California Biographies

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


ERIE ALANSON MAY. For nearly thirty years Mr. May has lived in the state of California and 
during this time has been in the front ranks of those in favor of progress and reform. Never 
has a movement been started, calculated to be of material benefit to his county or state, 
that has not received his warm personal support. It is doubtful if any man in this section of 
the county has devoted more time to the needs of the community, or been more respon- 
sible for the good accomplished, than he. 

A native of New York state, E. A. May was born in Wales, Erie county, February 11, 1847. 
His father, Robert May, was a native of England, as was his grandfather, also named Rob- 
ert, who was a successful farmer. Robert May, Jr., learned the trade of a tailor which he fol- 
lowed for some years prior to his emigrating to the United States. On arriving in this country, 
he first located in Buffalo, N. Y., where he engaged in business as a merchant tailor until 
1854, when he removed to Henry county, Ill. There he continued in the same line of business 
until 1870, the year of his arrival in this state. Going to Modesto he there established himself 
in business, remaining for several years. He then retired and took up his residence in San 
Jose, where he died in 1900 at the age of ninety-two years. His wife, who bore the maiden 
name of Ann Rowe, was also a native of England. She died in 1855 at the age of fifty-five 
years. Her marriage resulted in the birth of eight children, all of whom are still living, six 
having located in California. Five of the sons participated in the Civil war. 

Erie A. May was the youngest in the family. His early life was spent in New York, where he was 
educated in the public schools. Early in the spring of 1865 he enlisted in Company I. One 
Hundred and Ninety-fourth New York Volunteer Infantry and served until being mustered out 
of the service at the close of the war. Immediately thereafter he joined his father, who was then 
residing in Henry county, Ill. A year later he located near St. Charles, Minn., and engaged in 
farming, then removed north of Minneapolis and followed lumbering. Three years later he sold 
out his various interests and migrated to Canton, Lincoln county, S. Dak. Soon after his arrival he 
homesteaded and pre-empted three hundred and twenty acres of land, and during the time he 
was proving up on his entry, he secured a position as teacher in one of the nearby district schools, 
but as soon as his title was secured he began the cultivation and improvement of his land, devoting 
the whole to the growing of grain. In 1875 Mr. May was appointed sergeant-at-arms at Yankton, 
the state capitol, and directly after the close of the legislative session he was selected to return east 
as a representative of the farmers, to solicit aid for those who had been impoverished by the 
grasshopper scourge, this terrible pest having destroyed the crops of the country. 

Not being entirely satisfied with the prospects in Dakota, Mr. May sold out in 1877 and came 
to California, spending the first year of his residence here in Modesto. The following year he 
located in the vicinity of Poplar, Tulare county, where he has since made his home. From time 
to time he has added to his first purchase of land, until he now owns two hundred and forty 
acres of fine land. The entire tract is well improved, and in the carrying on of his stock and 
farming interests he has equipped the place with all the modern appliances needed in the way 
of labor saving machinery, etc. 

While he has been very busy looking after his own interests, he has, nevertheless, found the 
time to take an active part in political matters. Being a firm advocate of the People's party, he 
has worked energetically to further the interests of the party's cause. In 1891, in company 
with Mr. Gilstrap, he organized the Tulare Valley Citizen. The publication office was located 
in Tulare and this was one of the first People's party papers to be started in the state. For some 
time he continued to conduct the paper and did much to influence the vote of the people in 
Tulare county by his able discussions of the important questions of the day. Prior to organizing 
the paper he was sent as a delegate to the first State Convention of his party, which was held in 
Los Angeles. He also served as chairman of the county central committee and for one year 
served as deputy county assessor under Mr. Jeffords. In the fall of 1894 his party nominated 
him for the office of county treasurer, and at the following election he was successful, defeating 
two other candidates. In January, 1895, he took the oath of office, serving in a most satisfactory 
manner until January, 1899. 

Mr. May has associated himself with the leading men of this portion of the county and that 
the ventures in which he has interested himself have proved successful reflects credit upon his 
judgment. For one year he acted as manager of the Poplar Co-Operative store, and for several 
years was secretary of the Poplar Irrigation Ditch Company. 

While living in Yankton, S. Dak., Mr. May married Martha C. Jones, who was born in Ohio, a sister 
of Hon. A. Sheridan Jones, formerly State Superintendent of Public Instruction in Dakota. By this 
union have been born two children : Howard, now living in Springville, and Iva May, at home. He 
was formerly associated with the Grand Army of the Republic at Visalia. Both he and his wife are 
highly esteemed for their many excellent traits of character and have scores of friends throughout 
the county.