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 180

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

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In 1904, in San Pedro, Mr. Nicholson mar- ried Clara Savage, a graduate of the Long Beach high school, and a daughter of Hon. William H. Savage. Mr. and Mrs. Nicholson have one child, a daughter named Mary Eliza- beth. Politically Mr. Nicholson supports the principles of the Democratic party, and fra- ternally he belongs to the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and to the Knights of Columbus.

HENRY W. NEWTON. A representative citizen of San Pedro is found in Henry W. Newton, accountant for the Lumber Survey- ors' Association of Southern California, and while he has been a resident of this city a comparatively short time he has won the high- est esteem of the community by his upright business methods and general integrity of character. He was born July 31, 1862, in Williamsburg, Ind., the son of Rev. George and Laura (Smith) Newton, both natives of New York. The father was born in Syracuse and educated for the ministry and settled in Indiana, where he became pastor of churches of the Methodist Episcopal denomination. In 1869 he came to California, locating in Sacra- mento, later removed to San Francisco and Oakland, and then took up evangelistic work. He is now retired from active service and with Mrs. Newton resides in Alameda. There were two children in their family, Henry G. being the only son.

From the age of seven years Mr. Newton was reared in California, receiving his educa- tion first in the public schools, later at the high school in Alameda, and finally entered the University of the Pacific, from which insti- tution he graduated in 1881, receiving the de- gree of Bachelor of Science. After the com- pletion of his studies he immediately entered commercial life, beginning at the bottom of the ladder and rapidly working his way up. His first position was in Mendocino county and from there he went to San Francisco, where he became foreman and superintendent. In 1894 he accepted a position with the Lum- ber Surveyor's Association as accountant, re-

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taining it until 1903, when he came to San Pedro and instituted his present office, and taking charge of the accounts of the Lumber Surveyors' Association of Southern California. His marriage in Mendocino county united him with Miss Emily Lyman, born in Washing- ton and reared in San Francisco, and this union has been blessed by the birth of two children, namely, Arthur H. and Merle. Fra- ternally Mr. Newton is a member of the Hoo Hoo lodge and the Woodmen of the World, while politically his beliefs are centered in Republican principles when applied to national affairs, maintaining considerable independence in the casting of his ballot on local issues. In addition to his other property interests Mr. Newton owns a nice residence in Alameda.

WILLIAM M. ROBERTS. A native Cali- fornian, born in San Bernardino April 25, 1858, a son of one of the most prominent pioneers of this section, Bearry Roberts, whose biog- raphy is given at length elsewhere in this volume. He was reared on Mill creek and edu- cated in the San Timoteo canon district school, after which, at the age of eighteen years, he became dependent upon his own resources. He entered the employ of the Southern Pacific Railroad Company as trackwalker at Beau- mont, and after two years became connected with Brown & Judson in the construction of the first ditch for Redlands, now known as the Redlands Water Ditch, and also superintended the construction of the reservoir at the mouth of the Yucaipe. Having made $1,200 he pur- chased an outfit consisting of an eight horse team and two wagons, and began freighting on the desert and continued this work for the period of two years, when he built the old rock ditch from Crafton reservoir through M. H. Craft's ranch. In 1885 he homesteaded a ranch of one hundred and sixty acres at the mouth of Mill creek, and at once began its improvement. When he sold the property in 1907 he had thirty-five acres in orchard, the balance being devoted to alfalfa and general ranching pursuits. He owns business and residence property in Redlands, where he ex- pects to make his home in future.

At the age of eighteen years Mr. Roberts married Miss Kate F. Hamner, who was born in Mexico in 1876, and her death occurred in Redlands. He later married Mrs. Pearl Agnes (Davis) Davidson, a native of Howell, Mich., and a daughter of Albert Davis, a blacksmith who located in Michigan from Ontario, his birthplace. Her mother was in maidenhood Jennie Bailey, who died in Michigan. Mr. and Mrs. Roberts have one daughter, Agnes.

Mr. Roberts has served as trustee of the Greenleaf school district for many years, offi- ciating as clerk for a large part of the time, he himself having been one of the organizers of this district. Politically he reserves the right to cast his ballot for the man he con- siders best qualified for official position.

