Napa-Sacramento County CA Archives Biographies.....Earl, Thomas 1825 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com February 21, 2007, 11:43 pm

Author: Lewis Publishing Co. (1891)

THOMAS EARL.-Among the many pioneers whose labors have tended largely to the
building up of California, this successful man and worthy citizen has at all
times presented an example for emulation. As a young man his steadfast
earnestness of purpose enabled him to overcome the difficulties by which he was
surrounded, and to achieve success by dint of industry and the cultivation of
good habits. No boy, no matter how meager his opportunities, need fear for his
success in life if he will but follow in the same course. Left an orphan in his
earliest years he was soon thrown upon his own efforts for a livelihood, and
early learned that it was necessary to labor and strive for those things which
are considered the prizes of life. One of his earliest ambitions was to possess
for himself, some day, a home and home surroundings like those of the family in
which he passed the earliest years of his orphanage. That thought and that
ambition doubtless preserved him from many of the temptations of youth. The
privations and dangers of the overland journey but fixed in his mind the fact
that he had undergone them to better his condition. With this in view he did not
throw away his time and money at the card table and fandango, as was
unfortunately too often done by men who had left their homes in the East with
high ambitions. He worked early and late in his shop, and the work he did was
well done, so that in his early manhood he had established the home surroundings
he had aimed at and worked for, and in that home installed the wife of his
choice. In that home he has lived for the past thirty years, happy in the
society of his wife and children, and justly proud of the high regard in which
he is held by his fellow citizens of Napa and Napa County. Mr. Earl has been a
resident of California since 1850 and of Napa since 1852, during all of which
time he has been prominently identified with the business development of the city.

  He was born in Ontario, near Brockville, not far from Lake Lyidae, Canada,
about the year 1825; he was at an early age deprived of parental care, his
father dying soon after his birth, and his mother being carried off by the
cholera scourge of 1831. During the early years of his orphanage he lived in the
family of a man named Hickey, at Williamsburg, on the St. Lawrence River. As a
boy he had an opportunity of learning the harness and saddlery trade, which he
followed as long as he remained in active business. At about the age of fifteen
years he moved West, and located in Richmond, Missouri. Here he again worked at
the trade of saddlery, and finished learning that business. He worked one year
in Lexington, Kentucky, and then returned to Missouri and bought out a business
at Independence, where he remained until 1849. In that year he sold out his
interests, intending to go to California; but, not being able to settle his
affairs in time to join the company leaving that summer, he made a visit to
Canada to see some relatives. While East he visited New York, Philadelphia and
other cities, returning to Independence that winter.

  In the spring, with three friends, he fitted up a four-mule team for the
overland trip, leaving Missouri early in May. From the start they made it a
point to rest their animals from Saturday until Monday morning, selecting the
best places in  reach for grazing and water. On the way they met and traveled
with many persons, since more or less prominently identified with the
development of California, among them Henry Boggs, now a resident of Lake
County. Mr. Earl kept a diary of events occurring on that trip, and, having
brought their own mules and belongings through safely, he was enabled to compare
the result of his party's careful traveling and care of team with that of others
who at first went recklessly ahead. On one day in crossing the desert west of
the mountains he noted the number of dead animals, fine carriages and a great
amount of other property, and figured it up at night as amounting to about
$100,000 in value, and this largely the result of ignorance and mismanagement.

  Mr. Earl and his company arrived in Sacramento, August 10, 1850. He engaged
soon after in mining for a time, but the results not being satisfactory he
returned to Sacramento and worked at his trade for about a year, when he sold
out and came to Napa. There he opened the first saddler shop established in the
town; and in it he did business for about ten years, finally selling out to his
partner and one of his employes, thereafter devoting himself to more genial
interests. Soon after arriving here he purchased a tract of eighty-live acres,
which is now known as Lawley's addition to the city of Napa. In 1853 he bought a
lot sixty feet square on Main Street, on which he put up the first brick
building erected in the business part of Napa. At the same time he induced
William H. James to erect another brick building adjoining. When he first talked
of building a brick business block in Napa, most of the citizens ridiculed the
idea of his erecting a brick building in this little "one horse" town, as they
termed it. To such unprogressive thoughts he replied that the prosperity and
advancement of every town depended mostly on the enterprise of its citizens, and
his improvement would be at his own expense, etc.; and Mr. Earl knew, from its
natural advantages for water transportation and for manufacturing, and the
fertile territory tributary to it, that it must some time be a town of
importance, as it is now, of about 6,000 inhabitants. He not only brought masons
but brick and also other material from Sacramento, where they had rather
overdone the brick-making business, for his own building and also that of Mr.
James. He purchased the brick for these buildings for $8 per thousand, and
chartered five boats to bring them to Napa. This gave a movement to the
permanent development of the town, which has continued; to this day. In 1859 Mr.
Earl built another brick business block, forty feet front on Main street, and
later supplemented it by another of the same width on Brown Street, both which
still belong to him. In 1858 he made a trip to the East to buy goods and settle
some unfinished business in Missouri, remaining about one year, during which he
made several visits to Michigan and the Atlantic cities.

  While in Michigan he married, at Monroe, Miss Frances Montgomery, a daughter
of William and Sarah Montgomery of that place. They have had five children:
Susie, now the wife of Benjamin Wilkins, attorney at law, in Napa; Thomas M.
Earl, a graduate of the Napa public school, and also of the commercial course of
the Napa Methodist College; and Clara, their youngest daughter, now attending
the public school. Two children, George and William, died in infancy.

  Mr. Earl was elected Public Administrator in 1861, serving two terms. He was
again nominated, but declined, and being re-elected refused to qualify. In 1874
he was elected City Marshal, re-elected in 1875 and again in 1876. In 1856 he
took an active part in retaining to Napa County the Soscol territory, and
afterward in endeavoring to secure the location of the State Normal School at
Napa, but failed, San Jose being selected. He also endeavored to procure the
formation and location of the Odd Fellows' College and Home at Napa, which also
failed. He has always been earnest in his efforts and liberal in his
contributions toward building up Napa and Napa County, by inducing manufacturing
enterprises and institutions to locate here. In 1862 Mr. Earl became a member of
the "Old Bear Flag" Pioneer Society, retaining this connection for many years.
He is a member of Yount Lodge, No. 12, F. & A. M., also of Lodge No. 23, Knights
of Pythias. He and his family are attendants of the Presbyterian Church. He is a
stockholder and director of the Napa Woolen Mill; and also of the Napa Bank. He
helped to establish the Napa Cannery, and was a stockholder during its
existence. By the active and perserving labor of his hands and brain, Mr. Earl
has acquired a competency for himself and family, has achieved a high standing
in the community, has brought up a worthy and interesting family, and is to-day
one of the solid men of Napa.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from

Memorial and Biographical History of Northern California.

Illustrated, Containing a History of this Important Section of the Pacific Coast
from the Earliest Period of its Occupancy to the Present Time, together with
Glimpses of its Prospective Future; Full-Page Steel Portraits of its most
Eminent Men, and Biographical Mention of many of its Pioneers and also of
Prominent Citizens of To-day.

"A people that takes no pride in the noble achievements of remote ancestors will
never achieve anything worthy to be remembered with pride by remote
descendents." – Macauley.

CHICAGO
THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY
1891.


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