John Caperton Hays was born in San Francisco, and as a boy he went East to attend old Washington College before it became Washington Lee University, at Lexington, Virginia, of which he was a graduate. Returning to California, he turned his attention to a field of activities in which service he deserves recognition as real constructive pioneering, reclamation work on the Sacramento River. He built two complete levies on islands in the river before he received any assistance from the Government. For many years he was engaged in cattle ranching and farming in Tulare County, and became treasurer of the Mount Whitney Power and Electric Company, with headquarters at Visalia. He was still performing these official duties when he died in December, 1912.

John Caperton Hays had a host of friends. His hospitality was unbounded, and he was generous not only with his friends and intimate associates, but with many who needed generosity of a practical nature. In politics he was a democrat, serving on the county and state central committees and attending county and state conventions as a delegate. Under the administration of Governor Budd he served as superintendent of the Homes for the Adult Blind in Oakland. He was a member of the Masonic Order and belonged to the Athenian Club during its early days.

John Caperton Hays married Anna McMullin. She was born in Sacramento, educated in Baltimore, returning to Sacramento, where she made her home until her marriage. Her father was Capt. John McMullin, a native of Tennessee, of Scotch ancestry, and in early life a member of the famous Texas Rangers, and subsequently identified with California, establishing the great McMullin ranches, extending throughout the San Joaquin Valley. Mrs. Hays is a member of the Town and Country Club, the Woman’s Athletic Club, and was one of the early members of the Ebell Club of Oakland. Her mother was a Morgan, of Kentucky, a descendant of Commodore Morgan. Mr. and Mrs. John Caperton Hays had two sons, John Coffee and Harry T.

John Coffee Hays is a native of Tulare County, was reared and educated in Oakland, and served a thorough apprenticeship in the General Electric Company’s school and shop in Schenectady, New York. After leaving there he was associated with L. B. Stillwell, the famous electrical engineer of New York, and in 1907 he came West, representing the John Hays Hammond interests. In 1914 he established offices in San Francisco as a consulting engineer, but gave up his office and practice at the time of the World war, when he entered the service as engineer and constructing quartermaster at Camp Lewis, with the rank of major. He was released from active duty in the fall of 1919 and since the war has lived in the East, in the service of Stone & Webster engineering syndicate. He married Eva Harwood, of New York.

A member of the Hays family in the present generation whose home and business are in San Francisco is Harry T. Hays, who was born in Tulare County, May 8, 1884. He was educated in public schools at Oakland, Bowen’s Academy at Berkeley, and his first regular employment was with the Porter Brothers Fruit Company of Chicago, packing and shipping fruit from California to Eastern markets. Then for eight years he acted as purchasing agent for the Mount Whitney Power & Electric Company and the Yosemite Power Company, with headquarters in Visalia.

Since 1916 Mr. Hays has been in the service of the Standard Oil Company. For a year and one-half he was at Los Angeles, and since August, 1917, has been in the home office at San Francisco, being superintendent of service stations. His office is in the Standard Oil Building at Bush and Sansome Streets.

Harry T. Hays is affiliated with the Piedmont Lodge of Masons, Visalia Commandery of the Knights Templar, Islam Temple of the Mystic Shrine at San Francisco, and he has been a member of the Woodmen of the World since 1900. He belongs to the Commercial Club and is a republican voter.

Harry T. Hays married at Oakland, September 10, 1908, Miss Louise Hall, who was born in Cleveland, Ohio. Her father, W. M. Hall, who died in 1916, was one of the first men to come West as representative of the Standard Oil Company, serving that corporation as assistant treasurer. Mr. and Mrs. Hays have one son, William Hall Hays, a student in the Piedmont High School. 

Transcribed by Donna L. Becker