CHARLES G. SUNDERMANN. Through- out the period of his residence in California, covering many years of activity and enter- prise, Mr. Sundermann has engaged in the building business, with which he became familiar during his boyhood days at the old Indiana homestead and in which he had the advantage of careful training under the super- vision of his father, himself a practical builder. The family is of German ancestry. The Amer- ican founder. Benjamin Sundermann, was a native of Hanover, received a fair education in German schools, and afterward learned the trade of a cabinet maker under an apprentice- ship in his native land. On coming to the United States he settled in Indiana and en- gaged at his trade, from which he gradually drifted into taking contracts for the erection of houses and public buildings. During the Civil war he enlisted in an Indiana regiment, with which he marched to the front, partici- pated in various engagements of an important nature, and served until the close of the war, being then honorably discharged. On his re- turn to pursuits of peace he engaged at build- ing, but later removed to a farm near Lynn- ville. Warrick county, Ind., where he still makes his home.

The marriage of Benjamin Sundermann united him with Miss Mary Weideman, who was born in Baden, Germany, and who also still survives. They were the parents of eight children, all but two of whom are now living, Charles G. being next to the oldest and the .only one in California. Born at Evansville, Ind., on the 22d of February, 1859, he at- tended district and private schools, and se- cured an excellent education, which has been supplemented by subsequent reading and habits of close observation. While at home he gained a practical knowledge of farming and the carpenter's trade, and when in 1883 he came to Southern California he decided to engage in carpentering at Santa Ana. For some years he remained in that town and meanwhile was busily employed at his trade by the day. During the year 1889 he removed to Wilmington and began to take contracts for the erection of buildings, having previous- ly shown his skill and ability as a carpenter and his reliability as a business man.

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The year 1900 found Mr. Sundermann a resident of Oxnard, where he has since estab- lished a reputation for workmanship along the line of his specialty. Since coming to Oxnard he has erected five houses for himself in dif- ferent parts of the town, and has proved him- self solicitous to promote the material develop- ment of the place by the erection of neat cot- tages and attractive residences. In fraternal relations he is identified with the Oxnard Lodge of Odd Fellows, Olive Camp at Ven- tura, Modern Woodmen of America, and Her- mann Sons, in which last-named order he has officiated as vice-president.

FREDERICK JEPSON, of Santa Monica, was born in Hoyer, Germany, where he re- ceived a practical common school education. Going then to Hamburg, he was for ten years an employe of the wholesale firm of Emil Scholtz, serving first as a clerk and then as bookkeeper.

Immigrating to the United States in 1881, Mr. Jepson remained in New York City for about six months, afterward going to Chicago, Ill., where he established himself as a grocer, remaining there two years. Returning to New York, he continued in mercantile pursuits for a few months, and then, in 1886, located at Yonkers, N. Y., where he achieved marked success as a dealer in real estate. He acquired much property of value in that place, and at the corner of Park Hill avenue and Linden street built a handsome row of buildings. The climate being too severe for him in that lat- itude he sold ali of his holdings in that vicin- ity in January, 1903, and came to the Pacific coast in search of a more healthful place of residence. In March, 1903, he located in Santa Monica, and invested largely in real estate, much of which he has since sold at an advan- tageous price. He has also dealt in realty in other places in this county, meeting with suc- cess almost invariably in his transactions. In New York City, in 1882, Mr. Jepson married Eliza Hanson. Politically he is a steadfast Re- publican.

A. A. STEWART. A man of enterprise, industry and ability, persevering and pro- gressive, A. A. Stewart has paddled his own canoe since a lad in his teens, and in his active career has met with well-deserved success, as an accurate and able tallyman being promi- nentlv connected with the lumber industry of San Pedro. A. A. Stewart, a native of San Ber- nardino county, Cal., he was born November 23, 1864. being the tenth child in a family of

eleven children born to A. J. and Mary (Judd) Stewart. His father is deceased, but his mother is living in San Pedro.

Brought up in Orange county, A. A. Stewart was educated in the public schools of Ana- heim. At the age of thirteen years he began to be self-supporting; he was subsequently graduated from the Brigham Young Academy, in Provo, Utah. Having previously learned telegraphy with his brother, B. F. Stewart, of San Luis Obispo, Mr. Stewart obtained a position with the Santa Fe Railroad Company in 1878, and was afterwards station agent at different places along the line between San Diego and Barstow. Retiring from that oc- cupation, he was for awhile engaged in celery growing at Santa Ana, subsequently becom- ing tallyman for the Newport Lumber Com- pany of that city. Since taking up his resi- dence in San Pedro, in 1900, Mr. Stewart has carried on an excellent business as tallyman, and has been an active member of the Lumber Surveyor's Association of Southern California.

