EDWARD FRISBIE
Edward Frisbie, President
of the Bank of Northern California, is one of Shasta County’s prominent
citizens and business men. A brief sketch of his life is as follows:
He was born in Albany, New York, November 18, 1826, the son of
Eleazer and Cynthia (Cornell) Frisbie, both natives of the State of New
York, the former of French ancestry and the latter of English. He
was the fourth born in the family, was reared on his father’s farm and
received his early education in Albany. At the age of fourteen young
Frisbie left home to work on a farm at six dollars per month. He
worked out four years and in the meantime attended school six months at
the Albany Academy. April 16, 1846, he was united in marriage to
Miss Phebe Ann Klink, a beautiful young girl of his own county. He
started a small dairy at Albany and continued it successfully for four
years. At the end of that time he removed to Syracuse and purchased
a farm, remaining there seven years.
In 1855 he sold out and came
to California and settled in Napa County. He purchased a farm five
miles from Vallejo, where he farmed successfully for twenty-two years. In 1877 Mr. Frisbie purchased 20,000 acres of the Redding grant, covering
the towns of Redding and Anderson. He divided the property up, put
it on the market and sold it off, having disposed of the last of it in
1885. He engaged in lumbering on Pitt River, floated the logs to
Redding and sawed them there. In 1888 he formed a banking corporation,
composed of the following gentlemen: E. Frisbie, F. H. Deakin, J.
McCormick, Captain T. G. Taylor and T. A. C. Doland. They gave it
the name of the Bank of Northern California. They started with a
capital of $100,000. Mr. Frisbie was elected President, which position
he still occupies. He also has large farming interests in this State;
owns a stock-ranch of 920 acres on the Bald Hills in Shasta County, where
he is raising cattle and horses. With one of his sons and another
gentleman Mr. Frisbie is farming 12,000 acres of land in Monterey County. On this place they have a large dairy. About one-half of the place
is being cultivated. On it they harvested 63,000 sacks of wheat and
barley.
There were born to Mr. Frisbie
by his first wife eleven children, all of whom are married and have children
of their own. At his writing Mr. Frisbie has twenty-four grandchildren. July 17, 1886, after a useful and happy life Mrs. Frisbie was called home. The loss of this loving and indulgent mother and true and devoted wife
was deeply felt by her family and many friends. In June, 1887, Mr.
Frisbie wedded Miss Laura A. Walden, a native of California and daughter
of Mr. Jerome Walden, an early settler of the State. This union is
blessed with a daughter, Edwina Fay.
Mr. Frisbie’s brother, now
General J. B. Frisbie, was a Captain of one of the companies in General
Stevenson’s regiment, and came with that regiment to California in 1846. He is now a resident of Mexico. Another brother, Eleazer, came to
this State with the same regiment. General J. B. Frisbie and Dr.
L. C. Frisbie married General Vallejo’s daughters. Dr. Frisbie has
resided at Vallejo since 1852.
Previous to the civil war the
subject of this sketch was Democrat, but he voted for John C. Fremont,
and has since given his vote and influence to the Republican party. In all business matters he is very exact, both to give and receive what
is just. In public affairs he has always been very liberal, having
given much to aid in the many improvements made in his section of the country. He is one of the citizens of California, who, by his industry, integrity
and well-directed efforts, has risen to an enviable position in a business
point of view, not only in Shasta County but also throughout Northern California.
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler, July 2004.
SOURCE: Memorial and Biographical History of Northern
California, The Lewis Publishing Company, 1891. pg. 311-312