Contra
Costa County
Biographies
EDWARD
M. DOWNER
EDWARD M. DOWNER. Prominent among the representative men of
Pinole, Contra Costa county, is Edward M. Downer,
who holds various positions in the business activity of the place, at present
acting as agent for the Southern Pacific Railroad, postmaster, and editor of
the Times. Born April 28, 1869, he is a native of
Yuba county, Cal., and a son of James Edward Downer. The latter, a native of New York state, crossed the plains to California during the early
gold excitement, probably in ’49, and engaged in mining until his death, which
occurred at the age of sixty-five years.
His last work was done in Nevada county.
Reared in his native state,
Edward M. Downer completed his education in the high school of Nevada
City, after which he studied telegraphy at Rocklin, Cal., under the direction
of James Agler, the present manager of the Southern
Pacific Railroad company. His first work in this line was at that
place, from which he went to various locations as it was the duty of a beginner
in telegraphy to go wherever called until assigned a permanent position. February 1, 1891, he was made station
agent and operator in Pinole, a position he has retained satisfactorily to the
present time. In the meantime he had
risen to prominence in his adopted city, and for the past ten years has held
the office of postmaster. In addition to
his other interests he established in 1894 a weekly paper known as the Times, this the first and only paper
ever published in Pinole, and which now has a circulation of a thousand
copies. His office is modernly equipped
with a press run by an electric motor.
The marriage of Mr. Downer united
him with Lizzie Bouquet, a native of this county and the daughter of the late
Frederick Bouquet. They have one child,
Hazel I. Fraternally Mr. Downer is
a Royal Arch Mason, and in various lodges has served in an official
capacity. Immediately after his location
here Mr. Downer began to buy lots and build houses, owning at the present
time considerable property, conspicuous among which is his beautiful home,
located on a rise of ground overlooking the town and bay. He has taken an active interest in the
progress of the city and has served in official capacity, having discharged the
duties of city clerk in behalf of the citizens.
[Inserted by D. Toole]
DOWNER
1938
Jan 10, Oakland Tribune, P7, Oakland, California
Taken
by Death
Mayor
Downer of Pinole Dies
Banker
and Civic Leader Succumbs After Long Illness
Pinole,
Jan. 10. Mayor E. M. Downer, 68, Contra Costa County banker and
civic leader, died at his home here early today after a protracted
illness. Ailing for the past two years,
Downer has been confined to his bed for six weeks. He was president of the Mechanics Bank of
Richmond and the Bank of Pinole, both of which he founded, and vice-president
of the First National Bank of Richmond.
He was president also of the Pinole Light and Power Company and the Carquinez Hotel Association. President of the Richmond Union High School
board of trustees, Downer was also a director of the Richmond Chamber of
Commerce and the Berkeley Country Club.
His fraternal affiliations included the Masonic Lodge, Sciots, Shrine and Elks Club of Richmond, the Athenian-Nile
and the Athens Clubs of Oakland. Former
postmaster and publisher of the Pinole paper, Downer came here in 1859 as a
railroad telegraph operator. Surviving
are his widow, Mrs. Edna Downer; a daughter, Mrs. George Thornton of Richmond;
two sons, Edward of Oakland and Robert of Pinole; two stepsons, Jack McLean of
Richmond and Howard Poinsett of Pinole; a brother, Jack Downer, of Lakeport;
three grand-children, James Thornton, Deborah and Edward Downer III, and three
step-grandchildren, Howard, Rowland and Elizabeth Poinsett. Funeral services are pending at the Wilson
and Kratzer Mortuary.
1938
Jan 11, Oakland Tribune, P62, Oakland, California
Death
Notices
Downer
– In Pinole, January 10, 1938, Edward M. Downer, beloved husband of Mrs.
