San
Joaquin County
Biographies
PIETRO PASQUALE CAMOZZI
An upright and honorable citizen,
and a thorough and industrious
agriculturist, Pietro Pasquale Camozzi operates a fine ranch of 260 acres six
miles southeast of Stockton on the Mariposa Road, a portion of which is a fine
producing vineyard. He was born at Lugano, Canton Ticino, Switzerland, September 15, 1872, the
only son of Caesar Camozzi, born in 1820, a native of the same province and a
prosperous farmer, who died in 1901 when eighty-one years old. He married Miss Rosie Boscacci,
also born in the province of Ticino in 1823; she died about 1890. There were seven children in the family of
whom only two survive, Jane, Mrs. Valentine Camozzi on the old home, is the
mother of eight children, three of whom are in California; and Pietro P., the
subject of this sketch. At eleven years
of age Pietro Camozzi left his family home in Switzerland in company with his
friends, the Chaparoni brothers now of San Francisco, and they sailed from
Havre, France, on the La France, arriving in California in March, 1883. His first job was with the Globe Brass
Foundry Company and he received fifty cents per day for his work and out of
this mere pittance he had to pay his board and lodging; however, later on he
was given an increase from time to time.
His ability and steadiness being recognized, he was receiving $2.50 per
day before he had reached the age of fifteen years. On account of the fumes in the brass foundry
he was obliged to give up his work, so he obtained work on a ranch in the San Joaquin
Valley and in 1887 he located in Stockton.
During the following eight years he worked steadily on ranches and was
able to save sufficient money to purchase the livestock and implements on the
F. J. Galgaini ranch.
It is fine productive land and which he has now farmed for twenty-one
years. He raises large quantities of wheat
and hay besides fine quality of grapes, especially of the Black Prince variety,
which has gained him prizes at the county fair.
He set this vineyard out, cared for it, and it is now a good producer.
The marriage of Mr. Camozzi occurred
in December, 1901, which united him with Miss Josephine Gardella, born in
Stockton, a daughter of Stephen and Mary Gardella, pioneer market gardeners of
South Stockton. Three children have been
born to Mr. and Mrs. Camozzi, Stephen, Rosie and Eileen. In 1892 Mr. Camozzi received his final U. S.
citizenship papers at Stockton and a more loyal American citizen is hard to
find. He owns twenty shares in the San
Joaquin Wharf and Warehouse Company at Stockton and has such confidence in the
future of San Joaquin County as a viticulture section that he intends to set
more acres to vineyard in the near future.
He is a Republican in politics.
Transcribed by V. Gerald Iaquinta.
Source:
Tinkham, George H., History of San
Joaquin County, California , Pages
1586-1587. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2012 V. Gerald Iaquinta.
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