San
Joaquin County
Biographies
HARVEY E. VICKROY
Widely known as
one of the most experienced and progressive of building contractors in San
Joaquin County, Harvey E. Vickroy, of 1122 North Commerce Street, Stockton,
never wants for advance commissions to keep him and his force of expert workmen
busy. He was born on a farm in
Warren County, Iowa, on November 20, 1875, and reared and educated at Chariton,
in the Hawkeye State. He learned his
trade of a carpenter under Benjamin Frazer, and at that occupation worked in
Omaha, Nebraska, for a year and a half.
Arriving at Oakland, on October 1, 1906, he built a number of fine homes
there, and also two apartment houses for A. V. Faight,
now of Stockton, and on August 4, 1909, removed to the latter city, where he
has since followed his line of work. He
first worked for Dockendorff, the contractor, and as
foreman had charge of the construction of the Congregational Church on Park
Street, and also of the second addition to the Moline Plow Building.
In 1910 Mr. Vickroy entered business
on his own account, and soon was called upon to put up a four-flat apartment
house in San Jose. He next erected both
the Arlington Hotel and the Coffee Club building in Stockton, and then he
formed a partnership with A. J. McPhee, under the firm name of McPhee &
Vickroy, and as partners they built the Griffith Block, the Carlton Block, and
the McCoy Block, at the corner of Market and Stanislaus streets. They also constructed a block at East and
Main streets, the Salvation Army Building on South San Joaquin Street, an
eight-flat building at the corner of California and Park streets, two
residences in Willow Street, and still other apartment houses. Then Messrs. Vickroy & McPhee dissolved
partnership, and our subject operated alone.
He erected the Stockwell three-story brick block, and a number of houses
for himself, which he built to sell. In
1920 he formed with E. L. Morrison another partnership, under the firm name of
Morrison & Vickroy, and they erected the four-story brick block known as
the White Hotel, a two-story brick block in El Dorado Street, at the junction
with California, while one of their best specimens of work in construction was
the new Odd Fellows Building, completed in the fall of 1921. This is located on South Hunter Street, and
is one of the best buildings in the city.
The firm have also built residences in Tuxedo
Park and the Sperry Addition, and a four-flat building near the Sampson Iron
Works. Mr. Vickroy has also operated in
the Delta district. He built the Waukeen Hotel at Manteca, the best building in that city,
and in the same progressive town erected several houses and a business block
for Ed Powers. On August 1, 1922, the
firm became Vickroy and De Atley,
composed of our subject and O. C. De Atley, the
latter being an expert builder of concrete buildings. This firm has at present under construction
the building of J. C. Renny on Sutter and Miner streets which will be occupied
as the new Buick Garage. They are also
building the large three-story brick at South California and Lafayette streets
for the Italian-American Realty Company and several other structures, business
and residences. They employ from fifteen
to forty men.
At Leon, Iowa, in 1905, Mr. Vickroy
and Miss Caroline L. Smith, a native of Iowa, were married; and nine children
add to their comfortable home.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Pages
643-644. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
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