San
Joaquin County
Biographies
CHARLES A. JAMES
For a number of years Charles A.
James has been successfully identified with the agricultural interests of San
Joaquin County where he has continuously lived since 1891, and in 1918 he
purchased his fine ranch of sixty-one acres on the Harshner
Road, which is devoted to vineyard, alfalfa raising and diversified
farming. He was born in Wales, November
17, 1875, a son of John and Mary (Jones) James, both natives of that country,
and they were the parents of two children, our subject and a daughter, Mary
Ann.
Charles A. received his education in
his native country, with the exception of one year that he attended school
after coming to California. In 1891 he
accompanied an uncle, John Jones, to America and then to California. Mr. Jones died the day after they arrived in
Stockton, then Mr. James made his home with another uncle, T. E. Jones. For nine years following his arrival, he
worked for wages on farms in the county; in 1900 he was able to purchase a
place on the Sargent Road of twenty-five acres of grain land; this he developed
to vineyard and alfalfa, erected buildings upon it and later sold it; he then
purchased ten acres in the Barnhart tract on South Central Avenue; this he also
set to vineyard and orchard and resided there for twelve years when he sold
that place. Four years ago he came to
his present location west of Lodi on the Harshner
Road, where he bought sixty-one acres, twenty of which is in old vineyard; he
has also planted twenty acres to young vineyard and ten acres is devoted to
alfalfa, the balance being used for general farming; he has also improved the
ranch with a good residence and other buildings and the land is irrigated from
the Stockton-Mokelumne ditch.
On November 5, 1907, Mr. James was
married to Miss Belle Powell, born August 29, 1875, near Lodi, California, a
daughter of John and Ann Powell, both parents now deceased, the father about
1889 and the mother in December, 1908.
Mrs. James is one of the eight children born to her parents and she
received her education in the grammar school of Lodi. Mr. and Mrs. James are the parents of five
children: Ruth Irene, Annabel, Hilard Wilson, Grace Elizabeth and Charles Albert, Jr. Mr. James is a Republican and he belongs to
the Episcopalian Church.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Page
740. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
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