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 177

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

USA > California > 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 177

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In Randolph county, Ind., W. M. Gray was born June 14, 1852, being a son of George and Lydia J. (Macy) Gray, natives respectively of Ohio and Indiana, the latter a daughter of a pioneer physician of the Hoosier state. Some years after his marriage George Gray took his family to Illinois, thence went to Iowa and settled on a farm, where he died about 1885; his widow still makes her home in the same locality. In religion she is a sincere member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, to which he also belonged. Among their four children who attained mature years was the son, W. M., who accompanied his parents from In- diana to Illinois and thence to Iowa. At the time of settling in Illinois he was thirteen years of age and during the next twelve years he remained in that state, working as a farm hand.

After going to Iowa Mr. Gray purchased a tract of forty-five acres near Adel, Dallas county, and there farmed on a small scale un- til his increased capital justified a larger out- lay. Nine uneventful but busy years were passed in Iowa, from which state he came to California, arriving at Elsinore, Riverside county, February 5, 1887, and since then he has remained loyal to the interests of this part of the state, an enthusiastic believer in its future development and prosperity, and a stanch defender of its interests. Since about 1893 he has been a property owner and now has the ranch of ten acres previously men- tioned, as well as town property in Gardena. In addition to raising various products on his land, he devotes considerable time to the busi- ness of a real estate agent, and acts as agent for the newly subdivided Home tracts near Gardena.

Before leaving Illinois Mr. Gray was united in marriage on March 8, 1876, with Miss F.

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E. Evans, a native of that state. Mrs. Gray is a member of a pioneer family of Illinois, whither her father, John Evans, removed from his native Pennsylvania, settling on a tract of raw land and developing a valuable farm. Both Mr. and Mrs. Evans are still liv- ing in Illinois, where they have important property interests. Four children were born to the union of Mr. and Mrs. Gray, namely : B. W., who married Nettie F. Smith, and re- sides on a ranch near Gardena; Eva M., who died at eighteen years of age; Irma G., Mrs. K. T. Hubbell, who lives in San Francisco; and Ernest J., who is with his parents on the Gardena ranch. The family are broad in re- ligious views, with an especial sympathy for the doctrines of the Methodist Episcopal Church. In politics Mr. Gray supports Re- publican principles and maintains a warm in- terest in local affairs. Fraternal movements also receive a share of his time and thought, his interest centering in the Masonic Order and the Fraternal Brotherhood, in both of which he has held responsible offices, serving as secretary of the former, and as president of the latter lodge.

T. J. BROOKSHIRE. Among the promi- nent agriculturists and pioneer citizens of Santa Maria, who have so materially assisted in developing the resources of this section of Santa Barbara county, is T. J. Brookshire, a man of energy, enterprise and ability. A son of Jesse Brookshire, he was born, July 27, 1842, in Putnam county, Ind., but was brought up and educated in Ottumwa, Iowa.

A native of North Carolina, Jesse Brook- shire was reared to agricultural pursuits, and when a young man settled as a farmer in In- diana. In 1844 he removed with his family to Iowa, and after living in that state a few years went to Missouri. Not content there, he moved to Texas, where he became a citizen of influence, at the time of the breaking out of the Civil war being treasurer of the county in which he resided. Returning then to Mis- souri, he served as a soldier in a Missouri reg- iment, and after the war was engaged in gen- eral farming in that state until his death, at the age of sixty-four years. He married, in Indiana, Susan Havrow, who was born in Kentucky, and they became the parents of seven children. The mother died in early womanhood, her death occurring when she was but thirty-eight years old.

But two years of age when his parents re- moved to Iowa, T. J. Brookshire was edu- cated in the common schools of Ottumwa. While yet in his "teens," he went to Pike's

Peak in search of fortune, but like many other enthusiasts was doomed to disappointment. In 1859 he came to California, and after spend- ing a while in Sacramento located in Sonoma county, where he had a good position as fore- man on a large grain ranch for a period of ten years. In 1869 Mr. Brookshire made his first appearance in Santa Maria, and soon after laid claim to one hundred and sixty acres of government land, and having proved 11p obtained a legal title to it, and subsequent- ly transformed it into a well cultivated and valuable ranch. He not only carried on farm- ing with good results, but was engaged to some extent in the grocery business, and for three years was one of the leading merchants of Guadaloupe. Returning then to the ranch which he had improved, Mr. Brookshire was there engaged in agricultural pursuits for twenty-three years, and as a raiser of grain, stock, fruit and vegetables was quite success- ful. In the meantime he located another claim, taking up forty acres of government land, which has proved rich in oil, and which the Brookshire Oil Company, in which he is a director, is fast developing, and will ere long be on a paying basis, giving large dividends to its stockholders. In 1903 Mr. Brookshire moved from his ranch to Santa Maria, where he now resides, an esteemed and respected citizen.

