Tehama County
Biographies
MARCUS R. HOOK
Among the representative business men of Red Bluff, California, we find the name that heads this sketch. An outline of his life is as follows:
Mr. Hook was born in Maryland, eight miles from the city of Baltimore, November 25, 1842, and was reared in that city. He is a son of Marcus R. Hook. His grandfather’s name was also Marcus R. Both were natives of Maryland. The Hooks trace their ancestry for several generations and find the family had its origin in Scotland. Mr. Hook’s father was a prominent Democrat, a politician, and a member of the Legislature of Maryland. His mother, nee Elizabeth Ann Bruff, was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and her ancestors were also natives of that State. Of the family of five children only Mr. Hook and a sister survive.
Our subject received his education in Washington city. At the age of eighteen years he entered the Railway Postal Service, occupying that position ten years. He was clerk in the office of Vital Statistics for two years, under Dr. Bliss, of President Garfield notoriety.
In 1876, in answer to a telegram from his friend, General Chipman, Mr. Hook came to Red Bluff, California, to take a position with the Sierra Lumber Company. After being with them four years he opened his own real-estate and insurance business, which he still continues. He is the owner of 140 acres of land, just west of the city, on which he has built a beautiful residence. On this property he has planted ten acres of almonds, several acres in a home vineyard, and a large variety of fruit trees. Sixty acres of the property he has subdivided into ten-acre tracts.
Mr. Hook was married March 17, 1866, to Miss Anna M. Lay, a native of Washington, and a daughter of Richard Lay, who was born in Connecticut and is a descendent of an old Connecticut family. Mr. Lay was for many years a resident of Washington, where he held a Government office. Mrs. Hook’s grandfather, Richard Lay, Sr., on the paternal side, was a descendent of the Wollcott family, who traced their ancestry back to the Oliver Wollcott, signer of the Declaration of Independence. Her mother, nee Ann Mattingly, was a native of Maryland and came from an old family of that State. Both her paternal and maternal ancestors participated in the Revolution. They were also Unionists, and two of Mrs. Hook’s brothers were captains in the United States army and did service in the civil war.
Mr. and Mrs. Hook have been blessed with five children, all born in Washington except the youngest, who is a native of Red Bluff. Their names are as follows: Charles K., Ruth C., M. Madaline, Addie T. and Marcus R., who takes the family name. Mrs. Hook and the children are devout members of the Catholic Church. Mr. Hook is in politics an ardent Republican, and has been such since he became a voter. For the last six years he has been a member of the Board of Supervisors, and has two years more to serve before his term of office expires. He was the only Republican on the county ticket that was elected. Since he became a resident of Red Bluff Mr. Hook has thoroughly identified himself with the best interests of the city, and county as well. He is a life member of the Agricultural Society of the county and is secretary of the same.
Memorial & Biographical History of Northern California, The Lewis Publishing Co., 1891
pp 559-560
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler
GEORGE W. MADISON
came to California in 1852, landed at Marysville September 22, and in the following spring, March 18, 1853, came to Red Bluff. Thirty-seven years of his life have been spent in active business in this city, and few are more deserving of honorable mention in the history of Tehama County than he.
Mr. Madison was born in Loudoun County, Virginia, December 14, 1833. He was reared in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, attending school four months during the winter and working on his father’s farm the rest of the year. His father, John R. Madison, a native of Denmark, was a midshipman in the Danish navy, under his brother, Nicholas Madison, who was an admiral in the Danish navy. In 1815, when he was sixteen years of age, his ship landed in New York, and, being pleased with the country, he remained in the United States. For six months they hunted him, but he succeeded in eluding his pursuers. Until 1825 he worked on a farm. In that year he purchased the Shenandoah Springs, which he conducted for a number of years. He married Miss Nelson, a native of Virginia. Her ancestors, originally Dutch people, had for many years been residents of the Old Dominion. It is said of them that they emancipated their slaves, numbering about 1,900, and that they bought Greene County, Indiana, and colonized them there, sustaining them until they became self-supporting. A grander deed could not be recorded of any man’s ancestors. Two of Mr. Madison’s uncles were ministers of the Bible Christian Church, and he supposes that the family adhered to that church. Another interesting item of history in regard to them is that his mother was an intimate friend of Mrs. General Jackson and was her bridesmaid when she married Mr. Mason. At the time of her marriage to Mr. Mason she was only thirteen years old. General Jackson and Mr. Mason fought a duel in which the latter was killed, and the widow subsequently became General Jackson’s wife.
Upon his arrival in the Golden West, Mr. Madison began mining on the Feather River and continued it through the winter of 1852-’53, spending a part of the time at Camptonville and Oroville. He was not successful in his mining operations, as he only made his expenses. In March, 1853, he started north, remained a week in Red Bluff, and then went to Shasta, Shasta County. He mined at Whiskyville and Mule Town, still without success. In July, 1854, he took a contract to cut 2,000,000 saw logs in the northeastern part of Shasta County, completed the contract, made some money by it, and, in March, 1854, came to Red Bluff, where he has since met the reverses and successes of life. He engaged in draying and dealt in hay and stock, and also engaged in the manufacture of soda water, continuing this until 1869. In that year he went to the eastern part of the county and became interested in the saw-mill business on Battle Creek. In connection with the mill he dealt in lumber. He was unsuccessful in this enterprise, in two years losing about $30,000. Then he returned to Red Bluff, and in 1871 again started his old business. He went in debt for his start, soon built up a good business and accumulated fast until 1888, when a fire came and burned his dwelling, soda water manufactory and another dwelling. Mr. Madison lost about $16,000. He at once began to rebuild and now has a nice new dwelling and a soda water manufactory. He runs two trucks, employs three men, and supplies all the surrounding towns with soda water.
In 1858 Mr. Madison was married to Miss Lydia L. Burton, a native of Barry County, Missouri. This union has been blessed with eight children, five of whom are living and all were born in Red Bluff. Their names are: Minnie, Alice Maud, Clay B., Lydia May, George S. and Samuel.
Mr. Madison’s political views are Republican. He is a member of the K. of P. lodge and also of the A.O.U.W.
Memorial & Biographical History of Northern California, The Lewis Publishing Co., 1891
pp 562-563
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler