San Joaquin County
Biographies
EUGENE LEHE
EUGENE LEHE, President of the
City Council of Stockton, was born in New York city, January 25, 1841, a son of
David and Magdalene (Benet) Lehé, both natives of France. They came to New
York in 1830, and conducted a French laundry in that city for some years. In
October, 1841, they took the infant Eugene to France, and returned to New York
early in 1842, leaving him in Nancy with his grandmother, the widow of David
Lehé,
perfect of the Paris police from 1822 to the downfall of Charles X. These
grandparents had twelve sons and one daughter, and seven of the sons were in
the military service of France in 1849. The grandfather died at the age of
eighty-seven, but the grandmother lived to be 102 years old. The parents of
Eugene Lehé
are living in Williamsburg, New York, in 1890, the father being eighty-nine and
the mother about eighty-six years old. The Lehés are of Huguenot
descent, and the Benets are Roman Catholic.
The subject of this sketch received his
primary education in French, but being brought back to New York in 1849, most
of his formal education was received in that city. At the age of sixteen years
he went to work as clerk, and filled various situations of that class until
1855, when he went West, being employed one year in Valparaiso, and spending
the winter of 1856-’57 with an aunt, Lehé, by marriage a Mrs. Brown,
of Delphos, Ohio, whence he returned to New York in 1857, where he resumed the
work of a clerk. He enlisted in 1861 as a volunteer, but was withdrawn by his
father, when he enlisted on Governor’s Island, in the regular army, and was
appointed to the Ninth regiment of regular infantry. With twenty-seven other
young musicians, for the Fourth and Ninth, he was sent out to join his company
at Steilacoom, on Puget Sound. The companies of the Ninth being gathered
together from their different outposts, the regiment was ordered to the
Presidio of San Francisco, in November, their places in the north being filled
by the California militia or volunteers. Mr. Lehé was promoted
to Second Lieutenant of Company C, Second California Volunteer Infantry, which
was ordered to remain on the coast, to meet a possible emergency in this State.
Lieutenant Lehé
resigned his commission July 31, 1865, and after six months of unsettled
purpose came to Stockton in December, 1865. He here became a partner with a Mr.
Stuart in the photograph business, under the style of Stuart & Lehé,
continuing three years. He was appointed agent here for the Pacific Union
Express, January 1, 1869, and held the position until it was merged in the
Wells, Fargo & Co.’s Express, toward the close of the year. He then became
book-keeper for a furniture store in this city until 1872, and from 1872 to
1876 conducted a restaurant. He was appointed Deputy County Treasurer in 1876,
and held it under two treasurers until July, 1882. He was in the service of the
Pacific Railroad three months in Oakland, when he resigned and returned to this
city. He was then appointed traveler and general agent on this coast for the
Northwestern Masonic Aid Association of Chicago, and retained the position one
year. His next position was that of book-keeper for the late D. J. Oullahan of
this city, which he held nineteen months, when, Mr. Oullahan being appointed State
Treasurer, Mr. Lehé became book-keeper for J. H. O’Brien,
remaining with him three and one-half years, and since June 1, 1888, he has
been with E. May as salesman and traveler. In 1865 Mr. Lehé
joined the Stockton City Guard, rising to the rank of Captain, which he
resigned in 1867. When the Stockton Guard, National Guard of California, was
organized in 1871 he became Second Lieutenant, and held every grade from that
to Brigadier General of the Third Brigade, National Guard of California, which
he resigned after nine months’ tenure. He is now colonel of the Sixth Regiment,
National Guard of California. He joined the Grand Army Republic in 1867, and is
Senior Post Commander of Rawlins Post, Grand Army Republic of this city. He was
elected to the city council in November, 1887, and re-elected under the new
charter in May, 1889, for two years, and was chosen President of the council.
He has been a Mason since 1866, and is High Priest of Stockton Chapter, No. 28,
F. & A. M.; is Past Great Sachem of the Improved Order of Red Men, and Past
Chancellor of the Knights of Pythias; Post Arch of the Druids, and Past Master
of the A. O. U. W.
Mr. Eugene Lehé was married in
Stockton, August 20, 1867, to Miss Henrietta Pierpont, born in Kentucky,
November 5, 1849, a daughter of Noah and Elizabeth (Joyner) Pierpont. The
father came to California in 1850, and in 1852 went East and returned with his
family. Born March 17, 1820, he is living in this city in 1890. Mrs. Pierpont
died here April 18, 1888, aged sixty-five years. Mr. and Mrs. Lehé
have one son and three daughters: Eugene David Noah, born October 12, 1868;
Gracie Elizabeth, February 6, 1870; Adele Albertine, November 15, 1871;
Henrietta, November 1, 1873. Adele Albertine was married September 25, 1889, to
Leonard C. Stockwell, of this city; and Eugene D. N., who is an employe’ (sic)
of the Southern Pacific Railroad Company, was married February 3, 1890 to Miss
Lettie Chambers, a native of this State and resident of this city.
Transcribed by: Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
An Illustrated History of San Joaquin County,
California, Pages 637-638. 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
Genealogy Databases