52Ancestors52Weeks Week 30 Theme: Health......... Why Sterl Boothby Made Grass Valley His Home

 

 Sterl Boothby Pharmacist

Grass Valley Drug 1950's

Dale Boothby Pharmacist with Carol R. 

Grass Valley Drug 1980's

  Sterl Boothby was my paternal Grandfather.  He passed away in 1960, so I never knew him.  I did know that he was a pharmacist by profession, and came to Grass Valley at the recommendation of his family doctor.  Both he and my Dad, Dale Boothby, had very serious asthma conditions the doctor thought would be improved by moving to a drier climate. They had been  living in Redwood City and San Carlos (a part of the Bay Area of San Francisco) which had a more humid climate.   I suppose that was the best advice the doctor could give Sterl, at the time.  There were not the advances in asthma treatment available that we have now (thank goodness for modern medicine...asthma is a condition that still runs in our family....).   Certain environments were thought to be triggers for the condition at that time.  Moving to a warmer foothill setting up in the pine trees might have seemed a healthier environmental choice for an asthmatic back in the 1940's. 

  So, Sterl and my Grandmother Terry (Nino) moved with their boys Dale and Kent to the beautiful little Gold Country town of Grass Valley in 1947.  My Grandparents made Grass Valley their home and eventually bought McClard's drug store which they renamed Grass Valley Drug.  The Drug Store played a large part in my family, and with the whole community of Grass Valley as well. 

  So, the theme of health this week takes us to the story of  Sterl Boothby and  Grass Valley Drug......

  

 

   In 1917, Clyde Dale Horner ( Sterl's older half brother)  claimed an exception from WWI as he was helping support his mother Lillie Mae and two brothers as well as attending school  as a pharmacy and medical student.  He was attending school at the Oregon Agricultural College (later to become Oregon State) and then later on he attended Stanford University in California.  He worked as a pharmacist and then as a physician in Palo Alto and San Francisco.   He was called "Uncle Doc" by the family.  He stepped in to help the family after Sterl and Harold's father Josiah T. Boothby passed away in 1915, and he was certainly a big influence on his younger half brothers as he guided their professional choices as they got older.  They followed in his footsteps.  Uncle Doc had a very  paternal relationship with the boys, especially after Lillie Mae passed away in 1930.  That relationship continued down to Sterl's boys also. 

  Sterl was born in Kent, Oregon on January 17, 1907.  (His baby picture is in the post from 5-16-21).  According to his obituary he attended high school at The Dalles and then he attended Oregon State College in Corvallis for three years before transferring to the University of California, Berkeley, where he completed his pharmaceutical degree. 

Sterl Boothby.  Picture taken probably around the end of high school or the  beginning of college in 1927-28. 

  

Oregon State College, Corvallis 1928 Yearbook from Ancestry.com

  Sterl is in the bottom row, third from the left.  He was a freshman in 1928.  If you look closely, you can see his younger brother, Harold Boothby, second from the right in the middle row.  He was also listed as a freshman.  They were one year apart in age. Their mother, Lillie Mae Hayman, was living in Newburg  Oregon while the boys were in college.   Harold eventually became a pharmacist and worked at Ingle Drug in Ashland Oregon.  His wife Louise was also a pharmacist/nurse.   

  

College days.  Very neat and tidy. 

Sterl Boothby, college days. 

Sterl Boothby Pharmacist

San Francisco? 

  The 1930 US Census lists Sterl as living in San Francisco with his mother and younger brother while he worked as a pharmacist.  He met and married  Tersilla Brondolo in San Francisco in 1937, and they moved to  Redwood City and San Carlos where they lived for about 10 years.  Sterl was a pharmacist at the Fred Musso Drug Company in Redwood City at the time of his WWII registration.  My father Dale was born on May 3, 1941 and then his brother, Kent in 1945.  By that time the family was considering a move to help improve Sterl and Dale's asthma symptoms.  They settled on Grass Valley, California where Sterl had prospects of joining a pharmacy partnership.  

  The family moved to Grass Valley in 1947 and for two years Sterl was employed by McClard's Drugs on 124 South Auburn Street.  The drugstore was located on the ground floor of the Masonic Building, which was dedicated in 1937. 

Vintage postcard 1940's.  McClards was located on the ground floor of the Masonic Temple. There is a historical marker on the corner of the building marking the dedication of the temple and Madison Lodge No. 23.  

  

1939 ad shared by Dan Williams on the Facebook site You Know You're From Nevada County If You Remember Feb. 17, 2021

  McClard's Drug had an in-store soda fountain which was still common in drugstores at the time.   My mother Margaret (Hansen) Boothby remembers that she loved to visit the drugstore soda fountain, and even envisioned herself working there when she grew up.  Little did she know at the time that she would grow up and marry my dad Dale who took over the pharmacy in 1966!  By that time, the soda fountain had been removed.  In its place was the fresh roasted nut machine at the far end of the counter that kept the salty cashews toasty warm.  Cashews are still my favorite nut.   That is one vivid memory I have of the drug store!

 Grass Valley Drug with Fountain Service and Coca-Cola.  Picture taken around the 1940's. 

