San Benito-Calaveras-San Francisco County CA Archives Biographies.....Chalmers, George ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ca/cafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com January 27, 2007, 2:04 pm Author: Luther A. Ingersoll, Editor (1893) GEORGE CHALMERS, one of the well-known citizens of San Juan, came to California in 1850, from Boston, Massachusetts. Our subject is a native of Fifeshire, Scotland, but came, with his parents, in 1858 to America. His father, William Chalmers, a farmer by occupation, and his mother, Isabel (Barker) Chalmers were both natives of Scotland. Upon arrival in America Mr. Chalmers, Sr., located in Orange county, Vermont, town of Newbury, where he reared his family and there died. Of his eleven children, two are residents of California, our subject and a brother, Alexander, a resident of Watsonville. Our subject sailed from New York city to California, via the Isthmus of Panama, on the steamer "Georgia." After arrival at the Isthmus Mr. Chalmers spent six months at the town of Panama, working at his trade of mechanic. He there fitted up the first theater in the town, and also aided in the fitting out of a steamer. He then proceeded on his journey westward and landed in San Francisco in August, 1850. Like almost all of the emigrants of that day he went into the mines, choosing those of Calaveras county. Later he returned to San Francisco and worked at his trade. He then followed building and contracting in various portions of the State until 1856, when he located in San Benito county and engaged in stock-raising, continuing there until the winter of 1863-'64. During the dry season of that year memorable to stockmen he suffered the loss of about 3,000 head of cattle. He then invested in the first steam threshing machine that came into San Benito county and likely the third in the State. Mr. Chalmers also engaged in the milling business at Castroville, building the Castroville mills, in 1865. This property he finally disposed of and located at San Juan, where he has since continuously resided. Our subject was married, October 26, 1856, to Mary S., a daughter of the late Edward L. B. Smith, one of the first residents and a time-honored citizen of San Juan. (See sketch of his life in this work.) Of the eleven children born to Mr. and Mrs. Chalmers, four are now living, namely: Lillie G., now Mrs. J. Cabera, of Fresno; Florence, wife of J. P. Mitchel, Esq., of Castroville; and Angie M., a single lady, a resident of San Jose. The fourth child, Leona Z., is still at home. Mr. Chalmers has led a very busy life and has born an honorable part in the material development of his chosen locality. He has served the local public several times as Justice of the Peace, and is at present a member of the Town Board of Trustees of San Juan. He is well-known throughout San Benito and Monterey counties as a man of strict integrity and upright principles. Additional Comments: Extracted from: Memorial and Biographical History of the Coast Counties of Central California. Illustrated. Containing a History of this Important Section of the Pacific Coast from the Earliest Period of its Discovery to the Present Time, together with Glimpses of its Auspicious Future; Illustrations and Full-Page Portraits of some of its Eminent Men, and Biographical Mention of many of its Pioneers, and Prominent Citizens of To-day. HENRY D. BARROWS, Editor of the Historical Department. LUTHER A. INGERSOLL, Editor of the Biographical Department. "A people that take no pride in the noble achievements of remote ancestors will never achieve anything worthy to be remembered with pride by remote descendants."-Macaulay. CHICAGO: THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY. 1893. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/sanbenito/bios/chalmers568gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/cafiles/ File size: 4.1 Kb