Santa
Clara County
Biographies
CHARLES
ROBERT HARKER
CHARLES ROBERT HARKER. Back to the period when the certainty of
recorded facts is replaced by the mists of tradition the Harker family was
identified with the history of Great Britain, but in the nineteenth century the
family was founded in America by John, son of Robert Harker, and a native of
the vicinity of Burnley, England. In his native place he had learned the trade
of a calico printer and after crossing the ocean he was among the first to
introduce the printing of calico in the United States. Through his pioneer work in this occupation
it became an established industry in various portions of New England and
acquired the recognition its importance merited. When old age rendered further work
inadvisable he retired from active cares, and thenceforward lived quietly at
Dover, N.H., where he was an honored citizen and a faithful member of the
Methodist Episcopal church.
The marriage of John Harker united him
with Harriet Watson, a descendant of a colonial family identified with New
England ever since the landing of the Pilgrim Fathers at Plymouth Rock. Numerous of the offspring served in the
Revolutionary war, while her father, Daniel, was a soldier in the war of 1812. Born in New Hampshire, he spent his entire days
as a farmer in that state, with the exception of the period of his army
service, and his death occurred at Dover, that state. Mrs. Harriet Harker was born near Dover and
after the death of her husband in that city she came to California, where her
death occurred at San Jose in 1888. Of
her five children three are living, John, Mrs. Hattie Osgood, and Charles
Robert, all of San Jose. The last-named
was born in Dover, N.H., December 21, 1855, but at four years of age was
taken to Rochester, in the same state, where he had a grammar-school and
academic education. From boyhood his
tastes inclined toward literary work, and when he went to New York City in 1879
he made literature his profession, giving much of his time in later years to
the writing of stories for Frank Leslie’s numerous periodicals, Popular
Monthly, Chimney Corner, Illustrated Weekly, etc., Youth’s Companion, Potter’s
American Monthly, Peterson’s, Argonaut, Overland Monthly, and many other
publications.
Throughout much of his life, Mr. Harker
has been interested in poultry journals.
To him belongs the credit of having published and edited the first
poultry paper in the United States, this being the New York Poultry Bulletin,
of which he had charge for ten years.
The journal was a monthly, of seventy-five pages, devoted to the
interests of the poultry business and kindred occupations, and was in its time
the most popular fanciers’ journal in America.
In 1888 Mr. Harker disposed of his
interests in the Bulletin and moved from New York to California, establishing
his home in San Jose, which city has remained his home to the present. Two years after his arrival he purchased the
pioneer poultry journal of the coast, the California Cackler, which had been
published in San Francisco since 1885.
Removing the office to San Jose and changing the title of the
publication to the Pacific Coast Fanciers’ Monthly, he has since been its
editor and proprietor. Under his careful
oversight, with the influence of his previous long experience as a writer and
publisher, he has built up a circulation extending throughout the entire coast
region, and even to the east and to foreign countries. In connection with his paper, he acts as
representative for eastern manufacturers in the sale of poultry supplies. Varied as are his duties as publisher, they
have not prevented him from continuing his literary work, as evidenced by his
contributions to high-class magazines, and further evidenced by the
publication, in 1902, of his first novel, entitled “A Singular Sinner,” a story
of the California of the present day.
The favorable criticisms of this work published in various papers and
magazines and its cordial reception by the reading public indicate that it
possesses a permanent value as a contribution to the literature of our
country.
Though not active in politics,
Mr. Harker believes in Republican principles and gives the party his stanch[sic] support.
After coming to San Jose he married Miss S. Rose Watson, who
was born in London, Ontario, Canada, is a graduate of the high school of
Auckland, New Zealand, and prior to her marriage engaged in educational work in
Auckland and California. Of their union
two children were born, Helene M. and Charles Andrew Harker.
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 601-602. The Chapman
Publishing Co., Chicago, 1904.
© 2015 Donna Toole.