YUBA COUNTY Biographies

The city of Marysville honors the name of John Q. Packard not only because of his splendid gift of the free library building, but also because of his sterling character, high ideals and his worthy accomplishments. Though he shunned publicity or notoriety of any sort, he, perhaps unconsciously, won a permanent place in the hearts of the people of this community which years will never efface. Mr. Packard was born at Johnstown, Fulton county, New York, November 26, 1822, and was therefore eighty-six years of age at the time of his death, which occurred at his home in Santa Cruz, California, in 1908. He was a direct descendant of the Packard family of Holland. He received a common school education and when eighteen years of age went to work as a clerk in a silk house in New York city. When the discovery of gold in California was heralded to the world he was attracted to the western coast and came with others, by way of the isthmus of Panama, thence on the old “Equator” to San Francisco, where he arrived after a journey of eighty-seven days. He went to the San Joaquin district and worked in the mines at Jacksonville. He made a number of prospecting trips, during which he endured many privations, then returned to San Francisco and leased a lot on Montgomery street, on which he erected a wooden building, in which he opened a mercantile establishment. Later he sold that business to a partner and came to Marysville, which at that time a center of mining activities. Forming a partnership with Colonel Edward Woodruff, they engaged in a general mercantile business, which proved a successful venture and in which they continued together until the flood of 1862, when they sold out. In the ‘70s, while the two were en route to New York, Mr. Packard became interested in Salt Lake City and acquired an interest in the Eureka Hill mine, in the Tintic district. Later, when he and his brother Joseph bought a controlling interest in this mine, he became the president and manager, which dual position he held until 1895. He located other mines in the district and, as a result of his good judgment and foresight, was rewarded with immense returns from these investments. In the meantime he had continued his partnership with Colonel Woodruff, this being terminated only with the death of Woodruff in 1899.

In 1900 Mr. Packard returned to Marysville and though he spent much of his time at his fine home in Santa Cruz, not long before his death he sold large holdings and water rights to the DeSabla Syndicate for power purposes. Besides his holding in Santa Cruz and Nevada, Mr. Packard owned several extensive tracts in Yuba and Sutter counties. In spite of his years, he remained hale and hearty to the end. A man of plain and honest qualities, he was uniformly respected by all who knew him and no resident of this section of the state stood higher than he in high esteem.

In 1905 he gave evidence of his love for the community in which he had practically begun his successful business career, as well as his philanthropic spirit, by donating to the city of Marysville the sum of seventy-five thousand dollars, to be expended for a library building. In accordance with his wish, there was no celebration of the gift, which he forbade, though a delegation of women waited upon him with the request that some ceremony be held in dedication of the magnificent building. At the setting of the cornerstone, though his wishes for no ceremony were acceded to, the contractor, H. Dewar, the San Francisco architect and subcontractors, together with a number of citizens, saw to it that a place was made in the great piece of stone for the usual copper box. Into this box were placed a number of current coins, business cards of the interested firms, a brief history of the building, and local conditions at the time of the erection of the building. The history that was placed in the box was written by Colonel Edwin A. Forbes, who later became the head of the National Guard of California. Copies of the Marysville Democrat and the Marysville Appeal were placed in the box. Further than this was no ceremony at any time in connection with the building. When the library was turned over to the city, the gift was acknowledged in the adoption of the plainest form of resolution that could be prepared, no adjective of praise or other laudatory words being permitted.

Mr. Packard was a life member of the Society of California Pioneers and served as president of the Pioneer Association of California. He did his full part in every relation of life, without thought of reward or applause, and was in a very definite way a factor in the development and upbuilding of the west. A characteristic phase of his mental makeup was shown in his expression of gratitude to the two communities in which he had achieved his greatest business success, Marysville and Salt Lake City. Just prior to his gift to the city of Marysville, he had made a similar donation of seventy-five thousand dollars to the Utah metropolis for library purposes. He was unostentatious in every thing he did and public applause was very distasteful to him. Today the only thing about the Marysville library that might indicate to a stranger his connection with the institution is the splendid enlarged photograph of him which was secured through the efforts of Richard Belcher, attorney, of Marysville, and which occupies a place over the desk of the librarian.

Source: Wooldridge, J.W. Major History of the Sacramento Valley California, Vol. 2 pgs. 459-461. The Pioneer Historical Publishing Co. Chicago 1931.

NEWSPAPER ARTICLES AND OTHER WRITINGS PERTAINING TO MR. PACKARD & LIBRARY

One of the leading restaurants in the Sacramento valley is the Palace Lunch at Marysville, which is owned by Dell J. and James A. Thomas, who were born near Woodward, Woodward county, Oklahoma, in 1895, and August 15, 1897, respectively. Their parents were W. N. and Retta (Green) Thomas, the former now deceased. They had two sons and two daughters. The father was one of the early settlers of Oklahoma, but is now engaged in farming in the Sacramento valley, owning and operating a ranch of forty acres near Marysville, on Hammonton road. He is a successful farmer and from his ranch comes the milk and cream which are used in the Palace Lunch.

James A. Thomas received a public school education and when fifteen years of age started out to make his own way in the world. Going to Chicago, he obtained work in a restaurant and, with the exception of the period of his army service, has been engaged in that line of business continuously since. That he devoted his energies closely to his work was evidenced by the fact that at the time of America’s entrance into the war he had been promoted to the managership of the restaurant which was owned by W. E. Anderson, at 543 West Madison street, Chicago, and employed thirty-five people. On being called to military service, Mr. Thomas was assigned to the ammunition train of the Fourteenth Division and was in training at Camp Jackson, in South Carolina, and Camp Custer, at Battle Creek, Michigan. He was not ordered overseas and soon after the close of the war was honorably discharged. He returned to Chicago and was in the restaurant business until 1921, when he came to California, to which state the father had brought his family at the close of the war, locating on a ranch three miles from Marysville. Soon after coming here James A. Thomas engaged in the restaurant business in Marysville, starting in a modest way, with but six stools. His business grew rapidly and he secured another place, with fourteen stools, which also in the course of a short time was inadequate, and he then fitted up his present place with fifty stools. At that time, 1925, he was joined by his brother Dell J., who is still identified with the business. Their restaurant is open night and day, their force of three cooks and thirteen other persons working in three shifts. Close personal attention is given to every detail, only the best and most wholesome food being served, while neatness and cleanliness characterize the place. Experienced and courteous waiters afford exceptional service and the Palace Lunch is deservedly popular with discriminating eaters, its patronage showing a constant and steady increase, with usually a waiting line at noontime.

In 1919, in Chicago, Mr. Thomas was united in marriage to Miss Minnie Conover, of Rockford, Illinois. He is a member of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and the American Legion at Marysville and is personally popular among his associates, while throughout the community he is greatly respected for his business ability and his sterling qualities.

Source: Wooldridge, J.W. Major History of the Sacramento Valley California, Vol. 3 pgs. 248-249 The Pioneer Historical Publishing Co. Chicago 1931.

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