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 II, Part 129

Author: Guinn, James Miller, 1834-1918
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Los Angeles, Cal., Historic record company
Number of Pages: 1234

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there as mechanical superintendent for ten years.

Coming to the United States in 1883, Mr. Car- roll remained for one year in Boston, Mass., and during 1884 he crossed the continent to the Pa- cific coast, settling in Los Angeles and working at his trade by the day. In time he began to take contracts for building, and later for nine years he worked as a stair builder in a mill owned by J. M. Griffiths. From Los Angeles he came to Ox- nard and has since won a place among the enter- prising business men of this growing city. It is his practice to study harmony in effect in plan- ning a building, while in filling the contracts he shows skill, efficiency, promptness and reliability, so that a contract once filled serves as an adver- tisement for the high character of his work. While living in Los Angeles he there married Miss Leonora Horan, who was born in Canada and grew to womanhood in Wisconsin, coming from that state to the Pacific coast and residing with other members of her family in Los An- geles. Born of their marriage are three children, namely : Ethel, now a student in a business col- lege in Los Angeles ; Russell and Evangeline. The family hold membership with the Santa Clara Catholic Church and contribute to its main- tenance, as well as to other measures and organi- zations for the upbuilding of the race. In fra- ternal relations Mr. Carroll affiliates with the Knights of Columbus, in whose activities he is warmly interested and to whose permanent wel- fare he is a contributor of time and influence.

JACOB HUFF. Nowhere are the attrac- tions of California more apparent than in the thickly-populated region lving from Los Ange- les to the east as far as the sandy plains. On this valley nature has bestowed her choicest charms, and the sun smiles from unclouded skies upon thousands of acres of orchards and citrus- fruit groves, giving to the orange its own golden glow and imparting to ever variety of fruit a richness and flavor surpassed by no region. Along the well-kept roads may be seen beauti- ful homesteads, with their cottages built in the southern style of architecture, combining com- fort and symmetry of proportions. A few acres suffice to provide for the maintenance of the owner, for the returns from each acre are large under proper cultivation.

To many of the state's best citizens such homesteads furnish an ideal means of livelihood, and Jacob Huff is one of the large number en- gaged in the cultivation of a small orange grove in the midst of surroundings so nearly approach- ing the ideal as are to be found in his locality. The eight-acre tract which he owns is situated in close proximity to Highland and under his care has been transformed from the original

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wild state to its present improved condition. The land was purchased in 1884 and seven years later he erected the cottage he now occupies. The substantial barn also was built under his supervision. Six acres are planted to deciduous fruits, one and one-half acres to navel oranges, and the balance in lemons, which, however, he now is cutting out and budding to navel oranges. The trees have been raised from the seed and are of the finest varieties, so that the fruit com- mands good prices in the markets. Water for irrigation is brought from Little Sand cañon and carried through every part of the orchard as needed, thus furnishing satisfactory condition for promoting the growth of the trees and the ripening of the fruit.

While he has spent the greater part of his life in California, Mr. Huff is a native of Iowa and was born January 12, 1862. When one year old he was taken to Montana by his par- ents, Jacob and Elizabeth Huff. His father died there in 1865 and two years later the mother brought the family to San Bernardino county, Cal., where she died in 1879, at the age of forty- nine years. Reared in this locality and edu- cated in the common schools, Jacob Huff select- ed horticulture for his life work and from an early age he has devoted himself to this calling, meeting with an encouraging degree of success as a result of industry and painstaking applica- tion. In 1888 he was united in marriage with Miss Viola Zimmerman, who was born in Mis- souri and came to the Pacific coast with her parents, Daniel B. and Elizabeth (Lewis) Zim- merman. At this writing Mrs. Zimmerman owns a small homestead near Highland, where she has four acres in oranges. The family of Mr. and Mrs. Huff consists of three children, namely: Mazie Elizabeth, Jacob C. Loyal and Nona Viola, all of whom are at home.

