Santa
Clara County
Biographies
JOHN WELDON LYNDON
John Weldon Lyndon was not born with a silver
spoon in his mouth, but on the contrary has climbed the ladder of success,
round by round, by hard work and persistent effort. Born February 18, 1836, at
Grand Isle, Vt., he is the fourth in a family of seven children born to Samuel
and Polly Ann (Gilligen) Lyndon, both parents having
also been natives of the Green Mountain state. The father followed farming for
a livelihood and died at Grand Isle in his native state at the age of
sixty-seven.
Mr. Lyndon was educated in the
common schools of New Hampshire, principally at Whitefield. At the age of nine
he left home to attend school in that city, working on the nearby farm of John O.
Montgomery for his clothes and board. Thus it happened that early in life he
was thrown upon his own resources and was obliged to make his way in the world,
continuing to work on a farm until he attained the age of twenty-three, when he
came to California by way of the Isthmus. Upon first reaching this state in
1859 he followed farm work near Lexington for a couple of months, but soon
secured more congenial employment as clerk in the general merchandise store of
B. Joseph. He was so engaged for three years and gained such an insight into
the business that the following year he was taken in as a partner. Mr. Lyndon
then purchased the stock and conducted quite a successful business from the
same stand until 1868, when he sought a new field at Los Gatos, opened a
general store and continued to do a profitable business there until 1883, when
he sold out and since then has turned his attention to other things.
It was about 1868 that Mr. Lyndon
purchased the Ten Mile Mountain Home, located on a tract of one hundred acres,
now called Los Gatos, and he has improved and beautified this place in every
conceivable way. In 1889 he built the Lyndon House upon this site, a two-story
frame structure containing fifty-two rooms, fitted out with all modern
improvements. The surrounding grounds are well laid out, and are as beautiful
as a landscape gardener can make them, and the hotel itself is located on an
elevation, overlooking the whole of Santa Clara valley.
By his marriage in Los Gatos, Mr.
Lyndon was united with Miss Theresa Rector, a native of Oregon and a daughter
of William H. Rector, who will be remembered as one of the most honorable and
upright citizens of Sonoma county. His death was due to an accident and
occurred at Santa Rosa. Mr. Rector early left his eastern home to reside in
Missouri, and in 1846 he crossed the plains to Oregon. He was a contractor and
builder of some note and erected a number of important buildings along the
Pacific slope, among them the first court house in Salem, Ore. He was a fine cabinet-maker,
and although he followed farm pursuits to some extent and also worked for a
time in the mines, where he met with unusual success, the greater part of his
useful life was spent in construction work. He built the first woolen mills in
Oakland, Cal., and after coming to Los Gatos, he built the woolen mills at this
place. Removing to Sonoma county, he bought flouring
mills at Santa Rosa and in this venture Mr. Lyndon became associated with him.
When more than seventy years old, he was driving a team near the latter place,
when an accident occurred which caused his death. In him the community mourned
the loss of one of her most upright and honorable citizens, and stanch
Republicans. Three children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Lyndon, named as follows:
Clyde Weldon, who died at the age of four and one-half years; Ora E., who is married and resides on a farm near
Milwaukee, Ore.; and Irma Lyal, wife of J. D.
Farwell, superintendent of the Gas Works of Los Gatos and the Glen Una Rancho.
With keen foresight, Mr. Lyndon from
time to time invested his money in real estate and today he owns a large amount
of valuable property in Santa Clara county. In 1885,
he built the Theresa block on the corner of Main and Santa Cruz avenues, Los
Gatos, having previously built a fine business block on Market street, a two-story brick in 1880, and the Lyndon block in
San Jose in 1882. The destructive fire at Los Gatos in 1901 destroyed fourteen
of his buildings, which were only partially insured but in 1902 he built the
new Lyndon block on the corner of Main and Railway avenues. He is virtually the
founder of all that part of Los Gatos on the west side of the creek, where he owned
one hundred acres of land and made two additions to the city. He still owns a
forty-acre tract near the city and other valuable tracts. Aside from his
personal affairs, he has been the promoter of many public enterprises, and has
taken an active interest in educational matters. He is one of the charter
members of the Los Gatos Bank and is its president, and is also one of the
incorporators of the Los Gatos Gas Company. He has been a member of the school
board for a number of years, and has also served as president of that honorable
body, and as clerk. He is one of the most active members of the Episcopal
Church in Los Gatos and at the present time is senior warden. In his political
preferment his views coincide with those of the Republican party,
and he has frequently served as a delegate to both county ad state conventions.
Fraternally he is allied with the A. F. & A. M., the A. O. U. W. and the I.
O. O. F. orders. Mr. Lyndon is easily recognized as one of the substantial men
of Santa Clara county, from a religious, political,
business and social standpoint.
Transcribed By: Cecelia M. Setty.
Source: History of the State of California & Biographical Record of Coast
Counties, California by Prof. J. M. Guinn, A. M., Pages 1292-1293. The
Chapman Publishing Co., Chicago, 1904.
© 2016 Cecelia M. Setty.