1.  William Barton STRAUB was my maternal grandfather's only surviving brother.  We knew him as "Uncle Will," never Bill or William.

2.  Office of the Clerk Recorder, Santa Clara County, California. Marriage Certificates (formerly online at the Santa Clara County, California, official government web site):

Straub, William B

Fisher, Laura

03/03/1904

401063

3.  1900 Census Images (online at Ancestry.com; Image 21-22 of 37):  Washington Twp., Alameda Co., CA, Roll 83 (Book 1), pp. 255A-255B, SH 11-12, SD 1, ED 401, enumerated 15 Jun 1900 (extracted by Diana Gale Matthiesen):¤•

1900:  for an explanation of the column headings, please see What the Numbers in the Federal Census Mean (missing columns had no data re our subject).
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	13	14	15	19	20	22	23	24	25	27
222	223	Richmond, Edwin A	Head	W	M	Dec 1837	62	M	MA	MA	MA	Deputy Postmaster	0	Y	Y	Y	R	H
		[Edwin's wife]
[next page]
		[Edwin's children]
		Straub, William	boarder	W	M	Nov 1873	26	S	OH	Ger	Eng	Moulder	0	Y	Y	Y

Will's parents were not immigrants, although his father was of German descent and his mother was of English descent.  My maternal grandfather (Will's brother, Bert), held the belief that their grandparents were the immigrants, but the truth is, our STRAUB ancestor was in Pennsylvania by 1733 and our CORBIN ancestor was in Maryland by 1671 — much earlier, obviously, than came down by family oral tradition.  I suspect the fact that Will and Bert moved to California, while the rest of the family remained in the East, may be the reason so little family lore (accurate or otherwise) was passed on to those of us in California.

4.  1910 Census Index/Images (online at Genealogy.com, Image #109 of 325; online at Ancestry.com, Image #3 of 42):  3715 Piedmont Avenue, Oakland City (Ward 1), Oakland Twp., Alameda Co., CA, Roll 69 (Book 4), p. 55A, SN 2A, SD 3, ED 82, enumerated 15 Apr 1910, official enumeration date 15 Apr 1910 (extracted by Diana Gale Matthiesen):¤•

1910:  for an explanation of the column headings, please see What the Numbers in the Federal Census Mean (missing columns contained no data).
		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	17	18	19	20	23	24	26	27	28
*	3715	29	33	Straub, William B	Head	M	W	36	M	6			OH	OH	OH	Eng	Foundryman	Empire Iron Foundry	Emp	Y	Y	O	M	H
				______, Laura E	Wife	F	W	30	M	6	1	1	CA	CA	CA	Eng	None			Y	Y
				______, Gertrude	Dau	F	W	2	S				CA	OH	CA	Eng	None
*Piedmont Ave.

5.  1920 Census Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com, Image #21 of 38 — indexed "Straut"):  3474 Richmond Ave., Oakland City (Precinct 111), Oakland Twp., Alameda Co., CA, Roll 89 (Book 1), p. 126A, SN 11A, SD 5, ED 74, enumerated 7 Jan 1920, official enumeration date 1 Jan 1920 (extracted by Diana Gale Matthiesen):¤•

1920:  for an explanation of the column headings, please see What the Numbers in the Federal Census Mean (missing columns contained no data).

1

2

3

4

5

6

9

10

11

12

16

17

18

19

21

23

25

26

27

28

*

3474

251

255

Straub William B

Head

M

W

45

M

Y

Y

OH

OH

OH

Y

Foundry man

Iron Works

Em

______ Laura E

Wife

F

W

41

M

Y

Y

CA

CA

CA

Y

None

______ Gertrude

Dau

F

W

12

S

Y

Y

Y

CA

CA

CA

Y

None

*Richmond Avenue

6.  1930 Census Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com, Image #26 of 29):  3474 Richmond Ave., Oakland City, Oakland Twp., Alameda Co., CA, Roll 103 (Book 2), p. 32B, SN 13B, ED 1-75, SD 8, Enumerated 12-14 Apr 1930, official enumeration date 1 Apr 1930 (extracted by Diana Gale Matthiesen):¤•

1930:  for an explanation of the column headings, please see What the Numbers in the Federal Census Mean (missing columns contained no data).
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	24	25	26	27	28	30
*	3474	39	58	Straub William B	Head	O	????	R	N	M	W	56	M	38	N	Y	OH	OH	OH	Y	Proprietor	Foundry	E	Y	N
				______	Wife					F	W	51	M	25	N	Y	CA	CA	CA	Y	None
*Richmond

The scan of this image is terrible; I could barely read the record and could not begin to decipher the value in Column 8.

