Santa
Clara County
Biographies
DEXTER PIERCE
DEXTER PIERCE. A retired citizen of Los Gatos, Santa Clara county, Dexter Pierce is numbered among the representative
men of this section, both from a commercial and social standpoint. For many years he was a prominent figure in
the hardware business in Oakland, located on Broadway, from 1877 to 1894
conducting the enterprise known as the Pierce Hardware Company, which is today
known by the same name as that of a merchant whose unusual ability,
conservative yet progressive business methods, and straightforward dealing
added no little to the commercial prestige of that city.
On the shores of Lake
Chautauqua, in the county of that name, New York state,
Mr. Pierce was born January 3, 1831, the oldest in a family of twelve
children, six sons and six daughters, of whom eight are now living. His father, Seneca Pierce, was born in Erie county, N.Y., August 1, 1809, a son of Levi Pierce,
also a native of the state, and a sea-faring man who died in young
manhood. For some years he conducted a
tannery in Chautauqua county, but died in Erie county,
Pa., where he was engaged in the hardware business, being then sixty-four years
old. In early life he had espoused the
principles of the Democratic party but had later
become a Republican. In his religious
convictions he was an active member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. His wife, formerly Lucy Pitcher, was born in Sacket Harbor, N.Y., in 1811, and died in Erie county, Pa., the same age as her husband.
The education of Dexter
Pierce was received in the common schools of his native state, but was somewhat
limited on account of the various difficulties which presented themselves in
the educational line at that early day.
On attaining a sufficient age he engaged with his father in the tannery,
remaining so employed until he was twenty-five years old. At the age of twenty he established a new
tannery at Ripley and conducted the same for the following five years. In the spring of 1856 he followed Horace
Greeley’s advice and came as far west as Iowa, and in Delaware county bought land and engaged in farming. In November, 1857, he sold this farm and
returned to Erie county, Pa., and in Northeast engaged
in clerking for two years in the hardware business. At the close of that period he purchased the
business and continued profitably in its management until 1873. In that year he made a trip to California and
investigated the opportunities of the state.
Not until 1877, however, did he locate here permanently, at that time
establishing a hardware business in Oakland, which occupied his attention for
nearly twenty years. His success was
such as always accompanies a persevering effort when united with business
ability and judgment. Selling his
business in the spring of 1894, he came to Los Gatos, building a number of
cottages which he rents, while he makes his home in Glenn Ridge.
At Ripley, N.Y., in 1853, Mr.
Pierce was united in marriage with Eliza Ann Newton, a native of Erie county, Pa., who died in San Diego, leaving two children,
W. Frank and Charles Dexter, both of whom are engaged in business in San
Francisco. Mr. Pierce’s second
marriage occurred in Santa Cruz, Cal., and united him with Mrs. Cynthia
Blakeslee. She was born in Crawford county, Pa., the daughter of Noble and Fannie (Morse)
Purse. Mr. Pierce is a stanch[sic]
adherent of the principles advocated in the platform of the Republican
party. A progressive and enterprising
citizen, he is largely interested in educational work and gives his best
efforts toward its maintenance and upbuilding, and is a citizen who can be
depended upon to aid in the promotion of all worthy enterprises. He also gives much time and study to the
question of municipal government in the east.
[Inserted
by D. Toole.]
Dexter
Pierce
1880 Mar
30, Oakland Tribune, P3, Oakland, California
Mr.
Dexter Pierce is putting the finishing touches on a handsome cottage on Grove street near Nineteenth.
1885 Jun
19, San Diego Union, P3, San Diego, California
Mrs.
Dexter Pierce, who has been stopping at the Harris house, left on the Orizaba
for her home in Oakland.
1894 Mar
3, Evening News, P4, San Jose, California
A
contract was filed today by the terms of which C. F. Scammon
agrees to build for Dexter Pierce a frame building in Los Gatos to cost $1998.
1899 Oct
16, Evening News, P4, San Jose, California
J. J.
Stanfield, Dexter Pierce and Samuel Syverson were
to-day appointed appraisers of the estate of Lois Ruckel,
deceased.
1900 Apr
1, San Jose Mercury News, P14, San Jose, California
Dexter
Pierce and brother, who recently purchased the lot on the corner of Taylor street and Pennsylvania avenue, opposite the present
residence of Dexter Pierce, are excavating it preparatory to erecting a fine
residence there.
