Placer
County
Biographies
HON. HAROLD T. POWER
Harold T. Power, the president and
superintendent of the Hidden Treasure Gravel Mining Company, has the
distinction of being the first white child born in Damascus, Placer County,
California, the date of his birth being February 7,
1857.
Mr. Power’s father, Michael Harold
Power, was a native of Waterford, Ireland, and was descended from English
nobility, several of his ancestors having been prominent officers in the
English army. When but a youth he left
the Emerald Isle and came to America, landing at Philadelphia and going from
there to New York City, where he was in business for a number of years, until
his health failed and he was advised by his physician to take an ocean
voyage. Accordingly, in 1854 he sailed from
New York for San Francisco, via the Isthmus of Panama, and early in September
landed in the Golden state. His first
work in California was building a toll road between Iowa Hill and Illinois
Town. Later he was engaged at Iowa Hill
in the management of the ditch interests of James Hill, and from there he went
to Damascus, where he resided until 1875, being interested in the Mountain
Tunnel and Mountain Gate mines, where his efforts were attended with success.
Selling his property at Damascus in
1875, he came to the Sunny South side of the divide, and he and William Cameron
became the discoverers of the Hidden Treasure mine. A company was at once organized for the
development of this mine, of which Mr. Power was the secretary from the time of
its organization until Mr. Cameron’s death, the latter portion of that period
also being its superintendent. To his
talent and industry is due much of the credit for the successful development of
this mine.
A public-spirited citizen, from the
time of his coming into the county to reside he took an active part in public
affairs, doing all in his power to advance the best interests of the
county. An enthusiastic Republican, he
was honored by his party with official position, being elected in 1867 as one
of the county supervisors, and two years later, in 1869, being elected to
represent his county in the state legislature.
These offices he filled in a manner that reflected credit both upon
himself and the people whom he represented.
For years he was a valued member of the Masonic order, and in his life exemplified
its teachings. When he passed away July
17, 1885, the community at large as well as his immediate family circle felt a
deep loss, and long will his memory be cherished.
Of his domestic life it may be said
that Mr. Power was happily married June 1, 1856, to Miss Isaline
K. Devely, a native of Switzerland, who came to New
York when a young girl and to San Francisco in 1855. Previous to her marriage she was a governess
in the family of Commodore Stockton, of California. Accompanying her husband to Damascus they
began housekeeping in a rude cabin and she soon adjusted herself to the style
of living so different from that to which she had been accustomed. For nearly a year she was the only woman in
that mining camp. Small and destitute of
conveniences though the cabin was, she by her refinement and her cheerfulness
made it a charming home and exerted an influence that was felt for good
throughout the camp. It was in this
cabin that her son Harold T. was born.
One other son and two daughters blessed their union, and of this family
of four only two are now living: the
subject of our sketch and his sister, Mrs. Lizzy P. Biggs, a widow, residing
with her mother in Auburn. To Mrs. Power
was given the honor of naming the Hidden Treasure mine. On her sixty-sixth birthday in 1899, she read
a paper entitled “The Gold Belt of the Sierras,” before the annual meeting of
the pioneers of the county, the article showing that she has a remarkable
knowledge and memory of life here in the pioneer days. This paper was published by the press
throughout the county and was highly commented upon.
From the honored father to the
worthy son has fallen the mantle of usefulness and deserved success. Harold T. Power received his early education
in the public schools of his native county, after which he entered the Pacific
Business College in San Francisco, of which institution he is a graduate. Upon completing his course in the college he
accepted the position of assistant bookkeeper for the firm of Stien, Simon & Company, of San Francisco. He found, however, that the close confinement
of office work was detrimental to his health, and, acting upon the advice of
his physician to adopt a more active occupation, he went into the Union Iron
Works and served as an apprenticeship of four years to the trade of machine
smith. At the end of this time he came
to Sunny South and entered the blacksmith shop of the mine with which he father
was connected, as stated above, and worked at his trade until his father’s
death. In September, 1887, he was made
the secretary of the company, the office his father had filled, and also soon
succeeded to the superintendency of the mine.
In 1890 he was elected to superintend the Mayflower mine, and filled that
position two years, in addition to performing his duties connected with the
other mine. During those two years his
residence was at the Mayflower mine. At
the end of that time, in 1893, he returned to reside at the Hidden Treasure
mine, and since that date has operated the property on a larger scale than ever
before. The following year, 1894, the
company was incorporated under the name of the Hidden Treasure Gravel Mining
Company. Thirty-six thousand shares, at
the par value of ten dollars each, were issued to the twenty-eight stockholders,
in numbers ranging from 100 to 11,500, Mr. Power having a controlling interest
and being the president and superintendent.
The mine is equipped with an electrical plant costing twenty thousand
dollars, which has reduced the expense of mining and handling no less than
thirteen per cent. One hundred and
ninety men are employed, and under Mr. Power’s able management, he being
recognized as an expert mining engineer, the property is a most productive and
paying one. He is likewise the president
and superintendent of the Morning Star Mining Company, at Iowa Hill, this
state.
While he has been so
successful as a mining engineer, Mr. Power has not confined himself exclusively
to mining, but has like his honored father, taken a prominent part in promoting
the welfare of the county and state. He
is the president of the Placer County Miners’ Association and a member of the
executive committee of the California Miners’ Association. The aims of these associations are the
protection and development of the mineral industries of this county and state
and the rehabilitation of hydraulic mining.
Mr. Power has been a director of the agricultural society of the county,
a director and stockholder in the Placer County Bank, and has served a term in
the legislature of California, having been elected in 1897. He was a delegate from California to the
Republican national convention held in Philadelphia, in June, 1900, which
renominated McKinley for the office of president of the United States, and
nominated Roosevelt for vice president.
He was nominated and elected a presidential elector of this state on the
Republican ticket in the last campaign.
November 23, 1871, Mr. Power was
married to Miss Mary V. Sweeney, of San Francisco, and they have seven
children, namely: Harold, Treasure,
Henry, Anita, Edward, Grace and Raymond McKinley.
Fraternally Mr. Power is identified
with the Freemasons, Native Sons of the Golden West and the order of Elks. As a businessman, a public-spirited citizen
and gentleman, he is a credit to the state.
Transcribed by
Gerald Iaquinta.
Source:
“A Volume of Memoirs and Genealogy of Representative Citizens of Northern
California”, Pages 591-594. Chicago Standard Genealogical Publishing Co. 1901.
© 2010
Gerald Iaquinta.