San
Joaquin County
Biographies
FRANK A. GUERNSEY
A leader in the financial circles of
central California, Frank A. Guernsey, the president of the Farmers and
Merchants Bank of Stockton, occupies a post of high responsibility in directing
the affairs of this notable financial institution, recognized as one of the
strong and reliable banks of the state, since its establishment more than forty
years ago, Mr. Guernsey’s father being one of the founders.
A descendant of two substantial old
New England families, Frank A. Guernsey was born at Stockton on October 17,
1879, the son of Darius A. and Nellie (Hatch) Guernsey, the former born in the
picturesque town of Lancaster, New Hampshire, on the Connecticut River, while
Mrs. Guernsey was a native of the state of Maine. Darius A. Guernsey located in San Joaquin
County in the early ‘70s, and for awhile he was a clerk in Stockwell’s
store at Stockton. He then went to work
on the Gardenhire ranch, and he stated at that time
that some day he would be the owner of this property, which prediction was
fulfilled when, in later years, he was able to purchase this fine ranch of 1100
acres; he also owned several other ranches and became one of the large
landowners of the county. He was prominent
in the business life of Stockton, being one of the founders of the Guernsey and
Allen Book and Stationery Store. Later
he started a piano business in Stockton, selling pianos to the farmers
throughout the county. One or two pianos
would be loaded on a wagon and they would start out and drive until these were
sold, frequently returning to Stockton with a string of horses which they had
taken in payment for the pianos. On
October 1, 1888, in partnership with P. B. Fraser and D. S. Rosenbaum, Mr.
Guernsey established the Farmers and Merchants Bank of Stockton and it is
interesting to note that these three men held successively the office of
president of the bank.
Mr. and Mrs. Darius A. Guernsey were
the parents of three children: Frank A.
Guernsey, whose name heads this sketch, Mrs. Pliny E. Holt and Mrs. Harriet Du
Bois. Mr. Guernsey attended the public
schools, graduating from the Stockton high school in 1900. His first business venture was a clerkship in
a clothing store at a very small salary.
During the Pan-American Exposition held in Buffalo, New York, he was
sent as a representative from San Joaquin County in charge of their exhibit,
where he remained a year, and on returning to Stockton he entered into
partnership with E. C. Dickinson under the firm name of Dickinson and Guernsey
and established a grain business. At the
end of a year Mr. Guernsey disposed of his interest and became the secretary of
the Farmers Union & Milling Company, continuing until 1907, when he entered
the grain business for himself.
On January 1, 1916, Mr. Guernsey was
elected president of the Farmers and Merchants Bank, and since assuming the
duties of this office he has shown unusual wisdom, progressiveness and
capability in guiding the affairs of this powerful banking institution. The Farmers and Merchants Bank owns it
handsome nine-story banking and office building, erected in 1917, and
representing an investment of nearly half a million dollars. In stands in the heart of the business district
of Stockton, towering like a beautiful monument in tribute to the officers,
directors and stockholders, attesting the confidence these men have in the
present and future of this city of opportunities. The bank occupies the entire lower floor of
the building and it is finished in a material called “wood marble”, blocks of
wood made to represent marble. This was
after Mr. Guernsey’s own idea, to get away from the stereotyped banking
institutions of stucco, gold and silver ornaments, etc. The bank is equipped with a combination
cooling and heating apparatus; in the summer this reduces the temperature and
in the winter the same apparatus is used for heating. On September 30, 1919, the combined capital
stock was $640,000; undivided profits, $58,883.44; deposits,
$5,109,119.33. The officers of the bank
are as follows: President, Frank A.
Guernsey; vice-president and cashier, Will E. Morris; directors, E. F. Davis, Hillard E. Welch, George Finkbohner,
Dan N. Gilmore, S. B. Coates, Frank Cox, John M. Perry. The bank maintains a branch at Oakdale with
E. D. Heron as manager.
When he became president of the
bank, Mr. Guernsey, who was in the grain business at the time, incorporated his
interests as the Frank A. Guernsey Grain Company, with the following
officers: J. W. Schuler, president; P.
J. O’Connell, vice-president; H. J. Mann, secretary, but he still retains a
large block of stock in this corporation.
Mr. Guernsey’s marriage united him
with Miss Wagner, a native of Oregon, and they are the parents of two sons, D.
Albert and Frank C. Mr. Guernsey’s
especial hobby is his finely developed ranch of 400 acres on Rough and Ready
Island; this he is developing into one of the finest dairy and orchard
properties in the county. He has 100
acres of Bartlett pears, and he is building up a herd of fine, blooded stock
for his modern dairy. On this property
he has erected a beautiful home, which with the surrounding ranch developments,
makes this one of the show places of the county. Mr. Guernsey is a member of Lodge No. 218, B.
P. O. E., of Stockton.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Pages
996-999. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
Golden Nugget Library's San Joaquin County Biographies
Golden Nugget Library's San Joaquin County Genealogy
Databases