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 164

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

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Coming to Southern California in 1887 he located in Redlands and became receiver for the mill and lumber firm of Pratt & North, and after completing their affairs in good shape he went to Puget Sound in January, 1889, and engaged with Pope & Talbot of the Puget Mill Company as cashier for the period of three years, and then returning to Redlands he soon entered the First National Bank as bookkeeper, working up to the position of teller and assistant cashier. This position he resigned in May, 1906, to accept

the position of manager for the Home Gas & Electric Company, which had just been or- ganized, he assuming charge of the time of the business, construction of the plant, the laying of pipes, installation of the plant, which has a ca- pacity of two thousand horse power. This busi- ness he ably conducted until the fall of 1906, when, having come prominently before the public in various official capacities, he was nominated on the Republican ticket for the office of county assessor. His election followed November 6, with a majority of thirteen hundred votes, and on January 7, 1907, he took the oath of office and entered upon his duties for a term of four years. He has proven his ability in official posi- tion, having held the position of city treasurer for a year, preceded by several years' experience as deputy in that office.

In Los Angeles Mr. Wilson was united in marriage with Miss Mary K. Kenney, a native of Pennsylvania, and they have one son, Kenneth Field. Mr. Wilson is prominent in fraternal cireles, being identified with Redlands Lodge No. 186, K. of P., of which he is past chancellor commander, and also belongs to the Uniformed Rank of the K. of P .; is a member of Redlands Lodge No. 583. B. P. O. E., of which he is past exalted ruler ; Woodmen of the World; and the Royal Court, of which he is past chancellor and present grand auditor. He supports the Catholic Church, of which his wife is a member. For many years he has served as a member of the Republican county central committee as a mem- ber of its executive committee, and in the ad- vancement of the city's interests is a member of the Board of Trade. December 24, 1902, he re- ceived the appointment from Governor Gage to membership on the Board of Managers of the Southern California state hospital at Patton, and was re-appointed January 7, 1907, by Governor Pardee to the same position. In every way he has proven himself a capable and public spirited citizen and has given his best efforts toward the material upbuilding of his adopted city.

ERASTUS C. WHITE. A well known and esteemed citizen of Los Angeles county is Eras- tus C. White, who is engaged in the manage- ment of a ranch in the vicinity of Norwalk, where he has been a resident since 1898. He was born in Mercer county, Pa., February 4, 1847, a son of William and Rachel (Temple) White, both natives of the same state. He re- ceived a common school education in his native county and after completing the course he learned the trade of wagon maker. He then enlisted for service in the Civil war, becoming a soldier in Company E, Seventh United States Infantry at Erie, Pa., and being ordered to the front saw

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service in many of the important engagements of the struggle. He was at City Point in Virginia, at Grant's headquarters, also served along the Weldon railroad, was then stationed at Fort Schuyler, and was next sent to Florida, where he remained for about a year and a half. He received his honorable discharge in Tampa, Fla., in March, 1867, having re-enlisted Febru- ary 29, 1864.

Returning to Pennsylvania he remained a few years and then went to Iowa and bought a farm of eighty acres and there carried on general ranching for three years, from there going to Rice county, Kans., he took up a government claim of one hundred and sixty acres. His home remained in that section for the period of ten years, when he removed to Kansas City and there worked for the Kansas City, Fort Scott & Memphis Railroad in the car department. He was thus employed for ten years when he located in Salt Lake City and entered the car department of the Rio Grande & Western Railroad at Salt Lake, spending about a half of his time in Provo, Utah. Resigning from this work in 1890 he came to Southern California and in Los An- geles engaged in the car department of the Southern Pacific Railroad Company, remaining with them for eight years. In 1898 he came to his present location and purchased thirty acres, ten acres of which are devoted to the raising of wine grapes, and the balance to grain and pasture land. He is also engaged in the raising of poul- try, having several hundred pure bred Leghorns.

In 1874 Mr. White was united in marriage with Miss Hattie Shaw, who died in 1904, leav- ing two daughters, Lucy, wife of H. E. Memory, of Los Angeles; and Minnie, at home with her father. Fraternally Mr. White is a member of the Odd Fellows organization in the east, and politically he is a stanch Republican. In memory of his days of soldiering he belongs to the Grand Army of the Republic.

CHARLES YOUNG. For nearly thirty years Charles Young has been a resident of this community and has taken his place as one of the substantial, reliable citizens of the section. In- heriting the sturdy traits characteristic of his forefathers, he was born in Sweden August 15, 1849, a son of Peter and Anna M. (Anderson) Young; both natives of that country, the father engaging as a captain in the Swedish navy and losing his life at sea. The mother passed away in her native country, leaving a family of five chil- dren, of whom all but Charles Young are still residents of Sweden.

A good high school education was received by Charles Young in his native country, and after completing the course he went to sea and fol-

lowed this life for the period of six years. De- ciding to locate in the United States as the land of opportunities of which he had heard so much during his work as steward on a Swedish mer- chant vessel, he came to the United States and in Chicago engaged in the house moving busi- ness for the period of two years. Coming to California in 1872 he located in San Francisco and engaged in the conduct of a restaurant and after two and a half years went to the mines in Nevada where he spent some time. He was quite successful in his efforts and saved money with which to invest in real estate, which he did immediately after coming to Los Angeles county, purchasing twenty acres of land and erecting a fine home and commodious outbuild- ings for the necessary equipment of the ranch. He has added to his acreage until he now owns sixty-five acres of valuable land. He has sixteen acres devoted to wine grapes and is a director in the Artesia Wine Association. The balance of the property is given over to barley and alfalfa. The ranch shows the care and attention which Mr. Young has given it, everything being in ex- cellent repair and the land brought to a high state of cultivation.

In 1876 Mr. Young was united in marriage with Miss Elizabeth Finley, Nevada City, Cal., a daughter of John Finley, a pioneer of Cali- fornia, and they have two children, Mamie and Gertrude. Fraternally Mr. Young is associated with the Knights of Pythias lodge here and the Independent Order of Foresters, and politically he is a stanch Republican. He supports the Catholic Church, of which his wife is a mem- ber. For a time after coming to this section Mr. Young followed the butcher business, and in this enterprise was very successful.

JOHN W. WILSON, the national bank ex- aminer, is a man of wide experience in this line and is well known throughout Southern Cali- fornia where he has made his home for over twenty years. He is a native of Maine, his birth having occurred in Gardner August 25, 1858. His father, John S. Wilson, was born in Rich- mond, Me., of Scotch ancestry, and in young manhood engaged as a merchant in Gardner; in 1870 he came to Alameda, Cal., thence two years later went back to Portland, Me. In 1886 he came to California and retired from the active cares of life, making his home in Redlands until his death, which occurred in 1904 at the age of seventy-seven years. He had made a trip via the Isthmus of Panama to California in 1850 and with his brother William, engaged as a merchant in San Francisco. He returned to Maine three years later, his brother continuing the mercantile enterprise in San Francisco for

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many years. He married Anna Field, a native of Gardner, Me., and she is still surviving and making her home in Redlands. They were the parents of nine children, of whom five are surviv- ing and making their homes in Redlands, a son, H. B., being county assessor.

The third in order of birth, John W. Wilson was reared in his native city and educated in its public schools, accompanying his parents to Ala- meda, Cal., and two years later returning to Portland, Me., where he graduated from the high school in 1877. He then entered Bowdoin College and graduated therefrom four years later with the degree of A. B. He then engaged in business in Portland in a wholesale hardware enterprise under the firm name of N. M. Perkins & Co. In 1886 he disposed of these interests and com- ing to Southern California located in Redlands, here with his father purchasing ten acres on West Cypress avenue, which they immediately set out in oranges, and at the same time began improving a fifteen-acre tract on San Bernar- dino avenue. In 1887 when the Bank of East San Bernardino Valley was opened he became its cashier. This bank later became the First National Bank of Redlands and he remained its cashier until July, 1900, when he resigned to accept the position of national bank examiner for California and Nevada, which office he has since filled with entire credit to himself and satisfaction to all concerned. Previous to this he was instrumental in the organization of the Savings Bank of Redlands. In March, 1907, he resigned as national bank examiner, having been elected vice-president of the American National Bank, of San Francisco.

In 1904 Mr. Wilson erected a fine residence on West Palnı avenue, which is presided over by his wife, formerly Miss Jennie C. Haskell, a native of Topsham, Me., where their marriage occurred in 1886. They have one daughter, Marguerite, and a son, Sanford. Mr. Wilson is associated fraternally with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and politically is a true blue Republican. He is a member of the Redlands Board of Trade and active in all measures tending toward the advancement of the city's welfare.

