EPHRIAM BALSBAUGH-Cement Contractor of Palo Alto
Surnames: Moyer, Culler, Deirupo, Niehardt
An enterprising likable business man of Palo Alto is Ephriam Balsbaugh,
a cement contractor who can be depended upon to do honest and excellent
work. He was born on his father's farm near Harrisburg, PA,
October 13, 1859, a son of George and Susan (Moyer)Balsbaugh, who were
both natives of Pennsylvania. The BALSBAUGH family were pioneers
of Pennsylvania, coming from Germany and settling there in 1747.
EPHRIAM received his education in the public schools of his native
district and helped his father with the farm work, and also became
handy with the saw and hammer. When eighteen years old he left
home and went to Mattoon, Ill., and was employed doing farm work; then
went to Western Kansas and continued to do farm work and in time
purchased his own farm there.
Mr. Balsbaugh's marriage occurred at Stockton, Kans., [ed note: APRIL 10, 1884] and united
him with Miss Minnie Culler, a daughter of George and Catherine Culler,
her father a native of Pennsylvania and her mother of Ohio. In
1887 he and his family removed to Colton., Cal and he was employed in
the Stover Mountain Marble Works and held that position for three and a
half years and then he followed gold mining in the Searchlight section
for two and a half years. Mr and Mrs Balsbaugh are the parents of
one daughter, Mary. In 1904 the family removed to Palo Alto so
that their daughter might have the advantages of a a university
education. She was graduated from Stanford University and
received the degrees of A. B. and A. M. and later was united in
marriage with John Deirup, and attorney of Chico, who passed away in
that city. They were the parents of two children, Maryle and
Torbin.
Mr. Balsbaugh is the leading resident cement contractor of Palo Alto
and has done most of the street curbing of that city; and laid
many of the sidewalks; at present is doing the concrete work on the new
Schmidt Block on Emerson Street. He keeps from three to ten men
busy in his business, building foundations and chimneys for residences
throughout the county; he also does considerable fancy work in
cobblestones and concrete and erected the beautiful cobblestone posts,
costing $5,000, for the portal of Mountain View, which is one of the
finest pieces of cobblestone art work in California; he has also
done much of the same kind of work at Camp Curry in the Yosemite
Valley, where he worked steadily for a period of seven moths; the Mason
cobblestone chimney in the Big Basin was also built by Mr Balsbaugh and
is a fine piece of work His art work is beautiful nd substantial
and has a peculiar individuality that attracts attention.
Mrs. Balsbaugh came from an excellent eastern family and with her
mother is a member of the Christian Science Church; her mother, Mrs.
Catherine Culler, is grandmother of Mr. John G Niehardt, the poet
laureate of Nebraska, author of "Three Friends," "Hugh Glass",
"Epic of the Northwest" and other celebrated poems. "Three
Friends" secured him the prize for the best poetry written in America
for 1919. Mr. Balsbaugh ws brought up in the United Bretheren
Church and is now a member of the Congregational Church. A man of
the highest principles and unquestioned integrity, he and his family
are held in the hightest regard in the community.
Transcribed by Carolyn Feroben, from Eugene T. Sawyers' History of Santa Clara County,California,
published by Historic Record Co. , 1922.
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