Skip to main content

Full text of "History of San Bernardino and Riverside counties / with selected biography of actors and witnesses of the period of growth and achievement.."

See other formats 


M.L 


m 


ALLEN  COUNTY  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 


3  1833  01149  4934 


X 


i 


S 


HISTORY  OF 

SAN  BERNARDINO 

AND 

RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 


JOHN  BROWN,  Jr. 

Editor  for  San  Bernardino  County 


JAMES  BOYD 

Editor  for  Riverside  County 


Selected  Biography  of  Actors  and  Witnesses 

of  the  Period  of  Growth 

and  Achievement 


VOLUME  III 


THE  WESTERN  HISTORICAL  ASSOCIATION 
1922 


Copyright,  1922 

THE   LEWIS  PUBLISHING   COMPANY 

Chicago,  III. 


178374« 


Stephen  Henderson  Herrick — It  would  be  difficult  to  conceive  of 
broader  and  greater  benefits  flowing  from  the  influence  and  character  of 
one  individual  and  affecting  in  a  constructive  and  progressive  way  the 
development  and  future  of  the  Riverside  community  than  those  attribut- 
able to  Stephen  Henderson  Herrick  during  his  residence  of  nearly  forty 
years  in  California.  He  was  one  of  the  men  of  vision  as  well  as  prac- 
tical resourcefulness  who  comprised  an  important  syndicate  of  fowa 
capitalists  attracted  to  the  development  of  that  section  lying  east  and 
north  of  the  original  Riverside  Colony.  The  primary  problems  involved 
in  its  development  was  a  dependable  irrigation  system.  That  system  was 
first  inaugurated  in  the  famous  Gage  Canal.  Mr.  Herrick  as  head  and 
member  of  the  Iowa  syndicate  furnished  the  support  and  co-operation 
to  Matthew  Gage  which  were  indispensable  for  the  construction  of  that 
irrigation  project  on  a  broad  and  stable  basis.  On  part  of  the  land 
benefited  by  this  enterprise  Mr.  Herrick  in  1887  set  out  the  first  plant- 
ings of  orange  trees,  and  of  the  extensive  holdings  he  has  had  and  helped 
develop  he  still  retains  a  large  part,  indicating  that  his  interest  in  the 
country  is  not  that  of  a  speculator  but  one  who  is  willing  to  wait  for  the 
fruits  of  his  constructive  enterprise  to  ripen.  While  so  much  of  his  time 
has  been  given  to  the  material  development,  his  interest  has  been  deep 
and  abiding  in  the  broader  growth  and  progress  of  Riverside.  He  has 
been  a  factor  in  the  organization  of  some  of  the  leading  banks  of  this 
locality,  notably  the  Citizens  National  and  the  Security  Savings  of  River- 
side, and  for  a  number  of  years  was  president  of  both  institutions.  He 
is  now  Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Directors  of  the  latter  bank. 

Mr.  Herrick  represents  one  of  the  oldest  lines  of  Colonial  New  Eng- 
land ancestry,  although  he  traces  his  line  back  over  1,000  years  to  Eric, 
a  Norse  chieftain  or  king.  One  of  his  ancestors  was  a  judge  of  court 
in  Massachusetts,  and  was  directly  responsible  for  putting  an  end  to 
the  infamous  practice  of  witchcraft.  The  English  branch  of  Herricks 
came  to  America  in  1660,  settling  at  Salem  and  Beverly,  Massachusetts. 
S.  H.  Herrick  was  born  at  Crown  Point,  Essex  County,  New  York, 
son  of  Stephen  Leonard  Herrick,  a  Congregational  minister  who  for 
twenty-five  years  was  in  charge  of  the  church  at  Crown  Point.  Later 
he  removed  to  Fairhaven,  Vermont,  and  from  there  to  Grinnell,  Iowa, 
where  for  many  years,  until  his  death  in  1886,  he  was  connected  with 
Grinnell  College  as  a  teacher  and  trustee.  The  mother  of  S.  H.  Her- 
rick was  Delia  Ives,  a  native  of  Vermont.  Her  parents  were  of  Scotch 
ancestry  and  moved  from  Connecticut  to  Vermont  in  December,  1799. 
for  a  large  part  of  the  way,  blazed  trees  marking  the  route  for  their 
slow  going  caravan  of  ox  teams.  While  on  this  pilgrimage  they  re- 
ceived the  news  of  the  death  of  Washington. 

Stephen  Henderson  Herrick  was  reared  and  educated  in  Iowa,  at- 
tending public  schools  and  after  completing  a  full  course  in  Liberal  Arts 
at  Grinnell  College  in  1865,  he  received  the  A.  B.  degree.  After  a  further 
two  years  course  in  law  and  theology  he  received  the  degree  of  Master 
of  Arts.  His  alma  mater  also  elected  him  to  membership  in  the  Phi 
Beta  Kappa  honorary  societv.  Instead  of  entering  upon  a  professional 
career  he  took  up  mercantile  business  at  Grinnell,  and  continued  that 
connection  for  twenty-  three  years.  He  was  also  deeply  interested  in  his 
alma  mater,  and  in  1883,  after  the  buildings  of  Grinnell  College  had 
been  destroyed  bv  a  cyclone,  he  came  west  to  Oakland,  California,  and 
for  several  months  was  busy  throughout  the  state  in  making  collections, 
particularly  for  the  college  museum.  He  acquired  a  great  abundance  of 
material  for  this  purpose  besides  interesting  the  various  transportation 
1049 


1050      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

companies  and  also  through  the  aid  of  the  faculty  of  the  University  of 
California.  Mr.  Herrick  then  returned  East,  and  in  1885  became  asso- 
ciated with  others  in  the  organization  of  the  East  Riverside  Land  Com- 
pany. His  chief  associates  in  this  were  ex-Governor  Merrill  of  Iowa, 
Colonel  S.  F.  Cooper,  former  U.  S.  consul  at  Glasgow,  and  Senator  De 
Los  Arnold  of  Iowa,  and  the  late  A.  J.  Twogood  of  Riverside.  These 
men  organized  for  the  purpose  of  developing  the  mesa  land  east  of 
Riverside  and  purchased  several  thousand  acres  in  that  vicinity  from  the 
Southern  Pacific  Railway  Company.  This  was  subdivided,  the  town  of 
Highgrove  being  platted.  In  this  development  Mr.  Herrick  and  his 
associates  worked  closely  in  co-operation  with  Matthew  Gage  so  that 
the  Gage  Canal  would  directly  benefit  the  East  Riverside  tract.  Mr. 
Herrick  remained  president  of  the  company  tor  several  years,  and  the 
company  was  dissolved  in  1915,  after  all  the  land  had  been  sold.  Under 
the  Gage  Canal  system  Mr.  Herrick  planted  the  first  orange  trees,  and 
he  continued  his  planting  over  several  large  tracts,  and  still  retains  a 
large  share  of  this  property.  Other  tracts  have  been  touched  with  his 
enterprise  as  a  developer,  all  in  the  section  east  of  Riverside,  where  he 
has  owned  or  developed  about  four  hundred  acres. 

Mr.  Herrick  is  president  and  his  son,  S.  L.  Herrick,  vice  president 
and  manager  of  the  "Herrick  Estates,  Incorporated."  The  various  prop- 
erties and  interests  of  the  family  are  concentrated  for  more  effective 
business  management.  Mr.  Herrick  is  also  president  of  the  Lemona 
Heights  Company,  owning  180  acres  of  citrus  fruits  above  the  Gage 
Canal,  upon  which  the  company  developed  the  water.  At  one  time  he 
owned  considerable  land  in  West  Riverside,  Corona  and  Rialto. 

Mr.  Herrick  at  the  time  of  the  World's  Fair  in  Chicago  in  1893  had 
charge  of  the  large  exhibit  of  Griffin  &  Skelley,  this  being  the  firm  that 
is  now  manufacturing  the  famous  Del  Monte  brand  of  food  products. 
Following  his  work  at  Chicago  Mr.  Herrick  remained  East  four  years, 
and  during  that  time  was  one  of  the  managing  directors  of  the  Grinnell 
Savings  Bank,  of  which  he  had  been  president  prior  to  coming  to  Cali- 
fornia. 

In  1903  Mr.  Herrick  was  one  of  the  prominent  organizers  of  the 
Citizens  Bank  of  Riverside  and  was  its  first  president.  In  1904  this 
bank  took  over  the  Orange  Growers  Bank  and  soon  after  became  a 
national  bank,  with  enlarged  capital.  The  Security  Savings  was  organ- 
ized in  1907,  owned  bv  the  Citizens  National.  Of  this  bank  Mr.  Her- 
rick was  the  first  president.  In  1916  the  First  National  Bank  of  River- 
side was  taken  over  bv  the  Citizens  National  and  the  Riverside  Savings 
Bank  was  absorbed  bv  the  Security  Savings  Bank.  At  this  time  Mr. 
Herrick  resigned  the  presidency  of  the  National  Bank  to  devote  his  entire 
time  to  the  Savings  institution,  but  in  1920  resigned  to  accept  the  posi- 
tion of  chairman  of  its  Board  of  Directors.  He  is  also  vice  president 
of  the  Citizens  National  Bank  and  vice  president  of  the  Citizens  Bank 
of  Arlington.  He  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Fast  Riverside  Water 
Company,  and  has  been  president  practically  since  its  inception.  He  is 
president  of  the  Riverside-Highland  Water  Company  and  president  of 
the  Monte  Vista  Citrus  Association. 

Mr.  Herrick  is  affiliated  with  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  having 
served  in  the  Civil  War  in  the  46th  Regiment  of  Infantry  of  Iowa 
Volunteers.  A  man  of  deep  religious  convictions,  he  has  all  his  life 
given  much  attention  to  church  and  educational  causes.  He  is  Deacon 
Emeritus  and  one  6f  the  advisory  board  of  the  Congregational  Church, 
and  has  frequently  officiated  as  a  lay  minister,  even  while  president  of 
the  bank  holding  services  in  various  places.     In  former  years  he  found 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1051 

time  to  share  the  duties  of  politics  natural  to  a  man  of  his  high  standing. 
At  the  age  of  twenty-one  he  was  elected  a  delegate  to  the  Iowa  State 
Republican  Convention.  He  also  served  as  mayor  of  Grinnell  and  was 
at  one  time  a  member  of  the  Republican  County  Central  Committee  and 
has  represented  his  party  in  the  California  State  Convention.  He  is 
deeply  interested  in  his  alma  mater.  The  beautiful  Herrick  Chapel, 
which  adorns  the  Grinnell  College  campus  was  made  possible  by  his 
benefactions.  It  is  a  family  memorial,  as  three  generations  were  educated 
there — Mr.  Herrick's  father,  himself  and  his  son. 

September  3,  1869,  Mr.  Herrick  married  Miss  Harriet  E.  Fellows,  a 
native  of  Princeton,  Illinois,  and  daughter  of  Ephraim  Fellows,  who  was 
born  in  New  Hampshire  and  who  became  extensively  identified  with  the 
pioneer  development  of  Colorado.  Mrs.  Herrick  is  of  English  and 
Revolutionary  ancestry  and  a  member  of  the  Daughters  of  the  American 
Revolution.  They  have  two  children,  the  son,  Stephen  Leonard  Herrick, 
being  referred  to  above  as  active  associate  with  his  father.  The  daugh- 
ter, Lida,  is  the  wife  of  J.  Lansing  Lane,  recently  of  Hollister,  California, 
now  of  Santa  Cruz  County.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lane  have  two  children, 
Derick  and  Elizabeth. 

Isaac  Allen  Holeman  has  been  a  resident  of  Riverside  twenty  years, 
and  while  he  has  invested  capital  in  this  district  he  has  taken  little  part 
in  active  business  affairs.  He  is  a  loyal  and  enthusiastic  Calif ornian,  and 
a  man  of  the  highest  standing  in  Riverside,  where  his  fellow  citizens 
respect  his  judgment  and  integrity  and  know  him  as  one  of  the  most 
public  spirited  men  in  the  community. 

Mr.  Holeman  was  born  in  Warren  County,  Illinois,  May  11,  1858, 
son  of  Reuben  and  Suzanna  (Crabb)  Holeman.  His  parents  moved 
to  Illinois  at  an  early  date,  and  spent  most  of  their  lives  on  a  farm  in 
Warren  County.  Isaac  Allen  Holeman  grew  up  in  Central  Illinois,  grad- 
uated from  the  city  schools  of  Monmouth,  and  after  completing  his  edu- 
cation returned  to  the  farm  and  gained  his  prosperity  from  the  corn 
belt  of  Illinois.  In  1900  he  moved  to  Riverside  and  purchased  an  orange 
grove,  but  has  practically  retired  from  its  active  management,  though 
he  holds  considerable  stock  in  the  Cressmer  Manufacturing  Company. 

Mr.  Holeman  is  a  democrat  in  politics,  like  his  father  before  him. 
He  has  never  been  interested  in  public  office  as  an  honor,  though  he 
performed  his  duty  for  a  number  of  years  as  road  overseer  in  Warren 
County,  Illinois.  At  Richmond,  Indiana,  in  1886,  Mr.  Holeman  married 
Miss  Melvina  A.  Stephenson,  who  was  born  in  Indiana,  representing  an 
old  American  family  of  Revolutionary  stock  and  English  descent.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Holeman  have  two  sons:  George  S.,  born  in  1887,  graduated 
in  medicine  from  Stanford  University,  subsequently  took  special  work  in 
surgery,  and  is  now  engaged  in  a  successful  practice  at  Portland,  Oregon. 
November  16,  1920,  he  married  Miss  Estella  Buckley,  of  San  Francisco. 
The  younger  son,  Roy  Holeman,  born  in  1889,  completed  the  scientific 
agricultural  course  at  the  State  University  and  is  now  a  practical  agri- 
culturist at  Van  Nuys,  California.  In  1916  he  married  Miss  Nellie  Ross, 
of  Riverside. 

J.  D.  Langford. — The  career  of  J.  D.  Langford  of  Redlands  exempli- 
fies the  making  of  a  successful  business  man  through  strenuous  experi- 
ence and  a  disposition  never  to  stop  or  waiver  on  account  of  failure  or 
obstacles. 

He  borrowed  a  hundred  dollars  to  come  to  California,  and  had  three 
dollars  left  when  he  arrived  on  March  26,  1888.    The  remainder  of  that 


1052       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

year  he  was  employed  on  the  Raymond  place.  The  following  sixteen 
years  the  scene  of  his  work  and  experience  was  at  Highland.  Most 
of  his  employment  was  in  the  orange  industry.  Mr.  Langford  bought 
his  first  acreage,  only  two  and  a  half  acres,  near  Highland  Station  in  1890. 
planting  it  to  oranges  and  nursery  stock.  It  was  unprofitable,  since 
the  nursery  was  late  in  planting,  market  was  dull  and  prices  low.  An- 
other factor  in  his  ill  success  there  was  the  burning  of  a  barn,  in  which 
his  horses  were  destroyed.  He  then  showed  the  disposition  of  one 
who  could  face  defeat  without  being  discouraged.  Going  into  the  moun- 
tains, he  took  charge  of  the  saw  mill  property  of  the  Highlands  Lumber 
Company  at  Fredalba  Park  for  two  years.  Returning  to  East  High- 
lands, he  became  foreman  of  the  orange  ranches  of  C.  H.  Sherrod  and 
Frank  Gore,  and  after  the  first  year  was  appointed  receiver,  general 
superintendent  and  manager,  a  post  of  duty  he  held  six  years.  He  later 
superintended  these  properties  for  H.  M.  Olney  and  C.  A.  Sherrod,  and 
on  leaving  them  became  superintendent  in  charge  of  the  nursery  and 
salesman  for  H.  H.  Linville.  About  that  time  he  began  speculating  in  the 
buying  and  shipping  of  oranges,  and  after  a  year  turned  his  entire  time 
and  attention  to  the  productive  end  of  the  orange  industry,  a  line  in 
which  his  talents  and  energies  have  been  most  successfully  displayed 
since  he  came  to  California. 

A  number  of  years  ago  Mr.  Langford  became  associated  with  A.  H. 
Gregory  on  the  Williams  tract.  The  laying  out,  grading,  planting,  in- 
stallation of  the  irrigation  system  on  this  tract  were  under  his  personal 
supervision.  He  planted  665  acres.  During  this  time  he  and  Mr.  Greg- 
ory also  bought  the  four  hundred  eighteen  acres  owned  by  the  Riverside 
Highland  Water  Company  just  east  and  south  of  Colton.  A  beginning 
had  been  made  of  a  peach  plantation,  and  they  continued  the  planting 
of  this  fruit  over  two  hundred  and  twenty-five  acres.  Mr.  Langford 
made  a  contract  with  the  City  of  San  Bernardino  to  take  charge  of  the 
sewage  water  for  twenty-five  years,  and  laid  a  line  from  the  city  to  this 
ranch.  This  business  was  incorporated  under  the  name  the  Delta  Water 
Company,  and  Mr.  Langford  was  interested  in  the  ownership  of  the  prop- 
erty for  five  years,  being  president  of  the  Delta  Water  Company.  The 
operations  on  the  William  tract  were  conducted  as  the  Redlands  Security 
Company,  a  close  corporation,  with  Mr.  Gregory  and  Mr.  Langford  as 
half  owners,  Mr.  Gregory  being  the  president  and  Mr.  Langford,  sec- 
retary and  manager.  During  this  time  Mr.  Langford  was  also  engaged 
in  the  fertilizing  business.  In  1909  he  organized  the  Carlsbad  Guano 
Fertilizer  Company,  purchasing  guano  caves  in  Carlsbad,  Mexico,  and 
operating  a  mixing  plant  at  Redlands.  He  was  president  and  general 
manager  of  the  company. 

After  selling  his  fertilizer  business  and  his  interest  in  the  Delta  Water 
Company  Mr.  Langford  removed  to  San  Francisco,  and  in  1911  en- 
gaged in  the  wholesale  brokerage  business,  handling  heavy  machinery 
supplies,  including  locomotives,  steam  cranes  and  shovels  and  a  general 
line  of  heavy  machinery,  trucks,  etc.  The  five  years  he  spent  in  San 
Francisco  was  a  strenuous  time,  and  altogether  he  lost  about  ten  thousand 
dollars  of  his  individual  capital.  His  associates  were  young  men  who 
lost  their  heads,  and  practically  the  entire  responsibility  of  the  manage- 
ment devolved  upon  Mr.  Langford.  When  the  young  men  sold  to  others 
the  new  partners  added  additional  gravity  to  the  already  tangled  condi- 
tions, and  it  was  only  by  a  supreme  effort  that  Mr.  Langford  guided 
the  enterprise  away  from  disaster. 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1053 

He  had  in  the  meantime  retained  his  orange  interests  in  San  Ber- 
nardino County,  and  his  first  task  on  returning  to  Redlands  was  to  put 
his  groves  in  first  class  condition.  He  was  then  selected  as  general  man- 
ager by  the  Crown  Jewel  Association,  and  took  charge  of  this  business 
October  23,  1916,  and  his  business  headquarters  are  today  at  the  plant 
of  the  Crown  Jewel  Packing  House  at  Alabama  and  San  Pedro  streets 
in  Redlands.  In  1912  he  and  Mr.  Gregory  divided  their  holdings,  Mr. 
Gregory  taking  over  the  books  and  corporate  name  of  the  Redlands  Se- 
curity Company,  while  Mr.  Langford  received  a  hundred  acres  as  his  share 
of  the  two  hundred  and  five  acres  then  owned  by  the  company.  Mr. 
Langford  incorporated  as  the  J.  D.  Langford  &  Company  and  under 
this  title  has  continued  his  business  as  an  orange  grower.  He  has  since 
purchased  twenty  acres  of  improved  oranges  in  the  same  section,  and 
having  cleared  up  his  other  interests  is  now  giving  his  entire  time  to  the 
orange  production  and  marketing. 

This  brief  outline  is  intended  to  convey  some  of  the  facts  and  cir- 
cumstances under  which  Mr.  Langford  has  toiled  toward  a  success  and 
prosperity  that  he  splendidly  merits.  His  early  life  was  one  of  compara- 
tive poverty.  When  he  was  only  twelve  years  of  age  he  had  to  perform  a 
man's  part  on  the  home  farm.  He  worked  horses  when  he  was  so 
small  that  he  had  to  turn  the  collars  in  order  to  reach  the  buckles.  It 
was  Mr.  Langford  who  planted  the  first  orange  grove  in  the  West  River- 
side District,  twenty  acres  for  Dodd  &  Dw^er. 

In  1886,  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  Mr.  Langford  married  in  Missouri 
Miss  Ida  L.  A.  Hingle.  Their  only  child  died  in  infancy  and  his  wife 
a  year  and  a  half  later.  Soon  afterward  Mr.  Langford  came  to  California. 
A  year  later  he  went  back  to  Kansas  and  married  Miss  Ida  McReynolds. 
The  children  of  this  union  are  two  sons  and  one  daughter.  The  oldest, 
J.  Roy  Langford,  born  November  24,  1890,  was  educated  at  Redands 
and  married  Miss  Cora  Dudley.  The  second  son,  Cleveland  Paul  Lang- 
ford, born  January  14,  1896,  was  educated  in  Redlands,  married  Edna 
Hass  and  has  a  daughter,  Lucille  Pauline.  Cleveland  P.  Langford  joined 
the  National  Army  for  service  in  the  World  war  April  11,  1918,  being 
with  the  363rd  Regiment  of  Infantry  in  the  91st  Division.  After  train- 
ing at  Camp  Lewis,  Washington,  he  left  for  New  York  June  26th,  em- 
barked for  England  July  6th,  from  England  went  direct  to  France,  and 
after  two  weeks  of  rest  and  training  went  almost  directly  to  the  Ar- 
gonne  front.  He  was  with  an  automatic  rifle  squad,  served  in  the  trenches 
about  two  weeks,  went  over  the  top  on  the  26th  of  September,  and  was 
a  participant  in  the  strenuous  program  of  the  Argonne  fighting  until 
gassed  on  the  first  of  October.  The  following  months  he  spent  at  a 
base  hospital,  then  rejoined  his  company,  and  soon  after  the  signing  of 
the  armistice  was  stricken  with  the  influenza,  that  period  of  illness  being 
passed  in  an  English  hospital  on  the  border  between  Belgium  and  France. 
He  had  barely  been  discharged  when  he  had  the  mumps  and  another 
hospital  experience,  and  after  recovering  was  put  with  the  36th  Division 
and  returned  home  with  that  command,  reaching  New  York  June  6,  1919. 

The  third  child  of  Mr.  Langford  is  Gladys  Langford,  born  December 
15,  1898.  She  was  educated  at  Redlands,  and  is  the  wife  of  H.  L. 
Covington,  an  orange  grower  there.  Mr.  Langford  has  given  his  two 
sons  a  chance  to  start  in  life,  providing  each  with  a  good  ten  acre  grove, 
with  opportunity  for  employment  on  his  other  holdings,  and  thus  they 
had  every  incentive  to  work  out  their  own  salvation. 


1054       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

Hugo  Sontag. — The  story  of  development  of  land  and  homes  in  San 
Bernardino  County  introduces  Hugo  Sontag,  one  of  the  old  timers  of 
this  region,  who  has  lived  here  nearly  half  a  century.  His  post  office 
address  is  Alta  Loma,  but  his  home  is  a  ranch  three  miles  northeast,  at 
the  mouth  of  Cucamonga  Canyon. 

Mr.  Sontag  was  born  in  East  Prussia  July  24,  1840,  son  of  Gustav 
Sontag,  who  had  fought  in  the  German  armies  against  Emperor  Napo- 
leon. Hugo  was  the  youngest  of  six  children.  He  acquired  a  good  edu- 
cation in  the  schools  of  Prussia  and  Silesia,  and  received  a  thorough 
technical  training  in  the  University  of  Halle,  from  which  he  graduated 
in  1862.  In  University  he  specialized  in  minerology,  geology  and  sur- 
veying. He  was  examined  as  preliminary  to  his  work  as  a  mining  en- 
gineer in  the  presence  of  the  Burghauptman,  and  on  passing  was  qualified 
for  government  work.  He  then  entered  the  service  of  the  Imperial  Gov- 
ernment and  was  employed  in  sinking  test  wells  to  discover  coal  veins, 
but  these  wells  showed  deep  salt  deposits  instead  at  the  depth  of  950 
feet. 

Mr.  Sontag  in  1871  came  to  America.  For  a  time  he  was  in  Penn- 
sylvania, and  as  an  expert  geologist  did  some  prospecting  for  oil,  and 
located  what  later  became  a  well  developed  oil  field.  From  there  he  went 
on  to  St.  Louis  and  entered  the  service  of  the  old  Pacific  Railroad  Com- 
pany as  a  surveyor,  and  did  some  of  the  preliminary  work  running 
lines  for  proposed  railways  to  Old  Indian  Territory.  He  surveyed  the 
line  from  Fort  Smith,  Arkansas,  to  Okmulgee. 

In  the  fall  of  1875  Mr.  Sontag  arrived  at  Los  Angeles,  and  three 
months  later  he  went  to  Cucamonga,  where  in  1876  he  bought  six  or 
eight  acres  from  the  Southern  Pacific  Railroad  Company  and  thirty 
acres  from  private  parties.  This  land  he  cleared,  set  to  vineyard  and 
deciduous  fruits,  and  kept  the  property  until  it  was  well  developed,  when 
he  sold. 

In  the  meantime,  in  1877,  Mr.  Sontag  took  up  a  homestead  of  a  hun- 
dred thirty-six  acres  at  the  mouth  of  Cucamonga  Canyon.  Subsequent 
purchases  have  enlarged  this  to  two  hundred  and  forty-one  acres.  On 
it  he  has  built  his  home,  and  has  a  considerable  area  developed  as  orange, 
lemon  and  deciduous  fruit  groves  and  has  also  developed  a  water  supply. 
Later  he  bought  forty  acres  of  wild  land  from  Charles  Frankish,  on 
which  he  developed  a  considerable  flow  of  water,  building  a  reservoir 
and  piping  the  water  to  users  below.  A  storm  destroyed  the  pipe  line 
and  practically  all  improvements  except  the  reservoir.  Mr.  Sontag  in 
this  and  other  ways  has  been  a  real  pioneer  in  the  development  of  this 
section.  He  was  one  of  the  first  to  go  into  the  bee  industry  on  a  com- 
mercial scale,  and  formerly  he  sold  honey  by  the  carload  lots.  He  still 
has  an  apiary  of  194  stands. 

Mr.  Sontag,  who  is  a  genial  bachelor,  has  been  in  the  Cucamonga  Dis- 
trict from  a  time  when  he  practically  had  no  white  neighbors,  the  country 
being  occupied  chiefly  by  Indians  and  a  few  Mexicans.  His  nearest  rail- 
way station  was  Cucamonga,  but  now  Guasti,  and  the  only  resident  at 
the  station  was  the  railway  agent,  who  lived  in  a  box  car.  Mr.  Sontag 
is  a  republican  in  politics. 

Herman  Harris,  one  of  San  Bernardino's  most  prosperous  mer- 
chants and  substantial  business  men,  is  an  example  of  the  right  type 
of  citizen  who  adopts  America  as  his  home  country,  assimilates  its 
ideals,  achieves  success  through  rigid  industry  and  integrity,  and 
earns  the  respect  and  generous  esteem  of  his  fellow  men. 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1055 

Herman  Harris  was  born  in  Germany,  May  2,  1871,  son  of  Morris 
and  Johanna  Harris.  His  father  was  a  lover  of  freedom,  and  during 
the  Revolutionary  troubles  of  1848  suffered  temporary  exile.  The 
Harris  ancestors  originally  came  fom  Spain,  and  Herman  Harris'  maternal 
grandfather  was  a  cloth  merchant  in   London. 

Herman  Harris  graduated  from  a  German  gymnasium  in  April, 
1887,  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  and  soon  afterward  left  for  America,  reach- 
ing New  York  in  October  of  that  year,  with  only  two  dollars  and 
forty  cents  in  cash.  A  week  later  he  started  for  San  Francisco,  and 
had  twenty  cents  on  arriving  at  the  Golden  Gate  City.  The  first  meal 
he  ate  was  paid  for  by  a  man  he  met  on  the  ferry,  who  also  paid  the 
fifty  cents  required  for  his  night's  lodging  in  the  old  Brooklyn  Hotel 
on  Bush  Street.  His  first  work  was  cleaning  up  the  back  yard  of  a 
store,  for  which  he  received  a  dollar,  and  his  total  earnings  the  first 
month  amounted  to  twenty  dollars.  After  getting  acquainted  and  find- 
ing employment  where  his  efficiency  would  count,  he  increased  his 
salary  to  a  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  a  month. 

After  coming  to  San  Bernardino  Mr.  Harris  was  employed  two 
years  by  Rudolph  Auker,  remained  two  years  at  Tehachapi,  and  made 
his  first  business  that  of  general  merchandising.  He  was  at  Santa 
Ana  in  the  drygoods  business  beginning  in  1893,  and  had  a  difficult 
struggle  during  the  panic  which  began  in  that  year.  He  remained 
in  Santa  Ana  for  nine  years,  and  in  April,  1905,  returned  to  San  Ber- 
nardino, where  two  years  later  he  took  in  his  brothers,  Philip  and 
Arthur,  as  partners  in  the  Harris  Company.  This  business  has  grown 
and  prospered,  the  quarters  being  enlarged  several  times,  and  it  is 
today  one  of  the  largest  mercantile  firms  in  the  county.  The  Harris 
Company  has  purchased  several  pieces  of  property,  the  most  important 
being  at  the  corner  of  East  and  Third,  known  as  the  Ward  Block, 
which  the  company  plans  to  improve  with  a  modern  structure. 

During  his  residence  at  Santa  Ana,  Mr.  Harris  served  three  years 
as  a  member  of  the  National  Guard.  He  was  president  of  the  Mer- 
chants Protective  Association,  was  for  several  years  a  director  of  the 
National  Orange  Show,  and  for  a  similar  time  a  director  of  the  Cham- 
ber of  Commerce.  He  is  a  republican  in  politics,  a  former  president 
of  the  B'Nai  B'rith,  and  is  affiliated  with  the  Masons  and  Elks. 

Ernest  Smith  Moulton — The  late  Ernest  Smith  Moulton  was  for 
years  one  of  the  leading  bankers  of  Riverside,  and  took  a  prominent 
part  in  civic  affairs,  identifying  himself  with  practically  every  enterprise 
which  promised  to  prove  beneficial  to  the  city  in  a  practical  way.  He 
had  been  connected  with  railroading  with  the  Chicago,  Burlington  & 
Quincy  Railroad  and  the  Santa  Fe  Railroad  for  many  years  in  Illinois, 
and  when  he  came  to  Riverside  brought  with  him  a  ripened  experience, 
vigorous  energy  and  many  ideas  which  were  of  practical  value  in  the 
progressive  development  of  this  district. 

Mr.  Moulton  was  born  at  Galesburg,  Illinois,  January  5,  1859,  a  son 
of  Billings  and  Harriet  (Smith)  Moulton,  natives  of  Massachusetts. 
The  Moultons  are  of  French  descent,  but  the  family  was  founded  in 
this  country  long  prior  to  the  American  Revolution,  in  which  war  repre- 
sentatives of  it  served  with  distinction. 

Growing  up  in  his  native  city,  Ernest  Smith  Moulton  attended  its 
excellent  public  schools  and  Knox  College,  also  of  Galesburg.  His  work 
of  a  practical  character  began  with  this  connection,  already  referred  to, 
with  the  railroads  of  Illinois,  and  he  remained  with  them  until  1881, 
when    he   came   to   California.      Immediately    upon    his  arrival   here    he 


1056       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

identified  himself  with  the  packing  industry,  first  experimenting  with 
raisins  and  later  with  oranges,  and  for  seventeen  years  was  very  active" 
in  this  line  of  business.  At  the  time  he  withdrew  from  it  he  was  the 
oldest  orange  packer  in  California.  Mr.  Moulton  held  many  positions 
of  trust  in  the  orange  associations,  and  was  a  member  of  the  Citrus 
Protective  League  of   Southern  California. 

Elected  president  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Riverside,  he  held 
that  position  for  five  or  six  years,  and  during  that  time  secured  the 
erection  of  the  present  elegant  bank  building.  Mr.  Moulton  had  other 
interests,  and  was  one  of  the  directors  of  the  Highland  Water  Com- 
pany. At  one  time  he  served  as  president  of  the  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce, and  was  connected  with  the  Business  Men's  Association.  Instru- 
mental in  forming  the  Bankers'  Association  of  Riverside,  he  became 
prominent  in  the  state  and  national  associations,  and  served  for  a  time 
as  president  of  the  State  Board  of  Bankers,  and  that  body  made  him 
one  of  the  vice  presidents  of  the  National  Association. 

Mr.  Moulton  was  one  of  the  most  progressive  of  men,  his  broad 
vision  and  outlook  on  life  enabling  him  to  see  his  duty  and  how  to 
carry  it  out,  especially  with  reference  to  civic  matters.  For  many  years 
he  served  as  a  school  director,  and  was  president  of  the  board  for  a 
number  of  years,  and  during  his  occupancy  of  that  office  the  Polytechnic 
High  School  was  erected.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he  was  a  member 
of  the  Riverside  Library  Board.  The  Government  experimental  station 
at  Riverside  stands  as  a  monument  to  his  good  sense  and  excellent  judg- 
ment, and  in  this  connection  and  others,  he  was  closely  allied  with  Frank 
Miller  and  others  in  advancing  the  interests  of  the  city.  It  would  be 
difficult  to  name  any  improvement  of  his  day  which  did  not  receive  his 
full  support.  Others  which  have  followed  later  were  conceived  by  him, 
and  have  been  brought  about  because  of  the  preliminary  work  he  did 
in  their  behalf.  He  was  a  man  whose  hand  and  heart  were  open  to  the 
appeal  of  the  unfortunate,  but  he  also  believed  in  the  policy  of  providing 
work  for  those  in  need,  rather  than  to  make  them  paupers  through  indis- 
criminate alms-giving.  With  his  wife  to  look  into  the  merits  of  a  case, 
he  distributed  his  benevolences  wisely  and  admirably,  and  was  never 
happier  than  when  he  had  assisted  anyone  to  become  self-supporting  and 
self-respecting.  A  man  of  great  popularity,  he  was  active  in  the  Masonic 
fraternity  and  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  and  had 
attained  to  the  Commandery  and  Shrine  in  the  former  order. 

On  November  14,  1883,  Mr.  Moulton  was  united  in  marriage  at 
Riverside  with  Julia  C.  Ferris,  a  native  of  Illinois,  and  a  daughter  of 
Sylvanus  H.  and  Sabra  B.  (Cline)  Ferris.  Mrs.  Moulton  came  to  River- 
side with  her  parents  in  1881,  and  since  her  marriage  has  been  very 
active  in  church  and  Y.  W.  C.  A.  work.  She  was  one  of  the  directors 
on  the  board  of  the  old  Riverside  Hospital,  and  is  a  director  of  the  new 
Community  Hospital.  For  the  past  six  or  eight  years  she  has  been 
president  of  the  Charity  Tree,  an  organization  of  ladies  banded  together 
for  the  purpose  of  looking  after  local  charities  and  filling  the  breach 
between  public  and  private  donations.  She  has  devoted  much  time  and 
effort  to  this  work,  which  exemplifies  the  modern  spirit  of  giving,  and 
is  one  of  the  most  constructive  factors  in  the  community  work  of  today. 
A  Presbyterian,  she  is  very  active  in  the  work  of  the  Magnolia  Avenue 
Church  of  that  denomination,  with  which  Mr.  Moulton  was  also  con- 
nected, and  which  he  served  for  a  long  time  as  a  member  of  the  board 
on  Easter  services. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Moulton  had  four  sons  and  one  daughter,  and  all  of 
them  with  the  exception  of  the  second  son  have  the  proud  distinction 


■    *;.. 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       105? 

of  being  natives  of  the  Golden  State,  and  all  of  the  boys  are  graduates 
of  the  California  State  University,  while  Doris  is  a  graduate  of  Vassar. 
They  are  as  follows:  Arthur  Ferris,  Robert  Harrison,  Ernest  Francis, 
Sylvanus  Ferris,  and  Doris  Sabra.  Arthur  F.  Moulton  is  now  engaged 
in  the  lumber  business  at  Ukiah,  Mendocino  County,  California.  He 
married  Chryssa  Eraser,  a  niece  of  W.  Grant  Fraser  of  Riverside, 
and  they  have  four  daughters,  namely  :  Frances,  Joan  Virginia,  Doris 
Ann  and  Barbara  Mills.  Robert  H.  Moulton,  of  the  R.  H.  Moulton  Bond 
Company  of  Los  Angeles,  considered  one  of  the  finest  bond  houses  in 
California,  was  at  the  time  of  the  campaigns  for  the  sale  of  Liberty 
Bonds,  made  Government  manager  for  the  district  of  Southern  Cali- 
fornia, the  youngest  man  to  be  so  honored  with  such  a  heavy  responsi- 
bility. He  married  Florence  Wachter,  of  Los  Angeles,  and  they  have 
two  sons,  Donald  Wachter  and  Robert  H.,  Junior.  Ernest  Francis 
Moulton  is  also  a  partner  with  the  bond  house  operated  under  the 
name  of  the  R.  H.  Moulton  Bond  Company.  He  married  Gladys 
Robb,  of  Riverside.  Sylvanus  Ferris  Moulton  went  into  the  air  service 
at  the  time  of  the  World  war,  and  was  trained  at  San  Antonio,  Texas, 
and  Columbus,  Ohio,  following  which  he  was  stationed  at  Lake  Charles, 
Louisiana.  He  is  with  his  brother  Arthur  in  the  lumber  business.  His 
wife  was  Miss  Olive  Taylor,  of  Riverside,  prior  to  her  marriage.  She 
is  a  daughter  of  a  prominent  Baptist  clergyman  who  founded  the 
Present  Day  Club  of  Riverside,  and  did  much  toward  securing  the 
betterment  of  the  city.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Moulton  have  one  daughter, 
Carolyn.  Miss  Doris  Sabra  Moulton  is  a  graduate  of  Vassar  College, 
as  well  as  of  the  State  University.  On  April  9,  1921,  she  was  married 
to  William  H.  Bonnette,  in  business  in  Riverside. 

Sylvanus  H.  Ferris  was  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Riverside,  and  was 
a  man  of  great  prominence.  He  established  his  residence  on  Magnolia 
Avenue,  and  every  bit  of  wood  that  went  into  the  construction  of  the 
house  was  hauled  from  San  Bernardino.  His  home  was  the  center  of 
much  hospitality,  which  he  offered  to  his  Eastern  friends,  and  he  was 
instrumental  in  bringing  more  than  one  hundred  people  from  Galesburg, 
Illinois,  to  Riverside.  He  came  to  this  city  in  1879.  and  later  brought 
in  trees  from  Illinois  and  New  York,  and  scientifically  studied  and 
experimented  with  reference  to  the  citrus  fruit  industry. 

By  birth  Mr.  Ferris  was  a  New  Yorker,  as  he  was  born  in  Herki- 
mer County,  that  state,  January  14,  1828,  and  was  given  a  public  school 
and  academic  education.  His  parents  went  to  Illinois  at  a  very  early 
day,  and  he  grew  up  in  that  state.  Before  deciding  definitely  upon 
his  occupation  Mr.  Ferris  paid  a  visit  to  his  uncle,  Harvey  H.  Ferris, 
of  Herkimer  County,  New  York,  who  told  him  that  Eastern  lands 
would  depreciate  and  Western  lands  would  advance  in  price,  and  ad- 
vised him  to  return  to  Illinois.  Following  this  advice  he  lived  in 
Galesburg  from  1862  to  1881.  this  town  having  been  the  family  home 
from  the  time  it  was  founded  by  his  grandfather. 

In  1879  Mr.  Ferris  came  on  a  visit  to  California,  accompanying 
O.  T.  Johnson  of  Galesburg.  and  then  went  on  to  Carson  City,  Nevada, 
where  his  uncle,  G.  W.  G.  Ferris,  was  then  residing.  This  gentleman 
was  the  father  of  the  man  who  later  invented  the  Ferris  Wheel,  one 
of  the  attractions  of  the  Columbian  Exposition  at  Chicago  in  1893.  Later 
the  party  came  to  Riverside  and  Sylvanus  H.  Ferris  purchased  a  ranch 
on  Magnolia  Avenue,  arranged  for  the  purchase  of  an  adjoining  ranch 
for  Mr.  Johnson,  and  still  another  at  the  head  of  the  avenue  for  his 
uncle.  G.  W.  G.  Ferris.  He  permanentlv  settled  at  Riverside  in  1881, 
and  built  his  residence  in   1882,  which  has  since  been  one  of  the  sub- 


1058      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

stantial  homes  and  still  is  on  that  avenue.  His  home  ranch  comprised 
forty-three  acres,  and  on  it  he  raised  high-grade  oranges.  In  addition 
Mr.  Ferris  owned  orange  properties  at  Tustin,  Orange  County,  and  at 
Etiwanda,  San  Bernardino  County,  California,  a  cottage  at  Lagona  Beach, 
California,  and  a  ranch  in  San  Antonio  Canyon,  from  which  Ontario, 
by  purchase,  afterward  acquired  its  water. 

A  very  public-spirited  man,  Mr.  Ferris  worked  hard  to  secure  the 
Santa  Fe  Railroad  from  Orange  to  Riverside,  and  was  a  director  and 
manager  of  the  Newton  Railroad  from  Riverside  to  San  Bernardino, 
which  is  now  owned  by  the  Southern  Pacific  Railroad  Company.  While 
he  was  active  as  a  republican,  he  never  sought  political  recognition. 
For  many  years  he  was  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  was 
instrumental  in  founding  it  on  Magnolia  Avenue. 

In  1858  Mr.  Ferris  married  Sabra  Booth  Cline,  who  became 
especially  prominent  in  church  and  W.  C.  T.  U.  work,  and  helped  to 
built  up  a  better  sentiment  in  this  locality.  She  was  a  philanthropist 
and  one  to  whom  charitable  impulses  were  a  second  nature.  Her  death 
occurred  in  1919,  when  she  was  over  ninety  years  of  age.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Ferris  had  four  children,  namely :  Eva,  who  is  the  wife  of  W.  S. 
Ray;  Robert  O.,  who  lives  on  the  old  homestead  at  Woodhull,  Illinois; 
Mrs.  Julia  Moulton,  who  is  mentioned  at  length,  and  Mrs.  Stella  Bel- 
lows, who  lives  at  Kansas  City,  Missouri.  In  addition  to  their  own 
children  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ferris  reared  two  others,  whom  they  took 
from  the  Home  for  the  Friendless  of  New  York  City.  One  is  Mrs. 
Delia  Shieff  and  the  other  is  George  F.  Lozier,  of  Denver,  Colorado, 
both  of  whom  grew  up  a  credit  to  their  adopted  parents  and  worthy 
of  the  love  and  care  given  them. 

Benjamin  H.  Ferris  has  been  a  resident  of  Riverside  twenty-seven 
years,  is  still  actively  engaged  in  the  real  estate  business,  and  he  repre- 
sents a  pioneer  family  and  some  of  the  pioneer  enterprise  of  the  great 
West. 

Mr.  Ferris  was  born  at  Galesburg,  Knox  County,  Illinois,  January 
23,  1845.  His  father,  George  Washington  Gale  Ferris,  was  born  in 
Herkimer  County,  New  York,  in  1818.  He  was  a  farmer  in  the  East. 
In  1850  he  made  his  first  trip  to  California,  coming  across  the  plains. 
In  1864  he  again  started  from  the  East,  accompanied  by  his  family,  and 
with  mule  teams  drove  across  country  until  he  reached  the  Carson 
Valley  of  Nevada,  where  he  settled  and  became  an  extensive  rancher. 
He  engaged  in  ranching  there  until  1880,  when  he  removed  to  Riverside 
and  lived  with  his  nephew.  S.  H.  Ferris.  Here  he  employed  his  capital 
and  the  remaining  years  of  his  active  life  in  orange  culture.  He  owned 
twenty  acres  at  the  head  of  Magnolia  Avenue  and  also  five  acres  in 
Arlington.  George  W.  G.  Ferris  was  a  fine  type  of  pioneer  character, 
strong,  able  in  business,  faithful  in  his  engagements  and  of  incorruptible 
integrity.  For  a  number  of  years  in  Nevada  he  did  the  work  of  land- 
scape gardening  on  the  State  Capitol  grounds.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  Presbvterian  Church.  His  death  occurred  in  April.  1896.  His 
wife,  Martha  (Hyde)  Ferris,  came  from  Plattsburg.  New  York,  where 
they  were  married.  Their  family  consisted  of  five  sons  and  five 
daughters.  The  youngest  son  was  G.  W.  G.  Ferris,  Jr..  an  engineer 
who  designed  and  built  the  famous  Ferris  Wheel  at  the  Chicago  World's 
Fair. 

Benjamin  H.  Ferris  was  reared  at  Galesburg,  Illinois,  and  attended 
the  public  schools  and  Knox  Colleee  in  that  citv.  While  still  a  school 
boy   he   drilled  with   a  company   in   1863   preparatory  to   service   in   the 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1059 

Civil  war,  but  was  never  called  to  active  duty.  In  1864  he  accompanied 
his  parents  across  the  plains,  lived  on  the  home  ranch,  and  since  Decem- 
ber 20,  1894,  has  been  a  resident  of  Riverside.  He  is  thoroughly  versed 
in  the  practical  science  of  orange  culture,  and  for  thirteen  years  he 
had  charge  of  the  home  grove.  Since  then  he  has  given  his  principal  time 
to  the  real  estate  business  in  Riverside.  Mr.  Ferris  is  a  republican  but 
has  never  sought  any  public  office.  He  has  been  affiliated  with  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  since  1871. 

In  Illinois  in  1871  he  married  his  first  wife,  and  to  that  union  were 
born  six  children.  Those  surviving  are  Charles  L.,  a  salesman  for  the 
Lewis  Lye  Company  of  Indianapolis,  and  dementia,  widow  of  John 
Shawler,  of  Youngstown,  Illinois.  In  May,  1901,  at  Los  Angeles,  Mr. 
Ferris  married  Maria  Margaret  Blaney,  a  nattive  of  England.  They 
are  active  members  of  the  Magnolia  Avenue  Presbyterian  Church. 

Horace  E.  Harris.  While,  during  a  residence  of  nearly  thirty  years. 
Horace  E.  Harris  has  been  known  in  San  Bernardino  as  a  banker  and 
capitalist,  the  high  tide  of  his  activities  was  reached  before  he  sought 
Southern  California  as  his  home,  and  he  has  been  satisfied  to  conserve 
his  fortune  and  exercise  his  duties  and  privileges  as  a  public  spirited 
citizen,  one  keenly  interested  in  every  phase  of  the  remarkable  prog- 
ress and  development  of  this  section. 

Few  surviving  veterans  of  the  great  Civil  war  can  present  a  record 
of  such  arduous  service  as  does  Mr.  Harris.  He  was  born  in  Essex 
County,  Vermont,  August  6,  1842,  but  during  his  childhood  the  fam- 
ily moved  to  a  farm  near  Colebrook,  New  Hampshire,  where  his  par- 
ents spent  the  rest  of  their  days  and  were  a  fine  type  of  the  rugged 
New  England  farmers.  There  Horace  E.  Harris  grew  up,  attended 
district  school,  and  was  eighteen  years  of  age  when  he  left  the  farm 
and  went  to  Augusta.  Maine,  to  enlist  as  a  soldier.  He  joined  the 
Fifth  Maine  Battery  of  Mounted  Artillery,  and  soon  afterward  re- 
ceived his  baptism  of  fire  and  was  in  the  service  until  wounded  and 
incapacitated  in  the  fall  of  1864.  though  he  was  not  formally  released 
from  the  armv  until  after  the  close  of  the  war.  His  first  battle  was 
under  General  Pope  at  Cedar  Mountain,  that  being  followed  bv  minor 
engagements  at  Raooahannock  Station  and  at  Thompson's  Gap.  Tn 
the  second  battle  of  Bull  Run  he  was  shot  in  the  neck  and  sent  to  the 
hospital,  and  this  bullet  has  never  been  removed.  After  leaving  the 
hospital  he  was  in  the  sanguinary  struggle  at  Chancellorsville.  fol- 
lowing which  came  the  three  days  battle  of  Gettysburg.  From  May 
until  July  he  was  under  General  Grant  in  the  Wilderness  campaign. 
Followine  that  the  corps  of  which  he  was  a  member  was  detached  and 
sent  to  Washington,  and  arrived  iust  in  time  to  head  off  the  threatened 
raid  of  General  Early,  whose  advance  guard  had  reached  Fourteenth 
Street  in  the  capital.  Then  followed  the  pursuit  of  Early's  forces 
through  Maryland,  across  Harper's  Ferrv  into  Virginia,  engaging  him 
at  Opeciuan  Creek,  and  thence  up  the  Shenandoah  Valley  for  eighty 
miles  to  Cedar  Creek.  There  on  the  early  morning  of  October  19. 
1Sf>4.  while  the  Union  forces  were  in  bed.  a  Confederate  leader  made 
n  sudden  attack.  Mr.  Harris  heard  a  comrade  call  to  him,  "I've  got 
it  had  "  and  the  next  minufe  Mr  Harris  answered  hirri  ivith  '"^n  have 
I."  He  had  been  badlv  wounded  in  the  lower  part  of  his  left  leg.  and 
at  the  time  this  was  written  his  leg  was  being  kept  bandaeed.  Thus 
he  was  not  a  participant  beyond  the  first  few  minutes  in  the  famous 
battle  of  Cedar  Creek.  General  Sheridan  was  then  in  Winchester  and. 
as  every  American  schoolboy  knows,  the  Union  forces  were  steadily 


1060       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

driven  back  for  six  or  seven  miles  while  he  was  making  his  wild  ride 
up  the  valley,  reaching  the  disorganized  forces  about  noon  and  by 
the  power  of  his  personality  turning  a  retreat  into  an  advance.  As 
one  of  the  wounded  Mr.  Harris  was  taken  in  an  ambulance  seven 
miles  to  the  rear  and  laid  alongside  the  road,  from  which  point  of 
vantage  he  saw  General  Sheridan  galloping  to  the  front.  In  the  ambu- 
lance, recalls  Mr.  Harris,  was  a  German  who  had  been  painfully 
wounded,  and  who  divided  the  time  about  equally  between  groaning, 
cursing  and  drinking  from  a  quart  flask  of  whiskey.  Mr.  Harris  con- 
fesses that  he  helped  his  comrade  subdue  the  bottle.  It  was  two  days 
before  his  leg  received  proper  attention.  For  a  day  and  a  half  he  was 
on  a  wagon  making  slow  and  painful  progress  to  the  Baltimore  & 
Ohio  Railroad.  By  train  he  was  taken  to  the  Baltimore  Hospital, 
where  he  remained  three  months.,  and  then  sent  to  the  Philadelphia 
Hospital.  Here  the  surgeons  decided  his  leg  should  be  amputated, 
but  he  insisted  it  should  not.  He  won  this  contention,  and  while  the 
leg  is  not  the  best  support  in  the  world,  Mr.  Harris  has  a  great  deal 
of  regard  for  that  member  since  it  has  served  him  in  a  measure  for 
some  fifty-five  years.  While  he  was  wounded  in  October,  1864,  it 
was  not  until  June,  1865,  that  he  was  sent  home  to  Augusta,  Maine. 

After  recovering  somewhat  from  the  wounds  and  hardships  of  war, 
Mr.  Harris  had  some  varied  experiences  in  New  England  and  in 
Canada.  In  1871  he  married  Priscilla  Parker  at  Coaticook,  Quebec 
Province,  where  she  was  born.  Mrs.  Harris  is  the  daughter  of  Alfred 
C.  Parker  of  that  place.  They  soon  removed  to  Newell,  Iowa,  where 
they  lived  for  thirteen  years,  and  where  he  was  first  engaged  in  the 
banking  business,  purchasing  the  bank  when  he  was  twenty-eight 
years  of  age.     Mrs.  Harris'  brother,  S.  A.  Parker,  was  a  partner. 

On  leaving  Iowa,  Mr.  Harris  came  into  the  mining  regions  of  the 
southwest.  He  located  at  Prescott,  Arizona,  and  was  associated  with 
Governor  F.  A.  Tritle  in  a  gold  mining  venture  until  he  went  broke. 
Nothing  daunted,  he  joined  A.  G.  Hubbard  and  George  W.  Bowers 
in  the  development  of  the  Harquahala  gold  mine.  It  was  something 
of  a  close  corporation,  there  being  three  shares,  one  issued  to  each 
partner,  and  Mr.  Hubbard  was  president  and  Mr.  Harris  secretary. 
They  erected  a  twenty-stamp  mill,  and  after  a  run  of  twenty-six 
months  declared  a  cash  dividend  of  more  than  five  hundred  thousand 
dollars.  The  property  was  then  sold  to  an  English  syndicate  for  a 
million  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars.  Two  years  later  Mr. 
Hubbard  bought  back  the  mines  for  six  thousand  dollars,  and  after 
holding  them  for  a  time  sold  the  property  for  forty  thousand  dollars. 

Mr.  Harris,  having  been  fortunate  in  his  Arizona  mining  ventures, 
left  that  territory  and  came  direct  to  San  Bernardino  in  1893.  A  man 
of  capital,  he  found  opportunities  for  its  investment  and  soon  became 
associated  with  the  San  Bernardino  National  Bank  and  is  still  finan- 
cially interested  in  that  institution,  though  really  retired  from  all  ac- 
tive business. 

Mr.  Harris  has  been  a  life-long  republican,  and  his  father  pos- 
sessed the  same  fundamental  principles  of  politics.  Mr.  Harris  is  a 
member  of  the  Masonic  Order  and  of  the  Congregational  Church. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harris  had  a  daughter,  Pearl,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
thirty  years.  She  was  the  wife  of  Ralph  E.  Swing,  of  San  Ber- 
nardino. Her  only  child,  Everett,  now  sixteen  years  of  age,  is  a 
pupil  in  Stanford  University.  Judge  Edwin  Parker,  deceased,  was 
a  brother  of  Mrs.  Harris. 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1061 

Edwin  J.  Gilbert. — Coming  to  California  over  thirty  years  ago,  Ed- 
win J.  Gilbert  played  no  small  part  in  the  public  and  financial  life 
of  San  Bernardino  County,  and  to  no  man  is  the  city  and  county 
more  indebted  for  skillful  and  perfect  handling  of  her  public  affairs. 
From  his  childhood  he  displayed  an  exceptional  aptitude  for  finance, 
and  he  had  a  varied  experience  along  various  lines  dealing  with 
finances  and  figures,  giving  him  an  exceptional  knowledge  of  valuesi 
and  finance.     He  passed  away  December  7,  1921. 

He  made  a  close  study  of  his  life  work  and  his  conservatism,  with 
a  mind  like  wax  to  receive  impressions  and  like  steel  to  retain  them, 
his  watchword  was  integrity  and  his  work  was  not  to  be  measured 
by  figures.  He  was  closely  identified  with  the  official  life  of  the 
county,  especially  in  finance  and  in  assessments.  He  had  progressive 
ideas  and  kept  abreast  of  all  the  modern  methods  of  handling  and 
dealing  with  financial  question  and  all  lines  of  his  offices,  and  he  was 
gifted  with  practical  foresight  and  an  intuitive  sense  of  values,  com- 
bined with  rare  judgment.  So  it  is  no  wonder  that  his  fellow  men, 
following  his  career,  early  learned  that  he  was  one  man  who  would 
work  for  the  good  and  advancement  of  the  commonwealth  and  de- 
manded at  the  polls  his  election  to  various  important  offices.  This 
appreciation  of  Mr.  Gilbert  was  not  confined  to  one  circle  of  citizens, 
but  it  was  a  popular  demand  from  all  classes  that  he  be  placed  in  the 
offices.  There  were  no  loose  ends  about  his  offices,  for  he  not  only 
knew  how  to  do  things  himself  but  also  how  to  get  work  done. 

Mr.  Gilbert  found  recreation  in  the  hard  work  pertaining  to  the 
assessorship  and  the  intricacies  of  land  and  other  values,  and  one 
thing  his  constituents  know,  his  assessments  were  always  strictly  just 
to  everyone,  rich  and  poor  alike. 

Mr.  Gilbert  was  born  in  Rockford,  Illinois,  June  18,  1848,  the  son 
of  Milo  and  Margaret  (Palmer)  Gilbert,  his  father  a  native  of  Ver- 
mont and  his  mother  of  Cleveland,  Ohio.  Milo  Gilbert  moved  to 
Illinois  from  Vermont  about  1846,  and  located  on  a  farm  near  Rock- 
ford.  He  did  not  confine  his  attention  to  farming,  but  did  railroad 
contracting  and  was  also  a  manufacturer  and  a  merchant,  and  he 
achieved  success  in  all  lines.  He  was  a  representative  and  prominent 
man  of  that  county.  He  came  out  to  California  in  1886  and  located 
at  Colton,  where  he  lived,  actively  engaged  in  business  and  enjoying 
the  Southland,  until  his  death  in  Colton  in  1906.  His  wife  died  in 
1908. 

Mr.  Gilbert  was  educated  in  the  east,  leaving  Rockford  with  his 
father  at  the  age  of  six  years  and  locating  in  Charles  City,  Iowa.  Here 
he  attended  school,  and  was  graduated  from  the  high  school.  He 
attended  the  Cedar  Valley  Seminary  at  Osage  for  two  years.  He 
then  started  to  work,  his  first  step  on  the  road  to  success  being  em- 
ployment by  the  C.  M.  &  St.  Paul  Railroad,  on  the  office  force.  Here 
he  remained  eight  years,  acquiring  a  thorough  education  in  that  line 
of  work,  and  some  knowledge  of  his  work  must  have  become  known 
to  outsiders,  for  he  was  then  elected  county  treasurer  of  Floyd  Coun- 
ty, Iowa.  This  position  he  held  for  two  terms  and  then  decided  to 
farm  awhile.  He  farmed  in  Floyd  County  for  four  years  and  then 
went  to  Colton,  California,  where  his  father  had  been  located  over 
two  years.  His  first  work  in  his  new  home  was  as  a  deputy  for  the 
county  tax  collector,  and  he  followed  this  for  eight  years.  Then  he 
went  into  the  assessor's  office  as  chief  deputy,  and  filled  that  position 
ably  for  two  years. 


1062      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

At  this  time  he  decided  to  go  in  business  for  himself,  and  accord- 
ingly opened  offices  in  San  Bernardino  in  1909,  making  a  specialty 
of  public  accounting,  with  that  city  as  his  headquarters.  He  was  then, 
until  1913,  the  state  inheritance  tax  appraiser,  and  from  1913  to  1914, 
a  portion  of  each  year,  was  president  of  the  Board  of  Water  Commis- 
sioners. By  this  time  he  had  established  such  a  high  standing  that 
he  was  appointed  by  the  Board  of  Supervisors  as  county  assessor, 
taking  office  the  first  Monday  in  January,  1915.  He  was,  in  fact,  de- 
manded by  the  people  for  the  office,  and  he  held  that  office  until  1919 
on  that  appointment,  but  in  1919  was  elected  for  the  four  year  term, 
and  this  position  he  held  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  to  the  mutual 
benefit  and  satisfaction  of  all  concerned.  Mr.  Gilbert  was  identified 
with  financial  circles  of  the  city  by  a  directorship  in  the  American 
National  Bank  of  San  Bernardino. 

He  married  on  May  4,  1870,  Estelle  Merrill,  of  Harmony,  Maine, 
who  died  in  May,  1914.  They  were  the  parents  of  three  children : 
Lulu  G.,  wife  of  Charles  Miles,  of  Los  Angeles,  who  has  two  children, 
Margery,  wife  of  Dudley  Strickland,  of  San  Francisco,  and  who  has 
three  children;  and  Miss  Florence,  who  was  at  home  with  her  father. 
Mr.  Gilbert  was  a  member  of  San  Bernardino  Lodge  No.  836,  Benevo- 
lent and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  and  was  a  member  of  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America  from  1886.  In  politics  he  was  always  inde- 
pendent. 

George  A.  French  came  to  Riverside  on  a  three  months'  vacation 
from  his  New  York  practice,  but  liked  the  Gem  City  so  well  that  before 
his  vacation  expired  he  purchased  a  half  section  of  land  and  remained 
here.  For  several  years  he  lived  out  in  the  open,  ranching,  and  is  still 
interested  in  ranching  and  citrus  fruit  growing,  though  for  nearly  a 
quarter  of  a  century  the  law  and  politics  have  absorbed  almost  entirely 
his  energies.  He  is  one  of  the  influential  republican  leaders  in  Riverside 
County,  has  represented  the  party  in  caucas  and  primary  and  in  state 
and  county  conventions  under  the  old  election  laws,  and  is  still  a  member 
of  the  County  Central  Committee. 

While  his  early  life  was  spent  in  New  York  City.  Judge  French 
represents  a  distinctive  part  of  old  New  England,  Vermont.  The  Frenches 
are  of  Welsh  descent.  During  the  Revolutionary  period  the  family  fur- 
nished supplies  to  the  Continental  Army  in  Vermont.  His  grandfather 
was  a  successful  lawyer  of  that  state,  and  for  a  number  of  years  held  the 
office  of  district  attorney  of  Chittenden  County. 

Judge  French  is  a  son  of  Charles  O.  French,  who  w\as  born  at 
Williston,  Chittenden  County,  Vermont,  February  24,  1839,  and  as  a 
young  man  became  a  resident  of  Burlington,  where  he  graduated  from 
the  University  of  Vermont.  During  the  Civil  war  he  served  in  the 
Twelfth  Vermont  Volunteers  with  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  and  at 
the  close  of  the  struggle  was  commissioned  captain.  After  the  war  he 
became  proprietor  of  a  book  and  stationery  store  at  Burlington,  but, 
seekine  a  larger  field  of  activities,  sold  out  in  1876  and  removed  to  New 
York  City,  where  he  entered  a  general  publishing  business,  an  enterprise 
that  proved  hiehlv  successful  and  grew  to  one  of  extensive  dimensions, 
largely  under  his  direction  and  as  a  result  of  his  management.  He  was 
in  this  business  until  1910,  when  he  sold  his  interests  and  came  to  Rivern 
side  to  live  with  his  son.  While  in  New  York  he  was  president  of  the 
Dolores  Valley  Mining  Company  from  1882  to  1887. 

George  A.  French,  a  son  of  Charles  O.  and  Mary  H.  French,  was 
born  at  Burlington,  Chittenden  County,  Vermont,  July  5,   1868.     Up  to 


A.  G.  HUBBARD 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1063 

the  age  of  eight  years  he  attended  public  school  in  that  city,  afterward 
in  New  York,  and  in  1880  entered  St.  Paul's  preparatory  school  at 
Concord,  New  Hampshire,  graduating  six  years  later.  In  1889  he  received 
the  Bachelor  of  Arts  degree  from  Trinity  College  at  Hartford,  Con- 
necticut, his  alma  mater  three  years  later  conferring  upon  him  the  degree 
Master  of  Arts.  He  began  the  preparatory  course  of  lectures  in  the  fall 
of  1890  in  the  law  department  of  Columbia  University  at  New  York, 
but  the  next  year  entered  the  New  York  Law  School,  graduating  LL.B. 
in  1892. 

Judge  French  was  admitted  to  practice  in  the  Supreme  Court  of  New 
York  State,  and  although  a  young  man  his  abilities  quickly  attracted 
a  large  and  important  clientele  in  New  York  City.  After  a  year  of 
very  hard  work  he  took  a  vacation,  traveling  in  Europe  from  October, 
1893,  to  June,  1894.  He  then  visited  Riverside,  and  its  attractions  proved 
a  dominating  influence  sufficient  to  wean  him  altogether  from  the  East. 
He  bought  a  two  hundred  and  forty  acre  ranch,  and  for  three  years 
lived  outdoors,  busied  with  its  work  and  superintendence.  He  then 
moved  into  Riverside  and  resumed  the  practice  of  law,  to  which  he  has 
given  his  time  ever  since.  He  still  owns  a  hundred  sixty  acres  of  farming 
land  near  Winchester  and  also  a  five  acre  orange  grove  in  Riverside. 

In  1907  he  was  appointed  judge  of  the  Police  Court  by  Mayor 
S.  C.  Evans,  and  by  reappointment  from  succeeding  mayors  held  that 
position  until  1915.  Since  1918  he  has  been  assistant  city  attorney. 
During  the  World  war  he  gave  to  the  cause  and  needs  of  the  Govern- 
ment call  upon  his  time  and  finances,  and  was  also  a  member  of  the 
Second  Company  of  the  California  Home  Guards.  Socially  and 
fraternally  he  is  a  member  of  numerous  organizations,  including 
the  New  England  College  Club,  College  Men's  Association  of  Southern 
California,  National  Geographic  Society,  Psi  Upsilon  fraternity,  Royal 
Arcanum  and  Independent  Order  of  Foresters. 

At  Riverside,  July  25,  1899,  Judge  French  married  Miss  Alice 
Lindenberger,  of  Winchester.  Her  father,  Hon.  F.  T.  Lindenberger, 
represented  this  district  in  the  State  Legislature  in  1897.  The  four 
children  of  Judge  and  Mrs.  French  are:  Dorothy  E.,  a  student  in  the 
Riverside  Junior  College;  Mary  H.,  Charles  Oliver  and  David  G., 
pupils  in  the  Riverside  schools. 

A.  G.  Hubbard  came  into  the  great  West  and  Southwest  shortly  after 
the  close  of  the  Civil  war.  He  had  the  training  of  a  mining  engineer,  and 
the  mining  industry  absorbed  his  enthusiasm,  his  strength  and  his  abilities 
in  California  and  in  other  sections  of  the  Southwest  until  he  had  ac- 
cumulated a  substantial  fortune.  In  the  meantime  he  had  visited  what 
is  now  the  Redlands  districts,  had  made  some  investments,  and  for  many 
vears  has  been  one  of  the  foremost  capitalists  in  directing  and  lending 
his  resources  to  enterprises  and  individuals  who  have  redeemed  a  desert 
country  into  one  of  the  most  profitable  and  beautiful  sections  of  South- 
ern California. 

Mr.  Hubbard  was  born  in  Wisconsin  in  1847.  As  a  youth  he  studied 
and  acquired  a  knowledge  of  chemistry,  metallurgy  and  mine  engineering. 
It  was  in  1865  that  he  started  across  the  plains  on  horseback,  riding 
all  the  way  from  the  Missouri  River  to  the  Citv  of  Mexico.  Thence 
returning  to  Texas,  he  came  on  West  to  the  Pacific  Coast  in  the  fall  of 
1867.  In  1886  Mr.  Hubbard  took  charge  of  a  copper  mine  for  an 
English  syndicate,  and  thereafter  for  several  .vears  was  a  mine  super- 
intendent, had  charge  of  reduction  works,  and  did  much  expert  service 
in  reporting  on  prospects  through  Arizona,  California,  Mexico  and  New 


1064      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

Mexico.  From  the  active  practice  of  his  profession  he  accumulated 
enough  capital  to  engage  in  mining  for  himself,  and  he  opened  and  de- 
veloped and  managed  a  number  of  mines  in  various  states,  giving  prac- 
tically his  entire  time  to  the  business  until  1893. 

While  on  a  vacation  in  1878  Mr.  Hubbard  visited  Redlands  and  the 
Santa  Ana  River  Valley.  With  the  eye  of  a  practical  engineer  he  con- 
templated the  construction  of  a  flume  to  carry  lumber  from  the  San 
Bernardino  Mountains  into  the  valley.  Subsequent  investigation  re- 
vealed the  fact  that  the  Bear  Valley  Water  Company  had  already  ap- 
propriated the  waters.  While  this  frustrated  his  plans,  Mr.  Hubbard 
was  so  impressed  with  the  valley  that  he  invested  a  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  dollars  on  his  own  account,  and  even  then  prophesied  that  an 
enormous  wealth  would  some  day  be  returned  to  the  orange  industry  in 
this  vicinity.  Mr.  Hubbard  improved  a  large  part  of  his  holdings.  But 
the  lure  of  the  mining  game  was  still  strong  upon  him,  and  leaving  his 
investments  at  Redlands  he  returned  to  his  occupation,  having  pur- 
chased and  in  association  with  his  old  mining  partner,  George  W. 
Bowers,  undertook  the  development  of  the  famous  Harqua  Hala  Bonan- 
za property  in  Arizona.  They  opened  this  at  an  expense  of  about  two 
hundred  and  seventy-five  thousand  dollars,  and  in  a  short  time  had 
taken  out  ores  to  the  value  of  a  million  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand 
dollars.  With  this  success  to  his  credit  Mr.  Hubbard  sold  his  share 
of  the  property,  and  determined  to  retire  altogether  from  mining.  After 
two  vears  of  extensive  travel  throughout  North  America,  Mexico  and 
the  Gulf  countries,  he  returned  to  Redlands  and  at  once  proceeded  to 
carry  out  some  plans  for  improvement  that  he  had  cherished. 

Almost  his  first  act  was  to  demolish  the  old  Terrace  Villa,  one  of 
the  pioneer  hotel  properties  of  Redlands  and  where  he  had  been  a  guest 
when  it  was  in  the  course  of  construction.  This  was  one  of  his  first 
purchases  in  Redlands.  and  one  the  site  he  constructed  the  beautiful 
residence  where  he  still  resides  and  for  which  he  retains  the  old  name  of 
the  Villa  Terrace.  Subsequent  years  he  has  employed  with  wise  public 
spirit  and  public  generosity  his  resources  as  a  capitalist,  investing  in 
property  and  also  funding  other  men  in  their  improvements  and  under- 
takings. To  A.  G.  Hubbard  Redlands  owes  in  no  small  degree  its  won- 
derful prosperity. 

He  married  in  1887.  in  Redlands.  Lura  Spoor,  daughter  of  Rev. 
O.  H.  Spoor,  of  Redlands.  Thev  have  three  children :  Herbert  L., 
a  graduate  of  Stanford  and  now  engaged  in  farming  in  San  Bernardino 
Countv:  Mabel  G..  wife  of  Brooke  E.  Sawyer,  of  Santa  Barbara;  and 
Lura   Hubbard,  attending  school. 

Mr.  Hnbhard  is  a  thirtv-second  degree  Mason  through  both  the  York 
nnd  Scottish  Bite  and  is  also  a  member  of  the  Badlands  I.odo-p  of  Benevo- 
lent and  Protective  Order  of  Elks.     Tn  politics  he  is  a  republican. 

Tames  McDouhall  has  given  fully  a  third  of  a  centurv  of  con- 
tinuous business  activity  to  Riverside.  He  owns  a  large  and  profitable 
business  in  the  painting  and  decorating  trades,  and  more  or  less  contin- 
uously since  coming  to  California  has  also  been  interested  in  the  develop- 
ment and  ownership  of  orange  groves. 

Mr.  McDougall  was  bom  at  Woodstoek  Ontario.  Canada.  August  3. 
1856.  son  of  Tamps  and  Cecilia  McDoupall  His  parents  represented  fam- 
ilies that  vverp  pioneers  in  Hamilton  and  Niagara  Ealls  on  the  Canadian 
side.  His  father  had  a  successful  career  in  those  localities  as  an  archi- 
tect nnri  btiilder. 

Tames  McDonpall  arnnireH  n  nractiral  pdn'-ation  in  the  schools  of 
Woodstock,  and  at  the  age  of  fifteen  began  a  five  years'  apprenticeship 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1065 

in  the  painting  and  decorating  business.  He  learned  these  trades  thor- 
oughly, and  they  have  been  the  foundation  of  his  life  work.  For  several 
years  he  had  a  good  business  at  Woodstock,  but  in  his  enthusiasm  for 
success  took  on  heavier  burdens  than  his  strength  would  permit,  and  by 
1886  he  realized  his  health  was  more  important  than  his  business,  and 
early  in  1887  he  sold  out  and  came  to  Riverside,  California.  In  that  year 
he  bought  some  town  lots  and  erected  a  home,  where  he  and  his  good  wife 
have  lived  continuously  for  thirty-four  years.  He  was  soon  re-established 
on  a  profitable  basis  in  the  painting  and  decorating  business,  and  still 
directs  a  thoroughly  equipped  and  efficient  organization  in  that  line.  He 
has  developed  several  orange  groves  during  the  last  thirty  years,  and 
always  has  one  as  a  side  line  interest. 

Mr.  McDougall  is  a  man  of  more  than  one  resource.  As  a  child  he 
was  musically  inclined,  and  at  the  age  of  fourteen  was  playing  a  clarionet 
in  a  military  band  attached  to  the  Twenty-Second  Rifle  Regiment  at 
Woodstock.  He  is  a  liberal  republican  in  politics,  with  reform  tendencies, 
is  a  member  of  the  Masons  and  Elks,  and  he  and  Mrs.  McDougall  have 
been  members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  since  the  church  of  that  de- 
nomination was  established  at  Riverside. 

At  Woodstock,  Canada,  February  9.  1881.  Mr.  McDougall  married 
Miss  Mary  McLean.  Her  parents  came  from  Scotland  on  a  sailing  vessel 
to  Canada  in  1850.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McDougall  had  six  children,  four  sons 
and  two  daughters,  one  son  dying  in  infancy.  The  two  older  sons,  S.  R. 
and  J.  B.  McDougall.  both  served  with  Company  M  of  the  Seventh  Regi- 
ment of  the  National  Guard  at  Riverside.  S.  R.  McDougall  now  con- 
ducts a  blacksmith  and  automobile  shop.  J.  Boyd  McDoueall  was  deputy 
tax  collector  of  Riverside  Countv  for  seven  years  and  died  during  the 
influenza  epidemic  of  1918-19.  The  third  son,  H.  W.  McDougall.  is  a 
refrigerating  engineer.  The  two  daughters.  Jean  and  Winifred,  are  both 
married. 

Henry  B.  Slater — Riverside  for  a  number  of  years  has  been  the 
chosen  home  of  a  scientist  and  inventor  whose  name  and  work  are 
known  to  practically  every  student  of  metallurgy  and  the  chemistry 
of  metals.  The  career  of  Henry  B.  Slater  has  been  unlike  that  of 
most  men  who  has  attained  distinction  in  the  field  of  scholarship. 
The  zest  for  adventure  which  impelled  him  as  a  youth  to  sail  to  all 
ports  and  quarters  of  the  civilized  globe  no  doubt  has  been  a  factor 
in  the  pursuit  of  knowledge  which  has  characterized  his  later  years. 

He  was  born  at  Birmingham.  England.  January  16.  1850.  son  of 
Frederick  and  Ann  (Stokes1)  Slater,  both  of  old  English  families. 
The  Slater  family  runs  back  in  Derbyshire  for  many  generations. 
His  grandfather  was  a  member  of  Wellington's  staff.  Frederick 
Slater  was  a  carter  in  England,  an  occupation  better  described  in 
this  country  as  that  of  a  transfer  man.  Henrv  B.  Slater  has  three 
brothers  and  two  sisters  living;  Tames,  a  retired  business  man  at 
Birmingham ;  Fred,  a  gentleman  farmer,  now  practically  retired,  of 
Knowle  and  Birmingham  :  George,  a  Birmingham  business  man ;  Mrs 
Marie  Fisher,  wife  of  a  business  man  at  Irvington,  New  Jersey  ;  and 
Sarah  Jane,  of  Birmingham. 

Intellectual  curiosity  and  the  faculty  of  enterprise  early  matured 
in  the  character  of  Henry  B.  Slater,  and  he  was  a  mere  child  when 
he  made  up  his  mind  to  see  what  the  world  was  like  outside  of  his 
local  environment.  At  the  age  of  ten  he  ran  away  and  tramped  to 
London,  the  romance  of  the  sea  appealing  to  him  and  he  secured  a 
berth  aboard  the  steamship  "Pilot"  of  the  General  Steam  Navigation 


1066      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

Company's  line.  He  went  on  board  as  "call  boy"  at  a  time  when  no 
ships  were  equipped  with  electric  bells  or  telephones,  and  when  verbal 
messages  had  to  be  communicated  from  one  part  of  the  ship  to  another 
by  messenger  boys.  On  the  Pilot  he  made  several  trips  between 
London  and  Hamburg.  He  next  joined  the  Sarah  Scott,  a  full  rigged 
ship  bound  for  the  East  Indies.  On  his  eleventh  birthday,  in  1861, 
he  was  going  through  the  Mozambique  Channel.  The  cruise  con- 
tinued to  the  East  Indies,  Australia,  the  Philippine  Islands,  Japan, 
and  in  1863  he  sailed  from  Cebu,  Philippine  Islands,  for  London 
by  way  of  Honolulu,  San  Francisco  and  the  Horn.  The  boat  dis- 
charged part  of  its  cargo  in  San  Francisco,  thence  departing,  Decem- 
ber 16,  1863,  around  the  Horn  and  arriving  in  London  in  May,  1864. 
Young  Slater  was  afterward  on  different  vessels  on  the  French, 
German  and  Danish  coasts  and  in  the  White  Sea  at  Archangel.  While 
at  Jaffa  in  the  Mediterranean  he  and  three  other  shipmates  took  A.  W. 
O.  L.  and  visited  in  Jerusalem  a  week.  Returning  to  Jaffa  they  found 
their  vessel  waiting  for  them. 

Still  another  trip  around  the  world  was  made  by  way  of  Cape 
Good  Hope  to  the  East  Indies  and  back  around  the  Horn.  In  1868 
he  sailed  from  Newport,  Wales,  for  Halifax,  Nova  Scotia,  in  the  bark 
Janet  of  Liverpool,  Nova  Scotia.  During  the  next  two  years  he  was  in 
the  coastal  service  out  of  Liverpool,  Nova  Scotia,  to  the  West  Indies 
and  South  American  ports.  Wednesday,  January  25,  1870,  Mr.  Slater 
sailed  from  New  York  to  Liverpool,  Nova  Scotia.  The  vessel  en- 
countered a  heavy  blow  from  the  northwest,  and  the  ship  was  lost. 
The  crew  took  to  the  ship's  long  boat  and  were  exposed  twenty-one 
days  before  being  rescued.  There  were  eleven  in  the  boat,  but  all 
came  through.  That  voyage  of  hardship  coincided  with  the  storm 
when  the  City  of  Boston  of  the  Inman  line  disappeared.  This  boat 
left  Halifax  the  last  Saturday  in  January,  1870,  and  was  never  heard 
from  again. 

Mr.  Slater  made  one  more  trip  from  Liverpool,  Nova  Scotia,  to 
the  West  Indies,  with  the  understanding  that  he  was  to  receive  his 
discharge  in  the  United  States.  On  arrival  in  New  York  in  September, 
1870,  he  was  given  his  discharge  and  went  to  Cambridge,  Massa- 
chusetts. He  remained  there  until  1874,  by  which  time  he  had 
completed  his  apprenticeship  as  a  machinist  with  J.  J.  Walworth  & 
Company,  now  the  Walworth  Manufacturing  Company.  He  then  re- 
visited England,  returning  to  the  United  States  late  in  the  fall,  and  spent 
the  time  until  the  spring  of  1875  in  and  around  Liverpool,  Nova  Scotia. 
His  early  industrial  experience  was  at  Providence.  Rhode  Island,  where 
he  worked  for  a  time  in  the  tool  department  of  the  Brown  &  Sharpe  Man- 
ufacturing Company  and  also  in  the  Corliss  Engine  Works. 

Mr.  Slater  set  out  for  California  in  1876.  Circumstances  caused 
him  to  abandon  his  journey  and  remain  in  Missouri,  where  he  enrolled 
as  a  student  in  Drurv  College  in  Springfield.  He  pursued  his  studies 
there  until  July.  1879,  and  then  returned  East  and  for  a  year  was  in 
Brown  LTniversity  at  Providence.  Rhode  Island.  At  Brown  he  studied 
Greek  under  Benjamin  Ide  Wheeler,  whose  name  is  familiarly  linked 
with  the  University  of  California.  While  in  Missouri  Mr.  Slater 
contracted  malaria,  and  this,  together  with  pecuniary  embarrassment, 
caused  him  to  give  up  the  intention  of  completing  his  university 
career. 

About  that  time  he  became  associated  with  others  in  the  business 
of  electro  plating,  and  that  was  his  specialty  for  some  time.  Nickel 
plating  was  then   in   its  infancy,  and  having  made   some  improvements 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1067 

in  the  process  he  was  employed  by  the  Providence  Tool  Company  of 
Rhode  Island  to  set  up  its  plant  to  do  its  own  plating.  In  1882 
he  was  employed  by  the  Singer  Manufacturing  Company  of  Elizabeth, 
New  Jersey,  to  install  the  plating  process  there. 

During  1882-83-84-85,  while  with  the  Singer  Company,  Mr.  Slater 
became  interested  in  chlorine,  with  special  reference  to  its  action 
upon  mineral  contents  of  ores.  His  continued  studies  and  experiments 
of  nearly  forty  years  make  him  probably  the  foremost  authority  on 
the  use  of  chlorine  in  economic  metallurgy.  In  1889  he  obtained  a 
patent  for  a  process  of  extracting  zinc  from  low  grade  ores,  such  as 
those  found  in  the  Leadville  district  of  Colorado,  whither  he  had 
removed  in  1888.  About  that  time  he  was  also  experimenting  in 
electrical  generators  and  motors,  and  was  granted  several  patents 
for  improvements  on  such  machinery. 

Mr.  Slater  was  in  Colorado  until  1902,  when  he  removed  to  Cali- 
fornia. For  the  past  twenty  years  his  time  has  been  devoted 
principally  to  research  along  metallurgical  lines.  He,  has  been  as- 
sociated for  the  last  sixteen  years  with  R.  B.  Sheldon,  a  prominent 
Riverside  business  man,  whose  career  is  elsewhere  sketched  in  this 
publication.  In  the  past  eight  years  Mr.  Slater  has  been  granted 
ten  different  patents  on  improvements  in  metallurgical  processes. 
The  underlying  principles  in  these  processes  involve  the  use  of 
chlorine  generated  electrolitically  in  combination  with  other  sub- 
stances in  the  formation  of  a  leeching  solution  with  which  to  extract 
the  metallic  values  from  ores.  Copper  ores  have  been  the  chief 
subject  of  his  experimental  work.  Recently  he  has  been  engaged  in 
the  problem  of  simplifying  a  process  for  making  of  what  is  known 
as  Dakin's  solution,  a  chemical  and  medicinal  preparation  so  success- 
fully used  in  surgery  during  the  late  war  by  Dr.  Alexis  Carrel. 
His  aim  is  to  arrange  for  production  of  this  solution  by  those 
without  technical  training  through  the  simple  application  of  an  electric 
current  that  will  prepare  it  in  the  proper  strength  for  immediate  use. 

Mr.  Slater  has  received  many  recognitions  of  his  scientific  attain- 
ments. Drury  College  conferred  upon  him  the  honorary  degree  of 
Master  of  Science  in  1889.  He  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the 
American  Institute  of  Electrical  Engineers  in  1884.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  American  Institute  of  Mining  and  Metallurgical  Engineers, 
a  member  of  the  American  Chemical  Society,  the  American  Asso- 
ciation for  the  Advancement  of  Science,  the  National  Geographic 
Society,  the  Joint  Technical  Societies  of  Los  Angeles.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Gamut  Club  of  Los  Angeles,  Present  Day  Club  of 
Riverside,  and  Riverside  Lodge  No.  643,  Benevolent  and  Protective 
Order  of  Elks.  Many  years  ago  he  was  member  for  three  years  of 
Company  K,  Fifth  Regiment,  of  the  Massachusetts  State  Militia. 
He  votes  as  a  republican. 

September  19,  1889,  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  Mr.  Slater  married  Miss 
Minnie  Osmond,  a  native  of  that  city.  Her  father  was  an  Englishman 
by  birth  and  a  prominent  physician  at  Cincinnati.  Mrs.  Slater  died 
in  March,  1893,  and  is  survived  by  one  son,  Edwin  Osmond  Slater. 
He  had  been  a  student  for  three  years  in  the  University  of  California 
when  he  was  called  to  the  army,  entered  the  Officers  Training  School 
at  The  Presidio,  San  Francisco,  was  commissioned  a  second  lieutenant 
in  Company  K,  363rd  Infantry,  at  Camp  Lewis,  and  afterwards 
assigned  to'  Company  M,  and  went  to  France  with  the  Ninety-first 
Division.  While  overseas  he  was  promoted  to  first  lieutenant,  and 
saw  active  service  through  the  San  Mihiel  and  Argonne  campaigns 


1068       SAX  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

and  in  Flanders.  After  the  signing  of  the  armistice  he  was  detailed 
for  other  duties  and  returned  to  this  country-  in  the  fall  of  1919,  and 
received  an  honorable  discharge. 

James  H.  Bubtker  ha.-  to  his  credit  forty  consecutive  years  as  a 
railroad  man,  and  nearly  half  of  that  service  has  been  in  California. 
For  a  number  of  years  he  has  been  district  freight  and  passenger 
agent  for  the  Salt  Lake  Railroad  now  the  Union  Pacific  System  at 
Riverside. 

Mr.  Burtner  took  up  railroading  not  far  from  the  community 
where  he  was  born.  His  birthplace  was  a  farm  near  New  Goshen 
in  Vigo  Count}-,  Indiana,  where  he  first  saw  the  light  of  day  February 
10.  1859.  He  represents  an  old  American  family  of  Pennsylvania 
Dutch  descent  and  Revolutionary  stock.  His  father,  John  Burtner, 
was  born  in  Cumberland  County,  Pennsylvania.  A  brother,  Rev. 
George  W.  Burtner.  who  with  his  foster  brother,  John  Carroll,  of 
Dayton.  Ohio,  served  in  the  Union  Army  all  through  the  war.  John 
Burtner  was  an  itinerant  minister  of  the  United  Brethern  Church 
and  a  farmer,  was  reared  at  Dayton,  Ohio  and  subsequently  moved 
to  Illinois.  The  old  Burtner  homestead  in  Dayton.  Ohio,  is  now 
Shiloh  Springs  Sanitarium.  The  mother  of  James  H.  Burtner  was 
Margaret  Ann  Berry,  born  in  Rockingham  Count}-,  Virginia,  of 
an  English  family  that  came  to  America  in  1680.  James  H.  Burtner 
attended  public  schools  and  high  school  in  Illinois,  and  completed 
a  teacher's  course  at  YVestfield  College  in  Illinois  in  1879.  While  he 
had  a  year  or  so  of  experience  as  a  teacher  in  Illinois,  on  January  1. 
1881.  he  went  to  work  for  the  Big  Four  Railroad  Company  at  Paris, 
Illinois,  remaining  there  five  years,  and  altogether  spent  twenty-two 
years  with  the  Big  Four  station  work.  On  March  15,  1903.  he  began 
his  duties  as  first  agent  of  the  Salt  Lake  lines  at  Pomona,  was  made 
hrst  agent  at  Riverside  in  1904.  and  later  was  commercial  agent  here 
and  for  2-2  years  was  district  freight  and  passenger  agent  at  Salt 
Lake  City-.  He  then  came  to  Riverside  as  district  freight  and  passen- 
ger agent,  and  that  has  been  his  place  of  duty  ever  since  except  during 
the  period  of  the  war.  When  the  Government  took  over  the  railroads 
the  Traffic  department  was  practically  suspended,  and  he  was  assigned 
to  duly-  with  the  operating  department  at  Castmore.  operating  between 
Riverside  and  Castmore  through  to  Rialto  and  Bly,  and  was  prac- 
tically general  executive  of  the  operating  division  over  that  section 
during  the  war. 

In  younger  years  while  at  Paris,  Illinois,  Mr.  Burtner  was  in 
the  Sixth  Regiment.  Illinois  National  Guard,  for  five  years,  and  part 
of  the  time  was  leader  of  the  Sixth  Regiment  Band.  He  was  quite 
active  in  republican  politics  in  Illinois,  and  was  alderman  at  Litch- 
field during  the  great  railroad  strike  period.  Mr.  Burtner  has  been 
a  director  for  many  years  of  the  Riverside  Chamber  of  Commerce,  is 
a  past  exalted  ruler  of  the  Elks,  served  as  noble  grand  of  the  Odd 
Fellows  in  Illinois,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America.  At  Robinson,  Illinois,  May  31,  1883,  he  married  Flora 
A.  Burson,  daughter  of  Henderson  Burson.  a  merchant  now  deceased. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Burtner  have  one  daughter,  Mabel  H.,  a  graduate  of 
the  Cumnock  School  of  Los  Angeles. 

William  J.  Tebo — In  the  affairs  of  Chino  and  the  Chino  Valley 
during  the  last  forty  years  no  one  has  played  a  more  rigorous  part  than 
William  J.  Tebo,   merchant,  farmer,   with  constantly  growing  business 


t 


\uu  yh.^.^jUf 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1009 

interests,  and  at  the  same  time  a  strenuous  law  and  order  man  who  has 
proved  himself  indispensable  to  the  task  of  making  this  a  clean  and  sate 
place  in  which  to  live. 

Mr.  Tebo  was  born  at  Dundas,  Province  of  Ontario,  Canada,  June 
20,  1865,  son  of  George  and  Elizabeth  (btrong)  Tebo.  His  father  was 
a  native  of  Canada,  wnere  he  spent  his  life  as  a  farmer.  He  was  left 
an  orphan  when  a  child  and  was  reared  by  friends  until  old  enough 
to  make  his  own  way.  He  lived  to  the  remarkable  age  of  ninety-eight 
years,  passing  away  August  27,  1921.  His  wife  was  born  in  England 
and  came  to  Canada  with  her  parents  at  the  age  of  seventeen. 

William  J.  Tebo,  one  of  a  family  of  four  sons  and  four  daughters, 
acquired  a  good  common  school  education,  and  in  1881,  at  the  age  of 
sixteen,  left  Canada  and  went  to  Plymouth  County,  Iowa.  That  was 
a  prairie  county  and  new,  cattle  raising  being  the  principal  industry.  He 
secured  employment  the  first  year  working  among  the  cattle  and  con- 
structing pole  sheds  covered  with  flax  straw  for  protection  from  the 
winter  storms.  The  following  summer  he  farmed  and  then  rented  land 
and  went  on  his  own  hook.  He  bought  horses  and  tools,  put  in  a  crop, 
but  later  discovered  that  the  horses  he  had  bought  were  afflicted  with  a 
virulent  disease,  the  glanders.  The  authorities  took  the  animals,  de- 
stroyed them,  buried  the  harness  and  burned  his  shed  barns  as  the  offi- 
cial means  to  stamp  out  the  disease.  It  was  a  heavy  financial  blow  to 
Mr.  Tebo.  There  was  one  consolation,  however,  he  had  planted  his 
corn  crop  on  a  high  ridge  of  land.  A  frost  had  killed  most  of  the  corn 
in  that  section,  but  his  being  on  the  high  ground  was  uninjured,  and  he 
was  able  to  sell  the  crop  for  seed  corn  at  a  premium. 

In  the  fall  of  1883  Mr.  Tebo  left  Iowa  and  came  to  Sacramento, 
California,  working  here  one  year.  He  then  went  back  to  Iowa,  primarily 
to  testify  in  behalf  of  a  friend  who,  like  himself,  had  bought  diseased 
horses  on  time.  The  seller  had  sued  his  friend  for  damages,  but  Mr. 
Tebo's  testimony  established  a  defense  that  prevented  the  fraud.  While 
in  Iowa  in  1884  Mr.  Tebo  married  Miss  Alice  Hammond,  a  native  of 
that  state.  Again  for  a  season  he  tried  farming  there,  and  had  a  con- 
tract for  breaking  a  large  prairie.  In  that  year  Iowa  became  a  prohibi- 
tion state  and  was  afflicted  with  hard  times.  Mr.  Tebo  sold  his  teams, 
and  two  weeks  later  was  on  his  way  to  California.  After  one  year  in 
Yolo  County,  where  he  broke  and  shipped  horses  to  the  Los  Angeles 
market,  Mr.  Tebo,  about  1886,  moved  south  and  bought  a  half  interest 
in  120  acres  of  land  east  of  and  near  Chino. 

At  this  time  this  section  was  a  splendid  stock  range,  and  land  sur- 
veys were  just  being  run  and  the  surveyors  were  working  on  a  plat 
of  Chino  townsite.  Mr.  Tebo  soon  traded  his  land  interests  for  Chiho 
lots,  and  built  one  of  the  first  homes  in  the  town,  at  the  corner  of  B  and 
Sixth  streets.  He  has  lived  on  this  property  for  more  than  thirty-five 
years,  and  about  ten  years  ago  he  built  one  of  the  most  modern  homes  of 
the  town.  There  has  been  no  interruption  to  his  work  as  a  farmer  in 
all  these  years.  In  1891  work  was  started  on  the  construction  of  the 
sugar  refinery,  .and  for  about  a  year  he  did  much  of  the  hauling  of 
material  for  that  purpose.  In  1892  he  opened  a  feed,  grocery  and  general 
merchandise  store,  operating  it  for  two  years  and  selling  to  B.  K. 
Galbreath. 

Mr.  Tebo  is  the  father  of  four  children.  The  oldest,  Mabel,  who  was 
born  at  Woodland,  Yolo  County,  September  20,  1885,  is  a  graduate  of 
the  Chino  High  School,  is  a  graduate  nurse,  and  followed  that  pro- 
fession until  her  marriage  to  William  Cissna,  who  died  leaving  two 
children,  Aletha  and  Robley.  She  is  now  Mrs.  Rolf  Lindner.    The  second 


1070      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

child,  Ethel,  who  was  born  at  Chino  June  28,  1893,  is  a  graduate  of  the 
Chino  High  School  and  the  Los  Angeles  State  Normal  School,  is  a 
trained  nurse,  and  is  now  the  wife  of  Stanley  Goode,  a  graduate  of 
law  in  Stanford  University.  Their  two  children  are  Betty  and  William. 
The  third  child  is  Frederick  A.  Tebo,  actively  associated  with  his  father 
in  business.  The  fourth,  Genevieve,  who  was  born  at  Chino  July  16. 
1897,  is  a  graduate  of  the  Chino  High  School  and  was  married  in  1919 
to  Grover  Breselin,  who  died  in  1920. 

Frederick  A.  Tebo  was  born  February  22,  1895,  progressed  with  his 
education  in  the  Chino  High  School,  but  on  account  of  poor  health  left 
school  and,  though  much  under  age,  with  his  parents'  consent  joined 
Company  D  of  the  Pomona  National  Guard  and  was  on  border  duty 
during  the  Mexican  troubles.  He  was  sent  to  the  hospital  and  operated 
on  for  appendicitis,  was  invalided  home,  and  in  the  World  war  was 
rejected  and  placed  in  Class  5.  He  was  in  the  Edison  Company's  office 
at  Chino  until  it  was  removed,  and  is  now  bearing  some  of  the  heavy 
burdens  of  his  father's  business.  They  lease  and  farm  1,200  acres, 
growing  alfalfa,  grain  and  sugar  beets,  operating  one  75-horse  power 
tractor  and  two  smaller  tractors,  and  all  other  modern  equipment.  They 
also  do  an  extensive  trading  business,  needing  three  heavy  service  trucks 
for  transporting  goods  and  commodities.  They  have  established  a  whole- 
sale and  retail  feed,  fuel,  hay  and  grain  business  under  the  firm  name 
of  Fugate  &  Tebo  at  the  corner  of  Seventh  and  D  streets  in  Chino. 
Frederick  A.  Tebo  married  Miss  Elizabeth  Beach,  who  was  socially 
prominent  at  Pomona. 

Mr.  William  J.  Tebo  delivered  all  the  material  for  the  construction 
of  the  Edison  high  power  line  from  Colton  to  Long  Beach.  In  this  and 
in  many  other  ways  he  has  kept  in  close  touch  with  the  progressive 
development  of  this  section.  He  saw  the  valley  when  it  was  an  immense 
stock  range.  Richard  Gird  owned  an  enormous  herd  of  Durham  and 
Holstein  cattle  and  over  350  blooded  Percheron  horses  which  ranged 
all  over  the  valley.  There  was  no  railroad,  a  trail  going  through  the 
brush  to  Pomona.  Later  came  Gird's  dummy  line  from  Ontario,  and 
still  later  the  present  Southern  Pacific  road  from  Pomona  to  Ontario. 
Mr.  Tebo  was  a  member  of  the  first  City  Council  of  Chino,  and  is  still 
on  the  council.  Chino  in  early  times  was  noted  for  its  saloons  and 
brawls,  and  there  were  many  instances  of  murders  and  fights.  He  was 
appointed  deputy  sheriff  and  later  elected  constable,  has  been  in  that 
office  now  for  over  twenty  years  and  has  made  good  his  resolve  to  clear 
up  the  community.  Although  he  has  never  called  for  assistance,  he  has 
again  and  again  encountered  and  overawed  bad  men.  It  has  been  a 
hazardous  duty  and  several  times  he  has  been  shot  at  and  was  twice 
wounded  by  gun  shot.  He  is  known  as  the  bad  man's  nemesis  of  the 
Chino  Valley.  Mr.  Tebo  was  admitted  to  American  citizenship  in  Judge 
Campbell's  court  at  San  Bernardino  in  1890,  and  his  citizenship  has  been 
of  a  positive  character  and  one  accompanied  by  usefulness  and  loyalty 
in  every  sense. 

William  B.  Payton,  M.  D. — With  forty  vears  of  •professional  serv- 
ice to  his  credit  Dr.  Payton  has  been  a  physician  and  surgeon  of  high 
rank  both  in  the  Middle  Wrest  and  on  the  Pacific  Coast.  He  is  still 
in  active  practice  at  Riverside,  and  has  also  become  financially  and 
personally  interested  in  constructive  development  work  in  the  agricultural 
sections  of  this  countv  and  the  adjacent  counties. 

Dr.  Payton  was  born  at  Kokomo,  Indiana,  November  16,  1856, 
and  is  of  Scotch-Irish  descent.  He  was  only  six  years  old  when 
his  mother,  Isabelle   (Bailey)   Payton,  died.     She  was  born  in  Indiana. 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1071 

His  father,  L.  B.  Pay  ton,  now  deceased,  was  a  native  of  Kentucky, 
and  during  the  Civil  war  served  as  a  non-commissioned  officer  in  the 
46th  Indiana  Infantry.     He  was  a  farmer  by  occupation. 

Dr.  Payton  acquired  a  public  school  education,  also  attended 
the  Indiana  Normal  School,  and  graduated  in  medicine  from  the 
University  of  Michigan  in  1881.  For  ten  years  he  practiced  at 
Greentown,  Indiana.  About  that  time  his  wife  developed  tuberculosis, 
following  two  attacks  of  La  Grippe,  and  he  brought  her  to  Riverside 
for  the  winter.  She  began  to  recover,  and  he  determined  to  remain 
here  permanently.  His  affection  for  the  community  dates  from  that 
time,  and  he  found  the  people  as  well  as  the  climate  delightful  and  kind- 
ness personified.  Going  back  to  Indiana  and  adjusting  his  affairs  he  re- 
turned, and  on  the  advice  of  Dr.  Gill  went  to  Perris  on  April  6,  1892.  Mrs. 
Payton  continuing  to  improve,  he  felt  justified  in  going  East  in 
1893  to  attend  the  World's  Fair  in  Chicago,  and  visit  in  Indiana. 
During  this  trip  Mrs.  Payton  contracted  a  cold  and  died  in  December, 
1894.  Dr.  Payton  then  resumed  practice  in  the  East,  and  remained 
there  about  ten  years.  For  the  past  sixteen  years  he  has  been  in  active 
practice  in  Riverside.  He  has  been  honored  with  the'  office  of  president 
of  the  County  Medical  Society,  is  also  a  member  of  the  California 
State  and  American  Medical  Associations,  and  his  knowledge  and 
long  experience  give  him  a  high  rank  in  his  profession. 

Dr.  Payton  while  at  Perris  was  a  pioneer  in  the  irrigation  projects 
there.  He  now  owns  ranches  in  Kern  County  and  Coachella,  and 
has  a  date  orchard  at  Thermal.  He  was  formerly  owner  of  some 
real  estate  in  Los  Angeles.  While  in  Indiana  he  held  the  office  of 
county  coroner.  Dr.  Payton  is  a  republican,  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Church,  has  filled  chairs  in  the  Masonic  Lodge,  and  is  affiliated  with 
the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  Knights  of  Pythias  and  Wood- 
men of  the  World. 

By  his  first  marriage  his  only  daughter,  Mabel  died  at  the  age  of 
twenty.  On  Novemer  16,  1898,  at  Perris,  California,  he  married 
Grace  Plimpton,  a  native  of  Chicago.  Her  father  was  the  late  Colonel 
H.  A.  Plimpton,  prominently  identified  with  fruit  culture  at  Perris. 
Dr.  and  Mrs.  Payton  have  two  children:  Harold,  a  student  in  the 
University  of  California,  and  Mary  Lois,  attending  the  Riverside 
High  School. 

James  A.  Bell. — While  he  has  not  been  a  resident  of  the  City  of 
Riverside  long  enough  to  class  as  a  pioneer  he  is  a  native  son  of 
California  and  possesses  all  the  characteristics  such  fortunates  are 
popularly  supposed  to  have.  He  is  the  son  of  a  pioneer  and  was 
educated  in  the  Golden  State,  and  when  it  came  time  for  him  to  enter 
the  business  world  for  himself  he  chose  Riverside  for  his  business 
enterprise  and  as  a  home.  In  short  space  of  time,  as  the  years  go, 
he  has  built  up  a  good  and  ever  increasing  patronage,  gained  by 
square  dealing,  courtesy  and  strict  attention  to  business  ethics.  Mr.  Bell 
can  surely  congratulate  himself  upon  his  business  and  social  standing  in 
the  city  of  his  choice. 

Well  known  and  popular  as  Mr.  Bell  is  in  other  ways,  he  has  also 
made  himself  well  known  by  his  work  in  the  Knights  of  Columbus 
organization  here.  He  has  headed  it  since  August,  1920,  when  he  was 
made  grand  knight  of  the  order.  Two  years  ago,  when  the  order 
here  had  but  forty-three  members,  Mr.  Bell  joined  with  Grand  Knight 
Richard  J.  Welsh  in  making  it  popular,  and  they  succeeded,  for  when 
Mr.    Bell    became    grand    knight   the    membership    numbered    two    hun- 


1072       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

dred,  a  larger  percentage  increase  than  in  any  other  lodge  in  the  state. 
Mr.  Bell  previously  served  as  warden  and  as  deputy  grand  knight. 
The  membership  is  steadily  on  the  increase  all  the  time. 

James  A.  Bell  was  born  in  San  Francisco,  April  9,  1880,  a  son  of 
Henry  and  Rose  (Boyle)  Bell.  Henry  Bell  was  a  native  of  Ireland 
and  came  to  the  United  States  when  a  young  man,  settling  in  Brock- 
line,  Massachusetts.  So  quickly  did  he  become  a  thorough,  loyal 
American  that  in  1864,  January  26,  he  joined  Company  A.,  Massa- 
chusetts Volunteers,  under  Major  Henry  Splaine,  serving  under  him 
and  engaging  in  many  battles,  until  he  was  mustered  out  July  11, 
1865.  He  came  out  to  California  in  1870,  and  followed  his  profession, 
that  of  landscape  gardening,  until  his  death  in  June,  1917.  Mrs.  Bell, 
who  is  also  a  native  of  Ireland,  survives  him  and  is  a  resident  of 
Danville,  California. 

James  A.  Bell  received  his  education  in  the  public  and  high 
schools  of  Berkeley,  California,  his  first  work  being  in  a  drug  store  of 
that  city,  where  he  was  engaged  during  his  four  years  course  in  the 
high  school.  At  the  end  of  his  school  days,  his  graduation,  he  con- 
tinued in  the  drug  business  successively  in  Tracy,  Newman  and  Los 
Angeles  until  1909,  when  he  determined  to  come  to  Riverside  and  start 
in  business  for  himself,  which  proved  a  very  wise  move.  He  opened 
his  store  at  214  West  Eighth  Street  under  the  name  of  the  Salt  Lake 
Store,  and  which  he  has  conducted  ever  since  and  with  ever  increas- 
ing success.  In  addition  to  the  Knights  of  Columbus  Mr.  Bell  is  a 
member  of  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks  of  Riverside. 

On  November  30,  1911,  at  Santa  Ana,  California,  he  married  Miss 
Jennie  M.  Hansen,  a  native  of  Chicago  and  a  daughter  of  Mrs.  M. 
Hansen,  who  was  one  of  the  old  pioneer  families  of  Fresno,  California. 
They  are  the  parents  of  two  children  :  James  A.  Bell,  Jr.,  and  Eugene  J. 
Bell. 

Harry  E.  Courtney. — The  vice  president  of  the  Riverside  Abstract 
Company,  Harry  E.  Courtney  is  one  of  those  sterling  citizens  who  is 
a  distinct  asset  to  the  community  in  which  he  lives.  Thoroughly 
equipped  for  the  profession,  he  has  steadily  made  his  way  from  the 
bottom  to  the  top,  and  there  is  no  detail  of  the  business  with  which 
he  is  not  thoroughly  familiar. 

Although  he  has  not  been  here  for  a  long  period  of  time,  Mr. 
Courtney  is  an  energetic  member  of  the  "booster  club,"  and  no  task 
done  for  the  good  of  the  city  of  his  choice  is  hard  enough  to  make 
him  shrink  from  working  for  its  success.  His  progressive  ideas  are 
always  expressed  in  no  uncertain  manner,  and  his  intuitive  sense  of 
affairs  has  been  of  great  assistance  in  many  enterprises.  His  whole 
idea  is  simply  to  serve.  This  same  dominant  thought  possessed  him 
during  the  World  war,  service  arid  yet  more  service,  soliciting  funds, 
working  in  all  the  drives  and  for  the  sale  of  Liberty  Bonds.  He 
"carried  on"  night  and  day,  always  ready  for  the  next  task. 

Mr.  Courtney  was  born  in  Delaware  County,  Pennsylvania,  Sep- 
tember 14,  1878,  the  son  of  Henry  C.  and  Letitia  (Roberts)  Courtney. 
His  father  was  a  farmer  and  served  during  the  Civil  war  in  the  South- 
ern Army  as  a  captain.  He  was  captured  and  held  prisoner  in  the 
North  until  the  close  of  the  war.  He  was  descended  from  an  old 
American  family  of  English  ancestry.  His  wife,  now  deceased,  was 
a  native  of  Pennsylvania. 

Harry  E.  Courtney  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Delaware 
County,  Pennsylvania,  and  in  a  business  college  of  that  county.     His 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1073 

first  experience  \v;is  as  a  clerk  in  a  general  store  in  West  Gove,  Penn- 
sylvania, and  from  there  he  went  to  Philadelphia  and  worked  for  the 
Supplee  Hardware  Company  for  four  years.  This  was  one  of  the 
largest  jobbing  houses  in  the  country. 

In  1904  he  came  to  Riverside,  and  decided  to  make  it  his  home, 
working  for  the  Newberry  Grocery  Company  for  two  years  and  a 
half.  Prom  this  he  went  to  his  real  life  work,  to  the  Riverside  Ab- 
stract Company,  and  has  continued  with  them  ever  since.  He  worked 
for  them  through  the  various  positions  until  he  is  now  its  vice  presi- 
dent. 

The  Riverside  Abstract  Company  was  organized  in  1894,  with  a 
capital  of  $62,000,  which  in  1911  was  increased  to  $100,000,  fully  paid 
and  out  of  this  company  in  1920  was  formed  the  Title  Insurance 
Company  of  Riverside,  in  which  Mr.  Courtney  is  one  of  the  stock- 
holders and  directors,  its  president  being  Frank  D.  Troth,  a 
sketch  of  whom  appears  elsewhere  in  this  work.  Under  the  laws  of 
this  state  the  company  deposited  with  the  state  treasurer  $100,000  a> 
a  permanent  guarantee  fund.  In  addition  to  this  it  is  required  to 
lay  by  ten  per  cent  of  every  dollar  collected,  as  premium  or  fees,  as 
a  special  reserve  fund  for  additional  protection  to  its  clients.  The 
combined  capital  and  surplus  of  the  parent  company  and  the  Title 
Insurance  Company  is  $215,000,  including  the  guarantee  fund  de- 
posited with  the  state  treasurer.  The  Title  Insurance  Company  of 
Riverside,  is  the  first  organization  of  its  kind  in  the  county,  and  is  a 
progressive  movement  in  insuring  titles  to  lands  within  its  borders. 

Mr.  Courtney  is  a  member  of  the  Riverside  Chamber  of  Commerce 
and  is  secretary  of  the  Riverside  Realty  Board.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  the  Present  Day  Club,  and 
in  religious  faith  he  is  connected  with  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.  Politically  he  is  a  republican,  and  an  active  one,  taking  a 
live  part  in  all  the  local  elections,  as  well  as  in  all  others. 

Mr.  Courtney  married  Miss  Anna  B.  Cook,  a  native  of  Ohio  and 
a  daughter  of  Augustus  Cook. 

Samuel  C.  Pine,  Sr.,  was  one  of  the  most  rugged  of  the  early 
pioneers  that  came  into  the  San  Bernardino  Valley,  and  the  family  he 
founded   here   has   proved   typical   of   his   virtues   and   hardy    manhood. 

He  was  born  in  St.  Lawrence  County,  New  York,  July  30,  1825,  and 
died  at  his  home  at  Rincon,  January  16,  1897.  His  father,  Joseph  Pine, 
was  a  native  of  Boston,  son  of  Captain  Pine,  who  participated  in  the 
battle  of  Lexington  at  the  beginning  of  the  Revolutionary  war.  Joseph 
Pine  was  a  minister  of  the  Congregational  Church,  and  in  1883  moved 
to  the  Western  Reserve  of  Ohio,  where  his  son  Samuel  grew  to  man- 
hood. Samuel  Pine  in  1850  equipped  an.  ox  team  in  Illinois  and  started 
across  the  plains  to  Fort  Bridges,  Wyoming.  There  for  several  years 
he  remained  operating  a  trading  post.  He  then  went  on  to  Salt  Lake, 
where  he  lived  about  four  years,  engaged  in  stock  raising.  He  never 
became  a  member  of  the  Mormon  Church,  though  he  paid  tithing  and 
while  in  Salt  Lake  punctually  attended  church. 

In  1858  he  left  Salt  Lake  bound  for  San  Bernardino,  California. 
As  he  was  leaving  the  authorities  at  Salt  Lake  demanded  his  best  ox 
team,  telling  him  the  Lord  needed  it.  However,  the  chief  intention  was 
to  delay  or  restrain  his  leaving  altogether.  He  had  been  frugal  and  had 
saved  money,  and  he  at  once  bought  another  yoke  of  oxen  and  joined 
the  train.  He  first  settled  in  the  Yucaipa  Valley,  where  he  became  a 
stock  raiser.     He  and  Frank  Talmadge  erected  and  operated  the   first 


1074      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

saw  mill  in  the  San  Bernardino  Mountain,  in  Little  Bear  Valley.  It 
was  a  water  power  mill.  He  moved  to  San  Bernardino,  then  to  Lytle 
Creek  in  1865,  next  to  Jurupa,  and  in  1867  he  purchased  a  squatter's 
claim  at  Rincon,  adjoining  the  Chino  ranch.  He  had  left  the  Little  Bear 
Valley  mill  fearing  Indian  attacks,  since  the  red  men  had  already  made 
hostile  demonstrations  against  the  mill  plant.  At  Rincon  he  acquired 
148  acres.  The  title  was  not  clear,  and  it  required  several  years  to  get 
a  Federal  patent.  He  improved  the  land,  planting  fruit  and  farming 
on  an  extensive  scale  there  until  his  death  in  1897. 

Samuel  C.  Pine  was  a  western  giant,  six  feet  four  and  a  quarter 
inches  tall,  spare,  large  boned,  weighing  235  pounds,  and  in  pioneer 
days  he  never  carried  a  pistol,  as  was  the  custom,  being  confident  of 
settling  all  disputes  with  his  bare  hands,  though  it  is  said  he  could  not 
run.  He  was  an  expert  hunter  and  a  sure  shot.  He  became  noted  in 
the  Yucaipa  Valley  as  having  the  best  brand  of  cattle  in  the  district. 
He  reared  his  family  with  the  same  honest,  hardy  principles  as  himself, 
and  his  sons  readily  followed  his  example  as  pioneers,  helping  improve 
the  wilderness  and  bringing  life  into  the  barren  desert. 

Mr.  Pine  married  Jane  Morrison,  daughter  of  John  and  Ellen  Morri- 
son, of  Buffalo,  New  York.  She  died  Thanksgiving  Day  of  1913.  The 
five  sons  of  this  union  were  all  reared  in  San  Bernardino  County.  The 
oldest,  Samuel,  was  born  in  Utah,  December  26,  1856.  Edward  and 
Edwin,  twins,  were  born  July  28,  1860,  in  Cottonwood  Row  at  old  San 
Bernardino.  Myron  was  born  May  22,  1868,  and  Dudley  was  born  at 
Rincon,  June  2,  1872. 

Samuel  Pine,  Jr.,  was  almost  a  life-long  resident  of  San  Bernardino 
County.  He  came  here  with  his  father,  the  late  Samuel  C.  Pine,  Sr.,  in 
the  manner  described  elsewhere,  and  he  married  here  into  another 
pioneer  family,  the  Gregorys.  The  two  families,  from  pioneer  days  to 
the  present,  have  been  among  the  most  substantial  citizens  of  this 
section. 

Samuel  Pine,  Jr.,  was  born  in  Utah,  December  26,  1856,  and  was 
less  than  two  years. of  age  when  his  parents  came  from  Salt  Lake  to 
San  Bernardino  in  1858.  As  soon  as  he  was  old  enough  he  began 
taking  part  in  the  labors  of  the  household,  and  was  associated  with  his 
father  until  1877,  when  he  pre-empted  130  acres  of  Government  land 
on  Pine  Avenue  and  Corona  Road.  This  he  developed  and  improved, 
and  on  it  put  down  one  of  the  first  artesian  wells  in  this  section.  He 
became  prosperous  as  a  general  farmer  and  dairyman.  On  leaving  the 
ranch  he  lived  for  some  years  in  San  Diego  County,  where  he  served 
as  county  road  overseer.  He  then  returned  to  his  home  ranch  and  in 
1902  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Board  of  County  Supervisors  of  San 
Bernardino  County,  representing  the  Fourth  District,  and  proved  an  in- 
valuable member  of  that  very  efficient  board.  He  was  active  in  the 
republican  party. 

Mr.  Pine  died  at  the  ranch  home  March  24,  1919.  He  added  sub- 
stantially to  his  holdings  and  he  prospered,  though  he  never  sought 
financial  assistance  from  his  father  and  needed  none,  and  depended 
upon  his  strength  and  manhood  to  achieve  success  for  himself  and 
family.  His  wife,  Beatrice  Gregory,  was  born  in  San  Bernardino 
October  13,  1859,  daughter  of  John  and  Marv  Ann  (Dunkerlv)  Gregory. 
Her  parents  were  natives  of  England,  became  converts  to  the  Mormon 
Church  there,  and  soon  after  their  marriage  thev  sailed  for  America, 
being  six  weeks  on  a  sailing  vessel  from  Liverpool  to  New  Orleans.  At 
first  they  tried  farming;  in  Mississippi.  The  leaders  of  the  church  ad- 
vised them  that  all  Mississippi  .would  sink  and  that  Utah  alone  would 


jrf/2^-t*<sts<i<  f/- 


'f^-K 


1783746 

SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1075 

be  safe,  and  as  good  church  people  at  that  time  they  left  Mississippi  and 
drove  a  team,  consisting  of  one  ox  and  one  cow,  all  the  way  to  Salt 
Lake  City.  They  milked  the  cow  night  and  morning  en  route,  and 
reached  their  destination  after  many  dangers  and  hardships.  They  were, 
part  of  a  large  train  made  up  of  ox  teams.  .The  men  would  drive  the 
oxen,  whip  in  one  hand  and  rifle  in  the  other,  and  frequently  Indians 
rode  about  them  in  circles  with  bent  bow  and  arrow  in  place.  They 
remained  in  Salt  Lake  two  years,  undergoing  a  period  of  great  stress 
and  imminent  starvation.  Then,  in  1851,  they  started  for  San  Bernardino, 
locating  there  with  the  old  Mormon  colony.  For  a  time  they  continued 
to  pay  tithing  to  the  Mormon  Church,  but  finally  recognized  the  inherent 
paucity  of  the  church  organization  and  abandoned  their  affiliations  alto- 
gether. John  Gregory  and  wife  had  five  children:  Alice,  Eliza,  Beatrice 
(who  is  Mrs.  Samuel  Pine),  John  and  Harriet.  Mrs.  Pine  and  her 
sisters  all  shared  in  the  work  of  the  home  during  the  early  days  in  San 
Bernardino  and  walked  two  miles  to  school.  She  and  her  sisters  fre- 
quently drove  the  ox  teams  to  haul  wood,  to  the  harrow  in  preparing  soil 
for  the  sowing  of  seed,  and  even  went  to  San  Bernardino  with  ox  teams. 
There  were  few  horses  at  the  time  and  no  carriages. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pine  reared  four  children.  The  oldest,  Rena  Belle 
Pine,  born  November  24,  1883,  is  a  highly  respected  and  influential  edu- 
cator and  a  teacher  in  the  San  Bernardino  High  School.  Samuel  John, 
born  March  3,  1895,  is  a  graduate  of  high  school  and  is  a  farmer. 
Mark  Pine,  born  January  15,  1897,  enlisted  in  the  navy  at  the  time 
of  the  World  war,  made  many  trips  across  the  Atlantic  as  a  convoy  of 
troop  ships,  and  was  in  mid-ocean  when  the  armistice  was  signed,  and 
he  and  his  comrades  partook  in  the  universal  rejoicing  at  the  news 
received  over  wireless.  After  leaving  the  navy  he  returnd  home  and 
is  now  a  farmer  and  dairyman  on  the  home  ranch.  Lorraine  Beatrice, 
the  youngest  child,  was  born  November  6,  1898,  is  a  graduate  of  high 
school  and  the  Universitv  of  California,  Southern  Branch,  and  is  now 
a  teacher.  She  is  the  wife  of  Merle  Haynes.  who  is  now  attending  the 
Oregon  Agricultural  College. 

Samuel  Pine,  Jr..  at  one  time  knew  every  resident  in  San  Bernardino 
County  when  it  comprised  Riverside  County.  He  was  as  well  known  and 
respected  as  this  acquaintance  would  indicate,  and  he  measured  up  to  the 
best  standards  of  good  citizenship.  Mrs.  Pine  and  familv  are  members 
of  the  Congregational  Church,  and  all  of  them  are  republicans. 

John  F.  Hanna. — While  he  has  made  considerable  investment,  has 
been  interested  and  is  still  interested  in  orange  culture  and  has  taken  an 
active  part  in  local  affairs,  John  F.  Hanna  practically  laid  aside  the  heavy 
responsibilities  of  his  business  career  when  he  came  to  Riverside  more 
than  fifteen  years  ago. 

Mr.  Hanna  was  associated  with  some  of  the  greatest  ranching  and 
livestock  enterprise  of  the  Middle  West,  and  has  a  verv  interestine  family 
record.  He  was  born  in  Crawford  Countv.  Ohio.  September  18.  1847. 
His  parents  were  Samuel  and  Catherine  (HofmaiU  Hanna.  both  natives 
of  Pennsylvania,  his  mother  of  Pennsylvania  Dutch  descent.  His  father 
was  of  an  old  American  familv  of  Scotch-Irish  descent,  established  in 
the  Colonies  before  the  Revolutionary  war.  One  branch  of  the  familv 
was  represented  bv  the  great  Ohio  politician  and  party  leader.  Mark 
Hanna.  Samuel  Hanna  was  a  youth  when  he  accompanied  his  father 
to  Ohio  and  settled  in  the  timber  and  develooed  a  farm  out  of  the  woods 
in  Crawford  County.  Because  of  physical  incapacity  Samuel  Hanna 
could  not  qualify  for  seryire  in  the  Civil  war.     He  was  a  United  Presbv- 


1076      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

terian,  and  for  many  years  was  closely  identified  with  that  sturdy  sect. 
He  was  musically  gifted,  with  a  fine  tenor  voice,  and  sang  in  church  and 
at  many  large  conventions. 

John  F.  Hanna  was  educated  in  private  schools  in  Ohio  and  in  the 
Savannah  Academy  in  that  state.  His  early  life  was  spent  on  a  farm, 
and  after  the  death  of  his  father  he  took  the  management  of  the  old 
homestead.  At  the  age  of  twenty-seven  John  F.  Hanna  married  a 
daughter  of  David  Rankin,  who  was  one  of  the  world's  greatest  farmers 
and  stockmen.  At  that  time  David  Rankin's  interests  were  largely  cen- 
tered in  Illinois  in  the  corn  belt.  John  F.  Hanna  after  his  marriage  be- 
came foreman  of  the  Rankin  ranch  at  Biggsville,  Illinois,  remaining 
there  two  and  a  half  years,  and  then  took  charge  of  another  Rankin  farm 
twelve  miles  south,  operating  it  in  partnership  with  Mr.  Rankin.  After 
three  years  Mr.  Hanna  moved  to  Northwestern  Missouri,  where  David 
Rankin  had  bought  some  thirty  thousand  acres  of  land.  A  large  part 
of  this  was  planted  to  corn,  and  the  immense  industry  thus  entailed 
made  Rankin  known  as  the  "corn  king  of  Missouri."  David  Rankin  also 
became  founder  of  the  new  town  of  Tarkio,  and  John  F.  Hanna  was 
associated  with  him  in  the  early  days  of  that  substantial  old  college  town. 
He  was  associated  there  in  the  mercantile  business  with  Mr.  Rankin  and 
Mr.  Hunter.  He  also  bought  1,280  acres  four  miles  east  of  Tarkio,  and 
farmed  it  for  many  years,  and  his  sons  still  operate  this  tract.  Mr. 
Hanna  was  identified  with  the  first  store  at  Tarkio,  and  this  store  sold 
ninety  thousand  dollars  worth  of  goods  the  first  vear.  David  Rankin 
and  family  were  among  the  most  generous  contributors  to  the  United 
Presbyterian  School,  Tarkio  College,  and  John  F.  Hanna  for  many  years 
was  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  college. 

Mr.  Hanna  came  to  Riverside  in  1906  and  bought  an  orange  grove  of 
nine  and  a  half  acres  on  Victoria  Avenue.  This  grove  he  sold  recently, 
but  is  still  interested  in  other  groves.  He  is  a  lover  of  Riverside  both 
for  its  natural  attractions  and  as  a  community.  He  has  been  a  member 
of  the  City  Council  and  acted  as  mavor  for  about  six  weeks  while  W.  L. 
Peters  was  absent  from  the  city.  For  three  vears  he  was  president  of 
the  City  Council.  Mr.  Hanna  has  been  a  determined  opponent  of  the 
liquor  traffic  all  his  life.  He  became  identified  with  the  prohibition  cause 
while  living  in  Ohio,  continued  this  interest  while  in  Missouri,  and  after 
coming  to  California  served  as  president  of  the  Riverside  Countv  Drv 
Federation  and  was  once  its  treasurer.  He  has  been  active  in  republican 
politics,  and  his  personal  patriotism  is  as  deep  seated  as  that  of  the  familv 
of  which  he  is  a  member.  As  a  vouth  he  ran  awav  from  home  and  tried 
to  get  into  the  Union  Armv.  hut  his  fa+her  took  him  back.  He  has  been 
an  elder  in  the  United  Presbvterian  Church  since  he  was  twentv-one. 
and  altogether  has  served  as  Sundav  School  superintendent  twenty- 
five  years  and  still  teaches  a  class.  He  and  Mrs.  Hanna  practically  or- 
ganized the  United  Presbyterians  at  Riverside. 

Mr.  Hanna  married  Miss  Nettie  V.  Rankin,  who  was  born  in  Illinois. 
Her  brother,  John  Rankin,  is  president  of  the  Rankin  Farm  Corporation. 
Her  youngest  brother.  \V.  F.  Rankin,  died  several  years  a^o.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Hanna  return  to  Missouri  everv  summer,  drive  about  over  the 
ranch  and  the  district,  and  visit  old  friends  and  associates.  The  two 
sons  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hanna  are  Charles  R.  and  lohn  Winfield  Hanna. 
Charles  married  Miss  Winifred  McCausjhan.  a  native  of  Iowa.  Her 
father  spent  his  last  davs  in  Duraneo.  Mexico.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Charles 
Hanna  have  four  children  :  Dorothv.  Phillis.  Charles  Frederick  and  Robert. 
John  Winfield,  Jr.,  who  married  F.lla  G.  Gibson,  a  native  of  Towa.  has  two 
children.  John,  Jr.  and  Patricia.     The  younger  son  of  Mr.  Hanna,  John 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1077 

Winfield  Hanna,  is  vice  president  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Tarkio 
and  vice  president  of  the  Rankin  Farm  Corporation.  These  sons  live 
at  Tarkio,  are  graduates  of  Tarkio  College  and  Princeton  University 
and  they  have  the  active  management  of  the  Hanna  farms  and  also  the 
portion  of  the  great  Rankin  estate  owned  by  Mrs.   Hanna. 

Judge  Hiram  C.  Hibbard,  well  known  and  popular  attorney  of  River- 
side, comes  almost  under  the  head  of  pioneer,  for  he  has  practiced  con- 
tinuously in  that  city  since  1886,  and  no  one  stands  higher  with  the 
legal  profession  or  the  people  of  the  district.  He  has  also  served  twelve 
years  as  justice  of  the  peace  and  has  gained  the  soubriquet  of  the  "marry- 
ing justice"  on  account  of  the  many  ceremonies  he  has  performed. 

Judge  Hibbard  has  all  his  life  been  active  in  politics,  and  prior  to  re- 
moving to  Riverside  held  many  public  positions,  and  since  then  has 
served  his  party  well  in  various  capacities. 

He  was  born  in  Fulton  County,  Illinois,  March  28.  1847.  His  father 
was  James  A.  Hibbard,  a  native  of  New  York,  by  occupation  a  farmer. 
He  was  for  a  time  county  commissioner  of  Johnson  County,  Kansas, 
where  he  moved  after  the  Civil  war.  He  comes  of  an  old  American 
family  of  pre-Revolutionary  stock  and  of  Scotch  ancestry.  The  mother 
of  Judge  Hibbard  was  Jeannette  F.  (Webster)  Hibbard,  a  native  of  New 
York  and  descended  from  an  old  American  family  of  English  descent. 

Judge  Hibbard  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  and  high  -school 
in  Kansas,  and  for  a  short  time  in  the  University  of  Kansas.  Prior  to 
going  to  the  University  he  enlisted  for  service  in  the  war  of  1862,  first 
as  a  teamster  with  the  army  in  Arkansas  and  Missouri,  but  was  home  in 
1863  on  account  of  illness.  On  January  28,  1864,  he  joined  Company  I, 
Eighth  Illinois  Cavalrv.  and  served  until  the  end  of  the  war,  receiving 
his  discharge  in  July,  1865.  He  was  with  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  under 
General  Lew  Wallace,  engaging  in  the  battle  of  Monocacy,  which  Wallace 
claimed  prevented  Early   from  getting  into  Washington. 

Judge  Hibbard  returned  to  Illinois,  and  later  joined  his  father  in 
Kansas,  on  a  farm  near  Olathe.  He  attended  private  and  public  schools 
then,  and  the  University  of  Kansas  at  Lawrence.  He  taught  school  in 
Kansas  for  six  vears.  and  while  so  engaged  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in 
that  state,  and  has  followed  that  profession  ever  since.  He  practiced 
law  in  Kansas  until  the  fall  of  1886,  and  then  came  directly  to  River- 
side. He  had  been  West  during  the  summer  of  that  vear  on  an  exploring 
expedition,  and  Riverside  came  nearest  to  being  what  he  was  looking  for, 
an  ideal  location  for  a  permanent  home. 

Here  he  commenced  practice  on  February  8.  1887,  and  for  over 
thirtv-one  vears  had  the  same  offices  in  the  Central  Block. 

In  politics  lie  is  a  republican,  and  has  alwavs  taken  an  active  part, 
serving  as  a  deleeate  in  both  state  and  countv  conventions  in  Kansas,  on 
countv  convention^;  in  California,  and  has  served  on  the  County  Central 
Committees  in  both  California  and  Kansas.  He  was  superintendent  of 
nublic  instruction  for  five  vears  in  Kansas  and  was  also  countv  clerk 
for  one  term  in  Pussell  Conn^v.  Kansas.  With  hut  a  few  intervals  during 
his  service  he  has  occupied  the  position  of  justice  of  the  peace  of  River- 
side County   for  twelve  vears. 

He  is  a  member  of  Riverside  Post.  C,.  A  P.  of  which  lie  was  com- 
mander in  1800.  He  has  been  a  member  of  this  post  since  coming  to 
Riverside.  He  was  also  commander  of  the  post  in  Kansas  during  his 
residence  there.  He  is  a  Mason  and  is  a  past  his/h  priest  of  the  Roval 
Arch  Chapter.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows, 
and  has  been   through   all  the  chairs  of  the   local   lodge.     He   was   past 


1078      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

grand  of  the  Kansas  Lodge  with  which  he  was  affiliated.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Improved  Order  of  Red  Men,  and  has  been  through  the 
chairs  of  the  local  lodge  and  was  great  sachem  of  the  state  during  the 
years  1912-13.  Judge  Hibbard  is  also  a  member  of  the  Independent 
Order  of  Foresters,  and  has  been  through  the  chairs  of  the  local  court, 
of  which  he  is  a  past  chief  ranger.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Foresters  of 
America  and  is  a  past  chief  ranger.  He  was  a  Maccabee  until  the  age 
of  retirement,  and  has  been  through  the  chairs  of  that  order.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Junior  Order  United  American  Mechanics,  through  the 
chairs,  and  is  a  past  chief  counsellor,  and  is  also  a  member  of  the  Fra- 
ternal Brotherhood,  of  which  he  has  been  through  the  chairs  and  of  which 
he  is  a  past  president. 

He  married  on  September  18,  1878,  in  Russell,  Kansas,  Sonora  L. 
White,  a  native  of  Indiana.  She  died  in  Riverside  in  January,  1889. 
They  had  one  son,  Duane  Hibbard,  a  resident  of  Oakland,  California. 

Judge  Hibbard  married  on  July  15,  1908,  in  San  Diego,  Julia  Yerger, 
a  native  of  Kentucky  and  a  daughter  of  Charles  Stoessel. 

Jesse  Lee  Granttham. — The  life  record  of  Jesse  Lee  Granttham  in 
all  its  varied  phases  is  one  which  reflects  honor  and  dignity  upon  Riverside, 
where  he  is  engaged  in  an  active  practice  as  an  attorney,  and  upon  his 
own  capabilities,  which  are  unrestricted.  The  history  of  no  citizen  of 
this  region  has  been  more  fearless  in  conduct,  more  constant  in  service, 
and  more  stainless  in  reputation.  He  has  a  love  for  the  city  of  his 
adoption  which  he  manifests  in  many  ways  for  the  municipal  develop- 
ment and  welfare,  and  in  return  is  accorded  the  respect  and  esteem  of 
his  fellow  men. 

The  birth  of  Jesse  Lee  Granttham  occurred  in  Jackson  County.  Flor- 
ida, September  2.  1873.  He  is  a  son  of  Tesse  Jackson  and  Sally  (Lane) 
Granttham,  the  former,  now  deceased,  beiner  a  native  of  Georgia.  He 
was  a  minister  of  the  Missionary  Baptist  Church,  and  came  of  an  old 
American  family,  which  was  founded  in  the  American  Colonies  by  an- 
cestors who  came  here  from  England  and  located  in  New  Hampshire, 
where  the  town  of  Granttham  was  named  in  their  honor.  Representa- 
tives of  the  family  fought  in  the  American  Revolution  with  distinction 
and  courage,  and  others  through  the  succeeding  vears  have  been  equally 
steadfast  as  men  of  peace.  The  Granttham  University  of  New  Hamp- 
shire, named  in  honor  of  the  family,  proves  that  it  was  well  represented 
bv  men  of  letters.  Mrs.  Granttham.  also  now  deceased,  belonged  to  the 
old  Southern  family  of  Lanes,  of  English  descent,  and  she,  too,  was  born 
in  Georgia. 

When  Jesse  Lee  Granttham  was  still  a  small  child  the  Grantthams 
settled  in  the  country  near  where  Arabia,  Georgia,  is  now  located,  and 
he  was  reared  in  an  old  fashion  country  home  of  cultured  interests, 
where  his  ambition  was  stimulated  and  his  intellect  developed.  He  was 
sent  to  the  grade  and  high  schools  of  Arabia,  and  spent  three  years 
at  the  State  Normal  School  and  two  years  at  the  State  University,  both 
at  Athens,  Georgia,  and  then  went  to  Mercer  University  at  Macon. 
Georgia,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1906,  with  the  degree  of 
Bachelor  of  Laws.  In  order  to  secure  the  money  to  prepare  himself 
for  the  profession  he  decided  to  enter,  it  was  necessary  for  him  to  take 
the  course  at  the  State  Normal  School  at  Athens,  Georgia,  where  he 
graduated,  and  then  taught  school  at  intervals  until  he  completed  his 
training. 

Following  his  admission  to  the  bar.  which  followed  the  securing  of 
his  degree,  he  began  the  practice  of  law  in  Randolph  County,  Georgia, 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1079 

and  remained  in  that  neighborhood  for  four  years.  Deciding  upon  going 
into  a  newer  territory,  he  went  to  Guthrie,  Oklahoma,  and  participated 
in  some  of  the  stirring  events  of  the  development  of  that  city  during 
one  year.  His  attention  was  then  turned  to  Riverside,  California,  and 
he  came  here,  but  his  fame  as  an  educator  preceded  him  and  he  was  in- 
duced to  assume  the  duties  as  principal  of  the  Riverside  Business  Col- 
lege, and  he  held  that  position  for  eight  years.  In  1919  he  and  C.  W. 
Benshoff  formed  a  partnership  for  the  practice  of  the  law,  and  remained 
together  until  December,  1920,  when  their  association  was  dissolved  and 
Mr.   Granttham  has   since  remained  alone. 

An  ardent  democrat,  he  was  very  active  in  party  matters  while  residing 
in  Georgia,  representing  it  in  county  and  state  conventions  and  as  a 
member  of  the  Democratic  County  Central  Committee.  He  is  a  Chapter 
and  Commandery  Mason,  and  also  belongs  to  the  Woodmen  of  the  World. 
The  First  Methodist  Church  of  Riverside  is  his  religious  home,  and  lit- 
is now  superintendent  of  the  membership  board  of  that  institution. 

In  September,  1900,  Mr.  Granttham  married  at  Hartsfield,  Georgia, 
Dora  Red,  a  native  of  Georgia  and  a  daughter  of  J.  H.  Red.  now  deceased, 
who  was  a  farmer  of  Georgia,  and  during  the  war  between  the  states 
served  in  the  Confederate  Army.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Granttham  have  seven 
living  children,  namely:  Verdie,  who  is  the  wife  of  Harold  J.  May,  of  Riv- 
erside, a  soldier  in  the  United  States  Army ;  Otis  J.  and  Olin  Earl,  both 
of  whom  are  students  in  the  Riverside  High  School ;  Jesse  Lee,  Llovd 
Zinn  and  Dora  Emma,  all  of  whom  are  students  of  the  graded  schools ; 
and  Theora  Wilma,  who  is  the  youngest.  They  lost  one  son,  James  Gor- 
don Granttham. 

In  addition  to  his  educational  and  professional  labors  Mr.  Granttham 
has  been  useful  in  other  directions.  He  has  invested  in  several  com- 
mercial enterprises  at  Riverside,  and  at  one  time  was  interested  in  agri- 
cultural matters,  but  has  since  disposed  of  his  farm  land.  While  his  suc- 
cess in  all  these  matters  has  entitled  him  to  be  regarded  as  a  prosperous 
man,  Mr.  Granttham  possesses,  moreover,  those  traits  of  personal  charac- 
ter which  make  him  a  popular  man.  Genial,  courteous  and  kindly,  no  one 
is  more  welcome  at  anv  gathering  than  he.  His  ability  as  a  lawyer  was 
confirmed  while  he  was  still  in  practice  in  Georgia,  and  his  services 
are  now  in  great  demand  by  those  who  desire  one  who  will  give  to  his 
client's  cause  all  the  vigor  and  earnestness,  diligence  and  devotion  in 
his  power. 

William  Henry  Lindley — The  development  of  a  new  country  is 
a  task  requiring  men  of  real  manhood,  physical  strength,  endurance,  per- 
severance, and  a  fortitude  of  character  that  is  not  deterred  by  any  ob- 
stacle or  discouragement.  One  of  the  true  pioneers  who  measured  up 
in  every  sense  to  these  qualifications  was  the  late  William  Henry  Lind- 
ley of  Ontario. 

He  was  born  Januarv  22,  1853,  at  Mazomanie  in  Dane  County,  Wis- 
consin. His  parents,  Henrv  and  Sarah  (Bagnall)  Lindley.  were  born 
and  reared  in  Yorkshire,  England,  were  married  there,  and  after  the 
birth  of  several  of  their  children  came  to  America  in  a  sailing  vessel. 
They  were  territorial  settlers  in  Wisconsin,  where  they  took  up  and 
improved  a  tract  of  Government  land,  and  lived  there  when  life  was 
oeculiarlv  trying  and  subject  to  manv  hardships.  The  late  William 
Henry  Lindley  was  one  of  seventeen  children.  Tn  such  a  large  house- 
hold and  in  a  section  so  recently  redeemed  from  the  wilderness  he  came 
face  to  face  with  the  serious  responsibilities  of  life  and  his  lot  was 
that  of  incessant  toil  from  an  early  age.  Only  in  later  years  did  he 
Vol.  HI     :: 


lObU      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

acquire  the  education  which  characterized  him  during  his  life  in  Cali- 
fornia as  a  man  of  exceptional  culture  and  refinement. 

On  January  29,  1879,  in  St.  Barnabas  Church  at  Mazomanie,  Wis- 
consin, he  married  Miss  Emmie  Puzey.  She  was  born  at  Madison, 
Wisconsin,  September  20,  1857,  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Mary  (Mac- 
donald)  Puzey,  her  father  a  native  of  England  and  her  mother  of  Scot- 
land. She,  with  her  parents,  later  lived  in  England  for  some  time  while 
she  was  a  child. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Lindley  resorted  to  farming  as  a  means  of 
livelihood.  He  and  his  brother  John  early  became  associated  as  partners, 
and  their  relationship  was  one  of  extreme  satisfaction  as  well  as  busi- 
ness success.  In  1886  they  spent  a  winter  visiting  Mr.  Lindley's  parents 
in  California.  They  went  back  to  Wisconsin,  subsequently  sold  their 
interests,  and  on  Starch  17,  1888,  arrived  to  make  their  home  at 
Ontario.  William  H.  Lindley  at  once  bought  land  on  West  A  Street, 
where  he  erected  a  small  home  recently  replaced  by  the  large  and 
elegant  modern  residence  which  is  the,  home  of  his  family.  The  brothers 
as  partners  bought  ten  acres  of  unimproved  land  on  I  Street.  With 
great  determination  and  much  labor  they  set  it  to  oranges  and  then 
repeatedly,  as  they  could  finance  their  operations,  they  bought  and  devel- 
oped tracts  of  desert  land.  In  order  to  meet  expenses  during  this  stage 
of  their  fortunes  they  took  contracts  for  planting  and  caring  for  the 
orchards  of  non-resident  owners,  and  in  this  way  they  bought  additional 
tracts  of  their  own  and  maintained  the  young  orchards  until  they 
came  into  bearing.  Later  the  income  from  their  producing  groves  was 
employed  to  acquire  other  planted  land,  until  finally  a  very  large  and 
valuable  acreage  of  citrus  fruit  was  credited  to  the  ownership  of  these 
pioneer  brothers,  who  altogether  performed  an  enormous  amount  of  the 
labor  involved  in  making  Ontario  one  of  the  leading  horticultural 
centers  of  this  state.  The  Lindley  brothers  also  conducted  a  large 
nursery  for  the  supply  of  orange  and  lemon  stock. 

In  1902  John  Lindley,  desirous  of  accepting  a  business  opportunity 
in  Azusa,  sold  his  holdings  to  his  brother,  and  this  terminated  the  long, 
satisfactory  and  successful  partnership.  William  Lindley  then  con- 
tinued the  supervision  of  his  orange  groves  and  other  holdings  until 
his  death,  which  occurred  at  Ontario  June  10.  1918.  He  never  inherited 
any  money,  and  his  life  was  an  example  of  self-development  of  his 
powers  and  resources.  As  a  vouth  he  had  many  rough  experiences 
in  the  new  country  of  Wisconsin,  and  the  ability  to  work  hard  was  an 
important  factor  in  the  success  he  achieved  in  California.  He  was  a 
devout  Catholic,  and  contributed  liberallv  to  the  building  and  main- 
tenance of  St.  George's  Church  at  Ontario.  He  was  also  a  Knight  of 
Columbus,  as  are  his  three  sons.  He  was  a  life-long  republican  and 
devoted  to  the  tariff  principles  of  that  partv. 

Seven  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  William  H.  Lindley. 
the  first  three,  one  dying  in  infancy,  born  in  Wisconsin  and  the  vounger 
ones  in  Ontario.  Frances,  the  oldest,  was  graduated  from  Ramona 
Convent,  and  is  the  wife  of  Joseph  C.  Muehe,  a  prominent  citizen  and 
cashier  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Azusa.  Angus  Reginald  was 
graduated  from  St.  Vincent's  College  at  Los  Angeles,  and  later  from 
the  University  of  Southern  California  law  school.  He  is  now  one  of 
the  prominent  members  of  the  Los  Angeles  bar.  He  married  Miss  Ida 
Botiller,  member  of  an  old  Spanish  and  French  family  of  Los  Angeles. 
He  was  taking  officers  training  at  Camp  Zachary  Taylor,  Kentucky, 
when  the  war  ended.  Mary  Lindlev.  who  finished  her  education  in 
Ramona  Convent,  is  the  wife  of  Charles  Henderson  Ripple,  an  account- 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1081 

ant  for  the  Exchange  Product  Company  of  San  Dimas  and  a  resident 
of  Pomona.  Their  two  children  are  Charles  Lindley  and  Mary  Geral- 
dine  Ripple.  The  fourth  child  in  the  family  is  Joseph  Puzey  Lindley, 
who  was  educated  in  Santa  Clara  College,  now  Santa  Clara  University, 
graduating  Bachelor  of  Science,  and  is  a  law  graduate  of  the  University 
of  Southern  California.  He  had  a  profitable  law  practice  for  several 
years,  but  in  1914  determined  to  give  up  his  profession  and  join  his 
father,  and  took  an  active  share  in  the  management  of  the  citrus  or- 
chards. Since  the  death  of  his  father  in  1918  he  has  assumed  the 
chief  responsibilities  of  managing  the  splendid  property.  He  married 
Miss  Lucilla  Wilson,  a  native  of  Ireland  and  member  of  a  prominent 
family  of  Portland,  Oregon. 

William  Rhoderick  Lindley,  born  November  25,  1896,  was  educated 
in  Santa  Clara  University.  He  volunteered  for  service  in  the  World 
war  and  was  assigned  to  Base  Hospital  No.  50.  He  was  first  in  training 
at  Camp  Fremont  at  Palo  Alto,  and  then  went  to  France  and  was  on 
duty  for  thirteen  months  in  the  hospitals  at  Nevers  and  Bar  le  Due.  After 
his  return  he  was  honorably  discharged  and  is  now  a  successful  orange 
grower  at  Ontario.  In  July,  1921,  he  married  Miss  Mary  Macan,  a 
native  of  London,  England. 

The  sixth  and  youngest  of  the  family  is  Miss  Jessie  Lindley,  a 
graduate  of  Ramona  Convent. 

William  L.  Peters,  of  Riverside,  is  one  of  the  many  substantial 
residents  of  Riverside  County  to  whom  this  region  owes  a  heavy  debt, 
for  back  of  practically  every  project  of  moment  which  has  been  pro- 
jected and  carried  through  to  a  successful  completion  he  has  stood 
ready  to  contribute  generously  of  his  time,  his  mental  equipment  and 
his  money. 

William  L.  Peters  was  born  at  Columbus,  Ohio,  October  3,  1864, 
a  son  of  George  M,  and  Caroline  L.  (Krag)  Peters.  George  M. 
Peters,  a  native  of  Ohio,  died  in  1897.  He  was  the  organizer  and 
head  of  the  Columbus  Buggy  Company.  A  self-made  man,  a  carriage 
painter  by  trade,  he  learned  the  business  of  carriage  manufacturing 
in  the  old-fashioned  way.  He  was  thus  familiar  with  every  detail  of 
the  business,  so  that  when  he  began  to  manufacture  buggies  his  suc- 
cess was  certain,  and  he  steadily  progressed  and  built  up  a  large  trade. 
He  was  one  of  the  first  manufacturers  in  the  United  States  to  adopt 
the  subdivision-of-labor  plan,  and  to  standardize  his  parts  so  as  to 
make  them  interchangeable.  A  man  of  unusual  character,  he  stood 
high  in  his  community,  was  always  active  in  the  work  of  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association  and  was  a  very  active  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  His  family  is  one  of  the  old-established 
ones  of  this  country,  and  is  of  English  origin  and  Revolutionary 
stock.  His  wife,  a  native  of  Ohio,  died  in  December,  1915.  Her 
family  originated  in  Alsace-Lorraine,  France. 

William  L.  Peters  attended  the  graded  and  high  schools  of  Colum- 
bus, Ohio,  and  the  Ohio  State  University,  from  which  he  was  grad- 
uated in  1885,  with  the  degree  of  Mechanical  Engineer.  During  his 
university  course  he  had  military  training,  and  at  its  close  was  rank- 
ing officer,  his  title  being  captain  and  adjutant. 

Returning  home,  Mr.  Peters  entered  his  father's  factory  with  the 
intention  of  learning  the  business  in  all  of  the  departments  from  the 
bench  up,  so  as  to  be  able  to  supervise  all  of  its  operations  when  he 
would  succeed  his  father  in  the  course  of  time.  After  two  years  he 
found  it  was  impossible  for  him  to  continue  these  plans,  as  his  wife 


1082       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

lost  her  health,  and,  acting  under  the  orders  of  her  physician,  he  came 
West  and  located  at  Riverside,  California.  He  brought  with  him  a 
carriage  which  was  almost  wholly  of  his  own  construction,  and  three 
days  after  his  arrival  he  engaged  in  the  carriage-selling  business.  In 
December,  1887,  Mr.  Peters  and  George  R.  Thayer  formed  a  partner- 
ship and  purchased  the  carriage  and  implement  business  of  Clarence 
Stewart,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Riverside.  This  enterprise  prospered 
from  the  start,  and  to  such  an  extent  that  in  1888  they  opened  a  branch 
at  San  Bernardino,  purchasing  the  business  there  owned  by  C.  E. 
Lehman.  The  San  Bernardino  branch  was  continued  until  1898.  In 
1891  Mr.  Peters  bought  out  Mr.  Thayer's  interest  and  continued  the 
business  alone.  He  acted  as  agent  for  the  Columbus  Buggy  Corn- 
pan)'  and  for  other  well-known  manufacturers  of  buggies,  and  con- 
tinued the  Riverside  business  until  1900,  when  it  was  sold  to  Thomas 
J.  Wilson,  who  moved  the  stock  to  San  Bernardino.  Mr.  Peters  con- 
tinued in  the  bicycle  business,  which  had  been  included  with  the  car- 
riage and  implement  business,  until  1902. 

From  1900  until  1913  Mr.  Peters  was  engaged  with  Senator  S. 
C.  Evans  in  the  development  of  a  large  apple  and  cherry  growing 
company,  operating  a  tract  of  land  in  the  Yucaipa  Valley  formerly 
owned  by  T.  J.  Wilson.  This  project  was  one  of  the  pioneer  develop- 
ments of  this  fertile  valley,  and  the  success  of  its  promoters  encour- 
aged others,  and  is  cited  to  this  day  to  stimulate  present  investors. 
This  company  owned  about  570  acres,  and  put  in  about  seventy-five 
acres  in  apples  and  cherries.  They  made  a  somewhat  extensive  water 
development  for  irrigation,  and  were  the  first  to  put  out  a  commercial 
pack  in  the  proper  form  under  the  name  of  "Old  Grayback."  Messrs. 
Peters  and  Evans,  Andrew  Brothers  and  several  other  pioneers  are 
probablv  responsible  for  the  development  of  the  whole  Yucaipa  Val- 
ley. 

In  1902  Mr.  Peters  with  P.  T.  Evans,  D.  D.  Gage,  formerly  of 
Riverside,  the  Chase  Nursery  Company  and  others  developed  eighty 
acres  in  oranges  for  the  Oasis  Orange  Company  in  what  is  known 
as  Oasis.  They  sunk  artesian  wells,  and  as  far  as  is  known  this  was 
the  first  commercial  grove  of  oranges  in  the  Coachella  or  Imperial 
Valley.  He  was  also  interested  with  D.  D.  Gage  in  the  development 
of  what  was  the  Foothill  Tract,  and  what  is  now  known  as  the  Alvord 
Ranch.  This  property  consisted  of  225  acres  of  oranges  and  alfalfa. 
Since  the  development  of  these  various  properties  Mr.  Peters  has 
devoted  his  time  to  the  care  of  his  varied  realty  holdings  and  business 
interests  at  Riverside  and  elsewhere.  In  1906  he  was  one  of  the  or- 
ganizers of  the  National  Bank  of  Riverside,  and  has  since  served  it 
as  one  of  its  directors,  and  during  1918,  one  of  the  most  critical  periods 
in  the  financial  history  of  the  country,  he  was  its  president.  Mr. 
Peters  is  now  developing  some  properties  in  Tulare  and  Kern  coun- 
ties, and  still  owns  some  orange  and  agricultural  properties  in  River- 
side and  San  Bernardino  counties. 

In  politics  Mr.  Peters  is  a  republican,  and  has  always  taken  an 
active  part  in  local  affairs.  He  has  represented  his  party  in  city  and 
county  conventions,  and  served  on  the  Progressive-Republican  County 
Central  Committee.  His  work  in  politics,  however,  has  been  of  a  still 
more  arduous  character.  In  1898  he  was  elected  a  trustee  for  River- 
side, and  he  served  as  such  until  1902,  and  during  that  period  a  large 
part  of  the  business  of  the  municipal  electric  light  plant  was  de- 
veloped. Many  strong  foundation  policies  were  established  and  set- 
tled in  those  four  years  when  the  plant  was  poorly  financed.     Hard 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1083 

fighting  was  required  to  get  any  measure  adopted  which  called  for 
necessary  funds,  but  the  trustees  were  men  who  were  capable  of 
handling  the  situation,  and  before  they  left  office  had  the  satisfaction 
of  seeing  the  plant  in  excellent  condition,  and  a  going  and  profitable 
city-  property. 

In  1901  two  pioneer  contracts  for  electric  light  and  power  were 
made;  one  with  Prof.  C.  G.  Baldwin  on  Mill  Creek;  and  one  with 
ludge  John  F.  Campbell  of  San  Bernardino  on  Lytle  Creek,  by  which 
the  city  would  have  been  assured  ample,  low-priced  electric  power 
developed  by  modern  Hydro-electric  generators  on  these  two  streams, 
and  by  which  the  city  in  thirty  years,  without  other  payment,  would 
become  the  owner  and  operator.  The  contracts  were  signed,  but 
owing  to  the  failure  of  parties  to  finance  the  project  the  deals  were 
not  consummated. 

In  1903  or  1904  the  Board  of  Trustees  entered  into  a  contract  to 
acquire  a  water  power  electric  plant  on  the  Santa  Ana  River,  just  be- 
low Riverside,  for  $180,000.  Mr.  Peters  was  almost  alone  in  his  op- 
position to  it,  and  fought  it  practically  single-handed,  making  it  an 
issue  in  the  city  election.  The  project  was  defeated,  and  the  wisdom 
of  his  opposition  was  demonstrated  when  the  plant  was  washed  out 
and  rendered  worthless  in  later  years. 

From  1902  to  1907  Mr.  Peters  was  trustee  and  secretary  of  the 
Riverside  Public  Library,  and  in  1906  and  1907  was  secretary  of  the 
Board  of  Freeholders  that  formed  the  present  city  charter,  and  under 
that  charter  took  office  as  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Public  Utilities 
at  its  inception  in  1907  and  served  until  1910,  when  he  declined  a  re- 
appointment at  the  hands  of  Mayor  S.  C.  Evans.  It  was  during  his 
incumbency  in  office  that  the  Board  of  Public  Utilities  systemitized 
the  accounting  of  the  electric  light  department  and  placed  it  on  a 
modern  basis.  This  same  board  developed  the  present  concrete  posts 
for  street  lighting. 

In  1912  Mr.  Peters  succeeded  Mayor  Evans  as  mayor  of  River- 
side, and  served  for  one  term,  or  until  1914.  During  this  term  as 
mayor  the  present  municipal  water  system  was  acquired  and  plans 
laid  for  the  acquisition,  consolidation  and  extension  of  the  three 
existing  water  companies.  They  were  the  domestic  system  of  the 
Riverside  Water  Company,  supplying  the  west  side  and  the  valley 
side  of  the  city ;  the  Artesia  Water  Company,  supplying  most  of  the 
east  side ;  and  the  H.  P.  Keyes  Water  Company,  supplying  the  Keyes 
Addition.  Bonds  were  issued  for  $1,160,000,  and  the  city  took  over 
the  three  companies,  consolidated  them  and  made  the  necessary  con- 
nections and  extensions.  Another  feature  of  his  administration  was 
the  stand  he  took  with  reference  to  prohibition.  Through  his  earnest 
efforts  and  despite  intense  and  bitter  opposition  the  law  was  rigidly 
enforced.  Threats  of  a  recall  were  made,  but  came  to  naught.  An- 
other public  duty  capably  discharged  by  Mr.  Peters  was  that  of 
president  of  the  Board  of  City  Accounting,  which  office  he  held  dur- 
ing 1907. 

On  October  12,  1886,  Mr.  Peters  married  at  Richmond,  Indiana, 
Cora  Belle  Van  Aernam,  a  native  of  that  city,  and  a  daughter  of 
Thomas  B.  and  Ffuldah  A.  Van  Aernam.  Mr.  Aernam,  now  deceased, 
was  in  early  life  a  wholesale  merchant.  His  widow,  now  an  aged  lady 
over  eighty  years  of  age,  resides  with  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Peters. 
The  Van  Aernams  are  of  Revolutionary  stock  and  of  Holland-Dutch 
descent.  Mrs.  Peters  is  a  descendant  of  William  Penn.  and  was 
educated  in  a  Quaker  academy  at  Richmond,  Indiana,  and  in  Earlham 


1084      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

College,  also  in  Richmond,  which  is  a  Quaker  settlement.  Mrs. 
Peters  belongs  to  the  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution.  She 
and  Mr.  Peters  have  no  children. 

Mr.  Peters  belongs  to  a  number  of  organizations,  college,  muni- 
cipal, social  and  benevolent,  among  them  being  the  Phi  Kappa  Psi 
college  fraternity,  the  National  Municipal  League,  the  American 
Economic  Association,  the  National  Economic  League,  the  American 
Political  Science  Association,  the  Pioneers'  Society,  the  Present  Day 
Club,  which  he  helped  to  organize,  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  of 
which  he  was  at  one  time  vice  president,  and  at  one  time  he  was  a 
director  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association.  For  many  years 
he  has  been  one  of  the  leading  members  of  the  First  Congregational 
Church  of  Riverside,  and  still  maintains  his  connection  with  it.  He 
is  a  man  of  public  spirit,  devoted  to  the  public  good.  Freely,  gladly, 
without  stint,  he  has  given  himself  to  matters  of  local  moment.  He 
has  loved  Riverside  ever  since  locating  here.  Believing  it  to  be  the 
duty  of  the  business  man  to  labor  and  to  sacrifice  for  the  cause  of 
good  government,  he  has  therefore  worked  in  the  field  of  politics,  for 
the  triumph  of  the  party  and  the  policies  he  believes  to  be  right.  He 
had  always  believed  it  possible  to  have  a  clean,  honest  business  ad- 
ministration of  the  affairs  of  a  city,  and  few  even  among  those  who 
opposed  him  at  the  polls,  and  fought  his  policies  while  in  office,  can 
deny  that  he  proved  this  to  be  possible  during  his  own  incumbency, 
which  will  always  reflect  creditably  on  his  capacity,  his  honesty  and 
his  honor. 

John  W.  Covert  is  one  of  the  most  representative  men  of  River- 
side, and  as  president  of  the  Riverside  Title  Company  comes  into  close 
contact  with  some  of  the  leading  citizens  of  this  region,  by  whom  he 
is  held  in  high  regard.  For  many  years  a  prosperous  agriculturalist 
of  Western  Pennsylvania,  he  came  to  California  a  man  of  ripened 
judgment  and  experience,  and  has  given  to  his  new  home  the  benefit 
of  these  qualities. 

Born  in  Fayette  County,  Pennsylvania,  in  September,  1847,  John 
W.  Covert  is  a  son  of  Isaac  A.  and  Diademia  (Wilgus)  Covert,  both 
natives  of  Pennsylvania.  Isaac  A.  Covert  belonged  to  an  old  Amer- 
ican family  which  was  founded  in  this  country  by  several  brothers  of 
English  birth,  who  settled  in  the  northern  part  of  New  York;  from 
whence  migration  was  later  made  into  Pennsylvania.  Mrs.  Covert 
was  of  French  ancestry.  By  occupation  Isaac  A.  Covert  was  a  far- 
mer, became  prominent  in  his  neighborhood,  and  for  a  number  of 
years  served  as  a  justice  of  the  peace. 

John  W.  Covert  attended  the  public  schools  of  his  native  county 
and  the  Normal  College  of  Western  Pennsylvania,  and  then,  after 
several  years'  experience  as  a  school  teacher  he  began  farming  and 
was  so  well  satisfied  with  his  results  that  he  would  probably  still  be 
a  resident  of  the  Keystone  State  had  not  the  ill  health  of  his  wife 
necessitated  the  removal  to  a  milder  climate.  In  order  to  investigate 
Mr.  Covert  made  a  trip  to  Riverside,  and  was  so  delighted  with  the 
city  and  its  surroundings  that  he  looked  no  further,  and  in  1890 
located  here  permanently.  Owing  to  changed  conditions  he  decided 
that  horticulture  offered  more  inducements  than  agriculture,  and  pur- 
chasing twenty  acres  of  land  in  North  Riverside  he  planted  it  to 
oranges,  conducting  this  grove  for  about  fifteen  years,  when  he  sold 
it,  and  since  then  has  been  occupied  with  looking  after  his  own  in- 
terests and  those  of  the  Riverside  Title  Company,  with  which  he  has 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1085 

been  connected  since  its  organization,  at  which  time  he  was  made  a 
director.  Later  he  was  elected  its  vice  president,  and  during  the  early 
part  of  1921  was  elected  its  president. 

During  the  time  he  was  condutcing  his  orange  grove  Mr.  Covert 
bought  two  acres  of  land  at  1038  East  Eighth  Street,  which  he  planted, 
and  on  which  he  erected  a  handsome  residence.  The  trees  and  palms 
are  full-grown  today,  and  his  is  one  of  the  most  attractive  homes  of 
Riverside,  and  it  is  very  dear  to  him.  He  also  erected  the  two-story 
brick  business  building  at  666  Eighth  Street  which  is  known  as  the 
Covert  Block,  and  this  he  still  owns.  Until  he  sold  his  grove  he  be- 
longed to  the  Riverside  Orange  Growers'  Association  and  was  one  of 
its  directors,  but  has  withdrawn  from  it  since  he  is  no  longer  one 
of  the  orange  growers.  In  politics  he  is  a  republican,  and  while  he 
takes  a  deep  interest  in  his  party's  successes  he  has  never  been  active 
in  public  affairs,  with  the  exception  of  one  term  when  he  served  as 
trustee  under  the  chairmanship  of  both  Bradford  Morris  and  C.  F. 
McFarland. 

On  March  8,  1871,  Mr.  Covert  married  Frances  Luse,  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania  and  a  daughter  of  James  Luse,  a  farmer  of  that  state. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Covert  have  one  daughter,  Mary,  who  is  the  wife  of 
Emerson  Holt,  chief  abstractor  of  the  Riverside  Title  Company. 
Early  uniting  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  denomination,  Mr.  Covert 
has  always  been  active  in  its  good  work,  and  upon  settling  at  River- 
side connected  himself  with  the  First  Methodist  Church  of  this  city, 
and  is  now  president  of  its  Board  of  Trustees.  He  is  a  man  of  means, 
broad  in  his  sympathies  and  generous  in  his  donations.  A  believer 
in  hard  work,  intelligently  directed,  he  has  not  much  patience  for  a 
slacker,  but  when  he  is  convinced  that  a  man  has  tried  hard  he  does 
not  hold  failure  against  him,  but  is  glad  to  lend  him  a  helping  hand. 
Deeply  interested  in  Riverside,  he  has  played  an  important  part  in 
securing  its  further  development,  and  has  not  relaxed  his  efforts  in 
its  behalf.  It  is  to  such  men  as  Mr.  Covert  that  is  largely  due  the 
credit  for  the  wonderful  strides  forward  that  have  been  made  by  this 
region,  this  advancement  attracting  the  attention  of  Eastern  capitalists 
and  bringing  them  here  as  investors  and  residents. 

James  M.  Baber,  one  of  the  oldest  residents  of  Riverside,  came  to 
this  county  in  1882  and  engaged  in  the  business  of  raising  oranges, 
following  it  through  all  of  the  changes  in  the  industry  to  the  present 
day.  While  many  others  have  come  here,  made  a  brief  stay  and 
then  left,  to  be  replaced  by  others  whose  interest  was  quite  as  tran- 
sient, Mr.  Baber  has  held  to  his  original  plan,  and  in  the  declining 
years  of  his  useful  and  helpful  life  has  a  most  comfortable  home, 
income-producing  property,  and  beautiful  and  congenial  surroundings. 

Born  at  Mackinaw,  Tazewell  County,  Illinois,  November  21,  1844, 
James  M.  Baber  is  a  son  of  Charles  and  Mary  Ann  (Marsh)  Baber, 
both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Exeter  County,  England,  from  whence 
they  came  to  the  United  States  and  located  at  Mackinaw,  Illinois, 
when  it  was  a  pioneer  town,  and  there  Mr.  Baber  conducted  a  hotel 
until  his  death  in  1851.  He  was  a  prominent  man  in  that  community, 
and  served  as  postmaster  for  some  years.     His  widow  died  in  1876. 

Growing  up  at  Mackinaw,  James  M.  Baber  attended  its  schools 
and  later  assisted  his  mother  in  the  work  of  conducting  the  hotel,  or 
inn  as  it  was  then  called.  Still  later  he  established  himself  in  a  mer- 
cantile business,  and  continued  to  live  at  Mackinaw  until  1865.  when 
he  moved  to  Sterling,  Illinois,  remaining  a  merchant  until  1878.     He 


1086       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

then  went  to  Iowa,  and  for  four  years  was  engaged  in  the  book  and 
stationery  business,  but  in  1882  left  Iowa  for  California.  Locating 
at  Riverside,  he  bought  twenty  acres  of  orange  land  and  groves  on 
Brockton  Avenue,  and  also  on  behalf  of  his  two  sisters  and  brother- 
in-law,  M.  S.  Bowman,  who  were  partners  with  him  in  the  purchase. 
They  soon  thereafter  joined  him  and  began  the  cultivation  of  oranges, 
planting  the  acreage  not  already  in.  The  ground  was  the  original 
C.  E.  Packard  place,  and  in  the  division  of  it  Mr.  Bowman  retained 
that  part  on  which  the  old  brick  building  was  located.  Mr.  Baber 
now  owns  eight  acres  of  land,  his  home  being  at  245  Brockton  Ave- 
nue, and  he  purchased  the  adjoining  residence  at  247  Brockton  Ave- 
nue, which  is  now  occupied  by  his  sister,  Miss  Harriet  A.  (Hattie) 
Baber.  Mr.  Baber  also  built  a  new  residence  on  the  property,  at  37 
Webber  Street,  which  he  rents  to  tenants.  His  grove  is  valencies 
and  navels,  but  most  valencies.  At  one  time  he  belonged  to  the  River- 
side Fruit  Exchange,  but  of  late  years  has  been  selling  his  crops  in- 
dependent of  the  exchange. 

Mr.  Baber  is  a  republican,  but  has  never  taken  an  active  part  in 
politics,  his  interests  centering  more  in  church  work,  both  he  and 
his  wife  being  consistent  and  zealous  members  of  the  First  Baptist 
Church  of  Riverside.  Mrs.  Baber  is  also  a  member  of  the  Riverside 
Woman's  Club. 

In  Michigan  Mr.  Baber  married  in  1874  Miss  Carrie  Bowman,  who 
died  in  1884.  She  had  one  son,  Charles  Bowman  Baber,  who  was  born 
in  1877,  and  he  is  now  a  civil  engineer  and  draughtsman  of  Los 
Angeles,  California.  The  second  marriage  of  Mr.  Baber  occurred  at 
Riverside,  September  25,  1907,  when  he  was  united  with  Alice  (Mars- 
ton)  Stacey,  a  native  of  Portsmouth,  New  Hampshire.  She  is  a  daughter 
of  Stephen  L.  Marston,  of  Portsmouth. 

Menno  S.  Bowman,  the  brother-in-law  of  Mr.  Baber,  was  a  man 
of  high  standing  at  Riverside,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death  he  was 
secretary  of  the  Riverside  Building  and  Loan  Association.  He  was 
born  in  Ontario,  Canada,  September  13,  1838,  and  was  a  graduate  of 
Otterbein  Academy  at  Westerville,  Ohio,  class  of  1859.  He  married 
at  Mackinaw,  Illinois,  August  3,  1863,  Miss  Amelia  Baber,  a  sister 
of  J.  M.  Baber.  After  establishing  himself  in  his  home  on  Brockton 
Avenue  in  1895  Mr.  Bowman  established  a  boot  and  shoe  business, 
which  he  continued  for  four  years.  In  1898  he  was  elected  public 
administrator,  and  served  as  such  until  January,  1911,  when  he  was 
made  secretary  of  the  Riverside  Building  and  Loan  Association.  In 
the  meantime,  in  1904,  he  disposed  of  his  orange  grove.  He  stood 
high  in  Masonry,  belonging  to  the  Blue  Lodge,  Chapter  and  Com- 
mandery,  but  his  greatest  work  was  done  in  connection  with  the 
Riverside  Methodist  Church,  for  he  was  a  man  who  exerted  himself 
in  behalf  of  those  not  as  fortunate  as  himself.  His  wife  devoted  her- 
self to  church  work  and  was  president  of  the  Missionary  Society,  and 
when  she  and  her  husband  died  all  of  their  property  was  left  to  the 
church.  This  bequest  was  a  very  valuable  one  and  amounted  to  thou- 
sands of  dollars. 

Bert  L.  Morgan — One  of  the  old  philosophers  taught  that  the  best 
way  to  achieve  success  was  to  work  at  only  that  which  pleases,  and  in 
this  there  is  more  truth  than  is  generally  admitted.  Unless  a  man  di- 
rects his  efforts  in  behalf  of  something  which  interests  him  he  has 
to  struggle  against  a  handicap  which  oftentimes  prevents  his  attaining 
tangible  results.     The  first  requisite  for  ultimate  success,  without  doubt, 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1087 

is  an  aptitude  and  liking  for  the  work ;  the  second  is  the  determination 
to  acquire  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  business  in  every  phase ;  and 
third,  the  persistence  to  keep  working  hard  and  saving  something  from 
every  pay  check.  If  these  three  rules  are  closely  followed  the  results 
are  sure  to  be  gratifying.  Such  has  been  the  experience  of  Bert  L. 
Morgan,  vice  president  and  general  manager  of  the  B.  L.  Morgan  Manu- 
facturing Company  of  San  Bernardino,  who  has  built  his  present  flourish- 
ing concern  up  from  very  small  beginnings,  and  his  own  prosperity  from 
nothing. 

Bert  L.  Morgan  was  born  in  Wellington,  Ohio,  February  17,  1873, 
the  son  of  farming  people,  natives  of  Ohio.  His  father  was  born  De- 
cember 27,  1848,  and  died  September  22,  1918.  His  mother  was  born 
April  11,  1849,  and  died  in  March,  1904.  Bert  L.  Morgan  has  made 
his  present  line  of  business  his  life  work,  commencing  it  May  15,  1887, 
when  he  entered  the  employ  of  the  Western  Automatic  Machine  Screw 
Company,  with  which  he  remained  until  March  1,  1906.  On  May  19, 
1904,  he  was  made  foreman,  which  position  he  held  until  he  left  the 
employ  of  that  concern,  and  was  associated  with  R.  D.  Perry  and  W.  W. 
Fay,  who  founded  the  Perry-Fay  Company,  of  which  Mr.  Morgan  was 
general  superintendent.  The  business  of  this  company  increased  very 
rapidly,  additional  capital  was  secured,  and  a  new  and  larger  plant  was 
built.  Mr.  Morgan  remained  with  the  Perry-Fay  Company  until  Sep- 
tember 1,  1917.  In  the  meanwhile  he  had  cherished  a  desire  to  have  a 
business  of  his  own,  and  this  hope  was  realized  May  5,  1919,  when  he 
opened  his  machine  shop  at  938  Third  Street,  San  Bernardino,  with  a 
very  small  equipment,  consisting  of  two  small  automatic  screw  ma- 
chines and  a  limited  machine  tool  equipment.  However,  he  knew  his 
business,  stuck  to  it,  and  laid  his  plans  for  the  future.  On  January 
12,  1920,  he  succeeded  in  having  the  B.  L.  Morgan  Manufacturing 
Company  Incorporated,  with  A.  E.  Ferris,  president;  W.  M.  Parker, 
vice  president ;  J.  F.  Hosfield,  secretary  and  treasurer ;  and  B.  L. 
Morgan,  general  manager.  On  February  26,  1920,  the  plant  was  moved 
to  the  present  quarters,  northeast  corner  of  Rialto  and  East  streets, 
the  premises  having  been  purchased  from  the  San  Bernardino  Brewing 
Company.  At  the  annual  meeting  in  January,  1921,  the  following  offi- 
cials were  elected :  A.  E.  Ferris,  president ;  B.  L.  Morgan,  vice  presi- 
dent and  general  manager ;  and  E.  E.  Katz,  secretary  and  treasurer.  On 
account  of  ill  health  Mr.  Katz  resigned  and  R.  G.  Dromberger  was 
elected  as  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  company. 

When  the  B.  L.  Morgan  Manufacturing  Company  was  incorporated 
the  monthly  sales  only  averaged  $1,000,  but  in  the  short  time  this  con- 
cern has  been  in  existence  the  sales  have  so  multiplied  as  to  average 
$8,000  monthly.  At  the  time  of  incorporation  the  working  force  was 
comprised  of  Mr.  Morgan  and  one  helper.  At  the  present  time  employ- 
ment is  given  to  twentv-two.  The  premises  occupied  by  the  plant 
cover  a  space  of  140x150  feet.  The  building  that  houses  the  plant 
is  100x60  feet,  and  there  are  a  number  of  outbuildings  on  the  lot. 
Among  the  machine  equipment  of  this  company  are  fourteen  automatic 
screw  machines,  ranging  in  capacity  from  three-eighths  to  two  and  one- 
half  inches.  This  company  conducts  a  strictly  manufacturing  institu- 
tion, and  produces  an  endless  variety  of  screw  machine  products,  among 
which  are  the  following :  Hexagon,  square,  fillister  and  button  head 
cap  screws ;  square  head  and  headless  set  screws ;  thumb  screws ;  collar 
screws ;  hexagon  nuts ;  stubs  and  pins ;  screws  and  turned  metal  parts 
for  scientific  instruments,  clock,  watch,  optical,  gun,  electric,  camera, 
typewriter,    adding   machine,    automobile,    aeroplane    and    tractor    work ; 


1088       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

spark  plug  parts ;  hardened  and  ground  work ;  all  articles  turned  from 
silver,  aluminum,  bronze,  brass  or  steel  rods ;  also  taps,  dies  and  gauges. 
There  is  also  a  finely  equipped  tool  department  capable  of  turning  out 
the  highest  quality  of  tools. 

Mr.  Morgan  was  married  first  to  Nellie  M.  Shute,  who  was  born 
at  Elyria,  Ohio,  and  died  May  5,  1912,  leaving  three  children :  Victor 
S.,  who  was  born  April  25,  1894,  is  a  machinist  and  tool  maker  who  has 
been  largely  associated  with  his  father  in  business.  He  married  Mar- 
jory Vogler  of  Elyria,  Ohio.  They  have  two  children,  Rosemary  and 
Robert.  Ruth  O.,  who  was  born  May  5,  18%,  is  the  wife  of  E.  A. 
Ledyard,  of  San  Bernardino.  They  have  three  children,  Jean  Ellen, 
Wayne  and  Philip.  Edwin  L.,  who  was  born  October  8,  1899,  enlisted 
in  the  headquarters  company  of  the  Fifth  Marines  on  April  19,  1917, 
and  sailed  for  France  on  August  5  of  that  year.  He  fought  throughout 
the  war  with  the  famous  Second  Division.  He  went  through  all  en- 
gagements and  the  only  wound  he  received  was  a  scratch  on  the  leg. 
He  was  awarded  a  medal  for  bravery  in  action,  and  was  discharged 
in  August,  1919,  returning  to  New  York  just  two  years  after  he  sailed. 
He  is  now  engaged  with  the  Standard  Oil  Company  in  San  Bernardino. 

In  April,  1917,  Mr.  Morgan  married  Miss  Lura  Potter,  a  native  of 
Ashtabula.  Ohio,  and  a  daughter  of  Eugene  M.  Potter,  and  they  have 
four  children,  namely :  Louise  Alice,  Anna  E.,  David  E.  and  Burt, 
Junior.  Mr.  Morgan  has  devoted  himself  so  exclusively  to  business  that 
he  has  had  but  little  time  for  outside  matters,  although  he  does  take 
an  intelligent  interest  in  local  affairs.  He  is  one  of  the  sound  and  de- 
pendable men  of  San  Bernardino  County,  and  holds  a  high  position 
among  his  business  associates.  He  is  a  life  member  of  Lodge  No.  836, 
Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  of  the  Knights  of  the  Macca- 
bees, the  Royal  Arcanum,  Huron  Tribe,  No.  200,  Red  Men,  and  of  the 
Rotary  Club.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Directors  of  the 
San  Bernardino  Chamber  of  Commerce,  vice  president  of  the  Manu- 
facturing and  Wholesalers  Association  of  San  Bernardino,  vice  presi- 
dent and  general  manager  of  the  Sta-tite  Nut  Company,  to  which  he  is 
devoting  his  time  almost  exclusively,  is  interested  in  the  M.  &  M. 
Manufacturing  Company  of  Wilmington,  Los  Angeles  County,  a  general 
machine  and  manufacturing  institution,  and  was  president  of  the  Board 
of  Health  at  Elyria,  Ohio,  during  the  epidemic  of  contagious  diseases. 

Henry  D.  Bradley  is  one  of  the  prominent  civil  engineers  of  River- 
side, who  has  devoted  much  time  and  effort  to  the  building  up  of  the 
Coachella  Valley,  the  only  logical  place  in  the  United  States  in  which 
to  grow  dates  upon  a  large  commercial  scale.  He  has  specialized  in 
hydraulic  work  and  planning  irrigation  systems  so  as  to  bring  as  much 
land  as  possible  under  the  water.  Knowing  all  of  its  natural  ad- 
vantages, Mr.  Bradley  is  an  enthusiastic  booster  for  the  Coachella 
Valley  and  Riverside  County  generally.  When  he  first  went  to  the 
Valley  over  twelve  years  ago  very  little  development  had  been  made. 
Since  then  he  has  been  an  active  factor  in  the  wonderful  changes 
which  have  been  effected  in  that  district,  and  the  present  rapid  rate 
of  improvement  promises  to  make  a  garden  spot  of  all  of  the  tillable 
land  from  Banning  to  the  Salton  Sea. 

Mr.  Bradley  was  born  at  New  Haven,  Connecticut,  September  1, 
1870,  a  son  of  Dana  and  Caroline  (Tuttle)  Bradley,  both  of  whom 
are  deceased.  Dana  Bradley  was  a  farmer  and  prominent  in  his 
home  community.  He  came  of  Revolutionary  stock  and  English 
descent.  Mrs.  Bradley's  ancestors  came  to  the  American  Colonies 
long  prior  to  the  Revolutionary  war  and  settled  in  New  Haven. 


SAX  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1089 

After  attending  the  public  and  high  schools  of  his  native  city 
Henry  D.  Bradley  matriculated  at  Yale  University,  and  was  grad- 
uated therefrom  in  1893,  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts.  He 
then  took  up  general  engineering  work  in  Connecticut,  and  for  a 
long  period  worked  for  the  New  England  electric  roads. 

In  1904  Mr.  Bradley  came  to  California,  and  for  four  years  was 
engaged  in  civil  engineering  and  map  work  in  the  City  of  Los  Angeles, 
and  then,  in  1908,  came  to  Riverside.  From  then  on  he  has  been 
engaged  in  civil  engineering  and  map  work,  and,  as  before  stated, 
specializes  in  planning  irrigation  systems  for  the  development  of 
land.  Mr.  Bradley  has  mapped  out  the  region  north  and  west  of 
Riverside  from  Colton  to  Wineville,  the  Palo  Verde  Valley  and  the 
Coachella  Valley.  His  maps  are  very  complete  and  accurate,  and 
they  are  recognized  as  official  by  both  the  county  and  city  of  River- 
side. There  is  a  wealth  of  detail  in  his  maps,  particularly  in  that  of 
the  Coachella  Valley,  which  evokes  the  admiration  of  all  those  who 
have  occasion  to  use  them. 

Mr.  Bradley  has  also  done  much  work  in  the  Mojave  Desert  along 
the  line  of  the  Salt  Lake  Railroad,  developing  land  and  assisting  in 
laying  out  the  road  along  the  old  Arrowhead  trail  from  Barstow  and 
Daggett,  via  Silver  Lake  to  Nevada.  This  will  eventually  be  paved 
and  will  make  a  great  national  highway  across  the  desert  that  will 
be  much  traveled.  He  is  now  engaged  in  developing  a  number  of 
large  date  orchards  in  the  Coachella  Valley,  including  some  of  his 
own  land,  which  will  ultimately  be  in  dates.  In  addition  Mr.  Bradley 
is  the  owner  of  some  undeveloped  mining  and  oil  prospects  in  the 
desert  which  in  time  will  doubtless  become  very  valuable. 

In  addition  to  all  these  interests  Mr.  Bradley  is  secretary  of  the 
Riverside  County  Title  Guarantee  Company,  of  which  D.  W.  Lewis 
is  president ;  is  a  member  of  the  Riverside  Realty  Board,  and  of  the 
Present  Day  Club.  While  he  votes  the  republican  ticket  and  is  in- 
terested in  the  success  of  his  party,  he  is  not  active  in  politics.  Cal- 
vary Presbyterian  Church  of  Riverside  holds  his  membership. 

On  September  2,  1909,  Mr.  Bradley  married  at  Riverside  Matilda 
Cary,  a  native  of  Quebec,  Canada.  It  would  be  difficult  to  over-esti- 
mate the  importance  of  the  work  accomplished  by  Mr.  Bradley  in 
the  development  of  his  irrigation  systems,  which  bring  under  cultiva- 
tion so  many  acres  of  hitherto  waste  land.  A  man  of  broad  vision, 
he  has  been  able  to  see  the  future  in  date  culture  and  to  impress  others 
with  the  possibilities  of  this  industry,  which  when  properly  expanded 
will  bring  many  thousands  of  dollars  into  this  region  and  afford  op- 
portunities for  the  energies  and  capital  of  some  of  the  best  men  of 
the  nation.  To  him  belongs  part  of  the  credit  of  awakening  the 
people  to  the  wealth  which  lies  at  their  door,  and  his  name  will  go 
down  in  history  in  connection  with  the  date  industry  of  the  country. 

J.  Eugene  Copeland. — For  the  last  thirty-two  years  J.  Eugene  Cope- 
land  has  found  congenial  surroundings  and  profitable  employment  of 
his  energies  in  the  orange  industry  at  Riverside,  and  has  developed 
his  fine  home  place  of  twenty  acres  from  the  wild  state  to  its  present 
perfect  bearing  condition.  His  grove  is  of  naval  oranges,  and  is  one 
of  the  finest  in  the  county.  His  residence,  which  is  a  handsome  and 
commodious  two-story  building,  is  located  in  one  corner  of  the  prop- 
erty, on  the  southwest  corner  of  Blaine  Street  and  Chicago  Avenue, 
and  is  surrounded  by  fine  trees,  palms,  flowers  and  shrubbery,  which 


1090       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

were  planted  by  his  wife  and  himself,  and  attract  admiring  attention 
of  all  who  pass  the  place.  Twenty  years  ago  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Copeland 
planted  a  slip  of  a  seedling  English  walnut  tree,  and  today  this  is 
probably  the  largest  of  its  kind  at  Riverside,  having  a  magnificent 
spread  of  seventy-five  feet,  and  yielding  about  300  pounds  of  nuts 
annually.  Mr.  Copeland  finds  great  pleasure  in  his  horticultural 
work,  and  devotes  all  of  his  time  to  it. 

J.  Eugene  Copeland  was  born  in  Fond  du  Lac  County,  Wisconsin, 
August  19,  1862,  a  son  of  Justin  M.  Copeland,  a  native  of  New  Hamp- 
shire and  a  son  of  a  Methodist  minister.  He  was  a  scholar  and  spent 
his  life  in  educational  work,  teaching  school  in  many  states,  and 
traveling  all  over  the  country  in  search  of  a  climate  in  which  he  would 
not  be  subjected  to  the  rigors  of  a  severe  winter.  During  this  period 
he  was  superintendent  of  schools  in  Key  West,  Florida.  Finally  he 
came  to  California.  Reaching  this  state  in  May,  1881,  he  realized 
that  his  long  search  was  ended,  and  it  was  under  the  sunny  skies  of 
this  Southland  that  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life.  He  secured 
a  school  on  Central  Avenue  in  Arlington  district  during  the  fall  of 
1881,  and  taught  it  for  one  year,  when  he  went  to  Orange  County  and 
continued  the  same  work  there  until  1891.  His  eyesight  then  com- 
mencing to  fail  him,  he  went  to  Los  Angeles  and  took  the  agency  of 
the  Standard  Dictionary,  continuing  that  connection  until  forced  to 
relinquish  it  on  account  of  his  eyes.  During  his  last  years  he  led  a 
retired  life,  and  passed  away  March  25,  1915.  He  came  from  Revolu- 
tionary stock,  his  generation  being  the  eighth  removed  from  the 
original  settler  who  came  to  this  country  from  England.  His  widow, 
who  was  Mary  E.  French  prior  to  her  marriage,  is  a  native  of  Maine, 
and  also  comes  of  Revolutionary  stock  and  English  ancestry.  She 
survives  her  husband  and  is  living  at  Santa  Ana,  California. 

J.  Eugene  Copeland  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Orange 
County,  California,  and  the  University  of  Southern  California.  He 
was  interested  with  his  father  in  farming  in  Orange  County  until 
1895,  when  he  took  up  his  residence  on  the  home  place,  601  Chi- 
cago Avenue,  comprising  twenty  acres,  which  he  had  bought  in  1882, 
and  here  he  has  since  resided.  Mr.  Copeland  is  also  interested  in 
thirty  acres  of  sugar  beet  land  at  Oxnard,  Ventura  County,  California. 
He  is  one  of  the  directors  and  vice  president  of  the  Riverside  County 
Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Company,  and  is  a  director  of  the  Monte  Vista 
Packing  Company.  In  politics  he  is  a  republican,  but  has  never  been 
active  in  his  party,  and  has  never  sought  public  honors. 

On  September  14,  1889,  Mr.  Copeland  married  at  Los  Angeles 
Carrie  W.  YVillson,  a  native  of  Virginia  and  a  daughter  of  J.  A.  Will- 
son,  now  deceased,  of  Santa  Ana.  Mrs.  Copeland's  family  is  of 
Revolutionary  stock  and  of  Scotch-Irish  descent.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cope- 
land belong  to  Calvary  Presbyterian  Church  of  Riverside.  They  lead 
an  ideal  existence  in  the  midst  of  their  beautiful  surroundings.  While 
it  has  taken  hard  and  unremitting  work  to  develop  their  property  to 
its  present  high  state  of  cultivation,  the  results  are  so  satisfactory 
that  neither  of  them  regret  the  efforts  expended  on  their  home.  They 
are  held  in  high  esteem  by  their  associates,  and  are  fine  representatives 
of  the  elder  generation  of  substantial  citizens  of  the  Gem  City. 

John  F.  Lippincott. — Happy  is  the  man  who  knows  how  to  turn 
disaster  into  success ;  who  can  rise  up  stronger  than  ever  after  a 
knockout  from  fate.  Not  to  all  is  given  either  the  will  or  the  oppor- 
tunity to  accomplish  what  at  the  time  seems  the  impossible,  but  at 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1091 

Riverside  there  are  more  of  these  men  than  in  many  other  communi- 
ties of  many  times  its  size.  Here  are  men,  healthy,  happy  and  pros- 
perous, who  a  few  years  ago  were  told  that  if  they  wanted  to  survive 
another  winter  they  must  move  to  a  more  salubrious  climate.  For- 
tunately for  them  they  found  their  El  Dorado  of  health  and  fortune 
in  the  Gem  City,  and  almost  from  the  day  of  their  arrival  showed 
improvement.  Now  they  have  practically  forgotten  that  once  they 
moved  but  under  a  physician's  advice.  One  of  these  men  who  owes 
his  present  wealth  and  prestige  to  the  fact  that  his  health  failed  him 
in  the  more  rigorous  climate  of  Nebraska  is  John  F.  Lippincott,  one 
of  the  orange  growers  of  this  region,  and  a  man  of  unquestioned 
popularity. 

John  F.  Lippincott  was  born  in  Franklin  County,  Pennsylvania, 
March  10,  1848,  a  son  of  John  and  Mary  (Dillon)  Lippincott,  both  of 
whom  are  deceased,  the  latter  belonging  to  an  old  American  family 
which  was  established  in  this  country  prior  to  the  Revolution  by 
ancestors  from  Ireland.  John  Lippincott  was  born  in  the  vicinity  of 
Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania,  and  belonged  to  the  prominent  Lippincott 
family  of  the  Quaker  City,  which  was  of  Pennsylvania-Dutch  stock. 
Both  as  a  shoe  merchant  and  citizen  he  was  a  prominent  man  of  his 
locality.  During  the  war  between  the  North  and  the  South  John 
Lippincott  gave  his  support  to  the  Union,  and  served  as  a  captain  in 
the  Home  Guards. 

Growing  up  in  the  Keystone  State,  John  F.  Lippincott  imbibed 
the  sterling  lessons  of  patriotism  in  his  home  atmosphere,  and  during 
the  war,  although  under  age,  tried  repeatedly  to  get  into  the  service. 
With  pardonable  determination  he  went  before  the  recruiting  officers 
three  times,  and  might,  so  persistent  was  he,  have  succeeded  but  for 
the  fact  that  not  having  reached  his  full  growth  he  was  below  the 
required  stature.  It  has  always  been  a  source  of  regret  to  him  that 
he  was  born  a  little  too  late  for  that  war,  and  a  little  too  early  to 
serve  in  the  others  of  his  country,  for  he  is  a  real  American  in  the 
highest  sense  of  the  word. 

After  completing  his  schooldays  his  father  insisted  upon  his  learn- 
ing the  shoemaking  trade,  but,  although  he  complied  with  the  parental 
dictum,  he  did  not  work  at  it  after  he  had  completed  his  apprentice- 
ship, but,  going  to  Fillmore  County,  Nebraska,  engaged  in  farming, 
being  one  of  the  pioneers  of  that  region,  as  his  arrival  in  it  was  dur- 
ing May,  1870.  After  eight  years  he  went  to  Alexandria,  Thayer 
County,  Nebraska,  and  was  occupied  with  conducting  a  restaurant  for 
the  subsequent  six  years.  Leaving  Alexandria,  Mr.  Lippincott  then 
embarked  in  the  drug  business  at  Tobias,  Saline  County,  Nebraska, 
and  continued  in  it  for  twenty  years,  but  in  1906  his  health  broke 
down,  and  his  physician  insisted  upon  his  leaving  Tobias  for  Cali- 
fornia. Realizing  the  absolute  necessity  for  the  change,  Mr.  Lippincott 
sold  his  drug  business,  severed  his  other  connections,  although  he  re- 
tained possession  of  some  property  in  Nebraska  which  he  still  owns, 
and  came  to  Riverside,  resolved  to  make  a  most  strenuous  effort  to 
regain  his  strength.  Buying  five  acres  of  oranges  at  1296  Kansas 
Avenue,  corner  of  Pennsylvania  Avenue,  he  made  it  his  home  place, 
and  here  he  has  since  continued  to  raise  naval  oranges.  He  also  pur- 
chased and  still  holds  ten  acres  of  naval  oranges  on  Arlington  Heights 
on  Dufferin  Street,  corner  of  Irving.  This  latter  property  is  one  of 
the  oldest  groves  at  Riverside.  At  one  time  he  was  a  director  and 
vice  president  of  the  Blue  Ribbon  Packing  House,  and  is  now  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Riverside  Heights  Fruit  Association  Number  10.     A  man 


1092      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

of  independent  thought,  he  prefers  to  select  his  own  candidates  irre- 
spective of  party  lines,  but  aside  from  exercising  his  right  of  suffrage, 
is  not  active  in  politics.  He  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Masonic 
and  Knights  of  Pythias  Lodges  at  Tobias,  and  served  the  first  as 
worshipful  master  and  the  latter  as  chancellor  commander. 

On  March  10,  1873,  Mr.  Lippincott  married  in  Fillmore  County, 
Nebraska,  Hannah  J.  Morse,  a  native  of  Iowa,  and  a  daughter  of  Amos 
Morse,  a  farmer  of  that  state.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lippincott  have  had 
three  children,  namely :  Mary  is  the  wife  of  Oscar  L.  Brocker,  an 
orchardist  on  Linden  Street  and  who  has  the  following  children,  Jen- 
nie, Lee  and  John,  who  are  students  in  the  Riverside  High  School,  and 
Howard,  Sidney,  Billy  and  Chloris,  who  are  students  in  the  Riverside 
grade  schools,  and  Nellie,  the  baby.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lippincott  lost  a 
son  when  he  was  fourteen  years  old.  Roscoe,  the  third  child,  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Lippincott,  is  a  rancher  in  Silver  Valley  in  the  Mojave 
Desert.  He  married  Miss  Mabel  Burden,  and  they  have  two  children, 
Katherine  and  Robert. 

Mr.  Lippincott  is  an  enthusiast  with  relation  to  Riverside  and  the 
Golden  State,  and  believes  that  there  is  no  medicine  like  the  healing 
sunshne  of  the  Gem  City.  In  fact  it  appears  as  though  it  would  be 
difficult  for  anyone  to  be  borne  down  with  the  weight  of  disease  in 
the  midst  of  such  wonderful  surrounding  as  those  afforded  at  River- 
side. Ideal  climatic  conditions,  a  super-abundance  of  golden  oranges 
and  vari-colored  flowers,  graceful  shrubbery  and  luxuriant  vines, 
everything  to  make  life  pleasant  and  add  to  the  joy  of  living.  Mr. 
Lippincott's  only  regret  is  that  he  did  not  come  to  this  "Garden  of 
Eden"  even  sooner  than  he  did,  for  its  advantages  meet  with  his  entire 
approval,  and  he  is  only  anxious  to  share  them  with  his  old  associates 
whom  he  is  always  urging  to  follow  his  example.  Since  coming  to 
Riverside  he  has  made  himself  a  valued  advocate  of  civic  improve- 
ments, feeling  that  it  is  the  least  he  can  do  to  exert  himself  to  advance 
the  material  prosperity  and  secure  the  adjuncts  of  a  metropolitan 
community  for  the  city  which  has  given  him  so  much.  Personally 
he  has  made  a  host  of  friends  at  Riverside,  as  he  has  done  wherever 
he  has  lived,  and  both  he  and  his  wife  are  very  popular. 

Nelson  C.  Peters. — While  Nelson  C.  Peters,  of  San  Bernardino, 
has  been  a  resident  of  that  city  a  comparatively  brief  period  of 
time,  he  has  already  attained  a  high  position  and  standing  in  law  circles. 
He  specializes  in  one  branch  of  the  law  and  has  a  large  and  ever 
increasing  clientele,  which  is  not  confined  by  any  means  to  this  dis- 
trict. Mr.  Peters  can  truthfully  be  termed  a  self-made  man,  and  one 
who  made  a  very  successful  job  of  it,  for  from  an  early  age  he  made 
his  own  way  and  secured  his  very  thorough  education  by  his  own  efforts. 

He  was  born  in  that  country  which  has  given  the  United  States  so 
many  worth  while  citizens,  Denmark,  at  Hallund,  June  12.  1875,  and  he 
has  all  the  self-reliance  and  sturdy  independence  of  his  ancestors.  His 
father  was  Nelson  Peters,  a  cooper  by  trade,  now  deceased,  and  his 
mother  was  Mary  Ann  (Rassmus)  Peters,  also  deceased.  He  attended 
the  country  schools  in  Denmark  until  he  was  fourteen  years  of  age, 
when  he  decided  to  come  to  America  and  work  out  his  own  destiny.  It 
was  an  important  step  for  so  young  a  boy,  but  he  had  two  brothers 
already  in  America,  one  in  South  Dakota  and  one  in  Washington. 

Mr.  Peters  located  in  Hurley,  South  Dakota,  and  worked  on  farms 
and  taught  school  for  three  years.  So  well  did  he  studv  and  equip  him- 
self   mentally   that   he   was   graduated    from   the    Dakota    University   at 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1093 

Mitchell,  South  Dakota,  at  the  end  of  that  short  period.  He  knew  what 
he  wanted  to  do  in  life  and  he  at  once  entered  a  law  office  and  was 
admitted  to  practice  in  Guthrie,  Oklahoma,  in  1901. 

He  located  at  once  in  Enid,  Oklahoma,  and  went  to  work  in  the 
county  attorney's  office  there.  He  remained  a  year,  getting  valuable 
experience  and  then  moved  to  Apache,  Oklahoma,  and  practiced  there 
for  five  years,  building  up  a  good  business,  but  he  moved  to  Waurika, 
Oklahoma,  and  there  remained  until  1915,  when  he  located  in  San  Ber- 
nardino. 

In  this  city  he  has  practiced  continuously  ever  since.  He  does  a 
commercial  law  practice  and  handles  the  larger  part  of  all  the  commercial 
business  of  the  district.  He  is  also  the  pioneer  attorney  of  the  Torrens 
Title  in  the  County  of  San  Bernardino  and  has  done  practically  all  the 
business  in  that  line  in  the  county.  He  has  registered  many  hundred 
applications  under  that  act.  A  history  of  the  Torrens  Title  in  San 
Bernardino  County  is  given  by  Mr.  Peters  in  the  narrative  account  of 
this  work. 

He  married  in  1907  Hazel  R.  Reece,  a  daughter  of  Prof.  William 
Reece,  of  Anadarko,  Oklahoma.  They  are  the  parents  of  one  child, 
Mary  Reece  Peters. 

Mr.  Peters  is  a  member  of  Apache  Lodge,  A.  F.  and  A.  M.,  of  Apache. 
Oklahoma :  of  Silver  Wave  Chapter,  Order  of  the  Eastern  Star  and  was 
worshipful  master  of  the  Masonic  Lodge.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the 
I.  O.  O.  F.  and  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias.  In  politics  he  gives  his  al- 
legiance to  the  democratic  party,  and  in  religious  faith  he  is  affiliated 
with  the  Methodist  Church. 

History  of  the  Torrens  System  in  San  Bernardino  County — 
The  first  property  registered  under  the  Torrens  System  in  this  county 
was  the  home  of  Walter  B.  Coombs  of  San  Bernardino.  The  petition 
was  filed  on  the  23rd  day  of  February,  1916,  by  Attorneys  Chase,  Peters 
and  Craney,  and  decree  of  the  Superior  Court  providing  for  the  issu- 
ance of  the  certificate  of  title  in  its  nature,  a  perpetual  guaranty  of 
title  by  the  state,  was  signed  by  Judge  J.  W.  Curtis  on  June  7,  1916. 
L.  R.  Patty,  the  first  county  registrar,  was  an  experienced  abstractor, 
having  for  years  been  in  the  title  business,  and  he  understood  all  the 
flaws  and  defects  of  the  old  system  and  was  not  only  an  enthusiastic 
advocate  of  the  system  but  he  also  placed  his  own  property  under  its 
protection.  With  much  care  and  skill  he  installed  the  first  Torrens 
Title  records  in  the  county,  a  system  with  a  property  index,  verified 
signatures  of  all  grantees,  with  such  certain  evidence  of  title  that  it  bid 
fair  ultimately  to  replace  the  old  system  of  certifying  to  copies  of  records. 

Such  men  as  Sid  Harton,  chairman  of  the  County  Board  of  Super- 
visors, and  Mr.  Wiggins,  with  a  tract  of  land  near  San  Bernardino  of 
over  500  acres,  had  their  land  registered  during  this  summer,  but  for 
some  time  many  people  were  quite  timid  about  using  the  new  system, 
but  on  April  2nd  of  the  year  1917.  R.  F.  Garner  and  his  wife,  Anna  B. 
Garner,  placed  all  of  their  San  Bernardino  County  real  estate,  aggre- 
gating nearly" half  a  million  dollars  in  value,  under  the  protection  of  this 
law.  and  from  that  time  on  it  spread  fast  in  popularity  and  in  December, 
1921.  the  number  of  certificates  issued  in  the  county  was  749.  In  the 
year  1920  an  attempt  to  use  the  system  by  fraudulently  registering 
property  of  another  was  made  by  parties  from  other  counties,  but  was 
promptly  checked  by  the  court,  holding  there  could  be  no  innocent  pur- 
chaser where  an  adverse  claimant  was  in  open  possession  and  that  the 
law  was  not  made  to  defraud  but  to  guarantv  good  titles. 


1094       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

However,  much  opposition  to  the  system  developed,  so  much  so 
that  in  the  spring  of  1921  the  Torrens  title  holders  decided  that  their 
titles  were  unjustly  slandered  and  organized  themselves  in  a  body 
known  as  the  San  Bernardino  County  Torrens  Title  League.  They 
held  their  first  meeting  in  Ontario  on  March  19,  1921.  Mrs.  R.  F. 
Garner  was  elected  President  and  O.  T.  Nichols,  of  Ontario,  was  elected 
secretary.  Resolutions  were  passed  in  substance  declaring  that  the 
parties  fighting  the  Torrens  System  were  doing  so  for  selfish  gain  and 
reciting  the  many  loans  made  on  Torrens  Titles  by  different  institutions, 
including  the  U.  S.  Federal  Land  Bank,  and  not  a  single  loss  having 
occurred  from  insufficiency  of  the  title ;  and  the  courts  all  upholding  the 
Torrens  Decrees,  requiring  enforcement  of  holders'  rights  of  possession 
with  the  power  of  the  sheriff  backed  up,  if  need  be,  with  the  militia  of 
the  state  or  U.  S.  Army  ;  and  declaring  they  would  aid  and  build  up 
the  institutions  fair  to  their  customers  and  not  discriminating  against 
the  law.  N.  L.  Levering,  while  president  of  the  Bank  at  Highland,  and 
also  of  the  San  Bernardino  Valley  Bank,  had  not  only  recommended 
the  Torrens  System  and  made  loans  on  it,  but  had  also  registered  some 
property  of  his.  After  he  had  sold  out  his  control  of  these  banks  and 
in  the  summer  of  1921,  he  undertook  the  organization  of  a  new  bank 
in  San  Bernardino  to  be  known  as  the  Santa  Fe  Bank.  He  met  so  much 
opposition  that,  it  is  said,  the  political  power  controlling  the  issuing  of 
bank  charters,  had  the  charter  withheld  from  him  during  the  whole  year 
of  1921.  Some  lenders  still  demanded  a  private  certificate  in  addition 
to  the  Torrens  Certificate  when  making  loans  on  Torrens  Title.  Torrens 
title  holders  considered  this  an  unjustifiable  extortion,  similar  to  a  re- 
quirement that  one  should  use  a  fifth  wheel  in  running  his  automobile. 
But  the  Home  Investment  Association,  a  building  and  loan  association 
of  Redlands,  came  forward  and  announced  its  willingness  to  make  loans 
on  the  Torrens  Title  in  San  Bernardino  as  well  as  at  Redlands.  The 
Ontario  National  Bank  also  negotiated  large  loans  on  Torrens  certificates 
without  requiring  private  companies  to  back  up  the  guaranty  of  the 
state,  and  in  June,  1921,  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  state,  again  upheld 
the  law,  declaring  its  purpose  was  to  make  reliance  on  decree  wholly 
safe  and  that  it  was  a  judgment  in  re  binding  on  all  the  world  conclusive 
of  every  interest  or  claim  in  the  property,  other  than  as  specified,  and 
its  conclusive  charter  did  not  wait  an  expiration  of  one  year,  but  attached 
with  decree,  becoming  final  on  registration.  This  left  the  opposition 
with  no  argument  whatsoever  against  the  system.  Yet  a  lull  in  the  pro- 
ceedings continued  through  the  fall  of  year  1921,  but  with  the  year  1922 
applications  again  came  in  for  filing,  and  a  course  for  future  growth  had 
become    inevitable. 

Mortimer  P.  Maine. — After  many  years  of  aggressive  and  suc- 
cessful business  operations  Mortimer  P.  Maine  is  now  living  prac- 
tically retired,  although  he  retains  his  ownership  of  his  valuable 
orange  grove  of  ten  acres,  in  the  midst  of  which  he  and  his  family 
are  enjoying  a  quiet  and  happy  life.  The  city  is  an  ideal  spot  for 
those  with  leisure  on  their  hands,  and  Mr.  Maine  rejoices  that  he 
selected  Riverside  as  his  permanent  home  when  the  ill  health  of  his 
wife  brought  them  West  in  search  of  a  milder  climate.  Compared 
with  his  earlier  vears,  the  time  he  has  snent  in  California  has  been 
one  of  ease  and  independence,  and  he  is  one  of  the  enthusiastic 
boosters  for  this  region. 

Mr.  Maine  was  born  in  Henderson  Township,  Jefferson  County, 
New  York,  May  10,  1843,  a  son  of  Mortimer  P.  and  Sarah  (Drum- 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1095 

mond)  Maine,  both  of  whom  are  deceased.  The  father  was  born  in 
New  York  State,  a  member  of  an  old  American  family  of  English 
descent,  established  in  this  country  in  1670,  when  its  representatives 
settled  in  Connecticut.  Later  removal  was  made  to  New  York,  where 
the  Maines  have  been  prominent,  especially  in  agricultural  pursuits. 
The  Drummonds  are  of  Revolutionary  stock  and  Scotch  descent,  and 
Mrs.  Maine  was  also  born  in  New  York  State. 

The  younger  Mortimer  P.  Maine  attended  the  public  schools  of 
Wisconsin,  to  which  state  his  parents  moved  in  1849,  and  with  the 
outbreak  of  the  war  between  the  North  and  the  South  he  enlisted  in 
the  Union  army  and  served  four  years  in  Company  B,  Thirteenth 
Wisconsin  Volunteer  Infantry,  in  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  un- 
der Gen.  George  H.  Thomas.  He  received  his  honorable  discharge 
at  the  close  of  the  war  in  Madison,  Wisconsin,  December  25,  1865. 

For  a  number  of  years  following  his  return  to  private  life  Mr. 
Maine  followed  railroading,  but  later  went  to  Kansas  and  was  en- 
gaged in  farming  in  that  state  for  seven  years.  Returning  to  Wis- 
consin, he  was  there  engaged  in  farming  until  1901,  when,  on  account 
of  his  wife's  delicate  health,  he  came  to  Riverside.  Here  he  bought 
ten  acres  of  oranges  at  1338  Kansas  Avenue,  and  went  into  the 
orange  industry.  Of  recent  years  he  has  practically  turned  over  the 
management  of  the  busines.s  to  his  son,  and  is  enjoying  a  well-earned 
ease.  The  crop  is  mostly  navals,  although  there  are  a  few  valencies. 
The  location  is  an  ideal  one,  and  here  a  pleasant  home  is  maintained. 
The  crop  is  shipped  through  the  Sierra  Vista  Packing  House,  of  which 
at  one  time  Mr.  Maine  was  a  director.  He  was  also  for  a  time  con- 
nected with  the  banking  interests  of  the  city,  but  sold  his  stock  some 
time  ago.  With  the  majority  of  the  veterans  of  the  war  of  the  '60s 
he  joined  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  and  served  as  commander 
of  the  Post  in  his  home  town  in  Wisconsin.  Always  voting  the  re- 
publican ticket,  he  was  quite  active  in  party  matters  in  Wisconsin, 
serving  as  delegate  to  the  countv  conventions  and  as  a  member  of  the 
City  Central  Committee,  but  since  he  located  at  Riverside  he  has  not 
participated  to  any  extent  in  politics. 

In  1874  Mr.  Maine  married  Laura  Elizabeth  De  Haven,  a  native 
of  Wisconsin  and  a  daughter  of  Alpheus  De  Haven,  a  farmer  of 
Revolutionary  stock  and  French  Huguenot  descent.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Maine  have  three  children,  namely:  Morna  G.,  who  is  the  wife  of 
George  F.  Conway,  a  sketch  of  whom  appears  elsewhere  in  this 
work;  Beatrice  M.,  who  is  the  wife  of  Truman  F.  Gridley,  who  is 
living  in  Coachella.  is  foreman  of  the  Narbonne  ranch ;  Rexford  De 
Haven,  who  conducts  his  father's  business. 

Since  coming  to  Riverside  Mr.  Maine  has  displayed  commendable 
civic  pride  and  has  advocated  all  kinds  of  public  improvements,  for 
he  realizes  the  necessity  of  keeping  abreast  of  progress  in  every 
way.  Personally  genial  and  convincing,  he  has  always  made  warm 
friends,  and  his  evident  sincerity  and  sterling  worth'have  gained  for 
him  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  the  community  in  which  he  has 
been  for  so  long  a  prominent  figure. 

Capt.  Alfred  Marcy  Api.in. — There  could  be  no  historical  sub- 
ject of  greater  interest  than  that  involved  in  the  reclamation,  development 
and  improvement  of  the  former  desert  regions  of  Southern  California  into 
what  is  now  a  well  connected  landscape  of  citrus  groves.  Hardly  anvone 
had  a  more  important  and  practical  part  in  that  development,  particularly 
in  the  districts  around  Highland,  than  the  late  Capt.  Alfred  Marcy  Aplin. 


1096       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

Captain  Aplin,  who  received  his  title  as  a  Union  officer  of  the  Civil 
war,  was  born  in  Ashtabula  County,  Ohio,  October  14,  1837.  While  com- 
pleting a  college  course  he  answered  Lincoln's  first  call  for  volunteers, 
served  a  three  months'  enlistment  and  then  re-enlisted  and  was  with  the 
fighting  forces  of  the  North  until  the  final  surrender.  He  was  once  cap- 
tured, and  for  seven  days  endured  confinement  in  the  Belle  Isle  Prison 
near  Richmond,  Virginia.  He  was  in  some  of  the  most  noted  battles  of 
the  war,  and  at  Missionary  Ridge  his  captain,  Cahil,  was  killed  as  he  stood 
looking  over  Mr.  Aplin's  shoulder  reading  a  newspaper.  This  newspaper 
had  been  slipped  to  them  by  a  negro  as  they  lay  secreted  in  the  brush, 
and  Confederate  sharpshooters  had  located  them  by  means  of  the  paper. 
Captain  Aplin  was  an  aide  to  General  Thomas  in  the  battles  of  Chicka- 
mauga  and  Stone  River,  and  at  the  close  of  the  war  he  participated  in  the 
Grand  Review  at  Washington.  He  went  in  as  a  private,  was  twice 
promoted  for  bravery,  and  retired  with  the  rank  of  captain.  For  many 
years  he  was  a  member  of  the  G.  A.  R.  Post  at  San  Bernardino. 

In  Ohio  in  1865  Captain  Aplin  married  Miss  Mary  Elizabeth  Winn, 
of  Athens,  that  state.  She  was  born  in  Albany,  Ohio,  November  14,  1842. 
When  he  left  Ohio,  Captain  Aplin  lived  for  two  years  at  Mount  Pleasant, 
Iowa,  and  from  there  moved  to  Chetopah,  Kansas.  With  that  town  as  his 
headquarters  he  carried  on  an  extensive  business  as  a  cattleman,  running 
his  herds  over  a  large  territory  in  Kansas  and  Indian  Territory. 

Captain  Aplin  came  to  California  in  1875.  He  had  a  temporary  resi- 
dence on  Base  Line,  and  for  the  first  three  months  worked  in  the  moun- 
tains at  the  Little  Bear  Sawmill  owned  by  Talmadge.  In  the  meantime 
he  was  looking  about  for  a  permanent  location,  and  in  1875  homesteaded 
a  quarter  section  in  East  Highland,  what  is  now  known  as  the  Smith  Ranch. 
Almost  immediately  he  became  instrumental  in  developing  an  irrigation 
water  system,  and  also  planted  much  of  his  land  to  deciduous  fruit.  One 
association  of  those  early  times  was  with  F.  E.  Brown,  the  well  known 
pioneer  and  founder  of  Redlands.  They  established  a  plant  at  the  north 
end  of  Orange  Street,  and  for  two  seasons  bought  and  evaporated  fruit. 
Captain  Aplin  designed  and  constructed  the  first  commercial  evaporator  at 
Redlands,  a  plant  which  people  came  miles  to  see.  He  operated  this  plant 
on  Lugonia  Avenue  near  the  Beal  place  in  1878-79.  He  also  invented, 
though  he  never  patented,  a  knife  for  the  cutting  of  clingstone  peaches. 
The  design-  was  subsequently  adopted  and  largely  manufactured  in  the 
East.  While  associated  with  Mr.  Brown  he  was  also  instrumental  in  bring- 
ing water  to  the  higher  mesas  in  Redlands.  He  was  a  pioneer  in  the  build- 
ing of  the  Congregational  Church  at  Highland,  and  was  active  in  its  choir. 

About  1880  he  bought  eighty  acres  of  railroad  land,  a  portion  of  which 
is  still  owned  by  Mrs.  Mary  E.  Aplin  of  East  Highland.  This  he  improved, 
setting  out  one  of  the  first  Naval  orange  groves  in  the  district.  He  had 
observed  the  influence  of  frost  on  the  sunflowers  on  lower  and  higher 
land,  and  was  one  of  the  first  to  advocate  the  higher  mesa  as  the  best  loca- 
tion for  citrus  fruit,  a  policy  and  plan  since  generally  followed  and 
approved.  He  recommended  and  promoted  the  first  two  higher  line  water 
ditches  from  Santa  Ana,  partly  as  a  means  of  saving  wasteage  due  to  the 
loss  through  the  sand  and  also  to  serve  the  higher  foothill  lands.  He  was 
partially  responsible  for  the  present  high  line  known  as  the  North  Fork 
Ditch  or  Canal.  His  first  attempt  to  construct  this  was  met  by  ridicule, 
and  a  number  of  his  neighbors  declared  the  ditch  ran  uphill  and  refused 
to  work,  taking  their  teams  and  going  home.  It  was  only  after  a  con- 
vincing talk  with  the  aid  of  a  surveyor  that  they  returned  and  helped  him 
complete  the  work.  Captain  Aplin  with  John  Weeks  and  John  Cram  made 
the  first  filing  on  the  waters  of  Plunge  Creek,  and  Captain  Aplin  built  the 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1097 

Plunge  Creek  Ditch  without  the  air  of  a  surveyor,  using  a  home  made 
level.  This  was  about  1883-84.  He  also  contracted  and  laid  the  first  pav- 
ing in  the  North  Fork  Ditch,  employing  two  hundred  Chinese  at  a  dollar 
and  a  quarter  a  day  of  ten  hours. 

Captain  Aplin's  signature  was  attached  to  the  contract  with  the  North 
Fork  and  Bear  Valley  Water  companies,  wherein  the  Bear  Valley  Water 
Company  was  permitted  to  divert  to  the  compounding  dam  certain  tribu- 
taries of  North  Fork,  agreeing  to  maintain  the  North  Fork  ditches  and 
deliver  600  inches  of  water  to  it  in  the  months  of  June,  July  and  August, 
thus  settling  a  difficult  problem  of  water  rights  in  the  district.  Captain 
Aplin  was  also  consulted  by  the  founders  of  the  Bear  Valley  Dam  as  to 
the  feasibility  of  such  a  construction,  and  he  guided  the  parties  to  the  site 
on  which  the  present  dam  is  located. 

He  was  one  of  the  first  men  from  the  Highland  district  to  make  practi- 
cal use  of  investments  in  the  great  Imperial  Valley.  The  eighty  acres  he 
owned  there  he  improved  by  planting  grapes,  deciduous  fruits,  and  experi- 
menting in  other  lines.  In  1908  Captain  Aplin  moved  from  East  High- 
land to  a  modern  home  he  built  in  East  Hollywood.  He  remained  there 
four  years,  and  then  removed  to  San  Francisco,  where  the  death  of  this 
honored  pioneer  occurred  February  28,  1918.  Captain  Aplin  had  many 
solid  works  to  his  credit  in  business  affairs,  and  he  was  always  known  as  a 
man  of  the  highest  character.  He  had  come  to  California  a  thousand 
dollars  in  debt,  and  he  paid  that  off  in  eight  years.  Eventually  he  achieved 
a  fortune,  and  was  thoroughly  admired  for  the  qualities  of  his  citizenship. 

Captain  and  Mrs.  Aplin  had  six  children,  the  first  three  having  been 
born  in  Iowa.  The  oldest,  Benjamin,  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-eight. 
The  second,  Myrtle  Alfreda  Aplin,  M.D.,  graduated  from  the  Cooper 
Medical  College  of  San  Francisco,  and  was  one  of  the  first  two  women  out 
of  thirty  of  her  sex  who  competed  in  examination,  to  be  selected  and 
appointed  by  the  Governor  for  executive  responsibilities  in  the  State  Hos- 
pitals. For  seven  years  she  was  physician  in  charge  of  the  women's  depart- 
ment at  the  Napa  Hospital  for  the  Insane,  resigning  to  devote  herself  to 
her  invalid  mother. 

The  third  child  Dr.  Guy  E.  Aplin,  who  graduated  in  medicine  in  Chi- 
cago, practiced  for  a  number  of  years  in  St.  Louis,  and  after  returning  to 
California  practiced  at  Santa  Paula,  and  later  at  Calpella  had  a  successful 
experience  as  a  pear  orchardist.  Later  he  was  manager  for  the  Phoebe 
Hearst  home  ranch,  and  is  now  a  prominent  orange  grower  on  the  place  his 
father  planted  at  Highland.  He  married  Pearl  Burr,  who  was  reared  and 
educated  in  the  East. 

The  fourth  child  of  the  family  was  Donald  Graham  Aplin,  who  was 
born  at  Chetopah,  Kansas,  graduated  from  Pomona  College  and  California 
University,  receiving  the  degree  Bachelor  of  Science  in  mine  engineering 
and  chemistry  in  1899.  He  taught  in  the  chemistry  department  at  Berkeley 
for  a  year,  then  spent  a  year  with  the  Borax  Company,  and  was  with  the 
Dean  and  Jones  Mining  Company  and  the  Virginia  Dale  Mines  and  for  a 
number  of  years  performed  the  arduous  duties  incident  to  work  on  the 
desert  and  in  the  mountains.  He  was  a  pioneer  in  the  Imperial  Valley, 
improving  farm  land  there,  and  was  horticultural  commissioner  and  presi- 
dent of  the  Imperial  Water  Company.  He  finally  resigned  to  return  to 
Highland  and  take  charge  of  his  father's  place.  After  eight  years  he 
bought  ten  acres  at  the  corner  of  Boulder  and  Pacific  avenues,  where  he 
owns  one  of  the  best  groves  in  Highland,  and  he  also  acquired  twenty-five 
acres  nearby,  which  he  set  out  to  citrus  fruits.  In  1908  he  married  Miss 
Laura  Corwin,  member  of  a  pioneer  family  of  Southern  California.  She 
was  educated  in  the  Redlands  High  School  and  in  Longmire's  Business 


1098       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

College  at  San  Bernardino.    Their  three  children  are:   John  Alfred,  born 
in  1909;  Florence,  born  in  1913,  and  Esther,  born  in  1918. 

The  fifth  child  of  Captain  Aplin  was  Alfred  Porter,  who  was  born  at 
East  Highland  and  was  drowned  in  the  North  Fork  Canal  at  the  age  of 
two  years.  The  youngest  of  the  family,  Ethel  Grace,  also  a  native  of 
Highland,  is  a  graduate  of  the  preparatory  school  of  Pomona  College  and 
received  her  M.  D.  degree  from  Ward's  Medical  College  at  San  Francisco. 
She  was  married  to  Frank  Lynn,  an  electrician,  who  was  accidentally  elec- 
trocuted in  San  Francisco.  Mrs.  Lynn  is  a  leader  in  the  socialist  party  in 
California  and  was  a  candidate  on  that  ticket  for  secretary  of  state,  receiv- 
ing 40,000  votes.  She  possesses  great  talent  in  literary  lines  as  well  as 
in  sociological  problems,  and  was  author  of  a  book  entitled  "Adventures  of 
a  Woman  Hobo." 

Marcus  L.  Frink,  of  the  pioneers  constituting  the  old  San  Bernardino 
Colony  one  still  living  and  with  a  vast  amount  of  authoritative  and  interest- 
ing information  concerning  early  times,  early  conditions  and  old  personali- 
ties and  events  is  Marcus  L.  Frink  of  Redlands,  a  native  son,  and  whose 
memory  and  participation  in  local  history  run  back  half  a  century  or  more. 

Mr.  Frink  was  born  in  San  Bernardino,  March  14,  1860.  His  birth- 
place was  what  in  later  years  was  the  old  race  track,  but  sixty  years  ago  was 
a  low,  swampy  tract  of  land  then  owned  by  his  great-grandfather,  Martin 
Potter.  Mr.  Frink  is  a  son  of  Horace  Monroe  and  Polly  Ann  (DeWitt) 
Frink.  His  father  was  born  in  New  York  State  in  1831  and  came  to 
California  in  the  years  immediately  following  the  discovery  of  gold.  The 
day  he  was  twenty-one  he  came  into  the  state  riding  a  horse,  and  Indians 
attacked  the  party  and  he  was  robbed  of  everything,  including  the  clothes 
he  had  on  his  back.  He  borrowed  a  shirt,  trousers  and  moccasins  in  order 
to  make  a  presentable  appearance  when  he  reached  the  border  of  civiliza- 
tion, in  1852  at  Hangtown,  California.  He  was  a  brick  mason  by  trade, 
and  his  first  enterprise  was  contracting  to  burn  a  lime  kiln  for  the  price  of 
a  dollar  a  barrel.  He  worked  at  that  one  year,  burned  700  barrels,  and 
then  returned  to  the  States.  When  he  came  back  to  California  he  was 
accompanied  by  his  grandmother  and  two  half  brothers,  and  this  time  the 
trip  was  made  by  wagon  train.     They  reached  San  Bernardino  in  1854. 

In  San  Bernardino  he  married  Polly  Ann  DeWitt,  a  native  of  Indiana. 
She  was  one  of  the  real  pioneer  women  of  California,  and  came  West  by 
wagon  train  with  many  hazards  and  arduous  circumstances,  the  first  stage 
of  the  journey  ending  at  Salt  Lake  and  from  there  by  a  second  stage 
traveling  to  San  Bernardino.  With  her  came  her  grandfather,  the  Martin 
Potter  above  mentioned,  and  her  brother.  They  located  on  the  old  race 
track  site,  owned  by  Potter.  Horace  M.  Frink  and  wife  had  seven  chil- 
dren, three  of  whom  died  in  infancy.  The  oldest  of  those  to  grow  up  was 
A.  M.  Frink,  who  was  born  in  1858  and  died  November  10,  1918,  leaving 
one  daughter.  Marcus  L.  is  the  second  and  the  only  son  to  survive.  George 
Grant  Frink  born  in  1866.  died  in  1875.  The  fourth,  Polly  Ann,  born  in 
1869,  is  the  wife  of  Henry  Gansner,  and  is  the  mother  of  a  son  and 
daughter. 

Horace  M.  Frink  was  an  old  time  freighter  and  a  pioneer  in  every 
sense  of  the  word.  He  drove  and  sent  heavy  teams  from  San  Bernardino 
into  Utah  and  later  to  the  various  mining  camps  in  Arizona.  He  was  also 
a  pilot  when  the  old  stage  line  was  established,  having  blazed  the  way  for 
several  early  stage  routes  in  the  Southwest.  His  business  at  home  was 
largely  ranching  and  cattle  raising.  In  1866  he  traded  the  lower  half  of 
the  old  race  track  farm  with  a  man  named  Wallace  for  100  acres  on  the 
old  Cottonwood  Road,  giving  Wallace  $400  in  value  in  cattle  to  even  up 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1099 

the  transaction.  This  land  is  still  owned  by  his  heirs.  He  moved  his 
family  into  an  old  slab  house  on  the  new  tract,  but  during  1871-72  con- 
structed a  substantial  adobe  house.  The  adobe  bricks  were  made  on  the 
old  Barton  tract,  and  Marcus  Frink  and  his  brother  hauled  them  to  the 
site  of  the  building  where  their  father  laid  them  in  the  wall.  This  building 
is  still  occupied,  and  with  recent  changes  is  modern  in  appearance  and  a 
splendid  abode  of  comfort.  On  this  land  in  1868  Horace  Frink  set  out 
some  seedling  orange  trees,  made  additional  plantings  in  1870,  and  this 
was  one  of  the  pioneer  successful  efforts  at  orange  growing  in  this  vicinity. 
In  later  years  these  plantings  have  been  greatly  extended  by  Marcus 
L.  Frink  and  his  brother,  much  of  the  tract  being  now  given  over  to  Naval 
oranges. 

In  November,  1900,' Marcus  L.  Frink  and  his  sister  divided  the  estate 
of  105  acres,  Mrs.  Gansner  taking  25  acres,  while  Mr.  Frink  now  has 
60,  30  acres  of  which  are  in  oranges  and  30  acres  in  alfalfa. 

Mr.  Frink  during  his  boyhood  had  little  opportunity  to  attend  school. 
After  he  was  fourteen  he  had  to  work  regularly  at  home.  In  1880  he 
married  Miss  Caroline  Wilson,  who  was  born  at  the  old  San  Bernardino 
Colony,  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Rhoda  (Van  Leuven)  Wilson.  The  name 
Van  Leuven  is  particularly  significant  as  pioneer  families  in  this  section  of 
the  state.  The  Wilsons  and  Van  Leuvens  came  over  the  plains  and  moun- 
tains in  ox  trains.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frink  had  seven  children.  The  four 
now  living  are:  Lena,  born  November  3,  1881,  educated  at  Redlands,  and 
wife  of  Fred  W.  Watkins,  who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  and  is  a  short- 
hand reporter  and  clerk  of  court  under  Judge  Curtis  in  San  Bernardino. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Watkins  have  a  son  and  a  daughter.  Amy  Frink,  born 
February  14,  1884,  was  educated  in  the  Redlands  High  School  and  in 
1906  became  the  wife  of  George  A.  Murphy,  of  Redlands  Junction.  Their 
children  are  Florence  Loraine,  born  in  1907,  and  Mark  Murphy,  born  in 
1912.  Milton  J.  Frink,  born  September  3,  1890,  is  an  orange  grower  in 
the  Redlands  district.  He  married  Ruth  Weed,  of  Michigan,  and  her 
two  sons  are  Kenneth  Milton,  born  March  20,  1916,  and  Donald  Eugene, 
born  September  20.  1919.  The  fourth  and  youngest  child  is  Howard 
Lloyd,  born  May  11,  1897.  He  enlisted  September  6,  1918,  and  was  in 
training  at  Camp  Kearney  until  after  the  signing  of  the  armistice. 

Marcus  L.  Frink  has  many  pictures  in  his  memory  of  the  San  Ber- 
nardino of  bygone  days.  When  he  was  a  boy  the  town  contained  only 
one  store,  owned  by  Louis  Jacobs,  who  later  became  prominent  as  a 
banker.  He  lived  here  when  this  was  a  wide  open  town  with  twenty-eight 
saloons,  drinking,  shooting,  gambling,  and  often  the  scene  of  riotous 
excitement  from  day  to  day.  It  was  the  rendezvous  of  miners  and 
freighters,  and  Indians  were  frequent  visitors  and  were  allowed  to  drink 
without  hindrance.  Mr.  Frink  states  that  the  Indians  then  living  here 
would  willingly  do  ranch  work  for  fifty  cents  a  day  and  were  good  laborers, 
working  from  daylight  to  dark,  but  spent  all  their  earnings  in  the  saloons. 
The  building  of  the  railroad  to  Colton  in  1874  began  the  modern  era  of 
progress  and  development,  all  of  which  Mr.  Frink  has  witnessed  and  in 
which  he  has  participated  as  one  of  the  old  pioneers  who  are  glad  to  see 
the  wonderful  advantages  in  this  region  made  available  to  a  constantly 
increasing  population.  Mr.  Frink  is  a  member  of  the  Native  Sons,  the 
Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks  and  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows.  In  politics  he  is  a  republican,  and  has  served  on  the 
Republican  County  Central  Committee. 

Jacob  Dean  Kirkpatrick  has  been  a  resident  of  Ontario  for  thirty 
years,  locating  in  that  section  of  San  Bernardino  County  after  leaving 


1100      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

his  farm  in  Iowa,  and  continued  dairying  and  ranching  here  for  a  number 
of  years,  until  he  retired,  and  is  now  enjoying  the  ample  prosperity 
that  has  rewarded  his  energetic  efforts.    _ 

Mr.  Kirkpatrick  was  born  August  3,  1856,  son  of  James  W.  and 
Rachael  J.  (Burge)  Kirkpatrick.  His  father  was  an  Iowa  pioneer  and 
enlisted  from  that  state  in  the  Union  Army  during  the  Civil  war.  Jacob 
D.  Kirkpatrick  acquired  his  education  in  Iowa,  at  New  London,  and  was 
identified  with  farming  in  that  state  until  about  1892  when  he  removed 
to  Ontario  and  bought  a  dairy  ranch  of  thirty  acres.  He  continued 
dairying  until  a  few  years  ago,  when  he  sold  out.  He  now  lives  in  the 
center  of  the  city  of  Ontario,  at  224  East  A  Street,  and  has  a  beautiful 
residence  erected  five  years  ago,  one  of  the  most  desirable  homes  of 
Ontario,  and  a  house  representing  to  a  large  extent  his  ideas  of  planning 
and  arrangement.  Mr.  Kirkpatrick  served  for  a  number  of  years  as 
superintendent  of  streets  in  Ontario,  is  a  Joyal  democrat,  a  public  spirited 
citizen,  for  many  years  has  been  closely  affiliated  with  the  Methodist 
Church  and  is  a  Woodman  of  the  World  and  has  filled  various  chairs 
in  that  order. 

In  Fairfield,  Jefferson  County,  Iowa,  January  1,  1882,  he  married 
Miss  Anna  J.  Orr,  who  was  born  near  Harrisburg,  Pennsylvania,  August 
11,  1861.  Her  parents,  James  and  Eleanor  (McCutheon)  Orr,  were 
natives  of  County  Tyrone,  Ireland.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kirkpatrick  have  had 
four  chjldren:  Nellie  R.,  wife  of  J.  H.  Sanborn,  of  Millcreek,  Cali- 
fornia ;  Julius  D.,  who  married  Lavina  Wymore  and  is  living  in  Ontario  ; 
Florence  D.,  who  recently  graduated  from  the  University  of  California, 
at  Berkeley;  and  Rachel,  deceased.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kirkpatrick's  grand- 
children are  as  follows:  Ronald  (deceased),  Arthur  Dean,  Eleanor 
Bertha,  and  Leona  Marie,  who  are  children  of  Nellie  R.  Sanborn ;  and 
Anna  Elizabeth,  Lavina  Ruth,  Clara  Dorris  and  Denzil  Victor,  children 
of  Julius  D.  Kirkpatrick. 

Mrs.  Kirkpatrick  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Jefferson 
County,  Iowa,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Women's  Relief  Corps.  Mr. 
Kirkpatrick  was  one  of  the  charter  members  of  the  George  Strong  Post, 
Sons  of  Veterans,  of  Brighton,  Iowa. 

H.  H.  Linville  was  the  type  of  business  man  and  citizen  that  is  a 
fundamental  asset  to  any  community.  His  life  in  San  Bernardino  County 
was  a  constructive  one,  resulting  in  improved  conditions,  and  individually  it 
was  successful,  success  being  gained  after  reverses  that  might  have  dis- 
couraged less  determined  men. 

The  late  Mr.  Linville  was  born  in  Oregon,  son  of  W.  J.  Linville.  As  a 
boy  he  came  to  California  with  his  parents,  who  lived  in  San  Francisco  for 
a  time  and  then  came  to  Riverside.  In  the  Riverside  district  his  father 
set  out  an  orange  orchard  when  few  plantings  of  citrus  fruit  had  been 
made  in  that  section.  He  also  bought  and  operated  a  planing  mill  near 
Colton.  Later  H.  H.  Linville  was  associated  with  his  father  in  this  busi- 
ness, and  on  moving  to  San  Bernardino  they  operated  a  planing  mill.  Mr. 
H.  H.  Linville  and  Mr.  Whitney  as  partners  owned  a  mill  at  San  Ber- 
nardino, and  also  bought  timber  and  operated  a  saw  mill  in  the  San 
Bernardino  Mountains.  After  the  burning  of  the  mill  at  San  Bernardino 
Mr.  Linville  engaged  in  the  citrus  nursery  business  at  Highland.  For  a 
period  his  efforts  were  rewarded  with  encouraging  progress.  Then  came 
a  severe  freeze,  which  practically  destroyed  the  entire  plantation.  That 
was  the  second  severe  financial  reverse.  This  time  he  was  left  only  with 
the  assets  of  good  character.  At  this  time  the  Brookings  Mill  &  Lumber 
Company  was  beginning  the  operation  of  a  large  sawmill  at  Highland. 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1101 

This  firm  allowed  .Mr.  Linville  to  have  a  strip  of  land  with  water,  and  in 
return  for  its  use  he  acted  as  watchman  of  the  company's  property.  On 
this  land  he  again  planted  a  nursery,  and  as  the  result  of  long,  hard  hours 
of  lahor  he  gradually  built  anew  his  finances.  Later  he  purchased  land 
from  Mr.  Tyler  and  expanded  the  nursery  to  larger  proportions,  and  from 
time  to  time  increased  his  holdings,  securing  forty-six  acres  of  valuable 
citrus  groves.  Eventually  he  was  one  of  the  large  property  owners  of  this 
section,  owning  several  substantial  business  blocks  in  the  City  of  San 
Bernardino  and  in  Highland.  Great  industry  and  business  ability  put  him 
on  a  secure  financial  footing  years  before  his  death,  which  occurred  at 
Highland  in  1915.  He  was  a  Knight  of  Pythias  and  a  member  of  the 
Congregational  Church. 

At  Highland  Mr.  Linville  married  Miss  Cora  B.  Wallace,  a  native  of 
Iowa,  and  brought  to  California  when  seventeen  months  old  by  her  parents, 
William  and  Mary  E.  (Gemmel)  Wallace.  Her  people  were  among  the 
pioneers  of  the  Highland  section.  As  Miss  Wallace  Mrs.  Linville  was  a 
popular  teacher  both  in  Riverside  and  Highland.  She  is  the  mother  of  two 
children :   Henry  Herschel  and  Wallace  Linville. 

The  memory  of  the  late  Mr.  Linville  is  that  of  one  of  the  founders  of 
the  colony,  a  pillar  of  real  strength  and  a  source  of  encouragement  to 
others.  He  was  far-seeing,  possessed  advanced  ideas  and  ideals,  and  was 
most  generous  in  giving  them  expression. 

John  R.  Metcalf,  of  Highland,  is  one  of  the  successful  self-made 
men  of  San  Bernardino  County,  and  is  proud  of  the  fact  that  he  owes 
all  of  his  present  prosperity  to  his  own,  unaided  efforts.  He  has  always 
studied  conditions  carefully,  weighed  opportunities  and  made  his  invest- 
ments wisely,  with  a  view  to  the  future  as  well  as  the  present.  It  is  such 
men  as  he  who  are  responsible  for  the  remarkable  expansion  in  every 
direction  of  the  commercial  and  industrial  interests  of  Southern  California. 

The  birth  of  John  R.  Metcalf  occurred  at  San  Bernardino,  November 
22,  1863,  and  he  is  a  son  of  John  F.  and  Eliza  Metcalf,  natives  of  Cum- 
berland, England,  who  first  immigrated  to  Australia  and  later  to  America, 
with  their  respective  parents.  It  was  during  the  excitement  over  the 
discovery  of  gold  in  Australia  that  the  Metcalf  family  left  England  for 
Australia,  but  when  it  died  out  in  1852,  without  having  materially  bettered 
their  fortunes,  they  decided  to  once  more  follow  the  lure  of  the  golden 
goddess.  They  left  Sidney,  Australia,  on  one  of  the  old-type  sailing 
vessels,  and  after  a  long  and  wearying  voyage  of  thirteen  weeks  landed  at 
Wilmington,  California.  It  is  a  curious  fact  that  their  former  voyage, 
from  England  to  Australia,  also  took  thirteen  weeks,  and  it,  too,  was 
made  in  a  sailing  vessel. 

Although  they  came  here  primarily  with  the  idea  of  prospecting  for 
gold,  John  F.  Metcalf  found  better-paying  work  at  freighting,  for  there 
was  such  a  demand  for  all  kinds  of  supplies  and  no  railroads  to  carry 
them  that  the  profits  from  this  line  of  business  were  very  large.  He  drove 
a  team  from  the  seacoast  to  various  Government  posts  on  the  frontier, 
later  extending  his  territory  to  different  points  in  Arizona  and  becoming 
the  owner  of  his  own  outfit.  On  these  trips  it  was  the  custom  for  a 
number  of  the  freighters  to  travel  together  so  as  to  be  able  in  this  way 
to  offer  an  effective  resistance  to  any  attack  by  the  Indians,  who  infested 
the  country  at  this  period.  In  spite  of  all  the  precautions  he  had  many 
narrow  escapes,  and  some  very  thrilling  experiences.  In  1870  he  rented 
from  John  Brown,  Senior,  the  toll  road  through  Cajon  Pass.  Like  other 
pioneer  enterprises,  however,  freighting  passed  with  the  coming  of  more 
civilized  conditions,  and  John  Metcalf  turned  his  attention  to  other  pro- 


1102       SAX  BERXARDIXO  AXD  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

jects.  In  1873  he  began  lumbering  and  saw-milling  in  the  San  Bernardino 
Mountains,  one  mile  southeast  of  the  present  Little  Bear  Valley  dam  site, 
but  he  died  two  years  later,  just  as  he  was  getting  his  new  undertakings  in 
excellent  shape. 

John  F.  Metcalf  married  Miss  Eliza  Arnold,  and  they  had  five  children : 
John  R..  who  was  the  eldest ;  Elizabeth,  who  was  born  in  1865,  died  in 
1875;  Isabel,  who  was  born  in  1866.  died  the  following  year;  James  W., 
who  was  born  December  14,  1868,  is  now  living  at  Colton,  and  has  for 
twenty-five  years  been  in  the  service  of  the  Santa  Fe  Railroad  Company, 
being  now  in  entire  charge  of  the  Southern  California  signal  service,  which 
he  has  so  perfected  that  it  costs  to  the  company  practically  nothing  in  acci- 
dents, being  100  per  cent  efficient;  and  Margaret,  who  was  born  May  11, 
1871,  married  M.  J.  Simonton,  chief  auditor,  Hawaiian  Islands,  which 
responsible  position  he  has  held  for  years.  When  the  United  States  Gov- 
ernment took  over  these  islands  Judge  Robinson  was  appointed  judge,  and 
Mr.  Simonton  was  made  his  clerk.  When  Woodrow  Wilson  became  presi- 
dent, he  appointed  a  new  judge,  and  Mr.  Simonton  was  made  chief  auditor. 
He  and  his  wife  have  one  child,  Richard  M.  Simonton,  a  bright  young  man 
with  brilliant  prospects.  He  studied  in  the  various  schools  on  the  islands, 
and  then  took  a  course  in  marine  studies.  Coming  to  Presidio,  California, 
he  took  the  examination  for  Annapolis,  and  was  one  out  of  a  class  of  800 
to  pass  it  satisfactorily,  his  rating  being  380.  He  is  now  on  the  high  seas 
for  further  training  as  an  official. 

John  R.  Metcalf  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  San  Bernardino,  and 
his  first  employment  was  secured  in  the  general  merchandise  store  of  H. 
Conner  of  that  city.  Then  for  two  years  he  was  with  Xewburg  &  Rath- 
burn,  grocers,  leaving  that  firm  for  Smith  Hale,  with  whom  he  continued 
until  he  went  into  the  grocery  business  for  himself  in  1885,  at  which  time 
he  established  himself  at  Riverside,  and  very  successfully  conducted  his 
store  for  two  years,  when  he  sold  and  went  into  Bear  Valley 

With  his  arrival  in  Bear  Valley  and  his  entry  into  the  cattle  business, 
began  the  era  of  his  real  prosperity,  and  he  extended  his  operations  in  many 
directions.  Mr.  Metcalf  began  on  1,000  acres  of  land,  but  had  an  exten- 
sive range  on  Whitewater  for  winter  feeding.  During  this  part  of  his 
career  he  had  many  experiences,  and  passed  through  a  number  of  changes, 
both  natural  and  artificial.  In  1891  the  Colorado  River  broke  over  its 
banks,  something  similar  to  the  floods  which  formed  the  present  Salton 
Sea,  and  the  lands  were  flooded  about  Xew  River,  and  as  a  result  quan- 
tities of  grass  and  pools  of  water  continued  during  that  season.  G.  W. 
Lang,  an  old  Arizona  cattleman  driving  cattle  across  the  desert  to  the 
coast,  found  this  feed,  which  enabled  him  to  bring  in  9,000  head  of  cattle. 
So  favorably  was  he  impressed  with  the  country  that  he  followed  the 
river  back  into  the  Bee  River  country,  and  there  obtained  Mexican  govern- 
ment concessions.  His  example  was  followed  by  Mr.  Metcalf,  who  also 
bought  cattle  at  different  times,  as  Lang  drove  them  out.  He  paid  $1,503 
for  400  head  of  cattle  from  Mr.  Lang  at  one  time.  The  following  year, 
with  O.  M.  Smith,  he  bought  500  head  of  cattle  driven  out  from  the  Colo- 
rado River  across  the  Chachuwalla  Desert  to  Whitewater.  The  loss  through 
making  this  desert  drive  was  small,  as  the  partners  sold  490  head  of  this 
herd  to  R.  F.  Garner.  All  of  these  occurrences  took  place  during  the  early 
history  of  the  cattle  industry  in  California. 

Mr.  Metcalf  in  partnership  with  Gus  Knight  built  the  famous  Pine  Knot 
Hotel  of  the  now  world-renowned  Bear  Valley  Mountain  resort.  When 
they  put  up  the  first  hotel  this  valley  was  a  primitive  forest  and  meadow 
land  locality.  He  packed  in  all  of  his  supplies  by  way  of  Victorville  and 
the  desert  trail.     Subsequently  Mr.  Metcalf  sold  his  interest  in  this  hotel 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1103 

to  Mr.  Knight.  Mr.  Metcalf  also  organized  and  superintended  the  con- 
struction of  the  first  toll  road  in  the  valley.  The  merchants  in  the  valley 
below  subscribed  stock  to  the  amount  of  about  $1,500,  Mr.  Knight  sub- 
scribed $1,000,  and  Mr.  Metcalf  assumed  the  balance,  of  about  $2,000. 
This  road  was  opened  in  1891  as  one  charging  one  dollar  for  a  two-horse 
team.  At  that  time  the  valley  had  but  five  families,  those  of  Messrs.  Met- 
calf and  Knight,  and  the  Rathbun,  Beard  and  Case  families,  and  there 
was  also  the  carekeeper  at  the  dam.  By  comparing  the  population  in  1891 
with  the  returns  from  the  last  census  some  adequate  idea  of  the  develop- 
ment in  this  region  may  be  gained.  In  1910  Mr.  Metcalf  sold  his  chief 
holdings  to  John  D.  Clark,  who  in  turn  sold  them  to  the  present  owners, 
the  Talmage  brothers.  In  the  meanwhile  he  had  disposed  of  his  cattle 
business  and  moved  to  Los  Angeles,  where  until  1918  he  was  very  success- 
fully engaged  in  business  as  a  grocer.  In  the  latter  year  he  came  to  High- 
land, and  since  then  has  been  occupied  with  orange  and  lemon  growing. 
In  1887  Mr.  Metcalf  married  Miss  Belle  Knight,  who  was  born  in  1863 
and  is  a  member  of  the  prominent  Knight  family.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Metcalf 
have  no  children.  They  are  very  prominent  socially,  and  are  hospitable 
entertainers  at  their  beautiful  Highland  home.  They  are  enthusiastic 
with  reference  to  the  future  of  San  Bernardino  County,  fully  believing 
that  the  beginning  of  its  expansion  has  barely  commenced.  Having  taken 
so  active  a  part  in  much  of  the  earlier  constructive  work,  they  are  in  a 
position  to  know  its  possibilities  and  what  may  be  expected  of  them. 
Mr.  Metcalf  has  been  a  hard  worker.  While  he  has  been  accorded  a 
success  greater  than  comes  to  every  man,  he  has  earned  every  bit  of  it,  and 
also  fully  deserves  the  confidence  he  inspires,  for  it  comes  as  the  result  of 
years  of  purposeful  endeavor,  intelligent  planning  and  the  determination 
to  permit  no  obstacles  to  stand  in  the  way  of  his  attaining  his  object. 
His  recollections  of  the  early  cattle  days,  as  well  as  of  the  beginnings  of 
Pine  Knot  Hotel,  are  interesting  and  worthy  of  a  place  in  recorded  history. 
for  they  are  authentic  and  colorful,  giving  a  true  picture  of  the  days  before 
modern  invention  dominated  everything. 

Mrs.  Elizabeth  F.  Van  Leuven,  whose  childhood  memories  touch 
pioneer  life  in  both  Utah  and  California,  has  been  a  resident  of  the  latter 
state  since  1858,  and  is  now  one  of  the  venerable  and  revered  pioneer 
women  of  San  Bernardino  County,  where  she  maintains  her  home  in  the 
beautiful  Mission  district  of  Redlands.  Her  gracious  personality  and  the 
experiences  that  have  been  hers  in  connection  with  the  development  and 
progress  of  this  favored  section  of  the  state  render  it  specially  gratifying 
to  pay  to  her  in  this  publication  a  merited  tribute. 

Mrs.  Van  Leuven  was  born  in  the  State  of  Illinois,  on  the  17th  of 
March,  1846,  and  is  a  daughter  of  William  J.  and  Rachel  Robinson.  The 
father  was  born  in  Missouri,  in  1818,  was  there  reared  to  adult  age,  and  he 
was  a  farmer  by  vocation  during  the  period  of  his  youth  and  early  man- 
hood. He  became  a  member  of  the  Church  of  Latter  Day  Saints  and 
when,  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Mexican  war,  the  Government  of  the  United 
States  made  requisition  upon  the  Mormon  Church  for  500  men  to  serve 
as  soldiers  in  the  coming  conflict  Mr.  Robinson  was  one  of  those  who 
entered  service.  He  became  a  member  of  what  was  known  as  the  Mormon 
Battalion.  This  command  was  furnished  wagons  and  teams  and  assigned 
to  the  transporting  of  arms,  equipment  and  supplies  to  the  stage  of  con- 
flict. In  the  early  summer  of  1846  the  militant  caravan  set  forth  from 
Jefferson  County,  Misouri,  on  the  long  and  perilous  overland  journey 
through  the  wilderness  to  Mexico.  The  men  traveled  on  foot  and  through 
the  settled  districts  traversed  by  the  cavalcade  they  added  to  the  supplies 


1104       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

to  be  transported  to  the  front.  The  march  was  continued  to  Albuquerque, 
New  Mexico,  and  thence  through  the  desert  country,  with  countless  obsta- 
cles to  be  overcome  in  passing  through  the  arid  districts  of  the  Southwest. 
Thus  was  achieved  by  these  hard  men  a  feat  of  endurance  well  nigh 
unprecedented  in  history.  The  men  of  this  party,  as  official  records  show, 
did  much  to  further  the  success  of  the  United  States  in  the  war  with 
Mexico,  and  their  record  was  one  of  loyal  and  arduous  service.  The  mem- 
bers of  the  Mormon  Battalion  were  mustered  out  while  in  Mexico.  Some 
of  them  returned  to  Missouri  by  the  same  route  that  they  had  come,  and 
Mr.  Robinson  and  a  number  of  other  members  of  the  command  returned 
by  wagon  train  through  Mexico  to  Yuma,  Arizona,  thence  to  Wilmington, 
California,  and  onward  through  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  and  he  finally 
arrived  at  his  home  in  Missouri  in  1848.  In  May,  1852,  in  company  with 
his  wife  and  their  five  children,  he  became  associated  in  the  forming  of  a 
wagon  train  of  many  ox  and  mule  teams,  the  train  being  divided  into 
units  of  ten  wagons  each,  with  a  captain  assigned  in  charge  of  each  of  these 
divisions.  Mr.  Robinson  was  made  captain  of  his  unit.  The  members  of 
the  party  were  followers  of  Brigham  Young,  and  they  set  forth  to  form  a 
new  Mormon  colony,  it  having  been  the  hope  of  the  Latter  Day  Saints  that 
after  the  annexation  of  territory  at  the  close  of  the  Mexican  war  they 
would  be  given  a  refuge  and  home  in  California.  The  immigrant  train 
proceeded  on  its  hazardous  westward  journey  and  suffered  greatly  by  the 
scourge  of  cholera  which  marked  the  year  1852,  many  members  of  the 
party  having  died  of  the  dread  disease,  including  Mr.  Robinson,  who  died 
July  17,  1852,  while  the  company  was  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the 
Platte  River,  one  of  his  daughters  having  died  six  days  previously.  The 
bereaved  wife  and  mother,  with  her  four  young  children,  continued  her 
weary  and  desolate  journey,  and  the  daughter  Elizabeth,  of  this  sketch, 
who  was  then  six  years  old,  well  recalls  the  passing  of  the  party  through 
Echo  Canyon,  she  having  been  greatly  alarmed  by  the  echoes,  which  she 
thought  to  be  persons  mocking  the  party.  The  memorable  journey  and 
its  incidents  left  vivid  impressions  on  her  childish  mind,  and  her  reminis- 
cences of  this  remarkable  pioneer  experience  of  the  western  wilds  are  most 
graphic  and  interesting.  The  travel-worn  caravan  arrived  at  Salt  Lake 
City  about  the  first  of  September,  1852,  and  Mrs.  Robinson  and  her  chil- 
dren there  remained  until  1858,  when  they  became  members  of  another 
wagon  train  and  set  forth  for  California.  Mrs.  Robinson  later  contracted 
a  second  marriage.  Philomon  M.,  the  eldest  of  the  Robinson  children,  was 
born  in  Missouri,  as  were  the  other  four  children,  and  he  accompanied  his 
mother  on  the  journey  to  California;  Elizabeth  F.,  to  whom  this  review  is 
dedicated,  was  the  next  in  order  of  birth;  Louise  was  the  daughter  who 
died  en  route  to  Utah ;  and  the  two  younger  children,  Emma  and  William 
H.,  accompanied  their  mother  to  California.  Mrs.  Robinson  established 
the  family  home  at  San  Bernardino,  and  here  she  later  married  William 
Pugh,  there  having  been  three  children  of  this  union — Melvin,  Cardnell 
and  Eleanor. 

Elizabeth  Robinson  was  reared  to  adult  age  amid  the  pioneer  influences 
and  conditions  that  obtained  in  San  Bernardino  County,  and  her  educational 
advantages  were  those  of  the  locality  and  period.  On  the  14th  of  January, 
1863,  she  became  the  wife  of  Anson  Van  Leuven,  a  California  pioneer  of 
1852.  In  1854  Benjamin  Van  Leuven,  father  of  Anson,  likewise  came  to 
California,  and  here  he  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land  in  the  Mormon 
settlement  in  San  Bernardino  County.  After  his  marriage  Anson  Van 
Leuven  settled  on  this  land,  and  the  property,  now  finely  improved,  is  still 
known  as  the  Van  Leuven  ranch.  This  place  is  situated  on  Mountain 
View  Avenue  in  the  Mission  district,  and  here  Mrs.  Van  Leuven  maintains 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1 105 

her  home  at  the  present  time.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  the  old  home  is 
endeared  to  her  by  many  hallowed  memories  and  associations.  On  this 
place  Mr.  Van  Leuven  planted  his  first  orange  grove  in  the  year  1862, 
and  the  trees  which  he  thus  planted  were  the  first  to  bear  oranges  within 
the  borders  of  San  Bernardino  County,  the  first  ripened  products  having 
here  been  garnered  in  1867.  Apples  and  peaches  raised  on  the  Van 
Leuven  ranch  in  the  early  days  were  dried,  and  grapes  were  manufactured 
into  wine.  These  products  were  sold  and  shipped  out  by  wagon  freight, 
as  was  also  the  grain  raised  for  market.  There  was  nothing  sybaritic  in 
the  conditions  that  were  in  evidence  here  in  the  early  days,  and  Mrs.  Van 
Leuven  states  that  she  wore  simple  calico  dresses  which  she  made  by 
hand,  as  did  she  all  other  clothes  used  by  herself  and  her  children.  She 
was  the  mother  of  three  children  before  she  ever  saw  a  sewing  machine, 
and  it  can  thus  be  understood  that  she  acquired  skill  with  the  needle  as  a 
matter  of  virtual  necessity.  In  her  possession  to-day,  as  a  prized  relic, 
is  a  surrey  that  gave  long  and  effective  service,  this  vehicle  having  been 
manufactured  in  Cleveland,  Ohio,  in  1849,  and  Nathan  Meek  having  used 
the  same  in  making  the  overland  trip  to  California.  Mr.  Van  Leuven 
purchased  the  vehicle  in  1863,  and  it  continued  as  the  family  carriage  for 
many  years — until,  in  fact,  it  gave  place  to  the  modern  automobile. 

In  coming  to  California  Mr.  Van  Leuven  crossed  the  plains  with  an  ox 
team,  and  a  somewhat  attenuated  heifer,  which  he  purchased,  was  hauled 
on  a  wagon  the  entire  distance  from  Bitter  Springs.  This  animal  played 
well  its  part  in  the  family  entourage  and  lived  to  the  age  of  thirty-four 
years. 

Mr.  Van  Leuven  served  as  sheriff  of  San  Bernardino  County  from 
1858  to  1861,  and  it  will  be  understood  by  the  students  of  early  history 
of  California  that  his  duties  were  of  strenuous  and  often  hazardous  order, 
as  horse  and  cattle  thieves  and  other  outlaws  were  active  in  pursuit  of  their 
nefarious  work.  The  large  cattle  and  horse  ranch  known  as  the  San  Jose 
Ranch  was  the  site  of  the  present  fine  little  city  of  Pomona,  and  ran  its 
cattle  in  the  bottom  lands  of  the  Mojave  River.  Thieves  stole  a  large 
number  of  horses  from  this  ranch,  and  they  were  tracked  through  Cajon 
Pass.  The  owner  of  the  ranch,  in  riding  about  and  looking  after  his  cattle, 
recognized  his  stolen  horses  in  the  distance.  He  notified  Sheriff  Van 
Leuven,  who  took  up  the  trail,  recovered  the  horses  and  captured  four  of 
the  six  thieves.  After  their  conviction  he  alone  took  charge  of  them  on 
the  trip  to  the  state  prison,  the  sheriff  and  his  prisoners  having  gone  to  San 
Pedro  on  horseback  and  having  thence  continued  up  the  coast  by  steamer. 
The  ranch  owner,  fearing  an  attempt  would  be  made  to  rescue  the  prison- 
ers, brought  sixteen  men  to  guard  them  on  the  trip  to  Los  Angeles,  but 
Sheriff  Van  Leuven  declined  this  aid  and  proceeded  alone  with  his  pris- 
oners. The  sheriff  traced  the  men  by  the  track  of  the  defective  hoof  of  a 
horse  which  one  of  the  number  was  riding,  he  having  recognized  this 
peculiar  deformity  as  being  that  of  a  horse  stolen  from  the  San  Jose  Ranch, 
and  on  this  occasion  he  manifested  much  finesse,  as  did  he  on  many  other 
occasions.  His  vigorous  administration  rid  the  district  and  county  of 
many  lawless  and  desperate  characters,  for  rarely  did  a  guilty  man  escape 
him.  He  served  as  a  deputy  United  States  marshal  during  the  period  of 
the  Civil  War,  and  was  one  of  the  prominent  and  influential  men  of  his 
county.  In  1863  he  was  elected  to  represent  San  Bernardino  County  in 
the  Legislature,  and  as  a  member  of  the  Lower  House  he  made  an  excel- 
lent record  of  service  in  the  General  Assembly  of  1864.  He  was  a  stalwart 
republican,  a  man  of  inviolable  integrity,  marked  loyalty  and  much  pro- 
gressiveness  and  public  spirit.  Long  before  the  close  of  his  life  he  and  his 
wife  had  severed  their  allegiance  to  the  Church  of  the  Latter  Day  Saints. 


1106       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

Honest  and  upright  in  all  of  the  relations  of  life,  Mr.  Van  Leuven  left  a 
benignant  and  enduring  impress  upon  the  community  in  which  he  lived 
and  wrought,  and  lie  was  one  of  the  honored  pioneer  citizens  of  San  Ber- 
nardino County  at  the  time  of  his  death,  in  1896. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Van  Leuven  became  the  parents  of  five  children,  all  born 
in  the  old  home  place  in  San  Bernardino  County.  Myron  Franklin,  eldest 
of  the  number,  was  born  November  25,  1863,  and  he  resides  with  his  wid- 
owed mother  on  the  old  home  place,  his  wife,  whose  maiden  name  was 
Mary  Hughes,  being  deceased.  Sarah,  the  second  child,  was  born  June 
8,  1865,  and  her  death  occurred  in  1882.  Byron,  who  was  born  April  2, 
1869,  is  a  bachelor  and  remains  with  his  mother  on  the  home  ranch. 
Henry,  born  April  21,  1871,  is  a  prominent  business  man  of  Redlands. 
He  married  Miss  Lucv  M.  Iuch,  of  Redlands,  and  they  have  one  son, 
William  H.,  born  November  12,  1914.  Maude,  born  March  2,  1883,  is 
the  wife  of  C.  J.  Boone,  who  is  a  successful  orange-grower,  residing  on 
part  of  the  old  homestead  near  Redlands.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Boone  have  three 
children,  Carroll  Jackson,  William  Bruce  and  Richard  Lewis.  Mrs.  Boone 
is  an  active  and  influential  member  of  the  Parent-Teachers'  Association  of 
Redlands,  and  is  earnest  in  work  for  community  betterment,  besides  being 
popular  in  the  social  life  of  the  locality  which  has  represented  her  home 
from  the  time  of  her  birth. 

Mrs.  Elizabeth  F.  Van  Leuven  has  witnessed  the  marvelous  develop- 
ment of  San  Bernardino  County,  much  of  which  was  a  desert  waste  when 
her  family  here  established  their  pioneer  home,  and  she  has  taken  her  part 
in  the  march  of  progress,  has  lived  to  enjoy  the  gracious  rewards  of  former 
years  of  endeavor,  and  is  one  of  the  well  known  pioneer  women  of  the 
county,  with  secure  place  in  the  affectionate  regard  of  all  who  have  come 
within  the  compass  of  her  gracious  and  kindly  influence. 

Benton  Ballou  is  one  of  the  progressive  and  representative  fruit 
growers  of  the  Ontario  district  of  San  Bernardino  County,  and  his  is 
the  distinction  of  being  one  of  the  pioneers  of  this  line  of  productive 
enterprise  in  this  section  of  the  county,  which  was  little  more  than  a 
desert  when  he  here  established  his  home.  He  has  been  an  influential 
force  in  connection  with  the  civic  and  industrial  development  of  the 
district  and  of  the  fair  little  city  of  Ontario,  where  his  attractive  and 
modern  home,  at  119  Princeton  Street,  is  nearly  opposite  the  Chaffey 
High  School,  this  being  definitely  one  of  the  finest  residence  properties 
in  the  city. 

Mr.  Ballou  was  born  at  National,  Iowa,  May  3,  1865,  a  date  that 
indicates  distinctly  that  his  parents  were  numbered  among  the  pioneers 
of  the  Hawkeye  State.  The  name  of  Ballou  has  been  worthily  associ- 
ated with  American  annals  since  1637,  when  the  original  progenitors  of 
the  American  branch  landed  at  Providence,  Rhode  Island.  Land  was 
purchased  of  Roger  Williams,  and  this  property  in  Rhode  Island  still 
remains  in  the  possession  of  the  Ballou  family.  Sanford  B.  and  Sophia 
(Phillips)  Ballou  were  the  parents  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  The 
mother  died  December  19,  1867,  at  National,  Iowa,  and  the  father  died 
in  Pasadena,  California,  in  May,  1907. 

The  pioneer  public  schools  of  Iowa  afforded  Benton  Ballou  his  early 
educational  discipline,  which  was  supplemented  by  a  commercial  course 
and  still  later  by  a  course  in  civil  engineering.  Mr.  Ballou  has  been  a 
resident  of  the  Ontario  community  of  San  Bernardino  County  since 
December,  1898,  but  it  was  not  until  1899  that  he  initiated  his  activities 
as  a  fruit  grower  in  this  locality.  From  a  virtually  desert  waste  he  has 
developed  a  splendid  ranch  estate  of  1,000  acres,  and  his  attention  is 


^£€^<__ 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1107 

given  principally  to  the  growing  of  grapes  and  peaches  of  the  best  types, 
his  operations  being  now  of  broad  scope  and  importance.  A  portion 
of  his  ranch  was  formerly  owned  by  his  father.  His  prominence  and  in- 
fluence in  connection  with  fruit  propagation  is  indicated  by  the  fact 
that  in  1921  he  was  president  of  the  California  Growers  Association, 
Inc.,  one  of  the  largest  and  most  important  organizations  of  its  kind 
in  the  United  States.  As  a  young  man  Mr.  Ballou  served  as  a  member 
of  the  Nebraska  National  Guard,  in  Company  E,  Second  Regiment  of 
Infantry.  He  was  reared  in  the  faith  of  the  republican  party,  but  while 
residing  in  the  Southern  states  he  transferred  his  allegiance  to  the  demo- 
cratic party,  in  the  ranks  of  which  he  has  since  been  aligned.  Mr. 
Ballou  is  a  man  of  broad  and  tolerant  views,  considerate  and  generous  in 
his  judgment  of  his  fellow  men,  and  just  and  honorable  in  all  of  the 
relations  of  life,  with  the  result  that  he  has  inviolable  place  in  popular 
confidence  and  esteem.  He  is  affiliated  with  the  Masonic  fraternity,  and 
he  and  his  wife  hold  membership  in  the  Congregational  Church  in  their 
home  city. 

In  the  parsonage  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  the  City  of 
San  Bernardino,  on  the  23rd  of  November,  1900,  was  solemnized  the 
marriage  of  Mr.  Ballou  and  Miss  Alice  Ferris  Jenkins,  daughter  of 
Daniel  Jenkins.  Mrs.  Ballou  was  born  in  Sandoval,  Marion  County. 
Illinois,  March  18,  1865,  and  was  educated  in  the  public  and  high  schools 
of  St.  Louis,  Missouri.  They  have  one  child,  Sanford,  a  student  in 
Junior  College  of  Ontario,  California.  In  their  delightful  home  they  take 
pleasure  in  entertaining  the  young  folk  of  the  community,  as  well  as 
friends  of  their  own  generation. 

Marion  Lee  Cook.  For  over  thirty  years  Marion  Lee  Cook,  civil 
and  mining  engineer,  has  been  a  resident  of  San  Bernardino,  and  his  suc- 
cess and  popularity  in  his  profession  and  in  the  social  and  civic  life  of  the 
city  are  due  to  the  fact  that  from  the  first  his  sterling  qualities  of  character 
were  indelibly  impressed  upon  all  with  whom  he  came  in  contact.  It  did 
not  take  him  very  long  to  show  that  in  all  lines  pertaining  to  his  profession 
he  was  efficient  in  the  highest  degree,  consequently  he  has  built  up  a  large 
clientele  not  only  in  San  Bernardino  but  throughout  the  district. 

Mr.  Cook  is  always  strong  in  the  advocacy  of  anything  which  will  push 
his  home  city  to  the  front,  and  is  a  prominent  and  potential  factor  in  all 
civic  movements.  He  has  served  his  city  in  positions  of  trust,  always  the 
loyal  and  energetic  citizen.  He  is  a  strong  republican,  and  takes  an  active 
part  in  the  councils  of  the  party.  When  the  World  war  was  going  on 
he  gave  time  and  money  to  the  cause  where  his  intuitive  sense  of  affairs 
and  fertility  of  resource  were  of  great  assistance  to  his  co-workers.  He 
served  in  every  way  he  could  and  also  was  a  member  of  the  Red  Cross 
and  War  Loan  committees. 

Mr.  Cook  was  born  near  Raleigh,  North  Carolina,  October  28,  1861, 
the  son  of  John  H.  and  Lucy  A.  (Stauffer)  Cook.  His  father  was  a 
planter  and  stock  raiser,  and  he  also  handled  wheat  coming  in  from  the 
North,  shipping  it  to  the  South  to  be  made  in  flour ;  the  Civil  war  ruined 
his  business  and  his  home,  and  he  moved  to  Ohio  when  his  son  Marion  Lee 
was  a  small  child.  He  went  to  Colorado  for  a  time,  hoping  it  would 
benefit  his  health,  but  returned  to  Ohio,  locating  in  Wooster.  Here  he 
died  in  1873.  His  wife  was  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  she  is  now  living  in  Los 
Angeles  and  is  eighty  years  of  age. 

Mr.  Cook  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Georgetown,  Denver 
and  Wooster,  Ohio.  From  these  he  entered  the  Spencerian  Business  Col- 
lege in  Cleveland  and  graduated  therefrom.     He  then  went  back  to  Colo- 


1108      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

rado,  and  was  for  some  time  a  bookkeeper  and  accountant.  From  this  he 
entered  the  engineering  department  of  the  D.  &  R.  G.  Railroad,  after  that 
putting  in  a  year  in  the  University  of  Virginia,  engineering  department. 
From  there  he  went  back  to  Colorado,  and  spent  two  years  in  the  School 
of  Mines  at  Golden  in  that  state.  He  put  in  one  year  in  old  Mexico  and 
New  Mexico,  and  having  thoroughly  equipped  himself  for  his  profession 
he  came  to  California,  locating  in  San  Bernardino  in  August,  1890.  Since 
his  coming  to  California  he  has  acquired  various  properties,  oil  leases  and 
mining  claims,  among  these  latter  owning  a  half  interest  in  the  Eldorado 
Gold  Star  mine  in  Nevada. 

