A history of California and an extended history of its southern coast counties, also containing biographies of well-known citizens of the past and present, Volume I, Part 105

Author: Guinn, James Miller, 1834-1918
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Los Angeles, Cal., Historic record company
Number of Pages: 1184

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ELMER ELLSWORTH IZER. Industry, wise judgment and energy are marked ele- ments in the character of Mr. Izer and have been the principal factors in the attainment of the success from a business standpoint which he enjoys to-day. The Pomona Manufactur- ing Company, of which he is the superintend- ent, is one of the live industries of the town and furnishes employment to a number of skilled mechanics. The plant is located on the corner of Bertie and Gibbs streets, on a ground space of 95x170 feet, while the building is 170x65 feet, with an addition which is occu- pied by the blacksmith department. In every sense of the word this is a modern and up-to- date machine shop. with facilities for making their own patterns and castings, both in iron and brass. While they are in a position to execute work in their line which may be sub- mitted to theni, their specialty lies in manu- facturing their own goods, among them the Pomona deep-well pump, ranging from twenty to fifty-horse-power, traction engines, and road-oiling machines, the latter of which are sent all over the United States.

Of eastern birth, Mr. Izer was born July 22. 1861. near Hagerstown, Md., which state

was also the birthplace of his father, John Izer. At the time of the breaking out of the Civil war the father was in Pennsylvania and from that state he was mustered into the One Hundred and Twenty-sixth Pennsylvania In- fantry. By trade he was a cabinet-maker, and after the war he removed to Alliance, Ohio, there following his trade in addition to con- tracting and building. He was well known in business and Grand Army circles in that city, where his entire later life was spent. Before her marriage his wife was Catherine Nichols, a native of Maryland, and she now makes her home in Pomona, and all of her children, five daughters and one son, are also residents of this state.

As the family removed from Maryland to Ohio at the close of the war, Elmer E. Izer has little personal knowledge of his birthplace, as he was then only about four years of age. In Alliance he was reared and educated, at- tending the public and high schools until he was about seventeen years old, when he ap- prenticed himself to the Morgan Engineering Company, manufacturers of steam hammers and cranes. His apprenticeship of four years completed, he worked as a journeyman in Ohio until 1895, in which year he transferred his interests to the west and located in Po- mona, Cal. Opening a small and unpreten- tious shop on Second street he began as a bicycle repairer, but soon found it necessary to remove to larger quarters. In establishing his business on Garey avenue he equipped the plant for the manufacture of bicycles as well as repairing, and from this as a beginning gradually drifted into machine work of a heavier character. The organization of the Pomona Manufacturing Company occurred in 1901. at which time he associated himself with S. M. Fulton and G. W. Ogle under the afore- said name, and in 1905 the business was incor- porated. The officers are Elmer E. Izer, presi- dent : S. M. Fulton. secretary and manager : G. W. Ogle, vice-president : and Grant Pitzer. treasurer. all of the members being practical mechanics and thorough business men. The deep-well cylinders and valves manufactured by the company are the invention of S. M. Fulton and have a wide reputation, being in nse all over the United States.

In Pomona. Cal .. Mr. Izer was married to Miss Elizabeth McCain, who was born in Kansas, and they have a pleasant and commo- dions home at No. 751 East Fourth street. Politically he is well known in Republican circles, and is equally prominent in fraternal organizations. In Alliance, Ohio, he was made an Old Fellow in Lodge No. 246, and at one time served as noble grand. Since coming to

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the west he had transferred his membership and is now affiliated with the order in Po- mona, belonging to the Encampment, in which he is serving as past C. P., and is also a mem- ber of the kindred order of Rebekahs.

SAMUEL ALBERT MIDDAGH. When Mr. Middagh came to Lemon in 1888 he was favorably impressed with the appearance of the locality, this, too, after he had traveled widely throughout the west, and especially throughout the middle and southern parts of California. The fact that he soon afterward purchased porperty upon which he has re- sided ever since is ample proof that he has no cause to regret his choice of location. When he purchased his present ranch of twenty-five acres in the Fairview district, one and a half miles west of Lemon, it was a waving field of barley, but in place of grain the new own- er set out an orchard of peaches and apricots, still later changing to oranges and walnuts, which are now his staple products.