ROBERT H. MARTIN. In 1884 when the Carter excursion from Los Angeles and surround- ing country was given, Mr. Martin was one of the men hired to drive the prospective buyers from Watson Junction, using ordinary farm wagons for the purpose, hence the latter may claim with justice to have witnessed the growth of Long Beach from a very early date. In- deed, before it was supposed that a town would he located on this site, he often cut grain in the

fields here and engaged in general farm work on land where beautiful homes now stand. Af- ter some years of successful work as a rancher and fruit-grower, in January of 1905 he sold his country property and moved into Long Beach, where he erected his first residence on the lot on the corner of Fourth and Daisy streets; in addition to this property he owns business prop- erty on Pine street also occasional dealing in real estate. In 1906 he erected a modern resi- dence at No. 1021 Locust avenue, where he is now living.

The Martin family is of English extraction. William and Mary (Harper) Martin were na- tives of England, but emigrated from there to Canada in youth and met and married in a Cana- dian community. From there they removed to the States and settled in Indianapolis, Ind., where their son, Robert H., was born November 3, 1860, and where the wife and mother died in young womanhood. From Indiana the family went to Iowa and remained in Marshalltown for eight years. Early in the year 1875 the father with two sons, Robert H. and Walter H., and a daughter, Laura (who is now the wife of Alfred Owens) left Iowa for the far west, mak- ing the journey overland. For four months they stopped in Round valley, Utah, and celebrated the 4th of July with appropriate ceremonies in Salt Lake City. Eventually, in March of 1876, they landed at Los Angeles, where the father, who was a carpenter, found ready employment at his trade. After a year he settled upon a ranch and for some time devoted his attention principally to the duties incident to agricultural and horti- cultural pursuits. On retiring from active cares he came to Long Beach, where at the age of over eighty years he still maintains a deep interest in the well-being of the community and retains his physical and mental activity to a large degree.

When less than fifteen years of age Robert H. Martin started on the long journey across the plains and mountains, in company with other members of the family. Previous to this he had attended the common schools of Marshalltown and later he studied in the Los Angeles county schools at Alhambra for a short time, but at the age of seventeen years he left school and be- came self-supporting. For some time he worked as a farm hand at Alhambra. On attaining his majority he bought ten acres at the Willows, two miles north of Long Beach, and afterward bought adjoining property, so that he cultivated, of his own and rented land, a considerable acre- age, the larger part of which was in fruit. As previously stated, he disposed of the ranch at the beginning of the year 1905 and came to Long Beach, where already he had a large cir- cle of friends and acquaintances. While living

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at the Willows, in 1893, he was united in mar- riage with Olive, daugliter of Russell Kingcade, a well-known citizen who is represented else- where in this volume. Two children blessed their union, namely : Violet Velma, who died in infancy ; and George K., who was born in March, 1900. Mrs. Martin is a member of the Eastern Star Chapter and the Ebell Club of Long Beach. Though not active in politics and never car- ing for the excitement of official life, Mr. Martin yet has stanch convictions upon national issues and loyally advocates Republican princi- ples.

ALONZO W. LEE. Besides looking after the interests of the government as postmaster at Lemon, Los Angeles county, for eight years, Mr. Lee is the owner of a fine ranch of thirty-five acres in this vicinity, which he purchased upon coming to the state in 1887. At that time he set out seven acres to valencia oranges and the remainder of the land to walnuts, and now has one of the finest bearing orchards in the county. The residence and other buildings upon the ranch are in keeping, and all in all he has one of the valuable estates for which this part of the state is noted.

Alonzo W. Lee is a native of Indiana and was born in Washington county October 31, 1857, one of the seven children born to his parents, William and Elizabeth (Thomas) Lee, born in Kentucky and Indiana respectively. After their marriage, which occurred in Indiana, they set- tled down in . Washington county, where the father followed his trade of blacksmith through the remainder of his active years. The call to arms in defense of his country's honor came to him while on his farm there, and he left all be- hind him to enlist in an Indiana regiment. Up- on the expiration of his first term of enlistment he again entered the ranks, serving in all three years, after which he returned to the home farm, and from then until his death, at the age of fifty-eight, continued blacksmithing in connection with his farm management. Politically he was a Republican, and was a member of the Grand Army. The mother died at the comparatively early age of forty-two years, having become the mother of seven children, of whom Alonzo W. is the only one in California, the others still resi- dents of Indiana.

