For over a half century the Bohnett family has been continuously
identified with the agricultural development of Santa Clara County and
in this field of activity Floyd O. Bohnett is proving a worthy successor
of his father, being recognized as one of the most progressive
orchardists of this part of the state. He was born on the old home place
on the Los Gatos and San Jose road, August 15, 1894, his parents being
Joseph and Tamer (Barker) Bohnett, born in Michigan and California,
respectively. In 1870 the father came to California from Michigan,
purchasing a tract of 180 acres in Santa Clara County, which he farmed a
few years and then sold and bought fifty acres on the Los Gatos Road;
here he set out an orchard and after twenty-eight years sold it to his
son Floyd O. He now lives retired in a bungalow on an acre of the ranch.
He was very successful in his farming operations and in 1888 erected a
beautiful home, in which our subject is now living. The mother passed
away in September, 1920. They had eleven children, five girls and six
boys, all living, and all but two of them in Santa Clara County.
Floyd O., the eighth of the family, received a grammar and high
school education and in 1911, when seventeen years of age, assumed the
responsibility of the operation of the home ranch, which he has since
successfully managed. In 1919 he purchased the orchard from his father
and gives it close attention. He is deeply interested in all modern
developments along horticultural lines and utilizes the most improved
equipment, including an evaporating plant. He is thus independent ot the
sun for drying purposes and through this process obtains the maximum of
weight in the fruit. His time and attention are concentrated upon his
chosen life work, to which he gives much thought and study, keeping
abreast of the times in every way. Mr. Bohnett, his brother, L. D.
Bohnett, and the inventor, H. E. Clauser, hold the patent right for the
duplex interlocking building block, a new system of permanent
construction of concrete buildings. They are incorporated as the Duplex
Construction Equipment Company and manufacture the machines and molds
for making the above concrete bricks and are now introducing it into the
various parts of the United States. It is as substantial as brick or
concrete buildings and at the same time competes with frame construction
in prices. Mr. Bohnett individually has the Santa Clara County rights
and has a plant for manufacturing the brick on his ranch. He believes in
the cooperative marketing of fruit and is an enthusiastic member of the
California Prune & Apricot Growers Association, the California
Cooperative Canneries and the California Walnut Growers.
Mr. Bohnett was united in marriage at San Jose with Miss Violet
Morgan, born in this locality, and they reside in their large residence
on the ranch, which has been, for many years, the home of the Bohnett
family. They have two children, Joseph Jr., and Thomas Morgan. In his
political views Mr. Bohnett is a Republican and he is now serving as
school trustee of the Cambrian district, the school that his mother and
all eleven children attended. He was made a Mason in Charity Lodge No.
362, F. & A. M. at Campbell, in which he is past master; he is a member
of all the Scottish Rite bodies in San Jose and he is also a member of
Islam Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., at San Francisco. His work sustains the
enterprising spirit that has long been synonymous with the family name
in Santa Clara County, for he has lived up to worthy standards, and his
influence is always to be counted upon in the promotion of any measure
looking to the improvement of the community in which he lives.
Transcribed by Joseph Kral, from Eugene T. Sawyers' History of Santa Clara County,California, published by Historic Record Co. , 1922.
page 1403