San
Joaquin County
Biographies
EUGENE N. FESSIER
A prominent and influential citizen
of Stockton is Eugene N. Fessier, who was born at Wallace, Calaveras County,
California on January 22, 1880 the son of Nicholas Fessier, a native of Alsace,
and an extensive, successful farmer. He
had married Virginia Dennis, of Paris, and had himself come to be a basket
maker in the French capital. In 1875 he
migrated to the United States, and having reached California, he took up land
in Calaveras County. It thus happened
that Eugene Fessier attended the schools of both Comanche and Wallace; and
growing up, at the age of eighteen followed mining in the Utica Mine at Angels
Camp, where he worked under W. J. Loring. In 1901, however, he located at Stockton, and
there worked for the contractors, Messrs. Lewis & Barling,
having already learned his trade as a contractor and carpenter under his
father. Later he struck out for himself
and for twelve years followed building on a large scale in Stockton. He erected over 300 cottages and some
fourteen business blocks, and he also did a lot of building in Chinatown, at
that time conspicuous for its many small shacks. He erected many modern brick blocks and
hotels, and thus added greatly to the appearance of the city, and among them
were the College Inn and the Astor Hotel.
He built, besides, about fifty residences for Messrs. Dietrich &
Leistner in their new subdivision; and during the War he went to El Dorado
County and mined materials needed for war munitions by the Government. While there, as an accidental reward for his
patriotic endeavor, he became interested in two gold mines, in company with C.
M. Jackson, and the partners still have the mining property.
In 1919 Mr. Fessier returned to
Stockton and took up the handling of real estate, also operating as a mining
broker, opening offices at 43 South San Joaquin Street. For two years he was with the Holt
Manufacturing Company and for some time he resided on West Street and helped to
open up that tract of land, and he was instrumental in having the bridge
erected across the canal on Stanislaus Street.
He now makes his home at 1531 South California Street. About eight years ago Mr. Fessier revived the
South Stockton Improvement Club and he has been president of the same ever
since; and it was through the efforts of this excellent organization that the
district was annexed to the city. Great
improvements have been made in that district through the club: paving, for example, costing $650,000, has been
put in. The club was organized in 1920
with 360 members, and in 1921 it had 1,385 members, and this number will soon
be increased to 2,000. The club led the
fight for a city park and children’s playground to be laid out at the Stockton
Mineral Baths. Mr. Fessier is also a
member of the Water Consumers’ League, which is trying to get the city to buy
the water system from the Pacific Gas & Electric Company and then build a
new municipal system. The South Stockton
Improvement Club was instrumental in having a concrete bridge built across the
canal on Center Street. The club is affiliated
with the Fair Oaks and East End Improvement clubs. Mr. Fessier’s
standing in the community may be judged by the fact that he is one of thirty
men appointed by the City Commission to frame a new building ordinance for
Stockton; and he is chairman of the fire protection committee of that
commission. It was through the efforts of
the South Stockton Improvement Club that the successful Fourth of July
celebration was held in Stockton in 1921, when the club had the assistance of
the Knights of Pythias, the Progressive Business Men’s Club and the Moose, Mr.
Fessier being chairman of the finance committee.
In Calaveras County, on September 3,
1901 Mr. Fessier was married to Miss Edna A. Matatall,
the daughter of J. C. Matatall, a native of Nova
Scotia. Mr. Fessier belongs to Stockton
Lodge No. 11, I. O. O. F., to the Eagles, to the Charter Oak Lodge, Knights of
Pythias, and to the Loyal Order of Moose, as well as to the Rebekahs and to the
Pythian Sisterhood, and in addition he is a member of Lodge No. 106, Woodmen of
the World.
Transcribed by V. Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Page
1292. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 V. Gerald Iaquinta.
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