San
Joaquin County
Biographies
EARL EDWARD BURLINGTON
A representative citizen, engaged in
viticulture in San Joaquin County, is Earl Edward Burlington, who was born in
Carson City, Nevada, November 13, 1892, a son of Edward and Minnie (Cowing)
Burlington. Edward Burlington was a
native of Old Boston, England, while the mother was born in Carson City,
Nevada. Edward Burlington left his home
in England and went first to Canada, afterwards to New York, and from there to
Carson City, where he conducted a shoe store, and where he met and married Miss
Minnie Cowing. Her father, George
Cowing, was a native of London, England, and had come to the United States and
across the plains to Carson City in frontier days, where he was at one time a deputy
sheriff. Earl Burlington is the youngest
of a family of three children, the others being Arthur and Nell, now Mrs.
Trimmer, residing at Oakland. The father
passed away in Carson City on April 12, 1907, while the mother makes her home
in Oakland.
Earl Burlington attended the Carson
City public schools and at odd times assisted his father in the store. After finishing grammar school he entered
high school; and then in 1910 removed to Berkeley, California, and entered the
Van de Nailen Engineering School at Oakland. During his engineering course he practiced
engineering in the field, spending five years in the school and in the field in
California and Nevada. In 1914 he was
duly graduated, and thereafter spent another year at his profession in the two
states. He then located at Lodi, where
he rented two vineyards, one on Kettleman Lane and the other on Sargent Road,
120 acres in all, on which he had a three-year lease. At the outbreak of the World War he gave up
his lease and enlisted in Company A of the 1st California Engineers,
on June 8, 1917; later this company was transferred into the 42nd
Division and was designated as Company D, 117th Engineers, of the 42nd
(Rainbow) Division. This regiment was
used in the construction of Camp Fremont.
It was then sent to Camp Mills, New York, was trained there until
October, 1917, and then sailed for France, landing on French soil November 1,
1917, at St. Nazaire.
Here his regiment was employed in building barracks, bath houses and
other necessary buildings, preparatory to the coming of the American
forces. He continued in this work until
February, 1918, when his regiment was sent into the Vosges sector near Luneville, to train for front-line duty. His regiment first worked in connection with
the fifth French army, then was transferred to the American Army, and was in
action at Chateau-Thierry, St. Mihiel, and Meuse-Argonne No. 1 and No. 2; and
at the time of the signing of the Armistice the regiment was nearing
Sedan. His regiment then marched into
the occupation area and was stationed to the left of Coblenz, Germany. Mr. Burlington then returned to the United
States, and was discharged on May 18, 1919, at the Presidio, San Francisco, as
a sergeant first class. Returning to San
Joaquin County he rented a forty-acre vineyard about six miles from Woodbridge
on the Thornton Road, in the Ray school district, where he is still
located. Mr. Burlington is a member of
the Lodi Growers’ and Shippers’ League.
On January 4, 1921, in Lodi, Mr.
Burlington was married to Miss Jennie Graffigna, a
daughter of Andrew J. and Louise (Solari) Graffigna. Jennie Graffigna was born in Lodi, and was educated in the grammar
and high school. She graduated in 1914,
having majored in commercial work, and was then engaged for some time in
bookkeeping. Mrs. Burlington is the
fifth in a family of seven children:
David; Ida, Mrs. J. D. Graffigna; Emil F.;
Anthony J.; Jennie, Mrs. Burlington; Lena; and Julia. Her mother passed away on November 15, 1919;
the father is still living in Lodi. Mr.
and Mrs. Burlington have one son, Earl Edward, Jr. Mr. Burlington is a member of the Stockton
Lodge, No. 218, B. P. O. Elks, and of the Lodi Aerie, No. 848, Eagles. He is also a member of Lodi Post, No. 22,
American Legion; and a member, and at the present time state president, of the
California Chapter of the 42nd (Rainbow) Division Veterans. He belongs to the Mokelumne Club in
Lodi. Mrs. Burlington is a member of the
Lodi Women’s Club; the Young Ladies’ Institute of Lodi, No. 91; and the Woman’s
Auxiliary to the American Legion.
Transcribed by V. Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Pages
1451-1452. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2012 V. Gerald Iaquinta.
Golden Nugget Library's San Joaquin County Biographies
Golden Nugget Library's San Joaquin County Genealogy
Databases