This was copied for me by Nonie Webb from:  the Stockton Daily Eve. Record Stockton, Calif. Friday July 27, 1906.
 

Large Family Descendants Celebrated the Day with Century Old Pioneer at Peters, In this County.

    One of the most remarkable family reunions ever held in the history of California  is being held today at Peters  where five generations have assembled to celebrate the 100th birthday of James Webb, one of the oldest men in the state.
    Nearly one hundred relatives, including the father, children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, great-great grandchildren have gathered from afar. The celebration will last al day and will consist mainly in the reunion of descendants. The new hall recently erected at Peters is being dedicated today by the unusual celebration. At noon a sumptuous dinner was served in the hall and old memories were revived. The centenarian is taking an active part in the festivities and is telling tales of his remarkable life.

    Upon July 27, 1806, just one century ago today, James Webb was born in Kentucky. That was during the second administration of Thomas Jefferson, the third President. It was but three years after the dominion of the United States had been extended across the Mississippi by the great Louisiana purchase, made from France by Thomas Jefferson. It was years before Florida had been acquired from Spain, and while everything west of the Alleghenies was regarded as a frontier. San Joaquin's centenarian was born in the wildest part of Kentucky during the days of Daniel Boone.     At the age of twelve, Mr. Webb moved to Tennessee with his parents. The greater part of his early life was spent in Tennessee. While but nineteen years of age, James Webb married Miss Anna Jones, a bride of sixteen years. The wife lived to attain the age of 83 years 10 months, and died in San Joaquin county upon November 14, 1891.

    Thirteen children resulted from the union and seven still survive. The oldest of the children is Jess Webb, aged 80 years, and he resides at Bellota. The youngest is Thomas J. Webb, who conducts grocery store at the corner of Lafayette and American streets in this city. The baby of the family will be 58 years of age upon January 1, 1907, and he has several grandchildren.
    The children of San Joaquin's centenarian are, in the order of their births, as follows:

• Jesse Webb, now living in Bellota.
• Mrs. Violet Webb of Hanford.  (she m. William Golding Webb)
• Isaac Webb of Peters, with whom the father now resides.
• John Webb, who died from diphtheria in Tennessee, at the age of 12 .
• Eliza Webb Woods, who died at Bellota several years ago.
• Nancy Webb Gard, who now resides in Lake County. (see the Gard section)
• Alexander Webb, who was struck by a street car upon Main Street  in Stockton about four months ago, and died a few day later in the  Emergency Hospital.
• Ira Webb, who now resides with his family in Marion Co., Missouri. (note: this matter is confusing as some of the family was b. in Warren Co. Tenn. just  above Marion Co. Tenn.  Marion Co. Mo. is in the northeast on the river; I don't know so I'd have to go with Missouri).
• James K. Polk Webb,  was drowned several years ago in this Co.
• William Webb, now residing in Marion County, Missouri.
• Mrs. Didama Webb Douglas, who died in Stockton a year ago.
• Samuel Jones Webb, who was gored to death by a bull at Peters twelve years ago.
• Thomas J. Webb, residing at the corner of American  & Lafayette streets in this city.

    James Webb is truly a "grand old man" in every sense of the word, although a century old, he possesses more strength and fitality than many men twenty and thirty years his junior. He comes from a family of long-lived people and his mother met death upon her ninetieth year. The day before her death, she walked a distance of fourteen miles in Tennessee. The next day while making the return, she had occasion to cross a foot bridge spanning a river near her home. The plank broke and she fell a distance of several feet, sustaining injuries from which she soon expired.     The centenarian is still remarkable active, he rises early every morning and takes a short walk about the ranch of his son, Isaac Webb. He frequently comes to Stockton to visit his other relatives and walks about Stockton with the aid of a cane. During his eighty-fifth year, Mr.. Webb walked from Peters to Farmington and carried forty pounds of nails. The trip covered eight miles. Since passing his ninetieth year, he walked all the way from Peters to Stockton, a distance of twelve miles.

    Mr.. Webb has a fine memory. During the 100 years of his life he has seen many historical events recorded.  He has seen the United States engage in four of its five wars and he can tell many incidents of nearly all of them. A most peculiar and remarkable thing regarding the old gentleman's mentality, however, is that his mind has failed to register since passing his eighty-fifth birthday. He can relate with remarkable accuracy, stories of events that impressed him from his childhood until his eighty-fifth year. Upon the other hand, one might hold a conversation with him today, and tomorrow he would remember nothing of the occurrence.     He possesses excellent eyesight for one of his years and he has never in his life worn spectacles. His appetite is excellent and he attributes his extreme old age and good health to regular habits and a good regular diet.

    Jesse Webb the oldest descendant is participating in the celebration today and next to his father is the most interesting figure at the festivities. Jesse Webb was the first of the family to come to California. He crossed the plains with ox teams in 1854 (I'm sure this is what the article says but I don't believe it for a moment).  The trip was a perilous and eventful one. Before reaching the land of gold, Jesse Webb found himself penniless. He reached a frontier trading post out of provisions and with but three dollars in his pocket. He learned that flour was one dollar a pound and with despair he started to part with his oxen in order to obtain food. Just then, however, he met relief. Some of his wife's relatives chanced upon him and saved his oxen for him (his wife was Malinda Gard and the relatives almost certainly were Charles and John Gard).
    Mr. Webb came to California, settled in San Joaquin and then sent for his father and family. Although he had been here but two years, Jesse Webb had "got upon his feet" to use a colloquial expression, and he was able to send his father funds with which to make the trip.
    James Webb and family started to cross the plains by ox team in 1854. At Salt Lake, the party was met by a relief party, consisting of two men, sent back from California by Jessie Webb, who was too busily engaged to go and meet his father in person (this again would be Charles and John Gard). Jess Webb also sent two fine horses to relieve his fathers oxen.

    After leaving Salt Lake the party was attacked by Indians. The Redskins stole the two relief horses and later Mr.. Webb found them dead in the mountains. The Indians had killed them and cut several steaks from the tenderloin.
    The centenarian first settled upon what is now known as the Dorsey place, near Peters. After living there a year, he sold the ranch and took up the Mike Minnehan place on Sonora Road which he owned for many years.
    Mr.. Webb states that it was next to impossible to keep from making money in the early days, and that had he been possessed of more foresight he would now easily be a millionaire.
    The centenarian recalls the raining of stars during the first half of the last century.
    The photograph reproduced herewith (maybe later?) shows four generations of the remarkable Webb family and gives an excellent likeness of the grand old gentleman as he appears today. The photograph was taken in Stockton about a year ago. The centenarian is seen sitting in the arm chair with little Edna Clanton, his great grandchild, sitting upon his knee. His youngest son, Thomas J. Webb stands upon the right. The father of the little one, James Clanton, who resides 835 East Sonora Street, stands upon his left. The fifth generation is found in the family of Mrs. Violet Webb who resides in Hanford.

    Return to Webb page
    Return to James and Anna Jones Webb
    Return to genealogy page.
    Return to Gard's home page.
 

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12Nov'01