Santa Clara County Biographies

CHARLES M. WEBER

Transcribed by Kathy Sedler

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

 
            Charles M. Weber is the worthy son of an illustrious sire.  His 
father was one of the early settlers of California, and to his efforts is due 
much of the commercial and industrial prosperity of the State.
            Charles M. Weber, Sr., was born in Homburg, Rhinish-Bavaria, when 
that city was under the dominion of the first Napoleon.  His parents were 
German, and his father a Presbyterian clergyman.  He received a good education, 
and embarked in business at an early age.  He came to America in 1836, stopping 
at New Orleans, where he contracted the yellow fever, and after recovering went 
to Texas, where he served under the Lone Star in the hostilities with the 
Mexicans.  He returned to New Orleans in 1840, and went to St. Louis in 1841, 
and in the same year came to California as one of a large party.  The trip was 
made overland, and the party contained many men who afterward became prominent 
in the State; among them we mention Josiah Belden and John Bidwell.  Mr. Weber 
settled in San Jose, engaging in commercial and industrial enterprises, and soon 
came to be the leading man of the pueblo, respected alike by natives and 
foreigners.  He established the first store, and embarked largely in 
agriculture, acquiring the grant of many acres of land from the Mexican 
Government.  When Commodore Sloat�s proclamation forced the Mexican General 
Castro to evacuate San Jose, Weber was arrested in his store on account of his 
prominence, and loyalty to the United States, and taken a prisoner to Los 
Angeles.  Only the personal friendship of General Castro saved him from 
assassination, and he was released.  Returning to San Jose, he raised a company, 
and was a leading spirit in subsequent hostilities.  Soon after the close of the 
war he removed to the San Joaquin Valley, where he founded the city of Stockton, 
to the prosperity of which he devoted the remainder of his life.  His death 
occurred May 4, 1881.
            He married, in California, Miss Ellen Murphy, daughter of Martin 
Murphy, Sr., and one of the famous Murphy party, whose adventures are related 
elsewhere in these pages.
            The subject of this sketch, Charles M. Weber, Jr., was born at 
Stockton, September 22, 1851.  He was educated at Santa Clara College, and at 
St. Mary�s College, San Francisco, graduating at the latter institution in 1873, 
with the degree of Bachelor of Science.  He was engaged extensively in the grain 
trade at Stockton and the tributary company for about five years after leaving 
college, and then turned his attention to stock-raising.  Since 1881 he has 
given much of his time to the supervision of what is known as the Weber Ranch, 
lying to the south and east of San Jose.  This is a noted rancho, containing 
between 12,000 and 13,000 acres and comprising some of the most picturesque as 
well as the most valuable land in the county.  It is partly in the foot-hills 
and is interspersed with fertile valleys, watered by fine streams and abounding 
in beautiful and never-failing springs, while numerous groves of several 
varieties of oak, box elder, and sycamore give tone to a landscape unsurpassed 
for beauty.  About 1,000 acres of this ranch is cultivated for grain and hay, 
and the remainder is devoted to pasturage for Mr. Weber�s large herds of cattle, 
among which are many of noble blood.    He has planted vines extensively, 
choosing the most valuable varieties for wine and the table. He has made 
valuable experiments in horticulture, which have been of great public use in 
demonstrating to the people on that side of the valley the varieties of fruit 
that thrive in that locality and the proper method of cultivation.  The ranch is 
a principality in itself, and Mr. Weber is conducting it in a manner that will 
not only return a profit to himself but will also be of great advantage to the 
community.
            At the general election of 1886 Mr. Weber was elected a Member of 
the Assembly on the Republican ticket, to represent Santa Clara County in the 
State Legislature.  He was made chairman of the Committee on Mileage and was 
appointed a member of the Committee on Hospitals, on Rules, on Viticulture, and 
on Municipal Corporations, on all of which he did work that commanded favorable 
comment both from his own party and the opposition.  He married, November 21, 
1886, Miss Grace Mary Simmott, a charming young lady, a native of Illinois.  Mr. 
Weber, in connection with his mother, his brother, Thomas J., and his sister, 
Julia H., has large interests in the estate of his father, including valuable 
city property in the city of Stockton, and some of the best farming lands in San 
Joaquin County.  
 
