Santa Clara County
Biographies
THOMAS WILLIAMS
THOMAS WILLIAMS. When the good ship Panama, after its
long voyage around the Horn from New York, cast anchor in the harbor of San
Francisco in April of 1849, among the passengers who debarked to seek their
fortunes amid the untried conditions of a frontier region there were two
brothers, Thomas and David Williams, natives of New York state, and young
men of ambition and energy. Each owned a share in the ship, which was afterward
utilized as a place for holding religious services on the wharf for the
sailors. Having brought with them a small capital, they embarked in business in
San Francisco, where they had a hay, grain and feed store on Bush street. Later they conducted a hotel at the New Almaden
mines for a brief period. Coming to San Jose in 1850, they started the first
bakery in the town and the next year became interested in the soda business,
bringing the natural soda from the Almaden mines in barrels by wagon and then
bottling the water from the barrel. The firm name, known as Winslow &
Williams, was changed to Williams Brothers on the death of
Mr. Winslow, under which name it was conducted until April, 1904, when
they sold out.
In June, 1863, the brothers patented an improved soda
water fountain, based on the principle now in common use in the regular siphon
system. For years the plant was located opposite the St. James annex, on
St. John street, between First and Market, but
fire destroyed the building there and in 1902 the business was removed to
No. 133 North Fourth street. Before this, however, both of the brothers
had passed from earth, David dying about 1899 and Thomas
October 6, 1900. Since then the latter’s widow continued the business
under the same name and at the headquarters on North Fourth street, where she
personally superintended the bottling of soda waters, ginger ale and cider, and
also acted as agent for Pacific Congress water and Seltzer mineral waters
in siphons. Shipments were made throughout the Santa Clara valley and into the
San Joaquin valley, and there were two branch plants in other towns, one
at Gilroy, the other at Hollister, from which shipments were made to various
points on the Pacific coast.
Besides their other interests, the two brothers owned a
large ranch (comprising twenty-three hundred acres) in Calaveras valley, Santa
Clara county, where they engaged in raising fine
cattle and horses. Much of the land has been disposed of, the family retaining
only one hundred and sixty acres there. Thomas Williams was an exempt
fireman, a stanch Republican, a member of the Santa
Clara County Society of Pioneers, and for more than fifty years a member of San
Jose Lodge, I. O. O. F., being in fact the oldest Odd Fellow in
California and one of the best known as well. In San Jose,
September 7, 1870, he married Miss Mary A. Daunes, who was born in San Francisco and was the only
child who attained mature years in the family of Alfred D. and Margaret
(Moran) Daunes, the former a native of New Orleans,
La. Her paternal grandfather, a native of France, became a jeweler in New
Orleans and amassed a large fortune through business energy and fortunate
investments. In 1849, accompanied by two sons, he crossed on horseback from Louisiana to California. On the return trip, while in
Old Mexico, he was murdered for his money by the valet who accompanied him. One
of the sons who came with him to the west, Alfred D., remained on the
coast and became largely interested in mining. As early as 1862-63 he explored Alaska
in search of gold. Meeting with success in his ventures, he accumulated a
competency. He is still living and makes his home in San Jose. Fraternally he
is connected with the Ancient Order of United Workmen. His wife, who remains to
cheer his old age by her companionship, came to California in 1852 in a sailing
vessel from Australia. Their daughter, Mary A., received her education at
Notre Dame College, of whose Alumni Association she was the first recording
secretary and whose growth she has witnessed from almost the earliest period of
its establishment to its present substantial position among educational
institutions. In religion she is connected with St. Joseph’s Catholic
Church and politically believes in Republican principles. An active member of
the Woman’s Club, she has officiated both as treasurer and as a director of
this organization. In her family there are three children, of whom the
daughter, Miss Jane Williams, is a graduate of the State Normal School and a
teacher by profession. The older son, Alfred S., who was educated in the
University of the Pacific is now engaged as bookkeeper
for Mr. Daunes. The younger son, Edwin H.,
is a graduate of the Leland Stanford, Jr., University, the State
Normal School and the University of the Pacific, and is now a resident of San
Francisco, where he is engaged in the practice of the law.
Transcribed by Marie Hassard 17 April 2016.
Source: History
of the State of California & Biographical Record of Coast Counties,
California by Prof. J. M. Guinn, A. M., Pages
1076-1079. The Chapman Publishing Co.,
Chicago, 1904.
© 2016 Marie Hassard.