08/01/2026
This coming Wednesday, August 5th is Reminisce Day at the museum. Everyone is invited to share is remembering and celebrating the Tilbury family. Please come join us from 1:00 to 4:00. Many family members will be joining us this day.
Most of you will remember the Tilbury name from the auto parts store in town for decades, but the Tilbury’s have roots that go deeper than you’d think…..
The story begins over 100 years ago when many families ventured to America to a new path in life. Joseph A. Tilbury and his wife Gwendolyn Maud (Warrick) left England, traveled to
Canada on a trip to Australia, in making the trip they came to America and stopped off in California. They found the state to be so beautiful they decided to establish their home here.
Mr. Tilbury became a naturalized citizen and was employed by the Don Pedro Dam, the dam was completed in 1923 and they moved to Oakland and it was there that their only child, a son, Harry Warrick Tilbury was born. Due to the climate there they decided to move to Escalon in 1925 where Mr. Tilbury purchased a twenty acre tract on Sutliff Avenue in the Enterprise District. After 4 years he sold his farm and moved into the big brick home renting rooms from Miss Alice Jones.
In a short time Mr. Tilbury purchased three acres of land in town and built a new home on the corner of Baker and First Street. Not long after, he entered into partnership with Charles Noden and they proceeded to build several homes under the contract in this area.
When Dr. von Hungen purchased the Jones home, Tilbury and Noden did all of the remodeling for use as the Pioneer Memorial Hospital, which was completed in 1943. A fun note to mention is all four of Tilbury’s grandchildren were born in this hospital between 1946 and 1955.
For the older generation some will remember Harry.
Harry Warrick Tilbury, born 1924, son of John graduated from Escalon High, he married Dorothy in 1945 and they had 3 sons (Ric, Phil and Warren) and 1 daughter, Barbra.
Harry was an auto mechanic for local dealerships and later Tradeway Chevrolet in Manteca. Dorothy worked seasonally at Escalon Packers.
Most in this generation will remember Harry’s four children, (two which have passed on now, Barbra and Phil), and Ric and Warren.
Remembering those not with us anymore are:
Barbra was born in 1955 and graduated in 1973. She worked retail and in the office of Ric’s auto parts store. Spending most of her life on Gwendolyn Avenue (named after her grandmother) the street features the historical
Tilbury Tract subdivision started by her grandfather Joseph. Barbra was creative and loved to sew, paint and decoupage.
Phil, born in 1949, recently passed away but left a legacy his family and friends will long remember. Phil married his high school sweetheart, Pat Knight, and they were married 58 years. He worked at Escalon Blowpipe and Steel (Hogan’s Mfg) for over 20 years. Then they started their own company, Tilbury Constructors Inc. Phil’s hobbies included his passion for cars which lead him into racing. He built and drove race cars at Stockton 99 Speedway, even becoming the first car into the 13- second’s bracket. Later he rode his 6 bicycles more than 200,00 miles over his lifetime.
Celebrating with us this Wednesday will be members of the Tilbury family including Ric and his wife Joan, Warren and his wife Lois, and Pat. You might even meet the current generations of Tilbury’s, Joseph’s great grandchildren, Philip Jr, Treven, Kenneth and Benjamin and the youngest Tilbury, great great grandson, Finn.
P.S. and I heard someone was even making pie!
