HANNIBAL PULLAN

San Mateo County Assessor

 Bio-Pen Pictures
SURNAMES:  BOLLINGER, YOUNT, VAN ARSDALE, SHERMANTINE, STATLER, HAMM

residing on the Williams River road, one-half mile west of the Santa  Clara and Los Gatos road, bought his property in 1876, paying $100 per acre for 120 acres, and later buying sixty acres of adjoining land. He dates his birth in Breckenridge County, Kentucky, February 8, 1826. He is the son of Abraham and Cynthia Pullan, who emigrated to St. Francis County, Missouri, in 1843. There the father died, and there the mother is yet living, at the advanced age of ninety years.

The subject of this sketch followed agricultural pursuits until the gold excitement of 1849 determined him to visit this State. With his brother, William, he left home in March, 1849, and with ox teams started on the overland trip to California. Their journey was attended by even more than the usual amount of hardship and privation, for, being misled by reports of a newer and shorter trail, many days and many miles were lost after they reached Humboldt River. However, they reached in safety the Feather River mining district, October 27. There Mr. Pullan and his brother engaged in mining, and soon made a goodly fortune, only to lose it shortly after in attempting to develop new and richer mines elsewhere. In the autumn of 1852, Mr. Pullan abandoned placer mining, and commenced farming in Napa County, where, on the sixteenth of September, 1853, he married Miss Mary Bollinger, whose father, Christian Bollinger, now lives in Santa Clara, and whose sketch is given elsewhere in this volume. Mrs. Pullan was born in Bollinger County, Missouri.

        In the year of their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Pullan came to Santa Clara County, and located on land on the Stevens Creek road, not far from his present home. After three successive years of poor crops, they removed to San Mateo County, purchased a large property, and engaged in general farming and stock-raising. There they made their home until, as before stated, they returned to Santa Clara County in 1876 to make their permanent home. The homestead which he now occupies tradition says was once the site of an Indian village. It was first improved about 1850 by the pioneer, William Campbell, and has always been noted for its productiveness. Mr. Pullan has subdivided the farm, and recorded it as "Pullan's Subdivision." He has placed the prpperty uppn the market, and has sold, in tracts, about one-half, at a very large advance over its cost.

        His worth as a citizen and the estimation in which he was held was shown when, in 1871, he was elected County Assessor, in San Mateo County, on the Democratic ticket by 150 majority, a great compliment when it is understood that the county gave adverse majorities at the same election ranging as high as 600 votes.

        Mr. and Mrs. Pullan have nine children living. The names of the five daughters are: Mrs. Mary Yount, Mrs. Joan Van Arsdale, Mrs. Sarah Shermantine, Mrs. Alice Statler, and Mrs. Emma Hamm. The names of the four sons are: Columbus, William, George, and Ernest. Elizabeth, their sixth child, died at ten months of age.

Pen Pictures From The Garden of the World or Santa Clara County, California, Illustrated. - Edited by H. S. Foote.- Chicago:  The Lewis Publishing Company, 1888.

Pg. 552-553