The Valley of Heart's Delight
ROBERT A. McARTHUR
HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY 554
SURNAMES: STURTZ, KIME, CLARK,
An energetic and prosperous rancher is found in Robert A. McArthur, who
is the manager of his mother's orchard property. He was born in the
rural district near Sioux City, Iowa, on October 13, 1893, the son of
Alexander and Ida (Sturtz) McArthur. The mother was born in Iowa and
descended from an old Pennsylvania family, while the father came from
Ayr, Scotland, to America when twelve years old, with his parents, who
located in Cook County, Ill., and farmed on land that is now built as
the city of Chicago. Later, they went to Iowa and began farming in
Sioux County. He acquired two sections of land, raised short horn
cattle and engaged in general in Sioux County. His father acquired two
sections of land, raised short horn cattle and engaged in general
farming.
In 1902 he removed to Santa Clara County and purchased a ranch on
Pine and Lincoln in the Willow Glen district, and here he resided until
his death in 1909, aged seventy-two years. Now his widow resides on
Morrison Avenue, San Jose. Mr. and Mrs. Alexander McArthur were the
parents of five children; John A.; Robert A., of this sketch; William
E.; Mary; Ralph E. Coming to California when nine years of age.
Robert A. received his education in the Willow Glen grammar
school and the San Jose high school, where he was graduated in 1912.
This completed his education except for a semester at Stanford
University in 1914-15. In 1912, in company with his brother, John A.,
he went to Alberta, Canada, and bought a half section of land and
engaged in wheat-raising. More land was added until now they own two
sections of land near the town of Gleichen. In 1920 Robert A., returned
to Santa Clara County,. but his brother remained in Canada in charge of
the ranch.
In 1918 Mr. McArthur made a trip to Atchison County, Mo., where he was
married on December 5, to Leora Kime, a daughter of J. A. and Roxanna
(Clark) Kime. Her parents were frontier folks in Missouri, her father
arriving before the railroads were built, and she is the second oldest
of a family of five children; Kenlen, Leora, Harold, Alfred, and
Mildred. Mr. and Mrs. McArthur are the parents of two children, Jean
and Dorothy.
In 1919 Mr. McArthur's mother purchased a forty-acre ranch set to
prunes, peaches, cherries and apricots, on the Homestead Road adjoining
the Stevens Creek Road; and in 1920 an additional thirty-two acres was
added about three-quarters of a mile from the first ranch and located
on the Homestead Road. Both ranches, comprising seventy-two acres, are
devoted to orchards of full-bearing trees and are irrigated from the
same well.
Mr. McArthur is a Knights Templar Mason and Shriner, and with his
wife is a member of the Eastern Star, and he is also a member of
Stanford Chapter Theta Delta Chi. He has been a close student of
horticulture and thus has become a well-posted and successful
orchardist.
Transcribed by Marie Clayton, from Eugene T. Sawyers' History of Santa Clara County,California,
published by Historic Record Co. , 1922. page 554
SANTA CLARA COUNTY BIOGRAPHIES
SANTA CLARA COUNTY HISTORY