Mr.  Cook  married  in  1895  Ella  Allison,  a  daughter  of  Hugh  J.  Allison, 
of  San  Bernardino.  They  have  one  son,  Lloyd,  now  in  his  third  year  in 
the  Oregon  Agricultural  College  at  Corvallis,  Washington,  Class  of  1922. 

Mr.  Cook  was  elected  county  surveyor  four  times,  serving  from  1894 
to  1910,  and  was  assistant  highway  commissioner  from  1915  to  1918.  He 
was  also  a  member  of  the  Freeholders  committee  that  framed  the  present 
city  charter  for  the  City  of  San  Bernardino. 

James  F.  Wheat,  postmaster  of  Redlands,  and  while  this  is  his  first 
term  in  that  office,  he  has  proved  his  exceptional  ability  as  a  public  official 
in  San  Bernardino  County,  and  won  the  recognition  due  him.  He  was 
selected  for  his  first  position  as  a  live  wire,  a  worth-while  man  and  an 
indefatigable  worker,  and  he  filled  the  position  with  recognized  efficiency 
and  devoted,  painstaking  care.  In  his  present  office  he  has  shown  himself 
to  be  master  of  every  detail,  the  right  man  for  the  right  office. 

Mr.  Wheat  was  born  in  Leonora,  Minnesota,  December  3,  1871,  the 
son  of  James  M.  and  Almira  E.  ( Foot)  Wheat,  both  natives  of  New  York. 
James  M.  Wheat  went  to  Minnesota  in  the  early  days  of  that  country,  and 
practiced  there  as  a  physician  for  many  years.  He  was  actively  interested 
in  politics  and  a  power  in  his  party.  He  was  state  senator  for  eight  years. 
He  came  with  his  family  to  California  in  the  fall  of  1887  and  located  in 
Redlands,  continuing  his  practice  there  and  also  serving  as  health  officer 
of  that  city  for  nearly  twenty-five  years.  He  died  there  in  1910,  at  the 
age  of  eighty-six.  His  widow  is  now  living  in  Redlands.  They  were  the 
parents  of  two  children,  Ida  M.,  who  died  two  years  ago,  and  James  F. 

James  F.  Wheat  was  educated  in  the  grade  schools  of  Minnesota  and  of 
Redlands  and  then  attended  business  college  in  Los  Angeles.  He  entered 
the  business  world  by  means  of  a  real  estate  and  insurance  business  in 
Redlands.  and  his  activities  in  that  line  soon  attracted  attention  and  created 
public  confidence.  He  made  hosts  of  friends  and  deserved  every  one  of 
them.  He  was  a  young  boy  when  brought  to  Redlands,  and  he  grew  up 
in  that  city. 

In  1910  he  was  elected  city  treasurer  of  Redlands,  and  was  re-elected 
five  times,  resigning  in  the  middle  of  his  fifth  term  to  accept  the  position 
of  county  recorder,  which  he  held  until  January  1,  1922,  resigning  to  accept 
the  postmastership  of  Redlands,  which  position  he  now  holds. 

Mr.  Wheat  prospered  in  his  business  life,  and  owns  a  fine  orange  grove 
in  Redlands.  He  married  August  20,  1896,  Gertrude  Masten.  a  daughter 
of  Benjamin  F.  Masten.  of  Indiana.  They  have  two  children,  Mildred 
and  Marjorie.  Both  are  graduates  of  the  Union  High  School,  and  Mar- 
jorie  is  now  attending  the  University  of  Redlands.  Miss  Mildred  is  an 
accomplished  pianist,  and  is  practicing  her  profession  in  Los  Angeles, 
where  she  gives  instruction  and  is  accompanist  for  prominent  singers  of 
the  coast.  Mrs.  Wheat  is  a  prominent  club  woman,  being  a  member  of  the 
Contemporary  Club  and  also  one  of  the  Landmarks  Association  committee 
of  the  Women's  Federated  Clubs.     She  was  chairman  of  the  committee. 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1109 

Mr.  Wheat  fraternally  is  connected  with  the  Redlands  Lodge,  No.  583, 
B.  P.  O.  E.     Politically  he  is  a  strong  republican. 

Dudley  G.  Clayton.  A  county  official  who  proved  his  worth  to  the 
citizens  of  Riverside  City  and  County  in  other  positions  of  trust  before  his 
election  to  his  present  office,  Dudley  G.  Clayton  created  confidence  in  him- 
self, won  by  his  ability  and  successful  administration  of  all  offices  he  held. 
A  citizen  of  Riverside  for  over  thirty  years,  he  has  served  it  well,  both 
as  a  business  man  and  as  an  official. 

Mr.  Clayton  was  born  in  Keswick,  New  Brunswick,  October  19,  1867, 
the  son  of  J.  P.  and  Lucy  A.  (Golder)  Clayton,  also  natives  of  New 
Brunswick.  J.  P.  Clayton  was  of  English  descent,  grew  to  manhood  on  a 
farm  and  followed  this  occupation  for  many  years,  but  at  the  same  time 
acquired  many  valuable  lumber  interests.  He  came  around  the  Horn  in 
1867  and  went  to  Sacramento,  where  he  assisted  in  painting  the  capitol 
building.  He  was  there  for  a  year  and  then  went  back  to  sell  the  farm, 
but  was  induced  not  to  do  so.  His  son,  John  Clayton,  who  came  with  him 
around  the  Horn  in  1867,  remained  in  San  Francisco  and  followed  the 
occupation  of  ranching  in  the  northern  part  of  California  until  his  death 
in  December,  1888. 

In  1880  J.  P.  Clayton  moved  with  his  family  to  Missoula,  Montana, 
and  there  carried  on  a  lumber  business  until  he  retired.  His  wife  was  the 
daughter  of  Daniel  Golder,  her  mother  being  the  daughter  of  Captain 
Strange,  captain  of  a  vessel  in  the  West  Indies  for  the  British  govern- 
ment. An  only  child,  she  was  born  on  board  a  man-of-war  and  was  a 
small  child  when  her  father  settled  in  New  Brunswick.  He  chose  this 
place  for  a  home,  although  he  owned  a  large  grant  of  land  on  the  site  of 
Philadelphia.  He  neglected  this  latter  property,  however,  and  allowed  it  to 
pass  from  his  possession,  as  he  had  other  interests  that  represented  con- 
siderable money  and  which  engrossed  his  attention  at  that  time.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  J.  P.  Clayton  were  the  parents  of  eight  sons,  of  whom  all  but  one 
attained  mature  years.  They  were :  John,  who  died  in  San  Francisco ; 
Daniel  and  James,  farmers  in  New  Brunswick ;  William  A.  and  Charles  G., 
who  died  in  New  Brunswick  at  the  respective  ages  of  twenty-seven  and 
twenty-one;  W.  E.,  a  dentist  in  Los  Angeles,  and  Dudley  G.  Clayton. 

Dudley  G.  Clayton  lived  in  New  Brunswick  until  he  reached  the  age 
of  sixteen,  and  then  went  to  Waterville,  Maine,  where  he  clerked  for  a 
year.  He  then  returned  home,  and  while  there  settled  up  the  business  of 
his  father,  who  had  then  decided  to  remove  to  Montana.  Dudley  G.  joined 
the  family  in  Montana  in  1887  and  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  with  his 
father. 

In  1889  he  came  to  California  and  selected  Riverside  as  his  permanent 
home.  His  first  venture  into  the  business  life  of  the  city  was  by  means 
of  the  purchase  of  the  interest  of  Mr.  Zimmerman  in  the  Park  (now 
Holyrood)  Hotel.  In  a  year  he  sold  out  and  accepted  a  position  in  the 
improving  of  Evergreen  Cemetery.  He  became  a  stockholder  in  the  com- 
pany and  was  made  superintendent  in  February,  1891.  When  he  took  hold 
of  the  work  no  improvements  had  been  attempted,  but  under  his  able 
direction  it  was  enlarged  and  beautified  until  it  assumed  the  appearance 
of  a  lovely  park. 

He  continued  in  this  for  twelve  years  and  in  1902  he  went  into  the 
undertaking  business  under  the  firm  name  of  Clayton  &  Flagg,  on  the 
corner  of  Eighth  and  Orange  streets.  Later  he  bought  Mr.  Flagg's  interest 
and  continued  alone  for  a  short  time,  and  then  sold  the  business  and  went 
into  the  office  of  Sheriff  P.  M.  Coburn  as  under  sheriff  on  November  1, 
1904.     He  next  went  into  the  police  department  as  deputy  chief  marshal 


1 1 10       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

under  M.  R.  Shaw.  Following  this,  when  in  May  Captain  Johnson  was 
appointed  chief  of  police,  he  was  re-appointed  deputy,  when  the  charter 
was  adopted.  He  continued  in  this  position  until  the  death  of  the  chief, 
when  he  was  appointed  chief,  in  1908.  He  continued  in  the  police  depart- 
ment as  its  chief  until  shortly  after  Mayor  Evans  assumed  his  office.  He 
then  acted  as  deputy  chief  until  the  following  May,  when  he  went  back 
as  under  sheriff,  this  time  under  Sheriff  F.  P.  Wilson.  He  resigned  from 
this  position  July  27,  1918,  to  enter  the  race  for  county  clerk,  in  which  he 
was  successful.  This  position  he  now  holds  most  ably,  and  he  was  elected 
for  the  four  year  term. 

Mr.  Clayton  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  the  Maccabees  and  has 
served  as  secretary  of  the  local  tent  continuously  since  1893,  and  also  as  its 
commander.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Foresters  and 
has  been  scribe  of  Star  Encampment  No.  73  for  fifteen  years.  He  has 
been  a  member  of  the  Yoemen  for  ten  years.'  In  politics  he  is  a  strong 
republican,  and  always  takes  an  active  part  in  all  party  affairs.  In 
religious  faith  he  is  affiliated  with  the  Baptist  Church,  of  which  he  has 
been  a  member  since  1883.  He  was  its  treasurer  for  some  time  and  is 
now  a  trustee. 

Mr.  Clayton  married  on  January  16,  1889,  at  New  Brunswick.  Miss 
Bertha  J.  Dunphy.  a  native  of  Keswick,  New  Brunswick,  where  she  resided 
until  her  marriage  to  Mr.  Clayton.  She  is  the  daughter  of  Frederick 
Dunphy.  a  farmer  by  occupation.  They  are  the  parents  of  one  daughter. 
Inez  E.,  now  the  wife  of  Everett  J.  Horsley,  the  proprietor  and  publisher 
of  the  Daily  Herald  at  Anaheim.  The  Herald  is  one  of  the  brightest, 
most  up  to  date  live  wire  papers  in  the  state,  ably  edited  and  extensively 
circulated. 

Allen  J.  Davis,  vice  president  of  the  Charters-Davis  Company,  is 
one  of  the  influential  figures  in  connection  with  the  great  citrus  fruit 
industry  in  Riverside  County.  The  company  of  which  he  is  vice  president 
initiated  business  in  1909,  under  the  title  o£  the  Call  Lemon  Association, 
and  the  present  corporation  received  its  charter  in  1918,  when  it  was 
incorporated  with  a  capital  stock  of  $200,000,  G.  A.  Charters  being  its 
president ;  Allen  J.  Davis,  its  vice  president,  treasurer  and  general  man- 
ager ;  and  A.  G.  Ritter,  its  secretary.  The  company  has  212  acres  de- 
voted to  citrus  fruit  and  108  acres  given  to  peaches,  plums  and  alfalfa. 
Under  a  lease  for  ten  years  the  company  has  also  twenty-two  acres 
of  orange  grove.  Seventy-five  employes  are  retained,  and  the  company 
conducts  a  large  and  substantia]  fruit  packing  business,  its  well  equipped 
packing  house  two  miles  southeast  of  Corona,  utilizing  24,000  square 
feet  of  floor  space  and  an  average  of  100  carloads  of  fruit  beiner 
shipped   annuallv.      All   of   this    fruit   is   raised   by   the   company    itself. 

Allen  J.  Davis  was  born  at  Charlotte,  North  Carolina,  April  19,  1877. 
and  is  a  son  of  Jesse  Davis,  who  was  for  many  years  a  leading  merchant 
at  Charlotte,  where  he  died  in  December,  1920,  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
seven  years.  The  mother  of  Allen  J.  Davis  was  Arpie  Jones,  a  native  of 
North  Carolina,  and  a  member  of  an  old  family  which  originally  came 
from  Wales.  She  was  a  descendant  of  John  Paul  Tones,  of  historic 
fame.  Her  father  was  a  maior  in  the  Confederate  Army  in  the  Civil 
war.  The  public  schools  of  his  native  city  afforded  Mr.  Davis  his  earlv 
education,  and  he  continued  his  residence  in  North  Carolina  until  1900. 
when  he  came  to  California  and  found  employment  on  a  dairy  farm  near 
Corona.  Later  he  became  foreman  of  a  fruit  packing  house  established 
bv  Mr.  Call,  and  he  eventually  became  a  stockholder  and  the  general 
manager  of  the  Call  Lemon  Company,   for  which   in   1913  was  erected 


Ol^^-^-^-^x^ 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1111 

the  present  packing  house  of  the  Charters-Davis  Company.  Messrs. 
Charters  and  Davis  owned  one-half  of  the  stock  of  the  Call  Lemon 
Company,  and  in  1918  they  purchased  the  remaining  stock  and  reorgan- 
ized the  business  under  the  present  title  of  the  Charters-Davis  Company. 
Mr.  Davis  is  a  director  of,  each  of  the  Temescal  Water  Company,  the 
Corona  Water  Company  and  the  Corona  National  Bank.  He  has  charge 
of  the  E.  T.  Earl  estate,  consisting  of  900  acres  in  Temescal  Canyon, 
250  acres  of  which  are  planted  in  Valencia  oranges  and  the  remainder 
is  grain,  alfalfa  and  grazing  lands.  He  is  a  stalwart  supporter  of  the 
cause  of  the  republican  party,  has  received  the  thirty-second  degree  in 
the  Scottish  Rite  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  is  a  life  member  of  the 
Shrine,  and  he  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church  in  Charlotte,  North 
Carolina.  His  wife  holds  membership  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
at  Corona. 

January  7,  1896.  recorded  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Davis  to  Miss  Ada 
Shurbette,  of  Rockhill,  South  Carolina,  and  her  death  occurred  in  No- 
vember. 1898.  The  onlv  child  of  this  union,  Carl,  is  now  a  resident  of 
Santa  Catalina  Island,  California.  On  the  7th  of  June,  1907,  was  sol- 
emnized the  marriage  of  Mr.  Davis  and  Miss  Gertrude  Sargent,  who  was 
born  in  Missouri,  near  Pittsburg,  Kansas,  and  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  Corona,  California.  She  is  a  daughter  of  George  Sargent,  of 
Corona.    No  children  have  been  born  of  this  marriage. 

Ralph  F.  Burnham.  Of  Ralph  F.  Burnham,  of  Riverside,  it  may 
be  said  that  he  is  one  of  his  community's  fortunate  men.  He  is  fortunate 
in  having  a  good  parentage,  a  fair  endowment  of  intellect  and  feeling,  a 
liberal  education,  in  attaching  himself  to  a  healthful  and  honorable  voca- 
tion, and,  above  all,  fortunate  in  casting  his  lot  with  the  people  of  Riverside 
at  a  time  when  its  enterprises  were  at  the  full  tide  of  development,  and 
under  circumstances  which  have  enabled  him  to  co-operate  in  her  material 
growth  without  that  engrossment  of  time  and  faculty  which  hinders  the 
fullest  indulgence  of  the  intellectual  faculty,  the  refining  and  elevating 
influences  of  the  aesthetic  nature,  and  the  kindly  cultivation  of  the  graces 
of  social  and  private  life.  While  he  has  borne  a  fair  share  of  the  labors 
of  civic  life,  he  has  at  the  same  time  preserved  his  love  of  letters,  his  pur- 
suit of  manly  and  invigorating  pastimes,  and  his  indulgence  in  the  ameni- 
ties of  a  refined  and  gentle  life. 

Mr.  Burnham  was  born  at  Batavia,  Illinois,  March  6,  1883.  a  son  of 
William  H.  and  Catherine  (French)  Burnham,  the  former  a  native  of 
Connecticut  and  the  latter  of  Illinois.  William  H.  Burnham  was  a  manu- 
facturer at  Batavia  for  a  number  of  years,  and  when  he  retired  from 
business  affairs  removed  to  Orange,  California,  whence  he  subsequently 
went  to  Los  Angeles,  his  present  home.  Both  he  and  his  wife  are  living, 
as  are  their  three  children:  Ralph  F. ;  Mary,  the  wife  of  Henry  O. 
Wheeler,  of  Los  Angeles;  and  William  H.,  Jr.,  of  Riverside. 

Ralph  F.  Burnham  commenced  his  education  in  the  public  schools  of 
Batavia,  Illinois,  and  was  still  a  lad  when  taken  by  his  parents  to  Orange. 
California.  There  he  completed  his  primary  school  education,  subse- 
quently pursuing  a  course  at  the  California  Polytechnic  Institute,  Pasa- 
dena, California,  and  later  at  Columbus  University.  New  York  City. 
After  his  graduation  from  the  latter,  as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1904,  he 
returned  to  California  and  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  automobiles  at 
Los  Angeles,  where  for  eight  years  he  was  secretary  of  the  Auto  Vehicle 
Company.  When  he  vacated  this  field  it  was  to  enter  the  insurance  busi- 
ness at  Los  Angeles,  but  in  April,  1912,  he  gave  up  this  line  and  came 
to  Riverside,  where  he  and  his  father  and  his  brother  purchased  142  acres 


1 1 12       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

of  valuable  land  three  miles  southeast  of  the  city,  of  which  they  are 
devoting  120  acres  to  citrus  fruit  ranching.  Mr.  Burnham  has  made  a 
success  of  his  activities  and  is  accounted  one  of  the  highly  skilled  and  well 
informed  men  in  his  line  of  business.  He  is  a  director  in  the  United 
States  Supply  Company  of  Omaha,  Nebraska. 

Politically  Mr.  Burnham  is  a  republican.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Los 
Angeles  Athletic  Club,  the  University  Club  of  Los  Angeles,  the  Newport 
Harbor  Yacht  Club,  the  Riverside  Victoria  Club,  the  Alpha  Delta  Phi 
College  Fraternity,  the  Alpha  Delpha  Phi  Club  of  New  York  City,  the 
Riverside  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  the  Riverside  Polo  Club.  Worthy 
civic,  educational  and  charitable  movements  have  always  had  his  hearty 
support,  and  he  was  one  of  the  substantial  contributors  to  the  building 
fund  of  the  new  hospital  at  Riverside. 

On  October  16,  1905,  Mr.  Burnham  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Ruth  Wilson,  daughter  of  Franklin  I.  and  May  (Allen)  Wilson,  of  Chi- 
cago, Illinois,  the  former  a  native  of  Elgin,  Illinois,  and  the  latter  of  Lake 
Geneva,  Wisconsin.  Mr.  Wilson,  a  manufacturer,  upon  retirement  from 
active  life  removed  to  Hollywood.  California,  where  he  died,  his  widow 
now  being  a  resident  of  Los  Angeles,  this  state.  Mrs.  Burnham  was  born 
at  Lake  Geneva,  Wisconsin,  but  as  a  child  was  taken  to  Chicago,  where 
she  received  her  education  in  the  public  schools  and  at  Lewis  Institute. 
She  is  a  member  of  the  Riverside  Victoria  Club.  She  and  her  husband 
are  the  parents  of  four  children:  Barbara,  John  W.,  Richard  W.  and 
Elizabeth  L. 

Rev.  Lloyd  H.  Edmiston. — The  title  of  Rev.  Lloyd  H.  Edmiston  to 
a  place  among  the  biographies  of  the  citizens  of  Riverside  rests  upon  the 
fact  that  he  has  labored  faithfully  and  effectively  as  a  member  of  the 
New  Jerusalem  Church.  Ordained  in  1915,  his  actual  connection  with  the 
ministry  has  covered  only  a  period  of  seven  years,  but  during  this  time 
he  has  had  the  same  solicitude  for  the  spiritual  interests  of  Riverside 
which  a  father  has  for  his  children.  In  addition  to  his  ministerial  labors 
he  has  achieved  some  success  as  a  small  fruit,  citrus  fruit  and  nut  raiser 
and  poultry  rancher. 

Reverend  Edmiston  was  born  at  Henry,  Illinois,  January  6,  1874,  a 
son  of  Rev.  Berry  and  Edna  (Lee)  Edmiston.  His  father,  a  native  of 
Tennessee,  was  for  some  years  a  minister  of  the  New  Jerusalem  faith,  but 
in  1878  removed  to  Riverside  and  embarked  in  ranching,  a  vocation  which 
he  followed  until  his  death  in  August,  1912.  Mrs.  Edmiston,  a  native  of 
New  Hampshire,  died  at  Riverside  in  November,  1912,  in  the  same  faith. 
They  were  the  parents  of  three  children:  Joseph  L.,  a  poultry  rancher  of 
West  Riverside;  Charles  H.,  also  of  Riverside,  and  Rev.  Lloyd  H. 

Lloyd  H.  Edmiston  was  a  child  when  brought  by  his  parents  to  River- 
side, where  he  secured  his  introductory  education  in  the  graded  and  high 
schools.  Choosing  the  ministry  as  his  vocation,  he  attended  the  New 
Jerusalem  Church  Theological  Seminary  at  Cambridge,  Massachusetts,  dur- 
ing 1914  and  1915,  and  upon  his  return  to  Riverside  commenced  to  apply 
himself  to  the  church.  He  was  thus  engaged  at  the  time  that  he  was 
ordained,  June  6,  1915,  at  Washington,  D.  C,  since  when  he  has  served 
as  pastor  of  the  New  Jerusalem  Church  of  Riverside.  He  has  accomplished 
much  for  the  good  of  his  community,  where  he  has  many  friends,  not 
alone  among  the  members  of  his  congregation  but  those  of  other  creeds 
and  denominations.  In  addition  to  acting  as  spiritual  leader  of  his  flock 
he  takes  upon  himself  the  responsibilities  of  friendship,  and  acts  as  coun- 
sellor and  guide  in  matters  of  a  business  nature.  Such  a  man  is  bound 
to  wield  a  strong  influence  in  his  community,  and  in  Rev.  Mr.  Edmiston's 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1113 

case  this  influence  is  one  that  lias  always  been  constructive  and  progressive 
in  character.  When  not  engaged  in  his  ministerial  labors  he  devotes  him- 
self to  the  cultivation  of  his  nine  and  one-half  acres  of  land,  another  feature 
of  his  snug  little  ranch  being  the  raising  of  poultry.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  socialist  party. 

On  December  7.  1906,  Rev.  Edmiston  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Mrs.  Alice  Wright  Test,  daughter  of  William  and  Laura  Elizabeth  Wright, 
of  Union  County,  Illinois,  and  to  this  union  there  have  been  born  two  chil- 
dren :  Ednah  and  Lloyd  Ariel,  both  residing  at  home  and  attending  the 
public  schools.  Mrs.  Edmiston  had  a  daughter,  Cleone  Test,  by  her  first 
marriage.  Cleone  Test  is  a  graduate  of  the  Riverside  High  School  and  the 
School  for  Nurses  at  California  Hospital,  Los  Angeles,  California,  she 
was  born  in  Alto  Pass,  Illinois.  Mrs.  Edmiston  was  also  born  near  Alto 
Pass,  Illinois,  where  she  received  her  education  in  the  public  schools. 

Jacob  Bertschinger. — The  name  Bertschinger  is  favorably  known 
not  only  in  the  Chino  Valley,  but  in  several  sections  of  Southern  Cali- 
fornia. The  pioneer  and  founder  of  the  family  is  Jacob  Bertschinger,  Sr., 
who,  surrounded  with  comforts  and  with  the  security  of  ample  means, 
can,  nevertheless,  look  back  upon  a  number  of  successive  chapters  of 
arduous  experience  as  a  pioneer  toiler  in  this  district.  Besides  getting 
prosperity  for  himself  he  has  done  something  for  the  community  in  the 
way  of  constructive  enterprise  and  in  rearing  an  honest,  thrifty  and  indus- 
trious family. 

Jacob  Bertschinger,  Sr.,  was  born  in  the  City  of  Zurich,  Switzerland, 
January  2,  1864,  being  one  of  thirteen  children.  His  parents  were  farmers, 
and  during  his  youth  he  lived  with  them  and  contributed  of  his  toil  to  the 
support  of  the  household.  In  1886,  at  the  age  of  twenty-two,  he  married 
Rosina  Schoch,  who  was  born  in  Zurich,  Switzerland,  October  4,  1858, 
one  of  fourteen  children. 

Seeking  advantages  and  a  future  that  they  should  never  realize  in 
their  native  country  they  immigrated  to  America,  reaching  New  Jersey  in 
1887,  without  the  command  of  a  single  word  of  English.  For  a  year  and 
a  half  they  remained  in  New  Jersey,  working  as  silk  weavers  in  one  of  the 
great  silk  goods  factories  of  that  city.  The  next  phase  of  their  journey 
took  them  to  Illinois,  where  they  remained  a  year,  and  next  they  turned 
their  faces  to  California,  traveling  by  rail  as  far  as  Pomona.  Mr.  Bert- 
schinger was  attracted  to  Chino  by  learning  of  the  construction  of  the 
proposed  sugar  refinery  in  1891.  He  started  to  walk  the  distance  between 
the  two  points,  falling  in  on  the  way  with  Mr.  Durrell,  who  was  well 
acquainted  with  the  country.  It  required  a  real  pioneer's  knowledge  to  get 
over  the  country  at  that  time,  since  there  were  no  roads  and  no  houses 
between  Pomona  and  Chino.  The  "Santa  Ana"  began  blowing  while  they 
were  en  route,  and  Jacob  Bertschinger  became  confused  and  insisted  they 
were  traveling  in  the  wrong  direction.  He  could  not  understand  English, 
and  only  by  the  greatest  efforts  Mr.  Durrell  persuaded  him  to  keep  on, 
otherwise  he  would  have  died  in  the  Puente  hills. 

Jacob  Bertschinger  and  wife  reached  Chino  without  money,  without 
acquaintances,  only  with  a  willingness  and  desire  for  work.  He  secured 
employment  and  assisted  in  building  the  concrete  foundation  for  the  great 
American  sugar  refinery  at  Chino  and  remained  in  the  service  of  the  plant 
for  six  years.  He  also  engaged  in  farming,  and  that  gave  him  a  variety 
of  experience.  Three  times  he  lost  all  he  had  gained,  first  trying  the 
culture  of  sugar  beets.  He  had  a  fine  crop  when  a  Santa  Ana  cut  them 
off  at  the  ground.  With  three  failures  he  doggedly  kept  on,  rented  and 
bought  land,  did  dairying  and  general   farming,  worked  incessantly,  and 


1114       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

to  such  a  man  and  character  prosperity  could  not  be  denied,  and  in  1912, 
when  he  sold  out,  he  was  able  to  retire  in  comfort.  In  the  meantime  he 
had  reared  and  educated  his  family.  One  of  his  resources  when  in  need 
of  ready  money  was  baling  hay  for  others.  He  and  his  sons  baled  hay 
through  the  daylight  hours,  and  then  at  night  irrigated  their  own  crops, 
and  his  children  often  walked  three  miles  to  school,  since  much  of  the  time 
they  had  no  buggy  horse  to  drive.  Nevertheless  the  parents  insisted  that 
their  children  attend  school  regularly,  and  they  not  only  acquired  an 
education,  but  learned  the  value  of  the  dollar  earned  by  arising  at  three 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  milking  a  string  of  cows,  working  in  the  fields  all 
day,  and  retiring  only  at  dark.  The  family  are  Swiss  Lutherans  in 
religion  and  Mr.  Bertschinger  and  his  sons  are  republicans. 

Of  the  children  born  to  this  honored  couple  five  died  in  infancy  and 
early  youth.  There  are  three  living.  All  were  born  at  Chino.  Jacob,  Jr., 
born  in  1893,  was  educated  in  the  Chino  schools  and  is  now  a  prosperous 
cement  worker  at  Los  Angeles.  In  1913  he  married  Freda  Weber,  a  native 
of  Switzerland,  who  came  to  America  alone  in  1911.  They  have  two 
children,  Walter  and  Emma. 

The  second  child,  Rosina,  born  in  1895,  was  educated  in  the  Chino 
High  School,  and  is  the  wife  of  John  G.  Smith,  a  native  of  Wuertemberg, 
Germanv.  Thev  live  at  Chino  and  have  three  children,  Olga,  Evelvn  and 
Mildred'. 

Otto  William  Bertschinger,  the  youngest  of  the  family,  was  born 
August  24,  1897,  attended  grammar  school  at  Chino  and  a  business  col- 
lege at  Riverside,  and  during  the  World  war  was  inducted  into  the  in- 
fantry and  was  ordered  to  report  at  Kelly  Field,  Texas,  about  the  time 
the  armistice  was  signed.  In  July.  1919,  the  firm  of  J.  Bertschinger  & 
Sons,  composed  of  Jacob  Bertschinger  and  his  two  boys,  engaged  in  the 
cement  business  at  Chino,  manufacturing  cement  pipe  and  doing  general 
contract  work.  In  July,  1920.  Otto  W.  Bertschinger  bought  out  his 
partners,  and  has  since,  through  his  personal  efforts,  brought  the  busi- 
ness to  a  high  state  of  prosperity.  He  has  over  $4,000.00  invested  in 
machinery  and  equipment,  including  all  the  latest  mechanical  devices  for 
mixing  and  handling  concrete.  This  invested  capital  has  been  earned  by 
the  business.  He  began  making  cement  pipe  by  hand.  He  now  manu- 
facturers piping,  curbing,  sidewalks  and  does  all  classes  of  concrete  founda- 
tion work. 

Frederick  A.  Charles  Drew — The  lapse  of  several  years  since  his 
death  has  not  obscured  the  brilliant  and  successful  career  of  the  late 
Mr.  Drew  as  a  Southern  California  business  man  and  as  a  citizen  of 
Ontario  who  was  loved  and  admired  by  a  host  of  friends. 

He  was  born  at  Exeter,  Canada,  October  28,  1878,  son  of  Edred  and 
Lydia  (Johns)  Drew.  His  father  was  brought  from  England  when  a 
child,  and  lived  several  years  at  Exeter,  Canada.  The  widowed  mother, 
though  enjoying  rugged  health,  has  had  a  long  life  and  is  still  living 
at  Ontario.  Edred  Drew  died  during  the  Spanish-American  war,  in 
Santa  Barbara,  California. 

The  late  Frederick  Drew  was  six  years  of  age  when  his  parents 
moved  to  Ontario,  California,  in  1884.  He  acauired  his  early  educa- 
tion there  and  in  Los  Angeles,  attending  the  old  adobe  school  and  later 
the  Chaffey  Agricultural  College.  His  father  was  in  the  undertaking 
business  at  Ontario,  and  after  his  death  in  1898  the  son  Frederick  took 
charge  and  continued  its  management  until  1905. 

In  that  year  he  established  the  Drew  Carriage  Company,  and  under 
his  management  this  became  one  of  the  largest   firms   dealing  in  farm 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1115 

implements  and  machinery  in  Southern  California.  He  was  regarded 
as  the  keenest  and  most  able  salesman  in  this  line  on  the  Pacific  Coast, 
and  his  success  with  his  business  caused  him  to  be  chosen  as  Pacific 
Coast  representative  of  the  International  Harvester  Company.  This  re- 
lationship brought  him  in  touch  with  all  the  implement  houses  on  the 
Coast.  In  1918  and  1919  he  held  the  record  for  retail  tractor  sales  in  the 
United  States.  In  the  spring  of  1919  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Drew  went  to 
Chicago,  partly  on  a  business  trip  to  the  home  offices  of  the  International 
Harvester  Company,  and  while  en  route  he  was  stricken  with  the  influ- 
enza and  while  in  St.  Luke's  Hospital  at  Chicago  during  delirium  he 
leaped  from  a  first  story  window,  causing  his  death.    He  died  April  21. 

After  his  death  Mrs.  Drew  was  offered  two  hundred  thousand  dollars 
for  the  business,  but  she  chose  to  retain  it,  and  has  exemplified  remark- 
able business  qualifications  in  carrying  it  on  successfully,  her  inten- 
tion being  to  turn  it  over  eventually  to  her  sons  when  they  reach  the 
proper  age. 

Mr.  Drew  married  Miss  Florence  Higgins  at  Santa  Barbara  in  June, 
1898.  She  is  a  daughter  of  W.  W.  Higgins.  Mrs.  Drew  has  three 
children,  Dorothea,  born  in  1899 ;  Edred,  born  in  1902 ;  and  Charles,  born 
in  1904.  The  late  Mr.  Drew's  many  friends  were  derived  from  his  ex- 
tensive business  and  social  relationships.  He  was  affiliated  with  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  was  a  member  of  the  Episcopal 
Church  and  voted  as  an  independent  republican.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  was  president  of  the  Business  Men's  Club 
for  one  year,  and  was  a  member  of  the  Pomona  Gun  Club.  Mr.  Drew 
was  very  fond  of  horses  and  a  good  judge  of  them.  Mrs.  Drew  was  born 
in  Picton,  Canada,  Province  of  Ontario,  November  1,  1878,  was  educated 
there  and  came  to  California  in  1895  with  her  family. 

Charles  Milan  Craw  is  one  of  the  oldest  living  natives  sons  of  San 
Bernardino.  He  has  been  active  in  the  affairs  of  the  county  over  forty 
years,  chiefly  as  a  farmer  and  rancher. 

Mr.  Craw  was  born  March  28,  1860,  in  an  adobe  house  on  Fourth 
Street  in  San  Bernardino,  son  of  Charles  Jesse  and  Olive  (Packard) 
Craw.  His  father  was  a  native  of  St.  Joseph  County,  Michigan,  and  the 
grandfather  was  Orin  Craw,  who  brought  his  family  across  the  plains 
when  Charles  J.  was  a  small  boy.  The  Craws  first  located  at  Salt  Lake, 
though  they  were  not  of  the  Mormon  faith,  and  in  1852,  by  ox  train,  they 
continued  their  journey  westward  to  San  Bernardino.  Orin  Craw  was  one 
of  the  earliest  traders  in  Southern  California  and  Arizona,  and  continued 
that  work  until  his  death.  He  was  on  the  road  with  a  freight  team  between 
Los  Angeles  and  San  Bernardino,  and  was  found  dead  in  camp  by  the 
trail.  He  was  therefore  faithful  to  his  duty  to  the  end,  and  had  lived  a 
sturdy,  healthy  and  happy  life,  and  many  of  the  traits  of  this  hardy  old 
ancestor  descended  to  his  sons  and  grandchildren.  Charles  Jesse  Craw 
also  worked  as  a  general  freighter,  and  for  many  years  hauled  goods  by 
team  from  San  Pedro  and  Los  Angeles  to  Arizona  and  other  points  in  the 
desert.  He  died  in  1900.  His  first  wife,  Olive  Packard,  was  a  native  of 
Ohio  and  died  in  1867.  The  second  wife  of  Charles  J.  Craw  was  Mary 
Ellen  Packard,  who  is  living  at  Los  Angeles.  Charles  Milan  Craw  is  the 
second  of  four  children.  The  oldest  was  Amelia  Craw.  The  other  two 
are  Louella  and  Orin  Ransom  Craw. 

Charles  Milan  Craw  was  seven  years  of  age  when  his  mother  died, 
and  he  came  to  manhood  with  a  limited  common  school  education.  He 
worked  with  and  for  his  father  driving  freight  teams,  and  when  the  build- 
ing of  railroads  destroyed  that  business  he  devoted  his  attention  to  farming. 


1116       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

In  1888  he  married  Miss  Catherine  A.  Cavenaugh,  who  was  horn  in  Utah 
Territory  November  2,  1867,  and  came  with  her  parents  to  California  in 
1883.  The  family  settled  in  Santa  Ana  in  Los  Angeles  County.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Craw  had  four  children:  The  oldest  died  in  infancy;  Angie  H., 
born  at  Chino  July  2,  1892,  is  a  graduate  of  the  Chino  High  School  and 
State  Normal  at  Los  Angeles,  and  was  a  teacher  until  her  marriage  in 
1917  to  A.  T.  Ezell,  a  native  of  Tennessee,  now  a  prosperous  druggist 
at  Seelev  in  Imperial  County.  Thev  have  a  son,  Robert  Ezell,  born 
April  1.  1920,  in  the  Imperial  Valley'.  The  third  child,  Helen  A.,  born 
at  Chino  January  2,  1894,  is  a  graduate  of  the  Chino  High  School  and  the 
Los  Angeles  Normal  and  is  a  teacher  in  the  schools  of  Colton.  The  fourth 
of  the  family.  Ethel  Craw,  born  at  Chino  June  11,  1895,  graduated  from 
high  school  and  the  Los  Angeles  Normal,  spent  one  year  at  Chino,  and 
in  1916  became  the  wife  of  Thomas  B.  Seitel,  of  Chino.  Mr.  Seitel  is  in 
the  United  States  mail  service  at  Chino.  They  have  a  son  Willard  Stanley 
Seitel.  born  May  2.  1918. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Craw  engaged  in  business  for  himself,  and  in 
1890  removed  to  Chino,  where  he  leased  a  large  acreage  of  land  from 
Richard  Gird.  It  was  virgin  soil,  never  having  been  plowed,  and  he  did 
his  farming  among  the  vast  herds  of  cattle  and  other  stock  owned  by 
the  Gird  interests.  He  continued  farming  here  until  1901,  his  chief  crop 
being  sugar  beets.  In  1901  he  moved  to  Los  Angeles  County  and  raised 
beets  for  the  Los  Alimitos  Sugar  Refinery,  and  that  experience  of  five 
years  proved  profitable,  though  his  first  venture  in  raising  beets  at  Chino 
had  been  prosecuted  at  a  loss.  In  1907  he  returned  to  Chino  and  bought 
his  present  home,  located  at  169  Seventh  Street.  Mr.  Craw  had  pre- 
viously purchased  ten  acres,  one  of  the  first  small  tracts  sold  by  Gird  in  the 
subdivision  of  his  famous  ranch.  To  this  he  later  added  ten  other  acres, 
and  he  holds  it  today  and  has  developed  it  into  a  fine  alfalfa  and  English 
walnut  ranch.  Mr.  Craw  continued  farming  on  a  large  scale  in  this  dis- 
trict, leasing  large  tracts  of  land. 

He  has  been  a  public  spirited  worker  in  the  development  of  the  com- 
munity and  since  1915  has  been  county  road  commissioner  for  the  Chino 
Road  District.  He  has  served  his  third  term  as  a  trustee  of  Chino  City. 
Mr.  Craw  is  a  republican,  comes  of  a  Baptist  family,  and  is  affiliated  with 
Chino  Lodge  No.  177,  Knights  of  Pythias.  Mr.  Craw  as  a  youth  was  a 
pupil  of  John  Brown,  and  he  pays  a  distinct  tribute  to  Mr.  Brown  as  a 
real  school  master  and  one  who  inspired  his  pupils  to  develop  both  their 
minds  and  their  character. 

Robert  W.  English,  a  retired  resident  of  San  Bernardino  County 
living  three  miles  south  of  Ontario,  at  the  corner  of  Euclid  and  Eucalyp- 
tus avenues,  his  post  office  being  Chino,  has  had  a  richly  varied  experience 
in  the  far  West,  since  for  many  years  he  was  a  railroad  man,  also  par- 
ticipated in  mining  and  merchandising,  and  has  been  a  resident  of  the 
Chino  Valley  for  a  quarter  of  a  century. 

Mr.  English  was  born  in  Platte  City,  Missouri,  August  16,  1857,  son  of 
William  K.  and  Elizabeth  (  Fox)  English,  the  former  a  native  of  Kentucky 
and  the  latter  of  Tennessee.  He  was  second  in  a  family  of  four  sons. 
From  Missouri  the  family  moved  to  Arizona  in  pioneer  times,  and  Wil- 
liam K.  English  was  for  fifteen  years  president  and  general  manager  of 
the  Great  Horn  Silver  Mining  Company,  the  largest  silver  mine  in  the 
world  at  the  time.  William  K.  English  died  at  Frisco,  Utah,  in  1894, 
while  his  widow  died  and  was  buried  at  Corona,  California,  in  1906. 

Robert  W.  English  acquired  a  good  education  and  in  1874  graduated 
from  the  State  Normal  School  at  Lawrence,  Kansas.    Almost  immediately 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       11 17 

he  was  attracted  into  the  operating  side  of  railroad  work,  and  became  a 
locomotive  engineer,  driving  an  engine  over  many  western  divisions.  He 
was  in  the  service  of  the  Santa  Fe  Company  fifteen  years,  having  a  run 
between  Trinidad  and  Santa  Fe,  New  Mexico,  over  the  Ratoon  Mountains, 
which  at  one  time  was  the  steepest  climb  of  any  steam  railroad  in  America. 
As  a  result  of  his  long  experience  pulling  trains  over  these  snow  covered 
mountains  he  became  stricken  with  snow  blindness,  and  for  three  months 
was  totally  blind,  and  though  he  eventually  recovered  his  vision  he  was 
left  color  blind,  and  thus  incapacitated  for  his  former  duties  as  an  engineer. 
For  two  years  he  was  yard  master  at  Blake  City,  Utah,  a  Denver  and  Rio 
Grand  Railroad.  Mr.  English  in  early  days  was  locomotive  engineer  dur- 
ing the  construction  of  some  important  western  lines.  He  ran  a  locomo- 
tive on  construction  trains  when  soldiers  rode  guard  on  these  work  trains 
to  protect  the  property  and  the  workers  against  Indian  attack. 

After  leaving  the  railroad  service  Mr.  English  became  identified  with 
mining,  and  for  four  years  had  some  successful  experiences  in  the  gold 
mines  of  Southern  Utah.  He  became  interested  with  Godby  &  Hampton, 
and  this  firm  sold  their  interests  to  Mr.  Bigelow,  New  York's  largest  shoe 
manufacturer.  Mr.  English  took  stock  in  a  new  company  and  was  superin- 
tendent of  the  mining  properties  for  three  years.  At  that  time  the  concern 
became  involved  in  litigation,  and  the  business  was  suspended.  Mr.  Eng- 
lish possessed  30,000  shares  of  stock,  which  had  paid  liberal  dividends,  but 
after  dissolution  of  the  company  his  stock  became  a  total  loss.  He  then 
went  to  Tombstone.  Arizona,  and  while  there  became  acquainted  with 
Richard  Gurd,  who  formerly  owned  many  hundreds  of  acres  in  the  Chino 
Valley.  From  Tombstone  he  went  to  Lincoln  County,  Nevada,  and  was 
in  the  range  stock  business  for  five  years.  He  was  obliged  to  leave  that 
altitude  on  account  of  heart  trouble.  In  1896  he  came  to  this  valley,  bring- 
ing sixteen  horses  with  him,  and  leased  land  from  Mr.  Gurd,  farming  it 
four  years.  About  that  time  he  bought  fifty  acres  from  Mr.  Gurd,  but 
subsequently  sold  it.  Mr.  English  in  1900  moved  to  Corona,  California, 
and  enjoyed  a  prosperous  career  in  the  implement  business  until  he  closed 
out  in  October,  1920,  and  is  now  living  quietly  retired. 

In  1878  Mr.  English  married  Miss  Millie  Carter,  who  was  born  in 
Beaver  City,  Utah,  and  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  that  state. 
She  is  a  descendant  of  early  Utah  pioneers.  Her  grandfather,  Amascy 
Liman,  was  a  soldier  in  the  Mexican  war,  a  member  of  the  famous  Mormon 
Brigade,  and  first  became  acquainted  with  California  as  a  soldier  during 
this  war.  He  then  returned  to  Salt  Lake,  and  subsequently  was  with  the 
early  Mormon  organization  at  old  San  Bernardino.  He  was  president  of  a 
branch  of  the  Mormon  Church  in  Southern  California,  being  recalled  to 
Utah  by  Brigham  Young.  He  was  one  of  the  twelve  apostles  in  the  church 
until  his  death  in  1904.  Mrs.  English's  father  was  Philo  Carter,  another 
noted  California  pioneer  of  San  Bernardino  County.  It  was  Philo  Carter 
who  discovered  the  first  gold  on  Lytle  Creek.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  English 
became  the  parents  of  eight  children.  The  oldest.  Lulu,  born  in  Utah  in 
1880,  is  the  wife  of  W.  L.  Berry,  an  old  and  prominent  resident  of  the 
Chino  Valley,  where  he  is  a  dairyman  and  rancher.  Mary,  who  was  born 
in  Utah  in  1882,  died  at  the  age  of  nine  months  at  Beaver  City.  Luell, 
born  in  1886,  in  Utah,  is  Mrs.  Arthur  Brown,  of  Riverside.  Edward, 
born  in  1888,  is  a  blacksmith  at  Riverside.  William  K.,  Jr.,  born  in  Utah 
in  1892,  is  a  blacksmith  at  Zelzah,  California;  Walter,  born  in  Nevada  in 
1898,  is  in  business  with  his  brother  at  Zelzah ;  Philo,  who  was  born  at 
Corona,  California,  in  1900,  is  an  accountant  and  clerk  with  the  Santa  Fe 
Railroad  Company;  May,  the  youngest  of  the  family,  was  born  at  Corona 
in  1902,  and  is  now  chief  bookkeeper  at  Corona  for  the  Southern  California 


1118       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

By-Products  Company.    The  four  sons  all  learned  the  trade  of  blacksmith 
and  except  one  are  still  identified  with  that  work. 

Dudley  Pine  was  the  youngest  son  of  the  late  Samuel  C.  Pine,  Sr., 
whose  noble  career  as  a  pioneer  of  the  San  Bernardino  Valley  has  been 
described  on  other  pages. 

Dudley  Pine  was  born  at  his  father's  Rincon  homestead  ranch  June  2, 
1872.  He  has  never  married,  and  he  grew  up  and  received  his  education 
in  this  locality  and  since  early  manhood  has  been  fully  occupied  with  his 
ranching  and  farming.  He  has  done  much  to  develop  lands  in  this 
section. 

His  brother  Myron,  who  was  born  at  San  Bernardino  May  22,  1868, 
married  in  1891  Miss  Agnes  Lester,  daughter  of  the  venerable  pioneer 
of  the  Rincon  Grant,  Edward  Lester.  Myron  Pine  and  wife  had  five  chil- 
dren, Hazel  G.,  Myrtle  G.,  Ivy  G..  Mary  and  Myra  Agnes.  Myron  Pine 
now  lives  in  Imperial. 

Another  brother  of  Dudlev  Pine  was  Edwin  Pine,  who  was  born  Julv 
28,  1860.  He  married  Miss  Annie  Bell  Gilbert,  daughter  of  J.  D.  Gilbert, 
another  early  settler  of  San  Bernardino.  They  have  three  children,  Gil- 
bert Edwin,  Miss  Beryl  and  Madelen.  Edwin  Pine  was  a  prosperous 
rancher  in  the  Chino  Valley  and  died  April  16,  1920,  at  his  ranch. 

The  Pine  family  have  been  large  factors  in  both  the  early  settlement 
and  later  development  of  San  Bernardino  County,  and  individually  and 
collectively  have  stood  for  the  very  best  in  citizenship.  They  have  helped 
develop  the  lands  of  the  Rincon  Grant  from  virgin  and  desert  soil,  and  all 
of  them  share  in  the  credit  for  the  improvement  noted  in  this  section  of 
San  Bernardino  County. 

Byron  Waters — One  of  the  specific  and  important  functions  of  this 
publication  is  to  enter  enduring  record  concerning  those  whose  stand  is  es- 
sentially representative  in  the  various  professional  circles  in  California, 
and  there  is  no  profession  that  touches  so  closely  the  manifold  interests 
of  society  in  general  as  does  the  legal. 

In  both  the  paternal  and  maternal  line  he  traces  his  genealogy  back 
to  families  who  founded  America.  Mr.  Waters  claims  the  Empire  State 
of  the  South  for  his  nativity  as  he  was  born  at  Canton,  Cherokee  County, 
Georgia,  on  the  19th  day  of  June,  1849,  the  youngest  son  of  the  three 
children  of  Henry  H.  and  Frances  (Brewster)  Waters. 

Henry  Hawley  Waters  was  born  in  Renssalaer  County,  New  York, 
near  the  City  of  Albany,  in  the  year  1819,  his  parents  having  been  num- 
bered among  the  pioneers  of  that  section,  whither  they  removed  from 
Massachusetts,  where  the  respective  families  were  found  in  the  Colonial 
days.  Henry  H.  Waters  was  the  youngest  in  a  family  of  five  children, 
and  owing  to  the  conditions  and  exigencies  of  life  in  a  pioneer  communi- 
ty, his  early  educational  advantages  were  limited — a  handicap  which 
he  effectively  overcame  through  self-discipline  and  through  definite  ad- 
vancement by  personal  effort.  He  served  an  apprenticeship  as  a  mechanic 
and  assisted  in  the  construction  of  one  of  the  first  steam  road  locomotives 
ever  operated  in  the  State  of  New  York.  He  had  no  little  inventive 
ability,  but  there  could  be  no  reason  to  doubt  that  he  did  well  to  turn 
his  attention  to  other  lines.  When  about  twenty  years  of  age  he  went 
to  Georgia,  where  he  proved  himself  eligible  for  pedagogic  honors  and 
was  successfully  engaged  in  teaching  for  a  period  of  about  two  years. 
In  the  meanwhile  he  had  determined  to  prepare  himself  for  the  legal 
profession,  and  by  close  application  he  gained  an  excellent  knowledge  of 
law,   so  that  he  gained  admission  to  the  bar  of   Georgia.     For  several 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1119 

years  he  was  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profession  at  Canton,  that 
state,  and  in  184V,  at  the  time  of  the  ever  memorable  gold  excitement 
in  California,  he  became  one  of  the  intrepid  argonauts  who  made  their 
way  by  various  routes  to  the  new"  Eldorado.  He  was  one  of  the  first  in 
Georgia  to  set  out  for  California.  The  company  of  which  he  was  a 
member  made  the  voyage  to  Havana,  Cuba,  crossed  the  Tehauntepec 
Isthmus  in  Mexico  by  means  of  a  pack  train,  and  made  the  remainder 
of  the  journey  on  a  sailing  vessel.  In  later  years  Mr.  Henry  H.  Waters 
frequently  reterred  to  the  fact  that  all  the  men  of  his  party  who  drank 
whisky  while  on  the  trip  across  the  Isthmus  were  attacked  by  disease 
that  soon  terminated  their  lives.  He  finally  disembarked  in  the  port  of 
San  Francisco  and  thence  made  his  way  to  the  original  placer  mines  in 
Tuolumne  County.  The  mining  camp  was  then  known  as  "Jim  Town," 
and  the  little  city  at  that  point,  at  the  present  time,  bears  the  more 
dignified  appellation  of  Jamestown.  Mr.  Walters  passed  about  two 
years  in  this  state  and  then  returned  to  Georgia,  having  made  the  return 
journey  across  the  plains.  He  resumed  the  practice  of  his  profession, 
but  a  few  years  later  he  again  made  the  trip  across  the  plains  for  the  pur- 
pose of  visiting  his  brother,  James  W.  Waters,  of  San  Bernardino 
County.  He  remained  a  limited  time  on  this  occasion  and  then  made 
his  third  trip  overland  by  returning  to  his  home  in  Georgia.  In  1858 
he  was  appointed  executive  secretary  to  Governor  Joseph  E.  Brown 
of  that  state,  whose  son,  Joseph  M.  Brown,  afterward  became  governor. 
He  retained  this  office  until  1865  when  Governor  Brown  was  deposed 
from  office  by  the  Federal  authorities  after  the  close  of  the  Civil  war. 
During  the  progress  of  that  war,  as  executive  secretary  to  the  Governor, 
Mr.  Henry  Waters  had  much  to  do  with  the  direction  of  military  af-, 
fairs  in  the  state.  He  held  the  rank  of  colonel  on  the  staff  of  the  Gov- 
ernor and  was  instrumental  in  mustering  in  thirty  regiments  for  the 
Confederate  service.  He  thus  lived  up  to  the  full  tension  of  the  great 
conflict  between  the  North  and  the  South,  during  which  his  loyalty  to 
the  Confederate  cause  was  of  the  most  insistent  order.  In  the  meantime 
H.  Waters  had  purchased  a  plantation  in  Coweta  County,  Georgia, 
and  after  the  disorganization  of  the  state  government  and  the  installa- 
tion of  the  carpet  bag  machine  at  the  close  of  the  war,  he  retired  to 
his  plantation.  Two  years  later  he  sold  the  property  and  located  in 
Harris  County,  Georgia,  where  he  engaged  in  the  manufacturing  of 
lumber.  Later  he  established  his  home  at  Geneva,  Talbot  County,  Georgia, 
where  he  gave  his  attention  principally  to  the  management  of  his  large 
cotton  plantation  in  that  county.  He  died  in  the  City  of  Macon,  that 
state,  in  1869,  as  the  result  of  a  stroke  of  paralysis,  and  his  name  is  on 
record  as  that  of  one  of  the  progressive  and  honored  citizens  of  Georgia. 
His  devoted  wife  died  in  1860  at  Milledgeville,  Georgia,  in  which  state 
her  entire  life  was  passed.  She  was  born  in  Gainesville,  Georgia,  and 
was  the  daughter  of  Dr.  John  Brewster,  a  native  of  South  Carolina  and 
a  scion  of  one  of  the  old  and  distinguished  families  of  that  common- 
wealth. Dr.  Brewster  was  one  of  the  able  representatives  of  his  pro- 
fession in  Georgia  where  he  was  engaged  in  active  practice  for  many 
years.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Henry  Waters  became  the  parents  of  three  chil- 
dren, Emmett,  the  eldest  of  the  three  was  accidentally  killed  at  Paris, 
Kentucky,  on  the  day  following  his  graduation  from  Millersburg  College. 
Prior  to  this,  when  but  eighteen  years  of  age,  he  tendered  his  services  in 
defense  of  the  Confederate  cause  by  enlisting  in  the  First  Georgia  Regu- 
lars at  the  inception  of  the  Civil  war.  He  gained  promotion  through 
the  various  grades  until  he  was  made  adjutant  in  his  command,  and  he 
participated  in  many  engagements.     On  July  26,   1864,  in  the  battle  of 


1120       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

Peach  Tree  Creek,  in  the  front  of  Atlanta,  he  was  shot  through  the  right 
leg,  and  the  injury  was  so  severe  as  to  necessitate  the  amputation  of  the 
member. 

Henrietta,  the  second  child,  became  the  wife  of  Edwin  A.  Nesbit,  and 
they  came  to  California  in  1867  and  resided  for  many  years  in  San  Ber- 
nardino, where  both  died.  They  reared  eleven  children  to  maturity. 
Mrs.  Nesbit  was  long  numbered  among  the  successful  and  popular  teach- 
ers in  the  schools  of  California.  She  followed  this  profession  for  over 
twenty  years  in  San  Bernardino,  and  for  a  decade  was  one  of  the  most 
loved  and  valued  teachers  in  the  schools  of  Los  Angeles. 

The  third  and  youngest  of  the  children  is  he  to  whom  this  sketch 
is  dedicated — Byron  Waters,  who  was  reared  to  the  age  of  sixteen  years 
in  his  native  state  and  was  afforded  the  advantages  of  its  best  private 
schools,  in  which  he  continued  his  attendance  until  the  close  of  the  war 
between  the  states.  The  family  experienced  serious  financial  reverses, 
as  did  nearly  all  other  in  the  South  at  this  time,  and  after  leaving  school 
he  worked  for  nearly  three  years  in  the  cotton  field  on  his  father's 
plantation.  He  became  associated  as  a  boy  with  those  who  afterwards 
formed  the  Ku  Klux  Klan,  and  under  these  conditions  his  father  sug- 
gested that  he  take  some  cotton  to  market  and  utilize  the  proceeds  in 
going  to  California.  The  devoted  father,  bereft  of  wife  and  elder  son, 
realized  that  by  this  procedure  the  younger  son  would  escape  the  diffi- 
culties and  troublous  experiences  incidental  to  the  so-called  recon- 
struction period  in  the  South,  for  it  was  but  natural  that  intense 
sectional  prejudice  had  been  aroused  among  the  youth  of  the  South, 
owing  to  contemplation  of  the  frightful  ravages  worked  by  the  war 
just  ended,  especially  the  devastating  effect  of  Sherman's  victorious  march 
through  Georgia  from  Atlanta  to  the  sea.  Accordingly,  Mr.  Byron 
Waters  came  to  California  in  1867,  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years,  and 
here  began  work  as  a  cow-boy  on  his  uncle's  ranch  at  Yucaipa  in  San 
Bernardino  County,  said  uncle  having  been  James  W.  Wraters,  pre- 
viously mentioned  as  one  of  the  sterling  pioneers  of  this  section  of 
the  state. 

The  ambition  of  young  Waters  was  not  to  be  thus  satisfied, 
however,  and  in  April,  1869,  he  began  the  study  of  law  in  the  office 
of  Judge  Horace  C.  Rolfe  of  San  Bernardino.  Later  he  continued 
his  technical  reading  under  the  direction  of  Judge  Henry  M.  Willis 
of  the  same  city.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  January,  1871,  and 
during  the  many  intervening  j-ears  that  he  has  been  in  active  practice 
in  the  various  courts  of  the  state  it  has  been  his  to  gain  and 
retain  high  prestige  and  distinction  as  one  of  the  ablest  members  of 
the  California  bar  as  well  as  one  of  the  most  successful.  His  list  of 
cases  presented  before  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  state  is  one  of  the 
largest  that  can  be  claimed  by  any  member  of  the  bar  of  this  favored 
commonwealth,  and  in  this  and  other  tribunals  there  stands  to  his  lasting 
honor  many  noteworthy  victories  as  an  advocate  of  great  strength  and 
versatility.  More  than  fifty-one  years  of  consecutive  devotion  to  the 
work  of  his  profession  have  made  Byron  Waters  one  of  its  peers  in  the 
state  and  the  bar  has  been  honored  and  dignified  alike  by  his  character 
and  his  services. 

He  has  made  his  home  and  professional  headquarters  in  San 
Bernardino  during  most  of  these  years;  has  stood  as  an  exponent  of 
the  most  loyal  and  public  spirited  citizenship,  and  none  has  a  more 
secure  place  in  popular  confidence  and  esteem. 

In  1881  Mr.  Byron  Waters  effected  the  organization  of  the  Farmers 
Exchange    Bank   of   San    Bernardino,   one   of   the   solid   and    leading 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1 121 

financial  institutions  in  the  state.  He  was  its  first  president,  and 
held  that  office  for  several  years.  During  the  formative  period  of 
the  bank  he  guided  its  affairs  with  a  firm  hand  and  with  the  utmost 
discrimination  and  progressivencss — showing  the  same  characteristic 
energy  and  integrity  that  have  marked  his  career  in  all  its  relations. 

Always  unwavering  in  his  allegiance  to  the  democratic  party, 
Byron  Waters  has  done  much  to  promote  its  cause  in  California 
while  he  has  resided  in  a  county  and  state  that  show  large  republican 
majority  under  normal  conditions.  In  his  home  county  there  early 
came  recognition  of  his  ability  and  sterling  character,  as  is  shown  by 
the  fact  that  in  1877  he  was  elected  to  represent  the  same  in  the  State 
Legislature.  At  the  ensuing  session  he  became  a  recognized  leader 
of  his  party  in  the  House,  and  before  the  close  of  the  session 
he  stood  at  the  head  as  a  member  of  that  body.  His  reputation  for 
talent  and  personal  and  official  integrity  brought  about  the  following 
year,  1878,  his  election  as  a  delegate  at  large  to  the  State  Constitutional 
Convention,  and  he  had  the  distinction  in  this  connection  of  receiving 
a  larger  majority  than  any  other  candidate  for  such  representation 
in  the  state.  Though  he  was  one  of  the  youngest  members  of  that 
convention  Mr.  Waters'  thorough  knowledge  of  constitutional  law, 
his  exceptional  power  in  debate,  and  his  prescience  as  to  future  growth 
and  demands  won  for  him  a  commanding  influence  in  the  deliberations 
of  that  convention. 

His  adherence  to  and  earnest  advocacy  of  certain  opinions  while 
in  the  convention  temporarily  cost  him  somewhat  of  his  popularity, 
but  the  time  and  the  subsequent  working  of  constitutional  provisions 
which  he  opposed  have  demonstrated  that  he  was  right  in  the  course 
he  pursued  at  the  time. 

In  1886  Mr.  Waters  was  made  democratic  candidate  for  the  office 
of  justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  State  of  California,  but  while 
he  was  eminently  qualified  for  the  position  and  was  defeated  by  a 
small  majority  he  was  unable  to  overcome  the  far  greater  strength 
of  the  republican  party  and  thus  ordinary  political  exigencies  com- 
passed his  defeat. 

Mr.  Waters  has  been  affiliated  with  the  Masonic  fraternity  since 
1873.    He  is  liberal  in  his  religious  views. 

On  the  31st  day  of  December,  1872,  was  solemnized  his  marriage 
to  Miss  Louisa  Brown,  a  native  daughter  of  San  Bernardino,  who  was 
born  July  23,  1852,  she  being  one  of  the  daughters  of  John  Brown, 
Sr.,  the  noted  hunter  and  trapper  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  Louisa 
Sandoval  Brown,  his  wife,  who  was  a  member  of  one  of  the  dis- 
tinguished families  of  Taos,  New  Mexico.  Of  this  union  there  has 
been  issue  as  follows,  all  of  whom  are  surviving  except  their  daughters 
Florence  and  Clara  and  son  Brewster,  those  living  now,  (1922)  being 
Sylvia,  Frances,  Helen,  Emmett,  Byron,  Jr.,  and  Elizabeth. 

A  characteristic  of  the  Waters  family  is  that  they  have  been 
builders  of  homes  and  business  structures  as  exemplified  by  them  in 
San  Bernardino.  J.  W.  Waters,  as  is  shown  by  reference  to  him  in 
this  work,  caused  to  be  built  in  San  Bernardino  notable  buildings  and 
Byron  Waters  has  built  therein  two  structures  for  his  law  offices  and 
also  from  time  to  time  three  residences,  first  a  cottage  on  West  Fifth 
Street  early  in  life,  later  the  large  brick  residence  on  Fourth  Street 
opposite  the  Elks  Club,  and  later  built  the  Bunker  Hill  residence, 
where  with  his  family  he  now  resides,  the  place  being  situated  on  an 
eminence  at  the  westerly  side  of  the  San  Bernardino  Valley,  present- 
ing a  view  of  the  fertile  valley  of  that  name,  overlooking  the  cities 


1122       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

of  Colton,  Rialto,  San  Bernardino,  Redlands  and  Highland,  situated 
therein,  with  the  enclosing  mountains  surrounding  the  valley. 

For  many  years  Mr.  Waters  and  his  family  have  spent  the  summers 
at  their  picturesque  mountain  home  embracing  the  valley  known  as 
Seeley  Flat,  having  an  elevation  of  one  mile  above  sea  level,  twelve 
miles  north  of  San  Bernardino,  consisting  of  160  acres  of  land,  nestled 
among  the  surrounding  pine-clad  hills  sloping  to  the  enclosed  meadow, 
in  the  center  of  which  is  a  knoll  elevated  above  the  meadow  and  on  top 
of  which  is  situated  the  cabin  home  of  the  place  at  which  they  have  en- 
joyed the  summer  months,  always  extending  entertainment  to  relatives 
and  friends  in  full  measure  of  old  fashioned  Southern  and  California 
hospitality. 

David  Glen  Henderson. — To  such  men  as  David  Glen  Henderson,  an 
octogenarian  now  living  at  Etiwanda.  life  is  a  continuous  adventure 
and  enterprise,  and  every  new  day  brings  opportunities  for  work  and 
accomplishment.  Mr.  Henderson  is  one  of  the  few  survivors  of  that 
now  distant  past  when  the  establishment  of  homes  in  Southern  Cali- 
fornia meant  a  persistent  struggle  with  the  adverse  forces  of  nature. 

He  was  born  in  Calder,  Scotland,  March  28,  1842,  son  of  David 
and  Margaret  (Adams)  Henderson,  and  was  one  of  their  six  children. 
David  Henderson  was  a  coal  miner.  Born  in  Scotland,  he  was 
seriously  injured  by  a  fall  of  slate  and  never  entirely  recovered.  In 
1848  he  came  to  America,  and  in  1849  brought  his  family  to  this 
country.  He  first  located  at  Dry  Hill,  now  within  the  city  limits  of 
St.  Louis,  Missouri,  and  he  died  there  in  1850.  His  widow  soon  after- 
ward was  married  to  James  Easton,  a  member  of  the  Mormon  Church. 
Early  in  the  spring  of  1851  James  Easton,  his  wife  and  the  Henderson 
children  went  from  St.  Louis  to  a  point  near  Council  Bluffs,  Iowa, 
where  they  joined  a  train  made  up  of  fifty  ox  teams  and  embarked 
for  Salt  Lake  City.  The  captain  of  the  train  forbade  the  killing  of 
buffalo,  and  they  had  no  serious  trouble  with  Indians,  reaching  the 
Salt  Lake  country  in  the  fall  of  1851.  Here  James  Easton  took  up 
farming.  In  1853  the  second  stage  of  the  journey  was  begun,  again 
by  ox  teams.  On  both  of  these  stages  of  the  transcontinental  trip 
David  Glen  Henderson  drove  a  three  yoke  ox  team,  though  on  the 
trip  from  the  Missouri  River  he  was  only  a  youth  of  eight  or  nine 
years  old.  The  second  stage  of  the  journey  had  San  Bernardino  as 
it  destination.  The  route  was  through  the  desert,  and  Mr.  Henderson 
has  a  vivid  recollection  of  some  of  the  hardships  encountered.  While 
passing  through  a  canyon  in  the  mountains  a  party  of  Indians  met 
them  and  demanded  food  and  whiskey.  Halt  was  made  in  an  open 
spot  and  a  parley  ensued.  The  travelers  offered  the  Indians  potatoes 
and  turnips,  but  this  did  not  please  the  red  men,  and  from  the  way 
they  handled  their  bows  and  arrows,  their  only  weapons,  the  party 
feared  an  attack.  An  older  brother  of  David  G.  Henderson  acted 
as  interpreter,  and  while  talking  with  the  savages  displayed  an  old 
pepper  box  revolver,  showing  how  rapidly  it  could  be  fired.  It  was 
a  piece  of  strategy  that  served  to  discourage  the  Indians  from  any 
further  hostile  act,  and  they  withdrew,  sullen  but  peaceful.  In 
crossing  the  desert  from  one  water  hole  to  another  the  party  filled 
all  the  churns,  pails  and  everything  that  would  hold  water,  and  they 
traveled  chiefly  at  night,  resting  the  oxen  through  the  heat  of  the 
day.  Of  these  early  voyagers  of  the  desert  few  now  remain.  The 
journey  itself,  as  well  as  the  work  necessary  to  be  done  after  reaching 
the  destination,  was  evidence  of  the  great  courage  and  determination 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       112.? 

that  entitle  these  pioneers  to  lasting  admiration.  The  Easton  and 
Henderson  families  settled  about  a  mile  east  of  the  old  Fort  at  San 
Bernardino.  Here  David  G.  Henderson  came  to  manhood.  Prac- 
tically the  only  school  advantages  he  had  were  in  the  years  from 
five  to  seven  before  he  left  the  Middle  West.  In  Utah  and  California 
his  program  was  one  of  work,  but  he  also  studied  privately  and  is 
today  an  exceptional  penman.  He  became  versed  in  all  phases  of 
woodcraft  and  hunting,  and  hunting  has  always  been  a  favorite  sport. 
Even  in  1921  he  went  into  the  Sierra  Mountains  and  shot  his  deer. 
Perhaps  the  steadiest  employment  he  had  as  a  youth  was  driving 
ox  teams  in  hauling  food  and  provisions. 

In  1862  Mr.  Henderson  married  Miss  Matilda  Hawker,  who  was 
born  July  27,  1845,  at  Melbourne,  Australia.  Directly  after  his 
marriage  he  bought  five  acres,  but  soon  sold  that  and  purchased 
twenty  acres,  both  tracts  being  near  San  Bernardino.  During  1864- 
65  he  was  engaged  in  placer  mining  on  Lytle  Creek,  then  a  boom 
district,  though  his  own  luck  as  a  miner  failed  him.  In  the  fall 
of  1865  Mr.  Henderson  went  to  the  coal  mines  at  Mount  Diablo  in 
Contra  Costa  County,  and  remained  there  two  years,  getting  good 
wages  and  returning  with  some  capital.  He  then  farmed  and  did 
teaming.  In  February,  1884,  Mr.  Henderson  took  up  eighty  acres 
of  state  land,  proved  it  up  and  secured  the  title  and  planted  part 
of  it.  After  keeping  this  ranch  for  twenty  years  he  sold  out  in  1904. 
Then,  leaving  his  family  in  San  Bernardino  County,  he  again  went 
to  the  frontier,  filing  on  eighty  acres  of  desert  land  seven  miles 
southwest  of  the  Imperial  townsite.  This  he  improved  and  two  years 
later  sold.  On  returning  to  San  Bernardino  County  he  filed  on  a 
160  acre  tract,  the  northeast  quarter  of  Section  29,  North  of  Etiwanda. 
Later  he  discovered  that  this  was  not  Government  land  but  was 
owned  by  the  railroad,  and  he  made  arrangements  to  purchase  forty 
acres  from  the  railroad  company.  This  land  lies  at  the  corner  of 
Summit  and  Etiwanda  avenues,  and  he  has  set  it  to  fruit,  built  a 
home  and  otherwise  instituted  improvements  that  mark  his  secure 
material  prosperity. 

For  nearly  fifty  years  Mr.  Henderson  had  the  companionship  of 
his  good  wife,  who  was  taken  from  him  by  death  on  January  10,  1921. 
Eleven  children  were  born  to  their  marriage,  and  all  are  living  but 
one.  The  oldest,  David  Henderson,  is  a  farmer  at  Bishop  in  Inyo 
County ;  Alexander  also  lives  at  Bishop ;  William  is  in  business  at 
Rialto;  Walter  Scott  is  a  resident  of  Etiwanda;  Nettie  is  the  wife  of 
Edward  Purdue,  living  on  a  place  adjoining  the  Henderson  ranch  ; 
Robert  R.  is  a  rancher  at  Etiwanda;  Maggie  is  Mrs.  James  Anderson, 
of  San  Bernardino;  Belle  is  the  wife  of  William  St.  Claire,  of  Little 
Rock,  Los  Angeles  County  ;  Grover  C.  is  a  citrus  grower  at  Etiwanda ; 
Earle  E.  lives  at  Etiwanda;  and  Glen  is  the  deceased  child. 

Fenton  M.  Slaughter,  late  of  Rincon,  was  one  of  the  finest  types  of 
the  fearless  pioneer  who  brought  the  really  constructive  civilization 
into  the  valleys  of  Southern  California.  He  was  identified  with  the 
first  tide  of  gold  seekers  on  the  Pacific  Coast,  a  few  years  later  came 
into  Southern  California,  and  for  many  years  his  industry  and  rare 
business  judgment  made  him  one  of  the  powerful  men  in  the  ranching 
affairs  of  the  Rincon  Valley,  where  his  family  still  reside  and  are 
properly  accounted  among  the  most  substantial  people  in  this 
vicinity. 

Fenton  M.  Slaughter  was  born  January  10,  1826.  The  English 
family  of  Slaughter  was  established  in  Colonial  Virginia  as  early  as 


1124       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

1616.  His  grandparents  were  Robin  and  Ann  Slaughter.  His  father, 
Louis  Slaughter,  was  born  in  Culpeper  County,  Virginia,  April  25, 
1779,  and  married  Elizabeth  Gillem,  of  Rockbridge  County,  Virginia. 
Louis  Slaughter  died  in  1834,  leaving  his  widow  with  the  care  of 
eleven  children. 

Fenton  M.  Slaughter  under  such  circumstances  had  to  become 
independent  as  soon  as  possible,  and  in  1835,  when  he  was  nine  years 
of  age,  his  mother  moved  to  Callaway  County,  Missouri,  and  in  1842 
to  St.  Louis.  Fenton  M.  Slaughter  had  a  common  school  education, 
and  at  St.  Louis  entered  the  shops  of  McMurray  &  Dorman  to  learn 
the  trade  of  mechanical  engineer.  After  his  apprenticeship  he  was 
an  engineer  on  river  steamboats  from  St.  Louis  to  New  Orleans.  He 
answered  the  first  call  for  volunteers  at  the  beginning  of  the  War 
with  Mexico,  and  he  served  in  Company  B  of  the  Second  Regiment, 
Missouri  Mounted  Volunteers,  under  Capt.  John  C.  Dent  and 
Col.  Stirling  Price.  His  service  was  in  the  Santa  Fe  country, 
keeping  down  the  Indians,  and  he  participated  in  the  battles  of  Taos 
and  Canadian  Fork  with  the  Navajo,  and  in  the  latter  engagement 
was  taken  prisoner.  After  twenty-three  days  he  succeeded  in  eluding 
his  captors,  escaped  on  a  mule,  and  after  a  ride  of  125  miles  reached 
Albuquerque.  A  short  time  before  his  discharge,  in  1847,  he  was  in 
a  skirmish  with  the  Indians  at  Sevedas  ranch  in  the  Valley  of  the 
Rio  Grande. 

The  war  over,  he  returned  to  St.  Louis  and  resumed  his  calling, 
and  in  1849  joined  an  overland  party  bound  for  California.  He  spent 
some  time  mining  in  Eldorado  County,  and  returned  East  by  way  of 
Panama  and  New  Orleans  to  St.  Louis.  In  the  spring  of  1851  he 
again  set  out  for  California,  overland,  and  in  Eldorado  County  did 
some  mining  and  also  was  engineer  of  the  first  steam  sawmill  erected 
in  the  Sierra  Nevadas.  In  March.  1853,  he  moved  to  Mariposa 
County,  and  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year  entered  the  service  of  General 
Beal,  superintendent  of  Indian  affairs  in  California.  His  duties  took 
him  to  the  San  Joaquin  River  Reservation  and  the  Tejon  Reservation 
in  Los  Angeles  County. 

Leaving  this  work,  which  was  uncongenial,  Mr.  Slaughter  in  1854 
began  working  at  his  trade  in  Los  Angeles,  but  soon  became  inter- 
ested in  wool  growing  on  the  Puente  Ranch  in  the  San  Gabriel  Valley 
with  Rowland,  one  of  the  pioneer  owners  of  that  great  tract.  The 
chief  business  of  Mr.  Slaughter  for  many  years  was  sheep  ranching 
and  wool  growing.  His  interests  gradually  extended  to  San  Ber- 
nardino County,  and  he  was  one  of  the  first  to  introduce  French  and 
Spanish  Merino  sheep  to  this  region.  He  opened  a  blacksmith  shop 
at  San  Gabriel  in  1854,  the  first  institution  of  its  kind  there,  and 
operated  it  for  many  years.  In  all  his  enterprises  he  was  remarkably 
successful.  In  1868  Mr.  Slaughter  bought  the  Buena  Vista  tract  of 
the  Raymondo  Yorba  ranch  at  Rincon  in  San  Bernardino  County, 
and  soon  afterward  transferred  his  herds  to  this  locality.  He  con- 
tinued sheep  growing  until  selling  out  his  stock  in  1882,  and  about 
three  years  later  sold  most  of  his  ranch  lands,  still  retaining  his 
homestead  and  1,000  acres  four  miles  south  of  Chind,  which  he  devel- 
oped as  one  of  the  best  farms  and  ranches  in  the  county.  He  was  very 
thorough  in  his  methods  of  agriculture  and  horticulture,  and  he  kept 
some  very  fine  blooded  horses,  some  of  them  being  noted  for  their 
performance  on  the  track,  including  Joe  Hamilton,  Exile,  Bob  Mason, 
Peri,  Pinole  and  others.     He  also  had  a  forty  acre  vinevard  and  in 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1125 

1887  built  a  winery  with  a  capacity  of  20,000  gallons,  his  wines 
commanding  a  high  premium   in   the  market. 

Through  these  enterprises  he  did  his  part  in  developing  the  sub- 
stantial prosperity  of  his  section.  He  was  always  generous,  public 
spirited  and  progressive.  He  was  of  Southern  birth  and  ancestry  but 
was  a  stanch  Union  man,  and  though  always  living  in  a  normally 
republican  district  he  had  frequent  political  honors.  He  was  a  dele- 
gate to  county  and  state  conventions  of  the  democratic  party,  and 
in  1870  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Assembly  from  San  Bernardino 
County,  serving  during  the  session  of  1871-72.  Governor  Stoneman 
in  1885  appointed  him  supervisor  of  District  No.  2  to  fill  the  vacancy 
caused  by  the  death  of  E.  H.  Gates,  and  in  1886  he  was  elected  on 
his  party  ticket  as  his  successor.  He  was  appointed  postmaster  of 
Rincon  in  1873  but  refused  the  office.  He  was  a  school  trustee, 
worked  for  the  establishment  of  good  schools,  was  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  fraternity  at  San  Bernardino,  of  the  California  Pioneer 
Society  and  of  the  Mexican  War  Veterans. 

This  distinguished  and  useful  pioneer  of  San  Bernardino  County 
passed  away  May  29,  1897,  at  his  ranch  home,  when  seventy-one  years 
of  age.  His  first  wife  was  Catherine  Thomas,  who  lived  but  a  short 
time,  and  was  the  mother  of  a  son,  Edward  McGuire  Slaughter,  who 
was  born  at  Fulton,  Callaway  County,  Missouri,  May  12,  1850.  In 
December,  1860,  Fenton  M.  Slaughter  married  Miss  Dolores  Alva- 
rado,  daughter  of  Francisco  and  Juan  Maria  (Abila)  de  Alvarado, 
of  San  Gabriel.  She  was  of  pure  Castilian  ancestry,  representing  two 
of  the  oldest  Spanish  families  in  that  section  of  Southern  California. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Slaughter  became  the  parents  of  ten  children.  The 
oldest,  Senovia,  born  September  27,  1862,  is  the  wife  of  Louis  Mere- 
dith, and  she  lives  on  a  portion  of  the  old  estate.  Florisa,  born  on 
the  Palo  Alto  ranch  May  21,  1863,  owns  a  share  of  the  old  ranch  and 
was  married  to  Edgar  Meredith  in  1904.  Their  home  is  six  miles 
south  of  Chino,  near  the  Pioneer  Schoolhouse.  The  third  child,  Julia, 
born  August  10,  1866,  lives  at  the  old  homestead  and  is  the  widow 
of  Benjamin  Fuqua.  Robert  F.,  born  in  1868,  married  Louise  Saun- 
ders, and  their  son,  Robert  Slaughter,  volunteered  at  the  age  of 
nineteen  and  served  through  the  war,  was  at  Chateau-Thierry,  went 
over  the  top  twice  and  was  severely  gassed  and  is  now  partly  recov- 
ered but  still  attending  a  soldiers'  training  school  at  Los  Angeles. 
Joseph  J.,  born  February  14,  1871,  married  Lela  Gass  and  has  a 
family  of  four  daughters  and  one  son.  Dolores  B.,  born  April  19, 
1873,  married  John  Strong  and  is  the  mother  of  a  son  and  daughter. 
Fenton  L.,  born  July  1,  1875,  married  Beatrice  Henry  and  has  two 
daughters.  Lorinda,  born  in  1877,  is  the  wife  of  Louis  Wells  and 
the  mother  of  one  son.  Ethel  Eunice,  born  in  1879,  died  at  the  age 
of  eighteen  months.  Floren  P.,  born  May  29,  1883,  married  Lydia 
Ashcroft  and  has  a  daughter. 

The  mother  of  these  children  died  June  30,  1916.  Florisa  Slaughter, 
now  Mrs.  Edgar  Meredith,  was  a  pupil  in  the  old  Pioneer  Schoolhouse 
standing  near  her  residence.  There  were  100  scholars  and  only  one 
teacher.  She  has  many  memories  of  this  crude  schoolhouse  and  the 
educational  system  there  is  vogue.  Many  of  the  children  played  cards 
under  the  desks,  and  it  was  there  that  she  learned  the  game  of  casino. 
The  teacher  was  a  man,  kept  his  large  ink  bottle  filled  with  whiskey, 
and  had  some  older  scholars  teach  while  he  la}'  down  on  a  bench 
and  slept.     All   the  pupils  drank   from  one  bucket  of  water,  using  a 


1126      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

single  tin  cup  and  there  was  no  case  that  Mrs.  Meredith  recalls  of  an 
infection  due  to  the  use  of  the  common  drinking  cup. 

Edgar  De  Witt  Meredith  was  born  in  Geneseo  County,  New  York, 
July  9,  1859,  and  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Chino  Valley. 
He  came  to  San  Bernardino  County  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years.  He 
has  followed  mining,  also  the  carpenter's  trade,  and  is  now  retired 
and  living  in  the  old  Slaughter  homestead. 

Jesse  F.  Mayhew,  who  is  now  enjoying  an  honorable  retirement  in  a 
comfortable  home  at  354  Central  Avenue,  Chino,  is  one  of  the  few  sur- 
vivors whose  intimate  recollections  of  San  Bernardino  runs  back  fifty 
years.  He  has  lived  a  life  of  intense  activity,  and  almost  altogether  out 
in  the  open,  enduring  the  discomforts  and  dangers  of  the  desert  and  the 
range. 

He  was  born  January  1,  1848,  at  White  Sulphur  Springs,  Mississippi, 
son  of  Jesse  and  Eunice  (Clay)  Mayhew,  the  former  a  native  of  North 
Carolina  and  the  latter  of  Mississippi.  They  had  a  family  of  five  sons 
and  two  daughters.  Jesse  Mayhew,  Sr.,  was  a  California  forty-niner, 
crossing  the  plains  by  way  of  the  Santa  Fe  route  and  driving  a  Government 
team  through  to  Yuba,  California.  He  followed  mining  with  varied  suc- 
cess for  several  years.  In  1853  his  wife,  his  son  Jesse  F.  and  one  of  the 
daughters  set  out  to  join  him,  coming  by  way  of  New  Orleans  and  the 
Isthmus  of  Panama,  Jesse  F.  Mayhew  being  packed  across  the  Isthmus 
on  the  back  of  a  native.  From  there  a  steamer  took  them  north,  and  at 
Yuba  City  they  joined  Jesse  Mayhew,  Sr.  On  the  arrival  of  his  family 
the  father  turned  to  ranching  and  teaming,  and  in  1860  came  south  to 
Los  Angeles  and  in  1861  moved  to  San  Bernardino.  He  mined  one  season 
in  the  Holcomb  Valley,  and  then  went  to  El  Monte  and  did  farming  in 
that  locality  and  also  operated  a  freighting  team  until  1865.  He  was  one 
of  the  freighters  between  Los  Angeles  and  Prescott,  Arizona.  It  was 
about  that  time  that  Jesse  F.  Mayhew  began  participating  in  the  active 
life  of  the  frontier.  Though  a  boy,  he  drove  a  team  of  six  or  eight  mules 
for  his  father,  passing  over  the  old  toll  road  through  Cajon  Pass,  a  road 
then  owned  by  John  Brown,  Sr.  It  was  customary  to  combine  eight  or 
ten  such  teams  in  a  single  party,  since  only  in  numbers  were  they  safe 
from  Indian  attack.  The  teams  would  be  on  the  trail  all  day  and  at  night 
guards  were  slung  out  to  protect  the  camp.  The  freighters  had  to  haul 
hay  enough  to  feed  the  stock  as  far  east  as  Soda  Lake,  thence  depending 
on  the  natural  grass,  and  grain  was  also  part  of  the  equipment  for  feed. 
Freight  rates  were  twenty-five  cents  per  pound  from  Los  Angeles  to  Pres- 
cott, and  the  trip  usually  consumed  sixty  days.  When  the  Indians  became 
especially  hostile  United  States  soldiers  were  appointed  to  escort  such 
trains.  One  detachment  of  soldier  guards  was  stationed  at  Rock  Springs, 
and  Mr.  Mayhew  recalls  the  fact  that  all  the  privates  deserted,  leaving 
only  the  lieutenant,  who  quit  in  disgust  and  resigned  his  commission. 

In  1866  Jesse  Mayhew,  Sr.,  bought  a  half  league  of  ground  for  fifteen 
hundred  dollars  from  the  Chino  heirs.  This  land  was  near  the  present  town 
of  Chino  and  in  the  old  Rincon  section.  Jesse  Mayhew  built  a  grist  mill, 
the  first  one  in  this  entire  valley.  It  was  a  water  power  mill  and  was  con- 
structed in  1875.  He  also  did  stock  raising  and  dealt  in  horses  and  mules, 
driving  them  to  market  in  Idaho  and  Utah.  The  first  drive  consisted  of 
500  head.  Jesse  Mayhew,  Sr.,  died  at  Downey,  California,  and  his  wife 
died  at  Oceanside  but  was  buried  at  Downey. 

Jesse  F.  Mayhew  in  such  pioneer  circumstances  had  no  opportunity  for 
school.  He  began  doing  some  of  the  very  hardest  and  most  arduous  work 
when  onlv  a  vouth.     In   1868  he  married  Emilv  Hickey,  who  was  born 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1127 

September  12,  1848,  in  Texas,  daughter  of  Isaac  Hickey,  a  Baptist  minister. 
She  was  a  small  child  when  her  parents  crossed  the  plains  by  ox  team 
to  California.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mayhew  had  seven  children:  Felix,  who 
was  born  on  the  Rincon  ranch,  is  in  the  mining  business  at  Yuma,  Arizona, 
and  is  married.  Mrs.  Eva  McDonald,  the  second  child,  was  born  at  Santa 
Ana  and  died  in  Arizona.  Elmer,  born  at  Rincon,  is  a  teamster  at  Tucson, 
Arizona,  and  is  married  and  has  four  children.  Clay,  born  in  Pinal 
County,  Arizona,  now  lives  in  Safford  County,  that  state,  and  is  married. 
Goldie,  born  in  Pinal  County,  is  the  wife  of  Arrow  Smith,  of  Garden 
Grove,  California.  Gracie,  born  on  Rincon  ranch,  died  at  the  age  of 
seven.    Dixie  is  the  wife  of  William  E.  Phillips,  of  Rincon  ranch. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Mayhew  leased  and  farmed  a  tract  near  Santa 
Ana,  but  in  1877  removed  to  Pinal  County,  Arizona,  where  for  thirty-five 
years  he  engaged  in  the  cattle  business  and  teaming.  While  there  he  was 
elected  and  served  twelve  years  on  the  Board  of  County  Supervisors.  He 
has  always  been  a  stanch  democrat  in  politics.  While  in  Arizona  he  twice 
lost  all  his  accumulated  property,  but  in  time  he  learned  his  lesson  and 
more  than  recouped  his  losses.  In  1913,  on  returning  to  California,  he 
bought  property  in  Garden  Row,  but  sold  that  and  in  1920  located  at  his 
present  home  in  Chino.  His  life  throughout  has  been  among  the  new 
settlements  and  his  experiences  are  all  of  the  frontier.  He  knows  San 
Bernardino  County  from  the  days  of  early  Mormon  settlement  and  from 
the  horse  drawn  stage  to  the  auto  stage  and  railway.  His  experience 
preceded  the  building  and  operation  of  telegraph  and  telephone  lines,  rail- 
ways and  improved  highways.  At  an  age  when  most  modern  boys  are 
thinking  of  entering  high  school  he  was  driving  an  eight  horse  mule  team 
far  into  the  desert  and  frequently  among  hostile  Indians.  He  has  the 
sturdy  honesty  and  self  reliance  of  the  old  time  frontiersman. 

John  Brown,  Sr.,  was  born  in  Worcester,  Massachusetts,  December 
22,  1817,  and  when  a  boy  started  west  to  realize  the  dreams  and 
fancies  of  youth.  He  stayed  awhile  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  then  began 
rafting  on  the  Mississippi  River,  and  went  to  New  Orleans.  While 
on  a  voyage  to  Galveston  he  was  shipwrecked  and  returned  to  Fort 
Leavenworth  by  the  Red  River  route.  He  was  at  the  battle  of  San 
Jacinto,  and  saw  General  Santa  Ana  when  first  taken  prisoner.  He 
remained  two  years  at  Fort  Leavenworth,  then  went  to  the  Rocky 
Mountains  and  for  fourteen  years  hunted  and  trapped  from  the  head 
waters  of  the  Columbia  and  Yellowstone  rivers,  along  the  mountain 
streams  south  as  far  as  the  Comanche  country  in  northern  Texas, 
with  such  mountaineers  and  trappers  as  James  W.  Waters,  V.  J. 
Herring,  Kit  Carson,  Alexander  Godey,  Joseph  Bridger,  Bill  Williams, 
the  Bents,  the  Subletts  and  others  of  equal  fame.  He  engaged  some- 
times as  a  free  trapper,  and  at  other  times  with  the  Hudson  Bay  and 
other  fur  companies,  hunting  the  grizzly  bear,  buffalo,  elk,  deer, 
antelope,  mountain  sheep,  and  trapping  the  cunning  beaver,  among 
the  Arapahoes,  Cheyennes,  Sioux,  Cherokees,  Apaches,  Navajos,  Utes, 
Comanches,  and  other  Indian  tribes. 

He  helped  to  build  Fort  Laramie,  Fort  Bent,  Fort  Bridger  and 
several  others  to  protect  themselves  from  hostile  Indians.  This  period 
is  hastened  over,  for  the  Bear  and  Indian  encounters  and  hair-breadth 
escapes  with  the  above  named  hunters,  would  fill  a  volume  fully  as 
interesting  and  thrilling  as  Washington  Irving's  "Captain  Bonne- 
ville" or  "Kit  Carson's  Travels."  Suffice  it  say  that  such  brave  and 
intrepid  hunters  and  adventurers  as  Mr.  Brown  and  his  companions 
served    as   guides   for   General    John    C.    Fremont   across    the    Rocky 


1128       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

mountains,  and  had  he  adhered  more  closely  to  their  advice  he  would 
not  have  ventured  in  dead  of  winter  to  cross  this  precipitous  range 
when  he  lost  so  many  of  his  men  and  animals  in  the  deep  snow,  those 
surviving  suffering  untold  agonies.  Still  General  Fremont  has  gone 
down  in  history  as  the  great  Pathfinder  with  but  very  little  said  of 
those  intrepid  mountaineers  who  preceded  him  and  who  showed  him 
the  paths  to  take,  and  which  to  avoid. 

The  gold  fever  reached  the  mountaineers  in  1849.  Messrs.  Brown, 
Waters,  Lupton,  and  White  "fitted  out"  their  prairie  schooners  and 
joined  one  of  the  immigrant  trains  bound  for  the  land  of  gold.  They 
spent  the  4th  of  July,  1849,  in  Salt  Lake  City,  and  arrived  at  Sutten's 
Fort  September  15,  1849,  and  began  mining  on  the  Calaveras  River. 
In  November,  Mr.  Brown  moved  to  Monterey,  and  with  Waters  and 
Godey  opened  the  St.  John's  Hotel  and  livery  stable  at  San  Juan 
Mission.  Here  he  was  elected  Justice  of  the  Peace.  His  health 
failing  him,  he  was  advised  by  his  family  physician,  Dr.  Ord,  to  seek 


John  Brown,  Sr. 

a  milder  climate  in  Southern  California.  In  April,  1852,  he  went  with 
his  family  to  San  Francisco,  and  boarded  the  schooner  "Lydia," 
Captain  Haley,  commander,  and  after  a  week's  voyage  down  the  coast, 
landed  at  San  Pedro,  where  he  engaged  Sheldon  Stoddard  to  move 
him  to  San  Bernardino,  where  he  arrived  and  settled  in  the  "Old  Fort" 
May  1,  1852,  purchasing  from  Marshall  Hunt  his  log  cabin  for  $50.00, 
located  on  the  west  side  of  the  fort,  next  door  neighbor  to  Sheldon 
Stoddard,  Captain  Jefferson  Hunt  and  Edward  Daley. 

On  April  26,  1853,  the  Legislature  of  California  passed  the  Act 
creating  the  county  of  San  Bernardino.  By  Section  5  of  said  Act, 
Mr.  Brown  was  appointed  with  Col.  Isaac  Williams,  David  Seeley, 
and  H.  G.  Sherwood,  a  Board  of  Commissioners  to  designate  the 
election  precincts  in  the  county  of  San  Bernardino  for  the  election 
of  officers  at  the  first  election  and  to  appoint  the  inspectors  of  election 
at  the  several  precincts  designated,  to  receive  the  returns  of  election, 
and  to  issue  certificates  of  election  to  the  first  officers. 

In  1854,  Mr.  Brown  moved  with  his  family  to  Yucipa,  where  he 
went  into  the  stock  business  and  farming,  returning  to  San  Bernardino 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1129 

in  1857,  where  he  lived,  taking  an  active  interest  in  all  public  affiairs 
for  the  welfare  and  progress  of  his  home. 

In  1861,  seeing  the  necessity  for  an  outlet  to  Southern  Utah  and 
Arizona  for  the  productions  of  San  Bernardino  County,  he.  with  Judge 
Henry  M.  Willis  and  George  L.  Tucker  procured  a  charter  from  the 
Legislature  for  a  toll  road  through  the  Cajon  Pass,  which  he  built 
and  kept  open  for  eighteen  years,  thus  contributing  materially  to  the 
business  and  growth  of  San  Bernardino. 

In  1862  he  went  to  Fort  Moharie,  near  where  Needles  is  now 
located,  and  established  a  ferry  across  the  Colorado  River,  still  further 
enhancing  the  business  of  the  city  and  county.  He  was  a  liberal 
contributor  to  the  telegraph  fund  when  assistance  was  required  to 
connect  the  city  with  the  outside  world,  and  favored  reasonable 
encouragement  to  the  railroad  so  to  place  San  Bernardino  on  the  trans- 
continental line.  At  his  own  expense  he  enclosed  the  public  square, 
(now  Pioneer  Park)  with  a  good  stout  fence. 

In  1873-4  he  delivered  the  United  States  mail  to  the  miners  in 
Bear  and  Holcomb  valleys,  when  the  snow  was  three  and  four  feet 
deep  in  places,  thus  showing  that  he  still  retained  that  daring  and 
intrepid  disposition  he  acquired  in  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

In  his  later  years  he  devoted  much  of  his  time  to  writing  a  book 
entitled,  "Medium  of  the  Rockies,"  in  which  he  narrates  many  thrilling 
incidents  of  his  adventurous  life,  and  some  chapters  on  spiritual  and 
advanced  thought.  Born  near  Plymouth  Rock,  on  the  anniversary  of 
the  landing  of  the  Pilgrim  Fathers,  he  seems  to  have  partaken  of  their 
religious  freedom  and  liberality  of  thought,  and 'his  years  among  the 
grandeur  and  sublimity  of  the  Rocky  mountains  aided  in  developing 
an  intense  love  of  nature,  the  handiwork  of  the  great  Creator.  Here, 
as  a  child  of  nature,  among  the  fastnesses  of  the  mountain  forests, 
or  among  the  crags  and  peaks  he  saw  the  Great  Ruler  in  the  clouds 
and  heard  him  in  the  winds.  Without  any  education  except  that 
derived  from  the  broad  and  liberal  books  of  nature,  he  was  able  to 
read  in  the  faces  of  his  fellowmen  those  ennobling  sentiments  of  love, 
truth,  justice,  loyalty  and  humanity.  His  spirit  seemed  to  be  dedicated 
"to  the  cause  that  lacks  assistance,  the  wrongs  that  need  resistance, 
the  future  in  the  distance,  and  the  good  that  he  could  do." 

As  old  age  began  creeping  on  and  many  of  his  old  friends  were 
passing  away,  and  the  activities  of  life  had  to  be  transferred  to  others, 
Mr.  Brown  joined  George  Lord,  William  Heap,  R.  T.  Roberts, 
W.  F.  Holcomb,  George  Miller,  Taney  Woodward,  Mayor  B.  B. 
Harris,  David  Seeley,  Sydney  P.  Waite,  Marcus  Katz,  Lucas  Hoag- 
land,  Henry  M.  Willis,  his  old  Rocky  mountain  companion,  James 
W.  Waters,  his  son,  John  Brown,  Jr.,  and  others  and  organized  the 
San  Bernardino  Society  of  California  Pioneers,  believing  that  many 
hours  could  still  be  pleasantly  passed  by  those  whose  friendship  had 
grown  stronger  and  stronger  as  the  years  rolled  by,  and  thus  live  the 
sentiment  of  the  poet: — 

"When  but  few  years  of  life  remain. 

Tis  life  renewed  to  talk,  to  laugh  them  o'er  again." 

Mr.  Brown  raised  a  large  family,  six  daughters:  Mrs.  Matilda 
Waite,  Mrs.  Laura  Wogencraft  Thomas,  Mrs.  Louisa  Waters,  Mrs. 
Sylvia  Davenport,  Mrs.  Mary  Dueber,  and  Mrs.  Emma  Rouse  Royalty, 
and  four  sons:    John,  Joseph,  James,  and  Newton  Brown. 

He  outlived  all  of  his  Rocky  Mountain  companions,  all  of  the 
commissioners  appointed  to  organize  San  Bernardino  County  and  all 


1130      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

of  the  first  officers  of  the  county.  He  remained  alone  to  receive  the 
tender  greetings  of  his  many  friends  who  held  him  not  only  with  high 
esteem  and  respect  but  with  veneration  and  love.  He  was  greatly 
devoted  to  the  Pioneer  Society;  its  pleasant  associations  were  near 
and  dear  to  his  heart.  Although  feeble  with  declining  years,  he 
appeared  at  the  meeting  of  the  Society  on  Saturday,  April  15,  1899, 
and  discharged  his  duties  as  President,  and  on  the  following  Thursday, 
April  20,  1899,  at  seven  o'clock  P.  M.  at  the  home  of  his  daughter 
Laura,  his  spirit  departed  to  that  new  and  higher  sphere  of  existence 
he  so  fondly  looked  to  while  in  earth  life.  A  large  concourse  of  friends 
attended  the  funeral  of  their  old  friend  from  the  Brown  homestead, 
corner  of  D  and  Sixth  streets,  the  present  residence  of  his  son  John. 
The  funeral  services  were  conducted  by  Mrs.  J.  A.  Marchant,  Super- 
intendent of  the  First  Spiritual  Society  of  San  Bernardino,  and  also 
by  Rev.  A.  J.  White,  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  Colton.  The 
choir  was  under  the  direction  of  Mrs.  H.  M.  Barton  and  Mrs.  Lizzie 
Heap  Keller.  The  floral  offerings  were  profuse;  one  emblematic  of 
the  Pioneers,  a  tribute  from  the  Pioneer  Society. 

According  to  direction  from  the  deceased  frequently  given  by  him 
to  his  children,  the  casket  and  everything  else  necessary  for  interment, 
was  like  his  character,  white  as  the  mountain  snow.  The  honorary 
pall  bearers  were  among  his  oldest  friends  then  living — Sheldon 
Stoddard,  W.  F.  Holcomb,  R.  T.  Roberts,  Lucas  Hoagland,  J.  A. 
Kelting,  and  Lewis  Jacobs,  and  the  active  pall  bearers  were  J.  W. 
Waters,  Jr.,  George  Miller,  Randolph  Seeley,  De  La  M.  Woodward, 
H.  M.  Barton  and  Edward  Daley,  Jr. 

John  Brown,  Jr.,  eldest  son  of  John  Brown,  Sr.,  the  famous  Rocky 
Mountain  explorer,  hunter,  and  trapper,  was  born  in  a  log  cabin 
situated  on  the  bank  of  Greenhorn  Creek,  a  tributary  of  the  Arkansas 
River  in  Huerfano  County,  territory  of  New  Mexico,  now  Colorado, 
on  October  3,  1847. 

When  about  a  year  old  he  experienced  an  almost  miraculous  escape 
from  the  Apache  Indians,  and  owes  his  life  to  the  sublime  courage 
of  his  devoted  mother.  This  section  of  the  centennial  state  was  at  that 
time  a  vast  wilderness  inhabited  mainly  by  various  savage  tribes.  His 
father  and  fellow  mountaineers,  having  accumulated  a  large  quantity  of 
buffalo  robes  and  beaver  pelts,  conceded  to  send  a  pack  train  to  Taos,  New 
Mexico,  their  trading  post  at  that  time,  from  whence,  after  selling  their 
peltries,  they  would  return  with  provisions.  Mrs.  Brown,  with  her  baby 
boy,  accompanied  this  expedition,  and  on  the  way  through  the  mountains 
they  were  attacked  by  a  band  of  Apache  Indians,  who  captured  the 
whole  pack  train  and  killed  some  of  the  hunters.  While  fleeing  on 
horseback  from  these  pursuing  and  desperate  warriors,  some  of  the 
men  shouted  to  Mrs.  Brown,  "Throw  that  child  away  or  the  Indians 
will  get  you,"  but  the  faithful  mother  indignantly  exclaimed  while 
endeavoring  to  escape  as  fast  as  the  fleet  horse  could  run  with  her, 
"Never;  when  that  baby  boy  is  thrown  away.  I  will  go  with  him." 
Fortunately,  the  pursued  cavalcade  soon  reached  a  deep  ravine,  where 
the  hunters  were  safe  from  the  arrows  and  bullets  of  the  Indians, 
who  feared  to  approach  further,  and  withdrew,  having  captured  the 
pack  train  with  the  buffalo  robes  and  beaver  pelts,  one  of  the  principal 
objects  they  were  after.  These  hunters,  with  Mrs.  Brown  and  her 
babv.  were  glad  to  reach  Tans,  the  trading  post,  alive. 

To  show  the  dangers  the  frontiersman  underwent  in  this  wild 
and   unexplored   region,   Mr.   Brown,   when   endeavoring   to   farm   on 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1131 

the  banks  of  the  stream,  often  dug  a  rifle  pit  in  the  middle  of  his  corn 
or  wheat  field  in  which  he  could  jump  to  defend  himself  with  his  trusty 
Kentucky  rifle,  which  he  always  carried  with  him,  ready  for  an  attack 
at  any  time. 

Early  in  1849  the  news  of  the  discovery  of  gold  at  Sutter's  mill 
reached  the  mountaineers,  so  Mr.  Brown,  James  W.  Waters,  V.  J. 
Herring,  Alexander  Godey  and  others  formed  a  traveling  party,  for 
protection  on  the  way,  and  soon  were  crossing  the  plains,  reaching 
Salt  Lake  City  July  4,  1849,  and  Sutter's  Fort,  California,  September 
15,  1849,  Mr.  Brown  bringing  his  family  with  him,  among  them  his 
son  John,  who  was  then  going  on  two  years  of  age.  In  1852,  Mr. 
Brown  moved  south  to  San  Bernardino,  and  became  a  resident  of 
Fort  San  Bernardino,  next  door  neighbor  to  Uncle  Sheldon  Stoddard, 
Captain  Jefferson  Hunt,  and  Edward  Daley.  Although  John  was  but 
five  years  of  age,  he  remembers  the  first  teachers,  Ellen  Pratt  and 
William  Stout,  who  taught  before  the  two  old  adobe  school  rooms 
were  built  on  Fourth  Street,  and  among  the  incidents  he  remembers 
the  balloon  ascension  in  the  Fort. 

In  1854,  the  family  removed  to  the  Yucipa  valley,  about  twelve 
miles  southeast  from  San  Bernardino,  where  John's  father  farmed 
and  raised  stock  for  three  years.  Returning  to  San  Bernardino  in  1857, 
they  moved  into  the  home  on  the  corner  of  D  and  Sixth  streets,  which 
has  been  the  Brown  Homestead  since  that  time,  a  period  of  sixty-five 
years,  and  where  our  subject  grew  to  vigorous  manhood.  Attended 
the  public  and  private  schools  in  San  Bernardino  and  finally  graduating 
from  St.  Vincents  College,  Los  Angeles;  and  Santa  Clara  College, 
Santa  Clara  County. 

He  followed  the  vocation  of  teaching  for  a  number  of  years,  served 
one  term  as  county  school  superintendent,  and  presided  over  the  Board 
of  Education,  was  city  attorney  one  term,  in  all  of  which  honorable 
positions  he  acquitted  himself  to  the  general  satisfaction.  He  studied 
law  under  Judge  Horace  C.  Rolfe,  and  was  admitted  to  practice  in  the 
Supreme  Court  of  the  State  and  Federal  Courts.  It  can  be  truly 
said  of  him  that  he  espoused  the  cause  of  the  poor  and  oppressed,  and 
advised  settlement  of  all  cases  before  going  to  law,  if  possible.  He  is 
pre-eminently  the  friend  of  the  aged,  and  is  beloved  by  the  children, 
who  regard  him  as  a  true  Santa  Claus.  Even  the  poor  Indian  finds  in 
him  a  faithful  champion  of  their  rights.  Not  only  the  local  Coahuilla 
and  Serrani  Indian  tribes,  but  those  at  Warren's  Ranch,  in  May,  1903, 
sent  for  him  to  come  to  their  rescue  when  they  were  deprived  of  their 
old  home  where  they  and  their  ancestors  had  lived  for  centuries,  and 
removed  to  the  Pala  reservation. 

On  July  4,  1876,  he  married,  in  San  Bernardino,  Miss  Mattie  Ellen 
Hinman,  of  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan.  Nellie  Hinman  Brown,  their 
only  child,  was  born  in  San  Bernardino,  June  1,  1877,  and  on  March 
2,  1904,  was  married  to  Charles  H.  Wiggett.  They  have  two  children, 
Martha  Eliza  Wiggett,  born  in  San  Bernardino.  July  13,  1905 ;  and 
Charles  Brown  Wiggett  born  in  Bellemont,  Arizona,  September  23,  1906. 

The  friends  of  John  Brown,  Jr.,  have  always  known  him  as  an 
ardent  patriot ;  the  American  Flag  floats  over  his  home  on  all  national, 
state  or  municipal  holidays,  and  waves  from  pine  to  pine  at  all  his 
mountain  camps.  With  that  veteran  school  teacher  of  precious 
memory,  Henry  C.  Brooke,  he  raised  the  Star  Spangled  Banner 
over  many  of  the  school  houses  in  the  county,  in  the  early  '70s,  thus 
beginning  a  custom  that  was  afterwards  adopted  by  the  state,  and 
calculated  to  inspire  partriotism  in  the  hearts  of  the  rising  generation. 


1132       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

He  is  indebted  to  his  father  for  starting  him  in  his  patriotic  career. 
It  was  his  father  who  rode  on  horseback  to  Fort  Tejon  and  obtained 
a  flag  from  his  old  friend,  S.  A.  Bishop,  and  brought  it  to  display  at 
the  first  celebration  of  the  4th  of  July,  in  San  Bernardino,  in  1853. 
He  was  chairman  of  the  Republican  County  Central  Committee  in 
1860,  and  with  his  boys,  John,  Joseph  and  James,  hauled  wood  to 
kindle  fires  to  arouse  the  Americans  to  support  Abraham  Lincoln 
for  President  and  to  support  the  Union,  and  in  1864  displayed  the 
same  activity  in  supporting  President  Lincoln  for  the  second  term. 
In  1868  John  cast  his  maiden  vote  for  the  candidate  of  the  republican 
party,  General  U.  S.  Grant,  and  has  remained  loyal  to  that  party 
believing  that  by  so  doing  he  was  contributing  to  the  highest  welfare 
of  the  American  people  under  one  Flag,  one  constitution,  with  liberty 
and  union,  now  and  forever,  one  and  inseparable. 

He  inherited  from  his  father,  the  lure  of  the  wild,  the  out  of  door, 
close  contact  with  nature.  The  hunting  and  fishing  grounds  of  the 
San  Bernardino  Range  of  Mountains  are  familiar  to  him.  Eastward 
from  Old  Baldy,  Job's  Peak,  Saw  Pit  Canyon,  Strawberry  Peak, 
Little  Bear  Valley,  Little  Green  Valley,  Big  Bear  Valley,  Sugar  Loaf 
Mountain,  San  Bernardino  and  towering  Grayback,  11,600  feet  into 
the  sky,  was  the  enchanted  and  inspiring  region  of  many  a  joyful 
hour  with  his  genial  companions,  Bill  Holcomb,  George  Miller,  Syd. 
Waite,  Taney  Woodward,  Major  Harris,  E.  A.  Nisbet,  Joe  Brown, 
Richard  Weir,  William  Stephen,  Jap  Corbett  and  Dave  Wixom. 

In  the  summer  of  1882,  he  visited  the  Atlantic  and  Middle  States 
with  his  wife  and  their  little  daughter  Nellie — Bunker  Hill,  where 
his  father's  grandfather  fell  in  the  War  of  the  Revolution,  Plymouth 
Rock,  Mt.  Vernon  and  Washington  Tomb,  Independence  Hall,  Niagara 
Falls,  Ford's  Theatre,  where  Lincoln  was  assassinated,  and  Fanueil  Hall, 
the  cradle  of  American  Liberty. 

On  January  21,  1888,  he  was  present  at  the  old  court  house  on 
Court  Street,  San  Bernardino,  with  his  father,  and  those  veteran 
pioneers,  James  W.  Waters,  George  Lord,  Svdney  P.  Waite,  William 
F.  Holcomb,  G.  W.  Suttenfield,  Henry  M.  "Willis,  N.  G.  Gill,  Tom 
Roberts,  and  De  La  M.  W'oodward,  and  aided  in  the  organization  of 
the  San  Bernardino  Society  of  California  Pioneers,  which  venerable 
body  elected  him  as  secretary,  which  responsible  position  he  has  filled 
to  the  present  time  (1922),  a  period  of  thirty-four  years,  with  but  one 
exception,  when  the  members  elected  him  as  president,  W.  F.  Hol- 
comb acting  as  secretary  that  year. 

Solicitous  of  the  comfort  and  entertainment  of  the  children  who 
attend  the  meetings  with  childish  interest  and  curiosity,  he  does  not 
forget  greetings  to  the  great-grandmothers  and  great-grandfathers  who 
dignify  the  weekly  assemblages  of  the  Argonaut,  where  the  declining 
years  are  made  happier. 

William  Hartley  is  the  efficient  and  popular  general  manager  of  the 
West  Ontario  Citrus  Association.  The  well  equipped  packing  house  is 
situated  two  and  one-half  miles  west  of  the  City  of  Ontario,  San  Ber- 
nardino County. 

Mr.  Hartley  was  born  in  the  fair  old  City  of  Detroit,  Michigan,  on  the 
13th  of  February,  1886,  and  after  his  graduation  from  the  high  school  he 
continued  his  studies  in  the  Detroit  Normal  School.  In  1907  he  came  to 
Southern  California,  and  after  having  here  been  connected  with  the  fruit 
industry  a  short  time  he  went  to  the  northern  part  of  the  state  and  became 
identified  with  mercantile  enterprise.     His  preference   for  the  southern 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1133 

part  of  the  state  and  for  outdoor  occupation  led  him  to  return  and  to 
take  the  position  of  foreman  of  a  fruit-packing  house  at  Charter  Oak, 
Los  Angeles  County,  in  the  employ  of  the  Du  Quesne  Fruit  Company 
of  that  place.  Upon  coming  to  Narod,  San  Bernardino  County,  he  be- 
came foreman  in  the  packing  house  of  the  West  Ontario  Citrus  Asso- 
ciation, of  which  J.  K.  Adams  was  then  manager.  After  the  death  of 
Mr.  Adams  he  was  advanced  to  his  present  office,  that  of  general  manager 
of  this  important  association,  which  was  organized  August  24,  1893,  as  a 
co-operative  association  made  up  of  the  leading  citrus-fruit  growers  of 
this  district.  The  progressive  men  who  promoted  the  organization  were 
Morris  L.  S.  Dyar,  W.  E.  Collins,  Granger  Hyer,  C.  E.  Harwood  and 
others.  The  original  title  of  the  organization  was  the  Ontario  Fruit 
Exchange  and  the  first  corps  of  officers  were  as  here  noted :  President, 
W.  E.  Collins;  vice  president,  L.  S.  Dyar;  secretary,  Granger  Hyer; 
treasurer,  Ontario  State  Bank.  On  September  19,  1901,  a  reorganization 
was  affected  and  the  title  changed  to  the  West  Ontario  Citrus  Association. 
This  is  one  of  the  earliest  of  the  mutual  or  co-operative  fruit  associations 
organized  in  the  state,  and  its  history  has  been  one  of  consecutive  progress 
and  increasing  efficiency  of  service.  From  the  packing  and  shipping  of  a 
few  carloads  annually  the  business  has  expanded  until  the  shipments  for 
the  season  of  1920  aggregated  415  carloads  of  oranges.  In  that  year  the 
association  doubled  the  capacity  of  its  packing  house  and  general  equip- 
ment, and  in  1921  additional  storage  capacity  was  provided  by  the  erec- 
tion of  new  buildings.  The  season  of  1921-22  recorded  tne  estimated 
shipment  of  550  carloads,  the  output  being  sold  through  the  medium  of  the 
San  Antonio  Fruit  Exchange  at  Pomona.  Mr.  Hartley  has  gained  high 
reputation  as  an  efficient  and  enterprising  executive  in  this  connection,  and 
has  done  much  to  further  the  success  of  the  association  and  its  constituent 
members. 

In  1917  Mr.  Hartley  married  Miss  Ruby  Ogilvie,  who  was  born  in 
Idaho,  but  was  at  the  time  of  her  marriage  a  resident  of  Ontario,  Cali- 
fornia. She  was  reared  and  educated  in  the  State  of  Washington,  and  as  a 
talented  pianist  was  a  successful  teacher  of  music  prior  to  her  marriage. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hartley  have  one  son,  William,  Jr.,  who  was  born  August 
1,  1918. 

Mr.  Hartley  is  a  son  of  Philip  Henry  and  Janet  (Lynch)  Hartley,  the 
former  of  whom  was  born  in  England  and  the  latter  in  Scotland.  The 
parents  were  young  folk  when  they  came  to  the  United  States  and  settled 
at  Port  Huron,  Michigan,  in  which  state  they  still  maintain  their  home, 
the  father  being  a  painter  and  decorator  by  vocation.  William  Hartley  of 
this  review  is  the  eldest  in  a  family  of  four  sons  and  two  daughters,  and 
through  his  own  ability  and  efforts  he  has  achieved  success  and  prestige 
in  the  state  of  his  adoption. 

Nels  J.  Sholander  became  one  of  the  pioneers  in  the  development  of 
the  new  opulent  Chino  district  of  San  Bernardino  County  and  was  an 
earnest,  upright  and  loyal  citizen  who  commanded  high  place  in  popular 
esteem.  He  was  born  and  reared  in  Sweden,  where  he  received  good  edu- 
cational advantages  and  where  he  gained  his  early  experience  in  connec- 
tion with  the  practical  affairs  of  life.  He  was  born  May  16,  1836,  and  he 
died  at  his  home  in  Chino,  California,  in  May,  1893.  In  1861  he  married 
Miss  Carrie  Svedling,  who  was  born  April  4,  1842,  and  they  continued 
their  residence  in  their  native  land  until  1881,  when,  accompanied  by  their 
three  children,  they  immigrated  to  the  United  States  and  established  their 
home  on  a  farm  in  Boone  County,  Iowa,  where  they  remained  seven  years, 
successive  periods  of  drouth  having  entailed  no  little  hardship  and  having 


1134       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

made  the  farm  enterprise  unsuccessful  as  a  whole.  Upon  leaving  Iowa  the 
family  came  to  San  Bernardino  County,  California,  and  Mr.  Sholander 
here  purchased  thirty-two  acres  of  wild  land  on  what  is  now  South  Euclid 
Avenue,  in  the  Village  of  Chino.  When  he  settled  here  the  entire  valley 
was  a  cattle  range,  and  in  improving  his  own  property  he  did  well  his  part 
in  furthering  the  general  development  of  the  district.  He  made  his  original 
tract  of  land  a  valuable  property,  as  is  evident  when  it  is  stated  that  in 
1921  his  widow  sold  the  same  for  $300  an  acre.  He  acquired  real  estate 
also  in  the  more  central  part  of  Chino,  including  the  attractive  residence 
property  which  now  represents  the  home  of  his  widow,  at  the  corner  of 
Seventh  Street  and  Chino  Avenue.  Mr.  Sholander  gave  every  possible  aid 
in  the  furtherance  of  the  civic  and  material  development  and  advance- 
ment of  the  community,  and  through  his  well  ordered  efforts  he  gained 
independence  and  definite  prosperity.  When  they  came  to  this  country 
he  and  his  wife  had  no  knowledge  of  the  English  language,  and  Mrs. 
Sholander  was  somewhat  more  than  fifty  years  of  age  before  she  acquired 
ready  use  of  the  language.  She  is  now  one  of  the  venerable  pioneer 
women  of  Chino.  where  her  circle  of  friends  is  limited  only  by  that  of  her 
acquaintances.  Mrs.  Sholander  is  an  earnest  member  of  the  Baptist 
Church,  as  was  also  her  husband,  and  his  political  allegiance  was  given  to 
the  republican  party.  Of  the  three  children  the  first  is  Peter,  who  was 
born  May  16,  1862,  and  who  gained  his  early  education  in  the  schools  of 
Sweden,  AJter  coming  to  the  United  States  with  his  parents  he  con- 
tinued to  be  associated  with  his  father  in  farm  enterprise  in  Iowa  until  he 
was  twenty-five  years  old.  In  1887  he  located  in  the  City  of  Des  Moines, 
that  state,  where  he  was  variously  employed  for  the  ensuing  four  years. 
In  1889  he  married  Jennie  Anderson,  who  was  born  in  Sweden  on  the 
5th  of  November,  1867,  and  who  came  to  America  with  her  parents  in 
1881.  In  1891  Peter  Sholander  established  his  home  at  Chino,  California, 
where  for  twenty  years  he  was  in  the  employ  of  the  American  Beet  Sugar 
Company.  In  the  meanwhile  he  bought  twenty  acres  of  land  within  the 
city  limits  of  Chino,  and  this  property,  which  he  has  effectively  improved, 
is  his  present  place  of  residence.  His  only  child,  Jesner,  was  born  at  Des 
Moines,  Iowa,  May  16,  1890,  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Chino 
and  early  manifested  special  mechanical  ability.  Jesner  Sholander  has  been 
employed  as  a  mechanic  in  various  beet-sugar  factories  and  is  now  mechani- 
cal superintendent  of  the  motor  department  of  the  Chino  High  School.  On 
account  of  a  defective  ear  he  was  denied  service  as  a  soldier  when  the 
nation  became  involved  in  the  World  war.  In  1912  he  married  Mabel 
Caldwell,  and  their  one  child,  Josephine,  was  born  November  19,  1914. 
Anna  Martha,  second  child  of  the  honored  subject  of  this  memoir,  was 
born  June  20,  1867,  and  was  seventeen  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  her 
death.  Charles  John  was  born  May  6,  1875,  and  was  about  six  years  old 
when  the  family  came  to  the  United  States.  He  attended  Chaffey  College, 
the  Southern  California  University  and  Leland  Stanford,  Jr.,  University, 
and  he  became  a  successful  teacher  of  biology  in  the  University  of  Southern 
California.     This  talented  young  man  died  in  September,  1901. 

Charles  Ruedy. — The  thriving  little  City  of  Upland  in  San  Ber- 
nardino County  was  formerly  known  as  North  Ontario.  The  first  develop- 
ment and  settlement  were  made  there  a  little  more  than  thirty  years  ago, 
and  one  of  the  first  arrivals  to  identify  himself  permanently  was  Charles 
Ruedy.  Mr.  Ruedy  came  to  California  for  the  benefit  of  his  wife's  health, 
had  been  a  successful  business  man  in  Southern  Illinois  for  a  number  of 
years,  invested  some  of  his  means  in  citrus  groves  at  Upland,  but  for  the 
most  part  has  been  a  promoter,  stockholder,  investor  and  officially  identified 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1135 

with  some  of  the  larger  business  organizations  that  represent  the  industrial 
activity  of  the  community.  Mr.  Ruedy  has  been  a  real  town  builder,  and 
has  probably  been  responsible  for  as  much  constructive  work  in  Upland 
as  any  other  citizen. 

He  was  born  at  Highland,  Illinois,  February  25,  1852.  Highland  is 
one  of  the  interesting  old  communities  of  Southern  Illinois,  settled  almost 
exclusively  by  people  who  came  from  Switzerland,  and  the  population 
today  is  largely  of  Swiss  descendants.  His  parents,  Daniel  and  Mary 
(Marguth)  Ruedy,  were  natives  of  Canton  Graubuenden,  Switzerland  and 
settled  in  Illinois  in  the  early  forties.  Daniel  Ruedy  was  a  farmer.  Of 
his  sixteen  children  three  died  in  infancy  and  thirteen  lived  to  maturity 
and  were  married. 

Charles  Ruedy  had  only  a  common  school  education,  and  his  life  to  the 
age  of  twenty-one  was  devoted  largely  to  assisting  on  the  home  farm. 
When  he  left  home  he  clerked  in  a  store  a  year  and  a  half  and  soon  after- 
ward married  Miss  Julia  M.  Landolt,  also  of  Highland,  where  her  parents 
were  farmers.  In  1874  Mr.  Ruedy  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  for 
himself,  and  for  seventeen  years  conducted  a  general  store. 

About  that  time  physicians  advised  that  his  wife  must  seek  a  drier 
climate,  and  for  six  months  they  traveled  over  the  West  and  Southwest, 
visiting  Texas,  Arizona,  New  Mexico  and  California.  They  went  back  to 
Highland,  and  Mr.  Ruedy  wound  up  his  affairs  there,  and  about  six  months 
later  returned  to  California. 

It  was  in  1891  that  he  joined  the  little  colony  at  Upland  and  at  once 
began  taking  an  active  part  in  its  affairs.  He  bought  two  orange  groves 
of  ten  acres  each,  one  in  Ontario  and  the  other  north  of  Upland  on 
Fourteenth  Street,  West,  including  what  was  known  as  Chaffee's  boarding 
house,  one  of  the  first  houses  built  in  Upland.  At  this  time  Upland  had 
no  business  houses,  and  most  of  the  magnificent  orange  groves  in  that 
section  were  then  waste  land.  Mr.  Ruedy  soon  sold  his  groves,  and  in 
1894  engaged  in  the  feed  and  fuel  business.  He  conducted  this  for  seven 
years,  and  then  sold  out  to  a  stock  company,  of  which  J.  M.  Hartley  was 
manager.  Mr.  Ruedy  early  became  interested  in  the  dried  fruit  business, 
being  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  North  Ontario  Packing  Company,  in 
which  he  became  a  director.  This  concern  handles  dried  fruits  and  is  one 
of  the  largest  organizations  of  its  kind  in  Southern  California,  with  head- 
quarters in  Los  Angeles.  Mr.  Ruedy  is  one  of  the  larger  stockholders.  He 
is  president  of  the  Citizens  Land  &  Water  Company,  was  one  of  the 
incorporators  and  for  several  years  a  director  of  the  Citizens  National 
Bank  of  Upland,  is  president  of  the  Magnolia  Mutual  Building  and  Loan 
Association  of  Upland,  and  owns  some  of  the  principal  business  blocks  of 
the  city.  He  owns  the  entire  northwest  corner  of  Second  Avenue  and 
Ninth  Street,  where  most  of  the  business  structures  stand.  He  owns  the 
packing  house  occupied  by  the  G.  A.  Hanson  Fruit  Company.  The  old 
packing  house  was  burned  in  1915,  entailing  a  heavy  loss  to  Mr.  Ruedy,  but 
he  rebuilt  it  with  a  fireproof  plant.  With  a  view  to  stimulating  the  com- 
mercial development  of  the  town  and  affording  additional  employment  to 
its  citizens  he  was  one  of  the  liberal  investors  in  the  shoe  factory  and 
foundry,  both  of  which  concerns  were  operated  at  a  loss. 

Mr.  Ruedy  is  an  attendant  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  and  has  been 
a  life-long  republican.  Mrs.  Ruedy  found  health  and  strength  under 
California  skies  and  enjoyed  life  here  until  her  death  in  November  17, 
1917.  For  his  second  wife  Mr.  Ruedy  married  Maude  A.  Thomas.  She 
was  born  in  Princeton,  Illinois,  July  6,  1872,  and  she  and  a  sister  were 
left  orphans  at  the  age  of   six   and   seven  years.     They   then   came   to 


1 136      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

California  to  live  with  an  aunt  and  uncle  near  Sacramento,  subsequently 
lived  for  a  number  of  years  near  Marysville,  and  later  at  Livermore, 
where  their  aunt  and  uncle  died. 

Mr.  Ruedy  started  life  when  he  left  the  farm  with  practically  no 
capital  and  with  limited  business  experience.  His  industry,  his  care  and 
skill  in  making  investments  have  brought  him  financial  independence  and 
at  the  same  time  he  has  been  one  of  the  most  substantial  factors  in  the 
growth  and  upbuilding  of  Upland. 

Walter  Taylor  Garner — The  Garner  family  has  been  in  San  Ber- 
nardino County  for  thirty-five  years.  The  homestead  which  represents 
the  accumulated  development  and  enterprise  of  the  family  throughout 
this  period  is  located  a  mile  and  a  half  west  of  Wineville,  on  the 
Wineville-Ontario  road.  This  is  the  property  of  Walter  Taylor  Garner, 
whose  father  originally  acquired  it  and  began  the  development  which 
has  contributed  some  of  the  most  constructive  factors  in  the  prosperity 
of  this  section. 

The  late  Richard  Taylor  Garner  was  born  in  England  where  he 
married  Mary  Ann  Holmes.  In  1876  they  came  to  America  and  es- 
tablished their  home  at  Hutchinson,  Minnesota,  where  Richard  T. 
Garner  became  a  merchant.  He  lived  there  nine  years,  and  while  he 
was  prospered  the  rigorous  winters  compelled  him  to  leave  and  seek  a 
more  congenial  climate  in  California.  The  family  arrived  in  this  state 
February  15,  1885.  Besides  the  parents  there  were  two  children, 
Marion,  who  was  born  in  England  in  1871,  and  Walter  Taylor  Garner, 
who  was  born  at  Hutchinson,  Minnesota,  May  9,  1877. 

When  the  family  came  to  California  they  took  a  preemption  of 
forty  acres  of  Government  land,  then  a  sandy  desert,  and  this  forty 
acres  is  the  nucleus  of  the  present  much  larger  holdings  of  Walter  T. 
Garner.  For  several  months  the  family  had  to  haul  water  four  miles 
for  domestic  use.  A  house  was  constructed  and  a  well  put  down. 
Richard  Taylor  Garner  had  a  full  share  of  the  English  characteristic 
of  bull  dog  tenacity,  and  never  knew  defeat.  The  county  was  new, 
there  were  no  capable  advisers,  but  he  went  ahead,  clearing  off  the 
brush  and  setting  out  his  land  to  vineyard  and  fruit  trees,  only  to  see 
his  efforts  nullified  by  hoards  of  rabbits  and  other  pests.  The  first 
method  of  defense  against  the  rabbits  was  constructing  a  fence  of 
laths  driven  into  the  ground  closely,  but  the  jack  rabbits  would  crowd 
between  the  sticks,  and  in  the  absence  of  baling  wire  or  rope  they  re- 
sorted to  the  use  of  squaw  vine,  a  long  native  vine,  which  when  woven 
around  the  lath  proved  effective.  Not  long  afterward  chicken  wire 
or  woven  fence  became  available.  Posts  were  set  at  intervals, 
but  the  north  winds  blew  weeds  against  the  wire.  This  soon  proved 
an  obstacle  to  the  drifting  sand,  so  that  in  a  single  season  the  fence 
would  be  drifted  under,  and  the  protection  against  the  invading  pests 
had  to  be  procured  by  hanging  wire  on  top  of  the  posts  each  fall. 
The  rabbits  would  not  destroy  the  grape  vines  in  winter,  but  would 
eat  the  tender  fruit  and  leaves  in  the  spring  and  thus  stop  the  vitality. 
All  fruit  trees  had  to  be  wrapped  in  burlap  the  entire  year.  Rabbits 
and  range  sheep  would  eat  Indian  corn  as  fast  as  planted,  but  Egyptian 
corn  was  immune  from  these  pests.  There  was  no  market  when  the 
grapes  came  into  bearing.  Drying  did  not  prove  successful.  Later 
Guasti  &  Stearns  established  their  wineries  and  began  contracting 
to  pay  for  the  grapes  and  while  the  sum  was  small  it  made  available 
a  real  market  and  proved  an  important  financial  resource. 


.<rv 


^~  i 


/(o   7H    J  OJ^nnJinJ . 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1137 

All  these  developments  had  been  carried  well  along  during  the  life 
time  of  the  parents.  The  mother  died  in  1908  and  the  father  in  1915. 
The  daughter,  Marion,  was  married  in  1891  to  John  Bright  of  Eos 
Angeles,  and  she  is  the  mother  of  a  daughter,  Bernice,  born  in  1894. 

Walter  T.  ( lamer,  who  has  never  married,  has  always  lived  on  the 
homestead  and  has  done  much  to  improve  it  and  add  to  the  acreage.  He 
now  has  a  hundred  acres  in  fruit  and  vineyard.  The  first  savings  he 
acquired  of  four  hundred  dollars  he  invested  in  desert  land,  contracting 
for  forty  acres  at  twelve  dollars  an  acre.  He  later  bought  more,  and 
did  the  planting  as  he  could  finance  it.  Mr.  Garner  completed  his  educa- 
tion in  a  shack  schoolhouse  that  was  a  long  distance  from  the  Garner 
home.  The  nearest  post  office  when  the  family  came  here  was  Cuca- 
monga.  The  mail  was  brought  to  the  old  section  house  and  the  neigh- 
bors would  take  turns  in  calling  for  it  at  the  railroad  shanty.  Mr.  Gar- 
ner himself  was  old  enough  to  appreciate  the  labors  and  adversities  of 
the  early  years,  and  he  did  his  share  in  battling  the  animal  pests  and  in 
stopping  the  avalanche  of  sand  and  in  securing  water  for  irrigation  pur- 
poses. He  is  one  of  the  men  who  deserve  lasting  credit  from  all  sub- 
sequent generations  for  what  he  has  accomplished  through  hard  expe- 
rience in  learning  the  ways  of  the  country  and  in  proving  the  best  methods 
of  redeeming  the  land  and  securing  therefrom  the  greatest  volume  of 
production.     He  is  a  member  of  the  democratic  party. 

Thomas  E.  Ketcheson  has  not  been  a  passive  witness  of  the  march 
of  events  since  he  came  to  San  Bernardino  County  and  located  in  the 
Upland  Colony.  He  has  participated  in  the  strenuous  work,  the  long  toil 
necessary  to  get  the  land  into  condition  for  planting,  the  care  and  cultiva- 
tion of  the  orchards,  and  it  was  out  of  the  proceeds  of  labor  that  he  bought 
and  paid  for  this  first  land.  Since  then  he  has  developed  several  valuable 
holdings,  has  achieved  a  competence,  and  at  the  same  time  has  furnished 
his  family  a  delightful  home  and  supplied  liberal  educational  opportunities 
for  his  children. 

Mr.  Ketcheson  was  born  in  Ontario,  Canada,  March  31,  1872,  son  of 
Samuel  and  Phoebe  (McTaggart)  Ketcheson,  also  natives  and  farmers  of 
that  province.    Thomas  was  the  third  in  a  family  of  eight  children. 

As  a  youth  in  Canada  he  completed  a  public  school  course  and  also 
attended  the  Ontario  Business  College  at  Belleville,  Canada.  After  leav- 
ing college  he  went  back  to  the  farm,  and  soon  afterward  went  out  to 
British  Columbia  and  joined  an  uncle  at  Vancouver,  with  whom  he  farmed 
for  five  years.  In  1893  Mr.  Ketcheson  came  to  California  and  joined  his 
uncle,  John  Vermillion,  who  then  owned  a  forty  acre  tract  in  North 
Ontario,  now  Upland,  between  Twelfth  and  Thirteenth  streets,  east  of 
Euclid  Avenue.  Part  of  this  was  set  out  to  oranges  and  a  portion  was  in 
vineyard,  and  at  that  time  there  were  only  a  few  scattering  groves  of 
orange  trees  in  this  entire  district.  Mr.  Ketcheson  worked  for  his  uncle 
in  looking  after  the  grove  until  it  was  sold.  The  first  purchase  he  made 
on  his  own  account  was  two  lots  bought  from  the  Harwood  brothers. 
Still  later  he  bought  ten  acres  of  wild  land  at  the  corner  of  Eleventh  and 
San  Antonio  Avenue.  Largely  through  his  own  labors  he  cleared  and 
leveled  this  property,  and  in  1905  set  it  to  Washington  Navel  oranges. 
Several  years  later,  when  the  grove  was  fully  developed,  he  sold  the  prop- 
erty for  $22,000  dollars.  His  next  investment  was  ten  acres  on  Thirteenth, 
between  Mountain  and  San  Antonio  avenues,  and  he  also  sold  this  at  an 
advance.  Mr.  Ketcheson  still  owns  an  eight  acre  grove  of  nine  year  old 
lemon  trees  on  Mountain  Avenue.  His  residence,  which  he  bought  in  1912, 
had   just   been  completed   by   P.    E.   Walline   and    stands   at   the   south- 


1138      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

east  corner  of  Palm  and  West  Tenth  Street  in  Upland.  This  is  a  pic- 
turesque and  valuable  home  and  Mr.  Ketcheson  and  family  have  thoroughly 
enjoyed  its  delightful  comforts. 

Mr.  Ketcheson  married  on  June  9,  1896,  Miss  Ella  Washburn,  a  native 
of  Indiana.  Her  parents  moved  when  she  was  a  child  to  Kansas,  and  in 
1887  she  came  to  California  with  an  uncle.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ketcheson 
have  three  children.  The  oldest,  Pauline,  born  at  Upland  June  20,  1899, 
graduated  from  the  Chaffey  Union  High  School,  attended  the  University 
of  Southern  California  at  Los  Angeles  and  is  a  graduate  of  the  State 
Normal  College  at  Santa  Barbara,  and  has  the  character  and  intellectual 
gifts  that  make  her  an  accomplished  as  well  as  a  well  educated  woman. 
She  is  now  the  wife  of  Richard  E.  Elliott,  and  they  have  a  son 
Richard,  Jr.,  born  August  1,  1921.  Mr.  Elliott  was  born  at  McAlester, 
Oklahoma,  February  10,  1897,  and  had  an  unusual  record  of  service  in  the 
World  war.  He  enlisted  at  Hot  Springs,  Arkansas,  January  31,  1918, 
joining  the  533rd  Engineers  with  the  Fifth  Army  Corps.  After  a  brief 
training  at  Washington,  D.  C,  he  embarked  for  overseas  March  30th, 
landing  in  France  the  6th  of  April,  and  was  with  the  Engineers  in  some  of 
the  difficult  and  hazardous  service  that  marked  the  advance  of  the  Ameri- 
can Forces  in  several  battles  and  campaigns,  including  Belleau  Wood, 
Soissons  and  in  one  of  the  campaigns  on  the  Marne.  He  remained  over- 
seas seventeen  months,  but  was  never  wounded  or  otherwise  injured.  He 
was  mustered  out  January  7,  1920,  at  Fort  Scott  in  San  Francisco,  and  is 
now  engaged  in  ranching  at  Upland. 

The  two  younger  children  of  Mr.  Ketcheson  are  Howard,  born  at 
Upland  November  4,  1903,  and  Edna,  born  September  1,  1909.  The  son 
was  educated  in  the  grammar  school  and  the  Chaffey  Union  High  School. 

Mr.  Ketcheson  came  to  Bernardino  County  when  land  was  wild  and 
cheap  and  wages  for  labor  were  low,  with  long  hours,  and  under  such 
conditions  he  bought  and  paid  for  his  first  land  and  eventually  made  him- 
self secure  in  property  interests  and  the  good  citizenship  of  the  locality. 

John  H.  Klusman  has  been  and  is  one  of  the  men  of  power  and 
influence  in  the  shaping  of  the  characteristic  destinies  of  that  great 
fruit  growing  community  of  Southern  California,  Cucamonga. 

Mr.  Klusman  was  born  in  Germany  November  9,  1872,  was  reared 
there  and  received  his  early  education,  and  had  some  training  that 
fitted  him  for  the  position  of  a  skilled  worker  when  he  came  to 
America  in  1894  and  located  at  Cucamonga.  His  first  employment 
was  in  the  Haven  vineyard.  While  working  in  the  vineyard  he 
estimated  with  shrewd  foresight  the  remarkable  promise  of  future 
prosperity  that  would  come  to  the  vineyardist  and  wine  manufacturers 
of  this  region.  Somewhat  later,  in  association  with  M.  E.  Post,  he 
bought  1,000  acres  of  wild  land.  This  land  was  cleared  and  prepared 
under  his  supervision,  the  labor  being  performed  by  Chinese  and 
Japanese.  This  was  the  foundation  and  nucleus  of  the  famous  Mission 
Vineyard  Company's  properties.  Mr.  Klusman  and  Mr.  Post  set  the 
entire  tract  of  1,000  acres  to  wine  grapes,  and  also  erected  the  noted 
Mission  Winery,  one  of  the  finest  and  most  modern  plants  of  its  kind 
on  the  Pacific  Coast.  This  winery  has  a  capacity  of  1,500,000  gallons, 
some  of  the  individual  tanks  holding  55,000  gallons.  It  is  the  last 
word  in  modern  construction.  The  plant  while  in  active  operation 
consumed  not  only  the  products  of  the  Mission  Vineyards  but  great 
quantities  raised  by  other  growers,  and  paid  from  $11.00  to  $12.00 
a  ton  for  these  wine  grapes. 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1139 

In  advance  of  the  prohibition  wave  Mr.  Klusman  and  his  associates 
sold  out  in  1918  to  Garrett  &  Company,  who  have  converted  the 
property  into  a  plant  for  the  manufacture  of  unfermented  grape  juice. 

Mr.  Klusman,  after  selling  his  interest  in  this  business,  turned 
to  other  lines  and  now  owns  fifty  acres  of  citrus  orchard  and  is 
president  of  the  Cucamonga  Building  &  Loan  Company,  is  a  director 
of  the  Cucamonga  Water  Company,  and  is  one  of  the  owners  of 
the  new  Sycamore  Hotel.  He  takes  an  active  part  in  social  and  civic 
affairs,  is  a  director  of  the  Country  Club,  and  a  member  of  Pomona 
Lodge  No.  789  of  the  Elks.  Mr.  Klusman  came  to  Cucamonga  a 
stranger  in  the  country,  and  he  worked  for  small  wages  as  a  farm 
hand  until  he  could  make  use  of  the  small  capital  representing  his 
savings  to  get  into  an  industry  whose  possibilities  he  could  realize. 
His  great  energy  enabled  him  to  overcome  many  difficulties  in  the 
path  of  the  success  of  the  Mission  Vineyard  Company. 

On  July  25,  1911,  Mr.  Klusman  married  Miss  Elizabeth  Craig,  of 
a  prominent  Los  Angeles  family.  She  was  born  in  Freedom, 
Pennsylvania,  January  11,  1884,  and  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  and  a  girls'  school  in  Los  Angeles,  California.  Her  father 
was  Stephen  Craig,  and  her  mother  Fredericka  Miller.  The  father 
is  deceased,  but  the  mother  lives  in  Los  Angeles.  Mrs.  Gertrude 
Wellman,  a  sister  of  Mrs.  Klusman,  also  lives  in  Los  Angeles.  After 
their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Klusman  made  an  extensive  tour  of 
Europe,  in  the  course  of  which  Mr.  Klusman  visited  his  old  home, 
and  also  traveled  through  England.  France,  Belgium  and  Switzerland. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Klusman  have  two  children,  both  natives  of  Cucamongfa, 
John,  Jr.,  born  December  27,  1912,  and  Margaret,  born  March  22,  1916. 

Thomas  Kirk  Vernon,  a  resident  of  Upland  over  thirty  years,  coming 
to  manhood  here,  Thomas  Kirk  Vernon  is  an  orange  grower  of 
practical  experience  and  of  more  than  usual  success,  is  a  citizen  who 
takes  a  practical  view  and  yet  has  fine  ideals  about  community  affairs, 
and  he  not  only  enjoys  that  esteem  paid  to  a  prosperous  business  man 
but  also  exercises  his  wholesome  influence  in  behalf  of  better  schools 
and  better  conditions  generally  in  his  communitv. 

Mr.  Vernon  was  born  at  Wellington,  Ohio,  November  28,  1874, 
son  of  James  and  Ida  (Kirk)  Vernon.  His  father  was  a  minister 
of  the  Christian  Church.  Thomas  Kirk  Vernon  when  one  year  of 
age  went  to  live  with  his  grandfather,  Thomas  Kirk.  His  grand- 
parents came  to  California  in  1889,  when  Thomas  was  fifteen  years 
of  age.  They  settled  at  North  Ontario,  now  Upland,  where  Thomas 
Kirk  bought  twentv  acres  of  land  on  Fifteenth  Street  and  Euclid 
Avenue.  Thomas  Kirk  died  here  in  1892,  but  his  widow  is  still  living 
with  her  grandson  and  in  her  vigor  belies  her  age.  She  was  born 
in  Wellington.  Ohio,  ninety-five  years  ago. 

Thomas  Kirk  Vernon  finished  his  education  in  the  Eighteenth 
Street  School  at  Upland.  He  had  only  the  advantages  of  the  common 
schools,  but  reading  and  practical  experience  fitted  him  well  for  the 
duties  and  responsibilities  of  life.  Almost  ever  since  coming  to  Cali- 
fornia he  had  been  identified  with  orange  growing,  and  he  knows 
that  business  from  the  standpoint  of  one  who  has  worked  in  every 
department  and  has  developed  groves  from  wild  land  to  prosperous 
production. 

Mr.  Vernon  married  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  and  then  bought 
ten  acres  on  San  Antonio  Avenue  and  Sixteenth  Street.  This  was 
wild  land  and  very  stony,  and  he  did  all  the  work  of  clearing  and 


1140       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

removing  the  rock  and  then  prepared  it  for  setting  out  to  citrus 
orchard.  This  was  the  beginning  of  his  career  as  an  orange  grower, 
and  since  then  he  has  cleared  a  large  amount  of  other  land.  He 
personally  supervised  and  performed  much  of  the  labor  of  developing 
his  home  place  of  ten  acres  on  Sixteenth  Street  between  San  Antonio 
and  Euclid  avenues.  He  now  has  thirty  acres  of  orange  groves.  His 
maximum  production  for  one  season  from  this  thirty  acres  was 
nineteen  thousand  boxes. 

Mr.  Vernon  married  Miss  Emma  Palis,  of  Henderson,  Kentucky, 
and  member  of  an  old  Kentucky  family.  She  was  born  in  Henderson, 
Kentucky,  October  8,  1874,  and  was  educated  in  the  public  schools 
and  is  a  high  school  graduate.  To  their  marriage  were  born  two 
children:  William  Vernon,  born  December  1,  1900,  at  Upland,  grad- 
uated from  the  Chaffey  Union  High  School,  spent  one  year  in  Pomona 
College,  and  is  now  in  his  third  year  in  the  Colorado  School  of  Mines 
at  Golden,  preparing  for  a  professional  career  as  a  mineralogist. 
During  the  World  War  he  was  a  member  of  the  Students'  Army 
Training  Corps.  The  second  child,  Ida  Vernon,  was  born  May  7, 
1910,  and  is  in  the  seventh  grade  of  the  grammar  school  at  Upland. 

Aside  from  his  business  Mr.  Vernon  has  had  an  active  part  in  the 
civic  affairs  of  Upland  since  the  town  was  incorporated.  He  was 
made  first  secretary  of  the  townsite,  a  member  of  the  first  City 
Council,  serving  six  years,  and  was  mayor  and  chairman  of  the  board 
three  terms.  He  is  now  a  member  of  the  grammar  school  board  and 
for  eight  years  was  a  road  overseer  in  San  Bernardino  County,  and 
was  superintendent  of  the  construction  of  the  Mountain  Avenue  Road. 
He  is  a  stockholder  and  treasurer  of  the  Camp  Baldy  Company,  a  popular 
mountain  resort  in  San  Antonio  Canon.  Mr.  Vernon  and  family  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  He  is  a  stockholder  in  both  of  Upland's 
banks. 

Dr.  E.  W.  Reid  was  a  well  qualified  and  successful  practitioner  of 
medicine,  but  after  coming  to  California  did  little  or  no  professional 
work,  and  the  achievements  that  give  him  a  high  place  in  San  Bernardino 
County  were  in  the  fundamental  development  work  in  one  of  the  county's 
prominent  horticultural  districts,  Alta  Loma. 

Mr.  Reid  was  born  in  Madison  County,  Illinois,  December  16,  1852, 
son  of  William  and  Maria  ( Cox )  Reid,  also  natives  of  Illinois,  where 
his  father  was  a  farmer.  Dr.  Reid  acquired  a  good  education,  graduat- 
ing A.  B.  and  A.  M.  from  Shurtleff  College  in  Southern  Illinois  in  1875. 
In  1878  he  received  his  M.  D.  degree  from  St.  Louis  Medical  College, 
and  then  for  several  years  enjoyed  a  growing  practice  in  his  chosen 
vocation. 

It  was  to  seek  relief  from  a  chronic  affliction  of  asthma  that  he  came 
out  to  California  in  1882.  After  investigating  a  number  of  districts  he 
bought  twenty  acres  on  Hellman  Avenue  in  the  Alta  Loma  district.  Xo 
development  work  had  been  done  in  this  section,  all  the  land  lying  in  a 
wilderness  state.  Dr.  Reid  had  the  enterprise  and  the  courage  to  go 
ahead  with  development  for  which  there  were  few  precedents.  He 
cleared  and  planted  his  land  to  citrus  fruits,  and  subsequently  bought 
and  planted  another  twenty  acres.  When  he  located  here  the  Southern 
Pacific  Railroad  was  the  only  transportation  line  available,  and  the  near- 
est station  was  at  Ontario.  The  story  of  development  along  Hellman 
Avenue  begins  with  his  settlement  there.  Dr.  Reid  in  188.5  built  a 
small  home   on   his   property,   and   he   and   his    family    lived   in   this   for 


&rt.  £e^V 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1141 

eleven  years.  Then,  in  1894,  he  erected  the  more  commodious  and 
attractive  residence  where  Mrs.  Reid  and  her  daughter  reside. 

Dr.  Reid  was  not  only  a  worker  on  his  own  property,  but  was  inde- 
fatigable in  his  efforts  in  behalf  of  the  general  and  prosperous  develop- 
ment of  the  entire  colony.  The  community  owes  him  much  for  his 
successful  efforts  in  securing  and  insuring  reliable  water  rights  for  the 
colony.  In  politics  he  voted  as  a  democrat  for  a  number  of  years,  but 
was  a  sound  money  man  and  after  1896  joined  the  republican  ranks. 
On  that  ticket  he  was  elected  county  supervisor  in  1902,  and  he  filled 
that  office  capably  and  faithfully  until  his  death  ten  years  later.  He 
was  not  only  one  of  the  early  growers  of  citrus  fruits,  but  was  extremely 
interested  in  the  handling  and  marketing  of  the  crop,  and  succeeded  in 
organizing  the  first  local  packing  house  in  his  district.  While  Dr.  Reid 
came  to  California  primarily  for  his  health,  he  was  practically  free  from 
his  affliction  thereafter,  and  lived  usefully  and  in  the  enjoyment  of  his 
work  and  his  home  here  for  nearly  thirty  years.  He  died  September  2, 
1912,  and  because  of  his  attainments  and  the  wisdom  and  good  judgment 
he  had  shown  in  his  relations  with  the  community  his  death  was  a  dis- 
tinct loss. 

November  18,  1876,  Mr.  Reid  married  Miss  Mary  Jane  Rennick. 
Mrs.  Reid  was  born  March  1,  1851,  in  St.  Francis  County,  Missouri, 
daughter  of  George  W.  and  Priscilla  (Barry)  Rennick.  She  is  also  a 
graduate  of  Shurtleff  College  of  Illinois,  receiving  her  A.  B.  degree  in 
1876.  Mrs.  Reid  has  two  daughters,  Gertrude,  born  at  St.  Louis, 
Missouri,  January  13,  1878,  was  educated  in  several  public  and  private 
schools,  graduated  A.  B.  from  the  University  of  California  at  Berkeley 
in  1902,  and  for  a  time  taught  in  the  high  schools  of  Whittier  and 
Ontario.  On  her  father's  death  she  returned  home  to  assume  the  respon- 
sibilities of  looking  after  the  property,  and  she  has  demonstrated  unusual 
business  ability  and  efficiency  in  handling  the  forty-acre  orchard,  which  is 
in  a  model  and  profitable  condition. 

The  second  daughter,  Eunice  Reid,  was  born  in  Illinois,  October  29, 
1880,  was  educated  in  the  same  schools  with  her  sister,  spent  two  years 
in  Pomona  College  and  graduated  from  the  University  of  California. 
She  taught  for  two  years  in  Santa  Monica.  June  19,  1906,  she  was 
married  to  R.  C.  Owens.  Mr.  Owens  is  a  native  of  New  York  State, 
graduated  from  Pomona  College  in  1900  and  from  the  Hastings  Law 
School  in  San  Francisco  in  1902,  and  is  now  a  prominent  member  of  the 
San  Francisco  bar. 

Mrs.  Reid  and  family  are  active  members  of  the  Baptist  Church,  and 
for  many  years  she  was  associated  with  Dr.  Reid  in  civic  and  philan- 
thropic undertakings,  and  is  still  prominent  in  church,  club  and  civic 
matters. 

Henry  G.  Klusman. — Cucamonga  is  a  word  that  suggests  orange 
groves  and  vineyards,  and  perhaps  one  of  the  most  highly  developed 
horticultural  sections  of  the  world.  This  development  is  the  result 
of  years  of  patient  labor  and  the  expenditure  of  much  capital,  and 
in  that  development  the  character  of  men  has  been  tested.  Among 
those  who  stood  the  test  in  the  days  of  toil  and  hardship  one  is 
Henry  G.  Klusman,  a  strong,  able  and  respected  man  in  the 
community  today. 

Henry  G.  Klusman  is  one  of  four  brothers  who  came  out  of 
Germany,  and  all  achieved  more  than  an  ordinary  degree  of  success. 
He  was  born  January  31,  1875,  son  of  William  and  Johanna  Klusman, 
who  spent  their  lives  as  farmers  in  Germany.     Henry  G.   Klusman 


1 142       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

acquired  a  common  school  education  and  early  determined  that  his 
lot  should  be  cast  in  free  America  without  the  necessity  of  enforced 
military  service.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  he  came  to  America,  and 
there  were  no  stops  on  the  way  for  any  length  of  time  until  he  had 
reached  Cucamonga.  Here  he  went  to  work  in  the  old  Havens 
vineyards  at  $15.00  a  month  and  board.  He  had  no  knowledge  of 
English,  but  he  exercised  the  skill  and  strength  of  his  hands  to  toil 
through  the  daylight  hours  in  the  vineyards,  and  frequently  worked 
into  the  night  and  on  Sundays  in  the  winery.  About  two  years  later 
he  secured  employment  on  an  adjoining  ranch  at  $25!00  a  month  and 
board.  Out  of  his  savings  he  made  his  first  purchase  in  1896  of 
forty  acres  of  wild  land,  at  $12.50  an  acre.  He  set  this  to  vines,  and 
his  first  crop  of  grapes  he  delivered  to  the  Guasti  Winery,  hauling 
them  through  the  deep  sand  and  getting  $6.00  a  ton,  $2.00  in  cash 
and  $1.00  a  month  until  paid.  Mr.  Klusman  kept  this  vineyard  until 
1915.  when  he  sold  it  for  $125.00  an  acre. 

In  1900  he  bought  the  four  acre  tract  on  Turner  Street  in  Cuca- 
monga, where  he  has  his  home  today.  He  set  this  to  oranges  and 
has  built  a  modern  home.  About  fifteen  years  ago  he  established 
a  plant  for  the  manufacture  of  concrete  irrigation  pipe,  and  he  has 
developed  this  into  a  flourishing  and  important  industry,  the  capacity 
now  being  2,000  feet  daily.  Employment  is  given  to  twenty  people 
in  the  concrete  pipe  yards. 

In  San  Francisco  January  1,  1902,  he  married  Miss  Olga  Forester, 
who  was  born  at  Eau  Claire,  Wisconsin,  July  8,  1883.  They  have 
four  children :  Emma,  born  November  25,  1902,  now  grown  to  a 
most  engaging  young  lady,  a  graduate  of  the  Chaffey  Union  High 
School;  Henry  W.,  born  January  15,  1905,  already  an  active  aid  in 
his  father's  business;  Catherine,  born  January  10,  1907,  a  student 
in  the  Chaffey  Union  High  School;  and  Vivian,  born  May  25,  1909, 
who  has  about  completed  her  grammar  school  work. 

Mr.  Klusman  is  a  member  of  Upland  Lodge  No.  98,  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  in  politics  is  a  democrat.  When  he  came 
to  America  on  borrowed  money,  $360.00,  which  it  cost  him  to  reach 
Cucamonga,  the  work  of  his  early  years  was  to  repay  this  fund. 
Persistent  application  has  brought  him  its  due  rewards,  and  in  char- 
acter and  citizenship  he  stands  one  of  the  leading  men  of  Cucamonga 
and  one  who  deserves  a  great  deal  of  the  credit  for  redeeming  this 
desert  to  unexampled  productiveness. 

Edward  H.  Pine. — On  other  pages  are  recounted  the  experiences  of 
that  energetic  and  stalwart  pioneer  Samuel  C.  Pine,  Sr.,  in  the  San 
Bernardino  Valley.  One  of  his  sons,  Edward  H.  Pine,  is  one  of  the 
oldest  surviving  native  sons  of  this  region,  and  his  life  has  been  on  a 
par  with  his  father's  in  point  of  substantial  worth  and  influence. 

He  and  his  brother  Edwin  are  twins  and  were  born  July  28,  1860, 
in  old  San  Bernardino,  on  the  noted  Cottonwood  Row.  Edward  H. 
Pine  had  his  first  conscious  recollections  of  frontier  times  when  the 
first  settlers  had  located  in  this  vicinity.  He  recalls  when  there  were 
no  stores  between  Los  Angeles  and  San  Bernardino  and  no  roads, 
only  sand  blown  trails.  He  recalls  the  incidents,  recounted  elsewhere, 
where  his  faher  made  a  hurried  exit  with  his  family  from  the  mill  in 
the  San  Bernardino  Mountains  on  account  of  Indian  depredations. 
Mr.  Pine  had  limited  school  advantages,  but  has  always  kept  in  touch 
with  the  life  of  his  vicinity  and  the  world  around  him.  His  career 
has  been  that  of  a  rancher,  and  he  now  owns  and  occupies  a  portion 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1143 

of  his  father's  original  claim  at  Rincon.  This  has  been  greatly 
improved,  and  his  business  is  farming  on  an  extensive  scale. 

On  September  5,  1883,  Mr.  Pine  married  Miss  Ella  C.  Walkinshaw. 
who  was  born  in  San  Bernardino  June  24,  1863,  daughter  of  Thomas 
B.  and  Jeanette  (Henderson)  Walkinshaw.  also  numbered  among  the 
early  settlers  of  this  vicinity.  Her  parents  were  born  in  Scotland 
and  came  to  America  in  early  youth.  The  Henderson  and  Walkin- 
shaw families  crossed  the  plains  with  ox  teams  and  settled  in  San 
Bernardino  during  the  early  Mormon  occupation  of  the  early  '50s. 
Edward  H.  Pine  and  wife  had  six  children:  Mamie,  born  August  10, 
1884,  is  the  wife  of  Frank  Wall  and  has  a  family  of  six  children  ; 
Roy  Edward  Pine,  born  February  18,  1889,  married  Ruth  McGuire, 
and  is  the  father  of  three  children  ;  Jennie,  born  October  17,  1892. 
is  the  wife  of  John  Ramey  and  the  mother  of  three  children ;  Willie 
Samuel,  born  October  11,  1895,  married  Blethen  Reynolds  and  has 
three  children  ;  Margaret,  born  June  25,  1898,  died  November  24,  1898; 
Lillian  W.,  born  December  14,  1899,  is  the  wife  of  William  D. 
Johnson  and  has  a  daughter,  Geraldine,  born  November  6,  1921.  AH 
the  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pine  were  born  on  the  Rincon  ranch  in 
the  Chino  Valley. 

The  title  to  their  home  has  never  passed  out  of  the  family  name 
since  his  father  acquired  it  as  a  pre-emption.  Mr.  Pine  is  a  member 
of  Corona  Lodge  No.  291,  Knights  of  Pythias,  he  and  his  family  are 
members  of  the  Christian  Church,  and  he  takes  pride  in  the  fact 
that  he  has  always  voted  the  republican  ticket  in  national  elections 
and  is  a  stanch  upholder  of  that  political  faith.  During  his  early  youth 
he  and  his  older  brother  and  father  would  sometimes  take  a  team 
and  go  across  the  desert  to  the  foothills  for  wood,  carrying  a  rifle 
for  every  axe  in  the  equipment  to  protect  themselves  against  Indians 
and  outlaw  Mexicans.  It  was  a  three  days'  journey  to  purchase  and 
bring  home  supplies  from  the  nearest  store  at  San  Bernardino,  and 
there  was  not  a  house  between  Rincon  and  that  town.  There  were 
no  railroads,  goods  being  hauled  in  wagons  drawn  by  mule  teams. 
Mr.  Pine  is  hospitable,  generous  and  honest,  absolutely  fearless,  and 
a  fine  type  of  pioneer  character,  and  is  everywhere  known  for  his 
integrity  and  personal  worth.  He  was  among  the  first  to  develop 
a  supply  of  artesian  water  in  his  district. 

Walter  Shearing  knew  the  country  around  Redlands  before  there 
was  a  Redlands  townsite,  and  in  his  long  experiences  here  he  has 
met  and  overcome  many  obstacles  to  success  and  has  prospered  apace 
with  the  country  and  has  helped  in  the  developments  that  constitute 
the  real  history  of  this  county. 

Mr.  Shearing  is  a  native  of  England,  and  was  three  years  of  age 
when  his  parents  moved  to  Canada.  He  grew  up  in  Canada,  being 
one  of  a  family  of  four  sons  and  three  daughters,  and  is  the  only  one 
in  California.  In  1887  he  came  West,  and  for  the  first  six  years  was 
ranch  foreman  for  Doctor  Craig  at  Crofton. 

In  1892  Mr.  Shearing  married  Miss  Louise  Durston.  She  was  born 
in  England  June  25,  1861,  daughter  of  Giles  and  Martha  Durston. 
Her  father  was  a  miner  in  England.  Mrs.  Shearing  was  the  third 
in  a  family  of  four  sons  and  two  daughters.  The  family  came  to 
the  United  States  and  located  at  Boston  in  1881,  and  in  1888  came 
to  California  and  to  San  Bernardino.  Her  father  was  employed  as 
a  landscape  gardener  until  his  death  in  July,   1892.     Mrs.   Durston 


1144       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

lived  with  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Shearing,  at  Redlands,  until  her  death 
in  1921,  at  the  age  of  eighty-seven  years. 

After  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shearing,  leaving  Crofton,  went 
to  Moreno  and  acquired  ten  acres  of  land,  which  they  set  out  to  fruit. 
They  remained  there  eight  years,  at  the  end  of  which  time  frost, 
drought  and  grasshoppers  had  devastated  their  orchard.  Coming  to 
Redlands  and  subsequently  selling  their  Moreno  property,  Mr. 
Shearing  engaged  in  ranching,  and  fourteen  years  ago  bought  a  ten 
acre  grove  of  Washington  navel  oranges  on  West  Colton  Avenue. 
He  still  owns  this,  and  it  is  a  splendidly  productive  property.  In 
May,  1919,  he  bought  his  modern  home  at  the  corner  of  East  Colton 
Avenue  and  Sixth  Street. 

Mr.  Shearing  knew  this  country  when  the  nearest  railway  was 
at  Colton  and  the  only  irrigation  system  was  the  old  Zanja,  built  in 
Indian  times.  There  were  no  oil  roads,  and  the  highways  were  dust 
and  dirt  thoroughfares  filled  with  chuck  holes  and  bumps.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Shearing  accepted  their  lot  in  that  period  with  contentment, 
and  enjoy  their  present  prosperity  all  the  more  for  the  hardships 
they  passed  through.  Mr.  Shearing  secured  his  naturalization  papers 
as  soon  as  possible,  and  has  always  acted  and  worked  as  an  American 
citizen.  He  is  a  stalwart  republican,  is  affiliated  with  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows  at  Redlands  and  attends  the  Christian  Science 
Church,  while  Mrs.  Shearing  is  a  Baptist.  Mr.  Shearing  left  Canada 
and  came  to  California  to  benefit  his  health,  and  for  many  years  has 
enjoyed  robust,  good  health.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shearing  have  two 
children:  Milton  L.,  born  March  15,  1898,  was  educated  at  Redlands 
and  is  in  the  employ  of  the  Pacific  Electric  Company.  He  married 
Miss  Inez  Ramsey,  of  Colton.  The  daughter,  Martha  A.  Shearing, 
born  November  9,  1896,  attended  the  Redlands  High  School  and  in 
June,  1919,  was  married  to  Lawrence  E.  Williams,  an  orange  grower 
in  the  Redlands  district. 

Ernest  Omeria  Ames. — There  are  very  few  persons  who  are  not 
interested  in  the  public  schools,  for  the  majority  of  them  have 
acquired  a  part  if  not  all  of  their  educational  training  from  them  ; 
many  have  children  who  are  pupils,  or  prospective  ones,  and  those 
who  have  no  direct  connection  with  the  system  are  beneficiaries  from 
these  schools  because  in  them  are,  and  have  been,  educated  the 
people  with  whom  they  are  associated.  Without  the  training  of  the 
public  schools  present-day  civilization  would  not  be  possible.  It  was 
not  until  the  public  school  system  was  properly  inaugurated  that  the 
people  began  to  emerge  from  the  dusk  of  ignorance  into  the  bright 
light  of  knowledge.  There  are  many  ramifications  and  details  with 
reference  to  the  conduct  of  a  number  of  schools  in  any  of  the  cities 
of  the  country.  Not  only  is  it  necessary  to  provide  excellent 
instructors  and  courses  of  study,  but  even  more  important  than  these 
are  the  buildings  in  which  the  children  are  housed  for  so  many  hours. 
If  they  are  not  kept  in  the  best  of  repair  and  provided  with  adequate 
equipment  the  health,  and  many  times  the  lives,  of  the  children  suffer, 
and,  therefore,  those  in  authority  are  exceedingly  careful  with  refer- 
ence to  the  kind  of  man  they  place  in  a  position  of  importance  to  see 
that  the  proper  means  are  taken  to  insure  the  welfare  of  the  pupils. 
Since  1903  this  very  responsible  position  with  reference  to  the  public 
schools  of  San  Bernardino  has  been  filled  by  Ernest  Omeria  Ames, 
the  efficient  and  experienced  city  supervisor  of  public  school  buildings. 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1145 

Ernest  Omeria  Ames  was  born  in  San  Bernardino,  February  2, 
1860,  and  there  he  acquired  his  education  as  a  pupil  in  the  public 
schools  of  his  native  city.  Going  into  the  contracting  business,  he 
carried  it  on  very  successfully  until  1903,  when  he  was  induced  to 
assume  the  responsibilities  of  his  present  position,  and  he  now  has 
the  following  schools  under  supervision :  The  four  buildings,  attended 
by  from  700  to  800  pupils,  comprising  the  San  Bernardino  High 
School,  the  F  Street  Grammar  and  Technical,  the  Base  Line  Grammar, 
the  Fourth  Street  Grammar,  the  Highland  Avenue,  the  I  Street,  the 
Meadowbrook,  the  Metcalf,  the  Mount  Vernon,  the  Ramona,  the 
Terrace  and  the  Urbita.  Mr.  Ames  has  grown  up  with  his  work, 
and  it  would  not  be  easy  to  replace  him.  He  has  the  responsibility 
of  seeing  that  all  of  the  city  school  buildings  are  kept  in  proper 
repair,  necessitating  a  regular  inspection  of  all  of  the  buildings  so  as 
to  insure  a  proper  and  prompt  attention  to  all  details. 

Dr.  Frank  M.  Gardner,  health  officer  of  the  City  of  San  Bernardino, 
is  one  of  its  native  sons  who  had  devoted  himself  entirely  to  the  practice 
of  medicine  since  his  graduation  until  accepting  his  present  position,  and 
"now  has  a  good  and  growing  practice  in  addition  to  his  official  duties. 

While  he  is  a  loyal  native  son  of  California  in  all  that  the  name 
usually  implies,  he  had  the  misfortune  of  having  to  pass  a  number  of 
years  in  the  frozen  East.  He  could  not  successfully  object  to  this,  as 
he  was  only  one  year  old  when  taken  back  there,  was  educated  there  and 
afterward  formed  attachments  and  business  association  which  held  him 
there  for  some  time.  But  he  returned  just  as  soon  as  he  could,  and  he 
is  one  of  San  Bernardino's  most  ardent  boosters,  ready  and  eager  at  all 
times  to  do  all  he  can  for  the  advancement  of  the  city  of  his  birth. 

Dr.  Gardner  was  born  in  San  Bernardino  May  29,  1878,  and  his  par- 
ents removed  with  their  family  to  New  York  in  the  following  year.  In 
1886  he  returned  to  San  Bernardino,  where  he  attended  grammar  school 
until  1887,  and  then  returned  to  New  York.  In  that  city  Dr.  Gardner 
attended  school,  and  after  graduating  from  high  school  at  once  entered 
the  New  York  Homeopathic  Hospital  as  a  student.  He  was  graduated 
with  the  class  of  1904,  and  then  spent  two  years  in  the  famous  Hahne- 
mann Hospital,  after  which  he  branched  out  into  a  practice  of  his  own. 
He  located  in  Bay  Shore,  Long  Island,  and  while  he  remained  there 
enjoyed  a  rapidly  growing  practice,  but  soon  decided  to  return  to  his  real 
home,  which  he  did. 

In  1915  Dr.  Gardner  was  appointed  health  officer,  which  position  he 
is  now  ably  filling.  He  is  also  building  up  a  lucrative  and  growing  prac- 
tice and  is  well  known  as  a  most  competent  physician. 

He  is  the  son  of  George  J.  and  Anna  (Yount)  Gardner.  George 
J.  Gardner  who  was  a  nephew  of  Jonas  Osborn,  was  a  native  of  New 
York  and  came  out  to  San  Bernardino  in  1870,  lured  hither  by  the 
golden  stories  of  the  great  successes  in  the  mining  fields.  He  located 
in  the  Tecopa  mining  district,  where  he  made  quite  a  success  in  mining 
and  in  addition  conducted  a  general  merchandise  store  in  Tecopa,  the 
mining  ventures  being  backed  by  the  large  capital  of  Jonas  Osborn.  He 
remained  in  that  place  for  nine  vears,  at  the  end  of  that  time  return- 
ing to  New  York.  In  that  state  he  was  a  farmer,  and  he  followed  that 
occupation  until  his  death  in  1885.  Dr.  Gardner's  mother,  a  native  of 
Nebraska,  was  a  daughter  of  Joseph  Yount.  one  of  the  early  pioneers 
of  California,  who  came  to  the  state  in  1876. 

Joseph  Yount  served  as  a  soldier  in  the  Mexican  war  and  made  the 
trip  to  San   Francisco  before  the  gold  discoveries,   returning  home   via 


1146      SAX  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

Cape  Horn.  He  joined  the  rush  during  the  gold  excitement  of  1849  and 
again  came  to  California,  where  he  remained  two  years,  being  fortunate 
in  his  gold  mining  and  acquiring  a  respectable  stake.  During  his  first 
visit  to  San  Francisco  after  the  Mexican  war  he  suffered  many  priva- 
tionSj  even  wrapping  his  bare  feet  with  gunny  sacks  to  protect  them 
from  the  cobble  stones  with  which  the  streets  were  paved. 

In  1862  he  brought  his  family  across  the  plains,  being  a  unit  of  a 
thirty  wagon  train  of  which  he  was  elected  captain.  He  went  to  Eastern 
Oregon,  near  LeGrande.  and  was  among  the  first  settlers  of  the  Grande 
Ronde  Valley.  They  remained  there  for  thirteen  years  and  in  1876 
started  a  drove  of  cattle  to  Arizona.  Miss  Yount  driving  a  team  all  the 
way.  As  they  learned  that  it  was  a  year  of  drought  in  Arizona,  Mr. 
Yount  bought  a  five  thousand  acre  ranch  in  the  Pahrump  Valley  in 
Lincoln  County.  Nevada,  which  was  given  the  name  of  the  Manse  and 
became  a  famous  freighting  station  between  California  and  Nevada. 
He  put  the  five  thousand  acres  all  under  cultivation.  The  land  is  now 
owned  by  the  Mormon  Church. 

Miss  Yount  married  George  J.  Gardner  August  27.  1877.  and  pio- 
neered once  again  in  the  Tecopa  Mining  District.  Mrs.  Gardner  is  still 
living  and  is  in  San  Bernardino  with  her  son.  She  is  the  third  of  ten 
children,  in  their  order  being:  Laura.  Maud,  Joanna.  William.  Thomas. 
Samuel.  LeRoy.   Fannie.   John  and   Nellie. 

Dr.  Gardner  has  one  brother  living.  Carl  Leroy  Gardner,  a  farmer 
in  the  State  of  New  York,  and  one  brother  deceased.  Joseph  Adolphus 
Gardner. 

On  August  12.  1915.  Dr.  Gardner  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Ernestine  Herbert,  a  daughter  of  Dr.  G.  H.  Herbert,  of  Salt  Lake  City. 
Mrs.  Gardner  comes  from  pioneer  Utah  stock,  her  people  crossing  the 
plains  to  the  Mormon  stronghold  in  1857.  Her  grandfather  was  Joseph 
Prothers.  a  civil  engineer  of  distinction  who  was  chief  engineer  for  the 
Union  Pacific  during  its  construction  across  the  country.  He  was  the 
engineer  who  built  the  road  from  Omaha  to  Salt  Lake,  including  the 
famous  Echo  Canyon  Grade.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Gardner  have  three  children : 
Marv  Anna  and  Nellie  Barbara,  students,  and  Frank  Herbert.  Mrs. 
Herbert  spends  the  winters  in  San  Bernardino  with  her  daughter. 

Dr.  Gardner  is  a  member  of  the  San  Bernardino  Countv  Medical 
Society.  He  is  a  member  of  San  Bernardino  Lodge.  Benevolent  and 
Protective  Order  of  Elks:  of  San  Bernardino  Parlor  110.  Native  Sons 
of  the  Golden  West,  and  of  the  San  Bernardino  Castle  No.  27,  Knights 
of  Pythias.     He  is  a  republican  in  politics. 

Norman  Douglas  Allen  came  to  San  Bernardino  County  thirty-four 
years  ago.  He  was  then  a  young  man  of  twenty-six.  was  married. 
and  brought  his  wife  and  several  children  to  the  West.  Mr.  Allen 
as  a  youth  had  learned  to  cope  with  circumstances  that  combined 
poverty  and  privation.  He  has  always  been  a  worker,  dependent  upon 
his  industry  and  self  reliance,  and  that  industry  he  has  effectively 
used  in  some  of  the  real  substantial  development  of  the  country 
around  Ontario  and  Upland. 

Mr.  Allen  was  born  in  Parma,  Jackson  County.  Michigan,  August 
4,  1861,  son  of  Norman  and  Ellen  (Thompson)  Allen.  His  father  was 
a  native  of  Massachusetts  and  his  mother  of  Michigan.  When  he 
was  six  years  old  his  mother  died,  and  six  years  later  he  was  left 
an  orphan  by  the  death  of  his  father.  His  father  had  been  married 
three  times,  and  Norman  was  one  of  the  three  sons  of  the  last  mar- 
riage.    When  Norman  Allen  was  a  small  child  his  father  moved  out 


SAX  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1 147 

to  Kansas  and  homesteaded.  He  was  an  educated  man,  taught  school 
on  the  prairies  of  Kansas,  and  had  studied  law.  though  he  never  prac- 
ticed that  profession.  For  two  years  he  was  justice  of  the  peace  and 
supervisor.     He  died  in  Kansas. 

Norman  Douglas  Allen  after  the  death  of  his  father  lived  with  his 
uncle,  Almon  Allen,  and  had  limited  educational  advantages,  and 
when  he  married,  at  the  age  of  twenty-two.  provided  for  his  family 
and  home  by  farming  and  farm  work.  After  he  had  been  married 
some  four  years  he  came  to  California,  reaching  Ontario  the  last  day 
of  December,  1887.  This  country  had  made  little  progress  in  develop- 
ment up  to  that  time.  Mr.  Allen  engaged  in  such  work  as  a  new 
country  provides,  and  he  leveled  and  planted  many  acres  of  orchard, 
cared  for  orchards  for  other  owners,  and  also  helped  construct  some 
of  the  country's  highways.  For  a  time  he  had  charge  of  the  city's 
rock  crusher.  Twenty-four  years  ago  he  bought  the  land  where  he 
now  lives,  and  on  which  he  erected  a  cheap  house.  This  was  replaced 
eleven  years  ago  with  a  modern  and  artistic  home.  Mr.  Alien  in  his 
career  has  been  energetic,  honest  and  a  thoroughly  reliable  type  of  the 
pioneer.  He  has  reared  a  family  of  children  that  is  a  credit  to  him 
and  the  community.  He  has  never  aspired  to  public  office,  and  his 
greatest  enthusiasm  is  for  the  wild  life  of  the  mountains.  When 
duties  permit  he  has  sought  sport  and  recreation  in  the  hunting  of 
deer,  and  is  familiar  with  all  their  haunts. 

On  August  4,  1883.  Mr.  Allen  married  Lena  Scheurer,  a  native 
of  Illinois.  Ten  children  have  been  born  to  their  union:  Walter  C. 
born  in  Kansas  September  4,  1884.  is  a  successful  business  man  at 
Upland,  owning  a  transfer  and  trading  outfit.  He  is  married  and  has 
four  living  children.  George  L.,  born  September  11,  1885.  also  in 
Kansas,  is  manager  of  the  Los  Angeles  Linen  Supply  Company.  He 
is  married  and  has  four  sons  and  one  daughter.  Herman,  born  in 
Kansas  November  8.  1887,  died  at  Upland  July  28,  1908.  Ella,  born 
November  15.  1889,  in  California,  is  the  wife  of  Hugh  McLean,  a 
prosperous  show  merchant  at  Upland,  and  they  have  three  children. 
Fred  M„  born  June  25,  1891.  is  a  box  maker  at  Ontario.  He  is 
married  and  has  two  children.  Mrs.  Eva  M.  Sachs,  born  October  8. 
1895,  is  the  wife  of  a  carpenter  and  contractor,  and  they  have  one 
son.  Norman  M..  born  May  15,  1897,  was  trained  at  Camp  Kearney. 
San  Diego,  with  Company  A  of  the  16th  Ammunition  Train,  but  did 
not  get  overseas.  He  is  married  and  has  a  daughter  and  lives  at 
Ontario.  Howard  C.  born  August  12,  1899,  was  in  the  selective 
service  and  had  orders  to  proceed  to  Texas  the  day  the  armistice 
was  signed.  He  is  married.  The  two  younger  children  are  Christina, 
born  April  23.  1902.  now  attending  the  Chaffey  High  School,  and 
Edna  May.  born  August  20.   1904.  also  in  high  school. 

Thomas  Jefferson  Cromer  has  been  one  of  the  real  builders  in  San 
Bernardino  County.  His  home  has  been  in  the  Upland  district  for  about 
thirty  years.  His  work  at  the  beginning  was  for  others,  since  he  lost  his 
first  investment,  and  he  planted,  tended  and  capably  managed  what  for 
many  years  has  been  recognized  as  one  of  the  very  fine  groves  and  orchards 
around  Upland.  This  was  his  material  contribution  to  the  developing 
community,  and  at  the  same  time  he  has  been  progressive  and  public 
spirited  wherever  the  larger  needs  of  the  community  enlisted  his  support. 

Mr.  Cromer  was  born  in  Madison  County,  Indiana,  April  29.  1853. 
son  of  Frederick  and  Martha  (  Xoggle)  Cromer.  His  father  was  a  car- 
penter by  trade,  but  the  greater  part  of  his  active  life  was  devoted  tc 


1148       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

farming.  In  the  fall  of  1856  the  family  migrated  to  Iowa,  then  a  new 
state.  They  made  this  move  in  a  prairie  schooner  drawn  by  a  four  horse 
team,  crossing  the  Mississippi  River  on  a  ferry  boat.  They  moved  into 
a  frontier  and  sparsely  settled  district,  having  a.  small  house  for  the 
shelter  of  the  family,  while  the  horses  had  to  remain  outdoors  the  first 
winter.  Frederick  Cromer  secured  500  acres  of  the  new  land  in  that 
section,  and  in  subsequent  years  his  earnest  labors  brought  him  a  com- 
petence. He  was  both  a  farmer  and  stock  raiser.  In  1874,  after  the  death 
of  his  wife,  he  returned  with  his  family  to  Indiana,  but  in  1879  came 
back  to  Iowa  and  settled  at  Colfax,  six  miles  from  his  old  home.  In 
1883  Frederick  Cromer  left  his  Iowa  home  and  came  to  Pomona,  Cali- 
fornia, where  he  purchased  land  and  became  a  horticulturist.  He  con- 
tinued to  live  at  Pomona,  a  highly  respected  citizen,  until  his  death.  He 
was  buried  on  his  eighty-ninth  birthday.  The  mother  of  Thomas  Jefferson 
Cromer  died  at  the  age  of  thirty-eight  in  Iowa,  leaving  a  family  of  ten 
children,  Thomas  J.  being  next  to  the  oldest. 

Mr.  Cromer  has  his  first  recollections  of  the  frontier  conditions  of  the 
old  homestead  in  Iowa.  He  appreciated  the  difficult  task  his  father  and 
mother  had  set  themselves  in  building  a  home  there.  One  of  his  early 
memory  pictures  is  of  a  lighted  candle  in  the  window  of  the  rude  Iowa 
home,  his  mother  mending  clothes  by  the  light  inside,  while  the  projecting 
rays  through  the  window  enabled  his  father  to  chop  wood  for  fuel.  It 
was  his  father's  habit  to  utilize  all  the  daylight  and  part  of  the  night 
hours  in  winter  to  get  out  wood  and  do  other  work  that  would  permit  him 
to  work  full  time  during  the  busy  summer  seasons.  Thomas  Jefferson 
Cromer  took  a  share  in  these  activities  as  soon  as  his  strength  permitted, 
and  he  was  plowing  in  the  fields  or  working  in  the  harvest  all  the  summer 
seasons  and  in  the  timber  during  the  winters.  He  had  little  opportunity 
for  schooling,  though  private  study  and  reading  have  given  him  a  fair 
equipment.  As  a  youth  in  the  winter  he  would  get  into  his  frozen  boots, 
wearing  no  socks,  and  go  into  the  timber,  work  all  day,  frequently  when 
the  thermometer  stood  30°  below  zero,  and,  as  he  recalls  that  strenuous 
life,  he  feels  that  it  had  its  pleasant  side,  since  he  had  the  constitution  to 
adapt  himself  to  the  environment  and  enjoyed  the  vigor  and  stimulus  of 
sustained  labor.  From  the  time  Mr.  Cromer  was  eighteen  years  of  age  he 
spent  one  year  in  Maryland,  near  Hagerstown,  with  his  grandfather  and 
grandmother  Cromer.  He  then  went  to  Delaware  County,  Indiana,  with 
an  uncle,  working  on  farms,  spent  one  year  in  Marion  County,  Indiana, 
near  Indianapolis,  on  a  farm,  in  the  spring  of  1874  returned  to  the  old 
home  in  Iowa,  but  went  back  to  Indiana  with  his  father  and  worked  the 
farm  for  several  years.  In  the  spring  of  1880  he  returned  to  Colfax, 
Iowa. 

On  March  30,  1882,  Mr.  Cromer  married  Miss  Jennie  Kelsey,  daughter 
of  William  Kelsey,  a  native  of  Indiana,  whose  parents  were  born  in 
Belfast,  Ireland.  Her  mother,  Jane  (Thompson)  Kelsey,  was  born  in 
Illinois.    Jennie  Kelsey  was  born  in  Lisbon,  Iowa,  August  18,  1863. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Cromer  bought  160  acre  farm  ten  miles  from 
Newton,  Jasper  County,  Iowa,  and  developed  and  operated  that  Iowa 
farm  five  years.  He  then  sold  out  and  in  December,  1887,  arrived  in 
California,  spending  the  first  seven  years  at  Pomona.  He  invested  the 
proceeds  of  his  Iowa  property,  but  when  the  boom  of  the  eighties  col- 
lapsed he  lost  his  invested  funds  completely  and  then  did  ranch  work  as  a 
means  of  support.  In  May,  1894,  Mr.  Cromer  moved  to  North  Ontario, 
now  Upland,  and  contracted  to  buy  ten  acres  on  Eleventh  Street  in  the 
Mountain  View  tract.     He  had  no  money  to  pay  down,  but  had  the  energy 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1149 

and  courage  that  supplied  part  of  the  indispensable  capital.  The  land 
had  been  leveled,  and  he  at  once  dug  the  holes  and  set  out  the  orange  trees. 
While  tending  and  watching  his  grove  develop  he  worked  for  others,  doing 
orchard  work,  and  finally  he  was  able  to  build  a  home  on  his  tract.  Then, 
in  1919,  after  having  taken  approximately  as  much  money  from  the  suc- 
cessive sales  of  fruit,  he  sold  his  ten  acre  orchard  and  home  for  $30,000. 
After  this  sale  he  bought  his  present  home,  a  modern  and  attractive  resi- 
dence at  the  corner  of  Laurel  and  Tenth  streets  in  Upland,  commanding  a 
beautiful  view  of  the  mountains.  About  the  same  time  he  bought  twenty 
acres  on  Sixteenth  Street,  just  west  of  Mountain  Avenue.  This  tract 
contained  seven  and  a  half  acres  of  Washington  navel  oranges  and  the 
remainder  in  lemon  trees  eight  years  old.  This  is  a  handsome  grove  and 
he  still  owns  it.  Mr.  Cromer  is  one  of  the  popular  old  timers  of  Upland, 
and  his  honesty,  industry,  and  friendliness  have  earned  him  the  esteem 
he  enjoys. 

Mr.  Cromer  is  justly  proud  of  the  attainments  and  character  of  his 
only  son,  Ray  Frederick  Cromer,  who  was  born  at  Pomona  December  29, 
1891.  He  showed  studious  inclinations  during  his  youth  and  made  good 
use  of  the  opportunities  his  father  could  give  him.  He  went  through  the 
grammar  school,  graduated  from  the  Chafrey  Union  High  School,  received 
his  B.  A.  degree  at  Pomona  Collge  in  1917,  and  during  the  following  year 
remained  out  of  school  trying  and  hoping  to  get  into  the  active  army 
service.  He  was  twice  rejected,  being  greatly  under  weight,  When  the 
draft  came  he  passed  the  inspection  and  was  put  on  the  reserve  list  in  the 
chemical  warfare  division,  but  was  never  called  out,  to  his  lasting  disap- 
pointment. After  the  war  he  resumed  his  studies  in  the  University  of 
California  at  Berkeley,  where  he  majored  in  chemistry.  For  two  years  he 
was  head  of  the  Science  Department  and  teacher  of  chemistry  at  Brawley 
in  the  Imperial  Valley,  and  then  became  instructor  in  chemistry  and  physics 
in  the  Fremont  High  School  of  Oakland.  While  there  he  was  selected  as 
head  of  the  Radio  Club,  an  organization  doing  work  after  school  hours  for 
advancement  and  study  of  the  radio.  He  began  these  duties  August  21, 
1921.  At  Upland  Ray  F.  Cromer  married,  on  June  16,  1918,  Miss  Marie 
Cooley,  a  native  of  South  Dakota,  but  reared  in  Upland,  and  is  a  graduate 
of  the  Chafrey  Union  High  School.  She  was  employed  as  stenographer 
and  teller  in  the  First  National  Bank  of  Upland  prior  to  her  marriage. 
They  now  reside  at  Oakland. 

A.  J.  Williams  has  been  one  of  the  most  industrious  citizens  of  the 
Ontario  community  for  over  twenty  years.  His  industry  has  brought  him 
the  comfort  and  prosperity  which  he  and  his  family  now  enjoy  on  their 
little  ranch  home  at  517  Vesta  Street. 

Mr.  Williams  was  born  in  Nemaha  County,  Kansas,  December  17, 
1880,  a  son  of  James  Ezra  and  Marietta  (Shiffer)  Williams.  His  parents 
were  both  born  in  Pennsylvania  and  in  the  same  year,  1845.  His  father 
was  born  the  10th  of  May,  and  died  at  Ontario,  California,  September  28, 
1914.  They  were  married  in  1868.  James  Ezra  Williams  at  the  age  of 
fifteen  became  a  locomotive  fireman,  and  was  soon  promoted  to  engine- 
man,  and  had  a  run  on  the  Lehigh  Valley  Railroad  until  he  entered  the 
Union  Army  during  the  Civil  war.  He  enlisted  in  the  Ninth  Pennsylvania 
Cavalry,  but  when  it  was  discovered  that  he  was  a  locomotive  engineer 
he  was  assigned  special  duty  with  the  military  railroad  service  and  con- 
tinued until  the  end  of  the  war.  In  March,  1868,  soon  after  his  marriage, 
he  removed  to  Missouri,  where  he  farmed  three  years,  and  then  went  to 
Northeastern  Kansas  and  bought  a  large  farm  in  Nemaha  County,  where 
for  thirty-five  years  he  remained  actively  engaged  in  farming  and  as  a 


1150       SAX  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

dealer  and  shipper  of  livestock.  He  was  a  man  of  great  energy,  reliable, 
an  expert  judge  of  values,  and  for  many  years  was  one  of  the  leading 
shippers  out  of  that  section  to  eastern  markets.  In  1905  he  left  Kansas 
and  came  to  Ontario,  California,  where  he  bought  an  orange  grove  and  was 
also  a  stockholder  and  director  in  the  First  National  Bank  of  Ontario. 
He  was  the  father  of  five  children :  Harrv ;  Mrs.  Gertrude  E.  S.  Randel ; 
Kate,  Mrs.  J.  H.  Mills ;  A.  J.  Williams,  and  Miss  Lida  Williams. 

A.  J.  Williams  was  reared  and  educated  in  Nemeha  County,  Kansas, 
attended  public  schools  there,  and  finished  in  the  Kansas  State  Agricultural 
College  at  Manhattan.  He  then  returned  to  his  father's  stock  farm,  and 
did  all  the  work  of  general  farming  and  stock  raising. 

November  21,  1900,  he  married  Miss  Kittie  Mabel  de  Jeaan,  who 
was  born  in  Iowa  April  20,  1884,  daughter  of  Bird  and  Addie  (Hotch- 
kiss)  de  Jeaan,  the  former  a  native  of  Madison,  Wisconsin,  and  the  latter 
of  Fayette  County,  Iowa.  Bird  de  Jeaan  was  a  Baptist  minister.  Mrs. 
Williams'  grandfather,  Martin  T.  de  Jeaan,  was  an  early  settler  of  Ontario, 
coming  here  in  1892,  when  the  district  was  practically  undeveloped,  and 
bought  land  and  set  out  a  deciduous  orchard.  Later  he  removed  some  of 
the  early  plantings  and  set  to  oranges.  This  orange  grove  is  now  the 
home  of  A.  J.  Williams.  Martin  de  Jeaan  is  still  living,  but  his  wife 
died  in  Ontario  in  1905.  Martin  de  Jeaan  was  carrier  for  the  first  United 
States  mail  from  Ontario  to  North  Ontario,  and  continued  in  that  service 
for  a  number  of  years. 

After  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Williams  removed  to  Ontario  and, 
being  without  capital,  he  sought  employment  at  any  honorable  occupation 
that  would  furnish  his  family  with  a  living.  He  picked  and  did  other  work 
in  the  fruit  orchards,  worked  at  dry  ranching,  with  fumigating  crews,  was 
employed  in  the  Chino  sugar  refinery,  but  eventually  engaged  in  the  retail 
meat  business  and  has  been  in  the  service  of  several  firms  at  Ontario,  being 
now  connected  with  the  San  Antonio  Meat  Company.  He  is  also  a  director 
in  the  Security  State  Bank  of  Ontario.  He  owns  his  modern  home  and  the 
orange  grove  which  he  bought  from  his  wife's  grandfather.  He  and  his 
family  are  members  of  the  Nazarene  Church. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Williams  have  six  children :  Grace,  born  April  10, 
1902,  now  a  senior  in  the  Chaffey  Junior  College;  Maye,  born  October  27, 
1905,  also  in  high  school;  Hazel,  born  October  31,  1907,  a  high  school 
girl;  James  A.,  born  October  13,  1912;  Jean,  born  April  7,  1915,  and 
Lawrence  Andrew,  born  January  14,  1918,  known  in  the  family  circle 
as  Bobby  Williams.    These  children  were  all  born  at  Ontario. 

Gus  Knight — The  career  of  Gus  Knight,  one  of  the  best-known  men 
of  San  Bernardino  County,  reads  like  a  romance,  and  yet  in  this  case, 
as  in  so  many  others,  "truth  is  stranger  than  fiction."  Coming  into 
this  region  when  it  was  a  desert  wilderness,  Mr.  Knight  not  only  has 
passed  through  all  of  the  stages  of  its  development,  but  has  brought 
about  many  of  them,  and  to  his  courage,  energy,  foresight  and  splen- 
did business  management  is  directly  due  the  establishment  and  expan- 
sion of  Knight's  Camp  in  Bear  Valley,  one  of  the  best  and  most  re- 
nowned American  mountain  resorts,  to  which  people  come  from  all 
over  the  civilized  world. 

Mr.  Knight  is  a  native  son  of  the  county,  having  been  born  at 
San  Bernardino  May  4,  1861,  the  family  home  being  on  the  present 
site  of  the  Santa  Fe  depot.  He  is  a  son  of  Augustus  (known  as  Gus) 
Knight,  who  was  born  in  Maine,  in  1831,  and  Elizabeth  Knight,  who 
was  born  in  England  in  1835,  and  when  she  was  fourteen  years  old 
her  parents  brought   her   to   the    United   States.     In    1860  Augustus 


U^t^C^^^  L^O<--^-^>y/AA^ 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RD7ERSIDE  COUNTIES       1151 

Knight  ari'l  his  wife  were  married  at  San  Bernardino,  to  which  place  he 
had  journeyed  from  Maine  in  an  ox  cart,  encountering  Indians  by  the 
way  and  passed  through  a  number  of  exciting  incidents.  He  stopped 
for  a  time  in  Humboldt  County,  California,  and  was  there  engaged  in 
prospecting,  for  this  was  in  1852,  when  the  gold  excitement  was  at  its 
height  and  men  came  West  in  search  of  the  precious  metal,  not  then 
realizing  that  the  great  state  held  many  other  riches  aside  from  that 
lure  which  was  to  give  it  its  name  of  "Golden."  From  Humboldt 
County  he  traveled  down  the  coast  to  the  San  Bernardino  Valley. 
His  wife  crossed  the  plains  by  way  of  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  in  1852, 
her  parents  with  their  ox  team  forming  part  of  an  immigrant  train. 
While  he  was  prospecting  he  discovered  the  Temescal  tin  mine  in 
Temescal  Canyon,  and  this  has  been  operated  off  and  on  ever  since. 
He  was  also  interested  in  timbering,  and  conducted  this  line  of  busi- 
ness for  several  years  in  the  Mill  Seeley  Flats,  and  built  the  first 
saw-mill  to  manufacture  shingles  at  B  and  Fourth  streets,  San  Ber- 
nardino, operating  it  in  partnership  with  Doctor  Dickey,  and  they 
floated  the  shingle  logs  down  to  the  mill.  Another  venture  of  his 
from  1862  to  1864  was  the  operating  of  a  stage  line  to  Arizona,  but  he 
then  abandoned  it,  as  there  was  not  sufficient  patronage  to  justify 
the  expense  and  risk  of  attack  from  the  numerous  hostile-  Indians. 
In  1874  he  built  a  hotel  at  Gold  Mountain,  and  conducted  it  for  two 
years,  and  was  also  engaged  in  the  stock  business  and  desert  freight- 
ing, continuing  the  last  two  occupations  until  his  death.  He  and 
his  wife  had  two  children,  his  namesake  son  and  a  daughter,  Belle, 
who  was  the  younger  of  the  two.  She  was  born  July  26,  1863,  and  is 
now  the  wife  of  J.  R.  Metcalf,  an  orange  grower  and  business  man  of 
San  Bernardino. 

Educated  in  the  public  and  private  schools  of  San  Bernardino,  Gus 
Knight  rapidly  acquired  a  working  knowledge  of  the  fundamentals, 
and  when  only  thirteen  years  old  began  to  be  self-supporting  as  an 
associate  with  his  father  in  the  cattle  business  in  Bear  Valley,  and 
from  that  early  age  has  been  identified  with  the  development  of  this 
region.  In  1888  he  and  John  Metcalf  built  the  first  hotel,  which  be- 
came the  widely-famed  Pine  Knot  Hotel,  and  he  soon  brought  out 
his  partner  and  conducted  it  alone  until  1910,  when  he  sold  it  to 
Charles  Henry.  In  the  meanwhile,  through  his  enterprise  and  fore- 
sight, he  built  a  splendid  and  enduring  monument  to  himself  and 
his  times,  a  mountain  resort  of  world-rennown.  In  1902  he  started 
what  he  named  Knight's  Camp  in  Bear  Valley,  erecting  cabins,  and 
improving  the  buildings  later  on,  developing  the  various  features, 
until  it  attained  to  remarkable  proportions  and  fame,  and  this,  too, 
he  sold,  in  1919,  retaining  only  some  selected  lots  and  his  mountain 
home.  Air.  Knight  made  other  investments,  in  1897  purchasing  fifteen 
acres  on  Base  Line,  and  this  he  set  to  orange  trees,  and  in  1920 
he  built  his  beautiful  modern  home  overlooking  the  Line  Valley,  with 
the  San  Bernardino  Mountains  at  his  very  door.  This  is  one  of  the 
most  beautiful  spots  in  the  entire  country,  and  Mr.  Knight  takes  great 
pleasure  in  the  wonderful  landscape  spread  out  before  him. 

Mr.  Knight  has  been  married  twice,  his  first  wife  having  been 
Miss  Nancy  C.  Henry.  By  this  marriage  he  has  two  children, 
namely:  James  H.  Knight,  who  is  a  resident  of  Los  Angeles,  Cali- 
fornia, is  married  and  has  one  son,  Freemont ;  and  Charles  H.,  who  is 
a  resident  of  Big  Bear,  where  he  owns  and  operates  a  garage  and  auto- 
mobile business.  He  also  is  married,  and  has  two  children,  Thomas 
and  Charlotte.     In   1913   Mr.   Knight  married  Mary   C.  Workman,  a 


1152       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

daughter  of  Joseph  Workman,  a  pioneer  of  Los  Angeles.  Mrs. 
Knight's  grandfather,  William  Workman,  founded  the  first  bank  of 
Los  Angeles,  known  as  the  Workman  &  Temple  Bank.  It  was  located 
in  the  Temple  Block,  Los  Angeles. 

Out  of  Mr.  Knight's  development  of  his  hotel  and  camp  grew 
another  industry  that  he  carried  on  for  years,  and  that  was  road 
building,  and  his  efforts  in  this  line  have  made  it  possible  for 
thousands  of  people  to  view  in  comfort  the  grandeurs  of  this  wonder- 
ful mountain  country,  and  brought  to  it  many  of  tourists  who  other- 
wise would  have  been  deterred  on  account  of  the  hardships.  While 
he  has  reaped  a  fortune  from  his  various  projects,  he  has  earned 
all  he  has  and  deserves  more  than  most  men  his  prosperity  and  the 
plaudits  of  his  fellow  citizens,  for  he  has  bestowed  upon  others 
through  his  developments  and  through  his  public  spirit  much  more 
than  he  has  secured  for  himself. 

Dr.  Hollis  J.  Foster  was  one  of  the  brilliant,  interesting  and  vigorous 
personalities  in  the  early  history  of  the  Cucamonga  community  of  San 
Bernardino  County.  On  account  of  his  health  he  practiced  medicine  very 
little  after  coming  to  California,  but  he  used  his  capital  and  business  judg- 
ment in  a  way  to  advance  the  best  interests  of  this  section,  and  developed 
some  of  the  land  that  is  now  contained  in  one  of  the  greatest  fruit  growing 
districts  in  Southern  California. 

He  was  born  at  Norwich,  Vermont,  July  3,  1843,  and  had  many  of  the 
fine  characteristics  of  the  old  New  England  stock.  He  acquired  his  early 
education  in  Vermont  and  later  graduated  from  the  Eclectic  Medical  Insti- 
tute at  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  For  several  years  he  enjoyed  an  extensive 
professional  practice  in  several  Middle  West  communities,  but  when  his 
health  failed  he  came  to  California  and  first  settled  on  a  ranch  near  Santa 
Ana,  but  six  years  later  sold  that  and  moved  to  Cucamonga.  Here  he 
bought  forty  acres  on  the  old  San  Bernardino  Road,  including  a  portion 
of  the  old  Orchard  ranch.  While  developing  this  property  he  also  owned 
and  operated  a  drug  store  in  Cucamonga,  and  was  owner  of  that  business 
when  he  died  March  23,  1906. 

On  November  12,  1872,  in  Iowa,  Doctor  Foster  married  Miss  Isabel 
Lanning,  who  was  born  in  Clinton,  Iowa,  April  30,  1852,  daughter  of 
Samuel  and  Sarah  (Welch)  Lanning,  the  former  a  native  of  Newark, 
New  Jersey,  and  the  latter  of  West  Virginia.  Mrs.  Foster  was  educated 
in  the  public  schools  of  Clinton,  Iowa.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Foster  had  three 
children.  The  oldest,  M.  H.  Foster,  who  was  born  at  Piano,  Illinois, 
October  10,  1874,  acquired  his  education  in  the  Chaffey  College,  Ontario, 
California,  and  now  has  active  charge  of  the  home  ranch  of  forty  acres. 
He  is  a  young  business  man  noted  for  thoroughness  in  everything  he 
undertakes,  and  has  made  the  home  ranch  one  of  the  notable  properties 
in  this  vicinity.  On  May  8,  1901,  he  married  Miss  Susie  Austin,  a  native 
of  Kansas,  and  they  are  the  proud  parents  of  a  son.  Burton  Foster,  who 
was  born  at  Cucamonga  February  2,  1921.  This  heir  of  the  Foster  family 
is  a  particular  idol  of  his  grandmother,  Mrs.  Foster. 

The  second  of  the  children  is  Nell  Foster,  who  was  born  in  Near 
Clinton,  Iowa,  March  17,  1878,  also  finished  her  education  in  the  old 
Chaffey  College  at  Ontario,  and  on  February  21,  1905,  at  Los  Angeles, 
was  married  to  Stanley  M.  Frew,  an  accountant  who  now  lives  in  Los 
Angeles.  The  third  child,  Ethel,  born  in  Melbourne,  Iowa,  March  29, 
1885,  was  educated  at  Chaffey  College,  and  on  April  7,  1906,  was  married 
to  F.  C.  Hillyard,  who  is  in  the  Government  service  at  San  Francisco. 
They  have  one  daughter,  Beth  Loraine,  born  April  12,  1918. 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1153 

About  six  years  after  Doctor  Foster's  death,  Mrs.  Foster  bought  her 
present  home  on  West  Ninth  Street  in  Upland,  where  she  is  living  retired, 
her  son  operating  the  home  ranch.  Doctor  Foster  was  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  Fraternity. 

M.  H.  Bordwell  has  had  an  interested  and  helpful  part  in  practically 
the  entire  history  of  the  thriving  little  City  of  Upland,  going  there  when 
the  scattered  settlements  were  still  known  as  North  Ontario.  Throughout 
this  period  he  has  been  identified  with  the  commercial  side  of  the  fruit 
industry. 

Mr.  Bordwell  was  born  in  Calhoun  County,  Michigan,  October  6,  1849, 
son  of  David  B.  and  Martha  B.  Bordwell,  who  were  natives  of  New  York 
State.  Of  their  three  sons  II.  W.  and  L.  C.  are  now  deceased.  M.  H.  Bord- 
well grew  up  on  his  father's  farm,  and  secured  a  common  school  educa- 
tion. In  the  intervals  of  his  schooling  he  worked  in  the  fields  and  about 
the  home,  and  that  made  up  the  routine  of  his  life  until  he  was  twenty-one. 
After  about  a  year  he  was  employed  in  an  agricultural  implement  business 
at  Marshall,  Michigan.  In  1880  he  moved  west  to  Madison  County, 
Nebraska.  In  Nebraska  Mr.  Bordwell  had  some  more  extensive  relations 
with  business  affairs,  buying  and  shipping  livestock  and  at  times  was  a 
participant  in  several  mercantile  ventures.  He  lived  in  that  state  ten 
years,  and  early  in  1890  came  to  California.  For  a  time  he  and  his  family 
resided  at  Riverside,  but  soon  joined  the  colony  at  Upland. 

Mr.  Bordwell  and  Mr.  Fawsett  formed  a  partnership  to  buy  and  dry 
green  fruit,  and  developed  an  extensive  business  as  dealers  and  shippers 
of  dried  fruit  out  of  this  district.  Eventually  their  business  was  sold 
to  a  newly  organized  corporation,  the  Ontario  Packing  Company,  of  which 
Mr.  Bordwell  was  one  of  the  founders  and  in  which  he  has  been  a 
director  from  the  beginning.  He  is  still  buyer  for  his  district.  This 
company  has  branches  throughout  Southern  California,  with  main  offices 
in  Los  Angeles.  Mr.  Bordwell  was  also  one  of  the  early  members  of 
the  Magnolia  Mutual  Building  &  Loan  Association  at  Upland,  was  a 
director,  and  the  nineteenth  annual  report  names  him  as  secretary  and 
treasurer,  the  position  he  has  filled  for  a  number  of  years.  He  is  a 
director  in  the  Citizens  Savings  Bank,  a  life-long  republican  and  a  member 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  Mr.  Bordwell  is  a  plain,  unpretentious  busi- 
ness man,  and  yet  his  associates  recognize  him  as  one  of  the  colony's 
steadily  helpful  and  loyal  members,  always  ready  to  do  his  part  in  advanc- 
ing the  best  interests  of  the  community. 

On  November  29,  1876,  he  married  Miss  Judith  J.  Aldrich,  also  a 
native  of  Calhoun  County.  Michigan.  Their  only  son  is  Reid  B.  Bord- 
well, who  was  born  June  29,  1882,  at  Madison,  Nebraska.  He  received 
most  of  his  education  in  Upland,  where  he  attended  the  high  school,  also 
took  a  business  course  in  the  Chaffey  College  at  Ontario,  and  is  an 
accountant  by  profession.  Though  not  subject  to  the  draft  at  the  time 
and  with  a  wife  and  child  he  volunteered  July  1,  1918,  at  Los  Angeles, 
and  was  assigned  to  Battery  A,  Fourth  Regiment,  Field  Artillery.  He 
received  his  honorable  discharge  December  20,  1918.  In  1907  he  married 
Beatrice  Cerry,  a  native  of  London,  Canada.  They  have  one  daughter 
Judith  Louise' Bordwell  born  June  11,  1908. 

Minnie  Denison  Goodrich. — The  family  names  of  Denison  and 
Goodrich  have  been  identified  with  development  work  and  the  good 
citizenship  of  the  Upland  section  of  San  Bernardino  County  for 
thirty-five  years.  Lands  have  been  leveled,  cleared  and  planted, 
orange    groves    developed,    homes    established    through    the    instru- 


1154       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

mentality  of  these  families.  Mrs.  Minnie  Goodrich  is  the  widow  of 
ihe  late  John  B.  Goodrich,  a  hard  working  and  thrifty  citizen  whose 
name  is  held  in  the  highest  respect  in  this  community. 

Mrs.  Goodrich  was  born  near  Oil  City,  Pennsylvania,  March  27, 
1873,  daughter  of  B.  S.  and  Florence  Denison.  In  1874,  the  year 
following  her  birth,  her  parents  moved  to  Newport,  Kentucky,  where 
her  father  was  a  merchant  until  1886.  For  some  time  he  had  suffered 
ill  health,  and  his  physicians  advised  him  that  the  only  possible  means 
of  restoring  his  strength  was  to  seek  the  milder  climate  of  Southern 
California.  Accordingly  in  1886  he  traded  his  Newport  property  for 
a  tract  of  ten  acres  in  what  was  then  known  as  North  Ontario,  now 
Upland.  This  land  was  on  Twenty-first  Street,  near  Euclid  Avenue. 
The  Santa  Fe  Railroad  had  not  yet  built  to  Upland,  and  the  nearest 
railroad  station  was  at  Ontario.  The  Denisons  were  pioneers  in  fact, 
since  most  of  the  land  was  wild,  covered  with  sage  brush,  and  the 
plantings  had  been  chiefly  in  deciduous  fruit  and  grapes.  The  land 
acquired  by  Mr.  Denison  had  been  set  to  deciduous  fruits,  but  he 
later  developed  it  as  an  orange  grove.  Some  years  later  he  and  his 
three  older  children  left  California  and  went  to  Honolulu.  Mr. 
Denison  is  now  eighty-three  years  of  age  and  is  still  active,  with  his 
two  sons,  in  the  railroad  and  transportation  business  in  the  Hawaiian 
Islands. 

Miss  Minnie  Denison  was  thirteen  years  of  age  when  she  came  to 
California,  and  she  finished  her  education  in  a  one  room  school 
building  on  Eighteenth  Street,  being  one  of  the  three  girls  and  seven 
boys  who  made  up  the  scholarship  enrollment  of  the  colony  at  that 
time.     Later  she  attended  the  Normal  School  at  Los  Angeles. 

On  September  28,  1889,  Miss  Denison  was  married  to  John  B. 
Goodrich.  The  late  Mr.  Goodrich  was  a  native  of  Beaver  Dam, 
Wisconsin.  His  father  was  a  hard  working  farmer  in  that  state,  and, 
needing  the  assistance  of  his  children,  he  took  his  son  out  of  school 
at  the  age  of  thirteen  and  put  him  to  work  on  the  farm.  John  B. 
Goodrich  after  leaving  home  managed  to  get  an  academic  education 
and  also  studied  privately,  and  in  that  way  procured  a  substantial 
equipment  for  life's  work.  On  coming  to  California  he  bought  ten 
acres  on  West  Sixteenth  Street  at  Upland,  and  cleared,  leveled  and 
set  this  to  citrus  fruits.  He  also  erected  a  substantial  home,  in  which 
he  and  Mrs.  Goodrich  lived  until  it  was  destroyed  by  fire  September 
15,  1917.  He  then  replaced  it  with  the  modern  home  where  Mrs. 
Goodrich  resides.  From  this  house  is  obtained  an  unrivalled  view 
of  the  valley  below.  Mr.  Goodrich,  who  died  October  15,  1920,  had 
the  quality  of  industry,  was  a  good  manager,  and  thoroughly  inter- 
ested in  the  welfare  of  others  outside  his  immediate  family.  While 
improving  his  own  holdings  he  acted  as  caretaker  for  the  groves  of 
other  owners,  and  for  seven  years  served  as  horticultural  inspector  for 
the  district.     He  was  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order. 

Since  his  death  Mrs.  Goodrich  has  taken  over  the  business  manage- 
ment of  the  property  and  has  kept  her  younger  children  in  school. 
Mrs.  Goodrich  was  the  fourth  in  a  family  of  seven  children,  named 
George,  Bertha,  Harry,  Minnie,  Julia,  Lee  and  Mary.  The  four  oldest 
children  are  still  living.  Mrs.  Goodrich  has  four  children:  Helen, 
born  January  1,  1904,  now  in  the  senior  year  in  the  Chaff ey  High 
School  at  Ontario ;  Bertha,  born  at  Upland  April  8,  1906,  in  the  sopho- 
more year  of  high  school;  Harland,  born  September  3,   1908;  and 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1155 

Landon,  born  September  13,  1911.     Mrs.  Goodrich  is  a  member  of 
the  Presbyterian  Church. 

Datus  E.  Myers  was  born  at  Harrison,  Ohio,  March  15,  1842,  and 
died  in  Riverside,  California.  May  30,  1919.  He  was  the  son  of 
Henry  and  Martha  Myers,  who  were  both  natives  of  Pennsylvania. 

Those  were  pioneer  days  in  Ohio,  when  the  waterways  were  the 
only  highroads  and  most  of  the  early  settlers  came  to  this  rich  and 
virgin  wilderness  by  way  of  the  Ohio  River,  with  their  few  worldly 
goods  on  a  raft.  In  such  manner  the  parents  of  Mr.  Myers  arrived 
and  cast  in  their  lot  with  the  early  settlers  of  Cincinnati,  where  in 
a  nearby  village  Mr.  Myers  was  born.  He  was  the  youngest  of  twelve 
children,  and  his  early  life  was  full  of  the  constructive  influences  of 
those  pioneer  days.  No  person  can  successfully  form  a  character 
without  overcoming  obstacles,  especially  one  of  Mr.  Myers'  virile 
and  keen  mind.  Through  the  loss  of  inherited  property  this  large 
family  of  children  were  forced  to  face  the  world  and  battle  with  it. 
Datus  Myers,  being  the  youngest  and  last  at  home,  had  to  not  only 
carve  his  own  way  but  help  to  take  care  of  his  old  parents.  Boy 
that  he  was.  he  assumed  the  task  with  a  dauntless  courage,  and 
although  he  had  to  give  up  hope  of  further  schooling,  yet  he  never 
for  one  moment  permitted  that  to  interfere  with  his  education.  An 
omniverous  reader  and  with  a  perfect  memory,  he  proceeded  to  use 
every  spare  moment  in  the  company  of  the  best  and  most  profound 
books,  to  such  good  purpose  that  in  the  evening  of  his  life,  after  he 
had  retired  from  business,  he  spent  his  time  in  study  and  writing — 
his  mind  growing  more  wonderful  and  brilliant  with  each  succeeding 
year. 

He  made  a  very  exhaustive  study  of  the  history  of  the  North 
American  Indian  and  the  book  which  he  wrote  on  the  subject  was 
accepted  by  one  of  the  leading  publishing  houses,  but  on  account  of 
war  conditions  it  was  not  published.  His  last  book  was  a  discussion 
of  practical  civics,  but  the  same  conditions  obtained  and  the  book 
was  never  printed. 

As  a  young  man  and  growing  with  his  years  the  quality  of 
patriotism  was  developed  to  its  highest  point.  At  the  outbreak  of  the 
Civil  war  he  promptly  enlisted  on  the  side  of  the  Union  and  fought 
with  the  Eighty-third  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry  for  three  years. 
During  one  of  the  hardest  engagements  he  carried  not  only  his  own 
colors  but  those  of  the  Twenty-third  Wisconsin,  whose  color  bearers 
had  been  shot  down  again  and  again.  Catching  up  the  flag  as  it  was  going 
down,  he  rallied  the  men  of  the  Wisconsin  Regiment  to  a  final  charge. 
For  this  act  of  bravery  he  was  given  a  furlough  to  carry  the  Wisconsin 
colors  back  to  the  organization  that  presented  them,  and  they  are  now 
at  the  State  House  in  Madison. 

After  his  return  from  the  war  he  went  up  the  Mississippi  River  by 
steamboat  to  claim  his  bride,  Ida  Louise  Watkins.  They  were 
married  on  September  6,  1865.  Four  daughters  were  born  to  them, 
two  of  whom,  Mrs.  H.  A.  Atwood  and  Miss  Julia  Myers,  together  with 
Mrs.  Myers,  survive  him. 

Mr.  Myers  was  a  man  who  thought  big  thoughts  and  engaged  in 
big  things.  His  career  in  the  real  estate  business  was  marked  by  big 
ventures,  which  finally  won  him  a  competence.  As  superintendent  of 
a  men's  reformatory  in  St.  Cloud,  Minnesota,  he  worked  out  policies 
that  put  him  in  the  first  rank  with  penologists :  as  a  politician  he 
cared  nothing  for  place  but  loved  to  play  the  game ;  as  a  citizen  he 


1156       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

stood  for  the  highest  and  best.  He  loved  California  and  Riverside, 
and  many  years  ago  made  the  decision  that  this  was  to  be  the  home 
in  his  declining  years  and  his  final  resting  place. 

The  most  striking  characteristic  of  Mr.  Myers  was  his  dauntless 
courage— the  courage  of  the  losing  fight,  and  to  the  end  he  faced  life 
and  all  its  exigencies  with  an  unconquered  spirit. 

Rev.  T.  J.  Fitzgerald — One  of  the  best  loved  men  in  Redlands  is 
Father  Fitzgerald,  who  for  nearly  thirty  years  has  been  the  spiritual 
head  of  the  Catholic  parish  here,  and  is  esteemed  almost  equally 
by  Protestants  as  well  as  among  his  own  church  people.  It  is  per- 
mitted to  set  down  some  of  his  impressions  gained  from  his  long 
experience  here. 

"San  Bernardino  County  pioneers  compare  favorably  with  up- 
builders  in  any  part  of  the  state.  It  has  been  the  good  fortune  of 
some  of  us  to  hear  from  their  own  lips  the  accounts  of  hardships  en- 
dured and  dangers  encountered  that  success  might  come  to  their 
labors.  The  hardy  pioneers  were  brave  workers.  They  had  a  pur- 
pose in  life,  and  they  put  all  their  energies,  mental  and  physical,  to  the 
attainment  of  that  purpose. 

"Redlands  is,  I  am  sure,  the  pride  of  San  Bernardino  County. 
Few  places  in  the  whole  world  have  such  natural  attractions  as  Red- 
lands.  A  friend  of  mine  once  met  a  world  renowned  traveler  on  the 
top  of  Mount  Riga.  This  friend  questioned  the  traveler  as  to  the 
most  beautiful  place  he  had  seen.  After  thinking  a  little  while  he 
said  'the  most  beautiful  spot  I  have  ever  seen  is  a  little  place  called 
Redlands  in  San  Bernardino  County,  California,  America.'  This 
friend  communicated  this  information  to  me,  and  my  response  was  'I 
have  always  thought  so.' 

"I  came  to  Redlands  twenty-seven  years  ago  last  June,  and  from 
that  day  to  this  it  has  always  been  'young  and  fair  to  me.'  In  a 
humble,  small,  obscure  way  nothing  has  been  left  undone  by  me, 
on  my  part,  to  aid  in  upbuilding  the  town.  In  that  time  our  lot  and 
labors  have  been  cast  chiefly  among  the  poorer  element  of  the  town. 
The  Catholic  priest,  like  the  church  to  which  he  belongs,  takes  an  in- 
terest in  everything  that  tends  to  the  upbuilding  of  mankind,  he  ex- 
cludes no  one  from  his  ministrations.  His  own,  of  course,  are  his 
direct  and  immediate  care ;  and  in  caring  for  his  own  his  attention  is 
constantly  and  chiefly  directed  to  things  moral  and  things  associated 
with  morality.  The  Trinity  of  the  world's  progress  is  the  home,  the 
school  and  the  church.  These  are  placed  in  the  order  of  their  im- 
portance, though  they  affect  each  other  as  part  of  one  great  whole, 
and  they  act  and  reach  out  one  to  the  other.  The  Catholic  Church  be- 
lieves in  the  absolute  necessity  of  religious  training  for  children,  so 
side  by  side  with  the  church  goes  the  school.  The  school  is  set  up  to 
add  religion  to  the  daily  training  of  the  child.  Redlands  has  many 
fine  schools,  and  very  efficient  teachers,  and  the  schools  have  grown 
in  every  way  in  the  past  twenty  years.  Catholics  are  proud  to  take 
their  place  as  educators. 

"Beginning  with  a  mere  handful— exactly  one  dozen — our  school 
kept  growing,  so  that  today  we  have  two  schools,  with  an  attendance 
of  two  hundred  and  fifty  children.  The  Catholic  Church  in  Red- 
lands  has  been  enlarged  three  times  since  it  was  first  built.  It  has 
a  membership  of  twelve  hundred." 

The  pastor  may  be  set  down  as  one  of  the  pioneers  of  the  county. 
He  was  born  in  Kerry,  Ireland,  October  25,  1857.     He  received  his 


Spc^,^/^ 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1157 

primary  education  in  the  local  schools  and  a  private  school  conducted 
by  the  Fathers  of  St.  Dominic.  At  St.  Brendan's  Seminary,  Killarney, 
he  received  his  preparatory  training  for  four  years,  and  from  there 
entered  the  great  university  of  Maynooth.  After  seven  years  he 
completed  a  post-graduate  course  and  was  ordained  to  the  priesthood 
in   1883.     His  first  missionary  labors  were  in  Scotland. 

In  1887  he  was  called  home  to  his  native  parish,  but  after  a  year 
of  labor  his  health  failed  and  he  set  out  for  Colorado.  The  climate 
was  very  beneficial  for  his  lung  trouble,  but  the  altitude  soon  pro- 
duced hemorrhages,  and  in  1893  he  left  Colorado  and  came  to  Cali- 
fornia, settling  first  at  Beaumont  and  then  in  San  Bernardino  County. 
The  following  year,  at  the  request  of  Father  Stockman,  a  venerable 
pioneer,  he  took  charge  at  Redlands.  This  was  then  a  small  place, 
and  there  were  few  Catholics.  However,  Father  Fitzgerald  accepted 
it  and  has  stayed  with  it  since  then.  Considerable  success  has  at- 
tended his  work,  and  it  has  attracted  the  appreciation  of  his  ecclesi- 
astical superiors.  Other  and  larger  charges  were  offered,  but  he  refused 
them,  determined  to  keep  the  little  place  where  he  began. 

In  1920  Pope  Benedict  raised  him  to  the  dignity  of  a  Domestic  Prel- 
ate and  this  was  followed  by  making  him  a  Prothonotary  Apostolic, 
the  highest  dignity  in  the  power  of  the  Pontiff  to  bestow.  All  the  same, 
the  old  Father  remains  unchanged.  He  is  still  preaching,  teaching,  and 
waiting  cheerfully  on  the  sick  and  suffering. 

Rev.  John  B.  Toomay,  pastor  of  Bethel  Congregational  Church  at 
Ontario,  has  rounded  out  a  career  of  a  quarter  of  a  century  of  faithful 
work  in  the  ministry,  and  is  known  as  one  of  the  able  thinkers  and 
public  leaders  of  San  Bernardino  County. 

Rev.  Mr.  Toomay  was  born  in  Ray  County,  Missouri,  in  1868, 
son  of  Edward  and  Martha  Toomay.  His  father  was  a  native  of 
Cork,  Ireland,  came  to  America  in  early  life  and  served  as  a  soldier 
in  the  Civil  war.  The  mother  belonged  to  a  family  of  Missouri 
pioneers  who  went  to  that  state  from  Tennessee. 

Rev.  John  B.  Toomay  was  an  A.  B.  graduate  from  Otterbein 
University  in  Ohio,  and  subsequently  received  his  Bachelor  of 
Divinity  degree  from  Yale  College.  Of  the  twenty-five  years  he  has 
spent  in  the  ministry  fifteen  were  years  of  labor  in  church  building  and 
preaching  in  Missouri,  while  for  ten  years  his  duties  have  lain  in 
California.  He  has  been  pastor  of  the  Congregational  Church  at 
Ontario  for  the  past  four  years.  Two  years  ago  he  built  an  attractive 
home  in  Ontario,  and  his  parents,  now  over  eighty  years  of  age, 
live  with  him. 

Mr.  Toomay  was  camp  pastor  at  Camp  Kearney  for  a  short  time 
during  the  late  war,  and  was  prominent  in  all  war  activities  during  the 
term  of  the  war.  Among  other  duties  he  is  probation  officer  for 
the  west  end  of  San  Bernardino  County.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
El  Camino  Real  Club,  made  up  of  local  educators  and  thinkers.  He  is 
a  Mason  and  a  member  of  the  progressive  wing  of  the  republican 
party.  Rev.  Mr.  Toomay  is  widely  traveled,  and  a  number  of  years 
ago  he. went  abroad  for  an  extensive  tour  of  the  Mediterranean  coun- 
tries, in  the  course  of  which  he  visited  the  cities  of  Rome  and  Athens 
and  also  Constantinople,  Egypt,  and  the  Holy  Land. 

At  Westerville,  Ohio,  in  1891,  he  married  Miss  Minnie  O.  Bender, 
daughter  of  Daniel  Bender,  of  Ohio.  Mrs.  Toomay  died  at  Ontario 
in  1919.  She  is  survived  by  a  daughter,  Helen  Toomay,  now  a  student 
in  Pomona  College.    Recently  Rev.  Mr.  Toomay  married  Inez  Craw- 


115S       SAX  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

ford,  a  returned  missionary  from  Japan.     She  is  a  daughter  of  John 
Crawford,  a  well  known  pioneer  of  Southern  California.  Mrs.  Toomay 
has  lived  at  Ontario  since  she  was  two  years  of  age  except  for  the 
its  she  spent  in  her  missionary  labors  in  Japan. 

William  B.  Cclross. — While  almost  every  branch  of  industrial  and 
commercial  activity  is  well  represented  in  San  Bernardino  County, 
it  must  be  admitted  that  those  connected  with  the  production  and 
marketing  of  fruits  are  of  paramount  importance,  as  this  is  especially 
a  fruit-growing  section  of  the  country.  Much  stress  has  been  laid 
upon  the  energy,  foresight  and  aggressiveness  of  the  men  who  are 
devoting  themselves  to  the  deciduous  industry,  and  the  half  has  not 
been  told,  but  the  same  is  equally  true  of  those  who  afford  a  market 
for  the  products  of  the  orchards  and  bring  the  producer  into  contact 
with  the  marts  of  trade.  One  of  the  men  whose  entire  life  has  been 
spent  in  this  line  of  work  is  William  B.  Culross.  of  Colton.  who  is 
now  manager  of  the  Colton  plant  of  the  Golden  State  Canneries,  a 
man  known  all  over  this  part  of  the  state  as  an  exponent  of  effective- 
ness and  sound  business  methods. 

William  B.  Culross  was  born  at  Rochester.  New  York.  August  27. 
1882.  and  comes  of  Colonial  stock  on  his  mother's  side,  and  of  Scotch 
descent  on  his  father's  side.  He  is  a  son  of  careful  parents  who  sent 
him  to  school  at  Rochester  for  a  couple  of  years,  but  in  1890  the 
family  came  to  California  and  settled  at  San  Bernardino,  where  they 
spent  a  year,  the  lad  attending  the  San  Bernardino  schools.  In  1893 
a  return  was  made  to  Rochester,  but  in  1894  the  family  once  more 
came  to  California,  and  took  up  permanent  residence  at  Rialto. 
William  B.  Culross  had  two  more  years  in  the  San  Bernardino  schools 
and  a  year  in  the  Riverside  Business  College,  and  then  was  ready  for 
his  contact  with  the  actualities  of  life.  He  became  associated  with 
A.  Gregory,  an  orange  grower  and  shipper  at  Redlands.  as  stenog- 
rapher, and  in  this  connection  learned  one  end  of  the  business,  so 
that  when  he  came  to  Colton  it  was  as  secretary  of  the  Gregory  Fruit 
Company,  and  he  held  that  position  until  the  concern  was  absorbed 
by  the  Golden  State  Canneries,  at  which  time  he  was  made  manager 
of  the  Colton  plant,  and  still  holds  this  responsible  position.  While 
-  the  republican  ticket,  he  has  never  concerned  himself  greatly 
about  politics,  but  when  elected  to  the  Colton  City  Council  rendered 
such  efficient  service  to  his  ward  and  city-  that  he  has  been  re-elected 
several  times  and  is  now  serving  his  ninth  consecutive  year  in  that 
body,  the  last  seven  years  being  the  presiding  officer.    He  is  a  Mason. 

In  1906  Mr.  Culross  married  at  Colton  Miss  Effie  Gilbert,  the 
ceremony  being  celebrated  on  the  day  of  the  San  Francisco  earth- 
quake. Mrs.  Culross  is  a  native  of  Iowa  and  a  daughter  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Elmer  E.  Gilbert,  of  Colton.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Culross  have  two 
daughters.  Ada  and  Bertha.  The  leading  characteristic  displayed  by 
Mr.  Culross  is  dependability.  With  it  he  possesses  ability,  persistency 
and  sincerity,  and  never  goes  into  anything  unless  he  heartily  believes 
in  it  and  is  certain  that  its  successful  termination  will  be  of  lasting 
good  to  the  majority.  He  is  deservedly  popular,  and  stands  very 
high  in  public  confidence. 

Feed  W.  Frexch. — After  a  broad  and  general  successful  business 
experience  in  the  East  Fred  W.  French  came  to  California  with  his 
familv  in  1911.  and  after  a  few  vears  entered  the  real  estate  business. 


SAX  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1159 

He  is  now  senior  member  of  French-Spangler  Realty  Company  at 
San  Bernardino. 

Mr.  French  was  born  at  Paulding,  Ohio,  November  20.  1867 
of  Andrew  Y.  and  Lottie  B.  French.    His  father  had  to  his  credit  a 
record  of  four  and  a  half  years'  service  as  a  Union  soldier  in  the 
Civil  war.    He  first  enlisted  when  about  fifteen  years  of  age.    F 
rrer.  :r.    i'rt       "'    s.:    :v:'.f.-i-    iri  '.    i"-      :r   ~    '   i""    -'  "      -       ' 

1882.  and  took  a  commercial  course  in  the  Valparais 
of  Indiana.    For  ten  years  he  had  the  ex:    -  xjkkeeper  and 

stenographer  in  Chicago.  Returning  to  Paulding  in  1893,  he  was 
in  the  newspaper  business  there  three  years,  and  for  seven  year- 
conducted  a  mercantile  establishment.  In  1904  Mr.  French  removed 
to  Defiance,  Ohio,  where  he  was  again  in  the  general  merchandise 
business. 

V.'r.er.  he  :a.rr.  e  '.  "_V.::  ~~.  -.  :r  '.'.'.'.  he  '.  v  :  r.  -.-  ~r.e  ~  - 
at  Rialto.  but  in  1914  moved  to  San  Bernardino  and  became  associated 
with  C.  M.  Dalldorf  in  the  real  estate  business.  Their  partnership 
was  dissolved  in  Tune,  1916.  and  since  then  Mr.  French  has  been 
associated  with  Preston  A.  Spangler  in  the  firm  of  French-Spangler 
Realty  Company,  real  estate,  loans  and  insurance.  It  is  one  of  the 
'.ti.'..-  z  --rr.-     :  -'.- t  '-:  -  I   ir.    ;i~ i  e: -  '.-     r.      I:ur.r 

Mr.  French  for  many  years  has  been  a  Knight  Templar  Mason 
-~~  '-.'.'.■:  '--.'.  :-  =  'r '-'-'■  --'- :'-'.~.t  i  r -L.tr  :  -.he  I:  ".'•:-  He  \  e:£.~  e  i~  .  -.:-.  - 
with  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  Ohio,  but  after  coming  to  California 
■-\~ -:.:---\  r.:=  rr.tr-  '■•;--'■-  :  :r.t  _  r.rreei::  r.a.1  ir.:'..  --.  ?.:  =  '.: 
and  later  to  the  Congregational  Church  at  San  Bernardino. 
Mr.  French  resides  at  332  Magnolia  Street,  with  his  two  children. 
Cecil  S.  and  Kathleen  French  Chapin,  both  of  whom  are  employed 
:r.  \r.t  '  :.-r.t--  life     i  S=.r.   \---  \-  '..-  . 

Cecil  S.  French,  born  in  1890.  at  Paulding,  Ohio,  has  lived  in 
California  since  1911.  and  for  the  last  four  years  has  been  in  the 
employ  of  the  Santa  Fe  Railway  Company.  Kathleen  French  Chapin 
was  born  in  1895  at  Paulding,  graduated  from  the  Defiance,  Ohio. 
High  School  in  1911.  and  in  the  same  year  came  to  California.  She 
:  ~;".e:e  :  a  :  rr.rr.er:  =.!  :  ^r;e  :r.  a.  urta  :  '.tzt  .-.  -  .'  i 
has  since  been  connected  with  the  Farmers  Exchange  National  Bank 
of  San  Bernardino. 

Pbestox  A.  Spaxgles  was  born  in  Delaware  County.  Ohio,  August  17, 
:  fin  ot  John  L.  and  Mary  L.  Spangler.  He  received  only  a 
district  school  education,  and  engaged  as  clerk  in  a  dry  goods  business 
---.  :'.  t  i_-e  i  rf:eer  ~~t  :  '.'.  'e;  :r.e  -ir.  t  ::::;;:  -  _-:.'.  :\  re 
of  health,  and  came  to  California  with  his  widowed  mother  and  wife 
in  October.  1901.  Engaging  at  that  time  in  the  life  insurance  business 
in  Los  Angeles,  he  followed  the  same  fine  until  May.  1916.  when  he 
became  associated  with  F.  W.  French  in  the  real  estate  business  in 
y-.r.   i  fr.-.-  ::-        i  V.  i   ::■; 

Chailes  H.  DrxHAM  was  born  at  Fort  Wayne,  Indiana.  November 
30.  1883.  a  son  of  Frank  W.  and  Jennie  M.  Dunham.  He  moved  to 
Paulding  County.  Ohio,  with  parents  in  1891,  and  attended  public 
school  and  the  Ohio  Northern  University,  at  Ada.  Ohio.  Mr.  Dunham 
was  deputy  treasurer  of  Paulding  County.  Ohio,  from  1901  to  1905. 
and  was  then  engaged  in  the  wholesale  and  retail  tobacco  business 
until  July.  1919.    He  moved  to  San  Bernardino,  California,  in  October 


1160       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

1919,  and  became  associated  in  business  with  the   French  Spangler 
Realty  Company. 

Abram  Stoner  Fox — The  pioneer  orange  shipper  of  Colton,  send- 
ing out  the  first  car  of  the  golden  fruit  from  that  city,  and  also  the 
packer  of  the  first  car  of  oranges  ever  shipped  from  Rialto  and  Bloom- 
ington,  Abram  Stoner  Fox  is  well  known  to  every  citrus  grower,  packer 
and  shipper  as  an  authority  on  citrus  fruits  and  horticulture  generally. 

He  did  not  have  an  easy  time  of  it,  for  he  had  to  see  the  Southern 
Pacific  have  first  choice  of  the  precious  water  he  needed  for  his  groves, 
and  only  too  often  not  a  drop  flowed  down  to  his  ranch  in  the  hot  weather. 
He  and  his  wife  packed  his  first  shipment  in  1881,  and  the  work  was 
done  in  their  kitchen  and  they  were  very  proud  of  their  infant  industry. 
In  after  years,  when  he  was  a  grower  and  shipper  of  prominence  and 
success,  it  must  have  been  a  rare  pleasure  to  recall  those  early  days. 

Mr.  Fox  can  be  placed  in  the  ranks  of  the  pioneers,  for  he  came  to 
California  in  1876  and  located  in  Colton  when  there  were  only  three 
houses  in  the  place.  He  is  prominently  identified  with  that  district,  not 
only  in  his  horticultural  work  but  in  the  civic  life  of  Colton,  which  city 
he  served  faithfully  and  most  successfully,  and  much  of  the  important 
improvement  and  advancement  of  Colton  was  accomplished  while  he 
was  in  office  there.  In  fraternal  and  social  circles  he  was  an  important 
factor,  and  when  he  removed  to  Redlands  some  ten  years  ago  he  left 
a  void  in  the  life  of  Colton  which  it  has  been  impossible  to  fill.  In  Red- 
lands  he  has  become  just  as  prominent  as  in  Colton,  and  is  growing 
oranges  in  the  same  successful  manner  he  did  in  his  first  California  home. 

Mr.  Fox  was  born  in  New  Castle,  Pennsylvania,  on  July  4,  1855, 
of  Scotch  and  Irish  descent.  He  is  the  son  of  Andrew  and  Catherine 
(Pence)  Fox,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  the  same  state  as  the  son. 
The  elder  Fox  was  a  miller  by  occupation.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fox  were  the 
parents  of  eleven  children,  five  boys  and  six  girls,  of  whom  Abram 
Stoner  Fox  was  the  tenth  child. 

He  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  Pennsylvania,  and  as  he  had  a 
brother  in  Colton,  California,  he  decided  to  come  out  to  the  coast.  He 
arrived  in  Colton  September  26,  1876,  at  the  time  the  Trans-Continental 
Railroad  was  being  completed.  There  were  three  houses  in  Colton  at 
that  time,  but  the  depot  was  being  constructed. 

Mr.  Fox  was  about  twenty  years  old  when  he  arrived  in  Colton,  with 
no  thought  of  becoming  one  of  the  foremost  citrus  growers,  packers  and 
shippers.  Instead  he  intended  to  study  medicine  under  the  brother  resi- 
dent in  Colton,  Dr.  William  Fox,  who  came  to  California  in  1874,  one 
of  the  first  physicians  in  Colton.  Dr.  Fox  was  the  first  settler  on  Col- 
ton Terrace  Tract,  and  he  set  out  an  orange  grove  of  seedlings  and  also 
a  grove  of  limes  in  1875.  so  he  also  was  a  pioneer  grower. 

Instead  of  commencing  the  study  of  medicine  Mr.  Fox  commenced 
the  study  of  horticulture  by  undertaking  the  care  of  his  brother's  grove. 
In  this  manner  he  was  employed  for  eighteen  years.  In  the  meantime 
he  had  been  accumulating  land  and  had  twenty-eight  acres  set  out  in 
oranges,  which  made  it  necessary  at  that  time  to  sever  connections  with 
his  brother  and  commence  looking  after  his  own  interests,  which  were 
becoming  important.  Later  on  he  added  to  his  holdings,  so  that  on 
leaving  Colton  he  had  fifty  acres  in  oranges.  It  was  in  1881  that  he 
shipped  and  he  and  Mrs.  Fox  packed  his  first  shipment  in  the  kitchen 
of  their  home. 

As  noted  above,  he  had  to  obtain  water  under  difficulties,  for  it  came 
from  Raner  Ranch   (originally  Merks  Ranch)  and  the  Southern  Pacific 


A-J^<^ 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1161 

having  call  on  the  first  ten  inches  of  water,  which  was  brought  down  in 
an  open  ditch.  Very  often  in  warm  weather  it  dwindled  away,  although 
there  might  be  one  hundred  inches  at  the  head,  and  Mr.  Fox  would  not 
get  a  drop  of  it. 

When  Mr.  Fox  shipped  the  first  carload  of  oranges  from  Colton  the 
packing  was  done  in  a  shed  on  Dr.  Fox's  ranch  and  it  was  shipped  in  an 
ordinary  box  car,  refrigerated  cars  being  unknown  then.  Later  the 
depot  was  used  for  this  purpose.  Mr.  Fox,  having  shipped  the  first 
car  of  fruit  out  of  Colton,  did  the  same  thing  at  Rialto  and  Blooming- 
ton,  and  then  formed  an  Exchange,  including  Colton,  Redlands  Junction, 
Bloomington  and  Rialto.  The  Pavilion,  which  was  a  part  of  the  Fair 
grounds  was  purchased  and  converted  into  a  packing  house — the  first 
in  San  Bernardino  County. 

Mr.  Fox  continued  packing,  and  followed  that  industry  in  addition 
to  growing  until  1910,  when  he  decided  to  give  up  that  branch  of  the 
citrus  industry.  He  moved  over  to  Redlands  and  henceforward  gave 
his  time  and  attention  to  the  growing  of  oranges.  As  one  of  the  earliest 
orange  growers  of  the  county  he  is  always  interested  in  its  growth  and 
development. 

When  Mr.  Fox  was  twenty-one  he  joined  San  Bernardino  Lodge, 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  the  first  lodge  in  the  county.  He  is 
a  past  grand  of  the  Colton  lodge  and  is  today  the  only  living  charter 
member.  Its  most  influential  members  were  Hebrews,  and  in  Mr.  Fox^ 
opinion  they  were  among  his  best  advisers  on  matters  of  both  morals  and 
citizenship.  He  also  joined  the  Masonic  Order  and  at  the  present  time 
is  a  member  of  Redlands  Lodge  No.  300,  F.  and  A.  M.  He  is  also  a 
member  of  the  Foresters,  Woodmen  and  the  Fraternal  Brotherhood 
He  was  a  charter  member  of  the  Colton  Band,  organized  in  1880.  Of 
the  band  Scipio  Craig  was  leader,  and  this  was  San  Bernardino  County's 
first  brass  band.  He  was  city  trustee  of  Colton  when  the  Municipal 
Water  Company  was  organized  and  the  plant  was  installed,  and  he  was 
active  in  the  organization  and  installation,  as  in  all  other  enterprises 
which  would  advance  the  interests  of  Colton. 

On  October  26,  1877,  Mr.  Fox  wedded  Miss  Anna  Amanda  Hager, 
who  was  born  at  Jersey  Shore,  Pennsylvania,  March  20,  1857.  They 
are  the  parents  of  seven  children :  Lettie  Charlotte,  born  in  August, 
1880,  is  married  to  Ralph  Sweney.  She  lives  in  Arizona  and  has  two 
children,  Ralph,  Jr.,  and  Charlotte  Kitty,  born  in  1881,  is  now  Mrs. 
Arthur  Cortner,  whose  husband  is  an  undertaker  in  Redlands.  Stella, 
born  in  1884,  was  married  to  Mont  P.  Chubb,  a  prosperous  druggist  of 
Redlands.  Ella,  born  in  1888,  is  now  the  wife  of  W.  T.  S.  Munhall,  an 
orange  grower  of  Redlands.  Florence,  born  in  1894,  is  now  Mrs.  George 
Simon,  of  Pasadena,  California.  She  has  one  child,  George  Stoner  Fox. 
Lydia,  born  in  1898.  is  an  accomplished  musician,  employed  as  an  ac- 
countant at  Leipsic's  store  and  residing  with  her  parents.  Lucille,  born 
in  1905,  is  attending  high  school  and  lives  with  her  parents.  All  the 
children  are  high  school  graduates. 

Hiram  C.  Matteson. — It  is  not  so  difficult  a  matter  for  a  man  to 
achieve  success  when  he  does  not  meet  with  obstacles,  but  it  is  to 
his  credit  when,  in  spite  of  adverse  circumstances,  hampered  by  the 
ill  health  of  dependents,  he  manages  to  build  up  a  large  and  pros- 
perous business,  and  this  is  just  what  Hiram  C.  Matteson  has  done, 
so  that  his  dairy  business  is  one  of  the  largest  in  San  Bernardino, 
and  he  is  accounted  as  one  of  the  reliable  and  honorable  men  of  this 
region. 


1162      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

Hiram  C.  Matteson  was  born  near  Lake  Winnebago  in  the 
northern  part  of  Wisconsin,  January  1,  1863,  a  son  of  Dr.  Cyrene  K. 
Matteson,  a  veteran  of  the  war  between  the  states.  While  the  several 
wounds  he  received  during  his  period  of  service  did  not  result 
seriously,  his  health  was  greatly  impaired  because  of  an  attack  of 
smallpox  and  black  erysipelas  from  which  he  suffered.  On  account 
of  this  ill  health  he  moved  to  Northwestern  Iowa  when  his  son  was 
a  lad,  and  there  the  latter  attended  the  public  schools  from  1869  to 
1875.  Still  seeking  a  more  congenial  climate,  Doctor  Matteson  came 
to  San  Bernardino,  the  date  of  his  arrival  being  March  30,  1884.  He 
had  studied  medicine  in  the  Cincinnati  Medical  College,  from  which 
he  was  graduated  with  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine,  and  he 
oftentimes  stated  that  Doctor  Colliver  and  Mrs.  Dohrman  of  San 
Bernardino  were  also  graduated  from  the  same  college.  He  was 
engaged  in  an  active  practice,  in  Wisconsin,  Iowa  and  Tennessee, 
but  not  in  California.  Mr.  Colliver's  professional  act  was  to  vaccinate 
one  of  Doctor  Matteson's  grandchildren  shortly  before  his  death. 
Doctor  Matteson  was  a  man  of  high  standing,  both  socially  and  in  his 
profession,  and  in  his  death  San  Bernardino  lost  one  of  its  most  repre- 
sentative citizens. 

Hiram  Calvin  Matteson  was  engaged  in  farm  work  in  and  about 
San  Bernardino  for  the  first  few  years  after  his  arrival  in  this  section 
of  the  country.  In  1903  he  established  himself  in  a  dairy  business, 
but  met  with  reverses  owing  to  the  inability  to  collect  his  accounts 
and  the  expense  and  anxiety  attendant  upon  the  sickness  of  his  wife, 
but  he  is  a  man  who  does  not  know  there  is  such  a  word  as  "quit," 
and,  therefore,  with  characteristic  energy  he  began  again,  although 
with  only  $75.00  as  his  capital.  His  new  business  dates  back  only 
to  1919,  but  he  has  now  made  such  progress  that  he  has  his  retailing 
department  well  located  in  commodious  quarters  at  412  H  Street, 
and  is  handling  a  trade  that  averages  $3,000  a  month.  He  has  accom- 
plished what  is  a  modern  miracle,  by  working  practically  day  and 
night,  for  his  hours  run  from  5  A.  M.  to  10  P.  M. 

Mr.  Matteson  married  Miss  Elizabeth  Walton,  who  was  born  in 
Northern  California,  and  they  have  four  children,  namely :  Caroline, 
Francis,  Charles  Kenneth  and  John.  Caroline  was  married  to 
E.  E.  Perry,  a  veteran  of  the  World  war.  Mr.  Perry  was  wounded 
in  the  back  by  a  piece  of  shell  while  serving  in  the  trenches  in  France. 
As,  a  result  of  this  injury  he  is  unable  to  do  anything  but  light  work. 
Owing  to  his  absorption  in  his  business  Mr.  Matteson  has  not  been 
able  to  take  much  part  in  outside  matters,  but  is  interested  in  the 
progress  of  the  city  and  is  willing  to  do  what  lies  in  his  power  to 
secure  the  welfare  of  his  home  community. 

Harry  C.  Hornbeck. — One  of  the  first  evidences  given  by  a  com- 
munity of  its  prosperity  is  the  erection  of  handsome,  modern  buildings 
for  business  and  residential  purposes.  As  long  as  the  people  are 
satisfied  with  old,  unimproved  and  decaying  properties,  they  cannot 
be  said  to  take  much  interest  in  their  surroundings,  nor  are  they 
regarded  as  very  progressive  by  outsiders.  When,  however,  old 
buildings  begin  to  fall,  and  new  ones  go  up  in  their  place,  the  proof 
is  positive  that  a  new  element  has  been  injected,  that  a  fresh  start 
has  been  made,  and  it  is  remarkable  what  a  change  comes  about  not 
only  in  the  appearance  of  the  place,  but  the  people  themselves.  Local 
pride    is    stimulated,    competition    is    awakened,    and    outside    capital 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1163 

is  attracted.  Newcomers  passing  threugh  are  impressed  with  the 
advantages  of  the  region,  and  even  if  they  do  not  become  permanent 
residents,  they  carry  forth  the  information  regarding  the  locality, 
which  is  of  so  favorable  a  nature  that  others  do  come  in  resolved  to 
remain.  Connected  with  such  improvements  in  a  close  degree,  and 
oftentimes  bringing  them  about,  are  the  contractors  and  builders, 
without  whom  no  real  improvements  of  a  lasting  nature  can  be 
affected.  One  of  these  representative  men  of  San  Bernardino  who 
has  more  than  done  his  part  in  the  improvement  of  this  city  is 
Harry  C.  Hornbeck,  one  of  the  most  capable  and  experienced  men  in 
his  line  in  Southern  California. 

Harry  C.  Hornbeck  was  born  in  Hoopeston,  near  Danville,  Illinois, 
July  1,  1881,  a  son  of  Newton  and  Sarah  G.  (Smith)  Hornbeck. 
Newton  Hornbeck  was  born  in  New  York  State,  and  is  now  a  resident 
of  Los  Angeles,  California.  He  is  a  veteran  of  the  Union  Army, 
having  served  in  Company  E,  One  Hundred  and  Fourth  Illinois  Vol- 
unteer Infantry.  Although  only  sixteen  years  old  at  the  time  of  his 
enlistment,  he  finally  was  accepted,  although  it  was  his  third  time  of 
trying.  Like  so  many  lads  of  that  period,  he  was  intensely  patriotic 
and  determined  to  be  a  soldier.  His  parents  regarded  him  as  too 
youthful  for  such  service,  so  he  ran  away,  and  when  sent  back  by 
army  officials,  again  ran  away,  and  repeated  the  action  when  he  was 
again  returned  to  his  parents.  In  spite  of  his  youth  he  proved  a  good 
soldier  and  participated  in  many  important  engagements,  including 
those  of  Peach  Tree  Creek,  Lookout  Mountain,  and  those  of  General 
Sherman's  campaign  from  Atlanta  to  the  sea.  He  was  wounded  in 
the  leg  by  a  spent  ball,  but  was  otherwise  uninjured.  Becoming  a 
contractor  and  builder,  he  followed  that  line  of  business  for  many 
years,  and  for  years  was  a  prominent  figure  in  Livingston  County, 
Illinois,  where  he  served  as  sheriff  and  as  a  justice  of  the  peace.  For 
more  than  twenty  years  he  served  as  commander  of  his  post  of  the 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  at  Streator,  Illinois.  His  father,  Henry 
Hornbeck,  established  the  family  at  Streator,  coming  to  Illinois  from 
New  York  State  in  1855.  The  Hornbeck  family  is  an  old  American 
one  of  Revolutionary  stock. 

Mrs.  Sarah  G.  (Smith)  Hornbeck,  mother  of  Harry  C.  Hornbeck, 
was  born  in  Connecticut,  and  died  in  1919.  She,  too,  came  of  Revolu- 
tionary stock,  and  her  family  is  of  English  descent,  her  great  uncle 
being  General  Warren  of  the  Colonial  Army,  and  she  was  also  related 
to  the  same  family  as  General  Wooster  of  Revolutionary  fame.  In 
addition  to  Harry  C.  Hornbeck  there  are  three  children  of  the  family 
of  Newton  Hornbeck  and  his  wife  still  living,  namely :  William  E., 
who  is  a  contractor  of  Los  Angeles,  California,  is  married  and  has 
three  living  children,  one  of  his  sons,  Earl  Hornbeck,  having  been 
killed  in  action  in  the  Argonne  sector  in  France  September  28,  1917, 
by  the  side  of  his  lieutenant ;  Claude  C,  who  is  a  motorman  of 
Los  Angeles,  is  married  and  has  six  children ;  and  Ida,  who  is  the 
wife  of  Albert  Plummer,  an  electrician  of  Los  Angeles,  and  they  have 
two  children. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  in  connection  with  the  Hornbeck  family 
that  during  the  historical  debate  between  Abraham  Lincoln  and 
Stephen  A.  Douglas,  held  at  Ottawa,  Illinois,  there  were  thirty-six 
states  represented  by  as  many  young  ladies  of  the  city,  and  nine  of 
them  were  sisters  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Newton  Hornbeck. 


1164      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

Harry  C.  Hornbeck  attended  the  public  schools  of  Streator, 
Illinois,  and  then  went  into  the  building  and  contracting  business 
with  his  father  at  Streator,  where  he  continued  to  reside  for  about 
six  years.  For  the  following  three  years  he  worked  in  different 
Illinois  cities,  and  then  located  at  Springfield,  Illinois,  and  continued 
a  resident  of  that  city  for  ten  years.  While  there  he  was  engaged 
for  a  time  in  repair  work  on  the  old  Lincoln  home,  and  for  seven  years 
did  cabinet  and  case  work  for  the  Powers  planing  mill.  Leaving 
Springfield,  he  came  to  California  and,  settling  at  Long  Beach,  estab- 
lished himself  in  business  as  a  manufacturer  of  furniture,  conducting 
his  factory  for  about  eighteen  months  and  then  selling  and  locating 
permanently  at  San  Bernardino,  where  for  three  years  he  was  in  the 
employ  of  Contractor  Myzelle.  Mr.  Hornbeck  then  went  into  the 
contracting  and  building  business  for  himself,  and  since  then  the 
greater  part  of  his  work  has  been  in  the  erecting  of  dwellings  and 
store  fronts,  and  he  has  proven  in  it  that  he  thoroughly  understands 
every  detail  of  his  calling.  He  has  established  a  reputation  for  being 
strictly  honorable  and  for  living  up  to  the  spirit  as  well  as  the  letter 
of  his  contracts. 

Mr.  Hornbeck  has  had  a  full  and  active  life,  and  while  acquiring 
a  material  prosperity  has  not  neglected  what  is  still  more  important 
than  the  amassing  of  money,  the  winning  and  holding  of  public 
confidence,  and  his  standing  is  of  the  highest  commercially  as  well  as 
personally.  In  the  course  of  his  work  he  has  met  with  twenty  acci- 
dents, has  had  twenty-five  bones  in  his  body  broken,  but  in  spite 
of  the  serious  nature  of  many  of  his  injuries,  has  emerged  with  a 
cheerful  spirit  and  so  little  evidence  of  any  disastrous  results  that 
it  is  difficult  to  believe  he  ever  met  with  misfortune  of  any  kind. 
Formerly  Mr.  Hornbeck  belonged  to  the  Odd  Fellows  and  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America,  but  no  longer  maintains  his  membership  in 
these  orders. 

On  July  2,  1905,  Mr.  Hornbeck  married  at  Springfield,  Illinois. 
Miss  Melissa  J.  Shutt,  a  native  of  Illinois,  and  a  daughter  of  Jacob 
Shutt.  Mrs.  Hornbeck  belongs  to  one  of  the  most  prominent  families 
of  Macoupin  County,  Illinois,  her  people  having  been  among  the 
pioneers  of  Central  Illinois.  The  Shutt  family  is  one  of  the  old  and 
honorable  ones  of  America,  having  been  founded  here  long  prior  to 
the  Revolution.  Air.  and  Mrs.  Hornbeck  have  three  children,  namely: 
Luella  May,  who  is  a  student  of  the  San  Bernardino  High  School, 
class  of  1925 ;  Lois  E.,  who  is  a  student  of  the  San  Bernardino  High 
School,  class  of  1926;  and  Marian  J.,  who  is  attending  school. 

Cecil  N.  Funk. — The  interests  and  activities  of  Cecil  N.  Funk  as  an 
orange  grower  have  been  a  factor  in  the  development  of  the  Riverside 
section  of  the  state  for  upwards  of  twenty  years.  The  name  Funk 
is  one  of  deserved  prominence  in  this  county,  due  both  to  the  work 
of  Cecil  Funk  and  also  that  of  his  father. 

Cecil  N.  Funk  was  born  at  Chesterhill,  Ohio,  August  13,  1879,  son 
of  Joseph  J.  and  Ruth  Ann  (Nichols)  Funk,  the  former  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania  and  the  latter  of  Ohio.  A  more  complete  review  of 
J.  J.  Funk  appears  elsewhere  in  this  publication. 

Cecil  Funk  had  a  grammar  and  high  school  education,  and  spent 
most  of  his  youth  as  well  as  his  mature  manhood  in  Riverside.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  Riverside  High  School  class  of  1899.  The 
United  States  entered  the  War  with  Spain  while  he  was  in  high  school, 
and  he  left  his  studies  to  enlist  in  Company  M  of  the  Seventh  Regi- 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1165 

ment,  California  Volunteers.  During  the  period  of  the  war  he  was 
stationed  at  The  Presidio  in  San  Francisco.  Following  his  discharge 
he  engaged  in  the  orange  business,  and  that  has  been  his  chief  interest 
ever  since.  He  bought  five  acres  on  Sedgwick  Street  from 
C.  F.  Marcy,  later  selling  it  to  D.  C.  Corlett.  He  bought  two  other 
orange  properties  of  ten  acres  each,  one  on  Center  Street  at  High- 
grove  and  the  other  near  Colton  Avenue  on  the  Merrifield  tract. 
The  latter  he  retains  and  now  has  about  twenty-five  acres  in  oranges 
besides  other  property  interests  in  and  about  Riverside. 

In  1915  Mr.  Funk  removed  to  Idaho,  and  for  four  years  was  in  the 
wholesale  fruit  and  produce  business  at  Idaho  Falls.  Once  a  resident 
of  Riverside  no  one  is  completely  satisfied  with  any  other  place  of 
residence,  a"nd  Mr.  Funk  was  only  too  glad  to  arrange  his  affairs 
so  that  he  could  return  in  1919.  Since  that  year  in  addition  to  his 
private  interests  he  has  been  manager  of  the  Riverside  Heights 
Orange  Growers  Association  and  is  one  of  the  directors  of  the 
association. 

Mr.  Funk  is  a  citizen  who  keeps  in  touch  with  everything  affecting 
the  welfare  of  Riverside,  is  willing  to  work  for  its  improvements  and 
progress,  though  in  formal  politics  he  has  had  no  part  beyond  voting 
the  republican  ticket.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Kiwanis  and  Present 
Day  Clubs,  has  been  affiliated  with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows  for  twenty-one  years  and  is  a  member  of  the  Benevolent 
and  Protective  Order  of  Elks.  He  is  a  member  of  the  United  Brethren 
Church. 

He  married  Harriet  Jean  Wolf  September  9,  1908.  Mrs.  Funk 
came  from  Johnstown,  Ohio,  being  a  daughter  of  J.  W.  Wolf.  They 
have  two  daughters,  students  in  the  Riverside  schools,  Louise 
Josephine  and  Esther  Ruth. 

John  Marshall  Phy  was  a  pioneer  of  the  Pacific  Coast,  and  after 
nearly  half  a  century  of  residence  in  Oregon  as  a  stock  rancher  found  a 
delightful  home  at  Highland,  California,  where  he  lived  several  busy  and 
contented  years,  developing  his  home  and  orange  groves,  until  called  by 
death  in  1914. 

At  that  time  he  had  reached  the  age  of  nearly  three  quarters  of  a 
century.  He  was  born  in  1840,  and  at  the  age  of  eighteen  left  Missouri, 
going  by  way  of  New  Orleans  and  the  Isthmus  of  Panama  to  Portland, 
Oregon.  He  reached  Portland  with  fifty  cents  in  money.  After  writ- 
ing four  letters  back  home  he  was  penniless.  Before  coming  West  he 
had  borrowed  from  a  maiden  lady  eighty-five  dollars,  and  thus  his  intro- 
duction to  the  coast  country  was  as  a  stranger  in  a  strange  land  and 
eighty-five  dollars  in  debt.  For  a  time  he  worked  for  board  and  clothes, 
also  attended  school,  and  for  three  months  labored  in  a  saw  mill,  doing 
extra  time  so  that  he  was  paid  for  four  months.  One  summer  he  raised 
a  crop  of  corn.  There  was  no  market  for  the  grain,  so  he  fed  it  to  hogs 
and  sold  them  at  a  profit.  For  several  years  his  routine  was  working  in 
stores  during  the  winter  months  and  farming  in  summer.  Gradually  he 
laid  by  some  money  and  then  opened  a  stock  of  goods  to  supply  miners. 
There  was  no  currency,  and  he  paid  the  accepted  rates  by  weight  with 
gold  dust.  Still  later  he  bought  a  stock  ranch  at  The  Dalles,  Oregon,  and 
there  he  laid  a  still  firmer  foundation  for  his  material  prosperity.  After 
selling  out  he  returned  to  Union  County,  Oregon.  There  he  continued 
ranching  and  looking  after  his  family.  After  his  second  marriage,  in 
1896,  he  homesteaded  land  in  Catherine  Creek  Meadows.  It  was  a  rich 
summer  pasture,  but  in  winter  heavy  snows  fell  and  all  stock  had  to  be 


1166      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

removed  by  November,  and  there  was  no  open  range  until  the  following 
April.  Mr.  Phy  was  eminently  successful  as  a  stockman.  In  1905  he 
paid  a  visit  to  Southern  California,  and  was  so  delighted  with  the  coun- 
try that  within  three  weeks  he  had  bought  a  place  at  Highland  and  soon 
afterward  left  the  environment  of  half  a  century  and  moved  permanently 
to  San  Bernardino  County.  His  first  purchase  was  six  acres  and  later 
he  added  four  acres  more  on  Boulder  Avenue.  Mr.  Phy  lived  here 
nearly  ten  years.  He  came  to  enjoy  the  utmost  respect  of  the  community, 
and  took  part  in  social  and  civic  affairs.  He  was  a  thirty-second  degree 
Mason,  an  Odd  Fellow,  a  member  of  the  Congregational  Church,  and 
always  a  stanch  democrat  in  politics.  During  the  early  frontier  days  he 
served  as  a  deputy  sheriff,  and  showed  himself  absolutely  unafraid  in 
the  performance  of  his  official  duties. 

In  1866  Mr.  Phy  married  Miss  Margaret  Ann  Shoemaker.  She  died 
in  1891,  the  mother  of  seven  children.  The  oldest,  J.  F.  Phy,  is  a 
successful  business  man  in  Union  County,  Oregon,  being  the  controlling 
factor  in  the  Land  and  Security  Company  of  that  county.  He  served 
two  terms  each  as  deputy  sheriff  and  sheriff  and  later  was  county  judge. 
The  second  child,  M.  H.  Phy,  is  now  deceased.  The  third,  Dr.  W.  T. 
Phy,  is  reputed  to  be  one,  of  the  most  eminent  and  skillful  surgeons  in 
the  West,  and  lives  at  Hot  Lake,  Oregon.  During  the  World  war  he 
was  on  duty  at  Letterman's  Hospital  at  the  Presidio,  San  Francisco. 
The  fourth  of  the  family  was  J.  A.  Phy,  now  deceased.  Mary  Mar- 
garet is  the  wife  of  P.  J.  Shropshire,  a  prominent  lumber  dealer  and  one 
of  the  principal  owners  of  the  San  Bernardino  Lumber  &  Box  Company. 
Mr.  Shropshire  is  now  deceased  and  his  widow  is  active  manager  of  his 
former  interests.  Mrs.  Shropshire  has  three  children :  Edna  Phy,  Hes- 
ter D.  and  P.  J-  Shropshire,  Jr.  The  sixth  of  the  family,  Margaret 
Louisa,  is  a  graduate  nurse  and  is  the  wife  of  Dr.  Sanders  of  San  Jose, 
California,  and  has  one  son,  C.  E.  Sanders,  Jr.  The  seventh  and  young- 
est is  Hester  Caroline,  wife  of  O.  M.  Green,  a  prominent  banker  of 
Spokane,  Washington.     They  have  a  son,  John  Thomas  Green. 

In  1896  the  late  Mr.  Phy  married  Miss  Lydia  Tackson.  Mrs.  Phy 
has  had  a  wide  range  of  experience  in  the  far  West.  She  was  born 
at  Leadhill,  Boone  County,  Arkansas,  daughter  of  J.  D.  and  Louisa 
fMcNabb)  Jackson,  the  former  a  native  of  Arkansas  and  the  latter  of 
Tennessee.  When  she  was  seven  vears  of  age  her  parents  moved  over 
into  Indian  Territory,  where  her  father  located  in  the  Cherokee  Strip. 
He  soon  afterward  died,  and  when  Mrs.  Phy  was  nine  years  of  age 
her  mother,  then  an  invalid,  returned  with  her  four  children  to  Har- 
rison, Arkansas.  During  this  journey  Mrs.  Phy  had  her  first  ride  on 
a  railroad  train.  She  remained  at  Harrison  until  she  was  fifteen,  when 
her  mother  married  and  the  family  then  came  out  to  Oregon.  There 
she  remained  until  her  marriage  to  Mr.  Phy  in  1896.  Mrs.  Phy  has  one 
son.  Conrad  Vernon  Phy,  born  January  25,  1898.  He  was  reared  and 
educated  in  California,  attending  school  at  Highland,  the  Harvard 
Military  Academy  at  Los  Angeles,  and  in  1915  enlisted  in  the  navy  and 
served  out  his  term  of  enlistment.  When  America  entered  the  war 
with  Germany,  being  still  under  draft  age,  he  voluntered  in  the  army 
in  th  Motor  Transport  Division,  and  served  until  the  signing  of  the 
armistice,  In  November,  1920.  this  son  married  Miss  Christine  Bacus, 
of  San  Bernardino.  He  is  now  enlisted  as  a  navy  marine  engineer,  was 
Rationed  at  San  Pedro  and  later  transferred  to  Honolulu,  where  he  and 
his  wife  reside. 

Mrs.  Phy  since  the  death  of  her  husband  has  shown  a  great  business 
ability   in  operating  and   maintaining  the   ranch  and  orange   grove   at 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1 167 

Highland,  and  is  one  of  that  community's  most  respected  citizens.  She 
is  a  member  of  San  Bernardino  Chapter  of  the  Eastern  Star  and  was 
a  member  of  the  Rebekahs  in  Oregon.  She  takes  an  active  interest  in 
betterment  work  of  all  kinds  and  is  chairman  of  the  Home  Department 
of  the  Farm  Bureau  of  Highland  Center,  and  a  member  of  the  Woman's 
Club  of  Highland. 

Allen  Cornelius  first  knew  California  in  the  role  of  a  miner  in  the 
golden  days  of  the  early  fifties.  Some  thirty  years  later  he  returned 
to  the  state,  settling  in  the  southern  part,  and  from  thereafter  until 
his  death  was  one  of  the  useful  and  honored  pioneers  and  business 
men  of  Ontario,  where  Mrs.  Cornelius  still  resides. 

Allen  Cornelius  was  born  at  Williamsburg,  Indiana,  September  8, 
1830,  son  of  Allen  and  Maria  (Piatt)  Cornelius.  His  father,  a  ship 
builder  by  trade,  went  to  Indiana  and  took  up  a  homestead.  He 
had  no  knowledge  of  farming,  little  inclination  for  agricultural  pur- 
suits, and  he  continued  to  do  mechanical  work  and  turned  over  the 
management  of  the  farm  to  his  wife,  who  was  very  efficient. 

Allen  Cornelius  as  a  youth  had  limited  opportunities  to  attend 
school.  He  worked  on  the  home  farm  until  1850,  when  he  and  another 
boy  of  the  same  age  joined  a  party  of  ten  with  a  wagon  and  three 
horses  and  started  overland  for  California.  They  took  turns  driving, 
one  of  them  always  walking  to  save  the  team.  It  was  a  six  months 
trip  to  California.  At  Salt  Lake  they  stopped  and  worked  through  the 
harvest  to  get  supplies  and  necessary  food.  This  made  them  late  and 
storms  had  closed  the  trail,  compelling  them  to  abandon  the  team 
and,  packing  all  they  could  carry,  they  struggled  on  afoot  and  were 
almost  famished  when  they  arrived  on  Feather  River.  At  a  place  now 
known  as  Feather  River  Inn,  Allen  Cornelius  rested  a  couple  of  days 
and  then  went  to  work  in  the  mines,  and  remained  here  three  years. 
When  he  returned  East  it  was  by  the  Isthmus  of  Panama.  At  that 
time  it  was  customary  for  the  natives  to  carry  passengers  over  the 
mountain  pass,  but  Mr.  Cornelius  disgusted  the  carriers  and  did  his 
own  walking.  After  his  return  to  Indiana  the  Civil  war  broke  out. 
and  he  early  enlisted  in  the  Seventeenth  Illinois  Cavalry  and  served 
all  through. 