The common schools of Washington county, Ind., furnished all of the educational training which was to come into the life of Alonzo W. Lee, and until reaching his majority he remained with his parents on the home farm in that county. The western fever, however, had in the mean time fastened itself upon him, and in 1878, when he reached his twenty-first year, he left home

with Nebraska as his destination. As he had had no experience aside from his training on the home farm it was natural that he should take up farming wherever he located, and he was thus occupied in Nebraska for two years, after which he went to southwestern Missouri and made a specialty of grain-raising for four years. Thence he went to the neighboring state of Kan- sas and carried on general farming for about three years, at the end of this time, in 1887, com- pleting his western journey by coming to Cali- fornia. He came direct to the San José valley, and was so well pleased with his choice of lo- cation in the vicinity of what is now Lemon that he has had no desire to remove elsewhere. The fine ranch of thirty-five acres which he pur- chased at that time he set out to oranges and walnuts, erected a residence for his family and suitable outbuildings necessary for the proper care and handling of his products, and it is a very conservative statement to say that without exception he has one of the finest ranches in Southern California. He is also interested in a pumping plant in the vicinity of his ranch, which furnishes him with all water necessary for irrigation.

In 1885 Mr. Lee was married in Neosho Falls, Kans., to Miss Eva Engle, a native of Illinois, but as her parents removed to Missouri when she was a child of two years the greater part of her early life was passed in the latter state. Seven children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Lee, as follows: Dewitt, Edna, Maud, Ernest, Kathleen, Arthur and Florence. Politically Mr. Lee is a Republican, and it was the influence of Republican friends that led to his appointment as postmaster of Lemon in 1898, a position which he filled with entire satisfaction for eight years. He is also a member of the county central com- mittee of his party. The only fraternal asso- ciation which he finds time for is the Modern Woodmen. of America, holding membership in the camp at Lemon. He is a member of the Southern California Fruit Exchange and is vice- president of Walnut Fruit Growers' Associa- tion at Walnut.

BENJAMIN F. LIBBY. Even under the most favored circumstances the life of a pioneer is fraught with hardship, toil and discourage- ment, and only a brave spirit and a happy optim- ism can surmount the manifold obstacles. To the pioneers of the San Luis Rey valley in San Diego county there came troubles more than ordinarily discouraging, arising from the con- flicts between the stockmen and the settlers; and, although these trials are now long since past and harmony came to the two warring fac- tions, yet at the time the troubles were none the

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less real and vexatious. As one who endured these hardships the name of Benjamin F. Libby is well known not only to the pioneer element of the county, but to the younger generation as well. In recompense for the hardships of early days, he now enjoys every comfort and is finan- cially well-to-do, with dairy, stock and alfalfa ranch of three hundred acres lying in the sunny valley of San Luis Rey.

The Libby family comes from New England. William E. and Catherine (Higgins) Libby were natives of Maine, whence they removed to Wis- consin and from there to Iowa. Eventually they came to California and entered land in San Diego county, where the mother died in 1878, at the age of sixty-seven years, and the father in 1880, at seventy years of age. Four children comprised their family, of whom two sons and one daughter still survive, one of the sons be- ing Benjamin F., who was born near Bangor, in Penobscot county, Me., April 7, 1846. At the age of twelve years he accompanied his parents to Wisconsin and settled at Madison, where, on the completion of his grammar-school studies, he enjoyed the superior advantages offered by the State University. After leaving the uni- versity he aided his father in the hotel business. In 1865 he accompanied the family to Iowa City, Iowa, where he assisted his father in the man- agement of an agricultural implement establish- ment. From there he came via the Isthmus to California in 1867, and after a short business ex- perience in San Francisco he proceeded to San Luis Rey, San Diego county, where ever since he has made his home. In those days settlers were few and were kept together mainly through the arduous efforts of Major Utt, whose en- couragement often took the form of financial assistance at a time most needed. For several years Mr. Libby acted as deputy assessor and for seven years he engaged in teaching school, after which he gave his attention wholly to the management of his ranch.

The marriage of Mr. Libby took place in 1874 and united him with Margaret, daughter of Charles Stone and a native of Texas, the family having traveled via the southern route to Cali- fornia in an early day and settling in this val- ley. Mrs. Libby is a woman of gentle and amiable disposition, a devoted Episcopalian, and loyal to every duty as wife and mother and friend. Five daughters were born of their union. Grace, who resides in Oceanside, is the widow of Charles J. Porteous and has one son now attending college. Emma, Mrs. A. E. Stokes, has three sons and lives at Santa Maria, Cal. Catherine is the wife of R. L. Johnson and lives at Corona, this state. Anne married Henry Mills and lives at Barbourtown, South Africa, where Mr. Mills fills the office of inspector of

schools for the English government. The young- est daughter, Cora, is teaching school at New- port, this state.

Reared in the faith of the Republican party. Mr. Libby has been stanch to its principles all through his life and has given his ballot to its candidates at local and national elections. The high esteem in which he is held comes not alone from his position as one of the oldest surviving settlers of the valley; over and above that, he is respected for his honorable life, for his manly deeds, for his generosity to those in need, for his kindly spirit of friendship toward all, and for those qualities which bind man to man and which weave hearts together in the closest bonds of friendship.

JOHN WALDO LINCOLN. Prominent among the most valued and highly esteemed resi- dents of Ocean Park is John Waldo Lincoln, a well-known real-estate dealer and a successful business man. The descendant of a prominent New England family, he was born, October 30, 1852, in Worcester, Mass., a son of the late Ed- ward Winslow Lincoln. In his veins flows some of the best blood of the old Bay state, he being a descendant in the eighth generation, ac- cording to a work published a number of years ago in Massachusetts, of Samuel Lincoln, who emigrated from England in 1637, and settled in Hingham, Mass., his lineage being thus traced : Samuel (1), Samuel (2), Jedediah (3), Enoch (4), Levi (5), Levi (6), Edward Winslow (7), and John Waldo (8).

Levi Lincoln (5), who was graduated from Harvard College in 1772, was attorney-general in President Jefferson's cabinet, later serving as lieutenant governor, and afterwards as acting governor of Massachusetts. His son, Levi Lin- coln (6), was graduated from Harvard in 1802; was subsequently speaker of the house of repre- sentatives, lieutenant governor, and a judge of the supreme court. From 1825 until 1834 he was governor of the state, and in 1848 was made first mayor of the city of Worcester. He married Penelope Winslow Sever, who was descended from two of the Mayflower passengers, Edward Winslow and Richard Warren. One of his sons, D. Waldo Lincoln, was for many years president of the Boston & Albany Railroad, while his son George was killed in the Mexican war.

Edward Winslow Lincoln (7) was born in Worcester, Mass., December 2, 1820, and died in that city December 15, 1896. After his grad- uation from Harvard College, in 1839, he went to Alton, Ill .. where he studied law, and being admitted to the bar engaged in the practice of his profession, having among his legal associates

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Stephen A. Douglas and Abraham Lincoln. Re- turning from there to Worcester, he resided there, honored and respected for his sterling in- tegrity and worth, until his death. He married Sarah Rhodes Arnold, who was born in Rhode Island, and died in Massachusetts in early wom- anhood, her death occurring July 1, 1856. She came of distinguished ancestry, being connected with the families of both Governor Rhodes and Governor Padelford. Of the four children born of their union, John Waldo, the subject of this sketch, is the only one living.

Educated in Worcester, Mass., John Waldo Lincoln was a member of the first class that was graduated from the Polytechnic Institute of that city. After receiving his diploma he worked as a civil engineer until his health failed, following his profession in the east, in Kansas, Oregon and California. For a number of years he was pay- master on the Northern Pacific Railroad, on its western division, and also had charge of the con- struction, for the contractors, of the Siskiyou tunnel, on the Oregon & Transcontinental Rail- road, and superintended the construction of the Croton aqueduct in 1885 for contractors Brown, Howard & Co. Coming to Southern California in 1894, Mr. Lincoln located in San Diego coun- ty, and for a number of years thereafter was president of the Fruit Exchange at Escondido, and was also. employed in orange growing to some extent. Coming from there to Los Angeles county, he was engaged in the oil business at Los Angeles for awhile. Since 1901 he has been a resident of Ocean Park, and has carried on a good business in real estate, dealing principally in hill property, although he owns valuable land on the beach.

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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 164

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