Albert Boyd ~ Mary Campbell

Among the worthy men who have done what they could to make California more prosperous and a better place to abide in during his half century of residence within the confines of the state is Albert Boyd, who was born in St. Boyer, thirty miles from Montreal, Canada November 4, 1854, being descended from one of the splendid old Canadian families who trace their lineage back to France and Scotland. He lived in a farming community and learned the rudiments of agriculture while he attended the public schools. When fifteen years of age he migrated to Burlington, N.Y., where for two years he was employed on railroad construction work. When he reached the age of seventeen he resolved to come to California, so in 1872 we find him in Marin County where he was employed in the woods near Fort Ross continuing for a period of twenty-two months when he removed to San Francisco and began learning the blacksmith trade. He did not like the city so in a few years he removed to Hayward where he worked at blacksmithing for one year, and thence to Doublin where he completed his trade. It was in that town in 1879 that Mr. Boyd was married to Miss Mary Campbell who was born in San Lorenzo, Cal., a daughter of William Campbell, a '49er and prominent pioneer in Alameda County.

After seven years at Doublin he purchased a blacksmith shop at Greenfield, near Livermore, which he ran for three years; selling out in 1883 he came to Stockton where he worked as a blacksmith for Benjamin Holt for a period of ten years, and then moved to Jenny Lind, where he ran a blacksmith business of his own for three years. He then returned to Stockton and again worked for Benjamin Holt. This time he continued for eight years as a blacksmith when he again went to Turlock and for two years ran a shop of his own, and then moved to Atlanta, San Joaquin County and purchased a blacksmith shop where he did a successful business for three years. Selling out, he came back to Stockton and again worked for the Holt Manufacturing Company, but only remained two months and then went to Valley Springs, Calaveras County, purchased a shop and engaged in general blacksmithing for eight months when he disposed of it, and again took his old place with Mr. Holt and continued steadily with them as a blacksmith for ten years, until he was retired on a pension, favorably known as one of their oldest and most trusted employees. He knew the Holts personally and found them fine men and on the other hand the Holts spoke of him as a valuable and reliable man.

Mr. Boyd was bereaved of his faithful wife in 1915, a woman deeply mourned by her family and friends, and her taking away left a void in the family. Mr. and Mrs. Boyd were the parents of eight children: William Boyd, deceased; Oliver Boyd is a blacksmith with the Holt Manufacturing Company; Arthur Boyd, Walter Boyd, Annie Boyd and Elmer Boyd, all deceased; Harold Boyd is a popular baseball player with the National League; and Lottie Boyd, who is a bookkeeper, also presides over her father's home. Mrs. Boyd was a member of the Native Daughters of the Golden West, while Mr. Boyd is popular in the K. O. T. M., and politically is a strong Republican.

Source: History of San Joaquin County, California: with biographical sketches of leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present; by George H. Tinkham; Los Angeles: Historic Record Co.,1923. - FHL Film 1000126 Item 2

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