Charles Albert Storke (November 19, 1847 – December 6, 1936) was a prominent lawyer in 19th century California.

He survived "the terrible slaughter of Cold Harbor, where, out of four companies, sixty-nine percent were killed, and the rest captured.

After teaching for two years in Brooklyn, Storke moved to Santa Barbara, California, as a teacher on the bequest of T. Wallace More, a cattleman who had made his fortune during the California Gold Rush selling food to gold miners and who owned Rancho Sespe.

Impressed with fourteen-year-old Mattie's good looks and her family's wealth, Storke proposed to her, and the two were married September 10, 1873.

Having worked as a printer's devil while attending Cornell, Storke understood that publishing was a lucrative and growing field.

So, during 1884, a special session of legislature was called, for the purpose of devising ways and means to enforce payment.

Storke was attracted to Addis for her quick mind, her good social standing and her fame as a writer.

After an eight-month sentence she was released from prison, found a new lawyer to defend her, and demanded alimony from Storke.