San
Joaquin County
Biographies
ANGELO GIOVACCHINI
An interesting representative of a
family now well established and honored in California, is Angelo Giovacchini,
proprietor of the Delta Farm on Union Island, embracing some 443 choice acres,
about thirteen miles southwest of Stockton.
He was born at Lammori, near Lucca, in Italy,
on a farm January 31, 1870, the son of Gabriel and Teresa (De Ricco) Giovacchini. They were both natives of the same province,
and substantial farm owners, raising general farm products and having a
vineyard where they engaged in high-grade viticulture. They had six sons, and our subject was the
third in the order of birth. Gabriel
Giovacchini died at the age of about thirty-eight years, but his widow lived
until 1908. Angelo Giovacchini was
reared on a farm and attended the public school; in 1889 he entered the
national army of Italy, receiving his training in Camp Haste, near the city of
Turin. He went through the four years of
military life and is very glad that he had the experience, which further
improved his health.
When he was twenty-four years old,
Angelo left home for far-off America, sailing from Genoa on the steamship
“Verra,” one of the Red Star liners.
They were eleven days out before New York was reached, and once landed,
our subject made haste to start across the continent on the way to
California. From San Francisco he sailed
up the Sacramento River, and on April 11, 1894, he met his brother Adolph, and
commenced an engagement of two years to work on a farm on Staten Island. There he started the first crop in 1896 in
partnership with his brother, and they raised large quantities of beans,
potatoes and barley. For twenty-four
years these brothers have farmed together on the delta of the San Joaquin and
Sacramento rivers, but recently they dissolved their partnership in farm
management, although they continue to own in common some very desirable
Stockton real estate, including frontage, 50 x 100 feet on Market and Hunter
streets, valuable property acquired by trade one year and a half ago. While living on the islands Mr. Giovacchini
went through three floods, the last one in 1907, in which he lost his crops,
house, and even his clothing, and had to start all over again.
In 1913 Mr. Giovacchini left the
United States for Italy, on February 18, and while visiting his home abroad he
was married to Miss Louisa De Ricco, who was born
near Lucca, at Lunada, Italy, on June 22, 1893; and
on October 3 he returned to Stockton together with his bride. Four children have blessed their fortunate
union: Reno, who was the first-born,
died in Stockton when four and one-half years of age; Letta
and Jerry, twins, born on October 3, 1919; and Rena, born June 26, 1921. The family attends the Catholic Church, and
they have always contributed liberally to charitable works under the lead of
the church authorities. In politics he
is a Republican. San Joaquin County may
well be proud of such progressive citizens as Mr. and Mrs. Giovacchini.
Transcribed by V. Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Page
1598. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2012 V. Gerald Iaquinta.
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