Contra
Costa County
Biographies
CAPT.
WILLIAM REMFREE
CAPT. WILLIAM REMFREE. As an esteemed and highly respected citizen
of Antioch, Contra Costa county, Capt. William Remfree is missed from the old associations with which he
had been connected for so many years. Up
to the time of his death in March, 1898, he was one of the most progressive and
public spirited men of the town, giving his best efforts toward its material
upbuilding and the promotion of all worthy enterprises, identifying himself
with all movements calculated to advance the general welfare and in every way
proving himself a valuable citizen.
Born in Cornwall, England,
February 2, 1842, Captain Remfree was a son of
Samuel Remfree.
His boyhood years were spent in his native country, where he received
his education and his early training. He
came to the United States in youth, spending a short time in the mining regions
of Lake Superior, and in 1860 he came west to California. He first located in Virginia City, where he
took up the barber trade. Later he went to the Almaden mines, thence to San
Francisco, in the later place conducting a barber shop about four years. In 1887 he located in Antioch, where he
opened a barber shop and saloon, a very brief residence serving to win for him
the esteem and confidence of all who had business or social dealings with
him. He became a member of the various
sporting clubs of the place, among them the Cosmopolitan and Black Jack Gun
Clubs. He was fond of amusement, and
though a very busy man he kept in touch with it to the end of his life. A careful and conservative business man he
was exceedingly liberal and kind to all who stood in need of assistance. He was always active in the upbuilding of
Antioch, putting up three houses besides the handsome residence which his widow
now occupies, and owning various others.
Fraternally he was associated with Antioch Lodge No. 151, I.O.O.F.,
and the Ancient Order of United Workmen.
In San Francisco, Captain Remfree married Annie Marie Stotz,
a native of Germany, and she now survives him, making her home in Antioch. She is a woman of rare qualities of heart and
mind, and is esteemed by all who know her, her beautiful home being the center
of many friends who appreciate her hospitality.
Of her five children, Frank, a barber of Stockton, died at the age of
thirty-four years. He was taken suddenly
ill after being summoned home on the death of his father, and the two were
buried on the same day. Of the remaining
children, William married Anna Simpson, and they have two children, namely:
Helen and Aloa.
Fraternally he is a member of the Native Sons and the Foresters. Nellie married Joseph Briedenback,
and they have one child, Irene. James
married Marie Clifton. He is associated
fraternally with the Foresters. Robert,
at home, is fraternally associated with the Foresters.
[Inserted
by D. Toole]
William
Remfree
1893
Feb 27, The San Francisco Call, P3, San Francisco,
California
Breidenback-Remfree
Miss
Nellie Remfree and Mr. J. Breidenbach
were married on Sunday, February 1, at the residence of the bride’s parents in
Antioch. The affair caused quite a stir
in the town, Miss Remfree being a general favorite
among her many friends. Mr. Breidenbach is a Stockton merchant in good standing. The ceremony was performed by the Rev. Mr. Williams
of Antioch, and at its conclusion the wedding party proceeded to the Dickerson
Hotel to enjoy the wedding feast, after which the company adjourned to Pavilion
Hall and made merry, singing and dancing until a very late hour. The presents were numerous and handsome and
consisted chiefly of household usefuls. The bride was handsomely attired in a rich
white silk dress and looked lovely. The
maid of honor was Miss Mary Durken, and G. Kroh was the page.
The bridesmaid was Miss N. Chase and Mr. William Remfree
acted as best man. Besides numerous
relatives and friends of Antioch, a large contingent of the
groom’s fellow townspeople were present at the wedding.
1898
Mar 21, San Francisco Chronicle, P8, San Francisco, California
Shot
Pigeons at Ingleside
California
Wing Club Starts the Season
<snipped>
Shooters
on the grounds yesterday received with many expressions of regret an
announcement of the death of William Remfree of
Antioch. Remfree
was widely known among local shooters and has been a regular attendant at all
the big tournaments given by the California Inanimate Target Association. The death of Remfree
occurred in this city last Saturday.