  The history of the drug store really began in 1851 as the first drug store in Grass Valley.   It was operated by pioneer druggist William Loutzenheiser and his son John in a wooden building at the corner of West Main Street and North Auburn Street.  That building was replaced in 1855 (there was a fire!)  by the brick building that still stands.  There is a historical marker on the corner of this building marking Loutzenheiser's Drug Store.  After 1928 the drug store became McClard's and eventually moved to the South Auburn address by 1937.   I remember Foothill Flowers occupying this space in the 70's and the 80's.  That was where we got all of our flowers for special occasions...the prom....weddings....all lovingly made by Marie Johnson, the Flower Lady.  

An original bottle from W Loutzenheiser Apothecary 

In the collection of Margaret Boothby

  Sterl was employed by McClard's Drugs for two years.  In 1949  he purchased the business, renovated the drug store and changed its name to Grass Valley Drug.  W. B. McClard had been a partner of Sterl's since 1947 and when he retired McClard sold his interest to Sterl.  A third partner in the business was Jacob Schramm.  

Unknown photographer and year.  The Drug Store after a snowstorm; early to mid 40's? 

     Sterl became an active member of the community.  He was known for his affiliations with  organizations including Grass Valley Elks, Gold Unit Shrine Club, Madison Lodge No. 23, Free and Accepted Masons, Sacramento Consistory Scottish rites, Ben Ali Temple, University of California  Alumni, California Pharmaceutical Association, and the  Nevada County Farm Bureau.  He had served as past president of the Grass Valley Rotary and the Grass Valley Chamber of Commerce and had been a charter member and chairman of the Grass Valley Personnel Commission.  He was very active in youth activities including Boy Scouts and 4-H.  The Rotary Club, with Sterl as President, built BBQ and picnic tables at Memorial Park. He also was a founding member of the Nevada County Country Club.  My sister and I have fond memories of swimming at the pool every summer at the Country Club. 

 Sterl had a very gregarious and generous personality and was well liked by members of the community.  Uncle  Kent remembers that "When the Community Hospital moved to Spring Hill and became Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital Pop established the pharmacy and stocked it with some items at no charge."  He also shared another memory of his dad at Christmas time in the early 50's...  "A man came into the store needing medicine for his two sick kids but had no money.  Pop went behind the counter and mixed up the medication and came back to the counter with not only the medication but a bottle of perfume for his wife and a bottle of bourbon for his Christmas dinner.  When we moved to Thiel Way, we needed some work done in the back yard, expecting to pay a couple of thousand bucks. When the work was done a couple of hundred was charged, and I heard the story."  Sterl's generosity was remembered long after he was gone. 

 

  The Drug Store filled its 1 millionth prescription in January 1953, which was a source of pride for the business.  Grass Valley Drug was an integral part of the community during the 50's.  Both Dad and Uncle Kent worked there after school and during the summers. 

You can see the prescriptions on display in the front window in 1953.  They were threaded onto wires as they were filled. These were all thrown away when the store was sold in the 90's.  Dad was an early advocate of HIPPA to protect his clients, past and present! Grass Valley is a small town after all....

  Sterl passed away September 10, 1960.  The coroner stated that he thought the cause was from a known heart condition which had been complicated by an asthmatic condition.  Less than two months prior to his death Sterl had been hospitalized under oxygen after he was found unconscious due to an attack of asthma brought about by overwork.  (source: Sterl's obituary printed in the Union Sept. 12, 1960).  He was separated from my Grandmother at the time, and living at his ranch home at Wheeler Acres.  Nino, Dale and Kent were still living at the house on Mainhart Drive.  It was a very, very difficult period of time for my dad and my uncle, as well as Nino. 

  The Drug Store continued to operate with Jake Schramm and Stan Hunter filling prescriptions while the rest of the staff continued to provide excellent service to their customers.   Free Rx delivery was provided by the staff of delivery boys and the store clerks sold cosmetics and jewelry.  Quality candies by Whitman's, Hoopers, Hoeflers, Saylor's and Pangburn's were gift wrapped free of charge as were the leather goods by Buxton and the electric shavers and automatic toothbrushes.  The store continued running in this fashion until Dale finished his degrees in Pharmacy and Chemistry at the University of the Pacific.  He took over the store in 1966 after much family deliberation (and Uncle Doc's insistence) and faithfully served as co-owner with his mother Terry and then owner, and head pharmacist, for 26 years. 

 Dale Boothby top row, middle.  He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy, and a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry.  He was told he couldn't major in two areas at the same time, but he did it anyway just to prove his advisors wrong. 

Dale Boothby.  Graduation from University of  the Pacific in Stockton 1964.  He graduated Cum Laude. 

  My Uncle Kent, Dale's brother, followed in the footsteps of his father, uncles and brother.  He also attended the University of the Pacific in Stockton, and graduated with a Pharmacy degree.  After 6 years in the Navy and a stint in Viet Nam as a Navy Corpsman he decided to go to the admissions office at UOP and apply.  He was told to go to a Junior College and come back in a year or two.  Uncle Kent promptly wrote a check and told them that if he could not maintain his grades then he would be the only one out of anything.  He was accepted on a probation basis and was evaluated after the first semester with a 4.0 gpa.  Kent said, "Yes, 4.0.  My first and only."  Even so, not to be outdone by his brother, he finished the pharmacy program in 3 years and 3 months.  He worked as a pharmacist for Thrifty in Auburn and Grass Valley for many years, as well as Rite Aide.  He even subbed at Grass Valley Drug for a short time after my Dad was recuperating from being hit by a car while jogging on Idaho Maryland Road.  Even with asthma,  Dad was a jogger!

