Placer
County
Biographies
PHILETUS V. SIGGINS
This is a utilitarian age, in which
man devotes his energies to business affairs, and the leading citizens of a
community are now those who promote commercial and industrial activity. Engaged in general merchandising in
Roseville, Mr. Siggins is now a well known and highly esteemed representative
of commercial interests in northern California.
His life history began on the 13th March, 1835, and the place
of his birth was in Warren County, Pennsylvania. In his career he has manifested many of the
sterling characteristics inherited from his Irish and Scotch ancestry. His father purchased a farm of five hundred
acres in Warren County, Pennsylvania, where he and his two brothers located and
reared their families of from thirteen to fifteen children. Representatives of the name are now quite
numerous in the east and some of them are also found in the western states. They were prominent early settlers of Warren
County and took an active part in the development of that portion of the
country. The father of our subject was a
lumberman, following that business in order to gain a livelihood. Of the Methodist Church he was an active and
leading member and his Christian belief was manifest in his daily conduct, in
his business associations and in his relations with his fellow men. He married Miss Margaret Kinnear,
a daughter of Henry Kinnear, a prominent
merchant. Through four generations the Kinnear’s were connected with the mercantile affairs in the
county, and on both the paternal and maternal sides the mother was a member of
large and influential families. Her
father owned much valuable property in Warren County and in public affairs was
a man of prominence. Unto the parents of
our subject were born thirteen children and seven of the number still survive. The father
lived to be seventy years of age, while the mother passed away at the age of
seventy-five.
Mr.
Siggins of this review is the only one of the family in California. In his native county he obtained his
education and received his business training under his father’s direction,
working in the lumber yard in Pennsylvania until his emigration to California
in 1879. He came over the Central
Pacific Railroad, and from San Francisco made his way directly to Roseville,
where he has now resided for a quarter of a century. He was first engaged in the stock and meat
business and for a time was in partnership with William Sawtell
in merchandising, but during the past four years he has conducted a store of
his own. He is a careful businessman who
earnestly desires to please his customers, is courteous in his treatment and
fair in his dealings. Thus he enjoys the
good will of the public and has gained a liberal patronage.
In 1857 occurred the marriage of Mr.
Siggins and Miss Elizabeth Fletcher, a native of Jamestown, New York. Their union was blessed with one son, Lewis
Fletcher, now a resident of Sacramento.
The mother died during the early boyhood of her son, and in 1860 our
subject wedded Miss Mary Wilson, a native of Pennsylvania. They came to California together and through
the years of their residence here she has been to him a faithful companion and
helpmate. They now reside in a pleasant
home in Roseville and enjoy the esteem of neighbors and friends, while the
hospitality of the best homes in the community is extended to them. In political sentiment Mr. Siggins is a
Republican, but has never been an aspirant for office, preferring to give his
time and energies to his business affairs.
The qualities which insure success are his and in his career he has
shown himself worthy of the confidence and support of the public.
Transcribed by
Gerald Iaquinta.
Source:
“A Volume of Memoirs and Genealogy of Representative Citizens of Northern
California”, Pages 784-785. Chicago Standard Genealogical Publishing Co. 1901.
© 2010
Gerald Iaquinta.