Historical California Cemetery Stone & Monument Carvers & Dealers
John W. Combs
Excerpts regarding John A. Combs & the Western Granite & Marble Company as of 1888, from Pen Pictures from the Garden of the World or Santa Clara County, California, edited by H. S. Foote, The Lewis Publishing Co., 1888, pp. 199.
“The Western Granite & Marble Company - J. W. Combs - was organized in May 1888. C. T. Ryland, President, John W. Combs, Vice President, D. B. Murphy, Treasurer, T. P. Ryland, Secretary, W. W. Blanchard, Manager, and T. O’Neil, superintendent.
“Their office, yard and works were on North First Street at the crossing of the Southern Pacific Railroad and are supplied with steam polishers…The company owns its own granite quarries at Yuba Pass, California, known as the Crystal Lake Quarries. The marble used is chiefly from Vermont. The company employs 40 to 50 skilled workmen, including a special artist in designing. Besides the finest and most elaborate monumental tombstone work, the company makes a specialty of building material in any style or finish. They have a branch office in Oakland for the exhibition and sale of manufactured goods. Their trade extends over California, and the contiguous states and territories and will reach $100,000 during the year 1888.
“Although this company was but recently incorporated, the history of its origin and business dates back over a period of years. J. W. Combs established the marble business in San Jose in 1870, and in 1878 W. W. Blanchard and T. O’Neil opened the first permanent granite manufactory in the city. In 1883 a partnership was formed between the three men, and the two interests combined under the firm title of Combs, Blanchard, and O’Neil. The business…(grew) to such proportions that in order to own and operation their own quarries.…”
“John W. Combs was born in New York State October 17, 1836. His father, who was noted for his skills as a mechanic, died in Mr. Comb’s boyhood, and having a blind mother to support, he never attended school but 14 months. He started life as a butcher boy, which led him to study the forms and structure of animals, and having natural taste for art, he one day asked a marble cutter for a block of marble, and taking it in to his room, he procured an old chisel and mallet, and while setting up with his sick mother, cut the figure of a lamb out of it…He started to learn the trade of marble cutter at 17 years of age, and soon became very expert in figure carving.
“Although he never took lessons in art, he has made many pieces, busts, and faces in basso-rilievo from photographs, which have been pronounced fine likenesses. One of his pieces was a basso-rilievo of Pope Leo which sold at a Catholic fair for $150. Other pieces have been valued much higher; among them the bust of ex-Senator Henry C. McEwen of Dixon, Salina (sic) County…His figure work has taken numerous first prizes at fairs and exhibitions…He came to San Jose in 1870, and has been in the marble business ever since, in the relation of proprietor or joint proprietor.
“Mr. Combs married in Ogdensburg, New York. He lost his wife in 1865, who died leaving two sons and a daughter. Mr. Combs married his present wife in the same city on January 19, 1867. His two sons are both superior workmen in marble.”
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