History of New California Archives - Page 4 of 13

Biography of James William Jesse, M. D. of Santa Rosa

James William Jesse, M.D., born in Mexico, Missouri, in 1857, was a leading physician and surgeon in Santa Rosa, California. Educated at Columbia College in Missouri and the College of the City of New York, he earned his M.D. and began practicing in Santa Rosa in 1890. Dr. Jesse served as mayor, city health officer, and county physician, and was a surgeon for major railroads and the Red Cross Sanitarium. He was president of the Santa Rosa Medical Society and active in Masonic and Elk fraternities. Dr. Jesse married Mary E. Higgins, and their daughter, Marie, studied at Mills College.

Biography of Grove Lawrence Johnson of Sacramento

Hon. Grove Lawrence Johnson, born March 27, 1841, in Syracuse, New York, was a distinguished lawyer and Republican leader in California. Educated in public schools and admitted to the bar at twenty-one, he moved to California in 1863. Johnson served as a state legislator, state senator, and congressman. Known for his legal acumen, he played a key role in major litigations and legislative reforms. He was also active in various fraternal organizations. Johnson married Annie Williamson de Montfredy in 1861, and they had five children. His career was marked by dedication to both his profession and public service.

Biography of Joseph William James, M. D. of Sacramento

Dr. Joseph William James, a physician in Sacramento, was born on January 1, 1876, in Cornwall, England. His father, Thomas James, a former miner, moved the family to America in 1880, eventually settling in Sacramento. Dr. James received his medical degree from Cooper Medical College in 1900. He initially worked at the Sacramento County Hospital and the Southern Pacific Railroad Hospital before starting his private practice. Dr. James is a medical examiner for the New England Mutual Life Insurance Company and Union Lodge, A. O. U. W., and actively participates in the American Medical Association and the Sacramento Society for Medical Improvement.

Biography of William Irelan, Jr.

William Irelan, Jr., born on August 7, 1842, in Wilmington, Delaware, is a notable mining and consulting engineer. Son of William Irelan, a sea captain and inventor, and Elizabeth Hancock Clark, Irelan pursued extensive education in Delaware, London, and Leipzig. Moving to California in 1870, he contributed significantly to the state’s mining industry and served as state mineralogist and engineer. Irelan managed the California mining exhibit at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. He married Linna Vogel in 1870 in Germany, and they have one son, Oscar. Linna is an esteemed artist and pioneer in California art pottery.

Biography of Ferdinand Hurst of Redding

Ferdinand Hurst, born on February 18, 1862, in Renchen, Baden, Germany, is a prominent mining entrepreneur in Redding, Shasta County, California. Arriving in America at seventeen, he moved to Redding in 1880. After years of perseverance, he achieved success with the development of several mining properties, including the Midas mine. Retiring in 1897, Hurst manages his properties, including the Golden Eagle Hotel. Elected as a trustee of Redding in 1902, he is active in public affairs and affiliated with the Masons and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Hurst married Marie Fent in 1898, with whom he has visited Germany twice.

Biography of Benjamin F. Howard of Sacramento County

Benjamin F. Howard, born in Sacramento on October 11, 1851, is serving his fourth term as county superintendent of schools in Sacramento County. Son of Marcus Jay and Jane Howard, early settlers from Vermont and Northern Ireland, Howard has significantly advanced local education. He began teaching at eighteen and was principal of Washington School in Yolo County for seven years. Elected superintendent in 1886, his tenure has seen marked improvements in school standards and enrollment. In 1881, he married Sarah Morton, a notable music teacher. Howard is active in the Native Sons of the Golden West and is a dedicated Republican.

Biography of Earnest Martin Hoen

Ernest Martin Hoen, an accomplished architect, was born in Santa Rosa, California, in 1872. He is the son of Berthold (“Barney”) Hoen, a German immigrant and city founder of Santa Rosa, and Marie Andersen Gade Hoen, a Danish immigrant from a distinguished family. Ernest graduated from Washington University’s Manual Training School in St. Louis in 1889 and established a successful architectural career in San Francisco and Sacramento. In 1899, he married Edna Lewis of Sacramento, and they have a son, Martin Lewis Hoen. Ernest is active in the Masons and the Elks, and is a dedicated Republican.

Biography of Lester J. Hinsdale of Sacramento

Lester J. Hinsdale, an attorney and counselor at law of Sacramento, was born in Clarksburg, Yolo County, California, on the 18th of October, 1870. His father, Seymour S. Hinsdale, is a native of Vermont and a representative of an old Connecticut family that was founded in America by ancestors who came from England in the early part of the seventeenth century. Representatives of the name fought in the Indian wars during the colonial period and also in the war for independence. Through many generations the family was represented in New England, and Seymour S. Hinsdale continued to make his home … Read more

Biography of Edward P. Hilborn of Suisun

Edward P. Hilborn, born on February 10, 1871, in Suisun, Solano County, California, is the deputy state surveyor general of California and a distinguished civil engineer. After graduating with a B.S. in civil engineering from the University of California in 1891, he worked for the Southern Pacific Railroad Company, contributing to significant projects. Appointed chief deputy state surveyor general in 1903, Hilborn has a strong background in politics, serving on various Republican committees. He is active in several fraternal organizations, including the Knights Templar Masons, Shriners, and Elks.

Biography of John M. Higgins of Sacramento

John M. Higgins, born on September 3, 1863, in New Jersey, is the foreman of the bindery department at the state printing office and a member of California’s General Assembly. He was educated in San Francisco, where he completed high school at seventeen. Higgins apprenticed under bookbinder A. Buswell, later buying and running the business until 1889. Moving to Sacramento, he joined the state printing office, becoming foreman in 1903. An active Republican, he has served in the thirty-fifth General Assembly and is involved in the Bookbinders’ Union, Elks, and Eagles.