Santa Clara County
Biographies
A. RAY ANDERSON
SURNAMES: CAHILL,
A native son of Santa Clara County who has been associated with its progress
during all his years, A. Ray Anderson is well known for his constructive work on
the highways of the county, adding greatly in the comfort and convenience of its
inhabitants.
The son of Phillip and Rebecca (Cahill) Anderson, he was born at Berryessa, July
8, 1884. Phillip Anderson was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, and when a young man
crossed the ocean to Nova Scotia, settling for a time at Amherst. Leaving the
Maritime Provinces, he came to San Francisco by way of the Isthmus of Panama,
remaining there for six months. Coming from there to Santa Clara County, he
opened up a blacksmith shop at Berryessa, being a pioneer smithy of this
locality, and his shop was known far and wide for the excellence of his work.
Mrs. Anderson was a native of Nova Scotia, of English descent, and she also came
to California by the Isthmus. She passed away in 1888, Mr. Anderson surviving
her until 1919. This worthy couple were the parents of seven children; Margaret
Alice of Berryessa; William W., a rancher at Berryessa; Mabel V. of San
Francisco; Leslie C., who died in March 1917; Roscoe A. of Los Angeles; A. Ray
and Emily Oressa.
A. Ray Anderson attended the Berryessa school and finished his schooling at the
San Jose high school. When he was twenty years old he took up the
machinist's trade, learning it thoroughly in every detail until he became a
competent engineer. For the past ten years he has been associated with the Santa
Clara Road Commission as an engineer handling the steam roller and grader, and
the tractors used in the road leveling work. An expert in this line he has
covered a great share of the mileage of the county, both in construction and
maintenance work.
A Republican in politics, Mr. Anderson is a member of the Eagles and of San Jose
Parlor, N. S. G. W. Many years ago his father purchased a ranch of 252 acres in
the hills east of Berryessa, on the Berryessa Road, and Mr. Anderson is now an
owner of part of this ranch, which he inherited.
Transcribed by Marie Clayton, from Eugene T. Sawyers' History of Santa Clara
County, California, published by Historic Record Co. , 1922. page 546