BENJAMIN M. ATKINSON. Two miles south of Palms lies the ranch of five acres . distress. After fifteen unprofitable years he which is the home of Mr. Atkinson and which forms one of the many small estates of Los An- geles county, the high development of which has added greatly to the county's prosperity. In addition to the homestead, which a conservative valuation places at $600 per acre, Mr. Atkin- son is the owner of mining stock that brings him a fair income each year, and in addition he owns considerable undeveloped mining property. Loyal to the county and state of his residence, he maintains the keenest interest in any move- ment calculated to promote local progress and views every advance made, whether from an educational, religious or moral standpoint, as a step in the right direction: yet his views are somewhat different from those of many citi-

zens, for he is a believer in socialistic doctrines and years ago left the Democratic party to give his support to the movement so intelligently pro- moted by Henry George and others.

In Van Wert county, Ohio, Benjamin M. At- kinson was born September 18, 1840, being a son of Jesse and Mary (Done) Atkinson, na- tives of Pennsylvania. The paternal grand- father, William Atkinson, was a native of Eng- land; the maternal grandfather, who it is sup- posed was a native of Pennsylvania, followed the trade of a wagon-maker in that state for many years. As early as 1830 Jesse Atkinson became a pioneer farmer of Ohio and aided in the development of large tracts of land in that state; for, although he was a tailor by trade, much of his life was devoted to agri- culture and he was a practical and enterprising farmer. At the time of his death he was eighty- five years of age; his wife, who died in 1859, was an carnest member of the Baptist Church.

At eighteen years of age Benjamin M. At- kinson started out in the world to earn his live- lihood. Chance directed his steps to Kansas, which then was attracting a large number of settlers and home-seekers. Although he took up a claim and devoted one year to its improvement, he was not satisfied with the environment and traded his claim for a horse, on which he rode to Iowa. For two years he worked on a farm in Fremont county. Next he went to Montana and took up land near Virginia City, where, in addition to farming, he became interested in mines. After seven fairly successful years he returned to Fremont county, Iowa, where for four years he engaged in farming. Next he re- moved to Kansas and took up land in Norton county, but again his experience of Kansas was not gratifying. Repeated droughts destroyed his crops, and in seasons where the amount of rainfall was sufficient to produce and mature a crop, the grasshoppers came like an invading army and left naught behind but destruction and

left his Kansas ranch and removed to the San Luis valley in Colorado, where he worked on a ranch about eighteen months. From there he came to California and settled on a farm in Ventura county. During the spring of 1896 his attention became somewhat diverted from farming by his connection with the development of the Sunshine mine, which proved to be an excellent producer and which he operated, in connection with other owners of shares, until 1900. Since then his sons have had charge of the mine under lease. In the meantime he has had other mining interests and among his unde- veloped claims he now has the Excelsior, Klon- dike and Topsy Rustler, all of which are prom- ising propositions. In July of 1905 he came to

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HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Los Angeles county and purchased the property where now he makes his home.

While living in Fremont county. Iowa, Mr. Atkinson married Miss Malinda Ferrell, who was born in Floyd county, Ind., her father be- ing a native of Kentucky. She died in Ventura county in 1890. Nine children were born of their union, namely: Thomas Watson, a part- ner of his father in the Sunshine mine; Will- iam Norris, manager of the Sunshine mine; Ed- ward Cleveland, who operates the three-stamp mill connected with the same mine; Clemmons Jesse, who died at the age of fourteen years and six months; Elmira C., who is the wife of O. A. Kreighbaum, of Fullerton, Cal .; Mary E., wife of J. F. Pitt, of Indian Territory; Malinda J., Mrs. C. G. Ferrell, of Palms; Ina M., who married Ernest Case and resides in Ventura county ; and Sylvia Lenore, who has charge of the house and ministers to her father's comfort.

JOHN HYLAND MYERS. The business interests represented by the firm of Myers & Abplanalp are among the most important in the town of Oxnard, Ventura county. On the or- ganization of the present firm in 1902 a planing mill was erected, and, by the purchase and con- solidation of two other mills, a large trade was established at the outset. In all of its equip- ments the mill is modern, power being furnished by an electric motor. The capacity of the plant is sufficiently large to permit of the manufacture of all kinds of material in large quantities. While the mill comes under the personal supervision of Mr. Myers, his partner has charge of their con- tracting and building business and makes a spe- cialty of contracts for brick and concrete work.

