San Joaquin County Biographies
Ref: Page 433-434
Transcribed by: Linda Diane Jackson 1/21/2010
JAMES WALTER GRAVES
Decidedly among the most popular of public officials in San Joaquin County is James Walter Graves, the wideawake and efficient constable of Castoria township, a pioneer citizen, and one of the honored residents at Manteca. He was born at Lancaster, Wis., in 1857, and accompanied his parents, Henry B. and Lorena R. (Howell) Graves to California, crossing the plains with an ox-team train, and reaching the Cutler Salmon ranch at Dutch Point, Castoria township, on October 2, 1864. His father was a native of Kentucky and a farmer, although he also served as a circuit judge in Missouri, where his home was maintained from 1857 to 1864. Mrs. Graves, on the other hand, was a native of Virginia, and well represented the fine old Dominion. Out of their family of twelve children, only two now survive—J.C. Graves of Stockton and our subject.
James Walter Graves grew up in this county and profited by a good common schooling; after which, in 1877, he was duly graduated by Heald's Business College of San Francisco. Then he entered the employ of Bancroft and Co., the publishers, in San Francisco, but at the end of sixteen months he left the city on account of ill-health, returning to the ranch in this county. In partnership with his father and older brother, N.H., he next took up sheep raising and for several years was active in Corral Hollow, where he regained his health; and with the exception of eighteen months spent in the Santa Clara Valley in orcharding, he has made this county his home since 1879. He now owns a fine ranch one and one-half miles north of Manteca, where he maintains his home.
In 1880, on the French Camp Road, Mr. Graves was married to Miss Emma Liesy, a native of this county, who passed away in 1883; and two years later he married a second time, when he chose for his wife Miss Carrie Smith, who was born in Wisconsin and came west in 1880. Two children were born to the first union: D.F. Graves is married and resides as a rancher near Lathrop; and Dr. C.E. Graves is a veterinary surgeon and resides at Santa Cruz with his wife and one son, Harold. One son, Cleve, was born to the second union; he was a partner with his father, but he passed away on December 6, 1921, survived by his widow and a son, Kenneth.
Mr. Graves served as deputy sheriff under Thomas Cunningham, as early as 1890, and as deputy constable until April, 1918, being elected to the office of constable of Castoria township, in the administration of which he has shown signal ability. He was elected again in 1922, receiving the highest vote of any county officer in his township. He is a stand-pat Democrat and is a charter member of Lathrop Camp No. 92, M.W.A., in which he is a past officer. He is also a member of Charity lodge, No. 6, I.O.O.F., Stockton, and of the Manteca Lions Club.
Mr. Graves opened the second real estate office of Manteca, known as the Irrigation District Land Co., and he maintains a careful vigilance as to all details regarding information given out to his patrons, and is well known for his ability in appraising lands of this valley. He has served as the secretary of the Manteca Creamery from its day of operation in 1896 for one year, when he resigned to become manager of the Co-operative Butcher Shop. He has always been a strong advocate of irrigation, and one of the prime factors in the move which culminated in the incorporation of Manteca in 1918. From 1907 to 1910, he was chairman of the commonwealth committee of this county; from its organization, for five years he was chairman of the Manteca Board of Trade; he wrote the maintenance bill of the State highway, and was active in getting it into the legislation of the state. He was also the author of the shooting ordinance as to State Highways, the incentive having been an accident on his own ranch in 1909. Through the untiring efforts, also, of our subject the standard of quality of the rock and construction material has been greatly elevated, his good work in this direction having been accomplished in connection with others, notably Dr. Goodale and Orrin Henderson of Stockton. Always public-spirited and progressive, Mr. Graves has taken the lead in several important movements, all of which have borne good fruit.
History of
SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY
CALIFORNIA
With A
Biographical Review
of
The Leading Men and Women of the County Who Have Been
Identified with Its Growth and Development
from the Early Days to the Present
HISTORY BY
George H. Tinkham
HISTORIC RECORD COMPANY
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
1923
San Joaquin County Biographies ~ Archive Biography Index ~ Archive Index
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