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 195

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 195

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His arrival in California dates from 1895, when he bought a twenty-acre fruit ranch on the mesa near San Jacinto, which he lost after two years of unsuccessful work on the place. Still possessing a small property in the east he traded this for a twenty-acre ranch on Florida avenue, Hemet, then valued at twelve hundred dollars, and he has been residing on that place ever since. He gradually improved the holding and it is now considered one of the finest places in that section. In 1900 he started a general merchandising business in Hemet, located on Harvard street under the name of The Van Winkle Mercantile Company, but two years later he disposed of this business and has since devoted his whole time to the conduct of his ranch, having added thirty acres to his original purchase. He has a large variety of fruits, in- cluding oranges, apricots, peaches, etc., and grows some general farm crops. He raised the first broomcorn ever grown in the Hemet val- ley and also manufactured the first brooms ever made there.

Mr. Van Winkle was married in Illinois to Miss Emily J. Clark, who was born in Virginia, and they are the parents of two children : Louis

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Elliot, living in Canada ; and Alva C., of Hem- horses, cattle and all kinds of domestic animals, et. Fraternally he is a member of the Inde- . as well as machinery, from the United States pendent Order of Odd Fellows, and politically affiliates with the Prohibitionist party. He is an active member of the Methodist Church. to Hawaii. At the expiration of thirteen months he effected the organization and incor- poration of the Honolulu Stockyards Company, to whom he sold his interest in the business, and then became their Pacific coast agent, with headquarters in San Francisco. A year later the plant was destroyed by fire, entailing upon himself and son a loss of $47,000, and bringing a sudden termination to a previously profitable enterprise.

COL. WILLIAM JOEL WITHERS. Ear- ly in the period of the development of the south the Withers family became prominent in its history and influential in its material devel- opment. The plantation of Wyatt Withers in Virginia was the scene of many delightful gatherings of family, friends and men and wo- men of note, and beneath the shadow of its broad galleries wit and humor, beauty and charm gave wings to the swift-passing hours. In this home was born and reared Lewis, a son of Wyatt; educated amid such influences and surroundings it was natural that he should be- come a musician, a litterateur and a cultured southern gentleman, whose society was sought by men famed in art and literature. For many years he made his home at Hopkinsville, Chris- tian county, Ky., but his death occurred at Egg's Point, on the Mississippi, where his brother-in-law, Ned Richardson, had a cotton plantation that was the largest in the world; with the sole exception of one owned by the Khedive of Egypt.

The marriage of Lewis Withers united him with Janette Smith, daughter of Joel Smith, a planter of Pittsylvania county, Va., where she was born and reared. Her death occurred in Virginia. The only child of that union was William Joel, born at Danville, Va., October I, 1842, and reared on a Kentucky plantation. While he was a student in Woodward Uni- versity in Kentucky the Civil war began and he promptly enlisted in the First Regiment of Kentucky Cavalry, serving in Tennessee and Virginia until the close of the war. Shortly after the close of the war he married Miss Sal- lie Polk Shipp, a native of Kentucky, and they established their home in Christian county, Ky., where he engaged in agricultural and bus- iness pursuits. His service in the war and his ability as a man led to his becoming a promi- nent factor in local Democratic politics, and three terms his party triumphantly elected him mayor of Hopkinsville, which office he filled satisfactorily to all, irrespective of party ties.

After having spent the year 1887 in Pueblo, Colo., Colonel Withers came to California the following year, and visited for a few weeks in San Diego. From there he removed to Red- lands, where he bought and sold real estate. Shortly after the annexation of the Hawaiian Islands he and his son went to Honolulu and embarked in the business of shipping fine

Returning to Redlands Colonel Withers bought several orange groves and he still owns a grove there of eighteen acres, where he makes his home. During 1905 he embarked in the manufacture of cement block, and artificial stone, establishing a factory at San Bernardino, where he operates the plant with a Model block and concrete machine and an electric motor. Since starting in business he has built several residences and the Cudahy cold storage plant at San Bernardino. The factory is an im- portant addition to the commercial and man- ufacturing enterprises of the region, and its steady growth is predicted by those who are familiar with the owner's energy and superior mental qualities.

