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Genealogy |
 The
U.S. GenWeb Project
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From the
Lovelock Centennial Booklet 1868-1968
Pershing Co. Nevada
Joseph Marzen
| The late Joseph Marzen came to Lovelock Valley in 1870. He acquired
the ranch that is now known as the Big Meadow Ranch, land on both sides
of the railroad track, and range from Laurey Wells, Seven Troughs, and
Lava Beds. Fred A. Preston, his grandson, came to Lovelock Valley, in 1888 at the age 13 to work on the ranch. One of Joe Marzen's daughters, Louise, married Joseph Hill. When Marzen left Lovelock in 1905, he gave the ranch to his daughter. He was an active Mason (32nd degree). He passed away in 1916. Fred Preston, married Pearl N. Marker, one of Pete N. Marker's daughters, on December 23, 1898. Fred later, had the Big Meadow Market at different locations for a period of 50 years. At the time of the Seven Troughs boom, he and his wife Pearl, had stores in Lovelock, Jessup, Vernon, Seven Troughs, and Mazuma. They also had several big freight teams hauling ore to the gold and silver mills, plus hauling supplies and freight from Lovelock to the mines and their various stores. Two sons were born Willis, March 7, 1902; and Melvon, September 16, 1903. They went to grammar school in Lovelock and Mazuma. Willis went to high school in Lovelock and Melvon in San Francisco, both graduating at the same time June 1921. Willis married Helen Bennett, December 20, 1925. They moved to San Francisco, in 1928, and are still living there. Melvon married Anita Arobio, December 23, 1925, which was the anniversary of both their parents: Fred Preston's December 23, 1898, and Carlo and Teresa Arobio (Anita's parents) December 23,1906. Two girls were born to Melvon and Anita: Ida Pearl, born April 9, 1929, and Gloria Lee, born May 12,1931. Gloria married Joe Santos in 1950 and they have one son Daryl Preston. Ida Pearl married Jerome Brown in 1951 and they have one daughter Cheryl Lynn. These grandchildren represent six generations of the Preston family. Fred Preston passed away February 1,1957; and Pearl, November 9, 1935.  Peter Marker Family The late Pete N. Marker, (Pearl Marker Preston's father) was born on the Isle of Bornholm, Denmark, in 1842. He landed in New York City when he was 15 years old with one Danish Krone in his pocket. He started walking toward the West. In Pennsylvania he joined an immigrant train and headed for California via Rag Town, Carson City, Placerville and on to San Francisco. There he worked for a short time and acquired property on Van Ness Avenue. He later traded this land for three log cabins in the city of Sacramento. He sold the cabins and joined another immigrant Party going East to the Territory of lowa. Using the money from the sale of the cabins and his savings from his work, he purchased a band of horses. He then headed for Oregon over the Susanville route, but changed his route at Susanville, and went to California with his horses. He sold some of them on the way at a good profit and made other investments. At that time the mines of Virginia City were opening up and the mills at Dayton were running so he decided to enter the Territory of Nevada to go into business. He made his third wagon train trip East to get lumbertools and equipment. His lumber business consisted of furnishing large timber for bridges and railroad ties and wood for the burn-burning engines on the Central Pacific Railroad, and, later, for the V & T Railroad. His timbermen and lumberjacks, who hand hewed all large timber and ties, were several hundreds of Chinese and the more skilled men were French-Canadians. His teamsters and ox drivers were Bornholm Danes, as he was a Bornholm Dane himself. He was also the proud owner of a lumber mill at Verdi, Nevada, which he powered by a River. The main head-quarters were at Washoe City, Nevada, where the first and only brick building was used as a general store. The building is still there. Marker was also the last Senator of Lupe County and the first Senator of Washoe County. He and Betty Barstow were married in 1871. She was born in Vacaville, California May 10, 1853. The Pete Markers had three children: Clara, Edwin, and Pearl. Clara married Charlie Stoker in 1895. Seven children were born to them: Wayne, Lyle, Lorraine, Buster, Dolly and Cleon. Clara passed away in 1942. Edwin married Carrie Torrey in 1921. They later moved to Sacramento where he died in 1960. Pearl married Fred Preston in 1898 and two children were born to them: Willis and Melvon. Pete Marker had an odd code of honor: He came to America, and American he would be. He never spoke a word of Danish again, nor would he allow his children to speak it. Pete came from Washoe City and Virginia City looking for land in the Lovelock Valley approximately 1875. Between the years of 1875 and 1880 he had purchased what was known as the Old Reservation Ranch. He purchased all of the Poker Brown Land and water rights in the Humboldt river as well as all the springs in the grazing lands known today as the Packard Mining District. He also owned all of the Stone House Range, which is known today as the Seven Troughs Range. He was also a heavy land owner in the Susanville and Honey Lakes Valleys. In about 1885, Pete Marker, moved his entire family to the Reservation Ranch in Lovelock's Lower Valley. At this time he started stocking his land with cattle and horses. The Tule Ranch was his hog ranch stocked with hundreds of hogs. During the money panic of 1890, the holdings were foreclosed upon. They moved to the property on the Grave Yard Slough (west of Lovelock) where they built a new home. Betty homesteaded this land. Being a man of great determination, Pete made his comeback in cattle and horses. About 1900, he went into cattle and horse raising extensively. He left the ranches to enter the Stone House ranges, Rabbit Hole and Lava Beds. His ranges extended from Jackson Mountain to Winnemucca or Mud Lake. At his death in 1918, he was still holding the range and his cattle, and quite a townsite in the city or Lovelock. One of the additions in west Lovelock is known as the Marker Addition. The school in Lower Valleys for years, was known as the Marker School-House". During all of his life, he never had a partner except for his wife Betty. He was always a loner, but a very successful one. Betty passed away in 1943. |
Information collected from the family for the Lovelock Centennial Booklet
Please direct updates and corrections, questions, comments, or suggestions to me at merlaan@c-zone.net.
This page was created on 19 July, 1999 by Shauna Wells
This page was last modified: Thursday, 01-Jan-2004 14:40:35 MST