Placer
County
Biographies
JOHN ALBERT PREDOM
The gentleman whose name graces this
sketch is the enterprising proprietor of a printing establishment in Auburn,
Placer County, California, and is a native of the town in which he lives. John Albert Predom was born July 28, 1868,
and is descended from an old French family noted for high literary
attainments. In France the name is
Prud’homme. That line of the family from
which John Albert Predom is descended is traced back several generations to
Canada, where the name is spelled Prud’homme.
The name was abbreviated to its present form after its representatives
came to the United States. It was the
great-great-grandfather of John A. who was the first of the family to make
settlement in Canada, he being one of a party of French colonists. In Canada, probably in Montreal or Quebec,
Joseph Prud’homme, the son of the first settler was born. In Canada he married Miss Margaret Cass, and
both lived to extreme old age, his death occurring in 1895 at the age of one
hundred and five years; her in 1894 at the age of one hundred and three! They were the parents of ten children, eight
of whom are still living.
One of this family,
Moses Predom, the father of our subject, is the youngest of the surviving
members. He was born in Montreal, July
1, 1840, and in Canada spent the first fifteen years of his life, learning the
trade of blacksmithing there in his boyhood days. In 1855 he came to California. On arriving here, he at once went to work at
his trade in Auburn, working for wages ninety-five days, and then opening a
shop of his own. Since that time he has
been engaged in blacksmithing and wagon and carriage making. He has also, at different times, been more or
less interested in mining operations; gold, silver and copper, but like many
investors, has never realized his expectations in this direction. He was married in 1866 to Miss Sarah Jane Worsley, a native of New York, and they have had eight
children, of whom six are living, all natives of Auburn, namely: Moses, John A., Charles, Clifford, Rathford and Mary Ella.
The eldest son, Moses, is in business with his father. The daughter is now the wife of John Wood.
Having thus briefly outlined the
family history, we turn now to the direct subject of this article, John A.
Predom, who has kindly furnished the facts herein contained.
John A. Predom was reared in his
native town and was educated in the public schools and at the Sierra Normal
College. He learned the printer’s trade
in Auburn and San Francisco, after which he was editor of the Bulletin and
later of the Placer County Republican.
In 1890 he opened a job printing office in his native town. Being an expert printer himself and knowing
the requirements of an office in which first-class work is done, he equipped
his establishment with the best of machinery and material for all kinds of job
work, and soon built up a substantial and satisfactory business, which he
retains and which he is increasing as the years go by.
January 22, 1892, Mr. Predom was
united in marriage with Miss Mary Ursla Lawler, a
daughter of Patrick Lawler, of Placer County, and a niece of A. McKinley, who
served for fourteen years as an assessor of Placer County. They have two children: Cameron W., born December 16, 1893; and Daisy
E., born September 1, 1896.
Mr. Predom is a Republican, active
and enthusiastic in political matters.
At this writing he is the secretary of the Republican central committee
and also a member of the executive committee.
Fraternally he is prominently identified with several
organizations. He is a past chancellor
of the Knight of Pythias lodge and the captain of the Uniform Rank, K. P., and
an active member and past officer of the Native Sons of the Golden West. He is a valued member of the National Guard
of California, and is captain of Company D, Second Regiment, Third
Brigade. During the last war with Spain
he raised a company and drilled the same preparatory to going to the
front. They, however, were not called
out.
Thus it is seen that Mr. Predom is
one of the up-to-date and foremost young men of his town. The biographer of a score of years later
will, doubtless, find other interesting chapters to add to a sketch of the life
of this enterprising citizen.
Transcribed by
Gerald Iaquinta.
Source:
“A Volume of Memoirs and Genealogy of Representative Citizens of Northern
California”, Pages 725-727. Chicago Standard Genealogical Publishing Co. 1901.
© 2010
Gerald Iaquinta.