San
Joaquin County
Biographies
EDWARD F. HARRIS
An aggressive successful organizer,
whose fortunate handling of enterprises has made him exceedingly popular, is
Edward F. Harris, the president of the Commercial and Savings Bank of Stockton,
a native son of California, born in Lassen County on September 18, 1877. He was the son of C. E. and Emily M. (Dees)
Harris, the former a native of Indiana and the latter of Arkansas. His father crossed the plains in the late
‘50s via the Donner Trail. Upon his
arrival in California he first located in the Marysville district; later
removed to Lassen County where he followed stockraising and also ran a sawmill;
he was also a prominent figure in county affairs and was at one time county
assessor; he removed to San Joaquin in 1883 and engaged in farming in the Delta
district and was one of the first men to engage in farming on the islands.
There are five children in the family:
William is a rancher at Lockeford; Edward F., of this review; Lucy is a
teacher in the Stockton schools; Mrs. L. F. Youdall resides in Stockton, and
Mrs. James Gianelli in San Francisco.
The father died in Stockton March 21, 1919, seventy-nine years old.
Edward F. Harris began his education
in the public schools of Stockton, then took a business course in Heald’s
Business College; he then entered the realty office of Connolly & Crane,
going from there to San Francisco, where he was employed in the office of the
German Insurance Company for three years; returning to Stockton he was one of
three men who organized the Commercial and Savings Bank of Stockton. The bank was established in 1903 with a
capital of $300,000 and at present the capital is $500,000 with a surplus of
$200,000 and assets of $7,000,000. Their
modern ten-story bank building was erected in 1915 and is among the most modern
bank and office buildings in the state.
It is the youngest bank in Stockton and the third largest in point of
business transacted. Mr. Edward F.
Harris was elected president in August, 1921, to succeed John Raggio. The other officers of the institution are as
follows: C. W. Hawks, secretary and
cashier; George H. Harris, vice-president; Louis Bacigalupi, assistant cashier;
L. C. Schwartz, assistant cashier.
Mr. Harris’ varied interests occupy
the larger portion of his time and energy, but he finds time for the activities
of the Boy Scouts and each season he takes the boys to his summer camp at Dorrington in the mountains for an outing; he is a director
in the Harris Manufacturing Company of Stockton; is secretary of the El Dorado
Syndicate which built and owns the modern brick garage building at the corner
of Miner and El Dorado streets; this building was the start of automobile row
on North El Dorado Street. Mr. Harris is
a member of the San Joaquin County Farm Bureau and is as well known in farming
circles as in banking, having devoted a large part of his time to his farming
interests. For a number of years he
farmed eight ranches on the islands, Roberts Island being the center of his
activities, most of which he has disposed of.
He now devotes much time to the development of his large dairy farm near
Clements, which has become one of the show places of the county. It is modern and up-to-date in every
appointment, with 100 thorough-bred Holstein cows; this ranch has 150 acres in
alfalfa, 400 acres in bottom land and 500 acres in range land; the place is
also well stocked with beef cattle. It
is one of the best appointed dairy farms in the state, having an electrical
pumping plant with cement pipes for irrigation, modern dairy barn sanitary in
every particular. The marriage of Mr.
Harris united him with Miss E. May Heller, of San Jose, California, and they
are the parents of two children, Lowell E. and Jean L.
Mr. Harris is active in all civic
affairs and is a member of the Rotary, Yosemite Golf and Country Club of
Stockton; in his fraternal relations he is a member of all branches of Masonry
including the Shrine. His invaluable
experience and common-sense views, together with his breadth of vision, enable
him to make all that he sets in motion roll on to the desired-for goal and as a
citizen of high standards and attainments is a model to others.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Pages
415-416. 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