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 17

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

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HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

For forty years he was an auctioneer, starting after the war to sell condemned government goods throughout Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin and Missouri.

November 12, 1851, Mr. Westgate married Mary Jane Hall, who was born February 23, 1835, a daughter of David and Sarah (Jenner) Hall. Her parents were both born in England, were there married, and in 1833 immigrated to New York, where they resided until 1847. Removing to Illinois, they remained there seven years, when they removed to Iowa, taking up government land in Jones county. Later they sold from their land the site of the Oxford mills. Mr. Hall died in 1873 at the age of seventy-five, and Mrs. Hall in 1871, at the same age, both being buried in Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Westgate are the parents of six children, three living, namely: James E., Ella A., and Charles A., Jr. James E. Westgate was the first white child born in Plano, Ill., and is now a resident of Chicago; he is married and has four children. Ella A., the only daughter, is the wife of Dr. James T. Arwine, who has recently opened an office for the practice of his profession in Los Angeles. Prior to her mar- riage Mrs. Arwine was employed in the pension office at Washington, D. C., for nine years, and was one of two special clerks sent from that de- partment to the land office, with which she was connected for two years. Charles A., Jr., who is in business in Santa Ana, Cal., is married and has two children. Politically Mr. Westgate is a stanch Republican and is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic. Fraternally he was made a Mason in 1865 in Sunbeam Lodge No. 636, A. F. & A. M., in Plano, Ill. ; he assisted in organizing the lodge in Peotone, serving six years as master, and upon his retirement was pre- sented with a silver pitcher ; he is now a member of Long Beach Lodge No. 327. Mrs. Westgate has been a member of the Eastern Star Chapter since 1870 and for twenty years held office in Peotone, Dorcas Chapter ; she was presented witlı an emblematic pin at the time she left Illinois. She is also a member of the Woman's Relief Corps. Mr. Westgate joined the Independent Order of Odd Fellows in Little Rock, Ill., in 1853 and his wife joined the Rebekahs the following year. Mrs. Westgate is an artist, having some very fine reproductions in oil from her brush. her work being remarkable from the fact that she had never taken the brush in hand until she was fifty-eight years old. November 12, 1901, Mr. and Mrs. Westgate celebrated their golden wed- ding anniversary at their home on Linden street, and on the same day in 1906 they celebrated their fifty-fifth anniversary. Comparatively few cou- ples are spared to enjoy this privilege and the oc- casion was celebrated in a fitting manner, old

friends as well as new calling to pay them hom- age and wishing them many more years of con- tinued health and happiness.

FRANCIS J. SILLIFANT. Actively en- gaged in business as one of the foremost contract- ing plasterers of San Diego, Francis J. Sillifant is contributing his full share towards the advance- ment of the industrial prosperity of the city, and holds an assured position among its respected and valued residents. An excellent workman, fa- miliar with every branch of his trade, and ever willing to oblige all patrons, he is kept busily employed at all times and gives employment to several journeymen plasterers. An Englishman by birth, he was born in Launceston, County Cornwall, May 18, 1857, the son of William Sill- ifant, the latter a contractor and builder of Launceston, and the descendant of an old and respected family.

On July 4, 1897, Francis J. Sillifant located in San Diego, and ere many seasons had passed he has successfully filled many contracts in plastering, winning a fine reputation for durable and artistic work, and building up a substantial business. Politically he sustains the principles of the Republican party in national affairs, but in local matters votes independent of party re- strictions. Fraternally he is a member of the Foresters of America, of the Royal League and of Silver Gate Lodge, No. 296, F. & A. M.

ORVILLE S. HECOX. Early in the col- onial history of our country the Hecox family came from Ireland and became identified with the pioneer element of Connecticut, where some of the name aided in the building up of the town of Durham. About 1786 Robert Mor- ris purchased a large tract in New York from the Seneca nation, and shortly afterward James Hecox, of Farmington, Conn., accom- panied by his son, Adna (then a youth of nine- teen years), and some six others of the same neighborhood, started out to explore the new purchase and after arriving at the Big Tree began to survey land for Mr. Morris. How- ever, on account of the hostility of the Indians, immigration was temporarily abandoned, but later James Hecox purchased six hundred acres of land. In his family there were four sons, James, Salmon, Adna and Reuben. Of these Adna (through whom the present gen- ealogy is traced) made his home at Fort Mal- din in Canada and from there moved to Goose Island near Detroit, where his son, Adna A., was born January 26, 1806. While the father was engaged in repairing some of his farming implements, on the 3d of July, 1812, a friend,

