Mendocino County
Biographies
Cooper, J. A.
J. A. Cooper. Was born in Rutherford county, North Carolina, December 25, 1852. His ancestors were of English descent and were among the earliest colonial settlers in the United States. His grandfather, Nathaniel Webb, was engaged in the battle of Bunker Hill, and was in the army of the Colonists during the entire period of the Revolutionary War. The subject of this sketch was educated at Ashville Academy, North Carolina, from which he graduated in 1869. In 1870 he left his native State, and came to Leavenworth, Kansas, where he resided till May 1876, being engaged in teaching, and devoting his time during leisure hours and his vacations to reading law. In the above year he came to California, and immediately entered the law office of Hon. A. Thomas, of Santa Rosa, under whose instruction he completed his law course, and was, after examination in open court, admitted to the Bar of the Supreme Court of California, July 11, 1877. In August of that year he came to Ukiah, at which place he permanently located and immediately entered into the active practice of his profession. He has now a numerous clientage and is doing an active business. He was employed in the defense of Brown, Gaunec and Wheeler, the famous “Mendocino outlaws.”
SOURCE: History of Mendocino County, California - San Francisco, Cal. Alley, Bowen & Co., Publishers. 1880 Pp. 634, 635
Transcribed by Pat Howard
Day, L. T.
L. T. Day. Born in Jackson county, Missouri, July 28, 1848. When five years of age he, with his parents, crossed the plains to California, and arrived at Diamond Springs in September, where the father engaged in hotel-keeping, which he conducted until the following October, when the whole family took passage on the Yankee Blade for the East, leaving San Francisco October 5, 1854. When about seventy miles off shore by Santa Barbara the steamer was wrecked, but no lives lost. The subject of this sketch, with his parents, went ashore and settled in Los Angeles, where they engaged in hotel-keeping until 1855, when they moved to Michigan Bar, Sacramento county, where the father conducted a hotel until the summer of 1858, when he went to Suisun, Solano county, where he conducted a hotel for one year; then went to Magnolia Station, Sacramento county, where they remained until January, 1860; then moved to Colusa, where the father died, May 20, 1861. In 1863 the mother was killed by the falling of a porch at a mass-meeting at Marysville, and in the fall of the above year, the subject of this sketch went down to Petaluma, Sonoma county, where he attended Lippitt’s High School for about nine months. In the fall of 1864 he came to this county and spent the first ten years in farming. In 1874 he was appointed Deputy Sheriff under S. J. Chalfant, which office he held one term; then held the same office under J. R. Moore for two terms. In the fall of 1879 he was elected County Assessor, which office he is now filling.
SOURCE: History of Mendocino County, California - San Francisco, Cal. Alley, Bowen & Co., Publishers. 1880 Pp. 635
Transcribed by Pat Howard
Day, Benjamin W.
Benjamin W. Day. Born at Independence, Jackson county, Missouri, June 8, 1850. In 1853 he, in company with his parents and two brothers, crossed the plains to California, arriving at Diamond Springs in September, where the father opened a hotel, which he conducted until August, 1854. Sometime during the summer of that year the youngest son died; and in the fall of the above year the remainder of the family took passage on the steamer Yankee Blade for the East. When near Los Angeles the steamer was wrecked, but the passengers succeeded in getting ashore. The Day family then settled at Los Angeles, where the father engaged in hotel-keeping until 1855, when they went up to Michigan Bar, Sacramento county, where he kept hotel until the summer of 1858. He then engaged in the same business at Suisun, Solano county, until the summer of 1859; he then conducted the same business at Magnolia Station, Sacramento county, until January, 1860; then moved to Colusa, where the father resumed his former business until he died, May 20, 1861. The subject of this sketch then, at the age of eleven years, engaged as clerk in the drug-store of J. H. Woods, at Colusa, where he remained until September, 1864. July 31, 1863, his mother died from injuries received on July 30th by the falling of a porch at a mass-meeting at Marysville. In October, 1864, Mr. Day came to Mendocino county and lived with his uncle, William Day, until 1868, when he returned to Colusa, where he was employed for two years by Gibson & Calmes as book-keeper. In 1870 he returned to his uncle in Potter valley, where he remained until the spring of 1873. Being discontented he took a trip to the upper portion of the State, and was gone about four months. He then returned to Ukiah and was employed in the bank as book-keeper until September, 1875, when he was elected County Recorder, which office he held for two terms. Married, September 11, 1878, Miss Nettie Siddons, a native of California.
SOURCE: History of Mendocino County, California - San Francisco, Cal. Alley, Bowen & Co., Publishers. 1880 Pp. 635, 636
Transcribed by Pat Howard