Mr. Myers comes of a family of lumber manu- facturers. His father, Henry, and grandfather were both interested in the manufacture of lum- ber, and the former, working his way up in the business from early boyhood, built and conducted lumber mills near Manitowoc, Wis., and owned the vessels used in carrying his lumber to the city markets. Thoughi only twenty-seven years of age when he died at Racine, his energy and wise judgment had rendered possible, at that early age, the accumulation of a competency which in those days was considered a small fortune. At his death he left two sons, John Hyland, of Ox- nard, and Foster D., who died in Nevada City, Cal. The wife and mother, who bore the maiden name of Clarinda Raymond, was born in New York and removed to Wisconsin with her parents. After her marriage she remained in Racine and reared her sons there until 1876, when she came to Santa Barbara, Cal., her present home. Now, as Mrs. Stafford, she is widowed a second time, her second husband having died in California.

Born in Racine, Wis., July 11. 1862, John Hyland Myers was fourteen years of age when he arrived in Santa Barbara, Cal., October 21, 1876, and there he attended a private academy as well as the city high school. At the age of sev- enteen he was apprenticed to the carpenter's trade under Thomas Nixon, with whom he re- mained in Santa Barbara for five years. At the expiration of his time he began to work at his trade in Los Angeles, but a year later, in 1887, he went to Arizona, where he helped to rebuild Flagstaff after it had been burned down. Re- turning to California, he became one of the first contractors and builders in Saticoy, which had been laid out very recently. For about three years he remained in that town, meanwhile erect- ing the large hotel there. In the fall of 1889 he began to work in San Francisco. One year later, when the Charles hotel at Saticoy burned down, he was solicited to return and rebuild the struct- ure and consented to take the contract, which brought him back to Saticoy. Many of the most important contracts were given to him for the putting up of private houses and business struct- ures, and he remained in the place, busily en- gaged at his trade, until the spring of 1899, when he came to Oxnard as a contractor and builder. Erecting a residence in the town, he moved his family here in 1900, and has since become known as one of the reliable and capable business men. of the place. While living at Saticoy he mar- ried Miss Artemisia L. Bither, a native of Maine and, like himself, an Episcopalian in religious views.

The Republican party always has had the earnest support of Mr. Myers, who ranks among its local leaders. In 1904 he accepted an appoint- ment to serve as member of the town council of Oxnard, to fill a vacancy caused by the resigna- tion of Mr. Parrish. Since becoming a council- man he has supported all movements for the de- velopment of the town and the expansion of its commercial affairs, yet at the same time he has safeguarded the welfare of taxpayers and has been as solicitous to avoid reckless expenditures as he has been anxious to promote necessary im- provements. His fraternal relations are varied and important, and include membership in the Independent Order of Foresters : Oxnard Lodge No. 341, F. and A. M .; Oxnard Lodge, I. O. O. F .; also the Encampment and the Order of Re- hekahs.

GLEN HOLLY DAIRY. What push and enterprise when rightly directed can accomplish has nowhere been better illustrated than in the history of the Glen Holly Dairy of Long Beach. In the spring of 1905 the plant was established as an off-shoot of the parent establishment known by the same name in Los Angeles. It

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was carried on for a number of months with in- different success, when, in September, 1905, the plant was purchased by H. N. Williams and F. E. Norman, since which time it has been in- creased in size until it is now one of the largest dairy industries in the county outside of Los Angeles. The plant is located at the corner of Third and Alamitos streets. They handle the product of five hundred cows, which supplies both the wholesale and retail trade, and in the transportation of which they keep five wagons constantly employed. A number of the smaller dairies in Long Beach have been added to the plant from time to time, until the Glen Holly Dairy handles practically all of the business in that line throughout Long Beach and surround- ing country. The office and storeroom are lo- cated at No. 223 Pine avenue.

One of the prime movers in the success of the Glen Holly Dairy is H. N. Williams, who spent the greater part of his life in Lyons, Kans., where he attended the common and high schools, later taking a course in Washington and Jeffer- son College, a Presbyterian institution in Wash- ington, Pa.

F. E. Norman is a native of Illinois, where for many years he had been engaged in the life insurance business. For some time after com- iing to the west he followed this business in San Francisco, coming to Los Angeles in 1904 as a general agent for the Germania Life Insurance Company. He resigned this position in Septem- ber of the following year to become associated with Mr. Williams in the purchase of the Glen Holly Dairy, with which his name has since been associated.

