John was born in Indian Creek, Monroe, Missouri during the Civil War. His father was not a soldier, but was a Confederate at heart. John had 6 uncles who fought in the war. Three uncles fought for the Union-Robert Parker Calhoun, William Lewis Calhoun and John Wallace Calhoun. Three uncles fought for the Confederacy-James Cosby Parsons, Joseph M. Parsons, and Robert Francis Parsons. After the war, the family along with many relatives moved to Mendocino Co., California. John grew up on his father's ranch and later went to St. Mary's college in San Francisco for engineering. He moved to Seattle by 1889 where he ran a blueprint company and was also a draftsman in Blaine, WA, in 1890, and County Surveyor of Skagit County, WA, in 1893. John married Mary Alice McDowell on 25 April 1899 in Seattle. They had 2 daughters, Helen and Mary. When Helen was 3, she developed polio and at the advice of doctors, they moved to Eureka, California where it was warmer and drier. Son Robert was born there before the family went to Santa Rosa. They had 4 more children- James, Martha, Francis, and Genevieve. The family later lived in Vallejo, California and he spent his later years in San Francisco. John was a City Surveyor and helped plan out cities destroyed during the 1906 earthquake. His great hobby was photography. About 1903, he purchased a camera on which he took many wonderful photos of his family.
John was such a great father that when he died, each of his 7 children thought he/she was his favorite.
John was such a great father that when he died, each of his 7 children thought he/she was his favorite.
John was born in Indian Creek, Monroe, Missouri during the Civil War. His father was not a soldier, but was a Confederate at heart. John had 6 uncles who fought in the war. Three uncles fought for the Union-Robert Parker Calhoun, William Lewis Calhoun and John Wallace Calhoun. Three uncles fought for the Confederacy-James Cosby Parsons, Joseph M. Parsons, and Robert Francis Parsons. After the war, the family along with many relatives moved to Mendocino Co., California. John grew up on his father's ranch and later went to St. Mary's college in San Francisco for engineering. He moved to Seattle by 1889 where he ran a blueprint company and was also a draftsman in Blaine, WA, in 1890, and County Surveyor of Skagit County, WA, in 1893. John married Mary Alice McDowell on 25 April 1899 in Seattle. They had 2 daughters, Helen and Mary. When Helen was 3, she developed polio and at the advice of doctors, they moved to Eureka, California where it was warmer and drier. Son Robert was born there before the family went to Santa Rosa. They had 4 more children- James, Martha, Francis, and Genevieve. The family later lived in Vallejo, California and he spent his later years in San Francisco. John was a City Surveyor and helped plan out cities destroyed during the 1906 earthquake. His great hobby was photography. About 1903, he purchased a camera on which he took many wonderful photos of his family.
John was such a great father that when he died, each of his 7 children thought he/she was his favorite.
John was such a great father that when he died, each of his 7 children thought he/she was his favorite.
