Santa Clara County Biographies

GEORGE ROBERTS

Ttranscribed by Carol Lackey

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

 
GEORGE ROBERTS, residing on Stockton Avenue, corner of Julian Street, San Jose, 
was born at New York Mills, near Utica, New York, May 22,1832. He attended 
school near Utica until nineteen years of age, when he engaged in farming and 
various other occupations until 1850, and then removed to California, coming by 
way of Panama. In 1844 his parents removed to Osceola, Lewis County, New York. 
Here he worked for a time on his father's farm, and in 1848 went to work on the 
Erie Canal, driving horses, where he remained two years. In New York city he 
drove stage on the East Broadway line for two years, when he returned to 
Osceola, where he remained until 1860. Upon his arrival in California he engaged 
in mining in Omega, Nevada County, which he followed for three years, when he 
established a mercantile house and did a large business, mostly in mining 
supplies. His business extended over a large area, taking in the surrounding 
camps for twenty miles. He packed his goods on mules and horses to the cabins 
and mines of his customers. After actively conducting this business for six 
years, he sold out and came to San Jose, where he invested largely in real 
estate, engaging also in a wholesale and retail store, and for a short time kept 
the Lick House in San Jose.

In 1874 he sold out these interests. Then, with Fred Adams, he organized the 
Lompoc Valley Land Company and removed to Lompoc, Santa Barbara County, becoming 
Secretary of the company. He also engaged in business, keeping a general 
merchandise store, including drugs, dry and fancy goods, boots and shoes, etc. 
All the company's lands were sold at large prices, and at present (1888) are 
worth three or four times the price for which they were sold. Mr. Roberts owns a 
number of farms in that valley, and much of the town property. The farms are 
rented to farmers who raise English mustard, beans, corn, potatoes, and summer 
crops. Most of the yellow mustard used in the United States comes from that 
valley, there being shipped from San Francisco to New York, England, and other 
countries over 100,000 tons annually. They also raise immense quantities of 
beans of all kinds. Mr. Roberts, having large real estate interests in San Jose, 
returned here and purchased his present home. He married Miss Nancy Green in 
Osceola, Lewis County, New York, in 1851. She was a native of Otsego County, New 
York.

Mr. Roberts has always been an interested and active Republican, voting for 
Fremont in 1856. His parents, John and Sarah (Bowers) Roberts, were born in 
England, where they married and came to the United States in 1827. Mr. Roberts 
has two sisters-- Eleanor, the wife of H. S. Williams, a farmer in Shasta 
County, and Sarah, the widow of Christopher Stilman, residing at Clark's Mills, 
New York State. Mrs. Roberts' parents were Seymour and Phebe (Robinson) Green, 
natives of New York State,. where they passed their lives and are now buried in 
Osceola, New York. Mr. Roberts' father still lives at Clark's Mills, New York, 
and is now (1888) eighty-one years of age. His mother died and was buried there, 
in 1852. Mr. Roberts has an orchard of thirteen acres on Taylor Street, near 
King Street, San Jose. This is set out to apricots and prunes in about equal 
quantities, with a few plums and peaches. It is all in full bearing.

Pen Pictures From The Garden of the World or Santa Clara County, California, 
Illustrated. - Edited by H.S. Foote.- Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 
1888. page 266-267 
 
GEORGE ROBERTS, a pioneer, and a prominent developer of the interests of 
Lompoc, was born at New York Mills, New York, May 22, 1832. His father was a 
machinist, and had charge of the machinery of the New York Mills large manufactory. 
Our subject's education was very limited, except as he acquired knowledge by observa- 
tion. At the early age of ten years he began life upon the "tow path" of the Erie Canal, 
as driver in towing boats, which occupation he followed for three summers. He then 
went to Lewis County and was employed as a farm hand until 1849, when he went to 
New York city, and for four years was employed as driver on the East Broadway Stage 
Line. He then returned to Lewis County and engaged in farming until 1860, when he 
came to California, first settling at Omega, Nevada County. He there established a 
general merchandise house, and did an extensive business with the surrounding rain- 
ing camps, within a radius of twenty miles, packing his supplies on pack animals and by 
mule teams. This he continued very successfully until 1870, when he sold out and came 
to San Jose. There he invested extensively in real estate, and also conducted a wholesale 
and retail merchandise store, and for a short period Conducted a hotel. The store and 
hotel he sold in 1874, arid took stock in the Lompoc Valley Land Company; he was 
elected secretary of the company, and November 9, 1874, attended the first sale of 
land in the valley, and purchased quite extensively. Mr. Roberts then returned to San 
Jose for the winter, and in the spring of 1875 established himself at Lompoc, where 
he was the agent of the Lompoc Valley Land Company. He started the first drug store, 
on the corner of H and Ocean avenues, and soon added general merchandise to his stock, 
which he continued until 1879, when he sold out, and since that time has given his atten- 
tion more particularly to the sale of lands. He formerly owned a stock ranch of 800 acres, 
where he was extensively engaged in breeding horses. He now owns 775 acres of val- 
ley land, which he rents, twenty-seven town blocks, partially improved with residences, 
and much improved business and residence property at San Jose. Mr. Roberts is pres- 
ident of the Bank of Lompoc, which was organized May 20, 1890; he is now erecting a 
brick building, 50 x 80 feet, corner of H and Ocean avenues, for bank purposes. He has 
demonstrated by his career that the enjoyment of college privileges or the inheritance 
of wealth are not essential ingredients to the successful business life. 

Mr. Roberts was married at Osceola, Lewis County, New York, in 1851, to Miss Nancy 
Green. They have no children. 

History of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura Counties, California  - by 
C.M. Gidney, Benjamin Brooks, Edwin M. Sheridan, Vol I, II.  -Lewis Publ. Co., 
Chicago, 1917.

Submitted by Peggy Hooper