7.  1940

8.  Polk's Oakland (California) City Directory.  R.L. Polk & Co., San Francisco, CA (online at Ancestry.com and/or fold3.com):

Year	Pg.	Name	Occupation	Home Address	Others at Same Address (q.v.)
-	-	-	-	-	-	-
-	-	-	-	-	-	-
1908	-	Straub Wm B	pres Empire Foundry Co	r 3715 Leighton	-	-
-	-	-	-	-	-	-
1911	855	Straub Wm B	pres and mngr Empire Fdry Co Inc	r 3715 Leighton	-	-
-	-	-	-	-	-	-
-	-	-	-	-	-	-
-	-	-	-	-	-	-
-	-	-	-	-	-	-
-	-	-	-	-	-	-
-	-	-	-	-	-	-
-	-	-	-	-	-	-

-
9.  California Death Index (online at RootsWeb.com).

Last Name

First Name

Middle

Birth Date

Mother Maiden

Father Last

Sex

Birth Place

Death Place [County]

Death Date

SSN

Age

Post'em

STRAUB

WILLIAM

BARTON

11/09/1873

CORBIN

STRAUB

M

OH

ALAMEDA

11/17/1956

573-18-1337

83

Yes

STRAUB

LAURA

E

07/04/1878

F

CA

MARIN

08/07/1970

573-18-1337

92

-

10.  California Birth Index, 1905-1910 (online at Ancestry.com):

Surname	Given Name	Middle Initial	Birth Date	Sex	Mother's Maiden Name	Birthplace [County]
STRAUB	GERTRUDE	E	06/07/1907	FEMALE	FISHER	ALAMEDA

11.  Frank Clinton Merritt.  1928. History of Alameda County California.  S.J. Clarke Publ. Co., Chicago (boldface added):

p. 398	WILLIAM BARTON STRAUB The present large and well equipped plant and prosperous business of the Empire Foundry Company of Oakland stands in evidence of the tenacity of purpose, the indomitable persistence and the sound business judgment of its founder and president, William B. Straub, who established the concern in 1903.  From a modest beginning, and in spite of many obstacles, the business has steadily grown and developed into one of the important industrial estalishments of Oakland and Mr. Straub is numbered among the community's leading and highly respected business men. He was born in Waldo, Marion county, Ohio, November 9, 1873, and is a son of George W. and Sarah (Corbin) Straub.  The mother having passed away a number of years ago, and the father, who had followed the business of contracting and bridge building, died November 5, 1927, at the age of eighty-one years. William B. Straub secured his educational training in the public schools and a business college and also attended night schools for several years.  In his boyhood he was apprenticed to the moulder's trade, of which he acquired an intimate knowledge, and, after working at his trade in Marion and Columbus, Ohio, for several years, went to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he engaged in the foundry business.  He was not satisfied with conditions there, however, and after a few years he closed out his business, with the intention of seeking his fortune in the Klondike gold fields.  On his way there, he decided to first look over the western country, including British Columbia and Washington and, after a couple months in Honolulu, came to California and was so favorably impressed with this latter state that he decided to locate here.  He was variously employed for a few years and in 1903 established a small foundry.  For the first few years, owing to the depressed business situation and the keenness of competition, he found it hard to hold his own, but, owing to the high quality of his products, his persistent industry and square dealing, he managed to tide over the hard times and eventually prosperity began to crown his efforts, so that by 1905 increasing business prompted him to incorporate the present company.  At that time the foundry was located
p. 400	[Portrait of William Barton Straub]
p. 401	[blank]
p. 402	at Third and Washington streets and, when the Western Pacific Railroad entered Oakland, was able to sell its lease to the railroad at a profitable figure, and in 1909 the company bought the land now occupied at 433-435 Third street.  The company employs forty men and carries on a general foundry business, manufacturing all kinds of light and heavy castings for machinery, mining tools and street castings.  They made a specialty of the manufacture of iron mantel grates and various hardware equipments and builders' supplies, their products being used in Oakland and the Bay district.  About 1909,  Mr. Straub organized the Straub Manufacturing Company, of which he is president, and which specializes in making mining machinery, crushing and grinding mills and gold dredges, a number of the latter having been sent to the Nome, Alaska, district, and now their machinery products are in most all parts of the mining world.  This company also employes a large number of men. Mr. Straub was united in marriage to Miss Laura Fisher, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. F. J. Fisher, the former a large land owner and a son of Captain Fisher who bought one of the old Spanish land grants in Santa Clara county, this state.  Mr. and Mrs. Straub have a daughter, Gertrude.  Politically Mr. Straub is a republican and fraternally a member of the Knights of Pythias.  He also belongs to the Round Table, the Chamber of Commerce, the California Manufacturers Association and the Foundries Association.  His has been a life of activity and diligence, characterized by honesty and integrity in all of his affairs, and success in substantial measure has rewarded his labors.  He has given his aid and cooperation for the advancement and progress of his community and has ever stood for those forces which advance of the public welfare.  He has therefore gained a high place in public esteem and is well worthy of the confidence which is reposed in him by his fellowmen (sic).

12.  Messages posted to the FISHER Surname Board (online at Ancestry.com).