California Biographies, San Joaquin Valley

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 the state of California and biographical record of the San Joaquin 
Valley, California. An historical story of the state's marvelous growth from 
its earliest settlement to the present time.
Prof. James Miller Guinn , A. M.
The Chapman Publishing Co., Chicago 1905
Notes: Missing Page: 865-866,983-984,1175-1176


  ELMER JEWETT FARR. The family represented by Mr. Farr, a well-known contractor and builder 
of Fresno, was established in New England during the colonial period. Both of his grandfathers, 
James Farr (a blacksmith) and Chester Goodrich, were lifelong residents of Vermont, and his 
parents, L. B. and Clarissa (Goodrich) Farr, were natives of the same state, the former born in 
Rutland county, the latter near Middlebury. After having followed general farm pursuits for 
some years in Vermont and New York, about 1863 L. B. Farr settled in Marshall county, Iowa, 
and took up a tract of wild land eight miles from Marshalltown, where in the course of time, by 
untiring industry, he transformed a half section of wild acreage into a finely improved farm. 
While he still conducts farm pursuits, he now makes his home in Cherokee county, Iowa. His 
entire family, consisting of wife and six children, are still living. Of the children Elmer J., who was 
next to the youngest, is the only one on the Pacific coast. 

He was born near Stockholm, St. Lawrence county, N. Y., April 27, 1862, and in infancy was 
taken to Iowa, where his earliest recollections are of the home farm with its frontier 
surroundings. 

When eighteen years of age Mr. Farr began to work at the carpenter's trade in Grinnell, Iowa, 
and after a year was made foreman of work in Aurelia, Iowa. Another year found him in Sioux 
Falls, S. Dak., and Sioux City, Iowa, in which latter place he took up the work of a contractor and 
builder, which he has successfully followed for many years. Prior to this he was foreman on the 
Minnehaha county court house at Sioux Falls, also as contractor erected Banker Bailey's 
residence. Among his contracts in Iowa were the Lindholm Block, and residences of Thomas 
Green and A. C. Stephens in Sioux City. Coming to California in the fall of 1895, he spent the 
winter in Stockton and during the spring of 1896 settled in Fresno, where he was first employed 
by the Santa Fe Railroad Company as division foreman in charge of the roundhouse, carworks 
and engines. This position he filled until 1899, and then resigned in order to start in the building 
business, his first work in that capacity being as foreman for F. J. Stone. In 1902 he took up 
contracting and building. Among the buildings which he has had in charge are the residence on 
Butler avenue owned by Fred Dow, William Kennedy's house, and the remodeling of the 
residence owned by Thomas Patterson. 

While living in Sioux City, Iowa, Mr. Farr married Carrie Hamsher, who was born in Wisconsin. 
They, with their two children, Forest and Vida, reside at No. 519 L street. The family are 
identified with the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. In matters political Mr. Farr has always 
given his support to the Republican party, but his interest in such matters is wholly that of a 
private citizen, not an office-seeker. In addition to being a member of the Woodmen of the 
World he has fraternal relations with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, into which he was 
initiated at Sioux Falls, but is now a member and past noble grand of Central California Lodge 
No. 343, at Fresno.