Yolo County
Biographies
James R. EDWARDS
Another Kentuckian who is making his mark in Yolo county, Cal., is James R. Edwards, supervising janitor of the grammar and high school at Woodland. Mr. Edwards was born in the city of Louisville, August 18, 1862, a son of H. H. and Lucretia (Corneal) Edwards. His father was born in North Carolina, and was a contractor and builder in Kentucky and Indiana. He was a soldier in the federal army in our Civil war. In 1880 he came to Colusa county, Cal., and from there he moved to Woodland two years later. Here he lived and labored at his trade and business until he died. Lucretia Corneal, who became his wife, was born in Kentucky, and is now living in Woodland. Of the seven children she bore her late husband four survive. James R., next to the youngest of them, lived and went to school in Evansville, Ind., till he was twelve years old, when he came with his parents to California, later settling in Woodland. Here he completed his studies and learned the moulder’s trade, except for some supplementary experience and instruction which he received at Fresno, where he was employed in the Fresno Agricultural Works six years. Returning to Woodland he engaged in carpentering, which he followed until 1904, when he was elected by the board of education supervising janitor of the Woodland grammar and high school. So satisfactory have been his labors in this capacity that he has been continued in the office as, emphatically, the right man in the right place. In this employment he finds his knowledge of mechanics, plumbing and carpentering very valuable.
In Woodland, Mr. Edwards married Miss Mary Leonora Purcell, a native of Yolo county. Their daughter Edna is Mrs. C. T. Riner, of Woodland. Mr. Edwards is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America and a member of the S. O. O. M. In his politics he is a Democrat, devoted to the principles of his party and active in its local work. His public spirit is so well developed that he is among the leaders at Woodland in all movements having for their object the public good.
Transcribed by Bea Barton
Source: “History of Yolo County, California” by Tom Gregory. Published by the Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, California, 1913, pages 698 – 699.
Mrs. Halcyon JOYCE
One of the comparatively few women as yet holding public office in California, Mrs. Halcyon (Williams) Joyce has had a career which in some of its aspects is of more than usual interest. Halcyon Williams was born near Carthage, Ill., a daughter of Rolla T. and Mollie (Irwin) Williams. Her father was born near Urbana, Champaign county, Ohio, and in 1862, enlisted in the Twenty-sixth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with which organization he did gallant service as a soldier until the close of the Civil war. Returning to his home, he soon moved to Illinois, and settling near Carthage, engaged in farming. There he remained till in 1877, when, with his family, he came to California and located in Yolo county, where he resumed farming and was thus employed until, retiring from active life, he made his home in Woodland. His wife was a native of Lexington, Ky., and a member of the family of Breckinridge long prominent in our national history. Halcyon Joyce is their only child.
Mrs. Joyce was educated in the schools of Woodland and at the Woodland Business College. Soon after her graduation from the institution just named she was appointed official reporter of the Superior court of Yolo county. From 1897 until the present time she has held that office by repeated appointment except during eighteen months. She has won much praise from high sources for the accuracy with which her work has been done as well as for her devotion to the duties of an exacting office. Among stenographers she is widely and favorably known because of her prominence in the state and also for her activity in the California Short Hand Reporters’ Association, of which she has long been a member.
At Buffalo, N. Y., July 29, 1905, Miss Williams married William Allen Joyce, M. D., a native of New York city and a graduate of the Baltimore Medical College, who has been in the practice of medicine and surgery in Woodland since 1903 and has attained much prominence in his profession in Yolo and nearby counties.
Transcribed by Bea Barton
Source: “History of Yolo County, California” by Tom Gregory. Published by the Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, California, 1913, pages 699 – 700.
William A. BOOTS
A citizen of Yolo county since the end of the year 1870, William A. Boots was born in Indianapolis, Ind., January 21, 1847, a son of Jacob and Mary (Bowles) Boots. His father was born near Frankfort, Ky., became a farmer in Indiana, and died at Indianapolis, Ind., in 1861. Mary Bowles, born near Lexington, Ky., came to California to spend her declining years and died at the home of her son William, aged seventy-eight. She bore her husband six sons and four daughters. Three of the former and two of the latter are living. Of these children William was fifth in order of nativity. He was brought up as a farmer’s boy, and obtained in the public school near his boyhood home such education as was available to him. In 1863 the family moved to Charleston, Coles county, Ill., where Mrs. Boots bought a farm which they worked until 1870, when they came to Yolo county, Cal. Locating in Hungry Hollow, they farmed there two years In 1872 Mr. Boots moved to Woodland and built the first house on Fifth Street, before the street had legally been laid out. That has been Mr. Boots’ home ever since except during twelve months spent in Washington. He has given his time to house-moving and to farming. As a farmer, he is perhaps as well known as any in the county. His farming has been done in the vicinity of Woodland, where it would not materially interfere with his more important occupation. It is often said of him that he has moved more buildings than any other man in Yolo county, and he has also done house-moving in Solano, Colusa, Glenn and Sacramento counties. His equipment for handling structures, large and small, of all classes is unsurpassed in completeness and efficiency by that of any other house-mover in the county.
In Coles county, Ill., Mr. Boots married Miss Cordelia Wan, who died in Woodland, leaving four children, all of whom are living: Dora (Mrs. Moe), Jessie (Mrs. Clary), Ollie (Mrs. Davis) and Lottie (Mrs. Henigan) all of Woodland. Mr. Boots’ second wife was Miss Ellen Henigan, of Woodland, but a native of New York state. Three children were born of this union. Albert died at the age of twelve years and those living are Lela and Arthur.
A Republican, Mr. Boots was for four years an efficient and well appreciated member of the board of trustees of Woodland. Officially and as a private citizen, he has demonstrated a helpful public spirit of which any man might well be proud. In religion he is a member of the Baptist Church. Socially he is a member of the Fraternal Brotherhood and of the lodge and encampment of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows in Woodland.
Transcribed by Bea Barton
Source: “History of Yolo County, California” by Tom Gregory. Published by the Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, California, 1913, pages 700 –701.