San
Joaquin County
Biographies
ORISON EATON
A resident of Tracy who has come to
enjoy a large place in the confidence and esteem of his fellow-townsmen is
Orison Eaton, who was born on his father’s farm near Warren, Illinois, on
October 28, 1861 a son of Parley and Susan (Jones) Eaton, the former a native
of Ohio, and the latter of New York State.
The schooling of Orison Eaton was completed when he reached the age of
twelve years, and after that he did the heavy work on his father’s farm. Early in 1875 the family removed to Vernon
County, Wisconsin, and two years later emigrated to Lynn County, Kansas, where
they continued to farm and where our subject assumed the burden of the farm
work until he started in for himself.
The mother died at Lathrop, California in 1890, and the father in 1900
at Tracy.
On February 3, 1883 at Emporia,
Kansas, Mr. Eaton was united in marriage with Miss Josephine Huffman. Mrs. Eaton was born near Franklin, Indiana,
on December 22, 1856 a daughter of William Huffman, a native of Kentucky, and a
well-known farmer. He married Miss Mary
Smock, a native of Indiana, and removed to Kansas, and there the family resided
until 1868. In 1887 Mr. Eaton removed to
Lathrop, California, and was employed by the Southern Pacific Railroad Company
in the roundhouse. During 1888 his
family joined him and remained at Lathrop until 1894, when they removed to
Tracy, as the roundhouse had been moved from Lathrop to Tracy and Mr. Eaton was
still in charge. In 1910 he was offered the
position of superintendent of the treating plant, and he has since had charge
of this plant and during the past twelve years has not been absent from his
post of duty a single day. This plant
treats the water used by the powerful locomotives, destroying all injurious
qualities.
Mr. and Mrs. Eaton are the parents
of three children: Edwin O. is married
and resides in Modesto; Fred is married and has two daughters, the family
living in Modesto; and Lela is Mrs. O. Phillips, they have two sons and reside
in Tracy. In politics Mr. Eaton is a
Republican and during the recent War supported the different drives. He owns a fine modern residence at 106 West
Eleventh Street, and he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal
Church.
Transcribed by V. Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Pages
1367-1368. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 V. Gerald Iaquinta.
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