PLACER COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY FOUNDING MEMBERS 1920                                                             Karri R. Samson 2013 In 1920 a group of men joined together and incorporated the Placer County Historical Society. Now, the lives of many of those men are part of the county history they formed to preserve. Those founding members were: P.G. Ekberg was an Auburn attorney and in 1924 was serving as Placer County Recorder Arthur S. Fleming was born in El Dorado County Dec. 22, 1871. He came to Placer County in 1900 where he entered the stationery and book trade. He served as Auburn postmaster under two presidents and was probation officer for Placer County. In 1918 he was appointed County Clerk and continued to fill that office until 1941. He died May 24, 1941. John M. Fulweiler was born in Ohio Oct, 17, 1833. After arriving in California he mined, ending up in Nevada and Placer Counties. He operated a butcher business in Dutch Flat before coming to Auburn in 1872 were he operated a law office for 45 years. He was elected Placer County District Attorney in 1873. Fulweiler died Oct. 23, 1921. Elmer H. Gum was born Oct. 5, 1874. He came to Auburn in 1897 to work for the A.W. Kenison Company. He served as deputy sheriff for Sheriff Keena and, for 12 years, as undersheriff for Sheriff McAuley He was elected Placer County sheriff in 1918 and served for 22 years. He died Jan. 1, 1941 just a few months before he was to retire. George W. Hamilton was born in Auburn July 28, 1865 and admitted to the on July 28, 1886. He began practicing law in Auburn in 1901 and served as district attorney of Placer County and as a member of the State Legislature. Lathrop Huntley was born in Auburn April 7, 1874. He was one of the organizers of the Auburn Lumber Company of which he was secretary. He was later also secretary of the Loomis Lumber Company. He resigned these positions and in May 1923 purchased the Ford automobile agency. He sold this in April 1924. He also was director of the First National Bank and Central Bank of California, both of Auburn. He died March 6, 1953. Walter F. Jacobs was born in Auburn May 18, 1875. He served an assistant Auburn Postmaster for six years. In Dec, 1897 he left to become bookkeeper for A.W. Kenison Company, wholesale liquor and ice dealers. He took over its management after Kenison's death and also operated the Auburn Theater, served as city councilman, library trustee and as a director of the First National Bank and the Bank of Central California.      John Bartle Landis was born in Rough and Ready, Nevada County. He was a Placer County district attorney and later Judge of Superior Court for Placer County. Landis died Dec. 24, 1945. William B. Lardner was born in Dec. 1850 in Niles, Mich. He came to Auburn in 1872 and was elected Placer County district attorney in 1879. He was elected to the state Assembly in 1889 and the state Senate in 1901. He donated the land on Almond Street for the city library and co-authored the 1924 History of Placer and Nevada Counties. He died in 1927. William G. Lee was born in San Francisco Nov. 15, 1872. He came to Auburn in 1903 and took over the E.R. Gifford Company dry goods business in Old Auburn. In 1906 he moved the Wm. G. Lee Dry Goods Company to Central Square which he helped promote. The Masonic Hall was constructed as a second story addition to his store. He helped form the Tahoe Club, the Auburn Area Chamber of Commerce and the Placer County Country Club. Lee died Oct. 21, 1946. Marshall Z. Lowell, born May 1, 1877 in Auburn, conducted the Lowell Grocery in Auburn for 15 years. He served as county clerk for eleven years. In 1918 he was admitted to practice law, becoming a member of the law firm of Lowell, Lowell & Lowell and was deputy district attorney for Placer County. Lowell died in 1952. Arthur C. Lowell was born Feb. 21, 1880 He was associated with his brothers in the firm of Lowell, Lowell & Lowell. He died in 1929. James C. Manning was born Jan 19, 1850 in Claremont County, Ohio. He came to California in 1882 and Placer County in 1885, where he engaged in mining. Returning to his former trade, he worked as a carpenter on the Auburn Opera House and in 1894 opened a cabinet shop in Auburn. George McAulay was born in Quebec Jan. 5, 1867. He came to Placer County in 1886 and was employed in various mining activities for a number of years. In 1907 he became Placer County sheriff and served for 12 years. He was a director in the Placer County Bank for 15 years and served as its vice-president. McAulay, who was also a prominent orchardist in Placer County, died Jan. 31, 1949 J.W. Merideth was City Engineer of Roseville in 1924. Ivan H. Parker, a Republican, was a California Assemblyman for Placer County during the 42nd, 43rd and 44th sessions. James E. Prewett was born in Sacramento Dec. 16, 1851. He came to Dutch Flat in 1879. In 1882 he was elected district attorney. He resumed his law practice in 1887 and located in Auburn. In 1890 he was elected Superior Court judge and served six terms and had a renowned judicial career of state wide significance. Prewett died July 7, 1922. Dr. Robert F. Rooney was born June 17, 1842, in Quebec. He came to Placer County in 1877 and first settled in Colfax. In 1880 he came to Auburn and practiced medicine with Dr. Todd. He founded the Placer County Medical Society and at the age of 90 he wrote the first medical history of the area. Rooney was Auburn's second mayor, and served as Placer County coroner and public administrator. He died Dec. 31, 1931. Willard A. Shepard was born Oct. 20, 1868, in Marable, Missouri. Shepard came to Auburn in 1889 and served as postmaster from 1896 to 1933, Shepard owned and operated the Placer Herald from 1900 until his death Feb. 12, 1944. Raglan Tuttle, the son of Auburn native Fred Tuttle, was born Dec. 13, 1881. In 1907 he became the third generation of Tuttles to practice law in Auburn. He was attorney for PG&E in Placer County and the attorney and a director for Silva-Bergthodt Company of Newcastle. In 1911 he became State Inheritance Tax Appraiser for Placer County. James E. Walsh was born Feb. 2, 1860, in Auburn. Walsh operated the Freeman Hotel. He was president of the First National Bank and Auburn Savings Bank and an officer for the Central California Corp. and the Central California Building and Loan Association. He died April 14, 1945. George C. West was born in Todds Valley. He was tax collector of Placer County. West died Feb. 12, 1935.                                               ° ° °