George Samuel Evans (1876 - 1904)

Born 5 Jun 1876 in Visalia, Tulare, California, United States

Ancestors

Died 27 May 1904 at age 27 in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States

Biography

Son of James Evans and Mary M. Nosler.

When George was about age 14, the family moved from Visalia to Oakland. He attended high school and spent one year at the University of California. Then he took up the study of law, and was admitted to the bar in 1897.

In 1901 he entered local politics, when he was elected on the Republican ticket as one of the Library Trustees of the Oakland Free Library. To this position he was re-elected in 1903, and was serving as such Trustee at the time of his death, May 26, 1904. He was a long-time member of the First Unitarian Church of Oakland.^[1]

George was a young attorney in Oakland and also an author and bibliophile. A collection of short stories was published after his death in 1904. "Wylackie Jake of Covelo" is a series of stories mostly concerning a cowboy rascal named Wylackie Jake and his exploits in Mendocino County, California. Evans also served as a trustee of the Oakland Free Public Library. A letter tipped into a rare copy of the book "Wylackie Jake of Covelo" dated September 2nd 1903 on the letterhead of the Oakland Free Public Library contains a colorful description by Evans of a trip he was planning to the Elkhorn Mountains. Also tipped in are original newspaper articles concerning Evans' death.^[2]

George died of typhoid fever at St. Thomas Hospital in San Francisco.^[3]

A tribute to him was published in the Oakland Tribune by his friend and colleague Murray Laidlaw.^[4]

Census Records

1880 Census, Visalia, Tulare, California:

Household Role Sex Age Birthplace

James Evans Self Male 37 Wales

Mary Evans Wife Female 32 Iowa, United States

George S Evans Son Male 4 California, United States

Frederick C Evans Son Male 2 California, United States

^[5]

1900 Census, Oakland, Alameda, California:

Household Role Sex Age Birthplace

James Evans Head Male 58 Wales

Marey M Evans Wife Female 53 Iowa

George S Evans Son Male 24 California

Fred C Evans Son Male 22 California

^[6]

Sources

1. ↑ https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26377045-wylackie-jake-of-covelo
2. ↑ https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/1904-wylackie-jake-covelo-1st-ed-als-109811877
3. ↑ Oakland Tribune, 28 May 1904, page 6. https://www.newspapers.com/image/?clipping_id=19490429&fcfToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJmcmVlLXZpZXctaWQiOjQ2NTQ1NTA4LCJpYXQiOjE1OTU3MDIzOTAsImV4cCI6MTU5NTc4ODc5MH0.MIRdigBvaiZG4_ApcJLNolLfCXbGS-IC1Uhe_ckukKU
4. ↑ Oakland Tribune, 28 May 1904, page 10. https://newspaperarchive.com/oakland-tribune-may-28-1904-p-10/
5. ↑ "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M6PP-FPJ : 22 August 2017), Mary Evans in household of James Evans, Visalia, Tulare, California, United States; citing enumeration district ED 97, sheet 34D, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm 1,254,085.
6. ↑ "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M9PS-566 : accessed 25 July 2020), Marey M Evans in household of James Evans, Oakland city Ward 2, Alameda, California, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 349, sheet 9B, family 216, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,082.