San
Joaquin County
Biographies
A successful contracting plumber is
Robert A. Livingston, the only plumber of Lockeford, pleasantly identified with
the town for almost a decade. A native
Californian, he was born at Hollister, February 29, 1884 and reared on his
father’s ranch near there. His parents,
John and Rebecca (Higgins) Livingston, came to California in the early
seventies from Nova Scotia, the birthplace of the father. Settling at Hollister, John Livingston
acquired 160 acres, which he farmed to grain; later he removed to Tracy, and
there leased a large grain farm. Six
children were born to them: Collie;
Benjamin; Robert A.; John; Lulu; and Cora.
Robert A. Livingston attended the
Tracy school until he was fourteen years old, when he was thrown on his own
resources. Deciding to learn the
plumbing and sheet metal trade, he went to Newman, California, and there worked
under Mr. Schanks; he also had the opportunity of
attending school there. After working in
Newman for one year, he returned to Tracy and was employed by Mr. Breman until 1902, when he located in Lockeford, where he
worked for C. A. Bacon for a number of years until he opened his own shop. He draws his trade from the northeastern part
of San Joaquin County and has built up a fine business.
In June, 1911, at Lockeford, Mr.
Livingston was married to Miss Maude Flanders, born on the old home place near
Lockeford, her parents being Clarence L. and Margaret (Bryant) Flanders. Her father was born in Wisconsin in the
vicinity of Milwaukee, on December 6, 1847, the son of Luther and Vilura Flanders. In
1851 when he was four years old he was brought by his parents to California via
the Isthmus of Panama, and from there via the S. S. Tennessee to San
Francisco. Upon arriving in San
Francisco, the family proceeded to Sacramento County, where the father leased
land in the vicinity of Walnut Grove; later, in 1860, the family moved to a
tract of land four miles east of Lockeford and bought 280 acres of land; this
land was thickly covered with trees and underbrush so dense that a rabbit could
not be seen ten feet away, and as many as 1,000 cords of wood were cut from
each acre of land in clearing. Those
were pioneer days when all the grain was harvested with the old-time cradle. Luther Flanders lived to be eighty-two years
old, which his wife passed away at the age of seventy-six. Clarence L. Flanders still owns the old home
place purchased by his father. In July,
1869, he married Miss Margaret Bryant, a daughter of James G. and Ann Bryant,
and they are the parents of two daughters, Maude, Mrs. Robert A. Livingston;
and Dollie, Mrs. H. W. Francis of Sacramento. Mrs. Livingston received her education in the
Athearn school district at Clements. Politically Mr. Livingston is a staunch
Republican. He owns the building where
he lives and where he maintains his plumbing shop, and he and his wife enjoy
the esteem and respect of the entire community.
Transcribed by V. Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Page
1539. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2012 V. Gerald Iaquinta.
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