The Valley of Heart's Delight
WALTER L. CHRISMAN
HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY 463
SURAMES: BRITTON, KNICKERBOCKER, HOBSON,
Active in promiting the commercial development of San Jose. Walter L.
Chrisman was one of the most enthusiastic workers in the different war
drives and as an appreciation received an acknowledgement from the
chairman of the Liberty Loan executive board commending his good works
in this city. He also served acceptably as president of the Alum Rock
Park Board and is the present chairman of the Santa Clara County
Republican Committee, a man of natural business ability,
resourcefulness and much influence. Mr. Chrisman is a native of
California having been born in Pescadero, San Mateo County, on May 7,
1872, a son of Josiah and Mary (Britton) Chrisman, who were born in
Phoenixville, Pa., of an old family in that region, dating back to
pre-revolutionary days and of old Knickerbocker stock. He came to
California via the Isthmus of Panama in 1864 and engaged in farming and
stockraising in San Mateo County.
On one of his trips to San Jose he met Miss Britton, the acquaintance
resulting in their marriage. She was also born in Phoenixville, Pa., of
Scotch and English descent and came to San Jose, Cal., in 1865 via the
Nicaragua route. They continued farming and sockraising at Pescadero,
San Mateo County, until 1893, when they sold out and removed to San
Jose, where their sons had preceded them and here the family have since
made their home. The mother passed away in 1916, but the father is
still living.
Walter L. Chrisman attended the public schools of Pescadero and later
the Garden City business college in San Jose, from which institution he
graduated in 1891. He left school at the early age of thirteen and
worked with Levy Bros. for about five years, and it was after this that
he took a business course and became an employe of the Fifth Street
Canning Company where he worked for a year, then in 1892, he engaged in
the wood, hay and coal business with his brother, William H. Chrisman,
this now being one of the oldest concerns of this kind in San Jose.
Mr. Chrisman's marriage, which occured on December 4, 1893, united him
with Luda V. Hobson, a daughter of another prominent old pioneer family
who had been identified with Santa Clara County and San Jose for about
half a century. They are the parents of a son, George L., who is now a
student at the San Jose high school, class of 1923. Mr. Chrisman has
been very active and prominent in making Alum Rock Park
the beautiful and attractive place it is today, enjoyed by thousands of
tourists aside from the citizens of the county. He served as trustee of
the park board for eight years, being president of the board for two
years, and it was during this time they succeeded in voting bonds to
make substantial improvements and add 500 acres to the area of the
park. They developed new springs and more mineral water from the old
springs and build walls of cement and concrete to protect the springs
against floods, making a permanent improvement so valuable to the
preserving of the mineral springs for the public; they also built the
new upper road to the park. In this work he was heartily associated
with the other members of the board, W. L. Prussia, Victor Hancock,
B.A. Harrington and Carll Stull.
Mr. Chrisman is a member of San Jose Parlor No. 22. Native Sons of the
Golden West and is past president and has served four years as grand
trustee of the Grand Parlor, visiting parlors from siskiyou to San
Diego; he is also a member of the Knights of Pythias and belongs to the
National Union, and San Jose Lodge No. 522 Elks. In religious faith,
Mr. and Mrs. Chrisman are Methodists. Mr. Chrisman has been very active
and prominent in politics in the city, county and state conventions and
is now serving his second term as chairman of the County Republican
Central Committee. He is a member of the San Jose Rotary Club, and
served on the board of directors at one time; also served as director
of the San Jose Chamber of Commerce of which he is still an active
member, and also of the Merchants' Association. He is intensely
interrested in the growth and development of San Jose and Santa Clara
County, and has given freely of his time and means towards worthy
objects that have for their aim the upbuilding of the county and
contributing to the happiness of the people.
Transcribed by Marie Clayton, from Eugene T. Sawyers' History of Santa Clara County,California, published by Historic Record Co. , 1922, page 463
SANTA CLARA COUNTY HISTORICAL BIOGRAPHIES
SANTA CLARA COUNTY HISTORY