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. Pg. 331-332


         A record of the life of Captain Weber, through the most important and 
fruitful years of his activity, might well be called also a history of the city 
of Stockton, of which he was the founder. The high standing of this place as a 
business center, as a locality of beautiful homes and prosperous people, may be 
attributed in no small degree to his early labors, and finally, when he was 
taken from the scenes of his usefulness, his body was laid to rest in a city of 
the dead whose site had been donated by him years before and whose artistic 
surroundings resulted from his cultivated taste and great liberality. As he 
recounted in his last days the history of his home town, he might well have 
exclaimed, "All of which I saw and part of which I was." No recital could be 
made of the early days of Stockton without considerable mention of his 
identification therewith, and his name is worthy of perpetuation not only in 
local annals, but also in the annals of the state which he chose for his home.
        The birth of Captain Weber occurred in Homburg, Bavaria, Germany, 
February 16, 1814, during the reign of Emperor Napoleon I. It was the ambition 
of his father, who was a Protestant minister, that he should be educated for the 
ministry, and his school life was planned accordingly. He was early sent to the 
common school in Homburg, and upon his graduation therefrom entered the academy 
and began the study of ancient languages and French, at the same time receiving 
several hours private instruction daily, so that he might be prepared for the 
German universities at the proper age. The failure of his health under this 
undue mental pressure made it necessary for him to leave the university, where 
he had every prospect for making a fine record. This change in his plans was the 
means of turning his attention to the mercantile business, for which he had a 
natural adaptation, and which proved the entering wedge to his subsequent career 
in the New World. He had been in business but a short time when his thoughts 
turned to "the home of the free," and accompanied by a cousin he set out for 
America in 1836. It had been his intention to proceed up the Mississippi from 
New Orleans and visit a relative, Judge Hildegarde, at Belleville, Ill., the 
father of Eugene Hildegarde, professor emeritus of the University of California. 
The river was blocked with ice and instead he remained in New Orleans, where he 
secured employment in mercantile pursuits. Yellow fever was at that time very 
prevalent in the south and Mr. Weber fell a victim to the scourge. After his 
recovery he went to Texas, and while engaged in military service against the 
Mexicans he was again taken ill, in 1840, and by the advice of his physician he 
determined to locate in a cooler climate.
        During the spring of 1841, while at St. Louis intending to proceed to 
Belleville, Ill., Captain Weber read a glowing description of the Pacific Coast 
written by Dr. John Marsh, a resident of California. The account was so 
fascinating and alluring that he determined to cross the desert to the coast and 
accordingly he joined the Bartelson party for the long journey to the West. It 
was his intention to spend the winter on the coast and then return to the 
States, but like so many other immigrants, when he fell under the witchery of 
the genial climate he wished to locate here permanently, and after spending the 
winter at Sutter's Fort he made no plans for returning to the East. His object 
in going to Sutter's Fort had been to make the acquaintance of Captain Sutter, 
to whom he had letters of introduction, and by whom he was employed as overseer 
during that winter. While there he found a quantity of seeds which had been 
presented to Captain Sutter as tokens of friendship and good will from William 
G. Ray, the representative of the Hudson Bay Company, the Russian agent at 
Bodega and captains of vessels on the coast. These seeds he planted as an 
experiment and from this was developed the fact that the valleys of the San 
Joaquin and the Sacramento were capable of becoming a paradise of fruits and 
flowers. Among the seeds were three varieties of tobacco, various flowers and 
vegetables, all of which grew and thrived wonderfully in the fertile soil.
        It was about this time that Jose Jesus, the celebrated chief, visited 
the fort and Captain Weber formed his acquaintance. The two became friends, and 
in after years the chief was able to prove helpful to his comrade. With keen 
foresight the Captain decided that California eventually would be admitted, in 
part or whole, into the United States, and therefore he believed investments in 
land would prove profitable. Visiting San Jose in the spring, he formed a 
