Berkeley Archives - California Genealogy

Biography of W. L. Clark of Forestville, California

The name of Clark is well known throughout Sonoma county, and especially in Forestville, where father and son in their several capacities have become familiar to every household, the former as postmaster of this town for many years, and the latter as a dispenser of meats throughout the town and surrounding country. Not only is W. L. Clark a native of the state, but he is also a native of Sonoma county, his birth occurring in Windsor May 8, 1865, the son of W. S. Clark and his wife, both natives of Illinois. During the period of gold excitement W. … Read more

Biography of Thomas Blackstone Rector of Atwater

1925 History of Merced County - title page

A successful rancher and business man of Merced County is Thomas Blackstone Rector, a native son of the State, born in Merced County near Hopeton, on February 10, 1863, the second son and child of Elbridge Gerry and Amanda (McFarlane) Rector, pioneers of California, the former now deceased but the latter is a resident of Berkeley and at the age of ninety-four is in possession of all her faculties and enjoys life to its full. After finishing his school work, Thomas B. Rector was employed on his father’s ranch until he accepted a position as clerk at Snelling with Simon-Jacobs … Read more

Biography of Henry Nelson of Merced

Among the best-known of the old-timers now living in Merced is Henry Nelson, whose memory carries him back to the earliest days in the forming of the county, and who is able to recount the happenings of those early days when a “man was a man” and stood upon his own feet. Mr. Nelson was born in Frederickton, New Brunswick, on August 17, 1844, the son of William and Anna C. (Campbell) Nelson. The former died in May, 1896, at Sonora, and the latter in September, 1895, at Merced Falls; both are buried in the Odd Fellows Cemetery in Snelling. … Read more