FOSTER W.
CHASE
Lumberman
Bio-Pen Pictures
SURNAMES; BAGLEY, HOWELL,
Foster W. Chase, son of Cyrus and Sophronia (Bagley) Chase, was born in Machias Port, Maine, December 4, 1848. His parents were natives of that State. His father died April 25, 1852, and was buried in the Gulf of Tehuantepec on his way to California. His mother is now living at Soquel, with one of her daughters. They reared a family of nine children, of whom three have since died. The oldest of the family died when a small child. Foster was reared in Maine at a place called Chase’s Mill, after he was five years old. When nearly nineteen, he came to California via Panama, and landed in San Francisco in October, 1867. He at once went to work for his brother, Josiah Chase, on his ranch, and remained there during the winter. In the following March he went to Lexington and took charge of a lumber yard there owned by his brother Josiah, and continued his business until 1883. After remaining at Lexington four years, he went to his brother’s ranch near where he had a saw-mill turning out the lumber. In 1884 Mr. Chase bought thirty-five acres of his brother’s ranch, on which he has since resided. He has about eight acres in fruit, consisting of 500 French prunes, 150 egg plums, 200 pears and apples, 30 peach and apricot. All are four years old except the apples and pears, which are but two.
In December, 1870,
he was married to Nannie J. Howell, who was born February 21, 1850, in Linn
County, Missouri. They have five children, namely: Maude E., born September
25, 1871; Ralph C., November 23, 1873; Walter W., October 31, 1878; Irma P.,
April 6, 1884, and Chester J., March 28, 1886. They lost one child, Charles
C., born February 11, 1876, and died October 2, 1877. Mrs. Chase came to
California with her parents in 1852. Her father, Watkins F. Howell, first
located in Grass Valley, Nevada County, and in 1855 removed to Santa Clara
County, where Mrs. Chase has since resided.
Pen Pictures From The
Garden of the World or Santa Clara County, California, Illustrated.
- Edited by H. S. Foote.- Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1888.
Pg. 299
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler
Proofread by Betty Vickroy
SANTA CLARA COUNTY BIOGRAPHY PROJECT