partnership with William Gulnac, and in 1842 they built a flour mill, embarked 
in the manufacture of shoes, made soap and also sea biscuits. The shoes they 
made were the first to be made in the entire state. July 14, 1843, Gulnac, who 
was a Mexican citizen, petitioned Governor Micheltorena in behalf of Captain 
Weber for a grant of eleven square leagues of land, to be located in the 
vicinity of French Camp in the San Joaquin Valley. He expressed a preference for 
the east side of the river, believing that this stream might form the line 
between Mexico and California in case of a division; another reason for this 
preference was that the east side was protected by the Hudson Bay Company's 
trappers. The governor granted Gulnac the tract of land known as the Rancho El 
Campo de los Franceses, January 13, 1844, and afterward this tract was 
transferred to Captain Weber. Cattle were herded upon the land and for a time 
the camp had its headquarters at the present site of Stockton, but later moved 
nearer to Sutter's Fort for the protection thus afforded. Having met with no 
success in an attempt to settle the grant, Captain Weber obtained a passport 
from the alcalde and visited Sutter's Fort for the purpose of making a treaty 
with Jose Jesus. In this he was successful and their alliance remained unbroken 
until the death of the chief. The Captain agreed to aid him in case of war 
between the Americans and native Californians or Mexicans. The chief advised the 
building of the village at the present site of Stockton and agreed to provide a 
war party in case protection was necessary from the Indians or Mexicans. During 
the Micheltorena wars the Captain rendered stanch assistance, joining the native 
Californians against the Mexicans, and when war was declared between Mexico and 
the United States he aided the latter and with his characteristic energy 
organized a cavalry company at San Jose and became its captain. After having 
made his home in San Jose from 1842 to 1847 he returned to the peninsula and 
here remained until his death.
        With prophetic vision Captain Weber saw the possibilities which awaited 
those willing to take up their abode in the little settlement of Stockton, but 
men could not see the future as he did, and in spite of the liberal offers which 
he made they still held back, among other things fearing attacks from the 
Indians and an outbreak of the small-pox scourge. A writer in the Stockton Times 
in 1850 says: "Having been a resident of California for many years. and having 
known Captain Weber for four or five of these, I venture to say there are but 
few Americans now in this country who have lived here for any length of time, 
who have not been recipients of favors from this gentleman." There had been a 
large number of grants given in what is called the San Joaquin district, but 
none had the hardihood to settle their grants until 1846. It was next to 
impossible for Weber to get men enough to offer any protection against the 
Indians, as everybody thought the risk too great for the benefits received. He 
succeeded in getting a few to settle with him, among whom were B. J. Thompson 
and Andy Baker, and finally, after losing cattle and horses and paying an 
extravagant price for labor, he succeeded in establishing a ranch where Stockton 
now stands."
        Concerning the home of Captain Weber, the famous poet and traveler, 
Bayard Taylor, writes as follows: "We were greatly delighted with our visit to 
Captain Weber's, who transformed a tract of land between two sloughs into a 
garden. There is no more delightful villa in existence. A thick hedge, outside 
of which is a row of semi-tropical trees, surrounds the peninsula. The gate 
opened into a lofty avenue of trellis work, where the sunshine strikes through 
branches of amethyst and chrysolite, while on either hand beds of roses fill the 
air with odor. The house is low but spacious, the woodwork of natural redwood. 
Vine-covered verandas surround it and every window discloses a vision of plants 
that would be the glory of any greenhouse on the Atlantic Coast. In Mrs. Weber I 
found the acquaintance of my former visit. Well I remember the day when, hungry 
and footsore, I went to the door of her father's house in the valley of the San 
Jose and found her reading a poem of mine. Her father saddled his horse and rode 
with me to the top of the mountain, and her own hands prepared the grateful 
supper and breakfast that gave me strength for the tramp to Monterey. The garden 
delighted us beyond measure. The walks were waist deep in fuchsias and 
geraniums, and the pepper trees, with their loose, misty boughs, hailed us as do 
friends from Athens. A row of Italian cypresses were shooting rapidly above the 
