San Joaquin County
Biographies
ISAAC H. ROBINSON.
Honored and respected in every class of society, Isaac H. Robinson has been closely identified with the public life of Stockton for over a quarter of a century, and his name is inscribed high on the roll of its foremost citizens. He was born on a California ranch near Santa Rosa, October 17, 1856, and until the age of sixteen attended the district school in the neighborhood of his home and during spare hours helped his father on the home place. The practical ranching experience enabled him to obtain employment on other ranches in northern California and ten years of his early manhood was thus spent. During February, 1883, he arrived in Stockton and found work in the planing mill of P. A. Buell, being thus occupied until he entered the Stockton police department as patrolman, remaining in that position for two years; then for two years he served as chief of police of Stockton. He was then selected as deputy sheriff and served four years under Tom Cunningham. Following this he was elected to the position of city clerk of Stockton which he capably filled for five and a half years. For the past twenty years he has been in the office of the county treasurer and tax collector and is now serving as chief deputy in that office with entire satisfaction to the general public. He gives his political allegiance to the Republican party and has taken an active part in local and state politics. His fraternal memberships are with the Native Sons of the Golden West, Truth Lodge. I. O. O. F., having passed through all the chairs of the latter organization, and he has passed through all branches of Masonry up to and including the thirty-second degree, and belongs to Aahmes Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., of Oakland.
The marriage of Mr. Robinson united him with Miss Henrietta Fortune, a native of San Francisco, and they have one daughter, Mrs. C. H. Bouch of Los Angeles, who is the mother of three sons. Mrs. Robinson is well known in the community and has gained the warm regard which is ever given in recognition of sterling worth.
History of San Joaquin County, California – Los Angeles, Historic Record Co., 1923
p 654
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler.
FRANK W. BECKMAN.
Among California's native sons of whom she is justly proud is numbered the late Frank W. Beckman, a prominent and worthy representative of an early family of San Joaquin County. He was born on his father's ranch near Lodi on July 29, 1875. His father, Henry H. Beckman, was born in Bremen, Prussia, on March 13, 1834, and was reared on a farm in his native land until he was fourteen when he started for the United States in 1848. Five years later he crossed the plains to California with an ox-team and settled in Elkhorn township, San Joaquin County, where, with his brothers, he farmed grain until 1859, when a division was made of the property and from that time on he farmed alone, having as much as 1,000 acres in grain at one time and he became very well-to-do. He married Miss Margaret Toni, a native of Switzerland. He was a charter member of Woodbridge Lodge No. 131. F. & A. M.
Frank W. began his education in the schools of his district and later was graduated from the San Joaquin Valley College at Woodbridge, and supplemented this with a year at Stanford University. After finishing his education he went to work on his father's ranch, but soon an opportunity presented itself and he became one of the founders of the grocery firm of Beckman & Thompson, operated for years under the firm name of Beckman, Welch & Thompson Company; this is not only a pioneer firm of Lodi, but is the largest in that line.
As a progressive citizen, Frank Beckman was public spirited and was ready to assist any worthy project that he thought would help to build up his community; he served as a member of the Lodi library board; was a stockholder in the Lodi National Bank and in the First National Bank. In his fraternal relations he was active in Masonic circles and held membership in Woodbridge Lodge No. 131, F. & A. M., of which he was a past master, belonged to Stockton Chapter, R. A. M., and to Stockton Commandery, K. T., and to Islam Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., in San Francisco. He was also past patron of Woodbridge Chapter No. 118, O. E. S.; belonged to Stockton Lodge No. 218, B. P. O. E., and to the Knights of Pythias.
Mr. Beckman's marriage on November 30, 1899, united him with Miss Addine Le Moin, a native of California born in Amador County, November 30, 1880, the daughter of George W. Le Moin, mentioned on another page of this history. Three children were born of this union: Margaret is Mrs. J. E. Devine and the mother of a son, Dalton, and they reside in Lodi; Le Moin F. and Addine Winifred are students in the Lodi high school. Mr. Beckman passed away May 23, 1907, mourned by his family and a large circle of friends and acquaintances. Since the death of Mr. Beckman, Mrs. Beckman has carried on the various projects that he had started and is interested in the First National Bank, the Lodi National Bank and the Lodi Investment Company. In 1922 she completed one of the most modern of homes on West Pine Street. Lodi, where she lives with her family. She takes an active interest in and is a member of the Woman's Club of Lodi and Lodi Chapter No. 151 O. E. S.
