San Joaquin County
Biographies
FRED M. WEST
FRED M. WEST, cashier of that
splendid institution, the Stockton Savings and Loan Society, is a native of
Taunton, Massachusetts, born May 1, 1839. His parents, William A. and Ann
Bradford (Leonard) West, came of old New England families. His father was in
the business of copper manufacturing, having works at Norton, which he operated
in connection with the Taunton Locomotive Works. For the last twenty years that
the large copper cent was coined, he manufactured them for the Government,
ready for stamping. He also made the coins of one cent and one-half cent
denomination for the Government of Chili.
Fred M. West was reared at Taunton until
he had reached the age of fourteen years, and then went into a wholesale
milling goods house at Boston, Plymouth, Stephenson & Co., importers, etc.
He remained with them until their retirement from business and continued with
their successors, Lombard & Brown, for whom he traveled until the outbreak
of the Rebellion. When the first call of President Lincoln was issued for
75,000 men, he was one of the first to offer his services in defense of the old
flag, and the day after its issue his name was enrolled as a member of the
Fourth Battalion of Rifles, which was formed mainly from the old Boston City
Guard. The command went into camp at Fort Independence and was there merged
into the Thirteenth Massachusetts Volunteer Regiment, and the regiment moved to
the front. He served out his term of enlistment, and seeing that his old firm
was about to fail, decided to remove at once to California and carried his plan
into execution. He chose the Panama route and arrived in San Francisco on the
10th of August, 1861. He proceeded to Stockton and engaged in the
nursery business with his brothers, William B. and George. He was thus engaged
for about a year, and from that time until 1873 he was employed at clerking. He
then went into business at Farmington as a member of the firm of West &
Farmington as a member of the firm of West & Dyke. This firm was dissolved
in 1878, Mr. West having been elected treasurer of San Joaquin County, which
office he held for two years. He was re-elected for a second term, but shortly
after having entered upon it he resigned to accept his present important post
with the bank, which he has filled with marked ability.
Mr. West was married in Stockton, October
10, 1867, to Mrs. Elmira F. Hutchinson, a native of Boston. They have one
child, namely: Harry L. Mr. West is a Past Master of Morning Star Lodge, F.
& A. M.; is a member of Stockton Chapter No. 28, and of Stockton Commandery
No. 8, Knights Templar. He is a member of Stockton Lodge, No. 23, A. O. U. W.,
and of Rawlin Post, G. A. R. Politically he is a Republican.
Mr. West is a hard-working and progressive
business man and has a number of interests besides that of banking. He is a
secretary of the Stockton Combined Harvester and Agricultural Works, and
president of the Minturn Vineyard Company, of Fresno County, which, though but
recently incorporated, is one of the oldest institutions of that kind in Fresno
County. He takes an active interest in all movements calculated to advance the
interests of the county and State.
Transcribed by: Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
An Illustrated History of San Joaquin County,
California, Page 239. Lewis Pub. Co.
Chicago, Illinois 1890.
© 2008 Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
Golden Nugget Library's San Joaquin County
Biographies
Golden Nugget Library's San Joaquin County
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