Santa Clara County
Biographies
JOSE J. BERREYESSA.
Among the historical families of Santa Clara County are the Berreyessas, to
which the subject of this sketch belongs. He dates his birth November 9, 1841,
at the old mission of San Jose. His parents were Carlos Antonio and Josefa
(Galindo) Berreyessa. His grandfather, Nicholas Berreyessa, emigrated from
Mexico to Santa Clara County over 100 years ago. His mother's father, Crisostomo
Galindo, who died in 1877 at an advanced age of 106 years, was born in Santa
Clara
County, his father having emigrated from Mexico prior to the establishment of
the missions in this county. Mr. Berreyessa was reared to farm life and
stock-raising; his education was entirely neglected, but in later years he
educated himself. After starting in life for himself, Mr. Berreyessa was not
satisfied with the life of a farmer, and engaged in other pursuits, among which
was that of threshing grain, and by his industry and economy, combined with his
acquired business habits, was able to purchase a threshing-machine, engine,
etc., and for many years has been actively engaged in this calling.
In 1873 Mr. Berreyessa was united in marriage with Miss Helena Agnes Davis, the daughter of Thomas and Ellen (Herron) Davis Her father was a native of England, but at the time of her marriage was a resident of Virginia City, Nevada. Her mother was of Irish descent; she died when Mrs. Berreyessa was but three years of age. From the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Berreyessa four children have been born, viz.: Josephine Agnes, December 31, 1876; Mary Catherine, February 13, 1879; Mary Elizabeth, March 20, 1881; and Frederick, November 10, 1885. Mr. Berreyessa is a consistent Catholic. In politics he is a strong Republican, one who takes an intelligent interest in the political affairs of his county. He is among the few representatives of the old Californian or Mexican families that have been able to thoroughly Americanize themselves. He is deeply interested in the growth and prosperity of the county, and is ever ready to render all the aid in his power to any enterprise for the advancement of the section in which he resides. Mr. Berreyessa is the owner of, and resides upon, a tract of thirty-five acres, situated in the Berreyessa School District, on the Schweigert road. This is mostly hill land, and is devoted to hay, grain, and stock-raising. He has some fine Norman horses, though the greater part of his stock is of the common breeds.
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. 488-489
HUGH A. LEIGH,
one of the leading horticulturists of the Cambrian District, residing at the head of Leigh Avenue, near the old bed of the Los Gatos Creek, was born on the island of Jersey, in the English Channel, December 21, 1855. His father, Dr. Alexander Leigh, was Surgeon of the Sixtieth Rifles of the Queen's Army for many years, and his father had been an army surgeon during his active life. Dr. Alexander Leigh resigned his Commission for a more quiet practice on the beautiful Jersey Island. There his useful life ended in 1870. His widow (formerly Miss D. H. Godfrey) was left with ample means to care for herself and her two children, Hugh A. and Teresa.
Before his father's death, Hugh A. Leigh, whose name heads this sketch, became enamored of the sea, and entered upon a seafaring life, which he followed until his determination to make this State his home became fixed. This determination was reached in 1872, when, upon the arrival of his vessel at San Francisco, from Hongkong, he employed his leisure time in looking over the country, with which he was delighted. Upon the arrival of his vessel at England, he left the service, and, after spending two months with his mother at his childhood home, he re-embarked for New York city. Thence he went to San Francisco, reaching that city during Christmas week, in 1873. For a short time after his arrival, Mr. Leigh made his temporary home at Mountain View, in this county. In July, 1874, his mother, Mrs. D. H. Leigh, with her daughter, came from England and joined him. They then bought 180 acres of choice fruit land, in the Cambrian District, where they now make their home. For this property, upon which Mr. Leigh and his mother yet reside, they paid $16,300 in cash. The land was under cultivation, and had been devoted to grain-raising and general farming for several years before they purchased it. Mr. Leigh followed the same system, but, not being satisfied with the results, he began tree-planting in 1881, when an orchard of fifteen acres was set. To this thirty acres was added in 1883, twenty acres during the following year, and during the succeeding period the size of the orchard has been increased more or less each year. At the present time (1888) the orchard comprises sixty acres, as the fifteen acres planted in 1881 were sold in the autumn of the following year, at $300 per acre. During the same season, seven ten-acre tracts and one tract of five acres were sold, at $200 per acre. A twenty-acre tract has also been disposed of. All of the property which has been sold is now covered with flourishing orchards. The homestead, which is rightly considered one of the finest horticultural possessions in the district, now comprises seventy acres, of which (as before stated) sixty acres are devoted to fruit culture. Prunes and apricots are the leading fruits, while peaches, pears, and a variety of plums are found on the place. Twenty English walnut trees, thirtythree years old, add the grace of their handsome foliage to the orchard. In 1887 forty-nine tons of apricots were gathered from 1000 trees, of which one-half were three and one-half four years old. This large yield realized nearly $1,500, During the same season, $300 worth of fruit was sold from 180 peach trees. Mr. Leigh has had much to do with advancing the horticultural interests of his district, and his fine orchard shows to the best advantage the capability of the soil of Santa Clara County for fruit culture.
At San Jose, on the tenth of February, 1881, Mr. Leigh married Miss Agnes McBain, a native of Quebec, Canada East. They have two children: Alice D., who was born November 11, 1883, and May Agnes, born May 1, 1888. Mr. Leigh's only sister, Theresa, is now the wife of George Rodgers.
Mr. Leigh is a member of San Jose Lodge, No. 10, F. & A. M., and of Howard Chapter. He is also identified with the British Benevolent Society at San Francisco. The Leighs are all members of the Church of England.
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. 489-490