PART TWO BIOGRAPHIES OF REPRESENTATIVE MEN SAN MATEO COUNTY'S History with its exposition of contem porary local conditions, resources and advantages, would be incomplete without the following biographical sketches of pioneers and leading business and professional men. These supplement the history and add that intimate and personal touch, without which no work of this kind could be truly interesting. In the following life stories may be found many of the most important events that have taken place in both early and contem porary county history. A collection of biographies of this kind is always interesting; but their greatest value lies in the fact that they chronicle much that might otherwise be forgotten, thereby becoming of greater value as time goes on. They are arranged in no particular sequence, being printed on the following pages in the order in which they were obtained. Frederick Ernest Beer Mr. Beer has his share of civic pride, and every movement for the REI)ERltfK Ernest Beer, one of welfare of the community finds an en the proprietors of the San Ma thusiastic supporter in him. At teo Garage, came to San Mateo in present Mr. lleer is Master of the San 1907, and with his partner, Mr. C. B. Mateo Masonic Lodge. Morton, opened the San Mateo Gar Frederick Ernest Beer was born in age and Machine Works. Since then Charlottetown, Prince Edward island the business has steadily grown, and Canada, on June 20, 1880. He has today is one of the largest on the Pe been in California fourteen years. ninsula. Mr. Beer was married in San Francis Mr. Beer's early business train co on May 23, 1903 and lives with ing fitted him splendidly for the man his family at 335 Griffith Avenue. agership of a garage. By profession he was a mechanical engineer and for six years he was connected with Jesse Penton a firm which manufactured mine O Jesse Penton, landscape gar supplies. He traveled into all cor dener of San Mateo, can be at ners of the globe installing mining tributed the beautles of many of the machinery. He was also engineer pretentious estates for which the pen on various steamship lines running Iinsula is famed. Mr. Penton has out of San Francisco and New York. made San Mateo county his home for 114 HISTORY OF SAN MATEO COUNTY the last forty-five years and during George E. Jones who still retains that time he has laid out and super the position he has held for many intended the gardening of many of years as Chief of Police. the county's show places. In this capacity Mr. Jones has done Hundreds of the homes around San much for Burlingame. Being a man Mateo owe their floral embellish of lofty ideals he has kept the city ments to Mr. Penton, but the work free from anything that would cast for which he is best known was done on the estates of Harry Hastings, Mrs. Bothin, R. G. Hooker, Henry P. Bowie, and C. Frederick Kohl, the Kohl property being at that time in the possession of Alexander Austin. In many of his early undertakings Mr. Penton was associated with John McLaren; and when Mr. McLaren left to take charge of Golden Gate Park, Mr. Penton carried on important work that he had started on the pe ninsula. Mr. Penton has had charge of the Cherry Canyon Water Com pany for years, and under his super vision its development took place and its large distributing system was built. Mr. Penton was a member of the building committee of the Masonic Hall Association. He unselfishly surrendered a great part of his time and energy to this project. Jesse Penton was born near Win a single reflection on its moral stat chester, England on October 2, 1842. us. He has had traffic rules enact He left his home in 1872 and came ed and directed the passage of ve directly to Millbrae to D. O. Mills’ hicles through Burlingame in such estate and has been a resident of San a manner that this city boasts of one Mateo county ever since. At present of the lowest rates of accidents of he lives with his family in his own any city in the state. Mr. Jones and home, 124 Santa Inez. Mr. Penton the capable officers under him have was married at the Grace Church in run down many daring criminals, New York on February 18, 1907. and have recovered stolen goods Mr. Penton is a Mason of high stand whose value to their owners can ing and was one of the charter mem hardly be estimated. bers of the Order of the Eastern Star in addition to his activity in the in San Mateo. police department, Mr. Jones has served the city in many other ca pacities. When the town was first George E. Jones incorporated he was appointed HE same high standards which Health Officer and Superintendent of mark all departments of Bur Streets by the first board of trus lingame's city government are found fees. in the police department which has The growth of Burling‘ame has been built up to its present state multiplied many times since he of efficiency and usefulness by first took office; and has now become BIOGRAPHIES OF REPRESENTATIVE MEN 115 a city which has relieved him of twenty years; but during all this ‘these duties. He still retains the re time Mrs. Ross cherished a desire sponsible position of License and to set up a permanent residence in Tax Collector, together with Chief of San Mateo. This wish was fulfilled Police and Truant Officer for the when the Rosses came to San Mateo Burlingame School District. in 1913 and built the home which For his efficiency, honesty and ten they now occupy at 9th and Laurel years of faithful service, his friends Avenue. This in only a quarter of a awarded him a gold badge of his mile from the place where Mrs. Ross office. was born. George E. Jones was born in San It was at St. Matthews Church Francisco on July 13, 1869. He re that Mrs. Ross was baptized when a ceived his early schooling in San child—as were her children and Francisco, and later attended St. grand children in later years. Here Matthew's Military Academy when it also she was confirmed and has al was located on Baldwin avenue in ways attended church services. San Mateo, on the ground where the Mrs. Ross jwah educated at the High School now stands. fashionable Laurel Hall School, many After finishing school he entered of whose graduates are among the business in San Francisco where he peninsula's leading families. remained until ten years ago, when Mr. Donald, her father, came to he moved to Burlingame. Mr. Jones the county in 1851 and purchased a is one of the leading members of the tract of land where the Parrott Es Burlingame Commercial Club and the tate is now located. Speaking Royal Arcanum. He resides with Spanish fluently, Mr. Donald rapidly his family in his own home at 226 won the confidence of the Indians Myrtle Road. who could converse only with the white man in this tongue, and who at that time formed no inconsiderable Mrs. George C. Ross portion of the population. His hold ings ran from the Hayward place to HERE is not a resident of San Laurel Creek. Mateo County whose life history Living so long in the county, Mrs. is more closely woven into the fabric Ross has been able to notice every of the chronology of this county than interesting phase of its growth. Mrs. Geo. C. Ross. Having lived here Particularly noticeable has been the the best part of her life, she has solving of the transportation problem the added distinction of being the for residents of the county—especial second white child born in San Ma ly to San Francisco which in the ear teo—Mrs. Frank Miller, now a res ly days meant a trip which consumed ident of Berkeley, being the first. a day each way when one went upon Possessed of sufficient wealth to a shopping tour. live in any part of the world, San Mrs. Ross has taken an active and Mateo County has nevertheless al prominent part in the club life of the ways been her first choice. peninsula being a member of the San When married, on December 24, Mateo Wbm‘an's Club, the Burlin 1877, in San Mateo, she went with game Woman's Club, life member of her husband to Redwood City to live, the Redwood City Woman's Club, an but remained there only a short time. honorary member of the Board of the The Rosses next took up their real Auxilliary of the P. P. I. E., and a dence upon a 60-acre park in Bel member of the Laurel Hall Club, mont, where a beautiful home was whose membership list is made up of erected. They remained there for the graduates of Laurel Hall School 116 HISTORY OF SAN .\IATEO COUNTY which Mrs. Ross attended when a Francisco, including Willis Polk, girl. whom he assisted in designing such Mr. George C. Ross has practiced magnificent structures as the new law thirty-seven years in the county Hobart Building and the Templeton with headquarters in Redwood City. Crocker {residence in Hillsborough. There are three sons; Dr. D. H. Ross, Mr. Norberg is well known in Club practicing in San Jose; Hall C. Ross circles, being a member of the San and Lee T.