializing in corporation law and in mining and land cases. Mr. Mendenhall has become an expert in this branch of his profession and his opinions are considered authority on all matters pertaining thereto. The firm has had charge of some very important cases and represents fourteen large mining companies and eight manufacturing companies, including the Electric Amalgamation Company, the original Amador Mines Company, the Omega Gold Mining Company and the Esmeralda Land Company of Nevada. Mr. Mendenhall has also large interests in mining companies in this part of California and is known as a progressive and farsighted business man. In June, 1903, he married Miss Florence E. Hatch, a native of Oakland, and they have two children: Edwin, aged six; and Sally, aged three. Mr. Mendenhall is a member of the Masonic fraternity and prominent in its affairs. He is not active in politics, preferring to concentrate his attention upon his profession, of which he is today a leading and successful representative.
[page 215] - Timothy C. Coughlin, newspaper writer and well known Alamedan, took up his residence in that city with his parents in 1892, moving from Santa Cruz county. He was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, February 17, 1872, his parents being Michael C. and Margaret M. (O'Brien) Coughlin. His father, a native of Ireland, was brought to the United States as a child and was educated in the schools of the old Bay State. In 1868 he came to California by way of the Isthmus of Panama and assisted in the building of the first transcontinental railroad into Alameda county, via the Altamont pass. In 1874 he went to Santa Cruz, becoming one of the pioneer lumbermen of that section of the state. He later directed large lumber industries in Humboldt and Shasta counties. His death occurred in Alameda in 1903. His wife, a daughter of the late William and Margaret O'Brien, of Springfield, Massachusetts, followed him to the grave the same year. Timothy C. Coughlin obtained his early education at Notre Dame Convent, San Jose, and in the public schools of Santa Cruz county. He continued his studies at St. Mary's College, Oakland, from which institution he was graduated with high honors in 1893, taking the degree of Bachelor of Science. Following two years' connection with the San Francisco commission house of Henry Doyle & Company, Mr. Coughlin took up news writing, joining the editorial staff of the Examiner. After two years with that paper he went to the Morning Call, with which he continued for nearly fourteen years, also doing work at various times during that period for the Oakland Herald, Tribune and Enquirer. He retired from the Call editorial staff April 19, 1913, and two days later was appointed city clerk of Alameda, the first political position he ever accepted and one to which he did not aspire. As city clerk he won an enviable name for himself by reason of his sterling, rugged honesty, fair dealing, all around competency and incorruptibility. Mr. Coughlin was married in San Francisco, February 17, 1909, to Miss Mary C. O'Brien, daughter of the late John and Mary O'Brien of Altamont. Two children, a son and daughter, have blessed the union. Mr. Coughlin is affiliated with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, being a member of Oakland Lodge, No. 171. The high principles that have consistently actuated his life have been such as to win for him the respect and esteem of all who know him well. B. B.
[page 235] - The present chief of police of Oakland is Walter Joseph Petersen, who for many years has been connected with that department. He is a highly trained, well informed, courteous officer, who is eminently fitted for the important position which he holds. He comes of Norwegian stock and was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, on March 14, 1868, and is a son of Captain Henry U. K. and Amelia (Bergner) Petersen. The father was born in Porsgrund, Norway, and early in life took up seafaring as his profession. He rose through the ranks and later became captain, having charge of several ocean liners in the course of his career. He came to Oakland in 1871 and from this port operated his own vessels up and down the coast, conducting excursions between San Diego and Mexico. Both he and his wife have passed away. In their family were five children, of whom Francis and Laurette are deceased; Fred, another brother of our subject, is an expert accountant, employed in the office of the auditor of Alameda county. Walter J. Petersen came to California in his early youth, attending the public schools in this state until he was thirteen years of age, when he became a student in the California Military Academy, in which institution he remained until sixteen years of age. He then went to sea, as was the tradition of his family, entering the employ of N. Bichard & Company of San Francisco, his first voyage being on the bark Montana, on which he shipped as a cabin boy. The voyage was to China and Australia, and he soon worked up to the position of third mate. After two years on that line he entered the service of the Dispatch line, with which he remained as officer for seven months. He subsequently associated himself with his father in making excursions between San Diego and Mexico and continued so until 1894, when he became a carrier and later superintendent in the Oakland postoffice and so remained for about four years. At the end of that time he became a patrolman on the Oakland police force and on January 12, 1898, was promoted to the rank of sergeant. On June 7, 1899, he was made captain of police and in October, 1907, became captain of detectives. He showed himself well adapted for this work and so ably handled all cases intrusted to him that on June 1, 1911, he was promoted captain of inspectors and on September 5, 1912, became chief of police, the duties of this office beginning on October 1. In regard to his activities as captain of detectives a former writer said: "When Captain Petersen assumed his duties he took hold of the office with the firm resolution of keeping the detective bureau up to a high standard of efficiency. During his administration some of the most important and intricate criminal cases in the history of the country have come under his supervision. He has been called upon to untangle some very knotty problems and there are not many instances wherein he has failed to do so. His wide experience among all classes of people has given him an exceptional opportunity to study human nature. He is not often wrong in weighing people's motives, their weaknesses or their worth and generally has been able to extract the truth from the evidence before him." On October 20, 1887, Chief Petersen married Florence B. Fisher, and they have three children: Ulric K., who is twenty-four years of age and is foreman of the electric shops of the P. P. I. Railroad at Beaverton, Oregon; Cedric W., twenty-three years old, who is an attorney for the First National Bank and resides at Pleasanton; and Roderick Paul, who is six and a half years of age. Mr. Petersen is a progressive republican and is interested in public affairs, but is not in any sense a politician. He stands, however, for everything that is of value to the city and gives his ready support to movements which have for their purpose the advancement of the community. Fraternally he is a thirty-second degree Mason of the Scottish Rite and a Shriner, is grand master of the Ancient Order of United Workmen and belongs to the Woodmen of the World. His religious faith is that of the Presbyterian church, and he belongs to the Oakland Commercial Club and the Chamber of Commerce, being thoroughly in sympathy with the purposes of these organizations. He is a useful and valued citizen, and his appointment to the position of chief of police has met with the ready approval of all of the residents of Oakland.
[page 247] - The last word in one of the most momentous chapters in the history of California was written on November 21, 191 1, when William M. Mendenhall, only survivor of the original Bear Flag party and one of the earliest settlers in Alameda county, passed away. He was a conspicuous figure in the early settlement of this part of the state and a leader in its later development, a man of such loyal and resolute faith in his adopted region that after his arrival here on Christmas Eve, 1845, he never again turned his steps eastward. Throughout a life of important accomplishment, closely connected with some of the most representative industries in the state, Mr. Mendenhall adhered steadily to high and worthy ideals, and his death deprived California of one of her honored and valued citizens and one of her earliest and greatest pioneers. William M. Mendenhall was born in Xenia, Ohio, April 22, 1823, and spent his youth and early manhood in the east. In July, 1845, he and nine others met at Independence, Missouri, laid in a supply of food and with horses and mules started across the plains to California. After an eventful journey, during which they encountered many hardships and obstacles, including trouble with the Indians, the party arrived safely at American river, California, reaching this point on Christmas Eve. Mr. Mendenhall first worked in the lumber mills in the Moroga red woods in Alameda county, continuing thus until the troublous conditions throughout the state made it necessary for him to take refuge at Sutter's Fort, where a large party of Americans had gathered for protection. When the Bear Flag was raised in June, 1846, Colonel John C. Fremont, then on his way to Oregon, was informed of the conditions in California and immediately returned. He was soon afterward joined at Fort Sonoma by a small company, of which Mr. Mendenhall was a member. In the meantime a man-of-war had been sent by the federal government to San Francisco Bay with the stars and stripes at the masthead. The war craft brought an American flag to Sutter's Fort and as the Bear Flag was hauled down and the national colors run up the little band in the garrison saluted it with cheers and at once began plans to place the whole state under the sovereignty of the American commonwealth. General Fremont, at the head of one hundred and seventy men, started to take the state by march, going through to San Diego and wresting control from the Spaniards without the loss of a man. Mr. Mendenhall was a member of that historic party and witnessed the stirring events which gave California to the United States. Following the close of hostilities he engaged in business in San Francisco and after his marriage, in 1847, lived in Santa Clara county, where he raised stock on an extensive scale. In 1853 he disposed of all his interests there and went to Contra Costa county, where he operated a stock ranch for fifteen years. At the end of that time he purchased twelve hundred acres of land on the present site of Livermore, subsequently selling all but four hundred and eighty acres, upon which are situated the celebrated springs known as Mendenhall Springs, where there was for years a popular health resort. Mr. Mendenhall was the founder of the town of Livermore, which stands upon a tract of land which he formerly owned. In 1869 he laid out the town site on a six hundred acre tract, gave the grounds for schools and all public utilities, roads, etc. He erected Livermore College on seven acres of land and maintained the institution from his private means for several years, during which time his interests extended also to many other fields of public and social development. With a faith that never wavered he watched the growth and progress of his city, leading in all measures to promote its material and moral advancement, cooperating heartily in all progressive public projects and making the weight of his influence a potent force in growth. He did capable and farsighted work in various positions of public trust and responsibility, making an enviable record during the eight years of his service as town trustee of Livermore. In the city which he founded he built a beautiful nine thousand dollar home and there resided until his death, which occurred November 21, 1911. In Santa Clara county, in 1847, Mr. Mendenhall was united in marriage to Miss Mary Allen, who had crossed the plains with her parents in the previous year, her father, David Allen, being a pioneer settler of California. Mr. and Mrs. Mendenhall were the first American couple to be married south of the Sacramento river. They became the parents of nine children: James M.; Elizabeth, the wife of Curtis H. Lindley of San Francisco; Emma, who married James N. Block of the same city; Ella, now Mrs. G. W. Langan of Oakland; David A.; William W.; Oswald V.; Etta, who married Fred A. Carrick; and Asa V. Mr. Mendenhall was a democrat in his political views and always a stanch supporter of the principles and policies of that party. In the early days he was a member of the Vigilante committee of Contra Costa county and belonged to the Society of California Pioneers. He was a splendid representative of those brave and hardy men who faced the dangers and privations of life on the frontier, whose energies and indomitable purpose aided in the building up of a great commonwealth and whose dauntless spirit lives today in the works they have left behind.
[page 262] - Irving C. Lewis, vice president of the Grayson-Owens Company, is one of the strong and resourceful business men of Oakland, ready to meet any emergency, discriminating easily between the essential and the non-essential and making use of all those forces and situations which are most conducive to the results desired. Many important business enterprises of Oakland have profited by his cooperation and sound judgment, and the city numbers him among its representative business men. Mr. Lewis was born in Medford, Dodge county, Minnesota, September 22, 1862, a son of Dr. William Frisbie and Albertina (Cowhan) Lewis. It is interesting to note that the Lewis family can be traced to the very ancestor who emigrated to America. It was a Thomas Lewis who at the time of Cromwell's entrance into Ireland, 1650, came to New Amsterdam from Belfast and thereby established the family in the new land. Thomas Lewis was born in Belfast in 1628 and landed in New Amsterdam in March, 1650, and in that city became engaged in shipping and merchandising. In conjunction with Frederick Philipse and Thomas Delaval he purchased the territory which became known as the Manor of Philipseburg, now the city of Yonkers, stretching sixteen miles along the Hudson river. This property remained in the family until after Mr. Lewis' death, which occurred in his home on the northeast corner of Hanover Square and Williams street, New York city, in 1686, his widow a year later selling out these interests. His wife was formerly Geesje Barent, a native of Holland, who made her home in Beverwyck, now Albany, New York. Of their family a son, Leonard, who is the second in direct line of the family to reside in this country, was born August 3, 1667, and rose to prominence in New York city, serving in various public capacities, among them being that of the first treasurer of Dutchess county; first representative to the colonial assembly; and the first judge of Dutchess county. He was associated with Johannes Hardenburgh in the purchase of the great patent of land in Ulster county, New York, where he made his home for sometime, the period of his residence extending from 1696 to 1700 at least, and perhaps longer. He was a man of much ability and of strong, upright character, winning and holding the esteem and confidence of all who knew him. On December 23, 1772, by order of the New York legislature, he was awarded nine ounces and fifteen pennyweights of silver for his services at Albany in an expedition against the French in the Mohawk country. He married Elizabeth Hardenburgh, the daughter of Gerrit J. Hardenburgh and his wife, formerly Jalpje Schepmore, both natives of Holland. A son of Mr. and Mrs. Lewis, Geradus, who also comes in the direct line of descent, was born January 2, 1698, and became allied through marriage with one of the oldest and most prominent families of the eastern states, his wife being in maidenhood Rachel Kip. Of their family a son, Gradus Lewis, married Angelica Gonsallus, of Spanish descent. A son of Gradus Lewis, John by name, married Ann Eliza Frisbie, a daughter of Dr. William and Elizabeth (Davidson) Frisbie, of Vermont. John Lewis graduated from Albany Medical College with the degree of M. D., after which he practiced in Clyde, Wayne county, New York, until his death at the early age of thirty-eight years. His wife, surviving him, married William D. Wylie. Her death occurred in Walworth, New York. By her first marriage she had two children, a son, William Frisbie Lewis, and a daughter who died at an early age. Born October 3, 1829, in Clyde, Wayne county, New, York, William Frisbie Lewis was reared to young manhood in that town and Phelps, receiving his preliminary education through attendance at the Phelps Academy, from which he was graduated. Deciding to take up the profession of his father, he spent the first two years in this study at Rush Medical College, Chicago, his third year being passed in the College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York city. From this latter institution he was graduated in 1854 with the degree of M. D. and practiced for a time in New York city. Following this he visited the hospitals of Europe, where he went to Edinburgh, Scotland, and attended a course of lectures. In 1856 he located in Mankato, Minnesota, practicing medicine only a short time until he became interested in the land and banking business of that city. He was one of the first bankers of Mankato, his business being conducted for many years under the firm name of Lewis & Shaubut. On account of impaired health, he was finally forced to give up his many business interests. While a resident of that locality, in 1857, he was appointed captain of a company of forty men who went to quell the Indians that had taken part in the Spirit Lake Massacre. Their principal battle was fought near Mankato. He left the impress of his individuality upon public thought and action, having aided largely in shaping public affairs. Seeking recuperation, Dr. Lewis came to California in 1887, since which time he has virtually retired from the cares of active life. The greater part of his time is spent in traveling, having been abroad four times, once around the world, and all through India, Asia Minor and Egypt, as well as in nearly every state in the Union. Interested in the state of his adoption he has purchased two fruit ranches in Tulare county. In Vienna, Walworth county, Wisconsin, June 15, 1857, Dr. Lewis was united in marriage with Miss Albertina Cowhan, a native of New York city. To the Doctor and his wife were born the following children: Irving C., the subject of this review; John Mellgren, a prominent attorney of San Francisco, and Louise Bertina, the wife of S. E. Grove of Oakland. Dr. Lewis is a Royal Arch Mason and politically adheres to the principles advocated in the platform of the republican party. Mrs. Lewis is a member of the Presbyterian church. They reside at beautiful Palo Alto and on June 15, 1914, they celebrated the fifty-seventh anniversary of their wedding when then entertained many of their dearest friends and relatives. In the pursuit of his education Irving C. Lewis passed through consecutive grades in the public and high schools of Mankato until he reached the age of seventeen years, when he went to Minneapolis and entered the employ of N. B. Harwood & Company, wholesale dry-goods merchants, with whom he remained for about a year. He then went to Iowa and became a partner in the firm of Abbee & Lewis in the conduct of a general mercantile establishment. Soon afterward, however, he disposed of his interests there and removed to Austin, Texas, where he entered the shoe trade as senior partner in the firm of Lewis & Peacock. This relation was maintained until 1885, when Mr. Lewis disposed of his interests in the south and removed to Denver, Colorado. There he began dealing in real estate and afterward re-entered the commercial field, but a little later came to California, where in 1887 he aided in incorporating the Market Street Bank of San Francisco, of which his father was president, while he became cashier. After disposing of his banking interests he became a member of the Healdsburg & Sonoma Commission Company, engaged in the commission business, but his connection therewith was brief, and he joined the Grayson-Owens Company, of Oakland, becoming vice president on its incorporation. In this connection he has since remained and the success of the undertaking is attributable in large measure to his efforts. Another business enterprise which profits by his cooperation, sound judgment and stimulus is the California Ice Company, of Oakland, of which he is the president. This company not only engages in the manufacture of ice, but conducts a cold storage plant, being the largest of the kind in Alameda county. Mr. Lewis has also made extensive investments in real estate and in connection with his father and brother has large holdings in Oakland and this part of California. To carry on their real-estate business the William Frisbie Lewis Company was organized, with Irving C. Lewis as vice president and the active manager of the business. In association with his brother he erected the fine three-story building, seventy-five by one hundred feet, at the corner of Ninth and Franklin streets in Oakland, and thus materially added to the improvement of that section. Whatever he undertakes is carried forward to successful completion and in his vocabulary there is no such word as fail. In December, 1890, occurred the marriage of Mr. Lewis and Miss Clara Eliza Phillips, daughter of J. W. Phillips, president of the Grayson-Owens Company, of Oakland. Following their marriage they entered upon a tour around the world, spending eight months in visiting many points of historic, ancient and modern, interest, Mr. Lewis' father giving them this trip as a wedding present. To them was born one son, Phillip Frisbie Lewis, now a successful young artist of Oakland. The wife and mother passed away April I, 1907. Mr. Lewis is well known in club circles, holding membership with the Athenian, the Home and the Claremont Country Clubs, and also with the Oakland Commercial Club. He is a loyal member of Brooklyn Lodge, A. F. & A. M., and of the First Presbyterian church. His political views are in accord with the principles of the republican party, but he has never sought nor desired office, preferring to concentrate his energies upon his business affairs, which are of growing importance, constituting him a leading representative of the commercial and financial interests of Oakland.
