Reuben H/Euphemia E
Note: These 'community' biographies commonly contain errors. There are some definite ones in this, especially in the first paragraph regarding the ancestors of Reuben H. Be sure to check records before assuming everthing is correct
REUBEN H. BRAMLET and EUPHEMIA E. BRAMLET- One of the most prominent and honored club women of Fresno County, and ex-chairman of the History and Landmarks Department of the San Joaquin Valley District of the California Woman's Federation of Clubs, Mrs. R. H. Bramlet, is a pioneer of Fresno County. R. H. Bramlet is a pioneer citizen, pioneer educator in the county and a popular ex-county officer who has done his part to help build up the county.
Mr. Bramlet is a worthy representative of the distinguished Bramlet family of England, early settlers at Jamestown, Va. in Colonial Days. He was born near Raleigh, Saline County, Ill., February 7, 1842. His great-grandfather was born in England and after settling in America became a planter. He had three sons in the Revolutionary War, one of these was Reuben Bramlet, the grandfather of R. H. Bramlet of Fresno County, who was also in the war of 1812, and took part in the Battle of New Orleans. After the close of the Revolution, Reuben went to Charleston. S. C. and later removed to Princeton, Caldwell County, Ky., where his son, Coleman Brown Bramlet, the father of R. H. Bramlet of Fresno County, was born. Coleman B. Bramlet followed agricultural pursuits and in 1818, removed with the other members of the family to Saline County. Ill., where, in 1823, he was united in marriage with Miss Susan Upchurch, a young woman of Scotch extraction whose grandfather fought in the Revolutionary War, also in the War of 1812 and served with distinction under General Jackson at the Battle of New Orleans. Of this union ten children were born, of whom the eighth child. R. H. Bramlet is the oldest one living. Coleman Bramlet lived to the advanced age of eighty-seven; the mother passed away at the age of eighty-five.
R. H. Bramlet grew up on his father's farm in the "Egypt" of Illinois where he remained until he had reached his twenty-fifth year. On May 3, 1867, he left Illinois and started for California via the Isthmus, landing at San Francisco, June 3, 1867. Of studious inclinations, the occupation of a pedagogue appealed to him and he attended the Universitv of the Pacific at Santa Clara with the view of becoming a teacher. He came to Fresno County in 1870, passed the teacher's examination and was licensed to teach and that fall he taught a private school. The first public school that he taught was at the copper mine at Buchanan and during 1870-1871 he taught the Fresno Flats public school; he also taught in Dalton and in Fresno City. He was one of the first public school teachers in Fresno. Mrs. Mary J. Hoxie of Fresno has the distinction of teaching the first private school in that city. Mr. Bramlet continued to teach in Fresno and vicinity until he became a candidate for County Superintendent of Schools in 1875; was elected in November of that year and served during 1876 and 1877. The offices of County Superintendent of Schools and County Auditor were then merged to that of auditor and ex-officio county superintendent, to which office Mr. Bramlet was elected in 1877 and served during 1878 and 1879, then was reelected and served during the years 1880 and 1881. A law was then made to provide for two separate offices. For five consecutive terms of two years each-from 1882 to 1892-Mr. Bramlet was elected and served as county auditor. For four years and a half he taught school and served as deputy assessor under three different assessors. He served as assessor from 1892 to 1902.
Mr. Bramlet owned the eighty acres where he now lives, for fifteen years before he settled on it, in 1902; the man he employed on the ranch planted twenty-five acres of the land to vines, and now Mr. Bramlet has thirty acres planted to Muscats and thirty-two acres planted to Thompson's seedless; part of the remainder of the land is in alfalfa and -the rest of it is unimproved. The Consolidated Ditch supplies water for irrigating the ranch. For many years Mr. Bramlet has been greatly interested in building irrigation ditches, and was a close friend of Dick McCall, one of the pioneer irrigation men of the section.
In 1876 Mr. Bramlet was married to Miss Euphemia Ellen Wren, a native of Adams County, Ill., and daughter of John and Elizabeth (Martin) Wren. Mrs. Bramlet was but seven years old, in 1863, when her parents came with their children to California. They braved the hardships of the long journey across the plains with horses and wagons and settled in Amador County, Cal. where after a short sojourn they came to Solano County, where the father engaged in farming. Mrs. Bramlet attended the public schools and completed her education at the Stockton high school and the State Normal School at San Jose, Cal. She taught school for six years altogether, in Amador, Santa Cruz, Merced and Fresno counties-principally in the latter two places.
Mr. and Mrs. Bramlet have two children living. Eva is the wife of C. M. Mannon, an attorney at Ukiah, and they arc the parents of five children: James Bramlet; Elizabeth; Martha; Mary Ellen; and Charlotte; Dora is the wife of John Stuart Ross, an attorney at El Centro, and they have four children: Isabel S., Neil B., Jean Ellen and John Gordon.
Mrs. Bramlet is an unusually well informed woman, prominent in club life and is ex-chairman of the History and Landmarks Department of the San Joaquin Valley District of the California Woman's Federation of Clubs. For many years she was a society leader in elite circles of Fresno officialdom, and their modest but cozy home radiates the exquisite taste and wholesome hospitality of its accomplished hostess.
Mr. Bramlet is much interested in the cooperative associations for the fruit growers and is a stockholder and member of the California Associated Raisin Company. In politics he votes with the Democratic Party on national issues.
History Of Freson County, CA Volume II, Paule E. Vandor, P.2142.
R. H. BRAMLET, The subject of this sketch came from El Dorado, Saline County, Ill., and was born, February 7, 1842. He left El Dorado and traveled by various conveyances to New York and from there by way of steamship to Panama, and thence to San Francisco, landing in the latter place June 3, 1867, after a voyage of thirty-one days, without other startling event than a false alarm of fire on board the vessel. He had for company J. L. Minor and family, who were ill all the way and he gave considerable attention to their wants.
He first sought, educational advantages at Pacific University at Santa Clara, and while there made many friends who stimulated and assisted him while laboring under pecuniary disadvantages, when he was working to pay his board.
He remained in school from 1867 to 1870, coming to Fresno immediately on leaving school, and engaged in teaching and cattle-raising.
In 1875 Mr. Bramlet was elected Superintendent of schools and took charge of office in March, 1876.
In March, 1878, the offices of Auditor and Superintendent were united, and he has filled both with satisfaction until the present time.
He married Miss Ellen E. Wren, December 3, 1876, a native of Rock Island, Ill. They have two daughters, Eva S. and Dora B. Bramlet.
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