San
Joaquin County
Biographies
THOMAS GARNER
Among the prominent citizens of the
west side section of San Joaquin County, Thomas Garner for the past
twenty-seven years has been the superintendent of the Southern Pacific Railroad
department of signals and general yardman at Tracy. He was born in Corpus Christi, Texas, on
November 28, 1866. When he was about two
years old, his father, James L. Garner, was killed by a Mexican while riding
the range. His grandfather, John Garner,
took Thomas to his home and reared and schooled him until he was eleven years
old. John Garner was an extensive land
and stock owner in Texas. In 1877 he
left his grandfather’s home and came to California alone to the home of his
mother’s sister, Mrs. Thomas Fox, in Sutter County; Mr. Fox being engaged in
the cattle business near Yuba City.
Thomas found employment on the range and earned fifteen dollars per
month and within three years time he had saved enough money to pay the transportation
for his mother and sister from Texas to San Francisco, California. Mrs. Garner passed away in Tracy during 1910.
Thomas attended the public schools
in Yuba City and when the family removed to San Francisco he attended the
Lincoln grammar school; and in 1890 finished a business course at Heald’s
Business College in that city. He then
learned the blacksmith’s trade and followed it in Yuba City and San
Francisco. In 1891 he became a brakeman
out of Oakland on the Western Division of the Southern Pacific Railroad; three
years later he was stationed at Tracy and had the run out of Lathrop to Fresno.
The marriage of Mr. Garner in 1895
united him with Miss Lulu Lisle, a native of Sutter County, California, a
daughter of John Q. Lisle, a prominent pioneer farmer of Sutter County who passed
away in 1912. In the early days he
erected and owned the Lisle toll bridge over the American River; the bridge is
still standing and in good repair. Mr.
and Mrs. Garner are the parents of one daughter, Margaret E., a graduate of the
West Side Union High School; she is also a gifted musician, having completed a
three years course in piano and harmony in San Francisco; she has a large class
in piano at Tracy. In 1898, Mr. Garner
joined the Summer Lodge of Odd Fellows and has passed through all the chairs;
he is now a trustee of the lodge; he has been high priest of the Encampment for
the past fourteen years, with the exception of one term. For the past thirteen years, with the
exception of two years, he has been the clerk of the board of trustees of the
Tracy schools; this school district recently voted $75,000 worth of bonds for
new buildings, for which Mr. Garner is in no little measure responsible. In an article signed by the Tracy grammar
school teachers, which appeared in the Stockton Record of March 30, 1922, the
teachers warmly endorsed Mr. Garner for re-election. Needless to say he was re-elected by a very
emphatic majority. Mr. Garner has been
the treasurer of the Brotherhood of Trainmen for twelve years and has recently
been honored with the twenty-five years service button, in recognition of his
faithful and efficient service. His
political views are those of the Democratic Party. While contributing liberally to all worthy
charities, Mr. and Mrs. Garner hold membership with the Methodist Episcopal
Church; their home is at 55 West Ninth Street, and they also own a residence
and some excellent real estate in the Rosedale addition. In April, 1920, he was elected, by popular
ballot, city trustee. He was selected by
the city board of trustees as its chairman, and is now serving as mayor of the
city of Tracy with ability and dignity.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Page
847. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
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