Of eastern parentage, Samuel A. Middagh is a native of the middle west, born near Nora, Jo Daviess county, Ill., October 6, 1852, and is a son of James and Catherine (Bushey) Middagh, both natives of Pennsylvania. Born and reared in Juniata valley, Perry county, Pa., James Middaghı set out for the new west during young manhood, and as early as 1842 became a pioneer settler in the new common- wealth of Illinois. Twenty-seven years later witnessed his removal across the Mississippi river into the adjoining state of Missouri, where, in Henry county, he carried on a farm for sixteen years. At the end of this time, in 1885, he came to California, but survived his removal to the west only about five years, his death occurring in Covina in 1890. His wife had preceded him in death many years, pass- ing away on the Illinois homestead.

Seven children originally constituted the parental family, but of the number only two are now living. Fourth in the family, Samuel A. Middagh was reared and educated in Jo Daviess county, Ill., and also attended Clin- ton Academy after the family removed to Mis- souri in 1869. With the close of his academic course he began his business career by accept- ing a clerkship, which he held for three years, giving it up in 1874 to look for broader induce- ments in the west. The same year he came as far west as Colorado, and in 1875 completed his journey to the coast by coming to Los Angeles. After two years spent in that city and some time in the Sacramento valley he re- turned to Missouri and in 1878 went to Texas, the following year finding him in Colorado once

more, althoughi in the mean time he had paid another visit to his friends in Missouri. With the close of his mining experience in Buena Vista, Colo., where he had been engaged with varying degrees of success for two years, he entered the employ of the Union Pacific Rail- road (now the Union Pacific, Denver & Gulf Railroad), advancing in the esteem of his su- pervisors by his strict attention to duty, until he was finally made agent of the road. It was in the spring of 1886 that he again came to California, remaining in Pomona two years, when, in 1888, he came to Lemon and for about two years worked as a farm hand in the em- ploy of others. After a short time similarly occupied in Covina he came to Fairview dis- trict and purchased twenty-five acres of the Monroe place, transforming it from a barley field into one of the finest orange and walnut groves in this part of Los Angeles county. The ranch is thoroughly piped for irrigation, and when necessary water can be supplied to any and all parts of it.

In 1897, in Lemon, Mr. Middagh was mar- ried to Miss Catherine A. Kepner, and three children, Lillus, Cecil and Elbert, have blessed their marriage. Since 1899 Mr. Middagh has been a member of the Fairview school board, and has also been clerk of the board for the same length of time. He is a member of but one fraternal association, the Modern Wood- men of America, belonging to the lodge at Lemon. Much credit is due Mr. Middagh for what he has accomplished since coming to Lemon, all of which is due to hard and unre- mitting labor, for he has twice almost entirely replanted his ranch. He has the satisfaction of knowing that it is now one of the most productive in this vicinity, as well as in point of appearance ranking favorable with many more pretentious estates.

JOHN BENJAMIN STEEN. Since 1894 Mr. Steen has been known as one of the most enthusiastic citizens of Long Beach, coming here in that year as a contractor and builder, a line of endeavor for which he has every qual- ification. if his success during the past twelve years can be taken as a basis for this conclu- sion. On the paternal side he is of English descent, his father, John J. Steen, having been born in Nottingham, England, whence he im- migrated to the United States, locating first in Brooklyn, N. Y., then in Baltimore, Md., and still later in Brookfield, Va. It was in the latter city that his marriage occurred, unit- ing him with Martha Brooks, who was a na- tive of the Old Dominion. From Virginia Mr. Steen and his. wife removed to Missouri,

CAPT. MATTHEW SHERMAN

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HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

from there to Rushville, Ohio, and finally to Iowa, the death of Mrs. Steen occurring in the latter state. For a number of years Mr. Steen was a merchant in that state, but is now in Alberta, Canada, where he has accumulated large property holdings.

John B. Steen was born in Paulville, Adair county, Mo., November 14, 1860, and was well educated in the common schools of the various localities in which his parents settled during his boyhood years. As a trade upon which to depend for future years he chose that of car- penter, although for some time he was well known as a farmer and stock-raiser in Cham- bers, Holt county, Neb. Relinquishing his in- terests in Nebraska in 1894 he that year came to Long Beach and gave his attention to his trade, the city at that time being in great need of competent workmen. At first he made a specialty of shingling contracts, and he has the credit of completing more houses with shingle roofs than any other one person in Long Beach. Later he built houses on his own responsibility and sold them, in addition to executing contracts for complete buildings for others. He still owns six residences, be- sides valuable property on Second street and elsewhere in the city.