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James Chittenden, came to his house with the alarming news that war had been declared with England. Two hours later the father and mother, with their six children and three hired inen, were in two canoes on their way to De- troit, seeking the protection of the soldiers at that post. In the spring of the following year the father went to a small island, where he planted and harvested a sufficient quantity of corn and potatoes to keep the "wolf from the door" until the war had ended. Later he re- turned to Goose Island and after the death of his wife, in 1820, he bought a tract of land near Fort Rock, where he remained until his death in 1829. His life had been character- ized by the stirring incidents of the frontier, and he was a typical pioneer, honest, hospit- able, companionable and energetic, well quali- fied by a stalwart frame and robust constitu- tion to endure the vicissitudes of existence be- yond the confines of civilization.

The early recollections of Adna A. Hecox were associated with scenes of peril and hard- ships on the frontier, where he was reared. In February of 1829 he married Catherine Man- nausan and three years later moved to St. Jo- seph county, Mich., where he remained for six years. Meanwhile, in 1834, his wife died of cholera while visiting at Brownstown. July TO, 1836, he married Margaret M. Hamer, of Pennsylvania, a woman of beautiful character and saintly life, whose memory is cherished in the hearts of her children. From Michigan they moved to Illinois, but considerations of health caused them to seek a more genial cli- mate. April 1, 1846, an expedition started for California with three wagons and ox-teams.

The party consisted of seven men, two women . the discoverers of the rich gold mines at

and seven children, among them being A. A. Hecox, wife and four children. When they reached the Chariton river the road became blocked with Mormons headed by Brigham Young, but the party of emigrants proceeded without pause and on their arrival at camp found the Mormons had gone forward. On the 4th of May thev arrived at St. Joseph, Mo .. thence crossed the Missouri river, and started westward via Forts Kearny and Laramie, and the Platte river. While crossing the plains they were attacked by a herd of buffaloes and Mrs. Hecox received a fracture of the collar- bone. While at Big Meadows they were vis- ited by "Old" 'Truckee and two others who proposed to accompany them to the new land. October of 1846 found them camping in the Sacramento vallev. As soon as it became known that they had arrived at Sutter's Fort, Captain Swift of Fremont's battalion visited them to solicit volunteers to aid in reconquer- ing the Mexicans. A few of the party joined

Captain Swift and the balance proceeded to San Jose in the hope of securing a permanent location.

On the Ist of November the company ar- rived at the old mission at Santa Clara, where they had been told they could get shelter, but they found the place almost uninhabitable. The number of the expedition had increased to eighty women and children, twenty-five men, and some eight boys old enough to shoul- der a rifle, but too young to join General Fre- mont. Soon typhoid fever broke out among the emigrants and fourteen of the number died of the disease. In one instance a man endea- vored to buy a few boards with which to make a bed for his sick wife, but, not finding any- one who would sell, he took a few boards. With these he constructed a rude bed and a few days later made them into a coffin for his dead wife. Afterward the alcalde fined him $25 and put him in jail for taking the boards. The first Protestant sermon ever preached in California, so far as known, was preached by A. A. Hecox on the 15th of December, 1846, his audience being the few Protestant emi- grants who had settled in the neighborhood.

During the spring of 1848 a report came to the settlers that workmen at Sutter's Fort had found small quantities of gold. The year pre- vious A. A. Hecox had moved to Soquel, San- ta Cruz county, and had erected a mill for Michael Lodge, also had built the first billiard table made in California, using redwood in its construction. While he was operating a mill rented of Mr. Lodge in 1848, all of his hands left to dig gold and he closed the mill and also proceeded to the mines, where he was one of

Hangtown. On the afternoon of their arrival his party picked up six pounds of gold. In Tulv he returned to Santa Cruz, where he was ill for six weeks. In September he started for the mines of the Mokelumne river and meet- ing Captain Aram he hauled his goods to So- nora. Though gone but five days, they cleared $2,200. In the fall of 1848 he returned to Santa Cruz, where at first he 'sold goods for William C. Parker & Co., and in 1849 opened a store with Elijah Anthony. In the fall of 1849 he was elected alcalde, in which office. during 1850, he had sixty-three cases (mostly crim- inal) in two months. After the admission of California as a state he was made justice of the peace, holding that office several terms. Also he served as public administrator and as- sociate justice of the county court. In 1861 he was elected county treasurer of Santa Cruz county, which office he filled for two years and six months. At the expiration of his term he was appointed lighthouse keeper of the Santa

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Cruz station and continued in that position until his death, March 17, 1882, since which time his daughter, Miss Laura J. F., has filled the place.

