JOHN ALFRED NACE
Bio-Pen Pictures
SURNAMES HOOVER, SCARFF, GARRETSON,
was born at Hampstead, Carroll County, Maryland, in 1832, where he was raised. His parents were Peter and Susan (Hoover) Nace. His mother dying when he was only four years of age, he was taken by his uncle, Daniel Hoover. He was educated in the grammar school of Hampstead, and lived with his uncle until he was eighteen years of age, when he was apprenticed to learn the trade of millwright, serving a term of three years. He worked at that trade in Carroll and Harford Counties, Maryland, three years, and during the winter months, when the weather would not permit him to work at his trade, he taught school, teaching seven terms in the counties of Carroll and Harford, Maryland, and York, Pennsylvania.
In 1857 he discontinued work as a millwright and engaged in hotel-keeping at Abingdon, Maryland, until 1860, when he was employed to travel for the publishing house of Virtue & Yorston, of London, England, and New York city, with headquarters at New York city. In 1864 he was promoted by the same house to general agent, and was located at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and in 1866 they made him Superintendent of all the American agencies. In 1868 he resigned that position to accept a general agency from the same company on the Pacific, with his headquarters at San Francisco, where he was engaged in the general book business until 1870, when, resigning his position on account of ill health, he came to Santa Clara, where he engaged in dealing in books and stationery, and in 1872 added a job printing-office to his business, which he still carries on. In 1878 he accepted the agency of Wells, Fargo & Co.’s express office at Santa Clara, and at the same time was made manager of the Western Union Telegraph office at the same place. During 1882 and 1883 he edited and published the Santa Clara Journal.
Politically Mr. Nace is a Republican. He has served one term of two years as a member of the Board of Town Trustees, a term of two years as a member of the Board of Education, and a term of one year as Town Treasurer of Santa Clara. He is a prominent Odd Fellow, being made such at Abingdon, Maryland, in 1861, and was made a Patriarch at Pittsburg in 1865. He holds a membership in Santa Clara Lodge, No. 52, I. O. O. F., Santa Clara Encampment, No. 32, I. O. O. F., and Canton Pacific, No. 10, Patriarchs Militant, I. O. O. F., all of Santa Clara. He has filled all the offices in the Subordinate Lodge and Encampment, and is Past Commander of his Canton, of Patriarchs Militant, and is the present Grand High Priest of the Grand Encampment of the State of California.
February
17, 1857, he was married, in Harford County, Maryland, to Miss Sarah R. Scarff,
daughter of Henry and Hannah (Garretson) Scarff. They are the parents of nine living children: Flora M., Katie E., William A., Charles A.,
Gertrude S., Estella, Mabel, Perly A., and Myrtle. They lost one, Henry, who died in infancy. Their sons, William A. and Charles A., are
graduates of the Santa Clara High School
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. 287-288
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler
Proofread by Betty Vickroy
SANTA CLARA COUNTY The Valley of Heart's Delight