DOCTOR M. BREEDLOVE. In giving a résumé of those who have taken a prominent part in the upbuilding of San Diego county, and especially that part in the vicinity of Escondido, prominent mention belongs to Mr. Breedlove, whose ranch and chicken farm are among the model enterprises in this part of the county. He is one of six children born to his parents, Will- iam and Susan (Haggard) Breedlove, both of whom were born and reared in Kentucky. In later years they removed to Missouri, and on the large ranch which the father owned in that state his earth life came to a close in 1892, when in his seventy-fourth year. His wife also died on the home place when seventy-three years of age.

Of the five children, two still reside in the east and three are in California. D. M. Breed- love was born in Webster county, Mo., Febru- ary 26, 1859, and until after attaining his ma- jority he had never left his native state. His application to the duties which fell to his lot as

a farmer's son, however, gave him a knowledge of agricultural affairs which stood him in good stead when, at the age of twenty-two years, he launched out on an independent career. Leav- ing Missouri in 1879 he came direct to Para- dise Mountain, San Diego county, and took up a government claim of one hundred and sixty acres, which became the nucleus of the ranch he now owns. As his means permitted he pur- chased eighty acres adjoining and now has two hundred and forty acres devoted to diversified farming. A part of the land is in grain and orchard (the latter comprising seven hundred almond' trees), cattle and horses are raised and pastured on another portion, but the part of the ranch that is given over to the raising of chick- ens is perhaps the most profitable, for this branch of agriculture claims Mr. Breedlove's particular attention.

A marriage ceremony performed in Escondido in 1883 united the destinies of D. M. Breedlove and Laura Harrison, the latter a native of Illi- nois, and five children have been born to them : Edward, Waldo, Inez, Harry and Myrtle. In his political belief Mr. Breedlove is a Democrat. on the ticket of which party he was elected to the office of constable, a position for which he is well fitted.

DANIEL McNIVEN. Some men are born great, and some have to achieve greatness. . Evi- dently Daniel McNiven, an esteemed resident of North Glendale, Los Angeles county, was des- tined to be the architect of his own fortune. Beginning at the foot of the ladder of attain- ments as a boy of fourteen years, he has made diligent use of his natural talents and given opportunities. and by untiring energy, sturdy application, wisdom and sagacity, has won a po- sition of prominence and influence in social, fra- ternal and financial circles. A son of Donald and Mary (McLeod) McNiven, he was born in New York state, where his parents settled on coming to the United States from their native land, Scotland, and where they lived a short time before taking up their permanent residence in Prince Edward Island.

Brought up in the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island, Daniel McNiven received mea- gre educational advantages as a boy, attending school until fourteen years old. Starting in life then on his own account, he worked in Halifax, Nova Scotia, for two years, and from there mi- grated to Boston, Mass., where he served an apprenticeship at the carpenter's trade with a skilful contractor and builder, in whose employ he continued a number of years. Leaving Bos- ton in 1876, he went first to Rhode Island, thence westward, finally locating in Manitoba, North-

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western Territory, where he secured a position as foreman of a gang of laborers, and had charge of building the station houses on the Canadian Pacific Railroad. In 1879 he went to Leadville, Colo., where for twenty-five years he was actively and successfully engaged in mining. An expert in mining matters, he was made manager of the Chrysolite Silver Mining Company, a New York concern, with mines at Leadville and Fryer Hill, and this responsible position he still retains, al- though he now resides in California. In 1905 lfe met the secretary and treasurer of the com- pany, they representing the board of directors, and sent by them his resignation as manager. This the company refused to accept, and as Mr. McNiven is not a stockholder the refusal was a great compliment to his ability and trustworthi- ness. Coming to Los Angeles county in 1901, he bought thirteen and thirty-seven hundredths acres of land in North Glendale, and having made considerable improvement has now a valu- able ranch, on which he has resided for two years.

