San
Joaquin County
Biographies
BERT A. FISHER
Pioneers in the house-moving
business in San Joaquin County, members of the Fisher family have for three
generations been engaged in this line, which is now being successfully carried
on by Bert A. Fisher, a native son of Stockton, born February 27, 1881, the son
of Jacob and Mary (Towle) Fisher. The
father, who was a native of Missouri, passed away some years ago, but Mrs.
Fisher, who was born in Stockton, still makes her home there. Jacob Fisher was only five years old when in
the late ‘50s he came to Stockton with his father, Hiram Fisher, and both he
and his father engaged in house-moving here.
Hiram Fisher was the owner of Fisher’s addition to Stockton, consisting
of six blocks of land east of the city.
He was one of Stockton’s well-known citizens and served as police judge
in the early days. Seven boys and three
girls of their family are still living, of whom Bert A. is the third oldest,
and all make their home in Stockton except the three sisters. Bert was reared in his native city and being
a good student received a good education in its public schools. From a lad he had assisted his father in his
house moving and contracting so when fourteen years of age he started in the
business and continued actively with his father until his death, since which
time he has been in the business for himself thus representing one of the old
businesses in the city. His years of
experience enable him to understand every step necessary to succeed in a line
that requires much ingenuity and originality as well as the nerve and
confidence to tackle most difficult problems.
The results he has accomplished well demonstrate his capability in his
line. Mr. Fisher tested out the first
caterpillar tractor built by Benjamin Holt, moving a twenty-ton boiler from
Valley Springs to Campo Seco. Among the
jobs he has handled are the following:
Moved a house from the hills to Gustine, a distance of ten miles; moved
the Santa Fe depot from Cutler to Sultana; this building which was 100 feet
long and 34 feet wide, was put on three flat cars and moved on the railroad
track by locomotive a distance of five miles, in thirty-five minutes; took a
house from the Exposition Grounds in San Francisco, loaded it on barges and
took it across the bay and up into the hills in West Berkeley, now the home of
Prof. Arthur Pope; moved the Jarvis house from the civic center site in
Stockton out on the Linden Road seven miles.
He moved the old Ceres Hotel from Ceres to Hughson, six miles, using
sixty-four head of mules and two steam tractors. In Stockton he has put houses on barges and
towed them down the river and from there to residence streets. The process of evolution in house-moving has
been an interesting one, first with ox-teams, then with a windlass and horse,
steam rigs, caterpillar tractor, and at present by means of motor truck. An expert in solving the problems arising in
this business, Mr. Fisher has built up a splendid patronage.
Mr. Fisher’s marriage occurred in
Sacramento where he was united with Mrs. Hilda (Mackie) Baker, a native of
Michigan, born near Saginaw, but reared near Ashland, Wisconsin, where her
parents, John and Fredericka Mackie are substantial farmers. An older sister in Portland joining her,
Hilda Mackie attended the Portland Academy, as well as the Convent in that
city. Her first marriage occurred in
Reno to Charles Baker, born in Nevada, whose parents were of an old pioneer
family in that state. Mr. Baker was
accidently killed there and afterwards Mrs. Baker came to Stockton, where she
met Mr. Fisher, the acquaintance resulting in their marriage in
Sacramento. She is a talented vocalist
with a splendid mezzo-soprano voice and is soloist at the Christian Church, and
also frequently favors other audiences who enjoy and appreciate her beautiful
and sympathetic singing. Mr. and Mrs.
Fisher reside at their comfortable home at 925 South Hunter Street, where they
enjoy dispensing hospitality and good cheer to their many friends. Mr. Fisher is a lover of outdoor sports,
particularly hunting and fishing; being a splendid shot he rarely misses
bringing in the limit on his hunting excursions.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Pages
792-795. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
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