History of San Joaquin County, California – Los Angeles, Historic Record Co., 1923
p 654
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler.
WALTER T. RUTHERFORD.
A worthy citizen of San Joaquin County, with whose agricultural and other interests he has been identified for a great many years, is Walter T. Rutherford who, for the last four years has been in charge of the field work of the Lodi branch of the Earl Fruit Company in San Joaquin County. He was born in Glasgow, Scotland, July 25, 1867, a son of John and Mary (Bowie) Rutherford, both natives of Scotland. and where the father was superintendent of a large estate until his death at the age of forty-eight years, the mother living to be eighty-two years old. There were eight children in the family, seven of whom are living: Isabelle, Annie, Archie, Walter T., our subject, John, William, Angus gave his life for his country during the World War, and Mary.
Walter T. received his education in the schools of his native country and when twenty years of age came to New York, where he became a landscape gardener in the city parks of Buffalo and New York for three years. In 1889 he left New York for the West, traveling through New Mexico and Arizona and reaching California he settled in Sacramento, where he followed farming and the breaking of raw tule land; some for Arthur Thornton at New Hope and for the Eppenger Company on Ryer Island; he also worked on Grand Isle and Staten Island. He broke tule land on Ryer Island when the levees were constructed by Chinese with wheelbarrows.
The marriage of Mr. Rutherford, November 28, 1906, at Sacramento, united him with Miss Jeannette A. Chase, born at San Andreas, Cal., a daughter of Charles Lowe and Addie Jane (Hatch) Chase, and is one of a family of eight children: Rule L.; Jennie, Mrs. M. J. Burke, resides in Sacramento; Mrs. Elizabeth Morf resides in Sacramento; Mrs. Florence A. Blodgett resides in Lodi; Charles Victor is at Mare Island; Daniel P. resides in Sacramento; Mrs. Jeannette A. Rutherford; Wilbur Richard is a printer residing in Seattle, Wash. Mrs. Rutherford's parents were natives of the same town in Maine and descendants of old Colonial stock. Mrs. Rutherford's maternal grandfather, Mark Hatch, came to California in 1849 during the gold excitement and engaged in mining near Jenny Lind, and there built the first house. Mrs. Rutherford's maternal grandmother died in Maine and as the grandfather was already in California, the children were obliged to come to California to be with their father, so in 1862 Addie Hatch, Mrs. Rutherford's mother, brought five brothers and sisters to California via the Isthmus route to the home in Jenny Lind which the father had prepared; Mark Hatch also planted the first peach orchard at Jenny Lind.
Charles Lowe Chase came to California via the Isthmus route in 1852 and settled first at San Jose, then to the mines of Calaveras and El Dorado counties; he cast his first vote in 1856 at Murphys, Calaveras County; later he engaged in the lumber business at Willow Creek and was known as the champion shingle splitter; he also owned mines at CheeChee Flat, called the Mountain Ranch, and here the mother taught one of the first schools of the district. He passed away in 1905 at the age of seventy-two and the mother was sixty-three years old when she died in 1906. Mrs. Rutherford was educated in the grammar schools of Lodi and Stockton, then entered the Stockton high school from which she was graduated; then entered the University of California, graduating in 1903. She specialized in natural science. After graduating from the University of California, she taught school for two years in the Alpine district of San Joaquin County, one year at New Hope and one year in the Stockton schools; she was then obliged to make a trip to Maine to settle her father's estate and soon after her return was married to Mr. Rutherford.
Soon after their marriage they removed to New Hope where they purchased 100 acres in what is known as the Pocket of the Mokelumne River and on this ranch Mr. Rutherford conducted a dairy for six years; leveled the ground for gravity irrigation and built a comfortable bungalow. When the Western Pacific Railroad was built through his section of the county, he did the grading work for the tracks through Thornton. Two years ago, Mr. Rutherford sold his ranch and purchased a home at 201 North Church Street, Lodi, where he and his wife now reside. Mr. Rutherford was a school trustee of the Ray school district and is a member of Franklin Lodge at Cortland, Cal., and also a member of Lodi Chapter, O. E. S., of which Mrs. Rutherford is matron. Mrs. Rutherford has been a member of the Eastern Star for twenty-four years; she is also a member of the Lodi Woman's Club and the N. D. G. W., of Lodi. Mr. and Mrs. Rutherford are both ardent Republicans and members of the Congregational Church of Lodi.
History of San Joaquin County, California – Los Angeles, Historic Record Co., 1923
p 657
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler.