San Francisco County
Biographies
CHARLES T. DENNIS
CHARLES T.
DENNIS, San Francisco, was born in Danvers,
Massachusetts, August 30, 1840.
His father, Thomas Dennis, came to California
with his family in 1855, locating in Santa Barbara. In 1859 he was appointed Sheriff of Santa
Barbara county, in 1860 elected to the same office,
and was re-elected for the two succeeding terms. The subject of our sketch was
appointed jailor when hardly twenty years of age. After serving a short time he was appointed
Under-Sheriff, which office he held four years.
Before he was of age he was appointed Postmaster at Santa
Barbara, by President Buchanan, and while serving as
Under-Sheriff and Postmaster he was also appointed Collector of Internal
Revenue. In 1863 he removed the Internal
Revenue office to Los Angeles,
where he resided about two years. Then
he returned to Santa Barbara and
engaged in mercantile pursuits. This
venture proving unprofitable, in consequence of successive years of drouth, Mr. Dennis removed to San
Francisco and entered the employ of the Sutter Street
Railroad Company, holding the responsible position of conductor on the road of
that company nearly five years. After
that he with his uncle, E. K. Cooley, engaged in the business of manufacturing
the tule bottle cover, an invention of their own; but
the expense of maintaining their rights in the courts made the business
unprofitable and they sold it out. In
1873 Mr. Dennis opened a general collection and commission agency, which he
continued until 1885, when he opened a real-estate office on Kearny
street. He has now large tracts of land in Tehama,
Kern and Fresno counties, and
smaller tracts in Shasta, Modoc, Lake, Sonoma
and Contra Costa counties. He is also
doing a large business in Oakland
properties.
Mr. Dennis was
married, in 1861, to Miss Jenettie C. Cooley, a
daughter of Judge F. Cooley, late of Woodville,
Mississippi. He has one son and two daughters.
Transcribed 8-6-05 Marilyn R. Pankey.
Source: "The Bay of San Francisco," Vol. 2, Page 261-2, Lewis
Publishing Co, 1892.
©
2005 Marilyn R. Pankey.
California Biography Project
San Francisco County
California Statewide
Golden Nugget Library