The Valley of Heart's Delight
MARSHALL POMEROY
FAMILY OF MILPITAS
HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY 534
SURNAMES: WARDELL, FRENCH, SURFACE
It is interesting to chronicle the life of the pioneer, the man who in
his prime entered the wilderness and claimed the virgin soil as his
heritage, and by braving the perils and hardships began the improving
of the land, so that is it possible for the later gereation to enjoy
the case and comfort of the present-day civilization, wrought by the
hand of those pioneer ancestors. Rapidly these grand old men are
passing away, and among the very few remaining of the early settlers of
Santa Clara County is Marshall Pomeroy, a representative of the Pomeroy
family, whose entrance into California history dates back to 1849, when
Warren Pomeroy, the father of our subject, landed at San Francisco,
having come hither via the Isthmus of Panama in the early rush to the
gold mines.
Warren Pomeroy was born in Somers, Conn., in 1801 and was of English
descent, the family being traced back to Pomeroy Castle, in England,
and they were among the early settlers of New England. Mr. Pomeroy
married Lucetta Wardwell, also a native of Somers. He was engaged in
the marble business and had built it up to a successful basis when the
news of the gold discovery in California went abroad, and leaving the
business in charge of his sons, he made haste to reach the new El
Dorado. On arriving in San Francisco he at once made his way to the
mines and for several years sought the elusive golden treasure, but
finally chose agriculture as a surer way to fortune, locating in Santa
Clara County, where he did much pioneer agricultural work. He made
three trips back to his old home, bringing his wife and the remaining
children out in 1859, three sons having already come to California. In
1865 he moved to San Jose, which was from that time his permanent home.
He retired from active business some time before his death, which
occurred in 1891, his wife having preceded him some years before.
This worthy couple had nine children, of whom Marshall was the next to
the youngest. He was born at Somers, Conn., February 10, 1835, and
received his education in the public schools, also attending the
advanced or select school at Somers, where he was reared until the days
of his young manhood in the environment of a typical New England home.
After his school days were over he clerked for a time in Springfield,
Mass., and then in New Britain, Conn., but the confinement did not
agree with him and he decided to come to California and see the country
whose possiblities his father never tired of lauding.
Leaving New York in March, 1858, on the steamer St. Louis for aspinwall, he crossed the Isthmus to Panama City and took the steamer John L. Stevens
for San Francisco, and in the month of April arrived in Santa Clara
County. He went to work on his father's farm, but he found everything
new and wild and quite different from the East, so much so that he was
taken with a severe feeling of homesickness and resolved that when he
had saved up enough money to pay his way back East, he would return
home. Before he could do this, however, he received word that his
mother was coming out, bringing the rest of the family. On their
arrival, his old longing for the east left him and he soon imbibed that
liking for the West that has held so many thousands. Thus he came to
feel the same as his father had expressed it--that New England was a
good place to emigrate from and that California was a good place to go
to. During the first few years he made trips up and down the Coast, but
after investigation he concluded that he could not find any place
superior to Santa Clara County, and he has never regretted casting his
lot here. During the Civil War he was a member of the Alviso rifles,
but was never called out. After farming with his father for some years
he purchased 180 acres at Milpitas, where he raised grain and stock.
In May, 1867, Mr. Pomeroy was united in marriage with Miss Ella French,
who was born in Michigan in 1850 and came with her parents across the
plains in an ox-team train in 1852. Her father, Alfred French, for a
time followed mining and then settled in Sacramento County, where he
served as a member of the State Legislature. After this he resided for
a time in San Francisco, and then located at Milpitas and it was here
that the young people met. Mr. and Mrs. Pomeroy continued farming at
Milpitas until 1875, when they removed to San Jose. Mr. Pomeroy having
been appointed a deputy sheriff under Nick Harris, serving the term of
four years. He then concluded it was best to return to ranch life,
where his children could have the benefit of the great outdoors, so he
bought 208 acres two miles west of Santa Clara on the San Francisco
road and went in for raising hay, grain and stock. When his boys grew
up they induced him to set out an orchard, and with their help he set
out 120 acres of trees, 100 acres being in prunes and the balance in
apricots. He also installed a pumping plant for irrigating the ranch,
and built drying and packing houses, until he had one of the best
improved places in the valley. His sons having grown up, and some of
them married, he turned the netire management of the place over to them
and in 1900 purchased the residence at 429 North Third Street, San
Jose, where he has since made his home. The holdings are incorporated
as the Pomeroy Orchard Company, of which he is president and Irwin E.
Pomeroy, manager.
Mr. Pomeroy was bereaved of his faithful life companion Septemeber 3,
1917. She was a woman of much culture, making the home attractive and
carefully looking after the rearing and education of her children, as
well as assisting and encouraging her husband in his ambitions. Her
passing away was deeply mourned by her family and large circle of
friends. She left five children; Irwin E, is manager of the Pomeroy
Orchard Company and chairman of the board of trustees of the California
Prune & Apricot Growers, Inc.; Clarence is assisting in the
management of the Pomeroy ranch; Mrs. Delia Surface presides gracefully
over her father's home, giving him her loving care and looking after
his welfare; Warren and Clovis are proprietors of Pomeroy Bros., large
clothing merchants in San Jose. Mr. Pomeroy also has five grandchildren
to gladden his life and of whom he is very fond.
Prominent in the ranks of the Odd Fellows, Mr. Pomeroy has been a
member of Garden City Lodge for more than forty years. He cast his
first vote with the Whig party and since the formation of the
Republican party he has been a stanch adherent and exponent of its
platforms. Mr. Pomeroy is now one of the few remaining of the very old
settlers of Santa Clara County. He recalls the times, some fifty years
ago, when he knew almost every man in the county and the great times
they had at the conventions, where every one called each other by their
first names. He marvels at the wonderful growth of the county, which
has greatly exceeded his expectations.
The population has become so large that when he walks down San Jose's
main streets there appears to be all new faces, for he rarely meets any
of his old friends of those early and interestin days, when they began
making those improvements that have made the county one of the most
prosperous in the state. He can well exclaim, "All of which I saw and
part of which I was." (Since this was written, Marshall Pomeroy passed
away on November 30, 1921, mourned by his family and many friends.)
Transcribed by Marie Clayton, from Eugene T. Sawyers' History of Santa Clara County,California, published by Historic Record Co. , 1922 page 534
SANTA CLARA COUNTY PIONEER FAMILIES
SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA - THE VALLEY OF HEART;s DELIGHT