Through all of his life stanchly devoted to the Democratic party, Colonel Withers still takes an active part in local political affairs and at this writing acts as vice-chairman of the county central committee. Reared in the Epis- copalian faith, he long has been a generous contributor to that denomination and now offi- ciates as senior warden of St. John's Episcopal Church in San Bernardino. His wife was a daughter of Col. William Shipp, a personal friend of Andrew Jackson and James K. Polk, and she was named in honor of Sarah Polk, with whom she spent considerable time in her girlhood. Two children blessed the union of Colonel and Mrs. Withers. The son, William Shipp Withers, is a graduate of Cumberland University, the University of Virginia and the University of Michigan, and now is a member of the firm of Zombro, Payne & Withers, deal- ers in stocks, bonds and real estate, in Los An- geles. The daughter, Jennie Elizabeth, was graduated from the Stanford University and is the wife of F. S. Stowell, of Hopkinsville, Ky.

JERRY SHEEHY, an extensive dairyman, stock and bean raiser has occupied and managed his present ranch near Nipomo, San Luis Obispo county, since the fall of 1878. His entrance upon the really promising part of his career dates from the summer of 1870, when he arrived in New York harbor in the steerage of an At-

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lantic liner, a youth of twenty-two. His edu- cational chances had been meager, and his knowl- edge of agriculture confined to the old time methods in vogue on the small tenantry farm of his parents, James and Elizabeth (Reggan) Sheehy, where he was born December 12, 1848.

From New York Mr. Sheehy came to Monterey county, Cal., having crossed the continent on the overland railroad which proved one of the signal achievements of 1870. Finding work on a ranch he remained in that county five years, then go- ing to near Guadaloupe, Santa Barbara county, where in due time he rented land and ranched on his own responsibility. In the fall of 1878 he rented the property, which he now occupies, and to the ownership of which he eventually succeeded, the ranch comprising twelve hundred and fifty acres. His average yield of beans is about ten sacks a year, and he breeds high grade stock, and conducts a model dairy.

In 1883 Mr. Sheehy was married in Ireland and to himself and wife nine children were born; John, Lizzie, Gerald, Daniel, Annie, Katie, Ella, Edward and Clara. A Democrat in politics, Mr. Sheehy has served as a member of the board of education, and has otherwise contributed to the local success of his party. In religion he is identi- fied with the Roman Catholic Church at Nipoma.

JAMES SWINFORD of San Pedro, a son of John and Margaret ( Martin) Swinford, both natives of Scotland, the father died in that country when James was a lad of three years; the mother later came to the United States, her death occurring in this country several years ago. James Swinford was born May 28, 1845, in Glasgow, in which city the first ten years of his life were spent. At that age he went to sea, shipping as cabin boy, the vessels upon which he sailed being engaged in Mediterranean and Afri- can trade. He met with many exciting and some distressing experiences having at one time been on a vessel which was wrecked in the Bay of Biscay.

In 1864 Mr. Swinford came to the United States and located in Wayne county, Pa., later removing to Luzerne county, where he followed mining for several years, subsequently engaging in lumbering at Lehigh Summit. Attracted by the opportunities said to be found in California in 1868 he decided to come to this state and traveling via Panama reached San Francisco in that year. For several years he was occupied as a bridge builder on the Southern Pacific rail- road and later secured a position as engineer on a steamboat. Following this he entered the employ of the Pacific Coast Dredge Company in 1882 coming to this point with them and con- tinuing the connection for fifteen years during

which time he was superintendent in charge of the machinery. Resigning from this work he next engaged in business for himself and began dealing in lime and cement, continuing until 1898 when he disposed of the business. He is now the owner of considerable property and possesses a nice home on Fifth street. His marriage in San Francisco united him with Miss Catherine Nihan, a native of Ireland, and they have become the parents of one child, John, who now resides in San Francisco. Mrs. Swinford is an active member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and an enthusiastic worker in the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, of which she is a member. Fraternally Mr. Swinford affiliates with the Red- men lodge, and politically is independent in prin- ciples and the casting of his ballot.

THOMAS STEWART. About thirty-three miles from Highland, San Bernardino county, Holcomb valley lies nestled among the mount- ains. Judged by those who are in a position to know this is conceded to be one of the richest mining regions in the state, the entire valley be- ing rich in placer gold, which averages eighty- five cents to the cubic yard. The fact that Mr. Stewart, who is an expert on mines and min- ing, and knows the value of ore of all kinds, has remained here for twelve years speaks more elo- quently than can words of the real worth of min- ing values in this part of the country. With his partner, W. E. Pedly, he is interested in both placer and quartz mining, the former being under the special charge of Mr. Pedly, while the quartz mining is Mr. Stewart's special interest. Adjoining Holcomb valley on the north Mr. Stewart has developed four mines on the Big Bertha mountain, and south of the valley he also has mining property on Big Bear Creek lake. While the rock averages from $10 to $14 per ton, assays made from the different holes in it have run as high as $100 per ton.

