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 31

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 Bardsdale, April 30. 1902; Mr. Dorn was married to Miss Mattie Lemmon, a native of Texas, and born of this union is one son, Law- rence M. In his fraternal relations Mr. Dorn is a member of the Masonic lodge of Oxnard, and also of the Fraternal Brotherhood. He is a liberal and public spirited citizen and takes an active interest in advancing the welfare of the community. serving for some time as school trustee.

EMILE RAMBAUD. The oldest mer- chant in Puente, Los Angeles county, is Emile Rambaud, who was born in France, near Gap,

Hautes-Alpes, August 20, 1866, a son of Pierre, the representative of a family which traces its ancestry back six hundred years. The elder man was a farmer and stockman in the south of France, being so engaged throughout his entire life in that location, where his death eventually occurred. He is survived by his wife, formerly Leontine Mar- chant, also representing an old family of southern France, who makes her home on the old farm. They became the parents of eight children, of whom seven are living, the third child being Emile. He was reared on the pa- ternal farm in France, receiving his education in the public schools and Gap College. At the age of twenty-one years he enlisted in the Sec- ond Battalion, Second Company, One Hun- dred and Fifty-second Infantry, of the regular army of France, and after serving for three years was honorably discharged. In 1892 he came to California and in Los Angeles entered the employ of the Southern Pacific Railroad, remaining so occupied for a year, when he bought out his uncle, Seraphin Rambaud, who owned the pioneer store at Puente, since which time he has continued the business profitably. He conducts a general merchan- dise establishment, carrying a full line of goods generally found in such an enterprise.

In Los Angeles Mr. Rambaud was united in marriage with Miss Marian Oxarart, a na- tive of Los Angeles, and a member of one of the old families of this section, and they are the parents of two children, Emelianne and Gaston. Mr. Rambaud is an active Republic- an and is interested in all matters of public import, having served one term as school trus- tee.

HENRY HORACE WEBB. Among the enterprising business men of Santa Monica who have attained success in their work is Henry Horace Webb, well known as an extensive dealer in ice and as a transfer agent. A man of ener- getic temperament, honest and upright, he is well worthy of the assured position which he holds in the estimation of the people of the community. A native of Canada East, he was born September II, 1851, at Roxton Falls. His father, Henry Webb, born in England, migrated as a young man to Canada East, where he married Salinda Hall. He followed the trade of brickmaker during the greater part of his active career, first in Canada, then in Fillmore county, Minn. Coming to California as a pioneer of Santa Monica, he was for a time employed in buying and selling property, but afterwards lived re- tired.

Going with his parents to Minnesota, Henry

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Horace Webb completed his early education in the public schools of Fillmore county, remain- ing at home until becoming of age. Going then to Boone county, Iowa, he was there prosper- ously employed in the transfer business for five years. In search of a broader field of action, he came from there to California in 1878, locat- ing in Los Angeles, where for eight years he managed a large transfer business, having an office at first at the corner of Los Angeles and First streets, but subsequently removing it to the new brick block which he built at No. 233 Los Angeles street. He was likewise actively engaged in mercantile pursuits, running a gro- cery, and in both lines of industry was very successful, carrying on a fine business until after the collapse of the great boom. Coming then to Santa Monica, in partnership with F. W. Vogel, he established an ice business and in addi- tion has also established a large and lucrative business as a transfer agent, at the present time keeping about twenty-four horses employed.

In Boone county, Iowa, Mr. Webb married Mary W. Miller, a daughter of Charles Miller, a pioneer settler of Iowa, and into their house- hold three children have been born: Winnie B., Perry H. and Clarence E. Politically Mr. Webb is identified with the Republican party, support- ing its principles by voice and vote. Fraternally he is a member of the Masons, Benevolent Pro- tective Order of Elks, and the Royal Arcanum. He is a fine representative of the self-made men of our county, by his own efforts having acquired considerable wealth. He has a pleasant home at the corner of Oregon and Eighth streets, and is likewise interested in Santa Monica real estate.

