Placer
County
Biographies
SIMEON C. JORDAN
To the development of the mining
interests of California the state largely owes it prosperity; and in presenting
the life record of Simeon C. Jordan we give a history of one who has been an
active factor in developing the mineral resources of his portion of the Golden
state. He now resides at Dutch Flat; but
Iowa is the state of his nativity, as he was born at Dubuque, on the 30th of
March, 1845. On the paternal side he is
of German and Irish ancestry, and on the maternal, of English and Scotch. Several of his ancestors came to America
before the war of the Revolution, and his grandfathers Clark and Jordan both
aided the colonists in their struggle to attain independence. The latter afterward located in Iowa,
becoming one of the very first settlers of that state; and George Washington
Jordan, the father of our subject, was born there.
In 1850 George W. Jordan started
across the plains to California, but died at Fort Laramie. He left in Iowa his wife and four children,
three sons and a daughter. For her
second husband the mother chose Lewis Costell, and in 1852 she came to
California with the family by way of the Isthmus, Simeon C. Jordan being then
in his eighth year. They located three
miles from Dutch Flat, at Mountain Springs; but not even a single cabin marked
the spot at which our subject now lives.
Mr. Costell had come to California in 1850, starting in the same company
with Mrs. Costell’s former husband. He made a fortune in this state and returned
and married Mrs. Jordan, and together they came to the Pacific coast, and here
Mr. Costell spent his fortune in mining enterprises.
In 1857 Mrs. Costell, the mother of
Mr. Jordan, married Eben Smith, and the next year
they moved to Colorado, where Mr. Smith entered into partnership with Jerome B.
Chaffee, constituting the mining firm of Smith & Chaffee, who owned the
Gregory and Bobtail mines, which produced many millions dollars’ worth of
ore. Mr. Smith is still living and is
associated with the David Moffit National Bank at
Denver. The mother of our subject died
in 1892 at the age of seventy-three years.
The children who came with her to California were William Thomas, Simeon
C., F. W. and Mary Ann. The daughter is now the wife of Charles B. Patrick, of
Pocatello, Idaho.
Simeon C. Jordan was educated in the
public schools of Dutch Flat and Woodland, and graduated in the commercial
college at San Jose. Throughout his
business career he has been connected with mining enterprises, having engaged
in mining and been active in the development and disposal of mines, and thus
acquiring a considerable competence. His
early experience was in quartz and hydraulic mining, being trained to this work
under the direction of his stepfather in Placer County. His first introduction to quartz mining was
under the guidance of Mr. Smith, already spoken of; whose knowledge of quartz
mines and mining in general is the best in the world today. Mr. Jordan made considerable money in Placer
and Nevada counties, his net gain being about ten thousand dollars a year; but
the debris law put an end to hydraulic mining and since that time his attention
has been given principally to drift mining.
He is now engaged in operating the Blue Lead mine just below Dutch Flat. He has recently erected a good ten-stamp
mill, each stamp weighing one thousand and fifty pounds. The mill and all of its machinery is of the
large improved patterns, and he is now operating the plant with the aid of
sixteen employees. He is rapidly
extending his work, however, so that he will soon furnish employment to sixty
men. He has bonded this mine to a large
company and its success is assured.
Mr. Jordan is considered a mining
expert whose understanding, experience and practical working has made him an
excellent judge of minerals and the best method of securing the metal from the
earth and of preparing it for use. He is
a man of great energy and strong purpose, and carries forward to successful
completion whatever he undertakes. His
opinions are considered authority throughout Placer County and his portion of
the state; and he has spent considerable time investigating mining properties
throughout California, so that he is well known in mining circles.
In 1879 Mr. Jordan was married to
Miss Augusta M. Horner, of Nevada City, and they have had five children, only
two of whom are living, however, namely:
Caroline S. and Irene Ruth. They
have a nice home in Dutch Flat and its generous hospitality is enjoyed by their
many friends.
Mr. Jordan is a member of the
Ancient Order of United Workmen. In
politics he is a stalwart Republican, joining the party at an early period in
its history. He lost his left arm while
loading a cannon during the second Lincoln campaign;
but he has never swerved in his loyalty to his party, which saved the Union
during the Civil War, which has ever been the champion of American rights and
liberties, the protector of American industries and now favors national
expansion. It is a record of which he is
justly proud; and throughout his active business career he has ever kept well
informed on the issues of the day, so that he has been able to support his
position by intelligent argument.
Transcribed by
Gerald Iaquinta.
Source:
“A Volume of Memoirs and Genealogy of Representative Citizens of Northern
California”, Pages 601-603. Chicago Standard Genealogical Publishing Co. 1901.
© 2010
Gerald Iaquinta.