San
Joaquin County
Biographies
PACIFIC CARPET CLEANING COMPANY
(ANTHONY V.
BOWERS & GEORGE S. FERGUSON)
The enterprising concern conducted
under the firm name of the Pacific Carpet Cleaning Company, located at 330
South California Street, Stockton, California, is one of the pioneer
institutions of this city, being established in 1897. On March 1, 1910, George S. Ferguson and
Anthony V. Bowers purchased the business, which was of small proportions and
which consisted principally of cleaning carpets; during the twelve years of
their ownership new departments have been added and it has become a prosperous
and well paying business. The company
manufacture awnings, mattresses, do upholstering, renovate mattresses, and do
all kinds of carpet cleaning, specializing in carpet shampooing, this being done by a special machine. After the carpet has been cleaned, soap is
used and the luster brought back, thus increasing the life of the fabric.
Anthony V. Bowers was born on his
father’s ranch near Stockton, San Joaquin County, California, on October 20,
1879, a son of Frank and Mary (Sheehan) Bowers, the former a native of Ohio and
the latter of Massachusetts. His father
sailed around the Horn in 1861 and was one of the early grain farmers in San
Joaquin County, his ranch being located on the Waterloo Road, six miles from
Stockton. There were eight children in
his father’s family: Mrs. J. V. Sprengler, Mrs. M. L. Garvem,
Mrs. J. F. Muldowney, Henry A., Frank E., Charles A.,
Anthony V., of this sketch, and George W.
Both parents have passed away.
Anthony V. was educated in the
Greenwood school with the class of 1898. He is a natural born musician; at the age of
six years he began playing the violin and at the age of seven began the study
of that instrument, and when thirteen years of age was playing professionally. He has been a teacher of the violin for many
years and is now the director of Bowers’ Orchestra, which is very popular in
Stockton for dances, entertainments, etc.
For five years he was a bookkeeper for a local firm and in 1910 bought
an interest in the above company, which has proven a good investment. Fraternally he is a member of the Stockton
Lodge No. 218, B. P. O. Elks, and the Fraternal Brotherhood; he is also a
member of the Stockton Rotary Club. Mr.
Bowers’ marriage united him with Miss Ella Reynolds, a native of Oakdale,
California.
George S. Ferguson, the other
partner in the above enterprise, is also a native of San Joaquin County, born
near Linden on September 8, 1878, a son of William W. and Ida (Prather)
Ferguson, the former a native of California and the latter born in Missouri. His paternal grandfather was a native of
Illinois and crossed the plains in the pioneer days, settling in Stockton where
he conducted the Eureka Bakery. W. W.
Ferguson was a grain farmer for many years near Linden and was a member of
Stockton Parlor No. 7, the N. S. G. W.
There were two sons in the family:
Elmer S., deceased, and George S., the subject of this review. The father passed away, but the mother still
lives on a portion of the old home place near Linden. George S. attended the Linden school and
followed farming until his removal to Stockton where he became associated with
a carpet company, and in 1910 he purchased an interest in the Pacific Carpet
Cleaning Company.
The marriage of Mr. Ferguson united
him with Miss Lida Smith, a native of San Francisco, California. He is a member of the Junior Order of
Mechanics and the Loyal Order of Moose.
He owns a twenty-acre fruit ranch at Linden, a part of the home place,
which is in full-bearing walnuts, prunes and peaches.
Transcribed by V. Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Pages
1443-1444. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2012 V. Gerald Iaquinta.
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