Politically Mr. Stewart is a Socialist, and fraternally he is a member of the Improved Order of Red Men, and of the Eagles.

W. A. HUGHES. One of the old-time ranchers now living in the vicinity of Cam- arillo, Ventura county, is W. A. Hughes, whose well-cultivated ranch of one hundred and sev- enty-one acres is one of the land-marks of the locality, born in Washington county, Pa., Oc- . tober 1. 1837, his parents being George and Nancy (Mccullough) Hughes, both also na- tives of Pennsylvania. About 1846 they set- tled with their family on a farm in Adams county, Ill., but a later removal took them to Hancock county, in the same state, and it was on their farm in the latter county that the parents both died, the father in 1855, when fif- ty-six years old, and the mother eight years later, when in her sixty-sixth year.

As he was only nine years of age at the time the family settled in Illinois W. A. Hughes was educated principally in the common schools of Adans and Hancock counties, that state. Not altogether satisfied with his pros- pects for rapid advancement in the middle west, however, after careful consideration he decided to sell his farm in Illinois and locate in the far west. Suiting the action to the word, in 1864 we find him a member of a party cross- ing the plains by teams, the journey consum- ing seven months. The lady who later became the wife of Mr. Hughes was also a member of the same party. Their marriage occurred in 1865 in Sutter county, where Mr. Hughes first located after coming to the west. He later

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went to Marysville, Yuba county, still later to Red Bluff, Tehama county, but when he had been in the state about a year he selected Ven- tura county as his future place of residence, and the choice of location which he then made he has had no canse to regret judging from the thrifty appearance of his property and also from the fact that since his first purchase he has added adjoining land. Taking up one hun- dred and twenty-one acres from the govern- ment in 1868 he at once set about its cultiva- tion. The raising of beans seems to be espe- cially adapted to the soil and climate of this locality, and to such an extent was Mr. Hughes prospered in his efforts that he purchased fifty acres adjoining his first purchase and planted the entire acreage to the latter commodity. His harvests are very satisfactory, averaging fifteen sacks to the acre.

Mr. Hughes was married in 1865, to Mary B. Barnett, a native of Illinois. Mrs. Hughes is a daughter of Adrian Barnett, who was born in Kentucky and came to California in 1873, dying here in 1881, when sixty-two years of age. Four of the five children born to Mr. and Mrs. Barnett are living in California, the death of the mother occurring in 1854, when Mrs. Hughes was a child of six years. Nine children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Hughes. Mrs. Hughes is a member of the Presbyterian Church. Politically Mr. Hughes is a Democrat.

ROBERT NEWTON JEFFERY, of Ocean Park, was born, August 7, 1846, in Lisbon, Wis., a son of William Jeffery. The latter, a native of England, remained in his native land until after his marriage with Mary Wimset. Emigrating to the United States with his fam- ily, he took up land in Wisconsin, becoming a pioneer settler of Waukesha county. He car- ried on farming there until his death, at the advanced age of eighty-five years. He was a man of deep religious convictions, being a de- voted Wesleyan Methodist. His wife preceded him to the better world, passing away at the age of seventy-six years. Of their large fam- ily of seventeen children, eleven grew to years of maturity, Robert Newton being the young- est child.

Acquiring a practical common school edii- cation in his native town, Robert N. Jeffery remained at home assisting his father in the care of the farm until twenty years old. Lo- cating then at Menomonee Falls, Waukesha county, Wis., he was there engaged in business as a merchant for about ten years, and in addi- tion taught music and worked as an evangel- ist. Going then to Onaga, Pottawatomie coun- ty, Kans., he was there engaged in the hard-

ware business with a brother-in-law for four years, at the same time continuing as a music teacher. Coming to California in 1884, Mr. Jeffery located in San Diego and during the memorable boom that followed inade a fortune, which he lost in the subsequent collapse. He remained there, however, for ten years, being employed the greater part of the time as a real estate agent. Locating in Los Angeles in 1893, he did noted work in that city as a singer and evangelist, during the winter of 1905 assist- ing Rev. J. Wilbur Chapman, of New York, the celebrated revivalist, and afterwards, under Mr. Chapman's supervision, going to Oregon as an evangelist. Returning the ensuing sum- mer to Los Angeles, Mr. Jeffery came from there to Ocean Park in August, 1905, and has since been actively engaged in the real estate business with Mr. Buley, having an office at No. 103 Ocean Front.

