Sacramento County
Biographies
FRED GIER FAWCETT
FRED GIER FAWCETT.—A well-known
contractor and builder of Galt, who is also successfully engaged in ranching,
is Fred Gier Fawcett, who after many years spent away
from his native state is again located close to the place of his birth. He
was born at Liberty, San Joaquin
County, just across the line from
Galt, November 21, 1864, the son of George and Harriet (Gier)
Fawcett. The father, who was a native of England,
first resided in Ohio on coming to the United
States, later going to Illinois,
and during the gold rush he came to California,
making the journey across the plains in an ox-team train. He first settled
in Sacramento County
near Galt but later purchased property at Liberty, San
Joaquin County,
and removed there. He then went to Colfax, Nev.,
where for three years he was the proprietor of a sawmill,
and after selling out there he went to Nebraska,
where he lived until his death. It was while the family
were living at Colfax that Mrs. Fawcett passed away, when only
twenty-eight years of age, leaving two small children, Fred Gier,
of this sketch, and his sister, Ora. His sister
went sent to the home of relatives in Ohio, while Fred
went to live in Iowa, being reared and educated at Wyoming,
Jones County,
and there he also learned the carpenter trade.
In
1889 he returned to California settling at Stockton,
where he worked at his trade for five years. He then went to Tuolumne
County, where he engaged in carpenter work for a few years and in 1898 he came
to Galt, where after working for others for a time, he established himself as a
building contractor; and he has ever since been successfully engaged in this
line. On June 10, 1891, at Stockton, Mr. Fawcett was
married to Miss Weltha Hawley, born at Tecumseh,
Nebr., the daughter of R. A. and Elizabeth Hawley; both
parents are still living at Stockton
and have passed the ripe old age of eighty. The Hawley family came to Stockton
from Nebraska about twenty-eight
years ago, and Mr. Hawley for a number of years had a store and potato-chip
factory on Main Street. Mrs.
Fawcett is one of a family of nine children, six of whom are living.
Mr. And Mrs. Fawcett are the
parents of seven children: Harry Gier of Los Angeles; Robert of Galt; Fred of San Francisco; and Margaret,
Gertrude, William and Richard of Galt. Mr. Fawcett is a Republican in his
political views and is prominent in the ranks of the Odd Fellows, being a past
grand of the Galt Lodge, while Mrs. Fawcett is a past noble grand of the Rebekahs. Nine years ago Mr. Fawcett erected the
comfortable residence in Galt where they have since made their home, and he
also owns and operates a good ranch of sixty acres one mile from Galt on Dry
Creek.
Transcribed 4-3-07
Marilyn R. Pankey.
Source: Reed, G.
Walter, History of Sacramento County,
California With Biographical Sketches, Page
596. Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, CA. 1923.
© 2007 Marilyn R. Pankey.