San
Joaquin County
Biographies
JOHN D. MAXEY
Finely equipped as to business
training is John D. Maxey, auditor of San Joaquin County, who in his day has
been school teacher, law student clerk, hospital attendant, land office
official, bank cashier, dairy rancher and realty agent. He was born in Smith County, Tennessee,
October 29, 1860, reared on a farm, and was educated in and later taught others
in the Tennessee schools. At twenty-two,
in 1882, he went to Anna, Illinois, where he read law with his brother. Though he filled several clerical positions,
he abandoned his ambitions and did not seek bar admission. Arriving in Stockton, California, on April 1,
1890, Mr. Maxey became an attendant in the State Hospital for the Insane, remaining
over eight years. Then he was appointed
registrar in the United States Land Office in Stockton, in which position he
remained in until 1906, the office was consolidated with that at Sacramento
owing to the diminution of government land.
The same year he helped organize the Union Safe Deposit Bank and was
made its cashier, a position he held until he sold out his interest.
Ranching next occupied Mr. Maxey’s
attention and he removed to his 160-acre dairy ranch near Manteca, which he had
acquired some time earlier. He resided
on this ranch and conducted a first class dairy until 1910. When he bought this place it was not under
irrigation, but he had advanced ideas and helped to organize the Irrigation
District of South San Joaquin. This
brought his fine property under irrigation and did much for the entire
district. As time went on he greatly
developed his investment, planting all of it to alfalfa, building a modern
cement-floored, glass-sided dairy barn, with sixty-cow capacity, and sanitary
and up-to-date in every particular. He
also erected a 160-ton hay barn. This
property is still his, but at present is rented out. It is deemed one of the best-improved dairy
ranches in the county.
In 1910 Mr. Maxey returned to
Stockton and, with B. F. Goode as partner, conducted a realty and insurance
business until March 1, 1913, when he was appointed auditor and recorder of the
county to fill the unexpired term of James A. Kroh,
resigned. Until January 1, 1915, these
offices were under one head, but they were separated; and as candidate for
county auditor Mr. Maxey easily won and he was re-elected in 1918 and in 1922,
and is still county auditor. He is a
Republican.
Mr. Maxey has been twice
married. In 1888 he married Fannie Maple
at Anna, Illinois, and she passed away in 1901 at Stockton. On November 19, 1902, he was united with Mrs.
Lizzette W. Ryan, daughter of the late John C. White,
and she was born in Stockton in the house in which Mr. and Mrs. Maxey now
live. They have two children, Elizabeth
and John D., Jr.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Pages
807-808. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
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