California Biographies, Santa Cruz County HON. S. A. PALMER. Transcribed by Peggy Hooper Source: History of Santa Cruz County, California Pacific Press Publishing Company San Francisco, Cal. 1892 By E. S. Harrison This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm HON. S. A. PALMER. The president of the Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce has made his home in California from early childhood, but is a native of the east, having been born at Springbrook, Erie county, N. Y., October 4, 1856. The family came to Cal- ifornia during the year 1863, leaving the associations dear to them by the ties of years and making their way by boat to the Isthmus, which they crossed, then by boat again to San Francisco. The boy of seven years was old enough to be im- pressed by the journey, although too young to appreciate the vastness and possibilities of the country to which they traveled. On Ms arrival in the west he settled with the family in Sacramento and soon was attending the city schools, gaining a fair education and at the same time becoming favorably impressed with the western country. When a little less than eighteen years of age he was graduated from the Sacramento high school. The first business experience gained by Mr. Palmer was as a clerk in the drug store of E. B. Polhemus, then under the management of A. C. Tufts. Upon leaving Sacramento he went to San Francisco and secured employment with A. L. Lengfield during the spring of 1875. In order that he might secure a more thorough knowledge of the drug busi- ness he matriculated in the California College of Pharmacy in the autumn of 1876 and took a complete course of study along the line of his specialty. After a residence of five years in San Francisco he returned to Sacramento and be- came a clerk with M. S. Hammer, a prominent druggist of that city. Forming a partnership in 1882 with James C. Sepulveda, he purchased a drug business owned by J. S. Trowbridge and established the firm of Palmer & Sepulveda. Since that time he has owned drug stores in different parts of the state, including Livermore and Oakland. It was during 1887 that he came to Santa Cruz and purchased the drug business that he has conducted up to the present time. As a pharmacist he is skillful and prompt and in the handling of drugs he combines accuracy with dispatch, by which means he has gained a reputation equalled by few men in his business. Upon removing to Santa Cruz and establishing a home in this city, Mr. Palmer brought with him his wife, whom he had married three years before and who bore the maiden name of Sarah S. Livermore. Various fraternal organiza- tions of Santa Cruz have the benefit of his earnest co-operation, notably the Order of Foresters, Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, U. P. E. C. and Independent Order of Odd Fellows, becoming identified with the latter order at Sac- ramento. Devotion to educational advancement is one of his hobbies and for eleven years after coming to Santa Cruz he rendered able assistance to the cause of local education by serving as a member of the school board. During a portion of the time he was honored with the chairmanship of the board. In his opinion few local movements can compare with the schools in importance, both as relating to present results and to future civic growth. Along another line he is promot- ing municipal prosperity through his labors as president of the Chamber of Commerce. From 1907 until 1909 he officiated as mayor of Santa Cruz. It may be said with justice that no mayor surpassed him in amount accomplished for the up- building of the city. During his period of service in the mayor's chair new streets were opened, new sidewalks were constructed, the east side sewer (that has since been completed) was started, several miles of sewers in the main part of the city were built, plans were formulated and specifications drawn for a new bridge across the San Lorenzo river, and a general advancement was affected along many different lines, all of which proved the energy and progressive spirit of the then incumbent of the office of mayor.