Contra Costa County CA Archives Biographies.....Sturges, Josiah 1847 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com November 29, 2005, 5:09 pm

Author: W. A. Slocum & Co., Publishers (1882)

JOSIAH STURGES.—The subject of this narrative is one of the pioneers of
California as he is one of the earliest settlers of Contra Costa county. He was
born in Lee, Berkshire county, Massachusetts, April 23, 1817, and is now in his
sixty-sixth year. Having been educated in his native place, he there resided
until he attained his eighteenth year. In the year 1835, therefore, he left home
to commence the battle of life, a combat which is not always to the strong. At
this period he proceeded to Nantucket, where he resided fourteen years—up till
the time of his coming to California. In December, 1849, Mr. Sturges started,
via Panama, for the Golden State, and arrived in San Francisco; February 1,
1850. Being in ill-health, and upon the advice of his physician, he remained
only a short time in that city, but moved to seek strength elsewhere. He came to
Contra Costa county, and in Martinez, then a village of a few houses, found the
healthful influences he desired, and here has he remained, while to keep himself
active he opened a hotel, a business which he still follows. In 1852, Mr.
Sturges commenced the erection of what is now the Alhambra hotel, and by
periodical additions, he has made one of the most comfortable and complete
hostelries in the county, while he is also the propietor of considerable
property in the conterminous districts. It is a pleasure to state that by a life
of honest rectitude, Mr. Sturges has earned the esteem and respect of all
classes of the community in which he resides, while, that he reveres the scenes
of his youth is evinced in his having crossed the Isthmus of Panama no less than
nine times to revisit them. He married, Oct. 8, 1839, Eliza R. Smith, a native
of Virginia, and has two children, both of whom also reside in this county.

Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

HISTORY OF CONTRA COSTA COUNTY,
CALIFORNIA,
INCLUDING ITS GEOGRAPHY, GEOLOGY, TOPOGRAPHY, CLIMATOGRAPHY AND DESCRIPTION;
TOGETHER WITH A RECORD OF THE MEXICAN GRANTS; THE BEAR FLAG WAR; THE MOUNT
DIABLO COAL FIELDS; THE EARLY HISTORY AND SETTLEMENT, COMPILED FROM THE MOST
AUTHENTIC SOURCES; THE NAMES OF ORIGINAL SPANISH AND MEXICAN PIONEERS; FULL
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY OF THE COUNTY; SEPARATE HISTORY OF EACH TOWNSHIP, SHOWING
THE ADVANCE IN POPULATION AND AGRICULTURE;
ALSO,
Incidents of Pioneer Life; and Biographical Sketches
OF EARLY AND PROMINENT SETTLERS AND REPRESENTATIVE MEN;
AMD OF ITS TOWNS, VILLAGES, CHURCHES, SECRET SOCIETIES, ETC.
ILLUSTRATED.
SAN FRANCISCO: W. A. SLOCUM & CO., PUBLISHERS
1882.



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