San
Francisco County
Biographies
JOSIAH
STANFORD
The name of Stanford will be
commemorated as one most dear to Californians. Josiah Stanford is a brother of
Senator Stanford, and the eldest of the family. He is a fine type of an
American gentleman of the old school, and has been prominently connected with
the development of our State, and as a pioneer was instrumental in inducing
Governor Stanford to come tot this State. Although Mr. Josiah Stanford has not
been connected with railroad building in this State, he did assist his father,
Mr. Josiah Stanford, Senior, in his contracts for building railroads in New York
State, among which was the railroad from Albany to Schenectady. Mr. Stanford
arrived in California in 1849, and commenced merchandising at Mormon Island.
Subsequently he opened a large hardware house in Sacramento, and subsequently a
large oil store in San Francisco, which is still carried on by one of his sons.
We reproduce from an interesting sketch printed in 1886 in The Resources of
California:
“Mr. Stanford is a man of powerful
frame and naturally strong constitution. His threescore and ten years sit
lightly upon him, and a stranger would scarcely suppose him to be more than
sixty years of age. His step is firm and his form erect; his eye, bright, clear
and sparkling, has occasionally a merry twinkle which bespeaks the kindly,
genial soul within. Mr. Stanford is a member of the Society of California
Pioneers, and evidently takes pride in the fact that he was one of those who
laid the foundation of this great and growing State, and that through his
influence is probably due the presence and citizenship in California of the
founder of the Leland Stanford, Junior, University.”
Transcribed By: Cecelia M. Setty.
Source: “Illustrated Fraternal Directory Including
Educational Institutions on the Pacific Coast”, Page 34, Publ. Bancroft
Co., San Francisco. Cal. 1889.
© 2012 Cecelia
M. Setty.