Sonoma
County
Biographies
HON. E. P. COLGAN
It is a well attested maxim that the
greatness of a state lies not in its machinery of government; nor even in its
institutions, but in the sterling qualities of its individual citizens, in
their capacity for high and unselfish effort and their devotion to the public
good. Edward P. Colgan is one in whom
public confidence is reposed in recognition of his true merit. He is now serving his third term as the state
Comptroller of California, and is a most trustworthy and capable official,
whose fidelity to duty is manifest by his long continuance in office through
the power of the popular ballot. Although
well fitted for leadership and justly deserving of the honors conferred upon
him, in manner he is plain and unassuming; a genial, courteous gentleman,
possessed of the true democratic spirit and preferring to be known to his
friends, and the circle is by no means a limited one, simply as “Ed
Colgan.” He has been closely identified
with the Republican Party for nineteen years, during which time he has always
evinced a deep interest in state and national politics and has materially aided
and been of influential benefit in local affairs.
Mr. Colgan was born in Santa Rosa,
California, in January, 1856. His
father, Edward P. Colgan, Sr., was born in New York City, entered upon his
business career in the capacity of printer’s devil, and later he served as a carver
in a restaurant. He was thus employed
until after the discovery of gold in California, when he made his way to the
Pacific slope, going around Cape Horn to San Francisco where he opened a
restaurant. He conducted that enterprise
until 1853, and during his residence in San Francisco was married, July 20,
1851, to Miss Elizabeth Staub; who was born in Baden,
Germany, and with her mother and two brothers crossed the Atlantic to the
United States in 1848. Her father, Jacob
Staub, was born in Baden, Germany, and there spent
his entire life, his death occurring there when he had reached the age of fifty
years. He was a man of considerable
prominence, served as burgermeister or mayor of his town for many years, and
held other positions of public trust. After
the death of the father the mother and children came to the new world, and in
1849 Mrs. Colgan and her sister came to California, by way of the straits. She is still living in the old family home in
Santa Rosa, but frequently visits her son in the capital city.
After the marriage the parents of
our subject continued in the restaurant business in San Francisco until
October, 1853, when they sold out and removed to Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California,
opening a hotel at that point before the city was laid out. The town was platted, however, the following
year and his hostelry, known as the Santa Rosa House, was the pioneer hotel of
the place, and like its proprietor was very popular with the traveling
public. The old building is still
standing and is now used as a blacksmith shop.
Toward the close of his life Edward P. Colgan, Sr., went to San Diego,
California, hoping to improve his impaired health, but all to no avail, for he
died while on the return trip. In early
life he took a very active interest in politics, and, though he never sought or
desired office for himself, labored earnestly to promote the growth and insure
the success of his party. All through
the dark days of the Civil War, when sectional feeling ran very high in
California, the stars and stripes floated above his hotel and signified his
unwavering allegiance to the Union. No
one could mistake his position, and when he passed away at the age of fifty
years, the community lost one of its most valued and honored citizens.
Edward P. Colgan, whose name
introduces this review, spent his childhood and youth in his native city and
acquired his education in its public schools.
On laying aside his textbooks he began to prepare for the practical duties
of life, and learned the trade of blacksmithing, which he followed for more
than thirteen years and doubtless, developed thereby his fine physique.
Mr. Colgan was married, in Santa
Rosa, November 24, 1880, to Miss Mary Smith, a native of Sonoma County and a
daughter of John and Tressa (Banks) Smith. Her paternal grandparents were Jacob and
Eliza (Elliott) Smith, who were pioneer settlers of Illinois, originally from
Kentucky. With a party they crossed the
plains to California and became residents of Sonoma County in 1854. Mr. Smith was a very prominent and
influential early settler of that section of the state, and largely aided in
its public development and growth. He
died in Santa Rosa, at the age of seventy-five years, and his wife passed away
at the same age. The maternal
grandparents of Mrs. Colgan were Willis and Evelyn (Thomas) Banks, natives of
Kentucky, whence they removed to Kansas, where Mrs. Banks died. In 1875 Mr.
Banks came to the Golden state for his health, where his death occurred in
Bakersfield, when he had reached the age of seventy-five years. John Smith, the father of Mrs. Colgan, was a
native of Quincy, Illinois, and by occupation was a
lumberman and farmer.
In 1854 he came overland with his
parents and a large party to California, Dr. Boyce, now of Santa Rosa, being
among the number who then made the long and perilous journey across the
plains. They were six months on the way
and Mr. Smith first took up his residence upon a farm near Santa Rosa. Subsequently he removed westward into the
mountains, where he operated a sawmill and conducted a
lumber business. He and his wife are
still living.
During the Civil War the Banks home
in Kansas was a rendezvous alternately for Federals and Confederates and many
an exciting episode occurred there. Mrs.
Colgan has spent her entire life in the Golden state. She acquired her early education in a
primitive school among the mountains where her father operated a sawmill, and
later was graduated in the Santa Rosa high school with the first class that
completed the course in that institution.
She is a cultured and refined lady and a loving and faithful wife and
mother. She is a lady of genuine worth
and the honors which have been accorded her in connection with her husband’s position
have by no means affected her sweet womanliness. She believes not in station, but in
character, and true worth and not position is the passport to her friendship. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Colgan have been born five
children, but one died in infancy. Those
still living are Edlo May, Evelyn, Ralph Waite and
Helen.
Mr. Colgan first became actively
connected with political affairs in 1886, in which year he was elected county
sheriff. However, he has given a
stalwart support to the Republican Party since casting his first presidential
vote for James A. Garfield in 1880. He
filled the office of county sheriff for a term of two years and so fearlessly
and acceptably discharged his duties that he was re-elected for a second
term. In the meantime his loyalty to the
party and his fitness for political duties became known throughout the state,
and in 1890 he was the choice of his party for state comptroller. For three terms he has now filled that
office, and over the record of his public career there falls no shadow of wrong
or suspicion of evil. His course has ever
been honorable and straightforward, and he has never been drawn into any
factional differences, content to let the voice of the people chose or reject
him. That he has the public confidence
in an unusual degree and that he fully merits it, is indicated by his long
retention in office. He is the first to
reach the office in the morning, the last to leave it at night, and neglects no
duty or detail no matter how unimportant it may seem.
Mr. Colgan is very prominent in
civic societies and is a valued member of various orders, including the Masonic
fraternity and the Mystic Shrine, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the
Native Sons of the Golden West, the Knights of Pythias and the Benevolent and
Protective Order of Elks. He is also
prominent in every good work to advance humanitarian interests or promote the
industrial growth of the state. With him
friendship is inviolable, and at great sacrifice to himself
he will favor a friend if it is at all possible to do it. In manner he is cordial and genial and has
the regard of all with whom he has been brought in contact. His unassailable reputation makes his career
an honor to the pages of the history of the state that has honored him and
which claims him among her native sons.
Transcribed by
Gerald Iaquinta.
Source:
“A Volume of Memoirs and Genealogy of Representative Citizens of Northern
California”, Pages 154-156. Chicago Standard Genealogical Publishing Co. 1901.
© 2010
Gerald Iaquinta.