Читать книгу History of Fresno County, Vol. 6 - Paul E. Vandor - Страница 36

A skilled pharmacist who has won an enviable reputation and who is a worker for the best interests of Kerman, is Arthur Howard McCoy, a native son who manages the Kerman Pharmacy with its extensive stock of medicines and drugs, and kindred lines. He was born near Campbell Station, Santa Clara County, on December 28, 1880. His father was Reuben McCoy, a native of Knoxville, Tenn., who outfitted at St. Joseph and crossed the plains with ox teams in 1849, and at first followed mining; then he bought a ranch from the Mexican Government and started in to develop it. Six months later, however, there was a change of government, and he was compelled to buy it a second time. It is near what is now Campbell Station, and he had 320 acres of grain and stock, the whole forming a very attractive ranch. There he lived and labored until he died, in 1885. Arthur's mother, Ellen England before her marriage, was born at Steelville, Crawford County, Mo., and was early left an orphan, and in 1856 she crossed the plains with friends. She was married to Mr. McCoy at Santa Clara. On the death of her husband, she continued, with the aid of her children, to manage her place, and made a specialty of horticulture, and she still has 117 acres of prunes. In October, 1917, she reached the age of seventy-three, and is one of the oldest members of the Methodist Episcopal Church South. Among her memories are those of a classmate, Mrs. Phoebe A. Hearst, with whom she went to school and who has since become so famous She was the mother of four boys and one girl: John A. is on the home farm; William Orville lives at Oakland; George Stirling is in Saratoga; Laura Elizabeth has become Mrs. E. O. Fellows, of Santa Clara County; and Arthur Howard, our subject.

Arthur H. attended school at Moreland, and later went to the Los Gatos High School; and at Los Gatos and Gilroy he had seven years' experience in the drug business. Then he entered the University of California and was graduated from the pharmaceutic department in 1905 with the degree of Ph.C. He was a member of the Phi Chi and was president of his class during the senior year.

Thus equipped. Mr. McCoy took a position as pharmacist with the Bowman Drug Company in San Francisco, and there remained until the great fire of 1906 burned them out. After that he became the buyer for Wakelee in San Francisco, and then manager of their store in the western addition. When he resigned, it was to remove to Porterville, where he was pharmacist for a couple of years with Todd C. Claubes. Once more he resigned, this time to come to Kerman, arriving here on May 12, 1917. He bought the store of T. C. Peters, and continued the drug business, developing it also as the chief agency in Kerman for San Francisco papers, magazines and other metropolitan supplies.

While in San Francisco, Mr. McCoy was married to Miss Lela Bell Gard, a native of Cobb Valley, Lake County, Cal. Mr. McCoy is a charter member of Porterville Lodge, No. 1342, B. P. O. Elks; he was made a Mason in Keith Lodge, No. 187, F. & A. M., at Gilroy, and is still a member there. Both Mr. and Mrs. McCoy are welcome members of the Order of the Eastern Star of Kerman. Mr. McCoy is a member of the Kerman Chamber of Commerce.