Paul Charlebois

Paul Charlebois, one of the leading business men of San Buenaventura, was born near Montreal, Canada. His father, of the same name, was also born in Canada. His grandparents were brought when children by their parents from France, who settled as pioneers in the dense woods of the Dominion. Mr. Charlebois, one of five children - three sons and two daughters - was educated in the French language in the public schools of Canada and in the English language by himself. When twelve years of age he went to Ogdensburg, New York, entering a store as package boy, and remained there seven years in the employ of the house. In 1868 he took a trip to St. Louis, Missouri, and remained there a year and a half; then he was at his native place until 1870, when he came to California, settling in Napa Valley. Next he went to San Francisco, where he was a clerk for a year in a dry-goods house. In the autumn of 1871 he came to San Buenaventura and clerked for the firm of Einstein & Bernham for fourteen years. For them he had charge of their hardware and grocery department, and they had an extensive trade. In 1885 he took charge of the business of Leach & Hunt in San Buenaventura for nine months, and he then bought them out and has since remained in business, dealing in hardware, tinware, stoves and farm implements, on the corner of Main and California streets, in the business center; of course he enjoys an enviable trade. In 1886 he was elected a trustee of the city, and by the trustees elected chairman of the board, a position equivalent to that of mayor in a city. He was re-elected to the same position in 1888. In the fall of 1889 he was elected County Treasurer on the Democratic ticket, being only one of the two Democrats elected that season; he ran ahead of his ticket about 300 votes. He has passed all the chairs in the I. O. O. F., and has been District Deputy for the order four years. Religiously, he was brought up a Catholic; his wife and children are Presbyterians. The life of Mr. Charlebois strikingly illustrates the rise of a chore boy to a position of affluence and honor, and it seems that he has many years yet to live to enjoy the fruits of early industry, enterprise and good judgment. 

    He was united in marriage in 1874 with Miss Agnes Ayres, a daughter of Robert Ayres, who is a pioneer of Ventura County. She is a native of the State of Illinois, and was only one year old when she was brought across the plains to California in 1858, and was brought up in Petaluma, Sonoma County; and she came with her parents to Ventura County in 1869. Mr. and Mrs. Charlebois have an interesting family of girls, all natives of San Buenaventura, namely: Blanche, Celima, Emma, and Florence.

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