OHIO STATEWIDE FILES - Know your Ohio: David Tod Perkins *********************************************************************** OHGENWEB NOTICE: All distribution rights to this electronic data are reserved by the submitter. Reproduction or re-presentation of copyrighted material will require the permission of the copyright owner. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. *********************************************************************** File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Darlene E. Kelley http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00026.html#0006374 June 25, 1999 *********************************************************************** Historical Collections of Ohio The Kelley Family Collections Newspaper article, Plains Dealer compiled by S.J. Kelley-- 1925 And Then They Went West by Darlene E. Kelley 1998 *********************************************************************** David Tod Perkins, assemblyman, from the Sixty-fifth district of California, was born in Akron, Ohio, April 23,1852.His father, Col. Simon Perkins, was a native of Warren, Ohio, to which his paternal grandfather, General Simon Perkins,Sr. emigrated from Connecticut, the State of his birth, in the pioneering days of the middle west. He was in charge and surveyed the Western Reserve and prominent in the upbuiding of that section. Col. Simon Perkins, Jr, became a large landowner and capitalist of Akron, Ohio, among his chief interests being the presidency of the Railroad Company that constructed a line from Hudson to Millersburg. His prominence, however, in his native section was not limited to financial interests alone, but he was also known through his connection with many of the most important movements for the moral and educational growth of the general public. Through marriage he allied his interests with those of another Prominent family of Ohio, Grace Ingersol Tod, a native of the State,becoming his wife. She was the daughter of Judge Tod, and a sister of ex-governor, David Tod, of Ohio, representatives of a Scotch family of worth and ability. The death of Col Simon Perkins, jr., occured in Ohio and that of his wife in Sharon, Pa. They left a family of eleven children, six of them at the time of this writing were living. The oldest Brother, Col. George T. Perkins, was a Colonel of the Ohio Volunteer Infantry and was President of the B.F. Goodrich Rubber Company,and lived with his family in Akron, Ohio. The second Brother , Capt. Simon Perkins, was Captain of the Ohio Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War. He was an iron and steel manufacturer in Sharon, Pa, where he lived. The third brother, Charles Ezra Perkins, was the State engineer of Ohio, and held the office uninterruptedly for sixteen years; his home was in Columbus, Ohio. Not alone, however, in the city of his residence, had Col. David T. Perkins given his aid in matters of enterprise and finance. He left his home of his birth, Akron, Ohio, in 1800, and arrived in Hueneme, California. He very quickly became associated with Thomas Bard in the sheep raising business, buying out a former partner of Mr. Bard's for $10,000. Shortly thereafter, the firm of Bard and Perkins was established and grew in importance through the years. David Perkins became an indespensible assistant to Mr. Bard taking charge of all field operations and other business ventures through the years. Like Mr. Bard, David Perkins was also interested in Politics and was elected to the State Assembly in 1892. Because of his business capabilities, Bard brought him into the oil business where they worked in close association for a number of years. David Perkins served for a time, as vice President of Union Oil Company, during the time Bard was President of the newly organized Corporation. He made his home less than a mile from Berylwood on Pleasant Valley Road, at a cross street, near the border of present day Oxnard, which honors his memory to this day--- " Perkins Road." Pleasant Valley road was originally called Springfield Road. The Oxnard Electric Light and Water Company claimed him as its vice president, while he was also a stockholder in the Santa Paula Electric Light Company. In Santa Barbara, California, his name was familiar through association with various public enterprises, among them the Santa Barbara Theatre and Amusement Company, which erected an adequate building for amusement purposes. He served as President of this organization. He was director in the Potter Hotel Company, a stockholder in the Central Bank of Santa Barbara, and President of the Santa Barbara Reality Company. He had manifested his faith in the future of that city by vesting in holdings of considerable value. He was a large holder of real estate in Ventura County, leasing to the Ventura Agricultural Company, of which he was a director, about 18,000 acres, upon which was raised grain, stock, beets, beans in vast quantities. David Perkins home, as was mentioned above, was built in 1887 by a Danish born Architect, Jens Rasmussen. He married Emma Rasmussen Cranz of Akron, Ohio, and they had two children; Anna, wife of Tod Ford, Jr., of Pasadena; and Charles Crantz Perkins, a director in the Thomas Hughes Manufacturing Company of Los Angeles, who married Lucy Anna Kelley of Cleveland, Ohio, whose Grandfather was one of the original propriotors in settling of that City. Ventura County rose to an appreciation of the evident ability in David Perkins many years ago after conferring upon him many minor offices, among them that of County Supervisor, which he held acceptably for nine years, he was elected in 1894 to the State Legislature, assembly man from the sixty-fifth district. This was pre-eminently a Democratic legislature and although there was very little oportunity for a member of the opposition to gain foothold, he again was remembered when sent back to the House in 1904. He gave active service to his constituency along various lines, taking a prominent part in affairs of the House as a member of the Agricultural Committee; Ways and Means Committee; Banking Committee, of which he was chairman; Oil and Mining Committees; Revenue and Taxation Committee, and others. He made a strong fight for the re-election of Sentor Bard, both his personal friend, and the man he knew to be efficiant, honorable and upright, a loyal citizen of his State and a stanch upholder of civic rights. Col and Honorable David Tod Perkins, died a few days before Feb. 20th, 1920. he was cremated on that date and was interned in the Santa Barbara Cemetery Chapel, August 26, 1948. ********************************************** **** Notes from Family Records******* David Tod Perkins earned his title of Col in the Civil war. He never liked to talk about it because of his experiences of seeing his true friends killed. Although he was proud to serve his country, he was more interested in giving his all to his fellow friends.--- It is interesting to know that he was also instrumental in his town of Hueneme in helping to develop the Bank of Levi and helping to establish the Port and docks at Port Huememe. whose important ecomomy to all California has grown into its booming import and export business. His home has since been moved into Oxnard to a Heritage Square, now owned by the City of Oxnard, Californa, to be perserved for all. This house is anunusual combination of Queen Anne and Stick style architecture. It contains twelve rooms, six which were bedroms, two bathrooms, and five fireplaces.The rooms on the left as you enter the front door was the music room, library, and back bedroom. The rooms on the right side was the parlor, dining room, Kitchen and breakfast room. The porch outside was open, but in 1920's was enclosed. The majority of the woods in the house is redwood, but the dining room, second floor hall, and stairwell feature wainscotting of inlaid oak, mahogany and walnut. The second floor of the house is actually an addition done in the late 1890's, being built within the original attic space with only minor changes to the roof line for the addition of windows. The second floor had four bedrooms, one bathroom, and attic storage ***********************************************.