History of Santa Clara.......page 1513 

Frank L. Hoyt
 Commercial and Residential
Builder of
 Santa Clara County
1922 Biography


SURNAMES:  GRINNELL, BARROWS

An enterprising general contractor and building engineer who is widely known for his many successful operations in various parts of California, some of which have been carried out on a bold scale, is Frank L. Hoyt, of San Jose.  He was born near Saratoga Springs, N. Y., on September 12, 1880, the son of Able Hoyt, was was a successful farmer and who died in the East.  He had married Miss Elizabeth Grinnell, who came to California after her husband's death and spent her remaining years here.  They were a worthy couple, and each enjoyed that priceless blessing, a circle of devoted friends.

Frank L. Hoyt attended the schools of his rural district, and when he went to Wisconsin, he pursued the courses of a first-class high school at Whitewater and was in time graduated with honors.  He was then fifteen years of age and he had ben apprenticed for about two years to the carpenter's trade.  He then completed the millwright and flour milling trades, and afterwards operated and remolded some of the largest  flour mills in the Northwest, and then he studied civil engineering.  Next he traveled through the Northwest and in 1901 came to California.

From 1903 until 1913 he was in business in San Francisco and Santa Rosa where he erected many large buildings, and in 1913 he removed to San Jose and here he has since been engaged in the contracting business.  He designed and erected, among other edifices, the plants of the Herbert Packing Company, In, Shaw Family, Inc., California Packing Corporation, at Seventh and Jackson streets, and also built additions to their C. F. & C. A. plant, the Temple Laundry Company's plant, the potash plant of the Western Industries Company at Agnew, the Pacific by-Products Company plant and the building for the Muirson Label and Carton Company, on Stockton Avenue, are examples of his workmanship as well as the refrigerating plants for the Security Warehouse and Cold Storage Company, on North First Street at the S. P. depot, and he designed and built the Santa Clara County Walnut Growers Association plant at Santa Clara.  He has done much refrigeration work for the security Company, George Le Deit, the Crystal Gold Nugget Butter Company, A. G. Co.,  J. F. Pyle & Son, Inc., O'Brien's, Saratoga Market and others.  Mr. Hoyt designed and constructed  the Homer Knowles Pottery Company's plant at Santa Clara, for manufacture of hotel and dinner ware.  This is the only plant of its kind on the Pacific Coast and he is a stockholder and a director in this concern.  He also erected among many others, the fine residences for Mrs. J. E. Fisher, H. J. Martin, Frank Howorth, M. F. Ball, J. Q. Patton, Mrs. F. H. Ryan, and the business blocks for O'Brien & McCabe and R. M. Lipe, as well as many other important structures. Mr. Hoyt specializes on industrial plants and is a large employer of labor, keeping from twenty to 150 mechanics busy on the average, the year round.  In 1919 he purchased the controlling interest in the San Jose Brick Company and is now the  president and general manager of the company.

On January 1, 1906, Mr. Hoyt was united in marriage with Miss Leah Louise Barrows and they have one son , Frank Louis Hoyt (JR) .  Mrs. Hoyt was born in Colorado and is a daughter of J. W. Barrows, a railroad builder, having been connected with the Denver & Rio Grand; the Northwestern Pacific and the western Pacific, and now is roadmaster of the Nevada County Narrow Gauge.  The Hoyt family attend the First Baptist Church in San Jose, of which Mr. Hoyt was president of  the board of trustees for eight years,  He is a member of the Rotary Club, is a Thirty-second degree Scottish Rite Mason and a Shriner; he is a Republican and is serving on the Civil Service Commission.  Ranching appeals to him of recreation and he owns 154 acres on the San Felipe Road, which is devoted to diversified production.  He is a firm believer and keenly interested in al that affects the destiny of Santa Clara County and the State of California and he can be counted up on to do his full share in helping to promote all worthy movements.

 
Transcribed by Carolyn Feroben, from Eugene T. Sawyers' History of Santa Clara County,California,  published by Historic Record Co. , 1922. 1513

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