San Joaquin County
Biographies
ELMER E. THOMPSON.
A useful and prosperous citizen of San Joaquin County may be found in Elmer E. Thompson, who has continuously resided in this county for more than thirty-five years. The country, the time and the people have changed wonderfully since he made permanent settlement in this part of the state, and besides being a witness of all these transformations he has also taken no inconsiderable part in all the affairs of his county. He was born near Lawrence, Douglas County, Kan., December 25, 1861, and is the eldest in a family of seven children born to John and Catherine (Shank) Thompson. The former, a native of Pennsylvania, was born in 1838, a son of James and Elizabeth Thompson, natives of the north of Ireland, who early in life emigrated to Canada and subsequently moved to Pennsylvania.
John Thompson was reared and educated in his native county, and at the age of eighteen went to Illinois where he followed farming; he then removed to Kansas, and from that state, in 1874, he came to California and engaged in farming near Lathrop and Linden. He then purchased 160 acres four miles northwest of Woodbridge on which was planted one of the early vineyards, which was one of the most profitable branches of his enterprises. He was married in Illinois in 1859 to Miss Catherine Shank, a native of Ohio, whose parents were both natives of Germany. John Thompson served for a number of years as trustee of the Ray school district and was affiliated with Jefferson Lodge No. 98, I. O. O. F., at Woodbridge, and he and his wife were both members of the Rebekahs at Lodi. Mr. Thompson was a Republican in politics, and in many ways manifested his interest in the affairs of his community. Elmer E. Thompson received his education in the Henderson district schools, now the Ray school, and as he grew to manhood assumed charge of the home place, where he remained until 1905, when he moved to Stockton. Since 1897 he has been engaged in buying, developing and selling country property throughout the county, and also in the produce commission business, buying large quantities of potatoes, onions and beans and shipping them to San Francisco and Sacramento. Three times each week he loaded three river steamers with from 5,000 to 7,000 sacks of potatoes, etc., which were shipped to the markets in San Francisco and Sacramento. He is the owner of a 215-acre ranch near Linden, devoted to alfalfa and grain. Mr. Thompson has also been a successful realty operator in Stockton, where he was engaged in buying vacant property, erecting residences and flats and then selling them. During 1897-8-9 he served as deputy assessor.
On June 2, 1891, Mr. Thompson was married to Miss Carrie M. Fowler, a native of San Joaquin County, the daughter of Joseph M. and Eliza (Bromley) Fowler, pioneer settlers, also represented in this work, and they are the parents of two children: Clarence Ellsworth married Miss Ruby Eaton and they have one daughter, Helen; and Bessie B. Thompson. Mr. Thompson is a Republican in politics and since August, 1896, has been a member of the Jefferson Lodge No. 98, I. O. O. F., of Woodbridge, in which he is past grand; he also served as clerk of the school board of the Ray school district. Mrs. Thompson is a member of the N. D. G. W., the Rebekahs at Lodi, and an honorary member of the Daughters of Pioneers.
History of San Joaquin County, California – Los Angeles, Historic Record Co., 1923
p 595
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler.
ALFRED GWYNNE WATKINS.
One of the esteemed and helpful citizens of Bellota is Alfred Gwynne Watkins, a prominent rancher and cattleman, well known throughout the county as an authority on stock. He has assisted in building schools and churches, and contributed to every project for the upbuilding of the community. He was born on his father's ranch at Bellota, August 1, 1885, the youngest child of the late Craddock Gwynne and Hannah (Young) Watkins, both born in England. Craddock G. Watkins and his wife came to America from England in early days and settled near Bellota where they engaged in farming, the old homestead now being operated by James G. Watkins, a brother of our subject. Mrs. Watkins resides at 519 West Vine Street, Stockton. Alfred G. Watkins attended the Bellota and Linden schools and this section has been his home his entire lifetime. While still in his teens he took up the carpenter's trade, which he followed for a while, and at all times was interested with his father in the stock business.
The marriage of Mr. Watkins occurred at San Francisco August 18, 1908, and united him with Miss Ruby A. Bliss, born at Stockton, a daughter of William D. and Nellie (Youngs) Bliss, the former now deceased, while the latter makes her home with her daughter, Mrs. Watkins. Mrs. Watkins spent her childhood days in Stockton and graduated from the Stockton high school in 1899 and for some years engaged in teaching. Four children have blessed the home of Mr. and Mrs. Watkins; Kenneth G., William C., Teddy B., and Alice Marie. In 1914, Mr. Watkins purchased 160 acres, known as the W. A. Shippee place, and about one year ago he purchased an additional seventy acres, making a total of 230 acres on which he raises stock and grain; he also leases a tract of range land near Waverly Station where a fine herd of beef cattle range. In politics, Mr. Watkins is a Republican and is a director of the Linden Union high school since its reorganization in 1921; for some years he was a director of the Bellota district school. Recently he has completed a fine residence on his ranch, which makes it one of the show places of this section of the county.
History of San Joaquin County, California – Los Angeles, Historic Record Co., 1923
p 596
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler.
