Sacramento County
Biographies
CHARLES C. PERKINS
Lifelong identification with Sacramento county binds Mr. Perkins intimately with this portion of the
state. The earliest memories of life are with him associated with a small
village named in honor of his father, for years its leading business man and
one of the largest property owners. The family name still is linked with
this suburban town, for since the death of the honored pioneer his son, Charles
C., has succeeded him in the management of the business enterprises and in the
development of properties at this point. Close as have been the ties to
bind him to the village, yet he has found leisure for other activities and has
entered into commercial associations with the city of Sacramento, where he is
known as the president of a large and growing general store on J street. Inheriting from his father the qualities of
energy, business acumen and foresight, he is prepared to meet the manifold
emergencies that arise in commercial circles and to surmount the obstacles that
throw their gloomy shadows over the path to success.
Years ago, when the world became excited
over the discovery of gold in California, there was a young man named Thomas C.
Perkins, a native of Massachusetts, who joined the hosts of Argonauts seeking fortune
beside the sunset sea. Early in the year 1850 he left Galena, Ill., with
an expedition bound for the coast and at the end of a tedious although
uneventful journey he found himself at the famous mines of the west. For
a time he devoted his attention to mining, but he soon came to realize that
there was greater promise in the land than in the mines; accordingly he entered
a large tract of land from the government. For years he engaged in
placing the tract under cultivation and making it productive. As people
came into the neighborhood he saw the necessity of a general store and
therefore became interested in such a business. The settlement, which is
five miles from Sacramento, is named Perkins in his honor and here he died in
January of 1901, four years before the demise of his wife; the latter was a
native of New York state, but came to California in childhood and here formed
the acquaintance of Mr. Perkins. Their union resulted in the birth of
seven children, but Charles C. is the sole survivor of the entire family.
Since the death of his father he has been owner and manager of the Perkins
store, started in 1882. In addition he is president of a large mercantile
company known as Perkins & Co., incorporated in March of 1907 with himself
as manager and president, and J. A. Haitz as
secretary and treasurer.
Although a leading and prosperous business
man and the son of a citizen actively associated with public affairs, Mr.
Perkins has never interested himself in politics and prefers to hold himself
aloof from all partisan matters. However, his interest in educational
matters is so great that he consented to serve as a director of the Sacramento
schools and during his four years of service in the office he was characterized
by devotion to the work, knowledge of its needs and a desire to increase the
usefulness of the city schools. Fraternally he has been a leading local
worker in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and also has been very prominent
in Masonry, being a member of the blue lodge and Knights Templar commandery in Sacramento, the Scottish Rite
and Consistory, also Islam Temple at San Francisco, Nobles of the Mystic
Shrine.
Transcribed by Sally Kaleta.
Source: Willis,
William L., History of Sacramento County,
California, Pages 806-807. Historic
Record Company,
© 2006 Sally Kaleta.