San
Joaquin County
Biographies
CLARENCE A. TOWNE
Locating in Stockton thirty-six
years ago, Clarence A. Towne established his business as a building contractor
which he has successfully conducted for that length of time. A native of Illinois, he was born in De Kalb
County on October 18, 1866, a son of D. M. and M. E. (Stone) Towne, both
natives of Illinois. His father, D. M.
Towne, came to California in 1876 and after a short stay in Contra Costa County,
located in San Joaquin Valley where he followed building operations and farming
for a great many years. D. M. Towne is a
cousin of Hon. Charles A. Towne of Minnesota, and was born in De Kalb County,
Illinois, and put in almost two years in the service of his country during the
Civil War, serving in the Army of the Cumberland in the 16th Army
Corps. He enlisted at De Kalb, Illinois,
in Company C, 58th Illinois Volunteer Infantry, on February 5, 1864,
and was honorably discharged August 9, 1865.
Clarence A. received his education
in the schools of San Joaquin County and at the age of fifteen learned the
carpenter trade with his father. In 1886
he left the farm and went to Stockton and worked for George Campbell, his first
job being on Dr. Mersoll’s residence on Linden Road;
later he worked for James Brown and then became foreman for L. M. Furry and
built the J. M. Welch residence on El Dorado Street and the J. H. Hough
residence on East Park Street. A
partnership was then formed with L. M. Furry, but was of short duration; when
the partnership was dissolved, he went into partnership with Richard Noall, under the name of Noall
& Towne, this partnership covering a period of twenty years. They erected a number of wineries throughout
San Joaquin County, among them being the West Winery at El Pinal, the Hanford
Winery, one at Selma, Kearney, Lodi, San Joaquin, Sanger, buildings for the
California Wine Association and the Western Winery for the L. S. Westmore Company.
During this period they also erected many fine residences in Stockton,
among them those of Arthur Noble, Walter Hansel, the Paul residence in Bours Park, one for Dr. S. H. Hall and Dr. J. J.
Tully. During the last five years, Mr.
Towne has been operating alone and has been most active. He has erected business blocks in Ripon,
remodeled the Dameron Hospital in Stockton, built the
First National Bank and Farmers & Merchants Bank buildings in Modesto; he
has also erected a number of fine dairy barns in the county, among which are
the fine dairy buildings for Frank A. Guernsey on Rough and Ready Island. At the present time he is busily engaged in
building the Mrs. J. D. Young residence at the corner of Van Buren and Flora;
and the Mrs. John Mylco residence on North Street,
also a number of buildings for Libby, McNeill and Libby on Tyler Island, on
their asparagus farm, and many others.
Mr. Towne is a member of the
Stockton Contractors’ & Millmen’s Association, also a member of the State
Automobile Association. Fraternally he
is a member of Stockton Elks No. 218, Truth Lodge of Odd Fellows and Parker
Encampment.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Page
792. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
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