San Joaquin County

Biographies


 

 

 

EDRIS B. MYERS, Jr.

 

 

            Perseverance and industry have ever been the characteristics of Edris B. Myers, Jr., and these qualities, combined with his native ability, have been responsible for his rise to the important post of chief engineer of the three mills of the Sperry Flour Mills at Stockton.  Mr. Myers is a native of Illinois and was born at Peoria on January 7, 1875, the son of Edris B. and Margaret (Fyfe) Myers, the former a native of Indiana and the latter of Pontiac, Illinois.

            In March, 1886, the family removed to Stockton, California, and here Edris B. attended the Lafayette school until he was fifteen, when he started out to earn his own living.  He followed various occupations as a boy, first as a messenger boy for the Western Union Telegraph Company, and then with Charles W. Dohrmann, the insurance man.  In 1893 he took up the machinist’s trade with Straight & Cadle, the proprietors of the Globe Iron Works, and was with them until 1895, when he entered the employ of the Sperry Flour Mills Company, working as a fireman for two years.  From 1897 to 1898 he was with the Stockton Gas & Electric Company, and then went back to the Sperry’s for two years.  Receiving an appointment as assistant engineer at the State Asylum at Stockton under H. G. Balkwill, Mr. Myers was there from 1900 to 1905, and being ambitious to progress more rapidly, during this time he took a course in engineering with the International Correspondence Schools.  Returning to the Sperry Company as assistant engineer, he was made chief engineer of the Union Mill in 1905, of the Capital Mill in 1912, and the Crown Mill in 1915, all owned by this company, these promotions giving concrete evidence of the appreciation of his capability and faithful service, and he now has fifteen men working under him.

            Mr. Myers’ marriage, which took place in 1912, united him with Miss Frances Gillis; a native daughter of Stockton, whose father, James Gillis, was one of the city’s honored pioneer residents.  Mr. Myers has been a member of the Odd Fellows since 1906, being affiliated with Charity Lodge No. 6 of Stockton.

 

 

Transcribed by V. Gerald Iaquinta.

Source: Tinkham, George H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Page 1436.  Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic Record Co., 1923.


© 2012  V. Gerald Iaquinta.

 

 

Golden Nugget Library's San Joaquin County Biographies

Golden Nugget Library's San Joaquin County Genealogy Databases

Golden Nugget Library