San
Joaquin County
Biographies
THOMAS ROOKE STRIBLEY
A well-known and popular business
man who has made Stockton his home for the past thirty years is Mr. Thomas Rooke Stribley, whose business is
the repairing of motor boats, his shop being located on Weber Point. He is a native of England and was born in New
Quay, Cornwall, August 20, 1866. His advantages for an education were very
meager and when only thirteen years of age he started to make his own way in
the world and for four years he drove a baker’s wagon. He then served an apprenticeship for four
years in blacksmithing, and at the end of this period he was a competent
workman. In order to gain practical
experience in his line he worked in different blacksmith shops all over England
and became proficient as a ship smith and was able to construct machinery of
all kinds and specialized in wagon making.
In 1892 he came from England to Stockton and from there to Georgetown,
El Dorado County, working at his trade and in the mines for a year; returning
to Stockton he was employed with different firms at his trade; then he went to
work for the Southern Pacific Railroad Company, remaining with them for one
year; twenty-six years ago he bought a shop at Center and Channel streets and
has been in business for himself ever since.
When he started in business there was only one gasoline motor boat on
the river while now there are hundreds.
He is the inventor of the Stribley hand truck used on the barges and in
the warehouses for handling freight.
The marriage of Mr. Stribley united
him with Miss Lucy Carpenter, born in Georgetown, and they are the parents of
four children: Earl, Kenneth, Edna and
Charles, all natives of Stockton. Mr.
Stribley built a home in the Fair Oaks district of Stockton and he now owns
three houses in that section.
Fraternally he is a member of Truth Lodge and Parker Encampment of Odd
Fellows, being a past grand in the subordinate lodge, and treasurer of the
Encampment for several years and has served ten years as clerk of the board of
trustees of Fair Oaks School District.
In his political views he is a Republican.
Mr. Stribley served as a member of
the Board of Freeholders to draft the new city charter for Stockton, to which
he gave much time and his best effort.
He has assisted materially in the upbuilding of his locality and is a
booster for all measures that are for the advancement of the community.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Page
1196. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
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