In Wisconsin Mr. Jeffery married Sarah M. Thomas, and of the four children born of their union but one is living, Elmore R. Jef- fery, an architect of Los Angeles. Mr. Jef- fery is a member of the Presbyterian Church, is a stanch Prohibitionist, and fraternally is a member of the Masonic order.

JERRY T. LEFTWICH. Very early in the colonial history of our country the Left- wich family became established in the south, having crossed the ocean from Germany. Breckinridge county, Ky., became the home of one branch of the family, and there Camillus Leftwich was born in 1820. At the age of seventeen proceeded to the then frontier re- gions of Iowa, securing employment as a farm laborer in Lee county. In 1845 he went to the present site of the city of Des Moines and three miles away, at Rising Sun, secured a tract of government land which he entered and settled. Stock-raising was his specialty and of it he made a success. He was an hon- ored pioneer. Interested in politics, he was elected to various local offices on the Repub- lican ticket and maintained an active part in affairs for the upbuilding of his community. From early life he was identified with the Methodist Episcopal Church and in that faith died in 1897, at seventy-eight years of age.

The marriage of Camillus Leftwich united him with Elizabeth Ogelvie, who was born in Indiana, but from childhood made her home in Lee county, Iowa. Like her husband, she was a sincere member of the Methodist Epis- copal Church. At the age of sixty-five years she passed away October 23, 1891. Among her seven children there was a son, Jerry T., born near Des Moines, Iowa, April 29, 1866, and

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reared on the home farm. He completed the studies of the public schools and took a course of study in the Iowa Business College at Des Moines. At twenty years of age he came to California and settled in Pasadena, where he carried on a real estate business for one year. During March of 1888 he came to Inglewood, where his son was the first child born in the town and where now he is the oldest surviv- ing settler, excepting two others. For two years he carried on a meat market and for five years engaged in ranching two miles from town; later selling his farm he returned to the town. Included in his property holdings are three acres in Inglewood, with a very at- tractive residence, and also another house and lot and a number of vacant lots, besides a lot in Pasadena.

After settling in Inglewood Mr. Leftwich re- turned to Iowa and at Altoona, October 5, 1888, was united in marriage with Miss Mary S. West, who was born there October 12, 1869, and graduated at Drake University at Des Moines. Three children were born of their union, Harry W., Anita L. and Lola K. The wife and mother died May 11, 1904. In fra- ternal relations Mr. Leftwich holds member- ship with the blue lodge of Masonry at Re- dondo, the Order of the Eastern Star, Royal Arcanum and Independent Order of Foresters. Stanch in his allegiance to the Republican par- ty, he has been a leading local worker in its ranks and since 1893 a delegate to all coun- ty conventions of the party. For five years he served as deputy assessor of a district eight- een miles square comprising eleven school dis- tricts, and since 1901 he has held office as road commissioner of a district about eight miles square, a position of manifold responsibilities.

ANTON LUTHERER was born in Ger- many, June 8, 1864, and is a son of natives of the Fatherland. He attended the school and gymnasium, and at the age of fourteen he was apprenticed to learn a trade, thus complying with the requirements of the law which makes it obligatory upon all boys of that age to pre- pare themselves for a life occupation. Not wishing to go into military service, he came to America, landing in February, 1884.

Mr. Lutherer came to the United States with plans well laid as to the location in which he wished to settle, and without loss of any time in the east he made his way across the country to the extreme west, locating in San Francisco. Being unfamiliar with the language and customs, he found himself in a city vastly different from his home town; but he was young and hopeful, and no matter how de-

pressing the situation in which he found him- self, he still saw the bright side of it and made the most of his opportunities. His first em- ployment was driving a delivery wagon, fol- lowing this occupation until removing to San Diego. From the latter city he came to Los Angeles county in 1898, and the same year pur- chased the ranch which he now owns and occu- pies, sixteen miles northwest of Santa Monica. Besides the three hundred and twenty acres comprising his ranch he rents one hundred and sixty acres adjoining, and also cultivates a ranch of the same size situated in the mount- ains and one mile from the home ranch, the latter being the property of his wife. As much of the land is on the mountain sides, it is not as well adapted to the raising of general farm produce as it is to dairy purposes, and it is the latter industry combined with the raising of bees, that fornis Mr. Lutherer's chief source of income. His marriage united him with Mrs. Rosie Harding. In his political belief Mr. Lutherer is free from party ties and invariably casts his ballot for the candidate he believes best qualified for the office in question, re- gardless of party ties.

