San Francisco County
Biographies
FRANK CLARK STOAKES,
D.D.S.
FRANK CLARK STOAKES,
D.D.S., of Oakland, was born in Nevada city,
California, in 1862, a son of
Benjamin Franklin and Sarah A. (Mitchell) Stoakes. The father, born in Ohio in1823, came across the
plains in 1849, one of a large party, of whom some few were killed in an attack
by a band of hostile Sioux, numbering about 2,600. Arriving in California B. F. Stoakes engaged
in mining in what is now Nevada county,
and accumulated some money. In the
summer of 1851 he went back to Ohio by way of Panama, and was married near
Knoxville, in Jefferson county, Ohio, both being natives of that county. Immediately after their marriage they set out
for California by way of Panama, Mrs. Stoakes being the
first woman to leave that section for California. Being detained in Panama awaiting a vessel, the
trip took nearly six months, and they reached their destination April 1,
1852. The father resumed mining in Nevada county,
continuing in that pursuit for several years.
About 1860 he opened a store in Nevada city,
dealing in miners’ supplies, and especially in hardware and tinware. He had learned the trade of tinsmith in his
youth, and carried on that business in Nevada City about ten years,
filling also some local offices. In 1870 he took a contract for the iron-work
of the Salinas city jail, and sold out
his store. About 1872 he moved to San Francisco and obtained a position
in the United States mint as
deposit-melter. He has followed that
vocation eighteen years in San Francisco and Carson city, Nevada. Some years ago he purchased twelve and
one-half acres of fruit land in San Leandro, where he established
the home of the family, and where they still reside. The mother is aged about sixty-two and there
are two children, the subject of this sketch and his sister Flora.
F. C.
Stoakes received his early education in Nevada city,
and later in the military school of San Mateo. In 1881 he entered the office of a dentist in
San
Francisco to learn the business, and remained until 1884,
when he opened an office on his own account in this city. The ensuing year he was in partnership with
Mr. Lee for a few months in East Oakland, under the style of Lee
& Stoakes. Dissolving
that connection, Mr. Stoakes set out on a traveling professional tour which
covered the Pacific coast region from British
Columbia to Southern California, and extended to
the city of Mexico. Returning to Oakland he settled at his
present location, No. 1103½ Broadway, February 1, 1888, and has built up a good
and growing business in his line.
Transcribed by Donna L.
Becker.
Source: “The Bay of San
Francisco,” Vol. 2, Pages 652-653,
Lewis Publishing Co, 1892.
© 2006 Donna L.
Becker.
California Biography
Project
San
Francisco County
California
Statewide
Golden
Nugget Library