Thomas Stewart is a Canadian by birth, born in Ontario in 1868. He was given a good edu- cation in the public schools of his home town, after which he attended a business college for a time. His school days over, he began to till the soil, a vocation to which he had been trained from his earliest years, and this he followed until 1894, the year with which he became identified with California and more particularly with Hol- comb valley. His course lay along the southern route, to Mohave and from there to Colton, and finally to Victorville, in Holcomb valley, which has ever since been the scene of his active labors. With his partner he first bought one claim, in the mountains, and later located three more, all of which prospects have been developed sufficiently to prove them of considerable value. The Cressida

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has been bored to the extent of one hundred and fifty feet in the hill, while the shaft of the Roose- velt measures sixty-five feet. The Troy mine is in about eighty feet and the Herlick has been bored to the depth of one hundred feet. All of the foregoing are under the direct supervision of Mr. Stewart, besides which he has three other prospects under way, though they have not been developed to the same extent as those mentioned. When Mr. Stewart and his partner came here in 1894 they employed fifty men in their mines, and judging from present indications the season of 1906-07 will find a force twice as large necessary to carry out the plans which they now have in view.

Mr. Stewart has never married, and is living alone on his property in Holcomb valley. He is a son of Andrew and Jessie (McFarlane) Stew- art, both of whom were born in Canada.

ROBERT TALLMAN of San Diego, a son of William Tallman, was born August 22, 1860, in Albany, N. Y., the fourth child in order. of birth of a family of six children. A native of the Empire State, William Tallman learned the trade of a carpenter when young, and for several years was employed as a contractor and builder in Albany. He subsequently removed to Michi- gan, settling in Cheboygan, where he lived a short time. Not satisfied with his prospects in that place, he returned to New York state, and from that time until his death, which occurred in 1866, he was a resident of Watertown. He married Mathilda Boyd, who was born in Ire- land, and died in New York state, in 1901, at the age of seventy-four years.

Brought up by his widowed mother in New York state, Robert Tallman began as a boy to earn his living, working chiefly on a farm. In 1878, before attaining his majority, he went to Minnesota in search of a favorable opening, and having learned the lathing trade followed it in the cities of Brainerd, Saint Paul and Min- neapolis, living in that state seven years. Com- ing to the Pacific coast in 1885, Mr. Tallman re- mained in San Francisco a year, and then, in 1886, located in San Diego. Resuming his trade, he has since carried on a thriving business as a contracting lather, in the busy seasons keeping from eight to twelve men busily employed.

In Brainerd, Minn., Mr. Tallman married Cora Mays, who was born in New Hampton, Iowa, a daughter of John Mays, now a resident of San Diego, and of their union three children have heen born, namely: Florence, Maude and Bur- ton. Politically Mr. Tallman is a stanch sup- porter of the principles of the Republican party. Fraternally he united with the Odd Fellows at Salt Lake, and is now a member of Sunset

Lodge No. 328, I. O. O. F .; of San Diego En- campment ; of San Diego Canton; and of the local lodge of the Daughters of Rebekah, of which Mrs. Tallman is past grand. He also belongs to San Diego Court, I. O. F.

GEORGE E. THOMPSON. Since coming to California in the fall of 1889 George E. Thompson has not only recognized the oppor- tunities by which he has been surrounded, but he has taken advantage of them, to the end that he has become known throughout the southern part of San Bernardino and Los Angeles coun- ties as a contractor and builder of considerable note. Upon locating in Long Beach in 1902 he started a planing mill at Nos. 6 and 7 East Third street having purchased the latter property. From the beginning Mr. Thompson's business increased so rapidly that it soon became evident that he could not handle it alone with justice to himself, and in May, 1905, he admitted H. George Cooley as a partner, the latter purchasing a half in- terest in the business. While Mr. Thompson was alone in the work he gave his attention more especially to contracts in the business dis- trict of the town, but since his association with Mr. Cooley the residence district has received an impetus along building lines which has made the name of Cooley & Thompson well known. Some idea of the scope of business may be gathered from the fact that the last half year's work in 1905, the twenty-five jobs which they. handled involved a money transaction of $37,000.

