Alameda County Biographies

ANSON S. BLAKE

Transcribed by Kathy Sedler

This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm

 

	Anson S. Blake is actively identified with a number of the business concerns of Oakland 
and is doing much to aid in the development of the city. The most of his life has been devoted 
to contracting and he has done a great deal of municipal and street work, giving invariably 
satisfactory service. He was born in San Francisco in 1870, his parents being Charles T. and 
Harriet Waters (Stiles) Blake, natives of New Haven, Connecticut, and of Massachusetts 
respectively. In 1849 the father came to California by way of Nicaragua and was for many years 
engaged in mining in this state, Nevada and Idaho, part of the time in the employ of others and 
part of the time for himself. He had a large number of interesting stories of the rough life of 
the mining camps of that period and always enjoyed recalling those early days when the state was 
in the making. In 1872 he came to Oakland and became a partner in the Oakland Paving Company, 
with which concern he continued until his death, in 1897, at which time he was its president. 
His political allegiance was given to the republican party, but he never took an active part in 
politics, while fraternally he was a Mason. His widow is still living and resides in Berkeley.
	Anson S. Blake was graduated from the public and high schools of San Francisco and from 
the University of California, receiving the Bachelor of Arts degree from the latter institution 
in 1891. He immediately entered into business relations with his father as secretary of the Bay 
Rock Company, remaining with that concern until its dissolution in 1894. At that time he became 
interested in the Oakland Paving Company, with which his father was also associated, and he rose 
rapidly, becoming president of the organization in 1909. He continued to hold that responsible 
position until 1914, when he disposed of his interest in the company to. F. W. Bilger, a well 
known resident of Oakland. Ten years previously, in 1904, Mr. Blake with his brother, Edwin T., 
and F. W. Bilger organized the firm of Blake & Bilger, of which the subject of this review was 
the president. In 1914. Mr. Bilger retired from that firm, which is now known as Blake Brothers 
Company. They are general contractors and have done much important work in their line, including 
a great deal of street paving. The brothers have an expert knowledge of the various materials 
that can be used and of the conditions under which each will give the most satisfactory service. 
This knowledge, combined with their practical methods of construction and their reliability, has 
won for them a high reputation as contractors and they have a very extensive and lucrative 
patronage. Mr. Blake's connections with the various companies mentioned above do not exhaust his 
business activities, however, as he is president of the San Francisco Quarries Company, which 
operates large quarries in Richmond and in Marin county, and he is also a director in the Central 
National Bank and the Central Savings Bank of Oakland.
	Mr. Blake was married in San Francisco, May 17, 1894, to Miss Anita D. Symmes, a daughter 
of Mr. and Mrs. Frank J. Symmes. Her father is one of the well known business men of San Francisco 
and is receiver for the California Safe Deposit Company.
	Mr. Blake is a republican but has never taken an active interest in politics. He is a 
member of several clubs of the Bay cities, belonging to the Claremont Country Club, the 
University Club of San Francisco, Athenian Club and the Commercial Club and the Chamber of 
Commerce of Oakland. He has resided on the shores of San Francisco bay during his entire life and 
is enthusiastic concerning the delightful conditions of life and the splendid opportunities to be 
found in this section of the state.

Past & Present of Alameda County, California � Vol II, S. J. Clarke Publ. Co., 1914, p. 487