San
Joaquin County
Biographies
GEORGE E. LAWRENCE
Near the present site of Lodi, on
April 14, 1861, occurred the birth of G. E. Lawrence. His parents were Ezekiel and Mary (Hutchins)
Lawrence, both natives of Ontario, Canada.
His father crossed the plains arriving in Sacramento in the spring of
1850. He went immediately to the mines,
where he spent a number of years engaged in mining, in the merchandise
business, and in working at his trade as a carpenter. He came to the Lodi district in the year 1857
and settled on government land, perfecting his title to a homestead and a
pre-emption right. He began immediately
to clear and improve the land, and engaged in grain farming. He also planted one of the first orchards and
vineyards in this vicinity. In 1869 in
conjunction with two adjacent landholders he petitioned the Central Pacific
Railroad Company to establish the station which afterwards became the site of
the city of Lodi. The first schoolhouse
in Salem school district was erected on his land in the year 1859, he donating
the carpenter work. He and another
pioneer, John Hutchins, established the first irrigating plant in this
vicinity, diverting the water from the Mokelumne River by means of a fifteen
inch centrifugal pump driven by steam power.
There were three children in his family:
William H., deceased, George E., and Nettie M. Lawrence.
George E. Lawrence, after finishing
the district schools, entered St. Mary’s College, from which institution he
graduated in 1882 with the degree of B. S.
He then took up the study of the law, and was elected justice of the
peace of Elkhorn Township, in which office he served one term. He then entered the law offices of David S. Tiry and J. C. Campbell, in the city of Stockton, and as
admitted to practice in 1887. He
followed the practice of his profession for a number of years, up to the death
of his brother, after which he returned to Lodi and took charge of his family’s
interests. He planted the first almond
orchard of commercial size in the county, and was a pioneer in the Tokay grape
industry, which has added so much to the wealth and prosperity of the county.
When Lodi was incorporated in 1906,
Mr. Lawrence was elected a member of the board of trustees and became the first
mayor of the city, which position he held for two terms. During his tenure of office many matters of
great importance to the future development of Lodi were undertaken and brought
to a successful termination. All
privately owned public utilities were purchased and the present municipal water
and light plants were installed. During
his administration, also, the present sewage system was completed.
Fraternally Mr. Lawrence holds
membership in the Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias, and the Stockton Lodge
of Elks, and is a charter member of San Joaquin Parlor No. 18, Native Sons of
the Golden West. Mr. Lawrence was
married in 1900 to Miss Emelia Jones, daughter of Dr. William Jones, one of the
pioneer physicians of San Francisco.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Pages
1195-1196. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
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