Sacramento County
Biographies
SAMUEL C. PELTON
SAMUEL C. PELTON. Among the business
men of Folsom, Cal., Samuel C. Pelton stands among the most prominent. He is the son of Samuel B. and Margaret
(Wagner) Pelton, the former a farmer by occupation
who came from Canada to the United
States in 1858. Four years later he came to California
by water and located in Eldorado county,
at Rose Springs,
where he engaged in mining with considerable success, making his home there
until his death, which occurred in 1882.
His wife survived him two years, dying in 1884.
Samuel
C. Pelton was born in Canada
February 2, 1837, of American parents, and received his primary education in
the district schools of that country.
With his mother and sisters he came to California
in 1862 and joined the father and older brothers, who engaged in mining here
for a number of years. Disposing of his
interests in Eldorado county,
Samuel C. Pelton removed to Oakland,
where he engaged in the grocery business for two years, and later carried on
the same business in Shingle Springs.
After the destruction of his store and its contents by fire he removed
to Folsom, establishing himself as a dealer in hay, grain, feed and
groceries. He purchased the stock,
buildings and good will of James Harris and now has one of the most flourishing
stores in the city. Mr. Pelton also owns valuable property in Placerville,
which is now rented to and occupied by a laundry company. By indomitable courage and spirit he has
triumphed over the vicissitudes of business life and has pushed ahead until he
has acquired a competency for old age.
Mr.
Pelton was married to Miss May L. Biggs, who was born
in West Virginia, where she
obtained a portion of her education and taught school for five years. After coming to California
she finished her education, and for twenty years thereafter was an instructor
in the schools of this state. In
politics Mr. Pelton is a stanch Republican, and was
appointed post-master under President McKinley at Shingle Springs. He has always taken a lively interest in the
success of his party, being equally interested in local, county and state
politics. He is of an energetic
disposition, warm in his friendships, and furnishes by his life another
instance of the elevating power of an honorable citizenship.
Transcribed by Priscilla Delventhal.
Source: “History of
the State of California and Biographical Record of the Sacramento Valley, California” by J. M.
Guinn. Pages 675-676.
Chapman Publishing Co., Chicago 1906.
© 2007 Priscilla Delventhal.