Surnames: HOUSOY, WALTHAM, CARTERI, FOXEN, OSUNA

-An enterprising leader in California's ever-growing agricultural industry is Frank E. Bourguignon, a native son who was born in San Francisco on July 7,1877, the son of Emile H. Bourguignon, a native of Brussels, Belgium, where he was born on March 9, 1849. He was the son of Maximilian and Desirée (Housoy) Bourguignon, both natives of the same locality, and the parents of four children, of whom two sons and a daughter attained maturity. The eldest, Emile, was sent to the local public school, and when a mere lad he was apprenticed to learn landscape gardening. At eighteen years of age he became a Belgian Grenadier, and during five years of service he was promoted to be a sergeant. On leaving the army, he went into business at Brussels; but when the Centennial of our nation drew attention to the United States in 1876, he crossed the ocean with his family and came direct to California.


For a couple of years, he lived in San Francisco, and having canvassed the situation thoroughly, he removed in 1879 to San Jose, and established himself in the florist business. He began, as it were, at the beginning; but by 1903 he had 60,000 square feet under glass, and was raising flowers which he had no difficulty in selling in the markets in San Jose, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Sacramento. During the winter time, he made a specialty of raising cucumbers. Mr. Bourguignon was twice married, his first step in matrimony having been taken in Belgium, and his first child, Frank, being born in San Francisco. At San Jose he became the husband of Miss Oraza Waltham, a native of Nova Scotia.

Frank E. Bourguignon attended the grammar and high schools in San Jose, and afterwards went to the Garden City Business College, where he was graduated in 1895; and then he remained with his father, assisting him in his growing enterprises, as a floriculturist, until he was twenty-eight years old. Setting up for himself, he went in the business of growing vegetables and garden seeds, leased 200 acres twelve miles south of San Jose on Coyote Creek, and devoted the acreage to raising seeds for twelve years, then he was in employ Northrup King & Company of Minneapolis and traveled over the Northwest as buyer and contractor, continuing with them for three years. He then returned to Moorpark Avenue to take charge of his father's greenhouses and he has been there since, conducting his own hothouse business. His father died on August 2, 1916, rich in the accomplishments of seventy-two worthwhile years, and also rich in friends and the esteem of his fellow-men; and Mrs. Bourguignon passed away in 1888, also beloved by all who knew her.

Mr. Bourguignon's ranch consists of three acres on Moorpark Avenue, two acres of which are under glass, about 90,000 square feet, the largest in the county. He has fifteen greenhouses in all, and he devotes these to the raising of hot-house vegetables for the Thanksgiving, Christmas and winter trade, most of his produce being shipped out of Santa Clara County for the fancy trade. He raises lettuce and tomatoes, but his specialty is hot-house cucumbers.

At San Jose, May 22, 1905, Mr. Bourguignon was married to Miss Serena Carteri, a native of Santa Barbara County, California, and the daughter of Leon Carteri and his wife, who was Matilda Foxen before her marriage. Mr. Carteri was famous as one of the most extensive stock-growers of the Pacific Coast, and one who did much to advance, along permanent, broad lines, its vast agricultural interests. He was born in Toulouse, Southern France, in 1839, a son of Bertram Carteri, a prominent and well-to-do man, and after completing a college course, he sailed from his native land in 1868, and coming direct to California, established a large mercantile business at Santa Ynez, in Santa Barbara County. He subsequently became part owner of the Foxen and Shaw ranches, and the sole proprietor of two other large farming estates. Besides, he rented the Santa Rosa ranch, and the Santa Lucia ranch at Lompoc, and once able to command these extensive tracts, he embarked in stock-growing and dealing, and became one of the largest operators in that field in California. He had about 40,000 sheep, 20,000 head of cattle, and 500 horses, fed them and shipped them to all the near-by markets. Notwithstanding these cares, Mr. Carteri left his immense interests long enough to go to Europe and travel for three years; and having returned to Santa Barbara County, he continued his operations, and subsequently leased ranches in Sisquoc, Santa Maria and Casmalia. During 1897 and 1898, he rented mountain ranges in Tehama and Plumas counties, later removing his stock to ranges in Yuba County. Selling his Santa Barbara lands, Mr. Carteri in 1900 moved with his family to San Jose; and continuing stock-raising, he rented the Webber ranch in Santa Clara County, and the Topo ranch in San Benito County, and devoted the former to cattle, and the latter to sheep raising. Finally, he disposed of all his northern stocklands, and devoted his entire time to his Santa Clara and San Benito County ranches; and having bought the estate at the cornier of Thirteenth and Santa Clara streets, San Jose, he improved a fine home by creating a beautiful yard and attractive surroundings, and made it one of the most desirable places of residence in the city. While out driving with a friend however, in the summer of 1903, a runaway team caused Mr. Carteri's horses to run away, and he was thrown from the carriage and dragged on the ground, receiving injuries that caused his death six weeks later. He passed away on September 5, 1903, a consistent member of St. Patrick's Church, and was buried in Calvary Cemetery.


On November 16, 1878, at Santa Barbara, Mr. Carteri was married to Miss Matilda Foxen, a native of Santa Barbara and the daughter of William Benjamin Foxen. The latter was born in Norwich, England, and had the distinction of being the first English or American settler of Santa Barbara County. At Goleta he built the first schooner used for mail service between Monterey and old San Diego; and having established himself as a merchant in Santa Barbara County, he had seven stores there in full operation, and in addition extensively followed agricultural pursuits, having a fine stock ranch. He proved of great aid to General Fermont, who had a camp on his farm and received from Mr. Foxen his needed supplies. Mr. Foxen married Edwarda Osuna, who was born in San Diego of Spanish ancestry, her parents, descendants of the Spanish nobility, having emigrated from Castile, Spain, to California, to act as administrators of churches along the Pacific Coast, and to help organize and build new churches throughout California. Mrs. Foxen lived to be eighty-three years of age, passing away at Santa Barbara. Mr. and Mrs. Foxen had fourteen children, eleven of whom grew to maturity, and Matilda was the youngest child. She was brought up in Santa Barbara and attended St. Vincent's College. A lady of exceptional refinement and culture, she is an active member of St. Joseph's Catholic Church. Mrs. Bourguignon has a family of six children, Desirée, Elise, Frank Emile Jr., Leon, Bertrand and André. Mr. Bourguignon is a protectionist and holds strongly to the platforms of the Republican Party. -- 

Transcribed by Joseph Kral, from Eugene T. Sawyers' History of Santa Clara County,California,  published by Historic Record Co. , 1922. page 1006

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