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Bio-Sawyers
SURNAMES: JOHNSON, HOLMGREN, ENGSTROM,

The owner and proprietor of the plumbing establishment at 318 High Street, Palo Alto, Charles 0. Carlson is a man of real mechanical ability. He comes honestly by his genius, his father and grandfather having been expert machinists, mechanics and inventors of Sweden. He was born in Sweden, April 21, 1882, and his father, C. J. Carlson, is still living, but his mother, whose maiden name was Charlotte Johnson, has passed away

 Charles grew up in Sweden and was educated in the excellent public schools of that country and was brought up in the Lutheran faith. There were six children in his family, of whom he is the fourth, viz., Gusta, died when twenty years of age; Frank, A., is engaged in the real estate business in Minneapolis, Minn.; Atilia, is the wife of Gust Holmgren, of Duluth, Minn.; Charles Oscar, of this review, was christened Karl Oscar, but changed to Charles Oscar at the time of his application for citizenship at Duluth, Minn., and so recorded upon being admitted to full citizenship at San Jose by Judge Welch. The two youngest were twins: Gerda, at home in Sweden, and William N., who died when six months old. When Charles was twenty years old he came to America.

Having learned the blacksmith's business at his father's forge he had little trouble in securing employment in a shop at Duluth, Minn., where his ability was soon recognized, and the local telephone company offered him an excellent position as foreman of their construction department. He came to Palo Alto in 1904 and took up the plumbing trade, having previously been engaged in this trade in Minneapolis, Minn.

Mr. Carlson's marriage occurred in Palo Alto and united him with Miss Helen Engstrom, a neighbor's daughter and a childhood friend of our subject from his old home, Lidkoping, Sweden. They are the parents of three children, Esther, Agnes and Carl 0.

 Mr. Carlson was associated with James E. Naldret for several years until the partnership was dissolved. In 1917 Mr. Carlson established his own business and is meeting with well-merited success, and is now counted among the best plumbers and business men of Palo Alto. He is a prominent member of the Master Plumbers of Palo Alto and Mountain View, also a member in good standing of the State and National Associations of Master Plumbers. He stands well in the Odd Fellows and Woodmen circles of Palo Alto, is a member of the Swedish Lutheran Church of that city, and in his political views he is a stalwart Republican.

From Eugene T. Sawyers' History of Santa Clara County,California, published by Historic Record Co. , 1922. page 1550
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