other boughs in the garden. How they will transform the character of the 
landscape when their dark obelisks stand in full stature!"
        As may be inferred from the above, Captain Weber was a lover of flowers, 
and indeed, from the time of his early experiences with seeds which were given 
him by Captain Sutter he never ceased to experiment with very kind of seed or 
shrub that came under his notice. Many of these he obtained from Japan and 
Europe, and also from the missions. As an incentive to others to follow his lead 
in this enterprise he supplied those interested with seeds and shrubs from his 
own garden, and was especially interested in inculcating the love of nature in 
the hearts of children. With him, time and money were no object in furthering 
this cause, and no county fair was complete without his exhibit of fruits, 
flowers and shrubs. For many years his garden was open at all times to the 
public.
        Meanwhile Captain Weber was aiding the development of Stockton by every 
means within his power. Every church that applied to him received a donation of 
land. Land was also given to the city and county, and August 28, 1851, he deeded 
the public squares, streets and channels to the city. The land occupied by the 
San Joaquin Catholic cemetery was donated by him and he gave a large portion of 
the purchase money for the Rural cemetery. In later years he devoted much 
personal attention to the garden of St. Agnes' academy, which was noted for its 
beauty. To protect the city from overflow, he superintended the building of a 
bulkhead on Stanislaus Street and dug a canal on East and North Streets: $30,000 
of his money went into the improvement of California Street, and he gave 
generously to the building up of other avenues. When the natural course of 
events made the property in the valley valuable, squatters began to give him 
trouble. The heirs of Gulnac attempted to wrest the land from him and in 
defending his title he spent vast sums of money, rendering necessary in order to 
pay for the litigation, the sacrifice of his valuable property in San Francisco. 
Finally he had the gratification of receiving the incontestable patent signed by 
President Lincoln. While it was necessary for him to eject squatters for the 
protection of his title and the title of those to whom he had sold, many of 
these squatters found in him a stanch and generous friend, who aided them to get 
a start elsewhere. Besides the property which he owned in San Joaquin County 
Captain Weber owned a large ranch in Santa Clara County, upon which he engaged 
extensively in breeding and raising high-grade horses and cattle.
        During the Civil War Captain Weber was stanch in his allegiance to the 
Union cause and exerted a powerful influence in moulding the sentiment of this 
region. Early in the war he sent to Oregon and bought for a flagstaff a pole 120 
feet long. This he planted on an island west of his residence. After every Union 
victory the stars and stripes could be seen waving in the air and for miles in 
every direction the sight would tell that Union arms were again victorious. In 
politics the Captain voted with the Republican party, but he was not a 
politician and preferred to devote himself to movements for the public good, 
without respect to political ties or views. When he passed away, May 14, 1881, 
the people of Stockton regarded his demise as a public loss. A large concourse 
assembled to pay him the last tribute of respect when the funeral was held, 
under the auspices of Archbishop Alemany of San Francisco. Up to the day of his 
death he was in full possession of his faculties and actively interested in all 
of his various enterprises.
        The marriage of Captain Weber united him, November 29, 1850, with Miss 
Helen Murphy, a member of the celebrated Murphy party of 1844. Three children 
were born to them, of whom Charles M., Jr., at one time represented Santa Clara 
County in the state legislature; both he and the younger son, Thomas J., are now 
deceased. The only daughter, Miss Julia H. Weber, of Stockton, makes her home 
near the city so indissolubly associated with the life�work of her father and is 
everywhere honored as a member of an interesting and celebrated pioneer family. 
Mrs. Weber, who died April 11, 1895, was a daughter of Martin and Mary (Foley) 
Murphy, the latter an aunt of Bishop John Foley of Detroit and the late Bishop 
Thomas Foley of Chicago. In temperament Captain Weber was impulsive, though 
forgiving and large-hearted, was liked by all with whom he came in contact in 
every walk of life, and he was also highly respected for the high moral 
principles which actuated him in all he undertook.
 
History of San Joaquin County, California � Los Angeles, Historic Record Co., 
1923. p  340

Transcribed by Kathy Sedler.