Edna Butler Downer, loving father of Robert Byron Downer of Pinole and Edward
M. Downer Junior of Oakland, and Hazel Downer Thornton of Richmond, loving
stepfather of Howard Poinsett and John B. McLean of Pinole, beloved brother of
Jack Downer of Lake County, California, loving grandfather of Elizabeth Jane
Thornton, Deborah Ann Downer, Edward M. Downer the Third and Elizabeth, Roland,
Howard Poinsett Junior. A member of Pinole Lodge No. 253, F. & A. M.; Aahmes Shrine, Scottish Rite, Knights Templar; Richmond
Lodge No. 1251, B.P.O.E.; Richmond Sciots;
president of Richmond Masonic Hall Association and Carquinez
Hotel; member of Berkeley Country club, Royal Order of Jesters of Oakland,
Director of Richmond Chamber of Commerce and member of Richmond High School
Board, president of Mechanics Bank of [article not completed].
1938
Jan 11, Oakland Tribune, Oakland, California
Pinole
Mayor Laid to Rest
Last
Rites are Held for E. M. Downer, Contra Costa Banker
Richmond,
Jan. 11, Private services for Edward M. Downer, Contra Costa County banker and
civic leader, were held this afternoon at the family home at Pinole. The Rev. Thomas A. Buyer, county probation
officer and former Christian minister, and the Rev. C. R. Hess of Quincy,
former pastor of the Pinole Community Church, officiated. Interment was at Mountain View Cemetery. Besides Downer’s financial interests he has
been active in many fraternal and civic organizations and held several
political offices. He became Pinole’s
first Mayor in 1903 and served until the time of his death early yesterday.
Organized
Bank
In
1905 Downer organized the Bank of Pinole, which later established branches in
Rodeo, Crockett and Port Costa, and 1907 established the Mechanics’ Bank of
Richmond, which later established branches in El Cerrito and Albany. He served as president of both institutions
until his death. He also served as
vice-president of the First National Bank of Richmond since its organization in
1917 and was engaged in many other business and financial activities. He was born at Browns Valley, Yuba County, on
April 19, 1869. He was the son of
James E. Downer, who crossed the plains during the gold rush.
Worked
for Railroad
His
first job was that of telegraph operator for the Southern Pacific Company at
Pinole in 1889. A year later he became
the station agent and in 1893 became postmaster of Pinole. In 1901 he established the Pinole Times, a
weekly newspaper, which he continued to publish until his death. He later became president of the Pinole Light
and Power Company and president of the Carquinez
Hotel Association. He also was president
of the Richmond Union High School Board of Trustees, the Richmond Masonic Hall
Association, a director of the Richmond Chamber of Commerce and the Berkeley
Country Club.
Lodge
Member
His
fraternal affiliations were with the Athenian-Nile Club and Athens Club of
Oakland, Richmond Lodge of Elks, Pinole Lodge of Masons, Aahmes
Temple of Shrine, Richmond Pyramid of Sciots and the
Knights Templar of Oakland. A resolution
of condolence, praising Downer as an outstanding civic leader, was adopted last
night at the Richmond City Council and was sent to member of the bereaved
family. P. M. Sanford, president of the
Chamber of Commerce, characterized Downer as a “most useful and outstanding
citizen in Contra Costa County who was closely allied with every important
civic undertaking of the community.”
Surviving relatives include: His widow,
Mrs. Edna Downer; two sons, Edward M. Downer Jr., of Oakland, and Robert
Downer of Pinole; a daughter, Mrs. George Thornton of Richmond; two stepsons,
Howard B. Poinsett of Pinole and Jack McLean of Richmond; a brother, Jack
Downer of Lakeport, and six grandchildren, Elizabeth Jane Thornton,
Edward M. Downer III, Deborah Downer, Howard B. Poinsett Jr., Rowland
Poinsett and Elizabeth Poinsett. The
Wilson and Kratzer Chapel was
in charge of services.
Transcribed by Donna Toole.
Source: History
of the State of California & Biographical Record of Coast Counties,
California by Prof. J. M. Guinn, A. M., Pages 1006-1007. The Chapman
Publishing Co., Chicago, 1904.
© 2016 Donna Toole.
Contra Costa County Biographies