San
Joaquin County
Biographies
RANSOM ECCLESTON
Many of the pioneers who came to
California in the early days were disappointed in the primary object of their
journey; that is, making their fortunes in the mines, yet turned their energies
into other channels, and in so doing became the substantial up builders of the
commonwealth. Among this number was the
late Ransom Eccleston, who passed away in Stockton November 15, 1907. He was a native of Ohio, born in Clermont County,
September 6, 1825, and was reared and educated in the vicinity of his
birthplace. He was a young man of about
twenty-four years when the wave of excitement incident to the finding of gold
in California passed over his home locality and as a result he was among the number who were attracted to the gold fields. Without loss of time he made preparations for
the journey across the plains, and November, 1849, found him in the state ready
to try his fortune as a miner. He soon
learned, however, that his forte did not lie in this direction and he wisely
turned his attention to other means of earning a livelihood.
Before settling down permanently,
however, Mr. Eccleston took a trip to the Sandwich Islands, and upon his return
to California in the spring of 1850 he located near San Andreas, Calaveras
County, where he first became interested in the hotel business, and in addition
was proprietor of a general store.
Following this, in 1866, he came to Stockton and thereafter made this
city his permanent home, following the hotel business. He was successively proprietor of the
Franklin House, Eagle House, Grand Central and Avenue House, all of which were
noted for the cordiality extended to guests, as well as for their superior
accommodations. At the time of the
meeting of the first state legislature in Sacramento he was also proprietor of
the State Hotel in that city.
In San Andreas, Calaveras County,
Mr. Eccleston was united in marriage with Miss Sarah Elizabeth Samsel, the ceremony taking place August 22, 1854, and of
the children born of their marriage two are living, as follows: Mrs. W. C. Matteson, of Stockton, and Oliver
H. Eccleston, whose sketch will be found in this work. Mc. Eccleston passed away November 15, 1907,
his wife surviving him until June 26, 1922.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Page
430. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
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