California Biographies
Mendocino and Lake Counties, California
 
Transcribed by Peggy Hooper

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

 

Source:
History of Mendocino and Lake Counties, California
With Biographical Sketches
History by Aurelius O. Carpenter And Percy H. Millberry
Illustrated, Complete In One Volume
Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, California, 1914


MATT MARKKULA. � Well known among the farmers and orchardists 
of Little Valley is Matt Markkula, who came to Fort Bragg in 1888. He 
was born April 9, 1871, in a place in the northern part of Finland. His 
father, Isaac F. Markkula, a carpenter by trade, came to Michigan in 1882, 
his family joining him in 1883 in Houghton county, where he followed lum- 
bering. Five years later the family moved to Fort Bragg, Cal., where the 
father was employed at carpenter work with the Union Lumber Company 
until he retired. He is now seventy-three years of age. The mother before 
her marriage was Louisa Tuomaala, and she died in 1906. Of their seven 
children, three are living: Matt Markkula being the second eldest. 

Attending the public schools until the age of twelve, Mr. Markkula then 
came to Michigan where he found it necessary to go to work and was em- 
ployed in the woods with axe and saw from daylight until dark. At this occu- 
pation he continued until 1888, when he came to Fort Bragg and first worked 
at making ties, later being in the lumber yard of the Union Lumber Company. 
It was in the car shops of this company that he began the carpenter trade in 
1898. and he learned car repairing. From this he rose to the position of 
assistant foreman, and in 1902 became foreman of the car shop, this position 
including the oversight of the car department, pattern and paint shop. He 
owns a farm of forty acres in Little Valle}', a distance of six miles from Fort 
Bragg, as well as two residences in the same city. He is now engaged in 
farming and orchard growing. 

Mr. Markkula married in Fort Bragg Mrs. Jennie (Anias) Heikkila, who 
was also born in Finland. They have three children : Reina Regina and 
Raymond Frederic, twins, and Armas Clifford. By her first marriage, Mrs. 
Markkula had four children : Jennie. Axel, Heija and Lea. Mr. Markkula 
is a valued member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He is a Re- 
publican and for fifteen years has been a member of the Fort Bragg Hook 
and Ladder Company, being treasurer of the association.