CHARLES A. PEARSON
JUNCTION GARGAGE- MOUTAINVIEW
Bio-Sawyers
SURNAMES:
Among the younger generation of
business men of Mountain View Charles A. Pearson has won a place for
himself in the commercial activities of his native town. Born in
Mountain View, February 15, 1888. he is the youngest son of Charles
and Hildah (Peterson) Pearson. The father's sketch appears elsewhere in
this work{see below}. Charles Pearson attended the grammar and high schools of
Mountain View. He entered the employ of Rogers and Rogers, in the
general merchandise business, and remained with them until his father
established his own grocery business in 1905, the members of the firm
being the father and son. The business grew to be the largest and most
up-to-date grocery establishment in Mountain View, employing fourteen
men; and seventeen horses were used in the delivery department. The
business was later sold to good advantage and Charles A. bought a half
interest in the Junction Garage owned by Charles C. Skinner.
The marriage of Mr. Pearson on April 18, 1911, united, him with Miss
Bertha J. Etzkorn, a native of Missouri, who came to Mountain View to
join her parents, who had already settled here. Mr. and Mrs. Pearson
are the parents of two children—Edward and Carl Pearson.
The business of the Junction Garage grew to such proportion that the
proprietors realized the need of a larger building more centrally
located and Mr. Platt agreed to build an adequate garage at the corner
of California and Castro streets. It is one of the finest and most
modern garages in the Santa Clara Valley, up-to-date in every respect.
They deal in Chandler, Packard and Cleveland cars, Cletrac tractors,
Kelly-Springfield tires, and 'auto accessories, and employ as many as
twelve men in the machine shop. Mr. Pearson is a capable executive and
as such is contributing his full share to the success of the growing
business.
CHARLES PEARSON
A pioneer citizen of Mountain View, who has spent many
active years in business and ranching is Charles Pearson. He was born
July 15, 1855, at Sylvesborg, Sweden, near the Baltic Sea. His father,
Peer Brukson, was a house and ship carpenter, and his mother, before
her marriage, was Kjorsti Jenson, and was born in the same place as her
husband. Charles Pearson grew up in Sweden and received what education
he could in the common schools of his native land. When he was fifteen
he began work in a leather store connected with a tannery, thoroughly
learned the leather trade, and by the time he was nineteen, he was head
man. The best hides for sole leather came from South America and Mr.
Pearson's employee had built a new three mast bark for the hide trade
with South America. Being of a venturesome disposition, Charles Pearson
interviewed the captain and became one of the crew of the new bark
bound for South America. They sailed from Sweden via England
1600 taking on a load of coal there, touching again at Montevideo, they took
on a load of salt for salting the hides. When they had secured a load
of hides they set sail for the home town in Sweden, having been gone
eleven months. Mr. Pearson immediately engaged with another Swedish
sailing company and for six years was occupied on sailing vessels from
Sweden, Norway, England and America and thus acquired a fluent
knowledge of the Scandinavian and English languages. In his voyages, he
visited Denmark, Germany, Finland, Russia, England, Scotland, Ireland,
France, Portugal, Italy and Sicily. For three years he was engaged in
the orange shipping trade from Sicily to St. Petersburg. Finally
shipping as a sailor on an American sailing vessel, the Big Bonanza,
from New York City with a general cargo of merchandise, he came around
Cape Horn to San Francisco, arriving May 8, 1881, after a stormy voyage
of six months, seven weeks of which was spent in rounding the Horn,
where the most terrific storms were encountered.
After arrival in San
Francisco, he learned that he had a cousin by the name of Andrew
Johnson, at Mountain View. He was induced to take a job working in a
vineyard, so he gave up his idea of becoming a master navigator or ship
captain, which for many years had been his ambition. He continued to
work for his cousin until his death in 1883 and then rented a vineyard.
The first year proved disastrous, and he took a job as foreman on the
Swain ranch.
The marriage of Mr. Pearson occurred in 1883 and united him with Miss
Hildah Peterson, a resident of San Francisco, who was born and reared
in the same town in Sweden. For fourteen years he was foreman of the
Swain ranch, and on the ranch being sold, he removed to Mountain View
and engaged in business. While employed as foreman, he purchased a home
in Mountain View at the corner of Villa and Bryant streets, and Mrs.
Pearson and the two boys resided there in order that the children might
have the advantage of the best school facilities. The first ranch which
Mr. Pearson owned was in the mountains, which he disposed of and
purchased a six-acre piece of the Murphy ranch, which he also sold. In
1909 he purchased his twelve-acre piece on the Alviso Road near
Sunnyvale, on which he raises corn, sugar beets and garden truck. Mr.
and Mrs. Pearson are the parents of two children: Alfred W., a
structural engineer, residing at San Mateo, married Miss Isabel
Williamson and they have one child, Alfred W., Jr.; Charles A. is in
business in Mountain View, the junior member of the firm of Skinner and
Pearson. In national politics Mr. Pearson is a Republican.
Sawyer, Eugene T, History of Santa Clara County, California : Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic Record Co., 1922, 1776 pgs.
page 1599
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SANTA CLARA COUNTY The Valley of Heart's Delight