San Joaquin County
Biographies
GUISEPPE BATTILANA.
An influential citizen of San Joaquin County is Guiseppe Battilana, who by ceaseless toil and endeavor, has attained a marked success in business affairs, has gained the respect and confidence of men, and is recognized as one of the representative citizens of Stockton, where he has resided for the past thirty-two years. He was born on a farm in the Genoa district of Italy, November 11, 1863, his father being a farmer and also a storekeeper in a small town in Italy. Guiseppe helped his father on the farm and in the store until he was twenty-seven years of age, then started for America and came direct to Stockton, Cal., arriving with very little money in his pocket; however, he soon found work in a grocery store owned by August Gianelli, located on the corner of Center and South Streets, and after four years of clerking, he and D. Gianelli, a brother of August Gianelli, purchased the business, and the firm became known as Gianelli & Battilana and they conducted the store for five years, when Mr. Battilana sold his interest and with the proceeds bought lots at the corner of South and San Joaquin streets, where he built a store building and carried on a grocery business for eight years; he then erected two business blocks at the corner of Church and San Joaquin streets and conducted a grocery store for four years. Success attended every venture, for he was persevering and industrious and was optimistic for the future of Stockton, so invested his savings in real estate. About twelve years ago he entered the real estate and insurance business, paying particular attention to the insurance end of the business and he has built up a very profitable clientele. Mr. Battilana has bought and sold houses and lots in Stockton and is the owner of considerable valuable real estate in the city. He is a prominent member of the Italian colony of Stockton and has been an influential factor in the upbuilding of the city.
Mr. Battilana's marriage united him with Miss Lottie Gianelli, a daughter of G. Gianelli, an early resident of Stockton, now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Battilana are the parents of eight children, five of whom are now living; Zelda, is the wife of Beverly Castle; Marsel married Inez Scalati and they have one daughter; Eugene, Beatrice and Joy. Mr. Battilana is a member of the Stockton Italian Club.
History of San Joaquin County, California – Los Angeles, Historic Record Co., 1923
p 727
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler.
JAMES A. ALLEN.
For the past thirteen years James A. Allen has been closely identified with the building interests of Stockton, and is one of the progressive and enterprising men of that city. He was born near Springfield, Mo., on July 13, 1882. His father was a building contractor and when James was fourteen years old he began to learn the carpenter trade with his father and followed his trade in the East until 1905 when he came to California. His first work was on the Spreckels Sugar Factory at Visalia; he next worked on a sawmill at Milwood Basin in the mountains of Fresno County. In 1906 he went to San Francisco shortly after the fire, where he worked for a contractor and later ran a shop where he made office fixtures and helped materially in rebuilding the stricken city. In 1909 he came to Stockton and first worked for Chappell, the contractor, on the interior finish of the Wonder Store, Denton's residence and the new concrete building at the State Farm; then he entered the employ of Chirhart & Nystad, building contractors, and with them worked on the new buildings for the Stockton high school. In 1912 he started in for himself as building contractor, making a specialty of fine homes in which line he has built up a fine reputation. He has erected residences for Frank Murray, Frank Warne,. Arthur Salz; he has also done some fine work on interior finish and fronts of stores. He erected a $20,000 home for George Moore at Lodi, a $9,000 home on the Theissen ranch near Thornton and the Percy Hodgkin ranch home. He recently designed and completed the Gall block at the corner of Main and Aurora streets at a cost of $45,000, one of Stockton's new, modern structures. He has also constructed and sold eight houses.
Mrs. Allen's maiden name was Miss Mary Lipp, a native of Indiana, and she is the parent of a daughter, by her former marriage, Lena Belle. Mr. Allen is a member of the Stockton Builders' Exchange and fraternally is a Knight of Pythias of uniform rank, the Pythian Sisters and the Woodmen of the World. Mr. Allen has recently sold his beautiful home in Tuxedo Park, and is now planning a new residence.
History of San Joaquin County, California – Los Angeles, Historic Record Co., 1923
p 727
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler.
THOMAS F. BAXTER.
Stockton owes much of its world-celebrity to the Holt Manufacturing Company, whose efficient, popular manager is Thomas F. Baxter, the president. He was born at Brookline, Mass., on November 1, 1869, and there attended the grammar and high schools. At the age of seventeen he secured a position with a banking firm in Boston, and after three years there, he became, when twenty years of age, treasurer of the Worcester, Nashua and Rochester Railroad. Three years in railroading satisfied his ambition for that field, and then he entered the Boston and New York banking firm of Messrs. Bond & Goodwin. From the start there, he was successful, both in inspiring his superiors with confidence in him, and in satisfying the patrons of the house with whom he dealt; and it is not surprising to find that in 1900 he was made a partner in the concern, and two years later he became senior partner. The banking house is one of the largest in the East, with many branches and connections elsewhere, including some on the Pacific Coast; and Mr. Baxter could hardly have had a better introduction to his present line of enterprise.
In 1913, then, with the prestige of a successful banker, Mr. Baxter came out to Stockton, as general manager of the Holt Manufacturing Company, and on the death of Benjamin Holt in 1921, he was made president of this now widely-known company. In January, 1920, he retired from active participation in banking, two years after he became a citizen of Stockton. He is still a director of the banking firm of Bond, Goodwin & Tucker, Inc., at San Francisco, with Pacific Coast branches, being chairman of the board, and he is also a director of the Stockton Savings and Loan Bank. He is vice-president of the Stockton Chamber of Commerce, and was active in all liberty bond drives; he is still especially interested in the Boy Scout movement, and donated Camp Baxter to the Boy Scouts for summer vacation purposes.
Mr. Baxter was married at Boston, in 1899, to Miss Mabel Smith, a native of Boston, by whom he has had two sons and one daughter, Thomas F., Philip N., and Ruth Baxter. Mr. Baxter belongs to the following clubs: Brookline Country Club, the Braeburn Country Club, the Minneapolis Club, the Peoria Country Club, the Pacific Union Club, the Burlingame Country Club, the Yosemite Club of Stockton, the Stockton Golf Club, the Stockton Country Club, the Stockton Progressive Business Club, the Brookline Elks and the Boston Press Club; is a Scottish Rite Mason and Shriner, holding membership in Aahmes Temple, Oakland. He has recently been elected president of the Chamber of Commerce.
History of San Joaquin County, California – Los Angeles, Historic Record Co., 1923
p 727
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler.