Butte County
Biographies
ISAAC STOKES
ISAAC STOKES.—It would be difficult to find a man more emphatically
in accord with the true Western spirit of progress than Isaac Stokes, who has
evolved the theory that any young man with ambition and correct ideas of life
may attain his goal. Mr. Stokes was born near Chico, on March 23, 1871, a son
of John and Kathrina (Snider) Stokes. His father was
a farmer, and died in 1872. His mother is now Mrs. Letcher, who is mentioned
elsewhere in this work.
Isaac Stokes was the only child born to
his parents. He was reared principally on grandfather
Isaac Snider’s ranch, three miles north of Chico, meanwhile attending the
public schools until he was about nineteen years of age. At that time he became
possessor of a one hundred sixty-acre ranch near Cana, where he engaged in
farming until he was twenty-five. He then moved to Chico, and was employed in
mechanical work there for about five years. He next entered the employ of the
Best Manufacturing Company, of San Leandro, as engineer on construction work,
and remained for three years, after which he returned to his ranch of one
hundred sixty acres, and once more engaged in farming, and also in
blacksmithing. In 1917, in order to be more centrally located, he moved to Chico
Vecino, and leased a newly built shop on Esplanade,
between Eleventh and Twelfth Streets, where he continued the blacksmithing
business. He has a well-equipped establishment for blacksmithing and all kinds
of machine work, and makes a specialty of repairing engines and harvesters. His
machinery is operated by electric motors, and the shop is equipped with the
modern improvements. A natural born mechanic, Mr. Stokes makes his own
equipment, and most of his tools. He has a son, Eugene, who is following in the
footsteps of his father and is a good mechanic, and who is now serving in the
Aviation section of the Signal Corps, United States Army.
Mr. Stokes is a popular and well-liked man, always standing up for what he
believes to be right. He has made many friends, and has a rapidly growing
business. He is a Republican in politics.
Transcribed by Marie Hassard
16 July 2009.
Source:
"History of Butte County, Cal.," by George C. Mansfield, Page 1214, Historic Record Co, Los
Angeles, CA, 1918.
© 2009 Marie Hassard.
Golden Nugget Library's
Butte County Biographies