In Lewis, Cass county, Iowa, John B. Steen was united in marriage with Bertha F. Van Ornam, June 19, 1889. She is a daughter of Edward C. D. and Ann M. (Doolittle) Van Ornam, an account of whom will be found elsewhere in this volume. Three children have blessed the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Steen, as follows: Victor V., Verna D. M. and Vera F. Mrs. Steen is a member of the Plymouth Congregational Church of Long Beach.

CAPT. MATTHEW SHERMAN. For more than thirty-five years the name of Cap- tain Sherman was indissolubly associated with the growth and development of San Diego, which he watched with pride in its growth from a straggling hamlet into one of the im- portant cities of Southern California. From the time he came hither, young in years but a veteran of two wars, down to the very day of his death, his vigorous mind was felt as a factor in the promotion of San Diego's best interests and permanent growth. In his de- mise there passed a man of many enviable dis- tinctions in various departments of human ac- tivity and a man who tvpified the possibilities of American citizenship. People who were born in San Diego and who have now reached middle life cannot recall a time when his name was not familiar to them or when it did not stand for progressive spirit and efficient serv-

ices as a citizen, and it is universally accepted as a fact that his name is worthy of a very high place in the annals of local history.

Captain Sherman was born in Charleston, a suburb of Boston, Mass., October II, 1827, and was the third child of a large family, whose parents, Capt. John and Sarah ( Phipps) Sherman, were natives of Massachusetts. The father was a captain in the merchant marine service and was lost at sea off the coast of Barnegat, N. J. When Matthew was twelve years of age he enlisted as a sailor and for three years served on a school ship in the United States navy, after which he enlisted in the United States navy during the Mexican war, and came around the Horn on the United States flagship Independence, under Commo- dore Subrick. Among the stirring engage- ments which he witnessed were the taking of Monterey and Mazatlan. After the war he returned east, but the Pacific coast had laid its spell upon him and he was unable to re- sist its charm. Accordingly in 1849 he re- turned around the Horn on a merchant vessel and in 1850 he marched in the procession in San Francisco celebrating the admission of California as a state. After a brief experience in mining he became proprietor of a hotel at Auburn, Placer county, and also engaged in the manufacturing business. On the outbreak of the Civil war he was commissioned lieu- tenant of Company F, Fourth California In- fantry, but soon rose to be captain of the com- pany, and commanded the same during the Indian campaigns in Arizona after they had been stationed in the old barracks at San Diego in 1862. On their return from Arizona they were stationed at Wilmington and then at San Francisco, where he was mustered out with the regiment.

At the close of the Civil war Captain Sher- man was appointed collector of the port of San Diego and removed to this city, where he filled the office for four years. Meanwhile. at Wilmington, May 18, 1867, he married Miss Augusta J. Barrett, who was born at Sumner. Oxford county. Me .. being a daughter of James S. and Fannie (Young) Barrett. also natives of Maine. Her maternal grandfather. Benjamin Young, was born in Maine and traced his lineage to the Puritan settlers of Massachusetts descended from English ances- tors. The paternal grandfather, Simeon Bar- rett, was born in Massachusetts, but at the age of two years was taken to Oxford county. Me., by his parents, who were descended from some of the very earliest settlers of Massachu- setts and traced their lineage to England. James S. Barrett was a farmer by occupation and both he and his wife died in Maine. From

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that state two of their sons enlisted in the Civil war and went to the front as defenders of the Union. In 1863 Miss Barrett came via Panama to San Francisco, and in 1866 settled in San Diego, where she secured a position as principal of a public school at Old Town, this being the only free school in San Diego county at that time. To her belongs the dis- tinction of being the oldest surviving settler of new San Diego. As a member of the Pio- neer Society she displays a deep and unchang- ing interest in the old settlers of the county and among them all none is more honored than she; in addition she is warmly interested in the San Diego Woman's Relief Corps, of which she is a charter member.