Surviving Adna A. Hecox is his widow, Margaret M., who possessed the fortitude and powers of endurance necessary to frontier ex- istence. During the war in California and while they lived at the old mission in Santa Clara, her husband was appointed one of the guard; for several nights he was too sick to fill his post, so she shouldered his rifle and took his place as a guard. In July, 1847, she was interested in the organization of a tem- perance society, and she still holds in her pos- session the pledge, written on a blank leaf of the Bible. The following is a copy: "Wash- ington Pledge, July, 1847.

"We, the undersigned, anxious to promote the true principles of temperance, do pledge our honors that we will not use any intoxicat- ing liquors as beverages."

(Signed) : A. A. Hecox Margaret M. Hecox Edwin Shaw James G. T. Dunleavy Mary Ann Dunleavy Michael Lodge William Parks Curtis Comstock James T. Kearny Henry Hill Robert Devereaux.

winner of the gold medal at the salon. After five months he began modeling without an in- structor. Among his exhibits at the salon were "Our National Game" or "The Baseball Player," the "Young Acrobat," "The Bear Hunt" and "The Football Player." Since his return to California he has modeled the large fountain erected by the Society of the Native Sons in honor of the admission of California as a state.

Upon completing the studies of the public schools Orville S. Hecox began to learn the trade of house painting, which he followed for many years. In 1886 he came to Oceanside, San Diego county, where he found ready em- ployment at his trade. For two years he also engaged in farming near Rainbow, San Diego county. In 1896 he went to Tustin, later fol- lowed his trade at Monrovia for two and one- half years, and May 15, 1905, he returned to Oceanside, where now he engages in the sale of real estate, both city property and farm lands. His marriage took place in Santa Cruz, May 12, 1880, and united him with Miss Etta L. B., daughter of J. E. Butler, who rounded the Horn in 1849 and settled in San Francisco, where he kept the Ocean house and also fol- lowed the trade of a builder. Removing to San Mateo, he took the contracts to erect the finest residences of that place. In 1876 he went to Santa Cruz and built a flour mill, but lost a fortune in the enterprise. In 1882 he settled at Riverside and two years later came to Oceanside, near where he took up two hun- dred acres of government land. During the boom hie sold his property at a high figure, but later lost heavily through investments at

Three of the children who crossed the plains with their parents are still living, namely : Mrs. Sarah E. Stampley, of Oakland, Cal .; Mrs. C. M. Brown, of Berkeley; and Adna H. of Santa Cruz. The four children born after . Rainbow. While making his home at Rain- the family came to California are as follows: bow he died in 1892. Mr. and Mrs. Hecox have an adopted daughter, Margaret. The fam- ily are identified1 with the Advent Church and are honored members of the best social circles of Oceanside. Mrs. Matilda Longley, of Santa Cruz; Mrs. A. R. Organ : Miss Laura J. F., who succeed- ed her father as kceper of the lighthouse; and the youngest, Orville S., whose name intro- duces this article, and who was born at Santa Cruz, this state, May 1, 1859. One of the most talented members of the family, Douglas Til- LOUIS L. LARSEN. Although he has been conducting his restaurant business in San Ber- nardino but a short time Louis L. Larsen has built up a large trade and is conducting one of the most successful establishments of the kind in this citv. He is a native of Drammen, Nor- way, his birth having occurred there August 19, 1876. His father, Olaf Larsen, was a Norwegian sailor. who, when he came to America, followed the same business on the Great Lakes, his head- quarters being in Milwaukee. He later removed to Minneapolis, where his death occurred. Mrs. Larsen, who was in maidenhood Christine Louise Olafson, is now residing in Minneapolis. den, a nephew of Orville S. Hecox, has an in- teresting history. Born at Chico in 1860, he was stricken with the scarlet fever at the age of five years and though he regained his health he was left deaf and dumb. In order to receive proper care he was sent to the asylum at Berkeley in 1883 and afterward became an instructor in the institution. He was twenty- four years of age before he discovered his tal- ent for the sculptor's art. In 1885 he produced his first work, "The Tired Wrestler," and later spent seven months in the National Academy of Design in New York, after which he went to Paris as a private pupil of Paul Chopin, the The first nine years of the life of Louis L.

Charles Post

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HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Larsen were spent in his native town and his education was received principally in the public schools of Minneapolis. After completing his school work' he was apprenticed to Reagan Brothers of that city to learn pastry cooking, finishing the training in three and one-half years. He then took up professional cooking and spent a summer in Yellowstone Park as pastry cook in one of the hotels owned by the Yellowstone Park Hotel Association. From there he came to San Mateo, Cal., in 1897 accepting a like posi- tion in the St. Matthew boarding school at that place. Following this he held positions as pastry cook successively at the Arlington hotel, Santa Barbara, and the hotel at El Paso Robles, re- maining in the latter place eighteen months. His next position was in Los Angeles in the Imperial cafe as night cook. In 1899 he entered the em- ploy of Fred Harvey as pastry cook at Needles, then went to San Diego, to what is now known as Hotel Robinson. Again engaging himself to Mr. Harvey he was in San Bernardino for a time, then went to Ash Fork, Ariz., and finally back to San Bernardino, becoming chief cook of the Harvey house. He resigned this position in 1904 to take charge of the Squirrel inn as proprietor, and in October, 1905, opened Larsen's lunch counter and has since been conducting it with splendid success. In 1906 he remodeled the quarters, put in a new range, and cold storage rooms, and now has a fifty-stool modern place which is enjoying great popularity.

Fraternally Mr. Larsen is a member of the Eagles and the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. He belongs to the Merchants' Association and also the Board of Trade. No enterprise tending to upbuild San Bernardino goes without his support and co-operation.

CHARLES POST. The advantages afforded to a sojourner in the west and particularly that portion of the west embraced within the limits of Southern California find in Mr. Post an en- thusiastic advocate and stalwart champion. For a long period he has made his home in the west. By actual experience he has gained an insight into the soil, climate and possibilities of various portions of the country lying west of the Rocky mountains, and of all this broad domain he considers the finest section to be in the vicinity of his present home. Since 1891 he has resided in Redlands, and for a considerable period he rendered efficient service as zanjero with the Bear Valley Irrigation Company. More recently, however, by reason of official duties, he has had his headquarters in the city of San Bernardino.

The lineage of the Post family is traced back to Peter Schuyler Post, who owned sixteen hun- dred acres in Orange county, N. Y., and wielded

a large influence among the men of his day and locality. Next in line of descent was Edwin Post, who passed his early years upon his father's vast estate in the east, but on starting out for himself sought the then unknown regions of Illinois and in the midst of the wilderness carved out a home for himself. The now prosperous city of Galesburg numbered him among its early settlers. For a number of years he followed lumbering, for a long period engaged in the cattle business, and also at another time carried on a large farm. Since his death, which occurred in 1894, his widow, Mary (Doolittle) Post, has removed to California, and now resides at Red- lands. The family of which she is a member came to this country from Holland in a very early day.

During the residence of Edwin and Mary Post, at Galesburg, Ill., their son, Charles, was born there January 5, 1860, and there he re- ceived a fair education in the grammar and high schools. At the age of sixteen years he left school and gave his attention wholly to aiding his father in the care of their farm near Lincoln, Neb., where he remained for several years, during this time taking considerable interest in the cattle industry. During 1884 he came to California and in 1891 settled at Redlands, which has been his home. Two years before coming to Califor- nia he married Miss Clara Henderson, daughter of William T. Henderson, a prominent citizen of Galesburg, Ill. Of their union five children were born, namely: Clara, Mary E., C. Alfred, Llewellyn C. and Katherine. Fraternally Mr. Post holds membership with Redlands Lodge No. 86, K. of P., in which he now officiates as dis- trict deputy, and further holds office as deputy grand chancellor. In addition he is a member of the Woodmen of the World, being past com- mander of the local camp. The Benevolent Pro- tective Order of Elks number him among their members, his name being that of a leading mem- ber of No. 583, at Redlands.

