San
Joaquin County
Biographies
GUS M. HANSON
Prominent among the enterprising and
successful leaders in the busy industrial life of Stockton is Gus M. Hanson,
the proprietor of the Aurora Welding Works, one of the city’s important
concerns. Mr. Hanson was born in
Helsingborg, Sweden, on January 5, 1886 and although commencing life under
comfortable circumstances he was destined to leave home at the early age of
nine years, since which time he has made his way alone in the world. At first he became a blacksmith’s helper, and
he worked in the smithy in his native country for four years. He then followed the machinist’s trade in
different parts of Sweden, and in his seventeenth year, in 1903, he crossed the
ocean to the United States and, pushing westward, located at Wausau, Wisconsin,
where he found employment at his trade; and later he removed to Omaha,
Nebraska. There he added an
accomplishment, for he learned the locksmith trade and also became a safe
expert. He was engaged by the Deright Company and sent by them to different cities to
open safes; and in that service he succeeded in opening no less than 110 safes,
and thus became one of the best workmen in that field in the country. This actual ability, with its attendant
reputation, brought about his removal to San Francisco, where he was in the
employ of the Herman Safe Company, and afterwards of the Carey Safe Company;
and while there he took up the work of welding.
In 1912 Mr. Hanson located at Lodi
and entered the employ of the Lodi Machine Shop and Welding Works, conducted by
Earl Van Buskirk; and two years later he formed a partnership with Van Buskirk
and they opened a welding shop in Stockton under the firm name of Van Buskirk
& Hanson. Later Mr. Hanson bought
out his partner and changed the firm name to the Aurora Welding Works; and he
is not only the oldest welder in point of service in Stockton, but he very
naturally does the largest business. The
Aurora Welding Works, in fact, turn out more finished work and transact more
business than all their esteemed competitors in the same line. Mr. Hanson is especially popular in the
Masonic circles, being a member of San Joaquin Lodge No. 19, F. & A. M.
Not long ago the Seventh Booster
Edition of the Byron Times devoted half a page to a write-up of the Aurora
Welding Works, which it pronounced one of the important institutions of
Stockton operating as an industrial factor in development fields. One powerful electrical machine is devoted to
electrical welding, and this features the new and important methods in vogue
under Mr. Hanson’s own system. A splendid acetylene welding equipment is also an exponent
of the progressive mechanics observable in this establishment. A specialty is also made of handling tractor
repairs, a well-equipped mechanical department being supplied for this
important branch of the industry; and much casting repair work is done for
industrial concerns of Stockton and central California, the high-class
efficiency of the plant having attracted much favorable comment. Quick work is made an important feature in
repairs, and work on all makes of tractors, automobiles, trucks, and implements
of all kinds is handled with highly satisfactory results. If a casting breaks, for example, instead of
replacing it with a new one, at heavy cost and possibly great delay, it can be
repaired here at nominal cost and the saving of much valuable time. Building up worn-out parts is another special
feature in this wide-awake plant, bringing into play
one of the really constructive departments, and means much to the owners of
costly or highly-prized machinery.
Everything that is weldable has its place in
this well-equipped establishment so well directed by Mr. Hanson, and a prestige
has been established for handling skillfully any kind of metal, with the result
that the firm’s trade extends into the rich San Joaquin Valley country as far
as Tulare. During recent years, also,
Mr. Hanson has done much special work for mining companies, and has won high
standing with these great organizations.
Transcribed by V. Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Pages
1602-1603. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2012 V. Gerald Iaquinta.
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