About the time of his marriage Captain Sherman bought one hundred and sixty acres from the city, and in 1868 he laid out the land as Sherman's addition. On the corner of J and Nineteenth street he built the first resi- dence of new San Diego, outside of the few houses at the barracks, and for some years he owned a flock of sheep that grazed on land now built up with substantial dwellings. Gradually he sold off the lots, some vacant and others improved with cottages. At the same time he engaged in the commission busi- ness and built several business houses in the city, also was interested in the first bank started in San Diego, of which later he offi- ciated as a director. As a member of the Chamber of Commerce he promoted many measures for the development of the city. Prominent in local affairs, he served as trustee for several years and for two years held the office of mayor. In the former capacity he was active with the other trustees in saving to the city the park of fourteen hundred acres and also obtained for the city Mount Hope cemetery. In the organization of Heintzel- man Post, G. A. R., he was prominent, and always bore a warm interest in its charities. In addition. he was a leading member of the California Commandery of the Loyal Legion. With his wife he held membership in the Epis- copal Church and contributed generously to its missionary and charitable enterprises. Though not a partisan, he was a pronounced Republican and never swerved in his alle- giance to the party. He donated the land and a part of the money to build the Sherman school, which was the first school in San Diego.

To the closing; days of his active life Mr. Sherman remained a prominent citizen and active worker for progressive measures, and his death occurred of apoplexy, July 5. 1898, while he was in attendance upon a convention held in the interests of securing a railroad and

also in the interests of Panama canal legisla- tion. As early as 1886 he had erected a com- modious residence on the corner of Twenty- second and H streets, and here his widow still makes her home, extending to her friends the cordial hospitality which is easily among her leading characteristics. Their two children, Mrs. Fannie Sloan and Matthew Barrett Sher- man, reside in San Diego, so that it is her privilege, in the afternoon of her eventful ex- istence, to enjoy the ministrations of her de- scendants as well as the society of the friends of earlier days.

HARRY BARNDOLLAR. Varied enter- prises having to do with the material develop- ment of Long Beach and vicinity owe much of their prosperity to the oversight and ex- ecutive ability of Mr. Barndollar, who during the first ten years of his residence in this state acted as superintendent of the Long Beach Development Company, the Alamitos Land Company and the Alamitos Beach Water Com- pany. The new hotel erected in Long Beach owes its presence in the city to the energy and foresight of a member of public-spirited men, prominent among whom as a promoter he holds a place. During 1905 he took part in the founding of the Wilmington Land Company, in which he now holds the office of president. In June of the same year he assisted in estab- lishing the State Bank of Long Beach, which has a capital of $100,000 fully paid up ; of this institution he acts as a director and was chosen cashier on the opening of the bank, since which time he has devoted considerable attention to the financial oversight of the establishment.

Descended from a Holland family and one early established in America, Mr. Barndollar was born at Martinsburg, Blair county, Pa., April 9. 1853. being a son of George R. and Amelia Ann (Ashcom) Barndollar, the former born in Fulton county, Pa., in 1813, and the later born January 15, 1812, on a Pennsylvania farm located on the Baltimore and Pittsburg turnpike. For many years the father engaged in the general mercantile business at Wood- bury, Bedford county, Pa., and there he died in 1868 and his wife in 1889. They were the parents of eight sons and six daughters, the youngest of whom were twins, Harry and Frank. The common schools of Williamsport, Pa., offered fair advantages to Harry Barn- dollar, who completed their studies with credit to himself. In 1870 he entered a drug store at Everett, Bedford county, where he gained a considerable knowledge of the drug business while acting as clerk. March 12, 1874, he

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graduated from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy but after a period of five years he turned his labors into other fields of activity.

From the east Mr. Barndollar removed to Colorado, where he was identified with various interests in Pueblo, Cripple Creek and Denver, and for fourteen years remained in that state. In 1894 he came to California and engaged in the developing of water interests and in buy- ing and selling real estate at Long Beach, where he still makes his home, and where he has fostered enterprises of the greatest im- portance to the well-being of the city. May 4, 1903, the Masonic Temple Association was incorporated in this city, and he has since of- ficiated as its secretary, besides being one of the principal stockholders. In politics he sup- ports Republican principles and on that ticket was three times. elected to the office of city clerk. The Congregational Church, of which he has for years been a member, receives his generous support to its philanthropies and missionary enterprises. Among the organiza- tions of which he is a member in fraternal circles may be mentioned the blue lodge and chapter of Masonry at Long Beach, the Knights of Pythias, Independent Order of For- esters, Knights of the Maccabees and the Cos- mopolitan Club, of this city.

