Santa
Clara County
Biographies
OSCAR JOEL REEVE
This gentleman will be remembered as one of the
most prosperous and influential citizens of Santa Clara county,
Cal., which was his home for many years, and at the time of his demise, March
28, 1901, San Jose lost one of her most enterprising business men and
successful fruit growers. It was in Willoughby, Ohio, that Mr. Reeve was born
December 6, 1851, and he was a son of Joel R. and Mary (Griswold) Reeve, the
former still a resident of Willoughby, Ohio, and the latter a native of Ohio,
having died in the above named state. After completing the course of study in
the public schools of his native section, Mr. Reeve took a more comprehensive
course in the Academy at Willoughby, and was graduated from the institution by
that name. He then engaged in teaching as a profession and for some time taught
in Tusculum college in Tennessee.
He subsequently went to Texas and
pursued his chosen vocation at Alvarado, near Fort Worth, and later at Pleasant
Point, and here, in connection with teaching, he followed farm pursuits one
year, upon land which is still owned by his widow. Mr. Reeve afterward spent a
couple of years in Ohio, whither he had returned, and in 1878 went to
California, locating in the vicinity of San Jose. Renting land near Los Gatos
and later near San Jose, he followed farm pursuits in that section until 1880,
when he again returned to Ohio, where his marriage took place a little later.
It was not until October 16, 1881, that he again turned to the far west, and
proceeding to San Jose located there permanently. Here for years he was engaged
in the wholesale and retail hay business and built up quite a profitable
business. He invested in real estate from time to time and thus acquired a
number of valuable farms in addition to fine city property. In December, 1881,
he purchased one hundred acres of land on Coyote creek, six miles southeast of
San Jose, on Senter road, and here he planted
orchards and also engaged in raising grain. He subsequently purchased one
hundred and twenty-five acres at the end of Senter
road and a sixty-four acre hill farm near there for pasturage. In 1892 he added
to his possessions a forty-one acre prune farm on Senter
and Tulley (sic) roads, and a fine city residence at
No. 740 South Third street, in San Jose, in addition to two other fine building
lots and property in the same city.
In 1897, on account of failing
health, Mr. Reeve discontinued the hay business and for the remainder of his
life devoted his attention exclusively to his farm interests, raising prunes
quite extensively. At his death he left a valuable estate to his widow, who
still survives him. By his marriage, September 29, 1881, at Willoughby, Ohio,
he was united with Miss Cora E. Talbot, a lady born in Kirtland, Ohio and a
daughter of Emeney and Susan (Whitney) Talbot. Her
father was a native of New York and when but five years old he was taken to
Ohio to live by his father, Lorenzo Dow Talbot, who located in Menton township, Lake county, near Lake Erie, where for
years he followed farm pursuits and fruit raising. After the death of Mr.
Reeve, the father of Mrs. Reeve was persuaded to leave his Ohio home and come
to California, which he did in January, 1902. He lived with his daughter and
looked after the farm interests of the latter until his death, which occurred the
following April and was due to an accident. On April 8th while
returning home from the farm, the horse ran away and he was so badly injured
that he died the following day. He was sixty-three years old and is still
survived by his widow, who lives with Mrs. Reeve at her residence at No. 740
South Third street, in San Jose.
Mrs. Reeve, upon the death of her
father, once more assumed charge of her extensive fruit and farm interests and
by her successful management has shown a great deal of true business ability.
In a social way she is a leading spirit in the cause of temperance and in
missionary work, being identified with the W. C. T. U. and with both foreign
and home missionary societies. She is a lady who possesses many good qualities,
and is an active member of the Methodist Episcopal Church of San Jose. Her
husband was a Republican in his political views and fraternally was a member of
the Masonic order and a Knight Templar of the San Jose Commandery.
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 1197-1198. The
Chapman Publishing Co., Chicago, 1904.
© 2016 Cecelia M. Setty.