In  1866  Mr.  Cornelius  married  Miss  Sarah  M.  Bates,  who  was  born 
near  Kokomo,  Indiana,  June  10,  1846,  daughter  of  Isaac  and  Nancy 
(Noble)  Bates.  Mrs.  Cornelius  received  a  very  good  education  for 
the  time  and  had  taught  school  before  her  marriage.  She  was  about 
twenty  when  she  married.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cornelius  went  to  North- 
western Illinois  and  lived  on  a  farm  in  Jo  Daviess  County,  where  all 
their  children  were  born.  In  1880  his  health  failed  and  he  went  to 
Kansas,  but  without  relief,  and  then  started  for  California,  reaching 
this  state  in  the  spring  of  1886.  After  several  months  of  search  for 
a  location  he  settled  in  Ontario  in  August  of  that  year  and  soon 
opened  a  hardware  and  plumbing  establishment.  Ontario  was  then 
a  new  community,  with  little  business,  and  he  had  something  of  a 
struggle  to  maintain  his  place.  Besides  selling  goods  he  did  much 
contracting  in  plumbing  and  tinsmith  work,  made  the  plans  and  later 
installed  the  city  water  mains  at  Upland  and  was  also  contractor  for 
the  laying  of  the  mains  of  the  Ontario  water  system.  His  energy 
and  thrift  brought  him  a  successful  position  in  business  affairs,  and 
he  enjoyed  the  activities  of  business  as  long  as  his  health  was  restored. 
Mr.  Cornelius  died  at  Ontario  July  26,  1913.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  Grand  Army  Post  and  a  Methodist. 


1168       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

The  oldest  of  the  four  sons  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cornelius  is  Arthur 
Cornelius,  who  was  born  in  Jo  Daviess  County,  Illinois,  October  21, 
1867,  and  is  now  postmaster  of  a  sub-station  at  San  Francisco.  He 
married  Sarah  Esdale,  and  they  have  a  son,  Arthur  Allen,  born 
October  17,  1906. 

Lbuis  Noble  Cornelius,  born  July  30,  1869,  died  at  Ontario 
April  17,  1892. 

Charles  S.  Cornelius,  born  March  6,  1872,  is  in  the  plumbing  busi- 
ness at  Ontario.  He  and  his  brother  Arthur  enlisted  for  service  in 
the  Spanish-American  war,  going  with  a  California  regiment.  Charles 
Cornelius  married  Miss  Lena  Akey,  of  Minnesota.  They  have  five 
children  :  Charles  Hazen,  born  at  Los  Angeles  November  25,  1902, 
is  a  graduate  of  the  Chaffee  Union  High  School ;  Lawrence,  born  at 
Los  Angeles  April  17,  1905,  attending  the  Chaffee  High  School; 
Lewellyn,  twin  brother  of  Lawrence,  who  before  he  was  sixteen  years 
of  age  enlisted  as  an  ordinary  seaman  in  the  navy  on  January  1,  1921, 
was  for  three  years  abroad  the  California  and  is  a  student  of  radio ; 
Oma  Marie,  born  March  26,  1909,  in  Los  Angeles,  and  died  Februarv 
8,  1917;  and  Ralph  Chadley,  born  at  Ontario  July  11,  1910. 

Ralph  J.  Cornelius,  fourth  and  youngest  son  of  the  late  Allen 
Cornelius,  was  born  December  4,  1876,  and  is  associated  with  his 
brother  in  the  plumbing  business  at  Ontario.  In  1901  he  married 
Miss  Annie  Wier,  a  native  of  Canada,  and  they  have  three  children : 
Marion,  born  April  27,  1902,  a  student  in  Pomona  College ;  Paul,  born 
April  22,  1906,  attending  the  Chaffee  Union  High  School ;  and  Jean 
Cornelius,  born  October  12,  1910. 

Mrs.  Allen  Cornelius  occupies  one  of  the  comfortable  homes  of 
Ontario.  She  is  a  very  active  member  of  the  Ontario  Pioneer  Society, 
a  member  of  the  Woman's  Relief  Corps,  and  is  also  active  in  church. 
From  her  own  experience  she  has  been  a  witness  of  all  the  develop- 
ments in  this  section  of  the  county  for  thirty-five  years. 

William  Plasman  has  been  a  resident  of  Ontario  ten  years,  and  in 
that  time  has  gained  a  secure  and  enviable  place  in  the  business  in- 
terests of  the  city  as  a  real  estate  and  insurance  man,  with  offices 
at  204  South  Vine  Avenue. 

Mr.  Plasman  was  born  at  Holland,  Michigan,  April  14,  1879,  son 
of  Frederick  and  Henrietta  (Brinkman)  Plasman,  farming  people. 
William  was  one  of  eleven  children,  two  of  whom  died  in  infancy. 
He  grew  up  on  his  father's  farm  in  Western  Michigan,  graduated 
from  the  Holland  High  School  at  the  age  of  fourteen,  and  from  that 
time  he  was  diligently  working  to  aid  his  parents  in  maintaining  their 
large  family.  For  several  seasons  he  did  work  caring  for  the  grounds 
of  summer  homes  of  Chicago  people  living  around  Holland.  Even 
after  reaching  the  age  of  twenty-one  Mr.  Plasman  continued  to  give 
his  parents  some  of  his  earnings,  and  he  did  this  until  he  married 
and  had  a  family  of  his  own. 

In  1902  he  married  Miss  Margaret  Slenk,  also  a  native  of  Holland. 
Michigan,  where  her  parents  were  farmers.  She  was  one  of  a  family 
of  twelve  children.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Plasman  have  five  sons  and  daugh- 
ters, the  first  three  born  in  Michigan  and  two  in  California.  The 
oldest,  Miss  Hazel,  who  was  born  on  Halloween  in  1903,  is  a.  student 
in  the  Chaffee  Union  High  School;  John  W.,  born  July  4,  1907.  is  in 
the  first  year  of  the  Chaffee  High  School,  is  a  real  boy  and  a  live 
member  of  the  Boy  Scouts ;  Floyd  Leslie,  born  January  2,  1909,  is 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1169 

also  a  member  of  the  Boy  Scouts  and  a  grammar  school  student ; 
Gertrude  Dorothy,  born  December  23,  1914,  and  William,  Jr.,  born 
January  27,  1918. 

It  was  due  to  failing  health  that  Mr.  Plasman  first  came  to  Cali- 
fornia, spending  some  time  in  San  Francisco,  and  San  Diego,  and 
then  going  to  Pasadena,  where  he  remained  six  months.  Being  much 
improved  physically,  he  returned  to  Michigan,  but  on  October  12, 
1911,  he  and  his  family  left  that  state  and  after  a  month  at  Pasadena 
established  their  home  in  Ontario.  Mr.  Plasman  secured  temporary 
employment  with  the  Hot  Point  Electric  Company,  until  he  could 
embrace  an  opportunity  to  get  into  business  for  himself.  While  in 
Michigan  he  had  subdivided  a  30-acre  tract,  which  was  a  part  of 
his  father's  farm,  and  sold  several  of  the  lots,  and  he  therefore  had 
something  more  than  a  general  knowledge  of  the  real  estate  business 
when  he  came  to  California.  On  August  1,  1912,  he  began  doing 
business  as  a  real  estate  broker  in  Ontario  and  also  as  a  representative 
of  some  standard  fire  insurance  companies.  He  handles  city  and 
close  in  properties,  conducts  a  rental  agency,  and  successive  years 
have  brought  him  a  very  substantial  patronage.  Mr.  Plasman  since 
casting  his  first  vote  has  been  a  prohibitionist,  and  has  courageously 
fought  liquor  and  its  interests.  He  was  registered  under  the  draft 
during  the  war,  but  was  not  called  to  the  colors.  Mr.  Plasman  has 
made  his  own  way  in  the  world.  When  he  left  for  California  he  had 
only  three  hundred  dollars,  but  he  has  contrived  to  better  himself 
and  at  the  same  time  has  worked  steadily  for  the  advancement  of 
the  community. 

John  G.  Gaylord  came  to  Ontario  a  quarter  of  a  century  ago,  and 
has  since  acquired  and  developed  some  of  the  most  valuable  orange 
groves  in  this  section.  He  is  one  of  the  very  substantial  citizens  of 
San  Bernardino  County.  His  Americanism  is  one  of  practical  patriotic 
achievements  and  of  an  ancestry  that  runs  back  to  the  early  Colonial 
period.  Mr.  Gaylord  is  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  war,  and  two  of  his  sons 
were  in  the  World  war,  while  one  was  in  the  Spanish-American 
conflict. 

John  G.  Gaylord  was  born  in  Litchfield  County,  Connecticut,  July 
28,  1843,  son  of  Lyman  and  Chloe  (Chamberlain)  Gaylord,  also  natives 
of  Connecticut  and  of  old  New  England  ancestry.  The  Chamberlains 
were  of  English  stock.  The  Gaylord  lineage  has  been  traced  back  into 
the  thirteenth  and  fourteenth  centuries,  when  they  were  residents  of 
Normandy,  France.  They  were  a  family  of  wealth  and  noble  prestige 
at  that  time.  About  1550  some  of  the  Gaylords  left  Normandy  with 
other  refugees  and  went  to  England,  settling  chiefly  about  Exeter 
and  Tiverton.  For  a  number  of  generations  the  chief  occupation  of 
the  family  was  weavers  of  worsted  goods  and  makers  of  Kersey  cloth. 
One  of  the  Gaylords  sought  freedom  from  the  political  and  religious 
restrictions  of  the  England  of  the  early  seventeenth  century  and 
brought  his  family  to  America  on  the  ship  Mary  and  John,  arriving 
at  Nantucket  May  30,  1630.  The  American  generations  of  the  name 
have  been  identified  largely  with  agriculture  and  horticulture. 

Lyman  Gaylord,  father  of  John  G.,  was  a  blacksmith  by  trade.  He 
and  his  wife,  Chloe,  had  four  daughters  and  two  sons,  one  of  the 
former  dying  in  childhood.  In  1855  the  family  left  Connecticut, 
bound  for  Iowa.  They  went  around  the  Great  Lakes  to  Kenosha, 
Wisconsin,  where  the  party  of  colonists  to  the  number  of  sixteen 
secured  three  heavy  ox  teams  and  slowly  and  with  great  difficulty 


1 170       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

made  their  way  through  the  woods,  reaching  in  December  of  that 
year  their  chosen  location  at  Nora  Springs,  Floyd  County,  Iowa, 
where  Edson  Gaylord,  a  brother  of  Lyman,  had  preceded  them  and 
had  constructed  a  log  cabin.  In  this  rough  shelter  the  entire  party 
were  housed  during  the  winter.  While  the  congestion  was  great, 
doubtless,  like  other  pioneers  of  the  time,  they  always  made  room 
for  strangers  and  guests.  It  was  a  severe  winter,  with  deep  snow 
and  very  cold,  and  the  deer  would  break  through  the  crust  and  could 
easily  be  killed,  thus  affording  an  abundant  supply  of  venison,  while 
there  was  also  prairie  chicken  to  vary  the  diet.  Lyman  Gaylord  pre- 
empted land  at  Nora  Springs  and  lived  there,  a  substantial  farmer, 
increasing  his  holdings  to  a  large  farm.  He  was  born  November  12. 
1815,  and  died  at  Nora  Springs  November  26,  1892.  His  wife,  Chloe, 
was  born  February  14,  1816,  and  died  at  the  old  homestead  in  Iowa 
March  12,  1902. 

John  G.  Gaylord  was  twelve  years  of  age  when  the  family  made 
its  migration  from  New  England  to  Iowa.  Practically  all  his  educa- 
tional advantages  came  to  him  in  Connecticut.  He  shared  in  the 
vicissitudes  of  pioneer  existence  in  Iowa,  and  became  fully  disciplined 
in  the  hard  toil  required  of  farmers  who  were  breaking  up  the 
virgin  soil  and  clearing  away  the  wilderness.  When  the  Civil  war 
came  on  he  enlisted  on  April  12,  1862,  in  Company  A,  Twenty-first 
Iowa  Infantry.  His  regiment  was  in  the  Western  Army,  campaigning 
through  Missouri  and  down  the  Mississippi,  was  at  Pittsburg,  at 
Mobile,  and  in  other  campaigns  in  Gulf  states.  Mr.  Gaylord  did  his 
full  duty  as  a  soldier,  but  escaped  wounds,  and  after  being  dis- 
charged he  returned  home  to  Nora  Springs  on  July  4,  1865.  After 
the  war  he  farmed  with  his  father  until  he  married  and  bought  land 
of  his  own. 

On  May  21,  1872,  Mr.  Gaylord  married  Miss  Alice  Jane  LaDue, 
who  was  born  December  26,  1845,  and  died  in  the  same  year  as  her 
marriage.  On  September  16,  1873,  Mr.  Gaylord  married  Miss  Sarah 
Ankeney,  who  was  born  at  Ankeneytown,  Knox  County,  Ohio,  March 
3,  1848,  and  died  at  Ontario,  California,  February  5,  1918,  nearly 
forty-five  years  after  her  marriage. 

Mr.  Gaylord  was  a  prosperous  Iowa  farmer  for  thirty  years  before 
coming  to  California  in  1896.  He  bought  ten  acres  of  oranges  at 
the  northwest  corner  of  Fifth  Street  and  San  Antonio  Avenue  in 
Ontario,  and  undertook  a  business  entirely  new  to  him,  but  he  made 
a  thorough  study  of  orange  culture  and  by  experience  and  practice 
has  become  an  authority  in  the  citrus  industry.  When  he  located 
at  Ontario  much  of  the  surrounding  land  was  wild  and  unproductive, 
and  his  individual  success  has  contributed  to  the  general  prosperity 
of  the  community.  Mr.  Gaylord  now  owns  i2l/2  acres  of  highly 
productive  orchards  and  has  other  investments.  He  has  bought  and 
sold  and  still  owns  considerable  real  estate  in  Los  Angeles,  and  has 
some  profitable  oil  properties  in  Southern  California.  As  this  record 
reveals,  Mr.  Gaylord  has  been  a  man  of  action  and  industry,  and  his 
prosperity  is  the  result  of  his  individual  accumulations.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  Ontario  Post  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  is  a  prohibi- 
tionist and  has  been  a  life-long  member  of  the  Christian  Church.  He 
has  done  his  duty  as  a  citizen  and  has  reared  and  educated  a  family 
of  sturdy  sons  and  daughters. 

All  his  seven  children  were  born  at  Nora  Springs,  Iowa.  Arthur, 
the  oldest,  born  June  18,  1874,  died  in  infancy.  Alice,  born  January  7, 
1875,  is  Mrs.  H.  E.  Blazer,  of  Ontario.    Miss  Flora  was  born  Septem- 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1171 

ber  16,  1878.  George,  born  February  2,  1881,  a  veteran  of  two  wars, 
has  a  more  complete  record  in  the  following  paragraphs.  Sarah,  born 
December  9,  1882,  is  the  wife  of  G.  A.  Holbrook,  of  Ontario,  and  the 
ten  children  born  to  their  union  were  Marion,  Arthur,  Guy  (died  in 
infancy),  Aldura,  Horace,  Emma,  John  G.,  Eleanor,  Mona  and  Guy 
Paul.  The  sixth  child,  Chloe,  born  August  16,  1885,  was  first  married 
to  Percy  Dewar,  who  left  one  son,  William  Ernest,  and  she  is  now 
the  wife  of  Ray  R.  Delhauer  and  has  a  daughter,  Mary  Alice.  The 
seventh  and  youngest  of  the  family  is  John  G.  Gaylord,  Jr. 

George  Gaylord  was  only  seventeen  years  of  age  when  the  Spanish- 
American  war  broke  out,  but  he  enlisted  at  the  first  call,  in  Company 
D  of  the  Seventh  California  Volunteers,  and  was  in  service  until  the 
close  of  the  war.  Later  he  removed  to  the  Imperial  Valley,  and  he 
gave  up  a  profitable  position  there  to  offer  his  services  to  the  Govern- 
ment in  the  World  war.  He  enlisted  as  a  private  in  June,  1917,  in 
Company  D  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Forty-Third  Field  Artillery,  was 
in  training  at  Camp  Kearney,  where  he  was  made  a  corporal,  and  in 
July,  1918,  left  Hoboken  for  France,  landing  at  Liverpool.  Four  days 
later  he  embarked  at  Southampton  and  crossed  the  channel  to  Le 
Havre,  thus  going  to  Southern  France,  to  Camp  De  Souge,  near  Bor- 
deaux, not  far  from  the  ancestral  lands  of  the  original  Gaylords.  While 
in  training  camp  there  he  was  advanced  to  sergeant.  After  the  signing 
of  the  armistice  he  was  put  in  the  military  police  service,  a  duty  that 
gave  him  opportunities  to  visit  many  interesting  points,  including  St. 
Sulpice,  where  he  guarded  a  prison  camp,  also  did  guard  duty  in  the 
Pyrenees  Mountains  and  passes  and  was  at  Chateau-Thierry  and 
other  points  of  the  battle  front.  On  returning  to  the  United  States 
he  received  honorable  discharge  at  San  Francisco  July  1,  1919,  and 
since  resuming  civilian  life  has  become  an  orange  grower  at  Ontario 
and  is  one  of  the  prominent  and  influential  business  men  of  that  city. 

George  A.  Gaylord  married  Miss  Beatrice  Hardey  Barhain  on 
October  30,  1921.  She  was  born  in  Akron,  Iowa,  February  14,  1882, 
daughter  of  Charles  Hardy  and  Susan  (Ross)  Hardy.  Mrs.  Gaylord 
came  to  Ontario,  California,  at  age  of  five  years  with  parents  and  was 
educated  in  the  public  and  high  schools  of  Ontario.  At  the  time  of 
her  marriage  to  Mr.  Gaylord  she  was  the  widow  of  Charles  Barham, 
and  has  one  son,  John,  by  the  former  marriage. 

The  younger  son,  John  G.  Gaylord,  Jr.,  who  was  born  July  21, 
1892,  was  educated  in  the  Chaffee  Union  High  School  and  early 
took  up  the  citrus  fruit  industry.  On  April  16,  1918,  he  married 
Miss  Lottie  Doner,  a  popular  and  well  educated  Ontario  girl.  They 
have  a  daughter,  Mary  Louise,  born  August  25,  1920.  Though  mar- 
ried, John  G.  Gaylord,  Jr.,  put  in  no  claims  for  exemption  in  the  draft, 
and  in  August,  1918,  joined  the  colors  in  the  Quartermaster's  Depart- 
ment at  Camp  Lewis,  where  he  was  put  in  a  replacement  division. 
He  received  his  honorable  discharge  January  6,  1919,  and  at  once 
returned  to  Ontario  and  resumed  his  business  connections. 

John  Perry  Ensley  has  done  the  work  of  a  pioneer  in  the  develop- 
ment of  Ontario's  horticulture,  and  first  and  last  has  performed  a 
great  deal  of  conscientious,  hard  working  service  for  the  community 
from  a  civic  standpoint. 

Mr.  Ensley,  whose  home  is  at  126  West  D  Street,  has  been  a  resi- 
dent of  Ontario  for  thirty-five  years.  He  was  born  near  Auburn, 
Indiana,  October  9,  1853,  son  of  George  and  Lydia  (Noel)  Ensley. 
His   parents   were   born    in    Pennsylvania,    and    the    Ensleys    are   of 


1172       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

original  German  stock,  though  the  family  has  been  in  America  for 
a  number  of  generations.  George  Ensley  was  born  in  1815  and  died 
in  California  in  1888.  The  mother  died  in  Indiana  in  1884.  They 
were  the  parents  of  nine  children,  John  Perry  being  the  seventh  in 
age.  George  Ensley  moved  out  to  California  in  the  fall  of  1886. 
acquiring  property  in  Ontario,  where  he  spent  the  rest  of  his  life. 
He  had  been  in  earlier  years  a  farmer,  but  had  the  all  around  mechani- 
cal genius  that  enabled  him  to  succeed  in  almost  every  occupation. 
At  one  time  he  operated  a  saw  mill  of  his  own  construction,  and  after 
coming  to  California  he  was  an  orange  grower. 

John  Perry  Ensley  is  a  thoroughly  well  educated  gentleman.  He 
graduated  from  the  Auburn  High  School  in  Indiana  and  attended 
the  Indiana  State  University.  He  taught  eight  winter  terms  of 
school,  and  refused  the  office  of  principal  of  the  Auburn  schools. 
While  he  did  well  as  a  teacher,  it  was  not  an  occupation  altogether 
to  his  liking,  and  his  preference  was  for  the  practical  side  of  farming. 

In  1884  he  married  Miss  Clara  B.  Clark,  a  native  of  Indiana,  and  in 
1886,  for  the  benefit  of  her  health  he  came  to  Ontario  and  bought 
twenty  acres  of  wild  land  at  the  northeast  corner  of  Eighteenth  Street 
and  Euclid  Avenue.  This  he  cleared  and  planted  to  citrus  fruits 
during  1887.  His  father  in  the  meantime  had  purchased  five  acres 
of  oranges  on  West  Fourth  Street  and  also  ten  acres  of  unimproved 
land  on  West  G  Street.  After  his  father's  death  Mr.  Ensley  bought 
out  the  interests  of  the  heirs  and  developed  the  unimproved  tract  to 
citrus  fruits.  All  of  this  land  he  actually  improved  by  his  own  labors 
and  efforts,  and  he  now  has  thirty-five  acres  of  producing  groves, 
besides  other  valuable  investments,  including  his  modern  residence, 
which  was  constructed  some  years  ago.  His  prosperity  is  the  direct 
result  of  his  earnest  efforts  and  hard  labors  since  coming  to  California. 

By  his  first  marriage  Mr.  Ensley  had  two  children,  one  dying  in 
infancy.  His  son,  Oliver  P.  Ensley,  born  in  Indiana  May  6,  1886, 
graduated  from  the  Chaffey  High  School  at  Ontario,  from  the  Univer- 
sity of  Southern  California,  where  he  pursued  both  classical  and  law 
courses,  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1912,  and  during  that  year 
pursued  a  commercial  course  in  the  Eastman  Business  College  at 
Poughkeepsie,  New  York.  He  is  now  successfully  established  as  an 
attorney  at  Hemet,  California.  He  is  prominent  in  the  Masonic  Order 
and  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  Oliver  Ensley  married 
Miss  Catherine  Todd,  of  Indiana,  in  June,  1919,  and  they  have  one 
son,  Edward  Clark  Ensley,  born  March  23,  1921. 

John  P.  Ensley  lost  his  first  wife  at  Ontario  August  1,  1888, 
and  his  father  died  on  the  26th  of  the  same  month.  July  25,  1894, 
John  Perry  Ensley  married  Elizabeth  Borthwick,  a  native  of  Liver- 
pool, England.  Her  father  was  a  native  of  Scotland  and  her  mother 
of  Ireland.  Her  father  was  a  jeweler,  coming  to  America  and  being 
an  early  settler  in  Ontario,  where  he  was  one  of  the  pioneer  men  of 
his  trade.  By  his  second  marriage  Mr.  Ensley  had  five  children, 
three  still  living;  Isabel,  born  April  2,  1899,  is  a  graduate  of  the 
Chaffey  Union  High  School  and  the  University  of  Southern  California. 
Gladys  Theresa,  born  December  24,  1901,  is  a  graduate  of  the  Chaffey 
Union  High  School  and  the  Chaffey,  Jr.,  College.  Elizabeth  Borth- 
wick, born  August  7,  1906,  is  in  her  second  year  at  the  Chaffey  High 
School.     These  children  are  all  natives  of  Ontario. 

John  P.  Ensley  is  a  prominent  democrat,  and  for  a  number  of 
years  was  a  member  of  the  Democratic  Central  Committee.  He  is  a 
stickler  for  good,  clean  government  and  decent  citizenship.    He  served 


-  -: '-  :^0}-  &*'          ,  ^  *M0?-ffi>>M 

u     %* 

f  ''                   ■"'.'   .#■'                      ':■'••    ] 

u 

mf               '  mm 

mw    ^              -•'  ^ 

^L\\W '  M 

hv^I- 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1173 

as  trustee  of  Ontario  fifteen  years,  having  been  elected  a  member 
of  the  first  board  at  the  incorporation  of  Ontario  and  serving  nine 
years.  Later  he  acceded  to  the  insistent  demand  of  his  fellow  citizens 
and  became  a  candidate  for  trustee,  serving  this  second  time  a  total 
of  six  years  and  was  very  progressive  in  building  good  roads.  For 
three  years  he  was  a  director  of  the  San  Antonio  Water  Company, 
and  has  always  been  active  in  movements  to  benefit  citrus  growers 
as  well  as  the  general  welfare  of  the  community.  At  present  he  is 
director  of  the  A.  Street  Citrus  Association. 

Mrs.  Ensley,  born  October  23,  1865,  came  to  the  United  States  with 
her  parents,  John  P.  and  Margaret  (Dunn)  Borthwick,  in  1869,  locat- 
ing in  Scranton,  Pennsylvania.  They  came  to  Ontario,  California,  in 
April.  1884.  The  father  died  April  9,  1908,  and  the  mother  died  in 
Wilkes-Barre,  Pennsylvania.  Mrs.  Ensley  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  Pennsylvania.  She  was  the  first  young  lady  to  live  in 
Ontario. 

John  M.  Horton  is  one  of  the  substantial  citizens  of  Ontario,  one  of 
the  old  timers  there,  and  has  contributed  to  the  development  of  the 
community  largely  through  his  individual  energies  and  labors.  He 
has  assured  himself  of  a  competence  and  is  now  enjoying  a  com- 
fortable retirement. 

Mr.  Morton  was  born  in  Bedford,  Indiana,  February  10,  1846,  son 
of  John  and  Almyra  (Finley)  Horton.  His  mother  was  a  native  of 
Tennessee,  and  died  when  her  son  John  was  two  years  of  age,  leaving 
three  children,  George  Finley  Horton,  William  Hampton,  who  died 
at  the  age  of  four,  and  John  M. 

George  Finley  Horton  volunteered  in  the  Union  Army  at  the 
time  of  the  Civil  war,  and  was  killed  in  the  battle  of  Corinth  October 
6,  1862.  John  Horton,  who  was  born  in  Indiana  November  6,  1817, 
died  in  March,  1885.  He  was  four  times  married.  Of  his  children 
only  two  are  now  living,  Joseph  Oscar  and  John  M.  The  former 
is  a  resident  of  Salem,  Nebraska.  John  Horton  was  a  blacksmith  by 
trade,  and  in  1857  moved  with  his  third  wife  and  family  to  Marengo, 
Iowa  County,  Iowa,  where  he  bought  land  and  spent  sixteen  years, 
and  then  moved  to  Van  Buren  County,  Iowa,  where  he  died  in  1885. 

John  M.  Horton  was  eleven  years  old  when  taken  to  Iowa,  and 
he  finished  his  education  in  a  district  school  in  that  state.  During  his 
earlier  years  he  farmed  and  was  in  the  grocery  business  one  year. 
At  Marengo,  Iowa,  February  4,  1875,  he  married  Miss  Kate  Morse, 
who  was  born  at  Brownhelm,  Loraine  County,  Ohio,  daughter  of 
C.  R.  and  Harriet  A.  (Bradford)  Morse.  Her  father  was  a  carpenter 
by  trade,  and  moved  to  Iowa  in  1855,  purchasing  land  and  being  a 
farmer  in  that  state.  There  were  four  children  in  the  Morse  family, 
Sarah,  Kate,  Ella  J.  and  James  E.  Kate  Horton  was  well  educated 
and  taught  nine  terms  of  school  in  Iowa. 

On  April  7,  1885,  Mr.  Horton  arrived  with  his  family  at  Ontario, 
California,  and  bought  Lot  5  in  Block  43,  putting  up  a  small  house  at 
223  West  B  Street.  This  pioneer  home  he  replaced  twelve  years 
ago  with  a  modern  residence,  in  which  he  and  his  family  now  live. 
Mr.  Horton  came  here  without  much  surplus  cash,  and  had  to  con- 
trive means  of  making  a  living  from  the  first.  He  engaged  in  teaming, 
caring  for  orchards  and  vineyards,  hauled  brick  from  Pomona  for  the 
old  Stamm  Block,  in  which  was  housed  Ontario's  first  bank,  hauled 
material  for  sidewalks,  and  for  fourteen  years  his  work  was  largely 
in  the  care  and  supervision  of  vineyards  and  groves  for  other  owners. 


1174       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

About  twenty  years  ago  he  found  his  own  orange  grove  demanding 
most  of  his  time.  This  program,  briefly  outlined,  indicates  that 
Mr.  Horton  has  applied  himself  to  the  practical  side  of  the  life  of  this 
community,  and  has  done  a  great  deal  of  hard  physical  work  as  well 
as  employed  the  best  resources  of  his  mind.  Through  such  program 
he  has  been  able  to  accumulate  his  personal  means  and  educate  his 
children. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Horton  had  four  children.  The  oldest,  G.  Ray 
Horton,  who  was  born  at  Marengo,  Iowa,  December  14,  1875,  grad- 
uated A.  B.  from  Pomona  College  in  1898,  and  for  seven  or  eight 
years  was  one  of  the  brilliant  young  newspaper  men  of  Los  Angeles. 
He  was  reporter  and  member  of  the  editorial  staff  of  the  Los  Angeles 
Times  and  the  Examiner,  and  while  doing  court  reporting  he  became 
interested  in  the  law,  and  studied  in  Senator  Flint's  offices  and 
attended  law  school  at  night.  Senator  Flint  gave  him  the  manage- 
ment of  Bradstreet  and  Dun's  collection  department.  Thus  he  paid 
his  way  until  his  admission  to  the  bar,  and  was  at  once  made  assistant 
district  attorney  under  Captain  John  D.  Fredericks,  of  Los  Angeles 
County.  Later  he  was  assistant  prosecutor  in  Federal  Courts,  and 
finally  became  assistant  district  attorney  in  the  last  term  of  Mr.  Fred- 
ericks as  county  prosecutor.  He  was  one  of  the  staff  of  attorneys 
actively  engaged  in  the  effort  to  select  a  jury  in  the  famous  trial  of 
McNamara  brothers.  He  early  entered  a  partnership  with  Robert  P. 
Jennings,  and  the  law  firm  of  Jennings  &  Horton  took  the  highest 
rank  in  the  Los  Angeles  bar.  Ray  Horton  was  noted  for  his  ability 
in  criminal  practice.  He  was  attaining  rapidly  some  of  the  highest 
honors,  and  emoluments  of  the  legal  profession  when  he  was  called 
by  death  January  4,  1915.  In  June,  1902,  he  married  Miss  Jessie 
Balch,  a  native  of  Indiana,  and  is  survived  by  two  children,  Helen 
Balch  Horton,  born  January  11,  1904,  and  Georgie  Ray  Horton,  born 
March  4,  1914. 

The  second  child  of  Mr.  Horton  is  Minnie  May  Horton,  who  was 
born  in  Mahaska  County,  Iowa.  March  18,  1877,  was  educated  in 
Pomona  College  and  the  State  Normal  School  at  Los  Angeles,  and  for 
seven  years  she  and  her  mother  were  successfully  engaged  in  the 
millinery  business  at  Ontario.  On  December  20,  1904.  at  Ontario, 
California,  she  was  married  to  Robert  G.  Shoenberger,  and  they 
have  one  daughter,  Theresa,  born  September  10,  1911.  The  third 
child,  Hattie  Elmyra  Horton,  was  born  June  2,  1879,  in  Guthrie 
County,  Iowa,  and  died  February  18,  1880.  The  youngest  of  the 
family,  Lena  Jane  Horton,  born  in  Guthrie  County,  Iowa,  April  12, 
1882,  was  educated  in  California  and  on  October  14,  1903,  was  mar- 
ried to  Albert  W.  Butterfield,  who  died  October  31,  1921.  Mrs.  Butter- 
field  has  one  child,  John  W.,  born  at  the  home  of  his  grandparents  in 
Ontario  in  1904.  A.  W.  Butterfield  was  an  electrician  and  had  charge 
of  the  entire  electrical  system  for  the  Southwest  Cotton  Company,  a 
corporation  owning  the  Goodyear  Rubber  Company's  holdings  in 
Arizona. 

John  M.  Horton  has  been  a  life-long  republican.  From  his  expe- 
rience he  can  give  a  consecutive  account  of  the  development  of 
Ontario  for  over  thirty-five  years.  When  he  first  came  here  there  was 
only  one  ten  acre  tract  solidly  set  to  oranges  in  the  entire  colony.  He 
has  never  been  a  speculator,  and  economy  and  industry  have  enabled 
him  to  gather  together  sufficient  of  this  world's  goods  to  insure  his 
comfort.  He  has  recently  disposed  of  one  of  his  orange  groves.  He 
and  his  family  are  members  of  the  Congregational  Church.      He  is 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1175 

a  member  of  the  Woodmen  of  the  World.     Both  he  and  his  wife  are 
members  of  The  Women  of  Woodcraft. 

Thomas  Monks  is  an  old  time  resident  of  the  Ontario  community,  and 
his  hightly  improved  home  and  estate  is  located  on  Turner  Avenue, 
half  a  mile  south  of  Salt  Lake  Railway.  Perhaps  no  other  resident 
of  this  section  has  had  a  richer  or  more  varied  experienced  of  real 
pioneer  times  than  Mr.  Monks.  He  knew  this  country  more  than 
fifty  years  ago,  and  his  personal  industry  has  been  a  factor  in  redeem- 
ing the  desert  and  the  wilderness. 

He  was  born  at  Wrilliamsport,  Pennsylvania,  July  19,  1851,  son 
of  Thomas  and  Mary  (Fritz)  Monks.  When  he  was  four  years  of 
age  his  mother  died,  leaving  four  children,  John,  George,  Thomas  and 
Annie.  Thomas  Monks,  Sr.,  then  married  a  widow  with  four  children, 
and  to  the  second  union  were  born  three  other  children,  two  sons, 
now  deceased,  and  one  daughter,  still  living.  Thomas  Monks,  Sr., 
in  1861.  when  his  son  Thomas  was  ten  years  of  age,  moved  out  to 
Iowa.  He  lived  there  as  a  farmer  three  years,  and  in  the  spring  of 
1864  left  for  California  in  a  wagon  train,  his  part  of  the  equipment 
being  two  two-horse  teams  and  wagons.  When  the  family  came  into 
California  four  horses  were  drawing  one  wagon.  They  came  through 
Austin,  Nevada,  where  three  of  the  children,  John,  George  and  Annie, 
remained,  and  the  others  came  on  to  Sacramento  and  a  year  later 
moved  to  Sonoma  County.  In  Sonoma  County  Thomas  Monks  went 
to  work  on  the  dairy  ranch  of  G.  A.  Collins.  He  accompanied  his 
father's  family  to  Southern  California  in  the  fall  of  1867,  to  San 
Bernardino,  and  Mr.  Monks  for  four  or  five  years  was  a  hand  on  the 
dairy  and  stock  ranch  of  Mr.  Collins  in  the  neighborhood  of  San 
Jacinto.  From  here  he  went  to  Ventura,  and  from  his  work  in  that 
section  made  a  good  stake.  Following  that  he  was  at  Riverside  two 
years,  at  San  Bernardino  eight  or  ten  years,  and  he  rented  a  ranch 
and  also  worked  on  the  ranch  of  Dick  Stuart. 

On  New  Year's  Day  1885  Mr.  Monks  married  Miss  Jessie  White,  a 
native  of  Ohio.  After  his  marriage  he  took  charge  of  Dick  Stuart's 
ranch  until  it  was  sold,  and  he  then  removed  to  Stuart's  ranch  at 
Rincon.  In  1889  Mr.  Monks  bought  twenty  acres  of  desert  land 
on  what  is  now  Turner  Avenue,  and  here  he  erected  as  his  first  home 
a  little  house  16x16  feet.  This  house  occupied  about  the  site  on 
which  his  now  modern  and  complete  home  stands.  The  spring  after 
purchasing  Mr.  Monks  set  this  to  Muscat  grapes,  and  he  tried  drying 
the  grapes  for  raisins,  but  was  inexpert  in  that  business  and  subse- 
quently he  sold  them  green  to  the  Guasti  winery,  getting  six  dollars  a 
ton  one  year  and  later  fifteen  dollars  a  ton.  This  price  was  paid  half 
on  delivery  and  half  six  months  later.  In  subsequent  years  Mr.  Monks 
made  a  good  compensation  out  of  his  wine  grapes.  To  the  original 
twenty  acres  he  added  until  he  now  has  sixty  acres  highly  developed 
to  vineyard  and  deciduous  fruits.  He  bought  this  as  part  of  the 
Cucamonga  desert  land.  There  was  no  water  even  for  domestic 
purposes,  and  for  several  years  he  hauled  drinking  water.  He  was 
impelled  to  make  the  purchase  of  this  desert  land  because  it  was 
cheap,  about  twenty-five  dollars  an  acre,  and  he  was  not  well  enough 
off  to  purchase  any  of  the  high  priced  irrigated  lands.  He  would  now- 
refuse  five  hundred  dollars  an  acre  for  his  tract.  It  was  a  difficult 
problem  to  pay  even  for  his  desert  land,  and  the  payments  he  met  by 
doing  hard  work  for  others,  frequently  receiving  wages  of  only  a 
dollar  and  a  half  a  day  and  boarding  himself.    Through  this  strenuous 


1176       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

period  he  met  his  payments,  and  also  reared  and  educated  his  family. 
His  has  been  a  life  full  of  work,  long  hours,  privations,  and,  until  com- 
paratively recent  years,  luxuries  were  few.  Now  well  along  on  the 
easy  street  of  life,  there  are  none  who  could  begrudge  his  well  earned 
prosperity. 

Mrs.  Monks  was  born  July  1,  1866,  and  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  West  Riverside,  California,  she  having  come  to  Riverside 
at  age  of  ten  years  with  her  mother.  They  have  previously  lived  in 
Owatonna,  Steele  County,  Minnesota.  Her  mother  died  when 
Mrs.  Monks  was  fifteen  years  old,  and  she  then  made  her  home  with 
Mr.  Ben  Abies,  of  Riverside,  and  later  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Richard 
Stewart  of  San  Bernardino. 

Three  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Monks.  The  oldest, 
Annie,  born  November  9,  1886.  in  San  Bernardino,  was  educated  in 
the  common  schools  and  the  Riverside  High  School  and  is  the  wife 
of  Walter  Joy,  a  native  of  Illinois  and  living  at  Collins,  California. 
The  second  child,  Henry,  born  July  27,  1889,  at  Rincon.  was  educated 
in  the  public  schools,  is  a  graduate  of  the  Pomona  Business  College 
and  for  ten  years  was  head  bookkeeper  for  the  O  K  orange  fruit 
exchange  of  Upland  and  now  has  charge  of  his  father's  ranch.  He 
also  has  forty  acres  of  his  own.  He  is  unmarried.  Mary  Monks,  born 
on  the  homestead  December  4,  1891,  was  educated  in  Ontario,  is  a 
graduate  of  the  Pomona  Business  College,  and  for  two  years  was 
employed  by  the  Hot  Point  Electric  Plant  at  Ontario  as  a  stenographer 
and  typist.  In  1912  she  was  married  to  Mr.  Logan  Nettle,  a  native  of 
Missouri.    They  have  one  child,  Maxine  Nettle,  born  October  8,  1913. 

James  R.  Pollock  has  in  a  characteristically  unassuming  way  wielded 
large  and  benignant  influence  in  connection  with  the  social  and  mate- 
rial progress  of  Ontario,  one  of  the  attractive  little  cities  of  San 
Bernardino  County,  is  a  lawyer  by  profession,  has  served  in  various 
offices  of  public  trust  in  this  community,  and  has  been  identified  with 
the  upbuilding  of  a  number  of  institutions  of  important  order  in  a 
financial  way. 

James  Rogers  Pollock  was  born  in  Washington  County,  Pennsyl- 
vania, July  24,  1865,  and  is  a  son  of  Alexander  W.  and  Mary  J. 
(Moore)  Pollock,  both  of  remote  Scotch  ancestry.  The  public 
schools  of  the  old  Keystone  State  afforded  Mr.  Pollock  his  early 
education,  which  was  supplemented  by  his  attending  the  Pennsyl- 
vania State  Normal  School  and  later  the  historic  old  Washington  and 
Jefferson  College,  in  which  excellent  Pennsylvania  institution  he  was 
graduated  as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1890  and  with  the  degree  of 
Bachelor  of  Arts.  His  course  in  preparation  for  the  legal  profession 
was  taken  in  the  law  department  of  Buffalo  University  in  the  City  of 
Buffalo,  New  York. 

Mr.  Pollock  has  been  a  resident  of  San  Bernardino  County  since 
1896,  has  given  more  or  less  of  his  time  and  attention  to  the  practice 
of  law,  served  as  justice  of  the  peace  at  Ontario  from  1904  to  1919, 
and  in  the  meanwhile  served  also,  from  1904  to  1914,  as  city  recorder. 
For  ten  years  he  was  president  of  the  San  Antonio  Hospital  Associa- 
tion, at  Ontario,  this  county ;  he  was  for  eight  years  president  of  the 
Ontario  National  Bank,  of  which  he  is  still  a  stockholder  and  chairman 
of  the  board ;  and  he  is  at  the  present  time  a  director  of  the  Pioneer 
Title  Insurance  Company  and  also  of  the  Ontario  Bond  &  Mortgage 
Company,  to  which  two  important  and  prosperous  institutions  he 
gives  much  of  his  time  and  energy.     Mr.  Pollock  has  taken  deep  and 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1177 

loyal  interest  in  everything  touching  the  welfare  of  his  home  city  of 
Ontario  and  of  San  Bernardino  County,  and  his  influence  and  effective 
co-operation  have  been  given  in  the  furtherance  of  measures  and 
enterprises  advanced  for  the  general  good  of  the  community.  He  has 
had  no  ambition  for  political  activity  but  is  a  staunch  and  well 
fortified  advocate  of  the  principles  of  the  republican  party.  Both  he 
and  his  wife  are  active  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
as  was  also  his  first  wife. 

At  Dungannon,  County  Tyrone,  Ireland,  was  solemnized  the  mar- 
riage of  Mr.  Pollock  and  Miss  Kate  L.  McCormick,  and  his  bride 
accompanied  him  on  his  return  to  the  United  States.  She  passed  to 
the  life  eternal  in  the  year  1905,  and  left  one  son,  Thomas  A.  Pollock. 
In  1908  Mr.  Pollock  wedded  Miss  Annie  D.  Walls  in  the  City  of 
Los  Angeles,  and  she  is  the  popular  chatelaine  of  their  attractive  home 
at  Ontario,  besides  being  prominent  in  the  representative  social  iife 
of  the  community. 

Orin  Porter  was  a  resident  of  Redlands  more  than  twenty  years. 
While  here  he  showed  his  substantial  faith  in  the  community  by  invest- 
ing liberally  of  his  means  in  orchard  property,  and  was  deeply  interested 
as  well  in  the  full  rounded  development  of  the  community.  Mr.  Porter 
spent  his  life  largely  in  the  great  West,  and  for  years  was  a  noted  au- 
thority on  mining  operations. 

He  was  a  New  Englander  by  birth  and  ancestry,  born  at  Troy  in 
Orleans  County,  Vermont,  in  1838.  He  grew  up  in  the  rugged  district 
of  New  England,  and  at  the  age  of  seventeen  went  out  to  the  new  state 
of  Iowa.  He  lived  there  four  years  and  then  returned  East,  and  again 
spent  six  years  in  Vermont.  When  he  finally  left  the  East  his  journey 
ended  in  Nevada,  and  he  participated  in  the  great  mining  excitement  at 
White  Pine  during  1868.  There  he  served  his  apprenticeship  as  a 
practical  miner  and  prospector,  and  his  next  scene  of  operations  was  in 
Idaho.  He  was  interested  in  both  gold  and  silver  mines,  and  long  ex- 
perience made  him  an  expert  in  every  phase  of  prospecting,  developing 
and  the  production  of  precious  metals.  For  twenty-five  years  he  gave 
his  personal  time  and  supervision  to  his  mining  interests,  and  when  he 
retired  he  located  at  Redlands  and  bought  two  ten-acre  orange  groves. 
Eventually  he  became  owner  of  forty  acres,  and  took  a  very  enthusiastic 
interest  in  every  department  of  the  citrus  fruit  growing  and  made  the 
business  a  profitable  one. 

The  death  of  this  honored  citizen  of  Redlands  occurred  April  19. 
1914.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Masonic  Order,  attended  the  Con- 
gregational Church  and  was  very  active  in  all  lines  of  betterment  work 
around  the  colony  and  had  the  greatest  of  faith  in  the  future  of  the  en- 
lire  Redlands  district. 

In  1891  he  married  Sarah  M.  G.  Rogers,  also  a  native  of  Vermont. 
She  attended  public  school  at  Fairfax  and  was  also  a  student  of  New 
Hampton  Institute,  at  Fairfax,  a  Baptist  college,  which  has  since  been 
renamed  and  endowed  as  the  Bellows  Seminary.  Mr.  Porter  is  survived 
by  Mrs.  Porter  and  one  daughter,  Ora,  who  was  born  at  Redlands  Feb- 
ruary 5,  1893.  Miss  Ora  Porter  attended  Mrs.  Winston's  private  school 
and  at  the  time  of  her  father's  death  was  a  student  in  the  University  of 
Redlands,  taking  a  musical  course.  Later  she  finished  her  vocal  education 
as  a  private  pupil  in  Los  Angeles  under  the  teacher  and  singer  Estelle 
Hartt  Drevfus.  Miss  Ora  Porter  was  married  March  25,  1918,  to 
Tra  Leroy  Thomason.  Mr.  Thomason  was  born  in  Nebraska  May  23. 
1895.  and  graduated  A.  B.  from   Stanford  University  in  California  and 


1178      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

was  in  the  university  taking  his  law  course  when  he  entered  the  army, 
joining  the  Ordnance  Department  at  Palo  Alto,  May  10,  1918.  He  was 
at  Camp  Hancock.  Georgia,  later  transferred  to  the  infantry  and  sent 
to.  the  Officers  Training  Camp  at  Camp  Gordon,  Georgia,  and  after  the 
signing  of  the  armistice  received  his  discharge  December  20,  1918.  He 
and  his  family  now  live  at  Hollywood,  California,  where  he  is  head  of 
the  publicity  department  of  the  Hollywood  branch  of  the  Security  Trust 
and  Savings  Bank  of  Los  Angeles.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thomason  have  one 
daughter,  Dorothy  Jean,  born  January  31,   1919,  at  Redlands. 

Mrs.  Porter  continues  to  make  her  home  at  Redlands,  on  Wabash 
Street,  and  is  the  efficient  manager  of  the  original  twenty-acre  home- 
stead acquired  by  Mr.  Porter  some  thirty  years  ago. 

Joseph  D.  Meriwether  has  for  a  number  of  years  been  a  successful 
nurseryman  in  Ontario,  and  acquired  his  early  training  in  the  world's 
greatest  nursery,  at  Louisiana,  Missouri,  where  he  was  born  August 
30,  1873. 

Mr.  Meriwether  is  a  son  of  Joseph  and  Laura  M.  (Turner)  Meri- 
wether. The  Meriwether  family  is  of  noted  Virginia  ancestry,  one 
branch  of  the  family  being  represented  by  the  Meriwether  Lewis, 
who  was  one  of  the  famous  Lewis  &  Clark  expedition  to  the  North- 
west. 

Joseph  D.  Meriwether  received  a  public  school  education  in  Louisi- 
ana, attended  McCune  College  there,  and  immediately  after  leaving 
school  he  entered  the  service  of  Stark  Brothers  at  Louisiana,  said 
to  be  the  largest  nursery  in  the  world.  He  was  with  Stark  Brothers 
for  eighteen  years,  and  then  removed  to  California,  and  is  now  with 
the  Armstrong  Nurseries.  He  owns  and  occupies  a  handsome  bun- 
galow at  215  East  G  Street. 

Mr.  Meriwether  is  strictly  a  business  man,  and  outside  of  his 
business  he  finds  his  enjoyment  in  home,  much  of  his  leisure  being 
taken  up  with  reading,  particularly  history.  He  has  never  aspired 
to  hold  any  public  office  of  any  kind,  votes  as  an  independent,  and 
has  held  several  chairs  in  the  Masonic  and  Odd  Fellows  fraternities. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

At  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  March  14,  1894.  he  married  Miss  Laura 
Seamens,  daughter  of  Albert  Seamens.  They  hav<y  three  sons, 
Albert  J.,  Edward  W.  and  Leslie  S. 

John  G.  Beesley,  an  honored  resident  of  Ontario,  California,  is 
retired  from  business,  and  is  diverting  the  ample  means  acquired 
during  his  active  career  to  the  enjoyment  of  the  many  comforts 
presented  by  residence  in  this  favorite  section  of  Southern  California. 

Mr.  Beesley  was  born  at  Bury,  St.  Edmonds,  England,  January  6, 
1851,  son  of  Richard  and  Mary  Beesley.  His  early  childhood  and 
most  of  his  mature  career  were  spent  in  Ontario,  Canada,  where  he 
completed  his  education,  and  where  for  several  years  he  was  engaged 
in  building  and  contracting.  Later  he  became  postmaster  of  Marl- 
borough, Saskatchewan,  Canada,  and  he  had  been  engaged  in  farming 
there  previously. 

Mr.  Beesley  as  an  American  citizen  has  affiliated  with  the  repub- 
lican party.  He  has  held  various  chairs  in  the  lodges  of  Masons  and 
Odd  Fellows  and  is  a  Shriner  and  in  church  relationship  is  a 
Methodist. 

At  Clinton,  Ontario,  Canada,  he  married  Elizabeth  Crosier, 
daughter  of  William  Crosier.    At  Riverside,  California,  June  10,  1921, 


JScLAoIc    pk  !&u£r 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1 179 

he  married  Aida  Bell,  daughter  of  William  and  Sarah  Bell,  her  father 
an  electrician  and  automobile  mechanic.  Mr.  Beesley's  children  are : 
Arthur,  of  Moosejaw,  Saskatchewan,  Canada;  William  R.,  also  of 
Moosejaw,  Canada;  John  Wesley,  of  Tueford.  Saskatchewan,  Canada; 
Annie  Maude,  deceased  :  Bertha,  wife  of  J.  R.  Sparrow,  of  Moosejaw, 
Canada;  Mabel,  wife  of  Frank  Miller,  (if  Swift  Current.  Saskatchewan, 
Canada.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Beesley  reside  at  311  East  C  Street,  in  one 
of  the  many  choice  homes  of  the  beautiful  City  of  Ontario.  Mr. 
Beesley  has  reached  the  age  of  seventy  and,  while  retired  from 
business,  he  has  the  spirit  and  vigor  of  a  man  many  years  his  junior. 

Otto  S.  Roen  is  one  of  the  younger  and  progressive  business  element 
of  Ontario.  He  had  a  technical  education  and  for  a  number  of  years 
was  connected  with  public  utility  management  both  in  the  East  and 
after  coming  to  Ontario,  was  then  associated  with  a  very  prosperous 
wholesale  grain  and  feed  business  at  Ontario,  and  since  January  1, 
1922,  has  been  city  service  manager  of  Ontario. 

Mr.  Roen  was  born  at  Columbus,  Nebraska,  February  28,  1884, 
son  of  Ole  T.  and  Marion  H.  Roen,  the  former  a  native  of  Norway 
and  the  latter  of  Massachusetts.  Ole  S.  Roen  was  the  oldest  of  a 
family  of  two  sons  and  three  daughters.  He  graduated  from  the 
Columbus  High  School  and  for  three  years  was  a  student  in  the 
Armour  Institute  of  Technology  at  Chicago. 

He  left  that  school  in  1903  and  in  1907  became  manager  of  the 
Columbus  Gas  Company  in  his  home  town.  This  position  he  resigned 
in  1910  and,  locating  at  Ontario,  California,  became  associated  with 
the  Ontario-Upland  Gas  Company  as  secretary  and  treasurer.  In 
April,  1918,  this  public  utility  was  sold  to  the  Southern  Counties  Gas 
Company.  Mr.  Roen  then  joined  forces  with  W.  T.  Ross,  and  they 
bought  the  Ontario  feed  and  fuel  business  which  had  been  established 
thirty  years  ago  by  Lee  and  McCarthy.  From  the  restrictions 
imposed  by  the  war  period  this  business  leaped  forward  during  the 
past  three  years,  each  year  representing  a  big  increase  over  the 
preceding.  In  1920  the  firm  did  more  than  $200,000  worth  of  business. 
They  handled  both  wholesale  and  retail  grain,  feed  and  fuel. 

In  1918  Mr.  Roen  married  Miss  Dorothy  J.  Harper,  of  a  well 
known  Ontario  family.  She  was  born  in  that  town  and  is  a  graduate 
of  the  Chaffee  Union  High  School  and  the  State  Normal,  and  for 
four  years  was  a  teacher  in  the  grammar  school  before  her  marriage. 
They  have  one  son,  Charles  Roen,  born  in  Ontario  in  October,  1919. 

Mr.  Roen  at  the  time  of  the  World  war  applied  for  duty  in  the 
gas  and  flame  service,  was  drafted  and  ordered  to  the  colors  in  the 
aviation  department.  He  was  under  orders  to  entrain  for  Kelly  Field, 
Texas,  but  the  train  was  late  and  while  waiting  he  was  notified  of 
the  signing  of  the  armistice. 

Emmett  A.  Boylan  spent  his  early  life  in  Kansas,  chiefly  as  a  teacher, 
but  for  a  number  of  years  has  enjoyed  some  important  responsibilities 
at  Corona  as  manager  of  the  Sparr  Fruit  Company. 

He  was  born  at  White  Rock,  Kansas,  January  26,  1884,  son  of 
John  E.  and  Mary  E.  (Lock)  Boylan.  His  parents  are  now  living 
in  Oregon,  his  father  being  a  retired  farmer.  Mr.  Boylan  is  a  direct 
descendant  of  Edward  Lock  and  Stonewall  Jackson,  and  therefore 
of  prominent  Virginia  ancestry. 

Emmett  A.  Boylan  acquired  a  public  school  education  in  Republic 
City  and  Belleville,  Kansas,  and  was  a  member  of  the  class  of.  1902 


1180       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

in  the  Kansas  Agricultural  College  at  Manhattan.  The  vocation  and 
duties  of  teaching  engaged  him  for  six  years. 

Mr.  Boylan  came  to  Corona,  California,  in  1907,  and  since  that  time 
has  been  the  managing  official  of  the  Sparr  Fruit  Company.  He  is  a 
republican  in  politics,  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
and  is  affiliated  with  the  Masonic  Lodge  and  the  Security  Benefit 
Association. 

On  October  22,  1907,  Air.  Boylan  married  Miss  Virginia  Roe,  a 
daughter  of  Jasper  Newton  and  Margaret  (Shultz)  Roe,  of  Clyde, 
Kansas,  where  Mrs.  Boylan  was  born  November  13,  1879.  She  was 
educated  in  the  public  schools  of  her  native  town.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Boylan  have  a  daughter,  Vera  Leona. 

William  Reece — On  the  history  of  constructive  development  in  the 
Redlands  district  one  of  the  best  authorities  from  personal  observation 
and  experience  is  Air.  William  Reece  of  Crafton. 

Mr.  Reece  was  born  in  England,  Alarch  10,  1861.  Two  years  later 
his  parents,  Ralph  and  Alary  Reece,  came  to  America  and  settled  in 
Connecticut,  where  he  grew  up  as  a  boy  and  acquired  his  schooling. 
His  first  regular  employment  was  in  a  brick  yard.  The  duties  of  an 
old  time  brick  yard  involved  perhaps  as  strenuous  labor  as  any  occupa- 
tion known  to  man.  Air.  Reece  had  his  full  share  of  this  kind  of  labor, 
and  in  that  and  other  mechanical  trades  and  industry  he  put  in  his  years 
until  he  was  about  twenty-seven,  when  he  started  for  California.  In 
1888  he  left  the  train  at  San  Bernardino  and  took  the  stage  to  Redlands. 
He  camped  near  the  Redlands  Reservoir,  and  at  once  secured  a  pick  and 
shovel  job  with  the  firm  of  Butler  &  Brown,  then  building  the  reservoir. 
At  the  end  of  one  week  he  left  the  job.and  on  Sunday  walked  to  East 
Highland,  where  he  began  a  long  period  of  service  with  W.  H. 
Glass,  who  was  then  superintending  the  construction  of  North  Fork- 
ditch.  Air.  Reece  did  the  paving  work  on  the  bottom  of  this  ditch  for 
one  week,  and  then  laid  up  the  sides,  and  continued  as  a  mason  work- 
man for  a  year.  He  was  then  made  foreman  by  Mr.  Glass,  who  for 
years  was  one  of  the  leading  contractors  in  ditch  construction  in  the 
valley.  Either  as  a  contractor  or  as  superintendent  Mr.  Glass  con- 
structed the  Redlands  Reservoir  and  all  the  main  foothill  ditches  and 
waterways.  Air.  Reece  was  employed  as  a  foreman  on  construction  in 
much  of  this  work. 

In  July,  1893,  the  Bear  Valley  Company  went  into  bankruptcy,  with 
T.  P.  Morrison  as  the  first  receiver,  who  was  succeeded  in  a  short  time 
by  Grimes  &  Graves,  who  succeeded  in  disposing  of  enough  of  the 
property  and  the  company  supplies  to  meet  the  large  arrearages  in  debt 
to  the  laborers.  At  this  time  Mr.  Glass  was  superintendent  for  the  Bear 
Valley  Company.  He  gave  Air.  Reece  instructions  to  clean  up  every- 
thing, take  down  derricks  in  the  valley,  and  secure  all  the  powder  and 
caps  and  return  them  to  storage  in  Redlands,  since  it  was  feared  that 
some  of  these  explosives  would  be  used  to  blow  up  the  dam  by  some 
laborer  who  had  not  been  paid.  Mr.  Reece  was  acquainted  with  Ames 
and  Johnson,  respectively  paymaster  and  bookkeeper  of  the  concern, 
whose  offices  were  in  the  Hubbard  Block.  Mr.  Johnson  apprised  Mr. 
Reece  as  to  the  expected  arrival  of  a  consignment  of  money  to  pay  off 
some  of  the  laborers,  and  on  going  down  to  the  office  he  found  a  long 
line  waiting,  and  going  into  the  office  ahead  of  them,  he  was  handed 
his  own  pay  by  Mr.  Tohnson.  At  that  time  there  was  not  sufficient 
funds  to  meet  all  the  labor  obligations. 

Prior  to  this  experience  Mr.  Reece  did  work  for  Mr.  Glass  at  Moreno. 
The  contract  called  for  the  construction  of  all  the  pipes  and  flumes  on 


/74^>^i^L^^  C^^c^cj^- 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1181 

the  seven  hundred  acres  then  being  developed  by  Redlands 'people.  Fol- 
lowing this  he  was  connected  with  the  Lake  View  project,  which  also 
went  into  bankruptcy,  though  again  he  was  fortunate  in  securing  his 
own  wages.  Mr.  Reece  was  then  employed  in  building  storm  drainage 
ditches  for  the  City  of  Redlands,  following  which  he  worked  for  J.  S. 
Edwards  on  Plunge  Creek  in  the  project  for  bringing  water  to  the  high 
land  owned  by  Mr.  Edwards  in  East  Highland. 

During  1893  Mr.  Reece  spent  three  months  in  helping  construct  the 
water  ditch  for  the  Crafton  Water  Company  from  Mill  Creek  Zarija  to 
Crafton  Reservoir.  He  built  the  Redlands  Reservoir  and  the  Crafton 
ditch  from  Santa  Ana  River  to  the  reservoir",  rocking  it  up  both  bottom 
and  sides. 

Mr.  Reece  in  the  spring  of  1895  was  appointed  and  began  his  service 
at  Zanjero  for  the  Crafton  Water  Company.  He  has  been  in  that  posi- 
tion continuously  for  twenty-seven  years  without  missing  a  single  day 
on  account  of  illness  or  any  cause,  and  it  is  a  record  of  service  of  which 
he  may  be  justly  proud. 

Mr.  Reece  enlisted  during  the  Spanish-American  war  in  Company  G 
of  the  Seventh  California  Volunteers,  and  after  four  months  in  training 
was  discharged  at  the  Presidio  at  San  Francisco. 

He  married  Miss  Sophia  Casteel,  a  native  daughter  of  California,  who 
was  born  in  San  Bernardino  .County  in  1874.  Her  mother  came  to 
California  with  an  ox  train  at  the  time  the  Van  Leuven  families  moved 
from  Salt  Lake  to  old  San  Bernardino.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Reece  are  the 
parents  of  four  children.  Ethel,  born  in  1892,  is  the  wife  of  Chauncey 
McKee  and  the  mother  of  two  children.  May,  born  in  1893,  was  mar- 
ried to  Winfield  Richter  and  has  one  child.  The  two  youngest  children 
are  John,  born  in  1906,  and  Helen,  born  in  1908.  In'  1911  Mr.  Reece 
bought  ten  acres  on  Crafton  Avenue,  where  he  has  his  present  home. 
This  is  adjoining  Redlands  at  Mentone.  Seven  acres  of  the  tract  had 
been  set  to  Navel  oranges.  Three  acres  were  still  covered  with  rocks, 
which  he  had  removed  and  the  land  improved,  and  it  is  now  a  grove  of 
Valencias.  Here  Mr.  Reece  built  his  new  and  modern  home.  His 
first  place  of  residence  was  in  Redlands.  At  that  time  his  duties  fre- 
quently called  him  to  the  mountains,  and  on  one  occasion  he  took  his 
family  with  him.  As  a  precaution  against  fire  he  removed  two  five 
gallon  cans,  one  of  kerosene  and  one  of  gasoline,  to  a  shed  in  the  rear 
of  his  home.  Redlands  City  had  recently  installed  a  fire  alarm  system, 
and  there  was  a  standing  reward  of  five  dollars  offered  to  the  first  per- 
son who  should  turn  in  an  alarm  for  a  real  fire.  Some  boys  coveting 
this  reward  made  a  real  fire  bv  securinsr  the  cans  from  the  shed  and 
pouring  the  contents  about  the  house  of  Mr.  Reece  and  then  setting  fire 
to  the  premises.  The  house  was  a  total  loss.  The  boys  were  convicted 
and  sentenced  to  the  Whittier  Reform  School. 

Samuel  B.  Hampton  became  a  prominent  and  influential  fieure  in 
connection  with  the  citrus  fruit  industry  in  Southern  California,  and 
the  splendid  achievement  that  most  significantly  indicated  his 
initiative  and  executive  abilitv  was  the  organizing  of  the  Corona 
Foothill  Lemon  Company,  which  has  added  materially  to  the  indus- 
trial prestige  and  advancement  of  Riverside  County.  Of  this  company 
Mr.  Hampton  was  president  from  the  time  of  its  incorporation  until 
his  death,  and  his  splendid  energies  were  enlisted  also  in  the 
developing  of  other  important  business  enterprises. 

Samuel  B.  Hampton  was  born  in  Linn  County,  Iowa,  on  February 
26,  1870,  a  son  of  Isaac  S.  and  Helen  (Hazelrigg)  Hampton,  natives 


1182       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

respectively  "of  Ohio  and  Iowa.  Mr.  Hampton  was  four  years  of 
age  at  the  time  of  the  family  removal  to  Osage  Count}'.  Kansas, 
where  lie  attended  the  public  schools  until  he  was  sixteen  years  of 
age.  He  then,  in  1886,  accompanied  his  parents  to  California,  and 
the  family  home  was  established  at  Elsinore,  Riverside  County,  where 
for  a  year  he  was  variously  employed.  He  then  became  a  packer  in 
the  fruit  packing  establishment  of  Griffin  &  Skelly  at  Riverside,  three 
years  later  became  foreman  for  the  Riverside  Fruit  Company,  and 
later  he  held  a  similar  position  with  F.  B.  Devine  &  Company,  fruit 
packers.  In  1900  he  removed  to  Hollywood  and  became  house  man- 
ager of  the  Cahuenga  Valley  Lemon  Exchange.  In  1901  he  removed 
to  Whittier  and  organized  the  Whittier  Citrus  Association,  of  which 
he  served  as  manager  until  October,  1904.  He  then  became  manager 
of  the  Corona  Lemon  Company  at  Corona,  Riverside  County,  which 
position  he  held  until  his  death. 

The  foresight  and  business  acumen  of  Mr.  Hampton  were  specially 
effective  when  he  brought  about  the  organization  of  the  Corona  Foot- 
hill Lemon  Company,  which  acquired  900  acres  of  land  on  the  mesa 
south  of  Corona — a  tract  specially  adapted  to  lemon  culture  by  reason 
of  its  being  far  above  the  frost  line.  Under  the  vigorous  management 
of  Mr.  Hampton  600  acres  were  planted  to  lemons  and  100  acres 
to  oranges.  An  abundant  supply  of  water  has  been  developed  from 
wells,  and  in  commission  is  a  pumping  plant  of  600  horsepower,  in 
connection  with  which  has  been  installed  three  miles  of  pipe  line,  with 
a  capacity  of  250  miners'  inches.  The  Corona  Foothill  Lemon  Com- 
pany was  incorporated  in  1911,  with  a  capital  stock  of  $300,000, 
which  was  later  increased  to  $500,000,  and  with  official  corps  as  fol- 
lows:  Samuel  B.  Hampton,  president;  W.  A.  Mcintosh,  vice  presi- 
dent;^. R.  Case,  secretary;  and  the  First  National  Bank  of  Corona, 
treasurer.  After  the  death  of  Mr.  Hampton  in  1918  W.  A.  Mcintosh 
became  president  of  the  company,  and  in  the  position  of  vice  president 
was  succeeded  by  David  Blanckenhorn.  The  officers  remain  as 
above  noted,  Robert  L.  Hampton  having  become  general  manager  in 
1918,  shortly  after  the  death  of  his  father,  which  occurred  on  October 
16th  of  that  year. 

Aside  from  his  connection  with  the  Corona  Foothill  Lemon  Com- 
pany Mr.  Hampton  was  president  of  the  Temescal  Water  Company, 
president  of  the  Exchange  By-Products  Company,  manager  of  the 
Corona  Lemon  Company  and  a  member  of  the  Queen  Colony  Fruit 
Exchange,  besides  being  the  Corona  representative  at  the  California 
Fruit  Growers'  Exchange  at  Los  Angeles.  It  was  mainly  through 
the  efforts  of  Mr.  Hampton  that  the  Exchange  By-Products  Company 
was  established  at  Corona,  he  having  been  president  of  this  company 
from  the  time  of  its  organization  until  his  death. 

Mr.  Hampton  was  a  stalwart  advocate  of  the  principles  of  the 
republican  party,  was  a  progressive  and  public-spirited  citizen,  and  as 
a  man  he  commanded  unqualified  popular  confidence  and  esteem.  He 
was  a  birthright  member  of  the  Society  of  Friends,  and  held  this 
religious  faith  most  earnestly  and  consistently.  Mr.  Hampton  mar- 
ried Miss  Nora  Willits,  daughter  of  Gabriel  B.  Willits,  of  Riverside, 
and  since  his  death  she  has  continued  to  maintain  her  home  at  Corona. 
Of  the  three  children  Robert  L.  is  the  eldest ;  Ethlyn  remains  with  her 
widowed  mother;  and  Doris  is  the  wife  of  A.  E.  Daniels,  of  Corona. 

Robert  Lester  Hampton,  only  son  of  the  subject  of  this  memoir, 
gained  his  early  education  in  the  public  schools  of  Corona  and  there- 
after continued  his  studies  in  the  University  of  California  as  a  member 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       L183 

of  the  class  of  1916.  After  leaving  the  university  he  became  ranch 
foreman  for  the  Corona  Foothill  Lemon  Company,  and  since  1918 
he  has  been  its  manager.  He  is  a  republican  in  political  allegiance, 
and  is  affiliated  with  the  Del  Rev  Club.  September  17.  1920.  recorded 
his  marriage  with  Miss  Jessamine  Hunt,  daughter  of  Mrs.  Alice  Hunt, 
of  Corona,  and  the  one  child  of  this  union  is  a  son,  Robert  Lester,  Jr. 
Mrs.  Hampton  was  born  in  Corona  and  attended  the  public  and  high 
schools.  She  was  afforded  the  advantages  of  Leland  Stanford,  Jr., 
University,  and  is  a  popular  figure  in  the  representative  social 
activities   of   her   home   community. 

Mark  D.  Anderson  is  prominently  identified  with  the  fruit  packing 
industry  in  Riverside  County,  where  he  is  secretary  and  manager 
of  the  Orange  Heights  Fruit  Association,  the  modern  packing  house 
of  which  is  established  at  the  intersection  of  Main  Street  and  the 
tracks  of  the  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  Railroad  at  Corona. 

The  Orange  Heights  Fruit  Association  was  organized  in  1905,  on 
October  7th  of  which  year  it  was  incorporated  with  a  capital  stock 
of  $25,000  and  with  the  following  named  officers :  F.  F.  Thompson, 
president;  L.  A.  Fink,  secretary;  and  the  First  National  Bank  of 
Corona  as  treasurer.  The  new  corporation  purchased  the  packing 
house  of  the  Faye  Fruit  Company,  and  promptly  proceeded  with  the 
rebuilding  and  remodeling  of  the  plant.  On  the  31st  of  August,  1914, 
the  capital  stock  was  increased  to  $50,000,  and  the  following  officers 
were  elected  :  W.  C.  Barth,  president ;  J.  C.  Read,  secretary ;  Corona 
National  Bank,  treasurer.  The  officers  of  the  association  at  the 
opening  of  the  year  1922  are  as  here  noted:  J.  B.  Cook,  president; 
L.  A.  Fink,  vice  president;  Mark  D.  Anderson,  secretary  and  man- 
ager; Corona  National  Bank,  treasurer.  The  packing  house  gives  an 
aggregate  floor  space  of  193,500  square  feet,  the  facilities  are  of  the 
most  approved  type,  and  at  the  plant  employment  is  given  to  seventy- 
five  persons,  while  in  the  fields  during  the  fruit-packing  season  the 
association  has  an  average  of  150  employes.  The  association  handles 
fruit  from  1,100  acres,  its  property  investment  represents  fully 
$150,000  and  its  indebtedness  is  only  $8,000,  so  that  its  affairs  are  in 
a  most  prosperous  condition  and  its  influence  large  in  connection  with 
the  fruit  industry  in  this  section  of  the  state. 

Mark  D.  Anderson  was  born  in  Morgan  County,  Ohio,  on  the  1st  of 
June,  1880,  and  is  a  son  of  Adelbert  A.  and  Mary  Catherine  (DeVolle) 
Anderson.  Mr.  Anderson  was  a  child  at  the  time  of  the  family  removal 
to  Bourbon  County,  Kentucky,  where  he  attended  the  public  schools. 
Later  he  attended  the  McConnelsville  Normal  School  at  McConnelsville, 
Ohio,  after  which  he  read  law  in  the  office  of  Kinzies  Porter  of  Zanes- 
ville,  that  state.  At  Zanesville  he  finally  became  manager  of  the  business 
of  the  F.  E.  Hemmer  Company,  manufacturing  confectioners  and  whole- 
sale dealers  in  fruit  and  produce.  Prior  to  taking  up  the  study  of  law  he 
had  given  three  years  of  successful  service  as  a  teacher  in  the  public 
schools  in  Bourbon  County,  Kentucky,  and  at  Zanesville,  Ohio.  He  con- 
tinued his  connection  with  F.  E.  Hemmer  Company  three  years,  and  there- 
after was  associated  with  the  wholesale  commission  business  in  the  City 
of  Pittsburgh,  Pennsylvania.  In  this  connection  he  came  to  California 
in  the  capacity  of  purchasing  agent.  In  1904  he  here  became  associated 
with  Arthur  Gregory,  who  was  then  general  manager  of  the  Mutual 
Orange  Distributors  at  Redlands.  Within  a  short  time  thereafter  Mr. 
Anderson  became  manager  of  the  Carlsbad  Guano  &  Fertilizer  Company, 
in  which  connection  he  was  in  active  service  two  years  at  Carlsbad,  New 


1 184       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

Mexico,  his  executive  duties  involving  considerable  travel  in  Mexico. 
Upon  his  return  to  California  he  assumed  the  position  of  district  manager 
of  the  Mutual  Orange  Distributors,  and  with  this  corporation  he  continued 
his  alliance,  in  various  capacities,  until  1919,  when  he  became  the  incum- 
bent of  his  present  dual  office  of  secretary  and  manager  of  the  Orange 
Heights  Fruit  Association. 

Mr.  Anderson  is  a  valued  member  of  the  Corona  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce, is  a  director  of  the  Queen  Colony  Fruit  Exchange,  and  the 
Exchange  Orange  Producers  Company,  is  a  republican  in  politics,  and  is  a 
member  of  the  Corona  Country  Club. 

In  1900  Mr.  Anderson  wedded  Miss  Myrtle  O'Brannon,  of  McCon- 
nelsville,  Ohio,  and  the  two  children  of  this  union,  I.  M.  and  Madeline, 
reside  at  Zanesville,  Ohio.  The  present  marriage  of  Mr.  Anderson  was 
solemnized  in  January,  1917,  when  Miss  Daisy  Helen  Moberly,  of  Wichita, 
Kansas,  became  his  wife.     They  have  no  children. 

Silas  A.  Dudley  may  well  be  considered  one  of  the  pioneers  and  rep- 
resentative citizens  of  Corona,  Riverside  County,  where  he  has  a  well 
improved  orange  and  lemon  grove  and  an  attractive  home  which  has  been 
his  place  of  abode  since  1895,  when  he  purchased  the  property,  at  3010 
Main  Street.  That  he  has  full  claim  for  pioneer  distinction  is  evident 
when  it  is  stated  that  he  hauled  the  lumber  for  the  construction  of  the 
first  house  at  Corona,  which  was  originally  known  as  South  Riverside. 
Mr.  Dudley  came  to  Riverside  County  in  1885,  and  in  his  independent 
activities  in  the  growing  of  citrus  fruit  he  has  met  with  well  merited 
success,  his  present  fruit  grove  comprising  twelve  acres  and  the  property 
being  exceptionally  well  improved. 

Mr.  Dudley  was  born  at  Mendon,  Massachusetts,  July  5,  1857,  and  is 
a  scion  of  a  family  early  established  in  New  England,  that  gracious  cradle 
of  much  of  our  national  history.  He  is  a  descendant  of  Governor  Dudley 
of  the  Massachusetts  Colony,  and  of  Edward  Rawson,  secretary  of  the 
Massachusetts  Bay  Company.  His  parents,  Edward  and  Mary  (Ellis) 
Dudley,  passed  their  entire  lives  in  Massachusetts,  and  the  father  devoted 
his  active  career  to  farm  enterprise. 

Silas  A.  Dudley  gained  his  youthful  education  in  the  public  schools 
of  his  native  place  and  thereafter  was  associated  with  the  work  and  man- 
agement of  the  old  home  farm  until  1885,  when  he  came  to  Riverside 
County,  California,  where  he  has  been  associated  with  the  splendid  develop- 
ment and  progress  that  have  marked  the  intervening  years.  He  has  had 
no  desire' to  enter  the  arena  of  practical  politics  but  is  loyally  aligned  in 
the  ranks  of  the  republican  party,  and  as  a  citizen  has  ever  shown  deep 
interest  in  community  affairs  of  public  order. 

On  August  28,  1895,  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Dudley  and 
Miss  Carrie  V.  C.  Jordan,  daughter  of  Simeon  L.  and  Emma  E.  (Sparks) 
Jordan,  at  that  time  residents  of  Milford,  Massachusetts,  Mrs.  Dudley 
having,  however,  been  reared  and  educated  in  the  State  of  New  York. 
She  was  born  in  Newburg,  New  York,  November  5,  1874.  Of  their  three 
children  it  may  be  recorded  that  Miss  Ruth,  a  teacher  in  the  Lincoln  School 
of  Corona,  remains  at  the  parental  home;  Edward  A.  is,  in  1921-2,  a 
student  in  the  University  of  California;  and  Charlotte,  a  Junior  in  High 
School,  is  the  youngest  member  of  the  parental  home  circle. 

Ezra  J.  Post,  a  resident  of  Mentone,  at  the  green  and  vigorous  old 
age  of  ninety,  is  one  of  the  few  survivors  of  that  intrepid  band 
of  pioneers  who  poured  over  the  plains  and  across  the  mountains 
to   the  Pacific  Coast  in  the  years  immediately   following  the   first  dis- 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1185 

coveries  of  precious  metal  in  California.  His  life  for  a  number  of 
years  was  given  to  the  diversified  activities  of  ranching,  mechanical  labor 
and  mining  in  the  northwestern  states,  following  which  he  did  a  suc- 
cessful business  on  the  eastern  slope  of  the  Rockies,  and  finally  resorted 
to  Southern  California  as  a  means  of  restoring  health  and  has  continued 
here  a  role  of  business  activity  that  would  shame  many  a  younger  man. 

Mr.  Post  was  born  in  Madison  County  in  Southern  Illinois  in  1831. 
and  grew  up  and  acquired  his  education  in  Illinois.  He  was  born  on  a 
farm  and  learned  the  blacksmith's  trade.  It  was  in  May,  1851,  when 
he  was  about  twenty  years  of  age,  that  he  left  St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  then 
one  of  the  chief  outfitting  points  on  the  Missouri  River  for  California 
and  western  immigrants.  He  drove  one  of  the  twenty-one  ox  teams  in 
a  party  made  up  of  about  a  hundred  people  who  went  over  the  old  Lewis 
and  Clark  trail,  and  after  about  five  months  arrived  at  Oregon  City, 
Oregon,  on  September  10,  1851.  It  was  a  journey  fraught  with  many 
hardships  and  dangers.  The  party  was  attacked  by  Snake  Indians  on 
Snake  River  and  two  of  the  members  killed.  They  drove  over  the  Cas- 
cade Mountains  through  a  foot  of  snow  and  in  bitter  cold.  They  had  to 
cut  alder  for  cattle  forage  and  many  of  their  oxen  died.  Reaching  the 
Chutes  River  they  found  it  swollen  to  a  depth  of  fifteen  feet,  and  for 
two  or  three  days  had  to  remain  on  one  side  with  only  crackers  and 
sugar  for  their  food  until  the  flood  subsided  and  they  could  cross  to  ob- 
tain supplies  of  meat  and  other  provisions.  In  Oregon  Mr.  Post  found 
it  warm  and  comfortable,  and  at  once  resumed  his  trade  as  a  blacksmith. 
As  a  plow  maker  he  was  called  upon  to  make  those  implements  of  agri- 
culture for  farmers  living  from  one  end  to  the  other  of  the  Willamette 
Valley.  For  four  years  he  continued  making  plows  and  doing  mechanical 
repair  work  for  steamboats.  He  then  started  a  ranch,  setting  out  an 
orchard  and  growing  grain.  When  he  planted  his  apple  trees  that  fruit 
was  selling  at  six  dollars  a  box,  but  by  the  time  the  trees  came  into  bear- 
ing there  was  no  market  and  he  fed  the  fruit  to  his  stock.  Mr.  Post 
was  a  pioneer  horticulturist  in  the  Northwest,  when  fruit  trees  were  not 
burdened  with  pests  and  there  was  no  occasion  to  spray  and  the  fruit 
itself  was  perfect.  He  and  his  brother,  John,  during  one  season  equipped 
an  ox  train  and  did  the  first  freighting  of  goods  into  Orofino,  Idaho. 
From  there  he  went  over  into  the  Salmon  River  basin  of  Idaho  and  did 
some  mining  and  prospecting.  He  remained  in  the  valley  during  the  win- 
ter, when  snow  covered  the  ground  to  a  depth  of  nine  feet,  and  while 
there  he  suffered  an  illness  that  almost  took  him  away.  Two  of  his 
friends  decided  to  get  out  of  the  valley,  one  of  them,  a  Portland  mer- 
chant worth  thirty  thousand  dollars  and  another,  Mr.  Mulkey,  worth 
about  ten  thousand  dollars,  and  froze  to  death  in  the  attempt. 

In  the  meantime  Mr.  Post  had  retained  his  Oregon  ranch.  During 
that  winter  of  unprecedented  severity  he  lost  fortv  out  of  forty-two  head 
of  livestock,  and  stock  of  all  descriptions  perished  all  the  way  from 
Idaho  down  to  The  Dalles  in  Oregon.  On  giving  up  his  Oregon  ranch 
Mr.  Post  returned  to  the  Salmon  River  Valley  and  engaged  in  mining, 
packing,  trading  and  blacksmithing.  It  .  was  an  unprofitable  venture, 
largely  through  the  dishonesty  of  his  partners,  one  of  whom  subsequently 
committed  suicide  at  Boise. 

Leaving  that  country  altogether,  Mr.  Post  in  1870  went  to  Denver, 
reaching  that  city  penniless,  and  for  two  years  made  a  living  as  a  jour- 
neyman blacksmith.  He  saved  and  made  money,  and  this  time  never 
experimented  with  partners.  From  Denver  he  removed  to  Trinidad, 
Colorado,  where  he  engaged  in  the  hardware  business.  As  a  prospering 
business  man  he  was  liberal  of  his  means  in  promoting  railroad  enter- 


1186      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

prises,  and  gave  five  hundred  dollars  toward  the  fund  to  secure  the  right 
of  way  for  the  Santa  Fe  Railroad,  three  hundred  dollars  for  the  Den- 
ver and  Rio  Grande,  a  sum  subsequently  refunded,  and  contributed  two 
thousand  dollars  to  the  proposed  Denver,  Texas  &  Gulf  Railway.  He 
was  made  treasurer  of  the  company  that  raised  a  hundred  and  eight 
thousand  dollars  to  purchase  the  right  of  way  for  this  last  named  road. 
It  turned  out  to  be  a  very  profitable  business  for  him,  since  the  road 
turned  many  accounts  toward  him  and  he  sold  goods  over  a  three  hun- 
dred mile  stretch  up  and  down  the  line  and  frequently  got  out  of  bed  in 
the  middle  of  the  night  to  supply  an  order  for  goods.  He  also  started 
a  branch  store  at  Albuquerque,  New  Mexico,  and  this,  too,  was  profitable, 
since  he  had  friendly  connections  with  the  Santa  Fe  people.  Mr.  Post 
continued  merchandising  at  Trinidad  for  sixteen  years,  though  for  the 
last  six  years  of  that  time  he  spent  his  winters  in  Southern  California. 

Gradually,  suffering  from  impaired  health,  he  sold  out  and  in  1887, 
moved  to  Los  Angeles,  determined  to  rebuild  his  constitution.  That  he 
has  done  so  his  subsequent  active  life  of  over  thirty  years  abundantly 
proves.  On  going  to  Los  Angeles  he  bought  ten  acres  in  the  city,  and 
sold  one  lot  for  enough  to  pay  for  the  entire  purchase  price.  For  a 
number  of  years  he  was  one  of  the  very  successful  real  estate  dealers  in 
Los  Angeles. 

In  1890  Mr.  Post  bought  twenty-two  acres  on  the  bench  land  known 
as  Green  Spot,  near  Mentone.  He  acquired  this  tract  from  W.  P.  Mc- 
intosh and  Marlett.  The  purchase  was  made  entirely  against  the  advice 
of  his  friends,  who  thought  the  land  lay  too  high  in  the  valley.  How- 
ever, he  planted  it  to  Navel  oranges,  and  it  is  now  one  of  the  show 
places  of  California  horticulture.  Later  he  added  another  ten  acres, 
and  this  tract  has  been  developed  to  the  Valencia  oranges.  Thirty  years 
ago  it  was  totally  wild  land,  and  his  capital  and  efforts  have  set  the  pace 
for  much  development  all  over  that  region.  Mr.  Post  has  lived  at 
Mentone  with  his  daughter  and  son-in-law,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hart,  since 
June  23,   1920. 

In  1873  he  married  Miss  Anna  A.  Barraclough,  a  native  of  New 
York  City.  She  died  February  9,  1920,  after  they  had  traveled  life's 
highway  and  shared  life's  fortunes  and  reverses  for  forty-seven  years. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Post  had  two  daughters.  Mrs.  Ada  E.  Easley,  now  a 
widow,  lives  at  Glendale.  California,  and  has  three  children.  Frederick, 
Leland  and  Bernice  Easley.  The  second  daughter,  Mabel  Josephine",  is 
the  wife  of  Sherman  E.  Hart,  and  they  have  three  children,  Gaylord. 
born  Mav  31,  1913;  Donald  Post,  born  in  1915,  and  Sherman  Lee  Hart, 
born  in  1921. 

Mr.  Sherman  Hart  is  a  native  of  Illinois  and  is  one  of  the  men 
of  distinctive  enterprise  in  the  citizenship  of  Mentone.  He  has  had  a 
diversified  business  experience  and  career,  has  lost  at  times  but  has 
begun  over  again  and  has  made  himself  financially  one  of  the  strong 
men  of  this  section  of  the  state.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hart  recently  erected 
a  beautiful  modern  home  against  the  background  of  mountain  scenery 
and  with  a  beautiful  view  of  the  valley  below. 

Fred  J.  Mueller  is  secretary  and  general  manager  of  the  Corona 
Citrus  Association,  the  oldest  and  most  important  fruit-packing  concern  in 
the  Corona  district  of  Riverside  County,  the  enterprise  dating  its  inception 
hack  to  the  year  1893,  when  the  Queen  Colony  Fruit  Association  was  incor- 
porated with  a  capital  stock  of  $10,000  and  with  the  following  named 
citizens  as  incorporators  and  directors :  E.  B.  Alderman,  George  L.  Jov, 
David  Lord,  Ambrose  Compton,  R.  B.  Taylor,  J.   S.  Jewell  and  T.   P. 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1 187 

Drinkwater.  The  packing  house  of  this  original  association  was  erected 
by  Frank  Scoville  and  T.  P.  Drinkwater  at  the  intersection  of  Sheridan 
Street  and  the  tracks  of  the  Santa  Fe  Railroad  at  Corona.  In  1896  the 
Queen  Colony  Fruit  Exchange  was  established,  with  the  same  corps  of 
officers  and  directors,  and  under  this  title  the  business  was  continued  until 
1905,  when  a  reorganization  was  effected  and  the  title  of  the  Corona  Citrus 
Association  was  adopted.  Of  the  corporation  the  present  officers  are  as 
here  noted :  F.  M.  Bender,  president ;  S.  A.  Dudley,  vice  president ;  Fred 
J.  Mueller,  secretary  and  general  manager ;  and  the  First  National  Bank  of 
Corona,  treasurer.  The  association  gives  employment  to  100  persons,  its 
packing  house  affords  43,000  square  feet  of  floor  space,  and  the  capacity 
of  the  same  is  for  the  output  of  250  carloads  of  fruit  a  year,  both  oranges 
and  lemons  being  shipped  through  this  effective  medium.  The  association 
is  a  co-operative  organization  made  up  of  representative  fruit-growers  of 
this  district,  and  there  is  made  no  attempt  to  gain  direct  profit  from  its 
operations. 

Fred  J.  Mueller  was  born  at  Ney  Ulm,  Brown  County,  Minnesota, 
on  the  28th  of  December,  1882,  and  is  a  son  of  Jacob  and  Frances 
(Schultz)  Mueller.  He  received  his  youthful  education  in  the  public 
schools  of  his  native  city  and  those  of  Indianapolis,  Indiana,  and  thereafter 
attended  the  celebrated  Shattuck  Military  Academy  at  Faribault,  Minne- 
sota. In  1906  he  graduated  from  Cornell  University,  Ithaca,  New  York, 
from  which  institution  he  received  the  degree  of  civil  engineer.  For  the 
ensuing  two  years  he  was  employed  as  a  civil  engineer  in  connection  with 
the  Chicago,  Cleveland,  Cincinnati  &  St.  Louis  (Big  Four)  Railroad,  with 
headquarters  at  Indianapolis,  Indiana,  and  then,  in  1908,  came  to  Cali- 
fornia. In  August  of  that  year  he  purchased  stock  in  the  First  National 
Bank  of  Corona,  and  of  this  institution  he  continued  the  efficient  and 
popular  cashier  for  three  years.  He  then  sold  his  stock  in  the  bank  and 
became  actively  identified  with  the  citrus  fruit  industry  in  this  district 
as  the  owner  of  a  producing  orange  and  lemon  grove.  In  1917  he  became 
manager  of  the  Corona  Citrus  Association,  and  as  its  secretary  and  general 
manager  he  has  done  much  to  make  its  service  effective  in  promoting  the 
the  best  interests  of  the  fruit  growers  interested  in  the  co-operative 
organization. 

Mr.  Mueller  is  influential  in  the  local  councils  and  campaign  activities 
of  the  republican  party  and  is,  in  1921-2,  a  member  of  the  Republican 
Central  Committee  oi  Riverside  County.  He  has  served  one  term  as  a 
member  of  the  City  Council  of  Corona,  is  a  loyal  member  and  a  director 
of  the  Corona  Chamber  of  Commerce,  is  president  of  the  Queen  Colony 
Fruit  Exchange,  is  a  member  of  the  Corona  Country  Club,  is  affiliated  with 
the  Phi  Gamma  Delta  college  fraternity,  and  in  the  Masonic  fraternity  he 
has  received  the  thirty-second  degree  of  the  Scottish  Rite  and  is  affiliated 
also  with  the  Mystic  Shrine. 

December  9,  1908,  recorded  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Mueller  and  Miss 
Flora  Keely,  who  was  born  and  reared  in  Indianapolis,  Indiana,  where 
her  early  educational  advantages  included  those  of  the  State  Normal 
School.  She  is  a  daughter  of  J.  H.  and  Harriet  Keely.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Mueller  have  one  daughter,  Marjorie. 

Leo  Kroonen.  A  master  of  his  profession  as  an  architect,  a  thor- 
oughly capable  business  executive,  Leo  Kroonen  during  his  long  residence 
at  Corona  has  put  his  faculties  and  influence  behind  every  notable  project 
for  the  general  welfare,  and  the  community  owes  him  a  great  debt  for  the 
thoroughly  constructive  work  be  has  done  here  and  in  the  vicinity. 


1188       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

Mr.  Kroonen  was  born  at  Uithoorn,  eighteen  miles  from  Amsterdam, 
Holland,  March  31,  1857,  son  of  Peter  and  Cornelia  (Koiman)  Kroonen. 
He  was  reared  and  educated  in  his  native  city,  served  an  apprenticeship 
at  the  carpenter's  trade,  also  studied  architecture,  and  had  earned  a  high 
place  in  that  profession  in  Holland  before  he  left  there  at  the  age  of 
twenty-eight  and  came  to  the  United  States.  Before  coming  to  California 
Mr.  Kroonen  had  practiced  as  an  architect  at  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  at 
Galveston  and  Fort  Worth,  Texas,  and  on  the  Pacific  Coast  he  was  located 
six  months  at  Los  Angeles  and  then  at  Claremont,  until  he  located  at 
Corona. 

As  an  architect  and  contractor  Mr.  Kroonen  has  a  long  list  of  notable 
buildings  to  his  credit.  He  put  up  the  high  school,  city  hall,  grammar 
school,  most  of  the  fruit  packing  houses  at  Corona,  the  San  Jacinto  gram- 
mar school  in  Riverside  County,  the  chemical  plant  and  packing  house  at 
El  Cerrito  ranch,  and  a  large  number  of  the  costly  and  tasteful  residences. 
Mr.  Kroonen  has  been  an  investor  and  developer  in  the  Corona  fruit  section 
and  owned  the  oldest  grove  and  shipped  the  first  oranges,  also  served 
as  a  director  for  two  years  of  the  Temescal  Water  Company,  and  for  four 
years  was  a  director  of  the  First  Exchange  Association  of  Corona  and 
helped  organize  it.  However,  his  most  important  interests  have  been  in 
the  line  of  developing  and  exploiting  some  peculiarly  rich  and  valuable 
natural  resources  of  the  vicinity  of  Corona.  An  article  published  several 
years  ago  gives  a  description  of  these  properties  which  may  be  properly 
included  here  for  historical  purposes : 

"His  holdings  cover  an  area  of  about  700  acres  altogether,  and. he  has 
already  spent  many  thousands  of  dollars  in  preliminary  development  work 
in  the  twenty-four  years  that  he  has  owned  the  properties.  On  160  acres 
of  the  cement  property  alone  an  expert  engineer  has  estimated  that  the 
outcroppings  show  sufficient,  almost  pure,  cement  rock  to  operate  a  cement 
plant  of  2500  barrels  daily  capacity  for  over  two  hundred  years,  and 
analysis  by  the  best  cement  experts  in  the  country  show  that  a  perfect 
Portland  cement  can  be  made  from  the  materials  in  the  deposit,  also  that 
all  transporting  of  rock  from  cement  beds  to  plant  can  be  done  by  gravity, 
and  that  under  these  conditions  the  highest  grade  of  Portland  cement  can 
be  manufactured  for  56  1/6  cents  per  barrel,  after  due  allowance  for 
interest  and  depreciation  on  plant,  according  to  report  made  February 
11,  1906. 

"Mr.  Kroonen's  clay  properties  are  situated  three  miles  west  of  Corona 
and  the  same  distance  from  the  Santa  Fe  Railroad,  and  contains  200  acres. 
The  deposit  is  well  developed,  having  1900  feet  of  tunnel  work  to  show  the 
extent  of  the  different  kinds  of  materials,  the  whole  mountain  being  a  mass 
of  clay,  lying  in  strata  from  50  to  500  feet  in  thickness  and  extending  from 
200  to  1000  feet  above  the  road  bed.  The  stratified  deposit  of  rich,  pure, 
blue  vitrifying  clay,  flint  clay,  plastic  clay  and  modeling  clay,  each  perfect 
in  texture  and  composition,  is  suitable  for  the  manufacture  of  all  kinds 
of  vitrified  ware,  sewer  pipe,  electric  conduit,  street  clinker,  paving  blocks, 
face  brick  glazed  and  unglazed,  roofing  tile,  floor  tile,  terra  cotta,  drain 
tile,  etc.,  as  well  as  fire  brick  of  all  kinds.  All  the  clays  can  be  taken  from 
deposits  by  open  quarry  in  one  canyon,  where  the  canyon  crosses  the 
deposit  and  exposes  the  clay  for  hundreds  of  yards  on  either  side,  with  a 
height  above  the  road  bed  of  from  200  to  800  feet,  and  as  the  deposit 
extends  for  three-fourths  of  a  mile  on  each  side  of  the  canyon  it  will  be 
readily  seen  that  the  materials  are  inexhaustible." 

Mr.  Kroonen  is  a  republican  in  politics.  On  June  30,  1889,  he  married 
Miss  Mary  Walkenshaw,  of  Auburndale,  California.  She  was  born  on 
the  Jureupa  Ranch  in  San  Bernardino  County  on  September  18,  1869,  and 


h^srrx^f 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1189 

was  educated  in  the  public  schools.  They  have  three  children:  Leo 
Lorenzo,  born  July  3,  1899,  at  Ventura;  Oscar  William,  born  November 
21,  1901,  at  home;  and  Mary  Cornelia,  born  February  24,  1905. 

Stephen  D.  Hackney  was  an  Illinois  farmer  for  about  twenty  years, 
and  since  transplanting  himself  to  the  beautiful  environment  of  Riverside 
County  he  has  continued  an  occupation  close  to  the  land,  but  in  the  form 
of  orange  culture,  and  is  one  of  the  prosperous  ranchers  in  the  Highgrove 
section. 

Mr.  Hackney  was  born  at  Bunker  Hill,  Illinois,  December  14,  1861, 
son  of  James  and  Amelia  (Britton)  Hackney,  now  deceased.  His  father 
was  born  in  New  York  City  and  his  mother  near  Chicago.  James  Hack- 
ney went  to  Illinois  when  a  youth,  was  a  farmer  there,  fought  as  a  soldier 
in  the  Mexican  war,  and  joined  the  rush  to  California  in  1849.  After  his 
return  he  lived  on  his  Illinois  farm  until  his  death.  He  was  the  father 
of  six  children :  William,  of  Litchfield,  Illinois ;  John,  of  Bunker  Hill ; 
Joseph,  of  Long  Beach,  California;  Edward,  of  Hutchinson,  Kansas; 
Thomas,  of  Guthrie,  Oklahoma;  and  Stephen  D. 

Stephen  D.  Hackney  after  completing  his  public  school  education  at 
Bunker  Hill  turned  his  attention  to  farming  and  remained  in  Illinois  until 
1904.  In  that  year  he  came  to  Riverside,  and  soon  acquired  and  has 
developed  a  fine  orange  ranch  in  Highgrove,  where  he  has  ten  acres.  Mr. 
Hackney  has  served  as  a  member  of  the  Riverside  City  Council,  and  is  a 
republican,  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  and  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America. 

December  20,  1881,  he  married  Miss  Charlotte  Elizabeth  Hume,  daugh- 
ter of  William  James  and  Hannah  (Snedeker)  Hume,  of  Bunker  Hill, 
in  which  Illinois  town  she  was  reared  and  educated.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hack- 
ney have  had  seven  children:  Millie,  deceased;  Paul;  Esther,  wife  of 
Sidney  Hilton,  of  Los  Angeles ;  John,  at  home ;  Vivian,  Hume  and  Carl, 
all  deceased.  Mr.  Hackney  has  one  grandchild,  Betty  Lou  Hilton.  His 
son  Paul  volunteered  and  served  in  the  navy  as  a  yoeman  during  the 
World  war.  For  one  year  he  was  stationed  at  Plymouth,  England,  and 
for  six  months  in  New  York  City.  He  is  now  bookkeeper  on  a  large  sugar 
plantation  at  Honakaa,  Hawaiian  Islands. 

Hon.  Samuel  Merrill — Though  he  reached  the  peak  of  his  political 
fame  in  Iowa,  where  he  served  as  governor  four  years,  Samuel  Mer- 
rill turned  an  enormous  amount  of  capital  and  enterprise  into  South- 
ern California,  where  he  was  associated  with  other  prominent  Iowa 
men  in  some  of  the  projects  of  development  that  have  brought  San 
Bernardino  County  several  of  its  most  prosperous  communities.  Sam- 
uel Merrill  spent  his  last  years  in  Los  Angeles,  but  his  only  son  is  a 
prominent  citizen  of  the  Rialto  district  of  San  Bernardino  County. 

Samuel  Merrill  was  born  at  Turner,  Maine,  August  7,  1822,  of  old 
New  England  and  English  ancestry.  He  represented  the  eighth  gen- 
eration of  this  New  England  family.  He  was  a  descendant  of  Na- 
thaniel Merrill,  who  came  from  England  and  settled  at  Newburg, 
Massachusetts,  in  1636.  Governor  Merrill's  parents  were  Abel  and 
Abigail  (Hill)  Merrill.  Through  his  mother  he  was  a  descendant  of 
Doctor  Hill,  who  came  from  England  to  Saco,  Maine,  in  1653.  Sam- 
uel Merrill  was  one  of  the  youngest  children  of  his  parents,  and  at  the 
age  of  sixteen  he  removed  with  them  to  Buxton,  Maine,  where  he 
taught  and  attended  school.  His  first  choice  of  a  profession  was 
teaching.  For  a  brief  time  he  taught  in  the  South,  but  being  an  aboli- 
tionist he  did  not  prove  congenial  to  the  people  of  that  section.     In 


1190      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

1847,  with  a  brother,  lie  engaged  in  merchandising  at  Tamworth,  New 
Hampshire,  and  he  gained  his  first  political  honors  in  that  state.  He 
was  elected  on  the  abolitionist  ticket  in  1854  to  the  New  Hampshire 
Legislature  and  was  re-elected  in  1855.  In  1856  Samuel  Merrill 
moved  to  Iowa,  and  for  a  number  of  years  was  the  leading  merchant 
of  McGregor,  that  state.  He  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Iowa  Leg- 
islature that  met  early  in  1861  to  provide  for  the  exigencies  of  the 
Civil  War.  In  the  summer  of  1862  he  was  commissioned  colonel  oi 
the  21st  Iowa  Infantry,  and  commanded  a  force  that  distinguished 
itself  in  an  encounter  with  the  Confederate  troops  in  Southern  Missouri 
during  the  early  part  of  1863.  Subsequently  with  his  regiment  he 
took  part  in  the  Vicksburg  campaign,  and  while  leading  an  impetuous 
charge  at  Black  River  Bridge  in  Mississippi  he  was  shot  through  both 
thighs,  a  wound  that  closed  his  military  career.  Resigning  his  com- 
mission, he  resumed  his  place  at  McGregor.  In  1867  he  was  elected 
governor  of  Iowa,  and  by  re-election  in  1869  he  served  from  January, 
1868,  to  January,  1872.  Soon  after  leaving  the  governor's  office  he 
closed  up  his  business  interests  at  McGregor  and  removed  to  Des 
Moines,  and  for  a  number  of  years  was  one  of  Iowa's  foremost  bank- 
ers and  business  men.  He  was  president  of  a  number  of  railroad, 
banking  and  insurance  companies,  and  was  associated  with  Russell 
Sage  and  others  in  building  the  III  Railroad,  the  Indiana,  Illinois  and 
Iowa.  He  was  founder  and  president  of  the  Citizens  National  Bank 
of  Des  Moines,  and  continued  as  a  director  and  the  principal  stock- 
holder of  that  institution  until  his  death. 

Governor  Merrill  early  became  impressed  with  the  great  possi- 
bilities of  Southern  California,  and  he  began  acquiring  interests  in 
this  section  of  the  state  about  1886.  He  invested  heavily  at  the  be- 
ginning of  the  great  real  estate  boom,  and  realized  handsomely  on 
some  of  his  investments,  though  on  the  whole  his  plans  did  not  ma- 
terialize. No  less  than  three  towns  owe  their  inception  to  develop- 
ments instituted  by  him  and  his  associates.  These  towns  are  River- 
side, South  Riverside,  now  known  as  Corona,  and  Rialto.  At  East 
Riverside  he  and  his  associates  paid  in  a  lump  sum  $75,000.00  to 
Matthew  Gage  for  water  rights,  and  this  was  the  first  real  develop- 
ment in  that  section.  The  South  Riverside  purchase  included  16,000 
acres.  The  Rialto,  or,  as  it  was  known,  Semi  Tropic  tract,  originally 
contained  29.000  acres.  Before  he  left  Rialto  Governor  Merrill  and 
associates  had  invested  fully  $670,000.00  in  water  development  and 
other  improvements.  They  paid  Henry  Pierce  and  other  men  of  San 
Francisco  $470,000.00  for  the  lands  in  the  Rialto  tract.  Governor 
Merrill  was  president  of  the  California  Loan  &  Trust  Company  until 
it  went  out  of  business  in  1894.  He  organized  and  built  the  Southern 
California  Motor  Road,  connecting  San  Bernardino  with  Riverside, 
but  later  his  controlling  interests  were  sold  to  the  Southern  Pacific 
Railroad  Company.  Following  the  death  of  his  first  wife  Governor 
Merrill  made  his  permanent  home  in  Southern  California,  although 
still  retaining  business  interests  in  Iowa.  He  closed  out  most  of 
his  interests  in  his  various  colonies  in  1893,  and  spent  the  remaining 
years  of  his  life  in  Los  Angeles,  where  he  died  November  30,  1899,  when 
in  his  seventy-eighth  year. 

In  early  manhood  Governor  Merrill  married  Miss  Elizabeth  D. 
Hill  of  Buxton,  Maine.  She  died  in  March,  1888.  In  1894  he  mar- 
ried Mary  S.  Greenwood,  of   Massachusetts,  who  survives  him. 

In  1887  Governor  Merrill  was  granted  a  pension  of  over  eight  hun- 
dred dollars  a  vear  on  account  of  wounds  received  in  the  Civil  war. 


** 


K 


tft'<fyuJj0£? 


4fl 


~«i 


Q#*HcvQ%  (fy-^cll 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1191 

This  money  lie  donated  to  support  three  beds  for  disabled  soldiers  in 
a  hospital  at  Des  Moines.  He  was  always  a  liberal  patron  of  relig- 
ious, charitable  and  educational  institutions.  For  many  years  prior 
to  his  death  he  was  a  trustee  of  Iowa  College  at  Grinnell.  While  he 
was  governor  the  cornerstone  of  the  present  capitol  at  Des  Moines 
was  laid.  Almost  the  last  act  of  his  life,  consistent  with  his  liberal 
and  public  spirited  record  at  all  times,  was  to  vote  for  water  bonds  at 
a  special  election  in  Los  Angeles  for  the  purpose  of  giving  that  city  a 
perpetual  water  supply.  Soon  after  voting  he  was  stricken  with 
paralysis  and  never  recovered.  His  enfeebled  condition  was  aug- 
mented by  an  accident  that  befell  him  on  the  Traction  Street  Railway 
a  year  or  two  previously.  At  the  time  of  his  second  marriage  Gov- 
ernor Merrill  divided  the  bulk  of  his  estate  among  his  children,  re- 
serving enough  to  provide  himself  and  wife  for  the  rest  of  their  days. 
At  the  time  of  his  death  it  was  estimated  that  his  wealth  approxi- 
mated five  hundred  thousand  dollars.  He  was  a  life-long  member  of 
the  Congregational  Church,  and  his  remains  were  laid  to  rest  in  the 
old  Iowa  family  vault  in  Des  Moines.  His  surviving  children  are  a 
daughter  and  son.  The  daughter,  Hattie  G.,  is  a  graduate  of  Welles- 
ley  College  of  Massachusetts,  the  wife  of  Dr.  John  W.  Craig,  of  Los 
Angeles.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Craig  have  three  children,  Charles,  Allan  and 
Elizabeth.  Charles,  while  with  the  colors  at  Camp  Kearney,  died  of 
pneumonia. 

The  surviving  son,  Jere  Hill  Merrill,  was  born  at  Des  Moines  No- 
vember 25,  1873.  For  a  number  of  years  he  was  in  the  mercantile 
business  at  Los  Angeles,  and  in  1906  he  purchased  a  bare  tract  of 
land,  comprising  his  present  magnificent  home  property,  located  a 
half  mile  from  Foothill  Boulevard,  near  Rialto.  This  he  has  developed 
to  citrus  fruit,  and  by  other  improvements  has  added  greatly  to  the 
beauties  of  the  country  along  Riverside  Avenue.  Like  his  father, 
he  is  a  stanch  republican,  and  is  a  ready  worker  for  public  betterment 
of  all  kinds.  He  is  a  member  of  a  number  of  fraternal  societies,  be- 
longs to  the  Congregational  Church,  and  Mrs.  Merrill  is  a  Methodist. 

On  October  14,  1897,  he  married  Miss  Sena  Jones.  She  was  born 
in  Marshalltown,  Iowa,  December  4,  1878,  daughter  of  W.  H.  H.  and 
Harriet  (Laybourn)  Jones,  the  former  a  native  of  Grayson,  Virginia. 
Her  father  was  a  contractor,  and  early  in  the  Civil  War  enlisted  in 
Company  G  of  the  13th  Illinois  Infantry.  He  was  first  made  a  cor- 
poral and  later,  in  recognition  of  his  service  and  ability,  was  pro- 
moted to  second  lieutenant  and  then  to  first  lieutenant.  He  received 
his  honorable  discharge  February  18,  1865.  For  many  years  he  was 
one  of  the  leading  contractors  and  builders  of  Pasadena,  and  died 
September  21,  1921,  at  the  age  of  eighty-one.  His  wife,  who  was 
born  in  Manchester,  Indiana,  lives  with  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Merrill, 
at  Rialto.  Mrs.  Merrill  finished  her  education  at  Pasadena,  where  hei 
parents  lived  after  moving  from  Marshalltown,  Iowa. 

Archie  D.  Mitchell  is  a  native  Ontario  boy  who  has  won  numerous 
distinctions  as  a  lawyer  and  in  the  civic  affairs  of  that  locality  since  he 
qualified  for  his  profession. 

He  was  born  at  Ontario  January  18,  1891,  son  of  John  and  Mary  M. 
(Winn)  Mitchell.  His  parents  were  among  the  Canadian  settlers  of 
Ontario,  California.  His  father  was  of  Scotch  and  his  mother  of  English 
ancestry.  Archie  D.  Mitchell  was  reared  and  educated  at  Ontario,  grad- 
uated from  the  University  of  Southern  California  in  1912,  and  for  ten 
years   has  enjoyed   a   successful   practice.     For   four   years   he   was   city 


1192       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

attorney,  and  he  practices  in  the  District  Court  of  Appeals.  In  a  business 
way  he  is  identified  with  the  Security  State  Bank  of  Ontario,  the  Peerless 
Petroleum  Company,  and  the  Burton  Fruit  Products  Company,  and  also 
with  the  Ontario  Commercial  Aviation  Company.  Mr.  Mitchell  during 
the  war  was  in  the  naval  aviation  and  was  commissioned  chief  quarter- 
master. 

He  was  chairman  of  the  Democratic  County  Central  Committee  and  a 
leader  in  local  politics.  He  has  filled  various  chairs  in  the  Odd  Fellows 
and  Woodmen  of  the  World  and  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks 
fraternities,  is  a  member  of  the  El  Camino  Real  Club,  the  Los  Angeles 
Athletic  Club,  the  Brentwood  Country  Club,  and  the  Congregational 
Church.  In  1920,  at  Riverside,  Mr.  Mitchell  married  Miss  Frieda  Graet- 
tinger,  daughter  of  Alois  and  Mary  E.  Graettinger.  Her  father  was  one 
of  the  prominent  physicians  of  Wisconsin  until  he  retired  some  ten  years 
before  his  death. 

Charles  E.  Mead.  The  attractive  and  splendidly  equipped  drug  store 
of  Mr.  Mead  at  121  Euclid  Avenue  in  the  progressive  little  City  of 
Ontario,  San  Bernardino  County,  has  become  under  his  ownership  and 
management  the  leading  establishment  of  the  kind  in  the  city,  with  facilities 
and  service  of  metropolitan  order.  In  addition  to  having  developed  this 
substantial  business  enterprise  Mr.  Mead  is  also  treasurer  of  the  Peerless 
Petroleum  Company,  which  is  capitalized  for  $240,000  and  the  offices  of 
which  are  maintained  at  Ontario.  He  is  a  director  and  was  one  of  the 
organizers  of  the  Security  State  Bank  of  Ontario,  which  recently  opened 
its  doors  at  the  corner  of  Euclid  and  B  streets,  Ontario. 

Mr.  Mead  was  born  at  Lexington,  Missouri,  On  the  4th  of  January. 
1876,  and  is  a  son  of  Charles  V.  and  Anna  (Limerick)  Mead.  Mr.  Mead 
gained  his  preliminary  education  in  the  public  schools,  and  thereafter  con- 
tinued his  studies  in  the  State  Agricultural  College  of  New  Mexico,  at 
Las  Cruces,  in  which  he  was  graduated  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of 
Science.  After  coming  to  California  he  was  for  several  years  owner  of  the 
retail  drug  business  conducted  at  Colton.  San  Bernardino  County,  under 
the  title  of  the  Mission  Drug  Company.  He  then  transferred  his  interests 
to  Ontario,  where  his  success  as  a  reliable  and  progressive  business  man 
has  been  unequivocal  and  substantial,  his  initial  enterprise  at  Colton  hav- 
ing been  based  on  very  modest  capital. 

Mr.  Mead  served  as  first  lieutenant  in  a  New  Mexico  regiment  of 
volunteer  infantry  during  the  period  of  the  Spanish-American  war,  and 
he  is  thus  eligible  for  and  holds  membership  in  the  Spanish-American  War 
Veterans  Association.  In  the  period  of  the  World  war  Mr.  Mead  showed 
again  his  patriotism,  as  he  aided  in  the  various  campaigns  of  local  order 
in  support  of  the  Government  war-bond  issues,  Savings  Stamps,  Red 
Cross  service,  etc.,  and  made  his  individual  subscriptions  of  liberal  finan- 
cial order.  He  is  a  stanch  republican,  he  and  his  wife  hold  membership 
in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  he  is  affiliated  with  the  Masonic 
Fraternity,  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  the  Benevolent 
and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  in  each  of  which  he  has  passed  various 
official  chairs. 

At  El  Dorado  Springs,  Missouri,  on  the  23d  of  September,  1908,  was 
solemnized  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Mead  and  Miss  Rosa  Schmidt,  daughter  of 
William  F.  Schmidt,  she  having  come  to  California  in  the  year  1900.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Mead  have  no  children. 

The  Mead  family  was  founded  in  America  in  the  Colonial  period  of 
our  national  history,  and  the  subject  of  this  review  can  trace  his  lineage  in 
a  direct  way  back  to  Oliver  Cromwell. 


zJ^^^^    <U^co&U 


J   ■     e/\_  o-isdL^U^- — - 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1193 

Thomas  E.  Fentress. — Riverside  has  many  consistent  and  effective 
boosters,  but  no  one  is  more  enthusiastic  about  the  city  of  his  adoption 
than  Thomas  E.  Fentress,  one  of  the  solid  business  men  of  the  city,  and 
a  teaming  contractor  upon  an  extensive  scale.  He  located  here  because 
he  was  convinced  of  the  great  possibilities  of  this  region,  and  his  convic- 
tions have  become  strengthened  with  his  residence  here,  and  to  his  efforts 
in  its  behalf  Riverside  owes  a  strong  support  to  its  most  public-spirited 
movements.  He  was  born  near  Decatur,  Illinois,  May  26,  1857,  a  son  of 
Silas  and  Harriet  (Gilmore)  Fentress,  both  of  whom  are  now  deceased. 
Silas  Fentress  was  born  in  Kentucky,  but  later  moved  to  Illinois,  where 
he  continued  his  farming  operations.  The  Fentress  family  is  of  Revolu- 
tionary stock  and  English  descent.  Mrs.  Fentress  was  born  in  Indiana,  and 
her  family  is  also  of  Revolutionary  stock,  but  of  Irish  descent. 

Growing  up  in  Illinois,  Thomas  E.  Fentress  attended  the  public  schools 
near  Hillwood,  that  state,  and  then  became  a  farmer,  operating  land  in 
Illinois  until  1877,  when  he  went  on  a  farm  in  Southeastern  Kansas,  near 
Oswego,  and  remained  there  until  1888.  In  February  of  that  year  he  made 
a  trip  to  Riverside  in  response  to  letters  relatives  of  his  wife  had  written 
giving  such  glowing  accounts  of  the  city  and  county  that  he  felt  inclined 
to  investigate.  Not  only  was  he  fully  satisfied  that  these  accounts  were 
more  than  true,  but  he  was  embued  with  the  determination  to  participate  in 
the  enjoyment  of  these  advantages,  so,  returning  to  Kansas,  he  disposed 
of  his  holdings  there,  returned  to  Riverside  and  has  since  made  this  city 
his  home,  although  it  was  necessary  for  him  to  make  several  trips  back  to 
Kansas  before  he  fully  arranged  his  affairs.  His  first  investment  was  in 
an  orange  ranch  which  he  conducted  for  four  years,  and  then  traded  it 
for  town  property,  and  embarked  in  his  present  business  of  general  team- 
ing, which  he  has  since  expanded  to  large  proportions. 

On  December  31,  1882,  Mr.  Fentress  married  at  Labette  City.  Kansas. 
Josephine  A.  Webb,  a  native  of  Indiana,  and  a  daughter  of  William  J. 
Webb,  and  a  member  of  an  old  Delaware  family  of  English  descent.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Fentress  have  the  following  children:  George  E.,  who  is  asso- 
ciated with  the  General  Petroleum  Company  near  Placentia,  California; 
Pearl,  who  is  the  wife  of  Charles  Van  Decker,  of  the  Gudes  Bootery  of 
Los  Angeles,  California;  Maude  E.,  who  is  the  wife  of  Russell  Shedd,  a 
realtor  of  Phoenix,  Arizona ;  and  Daisy  May,  who  is  the  wife  of  Clifford 
Shigley,  a  civil  engineer  employed  by  the  Sierra  Power  Company.  Mr. 
Fentress  is  a  republican,  and  while  he  has  not  taken  a  particularly  active 
part  in  politics,  has  always  done  his  duty  as  a  good  citizen  by  earnestly 
supporting  those  measures  he  felt  would  be  beneficial  to  the  majority.  He 
finds  his  greatest  pleasure  in  his  home  circle  and  has  not  cared  to  connect 
himself  with  any  organizations  outside  of  his  membership  with  the  Fra- 
ternal Aid  Union.  He  and  his  wife  are  honored  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  and  can  be  depended  upon  to  do  their  part  in  all  of 
the  work  of  their  congregation.  Earnest,  hard-working  and  thrifty. 
Mr.  Fentress  has  forged  forward,  making  a  success  of  his  various  under- 
takings because  of  his  good  business  sense  and  his  sterling  honesty.  While 
he  has  achieved  a  material  success,  he  was  gained  something  of  still 
greater  value,  the  respect  and  good  will  of  his  fellow  men. 

Jean  Pierke  Loubet  was  a  young  man  when  Ik-  came  from  his 
native  France  to  the  Lhiited  States  and  established  his  residence  in  Cali- 
fornia, a  stranger  in  a  strange  land  and  dependent  entirely  upon  his 
own  resources  for  the  winning  of  success  and  independence.  His 
ability  and  energy  have  enabled  him  to  make  the  most  of  the  advan- 
tages that  have  here  been  afforded  him,  and  he  is  to-day  one  of  the 


1194       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

substantial  and  honored  citizens  of  San  Bernardino  County,  where 
his  fine  farm  home  is  situated  two  miles  west  of  Chino,  on  Edison 
Avenue. 

Mr.  Loubet  was  born  in  Montregeau,  Province  of  Haute  Garrone, 
France,  on  the  7th  of  February,  1874,  and  is  a  son  of  Joseph  and 
Antoinette  (Perrez)  Loubet.  His  father  was  lessee  of  a  public  abat- 
toire,  and  in  this  connection  the  son  learned  the  butchering  and  meat- 
cutting  trade,  his  early  education  having  been  gained  in  the  schools 
of  his  native  province.  In  1889  he  came  to  the  United  States  and 
made  his  way  forthwith  to  Los  Angeles,  where  he  entered  the  employ 
of  Sentous  Brothers,  wholesale  meat  dealers  and  operators  of  a  large 
abattoire.  In  1896  Mr.  Loubet  came  to  Chino  and  purchased  the 
meat  market  of  Richard  Gird.  This  initial  business  venture  on  his 
part  proved  very  successful,  and  in  1898  he  expanded  his  business  to 
include  wholesale  slaughtering  and  dealing.  He  developed  a  large 
and  prosperous  wholesale  trade,  and  continued  the  enterprise  until 
1906,  when  he  sold  the  plant  and  business  to  the  firm  of  Steel  & 
Dixon.  He  built  the  first  ice  plant  at  Chino,  with  a  daily  capacity 
for  the  production  of  five  tons  of  ice.  In  1905  Mr.  Loubet  made  his 
first  purchase  of  land,  by  acquiring  forty  acres  of  swamp  land,  which 
he  reclaimed  through  effective  tile  drainage.  With  increasing  suc- 
cess in  his  farming  enterprise  he  added  to  his  holdings,  and  he  now 
owns  ninety  acres  of  choice  and  well  improved  land  in  this  valley. 
In  1912  he  drilled  a  well,  and  the  same  has  since  given  adequate 
water  supply  for  effective  irrigation  of  his  land.  He  is  one  of  the 
successful  and  progressive  representatives  of  agricultural  and  live- 
stock enterprise  in  this  section,  and  since  1918  he  has  conducted  a 
prosperous  business  also  in  the  buying  and  selling  of  hay,  grain  and 
feed,  which  he  sells  in  the  cities  and  towns  of  Southern  California. 
He  has  become  also  a  successful  contractor  in  the  building  of  macad- 
emized  roads  in  San  Bernardino  County.  Mr.  Loubet  has  proved 
himself  a  man  of  action  and  has  won  success  worthy  of  the  name,  the 
while  he  has  secure  place  in  popular  confidence  and  esteem.  He  is  a. 
loyal  and  liberal  citizen  and  is  one  of  the  honored  pioneers  of  the 
Chino  district.  He  and  his  family  are  communicants  of  the  Catholic 
Church. 

February  11,  1904,  recorded  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Loubet  and  Miss 
Isabelle  Arroues,  who  was  born  in  the  town  of  Eysus,  Province  of 
Basse  Pyrennes,  France,  on  the  7th  of  June,  1883,  and  who  came  iii 
1903  to  the  United  States  and  joined  her  brothers  at  Los  Angeles, 
where  her  marriage  was  later  solemnized.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Loubet 
have  four  children,  whose  names  and  dates  of  birth  are  here  recorded : 
John  Louis,  November  13,  1904;  Bernard,  January  18,  1906;  and 
Marie  and  Antoinette,  twins,  September  4,  1912. 

Oscar  Ford  is  not  only  one  of  the  representative  contractors  engaged 
in  business  in  the  City  of  Riverside,  but  has  also  been  a  progressive  and 
influential  figure  in  civic  affairs  in  the  city  and  county.  He  gave  a  long 
period  of  effective  service  as  a  member  of  the  City  Council,  and  his 
administration  as  mayor  of  Riverside  was  marked  by  results  that  have 
proved  of  permanent  value. 

Mr.  Ford  was  born  at  Winterset,  Iowa,  on  the  17th  of  September,  1856, 
a  date  that  clearly  indicates  that  his  parents  were  pioneers  of  the  Hawkeye 
State.  His  father,  Jimmerson  T.  Ford,  was  born  in  Virginia,  but  was 
reared  and  educated  at  Warsaw,  Indiana.  He  became  one  of  the  pros- 
perous exponents  of  farm  industry  in  Iowa,  served  as  justice  of  the  peace 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1 195 

and  was  a  popular  and  influential  citizen  of  his  community.  The  lineage 
of  the  Ford  family  traces  back  to  Welsh  origin,  and  representatives  of  the 
name  were  patriot  soldiers  in  the  War  of  the  American  Revolution.  Mrs. 
Lucretia  (Calkins)  Ford,  mother  of  Oscar  Ford,  was  born  in  the  State  of 
New  York  and  was  a  child  at  the  time  of  the  family  removal  to  Indiana, 
her  father,  Daniel  Calkins,  having  there  become  a  prosperous  farmer. 
The  Calkins  family  is  of  English  stock,  and  members  of  the  family  came 
to  America  in  the  Colonial  days,  besides  which  it  is  a  matter  of  record 
that  representatives  of  this  family  likewise  fought  for  national  inde- 
pendence in  the  Revolutionary  war. 

Oscar  Ford  was  reared  on  the  home  farm  in  Iowa,  early  gained 
practical  experience  in  connection  with  its  activities,  and  his  youthful 
education  was  gained  in  the  public  schools  of  the  locality,  which  he 
attended  principally  during  the  winter  months.  He  left  the  parental 
home  of  the  6th  of  December,  1875,  and  until  the  following  March  was 
employed  as  a  carpenter  for  the  Southern  Pacific  Railroad,  with  head- 
quarters at  Cabazon,  Riverside  County,  California.  He  then  found  em- 
ployment in  the  brick  yard  of  the  Sheldon  Brick  Company  at  Riverside 
during  the  summer,  and  in  1877  he  was  employed  by  P.  S.  Russell,  the 
pioneer  nurseryman,  with  whom  he  remained  three  years.  While  thus 
engaged  he  purchased  ten  acres  of  land  north  of  Riverside  and  planted  a 
citrus  orchard  on  the  tract.  After  leaving  the  employ  of  Mr.  Russell  he 
not  only  gave  attention  to  his  own  orchard,  but  also  to  those  of  other 
residents  of  this  locality,  and  after  retaining  his  original  orchard  about 
three  years  he  sold  the  same  and  purchased  twenty  acres  on  Central 
Avenue.  This  he  planted  to  raisen  grapes.  Later  he  bought  ten  acres  on 
Monroe  Street  and  planted  the  same  to  orange  and  apricots.  He  became 
the  owner  also  of  ten  acres  on  Center  and  Sedgwick  streets,  this  tract 
being  developed  with  an  orange  grove.  He  bought  and  sold  much  land  in 
and  about  Riverside,  and  at  all  times  had  in  his  charge  from  10  to  150 
acres  for  Eastern  owners.  He  has  developed  many  acres  of  orchard  and 
vineyard,  has  shipped  large  quantities  of  fruit  to  Eastern  markets  and 
has  made  valuable  contribution  to  the  industrial  development  of 
this  favored  section  of  California.  Mr.  Ford  had  a  large  amount  of 
nursery  stock  at  the  time  of  the  historic  freeze  of  1890,  in  which  he  met 
with  heavy  losses.  His  technical  and  executive  powers  came  into  effective 
play  in  the  management  of  the  properties  of  the  Worthley  &  Strong  Fruit 
Company  and  the  Spurance  Fruit  Company,  as  well  as  during  his  service 
as  local  manager  for  the  Producers  Fruit  Company. 

About  the  year  1904  Mr.  Ford  turned  his  attention  to  the  water- 
development  enterprise  in  the  district  beyond  Wineville,  where  he  secured 
770  acres  of  land,  300  acres  of  which  he  planted  to  alfalfa.  Later  he 
disposed  of  this  entire  property,  upon  which  he  had  made  excellent  im- 
provements, including  the  development  of  an  efifective  system  of  irrigation. 

A  stalwart  in  the  camp  of  the  republican  party,  Mr.  Ford  has  been 
active  and  influential  in  political  affairs  in  the  City  and  County  of  Riverside. 
He  served  on  both  the  city  committee  and  the  county  committee  of  his 
party,  has  attended  many  party  conventions  and  has  been  prominent  in 
the  councils  and  campaign  activities  of  his  party  in  this  section  of  the 
state.  About  the  year  1900  Mr.  Ford  was  elected  a  member  of  the  board 
of  trustees  of  Riverside,  before  the  present  city  charter  was  adopted.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  council  at  the  time  the  present  charter  was  obtained, 
and  his  entire  service  in  connection  with  municipal  office  in  Riverside 
covered  a  period  of  fully  fourteen  years,  his  continuous  re-elections  sig- 
nalizing his  secure  place  in  popular  confidence  and  esteem.     In  November, 


1196       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

1913,  he  was  elected  mayor  of  Riverside,  his  assumption  of  office  having 
occurred  on  the  5th  of  the  following  January  and  his  four  years'  adminis- 
tration having  been  marked  by  progressive  and  constructive  policies  that 
worked  greatly  to  the  advantage  of  the  city  and  its  people. 

Mr.  Ford  was  a  member  of  the  City  Council  at  the  time  when  the  local 
electric-light  department  was  in  its  infancy  and  under  the  direct  control 
of  the  council.  The  original  bond  issue  of  $40,000  was  wholely  inadequate 
for  the  purpose  for  which  it  was  intended,  and  thus  it  was  utilized  in  the 
construction  of  a  pole  electric  line  to  Santa  Ana  Canyon,  where  H.  H.  Sin- 
clair was  installing  a  power  plant.  A  contract  was  made  with  Sinclair 
to  provide  Riverside  with  power  for  twenty-five  years,  at  the  rate  of  three 
dollars  per  horse  power  a  month.  This  arrangement  was  thought  to  be 
favorable  for  the  city  until  it  was  discovered  to  provide  for  measurement 
of  power  on  the  peak  of  the  load,  even  if  only  for  a  few  moments,  meant 
the  carrying  the  heaviest  load  on  the  basis  of  measurement  for  the  entire 
twenty-four  hours.  Under  these  conditions  was  carried  through  another 
$40,000  bond  issue,  by  which  a  steam  power  plant  was  provided  and  the  city 
enabled  to  keep  the  peak-load  rate  down.  The  light  department  of  the 
city  was  in  debt  to  the  general  fund  in  the  amount  of  $32,000,  but  soon 
after  the  installation  of  the  steam  plant  the  department  began  to  show 
profits  in  operation,  with  the  result  that  it  was  enabled  to  pay  its  debt 
to  the  general  fund,  which  amount  was  utilized  in  road  building.  The 
revenue  from  the  electric-light  department  is  now  about  $350,000  annually. 

Mr.  Ford  has  been  since  1907  engaged  in  road  building,  and  is  one  of 
the  leading  contractors  in  this  line  in  this  section  of  the  state.  He  has 
constructed  many  of  the  important  paved  highways  of  this  part  of  Cali- 
fornia, including  the  Box  Springs  Road  from  Riverside  to  Perris ;  5  miles 
.  of  road  from  Corona  to  the  San  Bernardino  County  line ;  %l/2  miles  of 
road  leading  from  Santa  Ana  toward  Newport  Beach;  5  miles  of  road 
from  Garden  Grove  to  Westminster ;  5  miles  from  Olive,  in  Orange 
County,  leading  to  the  Riverside  County  line,  up  the  Santa  Ana  Canyon; 
8*/2  miles  in  Mint  Canyon,  Los  Angeles  County. 

Mr.  Ford  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  La  Mesa  Orange  Packing 
Association,  and  in  a  reminiscent  way  it  may  be  stated  that  in  1880  he 
was  a  member  of  the  vigilant  committee  which  took  matters  in  hand  when 
horse  stealing  became  all  too  prevalent  in  Riverside  County,  Dr.  John  Hall 
having  been  president  of  the  organization. 

Mr.  Ford  is  a  member  of  the  Riverside  Lodge  of  the  Benevolent  and 
Protective  Order  of  Elks,  and  he  and  his  wife  are  active  members  of  the 
First  Christian  Church  in  their  home  city. 

At  St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  on  the  6th  of  June,  1889,  Mr.  Ford  wedded 
Miss  Jennie  Hunt,  who  was  born  at  Jacksonville,  Illinois,  a  daughter  of 
Henry  Hunt,  who  served  as  postmaster  and  city  clerk  of  that  place,  the 
Hunt  family  being  of  Revolutionary  American  stock  and  of  English  origin. 
Mrs.  Ford  is  a  member  of  the  Woman's  Club  of  Riverside  and  is  a  popular 
figure  in  the  representative  social  activities  of  the  city.  In  the  concluding 
paragraph  of  this  review  is  given  brief  record  concerning  the  children  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ford. 

Albert  Hunt  Ford,  a  graduate  of  the  University  of  Southern  California, 
is  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law  at  Riverside  and  is  serving  as  deputy 
district  attorney.  Robert  O.  Ford,  who  is,  in  1921,  taking  a  course  in 
electrical  engineering  in  the  University  of  California,  enlisted  in  Company 
M  of  the  California  National  Guard  at  Riverside,  two  weeks  before  the 
United  States  became  involved  in  the  World  war,  he  having  been  at  the 
time  a  student  in  Junior  College.    He  was  later  sent  with  his  command  to 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1197 

France,  where  he  served  with  the  Fifth  Division  of  the  American  Expedi- 
tionary Forces  until  the  close  of  hostilities.  He  was  connected  with  the 
telephone  detachment  of  the  headquarters  company  and  was  in  active 
service  in  this  capacity  both  in  the  Argonne  and  St.  Mihiel  sectors,  besides 
having  been  with  the  boys  when  they  made  the  splendid  crossing  of  the 
Meuse  River.  Genevieve,  the  only  daughter,  is  the  wife  of  Malcolm  C. 
Ross,  a  florist  in  the  City  of  Los  Angeles,  and  they  have  one  daughter. 
Warren  H.  Ford,  the  youngest  of  the  children,  is  a  graduate  of  the  River- 
side High  School  and  remains  at  the  parental  home. 

J.  Wesley  Shrimp  is  one  of  the  fortunate  young  business  men  of 
California  whose  destiny  it  has  been  to  grow  up  and  find  his  interests  and 
activities  in  the  fair  City  of  Riverside.  He  is  one  of  the  officials  of 
Riverside's  great  industry,  the  Cresmer  Manufacturing  Company,  and  has 
been  liberal  with  his  time  and  helpful  co-operation  in  several  phases  of  the 
city's  advancement  and  welfare. 

He  was  born  at  Elsinore,  California,  July  12,  1890,  and  the  following 
year  his  parents  moved  to  Riverside,  where  his  widowed  mother  is  still 
living.  His  father,  Lawrence  C.  Shrimp,  who  was  of  an  old  English 
American  family  of  Revolutionary  stock,  was  born  in  Kentucky  and  was 
a  carpenter  by  trade,  moving  to  California  in  1885  and  living  at  Elsinore 
for  the  first  six  years. 

J.  Wesley  Shrimp  had  his  first  conscious  recollections  of  the  City  of 
Riverside  when  it  was  comparatively  new  and  in  the  earlier  period  of  its 
development.  The  first  home  in  which  he  lived  was  a  little  house  whose 
site  is  now  occupied  by  the  Riverside  Milling  &  Fuel  Company.  He 
attended  the  grammar  and  high  schools,  spent  one  year  in  Zinn's  Business 
College  and  on  leaving  school  his  first  regular  employment  was  with  the 
firm  of  Godfrey  &  Stewart  and  later  with  the  Miller  Planing  Mill.  In 
1906  he  entered  the  service  of  the  Cresmer  Manufacturing  Company  and 
since  January,  1917,  has  been  secretary  and  treasurer  of  that  industry, 
which  is  described  in  more  detail  on  other  pages. 

Mr.  Shrimp  is  also  manager  of  the  Riverside  Military  Band,  a  notable 
organization  in  the  life  of  the  city,  also  taken  up  in  an  appropriate  place 
elsewhere.  He  has  been  manager  of  the  band  for  seventeen  years,  and  is 
drummer  and  trap  man  in  the  organization. 

'  Mr.  Shrimp  has  copper  mining  interests  in  Riverside  County,  near 
Blythe,  and  is  secretary  and  treasurer  of  a  company  that  has  been  organ- 
ized to  develop  this  property.  Fraternally  he  is  affiliated  with  the  Benevo- 
lent and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and 
Woodmen  of  the  World  and  in  politics  is  a  republican.  He  and  his  family 
attend  the  First  Christian  Church. 

July  15,  1912,  Mr.  Shrimp  married  Miss  Grace  Carr,  who  was  born 
at  Grand  Terrace,  California,  daughter  of  E.  G.  Carr,  the  first  zonjero  of 
the  old  canal.     Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shrimp  have  one  daughter,  Dorothy  Louise. 

A.  G.  Armstrong,  superintendent  of  the  Santa  Fe  shops  at  San 
Bernardino,  is  a  veteran  in  the  mechanical  service  of  the  Santa  Fe  Com- 
pany, with  which  he  has  spent  nearly  twenty  years.  His  home  for  the 
greater  part  of  the  time  since  1906  has  been  at  San  Bernardino,  where  he 
enjoys  high  standing  in  business  and  social  circles  alike.  He  made  the 
choice  of  railroading  as  a  career  when  a  boy,  beginning  as  an  apprentice 
machinist,  and  his  personal  energy,  fidelity  and  experience  have  taken 
him  up  the  scale  of  promotion  to  that  of  superintendent. 

Mr.  Armstrong  was  born  at  Negaunee,  Michigan,  November  4,  1872, 
son  of  John  N.  and  Susan  (Eckels)  Armstrong,  now  deceased,  his  father 


1198       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

of  Scotch  ancestry  and  a  native  of  Canada,  while  his  mother  was  of  an 
English  family  and  horn  in  Wisconsin.  John  N.  Armstrong  was  an  ex- 
perienced mining  man  and  conducted  many  explorations  in  the  mineral 
regions  of  Michigan,  Wisconsin  and  Minnesota.  He  opened  up  one  of 
the  iron  mines  on  the  famous  Vermilion  Range  above  Duluth,  Minnesota. 

A.  G.  Armstrong  attended  grammar  and  high  schools  in  Wisconsin,  was 
a  student  in  the  University  of  Wisconsin,  and  began  his  railroad  work  as 
a  machinist  apprentice  to  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  Company  at 
Brainerd,  Minnesota.  He  was  in  their  service  for  eleven  years  as  an 
apprentice  machinist  and  material  inspector,  and  he  represented  the  North- 
ern Pacific  as  inspector  of  the  new  power  building  of  the  Baldwin  Loco- 
motive Works  at  Philadelphia. 

Leaving  Brainerd  and  the  service  of  the  Northern  Pacific  in  January, 
1903,  Mr.  Armstrong  removed  to  Topeka,  Kansas,  where  he  was  in  the 
shops  of  the  Santa  Fe  as  a  machinist  until  the  following  July,  when  he 
was  selected  and  sent  to  the  Baldwin  Locomotive  Works,  representing  the 
Santa  Fe  Company  during  the  construction  of  between  300  and  400 
locomotives. 

When  Mr.  Armstrong  first  came  to  San  Bernardino  in  1906  it  was 
in  the  capacity  of  erecting  foreman.  In  March  of  the  following  year  he 
was  made  general  foreman.  In  December,  1911,  he  was  promoted  to 
division  foreman,  with  headquarters  at  Los  Angeles,  where  he  remained 
until  July,  1913,  when  he  was  promoted  to  master  mechanic  of  the  Arizona 
Division,  with  headquarters  at  Needles,  California.  In  March,  1917,  he 
returned  to  San  Bernardino  as  master  mechanic  of  the  Los  Angeles  Divi- 
sion and  on  April  1,  1918,  was  made  shop  superintendent  at  San  Ber- 
nardino. He  has  general  supervision  of  a  large  force,  there  having  been 
1900  car  and  locomotive  employes  under  his  jurisdiction  in  October,  1920. 

Mr.  Armstrong  is  a  director  of  the  San  Bernardino  Valley  Bank.  He 
is  a  republican  and  is  affiliated  with  the  Elks  Lodge.  At  Brainerd,  Minne- 
sota, July  26,  1898,  he  married  Miss  Mary  Ellen  Howe.  She  was  born  in 
Minneapolis,  Minnesota,  daughter  of  the  late  J.  J.  Howe,  and  is  of  Eng- 
lish-Irish descent.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Armstrong  have  two  sons,  John,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  class  of  1923,  and  Jerome,  of  the  class  of  1924,  in  the  San 
Bernardino  High  School. 

Charles  Price  Humphries — One  of  the  best  known  citizens  of  the 
Ontario  community  is  Charles  Price  Humphries.  His  friends  know 
him  as  a  man  of  ample  prosperity,  with  a  long  record  of  success  as  a 
fruit  rancher.  A  few  know  that  when  he  came  to  California  many 
years  ago  he  possessed  practically  no  capital  beyond  his  individual 
enterprise  and  energy. 

He  was  born  February  12,  1865,  at  Strathroy,  Ontario,  Canada,  son 
of  Samuel  and  Caroline  (Bowen)  Humphries.  His  maternal  grand- 
father. Arthur  William  Bowen,  was  a  major  in  the  English  Army,  and 
for  his  services  the  English  Government  gave  him  extended  conces- 
sions in  and  near  Hamilton,  Ontario.  Charles  Price  Humphries  was 
reared  and  educated  in  Strathroy,  and  at  the  age  of  sixteen  became 
a  clerk  in  a  mercantile  store  at  Wyoming,  Ontario.  A  few  years  later 
he  came  to  California  and  at  San  Jose  during  1884-85  worked  on  a 
ranch  to  learn  the  fruit  growing  business.  Subsequently  he  was  at 
San  Mateo  and  for  two  years  had  charge  of  the  famous  trotting  stal- 
lion, Guy  Wilkes,  which  held  the  Pacific  Coast  trotting  record  for  a 
number  of  years,  until  it  was  taken  away  by  another  celebrated  horse, 
Stamboul.  Mr.  Humphries  was  not  inclined  to  follow  racing  as  a 
permanent  business,  and  finally,  with  perhaps  a  hundred  dollars  in 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1 199 

capital,  he  started  in  a  small  way  the  growing  of  deciduous  fruit,  go- 
ing to  Cucamonga  in  January,  1887,  and  purchasing  five  acres  of  land 
at  two  hundred  dollars  an  acre.  In  March,  1894,  he  moved  to  On- 
tario, where  he  has  had  his  home  for  over  a  quarter  of  a  century  and 
where  from  the  first  he  engaged  in  the  deciduous  fruit  business  on  an 
extensive  scale.  Mr.  Humphries  now  has  thirty-seven  acres  planted 
to  peaches  and  apricots.  He  was  among  the  first  to  make  a  commer- 
cial success  of  deciduous  fruits  in  the  Ontario  district,  and  he  was  the 
very  first  man  of  that  section  to  market  direct  the  product  of  his 
orchard.  For  his  first  peaches  he  received  six  dollars  a  ton  and  eight 
dollars  a  ton  for  his  apricots.  The  crop  of  1920  he  sold  at  a  hundred 
dollars  a  ton  for  the  peaches  and  ninety  dollars  for  the  apricots. 

Through  many  years  of  determined  work  and  accumulating  inter- 
ests Mr.  Humphries  is  now  comfortably  prosperous,  and  has  an  in- 
come sufficient  for  his  needs  from  his  bonds  of  the  Edison  Electric 
Company  and  other  companies  and  the  rental  of  property  he  owns  in 
Los  Angeles  and  Glendale.  While  his  extensive  fruit  orchards  are  a 
business  that  he  could  play  with  provided  his  inclinations  ran  to 
radical  experiments.  For  several  years  he  was  a  director  in  the 
Cucamonga  Water  Company.  Mr.  Humphries  is  a  republican,  is  a 
past  noble  grand  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  past 
chief  patriarch  of  the  Encampment,  and  was  secretary  and  in  1919 
was  president  of  the  Pioneer  Society  of  Ontario.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Methodist  Church.     His  fruit  ranch  is  a  mile  east  of  Ontario. 

At  San  Bernardino  November  23,  1887,  Mr.  Humphries  married 
Mary  Richards,  daughter  of  George  and  Lydia  (Powell)  Richards. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Humphries  have  three  children :  Leland  Richard  mar- 
ried Olive  M.  Wilcox,  and  they  have  two  children,  Billie  and  Donald 
Wilbur ;  Arthur  Emerson  married  Helen  Whitcher,  and  their  two 
children  are  Arthur  Wilbur  and  Ruth.  The  only  daughter,  Grace 
Winifred,  is  a  teacher  in  the  schools  of  Honolulu.  Mrs.  Humphries' 
father,  a  native  of  England,  came  to  Canada  at  the  age  of  four  years 
with  his  parents,  and  was  educated  in  Canada.  Later  he  was  inter- 
ested in  the  oil  business  at  Petrolia,  Ontario,  Canada.  Both  her  par- 
ents are  now  deceased.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Humphries  visited  their  daugh- 
ter in  the  Hawaiian  Islands  in  the  winter  of  1920  and  1921,  and  while 
there  he  took  an  active  interest  in  the  working  of  the  oldest  Lodge 
of  Odd  Fellows  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  An  American  ship 
captain  established  this  lodge  in  1847.  Its  charter  called  for  the  es- 
tablishment of  a  lodge  in  Oregon.  The  captain  of  the  vessel  sailed 
out  of  his  course,  and  while  in  the  Hawaiian  Islands  gathered  enough 
members  from  his  crew  to  establish  a  lodge  under  the  charter. 

Joshua  Clinton  Draper. — In  the  passing  of  Joshua  Clinton  Draper, 
November  6,  1918.  San  Bernardino  lost  a  citizen  who  was  a  valuable 
factor  in  both  the  business  and  social  life  of  the  city.  He  will  he  long 
remembered  not  alone  by  his  friends,  hut  by  his  business  associates,  for 
lie  was  one  of  the  few  men  who  seem  to  radiate  good  will  and  kindness, 
and  In-  made  life  brighter  and  happier  fur  all  with  whom  he  came  in 
contact.  To  know  him  was  to  be  his  friend,  and  his  friendships  he  kepi 
inviolate.  No  one,  either  in  the  professional  or  business  circles,  had  mure 
real,  sincere  friends  than  Mr.  Draper. 

In  business  he  stood  very  high  and  his  reputation  for  uprightness  and 
integrity  was  second  to  none.  The  traveling  men  were  all  his  friends 
also,  for  he  had  a  keen  sense  of  humor  and  the  rare  gift  of  being  able  to 
appreciate  a  joke  when  it  was  on  himself.     Thev  also  knew  that  he  lived 


1200      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

up  to  his  high  ideal  of  honor,  and  also  that  he  was  always  willing  to  lend  a 
helping  hand  to  any  one  who  needed  it. 

Mr.  Draper  was  born  in  Middletown,  New  York,  September  6,  1880, 
the  son  of  Edward  Holt  Draper,  of  New  York,  and  May  (Taylor) 
Draper,  also  a  native  of  New  York.  His  father  was  a  stock  dealer  who 
came  to  San  Bernardino  and  entered  into  the  garage  business  with  his 
son,  Joshua  Clinton  Draper.  He  died  in  San  Bernardino  in  1916,  his 
wife  having  passed  on  in  Arizona  in  1907. 

Joshua  Clinton  Draper  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  San 
Bernardino,  graduating  from  its  high  school  in  1899.  He  at  once  started 
to  learn  the  machinist  trade  in  the  Santa  Fe  Shops,  and  in  the  fall  of 
1906,  in  October,  he  started  the  garage  business,  which  he  conducted  until 
his  death  in  November,  1918.  He  had  the  Ford  agency  also  for  the  city, 
being  the  first  agent  here  for  the  Ford  car. 

Since  his  death  Mrs.  Draper  has  carried  on  the  garage  business  and 
has  given  it  her  personal  supervision.  She  certainly  has  qualified  as  a 
business  woman,  as  is  shown  by  the  success  that  has  attended  her 
management. 

Mr.  Draper  married  in  1906  Miss  Mabel  Murray,  a  daughter  of 
F.  A.  Murray,  of  Reno,  Nevada,  and  Delia  (Dolan)  Murray.  They 
became  the  parents  of  one  child,  Murray  Draper,  born  in  1907,  a  student 
in  the  San  Bernardino  High  School,  class  of  1924. 

Mr.  Draper  was  a  member  of  Phoenix  Lodge  No.  178,  Ancient  Free 
and  Accepted  Masons;  of  San  Bernardino  Lodge  No.  836,  Benevolent 
and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  and  of  San  Bernardino  Aerie,  Fraternal 
Order  of  Eagles.  In  politics  he  was  a  republican,  and  he  was  affiliated 
with  the  Episcopal  Church. 

J.  F.  Montgomery,  who  was  born  September  6,  1843,  at  Middleboro, 
Massachusetts,  and  died  at  his  home  in  Redlands  June  5,  1918,  was  a  suc- 
cessful New  England  business  man  and  manufacturer,  and  one  of  many 
of  the  conservative  and  substantial  element  of  the  Eastern  monied  men 
who  early  realized  the  possibilities  of  the  magnificent  development  that 
has  taken  place  in  Southern  California  and  did  not  hesitate  to  put  their 
means  and  personal  energy  into  the  development  work.  Mr.  Montgomery 
was  a  careful  and  shrewd  investor  in  Redlands  property,  and  his  activities 
and  influence  serve  to  make  his  name  well  remembered  on  the  list  of 
pioneers. 

He  was  liberally  educated,  took  a  civil  engineering  course  in  the  Massa- 
chusetts Institute  of  Technology,  was  an  engineer  in  early  life  and  later 
was  a  stove  and  range  manufacturer  at  Taunton,  Massachusetts.  This 
business  gave  him  a  secure  financial  position  in  the  East. 

He  paid  his  first  visit  to  Redlands  with  a  party  of  Eastern  people  about 
1890.  The  women  members  of  the  party  remained  in  Redlands,  while 
the  men  traveled  by  burros  to  Bear  Valley  to  inspect  the  site  of  the  dam. 
Mr.  Montgomery  was  one  of  the  early  investors  in  the  original  Bear 
Valley  project,  which,  while  not  a  financial  success,  opened  the  way  for  the 
much  greater  work  that  has  since  taken  place  in  the  way  of  irrigation  and 
power  development.  Mr.  Montgomery  again  came  to  California  in  1899 
as  a  tourist,  and  then  purchased  his  first  orange  grove,  consisting  of  five 
acres,  bounded  by  Pacific,  Cedar,  Monterey  and  Crescent  streets  in  Red- 
lands.  The  property  is  still  owned  by  his  children.  Subsequently  his  son 
came  out  and  selected  a  property  in  Redlands,  and  Mr.  Montgomery  dur- 
ing the  winter  of  1902-03  bought  and  occupied  his  home  on  West  High- 
land Avenue  and  later  erected  the  splendid  residence  now  occupied  by  his 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1201 

daughter,  Mrs.  Folkiris  and  family.  These  were  only  a  few  of  the  for- 
tunate investments  Mr.  Montgomery  made  in  California.  He  eventually 
disposed  of  his  manufacturing  interests  in  the  East  and  concentrated  all 
his  holdings  in  California.  He  was  an  enthusiastic  worker  for  a  greater 
Redlands  of  the  future,  and  his  faith  in  the  country,  and  his  intimate  and 
not  exaggerated  descriptions  were  the  means  of  influencing  many  of  his 
old  time  neighbors  in  the  East  to  follow  him.  January  27,  1875,  at  Taun- 
ton, Massachusetts,  Mr.  Montgomery  married  Miss  Isadore  L.  Phillips, 
and  they  remained  residents  of  that  city  for  a  quarter  of  a  century.  Mrs. 
Montgomery  was  born  August  20,  1852,  at  Taunton,  and  died  at  Red- 
lands  April  29,  1916.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Montgomery  had  three  children, 
two  of  whom  survive. 

The  son,  Hugh  Montgomery,  who  was  born  January  4,  1879,  at  Taun- 
ton, Massachusetts,  was  educated  in  the  Chauncey  Hall  School  for  Boys 
at  Boston,  and  came  to  California  in  1901,  selecting  the  site  of  the  beautiful 
Montgomery  homestead,  and  after  informing  his  father  the  latter  wired 
him  to  purchase  the  property.  Hugh  Montgomery  married  Miss  Pearl 
Washburn  May  6,  1908.  She  is  a  member  of  a  prominent  Redlands  family. 
They  have  two  children:  John  Francis,  born  April  23,  1915,  and  Barbara, 
born  June  20,  1917.  Mr.  Hugh  Montgomery  lives  on  Palm  Avenue  and 
owns  individually  some  splendid  citrus  groves  in  this  district  and  is  also 
active  manager  for  the  joint  holdings  of  himself  and  sister,  comprising 
thirty-five  acres  of  orange  groves  and  a  400-acre  fruit  and  grain  ranch 
at  Banning. 

The  second  child,  Mary  P.  Montgomery,  was  born  at  Taunton,  Massa- 
chusetts, October  10,  1880,  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  and  gradu- 
ated A.  B.  in  1902  from  Wellesley  College  in  Massachusetts.  During  1912 
she  attended  Redlands  University  and  received  the  Bachelor  of  Music 
degree  and  was  a  teacher  in  the  music  department  of  the  local  university 
from  1912  until  February,  1915.  April  8,  1915,  she  became  the  wife  of 
Dr.  Frank  H.  Folkins,  of  Redlands.  Doctor  Folkins  was  born  at  Center 
Point,  Iowa,  May  8,  1884,  and  studied  medicine  in  the  Iowa  State  Uni- 
versity, receiving  his  degree  in  1910.  On  account  of  a  breakdown  in 
health  he  came  to  California  and  located  at  Redlands  in  the  spring  of 
1911,  and  in  November  of  that  year  resumed  active  practice.  In  the  fall 
of  1914  he  was  appointed  city  physician  of  Redlands,  and  gave  most 
of  his  time  to  the  duties  of  that  office  for  four  years.  In  the  spring  of 
1920,  after  a  special  course  in  San  Francisco,  he  began  confining  his  work 
to  X-Ray  diagnosis  and  examination.  Doctor  and  Mrs.  Folkins  have  two 
children:  Richard  Wilson,  born  March  12,  1917,  and  Hugh  Montgomerv, 
born  August  20,  1920. 

Friend  Ives  Lombra,  chief  of  the  fire  department  of  Colton  and  head 
of  the  flourishing  transfer  business  he  established  at  Colton,  is  one  of 
the  best  examples  of  the  self-made  man  San  Bernardino  furnishes.  Dur- 
ing the  years  he  has  lived  at  Colton  he  has  not  only  acquired  large  means, 
but  has  also  won  and  retained  the  full  confidence  of  his  fellow  citizens, 
who  recognize  his  many  excellent  characteristics  and  are  proud  of  the 
record  he  has  made  both  in  office  and  as  a  business  man. 

The  birth  of  Mr.  Lombra  occurred  at  Wallingford,  Connecticut,  Octo- 
ber 23,  1881.  He  is  a  son  of  George  W.  and  Ella  E.  Lombra.  George 
W.  Lombra  was  one  of  the  original  workers  in  the  famous  old  box  factory- 
owned  by  Charles  Parker,  where  the  sanding  of  coffee  mills  and  similar 
products  was  first  done  by  machinery.  In  those  early  times  the  workers 
were  afforded  no  protection  from  the  injurious  effects  of  their  trade,  and 
George  W.  Lombra  died  at  the  age  of  forty-four  years  from  the  effects 


1202       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

of  constant  breathing  of  this  fine  sand  dust.  The  grandfather  of  George 
W.  Lombra  was  the  original  owner  by  a  grant  from  the  French  Govern- 
ment of  the  land  on  which  the  City  of  Montreal,  Canada,  now  stands. 
On  his  maternal  side  Chief  Lombra,  is  descended  from  a  passenger  of  the 
historic  Mayflower.  His  grandmother's  brother,  Ben  Robinson,  was  a 
flag-bearer  in  the  Union  Army  during  the  war  between  the  states,  and  his 
brother,  Charles  Robinson,  was  captured  and  for  three  years  confined  in 
Andersonville  Prison. 

Mr.  Lombra's  educational  training  was  received  in  his  native  town  of 
Wallingford,  and  was  completed  with  a  business  course  in  the  same  place. 
Deciding  then  to  branch  out  for  himself,  he  left  home  and  started  out  on 
what  was  then  the  long  trip  to  California,  arriving  at  Colton  September  12, 
1909,  practically  without  funds,  but  possessed  of  ambition  and  the  deter- 
mination to  conquer  circumstances.  Immediately  securing  employment, 
he  went  to  work  and  did  so  well  and  was  so  economical  that  within  a  year 
he  was  able  to  establish  himself  in  business  as  a  teamster.  From  time  to 
time  he  has  expanded  his  business  and  developed  it  into  one  of  the  leading 
transfer  companies  in  this  part  of  the  county.  While  he  has  not  striven 
for  political  honors  he  is  a  zealous  republican.  He  is  now  serving  his 
second  term  as  chief  of  the  fire  department  of  Colton,  and  is  one  of  the 
best  men  to  hold  this  office.  For  a  number  of  years  he  has  been  a  promin- 
ent Odd  Fellow,  inheriting  his  interest  in  that  order,  as  his  grandfather 
was  a  charter  member  of  Meridian  Lodge  No.  33,  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows,  one  of  the  earliest  lodges  of  Connecticut. 

After  coming  to  Colton  Mr.  Lombra  married  Miss  Carrie  E.  Tillen,  a 
member  of  one  of  the  old  families  of  the  North  and  one  prominent  in  the 
Union  cause  during  the  war  between  the  North  and  the  South.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Lombra  are  very  fine  people,  popular  with  a  wide  circle,  and  he  is 
recognized  as  worthy  the  full  confidence  of  his  fellow  townsmen. 

John  Batiste  Lafourcade  owns  and  conducts  one  of  the  largest 
vineyards  in  Southern  California  controlled  by  an  individual.  The 
Lafourcade  Packing  House  is  three  miles  east  of  Cucamonga,  on  Foot- 
hill Boulevard,  and  his  extensive  vineyards  are  in  the  Etiwanda  dis- 
trict. This  brief  article  can  barely  suggest  the  superhuman  energy, 
patience,  courage  and  resourcefulness  that  enabled  Mr.  Lafourcade  to 
achieve  his  place  of  preeminence  among  Southern  California  vine- 
yardists. 

He  was  born  April  26,  1871,  at  Lahontan  in  Southern  France,  son 
of  John  and  Jeanne  (Minvelle)  Lafourcade.  His  parents  were  natives 
of  Southern  France,  his  father  born  in  1840  and  his  mother  in  1843, 
and  his  father  was  a  grape  grower  and  wine  maker.  John  Batiste 
Lafourcade  had  the  advantage  of  school  only  one  year  between  the 
ages  of  nine  and  ten.  He  grew  up  in  a  vineyard,  learned  its  work  as 
rapidly  as  his  strength  developed,  and  he  became  well  qualified  in 
every  branch  of  viticulture  when  a  boy.  When  he  left  France  to  come 
to  America  he  carried  with  him  the  highest  credentials  as  to  character 
and  industry.  He  sailed  from  Bordeaux  August  26,  1888,  and  after  a 
tedious  voyage  landed  at  New  Orleans  and  thence  came  direct  to 
Pomona,  California.  For  five  years  Mr.  Lafourcade  was  at  Puente  as 
a  vaquero,  teamster  and  in  other  forms  of  hard  labor.  This  was  fol- 
lowed by  a  year  of  employment  in  the  Brookside  winery  near  Red- 
lands. 

Out  of  this  season  of  hard  labor  his  thrift  had  enabled  him  to  save 
about  twelve  hundred  dollars,  which  he  deposited  in  the  American 
National  Bank  of  Pomona.     In  the  meantime  the  Nesbit  Brothers  had 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1203 

cleared  land  and  planted  a  large  acreage  at  Etiwanda  to  prunes, 
peaches  and  apricots.  It  was  an  enterprise  that  came  to  disaster  and 
the  firm  failed,  owing  the  bank  at  Pomona  about  twelve  thousand 
dollars.  The  bank  held  the  land  as  security,  though  this  security  was 
regarded  as  practically  worthless. 

It  was  at  this  juncture  that  Mr.  Lafourcade  investigated  the  prop- 
osition, and  succeeded  in  making  arrangements  with  the  bank  to  at- 
tempt to  restore  the  property  to  usefulness.  The  contract  was  that 
he  was  to  receive  no  salary,  and  depend  on  results  for  his  compensa- 
tion. He  moved  into  an  old  house,  living  among  the  Chinamen  who 
were  working  on  the  land,  and  he  himself  worked  like  a  slave  for  a 
year.  In  this  time  he  had  spent  all  his  accumulated  twelve  hundred 
dollars  of  savings,  and  had  to  acknowledge  that  the  orchard  was  hope- 
less. The  only  encouraging  result  of  his  year's  labor  was  his  discov- 
ery that  the  soil  was  much  like  that  of  his  native  Southern  France, 
well  adapted  for  vines.  With  this  knowledge  he  went  to  the  bank 
and  after  explaining  how  he  had  spent  the  savings  of  his  years  and 
could  promise  no  results  along  the  lines  of  the  original  proposition, 
he  said  if  he  could  be  given  a  contract  of  sale  with  the  privilege  of 
destroying  the  deciduous  trees  and  planting  grapes  in  their  stead  he 
could  promise  a  thriving  industry  and  one  that  would  show  profit  in 
time.  The  president  of  the  American  National  Bank  of  Pomona  ac- 
cepted the  proposition.  Mr.  Lafourcade  assumed  the  heavy  obliga- 
tion, used  the  old  trees  for  fence  posts,  to  wire  the  rabbits  out  of  his 
vineyards,  and  he  was  also  accorded  the  privilege  of  a  checking  ac- 
count for  bare  expenses.  This  credit  was  granted  wholly  on  his 
good  name  and  the  confidence  inspired  by  him  in  the  banking  offi- 
cials. Having  this  contract  Mr.  Lafourcade  toiled  long  hours,  fought 
the  north  winds  and  drifting  sand,  and  for  the  first  two  years  there 
was  an  unprecedented  rainfall.  There  was  no  irrigation,  and  he  even 
hauled  domestic  water  the  first  two  years.  People  thought  him  in- 
sane and  ignorant  when  he  planted  grape  cuttings  in  the  bare  desert 
sand  without  water.  His  first  purchase  contract  covered  a  hundred 
and  fifty  acres,  and  for  this  he  went  in  debt  thirteen  thousand  dollars 
at  five  per  cent,  the  understanding  being  that  he  was  to  be  allowed 
to  draw  checks  if  he  was  able  to  show  satisfactory  results.  For  six- 
teen years  Mr.  Lafourcade  carried  on  the  struggle  involved  in  im- 
proving the  land  and  getting  his  vineyard  into  bearing.  On  Decem- 
ber 23,  1891,  his  loan  was  called.  At  that  time  the  debt  stood  at 
twenty-one  thousand  dollars.  In  the  meantime  he  had  increased  his 
holdings  to  three  hundred  acres.  He  insured  his  life  for  fifteen  thou- 
sand dollars,  and  with  this  and  his  real  estate  was  able  to  effect  a 
loan  of  twenty-one  thousand  dollars  to  pay  off  the  bank  in  full.  He 
thus  saved  the  institution  a  heavy  loss  and  at  last  was  on  his  feet 
financially.  Since  then  prosperity  has  come  with  undiminished  regu- 
larity and  mounting  in  volume  until  he  is  one  of  the  foremost  indi- 
vidual grape  growers  in  California,  having  780  acres,  with  110  acres 
in  wine  grapes  and  the  rest  in  raisin  and  table  grapes.  In  1918  he 
constructed  a  modern  dehydrating  plant  with  modern  raisin  storage 
and  packing  house,  and  also  has  a  complete  winery  with  a  capacity  of 
forty-five  thousand  gallons  annually.  Mr.  Lafourcade  was  the  first 
in  this  district  to  sink  a  deep  water  well.  This  well  is  630  feet  deep 
and  the  water  list  is  360  feet.  It  has  an  ample  flow  to  provide  suffi- 
cient irrigation  fur  his  entire  acreage,  from  80  to  100  inches  out  of  the 
well. 


1204      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

On  June  2,  1902,  Mr.  Lafourcade  married  Miss  Josephine  Lastiry, 
who  was  born  in  Southern  Spain,  of  pure  Castilian  stock,  in  June  24, 
1881.  She  came  to  America  a  short  time  before  her  marriage  and 
lived  at  West  Riverside.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lafourcade  have  a  fine  fam- 
ily of  seven  children :  Emma,  born  August  24,  1905 ;  Francisco  and 
John  Batiste,  twins,  born  August  8,  1908;  Marie  Louise,  born  No- 
vember 6,  1909;  Josephine,  born  December  16,  1910;  Pierre,  born 
September  4,  1914;  and  Marguerite,  born  May  18,  1919.  The  family 
are  devout  Catholics  and  Mr.   Lafourcade  is  a  republican  voter. 

The  vineyards  and  manufacturing  plant  owned  by  Mr.  Lafourcade 
speaks  for  themselves  as  one  of  California's  prominent  industries. 
But  the  chief  factors  in  making  these  possible  were  the  strenuous 
energy,  the  absolute  honesty  and  integrity  of  Mr.  Lafourcade  himself. 

Norman  S.  Hawes. — This  veteran  soldier  of  the  Union  has  been 
identified  with  the  citizenship  of  Riverside  more  than  thirty  years,  and 
the  business  which  he  founded  here  is  still  continued  by  one  of  his  sons. 

Mr.  Hawes  was  born  at  Reading,  Hillsdale  County.  Michigan,  October 
28,  1842.  His  family  name  was  written  in  the  record  of  births  as  Hause, 
and  it  is  said  that  when  he  was  a  boy  of  about  fifteen  he  proposed  to  his 
father  that  they  change  the  spelling  to  Hawes.  which  was  done,  though 
his  uncles  and  other  members  of  the  family  still  continue  the  old  spelling. 

The  record  of  the  Hause  family  runs  back  to  William  Hause,  who  was 
born  February  24,  1750.  He  married  Martha  Wood,  who  was  born 
May  4,  1753,  and  died  September  8,  1818.  Of  their  fourteen  children 
William  Hause,  Jr.,  was  born  November  22,  1781,  and  died  January  2, 
1825.  April  7,  1804,  he  married  Esther  Sanford,  who  was  born  Septem- 
ber 22,  1785.  They  were  the  parents  of  ten  children.  Of  these  Jesse  J. 
Hause  was  born  June  23,  1808,  and  married  Sally  Swarthout,  who  was 
born  September  2,  1S07.  Heman  C.  Hause,  a  brother  of  Jesse  J.  Hause, 
was  the  father  of  the  old  soldier  and  Riverside  resident.  Heman  C. 
Hause  was  born  May  13,  1813,  and  died  August  11,  1872.  On  November 
26,  1832,  he  married  Maria  Elvira  Bacon,  who  died  May  20,  1852.  The 
second  wife  of  Heman  Hause  was  Adaline  L.  Holt. 

Norman  S.  Hawes  was  the  fifth  in  a  family  of  seven  children.  His 
brother  Edward  R.  was  a  Union  soldier  and  died  in  the  service.  Another 
brother,  Andrew  J.,  enlisted  in  the  Eleventh  Michigan,  but  was  rejected 
on  account  of  age,  and  subsequently  enlisted  in  the  Seventeenth  Michigan 
Infantry  and  served  until  discharged  on  account  of  disability.  He  finally 
joined  Battery  D  of  the  First  Michigan  Light  Artillery,  and  was  in 
service  until  the  close  of  the  war. 

Norman  S.  Hawes  received  his  education  in  the  schools  of  Litchfield, 
Michigan,  and  the  country  schools  of  Branch  County,  and  was  identified 
with  the  work  of  his  father's  farm  until  he  joined  the  army  in  September. 
1861.  His  military  service  is  compiled  from  the  official  account  drawn 
up  by  the  Soldiers  and  Sailors  Historical  and  Benevolent  Society.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  famous  First  Regiment,  Michigan  Light  Artillery 
Battery  D,  under  command  of  Capt.  Josiah  W.  Church  and  known  as 
Church's  Battery.  Norman  Hawes  enlisted  September  17.  1861.  from 
Branch  County  to  serve  three  years.  He  was  mustered  in  at  White 
Pigeon,  Michigan,  September  17th  as  a  private  in  Battery  D,  commanded 
successively  by  Capt.  William  W.  Andrews,  Capt.  Alonza  F.  Bidwell 
and  Capt.  Josiah  W.  Church.  This  battery  was  organized  in  White 
Pigeon  and  mustered  in  September  17th  and  attached  to  the  Fourteenth 
Army  Corps.  It  was  on  duty  at  Camp  Robinson  and  Louisville.  Ken- 
tucky, until  January,  1862,  and  then  went  by  boat  down  the  Ohio  and  up 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1205 

the  Cumberland  to  Spring  Hill,  south  of  Nashville,  Tennessee.  Mr. 
Hawes  was  taken  ill  and  sent  home  on  a  discharged  furlough,  but  rejoined 
his  battery  after  the  battle  of  Stone  River  in  the  concluding  days  of  the 
year  1862.  The  battery  was  then  ordered  to  Triune,  where  it  remained 
several  months,  until  the  advance  of  Rosecrans  on  Chattanooga.  The 
first  engagement  on  his  return  was  at  Hoover's  Gap  and  then  at  Win- 
chester, Tennessee,  where  the  regiment  remained  a  few  weeks.  Then  cross- 
ing the  Tennessee  River  at  Stevenson,  Alabama,  it  advanced  over  Lookout 
Mountain  down  into  the  Chickamauga  Valley.  In  September,  1863,  the 
battery  was  assigned  to  the  First  Brigade,  Third  Division.  It  reached 
Growers  Ford  on  the  Chickamauga  September  18th  and  participated  in  the 
great  battle  of  that  name  on  the  following  day,  rendering  conspicuous  serv- 
ice, no  battery  in  that  memorable  battle  being  handled  more  skillfully  or 
doing  greater  execution.  The  battery  occupied  Fort  Negley  at  Chattanooga. 
In  November  following  the  battery  assisted  in  shelling  the  enemy  on 
Lookout  Mountain  when  General  Hooker  was  advancing  across  the  face 
of  the  mountain,  and  also  participated  in  the  assault  on  Missionary  Ridge 
November  25th.  From  March  until  December,  following  the  battery  was 
at  Murtreesboro,  Tennessee,  and  then  was  sent  back  to  Nashville,  Tennes- 
see, where  they  remained  in  camp  during  the  winter.  The  following 
spring  they  marched  to  Murfreesboro  and  occupied  Fort  Rosecrans  dur- 
ing the  remainder  of  the  war. 

Norman  S.  Hawes  was  in  all  the  engagements  of  his  battery  excepting 
the  time  he  was  in  the  hospital  and  at  home  and  was  always  at  his  post  of 
duty  and  achieved  a  gallant  record  for  meritorious  service  and  soldierlv 
conduct.  He  left  the  battery  at  Columbia,  Tennessee,  and  was  in  the 
hospital,  later  at  Nashville,  and  was  furloughed  home  and  after  recovering 
reported  at  Detroit  and  rejoined  the  battery  at  Murfreesboro.  At  Louis- 
ville, while  in  drill,  he  was  injured  when  a  team  fell  on  him,  causing 
injury  to  neck  and  spine  which  has  ever  since  affected  him.  For  a  time  he 
was  a  nurse  in  the  smallpox  hospital  at  Louisville.  His  certificate  of  hon- 
orable discharge  was  dated  at   Nashville,   September   17,   1864. 

After  leaving  the  army  Mr.  Hawes  returned  to  Butler,  Michigan,  and 
helped  his  uncle  complete  a  school  building.  A  teacher  being  needed  for 
the  school,  he  took  the  examination  and,  passing  the  highest  marks  of  all 
the  applicants,  was  given  the  school  and  at  the  end  of  the  year  was  com- 
plimented by  the  board  for  having  the  most  orderly  and  best  attended 
school  in  the  district.  Following  that  he  took  a  high  school  teacher's 
course  at  Coldwater,  and  following  that  was  given  a  school  in  Quincy 
Township  of  Branch  County.  His  pupils  stood  high  in  the  usual  branches 
and  he  was  especially  commended  for  his  classes  in  singing  and  debating. 
He  taught  another  term  at  Butler  and  then  went  on  the  road  as  a  sales- 
man selling  sewing  machines,  and  had  a  store  at  Hillsdale,  Michigan. 
Later  he  went  on  the  road  for  the  firm  of  Whitney  &  Currier  of  Toledo, 
Ohio,  selling  organs  and  pianos.  That  was  his  business  for  fifteen  years, 
and  in  1888  Mr.  Hawes  came  to  Riverside  and  opened  an  establishment 
of  his  own  in  the  Tetley  Hotel  Block,  selling  pianos  and  other  musical 
instruments,  sewing  machines  and  bicycles.  He  prospered,  and  with  in- 
creasing business  moved  his  quarters  to  the  Frederick  Block,  and  continued 
there  until  he  retired,  since  which  time  the  business  has  been  conducted  by 
his  son,  H.  W.  Hawes. 

Mr.  Hawes  is  an  honored  member  of  Riverside  Post  No.  118,  Depart- 
ment of  California  and  Nevada,  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  and  was 
elected  senior  vice  commander  of  his  post  for  1915  and  commander  in  1916. 
He  is  affiliated  with  the  Masonic  Order  and  the  Fraternal  Aid  Association. 


1206      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

In  Branch  County,  Michigan,  April  2,  1866,  Mr.  Hawes  married  Miss 
Sarah  A.  Dickerson.  Her  father,  Alonzo  Dickerson,  and  her  brothers, 
Joseph  and  Melvin  M.  Dickerson,  were  also  Union  soldiers  in  Michigan 
regiments.  Mrs.  Hawes  was  an  invalid  for  many  years  of  her  life,  passing 
away  December  19,  1920.  She  was  born  May' 31,  1849.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Hawes  had  four  children.  The  oldest,  Flora  Winifred,  was  born  March  6, 
1867,  and  died  November  5,  1888.  Harry  Wilford  Hawes,  successor  to  his 
father's  business,  was  born  December  20,  1868,  and  on  November  1,  1900, 
married  Minnie  L.  Stratton,  born  September  28,  1872.  Their  three  chil- 
dren are  named  Ethel  Winifred,  born  February  5,  1902;  Lillian  Josephine, 
born  March  6,  1905,  and  Harold  Wilford,  born  January  13,  1910. 

The  second  son  of  Mr.  Hawes  is  Frederick  Norman,  who  was  born 
April  17,  1872.  February  1,  1898,  he  married  Alice  Belle  Hersey,  who 
was  born  July  27,  1875.  They  are  the  parents  of  a  son,  James  Hersey 
Hawes,  born  October  24,  1908. 

The  youngest  son,  Roy  Currier  Hawes,  was  born  January  8,  1877.  and 
on  May  19,  1900,  married  Annabel  Allen,  who  was  born  January  28,  1877. 
Their  four  children  were:  Wilford  Allen,  born  March  31,  1901,  and  died 
August  25th  of  the  same  year;  Roland  Cyril,  born  October  4,  1908;  Sarah 
Elizabeth,  born  December  4,  1911,  and  Norman  Worth  Hawes,  born 
November  1,  1914. 

Pressbury  W.  Lord  has  been  a  Calif ornian  for  nearly  forty  years.  He 
was  born  at  Quebec,  Canada,  May  23,  1863,  being  a  son  of  Henry  Lewis 
Lord  and  Mary  Jane  (Cross)  Lord.  His  parents  were  also  natives  of 
Canada,  his  father  being  of  English  ancestry  and  his  mother's  people  from 
the  North  of  Ireland. 

His  early  years  were  spent  on  his  father's  farm.  He  enjoyed  the 
benefit  of  the  good  schools  of  the  country,  the  latter  two  years  being 
spent  at  Inverness  Academy.  At  the  age  of  twenty  he  and  his  brother, 
the  late  Loren  C.  Lord,  came  West  to  British  Columbia,  then  to  California, 
and  for  ten  years  they  engaged  in  mining  operations  in  Sierra  County, 
California.  Mr.  Lord  still  has  mining  interests  there.  From  Sierra  County 
he  moved  to  Los  Angeles  and  then  to  Pasadena,  where  he  was  engaged 
in  business  for  ten  years.  In  1902  he  came  to  Riverside,  where  he  was 
associated  with  William  Elliott  in  the  business  of  promoting  the 
"Elliott  Springs  Mineral  Water."  The  success  of  this  enterprise  led 
naturally  to  the  establishment  of  the  Riverside  Soda  Works,  which  he  and 
his  brother  developed  and  operated,  their  products  being  distributed  over 
all  Southern  California.  The  most  famous  of  these  beverages  is  the 
Rubidoux  brand  of  Ginger  Ale.  He  is  now  retired  from  active  business, 
but  still  retains  an  interest  in  the  business  at  Riverside.  Mr.  Lord  is  a 
republican.  He  has  worked  conscientiously  and  whole-heartedly  in  the  in- 
terests of  his  party  and  good  government.  In  November,  1918,  lie  was 
elected  to  represent  the  Fourth  Ward  in  the  City  Council,  which  office 
he  filled  satisfactorily  and  he  has  been  re-elected  for  another  term. 

On  May  28,  1902,  Mr.  Lord  was  united  in  marriage  with  Rebecca  M. 
Muir,  a  native  of  Nova  Scotia  and  a  daughter  of  Capt.  John  and  Mary 
Muir.  The  older  daughter,  Phyllis  Arline,  is  a  graduate  of  Pomona 
College  at  Claremont,  and  is  teaching  art  in  Pasadena.  Miss  Lilla  Dale, 
the  younger  daughter,  is  at  home  with  her  parents.  She  is  engaged  in 
secretarial  work  with  the  Pacific  Telephone  &  Telegraph  Company. 

On  July  6,  1921,  Phyllis  Lord  married  Kenneth  Morgan,  engaged  in 
electrical  engineering  with  the  Pacific  Telephone  &  Telegraph  Company 
of  Los  Angeles.  He  is  a  graduate  of  Pomona  College,  and  his  technical 
knowledge  was  acquired  at  the  Massachusetts  School  of  Technology. 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1207 

San  Bernardino  Aerie  No.  506,  Fraternal  Order  of  Eagles  has 
been  an  institution  of  growing  power  and  influence  in  the  city  for  eighteen 
years.  It  was  instituted  October  16,  1903,  with  a  charter  membership  of 
131.  The  first  meeting  was  held  in  Damron  Hall  at  541  Third  Street,  and 
of  the  officers  chosen  who  are  still  members  mention  is  made  of  Joseph 
Ingersoll,  past  worthy  president,  Harry  Groves,  worthy  president,  and 
R.  B.  Goodcell,  trustee.  The  second  meeting  was  held  in  Native  Sons 
Hall,  now  occupied  by  Chocolate  Palace.  The  Aerie  prospered  both  finan- 
cially and  numerically,  and  toward  the  end  of  1908  they  purchased  the  lease 
and  furniture  of  the  Elks  Club,  and  on  January  1,  1909,  held  their  first 
meeting  in  the  new  Eagles  Hall  in  the  Home  Telephone  Building.  The 
six  years  they  occupied  this  home  was  a  period  of  steady  growth  and 
prosperity,  and  in  November,  1917,  the  Brunn  property,  ground  and  build- 
ing, was  bought  and  on  a  portion  of  the  ground  the  new  building  erected. 
It  has  the  distinction  of  being  the  only  fraternal  building  in  the  city 
financed  without  the  sale  of  stock  or  shares  to  members.  This  building 
has  the  finest  auditorium  in  the  city.  To  satisfy  the  requirements  of  the 
immediate  future  plans  have  been  made,  with  the  clearing  away  of  the 
indebtedness  of  the  Aerie,  to  remove  the  old  portion  of  the  building  and 
cover  the  entire  site,  75  x  120  feet,  with  a  two-story  structure  to  be 
utilized  altogether  for  fraternal  purposes. 

This  Aerie  has  performed  its  functions  as  a  fraternal  institution,  and 
through  the  privileges  and  advantages  conferred  its  membership  has  had 
a  steady  increase.  Of  the  charter  list  of  131,  only  33  are  now  on  the 
rolls,  the  greater  part  of  the  remainder  having  been  called  by  death.  The 
present  membership  is  685.  During  the  World  war  forty-nine  from  this 
Aerie  answered  the  call  to  the  colors,  though  fortunately  none  made  the 
supreme  sacrifice.  During  the  war  the  auditorium  was  always  ready  and 
free  for  patriotic  movements.  A  familiar  expression  was  "If  you  want 
any  help,  a  place  to  meet,  the  use  of  dishes  or  tables,  go  to  the  Eagles." 
This  Aerie  bought  $3,000  in  Liberty  Bonds,  and  at  all  times  encouraged  the 
members  to  do  their  best.  During  the  influenza  epidemic  the  Aerie  lost 
twelve  of  its  members,  with  nearly  a  hundred  ill  with  that  disease,  but 
every  dollar  of  sick  and  death  benefit  was  promptly  paid.  The  records 
show  that  since  the  Aerie  was  instituted  over  $20,000  have  been  expended 
in  sick  and  funeral  benefits.  The  Aerie  motto  is:  "If  I  can't  speak  well 
of  a  man  I  wont  speak  ill  of  him."  The  aim  is :  "To  make  the  world  a 
better  place  for  men  and  women  to  live  in." 

The  present  list  of  officers  are :  Junior  past  worthy  president,  Frank 
T.  Bates;  worthy  president,  Charles  E.  Showalter ;  worthy  vice  president, 
Douglas  Shaw ;  worthy  chaplain,  M.  Firebaugh ;  treasurer,  A.  Mespelt 
since  1907;  secretary,  James  Cunnison  since  1912;  inside  guard,  C.  H. 
Cosner  ;  outside  guard,  John  Molnar  ;  conductor,  Lloyd  E.  Collins  ;  trustees, 
Harry  A.  Snyder,  W.  J.  Hanford.  James  C.  Amos;  physician,  Steele 
Forsythe.    Our  colors — Red-White-Blue. 

Clifford  M.  Huston  is  showing  in  a  significant  way  his  desire  to 
make  the  bank  of  which  he  is  the  cashier  a  medium  of  effective  serv- 
ice in  the  community,  and  under  his  careful  and  progressive  adminis- 
tration the  Citizens  National  Bank  of  Rialto,  San  Bernardino  County, 
has  had  much  to  gain  and  nothing  to  lose. 

Mr.  Huston  was  born  at  Salem,  Indiana,  August  11,  1884,  gained 
his  early  education  in  the  public  schools  of  the  old  Hoosier  State  and 
thereafter  continued  his  studies  in  the  Indiana  State  Normal  School 
at  Marion,  he  having  depended  on  his  own  resources  in  meeting  the 
expenses  of  his  higher  education.     Ha  continued  his  association  with 


1208       SAX  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

farm  enterprise  in  Indiana  until  he  decided  to  come  to  California. 
Upon  arriving  in  the  City  of  Chicago  he  found  that  the  railroad  fare 
to  California  was  much  in  excess  of  his  available  funds,  and  under 
these  conditions  he  invested  in  a  scalper's  ticket  to  Denver,  Colorado. 
His  depleted  finances  made  it  essential  for  him  to  replenish  the  same 
without  delay,  and  he  found  employment  in  a  Denver  hotel,  where  he 
received  one  dollar  a  day  and  his  board.  In  this  way  he  finally  saved 
enough  money  to  pay  his  railway  fare  to  California,  and  in  1904  he 
arrived  at  Rialto,  San  Bernardino  County,  with  a  full  supply  of  am- 
bition and  determination  but  with  his  cash  capital  reduced  to  twenty- 
six  cents,  besides  which  he  owed  $200,  which  sum  he  had  borrowed  to 
enable  him  to  complete  his  educational  course  in  the  normal  school. 
At  Rialto  he  first  found  employment  in  a  fruit-packing  house,  and  he 
soon  won  advancement  to  the  position  of  foreman  in  this  establish- 
ment, that  of  the  California  Citrus  Union.  After  saving  a  sufficient 
sum  to  justify  such  action  Mr.  Huston  purchased  ten  acres  of  unim- 
proved land  at  Rialto,  together  with  water  right,  this  property  being 
situated  on  South  Riverside  Avenue.  In  1913-14  he  planted  this 
tract  to  oranges,  and,  notwithstanding  that  he  was  in  debt  and  that 
freezing  weather  killed  many  of  his  trees  the  first  winter,  he  charac- 
teristically refused  to  be  discouraged  or  to  be  deflected  from  the 
course  to  which  he  had  set  himself.  He  has  shown  in  every  stage  of 
his  progressive  career  that  he  has  none  of  the  attributes  of  a  "quit- 
ter," and  self-reliance,  circumspection  and  determination  have  enabled 
him  to  win  out.  In  the  early  days  of  his  independent  enterprise  here 
he  frequently  drove  a  mule  team  by  day  and  irrigated  his  orange 
grove  at  night,  and  to-day  he  is  the  owner  of  one  of  the  finely  im- 
proved citrus  fruit  groves  of  this  section  of  the  state.  Mr.  Huston 
was  here  prior  to  the  opening  of  any  bank,  and  he  readily  discerned 
the  community  need  for  such  an  institution.  Though  he  was  offered 
the  position  of  manager  of  a  packing  house,  he  refused  this  proffer 
and  upon  the  organization  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Rialto  he 
was  early  selected  as  one  of  its  office  executives.  He  won  promotion 
to  the  position  of  assistant  cashier,  and  continued  his  efficient  service 
with  this  institution  for  a  period  of  twelve  years.  Thus  fortified  with 
thorough  knowledge  of  the  details  of  the  banking  business  and  from 
early  experience  realizing  the  large  part  a  properly  regulated  bank 
could  play  in  connection  with  industrial  advancement  and  stability, 
through  his  familiarity  with  farm  life  in  his  vouth  and  his  active 
identification  with  fruit  culture  in  California  he  began  to  consult 
ways  and  means  for  establishing  a  bank  that  should  be  equipped  to 
aid  those  who  needed  financial  support,  whether  rich  or  poor  and 
without  reference  to  social  caste.  After  a  thorough  survey  of  the 
situation  he  gained  the  co-operation  of  men  whose  standing-  was  such 
as  to  justify  their  selection,  and  in  November.  1920,  the  Citizens  Na- 
tional Bank  of  Rialto  opened  its  doors  for  business.  He  effected  the 
organization  and  incorporation  of  this  institution,  and  has  been  its 
cashier  from  the  beginning,  while  he  is  making  its  politics  conform  to 
his  ideas  as  to  the  nroper  functions  which  it  should  exercise  in  the 
community.  The  other  executive  officers  of  the  bank  are  as  here 
noted:  Wilmot  T.  Smith,  president;  H.  A.  Brimmer,  vice  president: 
John  Cox,  vice  president;  and  Lloyd  A.  Mills,  assistant  cashier.  In 
addition  to  the  president  and  vice  presidents  the  directorate  of  the 
institution  includes  also  T-  T.  Canaday,  C.  E.  McLaughlin,  W.  Mc- 
Kinley  and  W.  A.  Needham.  The  stockholders  are  seventy-five  in 
number,  and  most  of  them  are  residents  of  the  community  in  which 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1209 

the  bank  is  established,  its  operations  being  based  on  a  paid-up  cap- 
ital stock  of  $25,000.  The  total  resources  of  the  bank  on  the  day  of 
its  opening  were  $45,000,  and  at  the  end  of  the  fiscal  year  these  had 
been  increased  to  $142,000.  The  bank  is  admirably  serving  its  pa- 
trons, especially  in  connection  with  the  handling  and  marketing  of 
orchard  products  and  helping  onward  to  independence  many  whose 
financial  circumstances  make  such  interposition  temporarily  impera- 
tive. Founded  and  conducted  on  such  a  basis  of  practical  service,  the 
Citizens  National  Bank  is  destined  to  continue  a  power  for  good  in 
the  community  in  which  it  is  established.  Mr.  Huston  has  made  his 
own  way  toward  the  goal  of  worthy  success,  has  a  fine  sense  of  per- 
sonal stewardship  and  has  found  many  ways  in  which  to  exert  helpful 
influence  in  connection  with  civic  and  business  affairs  in  the  county 
and  state  of  his  adoption.  His  wife,  whose  maiden  name  was  Mary 
E.  Foulke,  was  born  in  Kansas,  August  29,  1885,  and  is  a  daughter  of 
the  late  Morris  E.  Foulke,  to  whom  a  memoir  is  dedicated  in  the  follow- 
ing sketch.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Huston  have  one  child,  Lucille,  who  was  born 
January  22,  1917. 

Morris  E.  Foulke,  whose  death  occurred  July  1,  1917,  was  one  of 
the  honored  pioneer  exponents  of  civic  and  material  development  and 
progress  in  the  Rialto  district  of  San  Bernardino  County,  and  was  a 
citizen  whose  sterling  character  and  worthy  achievement  entitle  him 
to  special  tribute  in  this  history. 

Mr.  Foulke  was  born  at  Chesterfield,  Ohio,  February  27,  1850, 
and  was  reared  to  manhood  in  the  old  Buckeye  State,  where  he  re- 
ceived good  educational  advantages,  as  is  indicated  by  the  fact  that 
he  became  when  a  young  man  a  successful  teacher  in  the  schools  of 
Ohio.  He  finally  migrated  to  Iowa  and  taught  school,  and  later  he 
removed  to  Kansas,  where  he  continued  his  active  alliance  with  agri- 
cultural industry.  At  Garnette,  that  state,  in  1877,  was  solemnized 
his  marriage  with  Miss  Anzanetta  Miles,  who  was  born  at  West 
Branch,  Ohio,  November  23,  1851,  and  who  survived  him  by  about 
four  years,  she  having  met  a  tragic  death  on  the  13th  of  November, 
1921,  when,  in  crossing  the  highway  near  her  home  at  Rialto,  she  was 
struck  by  an  automobile  and  received  injuries  that  resulted  in  her 
death  shortly  afterward.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Foulke  were  birthright  mem- 
bers of  the  Society  of  Friends,  and  exemplified  their  gentle  and  noble 
Christian  faith  in  their  every-day  lives.  They  became  the  parents  of 
five  children:  William  was  born  in  December,  1881,  and  died  eight 
months  later.  Lambert  J.  was  born  December  8,  1883,  and  died  in 
December,  1904.  Mary  E.,  who  was  born  at  the  old  home  in  Kansas, 
August  29,  1885.  was  about  two  years  old  at  the  time  of  the  family 
removal  to  California  and  was  reared  'in  San  Bernardino  County, 
where  she  was  graduated  from  the  high  school  in  the  City  of  San 
Bernardino,  after  which  she  was  graduated  from  the  State  Normal 
School  at  San  Diego.  She  taught  three  years  in  the  public  schools 
at  Fontana  and  one  year  at  Lapland,  and  she  is  now  the  wife  of  C.  M. 
Huston,  cashier  of  the  Citizens  National  Bank  of  Rialto  and  the  sub- 
ject of  the  personal  sketch  preceding  this.  Frances,  the  next  younger  of 
the  children,  was  born  at  Rialto,  in  1888,  and  died  at  the  age  of  eight 
months.  Charles,  who  was  born  at  West  Rialto,  in  1890,  was  gradu- 
ated from  the  San  Bernardino  High  School  and  later  from  Leland  Stan- 
ford, Jr.,  University,  from  which  he  received  the  degree  of  Civil  Engineer. 
He  is  now  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profession,  with  residence  at  San 


1210       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

Bernardino.     He  married  Miss  Olive  Hill,  of  Highland,  this  state,  and 
they  have  one  child,  Eleanor,  born  November  24,  1917. 

Mr.  Foulke  continued  his  residence  in  Kansas  until  1887,  in  which 
year  he  came  with  his  family  to  California.  In  1890  he  purchased 
twenty  acres  of  barren  desert  land,  now  at  the  corner  of  Maple  Avenue 
and  Foothill  Boulevard,  at  Rialto,  instituted  the  reclamation  and  im- 
provement of  the  tract  and  after  erecting  a  house  on  the  place  he  and 
his  wife  there  established  their  home.  He  was  one  of  the  first  to 
institute  the  development  of  the  wild  and  forbidding  land  of  this  now 
opulent  and  beautiful  district  of  San  Bernardino  County,  and  he  made 
his  land  into  one  of  the  valuable  orange  groves  of  the  county.  He 
there  maintained  his  home  until  his  death.  In  driving  from  Rialto  to 
his  land  in  the  early  days  he  told  his  companions  that  it  was  advis- 
able to  drive  in  a  straight  line,  as  some  day  the  course  would  become 
a  part  of  a  main  highway  to  Los  Angeles.  He  lived  to  see  the  im- 
provement of  this  now  important  boulevard,  and  it  was  while  at- 
tempting to  cross  the  same  that  his  widow  met  her  death,  as  noted  in 
a  preceding  paragraph.  Mr.  Foulke  was  an  uncompromising  oppo- 
nent of  the  liquor  traffic,  worked  earnestly  in  behalf  of  temperance 
and  was  a  staunch  supporter  of  the  principles  and  cause  of  the  pro- 
hibition party.  His  memory  and  that  of  his  gentle  and  noble  wife 
are  held  in  affectionate  regard  by  all  who  came  within  the  sphere  of 
their  benign  influence. 

Ralph  David  Bailey. — One  of  the  best  known  men  engaged  in  the 
insurance  and  brokerage  business  in  San  Bernardino  and  Riverside  coun- 
ties is  Ralph  David  Bailey,  whose  headquarters  are  located  at  Colton. 
His  connection  with  his  present  business  has  gained  him  a  wide  acquaint- 
ance, among  whom  his  genial  disposition,  his  loyalty  and  his  constant  in- 
clination to  be  helpful  to  his  fellows  have  made  him  a  general  favorite.  A 
peculiar  and  particular  genius  is  necessary  to  the  man  who  would  be 
successful  in  selling  insurance  and  in  acting  as  a  general  broker.  Many 
men  who  have  risen  to  prominence  in  other  lines  have  scored  naught  but 
failures  when  they  have  entered  the  insurance  and  brokerage  field.  Mr. 
Bailey,  however,  possesses  the  essential  qualities  of  acumen,  a  pleasing 
personality  and  a  thorough  knowledge  of  human  nature,  and  with  these  as 
his  stock  in  trade  has  achieved  an  enviable  success. 

Mr.  Bailey  comes  of  Scotch-Irish  and  English  descent,  and  was  born 
at  Marshalltown,  Iowa,  November  12,  1877,  a  son  of  Richard  H.  and 
Matilda  Bailey.  His  father,  born  in  Illinois,  was  a  merchant  at  Atlantic, 
Iowa,  for  thirty-five  years,  but  in  1917  retired  from  business  and  moved 
to  Los  Angeles,  California,  where  he  now  makes  his  home,  as  does  also 
Mrs.  Bailey,  who  is  a  native  of  Ohio.  Ralph  D.  Bailey  attended  the  public- 
schools  of  Atlantic,  Iowa,  where  he  was  graduated  from  the  high  school 
in  June,  1898,  and  in  June  of  the  following  year  completed  a  commercial 
course  in  a  business  college  in  that  city.  When  he  left  school  he  joined 
his  father  in  the  mercantile  business  at  Atlantic,  and  continued  to  be 
engaged  therein  from  1899  to  1901,  in  the  latter  year  becoming  book- 
keeper in  the  Atlantic  National  Bank.  In  1899  he  had  come  to  California 
to  spend  the  winter,  and  at  that  time  became  so  favorably  impressed  with 
the  state  that  he  resolved  to  return  at  a  future  date.  This  he  did  in  1902, 
when  he  resigned  as  bookkeeper  of  the  Atlantic  National  Bank  and  came 
to  Colton,  where  he  was  variously  employed  until  1905.  In  that  year  he 
was  made  assistant  cashier  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Colton,  and 
continued  in  that  capacity  for  seven  years.  He  entered  the  general  insur- 
ance and  brokerage  business  in   1912,  and  has  remained  therein  to  the 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1211 

present  time,  his  operations  covering  San  Bernardino  and  Riverside  coun- 
ties. Mr.  Bailey's  success  has  been  self-gained,  as  his  reputation  has  been 
self-built,  and  both  are  on  a  substantial  basis.  He  occupies  a  well-estab- 
lished place  in  the  confidence  of  those  with  whom  he  has  had  business 
transactions,  and  is  a  director  in  the  First  National  Bank  of  Colton,  hav- 
ing held  a  position  on  that  directorate  since  1917.  Politically  he  is  a 
republican,  but  his  connection  with  politics  is  only  that  of  a  public-spirited 
citizen  interested  in  the  welfare  of  his  community.  Since  he  reached  his 
majority  he  has  been  a  member  of  the  Masons  and  the  Order  of  the 
Eastern  Star,  and  likewise  holds  membership  in  the  Benevolent  and  Protec- 
tive Order  of  Elks.  With  his  family  he  belongs  to  the  Congregational 
Church. 

On  September  14,  1909,  at  Redlands,  California,  Mr.  Bailey  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Ethel  M.  Webb,  a  daughter  of  Gilbert  and 
Kate  Webb,  of  Los  Angeles,  California,  where  Gilbert  Webb,  one  of  the 
early  settlers  of  the  city,  was  engaged  in  the  contracting  business  and  built 
the  first  street  railways.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bailey  there  have  come  two 
children  :   David  Webb,  born  in  1912,  and  Richard  Gilbert,  born  in  1916. 

Frederick  Thomas  Perris. — As  a  builder  and  developer  of  town 
and  country  it  is  but  exact  justice  that  the  name  of  Frederick  Thomas 
Perris  be  honored  for  all  time  in  San  Bernardino.  He  was  an  engineer 
by  profession,  accustomed  to  handling  large  constructive  projects,  and 
his  broad  vision  and  exalted  purpose  enabled  him  to  estimate  the  pos- 
sibilities of  the  future  and  identify  himself  most  unselfishly  with  those 
causes  and  undertakings  that  are  regarded  as  the  source  of  the 
wonderful  present  prosperity  for  this  valley. 

While  for  so  many  years  his  interests  were  identified  with  San 
Bernardino  and  vicinity,  Frederick  Thomas  Perris  was  in  another 
sense  a  man  of  the  world.  He  was  born  at  Gloucester,  England, 
January  21,  1837,  son  of  Thomas  and  Hannah  Rebecca  (Spiller) 
Perris.  When  he  was  about  twelve  years  of  age  he  and  his  mother 
went  to  Melbourne,  Australia,  and  he  completed  his  education  there, 
receiving  his  training  as  a  civil  engineer  at  Melbourne.  On  his  way 
to  Australia  he  stopped  at  San  Francisco,  seeing  America  for  the  first 
time  in  1849.  In  1853  the  family  returned  to  America,  and  Mr.  Perris 
was  employed  in  doing  a  large  amount  of  professional  work  on  the 
Pacific  Coast  for  the  United  States  Government  and  the  State  of 
California  in  the  capacity  of  deputy'  United  States  mineral  surveyor 
and  surveyor.  He  was  naturalized  at  Salt  Lake,  Utah,  August  30, 
1858,  by  W.  J.  Appleby,  clerk,  and  Curtis  E.  Bolton,  deputy. 
November  29,  1858,  he  departed  from  New  York  for  Liverpool  on  the 
steamship  Thornton,  Captain  Collins,  going  abroad  for  the  purpose 
of  marriage.     He  was  married  at  Cheltenham,  England,  May  5,  1859. 

After  his  return  to  America  with  his  wife  he  did  his  first  railroad 
work  in  the  early  '60s  on  the  Union  Pacific  during  its  construction, 
under  Samuel  B.  Reed.  October  12,  1863,  he  was  appointed  territorial 
surveyor  for  the  northeastern  portions  of  Utah  Territory  by  Jesse  W. 
Fox,  territorial  surveyor  general. 

Later  he  returned  to  England  to  settle  his  father's  estate,  and 
while  there  he  was  for  a  time  a  photographer.  Leaving  his  native 
country,  he  returned  to  Salt  Lake,  where  he  was  in  business  for  a 
number  of  years,  chiefly  as  a  dry  goods  merchant  and  as  a  printer. 

From  Salt  Lake  he  journeyed  by  ox  teams  to  San  Bernardino  in 
1874,  and  from  that  time  remained  a  resident  of  the  city  rntil  his 
death  on  May  12,  1916.     For  many  years  he  was  identified  with  this 


1212      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

section  of  California  both  in  a  professional  and  official  capacity.  He 
served  as  county  surveyor  and  deputy  United  States  mineral  sur- 
veyor from  1874  to  1879.  He  was  editor  of  the  first  newspaper  pub- 
lished in  San  Bernardino.  He  helped  survey  the  Rancho  San  Ber- 
nardino and  its  subdivisions,  and  acted  as  assistant  engineer  for  James 
D.  Schuyler  of  the  State  Engineering  Department  in  measuring  water 
in  the  valley  of  San  Bernardino  and  locating  the  reservoir  sites  of 
both  Big  and  Little  Bear  Valley.  He  also  laid  out  the  City  of  San 
Bernardino. 

December  1.  1880,  Mr.  Perris  entered  the  service  of  the  California 
Southern  Railway,  now  the  Santa  Fe,  at  San  Diego,  as  assistant  engi- 
neer to  Joseph  O.  Osgood.  The  previous  year,  in  1879,  when  it 
became  known  that  G.  B.  Wilber  and  L.  G.  Pratt  of  Boston  were 
to  visit  Southern  California  as  representatives  of  eastern  capitalists 
in  railroad  matters,  San  Bernardino  citizens  called  a  mass  meeting 
and  appointed  Mr.  Perris  and  John  Isaacs  for  the  purpose  of  visit- 
ing San  Diego  and  interesting  visitors  in  the  advantages  afforded 
by  the  San  Bernardino  Valley.  As  a  result  of  this  conference,  Wilber 
and  Pratt  visited  San  Bernardino,  carefully  inspected  the  country,  and 
decided  on  the  Cajon  route  from  San  Diego  to  San  Bernardino.  Then, 
as  noted,  Mr.  Perris  was  engaged  as  assistant  engineer  and  super- 
vised the  construction  of  the  Southern  California  road  to  San  Ber- 
nardino and  also  from  San  Bernardino  to  Barstow,  and  as  a  result 
of  this  early  effort  on  his  part  and  local  citizens  San  Bernardino  has 
for  many  years  had  the  asset  of  the  railroad  shops  and  extensive  rail- 
road facilities.  While  in  the  employ  of  the  railroad  company  he  built 
practically  all  the  lines  comprising  the  Los  Angeles  Division.  During 
the  latter  part  of  1882  he  was  appointed  chief  engineer  of  the  Cali- 
fornia Southern,  now  the  Los  Angeles  Division.  September  13,  1883, 
he  drove  the  first  passenger  train  into  San  Bernardino  from  Los 
Angeles  and  sounded  the  first  locomotive  whistle  to  be  heard  in 
San  Bernardino.  In  1900  he  was  made  manager  of  the  Santa  Fe's 
oil  properties,  and  during  his  work  as  chief  engineer  the  change  in 
fuel  for  locomotives  was  made,  the  working  plans  and  designs 
necessary  to  accomplish  this  almost  revolutionary  method  of  fueling 
locomotives  being  prepared  in  his  office  about  1894.  Mr.  Perris  was 
retired  from  the  active  service  of  the  Santa  Fe  on  a  pension  October  1, 
1914,  less  than  two  years  before  his  death. 

In  the  forty  years  he  lived  here  his  public  spirit  was  a  constant 
source  of  good  to  the  community,  which  he  loved  and  which  he  was 
ready  to  serve  to  the  utmost.  In  1889  he  was  a  member  of  the 
Board  of  Trustees  and  in  the  early  '90s  was  connected  with  the 
Arrowhead  Reservoir  and  Power  Company  as  consulting  engineer. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  first  Board  of  Water  Commissioners,  and 
all  his  earnings  in  that  capacity  were  donated  to  the  various  churches 
of  the  city  in  an  absolutely  non-sectarian  manner,  not  a  dollar  being 
used  for  personal  use.  Through  his  efforts  the  city  is  largely  indebted 
for  the  present  Carnegie  Library.  He  took  up  the  matter  with  Mr. 
Carnegie  through  prominent  Santa  Fe  officials  in  the  East  and  suc- 
ceeded in  securing  a  larger  appropriation  than  was  originally  intended. 

Mr.  Perris  was  a  director  and  stockholder  in  the  Farmers  and 
Merchants  Bank  of  San  Bernardino  and  a  stockholder  and  director 
in  the  San  Bernardino  Valley  Bank.  Considering  all  his  activities 
and  the  influences  that  emanated  from  him  no  individual  name  could  be 
more  justly  chosen  for  designation  of  local  geography.  He  is  honored  by 
the  Town  of  Perris,  Perris  Hill  and  Perris  Avenue. 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1213 

May  5,  1859,  at  Cheltenham,  England,  lie  married  Mary  Annette 
Edwards,  daughter  of  George  and  Anne  Vizor  (Millwater)  Edwards. 
The  children  of  this  marriage  were:  Oscar  W.,  who  married  Gertrude 
Heap;  Walter  F.,  unmarried;  Arthur  E.,  who  married  Maude  Tinkle- 
paugh  ;  Cora  A.,  who  became  the  wife  of  Samuel  Leffen ;  Florence  M., 
wife  of  B.  F.  Levet;  and  Maude  I.,  who  was  married  to  Harvey 
Carpenter. 

Henry  C.  McAllister. — There  is  no  doubt  but  that  unusual  oppor- 
tunities for  advancement  are  offered  in  the  West,  but  it  is  equally 
true  that  only  exceptional  men  are  able  to  take  advantage  of  them 
and  through  them  reach  positions  of  weight  in  their  communities. 
The  fact  that  they  do  see  and  embrace  these  openings  proves  that 
they  have  abilities  above  the  ordinary,  or  they,  like  their  associates, 
would  not  recognize  that  the  chance  was  at  hand  for  their  taking. 
There  is  no  such  thing  as  blind  luck.  Every  promotion,  each 
advance,  is  the  natural  result  of  carefully  directed  effort,  conscientious 
work  and  intelligent  forethought.  Especially  is  this  true  with  refer- 
ence to  the  positions  connected  with  the  great  corporations  of  any 
city.  Merit  alone  wins;  there  are  no  favorites.  The  stockholders 
have  to  be  shown  a  certain  amount  of  profit  as  a  just  return  on  their 
investment,  and  the  directors  place  in  charge  of  the  affairs  of  the 
company  men  of  proved  ability.  When  the  directors  of  the  Southern 
California  Gas  Company  selected  Henry  C.  McAllister  for  the  position 
of  division  manager  they  chose  the  very  best  man  for  it,  and  one  who 
had  been  connected  with  this  concern,  through  its  various  changes, 
for  over  twelve  years,  and  steadily  risen  through  successive  promo- 
tions until  he  was  the  logical  candidate  and  one  who  had  the  entire 
details  at  his  disposal. 

Henry  C.  McAllister  was  born  at  Sutton,  New  Hampshire, 
February  18,  1873,  and  comes  of  Scotch  ancestry.  He  is  a  son  of 
C.  W.  and  Adalaide  (Kendrick)  McAllister,  who  was  born  at  Toronto, 
Canada,  on  February  22,  1876.  After  he  had  completed  the  grammar 
and  high  school  courses  of  Warner,  New  Hampshire,  Henry  C. 
McAllister  entered  the  employ  of  the  Northern  Railroad  Company  at 
Concord,  New  Hampshire,  and  remained  in  railroad  work  until  1909, 
when  he  came  West,  locating  at  San  Bernardino,  which  has  since 
continued  to  be  his  place  of  residence.  For  a  short  time  after  his 
arrival  in  this  city  he  was  a  clerk  for  the  Santa  Fe  Railroad  Company, 
and  then  entered  the  old  San  Bernardino  Gas  and  Electric  Company, 
remaining  with  it  when  it  was  sold  to  the  Pacific  Light  &  Power 
Company,  and  with  the  present  corporation,  the  Southern  California 
Gas  Company,  when  it  purchased  the  gas  interests. 

Mr.  McAllister  married  Beatrice  Winstanley  Bell,  September  27, 
1898.  Mr.  McAllister  and  his  wife  have  a  daughter,  Mildred,  who 
was  born  September  11,  1899,  at  Worcester,  Massachusetts.  She  was 
married  to  Virgil  S.  Rucker  June  20,  1921,  at  San  Bernardino. 

Naturally  a  public  spirited  man,  Mr.  McAllister  has  long  been 
a  member  of  the  San  Bernardino  Chamber  of  Commerce,  and  is  now 
a  member  of  its  Board  of  Directors.  For  several  years  he  has  served 
as  a  member  of  the  National  Orange  Show  Association,  and  is  a 
director  of  the  San  Bernardino  Valley  Bank.  Fraternally  he  has  long 
maintained  membership  with  the  Masons,  Odd  Fellows  and  Elks,  and 
is  very  popular  in  these  orders.  Mr.  McAllister  is  proud  of  his  record 
as  a  republican,  for  ever  since  he  cast  his  first  vote  he  has  given  his 
support  to  the  candidates  of  his  party,   and   is   in   thorough  accord 


1214       SAN  BERXARD1XO  AXD  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

with  its  principles.  While  not  a  member  of  any  religious  organiza- 
tion, he  attends  the  services  of  the  Congregational  Church.  A  level 
headed  man  of  affairs.  Mr.  McAllister  deserves  the  position  he 
occupies  with  his  company  and  in  his  community,  and  is  one  of  the 
best  examples  of  the  substantial  business  man  San  Bernardino  County 
affords. 

William  Babel — There  was  a  time,  and  not  so  far  in  the  past,  when 
none  but  the  foreign  health  resorts  were  recognized  as  being  of  great 
value  in  the  treatment  of  certain  diseases.  One  of  the  results  of  the 
great  war  has  been  the  recognition  by  the  American  people  of  the 
natural  resources  of  their  own  country  and  the  appreciation  of  the 
real  virtue  of  the  waters  of  some  of  the  springs,  especially  those  in  the 
West.  Within  recent  years  Harlem  Springs  has  come  into  its  own, 
and  is  now  conceded  to  be  a  strong  factor,  among  the  many  others, 
in  bringing  San  Bernardino  before  the  favorable  notice  of  the  coun- 
try, if  not  of  the  world.  These  springs  are  now  operated  by  a  cor- 
poration known  as  the  Harlem  Resort  Company,  but  the  medicinal 
properties  of  the  water  and  mud  and  the  air  and  healthful  surround- 
ings were  recognized  by  William  Babel,  the  efficient  and  capable 
president  of  the  company. 

William  Babel  was  born  near  Buffalo,  New  York,  May  9,  1875,  a 
son  of  Philip  and  Christiana  Babel,  natives  of  New  York  State,  and 
farming  people.  They  had  three  children,  namely :  Lydia,  who  is  now 
deceased ;  Albert,  who  is  a  prosperous  fruit  grower  of  Fresno,  Cali- 
fornia ;  and  William,  who  is  the  youngest. 

In  1883  William  Babel  was  brought  to  California  by  his  parents, 
who  then  migrated  from  New  York  to  Contra  Costa  County,  and  it 
was  in  that  region  that  the  lad  was  reared  and  attended  its  schools 
through  the  grammer  grades,  then  becoming  a  student  of  the  San 
Francisco  High  Schools,  from  which  he  was  graduated.  He  was  a 
chemist  and  assayer,  and  was  employed  with  his  father  for  a  time  in 
agricultural  work,  but  in  1897  went  to  Alaska,  during  the  early  gold 
rush  to  that  territory.  Reaching  Alaska,  he  followed  the  Yukon 
River  from  its  headwaters  to  the  sea,  packing  on  his  back  all  of  his 
supplies  over  mountain  ranges.  For  the  subsequent  three  years  he 
was  engaged  in  prospecting  and  mining,  and  met  with  the  usual 
miner's  luck,  making  and  losing,  coming  out  about  even.  However,  he 
did  gain  one  thing,  an  experience  he  will  never  forget,  and  which 
could  hardly  have  be^en  acquired  in  any  other  way,  and  he  does  not 
regard  that  time  as  lost.  He  also  learned  the  value  of  determination 
and  diligence,  and  the  willingness  to  work  and  endure  hardships  has 
not  left  him,  nor  is  it  likely  to  do  so  during  the  rest  of  his  life,  and 
this  accounts  for  much  of  his  subsequent  success.  When  he  decided 
to  return  to  his  old  home,  he  made  his  own  boat  and  came  down  the 
Yukon  River,  a  dangerous  trip  which  resulted  in  shipwreck  near  the 
ford  of  the  Yukon.  In  spite  of  all  his  hardships  and  constant  expo- 
sure he  returned  in  rugged  health,  and  after  a  short  period  spent  at 
home  went  to  Nevada  as  an  expert  and  assayer  for  the  mother  lode 
and  in  the  Gaudaloupe  quicksilver  mines.  Later  he  was  with  the 
mines  in  Humboldt  County,  California,  and  there  it  was  that  he  began 
to  make  mining  a  business  and  not  a  venture,  and  in  this  way  acquired 
a  comfortable  sum  of  money.  For  fifteen  years  thereafter  he  was 
engaged  in  mining,  and  was  a  man  of  large  means  when,  in  1908, 
he  went  to  Los  Angeles,  and  for  five  years  was  engaged  in  con- 
crete construction  work.     Leaving  Los  Angeles,  he  came  South  to 


s&r  sg<^£ 


SAN  BERNARDIN* )  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1215 

Riverside  and  purchased  orange  and  lemon  groves  and  also  superin- 
tended over  100  acres  of  outside  orchards.  In  this  connection  he  devel- 
oped into  an  authority  on  citrus  culture,  and  added  to  his  wealth. 
However,  Mr.  Bahel  is  a  man  who  loves  the  excitement  of  new 
enterprises,  and  although  he  could  scarcely  have  been  more  successful 
in  the  citrus  industry  than  he  was,  he  disposed  of  his  interests  and 
secured  an  option  on  Harlem  Springs,  organized  a  corporation  January 
21,  1921,  and  now  has  an  undertaking  worthy  of  his  enterprise,  effi- 
ciency and  experience.  The  Harlem  Resort  Company  is  capitalized 
at  $240,000,  and  Mr.  Babel  is  president  and  general  manager  of  it. 
This  remarkable  natural  phenomena  was  first  known  to  the  Indians, 
who  long  made  pilgrimages  to  these  hot  springs  and  sought  relief 
from  their  ailments  in  mud  baths.  The  white  man  has  followed  the 
Indian,  but  he  has  erected  a  bath  house  and  plunge,  and  provided 
every  facility  for  furnishing  the  guests  with  comforts  and  luxuries. 
Geologists  assert  that  this  water  is  the  same  strata  as  the  famous 
Arrowhead  Hot  Springs.  The  water  of  the  Harlem  Springs,  covering 
seventeen  acres,  ranges  from  cold  to  eighty  and  118  degrees  hot.  It 
is  the  purpose  of  the  present  corporation  to  erect  a  modern  hotel  and 
bungalow  combined,  with  outside  plunge,  private  baths  of  both  hot 
water  and  mud,  and  mineral  baths.  This  is  a  wonderful  resort,  easy 
of  access  to  the  people  from  all  over  the  world,  and  here  may  be  com- 
bined pleasure  with  the  restoration  of  health. 

Mr.  Babel  married  June  17,  1912,  Miss  Margaret  Spinks,  a  daugh- 
ter of  English-born  parents,  who  came  to  California  when  she  was  a 
child.  She  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  Humboldt  County,  and 
was  a  popular  teacher  in  the  public  schools  of  California  prior  to  her 
marriage.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Babel  have  had  three  children,  namely 
Byron,  who  was  born  in  Los  Angeles  January  13,  1915;  Kenneth 
who  was  born  at  Riverside,  January  16,  1919,  and  died  October  12. 
1919 ;  and  Owen,  who  was  born  September  24,  1920,  at  Riverside. 

Personally  Mr.  Babel  is  a  delightful  person,  well  educated,  thor- 
oughly informed  on  many  subjects,  and  one  who  has  learned  much  in 
his  various  travels.  He  is  an  ideal  host,  as  well  as  fine  business  man, 
and  under  his  energetic  and  capable  management  his  resort  is  becom- 
ing the  wonder  of  this  region.  He  has  seen  nature  under  many  aspects, 
but  in  all  of  them  found  them  engaging,  and  it  is  when  dealing  direct 
with  the  natural  resources  that  he  is  at  his  best.  Possessing  as  he 
does  the  utmost  faith  in  the  properties  of  the  water  and  mud  of  his 
springs,  he  is  anxious  to  attract  to  them  those  who  need  the  help 
their  medicinal  properties  are  certain  to  render,  and  will  leave  nothing 
undone  to  make  this  one  of  the  most  famous  health  resorts  in  the 
world.  In  this  commendable  work  he  has  the  support  of  some  of  the 
leading  men  of  San  Bernardino  County,  for  he  has  already  won  from 
the  people  of  this  locality  an  unquestioning  confidence  in  his  sincerity 
and  ability,  and  ample  means  of  his  own,  as  well  as  additional  capital, 
are  at  his  command  for  making  all  the  improvements  he  deems  neces- 
sary. With  conditions  as  they  are,  it  is  not  difficult  to  appreciate 
what  a  dominating  force  this  enterprise  is  and  will  be,  nor  to  under- 
stand the  pride  the  people  of  this  region  in  Harlem  Springs  and  its 
efficient  promoter,  William  Babel. 

William  C.  Seccombe. — While  San  Bernardino  is  indissolubly  con- 
nected with  the  growth  and  development  of  the  citrus  industry,  this 
city  is  remarkable  in  other  ways,  for  its  varied  population  and  many 
interests   have   afforded    unexcelled   opportunities   for    the   establish- 


1216       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

merit  and  maintenance  of  sound  business  concerns,  many  of  which 
are  still  in  existence  although  founded  a  long  while  ago.  These 
opportunities  have  developed  an  alert  class  of  men.  who,  while  acquir- 
ing a  fortune,  have  not  lost  their  strong  sense  of  civic  duty  nor 
neglected  the  claims  upon  them  of  the  unfortunate,  but  have  grown 
in  constructive  citizenship  and  humanitarianism  as  they  have  in  com- 
mercial importance.  One  of  these  representative  citizens  is  William 
C.  Seccombe.  who  for  many  years  was  connected  with  the  retail  drug 
trade  of  San  Bernardino,  and  is  still  one  of  the  honored  lesidents  of 
the  city. 

William  C.  Seccombe  was  born  at  Waverly,  Nova  Scotia,  Canada, 
May  21,  1873,  a  son  of  Canadian  parents  who  came  to  San  Bernardino 
in  1883,  and  here  he  was  reared.  After  completing  his  studies  in  the 
public  schools  of  San  Bernardino  he  became  a  student  of  the  old 
Sturgess  Academy,  which  until  the  establishment  of  the  high  schools 
gave  the  youth  of  this  community  the  equivalent  of  a  high  school 
training.  After  these  schools  were  opened,  however,  the  academy 
died  a  natural  death,  although  it  is  still  remembered  by  those  of 
Mr.  Seccombe's  generation  with  kindly  affection. 

With  the  completion  of  his  educational  training  Mr.  Seccombe 
sought  an  opportunity  to  acquire  one  of  a  still  more  practical  nature, 
and  found  it  in  the  drug  store  of  Ernest  E.  McGibbon  and  later  that  of 
John  A.  Lamb,  remaining  with  these  two  concerns  the  decade  between 
1885  and  1895.  By  this  time  he  had  acquired  a  working  knowledge 
of  the  business,  and  decided  to  acquire  a  store  of  his  own.  With 
F.  N.  Towne  and  M.  D.  Allison  he  founded  the  firm  of  Towne, 
Seccombe  &  Allison,  their  first  location  being  the  old  store  of  Frank 
M.  Towne,  remodeled,  at  406  Second  Street.  Under  the  new  manage- 
ment the  business  grew  so  rapidly  that  expansion  became  necessary, 
and  the  partners  then  established  their  second  store,  at  576  Third 
Street,  in  1909.  In  1912  the  Dragon  Pharmacy  was  acquired  and 
added  to  the  business  of  the  other  two  flourishing  stores.  For  twelve 
years  Mr.  Seccombe  was  secretary,  treasurer  and  active  manager, 
but  retired  from  the  concern  in  March,  1919.  That  the  company  had 
been  properly  and  successfully  managed  is  evidenced  by  the  fact  that 
at  the  time  Mr.  Seccombe  retired  the  company  was  operating  three 
stores  and  doing  a  business  many  times  greater  than  when  it  was 
established. 

Mr.  Seccombe  has  been  active  in  many  directions,  for  from  1907 
to  1919  he  was  one  of  the  energetic  members  of  the  Board  of  Educa- 
tion, and  during  the  last  six  years  was  president  of  the  board.  During 
that  six  years  the  beautiful  Polytechnic  High  School  group  was 
built,  and  when  it  was  dedicated  he  delivered  the  address.  From 
1891  to  1904  he  served  as  a  member  of  the  California  National  Guard, 
and  from  April  9  to  December  2,  1898,  was  in  the  service  during  the 
Spanish-American  war,  holding  the  rank  of  first  lieutenant  of  Com- 
pany K,  Seventh  Infantry.  In  1900  he  received  commission  as  major 
of  the  Seventh  Regiment,  California  National  Guard,  and  continued 
to  serve  as  such  for  four  years.  The  National  Guard  was  re-organized 
after  the  return  of  its  members,  who  had  volunteered  for  service  during 
the  Spanish-American  war. 

For  many  years  he  has  been  prominent  in  Masonry,  and  he  also 
belongs  to  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elk's,  in  which  he 
holds  a  life  membership,  and  he  is  a  charter  member  of  the  Rotary 
Club.  His  family  attend  the  Congregational  Church,  in  which 
Mrs.  Seccombe  is  an  active  worker. 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1217 

On  December  25.  1897,  Mr.  Seccombe  married  Miss  Margaret  Lee 
Perdew,  a  daughter  of  G.  F.  R.  B.  and  Jeanette  (Woodworthj  Perdew. 
Mr.  Perdew  was  a  pioneer  of  California,  coming  here  from  Texas  in 
1862  by  ox  team  and  settling  at  San  Bernardino.  His  death  occurred 
in  this  city  in  November,  1900.  Mrs.  Seccombe  was  born  at  San 
Bernardino,  February  20,  1874.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Seccombe  have  two 
sons,  namely  William  Lyle,  who  was  born  May  21,  1902,  was  gradu- 
ated from  the  San  Bernardino  High  School,  and  is  now  attending 
the  Oregon  Agricultural  College  at  Corvallis,  Oregon,  and  taking 
the  civil  and  structural  engineering  course;  and  Gordon  Herbert, 
who  was  born  June  20,  1911,  is  attending  the  public  schools  of  San 
Bernardino.  Having  released  himself  from  the  confining  responsi- 
bilities of  an  engrossing  business,  Mr.  Seccombe  is  now  free  to  give 
expression  to  some  of  his  ideas  relative  to  outside  matters,  and  is 
studying  some  of  the  problems  of  the  day.  Always  a  friend  of  the 
public  schools  he,  while  no  longer  officially  connected  with  their  man- 
agement, is  looked  upon  as  an  authority  emeritus,  and  his  advice  is 
oftentimes  sought  by  members  of  the  board  of  educators.  His  benevo- 
lences, which  are  many  and  varied,  are  seldom  made  public,  but  are 
distributed  as  he  feels  they  are  needed.  Having  spent  all  but  ten 
years  of  his  life  at  San  Bernardino,  it  is  but  natural  that  his  interests 
should  center  here,  and  that  he  should  do  everything  within  his  power 
to  aid  in  the  further  development  of  his  adopted  city. 

Alva  B.  Cowgill.— While  not  one  of  the  pioneers  of  the  Redlands 
coioriy,  Alva  B.  Cowgill  has  done  pioneer  work  in  the  past  twenty 
years,  particularly  in  the  development  of  the  citrus  growing  interests 
and,  more  important  still,  in  the  marketing  problems  affecting  himself 
and  associated  growers  in  this  vicinity. 

Mr.  Cowgill  was  born  at  Spencer's  Station  in  Guernsey  County, 
Ohio,  February  9,  1856,  and  his  parents,  P.  C.  and  Ellen  (Spencer) 
Cowgill.  were  also  natives  of  the  same  state.  His  father  was  a 
merchant.  Their  four  children  were  Alva,  Charles,  Ella  and  Grant, 
all  living  but  Grant,  who  died  at  Oskaloosa,  Iowa. 

Alva  B.  Cowgill  has  lived  a  busy  life  practically  from  the  time 
that  he  can  recollect  his  environment.  When  he  went  to  school  he 
attended  to  the  opening  of  his  father's  store  in  the  morning,  then  put 
in  the  regular  hours  at  his  studies,  and  afterward  clerked  until  closing 
time.  Later  for  three  years  he  was  clerk  and  assistant  in  his  father's 
business,  and  then  for  five  years  was  ticket  and  freight  agent  with 
the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railway.  In  1879  Mr.  Cowgill,  after  finishing 
a  course  in  a  business  college,  entered  the  old  firm  of  Graham,  Bailey 
&  Company,  wholesale  and  retail  druggists  at  Zanesville,  Ohio.  He 
became  an  accountant  at  $40.00  a  month.  He  learned  the  business 
as  well  as  the  routine  of  its  accounting  system,  and  at  the  end  of 
three  years  had  become  a  part  owner.  About  that  time  the  business 
was  incorporated  as  the  Bailey  Drug  Company.  Mr.  Cowgill  for 
eight  years  was  the  head  traveling  representative,  and  was  then 
called  back  to  the  general  offices  and  made  manager  and  treasurer. 
Mr.  Bailey  in  the  meantime  had  accumulated  extensive  banking 
interests  and  turned  over  practically  the  entire  executive  management 
of  the  business  to  Mr.  Cowgill.  His  judgment  was  well  placed,  since 
the  house  expanded  and  increased  in  prosperity  under  this  manage- 
ment. Mr.  Cowgill  for  eleven  years  devoted  himself  wholely  to  the 
interests  and  welfare  of  the  business,  and  at  the  end  of  that  time 
found  his  health  so  impaired  that  it  was  imperative  he  seek  outdoor 


1218       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

employment.  In  the  meantime  he  had  achieved  a  financial  compe- 
tence, represented  in  his  holdings  of  stock  in  this  prosperous  drug 
house. 

Selling  out  his  business  at  Zanesville,  Ohio,  Mr.  Cowgill  came  to 
Los  Angeles  in  1901  and  spent  some  time  in  investigating  the  various 
districts  of  Southern  California.  His  first  purchase  was  a  20-acre 
orange  grove  in  the  Redlands  district,  and  later  he  bought  16  acres 
of  unimproved  land,  10  acres  of  which  he  set  to  Washington  Navels 
and  6  acres  to  grape  fruit.  For  five  years  he  lived  on  this  land  and 
worked  outside  in  cultivating,  planting,  pruning  and  caring  for  his 
trees.  He  had  his  groves  in  a  most  satisfactory  condition  and,  even 
better,  his  health  and  strength  were  completely  restored.  He  then 
sought  an  opportunity  again  to  connect  himself  with  some  of  the 
broader  commercial  work  for  which  his  previous  training  had  so 
well  qualified  him.  He  therefore  became  one  of  the  organizers  of  the 
Redlands  Mutual  Orange  Company  in  1906,  and  since  its  organization 
he  has  been  secretary  and  general  manager.  This  is  one  of  the  leading 
growers'  marketing  organization  in  the  Redlands  district.  In  1906 
was  also  organized  the  Mutual  Orange  Distributors,  a  co-operative 
selling  organization,  and  Mr.  Cowgill  has  since  served  as  its  secretary 
and  director.  In  no  small  degree  the  strength  and  efficiency  of  these 
organizations  has  depended  upon  Mr.  Cowgill,  who  has  recognized 
here  an  important  opportunity  for  a  public  spirited  service  to  his 
associated  growers,  and  he  has  done  much  to  improve  the  marketing 
and  distributing  facilities  now  available  to  the  producers  in  the  Red- 
lands  section.  At  the  same  time  he  has  acquired  interests  in  several 
irrigation  companies  that  bring  water  to  an  increased  area  of  citrus 
land,  and  in  twenty  years  he  has  had  impressed  on  his  memory  a  vivid 
picture  of  the  splendid  development  of  this  section  of  Southern 
California. 

In  1880  Mr.  Cowgill  married  Miss  Nellie  Broomhall.  She  was 
born  in  Quaker  City,  Ohio,  August  12,  1858,  daughter  of  W.  P.  and 
Rachel  (Redd)  Broomhall,  natives  of  Ohio.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cowgill's 
four  children  were  all  born  at  Zanesville,  Ohio.  Ethel  M.,  born 
June  23,  1882,  was  married  May  24,  1911,  to  Fred  C.  Knapp,  a  con- 
tractor and  builder  of  Los  Angeles.  They  have  a  daughter,  Kathryn 
Claire  Knapp,  born  in  Los  Angeles  July  11,  1912. 

The  second  child,  Claire  Cowgill,  was  born  June  25,  1886,  and 
graduated  from  the  Redlands  High  School  and  from  Smith  College 
at  Northampton,  Massachusetts,  with  the  degree  A.  B. 

Chester  B.  Cowgill,  born  April  14,  1890,  was  educated  in  the  Red- 
lands  High  School,  spent  four  years  in  the  University  of  California 
at  Berkeley,  and  is  now  in  business  in  Los  Angeles.  March  19,  1918, 
he  enlisted  from  Redlands,  and  was  sworn  into  military  service  at 
Rockwell  Aviation  Field  at  San  Diego  March  23d,  being  assigned  to 
Squadron  C.  He  was  transferred  to  March  Aviation  Field  at  River- 
side in  August,  1918,  was  promoted  to  private  first  class  and  acted  as 
sergeant  in  charge  of  power  plants,  and  November  13,  1918,  was 
transferred  to  the  Field  Artillery  Officers  Training  School  at  Camp 
Zachary  Taylor,  Louisville,  Kentucky,  being  assigned  to  the  Seven- 
teenth Observational  Battery.  He  received  his  honorable  discharge 
December  7,  1918. 

August  27,  1917,  C.  B.  Cowgill  married  Gladys  Ingersoll,  of  Los 
Angeles,  who  is  also  a  graduate  of  the  Redlands  High  School,  the 
California  State  Normal   School,  is  a  very   talented   musician,   both 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1219 

vocal  and  instrumental,  and  before  her  marriage  was  a  teacher  in  the 
public  schools  of  Los  Angeles. 

The  fourth  child,  Ralph  Cowgill,  was  born  February  6,  1894, 
graduated  from  the  Redlands  High  School,  attended  the  State  Univer- 
sity and  a  business  college,  and  is  now  connected  with  the  refinery 
of  the  Standard  Oil  Company  at  Bakersfield.  He  married  Miss  Ruth 
E.  Swan  at  Redlands  December  23,  1916.  She  is  a  graduate  of  the 
Redlands  High  School.  He  joined  the  Naval  Reserves  for  a  period 
of  four  years,  and  was  on  active  duty  until  released  after  the  signing 
of  the  armistice.  Both  these  brothers  were  married  and  held  good 
positions,  yet  they  waived  all  claims  for  exemption  when  they  were 
called  to  the  colors. 

This  sketch  tells  in  brief  the  story  of  a  busy  life  and  is  a  record  of 
usefulness  and  honor.  Mr.  Cowgill  is  truly  one  of  the  men  who  have 
been  instrumental  in  making  the  country  around  Redlands  bloom  and 
blossom  as  the  rose. 


Arthur  T.  Gage,  M.  D. — A  specialist  of  the  eye,  ear  and  throat,  to 
which  his  practice  is  limited,  Doctor  Gage  has  brought  special  re- 
sources and  facilities  to  the  medical  profession  at  Redlands,  where 
he  began  his  work  several  years  ago.  Doctor  Gage  represents  solid 
old  New  England  stock,  and  was  a  successful  physician  and  surgeon 
in  Massachusetts  before  coming  to  California. 

He  was  born  at  Somerville,  Massachusetts,  November  25,  1883. 
His  father,  Charles  F.  Gage,  has  given  fifty-four  years  of  his  business 
life  to  the  service  of  the  Boston  &  Maine  Railroad,  most  of  the  time 
as  general  claim  agent.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Congregational 
Church.  Charles  F.  Gage,  who  lives  at  Winchester,  Massachusetts, 
married  Martha  A.  Adams,  of  the  historic  Adams  family  of  New 
England,  and  a  direct  descendant  of  Priscilla  Alden.  Charles  F.  Gage 
and  wife  had  four  sons:  Frederick  A.,  John  H.,  Edward  C.  and 
Arthur  T. 

Arthur  T.  Gage  graduated  from  the  high  school  at  Winchester, 
Massachusetts,  in  1902.  For  four  years,  1902-06,  he  attended  Tufts 
Medical  College,  and  by  reason  of  his  high  qualifications  when  he 
entered  and  by  the  hard  work  he  devoted  to  his  studies  he  graduated 
with  the  M.  D.  degree.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Phi  Chi  fraternity. 
His  college  course  was  followed  by  an  experience  presenting  some 
of  the  finest  opportunities  to  a  young  medical  graduate.  From  June, 
1906,  to  October,  1907,  he  was  an  interne  in  the  Boston  City  Hospital, 
a  great  institution  with  1,200  beds  and  48  house  officers.  From  1908  to 
1918  Dr.  Gage  practiced  at  Melrose.  Massachusetts,  and  in  the  latter  year 
moved  to  Redlands,  succeeding  Dr.  B.  F.  Church  in  practice. 

At  Melrose,  Massachusetts,  September  4,  1916,  Doctor  Gage  mar- 
ried Miss  Ruth  Greenleaf,  of  a  prominent  family  of  Melrose.  She 
is  a  graduate  of  the  Melrose  High  School.  Her  parents  were  born 
in  Massachusetts  and  she  was  a  child  when  her  father  died.  For 
years  he  has  conducted  an  old  established  book  store  in  Massachusetts. 
Her  mother  is  still  living  in  Melrose.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Gage  have 
two  children:  Howard  Alden  Gage,  born  January  7,  1918;  and 
Priscilla  Gage,  born  June  13.  1920.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Gage  attend  the 
Congregational  Church.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Rotary  Club  and 
Chamber  of  Commerce  of  Redlands  and  is  affiliated  with   the   Elks 


1220       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

Raymond  Clyde  Gerber  is  all  but  a  native  Californian,  a  chemist 
by  profession,  was  in  the  chemical  warfare  division  during  the  World 
war,  came  out  of  hospital  practically  an  invalid,  and  in  two  years  has 
perfected  and  carried  out  the  careful  plans  laid  during  his  convales- 
cence and  now  has  one  of  the  thoroughly  organized  and  systematic 
dairy  establishments  in  Southern  California,  supplying  a  high-grade 
of  milk  to  several  of  the  cities  of  San  Bernardino  County. 

Mr.  Gerber,  whose  home  is  at  East  Highlands,  was  born  at  Worth- 
ing, South  Dakota,  July  6,  1889,  and  a  few  months  later  his  parents 
came  to  California.  He  is  a  son  of  Gotlieb  and  Mary  A.  Gerber,  the 
former  a  native  of  Switzerland  and  the  latter  of  Wisconsin.  His 
father  was  a  merchant.  Both  parents  are  now  deceased.  There  were 
seven  children :  Henry  G.,  who  married  Grace  Jones  and  whose  chil- 
dren are  Neal,  Loris  and  Lorna ;  Mrs.  Louisa  A.  Leavitt,  whose  three 
children  are  Rossiter  J.,  Donald  and  Mary  Louise ;  Mrs.  May  Moore, 
who  died  leaving  a  son,  Dalton  Moore;  Mrs.  Ida  B.  Spradling,  who 
has  one  child,  Frankie ;  Herbert  J.;  Mrs.  Alyda  R.  Pollard,  whose 
two  sons  are  Robert  G.  and  Raymond  C. ;  and  Raymond  Clyde  Ger- 
ber. the  seventh  and  youngest  of  the  family. 

Mr.  Gerber  was  educated  in  the  Redlands  public  schools,  gradu- 
ated from  the  University  of  Redlands  in  1913,  and  after  obtaining  a 
high  school  teacher's  certificate  at  the  University  of  Southern  Cali- 
fornia at  Los  Angeles  went  to  the  Philippine  Islands  and  taught  high 
school  there  during  the  years  1914-15-16.  On  returning  to  the  United 
States  he  reentered  the  University  of  California,  working  toward  the 
Master's  degree  and  specializing  in  chemistry.  In  1917  he  became 
principal  of  the  high  school  at  Nogales,  Arizona,  and  while  there  on 
December  14,  1917,  volunteered  in  the  Hospital  Corps,  was  trans- 
ferred as  a  chemist  to  the  Sanitary  Corps,  and  later  entered  the  same 
branch  as  chemist  with  the  Engineers  Corps.  Later  he  was  made  a 
chemist  in  the  Chemical  Warfare  Service,  Gas  Division.  After  a  period 
at  Nogales  Mr.  Gerber  was  on  duty  for  nine  months  at  Washing- 
ton, D.  C,  then  was  sent  to  the  army  gas  school  at  Camp  Humphrey 
and  was  engaged  in  training  gas  officers.  While  in  the  line  of  duty 
a  gas  bomb  exploded  and  being  seriously  injured,  was  sent  to  the 
hospital  at  Camp  Humphrey,  and  later  to  the  Walter  Reid  at  Wash- 
ington, where  he  remained  from  September  13,  1918,  until  discharged 
from  hospital  and  resumed  civilian  life  April  26,  1919. 

Mr.  Gerber  had  steadily  cherished  a  purpose  even  before  going 
into  the  army  and  had  drawn  up  plans  for  a  model  dairy.  Almost 
immediately  on  his  return  from  the  army  he  set  about  to  erect  and 
equip  such  a  dairy  and  ranch.  His  business  is  known  as  the  Gerber 
Certified  Dairy.  This  establishment,  at  the  end  of  Orange  Street,  has 
thirty  acres  of  land,  planted  to  alfalfa  and  oranges,  but  the  most 
interesting  feature  is  the  equipment  and  planning  of  the  dairy  itself. 
Mr.  Gerber  as  a  chemist  has  worked  out  to  the  utmost  detail  every 
feature  that  would  insure  the  sanitary  production  and  handling  of 
milk.  His  certified  milk  department  is  the  last  word  in  that  new  and 
modern  art  of  food  production.  In  1921  his  plant  stood  second  in 
raw  milk  production  in  average  per  cow  and  also  in  average  per  herd. 
In  two  years  his  business  has  increased  six-fold  over  the  original 
volume.  He  now  furnishes  Grade  A  raw  milk  to  Redlands,  San 
Bernardino,  Highland  and  East  Highland,  and  certified  milk  to  Red- 
lands,  Colton,  San  Bernardino,  Highland  and  the  dining  service  of  the 
Salt  Lake  Railway.  Mr.  Gerber  is  practical  manager  of  the  entire 
business,  the  ownership  of  which  is  vested  in  the  Gerber  estate. 


£?<^^v^u- 


SAX  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1221 

Fkank  H.  Benedict. — In  considering  the  great  interests  involved  in 
the  building  industry,  which  concerns  the  health  and  comfort  of  a 
community  as  well  as  business  expansion  and  commercial  progress, 
the  building  contractor  occupies  a  place  of  great  public  responsibility. 
In  lesser  rank,  the  workman  follows  instructions,  but  it  is  the  con- 
tractor who  must  bear  the  responsibility  of  success  or  failure,  who 
must  provide  for  every  possible  contingency.  It  is  but  a  small  part  of 
his  work  to  watch  supplies,  men,  material,  transportation  and  ex- 
pense, and  not  every  well  trained  and  naturally  skilled  artisan  can 
do  all  this.  It  needs  much  more  than  mechanical  ability,  including 
as  it  does,  personal  qualities  of  a  high  order,  this  explaining,  perhaps, 
why  this  vocation  is  not  an  unduly  crowded  one.  A  building  con- 
tractor who,  at  the  present  time,  can  successfully  meet  the  demands 
of  a  modern  city  like  Riverside  in  the  way  of  beautiful  and  dignified 
structures  must  be  accounted  very  competent,  and  one  whose  satis- 
factory work  is  seen  in  different  parts  of  the  city  is  Frank  H.  Benedict, 
who  has  been  a  resident  of  California  since  1908. 

Frank  H.  Benedict  was  born  June  26,  1858,  in  Lenawee  County, 
Michigan.  His  parents  were  John  W.  and  Laurinda  (Wolcott)  Bene- 
dict, both  of  whom  were  born  in  the  State  of  New  York,  and  both 
families  were  of  English  descent  and  of  Revolutionary  stock.  In 
earlier  days  the  Benedicts  were  farming  people,  but  in  John  W.  Bene- 
dict the  mechanical  impulse  became  the  stronger  and  he  became  a 
carpenter  and  later  a  contractor.  He  was  a  man  of  peace,  but  when 
the  Civil  war  came  on  was  anxious  to  do  his  part  and  show  his  devo- 
tion to  the  Union.  Prevented  from  entering  the  army  because  he 
was  the  sole  support  of  his  aged  parents,  he  paid  three  substitutes 
to  serve  in  his  place.  He  married  Laurinda  Wolcott,  who  survived 
him,  passing  the  declining  years  of  her  life  at  Riverside,  where  she 
passed  away  in  her  eighty-seventh  year. 

Frank  H.  Benedict  had  educational  privileges  in  the  public  schools 
and  then  learned  the  carpenter  trade  under  his  father.  He  was 
twenty-one  years  old  when  he  went  to  Detroit,  Michigan,  where  he 
became  a  contracting  carpenter  and  remained  until  1908,  in  which 
year,  attracted  by  building  activity  at  Los  Angeles.  California,  he 
removed  to  that  city.  He  continued  in  business  there  until  1913,  and 
then  came  to  Riverside,  which  place  proved  so  attractive  that  he  soon 
determined  to  make  it  his  permanent  home.  Soon  after  his  arrival 
he  built  a  striking  and  beautiful  Swiss  chalet  type  of  residence  at 
170  Fairfax  Avenue,  which  he  afterward  sold.  Subsequently  Mr.  Bene- 
dict purchased  his  present  handsome  residence  at  230  Terracino  Drive, 
the  D.  D.  Gage  home,  which  had  been  built  by  Judge  Richard   North. 

Mr.  Benedict  married  at  Weston.  Michigan,  Miss  Sarah  H. 
Withington,  a  native  of  Michigan  and  a  daughter  of  D.  E.  Withington, 
a  lumber  man  and  sawmill  owner  in  Michigan.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Benedict 
have  one  daughter.  Holly,  the  wife  of  O.  C.  Cofer,  who  is  in  the  insur- 
ance business  at  Riverside.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cofer  have  two  children: 
Marcia  and  Janet.  Mr.  Benedict  and  his  family  belong  to  Calvary 
Presbyterian  Church.  In  his  political  attitude  he  is  somewhat 
independent,  never  having  formed  unbreakable  party  ties  and  never 
feeling  desirous  of  holding  a  political  office.  His  own  affairs  have 
demanded  close  attention  and  he  has  never  felt  justified  in  accepting 
a  public  responsibility  to  which  he  would  have  to  give  a  divided 
mind.  He  belongs  to  the  Masonic  fraternity,  being  a  member  of  the 
Blue  Pudge,  Chapter  and  Council  at  Detroit,  Michigan.     Mr.  Benedict 


1222       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

has  a  wide  acquaintance  in  business  circles,  and  in  every  way  stands 
deservedly  high  as  a  citizen  and  social  factor. 

Judge  E.  Barry  lived  a  life  which  was  in  many  respects  as  fascinating 
as  a  romance,  for  he  left  his  home  and  family  in  the  "Sunny  South" 
to  join  the  picturesque  "Klondike  rush,"  and  he  accomplished  more 
than  any  other  gold  seeker,  not  financially  but  in  the  things  worth 
while,  the  spiritual.  Many  men  are  living  today  good  lives  because 
Judge  Barry  made  that  journey.  A  descendant  of  old  southern 
families  on  both  sides  of  the  family,  he  upheld  the  best  traditions  of 
his  ancestry,  he  had  all  the  courtesy  of  their  school,  kinder  than  the 
kindest,  with  always  time  for  the  considerate  word,  he  yet  was  always 
fighting  for  the  imperishable  moral  treasures  more  than  for  material 
gain.  His  rare  personal  qualities  attracted  friends,  whom  he  held 
always,  for  with  Judge  Barry  once  a  friend,  always  a  friend.  His 
unusual  intellectual  gifts  and  high  character  would  have  given  him 
place  and  power,  but  he  never  sought  these  things  and  honors  had 
to  be  forced  upon  him. 

His  life  record  is  the  more  remarkable  when  it  is  remembered  that 
that  he  was,  owing  to  unexpected  and  untoward  circumstances,  de- 
prived of  an  education  until  he  had  nearly  reached  his  majority.  In  a 
short  space  of  time  he  secured  the  best  of  educations,  and  to  this  he 
added  an  unlimited  fund  of  knowledge  gathered  from  wide  experience. 
Always  he  kept  a  steady  equipoise  of  soul  and  the  determination  to 
make  the  world  the  better  for  his  having  lived  in  it.  This  he  did,  and 
when  his  passing  was  made  known  no  word  could  voice  the  grief 
of  his  legion  of  friends  throughout  the  United  States.  Although  he 
had  been  in  Redlands  a  brief  period  of  time  he  had  made  many 
warm  friends  and  he  went  into  eternity  loved  and  loving  as  few  men 
are.  A  kind  and  loving  father  and  devoted  husband,  a  loyal  friend, 
a  worth  while  neighbor.  Judge  Barry  will  long  be  remembered.  There 
was,  there  is,  no  kinder,  manlier  man. 

Judge  E.  Barry  was  born  in  Sumner  County,  Tennessee,  November 
15,  1849,  the  son  of  Jackson  Barry  and  Sina  (Minter)  Barry,  his 
father  a  native  of  Rockingham,  North  Carolina,  and  his  mother  of 
Sumner  County,  Tennessee.  Jackson  Barry  was  a  noted  civil  engi- 
neer, following  that  occupation  all  his  life. 

When  Judge  Barry  was  six  years  old  his  parents  moved  to 
Marshall  County,  Kentucky,  and  he  received  the  meager  education 
obtainable  in  those  days  in  that  locality,  but  he  attended  the  little 
country  schools  when  in  session  and  his  opportunity  for  study  came 
when  he  was  nineteen  years  of  age,  and  he  studied  so  assiduously 
that  he  made  up  lost  time  and  graduated  from  the  best  county  high 
school  and  was,  moreover,  the  valedictorian  of  his  class.  He  soon 
obtained  a  diploma  and  commenced  teaching,  occupying  himself  in 
that  line  of  w:ork,  scholastic  work,  for  two  years.  Then  for  eight 
years  he  was  county  school  commissioner,  a  position  filled  with  re- 
sponsibility, for  upon  him  devolved  the  engaging  of  all  teachers. 
Judge  Barry  was  always  an  earnest  and  ardent  advocate  of  temper- 
ance, and  he  would  never  employ  a  teacher  who  drank. 

Later  Judge  Barry  was  elected  county  judge,  and  served  faithfully 
and  well,  his  record  sending  him  to  the  Kentucky  Legislature,  where 
he  made  a  success  of  everything  he  undertook,  serving  his  consti- 
tuency brilliantly. 

Then  the  great  Klondike  excitement  came  on  and  everyone  wanted 
to  join  the  rush  of  gold  seekers,  and  every  man  who  could  did.    Judge 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1223 

Barry  went  and  passed  through  all  the  trials  and  perils  incident  to 
such  an  expedition.  He  passed  in  over  the  Chilkoot  Pass  through  the 
most  dangerous  rapids,  prospecting  on  Nisutlin  River.  He  made 
practically  nothing  as  far  as  the  securing  of  gold  went,  but  he  gained 
an  infinitude  of  experience  and  a  knowledge  of  men  in  the  rough,  and 
learned  how  quickly  men  revert  back  to  almost  primitiveness.  He 
remained  there  twenty  months  in  all. 

All  through  the  long  cold  winter  Judge  Barry  was  in  camp  with 
the  world's  most  venturesome  men,  and  he  took  advantage  of  the 
opportunity  given  him  and  organized  a  Sunday  school,  a  fact  that 
has  since  been  used  in  both  songs  and  stories  of  that  most  strenuous 
life.  One  can  imagine  against  what  odds  he  fought,  and  yet  before 
the  winter  was  over  he  had  the  entire  camp  enrolled  and  deeply 
interested.  For  years  afterward  he  would  meet  men  who  been  in  that 
class  of  his  in  the  far  North,  and  men  who  still  clung  to  his  teachings. 
For  forty  years  Judge  Barry  was  a  member  of  the  Christian  Church. 
When  he  was  twenty-one  Judge  Barry  became  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  Order,  and  was  a  member  for  nearly  fifty  years. 

After  returning  from  Alaska  Judge  Barry  entered  the  journalistic 
field  by  the  purchase  of  the  Tribune  and  the  Democrat  of  Benton, 
Kentucky,  which  he  at  once  consolidated,  naming  his  paper  "The 
Tribune-Democrat."  It  was,  of  course,  democratic  in  principles. 
While  he  made  it  an  unqualified  success  he  decided  to  sell  it  in  1910 
and  did  so,  moving  out  west  to  Texas.  There  he  purchased  the 
Colorado  Citizen,  a  democratic  paper.  He  scored  another  success, 
but  owing  to  the  ill  health  of  his  daughter  he  was  forced  to  sell  out 
again,  and  he  did  so,  moving  this  time  to  Fort  Stockton,  Texas.  Here 
he  purchased  another  paper,  the  Fort  Stockton  Pioneer.  He  put  this 
paper  in  a  flourishing  condition. 

He  was  appointed  postmaster  of  the  city  in  1912,  and  he  held  the 
position  until  forced  to  resign,  owing  to  ill  health.  He  had  other 
interests,  among  them  a  large  acreage  of  alfalfa,  which  he  had  tc 
dispose  of  in  order  to  come  out  to  California  and  not  be  bothered  with 
business  cares.  He  came  to  the  Golden  State  in  1919,  locating  in 
Redlands  in  August  of  that  year.  He  invested  in  an  orange  grove 
and  practically  retired  to  enjoy  the  beautiful  Southland.  But  he  was 
not  to  enjoy  it  for  long,  for  on  October  23,  1920,  he  entered  into  life 
eternal. 

Judge  Barry  was  united  in  marriage  on  August  22,  1877,  with 
Laura  Paine,  a  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Mary  (Cassidy)  Paine,  of 
Paducah,  Kentucky.  She  was  born  on  the  Cumberland  River  at 
Eddyville.  Her  parents  were  prominent  Methodists.  Her  father  was 
a  well  known  tobacco  dealer.  Judge  and  Mrs.  Barry  were  the  parents 
of  three  children  :  Blanche  is  now  Mrs.  J.  L.  Mitchell,  of  Fort  Stockton, 
Texas.  The  second  child  died  in  infancy,  and  the  third  child  died  at 
the  age  of  six,  when  the  father  was  in  far  off  Alaska. 

The  wife  of  Judge  Barry  is  living  now  in  Redlands. 

Alfred  L.  Woodill  was  born  at  Halifax,  Nova  Scotia,  was  brought 
to  California  when  three  years  of  age,  received  his  education  in  River- 
side, and  in  after  years  has  been  prominently  identified  with  the 
great  local  industry  of  growing  and  packing  oranges.  He  is  now 
owner  of  the  California  Mutual  Packing  Company  of  Riverside. 

Local  history  will  always  give  credit  for  many  distinctions  to  the 
life  and  character  of  his  father,  Dr.  Alfred  H.  Woodill,  who  during  his 
residence   here   was   an    inspiration    to    the    Riverside    community,    a 


1224       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

capable  and  kindly  physician,  a  loved  citizen,  and  possessed  a  sturdy 
practical  idealism  whose  benefits  can  hardly  be  measured. 

Doctor  Woodill  was  a  native  of  Nova  Scotia,  practiced  medicine 
there  until  1879,  when  he  came  to  Riverside,  and  here  resumed  his 
professional  work.  His  death  on  March  30,  1888,  was  acknowledged 
as  a  great  public  loss,  every  bank  and  business  house  in  the  city  clos- 
ing its  doors  as  an  expression  of  sorrow  on  the  day  of  his  funeral. 
It  was  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  Riverside  that  such  a  general 
tribute  was  paid  to  the  memory  of  any  resident.  Doctor  Woodill 
was  claimed  as  a  friend  by  all  prominent  pioneers  of  Riverside.  His 
charities  were  many,  and  owing  to  his  scholarly  attainments  and 
wide  general  knowledge  his  advice  was  in  constant  demand.  He 
enjoyed  generous  means  earned  by  his  long  devotion  to  his  profession, 
and  had  the  invaluable  characteristic  of  constructive  imagination 
which  always  dominated  his  public  spirited  efforts.  When  Matthew 
Gage  outlined  to  Doctor  Woodill  the  project  of  putting  thousands  of 
acres  of  land  under  irrigation,  the  Doctor  understood  the  implications 
and  vast  possibilities  of  the  project  fully  as  well  as  its  originator.  He 
supplied  Mr.  Gage  with  the  money  necessary  for  the  preliminary 
survey.  Thus  was  instituted  what  later  developed  into  the  Gage 
Canal,  the  first  definite  act  towards  the  realization  of  a  constructive 
undertaking  whose  subsequent  benefit  to  the  people  of  Riverside  is 
beyond  all  calculation.  While  Doctor  Woodill  died  more  than  thirty 
years  ago,  he  was  in  his  life  time  able  to  visualize  a  picture  of  the 
Riverside  of  the  future,  a  great  landscape  of  beautiful  and  productive 
orange  groves,  with  a  contented  people  living  in  the  fairest  and  most 
favored  spot  on  earth.  That  the  vision  materialized  in  all  its  essential 
details  is  a  story  that  can  never  be  told  without  some  reference  to  the 
part  played  by  Doctor  Woodill.  Doctor  Woodill  and  Mr.  Gage  were 
close  friends,  the  latter  depending  upon  and  following  the  former's 
suggestions  until  the  last. 

Doctor  Woodill  married  Sarah  Elizabeth  Blanchard,  a  native  of 
Prince  Edward  Island  and  of  English  descent.  She  died  at  Los 
Angeles  in  1917,  but  was  laid  to  rest  beside  her  husband  at  Riverside.  Her 
father,  Judge  Hiram  Blanchard,  was  a  member  of  the  High  Court  of 
Canada  and  was  the  first  member  from  Nova  Scotia  in  the  Dominion 
Parliament. 

Alfred  L.  W'oodill  attended  the  grammar  and  high  schools  of 
Riverside.  He  was  still  a  boy  when  his  father  died,  and  after  that  he 
spent  two  years  in  Halifax.  Since  his  return  to  Riverside  his  work 
has  largely  been  in  orange  packing,  and  he  has  been  one  of  the  promi- 
nent growers  as  well,  at  one  time  owning  150  acres  distributed  in 
several  groves.  For  two  years  he  was  employed  by  the  firm  of  Boyd  & 
Devine,  and  was  with  the  California  Fruit  Growers  Exchange  the 
first  two  years  of  its  organization. 

In  1910  Mr.  Woodill  started  in  the  packing  house  business  for 
himself,  owning  the  Perm  Fruit  Company.  Finding  this  unprofitable, 
he  disposed  of  the  business  and  for  several  years  following  represented 
various  Eastern  packing  houses.  In  1916  he  took  over  the  California 
Mutual  Packing  Company,  an  incorporated  company,  and  has  since 
been  its  sole  owner.  Through  this  company  he  packs  from  250  to  300 
cars  annually.  The  plant  of  the  California  Mutual  Packing  Company- 
is  regarded  as  the  most  modern  and  best  equipped  in  the  district. 

Mr.  Woodill  is  a  member  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  the 
Farm  Bureau,  the  Pioneer  Society,  and  is  a  past  exalted  ruler  of 
Riverside  Lodge  No.  643,  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks.    He  is 


(^P.*<'    ^%4^L&<~++**~> 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1225 

an  independent  republican  and  has  served  as  a  member  of  the  County 
Central  Committee. 

At  Galesburg,  Illinois,  Mr.  Woodill  married  Miss  Florence  May 
Brown,  a  native  of  that  state.  A  sketch  of  her  father,  James  E.  Brown, 
of  Riverside,  appears  in  the  following  sketch.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Woodill  have 
one  son,  Chesney  E.  Woodill,  now  in  the  class  of  1924  at  the  University 
of  California.  He  served  a  season  at  Camp  Kearney  as  a  member 
of  the  Reserve  Officers  Training  Corps,  which  work  he  is  now  follow- 
ing at  Berkeley,  in  addition  to  his  other  studies. 

James  E.  Brown  lived  for  sixty  years  in  Illinois,  where  he  was  a 
farmer  and  manufacturer,  and  for  the  past  quarter  of  a  century  has 
effectively  employed  his  capital  and  enterprise  in  the  productive  end 
of  the  citrus  fruit  industry  in  Riverside  County,  where  he  is  one  of 
the  old  and  honored  residents. 

Mr.  Brown  was  born  in  Illinois,  April  2,  1837.  His  grandfather, 
who  died  about  1817,  participated  in  the  War  of  the  Revolution  and 
also  in  the  second  war  with  Great  Britain.  George  W.  Brown,  father 
of  James  E.,  was  a  native  of  New  York  state.  He  was  an  early  settler 
in  Northern  Illinois,  and  was  the  patentee  of  the  first  corn  planter, 
which  was  known  as  the  Brown  corn  planter.  He  served  at  one 
time  as  mayor  of  Galesburg,  and  being  too  old  for  active  duty  he 
nevertheless  contributed  most  liberally  of  money  and  influence  for 
the  Union  cause  during  the  Civil  war.  George  W.  Brown  married 
Maria  T.  Terpenning,  also  a  native  of  New  York  state,  and  of  Dutch 
and  English  parentage. 

James  E.  Brown  acquired  a  district  school  education  in  Illinois. 
He  worked  on  his  father's  farm  until  the  latter  engaged  in  manufac- 
turing, and  from  1862  until  1874  he  farmed  on  his  own  account  near 
Galesburg.  In  1874  he  joined  the  manufacturing  business  of  his 
father,  and  when  the  company  was  incorporated  in  1880  he  became 
treasurer,  an  office  he  continued  to  hold  and  the  duties  of  which  he 
performed  until  the  death  of  his  father  in  1895. 

It  was  in  January,  1896,  that  Mr.  Brown  came  to  California,  and 
he  has  since  acquired  many  active  interests  in  the  business  of  growing 
and  handling  fruit.  He  owns  six  10  acre  groves,  three  on  East  Eighth 
Street  and  three  on  Linden  Street.  He  is  a  director  in  the  East 
Riverside  Water  Company  and  has  been  a  director  of  the  Monte  Vista 
Fruit  Association  since  it  was  formed  and  was  one  of  the  original 
members  of  the  La  Mesa  Fruit  Company.  He  was  formerly  a  stock- 
holder and  also  a  director  in  the  Orange  Growers  Bank,  the  Citizens 
Bank  and  the  Riverside  National  Bank.  Mr.  Brown  votes  as  an  inde- 
pendent republican.  His  home  at  590  Fourteenth  Street  was  built  of 
cement  blocks  in  1906,  and  is  one  of  the  substantial  and  attractive 
residences  of  the  city. 

May  2,  1859,  Mr.  Brown  married  Miss  Mary  Eleanor  Musser,  a 
native  of  Ohio.  She  died  at  Galesburg,  Illinois,  in  1910.  Of  their 
three  children  only  one  survives.  Jennie  Elizabeth  was  the  wife  of 
M.  J.  Daugherty,  and  is  survived  by  a  son,  Edwin  M.  Daughertv. 
The  son,  George  Edwin  Brown,  died  in  1892.  Florence  May,  the 
surviving  daughter,  is  the  wife  of  A.  L.  Woodill. 

Edward  L.  Williamson.— Eighteen  years  ago  Mr.  Williamson  was 
assistant  engineer  for  the  Chicago.  Rock  Island  &  Pacific  Railroad 
Company.  During  a  leave  of- absence  he  visited  California.  A  lew 
days  at  Riverside  convinced  him  that  no  other  locality  could  heme- 


1226      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

forth  claim  his  complete  allegiance  as  a  home.  In  the  years  that  have 
since  elapsed  his  name  has  become  an  accepted  synonym  of  the  larger 
enterprise  in  the  horticultural  and  agricultural  development  of  this 
section,  and  in  commercial  and  civic  affairs  as  well. 

Mr.  Williamson  was  born  at  Janesville.  Wisconsin,  March  29, 
1879,  son  of  Lucius  N.  and  Alice  (Hawes)  Williamson,  both  deceased 
and  both  of  English  ancestry.  His  father  was  born  in  Vermont  and 
lus  mother  in  Canada.  Lucius  Williamson  for  a  number  of  years  was 
connected  with  the  manufacturing  interests  of  Janesville,  Wisconsin, 
and  subsequently  for  a  long  period  represented  the  house  of 
M.  D.  Wells  of  Chicago  as  a  traveling  salesman. 

In  the  City  of  Janesville  Edward  L.  Williamson  spent  his  youth. 
He  attended  public  school  there,  and  in  1900  graduated  from  the 
University  of  Wisconsin  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Science  in  civil 
engineering.  The  first  year  after  leaving  university  he  was  an  in- 
spector with  the  Milwaukee  Gas  Light  Company.  Then  for  three 
years  he  was  an  assistant  engineer  on  the  engineering  staff  of  the 
Rock  Island  Railroad. 

The  leave  of  absence  which  he  spent  in  California  came  in  1904. 
His  first  undertaking  in  Riverside  was  the  establishment  of  a  poultry 
plant  on  Bandini  Avenue.  Six  months  later  his  technical  services  as 
an  engineer  were  engaged  in  the  Gage  Canal  Company  and  the  River- 
side Trust  Company,  with  which  he  remained  until  December,   1909. 

At  that  date  Mr.  Williamson  took  charge  as  engineer  and  superin- 
tendent of  the  West  Riverside  holdings  of  the  Ennis  Brothers' 
property,  consisting  of  a  1,000  acres  of  raw  land.  He  still  has  charge 
of  the  Sunny  Slope  Rancho,  as  it  is  known,  and  has  about  450  acres 
under  cultivation,  with  375  acres  devoted  to  citrus  fruits  80  acres 
in  alfalfa.  This  alone  constitutes  one  of  the  largest  undertakings 
in  horticultural  development  in  this  section  of  the  state  in  recent  years. 

In  1916,  when  the  flood  waters  wiped  out  the  north  end  of  the 
Jurupa  Canal,  which  supplies  water  for  all  the  West  Riverside 
property,  Mr.  Williamson  became  chairman  of  the  committee  of 
reconstruction  and  reorganization  of  the  affairs  of  the  canal,  and  has 
since  been  president  and  manager  of  the  West  Riverside  Canal 
Company.  Since  1913  he  has  been  a  part  owner  and  manager  of  the 
Ennis  and  Williamson  Dairy  Ranch  of  San  Bernardino  County.  This 
ranch  has  a  herd  of  150  producing  cows  and  150  head  of  young 
stock.  Mr.  Williamson  is  manager  and  director  of  the  Jurupa 
Water  Company,  and  vice  president  and  director  of  the  La  Sierra 
Water  Company.  Individually  he  owns  a  12  acre  orange  grove 
at  388  Bandini  Avenue,  which  is  his  home  address.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Riverside  Heights  Packing  Association  No.  10.  He  has  re- 
cently extended  his  field  of  operations,  and  on  May  1,  1921,  bought 
an  interest  in  the  Riverside  Implement  Company,  the  name  of  which 
has  since  been  changed  to  the  Riverside  Motor  Sales  Company,  of 
which  he  is  vice  president  and  assistant  manager,  the  president  and 
manager  being  C.  W.  Cell. 

Mr.  Williamson  is  a  member  of  the  Tri-County  Reforestation 
Committee,  and  until  recently  was  a  member  of  the  Farm  Bureau. 
He  is  a  republican  voter,  had  two  years  of  military  training  while 
in  the  University  of  Wisconsin,  was  a  member  of  the  Phi  Kappa  Psi 
fraternity  there  and  is  a  member  of  the  Present  Day  Club  and  the 
Riverside  Rotary  Club. 


(um^jyi 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1227 

Charles  W.  Cell. — While  a  farmer  and  business  man  in  Kansas 
Charles  W.  Cell  made  a  visit  to  California,  which  turned  all  the 
destinies  and  enthusiasm  of  his  life  in  this  direction  and  for  the  past 
ten  years  he  has  been  rapidly  climbing  to  and  achieving  success  in 
Riverside,  where  he  is  president  and  active  head  of  the  Riverside 
Motor  Sales  Company,  an  extensive  business  that  grew  out  of  a 
hardware  and  implement  house. 

Mr.  Cell  was  born  in  Franklin  County,  Pennsylvania,  February  23, 
1878,  but  from  early  infancy  was  reared  in  Kansas.  The  Cell  family 
is  an  old  and  historical  one  both  in  America  and  in  Germany.  There 
was  a  Matthew  Cell  named  as  a  contemporary  in  the  Reformation 
with  Martin  Luther.  Members  of  the  family  came  to  the  American 
Colonies  in  early  days.  The  great-great-grandfather  of  Charles  W. 
Cell  was  a  soldier  of  the  Revolution  and  was  with  Washington  when 
the  latter,  at  the  head  of  his  troops,  crossed  the  Delaware.  The  late 
John  F.  Cell,  father  of  Charles  W.,  served  three  years  as  a  Union 
soldier  with  a  Pennsylvania  Regiment,  was  with  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac  and  also  with  Sherman  on  the  march  from  Atlanta  to  the 
sea.  On  leaving  Pennsylvania  he  moved  out  to  Kansas,  first  settled 
in  Marion  County,  where  his  efforts  were  afflicted  by  the  plague 
of  grasshoppers  and  drought,  and  from  there  he  removed  to  Osage 
County.  His  widow,  Mary  (Croft)  Cell,  was  born  in  Franklin 
County,  Pennsylvania,  of  an  old  American  family  of  German  descent, 
and  is  now  living  at  Topeka,  Kansas.  She  had  brothers  who  were 
Union  soldiers.  Her  eight  living  children  are:  John  F.,  a  practicing 
lawyer  in  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  who  married  Florence  Musson  and 
has  five  children ;  George  Croft,  who  holds  the  chair  of  theology  in 
Boston  University,  married  Miss  Ella  Clark  and  has  three  children  ; 
Charles  W.  is  the  third  in  age ;  Miss  Lottie  is  a  high  school  teacher  in 
Illinois;  Martin  Luther  is  a  well  known  newspaper  man  at  Redlands, 
California,  and  is  married  and  has  two  children  ;  Mary  is  the  wife  of 
Sherman  Shoup,  a  musician  in  Chicago,  and  they  have  a  family  of 
five ;  Christian  is  an  ex-service  man  who  was  in  France ;  and  Samuel 
is  a  clerk  in  the  Chicago  mail  order  house  of  Montgomery  Ward  &  Co., 
and  is  married  and  has  one  child. 

