San
Joaquin County
Biographies
ROBERT C. TUBBS
As an authority in horticultural
matters, Robert C. Tubbs is well-known throughout San Joaquin County, having
been connected with the County Horticultural Commission for eighteen
years. He is now deputy horticultural
inspector for the Lodi district, his territory including all
the locality lying north of the Eight-Mile Road. He was born in Lee County, near Keokuk, Iowa,
on July 20, 1855, his parents; both now deceased, being George L. and Nancy
(Fitzsimmons) Tubbs, the former a native of Ohio, the latter of
Pennsylvania. The family removed to
California in 1860, settling on an eighty-acre claim near Tyson, in the
Woodbridge district, which Mr. Tubbs bought from B. DeVries. Here he engaged in farming and breeding fine
horses, becoming known all over this part of California for his love of blooded
horses, and his pride in them. After
seven years here he sold out and moved to Amador County, purchasing the Buena
Vista Ranch in Jackson Valley, and here he continued to breed trotting, running
and carriage horses. An expert judge of
horse flesh, he had a string of blooded animals there, among them the Duke of Allexes, Winnie Winters, Jack Hawkins, and Jim Corbett, all
famous in their day and well-remembered by the early settlers. He was a personal friend of Ross Sargent, the
famous horse king of San Joaquin County.
Mr. Tubbs’ ranch in Jackson Valley was on rich bottom land, highly
improved, and was one of the show places of the county. He later planted a deciduous fruit orchard of
fifty acres, being one of the first men to commercialize fruit growing in
Amador County. After many years on this
ranch he finally disposed of it and removed to Lodi, where he passed away in
1919 at the age of eighty-eight years. A
fine type of the sturdy pioneer settler, he was a familiar and well-known
figure on the streets of Lodi, driving one of his fine horses, his love of them
lasting to the last years of his life.
Of the nine children of Mr. and Mrs. Tubbs, four are living: Robert C. of this sketch; Warren, who lives
at Sonora; and Melissa and Edgar, of Lodi.
In the pursuit of his education
Robert C. Tubbs first attended the Ray school at Tyson and the Buena Vista
school in Amador County, and then took a course in the Stockton Business
College. For a time he followed farming
on his father’s ranch in Amador County, and then, in partnership with C. H.
Pease as Tubbs & Pease, bought the Sedgwick Express in Stockton, which they
renamed the River Express, carrying on their business on the river boats
between Stockton and San Francisco.
Selling out later, Mr. Tubbs went back to the old home ranch in Amador
County and took up horticultural work, planting a large orchard to peaches,
prunes, and plums, and carrying on the business under the firm name of G. L.
Tubbs & Son, the company being stockholders in the old California Fruit
Union, one of the earliest fruit-marketing organizations in this part of
California.
In 1899 Mr. Tubbs sold out his
holdings and moved to Lodi, where he became foreman of the Satsuma Orchard
owned by M. P. Stein & Company, of Stockton, consisting of eighty acres of
deciduous fruits and grapes. He
continued in this position until 1907, when he bought a small orchard near
Lodi, which he developed into a fine property.
He disposed of it in 1920. During
all these years he continued to make a thorough study of horticulture and
viticulture, particularly of the problems encountered in this part of California,
and his years of experience have made him an authority. Since 1903 he has been
connected with the San Joaquin County Horticultural Commission; and now, as
deputy horticultural inspector, he has charge of a large territory, his duties
including quarantine inspection of all new nursery stock brought into the
district, standardization and inspection of green fruit, and rodent
control. His work has grown until he
requires from three to seven deputies.
Mr. Tubbs was united in marriage in
San Francisco, California, to Miss Nellie H. Green, a native of Petaluma,
California, and a daughter of Frank and Mary (Wharff)
Green, who were born in Massachusetts, and were
pioneers of California in 1849 and 1852, respectively. Mrs. Tubbs was reared in San Francisco. They are the parents of two children: George F. is a merchant at Livermore,
California; and Edna is the wife of J. D. Yates, of Turlock, and the mother of
one daughter. Mr. Tubbs, who was a
charter member of Truth Lodge, I. O. O. F., of Stockton, is now a member of
Lodi Lodge, No. 267, I. O. O. F., and a Past Grand; and also a member of
Harmony Encampment.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Page
1083. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
Golden Nugget Library's San Joaquin County Biographies
Golden Nugget Library's San Joaquin County Genealogy
Databases