San
Joaquin County
Biographies
THOMAS C. EVANS
A worthy representative of the early
California pioneers is Thomas C. Evans, a highly respected citizen of Stockton,
who is now living retired at his beautiful home located in 145 Sperry Street, where
he has resided for the past fourteen years.
He was born in Carmarthenshire, Wales, May 24, 1849, and his father died
when he was one year old. Subsequently
his mother was married to Henry V. Moore, also a native of Wales, and in 1852
they came to America settling near Salt Lake City, having crossed the plains by
ox-team thither. Mr. Moore was engaged
in mining and prospecting for several years.
In 1859 the family removed to Carson City, Nevada, where Mr. Moore was
employed on the construction of a tunnel through the mountains from Jacks
Valley to Washoe Valley. In 1860 Thomas
C. Evans came with his mother to California, settling in the Linden section of
San Joaquin County, where they resided for two years, then were joined by Mr.
Moore, and the family then removed to Contra Costa County to a ranch at the
foot of Mt. Diablo, where Mr. Moore raised stock and successfully farmed for a
number of years; later the family returned to San Joaquin County and in 1897
Mr. Moore passed away at Lockeford. Six children
were born to Mr. and Mrs. Moore, three daughters and three sons. After her husband’s death Mrs. Moore removed
to Stockton and later to Oakland, where she lived until she passed away in
1906.
At Stockton October 11, 1874, Mr. Evans was
married to Miss Katherine Hoerl, a native of New York
City, a daughter of Frantz and Lona (Kramer) Hoerl, both natives of Germany, who came to America in the
late ‘50s. Mrs. Evans has three brothers: Joseph resides in Stockton; Henry resides
near French Camp and John Hoerl at Lodi, all
ranchers. The Hoerl
family emigrated to California via Panama in the early
‘50s, and both parents passed away many years ago. Mr. and Mrs. Evans are the parents of three
children: Gertrude died at the age of
nine years; Gilbert died at the age of two years, and Thomas Herbert is married
to Miss Mary McAdams, and has seven children; he is a rancher and conducts the Ellisworth farm on shares with his father; he is a
prominent member of the Eagles in Stockton.
In 1880 Mr. Evans removed to
Stockton, where he built and conducted a hotel at Collar and Elbow, Roberts
Island, in the early reclamation period of the Delta district; he also built
several similar places, one at Holts on the middle division of the island and
one on Waterloo Road just outside of Stockton, engaging in this business until
1887, when he entered the sheep business.
He built and conducted the sheep dipping plant on the edge of Roberts
Island near Stockton where during the first season more than 120,000 sheep were
dipped; he also cared for large herds of sheep on shares, but after two severe
winters when he suffered financial reverses he gave up the sheep business and
turned his attention to farming in the Delta, where he made considerable money. For ten years Mr. Evans conducted the club
rooms of the Grand Central Hotel in Stockton and in 1896 built the Wallace
Hotel at Wallace, Calaveras County, at that time the terminus of the Sierra
Nevada Railroad, which he conducted for six years; he also built hotels at Dogtown, Ringer and Elliott, which he ran for a few years,
then sold to good advantage. Meantime,
Mr. Evans has carried on farming in which he is still active, owning a choice
grain farm in the Ellisworth district, which is
managed by his son, Thomas Herbert. Mr.
Evans is affiliated with the Stockton Lodge of Red Men.
Transcribed by V. Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Page
1467. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2012 V. Gerald Iaquinta.
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