Charles  W.  Cell  was  reared  in  Osage  County,  Kansas,  attending 
public  schools  there  and  working  on  his  father's  farm.  At  the  age 
of  twenty-one  he  bought  land  of  his  own,  and  his  interests  were  those 
of  a  Kansas  farmer  until  he  was  twenty-eight  years  of  age.  He  then 
engaged  in  the  grain  and  elevator  business  at  Wakarusa  in  Shawnee 
County,  Kansas,  operating  as  a  grain  dealer  there  for  three  years. 
Just  before  he  entered  the  grain  business  he  made  the  trip  to  California 
that  decided  him  in  the  choice  of  a  permanent  home  environment. 
As  soon  as  he  disposed  of  his  grain  business  he  returned  to  California, 
becoming  a  resident  of  Riverside  in  1911.  Here  with  limited  capital 
he  acquired  some  stock  in  the  firm  of  Davenport,  Wheeler,  Allen 
Company,  successors  to  what  was  known  as  the  old  Stewart  Imple- 
ment and  Hardware  business  at  446  West  Eighth  Street.  Mr.  Cell  as 
a  member  of  the  company  became  active  manager  of  the  business, 
and  as  this  enterprise  prospered  he  eventually  became  sole  owner.  In 
the  meantime  he  moved  his  location  to  301  West  Eighth  Street, 
where  the  name  was  changed  to  the  Riverside  Implement  Company. 
Recently  change  has  been  made  to  the  Riverside  Motor  Sales  Com- 
pany, of  which  Mr.  Cell  is  president  and  manager.  The  first  change 
of  name  was  due  to  the  transfer  of  the  stock  to  new  ownership  and 
the  last  change  came  when  the  company  abandoned   its  implement 


1228      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

department  and  confined  its  attention  entirely  to  auto  vehicles.  The 
company  has  the  agencies  of  the  Hudson  and  Essex  motor  cars  and 
the  Moreland  trucks,  Reo  speed  wagons  and  utility  trailers,  both  of  the 
latter  being  manufactured  at  Los  Angeles  and  consequently  a  Cali- 
fornia product  which  Mr.  Cell  always  favors  in  advance  of  others. 
Mr.  Cell  now  has  the  largest  motor  sales  agencies  in  Riverside  County. 
A  large  block  of  the  treasury  stock  has  been  purchased  by  E.  L. 
Williamson,  who  is  vice  president  and  assistant  manager  of  the 
company.  Another  stockholder  is  Miss  Martha  Simpson,  who  has 
kept  the  books  of  the  firm  for  four  years  and  is  head  bookkeeper  and 
accountant.  Mr.  Cell  and  Mr.  Williamson  are  interested  financially 
in  the  Monte  Belle  and  Richfield  United  Oil  Wells,  where  some  profit- 
able properties  have  been  developed. 

So  far  as  his  businss  obligations  permit  Mr.  Cell  has  taken  a 
deep  and  active  interest  in  the  welfare  of  his  home  city.  For  the 
past  five  years  he  has  been  superintendent  of  the  First  Methodist 
Episcopal  Sunday  School,  giving  much  time  to  church  work.  He  has 
been  a  director  for  ten  years  in  the  Riverside  Young  Men's  Christian 
Association,  and  is  especially  interested  in  the  athletic  department  of 
that  organization.  He  is  a  Mason  and  a  member  of  the  Chamber  of 
Commerce  and  of  the  Kiwanis  and  Present  Day  clubs.  March  1,  1899, 
he  married  Miss  Ada  Burk,  a  native  of  Kansas.  Her  father,  Homer 
Burk,  was  a  pioneer  of  that  state  and  of  an  old  American  family  of 
English  descent.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cell  have  a  daughter,  Mary  Ellen, 
member  of  the  class  of  1922  in  the  Riverside  High  School. 

John  H.  Urquhart,  president  and  manager  of  the  Sierra  Vista 
Packing  Association,  is  known  personally  or  by  name  in  all  the  large 
citrus  purchasing  centers  in  the  United  States,  and  his  name  is 
accepted  as  a  guarantee  for  all  citrus  products  that  pass  through 
his  packing  house.  A  resident  of  Riverside  for  more  than  thirty 
years,  Mr.  Urquhart's  experience  has  led  him  through  every  phase 
of  citrus  production,  packing  and  marketing.  In  citizenship  in  the 
community  his  name  stands  equally  high. 

Mr.  Urquhart  was  born  in  Nova  Scotia,  September  17,  1856,  and 
on  both  sides  represents  sturdy  Scotch  ancestry.  His  parents  were 
William  and  Barbara  (MacKenzie)  Urquhart.  His  mother  was  born 
in  Nova  Scotia  of  Scotch  parentage.  His  father,  a  native  of  Scotland, 
went  to  Nova  Scotia  when  twenty-one  years  of  age,  and  the  rest 
of  his  life  was  spent  in  mercantile  business. 

John  H.  Urquhart  acquired  a  good  education  in  public  schools 
and  an  academy  in  Nova  Scotia.  At  the  age  of  fifteen  he  was  working 
in  his  father's  store.  His  father  also  operated  a  400  acre  ranch. 
At  the  age  of  seventeen  John  was  given  full  charge  of  this  property, 
owing  to  the  death  of  his  older  brother.  It  was  a  big  undertaking,  but 
he  handled  it  with  a  resourcefulness  that  seems  fundamental  in  his 
character.  He  continued  its  management  seven  years,  and  later 
found  time  to  take  an  extended  trip  through  Canada  and  the  Middle 
West  of  the  United  States.  After  returning  home  he  engaged  in  the 
dry  goods  and  grocery  business  for  himself,  and  was  active  in  that 
line  for  seven  years. 

The  severe  climate  of  Eastern  Canada  made  Mr.  Urquhart  a 
sufferer  from  chronic  asthma,  and  in  searching  for  relief  his  mind  was 
turned  in  the  direction  of  California.  A  friend  who  had  spent  much 
time  in  Riverside  furnished  him  his  first  direct  knowledge  of  this 
perfect  environment.    The  friend,  returning  to  Nova  Scotia  to  dispose 


SAX  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1229 

of  his  remaining  interests  in  order  to  make  California  his  permanent 
home,  gave  such  an  impetus  to  the  growing  desire  of  Mr.  Urquhart 
that  he,  too,  sold  out  and  came  to  Riverside.  He  has  never  had 
occasion  to  regret  that  move,  though  he  arrived  here  just  after  the 
boom,  when  ever  business  was  at  low  ebb. 

While  possessing  some  means,  it  was  not  in  accordance  with  his 
character  to  remain  idle  and  enjoy  it  long.  He  was  soon  working 
in  one  of  the  packing  houses,  and  through  the  actual  contact  of  work- 
ing experience  gained  his  thorough  knowledge  and  understanding  of 
the  great  industry  in  which  he  is  now  one  of  the  accepted  leaders. 
For  twelve  years  Mr.  Urquhart  was  connected  with  the  La  Mesa 
Packing  Company,  much  of  the  time  as  its  floor  superintendent.  He 
was  for  two  years  with  the  Arlington  Heights  Fruit  Company  and  a 
like  period  of  time  with  the  Alta  Cresta  Fruit  Company.  During 
1909-10  he  organized  the  Sierra  Vista  Packing  Association,  and  has 
since  been  its  president  and  manager.  From  the  time  of  his  arrival 
up  to  about  1912-13  Mr.  Urquhart  bought,  sold  and  planted  various 
orange  groves  in  the  Riverside  district.  He  disposed  of  all  these 
holdings  in  order  to  be  free  to  devote  his  entire  time  to  the  interests 
of  the  Packing  Association.  He  is  also  president  and  a  director  of  the 
Cresmer  Manufacturing  Company,  whose  planing  mills  and  industrial 
organizations  comprise  one  of  the  biggest  establishments  of  Riverside. 
Mr.  Urquhart  is  a  member  of  the  Kiwanis  and  Present  Day  Clubs. 
While  a  resident  of  Canada  he  was  a  member  of  the  local  militia  and 
quite  active  in  local  elections.  Since  coming  to  California  he  has 
been  naturalized  as  an  American  citizen  and  is  a  republican  voter. 
He  and  Mrs.  Urquhart  are  members  of  the  Calvary  Presbyterian 
Church,  and  both  are  active  in  that  church,  for  which  for  many  years 
he  served  as  an  elder.  Mrs.  Urquhart  is  a  member  of  the  Red  Cross 
and  devoted  much  of  her  time  and  energies  to  the  local  chapter  during 
the  World  war. 

In  Nova  Scotia  December  3,  1889,  Mr.  Urquhart  married  Miss 
Emma  M.  Cunningham,  native  of  Nova  Scotia,  daughter  of  Francis  S. 
Cunningham,  a  contractor  and  builder,  and  of  Scotch-Irish  descent. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Urquhart's  only  son,  William  Francis  Urquhart,  died 
in  infancy.  Their  one  daughter  is  Miss  Jean  Graham  Urquhart,  at 
home. 

John  B.  Odell. — The  name  of  John  B.  Odell  is  closely  associated 
wlh  the  development  of  the  orange  industry  of  Riverside,  and  also 
with  the  general  business  life  of  this  region,  for  he  is  a  man  whose 
energies  have  led  him  to  take  a  dominating  part  in  the  various  legiti- 
mate enterprises  of  the  city  with  which  he  cast  his  lot  in  1913,  and 
prior  to  that  date  was  a  well-known  figure  in  several  of  the  large 
centers  of  industry  of  the  country. 

John  B.  Odell  was  born  in  Cleveland,  Ohio,  April  8,  1848,  a  son  of 
John  and  Lydia  (Cody)  Odell,  both  of  whom  are  now  deceased. 
John  Odell  was  born  in  Connecticut,  and  during  his  early  life  he 
was  a  teacher  in  Toronto,  Ontario,  Canada.  Later  he  was  a  general 
merchant  of  Twinsburg,  Ohio,  where  he  became  a  prominent  man. 
The  family  is  of  Revolutionary  stock  and  Scotch-Irish  descent. 
Mrs.  Odell  was  born  in  Toronto,  Ontario,  Canada,  and  belonged  to 
an  old  family  of  Scotch-Irish  descent,  the  same  one  to  which  Col.  W.  F. 
Cody  (Buffalo  Bill)  belonged. 

After  attending  the  public  schools  of  Cleveland,  Ohio,  John  B. 
(  idell  became  a  telegrapher,  and  worked  as  such  and  as  a  bookkeeper 


1230      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

at  Cleveland,  Ohio,  and  Galesburg,  Illinois.  Subsequently  he  became 
train  dispatcher  for  the  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy  Railroad, 
which  position  he  held  for  fourteen  years,  and  then  went  to  Chicago, 
Illinois,  where  he  was  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  electrical  sup- 
plies, and  was  closely  connected  with  the  Western  Union  Telegraph 
Company,  supplying  it  with  a  number  of  manufactured  articles.  For 
fifty  years  he  was  connected  with  this  company  in  different  capacities. 
For  a  number  of  years  he  had  charge  of  the  telegraphic  department  at 
the  republican  national  conventions,  a  position  of  great  responsibility, 
and  one  which  required  a  man  with  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the 
business.  He  was  telegraph  manager  for  the  Associated  Press  at 
Chicago,  and  was  the  first  operator  for  the  Chicago  American  of  that 
city,  when  that  paper  made  its  first  appearance.  While  too  young  to 
serve  during  the  war  between  the  two  sections  of  the  country, 
Mr.  Odell  had  three  brothers  in  the  service.  Delos  Odell,  who  is  now 
deceased ;  Joseph  Odell,  who  is  trust  officer  of  the  Lincoln  Bank  of 
Cleveland,  Ohio;  and  Theodore  Odell,  who  is  now  a  consulting  rail- 
road president  of  New  York  City,  New  York.  He  was  general  super- 
intendent of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad ;  general  superintendent  of 
the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  Railroad ;  president  of  the  Pittsburgh  &  Erie 
Railroad  ;  and  president  of  the  Orient  lines  from  Kansas  City,  Mis- 
souri, and  is  recognized  to  be  one  of  the  most  experienced  railroad 
men  in  the  country. 

In  1913  John  B.  Odell  came  to  Riverside  and  purchased  the  old 
Colson  place  of  15  acres  at  429  Indiana  Avenue,  and  has  so  im- 
proved it  that  it  is  now  one  of  the  show  places  of  the  city.  The 
house  originally  was  of  the  Scotch  style  of  architecture,  but  he  had 
added  many  improvements,  including  pergolas,  and  the  whole  is 
covered  by  a  profusion  of  beautiful  flowers  and  vines.  He  erected  a 
large  fountain  and  a  sunken  fountain  for  water  lilies  and  gold  fish  in 
the  grounds.  The  exquisite  beds  of  flowers  stretch  away  into  groves 
of  deciduous  and  citrus  trees,  which  include  walnuts,  grape  fruit  and 
six  or  seven  varities  of  oranges.  It  is  an  ideal  home,  and  here 
Mr.  Odell  now  spends  a  great  deal  of  his  time,  further  beautifying  his 
property.  While  he  has  passed  the  age  of  three  score  years  and  ten, 
he  is  as  active  as  a  young  man,  and  finds  pleasure  in  operating  a 
tractor,  or  doing  any  of  the  other  kinds  of  work  inseparably  con- 
nected with  the  culture  of  oranges. 

Mr.  Odell  was  a  director  of  the  Peoples  Trust  &  Savings  Bank, 
of  which  his  son,  John  Clayton  Odell,  was  president,  and  when  that 
institution  become  insolvent  Mr.  Odell  and  other  members  of  his 
family  voluntarily  crippled  themselves  financially  by  putting  up  large 
securities  so  as  to  safeguard  the  depositors  from  loss,  which  honorable 
conduct  gained  him  the  approval  of  his  fellow  citizens  in  no  un- 
measured degree.  Mr.  Odell  is  one  of  the  directors  and  was  president 
of  the  Loring  Opera  House  Company,  which  owns  the  Loring  Block 
at  the  corner  of  Main  and  Seventh  streets.  He  is  also  the  owner  of 
a  10  acre  grove  at  Corona,  California.  During  his  younger  years 
he  was  a  member  of  the  Odd  Fellows. 

On  October  25,  1871,  Mr.  Odell  married  at  Galesburg,  Illinois, 
Miss  Flora  Lee,  a  native  of  Illinois,  and  a  daughter  of  Joel  Lee,  who 
came  of  Revolutionary  stock  and  English  descent,  and  was  born  in 
New  York  State.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Odell  have  three  children,  namely : 
John  Clayton  Odell,  who  married  Deidre  Flemming,  a  native  of 
Iowa,  and  a  daughter  of  John  Flemming,  a  lumber  dealer  of  McGregor, 
Iowa.    They  have  two  children,  namely:   Geoffrey,  who  is  a  business 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1231 

man  of  Los  Angeles;  and  Gertrude,  who  is  a  student  of  the  Riverside 
public  schools.  Rosemary,  the  second  child  of  John  B.  Odell  and  his 
wife,  married  Carl  A.  Ross,  an  attorney  of  South  Bend,  Indiana,  and 
they  have  three  children,  namely:  Jane,  Helen  and  Betsy,  all  of  whom 
are  attending  school  at  South  Bend,  Indiana.  Florence,  the  youngest 
of  the  Odell  family,  is  the  widow  of  Gilbert  Hamilton  Hoxie,  and  is 
living  at  El  Mirasol,  Santa  Barbara,  California.  She  has  one  son. 
Hamilton  Hoxie,  who  is  attending  Thacher's  School  in  the  Ojai 
Valley,  class  of  1921.  Following  the  completion  of  his  studies  in  that 
institution  he  will  matriculate  at  Yale  University. 

Mrs.  Odell  was  a  member  of  the  executive  board  of  the  war 
Council  of  Defense  during  the  World  war.  She  is  much  interested  in 
current  matters,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Wednesday  Club.  Having 
joined  the  Presbyterian  Church  at  Chicago,  she  still  retains  her  mem- 
bership with  that  congregation.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Odell  stand  very 
high  in  social  circles  at  Riverside.  Their  lavish  hospitality  at  their 
beautiful  home  is  proverbial.  At  the  same  time  their  charities  are 
numerous,  and  their  names  are  held  in  grateful  remembrance  by  the 
many  who  have  benefited  by  their  generosity.  In  all  matters  of  public 
moment  Mr.  Odell  has  always  shown  a  commendable  interest,  and  he 
takes  a  deep  pride  in  the  progress  of  the  city,  and  has  great  faith  in 
its  continued  and  increased  prosperity. 

W.  S.  Button — California  seems  to  have  a  call  for  easterners  and 
Riverside  especially  seems  to  draw  its  share  of  business  men,  not  only 
men  wishing  to  retire,  but  also  young  men  with  ability  and  activity  to 
push  ahead  and  build  from  the  ground  floor  up,  and  connect  themselves 
on  a  large  scale  with  the  industries  and  activities  most  adapted  to  this 
part  of  the  country. 

One  who  is  noteworthy  in  this  connection  is  W.  Stewart  Button, 
distributor  for  Chevrolet  automobiles  in  Riverside  County  and  also  con- 
nected with  the  Riverside  Sheet  Metal  Works,  and  other  growing  interests. 
He  is  also  a  public  spirited  man. 

W.  Stewart  Button  was  born  in  Teeswater,  Ontario,  Canada,  on  Janu- 
ary 11,  1884,  son  of  William  Button,  native  of  Canada.  A  complete 
sketch  of  the  "Button"  family  is  given  elsewhere  in  this  book.  Living 
for  a  number  of  years  in  his  native  province  he  received  a  public  school 
and  high  school  education,  attending  the  Collegiate  Institute  at  Clinton, 
Ontario,  took  a  business  course  at  Chatham,  Ontario,  and  also  attended 
college  at  Toronto.  He  also  took  an  active  part  in  sports  and  played  on 
the  different  teams  in  his  home  town  and  at  high  school  and  college, 
helping  to  hold  the  "cup"  for  the  full  time  while  at  high  school.  After 
completing  his  studies  he  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  with  his  father 
for  five  years  in  Toronto,  Canada,  and  New  York  and  Pennsylvania 
States,  manufacturing  lumber  and  mangle  rollers,  which  they  exported 
to  Europe.  He  was  also  engaged  in  the  hardware  business  for  a  short 
time  in  Shelburne,  Canada,  but  his  activities  were  transferred  to  the 
Canadian  West  and  great  prairie  provinces  and  for  a  time  was  in  the  real 
estate  business  at  Edmonton,  Alberta. 

He  spent  one  winter  in  California,  and  going  back  to  the  Canadian 
West  again  soon  found  that  he  could  not  forget  the  California  climate 
and  came  back  to  stay  after  his  marriage,  bringing  his  wife  with  him. 

On  arriving  at  Riverside  in  December,  1912,  Mr.  Button  became 
interested  with  his  brother  and  father  in  the  sheet  metal  business,  their 
specialties  being  the  manufacture  of  "orchard  heaters"  ovens  and  can- 
teens.    During  eight  months  in  1914-15  this  firm  manufactured   155,000 


1232       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

orchard  heaters,  and  W.  Stewart  Button  having  full  management  of  the 
factory.  He  also  possesses  the  inventive  faculties,  and  his  ingenuity 
has  resulted  in  several  profitable  devices.  A  special  mouthpiece  on 
canteens  was  patented  by  him  which  is  being  put  on  the  market  today, 
also  a  patent  on  a  "spring  cushion  skate."  For  nine  months  he  was 
at  Buffalo,  New  York,  manufacturing  this  spring  cushion  skate,  finally 
selling  his  patent  rights. 

In  1916  he  returned  to  Riverside  and  he  and  his  brother  took  the 
agency  for  the  Chevrolet  .automobile  in  Riverside  County,  W.  Stewart 
Button  having  managership  of  the  business. 

In  1919  the  Scripps-Booth  was  added  to  the  agency.  They  were  the 
second  firm  to  handle  the  Chevrolet  car  in  Riverside  Countv  and  have 
distributed  nearly  seven  hundred  cars  here ;  for  this  business  Mr.  Button 
built  a  fine  garage  and  show  room  at  1045  Main  Street. 

Mr.  Button  was  one  of  the  first  in  this  section  to  become  interested 
in  the  date  growing  industry  and  helped  to  organize,  first,  the  Thermal 
Date  Company  and  finally  re-organized  into  the  Arabia  Date  Company, 
Incorporated,  and  was  secretary  and  treasurer  of  both  companies.  The 
company  bought  110  acres  in  Coachella  Valley  and  set  out  forty  acres 
in  dates  and  in  time  will  have  full  acreage  set  out  in  dates.  These  dates 
started  to  bear  lightly  in  1921,  in  a  couple  of  years  will  be  bearing  heavilv. 

Mr.  Button  is  also  interested  in  business  property  in  the  Citv  of 
Edmonton,  Canada.  Mr.  Button  is  a  Mason  and  a  member  of  the  River- 
side Chapter.  He  also  served  as  a  member  of  the  Home  Guard.  He 
is  also  a  member  and  an  official  of  the  board  of  the  First  Methodist 
Church. 

December  4,  1912,  Mr.  Button  married  Miss  Sadie  Montgomery,  a 
native  of  Edmonton,  Alberta,  Canada,  and  daughter  of  Alexander  Mont- 
gomery. The  Montgomery  family  was  identified  with  the  pioneer  period 
in  both  eastern  and  western  provinces  of  Canada.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Button 
have  four  children :  William  Bruce,  Ruth  Elizabeth.  Phyllis  Irene,  and 
Stewart  Dever  Button. 

John  Harvey  Ellis. — It  is  not  given  to  every  man  to  succeed  in 
handling  real  estate  and  insurance,  for  all  do  not  possess  those  character- 
istics so  essential  to  success.  To  begin  with,  the  operator  in  these  lines 
must  be  a  real  salesman,  and  be  absolutely  convinced  of  the  desirability 
of  the  investments  he  presents  to  others.  In  other  words,  he  must  first 
"sell  himself."  To  do  this  he  must  possess  the  essential  qualities  of  hon- 
esty, singleness  of  purpose  and  sincerity,  be  clear  and  logical  in  his  presen- 
tation of  facts,  and  understand  human  nature  to  such  an  extent  that  he  is 
able  to  recognize  the  right  moment  to  make  a  sale.  Such  a  man,  naturally, 
would  become  prosperous  in  any  line  he  cared  to  enter,  for  these  qualities 
make  for  success  anywhere,  but  when  he  does  devote  himself  to  developing 
property  interests  and  safeguarding  men  and  their  holdings  through  legiti- 
mate insurance  he  is  rendering  a  service  not  easily  over-estimated,  and 
proving  his  worth  to  his  community  as  a  good  citizen.  John  Harvey  Ellis 
is  one  of  the  best  qualified  men  in  the  business  to  be  found  at  Riverside  or 
in  this  part  of  California.  During  his  long  career  as  a  realtor  he  has  dem- 
onstrated his  peculiar  fitness  for  his  work,  and  has  to  his  credit  some  of 
the  most  constructive  developments  of  any  man  in  his  line. 

John  Harvey  Ellis  was  born  at  Urbana,  Champaign  Countv,  Ohio, 
October  13,  1862,  a  son  of  James  William  and  Ann  F.  (Neer)  Ellis,  both 
of  whom  are  now  deceased.  James  William  Ellis  was  born  in  Virginia, 
a  son  of  Abraham  Ellis,  grandson  of  Jacob  Ellis,  and  great-grandson  of 
Johan  Jacob  Alles,  as  the  name  was  then   spelled,  a  native  of  Alsace- 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1233 

Lorraine,  France.  Jacob  Ellis,  or  Alles,  was  a  fifer  from  Lancaster 
County,  Pennsylvania,  during  the  American  Revolution,  and  served  in  the 
Sixth  Battalion.  Later  the  family  was  established  in  Virginia.  Although 
born  in  the  Old  Dominion,  James  William  Ellis  remained  firm  in  his 
allegiance  to  the  Union  when  war  was  declared  between  the  North  and  the 
South,  and  enlisted  in  the  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-fourth  Ohio  Volunteer 
Infantry,  in  which  he  served  as  a  non-commissioned  officer.  He  was 
with  the  Army  of  Virginia  and  participated  in  the  engagement  at  Wilson 
Creek  and  others  in  Virginia,  and  was  a  brave  soldier  and  efficient  officer. 
Returning  home,  he  resumed  his  peaceful  occupaton  of  farming.  His 
wife  was  born  in  Champaign  County,  Ohio,  and  she  belonged  to  an  old 
American  family  established  in  this  country  prior  to  the  American  Revolu- 
tion by  ancestors  from  Holland. 

Growing  up  on  his  father's  farm,  John  Harvey  Ellis  acquired  his 
educational  training  in  the  public  schools  of  his  locality,  so  firmly  ground- 
ing himself  in  the  fundamentals  that  he  had  no  difficulty  when  he  left  the 
farm  in  securing  the  necessary  certificate  for  teaching  school  in  Allen  and 
Harper  counties  of  that  state.  Leaving  the  educational  field,  Mr.  Ellis 
went  to  Attica,  Kansas,  where  he  pre-empted  and  proved  up  a  quarter 
section  of  land,  and  then  for  two  years  was  employed  in  a  mercantile 
establishment.  Following  that  experience  he  went  to  Stevens  County, 
Kansas,  where  he  took  up  a  homestead,  and  opened  a  real  estate  office  at 
Woodsdale,  a  town  founded  by  Col.  Sam  Woods.  During  his  residence 
at  Woodsdale  he  passed  through  some  very  exciting  times,  for  this  was 
before  the  permanent  establishment  of  law  and  order  in  Southwestern 
Kansas,  and  warring  municipalities,  as  well  as  individuals,  settled  their 
disputes  with  firearms  rather  than  through  the  slower  processes  of  the 
courts. 

Leaving  Woodsdale,  Mr.  Ellis  went  to  Pueblo,  Colorado,  and  there 
continued  his  realty  operations  in  conjunction  with  the  firm  of  Hard  & 
McCIees,  the  junior  member  of  which,  N.  C.  McClees,  later  became  secre- 
tary of  state  for  Colorado.  After  about  eighteen  months  Mr.  Ellis  was 
employed  by  the  Henkel-Duke  Mercantile  Company,  wholesale  grocers, 
with  which  he  remained  for  six  years.  He  then  went  with  the  Iron  City 
Manufacturing  Company,  machinery  manufacturers  of  Pueblo,  and  his 
connection  with  it  lasted  for  eighteen  months.  Resigning  his  position,  Mr. 
Ellis  then  returned  East  to  Toledo,  Ohio,  and  for  two  years  was  with 
the  Toledo  Moulding  Company,  manufacturers  of  picture  frames  and 
jobbers  in  art  goods. 

California  next  attracted  him.  and  on  Christmas  Day,  1899,  he  arrived 
at  Corona,  this  state,  and  remained  in  that  city  for  six  months.  In  the 
meanwhile  he  bought  a  small  ranch  at  Arlington,  to  which  he  moved  in 
June,  1900.  Arlington  is  within  the  city  limits  of  Riverside,  and  from 
1900  Mr.  Ellis  has  been  a  resident  of  this  municipality.  For  eleven  and 
one-half  years  he  was  accountant  for  the  Riverside  Fruit  Exchange,  and 
then,  in  June,  1912,  he  went  into  the  real-estate  business  for  himself,  first 
having  Frank  D.  Troth  as  his  partner.  Two  years  later  he  bought  out 
Mr.  Troth  and  took  his  son,  Ralph  C.  Ellis,  into  the  business.  Later, 
upon  the  retirement  of  the  younger  man,  he  continued  alone  until  he  sold 
his  business  to  W.  J.  Russell,  of  Canadaigua,  New  York,  in  August,  1919. 
On  March  1,  1920,  he  bought  back  the  business,  and  took  W.  J.  Batten- 
field  as  his  partner.  On  December  1,  1920,  Mr.  Battenfield  sold  his  inter- 
est to  J.  G.  Smith,  of  Bartlesville,  Oklahoma,  who  on  April  1,  1921,  sold 
his  interest  to  Mr.  Ellis. 

Mr.  Ellis  has  always  been  active  as  a  republican,  and  for  several  years 
has  been  a  member  of  the  County  Central  Committee  of  his  party,  and  has 


1234       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

several  times  served  as  a  delegate  to  the  county  conventions.  For  some 
years  he  has  been  engaged  in  orange  growing,  and  has  a  fine  grove  of 
them  on  his  home  place  at  401  Grand  Avenue.  In  addition  to  all  of  his 
other  business  interests  he  is  a  director  of  the  Riverside  Water  Company. 

On  May  30.  1890,  Mr.  Ellis  married  in  Southwestern  Kansas  Miss 
Mary  S.  Plantz,  a  native  of  Wood  County,  Ohio,  and  a  daughter  of  the 
late  Joseph  Franklin  Plantz,  a  native  of  Ohio  who  spent  his  declining 
years  at  Riverside.  During  the  war  between  th  states  he  served  as  a 
Union  soldier.  His  wife  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Mary  Carmelia  Smart. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ellis  became  the  parents  of  two  children,  Ralph  Clifford 
Ellis,  born  April  15,  1891,  at  Pueblo,  Colorado,  and  Ruth  Genevieve  Ellis. 
The  son  is  a  statistician  with  the  rating  department  of  the  Pacific  Tele- 
phone and  Telegraph  Company  in  San  Francisco,  California.  He  married 
Miss  Ada  Cone,  a  native  of  California,  and  they  have  one  son,  Robert 
Clifford,  who  was  born  in  August,  1918.  The  daughter  was  born  on  the 
ranch  in  Arlington,  August  28,  1903,  and  is  now  a  student  of  the  River- 
side High  School. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ellis  are  members  of  the  First  Christian  Church  of 
Riverside,  of  which  Mr.  Ellis  has  been  a  deacon  since  1900,  and  for  ten 
or  twelve  years  he  served  the  church  as  treasurer.  At  present  he  is  chair- 
man of  the  Board  of  Trustees.  A  Mason,  he  is  a  past  worshipful  master 
of  Evergreen  Lodge  No.  259,  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Masons;  is  a 
member  of  Riverside  Chapter  No.  67,  Royal  Arch  Masons,  and  Riverside 
Commandery  No.  28,  Knights  Templar,  and  also  of  the  Southern  Cali- 
fornia Past  Masters'  Association  and  of  the  Eastern  Star.  He  belongs  to 
Riverside  Lodge  No.  282,  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows;  to  the 
Woodmen  of  the  World ;'  Sons  of  Veterans  of  the  Civil  war,  and  of  the 
Sons  of  the  American  Revolution.  In  every  relation  of  life  Mr.  Ellis 
has  proven  his  capabilities,  and  made  a  success  of  his  undertakings.  His 
interest  in  Riverside  is  deep  and  lasting,  and  finds  practical  expression 
in  an  earnest  and  sincere  devotion  to  the  best  movements  for  the  advance- 
ment of  the  municipality.  He  is  a  great  believer  in  constructive  effort, 
and  knows  through  experience  in  different  sections  of  the  country  how 
much  can  be  accomplished  through  concerted  effort  on  the  part  of  the 
most  representative  people.  Through  the  medium  of  his  business  he  has 
been  able  to  stimulate  interest  on  the  part  of  outsiders,  as  well  as  of  his 
fellow  citizens,  in  different  local  projects,  and  has  brought  here  a  large 
amount  of  additional  capital  which  has  been  profitably  invested.  Such 
men  are  necessary  to  the  proper  expansion  of  any  locality,  and  much  of 
the  present  prosperity  of  Riverside  may  be  justly  attributed  to  Mr.  Ellis 
and  his  associates  in  their  public-spirited  attempts  to  make  of  it  one  of  the 
most  desirable  and  flourishing  cities  of  the  Golden  State. 

Kate  McIntyre  Boyd  (Mrs.  W.  E.  Beale). — According  to  ancient 
accounts  the  Boyd  family  has  been  one  that  was  always  doing  things. 
When  there  was  nothing  doing  in  a  public  way  they  seem  (as  was  the 
custom  of  the  time)  to  have  put  the  time  in  very  diligently  in  private 
quarrels  among  neighboring  factions.  This  by  way  of  keeping  their  hands 
in.  Fighting  was  in  those  times  a  gentlemanly  occupation,  and  about 
the  only  one  in  which  they  could  amuse  and  divert  themselves.  Kilmar- 
nock, in  other  words  the  cell  of  St.  Marnock,  was  the  headquarters  of  the 
Boyd  family.  Like  all  others  of  their  time  they  had  to  have  their  castle, 
named  Dean  Castle,  to  which  they  could  retire  as  a  protection  from  their 
enemies  when  besieged.  Tradition  does  not  say  how  those  mighty  lords 
were  supported,  but  as  feudalism  was  the  existing  condition  the  serf  fur- 
nished the  living  while  the  lord  exercised  his  lordly  privilege  of  fighting 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1235 

with  his  neighbors  when  he  had  nothing  else  to  do  and  of  leading  the  serf 
when  danger  threatened  the  nation. 

The  first  authentic  account  of  the  Boyds  dates  back  to  1205,  in  which 
Dominus  Robertus  de  Boyd  (in  other  words  Lord  Robert  Boyd)  appears 
as  a  witness  to  a  contract  between  Bryce  de  Eglingstoun  on  the  one  part 
and  the  village  of  Irvine. 

The  name  was  said  to  have  been  given  to  the  first  Boyd  because  of  his 
fair  complexion,  the  word  Boidh  in  the  Celtic  language  signifying  fair  or 
yellow.  Be  that  as  it  may,  the  Boyds  have  never  been  blonds,  but  have 
always  been  fair  or  yellow,  and  a  black  Boyd  even  to  this  day  is  as  rare  as 
a  white  blackbird. 

The  first  authentic  account  of  the  Boyds  as  fighters  is  at  the  battle 
of  Largs  in  Ayrshire  in  1263,  where  Haco  or  Aco,  King  of  Norway,  with  a 
numerous  army,  was  put  to  flight.  Sir  Robert  Boyd,  as  he  is  sometimes 
called,  was  a  person  of  singular  bravery  and  nobly  distinguished  himself 
and  was  rewarded  by  Alexander  the  Third  with  "grants  of  several  lands 
in  Cunningham"  in  Ayrshire.  Tradition  maintains  that  Sir  Robert,  with 
the  aid  of  the  party  he  commanded  at  that  engagement,  threw  into  con- 
fusion and  finally  defeated  a  strong  detachment  of  Norwegians  at  a  place 
called  Goldberry  Hill.  The  words  Gold  Berry,  which  sometimes  appear 
on  the  lower  scroll  of  the  prints  of  the  Kilmarnock  coat  of  arms,  were 
probably  adopted  in  commemoration  of  this  feat  of  Sir  Robert.  As  a 
curiosity  a  few  words  descriptive  of  the  battle  of  Largs  may  be  inserted 
here  in  this  year  of  Our  Lord  1921. 

"Acho  King  of  Norroway  landit  at  air  (Ayr)  wt  160  schipps  and  twen- 
tie  thousand  men  of  warre  and  ye  caus  of  his  cuming  was  because  Macbethe 
had  promissit  to  his  predessores  some  yles  (isles)  qlk  ye  had  not  gotten 
viz  Boote,  arrane  wt  ye  tus  cumbrais  having  tane  arrane  and  Boote  he 
come  to  the  lairges  in  Cunynghame  qr  Alexr  foirfather  to  the  first  Stewart 
yt  was  King,  discomfeit  ym  and  slue  16000  of  his  men.  He  Acho  died 
throw  sorrow  yr  war  slain  of  ye  Scots  5000." 

Before  the  century  was  out  the  English  had  overrun  Scotland  and  com- 
pelled the  nobles  to  swear  fealty  to  England.  The  Boyds  again  took  a 
leading  part  under  Wallace  and  Robert  Bruce  in  driving  the  English  out  of 
Scotland.  In  Kilmarnock  there  is  a  monument  in  commemoration  of  the 
killing  of  a  Lord  Soulis,  an  Englishman,  but  whether  it  is  in  commemora- 
tion of  Lord  Soulis  or  of  the  Boyd  who  killed  him  tradition  seems  to  be 
rather  doubtful.  Tradition  has  it,  however,  that  the  particular  party  this 
Lord  Soulis  commanded  was  discovered  lurking  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
Dean  Castle. 

This  intelligence  being  communicated  to  the  particular  Lord  Boyd  in 
question,  he  immediately  armed  himself  with  his  trusty  cross  bow  and  went 
in  search  of  his  quarry.  On  discovery  "With  deadly  aim  he  drew  his 
cross  bow  and  its  arrow  instantly  pierced  the  heart  of  the  ill-fated  Soulis." 
This  was  long  before  we  ever  heard  of  Paddy's  gun  that  would  shoot 
round  corners  or  of  the  noted  gun  reported  to  have  carried  seventy-five 
miles  to  Paris  doing  destruction  there,  and  before  we  heard  of  guns  that 
would  hit  objects  invisible  to  the  naked  eye,  and  prior  to  the  time,  some- 
what, when  at  Gallipoli  the  British  fleet  fired  over  the  hill  causing  a  hasty 
change  of  anchorage  of  men  of  war  to  prevent  destruction. 

The  Boyds  were  active  all  down  through  the  history  of  Scotland,  some- 
times in  near  relation  to  Royalty,  latterly  as  Earls  of  Kilmarnock  and 
Earls  of  Arran.  They  overflowed  to  Ireland  and  made  themselves  so 
much  at  home  there  that  some  thought  they  had  originated  there. 


1236      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

But  "Farewell !  A  long  farewell  to  all  my  greatness"  was  pronounced 
by  great  men  before  now,  and  it  too  came  to  the  noble  ( ?)  family  of 
Boyd,  for  the  last  Earl  got  on  the  side  of  Prince  Charles  the  "Pretender" 
to  the  English  throne  in  his  conflict  with  King  George,  got  caught  and 
was  sentenced  to  be  hung,  drawn  and  quartered  at  the  Tower  of  London 
in  1746,  along  with  some  others  for  high  treason,  the  last  executions  at  the 
Tower  until  in  recent  German  war  times. 

It's  a  "far  cry"  from  the  twelfth  century  to  Riverside  and  a  great 
change,  but  it  may  partly  answer  the  question  that  may  be  raised  in 
modern  parlance  "Why  is  Boyd."  It  will  at  least  show  that  the  Boyds 
have  been  in  the  habit  of  doing  things.  The  writer  has  no  family  tree 
tracing  descent  from  any  nobility,  but  wishes  to  say  that  all  that  he  knows 
about  his  ancestors  is  that  they  were  millers  in  Rowallan  Mill  for  five 
generations  and  that  he  was  born  within  three  miles  of  Dean  Castle  and  has 
been  doing  things  himself  ever  since  he  was  able,  and  this  may  be  rather 
a  long  introduction  to  the  history  of  a  native  daughter  of  Riverside,  and 
that  she  came  to  her  inheritance  of  hard  labor  legitimately.  Hers  is  not 
an  isolated  case,  but  is  introduced  because  it  is  more  familiar  than  some 
others  just  as  noteworthy.  Miss  Kate  Boyd  has  united  within  her  the 
two  branches  of  the  Scotch  nationality.  While  her  father  was  pure  Low- 
land away  back  from  time  immemorial,  her  mother  was  just  as  much  High- 
land from  as  far  back  and  belonged  with  the  "Clan  Donnochie." 

Modern  methods  of  travel  and  intercommunication  between  various 
races  has  produced  a  strange  intermixture  of  races  until  the  native  born 
American  can  hardly  say  to  what  race  he  belongs.  About  all  he  can  say 
is  "I  am  an  American,"  which  means  that  he  belongs  to  the  race  that  can 
take  the  best  of  every  race  with  which  he  comes  in  contact  without  any 
risk  of  carrying  over  the  evil.  Thus  the  American  of  today,  pronounced 
the  greatest  people  and  nation  on  the  face  of  the  earth.  Already  the 
writer's  grandchildren  have  the  blood  of  five  races  coursing  through  their 
veins. 

And  so  Miss  Kate  Boyd  came  to  Riverside  with  all  that  lineage  behind 
her.  Bareheaded  and  barefooted  and  almost  naked  in  the  summertime, 
she  passed  her  childhood  eating  fruit  and  living  simply  and  naturally  until 
school  age,  when  a  walk  of  two  miles  to  school  gave  her  some  physical 
exercise  while  training  the  mental.  Nothing  extraordinary  occurred 
during  school  years.  There  was  generally  some  outing  during  the  sum- 
mer vacation — to  the  mountains,  the  seashore  or  some  distant  part — all 
by  wagon  and  team,  for  the  auto  was  as  yet  a  thing  of  the  future.  Health 
physically  and  mentally  were  thus  maintained  and  no  difficulty  was  encoun- 
tered in  passing  through  the  various  departments  of  school,  finishing  with 
the  high  school,  with  an  after  course  in  the  State  Normal,  with  a  grammar 
grade  certificate  as  a  teacher.  Teaching  first  at  Palm  Springs  away  out  on 
the  desert,  with  half  her  pupils  pure  Indian  (who  were  so  wild  that  they 
would  run  out  of  school  and  hide  in  the  brush  if  a  stranger  came  to  visit  the 
school),  her  success  was  assured  from  the  start.  Later  on  the  schools  of 
Riverside  claimed  her  attention  until  marriage.  Even  after  that  she  did 
not  altogether  retire  from  teaching,  for  the  Grand  Terrace  School  still 
retained  her  services.  An  orange  grove  on  the  terrace  overlooking  the 
Santa  Ana  River  at  a  time  when  the  marketing  of  oranges  was  far  from 
being  a  settled  problem  showed  her  and  her  husband  that  the  owner  of  an 
orange  grove  was  not  the  millionaire  he  was  reputed  to  be  at  that  time 
in  the  development  of  the  orange  industry.  A  survey  of  the  situation  and 
the  news  from  the  new  country  in  the  basin  of  the  Gulf  of  California  below 
the  sea  level,  the  "terra  caliente"  of  the  Mexicans,  the  hot  Colorado  desert 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1237 

away  off  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles,  the  most  unforbidden  looking  place 
imaginable  and  in  reality  with  as  bad  a  reputation  as  could  possibly  be 
from  former  explorers,  claimed  their  attention,  and  away  they  went  to  the 
promising  land  by  team  overland. 

Eighty  acres  of  a  homestead  was  more  than  they  could  handle  alone, 
and  mother  and  sister  (Mrs.  Andrews)  were  called  on  to  assist  in  founding 
and  establishing  the  homestead.  It  cost  money  then,  as  now,  to  get  estab- 
lished in  the  Imperial  Valley.  Imperial  County  and  Valley  were  an  after- 
thought, the  "Colorado  desert"  was  ample  to  describe  it.  There  was  first 
of  all  the  little  home  to  be  established  as  a  base  of  operations,  and  that 
could  only  be  done  in  the  cooler  part  of  the  year,  as  it  was  impossible  to 
live  there  without  shade  or  water  with  the  temperature  130°  or  even  140° 
without  any  shade. 

First  of  all  came  levelling,  at  times  not  a  small  job,  with  every  small 
shrub  and  larger  desert  brush  a  base  for  a  hillock  of  drifted  sand,  and 
some  large  ones  where  the  mesquite  had  been  a  base  for  the  accumulations 
of  years,  each  of  these  the  home  of  the  rattlesnake  or  his  brother,  the  little 
"side  winder,"  just  as  deadly.  The  coyote  was  but  a  very  casual  visitor, 
for  as  yet  the  jack  rabbit  was  not. 

The  levelling,  bordering,  ditch  building,  putting  in  of  supply  ditches, 
measuring  gates  and  bridges,  not  to  speak  of  bringing  the  water  sometimes 
quite  a  long  ways  to  get  it  to  the  place  (for  this  was  in  the  early  days),  all 
fell  on  the  settler.  More  essential  of  all  was  the  purchase  of  water  stock, 
paying  assessments  for  water,  taxes,  etc.,  and  twenty-five  dollars  per  acre 
was  a  moderate  price  before  a  homestead  could  be  gotten  and  water  put 
on  every  acre.  While  all  this  was  going  on  by  the  husband,  the  wife  was 
again  teaching  school  for  the  two  or  three  years  required  to  put  this  work 
on  the  place,  and  a  trip  of  twenty  miles  on  horseback  was  necessary  to 
get  to  school  each  week,  week  ends  being  spent  on  the  new  home. 

When  everything  was  ready  for  occupancy  and  the  fenced  alfalfa 
fields  green  and  flourishing,  a  "string"  of  cows  was  the  next  thing,  a 
carload  of  which  the  writer  bought  and  took  out  to  El  Centro,  arriving 
there  with  them  on  hand  bright  and  early  Monday  morning,  without  the 
least  idea  as  to  where  the  new  home  was  in  the  new  and  desert  land. 
Fortune  favored,  for  while  making  inquiries  as  to  the  location  who  should 
come  along  but  Miss  Kate  herself  on  horseback  on  her  way  to  commence 
her  week's  teaching,  and  all  was  well. 

The  "string"  of  cows  was  profitable,  the  cream  checks  large,  and  teach- 
ing was  abandoned  for  the  time  being  for  milking  cows  and  farm  labor, 
and  everything  flourished  for  a  few  years,  with  an  outing  to  the  cooler 
coast  regions  in  the  hottest  months.  A  brand  new  baby  came  to  help 
make  and  gladden  the  home,  but,  alas,  as  has  happened  in  some  other 
cases,  unfortunately  on  a  visit  to  the  cooler  coast  regions,  when  about  two 
years  old,  the  little  toddler  walked  into  the  canal  and  it  took  toll  of  the  life 
of  the  little  one,  although  there  were  four  watchers  and  a  peremptory 
order  never  to  let  the  little  one  out  of  sight.  But  she  was  a  typical  Calif  or- 
nian  and  loved  the  sunshine  and  the  fresh  air.  It  seemed  that  the  thing 
that  was  dreaded  most  (the  water)  was  the  final  enemy  and  the  fate  could 
not  be  averted.  Well,  there  is  the  one  consolation  left  by  the  time  we  get 
ready  to  pass  over  we  will  have  so  many  treasures  over  there  that  we  will 
be  anxious  to  go  home  and  possess  them,  and  nothing  that  is  good  is  ever 
lost,  only  the  evil  finally  disappears. 

Time  works  wonders  in  a  new  country,  and  more  land  was  accumulated, 
renting  was  resorted  to.  a  city  life  was  chosen,  a  new  home  was  built  in 
lloltville,  and  the  daily  grind  of  the  cows,  Sunday,  holidays  and  all,  alian- 


1238       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

doned.  Not  a  day's  respite  could  be  had,  for  cows  have  to  be  milked  and 
the  new  occupation  taken  up  by  the  husband,  and  again  the  school  teacher 
goes  forth  to  the  daily  "delightful  task,"  and  cotton  was  king  for  a  year 
or  two  with  the  same  disaster  that  overtook  the  cantaloupe  grower  years 
before,  but  you  can't  keep  down  a  new  country  and  a  young  and  vigorous 
people  in  possibly  the  richest  county  in  California  in  resources  and  so  a 
typical  native  daughter  is  at  home  in  that  land  that  is  warm  enough  to 
mature  the  date  palm  and  is  still  doing  something  to  make  the  world  better 
and  more  beautiful  while  passing  through  it. 

Katie  Boyd  is  now  Mrs.  W.  E.  Beale  of  Holtville,  Imperial  County, 
that  warm  place  below  sea  level.  After  pioneering  there  almost  from  the 
first,  teaching  school,  helping  on  the  farm,  etc.,  they  have  brought  under 
cultivation  nearly  200  acres  on  that  originally  dreary  desert,  which  is  now 
rented.  They  have  built  a  comfortable  home  in  Holtville,  and  while  Mr. 
Beale  attends  to  business  in  town  Mrs.  Beale  is,  after  an  interval,  again 
teaching  school. 

John  Raymond  Gabbert— Like  so  many  men  of  power  and  influ- 
ence in  Southern  California,  John  Raymond  Gabbert  claims  Iowa  as  his 
native  state.  Of  that  state  he  has  no  particular  recollection,  since  he 
was  brought  to  Southern  California  when  a  child  of  two  years,  and 
here  he  grew  up  and  here  he  has  played  a  useful  part  as  a  newspaper 
man.  Many  undertakings  in  Riverside  and  vicinity  are  credited  to 
him  because  of  his  business  as  editor  and  publisher  of  the  Riverside 
Enterprise. 

John  Raymond  Gabbert  was  born  in  Iowa,  June  5,  1881,  and  rep- 
resents an  old  American  family.  His  great -great-grand  father  fought 
in  the  Revolutionary  war  and  was  at  the  surrender  of  Cornwallis. 
Mr.  Gabbert's  father  is  Thomas  Gavin  Gabbert.  who  has  been 
a  resident  of  Ventura  County,  California,  for  thirty-six  years,  and 
for  the  past  twelve  years  has  lived  in  Ventura  City.  His  active 
career  was  spent  largely  as  a  farmer  and  for  a  number  of  years  he 
was  on  the  Limoneria  Ranch.  He  now  conducts  a  real  estate  busi- 
ness at  Ventura  and  owns  property  in  different  parts  of  that  county. 
He  was  elected  and  served  as  a  member  of  the  California  Legislature 
in  1912-13,  and  has  been  on  the  Board  of  County  Supervisors  four- 
teen years,  being  chairman  of  the  board  five  years,  a  position  to  which 
he  was  recently  reelected.  He  was  president  of  the  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce when  it  initiated  and  sponsored  the  good  roads  program  in  Ven- 
tura County.  Among  leading  men  of  affairs  in  Ventura  County  none 
is  better  known  than  Thomas  G.  Gabbert.  He  married  Ella  Peters. 
Her  father,  Anson  Peters,  who  is  now  living  at  Pasadena,  came  around 
the  Horn  in  1849,  his  ship  being  wrecked  on  the  South  American 
coast.  He  was  rescued  and  joined  the  pioneer  gold  seekers  in  Cali- 
fornia, and  laid  the  basis  of  a  substantial  fortune  in  the  gold  mines. 
He  afterward  returned  to  Iowa,  but  in  1883  came  back  to  California, 
lived  four  years  at  Saticoy,  then  at  Fallbrook  until  1912,  and  for  the 
past  six  years  his  home  has  been  at  Pasadena  and  Glendora.  Anson 
Peters  was  a  Captain  of  Home  Guards  in  Iowa  during  the  Civil  War. 
He  is  now  ninety-four  years  of  age. 

John  Raymond  Gabbert  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of 
Ventura  County,  graduating  from  high  school  in  1899.  The  following 
four  years  he  was  with  a  newspaper  published  at  Oxnard.  He  then 
entered  the  University  of  California  and  graduated  Bachelor  of  Science 
from  the  College  of  Commerce  in  1907.  While  at  the  university  he  was 
editor  of  the  Daily  Californian  and  also  of  the  College  Annual,  Blue 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1239 

and  Gold.  The  printing  plant  printing  the  Blue  and  Gold  was  destroyed 
by  fire  at  the  time  of  the  big  earthquake  in  1906.  The  night  before 
that  calamity  Mr.  Gabbert  returned  to  his  office  and  took  up  a  number 
of  spoiled  sheets  and  carried  them  home.  These  are  all  the  University 
has  preserved  of  that  issue,  and  they  are  carefully  kept  at  the  uni- 
versity library.  Mr.  Gabbert  was  so  loath  to  lose  the  annual  that 
he  ran  in  to  fight  fire  with  the  Marines  and  was  a  volunteer  in  the 
fire  fighting  service  for  nearly  a  day,  until  completely  exhausted. 
While  at  University  Mr.  Gabbert  was  a  member  of  the  junior  honor 
society  Winged  Helmet,  senior  society  Golden  Bear,  and  also  of  the 
Skull  and  Keys  Society.     He  is  a  member  of  the  Chi  Psi  fraternity. 

Immediately  after  leaving  University  Mr.  Gabbert  bought  the 
Oxnard  Courier,  and  during  five  years  made  that  a  very  successful 
newspaper  plant,  changing  it  from  a  weekly  to  a  city  daily.  He  sold 
out  in  1912,  and  coming  to  Riverside  acquired  a  half  interest  in  the 
Riverside  Enterprise  with  an  option  on  the  other  half.  Later,  with 
his  father,  he  acquired  this  half,  and  is  in  full  control  of  the  editorial 
and  business  management.  The  Enterprise  is  published  by  the  Mis- 
sion Publishing  Company  as  a  morning  daily,  and  is  one  of  the  most 
successful  and  influential  daily  papers  in  this  part  of  the  state.  As 
a  supplement  to  the  Riverside  Enterprise  Mr.  Gabbert  established 
the  California  Citograph  in  1915.  This  paper  is  now  published  at 
Los  Angeles,  with  Mr.  Gabbert  president  of  the  publishing  company. 

Associated  with  one  of  his  employes,  Mr.  Gabbert  has  invented 
a  printer's  chase  called  the  Rousseau  Chase.  It  reduces  the  margins 
on  country  dailies,  thus  saving  white  paper,  and  is  being  manufactured 
and  sold  by  other  concerns  all  over  the  United  States,  Manila  and 
Canada. 

As  a  newspaper  man  Mr.  Gabbert  has  been  much  in  politics  and 
public  affairs.  He  was  for  four  years  secretary  of  the  County  Republican 
Central  Committee  of  Ventura  County  and  has  also  served  on  the 
Riverside  County  Central  Committee.  He  is  representative  for  the 
Associated  Press  and  California  newspapers  in  Riverside,  and  was 
one  of  the  two  California  editors  representing  the  state's  Republican 
newspapers  sent  to  Marion,  Ohio,  to  meet  Senator  Harding,  president- 
elect, and  wrote  the  news  stories  sent  to  all  parts  of  the  United 
States  during  that  trip.  Mr.  Gabbert  has  contributed  original  ideas 
and  has  used  his  personal  and  newspaper  power  to  insure  the  success 
of  a  number  of  movements  in  Riverside.  He  was  the  first  to  advocate 
work  for  the  establishment  of  a  Farm  Bureau,  and  partly  through 
his  influence  may  be  credited  the  location  here  of  the  Citrus  Station 
and  the  proposed  University  Farm  School.  He  is  president  of 
the  Riverside  Rotiry  Club,  a  member  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce 
and  Business  Men's  Association,  served  as  president  of  the  Chamber 
of  Commerce  in  1917-18  and  was  the  same  year  president  of  the 
Present  Day  Club.  Fraternally  he  is  affiliated  with  Riverside  Lodge 
of  Masons,  Oxnard  Royal  Arch  Chapter,  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows  and  Riverside  Elks. 

At  Oxnard  June  25,  1908.  Mr.  Gabbert  married  Miss  Elizabeth 
Gordon.  She  was  born  in  New  York.  Her  mother  is  Mrs.  A.  F. 
Gordon,  of  Caledonia,  New  York.  Mrs.  Gabbert  is  a  descendant  of 
Elder  William  Brewster  of  the  Pilgrim  Colony,  and  is  eligible  to 
membership  in  the  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution  and  Colonial 
Dames.  She  is  active  in  the  Presbyterian  Riverside  Church.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Gabbert  have  two  children  :  John  Gordon  and  Jane  Elizabeth. 


12 JO       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

Albert  Lee  Treloae.  While  it  is  certainly  true  that  there  are  won- 
derful opportunities  for  advancement  in  Southern  California,  it  is  a  well- 
established  fact  that  here,  as  elsewhere,  no  real  advancement  comes  with- 
out actual  effort  and  earnest,  purposeful  labor,  either  of  the  brains  or 
brawn,  and  oftentimes  of  both.  The  progress  observed  on  every  side  did 
not  come  naturally,  but  is  the  outcome  of  the  concerted  as  well  as  individual 
efforts  of  many.  Each  orange  grove  had  to  be  planted,  developed,  and  now 
requires  constant  and  expert  care.  The  beautiful  roadways  have  been 
developed  ;  the  thriving  industrial  plants  have  been  built  up  from  sometimes 
very  small  beginnings ;  and  each  enterprise  has  been  worked  up  into  a 
paying  form  or  it  would  not  exist  today,  for  westerners  are  practical,  and, 
while  enjoying  to  the  utmost  the  natural  advantages,  have  no  time  or 
patience  for  anything  that  is  not  useful  and  worth-while  in  business. 
Therefore,  here,  as  everywhere,  when  a  man  succeeds  it  means  something. 
It  is  proof  positive  that  he  has  had  the  grit,  the  determination  and  perse- 
verance to  work  hard  and  to  use  every  resource  to  get  ahead,  and  his  victory 
over  obstacles  is  another  triumph  for  his  community.  Such  a  man  is 
Albert  Lee  Treloar,  owner  of  one  of  the  valuable  orange  groves  of  High- 
land, who  has  passed  through  some  trying  experiences,  but  is  now  able  to 
enjoy  his  good  fortune,  and  to  regard  with  pride  the  sum  of  his  accom- 
plishments. 

Albert  Lee  Treloar  was  born  at  Forest  City,  Sierra  County,  California, 
March  21,  1872,  a  son  of  Samuel  and  Elizabeth  Treloar.  Samuel  Treloar 
was  a  native  of  England,  but  when  he  was  two  years  old  his  parents 
brought  him  to  the  United  States,  settling  in  Wisconsin.  In  1848  Samuel 
Treloar,  with  his  uncle,  John  Treloar,  left  Wisconsin  for  California,  travel- 
ing across  the  country  in  covered  wagons  drawn  by  oxen,  and  arrived  in  the 
midst  of  the  gold  excitement,  so  proceeded  at  once  to  Sierra  County. 
Samuel  Treloar  was  a  man  of  strong  religious  convictions,  a  temperance 
advocate,  and  a  peacemaker,  and  his  services  were  often  called  into  requisi- 
tion in  the  rough  and  tempestuous  days  when  the  lawless  element  had  the 
upper  hand.  Even  during  the  long  and  dangerous  trip  overland  he  found 
his  natural  talents  as  a  peacemaker  of  avail  with  the  savage  Indians,  and 
managed  to  get  his  party  through  without  trouble.  In  fact,  he  gained  the 
friendship  of  the  Indians,  and  upon  one  occasion,  when  by  accident  he 
nearly  severed  a  finger,  the  savages  displayed  what  in  another  race  would 
have  been  termed  Christian  virtues,  and  doctored  the  injury  with  an  oint- 
ment so  healing  that  the  finger  regained  its  normal  strength  and  scarcely 
a  scar  remained. 

Samuel  Treloar  was  engaged  in  mining  for  some  years,  but  after  his 
marriage  at  Forest  City,  California,  in  1863,  with  Elizabeth  Lee,  of  English 
parentage,  but  a  native  of  Wisconsin,  he  returned  to  Wisconsin,  and 
resided  there  for  seven  years.  Returning  to  California,  he  settled  sixteen 
miles  from  Forest  City  and  went  into  the  cattle  business,  in  which  he  con- 
tinued until  1898,  in  that  year  moving  to  Santa  Barbara,  where  he  bought 
a  ranch.  Subsequently  he  sold  this  ranch  and  bought  a  home  in  Santa 
Barbara,  where  he  died  on  Christmas  Day,  1915.  His  widow  survives 
him  and  lives  in  this  beautiful  home.  He  continued  his  interest  in  religious 
work  all  his  life,  and  was  a  zealous  church  member  and  Sunday  School 
superintendent.  Possessing  a  well-trained  voice,  he  was  active  in  the 
choir,  and  always  was  glad  to  render  any  service  within  his  power.  Nine 
children  were  born  to  him  and  his  wife,  namely:  Elizabeth,  who  is  Mrs. 
Jeffry;  Benjamin;  Albert  Lee;  William;  Carrie,  who  is  Mrs.  Martin; 
Forest ;  Charles ;  Stella,  who  is  Mrs.  Dane  ;  and  Myrtle,  who  is  Mrs.  Ogam. 

Until  he  reached  his  majority  Albert  Lee  Treloar  worked  for  his  father, 
and  was  given  a  limited  education.     As  soon  as  he  was  twentv-one  he 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1241 

went  out  into  the  world  for  himself.  He  rented  a  farm  in  Carpenteria 
Valley,  having  hauled  wood  in  order  to  earn  the  money  to  get  a  start,  and 
began  raising  beans  and  other  farm  produce.  For  a  time  he  speculated  in 
farm  land,  buying  and  selling  land  in  Kings  and  San  Luis  Obispo  counties, 
and  always  worked  hard.  He  and  his  father-in-law  bought  2,040  acres 
of  land  at  Paso  Robles,  and  stocked  it  with  2,000  head  of  Angora  goats, 
for  which  they  paid  $6.00  per  head.  The  coyotes  and  wildcats  so  reduced 
this  herd  in  numbers  and  condition  that  the  remnant  of  200  only  brought 
$2.00  each  in  the  Imperial  Valley,  and  this  disastrous  venture  practically 
wiped  out  his  resources. 

Mr.  Treloar  purchased  11  1/3  acres  of  citrus  fruits  on  Baseline  and 
Palm  avenues  in  1912,  paying  $20,000  for  the  property.  The  following 
year  was  the  time  of  the  big  freeze  that  wholly  destroyed  his  crop.  He 
has  since  continued  in  citrus  growing,  in  which  he  has  been  successful. 
This  highly  improved  property  has  since  continued  to  be  his  home.  In 
1915  he  bought  forty  acres  at  Owensmouth,  paying  $450  per  acre  for  it. 
He  placed  a  $5,000  mortgage  on  it,  erected  a  house,  and  set  out  the  entire 
forty  acres  to  walnut  trees.  In  order  to  provide  an  adequate  water  supply 
he  rented  horses  and  tools  and  laid  down  an  irrigation  system.  It  took 
considerable  nerve  to  carry  through  such  an  undertaking,  and  the  first 
year  he  lost  $1,500  in  sugar  beets,  as  well  as  his  own  labor.  The  second 
year  he  raised  beans  and  sold  them  at  Al/2  cents  a  pound ;  his  beans  sold  for 
10  cents  the  third  year;  for  7  the  fourth,  and  for  \2]/^  cents  the  fifth  year. 
In  1919  he  sold  this  land  at  $750  per  acre,  not  only  clearing  off  all  of  his 
indebtedness,  but  making  money,  but  he  had  to  work  sixteen  hours  a  day 
to  reach  these  desirable  results.  He  is  entirely  a  self-made  man,  coura- 
geous, resourceful  and  venturesome.  His  success  proves  that  a  man  can 
accomplish  much,  but,  as  before  stated,  he  must  be  willing  to  work,  and 
work  hard. 

On  July  4,  1908,  Mr.  Treloar  married  Bertha  Foster,  a  daughter  of 
William  and  Catherine  Foster.  Her  mother,  after  the  death  of  her  first 
husband,  took  her  four  children  and  drove  overland  from  Michigan  to 
California,  and  was  forced  to  stay  in  Nevada  all  winter  on  account  of  the 
heavy  snows.  Early  spring  found  her  on  her  way,  but  with  very  few 
supplies.  She  met  a  man  with  a  flock  of  sheep,  and,  without  asking  him, 
she  killed  one,  and  although  he  remonstrated,  she  went  on  her  way,  feeling 
that  her  children  were  entitled  to  what  she  could  provide  for  them.  Sub- 
sequently, after  her  marriage  to  Mr.  Foster,  she  walked  and  helped  drive 
a  band  of  goats  from  San  Luis  Obispo  to  the  Imperial  Valley,  being  at  the 
time  she  performed  this  feat  sixty-five  years  of  age.  Mrs.  Treloar  is  a 
worthy  daughter  of  a  most  remarkable  mother,  and  a  native  Calif ornian. 
She  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Santa  Maria,  and  traveled  all 
over  the  state  in  a  wagon  with  her  parents,  and  early  learned  to  make 
camp,  fish  and  enjoy  an  outdoor  life.  She  is  equally  at  home  in  social 
circles,  and  yet  knows  how  to  manage  her  household  expertly,  and,  like 
her  husband,  is  not  afraid  of  any  kind  of  work.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Foster 
became  the  parents  of  four  children,  of  whom  Mrs.  Treloar  was  the  young- 
est. There  are  three  children  in  the  family  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Treloar, 
namely:  Herbert  Simms,  who  was  born  at  Carpinteria,  California,  De- 
cember 1,  1910;  Zelda  Alberta,  who  was  also  born  at  Carpinteria,  January 
11,  1912;  and  William  Lee,  who  was  born  at  Highland,  June  4,  1914. 

Earl  F.  Van  Luven,  veteran  orange  grower  of  Colton,  officially 
identified  with  fruit  exchanges  and  other  packing  and  marketing  organiza- 
tions for  nearly  thirty  years,  is  the  father  of  two  enterprising  San  Ber- 


1242      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

nardino  business  men,  Donald  Earl  and  Jed  S.  Van  Luven,  proprietors  of 
the  San  Bernardino  Implement  Company. 

Earl  F.  Van  Luven  was  born  in  Ontario,  Canada,  January  13,  1861, 
son  of  Zara  and  Martha  (Potter)  Van  Luven.  He  acquired  his  early 
education  in  the  common  schools  and  a  business  college  in  Canada,  and 
from  his  father,  who  was  a  successful  merchant,  gained  a  thorough  and 
practical  training.  Earl  Van  Luven  came  out  to  California  and  located  at 
Colton  in  1888.  He  invested  in  property  on  the  celebrated  Colton  Ter- 
race, where  he  made  extensive  plantings  of  citrus  fruit.  He  now  has  one 
of  the  oldest  and  best  producing  groves  in  that  noted  district.  From  his 
own  groves  he  has  packed  and  shipped  many  thousands  of  carloads  of 
oranges  and  lemons,  and  it  would  be  difficult  to  refer  to  a  man  whose 
experience  covers  a  longer  period  of  time  and  a  broader  range  of  all  the 
important  phases  of  citrus  growing  and  marketing.  He  has  for  many  years 
been  associated  with  the  Southern  California  Fruit  Exchange,  the  California 
Fruit  Growers  Exchange,  of  which  he  is  a  director,  the  San  Bernardino 
County  Fruit  Exchange,  of  which  for  years  he  was  secretary  and  manager, 
and  he  joined  his  individual  effort  and  support  to  these  various  organiza- 
tions to  solve  the  fruit  marketing  problems  practically  at  their  beginning, 
about  1893.  He  was  a  charter  member  of  the  Colton  Fruit  Exchange 
when  it  was  organized,  and  until  1902  was  its  secretary.  He  resigned 
because  of  the  pressure  of  other  business  interests,  but  continued  as  vice 
president  and  as  a  director. 

In  1891  Earl  F.  Van  Luven  married  Miss  Helen  Edith  Shepardson, 
daughter  of  Jed  B.  and  Julia  (Bucklen)  Shepardson.  Her  father  was  a 
well  known  banker  at  Marble  Rock,  Iowa,  but  for  many  years  spent  his 
winters  in  Colton.  Jed  B.  Shepardson  was  a  son  of  William  and  Hannah 
Shepardson,  while  Julia  D.  Bucklen  was  a  daughter  of  Willard  and  Doris 
Bucklen.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Earl  Van  Luven  have  two  sons,  Jed  S.  and 
Donald  E. 

Jed  S.  Van  Luven  was  born  at  Santa  Monica  July  7,  1892,  and 
acquired  his  early  education  in  the  schools  of  Colton,  Los  Angeles  and  San 
Bernardino.  His  principal  business  has  been  as  a  dealer  in  farm  imple- 
ments, and  the  San  Bernardino  Implement  Company,  of  which  he  is  senior 
member,  now  conducts  the  largest  retail  establishment  of  the  kind  in  this 
county.  He  is  a  member  of  Phoenix  Lodge  No.  178,  Ancient  Free  and 
Accepted  Masons ;  of  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks  and  the 
Native  Sons  of  the  Golden  West.     He  is  a  republican  in  politics. 

Jed  Van  Luven  married  at  Corona  Beulah  Meacham,  a  native  of  San 
Bernardino  and  a  daughter  of  R.  M.  Meacham,  a  pioneer  of  this  city. 
They  have  two  children,  Jack  and  Barbara,  the  former  attending  kinder- 
garten. 

Donald  Earl  Van  Luven,  the  younger  son,  was  born  at  Santa  Monica, 
California.  September  1,  1899.  He  graduated  from  the  Colton  High 
School  in  1917,  and  attended  the  Oregon  Agricultural  College  until  1919. 
He  expects  to  return  and  complete  his  studies  there  in  the  near  future. 
During  the  war  he  spent  four  months  in  a  training  camp  in  Oregon,  being 
honorably  discharged  at  the  close  of  the  war.  He  is  a  co-partner  in  the 
San  Bernardino  Implement  Company,  and  is  also  owner  of  a  small  orange 
grove  at  Colton.  He  is  a  republican,  a  member  of  the  Native  Sons  of  the 
Golden  West,  the  Fraternal  Order  of  Eagles,  belongs  to  the  college  fra- 
ternity Kappa  Theta  Rho,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  at  Colton. 

C.  C.  Miller  was  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  under  the  management 
of  Mr.  Evans  and  the  Riverside  Land  and  Irrigating  Company,  and 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1243 

as  engineer  in  the  construction  of  what  was  known  as  the  lower  canal 
and  the  founder  of  the  Glenwood  Mission  Inn  and  also  engineer  for 
the  Gage  Canal,  he  deserves  more  than  a  passing  notice. 

C._C.  Miller  was  born  in  Oneida  County,  New  York,  in  1824,  where 
his  grandfather  was  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers.  He  received  a  good 
education  in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  state  and  in  the  higher 
lines  of  college  work  in  Ohio,  where  he  graduated  from  Cleveland 
University  as  a  civil  engineer  in  1852,  follownig  that  profession  during 
the  rest  of  his  life. 

He  was  engaged  in  railway  work,  among  others  the  Chicago  and 
Northwestern  and  Milwaukee  and  St.  Paul,  where  he  held  high  rank 
in  his  profession  until  the  Civil  war,  when  he  enlisted  for  service  and 
was  commissioned  as  captain  of  Company  M.  Forty-ninth  Volunteer 
Infantry,  from  Wisconsin.  His  regiment  was  assigned  to  duty  in 
Missouri  under  General  Dodge.  His  engineering  skill  soon  became 
known  and  he  was  called  into  service  as  chief  engineer  of  that  district. 
He  served  until  the  close  of  the  war  and  was  honorably  discharged 
in  1865,  after  which  he  returned  to  civil  pursuits.  He  followed  rail- 
road work,  being  chief  engineer  of  the  Wabash  and  Lake  Superior 
Railroad. 

Ill  health  on  the  part  of  his  wife  made  necessary  a  change  of 
climate,  and  in  1873  he  located  in  Los  Angeles.  In  June  of  that  year 
he  came  to  Riverside  as  chief  engineer  and  superintendent  of  the 
El  Sobrante  de  San  Jacinto  Rancho.  When  the  Riverside  Land  & 
Irrigating  Company  built  the  lower  canal  he  was  engineer  superin- 
tending construction,  aided  by  his  son-in-law,  G.  O.  Newman. 

He  bought  the  block  on  which  the  Glenwood  Mission  Inn  is  now 
located  and  commenced  to  build  a  residence,  which  was  to  be  a  two- 
story  adobe  building.  The  writer  put  the  first  team  work  on  the 
block,  which  was  leveling,  preparatory  to  building.  Mr.  Miller's  son, 
Frank  A.,  helped  make  the  adobes  or  unburned  clay  bricks  with  which 
the  building  was  constructed.  It  was  also  used  as  a  hotel,  in  1881 
being  sold  to  his  son  Frank  A.  Miller,  who  is  now  master  of  the 
Mission  Inn  as  it  now  stands. 

C.  C.  Miller  was  also  the  chief  engineer  in  the  construction  of 
the  Gage  Canal  and  later  on  out  at  Blythe  on  the  Colorado  River  in 
further  irrigation  and  land  surveying  enterprises. 

His  was  a  busy  life,  and  he  died  in  February,  1890,  full  of  years 
and  honors. 

His  wife,  who  was  a  Miss  Mary  Clark,  and  who  died  in  August, 
1895,  was  sixty-six  years  of  age,  was  a  daughter  of  an  Ohio  physician. 
She  was  a  woman  of  refinement,  and  she  transmitted  some  of  these 
qualities  to  her  son  Frank,  now  master  of  the  Mission  Inn. 

Ralph  Emerson  Swing — The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  one  of  the 
most  astute  and  resourceful  attorneys  practicing  at  the  San  Bernardino 
bar.  He  is  a  native  of  California  and  was  educated  in  the  schools  of 
his  native  state. 

Mr.  Swing  entered  upon  the  pratice  of  law  in  the  year  1907,  with 
his  office  in  the  City  of  San  Bernardino,  where  he  has  ever  since 
followed  his  profession.  He  has  been  connected  with  much  of  the 
important  litigation  growing  out  of  the  many  complicated  and  in- 
tricate legal  questions  involved  in  the  adjustment  of  water,  property 
and  mining  rights  necessarily  arising  from  the  development  of  the 
resources  of  Southern  California.  He  is  an  admitted  authority  upon 
the  law  governing  the  questions  above  mentioned,  as  well  as  upon 


1244       SAX  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

the  law  governing  municipalities  and  involved  in  municipal  legal 
questions.  He  is  much  sought  as  a  counselor  upon  such  subjects  and 
as  an  attorney  in  matters  involving  such  questions. 

That  Mr.  Swing  has  made  a  success  is  evidenced  by  the  fact 
that  he  stands  at  the  top  of  his  profession  and  is  conceded  to  be  one 
of  the  foremost  lawyers  in  the  southern  part  of  his  native  state. 
The  reason  for  that  success  is  largely  due  to  the  energy  exerted 
in  behalf  of  and  his  loyalty  to  his  clients.  It  is  said  of  Mr.  Swing 
that  he  never  takes  a  case  that  cannot  conscientiously  and  sincerely 
advocate  to  the  court,  or  in  which  he  does  not  believe  his  client  to  be 
in  the  right.  As  a  result  of  such  action  he  has  gained  and  retains 
the  confidence  and  respect  of  the  courts  and  of  his  fellow  attorneys. 

Aside  from  following  his  profession  Mr.  Swing  has  taken  a 
great  interest  in  the  citrus  industry  and  its  development,  and  in 
civic  affairs,  and  has  done  much  toward  the  development  of  a  proper 
civic  spirit  in  his  home  community.  Being  a  native  of  San  Bernardino, 
one  of  the  principal  objects  of  Mr.  Swing  has  been  to  bring  the 
financial,  civic  and  moral  standing  of  his  home  city  to  the  highest  possible 
standard. 

While  Mr.  Swing  has  been  honored  with  a  few  public  positions 
he  has  never  actually  entered  politics,  but  has  contented  himself  with 
the  exercising  of  the  electoral  franchise  in  an  effort  to  secure  the 
election  of  honest,  competent  and  capable  men  and  woman  to  office, 
and  in  an  effort  to  adopt  such  public  policies  as  he  deemed  best  for  his 
community  and  state. 

Mr.  Swing's  prominence  in  public  affairs,  combined  with  his 
ability  as  a  lawyer  and  his  dependability  as  a  man,  have  made  him  one 
of  the  best-known  figures  in  San  Bernardino  County,  and  won  for 
him  the  approval  of  all  with  whom  he  is  brought  into  contact. 

W.  H.  Backus.  There  are  many  who  struggled  and  won,  held  an 
important  place  in  the  annals  of  Riverside,  did  much  to  advance  and 
put  it  in  the  position  it  now  occupies  who  are  in  a  great  measure  for- 
gotten except  by  their  contemporaries  who  lived,  achieved  and  won. 
Among  those  none  are  more  worthy  of  mention  than  W.  H.  Backus. 
Mr.  Backus  came  to  Riverside  from  Ohio  in  1882  with  his  father, 
Orrin  Backus.  Like  so  many  others  of  the  earlier  settlers  of  River- 
side, he  came  here  for  his  health,  having  been  engaged  in  clerical 
work  in  his  Eastern  home.  Here,  again  like  so  many  others,  his 
puritan  ancestry  showed  in  his  activity  in  colony  lines.  He  was  a 
descendant  in  a  direct  line  from  John  Alden  of  Mayflower  fame,  who 
has  been  better  known  than  any  of  his  compatriots  on  account  of 
his  fame  in  the  courting  by  proxy  of  Priscilla  on  behalf  of  Miles 
Standish  and  marrying  the  lady  himself.  Mr.  Backus,  however, 
did  his  own  courting  and  brought  his  wife  along  with  him.  He  and 
his  father  bought  13  acres  on  what  was  known  at  that  time  as  the 
Government  tract,  and  proceeded  to  improve  it  by  planting  to  raisin 
grapes  and  oranges.  Mr.  Backus,  the  elder,  did  not  survive  for  very 
many  years,  but  lived  with  his  son  and  family  until  he  died. 

From  the  very  first  Mr.  Backus  was  a  success,  having  good  taste 
in  the  arrangement  of  his  fruit  at  all  the  fairs  and  exhibitions  from 
the  time  he  had  any  for  exhibition.  His  vineyard  came  into  full 
vigor  about  the  time  Riverside  was  at  the  height  of  her  fame  in  raisin 
production  and  much  the  largest  producer  of  raisins  in  the  state. 
His  raisins  carried  off  at  all  the  fairs  and  exhibits  in  Riverside  and 
Los  Angeles  most  of  the  blue  ribbons  and  first  premiums.     It  seems 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES      1245 

strange  at  this  late  day  to  look  back  and  find  that  Riverside  took  such 
a  large  part  in  raisin  development  in  the  state,  and  to  know  that  River- 
side does  not  now  produce  a  single  pound  of  raisins  in  a  commercial 
way.  In  addition  to  being  a  leading  exhibitor  of  fruit  he  was  fre- 
quently one  of  the  committee  on  judging  fruit  and  awarding  premiums. 
Southern  California  in  the  early  days  was  the  only  place  in  which  fruit 
fairs  were  held  in  the  state,  with  the  exception  of  the  State  Fair  at 
Sacramento. 

The  first  fair  at  which  Mr.  Backus  obtained  distinction  was  at 
Los  Angeles  at  the  Twenty-eighth  District  Fair  in  Hazards  Pavilion, 
February  10-19,  1890,  where  he  took  five  first  premiums,  one  second 
and  one  fourth,  in  addition  to  which  he  took  $137.50  in  money.  This 
seemed  quite  a  transition  in  the  short  space  of  nine  years  from  book- 
keeper in  a  bank  in  Cleveland  to  a  fruit  ranch  in  Riverside,  California. 
The  reverses  experienced  in  the  raisin  business  on  account  of  meager 
returns  for  fruit  from  middlemen,  coupled  with  the  greater  returns 
promised  from  oranges,  drove  Mr.  Backus,  as  it  did  everybody  else, 
from  the  raisin  business  to  that  of  orange  growing.  His  proximity 
to  the  two  original  Navel  trees  gave  him  excellent  opportunity  for 
obtaining  first  class  trees,  which  in  a  measure  accounted  for  the 
success  he  made  as  a  grower  and  his  exhibition  of  first  class  fruit. 

At  all  the  fairs  in  California  and  at  New  Orleans,  when  Riverside 
established  her  reputation  as  grower  of  the  finest  fruit  in  the  world, 
Mr.  Backus  was  at  all  times  ready  with  his  exhibit  (and  on  one 
occasion  he  was  about  the  sole  exhibitor),  he  always  came  out  ahead. 
His  family  has  now  preserved  in  a  scrap  book  about  fifty  blue  ribbons 
and  records  of  his  success  at  fairs. 

In  his  later  years  he  was  very  much  handicapped  by  ill  health  and 
unable  to  devote  the  time  and  attention  his  grove  required,  and  be- 
tween that,  public  street  improvements  and  the  demand  for  building 
lots  the  grove  has  vanished  and  what  now  remains  of  it  is  devoted 
to  alfalfa. 

Mr.  Backus  died  in  1919,  but  his  family,  consisting  of  wife  and  two 
daughters,  still  occupy  the  comfortable  home.  One  son  occupies  a 
grove  in  the  northern  portion  of  Riverside. 

In  addition  to  being  a  successful  horticulturist  Mr.  Backus  had  a 
"fad"  for  the  study  of  the  natural  history  of  the  rattlesnake  (Crotalus 
Durissus),  and  probably  knew  about  as  much  of  the  rattlesnake  and 
left  about  as  good  a  selection  of  photographs,  rattles,  etc.,  as  any  amateur 
in  the  country. 

David  Hiram  Roddick  is  the  son  of  an  honored  pioneer  of  the  High- 
land district  of  San  Bernardino  County,  and  while  educated  for  a  profes- 
sion he  has  found  more  congenial  work  in  the  fundamental  industry  of  this 
section,  citrus  fruit  growing. 

He  was  born  at  South  Highland  July  19,  1890,  son  of  Samuel  Donald 
and  Ellen  (Hume)  Roddick.  His  parents  were  born  in  Picton  County, 
Nova  Scotia,  where  Samuel  Roddick  followed  farming.  In  1887  he 
brought  his  family  to  South  Highland,  and  without  capital  to  secure  a 
stake  in  the  country  he  resorted  to  ranch  labor  for  Cunningham  &  Stone 
for  twelve  years.  Out  of  his  savings  he  purchased  fifteen  acres,  and 
attempted  to  grow  fruit  without  irrigation.  He  started  the  entire  tract  to 
peaches  and  also  erected  a  dryer.  There  followed  a  succession  of  dry 
years  and  failure  of  water,  which  destroyed  the  orchard  and  the  land 
reverted  to  the  desert.  With  a  faith  in  the  ultimate  destiny  of  the  country 
that  knew  no  permanent  obstacle  he  bought  in  1906  a  thirteen  and  a  half 


1246       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

acre  producing  grove  on  Highland  Avenue  from  the  banker,  Ed  Roberts. 
The  purchase  price  was  $21,000,  and  he  gave  Mr.  Roberts  notes  in  pay- 
ment. These  notes  were  all  discharged  in  four  years.  A  stimulating 
example  of  industry  and  persistence  was  that  set  by  Samuel  D.  Roddick. 
He  frequently  worked  ten  hours  a  day  digging  cactus  at  $1.50  a  day,  and 
all  the  children  old  enough  aided  him  in  paying  off  the  debt.  Later  he 
bought  ten  acres  on  Atlantic  Avenue,  and  that  was  his  home  at  the  time 
of  his  death  on  March  17,  1916.  He  was  a  pioneer  in  Highland,  came 
here  when  the  country  was  largely  undeveloped,  and  his  extreme  energy 
and  economy  brought  him  a  generous  estate.  No  road  was  too  hard  and 
no  day  too  long,  and  he  steadily  went  his  way  and  succeeded  in  establishing 
himself  and  family  financially  and  also  in  the  estimation  of  the  com- 
munity. His  widow  survives.  They  reared  six  children  to  maturity : 
James  Robert,  the  oldest,  now  a  druggist  at  Muskogee,  Oklahoma;  Wil- 
liam Henry,  an  orange  grower  at  Highland ;  Mrs.  Will  Painter,  wife  of  a 
San  Bernardino  dairyman ;  George  Melville,  a  clerk  at  Highland ;  David 
Hiram,  and  Howard  Russell,  who  had  an  interesting  record  of  service  in 
the  World  war.  He  volunteered  at  the  first  call  in  the  Ambulance  Corps 
as  an  ambulance  driver  with  the  Medical  Corps,  was  trained  at  Fort  Riley, 
Kansas,  was  overseas  eighteen  months,  and  was  in  the  thick  of  danger 
along  the  battlefront  for  a  hundred  days  at  Chateau  Thierry,  the  Argonne, 
St.  Mihiel,  and  finally  proceeded  with  the  Army  of  Occupation  to  Coblenz. 
He  escaped  unwounded. 

David  Hiram  Roddick  acquired  a  good  education,  his  father  having 
passed  the  critical  affairs  in  his  financial  affairs  by  the  time  he  was  pre- 
pared for  school.  He  graduated  from  the  San  Bernardino  High  School 
and  in  1913  received  a  degree  as  a  pharmacist  from  the  University  of 
Southern  California.  Instead  of  following  his  profession  he  took  up 
orange  growing  and  in  1917  bought  sixteen  acres  on  Boulder  Avenue  in 
Highland,  this  tract  being  planted  to  Yalencias,  Navels  and  also  the  grape 
fruit.     It  is  a  high  class  ranch  with  a  modern  home. 

Mr.  Roddick  married  Miss  Lida  Garrett,  of  Los  Angeles.  She  was 
born  in  Colorado  in  1894,  but  is  a  graduate  of  the  Long  Beach  High 
School.  She  is  retiring  president  of  the  Highland  Woman's  Club. 
Mr.  Roddick  is  chancellor  commander  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias.  They 
have  one  son,  Keith  Garrett  Roddick,  born  March  21,  1921.  The  family 
are  members  of  the  Highland  Congregational  Church. 

Herbert  Poppett. — In  his  hard  working  career  in  San  Bernardino 
County  Herbert  Poppett  has  gone  over  a  span  of  nearly  forty  years,  and 
while  he  is  still  active  and  by  no  means  aged,  he  has  an  abundance  of 
prosperity  permitting  him  to  take  life  leisurely. 

Mr.  Poppett  and  his  parents  were  natives  of  England.  He  was  born 
in  Shropshire  July  14,  1865,  son  of  John  and  Martha  Poppett  and  was  the 
third  of  their  four  sons  and  three  daughters.  As  a  boy  he  had  little  oppor- 
tunity to  attend  school,  a  deficiency  supplied  in  later  years  by  reading, 
study  and  observation.  At  the  age  of  twelve  he  began  making  his  own 
living,  and  while  working  out  in  service  in  England  his  compensation 
consisted  of  board,  clothes  and  $30.00  a  year. 

In  1881,  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  he  came  to  America,  traveled  by  emigrant 
train  from  New  York  to  San  Francisco  in  twenty  days,  and  thence  to  San 
Bernardino,  where  he  joined  his  uncle,  Robert  Poppett.  His  first  employ- 
ment here  was  with  a  threshing  machine.  The  following  spring  he  found 
work  out  on  the  desert,  but  in  1885  returned  to  the  valley.  For  about  ten 
years  he  depended  upon  the  earnings  of  his  manual  toil,  but  in  1893 
bought  from  James  Fleming  and  Tyler  Brothers  ten  acres  of  unimproved 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1247 

land  on  LaPraix  Street  in  Highland.  He  did  all  the  work  of  a  pioneer 
on  this  tract,  cultivating  it  and  setting  it  to  citrus  fruits.  This  is  the  site 
of  his  modern  home  overlooking  the  valley  and  with  a  full  view  of  the 
mountains  on  the  north.  Subsequently,  as  his  prosperity  justified  it,  he 
bought  two  other  ten-acre  tracts  at  Harlem  Springs.  When  Mr.  Poppett 
came  into  the  valley  only  a  beginning  had  been  made  of  citrus  culture. 
His  present  home  and  grove  was  then  used  as  an  ox  pasture.  Mr.  Poppett 
knew  nearly  all  the  first  settlers,  most  of  whom  have  now  passed  away. 

He  married  Miss  Eva  McReynolds,  a  native  of  Missouri.  Five  chil- 
dren have  been  born  to  their  union.  The  oldest,  Stanley  Llewelyn  Poppett, 
is  a  graduate  of  the  San  Bernardino  High  School,  was  in  the  United 
States  Navy  during  the  World  war  until  the  signing  of  the  armistice,  and 
is  now  a  clerk  in  the  offices  of  the  Santa  Fe  Railroad  at  San  Bernardino. 
The  second  child,  Frances  Willard,  born  in  April,  1899,  is  a  graduate  of 
the  San  Bernardino  High  School,  a  young  woman  of  exceptional  talents, 
and  was  married  June  19,  1921,  to  Leo  McCrary,  of  Redlands.  The  third 
child,  Herbert  Milton,  born  in  1902,  graduated  in  1921  from  the  San 
Bernardino  High  School  and  is  now  engaged  in  the  grocery  business  under 
the  name  of  Hooker  &  Poppett  in  Highland.  The  two  youngest  children 
are  John  Roy  Poppett,  born  in  1909,  who  will  graduate  from  the  high 
school  in  1926,  and  Frederick  Robert  Poppett,  born  in  1911,  a  student  in 
the  grammar  school. 

Mr.  Poppett  in  his  life  has  exemplified  some  of  the  best  traits  of 
Americanism.  He  has  been  reliable,  thrifty,  industrious,  has  improved  his 
holdings  from  wild,  unproductive  waste  lands  to  abundant  fruiting,  has  a 
family  about  him  of  well  educated,  useful  young  citizens,  and  while  he 
has  worked  hard  he  has  enjoyed  living  and  living  right  and  is  one  of  the 
county's  best  citizens. 

William  Lindenberg. — His  life  in  Redlands  and  his  association  with 
its  development  for  a  period  of  time  covering  nearly  forty  years  surely 
entitles  William  Lindenberg  to  rank  with  the  early  pioneers  of  that  county. 
When  he  passed  away  the  city  lost  one  of  its  best  citizens,  one  who  had 
from  the  first  a  vital  interest  in  its  material  growth  and  adornment,  one 
who  sought  to  maintain  the  high  character  of  its  citizenship  and  who  left 
visible  monuments  of  his  love  for  the  beautiful  in  which  the  esthetic  and 
the  practical  were  so  deftly  blended.  Land  which  was  covered  with 
greasewood  and  sage  brush  under  his  careful  supervision  gave  way  to 
orange  groves,  fruit  orchards  and  beautiful  drives,  and  today  tourists 
share  with  the  citizens  much  that  his  work,  supervision  and  care  gave  to 
Redlands. 

Mr.  Lindenberg  was  a  pioneer  orange  grower  in  his  district  and  also 
was  considered  an  authority  on  all  citrus  fruits.  He  not  only  developed, 
but  he  saved  from  extinction  many  groves,  and  his  advice  was  always 
followed  and  he  was  sought  by  not  only  the  new  growers,  but  those  of 
long  experience. 

It  was  not  alone  as  a  grower  that  Mr.  Lindenberg  will  be  long  remem- 
bered by  the  generation  which  was  his  in  the  city  of  his  adoption,  for  he 
was  one  of  the  most  public  spirited  citizens  Redlands  has  ever  known. 
In  the  early  days  level  headed,  broad  minded  men  were  needed,  men  who 
had  the  vision  to  see  what  the  future  held  if  they  were  only  wise  enough 
and  courageous  enough  to  grasp  the  opportunity.  He  was  consulted  on 
many  of  the  early  problems  of  the  city,  and  his  advice  was  accepted  always, 
the  result  being  success  in  all  such  undertakings.  His  honest,  upright 
principles  and  charities  made  him  early  known  as  a  worth-while  citizen, 
and  in  his  long  life  he  stood  out  as  one  of  Redland's  most  dependable, 


1248       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

reliable  and  prominent  men.  He  is  today  cited  as  an  example  of  what  a 
man  may  become  if  he  is  blessed  with  the  perseverance,  intellect,  moral 
courage  and  hearty  will  possessed  by  Mr.  Lindenberg,  but  unfortunately, 
such  men  are  rare.  He  passed  into  eternity  loved  by  his  family  and 
friends,  respected  and  honored  by  the  city  he  had  served  so  long,  so 
freely  and  so  well. 

William  Lindenberg  was  born  in  Hildesheim,  Germany,  January  21, 
1845.  and  attended  school  there  until  he  reached  the  age  of  fourteen,  when 
a  combination  of  circumstances  ended  his  education  as  far  as  a  school  room 
went.  He  was,  however,  helped  by  his  friends  and  people,  and  he  suc- 
ceeded in  securing  a  good  practical  education  through  study  and  travel. 

He  decided  to  come  to  America  when  nineteen  years  old,  and  he  reached 
America  in  1864,  joining  an  older  brother  who  was  living  in  St.  Louis 
Missouri,  Frederick  Lindenberg.  He  lived  in  the  East  until  1876,  when 
he  came  to  California,  locating  in  Los  Angeles,  but  a  year  later  he  made 
San  Bernardino  a  temporary  home.  He  engaged  at  first  in  farming,  but  he 
moved  to  the  Lugonia  District,  Redlands,  in  1880,  where  he  purchased 
twenty  acres  of  land,  determined  to  make  it  his  permanent  home  This 
land  was  partially  set  to  deciduous  fruit  and  the  remainder  he  at  once 
planted  to  oranges. 

To  him  also  is  given  the  credit  for  the  planting  of  many  of  the  orange 
groves  of  this  rarely  productive  section.  He  also  worked  as  a  recon- 
structionist,  for  he  later  bought  groves  which  had  been  neglected  and  run 
down,  and  no  matter  how  bad  a  condition  they  were  in,  by  his  excellent 
constant  care  he  always  brought  them  up  *to  normal  and  then  he  fold 
them.  He  also  superintended  the  planting  and  care  of  a  100-acre  travt 
on  San  Bernardino  Avenue. 

After  a  period  of  time  Mr.  Lindenberg  moved  to  the  Williams  Traot. 
leaving  flourishing  groves  of  oranges  on  the  Lugonia  tract.  As  soon  as 
he  moved  he  set  out  a  grove  and  then  built  a  modern  residence,  where  he 
lived  for  ten  years.  He  then  purchased  a  lot  on  The  Terrace,  a  beautiful 
residential  district  of  Redlands,  and  he  put  it  in  fine  condition,  building  a 
beautiful  home  and  in  1903  he  occupied  it  with  his  family.  The  grounds 
are  most  artistic  and  beautiful.  Here  he  lived  until  his  death  on  December 
13,  1913.     Financial  success  had  rewarded  him. 

Mr.  Lindenberg  was  a  member  of  the  Congregational  Church.  In  Mis- 
souri he  married  on  February  6,  1873,  Elvira  McCollough,  who  was  of 
Scotch  descent.  They  had  three  children :  Christine,  a  graduate  of  the 
Redlands  High  School  and  an  accomplished  musician;  Henry,  who  died 
at  the  age  of  eighteen,  and  Beatrice,  who  was  also  educated  in  Redlands. 

Denver  Chaffee,  one  of  the  successful  orange  growers  of  San  Bern- 
ardino County,  has  a  well  improved  orange  grove  at  Bloomington, 
where  he  is  also  a  director  of  the  Citizens  Land  &  Water  Company, 
his  modern  and  attractive  residence  being  at  the  corner  of  Slover 
and  Linden  avenues. 

The  consistency  of  the  personal  or  Christian  name  of  Mr.  Chaffee 
becomes  apparent  when  it  is  stated  that  he  was  born  at  Denver, 
Colorado,  March  22,  1876,  prior  to  the  admission  of  that  state  to 
the  Union.  He  is  a  scion  of  the  staunchest  of  American  stock,  his 
ancestors  having  established  residence  in  this  country  in  the  early 
colonial  period  and  representatives  of  the  line  having  been  found  as 
patriot  soldiers  in  every  war  in  which  the  nation  has  been  involved. 
Mr.  Chaffee  is  eligible  for  affiliation  with  the  Society  of  the  Sons  of 
the  American  Revolution,  John  Medberry,  his  great-grandfather, 
having  served  under  General  Washington  and  having  been  with  his 


John  M.,  .Mrs.  Chaffee,  Dorotha  L. 
Robert  ])..  Richard  I-..  Denver  Chafft 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1249 

great  commander  in  the  historic  crossing  uf  the  Delaware  River  in 
an  open  boat,  on  a  Christmas  night.  George  and  Charles  A.  Chaffee, 
uncles  of  Denver  Chaffee,  were  gallant  soldiers  of  the  Union  in  the 
Civil  war,  George  having  been  a  sharpshooter  in  his  regiment,  and 
both  were  held  captives  in  infamous  old  Andersonville  Prison. 

Air.  Chaffee  is  a  son  of  John  M.  and  Charlotte  (Culver)  Chaffee, 
the  former  of  whom  was  born  in  Susquehanna  County,  Pennsylvania, 
March  17,  1830,  and  the  latter  was  born  at  Athens,  Athens  County, 
Ohio,  September  6,  1834,  her  death  having  occurred  at  Ontario, 
California,  April  4,  1914,  and  her  husband  having  passed  the  closing 
period  of  his  life  in  the  home  of  his  son  Denver,  at  Bloomington, 
where  his  death  occurred  February  29,  1920. 

John  M.  Chaffee  became  a  pioneer  settler  in  Iowa,  developed  one 
of  the  fine  farm  estates  of  Pope  County,  that  state,  and  was  one  of 
the  most  honored  and  influential  citizens  of  the  county,  as  a  member 
of  whose  board  of  supervisors  he  did  much  to  enable  the  county  to 
free  itself  from  debt.  He  was  a  staunch  republican  in  politics  and 
in  the  Scottish  Rite  of  the  Masonic  fraternity  he  received  the  thirty- 
second  degree  and  was  also  a  member  of  the  Shrine.  Mr.  Chaffee 
passed  two  years  in  traveling  about  the  western  states  with  team 
and  wagon,  and  in  1903  he  established  his  home  at  Ontario,  Cali- 
fornia, and  both  he  and  his  wife  passed  the  remainder  of  their  lives 
in  San  Bernardino  County.  Fannie,  (Mrs.  McClain)  eldest  of  their 
four  children,  is  resident  of  Des  Moines,  Iowa;  Ira  resides  at  Alham- 
bra,  California;  Jennie  M.  died  in  1921,  in  the  City  of  Los  Angeles; 
and  Denver,  of  this  sketch,  is  the  youngest  of  the  four. 

After  having  received  the  advantages  of  the  public  schools  of 
Iowa,  Denver  Chaffee  there  pursued  a  higher  course  of  study,  in 
Drake  University,  at  Des  Moines.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one  years 
he  returned  to  his  native  state,  Colorado,  and  for  eight  years  he 
was  in  the  employ  of  the  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy  Railroad, 
first  as  fireman  and  thereafter  as  engineer.  He  resigned  his  position 
as  engineer  to  become  a  melter  in  the  United  States  mint  at  Denver, 
where  he  was  employed  four  years.  While  on  a  furlough  from  the 
mint  he  entered  the  temporary  employ  of  Sterns,  Rogers  &  Company, 
of  Denver,  and  while  thus  engaged  he  met  with  an  injury  that  led, 
upon  his  physician's  orders,  to  his  coming  to  California.  Here  he 
made  permanent  settlement  in  the  autumn  of  1911.  He  purchased 
twenty  acres  of  land  in  the  Bloomington  district,  and  here  he  has 
developed  and  improved  his  fine  home  and  orange  grove,  the  latter 
receiving  his  personal  supervision. 

At  Denver,  Colorado,  on  the  8th  of  June,  1901,  Mr.  Chaffee  wedded 
Miss  Cora  M.  Cunningham,  who  was  born  at  Trenton,  Missouri, 
January  16,  1876.  a  daughter  of  Samuel  B.  and  Anna  (Roberts)  Cun- 
ningham, likewise  natives  of  Missouri.  Mrs.  Chaffee  was  but  four 
years  of  age  at  the  time  of  her  mother's  death,  her  father  having 
been  at  the  time  a  contractor  and  builder  in  the  city  of  Denver 
and  having  later  become  a  farmer  in  Weld  County,  Colorado.  Mrs. 
Chaffee  attended  Denver  University,  and  prior  to  her  marriage  was 
for  five  years  a  successful  teacher  in  the  schools  of  Denver.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Chaffee  have  four  children  :  Dorothy  Lucile,  who  was  born 
in  Denver,  February  7,  1903,  was  graduated  in  the  San  Bernardino 
High  School  in  1920,  attended  the  Junior  College  at  Riverside  one 
year  and  in  1922  is  a  student  of  art  and  domestic  science  in  the  State 
Agricultural  College  of  Oregon.  John  Matthew,  born  at  Denver  on 
the  8th  of  December,  1906,  is  a  member  of  the  class  of  1924  in  the 


1250       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

Colton  High  School.  Robert  Denver,  born  at  Denver,  July  28,  1910, 
is  attending  public  schools  at  Bloomington.  Richard  Franklin,  born 
at  San  Bernardino,  January  12,  1915,  is  likewise  attending  the  home 
schools.  Mrs.  Chaffee  was  for  three  years  president  of  the  Parents- 
Teachers  Association  of  Bloomington  and  is  now  president  of  the 
Woman's  Club  of  this  place.  Mr.  Chaffee  is  a  stalwart  republican 
and  while  he  has  had  no  desire  for  public  office  his  civic  loyalty 
has  been  shown  in  his  effective  service  as  a  member  of  the  Board 
of  Education  at  Bloomington,  of  which  he  has  been  secretarv  since 
1919. 

Grant  Holcomb. — In  the  history  of  San  Bernardino  County  pub- 
lished herewith  several  references  are  made  to  that  California  pioneer  Wil- 
liam F.  Holcomb,  discoverer  of  Holcomb  Valley,  a  spot  in  the  San  Bernar- 
dino Mountains  now  known  for  its  picturesque  character  and  setting.  A 
grandson  of  that  pioneer  gold  miner  is  Grant  Holcomb,  a  prominent  young 
attorney  and  citizen  of  San  Bernardino. 

William  F.  Holcomb  crossed  the  plains  to  California  in  1849.  He  was 
a  fine  type  of  the  frontiersman,  one  accustomed  to  the  hardships  of  a 
lonely  mountain  in  the  lonely  desert  and  pursuing  fortune  for  the  sake  of 
the  adventure  rather  than  the  money  itself.  When  he  uncovered  the  placer 
gold  deposits  in  the  valley  that  now  bears  his  name  he  did  more  than 
anything  else  to  attract  people  to  San  Bernardino  County.  Within  six 
months  after  his  discovery  there  were  2,000  men  in  the  valley.  This  valley 
lies  in  the  adjacent  mountains,  just  north  of  Bear  Valley,  now  the  great 
summer  resort  of  Southern  California.  William  F.  Holcomb  in  his  adven- 
tures as  a  hunter  and  miner  prospected  over  nearly  all  the  country  from 
Vancouver,  British  Columbia,  to  Arizona.  He  was  one  of  the  discoverers 
of  the  famous  Vulture  Mine  in  Arizona,  from  which  more  than  $8,000,000 
were  taken.  He  sold  a  third  interest  in  this  property  for  $1,000, 
and  afterward,  in  telling  the  experience,  he  referred  with  a  quiet  humor 
rather  than  any  bitterness  to  the  fact  that  he  was  cheated  out  of  half  the 
amount  of  the  sale.  His  partner  at  the  time  was  Dick  Gird,  discoverer  of 
the  mines  at  Tombstone,  Arizona.  William  F.  Holcomb  after  the  discovery 
of  gold  in  Holcomb  Valley  worked  successfully  at  mining  for  several 
years.  He  was  then  elected  county  clerk,  treasurer  and  assessor.  This 
office  he  filled  for  several  terms.  He  was  a  type  of  official  who  was  not 
hampered  by  traditions  or  precedents,  and  he  was  guided  first  of  all  by 
the  necessity  of  getting  the  thing  done  required  by  his  official  duty.  Among 
other  duties  he  had  to  levy  and  collect  the  personal  tax.  He  levied  a  tax 
on  the  Santa  Fe  personal  property.  When  the  railroad  refused  to  pay, 
this  man  of  action  secured  some  logging  chains  and,  accompanied  by  a 
number  of  deputy  sheriffs,  went  to  the  Santa  Fe  depot  and  proceeded  to 
make  an  attachment.  The  most  available  property  was  a  locomotive  stand- 
ing on  the  main  track  in  front  of  the  depot.  The  wheels  were  secured 
with  the  chains  and  he  placed  padlocks  on  them  and  then  left  the  deputies 
in  charge  until  the  law  should  be  complied  with.  This  summary  action 
naturally  caused  great  excitement  among  railroad  officials,  and  there  was  a 
tremendous  buzzing  of  telegraph  wires  until  the  necessary  orders  could  be 
complied  with  for  paying  off  the  tax.  This  incident  was  in  a  manner 
characteristic  of  the  West,  and  especially  of  the  upright  and  straightfor- 
ward character  of  William  F.  Holcomb. 

This  splendid  old  pioneer  died  about  1909.  He  married  Nancy  Stewart 
at  San  Bernardino.  She  had  come  across  the  plains  with  her  father 
from  Utah. 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1251 

Their  son  William  Winfield  Holcomb  is  also  a  native  of  California, 
born  in  San  Bernardino,  where  he  was  educated  in  the  public  schools.  He 
served  as  a  deputy  clerk  under  his  father,  later  engaged  in  the  lumber 
business,  and  following  that  for  many  years  was  a  feed  and  fuel  merchant. 
He  then  resumed  an  official  routine  as  deputy  sheriff. 

William  W.  Holcomb  married  at  Santa  Maria  Miss  Isabella  Grant,  a 
native  of  San  Bernardino  and  daughter  of  John  and  Margaret  (Nish) 
Grant,  farmers  and  cattle  raisers  of  that  section. 

Grant  Holcomb,  only  child  of  his  parents,  was  born  at  San  Bernardino 
and  was  carefully  educated  in  the  grammar  and  high  schools  of  that  city, 
graduating  from  high  school  in  1907.  He  soon  afterward  entered  Stan- 
ford University,  from  which  he  received  his  A.  B.  degree  in  1911,  and  in 
1913  graduated  with  the  degree  J.  D.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  the 
same  year,  and  for  nearly  ten  years  has  been  active  in  the  legal  profession 
at  San  Bernardino.  He  does  a  general  practice,  though  with  special  call 
for  his  abilities  in  Probate  work.  He  is  attorney  for  the  San  Bernardino 
Auto  Trades  Association,  and  has  his  offices  in  the  Garner  Building  at 
E  and  Court  streets.  Mr.  Holcomb  is  a  director  of  the  California  State 
Bank  and  of  the  Gill  Storage  Battery  Company.  He  is  a  charter  member 
of  the  Rotary  Club  and  has  served  that  club  as  a  director,  is  a  director 
of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  and  a  member  of  the  Young  Men's  Chris- 
tian Association,  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  Delta  Chi  college  fraternity.  For  three  years 
while  in  high  school  he  was  a  member  of  the  San  Bernardino  National 
Guard.  He  is  treasurer  of  the  Baptist  Church,  and  has  been  deeply  in- 
terested in  politics,  though  not  as  an  office  seeker.  For  two  terms  he  was 
a  member  of  the  Republican  County  Central  Committee. 

On  June  15,  1916,  at  San  Francisco,  Mr.  Grant  Holcomb  married 
Miss  Eleanor  Frances  Burkham,  a  native  of  California  and  daughter  of 
S.  B.  and  M.  L.  Burkham,  of  Bodie,  California.  S.  B.  Burkham  was  a 
prominent  participant  in  the  rich  and  aried  historical  scenes  that  made 
Bodie  one  of  the  most  famous  towns  of  the  great  West.  In  the  early 
days  he  owned  the  stage  line  and  the  general  store  at  Bodie,  and  operated 
a  stage  between  Bodie  and  Carson  City,  Nevada,  when  the  transportation 
of  passengers  and  mails  was  constantly  beset  by  dangers  of  highwaymen. 
Mrs.  Holcomb  is  also  a  graduate  of  Stanford  University,  receiving  her 
A.  B.  degree  in  1914.  She  is  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Directors  of  the 
Woman's  Club  of  San  Bernardino  and  is  also  a  member  of  the  Young 
Women's  Christian  Association.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Holcomb  have  two  chil- 
dren, Grant,  Jr.,  and  Kathryn  Lee. 

Richard  Harrison  Garland  was  one  of  the  original  Chicago  asso- 
ciation that  founded  the  original  colony  properly  regarded  historically  as 
the  beginning  of  the  modern  city  of  Redlands.  He  gave  a  whole-souled 
devotion  to  every  item  in  the  welfare  of  the  settlement  during  the  years 
he  lived  here,  and  his  memory  is  properly  treasured  as  a  pioneer. 

Mr.  Garland  was  born  at  Zanesville,  Ohio,  July  22,  1842.  His  father, 
Andrew  Garland,  was  a  stone  mason  by  trade.  Andrew  Garland  superin- 
tended the  building  of  historic  Fort  Sumter  in  Charleston  Harbor,  the 
capture  of  which  was  the  first  open  act  of  hostility  at  the  beginning  of  the 
Civil  war.  His  son  Richard  H.  was  a  soldier  in  that  war,  and  helped  restore 
the  union  broken  by  the  fall  of  Fort  Sumter.  From  Zanesville  Andrew 
Garland  moved  to  Mount  Vernon,  Ohio,  and  was  a  farmer  and  stock 
raiser  there  until  his  death  in  1873. 

Richard  Harrison  Garland  grew  up  in  Ohio,  and  at  the  beginning  of  the 
Civil  war  enlisted  in  Company  A  of  the  Sixty-fifth  Ohio  Infantry.     He 


1252       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

participated  in  the  battles  of  Shiloh,  Corinth,  Perryville,  Stone  River, 
Chickamauga,  Lookout  Mountain,  Missionary  Ridge,  and  at  Missionary 
Ridge  his  brigade  captured  the  batteries  in  front  of  General  Bragg's  head- 
quarters and  turned  the  guns  on  the  enemy.  Through  partial  disablement 
about  that  time  Mr.  Garland  was  assigned  to  the  Eastern  Army,  in  the 
Quartermaster's  Corps.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he  remained  in  the  service 
of  the  army  department  in  the  Freedman's  Bureau  engaged  in  distributing 
supplies  and  establishing  free  schools  for  the  negroes  in  the  South.  Later 
he  was  transferred  to  the  Pacific  Coast  with  the  staff  of  General  Thomas, 
and  was  present  at  the  death  of  that  great  leader  at  San  Francisco.  When 
he  resumed  civilian  life  in  1870  he  removed  to  Chicago,  where  he  became 
a  manufacturer  of  art  furniture  and  interior  decorations. 

It  was  in  1886  that  a  group  of  Chicago  people  formed  the  association 
and  planned  the  founding  of  a  town  and  community  in  Southern  Cali- 
fornia. Mr.  Garland  was  one  of  the  most  active  promoters  of  this  project. 
An  investigating  committee  was  sent  out  and  selected  440  acres,  divided 
among  the  forty  members  of  the  association.  Seventeen  acres  was  set 
aside  as  a  townsite  and  is  now  the  business  portion  of  Redlands.  Mr. 
Garland  came  to  Redlands  in  1886,  and  with  characteristic  energy  began 
the  development  of  his  own  lands  and  worked  with  his  fellow  citizens  in 
matters  of  general  improvement.  His  tract  of  some  thirty  acres  was 
situated  on  Citrus  Avenue  in  East  Redlands,  and  he  began  its  develop- 
ment as  an  orange  plantation.  He  also  received  his  lot  on  the  townsite  on 
West  State  Street.  He  deeded  this  to  his  wife,  and  seven  months  later 
she  sold  it  for  $1,400.  The  original  cost  was  $25.00.  The  main  property 
located  by  Mr.  Garland  is  still  owned  by  the  family.  During  the  twelve 
active  years  he  spent  here  he  made  improvements  that  reclaimed  a  sage 
brush  tract  into  a  profitable  plantation.  He  levelled  the  land  and  filled  up 
the  ditches,  installed  irrigation,  and  by  his  planting  started  the  develop- 
ment which  is  now  represented  by  one  of  the  most  beautiful  places  at  Red- 
lands.  The  substantial  home  still  in  use  was  erected  from  materials  he 
transported  by  team  and  wagon  from  San  Bernardino,  there  being  no 
railroad  to  Redlands.  Mr.  Garland  was  one  of  the  early  directors  of  the 
local  Chamber  of  Commerce,  and  was  for  four  years  a  member  of  the 
Board  of  City  Trustees.  His  death  on  May  27,  1898,  removed  one  of  the 
strongest  and  best  men  from  local  citizenship.  He  did  the  work  of  a 
pioneer,  work  that  continues  cumulative  benefit  to  all  subsequent  genera- 
tions. He  was  a  stanch  republican  in  politics,  though  not  interested  in 
politics  as  a  source  of  personal  honor.     He  was  a  Scottish  Rite  Mason. 

In  1872  Mr.  Garland  married  Miss  Margaret  McGovern,  a  native  of 
New  Haven.  Connecticut,  who  as  a  child  moved  with  her  parents  to  Chi- 
cago in  1864.  She  was  the  fifth  in  a  family  of  nine  children.  Her  brother 
John  served  throughout  the  Civil  war  and  was  killed  at  Atlanta  by  a 
sharpshooter  just  at  the  very  close  of  the  war.  Mrs.  Garland  died  October 
27,  1918,  at  Redlands.  She  retained  her  vigor  to  old  age  and  her  appear- 
ance was  that  of  a  woman  many  years  her  junior.  Of  her  children  two 
survive :    Sanford  S.  and  Maud  M.  Garland. 

The  death  of  Mr.  Garland  in  1898  occurred  at  a  time  when,  owing  to 
the  water  shortages,  the  orange  growers  faced  a  crisis.  Mrs.  Garland 
showed  the  strength  of  her  character  by  courageously  taking  up  the  burden, 
and  by  her  personal  resources  and  prudence  and  foresight  maintaining 
the  Garland  orchard  under  difficulties  so  that  in  a  large  degree  she  was 
personally  responsible  for  the  beauty  and  productiveness  of  the  tract  today. 
She  met  every  obligation  scrupulously,  and  succeeded  in  rearing  her  chil- 
dren and.  moveover.  was  a  kind  neighbor  and  loyal  friend,  so  that  many 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1253 

outside  her  family  circle  had  reason  to  be  grateful  for  her  numerous  acts 
of  generosity  and  kindness. 

F.  P.  Morrison. — A  native  son  of  California,  and  a  member  of  one 
of  the  pioneer  families  of  the  state,  F.  P.  Morrison  has  lived  in  and 
about  Redlands  nearly  forty  years,  and  his  energy  and  efforts  have 
forged  a  strong  link  in  the  community's  progress.  He  was  actively 
identified  with  some  of  the  important  early  constructive  developments, 
and  for  many  years  has  been  a  leading  banker  of  Redlands. 

Mr.  Morrison  was  born  at  San  Francisco  August  31,  1859,  son  of 
A.  L.  Sarah  (Pease)  Morrison,  the  former  a  native  of  Ohio  and  the 
latter  of  Michigan.  The  father  was  in  business  in  Ohio  until  he  came 
to  California  in  the  early  days,  and  here  took  up  the  work  of  pioneer 
development  of  the  water  resources  in  the  northern  part  of  the  state. 
Of  four  children,  two  sons  and  two  daughters,  F.  P.  Morrison  was  the 
oldest,  and  was  only  a  child  when  his  parents  died.  He  acquired  a 
liberal  education,  attending  school  at  San  Francisco  and  San  Jose  and 
then  went  East  to  pursue  a  technical  course  in  the  Sheffield  Scientific 
School  at  Yale  University.  He  left  University  in  1878,  at  the  end  of 
his  junior  year,  on  account  of  ill  health.  To  regain  health  and  strength 
he  spent  three  years  in  the  Hawaiian  Islands,  and  in  December.  18S2, 
came  to  Riverside  and  the  following  year  moved  to  Redlands.  He  was 
attracted  here  partly  by  the  climate  and  scenery,  but  also  by  the  wonder- 
ful possibilities  for  development  of  a  country  which  was  then  mainly 
unproductive.  His  first  purchase  of  land  was  on  Palm  Avenue.  Prac- 
tically all  of  it  was  unimproved,  but  later  he  set  it  to  and  developed  a 
splendid  grove  of  oranges,  and  on  it  eventually  he  erected  the  handsome 
home  he  now  enjoys.  Mr.  Morrison  became  one  of  the  stockholders  in 
Bear  Valley  Dam,  owning  1,000  shares  of  the  original  3,600.  He  sold 
his  stock  before  this  great  pioneer  project  of  irrigation  was  completed. 
He  joined  other  undertakings  projected  for  the  general  improvement  of 
this  section.  However,  to  an  increasing  degree  his  financial  abilities 
brought  him  into  prominence,  and  as  such  he  was  instrumental  in  the 
establishment  of  what  is  now  the  First  National  Bank  of  Redlands. 
This  was  established  March  5,  1887,  as  the  Bank  of  East  San  Ber- 
nardino Valley,  being  opened  for  business  on  the  4th  of  April  of  that 
year.  Mr.  Morrison  was  the  first  president,  and  remained  president 
through  subsequent  changes  until  ill  health  demanded  his  resignation 
about  six  years  ago.  This  bank  started  with  a  stock  of  $25,000,  and 
was  first  opened  in  the  Cook  Building  at  the  corner  of  Colton  Avenue 
and  Orange  Street.  It  was  soon  moved  to  the  Wilson  and  Berry  Block, 
opposite,  and  in  1892  to  its  present  location  at  the  southwest  corner  of 
Orange  and  State  streets.  This  modern  banking  house  is  now  the  home 
of  both  the  First  National  Bank  of  Redlands  and  the  Savings  Bank  of 
Redlands,  which  was  incorporated  June  25,  1891.  Mr.  Morrison  was 
also  "the  first  president  of  the  Savings  Bank. 

As  a  banker  noted  for  his  conservative  judgment  Mr.  Morrison  has 
been,  nevertheless,  progressive  in  every  direction  where  the  permanent 
and  true  welfare  of  the  city  and  surrounding  district  was  concerned.  At 
the  first  election  under  the  city  charter  he  was  chosen  city  treasurer,  an 
office  he  held  until  recent  years.  He  is  a  Knight  Templar  and  thirty- 
second  degree  Scottish  Rite  Mason. 

Mr.  Morrison  married  Miss  Mabel  Stillman,  daughter  of  Dr.  J.  D.  B. 
Stillman.  Mr.  Morrison  has  four  children,  and  derives  the  highest  sense 
of  patriotic  satisfaction  in  the  war  record  of  his  three  sons.     The  oldest 


1254       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

child,  Laurence  Stillman  Morrison,  born  at  Redlands  May  28,  1888, 
graduated  from  high  school,  and,  like  the  other  sons,  was  sent  East  for 
his  higher  education.  He  graduated  from  the  Phillips  Andover  Academy 
of  Massachusetts  in  1907,  received  his  A.  B.  degree  from  Yale  Univer- 
sity in  1911,  and  during  the  World  war  was  in  the  Medical  Corps  with 
the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-Third  Field  Hospital,  seeing  active  service 
overseas  in  France  from  December,  1917,  to  April,  1919.  He  was 
mustered  out  May  24,  1919,  and  was  assistant  cashier  of  the  Savings  Bank 
of  Redlands.  The  second  son,  Stanley  Morrison,  was  born  June  4,  1892, 
graduated  from  Phillips  Andover  Academy  in  1911,  from  Yale  Univer- 
sity with  the  A.  B.  degree  in  1915,  and  from  Harvard  Law  School  with 
the  LL.B.  degree.  In  August,  1917,  he  enlisted,  was  assigned  to  the 
One  Hundred  and  Forty-fourth  Field  Artillery,  was  trained  at  Camp 
Kearney,  and  while  there  received  a  commission  as  second  lieutenant,  was 
sent  to  the  School  of  Fire  at  Fort  Sill,  becoming  an  instructor  while 
there,  and  as  an  instructor  remained  at  Fort  Sill  until  the  close  of  the 
war.  He  was  promoted  to  first  lieutenant.  He  is  now  engaged  in  law 
practice  at  San  Francisco.  The  third  of  the  family  is  Amy,  Mrs.  H.  O. 
Philips,  of  Pasadena.  The  youngest,  William  Pease  Morrison,  born 
May  7,  1895,  at  Redlands,  attended  local  schools,  graduated  from  Phillips 
Andover  Academy  in  1914,  spent  one  year  in  the  Sheffield  Scientific  School 
at  Yale,  and  two  years  in  the  University  of  California.  He  left  university 
to  enlist  in  the  ambulance  corps,  and  was  assigned  to  a  camp  at  Allen- 
town,  Pennsylvania,  subsequently  attending  the  Officers  Training  School 
at  Camp  Meade,  Maryland,  and  was  commissioned  a  second  lieutenant. 
He  was  on  duty  at  Camp  Upton,  Long  Island,  as  acting  battalion  adjutant 
in  the  Depot  Brigade,  and  remained  there  until  after  the  signing  of  the 
armistice,  when  he  was  released  from  service.  He  is  now  managing  one 
of  his  father's  ranches  in  the  San  Joaquin  Valley. 

Herman  Rudolph  Hertel — Both  as  a  merchant  and  as  a  public 
spirited  citizen  Herman  Rudolph  Hertel  set  a  standard  of  conduct 
and  character  that  Southern  Californians  will  do  well  to  cherish  in 
grateful  memory.  His  home  and  business  interests  were  at  Pasadena 
though  his  influence  was  not  confined  altogether  to  that  city. 

He  was  a  native  son,  born  at  Healdsburg,  California,  in  1862. 
As  a  young  man  in  1887  he  came  to  Pasadena,  and  founded  in  that 
young  city  the  Bon  Accord,  the  first  large  dry  goods  store  of  Pasa- 
dena. To  that  business  he  devoted  his  time  and  energies  the  re- 
maining years  of  his  life,  and  he  kept  the  store  apace  with  the  growth 
of  the  city.  The  best  tribute  to  his  career  as  a  business  man  is  found 
in  resolutions  adapted  by  the  Pasadena  Merchants'  Association,  from 
which  the  following  paragraph  is  taken : 

"Pasadena  is  again  called  upon  to  pay  tribute  to  a  good  man.  It 
mourns  its  loss,  but  consoles  itself  with  the  reflections  that  the 
souls  of  the  truly  good  live  beyond  the  grave.  Herman  R.  Hertel, 
was  such  a  man.  Honored  by  being  called  to  many  public  offices, 
which  he  filled  not  only  with  distinction  to  himself,  but  with  great 
credit  to  our  city,  he  was  a  merchant  of  the  type  that  stands  for 
high  ideals,  one  who  constantly  endeavors  to  help  those  who  were 
in  need,  yet  his  benefactions  were  bestowed  in  such  a  manner  as 
not  to  provoke  praise.  As  president  of  our  Merchants'  Association, 
he  gave  his  best,  and  that  was  good.  In  all  the  transactions  of  life 
Herman  R.  Hertel  was  the  soul  of  honor,  and  was  often  entrusted 
with  important  affairs  with  implicit  confidence,  and  he  never  failed 
to  render  a  satisfactory  account  of  his  stewardship.     He  was  held 


Ierman  R.  Hertel 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1255 

in  the  highest  esteem,  and  his  loss  is  deeply  deplored  by  the  com- 
munity at  large." 

He  had  in  later  years  extensive  financial  and  investment  interests 
besides  his  dry  goods  store.  He  was  a  director  in  the  Pasadena 
National  Bank,  served  as  president  of  the  Pasadena  Chamber  of 
Commerce,  president  of  the  Rose  Tournament  Association,  president 
of  the  Merchants  and  Manufacturers  Association  and  as  a  director 
in  several  corporations.  He  is  remembered  in  Pasadena  also  for 
his  liberal  philanthropy,  particularly  in  behalf  of  educational  insti- 
tutions. When  Bob  Burdette  resigned  from  the  Board  of  Park, 
Police  and  Fire  Commissioners  on  March  7,  1908,  Mr.  Hertel  con- 
sented to  become  his  successor,  though  these  official  duties  were 
necessarily  in  the  nature  of  a  sacrifice  of  his  business,  since  the 
office  was  not  one  of  remuneration.  He  devoted  himself  to  work 
with  the  same  zeal  he  showed  in  his  own  business.  After  finishing 
out  Doctor  Burdette's  term  in  May,  1911,  he  was  reappointed  by 
Mayor  Thum,  and  served  until  Pasadena  adopted  the  commission 
form  of  government.  As  member  of  the  Board  of  Police,  Fire  and 
Park  Commissioners  he  was  looked  upon  as  head  of  the  fire  depart- 
ment. It  was  at  his  suggestion  that  the  first  change  was  made  from 
horse  drawn  to  motor  propelled  vehicles. 

Herman  Rudolph  Hertel,  who  died  at  his  home  in  Pasadena 
June  16,  1915,  was  a  member  of  the  Overland  and  Altadena  Country 
clubs,  was  a  Presbyterian,  a  Scottish  Rite  Mason,  and  was  regarded 
as  one  of  the  leading  whist  players  of  Southern  California.  He  was 
a  republican  in  politics.  He  married  Emma  Westerfeld,  a  native 
of  San  Francisco.  She  survives  him  at  Pasadena  and  their  five 
children  consist  of  two  daughters  and  three  sons:  Anita  of  New 
York  City ;  Elmer  L.  of  Hemet ;  Mina,  at  home ;  Herbert  associated 
with  his  brother  Elmer  in  business ;  and  Francis  of  Ventura. 

Elmer  L.  Hertel,  a  son  of  the  Pasadena  merchant  and  citizen  the 
late  Herman  Rudolph  Hertel,  is  one  of  the  prominent  young  ranchers 
and  business  men  of  the  Riverside  community  in  the  district  ad- 
joining Hemet. 

He  was  born  at  Pasadena  June  16,  1889,  and  was  liberally  educated, 
attending  the  grammar  and  high  schools  of  his  native  city.  He  grad- 
uated A.  B.  from  Leland  Stanford  University  with  the  class  of 
1911.  For  about  a  year  after  leaving  university  he  was  in  the 
Coalinga  oil  field  and  spent  a  similar  time  as  a  rancher  in  the  San 
Fernando  Valley.  Mr.  Hertel  established  himself  at  Hemet  in  the 
spring  of  1914,  when  he  bought  his  ranch  of  forty  acres  on  the 
northern  limits  of  the  town.  To  this  he  has  since  added  seventy 
acres,  and  he  and  his  brother  Herbert  jointly  own  a  ranch  of  225 
acres.  They  do  a  large  business,  their  diversified  industry  being 
represented  by  fruit,  alfalfa  and  hogs.  Individually  Mr.  Hertel's 
chief  distinction  in  the  agriculture  and  horticulture  of  Riverside 
County  rests  upon  his  peach  orchards.  He  sells  and  ships  the 
peaches  from  these  groves  all  over  Southern  California,  and  a  large 
number  of  nursery  men  have  budded  their  young  stock  from  the 
Hertel  trees,  because  of  the  large  yield  and  fine  quality  of  the  fruit 
produced  by  the  Hertel  orchards.  The  entire  ranch  property  owned 
and  occupied  by  Mr.  Hertel  is  another  example  of  the  profitable 
development  of  land  from  a  desert  condition  to  a  degree  of  pro- 
ductiveness that  none  of  the  choicest  agricultural  lands  in  the  world 
can  rival. 


1256       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

Outside  of  his  ranch  Mr.  Hertel  is  a  director  in  the  Riverside 
Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Company  and  is  one  of  the  influential  members 
of  the  Hemet  Chamber  of  Commerce,  the  California  Fruit  Growers 
Association,  the  California  Alfalfa  Association  and  the  California 
Prune  and  Apricot  Association.  He  is  unmarried,  is  an  independent 
in  politics  and  is  affiliated  with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows, Fraternal  Order  of  Eagles,  and  the  Zeta  Psi  college  fraternity. 

Sumner  A.  Worthing,  who  is  now  living  virtually  retired  in  the 
City  of  Redlands,  San  Bernardino  County,  has  the  distinction  of  having 
been  one  of  the  pioneer  business  men  of  this  place,  and  he  has  the  satis- 
faction of  having  contributed  his  quota  to  the  development  and  up- 
building of  the  beautiful  little  city  which  he  still  claims  as  his  home  and 
in  which  his  circle  of  friends  is  coincident  with  that  of  his  acquaintances. 

Sumner  Augustus  Worthing  was  born  at  Plattesville,  Illinois,  on  the 
8th  of  August,  1853,  and  is  a  son  of  Augustus  and  Mary  Worthing,  the 
former  a  native  of  the  State  of  New  York  and  the  latter  of  Ohio.  The 
parents  early  established  their  residence  in  Illinois,  and  there  they  passed 
the  remainder  of  their  lives,  the  father  having  been  a  farmer  by  vocation 
during  the  major  part  of  his  active  career.  In  the  family  were  three 
sons  and  four  daughters,  and  of  the  number  the  subject  of  this  review 
was  the  fourth  in  order  of  birth.  The  public  schools  of  his  native  state 
afforded  Mr.  Worthing  his  youthful  educational  advantages,  and  after 
leaving  school  he  there  served  a  thorough  apprenticeship  at  the  trades  of 
tinsmith  and  plumber,  in  both  of  which  he  became  a  skilled  workman 
For  a  long  period  of  years  he  was  employed  by  P.  W.  Worth,  one  of  the 
ieading  business  men  of  Plattesville,  Illinois. 

At  Buckingham,  Illinois,  on  the  15th  of  January,  1876,  Mr.  Worthing 
wedded  Miss  Mary  E.  Watson.  Mrs.  Worthing  died  on  the  5th  of 
January,  1885,  and  is  survived  by  two  children.  Charles,  the  elder  of  the 
two,  was  born  August  25.  1878,  and  is  a  plumber  by  trade.  He  is  a  leading 
dealer  in  plumbers'  supplies  at  Redlands,  California,  and  is  one  of  the 
substantial  business  men  of  this  city.  August  2,  1904,  recorded  the  mar- 
riage of  Charles  Worthing  and  Miss  Emma  Riddle,  and  they  have  three 
children — Emma,  Charlotte  and  Leroy.  Robert,  the  younger  son  of 
Sumner  A.  and  Mary  E.  (Watson)  Worthing,  was  born  November  20, 
1880,  and  he  is  now  engaged  in  the  plumbing  and  tinning  business  at 
Lankershim,  Los  Angeles  County.  He  anticipated  his  elder  brother  by  a 
few  months  in  appearing  at  the  hymeneal  altar,  for  on  March  12,  1904, 
he  married  Miss  Bertha  Woodruff,  their  three  children  being  Emma,  Velma 
May,  and   Marion. 

On  the  15th  of  January,  1886.  Sumner  A.  Worthing  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Sadie  Watson,  a  sister  of  his  first  wife  and  a  resi- 
dent of  Buckingham,  Illinois.  Mrs.  Worthing  is  a  daughter  of  J.  K.  and 
Caroline  (Nickol)  Watson,  who  were  born  in  Canada,  whither  the  former's 
father  immigrated  from  Picadilly,  near  London,  England,  the  latter's 
father,  John  Watson,  having  married  a  cousin  of  the  English  member  of 
the  celebrated  Rothschild  family,  the  great  European  capitalists  and 
financiers.  From  Canada  the  parents  of  Mrs.  Worthing  removed  to  the 
United  States  and  settled  in  Illinois,  where  they  passed  the  remainder  of 
their  lives.  Their  children  were  nine  in  number.  To  Sumner  A.  and 
Sadie  (Watson)  Worthing  were  born  four  children,  concerning  whom 
brief  record  is  here  entered:  Leonard  Augustus,  who  was  born  July  31, 
1887,  is  a  sheet-metal  workman  and  is  employed  at  his  trade  in  the  City 
of  Los  Angeles.  February  10,  1905,  he  married  Miss  Myrtle  Holcomb, 
a  native  of  the  State  of  New  York,  and  they  have  two  children,  Albert 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1257 

Augustus  and  Howard.  Lillie  Mattie,  the  second  child,  was  born  Novem- 
ber 4,  1889,  and  her  marriage  to  Louis  Kelly  occurred  September  30, 
1906.  The  one  child  of  this  union  is  a  daughter,  Jessie  May.  On  the 
27th  of  September,  1911,  Mrs.  Lillie  M.  Kelly  contracted  a  second  mar- 
riage, when  she  became  the  wife  of  Pearl  Bunnell.  They  reside  in  San 
Bernardino  and  have  one  child,  Ruth  Naomi.  Fannie  Alice,  the  third 
child,  was  born  June  7,  1892,  and  on  the  16th  of  July,  1911,  she  became 
the  wife  of  Thomas  Rowe,  who  is  engaged  in  the  bakery  business  at 
Venice,  Los  Angeles  County,  their  one  child  being  a  son,  Theodore. 
Caroline  May,  the  fourth  child,  was  born  August  16,  1896,  and  March  5, 
1915,  recorded  her  marriage  to  John  L.  Welsh,  of  Redlands.  They  have 
two  children,  John  Lawrence.  Jr.,  and  Elizabeth  Jane. 

Sumner  A.  Worthing  came  with  his  family  to  California  in  1889,  his 
arrival  in  the  state  having  occurred  on  the  13th  of  June.  Thereafter  he 
was  employed  in  various  plumbing  establishments  until  1894,  when  he 
purchased  the  interest  of  the  junior  partner  of  the  firm  of  Brock  &  Osier, 
engaged  in  the  plumbing  and  tinning  business  at  Redlands.  The  firm  of 
Brock  &  Worthing  successfully  continued  the  business  for  the  ensuing 
ten  years,  at  the  expiration  of  which  Mr.  Worthing  purchased  the  interest 
of  his  partner  and  assumed  full  control  of  the  enterprise,  which  he  there- 
after conducted  under  the  firm  name  of  S.  A.  Worthing  &  Company, 
with  his  two  eldest  sons  as  silent  partners.  In  1916  he  sold  the  business 
to  his  eldest  son,  who  has  since  continued  to  maintain  the  same  at  the 
high  standard  set  by  the  father,  the  latter  having  lived  retired  since  dis- 
posing of  this  business.  Mr.  Worthing  is  a  veritable  pioneer  of  Redlands 
and  has  witnessed  and  aided  in  the  transformation  of  a  barren  desert 
tract  into  one  of  the  beautiful  cities  that  give  far-flung  fame  to  Southern 
California,  while  the  entire  district  that  was  but  a  desert  waste  of  sage- 
brush when  he  here  established  his  home  is  now  resplendant  with  fine 
gardens  and  orange  groves  and  beautiful  homes.  Mr.  Worthing  is  a  life 
member  of  Redlands  Lodge  No.  585,  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of 
Elks;  is  a  charter  member  of  the  local  organization  of  the  Fraternal 
Brotherhood,  and  in  the  community  which  he  has  helped  to  develop  and 
build  he  commands  inviolable  place  in  popular  confidence  and  esteem. 

Peter  Arth,  Sr.,  had  been  a  pioneer  in  South  Dakota  prior  to  estab- 
lishing his  residence  in  California  in  1891,  and  San  Bernardino  County 
gained  much  when  he  here  turned  his  attention  to  development  work  and 
productive  industry  in  connection  with  fruit  culture.  He  became  one  of 
the  substantial  fruit-growers  and  honored  citizens  of  the  Redlands  dis- 
trict, had  much  to  do  with  constructive  enterprise  in  connection  with  other 
properties  than  those  which  he  himself  owned,  and  he  proved  resourceful 
and  far-sighted  as  a  business  man,  achieved  success  through  his  own 
well  directed  efforts  and  ever  commanded  high  place  in  popular  con- 
fidence and  good  will.  He  was  born  at  Port  Washington,  Ohio,  in  1859, 
and  his  death  occurred  at  Redlands,  California,  on  the  11th  of  October, 
1910. 

Mr.  Arth  was  reared  and  educated  in  the  old  Buckeye  State  and  early 
gained  practical  experience  in  connection  with  farm  industry.  He  con- 
tinued his  residence  in  Ohio  until  1882,  when,  as  a  sturdy  and  ambitious 
young  man  of  twenty-three  years,  he  made  his  way  to  South  Dakota  and 
filed  entry  on  a  homestead  in  Potter  County,  his  marriage  having  there 
occurred  somewhat  later.  He  gave  himself  vigorously  to  the  develop- 
ment and  cultivation  of  his  land,  which  he  reclaimed  from  the  raw  prairie, 
and  he  made  on  the  farm  the  best  improvements  consonant  with  his  some- 
what limited  financial  resources.     Mr.  Arth  continued  his  residence  on  his 


1258       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

South  Dakota  farm  until  1891,  when  he  sold  the  property  and  came  with 
his  family  to  Redlands,  California.  The  day  after  his  arrival  he  pur- 
chased ten  acres  of  land  on  Pioneer  Street,  between  Texas  and  Orange 
streets,  and  for  this  now  splendidly  improved  and  valuable  property  he  paid 
$2,500.  On  the  tract  he  proceeded  to  plant  olive  and  apricot  trees,  but 
these  he  later  removed,  to  utilize  the  ground  for  the  propagation  of  Navel 
oranges.  On  the  day  which  marked  his  purchase  of  this  property 
Mr.  Arth  also  bought  lumber  and  other  materials  for  the  construction 
of  a  modest  house  on  the  place,  as  well  as  for  the  building  of  a  small 
barn  and  shed,  the  latter  structures  being  used  as  a  temporary  habitation 
for  the  family  until  the  house  could  be  completed,  and  only  one  night 
having  been  passed  in  a  hotel.  Later  Mr.  Arth  erected  on  the  place  the 
attractive  modern  house  which  continues  the  residence  of  his  widow,  who 
proved  his  devoted  companion  and  helpmeet  in  his  earnest  labors  to 
establish  a  home  and  win  a  position  of  independence.  With  increasing 
financial  resources  Mr.  Arth  gradually  added  to  the  area  of  his  land  hold- 
ings and  continued  to  plant  more  orange  trees.  After  setting  out  six 
acres  to  oranges  he  became  impressed  with  the  thought  that  the  orange- 
growing  industry  might  be  overdone  in  this  section,  and  he  ceased  increas- 
ing the  area  of  his  orchard.  He  soon  discovered  that  the  supply  of 
California  oranges  did  not  meet  the  trade  demands,  and  he  therefore 
proceeded  to  plant  the  remainder  of  his  land  to  oranges.  He  was  a  con- 
servative but  very  successful  grower,  and  make  close  study  of  the  best 
methods  and  policies  for  insuring  maximum  yields. 

In  the  earlier  period  of  his  residence  in  San  Bernardino  County  Mr. 
Arth  added  materially  to  his  income  by  acting  as  caretaker  of  orchards 
owned  by  others,  and  this  enabled  him  to  finance  his  individual  operations. 
In  this  way  he  had  charge  of  the  Hinckley  olive  grove  of  140  acres,  and 
for  a  term  of  years  he  had  charge  of  the  Brockman  ranch  of  150  acres, 
which  he  operated  on  shares,  this  place  having  been  devoted  principally  to 
the  raising  of  peaches  and  apricots  at  that  time,  but  he  later  set  out  for  the 
Brockman  Company  an  eighty-acre  orange  grove,  in  the  supervision  of 
which  he  continued  several  years.  In  these  years  he  added  to  his  own 
holdings,  but  scrupulously  avoided  the  incurring  of  heavy  indebtedness  and 
refused  to  speculate  in  any  degree.  Mr.  Arth  was  essentially  loyal  and 
public-spirited  and  served  effectively  as  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Trus- 
tees of  the  village  of  Redlands  prior  to  the  securing  of  a  city  charter. 
He  was  independent  in  politics,  was  affiliated  with  the  Knights  of  Pythias, 
and  was  an  active  member  of  the  Congregational  Church,  as  are  also  his 
widow  and  children. 

In  the  year  1883,  in  Potter  County,  South  Dakota,  was  solemnized  the 
marriage  of  Mr.  Arth  and  Miss  Elizabeth  C.  Rausch,  who  likewise  is  a 
native  of  Port  Washington,  Ohio,  where  she  was  born  November  11,  1861. 
Mrs.  Arth  has  a  wide  circle  of  loyal  friends  in  San  Bernardino  County, 
is  a  zealous  member  of  the  Congregational  Church,  as  previously  noted, 
and  she  was  formerly  an  active  member  of  the  Pythian  Sisters.  In  con- 
clusion of  this  memoir  is  entered  brief  record  concerning  the  children  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Arth. 

Peter  Arth,  Jr.,  eldest  of  the  four  children,  was  born  in  Potter 
County,  South  Dakota,  June  25,  1885,  and  was  reared  and  educated  at 
Redlands,  California,  he  being  now  one  of  the  prosperous  orange-growers 
of  this  district  and  a  director  of  the  Redlands  Co-operative  Fruit  Associa- 
tion. He  is  affiliated  with  Redlands  Lodge  No.  186,  Knights  of  Pythias, 
and  Redlands  Lodge  No.  583,  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks. 
He  is  not  only  a  substantial  producer  of  oranges  on  his  own  land,  but 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1259 

has  also  conducted  numerous  speculative  transactions  in  the  buying  and 
selling  of  orange  groves,  and  is  a  liberal  citizen  and  progressive  business 
man.  On  the  14th  of  June,  1911,  he  wedded  Miss  Alice  Bloomberg,  who 
was  born  in  the  State  of  Kansas,  March  19,  1889,  and  who  was  three  years 
of  age  when  her  parents  came  to  California  and  established  their  home  at 
Redlands.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Peter  Arth  have  four  children,  whose  names 
and  respective  dates  of  birth  are  as  follows:  Leona  Elizabeth,  June  17, 
1913;  Helen  Christine,  Mav  19,  1916;  Barbara  Edna,  Julv  16,  1918;  and 
Peter  (III),  March  19,  1920. 

Fred  Arth,  the  second  son,  was  born  in  Potter  County,  South  Dakota, 
February  20,  1887,  and  after  the  removal  to  California  he  continued  his 
studies  in  the  Redlands  school  until  his  graduation  in  the  high  school. 
He  has  been  closely  associated  with  orange-growing  from  his  boyhood 
days,  and  his  first  independent  venture  was  the  purchase  of  eighteen 
acres  of  land  on  Pioneer  Street,  for  a  consideration  of  $2,500.  He 
set  this  to  orange  trees,  and  to  finance  his  enterprise  he  raised  vegetables 
between  the  rows  of  young  trees  and  by  the  sale  of  the  same  added  mater- 
ially to  his  income.  He  constructed  his  own  irrigating  flume,  in  the  build- 
ing of  which  he  hauled  rock  from  the  river.  He  has  been  a  successful 
speculator  in  orange  groves,  in  which  he  and  his  brother  Peter  have  main- 
tained effective  partnership  relations.  One  of  their  early  speculations  was 
the  buying  of  a  ten-acre  grove  for  $7,000,  their  cash  payment  having  been 
only  $500,  and  on  the  subsequent  sale  of  this  property  they  netted  $2,000 
each,  the  sale  having  been  made  for  $11,000,  a  crop  having  been  taken  off, 
which  paid  all  expenses  for  the  ten  months  the  place  was  owned  by  the 
brothers.  In  1912  Fred  Arth  had  twenty  acres  of  orange  trees  one  and 
two  years  old,  and  three  acres  of  seven-year-old  trees.  He  bought  an 
additional  ten  acres,  but  in  the  big  freeze  of  1913  fully  two-thirds  of  the 
young  trees  froze  to  the  ground,  which  loss  was  augmented  by  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  entire  crop  by  the  frost.  Before  the  next  crop  was  ready  for 
the  market  Fred  Arth  expended  fully  $5,000  in  the  work  of  retrieving 
these  orange  groves,  as  his  faith  in  the  orange  industry  remaining  unim- 
paired. Fred  Arth  utterly  refused  to  consider  or  entertain  a  feeling  of 
discouragement  when  other  growers  viewed  the  outlook  with  alarm.  Thus 
he  purchased  during  a  season  when  many  others  were  discouraged.  In 
1917  after  the  heat  had  ruined  the  orange  crop  of  the  district,  he  purchased 
ten  acres  for  $11,000,  and  from  this  grove  a  single  crop  later  sold  for 
$9,000.  On  this  place  is  a  house  valued  at  $11,000,  and  yet  local  banks 
refused  to  extend  a  loan  on  the  security  thus  offered  in  a  certain  hot  year 
that  menaced  production,  a  policy  which  the  banks  followed  also  in  cold 
years.  Mr.  Arth  and  his  brother  had  confidence  in  the  future,  and  in  their 
operations  in  connection  with  orange  culture  they  have  met  with  substantial 
and  gratifying  success.  At  this  present  writing  Fred  Arth  is  the 
owner  of  100  acres  of  oranges,  and  is  a  director  and  vice  president  of  the 
Crown  Jewel  Packing  House.  He  married  Miss  Katherine  Yost,  who 
was  born  December  15,  1888,  and  who  is  a  daughter  of  Charles  Yost,  of 
whom  individual  mention  is  made  on  other  pages  of  this  work.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Arth  have  four  children:  Russell  Frederick,  born  September  13, 
1916;  Donald  Peter,  born  June  12,  1918;  Charles  Robert,  born  Januarv 
31,  1920,  and  the  baby,  born  February  12,  1922. 

Minnie,  the  elder  daughter  of  the  honored  subject  of  this  memoir, 
was  born  January  30,  1889,  and  is  a  graduate  of  the  Redlands  High  School. 
On  June  25,  1914,  she  became  the  wife  of  Dr.  Howard  G.  Hill,  who  was 
born  in  London,  England,  and  who  is  a  representative  young  physician 
and  surgeon  at  Redlands.     Dr.  and  Mrs.  Hill  were  members  of  a  party 


1260      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

that  set  forth  to  make  a  trip  around  the  world,  and  they  were  in  Germany 
at  the  outbreak  of  the  great  World  war.  It  was  only  by  resorting  to  all 
manner  of  expedients  and  making  utmost  haste  that  the  party  were  able 
to  escape  from  Germany  before  its  borders  were  closed,  two  days  after 
the  company  passed  out  of  that  country.  It  was  on  this  trip  that  the 
marriage  of  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Hill  occurred,  in  the  City  of  London,  England. 
They  have  four  children:  Howard  Arth,  Ruth  Gail,  Harold  Merrill 
and  Herbert. 

Edna,  the  youngest  of  the  children  of  the  late  Peter  Arth,  Sr.,  was 
born  at  Redlands,  November  4,  1891,  and  is  a  graduate  of  the  Redlands 
High  School.  She  was  a  member  of  the  same  party  as  her  sister  in  essay- 
ing the  trip  around  the  world,  as  noted  above,  and  encountered  the  same 
harrowing  experiences  in  fleeing  from  Germany  and  returning  to  the 
United  States  only  a  short  time  before  the  war  put  a  stop  to  passenger 
traffic  across  the  Atlantic.  On  the  6th  of  November,  1919,  Miss  Edna 
Arth  became  the  wife  of  Edward  G.  Gleitsman,  of  Dover,  Ohio,  and  they 
now  reside  in  Redlands,  Mr.  Gleitsman  being  a  successful  orange-grower 
in  this  district.  Mrs.  Gleitsman  and  her  sister  are  popular  factors  in  the 
social  life  of  Redlands,  and  the  former  is  an  active  member  of  the  local 
Contemporary  Club. 

Rufus  E.  Longmire.  Those  who  now  come  to  San  Bernardino  County 
can  have  no  real  idea  of  the  conditions  prevailing  when  the  pioneers,  among 
whom  were  Rufus  E.  Longmire  and  his  family,  located  amid  what  was 
then  practically  a  sterile  wilderness.  Irrigation  was  practically  unknown 
in  its  present  high  state  of  development,  dirt  ditches  being  the  only  means 
of  watering  the  soil,  and  the  walls  of  these  frequently  broke  through, 
resulting  in  a  loss  of  the  moisture  so  sorely  needed.  Citrus  culture  was 
then  in  its  infancy,  and  had  to  be  carefully  studied  and  experimented  upon. 
The  results  were  so  doubtful  that  it  took  one  with  great  faith  in  the  locality 
and  industry  to  dare  to  risk  all  in  these  experimentations,  but  because  there 
were  these  brave  souls,  willing  to  work  and  endure,  this  region  has  been 
made  into  one  of  the  finest  and  most  productive  portions  of  the  Golden 
State. 

Rufus  E.  Longmire,  for  so  many  years  connected  with  the  citrus 
industry  of  San  Bernardino  County,  and  for  a  long  period  an  honored 
resident  of  Highland,  was  born  in  Tennessee  in  1843,  and  died  at  High- 
land, California,  February  15,  1919.  In  1868  he  married  Miss  Mary  E. 
Shanlever,  who  was  born  in  Tennessee  in  1844,  and  they  settled  on  a  farm 
in  the  vicinity  of  Clinton,  Anderson  County,  Tennessee,  and  made  it  their 
home  until  1882,  and  there  their  five  daughters  and  two  sons  were  born. 
In  that  year  a  brother  of  Mr.  Longmire  returned  from  the  West  with  such 
glowing  accounts  of  California  and  its  possibilities  and  opportunities  that 
these  hard-working  and  watchful  parents  decided  to  make  the  long  trip 
to  the  Land  of  Promise,  being  willing  to  endure  much  in  the  hope  of 
obtaining  advantages  for  their  offspring. 

Therefore,  filled  with  hope  for  the  future  and  imbued  with  the  deter- 
mination to  succeed  no  matter  what  the  hardships  might  be,  Rufus  E. 
Longmire  and  his  devoted  wife  set  out  for  California.  They  arrived  at 
East  Highland  in  the  fall  of  1882,  and  rented  land  from  the  Van  Leuven 
ranch,  and  lived  on  it  for  five  years.  At  that  time  the  region  was  but  little 
improved,  and  father,  mother  and  children  had  to  work  very  hard  to  get 
a  foothold  in  the  new  home.  Scattered  citrus  orchards  and  grapes  were 
to  be  found,  but  there  was  no  concerted  movement  toward  the  establish- 
ment of  a  sound  industry.  However,  the  Longmire  family  were  united  in 
a  harmonious  whole  and  worked  with  a  definite  object  in  view,  that  of 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       12bl 

owning  their  home,  and  this  they  were  able  to  bring  about  after  five  years 
of  unremitting  toil  and  the  closest  of  economy.  Mr.  Longmire  bought  ten 
acres  on  Base  Line,  now  known  as  the  Parsons  place,  and  this  he  and  his 
family  set  to  orange  trees.  Theirs  was  one  of  the  early  orchards  of  this 
region,  and  they  lived  on  the  place  until  the  orchard  was  well  grown,  and 
then  sold  to  advantage  and  bought  ten  acres  on  Highland  Avenue,  at 
Boulder  Avenue.  Once  more  they  set  out  the  trees  that  had  been  raised 
on  the  Base  Line  property,  where  he  had  maintained  a  nursery  with  profit. 
The  second  orchard  flourished  and  was  sold,  again  at  a  handsome  profit, 
in  1912,  following  which  Mr.  Longmire  retired  from  active  participation 
in  business,  bought  a  comfortable  home  at  Highland,  where  the  remainder 
of  his  life  was  spent,  and  here  Mrs.  Longmire  is  still  residing.  She  also 
owns  a  grove  at  Rialto,  California.  They  came  to  San  Bernardino  County 
poor  people,  with  their  way  in  life  still  to  make,  and  when  Mr.  Longmire 
retired  they  were  possessed  of  ample  means,  and  Mrs.  Longmire  is  sur- 
rounded today  with  not  only  the  comforts  of  life,  but  also  many  of  the 
luxuries,  all  of  which  have  been  earned  through  the  toil  and  good  manage- 
ment of  the  Longmire  family. 

When  the  Longmires  came  to  California  the  eldest  child  was  fourteen 
years  of  age,  she  being  Ida,  who  was  born  in  October,  1868.  She  married 
Charles  Hidden  in  1892.  and  they  have  two  children:  Lloyd,  who  was 
born  January  21,  1894,  is  a  veteran  of  the  World  war,  having  served  as 
an  enlisted  man  in  the  artillery ;  and  Gertrude,  who  is  with  her  parents. 
The  second  child  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Longmire,  Lassie,  was  born  April  3, 
1870,  and  died  August  18,  1889.  Mattie,  the  third  child,  was  born  August 
13,  1871,  and  she  was  married  to  John  P.  Coy,  inspector  of  horticulture, 
and  they  became  the  parents  of  three  children:  Clifford,  who  was  born 
December  1,  1898,  is  a  veteran  of  the  World  war,  in  which  he  served  in 
the  aviation  branch;  Blanche,  who  was  born  November  17,  1899;  and 
John,  who  was  born  May  9,  1916.  Charles,  who  was  born  May  30,  1873, 
lives  at  Santa  Ana,  California,  and  is  a  real-estate  man.  He  is  married 
and  has  two  children:  Lucille,  who  was  born  April  1,  1904;  and  Rufus. 
who  was  born  February  14,  1907.  Kitty,  the  fifth  child  in  the  Longmire 
family,  was  born  December  1.  1874.  She  was  married  to  Frank  Cram,  a 
prominent  citrus  grower  of  Highland,  and  they  have  two  children :  Fred, 
who  was  born  July  1,  1896,  was  in  the  aviation  service  during  the  World 
war ;  and  Mary  Elizabeth,  who  was  born  May  27,  1900.  Maggie,  the  sixth 
child  in  the  Longmire  family,  was  born  April  25,  1877,  and  died  February 
9,  1896.  James  Longmire,  the  youngest  in  the  family,  was  born  February 
9,  1878.  He  lives  at  Highland,  is  married,  and  has  two  children :  Donald, 
who  was  born  January  30,  1916;  and  Merritt,  who  was  born  February  16, 
1921.  His  eldest  child,  Gerald,  who  was  born  November  11,  1914,  died  in 
infancy.  Mrs.  Longmire  is  very  proud  of  her  children  and  grandchildren, 
as  she  has  every  reason  to  be,  for  they  are  fine  people.  The  sons  and 
daughters  are  numhered  among  the  substantial  residents  of  the  several 
communities  in  which  they  are  located,  and  the  grandchildren  are  showing 
forth  in  their  lives  the  results  of  careful  training  and  the  good  stock  from 
which  they  have  sprung.  When  their  country  hail  need  of  them  the  voung 
men  went  forth  to  battle  for  it,  and  made  records  as  soldiers  which  will 
be  cherished  by  future  generations. 

George  A.  Klusman — Whatever  its  natural  origin  and  previous  train- 
ing, there  is  a  type  of  citizenship  that  represents  good  service  and 
usefulness  in  any  environment,  and  a  splendid  illustration  of  such 
type  is  in  the  person  of  George  A.  Klusman  of  Cucamonga. 


1262       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

Mr.  Klusman  was  born  in  Oldenburg,  Germany,  November  20, 
1879,  son  of  William  and  Johanna  (Stulken)  Klusman.  William 
Klusman  owned  a  good  farm  in  Germany  and  for  seven  years  lived 
in  America,  but  then  returned  to  his  native  land,  where  he  died  at 
the  age  of  eighty-two.  His  wife,  Johanna,  had  died  at  the  age  of 
forty.  They  had  six  sons :  William,  the  oldest,  now  chief  engineer 
of  the  Union  Tool  Works  at  Torrens  in  Los  Angeles ;  John  and 
Henry,  whose  careers  also  belong  within  the  province  of  this  pub- 
lication ;  Charles,  who  served  as  a  commission  officer  in  the  World 
war  and  still  lives  in  Germany ;  George  A.,  and  August,  who  died  at 
the  age  of  eight  years.  Four  of  these  brothers  became  Americans, 
and  they  came  to  this  country  not  only  to  enjoy  the  advantages 
of  the  new  world  but  to  make  themselves  in  every  sense  American 
citizens,  and  all  of  them  became  naturalized  as  soon  as  possible. 

George  A.  Klusman  acquired  a  good  education  in  Germany. 
During  1900-01  he  was  enlisted  in  the  Regular  German  Army  in 
the  91st  Division  of  Infantry.  He  served  six  months  in  Germany 
and  for  eighteen  months  was  abroad  in  China,  participating  in  the 
allied  expedition  to  quell  the  Boxer  rebellion.  His  pay  while  a 
German  soldier  was  five  cents  a  day.  He  went  back  home,  was 
mustered  out  and  for  one  year  was  employed  in  the  railway  service. 
He  resigned  in  order  to  follow  his  brothers  to  America,  and  he 
reached  Cucamonga  November  16,  1903.  He  came  here  a  hundred 
fifty  dollars  in  debt  to  his  brother  John,  having  borrowed  that  sum 
in  order  to  pay  the  expenses  of  his  voyage.  He  at  once  went  to 
work  for  his  brother  John  at  twenty-five  dollars  a  month  and  board. 
The  next  three  years  were  years  of  hard  labor,  during  which  he  paid 
back  the  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  and  also  saved  enough  to  buy 
a  team  of  horses.  He  then  leased  some  land,  and  since  then  has  been 
actively  identified  with  agriculture  and  horticulture,  but  his  big 
crop  and  the  specialty  by  which  he  is  widely  known  throughout  this 
section  is  potatoes.  There  is  probably  no  man  in  Southern  Cali- 
fornia who  understands  potato  culture  better  than  George  A.  Klus- 
man. In  1917,  when  the  Government  was  clamoring  for  increased 
food  production,  his  crop  amounted  to  ten  thousand  sacks.  The 
first  land  he  purchased  was  twenty  acres  of  untamed  soil,  and  he  set 
this  to  raisin  grapes,  intercultivating  in  the  meantime.  Here  he 
built  a  modern  home  and  barn  and  lived  there  until  he  sold  the 
property  in  1920. 

In  1917  Mr.  Klusman  bought  eighty  acres  of  excellent  land  on 
Foot  Hill  Boulevard.  This  is  the  scene  of  his  home  today.  All 
the  tract  is  irrigated  and  thirty  acres  have  been  set  to  lemons  and 
oranges,  twenty  acres  to  vineyard,  fifteen  acres  to  peaches  and  fifteen 
acres  to  garden  and  farm  crops.  On  account  if  its  varied  produc- 
tiveness, its  beautiful  home,  in  the  midst  of  mountain  scenery,  and 
its  commodious  outbuildings,  this  is  one  of  the  most  attractive 
places  along  this  old  thoroughfare.  Mr.  Klusman  still  leases  a 
large  acreage  and  uses  a  great  deal  of  land  every  season  for  his 
potato  crop.  Among  other  varied  interests  he  is  a  stockholder  in  the 
Building  &  Loan  Association  at  Cucamonga.  He  is  affiliated  with 
Lodge  No.  98,  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  at  Upland  and 
the  Foresters.  At  the  age  of  forty-two  he  has  accumulated  a 
prosperity  that  would  enable  him  to  retire,  though  his  energetic 
disposition  seems  likely  to  keep  him  in  the  productive  lines  of 
business  for  some  years  to  come.  He  was  ready  with  his  money 
and  all   other   influence   to  aid   the   Government   at   the   time  of   the 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1263 

World  war,  is  a  republican  in  politics,  and  a  member  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church. 

August  11,  1910,  Mr.  Klusman  married  Miss  Mary  Clarrissa 
Oliver,  who  was  born  at  Derry  West,  near  Toronto,  Canada,  August 
11,  1883.  She  is  a  high  school  graduate.  They  have  one  son,  George 
Oliver,  born  October  6,  1915.  Mrs.  Klusman  is  a  daughter  of  Josiah 
and  Mary  Ann  (Carter)  Oliver,  the  father  born  at  the  same  place 
as  his  daughter  and  the  mother  born  in  Brampton,  Canada.  The 
father,  a  farmer,  came  to  Cucamonga,  California,  in  1905  and  had 
a  ranch.  He  died  September  10,  1921.  The  mother  died  when  Mrs. 
Klusman  was  four  years  old.  There  were  six  girls  and  three  boys  in 
the  family.  Three  of  the  girls  married  and  are  living  in  California, 
also  one  of  the  brothers.  One  sister  and  one  brother  are  living  in 
Canada  and  one  sister  is  deceased. 

Davis  Donald  came  to  Redlands  in  1890,  and  with  his  father,  D.  M. 
Donald,  formed  one  of  the  first  contracting  firms  to  contribute  to  the 
upbuilding  of  Redlands.  He  was  born  in  Norwich,  Ontario,  Canada, 
May  23,  1865,  his  father,  Daniel  Mcintosh  Donald,  being  a  native  of 
Scotland,  his  mother,  a  Canadian.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  D.  M.  Donald  came  to 
Redlands  in  pioneer  days,  where  Mr.  Donald's  brother  was  the  first  Presby- 
terian minister,  the  church  at  that  time  being  where  the  Kingsbury  School 
now  stands. 

Mr.  Donald,  senior,  was  a  well  known  contractor  in  Canada,  and  when 
his  son  joined  him  here  they  started  a  business  that  has  lasted  over 
thirty  years,  and  have  built  many  of  the  finest  homes  and  most  substantial 
buildings  in  the  city,  including  the  A.  K.  Smiley  Public  Library,  the  Pres- 
byterian Church,  the  Redlands  National  Bank,  the  Columbia  Building  and 
many  others. 

Mr.  Donald's  wife,  Mrs.  Agnes  McMurchie  Donald,  followed  him  to 
Redlands  in  1891,  and  their  two  sons,  James  and  Gordon,  were  born  here 
and  received  their  education  in  the  local  schools  and  the  university.  Both 
volunteered  for  service  in  the  great  war.  fames  Donald  enlisted  Novem- 
ber 28,  1917,  in  the  Quartermaster's  Corps,  and  was  stationed  at  Fort 
McDowell,  then  at  Benicia  Arsenal,  and  was  discharged  May  10,  1919. 
He  is  a  department  manager  for  Allen  Wheaton,  and  married  in  Septem- 
ber, 1920,  Miss  Clara  Brown,  of  Oregon.  Gordon  Donald,  the  younger 
son,  enlisted  in  the  air  service  December  10,  1917,  and  was  sent  to  Fort 
McDowell,  then  to  Kelly  Field  and  Ellington  Field,  Texas,  and  lastly  to 
Wilbur  Wright  Field,  Dayton,  Ohio,  where  he  was  an  instructor,  in  aerial 
gunnery.  He  was  mustered  out  February  21,  1919,  and  on  October  23, 
1920.  married  Miss  Estelle  Hurd,  of  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania.  He  is 
associated  with  his  father  in  the  building  and  contracting  business,  and 
they  operate  their  own  shop,  equipped  with  the  most  modern  wood-work- 
ing machinery,  where  they  build  fine  cabinet  work,  as  well  as  manufacture 
interior  trim  and  finish  for  all  their  own  work.  They  are  also  engaged  in 
making  a  full  line  of  concrete  brick,  blocks  and  roofing  tile  for  modern 
fire-proof  residence  construction. 

Mr.  Donald  has  watched  the  growth  of  Redlands  from  a  tiny  village 
to  a  modern  up-to-date  community,  and.  like  all  those  who  were  here  in  the 
early  days,  is  a  firm  believer  in  the  future  growth  of  the  city.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  of  the  Merchants  and  Manufac- 
turers Association,  of  the  Redlands  Lodge  of  the  Benevolent  and  Pro- 
tective Order  of  Elks,  of  the  Redlands  Rotary  Club,  and  both  he  and  Mrs. 
Donald  are  active  members  of  the  First  Presbvterian  Church. 


1264       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

Cortner. — Three  brothers  make  up  the  Cortner  Brothers  Company, 
undertakers  and  funeral  directors,  whose  establishment  at  Sixth  and  East 
Olive  streets  in  Redlands  represents  the  highest  degree  of  service  and 
facilities  in  their  line. 

The  parents  of  these  brothers  were  George  A.  and  Kate  (Couch) 
Cortner,  both  natives  of  Bedford  County,  Tennessee.  Their  father  was 
born  in  1838  and  their  mother  in  1844.  George  A.  Cortner  was  a  farmer 
and  a  grain  dealer,  a  prosperous  business  man  who  spent  his  active  life  in 
Tennessee.     He  died  in  1911.  while  his  wife  passed  away  in  1893. 

George  and  Arthur  Cortner  came  to  Redlands  in  1902,  being  followed 
by  their  brother  Guy  in  1904.  Reasons  of  health  caused  George  Cortner 
to  seek  the  California  climate.  Arthur  Cortner  went  to  work  for  F.  A. 
Wales  in  his  undertaking  establishment  at  Redlands.  and  in  1904  the  two 
brothers  bought  the  Wales  business,  then  conducted  in  a  small  store  on 
State  Street.  Appreciating  the  need  of  a  more  commodious  place  and  a 
better  equipped  service,  they  established  their  Funeral  Parlor  in  1905,  at 
the  corner  of  Cajon  and  East  Olive  streets.  The  present  handsome  build- 
ing occupied  by  Cortner  Brothers  is  at  the  northwest  corner  of  Sixth 
and  Olive  streets.  For  over  fifteen  years,  therefore,  the  Cortner  Brothers 
Company  has  been  in  business  at  Redlands.  They  were  the  first  firm  to 
realize  the  need  of  a  modern  funeral  parlor  in  the  city,  and  selected  their 
present  location  on  account  of  its  convenience  to  car  lines  as  well  as  for  its 
seclusion.  In  this  commodious  and  well  arranged  chapel  they  have  sup- 
plied the  needs  of  all  classes. 

George  P.  Cortner  was  born  in  Tennessee  in  December,  1879,  and 
grew  up  and  received  his  education  in  that  state.  Since  1915  he  has  held 
the  responsibilities  of  business  manager  for  the  University  of  Redlands. 
He  married  Miss  Nellie  Harmon,  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  they  have  two 
daughters,  Katherine  and  Edith. 

F.  Arthur  Cortner  was  born  in  Tennessee  January  26,  1881.  He  was 
educated  in  that  state,  and  in  1903  graduated  from  the  Myers  College  of 
Embalming  at  Cincinnati.  In  1911  he  married  Miss  Katherine  Fox,  of 
Colton,  California.  Her  parents  were  California  pioneers,  her  father 
being  the  first  planter  and  packer  of  oranges  in  the  Colton  district,  and 
continued  the  business  of  packing  and  shipping  fruits  from  this  section 
for  manv  vears.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Arthur  Cortner  have  three  children  : 
Arthur,  Jr.',  born  May  28,  1912;  Anna  Belle,  born  September  30,  1914; 
Gayle,  born  October  22,  1916. 

Guy  Cortner,  youngest  of  the  three  brothers,  and  as  yet  unmarried, 
was  born  March  7,  1883,  at  Wartrace,  Tennessee,  and  was  reared  and 
educated  there.  He  arrived  in  Redlands  in  November,  1904.  He  is  also  a 
member  of  the  firm  Sering  &  Cortner.  furniture  merchants  at  Redlands. 

J.  J.  Suess. — In  everything  he  has  done  since  coming  to  Redlands  J.  J. 
Suess  has  manifested  the  talents  of  a  constructive  business  man,  and  has 
done  much  to  supply  and  anticipate  the  needs  of  the  community  for  com- 
mercial undertakings  involving  the  vital  necessities  of  life. 

Mr.  Suess,  one  of  San  Bernardino  County's  esteemed  and  successful 
business  men,  was  born  near  Zurich,  Switzerland,  August  22,  1862. 
When  he  was  five  years  of  age  his  parents,  John  J.  and  Susan  (Ulrich) 
Suess,  left  their  home  in  Switzerland  and  came  to  America,  settling  at 
Fort  Madison,  Iowa,  where  his  father  for  several  years  engaged  in  a 
manufacturing  business.  While  there  J.  J.  Suess  attended  common 
schools,  and  during  his  education  acquired  a  knowledge  of  English,  Ger- 
man and  Spanish.  From  Fort  Madison  the  family  moved  to  Guide  Rock, 
Nebraska,  and  a  few  years  later  both  parents  died  there,  leaving  a  family 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1265 

of  nine  children.  J.  J.  Suess  was  next  to  the  oldest.  The  children  man- 
aged to  keep  together  and  look  after  the  home  farm. 

J.  J.  Suess  at  the  age  of  nineteen  set  out  to  make  his  own  fortune  in 
the  world  and  came  to  California.  His  first  home  was  in  Ventura  County, 
where  he  did  farming  for  several  years  and  then  became  manager  of  a 
general  merchandise  store  at  Nordhoff.  On  November  1,  1891,  Mr.  Suess 
began  his  thirty  years  of  residence  in  Redlands.  At  that  time  he  bought 
a  half  interest  from  J.  W.  Eewis  in  the  Star  Grocery,  at  the  corner  of 
Orange  and  State  streets.  January  1,  1893,  he  became  sole  proprietor, 
and  has  been  active  head  and  owner  of  that  business  ever  since.  It  is  the 
largest,  best  equipped  and  most  successful  store  of  its  kind  in  Redlands, 
and  the  business  has  grown  and  prospered  from  year  to  year  through  the 
constant  care  and  effective  management  of  Mr.  Suess.  He  has  striven  to 
make  the  business  service  adequate  to  all  the  needs  of  the  community 
In  1905  he  added  a  modern  bakery,  supplying  goods  both  wholesale  and 
retail,  the  bakery  product  being  shipped  to  many  surrounding  cities.  In 
1910,  over  the  store,  he  opened  a  model  cafeteria,  which  for  years  has  been 
the  favorite  eating  place  in  the  Redlands  business  center,  but  it  is  now  on 
the  ground  floor  and  a  part  of  the  store.  Mr.  Suess  has  exercised  constant 
care  to  furnish  the  highest  class  and  best  prepared  food.  The  cafeteria 
has  a  seating  capacity  of  125.  The  next  important  extension  of  his  busi- 
ness activities  was  the  organization  in  1914  of  the  Imperial  Valley  Baking 
Company.  At  El  Centro  this  company  constructed  one  of  the  most 
modern  and  complete  machine  bakeries  in  the  state.  Mr.  Suess  is  presi- 
dent of  the  company,  and  the  business  is  entirely  wholesale,  supplying  the 
bakery  products  for  a  large  section  of  Southern  California,  including 
Imperial  and  adjoining  counties.  Mr.  Suess  is  also  president  of  the  EI 
Casco  Land  Company,  owning  the  property  formerly  known  as  the 
Singleton  Ranch.  This  is  a  very  extensive  tract,  and  under  the  present 
ownership  and  management  is  producing  general  crops  and  livestock. 
These  lands  and  other  business  ventures  are,  through  the  careful  business 
methods  of  Mr.  Suess,  constantly  adding  to  the  general  benefit  of  the 
community.  He  is  a  republican  in  politics,  and  was  mavor  of  Redlands 
for  two  terms,  from  1904  to  1908. 

On  December  29,  1889,  Mr.  Suess  married  Miss  Mattie  E.  Dewey,  a 
native  of  Pennsylvania.  She  died  in  1903.  the  mother  of  two  children. 
Donald  E.  Suess,  born  August  30,  1895,  attended  Redlands  High  School 
and  Phillips  Andover  Academy  in  Massachusetts,  and  acquired  a  thorough 
business  training  under  his  father.  He  is  now  with  Reid  Murdock  and 
Company,  wholesale  grocers  of  Chicago.  During  the  World  war  he 
enlisted  in  the  army  with  the  Grizzlies  at  Camp  Kearney.  The  Medical 
Department  ordered  his  release  from  this  branch,  but,  determined  to  dis- 
charge his  patriotic  duties,  he  enlisted  in  the  navy,  and  was  on  duty  at 
Goat  Island  until  after  the  signing  of  the  armistice.  The  second  child 
of  Mr.  Suess  is  Dorothy  Deney  Suess.  born  November  1,  1898,  a  graduate 
of  the  Redlands  High  School.  She  attended  the  Marlboro  School  for 
Girls  at  Los  Angeles,  also  the  University  of  California  and  the  University 
at  Redlands,  and  is  a  graduate  of  the  Munson  School  for  Secretaries,  and 
is  now  doing  an  important  work  as  secretary  for  the  County  Highway 
Commission  of  San  Bernardino  County.  She  is  one  of  Redlands'  favorite 
daughters. 

On  March  15,  1905,  Mr.  Suess  married  Miss  Nellie  Westland,  who  was 
born  at  Grand  Ledge,  Michigan.  She  was  well  known  socially  and  in  edu- 
cational affairs  at  Redlands  before  her  marriage,  having  been  principal 
of  one  of  the  grammar  schools  of  Redlands.  She  is  a  graduate  of  the 
Michigan  State  Normal  School  at  Ypsilanti.     She  is  of  Scotch-Irish  ances- 


1266      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

try,  and  her  grandmother  was  one  of  the  first  graduates  of  Oberlin  College 
in  Ohio,  and  her  grandfather,  Rev.  E.  T.  Branch,  was  a  Congregational 
minister  who  did  missionary  work  for  his  denomination  in  Michigan  while 
it  was  still  a  territory.  Airs.  Suess  is  a  member  of  the  Congregational 
Church,  belongs  to  the  Contemporaneous  Club,  concluded  in  December, 
1920,  a  two-year  term  as  president  of  the  Southern  District  of  Federated 
Women's  Clubs,  and  has  been  very  active  in  civic  and  social  betterment, 
having  been  a  worker  in  the  Red  Cross  during  the  war  period  and  always 
deeply  interested  in  the  welfare  and  progress  of  the  schools.  She  was  an 
active  leader  in  the  movement  for  the  creation  and  improvement  of  Sylvan 
Park,  and  was  appointed  secretary  of  the  Park  Commission.  Mrs.  Suess 
is  a  republican  in  politics. 

Mr.  Suess  is  a  Mason,  a  member  of  Al  Malaikah  Temple  and  Shrine, 
also  a  member  of  Redlands  Lodge  of  Elks  and  the  Woodmen  of  the  World, 
and  belongs  to  the  Rotary  Club.  In  his  years  of  industry  he  has  made 
himself  a  strong  factor  in  the  commercial  and  civic  integrity  of  Southern 
California.  His  success  has  been  the  result  of  energies  and  character  pro- 
ceeding from  himself,  since  he  started  life  with  no  capital  in  a  material 
way. 

J.  Oliver  Percival  is  a  young  business  man  who  has  made  ex- 
traordinary use  of  his  time  and  talents  since  leaving  school.  At  Hemet 
he  has  carried  on  and  developed  an  extensive  ice  manufacturing  and 
associated  industry,  and  is  justly  accorded  a  place  of  prominence 
among  the  business  leaders  of  that  community. 

Mr.  Percival  was  born  at  Santa  Monica,  California,  September  1, 
1892,  son  of  J.  Phil  and  Delia  C.  Percival,  now  residents  of  Los 
Angeles.  His  father  is  president  of  the  Percival  Iron  Company  of 
Los  Angeles.  Phil  Percival  in  his  early  years  was  celebrated  as 
a  champion  bicycle  rider. 

J.  Oliver  Percival  attended  public  school  at  Los  Angeles,  graduating 
from  high  school  in  1910,  and  in  the  same  year  started  his  independ- 
ent career,  locating  at  Hemet.  The  business  to  which  he  has  given 
his  energies  and  which  in  time  has  profited  by  his  connection  is 
the  Valley  Ice  &  Laundry  Company.  He  became  president,  secretary 
and  treasurer  of  the  company  some  years  ago  and  is  now  its  principal 
owner.  This  industry  was  started  as  a  very  modest  plant,  but  is 
now  one  of  the.  largest  of  the  kind  in  Riverside  Count}',  serving  a 
patronage  for  many  miles  adjacent  to  Hemet. 

Mr.  Percival  is  also  president  of  the  Hemet  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce and  one  of  its  directors,  and  he  is  also  director  of  the  First 
National  Bank  of  Hemet.  He  is  a  republican  in  politics  and  a  Mason 
and  Shriner,  also  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias. 

On  April  4,  1915,  he  married  Miss  Eva  Oldaker  at  Riverside. 
Her  parents  have  been  residents  of  San  Bernardino  County  for  over 
thirty  years.  Her  father,  George  Oldaker,  in  San  Bernardino  is 
connected  with  the  Santa  Fe  Railway.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Percival  have 
two  children.  Oliver  Cary,  born  November  21,  1916,  and  Patricia, 
born  November  23,  1919. 

James  A.  Cole  was  one  of  the  most  honored  pioneer  citizens  of  San 
Bernardino  County,  where  he  established  his  home  in  the  year  1859,  and 
with  his  strong  and  earnest  manhood  he  proved  a  force  in  connection 
with  the  early  stages  of  development  and  progress  in  this  favored  section 
of  the  state.  He  was  a  resident  of  old  San  Bernardino  at  the  time  of  his 
death,  July  27,  1888,  and  his  character  and  achievement  were  such  as  to 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1267 

make  imperative  a  tribute  to  his  memory  in  connection  with  the  compilation 
of  the  history  of  San  Bernardino  County. 

James  Alfred  Cole  was  born  at  Kirtland,  Trumbull  County,  Ohio, 
March  8,  1831,  and  was  reared  and  educated  in  the  old  Buckeye  State,  his 
parents  having  there  been  pioneer  settlers  in  the  district  known  as  the 
Western  Reserve.  As  a  young  man  he  married  May  Elizabeth  Kelly, 
who  was  born  at  Quincy,  Illinois,  May  31,  1833,  and  whose  death  occurred 
at  Oakland,  California,  on  the  15th  of  March,  1915,  their  marriage  having 
been  solemnized  at  Springville,  Utah  Territory,  on  the  17th  of  July,  1852. 
From  Ohio  James  A.  Cole  went  to  Illinois  and  became  a  member  of  the 
Mormon  colony  at  Nauvoo,  and  as  a  member  of  the  Latter  Day  Saints  he 
was  with  this  colony  at  the  time  of  its  historic  hegira  from  Nauvoo  to 
Utah,  in  which  territory  was  established  the  church  headquarters  at  Salt 
Lake  City.  He  continued  his  residence  in  Utah  until  1859,  on  October 
16th  of  which  year,  accompanied  by  his  family,  he  set  forth  with  other 
members  of  the  Mormon  Church  to  form  a  new  colony  in  California.  The 
company  proceeded  by  wagon  train  over  the  weary  intervening  distance, 
and  deferred  departure  until  a  detachment  of  Government  troops  became 
available  to  serve  as  protection  against  attack  by  Indians.  The  colonists 
arrived  in  San  Bernardino  County  on  the  23d  of  December,  1859.  The 
long  overland  journey  having  been  initiated  on  the  16th  of  the  preceding 
October.  On  arrival  at  their  destination  the  company  encamped  on  what 
is  now  Third  Street  in  the  City  of  San  Bernardino,  the  colonists  having 
first  settled  in  old  San  Bernardino,  near  the  old  Mission.  This  selection  of 
location  was  made  by  reason  of  the  fact  that  here  they  could  make  use  of 
water  which  the  Indians  had  previously  brought  in  for  irrigation  purposes. 
The  colonists  widened  the  primitive  ditches  constructed  by  the  Indians 
and  increased  materially  the  area  of  irrigated  land.  Mr.  Cole,  who  had 
severed  his  connection  with  the  Mormon  Church,  remained  at  San  Ber- 
nardino until  the  1st  of  February,  1860,  when  he  removed  to  a  tract  of 
thirty  acres  in  old  San  Bernardino.  With  the  passing  years  he  added  to 
this  original  holding  until  he  was  the  owner  of  approximately  700  acres, 
the  same  extending  a  distance  of  two  miles  north  and  south.  He  became 
the  owner  also  of  what  is  now  known  as  Loma  Linda.  This  site  was 
platted  into  town  lots  and  the  original  name  of  the  village  was  Mound  City. 
With  the  construction  of  the  Southern  Pacific  Railway  line  through  this 
section,  in  1875,  Colton  was  made  a  division  point,  and  Mound  City  passed 
into  obscurity,  the  land  reverting  to  farm  use.  Mr.  Cole  was  a  man  of 
much  physical  strength  and  prowess  in  the  earlier  period  of  his  residence 
in  California,  and  he  gained  distinct  prestige  as  a  wrestler,  with  never  a 
defeat  in  the  local  matches.  He  enjoyed  this  sturdy  sport  but  did  not 
countenance  what  are  now  designated  as  boxing  (fighting)  contests. 

On  his  land  Mr.  Cole  planted  a  number  of  orange  trees  and  other  fruit 
trees,  but  he  gave  the  greater  part  of  his  attention  to  the  raising  of  live 
stock,  grain  and  forage  crops.  His  place  being  situated  at  the  mouth  of 
San  Gorgonia  Pass,  through  which  passed  the  long  trains  of  freight 
wagons  en  route  to  Arizona,  he  kept  a  station  and  supplied  forage  for  the 
freighting  teams.  In  this  way  he  found  profitable  market  for  most  of  his 
farm  produce,  as  often  his  farm  would  be  the  stopping  place  for  fully  200 
head  of  horses  and  mules  over  night.  From  1860  to  1868  he  operated  a 
line  of  freighting  wagons  of  his  own  in  the  hauling  of  supplies  to  Prescott, 
Arizona.  Mr.  Cole  was  a  man  of  vision  and  progressiveness,  and  was  one 
of  the  first  of  the  pioneers  to  bring  blooded  live  stock  into  this  part  of 
California,  his  early  importations  having  had  enduring  influence  in  improv- 
ing the  grades  of  stock  raised  here.  He  imported  the  first  I'ercheron 
Norman  stallion  into  San  Bernardino  County,  and  brought  also  a  Cleveland 


1268       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

bay  stallion,  a  riding  and  driving  type,  besides  which  he  brought  here  the 
first  Berkshire  hogs,  and  introduced  the  first  reaping  machine  and  header 
to  be  used  in  San  Bernardino  County.  The  harvester  was  manufactured 
by  Cyrus  McCormick  of  Chicago,  and  it  attracted  wide  attention  when 
placed  in  operation  by  Mr.  Cole,  persons  having  come  for  miles  to  see  the 
new  machine.  Mr.  Cole  served  as  school  trustee  and  was  a  leader  in  com- 
munity advancement  in  many  other  ways.  Both  he  and  his  wife  con- 
tinued their  membership  in  the  Church  of  Latter  Day  Saints  until  their 
deaths.  Of  their  ten  children  one  died  in  infancy ;  Susannah  Matilda  was 
born  at  Sprinville,  Utah,  July  29,  1853;  James  Calvin  was  there  born 
September  3,  1854;  Hugh  Henry,  February  3,  1856;  and  John  Albert, 
April  13,  1858.  All  of  the  other  children  were  born  at  Old  San  Bernar- 
dino: Mary  Jane,  June  21,  1860;  Arthur  Edgar,  December  27,  1861; 
Joseph  Morrison,  July  23,  1865;  Alfred  Ira,  July  13,  1867;  and  Walter 
Dayton,  April  15,  1880.  Of  the  children  only  four  are  now  living:  Hugh 
Henry,  Arthur  Edgar,  Joseph  Morrison  and  Walter  Dayton.  Hugh 
Henry  married  Miss  Mary  Curtis,  a  member  of  a  prominent  pioneer  family 
of  San  Bernardino  County,  and  they  have  one  son  and  three  daughters. 
Arthur  Edgar  Cole  received  the  advantages  of  the  public  schools  and  a 
business  college  in  Los  Angeles,  where  in  1882  he  took  a  special  course  in 
penmanship.  As  a  penman  lie  has  few  superiors,  even  to  the  present  day, 
notwithstanding  the  fact  that  he  has  done  a  large  amount  of  hard  and 
rough  farm  work  that  naturally  might  impair  his  skill  in  this  line.  He  has 
kept  himself  in  practice  and  has  gained  high  reputation  and  has  held  official 
positions  that  have  brought  his  talent  into  effective  play.  He  has  served  as 
deputy  county  clerk  and  deputy  county  auditor  and  recorder,  and  in  1887 
he  was  deputy  tax  collector  of  San  Bernardino  County.  After  the  death 
of  his  father  he  resumed  active  association  with  farm  enterprise  on  his 
inherited  portion  of  the  old  homestead.  Here  he  raises  oranges  and  other 
fruits,  with  special  attention  given  to  the  raising  of  Bartlett  pears.  Some 
of  the  trees  on  his  farm  were  planted  by  him  and  his  father  more  than  half 
a  century  ago.  September  21,  1892,  Arthur  E.  Cole  wedded  Miss  Elmira 
Doell,  who  was  born  near  Rocky  Ridge,  Ottawa  County,  Ohio,  March  8, 
1864,  and  who  died  at  Ontario.  California,  March  25,  1921,  she  having 
come  to  this  state  in  1892.  She  is  survived  by  two  children:  Anna 
Louise,  who  was  born  August  30,  1893,  and  who  is  now  the  wife  of 
George  P.  Hinchman,  a  printer  residing  at  Ontario,  California,  their  mar- 
riage having  occurred  in  October,  1918;  and  Arthur  Edgar,  Jr.,  who  was 
reared  and  educated  in  San  Bernardino  County.  At  Los  xA.ngeles,  on  the 
17th  of  July,  1920,  he  enlisted  in  the  United  States  Navy,  and  he  has 
sailed  on  various  vessels  and  on  many  seas  while  in  training  for  service  as  a 
marine  engineer  of  the  navy.  Joseph  Morrison  Cole  is  a  rancher  of  Red- 
lands,  and  Walter  Dayton  Cole  is  a  well  known  attorney  of  Oakland, 
California. 

Mrs.  Winnie  Watje. — A  stimulating  example  of  what  a  determined 
woman  can  do  when  left  largely  to  her  own  resources  is  furnished  by  Mrs 
Winnie  Watje  of  Redlands.  Her  husband  died  while  in  the  midst  of 
developing  an  orange  grove,  and  Mrs.  Watje  immediately  took  charge, 
and  has  achieved  a  success  remarkable  in  itself  and  one  that  makes  her  a 
recognized  authority  and  leader  among  the  citrus  fruit  growers  of  this 
district. 

Mrs.  Watje  was  born  in  Germany,  near  the  Holland  border,  March  26, 
1879,  daughter  of  Chris  and  Henrietta  Kahl.  Her  parents  were  farm 
laborers  in  Germany,  her  father  frequently  receiving  only  ten  cents  for  a 
day's  labor.     Three  of  the  daughters  and  one  of  the  older  sons  managed 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1269 

to  save  enough  to  get  them  to  America,  where  they  struggled  along  for 
three  or  four  years  before  they  saved  enough  to  send  for  their  parents 
and  younger  children. 

Mrs.  Watje  was  thirteen  when  she  came  to  America.  Her  parents 
settled  in  Iowa,  and  Mrs.  Watje  had  a  few  terms  of  the  common  schools 
in  that  state. 

In  1897  she  was  married  to  William  Watje,  an  Iowa  farmer  and  also 
a  native  of  Germany,  who  had  come  to  America  with  his  parents  when 
nine  years  old.  Mrs.  Watje  has  three  children :  Barney,  born  July  4, 
1903,  now  studying  mechanics;  Adele,  born  August  31,  1905,  attending 
the  Redlands  High  School  and  planning  a  career  as  a  professional  nurse; 
and  Wilburt,  born  September  21,  1908.  These  children  were  all  born  in 
Iowa.  In  1909  the  family  moved  to  Redlands,  where  William  Watje 
bought  ten  acres  of  Valencia  oranges  on  Alabama  Street,  and  with  the 
assistance  of  the  family  began  the  business  of  fruit  growing.  He  died  in 
1913,  leaving  Mrs.  Watje  with  the  responsibility  of  her  family  and  the 
care  of  the  orchard.  That  was  the  year  of  the  great  freeze.  Mrs.  Watje 
had  closely  studied  practical  methods  of  caring  for  orange  groves,  and  she 
wisely  carried  out  her  ideas  in  that  crisis.  Immediately  after  the  freeze 
she  purchased  large  quantities  of  blood  fertilizer,  and  made  an  application 
to  the  groves  and  a  second  one  in  the  fall.  The  result  was  that  in  six 
weeks  the  trees  had  apparently  recovered  their  normal  vitality,  and  the 
crop  for  that  season  totaled  7,634  boxes,  netting  $6,300,  whereas  other 
growers  who  had  not  fertilized  secured  either  a  light  yield  or  none  at  all. 
The  results  continued  even  in  the  second  year,  when  other  groves  were 
extremely  affected.  In  1918  Mrs.  Watje  harvested  8,000  boxes  of 
oranges,  for  which  she  received  almost  $16,000.  She  now  has  a  fifteen 
acre  grove  and  gives  it  her  personal  supervision. 

This  is  a  wonderful  achievement,  showing  what  a  live  woman  can 
accomplish  in  the  fruit  industry,  but  the  story  is  not  complete  without 
some  reference  to  the  early  environment  and  conditions  under  which  Mrs. 
Watje  and  the  other  members  of  the  family  lived  before  they  came  to 
America,  the  land  of  opportunity.  Mrs.  Watje  was  one  of  nine  children. 
Her  father  was  a  farm  laborer  in  Germany,  and  after  they  all  came  to 
America  the  boys  worked  on  rented  land  and  the  girls  went  out  to  work 
in  private  families,  and  all  their  earnings  were  pooled  so  as  to  enable  them 
to  buy  land.  Mrs.  Watje  when  only  eleven  years  of  age  in  the  old  cbuntry 
worked  out  during  the  six  weeks  school  vacation,  did  heavy  house  work 
and  also  assisted  in  the  fields  in  the  cutting  and  hauling  and  threshing  of 
grain.  Her  task  was  to  cut  the  bundles  as  fed  into  a  horse  driven  thresh- 
ing machine,  and  she  was  so  small  she  had  to  stand  on  a  box.  For  this  six 
weeks  labor  she  received  one  dollar  and  enough  gingham  for  an  apron. 
At  other  times  she  cared  for  the  children  of  rich  people,  but  was  never 
allowed  to  eat  at  table  with  her  employers,  and  she  cooked  many  meals, 
while  the  only  food  allowed  her  was  a  dish  of  soup.  When  she  reached 
Iowa  she  at  once  went  out  to  work,  and  found  herself  handicapped  by  her 
lack  of  knowledge  of  English.  For  the  first  week  she  received  fifty  cents. 
Her  mother  at  home  spun  and  made  all  clothes  by  hand,  working  late  at 
night,  and  from  this  labor  eventually  her  fingers  became  deformed  and 
worn.  Mrs.  Watje  generously  assisted  in  providing  for  her  parents. 
Her  mother  is  now  deceased,  and  her  father,  seventy-five  years  old,  lives 
in  Mrs.  Watje's  California  home.  In  the  old  country  the  family  ate  the 
coarsest  of  food,  and  yet  were  hardy  and  rarely  sick.  Her  grandfather 
was  a  tailor  and  sat  and  sewed  by  hand  nearly  all  his  life,  yet  lived  to  the 
age  of  ninety,  was  never  seriously  ill  and  never  wore  glasses.  Frequently 
when  Mrs.  Watje's  father  was  absent  from  home  at  work  the  rest  of  the 


1270      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

family  would  sit  in  the  dark  at  night  waiting  until  her  grandfather  could 
come  home  with  his  wages  to  buy  food  and  oil  for  light.  Six  weeks  at  a 
time  the  family  fare  consisted  of  buttermilk,  rye  bread  and  syrup. 

When  the  family  came  to  this  country  they  not  only  improved  their 
material  conditions  but  readily  adapted  themselves  to  American  ways  and 
became  enthusiastic  citizens.  Mrs.  Watje  has  deserved  every  degree  of 
her  generous  prosperity.  She  has  educated  her  family  and  during  the 
World  war  was  not  only  a  liberal  buyer  of  bonds,  but  an  energetic  worker 
in  the  local  Red  Cross. 

Allen  Break  is  a  man  whose  energy,  ability  and  personal  efforts  have 
enabled  him  to  so  take  advantage  of  opportunities  offered  in  Southern 
California  as  to  advance  himself  from  a  position  of  financial  obscurity  to  a 
plane  of  substantial  independence.  He  is  now  one  of  the  representative 
citizens  of  the  Bryn  Mawr  district  of  San  Bernardino  County,  and  it  is 
pleasing  to  accord  him  recognition  in  this  work. 

Mr.  Break  was  born  in  Elgin  County,  Province  of  Ontario,  Canada, 
on  the  30th  of  November,  1871,  and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Mary  Break,  the 
father  having  been  a"  farmer  by  vocation.  The  lineage  of  the  Break 
family  traces  back  to  Swiss  origin,  and  in  Switzerland  the  spelling  of  the 
name  was  Brech.  John  Break,  the  founder  of  the  American  branch  of 
the  family,  came  to  this  country  in  the  year  1751  and  established  his  home 
in  Pennsylvania,  where  he  died  at  the  early  age  of  thirty-two  years.  His 
brave  and  resourceful  young  widow,  with  her  two  fatherless  children, 
emigrated  to  Ontario,  Canada,  where  she  purchased  200  acres  of  heavily 
timbered  land,  at  $2.00  an  acre,  and  instituted  its  reclamation.  This  prop- 
erty was  retained  in  possession  of  the  Break  family  more  than  100  years, 
and  portions  of  it  have  been  sold  in  recent  years  for  a  price  as  high  as  $125 
an  acre.  The  soil  was  of  excellent  constituency,  and  this  is  shown  in  the 
fact  that  a  black-walnut  tree  planted  on  the  old  homestead  grew  to  such 
gigantic  proportions  as  to  overshadow  and  cause  the  death  of  the  apple 
trees  in  thirteen  rows  adjacent  to  it.  This  tree  was  planted  by  a  member 
of  the  Break  family  and  when  it  was  recently  felled  and  sawed  into  lumber 
the  lumber  was  divided  among  the  surviving'representatives  of  the  family. 
The  parents  of  the  subject  of  this  review  continued  their  residence  in 
Ontario  until  1920,  when  they  came  to  California,  where  they  now  reside 
near  the  home  of  their  son  Allen,  who  is  one  of  their  family  of  five  children 
and  of  whom  he  is  the  eldest;  Catherine,  born  February  2,  1873,  is  the 
wife  of  William  Call,  and  they  reside  in  the  State  of  Wyoming;  David, 
born  December  27,  1879,  resides  at  Florence,  Kansas;  Rose,  born  January 
22,  1882,  resides  at  Redlands,  California;  and  Estelle,  born  October  1, 
1891,  is  the  wife  of  Donald  Donson,  foreman  of  the  fruit-packing  house 
of  the  Redlands  Orange  Growers  Association  at  Redlands. 

In  the  public  schools  of  his  native  province  Allen  Break  continued  his 
studies  until  he  had  completed  the  work  of  the  seventh  grade  at  Kitchener. 
Thereafter  he  continued  his  association  with  farm  industry  in  Ontario 
until  the  spring  of  1892,  when  he  came  West  and  found  employment  as  a 
farm  hand  in  Kansas,  at  a  stipend  of  eighteen  dollars  a  month  and  his 
board.  He  worked  literally  "from  the  rising  of  the  sun  until  the  going 
down  of  the  same,"  and  he  continued  his  alliance  with  farm  enterprise 
in  the  Sunflower  State  four  years,  within  which  in  1894  he  married  Miss 
Cynthia  Clausen,  who  was  born  in  Denmark,  September  23,  1876,  and  who 
was  eighteen  months  old  when  her  parents  came  to  America  and  established 
their  home  in  Kansas,  where  they  passed  the  remainder  of  their  lives,  as 
sterling  pioneers  of  that  commonwealth. 

In  January,  1897,  Mr.  Break  came  to  California,  in  company  with  his 
wife  and  their  eldest  child,  then  an  infant,  and  upon  the  arrival  of  the 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1271 

family  at  Pomona  the  tangible  possessions  of  Mr.  Break  were  summed  up 
in  forty  dollars  and  the  two  trunks  in  which  the  personal  belongings  of  the 
family  had  been  transported.  He  obtained  employment  with  the  Cali- 
fornia Fruit  Growers  Exchange  at  Pomona,  and  continued  this  connection 
seven  years,  within  which  he  was  advanced  to  the  position  of  manager 
of  the  packing  house.  This  experience  has  proved  of  great  value  to  him 
in  his  independent  operations  in  connection  with  the  raising  of  citrus  fruits. 
Upon  leaving  Pomona  Mr.  Break  came  to  Redlands  Junction  and  engaged 
in  the  buying  and  packing  of  oranges  in  an  independent  way.  He  also 
purchased  a  tract  of  twenty  acres,  of  which  eight  acres  had  been  planted 
to  citrus  trees,  which  were  bearing  fruit.  On  the  remainder  of  the  tract 
he  planted  orange  trees  of  the  Navel  and  Valencia  types.  In  undertaking 
this  enterprise  he  assumed  an  appreciable  indebtedness,  but  his  energy  and 
good  management  enabled  him  eventually  not  only  to  free  himself  from 
debt  but  also  to  develop  one  of  the  fine  fruit  ranches  of  this  section.  He 
now  owns  and  operates  a  high-grade  orange  grove  of  ninety-seven  acres. 
Mr.  Break  has  been  notably  prospered  in  his  speculative  enterprise  in  the 
buying,  packing  and  shipping  of  California  fruit,  and  is  one  of  the  leading 
independent  packers  and  dealers  of  San  Bernardino  County.  His  interests 
are  such  that  he  is  a  very  busy  man,  and  he  may  well  take  pride  in  being 
one  of  the  world's  productive  workers  who  have  "made  good."  He  now 
does  his  marketing  almost  exclusively  through  the  excellent  medium  of  the 
Mutual  Orange  Distributors  of  Redlands,  an  admirable  organization  that 
has  developed  the  best  of  direct  trade  relations  in  all  sections  of  the  United 
States,  as  well  as  principal  Canadian  markets.  Mr.  Break  has  prospered 
where  many  other  men  have  failed.  He  has  had  unlimited  confidence  in 
the  resources  of  Southern  California,  and  he  attributes  his  success  mainly 
to  his  conservative  policies  and  careful  methods. 

In  1910  Mr.  Break  purchased  thirty-four  acres  as  a  townsite  at  Red- 
lands  Junction,  ten  acres  of  the  tract  being  platted  into  lots  and  placed 
on  the  market,  and  twenty-one  acres  having  previously  been  planted  to 
oranges  and  eucalyptus.  Thus  was  founded  the  attractive  suburban  dis- 
trict of  Bryn  Mawr,  and  incidentally  Mr.  Break  sold  the  site  on  which  is 
now  established  the  fruit  packing  houses  of  Redlands  Junction.  He 
became  a  strong  advocate  of  segregation  of  Mexican  children  in  school 
work,  and  he  sold  the  land  on  which  was  constructed  a  school  for  the 
Mexican  children  of  the  community,  his  interest  in  the  enterprise  having 
been  shown  by  the  fact  that  he  let  the  property  go  for  half  the  price  he 
could  have  obtained  had  he  otherwise  placed  it  on  the  market.  It  was  thus 
largely  due  to  his  efforts  that  the  separate  schools  for  Mexican  and  Ameri- 
can children  were  here  provided.  Within  three  years  he  sold  all  of  the 
tract  of  thirty-four  acres,  and  in  this  connection  he  received  a  handsome 
profit.  Honest  and  straightforward  policies  have  attended  his  course  in  all 
stages  of  his  progressive  career,  and  he  is  always  ready  to  give  counsel 
and  all  possible  aid  to  ambitious  young  men  who  set  forth  to  avail  them- 
selves of  the  great  advantages  offered  in  Southern  California.  He  early 
set  to  himself  a  definite  success-goal,  and  this  he  has  reached.  He  states 
that  to  accumulate  his  first  $1,000  was  the  hardest  task  in  this  connection, 
and  he  pays  tribute  to  his  wife  as  having  been  his  best  partner  and  coadju- 
tor. He  has  relied  largely  upon  her  excellent  judgment  in  financial  and 
other  business  matters,  and  looks  upon  her  as  his  valued  co-partner  in  every 
sense. 

In  civic  relations  Mr.  Break  has  shown  himself  most  loyal  and  liberal, 
and  in  the  community  his  list  of  friends  is  limited  only  by  that  of  his 
acquaintances.  He  is  affiliated  with  the  lodges  of  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows  and  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks  at  Redlands. 


1272       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

In  conclusion  is  given  brief  record  concerning  the  children  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Break :  Samuel  Wesley,  who  was  born  in  Kansas,  August  30,  1896, 
is  a  graduate  of  the  Redlands  High  School,  and  his  is  the  distinction  of 
having  represented  California  in  the  nation's  military  service  at  the  time  of 
the  World  war.  Upon  his  enlistment  he  was  assigned  to  service  in  testing 
men  on  the  rifle  range,  and  as  a  pointer  of  large  guns  he  was  later 
assigned  to  duty  with  the  United  States  Navy.  Since  the  close  of  the  war 
he  has  been  retained  as  a  member  of  the  Reserve  Corps  of  the  navy.  On 
his  twenty-first  birthday  he  received  from  his  father  a  gift  of  $2,000, 
and  with  this  he  purchased  a  five-acre  orange  grove,  from  the  yield  of 
which  in  two  seasons  he  made  full  payment  on  the  property.  He  is  now 
the  owner  of  an  excellent  orange  ranch  of  fifteen  acres,  has  been  identified 
with  the  citrus-fruit  industry  from  his  early  youth,  and  is  now  foreman  of 
the  Bryn  Mawr  Fruit  Growers  Association.  Anna  Letta,  the  second  child, 
was  born  at  Pomona,  this  state,  June  20,  1900.  She  is  a  graduate  of  the 
Redlands  High  School,  and  as  a  skilled  accountant  she  now  holds  the 
responsible  position  of  head  bookkeeper  of  the  Redlands  National  Bank. 
Mary  Irene,  who  was  born  at  Redlands  Junction,  August  10,  1905,  was 
graduated  from  the  Redlands  High  School  and  she  remains  at  the  parental 
home,  both  she  and  her  sister  being  popular  factors  in  the  social  life  of 
the  Redlands  district,  and  the  family  home  being  known  for  its  generous 
hospitality  and  good  cheer. 

Charles  Edward  Pitts  is  one  of  the  pioneers  in  the  development  of 
the  citrus  fruit  industry  in  San  Bernardino  County,  where  his  finely 
improved  property  is  situated  in  the  Bloomington  District,  at  the 
corner  of  Slover  Avenue  and  Lilac  Street  and  on  one  of  the  rural  mail 
routes  from  Rialto. 

Mr.  Pitts  was  born  at  St.  Albans,  New  York,  August  29,  1857, 
and  is  a  son  of  Richard  and  Janice  (Hewitt)  Pitts  the  father  having 
been  a  farmer  in  the  old  Empire  State  and  his  children  having  been 
six  in  number — three  sons  and  three  daughters.  Charles  E.  Pitts 
gained  his  early  education  in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  state, 
and  as  a  youth  he  there  learned  the  trade  of  carriagemaker.  After 
inheriting  $3,000  he  was  for  three  years  engaged  in  the  grocery 
business,  and  after  disposing  of  this  business  he  went  into  a  planing 
mill  and  learned  the  trade  of  manufacturing  sash  and  doors.  There- 
after he  was  employed  at  his  trade  in  many  Canadian  cities,  including 
Quebec  and  Montreal,  and  in  the  same  way  he  visited  and  worked  in 
various  cities  in  the  Southern  states  of  the  Union.  Wrhen  he  arrived 
in  Los  Angeles,  California,  in  1885,  his  cash  capital  was  represented 
in  the  sum  of  twenty-five  dollars.  Business  was  at  low  ebb  at  the 
time  and  he  could  find  no  employment  at  his  trade,  under  which 
condition  he  took  a  position  on  a  ranch  near  Mound  City  (now  Loma 
Linda),  San  Bernardino  County,  where  he  received  one  dollar  a 
day  and  his  board  and  lodging.  His  available  cash  had  been  reduced 
to  seven  dollars  at  the  time  when  he  secured  this  job,  and  after 
working  forty  days  he  quit,  with  an  even  four  dollars.  He  then 
obtained  work  at  his  trade  in  San  Diego,  at  four  dollars  a  day,  and 
there  he  remained  two  years.  In  1888  he  found  employment  in  a 
mill  at  Colton,  but  upon  the  subsidence  of  the  boom  in  that  district 
in  1890  he  found  employment  at  his  trade  in  San  Bernardino,  in 
the  spring  of  1891.  There  he  remained  thus  engaged  for  two  years. 
In  1888  he  had  purchased  from  ex-Governor  Merrill  a  tract  of  twenty 
acres  of  land  at  Bloomington,  where  he  had  selected  two  choice 
tracts  of  ten   acres  each,  one   on   Willow   Street   and   the  other  on 


Charles  E.  Pitts,  Dorothy  E.  Pitts,  Walter  C.  Pitts 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1273 

Lilac  Street.  He  instituted  the  reclamation  of  this  land,  which 
was  covered  with  sagebrush  and  cacti,  and  in  1893  he  planted  the 
two  tracts  to  oranges.  Later  he  sold  the  ten  acres  on  Willow  Street, 
but  he  still  owns  the  other  ten  acres,  which  now  has  one  of  the  finest 
orange  groves  in  this  part  of  the  county.  More  than  fifteen  years 
ago  Mr.  Pitts  purchased  an  additional  tract  of  twenty  acres  of  improved 
orange  land  on  the  northwest  and  southwest  corners  of  Lilac  Street 
and  Slover  Avenue.  He  was  for  four  years  successfully  identified  also 
with  the  cattle  business,  but  since  1896  has  given  his  entire  attention 
to  the  citrus  fruit  industry.  His  career  has  been  one  of  strenuous  appli- 
cation, and  he  has  won  success  entirely  through  his  own  ability  and 
efforts.  He  encountered  his  full  share  of  the  vicissitudes,  trials  and 
adverse  conditions  incidental  to  pioneer  enterprise  in  fruit  culture, 
and  he  stands  today  as  one  of  the  most  substantial  and  successful 
exponents  of  orange  growing  in  the  Bloomington  district,  the  while 
he  has  so  ordered  his  course  as  to  gain  and  retain  unqualified  popular 
confidence  and  esteem. 

The  year  1901  recorded  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Pitts  to  Miss  Ebba 
Lund,  who  was  born  in  Sweden,  and  they  have  two  children :  Walter, 
who  was  born  April  12,  1902,  was  graduated  from  the  San  Bernardino 
High  School  as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1921 ;  and  Dorothy,  born 
April  9,  1905,  is  now  (1922)  a  student  in  the  same  high  school. 

George  S.  Biggin  came  to  Redlands  in  1893  and  now  for  nearly  thirty 
years  has  been  closely  identified  with  the  commercial  life  of  the  city.  His 
integrity  as  a  business  man  and  the  ability  he  has  manifested  in  all  his  rela- 
tions as  a  citizen  have  earned  him  the  complete  confidence  of  the  com- 
munity, and  he  now  enjoys  the  responsibilities  of  supervisor.  In  business 
he  is  prominent  in  real  estate  and  insurance. 

Mr.  Biggin  was  born  at  Warren,  Ohio,  May  6,  1868.  His  father, 
William  H.  Biggin,  was  a  native  of  England,  where  he  learned  and  fol- 
lowed the  trade  of  wagon  maker.  It  was  his  ambition  to  become  a  farmer, 
and  to  realize  that  ambition  he  came  to  the  United  States  in  1854.  On 
shipboard  he  met  an  English  girl,  Miss  Emily  Bolsom,  and  in  New  York 
in  1855  they  were  married  and  soon  afterward  moved  to  Ohio,  where  in 
after  years  he  achieved  a  substantial  success  as  a  farmer.  Of  the  five 
children  George  S.  Biggin  is  the  youngest. 

He  was  reared  on  his  father's  farm  and  shared  in  its  duties  until  he  was 
twenty-three.  In  the  meantime  he  attended  school,  receiving  a  high  school 
education.  Mr.  Biggin  came  direct  to  Redlands  and  joined  an  uncle,  who 
had  preceded  him.  His  first  regular  work  was  as  clerk  in  the  grocery  store 
of  L.  E.  Shepherd,  and  three  years  later  he  joined  the  grocery  firm  of 
Dutton  &  Edwards,  with  whom  he  remained  ten  years.  He  and  C.  W. 
Clark  eventually  purchased  the  stock  and  business  of  his  employers,  and 
conducted  it  profitably  as  a  partnership  for  two  years,  at  the  end  of  which 
time  Mr.  Biggin  sold  his  interest  to  Mr.  Clark. 

Since  retiring  from  the  mercantile  field  Mr.  Biggin  has  been  active  in 
insurance,  at  first  as  a  representative  of  life  insurance,  but  now  has  a  well 
organized  general  agency  handling  all  departments.  In  connection  he  sub- 
sequently began  dealing  in  real  estate,  and  has  supplied  the  service  in  a 
number  of  prominent  sales  in  this  vicinity,  and  his  activity  in  advertising 
has  brought  a  decided  value  to  the  community  during  the  past  sixteen 
years. 

Mr.  Biggin  was  first  a  candidate  for  public  office  in  1916  when  J.  B. 
Glover  announced  that  he  would  retire  from  the  office  of  county  super- 
visor.    Mr.   Biggin   declared   himself   a   candidate   as   his    successor,   but 


1274       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

eventually  Mr.  Glover  reconsidered  his  decision  and  then  Mr.  Biggin  with- 
drew. Mr.  Glover  was  re-elected  and  rounded  out  a  service  of  twenty- 
four  years  as  supervisor.  In  1920  Mr.  Biggin  again  came  forward, 
received  the  nomination  and  was  elected,  his  conduct  in  office  justifying 
the  generous  support  given  him  by  his  friends.  He  has  been  a  director 
of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  for  fourteen  years  and  was  president  one 
term.  He  is  affiliated  with  the  Masonic  Order,  the  Benevolent  and  Pro- 
tective Order  of  Elks  and  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows. 

Mr.  Biggin  was  captain  of  the  Redlands  National  Guard  Company  at 
the  outbreak  of  the  Spanish-American  war,  and  he  immediately  recruited 
the  company  to  its  full  strength  and  was  mustered  into  the  Federal  service 
as  captain  of  Company  G,  Seventh  California  Infantry.  This  company 
left  Redlands  for  The  Presidio  May  6,  1898.  All  were  eager  to  get  to  the 
Philippines,  but  the  company  was  held  on  duty  at  The  Presidio  until  mus- 
tered out  at  Los  Angeles  December  3,  1898.  During  the  World  war  Mr. 
Biggin  made  application  for  active  service  in  the  army,  but  was  rejected, 
and  had  to  be  satisfied  with  what  he  could  do  as  a  patriotic  citizen  in  home 
work. 

In  1894  he  married  Miss  Hattie  D.  Ellis,  of  Springfield,  Vermont. 
Mrs.  Biggin  was  liberally  educated  in  the  East,  finishing  in  a  special  pre- 
paratory school  at  Boston.  There  are  two  children  of  their  marriage : 
Leslie  E.,  born  at  Redlands  February  14,  1895,  was  educated  in  the  Red- 
lands  High  School  and  is  married  and  living  at  Redlands.  Elfreda  M., 
the  daughter,  was  born  July  8,  1898,  is  a  graduate  of  the  Redlands  High 
School  and  is  now  in  the  junior  year  of  Pomono  College,  where  she  is 
specializing  in  English. 

Caleb  Newton  Harford. — While  not  one  of  the  original  colonists, 
Caleb  Newton  Harford  has  been  identified  with  Redlands  and  vicinity  for 
thirty-three  years,  coming  here  within  two  years  after  the  founding  of  the 
town.  He  was  an  Illinois  merchant,  but  his  capital  and  energy  have  been 
exceptionally  well  bestowed  on  citrus  fruit  and  ranch  development  in 
California,  and  a  number  of  substantial  and  profitable  properties  stand  as 
monuments  to  his  enterprise  in  this  part  of  the  state. 

Mr.  Harford  was  born  September  16,  1846,  in  Pennsylvania.  He  was 
reared  and  educated  there  and  learned  the  carpenter's  trade.  In  the  fall 
of  1873  he  went  out  to  Grand  Ridge,  LaSalle  County,  Illinois,  to  visit  a 
cousin,  a  general  merchant.  At  the  invitation  of  this  cousin  he  remained 
to  work  in  the  store  during  the  winter  months,  and  continued  that  employ- 
ment until  1876,  when  his  relative  sold  the  business.  He  then  put  up  a 
building  and  entered  the  grocery  business  on  his  own  account.  The  year 
he  started  his  independent  career  as  a  merchant  he  married,  and  for 
twelve  years  did  a  successful  business  in  one  of  the  rich  and  prosperous 
farming  sections  of  Illinois. 

Attracted  by  the  reports  of  friends  and  neighbors  he  and  his  family 
left  Illinois  and  came  direct  to  Redlands,  reaching  that  city  February  21, 
1888.  Mr.  Harford  at  once  purchased  a  home  on  Fourth  Street.  Soon 
afterward  he  exchanged  this  as  part  payment  for  fifteen  acres  at  East 
Redlands.  This  land  was  only  partly  planted,  and  he  planted  the 
remainder  and  also  built  a  home  and  lived  there  until  1895.  He  then 
exchanged  this  for  town  property,  and  during  the  past  quarter  of  a  century 
has  bought  and  sold  and  traded  many  pieces  of  property  in  this  section. 
He  has  performed  the  service  of  planting  much  new  land,  and  has  brought 
a  number  of  groves  into  profitable  bearing  condition.  Out  of  his  energetic 
handling  of  his  business  affairs  he  has  prospered,  has  educated  his  family, 
and   is  regarded  as  one  of   the  best  citizens  of   Redlands.     His  present 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1275 

home  and  grove  is  at  the  northeast  corner  of  Orange  Street  and  Lugonia 
Avenue. 

In  1876  Mr.  Harford  married  Miss  Mary  J.  Boyd,  whose  parents 
were  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  Her  mother  was  born  at  Gettysburg  and 
her  uncle  at  one  time  owned  land  included  in  the  Gettysburg  battlefield. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harford  have  five  children.  The  first  four  were  born  in 
Illinois  and  the  youngest  in  California.  The  oldest,  Grace  E.,  born  in 
1877,  is  the  wife  of  W.  S.  Leibendofer,  now  living  at  Bakersfield,  Califor- 
nia, and  she  is  a  leader  in  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  that  city.  The 
second,  Boyd  Emory  Harford,  born  in  1881,  has  an  executive  position  with 
the  Standard  Oil  Company  at  Taft,  California.  He  married  Miss  Babson 
Hubert,  of  Oceanside,  California.  Miss  Cecil  C,  born  in  1884,  is  a  grad- 
uate of  the  Redlands  High  School,  took  a  course  in  the  San  Bernardino 
Business  College,  and  for  the  past  six  or  seven  years  has  been  employed 
in  the  Redlands  City  Water  Office  and  is  an  earnest  church  worker.  Clara 
Belle,  the  fourth  child,  born  in  1886,  graduated  from  the  Redlands  High 
School  and  is  the  wife  of  Roy  S.  Kendall,  who  for  the  past  twelve  years 
has  been  in  the  employ  of  the  Edison  Company  and  is  now  store  keeper  in 
charge  of  electrical  supplies  at  Redlands.  The  youngest  of  the  family, 
Harry  L.  Harford,  was  born  at  Redlands  in  1891,  was  reared  and  edu- 
cated in  this  city,  an  electrician  by  trade  and  profession,  and  is  now  in  the 
employ  of  the  Standard  Oil  Company  at  Taft.  He  has  an  inspiring 
record  as  a  World  war  soldier.  He  enlisted  in  Machine  Gun  Company  A 
in  the  Fortieth  Division,  but  after  a  brief  training  at  Camp  Kearney  was 
sent  overseas  for  further  training  and  was  in  France  sixteen  months,  being 
promoted  to  corporal  and  sergeant  while  there.  From  the  Machine  Gun 
Company  he  was  transferred  to  the  Automobile  Supply  Department,  and 
was  advanced  to  the  firing  line  on  the  day  the  armistice  was  signed.  Later 
he  was  on  duty  at  Antwerp  and  various  Belgium  cities,  and  returned  to  the 
United  States  in  October,  1919. 

William  Nicoll  Moore. — Capital  and  good  business  management 
have  been  the  central  factors  in  developing  the  greater  part  of  San  Ber- 
nardino's wonderful  citrus  area.  Both  these  factors  were  supplied  in  no 
small  degree  by  the  late  William  Nicoll  Moore,  an  Eastern  business  man 
who  acquired  a  large  amount  of  unimproved  and  waste  acreage  and  by 
supplying  water,  leveling  and  planting  brought  to  a  profitable  stage  a  con- 
siderable area  now  rated  along  with  the  highest  class  of  such  property  in 
Southern  California. 

The  late  Mr.  Moore  was  born  at  Neenah,  Wisconsin,  in  1864.  He  had 
an  engineering  education  in  the  Massachusetts  Polytechnic  Institute  at 
Worcester.  In  early  manhood  he  became  interested  in  several  manu- 
facturing concerns  in  Illinois,  and  still  owned  some  of  these  interests  at  the 
time  of  his  death.  He  died  while  traveling  with  his  two  daughters  in  New 
Zealand  in  1911. 

He  had  frequently  visited  in  California,  and  he  came  to  the  Redlands 
district  to  make  it  his  permanent  home  in  1901.  Out  of  his  capital  he 
invested  heavily  in  undeveloped  lands,  and  with  the  aid  of  his  two  sons 
had  these  lands  put  in  condition  for  planting,  and  this  development  work 
has  gone  on  uninterruptedly  since  his  death  and  has  given  Redlands  a 
great  addition  to  its  permanent  wealth  and  prosperity. 

The  late  Mr.  Moore  married  in  1883  Miss  Gertrude  A.  Robinson,  a 
native  of  Massachusetts.  The  two  sons  are  Laurence  L.  and  Francis  W. 
Moore,  both  of  whom  are  associated  under  the  name  of  the  Sunset  Orange 
Company  as  citrus  fruit  growers  and  packers  at  Redlands,  this  being  the 
business  representing  the  outgrowth  of  their  father's  original  investment 


1276       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

and  enterprise.  The  two  daughters  are  Gretchen  and  Janet.  Gretchen  is 
Mrs.  R.  T.  Will,  of  Rochester,  New  York.  Janet  is  Mrs.  J.  R.  Grepe,  of 
Whittier,  California. 

Mrs.  Laura  May  Miller,  of  Highland,  is  one  of  the  ladies  of  San 
Bernardino  County  who  belongs  to  pioneer  stock,  and  one  who  through 
her  father  and  her  grandfather  possesses  the  right  to  be  considered  as  a 
descendant  of  several  of  the  founders  and  developers  of  the  present-day 
civilization  in  all  of  this  region.  She  was  born  near  San  Bernardino,  Octo- 
ber 9,  1872,  a  daughter  of  Charles  and  Eugenia  Black,  the  latter  of  whom 
was  also  born  at  San  Bernardino. 

Charles  S.  Black,  born  at  Augusta,  Maine,  made  two  trips  around  the 
world  before  coming  to  San  Bernardino.  He  came  here  in  the  early  '50s 
and  was  a  freighter  between  Los  Angeles,  California,  and  points  in 
Arizona  for  years  before  the  building  of  the  railroads,  during  a  period 
when  hostile  Indians  made  each  trip  hazardous.  He  had  many  narrow 
escapes  from  capture  or  death  at  their  hands,  and  from  the  equally  danger- 
ous outlaws  which  infested  all  of  the  frontier  towns.  In  spite  of  all  of 
these  disadvantages  he  persisted  in  his  line  of  business  and  the  winning  of 
the  respect  of  all  with  whom  he  was  associated. 

One  of  the  grandfathers  of  Mrs.  Miller,  Zina  G.  Ayer,  a  native  of 
Vermont,  born  August  14,  1810,  was  a  man  with  a  family  when  he  went 
to  Kentucky  and  there  met  and  married  a  lady  whose  name  was  Mrs.  Mary 
Power  Applegate,  and  who  was  a  native  of  Madisonville,  born  August  5, 
1819.  Her  maiden  name  was  Mary  Power.  She  married  a  Mr.  Apple- 
gate,  who  was  killed  in  the  Mexican  war.  Years  later  she  married  Zina  G. 
Ayer.  After  their  marriage  they  journied  together  across  the  plains  with 
an  ox-team  to  Salt  Lake,  traveling  over  the  old  Mormon  trail.  They 
suffered  untold  hardships,  were  constantly  in  danger  of  attack  from  the 
Indians,  and  just  at  the  end  of  their  journey  lost  by  death  three  children  of 
their  party,  now  buried  at  San  Bernardino.  In  1852  they  made  a  perma- 
nent settlement  at  San  Bernardino,  where  Mr.  Ayer  became  one  of  the 
wealthy  and  prominent  men  of  his  day.  A  far-sighted  and  astute  business 
man,  he  invested  heavily  in  realty,  and  became  the  owner  of  all  of  the 
land  now  between  Eourth  and  Second  streets,  but  sold  before  San  Ber- 
nardino became  a  city.  Possessed  of  progressive  ideas,  he  introduced 
new  appliances  into  the  county,  and  owned  the  first  lathe  in  all  of  this 
region. 

The  maternal  uncle  of  Mrs.  Miller,  Thomas  T.  Cook,  was  another  of 
the  notable  men  of  the  early  days  of  the  West,  and  later  of  San  Bernardino 
County.  Mr.  Cook  was  born  in  Georgia,  March  29,  1830,  a  son  of  James 
Cook,  of  that  state.  By  the  time  he  attained  his  majority  the  attention  of 
the  whole  country  was  turned  Westward  as  a  result  of  the  discovery  of  gold 
in  California  in  1848,  and  he,  following  the  example  of  many  of  his  neigh- 
bors, set  out  on  the  long  and  dangerous  trip,  crossing  the  plains  with  teams. 
Unlike  a  number,  however,  his  objective  was  Oregon,  and  after  his  arrival 
he  spent  two  years  there,  but  then  came  down  into  Northern  California, 
and  for  seven  years  was  engaged  in  mining.  In  1860  he  went  to  Virginia 
City  for  a  year,  leaving  it  for  Idaho,  and  later  Montana,  spending  thirteen 
years  in  the  mines  of  those  two  states.  In  1874  he  went  into  Arizona, 
but  after  a  year  came  to  San  Bernardino  County.  In  1876  he  married 
Mrs.  Amanda  Weaver,  of  Indiana,  a  daughter  of  Joseph  Applegate,  who 
died  while  in  the  service  during  the  Mexican  war.  By  her  first  marriage 
she  had  five  sons :     Warren,  Augustus,  Abraham,  Henry  and  William. 

Mrs.  Miller  grew  up  at  Highland,  and  was  educated  in  its  schools. 
She  has  witnessed   many  of  the  really  remarkable  changes  which  have 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1277 

come  to  this  region,  and  talks- very  entertainingly  of  them.  She  was  a  little 
girl  when  the  road  between  Colton  and  San  Bernardino  was  constructed, 
under  the  superintendence  of  Harry  Davis.  Mr.  Davis  was  subsequently 
killed  in  a  wreck  occasioned  by  the  passing  of  the  first  motor  over  Lytle 
Creek  bridge,  when  the  bridge  collapsed,  killing  him.  This  was  prior  to 
the  opening  of  the  road.  His  son,  then  a  lad,  and  Mrs.  Miller,  together 
with  five  small  companions,  used  to  have  the  Chinese  laborers  put  a  hand 
car  on  the  tracks,  and  then  they  would  pump  it  from  Colton  to  San  Ber- 
nardino and  back  before  a  train  went  over  it  or  before  it  was  finished. 
The  opening  of  this  road  was  the  beginning  of  modern  history  for  San 
Bernardino  County  and  the  passing  of  the  days  of  the  freighters,  who  were 
crowded  out  by  steam  and  later  by  electricity  and  gasoline. 

On  December  29,  1892,  Laura  May  Black  was  married  to  Albert 
Miller,  a  native  of  Ohio  and  a  son  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mason  Miller,  of 
Ulrichsville.  Albert  Miller  is  an  orange  grower,  owning  a  grove  on  Pacific 
Avenue,  Highland.  For  the  past  thirty-three  years  he  has  been  in  charge 
of  the  James  Fleming  estate.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Miller  have  two  sons,  Albert 
F.  and  Howard  E.  Albert  F.  Miller  was  born  at  Highland,  May  9,  1894, 
and  was  educated  in  his  native  city  and  in  San  Bernardino.  On  November 
29,  1915,  he  married  Miss  Hester  V.  Shanklin,  and  they  have  one  child, 
Helen  Marjorie,  who  was  born  October  31,  1916. 

Howard  E.  Miller,  the  second  son,  was  born  at  Highland,  March  11, 
1898,  and  was  there  reared,  attending  its  schools  and  those  of  San  Ber- 
nardino. Enlisting  in  Company  K,  California  National  Guard,  he  served 
as  a  bugler,  and  later  was  part  of  the  old  Seventh  Regiment,  which  did 
active  service  on  the  Mexican  border  during  1916.  With  the  entry  of 
this  country  into  the  World  war  he  enlisted  in  Company  K,  One  Hundred 
and  Sixtieth  Division,  and  received  his  training  at  Camp  Kearney,  and 
was  among  the  first  contingents  sent  overseas.  After  his  arrival  in  France 
he  spent  six  weeks  in  the  Signal  School,  and  was  then  transferred  to  the 
Twenty-sixth  Division,  composed  principally  of  New  England  men  and 
known  as  the  Yankee  Division.  He  was  motorcycle  messenger,  carrying 
messages  between  headquarters  and  first  line  trenches,  a  very  dangerous 
service,  in  which  he  continued,  although  he  had  three  machines  shot  from 
under  him,  and  escaped  from  death  or  capture  by  a  very  narrow  margin 
countless  times.  His  third  machine  was  blown  from  under  him  and  gave 
him  a  shell  shock,  this  occurring  eight  days  before  the  signing  of  the 
armistice.  The  shock  was  so  severe  that  he  was  sent  to  the  hospital  and 
for  three  days  he  was  speechless.  This  accident  occurred  at  Verdun,  and 
he  was  also  in  the  battles  in  and  around  the  Argonne  Forest  and  the  Meuse, 
belonging  to  the  defensive  sector,  was  in  the  St.  Mihiel  drive  from  start 
to  finish,  in  all  being  in  six  engagements.  After  his  release  from  the 
hospital  he  was  transferred  to  the  One  Hundred  and  First  Regiment,  and 
once  more  served  as  bugler.  After  the  return  of  his  unit  to  the  United 
States  he  served  for  two  months  as  military  police  at  Paris.  He  then 
received  his  honorable  discharge  in  France,  but  for  the  subsequent  three 
months  served  with  the  food  commission  in  France,  returning  home  a 
civilian  on  board  of  the  steamship  Rotterdam.  In  spite  of  all  of  his 
experiences,  real  bravery  and  endurance  this  young  man  is  only  a  little 
past  his  majority,  proving  the  contention  of  the  highest  military  authorities 
that  the  very  young  men  make  the  best  soldiers.  He  is  now  at  home  with 
his  parents. 

While  her  younger  son  was  serving  his  country  abroad  and  proving 
himself  worthy  of  the  good,  pioneer  stock  from  which  he  sprung,  Mrs. 
Miller  was  also  demonstrating  her  100%-Americanism  by  working  early 
and  late  in  behalf  of  the  Red  Cross,  for  which  she  was  decorated  with  the 


1278       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

American  Red  Cross  badge,  which  testifies  to. the  fact  that  the  wearer  has 
given  at  least  700  hours  of  service  to  the  organization.  She  had  charge 
of  the  two  Red  Cross  drives.  Not  satisfied  with  all  of  this  she  was  very 
active  in  canteen  work.  Since  the  war  she  has  found  an  outlet  for  her 
energies  and  public  spirit  through  her  membership  with  the  Woman's 
Club  and  the  First  Congregational  Church  of  Highland.  Mrs.  Miller  is 
typical  of  her  generation,  and  is  proving  that  she  is  a  true  daughter  of 
the  pioneers  who  bravely  did  their  part  in  shaping  the  history  of  their 
times. 

The  First  National  Bank  of  Rialto  has  been  serving  that  pros- 
perous community  for  fifteen  years,  and  in  that  time  has  grown  to 
be  one  of  the  stronger  banks  of  San  Bernardino  County. 

It  was  organized  in  August,  1907,  by  E.  D.  Roberts,  of  San 
Bernardino,  and  commenced  business  February  3,  1908.  This  bank 
is  a  branch  of  the  San  Bernardino  Savings  Bank  of  San  Bernardino. 
The  first  officers  w^ere  E.  D.  Roberts,  president;  William  Buxton, 
vice  president ;  E.  M.  Lash,  cashier.  The  bank  started  with  a  capital 
of  $25,000.00,  and  was  established  in  a  bank  building  especially  con- 
structed for  the  purpose.  The  banking  house  is  of  concrete  block 
construction,  and  has  all  the  modern  facilities.  On  the  death  of 
E.  D.  Roberts  in  August.  1920,  a  reorganization  of  the  official  personnel 
resulted  in  Richard  E.  Roberts  becoming  president,  J.  C.  Boyd  and  Ken- 
neth MacRae,  vice  presidents;  E.  M.  Lash,  cashier;  and  E.  W.  Presto, 
assistant  cashier.  In  October,  1921,  another  change  in  officers  took  place, 
E.  M.  Lash  becoming  president,  while  J.  C.  Boyd  and  Kenneth  MacRae 
are  vice  presidents ;  E.  W.  Preston,  cashier ;  and  J.  E.  McManis,  assistant 
cashier. 

Up  to  January  1,  1922,  the  original  capital  was  still  maintained. 
At  that  time  the  bank  had  accumulated  $35,000  in  surplus.  In  the 
annual  meeting  that  followed  the  capital  was  increased  to  $50,000, 
leaving  $10,000  surplus  and  $15,000  of  undivided  profits.  At  that 
date  the  total  resources  amounted  to  $540,000.  In  March,  1921,  a 
burglar  proof  alarm  system  was  installed  at  a  cost  of  $4,000,  and 
in  the  same  month  the  new  safety  deposit  vaults  were  completed. 
The  First  National  Bank  is  a  home  institution,  and  fully  a  third  of 
the  most  influential  people  in  the  community  are  stockholders. 

The  official  of  longest  standing  in  the  bank  is  Eber  M.  Lash, 
now  president.  Mr.  Lash  was  born  at  Bloomville,  Ohio,  December  24, 
1879,  son  of  John  B.  and  Nancy  (Coyle)  Lash,  natives  of  Ohio  and 
now  deceased.  His  father  was  a  minister  of  the  Free  Will  Baptist 
Church  and  a  graduate  of  Ohio  University  of  Athens,  Ohio.  The 
mother  of  Mr.  Lash  was  a  graduate  of  Hillsdale  College,  at  Hillsdale, 
Michigan.  Eber  M.  Lash  was  also  educated  at  Hillsdale  College  and 
practically  throughout  his  career  he  has  been  identified  with  banking. 
He  spent  one  year  in  a  bank  at  Camden,  Michigan,  from  1903  to 
1906  was  connected  with  the  First  State  Savings  Bank  of  Hillsdale, 
Michigan,  and  then  went  to  Cleveland,  Ohio,  as  teller  and  bookkeeper 
in  the  Cleveland  Trust  Company  where  he  remained  about  two 
years.  With  this  training  he  came  to  California  in  1908,  and  from 
the  beginning  has  been  the  active  official  in  the  affairs  of  the  First 
National  Bank  of  Rialto. 

Mr.  Lash  is  a  republican,  is  affiliated  with  San  Bernardino  Lodge, 
Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  the  Rialto  Chamber  of 
Commerce  and  Business  Men's  Association.  December  24,  1905, 
he  married  Miss  Laura  J.   Schoolcraft,  of  Hillsdale,  Michigan.     She 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1279 

died  April  2,  1910,  leaving  one  child,  Lawrence  Aubrey,  who  was 
born  November  10,  1907.  On  November  20,  1911,  Mr.  Lash  married 
Miss  Lena  Johnson,  of  Rialto,  daughter  of  Charles  N.  and  Anna 
(Tinkler)  Johnson.  They  have  a  son,  James  Eber,  born  November  22, 
1914.  Mrs.  Lash  has  been  active  in  women's  affairs  in  San  Bernardino 
County.  She  attended  the  public  schools  of  Rialto  and  the  high  school 
at  San  Bernardino,  was  queen  of  the  San  Bernardino  Centennial 
celebration  in  1910,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Rialto  Women's  Club  and 
the  Christian  Church. 

Major  William  Jacob  Bodenhamer  is  to  be  credited  with  a  position 
of  distinctive  priority  as  an  early  settler  and  in  rank  of  importance  as  a 
builder  and  upbuilder  of  the  Ontario  community  of  San  Bernardino 
County.  His  home  is  at  Upland,  and  many  years  ago  he  began  the  task 
requiring  patience,  foresight  and  substantial  means  to  develop  what  was 
then  a  very  unpromising  waste  of  land  into  homes,  communities  and  fruit 
orchards. 

Major  Bodenhamer  is  a  veteran  soldier  of  the  Civil  war,  and  was  born 
at  Springfield,  Missouri,  July  5,  1841.  He  had  a  graded  school  education, 
and  had  just  entered  college  when  the  Civil  war  broke  out.  He  soon 
organized  a  company  of  Home  Guards,  subsequently  taken  into  the  Fed- 
eral Army,  and  was  with  his  command  throughout  the  entire  struggle.  At 
the  clo^e  of  the  war  he  had  the  rank  of  major.  Most  of  his  service  was  in 
that  dangerous  district  of  the  Missouri  and  western  border.  Once  while 
scouting  he  was  wounded,  and  rode  a  horse  ninety  miles  to  get  hospital 
care  and  medical  attention. 

At  the  close  of  the  war  Major  Bodenhamer  returned  to  Springfield  and 
became  a  farmer,  and  also  was  interested  in  the  manufacture  of  tobacco 
products  and  real  estate.  He  married  in  1871,  and  for  about  a  dozen 
years  remained  in  Southwestern  Missouri  looking  after  his  various 
interests. 

Major  Bodenhamer  came  to  California  in  1883,  his  destination  being 
Pomona.  He  came  to  Ontario  to  handle  a  contract  for  the  building  of  a 
home  for  Mr.  Buffington.  It  was  in  the  role  of  building  contractor  that 
he  performed  his  first  important  work  in  that  locality.  At  that  time 
Upland  had  very  few  improved  places,  and  the  town  itself  was  unknown 
by  that  name,  the  locality  being  generally  known  as  North  Ontario. 
Major  Bodenhamer  soon  bought  ten  acres  in  Ontario,  but  sold  that  and 
acquired  200  acres  of  wild  land  along  Mountain  Avenue  from  Sixteenth 
Street  North.  This  land  he  cleared  and  improved,  setting  it  chiefly  to 
citrus  fruit.  Portions  of  that  tract  he  and  his  son  Paul  still  own  and 
operate.  Development  work  has  been  the  forte  of  Major  Bodenhamer. 
He  has  always  looked  ahead  and  has  anticipated  many  of  the  needs  of  the 
community.  He  was  the  first  to  sink  a  well  for  irrigation  purposes  in 
that  section.  At  that  time  the  canyon  was  available  for  an  insufficient 
supply  of  water,  and  he  put  down  the  well  against  the  advice  of  associates 
and  proved  the  practicability  of  getting  water  from  underground  in 
sufficient  quantity  for  irrigation.  This  well  today  produces  about  100 
inches.  It  was  first  operated  by  a  steam  plant  but  now  by  electrical 
power.  A  great  amount  of  land  has  been  cleared,  graded,  set  out  to  fruit 
and  brought  into  profitable  condition  through  the  efforts  and  under  the 
direction  of  Major  Bodenhamer.  His  choice  of  lands  was  on  the  higher 
mesa  ground,  then  considered  unfit  for  citrus  production,  but  now  regarded 
as  the  very  best  for  that  purpose.  Major  Bodenhamer  came  to  California 
a  man  with  limited   financial   resources,  and   almost   incapacitated   by   ill 


1280       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

health,  using  crutches  for  a  time  to  get  about.  The  country  was  new,  the 
Santa  Fe  Railroad  not  having  been  built,  and  he  had  all  the  burdens  and 
responsibilities  of  a  real  pioneer.  Major  Bodenhamer  has  always  been  a 
strong  republican,  though  he  has  never  been  a  candidate  for  public  office. 

Now,  at  the  age  of  four  score,  he  has  turned  over  many  of  his  active 
responsibilities  to  his  son  Paul.  On  November  22,  1871,  he  married  Miss 
Maria  L.  Parker,  who  was  born  in  Madison,  Wisconsin,  November  20, 
1849.  Of  their  two  sons,  the  older,  Guy,  was  born  at  Springfield,  Mis- 
souri, December  26,  1872,  and  completed  his  education  in  Chaffey  Col- 
lege at  Ontario,  California.  He  is  now  an  active  business  man  of  Los 
Angeles.  By  his  marriage  to  Laura  Cole  he  has  five  children,  named 
Rudolph,  Francis,  Gertrude,  Alma  and  Naomi. 

Paul  Bodenhamer  is  to  a  large  extent  his  father's  successor  in  the 
management  of  the  lands  and  property  at  Upland.  He  has  been  very 
successful  as  an  orange  and  lemon  grower.  He  was  born  at  Marshfield, 
Missouri,  November  11,  1874,  and  was  also  educated  in  Chaffey's  College 
at  Ontario.  He  married  Miss  Marguerite  Roy,  a  native  of  St.  Joseph, 
Missouri,  and  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Denver,  Colorado.  Their 
two  children  are  Paul,  Jr.,  born  March  5,  1910,  and  Betty  Lee,  born 
November  8,  1913. 

Reetta  V.  Hadden,  of  San  Bernardino,  a  pioneer  of  the  West,  who 
has  used  her  talents  to  preserve  many  invaluable  records  of  the  life  and 
affairs  of  her  generation,  was  born  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  September  23, 
1849.  Her  parents  in  the  spring  of  1855  moved  to  Kansas  Territory,  and 
established  their  home  at  Pawnee,  just  east  of  Fort  Riley,  in  Riley  County, 
the  place  chosen  for  the  first  territorial  capital.  Her  father,  Mr.  Morris, 
had  a  contract  to  furnish  lumber  for  the  capitol  building  then  being  hur- 
riedly erected  for  the  use  of  the  first  Legislature,  which  convened  in  July, 
1855.  The  family  moved  into  the  upper  story  of  the  capitol  building  while 
the  lower  floor  was  being  finished,  and  they  were  living  there  when  the 
Legislature  convened.  Only  those  who  lived  through  it  or  have  a  knowl- 
edge of  the  tempestuous  conditions  of  "bleeding  Kansas"  during  the  '50s 
can  appreciate  the  momentous  issues  represented  in  that  Legislature.  The 
primary  question  of  course  was  slavery.  Most  of  the  members  of  the 
Legislature  were  on  the  "pro  side"  while  the  residents  of  Pawnee  were 
against  slavery.  On  the  second  day  Mrs.  Morris  dressed  her  daughter 
Reetta  in  the  prevailing  style  of  short  sleeves  and  pantalets  suitable  for  a 
six-year-old  girl  at  that  time.  She  then  went  downstairs  to  join  her  father, 
who  was  a  visitor  in  the  assembly.  On  remarking  her  presence  he  at  once 
said,  "go  back  to  your  mother,"  but  Governor  Reeder  had  also  noted  the 
little  figure  and  interposed  with  "no,  let  the  little  child  remain,  her  presence 
is  the  only  redeeming  feature  in  the  room,"  and  turning  to  her  he  said, 
"come  and  have  a  seat  by  my  side."  That  was  a  long  time  before  women 
had  been  granted  the  privilege  of  sitting  in  legislative  halls,  and  it  may  be 
that  little  Miss  Reetta  was  the  "first  lady"  allowed  to  sit  in  any  legislative 
assembly  in  the  United  States,  certainly  the  first  to  have  "power,"  for 
there  was  no  more  swearing  or  fighting  that  afternoon  while  she  sat  by  the 
side  of  the  territorial  governor. 

A  few  years  later,  when  Kansas  had  an  election  to  decide  its  future 
on  the  slavery  question,  nearly  all  the  ballots  cast  in  the  western  portion 
of  the  settled  counties  were  anti-slavery.  The  problem  was  to  get  them 
to  Lawrence,  then  the  capital,  since  a  large  reward  had  been  offered  by  the 
pro-slavery  men  for  the  capture  of  the  returns.  Reetta's  father  was  a 
cripple,  walking  on  two  crutches.  He  was  entrusted  with  the  dangerous 
duty  of  seeing  that  the  ballots  were  delivered  to  the  Secretary  of  State  at 


% 


t 


/ 


\ 


f^/Qfe. 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1281 

Lawrence.  It  was  a  several  days'  journey  with  two  yoke  of  oxen.  Reetta 
went  along,  while  the  ballots  were  secreted  in  a  bag  of  shelled  corn  under 
the  seat.  On  the  way  her  father  became  seriously  ill,  and  his  illness  in 
addition  to  the  responsibilities  of  their  mission  made  the  journey  an 
experience  that  she  would  never  forget.  Finally  they  reached  Lawrence, 
and  her  father  on  crutches  and  Reetta  carrying  the  bag  of  ballots  walked 
into  headquarters,  where  all  hope  of  their  arrival  had  vanished,  these  bal- 
lots turning  the  tide  against  slavery  in  Kansas.  That  afternoon,  when  it 
was  learned  that  a  little  girl  had  saved  the  day,  Reetta  once  more  ruled  in 
the  capitol  of  Kansas. 

With  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war  not  long  afterward  the  family 
returned  to  Cincinnati,  where  Reetta  attended  school.  At  the  close  of  the 
war  she  returned  to  Kansas,  and  on  November  26,  1868,  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Mr.  Thomas  Hadden  of  New  York  City.  In  a  few  years 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hadden  went  to  New  York  to  live,  but  on  account  of  her 
poor  health  in  1879  they  came  to  San  Bernardino,  intending  to  remain 
here  a  year.  However,  California  exercised  such  charm  upon  them  that 
they  have  been  residents  of  San  Bernardino  County  now  for  over  forty 
years. 

In  all  this  time  Mrs.  Hadden  has  been  deeply  interested  in  the  city 
and  county.  In  1899  she  was  president  of  the  Woman's  Parliament  of 
Southern  California,  an  organization  preceding  the  Federation  of  Women's 
Clubs.  She  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Federation  and  a  member 
of  the  Credential  Committee.  Mrs.  Hadden  has  been  a  writer  for  over 
thirty  years,  contributing  occasional  short  stories  for  the  local  press  and 
magazines.  As  far  as  can  be  learned  she  was  the  first  to  have  an  article 
in  an  Eastern  journal  about  San  Bernardino.  This  article  appeared  in  an 
issue  of  the  Boston  Commonwealth  in  1884.  Her  second  article  was  on 
"The  First  Capital  of  Kansas"  and  appeared  in  the  American  Magazine. 

Mrs.  Hadden  originated  the  By-Product  Department  of  the  Orange 
Show.  She  was  a  member  of  the  first  civic  committee  to  beautify  the 
streets  of  San  Bernardino.  The  other  three  members,  now  deceased,  were 
W.  J.  Roberts,  president  of  the  First  National  Bank ;  Fred  T.  Perris,  con- 
structing engineer  of  the  Santa  Fe;  and  Mary  Bennett  Goodcell,  who  was  a 
leader  in  every  good  work  in  San  Bernardino.  Of  all  her  other  interests 
the  work  that  furnishes  her  most  complete  satisfaction  in  retrospect,  Mrs 
Hadden  claims,  was  her  canteen  efforts  for  the  Red  Cross  during  the  war. 

Of  the  four  children  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hadden  the  only  one 
remaining  is  Miss  Estelle,  at  home. 

Thomas  Hadden  was  born  in  New  York  City  on  November  21,  1844, 
graduated  from  a  university  and  when  about  twenty-four  years  of  age  went 
to  Kansas  and  took  up  stock  raising  and  farming. 

In  1868  he  married  Miss  Reetta  Morris,  and  soon  after  returned  to 
New  York. 

In  1879  he  came  to  California,  and  in  1881  went  into  the  hardware 
business,  in  which  he  has  been  interested  ever  since. 

Mr.  Hadden  is  an  Odd  Fellow,  Knight  of  Pythias,  and  Mason.  He 
has  been  interested  in  San  Bernardino  and  its  upbuilding,  was  one  of  the 
organizers  of  the  old  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  is  a  charter  member  of 
the  Elks. 

Helga  S.  Peters,  D.  O. — The  professional  career  of  Dr.  Helga  S. 
Peters  embraces  a  period  of  nearly  twenty  years,  all  of  which  have  been 
passed  at  Riverside.  It  possesses  some  features  of  unique  interest,  inas- 
much as  it  was  instrumental  in  breaking  through  the  barrier  of  professional 


1282       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

bigotry,  which  had  before  her  coming  largely  excluded  women  from  prac- 
ticing osteopathy  in  a  professional  way.  Largely  to  her  example,  winning, 
by  assiduous  attention  to  her  professional  duties  and  by  profound  knowl- 
edge of  the  art  and  skill  in  its  practice,  a  place  among  the  reputable  prac- 
titioners of  her  day  and  locality,  no  less  than  by  her  persistent  efforts  to 
open  the  doors  of  professional  preferment  to  deserving  and  properly 
trained  women,  is  due  the  rapid  advance  which  the  last  quarter  of  a  century 
has  shown  in  granting  to  women  the  privileges  accorded  the  other  sex  in 
ministering  to  the  ills  and  accidents  of  humanity.  To  remove  the  barrier 
which  shut  out  women  from  professional  employments,  in  some  of  which, 
especially  in  some  departments  of  the  healing  art,  they  have  better  adapta- 
tion than  the  other  sex,  has  required  a  long  and  obstinate  struggle.  At 
this  day,  when  colleges  all  over  the  land  open  their  doors  to  co-education, 
not  only  in  professions  but  in  letters  as  well,  and  when  women  are  found 
at  the  bed-side  of  the  sick,  without  question  of  the  propriety  and  fitness  of 
the  employment,  it  seems  strange  that  so  long  a  controversy  was  required 
to  open  the  doors  of  opportunity  to  them.  At  Riverside  it  will  appear 
that  Doctor  Peters  has  been  a  potent  factor  in  bringing  about  a  beneficial 
change. 

Doctor  Peters  was  born  at  Ringsaker,  Hamar,  Norway,  a  daughter  of 
John  S.  and  Olive  Skyberg.  Her  father,  a  tenant  farmer  in  Norway, 
immigrated  to  the  United  States  in  1875  and  took  up  his  residence  at 
Grand  Meadow,  Minnesota,  where  he  established  himself  in  the  mercantile 
business.  For  a  number  of  years  he  continued  to  conduct  this  establish- 
ment and  to  play  an  active  part  in  the  business  affairs  of  his  adopted 
community,  but  with  advancing  years  he  disposed  of  his  interests  and  at 
present  is  living  in  comfortable  retirement.  His  daughter,  Helga  S., 
enjoyed  the  advantages  of  attendance  at  the  public  schools  of  Grand 
Meadow,  Minnesota,  following  which  she  enrolled  as  a  student  at  the 
American  College  of  Osteopathy,  Kirksville,  Missouri,  an  institution  from 
which  she  was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1903,  receiving  the  degree  of 
Doctor  of  Osteopathy.  Almost  immediately  after  her  graduation  she 
came  to  Riverside  and  opened  an  office,  and  since  then  her  career  has  been 
one  of  constantly  growing  professional  success.  She  is  now  possessed  of 
a  large  and  lucrative  practice  and  has  attained  a  recognized  position  in 
professional  and  club  circles  of  the  city.  Doctor  Peters  is  a  member  of 
the  Riverside  County  Osteopathic  Society,  the  California  Osteopathic 
Society  and  the  National  Osteopathic  Association.  Her  religious  affilia- 
tion is  with  the  Lutheran  Church,  to  which  she  has  been  a  generous 
contributor. 

On  March  30,  1911,  occurred  the  marriage  of  Helga  S.  Skyberg  to  Dr. 
Martin  O.  Peters,  of  Riverside.  To  this  union  there  has  come  one 
daughter,  Loraine  Carmen,  who  is  attending  the  Riverside  public  schools. 

Charles  E.  Johnson — San  Bernardino  has  in  its  employ  some  of  the 
most  capable  men  in  this  part  of  the  state,  whose  efforts  and  capa- 
bilities are  exerted  to  furnish  the  municipality  a  service  not  to  be 
found  in  all  of  the  cities,  even  those  of  a  much  greater  population. 
Many  of  these  men  are  young,  enthusiastic  and  ambitious,  and  bring 
to  their  work  a  knowledge  of  it  gained  either  through  technical 
training  or  practical  experience.  Charles  E.  Johnson,  city  engineer 
of  San  Bernardino,  has  the  advantage  of  being  a  professional  civil 
and  mining  engineer  and  practical  man  of  his  calling,  and  he  is  also 
a  veteran  of  the  World  war. 

Born  at  Los  Angeles,  California,  January  18,  1890,  he  is  very 
proud   of   the   fact   that   his   grandfather,    Charles    McNutt    Johnson, 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1283 

went  from  Nova  Scotia  to  the  Isthmus  of  Panama  by  sailing  boat, 
walked  across  the  Isthmus,  and  took  a  sailing  vessel  from  the  western 
coast  for  San  Francisco,  California,  where  he  arrived  in  1849,  being 
one  of  the  first  in  the  army  of  gold  seekers  of  that  year.  Like  the 
majority  of  them,  he  prospected  for  gold  during  many  years.  His 
son,  Charles  McNutt  Johnson,  father  of  Charles  E.  Johnson,  was  born 
at  Sacramento,  California,  and  received  his  education  in  the  public 
schools  of  San  Francisco.  In  1886  he  went  to  Los  Angeles,  and 
from  there  to  Little  Bear  Valley,  following  his  profession  of  a  civil 
engineer  for  two  years  under  E.  T.  Wright.  For  the  subsequent 
years  he  was  with  the  Santa  Fe  Railroad,  and  from  1890  to  1895  was 
with  the  Cucamonga  Water  Company,  before  he  was  made  super- 
intendent of  it,  and  as  such  served  from  1895  to  1907,  when  he  began 
building  and  contracting.  Some  time  later  he  went  with  the  Santa 
Fe  Railroad,  but  in  1921  joined  his  son,  who  has  him  with  him  in 
his  office. 

Charles  McNutt  Johnson  married  Margaret  J.  Stehens,  who  was 
born  near  Springfield,  Illinois.  She  was  very  young  when  her 
family  moved  from  Illinois  to  Maine,  and  only  a  little  older  when 
migration  was  made  to  Alabama.  From  the  latter  state  the  Stephens 
family  came  to  California,  first  living  in  Los  Angeles  and  then  going 
to  Ontario,  California.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Johnson  became  the  parents 
of  eight  children,  but  the  first  born  died  in  infancy;  Alden  McNutt 
is  employed  in  the  Santa  Fe  shops ;  Marie  L.,  who  married  Kenneth 
Rogers,  has  one  son,  Kenneth,  Junior ;  Lillian  Frances  married  Dalmer 
Devening;  John  W.  is  in  the  employ  of  the  Standard  Oil  Company; 
James,  who  is  in  the  medical  department  of  the  United  States  Army, 
stationed  'at  San  Francisco,  California ;  Mae,  who  is  attending  the 
public  schools  of  San  Bernardino ;  and  Charles  E.,  whose  name  heads 
this  review. 

After  attending  the  public  schools  of  Cucamonga  and  Ontario, 
California,  Charles  F.  Johnson  took  a  course  in  Civil  and  Minine 
engineering,  and  has  followed  engineering  as  a  profession.  In  1915 
he  came  to  San  Bernardino,  and  was  with  the  county  surveyor  for 
about  a  year,  and  then  was  associated  with  M.  L.  Cook  until  June  1, 
1917,  when  he  returned  to  the  city,  and  continued  with  it  during 
the  Catick  administration,  or  until  1919.  In  that  year  he  returned 
to  M.  L.  Cook,  continuing  with  him  until  he  was  appointed  city 
engineer  June  1,  1921. 

On  November  6,  1918,  Mr.  Johnson  went  to  the  Engineer  Officers 
Training  Camp  at  Camp  Humphries,  and  was  there  about  a  month, 
when  the  armistice  was  signed.  He  had  to  return  to  California  as 
a  witness  in  an  important  mining  case  that  was  tried  at  Los  Angeles 
in  the  Federal  Court  and  after  its  termination  he  came  back  to  San 
Bernardino. 

Mr.  Johnson  was  one  of  the  first  to  help  organize  the  American 
Service  League,  and  served  as  its  first  secretary.  Major  Stromee 
being  at  that  time  chairman.  When  the  American  Legion  was 
organized  he  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Fourteenth  Post,  De- 
partment of  California,  with  rank  of  adjutant,  and  Major  Stromee 
became  its  commander 

Alden  McNutt  Johnson,  brother  of  Charles  E.  Johnson,  enlisted 
in  the  Aviation  Department,  and  served  for  thirteen  months  in  a 
Southern  aviation  camp  as  sergeant. 

On  June  1,  1915.  Charles  E.  Johnson  married  Blanch  Rountree, 
who  was  born  at  Riverside,  California,  and  died  March   11,   1918,  at 


1284       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

San  Bernardino.  In  June,  1919,  Mr.  Johnson  married  Miss  Edith 
M.  McLaren.  She  was  born  at  Dedham,  Massachusetts,  June  26, 
1898,  and  there  resided  until  1919,  when  she  came  to  San  Bernardino. 
She  died  June  11,  1920.  She  was  a  member  of  the  Eastern  Star 
and  was  the  second  secretary  of  the  Woman's  Auxiliary  of  the 
American  Legion.  Mr.  Johnson  has  a  son,  Charles  E.  Jr.,  by  his 
first  marriage.  He  belongs  to  the  Native  Sons  of  the  Golden  West, 
is  secretary  of  the  Better  City  Club,  and  a  member  of  the  Chamber 
of  Commerce.  Fraternally  he  is  a  Blue  Lodge,  Chapter,  Commandery 
and  Shriner  Mason,  and  belongs  to  the  Benevolent  and  Protective 
Order  of  Elks,  the  Eastern  Star,  American  Association  of  Engineers, 
the  Lions  Club,  the  La  Societe  De  40  Hommes  and  8  Chevaux  of  which 
he  is  secretary  of  the  last  organization  and  Grande  Guard  of  de  Prisonnies 
of  the  State  of  California. 

John  Noble  was  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  in  San  Bernardino  and 
married  into  one  of  the  most  prominent  pioneer  families  of  that  section, 
the  Millers.  The  Miller  family  had  endured  the  privations  and  hardships 
and  dangers  of  crossing  the  desert  and  plains  to  California  soon  after  the 
original  discoveries  of  gold  on  the  Pacific  Coast.  The  fortitude  and  vision 
that  carried  them  to  the  far  West  proved  sustaining  qualities  in  their 
lives  of  industry  and  honor  in  all  subsequent  years,  and  something  in 
particular  should  be  said  of  John  Noble  and  his  family  as  a  permanent 
memorial  to  be  published  in  this  history  of  San  Bernardino  County. 

He  was  born  at  Ithaca,  New  York,  August  22,  1837,  and  was  four 
years  old  when  his  father  died.  He  grew  up  with  his  mother,  and  after 
her  second  marriage  she  moved  to  Illinois.  John  Noble  in  1849  was 
on  his  way  to  California.  One  winter  was  spent  at  Pikes  Peak,  where 
he  almost  perished  with  cold.  He  came  on  to  San  Bernardino  and  soon 
became  a  clerk  in  the  employ  of  John  Byrne,  one  of  the  town's  early 
storekeepers.  A  strong  personal  friendship  grew  up  between  the  em- 
ployer and  clerk. 

The  late  John  Noble  was  for  a  number  of  years  identified  with  the 
Rincon  community,  locating  there  about  1882.  He  conducted  for  ten 
years  a  general  store  and  a  postoffice  at  what  is  now  known  as  Green- 
field Ranch.  In  the  meantime  his  family  had  grown  up  and  left  home, 
and  he  then  retired  to  Los  Angeles.     He  died  April  8.   1912. 

In  1867  John  Noble  married  Miss  Emilv  Miller  at  San  Bernardino. 
She  died  March  14,  1884,  and  both  were  buried  at  San  Bernardino,  where 
they  had  lived  after  their  marriage.  Mrs.  Noble  was  born  May  3,  1850, 
in  a  wagon  of  an  immigrant  train  bound  for  California,  and  while  the 
party  were  encamped  in  the  Creek  Nation  in  the  old  Indian  Territory. 
Her  father.  Joshua  Miller,  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and  one  of  the 
mo^t  prominent  of  the  earlv  settlers  of  San  Bernardino.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Noble  were  the  parents  of  seven  children,  four  of  whom  died  in  in- 
fancy. The  three  surviving  are  Margaret  Louise,  Fred  and  Frank  Noble. 
The  two  sons  are  now  prosperous  business  men.  Fred  was  born 
September  14,  1875,  and  is  now  connected  with  the  Oxnard  Sugar 
Refinery  at  Oxnard,  California.  Frank,  who  was  born  May  25,  1880, 
is  connected  with  a  sugar  refinery  at  Rockv  Ford,  Colorado. 

Margaret  Louise  Noble,  who  was  born  September  15,  1873,  is  now 
Mrs.  John  E.  Strong,  their  home  being  on  Rincon  Road,  seven  miles 
south  of  Chino.  She  acquired  her  early  education  in  the  old  school 
on  the  Rincon,  known  today  as  the  Pioneer  School  House,  and  finished 
her  education  in  Los  Angeles.  Tn  1892  she  was  married  to  Harrv 
L.    Field,    a    native    of    Connecticut,    and    descendant    of    Cvrus    Field. 


SAX  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1285 

He  died  in  Rhode  Island  in  1899.  By  this  marriage  Mrs.  Strong  has 
a  son,  Eugene  L.  Field,  who  was  born  in  Providence,  Rhode  Island, 
May  4,  1895,  was  educated  in  Massachusetts,  graduated  from  the  high 
school  at  Corona,  California,  and  for  a  time  was  associated  with  his 
uncle  in  the  sugar  refining  industry  at  Rocky  Ford,  Colorado,  and 
also  at  Oxnard,  California,  and  is  now  a  resident  of  Los  Angeles. 
Eugene  L.  Field  in  1916  married  Miss  Anna  Valentine,  of  Rocky 
Ford,  Colorado.  They  have  two  children,  Eugene  Lawrence  Field, 
born  March  11,  1918,  and  Gwendolyn  Louise,  born  February  26,  1920. 
After  her  marriage  Margaret  Louise  Field  lived  for  seventeen 
years  in  the  East,  in  the  states  of  Massachusetts  and  Rhode  Island. 
In  1910  she  returned  to  California  and  in  1911  became  the  wife  of 
John  E.  Strong.  Mr.  Strong  was  born  in  Nova  Scotia  in  1860,  and 
came  to  California  in  December,  1886,  and  soon  settled  at  Rincon. 
He  has  built  up  a  prosperous  ranching  business.  By  a  previous  mar- 
riage he  has  a  son,  Clifford  Strong,  who  was  born  on  the  Rincon 
ranch  October  11,  1897,  a  graduate  of  the  Corona  High  School.  This 
son  in  1918  enlisted  in  the  Aviation  Corps,  was  trained  in  American 
fields  and  was  then  sent  to  France,  and  was  there  ten  months  but 
never  got  into  action.  He  had  just  finished  his  intensive  training 
when  the  armistice  was  signed.  He  now  lives  with  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Strong  on  the  home  ranch. 

Roland  D.  West — There  were  two  distinctive  sides  to  the  life  and 
character  exemplified  by  the  late  Roland  D.  West  of  Rincon.  He 
possessed  the  commendable  industry  and  ambition  to  get  ahead  in 
the  world,  and  after  his  marriage  he  showed  the  ability  and  the  thrift 
to  provide  generously  for  those  dependent  upon  him.  In  the  second 
place,  his  public  spirit  and  interest  in  the  community  welfare  went 
hand  in  hand  with  the  prosecution  of  his  own  affairs,  and  at  his  death 
he  was  esteemed  as  one  of  the  most  useful  men  who  had  lived  in  the 
Rincon  community.  His  home,  and  where  Mrs.  West  and  her  family 
still  reside,  is  seven  miles  south  of  Chino,  on  the  Rincon  Road  and 
near  the  Pioneer  School  House. 

The  late  Mr.  West  was  born  March  13,  1864,  in  Kings  County, 
Nova  Scotia,  son  of  William  and  Mary  (Brown)  West,  a  family  of 
Canadian  farmers.  He  acquired  his  education  in  Nova  Scotia  and 
at  the  age  of  twenty-one  came  to  California,  joining  his  uncle, 
D.  R.  Brown,  of  San  Bernardino.  He  soon  secured  employment  on 
a  ranch  on  the  Rincon,  and  in  a  few  years  purchased  fifty  acres  from 
Charles  Harwood,  one  of  the  early  pioneers  of  Upland.  This  was 
dry  ranch  land.  Mr.  West  steadily  improved  the  land,  built  a  modest 
home,  provided  water  for  irrigation,  set  out  fruit  and  from  time  to 
time  purchased  other  land  until  the  estate  now  comprises  140  acres, 
practically  all  well  developed.  Besides  farming  his  own  land  Mr. 
West  leased  many  acres,  and  he  had  his  investment  at  one  time  widely 
scattered,  owning  and  operating  farm  acreage  in  the  Winchester  dis- 
tricts. 

During  the  World  war  Mr.  West  showed  his  patriotic  ardor  by 
working  in  superhuman  fashion  to  produce  the  highest  possible  pro- 
duction on  his  land,  and  it  was  the  strain  of  this  heavy  undertaking 
that  weakened  him,  so  that  on  August  21,  1918,  while  he  was  surf 
bathing  at  Newport  Beach,  his  heart  failed  and  he  died  in  the  water. 
He  was  a  charter  member  of  Ontario  Lodge,  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows,  was  affiliated  with  the  Congregational  Church,  and  was 
largely  instrumental  in   founding  that  church  at   Rincon.     He  made  the 


1286       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

first  declaration  of  his  intentions  of  becoming  an  American  citizen 
on  August  14,  1886,  at  San  Bernardino,  and  on  August  24,  1891,  was 
admitted  to  citizenship  by  Judge  John  L.  Crawford  of  the  Superior 
Court  of  San  Bernardino. 

February  26,  1895,  Mr.  West  married  Miss  Adaline  Cavanagh, 
who  was  born  in  Ontario,  Canada,  May  22,  1875,  daughter  of  William 
and  Adaline  (Streeter)  Cavanagh,  natives  of  the  same  country.  Her 
parents  with  their  eight  children  came  to  Ontario,  California,  in  1888, 
where  her  father  died  three  years  later.  In  the  meantime  he  had 
bought  the  old  Stuart  ranch  on  the  Rincon,  where  his  sons  continued 
farming  operations  for  many  years.  Mrs.  West's  mother  is  living 
with  her  daughters  at  the  age  of  eighty-two.  Mrs.  West  attended 
the  old  Chaffey  College  of  Ontario,  and  was  married  at  the  age  of 
twenty.  After  their  marriage  they  moved  to  the  first  tract  that  had 
been  purchased  by  Mr.  West,  and  which  is  her  present  home.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  West  had  three  children.  All  were  born  on  the  Rincon 
ranch.  William,  born  January  8,  1896,  was  educated  in  the  Chino 
High  School  and  the  Los  Angeles  Junior  College  and  was  in  read- 
iness to  join  the  colors  when  his  father's  death  compelled  him  to 
take  up  the  productive  work  on  the  ranch  and  he  was  put  on  the  re- 
serve list.  He  still  continues  as  active  ranch  manager.  The  second 
child,  Winifred  Adaline,  born  March  16,  1903,  is  a  graduate  of  the 
Chaffey  High  School  now  attending  Chaffey  Junior  College  with  the  class 
of  June,  1922.  She  is  specializing  in  vocal  and  instrumental  music  with 
a  view  to  teaching  those  subjects.  The  third  of  the  family,  Corinne 
Elizabeth,  born  June  7,  1907,  is  a  student  in  the  Chaffey  High  School. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  West  started  their  married  life  with  very  modest 
capital,  in  a  district  that  was  comparatively  undeveloped,  and  when 
they  went  to  Ontario  they  had  to  drive  through  vast  reaches  of  drift- 
ing sand,  opening  gates  and  passing  through  fenced  lands.  The  late 
Mr.  West  was  a  life-long  democrat,  but  above  all  other  outside  inter- 
ests the  matter  of  community  welfare  was  first  to  engage  his  attention. 

William  Churchill  Cline  has  been  a  resident  in  and  around  On- 
tario for  thirty  years  or  more.  His  business  is  construction  work  of  a 
high  character.  As  a  youth  he  learned  the  stone  and  brick  mason's 
trade,  and  his  long  experience  and  study  has  brought  him  a  masterful 
authority  in  all  branches  of  building  construction,  paving  and  road 
work,  and  the  examples  of  his  sturdy  art  and  business  energy  can 
be  found  all  over  this  section  of  the  county. 

Mr.  Cline  was  born  at  Lockhaven,  Clinton  County,  Pennsylvania, 
May  5,  1876,  son  of  John  Lloyd  and  Susan  Maria  (Churchill)  Cline, 
the  former  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and  the  latter  of  New  York  State. 
There  were  three  children:  Ella,  who  was  well  educated,  is  Mrs.  Ella 
Kouts  and  is  now  teaching  in  the  schools  at  Fontana,  California ; 
William  Churchill,  and  Susie,  who  died  at  Pasadena  as  Mrs.  Susie 
Groomer. 

William  Churchill  Cline  came  to  California  with  his  grandfather 
and  grandmother  in  1889,  when  he  was  thirteen  years  of  age.  They 
located  in  1890  at  North  Ontario,  now  Upland,  where  Mr.  Cline 
finished  his  education  in  the  old  Chaffey  College.  His  grandmother 
established  and  conducted  a  private  sanitarium  at  24th  Street  and 
Euclid  Avenue,  an  institution  well  patronized  in  its  day.  His  grand- 
father was  the  first  postmaster  of  San  Antonio  Heights,  an  office  that 
has  long  since  been  discontinued.     He  was  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  war. 

Mr.  Cline  continued  to  live  with  his  grandparents  until  about  1892, 
when  his  parents  came  out  to  California.     Completing  his  education 


Andrew  P.  Collins 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1287 

in  1894,  he  worked  for  a  year  or  so  on  the  Stewart  fruit  ranch.  His 
father  and  grandfather  were  very  skilled  stone  and  brick  masons, 
and  about  1895  Mr.  Cline  began  an  apprenticeship  to  learn  these 
trades,  and  he  also  took  up  the  new  branch  of  cement  construction. 
This  has  been  his  business  now  for  a  quarter  of  a  centry.  Many  of 
the  county's  large  works  are  monuments  to  his  skill.  Mr.  Cline  has 
devoted  much  time  and  study  and  has  performed  some  notable  work 
in  cobble  stone  and  native  stone  construction. 

In  1900  he  married  Miss  May  Johns,  who  was  born  in  Ottawa, 
Canada,  daughter  of  J.  C.  Johns.  Her  father  came  to  Ontario  about 
thirty-five  years  ago,  was  a  plumber  by  occupation  and  established  the 
first  hardware  and  plumbing  business  in  the  then  new  town  of  Ontario. 
He  also  did  much  business  as  a  contractor,  and  laid  much  of  the  early 
water  system  of  Ontario.  Mrs.  Cline  was  educated  in  the  schools  of 
Ontario.  Three  children  have  been  born  to  their  marriage :  Ruth  A., 
born  December  12,  1900,  is  a  graduate  of  the  Chaffey  Union  High 
School  and  now  a  trusted  employe  of  the  Commercial  Bank  of  Up- 
land ;  Gilbert  W.,  born  February  7,  1902,  is  a  graduate  of  the  Chaffey 
High  School,  and  John  Ernest,  born  April  5,  1903,  is  attending  high 
school.  All  the  children  were  born  at  Ontario.  Mr.  Cline  is 
affiliated  with  the  Ontario  Lodge  of  Elks,  was  one  of  the  first  sixteen 
charter  members  of  Euclid  Lodge  No.  68.  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows,  the  membership  of  which  is  now  over  one  hundred,  and  he 
and  his  family  are  Presbyterians. 

Albert  N.  Collins — The  Collins  family  has  had  a  prominent  part 
in  the  agricultural  and  horticultural  development  of  several  localities 
adjacent  to  Riverside  and  the  business  of  production  and  marketing 
of  citrus  crops  has  been  notably  stimulated  by  them.  Albert  N. 
Collins  came  to  Riverside  some  years  after  his  father  and  other 
members  of  the  family  and  after  a  successful  career  as  a  merchant 
in  St.  Louis.  He  is  now  one  of  the  prominent  orange  growers  in 
this  district. 

Mr.  Collins  was  born  at  Solomon,  Kansas,  December  13,  1872,  son 
of  Andrew  Perry  and  Sarah  Elizabeth  (Blair)  Collins.  His  father, 
who  spent  the  last  years  of  his  life  in  Riverside,  was  a  native  of 
Seneca  County,  Ohio,  of  an  old  American  family  of  French  descent, 
while  his  wife  was  of  English  stock.  He  grew  up  in  Ohio  and  his 
liberal  education  was  acquired  in  the  Ohio  Wesleyan  University. 
As  a  young  man  he  assisted  in  raising  the  Twelfth  Michigan  Infantry, 
in  which  he  was  commissioned  first  lieutenant.  He  served  in  several 
battles  along  the  Mississippi  until  captured.  He  was  confined  in  Ander- 
sonville  prison,  escaping  with  another  man  from  that  notorious  stockade. 
An  account  of  their  experiences  in  the  swamps  of  the  South  was  made 
by  his  companion  the  subject  of  a  volume  entitled  "Beyond  the  Lines; 
or  a  Yankee  Prisoner  Loose  in  Dixie." 

In  the  closing  years  of  the  war  he  served  on  the  staff  of  Gen.  C.  C. 
Andrews. 

After  the  war  Andrew  P.  Collins  removed  to  Solomon,  Kansas, 
beginning  at  the  grass  roots  in  that  frontier  community.  He  acquired 
one  of  the  largest  farms  in  the  region.  In  1868  he  married  Miss 
Sarah  E.  Blair,  who  was  a  native  of  Iowa  and  is  now  living  at 
Riverside.  Andrew  P.  Collins  for  many  years  was  a  prominent 
Kansan.  He  served  as  county  superintendent  of  schools  of  Saline 
County,  sat  four  years  in  the  Legislature,  was  for  ten  years  a  member 
of   the   State   Board   of   Agriculture,   and    was   one   of   the   five    Kansas 


1288       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

World's  Fair  Commissioners  at  Chicago  in  1893  and  had  charge  of 
the  agricultural  exhibit  of  his  state.  He  took  an  active  part  in 
1885  in  the  founding  of  the  Kansas  Wesleyan  University  at  Salina 
and  for  years  was  president  of  the  Board  of  Trustees.  He  was  a 
leading  layman  of  the  Methodist  Church  in  Kansas  and  was  a 
delegate  to  the  General  Conference  at  New  York  in  1888. 

Andrew  P.  Collins  came  to  Riverside  in  1903  and  bought  fifty 
acres  of  oranges  above  Highgrove.  After  trying  to  market  his 
product  for  a  couple  of  years  he  bought  a  packing  house  of  his  own, 
and  made  a  notable  success  of  this  enterprise  known  as  the  Collins 
Fruit  Company.  With  his  son  and  others  he  was  interested  in  the 
development  of  six  hundred  acres  in  the  Morino  Valley.  The  water 
had  been  developed,  but  about  the  time  they  were  ready  to  put  the 
land  into  cultivation  a  favorable  opportunity  for  selling  arose  and 
they  disposed  of  it.  Andrew  P.  Collins  was  a  booster  for  all  things 
of  interest  to  Riverside.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order. 
His  death  occurred  March  17,  1911,  when  he  was  seventy-four  years 
of  age. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  A.  P.  Collins  had  three  sons  and  three  daughters. 
Oliver  E.,  a  practicing  attorney  at  Colorado  Springs,  Colorado ;  Edith 
C,  wife  of  John  L.  Bishop  of  Riverside  ;  Albert  N. ;  Frank  N.,  manager 
of  the  Exchange  Packing  House  of  Highgrove;  May  C.  wife  of 
Clarence  H.  Matson,  a  prominent  Los  Angeles  citizen,  who  shares 
in  the  credit  for  the  development  of  the  Los  Angeles  Harbor,  was 
for  years  traffic  manager  of  the  harbor  and  is  now  connected  with 
the  foreign  trade  department  of  the  Los  Angeles  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce :  and  Ruth  E.,  wife  of  M.  C.  Shaible  of  Salina,  Kansas,  auditor 
of  the  International  Harvester  Company. 

Albert  N.  Collins  was  reared  in  Central  Kansas,  acquired  a  public 
school  education,  attended  Kansas  Wesleyan  University  at  Salina 
and  was  graduated  from  the  St.  Louis  College  of  Pharmacy  in  1895  with 
the  degree  Ph.  G.  For  about  thirteen  years  Mr.  Collins  was  success- 
fully engaged  in  the  drug  business  at  St.  Louis,  at  one  time  owning 
and  conducting  five  stores.  He  disposed  of  those  interests  and  in 
1908  came  to  Riverside  with  the  intention  of  joining  his  father  in 
the  development  of  six  hundred  acres  in  the  Morino  Valley.  Shortly 
afterward  that  property  was  sold  and  he  then  became  an  associate  of 
S.  H.  Herrick  and  his  brother-in-law,  John  L.  Bishop,  in  the  develop- 
ment of  a  two  hundred  acre  tract  of  oranges  and  lemons  two  miles  east 
of  Riverside.  The  company  is  known  as  the  Lemona  Heights  Com- 
pany, and  most  of  the  time  and  energy  of  Mr.  Collins  has  been  bestowed 
upon  this  property.  He  is  interested  in  other  groves  in  Riverside  and  a 
peach  orchard  on  the  Colton  Terrace,  and  is  a  property  owner  at  Los  An- 
geles and  Santa  Monica.  For  one  year  after  coming  to  Riverside  he  con- 
ducted his  father's  packing  house,  and  for  a  year  or  so  it  continued  under 
the  management  of  Mr.  Bishop,  but  was  finally  sold. 

Mr.  Collins  is  a  director  of  the  Monte  Vista  Packing  Association. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Kiwanis  Club  and  a  trustee  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church. 

Mr.  Collins  married  Miss  Harriet  M.  Thompson.  She  was  born 
in  Iowa,  daughter  of  Montgomery  C.  Thompson  of  an  old  American 
family.  Mrs.  Collins  is  one  of  the  best  educated  women  in  River- 
side. She  is  a  graduate  of  the  Kansas  Wesleyan  University  with 
the  degree  A.  B.  and  A.  M.,  and  after  graduation  she  remained  on 
the  University  faculty  of  instruction  as  teacher  of  French  and  German. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Collins  have   four  children:     A.   N.,   Tr.    (Noel),  a  sub- 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1289 

station  operator  on  the  Pacific  Electric  Railway  ;  Margaret,  member 
of  the  class  of  1922,  and  Alice  of  the  class  of  1924  in  the  Riverside 
high  school ;  and  Donald  Addison,  a  student  in  the  Riverside  grammar 
schools. 

Edward  J.  Jaquet  was  born  in  Switzerland,  possesses  the  Swiss 
talent  for  agriculture  and  horticulture,  and  as  a  pioneer  of  Southern 
California  has  done  a  great  deal  of  actual  and  supervisory  work  in  the 
planting,  development  and  landscape  beautification  of  Ontario  and 
vicinity. 

He  was  born  in  Canton  Neuchatel,  Switzerland,  January  14,  1860. 
He  was  one  of  six  children,  had  a  common  school  education,  and  at 
the  age  of  sixteen  left  his  native  land  and  went  to  Canada,  settling 
at  Kingston,  Ontario.  He  worked  on  the  farm  there  three  years. 
Being  homesick,  he  returned  to  Switzerland  and  remained  a  year. 
He  then  went  back  to  Canada  and  six  months  later  arrived  at  River- 
side, California,  in  1882.  At  Riverside  he  entered  the  service  of  the 
Chaffey  Brothers,  who  were  then  engaged  in  subdiving  the  colony 
of  Etiwanda.  Mr.  Jaquet  was  with  the  Chaffeys,  planting  and  irrigat- 
ing orange  trees.  In  the  meantime  the  Chaffeys  had  bought  the  site 
of  Ontario,  and  in  the  spring  of  1883  Mr.  Jaquet  moved  to  that  colony, 
at  Chaffey's  Camp,  located  at  what  is  now  Fourteenth  and  Euclid 
Avenue.  This  land  was  then  being  prepared  for  settlers,  and  the 
foreman  of  the  work  was  Andrew  Rubio,  a  native  Californian  of 
Mexican  stock.  Mr.  Jaquet  worked  with  a  man  named  Daniel 
Nicholl,  a  landscape  gardener.  During  the  year  1883  he  helped  grade 
part  of  Euclid  Avenue,  planted  the  ornamental  trees  along  that  thor- 
oughfare to  Fourth  Street,  and  the  following  year  completed  grading 
and  tree  planting  on  the  avenue  to  Twenty-fourth  street.  This  ex- 
pense was  borne  by  the  Chaffey  Brothers,  who  were  then  transacting 
the  sale  of  this  land  to  individual  buyers,  Chaffey  Brothers  agreeing 
to  plant  and  care  for  the  developing  young  orange  orchards  at  a 
charge  of  so  much  an  acre  for  the  service.  Mr.  Jaquet  was  put  in 
charge  of  this  special  part  of  the  work,  superintending  the  planting 
and  irrigating  as  well  as  the  care  of  the  young  trees.  In  1886  the 
Chaffeys  left  Ontario  to  do  some  pioneer  work  in  Australia,  and  the 
following  year  Mr.  Jaquet  followed  them  and  became  their  planting 
manager  in  Australia.  He  remained  there  five  years,  and  when  he 
left  Australia  he  went  back  through  the  Suez  Canal  and  the  Mediter- 
ranean Sea,  lived  with  his  father  in  Switzerland  for  six  months,  and 
reached  America  in  time  to  visit  the  World's  Fair  at  Chicago  in  1893. 
From  Chicago  he  returned  to  California,  and  at  Ontario  was  associated 
with  the  Lyman  Stewart  interests,  orange  growers,  for  six  years. 
For  three  years  he  was  ranch  foreman  for  A.  P.  Griffith  at  Azusa. 
On  returning  to  Ontario  Mr.  Jaquet  was  in  the  service  of  E.  H. 
Richardson  as  foreman  of  planting  and  irrigation  work  in  the  new 
colony  of  Adelanto  for  five  years,  and  during  the  last  three  years 
of  this  time  had  entire  charge  of  the  enterprise.  He  gave  up  that 
position  on  account  of  his  wife's  failing  health  and  has  since  lived 
at  Ontario,  though  he  has  done  much  outside  work  as  adviser  and 
special  pruning  expert. 

On  March  17,  1897,  Mr.  Jaquet  married  Rosie  Gisin,  who  was  born 
at  Basel,  Switzerland,  in  1860,  and  in  1882,  as  a  young  woman,  came 
to  America.  For  a  time  she  lived  near  Chicago  and  in  1883  came 
to  California  and  secured  work  with  the  Chaffeys.  She  was  first  mar- 
ried in  Los  Angeles,  and  was  a  widow  when  she  became  the  wife  of 


1290       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

Mr.  Jaquet.     Her  daughter  by  her  first  husband,   Pearl,  is  the  wife 
of  Hellman  Cornelius,  of  Hollywood. 

Mr.  Jaquet  in  1900  bought  property  on  Euclid  Avenue  and  le- 
tained  it  until  recently.  Ten  years  ago  he  bought  two  and  a  half 
acres  of  fine  ground  on  East  I  Street,  which  he  set  to  oranges  seven 
years  ago,  and  in  July,  1921,  he  completed  his  modern  bungalow  home 
there.  Mr.  Jaquet  is  an  old  time  member  of  Ontario  Lodge,  Inde- 
pendent Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  is  also  a  member  of  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America.  He  has  been  instrumental  in  the  advance- 
ment of  this  colony's  interests  as  a  landscape  artist,  and  his  skill  and 
industry  have  provided  some  of  the  most  distinctive  artistic  beauties 
that  adorn  the  natural  advantages  of  this  section. 

The  Italian  Vineyard  Company. — The  world's  largest  vineyard  is 
in  San  Bernardino  County,  situated  at  Guasti  Station,  three  miles  east 
of  Ontario.  It  is  a  splendid  example  of  daring  enterprise  and  skillful 
executive  management,  and  is  an  institution  that  has  reflected  benefits 
in  countless  ways  on  the  county.  In  the  first  place,  the  vineyard  occupies 
land  that  was  long  considered  worthless  desert,  and  is,  therefore,  a  re- 
demption from  the  wilderness.  As  an  industry  it  affords  employment 
to  a  great  amount  of  capital  and  labor,  and  in  every  sense  it  is  a  pro- 
ductive and  creative  enterprise. 

This  unique  institution  owes  its  existence  to  Secondo  Guasti.  Mr. 
Guasti  was  born  in  Italy  in  1859,  was  reared  and  educated  there, 
and  about  1881  left  his  native  land,  first  going  to  Panama,  then  to  Guay- 
mas,  Mexico,  and  finally  to  Los  Angeles,  where  in  1883  he  established 
and  conducted  a  wholesale  and  retail  wine  business.  He  was  in  that 
business  with  his  individual  capital,  his  place  being  at  the  corner  of  Third 
and  Alameda  streets.  As  a  Los  Angeles  business  man  he  bought  exten- 
sive quantities  of  grapes  from  growers,  and  had  dealings  with  the  pioneer 
vineyardists  around  Cucamonga,  including  Milliken  and  Haven.  These 
transactions  gave  Mr.  Guasti  the  original  idea  of  organizing  capital,  buy- 
ing and  developing  a  large  acreage,  and  promoting  a  huge  vineyard  and 
winery. 

The  plans  after  being  carefully  formulated  in  Mr.  Guasti's  mind  for 
a  time  were  put  into  execution  in  1900  by  the  organization  of  The 
Italian  Vineyard  Company.  It  was  incorporated  with  a  hundred  thousand 
dollars  stock.  The  first  purchase  included  fifteen  hundred  acres  of  land 
known  as  the  Cucamonga  Desert.  A  more  unpromising  scene  for  pro- 
ductive horticulture  could  hardly  be  conceived.  The  land  was  covered 
with  sage  brush  and  sand  dunes,  and  inhabited  only  by  the  horned  toad, 
jack-rabbit  and  rattlesnake.  Mr.  Guasti  as  head  of  the  company  had  this 
tract  cleared  and  graded  and  set  to  vines.  It  is  on  the  main  line  of  the 
Southern  Pacific  Railway,  surrounding  the  desert  station  of  South  Cuca- 
monga. The  lands  included  in  the  great  vineyard  were  purchased  at 
from  twenty-five  to  thirty  dollars  an  acre.  In  1901  the  capital  stock 
was  raised  to  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars  and  still  later  to 
five  hundred  thousand  dollars.  Successive  land  purchases  were  made 
and  developed  to  vineyard.  In  1904  the  first  stone  and  iron  winery  was 
constructed  on  these  lands.  The  company  now  owns  over  four  thousand 
acres,  nearly  all  of  it  devoted  to  grape  culture.  The  capacity  of  the 
winery  was  increased  until  it  reached  five  million  gallons,  and  was  crush- 
ing from  fifteen  to  twenty-five  thousand  tons  of  grapes  each  vintage. 
The  wines  produced  by  this  company  were  sold  throughout  the  United 
States,  with  branch  houses  at  New  York  City,  Chicago,  New  Orleans 
and  Seattle,  and  in  former  years  also  had  an  immense  export  trade  to 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1291 

foreign  lands.  The  winery  is  known  as  the  best  equipped  in  California, 
and  the  company  still  does  a  modified  business  in  the  manufacture  of  wines 
for  sacramental,  medicinal  and  manufacturing  purposes,  and  the  com- 
pany also  makes  huge  quantities  of  pure  grape  syrup  marketed  under  their 
special  brand. 

It  is  an  industry  employing  all  the  year  around  a  hundred  and  fifty 
men,  while  during  the  vintage  season  from  four  hundred  to  four  hun- 
dred and  fifty  are  on  the  pay  roll.  Much  of  the  labor  is  expert  and 
skilled.  The  company  has  developed  an  ample  water  supply  for  irriga- 
tion purposes,  the  source  of  the  supply  being  five  large  wells  equipped 
with  Pomona  deep  well  pumps  and  Layne  and  Bowler  pumps.  Each 
well  has  a  capacity  of  from  ninety  to  a  hundred  and  fifty  miner's  inches. 
From  the  wells  the  water  is  pumped  to  a  number  of  cement  reservoirs, 
one  of  which  has  a  capacity  of  thirteen  million  gallons.  From  these 
reservoirs  the  water  is  distributed  by  concrete  pipe  lines,  from  eight  to 
eighteen  inches  in  diameter,  and  the  system  is  such  as  to  afford  complete 
regulation  and  ample  supply  for  every  part  of  the  vineyard. 

While  this  vineyard  is  a  remarkable  tribute  to  the  push  and  energy 
and  foresight  of  Mr.  Guasti  and  his  associates,  it  also  serves  as  an  object 
lesson  to  indicate  the  wonderful  potential  resources  of  San  Bernardino 
and  other  sections  of  Southern  California,  which  may  awake  the  genius 
of  similar  men  to  respond  with  enormous  additions  of  productive  wealth 
for  the  world.  The  main  offices  of  the  Italian  Vineyard  Company  are  at 
1234  Palmetto  Street  in  Los  Angeles.  The  secretary  of  the  company  is 
J.  A.   Barlotti. 

Louis  Richenberger,  living  on  the  old  Rincon  stage  road,  seven 
miles  south  of  Chino,  is  a  prosperous  dairyman  and  farmer  of  this  vicinity. 
Mr.  Richenberger  as  a  youth  learned  and  became  an  expert  cheese  maker, 
acquiring  that  art  in  his  native  Switzerland.  He  came  to  California  nearly 
forty  years  ago,  and  has  lived  in  this  state  the  greater  part  of  the  time 
since  then. 

He  was  born  in  Switzerland,  January  17,  1858.  His  father  was  a 
Swiss  cheese  manufacturer.  In  the  family  were  six  children,  the  first 
three  being  sons,  Louis  the  youngest.  Louis  Richenberger  was  reared 
and  educated  in  Switzerland,  and  under  his  father  acquired  the  art  of 
making  cheese.  When  he  came  to  America  in  February,  1883,  he  was 
first  attracted  to  the  great  dairy  and  cheese  state  of  Wisconsin,  but  soon 
found  the  climate  inhospitable  and  in  the  following  December  arrived  at 
San  Francisco,  having  made  a  tedious  trip  across  the  continent,  a  twelve 
days'  journey  due  to  delays  on  account  of  snow  and  other  causes.  In 
California  Mr.  Richenberger  negotiated  with  Governor  Stanford  and 
established  for  him  the  first  cheese  factory  in  that  part  of  the  state.  He 
operated  it  very  successfully  for  a  year  and  a  half.  Then  leaving  Cali- 
fornia, he  went  to  Tombstone,  Arizona,  but  soon  removed  to  San  Diego. 
Mr.  Richenberger  once  owned  two  lots  in  San  Diego  now  covered  by  the 
Coronado  Hotel.  He  sold  these  lots  for  forty  dollars  each.  From  there  he 
removed  to  Bakersfield,  and  was  a  cheese  manufacturer  there  four  years. 
Then  followed  a  two  months  visit  to  his  native  land.  Altogether  Mr. 
Richenberger  went  back  to  Europe  three  times,  and  spent  all  his  savings 
each  time.  For  two  years  he  was  a  cheese  maker  at  Phoenix,  Arizona, 
and  in  1898  returned  to  California  and  has  since  been  identified  with 
San  Bernardino  County.  He  bought  twelve  and  a  half  acres  of  land  and 
established  a  large  cheese  plant  and  dairy  business,  purchasing  quantities 
of  milk  from  surrounding  farmers  and  manufacturing  two  hundred 
pounds  or  more  of  cheese  daily.     His  special  product,  the  Rincon  Cheese, 


1292      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

acquired  a  great  fame  and  a  broadening  market.  He  continued  in  the 
business  for  ten  years,  and  then  abandoned  cheese  making  and  since  has 
incorporated  his  dairy  farm  and  sold  his  milk  wholesale.  Mr.  Richen- 
berger  leases  380  acres  and  does  farming  on  an  extensive  scale,  operating 
two   tractors  and   all  other   modern   machinery. 

He  married  Katherine  Kuntz,  who  was  born  in  Bavaria,  Germany, 
in  1868,  and  came  to  America  at  the  age  of  sixteen.  She  first  lived  in 
Brooklyn,  New  York,  and  twenty-three  years  ago  came  to  Chino.  She 
had  to  master  the  English  language  after  coming  to  this  country.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Richenberger  have  three  sons:  Alvis,  born  August  16,  1890. 
was  educated  in  the  Chino  schools,  married  Miss  Hazel  Hayes  on  October 
1,  1921,  and  had  answered  the  call  to  the  colors  and  was  ready  for  duty 
when  the  armistice  was  signed.  He  is  now  associated  with  his  father 
on  the  farm.  Harold  was  born  October  24,  1895,  was  educated  in  the 
Chino  High  School  and  is  a  mechanic.  Albert,  born  March  4,  1908, 
is  a  student  in  the  Chino  High  School. 

Mr.  Richenberger  had  no  knowledge  of  the  English  language  when 
he  came  to  this  country.  He  worked  long  hours  during  the  day  and 
attended  school  at  night  in  Bakersfield  to  learn  to  read  and  write.  He 
has  had  no  help  except  that  given  him  by  his  industrious  and  thrifty 
wife,  and  together  they  have  accumulated  a  comfortable  and  substantial 
competency.  He  and  his  family  are  members  of  the  Catholic  Church, 
he  is  affiliated  with  Pomona  Council  No.  877,  Knights  of  Columbus,  and 
has  always  voted  the  republican  ticket. 

Albert  D.  Trujillo,  member  of  one  of  the  oldest  families  of  San 
Bernardino  and  Riverside  counties,  is  a  native  son,  and  during  the 
decade  that  his  name  has  been  enrolled  as  a  member  of  the  bar 
he  has  made  a  reputation  as  one  of  the  ablest  and  best  known  criminal 
lawyers  in  Southern  California. 

Mr.  Trujillo  and  his  father  were  born  at  Spanishtown  on  the 
line  between  the  two  counties.  His  father,  Dario  Trujillo,  has  given 
his  active  life  to  mining  and  now  lives  at  Perris  in  Riverside  County, 
where  he  was  identified  with  the  early  settlement.  Dario  Trujillo 
is  the  only  survivor  of  four  brothers.  His  wife  Sarah  Espinosa  was 
also  born  at  Spanishtown  and  is  living  at  Perris.  The  six  living 
children  of  Dario  and  Sarah  Trujillo  are :  Frank,  in  the  real  estate 
business  at  San  Bernardino;  Albert  D.,  Lupe,  wife  of  Harry  Hughes,  a 
farmer  at  Perris ;  Esperanza,  wife  of  Wilford  Connell,  a  Perris 
farmer ;  Sellio  and  Dario,  Jr.,  contractors  at  Perris. 

Albert  D.  Trujillo  attended  the  public  schools  of  Riverside  County 
and  the  Perris  High  School,  graduating  in  1905.  Following  his 
school  career  he  was  employed  as  a  clerk  by  the  prominent  business 
firm  of  Hook  Brothers  at  Perris.  At  the  same  time  he  busily  pursued 
the  study  of  law  at  home,  and  was  admitted  to  the  California  bar  at 
Los  Angeles  in  1909.  Since  1917  he  has  qualified  for  practice  in 
the  Federal  courts.  Mr.  Trujillo  opened  his  first  office  at  Riverside 
in  1909,  but  a  year  later  moved  to  San  Bernardino,  where  he  has 
occupied  the  same  suite  of  offices  ever  since,  located  at  360  E  Street. 
With  a  general  practice,  his  work  has  figured  more  and  more  as  a 
specialist  in  criminal  law.  He  has  handled  many  murder  trials  in  all 
the  counties  of  Southern  California,  and  was  one  of  the  attorneys  in 
the  recently  celebrated  Ruiz  criminal  case. 

Mr.  Trujillo  is  a  member  of  the  Democratic  County  Central 
Committee,  has  been  active  in  a  number  of  county  campaigns,  but 
unlike  many  lawyers  has  never  regarded  politics  as  a  source  of  liveli- 


QmoA 


l^J^SJh 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1293 

hood  or  additional  reputation.     He  is  a  member  of  Arrowhead  Parlor 
No.  110  Native  Sons  of  the  Golden  West  of  San  Bernardino. 

January  1,  1916,  in  Arizona  he  married  Miss  Amalia  Imperial, 
a  native  of  that  state.  Their  two  children  are:  Josephine,  born  in 
1916,  and  Albert  E„  Jr. 

J.  C.  Reeder. — The  career  of  J.  C.  Reeder,  one  of  the  well  known 
and  substantial  citizens  of  the  Ontario  District,  has  not  been  a  steady 
and  uninterrupted  climb  toward  prosperity.  Two  of  his  early  California 
ventures  were  complete  failures.  He  returned  to  his  task  after  seeing 
his  savings  dissipated,  and  this  faculty  of  never  giving  up  in  defeat 
and  his  hopeful  enterprise  have  largely  determined  the  successful  position 
he  now  enjoys. 

Mr.  Reeder  was  born  at  Lindsay,  Canada,  September  18,  1862.  When 
he  was  two  years  old  his  mother  died,  and  three  years  later  his  father, 
Daniel  Reeder,  moved  to  Michigan  and  settled  in  the  northern  woods, 
in  what  is  now  Missoukee  County,  sixty-five  miles  from  the  nearest 
settlement,  Traverse  City  being  the  nearest  town.  He  homesteaded  land 
there.  Daniel  Reeder  was  for  several  years  the  only  man  of  any  educa- 
tion in  the  entire  county.  With  the  increase  of  population  he  mortgaged 
his  farm  in  order  to  secure  money  to  establish  the  county  seat  at  his 
own  town,  Lake  City,  and  he  realized  this  ambition. 

It  was  in  such  a  country,  of  great  woods,  without  any  of  the  institu- 
tions of  refinement,  neither  schools  nor  churches,  that  J.  C.  Reeder  spent 
his  boyhood.  Altogether  he  attended  public  school  only  three  months, 
and  only  by  his  own  efforts  in  later  years  did  he  secure  the  equivalent 
of  an  ordinary  education.  He  has  been  making  his  own  way  since  he 
was  thirteen.  At  seventeen  he  left  home  altogether.  His  early  life  was 
spent  in  a  lumber  town,  where  there  were  thirteen  saloons  and  a  brawl 
or  fight  amost  always  on  the  program.  He  worked  alongside  rough  lum- 
ber jacks  in  the  timber  and  lumber  camps  and  on  the  river,  and  it  is  a 
tribute  to  his  independent  character  that  in  spite  of  this  environment 
he  never  used  tobacco  or  intoxicating  liquors.  While  still  a  boy  he  was 
employed  on  a  lumber  boom,  and  in  six  weeks  his  pay  was  raised  to  the 
same  as  that  given  to  men  two  years  in  the  service.  It  was  the  custom 
to  gauge  the  rate  of  pay  according  to  length  of  experience.  From  this 
work  he  returned  to  Lake  City  with  a  hundred  dollars  saved,  and  borrow- 
ing twenty-five  dollars  more  and  taking  in  a  partner  he  established  a  drug 
store.  Nine  months  later  he  sold  his  interest  to  his  partner,  netting  a 
big  profit. 

After  some  other  experiences  Mr.  Reeder  went  to  Washington  and 
for  three  years  was  in  the  logging  camps  of  the  Northwest.  While  in 
Washington  he  contracted  the  purchase  of  ten  acres  in  the  Barton  District 
of  Redlands,  California.  It  was  a  tract  of  unimproved  land,  but  the 
purchase  agreement  was  that  it  would  be  set  to  oranges  and  developed 
while  he  was  making  the  payments.  In  1891  he  came  down  to  Red- 
lands  to  investigate,  and  found  that  evervthin?  he  had  put  into  the  invest- 
ment had  gone  for  naught.  Thus  relieved  of  the  embarrassment  of  ac- 
cumulating riches  and  left  with  onlv  fiftv  dollars,  he  went  to  work  in  the 
old  Terricina  Hotel,  and  six  months  later  found  himself  the  possessor 
of  five  hundred  dollars.  His  next  employment  was  with  an  engineering 
party  in  Bear  Valley  under_  Mr.  Sargent,  engaged  in  the  Moreno  Survey. 
By  1894  Mr.  Reeder  had  nine  hundred  dollars,  and  this  he  invested  in  a 
small  ranch  property  in  San  Diego  County.  Here  again  conditions  were 
all  against  him,  and  after  five  years  of  struggle  he  left  and  went  to 
Lakeside,    forty-five   dollars   in   debt.     At   Lakeside   he   worked   with   a 


1294       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

surveying  party,  used  his  team  for  contract  work  and  also  operated  steam 
pumps,  supplying  the  city  of  San  Diego  with  water.  At  the  end  of  two 
years  he  had  sixteen  hundred  dollars  in  the  bank. 

With  this  little  fortune  he  established  himself  permanently  in  the  field 
where  he  is  located  today.  In  January,  1901,  he  bought  his  present 
homestead,  three  miles  west  of  Euclid  Avenue  in  Ontario.  He  paid  four 
hundred  and  seventy-five  dollars  for  five  acres  of  wild  land  on  Holt 
Avenue,  set  it  to  oranges,  built  a  home,  and  instituted  other  improvements. 
He  then  contracted  to  buy  an  adjoining  five  acres  for  eight  hundred 
dollars,  paying  only  forty  dollars  down.  By  borrowing  and  from  his 
savings  he  paid  out,  and  his  ten  acres,  now  completely  developed  as  an 
orange  grove,  would  conservatively  be  valued  at  thirty-five  thousand 
dollars.  Altogether  Mr.  Reeder  now  owns  ninety-five  acres  of  improved 
land,  chiefly  in  oranges  and  deciduous  orchards.  He  is  a  stockholder 
to  the  extent  of  seven  thousand  dollars  in  the  San  Antonio  Packing  Com- 
pany and  holds  in  stock  a  number  of  other  organizations.  In  twenty  years 
he  has  accumulated  a  very  substantial  competency,  due  to  his  energetic 
labors  and  the  wisdom  with  which  he  has  estimated  present  and  future 
conditions. 

For  the  past  sixteen  years  Mr.  Reeder  has  served  as  district  road 
boss.  He  has  been  a  life  long  republican  and  a  man  of  scrupulous  in- 
tegrity in  all  his  transactions.  He  is  one  of  the  most  thoroughly  practical 
horticulturists  in  this   section. 

In  the  spring  of  1894  he  married  Miss  Lulu  B.  Sharp,  a  native  of 
Missouri,  who  came  to  Pomona,  California,  in  1891.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Reeder  can  certainly  be  pardoned  a  justifiable  pride  jn  their  splendid 
family  of  seven  boys,  from  the  oldest  to  the  youngest  perfect  specimens 
of  physical  strength  and  well  being,  and  all  of  them  athletically  inclined. 
the  older  ones  having  many  distinctions  in  school  athletics. 

The  oldest,  Paul  H.  Reeder,  born  September  1.  1895,  at  San  Diego, 
graduated  from  the  Chaffey  Union  High  School  and  at  the  time  of  the 
World  war  he  enlisted  in  the  Field  Hospital  Corps  and  for  almost  two 
years  was  in  France.  He  was  in  the  first  unit  to  cross  the  line  after 
the  armistice  was  signed.  He  was  prominent  in  the  athletic  and  field 
contests  of  the  army  in  France,  and  the  day  before  his  return  he  won 
five  of  the  events  in  a  great  field  day  of  athletic  sports.  He  is  a  thirty- 
second  degree  Mason.  Paul  Reeder  married  Miss  Agnes  Baker,  of 
Pomona,  and  they  have  one  daughter,  Pauline  Agnes  Reeder,  born  July 
27,  1921. 

The  second  son,  Arthur  J.  Reeder,  born  November  12,  1896,  at  San 
Diego,  also  graduated  from  the  Chaffey  Union  High  School  and  he  broke 
all  the  athletic  records  of  that  school  and  gained  a  state-wide  reputation 
as  a  football  player  and  in  other  sports.  He  volunteered  and  went  into 
Field  Hospital  Corps  in  the  same  unit  with  his  brother,  and  they  were 
together  all  through  the  service.  After  his  return  he  went  to  Arizona  and 
proved  up  a  homestead  of  agricultural  land.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  Order. 

The  third  son,  Donald  D.  Reeder,  born  September  18,  1899,  at  San 
Diego,  graduated  from  the  Chaffey  High  School,  also  made  his  mark  in 
athletics  and  was  a  volunteer  for  the  war  service  and  ready  to  go  when 
the  armistice  was  signed.  Later  he  took  over  the  management  of  the 
Avis  Hotel  Cafe,  Pomona.  In  1921  he  married  Miss  Ruth  Cooper,  of 
Upland,  California. 

The  younger  sons  are  L.  DeWitt  Reeder,  born  at  Ontario  August  4. 
1901,   a  graduate   of   the   Chaffey   High    School   and   now    a   student   in 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1295 

Pomona  College;  George,  born  at  Ontario  December  30,   1905;  Teddy 
Eevvis,  born  at  Ontario  October  4,  1907,  and  Stanley,  born  June  4,  19l)y. 

John  Chester  Nobles  after  many  years  of  business  effort  in  the 
Northwest  came  to  California  more  than  twenty-five  years  ago,  acquired 
property  interests  in  Ontario  and  other  parts  ot  the  state,  and  lived  here 
highly  honored  and  respected  until  his  death.  His  family  are  residents 
ot  Ontario,  where  Mrs.  Nobles  and  their  only  daughter  reside. 

The  late  Mr.  Nobles  was  born  in  Indiana,  February  25,  1842.  His 
parents  were  farmers  and  in  rather  poor  circumstances,  so  that  all  the 
schooling  he  could  get  was  in  the  common  schools,  and  the  routine  of 
farm  duties  faced  him  when  only  a  child.  When  he  was  only  twelve  years 
of  age  John  C.  Nobles  drove  a  team  of  oxen  breaking  heavy  prairie  sod. 
Under  such  circumstances  he  never  learned  to  expect  or  await  any  finan- 
cial assistance,  but  depended  entirely  on  his  own  labors  and  ability  for 
his  modest  reward.  His  industry  and  earnestness  brought  him  eventu- 
ally to  a  position  of  substantial  success. 

In  1870  Mr.  Nobles  went  to  Minnesota,  and  in  the  same  year  at  El 
Dorado  he  married  Miss  Sarah  Sharratt.  Mrs.  Nobles  was  born  in 
Staffordshire,  England,  May  15,  1848,  daughter  of  Francis  and  Maria 
Sharratt,  who  the  following  year  left  England  and  became  pioneer  settlers 
in  Wisconsin.  After  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nobles  settled  on  a 
farm  near  Winnebago  City,  where  he  put  in  ten  industrious  years.  He 
then  moved  to  Amboy,  and  for  a  number  of  years  was  a  leading  mer- 
chant of  that  town.  His  last  place  of  residence  in  Minnesota  was  Man- 
kato,  where  he  was  a  manufacturer  and  wholesaler  of  candy  and  con- 
fectionery. In  these  commercial  lines  he  was  eminently  successful,  and 
it  was  reasons  of  ill  health  that  caused  him  to  dispose  of  his  interests 
in  Minnesota  and  in  1895  come  West.  For  several  months  he  was  in 
Salt  Lake  City  investigating  mining  projects,  but  in  September,  1896, 
he  came  on  to  Ontario,  California.  Here  he  rented  a  home  for  sixteen 
months,  and  then  1898  built  a  home  at  San  Diego,  where  he  lived  until 
his  death  on  November  27,   1907. 

Mr.  Nobles  was  a  member  of  the  Masonic  Order,  a  life  long  democrat, 
and  is  remembered  as  a  man  of  most  charitable  and  generous  disposi- 
tion, temperate  in  his  habits,  and  was  esteemed  for  his  character  as  well 
as  for  his  material  achievement. 

Soon  after  coming  to  California  he  invested  in  a  magnificent  five 
acre  grove  on  North  Vine  Avenue  in  Ontario,  and  on  this  he  built  a 
modern  home  now  occupied  by  Mrs.  Nobles  and  their  only  daughter. 
The  daughter,  Mvra,  was  born  on  a  farm  near  Amboy.  Minnesota,  Novem- 
ber 21,  1871.  She  was  educated  in  the  grammar  schools  of  Amboy,  in 
the  Mankato  High  School,  and  on  September  28.  1895.  became  the  wife 
of  Henry  Frisbee.  Mr.  Frisbee  was  born  in  Wisconsin  and  is  now 
an  orange  grower  at  Ontario.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frisbee  have  three  children. 
The  oldest.  Edna  Maud,  born  at  Salt  Lake  City,  is  a  graduate  of  the 
Chaffev  High  School  of  Ontario  and  has  specialized  in  Domestic  Science. 
The  second  child.  Ira  Nobles  Frisbee.  born  at  Ontario  November  7,  1897. 
is  a  graduate  of  the  Chaffev  High  School,  and  eraduated  with  honors 
and  the  A.  B.  degree  from  Pomona  College  in  1919.  In  June  1921  he 
completed  a  two  years'  course  in  business  administration  at  Harvard 
University.  During  the  World  war  he  was  enrolled  as  a  lieutenant  in 
the  Students'  Army  Training  Corps  and  is  now  connected  with  the  San 
Francisco  firm  of  Price  Waterhouse  Companv  as  an  exnert  accountant. 
Ira  N.  Frisbee  married.  September  1,  1920,  Miss  Helen  Sheets,  of  Clare- 
mont,  California,  and  they  have  a  daughter,  Helen  Leonora,  born  in  July, 


1296       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

1921.  The  third  child  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frisbee  is  Alice  Elizabeth,  born 
at  San  Diego  December  3,  1906,  a  young  lady  gifted  in  music  and  a  stu- 
dent in  both  vocal  and  instrumental.   She  attends  the  Chaffey  High  School. 

James  Birney  Draper — That  a  good  name  is  to  be  chosen  rather 
than  riches  is  in  a  peculiar  sense  exemplified  by  the  career  of  Ontario's 
well  known  citizen  James  Birney  Draper,  who  has  lived  in  this  com- 
munity for  over  a  quarter  of  a  century,  and  thus  personally  and 
through  his  business  has  earned  a  host  of  friendships  and  has  enjoyed 
every  degree  of  success. 

Mr.  Draper  was  born  May  16,  1855,  in  County  Gray,  Ontario, 
Canada,  son  of  Charles  and  Eleanor  (Birney)  Draper.  His  father 
was  a  farmer  who  moved  to  the  village  of  Drayton  in  County  Wal- 
lington,  and  died  before  his  son  James  was  twelve  years  of  age.  The 
latter  had  only  a  common  school  education  at  Drayton,  and  at  the 
age  of  eleven  went  to  work  for  a  farmer,  his  wages  being  three  dol- 
lars a  month  for  a  period  of  nine  months.  Out  of  this  meager  income 
he  saved  twenty-five  dollars,  which  he  invested  in  sheep,  subsequently- 
destroyed  by  dogs.  He  continued  working  as  a  farm  laborer  until 
he  was  about  twenty  years  of  age,  and  then  learned  the  tailoring 
trade  in  the  village  of  Chesley,  Ontario.  Subsequently  he  was  in 
business  for  himself  in  the  country  village  of  Pinkerton,  where  he 
met  his  future  wife,  Miss  Louisa  Mutrie. 

From  Pinkerton  he  returned  to  Drayton  and  for  eight  years  had 
charge  of  the  tailoring  department  of  John  Whyte's  department  store, 
and  in  the  spring  of  1889  went  west  to  Portage  La  Prairie,  Manitoba, 
to  open  a  men's  tailoring  and  men's  furnishing  goods  and  fur  store. 
He  remained  in  that  western  province  five  years,  and  in  the  spring 
of  1894  arrived  in  Ontario,  California,  and  on  the  13th  of  May  of  that 
year  engaged  in  business  as  a  merchant  tailor. 

In  the  fall  of  1898  Mr.  Draper  bought  the  undertaking  business  of 
Fred  Clark,  succeeding  Isaac  Garbuth,  who  had  charge,  but  was  in- 
capacitated through  illness,  and  Mr.  Draper  had  voluntarily  assisted 
at  a  number  of  funerals  and  his  qualifications  for  the  special  service 
demanded  of  a  funeral  undertaker  were  so  evident  that  though  he  had 
no  funds  to  buy  the  business  several  Ontario  townsmen  gave  him  the 
money  needed  without  requiring  security.  He  has  since  developed  a 
model  funeral  service,  and  in  the  spring  of  1911  he  erected  a  building 
of  his  own,  containing  an  appropriately  equipped  chapel,  at  a  cost  of 
twenty-seven  thousand  dollars.  The  building  is  ideally  located  for 
his  business,  away  from  the  main  thoroughfare  but  accessible  to  all 
points  of  the  town.  During  the  first  year  Mr.  Draper  directed  thirty 
funerals,  and  his  business  patronage  is  such  that  he  now  handles  on 
an  average  three  hundred  such  occasions  annually.  Recently,  at  the 
urgent  request  of  ministers  of  all  denominations,  bankers  and  busi- 
ness men,  he  bought  the  funeral  establishment  at  Upland  from  L.  C. 
Vedder,  and  his  son,  Fred  E.,  now  has  charge  of  the  Upland  business, 
and  Mr.  Draper's  youngest  daughter,  Ella,  has  charge  of  the  books. 
Mr.  Draper  has  in  every  sense  been  a  self-made  man,  and  the  integrity 
of  his  life  has  justified  the  confidence  so  frequently  reposed  in  him. 

He  was  president  of  the  Southern  California  Funeral  Directors 
Association,  also  vice  president  of  the  State  Funeral  Directors  Asso- 
ciation, and  was  a  member  of  the  legislative  committee  that  was  in- 
strumental in  placing  the  present  embalmers'  bill  on  the  statute  books. 
He  is  also  a  member  by  invitation  of  the  National  Selected  Morticians, 
with  headquarters  at  Pittsburgh,  Pa.     He  has  for  years  been  bitterly 


" 


**>** 


S&*K?    %&   <6crrrtfy 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1297 

opposed  to  the  liquor  traffic,  is  a  republican  in  politics,  and  a  member 
of  the  Official  Board  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  He  was 
the  first  treasurer  of  the  Volunteer  Fire  Department  of  Ontaiio. 

Mr.  Draper  married  Miss  Louisa  Mutrie  at  Pinkerton,  Ontario, 
Canada,  in  1884.  They  had  a  family  of  five  children,  three  sons  and 
two  daughters,  named  Harold  Mutrie,  Olive  Louisa,  Ella  Martin, 
Fred  Earl  and  Ewart  Blake.  Harold  M.  was  killed  in  an  automobile 
accident  on  October  16,  1916.  Airs.  Draper  was  born  in  the  Township  of 
Nichol,  County  of  Wellington,  Province  of  Ontario,  Canada,  January 
28,  1858,  and  was  educated  in  public  schools  there. 

George  Mills  Cooley — In  the  San  Bernardino  Valley  the  prestige 
accorded  George  Mills  Cooley  is  due  to  his  veteran  service  in  the 
mercantile  field,  to  a  success  that  has  mounted  steadily  through  the 
years,  to  the  character  and  reputation  for  pushing  affairs  with  ex- 
ceptional vigor.  At  the  bottom  of  all  has  been  the  integrity  that 
has  brought  him  the  esteem  of  all  his  associates  during  his  almost 
lifelong  residence  in  this  part  of  California.  The  history  of  his  personal 
career  and  that  of  his  family  possess  more  than  ordinary  interest. 
George  Cooley  and  Ellen  Tolputt  were  natives  of  Kent,  England. 
They  were  probably  converts  to  Mormonism  while  in  England,  and 
they  left  that  country  to  join  a  Mormon  settlement  in  the  Far  West. 
While  on  shipboard  crossing  the  Atlantic  and  in  midocean  they  were  mar- 
ried, and  while  they  were  in  Utah  their  child,  George  Mills  Cooley, 
was  born  December  23,  1855.  George  Cooley  remained  in  Salt  Lake 
about  four  years,  until  he  with  ten  other  English  families  became 
dissatisfied  with  Brigham  Young's  policies.  It  is  reported  that 
Young  got  up  in  church  one  Sunday  and  said  that  Franklin  K. 
Pierce  might  be  President  of  the  United  States,  but  he  would  be 
damned  if  he  was  President  of  this  territory.  Mr.  Cooley  is  said 
to  have  retorted  in  church,  that  polygamy  was  the  curse  of  the 
community.  The  bishop  of  the  church  answered  "Yes  and  your  blood 
shall  atone  for  those  remarks  before  the  setting  of  the  sun  tonight." 
George  Cooley  lost  no  time  in  moving  to  Nephi,  ninety  miles  south 
of  Salt  Lake  City,  and  when  he  applied  to  the  bishop  of  the  church 
at  that  point,  the  latter  who  was  very  much  of  a  gentleman,  gave 
him  papers  with  permission  for  the  entire  party  to  leave  the  territory. 
When  they  had  gone  seventy-five  miles  and  were  west  of  the  line  of 
Utah  a  posse  of  officers  stopped  them,  accusing  them  of  attempting 
to  leave  the  territory  on  forged  papers.  The  party  was  compelled 
to  wait  while  some  of  the  officers  took  Mr.  Cooley  back  to  Nephi. 
The  bishop  declared  the  papers  to  be  genuine  and  ordered  the  officers 
to  escort  him  back  to  his  party.  With  these  incidents  and  delays 
the  Cooley  family  arrived  in  San  Bernardino,  May  11,  1857. 

It  was  in  the  beautiful  ranch  home  of  his  parents  south  of  San 
Bernardino  that  George  Mills  Cooley  grew  to  manhood.  He  mastered 
the  art  of  education,  studied  at  home,  his  elementary  education  being 
due  largely  to  his  father's  teaching.  As  a  young  man  he  and  Alfred 
Hunt  rented  a  thousand  acres  between  San  Bernardino  and  Redlands 
and  from  the  proceeds  of  this  venture  he  acquired  sufficient  money 
to  go  through  Heald's  Business  College  in  San  Francisco.  After 
leaving  business  college  he  entered  the  service  of  the  Ruffen  &  Brays 
Hardware  Store  in  San  Bernardino.  He  worked  in  that  store  from 
1875  until  1885,  having  the  responsibility  of  the  business  on  his 
shoulders.  He  bought  out  the  firm  in  1885,  and  since  then  for  over 
thirty-five  years  has  been  sole  proprietor,  the  business  being  conducted 


1298       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

under  his  own  name  for  many  years  and  recently  under  the  name  of 
the  George  M.  Cooley  Company. 

Historically  this  is  the  oldest  store  in  San  Bernardino  County. 
It  was  establised  about  1854,  and  has  a  consecutive  history  of  nearly 
seventy  years.  Mr.  Cooley  has  greatly  expanded  the  business  under 
his  proprietorship.  He  has  a  thorough  knowledge  of  hardware  in 
all  its  related  lines,  and  his  energy  and  personal  supervision  have 
enabled  him  to  look  after  the  business  of  every  department.  His 
stock  represents  a  capital  investment  of  many  thousands  of  dollars 
and  comprises  everything  in  shelf  and  general  hardware.  With  his 
ample  credit  resources  he  has  been  able  to  buy  direct  from  the 
manufacturers  in  large  quantities  and  this  advantage  he  transmits  to 
the  benefit  of  his  customers. 

Mr.  Cooley  started  in  the  hardware  business  with  practically 
nothing  but  his  credit,  and  this  he  has  kept  untarnished,  and  today 
he  enjoys  the  higest  rating  given  by  commercial  agencies.  He  owns 
the  property  where  his  business  is  conducted,  and  his  trade  has  in- 
creased so  steadily  as  to  necessitate  many  additions  in  floor  space. 
The  store  is  one  of  the  largest,  most  thoroughly  stocked  and  complete 
in  the  state.  For  more  than  half  a  century  the  business  has  been  con- 
ducted at  the  same  place,  and  it  has  been  under  the  ownership  of 
Mr.  Cooley  over  thirty-seven  years.  Of  the  incorporated  company, 
George  M.  Cooley  is  president  and  general  manager ;  Frank  L.  Cooley, 
his  brother,  is  vice  president  and  manager  of  the  Plumbing  depart- 
ment ;  Allan  Grover  Cooley  is  secretary-treasurer  and  in  the  absence  of 
George  M.  Cooley,  acts  as  general  manager;  and  Marshall  B.  Cooley 
is  manager  of  the  Sheet  Metal  department. 

One  of  the  most  important  features  of  the  business  is  plumbing. 
A  staff  of  expert  mechanics  is  maintained  and  until  recently  George 
M.  Cooley  made  his  own  estimates  and  supervised  the  work  in  the 
plumbing  department,  but  this  is  now  being  handled  by  his  brother 
Frank.  In  1890,  Mr.  Cooley  competed  with  twenty-nine  pipe  dealers 
to  sell  the  city  of  San  Bernardino  the  pipe  necessary  for  the  new 
waterworks.  He  secured  the  entire  contract  since  all  other  bids  were 
from  four  thousand  to  fourteen  thousand  dollars  higher  than  his. 
Mr.  Cooley  has  also  done  much  real  estate  development  and  has 
erected  six  dwellings  on  the  two  acres  owned  by  him  at  the  corner 
of  Sixth  and  D  Streets,  four  of  which  had  been  sold. 

Mr.  Cooley  is  a  student  and  an  authority  on  soil  and  derives  his 
greatest  pleasure  in  growing  plants.  His  particular  hobby  is  potatoes. 
Like  Luther  Burbank  he  has  been  attracted  into  the  fascinating  subject 
of  propagating  new  species,  and  has  some  singular  results  to  his 
credit.  His  trial  grounds,  and  also  the  scene  of  his  practical  efforts 
as  a  grower,  is  a  sixty-four  acre  farm  at  Little  Mountain  between 
San  Bernardino  and  Highland.  The  east  side  of  the  mountain  is  ter- 
raced and  set  out  to  Rostrata  Gum  trees,  some  of  which  are  over  100 
feet  high.  On  the  southern  side  he  has  built  a  reservoir  to  store  sev- 
eral million  gallons  of  storm  water.  On  this  ranch  is  an  extensive 
Valencia  orange  grove,  also  groves  of  apricots,  peach  and  olives,  all 
under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  with  a  wonderful  irrigating  system 
of  pipes  and  flumes  so  that  the  use  of  water  is  easily  handled  and  con- 
trolled. In  the  management  and  direction  of  this  farm  Mr.  Cooley  is 
absolute  manager. 

Mr.  Cooley  married  Miss  Sarah  Bessant,  a  native  of  California. 
Her  parents,  Isaac  and  Mary  Ann  Bessant,  were  also  California 
pioneers  who  crossed  the  plains  in  the  same  train  with  the  Cooley 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1299 

family,  arriving  May  11,  1857.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cooley  have  a  daughter 
and  three  sons.  The  daughter  Dora  is  the  wife  of  Postmaster  Ernest 
Martin,  of  whom  more  is  said  elsewhere  in  this  work.  The  oldest 
son,  Allan  Grover  Cooley,  secretary-treasurer  of  the  George  M. 
Cooley  Company,  married  Hilda  Graves,  a  native  of  San  Bernardino 
and  a  daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harry  Graves,  and  their  two  children 
are  named  Marian  and  Allan.  The  second  son,  George  Damon  Cooley, 
associated  with  his  father  in  the  store  and  owner  of  the  garage  at 
Big  Bear  Valley,  married  Florence  Hemler  of  Riverside,  a  native  of 
Canada.  The  youngest  son,  Marshall  Brookes  Cooley,  manager  of  the 
Sheet  Metal  department,  married  Alice  Rucker,  a  native  of  Missouri, 
and  their  two  children  are  Virginia  and  Marshall,  Jr. 

A.  K.  Smiley  Public  Library — Probably  no  one  institution  ex- 
presses more  thoroughly  the  spirit  of  intellectual  culture  that  has 
always  prevailed  in  Redlands  than  the  A.  K.  Smiley  Public  Library. 
Even  under  pioneer  conditions  the  best  of  American  communities 
have  established  schools  and  churches  almost  as  soon  as  the  first 
homes  were  built  and  roads  opened,  and  as  a  pioneer  community  of 
a  modern  age  Redlands  early  turned  its  thought  to  that  broader  source 
of  intellectual  inspiration  found  in  a  free  public  library.  The  follow- 
ing sketch  is  valuable  not  only  as  a  history  of  the  library  itself,  but 
as  a  means  of  preserving  the  names  of  some  of  the  generous  and 
public  spirited  men  and  women  whose  connection  with  the  library  is 
only  the  keynote  of  their  effective  citizenship  in  every  department 
of  the  community's  welfare. 

Beginning  in  October,  1889,  the  women  of  the  Chicago  Colony  or- 
ganized and  conducted  a  Woman's  Exchange  in  the  Book  and  Art 
Store  of  Mrs.  J.  L.  Jones  for  two  years,  and  a  small  net  profit  remain- 
ing was  placed  in  the  Union  Bank  dedicated  to  a  public  library  when- 
ever one  should  be  established.  The  proposition  of  establishing  a 
reading  room  and  public  library  was  brought  to  general  attention  by 
a  meeting  called  December  5,  1891;  by  Alfred  H.  Smiley,  J.  B.  Breed, 
Albert  K.  Smiley  and  others.  As  a  result,  in  March,  1892,  a  coffee 
parlor  and  reading  room  was  opened  in  the  old  Y.  M.  C.  A.  Building 
on  East  State  Street.  November  1,  1893,  Alfred  H.  Smiley,  real- 
izing the  need  of  a  public  collection  of  books  to  supplement  the  other 
educational  activities  of  the  City  of  Redlands,  then  less  than  six 
years  old,  brought  the  matter  of  a  public  library  before  the  city 
trustees  and  asked  their  assistance.  Later,  on  November  23,  1893,  a 
general  mass  meeting  at  the  City  Hall  was  held,  at  which  A.  H. 
Smiley  was  elected  chairman  and  Prof.  C.  N.  Andrews',  secretary. 
Mr.  Smiley  reported  he  had  received  subscriptions  amounting  to  four- 
teen hundred  dollars  and  presented  a  plan  of  temporary  organization 
until  the  next  city  election. 

On  motion  the  meeting  resolved  itself  into  an  association,  the  Red- 
lands  Public  Library  Association,  and  the  trustees  elected  were  A.  H. 
Smiley,  T.  E.  N.  Eaton,  F.  P.  Meserve,  J.  B.  Breed,  A.  B.  Ruggles,  Mrs. 
W.  Howard  White,  Mrs.  N.  S.  McAbee  and  Miss  L.  E.  Foote.  When 
Dr.  Eaton  resigned  Rev.  A.  L.  Park  was  chosen  his  successor. 

These  trustees  immediately  asked  gifts  of  books,  and  in  all  about  two 
thousand  dollars  was  raised  by  voluntary  contributions.  January  1,  1894, 
the  board  purchased  books  to  the  value  of  a  thousand  dollars.  The  trus- 
tees on  February  7,  1894,  donated  the  library  to  the  city,  and  the  city 
trustees   on   the    following  day   accepted   the   gift,    which,    however,    was 


1300       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 


allowed  to  remain  in  the  keeping  of  the  Library  Association  until  trustees 
could  be  chosen  at  the  next  regular  city  election. 

The  new  library,  consisting  of  about  two  thousand  volumes,  was  in- 
spected at  a  general  public  reception  held  in  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  Building  on 
Cajon  Street  on  Washington's  birthday.  At  a  formal  meeting  in  the  city 
trustees'  room  Alfred  H.  Smiley  on  behalf  of  the  trustees  dedicated 
the  library  to  the  people  and  it  was  accepted  on  their  behalf  by  Mayor 
Edward  G.  Judson,  who  appropriately  referred  to  the  energy  and  per- 
sistence of  Alfred  H.  Smiley  as  primarily  responsible  for  the  splen- 
did success  thus  far  attained  by  the  library  project.  The  city  ordinance 
establishing  the  Redlands  Public  Library  was  passed  February  23rd,  and 
on  March  2,  1894,  the  Public  Library  began  issuing  books.  At  a  city 
election  held  April  9th  the  first  Board  of  Trustees  was  chosen,  consisting 
of  A.  H.  Smiley,  F.  P.  Meserve,  A.  B.  Ruggles,  E.  G.  Judson  and  J.  B. 
Breed.  In  all  the  years  since  then  the  Library  has  had  the  benefit  not 
only  of  strong  public  support  but  of  the  unpaid  disinterested  service  of 
the  trustees.  Alfred  H.  Smiley  was  elected  president  of  the  Board 
of  Trustees  April  26,  1894.  He  devoted  time  without  stint  to  the  up- 
building of  the  library,  gave  liberal  financial  help,  especially  for  the  pur- 


A.  K.  Smiley  Public  Library 

chase  of  books,  and  in  this  as  in  other  ways  carried  a  keen  sense  of 
stewardship  to  the  tax  payers  and  established  an  exacting  standard  in 
the  selection  of  books.  His  death  on  January  25,  1903,  was  a  loss  keenly 
felt  by  every  citizen.  He  was  succeeded  on  March  5,  1903,  by  Charles 
L.  Putnam,  who  followed  the  example  of  his  predecessor  in  visiting  the 
library  almost  every  day,  usually  taking  flowers  from  his  garden  to  dec- 
orate the  rooms.  He  was  exceedingly  liberal  in  his  support  of  the  library, 
providing  funds  for  changing  sixty  feet  of  the  east  basement  into  a  chil- 
dren's room,  presented  a  very  rare  and  valuable  collection  of  Egyptian 
Antiquities  excavated  by  the  Egypt  Exploration  Fund,  to  which  he  was 
a  generous  donor,  also  provided  the  extensive  Lucy  Abbot  Putnam  col- 
lection of  photographs,  and  often  provided  funds  for  emergencies.  Mr. 
Putnam  died  October  1,  1918,  and  his  successor  is  the  present  incumbent, 
Kirke  H.  Field,  who  has  now  served  twenty-four  years  as  trustee, 
and  has  given  freely  of  time  and  energy  to  his  duties. 

The  office  of  secretary  of  the  board  has  been  filled  by  Mrs.  Margaret 
H.  White,  appointed  May  1.  1894;  Mrs.  Annie  F.  Williams,  appointed 
November  f>.  1897;  Charles  L.  Partridge,  appointed  Tanuarv  5,  1904; 
Willard  A.  Nichols.  December  4.  1906;  and  Major  E.  H.  Cooke,  Sep- 
tember 24,  1921. 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1301 

In  the  twenty-seven  years  of  its  existence  the  Library  has  had  eighteen 
trustees.  The  original  board  has  been  succeeded  in  chronological  order 
of  their  service  by  the  following  members:  Charles  Putnam  (1895-97, 
1899-1918),  Kirke  H.  Field  (1897  to  date),  B.  H.  Jacobs  (1898-1905), 
J.  W.  England  (1898-99),  Charles  L.  Partridge  (1903-08),  Dr.  Elverton 
E.  Major  (1903-1910),  Willard  A.  Nichols  (1905-21).  L.  Worthington 
Green  (1908-19),  Edgar  Williams  (1910-15),  Stewart  R.  Hotchkiss 
(1915  to  date),  Hon.  Jeffrey  J.  Prendergast  (1918  to  date),  Senator 
Lyman  M.  King  (1919  to  date)  and  Major  E.  H.  Cooke  (1921  to  date). 

The  Library  has  had  four  librarians.  Miss  Helen  A.  Nevius  was 
chosen  May  1,  1894,  and  resigned  May  8,  1895.  Though  her  service  was 
brief  her  previous  work  and  training  made  her  work  invaluable  in  classi- 
fying and  arranging  the  original  library.  She  was  succeeded  May  18, 
1895,  by  Miss  Antoinette  M.  Humphreys,  who  resigned  in  June,  1910,  to 
become  county  librarian  of  Merced  County.  Under  her  skillful  guidance 
for  fifteen  years  the  library  made  a  rapid  and  strong  growth.  Her  genial 
nature,  rare  tact  and  ceaseless  devotion  to  her  official  duties  made  a 
lasting  impression  on  the  community  and  did  much  to  promote  the  popu- 
larity of  the  library.  August  10,  1910,  Miss  Artena  M.  Chapin  was 
elected  librarian,  beginning  her  duties  November  1st.  She  was  granted 
a  leave  of  absence  from  May  10  to  September  1,  1919,  on  account  of 
ill  health,  and  on  October  4,  1919,  resigned  to  the  great  regret  of  the 
board.  Miss  Chapin,  who  represented  a  beautiful  character  of  woman- 
hood as  well  as  technical  and  professional  abilitv.  is  a  graduate  of  the 
University  of  Michigan,  the  Armour  Institute  Library  School  of  Chi- 
cago, and  had  been  an  assistant  in  the  Indiana  State  Library  and  was 
librarian  of  the  Public  Library  of  Muncie,  Indiana.  Under  her  the 
Smiley  Library  continued  to  make  marked  progress  in  size  and  useful- 
ness. May  10,  1919,  Miss  Elizabeth  Lowry  was  appointed  acting  librarian 
and  was  chosen  librarian  October  6,  1919.  She  is  a  graduate  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  California,  received  her  library  training  at  the  New  York 
State  Library  School  at  Albany,  and  her  professional  experience  was 
gained  as  an  assistant  in  the  library  of  the  University  of  California,  in 
the  California  State  Library,  as  librarian  of  the  Public  Libraries  of  Poca- 
tello  and  Idaho  Falls,  Idaho,  and  the  California  State  Normal  School  at 
Chico.  With  marked  executive  ability  she  has  organized  a  staff  to  render 
the  most  complete  service  to  the  patrons,  has  also  arranged  the  many 
collections,  memorial  gifts  and  books  so  as  to  be  available  for  instant 
use,  and  the  book  circulation  has  steadily  increased  and  the  facilities  of 
the  reference  and  other  departments  have  had  a  steadily  increasing  use. 

The  original  library  was  housed  in  rooms  on  the  first  floor  of  the 
new  Y.  M.  C.  A.  Building  on  Cajon  Street  at  the  left  of  the  entrance. 
This  building  is  now  City  Hall  and  the  two  old  library  rooms  are  occu- 
pied by  the  city  clerk  and  city  treasurer.  The  equipment  consisted  of 
two  long  tables,  chairs,  librarian's  desk  and  two  book  stacks,  to  which 
later  was  added  a  third  stack.  These  quarters  soon  became  crowdedt 
and  in  the  spring  of  1897  the  president  of  the  board  announced  that  his 
brother,  Hon.  Albert  K.  Smiley,  had  decided  to  build  a  library  building 
and  present  it  to  the  city.  In  carrying  out  his  plan  Mr.  Smiley  had 
bought  sixteen  acres  of  ground  to  provide  not  only  a  site  for  the  proposed 
building  but  also  to  open  a  parkway  from  West  Olive  Avenue  to  Grant 
Street,  then  on  to  Eureka  Street  and  from  that  point  to  Fourth  Street. 
The  purchase  of  this  property  involved  difficulty  as  well  as  great  ex- 
pense, since  it  was  in  the  hands  of  money  owners,  and  to  some  extent 
was  already  occupied  by  private  residences.     A   residence   stood  on  the 


1302       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

land   selected   for   the  building   and  the   park   immediately   adjoining  it, 
consisting  of  1.24  acres  at  the  corner  of  fourth  and  Vine  streets. 

The  plans  for  the  library  building  were  prepared  by  T.  R.  Grif- 
fith, a  Redlands  architect,  and  the  builder  was  D.  M.  Donald,  a  local 
contractor.  At  the  time  it  was  erected  it  was  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
library  buildings  in  Southern  California,  and  it  still  retains  that  distinc- 
tion. It  is  of  the  Moorish  style  of  architecture,  commonly  called  Mission, 
with  brick  walls  and  stone  trimming.  Among  decorative  features  the 
carving  on  the  frieze  over  the  main  entrance  has  been  especially  praised. 
The  roof  is  of  red  tile.  There  is  a  stone  basement  under  the  whole  build- 
ing, and  seven  fireplaces  and  three  furnaces  are  provided.  The  original 
building  was  in  the  shape  of  a  cross,  about  one  hundred  feet  each  way. 
The  central  portion  constituted  the  general  library  room  ;  the  northeast  cor- 
ner arose  the  tower,  14x14  feet  and  50  feet  high,  contained  the  directors' 
room.  From  the  general  library  room  was  a  stock  room,  on  the  west 
a  reference  room,  and  south  was  the  wing  containing  the  librarian's  room 
and  repair  room.  The  interior  walls  were  plastered  on  steel  lath,  all 
floors  were  double,  the  upper  floor  being  of  solid  oak,  and  the  building 
perfectly  lighted  and  ventilated.  The  rose  windows  at  the  ends  of  the 
building  were  especially  attractive. 

This  building  was  furnished,  completely  equipped  and  ready  for  occu- 
pancy by  Mr.  Smiley.  All  the  mural  decorations  were  selected  by  the 
curator  of  the  Metropolitan  Museum  in  New  York.  April  28,  1898,  the 
building  was  presented  to  the  city,  Alfred  K.  Smiley  delivering  to 
William  Fowler,  the  mayor,  a  deed  to  the  building  and  sixteen  acres, 
dedicated  to  the  use  and  enjoyment  of  the  people  of  Redlands.  It  was 
a  magnificent  and  costly  gift  to  the  young  city,  and  a  splendid  object 
lesson  in  generosity  and  public  spirit.  The  city  trustees,  following  the 
dedication,  changed  the  name  of  the  Redlands  Public  Library  to  the 
A.  K.  Smiley  Public  Library,  and  on  April  29th  the  building  was  opened 
to  the  public. 

In  its  construction  the  architect  planned  for  twenty-five  years  in  the 
future,  but  within  eight  years  more  room  was  needed.  With  the  same 
philanthropy  and  that  generosity  which  always  characterized  his  attitude 
toward  Redlands,  Mr.  Smilev  offered  to  add  to  the  Library  Building  an 
east  wing  100  feet  long  by  24  feet  wide,  with  an  arcade  along  the  north 
side  and  a  basement  under  the  entire  length.  Work  was  begun  on  the 
extension  March  29.  1906.  and  it  was  completed  January  1.  1907.  During 
the  next  few  years  the  Library  continued  to  have  a  rapid  growth  in  the 
number  of  volumes  on  its  shelves,  circulation  and  general  usefulness,  so 
as  to  tax  all  the  generous  facilities  so  far  provided.  The  Hon.  Albert  K. 
Smilev  was  drawing  toward  the  close  of  a  long  and  honored  life,  dis- 
tinguished bv  this  and  manv  other  signal  acts  of  public  and  private  serv- 
ice. The  Library  was  the  obiect  of  his  bountv  to  the  end.  He  died  De- 
cember 2.  1912.  In  his  last  days  he  suggested  to  his  brother.  Hon.  Daniel 
Smilev.  the  need  of  a  further  addition  to  the  building  and  that  ten  thou- 
sand dollars  be  furnished  for  that  purpose  when  his  estate  was  in  con- 
dition to  provide  it.  After  a  necessary  delay  through  the  generosity  of 
Hon.  Daniel  Smiley  in  carrying  out  the  suggestion  of  his  brother  the  ten 
thousand  dollars  was  placed  at  the  disposal  of  the  city,  together  with 
interest  on  that  sum  during  the  administration  of  the  estate.  As  building 
costs  had  increased  materially  on  account  of  the  war,  this  amount  was 
supplemented  somewhat  by  an  appropriation  by  the  city.  November  25. 
1919,  ground  was  broken  for  the  south  addition.  100  feet  bv  24  feet  and 
basement.  A.  E.  Taylor  was  the  contractor  and  the  work  was  super- 
vised by  George  S.  Hinckley,  city  engineer.     This  wing  was  completed 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1303 

in  October,  1920,  and  immediately  occupied  as  a  children's  room  and 
reference  room.  It  is  felt  that  this  large  addition  was  largely  the  result 
of  the  deep  and  abiding  interest  in  the  library  which  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Daniel  Smiley  have  always  manifested. 

The  A.  K.  Smiley  Public  Library  probably  now  has  the  best  small 
city  building  in  California,  and  its  architectural  beauty  is  remarked  by 
all  visitors.  On  February  18,  1900,  the  Library  was  first  opened  for 
Sundays  and  holidays,  the  extra  expense  involved  being  defrayed  by  a 
fund  raised  by  the  Redlands  Daily  Facts,  which  has  always  been  ex- 
tremely generous  in  publishing  library  lists  and  news. 

In  1903  the  children  first  had  special  provision  made  for  them  by 
the  reserving  of  one  corner  of  the  book  room  and  the  placing  of  a 
large  round  table  for  their  use.  In  January,  1907,  the  annual  meeting 
of  the  California  Library  Association  was  held  in  Redlands.  The  fumi- 
gation of  books  drawn  out  for  public  use  has  been  practiced  since  1910. 
The  pay  collection  was  instituted  in  January,  1912,  and  in  1914  the 
children's  room  in  the  basement,  fitted  up  by  Mr.  Putnam,  was  opened. 
Through  the  Library  co-operating  with  other  organizations  many  books 
were  collected  and  forwarded  to  Government  camps  during  the  World 
war.  The  administrative  personnel  of  the  library  loaned  several  of  its 
members  to  the  Government.  Miss  Chapin,  the  librarian,  was  granted 
seven  weeks'  leave,  beginning  April  1,  1918,  to  classify  the  Library  for 
the  United  States  Naval  Training  Station  at  San  Diego.  July  1,  1918. 
Miss  Janette  Lever,  reference  librarian,  was  given  leave  of  absence  at 
the  request  of  the  Ordnance  Department  for  work  in  Washington.  Sep- 
tember 9,  1918,  Miss  Mildred  Parsons,  cataloguer,  was  granted  leave 
of  absence  for  work  with  the  War  Department  in  France. 

The  Library  today  consists  of  thirty-eight  thousand  volumes  and 
twenty  thousand  pamphlets;  including  gifts,  192  magazines  are  received, 
and  22  newspapers  are  on  file.  There  are  5,792  card  holders  and  the 
new  registration  is  not  completed.  To  a  very  considerable  extent  the 
value  of  the  library  to  the  community  is  measured  bv  the  number  of 
books  which  it  circulates.  Based  on  the  census  of  1920  the  circulation 
for  the  year  ending  June  30,  1921,  was  12.69  books  per  person  per  year. 
Five  books  per  person  is  regarded  as  verv  satisfactory,  and  an  effort 
to  find  a  library  making  a  better  showing  than  the  A.  K.  Smiley  Public 
Library  has  not  been  successful. 

There  are  many  valuable  collections :  The  Charles  Putnam  Collection 
of  Egyptian  Antiquities ;  Lucv  Abbot  Putnam  Collection  of  Photographs ; 
Junius  W.  Hill  Collection  of  Music  and  Works  on  Music ;  Andrew  Car- 
neeie  Collection  of  Works  on  the  Indians  of  the  Southwest ;  Scipio  Craig 
Collection  of  local  historical  matter :  W.  H.  White  and  F.  F.  Prender- 
gast  Collection  of  Fneineering  Works,  Autographed  Collection  of  local 
authors;  Collection  of  Californians.  containine  many  rare  volumes; 
T.  M.  R.  Eaton  Memorial ;  Charles  L.  Partridee  Memorial ;  Julia  P.  Miller 
Memorial  and  many  exceedingly  valuable  pictures  and  books  given  by 
friends. 

From  the  founding  of  the  Library  the  public  has  had  free  access  to 
its  shelves  and  a  liberal  policy  for  the  issue  of  books  has  been  main- 
tained. Every  effort  has  been  made  to  co-operate  with  the  schools  and 
the  University  of  Redlands  and  to  meet  the  needs  of  the  teachers  and 
the  students.  Deposit  stations  have  been  installed  in  the  high  school. 
Lugonia,  Crafton  and  Franklin  schools,  the  University  of  Redlands  and 
the  House  of  Neighborly  Service.  The  trustees  have  regarded  the 
Library  as  in  reality  a  part  of  the  educational  system — the  university  of 
all    residents.      And    it    has    been    their    aim    to    continue    the    furniture. 


1304       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

pictures  and  general  maintenance  along  the  artistic  lines  followed  by 
Mr.  Smiley  in  his  original  gift.  The  funds  for  conducting  the  library 
have  been  provided  by  an  annual  tax  levy  by  the  city  trustees,  augmented 
somewhat  by  book  fines.  It  is  a  difficult  problem  to  provide  financial 
support,  since  the  use  of  the  library  grows  much  more  rapidly  than 
population,  due  to  an  increased  appreciation  of  the  value  of  the  Library 
facilities,  and  because  the  children's  room  is  constantly  graduating  boys 
and  girls  who  have  for  years  been  friends  and  constant  patrons. 

The  Board  of  Library  Trustees  at  present  consists  of  Kirke  H.  Field, 
Esq.,  president ;  Stewart  R.  Hotchkiss,  auditing  officer ;  Hon.  Jeffrey  J. 
Prendergast,  Hon.  Lyman  M.  King  and  Major  E.  H.  Cooke.  Elizabeth 
Lowry  Sanborn  is  librarian  and  her  assistants  are:  Miss  Gwendolyn 
Tinker,  first  asistant  librarian  and  cataloguer;  Miss  Bessie  C.  Degen- 
hart,  children's  librarian ;  Miss  Ruth  Bullock,  reference  librarian ;  Miss 
Myrtle  Danielson,  director  of  Loan  Department ;  Mrs.  Glen  J.  Milligan, 
director  of  repair  department ;  Miss  Helen  Jennings,  Miss  Alice  Mead, 
Leonard  Stokely,  Catherine  E.  Hockridge  and  Miss  Sarah  Williamson, 
substitutes. 

John  H.  Patton — A  prosperous  business  man  of  San  Bernardino, 
Tohn  Patton  is  noted  for  his  trustworthiness  and  integrity  and  also  for 
his  lovalty,  for  he  is  a  true  representative  of  the  highest  ideal  of  Amer- 
ican citizenship  and,  with  his  familv,  is  a  strong  unit  in  the  bulwark  of 
patriotism  which  has  made  the  United  States  what  it  is  todav.  It  re- 
quires a  World  war  to  bring;  out  the  silent,  retiring  forces  of  the  nation, 
yet  they  are  the  forces  which  won  the  war.  The  ones  who  grave  not  only 
mere  monev  until  it  "hurt,"  as  urged  to  do.  needing;  no  urp-ing  either,  but 
also  gave  the  dearest  thing;  to  them  on  earth,  their  own  flesh  and  blood 
in  a  spirit  of  self  abnegation  that  would  not  stop  to  count  the  cost. 

Tohn  H.  Patton  was  born  in  Carroll  County,  Tennessee,  August  6, 
1862.  the  son  of  Tames  H..  a  native  of  Tennessee,  who  was  a  planter  bv 
occupation  all  his  life,  and  who  died  in  his  native  state  in  1882.  His 
wife  was  Nancv  Hart,  a  native  of  North  Carolina,  who  died  in  1867. 
Thev'had  twelve  children,  ten  of  whom  lived  to  maturity  but  have  passed 
on  since    leaving  onlv  three  livingr  now. 

Mr.  Patton  was  educated  in  the  countv  schools  of  Carroll  Countv 
during  the  terrible  reconstruction  period,  and  he  recalls  the  fact  that  the 
school  house  had  neither  doors  nor  windows,  and  everything  was  of  the 
most  primitive  order.  After  leaving  school  he  went  to  Memphis  and 
worked  in  the  transfer  business  until  1887,  when  he  went  to  Alamo, 
Crockett  County,  Tennessee,  and  opened  a  general  merchandise  store. 
This  he  conducted  one  year  and  then  sold  out.  and  in  January.  1888,  came 
to  California  and  located  in  Menefee.  San  Diego  County.  Here  he  took 
uo  a  homestead  claim,  but  remained  on  it  less  than  a  year,  returning 
to  his  home  state  and  locating  at  Trezevant.  where  he  again  entered  the 
mercantile  field.  He  lived  there  until  1895.  when  he  decided  to  return 
to  California,  and  sold  out,  returning  to  the  state  but  locating  in  San 
Bernardino. 

He  started  a  grocerv  business  in  March.  1895.  and  built  up  a  fine 
trade,  conductine  it  until  1904.  when  he  once  more  sold  out  and  went 
to  his  native  state.  There  h<*  was  enea?ed  in  farmme  until  1911.  when 
he  decided  California  was  the  ri<Tht  state  after  all.  and  he  came  back- 
to  San  Bernardino,  where  he  has  since  made  his  home,  conducting  a  suc- 
cessful grocery  store. 

Mr.  Patton  married,  in  October,  1888.  in  San  Dieeo  Countv.  Lulu 
Kirkpatrick,    a    daughter   of   W.    J.    Kirkpatrick,    of   Riverside    County. 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1305 

They  have  had  four  children:  Amos  H.,  born  in  Tennessee;  William  J., 
born  in  San  Bernardino;  Pauline,  born  in  San  Bernardino,  and  Gilbert, 
born  in  Tennessee.  The  two  older  boys  are  with  their  father  in  the 
store,  and  the  two  younger  children  are  at  home  also.  Mr.  Patton  is  a 
democrat  in  politics  and  in  religious  faith  he  is  affiliated  with  the  Presby- 
terian Church. 

The  Patton  family  has  a  war  record  of  which  any  true  American 
could  well  be  proud.  During  the  war  Mr.  Patton  was  always  to  the 
front  in  all  activities  which  tended  toward  the  good  of  the  country,  helping 
in  any  and  all  ways.  He  gave  liberally  to  the  Red  Cross  and  all  charitable 
organizations,  both  money  and  time.  He  was  a  consistent  and  constant 
investor  in  Liberty  Bonds.  He  always  lived  up  to  all  the  regulations, 
believing  that  all  good  citizens  should  be  willing  to  undergo  any  trials 
or  hardships  necessary  to  make  our  proper  record  in  the  great  conflict. 
His  two  older  sons  were  among  the  first  to  enlist  at  the  call  to  arms. 

William  Patton  enlisted  in  the  Marine  Corps  and  belonged  to  the 
famous  Fifth  Regiment.  He  enlisted  April  17,  1917.  and  made  nine  trips 
across  the  ocean,  perilous  trips,  fraught  with  agony  for  those  left  behind. 
This  regiment  was  attached  to  the  Second  Division,  which  stands  at  the 
head  of  the  list  in  the  captures  made  and  which  was  also  the  regiment 
losing  more  men  than  any  other  division.  He  made  an  honorable  record 
and  received  his  discharge  in  June.  1919. 

Amos  H.  Patton  also  volunteered  at  the  same  time  as  his  brother, 
but  was  rejected  by  the  board  for  overseas  service.  Determined  to  serve 
in  some  way  and  be  of  use  somewhere,  he  kept  on  trying  to  do  his  part. 
Finally  he  was  accepted  and  served  in  the  Spruce  Division  and  was  dis- 
charged in  January,  1919. 

While  her  two  brothers  were  awav  in  the  army  Miss  Pauline  Patton 
did  her  bit  and  was  right  in  the  front  ranks  of  the  home  armv.  She 
was  a  member  of  the  canteen  unit  in  San  Bernardino  and  assisted  in 
everything  which  came  up  for  war  service.  At  the  same  time  she  did 
all  she  could  to  assist  her  father  in  the  grocerv  store,  helping  in  the 
conduct  of  the  business.  Tt  is  families  like  this  that  enabled  the  United 
States  to  make  its  wonderful  showing  in  the  World  war. 

Clarence  E.  Prior — One  of  the  younger  insurance  men  of  River- 
side city  and  count}',  Clarence  E.  Prior  is  one  of  the  most  prominent, 
having  in  a  comparatively  short  space  of  time  built  up  a  constantly  in- 
creasing clientele  extending  through  the  county.  He  has  also  become 
an  active  civic  factor  and  a  booster  for  his  home  city.  He  is  a  talented 
musician,  possessing  a  fine  tenor  voice,  and  consequently  is  often  heard 
in  the  various  society,  church  and  fraternal  affairs.  He  is  now  singing 
in  the  choir  of  the  First  Methodist  Church. 

Mr.  Prior  sang  second  tenor  in  the  famous  Prior  Brothers  Quartette 
while  with  his  three  brothers  he  was  attending  the  University  of  Cali- 
fornia. The  boys  sang  all  over  the  country  and  were  great  favorites, 
always  in  demand.  H.  A.  Prior,  now  in  the  insurance  business  in  Long 
Beach,  sang  second  bass.  Guv  R.,  a  rancher  in  the  Palo  Verde  Valley, 
sang  first  tenor,  and  Percy  H..  also  a  rancher  now  in  the  Palo  Verde 
Valley,  sang  first  bass.  Mr.  Prior  has  another  brother,  G.  W.  Prior, 
who  is  city  auditor  of  Riverside. 

Mr.  Prior  was  born  in  Kansas.  August  12,  1882.  His  father  was 
an  Englishman  who  came  to  America  when  a  young-  man,  and  was  a 
farmer  and  merchant.  He  is  now  living  in  Riverside,  retired.  Mr. 
Prior  was  educated  in  the  public  and  high  schools,  in  the  University 
of  Southern  California  and  in  a  business  college  at  Riverside.     He  was 


1306      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

in  the  grocery  business  in  Hemet  for  a  while,  in  1903-4,  and  then  went 
to  the  University.  His  next  move  was  to  go  into  the  insurance  business, 
in  which  he  has  made  such  a  notable  success,  preparing  for  this  step  by 
doing  office  work  and  accounting  hrst.  He  is  district  agent  of  the  Trav- 
ellers Insurance  Company,  and  also  does  a  general  fire  and  all  lines  of 
hrst  class  insurance. 

Mr.  Prior  is  an  active  member  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  of 
the  Rotary  Club,  is  president  of  the  Riverside  Insurance  Association,  the 
Present  Day  Club  and  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias.  He  is 
a    member  of  the  First  Methodist  Church  and  one  of  its  Official  Board. 

He  married  on  November  8,  1907,  Ethel  G.  Woodman,  a  native  of 
Ohio  and  a  daughter  of  W.  H.  Woodman,  who  is  in  the  sheet  metal 
business  in  Riverside.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Prior  are  the  parents  of  five  chil- 
dren :  Hubert  Meredith  and  Herbert  La  Verne,  twins,  Gertrude  Louise 
and  Royce  Woodman,  all  students,  and  Thelma  Joyce. 

D.  A.  Crawford — The  rewards  of  toil  and  patience  are  perhaps 
nowhere  better  illustrated  than  in  the  case  of  D.  A.  Crawford,  whose 
achievements  as  an  orange  grower  are  in  evidence  at  his  home  two  and 
a  half  miles  north  of  Rialto,  on     North  Riverside  Avenue. 

Mr.  Crawford  never  had  any  inheritance,  and  he  and  his  wife  con- 
structed their  fortune  entirely  on  the  basis  of  thrift  and  labor.  Mr. 
Crawford  was  born  in  Chatham,  Ontario,  Canada,  July  26,  1865,  son  of 
Samuel  and  Mary  (Howard)  Crawford,  his  father  a  native  of  Canada, 
of  Scotch  ancestry,  and  his  mother  born  in  Dublin,  Ireland.  His  father 
was  a  Canadian  farmer.  There  were  seven  children  in  the  family,  and 
Mr.  Crawford  and  his  sister,  Mrs.  Margaret  Day,  of  Los  Angeles,  are 
ihe  only  survivors. 

D.  A.  Crawford  had  a  grammar  school  education  in  Canada.  In 
1884,  at  the  age  of  nineteen,  he  went  out  to  Idaho,  and  for  a  number 
of  years  worked  in  the  mines  of  that  state,  both  in  the  gold  and  silver 
mines.  Among  others  he  was  employed  in  the  famous  Anaconda  Mine 
of  Senator  Clark.  He  became  an  expert  ore  sorter,  culling  high  grade 
from  ores  of  less  value.  This  was  a  skilled  work  that  was  paid  high 
wages.  He  continued  in  the  mines  of  Idaho  until  the  bottom  fell  out  of 
the  silver  market.  Then,  in  1893,  he  came  to  Covina,  California,  where 
for  eight  years  he  tried  orange  growing.  In  1900  he  moved  to  Rialto 
and  was  employed  by  the  German  American  Bank  of  Los  Angeles  in 
looking  after  some  groves  owned  by  that  institution.  At  the  time  of  his 
marriage  Mr.  Crawford  possessed  only  one  horse  and  buggy.  He  had 
the  tremendously  responsible  and  arduous  task  of  caring  for  from  100 
to  200  acres  of  young  groves,  and  he  set  out  many  new  orchards  in  that 
vicinity.  After  saving  his  first  hundred  dollars  he  made  an  initial  pay- 
ment of  this  sum  in  1910  on  twenty  acres  of  wild  land,  agreeing  to  pav 
the  balance  of  $1,700.00  for  land  and  water  rights.  This  is  his  home 
grove,  and  he  has  developed  it  to  a  high  degree  of  profitable  cultiva- 
tion in  citrus  fruits.  Later  he  purchased  what  is  known  as  the  Flint 
grove  fronvC.  M.  Flint,  one  of  the  best  orchards  in  North  Rialto.  This 
orchard  is  twentv-eisrht  vears  old.  and  has  Ion?  been  a  show  place  in 
attractiveness  and  in  productivity.  Thus  Mr.  Crawford  now  has  fortv 
acres  in  fruit.  Some  nine  years  ago,  for  the  Riverside  Company,  he  set 
out  forty  acres  of  oranges,  and  has  had  the  exclusive  management  of 
this  property  ever  since. 

On  January  3,  1903.  in  Pocatello,  Idaho,  Mr.  Crawford  married  Mary 
Bolton,  a  native  of  England,  who  came  to  the  United  States  in  1886. 
Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Crawford  are  people  of  such  energy  and  judgment 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1307 

as  are  needed  to  subdue  the  wilderness  of  Southern  California.  Mrs. 
Crawford  for  an  entire  summer  carried  water  across  a  ten-acre  lot  so 
as  to  afford  the  necessary  moisture  in  starting  a  young  Eucalyptus  wind- 
break to  their  grove.  Half  of  Mr.  Crawford's  groves  are  set  to  Valencia 
and  half  to  Navel  oranges.  The  water  supply  is  obtained  from  Lytle 
Creek.  Mr.  Crawford  built  with  his  own  hands  a  most  artistic  bunga- 
low, and  he  has  other  substantial  ranch  buildings.  He  is  a  democrat  in 
politics,  and  for  years  has  been  a  cooperating  worker  and  adviser  with 
his  fellow  fruit  growers  for  the  common  welfare. 

Harry  W.  Brimmer  is  one  of  the  most  widely  known  business  men 
in  the  Rialto  District,  is  the  oldest  real  estate  man  there  in  point  of  con- 
tinuous service,  and  is  an  acknowledged  authority  on  land,  agriculture 
and  horticulture,  particularly  citrus  culture. 

Mr.  Brimmer  was  born  at  Saukville,  Ozaukee  County,  Wisconsin, 
June  2,  1875,  son  of  Porter  and  Elizabeth  Ann  (Wadsworth)  Brimmer. 
On  both  sides  he  represents  New  England  ancestry,  the  Wadsworth 
family  having  come  to  America  in  the  early  years  of  the  seventeenth 
century.  Porter  Brimmer  was  a  Wisconsin  pioneer,  was  born  in  Jef- 
ferson County,  New  York,  March  4,  1830,  spent  his  boyhood  there,  and 
as  a  young  man  removed  to  Northern  Wisconsin,  where  he  homesteaded 
and  cleared  up  some  of  the  heavy  timber  to  make  room  for  his  crops. 
Out  of  the  virgin  forest  he  created  a  good  farm  and  home.  Two  years 
after  locating  there  he  married  Elizabeth  Ann  Wadsworth,  on  January 
13,  1853.  She  was  a  native  of  Wayne  County,  New  York.  They  re- 
mained on  their  farm  in  Ozaukee  County  for  thirty  years,  and  in  1884 
moved  to  Humeston,  Iowa,  and  ten  years  later,  in  1894,  started  for  Cali- 
fornia, which  for  many  years  had  been  the  goal  of  Porter  Brimmer's 
ambition.  He  settled  at  Rialto,  and  before  his  death  had  achieved  a 
reputation  as  a  successful  fruit  grower.  He  was  in  every  way  a  sub- 
stantial citizen,  public  spirited,  thoroughly  honest  and  a  strict  prohibition- 
ist. He  purchased  a  young  orange  grove  on  coming  to  Rialto,  and  before 
his  death  had  it  in  a  profitable  condition.  His  widow  is  now  living  at 
Long  Beach,  at  the  age  of  eighty-nine.  The  only  daughter  is  Mrs. 
Amelia  B.  Kendall,  and  the  three  sons  are  Merton  E.,  Harry  W.  and 
Arthur  H.,  all  of  Rialto. 

Harry  W.  Brimmer  acquired  his  early  education  in  a  log  schoolhouse 
in  Wisconsin.  He  was  about  eight  years  old  when  his  parents  moved 
to  Lucas  County,  Iowa,  where  he  remained  on  the  farm  and  also  attended 
school,  graduating  from  high  school  and  from  the  Humeston  Normal 
University.  He  was  about  nineteen  when  the  family  came  to  California, 
and  his  father  gave  him  a  ten  acre  orange  grove,  part  of  the  Jordan 
place.  He  bestowed  a  great  deal  of  study  and  hard  work  on  this  prop- 
erty, and  became  a  practical  and  thoroughly  successful  citrus  grower 
before  he  began  handling  lands  as  a  dealer.  He  has  been  an  active 
real  estate  man  of  Rialto  for  fifteen  years.  He  has  handled  many  large 
transactions,  and  is  thoroughly  conversant  with  conditions  all  the  way 
from  Fresno  to  the  Mexican  border.  He  has  owned  a  number  of  orange 
groves  at  different  times,  buying  and  building  up  these  pronerties  and 
then  selling-  them.     He  is  a  leader  in  both  horticultural  and  civic  affairs. 

June  26,  1900,  Mr.  Brimmer  married  Miss  Beatrice  Dunn,  who  was 
born  in  Atwood.  Ontario,  Canada,  and  graduated  from  the  high  school 
of  that  city.  Her  parents  were  of  Scotch  and  English  ancestry.  Her 
father  was  born  at  Stratford.  Canada,  in  1838.  and  died  at  Rialto  in 
1921.  Her  mother  was  born  at  Peebles.  Scotland.  Tanuarv  24.  1841,  and 
is  still  living  at  Rialto.     The  parents  came  to  this  section  of  California 


1308       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

in  1895,  and  became  orange  growers  here.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brimmer 
find  a  great  deal  of  satisfaction  and  honest  pride  in  their  two  sturdy 
sons,  both  of  whom  are  splendid  young  specimens  of  physical  manhood 
and  possessed  of  the  best  traits  of  their  Scotch  ancestry.  The  older 
son,  Lome  Wadsworth  Brimmer,  was  born  at  Rialto  June  23,  1901,  is 
a  graduate  of  the  San  Bernardino  High  School  and  is  now  in  his  second 
year  at  Pomona  College.  He  has  been  a  good  student  and  also  excelled 
in  athletics,  having  been  a  member  of  the  baseball,  football  and  track 
teams  in  college.  The  younger  son,  Burleigh  Hamilton,  was  born  at 
Rialto  December  4,  1906,  and  is  emulating  his  brother  both  in  his  studies 
and  in  athletics.    He  is  now  a  student  in  the  San  Bernardino  High  School. 

Peter  E.  Walline — In  the  recent  death  of  Peter  E.  Walline  San 
Bernardino  County  lost  a  citizen  of  distinctive  power  and  influence  in 
the  affairs  of  this  section.  He  came  here  many  years  ago  with  the 
capital  he  had  acquired  as  a  merchant  in  Illinois,  but  greatly  extended 
and  amplified  his  business  interests  in  California.  The  use  he  made 
of  his  capital  and  energy  was  in  every  way  constructive.  It  is  repre- 
sented today  in  the  development  of  ranches  and  fruit  farms  and  financial 
organizations. 

His  early  life  was  one  of  comparative  poverty  in  financial  resources, 
though  in  point  of  industry  and  good  character  he  was  possessed  of  a 
fortune  even  then.  He  was  born  in  Sweden,  January  6,  1850.  At  the 
age  of  seventeen  he  came  to  America,  reaching  Halifax,  Nova  Scotia, 
with  only  two  dollars  and  fifty  cents.  A  few  months  later  he  was 
working  in  Illinois  as  a  railroad  section  hand  at  seventy-five  cents  a 
day.  Thrift  was  imposed  upon  him  by  necessity,  and  also  by  the  strong 
urgings  of  his  ambition  to  perfect  his  knowledge  of  American  ways 
and  make  his  Americanism  an  honor  to  himself  and  to  his  adopted 
country.  He  put  aside  some  of  his  modest  earnings  as  capital  for  the 
future,  and  at  the  same  time  was  associating  with  men  of  better  edu- 
cation and  was  a  constant  student  of  the  American  language  and  the 
American  institutions.  In  those  early  years  of  struggle  he  laid  the  sound 
foundation  of  his  later  prosperity.  After  leaving  railroad  work  he 
entered  a  mercantile  house,  learned  the  business  from  the  ground  up, 
and  for  a  number  of  years  conducted  a  prosperous  business  of  his  own 
at  Cambridge,  Illinois. 

This  business  he  sold,  and  on  account  of  his  wife's  ill  health  moved 
to  California  in  1894.  Mr.  Walline  at  once  located  at  Upland,  where 
he  employed  his  capital  in  the  orange  and  deciduous  fruit  business,  and 
bought  and  speculated  in  lands  elsewhere.  He  was  president  of  the 
Upland  Feed  &  Fuel  Company  and  the  Chino  Feed  &  Fuel  Company, 
was  the  first  president  of  the  Magnolia  Building  &  Loan  Association 
at  Upland,  and  was  instrumental  in  the  organization  of  the  Commercial 
National  Bank  of  Upland,  being  on  its  first  board  of  directors.  He 
and  Mr.  Morris  organized  the  San  Bernardino  Mutual  Fire  Insurance 
Company, ,  and  he  labored  hard  and  earnestly  to  put  this  organization 
on  its  feet  financially,  and  the  first  seven  years  his  annual  salary  as 
president  was  only  a  hundred  dollars.  The  solid  prosperity  of  this  com- 
pany is  in  no  small  degree  due  to  the  financial  ability  of  the  late  Mr. 
Walline.  All  of  these  interests  represent  great  financial  importance,  and 
they  grew  from  his  modest  start  as  a  railroad  laborer  in  Illinois.  Anion? 
other  holdings  he  had  an  eig;ht  hundred  and  eighty  acre  stock  ranch  at 
Bishop  in  Inyo  County,  and  during;  his  later  years  his  time  was  divided 
between  this  stock  ranch  and  his  home  at  Upland. 

Mr.  Walline  died  February  6,  1921.  and  is  survived  by  a  widow 
and    five    children.      In    November,    1873,    he    married    Miss    Jennie    S. 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1  iW 

Mascall,  a  native  of  Illinois.  The  oldest  of  their  children  is  Emily, 
wife  of  T.  C.  Knoles,  of  San  Jose.  The  second  is  Austin  Walline,  the 
third  is  Eannie,  widow  of  Leslie  Gay.  The  two  youngest  children  are 
Harold  and  Rolland,  who  are  prosperous  farmers  and  stockmen,  all 
living  at  Bishop,  California,  and  engaged  in  the  livestock  business  in 
Inyo  County. 

Austin  Walline  was  born  October  31,  1884,  and  was  ten  years  of 
age  when  he  came  to  California.  He  acquired  a  high  school  educa- 
tion, and  in  1907  graduated  Bachelor  of  Science  in  Agriculture  from  the 
University  of  Wisconsin,  where  he  also  specialized  in  chemistry.  He 
became  closely  associated  with  his  father's  broad  business  interests,  par- 
ticularly fruit  growing.  From  1909  to  1913  he  was  on  the  stock  ranch 
at  Bishop.  His  chief  success,  however,  has  been  gained  in  horticulture. 
He  owns  310  acres  on  Archibald  Avenue  and  Riverside  Boulevard,  which 
he  developed  from  wild  land  into  fruit  bearing.  Austin  Walline  offered 
his  services  as  a  chemist  to  the  Government  at  the  time  of  the  World 
war,  passed  his  examination  on  the  first  of  November,  but  the  armistice 
was  signed  on  the  11th  of  the  same  month  and  he  was  dismissed.  He 
is  one  of  the  very  patriotic  citizens  in  his  home  community,  is  clerk 
of  the  School  Board  of  Ontario,  and  is  a  director  of  the  California 
Fruit  Growers'  Association,  comprising  about  six  hundred  ranch  owners, 
of  which  Benton  Ballou  is  president  and  Mr.  Anderson  vice  presi- 
dent. This  company  owns  and  operates  canneries  at  Riverside,  Hemet, 
Elsinore,  Fallbrook  and  Ontario,  and  does  an  annual  business  of  about 
two  million  dollars. 

On  November  29,  1908,  Austin  Walline  married  Miss  Bertha  I. 
Stevens,  of  Upland,  California.  They  have  two  children,  Millard,  born 
May  22,  1912,  and  Robert  Stevens,  born  May  30,  1921. 

The  late  Peter  E.  Walline  was  not  only  a  successful  business  man 
but  a  citizen  of  sturdy  moral  fiber,  an  ardent  prohibitionist,  a  friend  of 
education,  and  did  much  to  strengthen  the  moral  and  religious  institu- 
tions of  his  community. 

George  B.  Rowell,  M.  D.,  was  one  of  the  oldest  practicing  physicians 
and  surgeons  at  San  Bernardino.  That  community  for  thirty-four 
years  appreciated  his  great  professional  ability  and  service,  while  a 
great  following  of  devoted  friends  acknowledged  him  as  one  of  the 
most  generous  and  kindly  of  men.  His  death  in  Januarv,  1922.  marked 
the  passing  of  one  of  the  best  loved  and  most  popular  physicians  San 
Bernardino  has  ever  known. 

Doctor  Rowell  was  known  as  a  brilliant  student  and  investigator 
in  the  field  of  medicine  and  surgery  even  while  in  college.  He  was  a 
native  of  Canada,  born  July  19,  1859.  His  parents,  Spaulding  and 
Martha  (Ball)  Rowell,  were  both  born  in  Vermont  and  of  old  Amer- 
ican families.  The  ancestors  of  Spaulding  Rowell  came  from  England 
to  America  in  the  early  sixteen  hundreds.  His  grandfather  was  an 
officer  in  the  Colonial  army  in  the  Revolution.  Spaulding  Rowell 
was  a  farmer  and  moved  to  Canada  to  operate  a  lumber  mill  in  the 
province  of  Quebec,  this  mill  being  owned  by  himself  and  father  in 
partnership.  Martha  Ball's  father  had  two  uncles  who  made  names 
for  themselves  in  Vermont.  One  of  them  came  to  California  across 
the  Isthmus  in  1849,  became  wealthy  in  the  mines  and  returned  to 
Vermont  and  rose  to  be  a  financial  power  and  extensive  land  holder. 

Dr.  Rowell  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Canada  and  in 
1884  graduated  from  McGill  University  at  Montreal  with  the  degrees 
A.  B.,  M.  D.  and  C.  M.     Then  followed  a  year  of  post  graduate 


1310       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

study  in  London,  where  the  degree  M.  R.  C.  S.  was  conferred 
upon  him.  On  returning  to  Montreal  he  practiced  for  two  years 
and  at  the  age  of  twenty-six  was  appointed  professor  of  anatomy 
in  the  Bishops  College  of  Montreal,  holding  that  chair  two  years. 

Dr.  Rowell  came  to  California  in  1887,  joining  friends  at  River- 
side where  he  practiced  a  few  months,  and  then  located  permanently 
in  San  Bernardino.  He  was  one  of  the  organizers  in  1904  of  the 
present  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons  at  Los  Angeles,  was 
one  of  the  original  trustees  of  the  school,  and  for  four  years  held 
the  chair  of  medicine  in  the  faculty.  From  1888  to  1894  he  was 
surgeon  at  San  Bernardino  for  the  Santa  Fe  Railroad. 

Amid  the  busy  duties  of  a  general  practitioner  he  for  several 
years,  was  best  known  as  a  specialist  in  gynecology  and  surgery. 
He  devoted  years  of  research  to  the  subject  of  cancer,  and  has 
done  something  to  advance  the  knowledge  of  that  malignant  disease 
and  make  some  progress  toward  the  problem  of  its  cure.  Dr. 
Rowell  owned  the  Sugar  Pine  Sanitarium,  located  at  Sugar  Pine 
Springs  amid  the  huge  pines  and  giant  oaks  on  the  north  slope 
of  the  San  Bernardino  mountains.  This  is  an  ideal  location  for 
a  sanitarium,  the  air  being  bracing  and  balsamic,  and  has  an  even 
temperature  night  and  day,  while  the  nearby  springs  furnish  water 
of  healing  power.  At  present  the  sanitarium  has  an  equipment  of 
between  twelve  and  fifteen  buildings,  with  accommodations  for  fifty 
people,  but  the  facilities  are  greatly  overtaxed  and  plans  had  been 
made  for  enlarged  accommodations. 

Dr.  Rowell  was  for  two  years  health  officer  of  San  Bernardino. 
He  was  a  republican,  a  member  of  the  American  Medical  Associa- 
tion and  the  Brittish  Medical  Association,  and  in  1883  was  made 
a  Mason,  being  a  member  of  St.  George  Lodge  No.  11  Ancient  Free 
and  Accepted  Masons.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Zeta  Psi  college 
fraternity  and  for  three  years,  1881-84,  was  a  member  of  the  Prince 
of  Wales  Rifles.  His  religious  affiliation  was  with  the  Episcopal 
Church. 

At  Riverside,  June  14,  1888,  Dr.  Rowell  married  Miss  Florence 
Wood,  a  native  of  Canada.  At  Los  Angeles,  September  11,  1913, 
he  married  Miss  Louise  Winkler,  who  was  born  in  Vienna,  Austria. 
One  son,  George  B.,  Jr.,  born  in  1917,  was  the  issue  of  the  second 
marriage. 

W.  H.  Jameson. — It  is  difficult  for  a  traveler  through  the  wonderful 
citrus-bearing  territory  of  the  San  Bernardino  region  to  realize  the  heart- 
breaking problems  which  confronted  the  pioneers  into  this  part  of 
California.  To  those  who  appreciate  the  extent  of  the  work  accom- 
plished, and  its  value  to  the  country,  some  idea  comes  of  the  broad 
vision,  the  optimism,  the  willingness  to  work  unceasingly  and  the  kindly, 
neighborly  interest  for  all,  which  almost  immediately  created  community 
action,  possessed  by  those  who  had  the  courage  to  go  into  the  dry  mesa 
and  through  individual  and  concerted  action  bring  about  a  change  which 
is  nothing  short  of  miraculous.  Throughout  the  two  counties  of  River- 
side and  San  Bernardino  there  are  to  be  found  many  instances  of  what 
has  been  accomplished  through  the  efforts  of  these  workers  in  the  front 
ranks  of  those  engaged  in  blazing  the  way  in  agricultural  development, 
but  nowhere  are  they  more  apparent  than  at  Corona,  early  known  as 
the  South  Riverside  Colony.  Here  much  of  the  credit  for  the  remarkable 
and  gratifying  progress  is  given  to     George  L.  Joy  and  his  son-in-law, 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1311 

W.  H.  Jameson,  and  their  early  endeavors  are  being  ably  continued  by 
Joy  G.  Jameson  and  W.  H.  Jameson  of  the  third  generation. 

George  L.  Joy  was  born  at  Townsend,  Vermont,  in  1832,  and  died 
at  Corona,  California,  in  1896.  He  was  one  of  the  originators  of  the 
South  Riverside  Colony,  now  Corona,  and  from  1888  until  1896  served 
as  president  of  the  South  Riverside  Land  &  Water  Company.  Before 
coming  to  Corona  he  had  been  a  successful  business  man  of  Saint  Louis, 
Missouri,  and  Sioux  City,  Iowa.  His  characteristics  were  optimism, 
foresight  and  enterprise.  He  did  much  to  change  the  dry  and  barren 
mesa  into  a  well-watered  and  prosperous  colony,  which  he  loved  as  a 
community  of  his  own  planting,  and  never  ceased  to  labor  for  its  further 
development.  A  man  of  broad  sympathies,  he  did  not  confine  his  interest 
to  his  own  holdings,  but  felt  the  same  chagrin  in  the  failure  of  an  in- 
vestor as  he  would  in  his  own,  just  as  he  rejoiced  over  another's  success. 

W.  H.  Jameson,  son-in-law  of  George  L.  Joy,  was  born  at  Boston, 
Massachusetts,  in  1846,  and  died  at  Corona,  California,  in  1912.  In  1880 
Mr.  Jameson  left  San  Francisco,  California,  where  he  had  begun  his 
business  career,  and  went  to  Saint  Louis,  Missouri,  which  continued  the 
scene  of  his  labors  until  1887,  when  he  came  to  Corona,  during  that 
period  conducting  a  successful  wholesale  lumber  business.  On  his  arrival 
at  Corona  he  began  planting  citrus  groves,  and  demonstrated  his  belief 
in  the  future  of  the  colony  by  making  practically  all  of  his  investments 
in  this  locality.  He  was  interested  in  the  greater  part  of  the  public 
utilities  of  Corona,  with  which  he  was  associated  almost  from  its  be- 
ginning, having  come  to  the  colony  soon  after  its  establishment  as  super- 
intendent of  the  Temescal  Water  Company.  For  many  years  there- 
after he  battled  with  the  numerous  problems  common  to  pioneers  in 
a  new  enterprise  of  this  nature,  and  took  pride  in  being  able  to  solve  the 
majority  of  them. 

The  W.  H.  Jameson  interests  at  Corona  are  looked  after  by  the  two 
sons  of  the  family,  Joy  G.  Jameson  and  W.  H.  Jameson,  both  of  whom 
are  in  all  projects  for  securing  the  welfare  of  the  community.  Joy  G. 
Jameson  is  giving  largely  of  his  time  and  efforts  to  the  different  co- 
operative enterprises  of  Southern  California  and  Corona,  including  the 
Temescal  Water  Company,  the  Queen  Colony  Fruit  Exchange  and  the 
Exchange  By-Products  Company,  and  is  president  of  all  three  concerns. 
His  brother,  W.  H.  Jameson,  is  a  graduate  of  the  College  of  Agricul- 
ture, Cornell  University,  Ithaca,  New  York,  and  has  been  largely  influ- 
ential in  building  up  the  dairy  interests  around  Corona,  as  well  as  being 
associated  in  the  management  of  the  citrus  orchards  and  packing  house 
connected  with  his  father's  estate,  which  are  among  the  largest  in  the 
community.  During  the  World  war  he  held  the  rank  of  captain  of  the 
Twenty-third  Machine  Gun  Battalion.  Both  young  men  are  recognized 
as  worthy  successors  to  their  grandfather  and  father,  and  enterprising 
and  capable  young  business  men  of  this  region. 

Raymond  E.  Hodge. — One  of  the  younger  generation  of  attorneys 
in  San  Bernardino.  Raymond  E.  Hodge  has  already  established  himself 
as  second  to  none  in  legal  acquirements  and  as  a  master  of  the  law.  He 
has  created  confidence  in  himself  by  his  handling  of  cases  given  to  him. 
and  his  increasing  patronage  shows  that  the  public  recognizes  his  skill. 
His  recreation  seems  to  be  hard  work  and  research  and,  blessed  with 
fine  intellect,  educational  advantages  and  a  determination  to  succeed,  he 
is  well  known  as  a  worth-while  man.  His  friends  predict  many  honors 
in  store  for  him  in  the  not  distant  future. 

Mr.  Hodge  was  born  in  Denver,  Colorado,  Mav  18.  1884,  a  son  of 
Morgan  C.  and  Emma  J.   (Wood)   Hodge,  the  father  a  native  of  Ohio 


1312      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

and  his  mother  of  New  York.  Morgan  C.  Hodge  was  a  traveling  sales- 
man until  he  came  out  to  California  and  located  in  Rialto.  Here  he 
entered  the  scholastic  field,  becoming  a  teacher  in  the  public  schools 
of  that  city.  He  taught  for  ten  years,  and  now  has  retired  and  is  living 
in  Rialto.  His  wife  died  in  ly08.  They  were  the  parents  of  three 
children.  Of  whom  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  the  oldest,  Harry 
is  assistant  manager  of  the  Colton  Globe  Mill  at  Colton,  and  Victor  is 
athletic  instructor  in  Santa  Rosa,  California. 

Raymond  E.  Hodge  was  educated  in  the  grammar  and  high  schools 
of  San  Bernardino,  from  whence  he  graduated,  going  then  to  the  Leland 
Stanford,  Jr.,  University.  He  was  graduated  from  there  with  the  class 
of  1908,  with  the  degree  of  A.  B.  He  took  the  pre-legal  course  and 
then  entered  the  law  offices  of  W.  J.  and  J.  W.  Curtis  and  was  admitted 
to  the  bar  in  July,  1908.  He  was  with  them  nearly  a  year,  when  he 
was  appointed  deputy  district  attorney  under  Rex  Goodcell.  He  re- 
mained in  the  office  of  the  district  attorney  until  Januray,  1915,  and  then 
formed  a  partnership  with  S.  YV.  McNabb,  which  has  since  continued 
successfully.  The  firm  does  a  general  practice  and  is  all  the  time  forging 
ahead. 

Mr.  Hodge  was  united  in  marriage  in  June,  1910,  with  Bernice 
Anna  Knoll,  a  daughter  of  Edward  and  Clara  Knoll,  of  Riverside.  Mrs. 
Hodge  was  born  in  Illinois,  came  to  Riverside,  California,  as  a  child 
with  her  parents,  and  was  educated  in  the  public  and  high  schools  of 
Riverside.  She  is  a  member  of  the  Women's  Club  of  Rialto.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Hodge  are  the  parents  of  two  children,  Robert  E.  and  Geraldine  E. 
Mr.  Hodge  is  politically  a  republican  and  in  religion  is  a  Methodist. 
Among  his  fraternal  connections  are  those  of  San  Bernardino  Lodge 
No.  836,  B.  P.  O.  E.,  and  the  San  Bernardino  Lodge  No.  348,  A.  F.  and 
A.  M.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  San  Bernardino  Bar  Association,  the 
Delta  Chi  college  fraternity  and  the  Progressive  Business  Club,  National. 

Samuel  G.  Mathews. — The  name  of  Mathews  is  associated  with 
some  very  successful  experiments  in  alfalfa  raising  at  Arlington  Station, 
and  these  and  other  activities  have  given  Samuel  G.  Mathews  a  well- 
deserved  position  among  the  prosperous  farmers  of  Riverside  County. 
He  is  a  native  of  Chillicothe,  Missouri,  where  he  was  born  December 
27,  1854,  a  son  of  Stephen  Mathews,  a  native  of  New  York  and  a 
Union  soldier  during  the  war  between  the  North  and  the  South.  The 
family  is  an  old  American  one,  his  ancestors  having  participated  in  the 
Revolutionary  war,  but  is  of  English  descent.  Stephen  Mathews  married 
Mary  Harriet  Trammell,  a  native  of  Kentucky,  also  of  Revolutionary 
stock,  but  of  Irish  descent. 

Samuel  G.  Mathews  attended  the  public  schools  of  Missouri  and  the 
Macon  City,  Missouri,  College.  His  business  experiences  were  many 
and  varied,  including  the  working  for  a  time  in  the  lead  mines  at  Joplin, 
Missouri,  and  later  farming  in  the  vicinity  of  Chillicothe.  In  1891  he 
came  to  Riverside,  and  was  first  occupied  with  orange  culture,  having 
had  charge  for  some  years  of  the  grove  of  J.  F.  Humphrey.  About 
1898  Mr.  Mathews  bought  his  present  tract  of  forty  acres,  and  here 
he  has  very  successfully  raised  alfalfa.  He  is  also  the  owner  of  some 
very  valuable  property  at  Arlington  Station,  Riverside.  When  he  began 
raising  alfalfa  it  took  considerable  courage  to  embark  in  what  was  still 
an  experimental  venture.  However,  he  is  a  man  who  likes  to  strike 
out  for  himself,  and  from  the  start  he  has  been  successful.  He  feels 
that  the  time  is  not  far  distant  when  Riverside  will  be  as  far-famed  for 
alfalfa  as  it  now  is  for  oranges,  roses  and  beautiful  scenery,  and  when 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1313 

he  makes  that  statement  lie  knows  he  is  saying  a  good  deal,  but  in  it 
he  is  able  to  give  expression  to  his  faith  in  this  crop  and  the  suitability 
of  Riverside  climate  for  its  proper  cultivation. 

He  is  a  republican,  and  has  taken  an  active  part  in  politics,  repre- 
senting his  party  at  city,  county  and  state  conventions  and  serving  on 
the  Central  Committees.  He  has  never,  however,  sought  political  prefer- 
ment. 

On  August  30,  1884,  Mr.  Mathews  married  at  Chillicothe  Miss  Mar- 
garet Watson  Andrews,  a  native  of  Illinois,  and  a  daughter  of  David 
Andrews,  a  native  of  New  York.  She,  too,  comes  of  Revolutionary 
stock,  of  Scotch  descent.  Mrs.  Mathews  is  eligible  to  the  Daughters 
of  the  American  Revolution,  and  has  several  nieces  who  belong  to  that 
organization.  She  was  a  school  teacher  in  Indiana  and  Missouri  prior 
to  her  marriage,  and  has  taught  to  some  extent  since  then,  having  been 
connected  with  the  schools  of  Riverside  County  for  twenty  years,  and 
at  different  periods  taught  in  the  Riverside  district  for  seven  years.  For 
five  years  she  was  principal  of  the  Wineville  School,  and  for  the  last 
five  years  has  been  principal  of  the  Morena  School.  There  are  few 
educators  of  Southern  California  who  are  more  highly  esteemed,  and  she 
is  recognized  as  one  of  the  finest  teachers  in  the  state.  Mrs.  Mathews 
maintains  membership  with  the  Southern  California  Teachers'  Associa- 
tion; with  the  Woman's  Benefit  Association;  with  the  Maccabees,  and 
with  the  Woman's  Relief  Corps. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mathews  have  two  children,  Grace  and  William  Mc- 
Kinley  Mathews.  The  daughter  was  also  an  educator  prior  to  her  mar- 
riage to  N.  F.  Ward,  of  Wooster,  Massachusetts,  superintendent  of  the 
Compton  &  Knowles  Loom  Works.  Mrs.  Ward  was  educated  in  the 
Riverside  public  schools  and  the  Normal  School  of  Los  Angeles.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Ward  have  one  daughter,  Polly. 

William  McKinley  Mathews  is  shipping  clerk  for  the  Channel  Com- 
mercial Company  of  Riverside.  During  the  World  war  he  enlisted  in 
Company  M,  but  was  discharged  on  account  of  his  heart.  Registering 
in  the  draft,  he  presented  himself  for  examination,  but  again  failed  to 
pass.  He  married  Lola  Nunns,  a  native  of  Missouri,  and  a  daughter 
of  William  C.  Nunns.  William  McKinley  Mathews  has  a  daughter,  Bar- 
bara Jane.  The  family  all  attend  the  Arlington  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church. 

James  Cunnison  has  been  an  active  business  man  at  San  Bernardino 
for  twenty  vears,  coming  here  as  a  young  man,  and  has  earned  a 
successful  place  in  business  and  an  enviable  reputation  as  a  citizen. 

He  was  born  at  Ft.  Wayne,  Indiana,  November  30,  1882,  and 
represents  families  of  old  American  tradition  and  English  ancestrv. 
His  father,  James  Cunnison,  was  born  in  Indiana,  spent  his  life 
as  a  farmer  in  that  state,  and  died  in  January.  1920.  He  was  a 
thirty-second  degree  Mason.  His  mother,  Mary  (Dalman)  Cunnison, 
was  also  born  in  Indiana,  and  died  in  the  same  month  and  year  as 
her  husband.  They  had  a  family  of  five  children,  all  living;  Alexander, 
an  Indiana  farmer:  Margaret,  wife  of  L.  E.  Koons.  a  retired  farmer 
of  Indiana;  William,  a  business  man  at  Riverside  California;  Frank, 
present  recorder  of  Allen  County,  Indiana ;  and  Tames. 

James  Cunnison  attended  the  grammar  and  high  schools  of  Fort 
Wavne  and  the  International  Business  College  of  that  city,  and  in 
1901.  at  the  age  of  nineteen,  he  secured  his  first  engagement  at 
San  Bernardino,  as  cashier  of  the  Wells,  Fargo  &  Companv  Express. 
Four  years   later  he  became  associated   with   the   Ingersoll   &   Esler 


1314       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

Company,  wholesale  liquors,  and  was  with  that  business  for  eleven 
years.  Then  followed  a  two  year  period  during  which  he  took  a 
well  earned  vacation,  enjoying  extensive  travel  over  the  country. 

In  1919  Mr.  Cunnison  became  secretary  of  the  Hanford  Iron 
Works,  one  of  the  prominent  industries  of  San  Bernardino,  and  has 
since  held  that  position.  He  is  also  financially  interested  in  the 
company  and  is  a  director. 

He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Fraternal  Order  of  Eagles  since 
1910,  was  secretary  for  ten  years,  and  was  largely  instrumental  in 
increasing  the  membership  from  about  three  hundred  to  over  six 
hundred,  the  membership  figure  at  the  present  writing.  He  is  a 
charter  member  and  secretary  of  the  Rotary  Club,  and  has  held 
that  office  since  its  inception.  He  is  affiliated  with  San  Bernardino 
Lodge  No.  348,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  and  a  life  member  of 
San  Bernardino  Lodge  No.  836,  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of 
Elks.  Prominent  in  fraternal  affairs,  he  was  secretary  during  the 
World  war  of  the  Fraternal  Patriotic  Congress,  which  undertook 
and  carried  out  an  extensive  program  for  the  raising  and  handling 
of  funds  for  patriotic  purposes. 

Mr.  Cunnison  served  in  1918  as  auditor  for  the  City  Water 
Commission  during  the  administration  of  Mayor  Catick.  He  is  a  repub- 
lican in  politics. 

In  August,  1905,  at  Riverside,  he  married  Miss  Anna  Shelberg, 
a  native  of  North  Dakota  and  daughter  of  Charles  Shelberg.  They 
have  two  children,  Helen  and  Fred,  both  students  in  the  public 
schools  of  San  Bernardino. 

William  B.  Stewart — The  labors  of  many  men,  money  and  time  have 
been  required  to  develop  San  Bernardino  County  as  a  great  horticultural 
district.  It  is  no  disparagement  of  the  usefulness  and  the  valuable  con- 
tributions made  by  the  aggregate  workers  to  point  out  an  individual 
case  where  enterprise,  capital  and  management  have  effected  on  a  large 
scale  what  many  small  growers  and  home  builders  have  done  individually. 

William  B.  Stewart  came  to  the  Ontario  and  Upland  district  over 
thirty-four  years  ago.  He  and  his  two  brothers  have  instituted  and 
carried  on  some  of  the  most  important  large  scale  development  in  this 
section  of  Southern  California.  Mr.  Stewart,  an  honored  resident  of 
Upland,  is  vice-president  of  the  Stewart  Citrus  Association,  a  private 
organization  formed  for  the  handling  of  the  fruit  products  of  the 
Stewart  groves  and  ranches.  William  Boyd  Stewart  was  born  in  Penn- 
sylvania, at  Cherrytree,  in  Venango  County,  July  30,  1860,  son  of  Wil- 
liam Reynolds  Stewart  and  Jane  (Irwin)  Stewart,  natives  of  the  same 
state.  His  father  was  of  Scotch-English  and  his  mother  of  pure  Scotch 
ancestry.  The  Stewarts  were  a  pioneer  family  in  Pennsylvania.  Wil- 
liam R.  Stewart  had  a  farm  of  fortv-five  acres  in  Venango  County,  and 
also  operated  a  tannery,  a  vocation  in  which  he  was  preceded  bv  his 
father.  William  R.  Stewart  was  bom  July  29.  1811.  After  the  death 
of  his  wife  he  removed  to  Kingsville,  Ashtabula  County,  Ohio,  where 
he  lived  until  his  death  at  the  age  of  sixty-seven.  He  married  Jane  M. 
Irwin,  who  was  born  at  Milton,  Northumberland  County,  Pennsylvania, 
August  3,  1819,  and  died  April  5,  1865.  Her  ancestors  were  Scotch 
people  who  went  to  Pennsylvania  in  Colonial  times.  For  many  genera- 
tions the  first  born  son  in  this  family  was  given  the  name  Richard.  Her 
father,  Richard  Irwin,  who  was  born  at  West  Fallowfield,  Chester 
County,  Pennsylvania,  October  13.  1785,  was  known  in  Venango  County 
as  "Richard  at  the  Mill."     As  a  miller  he  was   following  the  ancestral 


y/MA/71/^ 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1315 

vocation.  He  built  the  first  grist  mill  at  Cherrytree,  and  about  1835 
erected  a  new  and  larger  mill,  standing  on  Cherrytree  Run,  just  below 
the  village.  The  wheels  for  this  mill  were  made  by  his  brothers,  Ninian, 
William  and  James  Irwin.  Richard  Irwin,  who  died  at  Cherrytree,  Sep- 
tember 25,  1857,  was  one  of  the  most  influential  men  in  the  development 
of  his  community,  erecting  several  houses  on  his  land,  and  being  devoted 
to  the  welfare  of  the  locality.  He  was  a  whig  in  politics  and  a  Pres- 
byterian. William  R.  and  Jane  M.  Stewart  were  the  parents  of  seven 
children,  their  son  Elijah  dying  at  the  age  of  fifteen  on  April  17,  1863, 
while  the  three  sons  and  one  daughter  still  survive.  1.  Eva.  the  widow 
of  James  A.  Lawson,  died  January  25,  1922.  3.  Lydia.  who  became 
the  wife  of  James  A.  Lawson  of  Pasadena,  California,  died  June  7,  1918. 
2.  Nancy  J.,  the  widow  of  John  Dorland  MacFarland  of  Los  Angeles, 
California,  is  the  surviving  daughter. 

The  youngest  of  these  children,  William  B.  Stewart,  was  about  five 
years  of  age  when  his  mother  died,  and  he  thereafter  spent  his  boyhood 
in  Ashtabula  County,  Ohio,  attending  public  school  at  Kingsville.  At 
eighteen,  following  the  death  of  his  father,  he  removed  to  Bureau 
County,  Illinois,  and  lived  with  his  uncle,  James  B.  Stewart,  one  and  one- 
half  years.  He  then  returned  to  Western  Pennsylvania  and  was  iden- 
tified with  oil  operations  and  production  in  that  state  for  about  seven 
years. 

Mr.  Stewart  arrived  at  Ontario,  California,  October  15,  1887,  was 
afterward  in  Santa  Paula  until  June  6,  1888,  when  he  located  in 
the  Ontario  colony  of  San  Bernardino  County.  He  and  his  brothers 
became  influential  members  in  the  corporation  known  as  the  Ontario 
Land  &  Improvement  Company,  did  much  to  further  its  important 
development,  and  when  the  lands  of  the  colony  were  sold  acquired 
jointly  about  six  hundred  acres.  This  property  they  have  extended  by 
subsequent  purchases,  though  also  selling  portions,  and  today  the  Stew- 
arts are  in  point  of  acreage  ownership  and  volume  of  production  the 
largest  citrus  fruit  growers  in  the  Ontario  colony.  The  Stewart  Citrus 
Association  was  organized  in  1901  to  handle  exclusively  the  output  of 
the  Stewart  ranches,  the  owners  of  which  are  Milton  Stewart  of  Pasa- 
dena, Lyman  Stewart  of  Los  Angeles,  William  B.  Stewart  of  Upland 
and  the  estate  of  their  sister,  Mrs.  Eva  S.  Lawson.  The  association 
erected  a  large  and  modern  packing  house  at  Upland,  and  while  allied 
with  the  California  Fruit  Growers'  Association,  they  ship  direct  to 
Eastern  markets.  While  a  private  corporation,  the  association  has  been 
a  stimulating  factor  in  the  many  sided  developments  of  the  country  in 
general. 

Besides  his  interest  in  this  association.  W.  B.  Stewart  owns  a  number 
of  valuable  properties  of  his  own  in  the  district,  including  a  beautiful 
little  homestead  of  ten  acres  in  Upland,  and  he  also  manages  the  ten- 
acre  orange  orchard  in  Ontario  owned  by  his  wife.  Mr.  Stewart  for 
many  years  has  been  a  voter  and  stanch  advocate  of  prohibition,  and 
he  and  Mrs.  Stewart  are  liberal  members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 
The  beautiful  church  edifice  at  Upland  of  that  denomination  is  in  no 
small  degree  a  monument  to  the  persistent  labors  and  liberality  of  Mrs. 
Stewart.  For  thirteen  years  she  condutced  a  Bible  class  among  the 
Korean  colony  at  Upland,  and  the  people  of  that  race  have  affec- 
tionately known  her  as  "Mother  Stewart."  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stewart  kept 
their  home  at  their  orange  grove  until  October  4,  1911,  when  they  moved 
into  their  beautiful  modern  home  at  Upland,  at  the  southeast  comer  of 
First  Avenue  and  D  Street. 


1316      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

August  13,  1891,  Mr.  Stewart  married  Miss  Mary  E.  Smith  of 
Santa  Paula,  California,  daughter  of  Parks  B.  and  Mary  Elizabeth 
(Garner)  Smith.  Mrs.  Stewart  was  born  at  Mexico,  Missouri,  January 
13,  1872,  and  was  educated  there  in  the  public  schools.  She  went  to 
Indian  Creek,  Pennsylvania,  with  her  parents  when  she  was  fourteen 
years  old  and  completed  her  education  in  the  public  schools  of  that 
place.  She  came  with  her  parents  to  Santa  Paula,  California,  when  she 
was  sixteen  years  old.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stewart  are  the  parents  of  three 
children.  The  oldest,  Milton  Reynolds  Stewart,  born  May  14,  1892,  at 
Santa  Paula,  California,  was  educated  in  the  Chaff ey  High  School  at 
Ontario,  joined  the  army,  but  was  discharged  at  Camp  Lewis  on  account 
of  defective  eyesight.  He  now  lives  at  the  old  homestead  ranch  at  West 
Sixth  Street,  Ontario.  He  married  Miss  Leona  C.  Cook,  a  native  of 
Iowa,  and  they  have  a  son,  William  Milton,  born  March  1,  1920,  and  a 
daughter,  Mary  Leona,  born  April  11,  1922,  who  was  named  after  her 
two  grandmothers. 

The  second  son,  Harold  Smith  Stewart,  born  at  Upland,  August  24, 
1894,  married,  April  8,  1918,  Miss  Mabel  Hardwick,  a  native  of  Indiana. 
They  have  one  child,  Walter  Eugene,  born  April  2,  1921,  named  after 
the  oldest  known  ancestor  of  the  Stewart  family,  whose  name  appears 
in  an  old  Bible  record  with  the  year  1648.  Harold  S.  Stewart  enlisted 
at  Los  Angeles  May  31,  1917,  for  the  infantry,  was  trained  three  months 
at  Arcadia,  then  at  Camp  Kearney,  and  was  assigned  to  Headquarters 
Company  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Fifteenth  Engineers.  He  left  Camp 
Kearney  July  26,  1917,  sailed  for  overseas  August  8th  and  was  on  over- 
seas duty  ten  and  a  half  months.  Altogether  he  was  in  the  service 
twenty-five  months,  receiving  his  honorable  discharge  as  sergeant,  first 
class,  at  The  Presidio,  July  11,  1919,  and  is  now  a  resident  of  Los 
Angeles.  He  was  educated  in  the  Chaffey  Union  High  School,  spent  two 
years  in  Pomona  College  and  graduated  in  1917  from  Stanford  Univer- 
sity, where  he  specialized  in  geology. 

The  only  daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stewart  is  Agnes  Louise,  born 
July  3,   1900,  living  with  her  parents. 

William  John  Campbell  has  had  a  highly  successful  experience 
as  a  building  contractor,  a  business  he  has  followed  forty  years,  and 
is  head  of  the  Campbell  Construction  Company,  with  home  offices 
in  Ontario,  but  widely  known  throughout  Southern  California  for 
its  business  relations. 

Mr.  Campbell  was  born  at  New  Sharon,  Iowa,  September  12,  1857, 
son  of  John  and  Mary  (Mitchell)  Campbell.  His  parents  were  natives 
of  Pennsylvania,  and  in  1849  removed  to  the  new  state  of  Iowa. 
Both  parents  reached  a  great  age,  the  father  dying  at  the  age  of 
ninety-four  and  the  mother  at  ninety-two.  William  J.  Campbell 
acquired  his  early  education  in  the  public  schools  of  Oskaloosa, 
Iowa,  and  as  a  youth  learned  mechanical  trades  and  subsequently 
engaged  in  the  general  contracting  business,  which  he  has  now 
followed  for  forty  years.  He  moved  to  Kansas  in  1881,  and  from 
there  in  1910  came  to  California.  Twelve  years  ago  he  organized 
the  Campbell  Construction  Company',  now  one  of  the  largest  concerns 
of  its  kind  in  Southern  California.  This  company  gives  employment 
to  sixty  men  continuously.  Mr.  Campbell  recently  purchased  a 
large  tract  of  land  in  the  heart  of  the  City  of  Ontario,  where  he  intends 
to  erect  an  apartment  building. 

Mr.  Campbell  while  a  resident  of  Axtel.  Kansas,  held  the  office  of 
mayor  for  several  years.     He  is  a  republican,  and  in  Masonry  is  a 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1317 

past  master  of  his  Lodge,  a  member  of  the  Chapter,  Council,  Knight 
Templar  Commandery  and  Eastern  Star.  He  is  also  a  member  of 
the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks.  He  is  an  active  and 
honored  figure  in  the  Ontario  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  a  member  of 
the  Congregational  Church. 

At  Axtel,  Kansas,  March  17,  1892,  he  married  Miss  Luella  Petre. 
She  was  born  in  Kansas  and  was  only  a  child  when  her  father  died. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Campbell  have  two  children :  John  Byron,  born  March 
19,  1893,  and  Lois  born  August  22,  1898.  The  son,  John,  had  two 
years  of  service  in  the  World  war.  He  was  overseas  with  the 
20th  Engineer  Corps,  and  was  discharged  as  a  corporal.  He  is 
secretary  and  treasurer,  of  the  Campbell  Construction  Company. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  American  Legion,  the  Benevolent  and  Protective 
Order  of  Elks,  the  Ontario  Chamber  of  Commerce.  After  attending 
public  and  high  schools  at  Axtel,  Kansas,  John  B.  Campbell  took  up 
the  study  of  architecture,  and  also  studied  in  France.  Lois  Campbell 
was  educated  in  the  Chaffey  High  School,  Pomona  College  at  Clare- 
mont  and  in  the  University  of  California. 

Joseph  Mort — A  resident  of  Southern  California  more  than  thirty 
years,  the  Rialto  community  in  particular  has  a  grateful  memory 
of  his  presence  here,  the  work  he  instituted,  the  friendships  he  made 
and  the  kindly  influence  he  exercised  among  all  who  knew  him. 

Joseph  Mort  was  an  honored  Union  soldier.  He  was  born  in 
Ohio,  May  23,  1843,  son  of  Conrad  and  Sarah  (Hynes)  Mort,  natives 
of  the  same  state.  He  was  the  third  son  in  their  family  of  seven 
children.  When  Joseph  Mort  was  an  infant  his  parents  removed  to 
Iowa  and  took  up  land  in  Van  Buren  County.  Joseph  Mort  acquired 
a  common  school  education  there,  and  at  the  age  of  nineteen  enlisted 
in  the  Federal  army  in  1862.  He  served  in  the  infantry  under  General 
Heron  and  was  with  the  Federal  forces  until  the  conclusion  of  the 
war.  He  was  in  the  siege  of  Vicksburg,  and  there  was  slightly 
wounded  in  the  left  shoulder.  Subsequently  he  was  captured,  and 
for  ten  months  he  was  confined  at  Tyler,  Texas,  and  Shreveport, 
Louisiana.  During  the  confinement  his  chief  diet  was  a  pint  of  corn- 
meal  each  day.  The  meal  was  hand  ground,  and  the  small  end  of 
the  cob  was  mixed  with  the  grain.  After  his  exchange  he  returned 
to  service. 

Following  the  war  Mr.  Mort  married  in  Iowa  Miss  Elizabeth 
Miller,  on  October  3,  1865.  Mrs.  Mort,  an  interesting  pioneer  woman, 
is  still  living  at  her  home  at  Rialto,  221  North  Olive  Street.  She 
was  born  July  6,  1843,  in  Van  Buren  County  in  what  was  then  Iowa 
Territory.  Her  parents,  Daniel  and  Margaret  Elizabeth  (Jackson) 
Miller,  were  among  the  earliest  settlers  in  that  section  of  Iowa, 
moving  from  Ohio  in  1841.  They  made  the  journey  with  wagon 
and  team,  and  took  up  Government  land  in  Van  Buren  County, 
where  they  spent  the  rest  of  their  days,  Mrs.  Mort's  mother  dying 
in  1861  and  her  father  in  1891.     She  was  one  of  their  ten  children. 

Following  his  marriage  Mr.  Mort  engaged  in  farming  in  Iowa. 
In  October,  1887,  he  came  to  California,  his  family  following  him 
the  next  year.  He  located  in  the  vincinity  of  Rialto,  where  he 
worked  for  the  company  developing  this  section  in  planting  citrus 
trees  and  also  assisted  in  setting  out  the  ornamental  trees  along 
Riverside  Avenue.  He  helped  plant  nearly  all  the  early  orchards 
in  this  vicinity.  On  account  of  injuries  received  while  a  prisoner 
of  war  Joseph  Mort  became  totality  blind  in   1901,  and  he  lived  for 


1318       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

twenty  years  in  darkness,  though  active  in  mind  and  enjoying  his 
friends  and  the  many  interests  that  bound  him  to  life.  He  died  at 
Rialto  March  1,  1921. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mort  were  born  seven  children:  Delia,  born  in 
Iowa  October  17,  1866,  married  Edward  Varnard  and  has  two  children, 
Elsie  and  Belle.  Clyde  Everett,  born  in  Iowa  July  27,  1870,  married 
Frances  Uren,  daughter  of  a  Methodist  minister,  T.  S.  Uren,  and 
they  have  two  children,  Mildred  and  Leonard.  Alpha  Mort,  born 
in  Iowa  May  25,  1872,  died  at  the  age  of  two  weeks  and  five  days. 
Ottis  Hynes,  born  in  Iowa  May  26,  1873,  enlisted  and  served  for 
six  months  in  the  Spanish-American  war,  and  he  and  his  wife, 
Gertrude,  have  two  sons,  Russell  and  Francis,  both  of  whom  enlisted 
in  the  navy  in  1920.  Eddy  Willis,  named  for  Bishop  Eddy,  was 
born  in  Harvey  County,  Kansas,  March  24,  1875,  married  Mamie 
Ely,  and  their  four  children  are  Evelyn  Mort,  Raymond,  Delbert  and 
Edwin.  Thomas  Glenn  Mort,  born  in  Iowa  in  1878,  married  Caroline 
Humiston,  of  Iowa,  and  their  children  are  Phyllis,  Helen,  Kenneth 
and  Winnifred.  Leonard  Worth  Mort,  the  youngest  child,  was 
born  in  Graham  County,  Kansas,  February  28,  1881,  and  became  an 
expert  in  all  phases  of  the  citrus  fruit  industry.  A  group  of  Mexican 
citrus  growers  sent  for  him  to  act  as  their  adviser  in  field  operations, 
and  while  thus  employed  he  was  drowned  in  a  flood  caused  by  a 
cloudburst  on  August  28,  1909.    He  married  Ina  Lyman. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mort  were  birthright  Methodists,  and  all  their  lives 
have  been  devout  members  of  that  faith.  Mr.  Mort  served  as  a  member 
of  the  Official  Board  of  his  church.  He  always  maintained  the 
hospitality  of  the  home,  and  delighted  in  entertaining  his  friends. 
He  was  a  worker  for  clean  politics  and  for  efficient  government 
at  all  times.  For  some  years  after  coming  to  California  he  owned 
an  orange  grove,  and  after  selling  this  he  bought  five  acres  which 
are  still  owned  by  Mrs.  Mort.  When  Mr.  Mort  came  to  this  part  of 
California  there  was  not  a  building  except  the  old  adobe  near  Base 
Line  in  which  he  lived  for  a  time.  Later  he  built  on  West  Rialto  on 
his  own  land.  In  those  days  it  was  a  difficult  task  to  drive  from  West 
Rialto  to  San  Bernardino  to  market.  In  dry  weather  the  sand  filled 
the  air  and  cut  the  faces,  and  there  were  practically  no  roads  through 
the  sand  and  brush.  During  wet  weather  the  streets  in  San  Bernardino 
were  so  deep  in  mud  that  a  vehicle  had  to  be  stopped  every  now 
and  then  to  rest  the  horses.  Very  few  windbreaks  had  been  planted 
in  the  Rialto  district  when  the  Mort  family  reached  here.  The  first 
water  ditch  from  the  mountains  was  constructed  after  Mr.  Mort 
came  here,  and  he  helped  do  some  of  that  work.  Much  of  the  early 
construction  work  with  which  he  was  identified  remains  to  bear  fruit 
and  benefit  to  the  present  generation. 

Willoughby  McKinley,  whose  attractive  home  is  at  340  North 
Riverside  Avenue,  in  the  beautiful  little  City  of  Rialto,  is  one  of  the 
pioneer  orange-growers  of  this  district  and  has  played  an  active  part 
in  the  civic  and  industrial  development  of  this  community. 

Mr.  McKinley  was  born  in  Wayne  County,  Iowa.  November  30, 
1875,  and  is  a  son  of  John  R.  and  Hannah  (  Davis)  McKinley,  who 
were  born  in  Ohio  and  who  became  pioneer  settlers  in  Iowa,  where 
the  father  took  up  Government  land  and  reclaimed  the  same  to 
cultivation,  he  having  developed  one  of  the  fine  farm  estates  of 
Iowa,  where  he  became  the  owner  of  several  hundred  acres.  He 
and  his  wife  endured  the  full  tension  of  trials  and  hardships  incidental 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1319 

to  the  pioneer  era,  but  with  the  passing  years  substantial  prosperity 
rewarded  them.  They  continued  their  residence  in  the  Hawkeye 
State  until  the  spring  of  1894,  when  they  came  to  California  and 
established  their  residence  at  Rialto,  where  Mr.  McKinley  had  pur- 
chased in  the  preceding  year  a  tract  of  twenty  acres  of  land.  On 
this  tract  he  planted  and  developed  one  of  the  first  orange  groves  in 
the  district,  and  here  he  continued  his  residence  until  his  death, 
September  11,  1917,  his  wife  having  died  in  1898.  They  were  numbered 
among  the  honored  pioneers  of  the  community  and  well  merited 
the  unqualified  esteem  in  which  they  were  held. 

Willoughby  McKinley  passed  the  period  of  his  childhood  and 
early  youth  on  the  old  Iowa  homestead  farm  which  was  the  place  of 
his  birth,  and  he  supplemented  the  discipline  of  the  public  schools 
by  attending  the  Iowa  State  Normal  School  at  Humeston.  He  has 
been  actively  identified  with  productive  enterprise  along  agricultural 
and  horticultural  lines  throughout  his  entire  career,  was  eighteen 
years  of  age  at  the  time  of  the  family  removal  to  San  Bernardino 
County,  and  thus  had  the  satisfaction  of  aiding  his  father  in  the 
development  of  the  pioneer  orange  grove  at  Rialto.  He  is  the  owner 
of  valuable  real  estate  in  this  section  of  the  county,  and  in  all  of 
the  relations  of  life  is  well  upholding  the  prestige  of  the  family 
name.  Mr.  McKinley  recalls  the  packing  of  the  first  carload  of 
oranges  shipped  out  from  Rialto.  The  packing  was  done  in  an  old 
shed,  the  bushes  were  trimmed  by  hand,  and  the  fruit  when  packed 
was  hauled  by  wagon  to  the  railroad  car. 

On  January  16,  1901,  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Mr.  McKinley 
and  Miss  Anna  Klophenstein,  who  likewise  was  born  in  Wayne 
County,  Iowa.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Daniel  and  Sarah  (Hacke- 
thom)  Klophenstein,  the  father  a  native  of  France,  born  near  Paris, 
and  the  mother  was  born  in  Ohio.  The  father  came  to  the  United 
States  when  nineteen  years  old,  locating  in  Iowa,  where  he  was  a 
farmer.  He  came  to  Ontario,  California,  in  the  autumn  of  1900,  and 
afterward  lived  retired.  He  died  there  May  30,  1907.  The  mother 
came  to  Rialto,  where  she  died  February  7,  1920.  The  two  children 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McKinley  are:  Randolph,  born  January  27,  1910; 
and  Pauline,  born  June  27,  1916. 

Dwight  W.  Webster  is  not  only  the  owner  of  one  of  the  fine  orange 
groves  that  mark  the  Fontana  district  as  one  of  the  garden  spots 
and  prosperous  industrial  centers  of  San  Bernardino  County,  but 
he  is  also  engineer  of  the  West  Rialto  Water  Company,  in  which 
he  is  a  stockholder  and  of  which  his  wife  is  secretary. 

Mr.  Webster  was  born  on  a  farm  in  Leon.  Monroe  County, 
Wisconsin,  and  is  a  son  of  Peter  and  Laura  (Tower)  Webster,  he 
having  been  seventh  in  order  of  birth  in  a  family  of  eight  children. 
He  was  reared  and  educated  in  his  native  state  and  continued  his 
active  associations  with  farm  industry  until  1901,  when  he  came  to 
California,  where  he  remained  one  year.  He  then  returned  to  Wis- 
consin, but  in  1904  he  came  again  to  California,  where  he  established 
his  residence  at  Pasadena  and  where  he  was  engaged  in  a  teaming 
business  until  1908.  He  then  purchased  tract  No.  399  in  the  Fontana 
district  of  San  Bernardino  County,  a  property  for  which  he  paid 
$4,200.  Here  he  now  has  twenty  acres  of  full-bearine  fruit  besides 
ownine  twenty  shares  of  the  stock  of  the  West  Rialto  Water  Company, 
of  which  mutual  corporation  he  is  engineer,  as  previously  stated.  The 
improvement*  of  his  fine  little  property  are  of  the  best,  including  a  mod- 


1320      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

ern  house  and  other  excellent  buildings.  At  one  period  the  water  shares 
held  by  Mr.  Webster  were  virtually  without  value,  as  the  irrigating  plant 
was  in  poor  condition  and  its  service  consequently  inadequate.  The 
mutual  corporation  known  as  the  West  Rialto  Water  Company  was  organ- 
ized in  1900  and  now  gives  the  best  water  service  to  approximately  350 
acres.  At  the  time  when  Fontana  was  made  a  distinct  water  district 
the  West  Rialto  Water  Company  dismantled  its  old  plant  and  installed  in 
its  place  a  new  and  modern  equipment,  the  original  supply  of  twenty 
inches  of  water-flow  having  been  increased  to  100  inches.  The 
plant  is  operated  by  electric  power  and  the  stock  of  the  company  is 
now  worth  $200  a  share.  As  engineer  for  the  company  Mr.  Webster 
has  aided  in  the  development  of  its  plant  to  its  present  high  standard 
of  efficiency,  the  original  equipment  of  two  wells  having  been  increased 
and  the  service  being  now  of  the  best  in  every  respect.  When  Mr. 
Webster  here  established  his  home  the  lands  to  the  west  of  his  tract 
were  covered  with  brush  and  were  entirely  unreclaimed.  Tracts  that 
then  commanded  a  price  of  only  $20.  an  acre  are  now  valued  at 
$300.  an  acre,  and  that  with  no  orange  trees  yet  planted.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Webster  are  representative  citizens  of  the  Fontana  district,  have 
won  worthy  success  and  command  unqualified  esteem  in  the  com- 
munity. 

On  November  4,  1896,  Mr.  Webster  married  Miss  Elizabeth 
Chalfant,  who  was  born  in  Marshall  County,  Iowa,  February  5,  1874, 
a  daughter  of  Edward  and  Elizabeth  (Hoskyn)  Chalfant,  the  former 
of  whom  was  born  in  Ohio  and  the  latter  in  England,  the  father  having 
become  a  successful  merchant  in  Iowa  and  later  having  continued 
in  the  same  line  of  enterprise  in  South  Dakota,  whence,  on  account 
of  impaired  health,  he  later  removed  with  his  family  to  the  south- 
western part  of  Louisana.  Of  the  family  of  three  sons  and  two 
daughters  only  Mrs.  Wrebster  is  now  living.  She  was  nine  years 
old  at  the  time  of  the  family  removal  to  South  Dakota,  where  she 
was  reared  to  adult  age  and  where  she  was  eventually  graduated 
from  the  high  school  at  Huron.  Thereafter  she  was  engaged  in 
teaching  in  that  state  until  she  accompanied  her  parents  to  Louisiana, 
and  upon  returning  to  the  north  she  continued  her  work  as  a  successful 
teacher  for  one  year,  at  the  expiration  of  which  her  marriage  occurred. 
Of  the  eight  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Webster  the  firstborn,  Harry, 
died  in  infancy.  The  first  four  children  were  born  in  Wisconsin, 
the  birth  of  the  second  son,  John  Perham  Webster,  having  there 
occurred  November  2,  1898.  This  son  was  graduated  from  the 
San  Bernardino  High  School,  and  while  he  was  a  student  in  Throop 
College  at  Pasadena  the  nation  became  involved  in  the  World  war 
and  he  entered  the  Reserve  Officers  Training  Corps,  of  which  he 
was  a  member  at  the  time  of  his  death,  resulting  from  an  attack  of 
double  pneumonia.  He  was  a  young  man  of  gallant  patriotism,  and 
his  fine  character  and  personality  gained  to  him  a  host  of  friends. 
Dorothy,  the  third  child,  was  born  September  14,  1900,  and  died 
October  6,  1916.  Emerson  was  born  February  7,  1903;  Laura,  De- 
cember 23,  1905;  Kenneth,  January  27,  1908;  and  the  next  two 
children,  twins,  died  in  infancy.  Mrs.  Webster  has  been  on  the 
School  Board  for  six  years,  and  is  now  clerk  of  the  Board. 

Harry  H.  Miller,  who  has  been  a  resident  of  California  since  1884 
and  who  has  become  one  of  the  very  successful  orange  growers  of 
the  Fontana  district  in  San  Bernardino  County,  has  here  proved 
himself   a   man    of   thorough    as   well    as    resourceful    action,    for    he 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1321 

encountered  many  obstacles  in  the  earlier  period  of  his  enterprise 
as  an  orange  grower,  was  not  to  be  deflected  from  his  course  and 
eventually  achieved  distinctive  success  and  reputation  in  his  chosen 
sphere  of  effort.  His  orange  grove,  one  of  the  best  in  this  colony,  is 
situated  on  Palmetto  Avenue,  one-fourth  of  a  mile  south  of  Foothill 
Boulevard,  on  Block  No.  528,  Fontaria  being  his  postoffice  address. 
Mr.  Miller  was  born  in  the  State  of  Iowa,  near  Burlington, 
September  11,  1856,  and  this  date  indicates  with  significant  emphasis 
that  his  parents  were  numbered  among  the  early  pioneer  settlers  of 
that  commonwealth,  both  having  been  born  in  Pennsylvania,  and 
the  father,  Barnett  Miller,  having  reclaimed  and  developed  one  of 
the  productive  pioneer  farms  of  the  Hawkeye  State.  Of  the  family 
of  four  children  the  subject  of  this  review  was  the  second  in  order 
of  birth,  and  he  was  reared  under  the  conditions  and  influences 
that  marked  the  pioneer  days  in  Iowa,  his  early  education  having 
been  effectively  supplemented  by  the  careful  reading  and  study, 
which  have  made  him  a  man  of  broad  information  and  mature 
judgment.  He  continued  his  active  association  with  farm  enterprise 
in  Iowa  until  1884,  in  March  of  which  year  he  arrived  in  Merced 
County,  California.  For  several  years  thereafter  he  was  employed 
on  large  grain  ranches,  and  in  1891  he  came  to  Fontana  and  purchased 
ten  acres  of  land  on  Palmetto  Avenue.  The  representatives  of  the 
Semi-Tropic  Land  &  Water  Company  tried  to  persuade  him  to  buy 
twenty  acres,  but  he  refused  to  purchase  more  land  than  he  could 
pay  for  at  the  time.  By  paying  cash  he  bought  the  ten  acres  and 
a  supposed  water  right  for  ninety  dollars  an  acre,  a  ten  percent 
reduction  from  the  price  he  would  have  paid  with  deferred  payments. 
The  water  right  proved  valueless,  and  later  he  purchased  water 
shares  from  the  Fontana  Company,  which  succeeded  the  corporation 
previously  mentioned.  With  characteristic  energy  Mr.  Miller  cleared 
the  brush  from  his  land,  which  he  planted  to  raisin  grapes.  About 
two  years  later,  however,  in  1893,  he  set  the  tract  to  oranges,  and  when 
his  water  right  failed  he  hauled  domestic  water  from  Rialto  for  two 
years  in  order  to  preserve  his  trees  from  destruction.  He  did  all 
manner  of  incidental  work  to  meet  expenses,  never  wavering  in  his 
determination  to  develop  his  orange  grove  to  successful  productive- 
ness, and  he  thus  persevered  at  a  time  when  many  of  his  neighbors 
abandoned  the  field  in  utter  discouragement.  His  reward  is  evident  in 
his  ownership  of  one  of  the  best  orange  groves  of  this  district,  and 
the  passing  years  have  brought  to  him  substantial  prosperity,  the 
while  he  has  had  the  satisfaction  of  contributing  his  quota  to  both  the 
industrial  and  civic  advancement  of  this  now  favored  section  of 
San  Bernardino  County.  He  has  about  fifty  hives  of  bees  and  makes 
the  apiary  department  of  his  business  likewise  distinctly  profitable. 
Mr.  Miller  has  won  success  entirely  through  his  own  ability  and 
efforts,  and  takes  constant  delight  in  the  study  of  the  best  literature 
pertaining  to  the  citrus  industry,  with  the  result  that  he  has  applied 
the  most  approved  scientific  methods  in  the  development  and  care 
of  his  fine  orange  grove.  He  is  a  stalwart  republican  in  politics,  is 
affiliated  with  the  Rialtu  Camp  of  the  Knights  of  the  Maccabees 
and  is  one  of  the  popular  bachelors  of  San  Bernardino  County.  He 
served  six  years  on  the  School  Board. 

John-  William  Fowler  has  gained  precedence  as  one  of  the  most 
successful  growers  of  citrus  fruit  in  San  Bernardino  County,  where  he 
is  now  the  owner  of  a  valuable  property  devoted  to  the  best  types  of 


1322       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

oranges  and  lemons.  He  and  his  young  wife  initiated  their  enterprise 
as  orange  growers  with  minimum  financial  resources,  and  he  credits  his 
wife  for  much  of  the  splendid  success  which  has  been  achieved  in  this 
connection,  for  her  effective  counsel  and  ready  co-operation  have  counted 
for  much  in  his  progressive  career  in  the  Rialto  district  of  the  county. 

Mr.  Fowler  was  born  in  Crawford  County,  Kansas,  June  23,  1870, 
a  son  of  David  and  Elizabeth  (Thomason)  Fowler,  both  natives  of  North 
Carolina,  where  their  marriage  was  solemnized.  As  young  folk  the 
parents  migrated  to  Missouri  and  established  their  home  on  a  farm 
which  is  now  the  site  of  the  City  of  Springfield.  Later  they  became 
pioneer  settlers  in  Crawford  County,  Kansas,  about  the  time  of  the 
beginning  of  the  Civil  war,  and  there  the  father  engaged  in  agricultural 
and  stock-raising  enterprise.  The  parents  endured  not  only  the  hard- 
ships and  trials  that  pertained  to  pioneer  life  on  the  Kansas  frontier, 
but  also  suffered  greatly  from  depredations  committed  in  connection 
with  border  warfare  in  the  Civil  war,  both  the  guerrilla  bands  and  hostile 
Indians  being  a  constant  menace.  On  the  old  Kansas  homestead  the 
devoted  mother  died  in  1878,  and  there  the  father  continued  to  reside 
until  his  death  in  1906,  as  one  of  the  venerable  pioneer  citizens  of  the 
Sunflower  State.  In  the  family  were  two  sons  and  two  daughters,  all 
of  whom  survive  the  father. 

John  W.  Fowler  was  reared  on  the  old  home  farm  in  Kansas,  profited 
by  the  advantages  of  the  public  schools  of  the  locality,  and  in  1892  grad- 
uated from  the  Kansas  Normal  College  at  Fort  Scott.  In  1894,  influ- 
enced by  correspondence  with  a  kinsman  who  had  preceded  him  here, 
Mr.  Fowler  came  to  Rialto.  California,  where  he  promptly  found  em- 
ployment in  a  citrus  orchard  of  forty  acres.  He  was  an  apt  student  of 
horticulture  and  was  soon  made  foreman  and  thereafter  superintendent 
of  this  fruit  ranch,  where  he  remained  four  years.  He  then  married 
the  sweetheart  of  his  early  days  in  Kansas,  and  it  was  largely  through 
the  counsel  of  his  talented  young  wife  that  they  purchased  ten  acres  of 
unimproved  land,  with  water  right,  for  a  consideration  of  $1,150,  their 
initial  payment  being  only  $100.  Mr.  Fowler  planted  a  windbreak  and 
began  the  general  improvement  of  his  land.  In  1900  he  laid  a  pipe  line 
for  irrigating  the  tract,  and  the  tract  was  planted  to  oranges.  After 
holding-  this  property  ten  years  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fowler  sold  the  same  for 
$12,000,  and  they  had  previously  cleared  themselves  of  all  indebtedness. 
Mr.  Fowler  has  continued  his  successful  activities  as  a  grower  of  oranges 
and  lemons,  and  they  now  own  a  well  improved  property  of  twenty  acres, 
ten  acres  being  situated  just  to  the  south  of  the  original  place,  which 
now  constitutes  the  oldest  and  finest  lemon  orchard  in  the  Rialto  district. 
Tn  1912  Mr.  Fowler  erected  his  present  residence,  at  128  Fast  Third 
Street.  Rialto.  and  the  same  is  one  of  the  finest  and  most  modern  homes 
in  this  beautiful  and  prosperous  section  of  San  Bernardino  County.  As 
an  authority  in  the  citrus  fruit  industry  Mr.  Fowler  is  also  superinten- 
dent of  manv  groves  owned  by  non-residents,  he  being  responsible  for 
the  care  of  ninety  acres  of  such  orchards. 

Mr.  Fowler  is  an  uncompromising  republican,  and  he  is  a  member 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  He  is  affiliated  with  San  Bernardino 
Lodge.  B.  P.  O.  E. ;  with  Rialto  Camp  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America,  and  he  and  his  wife  are  charter  members  of  Rialto  Lodge, 
A.  I.  U.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Education  of  Rialto  and  is 
an  enthusiastic  worker  in  behalf  of  efficient  educational  system.  Mrs. 
Fowler  is  a  member  of  the  Christian  Science  Church  and  the  Rialto 
Woman's  Club,  and  in  the  home  community  both  she  and  her  husband 
have  a  circle  of  friends  that  is  limited  only  by  that  of  their  acquaintances. 


^4 


i      K    i 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1323 

May  4,  1898,  recorded  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Fowler  and  Miss  Oneda 
M.  Hayes,  who  came  from  her  home  in  Kansas  to  join  him,  the  mar- 
riage having  been  solemnized  at  San  Bernardino.  Mrs.  Fowler  is  a 
daughter  of  Jesse  B.  and  Cecelia  A.  (Long)  Hayes,  the  former  a 
native  of  Indiana  and  the  latter  of  Pennsylvania.  Upon  removing  to 
Kansas  Mr.  Hayes  purchased  a  farm  near  Fredonia,  judicial  center  of 
Wilson  County,  and  there  his  wife  died  in  1887.  Mr.  Hayes  later  re- 
moved to  the  western  part  of  that  state,  and  he  passed  the  closing  period 
of  his  life  at  Ocean  Park,  California,  where  he  died  September  8,  1906. 
Mrs.  Fowler  depended  largely  on  her  own  resources  in  gaining  her 
higher  education,  which  included  one  year  at  the  Kansas  State  Normal 
School  at  Fort  Scott  and  one  year  at  the  Kansas  State  Normal  College 
at  Emporia.  She  was  for  six  years  a  successful  and  popular  teacher 
in  the  public  schools  of  Kansas,  and  retired  from  such  pedagogic  service 
at  the  time  of  her  marriage.  Of  the  five  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Fowler  two  died  in  infancy  ;  Aleta  M.,  who  was  born  at  Rialto  May  26 
1900,  is  a  graduate  of  the  high  school  and  also  of  Longmire's  Business 
College  in  San  Bernardino,  and  she  now  holds  a  responsible  position 
in  the  office  of  the  American  Fruit  Growers  at  Rialto.  Eugene,  born 
December  17,  1906,  is,  in  1922,  a  member  of  the  sophomore  class  in  the 
San  Bernardino  High  School.  Julian  Hayes,  who  was  born  March  26, 
1911,  is  attending  the  Rialto  graded  schools. 

John  P.  Domecq  came  from  his  native  France  and  established  his 
residence  in  California  more  than  half  a  century  ago,  and  here  he  even- 
tually became  one  of  the  pioneer  exponents  of  ranch  enterprise  in  San 
Bernardino  County,  where  he  developed  and  improved  a  fine  landed 
estate  and  won  substantial  prosperity.  He  was  one  of  the  honored  and 
representative  men  of  the  county  at  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred 
at  his  fine  ranch  home  near  Colton,  this  countv,  on  the  24th  of  Sep- 
tember,  1892. 

Mr.  Domecq  was  born  and  reared  in  the  Pyrennes  Mountain  district 
of  France,  the  year  of  his  birth  having  been  1846.  He  received  good 
educational  advantages  in  his  youth,  and  continued  his  residence  in 
France  until  March  22,  1867,  when  he  embarked  for  the  voyage  to  the 
United  States.  He  first  settled  at  San  Francisco,  California,  where  he 
engaged  in  the  dairy  business,  in  which  he  had  gained  experience  in  his 
native  land.  He  later  established  himself  in  the  same  line  of  enterprise 
at  Los  Angles,  and  in  1882  he  came  to  San  Bernardino  County,  where 
he  entered  into  a  contract  with  John  Anderson,  Sr.,  to  plant  and  develop 
a  vineyard  of  160  acres,  a  provision  of  the  contract  being  that  he  should 
have  the  supervision  of  the  vineyard  until  it  became  productive  and 
was  then  to  receive  a  deed  to  the  ownership  of  one-half,  or  eighty  acres, 
of  the  tract.  It  was  on  this  homestead,  two  and  one-half  miles  north- 
west of  Colton,  that  he  passed  the  remainder  of  his  life,  the  place  being 
eligibly  situated   on   Rancho   Avenue. 

Mr.  Domecq  had  most  meager  financial  resources  when  he  came  to 
this  country,  but  his  ability,  ambition  and  persistent  application  enabled 
Him  to  achieve  large  and  worthy  success  o-f  material  order,  the  while 
he  stood  exemplar  of  loyal  and  liberal  citizenship,  and  his  sterling 
character  gave  him  secure  place  in  popular  esteem.  In  San  Francisco  he 
married  Christina  Kupferschlager,  and  he  and  his  wife  were  earnest 
communicants  of  the  Catholic  Church  and  in  politics  he  gave  his  allegi- 
ance to  the  republican  party.  After  his  death  his  widow  assumed  active 
charge  of  the  home  ranch,  the  management  of  which  she  successfully 
continued  from  1892  until  she,  too,  passed  to  the  life  eternal,  her  death 


1324       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

having  occurred  on  the  1st  of  September,  1913.  Mrs.  Domecq  was 
born  in  the  fair  old  city  of  Cologne.  Germany.  June  24,  1852.  Of  the 
three  children  only  one  survive  the  honored  parents,  .and  this  son, 
Peter  J.  Domecq,  now  owns  and  resides  on  the  old  homestead.  On 
this  ranch  his  birth  occurred  August  17.  1883.  and  his  early  education, 
received  in  the  public  schools  of  Colton  and  San  Bernardino,  was  sup- 
plemented by  a  course  in  the  Los  Angeles  Business  College.  He  was 
but  nine  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  his  father's  death,  and  after  leaving 
school  he  learned  the  machinist's  trade,  to  which  he  continued  to  give 
his  attention  as  a  skilled  workman  from  1900  to  1919,  in  the  meanwhile 
continuing  to  reside  with  his  widowed  mother  on  the  old  homestead. 
After  the  death  of  her  husband  Mrs.  Domecq  set  orange  trees  on 
eighteen  acres  of  the  land  and  sold  twenty  acres  of  the  property,  at 
the  southeast  corner,  to  James  Barnhill.  The  remainder  of  the  place 
remains  intact  and  is  now  a  valuable  and  splendidly  improved  property. 
After  the  death  of  his  devoted  mother  Peter  J.  Domecq  added  to  the 
area  of  the  old  home  place  by  purchasing  an  adjacent  tract  of  sixty-two 
acres,  and  this  he  has  planted  to  grapes.  The  Domecq  ranch  is  one 
of  the  finest  and  most  picturesque  in  this  part  of  the  county,  the  home 
standing  on  a  terrace  rising  above  Lytle  Creek  and  commanding  a  fine 
view  of  the  mountains,  of  Colton  and  of  the  City  of  San  Bernardino, 
as  well  as  the  valley  below.  Peter  J.  Domecq  is  well  maintaining  the 
honors  of  the  family  name  and  is  one  of  the  prominent  and  influential 
citizens  of  the  Colton  District.  His  political  convictions  are  indicated 
by  his  stanch  support  of  the  cause  of  the  republican  party,  but  he  has 
had  no  desire  for  political  activity  or  public  office.  He  is  a  member  of 
Ashlar  Lodge,  F.  and  A.  M.,  of  Colton. 

On  the  11th  of  July,  1909,  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Peter  J. 
Domecq  and  Miss  Nettie  DeWitt.  who  was  born  in  San  Bernardino, 
July  2,  1886,  and  who  was  there  reared  and  educated,  she  being  a 
daughter  of  Alonzo  DeWitt.  of  whom  individual  mention  is  made  in  fol- 
lowing sketch.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Domecq  were  born  three  children,  of 
whom  two  are  living:  Alvin  Joseph,  who  was  born  December  22,  1914, 
and  June  Irene,  who  was  born  June  1,  1918.  May  Christiana  was  born 
February  23,  1916,  and  died  July  24,  1918. 

Alonzo  DeWitt,  who  now  resides  on  the  fine  ranch  of  his  son-in- 
law,  P.  J.  Domecq,  two  and  one-half  miles  northwest  of  Colton.  San 
Bernardino  County,  is  a  native  son  of  this  county  and  a  representative 
of  one  of  its  sterling  pioneer  families.  The  house  in  which  he  was  born 
stood  on  the  site  of  the  old  race  track,  on  Mills  Street,  San  Bernardino, 
and  the  date  of  his  birth  was  December  16,  1861.  He  is  a  son  of  John 
and  Nancy  (Long)  DeWitt,  the  former  of  whom  was  born  in  Iowa  and 
the  latter  in  Texas.  In  the  early  '50s  the  parents  crossed  the  plains  with 
the  pioneer  colonists  of  the  Latter  Day  Saints  who  founded  Salt  Lake 
City,  the  wagon  train  having  fought  many  hostile  bands  of  Indians  on 
the  long  and  perilous  overland  journey.  Later  John  DeWitt  and  his 
wife  came  with  another  band  of  Latter  Day  Saints  to  found  a  new 
colony  in  California,  the  journey  having  been  made  with  wagons  and 
ox  teams.  John  DeWitt  established  his  home  on  a  tract  of  land  that  was 
later  developed  as  a  race  track  at  San  Bernardino,  and  there  he  grubbed 
the  underbrush  and  cut  off  the  timber  to  make  the  land  available  for 
cultivation.  Both  he  and  his  wife  passed  the  remainder  of  their  lives 
in  San  Bernardino  County  and  were  upright  and  earnest  pioneer  citizens 
who  commanded  the  respect  and  confidence  of  the  community  in  which 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1325 

they  established  their  home.     They  became  the  parents  of  five  children : 
George,  Alonzo,  Jane,  Nettie  and  Emma. 

Alonzo  DeWitt  was  reared  under  the  conditions  and  influences  mark- 
ing the  pioneer  period  in  the  development  of  San  Bernardino  County,  and 
as  a  young  man  he  married  Miss  Orissa  F.  Boren,  who  was  born  and 
reared  in  this  state,  her  father  having  come  to  California  with  ox  teams 
and  having  been  a  pioneer  settler  in  San  Bernardino  County.  The  mar- 
riage of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  DeWitt  was  solemnized  by  Judge  Knox,  and  of 
this  union  were  born  five  children:  William  Henry,  now  a  foreman  in 
the  Hanford  Iron  Works  at  San  Bernardino,  married  Miss  Emily 
DeLore,  and  they  have  one  son,  Arthur.  May  is  the  wife  of  P.  J. 
Domecq,  of  whom  personal  mention  is  made  in  preceding  sketch. 
Inez  is  the  wife  of  J.  E.  Harris,  and  they  have  one  daughter,  Joy. 
Lola  married  Miss  Eva  Roberson,  and  their  one  child  is  a  son,  Elmer. 
Fay,  the  youngest  of  the  children,  married  Miss  Bessie  Olsen,  and  they 
have  one  daughter,  Violet  Belle. 

David  Frank  Stoner. — The  Stoners  as  a  family  rank  among  the 
leading  pioneers  of  the  Ontario  District  of  San  Bernardino  County.  The 
spirit  of  enterprise  has  always  been  in  their  blood,  and  it  is  apparently 
as  urgent  to  action  today  as  it  was  in  former  years  when  all  the  country 
was  new.  The  Stoner  ranch  is  a  mile  south  of  Riverside  Boulevard, 
on  Archibald  Avenue  in  Ontario,  and  the  present  residence  is  a  mile  and 
a  half  north  of  Claremont,  on  the  new  Camp  Baldy  Road. 

The  head  of  this  family  was  the  late  David  Frank  Stoner,  who  died 
April  21,  1921.  Mrs.  Stoner,  who  survives  him,  possessed  fully  as  much 
of  the  courage  and  ability  to  cope  with  the  adversities  of  a  desert  coun- 
try, and  the  same  spirit  manifests  itself  in  their  children. 

David  Frank  Stoner  was  born  in  North  Liberty,  Iowa,  January  2, 
1854.  He  was  fifth  in  a  family  of  seven  children,  and  acquired  his 
education  in  Iowa  district  schools.  In  1878  he  went  to  Nebraska,  where 
he  followed  his  trade  as  a  carpenter  and  cabinet  maker.  On  October 
26,  1881,  he  married  Miss  Mary  Adaline  Collins.  Mrs.  Stoner  was 
born  at  Charleston,  Indiana,  October  13,  1862,  and  when  she  was  seven 
years  of  age  she  lost  her  mother,  and  her  father  died  two  years  later. 
She  was  the  oldest  of  four  children,  and  all  of  them  grew  up  among 
strangers  or  relatives.  Mrs.  Stoner  spent  most  of  her  girlhood  in 
Nebraska. 

When  they  married  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stoner  moved  to  an  eighty  acre 
farm  which  he  had  bought  in  1880  near  Lyons,  Nebraska.  There  was 
a  heavy  mortgage  on  the  farm,  and  he  subsequently  sold  it  and  bought 
320  acres  of  prairie  land  at  eight  dollars  an  acre.  He  borrowed  a  thou- 
sand dollars  to  make  his  initial  payment  on  this  land.  The  lender  was 
his  father.  Eighteen  months  later  Mrs.  Stoner  received  her  share  of 
her  father's  estate,  and  with  the  proceeds  she  paid  off  the  mortgage  and 
built  the  substantial  home  in  which  they  lived  for  eleven  years.  Their 
farm  was  near  Wakefield,  which  at  the  time  had  one  store,  two  resi- 
dences and  a  blacksmith  shop.  The  railroad  was  just  building  through 
that  section  of  Nebraska.  The  community  improved  fast,  and  the  Stoner 
farm  was  sold  for  about  twelve  thousand  dollars. 

In  1891  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stoner  came  to  California  for  the  benefit  of 
her  health.  On  January  11,  1892,  thev  returned  to  make  their  perma- 
nent home  here.  Mr.  Stoner  had  previously  bought  from  a  land  agent 
twenty  acres  without  having  personally  investigated  the  land.  It  proved 
to  be  worthless  desert.  He  traded  this,  paving  cash  difference,  for  eighty 
acres  on  Archibald  Avenue.     This  was  also  desert  land,  hut  had  good 


1326       SAX  BERNARDINO  AM)  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

possibilities,  and  the  fourth  house  built  in  that  district  was  the  Stoner 
place  and  the  entire  property  is  still  owned  by  the  estate.  On  this  Mr. 
Stoner  erected  a  modern  home  and  set  the  land  to  peaches.  Subsequently 
they  bought  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  in  the  Fay  tract  across  the 
avenue,  which  they  cleared  and  set  to  fruit.  Later  a  portion  of  this 
was  sold.  The  present  Stoner  estate  consists  of  210  acres,  all  in  bear- 
ing orchard  and  very  valuable.  The  conspicuous  feature  of  it  is  that 
it  is  not  irrigated,  and  the  peach  and  apricot  crops  are  raised  by  dry  horti- 
cultural methods.  In  the  early  days  the  sun  dried  all  the  fruit.  The 
family  are  now  members  of  the  California  Growers  Association,  a  mutual 
canning  and  marketing  association.  In  one  season  as  high  as  twelve 
thousand  dollars  worth  of  fruit  was  sold  from  the  Stoner  place.  The 
Stoners  were  the  fourth  family  to  undertake  horticulture  as  a  desert 
proposition. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stoner  had  seven  children,  the  first  five  born  in 
Nebraska  and  the  last  two  in  California.  Donald  Dale,  born  September 
14,  1882,  married  Fredrica  Buck  and  has  a  son  and  four  daughters : 
Nina  I.,  born  September  9,  1883,  is  the  wife  of  George  T.  Trotter,  and 
they  have  a  son,  Morris,  born  July  10,  1916;  Frank  J.,  born  October  8, 
1884,  married  Lulu  B.  Bush,  and  their  children  are  Mildred  Adeline, 
born  January  11,  1908,  and  Loraine  Hildreth,  born  in  1911  ;  Fay 
Elizabeth,  born  January  8,  1887,  is  the  wife  of  Bert  Pheysey  and  has 
a  son,  Herbert  H ungate ;  Azile  May,  born  July  19,  1892.  was  married 
to  Charles  G.  Frisbie,  and  their  two  sons  are  Robert  Charles,  born  in 
February,  1919,  and  Edward,  born  in  June,  1920;  Harvey  Merton,  born 
September  2,  1893,  is  a  graduate  of  the  Los  Angeles  Military  Academy, 
and  by  his  first  marriage  has  a  daughter,  Alta,  born  February  14,  1914, 
while  his  present  wife  was  Miss  YVinnifred  Watson ;  Elbert  Hugh 
Stoner,  the  seventh  and  youngest  of  the  family,  was  born  September  20, 
1894,  graduated  from  the  Chaffey  High  School  and  the  Los  Angeles 
Military  Academy,  and  married  Miss  Osie  Bell  Jones,  their  three  chil- 
dren being  Kathryn  Corienne,  born  April  7,  1917,  Emma  Frances,  born 
November  1,  1919,  and  Wanda,  born  February  11,  1922. 

The  pioneer  instincts  of  the  family  show  themselves  in  the  sons, 
Elbert  H.  and  Donald  Dale,  each  of  whom  homesteaded  320  acres  in 
Cochise  County,  Arizona,  and  have  made  this  a  valuable  farming  propo- 
sition. The  son,  Elbert,  was  a  sergeant  in  Company  D  of  the  Cali- 
fornia National  Guards,  was  a  member  of  the  state  team  of  riflemen, 
and  was  selected  as  one  of  the  expert  riflemen  to  represent  his  organi- 
zation in  the  annual  rifle  shoot  at  Camp  Perry,  Ohio. 

The  late  Mr.  Stoner  thus  satisfied  his  ambition  by  life  and  exertion 
in  new  countries.  He  was  born  in  the  pioneer  era  of  Iowa,  shared 
in  the  early  frontier  days  of  Nebraska,  and  reached  California  in  time 
to  do  his  part  in  the  great  development  of  the  country.  Mrs.  Stoner 
has  proved  not  less  eager  in  the  conquest  of  nature.  She  has  achieved 
more  than  the  average  that  can  be  credited  to  most  pioneer  men.  She 
laid  out  and  sold  the  first  subdivision  in  Ontario,  a  three-acre  tract  on 
East  D  Street  and  Sultana  Avenue.  She  paid  the  expenses  of  paving, 
curbing  and  laying  water  mains,  and  overcame  a  great  deal  of  diffi- 
culty in  securiing  the  consent  of  the  Ontario  Water  Company  to  connect 
with  her  mains  beyond  the  original  city  limits.  She  put  on  the  market 
and  sold  this  tract  at  a  profit.  Later  she  subdivided  two  and  a  half  acres, 
associated  with  A.  T.  H.  Alven,  who  combined  a  similar  acreage.  This 
was  the  second  addition  to  Ontario  and  was  located  on  E.  Street  and 
Sultana   Avenue.      She   and    Mr.    Alven   then    put   on   a   third   addition. 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1327 

also  of  live  acres,  jointly  owned  between  them,  located  between  East  E 
and  D  streets  on  the  Campus. 

In  1910  Mrs.  Stoner  bought  150  acres  of  wild,  rocky  land,  and  in 
1912  bought  130  acres  adjoining.  This  land  is  at  the  mouth  of  Palmer 
Canyon,  near  Claremont.  The  water  supply  comprises  a  twelve-inch 
gravity  flow  and  also  a  well  affording  fifteen  inches  additional.  This 
tract  Mrs.  Stoner  has  improved  with  house  and  barn,  and  for  a  number 
of  years  operated  it  as  a  successful  dairy  farm,  until  failing  health  com- 
pelled her  to  desist  from  the  work.  She  directed  the  labors  of  Hindus 
in  dynamiting  and  clearing  up  the  rock,  and  she  constructed  and  directed 
the  building  of  three-quarters  of  a  mile  of  the  New  Camp  Baldy  Road, 
paying  for  all  the  labor  and  getting  the  task  done  for  three  hundred 
dollars  less  than  the  same  distance  constructed  by  the  Pomona  Protection 
Association.  This  property  when  purchased  was  considered  worthless 
by  Mrs.  Stoner's  friends,  but  her  good  judgment  has  been  proved  in  the 
fact  that  it  is  one  of  the  choicest  sites  in  the  frostless  fruit  belt,  and 
is  also  valuable  for  its  scenic  attractions. 

Thomas  H.  Lackey. — A  remarkably  eventful  career  has  been  that 
of  this  honored  pioneer  citizen  of  the  Rialto  district  of  San  Bernardino 
County.  He  was  born  in  Carlton  County,  Province  of  Ontario,  Canada, 
at  a  point  eighteen  miles  from  the  city  of  Ottawa,  and  the  date  of  his 
nativity  was  March  27,  1852.  Mr.  Lackey  is  a  son  of  Averil  Cooper 
Lackey  and  Ellen  (Johnston)  Lackey,  the  former  a  native  of  Canada  and 
the  latter  of  County  Antrim,  Ireland,  where  she  was  born  near  Dublin. 
In  the  family  were  eight  sons  and  three  daughters,  all  of  whom  attained 
to  maturity,  married  and  became  well  established  in  life.  The  father  was 
a  farmer  and  carpenter  in  Canada,  where  he  passed  his  entire  life  and 
where  his  wife  likewise  died. 

Thomas  H.  Lackey  was  reared  on  the  home  farm  to  the  age  of  four- 
teen years,  his  mother  having  taught  him  to  read  and  write,  and  at  times 
he  attended  the  local  school  for  brief  intervals.  He  had  to  walk  a  distance 
of  three  miles  to  the  little  schoolhouse  of  the  neighborhood,  and  as  the 
winters  in  that  section  of  Canada  are  cold,  with  much  snow,  he  found  it 
impossible  to  attend  school  regularly  during  the  winter  terms,  while  in 
the  summer  seasons  he  assisted  in  the  work  of  the  home  farm.  At  the  age 
of  fourteen  years  he  left  the  parental  roof  and  was  elsewhere  employed 
one  year.  He  then  returned  home,  where  he  remained  until  he  was  nine 
teen  years  of  age.  In  the  meantime  he  learned  the  carpenter's  trade  under 
the  direction  of  his  father,  who  was  a  contractor  in  the  erection  of  houses 
and  other  buildings,  the  timber  of  which  was  gotten  out  from  the  neighbor- 
ing forests  during  the  winter  and  spring,  prior  to  the  putting  in  of  the 
crops  on  his  farm.  At  the  age  of  nineteen  years  Thomas  H.  Lackey  went 
to  the  city  of  Ottawa,  Canada,  where  he  followed  his  trade  five  years, 
within  which  he  took  unto  himself  a  wife,  in  1873.  In  Ottawa  he  built 
up  the  leading  wholesale  and  retail  confectionery  business,  and  this  he 
was  successfully  conducting,  with  a  corps  of  seventeen  employes,  when 
he  sacrificed  the  entire  business,  in  1884,  to  enter  the  service  of  the 
English  Government  in  connection  with  a  most  important  and  hazardous 
expedition.  On  the  15th  of  September  of  that  year  he  left  Ottawa  as  a 
member  of  a  companv  of  400  men  engaged  by  the  English  Government 
to  go  to  the  rescue  of  General  Gordon  in  E^ypt.  The  expedition  made 
ils  wav  up  the  Nile  River  with  900  small  boats — sail  and  row  boats — 
and  after  reaching  a  point  above  Cortie  the  members  of  the  company 
found  that  the  gallant  General  Gordon  had  been  killed.  Mr.  Lackey  was 
absent  on  this  expedition  for  a  period  of  nine  months,  his  service  being 
in  the  transportation  of   British  soldiers  up  the  Nile.     Eor  this  service 


1328       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

he  received  a  medal  from  Queen  Victoria,  the  famous  expedition  having 
been  in  command  of  General  Woolesley.  Fronv  the  Khedive  of  Egypt 
Mr.  Lackey  received  also  the  star  and  crescent  medal  of  that  country. 
He  was  permitted  to  make  a  tour  of  the  Khedive's  palace  and  gardens  in 
the  City  of  Cairo.  He  went  to  Assuam,  Egypt,  by  railroad  and  thence  by 
river  boat  to  Wada  Haifa,  he  having  been  in  Egypt  at  the  time  when  the 
engineers  were  surveying  in  connection  with  the  construction  of  the  great 
dam  on  the  Nile.  He  was  in  the  best  of  health  and  thus  proved  immune 
when  he  nursed  smallpox  patients  who  were  stricken  on  the  expedition. 
It  may  well  be  understood  that  Mr.  Lackey  retains  pleasing  memories  of 
this  historic  expedition  in  which  he  took  part,  and  that  he  prizes  the 
tangible  souvenirs  of  the  same.  After  his  return  to  his  home  in  Canada 
he  there  remained  until  1886,  when  he  came  with  his  family  to  San  Bernar- 
dino County,  California,  where  he  remained  five  years.  He  then  took  a 
homestead  claim  on  Lytle  Creek,  and  on  this  ranch  he  remained  nine 
years,  within  which  he  developed  and  otherwise  improved  the  property. 
He  then  returned  to  San  Bernardino  County.  Upon  his  establishing  his 
residence  at  Rialto  he  erected  the  first  bakery  building  in  the  town,  on  the 
present  Riverside  Avenue.  This  he  rented.  There  were  at  that  time 
very  few  houses  in  the  village  and  he  became  foremost  in  organizing  the 
Rialto  Building  &  Improvement  Company,  of  which  he  continued  presi- 
dent until  the  organization  was  permitted  to  lapse,  after  having  admirably 
served  its  purpose.  As  a  representative  of  this  company  he  erected  a 
number  of  houses,  and  he  continued  in  business  as  a  contractor  and 
builder  for  many  years.  Mr.  Lackey  diversified  his  California  experience 
by  two  years  of  desert  gold-mining  near  Randsburg,  Kern  County, 
and  he  made  also  an  extended  prospecting  trip  in  Mexico.  He  has  been 
a  constructive  force  in  connection  with  civic  and  material  development 
and  progress  in  San  Bernardino  County,  and  here  has  secure  place  ir 
popular  confidence  and  esteem. 

On  December  23,  1873,  Mr.  Lackey  married  Miss  Mary  Edith  Wyse, 
who  was  born  at  Montreal,  Canada,  April  21,  1854,  a  daughter  of  James 
and  Julia  (Sharp)  Wyse,  both  natives  of  Scotland,  where  their  marriage 
was  solmnized  and  whence  they  immigrated  to  Canada  in  1852.  To  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Lackey  have  been  born  nine  children,  four  having  been  born  in 
San  Bernardino  County.  Of  the  number  only  three  attained  to  maturity  : 
Tulia  R.,  who  was  born  in  1874.  is  the  wife  of  Frank  Lingo,  and  they 
have  one  child,  Gladys  Lillian,  born  February  11,  1904.  Averil  Albert 
Lackey,  who  was  born  June  20,  1876,  maintains  his  home  at  Rialto.  He 
married  Margaret  Easton,  a  representative  of  an  honored  pioneer  family 
of  San  Bernardino  County.  Miss  Ruby  Ethel  Lackey,  who  was  born 
September  3,  1887.  was  educated  in  the  public  schools,  including  the 
San  Bernardino  High  School,  and  in  the  San  Bernardino  Business 
College,  in  which  she  was  graduated.  She  became  a  most  efficient 
young  business  woman,  was  for  a  number  of  years  employed  in  the 
office  of  an  orange  packing  house  at  Rialto,  whence  she  was  called 
to  the  Sun  Office  at  San  Bernardino.  In  that  city  she  later  held  a 
responsible  executive  position  in  the  Index  newspaper  office,  and  there- 
after she  gave  similar  service  in  the  office  of  the  San  Bernardino 
Sun.  She  was  uniformly  admired  for  her  exceptional  ability  and 
was  loved  for  her  gracious  personality,  so  that  all  who  knew  her 
felt  a  sense  of  personal  bereavement  when  she  passed  to  the  life  eternal 
on  the  15th  of  November,  1918. 

Samuel  Earle  Blakeslee. — The  name  Blakeslee  has  received   na- 
tional recognition  in  musical  affairs,  but  its  solid  foundation  of  fame 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1320 

rests  in  Southern  California,  where  Samuel  Earle  Blakeslee  and  his 
father,  Samuel  H.  Blakeslee,  have  been  teachers  and  musical  directors 
for  nearly  twenty  years. 

Samuel  II.  Blakeslee,  who  devoted  his  active  life  to  the  profession 
of  teacher  of  voice  and  chorus  director,  graduated  from  Oberlin 
College  Conservatory,  and  from  1884  to  1898  was  Dean  of  the  Ohio 
Wesleyan  Conservatory  at  Delaware,  Ohio.  From  1898  to  1904  he 
was  Dean  of  the  University  of  Denver  Conservatory,  and  in  these 
two  positions  became  widely  known  and  gave  an  important  contri- 
bution to  the  success  of  the  two  conservatories.  On  leaving  Denver 
he  removed  to  Los  Angeles.  His  wife,  Ida  Bevington  Blakeslee,  who 
died  in  1912,  was  pianist  and  organist  and  a  successful  teacher.  She 
was  a  graduate  of  the  Cincinnati  Conservatory  and  the  Oberlin 
Conservatory,  taught  in  the  latter,  and  was  head  of  the  piano  depart- 
ment at  Ohio  Wesleyan  and  Denver  Conservatories,  arid  also  in 
Pomona  College  of  California. 

Samuel  Earle  Blakeslee  was  born  at  Oberlin,  Ohio,  November  2, 
1883,  and  in  his  musical  studies  he  had  the  care  and  supervision  of 
his  gifted  father  and  mother  in  the  various  departments  of  voice, 
piano  and  organ.  He  acquired  his  literary  education  in  the  University 
of  Denver,  in  the  University  of  Texas,  and  graduated  A.  B.  from 
Pomona  College  of  California  in  1908.  He  also  studied  music  in 
Ohio  Wesleyan  University  and  the  University  of  Denver,  and  was 
a  pupil  in  composition  of  Henry  Houseley,  the  composer,  and  studied 
voice  with  F.  A.  Bacon,  William  Shakespeare  and  Oscar  Saenger  of 
New  York. 

Mr.  Blakeslee  was  for  a  time  an  instructor  in  the  University  of 
Denver  Conservatory,  and  from  1906  to  1911  was  an  instructor  in  the 
Pomona  College  Conservatory.  In  1913  he  entered  the  field  of  public 
school  music  as  supervisor  at  Longmont,  Colorado,  where  he  remained 
until  1916.  During  1914-16  he  was  also  director  of  the  Colorado  Chau- 
tauqua Music. 

The  portion  of  his  career  which  deserves  special  recognition  in 
this  history  has  been  his  service  as  director  of  the  music  department 
of  the  Chaffey  Union  High  School  and  Junior  College  at  Ontario 
since  1916.  Under  his  administration  the  Chaffey  Music  Department 
has  attained  a  first  rank  among  similar  institutions  throughout  the 
state.  In  his  work  here  Mr.  Blakeslee  has  been  greatly  aided  by  the 
broad  minded  policy  of  the  Chaffey  school  trustees  and  by  Principal 
M.  E.  Hill.  This  aid  has  been  particularly  useful  in  the  matter  of 
equipment.  This  equipment  includes  a  splendid  new  twenty  thousand 
dollar  pipe  organ,  in  the  securing  of  which  the  energetic  policies 
of  Mr.  Blakeslee  were  in  no  small  degree  responsible. 

During  the  World  war  Mr.  Blakeslee  did  a  great  deal  of  volunteer 
work  as  a  community  song  leader  and  member  of  concert  parties  in 
various  camps,  including  Camp  Kearney.  He  was  a  Four-Minute 
Speaker  during  the  Liberty  Loan  drives,  and  active  as  a  committeeman 
and  lay  worker  in  the  Red  Cross  and  other  campaigns.  He  is  a 
progressive  republican  in  politics,  a  member  of  the  Beta  Theta  Pi 
fraternity  at  the  University  of  Denver,  and  is  a  member  of  the  El 
Camino  Real  Club  and  Red  Hill  Country  Club  at  Ontario,  and  a 
member  of  the  Gamut  Club  of  Los  Angeles. 

As  a  choral  director  Mr.  Blakeslee  has  given  to  the  public  some 
of  the  largest  works,  such  as  the  Messiah,  Samson  and  Delilah, 
Hiawatha's  Wedding  Feast,  Death  of  Minnehaha.  He  is  also  in- 
terested in  original  research  work  in  American  music,  and  has  spent 


1330      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

considerable  time  studying  the  music  of  the  Navajo  Indians  on  their 
New  Mexico  Reservation.  Besides  his  other!  duties  he  has  served 
as  director  of  the  Chaffey  Community  Chorus  and  of  the  Pomona 
Community  Chorus. 

At  Claremont,  California,  October  14,  1909,  Mr.  Blakeslee  married 
Miss  Florence  Hill,  daughter  of  Rev.  Charles  W.  Hill,  now  of  LaMesa, 
California.  Her  father,  a  distinguished  minister,  gifted  writer  and 
speaker,  is  a  graduate  of  Bowdoin  College  of  Maine,  Yale  Divinity 
School,  spent  three  years  as  a  missionary  to  Hawaii,  and  has  been 
active  in  church  and  educational  affairs  in  California.  Mrs.  Blakeslee 
is  a  graduate  of  Pomona  College  with  the  class  of  1909,  is  a  soprano 
soloist,  and  has  been  associated  with  Mr.  Blakeslee  in  teaching  and 
the  promotion  of  the  musical  interests  of  Ontario.  They  have  one 
son,  Earle  Bevington  Blakeslee,  born  June  23,  1913. 

Wilbur  Adrian  Fiske. — Of  an  active  career  of  more  than  thirty 
years  devoted  to  education,  Professor  Fiske  has  spent  about  fifteen 
years  in  Southern  California.  He  holds  the  important  chair  of  geology 
and  chemistry  in  Junior  College  at  Ontario  and  is  also  librarian  of 
the  Chaffey   Library. 

He  was  born  at  Ashland,  Ohio,  August  19,  1866,  son  of  John 
Wilbur  and  Arminda  Alice  Fiske.  His  mother  was  of  German 
ancestry.  John  Wilbur  Fiske,  who  was  a  Union  soldier  and  died  just 
as  the  Civil  war  came  to  an  end,  was  descended  from  the  stock  of  the 
Pilgrim  Fathers.  One  branch  of  his  ancestry  was  the  Yocums, 
a  long  English  line,  some  of  whom  came  over  in  the  Mayflower. 
The  ancestral  line  also  includes  William  Penn  and  others  who  settled 
the  Pennsylvania  colony.  The  Yocums  were  largely  school  teachers 
or  ministers  of  the  Gospel,  and  the  Fiskes  have  contributed  many  names 
to  the  same  professions. 

Wilbur  Adrian  Fiske  completed  his  liberal  education  after  he 
had  done  some  teaching.  He  graduated  in  1886  from  Fort  Wayne 
College,  received  a  degree  from  DePauw  University  of  Greencastle, 
Indiana,  in  1889,  and  subsecpuently  did  post-graduate  work  at  Harvard 
University  leading  up  to  the  degree  A.  M.  His  studies  at  DePauw 
Normal  School  were  chiefly  in  preparation  for  teaching.  Prior  to 
coming  to  California  Mr.  Fiske  among  other  engagements  of  his 
professional  career  was  superintendent  of  schools  at  Owensville,  Indi- 
ana, two  years  and  one  year  at  Liberty  Mills,  Indiana,  and  for  sixteen 
years  was  teacher  of  physics  and  chemistry  in  the  Richmond.  Indiana, 
High  School.  His  service  in  the  cause  of  education  in  California 
comprised  seven  years  as  professor  of  geology  and  mineralogy  in 
Occidental  College  at  Los  Angeles,  while  for  the  past  eight  years 
he  has  been  professor  of  geology  and  chemistry  in  Junior  College  of 
Ontario. 

In  addition  to  his  teaching  he  has  considerable  administrative 
work,  including  the  duties  of  librarian  of  the  Chaffey  Library.  This 
Library  has  an  endowment  of  $85,000.00,  and  is  affiliated  with  the 
Chaffey  Union  High  School  and  Junior  College.  While  a  more 
complete  account  of  this  educational  institution  appears  on  other 
pages,  it  should  be  noted  that  the  high  school  has  an  enrollment  of 
eight  hundred  pupils,  the  Junior  College,  three  hundred,  and  the  night 
schools  have  also  been  conducted  for  the  benefit  of  the  large  number 
of  people  in  the  community. 

Professor  Fiske's  interests  and  activities  have  been  almost  entirely 
in  the  field  of  politics  and  educational  work.    He  served  as  president 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1331 

of  the  Department  of  Science  Instruction,  National  Educational  As- 
sociation, in  1903 ;  has  been  a  member  of  the  American  Association 
for  the  advancement  of  Science  since  1900 ;  in  1908  he  organized  the 
California  Science  Association.  As  a  scientist  he  is  author  of  a 
Physical  Laboratory  Manual,  published  in  1902,  and  in  1920  another 
book  appeared  under  his  authorship,  entitled  Amenities  of  Books.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  literary  and  social  organizations  known  as  the 
New  Century  Club  of  Pasadena  and  the  El  Camino  Real  Club  of 
Ontario.  He  is  a  republican  voter  and  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church. 

At  Greencastle,  Indiana,  November  7,  1889,  Professor  Fiske  mar- 
ried Miss  Edna  Bayne,  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Sarah  Bayne.  Her 
father  throughout  his  active  life  has  been  a  lumberman  and  is  still 
in  that  business  in  Louisiana.  Mrs.  Fiske  was  reared  at  Greencastle, 
the  seat  of  DePauw  University,  and  is  a  graduate  of  that  institution. 
Professor  and  Mrs.  Fiske  have  two  children,  Donald  Bayne  Fiske 
and  Elizabeth  Alice  Fiske,  both  unmarried. 

Hiram  Clark. — A  man's  value  to  his  community  is  not  measured 
by  the  amount  of  his  wealth,  for,  notwithstanding  trie  fact  that  money 
begets  money  and  that  one  who  possesses  large  means  affords  employ- 
ment to  others,  unless  such  a  man  is  imbued  with  a  high  sense  of 
civic  responsibility  and  strives  to  render  to  his  fellow  citizens  a 
constructive  service  he  does  not  live  up  to  the  best  standards  of 
citizenship.  The  men  whose  names  are  recorded  on  the  pages  of 
history  are  those  who  have  sought  to  accomplish  something  of  note, 
and  the  ones  who  are  held  in  high  esteem  by  their  own  and  succeeding 
generations  are  the  ones  who  have  put  aside  personal  advancement 
and  labored  to  bring  about  changes  designed  to  result  in  benefit  to 
the  majority.  One  of  the  names  which  stands  out  in  the  history  of 
San  Bernardino  County  is  that  borne  by  Hiram  Clark,  for  he  has 
made  it  an  honored  and  representative  one  and  connected  it  with  a 
high  order  of  public  service.  He  was  the  first  man  in  this  region 
who  realized  the  practicality  of  building  substantial  roads  over  the 
mountains,  and  much  of  the  improvements  in  this  line  are  due  to 
his  effective  efforts.  In  many  other  ways  he  has  aided  in  the  work  of 
developing  the  county,  and  is  held  today  as  one  of  the  most  valuable 
assets  the  county  possesses.  Especially  has  he  been  interested  in  the 
work  in  the  Highland,  and  owns  and  maintains  a  beautiful  home  on 
Rase  Line. 

Hiram  Clark  was  born  at  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  December  3,  1850, 
a  son  of  Hiram  and  Thankful  Clark,  natives  of  Vermont  and  New 
York,  respectively.  They  moved  to  Illinois,  where  they  were  residing 
when  gold  was  discovered  in  California,  and  were  among  the  first 
couples  to  start  on  the  weary  trail  across  the  plains,  traveling  in  a 
covered  wagon  drawn  by  oxen.  They  stopped  in  Salt  Lake  City, 
where  their  son  Hiram  was  born,  and  from  there  journeyed  to 
Sacramento,  which  they  reached  late  in  1850.  The  father  was  an 
Evangelical  preacher,  who  had  made  several  trips  to  England  on 
Mission  work  in  behalf  of  the  Latter  Day  Saints,  and  was  in  San 
Bernardino  when  he  died,  Hiram  Clark  then  being  only  three  years 
old.  His  widow  also  died  in  San  Bernardino.  Of  their  eight  children 
Hiram  Clark  is  the  only  survivor,  and  he  was  the  youngest  born. 

Losing  his  father  when  he  was  so  young,  Hiram  Clark  had  few 
opportunities  to  attend  school,  but  in  after  life  has  added  to  his  store 
of  knowledge   by   close   observation   and   varied   experiences,   and    is 


1332       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

today  a  very  well-informed  man,  with  a  keen  conception  of  human 
nature.  His  life  has  been  a  strenuous  one  and  filled  with  the  most 
arduous  of  hard  work.  When  still  a  child  he  began  helping  in  farm 
work,  but  early  drifted  to  the  desert,  and  for  five  years  was  engaged 
in  freighting.  In  this  difficult  occupation  he  had  many  thrilling 
experiences  which  developed  his  character  and  self  reliance.  Disposing 
of  his  interests,  he  then  engaged  in  the  retail  liquor  business,  first  at 
Ivanpah,  where  he  remained  for  two  years,  and  then  at  New  Camp 
Providence,  where  he  remained  for  two  years.  He  then  formed  a 
partnership  with  I.  R.  Brum,  and  for  eleven  years  was  successfully 
engaged  in  business  at  San  Bernardino. 

With  some  of  the  money  his  wife  had  saved  for  him  during  those 
eleven  years,  in  February.  1887,  Mr.  Clark  bought  the  squatters 
right  to  160  acres  of  wild  and  unimproved  land  on  Deer  Creek, 
Cienega,  from  McHaney,  and  this  he  homesteaded,  securing  his 
Government  patent  five  years  later,  and  this  is  the  world-famous 
Clark  ranch.  From  the  first  he  made  improvements,  erecting  buildings 
and  putting  in  crops,  and  his  first  materials  were  packed  up  Santa  Ana 
Canyon.  This  he  later,  at  great  personal  expense,  widened  to  a 
wagon  trail.  He  and  his  sons  worked  on  it  for  three  years,  putting 
in  all  of  the  fords.  A  man  with  very  practical  ideas,  he  set  out  a  large 
apple  orchard  and  did  general  farming  on  his  ranch,  and  ran  stock 
on  the  range.  His  apples  took  first  prize  at  the  Saint  Louis  Fair 
in  1904.  The  wagon  trail  made  by  Mr.  Clark  and  his  sons  was 
finally  taken  over  by  San  Bernardino  County  and  developed  into 
the  present  automobile  road  under  Supervisor  West,  but  Mr.  Clark 
with  characteristic  public  spirit  furnished  much  of  the  material  and 
men  at  his  own  expense  so  as  to  have  a  good  road  made  in  the 
county.  Subsequently  he  built  the  famous  Clark  Grade,  mountain 
road,  which  he  located  with  his  eye,  no  surveying  being  done,  and 
this  is  a  marvel,  as  is  all  of  the  road  building  he  has  done,  which 
extended  over  a  period  of  eleven  years,  during  which  time  he 
worked  in  behalf  of  the  county  without  any  remuneration,  and  is 
satisfied  with  what  he  accomplished  for  it,  as  indeed  he  has  every 
reason  to  be,  for  there  are  very  few  men  who  have  reared  so  permanent 
and  useful  a  monument  to  themselves.  In  spite  of  the  fact  that  he 
had  no  technical  training  and  no  outside  experience  his  work  is  so 
perfect  that  no  changes  have  since  been  made,  nor  has  any  engineer 
working  in  this  reeion  produced  any  effects  in  any  way  equaling  his. 
both  as  to  the  quality  of  his  work  and  the  cost  of  construction.  With- 
out doubt  he  is  one  of  the  natural  geniuses  in  this  line,  and,  although 
he  has  accomplished  so  much  in  the  walk  of  life  in  which  his  feet 
have  been  set,  many  regret  that  he  was  not  given  the  training  in 
his  youth  which  would  have  led  him  to  enter  the  profession  of  a 
civil  engineer  for  they  feel  that  the  country  would  have  reaped  some 
wonderful  results  if  he  had. 

In  addition  to  his  wonderful  achievements  in  road  building  Mr. 
Clark  continued  ranching  for  thirty-three  years.  During  that  long 
period  he  saw  many  changes.  In  the  beginning  he  and  his  son  had 
to  pack  on  horses  over  the  rough  mountain  trail  every  article  needed 
for  the  ranch.  The  machinery  had  to  be  taken  apart  and  then  re- 
assembled after  it  had  been  hauled,  with  increditable  labor,  up  the 
mountain  trail.  Only  a  man  of  indomitable  persistence  and  strength 
of  character  could  have  surmounted  these  difficulties.  In  1874  Mr. 
Clark  bought  five  acres  on  Rase  Line,  between  G  and  I  streets,  and 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1333 

this  he  now  makes  his  home,  having  sold  his  ranch  to  his  son-in-law, 
H.  G.  English,  and  has  now  practically  retired  from  business.  How- 
ever, it  is  impossible  for  a  man  of  his  caliber  to  remain  inactive,  and 
he  is  now  giving  considerable  attention  to  his  duties  in  the  control 
office  at  Harvey's  Control  on  Mill  Creek  Road,  and  is  there  rendering, 
as  usual,  a  real  public  service.  For  forty-five  years  Mr.  Clark  has  been 
a  zealous  member  of  Phoenix  Lodge  No.  178,  Ancient  Free  and 
Accepted  Masons,  and  his  wife  belongs  to  Silver  Wave  Chapter  No. 
75,  Order  of  Eastern  Star.  Mr.  Clark  is  also  a  member  of  the 
Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks. 

On  September  4,  1870,  he  married  Laura  Ellen  Case,  who  was 
born  at  San  Bernardino,  March  10,  1855,  a  daughter  of  Gashum  and 
Samantha  (Wells)  Case,  natives  of  Ohio.  They  were  among  the  first 
settlers  in  Utah,  having  made  the  long  trip  across  the  plains  with  oxen. 
They,  like  the  Clarks,  belonged  to  the  True  Latter  Day  Saints,  and 
were  most  worthy  people  and  good  citizens.  At  the  time  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Clark  were  married  they  had  but  three  dollars  in  money,  but 
possessed  good  health  and  strength,  a  willingness  to  work,  and  had 
unbounded  faith  in  each  other.  During  their  more  than  fifty  years 
together  they  have  never  placed  a  mortgage  on  anything,  nor  have 
they  owed  for  a  single  article  for  which  they  could  not  pay.  As 
the  years  went  on  Mr.  Clark  learned  that  his  wife  was  the  best 
economist  of  the  two,  and  so  formed  the  practice  of  turning  the  money 
over  to  her  to  save,  and  recognizes  the  fact  that  to  her  thrift  and 
good  management  is  due  much  of  his  success  in  life.  From  her  he 
has  always  received  an  understanding  encouragement  and  apprecia- 
tion, and  together  they  have  reared  their  four  children  to  be  one- 
hundred  percent  Americans  and  useful  men  and  women,  in  whom 
they  take  a  natural  pride. 

The  eldest  of  these  children,  Hiram  Wallace  Clark,  was  born 
July  4,  1873,  and  was  reared  on  the  home  ranch,  where  under  his 
father's  watchful  supervision  he  learned  to  be  an  expert  agricul- 
turalist, and  is  now  one  of  the  leading  cattlemen  of  Clark  County, 
Nevada.  He  married  Miss  Emma  Stuart,  a  member  of  the  well-known 
Stuart  family  of  Kentucky,  and  they  have  one  child,  Hiram  Stuart 
Clark,  who  was  born  September  11,  1914. 

Grace  Aphalena  Clark,  the  second  child  born  to  Hiram  Clark  and 
his  wife,  February  24,  1876,  was  educated  at  San  Bernardino,  and 
was  there  married  to  H.  G.  English,  and  they  have  two  children, 
namely :  Helen  Grace  English,  who  was  born  in  Seoul,  Corea,  February 
20,  1904 ;  and  Henry  Clark  English,  who  was  born  at  San  Bernardino, 
September  17,  1910.  Following  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  English 
sailed  for  Corea,  where  he  was  sent  from  San  Francisco  to  take  charge 
as  electrical  engineer  of  the  mines,  railroad  and  general  electrical 
construction  of  the  English-American  Electrical  Construction  Com- 
pany, with  headquarters  at  Seoul,  and  is  responsible  for  some  of  the 
most  important  electrical  construction  work  in  Corea.  Returning 
later  to  the  United  States,  he  purchased,  as  before  stated,  the  ranch 
of  Mr.  Clark,  and  he  is  also  a  large  property  owner  in  the  City  of 
San  Bernardino. 

The  third  child  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hiram  Clark  is  Fay  Goodsell 
Clark,  and  he  was  born  September  13,  1884,  and  he  is  exceptionally 
well  educated.  After  having  been  graduated  from  the  San  Bernardino 
High  School  he  took  a  three-year  course  at  Occidental  College,  Los 
Angeles,  following  which  he  did  two  years'  post-graduate  work, 
and  then  went  to  Ann  Arbor,  Michigan,  and  entered  the  University  of 


1334       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

Michigan.  Declaring  his  desire  to  study  forestry,  he  so  impressed 
the  faculty  with  the  importance  of  this  subject  that,  having  induced 
a  sufficient  number  to  join  it,  a  class  was  formed,  and  this  course  is 
still  maintained  as  a  regular  part  of  the  curriculum.  During  his 
vacation  period  he  had  devoted  himself  to  practical  forestry,  and 
after  completing  his  course  turned  his  attention  to  it  and  now  has 
1,500.000  acres  of  land  under  his  supervision  in  Montana,  and  during 
the  winter  months  teaches  forestry  in  the  University  of  Montana. 
By  profession  he  is  a  civil  engineer.  He  is  superintendent  of  the 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association  at  Butte,  Montana,  and  was  on 
his  way  to  an  Eastern  port  to  embark  overseas  in  work  for  that 
association,  but  at  Chicago  was  stopped  by  the  signing  of  the  armis- 
tice, and  returned  to  his  duties  in  Montana.  He  married  Miss  Alice 
Morgan,  of  Michigan,  and  they  have  two  children,  namely:  Laura 
Emma  Clark,  who  was  born  in  Michigan,  September  20,  1911;  and 
Fav  Morgan  Clark,  who  was  born  at  Missoula,  Montana,  September 
16,"  1914. 

Ruby  Cleo  Clark,  the  fourth  and  youngest  child  of  Mr.  and  Airs. 
Hiram  Clark,  was  born  April  1,  1888.  She  married  Edgar  Jones, 
of  San  Bernardino,  and  they  have  two  children,  Vernon  Clark  Jones, 
who  was  born  April  16,  1907;  and  Mildred  Cleo  Jones,  who  was 
born  May  20,  1913.  Mr.  Jones  is  a  prominent  agriculturalist  of  San 
Bernardino  County,  and  a  very  highly  esteemed  citizen. 

William  Loehr,  Sr..  is  one  of  the  venerable  and  honored  citizens 
of  Bloomington,  San  Bernardino  County,  and  has  maintained  his  resi- 
dence in  California  for  more  than  forty  years.  He  was  born  on  the 
Rhine  River  in  Germany,  September  5,  1847,  and  is  a  son  of  Ludwig 
Louis  and  Catherine  (Miiller)  Loehr,  who  passed  their  entire  lives  in 
their  native  land.  Mr.  Loehr  gained  his  early  education  in  the  excellent 
schools  of  his  native  province  and  as  a  youth  he  there  learned  the  trade 
of  cabinet  maker.  In  accordance  with  the  governmental  regulations  of 
Germany  at  that  time  he  served  four  years  in  the  German  army,  and 
in  this  connection  took  part  in  the  Franco-Prussian  war,  he  having  been 
wounded  in  the  right  arm  at  the  battle  of  Haerient,  and  the  injury 
having  prevented  use  of  the  arm  for  five  years.  His  objection  to  the 
military  rule  in  Germany  led  him  to  immigrate  to  the  United  States 
in  1880,  and  he  worked  at  his  trade  in  various  cities,  including  Chicago 
and  Taylor,  Texas,  in  which  latter  place,  in  1886,  was  solemnized  his 
marriage  to  Miss  Barbara  Elizabeth  Blum,  who  was  born  in  Hessen. 
Germany,  and  who  was  sixteen  years  of  age  when  she  came  to  the 
United  States,  and  whose  death  occurred  at  Bloomington,  California, 
January  17,  1918.  In  1889  Mr.  Loehr  came  to  Los  Angeles,  California, 
and  engaged  in  the  work  of  his  trade,  besides  which  he  developed  a  pros- 
perous contracting  business.  In  1890  he  came  to  the  Bloomington  district 
of  San  Bernardino  County  and  purchased  ten  acres  of  desert  land,  on 
which  sagebrush,  cacti  and  rattlesnakes  were  principally  in  evidence. 
Or  this  tract,  now  at  the  corner  of  Larch  and  Bloomington  avenues,  Mr. 
Loehr  set  out  orange  and  pear  trees,  and  with  the  passing  years  he 
developed  it  into  one  of  the  valuable  properties  of  the  Bloomington  dis- 
trict, in  which  he  is  a  pioneer.  On  his  property  he  has  erected  five 
houses,  which  he  readily  rents  to  desirable  occupants.  Upon  coming  to 
Bloomington  he  paid  $100  down  on  his  land,  this  representing  his  entire 
cash  capital  at  the  time.  The  little  house  which  he  erected  was  destroyed 
by  fire,  with  no  insurance,  but  this  was  but  one  of  many  hardships  he 
here    encountered    in    the    earlv    days.      As    a    skilled    workman    he    has 


M 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1335 

erected  all  of  the  five  houses  on  his  land,  and  their  superior  construc- 
tion causes  them  to  be  much  in  demand,  even  the  doors  and  windows 
sash  having  been  made  by  him.  Mr.  Loehr  has  much  inventive  talent 
and  has  patented  a  process  of  making  fiber  for  the  manufacturing  of 
rope  cordage  from  the  Spanish  digger  or  corthis.  He  has  spent  years 
in  the  study  of  chemistry  and  has  made  extended  experiments  in  the 
production  of  a  synthetic  composition  in  imitation  of  marble,  a  work 
in  which  he  has  been  remarkably  successful,  as  his  process  produces  an 
article  equal  to  the  best  natural  marble  in  appearance  and  durability 
and  of  distinct  commercial  value,  the  cost  of  production  being  remark- 
ably low.  Mr.  Loehr  is  a  man  of  broad  mental  grasp,  a  natural  student 
and  scientist,  and  is  one  of  the  honored  pioneer  horticulturists  of  San 
Bernardino  County,  where  he  has  won  substantial  prosperity  through 
his  well-ordered  activities.  Of  his  eight  children  the  eldest  was  Cather- 
ine, who  was  born  at  Taylor,  Texas,  January  9,  1887,  and  who  was 
educated  as  a  trained  nurse,  in  hospitals  at  Riverside  and  Ramona. 
California.  In  a  professional  way  she  entered  Red  Cross  service  when 
her  native  land  became  involved  in  the  World  war  and  she  was  prepar- 
ing to  go  to  France  in  war  service  when  her  death  occurred,  at  San 
Bernardino.  November  19,  1918.  William,  Jr..  was  born  at  Los  Angeles, 
February  8,  1889.  June  21,  1911,  he  wedded  Mary  Belle  Wilson,  who 
died  November  5.  1918.  September  2,  1919.  he  married  Mary  McClaren. 
and  they  have  three  children :  Elmer  William.  Walter  Stanley  and  Louise 
Mary.  Louis  was  born  in  Los  Angeles,  April  29,  1891.  On  the  10th  of 
October,  1917,  he  married  Mary  Baker,  of  Rialto,  and  they  have  two 
children :  Eleanor  and  Dorothy  Marie.  The  family  home  is  at  Rialto. 
John  was  born  at  Bloomington,  January  19,  1895.  July  27,  1921, 
recorded  his  marriage  to  Miss  Ruby  Robert.  He  is  a  student  in  the 
State  Agricultural  College  of  Oregon.  Barbara,  born  November  27. 
1898.  was  united  in  marriage  February  4,  1920,  to  Russell  Davis,  and 
they  reside  at  Victorville,  San  Bernardino  County.  Ferdinand,  born 
October  7,  1900;  Frederick,  born  May  29.  1903,  and  Elsie,  born  Decem- 
ber 1.3.   1906,  remain  at  the  paternal  home. 

Fred  B.  Kell,  M.  D.,  a  physician  and  surgeon  whose  work  has 
brought  him  a  steadily  increasing  prominence  in  professional  circles 
at  San  Bernardino,  Dr.  Kell  came  to  this  city  in  1915,  and  was 
reared  and  educated  and  received  his  professional  training  in  the 
Middle  West. 

He  was  born  in  Jefferson  County,  Illinois.  His  father,  Charles 
D.  Kell,  is  also  a  native  of  that  state,  is  a  medical  college  graduate, 
though  he  never  practiced  that  profession,  and  his  career  has  been 
that  of  a  prosperous  farmer  and  at  one  time  he  was  prominent  in 
Illinois  politics.  He  still  owns  a  large  farm  in  Illinois.  Charles  D.  Kell 
married  Miss  Sarah  Faust,  a  native  of  Illinois.  Her  father  was  a 
California  forty-niner. 

Dr.  Fred  B.  Kell  attended  public  schools,  the  Southern  Illinois 
State  Normal  University  at  Carbondale.  took  a  two  years'  business 
course  in  Brown's  Business  College  at  Centralia,  Illinois,  and  received 
his  M.  D.  degree  from  St.  Louis  Medical  University.  Before  be- 
ginning private  practice  he  had  one  year  of  training  in  the  St.  Louis 
City  Hospital,  and  in  January,  1915,  located  at  San  Bernardino. 
Dr.  Kell  was  in  service  as  a  first  lieutenant  from  July  2,  1918,  until 
March  4,  1919.  He  is  a  member  in  good  standing  of  the  County,  State 
and  American  Medical  Associations  and  is  affiliated  with  San  Ber- 
nardino Lodge  of  Elks. 


1336       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

At  Riverside  October  17,  1917,  Dr.  Kell  married  Miss  Lelia  Erma 
Johnson.  She  was  born  in  Colorado  December  22,  1898,  and  her 
parents  now  reside  at  Long  Beach,  California.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Kell 
have  a  daughter,  Dolores  Violet,  born  March  30,  1920. 

Thomas  Shay— In  his  long  and  interesting  career  Thomas  Shay,  of 
Highland,  has  experienced  the  wild  free  life  of  the  early  miners  and  the 
settled  dignity  of  the  modern  ranch;  the  thrill  of  the  newly-made  strikes 
and  the  methodical  sureness  of  twentieth-century  business  methods;  the 
good  fellowship  of  the  out-of-the-way  desert  places  and  the  substantial 
connections  of  the  populous  communities.  Through  it  all  he  has  pre- 
served a  buoyant  spirit  that  has  lent  color  to  his  career  and  has  made 
of  it  something  more  than  a  matter  of  the  achievement  of  success.  The 
hardships  and  exposure  of  his  early  years  gave  him  endurance  and 
physical  strength,  and  today,  at  the  age  of  sixty-five  years,  he  is  still 
the  best  man  on  his  ranch,  in  full  possession  of  his  every  faculty,  and 
performing  his  every-day  routine  of  duties  with  the  same  ability  and 
gusto  that  marked  the  days  when  hard  work  was  not  only  a  habit  but 
a  necessity. 

Mr.  Shay  was  born  March  10,  1857,  at  El  Monte,  California,  a  son 
of  Walter  A.  and  Elisa  (Goshen)  Shay.  His  father,  a  native  of  Nova 
Scotia  and  a  cooper  by  trade,  went  to  Boston,  Massachusetts,  during  the 
early  '40s  and  was  living  in  that  city  when  he  heard  the  news  of  the 
discovery  of  gold  in  California,  in  1848.  Seized  at  once  with  the  fever 
that  swept  across  the  country,  he  made  some  few  hurried  preparations 
and  boarded  a  steamer  for  a  voyage  around  Cape  Horn,  but  when  the 
vessel  put  in  at  Aspinwall  he  left  her  and  crossed  the  isthmus.  On  the 
Pacific  side  he  took  the  old  steamer,  "Golden  Gate,"  and  arrived  at  San 
Francisco  in  the  early  spring  of  1849.  From  that  city  he  made  his  way 
by  stage  to  Los  Angeles,  and,  having  found  that  the  securing  of  gold 
was  not  as  easy  as  had  been  represented,  sought  work  at  his  trade  there, 
and  later  took  to  ranching.  It  was  at  the  ranch  of  Rowling  &  Workman 
that  he  met  the  cook  of  the  ranch,  Mrs.  Elisa  Goshen,  and  they  were 
married  in  1853.  She  had  crossed  the  plains  by  immigrant  train,  in 
an  ox-team  drawn  prairie  schooner  early  in  1851,  coming  via  Santa  Fe, 
New  Mexico,  crossing  the  Colorado  River  at  Fort  Yuma,  then  crossing 
the  desert  and  passing  through  the  Carisa  Creek  country,  through  the 
mountains  to  Chino  and  on  to  Los  Angeles.  Her  first  husband  had 
died  on  the  way,  at  Tucson,  Arizona,  and  she  came  on  alone  and  secured 
the  position  before  noted.  She  and  her  second  husband,  Mr.  Shay,  had 
five  sons  and  one  daughter :  John  Henry,  who  died  as  a  child ;  Thomas,  of 
this  notice ;  William  ;  Walter  ;  and  Mary,  who  became  the  wife  of  Thomas 
B.  Hutchings.  In  1857,  when  the  Mormons  were  recalled  from  this 
section  of  California  by  President  Young,  the  "faithful"  sacrificed  their 
San  Bernardino  lands  and  all  possessions,  and  Walter  A.  Shay  was  able 
to  secure  160  acres  of  land  on  Base  Line  for  $900.  in  addition  to  which 
he  boueht  100  acres  of  Government  land  adjoining,  at  $2.50  per  acre. 
There  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life  in  agricultural  operations,  and 
made  a  success  of  his  vocation. 

Thomas  Shav  secured  his  education  in  the  nublic  schools  of  San 
Bernardino  and  for  a  time  was  associated  with  his  father  in  the  work 
of  the  home  farm.  The  prosaic  life  of  the  homestead  did  not  hold  him 
long,  however,  for  the  spirit  of  the  frontier  entered  his  blood  and  he 
went  into  the  mountains  and  took  his  chances  with  the  other  adventurous 
men  of  his  day.  For  the  next  few  years  he  lived  a  rough,  strenuous  life, 
working  in  the   sawmills  and  mines  and  passing  through  many  of   the 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1337 

periods  of  excitement  that  characterized  the  "seventies  and  early 
eighties."  After  his  marriage,  in  1887,  he  settled  down  to  ranching  on  his 
present  holdings,  a  part  of  the  old  Shay  homestead  on  Base  Line,  High- 
land. Mr.  Shay  is  now  one  of  the  substantial  men  of  his  community, 
and  has  a  number  of  business,  civic  and  fraternal  connections.  His 
reputation  is  unquestioned  and  he  has  many  friends  in  the  community 
in  which  his  home  has  been  made  for  so  many  years. 

On  January  15,  1887,  Mr.  Shay  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Mary  T.  Gamm,  who  was  born  at  Stockton,  California,  August  15,  1861, 
a  daughter  of  John  and  Elizabeth  Gamm,  the  former  a  native  of  near 
Nashville,  Tennessee,  and  the  latter  of  Missouri.  John  Gamm  crossed 
the  plains  to  California  in  1851,  and  his  wife  was  a  child  when  brought 
by  her  parents  to  this  state.  Her  party  traveled  via  the  Platte  River, 
Salt  Lake,  Truckee  Pass,  by  ox-trains  with  the  Indians  a  constant  menace 
in  North  Dakota  and  on  the  North  Platte  River.  In  Carson  valley, 
Nevada,  the  party  packed  hay  for  sixty  miles  to  feed  the  stock,  which 
had  run  out  of  forage  on  the  desert  trip.  John  and  Elizabeth  Gamm 
were  the  parents  of  ten  children.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shay  there  have 
been  born  seven  children  who  are  living:  Arthur,  born  October  8,  1887, 
fs  employed  as  a  United  States  Government  forest  ranger  in  the  San 
Bernardino  Mountains.  He  married  Florence  Sawyer  and  has  three 
children,  Lawrence,  Winifred  and  Elaine.  Marion,  single,  born  April 
10,  1889,  is  associated  in  partnership  with  his  younger  brother,  Ora,  in 
the  live  stock  business  in  Green  Valley,  where  they  run  large  herds. 
Clarence,  born  March  18,  1890,  single,  has  been  engaged  in  the  lumber 
business  in  Mariposa  County,  California,  during  the  last  twelve  years, 
with  the  exception  of  his  term  of  enlistment  during  the  World  war, 
in  which  he  trained  in  various  home  camps,  the  armistice  being  signed 
just  about  as  he  was  ready  to  be  sent  overseas  and  he  was  honorably 
discharged.  Ora,  born  February  14,  1901,  as  noted  above,  is  associated 
with  his  brother  Marion  in  the  live  stock  business  in  Green  Valley. 
Lola,  born  January  12,  1893,  married  Stuart  Lytle  and  has  one  son, 
Stuart,  Jr.  Mabel,  born  September  16,  1896,  married  Ravmond  Nish 
and  has  one  child,  Virginia;  and  Barbara,  born  January  4,  1899,  is  single 
and  acting  as  bookkeeper  in  the  Chaffey  department  store  at  Redlands. 
this  state.  The  children  have  all  been  given  good,  practical  educational 
advantages,  fitting  them  for  various  positions  which  thev  have  been 
called  upon  to  fill  in  life,  and  all  have  been  a  credit  to  their  upbringing 
and  to  the  communities  in  which  they  reside. 

Walter  Fremont  Grow. — It  is  the  fortune  of  some  individuals  to 
rise  above  their  associates  through  the  possession  in  a  remarkable  de- 
gree of  the  salient  characteristics  which  make  for  success  in  business 
undertakings.  Their  handling  of  affairs  is  so  masterly  that  their  on- 
ward progress  is  steady  and  uninterrupted,  and  thev  make  prosperous  all 
enterprises  with  which  they  are  identified.  To  this  class  undoubtedly 
belongs  Walter  Fremont  Grow,  of  Highland,  president  of  the  Highland 
Domestic  Water  Company,  who  is  also  identified  with  numerous  other 
leading  organizations  and  is  a  successful  fruit-grower  of  San  Bernardino 
County.  A  self-made  man  in  all  that  the  phrase  implies,  in  his  advance- 
ment he  has  carried  with  him  a  number  of  associates  and  has  likewise 
been  a  prominent  factor  in  the  progress  and  development  of  the  inter- 
ests and  institutions  of  his  adopted  communitv. 

Mr.  Grow  was  born  in  Maine,  July  19,  1856,  a  son  of  Lorenzo  and 
Harriet  (Currier)  Grow,  the  former  a  native  of  Vermont  and  the  'atter 
of  Maine.     There  were   four  sons  and  one  daughter  in   the   family,  of 


1338       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

whom  the  eldest  son,  Charles  Currier  Grow,  enlisted  in  the  Union  service 
during  the  Civil  war,  and  while  fighting  with  the  forces  under  General 
Banks  met  his  death  in  the  battle  of  Sugar  Loaf  Mountain.  About  1865 
the  rest  of  the  family  moved  to  Monona  County,  Iowa,  where  Lorenzo 
Grow  took  up  160  acres  of  school  land,  and  during  his  fourteen  years 
of  residence  there  improved  a  good  property  and  became  a  well-to-do 
tarmer. 

Walter  F.  Grow  spent  his  boyhood  on  the  home  farm  in  Iowa  at  a 
time  when  the  Indians  were  still  to  be  found  in  large  numbers  in  that 
slate,  and  secured  his  education  in  the  public  schools,  having  the  advan- 
tage of  two  years  of  attendance  at  the  high  school  at  Onawa.  An  elder 
brother,  S.  L.  Grow,  who  was  engaged  in  the  livestock  business  as  a 
shipper  and  dealer,  made  several  trips  to  Sacramento  and  San  Francisco, 
to  which  points  he  had  shipped  cattle,  and  his  reports  of  the  opportuni- 
ties offered  in  the  Golden  State  induced  Walter  F.  Grow  to  come  to  this 
locality,  arriving  at  Merced  April  10,  1881.  He  spent  about  nine  months 
at  that  point  and  Fresno,  and  in  January,  1882,  came  to  San  Bernardino 
County  and  purchased  ten  acres  of  land  at  Highland,  on  Base  Line. 
This  he  subsequently  sold  and  purchased  his  present  home  site;  86.71 
acres,  a  Government  claim,  from  a  man  named  Bulger,  who  was  home- 
steading.  As  a  pioneer,  Mr.  Grow  moved  to  this  property,  which  was 
chiefly  wild  land,  rocky  and  covered  with  wild  brush,  and  here  he  built 
his  home,  the  eighth  to  be  built  in  the  colony.  He  began  the  work  of 
improving,  and  soon  planted  an  orchard  and  set  out  a  vineyard  of  raisin 
grapes.  His  raisins  he  dried  and  delivered  to  Colton,  while  his  deciduous 
fruits  he  dried  and  sold  to  buyers  who  traveled  about  buying  fruits  from 
the  various  growers.  During  this  period  his  finances  were  at  a  low  ebb, 
and  he  frequently  was  forced  to  hire  out  his  services  to  other  early- 
settlers  in  order  to  secure  the  means  of  a  livelihood.  As  a  result  of  his 
untiring  energy  and  the  good  management  that  has  always  character- 
ized his  affairs  he  is  now  the  owner  of  a  beautiful  ranch,  a  modern 
home  with  a  splendid  view  of  the  mountains  and  valleys,  and  a  flourish- 
ing orchard  of  thirty-three  acres,  yielding  oranges  of  the  best  quality. 

In  1898  Mr.  Grow  was  instrumental  in  the  organization  of  the  High- 
land Domestic  Water  Company,  his  associates  in  this  project  being 
L.  C.  Waite,  Dr.  C.  C.  Browning.  A.  G.  Stearns  and  S.  L.  Grow.  Mr. 
Grow,  who  was  the  first  superintendent  and  manager  of  the  body,  is 
now  president  thereof  and  owns  five-twelfths  of  the  stock.  He  is  also 
a  director  in  the  First  Bank  of  Highland,  a  stockholder  of  the  Gold 
Buckle  Orange  Association,  and  a  stockholder  in  the  North  Fork  Water 
Company,  the  Highland  Water  Comnany  and  the  General  Fertilizer 
Company.  He  is  an  active  member  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  and 
of  the  San  Bernardino  Farm  Bureau,  and  is  president  of  the  Highland 
Public  Library.  A  republican  in  politics,  for  vears  he  has  been  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Executive  Committee  of  his  nartv  in  the  countv  and  has  been 
active  in  its  affairs.  His  fraternal  affiliation  is  with  Highland  Lodge 
of  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  and  his  religious  connection  with  the  Con- 
gregational Church. 

In  1880  Mr.  Grow  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Carrie  Ella 
Burroughs,  and  to  this  union  there  were  born  two  children :  Edna  May. 
now  Mrs.  William  Brownlow,  of  Highland ;  and  Laura  Mvrtle,  now 
Mrs.  T.  A.  Blakesley,  of  San  Bernardino.  Mrs.  Grow  died  in  1890, 
and  Mr.  Grow  married,  December  15.  1891,  Caroline  Lowrie  Wilson,  a 
native  of  Pennsvlvania.  To  this  union  there  has  come  one  son,  Walter 
Lowrie,  born  June  4.  1894.  Walter  Lowrie  Grow  graduated  from 
Pasadena   High    School    in    1913,    following   which   he    entered    Pomona 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1339 

College,  Claremont,  California,  which  he  subsequently  left,  hut  to  which 
lie  later  returned.  He  then  enrolled  as  a  student  at  the  University  of 
California  at  Berkeley,  but  on  October  3,  1917,  left  bis  studies  at  that 
institution  to  enlist  tor  service  during  the  World  war  in  the  Hospital 
Corps  of  the  United  States  Navy.  December  5  of  the  same  year  be 
was  sent  to  Honolulu,  Hawaiian  Islands,  and  after  being  stationed  there 
for  eleven  months  was  transferred  to  San  Pedro,  and  later  to  San  Diego, 
in  September,  1919,  be  was  placed  on  the  reserve  list  and  returned  to 
Pomona  College  to  complete  his  course.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Phi 
Delta,  and  graduated  from  the  institution  with  the  class  of  1920,  receiving 
the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts.  He  next  entered  the  medical  depart- 
ment of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  for  a  four-year  course,  and  at 
present  is  a  student  of  that  institution  and  a  member  of  the  Alpha  Kappa 
Kappa  fraternity.  During  his  war  service  he  received  the  rating  of 
chief  pharmacist's  mate.  He  possesses  a  seaman's  certificate  from  the 
territory  of  Hawaii  and  one  from  Philadelphia  in  the  Merchant  Marine. 
Mr.  Grow  is  a  member  of  Highland  Lodge,  Knights  of  Pythias,  and  is 
a  young  man  of  exemplary  habits  and  great  ambition,  whose  advance- 
ment will  be  watched  with  interest  by  the  many  friends  whom  he  has 
made  in  various  sections. 

Arthur  Preston  Cki.m — Romances  deal  with  imaginary  characters 
and  often  impossible  situations  deftly  placed  in  an  environment  to  arouse 
a  reader's  interest.  Seemingly  it  would  not  be  a  difficult  task  for  even 
a  tyro  to  pen  a  romance  with  its  setting  in  beautiful  and  opulent  Red- 
lands.  It  is  not  necessary,  however,  to  call  in  romance  when  truth 
serves  well,  and  the  sturdy,  sterling  people  of  this  favored  community 
rind  interest  enough  in  the  simple,  straightforward  stories  of  quiet 
achievement  that  reflect  credit  and  honor  on  neighbors  and  friends.  One 
of  the  prosperous  and  representative  orange  men  of  Redlands  who  has 
spent  almost  two  decades  here  is  Arthur  Preston  Crim,  a  self-made  man 
who  has  built  up  a  large  business  in  the  growing  of  oranges  and  citrus 
fruits,  and  made  his  name  well  known  in  the  industry  through  his  care- 
ful and  intelligent  methods. 

Arthur  Preston  Crim  was  born  in  Armstrong  County,  Pennsylvania, 
July  28,  1871,  the  second  in  a  family  of  four  children  born  to  John  Ral- 
ston and  Elizabeth  Crim.  His  father  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  in  1844 
and  died  there  May  5,  1901.  His  mother  was  born  in  the  same  state 
February  18.  1841.  and  survives,  her  home  being  at  Kittanning,  Penn- 
svlvania.  John  Ralston  Crim  was  a  carpenter  and  became  a  contractor. 
In  early  years  he  not  only  prepared  all  the  lumber  he  used  but  even  went 
into  the  forest  and  cut  down  trees  in  order  to  obtain  logs,  but  he  lived 
to  see  mills  and  machinery  doing  the  hand  work  over  which  he  had 
labored  so  strenuously  in  his  youth. 

Arthur  Preston  Crim  had  educational  advantages  in  his  own  countv 
and  was  a  member  of  the  class  of  1900  in  Grove  City  College,  having 
previously  taught  school  and  also,  from  his  twentv-first  year,  worked 
with  different  business  firms  as  an  accountant  and  bookkeeoer.  In  the 
meanwhile  he  had  made  plans  for  the  future  that  included  a  home  in 
California  and  engaging  in  the  business  in  which  he  has  met  with  so 
much  success,  and  these  plans  be  carried  out  following  his  marriage. 

On  September  3,  1902,  Mr.  Crim  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Emma  Heffelfinger.  who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  December  27.  1871. 
Mrs.  Crim  is  a  highly  educated  ladv  and  a  talented  musician,  and  before 
marriage  was  a  teacher  of  music.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Crim  have  three  sons : 
Arthur   Preston,  Jr.,   who  was  born  December  4,   1903,  is  a  student  in 


1340      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

the  high  school  at  Redlands,  class  of  1922;  Clifford  Jackson,  who  was 
born  iNovember  17,  1906,  is  in  the  high  school,  class  of  1923;  and  Wil- 
bur Roscoe,  who  was  born  September  1,  1909,  is  also  a  student  of  Red- 
lands  high  school,  class  of  1925.  Mr.  Crim  and  his  family  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

It  was  on  November  5,  1902,  that  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Crim  reached  Red- 
lands,  California,  with  the  intention  of  settling  here  permanently.  Capital 
was  not  plentiful  and  of  necessity  hardships  were  encountered  and  years 
of  hard  work  followed.  Mr.  Crim  immediately  went  into  the  culture 
of  oranges  and  citrus  fruits  on  the  south  side  of  the  city,  and  the  family 
home  continued  there  until  August,  1920,  when  he  purchased  an  ex- 
ceptionally fine  tract  of  land  comprising  ten  acres  located  on  the  south- 
west corner  of  Colton  Avenue  and  Nevada  Street.  In  1922  he  pur- 
chased thirty  acres  of  oranges,  of  which  ten  acres  are  in  full  bearing 
valencias  and  twenty  acres  in  navels,  at  the  northwest  corner  of  Lugonia 
and  Nevada  Streets.  Here  he  has  opportunity  to  give  his  groves  the 
attention  and  observation  that  he  believes  necessary  in  order  to  make 
the  business  a  really  profitable  one,  and  is  always  on  the  lookout  for 
added  knowledge  on  the  subject.  Although  never  particularly  active  in 
politics,  Mr.  Crim  is  known  to  be  a  watchful,  interested  citizen,  in  every 
way  anxious  to  promote  the  welfare  of  Redlands.  During  the  World 
war  he  gave  liberally  and  was  foremost  in  local  patriotic  undertakings. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  affiliated  with  the  Royal  Arch 
Chapter  No.  77,  of  Redlands,  with  Redlands  Commandary  No.  45,  and 
Valley  Chapter  and  is  junior  warden  in  the  Blue  Lodge  and  warden  in 
the  Commandery.  For  some  years  he  has  belonged  to  the  Order  of 
Elks,  and  is  quite  prominent  in  the  order  of  Knights  of  Pythias,  of  which 
he  was  chancellor  commander  for  two  years.  He  is  not  only  a  leading 
business  man  here  but  commands  public  confidence  and  enjoys  universal 
respect. 

Frederick  S.  Waters — Almost  the  first  recollections  of  Frederick 
S.  Waters  are  of  San  Bernardino  County  in  its  pioneer  environment. 
His  life  has  covered  a  wide  and  interesting  range  of  development  and 
progress,  and  at  the  same  time  he  has  been  regarded  as  one  of  Redlands' 
most  useful  and  honored  citizens.  His  home  is  half  a  mile  north  of 
Loma  Linda  Sanitarium,  on  the  Pepper  Road. 

Mr.  Waters  by  the  accident  of  birth  is  a  native  of  Utah,  though  he 
was  only  a  few  weeks  old  when  his  parents  journeyed  into  California. 
He  was  born  on  little  Cottonwood  in  Utah  Territory  March  31,  1854. 
son  of  James  and  Martha  Louise  (Margetson)  Waters.  His  father  was 
a  native  of  New  York  State  while  his  mother  was  born  in  England  and 
as  a  child  came  to  the  United  States  with  her  parents  aboard  an  old 
sailing  vessel  that  was  fourteen  weeks  on  the  voyage.  James  Waters 
possessed  all  the  mental  talents  and  resources  of  the  real  pioneer.  He 
lived  his  active  life  in  the  Great  West,  going  to  Utah  in  the  early  days. 
For  many  years  his  occupation  was  hunting  and  trapping,  and  he  made 
friends  of  and  was  associated  with  such  distinguished  frontiersmen  as 
Kit  Carson  and  John  Brown,  Sr.  He  hunted  and  trapped  among  the 
Rockies  and  Sierras,  all  up  and  down  the  Pacific  Coast,  and  came  to 
California  as  early  as  1849.  As  a  trapper  he  loaded  his  furs  on  mules 
and  burros  and  packed  them  overland  to  Eastern  markets,  making  such 
trips  through  a  country  beset  with  hostile  Indians. 

James  and  Martha  Waters  were  the  parents  of  eight  children :  Fred- 
erick ;  Tames ;  Mrs.  Martha  Louise  Kiplinger,  whose  husband  is  man- 
ager of  the  San  Bernardino   Opera  House ;  Henrietta,   whose  husband, 


Alfred  H.  Smiley  Albert  K.  Smiley 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1341 

J.  A.  Cole,  was  once  sheriff  of  San  Bernardino  County;  Mrs.  Catherine 
Miller;  Caroline  Sophia,  county  librarian  of  San  Bernardino;  Mrs.  Mil- 
dred Lawson ;  and  Miss  Lela,  of  San  Bernardino. 

During  the  infancy  of  Frederic!;  S.  Waters  his  parents  moved  to 
Mariposa  County,  California,  where  his  father  became  a  sheep  raiser. 
When  the  son  was  three  years  of  age  they  made  their  home  at  Los 
Angles,  and  a  short  time  afterward  moved  to  Yucaipa  Valley,  where 
James  Waters'  old  friend,  John  Brown,  owned  extensive  land  holdings, 
from  him  he  purchased  a  large  acreage  and  used  it  for  a  stock  ranch. 
After  twelve  years  he  sold  this  land  to  William  Stanifer  &  Dunlap,  and 
then  bought  land  in  the  modern  city  of  San  Bernardino,  limited  by  the 
thoroughfares  of  First  and  Third  streets  and  G  to  L  streets.  This  ha 
also  used  for  stock  farming  purposes,  and  in  addition  had  lease  of  a 
large  tract  at  Chino  and  other  lands  for  pastureage. 

The  original  San  Bernardino  race  track  of  ninety  acres  was  formerly 
owned  by  a  stock  company  in  which  James  Waters  was  a  stockholder. 
Later  he  and  Amos  Rowe  bought  out  the  other  stockholders  and  event- 
ually Mr.  Waters  acquired  Rowe's  interests.  This  land  was  originally 
swamp,  but  is  now  entirely  reclaimed  and  forty-five  acres  of  it  comprise 
the  homestead  and  ranch  of  Frederick  S.  Waters. 

Frederick  S.  Waters  married  Miss  Mary  Hambly,  who  was  born  in 
Canada  in  1854  and  died  at  the  home  place  near  Loma  Linda  in  1912. 
Six  children  were  born  to  their  marriage  and  are  still  living:  Louise,  born 
January  17,  1882,  is  the  wife  of  William  Munsel,  of  Long  Beach.  Jane, 
born  October  30,  1885,  is  the  wife  of  H.  C.  Fronde,  of  San  Bernardino, 
and  is  the  mother  of  a  son  and  daughter.  Marshall,  born  August  22, 
1888,  is  unmarried.  The  fourth  and  fifth  children,  Cyrus  F.  and  George, 
are  twins,  born  September  14,  1892.  Cyrus  enlisted  March  22,  1918,  in 
the  319th  Engineers,  Company  A,  was  trained  at  Camp  Fremont,  on 
April  15,  1918,  was  transferred  to  Ammunition  Train  of  the  8th  Division, 
was  made  corporal  May  18th,  and  was  ordered  to  Camp  Mills  for  over- 
seas duty,  but  the  signing  of  the  armistice  caused  his  company  to  be 
sent  to  Camp  Lee,  Virginia,  and  later  were  returned  to  The  Presidio, 
where  he  received  his  honorable  discharge  February  28,  1919.  His  twin 
brother,  George,  also  offered  his  services,  but  was  rejected  by  the  Medical 
Examining  Board  on  account  of  poor  eyes.  The  sixth  and  youngest  of 
the  family,  Grace  Waters,  who  was  born  August  18,  1896,  is  now  Mrs. 
Alva  Capper,  of  Loma  Linda. 

Frederick  Waters  out  of  his  personal  observation  and  experience 
is  able  to  make  some  interesting  contrasts  between  modern  and  pioneer 
conditions.  He  recalls  the  time  when  all  supplies  were  hauled  in  by 
wagon  from  San  Pedro,  witnessed  the  passing  of  the  Indian  and  the 
coming  of  the  first  railroad,  and  has  seen  transcontinental  travel  and  com- 
munication move  forward  from  ox  trains  to  aeroplane,  from  pony  ex- 
press to  telephone  and  wireless.  In  his  district  and  after  he  had  reached 
manhood  a  shipment  of  oranges  was  limited  to  six  boxes,  whereas  now 
citrus  fruit  goes  out  to  the  market  in  thousands  of  carloads. 

Smiley  Brothers — Redlands  and  San  Bernardino  County  owe  a 
lasting  debt  to  the  constructive  and  esthetic  achievements  of  the  Smilev 
Brothers,  and  the  world  too  has  come  to  appreciate  the  manifold  meas- 
ures of  their  contributions  to  the  broader  aspects  of  educational  and 
humanitarian  enterprise.  This  history  on  other  pages  has  occasion  to 
describe  some  of  their  undertakings,  particularly  the  Smilev  Library  and 
Canon  Crest  Park,  at  Redlands,  which  are  vital  institutions  in  the  de- 
velopment of  this  section  of  Southern  California.     The  purpose  of  this 


1342       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

article  is  to  tell  in  brief  the  story  of  their  lives  and  some  of  the  facts 
that  have  made  them  national  and  international  figures  in  the  welfare 
of  humanity. 

Of  the  three  brothers  the  only  one  now  living  is  Daniel  Smiley,  who 
is  a  half-brother  of  the  late  Alfred  H.  and  Albert  K.  Smiley,  and  while 
many  years  separated  them  in  age  all  seemed  to  be  animated  with  a 
common  purpose  in  their  working  interests. 

Alfred  H.  and  Albert  K.  Smiley  were  twin  brothers  with  such  a 
close  resemblance  in  form,  feature  and  manner,  that  it  was  often  difficult 
to  distinguish  one  from  the  other.  They  were  born  at  Vassalboro,  Maine, 
on  March  17,  1828,  sons  of  Daniel  and  Phoebe  (Howland)  Smiley. 
Both  attained  to  venerable  age.  Alfred  H.  Smiley  died  in  1903  at  the 
age  of  seventy-five,  and  Albert  K.  on  December  2.  1912,  at  the  age  of 
eighty-four.  They  were  educated  in  the  academy  in  their  native  town, 
in  the  Friends'  School  of  Providence,  Rhode  Island,  and  in  Haverford 
College,  Philadelphia,  where  they  were  graduated  A.  B.  in  1849  and 
A.  M.  in  1859.  Albert  K.  Smiley  received  the  honorary  A.  M.  degree 
from  Brown  University  in  1875,  and  the  degree  LL.D.  from  Haverford 
in  1906.  They  were  actively  engaged  in  educational  work  for  thirty 
years,  first  in  Haverford  College  where  they  had  charge  of  the  English 
Department  for  three  years.  They  founded  jointly  and  were  principals 
of  the  English  and  Classical  Academy  of  Philadelphia  from  1853  to  1857. 
Alfred  Smiley  then  became  principal  and  general  superintendent  of 
schools  at  Oskaloosa,  Iowa.  Albert  K.  Smiley  was  the  principal  of  the 
Oak  Grove  Seminary  at  Vassalboro,  Maine,  in  1858-59,  and  from  1860 
to  1879  was  principal  of  the  Friends'  Boarding  School,  now  the  Moses 
Brown  School  at  Providence.  Rhode  Island.  His  twin  brother  became 
associated  with  him  in  the  management  of  this  school  and  they  made 
it  one  of  the  most  famous  of  New  England  preparatory  institutions. 

In  1869  Albert  K.  Smiley  visited  Lake  Mohonk,  New  York,  and  was 
so  well  pleased  with  the  beauty  and  picturesqueness  of  the  spot  that  he 
decided  to  establish  a  summer  home  for  himself  and  develop  a  summer 
resort.  He  at  once  purchased  the  lake,  together  with  300  acres  of  land, 
and  eventually  he  made  the  estate  one  of  the  splendid  resorts  of  the 
Union.  By  successive  acquirements  he  increased  the  area  of  this  estate 
to  3,500  acres,  and  eventually  to  5,500  acres,  and  built  a  summer  resort 
hotel  in  1870.  The  tract  extends  along  the  crests  of  the  mountains 
for  a  distance  of  about  six  miles  with  an  average  width  of  nearly  one 
mile.  Over  and  through  this  idyllic  preserve  he  constructed  about  forty 
miles  of  private  roads  and  twenty-five  miles  of  trails  and  paths  and 
opened  the  property  to  the  public.  For  the  first  ten  years  the  property 
was  managed  by  Alfred  H.  Smiley,  who  in  1875  had  purchased  Minne- 
waska,  a  twin  lake,  with  more  than  2,500  acres  of  land,  seven  miles  dis- 
tant, on  the  top  of  another  spur  of  the  mountain  where  he  built  two  fine 
hotels  with  accommodations  for  450  guests.  He  conducted  these  resorts 
on  the  same  moral  and  social  plane  as  did  his  brother  Albert  K.  the 
Mohonk  resort.  It  would  appear  that  these  two  brothers  were  as  nearly 
alike  in  disposition  and  aims  in  life  as  they  were  in  appearance. 

While  busy  with  this  large  undertaking  Albert  K.  Smiley  did  not 
abate  his  interest  and  influence  in  connection  with  educational  affairs. 
From  1875  until  his  death  he  was  a  trustee  of  Brown  University,  was 
one  of  the  original  trustees  of  Bryn  Mawr  College,  and  was  President 
of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  New  York  State  Normal  School  at  New 
Paltz  from  its  establishment  in  1884.  He  was  a  member  of  many  socie- 
ties and  organizations. 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1343 

In  1889  while  in  California  the  brothers  became  so  impressed  with 
the  beautiful  scenery  and  surroundings  of  Redlands  that  they  purchased 
for  a  winter  home  200  acres  of  the  heights  .south  of  the  town,  through 
which  tract  they  caused  lo  he  constructed  a  beautiful  series  of  roads, 
both  for  driving  and  walking,  and  on  the  summit  and  along  the  north 
ern  declivities  started  a  thousand  or  more  species  of  rare  plants  and 
flowers  of  such  varieties  as  flourish  in  this  semi-tropical  climate.  Each 
of  the  brothers  erected  a  beautiful  and  substantial  residence  on  the  crest 
of  the  hill.  This  property  called  the  Canon  Crest  Park,  commonly  known 
as  Smiley  Heights,  was  thrown  open  to  the  public  and  the  park  ha; 
become  famous  throughout  the  land,  being  visited  by  thousands  of  East- 
ern tourists  annually. 

A  sixteen  acre  tract  which  he  acquired  in  the  heart  of  Redlands, 
Albert  K.  Smiley  also  laid  out  for  park  purposes,  and  a  portion  of  this 
is  the  site  of  the  A.  K.  Smiley  Public  Library  Building,  an  institution 
reflecting  the  liberality  of  all  the  Smiley  Brothers  and  fully  described 
elsewhere  in  this  publication.  In  1896  Alfred  H.  Smiley  laid  out  a 
beautiful  summer  resort  known  as  Eredalba  Park,  near  the  summit 
of  the  mountain  range  north  of  Redlands  at  an  elevation  of  5,500  feet. 
Here  his  liberality  and  splendid  initiative  made  possible  the  development 
of  another  of  the  many  fine  resorts  for  which  Southern  California  is 
celebrated. 

Albert  K.  Smiley's  career  was  not  confined  to  local,  educational  and 
business  interests.  On  the  contrary,  he  had  a  national  reputation  as  a 
friend  of  the  Indian  and  the  Negro,  and  as  one  of  the  foremost  champions 
of  international  peace,  in  which  last  connection  it  was  not  given  him 
to  live  to  see  the  havoc  of  death  and  disaster  wrought  by  the  late  World 
war,  a  conflict  that  could  not  but  have  intensified  his  intense  desire  to 
further  that  peace  and  good  will  of  which  the  world  stands  more  deeply 
in  need  at  the  present  time  than  ever  before  in  the  annals  of  history. 
It  has  been  in  the  sessions  of  the  Lake  Mohonk  Indian  Conference  that 
practically  all  reforms  in  the  treatment  of  the  Indians  have  originated. 
In  1879  President  Hayes  appointed  Mr.  Smiley  a  member  of  the  Na- 
tional Board  of  Indian  Commissioners,  and  it  was  due  to  Mr.  Smiley's 
earnest  desire  to  co-ordinate  and  harmonize  conflicting  religious  and  civic- 
agencies  dealing  with  the  Indians  that  resulted  in  his  calling  upon  prom- 
inent friends  of  the  Indians  to  meet  at  Lake  Mohonk  House  in  October. 
1883,  to  spend  four  days  in  discussing  Indian  problems  and  endeavoring 
to  unite  all  Indian  workers  on  a  common  platform.  He  invited  the 
Board  of  Indian  Commissioners,  all  secretaries  of  religious  societies,  the 
National  Senate  and  House  Committees  on  Indian  Affairs,  army  officer- 
having  dealings  with  the  Indians,  all  prominent  members  of  the  Indian 
Bureau,  the  Indian  Rights  Association,  Woman's  National  Indian  As- 
sociation, heads  of  Indian  Schools,  editors  of  leading  papers,  and  prom- 
inent men  all  over  the  countrv.  Thus  originated  the  annual  conferences 
at  Lake  Mohonk.  The  results  of  these  gatherings  have  been  revolution- 
ary. Congress  has  learned  to  heed  and  follow  the  advice  of  the  little 
band  which  assembles  everv  October  on  this  mountain-top  in  Ulster 
County,  New  York,  and  no  future  historian  will  be  able  to  write  the 
history  of  our  countrv  without  assigning  a  noble  chapter  to  the  Lake 
Mohonk  Indian  Conference.  For  the  Indian  cause  Mr.  Smilley  con- 
tributed some  thousands  of  dollars  annuallv,  and  he  served  in  various 
capacities  in  connection  with  the  care  of  the  Indians. 

In  the  spring  of  1889  Congress  passed  a  law  creating  a  commission 
of  three  men  who  were  to  select  reservations  for  the  Mission  Indians 
of  Southern  California.     The   Secretary  of  the   Interior  appointed   Mr. 


1344       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

Smiley  chairman  of  this  commission,  and  within  the  ensuing  two  years 
about  forty  reservations  were  selected,  with  the  result  that  3.U00  Indians 
who  were  being  despoiled  of  their  rightful  possessions  were  placed  upon 
suitable  lands,  secured  to  them  for  a  permanent  home.  Mr.  Smiley,  as 
representative  of  the  Board  of  Indian  Commissioners,  in  1895,  inves- 
tigated and  demonstrated  the  iniquity  of  the  proposed  government  meas- 
ure of  uniting  the  two  bands  of  Indians  in  Western  Nevada,  the  proposed 
plan  having  been  one  that  would  have  cost  the  government  at  least  half 
a  million  dollars  and  deprive  2,000  Indians  of  their  guaranteed  rights — 
all  in  the  interest  of  a  railroad  corporation.  In  all  other  matters  touch- 
ing the  welfare  of  the  Indians  Mr.  Smiley  continued  his  unflagging 
interest  until  the  close  of  his  long  and  useful  life,  and  his  activities  were 
wide  and  varied,  including  his  service  as  chairman  of  the  committee  ap- 
pointed to  investigate  the  whole  Indian  Bureau  and  suggest  changes 
in  its  practical  workings. 

In  the  years  1890  and  1891,  following  somewhat  the  same  general 
plan  as  that  of  the  Indian  conference,  Mr.  Smiley  invited  to  Mohonk, 
as  his  guests,  200  or  more  philanthropists  of  this  country,  particularly 
those  from  the  South,  for  a  discussion  with  the  object  of  uniting  the 
North  and  the  South  in  some  concerted  plan  for  the  benefit  of  the  Negro 
race.     President  Hayes  presided  at  both  of  these  conferences. 

In  June,  1895,  Mr.  Smiley  invited  to  Mohonk  many  statesmen  and 
prominent  citizens  for  a  conference  in  the  interest  of  international  arbi- 
tration, this  being,  so  far  as  is  known,  the  first  American  conference 
on  this  subject.  Similar  conferences  for  this  purpose  have  been  held 
annually  at  Mohonk. 

Alfred  H.  Smiley  married  Rachel  M.  Swan  in  1854,  and  of  this 
union  were  born  six  children.  July  8,  1857,  Albert  K.  Smiley  married 
Eliza  P.  Cornell,  of  New  York.  They  had  one  child  who  died  at  the 
age  of  eight  years.  On  the  occasion  of  their  fiftieth  wedding  anniversary 
in  1907,  a  large  number  of  guests  of  the  Lake  Mohonk  Mountain  House 
presented  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smiley  as  a  testimonial  of  their  esteem  an 
entrance  gateway  and  lodge  costing  over  nineteen  thousand  dollars, 
located  at  the  main  entrance  of  the  Lake  Mohonk  estate. 

Associated  with  these  brothers  in  many  of  their  enterprises  and  since 
their  death  continuing  many  lines  of  their  noble  enterprise  is  Daniel 
Smiley,  who  was  born  at  Vassalboro,  Maine,  November  29,  1855,  son  of 
Daniel  and  Dorcus  Burnham  (Hanson)  Smiley.  He  graduated  from 
Haverford  College  in  1878,  was  instructor  in  Greek  and  Latin  at  William 
Penn  Charter  School  of  Philadelphia  for  three  years,  and  in  1881  joined 
Albert  K.  Smiley  in  the  management  of  the  property  of  Lake  Mohonk, 
and  in  1912  succeeded  to  the  ownership  of  the  Lake  Mohonk  estate 
and  also  the  Canon  Crest  Park  at  Redlands.  Redlands  is  his  winter 
home  and  quite  recently  he  provided  for  the  conception  of  a  new  wing 
to  the  public  library. 

Daniel  Smiley  has  been  associated  in  the  management  from  the 
beginning  in  1882  and  now  is  in  full  charge  of  the  conference  of  In- 
ternational Arbitration  and  the  conference  of  friends  of  the  Indians 
and  other  dependent  peoples  held  at  Lake  Mohonk  each  year.  Since 
1912  he  has  been  a  member  of  the  United  States  Board  of  Indian 
Commissioners.  He  is  a  trustee  of  Vassar  College,  Haverford  College, 
is  President  of  the  Board  of  the  State  Normal  School  at  New  Paltz, 
New  York,  is  a  trustee  of  the  University  of  Redlands.  He  has  been 
a  member  of  the  executive  commitee  of  the  National  Peace  Conference 
and  is  a  member  of  a  number  of  other  organizations. 


JQ-Qsy*aaJL<J wxaXjLm 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1345 

June  18,  1881,  he  married  Miss  Effie  F.  Newell  of  Kennebeck 
County,  Maine.  They  have  four  children.  Albert  K.,  manager  of  the 
Mohonk  Hotel,  married  Mabel  Craven  of  Westchester,  Pennsylvania, 
and  their  three  children  are  Daniel  Smiley,  Jr.,  Albert  K.  Smiley,  Jr., 
and  Anna  Craven  Smiley.  Hugh  the  second  son,  also  associated  with 
the  management  of  the  hotel  at  Mohonk,  married  Hester  Squier  of 
Greenwich,  Connecticut,  and  their  two  children  are  Virginia  LeBeau 
and  Hugh,  Jr.  Francis,  the  third  son,  also  in  the  management  of  the 
hotel,  married  Rachel  Orcutt  of  Boston  and  has  a  daughter  Rachel. 
The  only  daughter  of  Daniel  Smiley  is  Ruth.  She  was  married  by  James 
M.  Taylor,  president  of  Vassal"  College  on  February  21,  1914,  at  Smiley 
Heights  to  Thomas  Sanborn,  who  is  manager  of  the  Redlands  estate 
including  the  Canyon  Crest  Park.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sanborn  have  foui 
children:    Christine,  Daniel  Smiley,  Thomas  and  Ruth. 

Andrew  J.  Cram  was  born  and  is  still  living  at  the  old  Cram  home- 
stead at  the  end  of  Orange  Street  at  East  Highland.  This  is  a  property 
that  has  been  in  the  possession  of  one  family  since  pioneer  days.  It; 
handling  well  illustrates  the  processes  of  development  through  which 
this  country  has  gone  in  its  transformation  from  a  wild  desert  to  a  wide 
stretching  orange  grove. 

Mr.  Cram  was  born  there  August  6,  1867,  son  of  Lewis  F.  and 
Sarah  Ann  Cram,  being  the  oldest  of  their  seven  children,  six  sons  and 
one  daughter.  His  father  was  born  in  New  York  State  in  1834.  His 
mother  was  born  in  1847  in  Quincy,  Illinois,  and  is  still  living  at  the  old 
home.  The  parents  came  overland  with  ox  teams,  making  a  number  of 
stops  en  route,  and  their  first  location  in  California  was  at  the  Chino 
Ranch,  where  they  engaged  in  farming.  Later  Lewis  Cram  homesteaded 
a  hundred  and  sixty  acres  on  section  3  in  what  is  now  known  as  East 
Highland.  He  and  his  brothers,  together  with  one  of  the  Van  Leuvens, 
also  filed  on  water  rights  from  the  Santa  Ana  River.  This  right  is  still 
referred  to  as  the  Cram  and  Van  Leuvens  right.  The  water  was  con- 
veyed to  their  lands  through  an  open  ditch.  These  were  the  first  settlers 
on  the  bench  land.  They  planted  vineyards  and  deciduous  fruit  orchards 
on  the  bottoms  and  did  dry  farming  on  the  upper  ground.  All  of  this 
tract  was  cleared  and  improved  by  these  pioneers. 

Eighty  acres  of  the  old  homestead  is  still  owned  by  Mrs.  Lewis  Cram, 
and  nearly  the  entire  tract  is  covered  with  orange  groves.  Lewis  Cram 
spent  a  busy  and  effective  life  in  this  community  and  died  at  Highland 
February  27.  1915. 

Andrew  J.  Cram  out  of  his  personal  recollections  can  recount  prac- 
tically everv  stage  in  the  development  of  the  community.  As  a  boy  he 
attended  school  in  what  is  still  known  as  the  Cram  district,  a  name  given 
to  it  because  of  the  many  Cram  children  who  have  been  pupils  there. 
The  schoolhouse  he  knew  was  a  little  building  16x24  feet,  rudelv  con- 
structed, merely  with  framing  timbers  and  boards  on  the  outside  and 
without  ceiling.  Subsequently,  as  needed,  additions  were  made  until  the 
schoolhouse  was  75  feet  long. 

The  first  experimental  growing  of  oranges  on  the  Cram  homestead 
was  the  setting  out  of  two  acres  of  seedlings.  The  fruit  of  these  trees 
Andrew  J.  Cram  and  his  brothers  gathered  and  packed  in  the  orchard, 
in  absence  of  packing  houses.  The  oranges  were  graded  and  packed  in 
paper  lined  boxes  two  feet  square  and  eight  inches  deep.  The  oranges 
were  not  wrapped  individually  then.  These  boxes  were  hauled  by  wagon 
to  the  nearest  railroad  station  at  Colton.  Colton  was  also  the  site  of  the 
onh    cannery  in  this  section,  and  all  deciduous  fruits  were  hauled  there. 


1346      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

The  oranges  produced  by  the  first  grove  on  the  Cram  estate  were  shipped 
through  in  A.  1.  condition,  and  were  sold  so  as  to  bring  the  grower  be- 
tween three  and  a  half  and  five  dollars  a  box.  In  the  extension  of  the 
fruit  interests  on  the  Cram  homestead  vines  and  peach  trees  were  planted 
and  oranges  in  blocks  of  six  and  eight  acres,  until  all  is  now  a  citrus  grove, 
one  of  the  largest  and  most  productive  in  the  entire  county. 

Andrew  J.  Cram  is  the  father  of  four  children:  Maggie,  wife  of  Mel- 
vin  Roddick,  of  Highland,  and  the  mother  of  three  children,  Mildred, 
Virginia  and  James;  Mollie,  wife  of  George  Hamilton,  an  orange  grower 
at  East  Highland,  and  they  have  two  sons,  Arthur  and  Neiland ;  Mrs. 
Mabel  Burright,  of  San  Jose,  and  Florence,  wife  of  Arthur  Cook,  a 
prosperous  cattleman  in  Colorado. 

Mr.  Cram  takes  the  liveliest  satisfaction  in  the  transformation  he  has 
witnessed  of  the  wild  cattle  range  into  a  superbly  improved  district  where 
modern  improvements  and  citrus  groves  give  land  value  between  three 
and  four  thousand  dollars  an  acre.  He  has  done  his  part  well  and  effec- 
tively in  that  transformation,  and  is  now  enjoying  life  in  his  comfortable 
home  in  East  Highland  with  his  mother. 

William  H.  Roddick — As  a  child,  youth  and  man  William  H.  Rod- 
dick of  Highland  has  been  through  every  phase  of  pioneer  develop- 
ment of  his  section  of  California,  from  a  sage  brush  wilderness  to  an 
almost  undeviating  prospect  of  orange  groves  and  flourishing  plan- 
tations. 

Mr.  Roddick  was  born  in  Nova  Scotia  in  1880,  son  of  Samuel 
Donald  and  Ellen  Hume  Roddick.  His  parents  were  also  natives  of 
Nova  Scotia,  and  farmers  there.  In  1887  they  came  to  California, 
and  without  capital  the  father  earned  a  living  for  his  family  by  day 
and  month  work  on  the  ranch  of  Cunningham  and  Stone  at  South 
Highland  for  about  twelve  years.  William  H.  Roddick  was  then 
seven  years  of  age.  Altogether  he  had  a  very  brief  acquaintance 
with  schools,  and  his  education  has  been  a  thoroughly  practical 
one.  He  early  learned  to  imitate  his  father's  habit  of  hard  and  inten- 
sive work,  and  did  what  he  could  to  assist  the  family.  As  a  boy 
he  worked  out.  frequently  picking  fruit  for  a  few  cents  a  day  and 
clothing  himself  and  going  to  school.  His  father  eventually  bought 
a  tract  of  land  and  planted  it  to  deciduous  fruits,  but  lack  of  water 
made  the  proposition  a  failure.  His  father  about  ten  years  before 
his  death,  which  occurred  in  1916,  bought  a  thirteen  and  a  half  acre 
orange  grove  on  Highland  Avenue,  and  this  proved  the  stepping 
stone  to  solid  success  for  the  family.  William  H.  Roddick  has  been 
thoroughly  schooled  in  ranching  and  fruit  growing  and  is  an  authority 
on  citrus  culture. 

In  1916  he  and  his  brother  David  bought  forty  acres  of  the 
Linville  estate,  and  they  still  own  this  as  partners.  It  is  one  of  the 
highly  productive  citrus  fruit  orchards  in  the  country.  Three  years 
later  William  Roddick  as  an  individual  bought  twenty-three  acres  of 
the  Coy  estate  on  Pacific  and  Central  streets,  and  later  ten  acres 
on  Boulder  Street,  where  he  has  erected  his  modern  home  overlooking 
the  Santa  Ana  River  Valley,  with  view  of  the  mountains  to  the  north 
and  east.  All  this  land  Mr.  Roddick  remembers  as  a  sage  brush 
desert,  without  railroad,  and  only  here  and  there  a  scattered  orange 
plantation. 

On  New  Year's  Day,  1914,  he  married  Miss  Susie  Jane  Skelton, 
member  of  a  prominent  Redlands  family.  She  was  born  in  Nebraska. 
Mrs.  Roddick  is  a  member  of  the  Congregational  Church  and  one  of 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1347 

the  leaders  in  local  society.  They  have  two  interesting  children : 
Frances  Rose,  born  April  26,  1915;  and  Walter  Samuel,  born  May  22, 
1917. 

Air.  Roddick's  success  has  not  been  of  an  ordinary  character. 
As  a  boy  he  worked  long  hours,  and  energy  and  good  management 
have  carried  him  from  stage  to  stage  until  he  enjoys  a  goodly  share 
of  the  substantial  wealth  of  this  country  and  at  the  same  time  has 
aided  in  the  development  that  makes  real  wealth. 

Mrs.  Georgie  J.  Hoag,  widow  of  Isaac  Newton  Hoag,  is  a  venerable 
and  loved  woman  of  Redlands,  San  Bernardino  County,  who  has  a 
specially  high  claim  upon  pioneer  distinction  in  California,  to  which 
state  she  came  in  1851  to  join  her  widowed  mother,  who  had  come 
here  in  the  preceding  year,  so  that  her  experience  has  compassed 
virtually  the  entire  period  of  marvelous  development  and  progress 
in  this  state,  while  her  husband  was  one  of  the  adventurous  aronauts 
who  came  to  California  in  1849.  Mrs.  Hoag  was  born  in  the  City 
of  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania,  on  the  31st  of  March,  1832,  and  is 
a  daughter  of  Joseph  G.  and  Mary  Knight  (Riggs)  Jennings,  the 
former  of  whom  was  born  in  England  and  the  latter  in  the  State 
of  Maine.  The  father  was  still  a  young  man  at  the  time  of  his 
death,  which  occurred  in  the  City  of  Boston,  Massachusetts,  and  in 
1850  the  widowed  mother  came  to  California,  she  having  made  the 
voyage  around  Cape  Horn  on  a  sailing  vessel  and  having  become  one 
of  the  earliest  pioneer  women  of  San  Francisco.  Mrs.  Hoag  acquired 
the  major  part  of  her  youthful  education  in  the  City  of  Portland 
Maine,  where  she  was  graduated  in  a  school  for  young  women. 
In  1851  her  mother  sent  her  funds  with  which  to  defray  the  expense 
of  the  journey  to  California,  the  mother  having  come  here  in  1850, 
as  previously  noted.  Mrs.  Hoag  gave  the  money  away  instead  of 
applying  it  to  the  designated  purpose,  and  her  mother  then  sent 
an  additional  sum  of  $700  to  the  eastern  agents  of  the  Adams 
Express  Company,  who  secured  transportation  and  became  responsible 
for  the  safe  delivery  of  the  daughter  in  to  the  mother's  charge  at 
Sacramento.  Mrs.  Hoag  was  thus  "personally  conducted"  by  Messrs. 
Niblo  and  Parvue,  who  were  at  that  time  leading  officials  of  the 
Adams  Express  Company  and  who  traveled  in  direct  charge  of  the 
express  company's  shipments,  including  Mrs.  Hoag.  The  journey  was 
made  by  steamboat  to  the  Isthmus  of  Panama,  and  the  first  stop 
was  made  at  the  Island  of  Jamaica,  where  Mr.  Parvue  took  his  winsome 
"shipment,"  the  future  Mrs.  Hoag,  ashore  to  visit  the  barracks  and 
to  view  other  points  of  interest.  Mrs.  Hoag  recalls  the  trip  across 
the  Isthmus  of  Panama  as  one  of  surpassing  interest.  The  party 
passed  up  the  Chagres  River  in  a  canoe  rowed  by  natives,  the  tropical 
forests  being  so  dense  that  the  trees  on  the  river  banks  were  at  times 
almost  within  touch  of  the  passengers  on  the  little  fleet  of  canoes, 
while  vines  frequently  extended  across  the  full  width  of  the  stream, 
from  tree  to  tree.  Birds  of  resplendant  colors  vied  in  attraction  with 
the  tropical  foliage,  and  monkeys  chattered  their  curiosity  and  protest 
as  the  voyage  proceeded.  Upon  leaving  the  river  the  company 
found  further  transportation  by  riding  mules,  and  all  of  the  women 
in  the  party  sat  astride,  wearing  bloomers  to  add  to  their  stately 
dignity.  Mrs.  Hoag  rode  an  express  company  mule.  Mr.  Parvue 
riding  in  front  and  Mr.  Niblo  behind  as  protection  to  Mrs.  Hoag.  The 
trail  was  narrow  and  innumerable  difficulties  were  faced  in  making 
progress  along  its  course,  Mrs.  Hoag  having  her  full  share  of  incidental 


1348      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

accidents  and  troubles,  as  may  well  be  imagined.  Upon  reaching  the 
coast  the  party  embarked  on  the  vessel  which  afforded  transportation 
to  the  destination.  Mr.  Parvue  and  Mrs.  Hoag  always  sat  at  the 
captain's  table  on  the  vessel  and  Mrs.  Hoag  was  shown  every  possible 
courtesy,  as  the  special  guest  of  the  commander  of  the  boat.  After 
a  delightful  trip  up  the  coast  Mrs.  .Hoag  disembarked  in  the  port 
of  San  Francisco  on  the  1st  of  February,  1852,  and  her  guardian  on 
the  eventful  trip,  Mr.  Parvue,  finally  delivered  her  into  her  mother's 
charge  at  Sacramento,  to  which  place  the  journey  was  made  by  river 
boat.  At  the  home  of  her  mother  she  formed  the  acquaintance  of 
the  man  who  was  destined  to  win  her  hand  and  heart,  the  mother 
having  become  acquainted  with  Mr.  Hoag  some  time  previously. 
On  the  19th  of  January,  1853,  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Isaac 
Newton  Hoag  and  Miss  Georgie  J.  Jennings,  the  cermony  having  been 
performed  in  the  City  of  San  Francisco. 

Isaac  Newton  Hoag  was  born  at  Macedon,  Wayne  County,  New 
York,  on  the  3rd  of  March,  1822,  and  his  early  education  included  the 
discipline  of  Macedon  Academy.  He  taught  school  in  the  old  Empire 
state  and  after  his  graduation  in  the  academy  he  read  law,  his  ad- 
mission to  the  New  York  bar  having  occurred  January  1,  1849. 
On  this  selfsame  day  he  decided  to  join  the  goodly  company  of 
venturesome  spirits  who  were  making  their  way  to  the  newly  discov- 
ered gold  fields  in  California.  He  made  the  trip  by  way  of  the  Isthmus 
of  Panama,  and  it  may  be  consistently  recorded  that  ninety-nine  days 
elapsed  in  making  the  voyage  from  the  Isthmus  to  San  Francisco, 
the  vessel  having  remained  becalmed  for  thirty  days  of  this  period 
and  the  food  supply  having  become  so  limited  that  passengers  were 
reduced  to  a  daily  diet  of  one  cracker  and  a  pint  of  water.  On  July 
4,  1849,  Mr.  Hoag  dug  his  first  gold,  from  Horse-Shoe  Bar,  on  the 
American  River.  He  was  not  accustomed  to  the  hard  manual  labor 
involved  in  digging  gold,  and  after  meeting  with  measureable  suc- 
cess in  his  mining  operations  he  went  to  Sacramento  and  established 
himself  in  the  mercantile  business,  his  capital  at  the  time  having 
been  about  $1,500.  In  1850  he  placed  in  service  the  first  ferry  across 
the  Sacramento  River  between  Sacramento  and  Washington,  the  latter 
place  being  known  as  West  Sacramento.  This  ferry  enterprise  proved 
a  distinct  financial  success,  the  receipts  for  three  months  in  the  fall 
of  1850  having  been  $27,000.  Steam  power  was  finally  brought  into 
requisition  in  operating  the  ferry,  and  Mr.  Hoag  admitted  to  partner- 
ship a  man  named  Myrick,  who  returned  to  the  East  and  squandered 
large  sums  of  the  firm's  money.  Later  a  bridge  was  constructed  across 
the  river  and  the  ferry  encountered  the  opposition  of  the  Southern 
Pacific  Railroad,  so  that  the  business  became  unprofitable.  About 
this  time  Mr.  Hoag  gained  admission  to  the  California  bar.  After 
retiring  from  the  ferry  enterprise  he  was  for  a  time  associated  with 
his  brother,  Benjamin  H.  Hoag,  in  importing  agricultural  imple- 
ments from  the  East,  and  he  became  also  secretary  of  the  California 
State  Agricultural  Society,  an  office  which  he  retained  ten  years. 
As  one  of  the  leaders  in  the  community  he  did  all  in  his  power  to 
further  its  interests,  and  incidentally  he  acted  as  correspondent  for 
various  newspapers,  including  the  Sacramento  Record-Union  and  San 
Francisco  papers. 

He  drew  up  and  secured  the  passage  of  the  law  which  made 
the  California  Agricultural  Society  a  state  institution,  his  election 
to  the  presidency  of  the  society  having  occurred  in  1862.  He  was  for 
four  years  the  leading  agricultural  writer  on  the  staff  of  the  Pacific 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1349 

Rural  Press,  which  was  founded  in  1870.  and  his  contributions  to  other 
papers  were  mainly  in  the  promotion  of  agricultural  interests  in  the 
state.  In  1881  he  was  elected  secretary  and  actuary  of  the  Cali- 
fornia State  Anti-debris  Association.  In  May,  1883,  he  was  appointed 
commissioner  of  immigration  for  the  Southern  and  Central  Pacific 
Railroads,  he  having  been  the  first  to  become  a  colonization  agent  in 
such  service.  In  his  official  capacity  he  maintained  headquarters 
in  the  City  of  Chicago,  where  the  family  resided  about  three  years. 
In  that  metropolis  he  opened  offices  and  displayed  a  large  and  varied 
assortment  of  California  fruits  and  farm  produce.  En  route  to  Chi- 
cago he  made  a  visit  to  San  Bernardino  County  in  order  to  gain 
intimate  knowledge  of  the  value  and  productive  resources  of  lands 
here  owned  by  the  Southern  Pacific  Railroad  Company  and  which  he  rep- 
resented. His  activities  brought  to  California  a  large  number  of  most 
valuable  settlers,  and  when  failing  health  necessitated  his  relinquish- 
ment of  his  service  as  immigration  agent  he  returned  to  California, 
and  in  1887  purchased  thirty  acres  of  unimproved  land  in  the  vicinity 
of  Redlands.  He  developed  this  into  one  of  the  fine  orange  ranches 
of  this  section,  erected  an  attractive  residence  at  816  East  High 
Avenue,  Redlands,  and  here  remained,  as  one  of  the  most  honored  and 
influential  pioneer  citizens  of  the  state,  until  his  death,  on  the  21st 
of  April,  1898.  His  original  tract  of  land  at  Redlands  extended  from 
Colton  Avenue  to  Zanja  and  Church  and  Division  streets.  He  laid 
out  the  beautiful  Sylvan  boulevard,  deeded  his  portion  of  the  same 
to  the  city  and  prevailed  upon  other  owners  to  do  likewise.  His  in- 
tense interest,  his  enthusiasm,  his  high  character  and  distinctive 
ability,  together  with  his  broad  and  varied  experience,  made  him  the 
ideal  colonizer  and  builder,  and  his  name  and  fame  shall  ever  remain 
closely  associated  with  the  history  of  development  and  progress  in 
California.  He  continued  his  vigorous  activities  until  an  attack  of 
pneumonia  brought  his  earnest  and  worthy  life  to  a  close.  In  1861 
he  was  elected  representative  of  Yolo  County  in  the  State  Legis- 
lature, and  later  he  served  with  characteristic  ability  as  county  judge 
of  Yolo  County.  At  Redlands  Mr.  Hoag  was  active  in  the  promotion 
and  support  of  many  enterprises  projected  for  the  development  of 
local  interests.  He  assisted  in  securing  the  Chicago  colony,  and  at 
one  time  had  an  interest  in  1,600  acres  of  land  belonging  to  the  Crafts 
estate.  He  sold  $70,000  worth  of  this  in  one  year,  and  through  efforts 
to  provide  irrigation  for  the  tract  he  assisted  largely  in  the  early  im- 
provement of  Crafton.  He  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Domestic 
Water  Company  and  became  one  of  its  directors.  At  the  time  of  his 
death  he  was  the  owner  of  twenty-five  acres  of  bearing  orchards 
on  Lugonia  Heights. 

Mr.  Hoag  was  a  birthright  member  of  the  Society  of  Friends, 
ordered  his  life  in  accord  with  the  gentle  and  noble  teachings  of 
this  great  religious  organization,  and  he  commanded  at  all  times 
the  unqualified  respect  and  confidence  of  his  fellow  men,  his  death 
having  been  deeply  felt  as  a  general  community  loss  and  bereavement 
in  Redlands.  Mrs.  Hoag  still  resides  in  the  beautiful  home  which  her 
husband  provided  at  Redlands,  and  is  one  of  the  remarkable  pioneer 
women  of  California,  with  secure  place  in  the  affectionate  regard 
of  all  who  have  come  within  the  sphere  of  her  gracious  influence. 
In  former  years  she  passed  many  days  in  driving  about  in  her  car- 
riage in  the  furtherance  of  developing  Redlands  as  a  city  of  ideal 
beauty,  she  being  a  charter  member  of  the  United  Workers  of  Public 
Improvement,  and  though  now  of  advanced   age  she   still  retains  a 


1350       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

vital  and  loyal  interest  in  all  that  touches  the  welfare  of  her  home 
community  and  its  people.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hoag  became  the  parents 
of  six  children :  Charles  Eugene.  Anna  Eunica,  Granville,  Edna, 
Lizzie  Mary  and  Newton.  All  of  the  children  are  now  deceased  except 
Mrs.  Anna  Hoag  Watkins  who  resides  in  Oakland,  California,  and 
Lizzie  Mary  Warner,  the  widow  of  Clarence  A.  Warner,  her  home 
being  with  her  widowed  mother,  to  whom  she  accords  the  deepest 
filial   solicitude. 

Myron*  A.  Clark  has  been  a  resident  of  California  since  the  year 
1887,  and  as  a  contractor  and  builder  has  been  concerned  actively 
with  the  development  and  upbuilding  of  the  communities  in  which 
he  has  lived.  He  is  one  of  the  representative  citizens  of  Redlands, 
San  Bernardino  County,  where  his  attractive  home  is  situated  on 
Myrtle   Street. 

A  scion  of  a  sterling  pioneer  family  of  Michigan,  Mr.  Clark  was 
born  at  Amboy,  Hillsdale  County,  that  state,  on  the  8th  of  October, 
1849.  He  is  a  son  of  Charles  and  Mary  A.  (Simonds)  Clark,  the 
former  a  native  of  the  State  of  New  York  and  the  latter  of  Boston, 
Massachusetts.  The  father  became  one  of  the  substantial  pioneer 
farmers  of  Hillsdale  County,  Michigan,  in  which  state  both  he  and  his 
wife  continued  to  maintain  their  home  until  their  deaths.  They  be- 
came the  parents  of  six  children,  namely:  Francis  M.,  Ella  M.,  Myron 
A.,  Emma,  Louisa  and  Charles  G.  Of  the  number  all  are  now  de- 
ceased except  Myron  A.  and  Charles  G. 

The  common  schools  of  his  native  county  gave  to  Myron  A.  Clark 
his  early  education,  which  was  supplemented  by  a  course  in  a  semi- 
narv  in  which  higher  branches  were  taught.  His  aid  was  early  en- 
listed in  connection  with  the  work  of  the  home  farm,  but  he  was 
only  fifteen  years  old  when  he  left  the  parental  roof  and  initiated 
an  apprenticeship  to  the  trade  of  cabinetmaking.  In  accordance  with 
the  custom  of  the  locality  and  period  he,  as  a  minor,  "bought  his 
time"  from  his  father,  who  normally  was  supposed  to  provide  for  and 
receive  the  services  of  the  son  until  the  latter  had  attained  to  his 
legal  majority.  In  securing  this  release  and  attending  independence 
of  action  Myron  A.  Clark  contracted  to  pay  his  father  the  sum  of 
$200.  During  his  apprenticeship  he  received  his  board  and  lodging 
and  the  sum  of  ten  dollars  a  month.  He  became  a  proficient  work- 
man and  was  assigned  to  the  best  class  of  productive  work  at  his 
trade.  His  discipline  was  such  as  to  give  him  ready  facility  when 
he  engaged  in  the  work  of  the  carpenter's  trade,  and  he  became  a 
specially  successful  contractor  and  builder  in  his  native  state,  where 
he  erected  high  grade  buildings  in  various  cities  and  towns  and  where 
he  continued  his  active  associations  with  this  line  of  business  enterprise 
until  he  came  with  his  family  to  Southern  California.  He  arrived  at 
Riverside,  this  state,  on  the  3d  of  January,  1887,  his  coming  here 
having  been  largely  due  to  the  suggestions  of  kinsfolk  of  his  wife, 
they  having  previously  settled  at  Riverside.  Mr.  Clark  continued 
his  residence  at  Riverside  until  February,  1887.  when  he  came  to 
Redlands.  Here  he  purchased  ten  acres  of  land  on  Fern  Avenue, 
the  place  being  given  over  to  fruit  propagation.  He  paid  for  this 
land  $2,900.  erected  on  the  same  a  good  house  and  other  buildings, 
and  after  there  maintaining  his  home  about  five  years  he  removed, 
in  1892.  to  Pasadena.  Within  a  year  after  buying  the  property  men- 
tioned he  was  offered,  but  refused,  $14,000  for  the  place.  At  Pasa- 
dena Mr.  Clark  remained  about  fifteen  years,  within  which  he  gained 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1351 

precedence  as  one  of  the  leading  contractors  and  builders  of  that 
section  of  Los  Angeles  County.  He  erected  a  goodly  number  of  the 
best  buildings  constructed  at  Pasadena  within  this  period.  He  next 
passed  three  years  at  Oceanside,  San  Diego  County,  where  he  was 
the  contractor  in  the  erection  of  the  San  Louis  Rey  Hotel  and  a 
number  of  high-grade  houses  and  business  buildings.  In  November, 
1904,  he  returned  to  Redlands  and  took  possession  of  the  residence 
property  which  he  had  previously  purchased,  at  25  Myrtle  Street, 
his  original  Redlands  property  having  been  sold  at  the  time  when  he 
left  this  city.  As  a  contractor  and  builder  Mr.  Clark  has  erected 
many  of  the  finest  houses  and  other  buildings  in  the  Redlands  com- 
munity. The  twin  brothers,  Alfred  and  Albert  Smiley,  whose  con- 
tribution to  the  upbuilding  and  beautifying  of  Redlands  was  large 
and  munificent,  as  shown  in  a  personal  memoir  dedicated  to  them 
on  other  pages  of  this  work,  became  personal  friends  of  Mr.  Clark, 
and  it  was  while  making  a  drive  in  company  with  Mr.  Clark  that 
Alfred  Smiley  became  enthusiastically  impressed  with  the  natural  attrac- 
tions of  the  hills  above  San  Timeteo  Canyon,  with  the  result  that  he 
telegraphed  for  his  twin  brother  to  join  him  here,  and  they  purchased 
the  property  which  they  developed  into  the  present  idyllic  Hill  Crest 
Park,  which  has  added  greatly  to  the  attractions  of  the  Redlands 
district.  As  a  personal  friend  of  the  Smileys,  who  knew  his  excep- 
tional technical  ability  and  experience,  Mr.  Clark  was  retained  by 
the  brothers  to  erect  the  various  buildings  on  this  fine  property. 
He  first  constructed,  for  the  use  of  the  landscape  gardener  employed 
by  the  Smiley  brothers,  a  cottage  at  the  north  end  of  the  property. 
Thereafter  he  erected  the  beautiful  home  of  Alfred  Smiley,  and  later 
that  of  Albert.  All  of  this  work,  in  harmony  with  the  very  liberal 
policies  adopted  by  the  brothers  in  the  improving  of  the  magnificent 
estate,  demanded  the  most  punctilious  attention  and  care  on  the  part 
of  Mr.  Clark,  who  took  deep  pride  in  the  progress  of  the  work  and 
gave  to  each  detail  a  most  careful  supervision.  Many  beautiful  houses 
stand  in  evidence  of  the  ability  of  Mr.  Clark  as  a  contractor  and 
builder.  He  erected  the  fine  residence  of  Isaac  N.  Hoag  on  High 
Avenue,  and  his  contribution  to  development  and  progress  in  Southern 
California  has  been  large,  along  both  material  and  civic  lines.  When 
he  established  his  home  at  Redlands  the  nearest  railroad  point  was 
San  Bernardino,  from  which  place  all  building  material  and  other 
commodities  were  transported  by  team  and  wagon  to  Redlands  and 
vicinity.  None  of  the  irrigating  systems  had  been  developed,  and 
Mr.  Clark  has  thus  witnessed  the  wonderful  transformation  which 
had  made  this  district  one  of  the  garden  spots  of  Southern  California, 
with  the  most  modern  of  improvements  and  facilities. 

At  the  time  when  the  construction  of  the  dam  in  Bar  Valley  was 
instituted  the  object  of  the  promoters  was  to  give  irrigation  facilities 
to  the  Allesandro  Valley.  Eventually  it  was  found  that  the  supply 
of  water  would  be  inadequate,  and  this  feature  of  the  irrigation  project 
was  abandoned.  Mr.  Clark  had  made  heavy  investment  in  this  valley, 
and  consequently  he  met  with  large  financial  loss  when  it  was  found 
that  the  supply  of  water  was  sufficient  only  for  use  in  the  Redlands 
district,  the  Allesandro  Valley  being  left  unimproved.  Though  Mr. 
Clark  is  now  virtually  retired  from  active  business,  he  still  responds 
to  occasional  demands  for  his  interposition  as  a  contractor  and 
builder,  and  he  continues  as  one  of  the  most  loyal  supporters  and 
ardent  admirers  of  the  beautiful  district  which  he  has  seen  develop 
from  little  more  than  a  barren  waste  into  one  of  the  most  attractive 


1352      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

sections  of  Southern  California.  Of  conditions  in  evidence  when  he 
came  to  this  part  of  the  state  it  is  not  necessary  to  speak  in  this  brief 
review,  but  he  takes  satisfaction  in  the  thought  that  he  has  been  able 
to  have  his  part  in  the  splendid  march  of  progress  during  the  past 
thirty  or  more  years. 

At  Rollin,  Lenawee  County,  Michigan,  on  the  19th  of  March, 
1871,  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Clark  and  Miss  Ellen 
Underwood,  who  had  been  one  of  his  youthful  schoolmates.  Mrs. 
Clark  was  born  at  Rollin,  Michigan,  on  the  21st  of  June,  1851,  and  is 
a  daughter  of  Van  Wyckand  Mary  Jane  (Green)  Underwood,  both 
natives  of  the  State  of  New  York.  Concerning  the  children  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Clark  brief  record  is  here  entered:  William  A.,  who  was 
born  at  Amboy,  Michigan,  December  20,  1873,  completed  his  educa- 
tion in  the  public  schools  of  California,  and  he  is  now  a  successful 
exponent  of  ranch  enterprise  in  the  Imperial  Valley  of  this  state.  He 
married  Maude  Tennison,  and  they  have  had  four  children — Leonard 
A.,  Kingsley  (died  in  early  youth),  Louis  and  Eleanor.  Fred  B. 
was  born  at  Rollin,  Michigan,  May  13,  1879,  and  his  education  in- 
cluded a  course  in  a  business  college  at  Pasadena,  California.  He  is 
now  employed  as  an  expert  accountant  in  the  office  of  the  leading 
furniture  store  in  the  City  of  San  Bernardino.  He  married  Lulu 
Clem,  and  they  have  one  child,  Velma.  Florence  E.,  who  was  born 
at  Addison,  Michigan,  October  8,  1884,  died  on  the  9th  of  February, 
1888,  after  the  removal  of  the  family  to  California.  Leonard  A.  was 
born  in  Pasadena,  California,  and  after  his  graduation  from  the  high 
school  at  Holtsville,  Imperial  County,  California,  he  found  employ- 
ment in  a  banking  institution  at  that  place.  He  entered  service  when 
the  nation  became  involved  in  the  World  war,  and  he  received  pre- 
liminary military  training  at  the  University  of  Southern  California. 
He  gained  the  rank  of  sergeant  and  was  transferred  to  an  officers' 
training  camp.  He  was  thus  placed  at  the  time  of  the  signing  of  the 
armistice,  and  upon  receiving  his  honorable  discharge  he  obtained 
a  position  in  a  bank  in  the  City  of  Los  Angeles.  Later  the  president 
of  the  bank  at  Holtsville  induced  him  to  return  to  that  place,  and 
later  he  became  teller  in  the  Southern  Trust  &  Commerce  Bank  of 
El  Centro,  judicial  center  of  Imperial  County,  where,  entirely  through 
efficient  service  and  sterling  characteristics,  he  has  been  placed  in 
charge  of  the  department  devoted  to  collections,  notes,  mortgages 
and  all  other  securties. 

G.  Stanley  Wilson  was  born  in  1879  in  Bournemouth,  England, 
and  was  educated  in  that  town.  His  father,  mother,  three  brothers  and 
three  sisters  arrived  in  Riverside  in  September,  1895,  and  he  himself 
has  resided  in  Riverside  since  that  time.  In  1906  he  married  a  daughter 
of  Dr.  H.  H.  Scott  of  the  said  city,  and  now  has  three  children:  Mabel, 
Ernest  and  Harry. 

He  entered  business  for  himself  in  1909  and  is  still  in  business  in  the 
same  office  at  this  time,  646  9th  Street,  City. 

Among  a  great  many  buildings,  he  has  superintended  for  Frank 
Miller  are  the  Art  Galleries.  Kitchens  and  Spanish  Wing,  as  well  as 
other  improvements.  He  was  the  architect  for  the  Magnolia  Avenue 
School,  Lowell  School.  Liberty  School,  the  Hemet  High  School,  and  has 
now  under  way  the  Corona  High  School.  The  residences  include  those 
of  Judge  Densmore.  Mr.  C.  O.  Evans,  Mr.  S.  C.  Evans  and  Mr.  Allen 
Pinkerron  of  New  York.  Also  the  Loring  Opera  House,  the  Hellman 
Bank,  the  Crossley  Garage  and  many  others. 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1353 

He  is  a  member  of  the  Elks,  Odd  Fellows  and  Sons  of  St.  George. 
Also  the  Kiwanis  Club. 

He  has  an  attractive  home  on  the  corner  of  4th  and  Market  in  this 
city. 

Charles  L.  Allison  is  the  eldest  member  of  the  prominent  Allison 
family  of  San  Bernardino,  a  family  which  has  done  much  for  the 
advancement  of  its  home  city  and  is  identified  with  the  history  of  the  city 
for  nearly  forty  years. 

He  was  born  in  Mason  County,  Illinois,  February  12,  1969,  and  was 
educated  in  the  public  schools  of  San  Bernardino,  to  which  his  parents 
brought  him  in  1882.  After  his  graduation  from  the  high  school  he 
commenced  the  study  of  the  law,  having,  like  the  other  members  of  the 
family,  early  determined  what  his  work  in  life  would  be.  He  entered 
the  offices  of  Paris  &  Fox  in  San  Bernardino  and  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  on  October  10,  1892.  He  at  first  practiced  alone,  but  later  formed 
a  partnership  with  Col.  A.  B.  Paris,  which  continued  until  May,  1897, 
when  Colonel  Paris  died.  He  then  practiced  alone  again  until  1915, 
when  he  formed  a  partnership  with  Hugh  L.  Dickson,  under  the  name 
of  Allison  &  Dickson,  which  continued  until  February,  1921,  since  which 
time  he  has  been  alone.  His  practice  is  general  and  he  has  a  large 
clientele. 

Mr.  Allison  married  August,  1912,  Miss  Clara  Kellogg,  a  daughter 
of  E.  H.  Kellogg,  of  San  Bernardino,  and  they  have  one  child,  Virginia 
May.  Like  his  father  and  brothers  he  is  a  staunch  democrat.  He  is  a 
member  of  San  Bernardino  Lodge,  F.  and  A.  M. ;  of  San  Bernardino 
Lodge,  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  and  of  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows  Lodge.  Mr.  Allison  is  also  a  member  of  the  San 
Bernardino  County  Bar  Association. 

Monte  D.  Allison,  the  popular  and  efficient  druggist  of  San  Ber- 
nardino, is  a  fine  example  of  that  "Noblest  work  of  God,"  the  self-made 
man.  While  a  very  young  boy  he  made  up  his  mind  just  what  he  pro- 
posed to  do  with  his  life,  and  with  a  single  minded  purpose  went  to 
work  at  it,  and  he  gained  the  success  only  attained  by  those  who  seek 
earnestly  for  it.  He  obtained  his  education  in  the  school  of  difficulties, 
and  he  certainly  holds  a  graduation  diploma  from  the  "College  of  Ex- 
perience." He  learned  by  actual  work  all  that  most  boys  learn  by  theory 
and  in  books,  and  now  that  he  is  on  the  victory  side  of  the  battle  of  life 
it  must  be  a  source  of  gratification  to  him,  as  it  is  to  his  friends,  that 
his  own  indomitable  spirit,  perseverance  and  industry  placed  him  in  the 
position  he  occupies  today. 

Mr.  Allison  was  born  in  the  City  of  Clinton,  Missouri,  on  October 
1.  1873,  his  father,  Hugh  Jackson  Allison,  being  a  native  of  that  state. 
His  mother,  Elmira  (Suman)  Allison,  was  a  native  of  Illinois.  His 
father  was  a  carpenter  by  trade,  but  only  followed  it  for  a  short  time, 
taking  up  farming  and  devoting  his  attention  to  that  occupation  until 
about  1895,  when  he  retired  from  all  active  pursuits.  He  came  out  to 
California  with  his  family  in  1882,  locating  in  San  Bernardino.  He 
passed  on  on  June  13,  1920.  He  was  a  democrat  in  politics,  and  his  sons 
have  followed  his  political  faith.  His  wife  is  still  living  in  San  Ber- 
nardino. They  were  the  parents  of  eight  children :  Charles  L.,  a  prom- 
inent attorney  of  San  Bernardino  ;  Monte  D..  the  leadine  druegist ;  Ella, 
wife  of  M.  L.  Cook,  well  known  minim*  engineer  of  San  Bernardino, 
whose  storv  appears  elsewhere  in  this  historv :  Marie,  wife  of  D.  S. 
Newton,  of  Los  Angeles:  Fffie  G. ;  Claude,  of  San  Bernardino;  Harry 


1354      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

L.,  county  clerk  of  San  Bernardino  County ;  Earl  L.,  of  San  Bernardino. 

Monte  D.  Allison  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  San  Bernar- 
dino as  far  as  he  went  in  that  line  of  education,  for  while  attending 
school  he  commenced  the  study  of  drugs  and  while  still  very  young 
he  left  school  to  go  to  work  in  the  business.  His  first  employer  was 
F.  M.  Towne,  the  pioneer  druggist,  and  here  he  continued  his  study  of 
pharmacy.  He  soon  graduated  in  this  and  then  he  worked  for  Mr. 
Towne,  from  1884  until  he  was  admitted  to  a  partnership,  forming  the 
Towne-AUison  Drug  Company.  This  firm  is  incorporated  and  now  has 
three  stores  with  a  very  large  and  constantly  increasing  patronage,  not 
confined  to  the  city  or  even  the  county.  Of  this  company  Mr.  Allison 
is  the  president. 

He  pins  his  political  faith  to  the  democratic  party.  He  is  a  member 
of  San  Bernardino  Lodge,  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  and 
of  the  Free  and  Accepted  Masons. 

HarRy  L.  Allison,  the  popular  county  clerk  of  San  Bernardino 
County,  is  another  of  the  "near  Californians,"  for  he  was  born  the  year 
his  parents  came  out  to  San  Bernardino,  making  him  practically  a  native 
son.  He  was  educated  in  San  Bernardino  and  passed  his  life  there,  and 
has  served  the  city  and  county  most  efficiently. 

He  was  born  in  Clinton,  Missouri,  October  8,  1882.  his  parents  coming 
to  California  the  same  year  and  locating  in  San  Bernardino.  The  family 
history  is  given  in  the  sketch  of  Monte  F.  Allison,  the  leading  druggist 
of  San  Bernardino,  and  his  brother.  Another  brother  is  the  attorney, 
Charles  L.  Allison.  Harry  L.  Allison  secured  his  education  in  the  pub- 
lic schools  of  San  Bernardino  and  then  went  into  the  newspaper  business, 
remaining  in  it  four  years.  He  learned  telegraphy  and  followed  that  for 
six  years.  He  is  a  strong  democrat  and  a  prominent  figure  in  local 
politics,  and  was  elected  city  clerk  in  1903  and  was  re-elected,  serving 
two  terms,  1903-1911.  He  was  then  elected  county  recorder,  being  the 
only  democrat  elected  in  the  county.  He  served  eight  years,  being  re- 
elected. In  1920  he  was  elected  county  clerk,  and  is  now  filling  that 
position  to  the  satisfaction  of  all  concerned. 

He  married  in  1908  Clara  Belle  Dunlap.  a  daughter  of  F.  S.  Dunlap. 
of  Redlands.  They  have  one  son.  Hugh  Dunlap  Allison.  Mr.  Allison 
is  a  member  of  San  Bernardino  Lodge  of  Benevolent  and  Protective 
Order  of  Elks.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Church  of  San 
Bernardino. 

John  P.  Fisk,  vice  president  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Redlands, 
is  essentially  one  of  the  representative  men  of  San  Bernardino  County, 
where  he  established  his  residence  in  1887  and  where  he  has  wielded 
large  and  benignant  influence  in  connection  with  civic  and  material  de- 
velopment and  progress  during  the  intervening  period  of  more  than  thirtv 
years.  He  was  born  at  Beloit.  Wisconsin.  September  11.  1857.  and  is 
a  son  of  Professor  Tohn  P.  and  Abbie  Richardson  (Clark)  Fisk.  The 
father  was  born  in  New  Hampshire,  in  1818.  and  was  eighty-one  years  of 
age  at  the  time  of  his  death,  in  1899.  A  man  of  strong  character.  Pro- 
fessor John  P.  Fisk  was  for  twenty-five  years  one  of  the  able  members 
of  the  faculty  of  Beloit  College,  one  of  the  admirable  endncational  in- 
stitutions of  Wisconsin,  and  he  achieved  prominence  and  influence  as  an 
educator  and  as  a  leader  in  educational  affairs  in  the  Badger  State.  His 
wife  was  born  at  Tewksbury,  Massachusetts,  in  1825.  and  her  death 
occurred  in  1875  ;  the  children  of  this  union  were  four  sons  and  two  daugh- 
ters.    Professor  Fisk  was  a  resident  of  Chicago,  Illinois,  at  the  time  of 


^^Zfitvj&gu, 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1355 

his  death,  and  his  name  and  service  are  intimately  linked  with  the  up- 
building of  Beloit  College  and  the  general  educational  history  of  Wis- 
consin. 

John  P.  Fisk,  Jr.,  the  immediate  subject  of  this  review,  continued  his 
studies  in  the  Beloit  public  schools  until  he  had  completed  the  curriculum 
of  the  high  school,  and  he  then  entered  Beloit  College,  in  which  institu- 
tion he  was  graduated  as  a  member  of  the  class  of  1880,  with  the  degree 
of  Bachelor  of  Arts.  For  several  years  thereafter  he  was  successfully 
engaged  in  teaching,  two  years  of  this  period  being  principal  of  the  public 
schools  at  Richmond,  Illinois.  Thereafter  he  devoted  a  year  to  effec- 
tive post-graduate  study,  after  which  he  became  an  instructor  in  the 
academic  department  of  his  alma  mater,  Beloit  College,  where  he  effec- 
tively upheld  the  pedagogic  honors  of  the  family  name.  The  confine- 
ment incidental  to  his  service  caused  his  health  to  become  impaired,  and 
after  teaching  in  Beloit  College  during  a  period  of  about  eighteen  months 
he  found  it  imperative  to  retire  from  the  work.  He  made  his  way  to 
the  South,  where  he  remained  one  winter.  The  following  November, 
1885  he  made  his  initial  visit  to  California,  and  while  sojourning  at  River- 
side he  visited  Redlands  and  was  specially  impressed  with  the  scenic 
attractions  and  promising  future  of  this  beautiful  spot.  The  result  was 
that  in  March,  1887,  he  established  his  home  at  Redlands,  and  initiated 
his  active  association  with  civic  and  business  affairs  in  the  fair  city  that 
has  continued  as  his  home  during  the  intervening  years.  At  the  time 
of  his  removal  to  Redlands  construction  work  was  under  way  on  the 
building  of  the  Union  Bank,  and  when  this  two-story  brick  building,  the 
first  distinctive  bank  building  at  Redlands,  was  completed  he  secured  a 
lease  of  its  second  floor  and  there  opened  offices  for  the  conducting  of  a 
general  real-estate  and  insurance  business.  His  vigorous  and  progres- 
sive activities  in  the  handling  of  real  estate  upon  legitimate  and  honor- 
able basis  had  much  influence  in  furthering  the  development  of  Redlands 
and  vicinity,  as  he  promoted  the  investment  of  capital  and  gained 
the  co-operation  of  men  of  wealth  and  influence  in  the  improving  and 
beautifying  of  the  city  and  its  surrounding  country — groves,  gardens  and 
a  wealth  of  foliage  and  flowers  obliterating  what  had  previously  been 
but  barren  wastes.  By  his  careful  and  honorable  methods  and  policies 
Mr.  Fisk  established  for  himself  an  inviolable  vantage-place  as  a  busi- 
ness man,  and  many  important  real-estate  transactions  that  have  inured 
greatly  to  the  benefit  of  Redlands  and  its  environment  were  effected 
through  his  initiative  and  personal  influence.  He  became  a  recognized 
authority  in  placing  valuations  on  land  in  this  district,  and  his  judgment 
both  in  regard  to  intrinsic  value  and  future  possibilities  was  recognized 
as  valuable.  Among  the  more  important  of  his  early  real  estate  transac- 
tions was  the  sale  of  the  Dr.  Barton  tract  of  1,100  acres  to  a  syndicate 
composed  of  Los  Angeles  capitalists,  who  under  the  corporate  title  of 
the  Barton  Land  &  Water  Company  acquired  the  property  for  a  con- 
sideration of  $300,000,  and  who  subdivided  the  tract  into  orange  and 
lemon  orchards  that  have  been  developed  to  such  degree  as  to  be  num- 
bered among  the  finest  in  Southern  California.  Mr.  Fisk  also  effected 
the  sale  of  the  Terrace  Villa  hotel  property  to  A.  G.  Hubbard,  who  now 
resides  on  the  site  of  the  former  hotel,  a  building  in  which  Mr.  Fisk 
himself  resided  during  his  first  year's  residence.  Mr.  Fisk  was  a  resident  of 
Redlands  at  the  time  of  the  construction  of  the  old  Sloan  House,  which 
was  later  sold  by  him  to  the  First  National  Bank  of  Redlands,  remodeled 
and  made  available  for  banking  purposes  and  eventually  razed  to  give 
place  to  the  present  modern  building  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Red- 
lands,  a  portion  of  the  ground  floor  of  this  building  being  used  as  office 


1356      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

headquarters  of  Mr.  Fisk,  who  still  continues  his  long  established  and 
representative  real  estate,  loan  and  insurance  business,  besides  holding 
the  ottice  of  vice-president  of  the  hirst  .National  Bank.  As  agent  tie 
purchased  the  sites  for  the  railway  stations  at  Redlands.  He  sold  to 
Thomas  W.  England  the  land  which  the  latter  has  developed  into  one  of 
the  most  beautiful  and  celebrated  spots  in  bouthern  California,  the 
splendid  Prospect  Park,  which  is  visitea  aiuiuauy  Dy  thousands  of  tourists, 
as  well  as  by  appreciative  residents  of  California  itself.  Mr.  Fisk  has 
been  for  many  years  a  stockholder  and  director  of  the  First  National 
Bank,  and  for  one  year,  beginning  in  February,  1915,  he  had  active  execu- 
tive charge  of  the  institution,  into  the  management  of  which  he  intro- 
duced wise  policies  that  combined  economic  conservatism  with  progres- 
sive methods. 

Every  worthy  enterprise  and  object  that  has  had  to  do  with  the  social 
and  material  welfare  of  Redlands  has  enlisted  the  earnest  co-operation 
of  Mr.  Fisk,  and  it  should  be  specially  noted  that  he  took  prominent  part 
in  organizing  the  local  Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  of  which  he 
was  chosen  the  first  president.  For  a  number  of  years  he  has  been  a 
member  of  the  executive  committee  of  the  California  state  organization 
of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association.  He  is  a  director  of  the  Red- 
lands  Chamber  of  Commerce,  his  political  allegiance  is  given  to  the  re- 
publican party,  and  both  he  and  his  wife  are  active  members  of  Con- 
gregational Church.  When  he  first  came  to  that  part  of  Redlands  which 
was  then  known  at  Lugonia,  the  only  church  in  the  community  was  the 
little  Congregational  edifice  that  stood  at  the  corner  of  Church  Street 
and  The  Terrace,  and  Church  Street  of  Redlands  of  the  present  day 
gained  its  name  by  reason  of  this  pioneer  church  having  "been  situated 
on  that  thoroughfare. 

In  December,  1890,  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Fisk  and 
Mrs.  Elizabeth  Eddy,  who  was  born  in  the  state  of  New  York  and  who 
was  the  widow  of  the  late  Rev.  S.  W.  Eddy,  a  clergyman  of  Beverly. 
Massachusetts.     Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fisk  have  two  children. 

In  the  foregoing  paragraphs  has  been  given  a  brief  but  significant 
record  of  the  career  of  a  sterling  citizen  whose  success  has  been  due  to 
his  own  well  ordered  endeavors,  and  whose  high  standing  in  community 
affairs  is  due  to  the  possession  of  those  attributes  of  character  that  ever 
beget  popular  confidence  and  esteem. 

Guy  S.  Garner  is  a  native  of  Southern  California,  has  full  apprecia- 
tion of  the  advantages  and  attractions  of  his  native  state  and  is  one  of 
the  wide-awake  business  men  of  Highgrove,  Riverside  County,  where  he 
conducts  a  well  equipped  automobile  garage  and  where  he  finds  time 
also  to  accord  effective  service  as  justice  of  the  peace  and  as  cattle  in- 
spector for  Riverside  County. 

Mr.  Garner  was  born  at  San  Bernardino,  California,  August  12,  1876. 
and  is  a  son  of  John  Henry  and  Nettie  (Ames)  Garner,  both  natives  of 
Utah.  John  H.  Garner  was  a  youth  when  the  family  made  the  long  and 
hazardous  journey  across  the  plains  and  mountains  from  Utah  to  Cali- 
fornia with  wagon  and  ox  team,  and  the  home  was  established  at  San 
Bernardino,  which  was  then  a  mere  trading  station.  His  father,  John 
Ellis  Garner,  was  one  of  the  well  know  pioneers  of  San  Bernardino 
County,  and  was  influential  in  community  affairs.  The  Garner  family 
was  founded  in  America  in  the  Colonial  period  and  ?ave  patriotic  soldiers 
to  the  colonies  in  the  War  of  the  Revolution.  John  Henrv  Garner  was 
a  member  of  a  large  family  of  children,  and  the  familv  had  its  full  share 
of  pioneer  hardships  after  coming  to  California.  His  life  was  marked 
by  earnest  and  worthy  activity,  he  became  a  successful  veterinary  surgeon, 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1357 

and  at  the  time  of  his  death  he  was  president  of  the  Board  of  Trustees 
oi  tire  Lily  ul  isaiita  Ana,  Urange  county,  riis  widow,  who  now  ic- 
sides  in  tne  City  oi  Cos  Angeies,  was  an  miani  ai  trie  time  wnen  tier 
parents  maae  tne  trip  troni  Ctali  to  Lantornia  Dy  means  ot  wagons 
and  ox  teams,  and  it  is  a  matter  ot  record  mat  while  en  route  tne  mem- 
bers ot  tlie  immigrant  expedition  exhausted  their  supply  of  water,  with 
the  result  that  it  became  necessary  to  kill  young  calves  and  utilize  the 
biood  of  the  animals  to  quench  the  thirst  ot  the  members  of  the  party. 
The  mother  of  Mrs.  Garner  was  born  at  Council  Blurts,  Iowa,  of  early 
pioneer  parentage  on  the  frontier,  and  her  maternal  ancestors  came  from 
England  in  the  Colonial  days,  the  family  having  been  represented  by 
gallant  soldiers  in  the  Revolutionary  war. 

Guy  S.  Garner  acquired  his  early  education  in  the  public  schools  of 
Santa  Ana,  where  the  family  home  was  established  when  he  was  a 
small  boy.  Thereafter  he  was  graduated  in  the  Bisbee  Business  Col- 
lege in  that  city,  and  his  initial  service  of  practical  order  was  rendered 
in  the  position  of  plumbing  inspector  for  the  City  of  Santa  Ana.  There 
he  continued  his  residence  until  about  1901,  when,  by  reason  of  the  ill 
health  of  his  wife,  he  removed  to  Bear  Valley,  where  for  two  years  he 
was  employed  in  the  De  la  Mores  Mountain  Mine,  at  the  head  of  the 
valley.  Later  he  entered  the  employ  of  the  San  Bernardino  Gas  & 
Electric  Company.  He  had  been  thus  engaged  two  years  when  he  was 
retained  as  private  guard  by  C.  R.  Lord,  who  had  been  shot  by  a  nephew. 
About  two  months  after  this  attempt  to  assassinate  him  Mr.  Lord  went  to 
Japan,  leaving  Mr.  Garner  in  charge  of  his  fine  bungalow  home  at  San 
Bernardino.  Six  months  later  Mr.  Garner  came  to  Highgrove,  River- 
side County,  and  assumed  the  position  of  operator  in  the  local  hydro- 
electric plant,  of  which  he  was  made  chief  operator  three  months  later. 
He  retained  this  responsible  position  thirteen  years,  and  during  eighteen 
months  of  this  period  he  had  charge  also  of  the  Peley  electric  plant. 
For  the  Highgrove  hydro-electric  plant  he  installed  the  first  distributing 
lines  and  street  lights  in  Highgrove,  and  he  gained  full  technical  and 
practical  knowledge  of  applied  electricity.  In  1912  Mr.  Garner  became 
associated  with  Joseph  Hudson.  W.  W.  Ayers  and  John  L.  Bishop  in 
the  organization  of  the  Highgrove  Chamber  of  Commerce,  of  which 
he  was  a  charter  member  and  one  of  the  early  presidents.  When  the 
Highgrove  hydro-electric  plant  was  destroyed  by  fire  several  years  ago 
Mr.  Garner  established  a  garage  and  electric-service  station,  which  he 
has  since  conducted  with  marked  success,  besides  which  he  has  active 
charge  of  the  municipal  electric-light  service  of  Highgrove.  Upon  the 
death  of  John  Haight  the  County  Board  of  Supervisors  appointed  Mr. 
Garner  his  successor  in  the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace,  and  in  1918 
he  was  regularly  elected  to  this  office  for  a  term  of  four  years.  He 
is  a  staunch  republican,  active  in  local  political  affairs,  and  progressive 
and  loyal  as  a  citizen.  Mr.  Garner  seems  to  have  exceptional  capacity 
for  service,  and  in  addition  to  his  other  and  varied  responsibilities  he 
has  for  the  past  several  years  had  supervision  of  the  interests  of  the 
East  Riverside  Land  Company,  besides  which  he  is  cattle  inspector  of 
Riverside  County,  under  appointment  by  the  Cattle  Protection  Board 
of  the  state.  He  is  agent  for  the  Aetna  Life  Insurance  Company,  and 
as  a  broker  in  real  estate  he  has  handled  much  property  in  Highgrove. 
He  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Highgrove  Improvement  Associa- 
tion, which  raised  the  funds  to  buy  the  site  and  erect  the  community 
hall  of  the  village.  He  is  interested  in  farm  enterprise  in  and  about 
Highgrove,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Farm  Bureau  and  the  Riverside 
County   Chamber  of   Commerce.     His   fraternal   affiliations   is   with   the 


1358       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  Woodmen  of  the  World  and 
Knights  of  the  Maccabees. 

At  Santa  Ana,  February  23,  1896,  occurred  the  marriage  of  Mr. 
Garner  and  Miss  Caroline  Arborn,  a  daughter  of  Russell  Arborn,  of 
that  city.  Her  paternal  grandfather  was  a  pioneer  settler  in  Southern 
California,  and  the  town  of  Arbondale  was  named  in  his  honor,  he 
having  been  a  native  of  England.  Of  the  three  children  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Garner  the  eldest  is  Mildred  Rophina,  who  is  the  wife  of  John 
B.  Bellezza,  an  automobile  mechanic  residing  at  Highgrove,  and  they 
have  two  children,  Rose  Mary  and  a  baby  girl.  Donald  Guy  S.  and 
Dortha  Antoinette,  the  younger  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Garner,  are 
twins,  and  were  born  July  11,  1912. 

Edward  David  Roberts,  banker,  was  born  at  Cambria,  Wisconsin, 
July  18th,  1864,  son  of  John  W.  and  Eliza  (Williams)  Roberts.  His 
father  came  from  Bala,  Wales,  at  an  early  age.  He  was  a  grain  mer- 
chant in  Wisconsin  and  Pittsburgh,  Pennsylvania.  Here  Mr.  Roberts 
attended  Duffs  (business)  College  after  finishing  the  Public  School  of 
Cambria  and  later  completed  his  education  at  the  Western  University  of 
Pennsylvania.  After  a  brief  period  in  the  claims  department  of  the  Mil- 
waukee Central  Railroad  Company,  Mr.  Roberts  went  to  Bridgewater, 
South  Dakota,  where  he  joined  his  brother-in-law,  John  W.  Davis,  Jr., 
in  establishing  the  first  National  Bank  of  Bridgewater. 

In  1885  he  removed  to  Colton,  California,  and  entered  the  first  Na- 
tional Bank  of  that  place.  During  his  residence  in  Colton  Mr.  Roberts 
served  as  a  member  of  the  City  Council  and  took  an  active  interest  in 
all  civic  and  business  life. 

Meanwhile,  his  father  had  become  president  of  the  San  Bernardino 
National  Bank  of  San  Bernardino,  California,  and  in  1895  the  son  joined 
him  in  the  management  of  that  institution,  becoming  its  president  upon 
the  death  of  the  older  Roberts  in  1904.  In  1907  he  established  the  San 
Bernardino  County  Savings  Bank  and  in  1909  the  First  National  Bank 
of  Rialto  and  became  president  of  both  of  these  institutions.  In  1915 
he  accepted  the  first  vice-presidency  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Los 
Angeles  and  removed  to  that  city,  retaining  the  presidency  of  the  three 
banks  in  San  Bernardino  County.  In  1920,  owing  to  the  multitude  of 
his  other  interests,  Mr.  Roberts  resigned  from  the  Los  Angeles  institu- 
tion but  remained  a  member  of  the  directorate  of  both  the  First  Na- 
tional and  Los  Angeles  Trust  Company. 

While  Mr.  Roberts  was  closely  identified  with  the  strongest  group  of 
financial  institutions  in  Southern  California,  he  was  also  one  of  the 
largest  fruit  growers  in  San  Bernardino  County,  owning  extensive  vin- 
yards,  orange  orchards  and  stock  farms,  and  was  as  successful  with 
these  ventures  as  with  his  banks. 

A  republican  in  politics,  he  was  for  years  chairman  of  the  San  Ber- 
nardino County  Central  Committee  and  was  a  delegate  to  the  Republican 
National  Conventions  of  1904  and  1912.  From  1911-14  he  served  as 
state  treasurer  of  California,  and  during  his  administration  of  this  office 
its  policies  were  thoroughly  adjusted  and  put  upon  a  basis  creditable  to 
himself  and  characteristically  businesslike.  He  had  the  task  of  selling 
$18,000,000  in  state  highway  and  harbor  bonds,  and  when  the  Express 
Companies  asked  what  seemed  to  be  an  exorbitant  charge  for  transport- 
ing a  number  of  the  bonds  to  New  York  he  loaded  up  two  big  suit  cases 
with  them  and  carried  them  to  Wall  street  himself. 

Mr.  Roberts  considered  it  the  duty  of  every  good  citizen  to  take  an 
unselfish  interest  in  his  country's  affairs,  and  while  he  was  offered  many 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1359 

times  by  enthusiastic  admirers  among  the  republican  leaders  the  senator- 
ship  or  governorship  of  his  state,  he  always  refused,  as  his  own  affairs 
were  of  such  a  nature  that  it  was  not  possible  for  him  to  serve.  He  ac- 
cepted the  appointment  of  Hiram  Johnson  to  the  office  of  state  treasurer 
at  the  time  when  he  was  most  needed. 

He  was  a  member  of  the  State  Bankers'  Association  and  served  on 
various  committees,  also  a  member  and  vice-president  for  California  of 
the  American  Bankers'  Association  and  a  member  of  the  nominating 
committee.  He  was  a  Mason,  belonging  lo  St.  Bernard  Commandery  of 
Knights  Templar  and  Al  Malakai  Shrine  Temple  of  Los  Angeles,  also 
a  member  of  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks  and  a  commu- 
nicant of  St.  John's  Episcopal  Church  of  Los  Angeles.  He  also  belonged 
to  the  California  Club,  Ciretos  Gun  Club  and  the  Midwick  Country  Club 
of  Los  Angeles  and  to  the  Sutter  Club  of  Sacramento  and  Squirrel  Inn 
Mountain  Club  of  San  Bernardino. 

He  was  an  extensive  traveler,  a  liberal  art  patron  and  an  enthu- 
siastic hunter  and  fisherman.  He  was  a  man  of  attainments  and 
eminently  successful  in  any  enterprise  in  which  he  ventured. 

Personally  he  was  warm  hearted,  generous  to  a  fault,  democratic 
and  an  indefatigable  worker,  with  a  genial  disposition  and  a  keen 
sense  of  humor. 

He  married  Maud,  daughter  of  Henry  F.  Adams,  M.  D.,  and 
Louise  (Wilkerson)  Adams,  and  to  this  union  were  born  two  daugh- 
ters:  Mrs.  Louise  Roberts  Kamm,  wife  of  Walker  W.  Kamm,  of  San 
Francisco  and  Portland,  and  Mrs.  Marie  Roberts  Kamm,  of  Los  An- 
geles, California. 

As  befitted  a  man  of  his  character,  Mr.  Roberts'  family  life  was 
ideally  happy.     He  was  a  devoted  husband  and  father. 

He  was  stricken  with  appendicitis  during  a  business  trip  to  San 
Bernardino,  where  he  went  on  July  31,  1920,  accompanied  by  Mrs. 
Roberts,  and  died  following  an  operation  August  4,  1920.  His  re- 
mains rest  in  the  family  tomb  at  Inglewood,  Los  Angeles,  California. 

Mr.  Edward  David  Roberts  was  one  of  the  Southland's  best  loved 
sons,  who  filled  to  the  satisfaction  of  all  concerned  the  positions  en- 
trusted to  him,  positions  in  which  the  acid  test  is  nobility  of  charac- 
ter. His  sound  judgment  and  sterling  integrity  was  united  with 
practical  commonsense  and  earnest  purpose,  combining  to  make  him 
a  man  of  unusual  gifts  and  high  character.  He  was  a  man  of  dig- 
nity, force,  quick  sympathy  and  possessed,  a  rare  purity  of  motive. 
He  knew  the  secret  of  contented  and  fruitful  living  and  he  was  gen- 
erosity personified.  No  appeal  of  a  worthy  cause  was  ever  made  to 
him  in  vain,  and  he  gave  freely  and  fully  not  only  of  material  wealth 
but  of  his  time  and  sympathy.  His  patriotism  was  very  strong  and 
deep,  and  he  proved  it  many  times. 

Mr.  Roberts  loved  California,  and  the  City  of  San  Bernardino  was 
very  dear  to  him.  When  he  went  to  Los  Angeles  he  left  a  void  none 
could  fill,  not  only  in  the  financial  and  business  circles  but  in  fra- 
ternal and  social  circles,  where  his  courtesy,  geniality  and  graces  of 
mind  and  heart  made  him  an  ever  desired  companion.  The  only 
compensation  was  his  frequent  visits.  He  retained  many  of  his 
interests  here,  and  his  friends  always  cherished  the  hope  that  some 
day  he  would  return  to  them. 

Their  grief  cannot  be  measured  when  they  learned  of  his  death  in 
Los  Angeles,  and  his  memory  will  be  a  living,  loving  one  so  long  as 
one  of  his  colleagues  and  friends  remain.  He  has  solved  the  one 
Great   Mystery,   raised   and   let  fall   the   impenetrable   Curtain  of  Si- 


1360       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

lence,  yet  those  who  are  left  behind  know  that  he  has  seen  the  smil- 
ing dawn  of  a  never  ending  day,  that  with  him  all  is  indeed  well. 
And  now  I  know  that  immortality 
Is  but  the  rending  of  a  narrow  girth  free, 
That  some  great  soul  may  conquer  and  go 
And,  reincarnate,  revolutionize  the  Earth. 

M.  A.  R. 

Dr.  Helen  Earle  Lyda  is  one  of  the  representative  women  of 
Southern  California.  She  stands  very  high  in  the  state  as  an  osteopath 
and  among  her  patients,  many  of  whom  are  of  her  own  sex,  as  a  mar- 
vel in  her  profession  and  a  person  of  rare  sympathy. 

Doctor  Lyda  was  born  in  Detroit,  Michigan,  a  daughter  of  Edwin 
and  Hope  (Dobson)  Earle,  both  natives  of  New  Jersey,  of  English 
descent.  They  reside  at  Ridgewood,  New  Jersey,  where  Mr.  Earle  is 
engaged  in  conducting  a  real  estate  business.  Doctor  Lyda  received 
her  preliminary  educational  training  in  Miss  Liggets'  School  for  Girls  at 
Detroit,  and  then  took  three  years'  preliminary  work  in  the  Western 
College  at  Oxford,  Ohio.  She  then  had  one  years'  training  in  Sweet- 
briar  College  at  Sweetbriar,  Virginia,  following  which  she  attended  the 
American  School  of  Osteopathy  at  Kirksville,  Missouri,  from  which 
she  was  graduated  in  1911  with  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Osteopathy. 

Marrying,  she  lived  for  a  time  at  Kirksville,  where  her  sons  were 
born.  They  are  Roscoe  and  Edwin  Earle  Lyda,  both  of  whom  are 
students  of  the  San  Bernardino  public  schools.  In  1915  Doctor  Lyda 
came  to  California  and  spent  one  year  in  Los  Angeles,  where  she  took 
up  special  work  in  the  Los  Angeles  College  of  Osteopathic  Physicians 
and  Surgeons,  and  came  to  San  Bernardino  in  February,  1917.  She 
purchased  her  home  at  596  F  Street,  and  has  followed  her  professional 
career  ever  since. 

As  a  member  of  the  California  State  Osteopathic  Association  she 
keeps  abreast  of  the  progress  in  her  profession,  and  has  been  a  dele- 
gate every  year  to  state  conventions,  serving  at  them  on  important 
committees.  She  is  vice  president  of  the  San  Bernardino  County 
Osteopathic  Association,  and  of  the  Delta  Omega,  the  national  Osteo- 
pathic sorority.  Ever  since  coming  to  San  Bernardino  she  has  taken 
post  graduate  courses,  and  is  probablv  the  most  skilled  member  of  her 
profession  in  this  part  of  the  state.  Doctor  Lyda  is  an  Episcopalian 
and  belongs  to  Saint  John's  Episcopal  Church  of  San  Bernardino.  She 
is  a  member  of  the  San  Bernardino  Woman's  Club,  the  S.  O.  S.  of 
Young  Women's  Christian  Association,  of  San  Bernardino,  and  is  one 
of  the  most  active  workers  in  both.  Among  the  women  with  whom  she 
comes  into  contact  Doctor  Lyda  is  held  in  loving  esteem,  and  she  is 
accorded  by  them  as  high  a  social  position  as  she  is  ?iven  professionally. 
She  dignifies  the  profession  with  which  she  has  connected  herself,  and  is 
accepted  as  one  of  the  desirable  residents  of  San  Bernardino,  where  she 
owns  one  of  the  finest  homes  in  the  city.  Her  personality  is  delightful, 
and  she  inspires  confidence,  and  wins  affection  because  of  it.  While 
she  has  lost  no  opportunity  to  develop  her  faculties  and  make  herself 
perfect  in  her  profession,  she  has  not  in  any  wav  neglected  her  duty  as 
a  mother,  but  maintains  a  tender,  wi^e  and  watchful  care  over  her  sons. 
who  are  growing  up  to  be  a  credit  to  her  love  and  wisdom.  Such 
women  as  Doctor  Lvda  are  rare,  but  when  found  are  appreciated  by  all 
who  understand  their  admirable  characteristics. 

Lorenzo  Snow  Lyman,  whose  attractive  home  is  on  Cedar  Avenue. 
Bloomington,    San    Bernardino    County,    has    the    unique    distinction   of 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1361 

having  been  the  first  white  child  born  within  the  borders  of  San  Bernar- 
dino county  as  now  constituted,  this  county  having  been  still  a  part  of 
Los  Angeles  County  at  the  time  of  his  birth,  November  6,  18M.  The 
pioneer  dwelling  in  which  he  was  born  was  situated  on  the  bank  of 
Lytle  Creek,  not  far  distant  from  the  site  of  the  present  city  of  San 
Bernardino.  He  is  a  son  of  Amasa  Mason  Lyman  and  Cornelia  (Lea- 
vettj  Lyman,  the  former  of  whom  was  born  in  New  Hampshire  and 
the  latter  at  Warren,  Trumbull  County,  Ohio,  she  having  been  born  in 
1824  and  her  death  having  occurred  December  14,  18o4.  Amasa  M. 
Lyman  became  an  early  convert  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter 
Day  Saints,  was  an  associate  and  personal  friend  of  Joseph  Smith,  one  of 
the  leaders  of  the  great  Mormon  organization,  and  he  served  forty 
years  as  an  earnest  and  efficient  missionary  of  the  church,  much  of  this 
service  having  been  in  European  countries.  He  was  one  of  the  twelve 
apostles  of  the  church  organization  and  was  influential  in  the  councils 
and  work  of  the  same.  He  firmly  believed  in  the  teachings  of  the 
Latter  Day  Saints  relative  to  plural  marriages,  and  upon  coming  to  San 
Bernardino,  California,  in  the  pioneer  days  he  was  accompanied  by  his 
four  wives.  In  this  hazardous  overland  journey  from  Salt  Lake  City 
to  California  in  1851  he  was  leader  of  a  section  of  the  ox  trains  of  the 
Mormon  colonists.  He  was  appointed  one  of  the  delegates  selected 
to  purchase  the  historic  California  ranch  known  as  the  Lugo  ranch,  in 
the  present  San  Bernardino  County,  his  associate  delegates  having  been 
Charles  C.  Rich,  who  likewise  was  an  apostle  of  the  church,  and 
Ebenezer  Hanks.  In  the  general  historical  department  of  this  publica- 
tion adequate  record  is  made  concerning  this  ranch  and  the  founding  of 
the  Mormon  colony,  in  all  of  the  affairs  of  which  Mr.  Lyman  was  a 
leader.  In  December,  1857,  when  Brigham  Young,  head  of  the  Latter 
Day  Saints,  ordered  all  of  the  faithful  members  to  return  to  Utah, 
Mr.  Lyman,  with  his  wives  and  children,  again  made  the  long  and 
hazardous  overland  journey,  and  upon  arriving  in  Utah  he  settled  at 
Parowan,  judicial  center  of  Iron  County,  where  occurred  the  death  of 
the  mother  of  Lorenzo  S.  Lyman,  of  this  sketch.  Amasa  R.  Lyman 
was  a  close  friend  of  Brigham  Young  and  other  leaders  in  the  church, 
but  about  1870  he  seceded  from  the  organization  and  renounced  the  faith 
of  Mormonism.  He  was  a  resident  of  Fillmore,  Millard  County,  Utah, 
at  the  time  of  his  death. 

Lorenzo  S.  Lyman  was  a  child  of  but  four  and  one-half  years  when 
he  became  a  pupil  in  the  old  adobe  schoolhouse  established  in  the  Mor- 
mon colony  in  San  Bernardino  County,  his  teacher  having  been  W.  S. 
Warren.  In  1857,  when  about  six  years  of  age,  he  accompanied  his 
parents  to  Utah,  where  he  continued  his  studies  in  the  schools  of  Paro- 
wan, Fillmore  and  Salt  Lake  City,  his  school  work  having  continued 
until  he  was  eighteen  years  of  age.  As  a  child  he  played  on  the  founda- 
tion of  the  great  Mormon  Temple  at  Salt  Lake  Citv,  and  as  a  youth  he 
was  frequently  a  guest  in  the  home  of  Brigham  Young,  one  of  whose 
daughters  he  escorted  to  dances  and  other  entertainments.  His  great- 
aunt,  Eliza  R.  Snow,  became  the  wife  of  Joseph  Smith,  the  founder  of 
the  Mormon  Church,  and  after  the  death  of  her  first  husband  she  be- 
came the  wife  of  his  successor,  Brigham  Young.  Mr.  Lyman  gained 
full  experience  in  hard  work  and  self-reliance  under  the  pioneer  con- 
ditions in  Utah,  and  early  formed  opinions  of  his  own,  his  convictions 
leading  him  to  withdraw  from  membership  in  the  Mormon  Church 
when  he  was  seventeen  years  old,  and  he  later  joined  the  Congregational 
Church,  of  which  he  has  continued  a  zealous  member  to  the  present 
time.     At  the  age  of  twenty-four  years,  accompanied  by  his  young  wife. 


1362       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

he  returned  to  California,  his  native  state,  the  trip  having  been  made 
with  team  and  wagon.  He  was  engaged  in  tarm  enterprise  m  Santa 
Barbara  County  six  years,  and  he  passed  the  ensuing  tour  years  at 
Parowan,  Utah,  where  he  served  as  postmaster  and  county  registration 
officer,  under  appointment  by  .President  Crover  Cleveland,  lie  again 
availed  himself  of  team  and  wagon  in  making  the  return  trip  to  Cali- 
fornia, and  at  this  time  he  settled  in  San  Bernardino  County.  He  en- 
tered the  service  of  the  Santa  Fe  Railroad.  He  supplied  transportation 
to  the  chief  engineer  and  his  assistants  in  the  making  of  the  hrst  and 
the  final  surveys  of  the  right  of  way  of  this  railroad  from  San  Ber- 
nardino to  Los  Angeles,  this  having  been  in  the  year  1886.  He  next 
took  up  a  homestead  claim  in  the  Alessandro  valley,  a  property  which  he 
mortgaged  and  which  he  lost  as  the  result  of  a  great  drought  that  caused 
failure  of  all  crops  in  this  section.  With  his  financial  resources  reduced 
to  the  minimum,  he  removed  to  Merced  County,  but  the  family  there 
suffered  from  malaria,  with  the  result  that  he  returned  to  San  Ber- 
nardino County,  where  he  purchased  a  partially  improved  tract  of 
orange  land,  at  Bloomington.  He  has  since  developed  this  property  into 
one  of  the  fine  orange  groves  of  this  district  and  with  the  passing  years 
substantial  prosperity  has  attended  his  well  ordered  efforts. 

As  a  youth  in  Salt  Lake  City  Mr.  Lyman  learned  the  printer's  trade, 
and  was  employed  on  early  newspapers  in  that  city. 

On  November  23,  1874,  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Lyman  to 
Miss  Zuie  Rowley,  who  was  born  and  reared  in  England,  her  father 
having  been  converted  to  Mormonism,  but  her  mother  having  refused 
to  follow  his  example,  with  the  result  that  the  parents  were  divorced, 
the  father  having  contracted  a  second  marriage,  in  England,  and  having 
come  to  Salt  Lake  City  and  passed  the  remainder  of  his  life  in  Utah. 
He  sent  for  his  daughter  Zuie,  who  joined  him  in  Salt  Lake  City  and 
who  later  became  the  wife  of  Lorenzo  S.  Lyman.  Mary  E.,  eldest  of  the 
children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lyman,  was  born  in  Utah,  October  2,  1875,  and 
she  is  now  the  wife  of  Emil  Anderson,  of  Bloomington,  California,  their 
two  children  being  Charles  and_  Robert.  Cornelius,  the  second  child, 
was  born  at  Santa  Barbara,  California,  in  April,  1877  and  he  served-  in 
the  Spanish- American  war  in  the  Seventh  Regiment  California  Volun- 
teer Infantry.  He  is  married  and  has  four  children:  Dorothy,  employed 
in  a  bank  at  Fresno ;  Chester,  in  service  in  the  United  States  Navy ;  and 
Celenia  and  Vivian,  at  the  parental  home.  Rosa,  the  third  child,  was 
born  in  Santa  Barbara,  in  1878,  is  the  wife  of  William  Moore,  of  Ar- 
mada, Riverside  County,  and  their  one  child,  Walter,  is  secretary  to 
one  of  the  high  officials  of  the  Santa  Fe  Railroad.  Nora,  who  was  born 
at  Santa  Barbara  in  1880.  is  the  wife  of  William  Stone,  of  San  Ber- 
nardino County,  and  they  have  three  children :  Marion,  Edwin  and 
Lyman.  Ina,  the  fifth  child,  was  born  at  Parowan,  Utah,  is  the  widow 
of  Worth  Mort  and  is  in  charge  of  a  dormitory  at  Leland  Stanford, 
Jr.,  University.  Amasa  Henry,  who  resides  at  Los  Angeles,  is  married 
and  has  two  daughters,  Pamela  and  Amasetta  Henrietta.  Mrs.  Zuie 
(Rowley)  Lyman  died  in  1889,  and  in  1892,  Mr.  Lyman  married  Alpha 
A.  Easton,  who  was  born  in  Tuscola,  Illinois.  Of  the  two  children 
of  this  union  the  elder  is  Arthur,  who  was  born  in  September,  1898, 
and  who  is,  in  1922,  a  junior  in  the  University  of  California.  He  left 
his  studies  to  enter  the  United  States  Navy  when  the  nation  became 
involved  in  the  World  war,  he  having  enlisted  in  April,  1917,  and  having 
received  his  honorable  discharge  in  July,  1919.  As  a  member  of  the 
signal  corps  he  saw  fourteen  months  of  service  in  the  North  Sea,  on  the 
battleship  "New  York,"  under  Admiral  Rodman,  and  incidentally  he  saw 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1363 

the  surrendered  German  fleet  on  its  last  voyage,  an  ignoble  end  in  an 
English  port.  Ella  Lucile,  the  younger  child,  was  born  in  September, 
1903,  and  is  a  sophomore  in  the  Junior  College  at  Riverside. 

Francis  J.  Conway.  In  every  community  there  are  certain  men 
whose  work  is  marked  by  its  constructive  character,  and  whose  popularity 
is  unquestioned.  Because  of  their  evident  sincerity  and  honesty  their 
connection  with  any  movement  gives  it  solidity,  and  as  they  are  public- 
spirited,  they  may  be  depended  upon  to  do  what  is  necessary  to  advance 
their  home  section.  Such  a  man  is  Francis  J.  Conway,  one  of  the 
prosperous  orange  growers  of  Riverside,  and  one  of  the  most  depend- 
able citizens  of  Riverside  and  San  Bernardino  counties.  Not  only  has  he 
acquired  a  well-earned  reputation  for  his  horticultural  efforts,  but  also  for 
his  skill  as  a  painter,  and  he  follows  both  lines  of  endeavor. 

Francis  J.  Conway  was  born  in  the  province  of  Ontario,  Canada, 
October  21,  1854,  a  son  of  Francis  J.  and  Elizabeth  (Smith)  Conway. 
The  father,  who  was  born  in  Ireland,  died  in  1855.  By  occupation  he 
was  a  shoe  merchant.  The  mother,  born  in  England,  is  also  deceased. 
Francis  J.  Conway  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Ontario,  and 
as  a  young  man  learned  the  trade  of  a  painter,  serving  his  apprentice- 
ship at  Oshawa,  Ontario.  He  worked  there  and  at  many  other  places 
in  Canada  and  the  United  States,  and  then,  in  1885,  came  to  California, 
arriving  at  Los  Angeles  May  5th  of  that  year.  For  a  couple  of  years 
after  coming  to  the  Golden  State  he  followed  his  trade,  and  still  takes 
contracts  for  painting  when  an  especially  careful  job  is  required.  After 
settling  permanently  at  Riverside,  in  August,  1888,  he  bought  two  acres 
of  land  at  903  Pennsylvania  Avenue,  and  has  resided  in  the  same  house 
ever  since.  Subsequently  he  bought  an  orange  grove  of  five  acres,  and 
later  another  one  of  ten  acres,  but  has  disposed  of  both  of  them.  He 
has  been  a  member  of  the  Alta  Cresta  Fruit  Exchange  since  its  organ- 
ization, and  has  never  sold  his  fruit  on  the  outside.  While  he  votes 
the  republican  ticket,  he  is  not  active  in  politics,  and  he  has  never  sought 
public  honors,  although  did  he  desire  to  come  before  his  fellow  citizens 
as  a  candidate  would  likely  receive  a  generous  support  on  account  of 
his  great  personal  popularity.  He  belongs  to  the  Fraternal  Aid  Union, 
and  while  in  Canada  was  tenor  horn  in  the  band  of  the  Thirty-fourth 
Battalion,  Canadian  Volunteers. 

On  July  11,  1881,  Mr.  Conway  was  married  at  Oshawa,  Ontario, 
to  Edith  E.  Billings,  a  native  of  Ontario,  and  a  daughter  of  George  W. 
Billings,  a  mechanic,  and  musician  of  repute.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Conway 
have  four  children,  namely :  George,  who  is  an  engineer  for  the  South- 
ern Pacific  Railroad,  married  Morna  Main,  a  daughter  of  M.  P.  Main 
an  orchardist  of  Riverside,  has  one  child,  Enid ;  Edith  Estella,  who  is 
the  wife  of  Charles  W.  Bennett,  a  merchant  of  San  Bernardino,  has 
three  children,  Murial,  Francis  and  Robert ;  Pauline,  who  is  the  wife  of 
P.  L.  Kyes  of  Riverside,  has  four  children,  Doris.  Eleanor,  Pauline  and 
Perry ;  and  Ernest  Lawrence,  who  is  in  the  shoe  business  with  his 
brother-in-law,  at  San  Bernardino.  Not  only  have  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Con- 
way made  a  success  of  their  own  lives,  but  they  have  reared  their 
children  to  become  responsible  and  desirable  adjuncts  to  their  several 
communities,  and  have  in  this  way,  as  in  many  others,  contributed  val- 
uable assets  to  their  country,  and  have  fullv  earned  the  appreciation  they 
receive  from  all  who  know  them,  and  place  at  their  true  value  their 
excellent  qualities. 

George  WASHINGTON  Smith  of  W'ineville  has  individually  owned 
some  properties  in  Southern  California,  but  the  chief  claim  to  considering 


1364      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

him  in  this  publication  rests  upon  his  demonstrated  abilities  in  construc- 
tive lines  of  achievement  and  the  efficient  superintendence  and  manage- 
ment of  large  agricultural  and  horticultural  enterprises.  He  is  now 
superintendent  of  the  Stearns  &  Sons  ranch  at  Wineville,  where  he 
resides. 

Mr.  Smith  was  born  in  Platte  County,  Missouri,  near  Kansas  City 
July  4,  1871,  son  of  George  B.  and  Jane  R.  (Cole)  Smith,  natives  of 
Indiana.  He  was  one  of  ten  children,  three  of  whom  died  in  infancy 
and  one  in  childhood.  The  other  six  are  all  living  in  California.  Ida 
L.  is  Mrs.  L.  S.  Wilson  of  West  Riverside;  Alice  L.  is  Mrs.  B.  R. 
Smith  of  Pomona;  Mrs.  Kate  E.  Foster  lives  at  Arlington;  Mrs.  Lizzie 
P.  Wilson  is  a  resident  of  Guasti ;  and  J.  L.  Smith  lives  at  Riverside 
and  married  a  daughter  of  the  pioneer  Daly  family,  their  marriage  being 
celebrated  in  the  old  adobe  at  Rubidoux. 

George  B.  Smith  was  a  blacksmith  by  trade  and  arrived  in  California 
on  Christmas  Day  of  1878  with  his  family.  He  settled  in  West  Riverside 
but  three  years  later  bought  twelve  acres  of  land  from  Mrs.  Anna  B. 
Cunningham  and  improved  this,  finally  selling  it  in  1907  to  George  W. 
Smith,  a  son,  who  continued  its  improvement  and  development,  planting 
it  to  alfalfa  and  fruit  and  building  on  it  a  modern  home.  In  1910  George 
W.  Smith  sold  this  property  to  the  Portland  Cement  Company,  whose 
plant  was  on  adjoining  ground.  George  B.  Smith  died  in  1909,  having 
survived  his  wife  several  years. 

George  Washington  Smith  has  lived  in  California  since  he  was 
seven  years  of  age  and  he  acquired  his  education  in  this  State.  After 
selling  his  property  in  1910  he  did  dry  farming  on  leased  land  for  three 
years.  He  then  developed  some  land  of  his  own,  and  also  took  part 
in  the  construction  work  on  the  new  canal  at  West  Riverside  from 
the  cement  plant  to  Pedley.  He  became  interested  in  the  business  of 
preparing  adjacent  ground  for  the  planting  of  orchards.  The  excavation 
was  done  by  contract  and  the  planting  of  trees  by  day  labor.  After 
selling  his  own  land  Mr.  Smith  took  a  vacation,  traveling  all  over  the 
northwestern  part  of  the  United  States  looking  for  a  suitable  location, 
but  in  1911  he  returned  to  California  and  became  general  superintendent 
for  the  Fontana  Company,  handling  the  big  job  of  planting  a  thousand 
acres  to  citrus  fruits.  He  remained  with  the  Fontana  Company  six 
and  a  half  years,  and  during  that  time  he  developed  five  thousand 
acres.  He  also  improved  ten  acres  of  his  own  and  built  his  home  on 
Cypress  Avenue  on  the  west  side  of  the  Fontana  tract.  This  private 
property  he  disposed  of  for  Los  Angeles  income  property  and  then 
came  to  Wineville  and  accepted  a  position  with  the  Charles  Stearns 
&  Sons  as  general  superintendent  of  their  ranch.  He  has  the  entire 
responsibility  of  two  thousand  acres.  He  has  been  with  Stearns  & 
Sons  since  January  1,  1919.  When  the  prohibition  law  became  effective 
Stearns  &  Sons  proceeded  to  destroy  their  vineyard  of  wine  grapes, 
and  Mr.  Smith  had  to  superintendent  this  great  task.  He  removed  the 
vines  at  the  rate  of  160  acres  in  eight  days,  destroying  800  acres 
of  vineyard  and  replanting  it  during  the  first  season  with  12,000  apricots 
and  73,000  peach  trees.  At  the  present  time  the  Stearns  ranch  com- 
prises 800  acres  of  vineyard,  800  acres  of  apricots  and  peaches,  while 
the  rest  of  the  2,000  acres  tract  is  in  farm  land.  It  is  stocked  with! 
400  head  of  hogs.  There  is  a  modern  cannery  covering  two  and  a 
half  acres  and  every  part  of  the  equipment  is  thoroughly  modern.  Mr. 
Smith  was  selected  as  manager  of  this  big  property  because  of  his 
demonstrated  record  of  efficiency  and  capability  in  the  handling  of 
large  affairs  and  as  a  capable  executive  of  men. 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1365 

In  1896  Mr.  Smith  married  Addie  Suits,  who  was  born  in  Indiana 
in  1872  and  was  reared  and  educated  in  that  state.  She  was  of  Holland 
ancestry.  Mrs.  Smith  died  at  Fontana  in  the  fall  of  1914.  In  May, 
1916,  Mr.  Smith  married  Mrs.  Nannie  B.  Levett  of  Los  Angeles,  whose 
maiden  name  was  Nannie  B.  Stewart.  She  lived  during  her  early 
childhood  at  Fort  Scott,  Kansas.  Mr.  Smith  is  a  republican.  He  is  a 
thorough  Calif ornian,  in  love  with  the  country  and  its  people  and  its 
opportunities.  As  a  youth  he  was  fond  of  riding  over  the  ranges  and 
frequently  he  joined  a  party  of  young  people  who  went  on  horseback 
from  West  Riverside  to  Rincon,  a  distance  of  sixteen  miles,  and  then 
danced  until  daylight. 

Joseph  B.  Gill.  Many  of  the  most  prominent  men  in  public  life  in 
the  state  of  California  have  achieved  most  enviable  reputations  in 
their  eastern  homes,  in  politics,  finance,  as  merchant  princes  and 
kindred  pursuits,  and  having  accomplished  much  come  out  to  "God's 
Country"  to  rest  and  enjoy  the  Southland.  Few  of  them  are  inclined 
to  take  up  again  the  former  occupations  of  the  east,  but  when  they 
do  get  back  into  the  harness  they  usually  take  up  the  burden  just 
where  they  laid  it  down,  resume  the  same  old  business,  or  go  into 
citrus  culture. 

Joseph  B.  Gill,  banker  and  financier  of  San  Bernardino,  made  his 
fortune  and  his  reputation  in  the  East,  but  more  of  the  latter  than  the 
former,  and  his  forte  was  politics  and  the  controlling  motive  was  the 
protection  of  the  poorer  classes  and  the  easing  of  their  heavy  bur- 
dens. In  the  state  of  Illinois  he,  for  years,  was  the  driving  wheel  in 
politics  and  statesmanship  and  his  burning  zeal  for  service,  his  es- 
pousal of  the  cause  of  the  so-called  lower  classes  made  him  a  power 
to  be  reckoned  with.  With  him  it  was  noblesse  oblige  and  all  his 
actions  were  based  on  enduring  justice  and  right,  and  he  went  down 
underneath  superfluities  to  bedrock.  The  press  at  that  time  was 
warmly  commendatory  and  although  he  was  himself  the  owner  and 
editor  of  a  widely  circulated  newspaper  the  members  of  the  craft  were 
with  him  almost  to  a  man  without  regard  for  petty  jealousies  and 
party  bitterness. 

Mr.  Gill  could  think  for  the  commonwealth,  the  proletariat,  and 
he  came  to  be  their  Moses,  leading  them  out  of  the  morass  in  which 
they  were  all  but  submerged.  The  youngest  Lieutenant  Governor 
Illinois  ever  had,  and  acting  Governor  for  years,  a  lawyer  by  educa- 
tion, Mr.  Gill  from  the  first  showed  all  the  qualities  for  triumphant 
leadership,  and  he  was  soon  tested  in  the  fires  of  experience.  He 
was,  however,  accredited  by  his  friends,  constituents  and  the  press, 
with  so  many  brilliant  and  unusual  qualities  and  talents  it  seems  as 
though  he  possessed  more  gifts  than  any  one  man  should  have. 
Throughout  his  public  life  he  was  never  accused  of  misconduct,  un- 
truth, "wobbling,"  cowardice,  lack  of  initiative  or  nerve.  Although 
he  was  the  champion  of  the  poor  and  oppressed  he  soon  won  golden 
opinion  from  all  classes,  and  always  those  who  favored  good  gov- 
ernment were  solidly  behind  him. 

Mr.  Gill  undoubtedly  inherited  many  of  the  talents  of  his  father 
and  ancestors  for  he  can  trace  his  genealogy  back  to  pre-Revolution- 
ary  days.  His  father  was  John  M.  Gill,  Jr.,  his  grandfather  also 
John,  and  his  greatgrandfather  John.  The  family  was  founded  in 
America  by  the  members  who  settled  in  Virginia  among  the  first 
there.  The  grandfather.  John  Gill,  was  brought  to  Illinois  by  his 
parents  from  his  birthplace  in  Virginia,  while  a  small  boy.     His  wife 


1366      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

was  Nancy,  who  was  American  from  pre-Revolutionary  days,  but  of 
German  ancestry.  The  Gills  were  of  English  and  Irish  ancestry. 
They  had  eight  children,  of  whom  John  Gill  was  the  fifth.  They  lo- 
cated in  Illinois  near  De  Soto,  pioneers  of  that  district,  in  1813.  The 
couple  lived  there  all  their  lives,  reared  their  family  and  died  in  1885. 

John  M.  Gill,  father  of  Joseph  B.  Gill,  was  born  in  Murphysboro, 
Illinois,  November  23,  1833.  He  received  all  the  education  possible 
in  those  times,  and  assisted  his  father  on  the  home  farm.  He  mar- 
ried Nancy  J.  Wright,  daughter  of  Washington  Wright  of  William- 
son county.  They  had  two  children,  Joseph  B.  and  one  deceased. 
In  1855  Mr.  Gill  began  business  in  the  merchandising  line  and  in 
1859  removed  from  De  Soto  to  Williamson  County,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  farming  and  dealing  in  tobacco  and  other  produce  of  the 
farms.     In  1863  he  returned  to  De  Soto  where  he  resided  until  1868. 

In  that  year  he  located  in  Murphysboro,  Illinois.  He  resumed 
his  mercantile  pursuits  but  fire  swept  away  his  store  and  he  decided 
to  take  up  milling.  He  soon  became  one  of  the  prominent  men  of 
that  district,  always  a  staunch  democrat.  In  1876  he  was  elected 
Mayor  of  Murphysboro  and  filled  the  office  two  terms,  establishing 
a  record  for'  the  able  discharge  of  his  duties  and  the  rare  judgment 
he  displayed  in  many  situations  pertinent  to  those  times.  He  was 
also  a  director  of  the  public  schools  for  many  years.  He  was  a  Ma- 
son for  twenty  years. 

He  founded  the  town  of  Gillsburg  on  the  narrow  gauge  railroad 
on  the  Mobile  and  Ohio  Railroad,  about  eight  miles  northwest  of 
Murphysboro,  a  thriving,  busy  place.  He  was  noted  as  a  bus:ness 
man  of  finest  principles,  square  and  honest,  and  of  strict  integrity. 
He  died  on  February  27,  1886. 

Joseph  B.  Gill  spent  his  youth  chiefly  in  De  Soto  and  Murphys- 
boro. He  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  and  in  the  Christian 
Brothers'  College  in  St.  Louis  and  graduated  in  the  classical  course 
of  the  Southern  Illinois  Normal  School  at  Carbondale  in  1884.  He 
took  the  law  course  for  two  years  in  the  University  of  Michigan  at 
Ann  Arbor,  and  was  graduated  an  LL.D.  in  July,  1886,  and  was 
later  admitted  to  the  bar,  passing  an  examination  before  both  the 
Circuit  and  the  Superior  Courts.  He  never  practiced  law  but  his 
training  in  that  profession  has  been  invaluable  to  him. 

He  returned  home  after  graduation  and  engaged  in  the  field  of 
journalism  by  purchasing  an  interest  in  the  Murphysboro  Independ- 
ent which  he  conducted  and  edited  until  January  1,  1893. 

From  the  first  he  was  in  politics,  being  a  strong  democrat  and  he 
was  warmly  welcomed  by  that  party,  becoming  a  power  at  once.  In 
1888  he  was  elected  to  the  Legislature  and  re-elected  in  1890.  Mr. 
Gill  was  opposed  to  corporate  greed  and  an  advocate  of  the  laboring 
classes,  working  for  every  measure  which  tended  to  their  better- 
ment. Among  the  measures  he  espoused  was  the  Gross  Weight 
Bill,  the  Weekly  Pay  Bill  and  the  Anti-Truck  Store  Bill  and  he  was 
one  of  the  men  who  pushed  the  Arbitration  Bill  to  success. 

The  people  who  were  almost  without  any  representation  or 
friends  in  the  Legislature  was  the  class  Mr.  Gill  went  in  to  aid, 
without  any  thought  or  desire  for  reward,  yet  soon  after  the  Legis- 
lature adjourned  this  class  united  in  a  body  to  demand  that  Mr.  Gill 
be  placed  on  the  state  ticket.  They  wanted  him  for  Governor,  and 
this  the  other  class  did  not  want  and  accordingly  they  tried  to  side 
track  him  but  they  could  not  keep  him  off  the  ticket  and  on  the  first 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1367 

ballot,  in  April,  1892,  Mr.  Gill  was  nominated  for  office  of  Lieutenant 
Governor  by  the  democrats  in  State  Convention. 

The  usual  tactics  were  employed  all  through  the  campaign  but 
Mr.  Gill  had  the  entire  confidence  of  the  people  who  not  only  gave 
him  their  admiration  without  reserve  but  backed  it  up  with  their 
votes  and  worked  for  his  success,  and  in  this  as  in  all  else,  Mr.  Gill 
proved  that  failure  could  not  be  attached  to  his  name,  for  his  friends 
and  beneficiaries  elected  him  in  triumph,  he  receiving  the  highest 
number  of  votes  of  any  man  on  the  ticket,  excepting  only  the  candi- 
date for  State  Treasurer.  But  one  remarkable  thing  was  that  many 
of  the  voters  in  the  highest  walks  of  life  voted  and  worked  for  Mr. 
Gill,  standing  in  this  with  the  working  people. 

The  thing  worked  much  like  the  case  of  Theodore  Roosevelt,  for 
while  Governor  Altgeld  did  not  die,  he  was  so  ill  he  could  not  attend 
to  the  duties  of  his  office  and  had  to  go  south  at  once.  Mr.  Gill  as 
acting  Governor  assumed  the  reins  of  government,  the  first  demo- 
crat to  hold  that  office  and  occupy  the  Gubernatorial  chair  in  over 
thirty-five  years. 

From  the  start  he  looked  zealously  after  the  rights  of  the  com- 
mon people  and  believing  that  money  owned  by  the  state  had  been 
carefully  hidden  away  he  started  out  to  unearth  it.  He  set  the  At- 
torney General  on  the  scent  by  having  him  start  suits  against  ex- 
state  officials  going  back  over  many  years.  As  may  be  imagined 
this  was  hot  shot  for  the  politicians  and  many  financiers,  while  to 
his  people  it  gave  unqualified  joy.  On  this  issue  the  press  of  the 
state  and  the  men  of  high  place,  as  well  of  the  common  class,  alike 
congratulated  themselves  upon  their  Governor,  as  he  really  was. 

Mr.  Gill,  with  implacable  purpose,  enforced  every  law  and  acted 
in  the  strictest  accordance  with  the  platform  upon  which  he  was 
elected  and  the  people  knew  they  had  a  Governor  with  whom  their 
rights  were  paramount.  In  February,  1894,  as  Governor  Altgeld 
was  still  absent  in  search  of  health,  Mr.  Gill  again  occupied  the  chair 
of  the  chief  executive  and  again  proved  his  love  for  his  fellow  men 
by  his  service  for  them.  His  youth  was  not  a  drawback,  rather  an 
asset  and  it  seemed  to  draw  him  still  closer  to  the  very  heart  of  the 
people.  His  is  the  rare  case  where  press,  fellow  officials  and  people 
united  in  appreciation  of  a  Governor  and  when  he  left  the  state,  ow- 
ing to  ill  health,  it  was  declared  that  the  keystone  of  the  arch  of 
government  "by  the  people,  for  the  people  and  of  the  people"  had 
been  taken  away. 

Mr.  Gill  had  already  secured  the  annexment  of  the  weekly  pay 
bill  for  the  miners,  and  for  this  and  other  reasons  while  he  was  act- 
ing Governor  his  influence  was  so  great  that  single  handed  he  averted 
a  strike,  while  insistent  demands  were  being  made  to  call  out  the 
militia.  This  strike  occurred  in  the  coal  mines  in  the  northern  part 
of  Illinois,  and  involved  several  companies  and  seven  thousand 
miners.  A  large  part  of  these  miners  gathered  at  Toluca,  Marshall 
County,  and  demanded  what  they  considered  their  rights.  They  were 
armed  and  in  a  very  ugly  mood.  One  of  the  big  mine  owners, 
Charles  J.  Devlin,  also  Sheriff  of  the  county,  fearing  the  destruction 
of  property,  sent  repeated  telegrams  demanding  the  State  Militia 
and  holding  acting  Governor  Gill  responsible  for  any  bloodshed  and 
destruction  that  might  follow  if  he  did  not  send  the  militia.  Governor 
Gill  refused  to  do  so,  and  he  said  that  if  the  companies  would  fur- 
nish the  miners  free  transportation  out  of  the  state  he  would  go  to 
the   strikers  personally.     This   program   was  agreed   upon   and  Gov- 


1368       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

ernor  Gill  accompanied  by  the  Assistant  Adjutant  General  made  the 
trip,  being  met  at  Joliet  by  President  Crawford  of  the  United  Mine 
Workers.  On  arriving  at  Toluca,  a  consultation  was  held  with  Dev- 
lin who  agreed  to  furnish  transportation  if  Mr.  Gill  could  get  the 
strikers  to  proceed  to  their  homes.  Mr.  Gill  and  Mr.  Crawford  both 
addressed  the  miners  and  within  three  hours  after  they  arrived  the 
strikers  were  on  the  train  enroute  home.  All  over  the  state  the 
press  regarded  this  as  a  remarkable  performance  and  was  unanimous 
in  praise  of  Governor  Gill's  tact  and  promptness. 

Mr.  Gill  was  on  the  way  to  the  highest  honors  within  the  gift  of 
the  people  but  he  refused  steadfastly  to  be  a  candidate  for  any  elec- 
tion or  re-election,  but  the  succeeding  administration  appointed  him 
a  member  of  the  State  Board  of  Arbitration,  the  highest  honor  a 
democrat  could  hold  in  the  state  at  that  time,  but  after  his  appoint- 
ment by  Governor  Tanner,  his  health  compelled  him  to  resign  after 
a  few  months.  But  Illinois'  loss  was  California's  gain  for  he  came 
here  to  make  his  home.  The  only  drawback  to  his  coming  was  that 
he  announced  before  and  after  coming  here,  that  he  was  through  with 
politics,  for  good  and  all,  and  men  like  Mr.  Gill  are  needed  always. 
It  is  because  men  of  his  calibre  soon  get  enough  of  politics,  of  trying 
to  stem  the  tide  of  graft  and  similar  evils  that  the  other  kind  have 
too  often  to  be  elected. 

Mr.  Gill  was  elected  the  first  president  of  the  Board  of  Trade  of 
San  Bernardino  after  locating  there  in  1897,  and  was  re-elected.  He 
was  made  Chairman  of  the  Highway  Commission  that  spent  the 
$1,750,000  bond  issue  of  San  Bernardino  County,  and  everyone  knows 
how  efficiently  that  was  done.  He  was  active  in  the  campaign  for 
good  roads,  being  a  committee  chairman  on  each  occasion.  He  is 
president,  1922  23,  of  the  National  Orange  Show.  Mr.  Gill  is  a 
member  of  San  Bernardino  Lodge  No.  836,  B.  P.  O.  E.,  and  was 
one  of  the  first  trustees. 

Mr.  Gill  was  in  the  lumber  business  under  the  name  of  the  Gill- 
Norman  Lumber  Company  and  had  three  yards :  one  in  San  Bern- 
ardino, one  in  Riverside  and  one  in  Redlands.  He  sold  out  his  in- 
terests after  being  engaged  in  it  for  twelve  years  and  then  retired 
from  all  business  for  ten  years.  But  his  high  character,  his  record 
and  his  aptitude  for  finance  soon  brought  him  out  of  retirement  and 
in  1920  he  had  to  give  up  his  life  of  ease  and  accept  the  presidency 
of  the  San  Bernardino  National  Bank  and  of  the  San  Bernardino 
County  Savings  Bank.  He  is  now  also  a  director  of  the  First  Na- 
tional Bank  of  Rialto,  and  is  Vice-President  of  the  Ocean  Park  Bank 
of  Ocean  Park,  California.  He  was  a  director,  of  the  American  Na- 
tional Bank  of  San  Bernardino  but  resigned  when  he  accepted  the 
presidency  of  the  other  two  banks  of  the  citv. 

On  April  27,  1920,  Mr.  Gill  married  Thelma  Smith  of  Murphys- 
boro,  Illinois,  daughter  of  Edward  Smith  and  member  of  one  of  the 
oldest  and  most  respected  families  of  Murphysboro.  Mrs.  Gill  is  a 
member  of  the  Christian  Church  and  has  already  made  many  beloved 
friends  in  her  new  home  in  San  Bernardino,  friendships  that  are  in 
fact  a  tribute  to  her  high  character  and  unusual  social  qualities. 

By  a  former  marriage  Mr.  Gill  is  the  father  of  a  son,  James  W. 
Gill,  of  San  Bernardino,  who  was  born  November  11,  1895,  and  who 
is  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  in  San  Bernardino.  He  saw  ac- 
tive service  in  France  with  the  145th  Field  Artillery. 

The  San  Bernardino  County  Savings  Bank  of  which  J.  B.  Gill  is 
president  has   H.    E.    Harris,   first   vice-president;   A.    M.    Ham,   2nd 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1369 

vice-president;  J.  H.  Wilson,  cashier;  J.  C.  Ralph,  Jr.,  assistant 
cashier.  Directors:  J.  B.  Gill,  H.  E.  Harris,  A.  M.  Ham,  Victor  C. 
Smith,  T.  A.  Blakelv,  W.  J.  Curtis,  Howard  B.  Smith,  Mrs.  E.  D. 
Roberts,  R.  E.  Roberts.  On  December  1,  1920,  the  capital  was  $150,- 
000,  surplus  $150,000,  undivided  profits  $42,000.  The  resources  were 
$3,375,234.24. 

The  officers  of  the  San  Bernardino  National  Bank,  are:  J.  B. 
Gill,  president;  H.  E.  Harris,  1st  vice-president;  W.  S.  Boggs,  2nd 
vice-president;  R.  E.  Roberts,  3rd  vice-president;  J.  S.  Wood,  cash- 
ier; Herbert  Weir  and  V.  J.  Micallef,  assistant  cashiers.  Directors: 
J.  B.  Gill,  H.  B.  Smith,  J.  W.  Curtis,  J.  S.  Wood,  W.  S.  Boggs,  H.  E. 
Harris.  Jennie  E.  Davis,  R.  E.  Roberts,  H.  P.  Stow.  The  capital 
was  $100,000;  surplus,  $100,000;  undivided  profits,  .$235,086.95.  The 
resources  were  $2,206,750.99.  The  combined  capital  and  surplus  of 
these  two  banks  was  over  $800,000,  the  combined  deposits  $4,538. 
059.74  and  the  combined  resources,  $5,624,924.20. 

Matthew  Moses  More,  business  man  of  San  Bernardino,  is  not 
only  a  Native  Son  of  California  but  the  son  of  a  pioneer  and  the  grandson 
of  a  pioneer.  His  father  and  grandfather  went  through  the  strenuous 
early  days  and  did  much  to  aid  in  early  development.  He  has  lived 
nearly  all  his  life  in  his  birth  place  and  was  educated  here. 

Mr.  More  was  born  in  San  Bernardino  September  23,  1876,  the  son  of 
Matthew  and  Abbie  (West)  More.  His  father  came  to  California 
with  his  father  and  mother  in  the  early  fifties  and  located  in  San 
Bernardino.  They  crossed  the  plains  in  the  prairie  schooner  drawn  by 
oxen  which  was  the  best  mode  of  conveyance  at  that  time  and  they 
underwent  all  the  trials  and  discomforts  of  the  hardy  pioneers  of  that 
age.  Matthew  More  was  a  teamster  by  occupation  and  in  following 
that  line  of  work  was  killed  accidentally  in  San  Bernardino  June  30,  1881. 
The  mother  was  also  a  native  of  San  Bernardino,  born  near  Citv  Creek. 
She  is  still  living  in  the  old  home  place.  After  the  death  of  her  husband 
she  married  again,  Charles  A.  More,  a  business  man  of  Colton. 

Both  the  father  and  grandfather  of  Matthew  Moses  More  lived  and 
died  on  the  old  home  place  which  is  very  dear  to  the  family  and  which 
is  still  in  their  possession,  and  still  a  home  for  the  mother. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Matthew  More  were  the  parents  of  four  children, 
Minnie,  wife  of  Z.  T.  Bell,  secretary-treasurer  of  the  Citrus  Belt  Gas 
Company  of  San  Bernardino ;  Jim,  a  blacksmith  of  Colton  Citv ;  the 
next  a  son  is  deceased ;  and  Matthew  Moses  More,  of  this  sketch. 

Mr.  More  was  educated  in  the  oublic  schools  of  San  Bernardino  and 
then  took  up  the  trade  of  horse-shoeing  which  he  has  since  followed. 
He  worked  for  others  for  a  time  and  then  in  1904  he  opened  a  shop  in 
Redlands  which  he  conducted  until  1914  when  he  returned  to  the  citv  of 
his  birth  and  onened  his  present  shop  which  he  has  since  placed  on  a 
verv  secure  basis. 

Mr.  More  was  united  in  wedlock  in  Pasadena  in  1902  to  Delia 
Roach,  a  daughter  of  Tames  I.  Roach  who  came  from  Wisconsin  in 
1880  and  located  in  San  Bernardino  County.  Mrs.  More  has  lived 
in  San  Bernardino  Countv  since  she  was  four  vears  old,  except  for  a 
short  residence  in  Pasadena.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  More  have  two  children  : 
Harold  and  Gln-dvs.  Mr.  More  is  associated  with  a  number  of  fraternal 
organizations  bein?  member  of  trie  Kni?hts  of  Pvthias.  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  Fraternal  Order  of  Fasrles,  Woodmen  of  the 
World  and  The  Women  of  Woodcraft,  and  of  Arrowhead  Parlor  No. 
110,  Native   Sons  of  the  Golden   West.     Tn   politics  he   is   independent, 


1370       SAX  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

selecting  candidates  he  considers  best  qualified  regardless  of  party  affili- 
ations. 

Mrs.  Mildred  B.  Pierce — What  is  at  once  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
and  most  historic  homesteads  in  San  Bernardino  County  is  the  Crafts 
place,  which  on  April  11,  1921,  passed  by  purchase  to  Mrs.  Mildred  B. 
Pierce.  Mrs.  Pierce  appreciates  not  only  the  wonderful  charm  of  this 
home,  but  also  its  historic  relationship  with  the  community  of  Crafton. 

The  founder  of  the  homestead  and  also  the  founder  of  the  village 
of  Crafton  was  M.  H.  Crafts,  a  New  Englander.  later  a  successful 
business  man  of  Michigan  who  came  to  California  in  1861  and  bought 
four  hundred  and  fifty  acres  at  what  is  now  Crafton,  then  known  as  the 
Altoona  neighborhood.  Later  he  increased  his  holdings  to  eighteen 
hundred  acres,  and  in  1886.  from  a  portion  of  this,  he  platted  the  town 
of  Crafton  and  was  busily  engaged  in  carrying  out  plans  for  its  develop- 
ment when  he  died  in  September,  1886.  He  set  out  the  second  orange 
grove  in  San  Bernardino  Valley,  in  1870. 

Mrs.  Pierce,  present  owner  of  the  homestead,  is  the  widow  of  the 
late  J.  E.  Pierce,  of  Massachusetts.  Mrs.  Pierce  is  of  Southern  ancestry, 
her  father's  father  and  mother  and  her  mother's  father  and  mother  being 
Virginians.     Much  of  her  own  life  has  been  spent  in  the  South. 

Her  only  child  and  joint  owner  in  the  Crafton  property  is  Colonel 
Junnius  Pierce,  a  distinguished  armv  officer  who  for  fourteen  years  was 
in  the  service  of  the  Regular  Army.  He  was  through  the  Great  war. 
going  overseas  in  October,  1917,  and  returning  in  December,  1920.  He 
was  adjutant  to  Major  General  John  Biddle,  chief  of  all  the  American 
Forces  in  England,  and  when  General  Biddle  returned  to  the  United 
States  Colonel  Pierce  was  appointed  to  perform  his  duties  and  later 
was  made  chief  in  England  of  the  United  States  Liquidation  Commis- 
sion. He  was  performing  his  duties  with  that  commission  until  he 
resigned  to  associate  himself  with  a  British  Syndicate,  handling  its 
affairs  in  America.  Colonel  Pierce  was  awarded  the  distinguished 
service  medal  by  his  own  Government.  Also  by  the  order  of  King 
George  he  was  made  companion  of  the  Distinguished  Order  of  St. 
Michael  and  St.  George,  the  investiture  taking  place  at  Whitehall. 
Field  Marshal  Haig  placing  the  decoration. 

At  San  Francisco  in  1913  Colonel  Pierce  married  Barbara  J.  Small, 
daughter  of  the  late  Henry  J.  Small,  who  was  a  prominent  official  of 
the  Southern  Pacific  Railroad  Company  for  more  than  a  quarter  of  a 
century.  Colonel  and  Mrs.  Pierce  have  a  daughter,  Mildred  Barbara 
Pierce. 

W.  P.  McIntosh. — To  be  able  to  look  back  over  years  of  substantial 
achievement  and  to  realize  in  some  measure  how  beneficial  this  achieve- 
ment has  been  to  thousands  of  his  fellow  men,  does  not  come  to  every 
man  as  he  approaches  the  evening  of  life,  but  it  is  the  happy  lot  of  one 
of  San  Bernardino  County's  foremost  residents.  Hon.  W.  P.  Mcintosh, 
long  prominent  in  politics,  finance  and  land  development.  Mr.  Mcintosh 
has  been  a  moving  force  and  a  personality  in  every  phase  of  his  long 
and  useful  career,  from  the  time  he  proved  to  his  first  employer  that 
his  willing  service  was  worth  much  more  than  his  stipulated  salary, 
through  long  years  to  the  present,  when  thousands  of  acres  of  one  time 
desert  land  yield  enormously  because  of  his  far-sighted  efforts  that 
resulted  in  bringing  life-giving  water  to  the  soil,  and  his  generous  but 
practical  system  of  disposing  of  these  lands. 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1371 

W.  P.  Mcintosh  was  born  in  the  province  of  Ontario,  Canada, 
Eebruary  27,  1849.  His  parents  were  P.  D.  and  Anna  Mcintosh,  the 
former  of  whom  was  born  in  Canada,  of  Scotch  ancestry,  and  the  latter 
of  whom  was  born  in  Scotland.  Of  their  large  family  of  children  W.  P. 
was  next  to  the  youngest  in  order  of  birth.  The  father  was  a  man  of 
consequence,  serving  in  a  responsible  public  office  for  thirty-five  years, 
retiring  then  against  the  wishes  of  those  in  higher  authority.  At  the 
time  of  death  he  left  an  honorable  name  but  no  appreciable  fortune  to 
his  family. 

After  W.  P.  Mcintosh  completed  his  schooling  he  began  to  plan 
for  the  future,  and  finally  entered  into  an  agreement  with  a  local  mer- 
chant to  work  for  him  as  a  clerk  for  three  years,  his  salary  for  the 
first  year  to  be  $36,  for  the  second  year,  $60,  and  $96  for  the  third 
year,  board  and  clothing  being  included.  That  he  proved  unexpectedly 
useful  was  indicated  at  the  end  of  his  first  quarter,  when  his  employer, 
without  solicitation,  advanced  his  wage  to  the  third  year's  rating,  and 
later,  when  the  youth  was  offered  a  much  more  advantageous  position, 
was  honest  enough  to  urge  its  acceptance. 

Mr.  Mcintosh  continued  in  the  mercantile  line  in  Ontario  until 
1868,  when  he  came  to  California,  reaching  San  Francisco  on  the  day 
before  the  earthquake  in  that  year.  He  went  into  Napa  County,  and 
as  his  funds  were  low,  his  sole  capital  being  but  $5  at  that  time,  he  secured 
farm  work  at  what  is  now  Yountsville,  and  spent  the  winter  there. 
In  the  spring  of  1869  he  went  to  Carson  City,  Nevada,  with  still  less 
capital  than  before,  but  felt  in  no  way  discouraged,  although  he  had 
neither  friends-  nor  acquaintances  in  this  section.  He  had,  however,  a 
strong  physique  and  a  readiness  to  accept  any  work  at  hand,  and  thus 
found  a  job  and  made  friends  as  he  helped  to  build  the  Virginia  & 
Truskee  Railroad.  Later  he  went  with  the  Sierra  Nevada  Wood  & 
Lumber  Company,  which  was  constructing  the  Marlette  Lake  dam 
to  furnish  water  for  the  celebrated  Comstock  Lode  Mine.  In  the 
second  year  with  this  company  he  was  made  general  manager,  a  position 
he  continued  to  fill  for  years,  resigning  in  1878  in  order  to  accept  the 
position  of  superintendent  of  the  Cortez  Mines  at  Aurora,  Nevada. 

In  September,  1883,  Mr.  Mcintosh  located  at  Los  Angeles  and 
embarked  in  the  real  estate  business  in  the  following  year,  in  which  line 
of  effort  he  has  continued  ever  since.  Although  he  has  been  an  important 
factor  in  developing  Los  Angeles  from  the  hamlet  he  found  into  the 
present  beautiful  city,  he  has  by  no  means  confined  his  business  operations 
to  this  special  section.  In  1886-7  he  purchased  wild,  desert  land  in 
the  Mentone  section,  where  no  development  had  been  attempted  because 
there  was  no  water.  Mr.  Mcintosh,  however,  was  exercising  his  gift 
of  foresight.  His  first  step  was  to  secure  water,  and  he  made  the 
first  filing  on  underflow  water  of  Mill  Creek,  commencing  development 
above  the  first  dvke.  or  natural  dam,  by  tunneling  under  the  stream  and 
in  this  wav  searching  out  the  underflow.  This  water  right  is  now  owned 
by  the  Mentone  Groves  Company,  a  corporation  composed  of  W.  P. 
Mcintosh  and  his  three  sons.  These  lands,  the  original  purchase  being 
2300  acres,  but  now  reduced  by  sales  to  350  acres,  have  been  purchased 
by  homebuilders,  actual  settlers,  Mr.  Mcintosh  having  put  in  motion 
an  easy  system  of  payment  that  has  enabled  honest,  thrifty  individuals 
to  acquire  desirable  home  sites.  In  selling  these  lands  Mr.  Mcintosh 
gives  the  purchaser  ten  years  in  which  to  pay  for  them  and  charging  only 
six  and  one-half  percent  interest. 

In  1897-8  Mr.  Mcintosh  was  elected  president  of  the  Barton  Land 
&   Water   Company,   and   in  the   space  of   two   years,   under  the   above 


1372       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

terms,  he  had  sold  1050  acres  of  the  company's  land  in  rive  and  ten 
acre  tracts.  The  invisible  monument  erected  to  him  in  the  hearts  of  those 
who  have  benefited  by  the  great  opportunity  offered  them  by  Mr. 
Mcintosh  is  a  noble  one  and  will  stand  to  his  credit  for  generations  to 
come.  In  the  Los  Angeles  district  he  sub-divided  various  tracts  and  in 
one  sub-division  sold  lots  for  $500  that  within  two  years  commanded 
$4000,  while  in  Mentone  orange  growers  have  amassed  fortunes  on 
the  land  they  bought. 

Mr.  Mcintosh  married  first  Miss  Kate  D.  Wade,  who  at  death 
left  three  sons:  Walter,  George  W.  and  Allen  P.,  all  of  whom  are  now- 
associated  with  their  father  in  the  realty  business.  The  youngest  son 
is  a  veteran  of  the  World  war  and  served  in  France  as  a  member  of 
the  61st  Regiment,  the  famous  "Grizzlies."  The  father  of  Mrs.  Mcintosh 
was  an  early  pioneer  in  California,  connected  with  many  western  en- 
terprises and  at  one  time  was  mayor  of  Placerville.  Mr.  Mcintosh 
married  for  his  second  wife  Miss  L.  V.  McGill,  who  was  born  and 
educated  in  Illinois  and  is  a  talented  musician.  Her  father  served  in 
the  war  between  the  states  and  after  his  return  to  civil  life  he  established 
the  Farmers  Bank  of  Hancock  County,  Illinois,  which  is  still  operating 
under  the  name  he  gave  it.  Mr.  Mcintosh  was  reared  in  the  Presbyterian 
faith  and  has  never  wavered  in  his  allegiance  but  has,  nevertheless, 
been  liberal  to  other  church  organizations  also. 

As  has  been  stated,  Mr.  Mcintosh  entered  the  State  of  Nevada  in 
poor  financial  circumstances,  but  the  time  came  when  he  was  a  very 
prominent  factor  in  the  financial  field.  He  assisted  in  the  establishment 
of  two  savings  banks  and  carried  the  first  savings  bank  in  the  state 
through  its  first  year  as  its  president.  His  business  stability  secured 
him  the  confidence  of  the  public,  and  during  his  period  of  residence  at 
Carson  City  political  favor  came  his  way,  resulting,  despite  his  youth,  in 
his  defeating  a  well  known  politician,  John  C.  McFarnahan,  for  the 
State  Legislature,  in  which  body  he  served  with  marked  efficiency. 
He  assisted  also  in  early  development  at  Redlands,  but  the  only  other 
political  office  that  he  has  consented  to  accept  was  in  the  early  days 
at  Los  Angeles,  when  he  served  as  chairman  of  the  building  committee 
of  the  Board  of  Education  at  the  time  the  first  large  school  bond  was 
floated.  It  was  a  position  of  much  responsibility,  and  Mr.  Mcintosh's 
business  judgment  was  invaluable.  For  more  than  a  half  century  he 
has  been  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  receiving  his  first  degree 
as  a  charter  member  of  Carson  City  Lodge  No.  1,  Free  and  Accepted 
Masons,  forty-eight  years  ago,  and  now  is  a  member  of  Southern  Cali- 
fornia Lodge  No.  278,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  Los  Angeles.  Mr. 
Mcintosh  resides  in  one  of  the  beautiful  homes  of  Mentone,  California. 

R.  Emerson  Gilliland  is  one  of  the  prominent  men  of  Riverside 
who  has  earned  the  right  to  be  numbered  among  the  leading  citrus 
fruit  growers  of  the  Southwest  through  his  energy  and  efficiency. 
While  he  has  acquired  wealth  in  his  industry,  he  has  not  neglected 
his  duty  as  a  good  citizen,  but  has  ever  been  generous  in  his  dona- 
tions of  time  and  capabilities  to  public  service.  It  is  to  such  men 
as  he  that  Riverside  owes  its  present  supremacy  in  so  many  lines. 

Born  near  New  Alarion,  Indiana,  June  11,  1868.  Mr.  Gilliland  is  a 
son  of  William  F.  Gilliland,  a  native  of  Cross  Plains,  Indiana,  now 
deceased.  He  was  a  farmer  and  raiser  of  fine  stock  in  Indiana.  Dur- 
ing the  war  between  the  two  sections  of  the  country  William  F. 
Gilliland  served  as  captain  of  Company  E,  Eighty-third  Indiana 
Volunteer  Infantry,  under  General   Logan  and  General  McPherson, 


y\      (Q-y^Mt^r^^^A^z^z^ 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1375 

She  went  through  the  W.  R.  C.  and  the  Sons  of  Veterans  Auxiliary, 
having  been  president  twice  of  the  latter.  She  has  a  brother,  Harry 
A.  Willoughby,  living  in  Sandusky,  Ohio,  and  a  sister,  Blanche  F. 
Alspach,  residing  in  Upper  Sandusky,  Wyandotte  County,  Ohio. 

Mr.  Gilliland  is  devoted  to  the  city  and  county  of  Riverside,  giv- 
ing his  support  to  all  matters  of  civic  importance.  He  is  an  enthu- 
siastic booster  for  everything  Californian,  and  Mrs.  Gilliland  is  not 
far  behind  him  in  her  interest  in  these  movements.  Both  of  them 
stand  very  high  in  popular  esteem,  and  their  hospitable  home  is  often  - 
linn's  the  scene  of  delightful  gatherings  of  their  many  friends,  whom 
they  welcome  in  true  Californian  fashion. 

Mrs.  Susan  Mkeks — Chino  is  the  home  of  one  of  the  interesting 
pioneer  women  of  San  Bernardino  County,  Mrs.  Susan  Meeks,  who 
has  lived  here  sixty-three  years,  and  has  made  a  modest  fortune  and 
reared  and  provided  for  her  children  out  of  the  fruits  of  strenuous 
labor  and  remarkably  resolute  struggle  with  the  adversities  and  hard- 
ships of  existence. 

Mrs.  Meeks  was  Miss  Susan  Bishop  before  her  marriage  and  was 
born  in  Fillmore  City,  Utah,  December  13,  1855.  Her  mother,  Melinda 
(Case)  Bishop,  came  to  California  a  widow.  The  Cases  were  among 
the  first  white  settlers  in  San  Bernardino,  her  brothers,  John,  William 
and  James  Case,  having  preceded  her.  Mrs.  Bishop  had  come  from 
Salt  Lake  with  her  brother-in-law,  Henry  Dodson,  a  trader,  and  her 
intention  was  to  make  a  visit  in  San  Bernardino.  She  and  her  four 
children  reached  here  June  15,  1858.  She  never  went  back  to  Utah, 
and  subsequently  was  married  to  Edward  Wilcox,  who  died  as  the 
result  of  injuries  received  from  the  kick  of  an  animal.  Mrs.  Bishop 
died  at  the  age  of  seventy-eight,  in  Orange  County.  Her  children 
were  Martha,  Julia,  Susan  and  Artemus,  all  living  in  California. 

Susan  Bishop  was  three  and  a  half  years  of  age  when  brought  to 
California,  and  she  grew  up  in  the  home  of  her  mother,  the  other  chil- 
dren being  reared  elsewhere.  There  was  little  opportunity  for  school- 
ing under  such  conditions,  and  Miss  Bishop  was  earning  her  living 
and  more  when  a  mere  girl.  At  the  age  of  fifteen  she  became  a  general 
houseworker.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  her  employment  involved  the 
care  of  children,  all  the  housework,  milking,  churning  and  bread-making, 
all  for  a  wage  of  five  dollars  a  week. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-one  she  became  the  wife  of  John  H.  Meeks, 
who  was  born  in  Indiana  in  January,  1835,  and  was  a  photographer 
by  profession.  His  home  for  a  number  of  years  was  near  Westminster, 
California,  in  Orange  County.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Meeks  became  the 
parents  of  five  children  :  John  L.,  born  in  May,  1878 ;  Laura  A.,  born 
November  12,  1879,  now  Mrs.  J.  V.  Dunn,  of  Chino,  and  the  mother 
of  eight  children;  Charles  Edward,  born  October  1,  1884;  Fred,  born 
December  20,  1887,  who  married  Agnes  Irving  and  has  a  son;  and 
Florence,  born  March  11,  1891,  wife  of  Ray  Campbell  and  the  mother 
jf  a  daughter  and  son. 

Mr.  Meeks  after  his  marriage  continued  his  profession  as  a  pho- 
tographer, removing  to  Chino  in  1893,  and  died  in  1901.  He  moved 
to  Chino  when  the  sugar  factory  was  being  opened.  He  had  previ- 
ously taken  up  and  proved  a  homestead  in  San  Diego  County.  Mr. 
Meeks  was  an  invalid  the  last  ten  years  of  his  life,  and  in  addition  to 
looking  after  him  Mrs.  Meeks  had  the  care  and  burden  of  her  house- 
hold and  her  family,  and  at  her  husband's  death  she  was  practically 
penniless  and  her  fortune  has  been  accumulated  by  her  thrift  and  good 


1376       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

management  in  the  last  twenty  years.  She  has  accumulated  city 
property  at  Chino  and  at  the  Beach.  After  the  death  of  her  husband 
she  bought  her  present  homestead  of  five  acres  on  Philadelphia 
Avenue  and  the  Pipe  Line.  She  paid  eight  hundred  dollars  for  this, 
and  has  since  refused  five  thousand  dollars.  It  is  well  set  in  deciduous 
fruits.  Mrs.  Meeks  did  a  great  deal  of  nursing  in  Chino  as  a  means 
of  paying  out  on  her  property.  As  her  children  grew  older  they  helped 
her  in  accumulating  her  present  ample  holdings.  She  bought  real 
estate  at  different  times,  paying  only  a  part  of  the  purchase  price 
down  and  carrying  the  remainder  on  interest.  For  thirty-six  years 
she  has  been  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Church,  a  strong  prohibition 
worker,  and  she  has  faced  and  solved  the  problems  of  life  with  true 
fortitude  and  Christian  spirit. 

John  Samuel  Armstrong  was  born  at  Sheffield,  Ontario,  Canada, 
October  11,  1865,  son  of  Joseph  and  Eliza  Armstrong.  His  parents 
were  natives  of  Ireland,  of  Scotch  ancestry,  and  almost  life-long  resi- 
dents of  Canada,  and  here  he  was  reared  and  educated.  On  account 
of  poor  health  he  moved  to  Ontario,  California,  with  his  widowed 
mother  and  seven  children,  of  which  he  is  the  eldest,  reaching  here 
March  3,  1889.  The  six  other  children  are  named  Miss  Etta  M., 
Joseph  W.,  Mrs.  Arthur  Yarnell  of  Los  Angeles,  Mrs.  Margaret 
Herrett  of  Seattle,  Washington,  William  and  Mrs.  Alice  Hiller. 

Air.  Armstrong  soon  after  coming  to  California  began  in  a  small 
way  to  propagate  and  sell  nursery  stock.  From  this  small  beginning 
the  business  has  grown  until  the  nursery  grounds  now  cover  350 
acres,  and  the  Armstrong  Nurseries  is  now  one  of  the  best  known 
nurseries  in  the  state,  doing  mainly  a  mail  order  business  but  also 
enjoying  a  large  transient  trade  from  all  over  Southern  California. 
Fruit  trees,  deciduous,  citrus  and  tropical,  are  the  main  products  of 
the  nursery,  particular  attention  being  given  to  new  fruits,  among 
which  are  Avocados,  new  named  varieties  of  Feijoas,  Cherimoyas, 
Sapotas,  Mangos,  Jujube,  Pistache,  Loquats,  etc.  The  ornamental 
department  covers  a  wide  field.  Twenty  thousand  feet  of  glass  are 
used  in  propagating  beds. 

Mr.  Armstrong  has  formed  a  complete  organization,  employing 
trained,  experienced  men  to  conduct  the  various  departments.  Only 
the  best  known  methods  are  used  and  the  business  is  conducted  with 
the  firm  purpose  of  holding  the  confidence  of  all  patrons.  An  annual 
catalog  is  issued  in  large  quantities,  which  is  mailed  to  all  parts  of 
the  world. 

In  Ontario  Mr.  Armstrong  has  been  a  member  of  the  City  Council 
for  two  terms,  and  is  now  president  of  the  Elementary  School  Board. 
He  is  a  director  in  the  Ontario  National  Bank,  a  republican,  a  Mason 
and  Shriner,  a  Methodist,  and  a  member  of  the  Red  Hill  Country  Club. 

At  Clinton,  Ontario,  Canada,  in  September  1896,  he  married  Miss 
Charlotte  A.  Cooper,  a  daughter  of  William  Cooper,  who  came  to 
Ontario,  California,  from  Clinton,  Ontario,  Canada.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Armstrong  have  three  children,  all  unmarried,  named  John  Awdry, 
Arthur  and  Miss  Olive. 

William  G.  Williams — The  possibilities  of  achievement  under  dis- 
couraging and  adverse  circumstances  are  seldom  better  exemplified 
in  an  individual  career  than  in  that  of  William  G.  Williams,  one  of  the 
prosperous  orange  growers  in  the  Redlands  District. 

Mr.  Williams  was  born  at  Newark,  Ohio,  November  15,  1860.  His 
father,  David   Loyd  Williams,   was  born   in   Wales   in    1832   and  on 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  C<  (UNTIES       1377 

coming  to  America  in  1854  settled  at  Newark,  Ohio.  Four  years 
later  he  married  Mar)-  Griffith,  also  a  native  of  Wales,  who  was 
brought  to  America  by  her  parents  when  she  was  two  years  of  age. 
She  was  one  of  ten  children,  two  boys  and  eight  girls,  and  by  her 
marriage  to  David  L.  Williams  she  was  the  mother  of  ten  children, 
seven  boys  and  three  girls.  All  these  are  still  living  except  one 
daughter,  and  eight  of  them  live  within  a  radius  of  five  miles  around 
the  old  home  of  their  parents  in  Putnam  County,  Ohio.  David  L. 
Williams  established  his  home  in  that  county  in  1866,  buying  a  large 
farm  in  Sugar  Creek  Township,  and  he  owned  that  and  other  acreage 
and  was  one  of  the  large  propertied  men  of  the  county.  He  died 
in  1908. 

W'illiam  G.  Williams  was  the  oldest  of  the  family  and  is  the  only 
one  in  California.  He  had  a  country  school  education.  He  remained 
at  home,  devoted  to  the  labors  of  the  farm,  until  he  was  twenty-nine. 

In  1891  Air.  Williams  married  Miss  Ruth  E.  James,  who  was  born 
at  Granville,  Ohio,  daughter  of  Walkin  and  Jane  James,  of  Granville, 
natives  of  Wales.  Mrs.  Williams  is  an  educated  and  cultured  woman, 
finishing  her  schooling  in  one  of  Ohio's  best  colleges,  located  at  Gran- 
ville. She  has  traveled  abroad  in  Europe  and  elsewhere  and  has 
visited  the  old  home  of  her  parents  in  Wales. 

Mr.  Williams  at  the  time  of  his  marriage  was  not  only  without 
capital  but  was  in  poor  health,  due  to  malarial  fever.  He  decided  to 
come  to  California,  and  on  Easter  Sunday,  April  17,  1892,  he  and 
Mrs.  Williams  reached  San  Bernardino.  The  following  day  they 
traveled  into  Redlands  by  way  of  the  old  Dummy  line  and  here  rented 
apartments  for  a  time.  Then  occurred  a  relapse  of  the  malaria,  which 
finally  concentrated  in  his  left  arm,  necessitating  four  operations.  At 
the  third  operation  in  a  Los  Angeles  hospital  the  elbow  joint  was 
removed.  There  was  a  ten  year  struggle  to  regain  his  health,  but 
he  finally  succeeded  and  now  for  a  number  of  years  has  been  able  to 
do  his  full  part  in  all  departments  of  horticulture  and  ranching.  Mr. 
Williams  purchased  his  first  lot  on  Cajon  Street,  between  Home  Place 
and  Cyprus  Avenue,  on  the  east  side  of  Cajon.  Here  he  built  a 
barn  14x18  feet,  and  lived  in  it  two  years.  It  was  the  first  building 
in  the  entire  block.  They  then  built  a  good  home  on  the  front  of 
the  lot.  This  was  their  home  until  July  1,  1911,  when  Mr.  Williams 
traded  the  town  property  for  a  ten-acre  full  bearing  orange  grove  on 
East  Luconia  Avenue  near  Church  Street.  This  excellent  grove, 
located  across  from  the  University,  has  responded  in  abundant  meas- 
ure to  his  careful  thrift  and  steady  management,  and  considering  the 
obstacles  he  has  overcome  few  men  could  take  more  satisfaction  out 
of  prosperity  than  Mr.  Williams,  who  accords  liberal  share  of  the 
credit  for  what  he  has  accomplished  to  Mrs.  Williams.  Both  have 
been  faithful  members  of  the  Congregational  Church  since  they  were 
about  fifteen  or  sixteen  years  of  age.  Mr.  Williams  is  affiliated  with 
Redlands'  Lodge  No.  300  of  the  Masonic  Order. 

Walter  Minturn  Dean  was  descended  from  ancestors  forming 
interesting  strains  in  the  making  of  the  American  race.  Through  his 
father,  Albert  Flandreau  Dean,  he  harked  back  to  the  Mayflower,  to 
New  York  and  to  the  French  Huguenots,  while  on  the  side  of  his 
mother,  Elizabeth  Pope  Dean,  he  claimed  as  forebears  Virginia 
Quakers  who  migrated  to  Ohio  when  conditions  of  living  were  prim- 
itive and  Indians  were  plentiful. 


1378      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

Mr.  Dean  was  born  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  September  24,  1874, 
gaining  his  foundational  education  in  the  public  schools  there  and 
continuing  it  in  the  high  schools  of  Chicago,  whence  the  family  re- 
moved later.  Afterward  he  attended  the  University  of  Michigan, 
where  he  was  prominent  in  sports  and  glee  club  activities  as  well  as 
in  the  Theta  Delta  Chi  fraternity.  Upon  leaving  the  university  he 
was  associated  with  his  father  in  the  insurance  business,  the  latter 
being  the  author  of  the  Dean  Schedule  for  rating.  A  flattering  offer 
took  him  soon  to  the  management  of  a  department  of  the  Goodyear 
Rubber  Company  in  Akron,  Ohio.  However,  a  few  years  later  a 
desire  for  a  more  genial  climate  was  the  cause  of  his  going  to  Cuba, 
where  he  learned  the  tobacco  business  on  a  large  finca  near  Havana, 
but  his  plans  for  a  residence  there  were  unexpectedly  changed  and 
the  lure  of  California  drew  him  back  to  his  own  land.  He  became  a 
progressive  citrus  grower  in  Corona,  and  took  the  most  intense  inter- 
est in  his  groves  and  ranches.  He  was  always  a  public-spirited 
citizen,  serving  enthusiastically  in  the  Chamber  of  Commerce.  He 
was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Corona  Country  Club  and  of  the 
Orange  Belt  Tennis  Association,  during  the  existence  of  which  latter 
he  captured  many  trophies  as  a  tennis  player.  He  did  much  social 
service  work  among  the  young  people  of  the  Baptist  Church.  He 
was  a  man  of  fine  presence  and  much  social  charm.  His  ability  as 
an  amateur  actor  and  a  talented  singer,  together  with  the  fact  that  his 
wife  is  a  writer  of  poems  and  plays,  made  his  home  a  rendezvous 
for  those  who  love  the  finer  things  of  life.  On  the  31st  of  October, 
1910,  occurred  his  marriage  to  Janet  Overall  Williams,  of  distinguished 
Southern  ancestry.  His  widow  and  two  children,  Walter  Manley  and 
Elise  Overall,  survive  him. 

MEMORIE 

by 

Janet  Williams  Dean. 

It  is  too  stark  to  write  the  simple  words — 

There  he  was  born — yonder  he  died — 

This  he  achieved,  and  that. 

Nay,  let  me  sing 

Who  knew  his  heart 

And  let  me  say 

How  gladly  he  did  hail 

As  sentinels  of  each  new  day, 

The  tall,  worn  trees 

Grey  with  the  mist  of  morn ; 

How  tenderly  at  dusk  he  watched 

The  red  leaves  in  the  wind, 

Dancing  before  they  died. 

How  he  had  tasted  ecstasy  too  sweet, 

How   he   had   heard   the  babbling   of   the   stars 

And    read    within    man's    wild    rebellious    heart 

A  prayer  for  beauty  haunting  him   in   dreams. 

Let  me  make  known  besides 

How  oft  the  voice  of  God 

Spoke  to  him  in  night's  hush, 

Or  when  the  blue  sea  broke 

In  bubbles  on  the  sand, 

Or  when  his  baby  smiled  ; 

Or  further  speak 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1379 

How  he  gave  honor 

To  the  men  who  bend 

In  strength  beneath  their  toil ; 

How  he  was  touched 

By  woman's  plaintive  unpaid  ministry  ; 

How  he  had  never  stilled 

The  laughter  in  the  heart  of  any  child. 

There  is  no  need  to  chant 

The  fair  and  deathless  tale 

Of  days  of  deeds 

For  this  is  all : — 

Life  beat  and  bent  and  hammered  him 

Upon  her  anvil  wrought  of  grief  and  doom ; 

But  never  was  that  thing  we  call  his  soul 

Too  fagged  nor  spent  too  far 

To  point  his  camerades — 

Man,  woman  and  their  child — 

To  that  dim,  winding  path, 

Leading  through  darkness 

To  the  stars  at  last. 

Wright  Clifford  Fari.ow — An  important  share  in  the  development 
work  in  the  citrus  district  in  and  around  Upland  in  San  Bernardino 
County  has  been  performed  by  Wright  Clifford  Farlow  during  his 
residence  here  of  thirty  years.  Mr.  Farlow  has  in  recent  years  been 
receiving  good  dividends  from  his  industry  and  persevering  earlier 
efforts.  He  still  owns  the  grove  which  he  developed  when  he  first 
came  here,  at  the  northwest  corner  of  Nineteenth  Street  and  Euclid 
Avenue,  his  home  being  at  203  North  San  Dimas  Avenue,  San  Dimas, 
California. 

Mr.  Farlow  was  born  in  Burnett,  Dodge  County,  Wisconsin, 
May  22,  1855,  son  of  Alfred  and  Maria  Farlow.  His  parents  were 
farmers  and  the  son  grew  up  on  a  farm,  acquiring  a  high  school 
education.  The  first  thirty  years  of  his  life  he  lived  at  home  sharing 
in  the  labors  of  the  farm.  In  November,  1886,  he  came  to  California 
and  bought  the  twenty  acres  at  the  northwest  corner  of  Euclid 
Avenue  and  Nineteenth  Street,  Upland.  The  corner  ten  acres  was 
set  to  citrus  fruits,  and  later  he  replanted  the  west  ten  acres,  then 
in  grapes  and  deciduous  fruits,  to  oranges.  While  continuing  the 
ownership  and  maintenance  of  this  property  he  has  accumulated 
other  properties  and  has  made  his  groves  pay  good  dividends  for 
his  capable  management.  W'hen  he  came  here  there  were  few  im- 
proved places  north  of  the  Santa  Fe  tracks,  only  ten  homes  having 
been  built  there.    Mr.  Farlow  served  five  years  as  road  superintendent. 

December  6,  1886,  he  married  Miss  Louise  Maria  Crawford,  also 
a  native  of  Wisconsin.  Their  daughter,  Olive  L.,  was  educated  in 
Chaffey  College  at  Ontario,  and  is  now  the  widow  of  F.  H.  Smith,  a 
native  of  Tennessee.  Mrs.  Smith  has  a  daughter  Frances,  born  Octo- 
ber 15,  1909. 

The  son  of  Mr.  Farlow  is  Perry  C.  Farlow,  who  was  born  July  11. 
1889.  He  was  educated  at  Los  Angeles,  finishing  the  course  of  the 
Los  Angeles  Polytechnic  School.  He  enlisted  for  the  Wrorld  war 
in  the  mechanical  division  of  the  aviation  service,  and  later  was 
transferred  to  the  Motor  Transportation  Corps  for  overseas  duty. 
He  was  made  transportation  dispatcher,  a  position  requiring  strategy 
and   skill,  and  requiring  his  presence  at  the  immediate   front.     The 


1380       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

day  the  armistice  was  signed  he  was  between  the  two  hostile  lines 
of  heavy  artillery.  After  the  signing  of  the  armistice  he  went  with 
the  Army  of  Occupation,  directing  truck  traffic.  On  being  mustered 
out  he  returned  to  California  and  is  now  in  the  oil  business  at  Taft. 
While  in  the  service  he  married  Miss  Marie  Walker,  a  young  lady  of 
exceptional  qualities,  well  educated  and  a  teacher  of  music  in  the  public 
high  schools  of  Taft.  While  her  husband  was  overseas  she  continued 
teaching.  The  subject  of  this  review  is  a  republican,  attends  the 
First  Church  of  Christ,  Scientist,  of  Pomona,  and  is  a  member  of 
Southern  Fruit  Growers  Exchange. 

Franklin  H.  Heald,  who  is  living  virtually  retired  from  active  busi- 
ness at  his  beautiful  rural  home  of  2,400  acres  on  the  Corona-Elsinore 
road,  thirteen  miles  distant  from  Corona,  is  one  of  the  substantial 
and  honored  citizens  of  Riverside  County  and  has  been  a  liberal  and 
influential  force  in  the  civic  and  material  development  and  progress 
of  this  favored  section  of  California. 

Mr.  Heald  was  born  at  West  Branch,  Iowa,  on  the  10th  of  July. 
1854,  and  is  a  son  of  Wilson  and  Sarah  (Macy)  Heald,  who  were 
born  at  Massillon,  Ohio,  and  who  gained  pioneer  honors  in  the  state  of 
Iowa  where  the  father  became  a  member  of  the  famous  underground  rail- 
way system,  and  one  of  Old  John  Brown's  men  who  escaped  the 
gallows.  He  was  a  representative  citizen  of  Cedar  County.  The 
parents  came  finally  to  California  to  join  their  son  at  Elsinore. 

The  public  schools  of  Hawkeye  State  afforded  Franklin  H.  Heald 
his  early  education,  which  was  supplemented  bv  a  course  in  the 
Bryant  and  Stratton  Business  College  in  the  City  of  Burlington, 
that  state.  Thereafter  he  was  for  one  year  engaged  in  independent 
farm  enterprise  in  his  native  state,  and  he  was  an  ambitious  and 
self-reliant  young  man  of  twenty-five  years  when,  in  1879,  he  came 
to  California  and  became  identified  with  orange  growing  at  Pasadena. 
In  the  spring  of  1883  he  purchased  the  Laguna  Ranch  and  other  lands, 
including  what  is  now  Alberhill.  of  20,000  acres,  and  on  this  extensive 
tract  he  platted  the  towns  of  Elsinore  and  Wildomar.  He  became 
a  leading  exponent  of  the  wonderful  climate  of  San  Diego  County, 
and  through  the  development  of  his  own  properties  he  contributed 
much  to  the  advancement  of  the  county  along  both  civic  and  industrial 
lines.  In  1894  Mr.  Heald  engaged  in  mining  enterprise  in  the  vicinity 
of  Randsburg,  Kern  County,  where  he  continued  his  operations  until 
1901,  when  he  established  his  residence  at  Los  Angeles.  In  1912  he 
removed  to  San  Diego  County,  and  upon  his  return  to  Riverside 
County  he  located  at  Prado,  which  continued  to  be  his  place  of  resi- 
dence until  1920,  when  he  removed  to  his  present  attractive  home. 
Mr.  Heald  has  been  an  omnivorous  student  and  reader,  has  covered 
much  of  the  best  in  literature  and  is  himself  the  author  of  a  work 
entitled  "The  Procession  of  Planets,"  which  was  published  and  found 
most  favorable  reception.  He  is  affiliated  with  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  his  human  faith  is  that  of  the  Society  of 
Friends,  of  which  he  is  a  birthright  member. 

September  20,  1874,  recorded  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Heald  and 
Miss  Anna  M.  Hoover,  daughter  of  John  Y.  Hoover,  West  Branch, 
Iowa,  who  lived  but  a  year  after  their  marriage  and  passed  away 
during  one  of  those  terrible  Iowa  winters,  on  the  6th  of  January,  1876. 
leaving  Mr.  Heald  an  infant  baby  daughter,  who  is  now  Mrs.  Edna 
McCoy,  of  Elsinore,  California.  In  1881  Mr.  Heald  married  a  Southern 
woman  of  Los  Angeles,  and  she  is  survived  by  one  son,  David  W.  Heald, 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1381 

now  a  resident  of  the  State  of  Washington.    A  younger  son,  Franklin  H., 
Jr.,  died  in  early  childhood. 

On  the  5th  of  September,  1914,  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of 
Mr.  Heald  and  Miss  Ida  Louise  Meyer,  of  Oak  Grove,  San  Diego 
County,  she  having  been  born  at  Richmond,  Indiana.  She  was  a 
college  girl,  received  her  degree  A.  M.  at  Wittenburg  in  1898,  and 
taught  in  her  native  city  for  a  number  of  years.  Mrs.  Heald  is  the 
popular  chatelaine  of  the  pleasant  home  and  delights  in  extending  its 
hospitality  to  the  many  friends  whom  she  and  her  husband  have 
gathered  about  them  in  Southern  California. 

Luther  Marvin  Persons  had  a  scientific  as  well  as  a  practical 
training  in  agriculture  in  the  State  of  Wisconsin,  and  for  several 
years  has  been  one  of  the  prosperous  fruit  ranchers  in  the  Corona 
District,  his  ranch  being  located  two  miles  north  of  that  city,  on  rural 
route  No.  1. 

Mr.  Persons  was  born  at  Sun  Prairie,  Dane  County,  Wisconsin, 
November  13,  1871,  son  of  Agustus  Franklin  and  Melvina  (Tyler) 
Persons,  his  father  a  native  of  Vermont  and  his  mother  of  Wisconsin. 
A.  Franklin  Persons  spent  his  active  career  as  a  farmer  and  died  in 
Wisconsin  in  1904,  the  mother  passing  away  in  1890.  A.  Franklin 
Persons  was  active  in  public  affairs  in  his  home  county  in  Wisconsin, 
served  several  years  as  township  clerk,  was  clerk  of  the  school  district, 
and  had  a  record  as  a  Union  soldier,  having  enlisted  in  November, 
1864,  in  the  18th  Wisconsin  Infantry,  served  as  a  private  and  was 
mustered  out  in  1865.  After  the  war  he  became  a  member  of  the 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  was  a  republican  in  politics,  a  member 
of  the  Methodist  Church,  and  was  affiliated  with  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  He  and  his  wife  had  seven  children :  Tyler 
Stephen,  of  Pomona,  California;  Flora  B..  wrife  of  J.  A.  Hawthorne, 
of  Riverside;  Augustus  F.,  Jr.,  of  Los  Angeles;  Luther  M.;  Orrin 
Elsie,  of  Pomona ;  Ernest  M.,  of  Calexico ;  and  Melvin  Royal,  of  Long 
Beach,  California. 

Luther  Marvin  Persons  grew  up  on  his  father's  farm,  attended 
public  schools,  spent  one  year  in  the  Whitewater  State  Normal 
School,  and  took  the  agricultural  course  in  the  University  of  Wis- 
consin. After  finishing  his  education  he  was  associated  with  his 
father  on  the  farm  until  1908.  Then  for  a  year  he  was  at  Grand 
Meadow,  Minnesota,  and  from  there  came  to  Corona,  California, 
and  bought  his  ranch  two  miles  north  of  Corona.  He  has  developed 
one  of  the  best  managed  fruit  propositions  in  that  vicinity.  Mr.  Persons 
has  served  on  the  School  Board,  is  a  republican  and  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Church. 

September  22,  1915,  he  married  Mrs.  Cora  Aylworth,  of  Long 
Beach,  California.  She  was  born  in  Chicago,  Illinois,  was  educated 
in  public  schools  at  South  Haven,  Michigan,  and  came  to  California 
with  her  parents.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Persons  have  one  son,  Marvin  Luther, 
born  August  8,  1916. 

Margaret  Paine — While  during  wife  and  widowhood  she  has  borne 
the  name  Mrs.  Ansel  Ames,  it  was  as  Margaret  Paine  that  she  came 
to  the  San  Bernardino  Valley  at  the  close  of  the  Civil  War,  and  her 
long  life  in  that  locality  has  produced  associations  that  make  it 
appropriate  for  her  to  be  remembered  in  history  as  Margaret  Paine. 
Mrs.  Ames  now  lives  at  Cucamonga  with  her  daughter,  Mrs.  F.  B 
Van  Fleet. 


1382       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

She  was  born  in  Illinois  March  4,  1848.  When  she  was  a  child  her 
father,  Murrell  Paine,  who  was  of  Southern  birth,  moved  to  Texas 
and  settled  in  Johnson  County,  well  out  on  the  north  frontier  of 
Texas.  At  the  beginning  of  the  Civil  war  he  was  the  only  man  in 
that  county  who  espoused  the  cause  of  Abraham  Lincoln  with  suffi- 
cient courage  to  vote  for  him.  He  was  twice  married,  having  ten 
children  when  his  first  wife  died,  and  his  second  marriage  brought 
him  nine  more.  Five  of  his  sons  were  soldiers  in  the  Civil  war.  One 
served  with  the  Federal  Army  while  four  were  drafted  and  against 
their  convictions  did  duty  with  the  Confederates.  All  of  these 
survived  the  dangers  and  exigencies  of  warfare.  The  position  of 
the  Paine  family  in  Texas  was  not  altogether  a  congenial  one  during 
the  war,  and  in  February,  1865,  Murrell  Paine  started  for  California, 
traveling  by  ox  train.  He  left  hurriedly,  when  his  stock  was  in  poor 
condition,  and,  his  party  having  been  increased  by  the  addition  of  a 
number  of  other  fellow  travelers  in  the  meantime,  they  all  camped 
on  the  Concho  River  in  West  Texas  to  feed  up  the  cattle.  Here  a 
party  of  Confederate  soldiers  found  them  and  were  on  the  point  of 
taking  the  men  into  service,  when  the  travelers  made  their  hurried 
departure  into  the  desert  and  escaped.  Margaret  Paine  was  at  that 
time  seventeen  years  of  age,  and  she  has  many  vivid  memories  of 
the  hardships  of  the  journey.  The  party  frequently  had  to  depend 
on  Federal  troops  to  supply  them  with  food  as  they  went  along. 
At  the  crossing  of  the  Colorado  River  the  soldiers  refused  them 
rations,  and  in  desperation  the  father  traded  one  yoke  of  his  oxen 
for  food.  Going  on,  the  party  arrived  at  old  San  Bernardino  about 
Christmas  time  of  1865.  Murrell  Paine  had  owned  a  flour  mill  in 
Texas.  He  sold  it  to  a  party  but  was  never  able  to  collect  the  debt, 
and  consequently  he  arrived  in  California  without  financial  means. 
He  rented  a  house  in  Cottonwood  and  went  to  work  as  a  laborer  on 
a  ranch  for  twenty  dollars  a  month. 

Margaret  Paine  shared  in  the  responsibilities  of  supporting  the 
family  in  those  days,  and  went  out  and  did  washing  for  fifty  cents 
a  day,  the  same  wage  paid  to  Indian  squaws.  Eventually  her  father 
secured  a  ranch  at  Cottonwood,  at  the  site  of  old  San  Bernardino. 
Margaret  Paine  grew  up  in  time  and  place  of  peculiar  stress  and 
hardships,  and  the  necessity  of  work  precluded  any  advantages  in 
schools.  Only  after  her  marriage  did  she  procure  the  services  of  an 
old  man  to  teach  her  penmanship,  and  by  subsequent  study  and 
reading  she  attained  an  outlook  on  life  as  that  of  a  well  educated 
woman. 

Soon  after  coming  to  California  and  at  the  age  of  eighteen  Mar- 
garet Paine  was  married  to  Ansel  Ames.  He  was  born  in  Missouri 
and  at  the  age  of  fifteen  accompained  his  parents  with  other  Mormons 
to  Salt  Lake  City  and  later  he  was  with  the  Mormon  Colony  that 
came  by  ox  trains  from  Salt  Lake  to  the  San  Bernardino  Valley. 
He  had  experiences  similar  to  those  of  his  wife  on  the  journey,  the 
party  being  without  food  and  once,  impelled  by  thirst,  he  killed  an  ox 
and  drank  its  blood.  Ansel  Ames  learned  the  trade  of  brick  mason, 
and  became  a  prominent  builder  and  contractor  in  the  earlv  days  of 
San  Bernardino.    He  died  at  his  home  in  Redlands  in  April.  1889. 

Mrs.  Ames  was  left  with  a  family  of  four  children,  all  of  whom 
were  born  in  San  Bernardino.  The  oldest,  Vada,  was  first  married 
to  David  Johnson,  a  locomotive  engineer  who  was  killed  in  a  railroad 
wreck.  Three  children  survive  that  marriage :  Murrell,  Mrs.  Olive 
Lyttle   (if   Los   Angeles   and    Darius  Johnson,   a   law   student.      Mrs. 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1383 

Johnson  is  now  the  wife  of  Henry  Pankey,  of  Santa  Ana,  California. 
The  second  child  of  Margaret  Paine  is  Olive,  now  Mrs.  Frank  Thurston 
of  Ontario,  and  they  have  two  children,  Dorothy  and  Margaret.  The 
third  child  is  Effie",  who  is  Mrs.  T.  B.  Van  Fleet,  and  the  fourth 
was  Mrs.  Essie  Pope,  of  Santa  Ana. 

Effie  Ames  is  married  to  one  of  Cucamonga's  most  prosperous 
ranchers.  Mr.  Van  Fleet  was  born  in  Illinois,  but  his  parents  were 
pioneers  at  Downey,  California,  and  he  has  been  a  resident  of  the 
Cucamonga  district  for  thirty  years.  On  coming  here  Mr.  Van 
Fleet  bought  a  ten  acre  tract,  including  one  of  the  oldest  vineyards 
in  the  locality.  He  has  since  added  to  this  until  he  now  owns  a 
hundred  sixty  acres,  well  diversified  in  citrus,  deciduous  fruits  and 
vine  crops.  He  has  become  a  man  of  prominence  and  means.  Mrs. 
Van  Fleet  is  well  educated,  has  a  literary  turn,  and  is  the  author  of 
a  number  of  charming  poems.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Van  Fleet  have  the 
following  children  :  Vada,  Mrs.  Muriel  Bray  of  Santa  Ana ;  Nelson 
M.,  who  was  with  the  United  States  Marines  until  the  armistice ; 
Mrs.  Katherine  Krauter,  of  San  Jose,  Theresa,  a  student  in  the  Normal 
School  at  Los  Angeles;  Francis  and  Helen,  both  attending  the  Chaffey 
High  School  at  Ontario;  Ruth,  Helen  and  Stanley,  pupils  in  the 
Cucamonga  grammar  school. 

Margaret  Paine  is,  therefore,  one  of  the  few  survivors  of  that 
pioneer  era  when  the  San  Bernardino  Valley  was  being  developed 
as  the  home  of  white  men,  but  many  years  in  advance  of  the  modern 
era  of  orchards  and  vineyards  and  irrigated  ranches  with  beautiful 
homes.  She  and  her  family  have  done  a  worthy  part  as  pioneers  in 
the  making  of  this  section.  Mrs.  Ames  and  her  children  are  active 
workers  in  the  Reorganized  Church  of  Jesus  Christ,  composed  of 
Latter  Day  Saints,  but  not  a  branch  of  the  Mormon  Church. 

Ernest  Wycoff  Slygh  is  a  Riverside  County  man  who  has  achieved 
success  out  of  many  years  of  active  experience  in  the  farming  and 
fruit  growing  industry.  He  is  proprietor  of  a  fine  ranch  four  miles 
north  of  Perris. 

Mr.  Slygh  was  born  at  Elmwood.  Illinois,  January  1,  1876,  son 
of  George  D.  and  Mary  (Wycoff)  Slygh,  the  former  a  native  of 
Norfolk,  Virginia,  and  the  latter  of  Illinois.  The  father  was  a  farmer. 
The  mother  came  to  California  about  a  year  ago,  and  is  now  living 
at  Riverside. 

Ernest  W.  Slygh  acquired  a  public  school  education  in  Illinois  and 
was  twenty  years  of  age  when  he  came  to  California.  For  a  time 
he  was  located  at  Riverside,  associated  with  Mr.  Ogden.  Subse- 
quently he  started  farming  on  his  own  account  by  the  purchase  of 
ten  acres  on  Boulevard  Road,  twelve  miles  from  Riverside.  Since 
then  he  has  increased  his  holdings  to  two  hundred  acres,  and  is 
one  of  the  successful  grain  raisers,  and  has  also  developed  part 
of  his  land  to  fruit.  Mr.  Slygh  is  one  of  the  influential  members 
of  the  Farm  Bureau  of  Riverside  County  and  is -a  republican  in 
politics. 

July  22,  1896,  he  married  Miss  Rose  Lamb,  daughter  of  Oswald 
and  Catherine  Lamb,  of  Alhambra,  California.  Mrs.  Slygh  was  born 
in  Utah  and  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Alhambra  and  San 
Bernardino  and  in  the  Los  Angeles  Normal  College.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Slygh  have  one  child,  Dorothy,  now  the  wife  of  Orley  Bridges,  of  River- 
side County. 


1384       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

Theodore  F.  Schrader,  Opt.  D — In  professional  and  business  circles 
of  Riverside  a  citizen  who  has  impressed  himself  favorably  upon 
his  fellowtownsmen  and  whose  name  has  been  identified  with  pro- 
fessional ability,  business  achievements  and  participation  in  civic 
movements  is  Theodore  F.  Schrader,  Opt.  D.  His  career  has  been 
a  singularly  full  and  successful  one,  and  while  he  is  still  a  young 
man  he  has  had  much  experience  along  several  avenues  of  endeavor. 

Doctor  Schrader  was  born  in  Viola  County,  Minnesota,  February 
18,  1887,  and  as  a  lad  was  taken  by  his  parents  to  Milwaukee,  Wis- 
consin, where  he  was  primarily  educated  in  the  public  schools. 
Later  he  pursued  a  course  at  Bradley  Polytechnic  Institute,  Peoria, 
Illinois,  being  graduated  therefrom  in  1904,  and  subsequently  spent 
two  years  at  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  Training  School, 
Chicago.  When  he  left  the  latter  institution  he  faced  the  West, 
the  next  one  and  one-half  years  being  devoted  to  the  venturesome 
if  not  always  remunerative  vocation  of  prospecting  for  precious 
metals  in  the  State  of  Wyoming.  Locating  at  Los  Angeles,  California, 
in  1911  he  enrolled  as  a  student  of  the  Los  Angeles  Medical  School, 
and  was  graduated  therefrom  with  the  class  of  1913,  receiving 
the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Optometry.  At  that  time  he  accepted  a 
position  as  head  of  the  optical  department  in  the  establishment 
of  Otto  Wuerker,  with  whom  he  remained  two  years,  following 
which  he  embarked  in  business  on  his  own  account  and  continued  therein 
until  1916.  Doctor  Schrader  then  came  to  Riverside,  where  he 
established  an  office  at  820  Main  Street,  and  has  since  been  engaged 
in  his  professional  calling  with  constantly  growing  success.  He  has 
become  widely  known  not  only  along  the  lines  of  his  specialty, 
but  in  business  circles  as  well,  having  been  one  of  the  founders 
of  the  Mahala  Oil  and  Gas  Company,  in  which  he  is  a  heavy  stock- 
holder, and  being  president  of  the  Riverside  Copper  and  Development 
Company,  a  growing  corporation. 

In  his  fraternal  affiliation  Doctor  Schrader  belongs  to  the  Be- 
nevolent and  Protective  Order  of  Elks  and  has  reached  the  Knight 
Templar  degree  in  the  Masonic  order.  He  also  holds  membership 
in  the  Lions  Club  and  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association. 
He  has  supported  beneficial  civic  movements  with  his  means  and 
energies  and  has  stood  for  progress  along  material  lines.  On  July 
21,  1911,  Doctor  Schrader  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Juanita 
Ransberger,  of  El  Paso,  Texas,  who  died  at  Riverside  January  26, 
1921. 

Aiva  R.  McCarty  has  been  a  resident  of  California,  since  early 
youth,  and  is  now  one  of  the  substantial  landholders  and  represen- 
tative farmers  of  San  Bernardino  County,  where  he  gives  special 
attention  to  the  dairy  enterprise.  Mr.  McCarty  was  born  in  Mason 
County,  Illinois.  January  16,  1858,  and  is  a  son  of  Cornelius  McCarty, 
who  was  born  in  Ohio  and  who  became  a  farmer  in  Mason  County, 
Illinois,  from  which  state  he  removed  with  his  family  to  Texas 
and  turned  his  attention  to  stock  growing.  In  1876  he  came  to  Cali- 
fornia and  bought  a  Government  claim  in  Temescal,  San  Bernardino 
Count}',  where  he  died  about  two  years  later. 

Alva  R.  McCarty  attended  the  public  schools  of  Temescal,  San 
Bernardino  County,  and  initiated  his  independent  farm  enterprise 
by  homesteading  a  tract  of  seventy-three  acres,  which  constitutes 
his  present  home,  five  miles  Northwest  of  Corona,  where  he  and 
his  sons  are  now  the  owners  of   a   valuable   and   well   improved    farm 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1385 

estate  of  560  acres,  devoted  to  diversified  agriculture,  the  raising 
of  live  stock  and  the  maintaining  of  a  fine  dairy  with  the  best 
grade  of  Holstein  cattle.  Mr.  McCarty  and  his  sons  are  recognized 
as  among  the  most  vigorous  and  successful  dairy  farmers  and  stock 
growers  in  San  Bernardino  County.  The  sons  now  give  valuable 
assistance  in  his  extensive  ranch  enterprise.  Mr.  McCarty  is  a 
democrat  in  politics,  and,  while  not  a  seeker  of  public  office,  he 
has  shown  his  civic  loyalty  in  his  effective  service  as  a  trustee  in 
his  school  district,  a  position  which  he  held  for  several  years.  On 
October  6,  1881,  is  recorded  the  marriage  of  Mr.  McCarty  and 
Miss  Margaret  Walkinshaw,  who  was  born  and  reared  in  San 
Bernardino  County.  California.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Thomas  Wal- 
kinshaw. Of  the  four  children  of  this  union  three  are  living,  Clarence 
William  and  Jesse.  The  only  daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McCarty 
died  in  childhood.     Her  name  was  Ona. 

S.  A.  White — One  winter  at  Riverside  and  vicinity  in  1898  con- 
verted Mr.  and  Mrs.  S.  A.  White  into  enthusiastic  lovers  of  the  varied 
charms  of  that  environment,  and  from  a  winter  home  Riverside  became 
the  permanent  residence  of  Mr.  White,  where  he  spent  the  years  of  his 
retirement  from  active  business  happily  and  also  employed  his  time  and 
services  in  various  directions  for  the  public  good  so  as  to  win  him  a 
rich  esteem,  fully  recognized  in  the  tributes  paid  him  when  he  passed 
away. 

In  1899  Mr.  White  had  a  winter  home  constructed  at  833  Tenth 
Street.  Intended  only  as  a  winter  home,  he  became  so  enamored  with 
the  climate  and  the  city  that  two  years  later  he  disposed  of  his  business 
interests  in  the  East  and  became  a  permanent  resident  of  Riverside. 
In  1908  he  constructed  the  permanent  home  at  1017  Tenth  Street  where 
Mrs.  White  still  lives.  It  is  an  artistic  triumph  of  the  Colonial  type, 
and  the  beauty  of  its  exterior  architecture  is  enhanced  by  the  interior 
furnishings,  which  represent  many  priceless  treasures  that  have  come 
down  through  the  family  from  two  hundred  to  three  hundred  years. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  White  entered  heartily  into  the  life  of  the  community, 
acquiring  both  city  and  country  interest,  though  their  chief  attention 
was  given  to  the  beautifying  of  the  home  place.  Mr.  White,  while  not 
active  in  political  matters  in  the  citv  of  his  adoption,  advocated  most 
sincerely  the  importance  of  clean  politics,  often  expressing  himself  along 
this  line  in  the  newspapers.  Clean  business,  clean  living  and  clean 
politics  were  his  hobby.  Cheerful,  considerate  and  charitable,  he  en- 
deared himself  to  all  with  whom  he  came  in  contact,  and  his  death 
involved  a  real  loss  to  a  much  wider  circle  than  that  of  his  family  and 
immediate  friends. 

S.  A.  White  was  born  at  East  Randolph.  Massachusetts.  February 
21,  1845,  son  of  Samuel  L.  and  Silence  Swift  (Adams)  White.  The 
genealogy  of  the  White  and  Adams  family  antedates  the  Revolutionary 
period.  Both  families  were  of  English  descent,  the  Adams  family 
being  of  a  branch  of  the  distinguished  Adamses  of  Massachusetts.  The 
late  Mr.  White  was  much  interested  in  tracing  the  genealogy  of  his 
own  lines  and  those  of  Mr.  White,  and  prepared  three  exhaustive  and 
interesting  volumes  on  the  subject.  His  father,  Samuel  I..  White,  was 
horn  at  East  Randolph  in  1818.  and  lived  there  until  his  death  in  1894. 
For  many  years  he  had  charge  of  an  express  business  between  East 
Randolph  and  Boston. 

S.  A.  White  was  educated  in  the  grammar  and  high  schools  of  hi? 
native  town.     He  left  high  school  to  answer  the  call  for  volunteers  dur- 


1386      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

ing  the  Civil  war,  and  at  the  age  of  eighteen  became  a  member  of  Com- 
pany I,  42d  Massachusetts  Infantry.  He  entered  the  army  in  1863,  and 
served  until  his  honorable  discharge  at  the  end  of  his  term  of  enlistment. 

Following  the  war  he  engaged  in  the  boot  and  shoe  business  as  an 
employe  of  the  manufacturing  firm  of  L.  B.  White  of  Brockton,  Massa- 
chusetts. After  two  years  as  superintendent  of  the  factory  he  went  to 
Boston,  and  for  seven  years  was  traveling  representative  for  the  shoe- 
finding  firm  of  B.  F.  Brown  of  that  city.  During  this  time  he  made  a 
splendid  record  as  a  salesman,  and  having  in  the  meantime  acquired  a 
broad  and  varied  knowledge  of  the  business  in  all  departments,  he  re- 
signed from  his  engagement  with  Mr.  Brown  and  in  a  small  way  began 
the  manufacture  of  shoe-findings  for  shoe  factories.  Then  ensued  a 
period  of  rapid  progress,  resulting  in  the  building  up  of  a  plant  for  shoe 
upper  finishes  that  was  the  largest  of  its  kind  in  the  world,  and  besides 
the  big  plant  in  Massachusetts  he  conducted  a  factory  at  Montreal, 
Canada,  a  branch  store  at  Leicester,  England,  and  agencies  in  Germany, 
France  and  Australia.  It  was  to  this  business  that  he  gave  his  time 
and  energies  closely  and  with  successful  application  for  a  quarter  of  a 
century,  until  he  sold  out  to  make  his  permanent  home  in  California. 

He  enjoyed  to  the  full  the  playtime  that  a  busy  life  had  earned,  but 
would  not  have  been  wholly  contented  unless  some  small  business  claimed 
his  attention.  He  bought  and  planted  ten  acres  of  oranges  at  Victoria 
and  Van  Buren  Avenue,  built  a  log  cabin  on  the  ground  and  named  the 
place  Log  Cabin  Grove.  He  invested  in  city  property,  one  of  his  pur- 
chases being  the  Central  Block  and  the  Annex,  which  he  remodelled. 

During  a  business  trip  at  Leicester,  England,  Mr.  White  became 
affiliated  with  the  Masonic  Order,  and  ever  afterward  manifested  a  deep 
interest  in  that  fraternity.  He  became  a  member  of  the  Knight  Templar 
Commandery  in  Boston,  subsequently  demitting  to  the  Riverside  Com- 
mandery  No.  28,  and  served  as  its  eminent  commander  one  year. 

The  first  wife  of  Mr.  White  was  Emma  J.  Burbank,  of  Lowell,  Mas- 
sachusetts. By  this  union  there  was  one  daughter,  Alice  E.  White,  who 
died  at  Riverside  in  1903.  The  only  son,  Arthur  Burr  White,  is  a  grad- 
uate of  the  Boston  School  of  Technology,  and  while  a  well-qualified  civil 
engineer  his  time  is  being  given  to  the  more  congenial  vocation  of  rais- 
ing citrus  fruits  and  nuts  at  Riverside.  Arthur  B.  White  is  married 
and  has  five  children :  H.  Cumings  White,  Lawrence  Adams  White, 
Arthur  Burr  White,  Jr.,  Jane  Amsden  White  and  David  Linfield  White, 
the  first  three  being  students  in  the  public  schools  of  Riverside. 

At  Boston,  Massachusetts,  November  2,  1887.  Mr.  S.  A.  White 
married  Miss  Belle  K.  Sanger.  She  was  born  in  Boston  and  represents 
one  of  the  old  and  cultured  families  of  that  city.  Her  father,  D.  Otis 
Sanger,  was  a  Boston  merchant,  was  of  English  ancestry,  and  some  of 
his  forefathers  fought  in  the  French  and  Indian  and  Revolutionary 
wars. 

George  B.  MacGillivray  during  the  past  twenty  years  has  been 
associated  with  some  of  the  most  substantial  of  Corona's  commercial 
affairs.  For  the  greater  part  of  this  time  he  was  one  of  the  managing 
partners  in  the  Corona  Hardware  Company  and  is  still  in  the  hardware 
business. 

He  was  born  at  Smith  Falls,  Ontario.  Canada,  February  6,  1874,  son 
of  Alexander  and  Elizabeth  (Brown)  MacGillivray.  After  finishing  a 
public  school  education  at  Smith  Falls  he  remained  with  his  father  on 
the  farm,  and  at  the  age  of  twenty-five  came  to  California  and  located 
at  Corona.     For  a  time  he  was  in  the  men's  clothing  business,  and  then 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1387 

became  associated  with  Mr.  Barth  in  the  hardware  business,,  subsequently 
known  as  the  Corona  Hardware  Company.  Mr.  MacGillivray  in  19io 
sold  his  interest  in  this  establishment  to  Hough  and  Marsden.  In  1917 
he  joined  the  Riverside  Hardware  Company,  and  two  years  later  re- 
turned to  Corona  and  has  since  been  associated  with  the  E.  A.  Weegar 
hardware  business.  Mr.  MacGillivray  is  a  public  spirited  citizen,  inter- 
ested in  community  advancement,  is  a  republican,  a  member  of  the  Con- 
gregational Church  and  the  Masonic  Order. 

Eebruary  22,  1907,  he  married  Miss  Daisy  Brown,  daughter  of  Colby 
Brown,  of  Glendale,  Los  Angeles  County.  Mrs.  MacGillivray  is  a 
native  of  Orange  County  and  finished  her  education  in  the  public  schools 
of  Glendale.  bhe  is  an  active  member  of  the  Corona  Woman's  Club. 
They  have  two  children,  lone  and  Donald. 

Ernest  G.  Button — Riverside  is  not  alone  noted  for  its  magnificent 
development  in  the  fruit-growing  industry,  but  is  equally  prominent 
because  of  the  stability  of  its  manufacturing  interests,  which  compare 
favorably  with  any  of  those  of  the  Southwest.  The  men  connected  with 
the  carrying  on  of  the  multiform  lines  of  business  in  this  locality  are 
thoroughly  experienced  and  bring  to  their  concerns  a  ripened  judgment 
and  wide  knowledge  of  men  and  affairs.  One  of  them  worthy  of  ex- 
tended mention  in  a  work  of  this  class  is  Ernest  G.  Button,  member  of 
the  firm  of  Button  Brothers,  whose  connection  with  the  sheet-metal 
industry  and  the  automobile  trade  is  one  of  long  standing. 

Ernest  G.  Button  was  born  in  Ontario,  Canada,  October  5,  1882,  a 
son  of  William  Button.  A  complete  sketch  of  the  Button  family  is  given 
elsewhere  in  this  work.  Growing  up  in  his  native  province,  Ernest  G. 
Button  attended  its  excellent  public  schools  and  the  Collegiate  Institute 
of  Clinton,  Canada.  Following  the  completion  of  his  studies  he  engaged 
in  the  hardware  business,  in  1902,  at  Guelph,  Ontario,  Canada,  and  con- 
ducted it  for  two  years.  He  then  went  to  Moosejaw,  Ontario,  Canada, 
where  he  was  occupied  with  clerking  for  two  years,  leaving  there  to  go 
to  Shelborn,  where  he  bought  a  hardware  business  and  was  occupied 
with  it  until  1911.  In  the  meanwhile  his  father  had  come  to  Riverside, 
California,  and  finding  conditions  here  very  desirable,  he  wanted  his  son 
to  join  him.  Therefore  Mr.  Button  disposed  of  his  business  at  Shelborn 
and  came  to  Riverside,  where  he  has  since  remained. 

With  his  brother,  W.  Stewart  Button,  whose  sketch  appears  else- 
where, Mr.  Button  purchased  the  sheet  metal  business  they  still  own,  and 
at  different  times  the  young  men  had  several  partners,  but  finally  bought 
their  interests  and  are  now  operating  under  the  name  of  Button  Brothers. 
When  they  first  went  into  the  business  the  brothers  manufactured  or- 
chard heaters,  which  they  shipped  all  over  the  country,  but  later  added 
the  production  of  canteens,  ovens,  gas  furnaces  and  similar  goods,  and 
these  are  still  manufactured  and  have  a  large  sale. 

In  1916  the  brothers  took  over  the  Chevrolet  automobile  agency,  and 
later  the  agency  for  the  Scripps-Booth  auto,  and  they  have  popularized 
these  two  makes  in  all  parts  of  the  county  and  have  been  very  successful. 
Ernest  G.  Button  manages  the  sheet-metal  business,  and  his  brother  is 
in  charge  of  the  automobile  branch  of  their  activities.  The  brothers  do 
a  general  contracting  business  in  sheet-metal  work  in  Riverside  and  San 
Bernardino  counties,  largely  in  heating  and  ventilating.  Their  plant  is 
equipped  with  the  most  modern  machinery,  and  they  take  care  of  all 
classes  of  work  in  their  line.  This  plant,  which  is  located  on  Fifth 
Street  and  the  Santa  Fe  tracks,  was  erected  bv  them  and  later,  when 
thev  had  need  of  them,  they  put  up  two  more  buildings  as  additions  to 
their  plant. 


1388      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

Air.  Button,  however,  has  not  confined  his  operations  to  an  industrial 
life,  for  he  is  largely  interested  in  and  is  a  director  of  the  Arabic  Date 
Company,  which  lias  1/0  acres  in  the  Coachella  Valley,  thirty-four  acres 
of  which  are  planted  to  dates.  This  producing  acreage  is  being  extended 
as  fast  as  possible,  for  it  has  been  demonstrated  that  the  finest  dates  in 
the  world  can  be  raised  in  this  valley,  and  the  demand  for  them  far 
exceeds  the  present  supply. 

During  the  world  war  a  permanent  organization  was  formed  to  carry 
on  all  drives  for  funds,  and  E.  G.  Button  was  the  chairman  of  the  Fac- 
tory Employes  division.  It  was  through  this  division  of  the  organiza- 
tion that  the  work  of  raising  money  among  the  employes  during  the  war 
was  greatly  simplified.  In  addition  to  his  services  in  this  connection  Mr. 
Button  also  made  himself  valuable  as  a  member  of  the  National  Guards 
and  the  Home  Guards. 

He  is  a  republican  in  his  sentiments,  but  Mr.  Button  has  not  been 
very  active  in  politics  since  coming  to  this  country,  although  in  Canada, 
he  participated  quite  extensively  in  public  affairs,  and  on  several  occa- 
sions represented  his  party  as  delegate  to  the  conventions  from  the  riding 
in  which  he  was  residing.  Raised  a  Blue  Lodge  Mason  in  Canada,  he 
served  his  lodge  as  master,  and  now  belongs  to  the  Chapter  and  Com- 
mandery  of  Riverside,  being  past  high  priest  of  the  former.  Interested 
in  local  organizations  Mr.  Button  maintains  membership  with  the  River- 
side Chamber  of  Commerce,  in  which  he  is  chairman  of  the  Industrial 
Committee,  the  Business  Men's  Association  and  the  Rotary  Club.  The 
Presbyterian  Church  gives  expression  to  his  religious  faith,  and  he  has 
long  been  an  earnest  member  of   it. 

On  September  7,  1910,  Mr.  Button  married  at  W'ingham,  Canada, 
Miss  Edith  Emily  Gregory,  a  native  of  Canada  and  a  daughter  of 
Thomas  Gregory,  a  grain  merchant  of  Wingham.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Button 
have  one  child,  Gregory,  who  is  a  student  of  the  public  schools  of  River- 
side. 

Mr.  Button  is  not  a  man  to  be  content  with  the  attainment  of  success 
in  the  industrial  life  of  his  city,  excellent  and  desirable  as  this  is.  The 
walls  of  his  factory  do  not  and  cannot  mark  the  boundaries  of  his 
visions,  his  interests,  his  affections,  his  purposes.  He  cannot  become  a 
mere  business  machine.  Home,  friends,  the  public  welfare  and  matters 
of  wide  human  interest  call  for  his  assistance  and  attention.  The  strong, 
high-minded  business  men  of  Riverside  have  been  quick  to  admire  his 
work  and  to  admit  him  into  the  noble  brotherhood  of  those  who  put 
conscience  above  gain,  honor  above  self.  He  has  always  possessed  high 
ideals  of  business  honor  and  held  close  to  them  in  all  of  his  operations. 
Like  many  of  the  foremost  men  of  this  country  and  his  own  native  land, 
he  has  made  his  way  to  an  assured  business  success  V-v  untiring  diligence, 
patient  industry,  sterling  integrity  and  steadfast  unswerving  purpose.  A 
man  of  public  spirit,  devoted  to  the  public  good,  he  has  done  much  to 
advance  the  prosperity  of  his  adopted  city  and  country,  and  may  be 
relied  upon  to  always  maintain  his  deep  interest  in  promoting  the  effi- 
ciency of  the  different  agencies  for  the  development  of  better  conditions 
and  the  upholding  of  the  highest  standards  of  morality  and  right  living. 

Will  Hammond  Holmes,  M.  D. — When  he  located  at  Riverside  in 
May,  1919,  Dr.  Holmes  brought  with  him  a  well-established  reputation 
as  a  specialist  in  eye,  ear,  nose  and  throat  diseases,  and  for  a  number  of 
years  his  work  has  been  practically  confined  to  those  lines. 

Dr.  Holmes  was  born  at  Burlington,  Iowa,  November  6,  1887.  His 
father,  S.  Perry  Holmes,  is  a  native  of  Illinois,  now  living  at  Chicago, 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1389 

and  until  recently  was  in  the  lire  insurance  business.  During  the  World 
war  he  was  a  captain  in  the  American  .Protective  League.  The  father 
of  S.  Perry  Holmes  was  a  United  States  deputy  marshal  in  Southern 
Illinois  during  the  Civil  war.  S.  Ferry  Holmes  is  of  Scotch  Irish 
descent,  of  Revolutionary  stock,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Sons  of  the 
American  Revolution,  his  son,  Dr.  Holmes,  being  eligible  to  the  same 
patriotic  society. 

Will  Hammond  Holmes  was  educated  in  grammar  and  high  schools, 
attended  the  Bradley  Polytechnic  Institute  at  Peoria,  Illinois,  and  in  1911 
received  his  medical  degree  from  the  Northwestern  University  Medical 
School  of  Chicago.  He  also  did  post-graduate  work  in  Rush  Medical 
College  at  Chicago.  From  June,  1911,  to  June,  1913,  he  was  a  hospital 
interne  in  the  Pierce  County  Hospital  at  Tacoma,  Washington.  Dr. 
Holmes  did  his  first  professional  work  in  California  at  Pomona,  where 
he  engaged  in  general  practice  in  June,  1913.  Subsequently  he  returned 
to  Tacoma,  where  he  confined  his  practice  to  the  eye,  ear,  nose  and 
throat.  Then  in  May,  1919,  he  removed  to  Riverside.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Riverside  Community  Hospital  Association  and  has  professional 
associations  with  the  Riverside  County,  California  State,  Southern  Cali- 
fornia and  American  Medical  Associations.  During  his  residence  al 
Pomona  he  was  health  officer  one  term.  He  is  a  member  of  Pomona 
Chapter,  Royal  Arch  Masons,  a  republican  in  politics  and  a  member  of 
the  Congregational  Church. 

Dr.  Holmes  married  Miss  Louise  Stone.  Their  marriage  was  cele- 
brated April  22,  1913,  in  the  cloister  of  the  Mission  Inn  at  Riverside. 
Mrs.  Holmes  is  a  native  of  Michigan,  daughter  of  Judge  F.  H.  Stone 
of  Hillsdale,  that  state.  She  is  of  English  ancestry  and  of  Revolution- 
ary stock.  Of  the  two  children  born  to  the  marriage  of  Dr.  and  Mrs 
Holmes  one  survives,  Mary  Louise. 

John  Wesley  Day  is  remembered  as  one  of  the  most  commanding 
men  of  his  day  by  the  older  residents  of  Riverside,  with  whom  he  stood 
exceedingly  high,  not  only  on  account  of  his  strong  and  pleasing  per- 
sonality, but  also  because  of  the  interest  he  always  took  in  civic  matters. 
Had  he  not  been  compelled  to  restrict  his  actions  somewhat  on  account 
of  ill  health  there  would  have  been  probably  no  limit  to  what  he  would 
have  accomplished.  Through  a  change  in  climate  and  the  devoted  care 
of  his  wife  he  was  spared  into  a  ripe  old  age,  but  he  was  forced  to  alter 
his  plans  because  of  a  serious  breakdown,  and  give  up  much  that  inter- 
ested him. 

Born  in  Maine,  October  23,  1832,  John  Wesley  Day  had  the  good 
fortune  to  belong  to  two  of  the  fine  old  American  families  which  were 
established  in  the  American  Colonies  long  prior  to  the  Revolution  by 
Fnglish  ancestors,  on  both  sides  of  the  house.  His  parents,  Leonard  and 
Lois  (Averill)  Day,  were  both  natives  of  Maine.  Leonard  Day  was  a 
manufacturing  lumberman  of  his  native  state  until  1854,  when  he  was 
attracted  to  Saint  Anthony,  Minnesota,  now  a  part  of  Minneapolis,  and 
here  he  continued  his  lumber  interests. 

After  completing  his  education  in  the  public  schools  of  Maine,  John 
W.  Day  assisted  his  father  in  the  lumber  business  in  Minnesota  and 
after  the  latter  died,  continued  in  that  line  with  his  brothers,  Lorenzo 
D.  and  W.  H.  H.  Day.  until  his  health  broke  down  from  overwork  in 
1898,  necessitating  a  complete  change  in  his  habits  of  living.  During 
his  long  residence  in  Minnesota  he  took  a  very  active  part  in  different 
movements  of  public  interest.  During  the  Indian  massacre  in  that  state, 
which  took  place  in  1862,  Mr.  Day  served  as  a  member  of  the  expedition 


1390       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

sent  out  to  subdue  the  savages,  and  never  forgot  his  experiences  of 
that  period. 

Realizing  that  the  climate  of  Minnesota  was  too  rigorous  for  him 
in  his  state  of  health,  Mr.  Day  came  to  California  and  bought  a  thirty- 
acre  orange  grove  at  Moreno,  which  he  conducted  until  his  death.  In 
the  spring  of  1899  he  purchased  a  homesite,  120x240  feet  at  1024  East 
Eighth  Street,  Riverside,  and  made  many  alterations  to  the  house 
until  today  it  is  one  of  the  finest  on  the  east  side.  He  beautified  the 
grounds  with  flowers  and  citrus  trees.  Here  he  passed  the  remainder 
of  his  life,  dying  July  27,  1910.  In  politics  he  was  a  republican,  and 
while  he  was  prominently  identified  with  the  party  interests,  he  was 
too  busy  a  man  to  entertain  the  idea  of  holding  public  office.  For 
many  years  he  attended  the   Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

On  October  3,  1854,  Mr.  Day  married  at  Minneapolis,  Minnesota, 
Miss  Lavinia  Gray,  a  native  of  Maine,  and  a  daughter  of  Benjamin 
Gray,  a  farmer  of  Maine.  She  comes  of  Revolutionary  stock,  and 
is,  too,  of  English  descent.  Mrs.  Day  is  now  a  great-grandmother, 
and  leads  a  happy  and  quiet,  life  in  her  comfortable  home.  She  is  a 
lady  of  unusual  mentality,  and  with  her  husband  created  a  refined 
home  atmosphere  which  was  reflected  in  the  lives  of  their  children  from 
childhood.  Mrs.  Day  is  a  member  of  the  Advisory  Board  of  the 
Riverside  Community  Hospital,  and  of  the  City  Home  League  and 
the  Wednesday  Club,  and  takes  an  active  part  in  many  matters  of  civic 
importance.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Day  became  the  parents  of  five  children, 
one  of  whom  survives,  Eugene  H.  Day,  who  is  conducting  a  lumber 
business  in  Minneapolis  and  an  orange  grove  at  Moreno.  He  married 
Miss  Mabel  Conkey,  a  native  of  Wisconsin,  and  a  daughter  of  DeWitt 
C.  Conkey.  Mr.  Conkey  was  connected  with  the  North  Star  Woolen 
Mill  Company  of  Minneapolis.  Three  children  have  been  born  to 
Eugene  H.  Day  and  his  wife,  namely:  Eugenia,  who  is  the  wife  of 
John  Paul  Ganssle,  of  Minneapolis  and  they  have  one  child.  Jane 
Ganssle ;  Kingsley  Day  and  John  C.  Day,  both  of  whom  are  students 
in  the  University  of  Minnesota,  Cora  Day,  now  deceased,  was  the 
eldest  child  of  John  W.  and  Lavinia  Day.  She  married  David  Willard, 
of  Duluth,  Minnesota,  and.  dying,  left  three  children  namely :  Irma. 
who  is  the  wife  of  Hope  G.  'McCall,  of  Saint  Paul,  Minnesota,  and 
has  one  child,  Willard  D.  McCall ;  Paul  D.  Willard.  who  is  a  graduate 
of  the  Riverside  High  School  and  Columbia  University,  is  a  mining 
engineer,  and  Constance  Willard,  who  lives  in  Riverside.  Paul  D. 
Willard  married  Miss  Ada  Adair,  a  daughter  of  A.  A.  Adair,  a 
prominent  attorney  of  Riverside.  Thev  live  at  Hibbing,  Minnesota, 
and  have  two  children,  Jean  Adair  Willard  and  Paul  D.  Willard, 
Junior.  Florence  Day  the  second  child  of  J.  W.  and  Lavinia  Day. 
married  Frank  J.  Mackey  formerly  of  Minneapolis,  Minnesota.  They 
afterwards  moved  to  Leamington,  England,  where  they  resided  for 
twenty  years,  until  the  death  of  Mrs.  Mackey  in  April,  1912. 

Joseph  Wilson — Two  of  the  first  names  identified  with  the  be- 
ginning of  civilization  in  the  San  Bernardino  Valley  were  Wilson  and 
Van  Levven.  A  representative  of  both  families  was  the  late  Joseph 
Wilson,  who  was  born  at  Richmond.  Ohio,  March  18,  1837.  and  died 
in  San  Bernardino  County  October  26,  1899.  He  married  Rhoda  Van 
Levven  who  was  born  in  Camden,  Ontario,  Canada,  December  24, 
1838,  and  died  in  California  November  21,  1918. 

Bushrod  Washington  Wilson,  father  of  Joseph,  was  reared  in  the 
faith    of    the    Mormons    and    was    selected    for    missionary    work.      He 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1391 

spent  a  period  in  England  and  on  returning  found  that  Brigham 
*oung  had  led  his  followers  out  of  Missouri  to  Salt  Lake.  Going  to 
Utah  he  became  disgusted  with  the  polygamous  practice  instituted 
by  Young  and  burned  his  tracts  and  books  secretly,  disavowing  Mor- 
monism,  and  after  securing  food  and  an  outfit  drove  with  ox  teams 
into  California,  running  the  risk  of  death  from  Mormons  as  well  as 
Indians.  It  was  in  April  1855,  that  Bushrod  W.  Wilson  made  this 
journey  from  Salt  Lake.  He  had  trouble  with  the  Indians,  his  cousin, 
a  doctor  in  the  party,  being  shot  and  wounded.  A  daughter  died  of 
the  cholera  and  there  was  untold  suffering  to  all  the  surviving  members 
of  the  company.  The  year  preceding  the  arrival  of  the  Wilson  family 
Benjamin  Van  Levven  with  many  others  of  the  Mormon  Church  crossed 
the  plains  with  ox  teams  in  1853,  spending  one  year  at  Salt  Lake  to 
raise  grain  and  food  for  their  further  journey,  and  thus  continuing 
with  wagons  over  the  deserts  and  mountains  to  California.  Mrs. 
Van  Levven  while  driving  a  wagon  ahead  of  the  rest  of  the  party 
was  attacked  by  Indians,  but  two  of  her  nephews  came  to  her  rescue. 
They  traveled  day  and  night  until  the  stock  was  exhausted  and  reached 
California  in  1854.  It  is  said  that  Rhoda  Van  Levven  as  the  party 
came  out  of  the  desert  through  Cajon  Pass  and  stood  by  her  father 
looking  over  the  green  valley  of  San  Bernardino  exclaimed  that  it 
was  her  wish  to  live  and  die  in  the  beautiful  region  and  she  had  her 
wish  granted. 

Joseph  Wilson  and  Rhoda  Van  Levven  were  married  January  1,  1857. 
and  at  once  began  housekeeping  in  Old  San  Bernardino  near  the 
Mission.  Joseph  had  ten  acres  and  his  wife  twenty  acres  given  her 
by  her  father.  This  land  was  on  the  old  Mission  Road  in  what  is 
now  the  West  Redlands  District.  The  ten  acre  homestead  is  just 
east  of  the  Mission  school.  This  land  was  improved  through  the 
planting  of  fruits  and  grapes,  and  the  dried  fruit  was  readily  sold  to 
the  passing  traders  and  miners.  The  Wilsons  also  raised  alfalfa  and 
grain,  another  profitable  crop  in  pioneer  times.  Joseph  Wilson  in- 
creased his  land  holdings  from  year  to  year  and  was  one  of  the  very 
successful  men  of  the  valley.  He  was  also  a  freighter,  using  teams 
of  six  or  eight  mules  in  hauling  groceries  and  other  supplies  from 
Los  Angeles  to  San  Bernardino.  This  was  before  the  first  railroad 
was  built,  and  his  oldest  daughter  Catherine  has  a  vivid  recollection 
of  the  first  train  that  came  into  the  valley  over  the  newly  constructed 
Southern  Pacific  line.  She  was  at  that  time  in  school  and  the  teacher 
took  all  the  scholars  to  witness  the  coming  of  the  first  train,  consisting 
of  an  engine  and  flat  cars.  They  were  permitted  to  get  aboard  and  rode 
to  Colton  and  back  home. 

Joseph  Wilson  and  wife  were  the  parents  of  seven  children.  The 
oldest,  Catherine,  born  October  25,  1857,  was  married  February  12, 
1882,  to  Horace  J.  Roberts  and  he  died  March  6,  1918.  Of  her"  four 
children  Horace  Leslie,  born  November  24.  1884,  spent  two  years  after 
leaving  high  school  at  Nome,  Alaska,  and  is  now  farming  at  Beaumont, 
California.  He  married  Margaret  English  and  their  two  children  are 
Horace  Leslie  Jr.  and  Dorothy.  Carrie  Roberts,  the  second  child,  was 
born  September  21,  1886,  and  died  June  24,  1899.  Joseph  Ernest 
Roberts  was  born  April  22,  1888,  is  a  salesman  for  the  Union  Oil 
Company  at  Beaumont,  married  Edna  E.  Sewell  and  has  three  children 
named  Doris  Josephine.  Catherine  Augusta  and  Edna  Mae.  Rhoda 
Irene  Roberts,  born  June  5,  1891,  is  the  wife  of  Royal  T.  C.  Roberts, 
an   electrician    at    Coalinga,    California,    and    had    four    living   children, 


1392       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

Marion,  Edith,  who  died  November  12,  1919,  and  Jewell  who  died 
at  the  age  of  sixteen  months,  and  Royal  Thomas. 

Benjamin  Wilson,  the  second  child  of  Joseph  Wilson  was  born 
June  1Z,  1859,  and  died  October  6,  1867. 

Caroline,  third  of  the  family,  born  March  12,  1861,  is  the  wife 
of  M.  L.  Frink,  a  prominent  orange  grower  on  the  Mission  Road,  and 
she  has  five  children :  Lena,  Watkins,  Amy  Murphy,  Milton  J.  Frink, 
and  Howard  L.  Frink. 

Delbert  Wilson,  born  June   1,   1866,  died  in  infancy. 

Zilpha  Wilson,  born  August  13,  1867,  is  the  wife  of  J.  J.  Curtis, 
a  prominent  orange  grower  at  Redlands,  and  has  two  daughters,  Mrs. 
Alice  Hill  and  Mrs.  Mabel  Seavey. 

Anna  Wilson,  born  January  29,  1871,  married  B.  G.  Simons  of 
Nevada  Street,  Redlands,  and  has  one  daughter. 

The  youngest  of  the  family  Rhoda  Wilson,  born  April  15,  1878, 
is  the  wife  of  Gordon  Smith,  a  native  of  Glasgow,  Scotland,  and  a  fruit 
grower  at   Redlands. 

George  D.  Haven — Among  the  men  whose  courage,  faith  and  fore- 
sight have  contributed  to  the  wealth  and  progress  of  San  Bernardino 
County,  one  who  is  still  held  in  respected  memory  is  George  D.  Haven 
Primarily  a  mining  man,  perhaps  his  chief  distinction  lies  in  the  fad 
that  he  was  the  first  to  grow  grapes  in  desert  land  without  irrigation, 
a  move  that  led  to  the  founding  of  a  great  industry  and  which  added 
wonderfully  to  the  resources  and  prosperity  of  the  county. 

Mr.  Haven,  a  native  of  New  York  state,  made  the  overland  journey 
with  the  courageous  argonauts  of  1849,  having  joined  the  first  great 
rush  that  occurred  when  the  report  was  spread  broadcast  of  the  dis 
covery  of  gold  in  California.  For  many  years  thereafter  he  followed 
his  vocation  .through  the  western  states,  making  and  losing  several 
fortunes,  with  true  miner's  luck,  but  in  the  main  being  eminently 
successful.  For  years  he  was  a  resident  of  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah, 
where  he  at  one  time  built  and  lived  in  the  city's  showplace,  the  finest 
home  at  that  time  in  the  city.  He  and  his  partner  were  the  owner 
of  a  portion  of  the  famous  Homestake  mines,  in  South  Dakota,  con- 
sisting of  seven  original  claims.  They  sold  a  portion  of  this  property 
for  $400,000,  each  taking  half,  and  each  received  a  dividend  of  $120,000, 
also. 

During  his  long  and  varied  career,  Mr.  Haven's  experiences  were 
numerous  and  interesting.  It  is  related  that  on  one  occasion  when  he 
and  his  Homestake  partner  were  riding  through  a  gulch,  Mr.  Havens 
saw  a  likely-looking  spot  and  remarked  to  his  partner  that  there  was 
a  prospect.  The  other,  after  a  cursory  investigation  said  "Nothing  to 
it"  and  rode  on.  Mr.  Haven  had  faith  in  his  own  judgment  however 
and  when  he  remained  his  partner  was  forced  to  return.  Within 
three  weeks'  time  they  took  $3,500  from  this  pocket.  A  thorough 
mining  man  of  his  day,  Mr.  Haven  made  many  trips  to  San  Francisco, 
always  traveling  in  the  greatest  style  and  stopping  at  the  famous  old 
Palace  Hotel.  He  was  equally  able  to  make  friends  at  home,  in  the  big 
cities  and  in  strange  places  elsewhere.  On  many  occasions  he  came 
into  contact  with  the  Indians  who  were  frequently  hostile.  He  never 
took  the  suicidal  course  of  attempting  to  flee  when  he  was  overtaken 
by  the  savages,  but  would  ride  in  boldly  among  them  and  thus  gained 
their  respect  for  his  nerve,  although  doubtless  his  presents  also  played 
their  part  in  gaining  him  popularity.  At  any  rate,  he  was  never  seriously 
molested. 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1393 

Mr.  Haven  was  very  successful  and  in  1899  retired  from  active 
mining  operations.  He  had  located  at  Cucamonga  in  1881  where  he 
and  Air.  Milliken  purchased  640  acres  of  desert  land,  cleared  it  of 
cactus  and  brush  and  planted  it  to  wine  grapes.  This  was  the  very 
first  attempts  to  grow  wine  grapes  without  irrigation  and  was  then 
spoken  of  as  "Haven's  Folley.'  When  this  land  was  planted,  there  was 
no  water,  and  that  to  be  used  for  domestic  purposes  and  livestock  had 
to  be  hauled  four  miles.  It  was  an  absolutely  new  experiment,  and 
was  at  first  widely  ridiculed,  but  Mr.  Haven  had  the  faith  of  his  convictions 
and  eventually  his  judgment  was  vindicated  in  the  wonderful  success 
of  the  enterprise.  He  and  Mr.  Milliken  later  dissolved  partnership, 
dividing  the  property  evenly,  and  Mr.  Haven  later  added  many  acres 
to  his  holdings.  His  grapes  were  marketed  to  the  winery  men,  but  the 
prices  were  not  satisfactory.  After  he  had  sold  his  crop  for  $5.00  a 
ton  one  year  and  had  been  offered  the  same  price  the  next  year,  he 
realized  that  some  means  for  the  protection  of  the  growers  would 
have  to  be  found,  and  he  accordingly  organized,  and  in  1909  built, 
the  Cucamonga  Vintage  Company,  a  vast  institution  which  has  added 
many  units  since  and  is  now  a  stock  company  of  fifty-three  growers.  In 
addition  to  being  its  founder,  Mr.  Haven  was  one  of  the  first  officials 
of  this  organization  and  was  a  large  stockholder.  Likewise  he  was 
one  of  the  first  stockholders  when  the  First  National  Bank  of  Cucamonga 
was  founded.  In  December  1913,  he  incorporated  his  holdings,  divid- 
ing his  stock  among  nineteen  heirs. 

He  died  a  very  much  admired  and  beloved  man,  November  25, 
1914,  at  which  time  he  left  an  estate  valued  at  $77,000,  net,  all  of 
which  he  had  accumulated  absolutely  without  aid  at  the  start  of  his 
career.  Mr.  Haven's  wife  died  November  3,  1893.  They  have  no 
children  from  this  marriage.  In  politics  he  was  a  staunch  republican. 
The  property  is  now  owned  by  H.  H.  Thomas  and  family,  of  Cu- 
camonga. 

John  McIntosh. — While  loyalty  to  locality  is  by  no  means  unusual 
among  the  residents  of  San  Bernardino  County,  the  affection  John 
Mcintosh  feels  for  Redlands  is  due  not  only  to  its  many  charms  as 
a  place  of  residence  but  also  to  the  fact  that  here  he  made  his  suc- 
cessful fight  for  prosperity,  coming  here  some  thirty  odd  years  ago 
without  financial  capital,  and  is  now  retired  from  business  and  in  the 
comfortable  circumstances  of  a  citizen  who  owns  an  attractive  home 
and  some  productive  orange  groves. 

Mr.  Mcintosh  was  born  at  Dorchester,  Massachusetts,  April  15, 
1862,  son  of  William  and  Anna  Mcintosh.  His  father  was  a  New 
England  farmer,  and  John  was  next  to  the  youngest  in  a  family  of 
eight  children.  He  lived  on  his  father's  farm  and  attended  public 
school  but  between  the  age  of  fifteen  and  sixteen  started  an  appren- 
ticeship at  the  blacksmith  trade,  and  followed  that  occupation  at  Dor- 
chester until  1882. 

Mr.  Mcintosh  has  now  been  a  Californian  forty  years,  His  first 
location  was  at  San  Francisco  where  he  worked  at  his  trade.  In 
October,  1887,  he  came  to  Redlands.  He  left  the  train  at  Brookside, 
the  nearest  railroad  point,  and  journeyed  by  stage  into  the  village 
of  Redlands,  then  new  and  with  hardly  a  hint  of  its  modern  development. 
The  town  proper  contained  only  a  few  houses,  and  one  of  those  under 
construction  was  the  Sloan  house.  Most  of  the  town  lots  were  covered 
with  grapevines.  Mr.  Mcintosh  went  to  work  in  McLean's  blacksmith 
shop  for  four  months,  and  then  opened  a  shop  of  his  own  at  the  corner 


1394       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

of  Fifth  Street  and  Citrus  Avenue,  where  the  Home  Investment  Company 
is  now  located.  Later  he  moved  to  Orange  and  State  streets  on  the 
site  of  the  Fisher  Block  and  still  later  purchased  property  of  his  own 
at  18  West  Citrus  and  sold  this  to  buy  the  Southwest  corner  of  Fourth 
and  Citrus  Avenue,  where  he  continued  active  in  business  until  1914. 
As  a  master  blacksmith  he  employed  a  number  of  skilled  hands,  prospered 
and  saved,  and  invested  his  surplus  profitably  in  several  orange  groves 
and  still  owns  a  five  acre  block  on  Citrus  Avenue  and  five  acres  on 
Domestic  Street. 

In  1886  Mr.  Mcintosh  married  Miss  Harriet  Jones  who  was  born 
and  educated  in  Berkeley,  California.  They  are  the  parents  of  a  daughter 
Lillian  and  a  son  Reuben.  Lillian  who  graduated  from  the  Redlands 
High  School  is  the  wife  of  H.  A.  Woessner,  a  painting  and  decorating 
contractor  at  Redlands.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Woessner  have  one  son  Arthur 
Leroy,  born  September  29,  1910.  The  son  Reuben  who  was  born  in 
1892,  is  a  graduate  of  the  Redlands  High  School  and  has  to  his  credit 
a  distinguished  war  record.  He  enlisted  in  the  144th  Field  Artillery. 
known  as  the  "Grizzlies,"  was  trained  at  Camp  Kearney,  was  made 
a  sergeant,  and  from  Camp  Kearney  went  direct  to  France  where  his 
command  made  a  record  that  will  always  be  a  matter  of  pride  to 
California.  He  returned  to  the  United  Sates  and  was  mustered  out 
January  27,  1919,  and  is  now  a  salesman  for  the  Burroughs  Adding 
Machine  Companv  with  headquarters  at  Portland,  Oregon.  On  February 
23,  1921,  Reuben  Mcintosh  married  Miss  Chloe  Wells  of  Portland, 
daughter  of  a  retired  lumberman  and  prominent  Oregonian. 

James  S.  Edwards,  recognized  as  one  of  the  representative  and  in- 
fluential business  men  of  Redlands  and  San  Bernardino  County,  was 
born  at  Plymouth,  IJlinois,  on  the  14th  of  April,  1857,  his  father  having 
been  one  of  the  substantial  farmers  of  that  locality.  After  profiting  by 
the  advantages  of  the  public  schools  Mr.  Edwards  continued  his  studies 
at  Knox  College,  Galesburg,  Illinois,  and  the  Missouri  State  Normal 
School  at  Kirksville,  Missouri.  In  April,  1881,  as  a  young  man  of 
ambition  and  purposeful  outlook,  he  came  to  Riverside,  California, 
and  found  employment  in  the  work  of  an  orange  grove.  In  the  follow- 
ing November,  shortly  after  a  plat  of  Redlands  had  been  filed,  he  came 
to  the  new  district  and  became  one  of  the  first  buyers  of  property  here. 
In  1882  he  made  minor  plantings  and  other  improvements  on  his  land, 
and  two  years  later  he  here  initiated  his  nursery  industry,  by  planting 
seed  and  starting  the  growing  of  nursery  stock.  The  citrus-fruit  in- 
dustry of  the  Redlands  district  was  then  in  its  infancy,  but  a  period 
of  specially  rapid  development  ensued  and  Mr.  Edwards  supplied  a 
very  appreciable  part  of  the  early  nursery  stock  of  the  district.  Under 
his  careful  and  vigorous  management  the  business  became  an  important 
and  prosperous  one.  In  1887  Mr.  Edwards  became  associated  in  busi- 
ness with  Wilbur  N.  Chamblin.  Besides  extending  their  nurseries, 
they  built  a  warehouse  (now  belonging  to  Cope  Commerical  Company) 
and  engaged  in  the  shipping  of  fruit  for  the  growers  in  a  cooperative 
way  and  also  in  the  handling  of  grain  and  hav.  About  the  same  time, 
the  firm  purchased  about  500  acres  of  land  in  the  East  Highlands 
section  of  the  Redlands  district.  In  '91  their  interests  were  segregated, 
Mr.  Chamblin  taking:  the  warehouse  and  the  mercantile  business,  Mr.  Ed- 
wards taking  the  land  and  nursery  stock.  In  1893  Mr.  Edwards  began 
planting  this  tract  of  land  to  oranges  and  the  entire  area  is  now  covered  by 
orange  groves.  The  property  is  now  operated  under  coporate  control, 
Mr.  Edwards  having  effected,  in  1893,  the  organization  and  incorpora- 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1395 

tion  of  the  East  Highlands  Orange  Company.  Of  this  corporation  he 
is  the  general  manager,  and  Robert  Roddick  is  the  efficient  foreman. 
Here  has  been  developed  one  of  the  best  groves  of  navel  oranges  in 
California.  The  early  selection  of  the  land  as  the  stage  of  such 
enterprise  has  proved  a  very  wise  action,  for  the  district  is  comparatively 
free  from  damage  by  frost  and  the  soil  and  general  climatic  conditions 
wonderfully  to  the  successful  propagation  of  navel  oranges  of  the  finest 
type. 

Mr.  Edwards  helped  to  organize  also  the  Goldbuckle  Association, 
which  owns  and  operates  one  of  California's  most  complete  and  suc- 
cessful fruit-packing  plants.  In  connection  with  the  modern  packing 
house,  which  is  of  large  capacity,  the  association  maintains  its  own 
ice-manufacturing  plant,  which  supplies  all  ice  required  in  connection 
with  the  business.  Mr.  Edwards  is  president  of  this  association  and 
C.  S.  Hunt  is  manager.  Mr.  Edwards  is  a  director  of  the  California 
Eruit  Exchange,  and  Fruit  Growers  Supply  Company,  and  is  in  every 
sense  one  of  the  leading  representatives  of  the  citrus-fruit  industry  in  the 
state.  He  and  his  associates  in  the  Goldbuckle  Association  have  given 
careful  study  and  consideration  and  conducted  divers  experiments  in 
perfecting  the  service  of  what  is  conceded  to  be  one  of  the  most  satis- 
factory and  efficient  fruit  packing  and  shipping  agencies  in  the  state  all 
growers  being  assured  the  maximum  excellence  of  service  through 
the   medium  of   the   Goldbuckle  Association. 

In  August,  1887,  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Edwards  to 
Mrs.  Alice  Pratt,  a  native  of  the  state  of  New  York  and  a  woman  of 
exceptional  culture.  Mrs.  Edwards,  a  talented  musician,  is  a  zealous 
member  of  the  Congregational  Church,  and  is  known  as  an  earnest 
worker  in  behalf  of  the  unfortunate  and  helpless,  as  well  as  for  the 
general  uplifting  of  humanity.  Of  the  three  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Edwards  the  eldest  is  Ruth,  who  was  born  November  19,  1888,  who 
was  graduated  in  Pomona  College,  and  whose  marriage  to  Paul  R. 
Jennings  occurred  June  19,  1893,  their  home  being  in  the  city  of  San 
Diego.  Paul  L.  Edwards,  who  was  born  September  24,  1891.  is  a 
graduate  of  the  University  of  California,  after  leaving  which  institution 
he  entered  the  Government  service,  in  the  department  of  commerce 
and  labor.  He  was  first  sent  to  Brazil,  and  thereafter  became  commer- 
cial attache  of  the  American  embassy  at  The  Hague,  Holland,  where 
he  continued  in  service  until  the  spring  of  1920.  During  the  period 
of  the  World  war  he  served  as  representative  of  the  Netherlands  on 
the  war  trade  board.  Since  his  return  to  the  United  States  he  has 
remained  in  the  service  of  the  Government  and  he  was  stationed  in 
the  national  capital  until  the  spring  of  1921.  For  nine  months  he  was 
in  various  European  countries  and  is  now  commercial  attache  at  Con- 
stantinople. Russell  W.  Edwards,  the  third  child,  was  born  July  18, 
1897,  and  was  graduated  in  the  Redlands  High  School.  Though  not 
twenty-one  years  of  age  at  the  time  when  the  nation  became  involved 
in  the  World  war,  he  promptly  enlisted  in  the  coast  artillery,  and  he  was 
in  the  training  camp  at  the  time  of  the  signing  of  the  historic  armistice 
which  brought  a  technical  close  to  the  war.  He  is  now  assistant  super- 
intendent of  the  Goldbuckle  Association  and  proves  an  able  coadjutor 
of  his  father  in  directing  the  large  business  of  this  organization.  May 
2,  1918,  recorded  his  marriage  to  Miss  Marjorie  Reynolds,  of  Redlands. 

James  S.  Edwards  had  little  capital  save  energy,  ambition  and 
resolute  purpose  when  he  initiated  his  independent  business  career  in 
southern  California.  He  applied  himself  unremittinglv  in  the  developing 
and    upbuilding   of    his    nursery    business.      He    is    distinctively    one    of 


1396       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

the  representative  pioneers  of  the  Redlands  district  and  has  contributed 
loyally  and  in  generous  measure  to  its  development  and  progress.  Mr. 
Edwards  has  been  a  most  energetic  and  vigilant  worker  in  behalf  of 
prohibition,  and  he  has  been  nominee  of  the  Prohibition  party  for 
various  high  state  and  Federal  offices.  He  was  one  of  the  original 
board  of  directors  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Redlands.  He  has  vied 
with  his  wife  in  earnest  and  effective  service  in  the  Congregational 
Church  of  Redlands,  and  for  a  number  of  years  was  superintendent  of 
its  Sunday  School. 

Henry  A.  Hostetler — Since  coming  to  the  Upland  community  seven- 
teen years  ago  Henry  A.  Hostetler  has  studied  and  learned  and  has  become 
a  highly  proficient  orange  grower,  devoting  himself  to  this  industry  and 
the  work  of  his  grove  almost  exclusively,  allowing  outside  business 
interests  to  go  their  way  without  his  participation,  and  has  been  unusually 
successful  as  one  of  the  citrus  producers  of  this  section. 

Mr.  Hostetler  was  born  August  18,  1854,  in  Somerset  County, 
Pennsylvania.  He  is  of  Swiss  ancestry.  The  founder  of  the  American 
branch  of  the  name  was  Adam  Hostetler,  and  his  descendants  through 
the  successive  generations  were  Jacob,  Jacob,  John,  Jacob  and  Abraham 
B.,  father  of  Henry  A.  Hostetler.  Abraham  B.  Hostetler  was  born  ii. 
Somerset  County,  Pennsylvania,  August  30,  1826,  and  died  at  Waterloo. 
Iowa,  November  19,  1889.  On  February  19,  1852,  he  married  Rachel 
Rankin,  who  was  born  January  29,  1833,  daughter  of  John  C.  and 
Elimina  (Kell)  Rankin.  Abraham  B.  Hostetler  was  a  minister  of  the 
Dunkard  Church.  Abraham  and  Rachel  Hostetler  had  a  large  family 
of  children,  named,  in  order  of  birth,  John  R.,  Henry  A.,  Mary  Ellett, 
George  Washington,  Arabella  Jane,  Elmer  Lincoln,  David  Eugene,  Wil- 
liam Kuhns,  Hiram  Allen,  Martin  Birdy,  Samuel  C,  Dora  S.  and 
Arthur  Ives. 

Henry  A.  Hostetler  was  thirteen  years  old  when  his  parents  moved 
to  Walterloo,  Iowa.  Iowa  was  then  a  comparatively  new  state,  and 
his  father  bought  good  agricultural  land  at  twenty-five  dollars  an  acre. 
Mr.  Hostetler  grew  up  on  his  father's  farm.  He  completed  the  eighth 
grade  in  the  schools,  and  his  tasks  and  responsibilities  were  on  the 
home  farm  until  he  was  twenty-one.  In  1877,  after  leaving  home,  he 
took  a  course  in  a  seminary  at  Waterloo,  and  was  awarded  a  teacher's 
certificate,  though  he  never  used  it  to  teach  school.  From  Iowa  Mr. 
Hostetler  eventually  moved  to  York  County,  Nebraska,  and  followed 
farming  until  he  came  to  California  in  October,  1904.  He  soon  purchased 
ten  acres  at  the  corner  of  Eleventh  Street  and  Mountain  Avenue  at 
Upland.  This  was  a  fine  grove  of  Washington  Navel  Oranges,  and  at 
that  time  was  sixteen  years  old  and  in  full  bearing.  It  is  one  of  the 
best  groves  in  this  district  and  has  been  handled  most  efficiently  bv 
Mr.  Hostetler,  who  gives  it  his  complete  time  and  energy.  He  has 
studied  the  most  practical  methods  of  citrus  fruit  growing,  and  is  re- 
garded as  an  authority  on  the  care  and  cultivation  of  the  orchard  and 
the  handling  and  parking  of  ihe  fruit. 

On  March  6.  1879.  Mr.  Hostetler  married  Mrs.  Mary  L.  (Bice) 
Mapes,  widow  of  Jacob  Mapes.  Bv  her  first  marriage  she  had  two 
daughters :  Mrs.  Lovina  Corv  and  Mrs.  Florence  A.  Bnker.  These 
daughters  were  reared  and  educated  bv  Mr.  Hostetler.  Mrs.  Lovina 
Corv  was  born  Tanuary  25.  1874.  and  has  two  children.  Lovon.  born 
in  Woodburv  County.  Iowa.  August  22  1809.  i«s  ihe  wife  of  Frank 
Phillips  and  they  bnve  one  son.  Edwin  Frank  Phillins.  born  November 
11.    1918.     Oliver   D.  Cory   was   also  born  in  Woodbury   County.   June 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1397 

7,  1900.  Mrs.  Florence  A.  Baker,  born  July  9,  1876,  married  on  May 
9,  1897,  C.  C.  Baker,  who  was  born  November  11,  1867.  They  have 
five  sons  and  three  daughters :  Claude  Birney,  born  February  16,  1898, 
John  Leland,  December  19,  1899,  Lyle  Leroy,  May  19,  1903,  Clarence 
Enis,  May  27,  1905,  Florence  Lucile,  July  12,  1908,  Gladys  Lovon. 
March  22,  1910,  Cecil  Lester,  May  21,  1912,  and  Doris  Leota,  December 
17,  1918.  Claude  B.  Baker  married  Bertha  Lucile  Ross,  December  10, 
1918.  John  L.  Baker  married  Fern  Leota  Frame,  August  27,  1920,  and 
they  have  a  daughter,  Pearl  Janet. 

The  children  of  Henry  A.  Hostetler's  own  marriage  were  four  sons : 
Arthur  Derwin,  Rolland  Reginald,  Elmer  Bertram  and  Roy  W.  D. 
Arthur  D.,  who  was  born  May  24,  1880,  at  Bradshaw,  Nebraska,  married 
at  Mason  City,  Iowa,  Lura  Martha  Hutchinson.  Their  children  are : 
Derwin  Hutchinson  Hostetler,  born  March  25,  1904 ;  Dorothea  Linde 
Dix,  born  August  22,  1905;  Marjory  Lura,  born  December  21,  1906; 
Bene  Lucile,  born  February  22,  1908;  Arthur  Gerald,  born  June  30, 
1910;  and  Enid  Mae,  born  September  15,  1913.  The  second  son  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hostetler  was  born  June  28,  1883,  and  died  August  27, 
1886.  The  third  son,  Elmer  Bertram,  born  December  24,  1885,  at 
O'Neill,  Nebraska,  married,  August  28,  1906,  Allie  May  Groner,  born 
May  26,  1886.  They  have  three  children,  two  boys  and  a  girl:  Rolland 
Donald,  born  January  7,  1908;  Elden  Lloyd,  born  May  13,  1912;  and 
Ardys  Joyce,  born  September  27,  1913.  The  fourth  son,  Roy  W.  D.. 
born  May  19,  1888.  married  on  July  8,  1908,  Grace  A.  Wiley,  born 
September  17,  1890,  and  they  have  three  children,  all  boys;  Harold 
Alton,  born  October  13,  1909;  Verne  LeRoy,  born  October  19,  1911; 
and  Delbert  Wiley,  born  September  7.  1915. 

Mrs.  Henry  A.  Hostetler  was  born  in  Kansas,  January  5,  1858. 
and  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Madison  County,  Iowa. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hostetler  are  active  members  of  the  Christian  Church 
at  Ontario,  and  he  has  always  been  an  advocate  and  worker  for  tem- 
perance and  in  the  cause  of  education. 

Erick  Gustaf  Nelson  was  one  of  the  honored  pioneers  of  the 
present  thriving  little  City  of  Chino,  San  Bernardino  County,  and 
played  a  large  part  in  the  early  deve'f  •"■■■n  nnd  upbuilding  of  the 
town.  Here  he  continued  to  reside  until  his  death,  which  occurred 
July  17,  1917,  and  this  publication  consistently  enters  a  tribute  to  his 
memory. 

Mr.  Nelson  was  born  in  Varland,  Sweden,  on  the  9th  of  November. 
1860,  and  was  reared  and  educated  in  his  native  land.  At  the  age  of 
twenty  years,  penniless  and  unversed  in  the  English  language,  he  ar- 
rived in  the  City  of  Joliet,  Illinois,  where  for  three  vears  he  was  employed 
at  common  labor.  He  then  went  to  the  City  of  Chicago,  where  he 
learned  the  carpenter's  trade,  and  in  1887.  in  company  with  his  wife, 
he  came  to  Ontario.  San  Bernardino  County.  California.  In  1885 
he  married  Mrs.  Anna  (Anderson")  Colstrom.  whose  first  marriage 
occurred  in  1870.  Mr.  Colstrom  having  died  in  1872  and  being  sur- 
vived by  one  son.  William,  who  became  known  hv  the  name  of  his 
stepfather.  Mrs.  Nelson  was  born  in  Sweden  on  the  31st  of  Tanuary. 
1850.  and  in  1880  she  came,  alone,  to  the  United  States  At  Joliet 
Illinois,  she  found  employment  as  housekeeper,  and  in  two  years  gained 
an  excellent  knowledge  of  the  English  laneuaee  and  the  customs  <>f 
her  adopted  land.  With  ten  dollars  in  cash  she  built  and  eventually 
paid  for  a  six-room  house  at  loliet.  through  the  medium  of  a  building 
and    loan    association,    to    which    she   paid    eight    dollars    a    month.      She 


1398      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

made  these  payments  by  conducting  a  boarding  house,  in  which  she 
cared  for  an  average  of  twelve  boarders.  She  was  thus  engaged  when 
she  became  the  wife  of  Mr.  Nelson,  and  they  thereafter  worked  and 
saved  together,  with  a  determination  to  place  themselves  in  independent 
circumstances.  They  arrived  in  Ontario,  California,  in  the  spring  of 
1887,  and  here  Mr.  Nelson  aided  in  the  construction  of  the  first  depot 
of  the  Southern  Pacific  Railroad,  the  only  other  business  structures 
in  the  town  at  that  time  being  a  blacksmith  shop  and  a  grocery  store. 
From  Ontario  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nelson  removed  to  Chino,  as  pioneers, 
and  here  he  erected  some  of  the  first  buildings,  including  a  hotel,  a 
printing  office,  the  Baptist  Church  and  his  own  house.  Here  he  built 
also  the  first  railroad  station,  and  he  continued  his  operations  as  a 
carpenter  and  builder  until  1890,  after  which  he  held  for  twenty  years 
the  position  of  carpenter  foreman  for  the  Chino  Sugar  Refining  Company. 
In  1894  he  purchased  five  acres  of  land  on  Riverside  Drive,  and  de- 
veloped the  same  as  an  apple  and  pear  orchard.  After  selling  this 
property  he  purchased  the  Bellflower  Ranch,  on  the  corner  of  Riverside 
Drive  and  Roosevelt  Avenue,  where  his  widow  still  maintains  her 
home,  this  being  one  of  the  historic  places  of  the  Chino  District.  Mr. 
Nelson  bought  this  property  in  1905,  and  became  the  third  person  to 
own  the  property  after  the  making  of  the  original  grant.  When  he 
came  to  Chico  this  ranch,  which  then  comprised  8,000  acres,  was  owned 
by  William  Gird,  and  it  was  then  a  great  cattle  range,  with  virtually 
no  improvements,  Mr.  Nelson  having  made  all  later  improvements  on 
the  land  which  he  thus  acquired,  and  having  brought  the  same  under 
effective  cultivation,  with  an  excellent  system  of  irrigation.  He  was 
affiliated  with  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  was  an  earnest  member  of 
the  Baptist  Church,  as  is  also  his  widow.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nelson  had 
no  children,  but  he  was  all  that  a  father  could  have  been  in  the  caring 
for  and  the  rearing  of  his  stepson,  William,  who  has  borne  the  name  of 
Nelson.  This  son  of  Mrs.  Nelson's  first  marriage  was  born  in  Faulon 
Sweden,  April  24,  1873,  and  was  a  lad  of  seven  years  when  he  ac- 
companied his  widow  mother  to  the  United  States.  He  attended  the 
first  school  established  at  Chino,  and  upon  the  death  of  his  stepfather 
he  assumed  charge  of  the  Bellflower  Ranch,  after  having  previously  been 
for  seventeen  years  in  charge  of  the  machinery  department  of  the  Chino 
Sugar  Refining  Company.  In  1907  he  married  Mrs.  Laura  (Molen) 
Anderson,  who  was  born  September  16,  1870,  her  first  husband  being 
survived  by  two  children,  Arthur  and  Edelia,  the  former  of  whom 
is  now  in  the  employ  of  the  Layne  &  Bowler  Pump  Manufacturing 
Company  in  Los  Angeles.  Arthur  Anderson,  the  elder  of  the  two 
children,  was  born  at  Stanbaugh,  Michigan,  August  21,  1893.  In  June. 
1914,  he  married  W'anda  Hammer,  and  they  have  one  daughter,  Wanda 
LaVerne,  born  June  14,  1917.  Edelia  Anderson  was  born  at  Chino, 
August  14,  1895,  and  in  June,  1911,  she  became  the  wife  of  Benjamin 
Kriegh,  who  is  in  the  emplov  of  the  pump  company  with  which  her 
brother  also  is  connected.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kriegh  have  two  children : 
Charles  Benjamin,  born  October  24,  1912.  and  Junita,  born  October  27. 
1913. 

William  Nelson,  now  in  active  charge  of  the  home  ranch  which 
his  stepfather  effectively  developed  and  improved,  is  well  upholding  the 
prestige  of  the  name  of  Nelson  and  is  one  of  the  substantial  and  loyal 
citizens  of  San  Bernardino  County. 

Silas  C.  Cox  first  saw  San  Bernardino  when  he  was  about  seven 
years  of  age,  and  his  intimate  recollections  of  this  city  and  community 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1399 

cover  a  period  of  almost  seventy  years,  during  which  period  lie  has 
witnessed  the  development  of  all  the  towns  and  cities  in  this  section  of  the 
state  from  a  vast  horse,  cattle  and  sheep  pasture. 

He  was  born  in  Fayette  County,  Alabama,  January  14,  1843,  and 
two  years  later  his  father,  A.  J.  Cox,  moved  to  Council  Bluffs,  Iowa, 
in  1847  crossed  the  plains  to  Utah  and  in  the  spring  of  1850  the  family 
came  on  to  California  and  a  year  or  so  later  came  down  to  San  Bernar- 
dino. 

Silas  Cox  therefore  grew  up  on  the  frontier,  learned  to  ride  a  horse 
before  he  knew  his  letters,  and  in  subsequent  years  his  travels  and 
experiences  took  him  over  nearly  all  the  great  West,  as  far  north  as 
Idaho  and  Montana,  and  he  made  a  score  of  trips  back  and  forth  between 
Utah  and  California.  He  has  been  a  cowboy,  prospector,  freighter, 
Indian  fighter,  and  for  about  thirty-five  years  conducted  a  dairy  ranch 
but  is  now  living  completely  retired  in  his  home  at  San  Bernardino.  His 
varied  experiences,  his  character  as  a  citizen,  and  his  active  associations 
with  all  the  leading  men  of  affairs  of  this  district  give  him  a  well 
deserved  prominence,  and  it  is  appropriate  that  this  brief  record  should 
be  preserved  in  the  history  of  Riverside  and  San  Bernardino  counties 
in  the  absence  of  a  complete  account  of  his  adventures,  which  in  an 
important  degree  are  part  of  the  history  of  his  times  and  which  should 
be  preserved  in  the  pioneer  records  of  the  county. 

M.  L.  Black  was  responsible  for  developing  one  of  the  earliest  and 
finest  orange  groves  in  the  Redlands  District.  He  owns  a  large  amount 
of  property  in  that  section,  most  of  it  developed  through  his  enterprise 
and  capital,  and  after  more  than  thirty  years  of  labor  is  now  gradually 
retiring  from  the  heavier  responsibilities  and  turning  them  over  to 
his  sons. 

Mr.  Black  was  born  June  10,  1853,  at  Louisburg,  Ohio.  His  father, 
William  Anderson  Black,  was  born  in  Ohio  July  19,  1827,  and  spent  his 
life  as  a  farmer.  He  died  May  8,  1904.  The  mother,  Amanda  Maria 
Gruber.  was  born  December  20,  1830,  and  died  January  12,  1907. 

M.  L.  Black  was  the  second  in  a  family  of  eight  children.  When 
he  was  four  years  of  age  his  parents  moved  to  Ottawa,  Illinois,  and  he 
grew  up  in  that  locality,  acquiring  a  common  school  education.  On 
leaving  school  and  the  home  farm  he  became  a  telegraph  operator,  and 
for  twenty  years  was  in  the  service  of  the  Rock  Island  Railroad  Company 
in  that  capacity.  He  finally  became  afflicted  with  operator's  paralysis 
of  the  hand,  and  seeking  new  fields  and  new  enterprises  he  came  to 
California  in  1889.  He  at  once  engaged  in  orange  culture,  purchasing 
eighteen  acres  on  Redlands  Street,  which  he  had  prepared  and  set  out 
to  Navel  oranges,  and  saw  the  profits  of  his  work  as  a  developer 
before  he  sold  the  tract  in  1902.  He  then  bought  seventy  acres  on 
Orange  Street.  A  small  part  of  this  was  planted  to  oranges  and  the 
remainder  was  divided  between  vineyards,  deciduous  fruit  orchards 
and  grain.  Mr.  Black  owned  a  hundred  and  fifty  shares  of  the  Pioneer 
or  Sunnyside  Water  System,  and  with  these  water  rights  he  has  since 
improved  his  large  tract,  setting  it  out  completely  to  citrus  fruits.  Navels 
and  over  a  half  in  Valencias.  On  part  of  this  land  he  erected  his  modern 
home  on  Orange  Street.  Within  his  personal  recollection  this  tract 
exhibits  in  brief  the  complete  history  of  transformation  in  Southern 
California.  He  saw  the  land  when  it  was  wild,  while  now  it  is  entirely 
orchard,  and  electric  cars  pass  before  his  door  where  only  a  few  years 
ago  jack  rabbits  and  coyotes  slunk  away  at  the  approach  of  the  occas- 
sional human  being. 


1400      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

In  1880  Mr.  Black  married  Miss  Emma  J.  Dodds,  a  native  of 
Massachusetts.  She  died  at  Redlands  in  1893.  She  was  the  mother 
of  four  children,  the  first  three  being  born  in  Iowa.  The  oldest  child, 
Charles  Henry  Black,  born  September  21,  1884,  is  a  Redlands  orange 
grower  and  on  July  11,  1909,  married  Hester  A.  Smith.  The  second 
son,  Everett  A.  Black,  born  August  30,  1888,  has  a  distinguished  war 
record.  He  was  educated  in  the  Redlands  High  School.  He  enlisted 
and  served  in  the  American  expedition  and  in  the  campaign  along  the 
Mexican  border.  When  America  declared  war  against  Germany  he 
again  volunteered,  but  was  refused  on  account  of  disability.  He  had  to 
be  examined  again  when  his  name  was  drawn  in  the  draft,  and  this  time 
he  was  passed  by  the  Medical  Board  and  assigned  to  duty  with  the  364th 
Machine  Gun  Squadron,  noted  as  the  Suicide  Squadron.  He  was  over- 
seas and  has  a  fighting  record  enjoyed  by  few  Californians.  In  the 
Argonne  Forest  he  was  exposed  to  fire  continuously  eight  days  and 
eight  nights,  until  wounded  by  shrapnel  in  the  arm,  shoulder  and  at 
various  points  on  the  body.  He  was  also  gassed.  For  a  time  he  was 
in  a  field  hospital,  then  sent  to  a  Base  Hospital  at  Paris,  and  when  partly 
recovered  he  rejoined  his  command,  but  was  unable  to  keep  up  the  duty 
and  was  again  forced  to  go  to  the  hospital.  Again  he  secured  his  release 
and  rejoined  the  command  before  he  was  able  to  take  to  the  field,  and 
was  therefore  assigned  Y.  M.  C.  A.  work.  After  more  than  two  years 
in  the  army  he  resumed  civilian  life  in  April,  1919,  and  is  now  attending 
the  School  of  Horticulture  at  Ontario,  California. 

The  third  of  Mr.  Black's  family  is  Beulah  Mae,  who  was  born 
February  18,  1891,  was  educated  in  the  Redlands  High  School,  and  on 
June  21,  1911,  was  married  to  Richard  D.  Mills,  of  Ottawa,  Illinois, 
a  lawyer.  She  died  January  1,  1919,  being  survived  by  one  son,  Robert 
Mills,  born  May  1,  1912.  The  youngest  of  the  family,  Clarence  E. 
Black,  was  born  at  Redlands  December  1,  1893,  graduated  from  the 
Redlands  High  School,  and  on  January  1,  1918,  enlisted  in  the  Aviation 
Corps  and  was  in  training  at  San  Diego  until  honorably  discharged 
in  July,  1919.  May  18,  1920,  this  son  married  Miss  Eleanor  Bushnell, 
of  Redlands. 

On  July  11,  1912,  Mr.  M.  L.  Black  married  Mrs.  Anna  L.  Prisler, 
of  Ottawa,  Illinois,  but  a  native  of  Zanesville,  Ohio.  She  was  the 
mother  of  three  children  by  her  first  marriage.  Mrs.  Black  comes  of 
a  prominent  family  and  has  been  a  valued  addition  to  Redlands  society. 
She  and  Mr.  Black  have  shared  in  manv  interesting  experiences  in  travel, 
and  have  made  many  trips  by  motor,  railroad  and  ocean  vessels.  They 
made  a  transcontinental  tour  by  automobile,  going  from  California  to 
the  Atlantic  Coast,  and  visiting  thirty-two  states  besides  the  District 
of  Columbia  and  Canada.  Some  of  their  sea  voyage  took  them  to 
South  American  points,  and  they  crossed  the  countinent  from  ocean  to 
ocean  eight  times  in  twelve  months. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Black  and  family  are  members  of  the  Congregational 
Church.  While  his  substantial  interests  and  affections  are  permanently 
linked  with  Redlands,  he  and  Mrs.  Black  now  contemplate  making  their 
home  at  Long  Beach,  leaving  the  management  of  his  property  to  his 
sons. 

Arthur  Burnett  Benton — The  distinctive  architecture  of  Southern 
California  has  been  the  wonder  and  admiration  of  the  world  and  has 
been  extended  with  modifications  to  manv  localities  where  it  inevitablv 
loses  through  lack  of  appropriate  setting  and  climatic  conditions.  While 
this  architecture  is  in  a  sense  an  almost  native  product,  it  has  remained 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1401 

for  the  genius  of  such  notable  men  as  Arthur  Burnett  Benton  to  develop  it 
as  the  highest  form  of  architectural  expression  and  provide  the  flexible 
treatment  that  adapts  it  to  a  wide  range  of  structural  conditions. 

Undoubtedly  the  greatest  living  authority  on  "the  Mission  style"  is 
Mr.  Benton,  who  for  thirty  years  has  practiced  architecture  and  has 
been  an  indefatigable  student  of  old  Mission  art  in  Southern  California. 
The  work  of  Mr.  Benton  has  been  characterized  by  a  uniformity  of 
beauty  and  an  admirable  adaption  of  line,  structural  symmetry,  interior 
comfort,  so  that  every  element  in  the  building  harmonizes  with  climate 
and  the  purpose  of  his  buildings.  The  work  he  has  done  during  the 
past  thirty  years  is  exemplified  in  Los  Angeles  and  all  the  leading  cities 
and  communities  around,  not  only  in  private  dwellings  but  in  great  public 
buildings.  Mr.  Benton  has  studied  in  every  detail  the  architecture  of 
the  old  California  Missions,  and  has  been  the  consulting  architect  in 
nearly  every  occasion  where  restoration  work  has  been  done  on  these 
Mission  buildings.  His  work  is  well  known  throughout  California.  He 
has  for  twenty-three  years  been  architect  for  the  famous  Mission  Inn 
of  Riverside,  all  of  which  excepting  the  Spanish  Wing  and  the  new 
kitchen  has  been  designed  by  him  and  built  under  his  supervision.  He 
is  at  this  date  engaged  in  preparing  drawings  for  the  "Giralda"  tower, 
which  is  to  be  a  replica  of  the  famous  tower  of  Seville  in  Spain  and 
will  add  most  notably  to  the  architecture  of  America. 

Mr.  Benton  was  born  at  Peoria,  Illinois,  April  17.  1858.  His  father, 
Ira  Eddy  Benton,  was  born  in  Chardon,  Ohio,  in  1829,  and  lived  to  the 
advanced  age  of  ninety,  passing  away  in  1919.  He  was  an  apothecary 
in  Illinois,  and  the  last  twenty  years  of  his  life  were  spent  in  Long 
Beach,  California.  He  was  a  descendant  of  Andrew  Benton,  who  came 
from  England  in  1630  and  was  one  of  the  founders  of  Hartford, 
Connecticut.  The  mother  of  the  Los  Angeles  architect  was  Caroline 
Augusta  Chandler,  who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  in  1831  and  died  in 
1907.  She  was  a  descendant  of  William  and  Anna  Chandler,  of  Rox- 
bury,  Massachusetts,  representing  a  family  that  came  from  England 
in  1639. 

Arthur  B.  Benton  graduated  from  the  Peoria  High  School  in  1877. 
He  was  engaged  in  farming  in  Morris  County,  Kansas  during  1879- 
1888,  and  was  a  draftsman  in  the  chief  engineer's  office,  architec- 
tural department  of  the  Atchison,  Topeka  and  Santa  Fe  Railroad  during 
1888-90.  While  there  he  attended  the  School  of  Art  and  Design  at 
Topeka.  During  1890-91  he  held  a  similar  position  in  the  chief  engineer's 
office  of  the  Union  Pacific  at  Omaha.  Mr.  Benton  removed  to  Cali- 
fornia in  1891,  establishing  his  home  in  Los  Angeles. 

In  Morris  County,  Kansas,  May  17,  1883,  he  married  Phillipina 
Harriet  Schilling  Von  Constat.  She  was  born  in  Johnstown,  Pennsyl- 
vania, April  24,  1849,  daughter  of  James  Ernest  Carl  and  Louisa 
(Morgan)  Schilling  Von  Constat.  Her  parents  were  natives  of  England, 
but  her  grandfather,  George  Frederick  Schilling  Von  Constat,  was  a 
native,  of  Carlsruhe,  Baden,  was  a  young  officer  of  engineers  in  Germany 
and  served  as  aide-de-camp  to  Frederick  the  Great.  He  came  to  America 
immediately  after  the  Revolutionary  war,  with  letters  of  introduction  to 
George  Washington  and  Benjamin  Franklin,  then  Governor  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. Subsequently  he  left  America  and  removed  to  London,  England, 
where  his  son  James  was  born.  James  and  Louisa  Schilling  Von  Constat 
removed  to  Virginia  in  1849.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Benton  have  one  daughter. 
Miss  Edith  Mary  Benton,  born  in  Morris  County.  Kansas,  in  1884. 
She  is  a  prominent  worker  in  the  Girls  Friendly  Society  of  Los  Angeles, 


1402       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

captain  of  the  Girl  Scouts  of  that  city,  and  a  member  of  the  Daughters 
of  the  American  Revolution. 

Some  of  the  varied  interests  as  well  as  professional  affiliations  of 
Mr.  Benton  are  represented  in  his  membership  in  many  learned  and 
technical  societies.  He  is  a  Fellow  of  the  American  Institute  of  Archi- 
tects and  a  member  of  its  committee  of  conservation  of  historic  land- 
marks ;  is  past  president  of  the  Los  Angeles  Chapter  of  the  Institute ; 
is  past  president  of  the  Society  of  Engineers  and  Architects  of  Southern 
California;  is  past  president  of  the  Academy  of  Science  of  Southern 
California;  is  past  governor  of  the  California  Society  of  Colonial  wars; 
a  member  of  the  California  Society  of  Sons  of  the  Revolution,  is 
a  member  of  the  Board  of  Governors  of  the  Los  Angeles  County 
Museum,  and  belongs  to  the  Jonathan,  Union  League  and  Old  Colony 
Clubs  of  Los  Angeles.  He  is  a  member  and  formerly  vestryman  of 
St.  Paul's  Pro  Cathedral  of  Los  Angeles.  He  is  secretary  and  consulting 
architect  of  the  Land  Marks  Club  of  Southern  California.  To  this 
organization  is  due  the  preservation  of  San  Juan  Capistrano,  San 
Fernando  and  Palo  Missions,  while  it  has  also  given  substantial  aid 
to  the  San  Diego  and  San  Luis  Rey  Missions.  Mr.  Benton  is  now  a 
professional  advisor  in  the  conservation  work  being  done  on  the  San 
Luis  Obispo  Mission,  the  San  Juan  Capistrano  Mission,  and  the  Mission 
San  Diego  de  Alcala.  Practically  from  the  beginning  of  his  California 
residence  the  earlv  history  and  architecture  of  the  state  made  a  strong 
appeal  to  him.  and  most  of  his  literarv  expression  has  found  its  themes 
in  such  subjects.  He  is  author  of  "The  Mission  Inn  Legend  of  River- 
side and  Capistrano."  of  "The  Princess  Phillipina,"  the  "Mexican  Ro- 
mance of  the  Crusaders."  and  is  author  of  a  historical  novel  of  early 
California  known  as  "The  Mission  Builders."  His  writings  have  an 
individual  style  and  charm  that  enhance  their  value  as  solid  historical 
productions. 

Besides  the  Mission  Inn  Mr.  Benton  was  emploved  as  the  architect 
for  the  Christian  Science  Church,  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  Building,  the  Water 
Companv's  offices,  the  Fairmont  Park  mnsir  navilinn.  the  Porter  mansion, 
the  parish  hall  of  All  Saints  Church  in  Riverside.  He  was  architect 
for  the  Arrowhead  Hot  Springs  Hotel,  and  the  New  Arlington  Hotel 
in  Santa  Barbara,  the  Woman's  C'uh  Building  and  thp  Unity  Church 
in  Redlands.  All  Saints  Church  in  Covina.  Some  of  his  biggest  wo<-k 
has  naturallv  been  in  Lns  Angeles,  where  hp  was  architect  of  the  Y.  W. 
C.  A.  and  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  buildings,  thp  latter  beinor  now  the  LTnion 
League  Club  Building:  the  Fridav  Morning  Club  Building,  the  first 
largp  public  building  of  nronouuced  Mission  tvne.  thp  dormitorv  of 
the  Young  Woman's  BuiMin^  huilt  bv  Senator  W.  A.  Clark  in  memorv 
of  ln'e  mother:  and  hp  is  architect  for  Tohn  Steven  MrGrrw  rtv's  Mi=- 
cion  Plav  Hou«e  at  San  Gabriel,  the  permanent  home  of  thp  Mission 
Plav.  This  is  to  bp  an  historical  mu°eiim  nnH  a  <rrppt  monument  to 
California  Colonial  architecture  as  wp'1  as  a  plav  Vioiisp  TIip  main 
facade  and  norch  is  a  renlica  of  the  Franciscan  Mission  of  San  An- 
tonio de  Padua,  founded  bv  Frev  Serra.  and  one  of  the  most  beauti- 
ful of  ancient  Missions.  For  the  present  purpose  this  replica  is  twice 
the  size  of  the  original.  The  work  is  largely  of  adobe,  performed  by 
Mexican  and  Indian  workmen.  A  great  number  of  other  residences, 
churches  and  public  buildings  in  California  have  been  constructed 
from  the  plans  and  under  the  direction  of  Mr.  Benton.  For  twenty- 
three  years  he  has  been  engaged  in  the  development  of  the  ambitious 
plans  and  ideals  of  Frank  A.  Miller  in  the  creation  of  the  Mission 
Inn  and  the  improvement  of  Mount  Rubidoux,  and  is  now  engaged 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1403 

on  the  beautiful  home  at  Arch  Beach,  named  for  Mrs.  Miller,  "Mari 
una." 

Mr.  Benton  is  a  republican.  As  a  young  man  on  a  Kansas  ranch 
he  took  considerable  interest  in  local  politics,  serving  as  chairman  of 
his  precinct  Central  Committee,  as  clerk  of  the  School  Board,  and  was 
nominated  for  clerk  of  the  Morris  County  Superior  Court,  but  about 
that  time  left  home  to  begin  his  architectural  career. 

Rudolph  H.  Boettger  is  one  of  the  younger  men  engaged  in  the 
orange  growing  industry  of  the  Redlands  district.  He  has  made  a 
close  study  of  orange  culture,  and  the  condition  of  his  orchard  de- 
notes ability  and  knowledge  superior  to  many  older  growers. 

Mr.  Boettger,  whose  home  and  grove  is  on  Texas  Street,  his  home 
number  being  1554,  was  born  at  Denison,  Iowa,  March  14,  1895.  His 
parents,  Martin  F.  and  Watje  Boettger,  were  born  in  Germany,  came 
to  America,  and  their  thrift  and  energy  achieved  success  in  this  coun- 
try. They  moved  to  Southern  California  when  Rudolph  Boettger  was 
a  child,  and  the  latter  was  reared  and  educated  at  Redlands.  While 
with  his  father  he  worked  in  the  Imperial  Valley,  where  they  im- 
proved a  hundred  acres  of  land  near  Holtville.  Rudolph  Boettger  re- 
turned to  Redlands  June  6,  1915,  and  has  since  been  actively  identified 
with  orange  growing.  He  has  the  energy  and  pluck  required  for  suc- 
cess in  this  business.  In  January,  1919,  he  purchased  a  splendid  ten- 
acre  grove  on  Texas  Street,  extending  from  San  Bernardino  Avenue 
to  Pennsylvania  Avenue.  Half  of  this  is  in  Valencias  and  half  in 
Washington  Navels.  Mr.  Boettger  negotiated  this  purchase  on  terms 
and  he  provides  his  living  expenses  by  caring  for  other  groves,  devot- 
ing all  his  crop  receipts  to  paying  out  on  his  place,  and  when  this  pro- 
gram is  completed  he  will  have  a  valuable  property,  one  that  will 
insure  substantial  returns  for  many  years. 

Air.  Boettger  married  Miss  Blanche  C.  Dalbey,  who  was  born  at 
Millsboro,  Pennsylvania,  June  12,  1900,  daughter  of  Charles  F.  and 
Julia  E.  Dalbey,  who  are  residents  of  Redlands. 

Hugh  L.  Dickson — While  Hugh  L.  Dickson,  attorney  of  San 
Bernardino,  has  not  practiced  continuously  in  the  city,  he  has  been 
here  a  number  of  years  and  has  built  up  a  satisfying  practice,  at  first 
alone  but  in  later  years  with  a  partner.  The  firm  name  is  Allison  & 
Dickson,  doing  a  general  law  practice,  but  in  the  main  largely  civil, 
and  they  handle  many  personal  injury  cases,  in  which  specialization 
they  have  been  more  than  ordinarily  successful. 

Mr.  Dickson  has  been  quite  a  vital  factor  in  political  circles,  hold- 
ing office  in  the  line  of  his  profession  and  administering  the  dutes  of 
such  offices  in  an  earnest,  able  and  industrious  manner.  That  he  is  one 
of  the  city's  loyal  citizens  is  evidenced  by  his  returning  to  it  when 
larger  opportunities  and  greater  emoluments  had  been  given  to  him 
in  the  East,  successes  which  would  have  been  a  stepping  stone  to  still 
higher  positions.  San  Bernardino  has  no  warmer  booster  than  Mr. 
Dickson. 

He  was  born  in  Water  Valley,  Mississippi,  August  12,  1871.  the 
son  of  William  R.  Dickson,  a  loyal  son  of  the  South,  who  wore  the 
gray  and  yet  served  the  wearers  of  the  blue  as  a  surgeon,  an  action 
which,  while  it  seems  strange,  is  in  itself  a  tribute  of  the  highest  order 
to  Dr.  Dickson.  It  was  the  time  when  the  war  feeling  ran  highest, 
and  yet,  when  Dr.  Dickson  was  captured  by  the  northern  men  he  was 
placed  in  a  position  in  which  he  could  have  done  great  harm  to  the 
Union  forces.     He  was  surgeon   in   the  Confederate  Army,  of  great 


1404       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

reputation,  and  at  once  the  general  in  command  asked  him  to  assist 
in  caring  for  the  wounded  Federal  soldiers.  He  at  once  went  to 
work,  performing  surgical  operations  and  in  many  ways  caring  for 
the  wounded,  intent  only  on  his  work  of  mercy.  Many  surgeons,  both 
of  the  Northern  and  Southern  hosts,  would  have  been  sorely  tempted, 
many  would  have  succumbed  to  the  temptation  to  neglect  the  wounded 
men.  But  he  worked  among  them  just  as  though  they  were  Confed- 
erate soldiers.  When  Dr.  Dickson  was  offered  pay  for  his  inestim- 
able services  he  refused  it,  but  he  asked  that  he  be  given  some  chloro- 
form to  take  back  to  his  command  so  that  the,  of  necessity  crude  sur- 
gery, could  be  done  without  the  terrible  suffering  attendant  without 
it.  He  was  given  ten  pounds  of  the  precious  drug  and  sent  back  to 
his  command.  He  died  in  1888,  after  practicing  most  of  his  life  in 
Arkansas  and  Mississippi.  The  mother  of  Hugh  L.  Dickson  was 
Ella  P.  McConnico,  a  native  of  Mississippi,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
twenty-nine. 

Mr.  Dickson  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  state 
and  then  for  two  years  was  a  student  in  the  literary  course  of  the 
University  of  Mississippi.  In  1890  he  took  the  senior  course  in  the 
law  school,  then  entered  a  law  office  and  in  1896  he  was  admitted  to 
the  bar.  He  practiced  first  in  Mississippi,  remaining  there  two  years, 
then  locating  in  Kingman,  Arizona,  where  he  practiced  for  seven 
years.  At  the  end  of  that  period  he  moved  to  San  Bernardino  and 
practiced  until  1909.  At  that  time  he  went  to  Peoria,  Illinois,  as  gen- 
eral counsel  for  the  Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  Firemen.  He  re- 
mained in  that  position  until  1913,  when  he  returned  to  San  Bernard- 
ino and  has  since  been  in  continuous  practice  in  this  city. 

He  married  in  1904  Ola  M.  McConnico.  They  have  three  children, 
Margaret,  Dorothy  and  Floreine. 

Mr.  Dickson  is  a  member  of  San  Bernardino  Lodge  No.  836,  B.  P. 
O.  E.,  and  was  its  exalted  ruler  in  1908.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the 
Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  Firemen.  In  his  first  residence  in  San 
Bernardino  he  was  district  attorney,  1907-8,  and  he  held  the  same  po- 
sition in  Kingman,  Arizona,  for  two  terms,  1900-4.  He  was  a  candi- 
date for  Congress  in  1920,  but  he  was  defeated  in  the  general  republi- 
can landslide.    The  family  is  affiliated  with  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

James  G.  Ham.,  M.  D.,  a  physician  and  surgeon  of  San  Bernar- 
dino, who  has  established  a  truly  enviable  reputation  in  that  city 
for  his  skill  in  diagnosing  and  treatment  of  disease,  is  almost  a  native 
son  not  only  of  California  but  of  San  Bernardino.  He  is  in  education 
and  loyalty  a  genuine  son  of  the  Golden  State,  and  San  Bernardino  is 
practically  his  birthplace,  for  he  was  only  a  year  old  when  his  parents 
brought  him  here. 

He  was  born  in  Pettis  County,  Missouri,  the  son  of  Alexander  M. 
and  Leonora  (Parazette)  Ham,  both  being  natives  of  Missouri.  They 
came  to  San  Bernardino  from  Missouri  in  1882,  and  Mr.  Ham  at  once 
opened  a  grocery  store,  which  he  still  conducts,  and  for  which  he  has 
built  up  a  large' and  lucrative  patronage.  With  his  wife  he  is  enjoy- 
ing a  happy  and  prosperous  life  far  from  the  frozen  East,  and  they  are 
ranked  among  the  honored  pioneers  of  the  city. 

Dr.  Ham  was  educated  in  the  public  and  high  school  of  San  Bern- 
ardino, and  he  commenced  the  study  of  medicine  in  the  Medical  De- 
partment of  the  University  of  Southern  California.  From  there  he 
was  graduated  with  the  cla'ss  of  1907.  He  at  once  opened  an  office  in 
San   Bernardino,  and  has  been  in  constant  practice  ever  since.     He 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1405 

also  maintains  an  office  in  the  Title  Insurance  Building  in  Los  An- 
geles, and  has  developed  a  large  and  ever  growing  practice  in  both 
communities.  His  is  a  general  practice  of  both  medicine  and  surgery 
and  he  has  gained  an  enviable  standing  both  with  the  profession  and 
with  the  public. 

Dr.  Ham  married  in  December,  1917,  Irene  E.  King  of  San  Ber- 
nardino.   They  have  one  child,  Phyllis  I.  Ham. 

Dr.  Ham  is  affiliated  with  the  San  Bernardino  Lodge  No.  348,  A 

F.  and  A.  M.,  and  with  the  San  Bernardino  Lodge  No.  866,  B.  P.  O.  E. 
In  politics  he  is  a  supporter  of  the  republican  party. 

Leon  Arnold  Atwood — is  a  son  of  George  A.  Atwood,  whose 
achievements  as  a  developer  of  the  famous  Yucaipa  Valley  have  been 
described  on  other  pages  of  this  publication.  L.  A.  Atwood  was  born 
in  the  Yucaipa  Valley  and  since  early  manhood  has  been  actively  as- 
sociated with  the  productive  interests  of  that  section,  and  is  one  of  San 
Bernardino's  prominent  men  of  business  and  a  civic  leader  as  well. 

He  was  born  at  Yucaipa,  November  19,  1886,  son  of  George  A.  and 
Alice  R.  Atwood.  As  a  boy  he  attended  the  city  schools  of  San  Bern- 
ardino, and  had  planned  a  university  career  at  the  University  of  Michi- 
gan. A  few  days  before  he  was  to  enter  college  he  married,  and  with 
the  responsibility  of  a  family  he  turned  at  once  to  the  serious  business 
of  life  and,  moving  to  Yucaipa,  took  up  apple  growing  and  farming. 
Mr.  Atwood  put  out  the  first  .packed  apples  in  the  Yucaipa  Valley. 
The  first  year  he  packed  about  five  hundred  boxes,  and  since  then  the 
output    has    increased    to    fifteen    thousand    boxes.      With    his    father, 

G.  A.  Atwood,  he  owns  the  largest  holdings  in  that  fruitful  valley.  Be- 
sides apple  orchards  he  has  a  twenty-acre  orange  grove  in  the  Rialto 
District  and  San  Bernardino  city  property. 

At  the  outbreak  of  the  World  War  L.  A.  Atwood  was  appointed 
chief  of  the  American  Protective  League  for  San  Bernardino  County. 
This  League  did  the  secret  service  work  for  the  Government,  and 
over  the  country  at  large  it  was  one  of  the  most  effective  instruments 
of  the  Department  of  Justice.  Later  Mr.  Atwood  was  appointed  spe- 
cial agent  for  the  Department  of  Justice  in  charge  of  Riverside,  Inyo 
and  San  Bernardino  counties,  with  office  at  San  Bernardino.  In  this 
work  his  duties  took  him  to  many  western  states,  as  far  south  and 
east  as  Texas. 

Mr.  Atwood  is  president  of  the  Better  City  Club  of  San  Bernardino, 
and  in  that  capacity  conducted  the  last  city  campaign  resulting  in  the 
election  of  McNabb  for  mayor.  He  is  a  republican  in  national  politics, 
is  a  member  of  the  Native  Sons  of  the  Golden  West,  the  Elks,  the 
Y.  M.  C.  A.,  is  a  charter  member  and  director  of  the  Newport  Harbor 
Yacht  Club,  and  is  president  of  the  Delta  Duck  Club,  which  owns  ex- 
tensive holdings  and  a  club  house  near  Salton  Sea  in  the  Imperial 
Valley.     Mr.  Atwood  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

November  11,  1908,  at  San  Bernardino,  he  married  Miss  Frances 
Alma  Hooper,  who  was  born  at  Colton,  California,  one  of  the  four 
children  of  W.  S.  Hooper.  Her  father  for  many  years,  until  his  death, 
was  well  known  as  cashier  of  the  San  Bernardino  National  Bank.  Her 
brother,  Stanford  C.  Hooper,  is  now  a  commander  in  the  United 
States  Navy,  attached  to  the  Navy  Board  at  Washington,  D.  C.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Atwood  have  three  children:  Leon  Arnold,  Jr.,  Frances 
Mary  and  Stanford  William. 

Morton  Evf.rei.  Post — has  been  in  the  most  significant  sense  a 
founder   and  builder,   and   the   splendid   achievement   that   has  been   his 


1406       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

in  connection  with  the  development  and  civic  and  material  progress 
of  Southern  California  marks  him  as  a  courageous  and  sagacious 
leader  in  thought  and  action.  In  offering  a  review,  necessarily  brief, 
of  his  career  in  California  no  better  conception  of  his  work  can  be 
given  than  by  offering  quotations  from  an  appreciative  article  that 
appeared  in  the  Los  Angeles  Daily  Times  of  January  1,  1915.  In  this 
reproduction  minor  paraphrase  and  no  little  elimination  must  be  in- 
dulged to  bring  the  matter  within  the  compass  of  a  publication  of  this 
nature : 

"Among  the  untiring,  strenuous  men  whose  fertile  minds  have 
blazed  pathways  to  success  and  supplemented  the  tales  of  the  Arabian 
Nights  with  real  performances,  none  can  show  a  brighter  record  than 
Morton  Everel  Post,  a  giant  factor  in  the  Southland's  growth.  His  ad- 
mirable achievements  here  are  identical  with  the  progress  of  the  Mis- 
sion Vineyard,  a  veritable  garden  of  green,  yielding  vines  planted  on 
the  level,  rich  ground  where  the  patient  padres  began  grape  culture 
many  a  year  ago.  Mr.  Post  came  to  Cucamonga  ( San  Bernardio 
County)  in  1895,  and  his  keen  perception  and  foresight  soon  grasped 
the  unequaled  advantages  that  obtained  here,  and  his  energy,  business 
ability  and  faith  in  the  undertaking  to  which  he  set  his  head  and 
hands  are  responsible  for  the  existence  of  the  vast  vineyard  and  model 
winery.  More  than  1,000  acres  of  grape-producing  soil  are  embraced 
in  the  enterprise,  and  the  winery  contains  the  most  economical  and 
sanitary  equipment  the  world  affords.  More  than  $150,000  annually 
is  added  to  the  wealth  of  California  by  this  establishment,  and  its  scope 
of  activity  is  constantly  widening.  Last  year  approximately  $100,000 
was  paid  out  for  labor  and  materials  by  the  Mission  Vineyard,  all  of 
this  money  going  into  the  local  marts  of  trade  and  enriching  the  peo- 
ple of  this  state  alone,  and,  in  bearing  a  heavy  portion  of  taxes,  con- 
tributed to  the  support  of  the  State  and  Federal  governments. 

"The  great  Mission  Vineyard  was  developed  by  the  perseverance 
of  one  man  and  his  chosen  associate,  on  an  earth  surface  that  a  few 
years  ago  was  scoffed  at  and  considered  absolutely  worthless.  Sage- 
brush, wild,  rough  plants  of  the  silent,  barren  places  and  parched 
dust  were  the  offerings  to  man,  and  every  foot  of  land  reclaimed  from 
the  white  plain  was  won  by  vigilant  toil.  That  the  man  who  has 
achieved  a  victory  in  the  long-drawn-out  battle  with  the  desert  pos- 
sessed indomitable  courage  and  a  never-say-die  spirit  is  strikingly 
proved  by  the  record  of  his  life. 

"Mr.  Post  was  born  on  a  farm  near  Rochester,  New  York,  De- 
cember 25,  1840,  and  is  a  son  of  Morton  A.  and  Alary  (Wickware) 
Post,  both  natives  of  the  old  Empire  State  and  both  of  New  England 
ancestry.  Morton  A.  Post  was  a  substantial  farmer  in  Monroe  County, 
New  York,  and  was  ninety  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  his  death,  in 
1895,  his  wife  having  died  at  the  age  of  fifty-six  years.  Morton  E.. 
of  this  review,  was  the  fourth  in  order  of  birth  in  their  family  of  three 
sons  and  two  daughters. 

"After  his  graduation  in  the  high  school  at  Medina,  in  Orleans 
County,  New  York,  Morton  E.  Post  came  West  and  engaged  in 
freighting  from  the  Missouri  River  to  various  western  points.  As 
foreman  of  a  wagon  train  he  made  many  overland  journeys  across  the 
plains  and  mountains.  He  finally  engaged  in  the  same  line  of  enter- 
prise in  an  independent  way,  and  in  several  years  of  operation  he  won 
considerable  success.  In  the  spring  of  1864  Mr.  Post  followed  the  gold 
rush  into  Alder  Gulch,  Montana,  from  Denver,  Colorado,  and  he  left 
Alder  Gulch  with  $75,000  in  gold.     This,  it  should  be  borne  in  mind, 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1407 

was  in  "iic  of  the  most  perilous  parts  of  the  plains,  and  the  work  was 
filled  with  hardships  and  dangers.  Battles  were  fought  with  road 
agents  and  Indians,  and  in  one  encounter  Mr.  Post  barely  missed  cap- 
ture by  a  band  of  nearly  100  redskins,  who  attacked  his  wagon  train 
with  fury,  one  of  his  men  being  killed  and  nine  out  of  the  thirteen 
being  wounded.  Late  in  1866  Mr.  Post  opened  a  forwarding  house  in 
North  Platte,  Nebraska,  then  the  terminus  of  the  Union  Pacific  Rail- 
road. In  1867  he  joined  the  rush  to  Wyoming,  where  he  became  a 
pioneer  in  the  stock-raising  industry  and  also  a  leading  merchant. 
Prior  to  1888  his  fortune  was  estimated  at  more  than  $1,000,000.  In 
that  year  a  storm  destroyed  nearly  fifteen  million  dollars'  worth  of 
property  in  Wyoming,  and  the  catastrophe  hit  no  one  harder  than  it 
did  Mr.  Post,  all  of  whose  property  was  lost  in  the  overwhelming 
crash.  After  passing  a  year  in  a  tour  of  Europe  he  engaged  in  mining 
in  Utah,  where  he  met  with  varying  success  until  he  came  to  Califor- 
nia and  acquired  the  property  which  stands  to-day  as  a  monument 
to  his  genius. 

"For  more  than  twelve  years  Mr.  Post  was  a  power  in  democratic 
politics  in  Wyoming.  He  served  in  the  upper  branch  of  the  Territorial 
Legislature  from  1878  to  1880,  was  elected  a  delegate  from  the  terri- 
tory to  Congress  in  1881,  and  he  thus  served  until  1885,  when  he  de- 
clined the  unanimous  nomination  proffered  by  his  party. 

"Other  sections  of  the  Southland  have  lured  Mr.  Post,  and  he  has 
extensive  interests  all  over  Southern  California.  Of  his  handling  of 
large  and  important  holdings,  landed  and  industrial,  it  is  not  neces- 
sary to  give  details  in  this  brief  sketch.  He  has  been  identified  with 
development  and  progress  in  many  counties  in  this  section  of  the 
state,  and  his  interposition  has  invariably  inured  to  the  benefit  of  the 
various  communities.  He  has  lived  close  to  nature's  heart,  and  na- 
ture has  rewarded  him  by  giving  him  the  profit  of  requited  toil.  He 
has  been  a  foremost  figure  in  the  development  of  both  the  vineyard 
and  citrus-fruit  industries  in  Southern  California,  as  well  as  of  the 
olive  industry. 

"Mr.  Post  resides  at  the  Jonathan  Club  in  the  City  of  Los  Angeles, 
and  maintains  a  splendid  country  home  on  Havens  Avenue,  in  the 
district  of  the  Mission  Vineyard.  Here  his  many  friends  are  often 
entertained  with  lavish  hospitality.  To  be  his  guest  is  an  honor  that 
always  brings  pleasure  and  interest. 

"It  is  more  than  worth  while  to  talk  with  the  man  who  created  the 
wonderful  Mission  Vineyard,  a  man  who  has  never  known  such  a 
word  as  fail.  Let  him  tell  how  it  feels  to  lose  the  result  of  years  of 
work,  how  it  strikes  one  to  lose  a  million  dollars  in  a  night,  and  then 
let  him  tell  how  it  feels  to  take  heart  again  and  win  a  fortune  greater 
than  he  knew  before.  Such  things  as  these  give  strength  and  fortitude 
to  mankind." 

Mr.  Post  disposed  of  his  vineyard  and  winery  interests  in  1919,  at 
an  enormous  advance  over  the  price  which  he  originally  paid  for  the 
property  which  he  developed  into  the  wonderful  Mission  Vineyard. 
He  now  has  a  luxurious  home  at  722  South  Oxford  Avenue,  Los  An- 
geles, and  still  holds  the  Jonathan  Club  as  his  favorite  resort  in  the 
city.  His  has  been  a  life  of  action  and  productiveness,  he  has  done 
big  things,  and  his  own  bigness  of  mind  and  heart  has  marked  him  as 
a  man  among  men  and  one  worthy  of  the  confidence  and  good  will 
that  are  uniformly  accorded  to  him  by  his  fellow  men.  By  his  char- 
acter and  achievement  he  has  honored  the  great  State  of  California, 
and  this  commonwealth  in  turn  grants  to  him  appreciation  and  honor. 


1408       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

He  has  been  an  apostle  of  progress  in  the  West  since  his  young  man- 
hood, and  through  him  California  has  had  much  to  gain  and  nothing 
to  lose. 

Jonathan  Peter  Cutler,  a  California  pioneer  whose  enterprise  was 
directed  in  a  particularly  fortunate  way  for  the  development  of  the 
famous  district  of  Cucamonga,  was  a  type  of  early  settler  whose  mem- 
ory deserves  to  be  cherished. 

He  was  a  native  of  Tennessee,  but  as  a  boy  went  to  Iowa  and  in  the 
early  fifties  joined  an  ox  train  crossing  the  plains  to  Carson  City, 
Nevada.  There  he  engaged  in  a  supply  business,  handling  hay,  grain 
and  provisions,  obtaining  most  of  his  commodities  in  San  Francisco 
and  making  numerous  trips  to  the  coast  while  in  this  business. 

While  at  San  Francisco  he  married  Mary  Gasting,  a  native  of  New- 
York  State,  and  in  the  early  seventies  he  took  his  family  to  Ventura, 
where  he  was  engaged  in  ranching  until  1884.  In  that  year  he  moved 
to  the  Jomosa  tract,  now  known  as  Alta  Loma,  where  he  bought  twen- 
ty acres  of  wild  land.  Like  the  rest  of  the  region,  it  was  rough,  cov- 
ered with  brush  and  stone,  and  with  the  aid  of  his  sons  he  did  the 
arduous  work  of  clearing  it.  He  provided  it  with  water  and  also  did 
the  planting,  setting  out  five  acres  to  oranges  and  five  acres  to  peaches. 
This  orchard  was  subsequently  sold,  and  was  one  of  the  first  plats 
thoroughly  improved  in  that  region.  It  was  located  well  north,  on 
Hellman  Avenue.  Jonathan  P.  Cutler  also  bought  with  his  son, 
Lewis,  and  developed  ten  acres  on  Olive  Street  from  its  wild  condi- 
tion. Here  he  built  and  improved  and  set  out  an  orange  grove.  After 
selling  there  he  bought  a  home  in  Hollywood.  While  living  there  in 
comfortable  retirement  he  met  an  accident  when  his  horse  ran  away, 
resulting  in  his  death. 

Jonathan  Peter  Cutler  was  hardy,  honest,  hard  working,  achieved 
material  prosperity,  enjoyed  rugged  health  in  spite  of  his  roughing 
experiences,  and  always  entertained  the  honest  respect  of  his  fellow 
men. 

He  and  his  wife  had  four  children :  George  W.,  now  a  successful 
business  man  at  Douglas,  Arizona ;  Lewis  T.,  of  Upland ;  Mary  Gen- 
evieve, wife  of  R.  W.  Thornbury,  of  Hollywood;  and  Elsie  J.,  wife  of 
J.  R.  Tweedy,  of  Walnut  Park,  California. 

Lewis  T.  Cutler  was  born  April  6,  1871,  at  Santa  Paula,  California, 
and  was  about  thirteen  years  of  age  when  the  family  located  at  Cuca- 
monga. He  attended  school  there,  spent  two  years  in  school  at  Pasadena, 
and  he  and  his  brother  did  their  share  of  the  toil  on  their  father's  ranch. 
Later  Lewis  T.  Cutler  took  up  the  business  of  driving  water  tunnels 
in  the  development  of  various  irrigation  systems,  and  has  handled  a 
great  deal  of  tunnel  construction  and  concrete  work  for  the  Arrowhead 
Reservoir  Company.  He  entered  the  service  of  this  company  in  1892, 
and  for  eight  years  was  in  the  engineering  department.  During  that 
time  the  Little  Bear  Valley  system  was  constructed.  As  noted  above, 
he  and  his  father  bought  a  ten  acre  tract,  and  he  paid  for  his  five  acres 
out  of  his  wages.  Since  then  his  development  work  has  made  him  one  of 
the  leading  fruit  growers  in  the  Cucamonga  District.  However,  as 
opportunity  presented,  he  has  frequently  returned  to  tunnel  work.  In 
numerous  instances  he  has  taken  tracts  of  wild  land,  improved  and  set 
them  to  fruit,  and  has  also  done  much  trading  in  real  estate,  both  farm 
and  city  properties.  Like  his  father  he  has  been  a  hard  worker,  and 
has   fully  earned  what  he  now  enjoys. 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1409 

On  March  20,  1905,  at  San  Jose,  he  married  Julia  Johnson,  who  was 
born  January  28,  1875,  in  Hadley,  Massachusetts,  daughter  of  Edward 
and  Lucy  (Dane)  Johnson.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lewis  Cutler  have  three 
children:  Howard,  born  October  15,  1906,  who  was  educated  at  Cuca- 
monga and  in  the  Chaffey  Union  High  School ;  Lucy,  born  August  30, 
1907,  now  a  student  in  the  Charley  Union  High  School;  and  George, 
born  May  3,  1909.  All  the  children  are  natives  of  Cucamonga.  After 
his  marriage  Lewis  Cutler  bought  the  noted  old  landmark,  the  old  saloon 
and  roadhouse  and  first  store  building  in  Cucamonga.  In  pioneer  days 
this  one  room  structure  housed  the  post  office,  general  store  and  saloon. 
It  was  remodeled  under  Mr.  Cutler's  ownership  as  a  residence,  and  he 
and  his  family  lived  there  until  1919,  when  he  sold  and  has  since  occupied 
his  present  comfortable  home  on  East  Ninth  Street  in  Upland. 

Charles  R.  Bucknell. — The  largest  and  finest  home  at  Ontario  is 
at  the  southwest  corner  of  Laurel  and  G  streets,  a  magnificent  residence 
recently  erected  by  Charles  R.  Bucknell  for  his  permanent  home.  Mr. 
Bucknell  has  been  a  resident  of  Ontario  for  a  number  of  years,  and  has 
had  an  interesting  and  successful  role  as  a  capitalist,  dealer  in  real 
estate,  and  has  done  much  in  a  constructive  way  for  the  development  of 
this  section.  He  achieved  his  prosperity  as  a  highly  successful  Michigan 
farmer  and  land  owner,  and  he  still  owns  a  large  amount  of  valuable 
property  in  that  state.  He  was  born  at  Nottawa,  St.  Joseph  County, 
Michigan,  October  6  1841,  son  of  John  Henry  Francis  and  Elizabeth 
(Bucknell)  Bucknell.  His  parents  were  both  natives  of  Somersetshire, 
England,  but  only  distantly  related.  His  father  was  born  in  1815,  and 
died  in  Michigan  August  30,  1848,  while  his  mother  was  born  in  1820 
and  died  in  1891.  John  H.  F.  Bucknell  as  a  young  man  came  to  America, 
traveling  by  water  as  far  as  Toledo,  Ohio,  and  thence  overland  to  St. 
Joseph  County,  Michigan,  where  he  bought  eighty  acres  of  Government 
land.  This  he  improved  and  sold  on  payments  and  turned  the  price  to 
reinvestment  in  220  acres.  He  plunged  heavily  in  debt,  but  he  had  the 
resourcefulness  and  the  great  energy  that  justified  assuming  such  re- 
sponsibilities. Six  years  after  coming  to  America  he  married,  having 
known  his  wife  during  his  boyhood  in  England.  The  three  children  of 
their  marriage  were :  Julia,  born  March  10,  1839,  and  died  in  1892 ; 
Charles  R. ;  and  George  M.,  born  October  8,  1843,  still  leading  and  pros- 
perous farmer  in  Southern  Michigan. 

Charles  R.  Bucknell  was  only  seven  years  of  age  when  his  father  died, 
leaving  his  widow  and  three  children.  Charles  R.  Bucknell  at  once  left 
school  for  two  years,  took  charge  of  the  stock,  and  at  the  age  of  eleven 
had  the  full  responsibility  of  the  farm.  His  mother,  however,  was  a 
remarkable  business  woman,  and  her  efficient  administration  during  the 
five  years  after  her  husband's  death  paid  the  debts  and  accumulated  much 
property  besides.  Charles  R.  Bucknell  and  his  mother  continued  to 
operate  the  home  farm,  and  during  her  lifetime  they  accumulated  eight 
large  properties  in  Southern  Michigan.  Charles  R.  Bucknell.  while  denied 
early  school  advantages  later  made  up  for  this  deficiency,  attending  high 
school  and  getting  a  good  education.  His  career  in  Michigan  as  a  farmer 
proved  a  factor  in  the  construction  development  of  his  section  of  the 
state.  At  one  time  he  owned  nine  first-class  farms,  models  of  improve- 
ment and  agricultural  efficiency',  and  he  still  owns  three  farms  respectively 
of  320  acres,  175  acres  and  80  acres  in  his  home  county,  and  also  100 
acres  in  an  adjoining  county. 

During  the  early  '60s  Mr.  Bucknell  was  called  back  to  Devonshire. 
England,   to   settle   and   dispose  of   a   large  estate   consisting  of   ground 


1410       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

and  two  stores  in  Bristol.  This  busines  required  his  residence  in  England 
for  about  two  years.  In  the  fall  of  1864  he  married  there  Miss  Anna 
Coles,  daughter  of  a  rich  English  farmer  and  stockman  who  had  sold 
cattle  to  Cjueen  Victoria.  Mr.  BucknelL's  brother-in-law  was  a  perfect 
specimen  of  physical  manhood,  and  from  a  crowd  on  a  street  was  selected 
on  this  account  to  serve  as  one  of  Queen  Victoria's  bodyguard,  and  acted 
as  special  guard  for  two  years  to  her  majesty.  He  is  now  a  successful 
dealer  in  musical  instruments  and  an  importer  in  New  Zealand.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Bucknell  soon  after  their  marriage  returned  to  Michigan,  and 
their  three  children  were  all  born  in  that  state  and  died  there.  Albert 
H.  was  born  November  27,  1865,  and  died  in  1898 ;  Bell  was  born  Sep- 
tember 26,  1867,  and  died  in  1892;  and  George  M.,  bom  June  30,  1872, 
was  drowned  at  the  age  of  thirteen.  The  mother  of  these  children  died 
in  Michigan  in  1891. 

With  his  home  broken  up  Mr.  Bucknell  during  the  past  thirty  years 
has  traveled  extensively,  has  crossed  the  Rockies  to  and  from  California 
twenty-nine  times,  and  many  years  ago  he  selected  Ontario  as  his  perma- 
nent home.  December  11,  1904,  he  married  Miss  Cynthia  J.  Miller  who 
was  born  at  Middlebury,  Indiana,  daughter  of  Lemuel  and  Sarah  Catherine 
Miller,  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  Her  father  was  a  very  prominent  grain 
dealer  and  owner  of  some  large  flour  mills  in  St.  Joseph  County,  Michi- 
gan. Mrs.  Bucknell  had  a  finished  education  and  has  traveled  extensively, 
spending  three  years  in  the  Hawaiian  Islands.  The  three  children  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Bucknell  are :  Charles  R.,  Jr.,  born  at  Ontario  July  28,  1908 ; 
Alice  Margaret,  born  October  28,  1910 ;  and  Roy  Lawson,  born  Julv 
17,  1913. 

Mr.  Bucknell  bought  his  home  property  in  Ontario  in  1902,  at  213  West 
G.  Street,  and  subsequently  bought  the  ground  at  the  southwest  corner 
of  Laurel  and  G  streets,  where  he  has  just  completed  his  magnificent 
home.  The  architecture  of  this  residence  has  attracted  wide  attention, 
and  the  principal  building  material  is  solid  granite,  a  material  Mr.  Buck- 
nell was  selecting  over  a  period  of  seventeen  years.  The  house  comprises 
twenty-two  rooms,  and  is  a  home  of  beauty  and  comfort  within  and 
without. 

Since  coming  to  California  Mr.  Bucknell  has  dealt  extensively  and 
with  great  profit  in  real  estate  and  land,  buying  and  selling  many  parcels 
over  the  southern  half  of  the  state.  One  of  his  early  purchases  was  ten 
acres  of  vacant  land  at  the  corner  of  Western  Avenue  and  Sunset  Boule- 
vard in  Hollywood.  He  paid  eighteen  hundred  dollars  for  this  tract 
in  1900,  and  in  1921  he  sold  it  to  a  studio  company  for  eighty  thousand 
dollars.  Mr.  Bucknell  and  family  are  Presbyterians,  and  he  was  one  of 
the  founders  of  the  church  at  Ontario  and  one  of  the  heaviest  contribu- 
tors to  its  maintenance.  Mrs.  Bucknell  is  deeply  interested  in  educational 
and  civic  affairs,  a  member  of  the  Current  Events  Club,  an  active  pro- 
hibitionist and  a  member  of  the  W.  C.  T.  U. 

Carl  John  Carlson  has  been  identified  as  a  business  man  and  citizen 
at  Riverside  for  the  past  ten  years.  The  community  in  that  time  has 
come  to  know  him  as  a  man  of  most  engaging  personality,  of  thorough 
public  spirit,  and  with  an  unselfish  interest  in  the  welfare  of  others  that 
is  a  distinguishing  qualification  for  his  present  duties  as  deputy  regional 
scout  executive  for  the  12th  District  under  the  National  Council  Boy 
Scouts  of  America. 

Mr.  Carlson  was  born  in  Sweden  April  20,  1879,  son  of  Andrew  J. 
and  Marie  (Ingrid)  Carlson.  The  family  came  to  America  in  1881.  His 
father  is  now  living  in  Brockton,  Massachusetts.    His  mother  died  Febru- 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1411 

ary  10,  1922.  Carl  John  is  the  oldest  of  nine  children,  all  living.  Three 
of  his  brothers  are  in  Riverside,  William  Louis,  Arthur  C.  and  Oscar  E. 

Carl  J.  Carlson  acquired  his  early  education  in  the  public  schools 
of  Brockton,  Massachusetts,  and  on  leaving  that  city  came  direct  to 
Riverside  in  1912.  During  the  first  two  years  he  was  in  business  as  a 
grocery  merchant,  then  for  a  year  was  deputy  chief  of  police,  and  for 
four  years  was  subscription  manager  of  the  Riverside  Daily  Press.  In 
his  public  record  he  is  gratefully  remembered  by  Riverside  people  for 
the  period  of  a  little  over  two  years  he  was  chief  of  police.  On  October 
1,  1920,  he  was  made  scout  executive  for  Riverside  County  Council,  Boy 
Scouts  of  America,  and  built  up  a  strong  organization  in  every  part  of 
the  county.  On  March  1,  1922,  he  was  transferred  from  the  local  work 
by  the  National  Council  to  become  deputy  regional  executive  of  the  12th 
District,  consisting  of  the  states  of  California,  Arizona,  Nevada,  Utah 
and  the  Hawaiian  Islands. 

Mr.  Carlson  is  a  member  of  the  Riverside  Chamber  of  Commerce,  is 
on  the  board  of  the  Humane  Society,  is  a  republican  in  politics,  one  of 
the  Official  Board  of  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  is  a  member 
of  the  Kiwanis  Club  and  is  affiliated  with  the  Knights  of  Pvthias,  Inde- 
pendent Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of 
Elks.  Both  he  and  Mrs.  Carlson  are  accomplished  musicians.  He  has 
contributed  to  local  musical  activities  as  a  singer,  while  Mrs.  Carlson 
is  an  expert  pianist. 

He  married  Leora  H.  Upp,  a  native  of  Havana.  Illinois,  and  daughter 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  M.  P.  Upp.  who  live  at  Riverside  with  their  daughter. 
Mrs.  Carlson  is  a  member  of  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  and 
the  Rebekahs.  They  have  one  daughter,  Genevieve  Ingrid  Carlson,  now 
five  years  old.  Mr.  Carlson  by  his  first  wife  who  died  January  1,  1912. 
has  a  son.  Bela  Keith  Carlson,  now  fifteen  years  of  age,  an  Eagle  Scout 
and   a   high    school    student. 

Meyer  L.  Schoenthal,  the  vigorous  and  popular  manager  of  the 
Hammond  Lumber  Company  at  Blythe,  Riverside  County,  claims  the  old 
Keystone  State  of  the  Union  as  the  place  of  his  nativity,  his  birth  hav- 
ing occurred  at  Washington,  Pennsylvania,  on  the  twelfth  of  August. 
1883.  He  is  a  son  of  Henry  and  Helen  Schoenthal,  his  father  having  been 
a  prominent  merchant  and  manufacturer  at  Washington,  Pennsylvania,  for 
many  years,  with  specially  large  interests  in  the  manufacturing  of  glass,  be- 
sides which  he  was  influential  in  civic  and  political  affairs  in  that  section 
of  Pennsylvania.  He  is  now  retired  from  active  business,  and  he  and 
his  wife  maintain  their  home  in  New  York  City.  Of  the  three  children 
the  eldest  is  Miss  Hilda  Schoenthal,  a  woman  of  exceptional  talent  and 
fine  professional  attainments,  she  being  at  the  present  time  an  active  mem- 
ber of  a  leading  firm  of  chemical-patent  attorneys  in  the  City  of  Washing- 
ton. D.  C.  Lee  Schoenthal.  the  second  of  the  children,  was  born  and 
reared  at  Washington,  Pennsylvania,  and  has  become  a  prominent  rep- 
resentative of  the  china  and  glass  business,  in  which  he  is  associated  with 
the  well  known  house  of  Gimbel  Brothers  of  New  York.  Philadelphia 
rind  Milwaukee. 

The  public  schools  of  his  native  city  afforded  Meyer  L.  Schoenthal 
his  early  education,  and  after  leaving  school  he  gained  most  valuable 
experience  through  his  association  with  his  father  and  older  brother 
in  the  china  and  glass  business  and  the  manufacturing  of  glassware. 
With  these  lines  of  enterprise  he  continued  his  active  connection  at 
Washington,  Pennsylvania,  until  1907,  when  he  was  called  to  Belle- 
ville. Illinois,  to  assume  charge  of  the  promotion  of  a  theater  enter- 


1412       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

prise.  He  remained  there  one  year,  and  met  with  success  in  effecting 
the  erection  and  equipment  of  a  modern  theater,  and  for  the  ensuing 
two  years  he  represented  New  York  manufacturers  in  the  Middle 
West.  In  1910  he  married,  and  in  the  same  year  he  and  his  wife 
established  their  home  at  Los  Angeles,  California,  where  he  engaged 
in  the  general  investment  business  and  where  he  remained  until 
August,  1916,  when  he  came  to  Blythe,  Riverside  County,  at  the  time 
of  the  completion  of  the  railroad  into  this  section  of  the  county.  Here 
he  became  manager  of  the  Palo  Verde  Lumber  &  Trading  Company, 
and  it  was,  in  a  large  measure,  due  to  his  progressive  policies  that  the 
concern  grew  from  one  of  modest  order  into  one  of  major  importance 
in  its  field  of  enterprise,  the  company  having  established  well  equipped 
headquarters  both  at  Blythe  and  Ripley. 

In  April,  1921,  the  Hammond  Lumber  Company,  the  largest 
wholesale  and  retail  lumber  concern  in  the  West,  purchased  the  Palo 
Verde  Lumber  &  Trading  Company,  together  with  the  Dolge  Lum- 
ber &  Feed  Company,  and  Air.  Schoenthal  was  retained  as  general 
manager  of  the  consolidated  yards.  The  Hammond  Lumber  Com- 
pany maintains  complete  stocks  of  lumber  and  other  building  ma- 
terial both  at  Blythe  and  Ripley  and  the  trade  of  the  concern  extends 
throughout  the  entire  Palo  Verde  Valley.  The  company  handles  lum- 
ber, sash  and  doors,  wallboard,  lime,  cement  and  builders'  hardware, 
and  a  fleet  of  automobile  trucks  makes  prompt  delivery  assured  on  all 
orders  from  the  wide  territory  covered.  The  yards  and  offices  of  the 
company  are  conceded  to  be  the  best  in  arrangement  and  service  in 
Southern  California,  and  Mr.  Schoenthal  has  gained  a  secure  place  as 
one  of  the  most  vital  and  progressive  business  men  of  the  younger 
generation  in  the  beautiful  Palo  Verde  Valley.  He  is  an  active  mem- 
ber of  the  Blythe  Chamber  of  Commerce,  in  the  organization  of  which 
he  was  influential  and  of  which  he  served  three  consecutive  terms  as 
president.  He  is  a  member  also  of  the  Associated  Chambers  of  Com- 
merce of  Riverside  County,  an  organization  formed  primarily  for  the 
promotion  of  the  civic  and  material  advancement  of  Riverside  Coun- 
ty, and  his  loyalty  and  public  spirit  are  to  be  counted  upon  in  connec- 
tion with  every  enterprise  and  measure  projected  for  the  benefit  of 
this  splendid  valley.  Mr.  Schoenthal  is  affiliated  with  Blythe  Lodge 
No.  473,  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Masons;  Riverside  Chapter  No. 
67,  Royal  Arch  Masons;  and  Blythe  Lodge  No.  340,  Knights  of 
Pythias.  He  assisted  in  the  organization  of  El  Solano  Country  Club, 
and  continues  as  one  of  its  popular  members.  He  is  a  member  also 
of  the  City  Club  of  Los  Angeles,  the  Aero  Club  of  Southern  Califor- 
nia, and  of  the  local  council  of  the  Boy  Scouts.  He  has  had  no  desire 
for  political  activity  or  preferment,  but  is  a  staunch  supporter  of  the 
cause  of  the  republican  party. 

Mr.  Schoenthal  suffered  the  great  loss  of  his  first  wife,  who  was 
before  her  marriage  Miss  Mary  McKinnie,  her  death  having  occurred 
at  Blythe  on  the  24th  of  December,  1918.  She  was  the  gracious  and 
talented  daughter  of  J.  R.  McKinnie,  who  was  one  of  the  empire 
builders  of  the  West  and  prominently  identified  with  large  and  im- 
portant enterprises  in  Colorado  and  California.  He  maintained  his 
residence  at  Colorado  Springs  for  a  term  of  years  and  finally  came  to 
Los  Angeles,  California,  where  he  is  now  living,  retired. 

At  Los  Angeles,  California,  on  the  19th  of  October,  1921,  was 
solemnized  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Schoenthal  and  Miss  Carolyn  S.  Hol- 
gate,  daughter  of  Thomas  Holgate  of  Lawrence,  Massachusetts, 
a  prominent  figure  in  the  textile  industry.    Mi?.  Schoenthal  spent  her 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1413 

childhood  in  her  native  city,  Lawrence,  but  came  to  California  with 
her  father  in  1914,  establishing  a  home  at  Riverside.  Mr.  Holgate  has 
since  returned  to  Massachusetts,  where  he  has  again  associated  him- 
self with  one  of  the  large  manufacturies  of  that  state.  Mrs.  Schoen- 
thal  is  an  active  member  of  the  Women's  Improvement  Club  of  Blythe 
and  is  a  popular  figure  in  the  best  social  life  of  the  Palo  Verde  Val- 
ley and  Riverside  County. 

R.  T.  Clyde,  who  is  the  owner  of  one  of  the  excellent  farm  prop- 
erties of  the  Yucaipa  Valley  in  San  Bernardino  County,  reclaimed  and 
developed  this  property  from  a  barren  state  and  has  the  satisfaction 
of  knowing  that  he  has  aided  in  the  civic  and  industrial  development 
of  his  native  county.  His  attractive  rural  home  is  on  rural  mail 
route  No.  2  from  Yucaipa  post  office. 

Mr.  Clyde  is  a  representative  of  one  of  the  old  and  honored  pioneer 
families  of  San  Bernardino  County,  and  in  this  county  his  birth  oc- 
curred at  the  old  pioneer  homestead  of  the  family  near  Base  Line  on 
the  20th  of  May,  1864.  He  is  a  son  of  Edward  Prentice  Clyde  and 
Mary  (Singleton)  Clyde,  the  former  of  whom  was  born  in  New  York, 
a  member  of  a  sterling  pioneer  family  of  that  state,  and  the  latter  of 
whom  was  born  in  England,  she  having  been  a  girl  when  her  parents 
came  to  the  United  States  and  settled  in  Philadelphia.  Edward  P. 
Clyde  was  born  in  the  year  1833,  and  was  reared  under  the  conditions 
that  marked  the  pioneer  days  in  New  York.  In  early  youth  he  be- 
came a  member  of  a  party  of  horsemen  who  made  the  overland  trip 
from  New  York  to  Utah  Territory,  where  he  gained  pioneer  honors 
and  where  he  remained  several  years.  In  1852,  when  the  early  gold 
excitement  was  still  at  its  height  in  California,  Mr.  Clyde  compassed 
the  journey  across  the  plains  and  mountains  to  this  state.  He  ar- 
rived in  the  spring  of  that  year  at  San  Bernardino,  and  for  a  time  he 
worked  for  his  board,  not  more  remunerative  occupation  being  avail- 
able. After  crops  were  garnered,  however,  he  found  work  in  connec- 
tion with  the  threshing  of  grain,  and  this  paid  him  better.  In  this 
county  was  solemnized  his  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  Singleton,  who 
came  to  California  from  Utah,  where  she  had  lived  for  some  time, 
she  having  crossed  the  plains  in  the  early  days,  when  her  parents 
made  the  journey  from  Philadelphia  to  Utah  with  ox  team. 

In  1854  Edward  P.  Clyde  purchased  land  in  the  Base  Line  Dis- 
trict of  San  Bernardino  County,  and  this  he  eventually  developed  into 
a  productive  farm,  his  having  been  the  honor  of  being  one  of  the  pio- 
neer exponents  of  agricultural  industry  in  the  county,  and  his  stand- 
ing as  a  citizen  having  been  of  the  highest,  as  he  was  a  man  of  indus- 
try and  honest  worth  and  commanded  the  unqualified  esteem  of  the 
community  in  which  he  lived  and  labored  to  goodly  ends.  Both  he 
and  his  wife  passed  the  remainder  of  their  lives  on  the  old  homestead 
farm,  Mrs.  Clyde  having  been  about  sixty-eight  years  of  age  at  the 
time  of  her  death,  and  he  having  attained  to  the  venerable  age  of 
eighty-three  years.  He  was  one  of  the  oldest  settlers  of  San  Ber- 
nardino County  at  the  time  of  his  death  in  1911.  Of  the  three  chil- 
dren of  these  sterling  pioneers  the  subject  of  this  review  is  the  young- 
est William  R.,  the  eldest  son,  was  born  May  16,  1860,  and  is  now  a 
resident  of  Redland.  California.  He  married  Miss  Fannie  Haws,  of 
San  Bernardino,  and  they  have  one  child,  Hazel.  George  E.,  the  sec- 
ond son,  was  born  in  September,  1861.  and  he  and  his  wife,  whose 
maiden  name  was  Ella  Cooley,  still  reside  in  San  Bernardino  County. 
They  have  no  childreu 


1414       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

The  conditions  and  influences  of  the  pioneer  farm  of  his  father 
near  Base  Line  compassed  the  childhood  and  youth  of  Rufus  T.  Clyde, 
and  his  early  education  was  acquired  in  the  schools  of  the  locality  and 
period.  He  continued  to  be  associated  with  his  father  in  farm  enter- 
prise until  his  marriage,  and  his  father  then  presented  to  him  ten 
acres  of  land  in  the  Base  Line  locality.  This  little  tract  did  not 
long  satisfy  the  energetic  and  ambitious  ideas  of  Mr.  Clyde,  and  in 
1891  he  purchased  100  acres  of  railroad  land  in  the  Yucaipa  Valley, 
at  the  rate  of  $2.50  an  acre.  The  tract  was  without  improvements  and 
no  water  was  available  for  irrigation  purposes,  Mr.  Clyde  having  de- 
cided to  operate  the  place  in  the  raising  of  grain  by  the  system  of  so- 
called  dry  farming.  Better  conditions  were  gained,  however,  when  he 
added  to  the  area  of  his  landed  estate  by  the  purchase  of  160  acres  of 
hill  land  in  the  same  locality,  his  principal  reason  for  this  action 
having  been  that  he  thus  obtained  the  water  from  two  small  springs 
on  the  property,  three  miles  distant  from  his  original  farm.  He 
piped  the  water  through  to  his  farm  for  stock  and  domestic  use,  and 
he  has  since  developed  an  effective  water  system  for  irrigation 
through  the  medium  of  a  well  and  an  electric-pumping  plant.  He  has 
his  land  all  leveled  and  his  development  work  has  included  the  plant- 
ing of  deciduous  trees  for  the  raising  of  various  fruits,  as  well  as  an 
excellent  orchard  of  English  walnuts.  He  has  many  acres  given  to 
the  successful  propagation  of  alfalfa.  Mr.  Clyde  has  taken  active 
part  in  the  splendid  development  enterprise  which  has  made  this  sec- 
tion available  for  the  successful  producing  of  apples,  cherries,  peaches 
and  pears,  and  his  farm  property  is  thus  assured  of  continued  appre- 
ciation in  value.  The  land  which  he  purchased  from  the  railroad  at 
$2.50  an  acre  is  now  conservatively  valued  at  $350  an  acre.  The 
situation  of  the  pleasant  home  of  Mr.  Clyde  and  his  family  is  ideal, 
with  an  excellent  view  of  the  mountains  and  of  the  beautiful  Yucaipa 
Valley.  Mr.  Clyde  has  prospered  in  his  industrial  activities  in  his 
native  county,  takes  pride  in  the  manifold  advantages  and  attractions 
which  this  section  of  the  state  affords,  and  as  a  citizen  is  specially 
loyal  and  public  spirited,  though  he  has  had  no  desire  for  political 
activity  or  public  office. 

On  the  3d  of  March,  1888,  was  recorded  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Clyde 
and  Miss  Geneva  V.  Haws,  who  was  born  in  the  same  district  of 
San  Bernardino  County  as  was  he,  the  date  of  her  nativity  having 
been  April  4,  1870.  Mrs.  Clyde  is  a  daughter  of  the  late  Marion  and 
Maletna  Haws,  who  came  across  the  plains  with  ox  team  and  became 
early  settlers  in  this  county,  where  the  father  became  a  substantial 
farmer  of  the  Base  Line  District.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clyde  have  one  son, 
Robert  S.,  who  was  born  March  2,  1890,  and  who  is  now  a  partner 
with  his  father  in  the  fruit-growing  enterprise  of  the  home  place. 
His  educational  advantages  included  those  of  the  public  schools  of 
Yucaipa  and  a  business  college  in  the  City  of  San  Bernardino. 

Reginald  Brinsmead — Although  born  and  educated  at  London. 
England,  Reginald  Brinsmead  is  an  intensely  patriotic  American,  and 
the  love  He  bears  for  the  country  of  his  adoption  undoubtedly  sur- 
passes that  of  many  of  its  native-born  citizens.  He  owns  a  magnifi- 
cent seventeen  and  one-half  acre  orange  grove  on  Victoria  Avenue, 
and  finds  his  greatest  pleasure  among  his  trees  and  with  his  family.  When 
this  country  entered  the  World  war.  he  offered  his  services  to  the 
Government,  but  owing  to  slightly  defective  eyesight,  he  was  not 
accepted,  and  seeking  some  other  outlet  for  his  patriotism,  he  found 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1415 

it  in  the  government  library  service,  and  was  made  superintendent  at 
Camp  Pike,  in  Arkansas,  which  positon  he  is 'still  holding.  He  is 
popular  and  widely  known,  especially  at  Riverside,  and  throughout 
the  state  through  his  many  articles  on  citrus  culture  and  agricultural 
subjects  which  have  been  published  in  the  Los  Angeles  Times,  the 
Citrograph,  local  and  other  newspapers.  He  has  made  a  special 
study  of  these  subjects,  and  is  regarded  as  an  expert  on  citrus 
culture. 

Reginald  Brinsmead  was  born  at  London,  England,  August  3, 
1880,  a  son  of  Thomas  James  Brinsmead,  now  deceased,  who  was 
a  piano  manufacturer  of  London,  and  a  man  of  large  affairs.  He 
was  a  pioneer  in  many  industries,  and  did  much  research  work.  A 
man  of  progressive  ideas,  he  was  one  of  the  earliest  to  recognize  the 
value  of  the  Welsbach  Mantle,  and  was  a  heavy  stockholder  and  a 
director  of  the  company  manufacturing  them.  He  was  one  of  the 
pioneers  in  the  development  of  kinema  colored  photography,  and 
along  other  lines,  and  never  lost  his  zest  in  life.  His  death  occurred 
in  November,  1906,  he  and  his  wife  passing  away  within  three  days 
of  each  other,  both  of  them  being  over  seventy  years  of  age. 

Reginald  Brinsmead  attended  the  Merchant  Tailors'  school  of 
London,  a  preparatory  institution,  Aspatria  University  and  the 
Royal  Agricultural  College,  being  graduated  from  the  two  last  named, 
and  earned  a  fellowship  in  the  Royal  Agricultural  Society.  In  1897 
Mr.  Brinsmead  first  came  to  California  in  company  with  Matthew 
Gage,  and  was  so  delighted  with  the  many  delightful  phases  of  the 
Golden  West  that  he  made  up  his  mind  to  make  it  his  permanent 
home.  Going  back  to  London,  he  completed  his  course  at  the  Royal 
Agricultural  College,  and  then  returned  to  Riverside.  He  secured 
seventeen  and  one-half  acres  of  land  on  Victoria  Avenue  and  Horace 
Street,  and  has  made  this  city  his  home  ever  since.  The  grove 
was  planted  by  Captain  Pimm  and  his  house  was  the  first  one  erected 
in  Arlington  Heights.  Originally  it  was  meant  for  a  stable,  but  the 
many  additions  that  have  been  built  have  entirely  changed  it  and 
it  is  now  one  of  the  most  comfortable  and  desirable  homes  in  this  part 
of  the  city.  There  is  a  large  cedar  tree  near  the  house  which  was 
fairly  well  grown  when  it  was  brought  from  the  Himalayas  by  Captain 
Pimm  and  placed  in  California  ground.  This  is  a  species  which  requires 
seventy  years  for  its  full  growth,  and  as  it  is  fully  matured,  an  excellent 
estimate  can  be  made  of  its  age. 

Mr.  Brinsmead  supplemented  his  knowledge  about  citrus  growth 
and  things  agricultural  by  much  study  and  observation  in  the  govern- 
mental station,  and  with  the  assistance  of  Mrs.  Brinsmead  has  added 
interest,  beauty,  novelty  and  revenue  to  the  place  by  the  addition 
of  many  growths,  including  the  peijoa,  avacados,  kumquats,  loquats, 
edible  Passion  vine  and  sixteen  varieties  of  fancy  guavas.  The  grove 
consists  of  both  navels  and  valencias,  and  between  fifty  and  sixty 
English  walnuts  in  full  bearing.  A  very  large  assortment  of  beautiful 
roses,  wistaria  and  other  flowers  in  profusion,  make  up  a  home  that 
leaves  nothing  to  be  desired.  Mr.  Brinsmead  is  a  cheerful  optimist 
and  notwithstanding  adverse  market  conditions  and  disappointments, 
sincerely  believes  that  anything  can  be  grown  in  the  unrivaled  soil 
and  glorious  climate  of  California,  and  that  it  can  be  made  to  pay 
large  dividends  on  the  effort. 

In  addition  to  his  home  grove  Mr.  Brinsmead  at  one  time  owned 
a  share  in  the  Walton  &  Dean  grove,  and  was  also  interested  in 
a   large   grove   at    Arlington.      He   was   one   of   the    founders    of    the 


1416       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

Victoria  Fruit  Exchange  and  the  Fairview  Fruit  Exchange,  and  was 
one  of  the  organizers  of  the  fruit  exchange  at  Santa  Ana.  At  one 
time  he  belonged  to  the  Elks,  and  was  one  of  the  first  members  of 
the  Victoria  Club.    At  present  he  belongs  to  the  Casa  Blanca  Club. 

On  June  5,  1907,  Mr.  Brinsmead  was  married  at  Riverside  to  Miss 
Mabel  Tracey  Simonds,  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  a  daughter  of  the 
late  Edwin  D.  Simonds.  Mrs.  Brinsmead  was  for  two  years  a 
social  settlement  worker  in  Chicago  Commons,  and  at  the  time  of  demobili- 
zation, after  the  close  of  the  World  war,  was  assistant  government 
librarian  at  Camp  Pike,  Arkansas.  She  and  her  mother  first  came 
to  California  to  escape  the  rigors  of  the  Eastern  climate,  and  the 
latter  became  the  owner  of  an  orange  grove  on  Van  Buren  and 
Dufferin  streets.  After  the  death  of  Mrs.  Simonds  this  property  was 
sold.  One  of  Mrs.  Brinsmead's  most  cherished  possessions  is  a 
time-yellowed  parchment  which  bears  the  date  1836,  and  the  name 
of  her  grandmother.  It  is  a  teacher's  certificate  issued  to  that  lady, 
authorizing  her  to  teach  school  in  Richland  county,  Ohio,  and  is  the 
first  one  ever  issued  in  that  county.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brinsmead  have 
two  children,  namely :  Ruth  and  Thomas,  both  of  whom  are  students 
in  the  Riverside  public  schools.  They  are  members  of  All  Saints 
Episcopal  Church  of  Riverside,  and  active  in  the  parish. 

Mr.  Brinsmead  has  a  vast  pride  in  Riverside  and  its  environs 
and  he  and  Mr.  Rumsey  organized  the  first  Victoria  Avenue  Improve- 
ment Association.  This  spirit,  which  is  also  possessed  by  other 
residents  of  Riverside,  has  made  the  city  what  it  is  so  universally 
acknowledged  to  be,  the  Gem  of  the  most  beautiful  section  of  the 
finest  country  on  earth.  The  natural  resources  and  beauties  were 
all  here  for  hundreds  of  years,  but  it  was  not  until  the  progressive 
spirit  of  the  white  American  developed  them  that  they  have  become 
so  attractive.  No  region  can  be  greater  than  its  people,  and  unless 
the  men  and  women  of  Riverside  had  possessed  deep  in  their  souls 
the  real  love  of  the  beautiful  could  present  results  have  been 
obtained.  Therefore  Mr.  Brinsmead  and  his  associates  in  civic 
beautification  and  improvements  have  every  reason  to  be  proud  of 
their  work,  and  their  success  cannot  help  but  stimulate  them  to 
further  efforts  along  similar  lines. 

Milton  Edward  Dimock — While  in  all  of  the  states  the  matter  of 
establishing  the  rights  to  lands,  and  guaranteeing  of  titles  is  one 
of  the  most  important  lines  of  business,  it  is  especially  so  in  California 
owing  to  the  fact  that  so  large  a  portion  of  the  state  at  one  time 
belonged  to  Mexico,  and  the  early  Spanish  holdings  further  com- 
plicate the  complexities  of  the  land  office.  Then,  too,  the  numerous 
contests  arising  out  of  squatter  rights  and  homesteading  add  to  the 
burdens,  necessitating  the  employment  of  experts  in  this  line,  among 
whom  is  Milton  Edward  Dimock  of  San  Bernardino. 

Milton  Edward  Dimock  was  born  at  Chicago,  Illinois,  February  6, 
1879,  a  son  of  Marshall  Dunbar  and  Lvdia  Elmira  Dimidk.  The 
family  name  has  been  spelled  several  ways,  the  Dymokes  coming  to 
this  country  from  England  and  settling  in  Massachusetts  at  an 
early  day.  In  time  the  spelling  was  changed  to  Dimick,  and  still 
later  to  the  present  one  of  Dimock.  Mr.  Dimock's  mother's  family 
originated  in  Maine,  and  is  also  an  old  one  in  this  country.  About 
1855  Marshall  Dunbar  Dimick  crossed  the  plains  and  mountains  to 
California,  where  he  spent  several  years,  being  during  that  period 
in  and  around  Marvsville.     He  returned  to  his  old  home  bv  sailboat 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1417 

around  Cape  Horn.  It  was  probably  the  influence  of  his  stories  of 
the  El  Dorado  which  led  his  son,  many  years  later,  to  locate  perma- 
nently in  California. 

Milton  Edward  Dimock  attended  the  public  schools  of  Luverne, 
Minnesota  and  La  Grange,  Illinois,  subsequently  acquiring  a  knowl- 
edge of  the  fundamentals  of  business  life  at  the  Metropolitan  Business 
College  of  Chicago,  Illinois.  For  a  number  of  years  he  has  been 
engaged  as  a  searcher  of  land  titles,  and  is  one  of  the  most  skilled 
men  in  this  difficult  business.  Mr.  Dimock  has  become  prominent  in 
public  affairs  since  coming  to  San  Bernardino,  and  is  now  serving 
as  president  of  the  city  Board  of  Education,  to  which  important 
office  he  was  elected  in  1921.  He  has  always  taken  a  great  interest 
in  educational  matters,  and  is  determined  to  further  improve  the 
schools  under  his  supervision,  securing  for  the  pupils  the  best  of 
teachers  and  equipment,  for  he  recognizes  the  value  of  a  good  educa- 
tion, not  only  to  the  individual  pupil,  but  to  the  community  generally. 
From  his  youth  he  has  been  connected  with  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association,  and  is  now  serving  as  a  Director  of  the 
Association  of  San  Bernardino.  Early  united  with  the  Methodist 
denomination,  he  has  continued  his  connection  with  it,  and  is  now  a 
member  and  Trustee  of  the  First  Episcopal  Church  of  San  Bernardino. 
He  has  always  been  a  staunch  Republican,  and  is  active  in  his  party. 

On  June  18,  1901,  Mr.  Dimock  was  united  in  marriage  with  Anne 
C.  Behrens,  a  daughter  of  August  Behrens.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dimock 
have  two  children,  namely :  Marshall  E.,  who  was  born  October  24, 
1903 ;  and  Elizabeth,  who  was  born  September  6,  1906.  Ever  since 
coming  to  San  Bernardino  Mr.  Dimock  has  given  an  intelligent 
attention  to  civic  matters,  and  has  demonstrated  in  every  way  his 
resolution  to  make  this  city  his  permanent  home,  and  to  do  all  that 
lies  in  his  power  to  aid  in  securing  its  welfare,  and  improving  its 
condition,  and  he  is  consequently  regarded  as  one  of  the  representa- 
tive citizens  of  this  part  of  the  state. 

Frederick  Monroe  Renfro — There  is  no  truer  saying  than  that 
which  states  that  we  live  in  deeds  and  not  in  years ;  in  thoughts 
and  not  in  breaths,  and  the  young  men  of  the  West  are  giving  living 
and  convincing  illustrations  in  proof  of  the  above.  One  of  them  is 
Frederick  Monroe  Renfro,  one  of  the  best-known  men  in  Southern 
California,  former  secretary  of  the  San  Bernardino  Chamber  of 
Commerce  and  general  manager  of  the  National  Orange  Show,  but 
now  general  manager  of  the  California  Flower  Show  and  Horticultural 
Exposition,  with  headquarters  at  Los  Angeles,  although  he  still 
maintains  his  residence  at  San  Bernardino.  Although  his  years  have 
been  few,  his  accomplishments  in  behalf  of  the  citrus  industry,  and 
the  advancement  of  San  Bernardino  would  do  credit  to  a  man  double 
his  age,  his  recent  appointment  occasioned  no  surprise  to  those 
who  have  followed  the  career  of  this  earnest  and  determined  young 
man,  and  while  his  friends  seriously  deplore  his  transferring  his 
energies  to  another  part  of  the  state,  they  appreciate  the  fact  that 
his  genius  needs  broader  fields  of  action,  and  rejoice  for  him  over 
his  promotion. 

Frederick  Monroe  Renfro  was  born  at  Springfield,  Missouri,  Jan- 
uary 27,  1887,  a  son  of  George  Absalom  and  Belle  (Ross)  Renfro. 
George  A.  Renfro  came  of  Revolutionary  stock,  and  of  English 
and  French  ancestry  in  the  remote  past.     His  wife  belonged  to  the 


1418      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

famous  Ross  family,  to  whch  the  celebrated  Betsy  Ross,  the  maker  of 
"Old  Glory,"  belonged. 

Growing  up  in  his  home  city,  Frederick  M.  Renfro  attended  its 
schools,  and  following  his  graduation  from  them,  took  a  business 
course  in  a  commercial  college.  His  first  position  was  in  a  clerical 
capacity  with  the  St.  Louis  &  San  Francisco  Railway,  St.  Louis, 
Missouri,  and  he  remained  there  from  1906  until  1910,  at  which  time 
he  decided  to  locate  permanently  in  the  Golden  State,  and  did  so, 
bringing  his  family  here,  and  making  the  change  with  characteristic 
courage  and  faith  in  himself,  for  he  had  no  resources  aside  from  his 
own  capabilities.  They  proved  more  than  equal  to  the  drain  upon 
them,  and  he  has  steadily  progressed. 

Coming  to  San  Bernardino  in  June,  1910,  he  occupied  himself  with 
whatever  came  to  hand  until  the  following  January  when  he  went 
to  work,  at  a  meagre  salary,  with  the  National  Orange  Show  Associa- 
tion, and  immediately  began  to  display  that  genius  for  organization 
which  he  possesses  in  so  marked  a  degree.  He  was  soon  made 
secretary  of  the  association,  and  held  that  position  during  the  succeed- 
ing four  years,  and  so  impressed  were  his  associates  and  co-workers, 
that  he  was  at  the  termination  of  that  four-year  period  made  general 
manager,  holding  that  office  until  he  resigned  it  to  assume  the 
responsibilities  of  a  much  more  important  one. 

It  is  generally  conceded  that  Mr.  Renfro  made  the  National 
Orange  Show  what  it  is,  re-organized  it,  placed  it  on  a  sound  financial 
basis,  and  made  the  annual  shows  a  brilliant  social  feature.  People 
from  all  over  the  world,  and,  of  course,  every  Californian,  visit 
these  shows  each  year,  and  look  forward  to  them  with  delightful  antici- 
pation. The  last  one  with  which  Mr.  Renfro  was  connected,  held 
February  18  to  28,  1921,  was  the  finest  in  every  detail  yet  held  by 
the  association.  His  reputation  has  been  firmly  established  through 
these  shows,  and  this  admirable  work  has  been  supplemented  and 
strengthened  by  his  connection  with  the  San  Bernardino  Chamber 
of  Commerce,  in  which  he  has  held  the  office  of  secretary  since  1914. 

When  Mr.  Renfro  accepted  this  office  there  was  less  than  $20  in 
the  treasury,  and  but  a  handful  of  men  belonged  to  the  chamber. 
After  he  had  everything  in  working  order,  he  left  it  for  a  few  months, 
but  pressure  was  brought  to  bear  upon  him  and  he  once  more  took 
hold  of  the  affairs  of  the  office  in  1918,  remaining  as  secretary  until 
he  resigned  June  27,  1921.  Since  1914  he  has  seen  the  membership 
increased  to  700,  all  of  the  members  being  enthusiastic  in  behalf 
of  the  chamber,  and  determined  to  do  all  that  lies  in  their  power 
to  advance  the  interests  of  San  Bernardino.  There  is  a  substantial 
balance  in  the  treasury,  and  every  man  connected  with  the  organiza- 
tion is  his  warm,  personal  friend. 

In  June,  1921,  Mr.  Renfro  received  an  offer  from  the  State  Nursery- 
men's Association,  sponsoring  the  exposition  to  be  held  at  Los 
Angeles  in  October.  1921,  to  act  as  general  manager  of  the  combined 
California  Flower  Show  and  the  Horticultural  Exposition  to  be 
staged  at  Exposition  Park,  Los  Angeles.  At  first  he  refused  to 
consider  the  project,  but  finally  was  induced  to  accept  the  offer, 
and  immediately  resigned  the  two  positions  he  had  been  holding  with 
such  efficient  capability.  The  people  of  San  Bernardino,  while 
pleased  at  the  distinction  bestowed  upon  their  fellow  citizen  and 
the  recognition  of  his  ability,  entertain  the  hope  that  he  will  return 
to  them  and  the  National  Orange  Show  Association  when  he  has 
completed  the  gigantic  task  before  him.     Others  feel  that  he  is  too 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1419 

big  a  man  to  be  confined  to  any  one  locality,  and  are  convinced  that 
further  honors  await  him  in  other  fields. 

While  he  exerts  his  right  of  suffrage,  voting  for  the  candidates 
of  the  democratic  ticket,  Mr.  Renfro  has  not  otherwise  taken  any 
part  in  politics.  Likewise  he  has  been  too  much  occupied  for  many 
fraternal  activities,  although  he  did  act  for  a  time  as  counsel  com- 
mander of  the  Woodmen  of  the  World,  and  in  that  connection  in- 
creased the  membership  of  his  camp  by  100  members.  He  prizes 
greatly  a  beautiful  ring  which  was  presented  to  him  by  his  fellow 
members  when  he  left  that  office.  He  belongs  to  San  Bernardino 
Lodge  No.  836,  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  San  Ber- 
nardino Lodge  No.  348,  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  and  still 
retains  his  membership  with  the  Woodmen  of  the  World.  For  several 
years  he  has  been  one  of  the  active  members  of  the  San  Bernardino 
Rotary  Club. 

On  March  20,  1907,  Mr.  Renfro  was  married  at  St.  Louis,  Missouri, 
to  Miss  Viola  Woolford,  a  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Melissa  Woolford. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Renfro  have  a  daughter,  Virginia  Mae,  who  is  a 
student  in  the  San  Bernardino  schools. 

Mr.  Renfro  is  a  man  to  whom  organization  comes  naturally.  He 
possesses  the  vision  which  enables  him  to  look  into  the  future  and 
plan  for  subsequent  events  accurately  and  profitably.  A  man  of  such 
convincing  sincerity  and  singleness  of  purpose,  finds  no  difficulty 
in  persuading  others  to  fall  in  line  with  his  plans,  and  securing  their 
enthusiastic  co-operation.  Such  a  man  is  invaluable  in  any  undertak- 
ing requiring  executive  ability  of  a  high  order,  where  it  is  necessary 
to  have  a  clear  and  accurate  knowledge  of  human  nature.  Those  who 
know  him  best  realize  that  his  work  in  connection  with  the  Los 
Angeles  Exposition  will  but  be  a  repetition  of  his  brilliant  successes 
in  San  Bernardino,  only  upon  a  broader  scale,  and  they  predict  an 
overwhelming  triumph  for  him  and  his  associations. 

John  W.  Davis — Not  only  the  City  of  Colton,  which  was  their  home, 
but  the  entire  district  of  Riverside  and  San  Bernardino  counties,  is 
indebted  to  the  financial  genius  and  the  fine  progressive  leadership 
of  the  father  and  son  who  bore  the  name  John  W.  Davis.  They 
were  properly  distinguished  as  Senior  and  Junior,  since  in  their  activ- 
ities in  Southern  California  they  were  contemporaries,  and  the  son 
survived  the  father  only  about  five  years.  While  perhaps  best  known 
through  their  work  as  bankers  and  constructive  financiers,  they  were 
staunch  friends  and  supporters  of  education  and  their  aid  was  not 
withheld  from  any  undertaking  that  appealed  to  their  judgment  and 
generous  spirit  of  community  helpfulness. 

John  W.  Davis,  Sr.,  was  born  in  Wales  in  1815.  He  came  to 
America  at  the  age  of  nineteen,  having  his  own  fortune  to  make. 
He  possessed  a  sound  intellectual  talent,  developed  largely  outside 
of  school,  and  his  faculty  of  hard  work  promoted  him  to  the  larger 
and  more  important  spheres  of  business  success.  For  some  years 
he  lived  at  Utica,  New  York,  and  was  engaged  in  the  cotton  mills 
there.  While  at  Utica,  he  married  Margaret  MacConnell,  who  was 
of  Scotch  parentage  and  who  died  in  about  1864.  From  New  York 
state  John  W.  Davis,  Sr.,  removed  to  Fox  Lake,  Wisconsin,  for 
many  years  being  active  in  business  and  to  some  extent  in  politics, 
laying  the  foundation  of  his  prosperity  there. 

It  was  in  an  effort  to  gain  relief  from  asthma  that  he  came  to 
California  in  1876  and  after  an  exhaustive  search  for  the  right  climate 


1420       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

made  his  home  at  Colton.  He  was  then  past  sixty  years  of  age,  in 
what  has  been  called  the  "Indian  Summer"  of  life,  was  possessed  of 
generous  means,  and  for  a  time  was  satisfied  to  lend  the  money  on 
real  estate  as  his  only  business  activity.  However,  his  unusual 
attainments  including  both  the  habit  of  logical  thinking  and  the 
power  of  action  did  not  permit  him  long  to  remain  a  passive  factor 
in  the  community.  He  bought  out  the  first  bank  in  Colton  from 
James  Lee  &  Company  and  in  1886  he  organized  and  as  president 
opened  the  First  National  Bank  of  Colton.  He  had  lived  in  the 
community  for  ten  years,  and  all  classes  of  citizens  have  come  to 
regard  his  financial  judgment  as  safe  and  conservative.  It  is  recalled 
that  one  of  the  local  citizens  of  Colton,  who  had  been  accustomed 
to  keep  his  money  buried  in  his  garden,  dug  it  up  and  placed  it  on  deposit 
in  the  bank  soon  after  it  was  opened.  John  W.  Davis  was  also  one  of 
the  organizers  in  the  Colton  Marble  Lime  Company,  which  owned 
Slover  Mountain.  That  mountain  has  yielded  material  for  untold  thou- 
sands of  tons  of  portland  cement,  and  the  business  has  been  in  operation 
steadily  since  the  company  was  organized. 

With  his  practical  qualities  John  W.  Davis  combined  a  fine  sense 
of  humor.  In  politics  he  was  a  democrat.  He  never  tired  of  telling 
his  one  prominent  experience  in  politics.  It  occurred  while  he  was  in 
Wisconsin.  The  party  organization  nominated  him  candidate  for 
state  treasurer.  His  business  partner  William  E.  Smith  was  nomi- 
nated republican  candidate  for  the  same  office,  and  of  course  in  the 
republican  stronghold  of  Wisconsin  was  the  successful  candidate. 
Smith  later  became  Governor  of  Wisconsin.  For  thirty  years  during 
his  residence  in  Wisconsin,  John  W.  Davis,  Sr.,  was  treasurer  and 
one  of  the  founders  of  Downer  College,  one  of  the  earliest  Woman's 
college  in  the  United  States,  now  known  as  the  Milwaukee-Downer 
College,  a  foremost  institution  for  the  higher  education  of  women  in 
the  middle  west.  The  Milwaukee  College  was  founded  by  Catherine 
Beecher  four  years  prior  to  Downer  College. 

In  1882  John  W.  Davis,  Sr.,  married  the  president  of  Downer 
College,  Sarah  O.  Sheppard,  who  died  two  years  later. 

John  W.  Davis,  Sr.,  died  at  Colton  in  1888  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
three.  He  was  the  father  of  five  children,  Mrs.  Charles  Robinson, 
wife  of  the  president  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Bloomington ; 
Mrs.  Chester  Dawes,  who  died  at  Crete,  Nebraska;  Mrs.  John  R. 
Gamble  of  Los  Angeles ;  and  Mrs.  Doctor  G.  L.  Hutchison,  who 
died  in  Los  Angeles  in  June,  1921. 

John  W.  Davis,  Jr.,  only  son  and  namesake  of  his  father,  was 
born  in  December,  1860,  and  died  in  1893  at  the  age  of  thirty-three. 
In  a  brief  life  his  achievements  have  put  him  in  the  first  rank  as  a 
man  of  affairs.  He  was  educated  in  the  University  of  Wisconsin,  and 
when  he  first  came  to  Colton,  became  associated  with  Byron  Waters 
and  others  in  the  Farmers  Exchange  Bank.  After  a  brief  time  he 
returned  to  the  University,  and  he  studied  law  with  Gamble  Brothers 
in  South  Dakota.  John  Gamble  was  the  first  representative  in 
Congress  when  South  Dakota  was  admitted  to  the  Union.  In  1881, 
Mr.  Davis  opened  a  bank  in  Scotland,  South  Dakota,  in  partnership 
with  a  Russian,  but  later  sold  out  and  came  to  Colton  to  join  his 
father  in  the  banking  business.  His  standing  in  banking  circles  can 
perhaps  best  be  understood  by  recalling  some  of  the  history  of 
local  banking  institutions  in  San  Bernardino  County.  In  the  fall 
of  1888  when  Ted  Morse  of  the  San  Bernardino  National  Bank  was 
shot,  John  W.   Davis,   Jr.,  was  offered  the  presidency  of   that   institu- 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1421 

tion  with  the  privilege  of  talcing  such  stock  as  he  wished  at  his  own 
figure.  Before  accepting  he  had  made  a  trip  to  Europe  and  upon  his  re- 
turn, in  the  fall  of  1889,  he  bought  in  and  took  the  presidency  of  the  bank. 
A  year  or  so  later  after  S.  C.  Evans  had  accumulated  a  fortune 
of  a  million  dollars  in  Riverside  real  estate,  he  went  to  San  Francisco 
bankers  and  asked  them  whom  they  would  recommend  to  organize 
and  operate  a  bank  in  Riverside.  The  San  Francisco  bankers  replied 
that  there  were  only  two  men  in  the  state  whom  they  would  care 
to  recommend,  and  one  of  them  was  John  W.  Davis,  Jr.  The  latter 
was  approached  by  Mr.  Evans,  and  he  accepted  the  proposition  and 
successfully  organized  the  Riverside  National  Bank.  This  was  his 
culminating  achievement  in  banking  circles,  since  he  died  soon  after 
ward.  He  also  organized  the  San  Bernardino  Abstract  Company,  was 
a  large  stockholder  in  the  Colton  Cement  Plant  and  a  director  in  an 
Insurance  Company  of  Los  Angeles.  He  bought  a  great  deal  of  land 
on  Colton  Terrace,  and  upon  his  death  the  stockholders  divided  32U 
acres,  seventy  acres  going  to  Mrs.  Davis.  He  played  an  important 
part  in  the  Bear  Valley  Dam  project  and  assisted  Frank  Brown  to 
finance  it. 

At  Portage,  Wisconsin,  September  4,  1893,  John  \V.  Davis,  Jr., 
married  Miss  Jennie  E.  Roberts.  She  was  born  in  Wisconsin,  is  a 
graduate  of  Downer  College,  and  a  daughter  of  John  W.  Roberts. 
A  woman  of  a  splendid  family,  of  special  position,  highly  educated, 
Mrs.  Davis  in  the  thirty  years  since  her  husband's  death  has  proved 
herself  one  of  the  capable  business  executives  in  San  Bernardino  County. 
In  the  ten  years  of  her  married  life  she  had  been  a  valued  confidant 
and  advisor  of  Mr.  Davis,  and  after  his  death  she  proved  her  re- 
sourcefulness in  independent  option  or  in  calling  to  her  aid  capable 
executives  to  handle  the  responsibilities  he  laid  down.  Mr.  Davis  at 
his  death  owned  the  controlling  interests  in  the  San  Bernardino  National 
and  the  First  National  banks  of  Colton.  Mrs.  Davis  immediately  requested 
that  her  father  take  charge  of  these  banks  and  he  became  president 
of  the  Bank  of  San  Bernardino  and  president  of  the  Bank  of 
Colton,  while  Mrs.  Davis'  brother,  E.  D.  Roberts,  who  had  been  associated 
with  Mr.  Davis  in  Colton,  became  vice  president  of  the  San  Bernardino 
National  Bank.  At  the  death  of  John  W.  Roberts,  his  son  succeeded 
him  as  president  of  the  Bank  of  San  Bernardino.  Since  the  death 
of  her  brother,  Mrs.  Davis  has  been  in  practically  sole  charge  of  her 
accumulating  interests  and  has  greatly  in  hand  the  family  fortune  by 
her  sound  policies  and  breadth  of  vision.  She  acquired  forty  acres 
of  land  on  Brookside  Avenue  in  Redlands,  and  it  is  there  in  a  beautiful 
orange  grove  and  amidst  ideal  surroundings  that  she  makes  her  home. 
Mrs.  Davis  is  the  mother  of  four  daughters,  all  of  whom  are  graduates 
of  Smith's  College  except  Marion,  who  is  a  graduate  of  Milwaukee- 
Downer  College. 

The  oldest  daughter  Margaret  is  the  wife  of  Dr.  Charles  E.  Ide, 
who  has  charge  of  the  Muirdale  Sanitarium  for  the  city  and  county 
of  Milwaukee.  During  the  war  he  was  a  member  of  the  army  medical 
corps,  receiving  his  appointment  from  Dr.  Franklin  Martin.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Ide  have  two  sons,  George  H.  and  John  Davis. 

The  second  daughter  Marion,  is  the  wife  of  Hugh  T.  Osborne, 
associated  with  the  Brown,  Ford  and  Yerxa  Packing  house  at  El  Centro, 
California.  Mr.  Osborne  was  a  sergeant  in  the  American  Expeditionary 
Forces  in  France,  and  was  seriously  wounded  at  Argonne.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Osborne  have  a  son,  William  Davis  Osborne. 


1422       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

Dorothy,  the  third  daughter,  is  the  wife  of  Algernon  Sidney  Jenkins, 
who  with  his  father,  Charles  F.  Jenkins,  publishes  the  Farm  Journal  at 
Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania.  Their  three  children  are  named  David,  Gwen 
and   Phyllis. 

The  youngest  daughter  is  Gwen,  wife  of  Joseph  S.  Pendergast,  an 
orchardist  of  Redlands.  Their  two  children  are  Robert  Ensor  and  Jane 
Ellen. 

Mrs.  Mary  Elizabeth  (Phillips)  Wallace — The  life  of  Mrs. 
Mary  Elizabeth  (Phillips)  Wallace,  owner  of  one  of  the  model  orange 
groves  of  San  Bernardino  County,  located  one-half  mile  east  of  River- 
side Avenue,  on  Rialto  Avenue,  has  been  an  active  and  conspicuous 
one.  A  strong  character,  she  has  worked  out  her  own  success,  and  is 
possessed  of  uncommon  spirit,  energy  and  force.  Her  long  life  at 
Rialto,  her  abundant  labors,  her  varied  experience  and  unwonted  activity 
have  scarcely  abated  the  vivacity  of  her  disposition  or  the  energy  of  her 
character.  At  the  age  of  sixty-four  years  she  is  still  alert,  active  and 
interested  in  passing  events. 

Mrs.  Wallace  was  born  in  the  Province  of  Quebec,  Canada,  July  3, 
1858,  a  daughter  of  Rev.  S.  G.  and  Mary  Ann  (Whitcomb)  Phillips. 
Her  father,  born  in  1828,  at  Plymouth,  England,  immigrated  to  America 
in  1853,  at  which  time  he  began  his  ministerial  labors  with  the  Wesleyan 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  in  Canada.  In  1857  he  married  Mary  Ann 
Whitcomb,  a  native  of  Waterloo,  Province  of  Quebec,  Canada,  and 
a  member  of  a  prominent  family  of  that  place.  To  this  union  there 
were  born  four  daughters,  all  of  whom  are  still  living;  Mary  Elizabeth, 
Ada  E.,  Alice  and  Gertrude.  L.  G.  Phillips  was  a  member  of  the  ministrv 
for  a  period  of  thirty-nine  years,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  was 
retired  as  superannuated.  He  came  to  California  for  the  betterment 
of  his  health,  in  1891,  but  died  at  Los  Angeles,  March  3,  1892.  His 
widow  survived  him  for  a  long  period,  passing  away  at  Los  Angeles 
January  20,  1908. 

Mary  Elizabeth  Phillips  early  evidenced  the  fact  that  she  was  to 
mature  into  a  woman  of  splendid  business  qualifications,  a  promise  that 
has  been  eminently  fulfilled.  After  attending  the  common  schools  of 
Ontario,  Canada,  and  the  Ontario  Ladies'  College,  Whitby,  an  exclusive 
young  ladies'  college,  she  was  given  her  degree  of  Mistress  of  English 
Literature,  and  for  two  years  was  a  teacher  in  that  institution.  Her 
health  failing  at  this  time  she  was  offered  and  accepted  a  teacher's  posi- 
tion in  another  institution  where  she  had  greater  outdoor  privileges  and 
taught  there  for  one  year. 

In  1885,  at  Billings  Bridge,  Canada,  Mrs.  Wallace  was  united  in 
marriage  with  T.  W.  Wallace.  At  the  time  of  her  father's  death,  in 
1892,  she  came  to  California  for  a  short  stay,  and  in  the  following 
year  came  to  remain  permanently,  her  first  seven  years  being  spent 
in  Los  Angeles.  Her  husband  had  come  earlier,  in  1890,  and  purchased 
ten  acres  of  wild  land  in  the  new  colony  on  the  corner  of  Rialto  and 
Acacia  Avenues,  Rialto,  which  he  set  to  oranges  of  select  stock.  When 
this  grove  became  two  years  old,  he  deeded  it  over  to  his  wife,  who 
placed  it  in  charge  of  her  brother-in-law,  James  Moffatt,  at  that  time 
one  of  the  very  prominent  an  extensive  growers  of  the  district.  The 
state  of  the  orange  industry  was  anything  but  prosperous  at  this  time. 
Many  owners,  having  become  dicouraged,  disposed  of  their  holdings 
and  left  the  community.  Mrs.  Wallace  found  her  grove  in  a  run-down 
condition,  and  in  1900  decided  to  move  on  it  and  to  take  personal 
charge   of   its   operation.      Her   first   crop   only    netted   her   600   boxes. 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1423 

but  she  had  found  out  the  trouble,  and  in  the  following  year  she 
harvested  1900  boxes.  The  number  has  increased  annually,  and  at 
the  present  time  has  become  one  of  the  show  groves  of  the  Rialto  com- 
munity. Under  her  wise  administration  of  affairs  she  has  educated  and 
reared  her  family  from  the  receipts  and  has  never  had  a  mortgage  on 
the  place,  in  addition  to  which  she  has  also  been  able  to  acquire  valuable 
beach  rental  properties.  She  has  succeeded  where  many  men  have  failed, 
but  with  all  her  acquisitions  she  has  fully  preserved  the  innate  delicacy 
of  her  womanly  nature,  and  is  none  the  less  a  lady  because  she  has 
become  a  business  woman. 

The  only  child  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wallace,  Gertrude  Elizabeth,  was 
born  in  Canada,  October  7,  1887.  A  graduate  of  San  Bernardino 
High  School,  she  had  all  her  units  and  was  not  required  to  take  her 
examination  to  enter  Stanford  University,  where  she  spent  three  years 
in  studies.  This  was  followed  by  one  year  at  the  State  Normal  School, 
then  commencing  upon  a  career  as  a  teacher  in  the  Los  Angeles  schools, 
after  which  she  became  principal  of  the  Bloomington  School,  where 
she  remained  two  years.  She  gave  up  her  career  to  marry  C.  P. 
Taylor,  a  graduate  of  Stanford  University,  a  native  son  of  California 
and  a  young  man  of  much  promise,  who  now  is  electrical  superintendent 
of  the  Marysville  Division,  Pacific  Gas  and  Electric  Company,  Marys- 
ville,  California.  He  was  a  valued  man  in  the  World  war  service  and 
served  two  years  in  the  Engineer's  Headquarters,  at  Washington,  Dis- 
trict of  Columbia,  being  retired  from  the  Reserve  Officers  Corps  with 
the  rank  of  Captain.  He  was  selected  or  chosen  by  superiors  from  Wash- 
ington and  removed  from  Fort  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  to  Washington. 
District  of  Columbia,  during  the  early  days  of  this  country's  participation 
in  the  great  struggle,  and  worked  faithfully  in  the  discharge  of  his 
duties.  Two  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Airs.  Taylor :  Gilbert 
Phillips,  born  August,  1915,  at  Fresno,  California;  and  Mary  Elizabeth, 
born  in  February,  1922. 

While  Mrs.  Wallace's  interest  has  been  centered  naturally  upon  her 
orange  grove,  in  which  she  has  right  to  display  a  pardonable  degree 
of  pride,  other  interests  have  attracted  her,  and  she  is  alive  to  all  the 
real  issues  of  the  day.  She  has  a  full  knowledge  of  political  condi- 
tions and  in  issues  of  a  political  character  gives  her  support  to  the 
republican  party.  She  is  a  woman  of  education  and  refined  tastes  and 
is  respected  for  what  she  has  accomplished  in  the  face  of  difficulties 
that  have  discouraged  many  of  the  so-called  stronger  sex. 

Wilmot  T.  Smith — Although  he  has  been  a  resident  of  San 
Bernardino  for  a  comparatively  short  period,  Wilmot  T.  Smith  has 
already  won  a  high  position  among  its  most  representative  business 
men  and  financiers,  and  as  president  of  the  Farmers  Exchange  National 
Bank,  for  five  years  he  has  occupied  a  commanding  place  in  the  affairs 
of  the  Gate  City.  Under  his  administration  the  resources  of  his  institution 
have  increased  from  $600,000  to  $2,000,000.  It  is  safe  to  say  that  no 
movement  of  real  value  to  the  city  or  county  is  inaugurated  and  carried 
to  a  successful  completion  without  Mr.  Smith's  co-operation,  for  his 
connection  with  any  project  is  a  sufficient  guarantee  of  its  soundness 
and  worth  to  his  fellow  citizens,  and  his  refusal  to  countenance  it  is 
accepted  as  proof  that  it  will  not  stand  the  acid  test. 

Wilmot  T.  Smith  was  born  at  Lake  City,  Iowa,  October  29,  1876, 
a  son  of  the  late  W.  T.  Smith,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  an  extensive 
landowner  and  operator,  who  was  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Calhoun 
County,  to  which  he  migrated  when  that  country  was  a  wilderness  and 


1424       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

a  swamp.  During  the  war  of  the  '60s  he  served  as  a  soldier  in  the 
Union  army,  belonging  to  the  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-sixth  Illinois 
Volunteer  Infantry,  and  saw  considerable  active  service.  After  going 
to  Iowa  he  became  prominent  in  the  affairs  of  Rockwell  City,  serving 
several  terms  as  county  treasurer,  and  also  as  county  auditor  and  county 
recorder.  The  Smith  family  to  which  he  belonged  is  one  of  the  old 
ones  in  America  history,  and  of  Revolutionary  stock  and  Scotch-Irish 
descent.  His  wife  was  Amelia  Jack  before  her  marriage,  was  born 
in  Pennsylvania,  and  connected,  through  her  grandmother,  with  the 
famous  Pennsylvania  family  of  Negley  of  Scotch-Irish  descent,  and 
Revolutionary  stock.     Mrs.  Smith  is  also  deceased. 

After  attending  the  public  schools  of  Iowa,  Wilmot  T.  Smith  took 
a  course  in  Epworth  Seminary,  and  then,  with  his  parents,  left  Iowa 
for  Texas,  where  they  arrived  in  1891,  and  he  became  a  student  of 
the  Daniel  Baker  College  at  Brownwood,  Texas,  and  later  of  the  Fort 
Worth  University,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1900,  with  the  de- 
gree of  Bachelor  of  Arts. 

For  three  years  following  his  graduation  Mr.  Smith  was  profitably 
engaged  in  merchandising  at  Blanket,  Texas,  during  that  period  so  firmly 
established  himself  in  public  confidence  that  when  he  organized  the 
Continental  State  Bank,  he  had  the  full  co-operation  of  the  best  people, 
and  was  made  its  manager  and  cashier.  He  was  also  connected,  as  a 
director,  with  the  Continental  Bank  &  Trust  Company  of  Fort  Worth, 
which  owned  the  Blanket  Bank,  and  maintained  these  connections  from 
1904  to  1917,  when  he  disposed  of  his  interests  and  came  to  San  Ber- 
nardino to  accept  the  presidency  of  the  Farmers  Exchange  National 
Bank  of  this  city,  which  office  he  still  holds 

In  1920  Mr.  Smith  was  connected  with  the  organization  of  the 
Citizens  National  Bank  of  Rialto,  of  which  he  is  now  president.  It 
was  capitalized  at  $25,000,  and  now  has  resources  of  about  $200,000. 
Mr.  Smith  is  a  director  of  the  San  Bernardino  Chamber  of  Commerce, 
a  director  of  the  National  Orange  Show,  which  office  he  has  held 
during  his  entire  residence  in  this  city,  a  director  of  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association,  treasurer  of  the  local  Lions  Club  and  president  of 
the  Citrus  Belt  Gas  Company. 

Always  willing  to  do  his  part  to  preserve  the  peace,  and  prepare 
for  a  proper  defense  in  time  of  war,  he  served  as  a  member  of  the 
National  Guard  while  a  resident  of  Texas,  and  during  the  late  war  he 
served  on  all  of  the  bond  committees  and  took  a  very  effective  part 
in  all  of  the  bond  drives. 

While  he  has  always  voted  the  republican  ticket,  aside  from  exerting 
his  right  of  suffrage  he  has  never  been  active  in  politics.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  board  of  trustees  of  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
of  San  Bernardino,  and  is  chairman  of  the  finance  committee.  Active 
in  church  work  and  in  the  Sunday  school,  he  has  always  endeavored, 
as  a  matter  of  personal  conviction,  to  live  up  on  the  right  side  of  every 
moral  question  affecting  the  welfare  of  the  community. 

In  addition  to  all  of  his  other  interests  Mr.  Smith  owns  a  small  apple 
and  pear  ranch  at  Devore,  in  Cajon  Canyon,  San  Bernardino  County, 
where  he  and  his  family  maintain  a  delightful  summer  home 

On  May  20,  1903,  Mr.  Smith  was  married  at  Abilene,  Texas,  to  Miss 
Mabel  Humphreys,  a  native  of  that  state,  and  a  daughter  of  T.  J. 
Humphreys,  now  deceased,  who  was  formerly  a  cattleman  and  early 
settler  of  Western  Texas.  He  belonged  to  one  of  the  old  families 
of  Mississippi.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith  have  five  children,  namely :  Amelia, 
who  is  a  student  of  the  San  Bernardino  High  School,  Class   1922;  and 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1425 

Wilmot,  Merle  Roy  and  Clifford,  all  of  whom  are  attending  the  grammar 
grades. 

The  Farmers  Exchange  National  Bank  was  organized  in  1881,  and 
has  had  a  long  and  prosperous  career.  According  to  the  statement 
issued  hy  this  bank  under  date  of  March  10,  1922,  its  condition  is  as 
follows : 

Resources 

Loans   and   Discounts    $1,214,029.98 

U.   S.  and  Liberty   Bonds    221,275.00 

Bonds,  Securities,  etc 460,097.53 

Furniture  and  Fixtures 21,000.00 

Other  Real  Estate  Owned 718.10 

Interest   earned,    not   collected 8,761.31 

Cash  on  hand  and  due  from  banks 224,866.72 

$2,150,748.64 

Liabilities 

Capital    $    100,000.00 

Surplus  and  Undivided  Profits 88,542.06 

Interest  Reserve  Acct 5,000.00 

Interest  Collected,  not  earned 1,000.00 

National  Bank  Notes   Outstanding 100,000.00 

Deposits    1,856,206.58 

$2,150,748.64 


The  banking  house  is  conveniently  located  at  the  northwest  corner 
of  Third  and  E  streets.  The  present  officials  are  as  follows :  A.  G. 
Kendall,  chairman  of  the  board ;  Wilmot  T.  Smith,  president ;  J.  Dale 
Gentry,  vice  president;  S.  E.  Bagley,  cashier;  and  Fred  C.  Drew,  as- 
sistant cashier.  The  following  compose  the  board  of  directors :  A.  G. 
Kendall,  M.  E.  Dimock,  F.  E.  Page,  Wilmot  T.  Smith,  John  Anderson, 
Jr.,  C.  A.  Puffer,  J.  Dale  Gentry,  S.  E.  Bagley,  and  Dr.  Edwin  Wyte. 

The  bank  moved  into  its  present  quarters  December  10,  1919,  and 
the  description  of  its  opening  by  the  Index  that  afternoon,  is  well 
worthy  of  preservation  as  historical  data.     It  is  given  in  full  as  follows : 

"Hundreds  of  the  city's  people  are  this  afternoon  attending  the 
formal  opening  of  the  Farmers  Exchange  National  Bank's  new  home 
at  the  corner  of  E  and  Third  streets,  extending  congratulations  to  the 
officers  and  directors  on  giving  the  bank  of  the  city  so  modern  and 
handsome  a  banking  home. 

"The  foyer  has  been  handsomely  decorated  for  the  occasion  with 
palms,  plants  and  flowers  while  several  handsome  floral  remembrances 
from  friends  grace  the  desks  of  the  officials. 

"During  the  afternoon  and  this  evening  until  8:30  o'clock  the  officers 
and  directors  and  their  wives  will  serve  as  a  reception  committee  greeting 
each  visitor  personally  and  showing  them  through  the  new  banking 
house,  explaining  its  facilities  for  serving  its  patrons. 

"A  geneous  bunch  of  violets  is  being  presented  to  each  lady  as  she 
enters  the  bank  while  each  gentleman  receives  a  key  purse  as  souvenirs 
of  the  occasion.  The  first  100  persons  to  enter  the  bank  this  afternoon 
after  two  o'clock  were  presented  with  a  $1  savings  deposit  with  the 
bank  as  a  starter. 

"During  the  afternoon  an  orchestra  stationed  at  the  back  of  the 
room   dispensed   sweet   music   and   will   continue   to    do   so   all   evening. 


1426       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

Another  entertainment  feature  will  he  vocal  numbers  by  a  company 
of  colored  jubilee  singers. 

"Punch  is  being  served  all  the  afternoon  and  evening  and  it  is 
expected  that  several  thousand  San  Bernardino  people  will  visit  the 
bank  and  admire  its  facilities. 

"The  public  is  invited  to  visit  the  new  home  of  the  bank  which 
has  been  'AT  since  '81,  some  time  during  the  afternoon  or  evening. 
It  will  be  open  until  8  :30  tonight." 

E.  J.  Cranston  during  his  residence  in  Southern  California  in  the 
past  dozen  years  has  been  a  leading  banker,  and  achieved  his  early 
recognition  in  financial  circles  during  his  residence  in  Minnesota.  Mr. 
Cranston  is  president  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Hemet  in  Riverside 
County. 

He  was  born  at  Madrid,  St.  Lawrence  County,  New  York,  April  14, 
1869,  son  of  John  and  Mary  Ann  Cranston,  both  of  Scotch  ancestry. 
His  father  was  a  New  York  State  farmer.  His  mother  was  born  in 
Scotland  and  her  fourth  birthday  occurred  while  her  parents  were  on 
the  voyage  to  this  country.  She  was  born  in  Scotland  at  Ayr,  not  far 
from  the  old  home  of  Robert  Burns. 

E.  J.  Cranston  as  a  boy  lived  on  a  farm  in  New  York  and  attended 
common  schools,  and  on  leaving  that  state  went  west  to  Minnesota, 
where  for  eight  years  he  was  a  teacher  at  Stillwater.  Then  after  a 
year  of  travel  he  identified  himself  with  the  business  affairs  of  Big 
Lake,  Minnesota,  where  on  January  2,  1905,  he  became  president  of  the 
local  bank  and  for  part  of  the  time  while  there  was  president  of  two 
banks. 

When  Mr.  Cranston  came  to  California  in  1910  he  located  at  Tustin 
in  Orange  County,  where  he  organized  and  was  cashier  of  the  First 
National  Bank.  He  was  active  in  his  duties  as  a  banker  there  until 
March  19,  1917,  when  he  moved  to  Hemet  and  became  president  of  the 
First  National  Bank.  He  was  deeply  interested  in  all  matters  of  general 
interest  to  the  community  and  in  large  measure  has  been  responsible 
for  the  present  prestige  and  influence  of  the  Hemet  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce. He  is  a  republican  in  politics,  and  has  long  been  active  in  the 
Presbyterian  Church,  being  now  elder  and  a  member  of  the  Board 
of  Trustees  and  superintendent  of  the  Sunday  School  of  the  Church 
at  Hemet. 

On  Thanksgiving  Day,  1899,  he  married  Miss  Madge  E.  Moore 
of  Big  Lake,  Minnesota.  Seven  months  later  while  on  a  visit  to  his 
old  home  Mrs.  Cranston  died.  Three  years  later  Mr.  Cranston  married 
her  sister  Miss  Bennie  E.  Moore.  They  have  two  daughters,  aged 
fourteen  and  twelve  years  respectively,  and  now  attending  the  Hemet 
public  schools. 

George  W.  Thomas  is  one  of  the  oldest  living  residents  of  River- 
side. He  came  here  in  October,  1870,  with  his  foster  mother.  That  was 
two  months  prior  to  the  arrival  of  L.  C.  Waite,  another  pioneer  whose 
career  is  sketched  in  this  publication.  George  Thomas  was  a  boy  of  ten, 
and  then  and  afterwards  he  endured  poverty  and  hardships  to  an  unusual 
degree  but  at  the  age  of  sixty-two  he  is  in  perfect  physical  condition 
and  enjoys  every  minute  of  the  freedom  and  independence  he  has  won 
by  years  of  work  and  application.  The  sound  philosophy  that  grew 
out  of  his  experience  is  one  that  will  permit  him  "to  carry  on"  to  the 
end  of  the  course  and  realize  in  generous  measure  the  satisfaction  that 
comes  from  doing  well  for  himself  and  others. 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1427 

George  W.  Thomas  in  his  early  years  was  not  only  his  own  support 
but  the  support  of  his  foster  mother  largely  devolved  upon  him.  He 
walked  five  miles  daily  to  work  that  paid  him  a  monthly  wage  of 
fifteen  dollars.  In  confab  with  those  limited  circumstances  Mr.  Thomas 
is  the  owner  of  320  acres  of  valuable  land,  has  a  large  herd  of  regis- 
tered Jersey  stock,  is  represented  as  a  director  in  a  number  of  business 
organizations,  but  best  of  all  is  the  father  of  four  sons  and  two  daughters, 
all  born  in  California,  and  is  proud  of  the  fact  that  he  is  five  times  a 
grandfather. 

He  was  born  in  Omaha,  Nebraska,  August  13,  1860.  His  father 
was  Lycurgus  Grice.  The  mother  died  when  her  son  was  only  two 
weeks  of  age,  and  subsequently  he  was  adopted  and  reared  by  a  widow, 
a  Mrs.  Thomas,  and  he  took  her  family  name.  His  father,  Lycurgus 
Grice  was  attracted  to  California  during  the  gold  rush  of  1850,  travel- 
ing from  Joplin,  Missouri  to  Marysville,  California  with  ox  teams. 
Spent  four  years  in  that  neighborhood,  seeking  his  fortune  in  gold, 
and  then  returned  to  Joplin.  He  was  a  soldier  in  the  Union  army  from 
1861  until  the  close  of  the  war. 

Mrs.  Thomas  and  her  adopted  son  George  W.,  came  west  on  a 
visit  to  her  daughter  in  October,  1870,  when  all  it  possessed  beyond 
its  name  of  Riverside  was  three  little  houses  on  the  plains.  One  of 
these  houses  was  owned  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  A.  R.  Smith,  another  by  her 
brother-in-law  and  wife,  Sidney  Morton,  and  the  third  was  the  office 
of  the  Southern  California  Colony  Association.  The  other  houses  were 
in  course  of  construction,  being  those  of  Judge  North,  I.  T.  Wood  and 
Judge  Broadhurst.  The  house  of  Mrs.  M.  M.  Smith  was  on  Main 
Street  between  Seventh  and  Eighth  on  property  now  owned  by  Evans 
Brothers.  Mrs.  Thomas  came  west  from  Omaha  over  the  newly  con- 
structed Union  Pacific  Railroad  to  San  Francisco,  and  dame  south 
to  Los  Angeles  by  boat.     It  was  a  fifteen  day  trip. 

Mrs.  Thomas  bought  a  squatter's  right  to  120  acres  of  land  on 
West  Arlington  Avenue,  and  she  lived  there  with  her  foster  son  for 
thirty-five  years.  Mr.  Thomas  still  has  the  patent  to  this  land  signed 
by  President  R.  B.  Hayes.  George  Thomas  finished  his  education  after 
coming  to  California,  attending  the  Riverside  School  then  conducted  in  a 
little  building  where  the  Sixth  Street  School  now  stands.  He  walked  a 
distance  of  five  miles  daily  to  and  from  his  studies.  His  first  teacher 
was  Mrs.  Meacham  and  later  L.  C.  Waite.  But  application  to  his 
studies  in  school  was  of  brief  duration,  since  there  were  more  serious 
things  to  think  about  and  do.  Mr.  Thomas  claims  the  distinction  of 
having  been  part  of  the  original  water  system  service  of  Riverside. 
From  the  fall  of  1870  when  he  arrived  until  July,  1871.  all  the  water 
for  all  purposes  in  the  community  was  hauled  in  barrels  on  a-  spring 
wagon  by  himself  and  A.  R.  Smith.  They  would  go  down  to  the  river, 
driving  the  wagon  into  the  stream,  and  George  rolling  up  his  pants 
would  fill  the  buckets  and  pass  them  up  to  Smith.  This  water  was 
then  peddled  and  distributed  over  town,  and  besides  being  used  for 
domestic  purposes  it  served  in  starting  some  of  the  orginal  seedling 
orange  trees  on  the  K.  D.  Shugart  place. 

While  he  was  growing  up  at  Riverside  the  only  vocation  that 
presented  a  real  opportunity  to  an  ambitious  boy  was  farming.  He 
accordingly  adopted  it.  but  has  given  less  attention  than  most  River- 
side colonists  to  the  fruit  growing  side  of  farming.  His  own  par- 
ticular sort  has  been  live  stock.  Years  ago  he  tinned  his  face  in 
blooded  stock,  and  has  worked  consistently  to  the  end  that  his  herd 
should  be  registered  Jersey  stock.     In   1912  he  purchased  315  acres 


1428       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

of  rich  land  four  and  a  half  miles  south  of  the  town  of  Arlington, 
and  while  it  had  been  partly  under  cultivation  to  oranges  he  has 
converted  it  into  alfalfa  and  dairy  ranch.  It  was  in  the  home  of 
her  daughter,  Mrs.  M.  M.  Smith,  that  his  foster  mother  Mrs.  Thomas 
passed  away  at  the  age  of  ninety-eight. 

Of  his  ranch  land  Mr.  Thomas  has  used  ten  acres  for  deciduous 
fruits  and  one  acre  in  oranges.  The  department  in  which  he  took 
greatest  pride,  however,  is  his  herd  of  sixty-five  registered  Jersey 
cows,  about  thirty  of  which  are  regularly  milked,  the  milk  being 
sold  wholesale  in  Los  Angeles.  He  is  primarily  a  cattle  man,  though 
he  also  raises  hogs  and  chickens. 

Outside  of  his  ranch  Mr.  Thomas  is  a  director  and  vice  president 
of  the  Milk  Producers  Association  of  California;  director  of  the 
Riverside  County  Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Company ;  director  of  the 
Riverside  County  Farm  Bureau;  director  of  the  Southern  California 
Fair  Association;  director  and  vice  president  of  the  California  Pure 
Bred  Livestock  Association;  director  of  the  Federal  Farm  Loan  Asso- 
ciation of  Riverside.  Fraternally  he  is  a  Past  Chancellor  Commander 
of  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  a  member  of  the  Woodmen  of  the  World 
and  the  Yeomen  of  America.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Universalist 
Church,  is  a  republican,  has  served  on  the  Republican  County  Central 
Committee,  but  has  never  sought  official  responsibilities.  His  ranch  is 
known  as  the  "Golden  Glen  Stock  Farm,  G.  W.  Thomas  and  Sons,  Pro- 
prietors." 

George  W.  Thomas  and  Miss  Margaret  St.  Marie,  were  married 
in  Riverside  by  Rev.  M.  V.  Wright  on  August  15,  1880.  Mrs.  Thomas 
is  a  native  of  San  Bernardino,  her  father  Alexander  St.  Marie  hav- 
ing come  from  Illinois  and  identified  himself  with  the  "Gate  City," 
at  the  time  of  the  first  Mormon  settlement.  Seven  children  were 
born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thomas. 

Frank  A.  Thomas  the  oldest  son  is  a  graduate  of  the  Riverside 
High  School,  a  carpenter  by  trade,  assists  his  father  on  the  ranch, 
and  when  America  entered  the  World  war  though  above  draft  age, 
he  went  to  Los  Angeles  and  volunteered  for  service  in  the  tank 
corps  in  August,  1917.  He  was  with  the  forces  at  the  front  in  France 
until  the  signing  of  the  armistice.  Before  the  war  he  had  a  long 
experience  in  the  National  Guard,  serving  as  a  non-commissioned 
officer,  and  First  Lieutenant. 

The  second  son  Roy  Thomas,  also  in  partnership  with  his  father, 
married  Sadie  Lincoln  of  Pomona,  and  they  have  a  son  Randolph 
Grice  Thomas. 

The  third  son,  Myron  M.  Thomas,  graduated  from  the  Polytechnic 
School  of  San  Luis  Obispo,  took  post  graduate  work  in  the  Iowa 
Agricultural  College  at  Ames,  and  was  called  for  service  in  the 
great  war,  but  did  not  report  for  duty  before  the  armistice. 

Of  the  three  daughters  the  oldest,  Grace  May,  died  at  the  age  of 
sixteen.  Anna  L.  is  the  wife  of  E.  E.  Stevens  who  was  captain 
of  the  Pomona  Company  which  went  overseas,  is  now  Assistant 
Superintendent  of  the  Pomona  Consolidated  Water  Company,  and 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stevens  have  one  daughter,  Maurine  Dee  Stevens. 
Eva  A.,  the  youngest  daughter  is  the  wife  of  Paul  E.  Pierce,  Super- 
intendent of  the  Romie  C.  Jacks  farm  in  Riverside  County,  and  they 
have  three  sons,  George  Nathan,  Robert  Eugene  and  Kenneth 
Crawford. 

The  youngest  member  of  the  Thomas  family  is  Leo.  E.  Thomas, 
who  graduated  at   the   Corona  High   School,  spent  one  year  in  the 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1429 

Riverside  Business  College,  and  prior  to  the  war  kept  books  for 
a  local  firm,  but  being  a  natural  born  mechanic,  he  turned  his  atten- 
tion to  that  vocation  after  his  discharge  from  military  service.  He 
went  overseas  as  a  mechanic  in  the  Hydroplane  Department  of  the 
Navy. 

Peter  Munro  has  pursued  his  trade  and  business  as  a  mason  con- 
tractor in  many  sections  of  California,  but  a  great  many  years  ago 
he  yielded  to  the  fascination  exercised  over  him  by  Riverside,  es- 
tablished his  home  here,  and  has  had  and  still  conducts  a  successful 
business. 

Mr.  Munro  was  born  in  1853  in  Falkland  County  of  Fife,  Scotland, 
son  of  James  and  Susan  (Kilgour)  Munro.  His  mother  spent  all 
her  life  in  one  village,  where  she  died  at  the  age  of  eighty-six.  His 
father  was  a  Scotch  Highlander. 

Peter  Munro  began  earning  his  own  living  away  from  home  at 
the  age  of  ten,  and  at  the  age  of  sixteen  he  crossed  the  ocean  to 
America.  On  reaching  Chicago  he  realized  the  handicap  he  was 
suffering  from  his  imperfect  education  and  while  putting  in  a  full 
day's  work  he  attended  night  school  and  acquired  a  substantial  as 
well  as  practical  education.  For  twelve  years  Mr.  Munro  worked 
at  his  trade  as  mason  in  Chicago  and  was  there  during  and  after 
the  fire.  He  had  listened  attentively  to  many  stories  concerning 
the  Golden  West,  and  on  leaving  Chicago  he  came  to  California, 
and  for  several  years  worked  at  his  trade  in  San  Francisco,  Sacra- 
mento and  other  cities.  Thirty-seven  years  ago  he  established  him- 
self permanently  at  Riverside,  and  has  been  doing  a  profitable  business 
as  a  contracting  mason  ever  since. 

Mr.  Munro  is  independent  in  politics,  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
Order  and  he  and  Mrs.  Munro  are  Presbyterians.  In  Chicago  in 
1878  he  married  Miss  Annie  Christie.  They  have  three  children, 
James,  Annie  and  Archie.  James,  born  in  1881,  has  been  in  business 
for  twenty  years  in  Los  Angeles ;  Annie,  born  in  1884  is  married 
and  living  in  Los  Angeles ;  Archie,  born  in  1889  is  in  the  brick 
contracting  business  with  his  father. 

Southwestern  Portland  Cement  Company — Victorville  is  the 
home  of  one  of  the  most  progressive  and  prosperous  industries  of  San 
Bernardino  County,  the  Southwestern  Portland  Cement  Company, 
a  corporation  of  western  capitalists,  most  of  them  citizens  of  Southern 
California. 

The  first  unit  of  the  plant  at  Victorville  was  constructed  during 
1916-17  and  an  additional  unit  completed  in  July  1920,  doubled  the 
sum  of  the  property.  At  present  the  property  gives  2400  barrels  of 
finished  product  daily  and  construction  work  is  now  under  way 
for  third  Kiln  and  Mills  that  will  increase  output  to  3400  barrels  per 
day.  The  fuel  for  burning  the  raw  material  is  crude  oil.  The  power 
is  electrical  energy  purchased  from  the  South  Sierra  Power  Company 
and  carried  over  high  voltage  wires  from  a  considerable  distance. 
A  private  Railway  seven  miles  long  has  been  built  to  reach  the 
inexhaustible  breadth  of  the  raw  material  supply  for  the  manufacture 
of  cement.  This  road  has  been  in  continuous  operations  since  it 
was  built  and  the  entire  plant  has  been  run  at  a  maximum  capacity. 
One  hundred  and  fifty  men  are  employed,  and  approximately  twenty- 
five  per  cent  are  skilled,  including  chemists,  engineers,  electricians  and 
machinists. 


1430       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

The  president  of  the  company  is  C.  Leonardt  a  pioneer  contractor 
of  Los  Angeles.  O.  J.  Binford  of  El  Paso,  Texas  is  secretary,  F.  H. 
Powell  of  Los  Angeles,  treasurer,  C.  C.  Merrill  of  Los  Angeles,  general 
manager,  and  the  superintendent  of  the  plant  at  Victorville,  is  L.  V. 
Robinson. 

L.  V.  Robinson  has  been  associated  with  the  industry  at  Victor- 
ville from  the  time  it  was  put  in  operation,  being  assistant  super- 
intendent until  1920.  He  is  an  electrical  engineer  by  profession  and 
has  had  a  wide  experience  in  industrial  and  mechanical  affairs. 
Southern  California  and  other  portions  of  the  southwest  demand 
enormous  quantities  of  cement,  and  the  orders  to  be  filled  have 
always  exceeded  the  maximum  output  of  the  plant  at  Victorville. 
The  company  also  has  a  large  plant  at  El  Paso,  Texas. 

William  Curtis  was  one  of  the  venerable  and  honored  pioneer  cit- 
izens of  San  Bernardino  County  at  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred 
at  Redlands  on  the  11th  of  September,  1912.  His  were  wide  and 
varied  experiences  in  connection  with  pioneer  affairs  in  the  west, 
he  wrought  wisely  and  well,  adjusted  himself  to  conditions  that 
existed  in  the  early  days,  proved  a  force  in  the  furthering  of  civic 
and  industrial  development  and  progress,  and  ever  stood  exponent 
of  enlightened  and  loyal  citizenship.  He  did  his  part  in  futhering 
the  early  march  of  progress  in  this  section  of  California  and  a 
tribute  to  his  memory  consistently  finds  place  in  this  publication. 

Mr.  Curtis  was  born  April  1,  1826,  at  Pontiac,  state  of  Michigan, 
and  he  was  eighty-six  years  of  age  when  death  set  its  seal  upon 
his  mortal  lips.  On  the  15th  of  August,  1850,  he  wedded  Miss  Mary 
H.  Raseg,  who  was  born  December  15,  1833,  and  who  survived  him 
by  two  years,  her  death  having  occurred  at  Redlands,  California, 
August  21,  1914.  Their  marriage  was  solemnized  at  Fredericksburg, 
Texas.  They  resided  in  Bandera  County  where  Mr.  Curtis  was 
three  times  sheriff  until  the  secession  of  the  state  from  the  Union 
at  the  inception  of  the  Civil  war.  All  citizens  whose  Northern 
sympathies  or  other  interests  prompted  in  them  a  desire  to  leave 
Texas  at  this  time  were  granted  permission  to  make  their  departure, 
with  the  stipulation  that  they  must  be  outside  the  borders  of  the 
state  prior  to  July  22,  1861.  All  men  who  remained  in  the  state 
after  that  date  were  subject  to  being  drafted  for  service  in  the 
Confederate  army.  On  May  11,  1861,  Mr.  Curtis,  with  his  wife  and 
their  five  children,  set  forth  with  a  party  of  three  other  families — 
Hiram  Snow  and  his  wife  and  daughter;  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Irving  Carter 
and  their  five  children ;  and  Gideon  Carter,  with  his  sister  and  her 
child — with  wagons  and  ox  teams  to  make  their  way  to  California, 
the  limited  household  effecs  having  been  transported  in  the  wagons 
and  the  party  having  a  number  of  head  of  cattle  that  were  driven 
along  with  the  primitive  caravan.  All  of  these  families  sacrificed 
all  else  that  they  had  owned  in  Texas,  and  they  became  veritable 
refugees.  At  Fort  Davis,  Texas,  they  were  joined  by  eight  other 
families,  and  from  that  point  forward  they  were  compelled  to  traverse, 
eighty  miles  of  desert,  from  which  no  supply  of  water  was  to  be  had 
at  any  point.  Thus  they  provided  in  advance  all  the  water  that 
they  had  means  of  transporting,  and  before  they  had  passed  through 
the  arid  tract  this  supply  of  water  had  been  reduced  to  an  alarming 
minimum.  Two  rain  storms  replenished  the  water  for  man  and  beast 
and  thus  averted  not  only  suffering  but  probably  death  and  loss. 
Upon  arriving  at  Eagle  Pass  the  weary  sojourners  found  a  limited 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1431 

supply  of  water  that  was  being  held  in  barrels  for  the  use  of 
Confederate  soldiers  en  route  to  El  Paso.  The  guards  of  this  precious 
supply  refused  to  let  any  of  the  Curtis  party  have  the  requisite 
supply  of  water,  and  under  these  conditions  the  members  of  the 
party  held  a  caucus  to  decide  whether  it  were  better  to  proceed  or  to 
turn  back  on  their  course.  The  women  of  the  party  courage- 
ously voted  in  favor  of  using  force  to  gain  the  necessary  sup- 
ply of  water  to  enable  the  journey  to  be  continued.  The  women 
and  children  took  buckets  and  filled  them  from  the  reserve 
barrels  and  the  soldier  guard  did  not  molest  them,  as  they  refused 
to  fire  on  women  and  children.  The  party  continued  on  its  way, 
and  was  still  about  thirty-five  miles  distant  from  the  Rio  Grande 
River.  No  water  was  to  be  had  en  route,  but  a  welcome  rain  again 
gave  replenishment  to  the  meager  supply.  Upon  reaching  the  river 
the  part}-  had  to  proceed  up  its  course  a  distance  of  seventy-five 
miles  to  reach  a  fording  place.  After  traveling  two  days  the  company 
was  overtaken  by  a  force  of  Confederate  soldiers,  the  party  of  em- 
igrants having  by  this  time  been  largely  increased  in  numbers,  so 
that  it  had  about  fifty  men.  The  soldiers  threatened  to  hang  one 
member  of  the  party — a  man  named  Cummings,  who  was  known  to 
be  a  Union  sympathizer — and  an  open  conflict  was  avoided  only  when 
the  soldiers  agreed  to  leave  the  sojourners  unmolested,  though  the 
time  limit  had  about  expired  and  the  party  was  not  yet  outside 
of  Texas.  On  the  next  day  the  emigrant  party  arrived  at  a  point 
opposite  Victoria,  a  small  town  in  Mexico,  and  there  a  guide  or 
pilot  was  employed  to  convey  the  emigrants  and  their  belongings 
across  the  river.  Joseph  Curtis,  a  brother  of  William  Curtis  of  this 
memoir,  and  Gideon  Carter  were  selected  to  go  to  El  Paso  del 
Norte  and  secure  the  necessary  pass  which  would  enable  to  the 
party  to  travel  through  Mexico  to  Santa  Cruz.  As  the  wagon 
train  was  passing  along  the  river  bank  a  guide  came  out  of  the 
bush  and  motioned  for  the  wayfarers  to  follow  him,  and  the  entire 
party  crossed  the  river  in  safety,  though  a  few  soldiers  who  had 
witnessed  the  escape  made  all  haste  to  the  Confederate  camp,  about 
two  miles  distant,  to  obtain  reinforcements  sufficient  to  stop  the 
passage  of  the  fugitives.  By  the  time  the  soldiers  arrived  on  the 
scene  the  entire  party  of  emigrants  was  safely  on  Mexican  soil.  The 
journey  was  continued  through  Mexico  and  into  Arizona  where  the 
crossing  of  the  Colorado  River  was  effected  at  Yuma.  On  October  11, 
1861,  the  jaded  and  travel-worn  sojourners  arrived  at  San  Bernardino 
County,  California,  the  orginal  Curtis  party,  with  four  wagons,  having 
come  through  intact,  notwithstanding  the  hardships  and  dangers  en- 
countered on  the  long  and  weary  overland  journey.  The  addition  to 
the  original  party  had  been  many,  and  the  wagon  train  increased  to 
fully  100  wagons.  There  were  over  sixty  deaths  in  the  combined 
party,  chiefly  as  the  result  of  mountain  fever,  but  fortunately  with 
the  Indians  there  was  but  one  encounter  to  the  perils  of  the  journey. 
After  establishing  his  family  in  a  primitive  dwelling  in  San  Ber- 
nardino, William  Curtis  gave  his  attention  principally  to  gold  mining 
on  Lytle  Creek  until  about  1867,  and  his  returns  from  this  enterprise 
was  sufficient  to  enable  him  to  purchase  a  tract  of  sixty  acres,  partially 
improved,  in  the  district  known  as  old  San  Bernardino,  near  the  old 
Mission.  Seven  acres  of  the  land  were  planted  to  grapes  at  the  time 
Mr.  Curtis  purchased  the  property,  and  a  profit  was  obtained  by 
drying  the  fruit  and  shipping  it  by  freighting  teams  to  the  Arizona 
mines.     The   Indians  had  constructed   rude  water  ditches   for  irrigation 


14:2       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

purposes,  and  Mr.  Curtis  and  other  pioneers  utilized  these  primitive 
water  courses  for  irrigating  their  lands,  thus  utilizing  the  first  dis- 
tinctive "water  rights"  in  this  section  of  California.  Mr.  Curtis  was 
one  of  the  early  orange-growers  of  the  district,  his  first  venture  having 
been  made  with  seedlings,  and  later  years  having  recorded  his  adoption 
of  the  now  famous  navel  type  of  oranges,  his  property  having  been  ex- 
cellently improved  with  the  passing  years  and  the  entire  tract  being 
now  given  to  the  propagation  of  oranges  of  the  finest  type.  About 
the  year  1886  Mr.  Curtis  erected  a  modern  house  of  two  stories,  and 
he  provided  other  excellent  buildings  on  his  fine  fruit  ranch.  The 
land  is  now  divided,  among  his  heirs,  the  old  homestead  being  owned 
by  Miss  Ruth  A.  Curtis,  a  daughter  who  was  born  in  Texas,  July  24, 
1855.  She  resides  in  the  attractive  old  home  dwelling  erected  by  her 
father,  and  it  is  needless  to  say  that  the  place  is  endeared  to  her  by 
many  hallowed  memories  and  gracious  associations,  the  while  she 
has  a  host  of  friends  in  the  community  that  has  represented  her 
home  since  the  pioneer  days. 

William  Curtis  was  a  man  of  vision  and  public  spirit,  and  he  and 
his  wife  delighted  to  extend  to  friends  and  to  the  wayfarer  the  hospitality 
of  their  home.  Indians  and  Mexicans  were  plentiful  in  this  section 
in  the  early  days,  and  none  was  turned  away  hungry  from  the  Curtis 
door.  A  gentle  and  gracious  personality  was  that  of  this  honored 
pioneer,  and  both  he  and  his  devoted  wife  are  held  in  reverent  memory 
by  all  who  knew  them.  They  became  the  parents  of  five  sons  and 
three  daughters:  Henrietta,  who  was  born  October  16,  1851,  became 
the  wife  of  John  Furney  and  was  about  twenty-two  years  of  age  at  the 
time  of  her  death.  She  is  survived  by  one  daughter,  Mary  Ida,  who  is 
now  the  wife  of  Leroy  Oliver  Yount,  a  prosperous  fruit-grower  of  the 
Redlands  district.  Mary  A.,  the  second  child,  was  born  March  31, 
1853,  and  is  the  wife  of  Hugh  Henry  Cole,  of  San  Bernardino  County. 
They  have  one  son  and  three  daughters:  Lela  (Mrs.  Wilbur  Bell), 
Henrietta  Sarah  (Mrs.  Harry  Porch),  Alma  Mary  (Mrs.  George  Roster) 
and  William  Henry.  Ruth  A.,  the  third  daughter,  remains  at  the  old 
home,  as  previously  noted  in  this  review.  William  George,  who  was 
born  October  24,  1857,  married  Miss  Elvira  Wilcox,  and  they  main- 
tain their  home  at  Redlands.  They  have  two  children:  George 
Edwin,  who  married  Miss  Eva  Easton,  and  Miss  Faye,  who 
was  graduated  in  a  business  college  at  San  Bernardino  and 
also  in  Claremont  College,  now  holds  a  responsible  position  in  the  Internal 
Revenue  office  at  San  Bernardino.  Eli,  the  fifth  child,  was  born  February 
24,  1860.  and  thus  an  infant  at  the  time  of  the  memorable  hegira  of 
the  family  from  Texas,  as  described  in  earlier  paragraphs.  He  too 
continues  his  residence  in  San  Bernardino  County,  where  he  was  reared 
and  educated.  He  married  Miss  Jennie  Newton,  in  1885,  she  being  a 
native  of  the  state  of  New  York,  and  they  have  three  children:  Nellie 
is  the  wife  of  Maurice  B.  Doughten,  of  Camden,  New  Jersey,  their 
marriage  having  been  solemnized  May  17,  1919.  Mrs.  Doughten  went 
to  the  national  capital  in  1910,  and  was  there  employed  in  one  of 
the  government  offices.  Later  she  held  a  responsible  position  with  the 
General  Electric  Company,  as  a  representative  of  which  she  was  sent 
to  the  Panama-Pacific  Exposition,  in  San  Francisco.  Grace,  the  second 
child  of  Eli  Curtis,  was  born  in  1887.  and  was  graduated  in  the  Red- 
lands  High  School.  In  January.  1919,  she  assumed  a  position  in  the 
government  war-risk  department,  at  Washington,  District  of  Columbia. 
In  June,  1921,  she  resigned  this  position  and  is  now  employed  in  the 
county  library,  in  San  Bernardino.     Theodore,  the  third  of  the  children, 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1433 

was  born  in  1890,  and  is  now  associated  with  his  father  in  the  activities 
of  the  latter's  orange  ranch.  Jeremiah  Joseph  Curtis,  the  first  of  the 
family  born  after  the  removal  to  California,  was  born  in  San  Bernardino 
County,  February  10,  1864.  September  5,  1886,  recorded  his  marriage 
to  Miss  Zilpha  Wilson,  and  they  reside  in  Old  San  Bernardino,  their 
two  children,  Alice  and  Mabel,  being  married.  Newell  B.  Curtis,  the 
seventh  child,  was  born  June  20,  1868,  and  he  likewise  is  one  of  the 
successful  exponents  of  orange  culture  in  San  Bernardino  County.  He 
married  Miss  Rachel  Watkins,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  they  have 
three  children  :  Ethel,  born  December  8,  1895  ;  Mary,  born  December 
17,  1897,  married  June  22,  1921 ;  and  Raymond,  born  February  14, 
1904.  Robert  T.,  the  youngest  of  the  children  of  the  late  William 
Curtis,  was  born  August  2,  1872.  He  married  Miss  Ella  Strever,  and 
they  have  one  son,  Strever.  The  family  home  is  in  Tulare  County, 
California. 

It  was  about  the  year  1867  that  William  Curtis  established  his  residence 
on  the  fine  ranch  estate  which  is  still  held  in  the  possession  of  the 
family.  Eventually  he  developed  a  prosperous  enterprise  in  manu- 
facturing wine  from  the  grapes  raised  from  vines  planted  on  the  land 
prior  to  his  purchase  of  the  same,  and  this  he  continued  in  connection 
with  orange-growing,  for  a  number  of  years.  A  former  owner  of 
the  place  planted  the  first  walnut  trees,  and  two  of  these  now  large 
and  venerable  trees  add  to  the  attractions  of  the  old  homestead.  Three 
of  the  seedling  orange  trees  which  were  on  the  place  when  Mr.  Curtis 
bought  it  are  still  bearing  fruit.  Mr.  Curtis  was  an  apostle  of  civic 
and  industrial  advancement  in  Southern  California  and  his  worthy  and 
useful  life  touched  with  benignacy  this  favored  section  of  the  state, 
where  he  lived  and  wrought  to  goodly  ends  and  where  his  name  is  held 
in  enduring  honor.  The  old  Curtis  homestead  is  situated  two  and  one- 
half  miles  east  of  Redlands. 

Charles  F.  Thoms  was  a  man  who  was  in  the  most  significant 
sense  one  of  the  world's  productive  workers,  and  it  was  entirely  through 
his  own  ability  and  efforts  that  he  made  a  success  of  his  life  and  in- 
cidentally contributed  to  the  wellbeing  of  the  communities  in  which  he 
lived.  He  was  a  pioneer  in  the  development  of  the  orange-growing  in- 
dustry in  the  Fontana  district  of  San  Bernardino  County  where  he  planted 
one  of  the  first  orange  groves,  and  here  he  continued  his  residence, 
an  upright,  useful  and  honored  citizen,  until  his  death,  March  5,   1918. 

Mr.  Thoms  was  born  in  the  state  of  Pennsylvania,  in  1835,  and 
was  five  years  old  when  the  family  removed  to  Michigan,  where  his 
father  obtained  wild  land  and  began  the  development  of  a  pioneer 
farm  in  the  midst  of  the  forest.  It  was  under  such  primitive  condi- 
tions that  Charles  F.  Thoms  was  reared,  and  by  virtue  of  such  conditions, 
his  educational  opportunities  were  in  inverse  ratio  to  the  arduous  work 
which  he  performed  in  his  youth.  In  the  passing  vears  he  profited 
much  from  the  lessons  gained  in  the  school  of  experience  and  through 
self-application  to  study  and  reading,  so  that  his  early  educational 
handicap  was  not  of  enduring  influence.  Living  in  the  little  log  house 
and  working  zealously  in  the  reclaiming  of  the  pioneer  Michigan  farm, 
he  early  gained  the  self-reliance  that  was  a  sustaining  force  throughout 
the  remainder  of  his  life.  This  sturdy  young  man  naturally  was  moved 
by  a  spirit  of  utmost  patriotism  when  the  Civil  war  was  precipitated, 
and  he  promptly  tendered  his  services  in  defense  of  the  Union.  He 
enlisted  in  Company  D,  Nineteenth  Michigan  Volunteer  Infantry,  and 
proceeded    with    his   command    to    the    front,    where    he    participated    in 


1434       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

various  heavy  engagements.  He  was  finally  captured  by  the  enemy 
and  was  incarcerated  in  historic  old  Libby  Prison  until  his  exchange 
was  effected  and  he  was  able  to  leave  that  odious  Confederate  bastile. 
He  rejoined  his  regiment  and  continued  in  active  service  until  the  close 
of  the  war,  with  a  record  of  having  taken  part  in  many  important 
battles,  besides  innumerable  skirmishes  and  other  minor  engagements. 
He  was  with  Sherman  in  the  Atlanta  campaign,  participated  in  the 
battles  of  Lookout  Mountain  and  Missionary  Ridge,  and  thereafter  was 
with  the  forces  of  General  Sherman  on  the  ever  memorable  march  from 
Atlanta  to  the  sea.  In  later  years  he  vitalized  his  interest  in  his  old 
comrades  by  maintaining  affiliation  with  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic. 

After  the  war  Mr.  Thorns  continued  his  association  with  farm 
enterprise  in  Michigan  until  1874,  when  he  removed  with  his  wife  and 
their  one  child,  a  daughter,  to  Kansas,  where  he  became  a  pioneer  farmer 
near  Salina  and  where  he  endured  his  full  share  of  the  hardships  that 
fell  to  the  lot  of  the  early  settlers  in  the  Sunflower  state.  He  eventually 
was  prospered  in  his  farm  enterprise  in  Kansas,  and  there  he  continued 
his  residence  until  1891.  when  he  came  with  his  family  to  San  Bernardino 
County,  California,  and  became  a  pioneer  in  the  Rialto  district,  where 
he  purchased  the  east  ten  acres  of  Lot  No.  429,  on  the  present  Locust 
Street  and  Foothill  Boulevard.  This  barren  land  was  a  part  of  the  tract 
that  has  been  placed  on  the  market  by  the  old  Semi-tropic  Land  Company, 
and  the  rude  shack  that  had  been  built  on  the  place  was  repaired  by 
him  and  made  available  as  a  home  for  the  family.  He  later  erected 
a  commodious  and  well  equipped  house  and  made  other  improvements 
of  the  best  order,  the  water  right  which  he  originally  secured  having 
proved  of  no  value,  so  that  for  two  years  he  was  compelled  to  haul 
water  to  supply  the  needed  moisture  to  the  orange  trees  which  he  had 
planted.  The  surrounding  land  in  the  early  days  was  virtually  a  desert, 
with  naught  but  sage  brush  and  other  rank  vegetation.  He  eventually  de- 
veloped one  of  the  model  orange  groves  of  this  locality,  and  obstacles 
and  unpropitious  conditions  were  overcome  by  him  with  characteristic 
courage  and  determination.  He  aided  in  the  splendid  advancement  of 
this  section  and  the  old  wagon  road  that  orginally  was  the  only  highway 
through  the  sagebrush  and  cacti  of  the  district  has  now  been  made  into 
a  fine  cement  boulevard.  Mr.  Thorns  was  a  republican  in  politics,  was 
at  one  time  actively  affiliated  with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows, 
and  he  was  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

In  1873  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Thorns  to  Miss  Hannah 
Hoats,  who  was  born  in  Michigan,  March  30,  1838,  the  year  following 
the  admission  of  that  state  to  the  Union,  her  parents  having  been  very 
early  settlers  in  Michigan.  Of  the  three  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Thorns  only  the  first  was  born  in  Michigan,  the  other  two  having  been 
born  in  Saline  County,  Kansas.  Cora,  the  eldest  child,  now  resides 
in  Ohio.  Clifford,  is  a  resident  of  Taft,  Kern  County,  California. 
F.  Claude,  youngest  of  the  children,  has  management  of  the  old  home 
place  and  he  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  progressive  orange-growers  of 
San  Bernardino  County,  and  is  one  of  the  original  stock-holders  of  the 
Citizens  National  Bank  of  Rialto.  He  was  registered  in  connection 
with  the  second  draft  when  the  nation  entered  the  World  war,  but  was 
not  called  into  service. 

James  S.  McNair — Of  the  use  of  cement  as  a  building  material  in 
Southern  California  perhaps  no  one  is  better  equipped  by  long  ex- 
perience to  stand  as  an  authority  on  the  historical  aspects  of  the  subject 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1435 

than  James  S.  McNair,  the  veteran  contractor  and  builder  of  San  Ber- 
nardino. 

Mr.  McNair  learned  the  use  of  plastic  materials  in  Scotland  as  a 
boy  under  his  father,  but  has  been  a  resident  and  business  man  of 
Southern  California  for  over  a  third  of  a  century  and  most  of  the  time 
in  San  Bernardino.  His  old  friends  know  him  as  "Scotty"  McNair.  He 
was  born  at  Torphichan,  Scotland,  July  4,  1862,  son  of  Robert  and 
Annie  (Simpson)  McNair,  both  natives  of  Scotland  and  now  deceased. 
His  father  was  a  cement  and  plastering  contractor.  James  S.  McNair 
was  educated  in  the  schools  of  Scotland  and  from  the  age  of  twelve 
served  his  apprenticeship  at  his  father's  trade.  At  the  age  of  sixteen,  in 
1878,  he  came  to  America  and  for  a  year  did  cement  and  plastering 
work  in  New  York.  On  leaving  New  York  he  started  west  with 
California  as  his  ultimate  objective.  Before  reaching  California  he 
had  put  in  an  interesting  and  varied  experience  as  a  journeyman  worker, 
stopping  at  nearly  every  town  and  city  of  consequence  while  passing 
over  the  continent.  He  reached  San  Francisco  in  1883  and  while  living 
in  that  city  he  attended  for  a  time'  the  Lincoln  Night  School.  He 
began  contracting  in  cement  and  plastering  work  soon  after  establish- 
ing his  home  in  San  Francisco.  In  1887  he  removed  to  San  Diego 
during  the  great  boom  in  that  city  and  did  a  vast  amount  of  cement 
and  plastering  work  there. 

Mr.  McNair  moved  to  San  Bernardino  in  1890  and  has  kept  his 
home  and  headquarters  in  that  city  ever  since,  though  frequently  han- 
dling large  contracts  outside.  In  1890  he  did  the  cement  and  plastering 
work  under  contract  for  the  Patton  Asylum,  and  for  the  San  Ber- 
nardino High  School.  For  one  year  he  handled  some  large  contracts 
in  Salt  Lake  City.  He  has  built  everv  city  resevoir  at  San  Bernardino 
since  coming  here,  has  paved  many  of  the  city  streets,  paved  Lemon 
Street  from  Fourth  to  Fourteenth  in  Riverside,  built  the  roads,  walks, 
and  sewers  at  Fort  Rosecrans  and  also  worked  on  the  10-inch  gun  em- 
placement for  the  California  Construction  Company.  Probably  no  other 
individual  or  firm  could  claim  a  greater  volume  of  cement  contracting 
in  the  county  than  Mr.  McNair. 

For  many  yjears  much  of  his  work  has  been  done  in  the  role  of  a 
capitalist  for  himself.  He  owns  a  number  of  cottages  he  built  at  San 
Bernardino  and  uses  for  rental  purposes.  The  most  modern  apartments 
in  the  city  are  the  Torphichan  Apartments,  named  in  honor  of  his  birth- 
place, standing  at  133  I  Street.  This  is  a  three-story  structure  con- 
taining twelve  apartments,  steam  heated  and  modern  in  every  point 
of  equipment.  Another  example  of  his  building  was  the  first  cobblestone 
cottage  in  the  city,  which  attracted  great  attention  because  of  its  artistic 
and  ornate  beauty.  Mr.  McNair  owns  five  cottages  and  the  business 
block  at  241  H  Street  now  occupied  by  the  Alfred  Company,  and  at  one 
time  had  twenty  acres  of  land  on  the  Baseline. 

One  distinction  of  which  Mr.  McNair  is  properly  proud  is  that  he 
is  one  of  the  oldest  members  of  the  Naval  Reserve  of  the  State  of 
California.  He  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Reserve  at  San  Diego 
in  1888,  this  being  the  first  organization  of  the  kind  in  the  state,  and 
is  still  an  honorary  member.  During  the  Spanish-American  war  he  was 
ensign  in  charge  of  the  crew  of  the  U.  S.  S.  "Pinto"  in  San  Diego 
harbor.  In  politics  he  is  a  republican,  and  has  been  a  party  worker 
and  a  delegate  to  county  and  city  conventions.  He  was  superintendent 
of  streets  during  the  administration  of  Joseph  W.  Catick.  Mr.  McNair  is 
one  of  the  charter  members  of  the  San  Bernardino  Lodge  of  Elks,  has 
been   affiliated   with  the   Woodmen  of   the   World    for   thirty   years,   and 


1436       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

is  a  member  of  the  Fraternal  Brotherhood.  Through  these  organiza- 
tions, through  his  successful  business  career,  and  his  fine  public  spirit, 
he  enjoys  a  popularity  and  a  following  of  loyal  friends  that  make  him 
one  of  the  best  known  men  in  the  entire  county. 

Sam  P.  Coy — The  professional  intimates  of  Sam  P.  Coy,  of  Colton, 
unhesitatingly  place  him  among  the  efficient  and  resourceful  general  prac- 
titioners at  the  bar  of  San  Bernardino  County,  and  he  is  equally  at  home 
in  every  department,  whether  civil  or  criminal,  common  law  or  chancery, 
real  estate  or  corporation  law.  Because  of  this  breadth  of  eminence  he 
has  earned  a  firm  place  as  one  of  the  leading  lawyers  of  Southern 
California.  Throughout  his  life  he  has  been  an  associate  of  great  lawyers 
and  prominent  business  men,  and  is  one  of  the  ideal  gentlemen  in  private 
life,  a  man  of  remarkable  mental  strength,  and  of  unassuming  courtesy. 
He  is  now  acting  as  attorney  for  the  Colton  National  Bank,  in  addition 
to  carrying  on  his  extensive  general  civil  and  criminal  practice,  and 
discharging  the  duties  of  a  public  spirited  citizen  which  are  somewhat 
onerous  for  he  has  a  high  sense  of  civic  responsibility. 

Sam  P.  Coy  was  born  at  Highland,  December  28,  1887,  a  son  of 
Louis  I.  and  Mary  J.  Coy,  the  former  of  whom  was  tax  collector  of 
San  Bernardino  County,  and  died  while  serving  for  the  third  term  in 
that  office.  After  being  graduated  from  the  San  Bernardino  High 
School  in  1905,  Sam  P.  Coy  attended  Pomona  College  for  a  year,  and  then, 
from  1907  to  1909  he  was  a  student  of  the  University  of  California. 
His  professional  training  was  secured  in  the  law  department  of  the 
University  of  Southern  California,  which  he  attended  from  1911  to 
1914,  and  he  was  graduated  therefrom  in  the  latter  year  with  the 
degree  of  Bachelor  of  Laws.  From  1909  to  1911  Mr.  Coy  was  in  the 
employ  of  the  Santa  Fe  Railroad  at  San  Bernardino  as  timekeeqer  and 
bonus  inspector,  but  with  that  exception  his  attention  has  been  given 
to  the  law,  in  which  he  began  his  practice  at  San  Bernardino  in  1914 
as  a  partner  of  Grant  Holcomb.  The  firm  of  Holcomb  &  Coy  was  asso- 
ciated with  Hon.  Byron  Watters  in  the  practice  of  the  law  at  San 
Bernardino  from  1914  until  1917  when  Mr.  Coy  entered  the  army 
in  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  work.  In  September,  1919,  he 
purchased  the  practice  of  N.  L.  Watt,  at  Colton,  and  since  that  date 
has  been  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  that  city. 

During  the  late  war,  Mr.  Coy  served  as  secretary  in  the  Army  Young 
Men'  Christian  Association,  and  was  building  secretary  for  the  associa- 
tion at  the  United  States  Army  Aviation  Camp  at  North  Island,  San 
Diego,  California.  He  has  rendered  an  efficient  public  service,  having 
been  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Education  of  the  city  schools  of  San 
Bernardino  during  1916  and  1917,  and  president  of  the  Colton  Chamber 
of  Commerce  during  1920  and  1921.  An  active  republican,  Mr.  Coy 
was  central  committeeman  for  San  Bernardino  County  during  1920.  He 
belongs  to  the  Native  Sons  of  the  Golden  West,  Arrowhead  Parlor  No. 
110,  San  Bernardino;  Colton  Lodge,  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows; 
San  Bernardino  Lodge  No.  836,  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of 
Elks ;  Del  Ray  Club,  University  of  California ;  Delta  Chi  Fraternity . 
University  of  Southern  California,  and  is  popular  in  all  of  these  organiza- 
tions. Mr.  Coy  affiliates  with  the  Congregational  Church  of  San 
Bernardino. 

Mr.  Coy's  success  has  been  thorough  and  normal,  but  only  a  mind  of 
unusual  strength,  backed  by  a  persistent  grasp  and  broad  sweep  of 
abilities  can  earn  signal  appreciations  from  the  profession  and  public 
alike,    in   a   field   already    crowded   with    keen    competitors,    and    at    the 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1437 

same  time  retain  fresh  and  balanced  faculties  for  the  consideration  and 
advancement  of  great  public  and  social  problems.  The  character  of 
Air.  Coy  is  cast  in  no  ordinary  mould  as  is  proven  by  the  fact  that 
he  stands  among  the  leading  lawyers  of  his  time  and  community,  and 
has  achieved  a  wide-spread  reputation  as  a  clear  and  broad  exponent  of 
many  of  the  vital  questions  of  the  day  now  agitating  thoughtful  citizens. 

Samuel  Rogers — Two  localities  responsible  for  a  considerable  part 
of  the  history  made  in  San  Bernardino  County,  and  appropriately 
recounted  on  other  pages,  are  Holcomb  Valley  and  Victorville.  One  of 
the  most  interesting  and  active  figures  in  these  scenes  was  the  late  Samuel 
Rogers,  and  it  is  the  purpose  of  this  brief  article  to  preserve  an  outline 
of  his  career  for  the  benefit  of  future  generations. 

Samuel  Rogers  was  born  at  Stockport  at  Muskingum  County.  Ohio, 
lanuary  13,  1829,  one  of  seven  children,  five  sons  and  two  daughters. 
He  had  a  common  school  education,  left  home  at  the  age  of  eighteen  and 
thereafter  he  was  responsible  for  his  own  life  and  his  own  success.  He 
crossed  the  continent  by  ox  team  during  the  great  gold  rush  of  1849. 
For  a  number  of  years  he  was  profitably  engaged  in  mining  in  Marys- 
ville  and  vicinity.  It  was  the  gold  excitement  in  the  Holcomb  Valley 
that  attracted  him  to  this  district  of  Southern  California,  and  he  shared 
in  its  excitement  and  victory  for  a  time.  In  1875  he  bought  the  Old 
Huntington  Stage  Station,  about  one  mile  northeasterly  and  on  the  oppo- 
site side  of  the  Mojave  River  from  the  site  of  the  present  Victorville. 
This  old  overland  station  was  one  of  the  points  on  the  route  of  the 
stage  and  mail  coaches  and  was  also  an  outfitting  place  for  freighters, 
mining  men  and  prospectors.  Mr.  Rogers  operated  the  station  for  six 
or  seven  years  and  was  one  of  the  first  postmasters  there. 

In  1876  he  also  bought  a  squatter's  claim  to  lands  located  at  Victor- 
ville and  Mojave  River,  and  he  took  out  the  first  water  rights  on  that 
stream.  A  great  deal  of  difficulty  ensued  before  he  could  secure  his 
title  to  the  land.  He  had  a  contract  to  purchase  from  the  railroad  and 
it  was  twenty  or  thirty  years  before  the  titles  were  cleared  and  the 
railroad  gave  him  his  deed.  He  had  one  and  a  half  sections  of  land, 
all  virgin  and  wild,  and  many  years  of  industry  were  required  to  make 
it  productive.  The  level  lands  he  cleared  and  prepared  for  irrigation, 
and  the  rough  lands  were  retained  for  grazing.  He  was  the  first  man  to 
raise  alfalfa  in  that  valley.  It  was  in  this  work  and  in  the  congenial 
surroundings  of  Victorville  that  Samuel  Rogers  spent  his  life.  He 
died  in  San  Bernardino  April  22,  1914,  when  eighty-five  years  of  age. 

He  married  in  1880  Mrs.  Jane  (Arborn)  Garner.  She  was  born  in 
1849  in  Australia,  and  came  to  California  with  her  parents  at  the  age 
of  eight  years.  The  family  first  lived  at  San  Pedro  and  in  the  vicinity 
of  Los  Angeles  when  that  city  was  a  pueblo,  the  population  being  largely- 
Mexican  and  Spanish.  Her  father,  Robert  Arborn,  spent  his  last  years 
on  a  farm  in  the  Rincon  Valley.  By  her  first  marriage  to  Freeman 
Garner,  Mrs.  Rogers  had  three  children. 

The  only  child  of  the  late  Samuel  Rogers  is  Sam  Knox  Rogers,  who 
was  born  August  29,  1882.  He  was  born  in  San  Bernardino  on  ground 
where  the  Ramona  Hospital  now  stands.  He  acquired  a  common  school 
education,  and  from  boyhood  worked  with  and  became  familiar  with  his 
father's  farming  operations.  In  July,  1920,  he  sold  a  portion  of  the  old 
land,  but  still  retains  half  a  section.  He  has  since  lived  with  his  mother 
at  San  Bernardino. 

From  pioneer  times  the  efforts  of  the  Rogers  family  have  been 
impressed  upon  the  developments  in  the  vicinity  of  Victorville.    Samuel 


1438       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

Rogers  was  a  pioneer  who  reached  the  high  tide  of  his  life  when  stage 
coaches  were  still  running  over  most  of  the  traveled  routes  in  Southern 
California. 

James  Erwin — For  centuries  there  has  lain  between  the  fertile 
lands  of  the  San  Bernardino  Valley,  and  the  blazing  sands  of  the  Mojave 
Desert,  the  wonderful  valley  to  which  the  name  of  Big  Bear  is  now 
given,  but  until  1861  it  was  only  known  to  the  wild  creatures  of  nature. 
In  that  year  a  prospector  by  the  name  of  Holcomb  discovered  traces  of 
gold  in  its  sands,  and  there  followed  one  of  the  typical  gold  rushes  of 
the  period,  traces  of  which  are  still  to  be  seen.  When  the  gold  was 
exhausted  the  valley  was  used  for  stock  raising  purposes,  and  this 
industry  still  flourishes. 

As  the  years  passed,  here  and  there  was  found  one  who  appreciated 
the  wonderful  natural  advantages  of  the  valley,  but  up  to  1915  there 
were  but  two  permanent  camps  within  its  confines.  In  the  meanwhile 
the  great  European  war  had  practically  closed  the  playgrounds  of  the 
old  world  to  tourists,  and  the  slogan,  "See  America  First"  produced 
some  remarkable  results.  Enterprising  persons  who  recognized  the  possi- 
bilities of  the  valley  began  to  pour  in  and  establish  permanent  camps, 
erect  modern  hotels,  build  roads,  and  place  upon  the  waters  of  Big  Bear 
Lake  fast-moving  motor  boats  and  other  craft.  Soon  the  automobile 
of  the  trans-continental  traveler  began  to  roll  into  the  valley ;  the  casual 
visitor  was  multiplied  many  times  and  today  the  valley  accommodates 
upward  of  8,000  people  in  the  season  from  June  to  August,  inclusive. 
This  remarkable  development  has  attracted  to  this  region  some  of  the 
ablest  men  and  women  of  the  country,  and  one  who  is  making  a  remark- 
able success  of  his  undertaking  is  James  Erwin,  proprietor  of  the  widely- 
known  Erwin's  Camp  on  Big  Bear  Lake,  one  of  the  most  complete  and 
popular  resorts  in  the  valley. 

James  Erwin  is  a  native  son  of  California,  having  been  born  at  San 
Francisco,  January  10,  1891.  After  attending  the  public  schools  of  his 
native  city,  and  several  private  ones  in  the  East,  he  completed  his  educa- 
tion in  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  and  then  began  traveling  all 
over  Europe,  his  business  interests  in  various  lines  taking  him  to  far- 
distant  countries,  where  he  dealt  largely  in  securities. 

His  extensive  operations  being  interrupted  by  the  progress  of  the  war, 
as  were  those  of  so  many  people  during  that  time  of  stress,  he  turned 
his  attention  to  American  undertakings,  and  becoming  interested  in  Big 
Bear  Valley  in  the  spring  of  1919,  he  assumed  the  management  of  Erwin's 
Camp  at  the  close  of  that  year.  This  valuable  property  is  now  owned 
by  him  and  his  wife,  and  consists  of  thirty  acres  of  land  where  they 
have  a  most  complete  mountain  camp,  with  an  American  plan  hotel, 
store,  housekeeping  cabins,  with  an  individual  water  and  lighting  system. 
Every  kind  of  amusement  is  provided  for  as  there  is  a  commodious 
dance  hall,  saddle  horses,  sixty  row  and  motor  boats  ranging  from  those 
forty  feet  in  length  to  canoes.  A  private  reserve  is  maintained  for  duck 
hunters,  including  220  acres  of  land  on  Baldwin  Lake. 

In  1916  Mr.  Erwin  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Constance  Alden, 
a  talented  young  lady,  a  member  of  one  of  America's  prominent  families, 
and  the  seventh  generation  in  direct  descent  from  John  Alden.  She  was 
born  at  Boston,  Massachusetts,  was  educated  in  the  leading  schools  of 
the  East,  and  finishing  schools  in  Europe,  and  speaks  Spanish  fluently. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Erwin  have  two  children,  namely,  Henry  B.,  and  Con- 
stance A.    Mr.  Erwin  is  an  ideal  host,  a  most  excellent  business  man,  and 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1439 

since  he  became  the  owner  of  his  camp  has  thrown  himself  enthusiastically 
into  the  work  of  further  developing  the  valley,  and  improving  its  condition. 

Ella  May  (Logsdon)  Fish  has  been  a  resident  of  San  Bernardino 
for  twenty-six  years,  and  the  ties  knit  by  residence  have  included  a  deep 
interest  in  the  community's  growth  and  progress  and  a  participation  in  its 
social  life. 

Ella  May  Logsdon  is  a  native  daughter  of  California,  and  was  bom 
at  Porterville.  Her  father,  William  Logsdon,  should  be  remembered  as 
one  of  the  California  pioneers  who  crossed  the  plains  in  1848.  He  was 
an  Indiana  farmer,  was  a  Union  soldier  in  the  Civil  war,  and  represented 
an  old  American  family  of  English  ancestry.  His  wife  was  Gertrude 
Linebarger  Logsdon.  Her  father  was  a  soldier  in  the  Indian  war.  Her 
mother,  Maria  (Brown)  Linebarger,  is  still  living  at  Oceanside  at  the 
age  of  ninety-four  and  is  one  of  the  few  surviving  pioneer  women  of 
California  who  crossed  the  plains  with  an  ox  team  immediately  follow- 
ing the  discovery  of  gold.  She  is  distantly  related  to  the  Daniel  Boone 
family. 

Ella  May  Logsdon  Fish  for  a  number  of  years  was  prominently  asso- 
ciated with  church  work  in  San  Bernardino  and  elsewhere  in  California. 
She  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Church  and  the  Eastern  Star  Chapter. 
She  owns  some  valuable  oil  property  in  the  Cajon  district,  and  plans 
for  the  development  of  this  property  are  now  under  way.  Mrs.  Fish's 
sister,  Eva  Logsdon,  is  the  wife  of  Charles  Kingman  of  Colorado  and 
has  three  children,  named  Doris  Gertrude,  Barbara  May  and  Helen  Irene. 

William  O.  Taylor,  optometrist,  is  one  of  the  highly  qualified  men 
of  his  profession  in  Southern  California,  and  for  several  years  has  prac- 
ticed in  San  Bernardino. 

Doctor  Taylor  was  born  at  Portage  la  Prairie,  Manitoba,  Canada, 
December  18,  1889,  but  the  following  year  his  parents,  Richard  and 
Anna  Jane  (Ashdown)  Taylor,  moved  to  California  and  located  in  Pasa- 
dena. His  father,  a  native  of  Ireland,  was  a  leading  merchant  of  Pasa- 
dena for  a  number  of  years,  also  served  on  the  city  council,  and  died 
in  December,  1912.  The  mother,  now  living  at  Vallejo,  was  born  in 
Canada  of  English  ancestry. 

William  O.  Taylor  attended  the  grammar  and  high  schools  of  Pasa- 
dena and  in  1913  received  the  O.  D.  degree  from  the  Southern  California 
College  of  Opthalmology  and  Optometry  of  Los  Angeles.  He  has  been 
engaged  in  the  work  of  his  profession  for  ten  years,  beginning  at  Pasa- 
dena, living  at  Los  Angeles  and  at  Long  Beach,  and  then  removed  to 
San  Bernardino,  where  in  his  place  of  business  on  Third  Street,  he  has 
all  the  facilities  to  supplement  his  own  training  and  broad  experience  to 
aid  in  the  fitting  and  adaptment  of  glasses  for  the  eyes.  He  is  a  member 
and  former  secretary  of  the  Orange  Belt  Optometric  Association. 

During  the  World  war  Doctor  Taylor  enlisted  in  the  Canadian  army 
in  the  Depot  Battalion  No.  1,  Company  No.  1.  and  was  connected  with 
the  Dental  Corps  at  Vancouver,  British  Columbia.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  American  Legion,  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  at  San  Bernardino,  is 
an  independent  voter,  and  is  Past  Chancellor  Commander  of  the  Knights 
of  Pythias,  is  Past  Prince  of  the  Dramatic  Order  of  the  Knights  of 
Khorassan,  and  is  also  affiliated  with  the  Masons,  B.  P.  O.  E.  Eagles, 
and  the  Y.  M.  C.  A. 

September  28,  1909,  at  Santa  Ana  he  married  Almeda  C.  Lyman. 
She  was  born  in  New  York  State,  daughter  of  the  late  W.  C.  Lyman. 
Doctor  and  Mrs.  Taylor  have  two  daughters,  Marjorie  May  and  Barbara 
Ann,  now  students  in  the  San  Bernardino  schools. 


1440       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

Robert  W.  Russell — The  Riverside  Blue  Ribbon  Packing  Company 
was  established  in  1911.  The  company  had  an  authorized  capital  stock 
of  $10,000,  and  they  began  business  by  the  purchase  of  the  building  at 
Casa  Blanca  from  the  Earl  Fruit  Company.  The  packing  house  affords 
14,000  square  feet  of  floor  space,  and  the  capacity  of  the  plant  is  150 
cars  of  fruit  per  year.  About  fifty  people  are  employed  by  the  company 
which  is  a  mutual  company  and  handles  the  packing  of  oranges,  lemons 
and  grape  fruit  produced  chiefly  by  the  stockholders  of  the  company. 
The  first  officers  of  the  company  were  Harwood  Hall,  president,  and 
Robert  W.  Russell,  secretary  and  treasurer.  The  present  executive 
organization  consists  of  A.  McDermont,  president;  E.  T.  Wall,  vice 
president,  and  R.  W.  Russell,  secretary,  treasurer  and  manager. 

Mr.  Russell  was  one  of  the  most  active  of  the  organizers  of  this 
business,  being  a  practical  fruit  grower  of  Riverside,  where  lie  has  had 
his  home  for  the  past  fifteen  years.  Mr.  Russell  was  born  in  Pittsburgh, 
Pennsylvania,  March  15.  1875.  son  of  James  Alexander  and  Mary  Anne 
(Willson)  Russell,  his  father  a  Pittsburgh  banker.  R.  W.  Russell  had 
a  liberal  education  in  preparation  for  his  life's  work.  He  attended  public 
school  at  Pittsburgh  and  in  1899  graduated  in  the  scientific  course  from 
Washington  and  Jefferson  College.  After  leaving  college  Mr.  Russell 
was  in  the  undertaking  business  at  Pittsburgh  until  1907  when  he  removed 
to  Riverside,  and  has  since  been  closely  identified  with  the  fruit  interests 
both  as  a  producer  and  packer.  He  owns  thirty-five  acres  devoted  to 
citrus  fruits.  Mr.  Russell  is  a  republican,  a  York  Rite  Mason  and 
Shriner,  member  of  Pittsburgh  Lodge  No.  11,  B.  P.  O.  E.,  and  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Nn  Sigma  Nu  fraternity. 

January  17,  1899,  he  married  Miss  Ildrie  Roberts  of  Braddock, 
Pennsylvania,  but  a  native  of  Maryland.  She  completed  her  education 
in  the  Washington  Seminary  at  Washington.  Pennsylvania.  The  children 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Russell  are  Dorothy,  Edith,  Robert  W.,  Jr.,  and  James  L. 

Fred  Bosch  is  an  active  and  alert  business  man  and  rancher  of  the 
Victorville  locality.  He  was  unknown  and  moneyless  when  he  landed 
in  that  community  some  ten  years  ago,  and  a  remarkable  degree  of  energy 
and  application  to  the  business  in  hand  has  been  the  lever  by  which  he 
has  raised  himself  to  a  considerable  degree  of  fortune  and  esteem. 

He  was  born  in  Hechingen,  Hohenzollern,  South  Germany,  March  2, 
1872,  one  of  the  four  sons  and  two  daughters  of  William  and  Maxmiliana 
(Hoch)  Bosch,  natives  of  the  same  province.  Both  father  and  grand- 
father were  butchers  by  trade  and  this  was  the  occupation  Fred  Bosch 
learned  after  acquiring  a  common  school  education.  He  worked  as  a 
journeyman  butcher  in  Germany  until  he  came  to  New  York  and  thence 
to  Los  Angeles,  arriving  in  the  California  city  in  1912.  When  he  reached 
American  shores  Mr.  Bosch  had  only  $50  in  capital.  He  followed  the 
butcher's  trade  in  Los  Angeles,  and  on  May  3,  1913,  arrived  at  Victor- 
ville, where  he  found  work  in  a  meat  market  as  a  cutter  and  clerk. 

His  chief  ally  in  his  growing  prosperity  and  independence  has  been 
Mrs.  Bosch,  who  has  shared  with  him  in  their  mutual  undertaking  in 
every  respect.  He  married  Miss  Annie  Straub  October  6,  1912.  She 
was  born  at  Lafayette,  Indiana.  When  they  were  married  they  had  only 
$5  between  them,'  so  that  their  prosperity  'today  is  an  accurate  measure 
of  what  they  have  accomplished  in  the  ten  years  since  their  marriage.  In 
May,  1914,  they  bought  twenty-four  acres  of  bottom  land  adjoining  the 
town  site  of  Victorville,  the  contract  price  being  $125  an  acre.  The 
land  was  wild  and  unbroken,  and  one  of  their  first  improvements  was 
the  sinking  of  a  well.     They  cleared  the  land  of  brush  and  since  then 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1441 

have  improved  it  to  one  of  the  very  profitable  ranches  in  the  Victor- 
ville  vicinity.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bosch  worked  long  hours  to  achieve 
their  ambition.  In  October.  1914,  Mr.  Bosch  opened  the  meat  market 
which  he  ^till  continues.  His  business  is  a  strictly  home  market.  He 
buys  local  home  grown  stock,  personally  supervises  the  slaughtering, 
dressing  and  retailing,  and  has  successfully  met  the  heavy  competitions 
of  the  packing  interests  and  his  service  and  the  quality  of  his  products 
have  gained  him  the  confidence  and  the  patronage  of  a  home  people  who 
favor  his  market  over  all  others. 

Mr.  Bosch  for  a  number  of  years  has  had  a  schedule  of  work  that 
pays  no  respect  to  the  standard  working  day.  He  worked  long  hours, 
usually  slaughters  his  beeves  on  Sunday,  while  Mrs.  Bosch  has  kept 
the  oversight  and  to  a  large  degree  the  work  of  the  farm.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Bosch  are  members  of  the  Catholic  Church. 

Charles  Sumner  Hamilton,  a  prosperous  orange  grower  at  East 
Highland,  has  been  identified  with  the  citrus  fruit  industry  in  its  various 
phases  in  this  section  of  San  Bernardino  County  since  boyhood  and  is 
widely  known  over  the  county. 

Mr.  Hamilton  was  born  near  Quincy,  Illinois,  in  February,  1886. 
and  was  about  two  years  old  when  brought  to  California.  His  parents 
were  John  Watson  and  Charlotte  (Edwards)  Hamilton.  His  father  was 
an  Illinois  farmer.  The  mother  in  seeking  restoration  of  her  health  paid 
a  visit  to  California,  and  this  visit  resulted  in  the  family  moving  out  to 
the  State  in  the  fall  of  1888.  John  W.  Hamilton  acquired  a  ten-acre  tract 
of  wild  land  on  Water  Street  in  what  is  now  East  Highlands.  He  brushed 
and  leveled  this  tract,  set  it  to  orange  trees,  half  in  seedlings  and  half  in 
Washington  navels.  Later  the  seedlings  were  budded  to  navels  and  in 
after  years  John  W.  Hamilton  enjoyed  many  successively  profitable 
seasons  from  his  efforts  as  an  orange  grower.  He  died  in  1919,  and  his 
wife  in  1905.  He  was  a  Knight  Templar  Mason.  Of  the  three  children 
Charles  Sumner  is  the  oldest.  George  Edwards,  who  was  born  in  Octo- 
ber, 1888,  married  Miss  Mollie  Cram  of  the  pioneer  Cram  family  of 
Highland,  where  she  was  born,  and  they  have  two  sons.  The  third.  Miss 
Irene  May  Hamilton,  was  born  at  Highland  in  May,  1898,  and  is  a 
graduate  of  the  high  school  of  Omaha,  Nebraska,  also  of  the  University 
of  Southern  California  at  Los  Angeles,  and  is  now  teaching  in  high  school 

Charles  Sumner  Hamilton  took  his  preparatory  course  in  the  Uni- 
versity of  Southern  California  and  spent  one  year  in  that  university, 
since  which  time  his  efforts  have  been  directed  in  the  orange  industry. 

In  1909  he  married  Miss  Carrie  Bush,  a  native  daughter,  who  was 
born  in  1887  and  was  educated  at  Watsonville.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hamilton 
have  one  child,  Jene,  born  December  26,   1915. 

For  seven  years  Mr.  Hamilton  was  foreman  of  the  Gold  Buckle 
Orange  Packing  House,  but  resigned  that  office  in  1920  to  assist  his 
brother  in  caring  for  their  groves  in  East  Highlands.  He  is  known  as 
an  alert,  progressive  young  orange  grower,  a  son  of  pioneers  of  the 
industry  in  this  section  of  the  State  and  a  man  of  unqualified  good  citizen- 
ship. He  is  a  Knight  Templar  Mason,  being  affiliated  with  Redlands 
Commandery  No.  45,  and  is  also  a  member  of  Lodge  No.  583  Benevolent 
and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  and  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows 
at  Redlands. 

Clarence  S.  Crain  is  a  veteran  editor  and  publisher,  has  been  in 
the  newspaper  business  in  the  West  for  many  years,  and  directs  the 
destinies  of  one  of  the  live  papers  of  San  Bernardino  County.     He  has 


1442       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

a  wide  acquaintance  with  people  and  conditions  in  the  desert  section  of 
the  county,  and  experience  and  residence  admirably  qualify  him  to  work 
for  the  common  interests  of  this  region  as  representative  of  the  first 
district  on  the  County  Board  of  Supervisors. 

Mr.  Crain  was  born  in  Iowa,  September  18,  1867,  oldest  of  the  four 
sons  of  Ira  B.  and  Jane  (Summers)  Crain.  His  parents  were  natives 
of  Michigan  and  farmers.  Clarence  Crain  acquired  a  public  school 
education  in  Iowa,  and  as  a  youth  learned  the  printer's  trade  and  took 
up  the  business  and  profession  of  journalism  when  still  quite  young. 
For  ten  years,  while  living  in  Iowa,  he  owned  and  conducted  the  Brooklyn 
Chronicle  in  that  state.  For  many  years  he  has  been  an  active  and  staunch 
republican  in  politics,  working  in  the  interests  of  the  party,  and  has 
been  one  of  the  party  leaders  in  San  Bernardino  County.  The  first 
political  recognition  paid  him  was  in  1896  when  he  was  appointed  post- 
master of  Brooklyn,  Iowa,  under  President  McKinley.  In  1901  he  sold 
his  newspaper  and  resigned  the  office  of  postmaster. 

Coming  west  he  located  at  Ely,  Nevada,  where  he  purchased  and  for 
ten  years  conducted  the  White  Pine  News.  In  1910  he  was  elected  on 
the  republican  ticket  sheriff  of  the  county,  and  held  that  office  six  years, 
until  January  1,  1917.  Then  after  a  brief  vacation  and  period  of  travel 
he  located  at  Victorville,  California.  In  May,  1917,  Mr.  Crain  pur- 
chased and  on  June  1,  took  possession  of  the  Victor  Valley  News-Herald, 
and  during  the  past  five  years  he  has  brought  this  paper  to  a  high  standard 
as  one  of  the  leading  journals  in  the  valley,  a  paper  which  on  both  its 
business  and  its  news  sides  reflects  his  long  experience  and  talent. 

His  prominence  as  a  newspaper  man  as  well  as  his  vast  knowledge 
of  conditions  was  a  factor  in  his  selection  to  represent  the  first  district 
as  supervisor.  He  was  requested  to  make  the  campaign  and  was  elected 
in  1920,  assuming  the  duties  of  office  in  December  of  that  year.  Since 
then  he  has  overcome  many  obstacles  contending  measures  of  vital 
benefit  to  his  district  of  the  county.  While  a  detailed  record  of  his  work 
cannot  be  presented,  mention  should  be  made  of  the  successful  exertions 
he  made  to  fulfill  the  project  so  long  talked  of  in  the  state  highway 
connecting  Victorville  with  Cajon  Pass  and  San  Bernardino.  The  chief 
object  of  this  project  for  a  number  of  years  has  been  securing  the  right 
of  way,  and  Mr.  Crain  personally  conducted  those  negotiations,  and  made 
it  possible  to  complete  this  vital  system  of  roadway  linking  the  desert 
country  with  the  coast  cities.  Mr.  Crain  served  as  secretary  of  the  local 
Red  Cross  during  the  war  and  is  still  its  secretary.  He  was  deeply  inter- 
ested in  all  war  causes.  Fraternally  he  is  affiliated  with  the  Masonic 
Lodge,  San  Bernardino  Lodge  of  Elks,  is  an  active  member  of  the 
Chamber  of  Commerce,  and  at  all  times  has  the  interests  of  the  com- 
munity at  heart. 

August  3,  1902,  Mr.  Crain  married  Miss  Margaret  MacDonald,  who 
was  born  in  Scotland  in  1880.  coming  with  her  parents  to  America  at  the 
age  of  two  years.  She  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  Pennsylvania. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Crain  have  one  son,  Donald  L.  Crain,  born  at  Ogden, 
Utah,  October  7,  1903,  a  graduate  of  the  Victorville  High  School  and  of 
Longmire's  Business  College  of  San  Bernardino. 

Mack  W.  H.  Williams,  treasurer  of  San  Bernardino  County,  has 
done  many  things  which  are  of  paramount  importance  to  the  people  of 
the  county.  He  is  one  man  who  is  especially  fitted  to  the  office,  in  whose 
administration  is  shown  great  shrewdness  of  perception  and  masterly 
exhibition  of  skill  in  finance.  His  stewardship  of  the  wealth  of  the 
county  has  shown  him  to  be  a  man  of  real  ability  and  fitness,  one  who 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1443 

can  handle  the  monetary  affairs  of  his  commonwealth  with  severe  exacti- 
tude, a  master  of  every  detail. 

His  work  is  worthy  of  chronicle  for  it  has  all  been  constructive  and 
upbuilding.  His  keen  knowledge  of  finance  is  inherent  and  he  is  able 
to  instantly  cope  with  any  situation  which  arises.  His  rare  maturity  of 
judgment  has  placed  him  at  the  head  of  the  treasurers  of  the  State  in 
points  of  earnings,  for  which  the  citizens  of  San  Bernardino  County  owe 
him  a  debt  of  gratitude. 

Mr.  Williams  was  born  in  Morristown,  Tennessee,  January  3,  1879, 
the  son  of  J.  S.  and  Mollie  E.  (Ellis)  Williams,  both  natives  of  Tennessee. 
J.  S.  Williams  was,  in  his  early  life,  a  millwright  and  flour  mill  operator 
but  afterwards  a  builder  and  contractor.  He  died  in  1911,  but  his  wife 
is  now  living  in  Redlands.  They  were  the  parents  of  three  children,  all 
now  living:  Dora,  wife  of  Rufus  B.  Knapp  of  Hollywood;  Cora  I.., 
wife  of  C.  W.  Mcintosh  of  Redlands,  and  Mack  W.  H. 

J.  S.  Williams  moved  his  family  from  their  native  state  first  to 
Texas,  then  to  Sothwest  Missouri,  later  to  Colorado,  and  then  to  Red- 
lands,  California,  in  January.  1899,  where  he  followed  his  regular  line 
of  business. 

Mack  \Y.  H.  Williams  attended  public  schools  in  Texas  and  Carthage, 
and  then  went  to  business  college.  There  he  learned  the  printer's  trade 
in  Carthage,  Missouri,  on  the  Carthage  Press,  remaining  there  four 
years.  He  then  went  into  the  paint  contracting  business  which  he  followed 
for  two  years  in  Colorado.  In  1899  he  came  to  California,  locating  in 
Redlands,  and  followed  the  same  business  in  that  city  for  about  seven 
years.  The  next  eight  years  found  him  prospering  in  the  real  estate 
business,  but  his  real  life  work  commenced  when  he  was  appointed  county 
treasurer  and  tax  collector  under  the  old  charter.  In  1918  he  was  elected 
treasurer  under  the  amended  charter. 

Previous  to  this  he  was  mayor  of  Redlands  a  year  and  a  half  and 
city  trustee  for  two  and  a  half  years.  During  his  term  as  mayor  and 
city  trustee  of  Redlands  the  municipal  water  plant  was  built,  the  main 
city  park  was  constructed  and  the  ornamental  lighting  system  was 
installed.  These  three  improvements  are  among  the  most  important  of 
the  city's  public  improvements  and  the  supervising  of  them,  with  the 
myriad  of  details,  problems  and  adjustments  called  for  a  vast  amount 
of  executive  ability.  It  called  for  talents  of  an  unusual  order  but 
Mr.  Williams  proved  himself  the  keystone  of  the  arch,  winning  golden 
opinions  from  everyone.  In  fact  he  placed  himself  in  line  for  higher 
offices  in  the  gift  of  the  people. 

During  his  term  as  treasurer  he  has  taken  advantage  of  the  system 
which  has  permitted  him  to  save  the  tax  payers  of  the  county  many 
thousands  of  dollars,  for  he  made  the  money  placed  in  his  hands  earn 
an  interest,  which  pro  rata  rate  exceeded  any  other  treasurer  in  the 
State.  After  the  report  of  the  State  Controller  showing  his  earnings 
in  excess  of  other  treasurers',  many  of  the  county  treasurers  of  other 
counties  became  more  active  and  are  now  showing  increased  earnings. 

The  following  extract  from  one  of  the  county  grand  jury  reports 
is  of  interest:  "The  records  of  the  treasurer's  office  are  in  excellent 
condition  and  we  feel  he  is  to  be  commended  for  conducting  his  office 
with  such  thorough  efficiency  and  care  and  for  so  utilizing  the  funds 
in  the  treasury  to  earn  for  the  county  a  large  sum  of  interest."  The 
interest  earned  on  current  deposits  by  Treasurer  Williams,  January  4, 
1915,  to  January  4,  1922,  seven  years,  was  $136,924.71. 

The  State  Controller's  report  for  1916  shows  that  Treasurer  Williams 
earned  more  from  current  deposits  than  any  other  county  treasurer  in 


1444       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

the  State,  regardless  of  the  fact  that  other  treasurers  had  more  money, 
and  the  controller's  subsequent  reports  show  his  pro  rata  earnings  to  be 
at  the  top. 

Mr.  Williams  was  married  in  1901  to  Edith  E.  Baughman,  a  daughter 
of  C.  H.  Baughman,  of  Redlands.  They  are  the  parents  of  four  children : 
Eva  E.,  a  student  at  Stanford  University;  Ray  E.  and  Donald  C,  attend- 
ing Redlands  High  School,  and  Betty  E.,  attending  grammar  school. 

He  is  in  religious  faith  a  Baptist.  In  politics  he  adheres  to  the  prin- 
ciples of  the  democratic  party.  He  is  a  member  of  Redlands  Lodge 
No.  300,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons ;  Redlands  Chapter  No.  45,  Royal 
Arch  Masons ;  Al  Tir  Sar  Temple  No.  189,  Knights  of  Khorassan : 
Redlands  Lodge  No.  186,  Knights  of  Pythias,  and  Fraternal  Brotherhood 
No.  27.    He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association. 

Frank  L.  Talmadge — The  name  of  Talmadge  is  a  well-known  one 
in  Southern  California,  and  especially  in  Big  Bear  Valley,  where  three 
of  its  bearers,  Frank  L..  John  W.  and  William  S.  Talmadge  have  taken 
a  very  prominent  part  in  the  development  of  this  region.  These  brothers, 
reared  in  the  mountains,  with  but  limited  opportunities,  are  splendid 
specimens  of  American  manhood,  upright,  honorable,  broad-minded  and 
dependable,  eminently  successful  from  every  standpoint.  They  have 
been  largely  instrumental  in  securing  the  opening  up  and  up-building  of 
Big  Bear  Valley,  in  which  they  have  resided  for  so  many  years  for 
they  were  here  when  the  Indians  were  driven  out;  witnessed  the  last 
fight  made  by  the  Red  Men  in  the  valley,  which  resulted  in  the  death 
of  a  number  of  the  savages,  and  the  wounding  of  two  of  the  Talmadge 
mill  crew.  William  S.  Talmadge  distinctly  remembers  the  wounded 
men  being  brought  into  camp.  In  those  early  days  bear,  deer,  duck  and 
other  game  was  very  plentiful.  While  the  Talmadges  have  been  inter- 
ested along  many  lines,  their  operations  have  been  heaviest  in  lumbering 
and  stock  raising. 

The  father  of  these  brothers,  also  named  Frank  L.  Talmadge,  was 
born  in  the  State  of  New  York  in  1830,  and  died  at  Victorville,  Cali- 
fornia, in  1918,  at  the  age  of  eighty-eight  years.  In  1855  he  was  married 
at  Los  Angeles,  California,  to  Nettie  Jane  Lane,  who  was  born  in  Illinois 
in  1829.  and  died  at  Victorville  in  1910.  Five  children  were  born  of 
this  marriage,  namely :  Etta,  who  was  born  at  El  Monte,  California,  in 
1857,  married  J.  H.  Benson  ;  Edna,  who  was  born  at  El  Monte,  California, 
in  1859,  married  C.  J.  Daley:  William  S.,  who  was  born  at  El  Monte  in 
1862;  John  W.,  who  was  born  at  Little  Bear  in  1864;  and  Frank  L.,  Jr., 
who  was  born  in  1868. 

When  a  boy  the  elder  Frank  L.  Talmadge  was  taken  to  Illinois  by  his 
parents,  and  there  he  resided  until  1853.  In  the  spring  of  that  year  he 
left  Chicago,  and  traveled  by  ox  team  overland  by  way  of  Salt  Lake  to 
San  Bernardino,  arriving  there  in  December  of  that  same  year.  He  was 
first  employed  by  David  Seeley.  and  worked  for  two  weeks  in  a  saw  mill 
in  Seeley  Flats,  now  Los  Angeles  playground,  when  the  winter  storms 
drove  them  out,  and  he  had  to  look  elsewhere  for  employment.  He 
obtained  work  at  his  trade  as  a  mason  at  Los  Angeles,  and  continued 
to  work  as  a  mason  and  bricklayer  in  that  city  until  1862.  During  all 
of  this  time  he  longed  for  the  mountains,  and  in  1862  returned  to  them 
and  lived  there  the  remainder  of  his  long  and  useful  life.  For  a  time 
thereafter  he  worked  in  a  saw  mill  owned  by  a  Mr.  James,  and  then 
moved  to  Little  Bear  Valley,  where  he  constructed  a  saw  mill,  the  first 
and  only  one  in  the  district  operated  by  water  power.  It  was  located  on 
the  present  site  of  the  dam. 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1445 

In  1865  Mr.  James  moved  his  saw  mill  to  the  present  site  of  Blue 
Jay  Camp,  and  Mr.  Talmadge  joined  him,  and  in  1866  bought  him  out. 
and  formed  a  partnership  with  Messrs.  Caley,  Richardson  and  Arm- 
strong. They  operated  this  mill  for  eight  years,  and  then  moved  to  the 
present  site  of  the  Pacific  Electric  Camp.  After  three  years  another 
change  was  made  to  Little  Bear  Valley,  and  the  plant  was  maintained 
there  until  it  was  burned  in  1891.  Mr.  Talmadge  was  a  pioneer  in  the 
lumber  industry,  and  found  a  market  for  his  product  at  Riverside,  Red- 
lands  and  San  Bernardino.  He  supplied  the  lumber  used  in  the  con- 
struction of  the  old  courthouse  at  San  Bernardino,  and  for  many  other 
buildings  of  the  early  days.  Ox  teams  furnished  the  motive  power,  and 
Mr.  Talmadge  freighted  his  lumber  with  them,  prior  to  1870  hauling  as 
far  as  Los  Angeles.  He  and  his  partners  owned  many  head  of  oxen, 
and  had  two  fast  ox  teams,  of  six  yoke  each.  These  were  for  fast 
freight,  and  used  continuously  from  1853  to  1870. 

The  wife  of  Mr.  Talmadge  was  a  widow  when  he  married  her,  she 
and  her  first  husband,  Nathan  Strong,  having  come  to  Los  Angeles  by 
the  southern  route,  in  ox  teams.  Mr.  Strong  died  soon  after  their 
arrival  at  Los  Angeles. 

Frank  L.  Talmadge,  Jr.,  received  but  a  common  school  education 
and  lived  in  the  mountains  both  summer  and  winter,  and  worked  in 
his  father's  timber  and  mill.  In  1892  he  began  butchering  beef  stock, 
and  then,  during  1893-4  he  worked  for  Mr.  Fleming.  In  1892  George 
Rathburn  and  William  S.  Talmadge  bought  320  acres  of  land  in  Bear 
Valley,  and  in  1906  the  latter  bought  Mr.  Rathburn's  interest.  They 
were  engaged  in  the  stock  business,  feeding  in  the  valley  in  the  summer, 
and  around  Warren's  Wells  in  the  winter.  In  1911  William  S.  Talmadge 
and  John  Clark  bought  640  acres  from  John  Metcalf,  and  in  1913  he 
and  his  brother,  Frank  L.  Talmadge,  bought  Mr.  Clark's  interest.  The 
three  brothers  then  bought  1,120  acres  adjoining  land,  and  as  they 
already  owned  a  portion  of  the  Lucky  Baldwin  land,  had  a  large  property. 
In  1920  they  sold  the  Metcalf  land  to  Bartlett  Brothers,  making  a  hand- 
some profit.  They  have  continued  in  the  stock  business,  have  prospered, 
and  still  own  a  large  herd  of  cattle.  They  are  all  Masons,  belonging  to 
Phoenix  Lodge,  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Masons  of  San  Bernardino ; 
Frank  L.  and  William  S.  Talmadge  are  members  of  the  Benevolent  and 
Protective  Order  of  Elks  and  Native  Sons  of  California,  and  the  Big 
Bear  Valley  Chamber  of  Commerce. 

John  W.  Talmadge  married  Martha  Whitby,  and  they  became  the 
parents  of  three  children,  namely:  Bert  W.,  Dorris  and  Bernice.  Bert  W. 
Talmadge  is  a  veteran  of  the  World's  war,  having  served  in  the  One 
Hundred  and  Fifty-eighth  Regiment,  Fortieth  Division.  He  was  trained 
at  Camp  Kearney,  sent  overseas,  and  participated  in  some  of  the  heaviest 
of  the  fighting  in  France.  After  the  signing  of  the  Armistice  he  was 
released,  returned  home,  and  is  now  operating  a  saw  mill  in  Bear  Valley. 

William  S.  Talmadge  was  married  to  Minnie  Rathburn  in  1888. 
She  was  born  in  San  Bernardino,  and  died  in  1915.  They  had  two  sons, 
namely:  Otis,  who  was  born  December  4,  1888;  and  William  R.,  who 
was  born  April  12.  1901.  Both  were  drowned  by  the  overturning  of  a 
canoe  in  Big  Bear  Lake.  October  8,  1('12. 

These  brothers  have  been  connected  with  many  operations  in  the 
valley.  William  S.  Talmadge's  freight  teams  transported  the  power 
plant  into  Lytle  Creek.  Other  instances  might  be  given  of  the  various 
enterprises  which  they  have  either  owned  or  backed,  but  it  is  scarcely 
necessary  for  they  are  known  far  and  near  as  men  of  public  spirit, 
enterprise  and  business  acumen.     Practically  all  of  their  lives  have  been 


1446       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

spent  in  this  region  and  their  interests  are  centered  here,  and  none  of 
the  people  of  the  valley  are  better  pleased  over  its  remarkable  development 
than  they. 

O.  W.  Harris — The  biggest  element  of  success  in  California,  as 
anywhere  else,  is  the  man  and  not  the  conditions  of  environment,  climate 
or  other  circumstances.  A  case  in  point  is  that  of  O.  W.  Harris,  one 
of  the  prosperous  and  widely  known  citizens  of  San  Bernardino  County, 
whose  home  has  been  in  the  Redlands  district  since  the  year  that  colony 
was  planted,  during  the  '80s. 

Mr.  Harris  was  born  in  Indiana  in  1860,  son  of  John  T.  and  Louisa  J. 
Harris,  natives  of  the  same  state  and  farmers  there.  O.  W.  Harris  was 
the  oldest  of  their  four  children,  the  others  being  Grant  D.,  Bruce  T.  and 
Edgar  D. 

Reared  on  his  father's  Indiana  farm  and  securing  such  advantages 
as  were  offered  by  the  local  schools.  O.  W.  Harris  remained  there  during 
the  vigorous  years  of  his  early  youth,  and  accumulated  some  degree  of 
prosperity  as  a  farmer.  In  1883  he  married  Miss  Alice  E.  Cook,  who 
was  born  in  Indiana,  March  27,  1860,  her  father  being  a  native  of  the 
same  state,  while  her  mother  was  a  Virginian.  Mrs.  Harris  passed  away 
June  21,  1921.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harris  lived  in  Indiana  until  their  first 
three  children  were  born,  and  then  sold  their  property  for  $4,000,  and 
on  October  30,  1887,  started  with  this  capital  for  California,  leaving  the 
train  at  San  Bernardino  and  completing  their  journey  to  Redlands  by 
team.  They  reached  their  destination  November  7  Redlands  had  been 
formally  instituted  as  a  colonizing  center  the  preceding  year,  but  when 
the  Harris  family  reached  there  the  settlement  was  still  in  its  infancy, 
including  a  few  scattered  improved  tracts,  but  chiefly  wild  desert  or 
grain  land.  Mr.  Harris  remembers  when  there  were  only  four  buildings 
near  State  and  Orange  streets.  The  railroad  did  not  reach  the  town 
until  the  next  winter.  His  brother,  Grant,  had  preceded  him  to  Redlands. 
The  $4,000  that  represented  the  proceeds  of  the  sale  of  his  160  acre 
farm  in  Indiana  Mr.  Harris  invested  in  ten  acres  of  wild  land  in  East 
Highlands,  with  water  rights.  At  odd  times  he  leveled  the  land,  hauled 
orange  trees  from  Redlands.  and  developed  a  grove  that  became  noted 
as.  one  of  the  best  in  the  community.  He  sold  that  property  in  1920. 
At  one  time  he  was  also  in  the  nursery  business,  raising,  orange  stock, 
but  entered  this  feature  of  the  industry  rather  late,  when  the  market 
was  well  supplied  and  there  was  much  competition.  Mr.  Harris  put  in 
a  number  of  years  of  very  hard  labor  leveling,  grading  for  groves,  and 
caring  for  orchards  of  other  owners.  In  1887  he  planted  the  property 
at  the  corner  of  Alvarado  and  Palm  avenues,  and  that  is  his  present  home, 
comprising  a  magnificent  site,  which  he  has  improved  with  a  modern  and 
beautiful  residence,  commanding  a  picturesque  view  of  the  city  and 
valley  below  and  the  mountains  in  the  distance.  When  he  first  came  to 
California  Mr.  Harris  and  family  lived  in  his  barn.  In  1910  he  planted 
sixty  acres  on  Judson  Street,  Colton  Avenue  and  Lugonia.  The  great 
freeze  of  1913  nipped  the  trees  in  the  bud,  but  as  his  years  of  study 
and  experience  dictated  he  cared  for  the  plantation  and  they  now  con- 
stitute a  fine  orchard.  At  the  present  time  Mr.  Harris  owns  eighty-five 
acres  of  bearing  orange  trees,  a  splendid  grove,  and  much  city  property 
besides,  including  the  southeast  corner  of  Central  and  Fourth  streets. 
His  pioneer  instinct  directed  him  in  1898  to  buy  a  tract  of  land  in  the 
mountains.  This  he  named  Oak  Glen,  and  he  set  out  an  apple  orchard, 
the  results  of  which  have  proved  a  splendid  apple  district.  He  sold  this 
tract  to  his  son  in  1920.     Altogether  his  record  is  that  of  a  practical  and 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1447 

successful  fruit  grower,  and  one  that  earns  him  a  high  place  among 
the  citizens  who  have  constituted  the  progress  and  prosperity  of  the 
Redlands  country. 

He  was  one  of  the  organizers  and  has  been  a  director  of  the  Gold 
Banner  Association  since  it  was  founded.  This  association  is  one  of  the 
largest  packing  houses  in  Redlands.  He  is  a  director  and  the  president 
of  the  Redlands  Water  Company;  is  president  and  a  director  of  the  Oak 
Glen  Domestic  Water  Company,  and  he  is  a  director  of  the  East  Lugonia 
Mutual  Water  Company. 

Four  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harris  after  they  came 
to  California.  Ruth  E.,  the  oldest  of  their  family  of  seven,  was  born 
December  9,  1883,  was  educated  at  Redlands,  and  has  entered  heartily 
into  the  affairs  of  that  community,  being  a  member  of  the  Contemporary 
Club,  the  Presbyterian  Church  and  did  much  war  work.  The  second  of 
the  family,  Chester  C.  Harris,  was  born  October  5,  1885,  is  a  rancher 
living  near  San  Bernardino.  He  married  Mabel  Webster,  of  San  Ber- 
nardino, daughter  of  a  pioneer  family  of  California  forty-niners.  They 
have  one  child,  Oscar  Webster  Harris,  born  September  17,  1911.  The 
third  child,  Hazel  L.  Harris,  born  July  20.  1887,  died  May  14.  1901. 
The  fourth  member  of  the  family,  Virginia  R.,  was  born  Februarv  25, 
1891,  and  died  June  3.  1909.  The  fifth  of  the  family  is  Benjamin  H. 
born  January  21,  1896.  He  was  in  the  World  war  with  the  Fortieth 
Division,  being  trained  at  Camp  Kearney,  went  overseas  in  1918,  and 
as  a  member  of  the  Military  Police  was  chiefly  employed  in  traffic  service, 
keeping  men  and  supplies  moving.  He  returned  to  the  United  States  in 
1919  and  was  discharged  at  Camp  Kearney.  The  next  in  age.  John  M.. 
was  born  October  20,  1896,  enlisted  in  the  Naval  Reserves  in  July.  1918, 
was  on  active  duty  until  January,  1919,  and  is  still  subject  to  call.  He 
has  been  an  employe  of  the  postal  service  at  Redlands  since  leaving 
the  military  service.  He  married  Bernice  Blankenship,  of  East  Highlands, 
and  they  have  a  daughter,  Jean,  born  October  10,  1919.  The  youngest  of 
the  family  is  Olive  E.,  born  April  5,  1898,  educated  at  Redlands.  an 
enthusiastic  patriot  during  the  war,  and  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church. 

Fred  H.  Baili.ee,  who  passed  to  the  life  beyond  some  years  ago,  is 
recalled  with  affection  and  appreciation  by  the  residents  of  San  Ber- 
nardino, where  he  made  his  home  for  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century.  No 
man  stood  higher  in  the  business  life  of  the  community,  progressive 
and  active  in  all  the  details  of  his  business  life  he  lived  up  to  his  strict 
ideas  of  business  honor  and  integrity.  He  was  always  active  in  every 
forward  movement  of  the  city  and  was  one  of  San  Bernardino's  greatest 
boosters. 

In  fraternal  and  social  circles  he  held  the  same  enviable  position  for 
in  his  intercourse  with  his  friends  and  associates  he  was  courteous,  kind 
and  considerate,  and  so  today  he  is  thought  of  with  tenderness,  with 
deep  regret  for  his  loss. 

Mr.  Baillee  was  a  valued  member  of  the  San  Bernardino  Chamber 
of  Commerce  and  was  president  of  the  Merchants'  Protective  Association. 
While  he  was  a  democrat  he  was  never  an  offensive  partisan,  but  always 
ready  to  do  his  part  in  the  service  of  his  party. 

Fraternally  Mr.  Baillee  was  a  member  of  the  Masons,  of  the  San 
Bernardino  Castle  No.  27  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  of  Lodge  No.  836 
of  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  of  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America  and  of  the  Knights  of  Maccabees.  His  Free  and  Accepted 
Masonic  affiliation  was  with  tin-  Phoenix  Lodge.  No.  178. 


1448       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

Mr.  Baillee  was  born  in  Scranton,  Pennsylvania,  a  son  of  David 
and  Margaret  Baillee.  his  father  being  a  native  of  Edinburgh,  Scotland. 
and  his  mother  of  Dublin.  Ireland.  He  was  educated  in  the  public  schools 
of  Scranton  and  at  once  went  into  his  father's  wall  paper  and  paint 
store  in  Grand  Island,  Nebraska,  receiving  a  thorough  training  and 
insight  into  business  methods.  He  remained  with  his  father  until  the 
latter's  death  and  then  carried  the  business  on  alone  for  some  years 
afterwards.  He  then  removed  to  Rock  Springs,  Wyoming,  entering  the 
same  line  of  business  in  1893.  He  remained  there  for  two  years  when 
he  sold  out  to  come  to  Southern  California. 

He  located  first  at  Redondo,  but  in  1896  removed  to  San  Bernardino. 
He  started  business  in  partnership  with  W.  H.  Parsons  in  the  same  line 
he  had  always  been  in,  wall  paper  and  paints.  At  the  end  of  two  years 
he  bought  out  his  partner  and  continued  the  business  up  to  the  time 
of  his  death  on  February  19,  1910. 

Mr.  Baillee  married  on  April  30,  1890,  at  Grand  Island,  Nebraska. 
Mrs.  Baillee  carried  on  the  business  until  1918,  when  she  closed  out  the 
wall  paper  and  paint  departments,  retaining  the  art  department.  She 
replaced  the  two  departments  with  a  floral  establishment  she  purchased 
and  is  running  the  resulting  business  now.  In  addition  to  her  business 
activities  she  is  active  in  politics,  being  a  member  of  the  Democratic 
County  Central  Committee  of  San  Bernardino. 

Mrs.  Margaret  E.  Betterley — Having  won  her  right  to  a  place 
among  the  worth-while  women  of  her  period.  Mrs.  Margaret  E.  Better- 
ley,  after  six  years  of  strenuous  effort  as  owner  and  manager  of  Camp 
Eureka,  has  retired  with  a  comfortable  fortune,  but  she  will  long  be 
remembered  as  one  of  the  most  active  factors  in  the  development  of  Big 
Bear  Valley,  and  the  raising  of  high  standards  of  living.  Her  influence 
has  always  been  exerted  in  behalf  of  a  proper  enforcement  of  law  and 
the  maintenance  of  order,  and  it  will  continue  to  be  felt,  although  she 
no  longer  is  in  business  on  the  lake. 

Mrs.  Betterley  is  a  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Margaret  Jackson,  the 
former  of  whom  is  a  prominent  business  man  of  Jersey  City,  New 
Jersey,  where  Mrs.  Betterley  was  born.  Her  parents  are  also  natives 
of  New  Jersey  and  members  of  old  and  honored  families  of  that  state. 
She  was  reared  and  educated  in  Jersey  City,  where  she  attended  Saint 
Bride's  Academv.  a  parochial  institution,  following  which  she  received 
a  practical  business  training  in  her  father's  office. 

In  the  same  church.  Saint  Bridget's  of  Jersey  City,  where  she  was 
christened,  Margaret  E.  Jackson  was  united  in  marriage  with  William 
Betterlev.  There  was  one  son  born  of  this  marriage.  Jack  Anthony 
Retterlev.  February  28,  1901.  His  preliminary  educational  training  was 
received  at  Saint  Mary's-of-the-Lake.  in  New  Jersey,  but  when  his 
mother  came  to  Long  Beach,  California,  in  1911.  he  accompanied  her 
and  there  continued  his  studies.  When  he  was  only  seventeen  years  old 
and  a  student  of  the  Long  Beach  High  School,  he  left  school  to  enter 
the  service  of  his  country.  Having  when  but  a  child  become  deeply 
interested  in  radio  telegraphy,  he  studied  and  read  on  the  subject,  and 
in  1912  built  a  plant  of  his  own,  and  used  to  spend  Saturday  and  Sun- 
day experimenting,  while  at  nights  he  continued  his  studies  in  wireless 
mysteries.  In  1916  he  established  the  first  radio  in  the  Big  Rear  Valley 
countrv.  Therefore  it  was  but  natural  when  he  entered  the  service  at 
the  Brooklyn  Navy  "Yard  it  should  be  as  a  radio  electrician,  third  class. 
He  was  sent  to  Columbia  College  to  learn  special  and  war  codes,  and 
later  he  was  set  on  board  the  United  States  submarine  chaser  No.  77, 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1449 

which  later  burned  at  sea.  His  S.  O.  S.  were  noted  by  other  vessels  and 
the  entire  crew  rescued  from  the  perilous  position  at  sea  in  open  life- 
boats. He  was  then  given  an  examination  and  rated  second  grade,  and 
sent  to  secret  listening-in  station.  City  College.  New  York  City.  At 
that  time  only  eight  men  in  the  navy  yard  had  this  privelege,  with  its 
grave  responsibilities.  Those  who  were  thus  trusted  had  to  know  both 
radio  and  telegraphy.  At  the  expiration  of  six  months  the  navy  regu- 
lations compelled  a  change,  and  he  was  transferred  to  Main  Control 
Station  of  the  Third  Naval  District,  one  of  the  most  responsible  posi- 
tions in  this  branch  in  the  navy,  and  held  it  for  another  six  months. 
Again  he  was  transferred  and  sent  to  Rockaway  Avenue  Station,  Rock- 
away  Beach,  New  Jersey,  and  was  first  operator  with  highest  rating 
there.  His  duties  were  to  fly  seaplanes,  operating  telephone  and  tele- 
graph by  radio,  connecting  with  all  seaplanes  across  the  Atlantic,  and 
during  the  six  months  he  held  this  position  he  was  rated  first  class  and 
was  acting  chief.  While  on  the  submarine  chaser  he  was  connected  with 
all  radios  and  electrical  work,  and  sea  tubes  for  the  detection  of  the 
sound  of  German  submarine  propellers.  While  all  of  this  work  was 
intensely  interesting,  it  was  very  arduous.  Following  the  signing  of  the 
Armistice,  he  was  placed  on  the  inactive  list,  and  honorably  discharged 
at  the  termination  of  his  period  of  enlistment,  February  28.  1921.  At 
present  he  owns  and  operates  a  modern  wireless  latest  type  of  trans- 
mitter of  C.  W.  type,  positively  noiseless  in  operation.  There  are  only 
two  others  so  modern  in  use  on  the  Pacific  Coast.  This  station  is 
located  at  Big  Bear  Tavern,  in  Big  Bear  Valley.  This  young  man  is 
one  of  the  strongest  in  the  Western  World  in  radio  work,  and  acquired 
all  of  his  preliminary  training  from  books,  as  he  had  no  special  training 
until  he  entered  the  service.  When  it  is  remembered  that  he  has  not 
yet  reached  his  majority,  some  idea  of  his  remarkable  abilities  and  posi- 
tive genius  may  be  gleaned. 

Mrs.  Betterley  is  a  woman  of  great  business  foresight  and  acumen. 
After  coming  to  California  she  became  one  of  the  most  active  partici- 
pants in  the  work  of  the  Catholic  Church  at  Long  Beach,  and  in  1915,  in 
competition  with  four  others,  was  honored  by  being  elected  Queen  of 
Long  Beach  by  a  majority  of  32.000.  That  same  year  she  came  to 
Big  Bear  Valley,  and  the  day  of  her  arrival  purchased  from  Gus  Knight 
an  acre  of  land,  to  which  she  added  another  ten  the  next  year,  and  here 
she  established  Camp  Eureka,  the  first  one  on  the  upper  lake.  Pos- 
sessed in  a  remarkable  degree  with  a  magnetic  personality  and  generous 
and  kindly  disposition,  she  made  welcome  to  her  camp  her  various  guests, 
who  eagerly  returned  to  her  each  year,  for  she  was  able  to  create  a  real 
home  atmosphere,  even  during  the  period  of  the  war  when  her  mother's 
heart  was  filled  with  anxiety  over  her  only  child,  patriotically  serving  in 
the  most  dangerous  of  positions.  In  1921  Mrs.  Betterley  sold  her  camp 
to  the  Bear  Valley  Country  Club,  and  retired  to  her  beautiful  country 
home  on  Baldwin  Lake,  comprising  four  and  one-half  acres,  an  acknowl- 
edged beauty  spot  of  California  and  one  of  the  most  artistic  in  the 
mountains. 

Mrs.  Betterley  is  most  intensely  interested  in  the  civic  affairs  of  Rear 
Valley,  and  is  an  active  member  of  its  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  of 
the  Big  Bear  Lake  Association.  When  the  Chamber  of  Commerce 
gave  a  barbecue,  she  managed  it  for  them,  fed  800  people  and  made  $380 
net.  She  also  managed  the  Hard  Times  dance  given  by  that  association 
and  cleared  $281.  She  is  equally  active  in  promoting  affairs  given  b\ 
her  church,  and  is  an  acknowledged  leader  in  Catholic  circles. 


1450       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

While  Mrs  Betterley  is  a  product  of  her  times,  for  she  is  fortunate 
in  living  in  days  when  women  were  accorded  more  opportunities  than 
formerly,  she  is  one  who  would  have  succeeded  in  any  age,  or  under 
any  circumstances,  for  such  is  her  remarkable  nature.  She  does  not 
know  that  there  is  such  a  word  as  "fail."  Others  recognize  her  genius 
for  making  a  success  out  of  any  enterprise,  and  gladly  follow  her  leader- 
ship. Having  now  acquired  a  little  more  time  for  public  matters,  she 
will  no  doubt  give  much  more  attention  to  civic  affairs,  and  it  is  need- 
less to  say  that  whatever  she  undertakes  in  behalf  of  her  beloved  valley 
will  be  carried  through  completely  and  efficiently.  Mrs.  Betterley  not 
only  knows  how  to  do  things,  she  understands  how  to  make  others 
believe  in  her,  and  through  her  really  remarkable  magnetic  personality 
exerts  an  influence  which  is  as  widespread  as  it  is  beneficial. 

Chester  T.  Johns  is  one  of  the  prosperous  ranchers  and  horticul- 
turists of  the  Ontario  district,  owning  and  managing  the  property  which 
his  father,  the  late  Lloyd  G.  Johns,  bought  and  developed.  Mr.  Johns 
lives  in  a  modern  town  home  at  201  East  H  Street,  in  Ontario. 

He  was  born  at  Seward,  Nebraska,  June  24,  1887,  only  child  of  Lloyd 
G.  and  Mary  R.  Johns.  Lloyd  G.  Johns  moved  to  Los  Angeles  in  1895 
and  paid  four  thousand  dollars  for  a  ten-acre  grove  of  Mediterranean 
sweet  oranges  at  Vernon,  a  suburb  of  Los  Angeles.  At  that  time  fruit 
had  a  restricted  market,  and  his  crop  for  a  season  or  so  was  sold  to  the 
Earl  Fruit  Company  for  about  ten  dollars  a  ton.  After  selling  the 
grove  Lloyd  Johns  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  at  the  corner  of 
Seventh  and  Broadway  in  Los  Angeles,  and  continued  this  successfully 
for  several  years.  He  then  sold  out  and  bought  acreage  of  wild  land 
in  the  Ontario  district,  the  land  being  covered  with  sagebrush  and  grease- 
wood.  He  cleared  and  graded  and  planted  the  tract  to  deciduous  fruit 
and  vineyard,  and  successive  purchases  brought  the  ranch  up  to  its 
present  area.  This  is  the  property  now  owned  and  operated  by  Chester 
T.  Johns.     The  father  died  in   1909.     The  mother  is  still  living. 

Chester  T.  Johns  was  eight  years  of  age  when  the  family  came  to 
California  and  in  1907  he  graduated  from  the  Chaffey  High  School 
and  at  once  became  actively  associated  with  his  father  on  the  ranch. 
He  is  a  practical  fruit  grower  and  though  living  in  town  keeps  in 
close  touch  with  his  orchards  and  ranch. 

In  1910  he  married  Miss  Mary  Rowe.  who  was  born  January  11. 
1891.  at  Cucamonga,  where  her  parents  were  pioneer  settlers.  Her 
father  died  in  1903  and  her  mother  is  still  living.  Mrs.  Johns  is  a 
graduate  of  the  Chaffey  High  School  and  is  deeply  interested  in  educa- 
tional affairs.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Johns  have  four  children,  the  first  three 
born  at  Cucamonga  and  the  last  at  Ontario:  Henrietta,  born  Septem- 
ber 1.  1913;  Marv  E.,  born  November  2.  1915;  Mildred  Virginia,  born 
March  8,  1918.  and  Llovd  Edwin,  born  February  19.  1919. 

\ 
Arthur  D.  Smith — Riverside  has  had  a  remarkable  growth,  espe- 
cially during  recent  years,  when  the  attention  of  the  East  has  been 
directed  toward  this  gem  of  the  great  Southwest,  and  men  of  means  have 
flocked  to  it,  and,  finding  here  ideal  conditions,  have  invested  in  its 
realty  and  bought  into  its  business  concerns.  This  influx  of  outside 
capital  has  necessitated  the  active  co-operation  of  some  of  the  most  alert 
of  the  young  men  of  the  community  in  order  that  adequate  housing 
accommodations  be  afforded,  and  consequently  the  activities  of  the  real 
estate  brokers  have  been  greatly  stimulated.  One  of  these  reliable  real- 
tors  who  has  been  connected   with  some  of   the  most   important  trans- 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1451 

actions  in  realty  of  Riverside  City  and  County  during  the  past  few  years 
is  Arthur  D.   Smith  of  this  city. 

Arthur  D.  Smith  was  born  in  Venango  County,  Pennsylvania,  Febru- 
ary 7,  1887,  a  son  of  Franklin  H.  and  Elizabeth  (May)  Smith,  natives  of 
Pennsylvania,  and  now  residents  of  Charlotte,  Michigan.  Franklin  H. 
Smith  is  a  retired  oil  producer  and  prominent  at  Charlotte,  where  he 
was  at  one  time  a  member  of  the  city  council.  He  comes  of  an  old 
American  family  of  Revolutionary  stock  and  English  descent.  His  wife 
comes  of  Holland-Dutch  stock.  In  addition  to  Arthur  D.  Smith,  Frank- 
lin H.  Smith  and  his  wife  have  two  children,  namely:  Roscoe  E.,  who 
is  manager  of  the  chain  of  stores  of  the  Miller  Jewelry  Company,  with 
headquarters  at  Detroit,  Michigan,  and  Beryl,  who  is  the  wife  of  Huron 
A.  Slosson,  a  practicing  physician  of    Eaton  Rapids,  Michigan. 

Arthur  D.  Smith  attended  the  public  schools  and  the  Michigan 
Business  College,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1906,  following  which 
he  studied  law  in  the  Detroit  College  of  Law  for  four  years,  and 
then  for  two  years  continued  his  legal  studies  in  the  law  department 
of  the  University  of  Southern  California.  While  in  Michigan  he  began 
his  first  work  of  a  practical  character  as  auditor  of  the  Kellogg-Toasted 
Corn  Flake  Company  at  Battle  Creek,  where  he  remained  for  two  years, 
and  for  the  subsequent  two  years  he  was  with  the  Detroit  White  Lead 
Works,  where  he  handled  all  the  foreign  shipments  and  collections.  In 
1912  Mr.  Smith  came  to  California  and  bought  two  ranches  at  Hemet. 
and  there  raised  alfalfa  and  citrus  fruits  for  about  three  years.  Dis- 
posing of  these  ranches,  he  went  to  San  Jacinto,  and  for  two  years  served 
as  bookkeeper  and  auditor  for  the  Stuart-Smith  Company  of  that  city. 

In  1919  Mr.  Smith  came  to  Riverside,  embarking  in  a  real  estate, 
insurance  and  loan  business  and  has  since  carried  it  on  with  profit  to 
himself  and  benefit  to  the  city.  He  has  been  most  successful  in  the 
handling  of  both  city  and  country  properties,  and  also  makes  a  business 
of  buying  old  houses  which  he  remodels  or  rebuilds  and  after  placing 
them  in  first  rate  condition  sells  them  at  an  excellent  figure.  Mr.  Smith 
belongs  to  Phi  Delta  Phi,  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks, 
the  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  the  Realty  Board,  and  at  one  time  served 
the  latter  body  as  secretary  and  treasurer.  A  republican,  he  does  his 
duty  as  a  good  citizen,  but  is  not  at  all  active  in  politics. 

On  September  18,  1907,  Mr.  Smith  was  married  to  Anna  L.  Hamlin,  a 
native  of  Eaton  Rapids,  Michigan,  and  a  daughter  of  Ada  L.  and  James 
Albert  Hamlin.  Mr.  and  Airs.  Smith  have  two  sons.  Duane  and  Theodore, 
both  of  whom  are  students  of  the  Riverside  public  schools,  the  latter  being 
a  native  son  of  California.  While  Mr.  Smith  has  never  entered  upon 
the  active  practice  of  his  profession,  he  finds  his  knowledge  of  law  a 
very  valuable  asset,  and  also  that  the  rigid  training  he  underwent  in 
preparation  for  his  calling  one  of  the  main  reasons  for  his  present  suc- 
cess. His  mental  faculties  were  developed,  he  was  taught  to  weigh  care- 
fully every  proposition,  and  not  to  take  anything  for  granted.  He  also 
learned  to  apply  himself  closely  to  any  undertaking,  and  to  persist 
until  he  had  thoroughly  invested  the  matter  from  every  standpoint. 
Because  of  these  excellent  qualities  which  he  possesses,  which  are  both 
natural  and  acquired,  Mr.  Smith  has  not  only  been  able  to  acquire  a 
gratifying  material  prosperity,  but  also  to  win  the  approval  of  his  fellow 
citizens. 

Mrs.  Sarah  Stocker — It  is  often  said  that  whenever  the  occasion 
arises  for  the  services  of  a  great  man  in  this  country,  he  is  raised  up 
to  do  his  appointed  work,  and  if  this  is  true  of  the  sterner  sex,  it  is  is  cer- 


1452      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

tainly  just  as  much  a  fact  with  reference  to  the  women  of  this  land,  and 
especially  of  those  of  the  West.  The  record  of  the  accomplishments 
of  some  of  these  brave  pioneers  reads  like  a  romance,  but  is  founded 
on  hard  facts,  all  of  which  have  been  proven.  Mrs.  Sarah  Stocker  is 
one  of  the  women  of  Big  Bear  Valley  who  deserves  all  of  the  credit 
which  can  be  accorded  her  for  she  came  into  the  valley  in  1899  and 
made  one  of  the  very  earliest  camps  in  this  region.  Her  initial  purchase 
of  one  acre  of  land  for  $300  is  now  worth  more  than  $18,000;  in  fact, 
she  recently  refused  that  figure  for  it.  Her  life  has  been  full  of  hard 
work  and  constant  activity,  and  she  has  the  satisfaction  of  knowing 
that  she  has  accomplished  what  seemed  an  impossibility,  and  did  it  in 
the  face  of  the  most  severe  opposition  from  her  family. 

Mrs.  Stocker  was  born  at  McLeansboro,  Hamilton  County,  Illinois, 
February  22,  1867,  a  daughter  of  Reece  and  Mary  Gullic,  natives  of  Mul- 
linsville,  Kentucky.  On  November  3,  1884,  Mrs.  Stocker  left  Illinois  for 
Redlands,  California,  which  continued  to  be  her  home  until  she  came 
into  Big  Bear  Valley  in  1899.  In  1883  she  was  married  to  James  Mon- 
roe Stocker. 

For  some  years  after  her  marriage  Mrs.  Stocker  devoted  herself  to 
her  husband  and  rapidly  increasing  family,  but  she  saw  that  if  she  and 
her  husband  were  to  carry  out  their  plans  for  the  education  of  their 
children,  they  must  venture  much  in  hope  of  large  rewards.  She  was 
a  woman  of  untiring  strength,  an  excellent  cook,  and  one  who  was  able 
to  look  ahead  and  see  how  to  meet  probable  obstacles  in  an  efficient 
and  successful  manner.  In  spite  of  the  opposition  of  her  husband,  who 
felt  that  he  could  not  permit  her  undertaking  so  serious  a  charge,  she 
came  to  Big  Bear  Valley,  packing  in  with  burros,  and  on  her  acre  of 
ground,  bought  with  her  long-cherished  savings,  she  opened  her  camp. 
At  that  time  there  were  no  stores  or  postoffice,  and  for  two  summers 
there  were  no  hotels.  Her  two  sons,  twelve  and  fourteen  years  old, 
assisted  her  in  packing  in  supplies  over  the  old  Seven  Oaks  trail.  Her 
first  improvement  consisted  of  a  cabin  home  for  her  family  and  numer- 
ous tents,  which  she  rented,  and  she  named  her  camp  Swastika  Lodge. 
Since  that  primitive  beginning  Mrs.  Stocker  has  improved  her  camp, 
building  modern  and  picturesque  cabins,  and  has  now  one  of  the  perma- 
nent camps  of  the  far-famed  valley.  For  the  first  five  years  Mr. 
Stocker  did  not  see  this  property,  he  having  to  remain  at  Redlands  and 
carry  on  his  own  business,  while  she  struggled  with  the  problems  in  Big 
Bear  Valley  during  the  summer  months,  although  during  the  winters 
she  and  the  children  returned  to  Redlands  so  that  they  could  have  the 
advantages  of  its  excellent  public  schools.  Her  camp  is  supplied  with 
pure  mountain  spring  water  and  was  filed  on  many  years  ago  by  Augus- 
tus Knight,  Sr. 

During  the  years  she  has  operated  here  Mrs.  Stocker  has  witnessed 
many  wonderful  changes  which  have  developed  the  wilderness  into  one 
of  the  most  remarkable  mountain  resorts  in  the  whole  world.  When 
she  first  settled  in  her  primitive  cabin,  Bear  Valley  could  only  be  reached 
by  a  difficult  mountain  trail,  but  she  can  now  sit  on  her  front  porch  and 
not  only  see  the  countless  automobiles  flash  by,  but  also  witness  the 
landing  of  passengers  from  airplanes.  She  was  one  of  those  who  saw 
John  Fisher  drive  the  first  automobile  into  camp.  This  remarkable  lady 
has  by  her  foresight,  energy  and  fine  business  ability  provided  generously 
for  the  needs  of  her  family,  her  natural  pluck  triumphing  over  diffi- 
culties which  might  have  well  discouraged  the  hardiest  man,  let  alone 
a  woman,  and  one  who  was  the  mother  of  seven  children.  Many  of 
the  men  who  came  into  the  valley  about  the  same  time  as  she  were  baf- 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1453 

fled  by  the  problems,  and  returned  to  the  outside  world,  but  she  never 
was  discouraged,  and  worked  with  a  firm  faith  in  the  future  of  the  valley, 
and  has  lived  to  see  that  faith  wonderfully  justified.  Without  any  doubt 
she  is  entitled  to  a  leading  position  among  the  really  rine  American 
pioneer  women. 

The  children  born  to  Air.  and  Mrs.  Stocker  were  as  follows:  Wil- 
liam S.,  who  was  born  in  Illinois  in  1883,  died  in  the  Imperial  Valley, 
June  15,  1921.  He  was  a  man  of  sterling  character,  and  his  untimely 
demise  was  deplored  by  his  wide  circle  of  friends  and  business  acquaint- 
ances. John,  the  second  child,  was  born  in  1887  and  was  on  the  firing 
line  in  France  during  the  World  war,  in  which  he  participated  as  a 
member  of  the  First  Division,  and  he  was  in  the  major  engagements 
of  the  offensive  campaigns  of  Chateau  Thierry  and  the  Argonne.  Dur- 
ing the  eighteen  months  he  was  in  France  he  was  wounded  several  times 
before  he  received  his  last  wound,  was  gassed,  and  among  the  missing 
for  a  month,  having  been  injured  from  drinking  water  poisoned  by 
the  enemy.  Found  unconscious,  he  was  taken  to  the  hospital  and 
reported  dead  by  wire  from  France,  but  fortunately  recovered,  was  hon- 
orably discharged  at  San  Francisco  and  returned  to  Redlands,  where  he 
is  now  prospering  in  the  bee  business.  Ila,  the  third  child,  was  born 
at  Redlands  in  1890,  and  she  married  Edward  Reynolds  of  Michigan, 
where  she  and  her  husband  now  reside.  Beverly  was  born  in  Redlands 
in  1893  and  married  Henry  L.  Crane  and  they  live  in  Big  Bear  Valley. 
James  was  born  in  1896.  and  he.  too,  is  a  veteran  of  the  World  war, 
having  enlisted  in  the  famous  Ninety-first  Division  as  a  member  of  the 
Signal  Corps.  He  spent  sixteen  months  overseas  and  was  in  the  heaviest 
of  the  fighting.  His  division  was  the  one  which  was  under  constant 
fire  for  nineteen  days  and  nights,  and  his  duties  as  a  first-class  member 
of  the  Signal  Corps  made  his  risks  extra  hazardous.  Following  his 
return  to  this  country  after  the  signing  of  the  armistice,  he  was  mus- 
tered out  at  Camp  Kearny  and  honorably  discharged.  He  is  now  the 
owner  and  operator  of  the  transfer  business  in  Big  Bear  Valley  and  is 
very  successful.  Rosalie,  the  sixth  child,  was  born  at  Redlands  in  1898 
and  is  a  typical  mountain  girl,  as  she  was  only  one  year  old  when  her 
mother  first  came  to  Big  Bear  Valley.  She  is  expert  at  hunting  and 
fishing  and  is  most  at  home  in  the  open.  With  the  exception  of  Gus 
Knight,  she  was  recognized  to  be  the  best  rifle  shot  in  the  valley  and 
hunted  deer,  climbing  mountains  after  them,  including  the  difficult  Sugar 
Loaf  peak.  She  married  Cecil  Brandenberg  of  Portland,  Oregon,  and 
they  reside  in  Big  Bear  Valley,  he  being  State  Fish  Commissioner  for 
this  region.  Thomas,  the  youngest  of  the  family,  was  born  August  11, 
1910.  He  is  the  only  boy  ever  born  in  Big  Bear  Valley.  He  attends 
school  there  and  has  lived  there  all  his  life,  living  with  his  sister  Rosalie 
during  the  winter  months  and  with  his  mother  during  the  summer  season. 
He  is  a  crack  duck  shot  even  at  his  age  and  is  also  an  expert  snowshoer, 
being  able  to  outdistance  most  anyone  many  years  his  senior.  He  has 
often  walked  six  miles  to  and  from  school  without  a  sign  of  being 
fatigued  and  is  truly  a  hardy  mountaineer. 

Ferdinand  Grotzinger  of  Corona  is  one  of  the  valiant  pioneers  who 
proved  his  fighting  ability  in  early  days  and  likewise  the  ability  to  meet 
and  cope  with  the  conditions  growing  out  of  successive  phases  of  devel- 
opment in  more  later  times.  He  has  prospered  and  deservedly  so,  and 
is  one  of  the  men  of  highest  standing  in  San  Bernardino  County.  His 
home  is  half  a  mile  south  of  the  Jurupa  School  House. 


1454       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

He  was  born  at  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  March  9,  1860,  son  of  George 
and  Mary  Grotzinger.  His  father  was  a  farmer.  Ferdinand  was  an  only 
son,  and  his  mother  dying  when  he  was  two  years  of  age,  he  was  placed 
with  his  grandfather,  a  native  Frenchman,  who  moved  to  Los  Angeles 
in  the  spring  of  1873.  Ferdinand's  grandfather  was  a  cabinet  maker 
and  found  work  in  his  trade  at  Los  Angeles. 

Ferdinand  Grotzinger  left  school  at  the  age  of  fifteen,  soon  after  com- 
ing to  California,  and  from  that  time  forward  fought  his  own  battles  and 
earned  and  saved  his  capital.  He  first  learned  the  butcher's  trade  at 
which  he  worked  three  years  and  for  seven  years  he  was  an  apprentice 
and  journeyman  in  the  carriage  painting  trade  in  Los  Angeles.  None 
of  the  successive  stages  in  the  development  of  this  section  have  escaped 
his  witness.  He  saw  freight  teams  draw  goods  from  San  Pedro  to  Los 
Angeles,  saw  the  first  railroads,  the  building  of  telegraph  lines,  the  first 
street  car,  the  first  theater  and  the  first  circus  ever  in  Los  Angeles.  As  a 
youth  he  accompanied  his  uncle.  Page  Grotzinger,  to  Arizona,  New 
Mexico  and  Sonora,  Mexico.  His  uncle  established  a  large  blacksmith 
shop  at  Tombstone,  Arizona,  and  Ferdinand  worked  under  him.  In 
1884  he  returned  to  California,  locating  on  the  Santa  Ana  River,  where 
he  bought  land  and  leased  many  hundred  acres  besides.  This  was  prac- 
tically all  the  bottom  from  the  Pines  Ranch  East.  Here  he  ran  cattle 
and  sheep  over  a  portion  of  the  Jurupa  ranch  lands  and  he  continued 
his  operations  on  leased  land  up  to  1921.  Mr.  Grotzinger  in  1906  bought 
his  home  ranch  and  also  owns  land  around  Redondo  and  extensive  hold- 
ings of  ranch  properties  in  Riverside  and  Los  Angeles  counties.  He  prac- 
ticed there  farming  and  stock  raising,  and  in  recent  years  has  disposed 
of  most  of  his  holdings  except  his  home  place  and  some  Beach  properties. 
His  ventures  have  proved  profitable,  and  he  has  never  departed  far  from 
his  essential  industry  as  a  farmer  and  stockman. 

In  August,  1884,  Mr.  Grotzinger  married  Miss  Julia  C.  Casteel,  who  was 
born  on  the  Santa  Ana  River.  Her  father,  James  Casteel,  was  a  Mormon, 
and  in  1852  came  from  Salt  Lake  with  the  Mormon  Colony  to  San 
Bernardino.  He  was  a  sheep  and  cattle  man  and  he  died  on  the  Santa 
Ana  River,  where  he  was  a  prominent  pioneer  and  one  of  the  leading 
stock  growers  of  his  time.  His  widow  is  still  living  at  Los  Nietos, 
California.  Mr.  Grotzinger  is  the  father  of  three  children:  Emma,  born 
at  Riverside  in  1885,  was  educated  in  that  city,  and  is  the  wife  of  William 
Huston,  a  machinist  in  the  Borax  mines  of  Death  Valley.  They  have 
a  family  of  three  daughters  and  one  son.  Bert  Grotzinger,  born  in  1887, 
is  unmarried  and  is  now-  continuing  the  farming  and  stock  raising  inter- 
ests of  his  father.  Clarence,  born  in  1889,  is  a  machinist  in  the  Borax 
mines  of  Death  Valley  and  married  Lela  Jones. 

As  a  young  man  in  the  stock  business  Ferdinand  Grotzinger  carried 
a  gun  to  protect  himself  and  his  stock  from  cattle  rustlers  and  thieves. 
Out  of  his  earnings  as  a  trade  worker  he  saved  the  money  to  establish 
his  small  nucleus  of  stock.  Cattle  were  always  cheap  in  those  days. 
He  frequently  bought  good  saddle  horses  at  from  one  dollar  to  two 
dollars  a  head.  In  one  particular  dry  year  he  saw  sheep  sold  on  the 
streets  of  San  Bernardino  for  ten  cents  a  head.  In  1877  Mr.  Grotzinger 
saw  Samuel  Slaughter  start  out  to  take  sixteen  thousand  head  of  sheep 
to  the  range  and  in  the  fall  he  returned  with  only  two  thousand  head, 
and  another  instance  was  Lucky  Baldwin,  who  went  to  the  Bear  Lake 
country  with  twenty-five  thousand  head  and  returned  with  only  six 
thousand.     When  Mr.  Grotzinger  bought  his  present  home  ranch  it  was 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1455 

an  unirrigated  property  and  he  developed  a  well  and  pumping  plant   for 
irrigation  purposes,  and  has  developed  it  extensively  to  fruits  and  alfalfa. 

Otis  Sheldon  was  a  lad  of  eight  years  when  his  parents  established 
the  family  home  at  Riverside,  and  when  it  is  stated  that  here  lie  has 
maintained  his  residence  during  the  long  intervening  period  of  half 
a  century  it  becomes  at  once  apparent  that  it  has  been  his  privilege  to 
see  the  county  seat  of  Riverside  County  grow  from  a  mere  village 
into  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and  prosperous  communities  in  south- 
ern California,  besides  having  witnessed  the  transformation  of  acres  of 
barren  sage-brush  land  into  productive  orange  groves  and  fertile  lit- 
tle farms  that  are  improved  with  modern  buildings  and  that  go  to 
makeup  a  district  of  idyllic  charms  as  well  as  of  industrial  prosperity. 

Elisha  M.  Sheldon,  father  of  him,  whose  name  initiates  this  review, 
was  born  in  the  state  of  Vermont  and  was  a  scion  of  a  staunch  New 
England  Colonial  family  of  English  origin — one  that  gave  its  quota 
of  patriot  soldiers  to  the  Continental  forces  of  the  War  of  the  Revo- 
lution. The  marriage  of  Elisha  M.  Sheldon  and  Eliza  Mary  Sharp 
was  solemnized  in  the  state  of  New  York,  of  which  Mrs.  Sheldon 
was  a  native  daughter,  she  having  been  of  Scotch  lineage  and  of 
Revolutionary  ancestry  and  one  of  her  grandfathers  having  been 
prominent  in  connection  with  American  trade  in  Europe.  Elisha  M. 
Sheldon  became  a  manufacturer  of  brick  in  the  state  of  New  York. 
where  he  continued  his  residence  until  1872,  on  the  11th  of  Decem- 
ber of  which  year  he  arrived  with  his  family  in  Riverside,  California. 
Here  he  established,  on  Colton  Avenue,  now  known  as  La  Cadena 
Drive,  the  first  brickyard  in  Riverside  County,  where  he  had  the  dis- 
tinction of  manufacturing  the  first  building  brick  issued  from  a  local 
kiln.  He  continued  his  successful  operations  as  a  brick  manufac- 
turer and  building  contractor  during  the  remainder  of  his  active  ca- 
reer, and  erected  many  of  the  more  important  brick  buildings  in 
Riverside,  including  the  Grant  Schoolhouse,  the  Loring  Building, 
the  Riverside  Hotel  on  the  corner  of  Main  and  Eighth  streets,  and 
the  Frederick  Building.  He  was  one  of  the  progressive  and  public- 
spirited  citizens  who  aided  much  in  the  civic  and  material  develop- 
ment and  upbuilding  of  Riverside,  and  his  ability  and  sterling  char- 
acter gave  him  inviolable  place  in  popular  confidence  and  good  will. 
He  and  his  wife  were  zealous  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  and  he  erected  for  the  Methodist  Church  its  first  brick  chapel 
at  Riverside,  charging  only  for  the  material  used  in  the  structure, 
and  finally  donating  even  the  material.  He  became  the  owner  of  160 
acres  of  land  at  Riverside,  and  this  property,  which  greatly  increased 
in  value  in  the  passing  years,  was  divided  among  his  four  children 
at  the  time  of  his  death,  in  accordance  with  the  stipulations  he 
had  made.  He  was  the  owner  also  of  a  number  of  business  buildings 
and  other  realty  in  Riverside,  and  though  he  was  not  active  in  poli- 
tics and  steadfastly  refused  all  importunities  to  accept  public  office, 
he  wielded  much  influence  in  community  affairs  and  was  one  of  the 
representative  and  honored  pioneer  citizens  of  Riverside  at  the  time 
of  his  death.  September  7,  1891,  his  widow  having  survived  him  by 
only  two  years  and  having  passed  to  the  life  eternal  on  the  l'th  of 
September,  1803. 

(His  Sheldon  gained  rudimentary  educational  discipline  in  his 
native  state  of  New  York,  but,  as  before  noted,  he  was  eight  years 
of  age  at  the  time  of  the  family  removal  to  Riverside,  his  birth  hav- 
ing occurred  in  Xew  York  state  on  the  id  of  July,  1864.     He  profited 


1456       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

by  the  advantages  of  the  public  schools  of  Riverside,  and  thereafter 
became  actively  associated  with  his  father's  brick  manufacturing  and 
contracting  operations.  He  was  twenty-two  years  of  age  at  the  time 
of  his  marriage,  and  has  since  been  actively  and  successfully  asso- 
ciated with  farm  industry  of  the  intensive  order  common  to  this  sec- 
tion of  California.  His  home  place  of  thirteen  acres,  on  Massachu- 
setts avenue,  was  originally  given  over  to  an  orange  grove,  but  he 
now  uses  the  tract  primarily  for  the  raising  of  alfalfa.  On  this  tract, 
at  113  Massachusetts  avenue,  Mr.  Sheldon  erected  the  finest  farm 
house  in  this  district,  the  same  being  a  brick  building  of  two  stories 
and  of  modern  facilities.  He  is  aligned  loyally  in  the  ranks  of  the 
republican  party,  and  he  is  recording  secretary  of  the  local  organiza- 
tion of  the  Foresters  of  America. 

At  San  Bernardino,  in  June,  1886,  Mr.  Sheldon  wedded  Miss  Alice 
Dunlap,  and  she  is  survived  by  two  children:  Edward,  who  is  a  ma- 
son by  trade  and  vocation,  resides  at  Riverside,  his  wife,  who.-e 
maiden  name  was  Electa  Fields,  being  a  native  of  Massachusetts, 
and  their  children  being  three  in  number :  Joseph,  Warren  and  Helen. 
Lois,  the  younger  of  the  two  children.Js  the  widow  of  Charles  Doak 
and  now  resides  at  Pasadena.  She  ha"s  three  children  :  Lola,  Russell 
and  Richard.  The  second  marriage  of  Mr.  Sheldon  was  solemnized 
at  San  Diego,  where  Minnie  M.  Zimmerman  became  his  wife,  she 
being  a  native  of  the  state  of  Missouri.  Mr.  Sheldon's  brother,  Ezra, 
is  a  successful  contractor  at  Riverside.  The  brother  Frederick  is  de- 
ceased, as  is  also  the  sister,  Lois,  who  became  the  wife  of  John  Down, 
the  latter  likewise  being  deceased. 

Edward  Dolch. — As  a  participant  in  the  frontier  development  of 
Southern  California  for  forty  years,  Edward  Dolch,  of  Yictorville. 
bears  witness  to  the  history  of  that  and  other  localities,  and  has  been 
one  of  the  steadiest,  truest  and  best  esteemed  citizens  of  San  Bern- 
ardino County. 

He  is  the  oldest  son  of  Joseph  and  Caroline  (Pelzolo)  Dolch  and 
was  born  in  Silesia,  a  portion  of  the  German  Empire,  on  December 
23,  1860.  His  father  was  a  farmer.  Up  to  the  age  of  fourteen  he 
attended  the  common  schools  of  his  native  land,  and  then  left  home 
to  begin  his  apprenticeship  as  a  barber  and  surgeon.  It  was  still 
customary  in  Silesia  for  a  barber  to  perform  the  principal  service  of 
the  surgeon — blood  letting — true  to  a  tradition  running  back  to  un- 
known times. 

At  the  age  of  nineteen  Mr.  Dolch  was  compelled  to  begin  his 
army  service  for  a  period  of  three  years.  After  he  had  been  in  the 
army  about  two  years  an  opportunity  was  presented  to  escape  across 
Holland  border,  and  he  accepted  it  and  came  to  America.  In  Silesia 
he  had  been  vice-president  of  a  local  organization  known  as  the  Coli- 
zota  Company  to  promote  immigration  to  America.  This  was  a 
scheme  for  projecting  a  colony  in  Benton  County,  Arkansas.  On 
reaching  America  Mr.  Dolch  went  to  the  city  of  this  colonial  enter- 
prise in  1882,  and  soon  discovered  that  conditions  were  far  from  what 
they  had  been  presented  to  his  fellow  countrymen  back  home.  He 
took  effective  measures  to  break  up  this  fraudulent  scheme,  and  thus 
saved  many  of  his  compatriots  from  further  losses. 

Mr.  Dolch  spent  some  time  in  Little  Rock  and  then  at  Atkins  in 
Cook  County,  Arkansas,  where  he  was  in  the  grocery  business.  The 
Arkansas  climate  afflicted  him  with  malaria  fever,  and  in  1885  he 
had  to  come  to  California  for  the  sake  of  his  health.     He  lived  at  Los 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1457 

Angeles  a  year  or  so,  and  not  finding  his  health  restored  as  rapidly 
as  expected  in  1887  he  bought  some  mules  and  wagon  and  started 
for  the  desert  country.  He  stopped  where  Hesperia  now  stands,  and 
settled  on  the  first  ranch  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  west  of  the 
townsite.  This  was  all  desert  and  wild  land,  and  for  a  time  he  had  to  haul 
his  domestic  water  supply  eight  miles  from  Victorville.  He  planted  and 
developed  a  splendid  orchard  of  deciduous  fruits  without  irrigation.  It 
was  an  experiment,  but  it  demonstrated  the  possibilities  of  the  country. 
While  at  Hesperia  he  was  overtaken  with  two  successive  dry  years,  the 
total  rain  fall  of  those  two  seasons  being  only  one  inch.  On  this  account 
he  was  compelled  to  abandon  his  land,  which  he  later  traded,  and  moving 
to  Victorville  he  engaged  in  mercantile  business  in  the  old  town  across  the 
tracks.  He  bought  the  business  of  Strickhouser,  who  was  the  first  mer- 
chant and  postmaster  there,  he  being  the  second  postmaster.  He  served 
five  years  during  the  Cleveland  administration.  Selling  out  his  store  inter- 
est in  1900,  Mr.  Dolch  went  to  Gold  Mountain,  then  the  scene  of  a  great 
mining  excitement,  and  there  he  established  a  general  store.  This 
mining  camp  went  to  pieces  in  1905,  and  he  left  there  after  losing 
over  seven  thousand  dollars.  On  returning  to  Victorville  he  turned 
his  attention  to  the  improvement  of  some  lots  and  other  property 
which  he  had  previously  acquired,  and  since  then  his  property  and 
business  interests  have  been  in  and  around  Victorville.  He  has  some 
substantial  investments  in  city  property,  and  has  developed  a  ranch 
of  thirty-two  acres  adjoining  the  farm,  purchasing  the  land  at  a  hun- 
dred and  twenty-five  dollars  an  acre  and  it  is  now  one  of  the  finest 
ranches  in  the  valley.  The  old  Mormon  trail  crosses  the  land,  and 
in  the  process  of  clearing  many  old  muskets  were  unearthed,  these 
being  relics  of  the  early  conflict  between  the  Indians  and  Mormons. 

In  1896  Mr.  Dolch  married  Miss  Elizabeth  Greenlee,  a  native  of 
Indianapolis,  Indiana,  and  daughter  of  James  and  Catherine  Green- 
lee. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dolch  have  one  son,  Edward  G.  Dolch,  who  was 
born  February  13,  1898,  at  Cambric  City,  Indiana.  He  is  a  graduate 
of  the  Victorville  Grammar  School,  and  of  the  San  Luis  Obispo  Poly- 
technic. While  under  age,  he  attempted  to  enlist  at  the  time  of  the 
World  war,  but  about  the  time  of  his  enlistment  he  was  stricken 
with  the  influenza  and  pneumonia  and  was  rejected.  He  then  re- 
turned to  his  father's  ranch  and  began  raising  food  for  his  country. 

Edward  Dolch  immediately  after  reaching  America  took  out 
citizenship  papers,  and  his  record  as  an  American  citizen  is  one  of 
which  he  may  be  justly  proud.  He  was  originally  a  democrat  in 
politics,  but  is  now  a  republican,  and  has  always  been  a  keen  student 
of  politics  and  public  affairs  and  greatly  deplores  extravagance  and 
waste  of  public  funds  by  Governmental  authority.  He  still  has  some 
holding  in  mining  claims.  Mr.  Dolch  was  the  first  constable  in  the 
Hesperia  District,  was  made  a  deputy  sheriff  under  Sheriff  Booth, 
and  he  served  twelve  years  as  constable  of  Victorville.  At  one  time 
this  was  the  toughest  town  in  the  state,  due  to  the  presence  of  many 
Indians,  Mexicans  and  the  unlimited  use  of  booze  and  guns.  (  >ne 
of  the  frequent  occurrences  was  a  party  of  Indians  getting  drunk  and 
engaging  in  a  free  fight  among  themselves.  One  night  in  his  official 
capacity  Mr.  Dolch  had  to  take  six  wounded  Indians  to  a  hospital. 
When  America  entered  the  World  war  he  volunteered  for  active 
service,  but  was  rejected  on  account  of  his  age.  However,  he  was  as- 
signed to  local  guard  duty,  and  of  twenty-five  men  selected  for  such 
service  he  was  the  only  one  to  remain  faithful  throughout  tin-  period 
of  the  war.     His  duty  was  as  guard  of  the  Santa  Fe  Railroad  Bridge 


1458       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

over  the  Mojave  River.  While  he  was  living  in  Los  Angeles  Mr. 
Dolch  served  as  a  corporal  in  the  California  National  Guards,  dur- 
ing 1885-87. 

Charles  Franklin  Smith  was  educated  as  a  sanitary  engineer,  but 
about  eighteen  years  ago  retired  from  that  profession  and  became 
an  orange  grower  in  the  Redlands  District.  He  is  one  of  the  success- 
ful horticulturists  of  San  Bernardino  County  and  also  a  citizen  whose 
influence  is  constantly  directed  to  the  larger  welfare  and  prosperity 
of  this  section. 

Mr.  Smith  represents  a  prominent  family  and  is  a  son  of  the  late 
Brigadier  General  Franklin  Guest  Smith,  who  had  a  distinguished 
career  as  an  American  soldier.  General  Smith  was  born  in  Pennsyl- 
vania February  16,  1840,  and  died  at  the  City  of  Washington  October 
7,  1912.  He  was  a  son  of  Dr.  Franklin  R.  and  Mary  (Guest)  Smith, 
his  father  being  a  physician.  General  Smith  graduated  a  civil  engi- 
neer from  the  Rensselaer  Polytechnic  Institute  in  1859,  and  for  a 
brief  time  was  private  secretary  to  the  general  superintendent  of  the 
Ohio  &  Mississippi  Railroad.  In  the  spring  of  1861  he  was  appointed 
private  secretary  to  Major  General  George  B.  McClellan,  and  in  Au- 
gust of  that  year  was  appointed  a  second  lieutenant  in  the  Fourth 
United  States  Artillery  and  subsequently  as  first  lieutenant  served 
with  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland  until  the  close  of  the  war.  He  re- 
mained in  the  regular  army,  with  promotions  at  regular  intervals, 
participated  in  Indian  campaigns  against  the  Sioux  and  Cheyenne 
tribes,  was  in  the  campaign  against  the  Apaches  in  1881  and  in  the 
spring  of  1898  was  promoted  to  lieutenant  colonel  of  the  Sixth  Artil- 
lery and  served  as  an  artillery  inspector  in  the  Department  of  the 
South.  He  was  promoted  to  brigadier  general  in  August,  1903,  and 
the  following  day  was  retired  from  active  service.  For  a  number  of 
years  he  was  commissioner  and  secretary  of  the  Chickamauga  and 
"Chattanooga  National  Park  Commission,  and  instrumental  in  plan- 
ning that  great  national  cemetery.  His  own  monument  was  erected 
there  during  his  lifetime  as  a  tribute  to  his  distinguished  service. 
General  Smith  married.  February  8,  1866,  Frances  L.  Dauchy.  of 
Troy,  New  York.  In  1881  he  married  Georgiana  Dauchy  of  San 
Francisco.  General  Smith's  uncle,  Charles  E.  Smith,  was  president 
of  the  Philadelphia  &  Reading  Railroad  during  the  Civil  war  and  led 
a  most  active  life.  T.  Guilford  Smith,  of  Buffalo,  New  York,  Gen- 
eral Smith's  first  cousin,  represented  the  Carnegie  Steel  Company 
there,  and  his  life  is  a  matter  of  public  record. 

A  son  of  his  father's  first  marriage,  Charles  Franklin  Smith,  was 
born  at  Fort  Canby,  Washington  Territory,  August  13,  1874.  He 
was  educated  largely  in  the  East,  and  received  his  training  as  a  sani- 
tary engineer  in  the  Massachusetts  Institute  of  Technology.  In  1903 
Mr.  Smith  came  to  California  and  located  at  Crafton,  where  he  bought 
a  ten-acre  orange  grove  on  Citrus  Avenue.  This  has  been  his  home 
ever  since.  He  erected  a  modern  home  in  the  midst  of  the  many 
duties  of  this  particular  location,  and  besides  being  a  fruit  grower 
he  is  active  in  business  as  a  real  estate  man  at  Redlands.  Prior  to 
coming  to  California  he  was  employed  by  the  Coast  and  Geodetic 
Survey  in  Virginia,  by  the  U.  S.  Engineers  on  the  fortifications  in 
Portland,  Maine,  and  by  the  New  York  Car  Wheel  Company  in  Buf- 
falo, New  York.  Since  coming  to  Redlands  he  have  been  secretary  of 
the  Crafton  Orange  Growers  Association,  president  of  the  Crafton 
Fumigation   Association,   associated   with   H.   W.   Hill,   of   Redlands, 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1459 

California,  in  the  Redlands  Automobile  Company  and  when  this  lat- 
ter business  was  sold  he  entered  into  the  real  estate  business. 

July  11,  1907,  he  married  Miss  Marjorie  Vail  Fargo,  who  was  born 
June  16,  1886,  at  Lake  Mills,  Wisconsin,  daughter  of  I.  Latimer 
Fargo.  Her  father  was  an  able  scholar  and  his  great  uncle  was  one 
of  the  founders  of  Wells  Fargo  Express  Company.  Miss  Marjorie 
Fargo  came  to  California  with  her  parents  in  1899.  She  completed 
her  education  in  the  exclusive  Girls  School  at  Boston,  conducted  by 
Miss  Church.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith  have  three  sons:  Franklin  Guest, 
born  September  8,  1908 ;  Latimer  Fargo,  born  December  16,  1909 ; 
and  Rodney  Dauchy,  born  October  18,  1913.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith 
are  members  of  the  Episcopal  Church,  the  Country  Club,  and  both 
were  prominent  in  local  war  work.  Air.  Smith  organized  and  was 
president  of  the  local  Rifle  Club  and  also  organized  and  was  drill 
master  of  the  Home  Guards.  He  has  a  button  recognition  of  his 
skill  as  an  expert  rifleman.  During  the  late  war  he  applied  twice  for 
military  sen  ice,  but  owing  to  a  slight  lameness  was  not  accepted. 

George  Washington  Penn  is  one  of  the  oldest  residents  in  the 
Victorville  community  of  San  Bernardino  County.  He  came  here 
nearly  forty  years  ago,  when  there  were  only  one  or  two  houses  in 
the  village.  His  previous  experience  as  a  quarryman  brought  him 
here,  and  his  productive  work  has  been  largely  in  the  granite  quar- 
ries. The  name  and  activities  of  this  old  pioneer  have  always  been 
associated  with  sterling  traits  of  character. 

He  represents  the  old  Quaker  stock  that  originally  planted  the 
Pennsylvania  colony,  and  William  Penn  was  his  great-great-grand- 
father. His  grandparents  were  natives  of  Virginia,  and  his  parents 
were  born  at  Alexandria,  that  state. 

George  Washington  Penn  was  born  at  Cumberland,  Maryland, 
February  5,  1857,  and  was  the  only  one  of  twelve  children  born  there 
ten  being  natives  of  Virginia,  while  the  youngest  was  born  in  Wash- 
ington, D.  C.  Their  parents  were  William  T.  and  Rebecca  Ann 
(Simmons)  Penn.  His  father  was  a  cabinet  maker,  and  in  later  years 
worked  at  this  trade.  He  had  been  one  of  the  very  prosperous  farm- 
ers and  planters  of  old  Virginia,  and  when  the  Civil  war  came  on  he 
was  worth  twenty-five  thousand  dollars.  He  was  a  staunch  Union 
man,  all  his  holdings  were  in  the  South,  and  they  were  confiscated 
by  the  Confederate  government,  so  that  he  was  financially  ruined. 
He  died  at  Cumberland.  Maryland,  in  1865,  at  the  close  of  the  war. 
and  his  wife  died  two  years  later.  Four  of  the  oldest  sons  enlisted 
and  served  in  the  Federal  Army. 

George  Washington  Penn  was  about  eight  years  old  when  his 
father  died,  for  several  years  he  lived  on  a  farm  in  Pennsylvania,  and 
all  his  schooling  did  not  take  any  more  than  six  months.  At  the  age 
of  twenty  he  left  Pennsylvania,  going  to  old  friends  in  Iowa,  in  which 
state  he  was  led  to  believe  there  Mere  better  chances  for  a  young 
man.  Mr.  Penn  was  a  resident  of  Iowa  for  seven  years,  and  at  the 
age  of  twenty-seven  he  went  on  to  the  Northwest  of  Portland,  Ore- 
gon, and  in  the  fall  of  1884  arrived  in  San  Francisco,  making  the 
journey  by  way  of  steamboat  in  the  absence  of  any  railroad  between 
Portland  and  San  Francisco.  He  was  employed  and  worked  at  Oak- 
land until  1886.  and  in  that  year  came  to  Victorville  through  the  in- 
fluence of  friends,  who  requested  that  he  come  a-  an  expert  to  super- 
vise the  work  of  the  marble  quarries  where  an  attempt  was  being 
made  to  burn  lime.      He  had  become  proficient    in   such  operation-   in 


1460       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

Pennsylvania.  Within  two  months  the  concern  failed,  and  he  had  to 
seek  other  opportunities.  At  that  time  there  were  only  three  houses 
at  Victorville,  one  of  them  being  the  stage  station,  since  destroyed 
by  fire,  a  brick  house,  and  the  Southern  California  section  house. 
After  the  failure  of  the  lime  burning  operation  Mr.  Penn  went  four 
miles  below  town  to  the  old  Turner  ranch,  where  he  remained  four 
years,  doing  general  work  in  the  improvement  of  the  property.  For 
fifteen  years  he  was  quarryman  in  the  granite  quarries.  He  has 
quarried  material  for  many  of  California's  prominent  public  works 
and  buildings.  One  example  of  the  dimension  of  materials  quarried 
in  the  Victorville  district  by  Mr.  Penn  were  the  great  levelers  used 
in  the  construction  of  the  foundation  for  the  dome  of  the  Union 
Ferry  Building  at  San  Francisco.  There  were  forty-four  of  these 
levelers,  6x6x1  feet,  twenty-two  4x4x1  feet,  and  four  of  the  dimensions 
8x8x2  feet,  the  last  weighing  twelve  tons.  A  large  part  of  the  pav- 
ing blocks  used  in  various  Southern  California  cities  were  produced 
in  these  quarries.  Mr.  Penn  quarried  all  the  granite  used  in  the  New 
Court  House  building  at  San  Bernardino  and  the  granite  platforms 
and  steps  in  the  New  Court  House  at  Bakersfield.  When  he  came  to 
this  part  of  San  Bernardino  County  the  largest  alfalfa  tract  in  the 
valley  was  five  acres.  He  has  lived  here,  has  seen  the  country  grow 
and  develop,  and  has  served  in  the  work  and  the  consequent  pros- 
perity. 

On  November  4,  1891,  he  married  Miss  Elizabeth  Agnes  Leahy, 
who  was  born  in  Massachusetts  in  1866.  Five  children  were  born  of 
their  marriage,  all  being  natives  of  Victorville.  Ethel  May,  born 
November  21,  1892,  is  the  wife  of  Wilson  Herrington,  and  they  live 
at  Sierra  Madre,  California,  their  three  children  being  Wilson,  Jr., 
Dorothy  and  Dorris.  The  second  child,  Mary  J.  Penn,  born  October 
3,  1894,  died  November  5,  1895.  The  third  child,  Myron  C.  Penn, 
born  February  17,  1896,  is  unmarried  and  is  agent  for  the  Santa  Fe 
Railroad,  now  located  at  Hesperia.  Elizabeth  A.,  born  August  8, 
1899,  is  the  wife  of  Walter  Wechlo.  William  Henry  Penn,  the  young- 
est of  the  family  and  still  a  boy,  was  born  November  27,  1903. 

George  F.  Herrick,  who  passed  away  January  3,  1922,  was  a  leading 
orange  grower  of  Riverside  County.  He  started  out  to  be  a  railroad 
man,  and  made  encouraging  advancement  and  progress  in  that  line. 
However,  he  was  convinced  that  he  was  a  natural  born  farmer,  and  it 
was  his  good  fortune  many  years  ago  to  realize  his  special  adaptabil- 
ity for  that  role,  and  during  his  life  in  California  of  a  third  of  a  cen- 
tury his  activities  had  been  identified  in  an  increasing  degree  with 
horticulture  and  practical  farming. 

Mr.  Herrick  was  one  of  Riverside's  most  popular  citizens.  Born 
at  Milton,  Vermont,  July  29,  1851,  he  represented  some  sturdy  lines 
of  old  American  and  New  England  family  stock.  His  parents  were 
Phineas  and  Emily  (Mears)  Herrick,  both  natives  of  Vermont.  His 
mother  was  of  English  descent,  while  the  Herrick  name  runs  back 
in  genealogical  record  to  Eric  the  Red  of  Denmark.  Phineas  Her- 
rick was  a  Vermont  farmer  and  a  man  of  character  in  keeping  with 
the  rugged  hills  of  the  state.  He  was  a  deacon  in  the  Congregational 
Church  and  superintendent  of  its  Sunday  School  many  years,  and 
held  such  posts  as  selectman,  school  trustee  and  town  liquor  agent  at 
Milton.  His  son,  Edgar  E.  Herrick,  had  a  notable  record  as  a  sol- 
dier of  the  Union.  He  enlisted  in  Company  I  of  the  Sixth  Vermont 
Volunteers   in   the   fall   of   1861,   served   three  vears   and   then   re-en- 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1461 

listed.  Going  out  as  a  private,  he  returned  a  lieutenant.  He  partic- 
ipated in  forty  engagements.  His  first  promotion  was  a  reward  for 
having  rescued  the  colors  at  Fredericksburg  Heights,  and  he  was 
given  the  honor  of  bearing  those  colors  for  the  regiment.  Still  an- 
other son,  E.  Dwight  Herrick,  came  across  the  Isthmus  of  Panama 
to  California  in  1853,  and  in  later  years  was  associated  with  the  rail- 
way postal  service  on  the  Union  Pacific  lines  between  San  Francisco 
and  Ogden.  The  soldier,  Edgar  E.  Herrick,  died  at  Dayton,  Ohio, 
in  1920.  Two  others  of  the  family  survive:  Stephen  H.  Herrick,  of 
Rockford,  Illinois;  and  Charlotte  E.,  wife  of  Richard  Corey,  of  Santa 
Barbara,  California. 

George  F.  Herrick  acquired  a  public  school  education  and  took  a 
special  course  in  railroad  telegraphy  and  railroad  work  at  Oberlin, 
Ohio.  For  twelve  years  he  was  connected  with  Vermont  railroads 
in  telegraph  and  office  work,  and  then  returned  to  the  calling  with 
which  he  had  been  made  familiar  as  a  boy  on  the  Vermont  homestead. 
In  Vermont  he  rented  his  farm  for  three  years.  In  December,  1887, 
he  arrived  in  California,  followed  by  his  family  two  years  later. 
Making  his  home  at  Riverside,  he  employed  his  talents  as  a  mechanic 
at  house  building  the  first  year,  and  then  went  into  orchard  work,  a 
line  of  which  an  experience  of  nearly  thirty  years  gave  him  expert 
and  authoritative  knowledge.  His  first  purchase  was  five  acres  on 
Ottawa  Street.  He  also  bought  a  half  interest  in  ten  acres  at  702 
Chicago  Avenue,  where  he  later  had  his  home.  He  was  one  of  the 
staunch  and  sturdy  members  of  his  local  fruit  exchange  after  it  was 
organized,  shipping  through  Riverside  Heights  Packing  House  No.  10. 

In  1893  Mr.  Herrick  was  called  upon  to  act  as  secretary  of  the 
Riverside  Y.  M.  C.  A.  He  held  that  office  eighteen  months,  keeping 
up  his  ranch  work  with  the  aid  of  a  hired  man.  Largely  through  his 
influence  he  kept  the  association  together  when  it  was  almost  mori- 
bund. He  issued  a  magazine  known  as  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  News  as  a 
proper  means  of  publicity  and  for  the  purpose  of  arousing  interest  in 
the  movement.  Just  at  that  time  a  beginning  was  made  in  organiz- 
ing the  athletic  side  of  the  association,  and  altogether  Mr.  Herrick 
may  be  said  to  have  laid  some  of  the  sound  foundations  on  which  the 
association  rests  its  prosperity  and  influence  today.  While  he  was 
secretary  the  president  of  the  association  was  Mr.  A.  A.  Adair. 

Thus  various  interests  from  time  to  time  have  enlisted  his  time 
and  means.  He  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  camp  of  the  Wood- 
men of  the  World,  which  later  consolidated  with  the  lodge  of  which 
he  was  a  member  and  past  consul.  He  was  a  charter  member  of  the 
Knights  of  the  Maccabees  and  on  the  Official  Board,  and  for  a  num- 
ber of  years  was  trustee  of  the  Grace  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
also  leader  of  the  choir  and  always  much  interested  in  the  musical 
activities  of  the  church.  In  earlier  years  he  was  identified  witli  the 
Congregational  Church  and  was  clerk  for  eleven  years. 

On  September  27,  1874,  at  Cambridge.  Vermont.  Mr.  Herrick 
married  Miss  Susie  E.  Tyler.  She  is  a  native  of  Vermont,  daughter 
of  Frederick  Tyler,  a  farmer.  Mrs.  Herrick  is  descended  from  a  long 
line  of  New  England  ancestors,  and  one  branch  of  the  family  in- 
cluded President  Tyler.  Mrs.  Herrick.  who  died  in  1920,  was  the 
mother  of  live  children.  Charlc>  \\\,  the  oldest,  a  native  of  West- 
minster, Vermont,  has  been  in  the  railwaj  mail  service  lor  over 
twenty  years,  now  on  the  Santa  Fe  running  between  Los  \ngele? 
and  San  Diecro.  He  married  Emma  Shephard,  a  native  of  the  State 
of  Maine,  and  their  five  children  are  Robert  \\\,  Florence  E.,  Walter 


1462      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

L.  and  Martha  E.  and  Margaret  E.,  twins.  The  second  son  of  George 
F.  Herrick,  Walter  L.  Herrick,  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-two,  and 
the  third  child,  Bessie  M.,  died  in  infancy.  Frederick  T.  Herrick,  the 
third  son,  who  was  for  four  years  physical  director  of  the  Riverside 
Y.  M.  C.  A.,  and  has  always  been  actively  interested  in  church  af- 
fairs, is  now  connected  with  the  Standard  Oil  Company  at  San  Fran- 
cisco. He  was  born  at  Westminster,  Vermont,  and  by  his  marriage 
to  Miss  Marian  Gates  of  Berkeley  has  a  daughter,  Dorothy  M.  The 
youngest  of  the  family  is  George  W.  Herrick,  who  was  born  at 
Windsor,  Vermont,  and  is  in  the  dairy  business  at  Riverside.  His 
wife  is  Ethel  Long,  of  Riverside,  and  they  have  a  son,  Albert  E.,  and 
a  daughter,  Helen  Leota. 

Howard  Sprague  Reed,  Ph.D.,  has  given  his  life  to  study  and  re- 
searches and  the  scientific  application  of  the  principles  of  plant  physiology, 
and  for  the  past  six  years  has  rendered  many  important  services  to 
the  citrus  industry  of  Southern  California  in  his  position  as  professor 
of  plant  physiology  at  the  Riverside  Citrus   Experiment  Station. 

Dr.  Reed  was  born  at  North  East,  Pennsylvania,  a  section  famous 
for  its  grape  industry,  on  August  6,  1876,  son  of  Joseph  H.  and  Emma 
Gertrude  (Sprague)  Reed.  His  father,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  is 
an  extensive  farm  owner  in  Erie  County,  owns  and  conducts  two 
large  farms,  and  has  also  enjoyed  an  influential  place  in  the  commu- 
nity for  many  years.  He  has  served  as  burgess,  as  town  clerk  and 
county  auditor.  He  is  of  Scotch-Irish  ancestry,  and  one  of  his  an- 
cestors, Colonel  Joseph  Reed,  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary 
war.  Dr.  Reed's  mother  was  born  in  New  York  State  and  is  now- 
deceased.  Her  people  on  coming  from  England  settled  in  Connecticut 
in  Colonial  times. 

Howard  Sprague  Reed  as  a  boy  attended  the  grammar  and  high 
schools  of  North  East  and  subsequently  entered  the  University  of 
Michigan,  where  he  was  graduated  A.B.  in  1903.  As  a  youth  his 
inclinations  led  him  to  an  enthusiastic  study  of  botany,  and  while 
carrying  his  classical  studies  at  the  University  he  served  as  assistant 
in  plant  physiology  from  1899  to  1903.  From  1903  to  1906  he  was 
instructor  in  botany  at  the  University  of  Missouri,  and  at  the  same 
time  was  doing  his  advanced  work  in  science  which  earned  him  the 
degree  Doctor  of  Philosophy  from  the  University  of  Missouri  in 
1907.  From  1906  to  1908  he  was  expert  in  soil  fertility  for  the  Bu- 
reau of  Soils  of  the  United  States  Department  of  Agriculture.  Dr. 
Reed  was  Professor  of  Mycology  and  Bacteriology  at  the  Virginia 
Polytechnic  Institute  and  also  Plant  Pathologist  of  the  Virginia 
Agricultural  Experiment  Station  from  1908  to  1915.  While  thus  en- 
gaged he  obtained  a  leave  of  absence  and  went  abroad  during  1913, 
studying  plant  chemistry  at  the  University  of  Strasburg,  Alsace, 
France,  and  Naples,  Italy,  where  his  investigations  in  plant  physiol- 
ogy were  chiefly  conducted  on  marine  plants.  Much  of  the  material 
he  collected  for  his  studies  came  from  a  grotto  on  the  Bay  of  Poz- 
zuoli,  a  grotto  mentioned  in  Virgil's  writings,  and  also  near  the  town 
of  Pozzuoli,  where  Saint  Paul  landed  after  his  shipwreck  on  his  jour- 
ney to  Rome. 

Dr.  Reed  was  appointed  professor  of  plant  physiology  with  the 
University  of  California  and  assigned  to  his  duties  with  the  Riverside 
Citrus  Experiment  Station  in  July,  1915.  He  is  an  authority  of  na- 
tional reputation  in  his  chosen  field.  His  manual  of  Bacteriology, 
published  in  ln14,  is  one  of  the  leading  text  books  <>n  that  subject  in 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1463 

use  in  agricultural  colleges.  He  has  written  many  other  articles  on 
plant  physiology  and  plant  pathology,  published  as  bulletins  or  in 
scientific  periodicals. 

Dr.  Reed  was  a  delegate  to  and  attended  the  Tenth  International 
Congress  of  Agriculture  at  Ghent,  Belgium.  He  is  a  Fellow  of  the 
American  Association  for  the  Advancement  of  Science,  is  a  member 
of  the  American  Botanical  Society,  a  member  of  the  American  So- 
ciety of  Biological  Chemists,  the  Phytopathological  Society  and  presi- 
dent of  its  Pacific  Division  and  past  president  of  the  San  Jacinto 
section  of  the  Western  Society  of  Naturalists.  Dr.  Reed  has  also 
thoroughly  interested  himself  in  local  affairs  at  Riverside  and  is  a 
member  of  the  City  Park  Board.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Sigma  Xi 
scientific  fraternity,  a  republican,  a  member  of  the  Calvary  Presby- 
terian Church  and  the  Kiwanis  Club  of  Riverside.  August  17,  1904, 
he  married  Mary  Hannah  Dewey,  of  Owosso,  Michigan,  in  which 
state  she  was  born.  Her  father,  George  M.  Dewey,  was  for  many 
years  prominent  in  Michigan  newspaper  affairs.  Her  father  is  a 
first  cousin  of  Admiral  George  Dewey.  Mrs.  Reed  is  a  member  of 
the  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution. 

During  the  winter  of  1921-22,  Dr.  Reed  visited  Mexico.  Costa 
Rica,  Panama,  Jamaica  and  Cuba,  studying  the  plants  and  fruits  of 
those  countries.  The  trip  was  one  of  intense  interest,  and  brought 
him  in  contact  with  many  new  phases  of  the  fruit  industry. . 

George  H.  Longmire  was  born  in  Washington  County,  Tennessee, 
September  27,  1869,  and  the  following  spring  his  parents,  William 
and  Julia  (Brown)  Longmire,  moved  to  Kansas.  His  father  was  of 
German  descent  and  his  mother  of  an  English  family,  both  were  born 
in  Tennessee  and  both  are  now  deceased.  His  father  spent  his  active 
life  as  a  farmer.  George  attended  public  schools  in  Kansas,  and  for 
several  years  he  gave  unflagging  attention  to  the  duties  of  the  family 
farm.  He  completed  his  liberal  education  with  his  graduation  from 
the  Central  Normal  College  of  Great  Bend,  Kansas,  in  1901,  with  the 
A.B.  degree.  The  following  year  he  remained  as  an  instructor  in 
the  Normal  College,  then  established  and  conducted  for  a  year  a 
business  school  at  Hutchinson,  Kansas,  after  which  he  taught  a  year 
in  the  Iowa  City  Business  College  at  Iowa  City,  Iowa. 

Mr.  Longmire  has  had  an  active  part  in  the  life  of  San  Bernardino 
since  1903,  when  he  came  to  take  charge  of  the  old  San  Bernardino 
Business  College.  He  was  manager  of  this  institution  for  three  years 
for  its  owner,  Mr.  Zinn,  who  owned  another  school  in  Riverside.  At 
the  end  of  three  years  Mr.  Zinn  sold  the  school,  and  Mr.  Longmire 
then  entered  the  service  of  the  San  Bernardino  National  Bank  as 
bookkeeper,  with  which  he  remained  five  years. 

In  the  meantime,  in  1907,  Mrs.  Longmire  had  started  the  Long- 
mire Business  College  at  415  H  Street.  In  that  location  this  school 
has  prospered  and  grown  and  in  1911  Mr.  Longmire  joined  her  in 
the  management.  In  1919  he  gave  up  his  college  duties  to  take 
charge  of  the  Santa  Fe  Building  &  Loan  Association,  in  which  he 
was  a  large  stockholder,  but  after  a  year,  owing  to  the  ill  health  of 
his  son,  he  resumed  his  work  in  the  college,  since  it  gave  him  more 
time  at  home. 

The  original  building  used  by  the  Business  College  was  a_  small 
one.  It  has  been  enlarged  and  now  occupies  a  ground  area  50x100 
feet.  Tile  school  has  all  the  facilities  of  equipment  and  teaching  staff 
for    the    most    thorough    instruction    in    commercial    and    shorthand 


1464       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

branches.  Between  125  and  135  pupils  are  enrolled  yearly,  and  the 
number  has  been  steadily  increasing.  Approximately  fifteen  hun- 
dred students  have  had  the  benefit  of  training  under  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Longmire  since  the  school  was  started,  and  these  former  pupils  in- 
clude many  men  prominent  in  business  and  professional  life  in  San 
Bernardino  and  elsewhere. 

Mr.  Longmire  is  a  member  of  the  Rotary  Club,  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America  and  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 
He  and  Mrs.  Longmire  have  had  unbounded  faith  in  the  future  of 
San  Bernardino,  and  their  surplus  has  been  invested  in  city  property 
until  they  are  owners  of  valuable  land  in  several  sections  of  the  city. 

Mrs.  Longmire  was  formerly  Miss  Mabel  Kelly.  She  was  born 
in  Iowa,  daughter  of  Louis  Kelly.  As  a  young  woman  she  taught 
district  school  near  Dodge  City,  Kansas.  She  was  married  to  Mr. 
Longmire  August  30,  1899,  and  they  pursued  their  course  in  Central 
Normal  College  together,  Mrs.  Longmire  graduating  with  the  Bache- 
lor of  Science  degree.  They  have  a  daughter,  Floy,  wife  of  M.  R. 
Irwin.  A  son  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Longmire  died  at  the  age  of  seven 
years. 

Joseph  L.  Edmiston. — During  a  perfod  of  twenty  years  one  of  the 
best  known  figures  in  musical  circles  of  Los  Angeles  was  Joseph  L. 
Edmiston.  For  the  last  six  years,  however,  he  has  been  a  follower 
of  the  rural  life,  and  at  West  Riverside  is  the  possessor  of  a  modern 
and  highly  remunerative  poultry  ranch.  In  these  widely  divergent 
activities  he  has  shown  himself  possessed  of  versatility  and  capacity 
for  painstaking  effort,  while  as  a  citizen  he  has  never  failed  in  those 
duties  and  responsibilities  which  in  their  performance  evidence  the 
true  worth  of  a  man  to  his  community. 

Joseph  L.  Edmiston  was  born  in  Butler  County,  Pennsylvania, 
October  12,  1867,  a  son  of  Rev.  Berry  and  Ednah  (Lee)  Edmiston, 
the  former  a  native  of  Tennessee  and  the  latter  of  New  Hampshire. 
Rev.  Berry  Edmiston,  who  was  a  minister  of  the  New  Jerusalem 
faith,  removed  to  Riverside  in  1878,  where  he  resided  until* his  death 
in  1912.  Mrs.  Edmiston  also  passed  away  here  in  the  same  year. 
They  were  the  parents  of  three  children:  Joseph  L. ;  Charles  H.,  of 
Riverside;  and  Rev.  Lloyd  H.,  of  Riverside. 

The  education  of  Joseph  L.  Edmiston  was  secured  in  the  public 
schools  of  Riverside,  to  which  city  he  had  been  brought  as  a  child. 
From  early  youth  he  had  displayed  musical  talent  of  no  small  order, 
and,  this  being  developed,  when  he  was  still  a  young  man  he  em- 
barked upon  a  musical  career,  which  he  followed  at  Los  Angeles  for 
some  twenty  years.  In  1916  he  gave  up  his  musical  work  and  re- 
turned to  his  boyhood  home,  where  he  purchased  ten  acres  of  land 
at  West  Riverside  and  started  a  poultry  ranch.  His  original  ven- 
ture was  a  somewhat  modest  one,  but  each  year  has  seen  his  enter- 
prise grow  and  flourish.  He  was  formerly  president  of  the  Arling- 
ton Poultry  Association,  and  at  present  is  a  director  in  the  Farm  Bu- 
reau Poultry  Division.  His  political  faith  makes  him  a  republican, 
and  his  religious  connection  is  with  the  New  Jerusalem  Church. 

On  September  22,  1904,  Mr.  Edmiston  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Nellie  Jones,  daughter  of  Charles  H.  and  Mary  (Board) 
Jones,  of  San  Diego,  California,  and  to  this  union  there  have  been 
born  three  children:  Joseph  R.,  Tasker  L.  and  Constance  M.,  all  at 
home  and  attending  school.  Mrs.  Edmiston  was  born  at  Bristol. 
England,  where  she  received  her  education,  and  came  with  her  par- 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1465 

ents  to  the  United  States  about  1890,  settling  first  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio, 
and  removing  later  to  San  Diego,  California.  Both  she  and  her  hus- 
band are  interested  in  worthy  charitable,  educational  and  religious 
projects,  and  give  them  their  support  on  all  occasions.  Their  ac- 
quaintance is  wide  and  their  popularity  great  in  the  community  of 
their  home. 

Carl  W.  Stillwell. — California  is  properly  termed  the  Golden  State, 
for  it  has  proven  a  veritable  treasure  trove  to  the  people  of  this  coun- 
try from  the  day  that  the  first  particles  of  precious  metal  were  dis- 
covered, but  today  its  wealth  is  not  confined  to  its  gold  deposits,  nor 
are  those  profiting  from  its  wonderful  natural  resources  merely 
miners.  Its  possibilities  are  unlimited,  and  almost  every  day  new 
ones  are  uncovered  until  the  enthusiasm  of  its  native  sons  is  shared 
by  all  who  come  within  the  radius  of  its  beneficent  influence.  One 
of  these  of  quite  recent  development  is  the  presence,  especially  in  the 
southern  portion,  of  regions  which  for  beauty  of  scenery,  climatic 
conditions,  hunting  and  fishing  opportunities  and  camping  facilities 
far  out-distances  any  advantages  offered  by  foreign  resorts  in  any 
part  of  the  world.  One  of  these  delightful  natural  playgrounds  is  Big 
Bear  Valley,  which  since  1915  has  shown  a  most  remarkable 
development,  and  is  fast  becoming  one  of  the  most  popular  in  the 
country.  The  fact  that  here  may  be  developed  ideal  camps  to  which 
are  attracted  the  very  best  class  of  tourists  has  brought  into  the 
Valley  men  of  wide  experience,  high  character  and  commanding 
.business  ability,  and  one  who  is  finding  here  congenial  surround- 
ings and  manifold  opportunities  for  his  genius  as  a  promotor  is  Carl 
W.  Stillwell,  proprietor  of  Stillwell's  Camp  at  Pine  Knot. 

Carl  W.  Stillwell  was  born  at  Big  Rapids,  Michigan,  May  12, 
1884,  and  was  educated  at  Ferris  Institute,  that  city.  His  first 
business  experience  was  secured  at  Saint  Louis,  Missouri,  with  the 
Stillwell  Catering  Company,  operating  in  hotels  and  restaurants. 
For  ten  years  he  maintained  this  connection,  and  then,  in  1911,  came 
to  California  and  was  still  associated  with  his  father  C.  H.  Stillwell 
(now  proprietor  of  the  Stillwell  Hotel,  Los  Angeles,  in  opening 
up  and  managing  the  following  places.  They  opened  and  operated 
The  Morgan  Hotel,  Eighth  and  Hope  streets,  Los  Angeles.  Selling 
this  property,  they  opened  the  Monroe  Apartments,  lease  and  fur- 
nished, and  conducted  them  until  they  sold  them.  The  next  venture 
was  the  operating  of  the  furnished  apartment  houses  known  as  the 
Hirsh  and  Potter  apartments,  which  they  had  newly  furnished. 

Always  on  the  outlook  for  big  undertakings,  Mr.  Stillwell  came 
to  Big  Bear  Valley  August  24,  1919,  and  leased  of  the  Bear  Valley 
Mutual  Water  Company  for  a  period  of  twenty-five  years,  with 
the  privilege  of  buying  the  property  at  the  termination  of  the 
period  of  the  lease,  ten  acres  of  lake  front  land.  At  once  he  began 
the  improvement  of  his  property,  constructing  Stillwell  Camp.  He 
erected  permanent  buildings,  modern  in  design  and  equipment,  a 
general  store,  dance  hall  and  pool  hall,  twenty-five  cabins  and  nice 
dining  rooms,  and  provided  for  all  kinds  of  outdoor  sports  and  athletic 
games,  which  are  offered  free  to  his  guests,  including  a  fleet  of  boats, 
motor,  row  and  sail,  and  canoes.  Many  original  ideas  are  constantly 
being  carried  out  for  the  advantage  of  his  guests.  During  1921  he 
inaugurated  the  practice  of  throwing  open  free  to  the  public  the  dance  and 
pool  halls.  Mr.  Stillwell's  young  son,  Charley  Monroe  Stillwell.  is  leader 
of  his  magnificent  orchestra,  which  plays  in  lii>  dance  ball  and  pavilion. 


1466      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

The  same  enterprise,  energy  and  originality  which  characterize  his 
present  operations  have  made  Mr.  Stillwell  a  success  in  all  of  his 
former  enterprises. 

On  December  29,  1904,  Mr.  Stillwell  married  Miss  Mamie  Caroline 
Monroe  at  Saint  Louis,  Missouri.  She  was  born  at  Indianapolis, 
Indiana,  and  is  a  highly  educated,  cultured  lady,  whose  charming 
personality  adds  to  the  attractiveness  of  the  home  atmosphere  she 
and  her  husband  strive  to  maintain  at  their  mountain  camp.  They 
have  a  son,  Charley  Monroe,  who  is  fifteen  years  of  age  and  was 
born  at  Saint  Louis.  He  has  attended  the  Los  Angeles  High  School, 
and  although  only  fifteen  years  old  is  a  musical  genius,  specializing 
on  the  piano,  saxophone  and  drums.  The  opening  of  the  spring  season 
1922  will  find  him  leader  of  a  five  piece  orchestra,  he  playing  the  drums 
as  well  as  the  saxophone. 

F.  C.  Skinner. — The  right  kind  of  a  man  can  carve  any  manner  of 
fortune  for  himself  out  of  circumstances  which  to  others  would  offer 
no  opportunity  whatever.  The  love  of  adventure  must  be  in  his  soul, 
the  willingness  to  take  a  chance  at  big  odds,  and  the  determination  to 
make  good  no  matter  at  what  cost  to  himself.  These  are  some  of  the 
characteristics  which  have  enabled  F.  C.  Skinner,  manager  of  Pine  Knot 
Lodge,  to  make  an  overwhelming  success  of  his  life,  and,  while  acquiring 
a  fair  measure  of  prosperity,  to  assist  in  building  up  Big  Bear  Valley, 
the  play-ground  of  Southern  California,  an  ideal  location,  6,800  feet 
above  the  sea  level,  surrounded  by  three  commanding  peaks,  San  Gor- 
gonio,  or  Greyback,  11,485  feet  in  height,  and  San  Bernardino  and 
Sugar  Loaf  Peak,  both  over  10,000  feet  in  height.  Prior  to  coming  to 
the  Valley,  however,  Mr.  Skinner  had  accomplished  much,  passed  through 
many  experiences,  and  made  numerous  friends,  but  he  regards  what  he 
has  accomplished  since  his  arrival  at  Pine  Knot  Lodge  as  the  most  note- 
worthy of  his  achievements. 

F.  C.  Skinner  was  born  at  Dixon,  Nebraska,  August  1,  1872,  a  son  of 
H.  D.  and  Mahala  Skinner.  H.  D.  Skinner  was  born  in  Scotland,  while 
his  wife  was  a  native  of  England.  Both  came  to  the  United  States  with 
their  parents,  he  when  four  years  old  and  she  at  the  age  of  nine  years. 
They  were  married  in  Michigan,  and  in  1869  migrated  to  Nebraska, 
making  the  long  trip  overland  with  oxen.  When  they  located  at  Dixon 
the  entire  region  was  a  wilderness,  and  for  some  years  their  home  was 
in  a  sod  house.  They  experienced  many  hardships,  but  lived  to  see 
their  section  of  the  state  vastly  improved.  F.  C.  Skinner  had  an  elder 
sister,  Minnie  B.,  who  was  born  and  died  in  Nebraska,  these  two  being 
the  only  children  of  their  parents. 

The  boyhood  of  F.  C.  Skinner  was  spent  much  as  that  of  any  lad 
on  a  Nebraska  claim  in  the  70s  and  '80s,  and  he  acquired  what  educa- 
tional training  he  received  in  the  neighborhood  schools.  In  1893  he  made 
a  trip  to  California,  but  left  it  for  Denver,  Colorado,  that  same  year, 
and  lived  in  that  city  until  1899.  when  he  went  to  Spokane,  Washington. 
In  the  meanwhile,  however,  he  had  enlisted  for  service  in  the  Spanish- 
American  war,  and  served  as  quartermaster  sergeant  of  Company  F, 
First  Idaho  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  after  the  close  of  the  war  was 
sent  to  the  Philippines,  where  he  remained  for  a  year,  in  all  being  in  the 
service  for  eighteen  months.  He  was  mustered  out  at  Fort  McAlister, 
San  Francisco.  With  the  discovery  of  gold  in  Alaska,  he  decided  to 
seek  his  fortune,  and  in  1900  went  to  Nome  Beach,  Alaska,  and  for  the 
subsequent  two  years  had  the  regular  gold  man's  luck,  winning  and 
losing.    This  did  not  discourage  him  from  being  one  of  the  Goldfield  rush 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1467 

in  1904.  After  reaching  Guldrield  he  decided  tliat  there  was  more  money 
for  him  in  the  hotel  business  than  in  prospecting,  and  he  conducted  a 
hotel  there,  and  later  one  at  Rhyolite. 

Returning  to  Denver,  he  matched  Jack  Squires  against  Jim  Jeffries, 
but  this  match  was  broken.  Mr.  Skinner  then  became  manager  of  the 
Denver  Country  Club,  which  position  he  held  until  November  2,  1912, 
when  he  came  to  Los  Angeles,  California,  and  conducted  a  cafe  at 
Ocean  Park  until  February  15,  1915,  when  he  signed  the  contract  to 
take  charge,  as  manager,  of  Pine  Knot  Lodge,  Big  Bear  Valley,  and 
entered  upon  what  has  been  for  him  the  most  constructive  period  of  his 
life. 

In  the  spring  of  1915  he  came  into  the  Valley,  and  at  that  time  there 
were  not  accommodations  for  over  250  or  300  people  in  the  entire  Valley, 
in  camps  and  private  homes  altogether.  In  1921  such  progress  has  been 
made  that  there  are  over  700  private  homes  and  thirty-two  camps,  each 
one  of  the  latter  having  accommodations  for  from  40  to  250  people. 
Pine  Knot  Lodge  is  a  world-famed  resort,  and  although  situated  in 
what  was  once  an  almost  inaccessible  valley,  is  now  reached  by  the  Mill 
Creek  and  Clark's  Grade  road  and  the  Crest  Route  combined,  which 
make  what  is  known  as  the  "Rim-of-the-W'orld  Highway,"  recognized 
to  be  one  of  the  genuine  wonders  of  the  country,  if  not  of  the  world. 
The  Lodge  is  most  modern  in  every  way,  and  the  management  has  an 
individual  lighting  and  ice  plant,  and  operates  a  store  in  connection  with 
a  modern  hotel  and  bungalows. 

Mr.  Skinner  has  lived  a  busy  life,  and  since  coming  to  the  valley  has 
exerted  himself  to  the  utmost.  Coming  to  Pine  Knot  Lodge  practically 
a  poor  man,  he  soon  saw  that  here  was  his  opportunity,  and  set  to  work 
to  develop  it.  Today  he  is  known  all  over  the  civilized  world  for  his 
expertness  as  a  host  and  his  knowledge  of  the  hotel  business,  which  enables 
him  to  attract  to  his  resort  the  most  seasoned  travelers.  Some  idea  of 
the  affectionate  esteem  in  which  he  is  held  may  be  gathered  from  the 
fact  that,  although  in  the  very  prime  of  vigorous  manhood,  he  is  called 
by  his  many  guests  "Dad"  Skinner.  He  has  acquired  large  interests 
in  numerous  holdings  in  Big  Bear  Valley,  among  others  being  the  valuable 
North  estate.  In  July,  1921  he  organized  the  corporation  known  as 
the  Big  Bear  Amusement  Association,  with  a  capital  of  $150,000,  the 
officials  of  which  are:  Alfred  L.  Brush,  president;  F.  C.  Skinner, 
vice  president;  G.  M.  Bartlett,  secretary;  J.  H.  Lowe,  treasurer,  and 
these  gentlemen,  with  James  Ervin,  R.  R.  Woodward  and  G.  R.  Siler, 
form  the  Board  of  Directors.  The  association  has  taken  over  all  of  the 
dance  halls,  pleasure  boats,  picture  theatres,  golf  club  grounds,  and  all 
indoor  and  outdoor  sports  in  the  Valley. 

Mr.  Skinner  belongs  to  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  in  Big  Bear 
Valley,  one  of  the  most  active  organizations  in  San  Bernardino  County. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  the  Benevolent  and  Pro- 
tective Order  of  Elks,  both  of  Redlands,  the  Jonathan  Club  of  Los 
Angeles,  the  Tuna  Club  of  Catalina  Island,  the  largest  fishing  club  in 
the  world,  and  has  always  taken  an  active  part  in  clean  athletic  sports 
and  recreations. 

On  July  29,  1896,  Mr.  Skinner  married  Evelyn  Andis,  who  was 
born  in  Nebraska  in  1881.  They  have  one  daughter,  Helen,  who  was 
born  at  Denver,  March  4,  1899.  She  is  a  graduate  of  the  Denver  High 
School,  and  for  a  time  was  a  student  of  Saint  Mary's  School  of  Denver. 
She  is  now  the  wife  of  R.  L.  Shouse,  a  successful  automobile  dealer 
of   Los  Angeles. 


1468      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

Mr.  Skinner  is  a  man  of  delightful  personality,  and  his  many  experi- 
ences have  given  him  a  vivid  hold  upon  life,  and  an  appreciation  of 
the  best  in  it.  He  appears  to  have  a  natural  appreciation  of  just  what 
a  hotelman  should  be  and  to  carry  out  his  ideas  completely  and  capably. 
Yet,  while  he  is  sincere  and  genuine  in  his  warm  friendships,  he  is 
none  the  less  an  astonishingly  good  business  man,  whose  quick-acting 
mind  can  reach  out  and  grasp  the  possibilities  of  a  project,  as  is  evi- 
denced in  his  recent  amalgamation  of  the  various  pleasure-giving  activi- 
ties of  Big  Bear  Valley,  which  promises  to  be  one  of  the  most  important 
ventures  of  the  entire  valley.  So  sanguine  is  he  of  the  further  oppor- 
tunities of  this  wonderful  region  that  he  looks  to  see  many  other  projects 
developed  along  numerous  lines,  and  it  is  safe  to  say  that  if  he  has 
anything  to  do  with  such  development  the  ventures  will  be  successful. 

Royal  Henry  Kendall,  whose  death  occurred  at  Redlands,  San 
Bernardino  County,  December  19,  1916,  came  to  California  within  a 
few  years  after  completing  his  gallant  service  as  a  soldier  of  the  Union 
in  the  Civil  war,  and  he  gained  much  of  pioneer  experience  in  connection 
with  the  development  and  progress  of  Southern  California. 

Mr.  Kendall  was  born  in  Rockingham  County,  Vermont,  April  25, 
1848,  and  was  a  son  of  Isaac  F.  and  Idelia  (Pulsifer)  Kendall,  both 
representatives  of  families  founded  in  New  England  in  the  Colonial 
era.  Mr.  Kendall  was  one  of  a  large  family  of  children,  and  in  1922 
one  of  his  sisters  and  two  of  his  brothers  were  living  in  New  England. 
Mr.  Kendall  was  but  thirteen  years  old  at  the  inception  of  the  Civil 
war,  but  his  youthful  patriotism  was  not  long  to  be  curbed,  as  shown 
by  his  having  enlisted  in  Company  C,  First  New  Hampshire  Cavalry. 
He  had  previously  made  ineffectual  attempts  to  .enlist,  but  was  rejected 
on  account  of  his  youth.  He  was  seventeen  years  old  when  he  was 
finally  accepted  for  enlistment,  and  he  continued  in  service  until  the 
close  of  the  war — a  period  of  about  two  years.  He  took  part  in  twenty- 
six  important  engagements,  and  a  wound  which  he  received  in  his  right 
foot  at  the  battle  of  Shepherdstown  continued  to  afflict  him  until  the 
close  of  his  life.  He  participated  in  the  Shenandoah  campaign,  and 
was  also  with  Sherman's  forces  in  the  Atlanta  campaign. 

A  few  years  after  the  close  of  the  war  Mr.  Kendall  came  to  Cali- 
fornia, and  here  his  first  service  was  in  the  employ  of  Judge  Willis  at 
Old  Mission,  San  Bernardino  County.  After  his  marriage,  in  1876,  he 
settled  on  a  ranch  in  the  San  Jacinto  District,  and  later  he  became  one  of 
the  first  settlers  at  Redlands,  where  his  house  was  one  of  the  first  build- 
ings there  erected.  For  some  time  he  was  there  engaged  in  the  hay, 
grain  and  feed  business,  and  finally  he  organized  the  Criterion  Mining 
Company,  which  made  exploitation  in  mining  in  the  Old  Baldy  District. 
In  this  venture  he  met  with  financial  losses,  from  which  he  never  fully 
recouped.  He  was  ever  a  staunch  democrat,  and  he  served  four  years 
as  city  marshal  of  Redlands.  His  health  finally  became  much  impaired, 
but  he  continued  to  give  his  attention  to  such  service  as  he  could  render, 
he  having  been  unable  for  many  years  to  do  manual  work.  He  was 
one  of  the  sterling  and  honored  pioneer  citizens  of  Redlands  at  the 
time  of  his  death,  was  a  member  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic, 
and  in  the  days  of  his  prosperity  did  much  to  advance  the  civic  and 
material  growth  and  development  of  Redlands,  where  his  widow  still 
maintains  her  home,  she  being  an  earnest  member  of  the  Baptist  Church. 
In  1876  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Kendall  and  Miss  Emily 
Benson,  who  was  born  at  Alameda,  this  state,  January  20,  1858,  a  daughter 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1469 

of  Jerome  and  Jane  (Pine)  Benson,  who  were  born  and  reared  in  the 
State  of  New  York  and  who  came  from  Illinois  to  California  with  wagon 
and  ox  team  in  the  early  pioneer  days  when  the  gold  rush  to  California 
was  still  at  its  height,  their  children  having  been  four  in  number,  Dudley, 
Eliza,  Ina  and  Emily,  the  last  two  being  the  surviving  children  in  1922. 
Air.  and  Mrs.  Kendall  became  the  parents  of  five  children:  Stella, 
born  July  2,  1877,  became  the  wife  of  Victor  Sublett,  and  her  death 
occurred  June  2,  1919,  she  having  left  no  children.  Etta,  born  Novem- 
ber 1,  1879,  is  the  wife  of  George  Nowlin.  Roy  H.,  the  elder  son,  is 
made  the  subject  of  the  following  sketch.  Dudley  Bert,  who  was  born 
April  1,  1883,  married  Marie  Boening,  and  they  reside  at  Long  Beach. 
Laura,  born  May  13,  1886,  became  the  wife  of  Roy  Kendall  (no  family 
kinship),  and  she  died  June  7,  1913,  leaving  no  children. 

Roy  H.  Kendall,  who  now  has  active  management  of  extensive 
citrus  orchards  in  San  Bernardino  County,  with  residence  at  750  Citrus 
Avenue,  Colton,  was  born  at  Redlands,  this  county,  on  the  20th  of  June, 
1880,  adequate  record  concerning  the  family  history  being  given  in  the 
preceding  sketch  to  follow  in  the  memoir  dedicated  to  his  father,  the  late 
Royal  H.  Kendall. 

