Calaveras
County
Biographies
DAVID E. BERRY
At an early day in the history of
California David E. Berry became a stage-driver and has since followed that
occupation, though the years have brought many changes and wrought a great
transformation. Conditions are now
vastly different and the population has changed from a camp of miners to
families interested in the various business affairs which are common to the
east as well as to the west.
Mr. Berry was born in Liberty, in
the state of Maine, on the 30th of April, 1834, and is of Scotch
lineage, his parents being Samuel and Irene (Edwards) Berry,
both of whom were natives of Maine and were respected farmers there. The father was a Universalist in religious
faith, while his wife was identified with the Methodist Church. They had six children, of whom three are now
living. Mr. Berry died in 1880 at the
ripe old age of eighty-three years, and his wife also attained the same age,
passing away on the old homestead on which they had always lived.
David E. Berry was educated in his
native state and on attaining his majority started for California. He sailed from New York on the George Law,
and after crossing the Isthmus of Panama he took passage on the Golden Gate,
which plowed the Pacific waters until reaching the harbor of San Francisco on
the 29th of May. For a short
time he was located at Mud Springs, in El Dorado County, and thence went to
Railroad Flat, in Calaveras County.
Later he located at Sacramento and engaged in driving from Sacramento to
Mokelumne Hill, a distance of sixty-five miles, going out one day and returning
the next. For eight years he drove from
Lodi to Mokelumne Hill and returned each day, a distance of eighty-four
miles. During all these years he was
never waylaid by highwaymen except on one occasion, and then the robbers did
not get a cent. He now owns a stage
route and carries the mail from Valley Springs to Mokelumne Hill. His son, William B., is now the driver of the
four-horse stage and is very competent, being able to manage his horses with
skill, and at the same time he is courteous to his patrons and enjoys the high
regard of all with whom he is thus associated.
The father also owns a livery stable at Valley Springs, where he now resides.
In 1873 occurred the marriage of our
subject to Miss T. Wildermuth, a native of Illinois, who came to California in
1872. She is a daughter of Eli
Wildermuth, of Illinois. They now have
two sons and two daughters, namely:
Laura, William, Elsie and David S.
Irene, the oldest daughter, died at the age of seven in 1881. Since the organization of the party, Mr.
Berry has given his support to Republican principles and has served as
constable at Valley Springs for the past nine years. He has long been recognized as a thoroughly
reliable citizen and has a wide acquaintance from northern California, his many
estimable qualities gaining him the friendship and regard of all with whom he
is associated. Not to know David E.
Berry in Calaveras County is to argue one’s self poorly posted, for as
stage-driver and owner he has formed a very extensive acquaintance.
Transcribed by
Gerald Iaquinta.
Source:
“A Volume of Memoirs and Genealogy of Representative Citizens of Northern
California”, Pages 441-442. Chicago Standard Genealogical Publishing Co. 1901.
© 2010
Gerald Iaquinta.
Golden Nugget Library's Calaveras County Biographies