1898
Mar 22, The San Francisco Call, P9, San Francisco,
California
Death
of Two Noted Sportsmen
Last
Friday William Remfree of Antioch died in his city of
Bright’s disease of the kidneys, and yesterday his
eldest son, W. J. Remfree, died in Antioch. The father and son were well and favorably
known to many of the local sportsmen, who will learn with regret of their
untimely demise.
1913
Feb 9, Oakland Tribune, P44, Oakland, California
Antioch
Woman Dies After Short Illness
Antioch,
Feb. 8 Mrs. Mary Remfree,
one of the best known and most highly respected women of Antioch, died at her
home here after a serious illness of several weeks. She was over 60 years of age and her death
was not unexpected by the members of her family. She was the widow of the late William Remfree, who died about fifteen years ago, and mother of
James and Robert Remfree of Antioch and Mrs. Drydenbach[sic]
of Stockton. Mrs. Remfree
was the owner of extensive property interests in Antioch and leaves an estate
of considerable value. She had lived in
Antioch for many years.
1900
Nov 30, The San Francisco Call, P7, San Francisco,
California
Trivial
Quarrel Causes Murder
George
Nason Fatally Shot by Dan Shine at Antioch
Assassin
Was Angered on Being Ejected From a Hotel Because of Refusal to Pay for His
Breakfast
Special
Dispatch to The Call.
Antioch,
Nov. 29 – George Nason, a porter in the Arlington
Hotel, was shot and killed by Dan Shine at 6 o’clock this morning. The murder was the result of a trivial
dispute. Shine entered the hotel and
went into the dining-room and had breakfast.
After he had eaten he walked out into the barroom and sat down by the
stove without offering pay for the breakfast.
Nason, who was on duty behind the bar at the
time, walked over to him and asked him for the price of the meal. G. A. Odell, who was a witness to
the affair, says: “Nason
took hold of Shine, who as considerably under the influence of liquor, shook
him and asked him to pay up. Shine in
some way slipped to the floor, and Nason slapped him
lightly on the face and then told him to get out of the house. Shine got up and went out, but returned in a
few minutes. He got as far as the end of
the bar, when he was met by Nason. Nason said, ‘I want
you to get out of here and stay out,’ and Shine replied, ‘All right, I will
go.’ There was no scuffle and no loud
language. Nason
escorted Shine to the front door of the office and then gave him a shove toward
the door. With this Shine turned with
the words, ‘I’ll shoot you,’ and fired twice, hitting Nason
in the abdomen.” F. P. Reed
and Frank Ellsworth were in the office at the time of the murder and both tell
substantially the same story. After
being shot, Nason staggered through the doorway into
the hall, where he fell and died within a few minutes. William Remfree was
on the street in front of the Arlington at the time of the shooting. He says:
“I saw Dan come out of the hotel with a revolver in his hand, and as he
passed me he remarked, ‘It did not take me long to do that job.’” Shine then continued his walk down to a
saloon on the wharf, where he got an overcoat that belonged to him. He also reloaded his revolver. On his way up town he was met by Constable C. A. Sweeney,
who placed him under arrest. Sweeney
searched him and took away the revolver and a knife. Shine has not a very savory reputation in the
community, having already served a term in prison. George Nason, the
murdered man, came from San Francisco, where he was employed in the Golden West
Hotel for over a year. He had been in
Antioch but six weeks. An autopsy was
held this afternoon on the remains of the murdered man, and it was found that
he had been shot twice, once in the abdomen in front and once in the back, the
bullet ranging upward and passing through his breast.
1898
Aug 6, The San Francisco Call, P8, San Francisco,
California
W.
J. Remfree, a popular young sportsman of Antioch, was
married last Tuesday in this city by Judge Conlan to
Miss Annie Simpson of San Diego. The
happy couple will enjoy pleasant days at Mr. Remfree’s
home in Antioch.
1892
Jan 23, Placerville Mountain Democrat, P7, Placerville, California
Contra
Costa County
James
Remfree, who was under bonds for striking John Donlon with brass knuckles at Antioch on Thanksgiving day, shot him Jan. 11 inflicting but a slight wound.
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 1047-1048. The Chapman
Publishing Co., Chicago, 1904.
© 2016 Donna Toole.
Contra Costa County Biographies