San Mateo-San Francisco County CA Archives Biographies.....McLellan, Edgar Wakeman January 4, 1867 - 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Joy Fisher sdgenweb@gmail.com and Regina Gualco rmgualco@yahoo.com August 3, 2006, 10:49 pm

Author: S. J. Clarke (1928)


EDGAR WAKEMAN McLELLAN

   Edgar Wakeman McLellan, of Burlingame, enjoys distinction for two reasons,
first, because he was the first to settle in this city, and secondly, because of
the remarkable business which he has developed here, ranking him as one of the
largest and most successful florists on the coast, his business still enjoying a
steady and substantial growth. Mr. McLellan was born at Beresford, California,
on the 4th of January, 1867, and is a son of David Springer and Mary Cross
(Danforth) McLellan. His father was born in Litchfield, Maine, and in 1850, in
old Trinity church in New York city, he was married to Mary C. Danforth, who was
a native of Norton, Massachusetts. They came to the Pacific coast, by way of the
isthmus of Panama, first locating in San Francisco, and he later built one of
the first houses in San Mateo.   For a number of years, prior to the building of
the Southern Pacific Railroad, Mr. McLellan ran a stage line between San
Francisco and San Jose. They were the parents of the following children: Mary
Orilla, born in San Jose, who became the wife of Calvin Murray; Charles David,
born in San Jose; Mary Phoebe and Mary Belle, both of whom were born in
Beresford and are deceased; George B., who was born on Market street, San
Francisco; William S., Leonard E. and Edgar W., all born at Beresford; Mrs. Mary
Grace De Gear, who was born at Beresford, and now lives in San Francisco;
Theodore M., who died in infancy; Frank L.; and Asa Danforth.

  Edgar W. McLellan secured his education in the school on the Parrott estate at
San Mateo. He was reared on his father's farm, known as the old Beresford place,
and later went into the dairy business in San Francisco, operating what was
known as Holstein farm. In 1894 Mr. McLellan located at Burlingame and engaged
in the flower and nursery business. He was the first to settle at that place and
his was the first residence in the town—in fact, he farmed on the Burlingame
site before there was a town. Beginning his nursery business in a modest way, he
gradually enlarged his plant until today he has twelve acres in cultivation at
the foot of Howard avenue and has sixty-five acres at Lawnsdale, having
sixty-one acres actually in nursery stock. He is now erecting new greenhouses
and has just completed four buildings, each forty by eight hundred feet, with
three more of equal size to be completed at once, all being concreted and
considered the most modern greenhouses in the United States. Mr. McLellan has
always been progressive and enterprising in his methods. He was the first to
ship chrysanthemums out of San Francisco and this department of his business
alone has reached enormous proportions, he shipping forty-two carloads of these
flowers in 1926. In addition to his extensive plants in San Mateo county, he
maintains a city office and store at 439 Natoma street, San Francisco.

   Mr. McLellan was united in marriage to Miss Mary Garratt, who was born and
reared in San Francisco, a daughter of W. T. Garratt. To them have been born
eight children, namely: Anna, who is the wife of William Whaley; Edith; Wakeman
Garratt; Roderick Erving; Eleanor, who is the wife of Charles McCracken; Helen;
Margaret; and Edgar. Though his business has made heavy demands on his time, Mr.
McLellan has never neglected his duties of citizenship and has given due
attention to the welfare and progress of his community, cooperating with his
fellowmen in every way for the betterment of the locality, and is regarded as
one of its representative men.

Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

HISTORY
OF
SAN MATEO
COUNTY
CALIFORNIA
VOLUME II ILLUSTRATED

CHICAGO, ILL. 
THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING COMPANY
1928

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