  

The painted sign next to the parking lot..

  This wooden container from Grass Valley Drug at one time contained a liver-stomach concentrate with ferrous iron and vitamin B complex from Eli Lilly and Co.  It was sturdy enough to be used by generations of store clerks to reach things higher up on the many shelves in the store.  It is still in the family and is currently being used as a foot stool.   In the collection of Margaret Boothby.  I remember sitting on this container in the back room after my piano lessons,  waiting for Dad to finish up work so we could go home and have dinner. 

  

  

  Dad ended up selling the Drug Store in 1993, and Grass Valley Drug was no more.   It was a difficult decision, but was a sign of the times with larger corporations coming into the picture.  Small, independent pharmacies were having a hard time competing with the big companies. Dad tried to make the transition easier for his many loyal customers by transitioning himself and his employees to K-Mart.  He worked there for several more years, and then began a semi-retirement career as a licensed tax preparer (I guess he couldn't get enough of math) and a mentor to upcoming Pharmacy Techs.  He also worked part time at the Pleasant Valley Pharmacy. 

  A part of Grass Valley history ended with the sale of Grass Valley Drug. 

   

  Asthma is not an illness to be taken lightly.  It does run in our family and affects several members in various ways.  But, we have access to treatments and current research that was not available to my grandfather.  At the time, it seemed that moving to a new environment was a way to improve his health, and the health of my father.  Sterl 's life was still impacted by his disease (and his lifestyle choices as well...),  but my father figured out how to live with his condition with the help of healthy living and modern medicine.  The end result of my Grandparents' decision to move was that my family got to live and work in a truly beautiful and unique place that we still call home.   And I consider it very special that we were also a part of the community's history of healing and service. 

Graduated cylinders from either McClard's or Loutzenheiser's

from the collection of Margaret Boothby

  And one more...

An Rx bag from G.V. Drug.  They now make great lunch bags!

  Relationship Reference:  Me->Dale Boothby->Sterl Boothby->Lillie Mae Hayman and Josiah T. Boothby

Friday's Featured Photo(s)

    I recently discovered this picture in Skip Hansen's collection of family photos.  It shows Harold, Bob, Jack and John H. Hansen posing together after enjoying what was probably a cool, refreshing summer swim (mid to late 1920's?).  I have shared a similar picture before, but Bob was not present as he is in this one.  (The Hansen Brothers published 5-17-20).  I always wondered where this location was in Grass Valley.  I discovered another picture in Skip's collection....

  Written on the back (in Vere Hansen's handwriting) is "Idaho Md reservoir Sail boat from 4th of July float".  This reservoir was located somewhere near their ranch and near the Idaho Maryland Mine in Grass Valley. There are several other pictures from the Hansen files that were taken at this location, and I believe they are all from this reservoir.      Nice!

Update August 2021:  The Idaho Maryland reservoir is most likely located on the McBoyle property (private) at the western end of the Nevada County Airport runway. I have flown over that pond many many times with Dad, who was a private pilot.  Who knew? 

  Considering we are finishing up one of the hottest Julys ever on record, I thought these pictures might help us make it to July 31st, 2021!

Relationship Reference:  Me->Margaret Hansen Boothby->Harold Hansen->John H. Hansen and Clara Vere Burrows Hansen

52Ancestors52Weeks Week 29 Theme: Fashion....Emma King Hayes Van Duzer and The City of Paris in San Francisco

 Emma Lavinia King  

 Photograph taken at the Globe Portrait Co., 1067 Market Street, San Francisco.  Sometime between 1905-8. 

Enlarged to show more detail. 

  This is a picture of my Great Grandmother, Emma King Hayes Van Duzer (b. April 13, 1888 St. Austell - d. November 24, 1978 Grass Valley, California).  This picture was taken sometime between 1905-1908 in San Francisco, California.  Nana, who was always known for her fashion sense, worked as a milliner and dress maker in Grass Valley throughout her life.  She most likely made the hat as well as the dress in this picture.  The ostrich feathers were very fashionable for the day.  The fur coat is stunning!  The family story is that she learned her millinery skills working at the City of Paris department store in San Francisco.  Was that possible?  This is her fashion story....

  Before the 1906 San Francisco earthquake Nana had been working at the Hale Brothers Department Store on Market Street. She was 5 days shy of her 18th birthday  at the time of the quake.  The store was damaged in the earthquake but continued to sell its products on the sidewalk.  Nana  was living with her parents Charles J. King and Anna Levers King at 1900 Golden Gate Avenue at the time of the quake and although the house itself was not damaged, the gas was turned off.  She related the story of having to wash out her white shirt waists each day and then having to iron them with the flat iron heated on the cook stove out in the yard so she could go to work.  The department store sold its salvaged wares on boards placed across saw horses, and expected its employees to still come to work.  

  The next family story says that Nana worked at the department story City of Paris, where she learned her millinery skills.  The original City of Paris was located at the corners of Stockton and Geary, across from Union Square.  I was not so sure this story was quite correct, as the store survived the earthquake but the interior was badly damaged.  It was not refurbished and reopened until 1909, a year after she married Lester Hayes.  After doing some research, I found out that the store did have a temporary location in the Hobart Mansion on Van Ness Avenue right after the quake, and so she may have worked there.  Perhaps she got  tired of working on the sidewalk for Hale Brothers and obtained a new job!   This part of her story could very well be true.  

  

The City of Paris Department Store.  This photograph was taken shortly after the 1906 earthquake and fire. While the damage to the building is apparent, many surrounding buildings were completely destroyed.  The interior of the  building was subsequently remodeled in 1909 and then the entire building was demolished in 1981 by the Neiman -Marcus company and  a new department store was erected on this site. It is located at the corner of Geary and Stockton, across from Union Square.   https://www.theclio.com

  

  This is from a period postcard depicting the transformation of the Hobart Mansion into the chain's headquarters and signature store before moving back to the Union Square location. Following the earthquake, Van Ness Avenue served as the temporary commercial center and main thoroughfare of San Francisco.  The house was originally built as a wedding present for Aimee Crocker and Richard Porter Ashe. When they divorced in 1887 the mansion was sold to the W.S. Hobart family.  It survived the earthquake and fire, as well as the firebreak created when the rest of the street was dynamited by soldiers in a successful attempt to prevent the firestorm from spreading west to the entire city.  It was unoccupied at the time and was then leased to the owners of the department store.  aimeecrocker.com

  This would have been a wonderful place to work!  Nana learned to make hats in the latest styles and was probably using her sewing skills as well to create wonderful apparel for the women of the city as the residents were rebuilding and making San Francisco into the "Paris of the West" that it became after the earthquake and fire.  I wonder if she got to see the Turkish bath on the third floor that Aimee Crocker Ashe had put in!  Sadly, the building "passed out in a blaze of some magnitude" in 1913 after being deserted for a number of years. 

  

A more informal photo of Emma King and Charles J. King at the Cliff House.  From the King Album.  Taken before September 7, 1907 (the Cliff House survived the earthquake of 1906 but burned in 1907).  The sleeves of this coat look similar to the coat in the first picture at the top of the post, although the length is shorter and does not have the wide fur trim.  Emma was an excellent seamstress, and may have altered her clothing.  This hat is more appropriate for a day on the beach. 

Emma King from the King Album.  Taken between 1905-1908. This hat looks like it is made of fur with a bow on top.  

Unknown friend or relative.  From the King Album.  Hat probably made by Emma King. 

  

Nana with an unknown little girl.  From the King Album.  This hat looks to be made of straw.  Note the gold watch necklace around Emma's neck.  It is still in the family. 

 Anna King from the King Album.  This could be a mourning outfit. She is holding a dark fur stole in her left hand.  Hat probably made by Emma King. 

Emma King and Spot.   Picture from the King Album. Taken between 1905-1908.  Even though she is not wearing a hat, she is wearing her hair up so she must be at least 17 years old.  Pompadour styles during this time were needed to be big enough and structured enough to support the size and weight of large hats which were so popular in the Edwardian period. 

 

  

    This is one of my favorite photos.  Nana is on the right, with her daughter Dorothy Ross Hayes Arthur (Auntie Dot) on the left.  The photo was taken at the Golden Gate International Exposition in 1939, which was a World's Fair located on Treasure Island in San Francisco.  The fair commemorated the opening of the Oakland Bay Bridge in 1936 and the Golden Gate Bridge in 1937.  A very grand excuse to dress up and be seen!  Note the feathers and the fur.  They are both very fashionable. 

Written on back "Taken in San Jose".  This must have been part of the trip to Treasure Island.  Nana is wearing a different hat and jacket here.  

  When Nana moved to Grass Valley she continued with her millinery business.  She had a small shop on Mill Street (where Hedman Furniture was eventually located).  Mom (Margaret Hansen Boothby) remembers that there was a tobacco/alcohol shop, a soda fountain and a Dollar store  next to Nana's shop when she was growing up. Nana's shop had hat stands on the counter to display her many hats.  She kept her own hats on hats stands at her home. She made hats out of aqua horse hair braid for the wedding of Alice Tinloy and Ed Yun in 1947.  The hats were large picture hats and matched the girls' dresses, which she probably made also. Later in life she would purchase hats and add her own special touches--a feather, a bow, a fancy hat band or some flowers. Mom remembers that she never  wore her hats straight on her head but always at a jaunty angle. 

   Nana was a very talented designer and creator of women's fashion throughout her life, which I will continue with in more posts. She created many outfits and wedding gowns for family members as well. She could also crochet and knit, and taught her daughters, grand daughters and great grand daughters how to embroider.  During the quilting craze of the Bicentennial era (1976) she learned quilting (which was never really her forte) and started the quilting group at the Methodist Church, which is still going strong today.