WINFIELD SCOTT FLINT. An ac- quaintance with the west begun during the period of his service in the regular army first attracted the attention of Mr. Flint to the ad- vantages offered by the Pacific coast, and upon receiving his honorable discharge from the government service he returned to the coast country, where he has since made his home. Of eastern birth and parentage, he was born in Rensselaer county, N. Y., September 22, 1865, and is a son of Clement and Hester (Gould) Flint, natives respectively of New York and Florida. For many years the father engaged in the practice of medicine and sur- gery in Brooklyn and New York City, but while still in the prime of life he established himself in Rensselaer county, and continued professional work in that section of the state. When advancing years brought a desire for a release from the ardnous life of a busy physi- cian he relinquished his large practice and sought the genial climate of California, set-

tling in 1883 in the Poway valley in San Di- ego county, where now, at the age of eighty- three years, he is enjoying a merited rest from professional and business activities. His wife, who is fourteen years his junior, is also living and possesses mental and physical faculties in unimpaired strength.

Little occurred to individualize the youthful years of W. S. Flint until his departure from the old homestead to take up the active duties of life for himself. In 1882 he enlisted in the regular army as a member of Company F, Twenty-first United States Infantry, and shortly afterward was sent to Washington with the regiment, being stationed at Van- conver Barracks, where he remained for six months. Later he was stationed at Fort Sid- ney, Neb., until his discharge from the army. During his brief period of service in the west he had been favorably impressed with the coast region and determined to return thither with a view to making a permanent location. During December of 1884 he arrived in San Francisco and there began to learn the black- smith's trade, of which he acquired a thorough knowledge during the period of his appren- ticeship.

On coming to San Diego county in 1885 Mr. Flint · settled at Santa Ysabel and soon after his arrival he took up a homestead from the government. This he improved and made his home, giving his attention to the raising of stock and also of such varieties of grain as suited the soil and climate. Until 1896 he gave his attention unreservedly to agriculture, but during the year named he bought a black- smith's shop at Santa Ysabel and gained a po- sition of prominence in his locality as an up- right business man and expert horseshoer. Near the village he owns one hundred and seventy acres of ranch land and his residence close to town gives him a modern, substantial home with all of the advantages of country life. Before her marriage Mrs. Flint was Mil- lie Paine, her marriage to Mr. Flint occurring in this county January 24, 1889. She was born in Maine and in 1869 was brought to Califor- nia by her father, C. Paine, who established the family home at Poway. Later Mr. Paine removed to Mesa Grande and since then has remained in that locality, engaging in the fruit business and in general ranch pursuits. Mrs. Flint passed away November 20, 1906. She was an earnest member of the Congregational Church, a lady of gentle character and noble traits, a wise mother to their three children, Margaret F., John W. and Mary F., and pop- ular in the best social circles of the commun- ity.

For some years Mr. Flint has held member-

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ship in Banner Court No. 8522, A. O. F., at Julian, and to its helpful work he has been a regular contributor. Though not a partisan in politics and at no time a seeker for office, he nevertheless has stanch convictions concern- ing tariff problems and national issues and gives his allegiance to the Republican party. He was appointed deputy sheriff under F. M. Jennings and took up the duties of its position in San Diego January 1, 1907. Few men of his community are more fond of reading than he, and much of his leisure time is devoted to a study of current events as depicted by the daily press and leading magazines. As a con- sequence of this study he has gained a famil- iarity with current affairs, local, state and na- tional history, and measures for the advance- ment of the people, which gives him a place among the best informed citizens of his local- ity.

AARON E. KEPNER. About one mile west of Lemon, and not far from the Fairview school house, may be seen one of the fine looking and productive ranches which abound in Southern California. When Mr. Kepner took possession of this property a little over twenty years ago there was apparently little to encourage one in undertaking to trans- form a barley field (for such it was), but the passing of years has noted marvelous changes. Clearing away the barley stubble he set out a vineyard and also some deciduous fruits, in those days watering his fields by means of a barrel, but in spite of this laborious and unsat- isfactory method of irrigation his horticultural undertaking was a complete success and for years he bore the distinction of having the finest vineyard of Muscats in this vicinity. His vineyard has since been replaced by wal- nuts, having a grove of twenty acres, sixteen acres in decidnous fruits, while the remaind- er of his sixty-acre ranch is used for alfalfa raising and. general farming.