PROF. WILLIAM MALCOLM, of Trop- ico, holds a noteworthy position among the leading educators of this section of Los An- geles county. He was born May 5, 1858, in Chicago, Ill., where he lived until about four years of age. Coming with his parents to Cal- ifornia in 1862, he received his rudimentary education in San Jose, and after his gradua- tion from the high school entered Florence College, now called the Sacred Heart College, in Hollister, where he received the degree of B. S. He subsequently remained in Hollister for a few years, keeping books for his father, who was there engaged in business as a gen- eral merchant. Beginning his professional career in 1880, he taught school for a year in Bear Valley, the ensuing three years teaching in Fresno county, in Lake district, the largest outlying district in the county. Returning then to Hollister, he remained there as a teacher for two years, the following year having charge of the Kingsburg school, near Fresno. Accept- ing then a position in Los Angeles county, he served as principal of the school in Compton for three years, giving good satisfaction, and in Clearwater for two years, where he was equally successful. Going then to Monterey county, he was principal of the public school at Pajaro for four years, after which he had charge for a time of the Watsonville grammar school, with seventeen teachers under him.

Giving up teaching then, he formed a part-

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nership with his brother-in-law, W. B. Cooper, and for eight years was associated with him in the stationery business. At the end of two years, however, leaving the management of the business to his partner, Professor Malcolm accepted the principalship of the Soledad school, and was elected a member of the local board of education. At the end of four years, on account of the ill health of his daughter, he was compelled to seek a warmer climate, and came to Los Angeles county, locating here in 1901. Being offered the principalship of the Tropico school, he accepted it, and served with such ability and satisfaction that at the close of the year he was made supervising prin- cipal. In this capacity he superintended the construction and equipment of the new school building, erected in 1905.

In Watsonville, Professor Malcolm mar- ried Florence Cooper, daughter of Mrs. Eliza Cooper, formerly a well-known resident of that city, and they are the parents of two children, Madeline and William Fahrion. Professor and Mrs. Malcolm are active and valued members of the Presbyterian Church, and politically he is a Republican. He is a member and secre- tary of Unity Lodge, F. & A. M., of Glendale ; past grand of Apollo Lodge No. 90, I. O. O. F., of Watsonville ; past chief of Watsonville En- campment, I. O. O. F .; and is a member and Dast council commander of Camp No. 82, W. O. W.

MRS. ALICE MAYS. Prominent among those identified with the progress and develop- ment of Southern California is Mrs. Alice Mays, who, since February, 1900, has been a resident of Los Angeles county, and for over three years has been actively identified with real estate operations in Ocean Park, where she has met with unusual success in the man- agement of her business and acquired a place of importance in public affairs.

Mrs. Mays is a native of Cincinnati, Ohio, her father being John Nugent, a prosperous merchant of that city, where she received a pre- liminary education, which was completed in the Sacred Heart Convent, in St. Louis, Mo. In young womanhood she mct and married A. C. Mays, of Ironton, Ohio, who had located in Portsmouth, same state, and was there en- gaged as an attorney-at-law; they continued to make that city their home until the death of Mr. Mays, which occurred in 1876 at the early age of twenty-four years. He was a man of brilliant promise and unusual ability in his chosen profession, with a winning personality and forceful and upright manhood. His un- timely death was the cause of regret. Mr. and

Mrs. Mays were the parents of one son, James W., who graduated from the Ohio State Uni- versity in the class of 1897, and immediately entered upon the practice of law, which he had chosen for his lifework. He married Miss Bessie Ball, daughter of Dr. Ball, of Ironton, and the representative of a prominent Ohio family, and with his wife and mother came to Los Angeles in 1900, where he is now engaged in the practice of his profession with offices in the H. W. Hellman building.

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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 180

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