California Biographies, Santa Cruz County.
J. B. PERKINS. 

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
 

J. B. PERKINS. 

Numerous villages, scattered throughout the central coast counties, owe their prosperity and commercial standing to 
the progressive spirit displayed by a few men who readily are accounted as the most prominent citizens of their respec- 
tive towns. Such a man is J. B. Perkins, who for a long period has been identified intimately with the business affairs 
and civic interests of Boulder Creek and has contributed largely to the upbuilding of enterprises calculated to ad- 
vance the general welfare. Life has brought to him experiences in various parts of the country. In early years he 
resided in the east, but in mature manhood he became identified with the central states and eventually he came to the 
western coast. Of these various regions, he gives the preference to the west, and he has never regretted the decision 
that he made to cast in his lot with the people of this favored section. 

The first representative of the Perkins family in California was Abel Perkins, a pioneer of the historic year of 1849, 
but not a permanent resident of the west. From his home in New Hampshire he started across the plains with a large ex- 
pedition of gold-seekers and after a tedious journey with oxteams he arrived at his destination during the autumn of the 
year that brought thousands of Argonauts to the western shores. Until 1852 he engaged in mining in Amador and 
Placer counties. A fair degree of success rewarded his efforts and with the accumulations of those months of labor and 
self-denial he returned to his old eastern home, content there to spend his remaining years. He had married some time 
before going west and his son, J. B., had been born in 1843, in Unity, N. H. During his boyhood the parents moved to 
Claremont, N. H., and there he was educated, and there also he learned lessons of industry on the home farm. It was 
not his desire to remain in the east and as soon as he was permitted to start out in the world for himself he went to 
Missouri, where he took up land and engaged in farming for about ten years. Coming to California during 1878 he set- 
tled at Boulder and since then he has made this village his home. 

Various enterprises have occupied the attention of eT. B. Perkins since he came to Santa Cruz county. The lumber 
business afforded him a means of livelihood in early days. Ranching also engaged his time with a fair degree of success. 
Principally, however, he has been interested in mercantile pursuits, having been identified with the same since about 
1894, and since the year 1901 he has acted as manager of the Boulder Creek Mercantile Company, a flourishing cor- 
poration transacting a large business in its special line. Besides filling the duties of manager, he has been prominent in 
civic affairs and at this writing efficiently fills the office of treasurer of the town, while living in Missouri he married 
Miss Nellie Robinson in 1868 and they are the parents of a daughter, Edee, wife of C. S. Perkins, of Boulder Creek. The 
family has a high social standing and enjoys the friendship of their wide circle of acquaintances.