Santa
Clara County
Biographies
J.
H. SLATER
Coming
to California in the vigor of his early manhood, more than fifty years ago, J.
H. Slater, of San Jose, is an excellent representative of the pioneer element
of his day. Daring, enterprising, and full of life and energy, he at once
became identified with the development of the mineral resources of the state,
traveling among some almost unknown regions, in 1861, especially, while out
hunting and prospecting, exploring Death Valley. He has been successfully
employed in various occupations, including agriculture and horticulture. In
1896 he purchased a beautiful estate in East San Jose, on Williams street, and
on the banks of the Coyote has an attractive and most comfortable residence. A
son of Isaac Slater, he was born October 30, 1831, in Randolph county, Ill.,
near the town of old Kaskaskia. His grandfather, James Slater, a native of
Virginia, served in the war of 1812, and afterward became a pioneer settler of
Randolph county, Ill., where he took part in the wars
with the Indians.
Born and educated in Waynesburg,
Pa., Isaac Slater assisted his father in clearing a homestead in Randolph
county, Ill., and there engaged in farming on his own account. He subsequently
lived for a short time in Adams county, Ill., then
removed to Platteville, Grant county, Wis., where he followed his chosen
occupation a few years. Returning from there to Randolph county,
Ill., he spent his declining days at his old home, dying at an advanced age. He
married Eliza Vineyard, who was born in Kentucky, of Virginia ancestry, and
died in Illinois. She came of an honored family, and was a niece of Peter
Cartwright, the old Methodist preacher. Four children were born of their union,
three of whom are now living. One son, Isaac, now a resident of Madison, Ill.,
was wounded in battle during the Civil war.
Obtaining the rudiments of his
education in Adams county, Ill., at the age of ten
years J. H. Slater went with his parents to Platteville, Wis., where he
attended a subscription school, which was held in a rude log cabin, having a
puncheon floor and slab benches. He subsequently followed farming and lead
mining until nineteen years old, when he went to Missouri, where he was
employed in Saline and Pettis counties in getting out lead and silver ore. In
1852 Mr. Slater joined a party bound for the Pacific coast, furnishing his own
conveyance, and came across the plains on the hurricane deck of a Missouri
mule, being six months on the way. The company, one of whom was Ben Campbell,
the founder of the town of Campbell, in Santa Clara county,
came by the Carson route to Volcano, Amador county. Engaging in placer mining
in that locality, Mr. Slater remained there four years. In 1856 he made an
exploring expedition throughout the southern part of the state, going as far as
old Fort Tejon. In 1860 he established a sheep camp
in what was then known as Templor district, but is
now Kern county, and was there employed in
sheep-raising for a number of years. Removing then to Oregon, he was for a year
engaged in mining and ditching at Baker City, and in the Blue mountains, the
snow in the latter region being some places fifteen feet deep.
Going from Oregon to Idaho, Mr.
Slater, who was a surveyor and civil and mining engineer, laid out Boise City,
the present capital of the state, making the maps himself. Subsequently working
at his profession, and also engaging in gardening, he remained there until
1873, when he sold out his interests in that locality and returned to
California, locating in San Francisco. The following year he went to
Cornucopia, Nev., where he worked in mining and engineering for a time. He next
located in Honey Lake valley, Lassen county, Cal., on
a ranch of seventeen hundred acres, and engaged in raising hay on a large
scale. Returning again to San Francisco in 1886, Mr. Slater resided in that
city ten years, being employed in the hotel business. In 1896 he removed to
East San Jose, buying his present property on Williams street, and has here
erected a comfortable and cozy residence, which is furnished with all modern
conveniences and improvements. He has his own waterworks, which are supplied
with both a windmill and a gasoline engine, and have a capacity of five
thousand gallons per hour. He has two acres of land in his orchard, which is
set out with fruit trees of all kinds, and is engaged to some extent in the
culture of fruit for market. Politically Mr. Slater is a Republican in national
affairs, and fraternally he belongs to the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and
to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
In 1881, in San Jose, Mr. Slater
married Mrs. Phoebe (Maston) Hamilton, who was born
in Chester, Meigs county, Ohio, a daughter of Peter Maston. Her Grandfather (sic) Maston,
who was of Holland-Dutch descent, was a lifelong resident of Virginia. Peter Maston was born and bred in Virginia. After leaning the
cooper’s trade he settled first in Ohio, later removing to Jacksonville, Ill.,
where he followed his trade for a time.
Starting
from there for Iowa, he died while on the way at Quincy, Ill. He married Nancy
Cooper, who was born in New Jersey, and died in California at the venerable age
of eighty-two years. Her father, David Cooper, was born in England, served in
the war of 1812, and died in West Virginia at a remarkable age, having been
more than one hundred years old at the time of his death. His father, Nancy
Cooper’s grandfather, and the great-grandfather of Mrs. Slater, was born in
England, emigrated to America in colonial days, and
served as a soldier in the Revolutionary army. Of the nine children born of the
union of Peter and Nancy (Cooper) Maston, three are
living. One of the sons, Benjamin, now a resident of Tehama county,
Cal., served in the Mexican war. After the death of Peter Maston
in Quincy, Ill., the family moved to Iowa and later to Barry Prairie, Mo.,
where the daughter, Phoebe Maston was reared and
educated. She married first William Hamilton, who was born in Rock Island,
Ill., and crossed the plains to California in 1850. Two years later, she came
here with her two brothers, Benjamin Maston of Tehama
county, and John, of Pacific Grove, leaving Missouri on April 3, crossing the
plains with ox teams, and arriving at Diamond Spring on August 12. Mr. and Mrs.
Hamilton engaged in the hotel business in New York Flat, where Mrs. Hamilton
was the only woman. They subsequently had a hotel at Willow Spring, and then
removed to Michigan Bar, where Mr. Hamilton opened a general store. Going from
there to the Indian Diggins, (sic) he was engaged for
awhile in mercantile and mining pursuits, and then located as a miner at
Grizzly Flats. Removing thence to Yolo, he bought land, and was extensively
engaged in farming and stock-raising until 1864. In that year he settled in
Susanville, where he became the pioneer fruit-grower of Lassen county, and was subsequently one of the most extensive and
successful stockmen of that part of the state, making a specialty of raising
horses and cattle. This business he carried on until his death in 1880. Of the
union of Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton one child was born, namely: Clarence Hamilton,
who died at the age of four years and seven months. Mrs. Hamilton married for
her second husband, as previously stated, Mr. J. H. Slater. Both Mr. and Mrs.
Slater are members of the Santa Clara County Pioneers’ Association.
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 290-291. The Chapman
Publishing Co., Chicago, 1904.
© 2014 Cecelia M. Setty.