San
Joaquin County
Biographies
MRS. SUSAN M. GANN
On the roll of honored pioneer women
of San Joaquin County appears the name of Mrs. Susan Gann, who has been a
resident of the county for sixty-two years and for the past twelve years, has
made her home at 2173 East Market Street, Stockton. Her birth occurred in St. Augustine County,
Texas, on March 29, 1847, the daughter of Erasmus Hennington
and Julia Ann (Fry) Elkins. Erasmus
Elkins was born in Tennessee in 1822, but while still a young child was taken
by his parents to Alabama, where he was reared and educated. From Alabama he removed to St. Augustine
County, Texas, where in 1842 he was married to Miss Julia Fry, a native of
Texas and a descendant of an early Colonial family of Quaker stock who had
settled in Pennsylvania in early days.
Mrs. Elkins passed away April 20, 1847, leaving two children, Susan M.
and Charles W. One year later, Erasmus
Elkins started west for California with ox teams, leaving his two children with
their grandparents. Mr. Elkins stopped
in San Jose for a short time, then came to Stockton and engaged in freighting
to Sonora, which he followed until 1859, when he returned to Texas for his two
children. They made the trip via Panama,
landing in San Francisco through the Golden Gate, and the family arrived in
Stockton in 1860. In 1858, Mr. Elkins
had married Miss Nancy Gann, a daughter of John Gann and a niece of Nick Gann,
both prominent in the early history of Stockton. In 1870 Mr. Elkins left San Joaquin County
and removed to Santa Cruz, where he farmed for a couple of years; then moved to
Lompoc, California, where he passed away at the age of eighty-six, his wife
living until she was ninety-six years old.
Two children were born of the latter union: Iris Benson residing in Sacramento, and Mrs.
Lucy A. Amon, who died in Stockton, January 1, 1923.
On August 24, 1862, at Stockton,
Susan M. Elkins was married to William T. Gann, born in Jackson County,
Missouri, in 1840, where he was reared to young manhood on his father’s
farm. In 1859 he crossed the plains with
ox teams, the party being captained by his uncle, Thomas Gann. The party was composed of the families of
Thomas Gann, M. H. Harles, Mr. Miller, Mr. Russell,
Mrs. Nancy Clark, and John Gann and they all settled near Farmington,
California. William T. Gann’s sister Rosana was the wife of Edward M. Drais and died here. The young married people began their life on
a farm near Stockton, where they lived until 1870, when they moved to Calaveras
County, where they bought land near Felix and for over forty years made this their
home, engaging in stockraising and general farming. Mr. and Mrs. Gann reared nine children: Mary C. now Mrs. Terrance McArdle,
resides in Stockton and they have two children; Annie E. is assisting her
mother in presiding over the home; Lewis M. is married and has three children
and they reside in Stockton; William B. has charge of the home ranch in
Calaveras County; Lucy B. is now the wife of Bert Carthy
and they have two children and reside at Melones, California; Charles A. is the
partner of his brother on the ranch near Felix; J. Henry is married and has one
son and they reside in Hanford; Maude E. is the wife of Steven Simone, they
have one son and reside at Kerman; and Susan E. is the wife of Virgil Berry,
and they reside in Stockton.
Twelve years ago, Mr. and Mrs. Gann
returned to Stockton to spend the balance of their days and in January, 1912,
Mr. Gann passed away at the age of seventy-one years. Mrs. Gann retains a life interest in the
ranch in Calaveras County where so many useful years of her life were spent and
owns the residence located at 2173 East Market Street, Stockton. Mrs. Gann recalls the journey from San
Francisco to Stockton in 1860 when they traveled on the river boat Clara Crow
and the city of Stockton was then a mere village. She enjoys splendid health and is interested
in the affairs of the day, and in the evening of life is surrounded by loving
children and grandchildren who administer to her comfort and happiness in every
way.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Pages
1160-1163. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
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