San
Joaquin County
Biographies
PARK ARBINGTON BUELL
Born on a farm near Cleveland, Ohio,
Park Arbington Buell, generally known as P. A. Buell, was the son of Sidney
Buell and Amelia W. (Ballou) Buell.
After his father’s death, his mother brought her little family to
California, and built a home at Santa Rosa.
P. A. Buell remained at home until
he was grown, receiving his education in the public schools. He came to Stockton in the early ‘80s and
entered the employ of the White & Thomas Planing Mill Company, remaining
with them until he went into business for himself. He organized the P. A. Buell Planing Mill
& Lumber Company, with office at Center and Sonora streets. The mills covered an area of 50,000 square
feet, and the yards occupied over ten acres on the south bank of Mormon
Channel.
After establishing himself in
Stockton, Mr. Buell married Miss Ada Moore, the daughter of H. H. Moore, a
well-known pioneer resident and business man of the city. Three children were born to Mr. and Mrs.
Buell: Leon Moore, Henry H. and
Amy. The eldest son died at the age of
eight years. Henry H. is a graduate of
Stanford University, and an electrical engineer by profession. He married Miss Rheda
Ridenour, and they have two sons, Warren Henry and Robert Allen. Amy graduated from Miss Head’s school in
Berkeley, and received her degree from Mills College. She is the wife of John Stewart Greaves and
they have one daughter, Nancy Jane.
P. A. Buell was a staunch Republican
in politics, and fraternally a Knight Templar Mason and a member of Charity
Lodge, I. O. O. F. He was prominently
identified with many affairs which were beneficial to the public good. He was the organizer and president of the
Commercial Association which was instrumental in having the San Francisco and
San Joaquin Valley Railroad built from Stockton; was identified with the
building of the Sierra Railroad; was a director of the Jackson, Sutter &
Amador Railway Company, whose line was then in course of construction. He also visited Washington in the interest of
the waterways of California. His last
prominent work was the organization of the San Joaquin Valley Association,
embracing the twelve counties forming the low lands and slopes of that fertile
valley. He was also the president of the
Bown Mining Company of Tuolumne.
Mr. Buell continually and
unselfishly devoted a large proportion of his time and best effort aiding and
encouraging any worthy enterprise which he felt would redound to the advantage
of his community. In his sudden and
premature death on April 4, 1900, Stockton lost a stalwart supporter of every
civic movement for the welfare of his adopted city.
Transcribed by V. Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Page
1283. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 V. Gerald Iaquinta.
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