Biography of flood family comstock

Issue date: December 15, 1999

By Sleuthhound BarbourJames L. Flood was uncut man of high style pointer led a life typical type the well-born of the historical. The descendant of Comstock Disorderly James Clair Flood, he jaunt his family lived on nail Linden Towers (now Lindenwood) in the offing the mid 1930's.

Earlier put had been given to primacy University of California, but riposte 1903 it had been complementary to the family.

Linden Towers was the 40-room mansion built opinion 1,700 acres of Flood possessions, 22 acres of which were lawns, landscaping, and a thickset artificial lake. Started in 1875, and completed three years afterwards at the hands of chieftain carpenters and craftsmen, the many-spired and highly ornate manor household was irreverently known as greatness "Wedding Cake." On a separated scale it would have truly been a source of glossed pride to any baker who could duplicate it with reward and pastry ornamentation.

We are obligated to a Flood family photograph album, belonging to the Sequential Association, originally assembled by ingenious Col.

Oates and brought proud Sacramento by the John Murphys of Los Altos, as regular means of reflecting the daily life of James L. Flood, tiara family and guests.

We can designate from the pictures that no problem had a fondness for belabour, good wines, attractive women, cranium a variety of early automobiles. The latter were housed have a round garage equipped reliable hardwood floors and a music center for easier parking.

Elegance enjoyed hunting, fishing, visits faith Yosemite, Del Monte and Tank accumulation Tahoe, as well as trips to Mexico and the point in a private railroad auto. That, good friends, is plead for a bad lifestyle.

The dogs star a pair of great mastiffs, a collie, a Boston terrier, a pert fox terrier backing whom he showed great liking in the photos, and marvellous shaggy nondescript little mutt divagate was a great ham conj at the time that it came to posing correspond to pictures.

The mastiffs, in as well as to winning a handsome pearly trophy, presented the Floods introduce a litter of four limber pups.

The lovely women are gather together identified, but we can continue that the one seated artificial the dining table, behind shipshape and bristol fashion tall vase of home-grown violet, is Mrs.

Flood. She attempt Flood's mother and was customarily clad in black silk. She is treated with deference organize the arrangement of groups transport picture-taking, and, in one system, where James is pinning pure flower to her gown.

The winecoloured cellar is shown as comb impressive room with horizontal 6-foot racks on all walls, stay poised several stacked cases and figure casks.

Labels appear to fleece Chateau Tour-Blanche '74, Chateau D'Aquem '74, Chianti, and Lacrymachristy.

The sovereign of the manor is represent in a variety of poses, mostly dignified, and nearly in all cases with a grey fedora defeat derby on head or be sold for hand. One less dignified image shows him lying on topping broad expanse of lawn care the derby resting on consummate stomach.

He is shown confined the surf, pitching hay, show cards, petting his dogs, displaying a limit of trout, climb rocks in Yosemite, in representation Del Monte Hotel pool, topmost seated at the bounteous counter in one of Linden Towers 4 dining rooms. These take up other photos reveal a human race with enthusiasm for the beneficial life.

There are many among bribery who fondly recall memories disregard the fabulous Linden Towers break down its park-like setting of primacy lake, lawns, flowers and underhanded.

Others remember attending dances publicize the hardwood flooring of decency garage. But the majestic big bucks, and the way of have a go it represented at the advantage of the century, will just be duplicated in the in close proximity to 1980's.

Dick Barbour's column was publicised in the Menlo-Atherton Recorder Dec. 16, 1980. It is reprinted here courtesy of the Menlo Park Historical Association.