ROBERT C. McPHERSON
Bio- Pen Pictures
SURNAMES:
Up to the present
time the development of the petroleum resources of Santa Clara County, and, in
fact, of California, has been entirely the work of one man - Mr. Robert C.
McPherson. He was born in Buffalo, New York, May 6, 1840, and was reared and
educated there. His father, John McPherson, was a Scotchman and had settled in
Buffalo when it was a small village. His business was that of a beef and pork
packer. In 1859, when the first oil excitement occurred in Pennsylvania,
Robert, with his brother Angus, went there and operated until 1873, when he came
to California. At that time there had been some desultory prospecting in the
southern counties, particularly in what is known as the Pico District. Oil had
been found by shallow wells but no intelligent and thorough effort had been made
toward a complete development. The work had been done principally by the San
Francisco Petroleum Company, the directors of which did not seem inclined to
make expensive experiments. When Mr. McPherson came upon the ground, his
experienced eye at once saw that the prospecting had been of a very superficial
character. Against the protests of the company and against the remonstrances of
his friends, he commenced sinking a well with the determination to reach the
reservoir, which he calculated was at a depth of about thirteen hundred feet.
After much expense and many discouragements he struck the oil-bearing sand at a
depth of twelve hundred and ninety-five feet. The oil flowed over the top of
the derrick, eighty feet high. This was the first deep well ever drilled in
California, and from it sprung the oil interests of Southern California. There
was no lack of capital for the work after Mr. McPherson had shown the company
how to employ it to advantage. He operated there until 1874, when he sold the
controlling interest to Charles N. Felton, and came to Santa Clara County, where
he had leased land in Moody’s Gulch and vicinity. Here he commenced drilling in
1878, and up to the present time, has made ten wells. As a matter of history
the operations at these wells are important, not only as to what has already
been accomplished, but as a starting-point for future work.
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. 164
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler
Bio-Pen Pictures
SURNAMES: FAULKNER, ESINHARD
J. J. Miller has
been selling goods at New Almaden since 1874, and has been in charge of the
store on the hill since the latter part of 1887. He is a native of Canada, born
at St. Johns, Province of Quebec, June 9, 1838, his parents being William and
Mary (Faulkner) Miller. His father was a native of Canada, and his mother of
Ireland. J. J. Miller was reared and educated at St. Johns, and commenced
clerking at the age of fourteen years. In 1859 he set out for California, by
the ocean route, and landed at San Francisco in October. He clerked for twelve
years in Santa Clara, and then engaged in merchandising at Lexington. Eighteen
months later he went into the cattle business on a ranch in Monterey County, and
from there came to New Almaden in 1874. He was married in Canada, February 7,
1863, to Miss Susan Esinhard, a native of St. Johns, Quebec. They have one
child, Lillie J.
Politically, Mr.
Miller is a Republican. Was reared in the Episcopal faith. Is a member of the
Santa Clara Lodge, No. 52, I. O. O. F.
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. 342
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler
Proofread by Betty Vickroy
SANTA CLARA COUNTY The Valley of Heart's Delight