YUBA COUNTY Biographies
FRANK W. POOLE
Frank W. Poole, the jeweler at 210 D Street, Marysville, was born at San Diego, on August 22, 1887, when he entered the family of William C. and Sarah Annie (Green) Poole, of good old pioneer stock. Grandfather Francis Poole was among the settlers of 1852 who helped to found Smartsville; he went into the mines, and later engaged in ranching, and closed his useful life at the ripe old age of ninety-two, passing away in July, 1922. Grandmother Poole is still living, at the age of eighty-six. She came over the mountains in the early days, and was married here. William C. Poole was born and reared at Smartsville. For some time he was a blacksmith, but he is now ranching in Yuba County.
Frank Poole profited by the excellent schools of San Diego County until he came to Marysville, at the age of eleven, after which he went to school here. Commencing to work, he was employed for a while at the bottle works, and later entered the service of the Marysville Steam Laundry, after which, for several years, he was in the Marysville Cannery. He then went to Hanford as bookkeeper for the same company, and continued with them for about seven years. After that, he became associated with the Placer County Bank at Auburn, for the Rideout banking interests. Returning to Marysville, he went into the livery business with his father. A year later he took up the study of law, continuing his studies for a year and a half, but discontinuing them to take up canning with the Central California Canneries at Yuba City. In January, 1911, he engaged in the jewelry business, opening his store in a modest way; and he now has one of the most modern and well-stocked jewelry stores in Northern California, and is furnishing to the town and the county a service highly appreciated. In addition to his business, he owns a peach orchard and some other good properties. He belongs to the Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club.
At Yuba City, in 1911, Mr. Poole was married to Miss Gladys Starr, a native daughter of Sutter County, and now one of the locally popular ladies interested in civic progress. Mr. and Mrs. Poole have two children, Franklin Starr and Betty Jane. Mr. Poole is a Past Master in Corinthian Lodge No. 9, F.&A.M., Marysville, and belongs to Washington Chapter No. 13, R.A.M., and Marysville Commandery No. 7, K.T. He is a thirty-second-degree Scottish-Rite Mason, belonging to Sacramento Consistory; is a member of the Sciots and the Eastern Star, as well as of Ben Ali Temple, Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, in Sacramento; and is also a member of Marysville Lodge No. 783, B.P.O.E.
History of Yuba and Sutter Counties, Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, 1924
p. 1260-1261
LEO B. GURNEY
As president and general manager of the Browns Valley Irrigation District, Leo B. Gurney is well known in this section of the valley; and his efforts have been instrumental in the permanent settling of much desirable land in the Loma Rica, Glen Olive and Sunnyland districts, all fed by the Browns Valley system. A native son of the county, he was born in the Buckeye district on the Benjamin Gurney home place, September 17, 1881, the youngest son of Benjamin and Euretta (Androus) Gurney, who settled in Marysville in 1863. The father engaged in the profession of teaching during most of his lifetime, his death occurring in 1898; while his good wife passed to her reward in 1916, aged sixty-nine.
Leo B. Gurney received his education in the Yuba County schools, graduating from Marysville High School in 1899. In 1911-1912 he attended the University of California farm school at Davis, completing the courses in scientific dairy and animal husbandry, giving special attention to dairying and irrigation under Profs. L. M. Davis and S. N. Beckett. Since 1908 Mr. Gurney has served well the interests of Browns Valley Irrigation District, as its president and manager, excepting two and a half years; and in this work his studious application to this branch of agriculture has been of great benefit to the ranchers in the district, dependent in these modern days almost wholly on irrigation for the success of their crops. In addition to his public work, Mr. Gurney has developed the eighty-acre ranch he owns, his portion of the estate of his father; and he has found the application of his university studies of real value here also, using scientific methods in carrying on the ranch operations.
The marriage of Mr. Gurney, in Sacramento, August 19, 1910, united him with Miss Ethel McKinney, born in Wheatland, a daughter of the late Rolin McKinney and Dora (Stubbs) McKinney, pioneers, dating back to 1862. The father died in 1922; his widow survives, and resides in Oroville. Six children have blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. Gurney: Marjorie, Dorothy, Richard, Alice, Curtis, and Eunice. Mrs. Gurney taught school nine years before her marriage. With her husband she is interested in furthering the development of their section of our wonderful State. Mr. Gurney is a member of the Yuba County Chamber of Commerce in Marysville, and of Loma Rica Center of the Yuba County Farm Bureau.
History of Yuba and Sutter Counties, Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, 1924
p. 1261
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