In 1865 Mr. Brookshire married Margaret Harris, a native of Pennsylvania, and they have six children. Politically Mr. Brookshire is a Democrat, and religiously Mrs. Brook- shire is a member of the Christian Church.

GEORGE HEDDEN, of Valley Center, has lived in California for almost half a century, the larger part of the time being a resident of this valley, and thoroughly represents the pion- eer element, as he has aided its development and contributed toward the advancement of its prosperity. A son of J. Hedden, he was born, October 21, 1835, in Madison county, Ill., near the city of Alton.

J. Hedden was born on Kentucky soil, but when a small child was taken by his parents to Illinois, where he was reared and educated. On reaching man's estate he adopted the occu- pation of a farmer, and for many years was employed as a tiller of the soil in Illinois. In 1859 he decided that he could carry on farm- ing better in a more congenial climate, and with his family started overland for California. He was taken ill while journeying across the plains, and died on the top of the Sierra Mount- ains. His wife, whose maiden name was Nancy Moore, was born in Illinois, and died, in 1897,

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in San Diego county, at the home of her son George, of whom we write. She was held in high respect by all who knew her, and was a faithful member of the Advent Church. She bore her husband four children.

Brought up and educated in Madison county, Ill., George Hedden lived there, a member of the parental household, until 1859, when he came to California. Resuming the occupation to which he was trained, he followed ranch- ing in the Sacramento valley for ten years, and then came to San Diego to locate permanent- ly, settling at Valley Center. Taking up a Government claim of one hundred and sixty acres near the lower end of the valley, he im- proved a good ranch, on which he resided until 1902, when he sold out to Mr. W. H. H. Din- widdie. Purchasing then his present home estate, Mr. Hedden is now proprietor of two hundred acres of good land, which he devotes to the raising of grain and stock. Although he does but little of the manual labor required on a farm, he personally supervises its manage- ment, attending to all of the details connected with ranching, and as an agriculturist is meet- ing with excellent pecuniary results. Polit- ically Mr. Hedden is a Democrat.

THOMAS J. GRIDER, Jr. The family rep- resented by this progressive nurseryman of Los Angeles county is of southern extraction and has been identified with that part of the country for many years. Thomas J. Grider, Sr., who was born in Tennessee, June 20, 1839, had no educational advantages as a boy and earned his own livelihood at a time when to most children life is but play and study. At the age of twelve years he crossed the plains to California with a party who made the long journey overland and with the ma- jority of the members of the expedition he tried his luck at mining, but with little suc- cess. In 1853 he was employed in Sacramento and remained in the northern part of the state until about 1864, when he came to Los Ange- les county, and took up general ranch pur- suits with fair success. February 4, 1874, he was united in marriage with Miss Lizzie Hutchison, who was born in Texas February 29, 1856. and who, by reason of the peculiar date of her birth, was obliged to limit the celebration of her birthday anniversaries to once in four years. Two sons were born of their union who are now living, both of them engaged in ranch pursuits in the southern part of the state. The parents are identified with the Christian Church and enjoy the es- teen of the many acquaintances they have formed in this vicinity. After having lived near Downey for a long period they erected a

residence near Hollywood and removed there to spend their remaining years in quiet re- .tirement amid attractive surroundings.

In the town of Downey, where he was born March 23, 1878, Thomas J. Grider, Jr., re- ceived a public school education. On the com- pletion of his studies he became interested in ranching, also conducted a real estate busi- ness for three years. About 1900 he embarked in the nursery business at Downey, making a specialty of deciduous fruit trees, orders for which he received from other localities than his own, as well as filling many orders in the home neighborhood. After five years he pur- chased twenty-five acres near Hollywood, and in the near future will remove to his new place, where he plans to continue the decid- uous fruit nursery business and in addition expects to raise berries and conduct a small dairy.

The marriage of Mr. Grider in 1902 united him with Mary, daughter of J. W. Venable, who was born in Kentucky and in an early day came to California, where she was born, reared and educated. Her father still makes his home at Downey, where he has held a number of local offices and has been a stanch supporter of the Democratic party. Mr. Grider is also Democratic in his political faith and gives his support to the party at all elections. Though not identified with any denomination he inclines toward the doctrines of the Methodist Episcopal Church and con- tributes to religious movements, being in thorough sympathy with the same. Frater- nally he hold membership with the Independ- ent Order of Odd Fellows.

EDMUND J. VALENTINE, a son of Ed- mund Valentine, was born August 5. 1841, in Warren county. Pa., and died at his home, Burbank, Cal., May 23. 1903, his death being a. cause of general regret. When a boy of fourteen vears he moved with the family to Geneseo, Ill., where he grew to manhood. In 1863 he went to Polk county, Iowa, locating in Mitchellville. Establishing himself as a merchant, he remained there for almost twenty years, building up a large and renumerative trade. Removing to Mitchell county, Kans., in 1882, he invested his money in a large ranch. and engaged in the stock business on an extensive scale. He was quite successful in his operations, and was fortunate enough to sell out land and cattle just before the hard times swept across the country, nearly ruining the stock industry. Coming to California in 1886, he settled first in Los Angeles, where he bought considerable land, which he after- wards exchanged for other property. Finally

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locating in North Glendale, he bought real estate, and in 1902 erected the beautiful home in which his widow and children now live. In the home ranch there are twenty acres of valuable land, and near by is a well improved tract of ten acres.

Mr. Valentine married Mary DeLong, a daughter of the late William DeLong, a man of prominence, who spent his early life in Pennsylvania, but subsequently removed to Iowa, where he died, May 26, 1905, at the ad- vanced age of eiglity-five years. Of the union of Mr. and Mrs. Valentine five children were born, namely: William, of Corona, Cal .; Minnie, wife of Prof. F. T. Merrill; Edmund, deceased; John Sherwood, of Ravena, Cal .; and Edna, attending the Glendale high school. Politically Mr. Valentine was always identi- fied with the Republican party. Fraternally he was a Master Mason, and a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen. Re- ligiously he and his family united with the Episcopal Church.

GEORGE A. MOHRENSTECHER. An enthusiastic promoter and active in the de- velopment of this section of Southern Califor- nia, George A. Mohrenstecher is one of the best known citizens of Long Beach and his position as secretary and director of the Bixby Land Company and also of the Los Ceretos Improvement Company (two of the largest and most prominent real estate companies of that eity), gives him a leading place in the ranks of the business men of this community. He was born April 3, 1859, in Boonville, Mo. His father, for whom he was named, was a native of Prussia and when he first came to America settled in Mississippi, then removed to St. Louis, Mo., and at the breaking out of the Civil war became captain of a company in the Thirty-third Missouri Volunteer Infantry. He saw much active service and was once wounded in battle during the conflict. When the war was over he settled in Nebraska City, Neb., and engaged in the general merchandise business until his retirement from active work several years before his death, which occurred in 1891. Fraternally he was a Master Mason, and was a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, while politically he was a stanch advocate of Republican principles. His wife, who was Mary Shutte in maidenhood, was born in Brunswick, Germany, the daugh- ter of Zachariah Shutte, a man prominent in the Revolution of 1848 and who for political reasons was obliged to come to this country. From New York he went to Missouri and later to Osawatomie, Kans., living across the road from John Brown of anti-slavery fame.

Mr. Shutte was also opposed to slave holding. He afterwards located in Kansas City, Mo., became a merchant and large land owner and lived there the remainder of his life. Mrs. Mohrenstecher is now living at the old home in Nebraska City. Of her three children, George A. is the oldest; Otto A. is a wholesale and retail dry goods merchant in Quincy, Cal .; and Mrs. Lederman resides in Grand Island, Neb.

Reared in Lincoln, Neb., Mr. Mohrenstecher received his education in the public and high schools there and after the completion of his studies, at the age of seventeen, he secured a position in the Merchants' Bank in Lincoln, remaining with that institution for one year. He then secured the appointment of assistant postmaster under Gen. Otto Funke and cred- itably filled that position for six years. Later he went to Grand Island and entered the State Central Bank as assistant cashier, re- inaining there until 1892, when he came to California and spent the first two and one- half years traveling over the state; thus be- coming thoroughly familiar with its resources and possibilities. In 1895 he located in Los Alamitos and became secretary of the Bixby Land Company and has occupied that posi- tion ever since, being also at the present time a director in the company. Removing to Long Beach in 1904 he has since made this city his home, having a residence in Alamitos Park. His marriage in Grand Island, Neb., united him with Miss Hattie L. Van Keuren, who was born in Pennsylvania, and they have be- come the parents of two children, Corrine and George A., Jr. Fraternally Mr. Mohrenstecher is a member of the Benevolent Protective Or- der of Elks, and in national politics advocates the principles of the Republican party. In 1906 he was elected to the city council of Long Beach from the first precinct and in this capacity has opportunity to look after the best interests and assist in the furthering of the good government of the city whose welfare he has so much at heart.

J. A. FIREBAUGH, of Lompoc, is very energetic and an active participant in every enterprise that stands for the upbuilding of his home town. The firm of J. A. Firebaugh & Co. does a general livery business and en- gages in teaming of all kinds, and besides this enterprise Mr. Firebaugh also owns a livery barn in Orcutt and is interested in the oil business. He is of Virginia birth and parent- age, his father, David Firebaugh, and mother Eliza (McCown) Firebaugh, both having been born in that state. The father still lives there, at the advanced age of eighty-nine years ; the

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mother died when sixty-one years of age. There were eight children, three of whom are now residents of California.

J. A. Firebaugh was born June 2, 1865, in Virginia and was there educated in the com- mon schools. He engaged in farming there until twenty-three years of age, and in the fall of 1888 came to Santa Paula, Ventura county, working first at the oil business and then conducted a livery and transfer business until 1903, when he came to Lompoc and bought out a livery which he has operated since. He was married to Miss Anna Totty, a native of Kern county, Cal. Two daughters have been born to them, Mildred and Kath- leen. Mrs. Firebaugh is a member of the Universalist Church in Santa Paula, while Mr. Firebaugh is identified with the Presbyterian denomination. Politically he is a Republican and fraternally he belongs to the Odd Fellows lodge at Ventura and the Woodmen of the World at Lompoc.

ISAAC N. LARGE. Preceded by many years as a coal and lumber merchant in the east, Mr. Large came to the west during mid- dle age and has since followed mining, first in Colorado and later in California, having claims in various parts of the state. A native of Pennsylvania, he was born in Allegheny county in 1837, and is a son of Samuel Large. The primary schools of Allegheny county fur- nished him his first knowledge of books, and later he attended the academy at Turtle Creek and Jefferson College. The plans for his bus- iness life seem to have been well laid, for as soon as his college days were over he entered into a business which he followed consecutive- ly for twenty-four years. Going to Elizabeth, Pa., which lies on the east bank of the Monon- gahela river, and is a coal mining center, he there engaged in the coal and lumber business, an enterprise which netted him a good in- come for nearly a quarter of a century. Dis- posing of his business in the east at the end of this time, in 1884 he came as far west as Den- ver, Colo., where for about twelve years he engaged in silver mining. Selling out the greater part of his mining claims in 1892 he camé to California the following year, going first to Fresno county, later to San Diego county, and finally coming to Los Angeles. In this state as in Colorado his mining vent- ures have been successful.

While in Elizabeth, Pa., I. N. Large was united in marriage with Mary V. McDonough, who is a daughter of John R. and Julia B. McDonough, and was born at Peters Creek, Allegheny county, Pa. Three children have

been born to Mr. and Mrs. Large, and all are living. Julia is now the wife of R. C. Casad and with her husband makes her home in Gardena; Mary and N. S., the youngest child and only son, is a miner in this state. The family home has been in Hollywood since 1899, in which year Mr. Large purchased his present residence at No. 14 Large avenue, fac- ing Prospect avenue, one of the finest loca- tions in the residence portion of Hollywood. During his early years Mr. Large was trained in the faith of the United Presbyterian, but since coming to Hollywood he has attended the Presbyterian Church.

