Alameda County
Biographies
HON. JAMES BEAZELL
This well-known gentleman of Alameda County is a native of Pennsylvania. Born in Westmoreland County, October 30, 1830, where he resided until he attained the age of twenty-one years. He then came, via the Mississippi River, Gulf of Mexico, across Texas and Mexico, to California, arriving in San Francisco July 19, 1852; coming immediately to Mission San Jose, where he found employment for a short time at his trade of blacksmithing, and then went to Alvarado; and finally, in 1853, located in Centreville, where he carried on business until 1862, when he moved to Washington Corners, and in August, 1868, transferred his business to the thriving town of Livermore; and in 1878, in connection with his brother, erected their present shop on Lizzie Street, where they transact a general blacksmithing business, under the firm name of Beazell Brothers. In the fall of 1875 Mr. Beazell was called from his anvil by the voters of Alameda County to represent them in the State Senate, a position he was re-elected to in 1876, filling all the functions of that high office to the satisfaction of his constituents and honor to himself. In January, 1871, our subject was united in marriage, in San Francisco, to Miss C. W. Veirs, a native of Ohio, by which union they have two children, Ella B. and Jessie M.
History of Alameda County, California…, Oakland, M.W. Wood Publ., 1883
p. 846-847
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler
BENAJAH BENEDICT
This much respected pioneer of Alameda County, whose portrait will be found in this volume, was born in Addison County, Vermont, December 1, 1825, and is the son of Jonas A. and Soloma (Towner) Benedict. His parents moving to Crown Point, Essex County, New York, when he was six years of age, there he received his education, grew to manhood, and resided on his father’s farm, until determining to tempt fortune on the Pacific Slope. On April 20, 1852, he sailed in the bark Southerner, around Cape Horn, for San Francisco, where he arrived on the 22d of October. It was not to loiter in that city that he had braved the dangers of the deep and made the wearisome voyage; no, he almost immediately went to the gold-producing canons of the Sierras, but not finding there the riches that he had expected, he made his way back to San Francisco, and there remained until January 11, 1853. At this date he first came to the Contra Costa, for Alameda County had not yet been created, and, locating in the vicinity of Union City, embarked in farming operations on the land at present owned by John Shinn. There he remained until October, 1853, when he removed to the Encinal of Alameda, and commenced agricultural pursuits on land now owned by Capt. R. R. Thompson, and upon which that gentleman has erected his handsome mansion. In December, 1854, he transferred the scene of his labors to Bay Farm Island, rented land from Mr. Cleveland, on which he farmed until 1856. In the following year he was associated with Mr. Mc Donald in tilling the soil, and in 1859 he erected and occupied the house in which he now resides. Mr. Benedict owns on the island about seventy-five acres of land, which is chiefly devoted to the raising of asparagus and hops, while he is largely interested in the latter industry with Jacob B. Shirk, in Washington Township. This enterprise Mr. Benedict has succeeded in bringing to a high state of perfection, and with the high prices ranging during the past year for that commodity the yield has added considerably to his already well-filled coffers. The benefits that he has conferred upon the small community of the Island are many. His advocacy and support of our public school system shows that he firmly believes that the only royal road to knowledge is by the early training of the young, and that it is the “mind that makes the man.” Married, February 19, 1857, Mrs. Persis A. (Cleveland), widow of Chester Hamlin, who has two surviving children.
History of Alameda County, California…, Oakland, M.W. Wood Publ., 1883
p. 847
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler