Résumé

Merchant, Mackford, WI / Markesan, WI, c. 1850-1860.

Partner, [Ezra] Kysor, Mathews and Company, Building Contractors, San Francisco, CA, c. 1867-. Kysor, Mathews and Company had its office at 571 Mission Street in 1867. (See Langley’s San Francisco Directory for the Year 1867, p. 324.)

Principal, Julius C. Mathews, Building Contractor / Architect, Oakland, CA, c. 1868.

Principal, Julius C. Mathews, Architect, Oakland, CA, 1871.

Partner, Mathews and [William] Stokes, Architects, Oakland, CA, 1873-1874. This firm worked in an office on the southeast corner of Broadway and 9th Street. (See Oakland, California, City Directory, 1873, p. 178)

Principal,Julius Case Mathews, Architect, Oakland, CA, -1877. Julius Mathews kept an office in the Union Bank Building in 1877. The Union Bank Building stood on the southeast corner of Broadway and 9th Street in Oakland.(See Oakland, California, City Directory, 1877, p. 305 and p. 444,)

Partner, J.C. Mathews and Son [Walter J. Mathews], Architects, Oakland, CA, 1878-1888. Julius Mathews first worked with his son Walter in the partnership J.C. Mathews and Son. After about 1885, Julius worked with his son Edgar in this same partnership, while Walter went out to work on his own.

In 1881,Julius Case Mathews worked with his son Walter at 1004 Broadway, Rooms #9-10. (See Oakland, California, City Directory, 1879, p. 335.) By 1888, they worked at 969 Broadway in Oakland's central business district. (See Oakland, California, City Directory, 1888, p. 961.)

A note about the business of J.C. Mathews and Son was published in theOakland Daily Evening Tribune of 11/05/1887, (p. 4): “J.C. Mathews and W.J. Mathews, comprising the firm of J.C. Mathews & Son, both say that business is good, but it is only the winding up of a summer’s work. Charles Mau and Goodrich & Newton express the same opinions. Work will probably become less until the spring trade commences next year. Work never entirely ceases in Oakland, but there is generally very little important building going on during the wet weather.” (See “Improvements,” Oakland Daily Evening Tribune, 11/05/1887, p. 4.)

Partner, J.C. Mathews and Son [Edgar A. Mathews], Architects, Oakland, CA,

Between 1892 and 1895, Julius and Edgar worked at 1004 Broadway, Room #9. Walter, now in a solo practice in 1892, remained working at 969 Broadway in Rooms #42-44. (See Oakland, California, City Directory, 1892, p. 351 and Oakland, California, City Directory, 1895, p. 290.)

In 1897, Julius was no longer listed as an architect in the Husted Classified Business Directory of Oakland, Alameda and Berkeley for 1897 (p. 687) although he was identified as a being an architect in his individual record. (See Oakland, California, City Directory, 1897, p. 321.) It is possible that the difficult economic times after the Depression of 1893 curtailed building activity to the point where Julius decided to retire.

Relocation

Julius Case Mathews was born in Manlius, NY, on 05/27/1822.

A record for a land office transfer in Marshall, IN, to Julius C. Mathews was dated 05/01/1848. Whether this was the same J.C. Mathews, is not clear, but it is possible that he lived for a time in IN before relocating west to WI. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Bureau of Land Management, General Land Office Records; Washington D.C., USA; Federal Land Patents, State Volumes, accessed 05/31/2024.)

The 1850 US Census listed Julius and Pauline Mathews living in Mackford, Green Lake County, WI, with their three-month old son, Walter J. Mathews. Julius was listed as a merchant by this census. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation The National Archives in Washington D.C.; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M432; Residence Date: 1850; Home in 1850: Mackford, Marquette, Wisconsin; Roll: 1002; Page: 68a, accessed 05/31/2024.)

Living in Markesan, WI, a small town about 57 miles northeast of Madison in 1860, Julius continued to work as a merchant, according to that year's decennial US Census. The Mathews household consisted of Julius, Pauline his wife and their children, Walter, Caroline, Elizabeth, Belle and Arthur. In addition, they had enough money to pay a household worker, listed on the census form as "Adeline Minella" (likely an incorrect surname spelling, born c. 1839 in Germany). (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation The National Archives in Washington D.C.; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M653; Residence Date: 1860; Home in 1860: Markesan, Green Lake, Wisconsin; Roll: M653_1410; Page: 1053; Family History Library Film: 805410, accessed 05/31/2024.)

They likely lived in Markesan until the early-to-mid-1860s. They may have moved first to Chicago, IL. The Oakland Tribune's obituary of Julius's son Walter, who lived to be 97, stated in 1947: "[Walter] Mathews, designer of many of Oakland’s outstanding buildings, was born in Wisconsin. He came here in May 1866, when Oakland was called San Antonio. Before coming West he had worked in an uncle’s store in Chicago, where he recalled he delivered packages to the widow of Abraham Lincoln. His father, also a builder, had been in Oakland in 1852, and 14 years later returned with his family to begin the construction that ended in a city.” (See “W.J. Mathews, Oldest U.S. Architect, Dies at Home Here,” Oakland Tribune, 11/21/1947, p. 9.) According to this, Julius Mathews had visited the Bay Area just after the start of the Gold Rush, and resolved to return.

The Mathews family first relocated to San Francisco, CA, where Julius initiated a change of profession, first becoming a building contractor and then an architect. For between one and two years, c. 1866 and 1867, Julius and his family lived in San Francisco. He partnered with Ezra F. Kysor (1834-1907), who would later become a very significant architect in Southern CA, in the firm of Kysor, Mathews and Company during 1867. In that year, Julius and his family lived at 1115 Howard Street in San Francisco. (See San Francisco Directory for the Year Commencing September, 1867, p. 324.) They do not seem to have lingered in the city past 1868, but moved across the bay to Oakland, CA, by about that time.

The 1870 US Census listed the Mathews family as living in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Oakland. The household consisted of Julius and his wife Pauline and their five children, Walter, Caroline, Arthur, Edgar and Edwin. Their assets were listed as $400, not a lot for the time. Neighbors included Louis Newsom (born c. 1811 in Ireland), an Irish-born nurseryman, and his wife Jessie, (born c. 1820 in Scotland) and their five children, sons Samuel, Alexander, Thomas, Joseph and daughter Jessie. Samuel Newsom and Joseph Cather Newsom would become notable architects in the Bay Area. At this time, the Newsoms were more prosperous, owning $5,000 worth of real estate and having other assets worth $600. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1870; Census Place: Brooklyn, Alameda, California; Roll: M593_68; Page: 25B, accessed 05/31

Julius Mathews registered to vote in Alameda County, CA, on 08/18/1871, listing his profession as "architect." His 26-year old son Walter was also listed as an architect, who registered to vote on 11/04/1876. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation California State Library; Sacramento, California; Great Registers, 1879-1888; Collection Number: 4-2A; CSL Roll Number: 1; FHL Roll Number: 976447, accessed 05/31/2024.

Between 1873 and 1879, at least, Julius C. Mathews and his family made their home on the north side of Durant Avenue (414 Durant), between Broadway and Franklin Street. (See Oakland, California, City Directory, 1873, p. 178 and Oakland, California, City Directory, 1879, p. 336.)

In 1892, J.C. was listed as residing at 1365 Franklin Street in Downtown Oakland. At this time, Julius lived here with his wife Pauline and their children Arthur and Caroline. (See Oakland, California, City Directory, 1892, p. 351.)

He relocated to 822 19th Street by 1895 in a neighborhood just northwest of Oakland's Downtown, later bisected from that area by US Highway 980. (See Oakland, California, City Directory, 1895, p. 290.)

Julius Mathews passed away in Oakland, CA, on 04/14/1910.

Parents

Julius's parents were Asahel Mathews (born 06/03/1792-d. 05/08/1863 in LaPorte, IN) and Hope Hollister (born 09/10/1791 in Glastonbury, CT-d. 12/25/1865 in Chicago, IL). They married on 03/20/1814.

Spouse

He wed Pauline Hope McCracken (born 04/01/1831 in Troy, NY-d. 03/18/1914 in Oakland, CA) on 06/07/1848 in Mackford, WI.

Children

Pauline and Julius had the following children: Walter J. Mathews (born 05/02/1850 in Markesan, WI-d. 11/20/1947 in CA), Caroline H. Mathews (born c. 1852 in Markesan, WI-d. 09/15/1920 in Alameda County, CA); Arthur Francis Mathews (born 10/01/1860 in Markesan, WI-d. 02/19/1945); Edgar Aschael Mathews (born 09/08/1866 in Oakland, CA-d. 12/31/1948 in San Francisco, CA); Edwin Mathews (born 03/17/1870 in Oakland, CA-d. 04/26/1884 in Oakland, CA).

Julius C. Mathews worked in an architectural partnership with his son Walter J. Mathews between 1877 and 1888. (See Oakland City Directory, 1888, p. 61.) He worked with son Edgar during the period 1892 through 1895. (See Oakland, California, City Directory, 1895, p. 290.)