Butte County
Biographies
HERBERT
L. VOORHIES
H. L. VOORHIES.--As the proprietor of the largest
optical establishment north of Sacramento, H. L. Voorhies, of Chico, is meeting
with splendid success in his profession, in which he has had years of thorough
training, supplemented by an experience equalled (sic) by few
optometrists. Born in Detroit, Mich., he
is a son of George Voorhies, a native of that state and a saddle and harness
manufacturer in Detroit, and who now resides at Linden, Mich. He married Eunice Evans, also born in
Michigan, and they had three children.
The first
child in his parents' family, born November 5, 1872, H. L. Voorhies was reared
in his native city and educated in its public schools, later attending the
State Normal at Ypsilanti. On graduating
from the latter institution he entered the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor,
and, on finishing there, he entered the Detroit College of Optics, from which
he was graduated in 1893, with the degree of Doctor of Optics, after which he
began the practice of his profession with L. Black and Company in Detroit, a
long established optical house in the State of Michigan. After three years with that company Dr.
Voorhies practiced as an optometrist with F. Rolshaven and Company, for three
years. In 1901 he came to California and
associated himself with Hirsch and Kaiser in San Francisco, for the period of
one year, and then accepted a position with Chinn-Beretta of that City, with
whom he continued for eleven years, during which time he spent three and one
half years as manager of their establishment in Sacramento, and three years in
a like position in their Stockton branch.
He later spent a like period in San Francisco, then back to Sacramento
for a year or so, until September, 1914, when he resigned and established
himself at Chico.
Dr.
Voorhies opened his office as an optometrist and optician, his being the first
exclusive optical establishment north of Sacramento. An expert in his profession, he soon gained a
large clientele, and now has a large practice throughout Northern
California. He draws his patients from
Butte, Colusa, Glenn and Tehama Counties, in fact, from Sacramento to the
Oregon line. He has had excellent
success as an optometrist, and as an optician he sees to the manufacture of the
lenses, all work being done under his personal supervision. His offices and manufacturing department are
located at 408 Broadway, and are well furnished and fully equipped.
Dr.
Voorhies' marriage united him with Miss Florence Murphy, who was born in Grass
Valley, Cal., and they have one child, George Voorhies. As soon as he was twenty-one years of age,
Dr. Voorhies made application to become a Mason and was gratified on his
selection, and was made a Mason in Allen Lodge, No. 253, A. F. & A. M. in
Allen, Mich., where he still holds membership; he is also a member of the
Stockton Lodge, No.218, B. P. O. Elks.
As a thoroughly reliable and enterprising business man and also as a
liberal and public spirited citizen and friend, he is well-known throughout
this section of California.
Transcribed by Rhonda
Ruick O'Brien.
Source: "History of
Butte County, Cal.," by George C. Mansfield, Pages 1315-1316, Historic Record Co, Los
Angeles, CA, 1918.
© 2010 Rhonda
Ruick O'Brien.
Golden Nugget Library's Butte County
Biographies