San
Joaquin County
Biographies
JOHN J. PIMM
One of the prosperous and
enterprising citizens of Lodi is found in John J. Pimm, who located in Lodi
fifteen years ago and established a general blacksmithing and wagon-making
business, in which he has met with success.
He was born in that great milk and butter district of Orange County, New
York, on August 14, 1847. His father was
a member of a prominent English family, and coming to America settled in New
York state in an early day and was a pioneer carriage
maker and blacksmith. At the age of
fourteen our subject started to learn his trade of woodworker under his father,
later taking up blacksmithing. Having an
ardent admiration for good horses and being thrown in contact with them in his
business, he became the owner of many fine driving and trotting horses. In time he became expert in the breaking of
colts and the matching of driving teams.
After the death of his father, he continued the business at Montgomery,
New York, and succeeded in building up a fine and lucrative business. During the year of 1883 he removed to Morris,
Minnesota, and engaged in the manufacture of buggies and wagons. He still retained his love for fine horses
and owned many of them, among them being “Maud K.,” a pacer with a record of 2.16;
he also received many premiums at county fairs for his horses. In 1900 he removed to California, settling
first at Corning, and there he established a blacksmithing business, which
occupied him for several years, when he removed to Lodi, establishing his
business in 1907 making butcher and ice wagons.
As the automobile came into general use, Mr. Pimm has added auto
repairing and it has become his chief line of work. He is proud of the steady and prosperous growth
of his business and now employs seven men continuously on repair work.
Mr. Pimm’s
marriage united him with Miss Lottie Oakley, a native of New York State, a
daughter of that pioneer George Oakley, who was a merchant in New York state
before coming to California in 1849, via Panama, bringing with him a stock of
goods from his store consisting of stoves, hardware and other commodities which
he disposed of in San Francisco where he died.
Mr. Pimm became affiliated with the Congregational Church while a
resident of Minnesota and for seven years served as superintendent of the
Sunday school and for nine years was a deacon of the church; for the past
eleven years he has been a deacon in the Lodi Congregational Church. Fraternally he is a member of the Ancient
Order of United Workmen. His support has
always been on the side of right and justice and has unfalteringly supported
measures for the upbuilding of the community, socially, morally and
religiously.
Transcribed by V. Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Pages
1267-1268. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 V. Gerald Iaquinta.
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