1903 Apr
9, San Jose Mercury News, P9, San Jose, California
Los
Gatos, April 8 – For some time it has been thought and believed by persons expert on the oil question that Los Gatos and
vicinity would yet produce oil in large quantities. Considerable interest is manifested in the
work that is being done on the Main place by the Orchard Crude Oil Company, and
it is believed this may yet become not only of financial benefit to the owners
but to Los Gatos. There is, as has been
proven, oil in this vicinity, and it is no new discovery. While in conversation with Dexter Pierce, one
of the well-known citizens of Los Gatos, the following story was related by
him: “In March, 1873,” said Mr. Pierce,
“I visited California, and, being acquainted with Mr. Scofield,
I came to Los Gatos and spent a few days at his home. One morning while I was there a neighbor came
in. During the conversation Mr. Scofield asked him if he had had any success in finding
water, and he answered that he had, but it was the most awful smelling and tasting
stuff he had ever struck, and that after standing a few moments it was covered
with an oily scum. This interested me.”
continued Mr. Pierce, “for I was from the Pennsylvania oil region, so I
asked Mr. Scofield to take me to the place, and
after seeing the liquid I told him that he certainly had oil on the place. This was thirty years ago and I had forgotten
where the place was, but I have found out since work was started on the Main
place that the man had lived on the same land and had tried to get drinking
water where they are now finding oil, and think the prospects are good for much
more. So it was really discovered that
there was oil in this region over thirty years ago.” Some people are inclined to think that the
eruption that occurred on the property of J. W. Lyndon a short time ago was
caused by the presence of oil.
1903 Apr
30, San Jose Mercury News, P9, San Jose, California
Mr. and
Mrs. George W. Woodworth of Stanford University have rented the cottage
belonging to Dexter Pierce on Glen Ridge, and will reside in the Gem City for a
few months, at least. Miss Lyman is with
them on a visit.
1906 Sep
7, San Jose Mercury News, P11, San Jose, California
Mrs.
Dexter Pierce and Mrs. A. B. Smith expect to leave Saturday on a trip East to visit friends for several months. Mrs. Pierce’s destination is Spartansburg, Pennsylvania, and Mrs. Smith’s destination is
Milan, Michigan.
1914 Feb
7, Oakland Tribune, P5, Oakland, California
Last
Rites for Pioneer Said
Final
Tribute Paid to Memory of Dexter Piece, Former Merchant
The
funeral of the late Dexter Pierce, founder of the Pierce Hardware Company of
this city, was held this afternoon from the Albert Brown Undertaking Parlors,
584 Thirteenth street.
Rev. W. W. Case, pastor of the Shattuck avenue Methodist Episcopal
Church, read the last rites of the church.
Pierce died yesterday afternoon at the home of his granddaughter, Mrs.
Percy C. Hincks, of 1000 Chestnut street, San
Francisco, after a short illness. The
pioneer hardware merchant had made his home with his grandchildren for a number
of years in San Francisco. About 27
years ago he established the Pierce Hardware Company. In 1890 his sons assumed charge of the
concern. Many years ago Dexter Pierce
retired from active life. He was one of
the first harware[sic] dealers in Oakland and in the early days he was a
leader in the commercial movements of this city. In 1873 he arrived in California from Ritley[sic],
New York, where he was born 83 years ago.
He passed the greater part of his life in this State. The aged pioneer was the father of the late
W. Frank Pierce and the late Chas. D. Pierce, who were members of the
Masonic fraternities of this city. His
only living brother is W. W. Pierce of East Oakland. He leaves a widow, Mrs. Cynthia Pierce, and
three grandchildren, all of San Francisco.
The remains of the late Dexter Pierce will be buried Monday afternoon in
the family plot in Mountain View Cemetery.
The body was cremated today.
1914 Feb
8, San Jose Mercury News, P16, San Jose, California
Dexter
Pierce Called to His Final Rest
Special to the Mercury Herald
Los
Gatos, Feb. 7 – Dexter Pierce, for many years a well-known citizen of this
place, passed away at 1 o’clock yesterday afternoon in San Francisco at
the home of his grand-daughters. The
funeral was held at 2 o’clock this afternoon and burial was in Mountain View
cemetery, Oakland. Dexter Pierce was
born in Ripley, Chattanooga[sic, Chautauqua] county,
N.Y., in 1830[sic] and was therefore 83 years of age. He came to California some 40 years ago and
for many years was engaged in the hardware business in Oakland. Eighteen years ago he came to Los Gatos and
has made this his home ever since. He is
survived by the widow, Cynthia A. Pierce, a brother, W. W. Pierce,
and three grand-daughters, Misses Mabel and Franc Pierce and Mrs. Percy
Thurston Hincks. His sons, W. Frank
Pierce and Charles D. Pierce, both passed away within the past five
years. In this city Mr. Pearce[sic]
won the good-will of a large number of friends who honored him as a man of
sterling integrity, a public spirited citizen and one whose loss will be felt
by the community.
1914 Feb
15, San Francisco Chronicle, P29, San Francisco, California
Mrs.
Percy Thurston Hincks and the Misses Mabel and Franc Pierce are receiving condolences
on the death of their grandfather, Dexter Pierce, Friday.
1915 Oct
8, San Jose Mercury News, P20, San Jose, California
Death of
Former Resident
Mrs.
Dexter Pierce passed away at the home of her son in Parkersburg, W. Va., on
September 23. Mr. and
Mrs. Pierce lived in Los Gatos for many years and many an old friend will
be saddened at the news of her passing.
Mr. Pierce went to his rest about two years ago.
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
729-730. The Chapman Publishing Co.,
Chicago, 1904.
© 2016
Donna Toole.