CHARLES W. JARVIS

Sacramento County

Biographies

CHARLES W. JARVIS

CHARLES W. JARVIS.--A native son of California, Charles W. Jarvis was born in Alpine County, March 27, 1874, a son of M. W. and Jane (Brown) Jarvis, the father a native of New York and the mother of Iowa; the father came to California after the close of the Civil War in 1866, across the Isthmus. The elder Jarvis, who was an able machinist and capable blacksmith, settled in Alpine County, his death occurring when he reached seventy-four years, while his good wife is still living, at Oroville, Cal. Both of the subject’s parents are of Scotch lineage. The father was a veteran of the Civil War, having enlisted and served throughout that struggle with a New York regiment of volunteer infantry. He received an honorable discharge and soon after the close of the war came to California, settling in Alpine County, where he met and married his wife. She crossed the plains on the way to California with her parents, whose train passed through only two days ahead of the “Mountain Meadow massacre.” They would no doubt have been killed, as were the rest, had it not been that the wife of the doctor of the company was an own sister of Brigham Young’s first wife, whose intercession, it is believed, was the means of safety of their train.

Charles W. Jarvis was the second in a family of six children, and when he was a lad his parents moved to Gridley, Butte County, and in the public schools of that town he received his education. When fourteen years old he took up the trade of blacksmith and at the age of nineteen became a full-fledged journeyman at the trade, and worked in different places in the state until 1917, which year marks his arrival in Courtland, Sacramento County. In 1918, he bought a blacksmith shop in Courtland and has since that time been steadily engaged at his place of business. In December, 1922, the shop burned to the ground and at the present writing, 1923, Mr. Jarvis is erecting on the property a three-story building, the main floor of which he will occupy, one floor will be used for his warehouse and the remaining floor will be leased to the Martha Washington Community Store.

On July 9, 1896, at Vacaville, occurred the marriage of Mr. Jarvis to Miss Estella Evinger, born in Illinois, who came to California with her parents when eight years old; her father settled and engaged in farming at Lincoln and there her early life was spent; her death occurred in 1916.

Mr. Jarvis’ second marriage, April 28, 1918, united him with Miss Mary Kintchen, born in Detroit, Mich., and reared at Chicago, Ill. Fraternally Mr. Jarvis is a member of River Lodge No. 256, I. O. O. F., of Grafton and of the Native Sons parlor of Courtland. Politically he is a Republican, liberal in his views and voting for man rather than party.

Transcribed by: Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.

Source: Reed, G. Walter, History of Sacramento County, California With Biographical Sketches, Pages 912-913. Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, CA. 1923.