Mrs. Pierce has been identified with the history of music in San
Francisco since the early days. Born in Philadelphia, and losing her
mother when she was but five years of age, her father, Mr. Samuel
Cameron, brought her to California across the Isthmus, to place her
in the loving and motherly care of his sister, Mrs. Eugene Doyle, who
had one daughter of almost the same age. These cousins afterward
became very well known in the public school and church histories by
their duet singing, Ida Doyle and Maggie Cameron being in demand on
all important public festivals. On the night of the arrival of the
steamer when the father and little daughter reached the home on Rincon
Point, then the best residential part of San Francisco, where a hearty
welcome awaited them, the little five-year-old child was told to "sing
for her new-found relatives" and with pale face and dressed in deep
mourning even to a little black silk bonnet, for the lost mother, she
sang Lily Dale and Old Dog Tray while all listened with tears and
astonishment to the sympathetic voice, and an uncle, Mr. James
Cameron, exclaimed, "It's not a child, it's a witch." In the old
Rincon school, so famous for its splendid teachers and also many
scholars who afterwards became famous in California history, Maggie
Cameron was called Hail Columbia because her voice could lead the
singing of the entire school so strongly. In the old high school,
corner of Bush and Stockton streets, under the leadership of Mr. Ellis
Holmes, who was a devotee of music and himself possessed of a rich
bass voice, Miss Cameron developed into a public singer, doing her
first solo work on the "musical days" of the Girls' High School.
She was a pupil of Mrs. Marriner-Campbell five consecutive years,
singing with her teacher in duets all over the state; of Otto Linden
in sight reading; Mme. Rosewald, operatic repertoire, and of Richard
Mulder, husband of Inez Fabbri. Mr. Mulder called Mrs. Pierce "his
most distinguished pupil."
At this time she was also soprano at the First Baptist Church on
Washington street, Dr. Cheney, pastor. This historic old church
afterwards became a Chinese theater. Before graduation from school
Miss Cameron accepted the position of soprano in the choir of Rev. Dr.
A.L. Stone's church, corner of Dupont and California streets. Dr. Geo.
H. Powers was the organist. While in this church Miss Cameron was
married to Mr. James M. Pierce.
[Illustration:
Clara Avan
Mrs. Emma D. Monnet-Swalley
Dr. J.B. Wood
Hattie Derby
Lillian Cushing
Minnie Peterson
Charlotte Zimmerman
Pauline Peterson
Edward Thomas