Plumas County
Biographies
John Davenport Compton,
son of David and Sarah Compton, was born at New Egypt, Monmouth county, New Jersey, March 9, 1832. When thirteen years of age he went to Allentown and lived four years. After a residence of short periods in various places he started from New York February 5, 1853, for California, coming via Aspinwall. He sailed from this point for San Francisco on the ill-fated steamer Tennessee, which was lost four miles above the heads, named from this accident Tennessee Cove. The passengers were rescued by the tug Defiance. Mr. Compton kept books a short time in San Francisco, dealt in general merchandise for three years at Union city, Alameda county, and then embarked in the same business in Marysville, in partnership with John Quin. In November, 1862, he came to Round valley and opened a branch store. In 1864 he bought out his partner, and continued the business until 1870. Four years after he came to Greenville, and in 1876 opened the present business with John McBeth. Mr. Compton was engaged in mining at Cherokee from 1870 to 1875, and lost $75,000. He was married in 1878 to Miss M. A. Holland, of Boston, Massachusetts, who has given birth to two children, Virgil D. L., born August 13, 1879, and William H. T., born September 27, 1881. In 1865 Mr. Compton was elected county surveyor and served two terms. He is a member of the Masonic and Workmen orders.
SOURCE: Illustrated History of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra Counties, with California from 1513 to 1850. –
Fariss and Smith, San Francisco, 1882. p 307
Transcribed by Craig Hahn, Dec. 2004
Mathias Knoll
is a German by birth, and was born at the town of Landan, on the Rhine, August 3, 1821. At the age of seventeen he was apprenticed to a cooper, and worked at the trade for two years. He then worked three years in a brewery, and in another brewery in Switzerland five years. In 1848 he came to Cincinnati, brewed the amber fluid a year at that place, and two years at St. Louis, and then started overland to California. He mined three months in Nevada county, two years on Bear river, six months at Auburn, Placer county, three years in Yuba county, and eight months in Sierra county. From here he went to British Columbia and Washington Territory, and from there to Yuba county, finally bringing up in Plumas county. After moving around considerably he started a brewery near Crescent, which he still owns and runs. He also owns the adjoining ranch of 600 acres. He was married October 11, 1867, to Mrs. Geiss, by whom he has had two children, Gustavus, born August 4, 1868, and Christina, June 4, 1870. Three children of Mrs. Geiss, born prior to her marriage with Mr. Knoll, were named Josephine, Jacob, and Mary Louise. Two died in 1862, and one in 1864.
SOURCE: Illustrated History of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra Counties, with California from 1513 to 1850. –
Fariss and Smith, San Francisco, 1882. p 307-307
Transcribed by Craig Hahn, Dec. 2004