Santa Clara County
Biographies
SAMUEL ALPHONSO BARKER
Samuel Alphonso Barker was born in Kennebec County, Maine, July 26, 1833. His paternal ancestors were English, and those on his mother’s side were Scotch. His family is one of the oldest in the country, his people having come to America about seven years after the Mayflower. The family in this country is descended from two brothers, Noah and Carr Barker, the latter being the ancestor of the subject of this sketch. His descendants settled in Maine, while it was still a part of the province of Massachusetts. Mr. Barker’s maternal ancestors were also early in America. His mother’s father was a Revolutionary soldier, and it was while on the march to Canada, under Arnold, that he selected the tract of land upon which he afterwards settled. This tract was afterwards a part of the city of Hallowell. He engaged in ship-building for a few years, and then removed to the neighborhood of Reedville, where he purchased a farm and devoted himself to agricultural pursuits. This farm is still in possession of his descendants. The subject of this sketch was educated in his native State, and, in 1854, commenced the study of law in the office of Judge Josiah H. Drummond, who has since been attorney-general of the State. In 1857 Mr. Barker was admitted to the Bar of the Supreme Court of the State of Maine. He practiced his profession successfully for ten years in his native State, and in 1867 came to California, being attracted hither by the desire to renew his health, which too close application to business had impaired. He had chosen Santa Clara County for his residence and came directly to San Jose.
He here resumed the practice of his profession, selecting the department of counselor rather than that of advocate. He has confined himself as nearly as possible to probate and commercial cases and cases involving the title to lands. His sound judgment and knowledge of the law, especially in the departments which he had selected for his specialties, brought him a large and lucrative practice. The accuracy of his opinions in regard to the investment of capital attracted to him many clients, who have trusted implicitly to his judgment and his integrity, and have never had occasion to regret their confidence. In all questions touching estates of deceased persons and the laws affecting real-estate titles, Mr. Barker is considered an authority. He is a member of the Bar of the Supreme Court of the State and of the United States District Court. He is attorney for the Board of Trade of San Jose, and of the Garden City Savings Union. He was married, April 5, 1858, to Sarah E. Parshley, of Maine, and has three children: Charles A., now assistant manager of the San Francisco Lumber Company; Frank P., deputy recorder and auditor of Santa Clara County; and Alfred, now a student at the California Military Academy, at Oakland.
Pen Pictures From The Garden of the World or Santa Clara County, California, Illustrated. - Edited by H. S. Foote.- Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1888. Pg. 99 - Transcribed by Kathy Sedler
Surnames: Littlefield, White
Walter L. BLABON was born in Chesterville, Franklin County, Maine, July 12,
1830. His parents, Otis and Mary (Littlefield) Blabon, were both natives of
that State. They were born in York County, and moved from there to Franklin
County, where the mother died, at Farmington Hill, in March, 1884. Mr. Blabon
died in Saratoga, California, April 7, 1887. He came to this State in 1849,
becoming one of the pioneers of Santa Clara County. He lived here until 1860,
when he returned to the East to settle up his business, and after a few years
came back to California, where he resided till his death. His eldest son, G. W.
Blabon, is a large manufacturer of oil-cloth at Philadelphia; J. E. Blabon
resides in Portland, Maine, but has a large cattle ranch in Nebraska, and other
inters in St. Paul, Minnesota. Three of his sons reside in California- F. O.
and Otis in San Jose, and Moses W. at Brentwood. Walter L., the subject of this
sketch, was reared in Franklin County, Maine, and there educated.
He was married in Boston, Massachusetts, to Anna F. White, October 25, 1860, she
being a native of that city. The same year they came to California via Panama,
arriving in San Francisco December 8, 1860. He farmed a piece of land on shares
for four years, near where he now resides. In 1864 he bought his present place
of 130 acres, and so after moved to it. He has about sixteen acres in vines,
five years old, besides a small family orchard. On the remainder of the place
he raises grain and hay. He has four children: William C., Ralph D., Joseph W.
D., and Agnes J., all grown.
page 316
SOURCE: Pen Pictures From The Garden of
the World or Santa Clara County, California, Illustrated. - Edited by H.S.
Foote.- Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1888.
SURNAMES: WANZEL, KLEINCLAUS,
LAMBERT DORNBERGER, of Mayfield, was a resident of Mayfield when this
valley was but sparsely populated, and improvements on a large scale had not
been thought of. He is a native of Alsace, born near Strasburg, April 3, 1828,
his parents being George and Catherine (Wanzel) Dornberger. His father, who was
a farmer, died when Lambert was but five years old. His mother died June 18,
1869, aged nearly seventy-three years. Lambert Dornberger was reared in Alsace
to rural life. At the age of thirteen he commenced the shoemaker's trade, but
gave it up after an experience of two and a half years. He engaged in dairying
and was at the head of a dairy of one hundred cows. He excelled in the business,
and received from the Government for finest dairying a silver medal and five
hundred francs. He left the home of his youth June 9, 1850, went to Havre, and
took passage on the sail-ship Marado, bound for New York, at which port
he arrived after a voyage of forty days. He went at once to West Point, where he
remained two and a half years.
On the fourth of November, 1852, he took passage on the steamer Georgia, New
York to Aspinwall, thence overland to Panama, and from there to San Francisco,
where he arrived December 6. He had acquired the Panama fever in route, and
remained in the city sick therefrom for some time. Early in 1854 he came to
Santa Clara County and bought a squatter's right to a piece of land near
Mayfield. In 1857 he gave up this right, owning to litigation, and bought a
squatter's claim to government land in the mountains along the line between
Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties. He set about improving the place, and was
soon engaged in his old business of dairying. In 1862 he began to devote more
attention to general farming, and this, with stock-raising, was his occupation
until November, 1869, when he removed to Mayfield, having bought land where he
now resides; and all the handsome improvements about the place have been made
since that time. In this place there are some forty-eight acres, but his
extensive mountain ranch contains one thousand two hundred acres.
Mr. Dornberger was married in San Francisco, September 10, 1861, to Miss Ann
Kleinclaus, a native of Alsace, and daughter of Michel and Mary (Remer)
Kleinclaus. They have seven children, viz.: Eugene, who is on the mountain ranch;
Gustave, Albert,
Victor, Julia, George, and Edward. Mr. Dornberger is politically a Democrat.
SOURCE: Pen Pictures From The Garden of
the World or Santa Clara County, California, Illustrated. - Edited by H.S.
Foote.- Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1888.Transcribed by Carol
Lackey-248-249