Selected California Biographies *********************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net/ *********************************************************************** File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Dick and June Ross. Selected California Biographies JOHN BEER San Joaquin County, California John Beer, a farmer of Castoria Township, was born in England, July 31, 1842; emigrated to the United States, arriving at New York on April 20, 1872, and settling in Canada. He arrived at Stockton on March 5, 1876, and three weeks afterward was engaged by Martin & Rock. At the end of six months, he was employed by P.G. Sharp, and remained with him for ten years, as foreman. The farm of 480 acres which he now occupies, he first leased of Martin & Rock for three years, that firm then dissolving partnership. Mr. Beer then rented the land of J.W. Rock for three more years. Mr. Beer is one of the most extensive grain raisers of San Joaquin County. On July 19, 1870, in London, England, Mr. Beer married Ellen Harie, and They have had three children, of whom William Henry is the only one living. MARK ANTHONY Del Norte County, California by Oscar Lewis Mark Anthony, immigrant from Holland in 1698, settled on the Upper James River in Bedford County, Virginia. He married and had two known sons who became the ancestors of the Virginia and Maryland Anthonys. Descendants of the Maryland branch came to Del Norte County. Samuel Anthony b. 1800 in Maryland, registered as a voter of Del Norte 5-18-1867, giving his occupation as a gardener of Smith River. His wife was Kate Beatrice Anthony. Their son, Joseph Gallaudett, was born 1830, in Carolina County, Maryland, and came with his parents to California via the Isthmus in 1853. Joseph G. established the first flour mill in the Smith River Valley and in 1860 married Emily C. Bailey. The Anthony ranch consisted of 320 acres near the present town of Smith River where Joseph was justice o the peace in 1886-88. Joseph and Emily (Bailey) Anthony had issue: Ella b. 5-19-1861, m. L. F. Coburn; Mark b. 1-3-1865, m. Mrs. Mary (McIndoe) Davis; Joseph b. 6-6-1867, m. Lucy Gray; Kate b. 10-3-1869 m. Charles Windsor; Fred b. 6-14-1891 m. Ida May Smith. These children were all born on the ranch in the Smith River Valley. JOSEPHINE MELVINA TODMAN San Joaquin County, California Josephine Melvina Todman, an attorney of Stockton, was born in Silver City, NV, Nov. 16, 1862, a daughter of John H. and Melvina (Grist) Todman. The father, born in Canada about 1835, of English parentage, came to Silver City as a mining expert, and superintended the erection of the first quartz mill in that region. He is still interested in 1890 in the Coeur d' Alene and other mines. The mother, born in Pennsylvania of German parentage about 1840, died in Silver City, Nov. 21, 1862. Grandfather Zachariah Grist, born sometime in the first decade of this century [nineteenth], was accidentally killed in Oakland about 1886. From childhood, Miss Todman has been reared in San Francisco, residing chiefly with Mrs. Hattie A. Leonard, the mother of Mr. Todman's second wife, and was there educated in the public schools, and at the age of 17 entered as a student in Hastings' Law college, a department of the University of California. She was graduated an A.B. from that institution in April, 1883, and was admitted to the bar December 21, 1883, being it is thought, the youngest lady candidate who ever sought or obtained that recognition. JOHN TRETHEWAY San Joaquin County, California John Tretheway, Jn., a farmer of Elliott Township, was born in Cornwall County, England, May 7, 1851, a son of John and Rebecca Arthur (Pinch) Tretheway, both natives of England, who came here at an early day. He remained in England until 1867; April 13m, 1867, he sailed for New York, landing April 27. He went direct to Morris County, NJ, where he was engaged in mining. July 7, 1867, he started for San Francisco, via the Isthmus, and landed in Stockton the 28th of July, where he met his brother George, who was working for two men named Treadway and Kettleman, on a farm about 15 miles from Stockton on the lower Sacramento road. Without losing any time, he went to work for the same men, staying with them three months, when he and his brother rented a piece of land of 320 acres, which they farmed for one year. At the end of that time, George, James Jory, a brother-in-law, R.B. Harris and John, all bought the place in partnership in the year 1870. Later on, his father, John Tretheway, bought George and Jory's interest; he has since sold his interest to his son John, and returned to England, where his wife died at Stephens Parish, Cornwall, in 1875. John Tretheway is one of the most extensive land owners the ranch on which he resides contains 720 acres. He was married January 1, 1878, to Miss Amanda Goodwin, who was born in Napa County, CA, May 8, 1857. They have a family of five children: Effie A., b. November 7, 1878; John D., b. July 23, 1880 Charles W., b. April 23, 1883; George F., b. July 16, 1886; and Almon R., b. February 8, 1889. The family are all members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.