THE VALLEY OF HEART's DELIGHT
santaclararesearch.net
Hon. James P. Sargent
Bio- Alley Bowen
SURNAMES: BOWIE
Whose portrait will be found in these. pages, was born in Grafton
county, New Hampshire, February 11, 1823 Losing his mother at an early
age he was soon cast upon his own resources, and in 1838, leaving the
place of his birth, he proceeded to Merrimac county, in the same State,
thence, after a year, to Quincy-, Massachusetts, where he was engaged
in driving a milk wagon for an uncle, Hon. J. W. Robertson, during the
Winter months, and in the Summer employed in delivering ice and driving
an ice wagon to Boston for Winslow & Bright of Cambridge, there
being associated with him his brother, R. C. Sargent. In 1844, R. C.
and J. P. commenced the ice business on their own account, delivering
ice in Boston. In 1848, we find him and his brother, R. C., in the ice
business in Chicago, but in March, 1849, they sold out, crossed the
plains to California, and arrived at Weaversville, El Dorado county,
October 1st, of the same year. Here he commenced his business career in
this State.
In Weaversville , they embarked in mercantile pursuits and
mining; in 1850 they engaged in the purchasing of stock from
immigrants, the partners being, our subject., and his brothers, R. C.,
J. L., and B. V., (they continued the store until 1855,) in the
meantime locating a ranch near Woodbridge, in which Mr. Sargent still
has an interest, and finally, in 1853, the gentleman whose name appears
at the commencement of this memoir came to Santa Clara county, located
on the Los Agules rancho (now in the adjoining county of San Benito)
and there continued stock-raising until 1854 when he removed to a tract
near " Soap Lake " and there dwelt until 1856, in which year he
purchased the property on which he now resides, comprising seven
thousand acres.
In the year 1872, J. P. Sargent was elected to the State Legislature on
the Republican ticket, while he is a life member of the
California Pioneers; has been a director of the Santa Clara
Valley Agricultural Society for the past ten years, being elected its
President in 1877 and served as such for one term. It will thus
be seen that he has held positions of trust that are a credit to
himself and an honor to the community in which he resides, while
individually a more whole-souled man cannot be found than Jim Sargent.
His extensive ranch is located five miles south from Gilroy and one
mile north of the station on the Southern Pacific Railroad, known as "Sargents"
Married, October 29, 1865, Agnes Bowie, a native of Montreal,
Canada, and has: James A., born August 12, 1866; Roswell C., born
November ¬ 27, 1869; Agnes C., born October 15, 1871; Ida, born
April 30, 1875; Louisa L., born October 1, 1878.
page 628
History of Santa Clara County, California : San Francisco: Alley, Bowen & Co., 1881
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Free Lance- Hollister
Monday January 7, 1924
MRS. J.P. SARGENT DIED SATURDAY
Mrs. J.P. Sargent, a pioneer resident of Sargent, passed away at her home there about two o'clock Saturday afternoon.
The deceased was over eighty years of age and had resided at Sargent
for over 50 years.She is survived by three daughters and one son, her
sister, Mrs. Charlotte Smith, and the following nieces: Mrs. Flora
Finch and Mrs. Richard Flint, of San Juan, Mrs. George Rubbe of
Hollywood, and Mrs. I.W. Moore of Santa Cruz.
The funeral was held from a Gilroy undertaking parlor in Gilroy at two o'clock this afternoon.
transcribed by Susan Cherry Boyer
SANTA CLARA COUNTY BIOGRAPHY PROJECT
SANTA CLARA COUNTY The Valley of Heart's Delight