Mr. Thompson was born in Burn, Wis., a village of the Fox river, October 26, 1871, but while he was still a young child his parents re- moved to Iowa, and he was therefore reared in Belle Plaine, Benton county, that state. After a brief education in the public schools, at the age of twelve years he became an apprentice to the carpenter's trade, and in due course of time was pronounced a competent journeyman. However, he did not take up work at his trade at once, but instead was interested in the photographing busi- ness for a year. From time to time he had heard considerable about the glowing prospects in Cali- fornia and he determined to look into them for himself before deciding to settle in business per- manently in the middle west, where his chances for success did not seem as glowing. Going to Ontario, San Bernardino county, in 1889, he worked as a journeyman carpenter for five years, after which, with a partner, a flourishing con- tracting business was carried on for eight years. During this time he assisted in the erection of one hundred and twenty buildings in that town. In all Mr. Thompson was interested in Ontaria as a contractor and builder for thirteen years, coming to Long Beach at the end of that time.

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He has erected three brick blocks in the mean time, the Wingard block, and the Gaines block besides two churches and a cannery, in all of which he has used sixteen car-loads of lumber. While in Ontario he had owned a planing mill, which he found to be quite an essential adjunct to his business as contractor, and he established a mill in Long Beach in 1902, upon property which he had purchased at Nos. 6 and 7 East Third street.

While a resident of Ontario, San Bernardino county, Mr. Thompson was united in marriage with Miss Ida Arnold, a native of Oregon, and one daughter, Ruby, has been born to them. The family have a pleasant residence at No. 711 East Third street, this being the second house which Mr. Thompson has erected for his own use. Politically. he favors Republican principles, and he is a member of the Fraternal Aid.

OZRO C. TRIPP, one of the earliest settlers in Riverside county, came to San Jacinto when but two families, the Picos and Estudilloa, were living there and when there was but one small store in that section. He has been one of the prime movers in the development of the country and owns a fine home and six or seven hundred cattle. His parents, Samuel Valtumer and Rosa (Ramsey) Tripp, the former a native of New York, and the latter of Ohio, came to California in 1846, having crossed the plains by pack train and locating in Shasta county. Mr. Tripp run- ning a pack train from the mining camps located there to San Francisco. He was a bricklayer by trade, and in Los Angeles worked at that employ- ment. In 1860 he went to San Bernardino and built the first jail there, constructed of stone, and located where the court house now stands. He also worked on the old brick winery and many other first brick buildings at that place. Twelve years later moved to San Jacinto, which was then a cattle, horse and sheep country, and set- tling in the upper end of the valley with Colonel Hamner assisted in constructing the first ditch from the San Jacinto river. He removed to Temecula and engaged in farming, his death occurring at San Jacinto in 1892 at the age of sixty-four years. Mrs. Tripp died at San Ber- nardino.

March 21, 1859, Ozro C. Tripp was born in Los Angeles and was educated through the medium of the public schools of San Bernardino and San Jacinto. There were four children in the family, his oldest brother, S. A., being a blacksmith at San Jacinto, a younger brother, W. B., who is engaged in the butchering busi- ness at Hemet and San Jacinto, and Edith, a sister, who is married to Putman Reed a cattle- man of Sage. Mr. Tripp is engaged in the

cattle business, and owns a slaughter house at San Jacinto, where he conducts a butchering business. The country in which he spent the greater part of his lifetime has been made famous through Helen Hunt Jackson's novel, Ramona, many of her scenes being laid in this section, and Mr. Tripp feels a special interest in the incidents of the story, because he was the first man on the grounds after the killing of Alessandro, and he owns the valley in which the tragedy occurred. His father was justice of the peace at that time and went to the scene of the crime to hold an in- quest over the body of the dead man, but it had been buried before his arrival. He was desig- nated as Judge Wells in the story, and the man who did the killing was Sam Temple, in the book called Farrer. The marriage of Mr. Tripp occurred in San Jacinto, in 1884, when Miss Martha Logston, a daughter of J. M. Logston, an early settler who still lives in San Jacinto, became his wife. They are the parents of three children, Walter, Chester and Clyde. Mr. Tripp is a director in the National Bank of San Jacinto, fraternally affiliates with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and Modern Woodmen of America, and politically is an active worker in the ranks of the Republican party, being at the present time a nominee of his party for super- visor of the Fifth Supervisoral District. He is a man who is popular in the community and takes a leading interest in all matters relating to the public welfare.

