2010.23.1

One ambrotype with case. A portrait of a man standing next to a chair in masonic costume. The man is wearing a suit, a masonic apron, a masonic sash, a star shaped badge on his right front coat pocket and has a ring on his right pinkie finger. There is a white rectangular label with a red outline attached to the inside of the cover with "William Floto of La Grange, Calif., Stanislaus Co." written in blue pen on it. Research on WIlliam Floto provided by the donor as follows: William Floto was born July 9, 1831 in Hanover, Germany. Between 1850 and 1857 he came to the United States and he may be the William Floto who was listed on a S.F. passenger list in 1855. By 1857 he was in Lagrange, California. In the 1860 census he already had his hotel. Early tax assessment records from 1864 and 1865 indicate that he had the hotel, a livery stable and was a retail liquor dealer (probably in the hotel). On July 1, 1871 WIlliam Floto died at the age of 40 and there were memorials posted in the Stanislaus County Weekly newspaper from both the IOOF Lodge and the Masonic Lodge. After William died his widow (Margaret) married Mr. Basso. Children of William and Margaret Floto were : Elias-1861, Isabella-1864, and William-1865."