Butte County
Biographies
JAMES A. TOTMAN
JAMES A. TOTMAN.--One of the native sons of California whose integrity and ability have played a valuable part in the development of Butte County, is James A. Totman, agent of the Palermo Land and Water Company, and owner of a one-hundred-forty-five-acre ranch east of Oroville. Mr. Totman was born August 19, 1859, at Bidwell’s Bar. His father, Alexander Totman, a native of Sweden, came as a pioneer to California from New York City in 1852. He was a miner in the placer-mining days and later he became a fruit-grower and farmer. In early life he was a ship-rigger and a seafaring man and when he came to California he was second mate of a sailing vessel that rounded the Horn. The mother was Catherine Brady, who married Mr. Totman in New York, and joined him here in 1857. They had two children born in New York and who died there; and five were born in California, namely: James A.; Mary, wife of Fitzgerald Rogers, a rancher near Bidwell’s Bar, Butte County; Emma, the first wife of Fitzgerald Rogers, now deceased; Christine, Mrs. R. F. Jacoby, the mother of two children and now deceased; Henry, rancher at Sites, Colusa County, Cal.
James A. Totman attended the public schools at Bidwell’s Bar, and in the summer time, when he could find work, was employed on farms, in sawmills, haying in the mountains or working with his father at gold mining. He purchased the home place from his mother after his father’s death, and in 1884 went to work for the Feather River and Ophir Water Company as their water agent. This concern is now the Palermo Land and Water Company, and Mr. Totman has been with them continuously up to this time, devoting most of his time to the ditch, but being as well a very successful stockman.
In 1887, Mr. Totman was married to Miss Susan Victoria McCallam, the daughter of William McCallam, a Butte County pioneer, who came from New Brunswick, where Mrs. Totman was born. Five children were born to them: Alton, who died when nineteen years of age; Hazel, wife of George E. Walton of Oakland, and who has two sons; William, an electrician at La Hontan, Nev., who married Miss Hyatt, and they have one daughter; Ruth, wife of Robert Davison of San Francisco; and Parks, who is at home.
Mr.
Totman gives most of his time to the agency, furthering
the interests of its patrons. The work of the plant is extensive, furnishing
water to the olive- and orange-growers at Palermo and the surrounding country,
where he has charge of the main supply ditch. He and his wife reside at the old
Totman home near Bidwell’s Bar, where they enjoy a
large circle of friends and are highly respected and esteemed for their liberal
hospitality. Mr. Totman is a member of Oroville Lodge, No. 113, F. & A. M.,
and belongs to Oroville Lodge, K. of P. He has served as a trustee of Bidwell
school district.
Transcribed by Vicky
Walker, 2/19/08.
Source: "History of
Butte County, Cal.," by George C. Mansfield, Pages 751-752, Historic Record Co, Los Angeles, CA, 1918.
© 2008 Vicky
Walker.
Golden Nugget Library's Butte County Biographies