Santa Clara County
Biographies
HORATIO WILSON CATE
HORATIO WILSON CATE. Living a
life of manliness and upright integrity, the late Horatio Wilson Cate was for many years a valued and honored resident of
San Jose, and was highly respected and esteemed, his sterling virtues being
everywhere recognized. A man of scholarly tastes and broad mental attainments,
he was associated with the early development of the educational system of the
Santa Clara valley, and later in his career was prominently identified with the
manufacturing and horticultural interests of his community. He was born in
Quincy, Ill., in 1847, a son of Joseph Cate, who
made three trips to California in pioneer days, but did not make a permanent
settlement here.
After completing the course in the grammar schools of
Quincy, Horatio W. Cate was graduated from
the college at Champaign, Ill., at what is now the University of Illinois,
partly paying his way through by teaching. His health failing from overstudy, he started westward in 1872 in search of a
milder climate, going first to Vancouver, Wash., thence traveling through
Oregon to San Francisco. Coming from there to San Jose, Mr. Cate was greatly impressed with its advantageous and
healthful location, its salubrious air and genial atmosphere, and at once
decided to take up his residence here. Applying for a country school, which he
preferred, he secured a position in this section of Santa Clara county. His health improved rapidly, and he continued here
as a teacher until 1883. Returning to his old home in that year, Mr. Cate married, and the following spring brought his bride to
San Jose, making their wedding trip by rail to this city. Purchasing an
interest in a planing mill with
T. J. Gillespie, Mr. Cate carried on a
business with him for some time. Subsequently buying out his partner, he
continued the manufacture of sashes, doors and blinds alone for awhile, and
then sold out his plant. For about a year thereafter he was manager of the San
Jose Electric Light Company, and was then engaged for a few years as a dealer
in hay and grain, building up a lucrative business. In the meantime Mr. Cate had bought ten acres of land on the Senter road, southeast of San Jose, and had set it out to
prunes, apricots and peaches. After retiring from mercantile pursuits,
Mr. Cate turned his entire attention to the
culture of fruit, improving his orchard and remodeling the old buildings on the
place, and as needed putting up new ones. As an orchardist he was successful,
and continued in horticultural pursuits until his death, in 1894, at the age of
forty-seven years. Mr. Cate was made a Mason
while living in Illinois, and after coming to San Jose joined the Garden City
Lodge, I. O. O. F., and the Encampment.
In March, 1884, in Quincy, Ill., Mr. Cate married Susan A. Powell, who was born in that
city, a daughter of Joseph Powell. Two children blessed their marriage,
but one of whom is living, namely: Hazel Wionona,
a student. Mrs. Cate, who still owns the Cate orchard, resides in the beautiful house which she
erected in 1903, at No. 160 South Ninth street.
Transcribed by Marie Hassard 12 November 2015.
ญญญญSource: History
of the State of California & Biographical Record of Coast Counties,
California by Prof. J. M. Guinn, A. M., Pages
873-874. The Chapman Publishing Co.,
Chicago, 1904.
ฉ 2015 Marie
Hassard.