JESSE J. KNIGHT. One of the progres- sive and enterprising business men of San Pedro is Jesse J. Knight, proprietor of the Pony Livery and Transfer business, a dealer in horses and mules, and a contractor for street grading. His family has been one whose mem- bers have steadily pioneered their way from the eastern to the western coast of the United States and left the imprint of their influence upon the history of those sections of the United States where they resided from time to time. The grandfather, Newell Knight, was born in New York and early settled in Illinois, where he followed the occupation of miller. His next move was to cross the plains with his family to settle in Utah, but his death occurred at winter quarters on the Platte river. He left a widow and six children and they later settled in Salt Lake City. This member of the family had been a very prominent elder and worker in the Mormon Church and a history of his life and work requires one whole volume in the history of the church. His wife, in maiden- hood Lydia Goldthwaite, also occupied a leading position in the church circles through- out her life. Her death occurred in St. George, Utah.

The father of Jesse J. Knight was also named Newell and his birth occurred in Han-

cock county, Ill. At the age of three years he was taken with the family to Utah and there his boyhood days were spent on the farm. Although the son of such prominent Morman believers he has never espoused the cause of that religious denomination. As a young man he engaged in blacksmithing for a time, afterwards farmed, and later was occupied as a miner at various points in Utah and Nevada, meeting with splendid success and accumulat- ing large wealth. He is now conducting a wagon and agricultural implement business in Provo City, Utah, and is one of that com- munity's leading citizens. He is of Republi- can political belief and for two terms served as marshal of Provo City. Fraternally he affiliates with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. His wife, who died in 1898, was be- fore her marriage Caroline Loveless, a native of Little Pigeon, Iowa. Her father; Bishop James W. Loveless, was a prominent Mormon bishop from Illinois, and her mother, Matilda McClellan, was connected with the noted Mc- Clellan family of the south.

A member of a family of seven children, Jesse J. Knight was born September 12, 1865, in Provo City, Utah, where he received his education in the public and high schools. At eighteen years of age he began his independent business career as a merchant in his native city, and at twenty-one was married there to Miss Lillie Milner, who was born in Provo City, the daughter of Judge John B. Milner, a prominent attorney and jurist. Four years later Mr. Knight retired from the merchandis- ing business and went to Ann Arbor, Mich., entering the University of Michigan in 1893 and graduating with the degree of Bachelor of Laws. His wife, who took a course in music in the University, also graduated from her studies in that year. Returning to Provo City Mr. Knight began the practice of law and con- tinned the profession until 1896. He then came to Randsburg, Cal., and engaged in min- ing for a year, thereafter continuing mining throughout the southwest for a time, but finally centered his interests at State Line. Deer Lodge and Fay. Nev. One of his successful ventures was the re-organization of the Silver Park mine in Lincoln county. Nev. He met with his best success, however, in State Line, where he still has mining interests, and also at Provo City, to which place he finally re- turned. He organized and incorporated the Knight-Roberts Mining Company and de- veloped the lead mines of Rock Cañon. where a tunnel seven hundred feet in length has al- ready been made and when it is completed it will be sixteen hundred feet long.

In July, 1905, Mr. Knight came to San Pedro

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HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

and for one month worked by the day, at the end of that time beginning to contract street work. He acquired a large grading out- fit and secured the contract to grade Front, Wall, Eighth and Center streets, as well as other jobs of excavating, and has ever since continued the prosecution of this business. May 1, 1906, he purchased the Pony Livery & Transfer business and conducts the largest barn in the city, and one of the largest out- side of Los Angeles. Fraternally he was made a Mason in Story Lodge No. 4, F. & A. M., at Provo City ; he is also a charter member of Provo City Lodge No. 849, B. P. O. E. Po- litically he is an advocate of the principles em- braced in the platform of the Republican party, and in all matters of social and civic interest to the community in which he resides he takes an active and intelligent part. Mr. and Mrs. Knight are the parents of two children, Irma, better known as Dolly, and Goodwin J. The daughter is now singing with Ellen Beach Yaw and also taking vocal instruction from her having remarkable vocal talent.

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A history of California and an extended history of its southern coast counties, also containing biographies of well-known citizens of the past and present, Volume I, Part 105

Author: Guinn, James Miller, 1834-1918 Publication date: 1907 Publisher: Los Angeles, Cal., Historic record company Number of Pages: 1184

Author: Guinn, James Miller, 1834-1918
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Los Angeles, Cal., Historic record company
Number of Pages: 1184