San
Joaquin County
Biographies
JAY P. COWEN
A native of Illinois, Jay P. Cowen
has been a resident of California since his seventh year. He was born at Quincy, January 7, 1872, and
in 1879 came with his parents to Oakland, California, where he received his
education. At the age of sixteen he
started to learn the baker’s trade with Bowles & Wilson at San Jose, and
from that time he has been engaged in this business. He first worked in different parts of the
state, then in 1907 located in Tracy and opened a bakery of his own, on a
capital of $150, which he had borrowed.
Later he came to Stockton, built an oven and conducted the Independent
Bakery on Fair Oaks Avenue, and when he sold out in 1917 he went to Vacaville,
and then to Chico; in each he had a bakery.
On his return to Stockton in the fall of 1919 he bought out the Polly
Ann Bakery, and here he has built up a splendid business, both wholesale and
retail; he has made many improvements in the plant, installing modern
machinery, and now has a capacity of 3,000 loaves per day, his products being
very popular.
At San Francisco Mr. Cowen was
married to Mrs. Susie (Tripp) Brown, born in Massachusetts, and they are the
parents of five children: Harold L., who
was born in San Jose, October 26, 1891, attended the Fremont and Lafayette
schools at Stockton, after the family removed here. He first went to work as a clerk in Hall
Brothers Grocery, then was with his father in the
bakery, and since 1919 he has been a partner in the business. Ralph and Ray, twins, are also associated
with their father; the two youngest members of the family are Sadie and
Grace. Mr. Cowen is a member of the
Stockton Chamber of Commerce and the Merchants Association and in every way
tries to aid all movements for the building up of the city and county in which
he has spent the greater and successful portion of his business career.
Transcribed by V. Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Page
1582. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2012 V. Gerald Iaquinta.
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