San Joaquin County
Biographies
GALEN CANFIELD HYATT
GALEN CANFIELD HYATT, of the
firm of Farrington, Hyatt & Co., recently proprietors of the Stockton Iron
Works, was born in Sherbrooke, Lower Canada, September 7, 1833, the third of
five children (one daughter and four sons) of Charles and Louisa (Wilcox)
Hyatt. His father was a native of Sherbrooke and his grandfather a native of
the State of New York.
In 1835 his parents removed to Hamilton,
Upper Canada, and in 1837 to the northern part of Cook County, Illinois, where
his mother died in 1839, soon after which the family removed to Chicago, and in
1842 left there for Buffalo, New York, from which place he went to
Franklinville, Cattaraugus County, New York, to reside with an uncle, and
remained until the spring of 1844, when he returned to Buffalo, where he
learned his trade of pattern-making, at the Shepard Iron Works. Had been
foreman of the shop about five years when he left to come to this State by way
of the Isthmus of Panama, leaving New York on February 5, 1858, and arriving in
San Francisco on the 26th of the same month, and going immediately
to the mines of Placer County, near Dutch Flat. Followed mining with varying
success in Placer, Plumas, Butte and Yuba counties, until June, 1862, when he
went to San Francisco, intending to go to the Salmon river mines in eastern
Oregon, but was induced to come to Stockton, to help make the patterns for the
engines of the steamer Esmeralda, then building at the Globe Foundry of Keep
& Briggs. He remained there until the spring of 1868, when he, with H. L.
and H. S. Farrington, formed the partnership of Farrington, Hyatt & Co.,
and built the Stockton Iron Works on California street. There they conducted a
general foundry and machine business until April 1, 1889, when they leased the
plant to Messrs. Tretheway, Earle and Dasher. Mr. Hyatt was elected mayor on
the Republican ticket in 1879 and re-elected in 1880. He joined Protection Hook
& Ladder Company, No. 1, of the old volunteer fire department, in 1862, and
remained a member until it was disbanded upon the organization of the present
paid department. He joined Charity Lodge, No. 6, I. O. O. F., as a
“non-affiliate,” in 1862, and is still an active member, being one of the
trustees of that lodge, and has been President of the Odd Fellows’ Hall
Association for the last thirteen years. He is also a member of the Knights of
Pythias, being a charter member of Centennial Lodge. He was one of the first
company organized here for the purpose of boring for natural gas, and upon the
incorporation of the Stockton Natural Gas Company he was elected President,
which position he still holds. He is Vice-President of the Stockton Insurance
and Real Estate Association, a director and chairman of the executive committee
of the Alta Fire Insurance Company of California, and a director of the Farmers
& Merchants’ Bank. In 1882 he married Miss J. C. Lando, a native of Essex
County, New York.
Transcribed by: Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
An Illustrated History of San Joaquin County,
California, Pages 530-531. Lewis Pub.
Co. Chicago, Illinois 1890.
© 2009 Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
Golden Nugget Library's San Joaquin County
Biographies
Golden Nugget Library's San Joaquin County
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