San
Joaquin County
Biographies
ROBERT H. ALLEN
A representative of the best along
educational lines is the principal of the Jefferson School in Stockton, Robert
H. Allen, who has served in this capacity for the past five years in a most capable
manner. He was born in McPherson County,
Kansas, August 8, 1884, a son of Dolphus William and Evelyn (Davis) Allen,
natives of North Carolina and New York, respectively. Dolphus William Allen is the son of Joseph H.
and Eliza (Apple) Allen, who moved from Litchfield, Illinois, to Missouri and
then to Kansas. On January 3, 1883,
Dolphus William Allen was married to Evelyn Davis, a daughter of Orson Davis,
who settled in Case County, Kansas, in 1877, where he remained for four years,
then removed to McPherson County, that state.
In 1887 Dolphus William Allen left Kansas and settled in Lamar,
Colorado, where he carried the mail from Lamar, forty miles west across the
plains to connect with western mail, and he also engaged in farming until the
fall of 1888, when he removed to Stockton, California, where he drove one of
the first mule cars and later followed the painting and decorating trade until
1916. He then leased a ranch fourteen
miles from Stockton; later he moved to a ranch twenty-three miles from
Stockton, where he farmed. He now owns a
ranch on the Lower Sacramento Road, about seven miles from Stockton. Three children were born to this couple: Robert H., our subject; Dora, Mrs. Herbert
Cash, of Stockton, who has two children, Dorence and
Lyman; and Irene, now Mrs. Peterquin, of Stockton,
who has two children, Lillian and Albert.
Mrs. Allen is a member of the degree of Pocahontas of Stockton.
Robert H. Allen began his education
in the Stockton grammar schools and finished with the normal course at the
Western School of Commerce. At twelve
years of age he learned the candy maker’s trade, which he followed for two
years, then assisted his father in interior decorating for some time; following
this he engaged as contract lather in Lodi until he was twenty-three years of
age, when he took up educational work.
His first position as school teacher was at Capay, Yolo County, sixteen
miles from Woodland; then he taught three years at Georgetown, in El Dorado
County, and the following year at Los Alamos, Santa Barbara County. Returning to Stockton he taught for eight
years in the grade schools of the city and for six months was the
vice-principal of the Jackson school and then principal of the Hazelton school for two years; since 1917 he has efficiently handled
the principalship of the Jefferson school, the largest grade school in
Stockton. While residing in Capay Mr.
Allen conducted a grocery store; he now owns a grocery store at 1136 North East
Street, Stockton.
The marriage of Mr. Allen occurred
in Sacramento County, June 10, 1909, which united him with Miss Erma Giovannetti, born at Tancred, California, a daughter of Biaggo and Rose Giovannetti,
natives of the province of Lucca, Italy, who came to California many years ago,
where he farmed. These children were
born to them: Joseph, Clora, Erma, Mrs. Allen, Amelio,
Romeo, Julia and Rose; one child is deceased.
Mr. Allen is a Republican in politics and fraternally is a member and at
six different times has been noble grand of the I. O. O. F., and now belongs to
Charity Lodge No. 6, and is a member also of the Encampment of Stockton; he is
a member of the Morning Star Lodge No. 68, of Masons in Stockton and of the
Pyramid No. 5 Sciots. From 1901 to 1906
he was a member of and the last eighteen months served as first sergeant of
Company A, 6th Infantry, N. G. C., and at
the same time his father was a member of the same company.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Page
1196. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
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