San
Joaquin County
Biographies
JAMES A. HYMER
As sales manager of the Holt
Manufacturing Company of Stockton, an establishment with an international
reputation, James A. Hymer is making good and becoming firmly entrenched in the
business world. A native of Nebraska, he
was born at Sacramento, Phelps County, on January 10, 1882 and until his
twelfth year was reared and educated at Holdredge,
later finishing his schooling at Lincoln.
Being of a mechanical turn of mind, young Hymer became an apprentice in
the locomotive shops of the C. B. & Q. Railroad at Havelock, where he began
the trade of machinist, finishing his apprenticeship in the shops of the C.
& S. Railroad at Denver. He
continued to follow his trade as machinist, later as foreman, and still later as
division foreman with the Northern Pacific Railroad. In fact he had a wide experience in the
various roads of the west. Afterwards he
was in the employ of coal and gold mining companies in the northwest as master
mechanic.
Mr. Hymer decided to give up the
branch of mechanical work he was following to take up the study of the internal
combustion engines in the automobile world and in a short time he became
proficient in that trend of mechanics.
Being attracted to Los Angeles, he was employed in a large shop in that
city. After a few years in the
mechanical end of the automobile industry he concluded he could use his
knowledge to very good advantage in selling machines, and going to Salt Lake
City he became connected with the firm of Randall, Dodd & Company as a
salesman. In spite of the fact that it
was in December and that there was two feet of snow on the ground, Mr. Hymer
sold three cars the first two weeks, thus meeting with success from the
beginning. He remained with this company
in Utah and Idaho until coming to San Francisco in 1911. Mr. Hymer soon entered the employ of Don Lee
as a salesman, and under his leadership sold the Cadillac with success. From the retail department he was soon
advanced to the wholesale department and remained with Don Lee four and
one-half years.
While engaged in the automobile
industry he made a study of the Holt Tractors, and thinking there was a great
field for advancement in that line he considered making a change; at
considerable sacrifice to himself, at the time, in 1916 he became connected
with the Holt Manufacturing Company as their representative in southern
California, with headquarters in Los Angeles.
In a short time his prophecy came true and he met with phenomenal
success in handling the tractor in that territory. His thorough mechanical training well fitted
him for his work and advancement came to him when he was called to Stockton and
appointed assistant sales manager on December 31, 1919; just one year from that
date he was made sales manager, the position he now holds in a concern that
covers half the earth with their products from the Stockton office.
At Los Angeles in 1910 Mr. Hymer was
united in marriage with Miss Eva Turner, a native of Indiana, and they have two
daughters, Helen and Jane. Mr. Hymer is
a charter member of University Lodge No. 394, F. & A. M., of Los Angeles,
also holding membership with the Scottish Rite Consistory in Los Angeles, where
he also is a member of Al Malaikah Temple, A. A. O.
N. M. S. He is a member of the Yosemite
Club and the Golf and Country Club of Stockton.
All in all, it will be seen that in whatever field of activity Mr. Hymer
has become active he has attained to an enviable success.
Transcribed by V. Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Page
1603. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2012 V. Gerald Iaquinta.
Golden Nugget Library's San Joaquin County Biographies
Golden Nugget Library's San Joaquin County Genealogy
Databases