San Diego County Biographies

Charles E. York

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


Charles E. York is a descendant of Sir William Wimell York, of Gurnsey Row, 
London, England, two of whose offspring came to America and landed in Maine: one 
remained there and the other went to New Hampshire. Mr. York's grandfather was 
raised in New Hampshire, and his father, Ezekiel York, was also a native of the 
same State. After becoming of age he removed to Bangor, Maine, where he was a 
dry-goods merchant for many years. He was also an accomplished musician, playing 
the flute and the clarionet [sic]. He played with old Ned Kendal, and for many 
years played in church. When the war broke out he enlisted in the Fifth Maine 
Regiment and went to the field in Virginia. He served one year, when he was 
discharged for disability, having contracted rheumatism by exposure at the first 
battle of Bull Run. It ultimately caused his death, the rheumatism going to his 
heart. He was married to Miss Nancy Davis, a native of Effingham, New Hampshire, 
and had three children: James Warren, now a merchant in Grand Rapids, Michigan; 
Mary Adelaide, now in Maine, and Charles E., the youngest, the subject of this 
sketch, born in Augusta, Maine, September 1, 1844. He was attending the high 
school at Biddeford when he enlisted, July 1, 1861, in his sixteenth year, as 
drummer boy in the Coast Guard Heavy Artillery. At the expiration of four months 
he was sworn into the United States service and remained one year. He was 
mustered out, was home two weeks, and enlisted in the Twenty-seventh Maine and 
was promoted to drum major. He was eleven months in that regiment and then went 
with the colonel of that regiment to the Portsmouth navy yard and was there 
three months. He next enlisted in the Second Maine Cavalry and participated in 
all of its engagements. The regiment was sent to New Orleans: one portion of the 
battalion was sent up Red river, his portion of the battalion was sent after 
guerillas. He was taken seriously ill. Five of his comrades went with him to the 
hospital and he alone came out alive, although he was at one time given up for 
dead. He suffered from the effects of that sickness for years. He was mustered 
out of the service December 6, 1865, and soon after engaged in the mercantile 
business at Biddeford, Maine. During this time he studied music and from there 
went to Boston, where he finished his musical studies and became a teacher of 
instrumental music. He continued in this business until 1874, when Secretary of 
War Belknap made a special order appointing him band master of the Eighth United 
States Cavalry, and he filled the position five years. He then removed to 
Brownsville, Texas, where he engaged in business, dealing in books, stationary, 
Catholic goods and sheet music. Soon after embarking in this business the yellow 
fever visited the town and business was completely destroyed. Persons were not 
permitted to go either in or out of the town. As soon as he could get away he 
went north and traveled with his wife throughout the North until 1882. He then 
located in Akron, Ohio, and opened a music store. In 1886 he paid a visit to 
California to attend the G. A. R. convention. After his return home he made 
preparations to return to the coast. He finally sold out and on December 13, 
1887, he came to this coast as special agent of the Union Central Life Insurance 
Company of Cincinnati. He became director of the famous City Guard band that 
made a tour of the United States in the interest of San Diego. He retired from 
the directorship of the band in August, 1888, owing to his increased insurance 
business, being made associate general agent of the Northwestern Mutual Life 
Insurance Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In connection with his insurance 
business he was one of the experts to investigate the county records of San 
Diego. October 12, 1888, he was commissioned Major and Brigade Inspector of the 
First Brigade N.G.C., Brigadier-General H. H. Boyce, commanding. He instigated 
and organized the San Diego Rifles. He joined the G. A. R. at its organization 
and was Junior Vice Commander of his post. He was special Aide-de-camp 
Department of California. He is Past Senior Vice Commander of the Seventh 
Inspection District of California. He is Past Aide-de-camp and acting Assistant 
Adjutant General Department of Ohio, and compiled the work of the G. A. R. of 
that department for the year 1886. He has always been active in G. A. R. work 
and is a member of Heintzelman Post, No. 33. He is an Odd Fellow, a Knight of 
Pythias, a Royal Arch Mason, and a Knight Templar; nor is he slow on hand in the 
Methodist Episcopal Sunday-school, and with his instrument swell its song of 
praise [sic]. He was married in 1867 to Miss Ellen F. Willis, of Biddeford, 
Maine. She died at Boston, February, 1874, of consumption. In 1878 he was again 
married, to Mrs. M. Z. Cunningham, of Brownsville, Texas. They have had three 
children, but two of whom are living: Charles Warren, born November 16, 1880, in 
Decatur, Illinois; Ralph Edwin, born in Akron, Ohio, in 1884. Mrs. York's 
parentage is Swede and American. Her father came from Sweden when nineteen years 
of age and located in southern Texas. Both he and his wife were with General 
Taylor in his conquest of Mexico, and Mrs. York was born at Bagdad in 1848. They 
left the army, and he opened a mercantile business in Rio Grande, where he 
became influential and accumalated [sic] a large property. He was in the Texas 
Legislature, and while there introduced the free-school bill and procured its 
enactment, and it became a law. He then retired from public life. He was a man 
of learning, an author and a poet, and talked four languages fluently. His wife 
was a very beautiful woman and a faithful wife, assisting him in all his work. 
Professor York is leader of an orchestra of San Diego and enlivens many of the 
public gatherings of the city with the choicest of sweet music. He is a talented 
and cultured musician and his place in the city would be difficult to fill with 
another so ready and public-spirited.
 
An Illustrated History of Southern California: Embracing the Counties of San 
Diego, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Orange, and the Peninsula of Lower 
California, from the Earliest Period of Occupancy to the Present Time.... - 
Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1890. pp 298-299