[page 290] - William Ambrose Bissell, assistant traffic manager for the Santa Fe system at San Francisco, in which connection he manifests notable executive power, was born in Lyons, Wayne county, New York, in 1848, a son of the Rt. Rev. W. H. A. and Martha Colton (Moulton) Bissell. The former was an Episcopal bishop of Vermont from 1868 until his death in 1893. Reared in the atmosphere of a scholarly home, his early training left a strong influence on the life of William A. Bissell who, directing his energies in the broad field of business rather than along professional lines, has gained a place of responsibility and prominence in connection with railway management. He was educated in the Geneva (New York) Academy and throughout his entire career has been interested in railway activity. At the age of sixteen years he entered the employ of the Michigan Central Railroad at Detroit, Michigan, where he remained for about four years or until March, 1868, when he left the Mississippi valley and came to California by way of the Isthmus route. At that time the Central Pacific Railway Company was operating ninety miles of railway in this state, and he became associated with that corporation in a clerical position at Sacramento. He was later advanced to the position of freight auditor and continued with that corporation until 1883, when he became coast agent for the Texas Pacific Railway with offices in San Francisco. In December, 1884, he accepted the office of coast agent for the Atlantic & Pacific Railroad, which later became a part of the Atchison Railroad system. In 1894 he was promoted to the position of assistant freight traffic manager of the Santa Fe system, which called him to Chicago, and he remained there until 1899, when the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe as reorganized purchased the Santa Fe & San Joaquin Valley Railway, when he returned to the Pacific coast as assistant traffic manager of the Santa Fe system. Here he has since remained, continuously occupying the position which calls for rare executive ability, keen discrimination and thorough understanding of every phase of traffic control. He also has large private financial interests, having made judicious investment in corporations and business enterprises which have constituted important elements in the promotion of public progress and prosperity as well as in the attainment of individual success. He is president of the Livermore Water & Power Company which supplies light and power to the Livermore valley; is vice president of the' Richmond Light & Power Company; vice president of the McNamara Mining Company and a director of the Holland Sandstone Company, Lake Tahoe Railway & Transportation Company, Northwestern Pacific Railway Company, Oakland & East Side Railroad Company, Richmond Land Company, Union Savings Bank of Oakland and Santa Fe Terminal Company of California. In May, 1913, when the affairs of the United Properties Company of California became involved, he was appointed one of the trustees of that corporation and as such trustee was elected a director of the San Francisco-Oakland Terminals Railways. On May 20, 1913, he was elected president of that company and still continues in that capacity. On the 7th day of January, 1870, Mr. Bissell was married to Miss Cora A. Messick and their children are William H. and Daniel R. Mr. Bissell makes his home in Alameda and has a beautiful summer residence on a delightful location at Lake Tahoe, beside owning ranch property near Livermore, California. He is very prominent in club circles of San Francisco, being one of the founders and members of the Transportation Club and a member of the Pacific Union. He also belongs to the Athenian and Claremont Clubs of Oakland and the California Club of Los Angeles. He is likewise a member of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce and is in hearty sympathy with its many projects and movements for the upbuilding of the city. In fact he is a very public-spirited man, active in matters pertaining to the growth, development and general welfare of San Francisco and of the state at large. He recognizes the wonderful possibilities of California and is doing everything in his power to promote their utilization, thus aiding in the material growth of the state, while at all times he is actively and helpfully concerned as well in those things which are a matter of civic virtue and civic pride.
[page 345] - Jewett Castello Gilson, educator, business man and author, was born in the town of Rockingham, Windham county, Vermont, May 23, 1844. He acquired his education in the public schools and colleges of New England, attending Amherst College and subsequently pursuing a course of study in the astronomical department of Harvard University. When seventeen years of age he took up the profession of teaching and was an instructor in the common schools of Vermont and New Hampshire. For two years he taught mathematics in the Green Mountain Institute of South Woodstock, Vermont, and for a similar period acted as principal of Allegany Institute at Almond, New York. He came to California in 1869 and for two years taught school at Irvington, while for seven years he was thus identified with educational interests at Pleasanton. In 1877 he was elected superintendent of the Alameda county schools and served in that capacity for three years, resigning to accept the position of superintendent of the Oakland city schools and acting thus for two terms. He then established a private normal and special training school in Hamilton Hall, which he had purchased in the meantime. This private institution was conducted by him for twelve years or until he was elected principal of the Swett school of Oakland, which position he held for nine years. On the expiration of that period he was transferred to the principalship of the Longfellow school, which institution he has ably served in that capacity for the past five years. As a side issue Mr. Gilson has for many years been interested in the electrical business. At the present time he acts as vice president of the Pacific States Electric Company, which has business houses in the five largest cities on the Pacific coast, namely: San Francisco, Los Angeles, Oakland, Portland and Seattle. He has found time for travel as a means of recreation and has also made contributions to the public press. He is the author of "Wealth of the World's Waste Places," a work published by the Scribners in 1913. He is especially interested in scientific and nature studies, having written many articles along those lines. In 1872, at Ogden, Utah, Mr. Gilson was united in marriage to Miss Carrie T. Greene. His three children, Dr. Ray E., Cass L. and Rosse M. Gilson, reside in Oakland, where they are engaged in business.
[page 424] - The life record of Hiram Bailey is interwoven with the history of Livermore and the valley. He is, indeed, one of the true pioneers of the county, having been one of the first men to locate in the valley where he still resides. He has now passed the eighty-fourth milestone on life's journey, his birth having occurred in the state of New York, January 10, 1830. He came alone to the west, making the trip by way of the Isthmus route and arriving in San Francisco on the 20th of March, 1852. He went to the San Ramon valley, where he spent the summers of 1852 and 1853, and later was for a time at Contra Costa. In August, 1855, he arrived in Livermore valley, at which time there were only two people in the immediate valley - Robert Livermore, the original settler, and a Scotchman by the name of Peter Wilson. Mr. Bailey took up carpenter work and his first job was the building of a house for Joseph Livermore. About 1865 he turned his attention to farming, settling on a ranch five miles northwest of Livermore, where he carried on general agricultural pursuits for about eight years, cultivating a tract of two thousand acres. In 1873 he purchased another ranch of two thousand acres in Stanislaus county and operated the two ranches in conjunction for five years. His place was not used for grazing purposes, the greater part of it being under cultivation, and for several years he was farming approximately five thousand acres. He then retired and removed to Livermore, where he has since made his home, enjoying well earned and well merited rest from business cares during his later years. Throughout his active life he displayed sound judgment in the management of his business interests, was determined and unfaltering in carrying on his work, and through his persistency of purpose won most gratifying success. Mr. Bailey was married in Livermore to Miss Casimira Livermore, a daughter of Robert Livermore, who settled in the valley about 1820 before the advent of any other white person. In 1914 Mr. Bailey was called upon to mourn the loss of his wife, who passed away in the month of April, leaving three of the eight children who were born of their marriage. These are: Josephine, now the wife of Dennis F. Bernal of Livermore; Rebecca, the wife of J. A. Segbers of Dawson, Yukon Territory; and Mamie I., the wife of W. H. Hupers, a merchant of Livermore. In his political views Mr. Bailey has been a republican since the organization of the party and has been active in its support. When the law was passed making the office of township assessor an elective one he was chosen to that position and served for two years, While later he acted as deputy for a few years. He also served as supervisor of Murray township for ten years and for fourteen years was a trustee of the Livermore grammar school and for five years a trustee of the high school. He served during the twenty-seventh session in the state legislature, to which he was elected in 1886, with Judge Ellsworth, the speaker during that session being W. H. Jordan. Every public duty entrusted to him has been faithfully discharged and his record is most commendable. He is a member of Mosaic Lodge, No. 218, A. F. & A. M., and his life has been in harmony with the teachings of the craft. He has lived to witness notable changes during the period of his residence in the Livermore valley, covering almost six decades, and he can relate many interesting incidents of the early days when he was a pioneer in this district, which is now thickly populated and highly cultivated.
[page 445] - One of the most prominent and widely known men in California is Theodore Gier, founder and president of the Theodore Gier Wine Company of Oakland. He has displayed both initiative spirit and a genius for organization and never fearing to venture where favoring opportunity has led the way, he has reached a commanding position in connection with one of the most extensive and important productive industries on the Pacific coast. One interest alone, however, does not indicate the scope of his activities, for his efforts have extended to many fields touching closely commercial, industrial and financial interests and aside from all of these lines of endeavor in which his labors have brought him profit, he has put forth effective efforts for the benefit and upbuilding of his city, county and state, cooperating largely and generously where the welfare of the community has been involved. Mr. Gier is a native of Peine, Hanover, Germany, and acquired his education in the public schools of that locality. He learned wine making in Peine and was afterward a wine salesman in various parts of Germany. In 1881 he came to America and after spending one year in Chicago traveled through various eastern states. In 1882 he came to California and bought a small ranch at Anaheim, which he later sold, moving to Oakland, where he established himself in the grocery business. In 1890 he became identified with the wine making industry and in this field has since made rapid advancement to a position of distinction and importance. In 1893 he bought a vineyard in Livermore, in 1898 another at Napa and in 1901 the second vineyard at Livermore. He owns also a vineyard at St. Helena, purchased in 1903. His extensive wine making interests are conducted under the name of the Theodore Gier Wine Company which was incorporated a few years ago for one million dollars. This company operates vineyards aggregating over one thousand acres and has wine cellars capable of storing more than a million gallons at the different vineyards. The general offices, salesroom and wine cellar at Nos. 581-593 Eighteenth street in Oakland occupy a floor space of twenty six thousand four hundred square feet. The local wine cellar is one of the most sanitary and best equipped in California. The company makes a most complete variety of wines and disposes of about three hundred thousand gallons every year, the Giersberger brands having become a standard article all over the United States. Some years ago Theodore Gier contributed a very interesting essay on wine culture for "Facts and Figures," of which the following paragraphs are extracts: "The numerous medals that have been awarded the wines of Alameda county in competition with American as well as foreign wines, both in America and Europe, and the flattering commendations of connoisseurs, have established beyond a doubt the natural fitness of both soil and climate to the production of the highest grades of wines, especially of the Sauterne and Cabernet types. It is with pride that we speak of the numerous medals that were awarded our wines at the Paris Exposition in 1889, and latterly at our own Columbian Exposition in 1893. The encouragement of our achievements has given the industry renewed impetus and shown possibilities of greater success than was conceived of. "It is a sad commentary upon the American wine drinkers that dealers at times, in order to get the higher grades upon the market, have been compelled to sell them under foreign labels. I have known of higher grades of Alameda county wines being sold in the New York markets at enormous prices under foreign labels. In my opinion the time is not far distant when California will supersede the world in wines and Alameda county will be in the foreground. I have been associated with the production of wines the greater portion of my life and have had experience in other parts of the state, but believe Alameda county to have superior advantages, both in soil and climate, to most any other locality, especially in the production of the French varieties of Sauterne and Cabernet types. "In 1892, in company with two gentlemen from Rhode Island by the names of Barker and Chesbro, I traveled through Germany and Austria, visiting the leading wineries, inspecting their methods and studying their wines with a view of acquiring such information as might be of service in this country, and brought back much valuable knowledge, some of which I have been able to put to practical use; but, on account of the difference of our soil and climate, everything must be modified to suit our conditions. In my vineyard at Livermore I have in bearing about two hundred twenty-five acres and am now adding about thirty acres more. "I have one hundred and twenty-five different varieties of grapes in all, many of which are for experimental purposes. Among the above varieties, from which my finer grades of wine are produced, are Cabernet, Sauvignon, Carbernet Franc, Verdot, Petit Sirrah, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Petite Pinot, Petite Bouchet, Folle Blanche, Muscatel du Bordelaise, Green Hungarian, Grand Noir and Zinfandel. With two or three exceptions these grapes have been imported from France with a view of producing the Sauterne and Cabernet types, so popular among wine drinkers, and our success has far exceeded our expectations. There are in Livermore Valley about four thousand acres of producing vines, and the output in 1911 in round numbers was three and one-fourth of a million gallons." Mr. Gier married in 1886 Miss Ferdinande Hornung, a native of Marysville, California, and they have three daughters - Grace, Elsa and Amalie. Mr. Gier is connected fraternally with the Elks, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the various Masonic organizations, and he gives his political allegiance to the republican party. As a public-spirited and progressive citizen he takes an intelligent and active interest in public affairs and to his influence and energy is due the promotion of some of the most important public and semi: public enterprises in this part of California. He was one of the founders and is a director of the Security Bank & Trust Company of Oakland, aided in the establishment of the Merchants' Exchange, of which he served as president for several years and of which he is now director, and was one of the founders and still is a director in the Oakland Chamber of Commerce. He was one of the promoter* of the Oakland Exposition in 1897 and served as vice president of the association and was president of the board of commissioners for Alameda county to the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, at St. Louis. In addition to this he promoted the tunnel between Alameda and Contra Costa counties. In 1903 he was honored by Emperor Wilhelm of Germany, being presented by an order of the crown in recognition of services rendered during the Boxer war in China. Mr. Gier is easily the leader in the wine industry in California and is a splendid representative of the prominent manufacturer and capitalist to whom business is but one phase of life and who does not allow it to exclude him from active participation in the other vital interests which make up the sum of human existence.
[page 450] - One of the leading members of the Alameda County bar and a man who has demonstrated his knowledge, understanding and ability in various public positions along lines of his profession is Hon. William H. Donahue, who, following a period of able service as district attorney, was in January, 1913, elected judge of the superior court. He is a native son of California, born in Mission San Jose, February 13, 1870. In the acquirement of an education he attended various public schools in Alameda county and afterward entered Washington on College, graduating with the class of 1891. Following this he, turned his attention to teaching, becoming identified with the faculty of Hopkins Academy, in Oakland, and later serving as principal of the Pleasanton schools. He resigned the latter position in order to take up the study of law under private tuition, he and Superior Judge Harris pursuing their studies together. In 1900 the well-remembered law firm of Harris & Donahue was established and the partnership proved a success in every particular, the firm becoming connected with a great deal of important litigation. Judge Donahue began his public career September 29, 1908, when he was appointed by the board of supervisors district attorney of Alameda county. His work in office for the first two years was of such a satisfactory sort that in the election of 1910 he had no opponent and was nominated by the democrats and republicans together, winning election without opposition and having over twenty-five thousand votes clear majority. He made an enviable record in the office of district attorney, handling a great many important criminal and civil cases with exceptional skill and ability. Prominent among these was the Delancy case, which won for him a state-wide reputation. The crime with which he connected Delancy was committed while the latter was acting as attorney for Public Administrator Gray. It consisted of the embezzlement of ten thousand dollars from the Hite Cook estate, which, together with other irregularities, was unearthed by Mr. Donahue after the discovery of the forgery of the name of undertaker, E. J. Finney, to a claim against the estate of the late A. L. Pounstone, a Grand Army veteran who died in the county infirmary and whose body was interred in the potter's field. There were eight indictments against Delancy for alleged crimes committed as attorney for the public administrator. This case was fought in the courts for weeks, and Mr. Donahue, after a skillful examination of all witnesses, bringing out the most damaging evidence, finished the case with a masterly address to the jury which, though convincing to the last degree, was free from malice or vindictiveness and he secured a conviction for the people. Another case in which Mr. Donahue did able and intelligent work was the recent Dalton bribery case, well known to everyone in this part of the country. Upon its completion Judge Brown established a precedent in Alameda county by commending the district attorney from the bench, as well as Assistant District Attorney Hynes and the members of the grand jury. Judge Donahue's record in office may well set a new standard of efficiency for all future district attorneys to follow. His administration came to a close in January, 1913, when, on the retirement of Superior Judge John Ellsworth, he was elected as his successor for a term of six years. His work on the bench has been distinguished by his unusual disinterested, capable and intelligent work and his decisions have been at all times impartial and based upon the principles of equity. Judge Donahue for a number of years before going on the bench was vice president of the California Bar Association and in 1913 and 1914 was elected by the bar of California as its representative to the American Bar Association meetings. W. K.
[page 460] - James Bestor Merritt, one of the most highly esteemed and deservedly respected citizens of Oakland, is living retired in his beautiful home at 1400 Jackson street, after many years of prominent and successful identification with important industrial interests here as one of the early developers and upbuilders of the large manufacturing business controlled by the Coast Supply & Manufacturing Company. The business was established in Connecticut in 1836, and the Ensign-Bickford Company, as it was later known, was started in Alameda county in 1868 by the same men who were behind the Connecticut concern, but the California company was a separate organization. The plant was built in Oakland by L. S. Ellsworth, a brother-in-law of the subject of this review, and it manufactured blasting fuse. Mr. Merritt is a native of Alabama, born in Spring Hill, Marengo county, on the 31st of December, 1839, his parents being James B. and Sarah Goodwin (Humphrey) Merritt, both of whom were school teachers. They were natives of Connecticut, descended from old families of that state, and there were three of the ancestors who took part in the Revolutionary conflict. The parents of our subject went to Alabama after their marriage. The father passed away a few days before the birth of his son, his funeral occurring on the 30th of December, 1839. The mother returned to Connecticut and made her home there until her death, with the exception of a visit which she made to Alabama, making the journey by wagon. James B. Merritt acquired his early education in the public schools of New England and afterward entered Wilbraham Academy, studying there in 1853 and 1854 and preparing himself for Amherst College, where he afterward became a student. When he was but eighteen years of age he went as a pioneer to Illinois, which was then the western frontier, joining an uncle who resided near Quincy, and engaged in teaching in Adams county. He divided his time between that occupation and general farming and had many of the usual experiences of the pioneer. In 1864 he returned to the east and in Simsbury, Connecticut, operated a grist and sawmill for one year, developing during that time a fine business. Disposing of this, he returned to Illinois and, purchasing a quarter section of land eighteen miles from Quincy, he set to work to clear it of the timber which was still standing and this done engaged in farming until 1871. In that year Mr. Merritt rented his farm in Illinois and pushed westward to California, arriving on the 26th of October in what is now Oakland, where he took up his abode in the house in which he resided for thirty years thereafter. Soon after coming here he entered the plant for the manufacture of fuse for blasting purposes and this with many alterations and improvements is in operation at the present writing although it is now at Livermore, where it was moved recently. Mr. Merritt held this connection for thirty years, until his retirement in 1901, and although the concern underwent many changes during that period he remained always the leading figure in its operation. For a number of years the factory was operated by Toy, Bickford & Company and upon the death of Mr. Toy, in 1887, the name was changed to Ensign-Bickford & Company. Mr. Merritt remained active manager of the concern which his initiative spirit had built up until the year his son, Albert H. Merritt, succeeded to the position, incorporating the business under the name of the Coast Manufacturing & Supply Company. This is an offshoot of the Bickford, Smith & Davy Company, established in England, where a factory is still maintained. The first American branch was organized in Connecticut and later the California company came into existence. For twenty years Mr. Merritt sold the output of four plants in the United States but in 1899 the agreement providing for this terminated. He has considerable mechanical genius and invented many machines used in fuse making, including a machine for the measurement of the size of the fuse. After his retirement he spent two years' in travel in Europe, Africa and Asia and soon after returning designed and built the home at 1400 Jackson street, where .he now resides. On the 26th of May, 1863, in Illinois, Mr. Merritt was united in marriage to Miss Catharine E. Cormeny, a native of Pennsylvania and a daughter of George W. Cormeny. Their fiftieth wedding anniversary was celebrated on the 26th of May, 1913, by a reception and entertainment at the Home Club of Oakland. Three hundred guests congratulated the happy couple on this occasion, Mr. and Mrs. Merritt being assisted in receiving by their five children, as follows: Sarah T., the wife of Edward C. Robinson, a prominent attorney of Oakland; Albert H., manager of the Coast Manufacturing & Supply Company; Mary Williston, the wife of Charles H. Cowell, who is connected with the gas company of Oakland; Gertrude E., who married Claude M. Gardiner, in the employ of the Southern Pacific Railroad Company; and Augusta A., the wife of Thomas W. Norris, treasurer of the Coast Manufacturing & Supply Company. Mr. Merritt is especially prominent and active in the affairs of the Masonic fraternity, which he joined January 22, 1866, in Tariffville, Connecticut, becoming at that time a member of St. Mark's Lodge, No. 36, A. F. & A. M. He is now connected with the lodge, chapter and commandery at Oakland and has been through all the chairs of the subordinate lodge and many of the chairs of the three grand lodges. He is grand master of the grand council and past grand patron of the Eastern Star. He belongs also to the Scottish Rite and the thirty-third degree in Masonry was conferred upon him January 16, 1887. The new Masonic Scottish Rite cathedral, which was built in 1908, was designed by Mr. Merritt, who had the supervision of its erection. It is a magnificent building with large and beautiful rooms and its systems of ventilation and water supply are of the best. The water comes from a well sunk three hundred and thirty-five feet in the earth. A fine bust of Mr. Merritt, the work of Gertrude Kanno, occupies a prominent place in the temple. Mrs. Merritt is prominent in the Order of the Eastern Star and has served as associate matron. In 1912 Mr. and Mrs. Merritt traveled through Cuba, Newfoundland and many other places and visited at that time seven grand chapters besides various other Masonic bodies. He has always been active in politics and, representing the republican party, has held many important positions of trust and responsibility. While a resident of Illinois he served as school trustee, as a member of the district school board and as justice of the peace, and this latter office he held in Oakland from 1873 to 1879. For twenty-seven years, from 1873 to 1900, he served as a member of the election board, his son succeeding him for several years on his retirement. As one of the early settlers in Oakland Mr. Merritt has many interesting recollections of the early days and can remember when he knew personally and could call by name every one of the three hundred and forty-three voters who in 1876 resided in the section between the city limits and San Leandro bridge. During the long period which has elapsed since that time he has never been found remiss in the duties of citizenship or unfaithful to any tie or obligation of life and he can still be depended upon to further any movement brought forward for the advancement of the general welfare.
[page 517] - Wilber E. Still was long prominently known as the publisher and editor of the Livermore Echo, a paper which is still being conducted by his son. In 1863 he became a resident of the Pacific coast country. He was born in Plainwell, Allegan county, Michigan, August 6, 1843, a son of William and L. E. (Noble) Still, who were residents of Rochester, New York, and in 1833 removed westward to Michigan. The youthful days of Wilber E. Still were spent upon the home farm in his native state with the usual experiences that fall to the farm lad. His education was there acquired and when a young man of twenty years he left his native state for California, making the trip by water and across the Isthmus. In due time he arrived in San Francisco, where he remained for eight years, or until 1871. During that time his business for the most part was carrying newspapers and for a brief time he was with the San Francisco Call as mail clerk. In 1869 he purchased some country property in the Arroyo Mocho, five miles from Livermore, and in 1871 moved upon his ranch, which for many years remained his place of residence. In 1873 he became a representative of leading book publishers and was so employed continuously until 1881, when he turned his attention to the real-estate business in Livermore, concentrating his energies upon the purchase and sale of property and thus adding materially to the progress and prosperity of the town. In 1882, however, he embarked in the newspaper business, establishing the Livermore Echo, and thereafter gave his attention more and more largely upon the publication of his journal until in January, 1889, he practically abandoned the field of real-estate operations and concentrated his efforts upon the publication of the paper. Mr. Still was married in Livermore in 1876 to Miss Anne E. Webb, who was born in San Francisco, and they became the parents of four children: Clarence E., Wilber H., both deceased; Elmer G.; and Irene O. Mr. Still continued in the newspaper field until October, 1904, when he retired and was followed by his son, who is still owner and publisher of the Echo. Both have enjoyed the high regard and friendship of business colleagues and associates and the name of Still is a synonym for enterprise and progress in this section of the state.
[page 518] - The Farmers and Merchants National Bank of Livermore, organized in 1885 under the name of the Bank of Livermore, has since that time been an important factor in the financial development of this part of Alameda county, the solid and conservative policy steadily adhered to by its managers having resulted in a normal and gratifying growth. Its president, Lloyd M. MacDonald, holds a position of distinctive precedence in financial circles, his excellent work in a responsible position having brought him prominence and honor in his chosen field. He was born in Ontario, Canada, in 1879. and is a son of Alexander and Elizabeth (McKenzie) MacDonald, also natives of Canada, where the father was a banker and merchant. He passed away in 1909 and is survived by his wife, who makes her home in Berkeley. To their union were born three children: Viola, who lives with her mother; Lloyd M., of this review; and Frank, deceased. The latter was for some years identified with the banking business in San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley. Lloyd M. MacDonald was reared in Canada and acquired his preliminary education in the public schools of Stratford, taking a first class teacher's certificate from the Collegiate Institute. At the age of seventeen he entered the employ of the Bank of Hamilton, Ontario, rising in seven years from the position of clerk to that of manager of one of the branches. He was the youngest man in the employ of the bank to hold this responsible position and was recognized by his superiors as an unusually conscientious and able worker. Mr. MacDonald came to California in 1903 and shortly after his arrival helped to organize the Livermore Valley Bank, of which he was made cashier. This bank was later reorganized under the name of the First National Bank, its present title. Mr. MacDonald remained connected with it for two years and then disposed of his interests, going to San Francisco, where he became connected with the Merchants National Bank as cashier. At the end of five years, in December, 1909, he returned to Livermore and was elected president of the Farmers and Merchants National Bank of the city, of which he has remained the head since that time. This bank was founded in 1885 with a capital stock of one hundred thousand dollars, Thomas Varney being president and H. H. Pitcher, cashier. It was conducted under its original name until January 3, 1911, at which time it was changed to a national bank and given the title of the Farmers and Merchants National Bank. At this time the capital stock was reduced to fifty thousand dollars. In 1905 the Livermore Savings Bank was incorporated and although this is a separate institution with separate capital, it is under the same management. The officers in the two institutions are as follows: Lloyd M. MacDonald, president; Charles E. Beck, vice president; H. R. Parshall, secretary and cashier; and E. Fuchs, assistant cashier. The board of directors consists of Charles E. Beck, F. Mathiesen, L. M. MacDonald, F. C. Lassen, G. A. Therkof, M. G. Callaghan, T. E. Knox, Charles Holm, J. J. Callaghan, E. Pronzini and D. J. Murphy, all business men of insight and sagacity, who have proved their capabilities in various fields of endeavor. In 1909 Mr. MacDonald married Miss Leah McLeod, a native of Livermore and a daughter of John McLeod, a pioneer in this city, where he engaged in merchandising. He was also active in politics and held the office of postmaster for a number of years. He had five children: Mary E., the wife of D. J. Murphy, county supervisor visor of Alameda county; Norman, a merchant of Livermore; A. C., a vineyardist of Livermore; Annie, the wife of M. L. Silva, deputy tax collector of Oakland; and Leah, the wife of the subject of this review. Mr. and Mrs. MacDonald have become the parents of a son, Norman L., who was born November 5, 1910. Mr. MacDonald is connected fraternally with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, the Woodmen of the World, the I. D. E. S. and the U. P. C. In addition to his connection with the Farmers and Merchants National Bank and the Livermore Savings Bank he is also president of the Bank of Ceres, which he organized in 1911, and treasurer of the Dominion Oil Company, which he helped to develop. He is a business man of rare insight and ability and holds a place of prominence in business circles.
[page 531] - Dr. Henry Gordon McGill, a successful physician and surgeon of Livermore, has here practiced his profession continuously for the past eleven years and has won an enviable reputation as a representative of his chosen calling. He is a native of Toronto, Ontario, his birth having there occurred in 1862. His father, George McGill, M. D., was also a native of that province and a banker in Ontario. Henry G. McGill acquired his early education in a private school and subsequently attended Trinity University and McGill University of Montreal, studying medicine in both institutions. In 1883 he went to San Diego county, California, and for several years resided on a large fruit ranch there, while later he purchased a small ranch in Pomona, Los Angeles county. In 1887 he went to New York city and there took a course in medicine, being graduated in 1890. Immediately afterward he located for practice in San Francisco and there followed his profession successfully until 1903, when he came to Livermore, where he has maintained an office continuously since. He has especially developed his ability as a surgeon but does a general practice and is accorded a liberal and lucrative patronage. He frequently contributes articles on case observations to professional journals, and these have been widely read and are recognized as of value to the fraternity. Dr. McGill has served as health officer for the town of Livermore during the past eight years and has long been numbered among the leading and able representatives of his profession in Alameda county. In 1901, at Sunol Glen, Alameda county, Dr. McGill was united in marriage to Miss Jessie Carter, a native of this county. They have one daughter, Adelaide. Mrs. McGill takes an active part in church and missionary work and is a valued member of the Ladies' Aid Society. The Doctor also attends the Presbyterian church and sings in its choir. He joined the Masonic fraternity when twenty-one years of age and now belongs to Lodge No. 218, A. F. & A. M., to which he transferred his membership upon coming to Livermore. He holds to high ideals not only in professional service but in citizenship and in social relations, and his sterling manhood has gained for him the warm and enduring regard of all with whom he has come in contact.
[page 540] - Energy, executive ability and well directed ambition guided and controlled by sound and practical judgment have constituted the foundation upon which Hon. Thomas William Harris has built his success and these qualities have brought him prosperity in business, distinction at the bar and prominence in the official life of Alameda county. He is known as a man of exceptional virility and force who has shown marked fidelity to public trusts and has accomplished farsighted and capable work in his present position as judge of the superior court. Judge Harris is a native of Minnesota, born in Chatfield, October 1, 1859. He is a son of William Harris, who moved to California in 1867 before the completion of the trans-continental railroad, Mr. Harris of this review, being at that time eight years of age. Responsibility came to him in his early years, for his father's health was poor and the care of his parents and sisters fell to his lot as the only son. His early education was acquired in numerous county schools in the different towns where the family resided and he afterward completed the grammar school course at Pleasanton, California. He supplemented this by a thorough course in bookkeeping which he studied evenings. Following the completion of his studies Judge Harris assisted his parents in various ways for two years and then became his father's partner in the livery stable business at Pleasanton. Being ambitious, energetic and quick to recognize opportunity, he advanced steadily in the business world and gradually became a prominent figure in commercial circles. After he and his father sold their livery stable they bought a warehouse business, and Mr. Harris, of this review, conducted this enterprise so successfully that he was later offered the position of manager of the Chadbourne Warehouse Company in Pleasanton, retaining this position for a period of eight years. Judge Harris had been a notary public for some time and upon resigning his position with the Chadbourne Warehouse Company took up the study of law with Judge W. H. Donahue of Alameda county. He was admitted to the bar in 1897 and began the practice of law at Pleasanton in the same year. Two years later he accepted an appointment as deputy in the district attorney's office, and the manner in which he conducted the cases which came under his supervision added materially to his reputation as a lawyer. His record in this office and his high professional standing finally led to his appointment by Governor Pardee in 1905 as judge of the superior court. Judge Harris has held this responsible position since that time and has made an excellent record, being known as a conscientious and painstaking judge who bases his decisions entirely upon the law and equity of the case and is never influenced by motives of personal interest. His conservative manner of administering justice with strict regard for the law has given him the confidence of the public, and the respect and esteem of all who are in any way associated with him. Judge Harris has been twice married. He wedded first on October 21, 1883, Miss Leta Neal of Pleasanton, who died in Oakland in 1903, leaving two sons: Neal, a graduate of the University of California; and Myron, a student in the same institution, where he is a well known athlete, having inherited his father's splendid physique. Judge Harris' second marriage occurred February 11, 1909, when he wedded Mrs. Mary E. Slipp of Oakland. During the course of a long career in the public service Judge Harris has made steady progress toward a position of distinction and he is today, not only one of the most important members of the judiciary of the city, but a well read lawyer of unusual attainments and a progressive, public-spirited and loyal citizen.
[page 543] - Elmer Grant Still, editor and publisher of the Livermore Echo, is a son of Wilber and Anne E. (Webb) Still, of whom mention is made elsewhere in this volume, and was born in Livermore, May 24, 1880. He graduated from the Livermore grammar school in 1895 at the head of his class and after attending high school for a time rounded out his education with studies independently conducted while employed in his father's newspaper office, and in October, 1904, his father retired, and he assumed the management of the paper. From the age of seventeen years he has made a study of the occult and mental sciences. He is unbiased in his investigations and believes and accepts no theory or impressions for which he cannot find actual proof, preferring to explain psychic phenomena by matter-of-fact instead of spiritualistic premises. His object in pursuing these studies is to find the exact and whole truth, without fear or prejudice, in regard to the laws of nature governing these sciences and to demonstrate how they may be made of great practical usefulness to mankind, in detective work, the diagnosis and cure of disease, the treatment of criminals and the insane, avoidance of accidents, etc. By means of his scientific investigations Mr. Still has discovered an entirely new, but reliable and accurate, method of long-range weather and earthquake forecasting, having demonstrated the possibility of making such entirely accurate forecasts in numerous instances, and is now seeking cooperation with capital to put the system into regular operation, it being quite expensive. He has also evolved a method of positively reforming criminals by means of phreno-magnetism and hypnotic suggestion combined with ordinary methods, the idea being to stimulate and thus gradually enlarge these portions of the brain which tend to uprightness, higher ideals and love and sympathy for one's fellowmen, thus giving them self-control over the evil tendencies which, through heredity, prenatal influence and environment, have become overdeveloped. It is through the old and much-neglected study of phrenology that Mr. Still has made these discoveries, in which he will endeavor to interest the world's penologists and criminologists. He has also made a scientific study of aeronautics, especially aviation, and has written a number of articles on the improvement of the aeroplane which have been published in such journals as London Aeronautics, New York Aeronautics and the Scientific American. Instead of patenting his discoveries in aviation he has concluded to give them to the world, explaining his ideas as to the safe and efficient flying machine of the near future, which he is convinced will be a "combined helicopter and back-stepped multiplane, with upper-surface wind-deflectors, automatically downward-turning hinged sections, right-angle, balance sets of variable-pitch propellers, and sets of very narrow, variable-angle planes just in front of the helicopter and at each lateral side to the rear," for successfully coping with "air-holes" and accomplishing hovering, slow and vertical flight. He has patents pending on improvements in moving-picture machines and film, reference-book indexes, phonographs, talking pictures, two-cycle engines, automatic block-signals, etc. Mr. Still is also interested in lexicography and has contributed to both the new Webster's and Funk & Wagnalls dictionaries, furnishing, under contract, clippings of some one thousand five hundred new words and phrases, and in the 1913 edition of the latter dictionary acknowledgment of his services in making suggestions and corrections is given in the preface. Although now an enthusiastic and successful newspaper man, Mr. Still expects, in a comparatively short time, to devote practically all his time and energy to scientific research and invention. He is an independent republican, reserving the right to support any better-qualified candidate of another party and being always a strong advocate of non-partisanship in county and municipal elections, which has now become a state law. He belongs to the Foresters of America and is well known through fraternal and journalistic connections, as well as through his scientific researches and investigations. He is a student of the signs of the times and the breadth of his learning is indicated in the extent and variety of his connections and activities.
[page 545] - Albert H. Merritt is vice president and general manager of the Coast Manufacturing & Supply Company, doing business at Livermore, California. A spirit of unfaltering enterprise actuates him in all that he undertakes and in his business affairs he quickly discriminates between the essential and nonessential. He was born in Quincy, Illinois, in 1870, a son of James B. Merritt, now a retired capitalist of Oakland, of whom more extended mention is made elsewhere in this volume. The nucleus of the company of which Albert H. Merritt is now the head was a little New England enterprise. The business was founded in Connecticut in 1836 by Joseph Toy, who came from England and settled at Simsbury, Connecticut, where he embarked in business under the name of Toy, Bickford & Company. In 1868 a branch of this business was established in California. Their plant was located in what was then known as Fitchburg but is now a part of Oakland. James B. Merritt assumed the management of the business, which he successfully conducted for thirty years. Following the demise of his stepfather, Joseph Toy, the name of the company was changed to the Ensign-Bickford Company. Prior to 1903 there were in operation in and near Alameda county four independent fuse manufactories. These were the Ensign-Bickford Company, the California Fuse Works, the Western Fuse & Explosive Company, and the Metropolitan Fuse & Match Company. This existing condition was not productive of prosperity for any of the parties concerned and in that year Mr. Merritt together with others succeeded in bringing about a consolidation of these interests, which resulted in the organization of the Coast Manufacturing & Supply Company. All of the plants were operated for a time but one by one the three smaller ones were closed and in their closing they were all virtually merged into the one big enterprise. In the fall of 1912 they purchased a tract of one hundred and fifty acres at Trevarno, one mile east of Livermore, to which their huge plant in Oakland was removed in the summer of 1913 without the loss of a day's time, and the whole move was made by motor truck, no part of the machinery or equipment being sent by rail. The little town of Trevarno, which has been upbuilt by this industry, embraces a group of twenty-seven factory buildings, offices, several cottages for the foremen and three handsome homes for the men who guide and promote the success of the company. As vice president and manager Albert H. Merritt is the sole head and director of the company on the Pacific coast and his authority is unquestioned. The secretary is T. W. Morris and the technical representative is Grant H. Todd. The output is confined exclusively to one product, that of the Safety Fuse. Mr. Merritt was an infant of but sixteen months when brought to California. After mastering the regular educational course furnished by the Oakland grammar and high schools he attended the California Military Academy and later on the University of the Pacific at San Jose, where he remained for two years. Immediately afterward he became associated with the business of his father was for thirty years the active head. He is remarkably well equipped by experience and training for the conduct of the extensive and important enterprise that is now under his guidance. In the course of his experience he has worked in every part of the factory and understands every phase of the industry. The machinery used in the plant is not of a nature that can be purchased, so it has been improved on and manufactured by Mr. Merritt in the company's plant. Since the consolidation of the business in 1903 Mr. Merritt has been manager and since 1905 has been vice president. He is a director of the First National Bank of Livermore and a director of the Luther Burbank Company, of which he was one of the organizers in 1911 and 1912. His judgment in business, his keen sagacity, his unfaltering activity and determination are valuable assets to the commercial growth and development of the west. In San Jose, on the 1st of August, 1892, Mr. Merritt was married to Miss Florence Burnham, a resident of Oakland, and they have a son and daughter, Ralph and Vera. The former is a senior in the University of California. He has been very active in athletics and has won high honors in rowing ever since his freshman year. In his political views Mr. Merritt is an earnest republican. He served as a member of the school board of the Fremont high school district from the time the Fremont district was organized until the annexation and was president of the board at the time of the erection of the Fremont high school. He also served for three terms as a member of the board of the Lockwood school. Aside from his activity along educational lines he has neither sought nor desired public office, although an active worker for the party. For many years he attended both county and state conventions. He is very prominent in Masonic circles and is a life member of the various branches of the order with which he is now connected. He belongs to Oakland Lodge, A. F. & A. M.; is a past high priest of Oakland Chapter, R. A. M.; and past vice illustrious master of Oakland Council, R. & S. M. He has been past grand master of the council of the state of California and is a member of Oakland Commandery and a past commander of De Molay Council of the thirtieth degree of the Scottish Rite. He likewise belongs to the Knights Commander of the Court of Honor of the Scottish Rite and to Aahmes Temple of the Mystic Shrine. He is a past patron of Golden Wave Chapter of the Eastern Star, of which his wife is a past matron. He is a member of Cherry Camp, W. O. W., of San Leandro, and of Alameda Lodge, No. 1015, B. P. O. E. For years he has been a member of the Manufacturers Committee of the Oakland Chamber of Commerce and is a cooperant factor in the well formulated plans of that organization for the upbuilding, development and improvement of the city. Contemporaries and colleagues speak of his business ability in high terms and are equally cordial in their indorsement of him as a man and citizen.
[page 559] - The name of Charles H. Wente has come to be regarded as synonymous with development and progress in Alameda county, for not only is he one of the most successful and progressive vineyardists in this part of the state but his varied interests have also touched closely many phases of financial and commercial development. He was born in Germany in 1851 and grew up on his father's farm there, taking charge of the property in partnership with his older brother when he was eighteen years of age. He acquired his education in the public schools of his native country. Charles H. Wente came to the United States in his early manhood and after one year of travel settled in California in 1882. For a short time he worked as a farm hand and later moved to Napa county, where he was employed in one of the first vineyards in that locality. In the interests of his employer he laid out a large vineyard, and he continued this occupation in the employ of others for three years thereafter. At the end of that time he came to Livermore and bought an interest in fifty acres of vineyard land belonging to Dr. Benard. Before the latter's death, in 1887, they made ten thousand gallons of wine in one year, and after Dr. Benard passed away Mr. Wente with his two new partners increased the capacity of the enterprise steadily, setting out more vines year by year. In 1896 Mr. Wente purchased four hundred and forty-six acres and in the following year set out upon this property one hundred acres in vines. In 1901 he purchased his partners' interests and has operated this enterprise alone since that time, owning today one thousand acres of land, three hundred acres being set out to vineyards. He has a plant the capacity of which is half a million gallons of wine and for the better disposal of his property purchased in 1908 the business controlled by the Napa & Sonoma Wine Company, of San Francisco, of which he is now president and majority stockholder. Mr. Wente is also well known in financial circles, having extensive and important connections along this line. He was one of the organizers of the Livermore Valley Bank, founded in 1905, with a capital stock of twenty-five thousand dollars. He was made vice president of this concern, holding this position until 1907, when the enterprise was reorganized as the First National Bank of Livermore with Mr. Wente as president, an office which he occupies at the present time. At the time of the reorganization of the First National Bank Mr. Wente also established the Livermore Valley Savings Bank in connection with it and is at the head of this concern also. The combined resources of the two banks are seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars and the capital stock of the Savings Bank is twenty-five thousand dollars and of the First National Bank fifty thousand dollars. Mr. Wente was the organizer of the Farmers Warehouse Company in Livermore and resigned as treasurer of this concern after a number of years of able service in order to establish the Independent Warehouse Company, in which he still owns an interest. He controls a large brick yard in Livermore, being president of the only fire brick plant in this region, and he is a director and was one of the organizers of the Vulcan Fire Insurance Company of Oakland. He, with several others, founded the Livermore Valley Building & Loan Association, and he has been a director therein from its organization. He was one of three men who established the Masonic Hall Association of which he is president. The building together with the lot cost twenty-seven thousand five hundred dollars, and is the finest edifice in Livermore. Thus it may be seen that his interests are extensive, varied and important, and they are conducted always in a progressive, farsighted and intelligent manner so that he stands today among the men of power and prominence in this locality. Mr. Wente married Miss Barbara Troutwein, a native of Germany but a resident of Oakland at the time of her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Wente have become the parents of seven children: Ida May and Caroline H., at home; Charles F., assistant cashier of the First National Bank of Livermore; E. A., who is in the wine business in association with his father and acts as manager of the vineyard; Herman L., attending the University of California; and Freda B. and Hillman, who are attending school. Mr. Wente is a member of the Masonic fraternity and is identified also with the Sons of Herman and the Grape Growers Association. His home located two miles from Livermore is called the Benard Vineyard. In 1913 he purchased the famous Oak Spring Vineyard which is situated just across from his home and which has been noted for many years because of the fine spring which afforded a watering place for the many travelers who went from San Jose to Stockton, from Stockton to Oakland, etc., on horseback. He holds a high place in business circles of Alameda county and his integrity, enterprise and ability have made him widely known and greatly respected.
[page 570] - Dr. Joseph Kyle Warner has been actively engaged in the practice of medicine and surgery at Livermore for the past eighteen years and is recognized as an able representative of the profession who ever keeps in touch with the most advanced methods and discoveries. His birth occurred in Shellsburg, Lafayette county, Wisconsin, on the 2d of September, 1868, his parents being John and Julia F. (Berry) Warner, the former a native of England and the latter of Wisconsin. John Warner came to California in 1868 and in the spring of 1870 brought his family to this state, locating in Stanislaus county, where he embarked in business as a general merchant. Subsequently he served as county assessor and later was engaged in the lumber business for several years. He is now living retired and makes his home in San Jose, Santa Clara county, this state. Mr. and Mrs. John Warner have the following children: John B., who is employed in the engineering department of the United States government at San Francisco but resides in Oakland; Joseph Kyle, of this review; William B., who is engaged in business as a general merchant of Hickman, Stanislaus county; Edna, the wife of Dr. F. B. Pearce, of San Jose; Ethel, who gave her hand in marriage to John Gallegos of Mission San Jose, a descendant of one of the very old families of Alameda county; and Adel, still at home. Dr. Joseph K. Warner acquired his early education in the public schools and continued his studies in the State Normal School of San Jose. In preparation for the practice of medicine he entered the medical department of the University of California and was graduated from that institution with the degree of M. D. in 1891. Subsequently he spent one year as interne in the Marine Hospital of San Francisco and was afterward engaged in practice in that city until 1894, when he went to New York, there pursuing post-graduate work for one year. Returning to San Francisco he followed his profession until 1896 and in that year came to Livermore, where he has maintained an office to the present time. In 1909 he went abroad and visited London, Berlin, Vienna and Paris in post-graduate work, familiarizing himself with the most improved foreign methods in medicine and surgery. He likewise spent considerable time in the Maternity Hospital at Glasgow. Dr. Warner acts as local surgeon at Livermore for the Western Pacific Railway and is widely recognized as a leading and successful representative of his chosen profession. At Berkeley, California, on the 22d of July, 1911, Dr. Warner was united in marriage to Miss Ethel V. Cumberpatch, a native of London, England, and a daughter of George Cumberpatch, who is connected with the engineering department of the Southern Pacific Railway and has been a resident of this state for twenty years. The Doctor and his wife have two children, Joseph Kyle and Frances Jean. Dr. Warner gives his political allegiance to the republican party but takes no active part in politics. Fraternally he is identified with Oak Lodge of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Foresters of America and the Masons at Livermore. In the course of a life devoted intelligently to the amelioration of the ills of mankind he has conscientiously attempted to perform his duty, and he richly merits the esteem in which he is held by the people of Livermore and its vicinity.
