Sonoma County Biography
A. L. Landis
The wide popularity which of late years has been given to the varied uses of cement and concrete has made an opening in the commercial world which the young, ambitious man has not been slow to recognize. Among those engaged in cement contracting in Santa Rosa is A. L. Landis, who during the past five years has done much of the best work of this character in the city, including sidewalks and curbs, and foundations for residences and business structures.
A native son of the state, A. L. Landis was born in Woodland, Yolo county, February 9, 1870, the son of Daniel and Phoebe (Smith) Landis, who were born respectively in Pennsylvania and California. Both are now deceased, the mother passing away March 31, 1885, and the father March 31, 1907. The latter came to the west from his eastern home in young manhood, during the early ‘60s, and from then until his death he was interested in agricultural affairs in Oregon and California, principally, however, in Yolo and Sonoma counties, this state. It was after coming to the west that he met the lady who was to become his wife, Miss Phoebe Smith, their union being one of mutual helpfulness and happiness. It was while they were making their home in Woodland, Yolo county, that the birth of their son occurred and there he was educated and trained to habits of usefulness by his parents. At an early age he decided upon his future course in life. Noting the rapidity with which cement was being made to take the place of wood, not only for sidewalks and curbings, but also for building purposes, he determined to learn the business and engage in it in all of its varied departments. It was with this end in view that he went to San Francisco and became an apprentice at the business, learning it in all of its details, and subsequently working at his trade in that city for a number of years. Many foundations of fine structures in that city stand as evidences of his workmanship, besides many blocks of sidewalks and curbing. It was with this experience to his credit that he came to Santa Rosa in 1906 and continued the good record for conscientious work that had brought him such success in the metropolis. All recognize that his work is uniformly of the highest order, and in placing a contract in his hands the patron is assured of the best work possible to be secured. Besides many miles of cement sidewalks and curbing, foundations of many of the best structures in the city have been laid by him, including residences and business structures. Mr. Landis is one of the young, enterprising business men whom Santa Rosa is proud to number among her citizens, and with the continued development of the cement burliness a bright future awaits him in his chosen calling.
Mr. Landis was married in Sonoma county, in 1894, to Miss Cora Barnes, whose father, William Barnes, was one of the early settlers of Sonoma county. Four children have blessed the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Landis, named in the order of their birth as follows: Raymond, Wallace, Helen and Norma.
History of Sonoma County, California
History by Tom Gregory : Historic Record Company, 1891
Los Angeles, Ca. 1911
Transcribed by Roberta Hester Leatherwood
February 2010 Pages 938-939
Sonoma County Biographies ~ Archive Biography Index ~ Archive Index
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