MICHAEL S. ARNDT.
Among the pioneer clothing merchants of Stockton is Michael S. Arndt, who recently celebrated the forty-third anniversary of his business, which has grown from a small beginning to its present prosperity. A native Californian, he was born in Stockton, Cal., on January 31, 1862, a son of Solomon and Ella (Heilborn) Arndt, both natives of Germany. His father settled in Stockton in about 1853, via Panama, and founded the clothing business of Arndt & Gumpertz, who originally occupied a small store on North El Dorado Street between Main and Weber. Both parents have passed away.
Michael S. was educated in the Stockton grammar and high schools and supplemented it with a course in the Stockton business college; at the age of seventeen he entered his father's clothing store and soon afterwards acquired an interest in the business. His father passed away in about 1885 and the business was continued under the same firm name, when Mr. Arndt bought the interest of Mr. Gumpertz and became the sole owner, after which the business was conducted as M. S. Arndt. The business was removed to the corner of Main and San Joaquin streets occupying the present site of the Stockton Savings & Loan Society and still later he moved to his present location at 313 East Main Street, known as the Wilhoit building, adjoining his former location, and here with large quarters and ample room he has built up the largest, as it is also the oldest and most successful clothing and men's furnishing business in Stockton. Some twenty-five years ago he purchased seventy-five feet front on the east side of California Street, between Main and Weber, and erected a business block, known as the Arndt block, which cost $27,000 and which is now valued at $150,000, showing the advance in real estate in that section of the city.
The marriage of Mr. Arndt united him with Miss Rose Louis, a native of Boston, Mass., and they have two children, Stanley M. and Janet; the latter is the wife of Aaron L. Sapiro, a prominent attorney of San Francisco. He serves as counsel for twenty-two cooperative marketing associations in California and many of the big marketing associations throughout the East and South, and is an expert on the subject of cooperative marketing, and has addressed mass meetings in different parts of the United States on this subject; in the southern states he organized the cotton, tobacco and peanut associations. He also organized the maple sugar association of the East and in other sections of the country, speaking on the crops pertaining to their districts.
Stanley M. Arndt was born in Stockton on January 27, 1894, and was educated in the grammar and high schools of that city, graduating from the Stockton high school with the class of 1911; in 1915 graduated from the University of California. He had entered the University of California law school but the World War interrupted his course and he enlisted in the first officers' training camp, Presidio, San Francisco, in April of 1917, and on August 15 of the same year received his commission of lieutenant, being stationed at the Presidio and Camp Lewis, serving as first lieutenant of the First U. S. Infantry until January 25, 1919. He then resumed his studies at the law school and graduated in December of 1919. He practiced law in San Francisco until April, 1920, when he established his law office in Stockton and has attracted nationwide attention by a number of special articles written by him and which have been published in the California Law Review, articles treating on the law of California relative to cooperative marketing associations. This was the first time this subject had ever been discussed from a legal viewpoint and many letters have been received from different parts of the country asking for a copy of the Review. An article treating on "Liquidated Damages" in California appeared in the Review of December, 1921. He is a member of San Joaquin Lodge No. 19, F. & A. M., and all the bodies of the Scottish Rite in Stockton and San Francisco Consistory No. 1, as well as Aahmes Temple A. A. O. N. M. S., Oakland, Stockton Parlor No. 7, N. S. G. W., of the "B'nai Brith," and he is the commander of Karl Ross Post of the American Legion. We find him too a member of Stockton Lodge of Odd Fellows and the Rebekahs.
Sidney G. Gumpertz, a nephew of Mr. Arndt, was born in Stockton and is now a resident of New York, a writer of note, contributing special articles to magazines and newspapers throughout the United States. He is a World War hero, being one of five New York men among forty-one soldiers to win the Congressional Medal of Honor, the highest award in the gift of the nation. Charging through a dense smoke screen and a barrage of artillery and machine gun fire, he captured single-handed a machine gun nest with its crew of nineteen Germans; a few days later he duplicated this feat by a capture of eleven more prisoners.
M. S. Arndt was the founder and organizer of the Water Consumer& League of Stockton, which has for its purpose the municipal ownership of water; the league is also active in reducing the rates of gas and electricity. Fraternally he is a member of the San Joaquin Lodge No. 19, F. & A. M., and all branches up to and including San Francisco Consistory No. 1, Scottish Rite, Islam Temple A. A. O. N. M. S., and the Stockton Sciots No. 5. He belongs to Stockton Parlor No. 7, N. S. G. W.
Mr. Arndt owns a beautiful home in Bours Park. Here he sunk a well 212 feet deep, giving him an abundance of water, the purest water than can be obtained anywhere, because the analysis shows it is 100 per cent pure. He has installed his own waterworks, the Stirling Automatic Pressure System, giving him ample water for domestic use as well as for irrigating the gardens and lawns. The grounds are attractively laid out and beautified by a large variety of shrubs, suitable to the soil of California, considered by experts from the University of California to be the finest collection in the county.
History of San Joaquin County, California – Los Angeles, Historic Record Co., 1923
p 596
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler.