A. Early Averrett, senior member of the firm of Averrett & Stephens, dealers in general merchandise at Soledad, is a native of the State of Georgia, where he was born on the thirteenth day of November, ’45. At the age of seven years, he moved with his parents to Alabama, where he remained until he was twenty-three years old, when he came to California via the Isthmus of Panama, arriving in San Francisco in June, 1868. He went to Watsonville, Santa Cruz County, and entered the mercantile house of A. Lewis & Co., as salesman, which position he occupied seven years.
On the 26th of February, 1871, he was married to Miss E. L., daughter of C. H. Pratt, of Watsonville. In January, 1875, he bought the mercantile business of his brother-in-law, H. C. Pratt, of Soledad, Monterey County, where for several years he prosecuted the business alone. In January, 1883, he admitted to partnership H. R. Stephens, since which time the business has been conducted under the firm name above mentioned. In 1887 Mr. Averrett left his partner in charge of the business for a few months and traveled over the State seeking a place for a permanent home, and finally settled in San Jose, Santa Clara County, where he has built himself a fine home, and enjoys the comforts thereof, together with his wife and three children, two sons and a daughter.
Source: Harrison, E. S., Monterey County, part of Harrison’s Series of Pacific Coast Pamphlets, No. 3, Salinas, Calif. : E. S. Harrison, 1890.