CALVIN BAKER, one of the best known mining men of Southern California by reason of his invention for extracting gold from the baser metals, was born in Rensselaer county, N. Y., May 28, 1852, a son of Jonas and grand- son of Lucas Baker, both natives of Massa- chusetts, where the name was located prior to the Revolution. Both became residents of New York, where they engaged in the manu- facture of lumber, the father being later lo- cated in Saratoga county, where his death eventually occurred. He is survived by his wife, formerly Lucy Dodge, a native of Ren- sselaer county, N. Y., and now a resident of Saratoga county. She is the mother of three living children, one having died in childhood.

The eldest in the family of his parents, Cal- vin Baker was one year old when taken to Albany county, N. Y., thence to Saratoga coun- ty, where he grew to years of manhood, re- ceiving his education in the common schools. He learned the lumber business with his father and worked as a sawyer in his father's mill, and also engaged as a millwright and machin- ist, his ability in the latter line being inher- ited. He remained with his father until at- taining his majority, when he became depend- ent upon his own resources, building a saw- mill near Grooms Corners, where he manu- factured lumber by water power. Later he built three different portable steam sawmills and continued the manufacture of lumber. He made many important improvements in the method of conducting his mills, but never pat- ented any device, which failure to do so gave his inventions to others without the cost of exclusive thought.

In 1895 Mr. Baker moved his machinery to California, having previously made several trips here. He brought two carloads of ma- chinery and immediately built a steam saw- mill in the San Bernardino range and engaged in the manufacture of lumber. and later en- larged the capacity of the mill to thirty-five

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thousand feet per day. For the past eight years he has been interested in mining on the desert, and in 1902 he sold his mill in order to give all of his time and attention to this occupation. He engaged in placer mining twenty miles north of Barstow and it was there that he first saw the need for improved machinery for conducting placer mining. The result of his efforts was his latest invention, known as the Baker dry mill and concentrat- or, for the purpose of separating the gold from the ore; in a test with another machine for a similar purpose which had obtained from nine to fifteen cents a ton, Mr. Baker's ma- chine took out on an average from the tail- ings $1.09 per ton out of sixty tons. This ma- chine is built for a capacity of from twenty- five to four hundred tons per day ; the dirt is scooped on the deck with teams and then tak- en by elevators and screened, after which it is run through pulverizers, then again screened, after which it is put through the concentrator by means of air pressure induced by a gasoline engine from five to thirty-five horse power, when the gold and the black sand remain as concentrates. A separator is provided for obtaining the gold from the con- centrates. In 1906 Mr. Baker sold his two hundred acres of placer claims to give his time and attention to the manufacture of his machine, which is protected by a patent, and which will undoubtedly bring him a fortune.

In Saratoga, N. Y., Mr. Baker was married to Aliss Hattie A. Link, a native of New York, and born of this union were four children, of whom three are living: Angie, wife of R. T. Gurnsey, of San Bernardino; Cora, wife of G. M. Taylor, of Los Angeles ; and Harold. Mr. Baker gives his support to the Baptist Church, of which his wife is a member. He is a strong temperance advocate and is liberal in his ef- forts to suppress the evils of liquor traffic. He is in all things a progressive citizen and wherever known is held in high esteem for his qualities of mind and heart.

DAVID ROSE GLASS. As proprietor of the San Bernardino Business College David R. Glass is one of the most prominent factors in the educational upbuilding of this section of Southern California, and is held in high ap- preciation for the splendid qualities of char- acter as displayed throughout his connection with this enterprise. He is a native of Hills- boro, Tex., his birth having occurred in that location February 18, 1880. His father, James, was a native of Springfield, Ill., while his grandfather, John, was also a native of that place and a farmer there until his removal

to Texas, where he followed a similar occu- pation until his death. The family was orig- inally English, the great-grandfather, James, having emigrated from England and settled in Sangamon county, Ill. A farming life was that to which James Glass was reared in Texas and in young manhood he began that occupation and later removed to Tyler, same state, and was similarly occupied until his retirement from the active cares of life. He married Miss Katie V. Winter, a native of Texas, and a daughter of William Winter, who was born in Mississippi and be- came a farmer in the Lone Star state, and during the Civil war served as lieutenant in the Confederate army. Mr. and Mrs. Glass became the parents of seven children, of whom four are now living. David R. being the third in order of birth and the only one in Califor- nia.

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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 177

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