San Joaquin County Biographies


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



JOHN J. PIMM.
 
        One of the prosperous and enterprising citizens of Lodi is found in John 
J. Pimm, who located in Lodi fifteen years ago and established a general 
blacksmithing and wagonmaking business, in which he has met with success. He was 
born in that great milk and butter district of Orange County, N. Y., on August 
14, 1847. His father was a member of a prominent English family, and coming to 
America settled in New York state in an early day and was a pioneer carriage 
maker and blacksmith. At the age of fourteen our subject started to learn his 
trade of woodworker under his father, later taking up blacksmithing. Having an 
ardent admiration for good horses and being thrown in contact with them in his 
business, he became the owner of many fine driving and trotting horses. In time 
he became expert in the breaking of colts and the matching of driving teams. 
After the death of his father, he continued the business at Montgomery, N. Y. 
and succeeded in building up a fine and lucrative business. During the year of 
1883 he removed to Morris, Minn. and engaged in the manufacture of buggies and 
wagons. He still retained his love for fine horses and owned many of them, among 
them being "Maud K," a pacer with a record of 2.16; he also received many 
premiums at county fairs for his horses. In 1900 he removed to California, 
settling first at Corning, and there he established a blacksmithing business, 
which occupied him for several years, when he removed to Lodi, establishing his 
business in 1907 making butcher and ice wagons. As the automobile came into 
general use, Mr. Pimm has added auto repairing and it has become his chief line 
of work. He is proud of the steady and prosperous growth of his business and now 
employs seven men continuously on repair work.
        Mr. Pimm's marriage united him with Miss Lottie Oakley, a native of New 
York State, a daughter of that pioneer George Oakley, who was a merchant in New 
York state before coming to California in 1849, via Panama, bringing with him a 
stock of goods from his store, consisting of stoves, hardware and other 
commodities which he disposed of in San Francisco, where he died. Mr. Pimm 
became affiliated with the Congregational Church while a resident of Minnesota 
and for seven years served as superintendent of the Sunday school and for nine 
years was a deacon of the church; for the past eleven years he has been a deacon 
in the Lodi Congregational Church. Fraternally he is a member of the Ancient 
Order of United Workman. His support has always been on the side of right and 
justice and has unfalteringly supported measures for the upbuilding of the 
community, socially, morally and religiously.
 
History of San Joaquin County, California � Los Angeles, Historic Record Co., 
1923
p   1267       
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler.