USA > California > A history of California and an extended history of its southern coast counties, Volume II > Part 53
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Arriving in Sacramento, Cal., in June, 1875. he accepted a position in a furniture store of that city, where he remained until November, when he came to Los Angeles, and in this city his home has ever since remained. For five years he en- gaged in the furniture business, carrying a line of new and second hand goods, in partnership with John Baldy, under the firm name of Steere & Baldy. This business was located in the old adobe on the west side of Main street, where the McDonald building now stands, and was suc- cessfully conducted until the disposal of the en- terprise. Mr. Steere then retired to private life. and has spent his time since in looking after his investments, which are principally in improved property in Los Angeles. He has accumulated a comfortable competence and is now in the en- joyment of the fruits of his labors in young manhood.
June 4, 1864, Mr. Steere was united in mar- riage with Miss Anna Higgins, in Sacramento, Cal., a native of County Tipperary, Ireland, who came to the United States with her parents when about six years of age. Her father. John Hig- gins, was a pioneer of Michigan, his death oc- curring in Marshall, the home of the family. Mr. and Mrs. Steere became the parents of two chil-
dren, Ada and Robert, both of whom are now deceased, the eldest dying at the age of six years. Both himself and wife are members of the Roman Catholic Church and liberally support many char- ities. Mr. Steere is a Republican in his political affiliations and although he has never cared per- sonally for official recognition yet he has sought to advance the interests of his party. In the cause of the municipal government he has served for two years as a member of the city council. He is a man of business ability, judgment and energy, and while he has acquired a financial suc- cess holds the more honored position among the citizens of Los Angeles as a man of integrity and honor and a reliable citizen.
JOHNSON WYATT SUMMERFIELD. The name of Summerfield is associated with one of the old families of Virginia, where the family fortunes were established during the early his- tory of our country. John W. Summerfield, Sr., a native of that state, removed to Jennings coun- ty, Ind., where he served as clerk of the circuit court for many years, and also edited the Vernon Banner. He was a finely educated man, being a graduate of Asbury University, and as he was always well informed on current topics of the day, proved himself a helpful citizen of the com- munity. Inheriting the patriotic traits of char- acter as demonstrated by his ancestors, he en- listed in Company A, Twelfth Regiment Indiana Infantry, for service in the Civil war, and be- came a veteran in the struggle. His death oc- curred in 1869. He was survived many years by his wife, formerly Elizabeth MeClaskey, a native of Indiana, and daughter of Isaac Mc- Claskey, a farmer of that state, who had four sons in the Civil war. Mrs. Summerfield brought her family to Los Angeles in 1883, and finally located in Pasadena, where her death occurred in 1906. She had four children, three of whom are living : K. B., postmaster at Santa Monica ; Johnson W., of this review; and Mrs. Rose O'Neil, of Los Angeles.
Johnson Wyatt Summerfield was born in Ver- non, Jennings county, Ind., November 20, 1869. the year in which his father died. He was but seven years old when brought as far west as Wellington, Kans .. by his mother, three years
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later removing to Leadville, Colo., and in 1880 to Boise City, Idaho; thence to Ogden, Utah, and finally, in 1883, to Los Angeles. In this city he received the greater part of his education through an attendance of the public schools, after which he held various positions, acting as dep- uty coroner under Dr. George W. Campbell from 1895 to 1899. In the latter year he ac- cepted the position of stenographer for James C. Rives, and at the same time enrolled as a student in the law department of the University of Southern California, graduating in June, 1901, with the degree of LL. B. He had been ad- mitted to the bar in the preceding April and following his graduation at once became asso- ciated with B. S. Hunter in the practice of his profession, with offices in the Copp building. From 1903 to 1905 he served as deputy county coroner under Coroner Trout, and at the same time continued the practice of his profession. In 1905 he dissolved his partnership with Mr. Hun- ter and continued alone. Under the law of 1907, creating two additional justices of the peace for Los Angeles township, Mr. Summerfield re- ceived an appointment to this office by the board of supervisors, and is now performing the duties of this position with the efficiency and fidelity which have characterized his entire career thus far. He is unquestionably an able young man, gifted in the line of work he has chosen to pursue, and with an integrity of character and personal attributes of worth and attraction, which have won him many friends, a brilliant future is freely predicted for him. He has demonstrated his willingness to act in all cases as a patriotic and loyal citizen, and as such holds a high place among the rising men of Los Angeles.
In his fraternal relations Judge Summerfield is a member of Los Angeles Lodge No. 99, B. P. O. E .; Hollenbeck Lodge No. 319. F. & A. M .; and is also associated with the Foresters and Eagles, while socially he is a member of the Jonathan Club. Politically he is a stanch ad- herent of the principles advocated in the platform of the Republican party.
JOHN W. WOOD, an esteemed resident of Pasadena who for the past twenty-four years has been interested in its welfare in a number of
capacities, has had charge of the postoffice of this place since March 1, 1900, an appointment which came to him through Republican influence. His long retention in office is sufficient proof that his services are satisfactory to his supe- riors, and citizens generally have nothing but praise to offer of the chief in charge of the postoffice in Pasadena.
A native of the smallest state in the Union with one exception, John W. Wood was born in Wilmington, Del., March 1, 1851, a descend- ant of Scottish ancestry. The schools of Wil- mington furnished him with his education so far as school books go, but he has never ceased to be a student, and by the reading of good literature and keeping in touch with current hap- penings throughout the world he is a well-in- formed man. Through his father, who was a pharmacist and kept a drug store in Wilming- ton, he became familiar with the drug business at an early age, and determined to perfect him- self along that line and follow it as a means of livelihood. For this purpose he matriculated in the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, graduat- ing therefrom. in 1871, after which he went to New York City and worked as a pharmacist for four years. During this time he had become considerably interested in the Pacific coast coun- try and upon relinquishing his position in the eastern metropolis he came to California in 1875. For a time he clerked in a drug store in San Francisco, and later, for three and a half years, was proprietor of a drug store in San Jose.
Mr. Wood's identification with Pasadena dates from the year 1883, at which time the town had been in existence only ten years, and in the rapid strides of growth and upbuilding which have ever been characteristic of the town he has been an interested witness. Some time after locating here he established the Pasadena Valley Union, a newspaper which in addition to giving general news from all parts of the world, also upheld the principles of the Republican party, and for three years he was its editor and pro- prietor. In the meantime his thorough knowl- edge of pharmaceutical matters became known to his fellow-citizens, the result being his selec- tion as a member of the California State Board of Pharmacy, with which body he was connected for six years. Educational affairs have always
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found a stanch friend in Mr. Wood and for two years he served as school trustee of this city and he has also been a trustee on the public library board. It is needless to repeat that he is a Republican in his political tendencies, the prin- ciples of which party he defends and proclaims whenever the opportunity offers. January 17, 1900, he received his appointment to the office of postmaster of Pasadena, and the follow- ing March assumed the duties of the position, one which he is in every way qualified to fill, as has been demonstrated during the six years of his incumbency.
September 25, 1877, Mr. Wood formed domes- tic ties by his marriage with Miss Georgianna Newlin, who was born in Wilmington, Del., and is a daughter of James Newlin, of Chester coun- ty. Pa. The only child born of their marriage, Clifford H., was educated in the State Univer- sity of California at Berkeley and is now study- ing medicine and preparing for professional life. Fraternally Mr. Wood holds membership in Corona Lodge, F. & A. M., at Pasadena, and Lodge No. 672, B. P. O. E., of the same place.
HON. PERCY VERNON HAMMON, mem- ber of the state assembly during the Thirty- seventh session, is one of the most able and popular citizens of Los Angeles, where he has been a resident for about twelve years and since that time has taken a prominent part in every movement advanced for the general welfare of the community. He is a native of Iowa, his birth having occurred in the vicinity of Indian- ola, Warren county, August 28, 1873 : his father, John C. Hammon, was a native of Ohio and an early settler of Iowa, where he engaged as a farmer and blacksmith near Indianola tintil his death. At the breaking out of the Civil war he enlisted in the First Iowa Cavalry and dur- ing his service, which extended throughout the struggle, he rose to the rank of first lieutenant. He is survived by his wife, formerly Emma E. Studley, a native of Whitehall, N. Y., and a daughter of Edmund Studley, a pioneer of Iowa ; she makes her home with her son, in Los An- geles. Her other son, Harry B. Hammon, is a prominent musician of this city.
The elder of two children, Percy Vernon Han-
mon was reared in his native state until he was twelve years old, when he went to Topeka, Kans., and there attended the public and high schools and graduated from the latter in 1894. He then engaged in newspaper work and the following year came to Southern California. He followed ranching in San Bernardino county for a time. then came to Los Angeles and secured employ- ment on the Los Angeles Herald. Two years later he became associated with the Title Guar- antee & Trust Company as searcher of records, and remained with them for five years. In the meantime he had gradually assumed a place of importance in the citizenship of the place and in 1903 was made a member of the Board of Education, which position he filled efficiently for two years. In 1904 he was elected to the city council from the Second ward, and served from January, 1905, to January, 1907, upon his as- sumption of the duties of this position having resigned from his position with the Title Guar- antee & Trust Company. In the fall of 1906 he was nominated on the Republican ticket to the state assembly and in the election that fol- lowed won by a majority of six hundred and ninety-nine votes over four other candidates. During this session ( 1907) he took a very prom- inent part in public matters, serving as a mem- ber of the judiciary, educational, fish and game, and corporations committees, and acted as chair- man of the committee on public lands and for- estry. He was particularly active in the passing of educational measures, and also introduced the pure food bill which later was consolidated with the McCartney bill in the senate and passed. In the midst of his busy cares of the past three years Mr. Hammon has found time to take up and master the study of law under W. B. Math- ews, and in June, 1900, was admitted to the bar. and May 1, 1907, he was appointed deputy dis- trict attorney by Capt. J. D. Fredericks, and to this work he now gives his entire time and at- tention.
Fraternal interests claim some of the activities of Mr. Hammon, being associated with the Ma- sons as a member of Southern California Lodge No. 278, F. & A. M .: Los Angeles Lodge No. 99, B. P. O. E .; Hermosa Lodge No. 32 of the Fraternal Brotherhood; Los Angeles Camp, M. W. A .; and was one of the original members of
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the Knights and Ladies of Security, having joined the organization at Topeka in Capitol Council No. 1, and of which he served as secre- tary for two terms. In the line of his profession he is associated with the County Bar Association. Personally he is a courteous and affable gentle- man, with a geniality of manner that wins and retains friends, while at the same time he pos- sesses a depth of character that gives him a high place in the regard and respect of even the most casual acquaintance.
THOMAS G. ADAMS. The name of Thomas G. Adams is best known in Los Angeles through his identification with the Yale School, a private institution of this city and one of the best of its kind in the state of California. Mr. Adams is a descendant of John Quincy Adams, whose Eng- lish ancestor came over in the Mayflower and from Plymouth went to Canterbury, Conn., where he bought a farm from the Indians, which farm has been handed down from father to son for five generations. Mr. Adams was born in Newark, N. J., June 13, 1870; his father, Thomas Dwight Adams, was born in Canterbury, Conn., February 10, 1827, and in young manhood mar- ried Malvina M. Gove, who was a native of Amesbury, Mass., and a relative of John G. Whittier. The elder man inherited the intellect which had made the name famous and also the ambition which led to a thorough development of his faculties. He graduated at Amherst Col- lege and then studied abroad two years. He was admitted to the bar in Massachusetts and New York and engaged in the practice of his profession for ten years, then gave it up and devoted his life to educational work. His last years were spent in Los Angeles, where in the Yale School he was in charge of the modern languages. He died May 10, 1907, survived by his wife, who still makes her home in Los An- geles. Her daughter, Mrs. James Fisher, is a prominent lecturer and writer, and is now trav- eling in Spain.
In the high school of Newton, Mass., Thomas G. Adams laid the foundation for his later years of study, and after his graduation there he be- came a student in Yale University. Graduating from this institution in 1891 with the degree of
A. B., he then engaged in teaching in Williams College, being thus occupied for two years. He came to California in 1893 and taught for three years in the schools of Belmont. Returning east he took up the study of law in the Yale Law School, attending that institution for one year. then went to the New York Law School for two years, after which he entered the office of Mr. MacLear, city attorney of Newark. In 1898, in Nashville, Tenn., he was admitted to the practice of his profession, but came at once to California, and here for one year he studied in the office of E. W. Freeman, and was admitted to the bar. Not caring to pursue the practice of his profession Mr. Adams decided to estab- lish the Yale School, having during his year of study here taught military tactics and athletics in a prominent school in the city, he having re- ceived his military training in the Newton high school and had served as second lieutenant in a company of the state militia of Massachusetts, and his success encouraged him to the step he then took.
This school is indeed a mark of the develop- ment of Southern California, for commercial in- terests have not been the only object of develop- ment in this section; with each year of growth increased attention has been given to institu- tions of learning, which are now found in this section of country to an extent scarcely surpassed by the long-settled regions near the Atlantic coast. The Yale School is an English and class- ical boarding and day school for young men and boys. The grounds occupied by the institution at Nos. 205-209 North Union are especially well adapted for the purposes desired, the elevatior. being one of the highest in the city, with per- fect drainage and unsurpassed sanitary condi- tions, while the location is of exceptional beauty by reason of the proximity of the mountain- and the ocean. A healthful climate, than which nothing is of greater importance to the physical development of the youth, is supplemented by the quiet influences of a refined home and the mental stimulus afforded by the instruction of teachers of the highest ability.
Those who are responsible for the success of Yale School believe that nothing is more import- ant than the possession of a "sound mind in a sound body," and to this end the care of the
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body comes first. A visitor to the school is im- pressed immediately with the gymnasium, where under the training of the head master (himself a former player at Yale University and a teacher of the Yale system of coaching ) the students en- gage in daily practice in a spacious apartment equipped with the best modern apparatus, a Ger- man side-horse, parallel bars, flying rings, pul- ley weights, punching bags, dumb-bells, lockers and shower baths. Physical examination and measurements are made at the entrance of each pupil and these are repeated at stated intervals, in order to note changes and apply methods for the correction of defects. The head master also has charge of athletic sports, including track work, football and baseball, and for such work the grounds contain a fine athletic field, a run- ning track and two hand-ball courts. Two ten- nis courts occupy a conspicuous place on the grounds and attract the students during recrea- tion hours.
Prominent as the development of the body is made in the school, equal prominence is given the wise and rounded development of the mental faculties. The head master has charge of the Greek and Latin classes, while French, German and Spanish are taught by Miss Anna Pourtale, a graduate of Convent de Colomiers, France. The other instructors are all college graduates, especially trained for their various departments. For the boarding pupils the home life of the school is made as cheery and bright as possible, and the boys are always welcomed in the general lounging room, which is the central feature of the house. Games are played, puzzles and co- nundrums are propounded, jokes are told and mirth and good humor prevail. Music is a principal attraction and many hours are devoted to that art. Under the leadership of competent instructors the boys are developed until each finds himself an important and happy factor in the school life, and the best traits of all are brought into gratifying prominence. It is the belief of the instructors that the keynote of a boy's prog- ress is in giving him a purpose in life, keeping him busy and interested and giving him a motive for his work, and this idea is utilized in every department of the school. For those interested in photography a dark-room is provided; for those fond of oratory and logical reasoning a
debating society is conducted according to par- liamentary rules; a dancing class is under the supervision of a competent instructor; a gym- nastic exhibition is held about the middle of the first semester and original literary work char- acterizes the close of the year in June, after which Mr. Adams takes a party of the students on a yachting or camping trip. The school year is divided into two semesters, with a vacation of ten days during the holidays and another of one week at Easter. The curriculum of the senior school covers four years and has been planned with the utmost care and the most thor- ough study of the possibilities of the students as well as their needs. Indeed, viewed from every standpoint the institution is one affording to its pupils the greatest opportunities for the proper training of mind and body, and those familiar with its work are its most enthusiastic champions and warmest friends.
Mr. Adams has taken time to associate him- self with various organizations, being a member of the University Club of Los Angeles and vice- president of the Southern California Yale Club. He belongs also to the Neu Delta Sigma. In the interests of universal education he is a mem- ber of the National Educational Association. In his political affiliations he is an adherent of the principles of the Republican party, although he is first of all a loyal and patriotic citizen, intent on the general good of the community, state and nation. He attends the Congregational Church.
ANDREW JOHNSON SMITH. Mr. Smith's first impressions of California date back to the year 1894, but it was not until ten years later that he took up his permanent residence here, be- ing induced to take this step in order to be lo- cated where he could sell and drive atitomo- biles throughout the entire year. Probably no city in the United States is more favorably lo- cated than Los Angeles from a climatic stand- point for continuous autoing, and it is certain that few if any cities can equal it in the many miles of good roads which it boasts. Mr. Smith's sticcess in the handling of automobiles is due to the fact that he has made a thorough study of the mechanism of the machine, and in thus familiarizing himself with the merits and demer-
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its of the various makes is fully competent to advise those contemplating the purchase of auto- mobiles. After locating in Los Angeles he started a garage at No. 957 South Main street and secured the agency of the Elmore automo- bile for the Pacific coast, but the rapidity with which his patronage increased necessitated his removal to larger quarters and he is now lo- cated at Nos. 1228-30-32 South Figueroa street. This is one of the largest and most complete garages in the state, having about ten thousand feet of floor space.
Mr. Smith is a native of the middle west, and was born in Macomb, McDonough county, Ill., October 31, 1864. Prior generations had flour- ished in the south and from Kentucky Thomas Smith, the grandfather, planted the family name in Morgan county, Ill. He was a participant in the war of 1812, and at the time of his death, which occurred in Delphos, Kans., when in his ninety-ninth year, he was the oldest survivor of that conflict. The father, John L. Smith, was born in Jacksonville, Ill., and the greater part of his life was spent in his native state, for many years being an extensive farmer and stockman in the vicinity of Macomb, Ill. His death oc- curred in St. Louis, Mo., in 1903. His wife was in maidenhood Lucy Gray, a native of New York state and a lineal descendant of Lady Jane Grey, the great-granddaughter of Henry VIII. of Eng- land. Grandfather Gray was a pioneer phy- sician of Macomb, Ill., and died there at a ripe age in 1872. Mrs. Lucy Smith is still living, making her home in St. Louis. Of the eight children born of her marriage seven are living, Andrew J. being the fifth in order of birth. Up to the time he was twelve years of age his life was associated with the vicinity of his birthplace, Macomb, Ill., but about that time the family home was removed to Council Grove, Morris county, Kans., where the father had purchased a farm. Until he was thirteen he had gleaned a fair education in the common schools of Ma- comb and Council Grove, but soon after going to Kansas he gave up his studies and confined his attention to farm duties, continuing this until eighteen years of age. Leaving home at this age he struck out in the world on his own ac- count, and going to New York City he secured a position as salesman with the Weber piano
house. The estimation in which he was held by his employers may be best shown by stating that at the age of only twenty-two he was receiving a salary of $200 per month, his duties taking him to all parts of the United States. In 1896 he located in Springfield, Ill., and accepted a similar position with George W. Chatterton, owner of the oldest music house in Illinois, it having been established in 1838. After filling this position for four years he resigned to engage in the fur- niture business, continuing this for another four years, when, believing that he saw a great future for the automobile business he started a garage in Springfield and at the same time secured the agency of the Elmore automobile. By the time he had been in the business three months he determined to locate where he would be able to sell and drive machines the year around, a de- cision which prompted him to come to Los Angeles in 1904. as previously stated. The wis- dom of his choice of location has been demon- strated repeatedly, as may be judged from the fact that his business has had a phenomenal growth, necessitating his removal into larger quarters, until today it is conceded that he has one of the largest and most complete garages in the state. The remarkable sale of the Elmore on the Pacific coast is due almost entirely to his energy and ability, he having sold more cars of the price ($1900 to $2650) than any other make of autos. In competitive races with other machines he has won five cups with one car in the last five months, using a four-cylinder El- more of the 1906 make. September 15. 1907, while in a race to the top of Mount Baldy his machine overturned and not only incapacitated it, but resulted in quite severe injuries to Mr. Smith, but fortunately his pluck and sturdy con- stitution overcame any permanent ill effects which to one less hardy might have proved fatal.
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