Bio-Sawyers
SURNAMES: EASTMAN, JENNESS, GUSTAFSON, BLANK,
A veteran of the Civil War, Allen R. Latham is a native of New Hampshire, born at Concord, December 8, 1842. The family is traced back to William Latham, who came from England in the Mayflower in 1620. Mr. Latham's father, Allen Latham, was born in Tyme, N. H., November 5, 1818 and settled in Lamont, Ill. He practiced dentistry for fifty years and passed away November 25, 1894. Mr. Latham's mother was Clara Eastman Jenness, born in Chichester, N. H., April 9, 1820, and died in Danville, Ill., August 22, 1852. Their only child to grow up was Allen R., who came with his parents to Illinois in 1852, attended school in Danville and studied dentistry under his father until 1862, when he volunteered in Company M, Second Illinois Light Artillery, but was later placed in Company H of the same regiment. He was in the Battle of Harper's Ferry, then with General Burnsides in Eastern Tennessee and later with General Thomas at Nashville. He was mustered out at Camp Butler, Ill., July, 1865, as corporal, after two years and nine months' service. After the war he made his way to what is now Ludington, Mich., and followed saw-milling until 1872, and then located in Springfield, Ill., where he practiced dentistry and later engaged in the drug business. In 1886 he removed to Delta, Colo., where he engaged in general merchandising, including a drug department, the firm being Latham & Williams. Setting out he came to California in June, 1891, and a month later he located in Los Gatos. Finding it to his liking he engaged in the grocery trade for five years and then followed clerking in the Farmers' Union and also in A. W. Bogart's hardware store for some years. During these years he had purchased and improved a ten acre ranch to prune orchard; he cared for this orchard for many years until the work became too arduous, when he sold it. Meantime as early as 1892, he purchased his present place of two and one-half acres which he has set out to orchard.
Mr. Latham was
married at Hamlin, Mich., to Emma Christina Gustafson, born in Sweden,
who was reared in Michigan from the age of fifteen years. Mr. Latham
was bereaved of his wife on May 15, 1919. Their union resulted in the
birth of two children; Robert Allen died in August, 1917; John Edward
died January 1, 1909; he had married Florence Blank, who survives him
and presides over Mr. Latham's home. She has one son, Allen Emmett, a
graduate of Oakland high school, class of 1922. Mr. Latham was made a
Mason in Pierre Marquette Lodge, Ludington, Mich., in 1872, is a past
master of Springfield, Ill., Lodge No. 4, A. F. & A. M., and is now
a member of Los Gatos Lodge No. 292. He is a member of Howard Chapter
No. 14, R. A. M., and San Jose Commandry No. 10, K. T., and all the
Scottish Rite bodies in San Jose. He is also a member of E. 0. C. Ord.
Post No. 82, G. A. R.
From Eugene T. Sawyers' History of Santa Clara County,California, published by Historic Record Co. , 1922. page 1129
SANTA CLARA COUNTY The Valley of Heart's Delight