Through all of his active life, ever since at- taining his majority, Mr. Post has been a stanch supporter of the Republican party and has given its candidates his vote. In the various places of his residence he has been an influential local worker. At this writing he is a member of the Republican county central committee and ranks among the leading men of the party within the limits of San Bernardino county. In recogni- tion of his fitness for office and his services in behalf of the party, in 1901 he was appointed deputy county clerk under L. A. Pfeiffer, and this position he held until he was elected county clerk November 6, 1906, by the second largest majority received by any candidate in San Bernardino county.

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HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

ISAAC FUNK BAKER. The business in- terests of El Monte have in Mr. Baker one of their most important factors, his enterprise and progressive spirit having contributed no little to the material upbuilding and development of the place. He has built a substantial business block where he is located and carrying on a mercan- tile enterprise which is bringing him large finan- cial returns. Mr. Baker is a native of Illinois, and was born in the vicinity of Bloomington, February 15, 1865. His father, N. S. Baker, was born in Somerset, Pa., in 1814, and in man- hood became a pioneer settler of Indiana and thence removed to Illinois, where he engaged in farming from 1860 to 1875. He then located in Story county, Iowa, where he made his home until 1893, in which year his death occurred. He was descended from a Revolutionary family, his father having served as a patriot in the colonial army. By his first marriage he had two sons, Isaiah H., a resident of Nebraska, and David. They both served in the Civil war, in which serv- ice David was killed. Subsequently Mr. Baker married Mary Jones, a native of West Virginia, whose death occurred in Iowa in 1885. Of this union were born ten children, seven of whom are living.

Isaac Funk Baker was the fifth child by his father's second marriage. When ten years old he became a resident of Iowa, where he grew to manhood, alternating home duties on the farm with an attendance of the public schools, which was completed by one year at the State Agricul- tural College at Ames, Iowa. His first inde- pendent effort was as a clerk in Colo, Story county, where he continued for about two years, and in 1886 went to Boone county and followed a similar occupation for six years. He then went to Chicago and clerked for three years, when, in 1895, he came to California and in El Monte established a meat market with his broth- er, B. F. Baker, the two continuing in business for two and a half years. He then sold his in- terest and in 1897 went to San Francisco and embarked with an excursion party for Alaska, arriving at St. Michaels and thence going to Dawson by river boat, reaching his destination October I of the same year. He remained one year engaged in mining with success, when he returned to El Monte, September 1, 1898, pur- chased a lot and put up the block in which he is now engaged in business. In 1904 he put up a brick building 52x84 feet in dimensions, on the corner of Lexington and San Bernardino road, and put in a stock of general merchandise which includes everything to be found in a busi- ness of this character. He is one of the original stockholders of the First National Bank of El Monte, which was organized in 1903, and is now serving as a director.

In Providence, R. I., September 26, 1906, Mr. Baker was united in marriage with Miss Jennie Tucker. She is a native of Providence and a descendant of the famous Tucker and Greene families of Rhode Island, whose ancestry can be traced for five generations in that state. She was born on the old Greene homestead a mile from Shannock, which had been in the family for five generations, received her preliminary education in the public schools, after which she attended and graduated from the State Normal School. She came to California and in Los An- geles became prominent in educational work, and at the same time accepted the principalship of the El Monte schools, which position she re- tained for fourteen years. Her resignation took place in July, 1906, when she returned to Rhode Island and in her home in Providence was mar- ried in the September following. She is a woman of rare ability and culture, abreast of the times in every particular, broad-minded to an unusual degree, and capable of making and re- taining friends wherever known.

Mr. Baker is associated fraternally with Lex- ington Lodge No. 104, F. & A. M., of El Monte, in which he has served as master for the past six years, having been made a member of the organization in Columbia Lodge No. 292, of Colo, Iowa. He also belongs to the Royal Arch and Knights Templar of Boone, Iowa, and Al Malaikah Temple, N. M. S., of Los Angeles. His wife is a member of the Congregational Church, which he supports liberally. Politically he is a Republican and stanch in the support of the interests of this party, being an ex-member of the Republican county central committee. He is a man of splended ability, of executive force and strength, capable of making a place for him- self in whatever portion of the world his lot may be cast. He has won a wide circle of friends who appreciate him for the qualities of character he has displayed during his long residence in El Monte.

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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 17

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