  Emma began her fashion journey in a city that was beginning to rebuild after much devastation.  I believe that she really did work at The City of Paris for a time.  She was learning a trade that let her use her creative talents that she carried with her for the remainder of her life.  It also must have been a very exciting time to be living in San Francisco! 

Nana as I remember her, in the 1970's.  She continued making her own clothes later in life.  She was always impeccably dressed, where ever she went. 

Relationship Reference:  Me-> Margaret Hansen Boothby->Margaret Elizabeth Hayes Hansen->Emma Lavinia King Hayes Van Duzer->Charles J. King and Anna Levers King

  

  

  

Friday's Featured Photo (s)

 Unknown Photo from Hansen File.  Clown, Gypsy and Guy with Glasses. 

    This photograph was in the Hansen File.  On the back is written "H. Lockwood 11/34".  It looks like a Halloween party!  This picture's context was unknown to me (Why was it in with the Hansen family pictures? Who was H. Lockwood?  Was he the Clown or the Guy with the Glasses?)

..... until a few days ago when I found this photo in my cousin Skip's garage....

    On the back is written "H. Lockwood 11/34"!   As I was looking at this picture I recognized Uncle Jack (Jack Hansen) sitting on the floor, third from the right.  The Guy with Glasses and the  young man dressed as a Clown are sitting directly to the right of Uncle Jack. The young woman dressed as a gypsy is in the top row, third from the left.  

  Uncle Jack was 28 years old in 1934.  He was living and working in Sacramento, California as a clerk by the 1930 US Census, but in 1933 he was back in Grass Valley working for PG&E (Pacific Gas and Electric) and going on hikes with the YMCA Hiking Club. This may have been a group of friends from Grass Valley.  They appear to be having a very good time.  H. Lockwood must have been a good friend of Uncle Jack's.  I still don't know if he was the Clown, or the Guy with Glasses.  Or...was H. Lockwood the Gypsy??

  I would love to know which building this picture was taken in!  It may have been taken at the Bourne Cottage Clubhouse (now a part of the Empire Mine State Historic Park).  

  And, another photo mystery solved.  Mostly. 

52Ancestors52Weeks Week 27 and 28 Themes Free and Transportation: ........ Anna and Emma King Took a Protracted Sojourn on the Majestic to Begin a New Life in California

 

Anna Levers King in front of her home (possibly the home in Grass Valley, California). Turn of the century.  The 1900 US Census lists the family as living on Auburn Street.  

      In my previous post I talked about why Charles John King (my Great Great Grandfather) left Cornwall England at the end of April, 1894.  He had felt the need to leave the country after landing in some financial trouble that he was not able to resolve under English bankruptcy laws.  America seemed his only hope. Once he arrived in the United States, he worked quickly to get his wife, Anna Levers King and their six year old daughter, Emma (my Great Grandmother) on a steamer ship to join him and start over in Northern California.  They would be free of their financial troubles in Cornwall, and would be able to start a new life.  Their "Protracted Sojourn" (an extended visit; a status for those immigrating) ended up being for the rest of their lives, as they eventually called the United States their new country and permanent home. 

  

   Ancestry.com New York, U.S. Arriving and Passenger and Crew Lists 1820-1857

  Mrs. A. King aged 32 Wife...Emma aged 6 Child...Citizens of England...Intended Destination, N.Y.....they were intending a Protracted Sojourn (abbreviated P.S.)....and were traveling in the 2nd Cabin (second class, also known by then as Cabin Class, was meant for travelers of the middle class.  First Class was on the uppermost top three decks.  Cabin Class was on the second highest deck, and Third Class, or Steerage, was in the lower decks and was reserved for immigrants). (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMS_Teutonic).  

  Anna and Emma came with either 4 or 5 pieces of baggage.  Inside their baggage were china plates and gold gilt frames that are still in the family.  They arrived in New York on September 6, 1894, just 3 months after Charles landed in the United States. 

The HMS Majestic (Public Domain)

  The Majestic was a steam ship built by Harland and Wolf and launched in 1889.  It  was a part of the British shipping company White Star Line.  The trip for Anna and Emma was  much nicer and faster than the one that Charles took just a few months earlier on the Guion ship Alaska.  As he recorded in his journal,  "I have been thinking a great deal about my darling wife and child and I have concluded that it will be very much better for them when they come to take passage on a fast boat for it seems to one that to save a day only of this dreary monotonous life is a distinct gain." Their trip was only 7 days long, compared to Charles' voyage which was two weeks long.   http://www.norwayheritage.com/p_ship.asp?sh=maje1. 

  In 1891 the Majestic had  made the crossing in 5 days, 18 hours and 8 minutes in the bid to win the Blue Riband for the fastest Atlantic crossing.  She held the honor for two weeks, as her sister ship, the Teutonic, recorded a faster time.  A year later, the City of Paris regained the Riband it had won earlier before the Majestic made her attempt.  The Majestic and the Teutonic were originally built for speed.  Eventually the company would build newer ships built for luxury and comfort. 