[page 578] - John J. Callaghan, one of the leading and successful attorneys of Livermore and Oakland, engaged in the general practice of law in partnership with A. F. St. Sure and J. Leonard Rose, was born in Livermore, September 13, 1877. He is a son of John and Margaret (Moy) Callaghan, the former of whom engaged in teaching school in Ireland in his youth and afterward became a prominent stockman in California. He died March 6, 1905, and was survived by his wife until November 28, 1907. To their union were born seven children, five of whom are living. The eldest is John J., of this review. Henry J. is a wireless telegraph operator in Manila, Philippine islands. Margaret married Charles Owens, purchasing agent in Livermore, California, and has one son. Edward F. is engaged in the stock business on a portion of his father's estate in Live He is married and has a daughter. Susan E. married Emmet Moran, postmaster of Altamont, California, where he is also engaged in the hotel business. They have become the parents of a son. John J. Callaghan was reared in Livermore and acquired his preliminary education in the grammar and high schools of his native city. He afterward enrolled in Hastings Law College of San Francisco, which is now the law department of the University of California, and he was admitted to practice before the state courts in June, 1900. In May of the following year he received his degree of LL.B. from the university. Following his graduation he returned home and managed the estate until January, 1913, when he formed a partnership with A. F. St. Sure, of Oakland, opening offices in Oakland and Livermore. The partners control a large and growing patronage and are connected with a great deal of important litigation. Mr. Callaghan has interests aside from his profession, for he owns a stock ranch in San Joaquin county and is secretary of the Stockman's Protective Association of Alameda and San Joaquin counties, being active and prominent in the work of this organization. He was at one time a director in the First National Bank of Livermore and is now attorney for the Farmers & Merchants Bank of this city. He is a director in the Chamber of Commerce and interested in the development of Livermore, supporting many movements which have for their object the permanent interests of the community. Mr. Callaghan is connected fraternally with the Knights of Columbus, the Foresters of America and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and he has been grand director of the Young Men's Institute. He gives his political allegiance to the democratic party and is a member of the democratic county central committee. He is a young man of energy, enterprise and discrimination and holds a high place in professional, business and social circles of Livermore.
Allen, David—249
Allen, Mary—28,249
Bailey, Hiram—424
Bailey, Josephine—427
Bailey, Mamie I.—427
Bailey, Rebecca—427
Barent, Geesje—265
Beck, Charles E.—519
Bergner, Amelia—235
Bernal, Dennis F.—427
Berry, Julia F.—570
Bissell, Daniel R.—291
Bissell, W. H. A., Rt. Rev.—290
Bissell, William Ambrose—290
Bissell, William H.—291
Block, James N.—249
Burnham, Florence—546
Callaghan, Edward F.—578
Callaghan, Henry J.—578
Callaghan, J. J.—519
Callaghan, John J.—578
Callaghan, John—578
Callaghan, M. G.—519
Callaghan, Margaret—578
Callaghan, Susan E.—579
Carrick, Fred A.—249
Carter, Jessie—531
Cook, Hite—451
Cormeny, Catharine E.—464
Cormeny, George W.—464
Coughlin, Michael C.—215
Coughlin, Timothy C.—215
Cowell, Charles H.—464
Cowhan, Albertina—262,266
Cumberpatch, Ethel V.—571
Cumberpatch, George—571
Davidson, Elizabeth—265
Delaval, Thomas—262
Donahue, W. H., Judge—541
Donahue, William H., Hon.—450
Ellsworth, John, Superior Judge—452
Finney, E. J.—451
Fisher, Florence B.—236
Fremont, John C., Colonel—248
Frisbie, Ann Eliza—265
Frisbie, William, Dr.—265
Fuchs, E.—519
Gallegos, John—570
Gardiner, Claude M.—464
Gier, Amalie—447
Gier, Elsa—447
Gier, Grace—447
Gier, Theodore—445
Gilson, Cass L.—346
Gilson, Jewett Castello—345
Gilson, Ray E., Dr.—346
Gilson, Rosse M.—346
Gonsallus, Angelica—265
Greene, Carrie T.—346
Grove, S. E.—266
Hardenburgh, Elizabeth—265
Hardenburgh, Gerrit J.—265
Hardenburgh, Johannes—265
Harris, Myron—541
Harris, Neal—541
Harris, Thomas William, Hon.—540
Harris, William—540
Hatch, Florence E.—29
Holm, Charles—519
Hornung, Ferdinande—447
Humphrey, Sarah Goodwin—463
Hupers, W. H.—427
Jordan, W. H.—427
Kanno, Gertrude—465
Kip, Rachel—265
Knox, T. E.—519
Langan, G. W.—28
Langan, Mrs. G. W.—249
Lassen, F. C.—519
Lewis, Geradus—265
Lewis, Gradus—265
Lewis, Irving C.—262,266
Lewis, John Mellgren—266
Lewis, John—265
Lewis, Leonard—265
Lewis, Louise Bertina—266
Lewis, Phillip Frisbie—267
Lewis, Thomas—262
Lewis, William Frisbie—265,266
Lewis, William Frisbie, Dr.—262
Lindley, Curtis H.—249
Livermore, Casimira—424
Livermore, Joseph—424
Livermore, Robert—424
MacDonald, A. C.—520
MacDonald, Alexander—518
MacDonald, Annie—520
MacDonald, Frank—519
MacDonald, L. M.—519
MacDonald, Leah—520
MacDonald, Lloyd M.—518
MacDonald, Mary E.—519
MacDonald, Norman L.—520
MacDonald, Norman—520
MacDonald, Viola—518
Mathiesen, F.—519
McGill, Adelaide—531
McGill, George, M. D.—531
McGill, Henry Gordon, Dr.—531
McKenzie, Elizabeth—518
McLeod, John—519
McLeod, Leah—519
Mendenhall, Asa V.—28,249
Mendenhall, David A.—249
Mendenhall, Edwin—29
Mendenhall, Elizabeth—249
Mendenhall, Ella—249
Mendenhall, Emma—249
Mendenhall, Etta—249
Mendenhall, James M.—249
Mendenhall, Oswald V.—249
Mendenhall, Sally—29
Mendenhall, William M.—28,247
Mendenhall, William W.—249
Merritt, Albert H.—464,545
Merritt, Augusta A.—464
Merritt, Gertrude E.—464
Merritt, James B.—463,545
Merritt, James Bestor—460
Merritt, Mary Williston—464
Merritt, Ralph—546
Merritt, Sarah T.—464
Merritt, Vera—546
Messick, Cora A.—291
Moran, Emmet—579
Morris, T. W.—546
Moulton, Martha Colton—290
Moy, Margaret—578
Murphy, D. J.—519
Neal, Leta—541
Noble, L. E.—517
Norris, Thomas W.—464
O'Brien, John—216
O'Brien, Margaret M.—215
O'Brien, Mary C.—216
O'Brien, Mrs. Margaret—215
O'Brien, Mrs. Mary—216
O'Brien, William—215
Owens, Charles—578
Parshall, H. R.—519
Pearce, F. B., Dr.—570
Petersen, Cedric W.—236
Petersen, Francis—236
Petersen, Fred—236
Petersen, Henry U. K., Captain—235
Petersen, Laurette—236
Petersen, Roderick Paul—236
Petersen, Ulric K.—236
Petersen, Walter Joseph—235
Philipse, Frederick—262
Phillips, Clara Eliza—267
Phillips, J. W.—267
Pitcher, H. H.—519
Pounstone, A. L.—451
Pronzini, E.—519
Robinson, Edward C.—464
Rose, J. Leonard—578
Schepmore, Jalpje—265
Segbers, J. A.—427
Silva, M. L.—520
Slipp, Mrs. Mary E.—541
St. Sure, A. F.—578
Still, Clarence E.—518
Still, Elmer G.—518
Still, Elmer Grant—543
Still, Irene O.—518
Still, Wilber E.—517
Still, Wilber H.—518
Still, Wilber—543
Still, William—517
Therkof, G. A.—519
Todd, Grant H.—546
Toy, Joseph—545
Troutwein, Barbara—560
Varney, Thomas—519
Warner, Adel—570
Warner, Edna—570
Warner, Ethel—570
Warner, Frances Jean—571
Warner, John B.—570
Warner, John—570
Warner, Joseph Kyle—571
Warner, Joseph Kyle, Dr.—570
Warner, William B.—570
Webb, Anne E.—518,543
Wente, Caroline H.—560
Wente, Charles F.—560
Wente, Charles H.—559
Wente, E. A.—560
Wente, Freda B.—560
Wente, Herman L.—560
Wente, Hillman—560
Wente, Ida May—560
Wilson, Peter—424
Wylie, William D.—265