San Francisco County
Biographies
CHARLES
EDWARD SNOOK
SNOOK, CHARLES
EDWARD, Attorney at Law, Oakland, was born in San Francisco, February 19, 1863, the son of William S. and Susan Helen (Louchran) Snook. His paternal ancestors arrived in America, from England, in 1812, and became residents of New York
State, while his mother’s family, which was of Irish origin,
settled in Vermont. On February 19, 1889, Charles E. Snook was married in Oakland to Miss Jennie Wade. The children of this marriage
are Charles Wade, born June 19, 1890;
Preston Edward, March 9, 1896,
and Helen Jean Snook, December 30, 1898.
From 1868 to 1875 Mr.
Snook attended the primary and grammar schools of Oakland, and for the next three years was a student at the Oakland
High School, which he left in 1879 to enter the employ of Goldberg,
Bowen & Co., grocers.
Beginning as a sugar
boy he remained with his employers until he became a buyer for the house, in
January, 1886. During the last two and a half years of this period he
studied law under the direction of Judge S. P. Hall, of the Appellate Bench,
and on February
1, 1886, was admitted to the Bar
in San Francisco, prior to this time having been in court but once, and
that time for the purpose of seeing a murder trial.
Immediately after his
admittance to the Bar Mr. Snook opened an office, with Messrs. Lowenthal and Sutter, at 220 Sansome street, San
Francisco, for the
general practice of his profession. This at first was of very moderate
proportions, but gradually drew him into the land law branch of it, where
progress became somewhat more rapid. After one year of this connection he
formed a partnership under the firm name of Sutter & Snook, and engaged in
a general civil practice consisting chiefly of mechanics’ liens, probate
matters, etc.
In 1888, the
political field having become somewhat attractive to him, Mr. Snook was a
candidate for the office of Justice of the Peace, in Oakland, and was elected on the Republican ticket. Taking
office, December 1, 1887, he
served four years, so successfully that he was induced to run for the District Attorneyship of Oakland. In this he was again the
victor, and assumed the duties of his position on January 1, 1893. During his six years’ incumbency he was prosecutor
in a wide variety of cases, including several murder trials. His work
attracted especial interest during his prosecution of the Supervisors of the County
of Alameda, who had been charged with paying exorbitant bills, with
general extravagance and misconduct in office.
In 1895 Mr. Snook
formed a partnership with Mr. S. L. Church, who was his chief deputy in the
office of District Attorney. This has been a notably happy combination,
developing an extensive and important practice, especially on the east side of
the Bay, chiefly in corporation law. Following the custom prevalent in England, and in most large American legal firms, the partners
have specialized in different branches of the profession, Mr. Snook handling
the civil end and Mr. Church the criminal branch of the business. Mr.
Snook was Secretary of the State Central Committee under Pardee,
and is an enthusiastic supporter of the Progressive wing of the
party. Throughout the Pardee administration he
was attorney for the Regents of the University of California, but was retired after serving ten months of the
Gillette regime.
His firm acts as the
local attorneys for the W. P. Ry. Co., Oakland &
Antioch Ry. Co., Security Bank & Trust Co.,
Judson Mfg. Co., H. D. Capwell Co., Pacific Coast
Lumber & Mill Co., and Hale Bros. He is P. G. M. Of
the A. O. U. W., a Blue Lodge Mason, K. T., and a Mystic Shriner.
His clubs are the
Athenian and the Nile of Oakland.
Transcribed 11-24-06 Marilyn R. Pankey.
Source: Press
Reference Library, Western Edition Notables of the West, Vol. I, Page 147,
International News Service, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los
Angeles, Boston, Atlanta.
1913.
© 2006 Marilyn R. Pankey.
California
Biography Project
San
Francisco County
California
Statewide
Golden
Nugget Library