Butte County

Biographies


 

 

 

 

JAMES C. OSGOOD

 

     

      JAMES C. OSGOOD.--A native son of Butte County, who has held important and responsible positions, is James C. Osgood, born at Bangor, November 9, 1860. His father, Gardner, was born in Rochester, N. Y., coming to California when a young man, via the Isthmus of Panama, arriving in San Francisco in the spring of 1850, and soon afterwards

locating in Oroville. A blacksmith by trade, he established a blacksmith shop where he continued business a few years and then engaged in mining, afterwards purchasing a ranch at Bangor, and becoming one of the pioneer horticulturists of that section, setting out an orchard and vineyard. He was elected supervisor, serving for two terms, then elected county recorder and auditor, being reelected an serving two terms, after which

he devoted his time to horticulture, until he died, September 12, 1906. The mother of our subject was a Miss Dickinson, a native of Tennessee, of an old Southern family; she died in 1863, when our subject was only three years of age. There were two children born of this union, James C. being the oldest.

      Receiving his education in the public schools, when seventeen years of age, James C. became deputy county recorder and auditor, under his father, during his two terms of office, and then under his successor, T. A. Atchison, in the same capacity, for two terms. Next he entered the employ of the Spring Valley Mining Company at Cherokee, as resident secretary, continuing for about three years, when he was elected Tax Collector of Butte County, in the fall of 1890, on the Republican ticket, being reelected in 1894, and serving from January, 1891, to January, 1899. In September, 1901, Mr. Osgood became connected with the Boston and Oroville Mining Company (one of the Hammond dredging companies) as bookkeeper, and has continued with them and its successor, the Oroville Dredging Company, Limited. Their offices were in Oroville until February 1, 1910, since which time they have been located in San Francisco. Since July, 1915, he has been manager of the company, and is also secretary and a director of same. He is one of the original incorporators of the Siskiyou Dredging Company, of which he is secretary and director. The company operates a dredger with success in Siskiyou County.

      The marriage of Mr. Osgood occurred in Oroville, where he was united with Miss Ida Fisher, who was born in Michigan. One son has been born of this union, A. H., a graduate of Lick School of Mechanical Arts, San Francisco, and who is now engaged in farming at Lower Lake, Lake County.

      Mr. Osgood has always been a Republican, and fraternally he is a member of Argonaut Parlor, Native Sons of the Golden West, of which he is past president.

 

 

Transcribed by Sande Beach.

Source: "History of Butte County, Cal.," by George C. Mansfield, Pages 655-656, Historic Record Co, Los Angeles, CA, 1918.


© 2008 Sande Beach.

 

Golden Nugget Library's Butte County Biographies

 

California Statewide

 

Golden Nugget Library