Santa
Clara County
Biographies
ALPHONSE
G. COL
A. G. COL. Leading factors of success in the career of
A. G. Col have been faithfulness, integrity and strict attention to
details. Laxity in these homely virtues
has never been tolerated by this honored citizen, and they have been
conspicuously felt during his term of service as county auditor, during his
many years of association with the firm of Lemoine, Gambert & Co., in both San Francisco and San Jose,
and are at present shaping into paying channels a recently established
wholesale commission business at Nos. 26 and 28 North Market street,
San Jose.
Born in the Department of Savoy, near Chambourg, France, February 26, 1864, Mr. Col
comes of a family which has been associated with tanning interests in Savoy for
many generations. His father, Joseph,
was no exception to the rule, but his business career was cut short at the age
of thirty-one, leaving to the care of his wife, formerly Louise Dubettier, two sons, A. G. and P. E., the latter
of whom is engaged in a wholesale grocery
business. In the fall of 1878 Mrs. Col
brought her sons to America, and soon afterward went to San Francisco, in 1880
locating in San Jose, which continued to be her home for the balance of her
life. A. G. Col was primarily
educated in France, and for a short time attended the public schools of San
Francisco. The family resources being
limited, he was obliged to go to work earlier than many boys, and was fortunate
in securing his first business experience with the firm of Lemoine,
Gambert & Co., one of the best-known
mercantile concerns in San Francisco. So
valued were his services that he was transferred under the same management to
their store in San Jose in 1880, where he clerked for over twenty years, and
where he was manager from 1895 until 1900.
Mr. Col’s resignation from the firm of Lemoine, Gambert & Co.
followed upon his appointment to the office of county auditor in July, 1900, by
the board of county supervisors, to fill the unexpired term of A. L. Veuve, deceased.
During his term of service, which covered two and a half years, and
terminated in January, 1903, he evidenced a high degree of efficiency and
pronounced regard for the well-being of the community which placed him in
power. He has otherwise served the
Republican party, and at the time of framing the new
charter of San Jose, was elected one of the freeholders’ committee for that
purpose. Upon retiring from the county
auditor’s office Mr. Col started his present wholesale commission business
on North Market street, an enterprise which his
success in the past invests with great promise, and in which he has the hearty
co-operation and good will of his fellow-townsmen. Mr. Col’s family consists of his wife,
formerly Augustine Promis, a native of Victoria,
British Columbia, and two children, Raymond and Mervyn. Fraternally Mr. Col is connected with
the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks.
*Spelling Variation: Alponso
[Inserted by D.
Toole.]
A. G. Col
[Alphonse G Col]
1897
May 1, The San Francisco Call, P8, San Francisco,
California
The
Wheelmen
First
Race Meet Here Under the Association Sanction Tomorrow
<snipped>
The
president of the California Associated Cycling Clubs has appointed A. G. Co. of
San Jose and R. M. Thompson of Fresno members of the track-racing
committee. There are two members yet to be
appointed. R. A. Smyth of San Francisco
is appointed official handicapper.
1900
Sep 29, The San Francisco Call, P3, San Francisco,
California
Santa
Clara Tax Levy
San
Jose Sept 28 – County Auditor A. G. Col to-day announced the total assessed
valuation of property in Santa Clara County as $51,971,267.50. The total for last year was $51,619,519,
showing an increase during the past year of $351,748.56. The county tax levy is $1.50 on the hundred
outside and $1.10 inside. The total city
and county tax levy for San Jose is $2.35 on the hundred.
1904
Dec 19, Evening News, P2, San Jose, California
Real
Estate Transactions
A.
G. Col to Augustine Col – 62x 137.90 W 1 5th st
123.72 ft N of San Salvador st, pt L 5 & 8 B 3 R
5 S, San Jose, Gift.
1909
Jul 18, Santa Cruz Sentinel, P4, Santa Cruz, California
Mrs.
A. G. Col and family of San Jose are here for the summer and are stopping in
Miss Hill’s cottage on Ocean street.
1914
Aug 5, San Francisco Chronicle, P12, San Francisco, California
Commissioners
Suspended
Special
Dispatch to The Chronicle
San
Jose, August 4 – Police Commissioners A. G. Col and J. S. Williams were
suspended last night until October 1st on charges preferred by Mayor
Husted. It is alleged that they voted to
spend more money than the Commission had at its disposal, and they had public
work done by private contract instead of by competitive bed, as the charter
provides.
1925
Nov 15, Oakland Tribune, P23, Oakland, California
San
Joseans Will Drill for Oil
San
Jose, Nov. 14 – Louis O’Neal, local attorney, interested in an oil development
project in the Lone Hill region, 12 miles west of here, announced today that
$46,000 worth of oil drilling apparatus arrived in San Jose yesterday for use
in working his syndicate’s oil leases.
Other San Joseans interested in the project
are: J. W. Chilton, A. G. Col, A. L.
Brassy, John Kocher, Henry Artana, Paul Marston,
Irving Lee and E. G. Zaro. Alfred Tenneally,
southern California oil geologist, will be in charge of drilling operations.
1935
Feb 12, Oakland Tribune, P27, Oakland, California
Died
Col
– In San Jose, February 10, Al G. Col, husband of Augustine Col, father of
Raymond and Mervyn Col, a native of France, aged 70
years.
1935
Feb 14, The Petaluma Argus-Courier, P9, Petaluma,
California
Former
Merchant in San Jose Dies
Mass
for the repose of the soul of Alphonse G. Col, 70, retired commission merchant,
former Santa Clara county auditor, and ex-police and fire commissioner of San
Jose, was celebrated Tuesday at St. Joseph’s church, San Jose. Surviving are his widow, Mrs. Augustine Col
and his two sons, Raymond Col and Mervyn Col. The latter is the husband of the former Miss
Lucille Meyer, daughter of Attorney and Mrs. F. A. Meyer of this city.
Transcribed by Donna Toole.
Source: History
of the State of California & Biographical Record of Coast Counties,
California by Prof. J. M. Guinn, A. M., Pages 1367-1368. The Chapman
Publishing Co., Chicago, 1904.
© 2016 Donna Toole.