Butte County
Biographies
HAROLD
PYKE
HAROLD PYKE.—Born in Point Colburn, Ontario, Canada, in 1884, Harold Pyke is a son of Richard and Frances Pyke, natives of Westminster, England. The father was a Presbyterian minister, and followed that calling in Ontario. In 1897 he brought his family to California and now resides in Pasadena. He and his worthy wife were the parents of seven children. The youngest in the family, Harold Pyke was educated in California, attending the public schools at Westminster, Orange County, finishing with a high-school course. From the age of sixteen he has made his own way in the world. He worked on ranches until 1902, when he came to Oroville, Butte County, and found employment with the Lava Beds Dredging Company for eighteen months. At the end of that period, he entered the employ of the Boston Machine Shops in Oroville. After completing the trade at the latter place, he was engaged as master mechanic at the Great Western Power Company for eighteen months, when he resigned to go to Mojave as master mechanic on the construction work of the tunnel for the Jawbone Railway.
After completing the work for the railway, Mr. Pyke returned to Oroville and was again employed with the Boston Machine Shops, then went to Stirling City and was with the Diamond Match Company in charge of their machine shops for five years. He accidentally lost the fingers of his right hand, from having been caught in a joiner. Soon after this, desiring to engage in the garage business, Mr. Pyke resigned his position and located at Gridley, where he opened the Butte Garage, having the agency for the Reo cars. He continued the business for three years, then sold out to Henry McCurry, in February, 1917, at which time he located in Chico and engaged in the sale of automobiles. He is now agent for the Reo, Dort, and Packard cars, and the Reo and Packard trucks, with salesrooms at 104 Broadway. He has these agencies for all of Butte County, from Gridley north and also for the northern half of Glenn County. In addition to his salesrooms, he maintains a service station garage.
The marriage of Mr. Pyke, in Stirling City, united him with Miss Viola Crum, born in Prattville, Cal. She is a graduate of the Chico Normal and was engaged in teaching before her marriage. In religious belief, Mr. Pyke is a Presbyterian. In politics he supports the Republican platform.
Transcribed by
Marie Hassard 07 December 2009.
Source: "History of Butte County, Cal.," by George C.
Mansfield, Pages 1312-1313, Historic Record Co, Los
Angeles, CA, 1918.
©
2009 Marie Hassard.
Golden Nugget Library's
Butte County Biographies