Born in Nora, Jo Daviess county, Ill., De- cember 5, 1849, Aaron E. Kepner is a son of B. H. and Sarah (Bushey) Kepner, both na- tives of Pennsylvania. They were married in the east and three of their thirteen children were born before their immigration to the frontier of Illinois in 1847. Settling on a farm in Jo Daviess county the father carried on agricultural pursuits throughout the remainder of his active years and there reared his large family of children. With the wife of his young manhood, who had uncomplainingly shared the inconveniences and vicissitudes of pioneer life, he was spared to enjoy a free- dom from care in his later years, which were

passed in California, both dying in Lemon. The eldest of the parental family born in Illi- nois, Aaron E. was brought up in that state until he was twenty years of age, in the mean time attending the public schools of Nora. With the knowledge of farming which he had gleaned by assisting his father on the home farm he set out to try his own luck along the same line, settling on a farm near Montrose, Henry county, Mo., in 1869. After remain- ing there fifteen years, or until 1884, he dis- posed of his interests in the Mississippi val- ley to come to California. His wisdom in the selection of another choice piece of property was demonstrated when, during the same year, he purchased his present sixty-acre ranch in the. Fairview district, not far from Lemon. From an unpromising barley field he evolved first one of the finest vineyards in this part of the state. and now on the same acreage has one of the most productive walnut groves in the vicinity. Besides the twenty acres in wal- nuts he has sixteen acres in deciduous fruits and twenty-four acres devoted to alfalfa and general farming. All in all the Kepner ranch is considered one of the best in this part of Los Angeles county and its proprietor is rec- ognized as one of the important factors in the county's upbuilding.

In Lafayette county, Wis., September 29, 1872, Aaron E. Kepner was united in marriage with Miss Roxie Rowe, who was born in Penn Yan, N. Y. Her father, Delevan Rowe, also a native of the Empire state, carried on a hotel and also a planing-mill and cabinet-making business in the east, but after his removal to Illinois settled upon a farm near the Kepner family in Jo Daviess county. Subsequently he removed to Iowa, and now resides on a farm near Iowa Falls, in which locality he is a power in the ranks of the Republican party. Mrs. Rowe was before her marriage Sarah Shaw, born in Orange county. N. Y., and who counted among her kinsmen the well-known Kernochan and McCartney families of that state. The death of Mrs. Rowe occurred in Illinois, at which time she left three chil- dren, of whom her daughter Roxie, now Mrs. Kepner, was the eldest. Six children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Kepner, but only three of them are now living. The eldest, Etha, who before her marriage was one of the most talented music teachers in Pomona, is now the wife of Dr. E. L. Johnson, of Topeka, Kans .; Ida died in Missouri when seven years of age; Ross B., who graduated from Pomona College in 1906 with the degree of B. S., is now taking a post-graduate course in engi- neering in the University of Michigan: Flor- ence (known by her family and intimate

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friends as Birdie) died in Pomona in 1899, when seventeen years of age; Ernest died in infancy ; and the youngest, Louis, is attend- ing the Pomona high school. Both Mr. and and Mrs. Kepner are members of the Baptist Church of Pomona, exemplifying in their daily living the principles of their professed religion. Mr. Kepner is a member of the Walnut Fruit Growers' Association.

JAMES G. WARREN. The career of James G. Warren has been diversified and full of inter- esting events, his school days heing interrupted to answer the call of his country to arms in de- fense of the Union; the long, weary and heart- rending service to 1865 being given uncomplain- ingly ; his return to civic life; and following, a location in various states of the Union and under all circumstances, from the most unfavorable to the most propitions. He is now an honored cit- izen of Southern California, successful in his personal enterprises and prominent among the residents of El Monte. He was born in East Au- rora, Erie county, N. Y., April 21, 1842, a grandson of Gen. William Warren in command during the war of 1812 at Buffalo, N. Y., and whose great-grandfather, William Warren, was a cousin of the General Warren who fell at Bunker Hill, the name having been established in America by two brothers who crossed the Atlantic in the Mayflower. Mr. Warren's grandfather, an old-line Whig, died at the age of ninety-four years.