Mr.  Kendall  attended  the  public  schools  at  Redlands  until  he  was 
fourteen  years  of  age,  and  then  entered  upon  an  apprenticeship  to  the 
trade  of  machinist,  in  which  he  became  a  skilled  artisan.  He  success- 
fully conducted  one  of  the  first  automobile  garages  at  Redlands,  the 
Park  Garage,  and  in  this  connection  he  attracted  the  attention  of  Alonzo 
Hornby,  one  of  the  wealthiest  and  most  influential  citizens  of  Redlands, 
who  retained  him  as  chauffeur  and  mechanic  for  seven  years,  within 
which  they  traveled  extensively  through  European  countries,  they  hav- 
ing toured  through  England,  Ireland,  Scotland,  Wales,  Germany,  France, 
Spain,  Italy  and  Switzerland,  besides  having  visited  Algiers.  After  re- 
turning to  the  United  States  Mr.  Kendall  passed  two  years  with  his 
employer  in  New  York  and  the  New  England  States,  and  he  is  now 
associated  with  Mr.  Hornby  in  the  extensive  growing  of  citrus  fruits  on 
the  Colton  Terrace  of  San  Bernardino  County,  where  he  has  active 
supervision  of  a  large  acreage  of  orange  groves. 

The  year  1912  recorded  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Kendall  and  Miss  Flor- 
ence Pentland,  who  was  born  in  the  State  of  Arizona  and  whose  parents 
were  born  in  England.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kendall  have  one  son,  Harold 
Henry,  who  was  born  at  Redlands,  August  15.  1914.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Kendall  are  members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  they  are  popular 
figures  in   the   social   life  of   their  home  community. 

Edwin  F.  Williams,  of  Blythe,  Riverside  County,  has  shown  in 
his  sentiments  and  activities  the  vigorous  progressiveness  that  has  been 
potent  in  connection  with  the  development  of  productive  industry  in 
this  section  of  Southern  California,  and  his  prominence  and  influence 
are  measureably  indicated  by  his  holding  the  office  of  president  of  the 
Palo  Verde  Joint  Levee  District. 

Mr.  Williams  was  born  at  Waverly.  Iowa,  on  the  8th  of  December, 
18(36,  and  is  a  son  of  Alfred  and  Delia  (Clarke)  Williams,  the  father 
having  been  a  sterling  pioneer  of  the  Hawkeye  State.  Edwin  F.  Williams 
continued  his  studies  in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  state  until  he 
had  attained  the  age  of  sixteen  years,  when  his  independent  spirit  and 
love  of  adventure  led  him  to  go  to  Wyoming,  where  he  gained  a  full 
quota  of  experience  in  handling  cattle  on  the  great  open  ranges.  He 
continued  his  service  in  this  vocation  for  several  years,  within  which  he 


1470       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

found  employment  also  in  Idaho,  Nevada  and  Colorado.  His  ability 
eventually  gained  him  promotion  to  high  positions  with  the  great  cattle 
companies  of  the  West.  He  lived  up  to  the  full  tension  of  the  vigorous 
life  of  the  cattle  range  of  the  early  days,  and  his  experiences  were  marked 
by  arduous  work  and  by  conditions  that  would  be  considered  hardships 
by  one  not  inured  to  the  free  and  open  life  of  the  western  frontier. 
Mr.  Williams  recalls  with  satisfaction  many  herculean  tasks  performed 
by  him  and  his  faithful  associates,  the  loyalty  of  the  cowboy  to  his 
"boss"  being  proverbial.  Mr.  Williams  on  more  than  one  occasion 
worked  to  hold  the  herd  of  cattle  together  in  the  face  of  raging  bliz- 
zards, fought  the  blinding  snow,  endured  bitter  cold,  crossed  torrential 
rivers,  and  never  thought  of  deserting  the  herd.  Nothing  less  would 
have  been  considered  by  him  and  his  companions  to  be  consistent  with 
the  ethics  of  the  range.  In  1888  Mr.  Williams  made  his  way  to  Arizona, 
and  there  he  purchased  land,  a  portion  of  which  lay  across  the  border  in 
Mexico.  He  became  successfully  established  in  independent  operations 
as  a  cattle  man,  and  incidentally  built  and  conducted  a  meat-packing 
plant  at  Canenea,  Mexico.  His  holdings  in  Mexico  became  varied  and 
important,  but  he  lost  all  of  these  as  a  result  of  revolutionary  dis- 
turbances, which  involved  the  closing  down  of  mines  in  that  section  of 
Mexico  and  the  disruption  of  all  normal  business  enterprises.  In  1906 
he  came  to  Palo  Verde,  California,  to  look  over  the  Blythe  Ranch 
estate,  and  he  passed  some  time  in  sizing  up  the  situation  and  the  pos- 
sibilities offered.  After  making  his  visit  to  this  section  of  California, 
Mr.  Williams  returned  to  his  ranch  and  business  in  Arizona  and  Mexico, 
but  in  the  spring  of  1909  he  came  again  to  the  Palo  Verde  Valley,  where 
he  obtained  a  tract  of  land  and  instituted  the  improving  of  the  same. 
He  brought  to  bear  his  best  energies  and  broad  experience  in  further- 
ing the  development  of  this  beautiful  and  productive  valley,  was  the 
first  to  receive  by  popular  election  the  office  of  director  of  the  Palo 
Verde  Mutual  Water  Company,  and  he  served  for  a  long  term  of 
years  as  president  of  that  company,  a  post  which  he  finally  resigned 
to  accept  that  of  president  of  the  Palo  Verde  Joint  Levee  District.  A 
gigantic  work  was  that  here  achieved  in  the  early  days  of  development, 
and  adverse  conditions  and  all  manner  of  discouragements  failed  to 
dampen  the  ardor  and  determination  of  Mr.  Williams,  who  overcame 
innumerable  obstacles  and  showed  marked  executive  ability  in  carrying 
forward  the  work  which  he  knew  to  be  necessary.  In  early  days  it  was 
found  necessary  to  make  frequent,  and  often  heavy,  assessments,  and 
Mr.  Williams  and  other  pioneers  sacrificed  a  goodly  portion  of  their 
land  holdings  to  provide  funds  with  which  to  insure  the  successful 
prosecution  of  the  general  work  that  should  redeem  the  land  of  the 
valley  to  effective  productiveness.  Mr.  Williams  held  to  his  course 
with  confidence  and  faith,  and  he  continues  to  live  on  his  homestead  in 
the  Palo  Verde  Valley  where  he  is  one  of  the  honored  pioneers  and 
representative  citizens,  and  both  his  character  and  his  achievement  mark 
him  as  well  deserving  of  the  unqualified  popularity  which  is  his. 

In  1912  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Williams  and  Miss 
Edyth  Everett,  who  was  at  that  time  residing  in  the  City  of  Albu- 
querque, New  Mexico.  Mrs.  Williams  was  born  in  England,  and  in 
addition  to  her  general  culture  she  is  a  talented  artist.  The  home  con- 
tains many  fine  specimens  of  her  work  in  pastel  and  oil  and  water 
colors.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Williams  have  one  child,  Edwin  F.,  Jr.,  who 
was  born  in  July,  1913. 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1471 

Mr.  Williams  has  been  in  the  fullest  sense  one  of  the  world's  con- 
structive workers,  and  his  advancement  along  both  mental  and  material 
lines  has  been  the  result  of  his  own  ability  and  well  directed  efforts. 
Leaving  school  while  yet  a  boy.  he  continued  his  studies  by  the  camp- 
fires  maintained  at  night  in  connection  with  the  herding  of  cattle  on 
the  open  ranges  of  the  early  days,  and  by  careful  study  and  reading  he 
has  become  a  man  of  broad  information  and  wide  intellectual  horizon. 
He  has  done  a  splendid  work  in  redeeming  barren  lands  to  cultivation, 
and  for  his  service  in  this  important  field  he  is  entitled  to  enduring 
honor  and  commendation,  as  no  better  contribution  could  be  made  in  be- 
half of  generations  yet  to  come.  He  has  a  capacity  for  big  things,  and 
in  the  Palo  Verde  Valley  he  has  given  full  evidence  of  this  capacity  in 
his  admirable  work  and  service. 

John  E.  Cutter. — Riverside  was  the  home  of  John  E.  Cutter  for 
nearly  forty-five  years.  One  of  the  oldest  residents  of  that  city  at  the 
time  of  his  death,  November  19,  1921,  he  contributed  much  to  its  de- 
velopment as  a  horticultural  center  and  enjoyed  that  place  of  esteem  given 
to  those  who  have  labored  most  unselfishly  and  public  spiritedly  for  the 
general  welfare  and  progress. 

Mr.  Cutter  was  of  New  England  birth  and  ancestry.  The  genealogy 
of  the  Cutter  family  has  been  traced  back  in  direct  line  to  King  Alfred 
the  Saxon.  The  Cutters  came  to  America  in  1639,  and  many  descend- 
ants of  the  old  New  England  stock  are  still  in  the  East.  One  Cutter 
was  surgeon  general  for  the  East  End  Department  during  the  Revo- 
lutionary war. 

John  E.  Cutter  was  born  March  16,  1844,  at  Webster,  Maine,  son 
of  Dr.  Benoni  and  Olive  S.  (Drinkwater)  Cutter,  his  father  a  native 
of  Jaffrey,  New  Hampshire,  and  his  mother  of  Cumberland  County, 
Maine,  where  her  father  was  also  born  and  where  the  Drinkwater's 
were  pioneers.  Dr.  Benorii  Cutter  was  a  competent  physician  who  died 
when  just  coming  into  the  enjoyment  of  the  rewards  of  his  talents,  at 
the  age  of  about  thirty-five. 

John  E.  Cutter  attended  common  schools  at  Webster  and  remained 
at  home  there  until  1862,  when,  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  he  enlisted  in 
Company  E  of  the  23rd  Maine  Infantry.  He  received  his  discharge 
from  this  regiment  in  1863,  but  at  once  re-enlisted,  joining  Company 
K,  29th  Maine  Infantry.  This  regiment  was  a  part  of  Gen.  W.  H. 
Emory's  19th  Army  Corps,  and  he  was  in  service  under  General  Banks 
in  Louisiana  and  later  under  Sheridan  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley.  With 
the  close  of  the  war  he  returned  home  and  finished  his  education  in  the 
Maine  Wesleyan  Seminary  at  Kent's  Hill. 

Mr.  Cutter  for  many  years  was  devoted  to  educational  work,  and 
his  first  associations  with  Riverside  were  with  the  local  schools.  He 
taught  school  in  various  places  in  Maine  after  graduating  from  college, 
and  then  became  a  pioneer  in  Murray  County,  Minnesota,  where  he 
homesteaded  a  hundred  and  sixty  acres.  Every  winter  he  was  in  Min- 
nesota he  taught  in  Olmstead  County,  and  after  Murray  County  was 
organized  he  was  appointed  the  first  superintendent  of  schools,  in  1872. 
Soon  afterward  he  returned  East,  to  Sabatis,  Maine,  and  continued 
teaching  there  for  five  years.  The  last  two  years  he  was  principal  of 
Litchfield    Academy    at    Litchfield    Corners. 

It  was  in  the  spring  of  1878  that  Mr.  Cutter  came  to  Riverside,  and 
for  a  year  was  principal  of  schools  and  later  taught  two  terms  in  another 
school.     In    the   meantime   he    was   developing   some   land   to    fruit.      In 


1472       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

1879  he  bought  eight  acres  on  Cypress  Avenue,  planting  it  to  oranges 
and  grapes,  and  in  the  same  year  acquired  ten  acres  on  East  Eighth 
Street.  Here  he  became  associated  with  A.  J.  and  D.  C.  Twogood  in 
the  nursery  business,  and  continued  in  that  business  until  1894,  after 
which  he  concentrated  his  time  and  energies  on  his  individual  fruit  ranch. 
He  had  but  recently  practically  retired  from  business,  though  superin- 
tending the  work  on  his  ten  acre  grove  on  East  Eighth  Street.  Mr. 
Cutter  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Riverside  Heights  Orange 
Growers  Association  in  1894,  and  a  director  in  that  pioneer  organiza- 
tion, and  was  also  a  director  of  the  Riverside  Fruit  Exchange. 

In  his  political  views  he  was  a  republican,  but  never  accepted  a  public 
office.  He  gave  liberally  of  time  and  money  as  a  member  of  the  River- 
side Methodist  Church  and  was  one  of  the  leading  members  of  River- 
side Post  No.  118,  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  and  a  member  of  the 
Present  Day  Club  and  until  a  short  time  before  his  death  was  identified 
with  the  Chamber  of  Commerce.  Mr.  Cutter  never  abandoned  the  in- 
tellectual and  literary  interests  of  his  early  manhood.  He  was  a  con- 
tributor of  both  prose  and  verse  to  papers  and  magazines,  and  had  a 
thorough  knowledge  of  the  many  books  in  his  private  library  and  of 
other  literature  as  well. 

In  March.  1876,  at  Litchfield,  Mr.  Cutter  married  Miss  Annie  L. 
Dinsmore,  who  was  born  at  Canaan,  Maine.  She  was  also  a  teacher, 
and  after  coming  to  Riverside  she  taught  several  terms  in  the  public 
schools  while  Mr.  Cutter  was  busy  with  his  fruit  ranch.  She  died  at 
Riverside,  May  24,  1894,  and  is  survived  by  one  child,  Charlotte  Mary, 
who  later  married  Frank  A.  Noyes,  Jr.,  also  a  granddaughter,  Natalie 
A.  Noyes.  In  June,  1897,  Mr.  Cutter  married  Ellen  E.  Prescott  at 
Trinidad,  Colorado,  who  survives  him. 

Charles  A.  Boeck,  of  Redlands,  can  claim  a  residence  in  this  part 
of  Southern  California  for  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century.  He  is  a 
business  man  who  early  mastered  the  practical  side  of  citrus  culture, 
and  his  financial  standing  in  the  community  is  evidence  that  his  efforts 
have  been  more  than  ordinarily  successful. 

Mr.  Boeck  was  born  December  6,  1871,  at  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  and 
he  grew  up  in  that  city  and  acquired  a  good  knowledge  of  business 
under  his  father,  the  late  Adam  Boeck.  Adam  Boeck  was  born  in 
Frankfort,  Germany,  February  9,  1838,  and  came  to  America  in  1853, 
when  he  was  fifteen  years  of  age.  He  landed  at  New  York  and  spent 
the  remaining  fifty  cents  he  then  possessed  for  a  pocket  book  which 
attracted  his  attention.  His  first  employment  was  as  a  striker  for  a 
blacksmith.  While  working  during  the  day  he  attended  night  school, 
studied  bookkeeping,  and  accepted  every  opportunity  to  qualify  himself 
for  a  career  of  usefulness  as  an  American  citizen.  Going  west  to  St. 
Louis,  he  was  employed  by  a  real  estate  firm  known  as  Webb  &  Caine, 
and  subsequently  entered  that  business  for  himself  as  one  of  the  firm  of 
Greather  and  Boeck.  The  title  of  this  firm  was  frequently  mispro- 
nounced, and  one  day  an  Irishman  entered  the  office  and  inquired  for 
"Mr.  Get  there  and  back."  Adam  Boeck  was  in  business  continuously 
for  half  a  century.  He  enjoyed  the  especial  esteem  and  confidence  of 
the  large  German  element  in  the  population  of  St.  Louis.  His  knowledge 
of  real  estate  conditions  and  his  ability  brought  him  such  clients  as 
Hetty  Green  and  Jay  Gould.  When  the  Gould  interests  undertook  to 
build  the  great  Union  Passenger  station  at  St.  Louis  Mr.  Boeck  was 
intrusted    with   the    responsibilities   of   purchasing   agent    for   the    Gould 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       147.5 

interests.  The  district  now  covered  by  the  great  station  and  the  train 
sheds  was  then  completely  built  over  with  residences.  Mr.  Boeck 
bought  all  this  property  preparatory  to  the  erection  of  the  depot.  In 
1888  he  acquired  the  interests  of  his  partner.  About  that  time  he 
brought  his  personal  capital  of  a  hundred  thousand  dollars  to  Southern 
California  and  invested  in  real  estate  in  San  Diego.  For  a  time  his 
property  increased  until  he  was  probably  worth  a  million,  and  then 
came  the  deflation  when  he  lost  heavily  and  returned  to  St.  Louis.  He 
earned  several  fortunes  through  his  real  estate  business.  He  was  not 
a  speculator  in  real  estate,  and  most  of  his  wealth  came  from  earned 
commissions.  He  believed  in  practicing  the  principle  of  doing  what  had 
to  be  done  immediately.  That  characteristic  once  earned  him  a  com- 
mission of  a  hundred  thousand  dollars  on  one  transaction.  Requiring 
the  signature  of  certain  parties  to  papers  to  close  the  deal,  he  went  to 
the  home  of  the  party  at  midnight,  woke  him  out  of  bed,  and  had  the 
deal  practically  closed  when  early  the  next  morning  nine  of  his  com- 
petitors sought  out  the  same  party   for  a  similar  purpose. 

In  1906  Adam  Boeck  returned  to  California  and  located  at  Los 
Angeles,  where  he  loaned  his  money  on  real  estate,  but  lived  practically 
retired  at  Hollywood,  where  his  death  occurred  November  2,  1918.  At 
the  age  of  twenty-nine  he  married  Mary  Kriechbaum  at  Des  Moines, 
Iowa.  She  died  at  their  home  in  Hollywood  in  1913,  at  the  age  of 
sixty-seven.  They  were  the  parents  of  six  children :  Nellie,  born  in 
1867,  now  Mrs.  Ball,  living  in  New  York;  Walter,  born  in  1869,  who 
died  at  Los  Angeles  in  1908;  Charles  A.;  George,  born  in  1875,  who 
succeeded  to  the  real  estate  business  of  his  father  in  St.  Louis;  Mabel, 
born  in  1878,  and  died  at  the  age  of  five  years;  and  Percy  A.,  horn 
in   1882,  now  a  resident  of  Los  Angeles. 

Charles  A.  Boeck  grew  up  and  acquired  his  education  in  St.  Louis, 
and  for  ten  years  had  more  or  less  active  association  with  his  father 
in  the  real  estate  business.  He  arrived  in  California  March  1,  1894, 
and  at  that  time  planned  to  learn  thoroughly  and  engaged  in  the  citrus, 
fruit  industry.  Before  investing  any  of  his  capital  he  worked  for  Mr. 
Drinkwater  of  Corona,  a  man  who  specialized  in  the  care  of  groves. 
His  first  hundred  dollars  of  capital  he  made  and  .saved  through  physical 
labor.  Later  he  was  employed  by  Mr.  Hatch  of  Redlands,  with  whom 
he  worked  three  months  for  his  board  in  order  to  learn  the  bee  industry. 
In  1897  Mr.  Boeck  bought  seven  and  a  quaTter  acres  from  George 
Gray,  this  acreage  being  set  to  navel  oranges.  The  purchase  price  was 
forty-three  hundred  dollars.  His  practical  knowledge  and  increasing 
experience  has  made  him  one  of  the  very  successful  orange  growers 
of  Riverside  County.  He  has  always  treated  his  trees  for  scale  by  the 
use  of  kerosene  in  the  dormant  season,  and  his  grove  has  regularly 
passed  inspection.  On  this  land  at  a  picturesque  spot  on  Highland 
Avenue  he  erected  the  beautiful  modern  home,  which  he  sold  in  June. 
1921.  This  home  was  built  by  day  labor.  At  that  time  it  was  possible 
to  secure  carpenters  for  two  dollars  and  a  half  a  day  of  ten  hours. 
He  consequently  completed  the  house  at  a  cost  which  was  three  thousand 
dollars  less  than  the  highest  bid  submitted  by  any  contractors. 

After  completing  his  home  he  married,  in  1898,  Miss  Pearl  Bangle. 
Mrs.  Boeck  was  born  near  Oxford,  Mississippi,  November  26,  1875, 
daughter  of  Henry  Worth  and  Mary  Bangle.  Her  father  was  a  Mis- 
sissippi farmer,  and  after  comming  to  California  secured  Government 
land  in  the  Perris  Valley.  Mrs.  Boeck  was  educated  in  California 
schools.      She   is   a   member   of   the    Holiness   Church    and    an   energetic 


1474       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

and  consistent  Christian  who  has  given  much  of  her  time  to  charity  in 
addition  to  presiding  over  her  beautiful  home.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Boeck 
have  one  child,  Grace,  born  December  24,  1901.  She  is  a  graduate  of 
the  Redlands  High  School  and  is  now  attending  Southern  Branch  of  the 
University  of  California,  preparing  for  a  teaching  career.  She  is 
specializing  in  higher  mathematics  and  is  also  a  talented  musician. 

After  selling  their  Redlands  home  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Boeck  purchased  an 
attractive  home  at  North  Hobart  and  Melrose  streets  in  Los  Angeles, 
where  they  now  reside. 

David  H.  Wixom. — San  Bernardino  has  in  proportion  to  its  popula- 
tion probably  more  of  the  real  pioneers,  the  men  of  the  early  adventure- 
some, wild  and  picturesque  days  than  any  other  city  in  the  district,  and 
few  of  them  have  been  longer  identified  with  the  city  than  has 
David  H.  Wixom.  He  is  an  almost  Californian,  just  missing  being  born 
here  by  three  short  years,  but  those  three  years  do  not  count  for  much,  as 
he  has  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life  here,  was  educated  here  and  has 
made  a  success  of  his  life  in  his  home  town. 

Mr.  Wixom  has  followed  for  a  time  several  lines  of  business  most 
successfully,  has  been  elected  and  appointed  to  various  public  offices, 
and  in  all  things  he  has  been  the  peer  of  any  man,  filling  the  posts  of 
honor  and  trust  most  acceptably,  always  sure  of  himself  and  giving  an  un- 
swerving fidelity  to  every  trust.  He  is  never  afraid  to  tackle  the  big 
things  of  life,  and  many  times  his  mettle  has  been  severely  tested,  but  he 
came  through  every  ordeal  unflinchingly  and  there  is  no  such  word  as 
compromise  in  his  vocabulary.  He  is  a  man  who  has  all  his  life  made 
warm  friends,  whom  he  holds  in  ever  growing  attachment,  and  he  is 
getting  out  of  life  just  what  he  put  into  it,  kindness,  good  will,  loyalty 
to  home  and   friends. 

Mr.  Wixom  knows  his  California  and  many  are  the  tales  he  could 
tell  of  the  early  days,  of  Indian  fighting  and  of  pioneer  methods  of 
handling  things.  He  has  seen  a  transformation  so  wonderful  it  must 
seem  like  a  dream,  the  modern  civilization  which  encompasses  him, 
the  beauty  of  groves,  lawns  and  flowers  replacing  the  sage  brush  and 
greasewood,  the  ease  and  luxury  of  life  as  compared  to  the  hardships  he 
underwent  as  a  boy  in  common  with  all  the  intrepid  souls  making  up 
that  primitive  village  of  the  pioneer  days  of  the  fifties  and  sixties. 

Mr.  Wixom  was  born  in  Council  Bluffs,  Iowa,  on  February  7.  1848, 
the  son  of  Nathan  and  Betsy  E.  (Hadlock)  Wixom,  both  of  whom  were 
natives  of  New  York.  His  father  was  a  farmer  and  trader  in  the 
East  for  many  years,  and  hearing  the  many  tales  of  California,  rife 
at  that  time,  he  decided  to  come  here  in  1851,  and  in  December  of  that 
year  he  reached  his  destination,  after  the  usual  perilous  journey  by 
means  of  ox  team,  undergoing  dangers  and  hardships,  with  his  wife  and 
family,  safe  and  well.  He  located  first  in  Monterey  County,  but  shortly 
afterward  came  to  San  Bernardino  and  at  once  he  and  his  wife  knew 
they  had  found  their  home,  and  here  he  lived  happily,  farming  and 
stock  raising  for  too  brief  a  period,  for  he  died  within  fifteen  years, 
but  not  before  he  had  won  the  esteem  and  friendship  of  everyone.  He 
not  only  farmed,  but  he  took  up  a  ranch  on  Lytle  Creek,  now  known  as 
the  Glenn  ranch,  and  he  also  ran  a  feed  stable  and  he  built  property 
which  he  rented,  and  improved  many  things.  His  wife  was  his  faithful 
partner  in  all  things,  the  encouraging  indomitable  wife  he  needed. 
These  qualities  they  surely  transmitted  to  their  son,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch.     She  died  in  1885  in  San  Bernardino. 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1475 

David  H.  Wixom  was  one  of  a  family  of  twelve  children,  the 
tenth  in  order  of  birth,  the  others  being:  Reuben,  deceased;  Clarissa, 
wife  of  Charles  Ferguson,  deceased;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Richard  Mat- 
thews, both  deceased  ;  Mary  Ann,  widow  of  Lucian  D.  Crandall,  living 
in  San  Bernardino;  Willard,  Elmira  and  Jasper,  deceased;  Eliza,  wife 
of  a  Mr.  Muchman,  deceased ;  Cynthia,  wife  of  Joseph  Paine,  living 
in    San    Bernardino ;    Charles    W.,    deceased ;    and    Chauncey,    deceased. 

Mr.  Wixom  was  educated  for  a  short  time  in  Monterey  County  pub- 
lic schools  and  then  in  the  public  schools  of  San  Bernardino,  also 
attending  a  private  school  and  a  night  school.  He  then  went  into 
farming  and  teaming,  following  this  for  nine  years  outside  of  San 
Bernardino,  and  also  teaming  to  Prescott,  Arizona.  He  then  had  to 
move  into  San  Bernardino,  to  take  charge  of  his  mother's  business, 
caring  for  the  property   for   four  years. 

In  1882  he  was  elected  city  marshal  and  served  two  terms,  was 
deputy  assessor  for  four  years,  and  was  appointed  chief  of  the  fire 
department  and  filled  that  office  for  about  five  years.  He  then  de- 
cided to  return  to  private  life  and  bought  a  ranch  at  Highland,  with 
three  hundred  colonies  of  bees,  and  stayed  there  four  years,  but  the 
lure  of  the  city  became  too  strong  and  he  moved  back  into  San  Ber- 
nardino. He  was  next  elected  a  member  of  the  city  council  and  served 
two  terms,  being  re-elected.  In  1897  he  went  into  the  laundry  business 
with  Dr.  Clarence  Dickey,  but  sold  out  and  retired  from  all  active 
business    for  a   time. 

His  next  move  was  to  take  up  a  homestead  on  the  mountains,  and 
this  he  proved  up  on  and  made  it  a  beautiful  place,  planting  four 
hundred  apple  trees  and  building  a  fine  house.  One  of  its  attractions 
is  a  large  fish  pond.  He  must  often  think  of  this  beatitiful  environ- 
ment of  the  days  of  old,  and  especially  of  the  time  in  February,  1867, 
when  he  was  one  of  the  party  who  went  out  on  the  trail  after  the  In- 
dians who  had  murdered  Bemis,  YVhitesides,  Parish  and  other  white 
men.  They  were  out  two  weeks,  and  made  "good  Indians"  of  many 
and  ran  the  rest  out  of  the  country,  and  this  ended  for  all  time  the 
real  Indian  trouble,  the  killing  of  the  whites. 

In  addition  to  his  home,  Mr.  Wixom  owns  other  city  properties. 
In  addition  to  his  other  public  service  he  was  school  trustee  for  seven 
years  of  the  Mt.  Vernon  School. 

He  married  on  December,  25,  1866,  Mary  Ann  Stuchberry,  a  na- 
tive of  Australia,  the  daughter  of  John  and  Emma  (Cadd)  Stuch- 
berry, both  her  parents  being  natives  of  London,  England.  Mr.  Stuch- 
berry moved  to  Australia  when  a  young  man.  They  crossed  the  ocean 
to  America  in  1858,  making  the  voyage  in  a  sail  boat  and  arriving  at 
San  Pedro,  Los  Angeles  County,  State  of  California,  in  November. 
1858,  they  continued  their  journey  to  and  settled  in  San  Bernardino, 
and  remained  until  their  deaths. 

Mrs.  Wixom  is  the  oldest  of  the  following  children:  John  Franklin, 
deceased:  Thomas,  living  in  Pomona;  Elizabeth,  widow  of  Thomas 
Harris,  of  San  Bernardino;  William,  deceased ;  Ellen,  wife  of  Ben 
Southern,  of  San  Bernardino;  Joseph  Henry,  living  in  San  Bernardino: 
James,  in  Los  Angeles. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wixom  are  the  parents  of  the  following  children: 
Emma  Louisa,  wife  of  Wr.  B.  Reeves,  of  San  Bernardino,  who  has 
the  following  children:  Maud  L;  Blanche,  married  to  William 
Amblen,  of  San  Bernardino;  Ellen,  wife  of  Dr.  Clarence  Dickey. 
|r..  of  San   Bernardino;    Frank   Wixom    Reeves,  married  and   living 


1476       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

in  Texas ;  and  Elizabeth.  David  William,  of  San  Bernardino,  married 
Elizabeth  Smith  and  has  three  children :  Mabel,  married  to  Carl 
Barco  of  Colton ;  Ennis,  married  to  Olive  Switzer,  and  Percy.  Laura 
E.  married  Frank  M.  Meisner  of  San  Bernardino.  She  has  one  child 
by  a  former  marriage.  Arthur  H.  married  Norah  May  Harmon,  and 
they  have  three  children:  Clifford,  Frances  and  David.  Nathan  Chaun- 
cey  died  in  1875,  at  the  age  of  two. 

Mr.  Wixom  is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows, 
Knights  of  Pythias,  of  Woodmen  of  World  and  of  the  San  Bernardino 
Society  of  California  Pioneers.  Mrs.  Wixom  is  also  a  member  of  the 
Pythian  Sisters,  Women  of  Woodcraft  and  the  Maccabees.  In  politics 
they  are  democrats. 

Vernon  E.  Stockwell. — Volumes  have  been  written  concerning  the 
romantic  experiences  and  adventure  of  the  California  argonauts.  How- 
ever, the  age  of  romance  is  not  dead  since  some  of  the  men  who 
have  come  to  California  in  comparatively  recent  years  have  ventured 
and  achieved  in  a  way  fully  as  interesting  and  perhaps  even  more 
beneficial  to  the  country  at  large  than  the  early  gold  seekers. 

A  story  in  point  is  that  of  Mr.  Vernon  E.  Stockwell  of  Los  Angeles, 
who  some  years  ago  dared  to  come  over  the  mountains  against  the 
warning  of  a  physician  who  said  he  could  not  live  to  make  the  trip, 
who  reached  here  a  stranger  and  with  only  a  few  dollars  at  his 
command,  and  now  has  business  interests  and  connections  spread  all 
over  the  country  around  Los  Angeles,  including  some  that  make  him 
a  man  of  prominence  and  interest  in  San  Bernardino  and  Riverside, 
counties. 

Mr.  Stockwell  was  born  at  Spearsville  in  Boone  County,  Indiana, 
August  25,  1872,  son  of  Austin  and  Mary  P.  Stockwell,  who  were 
natives  of  Ohio.  Vernon  Stockwell  grew  up  on  his  father's  farm, 
had  a  working  experience  while  attending  common  schools,  and 
as  a  young  man  took  a  course  in  a  Horological  College  at  La  Porte, 
Indiana,  and  also  graduated  from  the  Myers  Institute  of  LaPorte, 
thus  receiving  a  technical  training  in  the  watchmaker's  trade  and 
as  an  optician.  He  was  in  the  jewelry  and  optical  business  for 
three  years,  located  in  Iowa  and  Missouri  and  part  of  the  time  traveling 
over  these  states  selling  jewelry  and  optical  goods.  Failing  health 
compelled  him  to  seek  a  different  climate  and  after  about  a  year 
of  invalidism  he  went  to  Denver,  Colorado,  and  entered  the  piano 
business  as  salesman  for  the  McCammon  Bros,  at  16th  and  Champa 
streets.  He  traveled  over  Colorado,  New  Mexico  and  Utah  as  a 
general  salesman  and  with  more  than  ordinary  success.  In  December, 
1900,  he  came  to  Los  Angeles,  primarily  because  he  was  unable  to 
live  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  Rockies  and  he. hoped  and  realized 
his  expectations  of  finding  in  Southern  California  a  genial  climate 
where  his  strength  would  be  restored  and  also  some  business  oppor- 
tunities. He  reached  here  with  nine  dollars  in  his  pocket.  It  was 
a  period  of  hard  times.  In  seeking  work  he  applied  to  the  Los 
Angeles  Piano  Company.  They  had  too  many  men  already,  said 
the  sales  manager.  "Have  you  pianos  to  sell?"  asked  Mr.  Stockwell. 
The  manager  indicated  that  they  had  plenty  of  goods  to  sell  and  he 
immediately  proposed  to  sell  on  commission.  At  the  end  of  the 
first  week  his  sales  had  enabled  him  to  put  a  hundred  ninety 
dollars  in  the  bank.  Later  he  was  employed  by  the  Southern  Cali- 
fornia Music  Company,  but  in  1901  took  up  the  field  that  has 
afforded    the    widest    opportunity    for    his    genius,    real    estate.      He 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1477 

located  in  the  Douglas  Building  at  Los  Angeles,  but  soon  rented 
quarters  on  the  ground  floor  at  454  South  Broadway,  and  still  later 
removed  to  304  Grant  Building,  where  he  now  has  a  suite  of  three 
rooms.  He  and  Ben  White  were  the  first  to  inaugurate  the  Exchange 
business  in  the  Los  Angeles  real  estate  market,  a  plan  that  has  been 
widely  adopted  elsewhere. 

On  February  11,  1901,  Mr.  Stockwell  married  Miss  Bertha  C. 
Greenleaf,  daughter  of  William  and  Rosalie  P.  Greenleaf.  Mrs. 
Stockwell  is  an  accomplished  musician,  particularly  as  a  pianist. 
Her  father  was  a  native  of  Iowa  and  her  mother  was  born  in  the 
city  of  Berlin  and  was  brought  to  America  when  a  child  by  her 
uncle. 

The  spirit  that  has  prompted  him  to  accept  chances  all  his  life 
has,  with  the  enlarged  resources  of  success,  enabled  Mr.  Stockwell 
to  engage  in  many  diverse  fields.  He  has  mining  interests,  partic- 
ularly in  the  State  Range  Mountains  of  Inyo  County,  claims  he 
has  developed  and  where  the  Stockwell  Gold  Mining  Company  of 
which  he  is  president,  general  manager  and  chief  stockholder  operates 
a  thirty  ton  Lane  mill  and  complete  modern  cyanide  plant. 

Mr.  Stockwell  in  1915  purchased  a  controlling  interest  and  took 
over  the  management  of  the  Consumers  Salt  Company  with  plant 
at  Saltus  in  San  Bernardino  County.  In  that  vicinity  there  is  about 
six  thousand  acres  underlaid  with  a  solid  body  of  salt  eight  to  nine 
feet  deep.  The  company  had  four  and  a  half  miles  of  railroad  fully 
equipped  with  two  locomotives,  oil  and  salt  cars,  and  there  is  a  modern 
three-story  mill  building  with  a  capacity  of  five  hundred  tons  of  salt 
daily.  Mr.  Stockwell  operated  this  plant  four  years,  put  it  on  a 
profitable  financial  basis,  and  then  leased  it  for  twenty  years  to 
John  Smith  of  Los  Angeles.  In  1917  Mr.  Stockwell's  investigations 
discovered  calcium  chloride  on  this  property.  He  then  organized 
the  Calcium-Chloride  Syndicate,  established  a  refining  plant  at  2436 
Hunter  Street  in  Los  Angeles,  the  first  calcium  chloride  plant  west 
of  Michigan.  He  operated  this  for  two  years  in  a  very  successful 
way,  and  then  leased  it  likewise  to  John  Smith,  who  now  operates 
both  the  salt  and  chloride  plants.  These  two  industries  are  among 
the  most  prosperous  of  San  Bernardino  County. 

Mr.  Stockwell  was  one  of  the  early  investors  who  put  their  re- 
sources behind  the  developments  in  Imperial  County.  He  has  owned 
many  tracts  of  land  there,  and  is  still  a  large  holder  of  farm  lands. 
In  1912  he  put  on  sale  the  townsite  of  Alamorio  where  he  built  an 
electric  light  plant,  creamery,  ice  plant,  general  merchandise  store 
with  thirty-five  thousand  dollars  worth  of  stock,  was  one  of  the 
founders  of  the  Methodist  Church  and  the  Church  of  the  Nazarine. 
contributing  substantially  to  the  maintenance  of  these  institutions, 
and  was  instrumental  in  securing  the  establishment  of  yards  of  the 
E.  K.  Wood  Lumber  Company.  He  kept  in  intimate  touch  with 
this  town  for  four  years,  after  which  he  sold  out  his  interests.  He 
had  organized  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  its  first  meetings  were 
held  in  his  home.  At  that  point  he  sank  one  of  the  first  wells  in 
the  valley,  developing  an  artesian  flow  of  water  with  valuable  mineral 
qualties  and  installed  a  bath  house.  This  well  is  visited  annually 
by  hundreds  of  people  who  seek  the  benefits  of  the  use  of  the  water. 
Mr.  Stockwell  is  regarded  as  an  authority  on  investments  in  the 
valley.  At  the  time  of  the  well  remembered  floods  he  maintained 
and  continued  his  investments  at  a  time  when  others  were  getting 
«iut   a>  fast  as  possible.     He  put  on  one  of  the   first    subdivisions  '>f 


1478       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

Tropico,  running  a  special  train  on  the  Salt  Lake  Railway,  and 
selling  the  entire  tract  at  auction.  He  also  put  on  the  market 
Stockwell's  subdivision  at  Corona  in  Riverside  County.  He  owns 
sixty  acres  of  citrus  groves  at  Corona,  Pomona  and  Ontario  and 
at  different  times  has  been  interested  in  retail  business  enterprises, 
including  the  old  Hollywood  confectionery  store  on  Broadway  at 
Los  Angeles,  a  large  millinery  store,  and  has  been  interested  in  a 
number  of  hotels.  Recently  he  purchased  thirty-one  acres  at  Lynwood, 
the  half  way  city  between  Long  Beach  and  Los  x\ngeles,  and  is  planning 
its  subdivision  and  development. 

Besides  this  ample  evidence  of  his  financial  prosperity  and  his 
growing  prominence  as  a  citizen,  Mr.  Stockwell  is  the  picture  of 
rugged  health  and  energy,  all  of  which  he  credits  to  Southern  Cali- 
fornia climate,  though  doubtless  his  personal  persistence  and  de- 
termination have  been  equally  important. 

J.  Gordon  Smith  as  a  young  man  accepted  the  opportunities  of  his 
inheritance  and  has  made  a  success  of  more  than  passing  note  in  the 
horticultural  and  business  affairs  of  the  Redlands  District. 

Reared  in  Southern  California  since  childhood,  he  was  born  in  Glas- 
gow, Scotland,  December  7,  1873,  being  five  years  old  when  the  family 
came  to  this  country.  His  parents  were  James  and  Constance  (Stein) 
Smith,  both  natives  of  Scotland.  James  Smith  and  a  brother  owned  a 
large  furniture  manufacturing  plant  in  Glasgow.  It  was  a  prosperous 
business,  but  James  Smith  was  for  years  a  sufferer  from  asthma,  and 
the  rugged  Scotch  climate  not  agreeing  with  him  he  came  to  Pasadena 
early  in  1879,  returning  with  his  family  in  September  of  that  year,  and 
built  a  home  in  Pasadena  in  1880.  He  at  once  launched  into  the  furni- 
ture business  both  as  a  manufacturer  and  retailer,  under  the  name  James 
Smith  &  Sons,  with  store  at  the  corner  of  Fair  Oaks  and  Green  streets. 
Subsequently  he  built  the  four  story  Arcade  Building  which  he  occu- 
pied. This  building  adjoins  the  First  National  Bank  at  Fair  Oaks  and 
Colorado  streets,  and  subsequently  the  fourth  story  was  removed  and  it 
is  now  the  Hotel  Central,  owned  by  the  youngest  daughter  of  James 
Smith.  James  Smith  had  other  business  interests.  He  bought  sixty 
acres  now  in  the  heart  of  Pasadena,  lying  between  Orange  Grove  Avenue 
and  Fair  Oaks  and  extending  north  and  south  between  Palmetto  and 
Alvarado  streets.  This  he  made  an  extensive  plantation  of  orange  and 
deciduous  fruits,  but  it  is  now  completely  built  over.  He  undertook  the 
work  of  subdividing  this  tract,  selling  one  ten  acre  homestead  to  E.  R. 
Hull,  but  most  of  it  in  lots  at  advantageous  prices.  His  estate  still  owns 
twelve  acres  of  the  original  sixty,  this  portion  being  on  Pasadena  Avenue 
between  Waverly  and  Bellview.  Some  of  the  prominent  streets  were 
laid  out  by  the  Smiths,  such  as  Bellview,  Gordon  Terrace,  Waverly. 
Pasadena  Avenue,  Palmetto.  About  the  time  he  ended  this  subdivision 
work  James  Smith  sold  his  furniture  business  to  his  son,  F.  H.  Smith, 
who  continued  it  at  the  old  stand,  but  is  now  a  business  man  of  San 
Francisco.  Subsequently  James  Smith  was  in  the  crockery  business,  be- 
ing interested  in  the  Pacific  Crockery  &  Creamery  Company  at  Los 
Angeles  and  he  also  operated  a  retail  store  at  Pasadena.  At  the  time  of 
his  death  he  owned  eleven  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  ranch  land  in  the 
Perris  Valley  of  Riverside  County,  land  which  with  other  holdings  was 
divided  among  his  children,  and  a  large  portion  of  which  is  being  farmed 
by  J.  Gordon  Smith.  James  Smith  with  his  wife  and  daughter  visited 
Scotland,  where  his  old  asthmatic  trouble  quickly  returned,  and  while 
at  London  on  his  way  home  he  died  December  14,  1910. 


SAN  BERXARDIXO  AXD  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1479 

He  and  his  wife  had  eight  children.  The  oldest,  Sidney  A.  Smith, 
is  a  San  Bernardino  business  man.  Francis  H.  has  already  been  men- 
tioned as  the  successor  of  his  father's  business  at  Pasadena  and  now  in 
San  Francisco.  Wilfred  S.  is  ranching  at  Pern's,  California.  J.  Gordon 
is  the  fourth  in  age.  Alfred  Dore  Smith  lives  at  Laguna  Beach,  Cali- 
fornia. Lewis  F.  is  a  rancher  at  t  Perris.  Constance  Agnes  died  in 
infancy.     The  youngest  is  Clara  Agnes,  of  Pasadena. 

J.  Gordon  Smith  was  liberally  educated,  attending  the  public  schools 
of  Pasadena,  Parker's  Academy  and  Throop  University.  On  leaving 
school  he  determined  that  his  career  should  be  one  that  took  him  out  of 
doors.  He  had  from  early  boyhood  enjoyed  the  sports  and  occupa- 
tions of  his  father's  farm,  and  on  August  18,  1897,  he  rode  a  bicycle  all 
the  way  from  Pasadena  to  Redlands  to  enter  upon  his  duties  as  manager 
of  his  father's  ranch  lying  along  California  Street.  In  this  location  his 
home  and  interests  have  continued,  and  he  inherited  the  property  from 
his  father.  His  older  brother  was  then  on  the  ranch,  but  being  home- 
sick was  preparing  to  vacate,  and  Gordon  stepped  into  his  place.  He 
has  shown  the  qualities  of  his  Scotch  character  in  the  successful  way 
he  has  handled  his  ranch  and  orange  and  deciduous  fruit  crops,  and  has 
kept  his  business  going  in  bad  years  as  well  as  good. 

October  9,  1906,  he  married  Miss  Rhoda  Wilson,  youngest  daughter 
of  Joseph  Wilson  and  descended  from  one  of  the  most  interesting  of  the 
pioneer  families  of  San  Bernardino  County.  Some  of  the  experiences 
of  the  Wilson  family  are  related  on  other  pages  of  this  publication 
Mrs.  Smith  was  born  on  the  old  Mission  Road  afterward  known  as  Old 
San   Bernardino,  now  West  Redlands,  April   15,   1878. 

Theodore  L.  Evens  had  achieved  a  competence  through  his  business 
career  in  the  East  before  coming  to  California.  For  a  time  he  was  in- 
terested in  orange  growing,  but  he  is  now  practically  retired,  having 
sold  his  groves.     His  home  is  at  417  Magnolia  Avenue  in  Riverside. 

Mr.  Evens  was  born  at  Pittsburgh.  Pennsylvania,  September  26 
1859,  son  of  George  W.  Evens,  a  native  of  Pittsburgh.  His  mother  wa* 
born  in  New  York.  George  W.  Evens  spent  all  his  active  career  in 
the  meat  business  at  Pittsburgh.  Theodore  L.  Evens  acquired  a  public 
school  education  in  that  city  and  learned  the  meat  business  from  his 
father.  On  leaving  Pennsylvania  he  went  to  Iowa,  and  for  twenty-two 
years  was  in  business  as  a  retail  meat  dealer  in  Des  Moines.  Mr.  Evens 
came  to  Riverside  in  1909,  and  he  bought  a  valuable  orange  grove  on 
Magnolia  Avenue,  but  has  since  sold  this  property.  He  is  a  republican 
and  a  member  of  the   Presbyterian  Church. 

October  16,  1894,  he  married  Miss  Maria  B.  Thompson,  daughter  of 
David  Thompson,  of  Pittsburgh,  where  she  was  born  and  reared  and 
educated  in  the  public  schools.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Evens  have  one  son,  Al- 
bert W.,  now  of  Cranbrook,  Canada.  They  also  have  a  grandchild. 
Leona   May. 

Archie  Milton  Romerts. — A  member  of  that  class  of  workers 
whose  practical  education,  ready  perception  and  great  capacity  for  pains- 
taking industry  have  advanced  them  to  positions  of  agricultural  and 
business  substantiality  formerly  occupied  only  by  men  many  years  their 
seniors.  Archie  Milton  Roberts,  while  representing  the  vigorous  and 
resourceful  present  of  the  Pacific  Coast,  gives  promise  of  participating 
in  its  nmrr  enlightened  future,  more  especially  of  Highland,  where  he  is 
the   owner   of   a   large   and    productive   alfalfa   and    potato    ranch, 


1480       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

Mr.  Roberts  was  born  July  3,  1882,  in  San  Timoteo  Canon,  Cali- 
fornia, the  youngest  son  of  Berry  and  Frances  (Thomas)  Roberts. 
Berry  Roberts  was  born  in  Conway  County,  Arkansas,  September  18, 
1836,  the  youngest  of  the  children  of  Jesse  and  Mary  (Aplin)  Roberts. 
He  was  still  an  infant  when  his  father  died,  and  at  the  age  of  fifteen 
years  started  across  the  plains  with  his  mother,  and  others,  driving 
four  yoke  of  oxen.  The  party  started  April  10,  1852,  and  arrived  at 
their  destination  in  Mariposa  County,  California,  October  1  of  that 
year.  His  mother,  a  native  of  Tennessee,  later  went  to  Texas,  where 
her  death  occurred.  Berry  Roberts  began  his  California  career  as  a 
miner,  but  after  five  years  of  this  work  moved  to  San  Bernardino  County 
and  took  up  ranching,  in  December,  1857,  taking  up  cattle  raising  in  the 
San  Timoteo  Canon  of  Riverside  County.  He  was  one  of  the  men  to 
introduce  fine  live  stock  in  this  section,  and  was  one  of  the  first  breeders 
of  such  stock  in  the  state.  He  sarted  life  in  a  new  country,  without 
means,  when  money  was  scarce,  but  through  persistence  and  capable 
effort  made  a  success  of  his  ventures,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death,  which 
occurred  at  Redlands,  at  the  home  of  his  son,  William  M.  Roberts,  he 
was  possessed  of  a  good  ranch  and  of  the  respect  and  esteem  of  his 
fellow-citizens.  In  Mariposa  County,  California,  Berry  Roberts  married 
Miss  Frances  Thomas,  a  native  of  Missouri,  and  they  became  the  parents 
of  twelve  children:  William  M.,  Ozrow,  Mary,  Ella,  Emma  Beach, 
Nettie,  Berry  Lee,  Sterling,  Ida,  Early,  Archie  Milton  and  Edward. 

Archie  Milton  Roberts  was  educated  at  the  El  Caseo  school  and  all 
his  early  training  was  along  the  line  of  ranching.  During  his  father's 
later  years,  with  his  brothers  Sterling  and  Early,  and  his  sister  Ida, 
he  managed  the  elder  man's  property,  and  Archie  M.  Roberts  continued' 
to  be  so  engaged  until  his  own  marriage,  at  which  time  he  set  up  house- 
keeping for  himself.  He  married  December  20,  1906,  Miss  Marie 
Charles,  and  at  that  time  purchased  six  acres  of  land  at  Colton.  This 
he  later  sold  and  bought  ten  acres  on  South  Waterman  Street,  and 
within  one  year's  time  disposed  of  this  property  at  a  satisfying  advance. 
In  1914  he  bought  his  present  home  of  twenty  acres  at  the  corner  of 
City  Creek  Road  and  Pepper  Avenue,  Highland,  and  to  this  has  since 
added  an  additional  twenty  acres.  His  forty-acre  tract  is  now  improved 
in  the  most  modern  style.  He  has  a  complete  irrigating  system,  having 
sunk  six  wells,  to  which  are  attached  pipe  lines,  his  home  is  of  the  most 
modern  architecture,  and  his  ranch  throughout  is  equipped  in  the  most 
complete  style.  Mr.  Roberts  is  engaged  in  general  farming,  his  special 
crops  being  alfalfa  and  potatoes,  which  he  grows  in  commercial  quanti- 
ties. His  success  has  been  won  through  enterprise  and  industry,  coupled 
with  a  natural  ability  and  capacity  for  good  management.  Mr.  Roberts 
is  a  member  of  the  Native  Sons  and  has  a  number  of  social,  business  and 
civic  connections  that  bring  him  into  close  and  constant  touch  with  the 
life  of  the  community. 

Mrs.  Roberts  was  born  March  1,  1879,  at  Havre,  France,  a  daughter 
of  William  and  Mary  Charles,  whom  she  accompanied  to  the  United 
States  when  five  years  of  age.  She  has  one  brother,  Julius.  Mr.  Charles, 
who  was  a  member  of  the  police  force  in  his  native  land  for  fourteen 
years,  first  settled  at  Green  Bay,  Wisconsin,  where  he  followed  manu- 
facturing for  four  years,  as  he  did  also  for  a  time  at  South  Bend,  Indi- 
ana. In  1889  he  came  to  Cucamonga,  California,  where  he  engaged  in 
ranching,  and  finally  purchased  a  ranch  on  City  Creek  Road,  which  is 
now  owned  by  his  son.  He  passed  away  on  this  property  December  9, 
1915,  his  wife  having  died  at   San  Bernardino  in   1902.     Mrs.   Roberts 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1481 

is  a  woman  of  intelligence  and  numerous  gifts  and  graces,  as  well  as  a 
high  school  graduate  and  a  graduate  of  the  Longmire  Business  College 
of  San  Bernardino,  this  state.  She  and  her  husband  are  the  parents  of 
three  children :  Milton,  born  November  3,  1907 ;  Myrtle,  born  Febru- 
ary 27,  1909;  and  Francis,  born  December  18,  1912.  The  children  are 
all  being  given  excellent  educational  advantages. 

Charles  E.  Gaines,  present  street  superintendent  of  Riverside,  is 
a  civil  and  construction  engineer  with  many  years  of  successful  experi- 
ence in  the  building  and  rebuilding  of  railroads  and  other  public  works. 
He  was  identified  with  railroad  building  in  a  number  of  southern  states, 
and  finally,  during  a  three  months'  leave  of  absence,  came  to  California 
and  became  so  enamored  of  the  charms  of  the  Golden  State  that  he 
never  resumed  his  work  in  the  East,  and  it  may  be  stated  has  never 
had  cause  to  regret  the  decision  that  made  him  a  factor  in  the  affairs 
of  Southern  California. 

Mr.  Gaines  was  born  in  Lewis  County,  Kentucky,  June  28,  1878. 
His  father,  Thomas  Moore  Gaines,  was  also  a  native  of  Kentucky,  of 
Maryland  and  Virginia  stock.  The  Gaines  family  was  one  of  sixty-eight 
that  crossed  the  mountains  by  wagon  train  and  were  the  first  to  colonize 
in  Bracken  County,  Kentucky,  each  family  taking  up  a  section  of  land 
in  that  wilderness  region.  Gaines  is  an  English  name,  and  members 
of  the  family  were  in  the  Revolution.  Thomas  Moore  Gaines  is  also  a 
resident  of  California,  living  in  San  Diego  County,  where  he  is  a  super- 
visor in  the  Indian  service  and  has  been  identified  with  the  Indian  service 
jn  the  West  for  twenty  years.  While  in  the  East  he  was  prominent  in 
the  York  and  Scottish  Rite  bodies  of  Masonry,  and  for  nineteen  years 
was  high  priest  of  the  Chapter.  His  wife  was  Mary  Florence  Wells. 
She  is  a  native  of  Kentucky  and  is  also  living  in  San  Diego  County. 
She  is  of  English-Welsh  descent  and  of  Revolutionary  stock.  Her  father, 
Jacob  Wells,  was  a  provost  marshal  in  the  Union  Army  during  the 
Civil  war  and  assisted  in  heading  off  Morgan's  raid  through  Southern 
Ohio. 

Charles  E.  Gaines  acquired  a  public  school  education,  graduated  from 
high  school  at  Vanceburg,  Kentucky,  in  1896,  and  also  attended  the  Jones 
&  Kelley  Business  College  at  Lexington,  Kentucky.  During  vacations 
he  had  his  first  experience  working  with  a  crew  under  Mr.  Prather,  who 
was  under  Chief  Engineer  A.  E.  Childs  on  the  Collis  P.  Huntington  di- 
vision of  the  Chesapeake  &  Ohio  Railroad.  He  continued  the  same 
work  for  two  or  three  years  after  graduating.  For  one  year  he  was 
with  the  Kinnekenic  &  Freestone  branch  of  this  railroad  that  penetrated 
what  is  known  as  the  Boone-Furness  and  Herald  and  Johnson  tracts 
in  Northeastern  Kentucky,  where  were  originated  great  volumes  of  ton- 
nage of  iron  ore,  glass  sands  and  freestone  for  bridges.  At  that  time 
Mr.  M.  E.  Ingalls  was  president  of  the  Chesapeake  &  Ohio  and  the  Big 
Four.  Mr.  Gaines  was  employed  on  the  Big  Four  system  under  Chief 
Engineer  G.  W.  Kittredge,  and  also  for  the  purchasing  agent,  George 
Tozzer.  Following  that  he  was  under  C.  W.  Cheers,  general  superin- 
tendent of  construction,  in  the  reconstruction  of  the  Chattanooga,  Rome 
&•  Southern  Railway.  Then  followed  a  period  of  employment  with  the 
Atlanta,  Birmingham  &  Atlantic  Railroad,  working  jointly  for  George 
Dale  Wadley  and  Alexander  Gorman,  general  superintendent  of  con- 
struction. This  work  involved  the  joining  up  of  several  smaller  lines 
and  extending  the  system  from  139  miles  to  740  miles  from  Brunswick. 
Georgia,  to   Birmingham,   Alabama,   with   a   "V"   into   Atlanta.      In   this 


1482       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

work  Mr.  Gaines  had  charge  of  much  of  the  grading  and  roadbed 
construction  and  also  the  building  of  bridges. 

The  three  months  leave  of  absence  which  he  spent  in  California 
came  in  1908.  After  going  as  far  as  San  Francisco  he  returned  to  Los 
Angeles  and  soon  afterward  sent  in  his  resignation  to  the  Southern 
Company  and  joined  the  Pacific  Electric  Railway  Company.  This  cor- 
poration employed  him  in  straightening  out  and  making  a  complete 
record  of  the  rights  of  way,  and  he  served  as  right  of  way  agent  and 
then  in  charge  of  all  the  company's  paving  and  street  construction  in 
the  various  towns  served  by  the  system.  Altogether  he  was  for  eight 
years  with  the  Pacific  Electric.  For  two  years  he  was  in  the  contract- 
ing and  paving  business,  building  roads  in  Los  Angeles,  Ventura,  Kern 
and  Kings  Counties.  In  Mono  County  he  built  the  dam  at  Grant  Lake 
for  the  Southern  Sie.ra  Power  Company.  During  the  period  of  the 
World  war  he  was  with  the  D.  C.  Jackman  interests,  his  time  being 
divided  between  the  Ray  Plant  in  Arizona  and  the  Chino  plant  in  New- 
Mexico. 

Mr.  Gaines  came  to  Riverside  and  in  September,  1920,  was  appointed 
street  superintendent,  and  he  is  now  employing  his  broad  experience 
and  abilities  in  this  important  responsibility.  On  coming  to  Riverside 
he  also  bought  a  four  acre  navel  orange  grove  at  the  end  of  Grove 
Street.  Besides  looking  after  his  oranges  he  has  embarked  rather  ex- 
tensively in  the  poultry  business.  At  the  present  time  his  plant  con- 
tains a  flock  of  eight  hundred  pullets,  and  he  plans  additions  that  will 
bring  it  up  to  a  normal  average  of  five  thousand.  He  also  has  an  apiary 
of  117  stands,  and  this  he  also  plans  to  increase  steadily. 

Mr.  Gaines  is  a  member  of  the  County  Farm  Bureau.  He  is  a 
past  senior  deacon  of  Lodge  No.  305  F.  &  A.  M.  at  YVaycross,  Georgia, 
is  a  member  of  Lodge  No.  672,  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of 
Elks,  at  Pasadena,  California,  is  an  independent  in  politics,  and  while 
in  Georgia  served  as  a  member  of  the  County  Central  Committees  of 
Ware  and  Glynn  counties.  He  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Chris- 
tian Church  at  Alhambra.  December  12,  1899,  Mr.  Gaines  married 
Edith  Van  Norman,  who  was  born  in  Los  Angeles  County,  California. 
Her  father,  Joseph  M.  Van  Norman,  was  a  pioneer  Texas  cattleman. 
Mrs.  Gaines  represents  an  old  southern  family  of  Holland  Dutch  an- 
cestry, and  is  a  member  of  the  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution 
and  the  Daughters  of  the  Confederacy.    They  have  one  daughter,  Ysabel. 

Louis  R.  Hill,  general  superintendent  and  chief  engineer  of  the 
San  Bernardino  plant  of  the  Southern  California  Ice  Company,  is  one 
of  the  experienced  and  skilled  men  of  his  profession  and  a  citizen  who 
is  held  in  the  highest  esteem  because  of  his  professional  and  personal 
qualifications.  He  is  a  native  son,  having  been  born  at  Santa  Barbara, 
California,  February  6,  1876,  a  son  of  the  late  Dr.  R.  W.  Hill,  for 
many  years  a  prominent  practicing  physician  of  Santa  Barbara  and 
Ventura  counties.  Born  in  Vermont,  of  Revolutionary  stock  and  Eng- 
lish ancestry,  he  came  to  California  about  1870,  located  in  Santa  Bar- 
bara, and  was  there  married  to  Mary  Carmel  Guitterez,  a  native  of 
Santa  Barbara.  Her  mother,  Sarah  Guitterez  was  also  born  in  Cali- 
fornia and  was  a  daughter  of  Benigo  Guitterez,  who  owned  the  first 
drug  store  of  Santa  Barbara,  and  continued  to  conduct  it  until  his  death, 
or  during  a  period  of  fifty-six  years.  He  was  also  the  owner  of  the 
historical  Rincon  ranch,  which  marks  the  dividing  line  between  Santa 
Barbara  and  Ventura  counties.  Benigo  Guitterez,  came  to  California 
in  the  early  '40s   from  Valparaiso,  Chili.     Mrs.  Hill  survives  and  lives 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1483 

at  Ventura  City,  California.  She  and  her  husband  had  twelve  chil- 
dren, those  other  than  Louis  R.  Hill  being  as  follows :  Emmet,  who 
resides  on  the  Rincon  ranch;  Ruby,  who  is  deceased;  Benjamin,  who  is 
deceased ;  Edward,  who  is  with  the  Southern  Counties  Gas  Company  at 
Ocean  Park,  California;  Carmelita,  who  is  the  wife  of  Douglas  Rhodes, 
of  Los  Angeles,  California;  Jesse,  who  is  the  wife  of  Andrew  Claussen, 
of  Santa  Barbara ;  Grace,  who  conducts  a  millinery  store  at  Ventura ; 
Abner,  who  is  a  resident  of  Ventura ;  Newton,  who  is  studying  phar- 
macy in  the  University  of  Southern  California;  Esolina,  who  is  the  wife 
of  Bert  West,  of  Ventura ;  and  James,  who  is  engaged  in  farming  in 
the  vicinity  of   Portland,   Oregon. 

Louis  R.  Hill  received  his  educational  training  in  the  public  schools 
of  Santa  Barbara  and  Ventura  counties,  after  graduating  from  the 
Ventura  High  School  he  at  once  turned  his  attention  to  stationary  en- 
gineering, working  at  that  calling  for  five  years  at  Santa  Barbara  and 
going  from  there  to  the  famous  Yellow  Aster  Mine  at  Randsburg, 
where  he  worked  as  an  engineer  for  one  year.  Returning  to  Santa 
Barbara,  he  spent  a  short  time  in  that  city,  but  left  it  for  Los  Angeles, 
and  became  an  engineer  for  the  Southern  California  Ice  Company. 
After  a  year  he  was  transferred  by  the  company  to  San  Bernardino, 
in  1906,  and  since  then  has  been  general  superintendent  and  chief  en- 
gineer  of  the  company's  plant  here. 

Fraternally  Mr.  Hill  maintains  membership  with  the  San  Bernardino 
Lodge  of  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks.  He  is  a  re- 
publican, but  has  never  been  active  in  politics  and  has  never  sought  public 
preferment. 

In  1895  Mr.  Hill  married  at  Santa  Barbara  Miss  Alice  Henry,  a 
native  of  California,  and  a  daughter  of  Jacob  Henry,  now  deceased. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hill  have  two  daughters,  llamely :  Irene,  who  is  the  wife 
of  Earl  Douglas  of  San  Bernardino,  and  an  employe  of  the  Walk  Over 
Shoe  Company  ;  and  Miss  Margaret,  who  is  at  home  with  her  parents. 
The  Hills  are  all  members  of  the  Catholic  Church.  The  duties  and 
responsibilities  of  Mr.  Hill's  position  are  so  heavy  as  to  necessitate  his 
devoting  practically  all  of  his  time  and  attention  to  them,  but  he  is  in- 
terested in  the  progress  made  by  his  city  and  county,  and  anxious  to 
have  a  proper  amount  of  public  inprovement  done  in  order  that  this 
locality  maintain  its  prestige  of  being  one  of  the  most  desirable  parts 
of  the  Golden  State. 

Lincoln  Sherrard. — One  of  the  most  interesting  old  timers  of  Red- 
lands  is  Lincoln  Sherrard,  who  for  thirty  years  has  been  identified  with 
business  as  a  blacksmith  in  this  locality.  He  is  a  typical  western  man, 
born  and  spent  all  his  life  on  the  Pacific  Coast,  and  has  had  a  variety 
of  experiences  and  hardships  that  enables  him  to  appreciate  all  the  won- 
derful progress  made  in  this  section  of  California  since  he  came  here. 

Mr.  Sherrard  was  born  on  a  ranch  in  a  log  cabin  at  Canyonville, 
Oregon,  December  28,  1861,  son  of  William  Douglas  and  Sarah  Jane 
(  Denning)  Sherrard.  His  father  was  a  native  of  Ohio  and  his  mother 
of  Indiana.  They  crossed  the  plains  in  the  early  days  to  Oregon  over 
the  Lewis  &  Clark  trail,  traveling  with  wagons  and  oxteams.  The  journey 
was  made  in  1853,  and  was  beset  with  difficulties  and  hazards  such  as  no 
journey  outside  of  the  Arctic  regions  could  parallel  at  the  present  time. 
Once  they  tried  a  short  cut  and  missed  the  old  trail  up  Snake  River  Val- 
ley, and  for  three  days  they  had  to  live  on  snails  and  roots.  William  D. 
Sherrard  was  for  many  years  a  miner,  also  did  freighting  in  Oregon,  and 


1484       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

his  zest  for  adventure  was  fully  imparted  to  his  son.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Sherrard  spent  their  last  days  in  Oregon.  The  father  died  December 
19,  1908,  and  the  mother  in  September,  1920. 

Lincoln  Sherrard,  living  in  the  sparsely  settled  region  of  the  North- 
west, had  little  opportunity  for  schooling  and  was  making  his  own  way 
at  the  age  of  fourteen.  He  worked  during  the  summer  and  earned  money 
for  the  months  winter  terms  of  school  when  he  was  sixteen  and  seventeen. 
It  was  on  February  26,  1883,  that  he  arrived  in  California  aboard  a  three 
masted  schooner,  the  Emma  Utter,  old  Captain  Allen  master.  This  boat 
was  becalmed  three  days  off  Santa  Barbara  Islands,  and  Mr.  Sherrard 
recalls  how  he  expressed  a  wish  to  go  swimming,  an  adventure  which 
the  captain  refused,  but  compromised  by  allowing  him  to  go  over  the 
side  in  a  row  boat.  It  was  a  voyage  of  fifteen  days  between  Oregon  and 
San  Pedro.  After  visiting  in  Los  Angeles  Lincoln  Sherrard  returned  to 
Oregon,  but  in  1885  came  again  to  Santa  Ana.  The  four  hundred  dol- 
lars he  had  saved  was  soon  gone  and  he  had  to  seek  work  and  for  a 
time  earned  a  dollar  a  day  in  a  vineyard.  Soon  afterward  he  began 
his  apprenticeship  with  James  Brown,  blacksmith  and  fancy  horse  deal- 
er at  Santa  Ana.  That  business  has  been  his  active  occupation  ever 
since,  and  since  May  29,  1892,  the  scene  of  his  activities  has  been  in 
Redlands.  His  first  employment  was  given  him  by  John  Macintosh, 
and  later  for  five  years  he  was  in  the  shop  of  Jack  McClain.  He  then 
went  into  business  for  himself.  Mr.  Sherrard  was  twenty-one  years  of 
age  before  he  saw  a  locomotive  engine.  During  his  early  life  in  Oregon 
there  were  two  years  when  he  drove  stage  through  mud  and  rain  in 
the  Coos  Bay  country.  It  was  a  mail  stage,  and  when  roads  were  im- 
passable he  carried  the  mail  by  horseback.  During  his  life  in  California 
he  has  been  a  grateful  witness  of  the  transformation  which  has  changed 
Redlands  from  a  district  run  over  by  sheep  herders  into  a  pleasant  land- 
scape of  orchards  and  homes. 

July  4,  1892,  Mr.  Sherrard  married  Susan  Adele  White,  who  was 
born  in  McCoverty,  Iowa,  and  came  to  Santa  Ana  when  ten  years  old. 
Their  first  child,  Fern  Izzeta,  was  born  February  13,  1893,  and  died  in 
April,  1897.  The  second  child,  Calvin,  was  born  July  4,  1896.  and  died 
in  October,  1899.  The  oldest  of  the  living  children  is  Lincoln  Noel, 
born  July  27,  1898.  He  was  educated  at  Redlands  and  was  a  member 
of  the  State  Militia,  and  while  in  his  junior  year  of  high  school  enlisted 
in  the  famous  40th  Division.  He  was  trained  at  Camp  Kearney,  was 
under  Major  General  Strong  and  was  orderly  to  the  General.  For  two 
months  he  was  in  the  command  of  General  Gulich,  who  planned  the  bar- 
rage in  the  Argonne  Forest.  Later  he  was  returned  to  General  Strong's 
command,  and  as  orderly  had  duties  that  required  much  travel  over 
France,  Germany  and  England.  After  the  signing  of  the  armistice  he 
returned,  and  is  now  a  shoe  salesman  at  Santa  Ana,  California. 

The  fourth  child  of  Mr.  Sherrard  is  Orville  Guynne,  born  Febru- 
ary 5,  1901,  graduated  from  the  Redlands  High  School  in  1919,  played 
on  the  high  school  football  team  and  has  spent  one  year  in  Redlands 
University.  The  youngest  child,  Imogene  Adelle,  was  born  May  9, 
1904,  and  is  attending  high  school. 

William  H.  Cram  is  one  of  the  most  successful  orange  growers  in 
the  Highland  District  of  San  Bernardino  County.  To  that  subject  he  has 
given  practically  a  life  of  study  and  work.  As  a  boy  he  picked  oranges 
from  one  of  the  pioneer  plantings  in  this  locality. 

Much  of  the  pioneer  history  of  the  district  now  known  as  Highland 
is  associated  with  the  activities  of  the  Cram  family.    Lewis  F.  and  Sarah 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1485 

Ann  (Wakefield)  (.'ram,  parents  of  William  II.  Cram,  were  California 
pioneers  who  came  over  the  plains  with  ox  teams  and  founded  the  home 
which  is  still  occupied  by  their  descendants  at  Highland.  Some  further 
details  in  the  history  oi"  the  family  are  given  on  other  pages  of  this 
publication. 

William  H.  Cram  was  born  at  the  old  Cram  homestead  at  East  High- 
lands April  22,  1869.  He  attended  the  old  board  schoolhouse  nearby, 
and  when  only  a  boy  he  gathered  oranges  from  a  seedling  plantation 
set  out  by  his  father,  and  helped  pack  them  for  market.  Mr.  Cram 
by  way  of  reminiscence  states  that  the  first  groves  here  were  set  out 
in  the  lowlands.  Observation  showed  that  sunflowers  growing  on  the  low 
ground  were  killed  by  frost  in  early  winter,  while  those  higher  up  on 
the  bench  land  remained  green  all  winter  long  and  had  to  be  dug  up  in 
spring  to  permit  plowing.  This  observation  gave  a  real  practical  hint 
for  the  Crams  and  others  to  plant  their  trees  on  the  land  which  experi- 
ence has  proved  have  been  most  favorable  for  orange  culture.  The 
Crams  were  experimenting  with  this  industry  when  there  was  prac- 
tically no  outside  authority  or  experts  to  consult  with,  and  every  step 
had  to  be  proved  by  the  event  of  results,  frequently  requiring  years. 
William  H.  Cram  has  been  more  than  successful  as  a  citrus  fruit  grower. 
He  owns  sixty  acres,  one  of  the  largest  and  best  orchards  in  the  county. 

In  1891  he  married  Miss  Lottie  D.  Davis,  of  a  prominent  and  influ- 
ential pioneer  family.  She  was  born  in  1867.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cram  have 
four  children.  Clara  graduated  from  the  Redlands  High  School,  from 
Stanford  University,  where  she  specialized  in  English  preparatory  to 
teaching,  and  is  now  the  wife  of  Ervil  Campbell,  a  native  of  California 
and  likewise  a  graduate  of  Stanford  University.  He  is  a  graduate  civil 
engineer,  and  is  now  an  engineer  in  the  Government  service  in  the  oil 
industry,  with  home  at  Bakersfield.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Campbell  have  one 
daughter.  The  second  of  the  family,  Arthur  David  Cram,  graduated  from 
the  Redlands  High  School,  spent  one  year  in  Stanford  University  and 
three  years  in  Redlands  University,  and  is  now  one  of  the  successful 
young  orange  growers  at  East  Highland.  He  married  Miss  Margaret 
Diels,  a  native  of  Nebraska,  and  they  have  a  son.  The  third  of  the 
family,  William  H.  Cram,  Jr.,  is  a  high  school  graduate,  spent  a  year 
at  Stanford  and  two  years  at  Redlands  University,  and  was  enlisted  in 
the  Aviation  Corps  during  the  World  war.  He  was  trained  in  America 
and  also  abroad  in  England,  was  overseas  in  service  thirteen  months, 
holding  the  rank  of  sergeant,  and  returned  to  America  after  the  armistice. 
He  and  his  brother  are  both  members  of  the  Elks  Lodge  at  Redlands. 
The  fourth  of  the  family,  Mildred  Cram,  is  attending  the  Redlands  High 
School  and  has  gifts  both  in  vocal  and  instrumental  music. 

Mr.  William  H.  Cram  is  affiliated  with  Redlands  Lodge  No.  583 
Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks.  He  lives  in  one  of  the 
beautiful  homes  at  East  Highlands  on  Water  Street,  and  he  still  gives 
his  active  personal  supervision  to  his  groves,  which  are  kept  in  perfect 
condition  and  their  fruits  are  evidence  of  the  correctness  of  his  methods, 
many  of  which  have  been  evolved  from  his  personal  experience  and  study. 

Charles  Yost  was  a  youth  of  fifteen  years  at  the  time  of  the  family 
removal  to  California,  and  his  experience  has  touched  much  of  pioneer 
activity  in  the  southern  part  of  the  state.  He  is  now  giving  his  attention 
to  the  management  and  further  development  of  one  of  the  fine  fruit 
ranches  of  the  Coachella  Valley,  and  has  proved  one  of  the  resourceful 
and  progressive  citizens  identified  with  the  civic  and  industrial  advance- 


1486       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

meat  of  Riverside  County.  His  attractive  home  is  situated  some  miles 
distant  from  Thermal,  on  rural  mail  route  A. 

Mr.  Yost  was  born  at  Elden,  Iowa,  on  the  4th  of  September,  1859, 
a  date  that  indicates  clearly  that  his  parents  were  numbered  among  the 
pioneers  of  the  Hawkeye  State.  He  is  a  son  of  Isaac  N.  and  Nettie 
(Hicks)  Yost,  both  of  whom  were  born  and  reared  in  Indiana.  Isaac 
N.  Yost  became  not  only  a  pioneer  exponent  of  farm  industry  in  Iowa, 
but  also  found  there  much  requisition  for  his  services  as  a  blacksmith, 
he  being  a  skilled  workman  at  the  trade.  In  1874  he  came  with  his  family 
to  California  and  established  his  residence  at  Santa  Ana,  Orange  County, 
where  he  engaged  in  the  work  of  his  trade  and  where  he  remained  until 
his  death,  on  the  5th  of  November,  1881.  He  was  one  of  the  honored 
citizens  of  that  community,  and  after  his  death  his  widow  continued 
to  maintain  her  home  at  Santa  Ana  until  she  too  passed  away,  on  the 
27th  of  December,  1920,  she  having  been  one  of  the  revered  pioneer 
women  of  Orange  County. 

Charles  Yost  gained  his  youthful  education  in  the  public  schools  of 
Iowa  and  California,  and  by  practical  apprenticeship  in  his  father's  shop 
he  became  an  expert  workman  at  the  trades  of  blacksmithing  and  wagon- 
making.  He  assumed  charge  of  the  shop  at  Santa  Ana  at  the  time  of  his 
father's  death,  and  he  continued  his  active  connection  with  the  black- 
smith and  wagonmaking  business  at  Santa  Ana  until  1900,  save  for  a 
period  of  one  year  passed  in  the  northern  part  of  the  state.  He  found 
employment  in  the  shop  of  L.  Sherrard  at  Redlands,  San  Bernardino 
County,  and  about  one  year  later  he  there  formed  a  partnership  with 
George  M.  Smallwood  and  established  a  blacksmith  shop  and  wagon 
works  at  the  corner  of  Fifth  Street  and  Central  Avenue,  where  they 
purchased  land  and  erected  a  building  for  their  use  in  the  year  1901. 
The  firm  built  up  a  substantial  and  prosperous  business,  and  the  partner- 
ship alliance  continued  until  1906,  when  Mr.  Yost  sold  his  interest  to  his 
partner,  but  in  the  following  year  he  repurchased  his  former  interest 
in  the  enterprise.  In  1906  Mr.  Yost  purchased  eighty  acres  of  unim- 
proved desert  land  in  the  Coachella  Valley,  Riverside  County,  and  here 
he  has  developed  the  requisite  irrigation  facilities  and  effected  the  im- 
provement of  forty  acres  of  the  tract,  which  he  is  making  the  stage  of 
vigorous  and  successful  industry  in  the  raising  of  date  palms  and  other 
fruits,  besides  which  he  finds  ready  demand  for  the  excellent  vegetables 
which  he  raises  according  to  the  best  standards  of  propagation.  He  is 
developing  one  of  the  many  model  places  of  the  kind  in  the  Coachella 
Valley,  and  is  known  as  one  of  the  most  loyal  and  progressive  citizens 
of  this  attractive  section  of  the  state.  He  continued  to  hold  his  inter- 
ests in  the  blacksmith  and  wagon  shop  at  Redlands  until  1915,  when  he 
sold  the  same. 

Mr.  Yost  recalls  that  when  as  a  boy  he  passed  through  the  district 
of  which  Redlands  is  now  the  center  the  site  of  that  city  was  marked  only 
by  the  presence  of  herds  of  cattle  and  sheep,  this  being  in  1874,  the 
year  of  the  arrival  of  the  Yost  family  in  Southern  California.  There 
were  no  railroads  in  this  vicinity  except  a  line  from  Los  Angeles  to  San 
Pedro,  and  for  other  railway  facilities  it  was  necessary  to  go  to  San 
Francisco.  The  family  came  by  boat  to  San  Pedro  and  thence  pro- 
ceeded by  team  and  wagon  to  the  destination  at  Santa  Ana.  Mr.  Yost 
had  the  distinction  of  producing  the  first  wagons  manufactured  in  South- 
ern California,  and  he  remembers  that  when  the  first  "Old  Hickory" 
wagon  was  shipped  into  this  part  of  the  state  it  became  his  privilege  to 
describe  to  the  purchaser  the  changes  that  must  be  made  in  the  vehicle 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1487 

to  make  it  available  for  practical  service  in  this  country.  Schools  were 
few  and  primitive,  and  conditions  were  in  general  those  of  a  pioneer 
section.  He  recalls  the  hanging  of  a  renegade  horse  thief  near  Santa 
Ana.  The  vigilantes  who  captured  the  man  ran  two  wagons  together, 
with  the  wagon-tongues  raised  and  fastened  together,  and  thus  was  im- 
provised the  scaffold  on  which  the  renegade  paid  the  penalty  of  his 
numerous  malfactions.  On  another  occasion  the  "committee"  broke  down 
the  door  of  the  Yost  Shop,  took  a  sledge-hammer  and  with  the  same 
proceeded  to  demolish  the  door  to  the  jail  at  Santa  Ana,  the  object  being 
to  take  therefrom  a  Mexican  who  had  murdered  Charles  McKelvey,  super- 
intendent of  the  Modjeska  ranch,  the  Mexican's  enmity  having  been  in- 
curred because  through  the  instrumentality  of  his  victim  he  had  been 
compelled  to  pay  a  poll  tax  of  two  dollars.  The  lynch  law  worked  its 
force  in  this  instance,  and  the  Mexican  was  hanged.  In  the  '70s  horse 
stealing  was  of  frequent  occurrence  through  this  section  of  the  state, 
but  after  1880  the  vigilance  committees,  with  their  generous  use  of  rope, 
made  the  game  a  very  unpopular  pastime.  In  the  early  days  the  father 
of  Mr.  Yost  was  identified  with  gold-mining  activities  in  Amador  County, 
and  the  work  of  the  vigilance  committee  in  that  section  was  vigorous  and 
effective,  doing  away  with  the  theft  of  gold  from  the  unlocked  cabins 
of  the  miners  and  making  drastic  methods  supply  the  place  of  regularly 
constituted  law  proceedings,  which  were  not  available  in  the  unorganized 
and  isloated  communities.  In  his  personal  career  Mr.  Yost  has  demon- 
strated the  enduring  value  of  earnest  and  honest  and  loyal  communal 
spirit.  He  has  reared  and  educated  his  fine  family  of  children,  has  pro- 
vided well  for  his  family,  has  kept  pace  with  the  march  of  development 
and  progress  and  has  won  a  competency  sufficient  to  sustain  him  well 
as  the  shadows  of  his  life  begin  to  lengthen  from  the  golden  west.  He 
takes  pride  in  having  done  his  part  in  the  transforming  of  a  new  and 
unproductive  district  into  one  of  the  garden  spots  of  the  great  State  of 
California. 

November  24,  1883,  recorded  the  marriage  of  Air.  Yost  and  Miss 
Jane  Phillips,  of  Downey,  Los  Angeles  County,  her  parents  having  come 
from  Missouri  to  California  in  an  early  day  and  her  father  having  be- 
come a  prosperous  farmer  in  Los  Angeles  County.  Of  the  six  children 
born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Yost  four  are  living:  Laurel  J.,  who  was  born 
January  16,  1885,  is  the  wife  of  P.  E.  Hicks,  who  is  a  civil  engineer,  their 
home  being  on  Stillman  Street,  Redlands.  They  have  two  children,  a 
son  and  a  daughter.  Kathryn  P.,  who  was  born  December  5,  1887,  is 
the  wife  of  Frederick  Orth,  a  successful  orange  grower  in  San  Bernar- 
dino Count>.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Orth  reside  on  Alabama  Street.  Redlands. 
and  their  attractive  home  is  brightened  by  the  presence  of  three  fine  sons. 
Beatrice  is  Mrs.  Huckaby  and  resides  on  Wossh  Street  in  the  City  of 
Redlands,  her  birth  having  occurred  on  the  9th  of  May,  1890.  Leland 
J.,  born  February  5,  1898,  is  identified  with  fruit  growing  enterprise  in  the 
Coachella  Valley,     lie  married  Miss  Crystal  Saver,  of  Tulare  County. 

Rev.  John  M.  Hegarty. — St.  Francis  de  Sales  Catholic  Church  at 
Riverside  has  been  the  central  fact  in  the  history  of  Catholicism  in 
Riverside  County,  and  it  has  been  an  institution  with  a  steady  growth 
of  power  and  prosperity  for  upwards  of  a  third  of  a  century. 

An  article  in  the  Riverside  Enterprise,  published  in  1921,  gave  the 
main  outline  of  the  history  of  this  parish.  Thirty-five  years  ago  the  few 
Catholic  families  in  Riverside  regarded  San  Bernardino  as  their  parish. 
The  distance  was  too  great  for  regular  attendance,  and  consequently  the 
pastor  of  the  church  at  San  Bernardino  came  over  to  the  Riverside  end  of 


1488       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

his  parish  and  occasionally  said  mass  for  the  convenience  of  the  little 
flock.  This  missionary  pastor  was  Father  Stockman,  now  Monsignor 
Stockman.  With  the  increase  of  the  Catholic  population  at  Riverside 
it  was  decided  to  erect  a  chapel  for  iheir  convenience.  This  chapel  was 
dedicated  in  1888  to  St.  Francis  de  Sales  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  Francis  Mora, 
a  Spanish  bishop  of  the  diocese.  The  plans  for  this  chapel  were  obtained 
from  Belgium,  the  country  of  Father  Stockman's  birth.  This  church 
is  still  standing  and  served  the  Catholic  congregation  until  1919. 

October  15,  1893,  Rev.  John  McCarthy,  now  Monsignor  McCarthy 
of  Pasadena,  was  appointed  first  resident  pastor  of  St.  Francis  de  Sales 
Church.  During  his  administration  a  small  parochial  residence  was  built 
at  the  corner  of  Lima  and  Twelfth  streets.  It  has  been  moved  once 
and  enlarged  twice  and  is  now  standing  at  the  corner  of  Thirteenth  and 
Lime.  After  five  years  of  labors  Father  McCarthy  removed  to  Fresno 
and  was  succeeded  at  Riverside  by  Rev.  M.  Conneally,  who  took  charge 
on  October  13,  1898.  The  next  pastor  was  Rev.  S.  F.  Cain,  who  took 
up  his  duties  January  13,  1905.  His  successor  was  Rev.  Peter  H.  Mc- 
Nellis,  who  came  February  11,  1911.  Father  McNellis  was  succeeded  by 
the  late  Rev.  Florian  B.  Ffahn  in  1913.  Father  Hahn  died  in  the  fall  of 
1915,  and  the  parish  then  had  as  its  acting  rector  Rev.  Joseph  Cox  until 
August  25,  1917.  At  that  date  Rt.  Rev.  Monsignor  P.  Hartnett  ap- 
pointed Rev.  J.  M.  Hegarty  as  pastor. 

The  foundation  for  a  new  Francis  de  Sales  Church  was  laid  in  1914, 
and  on  the  foundation  the  walls  were  raised  about  three  feet,  but  from 
the  death  of  Father  Hahn  in  1915  until  September,  1918,  no  further  work 
was  done.  The  church  as  now  used  is  only  one-half  the  height  intended  in 
the  original  plan,  and  the  total  cost  of  the  building  and  equipment  has 
been  about  thirty  thousand  dollars.  Under  the  present  administration  of 
the  parish  plans  have  been  made  for  a  two-story  Mission  style  brick 
school  building  at  Thirteenth  and  Mulberry,  to  cost  forty  thousand  dol- 
lars. The  present  school  facilities  take  care  of  the  educational  needs  of 
the  parish  with  an  enrollment  of  135.  The  school  is  under  the  charge 
of  the  Dominican  Sisters  of  Galveston,  Texas. 

Rev.  John  M.  Hegarty,  pastor  of  the  church  at  Riverside,  was  born 
in  County  Kilkenny,  Ireland,  in  January,  1883.  He  acquired  his  early 
education  in  the  National  schools,  graduated  A.  B.  in  June,  1905,  from 
St.  Michael's  College,  and  took  his  theological  work  in  St.  Patrick's  Col- 
lege of  County  Carlow.  He  was  ordained  to  the  priesthood  June  12, 
1910,  and  was  at  once  assigned  to  the  American  Mission  and  arrived  in 
Los  Angeles  August  20,  1910.  He  was  asistant  at  the  Cathedral  in  Los 
Angeles  for  seven  years,  after  which  he  took  up  his  duties  at  Riverside. 
The  parish  has  enjoyed  great  growth  in  every  direction  under  its  vigor- 
ous pastor.  The  church  is  thoroughly  organized,  including  Altar  Society, 
Holy  Name  Society  for  men  and  boys,  Pastor's  Aid  Society,  Young 
People's  Social  Club,  St.  Aloysius  Society  for  boys  and  the  Children  of 
Mary. 

Frank  Stutt. — The  firm  of  Stutt  Brothers  at  Redlands  has  the  larg- 
est automobile  sales  agency  in  the  two  counties  of  San  Bernardino  and 
Riverside.  The  firm  is  composed  of  Frank  Stutt  and  his  half-brother, 
Robert  Leith.  They  are  men  of  exceptional  enterprise,  and  their  record 
is  an  inspiriting  example  of  what  energy  will  accomplish  in  Southern 
California  or  anywhere  else  for  that  matter.  They  have  been  associated 
not  only  on  terms  of  relationship  but  as  business  partners  and  close 
friends.     They  began  with  neither  capital  nor  credit,  and  the  score  of 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1489 

their  personal  influence  and  abilities  developed  the  great  business  now 
known  as  Stutt  Brothers. 

Frank  Stutt  was  born  at  Toronto,  Canada,  July  25,  1873,  and  came 
to  Los  Angeles  in  1895.  He  was  educated  in  Canada.  His  first  employ- 
ment at  Los  Angeles  was  in  a  grocery  store,  later  he  was  clerk  in  a  de- 
partment store  at  Riverside,  and  for  about  a  year  conducted  a  grocery. 
Selling  out,  he  moved  to  Redlands  and  bought  an  oil  gasoline  route  and 
supply  station.  He  served  the  retail  trade  of  the  city  and  surrounding 
country,  supplying  homes  and  pumping  plants.  Mr.  Stutt  delivered  the 
first  load  of  gasoiine  at  the  Canyon  Crest  pumping  plant,,  and  stood  by 
while  the  Smiley  Brothers  started  the  plant,  pumping  the  first  water 
that  marked  the  beginning  of  the  transformation  of  a  desert  of  hills 
and  canyons  into  the  beautiful  park  known  as  Smiley's  Heights.  Mr. 
Stutt  was  in  the  oil  and  gasoline  business  about  a  year,  and  then  became 
associated  with  his  half  brother  under  the  name  Stutt  Brothers.  They 
opened  a  small  store  and  shop  on  Citrus  Avenue  for  repairing  and 
selling  bicycles  and  sewing  machines.  Their  chief  capital  consisted  of 
a  monkey  wrench  and  screw  driver.  By  degrees  they  added  to  their 
line,  extending  to  a  general  supply  of  sporting  goods  and  novelties.  They 
brought  this  business  to  a  prosperous  condition  and  finally  sold  for 
seventeen  thousand  dollars. 

Perhaps  their  most  interesting  experiences  have  been  as  automobile 
dealers.  For  several  years  they  operated  the  Casa  Luna  Garage,  and 
they  have  the  distinction  of  selling  the  first  one-cylinder  Olds  car  in 
this  community,  and  later  sold  the  Reo  one  cylinder.  Both  these  cars 
sold  for  eight  hundred  and  fifty  dollars.  In  1914  Stutt  Brothers  signed 
a  contract  with  Dodge  Brothers  for  the  local  sales  agency.  At  that 
time  they  had  never  seen  a  picture  of  a  Dodge  car,  and  in  fact  no 
cars  of  that  name  had  marketed.  Stutt  Brothers  secured  the  agency  for 
the  counties  of  San  Bernardino  and  Riverside.  It  was  a  contraction 
purely  of  faith,  since  they  banked  on  Dodge  Brothers  as  manufacturers 
of  ability,  competent  to  put  out  a  car  of  great  merit.  They  took  orders 
for  forty-eight  cars  before  the  first  Dodge  was  delivered  in  December, 
1914.  Their  extensive  business  has  grown  rapidily  with  passing  years 
and  is  now  directed  from  their  home  sales  office  at  the  corner  of  Citrus 
Avenue  and  Fourth  Street  in  Redlands,  but  with  branches  in  San 
Bernardino  and  Riverside  and  agencies  in  all  the  leading  towns  of 
these  counties.  The  present  handsome  sales  rooms,  service  station  and 
office  at  Redlands  furnishes  an  interesting  and  striking  contrast,  one 
which  the  writer  personally  appreciates,  with  the  orginal  little  bicycle 
repair  shop. 

Mr.  Frank  Stutt  married  in  Canada  Miss  Mary  Elizabeth  Odell,  a 
native  of  England.  They  have  a  son.  Herbert,  born  January  8,  1900,  a 
graduate  of  the  Redlands  High  School,  a  student  in  Claremont  College, 
and  now  employed  by  E.  A.  Featherstone  &  Company  of  Los  Angeles. 
Frank  Stutt  is  a  member  of  Redlands  Lodge  No.  583,  Benevolent  and 
Protective  Order  of  Elks,  Redlands  Lodge  No.  186,  Knights  of  Pythias, 
is  a  member  of  the  University  Club,  the  Automobile  Club  of  America  and 
the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  and  is  an  enthusiastic  worker  for  everything 
that  means  additional  benefit  to  Redlands  and  Southern  California. 

His  partner  and  associate,  Robert  Leith,  was  born  in  Toronto,  Canada, 
in  1883,  and  joined  his  half-brother  in  California  two  years  after  Mr. 
Stutt  came  here.  They  have  since  been  associated  in  business  and  other 
affairs.  Mr.  Leith  returned  to  Canada  to  marry  Miss  Carrie  Redpath, 
and  brought  his  bride  to  Redlands. 


1490      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

Willis  Edwin  Leonard,  builder  and  real  estate  man  of  San 
Bernardino,  is  a  very  signal  example  of  what  a  man  can  accomplish 
who  makes  his  work  of  paramount  importance  and  who  is  temperamentally 
gaited  to  do  things  on  a  big  scale.  It  is  claimed  that  every  man  has 
some  project  that  to  him  is  of  cardinal  importance.  Mr.  Leonard's  inter- 
est has  been  in  building,  for  which  he  has  a  singular  aptitude  and  in 
which  he  has  made  a  signal  success.  He  has  been  a  builder  of  homes, 
houses  which  are  the  homes  of  hundreds  of  happy  families,  many  of 
them  architecturally  beautiful  within  and  without  but,  whether  large  or 
small,  built  upon  honor  and  contributions  to  the  progress  of  the  city  and 
to  the  happiness  of  its  inhabitants. 

In  his  building  Mr.  Leonard  is  master  of  every  detail,  and  he  is 
meticulously  careful  that  there  shall  be  no  slip-shod  methods  of  loose  ends 
and  and  his  business  policy  has  always  been  against  the  too  prevalent 
idea  that  whatever  is  profitable  is  right.  Builders  of  homes  which  can 
be  placed  within  reach  of  families  promote  the  welfare  not  only  of  the 
people  interested,  but  are  vital  factors  in  the  upbuilding  of  the  city  at 
large.  A  city  of  homes  is  a  city  which  will  grow  and  expand,  for  a  man 
who  owns  a  home,  or  who  is  buying  one,  is  always  interested  in  anything 
and  everything  which  affects  his  city  and  takes  an  active  part  in  its 
affairs,  where  renters  and  apartment  house  dwellers  have  no  interest 
whatever  in  municipal  affairs. 

Mr.  Leonard  was  born  in  Waterton,  Wisconsin,  January  27,  1863, 
the  son  of  Ira  E.  and  Maria  (Shepherd)  Leonard.  Ira  E.  Leonard 
was  probably  the  most  popular  and  prominent  man  of  his  home  city  in 
Missouri.  He  was  an  attorney  and  was  born  and  educated  in  New  York 
state,  moving  to  Waterton,  Wisconsin,  in  1862.  Sometime  later  he  moved 
to  Missouri,  where  he  was  Judge  of  the  District  Court  during  the  stirring 
Ku  Klux  troubles.  So  successful  was  his  administration  of  .his  office 
that  he  was  nominated  for  Supreme  Judge  of  Missouri.  While  he  re- 
ceived the  largest  vote  of  his  ticket  he  was  defeated  because  he  was  a 
Republican.  While  in  Missouri,  where  he  moved  in  1866,  he  was  also 
attorney  for  the  St.  Louis  &  Iron  Mountain  Railroad.  His  health  failing 
he  decided  to  go  to  Colorado,  resigning  his  offices  and  settling  in  Boulder. 
He  practiced  there  for  some  time  but  finally  he  decided  to  try  the  climate 
of  New  Mexico  and  selected  Socorro  in  that  state  for  a  home.  Here  he 
practiced  until  his  death  in  1889.  His  wife  was  also  a  native  of  New 
York  and  she  recently  died  in  San  Bernardino  at  the  age  of  90.  While 
Judge  Leonard  was  in  Boulder,  Colorado,  he  was  one  of  the  Regents 
of  the  State  University. 

Willis  Edwin  Leonard  received  his  education  in  Boulder,  Colorado, 
first  in  the  public  schools  and  then  in  the  University  of  that  city.  At 
the  age  of  19  he  moved  to  the  city  of  Socorro,  New  Mexico,  remaining 
there  for  eight  years  when  he  came  to  San  Bernardino,  where  in  1889 
he  was  in  the  stationery  business  with  Mr.  Barnum  for  one  year.  At 
the  end  of  the  year  he  returned  to  Socorro  and  was  in  the  real  estate 
and  insurance  business  for  four  years,  but  he  could  not  forget  San 
Bernardino  and  her  attractions  and  in  1894  he  returned  here. 

For  several  years  he  was  in  the  department  store  business  and  then 
commenced  his  real  life  work,  handling  of  real  estate  and  building 
homes.  In  the  latter  work  he  specializes  and  he  has  placed  homes  within 
the  reach  of  many  by  selling  them  on  the  installment  plan.  In  San 
Bernardino  he  has  built  and  sold  over  two  hundred  homes,  while  in  the 
city  of  Long  Beach  he  has  built  and  sold  several  homes  on  one  tract,  in 
addition  selling  40  lots  in  the  same  tract. 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1491 

Mr.  Leonard  is  a  republican  in  politics.  While  in  Socorro,  New 
Mexico,  he  was  County  Superintendent  of  Schools,  1893-4.  He  is  affil- 
iated with  the  Presbyterian  Church,  being  an  elder  of  that  church. 

Martin  Van  Wig,  whose  home  in  retirement  is  at  676  Huntington 
Boulevard,  Pomona,  is  an  interesting  type  of  the  true  pioneer,  the  man 
who  is  first  or  among  the  first  to  settle  and  develop  land,  endures  the 
trials  and  vicissitudes  of  such  enterprise,  for  he  must  discover  his  own 
precedence,  and  lives  and  remains  to  reach  the  rewards  of  his  early 
labors. 

Mr.  Van  Wig  was  born  April  26,  1851,  in  Norway,  where  his  parents 
spent  their  lives.  He  was  left  an  orphan  at  the  age  of  ten  years,  and 
as  a  youth  he  had  few  educational  opportunities,  his  training  being  of 
a  practical  rather  than  a  theoretical  character.  For  several  years  he  fol- 
lowed the  seas,  and  as  a  seaman  he  first  landed  at  the  port  of  New  York 
in  1869. 

The  most  interesting  factor  of  his  life,  however,  began  with  his 
arrival  in  San  Bernardino,  in  1883,  now  nearly  forty  years  ago.  He 
had  some  small  savings,  and  was  willing  to  invest  them  in  cheap  lands 
that  were  considered  useless  even  for  grazing  purposes.  His  first  invest- 
ment was  a  small  acreage  in  Section  22  on  South  Archibald  Avenue,  in 
the  upper  end  of  the  valley.  The  land  was  covered  with  drifting  sand, 
and  only  his  unalterable  faith  kept  him  unceasingly  at  work  until  he  could 
realize  the  objects  of  his  vision.  From  time  to  time  he  acquired  other 
land,  until  he  owned  more  than  a  hundred  acres.  Against  the  advice 
of  friends,  relying  almost  entirely  on  his  judgment,  he  went  on  with  the 
work  of  improvement.  Perhaps  the  most  interesting  feature  of  his 
pioneering  was  the  sinking  of  a  well  with  a  view  to  securing  water  for 
irrigation.  He  entered  upon  this  quest  about  1900.  His  friends  advised 
against,  ridiculed  and  even  pitied  his  foolish  attempt,  saying  it  was  a 
waste  of  money  and  even  should  water  be  discovered  it  could  not  be 
utilized  commercially.  He  went  down  306  feet,  and  from  that  source 
of  supply  he  was  able  to  pump  112  inches.  He  attached  one  of  the 
early  gasoline  pumping  engines  to  his  well,  and  it  proved  all  that  his 
most  ardent  expectations  anticipated.  It  is  an  interesting  landmark  as 
the  pioneer  well  in  the  district.  Lands  that  previously  had  enjoyed 
a  slow  sale  of  ten  dollars  an  acre  rapidly  advanced  to  a  hundred  dollars 
an  acre.  Most  of  these  early  holdings  Mr.  Van  Wig  has  since  sold  at 
advanced  prices,  and  the  entire  section  has  bounded  forward  in  pros- 
perity and  improvement  largely  due  to  his  nerve  and  foresight.  This 
district  is  now  largely  developed  as  an  alfalfa  and  fruit  producing  sec- 
tion.    His  pioneer  well  is  located  in  Section  23. 

About  1888,  Mr.  Van  Wig  and  James  Roach  succeeded  by  their 
combined  efforts  in  prevailing  on  the  county  surveyor  to  lay  out  and 
open  Archibald  Avenue  south  from  the  Southern  Pacific  Railroad  tracks 
to  the  river.  They  gave  their  personal  aid  to  the  surveyor,  even  to 
carrying  the  chain.  This  is  now  a  county  highway,  paved  with 
cement. 

Mr.  Van  Wig  came  to  California  accompanied  by  his  wife.  He  has 
five  living  children:  E.  J.  Van  Wig,  of  Puente  ;  T.  W.  Van  Wig,  of 
Bakersfield;  Maud  B.,  Mrs.  Frank  W.  Roe,  of  Etiwanda;  Estella,  Mrs. 
W.  McCutchins,  of  Los  Angeles;  and  K.  W.  Van  Wig,  who  was  born 
on  Archibald  Avenue  in  San  Bernardino  County  in  June,  1898,  and  was 
called  to  the  colors  at  the  time  of  the  World  war.  but  did  not  get 
overseas.     He  is  now  living  at  Los  Angeles  and  is  married. 


1492       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

Martin  Van  Wig  is  properly  rated  as  one  of  San  Bernardino  County's 
most  prosperous  men.  He  was  a  democrat  in  early  life  but  has  been 
a  republican  since  1916. 

Daniel  Brewer  Milliken. — The  faith  and  optimism  of  a  pioneer 
was  the  distinctive  quality  in  the  character  of  the  late  Daniel  Brewer 
Milliken,  whose  enterprise  opened  up  a  great  and  new  source  of  wealth 
for  the  famous  Cucamonga  District  of  Southern  California.  He  was  a 
pioneer  Californian,  running  back  almost  to  the  days  of  '49,  and  had 
all  the  ruggedness  and  dauntless  spirit  of  the  real  argonauts,  though 
he  had  very  little  success  in  gold  mining  and  his  prosperity  was  due 
to  more  permanent  lines  of  industry. 

He  was  a  native  of  Maine,  born  in  the  town  of  Brewer,  November 
26,  1829,  son  of  Daniel  W.  and  Rebecca  (Smith)  Milliken,  also  natives 
of  Maine.  His  father  was  a  sailor,  followed  the  sea  all  his  life,  and  for 
many  years  was  a  skilled  pilot  in  the  Penobscot  Bay  and  River. 

Daniel  Brewer  Milliken  was  on  the  sea  almost  from  childhood,  mak- 
ing many  trips  with  his  father  and  as  a  regular  seaman.  He  went  once  to 
Cuba ;  also  was  on  many  coasting  voyages  along  New  England.  In  the 
fall  of  1851  he  left  Boston,  going  to  the  Isthmus,  and  thence  north 
by  boat  which  reached  San  Francisco  in  June,  1852.  His  first  location 
was  in  Mendocino  County,  where  he  engaged  in  lumbering,  prospecting 
and  contracting.  While  there  he  developed  an  extensive  lumber  indus- 
try, and  this  brought  him  his  first  real  capital.  In  1876  he  removed  to 
San  Jose  and  vicinity  of  San  Francisco  for  the  purpose  of  making  his 
permanent  home  there.  Then  for  several  years  he  participated  in  the 
mining  industry,  but  without  important  financial  success. 

It  was  in  1883  that  Daniel  B.  Milliken  came  to  the  Cucamonga  Dis- 
trict of  Southern  California,  and  in  partnership  with  George  D.  Havens 
purchased  520  acres  of  wild  desert  land.  They  were  men  of  capital, 
vision  and  determination,  but  they  set  the  land  to  grapes,  chiefly  wine 
grapes,  without  providing  irrigation.  Their  effort  was  scoffed  at  and 
they  were  almost  openly  called  fools  for  putting  the  cuttings  into  the 
dry  sand,  inviting  disaster.  But  the  prophecies  failed  of  grim  realiza- 
tion, and,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  the  plantation  outlived  its  planter  and 
returned  a  tremendous  measure  of  profit,  the  example  thus  set  encour- 
aging a  widespread  development  of  this  section  to  vineyards.  Subse- 
quently the  land  was  divided  and  half  of  its  is  still  the  Milliken  estate. 

Daniel  Brewer  Milliken  died  in  1912.  In  1856  he  married  Miss  Char- 
lotte Smith,  daughter  of  Thomas  Smith,  a  lumberman.  She  was  born 
at  Surrey  in  Hancock  County,  Maine,  and  died  January  2,  1899,  at  the 
age  of  sixty-three.  To  this  marriage  were  born  three  sons  and  one 
daughter.  The  oldest  was  Newell  S.  Milliken.  The  second,  Reuben 
Morton,  died  in  1905,  and  his  only  son  passed  away  in  1910.  The  two 
younger  children  are  Richard  R.  and  Ashie  Mae,  both  unmarried  and 
now  living  in  England. 

Daniel  Brewer  Milliken  had  a  capital  of  about  eleven  thousand  dollars 
which  he  invested  in  the  new  and  untried  experiment  of  grape  planting 
in  Cucamonga,  and  this  capital  was  increased  many  fold  by  his  invest- 
ments, and  the  vineyard  has  paid  astounding  dividends  in  subsequent 
years. 

Newell  S.  Milliken  was  born  in  Surrey,  Maine,  August  11,  1857, 
and  died  August  16,  1919.  He  was  well  educated  in  Mendocino 
County,  in  the  San  Jose  High  School,  and  became  an  expert  assayer. 
He  followed  mining  in  Idaho  and  other  western  states,  and  for  a 
time   was   a   full   fledged   cowboy    working   on   the   ranges.      In    1886 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1493 

he  joined  his  father  at  Cucamonga,  and  thereafter  was  closely  as- 
sociated with  the  vineyard  industry,  and  at  his  father's  death  in  1912 
he  took  full  charge.  He  acquired  forty  two  acres  adjoining  the 
original  estate,  and  developed  that  wild  land  to  vineyard,  also  building 
a  home  there  and  another  modern  residence  in  Fairmont.  Newell 
S.  Milliken  was  a  stanch  republican  and  for  a  number  of  years  a 
member  of  the  Central  Committee,  served  as  deputy  assessor  fourteen 
years  and  for  eighteen  years  was  postmaster  of  North  Cucamonga. 
His  was  a  strong  and  upright  character,  and  the  work  he  did  and 
the  influence  he  exercised  made  his  death  a  source  of  inestimable 
loss  to  the  community  where  he  had  lived  so  many  years. 

On  August  11,  1891,  he  married  Miss  Kate  Sempel,  who  was 
born  in  Traverse-de-Sioux,  Minnesota,  October  11,  1864,  daughter 
of  Frederic  August  and  Anna  Barbara  (Herkelrath)  Sempel.  She 
was  one  of  eight  children,  and  had  come  to  California  and  was  a 
teacher  in  the  public  schools  of  Cucamonga  before  her  marriage. 
Mrs.  Milliken  is  now  guardian  of  the  estate,  and  with  her  older 
daughter  has  demonstrated  the  abilities  of  a  thoroughly  successful 
business  woman  in  handling  the  complex  details  of  the  industry. 

Her  oldest  child  is  Ruth  E.  Milliken,  who  was  born  June  5,  1892, 
and  is  thoroughly  well  educated,  being  A.  B.  graduate  of  Pomona 
College,  and  had  two  years  of  post-graduate  work  in  the  State 
University  at  Berkeley.  For  two  years  she  was  principal  of  the 
Fort  Bragg  High  School,  but  at  the  death  of  her  father  gave  up 
her  school  work  and  has  since  been  active  in  superintending  the 
three  hundred  acre  vineyard  and  handling  the  many  harassing 
details  of  business  administration  in  difficult  times  and  under  abnormal 
conditions.  The  second  child,  Mildred  A.  Milliken,  was  born  January 
23,  1900,  graduated  A.  B.  from  Pomona  College  in  June,  1921,  and  is 
now  continuing  her  study  of  music  in  Pomona  College  Conservatory, 
being  proficient  as  a  pipe  organist  and  pianist.  The  only  son  is 
Daniel  B.  Milliken,  born  May  12,  1904,  and  now  a  senior  in  the  high 
school  at  Claremont. 

John  Rankin  Merrill. — The  Merrill  home  is  on  Turner  Avenue 
half  a  mile  south  of  Riverside  Boulevard,  at  Ontario.  This  is  one 
of  the  very  prosperous  families  in  this  locality,  and  one  of  the  chief 
purposes  of  this  brief  sketch  is  to  tell  how  that  prosperity  was 
achieved,  through  struggle  and  self  denial  and  great  exertion,  in- 
cidentally paying  a  deserved  tribute  to  the  Merrills,  especially  Mrs. 
Merrill,  undoubtedly  one  of  the  most  resourceful  of  women  in  San 
Bernardino  County. 

John  Rankin  Merrill  was  born  in  Ohio  in  1850,  son  of  David  and 
Martha  (Rankin)  Merrill,  the  latter  a  native  of  Pittsburgh.  John  R. 
was  the  oldest  of  six  children,  and  when  he  was  six  months  old  his 
parents  moved  to  Illinois.  He  acquired  a  good  education  in  that 
state,  graduating  from  the  State  University.  About  1870  the  family 
moved  to  Texas,  buying  lands  around  Fort  Davis,  in  the  extreme 
western  part  of  the  state.  David  and  Martha  Merrill  lived  there 
and  were  buried  at  Fort  Davis. 

In  Texas  John  R.  Merrill  married  Miss  Nancy  Baker,  a  native 
of  Kentucky.  She  died  in  Texas,  leaving  two  sons,  William  Kern 
Merrill,  now  a  rancher  near  Lindsay,  California,  and  Charles  Thomas 
Merrill,  who  is  a  ranch  owner  at  Chino,  California.  Both  sons 
are  married. 


1494      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

In  1889  Mr.  Merrill  came  to  California  and  bought  a  ranch  near 
Buena  Park.  In  1894  he  married  Miss  Mabel  Margaret  Ayars.  Mrs. 
Merrill  was  at  that  time  twenty  years  of  age.  She  was  born  August 
30,  1874,  in  Texas,  daughter  of  John  Quincy  and  Elizabeth  (McClairi) 
Ayars,  natives  of  Illinois.  The  McClain  and  Ayars  families  moved 
to'  Texas  in  early  days  with  ox  teams  and  settled  near  Moody  in 
McLennan  County,  now  one  of  the  popular  counties  of  the  state, 
then  on  the  frontier  and  sparsely  settled.  The  McClain  and  Ayars 
families  took  with  them  their  cook  stoves  and  rocking  chairs,  and 
these  were  such  novelties  as  few  of  the  people  of  that  region  had  ever 
seen.  They  took  up  Government  land,  living  in  log  cabins,  far 
from  neighbors,  and  both  the  grandparents  of  Mrs.  Merrill  died  in 
Texas  in  1900.  Her  own  parents  were  married  in  that  state,  and 
her  mother  died  when  Mrs.  Merrill  was  seven  years  of  age.  There 
were  two  younger  children,  Nathan  Sylvester  Avars  and  Eva  Mozzelle 
Ayars.  John  Quincy  Avars,  father  of  Mrs.  Merrill,  was  three  times 
married.  By  his  first  wife  he  had  two  children,  John  Irving  and 
Lulu  Daisy  Ayars.  By  his  third  wife  there  were  three  children, 
Van  Ness  Rexford,  Charles  Frederick  and  Dorothea  Delight  Avars. 
Mrs.  Merrill's  grandfather  added  to  his  homestead  in  Texas  by  pur- 
chase from  time  to  time,  and  at  his  death  left  an  estate  of  over  a 
thousand  acres  of  the  finest  cotton  and  corn  lands  in  what  is  known 
as  the  black  land  belt  of  Texas.  Mrs.  Merrill  was  one  of  the  heirs 
to  this  estate,  inheriting  a  hundred  acres  of  land  and  other  property 
besides.  Mrs.  Merrill  was  nine  years  of  age  when  her  father  moved 
to  California. 

About  1892  John  R.  Merrill  bought  a  squatter's  claim  to  hundred 
sixty-five  acres  in  the  Cucamonga  Desert,  and  subsequently  secured 
the  regular  Government  patent  to  this  land.  After  two  years  he 
moved  out  to  this  tract  of  sage  brush  and  cactus,  put  up  a  small 
house,  and  for  four  years,  being  without  even  the  facilities  of  a  team, 
he  carried  water  for  drinking  and  domestic  purposes  from  a  distant 
school  house.  When  he  was  able  to  buy  a  team  he  hauled  water  for 
five  years  more  before  he  could  sink  a  well.  During  the  seven  years 
while  awaiting  patent  to  his  land  he  spent  much  of  his  time  in  Los 
Angeles,  working  to  provide  the  necessities  for  his  family,  while 
Mrs.  Merrill  and  her  step-children  held  down  the  homestead,  cleared 
the  land,  and  set  it  to  vines  and  deciduous  fruits.  Mrs.  Merrill  after 
selling  her  Texas  property  purchased  other  adjoining  lands,  and  in 
1910  they  built  their  present  modern  and  luxurious  home,  which 
with  its  landscape  environment,  its  gardens  and  other  improvements 
is  one  of  the  fine  estates  of  the  Ontario  District.  Altogether  the 
family  now  have  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres,  practically  all  in 
bearing  fruit,  and  the  1921  crop  amounted  to  over  a  thousand  tons 
of  choice  fruit.  This  valuable  property  has  come  as  the  result  of 
almost  superhuman  endurance,  labor  and  patience,  and  the  orchards 
and  vineyards  represent  a  complete  transformation  from  a  waterless 
desert.  Their  first  planting  was  on  twenty  acres,  and  the  young  trees 
had  hardly  been  set  out  before  great  hordes  of  rabbits  invaded  the 
premises  and  destroyed  every  tree.  They  then  replanted  and  protected 
the  trees  from  these  pests  by  wrapping  them. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Merrill  had  six  children.  Lawrence  W.,  born 
February  28,  1895,  at  Los  Angeles,  was,  like  the  other  children  who 
grew  up,  educated  in  the  Chaffee  High  School  at  Ontario,  and  he  is 
now  active  manager  of  the  home  ranch.  The  other  children  were  all  born 
on  the  ranch  at  Ontario.     Gertrude  Catherine  was  born  October  30, 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1495 

1898,  and  died  February  11,  1904.  Ida  Belle  was  born  October  20, 
1900,  graduates  from  Chaffee  High  School  and  from  Pomona  College 
in  June,  1922,  and  has  specialized  in  physical  technic.  Jesse  Lowell, 
born  September  24,  1904,  graduates  from  the  Chaffee  High  School 
in  1922.  John  Ralph  was  born  March  9,  1908,  and  Ernest  Millne  was 
born  November  2,  1911,  and  died  at  the  age  of  eight  weeks. 

Mrs.  Sophia  Casteel. — At  the  age  of  eighty-three  Mrs.  Sophia 
Casteel,  whose  home  is  half  a  mile  east  of  Rivera,  on  the  San  Gabriel 
River,  is  one  of  the  few  still  living  whose  recollections  run  back  to  the 
exciting  days  of  the  late  forties,  when  her  people  were  journeying 
over  the  plains  to  Salt  Lake  and  later  to  California. 

Mrs.  Casteel  was  born  November  9,  1839,  in  Missouri,  while  her 
parents  were  en  route  from  Michigan  to  Iowa,  making  the  journey 
with  team  and  wagon.  Her  parents  were  Charles  and  Miranda 
(Fuller)  Chapman,  who  were  among  the  first  pioneers  to  cross 
the  plains  to  Salt  Lake.  Mrs.  Casteel  has  a  vivid  memory  of  the 
journey  from  Iowa  to  Utah,  the  long  train  of"  teams  pressing  out 
over  the  prairie,  the  slow  progress,  the  inevitable  hardships  of  the 
journey,  and  the  always  iminent  danger  of  Indian  attack.  Her  father 
was  a  native  of  Michigan,  of  English  ancestry.  In  the  family  were 
six  daughters  and  three  sons,  and  Mrs.  Casteel  has  two  sisters 
and  one  brother  living.  The  family  lived  on  the  Iowa  frontier  at 
Montrose  for  seven  years,  and  in  1846  they  joined  a  wagon  train 
and  after  many  perils  arrived  at  Salt  Lake  in  1847.  A  year  later 
Charles  Chapman  came  on  to  California,  and  about  Sacramento 
joined  in  the  great  rush  for  gold.  He  remained  eighteen  months 
and  was  unusually  prospered  in  his  search  for  the  precious  metal. 
In  1852  he  brought  his  family  on  to  California.  He  was  a  man  of 
property  and  had  numerous  horse  and  mule  teams.  The  family 
started  in  a  small  party,  but  they  picked  up  several  other  families 
of  refugees  en  route,  some  of  whom  had  no  stock  and  were  in  a  sorry 
plight.  The  Chapmans  brought  a  large  number  of  cattle  to  California. 
Charles  Chapman  settled  at  San  Bernardino,  buying  a  ranch  on  Lytle 
Creek,  and  continued  here  his  business  as  a  farmer  and  stock  raiser. 
Later  he  moved  to  the  Jurupa  ranch,  where  he  was  in  the  stock 
business  for  twenty  years.  At  that  time  the  site  of  Riverside  was 
a  sheep  pasture,  the  land  covered  with  wild  brush,  and  only  one 
store  was  kept  there,  by  a  Jew  named  Rosenthal.  After  some  twenty 
years  Charles  Chapman  suffered  reverses  in  the  cattle  industry,  chiefly 
due  to  the  affliction  of  the  black  leg,  and  he  sold  his  remaining 
holdings  and  for  a  year  lived  in  the  San  Joaquin  Valley.  He  then 
returned  to  Los  Angeles  County  and  bought  a  ranch  on  what  is 
now  San  Pedro  Street,  living  there  until  his  death.  His  widow 
passed  away  at  Wilmington. 

In  1856,  some  years  after  coming  to  San  Bernardino,  Sophia 
Chapman  was  married  to  Mr.  Joshua  Casteel.  Mr.  Casteel  was  born 
in  Illinois,  and  he  died  at  Los  Nietos,  California,  April  8,  1913.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Casteel  reared  their  family  of  ten  children:  Martha  Jane, 
now  the  wife  of  Leonard  Labory  ;  Alzada,  who  married  John  Wiseman  ; 
Orsen,  deceased;  Phoebe,  deceased  wife  of  R.  W.  Hagen ;  Jacob  and 
Cyrus,  deceased;  Charles;  May,  who  married  N.  B.  Parazette,  of 
Rivera;  Daniel  and  Robert,  deceased.  The  son  Charles  has  followed 
mining  chiefly,  and  spent  twelve  years  in  Sonora,  Mexico,  and  was 
also  identified  with  mines  in  Arizona.  He  now  lives  with  his  mother 
on  the  old  ranch  at  Rivera.  His  first  wife.  Miss  Hattie  Sides,  was  a 
Vol.  in    -.-.I 


1496      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

native  of  Oregon.    For  his  second  wife  he  married  Miss  Bessie  Blunt, 
of  Arkansas. 

After  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Casteel  farmed  around  San 
Bernardino,  raising  cattle  on  the  old  Jurupa  ranch  for  a  number  of 
years,  their  home  being  seven  miles  from  Riverside.  Later  they 
bought  land  at  Rivera,  where  Mrs.  Casteel  has  had  her  home  for  a 
number  of  years.  Joshua  Casteel  was  a  western  pioneer,  and  was 
with  the  regular  army  in  the  Indian  campaigns  during  the  early 
fifties,  serving  under  Captain  Fitzgerald,  a  noted  Indian  fighter.  He 
saw  active  service  through  California,  Arizona,  and  New  Mexico 
and  for  many  years  he  drew  a  Government  pension.  He  came  to 
California  about  1849.  Mrs.  Casteel  is  a  member  of  the  Latter  Day 
Saints  Church.  In  spite  of  her  age  she  retains  the  vigor  of  her  mind, 
and  has  a  most  remarkable  memory  for  the  early  events  of  Southern 
California. 

B.  G.  Holmes. — Some  men  never  learn  what  failure  means  no  matter 
what  obstacles  spring  up  in  their  path,  being  able  to  overcome  them 
and  come  out  a  winner.  B.  G.  Holmes,  of  Big  Bear  Valley,  is  one  of 
these  men,  and  his  success  in  spite  of  all  kinds  of  hard  luck  and 
former  poor  health  ought  to  stimulate  others  to  follow  his  inspiring 
example.  He  was  born  January  26,  1872,  a  son  of  John  and  Amelia 
(Gay)  Holmes,  natives  of  Connecticut,  where  the  former  was  born  in 
1837  and  the  latter  in  1838.  They  were  married  in  1870,  and  B.  G. 
Holmes  is  their  only  child.  They  came  to  Redlands,  California,  in 
1889,  where  the  father  engaged  in  fruit  growing.  He  first  purchased 
a  peach  orchard  of  ten  acres,  but  later  planted  it  to  oranges.  His 
reason  for  coming  to  California  was  his  failing  health,  and  the  fact 
that  he  now,  although  eighty-four  years  of  age,  is  caring  for  his 
orange  grove  in  West  Redlands  shows  that  the  move  was  a  very 
wise  and  beneficial  one.  His  wife  is  also  living  and  in  the  enjoy- 
ment of  good  health.  They  are  most  remarkable  people,  and  B.  G. 
Holmes  is  very  proud  of  them  and  what  they  have  accomplished. 

After  completing  the  grammar  and  high  school  courses  B.  G. 
Holmes  entered  the  Redlands  National  Bank,  and  was  doing  very 
nicely  when  his  health  failed,  and  two  years  later  he  was  forced  to 
change  his  occupation  for  something  which  would  take  him  out  of 
doors.  In  1894  he  came  to  Bluff  Lake  to  camp  and  recuperate,  and 
then  the  next  summer  he,  with  the  aid  of  two  boys,  packed  in  over 
the  trail  to  Big  Bear  Valley.  When  he  gained  his  first  view  of  this 
region  it  was  not  very  attractive,  and  only  the  realization  of  his  need 
of  some  place  where  he  could  be  in  the  open  kept  him  from  turning 
back,  that  and  the  innate  determination  to  persevere  in  any  undertak- 
ing. The  old  dam  was  fringed  by  dead  trees  which  had  been  killed 
by  the  force  of  the  water,  giving  to  the  scene  a  particularly  desolate 
appearance.  It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  state  that  these  have  long 
since  been  removed,  and  the  whole  landscape  changed.  There  were 
then  few  traces  of  human  occupancy,  save  those  afforded  by  the 
ruins  of  the  old  mining  camps,  which,  too,  were  discouraging. 

Having  owned  and  dealt  in  orange  and  lemon  groves,  he  felt  he 
knew  something  about  citrus  growing,  and  so  began  his  connection 
with  the  Valley  in  that  capacity.  He  has  always  maintained  his  in- 
terest in  the  citrus  industry,  although  his  operations  have  expanded 
to  cover  many  lines.  He  built  the  Mission  Garage,  Redlands,  and 
sold  the  business  in  1913  to  Bartlett  Brothers  of  Detroit,  Michigan, 
retaining  ownership  of  the  building  until  1920,  when  he  traded  it  for 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1497 

an  orange  grove  on  Redlands  Heights.  In  the  fall  of  1916  he  pur- 
chased the  Doctor  Blaire  group  of  log  cabins,  then  thirty  years  old. 
There  is  a  main  road  frontage  of  307  feet,  and  he  paid  $5,000  for  this 
property,  which  today  is  almost  priceless  because  of  the  improve- 
ments he  has  put  upon  it.  The  following  spring  he  bought  of  Judge 
Rex  Goodcell  146"/  feet  road  frontage,  containing  his  present  mod- 
ern residence.  Combining  these  properties,  he  has  arranged  cabins 
into  a  most  picturesque  and  modern  camp,  which  he  has  named  In- 
dian Lodge.  Two  years  later  he  bought  two-thirds  of  an  acre  from 
the  Pine  Knob  Company,  and  in  1921  leased  for  twenty-two  years 
four  and  one-half  acres  adjoining.  On  all  of  this  property  he  has 
erected  many  cabins,  and  has  them  all  modern  equipped  and  fur- 
nished. The  camp  is  most  centrally  located,  and  is  very  popular. 
It  has  a  capacity  of  about  sixty  people.  When  he  came  here  there 
were  no  buildings  between  his  camp  and  the  I.  S.  store.  Since  mak- 
ing his  purchase  he  sold  a  portion  of  the  Goodcell  property  at  sixty 
dollars  per  front  foot,  which  added  to  his  profits,  makes  this  a  most 
fortunate  investment. 

In  1898  Mr.  Holmes  married  at  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania,  Miss 
Blanche  M.  Walton,  of  that  city,  and  they  became  the  parents  of 
four  children,  namely :  Alden  Walton,  who  was  born  at  Redlands  in 
1899,  graduated  from  the  Redlands  High  School  and  is  now  a  senior 
at  Leland  Stanford  University.  Through  his  mother  he  is  a  direct 
descendant  of  John  Alden  of  Mayflower  stock.  The  second  child, 
Charles  Chester,  was  born  at  Redlands  in  1902,  graduated  from  the 
Redlands  High  School,  and  is  now  in  his  junior  year  at  Leland  Stan- 
ford University.  J.  Walton,  born  at  Redlands  in  1907,  is  a  student 
of  the  Redlands  High  School.  Lillian,  who  was  born  in  Los  Angeles 
County,  California,  in  1909,  is  also  attending  the  Redlands  High 
School.  Mr.  Holmes  is  determined  that  all  of  his  children  shall  re- 
ceive the  best  educational  advantages  obtainable,  and  they  are  prov- 
ing a  source  of  great  comfort  to  him  in  the  progress  they  are  making. 

Mr.  Holmes  belongs  to  Redlands  Lodge.  B.  P.  O.  E.,  but  aside 
from  that  he  has  no  connections  outside  his  business  and  family  ties. 
His  interests  center  in  Bear  Valley,  and  he  and  Bartlett  Brothers  or- 
ganized the  Bear  Valley  Chamber  of  Commerce,  of  which  he  is  for 
the  second  term  serving  as  vice-president.  This  is  a  live  organiza- 
tion, and  has  played  an  important  part  in  recent  developments  in  the 
Valley.  Indian  Lodge  stands  upon  one  of  the  old  camps  of  this 
region.  WThen  Mr.  Holmes  acquired  possession  of  it  the  property 
was  in  poor  condition,  the  cabins  were  in  need  of  repair,  and  there 
were  practically  no  improvements.  Setting  to  work  with  character- 
istic energy,  Mr.  Holmes  transformed  the  place,  and  now  has  one  of 
the  most  desirable  camps  in  the  entire  Valley.  He  has  not  acquired 
his  present  prosperous  and  prominent  position  by  any  easy  road. 
From  the  start  he  has  been  confronted  with  obstacles.  In  his  citrus 
growing  he  has  been  frozen  out  and  ruined  by  hot  waves,  but  has 
persevered  through  them  all.  Best  of  everything  his  health  has  so 
improved  that  it  is  difficult  for  the  stranger  to  believe  that  he  was 
ever  in  anything  but  a  rugged  condition.  It  is  such  men  as  Mr. 
Holmes  who  make  a  region.  They  come  into  a  wilderness  and  per- 
sist until  they  develop  it,  and  to  them,  and  not  to  the  recent  comers, 
belongs  the  real  credit.  From  Indian  Lodge  can  be  seen  a  constant 
stream  of  automobiles  passing  over  the  public  highway,  and  it  is 
difficult  to  believe  that  the  first  automobiles  came  into  the  Valley  in 
1909.     Now   thev   are  as  common  as  the  ducks  about  the  lakes,  but 


1498      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

prior  to  1909  they  were  unknown  in  this  part  of  the  county.  As  Mr. 
Holmes  wearily  plodded  over  the  mountain  trail  he  not  only  had  no 
conception  of  this  method  of  transportation,  but  he  would  have  re- 
garded anyone  as  hopelessly  insane  who  would  have  predicted  that 
passengers  would  be  landed  in  the  Valley  from  aeroplanes,  and  yet 
this  happens  so  often  as  to  now  occasion  no  special  comment.  In 
fact  Big  Bear  Valley  has  been  redeemed  from  the  wilderness  and  is 
fast  taking  on  metropolitan  features,  although  as  long  as  the  great 
mountains  and  wonderful  lakes  remain  it  will  continue  to  be  a  health- 
giving  resort,  whose  beauties  beggar  description.  The  same  clean, 
wind-swept  air  blows  over  its  spaces  and  fills  the  lungs  of  its  peo- 
ple as  that  which  refreshed  the  pioneer  back  in  1895,  when  he  gazed 
with  saddened  eyes  at  the  desolate  scene  at  the  old  dam,  and  now, 
as  then,  carries  with  it  a  promise  of  health  and  encouragement. 

George  A.  Herdeg,  a  resident  of  Riverside  for  over  twenty  years,  is  a 
practical  orange  grower  and  is  local  representative  of  the  Agricultural 
Chemical  Works.  Mr.  Herdeg  is  a  splendid  type  of  a  business  man,  re- 
garding his  business  as  essentially  a  public  service,  and  he  has  worked 
untiringly  to  demonstrate  the  value  and  broaden  the  use  of  fertilizer  as 
one  of  the  indispensable  elements  in  profitable  citrus  fruit  production.  He 
had  to  overcome  a  great  deal  of  apathy  and  frequently  downright  preju- 
dice, since  the  average  orange  grower  and  agriculturist  generally  every- 
where declines  to  use  fertilizer  so  long  as  it  is  possible  to  make  a  bare 
profit  without  it.  Several  cases  have  afforded  striking  testimony  to  the 
value  of  fertilizer  application  in  and  around  Riverside,  and  fertilized 
groves  have  shown  a  capacity  to  resist  or  recover  from  the  destructive 
freezes  and  other  adversities  that  enter  into  the  horticultural  game.  There 
have  been  other  instances  where  worn  out  and  profitless  groves  have  been 
brought  back  to  a  high  state  of  production  through  the  scientific  applica- 
tion of  fertilizer. 

George  A.  Herdeg  graduated  from  the  high  school  of  his  native  city 
in  1882,  and  for  several  years  was  in  the  hardware  business  at  Buffalo, 
New  York.  He  is  an  old  timer  in  Southern  California,  having  been  lo- 
cated at  Pasadena  in  1887.  He  became  secretary  for  the  California 
Commercial  Company,  and  in  1899  removed  to  Riverside  to  become  local 
agent  for  the  Agricultural  Chemical  Works.  During  most  of  these  years 
he  has  been  directly  interested  in  citrus  growing  on  his  own  account.  He 
and  F.  A.  Speich  are  the  owners  of  a  grove  of  fourteen  acres  of 
oranges  in  the  San  Jacincto  Land  Company's  tract  at  Arlington. 

Mr.  Herdeg  is  a  member  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  the  Maccabees 
and  Elks,  and  Rotary  Club  and  is  a  republican.  Some  years  ago  he 
bought  a  beautiful  home  with  large  grounds  at  872  West  Tenth  Street 
and  with  so  many  ties  to  connect  him  with  Riverside  he  is  readily  en- 
thusiastic in  every  plan  projected  for  its  general  welfare  and  improvement. 

At  Pasadena  June  10,  1889.  Mr.  Herdeg  married  Miss  Anna  Lush. 
She  was  born  in  Wisconsin.  They  have  three  children :  Helen  L.,  is 
a  graduate  of  the  University  of  California  and  is  a  high  school  teacher; 
Harold  L.,  the  only  son  is  also  a  graduate  of  the  University  of  California 
and  is  now  a  teacher  of  the  Smith-Hughes  System  of  Agriculture  at  the 
Citrus  Union  High  School  of  Azusa  and  Glendora.  During  the  World 
war  he  was  a  lieutenant  in  the  Medical  Corps  and  spent  one  year  with 
the  American  Expeditionary  forces  in  France.  The  youngest  child,  Mary 
C,  is  the  wife  of  Richard  Garstrang  of  Los  Angeles. 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1499 

James  W.  Mee  is  a  native  son  of  this  section  of  California,  and  his 
career  since  early  manhood  has  been  identified  with  railroading.  He  is 
freight  agent  of  the  Pacific  Electric  at  Riverside,  and  one  of  Riverside's 
most  popular  citizens. 

He  was  born  in  San  Bernardino  August  1.  1882,  member  of  an  old 
and  prominent  pioneer  family.  His  father,  William  H.  Mee,  was  a  native 
of  England  and  left  that  country  in  1850  and  in  1852  came  to  California 
by  ox  team  over  the  plains.  He  was  a  blacksmith  by  trade.  He  was 
member  of  a  party  of  eleven  families  on  the  trip  to  California.  The  car- 
avan was  raided  by  Indians,  and  he  and  his  family  escaped  the  general 
massacre  that  followed,  due  to  the  fact  that  the  Indians  feared  small- 
pox, a  disease  with  which  the  Mees  were  then  stricken.  William  H. 
Mee  arrived  at  San  Bernardino  in  1856,  and  lived  in  that  city  continu- 
ously until  his  death  in  1911.  For  thirty-six  years  he  was  in  business  as 
a  blacksmith,  with  shop  at  436  D  Street.  He  was  well  known  in  fraternal 
circles,  being  a  member  of  a  number  of  lodges.  William  H.  Mee  married 
Sarah  J.  West,  who  is  still  living,  and  has  showed  her  devotion  by  life- 
long care  to  her  children.  She  has  two  daughters,  Lida  and  Addie.  Lida 
is  the  wife  of  I.  H.  Curtis.  Their  son,  Merritt  B.  Curtis,  was  born  in 
San  Bernardino,  spent  four  years  in  the  academic  department  of  the 
University  of  California  and  three  years  in  the  law  school,  and  is  now  a 
captain  of  the  United  States  Marines  on  the  Island  of  Haiti. 

James  W.  Mee  received  his  high  school  education  in  San  Bernardino 
and  afterward  took  a  course  in  the  Los  Angeles  Business  College.  Since 
1905,  with  the  exception  of  about  a  year,  he  has  been  railroading,  chiefly 
as  an  agent  for  the  Pacific  Electric,  and  is  president  of  the  Pacific  Elec- 
tric Agents  Association.  From  August,  1914,  to  June,  1915,  he  conducted 
a  commission  warehouse  at  San  Bernardino. 

Mr.  Mee  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  Independent  Order 
of  Odd  Fellows,  Native  Sons  of  the  Golden  West,  the  Woodmen  of  the 
World  and  is  a  member  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  Business  Men's 
Association  of  Riverside.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Arrowhead  Club  of 
San  Bernardino  for  five  years,  until  that  organization  was  disbanded 
with  the  death  of  its  leading  spirit,  H.  L.  Dreso,  president  of  the  Farmers 
Exchange  Bank. 

W.  D.  Anderson  at  San  Bernardino  has  built  up  one  of  the  largest 
and  most  distinctive  enterprises  of  its  kind  in  Southern  California,  and 
his  undoubted  success  has  been  a  tribute  to  his  remarkable  energy  and 
persistence  in  carrying  out  his  plans  in  spite  of  lack  of  capital  and  early 
difficulties. 

Mr.  Anderson  was  born  in  Southern  California  in  1876.  His  father, 
John  Y.  Anderson,  was  a  mining  man,  a  California  forty-niner,  and  after 
some  years  of  experience  and  life  in  the  northern  part  of  the  state  moved 
to  San  Bernardino,  where  he  was  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers. 

W.  D.  Anderson  attended  school  at  San  Bernardino.  He  engaged  in 
the  machinery  and  contracting  busines  in  1900.  He  started  with  a  notable 
absence  of  capital,  but  he  understood  the  machinery  business  from  pre- 
vious training,  and  has  since  been  able  to  build  up  a  seventy-five  thousand 
dollar  plant,  consisting  of  machine  shop,  blacksmith  shop,  planing  mill  and 
other  facilities,  all  of  which  does  an  extensive  business  and  employs  a  large 
number  of  men.  He  is  the  largest  dealer  in  the  Southwest  in  second- 
handed  machinery,  including  electric  motors.  He  manufactures  drilling 
and  pumping  machinery,  and  as  a  contractor  he  keeps  in  operation  a 
large  number  of  oil  and  water  drilling  outfits  throughout  the  southwestern 
fields. 


1500      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND- RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

Mr.  Anderson  is  a  republican,  and  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church. 
In  1906  he  married  Miss  Maud  Gentry.  Her  father  has  been  a  resident 
of  San  Bernardino  for  thirty  years  and  was  formerly  a  Missouri  farmer. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Anderson  have  one  daughter,  Pauline,  born  in  1909. 

E.  A.  Weegar  is  a  prominent  Riverside  business  man,  and  has  been 
in  Southern  California  about  fifteen  years,  throughout  that  time  being 
identified  with  the  hardware  business. 

His  hardware  establishment  at  Riverside  was  started  in  the  spring 
of  1914,  its  first  location  being  on  Eighth  Street,  at  the  corner  of  Orange. 
It  was  removed  to  its  present  site,  at  938  Main  Street,  in  1915.  This  is 
a  store  stocked  with  every  class  of  merchantable  hardware,  also  house 
furnishings,  fishing  tackle  and  plumbing  goods,  and  the  store  has  4000 
square  feet  of  floor  space. 

Mr.  Weegar  was  born  at  North  Williamsburg,  Ontario,  Canada,  Jan- 
uary 24,  1879.  He  acquired  his  early  education  in  the  public  schools  of 
Norwood,  New  York,  and  at  the  age  of  seventeen  entered  the  employ  of  a 
hardware  business  there.  With  the  substantial  training  acquired  in  the 
East  he  came  to  California  in  1908  and  entered  the  hardware  business 
at  Long  Beach,  and  subsequently  established  a  store  in  San  Bernardino. 
Since  locating  at  Riverside  he  has  disposed  of  his  business  interests  at 
Long  Beach  and  San  Bernardino.  Mr.  Weegar  is  affiliated  with  the 
Masonic  Order  and  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks. 

June  3,  1905,  he  married  Miss  Hannah  McDonald,  of  Los  Angeles, 
where  she  was  born  and  educated.  They  have  two  children,  Mary  and 
Edwin  A.,  Jr. 

T.  C.  McDonald,  a  prosperous  orange  grower  at  Rialto  and  a  deputy 
sheriff  in  San  Bernardino  County,  has  spent  the  greater  part  of  his  life 
in  frontier  scenes  and  activities.  He  spent  three  years  in  the  navy,  in- 
cluding the  period  of  the  Spanish-American  war.  He  grew  up  on  the 
ranch  and  range  in  Kansas,  and  has  been  more  or  less  identified  with 
California  for  thirty  years. 

Mr.  McDonald  was  born  at  Maquoketa,  Iowa,  December  3,  1869,  son 
of  R.  H.  and  Jennie  (Sweesy)  McDonald.  His  father  was  a  farmer 
and  stockman,  and  in  1872  took  his  family  to  the  Kansas  frontier,  where 
they  lived  on  a  cattle  ranch.  T.  C.  McDonald  was  the  second  of  four 
children,  the  oldest  being  Charles,  and  the  two  youngest  were  Lucia  and 
Lulu,  twins.  T.  C.  McDonald  had  a  common  school  education,  and 
his  earliest  recollections  were  of  a  ranch  in  Western  Kansas.  In  1886, 
at  the  age  of  sixteen,  he  left  home  and  came  out  to  California,  reaching 
San  Bernardino  with  only  fifty  cents  in  money.  He  arrived  in  town  in 
the  morning,  and  in  the  afternoon  had  found  employment  on  the  range, 
for  which  his  previous  experience  well  qualified  him.  In  1887  he  entered 
the  service  of  the  old  cattle  firm  of  Knight  and  Metcalf,  and  remained 
with  them  seven  years.  On  leaving  the  cattle  business  in  1893  he  be- 
came a  stage  driver  over  one  of  the  first  improved  roads  to  Big  Bear 
Lake.  He  drove  stage  for  Copely  &  Hogstrat,  and  at  this  time  Gus 
Knight's  hotel  was  the  only  building  in  Bear  Valley  except  the  caretaker's 
cabin  at  the  dam.  During  the  great  railway  strike  of  1894,  when  all 
train  service  was  suspended,  Mr.  McDonald's  stage  was  taken  from  the 
mountain  service  and  for  eight  days  he  drove  between  San  Bernardino 
and  Los  Angeles.  At  that  time  he  was  also  deputized  as  a  guard  on 
passenger  trains  through  the  Cajon  Pass.  Following  this  experience  he 
did  some  ranching  at  Santa  Barbara,  and  in  August,  1896,  enlisted  as  an 
ordinary  seaman  in  the  United  States  Navy.    He  served  three  years  and 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1501 

seven  months,  and  was  given  an  honorable  discharge.  He  was  first  on 
the  U.  S.  S.  Philadelphia  and  later  transferred  to  the  Baltimore.  At 
the  outbreak  of  the  Spanish-American  war,  after  the  Maine  was  blown 
up,  the  Baltimore  was  in  harbor  at  Honolulu,  where  it  took  on  1400  tons 
of  coal  and  sailed  for  Hong  Kong.  After  nine  days  of  fine  weather  the 
ship  was  hit  by  a  typhoon  and  in  eleven  hours  driven  600  miles  out  of  its 
course.  The  Baltimore  reached  Yokohama  out  of  coal,  and  after  coaling 
it  went  to  Hong  Kong,  arriving  April  22,  1898.  The  Baltimore  steamed 
directly  into  dry  dock,  where  it  was  scraped  and  painted,  and  then  trans- 
ferred forty  tons  of  ammunition  to  a  sister  ship  and  took  on  1200  tons  of 
coal  and  75  tons  of  provisions.  The  Baltimore  steamed  out  of  the 
harbor  on  April  24th,  before  the  news  had  been  officially  communicated 
of  the  declaration  of  war  against  Spain.  The  Baltimore  was  part  of 
Admiral  Dewey's  fleet  and  was  in  the  battle  of  Manila  Bay.  Later  Mr. 
McDonald  was  transferred  to  Dewey's  flagship,  the  Olympia,  and  on  re- 
turning to  the  United  Stales  the  ship  made  a  leisurely  voyage  through 
to  the  Suez  Canal  and  the  Mediterranean,  he  and  his  comrades  having 
privilege  of  leaving  at  many  of  the  most  famous  ports  and  cities  of  the 
world. 

On  being  released  from  the  navy  Mr.  McDonald  went  back  to  Kansas 
and  in  1907  came  to  Rialto,  California,  and  bought  twenty  acres  in  the 
city  limits,  located  at  the  corner  of  Cactus  and  Merrill  avenues.  Here 
he  has  developed  one  of  the  profitable  orange  groves  of  this  section. 
He  still  owns  the  larger  part  of  the  land,  but  the  Pacific  Electric  Depot  is 
located  on  a  portion  of  his  former  holdings. 

Mr.  McDonald  is  a  prominent  republican  in  San  Bernardino  County 
and  has  held  a  number  of  offices  of  trust.  He  was  elected  a  constable 
in  1918,  also  city  marshal  of  Rialto,  and  is  a  deputy  under  Sheriff  Walter 
Shay.  His  fellow  citizens  admire  his  sturdy  fearlessness  and  courage  and 
resourcefulness  in  every  emergency.  He  is  affiliated  with  San  Bernardino 
Lodge  No.  348,  F.  and  A.  M.,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Scottish  Rite  Con- 
sistory at  Wichita,  Kansas.  In  1906  Mr.  McDonald  married  Miss  Vida 
Williams,  a  native  of  Alabama  and  a  daughter  of  William  and  Ada 
Williams,  of  a  prominent  family  of  that  state.  Mrs.  McDonald  gradu- 
ated from  high  school  in  Kansas  and  is  well  known  socially  in  Rialto. 

Frank  Henri  Owen,  city  recorder  and  justice  of  the  peace  at  Colton, 
is  one  of  the  old  newspaper  men  of  Oregon  and  California,  who,  until 
recently  was  connected  with  some  of  the  most  aggressive  newspaper  work 
of  his  time,  and  still  does  considerable  writing  for  different  newspapers, 
for  it  is  a  recognized  fact  that  once  a  newspaper  man,  always  one.  The 
lure  of  gold  is  nothing  compared  to  that  of  printer's  ink,  as  any  of  the 
craft  will  confess,  and  Mr.  Owen  is  no  exception  to  the  rule.  Although 
he  has  had  considerable  experience  in  office,  he  has  never  desired  public 
honors  or  solicited  any  of  them. 

The  birth  of  Frank  Henri  Owen  took  place  at  Salem,  Oregon,  in 
1855,  and  he  is  a  son  of  Milton  P.  and  Rachel  E.  Owen,  pioneers  of 
Oregon,  to  which  they  came  in  1853,  crossing  the  plains  from  La  Porte, 
Indiana. 

Mr.  Owen  was  reared  at  Salem,  and  there  attended  the  public  schools 
and  later  the  University  of  Oregon.  In  1870  he  was  apprenticed  as  a 
printer  to  Upton  and  Powell,  and  finished  his  trade  there  with  B.  M. 
Waite,  state  printer,  working  nights  and  attending  school  in  the  day- 
time.   When  he  wis  only  twenty  years  old  he  went  to  Lafayette,  Yamhill 


1502       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

County,  Oregon,  and  bought  the  Lafayette  Courier,  having  at  that  time 
the  courage  of  ambition  and  the  optimism  of  youth.  After  acquiring 
experience  in  this  venture  he  went  to  Salinas,  California,  where  he  lived 
during  1874  and  1875  and  was  married.  He  then  went  to  Visalia,  and 
was  foreman  of  the  Visalia  Delta,  where  he  made  the  record  on  a  Wash- 
ington hand  press,  printing  sixteen  quires  and  twenty  papers  in  one  hour, 
or  404  sheets.  A  "token"  an  hour,  or  240  papers,  was  considered  a  good 
hour's  work.  As  evidence  of  the  progress  in  printing  machinery  and 
equipment  since  then  it  is  interesting  to  note  that  when  Mr.  Owen  began 
work  at  his  trade  at  Salem  there  were  but  four  power  presses  in  Oregon, 
two  of  them  being  hand-power  at  Salem,  one  of  these  being  the  first  power 
press  brought  to  the  state. 

Returning  to  Oregon  in  1877,  Mr.  Owen  was  made  foreman  of  the 
Daily  Evening  Telegram,  and  for  eleven  years  served  in  that  capacity,  and 
also  as  city  editor.  Having  saved  some  money,  he  embarked  in  the  pub- 
lishing business  at  Chehalis,  county  seat  of  Lewis  County,  in  what  was 
then  Washington  Territory,  where  he  took  a  leading  part  in  politics  and 
was  a  member  of  the  first  republican  convention  at  which  candidates  were 
nominated  for  the  first  set  of  state  officers,  which  convention  was  held  at 
Walla  Walla. 

In  1890  Mr.  Owen  moved  to  Aberdeen,  Washington,  and  there  joined 
the  Washington  State  Militia,  and  entered  the  newspaper  field  of  that 
region  by  buying  the  Aberdeen  Bulletin.  Leaving  Washington,  Mr.  Owen 
came  to  California,  and  with  his  son  Walter  published  the  Winters 
Express  at  Winters,  Yolo  County,  until  1907.  Subsequently  he  and  his 
son  bought  the  Colton  Courier,  and  published  it  from  1908  to  1921,  when 
he  sold  out  and  assumed  the  duties  of  his  present  offices.  All  of  his  life 
he  has  taken  an  active  and  effective  part  in  politics,  always  as  a  strong 
republican,  but  he  has  preferred  newspaper  work.  For  nine  years  he 
served  Winters  as  postmaster,  erecting  in  that  town  the  first  concrete 
building  in  the  county  for  the  postoffice  and  his  printing  office,  and  was 
appointed  postmaster  at  Colton  by  President  Taft,  but  only  held  that 
office  for  nine  months,  for  the  democratic  Senate  refused  to  confirm  his 
appointment  by  a  republican  administration,  as  it  did  that  of  3,000  other 
republican  postmasters,  and  he  was  retired  in  favor  of  a  democrat.  For 
forty  years  Mr.  Owen  has  been  active  as  a  member  of  the  county  and 
state  central  committees  of  his  party.  In  1890  he  was  raised  in  the 
Masonic  fraternity.    Originally  he  was  a  member  of  the  Episcopal  Church. 

In  1875  Mr.  Owen  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Flora  Minnetta 
Hackett,  at  San  Juan,  San  Benito  County,  California.  The  original 
Hacketts  settled  in  Maine  before  its  separation  from  Massachusetts.  Mrs. 
Owen's  mother  was  a  member  of  the  Thompson  family  that  was  estab- 
lished in  Maine  over  300  years  ago.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Owen  have  two  sons, 
namely.  Fred  M.,  who  married  Gabrella  Alexson,  and  Walter,  who  mar- 
ried Sallie  Culton,  daughter  of  Rev.  and  Mrs.  H.  C.  Culton  of  Winters, 
California. 

Elmer  Cutting,  superintendent  of  the  Riverside  light  department,  is 
a  man  who  has  devoted  himself  to  electrical  work,  particularly  that  con- 
nected with  the  installation  and  maintenance  of  electric  light  plants,  and 
is  recognized  as  one  of  the  most  expert  men  in  his  line  in  the  Southwest. 
Mr.  Cutting  was  born  at  Wooster,  Massachusetts,  August  18,  1864,  a 
son  of  Elmer  and  Francisco  (  Fairbanks)  Cutting,  both  of  whom  are  now- 
deceased.  The  father  was  born  in  Vermont  and  belonged  to  a  family 
of  Revolutionary  stock  and  Scotch  descent.    The  mother,  also  a  native  of 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1503 

Vermont,  came  of  English  descent,  and  belonged  to  the  Fairbanks  family 
which  erected  the  old  Fairbanks  homestead  at  Dedham,  Massachusetts. 

Educated  in  the  public  schools  and  Arms  Academy  at  Shelburn  Falls, 
Massachusetts,  Elmer  Cutting,  the  younger,  proved  a  bright  and  ambitious 
pupil.  He  was  reared  on  a  farm,  but  two  years  after  he  had  completed  his 
schooling  he  went  to  Boston,  Massachusetts,  and  in  1887  he  left  that  city 
for  San  Francisco,  California.  On  his  way  to  the  later  city  he  stopped 
at  Riverside,  and  was  so  pleased  with  the  locality  that  he  did  not  forget 
it,  but  returned  to  it  in  1891,  and  secured  a  position  with  the  city  admin- 
istration. After  occupying  several  positions  in  the  different  branches  of 
the  municipality  he  was  engaged  to  assist  in  installing  the  municipal 
electric  plant  in  1896.  When  it  was  completed  he  held  various  positions 
with  it,  including  that  of  station  operator,  general  foreman  and  superin- 
tendent, and  has  held  that  latter  position  for  the  past  nine  years.  This 
plant  built  the  first  long  distance,  high  voltage  transmission  line  in  the 
United  States,  and  Mr.  Cutting  had  the  distinction  of  being  the  first  man 
to  operate  a  high  voltage  sub-station  in  the  country. 

The  people  voted  to  sell  $40,000  bonds  to  establish  the  distributing 
system  at  a  time  when  Government  ownership  was  being  very  strongly 
advocated.  This  was  during  the  McKinley-Bryan  campaign,  when  the 
populist  party  took  a  prominent  part  in  politics.  It  was  probably  on  ac- 
count of  the  strong  advocacy  of  Government  ownership  at  that  time  that 
the  city  had  no  trouble  in  voting  the  bond  issue.  After  the  City  Council 
took  up  the  matter  of  building  the  distributing  system  it  was  found  that 
the  $40,000  was  an  inadequate  amount  to  construct  both  the  distributing 
system  and  the  generating  plant.  As  a  result  they  had  to  go  elsewhere 
for  power. 

About  three  years  previous  to  that  time  a  few  Redlands  business  men 
in  order  to  acquire  an  electrical  current  for  the  use  of  Redlands  installed 
an  electrical  generating  plant  in  Mill  Creek  Canyon,  which  was  one  of  the 
first  alternating  plants  to  be  installed  on  the  Pacific  Coast.  In  fact  the 
work  of  generating  an  alternating  current  was  so  new  that  a  standard 
of  frequency  had  not  been  established,  and  for  that  reason  the  generators 
used  were  of  the  fifty-cycle  type.  Since  these  generators  were  of  the 
fifty-cycle  type,  all  other  generating  plants  in  Southern  California,  with 
the  exception  of  a  very  few,  have  been  built  to  conform  to  the  Riverside 
standard.  All  over  the  country  elsewhere  the  sixty-cycle  type  has  been 
used  as  the  standard. 

In  addition  to  his  connection  with  this  plant  Mr.  Cutting  is  otherwise 
interested  and  owns  a  fine  peach  and  walnut  grove  at  Riverside,  from 
which  he  extracts  profit  and  pleasure.  In  politics  he  is  an  independent, 
but  has  been  too  much  engaged  in  his  work  to  be  active  in  public  affairs. 
During  the  early  years  of  his  residence  at  Riverside  he  served  for  three 
years  as  county  horticultural  inspector,  but  aside  from  that  has  not  held 
any  office.  Fraternally  he  belongs  to  the  Odd  Fellows  and  Woodmen  of 
the  World.  For  some  time  he  has  been  an  active  member  of  the  Present 
Day  Club. 

On  June  18,  1897,  Mr.  Cutting  married  at  Riverside  Miss  Lena 
Garner,  a  native  of  Kansas,  and  a  daughter  of  the  late  Edward  Garner 
of  Kansas.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cutting  have  three  children,  namely :  Grace  A., 
who  is  a  graduate  of  the  University  of  California  at  Berkeley  ;  Dorothy 
R.,  who  is  a  graduate  of  the  Riverside  High  School ;  and  Elmer,  who  is  a 
student  of  the  Riverside  High  School.  A  hard-working,  practical  man, 
Mr.  Cutting  has  rendered  his  section  a  service  which  cannot  be  easily 
overestimated,  and  much  of  the  efficient  working  of  the  plant  must  be 


1504       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

placed  to  his  credit.  His  interest  in  his  work  is  sincere,  and  he  is  recog- 
nized as  one  of  the  best-qualified  men  in  electrical  matters  today.  What 
he  knows  he  has  acquired  first-hand,  through  his  own  experience.  Hav- 
ing held  the  positions  himself,  he  knows  just  what  to  expect  from  the 
men  under  him  and  therefore  is  able  to  conduct  the  work  in  a  satisfactory 
manner  to  all  parties  concerned.  His  knowledge,  in  other  words,  is  prac- 
tical, not  theoretic,  although  no  man  has  a  clearer  and  more  concise 
knowledge  of  the  principles  of  his  calling.  Personally  he  is  popular  and 
is  looked  upon  as  one  of  the  representative  men  of  Riverside  County. 

William  Edwin  Knickerbocker  is  one  of  the  best-known  men  of 
Bear  Valley,  and  one  who  has  had  supreme  faith  in  its  possibilities  since 
his  arrival  here  in  1902,  and  manifested  it  by  investing  heavily  in  its 
properties.  He  was  born  in  Potter  County,  Pennsylvania,  June  10,  1870, 
a  son  of  Charles  Henry  and  Susan  Elizabeth  (Robbins)  Knickerbocker, 
farming  people. 

Growing  up  in  his  native  county,  William  Edwin  Knickerbocker  at- 
tended the  district  schools  and  continued  to  assist  his  father  until  he 
reached  his  majority,  his  work  being  confined  to  the  woods.  After  he 
was  twenty-one  years  old  he  began  working  for  others,  but  continued  in 
the  timber  until  he  came  to  California  in  1901,  arriving  at  San  Bernardino 
on  Christmas  Day  of  that  year.  A  young  man  who  wasted  but  little  time, 
he  only  stopped  to  have  dinner,  and  then  in  the  afternoon  went  to  Vic- 
torville,  where  he  joined  a  party  that  hired  a  four-horse  stage  and  drove 
to  Doble,  his  objective  point,  as  he  had  a  brother  who  was  engaged  there 
as  mining  engineer.  Mr.  Knickerbocker  secured  employment  at  Doble,  and 
drove  the  freight  team  from  the  Doble  mines  to  Victorville.  Subsequently 
he  engaged  in  logging  in   Holcomb  Valley. 

All  of  these  experiences  seemed  to  be  but  a  preparation  for  his  life 
in  Bear  Valley,  which  began  June  29,  1902,  when  he  secured  employment 
with  Gus  Knight  to  build  cabins  in  what  is  now  Indian  Lodge,  and  forty 
other  cabins,  the  greater  portion  of  which  were  near  Bear  Valley  Dam. 
In  addition  to  this  work  he  added  to  his  revenue  by  acting  as  caretaker 
of  non-resident  cabins,  and  for  twelve  years  and  one  day  he  was  care- 
taker at  the  dam,  which  required  his  constant  attention  summer  and 
winter. 

His  faith  in  the  future  of  the  Valley  led  him  to  purchase  various 
tracts  of  land,  his  first  one  being  eighty-four  acres  of  Doctor  Allen, 
about  seventeen  years  ago ;  adding  to  this  fourteen  acres  of  the  Sanders 
tract  about  five  or  six  years  ago.  He  now  owns  one-fifth  interest  in  Pine 
Knot  Lodge ;  one-fourth  interest  in  Barlow  ranch  at  Baldwin  Lake,  to- 
gether with  other  real  estate  interests  in  the  Valley.  These  purchases 
were  largely  made  from  influential  citizens  who  became  discouraged. 
He  exhibited  his  faith  in  this  locality  in  direct  opposition  to  the  bankers 
and  investors  of  the  vicinity. 

Mr.  Knickerbocker  married  at  Redlands,  September  22,  1903,  Rose 
Anna  Pollard,  who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  December  12,  1879.  Six 
children  were  born  of  this  union,  five  of  whom  are  living.  They  are 
splendid  specimens  of  mountain-reared  young  people,  mentally  and  physic- 
ally fit.  Their  summers  have  been  spent  in  the  valley,  and  their  attend- 
ance at  school  limited  to  the  winter  months,  and  yet  all  of  them  are 
rated  at  a  high  average  in  their  grades.  The  eldest,  Ellen  G.,  was  born 
in  Bear  Valley,  June  16,  1905,  has  passed  one  year  in  the  Redlands  High 
School,  and  stands  as  one  of  the  highest  in  both  indoor  and  outdoor 
athletics.  In  the  intermediate  grade  she  was  captain  of  the  base  ball  team. 
The  gymnasium  was  divided  into  four  sections,  each  faction  playing  an 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1505 

elimination  contest.  Her  team  won  first  place,  and  she  can  play  any 
place  on  the  team.  She  is  fond  of  outdoor  life,  shoots,  bikes,  and,  with 
her  father,  hunts  deer,  riding'  through  wild  and  rugged  country  with 
utter  ease  and  fearlessness.  Gertrude  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  Febru- 
ary 13,  1907.  Katherine  was  born  at  Redlands,  December  8,  1909,  and 
died  in  July,  1910.  Marjorie  Louise  was  born  at  Mentone,  California, 
June  7.  1911.  Carroll  Edwin  was  born  at  Mentone,  March  30,  1914. 
Florence  was  born  at  Redlands,  June  5,  1919. 

Mr.  Knickerbocker  belongs  to  Redlands  Lodge,  Ancient  Free  and 
Accepted  Masons ;  Redlands  Lodge,  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of 
Elks ;  and  Redlands  Lodge,  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  Congregational  Church.  During  the  winter  months 
he  and  his  family  reside  at  their  home  on  Buena  Vista  Street,  Redlands, 
but  their  greatest  enjoyment  is  found  after  they  reach  Big  Bear  Valley 
with  the  opening  of  spring. 

By  the  old  residents  in  the  Valley  Air.  Knickerbocker  is  regarded  as 
the  best  woodsman  in  this  region,  and  it  is  stated  he  can  fell  a  tree, 
marking  the  exact  spot  where  a  certain  limb  will  strike  ground,  before 
starting  to  cut,  and  rarely  missing  a  mark.  This  proficiency  is  doubt- 
less the  result  of  early  training  in  the  woods.  When  "Big  Sam,"  a  land- 
mark of  the  Valley,  was  struck  by  lightning  a  few  years  ago  and  set  on 
fire,  it  became  necessary  to  cut  down  the  tree  to  protect  the  adjacent 
cabins.  Mr.  Knickerbocker  felled  the  blazing  monarch  of  the  forest 
without  touching  a  cabin. 

A  self-made  man,  he  has  acquired  all  he  possesses  through  his  own 
unaided  efforts,  and  owes  no  man  a  dollar. 

Robert  C.  Belt. — California  is  a  land  of  great  wealth,  wonderful 
scenery  and  remarkable  opportunities,  and  to  those  willing  to  exert  them- 
selves nothing  is  impossible.  As  the  years  go  on  new  openings  arise  in 
this  vast  domain,  and  not  only  are  the  Native  Sons  enthusiastic  over  its 
possibilities,  but  the  outsiders  also  share  in  the  universal  hymn  of  praise. 
Not  for  nothing  has  it  been  given  the  significant  name  of  "Golden." 
Everywhere  abounds  the  chance  for  the  acquiring  of  ample  means,  while 
at  the  same  time  opportunities  for  enjoyment  are  afforded  which  seem 
too  good  to  be  true.  Of  recent  years  a  new  avenue  of  endeavor  has  been 
opened  in  the  development  of  Big  Bear  Valley,  oftentimes  called  the 
Playground  of  Southern  California.  Here  have  come  some  of  the  most 
enterprising  and  competent  men  of  the  country,  whose  energies  and 
genius  are  expended  upon  making  this  one  of  the  wonder  spots  of  the 
world.  One  of  these  successful  business  men  and  ideal  hosts  is  Robert 
C.  Belt,  owner  and  operator  of  Duck  Lodge  and  other  mountain  camps 
in  Bear  Valley,  an  old  cowboy  and  typical  cattleman,  with  all  of  the  fine 
characteristics  of  that  calling. 

Robert  C.  Belt  was  born  at  Quincy,  Illinois,  May  30,  1886,  a  son  of 
David  M.  and  Sarah  I.  Belt,  natives  of  New  Jersey.  David  M.  Belt  was 
a  merchant,  and  a  man  of  prominence  at  Quincy,  and  met  his  death  in 
a  railroad  wreck  at  Buffalo,  New  York,  while  on  his  way  to  an  encamp- 
ment of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  to  which  he  had  been  sent  as  a 
delegate  from  Los  Angeles,  California,  where  he  had  been  residing  for 
several  years  previously.  His  widow  passed  away  at  Los  Angeles.  They 
had  nine  children,  namely  :  Maggie,  who  is  the  wife  of  William  Griffin, 
of  Los  Angeles ;  Frank ;  David,  who  lives  at  Pasadena,  California ;  Roy, 
Bertha,  Susie,  Martha  and  Wilbur,  who  are  all  deceased ;  and  Robert  C, 
who  is  the  youngest  in  the  family. 


1506       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

After  completing  his  course  in  the  Quincy  grammar  schools  Robert 
C.  Belt  took  one  in  the  Union  Business  College  of  his  native  city.  He 
then  secured,  under  Governor  Yates,  the  appointment  as  guard  at  the 
state  penitentiary,  and  served  as  such  for  one  year,  following  which  he 
spent  six  months  at  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  and  then  came  to  California. 
From  1904  to  1906  he  was  in  a  contracting  business  at  Los  Angeles,  but 
becoming  tired  of  city  life  he  came  into  San  Bernardino  County  and 
homesteaded  land  at  Seven  Palms,  which  was  at  one  time  an  Indian 
village.  Here  he  developed  his  property,  sunk  a  water  well,  erected 
necessary  buildings,  and  succeeded  in  securing  the  first  flouring  mill  in 
that  section.  While  engaged  in  homesteading  he  was  in  the  employ  of 
Talmage  &  Clark  and  later  of  their  successors,  Talmage  Brothers,  serv- 
ing as  foreman  on  their  White  Water  ranch,  and  remained  with  the  two 
firms  for  six  years,  riding  range  in  Big  Bear  Valley,  Seven  Palms  and 
Warren  Wells,  and  later  went  into  the  cattle  business  for  himself,  in  all 
spending  fourteen  years  in  this  industry  and  becoming  an  efficient  cattle- 
man. In  roping,  riding  and  endurance  he  can  prove  himself  the  equal 
of  any  man,  and  is  physically  fit  as  a  result  of  his  outdoor  life. 

After  he  had  made  his  homestead  a  valuable  property  he  traded  it 
for  seven  acres  of  land  in  Big  Bear  Valley  to  Talmage  Brothers,  who 
had  large  holdings  in  the  Valley,  where  they  were  among  the  pioneer 
cattlemen.  In  1915  Mr.  Belt  began  the  construction  of  his  home,  which 
now  is  one  of  the  most  artistic  places  in  the  Valley,  and  occupies  a  very 
picturesque  location  overlooking  Metcalf  Bay  and  Lake.  After  he  had 
provided  for  his  own  needs  Mr.  Belt  put  up  fourteen  permanent  cabins 
on  his  property,  all  of  which  are  illuminated  with  the  Delco  light  system, 
and  are  most  modern  in  their  furnishings  and  design.  He  is  also  the 
owner  of  one  and  one-half  acres  of  the  North  estate,  which  is  lake 
front  property  and  especially  desirable,  on  which  he  controls  the  exclusive 
concession  and  privilege  of  boating,  supplying  all  kinds  of  motor  and 
row  boats,  and  affording  storage  for  privately-owned  boats.  Mr.  Belt 
owns  and  maintains  his  own  home  boating  camp  on  Metcalf  Bay  and 
Duck  Lodge  at  Baldwin  Lake,  where  he  has  a  modern  brick  clubhouse  and 
restaurant,  and  a  fleet  of  forty  boats.  At  the  latter  resort  he  specially 
caters  to  sportsmen  of  the  day.  He  will  eventually  fill  his  estate  with 
additional  cabins.    As  a  builder  Mr.  Belt  is  a  pioneer  in  his  section. 

Mr.  Belt  has  witnessed  many  changes  for  when  he  first  came  to  the 
Valley  all  supplies  were  brought  in  by  pack-trains  over  difficult  mountain 
trails,  or  with  a  buckboard  drawn  by  two  horses,  the  load  being  limited 
to  400  pounds.  Now  countless  automobiles  and  motor  trucks  roll  over  the 
magnificent  roads,  and  aeroplanes  land  in  front  of  his  estate  so  frequently 
as  to  cease  to  cause  comment  or  awaken  unusual  interest. 

In  1915  Mr.  Belt  married  Miss  Cora  S.  Hayden,  who  was  born  in 
Indiana,  July  21,  1891,  a  daughter  of  Elmer  and  Nancy  Hayden,  both 
of  whom  were  also  born  in  Indiana.  Mrs.  Belt  was  educated  in  the 
Indiana  public  schools,  and  Valparaiso.  Indiana,  University,  from  which 
she  was  graduated.  She  is  an  accomplished  musician,  and  from  1912, 
when  she  came  to  California,  to  her  marriage  she  was  supervisor  of  music 
in  the  public  schools  of  San  Bernardino  and  Chino.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Belt 
are  very  well  suited  to  each  other,  as  his  hardiness  is  only  equaled  by 
her  courage.  In  1917  they  decided  to  visit  the  San  Bernardino  Orange 
Show.  It  was  in  February,  and  their  only  way  out  of  the  Valley  at  that 
time  was  over  the  frozen  lake  to  the  upper  end,  and  thence  along  the 
desert  road,  as  there  was  five  feet  of  snow  between  their  home  and  the 
head  of  the  lake  where  the  road  was  open.     In  spite  of  the  almost  un- 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1507 

surmountable  difficulties  they  made  the  trip  to  San  Bernardino  and  return 
successfully,  and  have  the  record  of  being  the  first  and  only  ones  to  do 
so.  It  is  somewhat  remarkable  that  Mrs.  Belt's  father  also  met  his 
death  by  accident,  he  having  been  killed  when  a  train  struck  his  auto- 
mobile at  Rialto,  California,  in  1915.  His  widow  survives  and  makes 
her  home  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Belt.  Mrs.  Belt  has  a  brother,  Floyd  S. 
Hayden,  of  Azusa,  California,  who  was  the  eldest  born  in  the  Hayden 
family;  and  a  sister,  May  Hayden,  who,  born  in  1889,  died  in  1890. 
Mr.  Belt  is  living  the  kind  of  life  he  loves.  It  would  be  impossible 
for  him  to  confine  himself  to  an  office  or  within  any  set  confines,  for 
he  needs  the  great  outdoors,  and  close  association  with  nature  in  its  wild- 
est moods.  He  is  big  of  heart  and  mind,  quick  to  respond  to  any  demand 
upon  him,  and  thoroughly  competent  in  business.  His  holdings  are  in- 
creasing in  value,  and  he  is  adding  to  their  improvement  all  the  time. 
Guests  who  visit  his  camps  once  are  very  anxious  to  return  the  follow- 
ing season  for  here  they  find  not  only  ideal  surroundings,  but  the  con- 
genial companionship  of  the  kind-hearted  westerner,  who  knows  how 
to  make  them  comfortable  and  give  them  the  best  kind  of  sport. 

Berry  Lee  Roberts. — The  growth  of  intelligence  and  sound  optimism 
has  advanced  agriculture  to  a  combination  of  occupation  and  science, 
the  profound  possibilities  of  which  can  be  but  imperfectly  mastered 
by  any  one  man  in  his  comparatively  brief  span  of  years.  Man,  whose 
faith  is  pinned  to  the  soil,  and  whose  delight  and  reward  it  is  to  use 
its  stored  fertility  for  the  most  enlightened  needs  of  civilization,  has 
brought  it  to  a  stage  of  usefulness  unequaled  in  any  other  walk  of  life. 
To  such  must  come  the  greatest  material  satisfaction  also,  as  witnessed 
in  all  prosperous  farming  communities,  of  which  the  territory  included 
in  San  Bernardino  and  Riverside  counties  is  one  of  the  best  examples. 
Since  the  earliest  history  of  this  part  of  the  state  certain  families  have 
been  connected  with  its  continuous  advancement,  lending  color  and 
enthusiasm  and  splendid  purpose  to  its  unfolding  prosperity.  Of  these 
none  are  better  or  more  favorably  known  than  that  which  is  represented 
by  Berry  Lee  Roberts,  of  Highland. 

Mr.  Roberts  was  born  September  12,  1873,  at  San  Bernardino,  Cali- 
fornia, a  son  of  Berry  and  Frances  (Thomas)  Roberts.  His  father,  a 
son  of  Jesse  and  Alary  (Alpin)  Roberts,  was  born  in  Conway  County, 
Arkansas,  and  was  fifteen  years  of  age  when  he  drove  four  yoke  of  oxen 
across  the  plains  with  a  party,  including  his  mother,  which  left  Arkansas 
April  10,  1852,  and  arrived  at  their  destination  in  Mariposa  County, 
California,  October  1  of  that  year.  Berry  Roberts  had  lost  his  father 
when  he  was  an  infant,  and  it  was  necessary  that  he  early  look  out  for 
his  own  support.  His  mother,  who  was  a  native  of  Tennessee,  later 
went  to  Texas,  where  her  death  occurred.  After  spending  five  years 
in  mining  Berry  Roberts  took  up  ranching  in  San  Bernardino  County, 
as  well  as  in  the  San  Yimoteo  Canon,  in  which  latter  community  he 
settled  on  a  200-acre  ranch  in  December,  1857.  He  was  one  of  the 
first  to  introduce  blooded  cattle  into  this  region,  and  did  much  to  im- 
prove the  breed  of  stock  in  this  part  of  the  state.  He  started  out 
on  his  own  resources,  without  means,  but  through  perseverance 
and  energy,  determination  and  a  hardy  and  courageous  spirit  overcame 
the  obstacles  and  hardships  of  life  in  a  new  country,  and  won  his  way 
to  the  ownership  of  a  good  ranch  and  a  place  high  in  the  confidence  and 
respect  of  his  fellow-citizens.  He  died  at  the  home  of  his  son,  William 
M.  Roberts,  at  Redlands.  In  Mariposa  County,  California,  Mr.  Roberts 
married  Miss  Frances  Thomas,  a  native  of  Missouri,  and  they  became 


1508      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

the  parents  of  twelve  children:  William  M.,  Ozrovv,  Mary,  Ella,  Emma 
Beach,  Nettie,  Berry  Lee,  Sterling,  Ida,  Early,  Archie  Milton  and  Edward. 

Berry  Lee  Roberts  had  few  chances  for  an  education,  but  made  the 
most  of  his  opportunities  in  the  little  country  school  at  El  Caseo,  in  the 
San  Timeteo  Canon.  At  about  the  age  of  seventeen  years  he  went  to 
work  for  the  Southern  Pacific  Railway  Company,  and  during  the  several 
years  that  he  was  engaged  in  maintenance  work  became  known  as  an 
efficient  maintenance  man  as  well  as  a  capable  construction  worker.  In 
the  latter  connection  for  a  number  of  years  he  did  heavy  construction 
work  in  difficult  places  in  the  mountains,  as  well  as  on  the  desert,  and 
in  this  labor  the  hardy  stock  from  which  he  sprang  stood  him  in  good 
stead.  After  a  number  of  years  he  left  the  Southern  Pacific  and  in- 
vested his  earnings  in  a  farm.  Farming  held  him  for  only  several 
years,  however,  when  he  returned  to  railway  work,  in  building,  grading, 
laying  track  and  construction  of  the  Tonepaugh  &  Tidewater  Railroad. 
About  the  same  time  he  built  a  six-mile  branch  from  Lyle  Junction  to 
the  Lyle  C.  Mine  (the  Borax  C.  Smith  Mine),  owned  by  the  so-called 
borax  king.  This  was  an  inferno  to  work  men  in,  and  it  was  evidence 
of  Mr.  Roberts'  executive  capacity  that  he  was  able  to  complete  the  con- 
tract. Returning  then  to  San  Bernardino,  he  was  employed  in  construc- 
tion work  by  the  San  Bernardino  Valley  Traction  Company,  building, 
grading  and  laying  track  on  new  lines  from  San  Bernardino  to  Red- 
lands  and  from  San  Bernardino  to  Highland,  as  well  as  the  Arrowhead 
Hotel  branch  line.  Later  he  served  as  roadmaster  of  this  line  for  a 
number  of  years,  until  the  road  was  taken  over  by  the  Pacific  Electric 
Railroad  Company.  Mr.  Roberts  was  also  the  builder,  years  ago,  of  the 
road  from  Squirrel  Inn  to  Little  Bear  Valley  and  Lake,  under  Engineer 
Lathrope,  this  being  a  mountain  road  and  well-known  trail.  He  had 
charge  of  the  digging  of  all  the  trenches  for  the  city  water  and  gas  mains 
in  San  Bernardino,  as  well  as  the  line  to  Highland,  and  laid  the  24- 
inch  water  main  from  San  Bernardino  to  Lytle  Creek,  operating  under 
a  bond  of  $180,000.  Mr.  Roberts  remembers  when  the  site  of  the  present 
Court  House  was  a  stock  corral,  his  recollection  of  this  being  vivid  be- 
cause of  the  fact  that  it  was  he  who  got  out  the  rock  for  the  building, 
being  in  charge  of  the  men  who  secured  this  necessary  commodity  from 
a  quarry  on  Mill  Creek.  Another  contract,  done  for  the  Edison  Electric 
Company,  was  that  connected  with  the  necessary  work  to  carry  adequate 
water  from  point  to  point,  and  the  building  of  the  tramway  up  the  moun- 
tain side  for  the  construction  of  this  work. 

When  he  left  the  last  employment  mentioned  Mr.  Roberts  accepted 
a  position  as  superintendent  for  the  Fontana  Land  and  Water  Company, 
a  position  in  which  he  farmed  from  600  to  700  acres  of  land.  He  was 
engaged  in  ranching  on  a  large  scale  for  six  years,  and  during  harvest 
times  would  have  as  many  as  300  farm  hands  in  his  employ.  In  1899 
Mr.  Roberts  purchased  three  acres  of  oranges  on  Orange  Avenue,  High- 
land, and  here  built  a  modern  home.  Later  he  added  to  his  holdings, 
and  at  present  is  the  owner  of  six  acres  of  as  fine  stock  orange  trees 
as  are  to  be  found  in  the  State  of  California," together  with  a  picturesque 
home  overlooking  the  valleys  and  mountains.  Mr.  Roberts  has  acquired 
this  property  only  through  the  hardest  kind  of  work,  but  in  its  owner- 
ship he  is  proud,  as  he  is  also  of  the  fact  that  he  is  a  native  son  of 
the  great  Golden  State  and  that  he  comes  of  sound  old  California 
stock.  He  belongs  to  several  civic  associations  and  fraternal  orders, 
and  is  a  veteran  of  the  Spanish-American  war.  In  1898  he  enlisted 
in   Company   G,   Seventh   Cavalry,   and   trained   at   Presidio,    California, 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1509 

but  was  honorably  discharged  when  peace  was  declared  in  1899.  His 
equipment  was  all  ready  loaded  on  a  vessel  when  the  countermanding 
orders  came,  these  proving  a  great  disappointment  to  him,  as  they  did 
to  all  members  of  the  Seventh. 

In  1899  Mr.  Roberts  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  York, 
a  daughter  of  James  and  Sarah  (Ingle)  York,  the  former  a  native  of 
Tennessee  and  the  latter  of  Illinois.  Mrs.  Roberts  was  born  at  Leroy, 
Illinois,  and  was  brought  to  California  by  her  parents  in  1898.  Of  the 
three  children  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Roberts  one  survives ;  Marjorie, 
born  November  8,  1910. 

Arthur  H.  Nelson. — To  successfully  grow  oranges  in  many  sections 
of  Southern  California  is  an  achievement  being  demonstrated  every  day, 
but  to  be  able  to  produce  the  finest  fruit  in  the  world  at  a  great  profit 
is  quite  another  matter.  This  interesting  procedure  has  been  going  on 
for  some  years  on  the  fine  estate  at  Greenspot,  in  the  Mentone  District, 
San  Bernardino  County,  owned  by  Arthur  H.  Nelson,  who  now  lives  re- 
tired at  Los  Angeles.  Mr.  Nelson  has  been  a  resident  of  California 
for  almost  two  decades,  but  when  he  invested  in  land  in  the  Mentone 
District  in  1904,  having  growing  oranges  in  prospect,  his  venture  was 
deprecated  by  business  acquaintances  and  deplored  by  his  friends.  De- 
pending, however,  upon  a  sense  of  judgment  that  had  seldom  failed  him, 
and  possessing  a  considerable  scientific  knowledge  of  climate,  soil  and 
temperature,  he  persisted  in  his  undertaking  and  today  is  one  of  the 
leading  producers  of  the  justly  celebrated  Navel  oranges  in  the  western 
country. 

Arthur  H.  Nelson  was  born  at  Bridgewater,  New  Hampshire,  in 
1864,  the  second  of  four  children  born  to  Oliver  Fuller  and  Sophia 
Kingsbury  (Hatch)  Nelson.  The  Hatch  family  was  prominent  in  Col- 
onial days  in  New  England,  and  Elisha  Hatch,  the  great-great-grandfather 
of  Arthur  H.  Nelson,  purchased  from  the  Indians  the  townsite  of  Fal- 
mouth, Barnstable  County,  Massachusetts.  During  his  early  business 
life  Oliver  Fuller  Nelson  was  connected  with  the  Boston  Rubber  Com- 
pany, manufacturers  of  rubber  shoes,  and  afterward  he  was  a  pioneer  in 
that  industry  in  Montreal,  Canada,  where  he  established  a  plant  that 
he  conducted  for  many  years. 

Arthur  H.  Nelson  attended  the  public  schools  of  Medford,  Massa- 
chusetts and  afterward  a  school  of  design,  where  he  applied  himself 
to  the  study  of  architecture,  and  afterward  followed  this  profession  in 
association  with  some  of  the  leading  architects  of  New  England.  He 
was  concerned  in  the  designing  of  many  important  structures  in  the 
East  and  the  erection  of  the  church  edifice  in  the  City  of  Detroit,  Mich- 
igan, which  at  that  time  was  the  largest  and  most  imposing  between  that 
city  and  New  York.  His  professional  career  was  interrupted  about  this 
time  by  family  responsibilities,  he  being  recalled  to  Boston  to  take  charge 
of  his  father-in-law's  estate,  a  property  aggregating  over  a  million  dollars. 

On  October  14,  1885.  Mr.  Nelson  married  Miss  Carrie  Elizabeth 
Puffer,  who  was  born  at  Somerville,  Massachusetts,  September  15,  1865. 
a  member  of  a  very  prominent  family  of  that  state.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nelson 
have  had  five  children,  namely :  Harold  Arthur,  Leslie  Scott,  Frank 
Roy.  Helen  Puffer  and  Donald  Hatch.  Harold  Arthur  Nelson  was  born 
at  Medford.  Massachusetts,  June  18,  1888.  He  was  graduated  from  the 
Medford  High  School  and  Tufts  College,  taking  a  course  in  structural 
engineering.  He  is  now  associated  with  the  Pacific  Fruit  Exchange, 
being  in  charge  of  the  ice  and  percolating  plant  and  all  their  heavy  con- 
struction work  at  San  Francisco.    He  married  Miss  Ella  Bryan,  daughter 


1510       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

of  George  Edward  Bryan,  who  is  well  known  in  business  circles  at 
Cleveland,  Ohio. 

Leslie  Scott  Nelson  was  born  at  Medford,  Massachusetts,  July  3, 
1897,  and  was  but  fifteen  years  old  when  he  graduated  from  the  high 
school  of  his  native  city.  After  completing  a  course  in  engineering  in 
the  University  of  California  he  enlisted  in  the  United  States  Navy  for 
service  in  the  World  war,  as  an  ensign.  He  was  assigned  to  Mare  Island 
and  put  in  charge  of  the  drilling  of  recruits,  including  1200  brought  from 
the  Philippine  Islands,  all  of  these  being  partially  trained  at  the  time  the 
armistice  with  Germany  was  signed,  and  shortly  afterward  he  returned 
to  civilian  life  and  is  now  connected  with  the  Johns-Manville  Company, 
Los  Angeles. 

Frank  Roy  Nelson  was  born  at  Medford,  Massachusetts,  September 
20,  1898,  and  after  graduating  from  the  high  school  entered  college  at 
Berkeley,  California.  At  the  outbreak  of  the  World  war  he  first  went 
to  work  in  the  ship  yards  and  then  entered  the  officers'  Training  Camp 
in  the  University  at  Redlands,  was  one  of  the  first  ten  selected  for 
further  instruction  and  was  sent  to  Waco,  Texas,  and  he  was  about  to 
be  commissioned  lieutenant  when  the  armistice  was  signed  and  he  was 
relieved.  He  resides  with  his  wife  and  son  in  the  Mentone  District, 
where  the  latter,  Arthur  H.  Nelson,  Jr..  was  born  June  10,  1921.  Mr. 
Nelson  is  superintending  his  father's  orange  groves  at  Greenspot.  Miss 
Helen  Puffer  Nelson  was  born  at  Medford,  Massachusetts,  March  11, 
1902.  After  graduating  from  the  high  school  at  Redlands  she  entered 
the  University  of  California,  where  she  is  yet  a  student.  The  youngest 
member  of  the  family,  Donald  Hatch  Nelson,  was  born  at  Medford, 
Massachusetts,  March  24,  1904,  and  was  an  infant  when  his  parents 
came  to  California.  After  graduating  from  the  Redlands  High  School 
he  became  a  student  in  the  Pasadena  Army  and  Navy  School. 

Arthur  H.  Nelson  continued  as  manager  of  the  Puffer  estate  until 
he  came  to  California,  resolved  to  go  into  the  business  of  growing  oranges, 
and  after  carefully  considering  prospects  he  purchased  thirty  acres  of 
wild  land  in  what  is  now  known  as  Greenspot.  He  received  very  little 
encouragement  from  those  in  any  way  interested  in  his  welfare,  but 
like  many  other  men  who  have  succeeded  by  trusting  to  their  own  judg- 
ment he  continued  to  believe  that  this  land  of  high  altitude  (2000  feet), 
with  proper  care  and  scientific  methods,  would  in  time  justify  his  faith. 
Some  of  the  land  had  already  been  utilized,  and  he  at  once  set  out  his 
groves  to  cover  the  rest  of  it  and  built  a  home  here,  although  at  that 
time  there  was  little  neighborhood  social  life  in  the  district.  To  his 
original  purchase  Mr.  Nelson  subsequently  added  and  now  owns  ninety 
acres  at  Greenspot,  seventy-five  acres  being  devoted  to  oranges.  In  1913 
he  shipped  fruit  which  brought  him  $1,100  and  $1,200  per  car.  His 
judgment  about  altitude  proved  to  be  right,  and  no  finer  Navel  oranges 
are  to  be  found  in  the  state,  this  choice  variety  yielding  best  in  a  tem- 
perature approaching  that  of  Bahai,  Brazil,  where  they  came  from. 

Ever  since  coming  here  Mr.  Nelson  has  been  deeply  concerned  in 
all  interests  pertaining  to  the  welfare  of  orange  growers,  and  one  of  the 
earliest  needs  he  recognized  was  the  lack  of  an  adequate  packing  house 
at  Greenspot,  and  he  set  about  to  remedy  it.  After  negotiating  with  the 
different  railroads  and  transportation  lines  he  prevailed  on  the  Pacific 
Electric  to  build  the  road  that  is  now  open,  a  great  undertaking,  as  it 
necessitated  the  erection  of  a  bridge  that  cost  $35,000.  and  then  Mr. 
Nelson  organized  a  local  body  and  the  present  packing  house  was  erected, 
which  is  of  modern  construction  and  probably  the  best  equipped  plant 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1511 

in  every  way  in  all  this  section.  Mr.  Nelson  continues  on  the  com- 
pany's directing  board  and  was  president  of  the  organization  until  1921, 
when  he  resigned  and  since  removing  to  Los  Angeles  has  been  practically 
retired  from  business  life.  He  has  been  a  wonderfully  inspiring  factor 
in  the  development  of  this  section,  and  has  definitely  proved  that  a  high 
elevation  is  the  most  favorable  for  orange  growth,  and  his  scientific  dis- 
covery may,  in  time,  solve  many  of  the  present  problems  of  fruit  growers. 

Levi  Vredenburgh,  whose  home  for  many  years  was  at  Chino,  where 
Mrs.  Vredenburgh  resides,  was  a  pioneer  oil  man,  gaining  his  experience 
in  the  early  days  of  oil  production  in  Western  Pennsylvania,  was  known 
in  the  East  as  an  expert  on  the  technical  phases  of  oil  production  and 
refining,  and  his  interests  finally  brought  him  to  the  West,  and  it  is 
generally  acknowledged  that  he  laid  the  secure  foundation  for  the  prosper- 
ous management  of  the  Puente  Oil  Refinery. 

Mr.  Vredenburgh  was  born  at  Croton  Falls,  New  York,  December  1, 
1842,  and  was  seventy-six  years  of  age  when  death  came  to  him  at  Chino 
on  December  18.  1918.  He  was  of  Holland  Dutch  ancestry,  a  son  of 
Harry  and  Elizabeth  (Bevans)  Vredenburgh,  the  former  born  June  20, 
1811,  and  the  latter  May  20,  1815.  A  brief  record  of  the  children  of  his 
parents  is  as  follows:  Fannie,  born  June  25,  1834;  Harriet,  born  July 
13,  1836;  Amanda  J.,  born  April  19,  1838;  Charles,  born  June  13,  1840, 
died  while  a  Union  soldier  in  the  service  of  the  Federal  Government  April 
27,  1863 ;  Levi ;  Julia,  born  September  23,  1845  ;  George,  born  April  23. 
1848;  Edgar,  born  October  28,  1853,  died  December  16,  1853;  and 
Helen,  born  September  28,  1856,  and  died  March  20,  1857. 

Levi  Vredenburgh  grew  up  and  acquired  his  early  education  in  New 
York  State.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  he  enlisted  in  the  Federal  Army, 
served  and  fought  as  a  private,  was  wounded  in  one  battle,  and  for  three 
years  carried  a  bullet  in  his  knee.  After  the  war  he  earned  his  money 
as  a  worker  in  the  timber  woods  of  Pennsylvania,  and  was  soon  attracted 
to  the  great  oil  fields  of  the  Oil  Creek  District  of  Pennsylvania.  His 
varied  experiences  in  the  study  of  the  oil  business  made  him  an  expert 
on  the  refining  processes,  and  he  had  some  very  responsible  positions  while 
in  the  East. 

On  August  25,  1869,  Mr.  Vredenburgh  married  Miss  Anna  M.  Ter- 
williger,  who  was  born  at  Leeds,  Greene  County,  New  York,  in  February, 
1846.  To  this  union  were  born  two  children.  Elizabeth  Jane,  born  at 
Sherman  Well  in  Venango  County,  Pennsylvania,  November  4,  1870, 
died  February  10,  1895.  Ezra  Irving  Vredenburgh,  who  was  born  at 
Meredith,  Cherokee  Township,  Venango  County,  April  20,  1872,  was 
liberally  educated  and  had  a  very  successful  career  as  a  physician  and 
surgeon.  He  died  June  5,  1909,  and  is  survived  by  his  widow  and  one 
son  Irving,  born  July  20,  1906,  and  now  living  at  Oakland,  California. 

After  the  death  of  his  first  wife  Mr.  Vredenburgh  married  in  1880 
Miss  Violet  Elizabeth  Heckathorn.  She  was  born  June  17,  1835,  in  the 
vicinity  of  Pittsburgh,  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Elizabeth'  (Shaffer)  Heck- 
athorn, also  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  In  the  Heckathorn  family  were  the 
following  children:  David,  Catherine,  Violet,  Jacob,  James  Harper, 
Mary  and  William  Bovd  Heckathorn.  William  Bovd  Heckathorn  was 
born  March  9,  1845,  died  July  17,  1907.  He  married  Martha  Jane  Hecka- 
thorn, and  their  five  children  were  Florence  L.,  Myra  J.,  Delvinasia  E., 
Halgerdia  G.  and  Merrill  E.  The  mother  of  these  children  died  in  June, 
1884,  and  William  Boyd  Heckathorn  subsequently  married  Sarah  Jane 
Powell,  and  by  this  union  had  two  children,  Charity  P.  and  Chloe. 


1512       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

After  his  second  marriage  Levi  Vredenburgh  lived  for  several  years 
in  Buffalo,  New  York,  then  returned  to  Oil  City,  Pennsylvania,  and  sub- 
sequently had  charge  of  a  refinery  in  Cleveland.  While  in  Cleveland  he 
was  selected  by  some  capitalists  to  take  charge  of  a  placer  mining  prop- 
osition on  the  Colorado  River  in  Arizona.  He  personally  invested  of  his 
means  in  this  venture,  and  when  it  failed  to  produce  he  lost  both  his  in- 
vestment and  salary. 

In  the  meantime  the  Puente  Oil  Refinery  of  California  had  been  built 
and  was  operating  at  a  loss.  Some  of  the  interested  stockholders  learned 
of  Mr.  Vredenburgh's  presence  in  the  Southwest,  sent  for  him  and  in 
1897  he  took  charge  as  general  superintendent  of  the  plant.  He  remained 
as  superintendent  and  manager  for  twenty-one  years,  and  in  that  time 
brought  the  business  out  of  chaos  and  made  it  one  of  the  best  managed 
oil  refineries  in  California.  Failing  health  finally  compelled  him  to  give 
up  his  post  of  duty,  but  he  continued  to  draw  his  salary  from  the  manage- 
ment until  his  death. 

Mr.  Vredenburgh  was  for  a  number  of  years  the  largest  stockholder 
and  president  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Chino.  He  had  bought  ten 
acres  of  the  townsite,  subdivided  and  sold  that  to  great  advantage,  known 
as  the  Vredenburgh  tract,  and  about  1910  he  built  one  of  the  most  attrac- 
tive homes,  at  the  northwest  corner  of  Seventh  and  B  streets,  the  place 
now  occupied  by  Mrs.  Vredenburgh.  Mr.  Vredenburgh  was  a  staunch 
republican,  was  a  leader  in  the  Baptist  Church  and  for  many  years  inter- 
ested in  the  Sunday  School  and  superintendent  of  the  school.  He  was 
public  spirited  in  everything  he  did,  and  his  memory  is  cherished  in  this 
community. 

Frank  Mu'nday  Towne. — Few  men  are  living  in  San  Bernardino 
who  made. the  record  "for  all  men  to  read"  which  was  left  by  Frank  Mun- 
day  Towne,  pioneer  citizen  and  druggist.  He  lived  in  the  city  he  loved 
so  well  for  over  forty  years,  fulfilling  the  highest  ideal  of  American 
citizenship.  His  untiring  efforts  in  behalf  of  the  development  of  the  city 
made  him  one  of  the  most  substantial,  solid  and  trustworthy  citizens.  He 
spent  his  life  in  the  one  line  of  business,  building  up  a  clientele  reach- 
ing all  over  the  county,  and  attaining  a  business  standing  exceptionally 
high- 
Like  so  many  of  the  finest  men  of  the  county,  Mr.  Towne  was  a  native 
son  of  the  Golden  State,  being  the  son  of  one  of  the  earliest  pioneers. 
He  gained  his  education  and  spent  his  entire  life  here.  He  was  a  true 
son  of  California,  knowing  that  he  was  indeed  fortunate  to  be  one  of 
her  sons,  and  giving  her  service  and  love.  His  patriotism  was  deep  and 
strong  and  inherent,  not  brought  out  for  special  occasions,  but  part  of 
his  life.  During  the  World  war  no  man  in  the  United  States,  according 
to  his  opportunities,  worked  harder  or  to  better  advantage  than  Mr. 
Towne,  for  he  gave  time  and  money  and  ceaseless  effort  from  the  first 
to  the  last  minute  of  those  trying  times. 

Mr.  Towne  was  adverse  to  standing  in  the  lime  light  and  could  be 
prevailed  upon  only  once  to  serve  the  county  in  a  public  capacity,  but 
in  doing  so  he  did  it  as  all  things,  in  a  manner  above  criticism.  He  was 
a  comparatively  young  man  when  he  passed  on,  loved  and  mourned  by 
his  family  and  friends  and  the  city  of  which  he  had  been  such  an  integral 
part.  So  long  as  San  Bernardino  is  standing  and  her  history  known 
the  name  of  Frank  Munday  Towne  will  be  honored  as  one  of  her  most 
worthy,  best  loved  men. 

Mr.  Towne  was  born  in  Petaluma,  California,  in  October,  1860,  the 
son  of  Smith  D.  Towne,  who  conducted  a  drug  store  in  Petaluma  for 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1513 

many  years,  and  was  one  of  that  city's  worth-while  citizens.  In  the  place 
where  he  was  born  Frank  Munday  Towne  died. 

He  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Petaluma,  and  then  in  the 
Pharmacy  School  of  the  University  of  California,  from  which  he  was 
graduated.  During  the  time  he  was  acquiring  his  education  he  worked 
for  his  father  in  the  drug  store.  Deciding  to  branch  out  for  himself 
after  his  graduation,  he  located  in  San  Bernardino,  working  at  first  for 
Mr.  Waldrip,  the  druggist.  In  1880  he  bought  a  partnership  with  him, 
and  the  firm  name  was  Waldrip  &  Towne.  This  continued  for  a  short 
time,  when  Mr.  Nickerson  bought  out  Waldrip's  interest  and  the  firm 
name  became  Towne  &  Nickerson.  This  continued  a  few  years,  and  then 
Towne  bought  out  the  Nickerson  interest,  and  the  name  was  F.  Towne 
until  1895,  when  the  firm  became  Towne  &  Lamb.  In  1900  the  firm  of 
Towne,  Seccomb  &  Allison  was  organized,  and  in  1911  the  business  was 
incorporated  under  this  latter  name.  In  the  spring  of  1919  Mr.  Beverly 
Towne  and  Charles  Lindner,  Jr.,  bought  out  W.  C.  Seccombe's  interest  and 
the  name  was  changed  again,  this  time  to  the  Towne-Allison  Drug  Com- 
pany.     On  December  20th  Frank  M.  Towne  died. 

Mr.  Towne  married  in  March,  1884,  Anna  B.  Fox,  daughter  of  Daniel 
W.  Fox,  one  of  California's  earliest  pioneers,  who  came  to  California 
around  Cape  Horn  in  1852  from  Connecticut.  Like  most  of  the  pioneers 
of  that  time  he  was  a  gold  seeker  and  settled  in  El  Dorado  County. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  F.  M.  Towne  were  the  parents  of  three  children : 
Dwight,  who  was  born  in  Garden  Valley,  El  Dorado  County,  and  mar- 
ried Amy  McConnell,  of  New  York,  and  has  two  children,  Frank  and 
Kathyrn ;  Lean,  born  in  San  Bernardino  ;  Beverly,  born  in  San  Bernardino 
and  married  Hazel  Bryan,  of  Redlands. 

Mr.  Towne  was  a  member  of  Arrowhead  Parlor  110,  Native  Sons 
of  the  Golden  West,  of  which  Dwight  Fox  was  the  organizer.  He 
was  also  a  member  of  the  San  Bernardino  Lodge  No.  836,  Benevolent  and 
Protective  Order  of  Elks.  He  was  always  independent  in  politics,  be- 
lieving in  the  right  man  for  the  right  place.  He  was  at  one  time  public 
administrator  for  San  Bernardino  County.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Towne  were 
members  of  the  Episcopal  Church.  Mr.  Towne  was  representative  of 
the  Shipping  Board  during  the  late  war  and  enrolled  a  large  number  of 
men.  The  Towne  family  has  in  its  possession  the  check  for  one  dollar 
paid  him  by  the  Government  for  his  services  in  enrolling  men  in  the 
Merchant  Marine.  He  was  also  a  member  of  the  various  committees  for 
the  different  drives  of  the  war  activities,  and  in  every  way  aided  any- 
thing and  everything  he  could  that  would  help  the  country. 

Ruby  Frances  Eason  Mascart. — Credit  for  the  early  development 
of  the  citrus  fruit  industry  in  the  Crafton  District  of  San  Bernardino 
County  belongs  in  an  important  degree  to  the  members  of  the  Eason 
family.  A  daughter  of  this  family  is  Mrs.  Mascart,  whose  husband. 
Montague  Mascart,  owns  one  of  the  fine  rural  plantations  and  estates 
overlooking  the  City  of  Redlands.  Mr.  Mascart  is  an  educated  English 
gentleman  and  came  to  Redlands  about  twenty  years  ago. 

The  parents  of  Mrs.  Mascart  were  Abner  and  Anna  (Mobley )  Eason. 
Her  father  was  born  at  Louisville,  Kentucky,  in  1837,  and  died  at  Red- 
lands  in  1901.  Her  mother  was  born  at  Nashville,  Tennessee,  in  1852, 
and  died  at  Redlands  in  1885.  Abner  Eason  was  a  contractor  and  build- 
er in  the  East,  married  in  Tennessee,  and  to  benefit  his  wife's  health 
came  to  California  in  1880.  living  in  San  Bernardino  one  year  and  in 
1881  located  at  Crafton,  then  a  wild  and  unimproved  brush  country 
with    no    railroad    and    practically    no    marketing    facilities.      Mr.    Eason 


1514       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

bought  twenty  acres  of  this  wild  land,  cleared  it,  and  planted  it  to  apricots, 
peaches  and  raisin  grapes.  Up  to  that  time  seedling  oranges  had  been 
grown  in  this  section,  and  he  was  the  pioneer  in  planting  the  navel  oranges 
and  was  the  first  to  give  that  industry  an  impetus  in  San  Bernardino 
County.  He  hauled  his  oranges  to  Riverside  for  packing  and  shipment. 
That  was  before  the  City  of  Redlands  was  established.  The  old  home- 
stead at  Crafton  is  now  known  as  the  Leslie  Gay  place  and  was  the  home 
of  the  Eason  family  for  ten  years.  Abner  Eason  after  selling,  having 
profited  in  his  horticultural  efforts,  then  bought  thirty  acres  of  the  old 
Barton  ranch.  Here  he  developed  a  citrus  nursery  and  later  set  out  the 
land  to  apricots.  He  also  made  investments  in  town  property  and  after 
selling  his  country  property  turned  his  holdings  into  city  real  estate. 
Though  taking  up  the  business  comparatively  late  in  life,  he  was  regarded 
as  an  authority  on  orchard  and  nursery  lands  and  was  prominent  among 
the  early  fruit  growers  of  the  county.  He  was  a  man  of  cultivated 
mind,  high  character  and  greatly  beloved  in  his  district.  He  was  a  deacon 
in  the  Congregational  Church.  His  children  were  four  in  number.  Ella, 
born  October  27.  1873.  is  a  graduate  of  the  House  of  Good  Samaritan, 
Los  Angeles,  and  is  a  professional  woman  at  Spokane,  Washington. 
Albert  Sidney,  born  September  9,  1876,  graduated  from  the  Redlands 
High  School  and  is  a  builder  and  contracting  engineer  at  Seattle,  being 
manager  of  the  Skagit  River  power  project  near  the  Cascades.  By  his 
marriage  to  Miss  Mabel  Rowe  of  Idaho  he  has  two  sons,  Robert  and 
Donald,  twins,  born  May  16,  1910.  Edna  Laura,  born  November  18, 
1880,  was  educated  at  Redlands  and  is  the  wife  of  Arthur  T.  Cromwell, 
a  real  estate  man  at  Spokane,  Washington,  and  has  one  son,  Edward 
Eason  Cromwell. 

Ruby  Frances  Eason,  the  only  child  of  her  parents  born  in  California, 
was  born  at  Crafton  January  13,  1883.  She  acquired  her  education  in 
Redlands,  and  on  June  21,  1906,  became  the  wife  of  Montague  C.  Mascart. 

Mr.  Mascart  was  born  in  London,  England,  in  1880.  His  father, 
Emiel  E.  Mascart,  was  born  in  France  but  of  a  family  of  long  English 
residence.  He  was  a  merchant  at  London,  and  the  old  establishment 
bearing  his  name  at  75  Baker  Street,  London,  West,  is  still  continued 
under  the  Mascart  name,  the  present  manager  having  entered  Mr.  Mas- 
cart's  employ  when  only  eighteen  years  of  age.  Montague  Mascart  was 
educated  in  Emanuel  College  in  London  and  in  in  Cressier  College  near 
Neufchatel,  Switzerland,  where  he  acquired  a  fluent  knowledge  of  the 
French  language.  On  returning  to  England  he  served  an  apprenticeship 
in  the  leather  business.  About  that  time  he  met  many  Americans  of  prom- 
inence, including  members  of  the  Morgan  banking  house,  the  Marconies 
and  others,  and  from  them  learned  much  of  America's  opportunities. 
In  March,  1902,  he  left  London  bound  for  Redlands,  California,  a  place 
recommended  to  him  by  a  relative  who  had  been  here.  Mr.  Mascart 
has  revisited  England  four  times.  His  first  purchase  was  a  twenty- 
two  acre  orange  grove  on  Buckeye  Street.  Selling  this,  he  bought  another 
place  on  Alabama  Street,  which  he  sold  three  years  ago,  and  then 
bought  thirty  acres  on  the  Heights,  named  in  honor  of  an  old  English 
district  Angalia  Ranch.  This  is  one  of  Redland's  most  beautiful  sights 
overlooking  the  valley  and  in  the  shadows  of  the  mountains. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mascart  have  four  children:  Montague  Charles,  Jr., 
born  August  9,  1908,  died  in  infancy ;  Barbara  May,  born  July  9,  1910, 
attending  the  Kingsley  School  at  Redlands ;  Mary  Charlotte,  born  Sep- 
tember 3,  1912;  and  Elizabeth  Frances,  born  November  19,  1914. 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1515 

Arthur  Nelson  Ellis. — The  owner  of  the  Ellis  Iron  Works  of  San 
Bernardino,  Arthur  Nelson  Ellis,  learned  the  business  thoroughly  from 
the  ground  up  before  he  went  into  it  for  himself.  It  was  not  a  preten- 
tious affair  at  first  but  Mr.  Ellis  has  improved  it,  added  to  it,  gradually 
built  it  up  until  it  is  now  an  important  factor  in  the  business  circles  of 
San  Bernardino.  His  clientele  is  not  confined  to  his  home  district  by 
any  means  but  extends  all  over  the  territory  adjacent,  for  he  estab- 
lished a  reputation  from  the  first  for  square  dealing,  best  of  workman- 
ship and  a  careful  attention  to  the  minutest  details. 

Mr.  Ellis  is  a  native  of  that  country  which  has  given  America  so 
many  worth-while  citizens,  Canada,  being  born  on  December  16,  1875, 
near  Picton,  Prince  Edward  County,  Ontario.  He  is  the  son  of 
Walter  C.  and  Sarah  (Fairbairn)  Ellis,  both  being  natives  of  Canada. 
His  mother  died  when  he  was  only  seven  years  of  age.  His  father  was 
a  farmer  and  carpenter  and  also  a  mining  man ;  he  came  out  to  the  west, 
located  in  Nogales,  Arizona,  but  is  now  residing  in  New  Westminster, 

B.  C.  Mr.  Ellis  has  a  sister.  May  Cecilia  Ellis,  born  near  Picton,  On- 
tario, Canada,  now  residing  at  Bridgeport,  Connecticut,  and  a  brother 
Robert  Wallace  Ellis,  also  born  near  Picton,  a  millwright  residing  at 
Toronto,  Canada. 

Mr.  Ellis  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  near,  Milford,  Ontario, 
and  later  at  Nogales,  Arizona.  From  there  he  went  to  Guaymas,  Mexico, 
where  he  thoroughly  learned  the  trade  of  machinist.  He  was  there  for 
five  years  and  then  returned  to  Nogales  but  he  only  stayed  two  weeks, 
going  to  Los  Angeles  where  he  took  a  course  in  the  Los  Angeles  Com- 
mercial School.  From  here  he  located  in  San  Bernardino  in  June  1899, 
and  worked  there  for  a  year  and  eight  months  for  the  Santa  Fe  Railroad. 
He  next  went  to  San  Francisco  where  he  worked  for  the  Union  Iron 
Works.  His  next  move  was  to  Winslow,  Arizona,  but  he  only  remained 
six  months,  returning  to  San  Bernardino.  Here  he  started  in  business 
as  the  San  Bernardino  Machine  &  Bicycle  Works,  now  the  Ellis  Iron 
Works.     It  was  located  under  the  Southern  Hotel  and  he  had  a  partner, 

C.  C.  Carter.  Later  Mr.  Carter  sold  his  interest  to  R.  M.  Middlemass, 
who  in  turn  sold  his  interest  to  W.  D.  Anderson.  This  last  partner- 
ship continued  about  one  year  when  Mr.  Ellis  bought  his  partner's  in- 
terest. When  Mr.  Anderson  bought  his  interest  the  business  was  known 
as  the  California  Iron  Works,  and  it  retained  this  name  for  some  years 
when  it  was  changed  to  the  present  one,  The  Ellis  Iron  Works. 

The  business  was  moved  to  its  present  location,  135  Arrowhead 
Avenue,  about  May,  1903.  Mr.  Ellis  purchased  the  site  for  it  and  erected 
the  building.  A  general  machine,  foundry  and  repair  and  pump  works 
is  conducted.  The  patronage  is  drawn  from  an  area  as  far  north  as 
Victorville,  as  far  east  as  Beaumont,  and  as  far  south  as  Riverside  and 
west  to  Ontario.     Such  a  business  can  only  be  secured  by  merit  alone. 

Mr.  Ellis  was  wedded  to  Edith  Agnes  Baxter,  on  November  29,  1906, 
a  daughter  of  James  I.  Baxter,  native  of  Scotland  who  came  to  California 
in  1887,  locating  in  Duarte,  where  he  remained  six  years,  and  then 
moved  to  San  Bernardino.  In  1894  he  started  a  livery  business  in  that 
city  on  D  Street  between  2nd  and  3rd.  This  he  continued  until  1915 
and  he  had  just  completed  a  building  on  3rd  between  F  and  G  for  the 
business  when  he  was  stricken  with  illness  and  had  to  retire.  For  some 
years  he  was  humane  officer  in  the  city.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Mac- 
cabees and  in  politics  a  republican.  Mr.  Baxter  passed  away  July  5, 
1921. 

Mr.  Ellis  is  a  member  of  San  Bernardino  Lodge  No.  348.  Ancient 
Free  and  Accepted  Masons.     He  became  a  naturalized  citizen  January 


1516      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

23,   1915.     In  politics  he  gives  his  allegiance  to  the  republican  party. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Church. 

J.  W.  Roberts,  of  San  Bernardino,  was  one  of  the  prominent  men 
of  the  city  who  had  won  success  in  the  east  before  coming  to  California 
and  from  the  first  he  occupied  a  prominent  place  in  the  community  he 
chose  for  a  home.  Perhaps  in  no  way  was  Mr.  Roberts  more  closely 
identified  with  the  city  than  through  his  banking  interests,  for  he  was 
a  financier  second  to  none.  It  made  him  an  outstanding  figure  in  the  finan- 
cial world  and  he  was  often  the  court  of  last  appeal  on  many  matters 
relating  to  the  mercantile,  commercial  and  general  business  life  of  San 
Bernardino.  No  technicalities  semed  too  perplexing  for  him  to  solve  when 
they  related  to  banking  interests  and  he  always  dominated  the  situa- 
tion, and  always  he  was  a  power  to  be  reckoned  with. 

Yet  with  all  his  financial  ability  he  was  built  on  a  large  plan,  broad 
in  his  views,  wide  in  his  charities,  a  kind  neighbor  and  a  loyal  friend. 
With  his  passing   San  Bernardino  lost  one  of  its  most  useful  citizens. 

Mr.  Roberts  was  born  in  North  Wales,  July  22,  1835,  and  came  to 
America  with  his  parents  in  1841,  the  family  settling  on  a  farm  in  Lewis 
County,  New  York.  He  received  the  usual  education  available  for  boys 
on  the  farms  at  that  time  and  in  1854  started  out  to  make  his  own  way 
in  life,  going  west  and  settling  in  Columbia  County,  Wisconsin.  He 
began  in  the  general  merchandising  business  and  acted  as  express  agent. 
It  was  not  long  before  he  made  his  office  a  general  exchange  and  banking 
institution  for  the  entire  country  around  him  although  he  was  a  very 
young  man.  Later  he  decided  to  go  into  the  flour  milling  business  and 
he  sold  out  all  his  interests  in  Columbia  County  and  purchased  an  interest 
in  the  Danville  Flour  Mills.  He  went  to  Philadelphia  and  was  associated 
with  the  firm  of  H.  H.  Mears  &  Co.  They  handled  flour  and  grain  and 
Mr.  Roberts  built  up  a  very  large  lucrative  business,  shipping  products 
to  all  important  American  points  and  to  many  European  points. 

In  1873  Mr.  Roberts  disposed  of  his  interests  to  some  extent  and 
went  into  partnership  with  J.  A.  Steele  and  for  eighteen  years  they  car- 
ried on  a  large  wholesale  flour  business  in  Pittsburgh,  Pennsylvania. 
Being  now  an  independently  wealthy  man  Mr.  Roberts  decided  to  locate 
in  California,  and  sold  out  most  of  his  eastern  business. 

In  1892  he  assumed  the  presidency  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Col- 
ton  and  took  over  the  reins  of  government  of  the  San  Bernardino  National 
Bank,  buying  a  large  interest  and  becoming  its  president.  In  this  posi- 
tion he  not  only  built  up  the  bank  but  made  its  standing  and  business 
impregnable.  It  was,  when  he  passed  away,  one  of  the  solid  and  repre- 
sentative institutions  of  the  South  as  it  is  today. 

Mr.  Roberts  was  married  to  Eliza  Williams  of  Cambria,  Wisconsin, 
a  native  of  Wales,  in  1860.  They  were  the  parents  of  two  children,  Mrs. 
J.  W.  Davis  of  Colton,  California,  and  Edward  David  Roberts,  who  so 
successfully  carried  on  his  father's  interests  in  the  banking  world.  His 
wife  died  in  1867  and  Mr.  Roberts  married  again,  Winnifred  Evans, 
a  native  of  New  York.  They  had  two  children  also.  Walter  and  Richard. 
Mr.  Roberts  died  on  January  19,  1903. 

Robert  Addison  Todd,  D.  D.  S.,  began  the  practice  of  dentistry  in 
California  about  1886  and  was,  at  the  time  of  his  death  a  leading  dentist 
at  Corona,  Riverside  County,  where  he  had  resided  for  over  twenty- 
three  years. 

Dr.  Todd  was  born  in  Madison  County,  Indiana,  May  16,  1852,  and 
was  young  at  the  time  of  the  family  removal  to  Iowa,  where  he  acquired 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1517 

his  early  education  in  the  public  schools  and  where  also  he  began  the 
study  of  dentistry,  in  the  city  of  Des  Moines.  Later  he  practiced  in 
Colorado  and  Montana.  In  1885  he  graduated  in  the  Pennsylvania  Dental 
College,  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  and  after  thus  receiving  his  degree 
of  Doctor  of  Dental  Surgery  he  came,  in  1886,  to  Los  Angeles,  Cali- 
fornia, where  he  became  associated  in  practice  with  his  elder  brother, 
Dr.  Baxter  Todd.  He  continued  his  professional  activities  at  Los  Angeles 
until  1891  when  he  removed  with  his  family  to  Aspen,  Colorado,  prac- 
ticing there  until  1898,  when  he  came  to  Corona  where  he  built  up  a 
practice  which  attests  alike  his  professional  skill  and  his  personal  pop- 
ularity. Besides  dental  work  he  and  his  wife  had  various  ranching  in- 
terests and  they  took  a  very  active  part  in  the  trials  and  hardships  which 
attended  the  early  growth  of  the  orange  and  lemon  industry  in  Corona. 
Dr.  Todd  continued  his  work  until  two  days  before  the  time  of  his 
death.  He  died  at  his  home  in  Corona  on  December  21,  1921,  of  pneu- 
monia with  complications  of  the  heart. 

Dr.  Todd  took  an  active  interest  in  the  affairs  of  his  community  but 
not  in  order  to  put  himself  forward  publicly.  If  a  matter  of  right  or 
wrong  was  at  stake  he  came  forward  and  let  his  voice  be  heard  for  the 
right.  First  and  foremost,  he  was  a  Christian.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  First  Baptist  Church  of  Corona  and  from  boyhood  he  had  been  very 
active  in  Christian  work. 

January  10,  1881,  recorded  the  marriage  of  Dr.  Todd  to  Miss  Emma 
Maria  Butchers,  who  was  born  in  New  York  City,  being  taken  early 
in  life  to  Minnesota.  She  graduated  at  the  First  State  Normal  School 
at  Winona  and  taught  in  the  public  schools  for  eight  years  before  her 
marriage.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Todd  became  the  parents  of  four  children : 
Grace  H.,  a  teacher,  resides  in  Los  Angeles ;  Robert  A.,  Jr.,  is  deceased ; 
Gordon  B.  is  in  the  stocks  and  bonds  business  in  New  York  City ;  and 
Harry   Willard   is   a   teacher. 

Charles  M.  Brown,  of  Redlands,  San  Bernardino  County,  has  been 
actively  associated  with  the  fruit  industry  of  California  for  nearly  forty 
years,  is  one  of  its  pioneer  representatives  in  the  Redlands  district  and 
has  played  an  important  part  in  the  development  of  this  important  line 
of  enterprise  in  the  state.  In  short,  his  record  is  one  the  redounds  to 
his  credit  as  a  progressive  business  man  and  loyal  and  public-spirited 
citizen. 

Charles  Milton  Brown  was  born  in  the  State  of  Illinois,  on  the  12th 
of  February,  1865,  and  is  a  son  of  Andrew  Jackson  Brown  and  Susan 
M.  (Wallace)  Brown,  who  were  born  and  reared  in  Kentucky,  where 
the  father  became  an  extensive  farmer  and  owned  many  slaves,  besides 
being  prominent  and  influential  in  political  affairs  in  the  Blue  Grass  state 
prior  to  the  Civil  war.  He  met  with  severe  financial  reverses  incidental  to 
this  war  and  finally  removed  to  Illinois,  where  he  and  his  wife  passed  the 
remainder  of  their  lives.  Named  in  honor  of  the  famed  warrior  and 
statesman,  General  Andrew  Jackson,  he  ever  held  to  the  political  faith 
exemplified  by  his  famous  namesake,  and  was  a  staunch  advocate  of  the 
principles  of  the  democratic  party. 

In  the  public  schools  of  Illinois,  Charles  M.  Brown  continued  his 
studies  until  he  had  duly  profited  by  the  advantages  of  the  high  school 
at  Carrollton,  while  through  reading,  study  of  economic  matters  and  public 
affairs  and  long  association  with  the  practical  duties  and  responsibilities 
of  a  constructive  personal  career,  he  has  rounded  out  what  may  con- 
sistently be  termed  a  liberal  education.  His  childhood  and  early  youth 
were  compassed  by   the  influence   of   the   home   farm,   and  in    1880,   at 


1518       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

the  age  of  sixteen  years,  he  went  to  Pioneer  County,  Nebraska,  in  which 
state  he  passed  three  years  on  the  great  cattle  range.  Long  hours  of  ardu- 
ous work  were  his  portion  in  this  connection,  but  the  discipline  gave 
him  the  hardiest  of  physical  powers,  the  while  the  experience  was  one 
upon  which  he  has  since  placed  high  value. 

In  1883  Mr.  Brown  came  to  Riverside,  California,  and  obtained  em- 
ployment with  the  firm  of  W.  F.  Coleman  &  Company,  extensive  dealers 
in  fruits,  with  special  attention  given  to  the  shipping  of  raisins  and  other 
California  dried  fruits.  In  the  autumn  of  1886  Mr.  Brown  was  made 
manager  of  the  firm's  newly  established  branch  house  at  Redlands,  and 
later  he  was  for  seven  years  manager  at  this  place  for  the  Earl  Fruit 
Company.  He  then  initiated  an  independent  business  in  the  buying, 
packing  and  shipping  of  oranges,  and  this  business  he  has  since  con- 
tinued successfully  without  interruption.  He  is  thus  one  of  the  pioneers 
in  the  citrus  fruit  industry  in  San  Bernardino  County,  and  the  unsullied 
reputation  that  has  ever  been  his  constitutes  a  most  fortuitous  commercial 
asset.  In  addition  to  his  individual  operations  in  the  buying  and  shipping 
of  fruit  Mr.  Brown  formed  a  partnership  with  B.  W.  Cave,  under  the 
firm  name  of  Cave  &  Brown,  and  engaged  in  the  buying  and  shipping 
of  hay  and  grain. 

In  the  handling  of  California  fruits  Mr.  Brown  has  long  controlled 
a  large  and  prosperous  business,  and  he  has  selling  agents  in  the  principal 
cities  and  markets  of  forty-three  states  of  the  union.  The  facilities  which 
he  has  provided  and  the  effective  service  which  he  has  given  in  connection 
with  the  distribution  of  California  fruits  have  contributed  in  large 
measure  to  the  success  of  fruit-growing  in  the  Redlands  district,  and 
proved  of  value  in  furthering  the  industrial  and  commercial  precedence 
of  the  state.  In  the  firm,  Brown,  Ford  &  Yerxa,  Mr.  Brown  has  alliance 
with  Messrs.  Ford  and  Yerxa,  of  Imperial  Valley,  and  is  exclusive 
selling  agent  for  the  early  vegetables  and  melons  raised  and  bought  by 
these  representative  business  men  of  the  famed  Imperial  Valley,  the 
enterprise  being  one  of  great  volume.  During  the  period  of  the  nation's 
participation  in  the  World  war  Mr.  Brown  had  large  productive  inter- 
ests in  the  Imperial  Valley  and  in  response  to  the  Government's  call 
for  cotton  he  there  produced  large  crops  of  this  essential  product.  He 
is  one  of  the  extensive  orange-growers  of  San  Bernardino  County,  as 
the  owner  of  a  fine  ranch  of  sixty-four  acres,  with  forty  acres  of  pro- 
ducing Valencia  orange  trees  and  twenty-four  acres  devoted  to  the  ever 
popular  navel  oranges. 

In  politics,  with  well  fortified  convictions,  Mr.  Brown  has  never 
wavered  from  the  course  of  stalwart  allegiance  to  the  cause  of  the  dem- 
ocratic party,  and  as  a  loyal  and  progressive  citizen  he  has  taken  lively 
interest  in  public  affairs,  especially  those  of  his  home  community  and 
state.  In  the  Masonic  fraternity  he  is  past  master  of  Lodge  No.  300, 
Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  at  Redlands;  past  high  priest  of 
Redlands  Chapter,  No.  77,  Royal  Arch  Masons ;  and  affiliated  also  with  the 
council  and  commandery  bodies  of  the  fraternity,  as  well  as  the  Mystic 
Shrine.  He  is  also  an  active  and  popular  member  of  Redlands  Lodge  No. 
583,  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks. 

Mr.  Brown  was  a  most  loyal  and  vigorous  supporter  of  governmental 
agencies  and  policies  during  the  period  of  the  World  war.  He  was 
personal  representative  in  his  community  of  Judge  Lynch,  of  San 
Francisco,  who  was  governor  of  the  Twelfth  District  Federal  Reserve 
Bank.  Mr.  Brown  likewise  represents  the  government  department  of 
justice  in  the  territory  comprising  San  Bernardino,  Riverside  and  Im- 
perial counties,   his  duties  in  this  connection  involving  numerous   trips 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1519 

into  Mexico.  He  was  called  to  Washington,  D.  C,  on  several  occasions, 
and  received  from  President  Wilson  personal  invitation  for  conference 
relative  to  productive  conditions,  his  experience  in  marketing  widely  and 
his  intimate  knowledge  of  trade  and  producing  conditions  throughout 
the  Union,  having  made  his  counsel  of  definite  value.  Mr.  Brown  served 
as  chairman  of  the  Liberty  Loan  Committee  of  his  district,  as  one  of 
the  four-minute  speakers  in  advancing  subscriptions  to  the  various  gov- 
ernment loans.  Red  Cross  campaigns,  etc.,  and  his  brief  addresses  were 
invariably  spirited,  practical  and  productive  of  results. 

August  17,  1897,  recorded  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Brown  to  Miss  Lydia 
Hosking,  of  Redlands.  She  is  a  daughter  of  William  Hosking  and  was 
born  in  Australia,  her  parents  having  been  natives  of  England  and  she 
having  been  eight  years  of  age  at  the  time  when  the  family  home  was 
established  at  Eureka,  California.  Her  father  was  a  prominent  mining 
man  and  was  representative  of  a  large  English  corporation  in  this  field 
of  enterprise  after  he  came  to  the  United  States.  Mrs.  Brown  was 
graduated  in  Santa  Clara  College  and  the  Pacific  University  of  Music, 
at  Santa  Clara.  She  is  a  woman  of  not  only  exceptional  culture  and 
gracious  personality,  but  also  one  whose  broad  sympathies  and  high 
ideals  have  been  shown  in  earnest  and  effective  stewardship  of  personal 
order.  She  has  been  for  thirty  years  the  able  and  loved  organist  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  at  Redlands,,  and  has  been  active  in  the 
various  departments  of  church  work.  Mrs.  Brown  was  a  leader  in 
patriotic  service  at  the  time  of  the  World  war  and  was  specially  active 
in  Red  Cross  work.  She  exerts  at  all  times  a  helpful  influence  for  civic 
betterment  and  takes  deep  interest  in  all  things  touching  the  welfare 
of  her  home  city,  where  she  is  a  popular  factor  in  representative  social 
activities.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brown  have  one  son,  Charles  Milton,  Jr.,  who 
was  born  June  7,  1899.  This  popular  young  native  son  of  Redlands  was 
here  graduated  in  the  high  school,  later  attended  Redlands  University  one 
year,  and  he  is  at  the  time  of  this  writing,  in  the  spring  of  1921,  a  stu- 
dent in  the  law  department  of  Leland  Stanford  University.  He  was 
in  the  Stanford  ambulance  service  during  two  years  of  the  nation's  par- 
ticipation in  the  World  war.  In  this  connection  he  was  stationed  three 
months  at  Fort  McDowell  and  six  months  at  Allentown,  Pennsylvania. 
After  this  preliminary  training  he  was  ordered  to  service  overseas  and 
sailed  from  New  York  City  on  the  4th  of  July.  1918.  He  was  in  active 
service  in  France  about  one  year,  with  headquarters  at  Dijon,  and  after 
the  signing  of  the  armistice  he  finally  was  returned  to  his  native  land, 
his  arrival  in  the  port  of  New  York  City  having  occurred  in  June,  1919, 
and  his  honorable  discharge  having  been  received  by  him  somewhat  later. 

Charles  M.  Brown,  Sr.,  has  gained  prestige  as  one  of  the  most  active 
and  resourceful  business  men  of  southern  California.  In  connection  with 
business  affairs  he  has  crossed  the  continent  seventy-three  times.  He 
has  succeeded  through  earnest  and  well  directed  personal  effort,  and  looks 
upon  honesty  not  only  as  a  matter  of  duty  to  every  man  but  also  as  one 
of  expediency,  for  he  believes  that  no  success  worthy  of  the  name  is  to 
be  gained  save  through  honesty  and  fairness,  which  should  be  expected  of 
every  citizen.  Beginning  at  the  lowest  round  of  the  ladder,  he  has  risen 
to  independence  and  prosperity  through  able  and  earnest  personal  en- 
deavor, has  been  in  the  most  significant  sense  the  architect  of  his  own 
fortunes,  and,  above  all,  has  so  ordered  his  course  as  to  merit  and  receive 
the  unqualified  confidence,  respect  and  good  will  of  his  fellow  men. 

Peter  George  McIver — Lawyer  and  justice  of  peace  at  Redlands, 
Peter  George  McIver  has  lived  the  most  interesting  period  of  his  life 


1520       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

in  California,  and  his  varied  experiences,  his  versatile  accomplishments 
and  the  influence  he  has  exercised  among  men  makes  him  a  man  of 
outstanding  importance  in  Riverside  County. 

Judge  Mclver  was  born  October  24,  1864,  at  South  Cove,  Victoria 
County,  Nova  Scotia.  His  father,  Angus  J.  Mclver,  was  a  native  of 
Scotland  and  early  in  life  moved  to  Nova  Scotia,  where  he  married 
Miss  Christie  Mclver,  a  native  of  Nova  Scotia  and  of  an  unrelated 
branch  of  the  Mclvers.  Their  children  consisted  of  six  sons  and  three 
daughters.  Angus  J.  Mclver  was  a  school  teacher  by  occupation,  and 
Peter  George  attended  a  country  school  taught  by  his  father.  However, 
his  education  as  derived  from  schools  was  limited.  Possessed  of  sound 
Scotch  intellectual  inheritance,  Mr.  Mclver  has  sought  knowledge  by 
contact  with  the  world  as  he  has  gone  through  it,  and  is  a  man  of  learning 
in  the  truest  sense  of  the  word.  He  early  learned  to  be  dependent  upon 
his  own  exertions.  For  a  time  he  was  a  sailor  on  ships  in  the  coastwise 
trade.  In  the  fall  of  1884,  he  went  to  Maine,  and  for  a  time  cut  cord- 
wood,  and  for  about  two  years  was  employed  by  the  Knickerbocker  Ice 
Company  in  harvesting  ice  on  the  Kennebec  River,  residing  in  Gardiner, 
Maine.  During  the  winter  of  1886  he  worked  in  the  woods  on  Dead 
River,  Maine,  for  the  firm  of  Putnam  &  Clawson  who  owned  a  saw  mill 
at  Pittston,  now  Randolph,  Maine. 

This  in  brief  was  the  sum  total  of  his  experience  when  he  came  to 
California  in  the  spring  of  1887,  reaching  Redlands  June  9th.  It  was 
a  dull  time  in  business  and  industry  in  California  and  elsewhere  over 
the  country.  Some  of  the  first  work  he  did  for  wages  here  was  shingling 
houses.  Back  in  Nova  Scotia  he  had  learned  as  a  boy  something  of 
the  trade  of  shoemaking.  In  California  he  became  acquainted  with  P.  F. 
Bugee,  and  they  bached  together  in  a  small  cabin.  Mr.  Bugee  was  a  shoe 
cobbler,  and  after  his  day  of  outside  work  Mr.  Mclver  frequently 
assisted  Mr.  Bugee  at  the  bench  in  the  evening.  On  the  24th  of  October  of 
that  year,  while  teaming,  his  horses  ran  away,  and  left  him  by  the  side 
of  the  road  with  a  broken  leg  and  severe  injuries.  After  a  time  he  was 
discovered  by  John  P.  Fisk,  a  real  estate  agent  of  Redlands,  and  was 
cared  for  by  Dr.  W.  L.  Spoor.  On  partially  recovering  but  before  he 
was  able  to  take  active  outside  employment  he  devoted  his  entire  time 
to  shoemaking.  About  that  time  he  and  Mr.  Bugee  secured  a  sewing 
machine,  and  they  manufactured  the  first  shoes  in  Redlands,  the  first 
pair  being  made  for  Harry  Brush,  and  they  also  made  shoes  for  Scipio 
Craig,  the  pioneer  Redlands  editor.  Business  conditions  continuing  dull 
Mr.  Mclver,  after  recovering  from  his  injuries  so  that  he  could  walk, 
accepted  a  suggestion  made  by  an  old  acquaintance.  George  W.  Danna, 
with  whom  he  had  boarded  while  at  Gardiner,  Maine,  and  who  in  the 
meantime  had  come  to  California  and  was  operating  Redland's  first 
barber  shop,  and  began  learning  the  barber  trade  in  1888.  After  about 
two  years  he  bought  a  half  interest,  and  for  one  year  was  in  partnership 
with  Danna. 

During  his  early  life  Mr.  Mclver  was  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Church.  As  the  result -of  much  self  searching  of  his  mind  and  heart  he 
found  his  views  at  variance  with  this  church's  teachings.  After  formu- 
lating to  his  own  satisfaction  his  belief  he  engaged  a  hall  and  held  services 
Sunday  afternoon.  Finding  that  many  were  attracted  to  these  meetings 
he  also  held  meetings  in  the  evenings,  and  in  that  way  became  associated 
and  worked  with  the  First  Day  Adventists.  Leaving  his  shop,  he  went 
to  Nebraska  in  the  summer  of  1893,  and  with  an  evangelist.  William 
E.  Todd,  traveled  about  holding  tent  meetings,  at  which  he  delivered 
lectures  and  sermons.     Ever  since  1893  Mr.  Mclver  has  been  a  preacher 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1521 

of  Christian  Adventist  doctrines.  He  was  a  minister  at  Springfield, 
Nebraska,  tor  several  months  and  was  then  called  back  to  Napa,  Cali- 
fornia, and  was  pastor  of  the  church  there  two  years  and  seven  months. 
He  then  went  to  the  San  Francisco  Church  on  Church  Street,  between 
Twenty-ninth  and  Day  streets,  and  in  the  spring  of  1899,  to  Rotter 
Valley  in  Medocino  County,  where  he  preached  two  years.  While  there 
he  engaged  in  a  discussion  with  an  editor  on  the  subject  of  Baptism. 
In  the  discussion  he  was  at  a  disadvantage,  since  the  editor  led  to  points 
which  were  not  permitted  to  be  discussed.  The  church  authorities  then 
took  a  hand,  and  Mr.  Mclver,  holding  to  the  honesty  of  his  convictions, 
retired  from  the  formal  ministry. 

In  August,  1901,  he  returned  to  Redlands,  but  for  three  months 
supplied  the  Pasadena  Church  on  Fair  Oaks  Avenue.  Leaving  the  pulpit, 
he  returned  to  his  trade  as  a  barber,  being  employed  by  J.  P.  Hird  six 
years.  While  thus  engaged  he  spent  five  years  in  diligent  study  of  the 
law,  and  in  February,  1908,  left  his  trade  and  entered  the  Kent  Law 
School  at  San  Francisco.  He  was  a  student  there  from  February  to 
July,  1908,  and  then  took  the  bar  examinations  in  the  Los  Angeles 
District  Court  of  Appeals.  Among  thirty-two  applicants  he  was  the 
first  to  receive  a  certificate.  Judge  Mclver  began  practice  at  Redlands 
in  1908,  and  in  1910  was  elected  to  the  post  of  justice  of  the  peace,  an 
office  he  has  filled  continuously  and  with  credit  and  efficiency  since 
January  4,  1911.  He  had  been  in  California  a  number  of  years  before 
he  completed  the  naturalization  process  and  attained  American  citizenship. 
On  March  4,  1904,  Judge  Bledsoe  administered  the  oath  of  allegiance, 
Judge  George  E.  Otis  and  Robert  McGinnis  being  his  sponsors. 

On  August  18,  1891,  Mr.  Mclver  married  Miss  Ruth  Amy  Rhodes, 
of  Smith  Center,  Kansas,  daughter  of  a  prosperous  farmer  in  that  state. 
They  are  the  parents  of  three  children :  Paul  George ;  Ruth  Amy,  who 
was  born  at  Redlands  November  12,  1902,  and  is  now  a  senior  in  the 
Redlands  High  School ;  and  Robert  Rhodes,  born  January  7,  1914,  at 
Redlands. 

Paul  George  Mclver,  who  was  born  at  Napa,  California,  January 
26,  1895,  graduated  from  the  Redlands  High  School  in  1912,  from  the 
law  school  of  the  University  of  Southern  California  June  7,  1917,  and 
for  a  time  was  claim  adjuster  for  the  Maryland  Casualty  Company.  In 
1918  he  entered  the  army,  being  trained  as  a  machine  gunner  at  San 
Diego,  later  was  transferred  to  Camp  Hancock,  Georgia,  where  he  was 
trained  as  a  machine  gun  officer  and  commissioned  second  lieutenant. 
He  was  placed  on  the  reserve  list.  He  is  now  assistant  district  attorney 
at  Phoenix.  Arizona.  December  29,  1920,  he  married  Miss  Ruth  Amy 
Switzer,  of  Napa,  California. 

Dr.  Mary  Adelaide  Stolz,  a  resident  of  Redlands  for  nearly  twenty 
years,  is  a  remarkable  woman  in  many  respects.  Of  strong  character 
and  personality,  she  has  made  her  journey  through  life  a  most  suc- 
cessful one,  not  alone  from  the  professional  and  financial  standpoint, 
but  socially  and  in  every  walk  of  life  she  aspired  to.  By  all  who  know 
her.  Dr.  Stolz  is  regarded  as  a  noble  woman,  a  splendid  type  of  wom- 
anhood, and  the  religious  influences  which  surroundd  her  childhood 
have  had  much  to  do  with  the  shaping  of  her  life,  for  one  of  the 
prominent  traits  of  her  character  is  her  faith  in  the  great  fundamental 
truths  which  lie  at  the  base  of  the  Christian  religion  and  which  to  her 
are  a  vital  and  living  reality. 

She  has  always  had  a  living,  loving  interest  in  people,  and  is  al- 
ways interested   in   every  movement   for  the  uplift  of  humanity,  and 


1522       SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

the  wide  and  varied  experiences  of  her  active  and  interesting  career 
show  that  all  humanity  with  whom  she  came  in  contact  interested  her 
and  awakened  her  sympathy.  She  has  the  gift  of  making  of  every 
acquaintance  a  sincere  friend. 

Few  women  left  as  Dr.  Stolz  was,  with  a  family  of  children  to 
rear  unaided,  could  have  accomplished  what  she  has  and  given  such 
children  to  the  world,  children  who  will,  and  have,  made  the  world 
the  better  for  their  having  lived  in  it,  just  as  their  mother  did. 

Dr.  Stolz  was  born  in  the  picturesque  environment  of  Waimea, 
Island  Kauai,  of  the  Hawaiian  Islands,  on  September  26,  1853.  Her 
father  was  George  Berkeley  Rowell,  a  native  of  Cornish,  New  Hamp- 
shire, who  was  born  in  1815.  He  was  a  graduate  of  the  Andover 
Theological  Seminar)'  and  of  Amherst  College,  and  was  a  missionary 
to  the  Islands  from  1842  until  1884,  a  life  time  spent  in  splendid  serv- 
ice, for  he  passed  on  in  1884,  while  still  working  for  his  people.  The 
mother  of  Dr.  Stolz  was  Melvina  J.  (Chapin)  Rowell,  a  native  of 
Newport,  New  Hampshire,  born  in  1816.  She  died  in  Crafton,  Cali- 
fornia, in  1902.  They  were  the  parents  of  seven  children,  of  whom 
Dr.  Stolz  was  the  youngest.  She  graduated  from  Mt.  Holyoke,  Mas- 
sachusetts, in  1875,  and  on  January  1,  1880,  in  the  Hawaiian  Islands, 
she  was  married  to  Herbert  Louis  Stolz,  of  Brooklyn,  New  York, 
who  was  born  in  Buenos  Aires,  February  24,  1858.  He  was  a  teacher 
and  also  a  sugar  planter.  In  1892,  while  performing  his  duty  as  a 
sheriff,  he  was  shot  to  death  by  a  former  pupil,  a  leper.  A  reservation 
had  been  set  aside  for  lepers,  many  of  whom  had  taken  refuge  in  the 
Kalalau  Valley,  and  it  was  here  Mr.  Stolz  was  killed  while  attempting 
to  take  the  man  to  the  reservation. 

After  the  death  of  her  husband,  Dr.  Stolz  returned  to  New  York, 
as  she  had  to  support  and  educate  her  children.  She  studied  medicine 
in  the  Medical  College  and  Hospital  for  Women  of  the  Homeopathic 
School  in  New  York.  She  was  graduated  in  1897  with  the  degree  of 
M.  D.  She  practiced  most  successfully  for  three  years  in  Brooklyn, 
New  York,  and  then  decided  to  make  her  home  in  California.  This 
she  did,  in  1902  locating  in  Redlands  and  engaging  in  practice  as  a 
Homeopathic  physician  in  general  practice.  She  has  made  a  success 
of  her  work  in  her  adopted  home  and  occupies  a  prominent  place  in 
medical  circles. 

In  all  civic  affairs  she  has  always  taken  a  deep  interest  and  is  re- 
garded as  a  dependable  factor  in  any  work  for  the  advancement  or 
uplift  of  Redlands.  She  is  a  director  of  the  Young  Women's  Christian 
Association,  of  the  Day  Nursery  and  of  the  Associated  Charities,  and 
an  earnest  worker  in  all  the  work  pertaining  to  these  organizations, 
for  which  she  is  fitted  to  a  remarkable  degree.  Dr.  Stolz  is  an  active 
worker  in  the  various  women's  clubs  of  the  city,  being  a  member  of 
the  Contemporary  Club,  the  Spinet  Club  and  the  Post  Meridian  Club. 
She  is  a  member  of  the  Congregational  Church. 

Dr.  Stolz  was  the  mother  of  six  children,  of  whom  four  died  in 
childhood,  Frederick  William,  Francis  Carlos,  Louis  Berkeley,  and 
Malcolm  Rowell.  Rosemary,  born  September  28,  1880,  was  a  graduate 
of  Stanford  University.  She  was  librarian  of  the  Redlands  High 
School  and  also  of  the  Technical  High  School  in  Oakland,  California. 
She  was  married  to  Leslie  Abell,  a  teacher  in  the  Oakland  Technical 
High  School,  Januarv  1,  1917.  She  died  three  mon.ths  later,  March 
29,  1917. 

The  fifth  child  of  Dr.  Stolz  is  Dr.  Herbert  Stolz,  a  brilliant,  tal- 
ented young  man,  well  known  not  only  in  California  and  the  east,  but 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1523 

nationally  and  abroad  as  well.  His  career  is  in  itself  most  interesting, 
and  he  has  played  a  distinguished  part  in  a  comparatively  brief  span 
of  life,  a  worthy  son  of  a  most  worthy  and  devoted  mother.  He  was 
born  August  20,  1886,  and  graduated  from  the  Redlands  High  School, 
entering  Stanford  University  in  1906,  and  was  graduated  with  the 
class  of  1911.  He  took  only  one  year  out  of  college  and  in  that  he 
assisted  in  building  the  famous  "Snark"  of  Jack  London's,  the  noted 
author  being  a  warm  friend  of  his,  and  he  sailed  with  him  on  that 
hazardous  trip.  He  left  the  Snark  at  Honolulu  and  returned  to  his 
studies  at  Stanford  University. 

He  was  the  private  secretary  to  Dr.  Jordan,  president  of  Stanford 
University,  and  thus  earned  his  own  expenses  for  two  years.  He 
went  with  Dr.  Jordan  as  secretary  of  the  Fish  Commission,  adjusting 
the  fishing  rights  between  Canada  and  the  United  States. 

He  won  the  Cecil  Rhodes  scholarship  to  Oxford,  England  which, 
as  everyone  knows,  required  not  only  the  finest  scholarship,  but. the 
highest  personal  character  as  well,  and  he  passed  the  tests  for  both 
most  brilliantly.  After  his  years  at  Oxford  he  returned  to  Stanford 
University  and  took  his  M.  D.  degree.  He  was  appointed  professor 
of  athletics  of  Stanford  University.  Of  course,  when  the  war  broke 
out  he  joined  the  army,  in  the  Medical  Volunteers,  serving  at  Fort 
Riley,  Kansas,  and  Camp  Cody,  New  Mexico,  before  going  overseas, 
where  his  service  was  in  keeping  with  his  record.  After  the  armistice 
was  signed  he  returned  to  the  United  States  and  was  stationed  at 
Fort  Bliss,  El  Paso,  Texas,  until  he  resigned  from  the  army  June  1, 
1920.  He  was  then  made  assistant  supervisor  of  physical  education 
of  California  and  stationed  at  Sacramento,  and  is  now  supervisor. 
While  overseas  he  was  director  of  some  of  the  Inter-Allied  athletic 
games  carried  on  in  the  vicinity  of  Paris. 

In  1915  he  married  Miss  Margaret  A.  Post,  a  graduate  of  Stanford 
University  and  a  former  resident  of  Redlands.  She  was  a  grand- 
daughter of  Mrs.  Hotchkiss  of  that  city.  She  died  in  1918  and  was 
buried  in  Redlands. 

On  June  1,  1919,  he  married,  in  a  little  American  church  in  France, 
Miss  Edgell  Adams,  a  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  worker 
overseas.  She  was  a  pianist  of  note  from  Birmingham,  Alabama,  and 
formerly  had  a  studio  in  that  city. 

The  sixth  child  of  Dr.  Mary  A.  Stolz  was  Malcolm  Rowell,  who 
died  in  his  infancy. 

Joseph  A.  Nelson  is  one  of  the  men  of  Riverside  who  is  finding  it 
profitable  to  grow  oranges,  and  he  owns  a  fine  grove  of  five  acres  at 
1253  Kansas  Avenue.  Here  he  raises  oranges,  all  of  his  land  being  in 
navels  with  the  exception  of  a  quarter  of  an  acre  which  is  in  Valencia 
oranges.  He  gained  his  practical  experience  of  horticulture  working 
for  others,  and,  therefore,  when  he  commenced  operating  his  own  land 
he  had  a  wide  and  varied  knowledge  of  all  of  the  details  of  the  business. 

Mr.  Nelson  is  a  native  of  Sweden,  where  he  was  born  August  27, 
1866,  a  son  of  Nels  and  Inger  (Pernella)  Nelson.  Nels  Nelson  was  a 
scholar  and  notary  public,  and  was  prominent  in  the  community  in 
which  he  lived.  Both  he  and  his  wife  are  now  deceased.  Joseph  A. 
Nelson  attended  school  in  Sweden,  and  when  he  was  eighteen  years  old 
he  immigrated  to  the  United  States.  Coming  as  far  West  as  Iowa  after 
landing  in  this  country,  he  worked  at  farming  for  a  time,  leaving  that 
state  for  Klickitat  County,  Washington,  and  for  a  time  worked  in  a 
saw-mill   near    Vancouver,   across    the    Columbia    River    from    Portland, 


1524      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

Oregon.  On  January  11,  1891,  Mr.  Nelson  came  to  California,  and, 
locating  at  Riverside,  began  taking  contracts  for  caring  for  various  orange 
groves,  including  those  of  E.  R.  Shelley,  Mr.  Winterbottom  and  E.  C. 
Love.  After  five  years  of  contract  work  Mr.  Nelson  bought  five  acres  of 
land  on  Blaine  Street,  near  the  grove  of  L.  C.  Waite.  After  seven  years 
he  sold  it  and  moved  to  West  Riverside,  where  he  bought  land  and  built 
a  fine  residence,  and  there  he  raised  oranges,  grapes  and  general  farm 
products,  including  some  of  the  finest  sweet  potatoes  ever  grown  in  the 
county.  In  1910  he  sold  this  property  and  bought  his  present  grove,  which 
he  has  improved,  and  made  his  home  one  of  the  most  desirable  in  his 
part  of  the  city.  Mr.  Nelson  is  a  member  of  the  California  Fruit  Ex- 
change, and  takes  his  fruit  to  the  Sierra  Vista  packing  house.  He  is  also 
engaged  in  poultry  raising  to  some  extent,  and  has  always  made  a  success 
of  all  his  undertakings.  In  politics  a  republican,  he  is  active  in  his  party 
and  stands  very  high  in  his  community  as  a  man  of  solid  worth  and  high 
character. 

On  June  20,  1900,  Mr.  Nelson  married  at  Long  Beach,  California, 
Miss  Lottie  E.  Benedict,  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  a  daughter  of  W.  W. 
Benedict,  a  farmer  and  dairyman  of  that  state  and  of  Kansas.  He  came 
of  an  old  American  family  of  Revolutionary  stock  and  English  descent. 
Mrs.  Nelson's  mother,  Mrs.  Mary  F.  Benedict,  survives  her  husband 
and  is  residing  at  Long  Beach.  Mrs.  Nelson  came  to  California  with 
her  parents  in  1887,  and  from  then  until  her  marriage  resided  at  Pasadena, 
where  she  was  educated,  and  at  Long  Beach.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nelson  have 
one  child,  Frances  Pernella,  who  is  a  student  in  the  Riverside  High 
School,  class  of  1925.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nelson  are  consistent  members  of 
Calvary  Presbyterian  Church  of  Riverside,  and  Mr.  Nelson  has  served 
it  as  elder  for  four  years,  while  Mrs.  Nelson  has  long  been  a  teacher 
in  its  Sunday  School.  While  residing  at  West  Riverside  she  had  charge 
of  the  primary  class  of  the  Sunday  School.  For  many  years  Mr.  Nelson 
has  worked  in  behalf  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  and  still 
maintains  his  connection  with  this  organization  at  Riverside.  Both  he 
and  Mrs.  Nelson  are  earnest  in  their  work  for  moral  uplift,  and  are 
recognized  among  the  worth-while  people  of  the  county. 

J.  Herbert  Johnson  is  a  thorough  Calif ornian,  though  he  claims  only 
sixteen  years  of  residence  in  the  state.  He  was  one  of  the  technical 
experts  in  the  telephone  industry  for  a  number  of  years,  but  finally  his 
abilities  as  a  salesman  brought  him  opportunities  that  he  has  employed 
in  building  up  a  very  successful  real  estate  and  insurance  business  at 
Riverside. 

Mr.  Johnson  was  born  at  Camden,  New  Jersey,  March  21,  1884,  son 
of  George  W.  and  Mary  W.  (Ellis)  Johnson.  His  parents  were  of 
English  ancestry  and  of  old  American  and  Revolutionary  stock.  His 
father  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  and  his  mother  in  New  Jersey,  but  is 
now  living  at  Riverside  with  her  son  J.  Herbert.  George  W.  Johnson 
was  an  old-time  printer,  followed  that  business  in  Philadelphia,  later  in 
Los  Angeles,  and  after  retiring  lived  at  Riverside  until  his  death  in  1920. 

J.  Herbert  Johnson  acquired  a  grammar  and  high  school  education 
in  New  Jersey.  After  graduating  from  high  school  in  1901  he  went 
to  work  in  the  technical  and  operating  side  of  the  telephone  industry  in 
the  East.  That  was  his  occupation  for  four  years,  and  in  1905,  when 
he  came  to  California,  he  took  up  the  same  line  of  work  in  different  parts 
of  the  state.  For  a  time  he  was  wire  chief  for  the  telephone  company 
in  Santa  Barbara,  and  for  six  years  was  wire  chief  in  Riverside  for  the 
Pacific  Telephone  and  Telegraph  Company. 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1525 

Resigning  from  the  telephone  company  September  1,  1920,  Mr.  John- 
son became  a  salesman  for  the  Riverside  Realty  Company  and  later  was 
associated  with  the  Metropolitan  Insurance  Company.  September  1,  1921, 
he  formed  a  copartnership  with  Walter  W.  Johnson  under  the  name 
Johnson  Realty  Company,  and  opened  offices  in  the  Nevada  Block,  where 
they  handle  a  very  successful  general  real  estate  and  insurance  business. 

While  a  young  man,  Mr.  Johnson  is  one  of  the  energetic  boosters  of 
the  city  and  is  always  ready  and  eager  to  give  his  efforts  to  anything 
that  will  promote  the  common  welfare.  Though  born  on  the  Atlantic 
Coast,  he  says  he  is  wholly  Californian,  since  it  requires  but  a  short 
residence  in  this  state  for  any  intelligent  person  to  understand  that 
it  is  the  most  delightful  part  of  the  globe  and  commands  the  love  and 
loyalty  of  all  who  come  under  its  benign  influence.  Mr.  Johnson  is  a 
republican,  a  member  of  the  Woodmen  of  the  World,  and  he  and  his 
wife   belong  to   the    First    Methodist   Episcopal    Church. 

September  24,  1905,  he  married  Miss  Stella  F.  Kelly.  She  is  a  native 
daughter  of  the  Golden  West,  born  in  the  Carpinteria  Valley  of  Ventura 
County.  Her  father,  William  D.  Kelly,  is  a  landscape  gardener  now  liv- 
ing at  San  Diego.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Johnson  have  two  children  :  Frances  M., 
in  high  school,  and  Marion  G..  attending  grammar  school. 

William  Buxton.  In  the  development  and  constructive  enterprise 
that  brought  the  largest  degree  of  material  prosperity  to  the  Rialto 
community  of  San  Bernardino  County,  a  lasting  debt  is  due  the  late 
William  Buxton.  That  debt  has  been  generally  acknowledged  since  his 
death,  and  a  leading  newspaper  said :  "This  valley-  has  had  few  men  of 
nobler  character,  more  unassuming  ways  and  wider  influence  than  Wil- 
liam Buxton.  In  the  development  of  the  citrus-fruit  industry  and  par- 
ticularly in  marketing  this  fruit,  he  occupied  a  leading  place  and  in 
everything  he  stood  for  improvements,  both  material  and  otherwise. 
William  Buxton  was  always  one  of  the  elements  of  strength  to  be 
depended  upon." 

He  represented  the  prominent  old  family  of  England.  There  is  a 
historic  town  in  Derbyshire  known  as  Buxton.  His  grandfather,  George 
Buxton,  was  born  at  Gunneiside.  Yorkshire.  He  married  Hannah  Alton, 
and  after  his  death  she  came  with  two  of  the  children  to  America  in 
1850  and  she  lived  in  Wisconsin,  where  she  died  in  1872  at  the  age  of 
eighty-four.  Richard  Buxton,  father  of  the  late  William  Buxton,  was 
born  in  Yorkshire,  England,  April  8,  1813.  and  came  to  America  with 
his  family  in  1853,  being  a  pioneer  settler  in  LaFayette  County,  Wis- 
consin. His  first  vote  as  an  American  citizen  was  cast  for  Abraham 
Lincoln.  He  married  Isabelle  (Metcalf)  Cottingham.  widow  of  Dixon 
Cottingham,  and  she  was  born  in  England,  June  20,  1812,  and  died 
August  19,  1878.  Her  father,  Matthew  Metcalf,  was  a  native  of  York- 
shire, was  a  local  preacher  in  the  Wesleyan  Church  and  after  coming 
to  America  joined  the  Methodist  Episcopal. 

A  sun  of  Richard  and  Isabelle  (Metcalf)  Buxton,  the  late  William 
Buxton  was  born  on  a  farm  near  the  village  of  Benton  in  Lafayette 
County.  Wisconsin.  December  19.  1854.  He  attended  public  schools 
there,  the  high  school  at  Shullsburg,  and  at  the  age  of  fourteen  became 
a  clerk  in  a  local  store.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  engaged  in  the  retail 
grocery  business  at  Dubuque,  Iowa,  where  he  finished  a  commercial  edu- 
cation. Later,  with  his  first  employer  in  Wisconsin.  Mr.  Harker,  he 
was  in  the  general  merchandise  business  at  Ida  Grove.  Iowa,  but  two 
years  late  Mr.  Buxton  sold  out  and  took  up  real  estate,  making  a 
specialty  of  handling  Iowa   farm  lands.      He  was  extremely   successful, 


1526      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

and  in  this  way  handled  and  individually  owned  some  of  the  finest  farms 
of  the  state.  In  1882  he  moved  to  Minneapolis  and  became  associated 
with  Kenneth  McRae  in  the  real  estate  and  wholesale  dry  goods  business. 
The  business  prospered  and  a  large  share  of  their  profits  they  invested  in 
real  estate  in  a  number  of  portions  of  the  Union.  In  1900  they  closed 
out  their  business  in  Minneapolis  and  both  partners  came  that  year  to 
California. 

The  closing  years  of  his  life  Mr.  Buxton  spent  at  Rialto,  and  though 
in  a  position  to  retire  and  enjoy  the  fruits  of  his  well-spent  earlier  years, 
he  was  soon  called  to  practical  business  management  and  without  special 
previous  training  became  an  ardent  student  and  a  keen  judge  of  citrus 
fruit  growing  and  marketing.  He  bought  an  orange  grove  of  fifty-seven 
acres  in  the  Rialto  colony  and  soon  afterward  he  was  prevailed  upon  to 
become  manager  of  the  packing  house  and  general  business  affairs  of 
the  California  Citrus  Union  of  Rialto.  He  rapidly  extended  his  indi- 
vidual orchard  interests,  and  he  was  associated  with  A.  A.  Cox,  Judge 
William  J.  Curtis,  N.  L.  May  and  A.  L.  Wright  in  erecting  two  large 
packing  houses.  Before  his  death  he  was  known  not  only  for  his  indi- 
vidual interests  as  an  orange  grower  and  shipper,  but  was  also  man- 
ager of  the  Rialto  Orange  Company,  president  of  the  Mutual  Orange 
Distributors  of  San  Bernardino  County,  a  director  and  for  six  years 
president  of  the  Lytle  Creek  Water  &  Improvement  Company,  was  a 
director  and  organizer  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Rialto  and  its 
vice  president  at  the  time  of  his  death. 

A  year  or  two  before  his  death  he  completed  the  largest  and  most 
attractive  residence  in  the  Rialto  Colony.  In  1880  at  Dubuque,  Iowa, 
Mr.  Buxton  married  Miss  Mary  Louise  Gelston,  a  native  of  Galena, 
Illinois,  daughter  of  Thomas  H.  and  Isabella  (Townsend)  Gelston.  Her 
father  was  born  at  Bridgehampton,  Long  Island,  and  as  a  young  man 
came  to  the  Mississippi  Valley,  married  at  Galena  in  1856,  and  in  1866 
moved  to  St.  Louis,  where  he  was  in  the  grain  and  commission  business 
until  his  death  in  August,  1876,  at  the  age  of  forty-four.  Isabella  Town- 
send  was  born  at  Galena  and  died  at  the  home  of  her  daughter  in  Rialto 
in  May,  1920.  She  was  a  daughter  of  William  and  Louisa  (Adams) 
Townsend.  Her  father  was  born  in  Wiltshire,  England,  in  1796  and 
her  mother  in  Pennsylvania  in  1804.  William  Townsend  was  a  pioneer 
at  Galena,  Illinois,  locating  there  before  the  Black  Hawk  war  of  1832, 
was  a  pioneer  merchant  and  a  prosperous  business  men.  He  died  in 
1879  and  his  wife  in  1881. 

Mrs.  Buxton  is  now  living  at  672  South  Oxford  Avenue  in  Los 
Angeles.  She  was  the  mother  of  five  children,  the  oldest,  Homer,  dying 
in  infancy.  Her  son,  Lynn  Crawford,  who  was  born  at  Galena,  Illinois, 
in  November,  1882,  had  a  high  school  and  commercial  education,  and 
is  now  distributor  of  the  Haynes  automobile  and  has  one  of  the  most 
successful  enterprises  in  this  line  in  Los  Angeles.  He  married  Alma 
Loftus  and  their  two  children  are  Floyd  Loftus  and  lone  Louise.  The 
third  child,  Jay  Russell  Buxton,  who  was  born  at  Minneapolis  in  Decem- 
ber, 1884,  married  Edna  Sewell  of  Alhambra,  Califonia,  who  died  in 
February,  1921,  leaving  a  daughter,  Lucretia.  The  son,  Roy  W.  Buxton, 
was  drowned  while  camping  on  Lytle  Creek  in  the  San  Bernardino  Moun- 
tains in  1902  at  the  age  of  seventeen.  The  youngest  child,  Benjamin 
Buxton,  was  born  at  Minneapolis,  October  3,  1886,  married  Bessie  Shorey 
and  their  two  children  are  William  and  Bettie  Barbara. 

Edward  Allen  has  known  Redlands  and  the  country  about  from  the 
time  that  town  was  established  as  a  colony.     A  carpenter  by  trade,  he 


SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES       1527 

did  much  of  the  construction  work  for  power  companies  and  irrigation 
projects  in  this  region,  and  his  experiences  during  the  past  thirty-five 
years  constitute  an  interesting  chapter  in  the  history  of  the  locality. 
Mr.  Allen  was  a  soldier  in  the  Civil  war.  Though  now  practically 
retired,  he  spends  much  of  his  time  supervising  his  grove  and  home  at 
one  of  the  most  beautiful  locations  in  Redlands. 

Mr.  Allen  was  born  at  Milford,  Pike  County.  Pennsylvania.  October 
12,  1834,  and  represents  an  old  and  honored  American  family.  His  father 
was  Roger  Allen  and  his  grandfather,  John  Allen,  served  as  a  Revolution- 
ary soldier  in  Washington's  army  for  seven  years.  He  was  one  of  the 
company  of  a  hundred,  none  less  than  six  feet  tall,  known  as  the  Gren- 
adiers. He  was  at  Yorktown  when  Cornwallis  surrendered.  Rosrer 
Allen  married  Patty  Hough,  a  native  of  Kentucky.  They  had  five  chil- 
dren :  Martin,  William,  Andrew.  Edward  and  Martha. 

When  Edward  Allen  was  eight  months  old  his  parents  returned  to 
Connecticut  and  settled  at  Plymouth  on  a  farm.  Edward  Allen  was 
reared  and  learned  the  work  of  a  New  England  farm,  attended  common 
school,  and  as  a  youth  took  up  the  carpenter's  trade  at  New  Haven. 
When  the  Civil  war  broke  out  he  enlisted  in  the  Ninth  Kentucky  Infantry 
and  was  a  musician  until  the  Government  as  a  means  of  economy  dis- 
pensed with  regimental  bands  and  he  was  discharged  at  New  Orleans 
in  1862,  paying  his  own  fare  home.  At  his  first  enlistment  he  was  sent 
to  Lowell,  Massachusetts,  and  as  soon  as  the  full  regiment  was  recruited 
he  was  placed  aboard  a  transport  at  Boston,  the  old  Constitution,  which 
had  three  thousand  men  aboard,  including  the  regiment  and  a  battery. 
The  Constitution  proceeded  to  Fortress  Monroe  and  the  next  day  sailed 
by  way  of  Florida  Keys  to  Ship  Island,  between  Mobile  and  New 
Orleans.  They  remained  there  two  months  in  training  and  were  then 
conveyed  to  the  Mississippi,  following  Farragut's  fleet  up  the  river. 
This  fleet  included  three  battleships,  twenty-one  mortar  boats,  and  a  num- 
ber of  gun  boats,  all  of  wooden  construction.  The  fleet  continued  up 
the  river  to  Vicksburg.  Mr.  Allen's  oldest  brother  Martin  enlisted  in 
the  15th  Connecticut  Infantry,  leaving  five  children  at  home,  and  >aw 
three  years  of  service. 

After  his  discharge  from  the  army  Edward  Allen  returned  to  New 
Haven  and  followed  his  trade  in  that  locality  for  twenty  years  or  more. 

It  was  on  August  26.  1886,  that  he  reached  San  Bernardino  and  came 
direct  to  Redlands.  the  scene  of  new  colonizing  projects.  This  country 
was  then  completely  wild.  His  services  as  a  carpenter  secured  him 
employment  and  his  first  job  was  a  building  for  Mr.  Cooke.  He  super- 
intended all  the  carpenter  work  for  the  Edison  Company,  building  their 
first  power  house  at  the  mouth  of  Mill  Creek  Canyon  and  doing  much 
of  the  carpenter  work  at  Bear  Valley  Dam,  erecting  the  present  stone 
house  and  additions  there.  When  he  came  to  California  the  Zanja  was 
plentifully  supplied  with  trout.  The  Zanja  artificial  waterway  was  built 
by  Indians,  said  to  have  used  wooden  shovels.  During  his  employment 
in  Bear  Valley  Mr.  Allen  continued  his  labors  until  snow  fell  and  he  left 
the  valley  the  day  before  Christmas  when  the  snow  was  waist  deep  At 
that  time  the  Bear  Valley  Company  took  all  its  water  from  Santa  Ana 
near  Warm  Springs,  and  he  constructed  most  of  the  trestle  work  and 
flumes  by  which  the  water  was  conveyed  over  the  canyons  supplementing 
the  open  ditches.  Most  of  this  construction  has  since  been  abandoned 
since  steel  pipe  is  now  used  where  flumes  were  once  employed. 

Soon  after  coming  to  Redlands  Mr.  Allen  bought  two  and  a  half  acres 
on  Sylvan  Boulevard  from  George  Cooke  and  built  his  present  home  in 
1888,  thirty-three  years  ago.    This  is  one  of  California's  most  picturesque 


1528      SAN  BERNARDINO  AND  RIVERSIDE  COUNTIES 

spots.  The  stream,  the  music  of  its  tumbling  water,  the  drive  with  its 
shaded  way  and  the  mountainous  scenery  attracted  the  attention  of 
Mr.  Allen  at  that  time,  and  he  has  lived  to  see  its  full  beauty  realized. 

In  1860  he  married  Miss  Barbara  Mathis,  who  was  born  in  Connecticut 
April  13,  1837,  and  died  January  12,  1917.  Her  parents  were  born  in 
Alsace,  France.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Allen  had  four  children  :  Andrew  P., 
born  in  New  Haven,  September  24,  1861,  still  living  in  Connecticut,  is 
married  and  has  a  son  and  daughter.  The  second  of  the  family,  Estelle, 
was  born  April  24,  1869,  at  New  Haven,  was  educated  there,  and  on 
February  5,  1891,  was  married  to  Edward  P.  Whitney.  Edward 
Allen,  Jr.,  born  June  7,  1874,  has  for  the  past  fifteen  years  been  connected 
with  the  Fairbanks  &  Morse  Company  at  Los  Angeles  and  married  Eliza- 
beth Orr.  Grace,  the  youngest  child,  born  January  6,  1877.  is  the  widow 
of  J.  Bobrick  and  has  three  children,  Doris,  Evelyn  and  Jack. 

Mr.  Allen's  grandson,  Allan  Fitch  Whitney,  born  at  Redlands,  Sep- 
tember 24,  1896,  was  educated  in  the  high  school  and  Redlands  University 
and  in  the  fall  of  1917  entered  the  Officers'  Training  Camp  at  The  Presi- 
dio, California.  He  received  a  commission  as  second  lieutenant  in  Novem- 
ber in  the  Field  Artillery,  and  in  1918  sailed  overseas  on  the  flagship  Bal- 
tic. He  witnessed  the  torpedoing  and  sinking  of  the  Tuscania,  the  torpedo 
having  been  aimed  at  the  Baltic,  but  was  observed  so  that  the  ship 
changed  its  course,  the  torpedo  merely  grazing  the  side  and  was  deflected 
and  struck  the  Tuscania.  Lieutenant  Whitney  spent  three  months  in 
intensive  training  with  artillery  officers  at  Saumur,  France,  and  was 
then  assigned  to  the  One  Hundred  and  Second  Field  Artillery  of  the 
Twenty-Sixth  Division  under  General  Edwards.  He  was  in  the  Toul 
sector,  was  badly  gassed  at  Chateau  Thierry,  rejoined  his  command  in 
time  to  participate  in  the  St.  Mihiel  drive,  but  was  soon  returned  to 
hospital  because  he  had  not  fully  recovered  from  the  effects  of  the  gas. 
He  was  in  hospital  at  Nevers,  France,  until  returned  an  invalid  to  the 
hospital  at  St.  Paul,  Minnesota,  and  was  discharged  at  The  Presidio  in 
California,  in  January,  1919.  He  is  now  an  employe  of  the  Pacific  Mail 
Steamship  Company  at  Los  Angeles.  September  24,  1920,  Lieutenant 
Whitney  married  Grace  Johnston  of  Honolulu. 

Mr.  Allen  has  greatly  enjoyed  the  opportunities  for  outdoor  life  and 
activity  in  Southern  California.  He  still  keeps  out  of  doors,  and  finds 
constant  occupation  at  his  home  and  in  his  grove.  He  has  made  and 
kept  many  friends  and  is  one  of  the  highly  esteemed  old  comrades  of 
the  county.