JACQUES TISNERAT, was born in Bellocq. Basses-Pyrenees, France, January 23, 1852, the oldest of the eleven children born to his parents, Jean and Anna (Dartigueperyron) Tisnerat, who as farmers spent their entire lives in France. Seven of their children are living, and of these five are in the United States.

The eldest of his parents' large family, Jacques Tisnerat was well trained in the duties of farm work and proved a valuable assistant to his father in the management of the homestead farm. Dur- ing his boyhood he was privileged to attend the common schools in the vicinity of his home, in- terspersing his studies with work on the farm, until in later years, having formed domestic ties he established a farming enterprise of his own. Leaving his wife and children in France he came to the United States in 1886, his object being to establish a home in the new world and then send for his family. He first went to St. Peter, Minn., there as in other points in the middle west to which he went, being employed at any honest labor that presented itself. Thus far his prospects had not been very bright, and upon his arrival in Pomona in 1887 he could lay claim to but thirty cents. However, his removal to the

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west was the beginning of a brighter dawn, and though as heretofore he had to accept the first work that offered, the prospect of an advance in position was an incentive to renewed efforts. After working as a farm hand for some time on the ranch of Mr. Coney, who was then consul to Mexico, he was finally made superintendent of the ranch, a position which he held for seven or eight years. A desire to become an independent land-holder was the means of his relinquishing this position and about the same time he pur- chased the nucleus of his present ranch near Pomona. On this one acre tract he set out a small garden and also established a winery, later adding to his acreage by the purchase of twenty- nine acres on East Cemetary avenue, two miles east of Pomona, and just over the line in San Bernardino county. Here he set out a fine vine- yard, and notwithstanding the fact that he is not exempt from frost, picks one hundred tons of grapes per season from his vineyard.

In France Mr. Tisnerat was married to Miss Maria Serres, who was also a native of Basses- Pyrenees, and five children have been born to them, Peter, Eunice, Jennie, Eugene and Annie, all of whom are at home with their parents, on South Thomas street. The family are members of the Reformed Church of Pomona, and in his political affiliations Mr. Tisnerat is a Republican. While in his native country he served in the French army for five years as a member of the Eightlı Cavalry, Fifth Squadron.

JOHN B. B. LELONG. The life which this narrative sketches began in the city of Los Angeles May 11, 1852, and closed in the county of the same name May 11, 1905. The LeLong family is of French extraction, Martin LeLong having been born and reared in France, whence he came to America in early manhood and set- tled in the then Spanish town of Los Angeles. After coming to this city he met and married Miss Josephine Alinez, a native of California, but of direct Spanish descent. The remaining days of his life were passed in this locality and here he passed away at the age of forty-nine years. Among his children was a son, John B. B., whose name introduces this article, and

who remained a lifelong resident of the county of his birth. Educated principally in St. Vin- cent's school in Los Angeles, he gained a knowledge of both French and Spanish, and used these languages in preference to the Eng- lish language, with which he was less familiar.

When a young man and ready to start out for himself, Mr. LeLong received from his mother thirty-two acres of bare, unimproved land, then of little value. Through his efforts the land was made attractive, the soil produced excellent crops of their various kinds, improve- ments were made that greatly added to the desirability of the place as a homestead, and all in all the tract was transformed from its original appearance to an abode of comfort and simple content. Immediately before set- tling on the ranch he was married, February 8, 1875, to Miss Julia Ruiz, who was born in Los Angeles January 25, 1855, and received a fair education in the Spanish tongue. Her father, Martin Ruiz, was a native of Chihuahua, Mexico, and a son of a Spanish gentleman who came to the new world as a representa- tive of the king of Spain; her mother, who bore the maiden name of Florence Raildez, was a native of Los Angeles and a member of a Spanish family.

Always interested in educational matters, Mr. LeLong officiated as a school trustee for years and maintained a warm interest in the building of schools. Politically he stanchly supported Democratic principles, while in re- ligion he was an earnest Roman Catholic, and all of his family adhered to the same faith. Fraternally he was a member of the Foresters of America. Surviving him are his widow and the following children: Conception, Mrs. Jo- seph Cyprien, of Fullerton, this state; Con- stance, widow of Joseph Toussau, also of Ful- lerton; Alexander, at home; Jossie, who mar- ried Joseph W. Reve, of Los Angeles, her wed- ding and that of her eldest sister being solemn- ized on the same day : Charles, who makes his home at Sherman, this state; Ortense, at home; Henry L., who is employed in Los An- geles ; Vernie, Mary, Josephine and Barnaby, who remain with their mother on the home ranch.

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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 195

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