  An interesting side note:  In 1895 (just several months after Anna and Emma's voyage) the White Star Line assigned Captain Edward Smith to the Majestic, and he served as Captain for the next 9 years.  The end of his career came, of course, as Captain of the maiden voyage of the Titanic when he went down with the ship after it was hit by an iceberg on April 15, 1912. The Majestic, which had been in reserve at that time, was put back into service as a passenger liner after the Titanic was lost.   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMS_Majestic_(1889)

  I don't know how the Kings got from New York to San Francisco, but it was most likely by transcontinental train.  I am also not sure how Charles King funded his trip to America, or Anna and Emma's trip on a newer, faster ship, as he was declared a "bankrupt" by the English courts in the spring of 1894.  Family or friends in Cornwall must have helped in some way.  Anna and Emma traveled in relative comfort in Second Class accommodations with other middle class citizens.  Once they were in San Francisco, Charles started his construction business.  He most likely needed capital to begin building.  I am pretty sure he did not engage in speculation building, as he did in Cornwall.  We just don't know the financial details as there are no records left.  Discussing finances was also not considered "polite" in our family.  But, in the end, the Kings lived a comfortable life as a result of Charles' success as a builder. 

Emma Lavinia King (right) as a young girl.  Unknown friend. Date around early 1900's. 

  The picture below is from the King Album and shows what must be Charles' construction crew at a work site, exact location unknown. Lester Hayes took the picture, so this was probably taken before or after he married Emma  (before 1910).  This picture was taken after the 1906 earthquake.  The building frenzy after the disaster would certainly have boosted Charles' construction business. 

Enlarged portion. C.J. King may be on the far right, bottom. 

The completed home; picture taken by Lester Hayes.  Photograph from the King Album. 

  Over the next several years, Charles and Anna would live between San Francisco  at 1900 Golden Gate Avenue, and  Grass Valley, California where Anna's sister Elfreda Levers George lived.  He built beautiful homes in Grass Valley as well.   They eventually moved to a small rural area in Santa Clara, California,  where they bought land that had fruit trees.  The 1930 Census lists their address as R1 220 Grant Road.  They called it "The Ranch".  

Anna Levers King "Granna" (pronounced Gran-ay) possibly at the Ranch.  Date late 30's.  

Relationship Reference:  Me->Margaret Hansen Boothby->Margaret Elizabeth Hayes Hansen->Emma Lavinia King Hayes Van Duzer->Charles King and Anna Levers King

  

52Ancestors52Weeks Week 26 Theme Conflict: The Mystery is Solved....Bankruptcy At St. Austell and Claims By the Relatives

 

  Several weeks ago I posted an excerpt from my Great Great Grandfather's journal which he titled "Having Reference to My Trip to America" (April 10, 2021).  He wrote about his trip across the Atlantic on the ship "Alaska" and the hurried and unusual preparations that he went through to complete his trip in April and May of 1894.  The family never knew why he made the trip; it was just never talked about.  Charles John King was always remembered as a very moral person by his family,  so what ever happened back in St. Austell Cornwall must have been a situation where he was presented with little choice and he needed to leave the country quickly and to avoid scandal.  The mystery was always "what exactly happened?" I believe I have uncovered the answer.  

The theme for this week is conflict.  Conflict seems to be a part of the human experience, whether through war, legal conflicts or bad relationships.  This story involves legal conflicts (bankruptcy), family conflicts over money owed and more importantly,  moral conflicts.  This story must be taken in context of the times, and not examined through the lens of our current times.  What seemed an impossible situation in 1894 might now been regarded as something a Chapter 13 or Chapter 7 filing might take care of.  The consequences of bankruptcy these days might not ruin your reputation or land you in jail, as it did well over 100 years ago.  

  In April of this year I took advantage of FaceBook (once again!) and the closed group Cornish Ancestors.  I had been going through Charles John King's journal that my cousin Pam had been transcribing.  C. J.  originally wrote many of his entries on the back of old receipt pages.  My question to the group was... what  did the "Dr. to C.J. King" mean?   I received several replies right away.  Basically, the dr. refers to debtor to or drawn to. This meant "owed to", so this was an invoice for work done.  But, that was not the end of this story.....

  

  One of the posters replied with a little newspaper snippet from the Royal Cornwall Gazette and dated the 21 of June, 1894 (see top picture).  It had to do with a Charles John King, builder, in St. Austell.  I realized that this was my Great Great Grandfather, and that he had left the country because he was facing bankruptcy.  So, a family mystery was on its way to being solved in a matter of 20 minutes. 

  I have since corresponded with the original poster of the newspaper article, a very nice woman named Ruth from London who lives between Heathrow Airport and Hampton Court Palace.  She gave me another article to read and some wonderful Cornish resources to do some more research through. We even got into the Devon origins of C.J. King and his family.  So, with Ruth's help and another look on FindMyPast I now have three newspaper articles that explain exactly what circumstances made Charles John King leave his country, his business, and his family. He left rather quickly, and under disguise...

This is the first article, dated April 20, 1894,  was found in the St. Austell Star (FindMyPast).

