YUBA COUNTY
Biographies
HARMON AUGUST HOKE
A prosperous rancher whose progressive ideas and substantial attainments have made him a man of influence in the Northern California agricultural world is Harmon August Hoke, of West Butte, a native of Quincy, Ill., where he was born on June 5, 1861. His father, Frederick Hoke, was born in Germany, in 1815, and migrated to the United States in 1844. Six years later, he came out to California across the great plains, traveling with a boon companion, Frederick Tarke. On his arrival, Mr. Hoke engaged in mining, and continued at it until 1855, when he returned to Iowa and married Miss Louisa Erke. His friend, Mr. Tarke, also returned to the East and married; and then the two couples set out for California again, this time by the Panama route. On their arrival in the Golden State, Frederick Hoke bought a ranch near West Butte, where he resided until his death. He had then acquired 1860 acres of land, eighty acres of which he cultivated and enclosed by a good fence. Four children were born in his family. William, the eldest, lived until 1922; Harmon August is the subject of this review; and the others, two sisters, are Louisa and Alice. Frederick Hoke, as mentioned above, always continued to reside in California after he had come here the second time; but Mrs. Hoke went back East to visit friends, and it was while she was on this trip that our subject was born. She started back to California when he was about six months old.
Harmon A. Hoke attended the Deaf and Dumb School at Berkeley, and while there met Miss Mary Edna Daggett, who was also a student seeking the same kind of instruction. They were married at Oakland, on August 23, 1899. Mrs. Hoke was born at Puyallup Valley, Wash., the daughter of Samuel and Mary (Forrest) Daggett, the former a native of Maine, the latter of New York, although they were married at Forrest Hill, Cal. Samuel Daggett mined in Placer County in early days, and later moved north into Washington with his wife. Forrest Hill was named after Mary Daggett’s father. Later still, Mr. and Mrs. Daggett removed to New Westminster, B. C., and after that they moved back to Oakland, where Mr. Daggett ahs lived for the last thirty years. His good wife died about ten years ago. They had four children: Allen, deceased; James, who lives at Oakland; Mary, who has become Mrs. Hoke; and Charles, also deceased. Since their wedding-day, Mr. and Mrs. Hoke have lived in West Butte. Two daughters were born to them: Lova, Mrs. F. C. Albertson, of Oakland, who has one daughter, Jane; and Pearl A. Mr. Hoke is a Republican. He is a capable, public-spirited citizen; and despite his impediment, he has held the office of school trustee. Mr. and Mrs. Hoke are now residing at 2439 Park Boulevard, Oakland, Cal.
History of Yuba and Sutter Counties, Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, 1924
p. 502
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