I am writing concerning your article about town father John W. Lyndon, which appeared in the April 2-8 Los Gatan. John Lyndon was not born in Vermont, even though he often said that was the case. He was actually born circa 1836 in St. Georges de Clarenceville, Quebec, Canada.
He became a naturalized United States citizen in 1881. His father, Samuel Lyndon, was an Irish immigrant and shoemaker, and his mother, Polly Caroline was born in the United States, c. 1814. The oldest of seven children, it’s true that John was “farmed out” about age 10 to neighbors and expected to make his own way in the world.
Sometime between 1851 and 1856, the family relocated to Alburgh, Grand Isle, Vermont. In the 1860 US Census, Samuel is listed as a “day laborer.” His son John set out for California in October, 1859, at age 23. By 1868, he had purchased the Ten Mile House, a rough establishment in what is now the Town Plaza. Theresa Rector Starr (1843-1888), a young widow, married Lyndon in 1871. Her deceased husband, Judson Hubbel Starr, was a successful hardware dealer in Salem, Oregon, when his business burned down in 1865. He died a year later at age 32, only two days after the couple’s son, Lewis, was born.
Theresa donated land for the first Episcopal Chapel, constructed in 1883, but destroyed in the 1901 fire. The current Episcopal Church has a window in her honor. She was only 45 years old when she died on November 5, 1888. By 1890, John Lyndon had under construction the “Theresa Block” in her honor, at the northeast corner of West Main and North Santa Cruz Avenue. On Oct. 15, 1891, John Lyndon married Mrs. Marian Mace Parsons (1856-1920). Marian favored garden fetes at the Lyndon estate, the grounds illuminated with Japanese lanterns and a live orchestra playing.
Ironically, Marian’s 14-year-old son, Eugene, died in his dentist’s chair in 1894 while having teeth extracted at the Theresa Block. James Hardy Lyndon (1847-1912), John’s younger brother by about 11 years, was also born in Quebec. James fought in the Civil War and became a naturalized American citizen before he headed to Los Gatos to work with his brother. He was elected Sheriff of Santa Clara County in 1894. John Lyndon is buried with his wife Theresa in the Oak Hill Memorial Park in San Jose, along with their first born child, four-year-old Clyde W. Lyndon.
Peggy Conaway Bergtold
Author of the “Images of America” book “Los Gatos”
Article on venue in the Santa Cruz Mountains sparks memories
(Responding to last week’s front page feature by Faizi Samadani about Nestldown)
I came across this little history of Nestldown while surfing the web.
I’ve always loved it up there. Lived up there as kid, and we’d ride our horses and go swimming at The Chateau, which I gather has probably fallen into ruin, as that was back in the 60’s (the good ol’ days!)
But back to Nestldown: I worked on many, many wedding setups with Bloomsters and always enjoyed it so very much. And the Christmas setups….Beautiful! And of course your lovely home, too. After all that I’d never known your story ‘til accidentally coming across this article.
Just want to say, “Thank you,” to you and Mark for the work and vision you have—and how you’ve been able to make it all come to reality.
Best wishes with the future growth of your life’s project!
Pegge Lemke
*Letters are edited for length and clarity
