Santa Clara County
Biographies
ELMER E. SIMPSON
During his eleven years of ownership Elmer E. Simpson has converted the Telescope Hotel into one of the most popular and best equipped hostelries in San Jose. Located across the street from the broad gauge depot, the hotel possesses many advantages besides that of being kept in an orderly manner, for it provides an excellent cuisine, and surrounds its guests with the comforts and geniality which secure both their return and recommendation. Mr. Simpson is a native son of California, and was born in Santa Cruz, July 14, 1864, the youngest of two sons and one daughter of J. F. and Mary (Perry) Simpson, both natives of Maine, the latter a daughter of one of the early pioneers of Santa Cruz.
J. F. Simpson, a retired business man and large property owner of San Jose, was born in Jonesboro, Washington county, Me., May 1, 1833, a son of Andrew and Clarissa (Noyes) Simpson, natives of Jonesboro, the former a large lumber manufacturer of Maine. Andrew Simpson died in 1842, his wife surviving him until her eighty-fourth year, and five of their children are living. Of these, Mrs. Harriett Hall lives in Santa Cruz; John came to the coast in 1852, and lives in Santa Cruz; and David is a resident of Humboldt county. The youth of J. F. was a somewhat unusual one, and seems to have been attended by unstable conditions, resulting either from his father's limited finances, or his own migratory disposition. He received but three weeks of schooling in the public schools of Jonesboro, and at the age of thirteen put to sea in a merchant sloop called Sophia, running out of Boston and Philadelphia and other Atlantic ports. Eventually he made several voyages to Spain, its island possessions, and ports of the old world, and at the age of nineteen had advanced to the position of mate, serving thus until returning to his home at the age of twenty. The next year he and his comrades embarked on the schooner Colonna, under contract to Pope & Talbot, sailing around Cape Horn, and arriving in San Francisco in April, 1853, after traveling twenty-three thousand miles, and being upon the water one hundred and thirty days. In California Mr. Simpson mined for a short time at Jamestown, but not realizing his expectations he went to San Francisco and Redwood City, in the latter place becoming identified with the Davis & Jordan lime kilns, with which it was his lot to remain for twenty years of his life. When the firm name was changed to Davis & Caldwell he remained a year with the new form, and then engaged in general contracting until 1884. His next business was the operation of a feed mill, which he built, and in connection with which he handles all kinds of grain and seeds, having his storehouse in Santa Cruz, and doing a large and encouraging business. Owing to impaired health he disposed of his grain enterprise and engaged in the lumber business, and was so successful that he established a yard in San Jose in 1888. He had formerly built a residence, and invested in various properties in Santa Cruz, and built a large brick business block, and become one of the large tax payers of the quaint old town. In 1891 he transferred his home to San Jose, built his present fine residence, added to his real estate possessions in the town from time to time, and insured a perpetuation of his name by erecting a large brick block and store on North Market street. He is interested in the People's Bank of Santa Cruz, and during his residence there was identified with many of its large business and political undertakings. He is a stanch Republican, recognizing no compromise in casting his vote. Mr. Simpson's first wife was Mary (Perry) Simpson, who was born in Pennsylvania, a daughter of Dr. Isaac Perry, who came to California in the early days. Mrs. Simpson died in Santa Cruz when her youngest son, Elmer, was four years old, leaving two other children, of whom John is an engineer of Albany Ore., and Laura is the wife of a Mr. Conner of San Francisco. The second wife of Mr. Simpson was formerly Adelaide Gardner, a native of Machias, Me., and daughter of Daniel F. Gardner, a pioneer lumberman of Santa Cruz. Mrs. Simpson's mother was Elvira (Elsemore) Gardner, a native also of Maine, and who died in Santa Cruz leaving five children, four of whom came to the coast, Mrs. Simpson being the only survivor at the present time. She came to California by way of Panama in 1864, and is the mother of one daughter, Clara, now Mrs. Picknell of San Francisco.
Elmer E. Simpson graduated from the high school of Santa Cruz, and at the age of nineteen began to work for the Southern Pacific Railroad Company as a fireman on the coast division. Five years later he became an engineer, and after two years had charge of a switch engine, later still running an engine between San Jose and San Francisco. In 1893 he resigned from the railroad company to engage in the hotel business in San Jose, purchasing the Telescope Hotel, then in a run-down condition, and sadly in need of more energetic management. Mr. Simpson was married first in Santa Cruz to Alice Lynch, who was born and died in that town. His present wife was formerly Annie Rauschenbach, a daughter of Louis Rauschenbach, deceased, who was a well known hotel keeper and resident of San Jose, a native of San Jose, and of which union two children have been born, Clara and Carl. In national affairs Mr. Simpson is a Republican. He is a prominent fraternalist (sic), and a member of the Knights of Pythias and the Eagles. He is a wide awake, enterprising, and thoroughly capable man, possessing the requisite tact, consideration and knowledge of human nature to make a successful hotel man, a broad-minded citizen, and an influence for good in whatever capacity he finds himself.
Transcribed
1-31-16 Marilyn
R. Pankey.
ญญญญSource:
History of the State of California &
Biographical Record of Coast Counties, California by Prof. J. M. Guinn, A.
M., Pages 969-970. The Chapman Publishing Co., Chicago, 1904.
ฉ 2016 Marilyn R.
Pankey.