  So, after C.J. returned from his service in the 11th Royal Engineers (which involved an expedition up the Nile to rescue General Charles Gordon) he came back to England, married Anna Levers, settled in St. Austell and began his construction business (he had apprenticed as a carpenter as a young man).  It looks like he engaged in some speculation and got the worse end of the bargain.  Perhaps he became involved with people who took advantage of him, took bad advice or as someone with a new business just didn't know how to manage the money side of things.  Either way, he had to "furnish his account" at a later date to see if he could make things right.  After he was examined by the Bankruptcy Court he chose to leave the country and left (according to his journal) at "3 o clock pm Thursday, April 26th, 1894".  While he waited in Liverpool he "called into a barbershop" and had a shave and haircut to disguise his appearance.   In June of 1894 the examination by the Truro Bankruptcy Court was adjourned, as the debtor had "gone abroad"  and a warrant was secured for his arrest. 

  I found another article in the St. Austell Star, written on July 20, 1894,  that summarized what happened after C.J. King had left the country.  This involved his wife's family and how his actions affected their lives.  The article is long, and didn't copy well, so I have transcribed it below...

  BANKRUPTCY AT ST. AUSTELL   Claims By the Relatives

  The case of C. J. King, builder, of St. Austell came before his Honour, Judge Granger, at Truro Bankruptcy Court on Saturday last.

  The Official Receiver (Mr. G. Appleby Jenkins) stated that the receiving order was made on March 8th last.  On April 14th the public examination was opened, and adjourned in order that the bankrupt might produce a goods and cash account.  But subsequently the debtor absconded, and the examination was adjourned sine die.   Two proofs had been sent in, one by Mrs. Levers, and the other by Miss Lavinia Levers, but he thought it necessary to reject them.  Rule 22 in the schedule of the Bankruptcy Act directed the trustee to examine every proof, and accept, reject, or require further evidence to support it.  If he rejected, he had to state his grounds for doing so.  Under Rule 24, if a creditor was dissatisfied with the decision of the trustee, he might apply to the Court to have the decision of the trustee  reversed or varied.  He communicated with Mrs. Levers, and found she had no receipts for the sums she alleged was due to her.  When publicly examined bankrupt stated he had no books showing his transactions with Mrs. and Miss Levers, but he stated the latter had receipts for the money she had lent him.--Mr. R. Dobell appeared for Mrs. and Miss Levers, mother-in-law and sister-in-law respectively of the debtor.  He asked the judge to reverse or vary the decision of the Official Receiver respecting the proof of Mrs. Levers, amounting to L177 (?) on the ground that she had sufficient evidence in her possession to prove that the money was due.  When Mrs. Levers heard from the Official Receiver she seemed to have acted on bad advice.  Bankrupt, with his wife and child, had lived in Mrs. Lever's house, and had borrowed money from her at various times.  There were no I O U's or promissory notes as evidence of the loans, but he would put in books containing entries in the handwriting of Mrs.Levers of the amounts lent, and making up the total claimed. 

  

  Emma  Levers stated that for  many years she had carried on a small business in St. Austell.  Eight years ago bankrupt married her daughter.  He lived with the witness, and had things from her shop, which she entered in her book.  For board and lodgings he promised to pay her 10s a week, and on those accounts L26 (?) was due to her.  Bankrupt borrowed money from her for the purpose of his business as follows:--From 1889-91, L89 (?) , from June 21st, 1892 to November 21, 1893 L61 (?), and the total due to her was L177 (?), upon which she had not charged interest.---In answer to questions by the Official Receiver, witness said the entries of the money lent were made when the sums were handed over, but there was no agreement as to when bankrupt should pay her back. The bankrupt suggested that she should file her proof.  He had now absconded, but his wife and child were still with her. --The Official Receiver said there was a warrant out for debtor's arrest. --His Honour considered the circumstances very unsatisfactory, there being no properly kept books.  The items in the book produced appeared to have been jotted down as a sort of after thought, and it did not seem a book in which large sums of this sort would have been entered.--Mr. Dobell remarked that the witness had stated the entries were made from time to time.--His Honour said if things were once admitted there would not be a single bankruptcy in which the relatives would not put up a claim.  If relatives were so foolish as to advance money over a series of years without proper receipts or acknowledgement, they would bear the brunt of it.  He was disposed to agree with the Official Receiver that the evidence of loan was insufficient. --Mr. Dobell submitted that the claim was bona fide, and should be allowed in bankruptcy.--His Honour stated that stricter proof was, if anything, necessary in bankruptcy than in ordinary proceedings.--Mr. Dobell asked whether allowances would be made for sustenance, but his Honour said it was evident they were all living together, and he should think they had a common purse.  Therefore, he did not think he could separate them.

  Miss Lavinia Levers claimed L118 (?)--Mr. Dobell stated that the sum represented money lent to the bankrupt out of her deposits at the Post Office Savings Bank, and receipts were produced for this amount.

  Miss Levers was called to give evidence of the loans, but her mother persisted in prompting her, and was eventually ordered out of court.  Witness deposed that the bankrupt had only paid L1 of the money he owed to her.  She was being questioned by the Official Receiver on her transactions with her brother, when she suddenly left the court to join her mother in one of the ante-rooms.  

  Mr. Dobell subsequently ascertained from her that the withdrawal of the amounts could be proved from her (Miss Lever's) account at the Post Office Savings Bank, and on Mr. Dobell's application on adjournment was granted by his Honour in order that that might be done.

  His Honour upheld the Official Receiver in the rejection of Mrs. Levers' proof. 

