Tehama County
Biographies
Captain Hamden W. McIntyre
The gentleman who is most concerned in this biographical sketch is a man whose modesty is scarcely less marked than his ability. He is in the prime of life, uncommonly tall and in bearing, a courteous gentleman. He passed his boyhood on a Vermont farm, and dates his birth at Randolph, September 28, 1834. His father, James McIntyre, was a native of Vermont, as was also his mother. His paternal ancestors were of Scotch extraction; and his mother, nee Charlotte Blodget, traces her ancestry to Connecticut.
He was educated in his native State, at an Orange County grammar school, working and teaching school between times to pay his tuition. At the age of twenty years he learned the trade of piano and organ maker. In 1857, he went to Canada, where he became the superintendent of a lumber firm, near Ottawa, and remained three years in their employ. In 1860 he returned to Elmira, New York, and engaged in the manufacturing of machinery until 1870. On the breaking out of the war, he left his business under the management of his foreman and went to Washington, District of Columbia, where he was appointed as an engineer in the navy yard, remaining there employed in the adjustment of gunboat machinery until 1865, when he enlisted in the First New York Veteran Cavalry, and was discharged the same year near Charleston, South Carolina; then he returned to Elmira and conducted his manufacturing business.
Mr. McIntyre’s favorite studies have been chemistry and mathematics, the former being first in his regard. His bent of mind in this direction led him doubtless to the study of fermentation and practical wine-making at the cellars of the Pleasant Valley Wine Company in New York, simply as a pastime during a period of idleness enforced by ill-health further and broader reading and study of this and kindred subjects followed, during the long winter nights of a ten-years residence in Alaska, where he was agent at St. Paul’s Island for the Alaska Commercial Company.
In 1881 he commenced wine-making in California at Captain Niebaum’s Inglenook Winery in Napa County, remaining there until 1887, when he came to Vina and took entire charge of the vineyard and winery of Leland Stanford. He is a master of civil and mechanical engineering. The winery building at Vina, with the exception of the old fermenting house, were construction from his designs and under his personal supervision, and many of the leading wineries of the State have also been constructed from his designs in whole or in part, or from his plans and drawings in full. Among them may be mentioned the Inglenook Winery at Rutherford, Bourne & Wise’s at St. Helena, M. M. Estee’s at Napa, Mrs. Collins’ at Mountain View, John Burson’s at Oakville, Goodman & Co’s. at Oak Knoll, near Napa City, C. P. Adamson’s and Ewer & Atkinson’s at Rutherford, Leland Stanford’s at Menlo Park and the late John A. Paxton’s at Santa Rosa.
Mr. McIntyre was joined in marriage in Elmira, New York, in November 1859, with Miss Susan H. Johnson, a native of Maine. They have had two children, both now deceased. Politically he is a Republican, and takes an active part in politics, being at present a member of the County Central Committee. He also affiliates with the F&A.M., Union Lodge, No. 95, Chapter No. 42, R.A.M., Southernteen Council, No. 16, R.& S.M., St. Omar Commandery, K.T., No. 19, of Elmira, and Corning Consistory, of Corning, New York. He has taken all the degrees in the York and Scottish Rite up to the Thirty-third, and has served in the chairs of all degrees, except the Consistory.
Memorial and Biographical History of Northern California, Lewis Publishing Co., 1891
Pages 744 – 745
Transcribed by Pat Houser
ANCIL L. BROWN
ANCIL L. BROWN, Treasurer of Tehama County, is a Native Son of the Golden West. He was born in Newville, Colusa County, California, August 19, 1862, and is the youngest treasurer this county ever had. He is a son of Henry W. Brown, a well known and highly respected resident of the county, whose history will be found on another page of this book.
Mr. Brown first attended school in Colusa County, and when he was ten years old, in 1872, the family moved to Tehama County. Here he pursued his studies and graduated at Red Bluff College in 1881. After leaving school he engaged in the sheep business, and in that year went with a band of 6,000 sheep to Colorado, disposed of them there at a handsome profit and returned. The trip required eight months. He then went to San Francisco and accepted a position with a wholesale house as a salesman, remaining there until 1885. In that year he engaged in the sheep business, on his own account, buying and driving 6,000 sheep to Wyoming Territory. He reached that place in October 1885, and remained there until the following August, when he made an advantageous sale and returned to Red Bluff. At that time he engaged with his father and brother in the general merchandise business, which he conducted successfully until August 1888, when they sold out.
During the political campaign of 1888 Mr. Brown was solicited by his friends to permit his name to run for the office of Treasurer of the county. He was nominated without opposition, and made a lively campaign against a very popular gentleman on the opposite ticket, being elected by thirteen majority. Thus far he has filled the office with marked success. In the fall of 1889 he collected the sum of $205,000.
He has been appointed by the Board of Supervisors to collect the license tax of the County.
Mr. Brown took an active part in the organization of the Parlor of Native Sons of the Golden West at Red Bluff, in 1881, and is one of the charter members. They have a membership of about forty of the best young men in Tehama County. Mr. Brown is treasurer of the organization. He is a Royal Arch Mason, and has held several offices in that order. Politically he is a Democrat. He is a young man of promise and unusual ability. That his integrity and business qualifications are appreciated by his fellow citizens is attested by the fact that he has a second time been unanimously nominated for County Treasurer, was nominated without opposition by the Democrat party in August 1890, and indorsed by the Republicans in the following month, and was elected to fill a second term.
Mr. Brown was married on the 19th day of September 1890 to Miss Mary F. Frank, who is native of California, and is President of, and one of the charter members of Berrendos Parlor, No. 23, Native Daughters of the Golden West.
Memorial & Biographical History of Northern California
The Lewis Publishing Co., 1891
Pages 616-617
Transcribed by: Bonnie Phelan
HENRY M. ALLBRIGHT
Henry M. Allbright was born in Rockbridge County, Virginia, November 11, 1833. His maternal ancestors had been residents of that State for more than a hundred years. His father, Frederick Allbright, was born in Pennsylvania. He married Elizabeth Orenbaum, a native of Virginia, and by her had ten children, the subject of this sketch being the youngest except one. When he was twelve years of age, the family removed to Indiana, where he attended school and also learned the blacksmith’s trade. At the age of eighteen years, he had a shop, carried on business and supported his aged parents. They lived in Indiana until 1854, when the father’s death occurred. In that year they came across the plains with ox teams to California, and had a pleasant journey of one hundred and sixty five days.
Mr. Albright came to Red Bluff in 1860 and has been a resident of this city for thirty years. In November, 1860 in connection with his brother Lewis, he opened a shop in a wooden structure, erected that year and together they continued in business for six years. At that time he bought out his brother’s interest and has since conducted the business alone. After a few years, he built a brick shop, 150 feet deep and a part of it sixty feet wide. This he sold and in 1884, built his present brick shop, 40x60 feet, in which he is doing a wagon-manufacturing and blacksmith business. He has been an exceedingly hard worker and still holds the trade of many of his first customers. Mr. Allbright has been attended with success, and, in 1881 built an attractive home for himself and family.
He was married, in 1858, to Miss Adaline Wright, a native of Kentucky. Three children were born to them, two of whom are living, namely: Frederick, who is attending the Dental College at San Francisco, and Frankie, who is at home with her parents. Mrs. Allbright is a member of the Baptist Church. Mr. Allbright was a Union man during the war and has since been a Republican. He is one of Red Bluff’s most creditable citizens, who by sturdy blows with his brawny right arm, has made himself independent.
Memorial & Biographical History of Northern California
The Lewis Publishing Co., 1891
Pages 654-655
Transcribed by: Christine Helmick