Gustave F. Lion

Gustave F. Lion

Local San Jose businessman and manager of the Salsina Packing and Canning Company, as well as owner of Lion and Sons furniture at 99 south second st., home 296 North 3rd., 99 South Second Street

From History of Santa Clara County :

GUSTAVE F. LION. A family, historic in its way, of successful merchants and land owners is represented by Gustave F. Lion, president of L Lion and Sons Company of San Jose, where the family has been continuously represented since 1855. He was born in San Jose, December 13, 1859. son of Lazard and Zulema ( Martin) Lion, mentioned at length elsewhere in this work.

Gustave attended the Gates private school in San Jose and then Santa Clara College until he was fourteen. He then left his books to assist his father in his business and went to San Francisco, where he had full charge of his office there and bought goods for his seven stores; and was also selling agent for the San Jose Glove Company in San Francisco; this concern was also owned by his father. The lad went to night school while he was in the city and also attended Heald's Business College to further perfect himself in being able to manage aflfairs. In 1880 he came back to San Jose and established a dry-goods business, which he later sold to Stull and Sonniksen.

In 1886 Gustave Lion went to Los Angeles to visit and he saw the great opportunities of the southern city, as it was at the time of its first real boom, and he opened an exclusive carpet store and continued there for almost four vears, then sold out and came back to San Jose to identify himself with the L, Lion and Sons concern. That same year it was incorporated as L. Lion and Sons Company, with Gustave F. as its president, and that office he has held ever since. The famous San Martin ranch of 5585 acres also came under his control and he managed that until it was sold for subdivision into small farms in 1921. He had been looking after the extensive land holdings for his father - or in reality the Commercial and Savings Bank - some years previous to this time. Mr. Lion has given his entire time to the development of the concern of which he is the head, but not to the exclusion of his duties as a public spirited citizen.

The marriage of Gustave F. Lion with Miss Mary Jobson of San Jose was celebrated in 1880, and they have become the parents of three children: Clara Z. married W. E. Blauer, manager of the San Jose branch of the Bank of Italy; Morrell G. is a grower and wholesaler of seeds in Santa Clara County; and Hortense is at home. The daughters were born in San Jose and the son in Los Angeles. The family home is at 1275 Alameda. Mr. Lion is one of the popular citizens of the county as well as one of the most public spirited. He is a member of the Chamber of Commerce, the Countrv Club, the Commercial Club, the B. P. O. Elks, a director of the San Jose branch of the Bank of Italy and a member of its advisory board. He was vice-president of the Commer- cial and Savings Bank for several years and until it was sold, was president of the Salsina Canning and Packing Company. Always interested in politics, thought not a seeker for office, he has sought to do what he could under the banners of the Republican party, although he was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention, held in Chicago in 1896. Of kindly disposition, keen business discernment, Mr. Lion has a host of friends through the state who gladly acknowledge his success and consider his word as good as his bond.