***

I was unable to find any more news stories that told how this story played out.  I do know that my Great Great Grandmother Anna Levers King, and my Great Grandmother, Emma Lavinia King, left Liverpool England on the ship Majestic and arrived in New York on September 26, 1894 where they were reunited with Charles. 

   Charles and Anna eventually made their way to San Francisco, California where Charles started a new construction business and became a very prolific and successful builder in the Bay Area as well as in Grass Valley, California.  Many of his homes are still standing today.  His previous troubles in St. Austell did not seem to have followed him to his new life.  I do not know how his relationships with his in laws faired, but I do know that Lavinia (his sister-in-law) remained close to Anna and Emma.  My Great Grandmother Emma was involved in Lavinia's trust when she died in 1937.  I have several pictures of Lavinia and her husband Harry Trist that were shared with the King family, as well as Christmas cards. So, the lines of communication were kept open there.   I am not sure when Emma Levers passed away, or what her relationship with Charles was after his move to America.  The whole situation must have been very  hard on Anna.   

Photograph of a store front taken in St. Austell.  Possibly Harry Trist (left), Lavinia Levers Trist in the middle and Emma Levers on far right. 

Picture enlarged.

    I came across this photograph in the King files.  It looks like a store with living quarters above.  I did some research on Lavinia's husband Harry Trist and came up with a 1911 England Census.  It listed his occupation as a dealer connected with a grocery business.  He was living with his wife Lavinia on Eastbourne Road, St. Austell. This may be a picture of the store, with Harry and Lavinia out front.  The older woman on the step could be her mother, Emma.  This picture was probably taken before 1911.  Harry and Lavinia married in 1897.  I was curious to see if this building might still be standing.  With the magic of Google Maps Street View, this is what I found. 

What do you think?  Eastbourne Road is pretty short, and this house was the only one that really looked similar.  

The trim on top of the building is the same as are the windows...

 In his journal, Charles wrote that his leaving was due to "no fault of our own", and that he had "done what I could to avoid the calamity that had overtaken us."  In the context of the time period  when Charles was accused of  being bankrupt,  debtors were looked down upon as either scoundrels or impoverished unfortunates. It was even viewed as a moral failure in England.  People were expected to keep their affairs in order and and deviance from upright economic standing was considered a personal fault. People who were unable to pay back their debts had their property confiscated and assigned to the creditor, or they were imprisoned.  Bankruptcy could essentially ruin a person for life.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bankruptcy_Act_of_1800.

  So, the only way to resolve this conflict for Charles was to leave the country and start fresh in California.  His life story reflects a person who strived to work hard at his craft  and to possibly prove to his relatives in St. Austell that he could make a success of his life and he was not a moral failure, despite any previous mistakes he made.   I don't know if he payed back his in laws or not, but as he became more successful in San Francisco, he probably had the means to do so and did.  We will probably never know, as he kept to the promise he made in his journal..."I think it is wise to dwell no longer on the events that transpired at this time".  It seems he did not. 

His obituary described him as a churchman throughout his life and that he lived the principals and faith of a Christian gentleman.  He did not let past grievances and mistakes dictate how he lived the rest of his life. 

  

Relationship Reference:  Me-> Margaret Hansen Boothby->Margaret Elizabeth Hayes Hansen->Emma Lavinia King Hayes VanDuzer->Anna Levers and Charles King.

Anna Levers King->Emma Craze Levers.   Emma had three daughters with Francis Levers:  Elfreda, Caroline Lavinia and Anna.  

Friday's Featured Photo

   "La Leva 1907 Cortemilia"

From the Brondolo Bertanasco Capra  file.  Unknown group of young men from Cortemilia, Italy. 

Enlarged

Cortemilia is just a short 8 miles away from Vesime, Italy, home of the Brondolos and Bertanoscos.  There must be a relative in this picture somewhere! (Update:  Second row from top, second man in on left.  Possibly, or probably, Frank Brondolo, born in 1901). 

Update....my sister Stephanie did some digging into the term La Leva.  Leva is translated into conscription or draft.  In general, Italian conscription was mandatory from 1860-1923 and conscription laws varied based on location and time period during these times.   The ufficio di leva (draft office) in each town was required to send a list of males between the ages of 17 and 20 to the consiglio di leva (draft board) .  The lista di leva records can be found for all male ancestors born after 1855 and earlier in some areas of the north. These lists can be an extremely useful source of information, as they contain quite a bit of vital information.   (The Family Tree Italian Genealogy Guide: How to Trace Your Family Tree in Italy by Melanie Holtz 2017).  

  So, knowing that Cortemilia is in the province of Cuneo in the norther Italian region of Piedmont should be a wonderful starting place for more in depth Italian family research.  I haven't even begun to work on Italian genealogy!  This picture is a great starting place.  A relative may be on the lista di leva for this area and may be a part of this group.  But why are do they have flowers in their lapels?? And what does that flag say??  

  Relationship Reference:  Me->Dale Boothby->Tersilla Palmina Brondolo Boothby->Pietro Brondolo and Caterina Bertanosco 

Frank Henry Brondolo was the son of Pietro Brondolo and Caterina Bertanosco.  He was Terry (Nino)'s brother.  We called him Uncle Frank.