Santa Clara County
Biographies
JAMES A. COSTA
As the founder of the James A. Costa & Company’s Banking Institution, in San Jose, James A. Costa is conspicuously identified with the financial prosperity of Santa Clara county. Active, wide-awake, full of vim and energy, he has been engaged in various occupations during his career, and in the management of his business affairs has met with distinguished success. A son of he late Jose Costa, he was born May 15, 1864, in Amador City, Cal., of Italian parentage.
Born and reared in Genoa, Italy, Joseph Costa was there employed in horticultural and manufacturing pursuits during his early years. Immigrating to this country in 1860, he came by way of the Isthmus of Panama to California, settling in Amador City, where he followed mining for five years. Removing to New Almaden, Santa Clara county in 1870, he embarked in agricultural pursuits, laying out one of the largest gardens to be found at that time in the county, and raising vegetables enough to supply the men at the Guadaloupe mines and lime kiln, at the Graystone quarries and village, and in the mines and village of New Almaden. Subsequently buying a ranch on the Monterey road, he set out a large orchard of apricot, peach and prune trees, and was successfully employed as a fruit grower until his death, in 1889. He accumulated much wealth, in addition to his ranch being owner of valuable property in San Jose and in San Francisco. He married Catherine Fravega, a native of Genoa, Italy, and sister of John Fravega, a prominent merchant of Memphis, Tenn. She survives him, and now resides on the home ranch. She bore her husband three children, namely: Charles J., proprietor of the Costa Hotel, besides which he conducts an orchard; Louis D., engaged in the canning business on the home ranch, which he is successfully managing, and where he built the Orchard cannery; and James A., the subject of this sketch.
Brought up at the New Almaden mines, James A. Costa began working in his father’s vegetable gardens when a small boy, and as soon as old enough was put on the delivery wagon, going with a man the first five or six years, but afterward driving alone. Anxious to obtain an education, he broached the subject to his father, who gave him a route in the Hacienda district, consisting of about one hundred houses, in which he had to take orders and deliver goods every day, getting through between half past nine and ten o’clock every morning, when he rushed off to school. Studying in this way for three years, he obtained a practical knowledge of the branches of learning taught in the district schools. Receiving then from his father a one-fourth interest in the vegetable garden of forty-five acres, he was employed in horticultural pursuits until 1882, when he sold out his share of the garden and joined his father on the home ranch. He subsequently attended the San Jose High School for a while, and then entered the Garden City Business College, where he was graduated in April, 1883, having completed the course in six months. The following two months Mr. Costa was bookkeeper at the New Almaden garden, and occupied a similar position with the J. Desimone Company, wholesale and retail shippers of fruits and vegetables. Resigning then, he spent six months as clerk in the law office of William L. Gill, and then returned to the New Almaden gardens to straighten out affairs for his father. Subsequently, in company with his brother, he bought an interest in the gardens, which he managed for three years, when he sold out, and the partnership was dissolved. On the booming, at that time, of real estate in San Jose, Mr. Costa laid out the Costa addition to the city, and having platted it disposed of it at a good advantage. He subsequently continued in the real estate, insurance and employment business, and sold steamship tickets, representing J. F. Fuggase & Co., of San Francisco, agents for various steamship lines. Later Mr. Costa dropped the employment business, and in 1898 started the banking business. Locating at No. 22 and No. 24 North Market street, he opened the Bank of James A. Costa & Co., a private institution, and has built up an extensive and remunerative banking business. He also has a separate department for the transaction of his real estate and insurance business, the latter including fire, life and accident insurance, and for his railway and steamship ticket offices. The pressing need for an institution of this character has been brought about by the rapid increase of population in the Italian colony in San Jose, and here Italians can conduct business in their mother tongue. Besides doing a general banking business the company loans money on first-class security and draws drafts on all parts of the United States and Europe. Mr. Costa is the manager and assistant cashier of the bank and enjoys a reputation for business integrity which is above reproach. The secretary and cashier of the bank is Mary E. Costa, his wife. Mrs. Costa possesses remarkable business acumen, which is excelled by few men in the banking business. Mr. Costa owns and occupies a commodious residence which he built at a cot of $9,000 at No. 229 West St. James street, his home being one of the most pleasant and attractive in the city. Besides his home he owns considerable real estate in the city and county and also an interest in his father’s estate valued at $40,000.
In 1887, in San Jose, Mr. Costa married Mary E. Gray, who was born in this city, a daughter of William Gray, a pioneer of California, and for many years foreman for the New Almaden Quicksilver Company. Mr. and Mrs. Costa are the parents of three children, Albert J., Joseph A. and William H. Politically Mr. Costa is an adherent of the Republican party. Fraternally he belongs to the Independent Order of Foresters, and to the Ancient Order of United Workman. Socially he a member of San Jose Parlor No. 22, N. S. G. W., of which he was formerly a trustee.
Source: History
of the State of California & Biographical Record of Coast Counties,
California by Prof. J. M. Guinn, A. M., Pages 528-531. The Chapman
Publishing Co., Chicago, 1904.
© 2015 Joyce Rugeroni.