Shasta County
Biographies
Mrs. Losina E. Davis
Mrs. Losina E. Davis, proprietor of the ladies’ Millinery and Fancy Goods Store at Redding, is a native of New York, born August 29, 1840. Her father, Henry Davis, was a native of the Green Mountain State, and her mother, Nancy (Sherman) Davis, of the Empire State. She was the first-born of a family of five children, all of whom are living. She received her education in New York City, and learned millinery and dressmaking there, and also for five years she taught school in New York. She was united in marriage with Mason L. Davis, a gentleman of her own state and name. They had five children. A son and daughter only are living, namely; Franklin Mason and Gertrude Luthera, both born in New York. Mr. Davis died in Ogdensburg, New York in 1873, and he was buried there. In 1878 Mrs. Davis went to Boston and opened a millinery establishment, which she conducted successfully for three years; then spent a year in Texas; next went to Los Angeles, and then to San Francisco, and for a year had charge of the cloak department of the Samuels Lace House. In 1884, hearing of a vacancy in her line of business at Redding, she went there and opened her present fine establishment, which has from the start grown in favor with the best citizens of Redding and adjoining country. She has connected with her store a dressmaking department, and during the busy season of the year employs eight hands. She also has a branch business in Anderson. In July 1890, the block in which her establishment was located was consumed by fire. Her insurance had expired and she was a heavy loser, many of her goods being injured and lost in the removal; but a portion was saved, and with the most commendable courage and enterprise she opened in a temporary place the next day and continued the business. The people of Redding, seeing her loss, and her commendable enterprise, helped her in many ways. A nice new brick block was erected and she now has a fine stock on the ground where she was before the fire, and enjoys the patronage of the best customers in the city and County. She is an active and obliging saleswomen, well informed on the quality and value of goods, skilled in both millinery and dressmaking. She not only knows how, but has also a most exacting aesthetic taste. This makes her a valuable acquisition to the business of her city. Then there is added to this the fact that she is also liberal in her ideas of business that she is satisfied- with moderate profits. From all of these things there has sprung up between her and her customers a mutual pleasant understanding that is worth a fortune.
It has been said that it were “better to be born lucky then rich;” but it is not all in luck by any means; there is a great deal more in natural talent and enterprise then in luck. However, it has been Mrs. Davis’ good fortune to become the possessor of $20,000 paid up as unassessable stock in a rich tellurium gold mine recently discovered within three miles of the city. A Stock company has been formed, and she is one of the directors. They are now opening the mine and getting on the machinery for a mill. Everything connected with the enterprise betoken a grand success, both for the stockholders and the city. Two assays of the ore have been made: one showed $3,333 to the ton of ore, and the other, made at the United States Mint, went $3,000 to the ton.
The history of the life of on honorable and self-reliant women like this one should inspire every lady, who should see it with more faith in herself and in the capability of her sex.
Memorial & Biographical History of Northern California
The Lewis Publishing Co., 1891
Pages 807-808
Transcribed by: Bonnie Phelan
William Hawes
WILLIAM HAWES, one of the leading and most influential ranchers of Shasta County, was born in New York, May 8, 1836.His father, Michael Hawes, was a native of Germany, born December 25, 1811, was an industrious farmer and blacksmith in the fatherland, and came to America in 1830, settling in the state of New York. He married Martha Hoffon, a native of Pennsylvania, and they had ten children, six of whom still survive.
The subject of this sketch was raised and educated in his native State, attended the public schools in winter, and in summer helped his father on the farm and in his blacksmith shop. When twenty-four years of age he decided to try California, and in 1859 reached the Pacific coast. He went to Shasta County and at Horsetown engaged in mining and cutting logs. A year afterward he removed to Oregon Gulch and worked in the mines eighteen months without losing a day, and received for his work $900. He then went to the American ranch and worked six months. April 20, 1862, he married Miss Rebecca Foster, they had six children, five of whom are living, namely: John L., Henry R., and Alice, all born in Shasta County. For a year Mr. Hawes ran the Anderson Hotel. That was before the farm of Anderson was started, and it was then called the American ranch, and many teamsters and travelers stopped there. Then Mr. Hawes came to his present locality, and purchased 120 acres of rich farming land for $700; and since then he has purchased 1,400 acres, 1,200 in one body. On this property he is carry. He grew in one year, from 400 acres of wheat, 7,200 bushels, and his smallest crop of wheat had been 3,000 bushels, but that year he did not have so much land sowed. He built a good ranch residence in 1876; has surrounded himself with fruit of nearly every description and is also turning his attention considerably to raising grapes. He has four year old vines, from which he has picked from forty to sixty pounds to the vine.
In 187,5 it was his misfortune to lose his wife by death, and in 1876 he married Miss Henrietta Young, a native of Germany. They have one son Jacob. Mr. Hawes has belonged both to the Grangers and Odd Fellows. In politics he is a Republican. He has frequently been trustee of his school district, and in 1890 was elected a delegate to the Republican State convention at Sacramento, which nominated Colonel Markham for Governor. Mr. Hawes is a man full of enterprise, eager to help in every undertaking intended to improve and benefit his County, and he his one of its most successful ranchers.
Memorial & Biographical History of Northern California
The Lewis Publishing Co., 1891
Page 806
Transcribed by: Bonnie Phelan
Leonard W. Kidd
Leonard W. Kidd a “native Son of the Golden West,” is publisher and proprietor of the East-Side Times, published at Millville. He was born at Placerville, February 2, 1852, of good old Scotch ancestry. Archibald and Edgar Kidd, brothers, came from Scotland to America in 1810 and settled at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. Archibald Kidd, his grandfather, was a civil engineer at the coal mines of Pennsylvania, and there, his father, Captain John Kidd, was born.
Mr. Kidd, the subject of our sketch, was one of three children, himself and his sister being the only survivors; she is now Mrs. Grace E. Hussey. He was educated at Sacramento city, and when a boy worked two years in a drug store, and after this went to learn the printers’ trade in the State printing office. Was there two years from March 1866, till January, 1868, when he went to San Francisco to complete the trade, and there he served an apprenticeship on the Overland Monthly, continuing with them until February, 1874. Next he went to Portland, Oregon, and worked in a job office. From there he went to Seattle, Washington, and worked six months; then he returned to San Francisco and worked at intervals. For a time he was foreman for the “patent outside” Newspaper Union. After this he worked for the Pacific Newspaper Union until 1882. He was then engaged, at the mission at San Francisco, in a job office and on a local paper called the Saturday Local. In November1883, he went to Millville and started his own paper, the East-Side Times, publishing the first issue November 10, 1883, and successfully continuing it since. He has purchased a residence and two other houses and his office, and is interested in a farm and in raising stock, and also in lands at Seattle, Washington.
He was married December 24, 1872, to Miss Cora M. Pepper, a native of Sonoma County, this state, and they have two boys and a girl, Leonard L. and Grace A., born in San Francisco, and John Arthur, born at Millville. Mr. Kidd is one of the oldest native sons on the coast, and his paper is the first published on the east side of the river in Shasta County. He is president of Millville Parlor, No.165, Native Sons of the Golden West, and was one of the charter members of Pacific Parlor, No. 10, San Francisco. He is a Republican, a member of the State and County Central Committees, and in 1888 was elected Justice of the Peace in Millville, which office he now holds.
Memorial & Biographical History of Northern California
The Lewis Publishing Co., 1891
Pages 811-812
Transcribed by: Bonnie Phelan