In Leadville, Colo., Mr. McNiven married Alice Cunningham, who was born and educated in St. Louis, Mo. She died in Leadville, leaving three children, namely: Alice, wife of William Howie, who was born in Leadville, but now re- sides in Los Angeles; Margaret; and Lester. Mr. McNiven is prominent in Masonic circles, being a Knight Templar and a Shriner. In the lodges of which he is a member he has passed all the chairs, and while in Leadville served as eminent commander of Mount Holy Cross Com- mandery No. 5. On leaving the chair of master of Leadville Lodge No. 51, he was presented with a beautiful jewel, which he prizes highly.

JOHN JAY NESTELL. Without excep- tion John Jay Nestell is the most enterprising and energetic business man in Avalon, where he is a large property holder and has done and is doing much to make Catalina Island one of the finest and most up-to-date resorts in the country. His own home is the largest and finest in the city, fitted with every modern improvement, and artistic in its furnishings and appointments. He has named his resi- dence "Tio Juan," the Spanish for Uncle John, by which title Mr. Nestell is popularly known in Avalon. His birth occurred August 14, 1840, in New York City, where the early years of his life were spent. The Nestell family is of Holland-Dutch extraction, al- though the last six or seven generations have been natives and residents of New York City. The great-grandfather was a patriot in the Revolutionary war, and the grandfather fought in the war of 1812. The latter was a tobac-

conist, having been connected with the Loril- lards in that business. The father, John Joachim, was engaged in business as an archi- tect and builder, and resided in his younger years on Attorney street, in New York City, later removing to St. Mark's place and subse- quently built his home on One Hundred and Twenty-fourth street, where his death occurred. His wife was Ann Jane Schultze, in maiden- hood, a native also of New York City. She was a member of an old Dutch family, and lived in her native city until the time of her death, she and her husband both living to advanced ages. Of the nine children born to them seven grew to maturity, but John Jay Nestell is the only son of the family now living.

The fourth child in order of birth, after fin- ishing his studies in the grammar schools of the city John Jay Nestell was sent to a private academy for a time. As a very young boy he evinced decided ambitions for a business career and when only thirteen years old used to read the "boy wanted" advertisements appearing in the daily papers. He finally secured a position as messenger boy at a salary of $15 a year, and performed his duties so well that the sum was doubled the second year. The firm soon failed in business, however, and the lad turned his attention to other work. Having a taste for building he decided to learn the carpenter's trade and became a pupil of his father in that work. After seven years he became manager of the business. One day in 1862 he was asked to call at the old Lorillard real estate office, being sent from there to the office of the Eagle Fire Insurance Company, where he was offered a position as surveyor at a salary of $700 a year. He accepted the offer and continued at the work for two years at an increased salary. He was then made assistant secretary of the com- pany, which position he resigned three years later to organize the Manufacturers and Build- ers' Fire Insurance Company. Upon the re- ceipt of his resignation the president of the Eagle Company sent for Mr. Nestell and asked him to continue with them at his own salary, but he had made promises to Mr. Loew that he did not care to recall. Accordingly the new company was organized and incorporated with Mr. Nestell as its secretary and Mr. Loew as president. They built up a good business, es- tablished agencies in all the important cities of the United States, and for twenty-seven years Mr. Nestell continued as secretary, traveling over the country from east to west and north to south, working up business. In 1892 he sold out to the Palatine Insurance Company of Eng- land, continuing to hold his position as secre- tary for three years, when he resigned in order to devote himself to other business interests.

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While traveling in the south Mr. Nestell be- came interested in iron manufacturing with the Sloss Steel and Iron Company of Birming- ham, Ala., acquiring a large amount of stock, but declining the presidency of the company. The business was a great success from the start and J. Campbell Maben, who filled the office of president, was also an officer with General Early in the Civil war on the Confederate side. Mr. Nestell served in the Twenty-second New York militia and met him in an encounter in Pennsylvania when that officer was detailed with a field force to keep the enemy in check until Early had made his escape. Mr. Nestell had been a member of Company B, of the old Twenty-second Regiment of New York militia, which was ordered to the front in 1863, and took part in early engagements, passed through the Gettysburg campaign and was later ordered to New York to quell the riots there.

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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 II, Part 129

Author: Guinn, James Miller, 1834-1918 Publication date: 1907 Publisher: Los Angeles, Cal., Historic record company Number of Pages: 1234

Author: Guinn, James Miller, 1834-1918
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Los Angeles, Cal., Historic record company
Number of Pages: 1234