OCTAVE J. FRANCIS
Bio-Sawyers
SURNAMES: La FEVRE, La MONTAGUE, JEROME,
An early settler of California arriving here in 1862 is Octave J.
Francis, a native of Canada, born at La Prairie, near Montreal,
November 27, 1843, a son of Benoit and Flavy (La Fevre) Francis,
natives of Canada, descended from old French-Canadian families. They
removed to Malone, N. Y., in 1846, where they reared their family on
the farm. Later in life our subject returned to Malone and brought his
parents to his California home where they were cared for until their
death at seventy-two and sixty-eight years, respectively. Octave J. was
the fifth oldest of a family of eight children born to this worthy
couple and from a youth learned habits of industry on his father's
farm, three miles from Malone, and also attended the local public
schools. When nineteen years of age he started for California, coming
via Panama to San Francisco in 1862, on the old Constitution. He came
immediately to Santa Clara County and followed farming.
In 1866 he made the trip back home via Panama, returning via the same
route a year later. In 1869 he again returned East via Panama and the
same year brought his father and mother out by rail, just after the
railroad was connected at Promontory Point. Mr. Francis then purchased
sixteen acres of raw land in Union district, setting out an orchard of
prunes, peaches and apricots. His family made their home on this place
while he was engaged in the sawmills in the Santa Cruz Mountains. In
1870 he began work in Froment's mill, and worked up to sawyer. After
eight years he left, to become sawyer for Jim Cunningham, on Boulder
Creek, for two years, and then with Hubbard & Carmichael Bros.,
with whom he was head sawyer for twelve years, continuing steadily with
them until all the available timber was made into lumber and the mill
shut down, when he retired to his ranch where his family had resided
all these years. In 1917 he sold the ranch and purchased a residence at
26 Asbury Street, San Jose, where he now makes his home.
Mr. Francis was married in San Jose to Miss Adelaide La Montague,
who was born at Malone, N. Y., also descended from an old
French-Canadian family, their union having been blessed with five
children: Dennis was accidentally killed in 1915 while driving in an
automobile race in Fresno; Victor, Milton and Roy are engaged in the
automobile and garage business in San Francisco; the latter was an
aviator and was the first boy who ever flew over this county, and
during the World War he was instructor at Kelly Field, Texas, holding a
captain's commission; Venia is Mrs. P. A. Jerome of Lassen County.
Politically, Mr. Francis gives his allegiance to the Republican party,
while, religiously, he is a member of St. Joseph's Catholic Church.
Eugene T. Sawyers' History of Santa Clara County,California, published by Historic Record Co. , 1922. page 1121