Santa
Clara County
Biographies
DAVID
HOBSON
As
one who has turned his attention more and more to fruit culture each year and
who without doubt has made a success of this business we mention Mr. Hobson,
who as early as 1853 bought seventy-five acres, the greater part of which
contains fine bearing orchards. Fifty acres alone are in prunes, twenty-eight
in apricots, twenty in cherries and a smaller number of acres in pears. The
remainder of this productive farm is utilized in raising grain and hay. Mr.
Hobson was born in Sarah county, now Yadkin county, N. C., February 22, 1822,
which was also the birthplace of his father, mother and grandfather, Stephen,
who when a young man settled on Big Forbush creek and
followed farm pursuits there the remainder of his life. The great-grandfather
of Mr. Hobson originally came from London to Chatham county,
N. C., in company with five brothers, and they were the first of the family to
locate in America.
Stephen Hobson, the father of David, was a
man of unusual prominence in Yadkin county, and in
addition to following agricultural pursuits, he was largely interested in the
manufacture of iron and was also prominent as a mill owner. His iron foundries
were located along Forbush creek and also Deep creek,
and he owned and operated grist mills on both of these creeks, and a sawmill on
Deep creek, furnishing employment for a large number of hands. He owned over
five thousand acres of land. During the conflict between the north and the
south, his iron works were run night and day, and although he paid his men good
money, he received his pay in Confederate currency, which was worthless. At the
close of the war, he removed to Henry county, Ind., and in 1873 he went to
California and purchased land adjoining that of his son, who had previously
located there. He died upon this farm at the advanced age of eighty-five years.
Six children blessed his union with Miss Mary Bond, who passed to her final
rest in 1832, still in young womanhood.
The second child in the family, David
Hobson was exceptionally well educated; completing the common-school course, he
entered the college known as Guilford College, at High Point, N. C., and at the
early age of fourteen he began work in the iron foundries of his father outside
of school hours, continuing to work there until his twenty-ninth year. He then
went to California, starting from his home place, April 15, 1850, taking
passage with a party of emigrants at Jackson county, Mo., going by way of Salt
Lake City. Aside from the ravages of the cholera, the trip was a pleasant one
and the party arrived in the golden state, October 4, of the same year. After
stopping a few days with a cousin, George Hobson, a miner in San Jose, Mr.
Hobson and a brother fitted themselves out and engaged in mining for some time.
In those days it was indeed risky to be mining without friends, as the men were
often killed for their gold. Mr. Hobson and his brother worked partly in the
Humboldt diggings and they occasionally dug in holes other people had made; the
first hole they found proved to be a rich one, but had been abandoned. About
1853 they discontinued mining and purchased land near San Jose, as before
mentioned.
By his marriage in 1866, he was joined
with Miss Mary Langsee, a lady who was born in Wurtemberg, Germany, January 17, 1847, and when five years
old, accompanied her parents to America. They settled in New York for a number
of years and crossed the continent to California, in 1863, settling in San
Francisco. The father was Charles Ludwick Langsee and was a dyer by trade, following that occupation
not only in this county but in his native land, Germany. His last years were
spent at the home of his son in San Jose, Cal. Twelve children have blessed the
union of Mr. and Mrs. Hobson, four being now deceased, as follows: Charles,
Jessie, Ruth and an infant. The others are Annie; Philip; David, Jr.; Alfred;
Elvira E., who married Ben Van Horn, of Santa Clara, Cal.; Edna; Franklin B.,
who is attending school in San Jose; and Celesta. All are at home except the
married daughter and the student. A strict adherent of the Republican party, Mr. Hobson is also a member of the Sons of
Temperance. Having officiated as deputy for a number of years. Although having
at all times taken a fitting interest in local affairs, he has been
particularly active in religious matters, and is rounding out a career of
usefulness as a trustee, member of the board, and as district steward of the
Methodist Church in Berryessa, of which he has been
an active member for years, also having charge of the Bible class.
Transcribed By: Cecelia M. Setty.
ญญญญSource: History
of the State of California & Biographical Record of Coast Counties,
California by Prof. J. M. Guinn, A. M., Pages 295-296. The Chapman
Publishing Co., Chicago, 1904.
ฉ 2014 Cecelia M. Setty.