G. B. McNEAL
Bio-Pen Pictures
G. B. McNeal, one of Santa Clara County’s worthy and highly esteemed citizens, was born in Bangor, Maine, December 14, 1837. After receiving a common-school education in his native State, he engaged in the lumber business with his father. At twenty-one years of age he went to St. Paul, Minnesota, and engaged in lumbering. He then went South, where for a time he managed a plantation, but afterward returned to Minnesota and resumed the lumber business. In 1859 he sailed from St. Paul for California, landing in San Francisco July 5 of that year. Like the majority of new-comers in the early days, Mr. McNeal went to the mines. He was there engaged in getting out timber for mining purposes. At the breaking out of the late war Mr. McNeal enlisted in the Union Army and served for about three years. At the close of the Rebellion he settled in Alameda County, California, and engaged in farming.
In October, 1871,
he was united in marriage to Miss Mary May. To them have been born four
children, one boy and three girls. The family are consistent members of the
Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. McNeal is a member of the A. O. U. W. Lodge,
and in politics he is a Prohibitionist. The family residence is situated on the
Berryessa road, where Mr. McNeal owns twenty acres of fine land, which is
devoted to fruit culture.
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. 308
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler
Proofread by Betty Vickroy
ALBERT B. McNEIL
Bio-Pen pictures
SURNAMES:
Albert B. McNeil, proprietor of McNeil Brothers’ Printing and Publishing House, established the business, in connection with a younger brother, in 1878. In 1881 he purchased his brother’s interest, the firm name remaining unchanged. The establishment is the largest in the Santa Clara Valley, and is finely equipped with first-class material and printing and binding machinery for executing work in the highest style of the art. All kinds of printing and binding are done, but Mr. McNeil makes a specialty of druggists’ labels, fruit labels, and everything in fine-color label work. Fifteen thousand dollars’ worth of the latest improved machinery was added to the plant last spring, making it one of the most complete establishments of its class in the State. A feature of the business is book-binding and blank-book manufacturing of superior class. The quality of work done is attested by the numerous first prizes awarded to it at fairs and expositions where it has been exhibited on this coast.
Albert B. McNeil was born in Sandusky, Ohio, August 11, 1850. When he was nine years of age his mother died, leaving him and three younger brothers, who lived for some time with relatives at Unionville, Lake County, Ohio. His father married again and resided in Mattoon, Illinois, until 1866, when young McNeil went to Chicago to finish the printer’s trade. While thus engaged he corresponded for several newspapers, and was afterwards employed on the Chicago Times as a local writer and special correspondent. After traveling quite extensively through the Eastern and Southern States, he came by the way of New Orleans to California in 1876, and at once secured a position as Assistant Editor of the San Jose Mercury, which place he filled two years, and until engaging in business for himself. Then forming a partnership with his brother, they began the printing business, and for a time published the San Jose Republican, an eight-page weekly paper. Not proving a successful venture, it was suspended, and the concern run as a job office only. The business employs from twenty-five to thirty skilled hands the year round.
Mr. McNeil was united in marriage, November 30, 1882, with Miss Sarah E. Holland, a former teacher in the public schools of San Jose, whose parents reside near Evergreen, in this county. She was born in Newark, New Jersey, November 19, 1859, and has resided continuously in this county since 1860.
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. 398-399
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler
Proofread by Betty Vickroy
SANTA CLARA COUNTY The Valley of Heart's Delight