When ten years old Mr. Warren's parents took him to Geauga county, Ohio, where the next five years of his life were passed. He attend- ed the public schools up to the age of fifteen years, when he left home and went to Buchanan county, Iowa, where he engaged in working on a farm. The inherited patriotism within him stirred to life by the needs of 1862, he enlisted for service in August of that year, in Company C, Twenty-seventh Regiment Iowa Infantry, was mustered in at Dubuque, Iowa, and at once sent against the Sioux Indians in Minnesota. After three months in the north his regiment was transferred to the scene of activities in Ten- nessee and Mississippi, where he participated in the siege of Vicksburg, was with the Red River expedition, Sahine Cross Roads, etc .; then re- turned to the relief of General Sturgis, checked Forest's cavalry, and participated in the siege of Nashville. Following this he was in the siege of Mobile and the capture of that city, and Forts Spanish and Blakely. He came safely through the historic struggle and never received the slightest wound. He was mustered out of ser- vice in 1865, at Clinton. Iowa, and immediately afterward returned to Manchester, same state.

Until 1868 Mr. Warren engaged in farming and teaming in Manchester, when he went to Adams county and purchased land upon which he remained four years, with the exception of one year spent in Belleville, Kans. In 1875 he went to Jewell county, Kans., and near Mankato homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres, upon which he engaged extensively in general farm- ing. Later he took up the barber business in Mankato, while his wife, conducted a millinerv store. These combined interests were contin- med until 1894 when Mr. Warren disposed of his business and came to California, making his home for six months in Ontario, after which he went to Pasadena and engaged at his trade. Selecting as a more desirable vocation that to which he had early been trained, in 1896 he lo- cated on the farm which lie now owns, consist- ing then of five acres of walnuts, to which after three years he gave all of his attention, having in the meantime disposed of the barber shop which he had established in El Monte. Later he purchased ten acres of walnuts on the Monrovia road. and also owns forty acres near Chino, San Bernardino county, which he is farming at the present writing. A part of his attention at pres- ent is given to the raising of fine poultry, white Plymouth Rocks and Buff Orpingtons being his principal fancy stock, the latter, in connection with the massive pines on his place, giving the name of Pines Orpington ranch.

Mr. Warren has been twice married, by the first union, with Cordelia L. Beagle, having five children, namely: Ernest, Fred, Lulu, Edith and Vivian. His present wife was formerly Mrs. Mary A. (Kchler) Trump, a woman of rare qual- ities, a member of the Presbyterian Church, and one who has many friends. Mr. Warren was a charter member of Jim Lane Post G. A. R., at Mankato, and served as its commander for two years, and is now identified with Pasadena Post. Politically he is a stanch adherent of the prin- ciples advocated in the platform of the Repub- lican party, which ticket he has always voted. He belongs to the Mountain View Walnut Growers' Association.

HENRY AUSTIN WARNOCK. Thor- ough familiarity with the agricultural condi- tions of San Diego county, acquired by a life- long residence in this portion of California, admirably qualifies Mr. Warnock for the wise and successful supervision of his large landed interests in the vicinity of Ramona. The peo- ple of his home neighborhood give him a high position in their esteem and confidence, this respect being accorded him as a result of their acquaintance with his liberal views, high in- telligence and marked uprightness. A lifelong

Albert d. Freeman

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HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

resident of his present district, he was born . Upon coming to the west he engaged in min- at the old Warnock homestead on Santa Ter- esa rancho, September 3, 1865, and is a son of William and Ellen (Denig) Warnock and a brother of W. J. Warnock, in whose sketch appears the family history. During his boy- hood years he was sent to the district schools and later had the advantage of a course of study in St. Vincent's College at Los Angeles, after which he took a commercial course in Heald's Business College at San Francisco.

Returning home on the completion of his collegiate course Mr. Warnock took up inde- pendent ranching. From the first he was in- terested in stock-raising and kept on his ranch about one hundred head of cattle and from fif- teen to twenty head of horses. In the year 1900 he enlarged his responsibilities by the purchase of a ranch adjoining the old home- stead and here he now has twelve hundred and twenty acres of land, of which three hun- dred and fifty acres are under cultivation, and about fifteen acres are planted in apple trees now in bearing condition. Each year wit- nesses some improvement made on the ranch, for the owner is a man of progressive spirit and is not satisfied with anything less than the best. In his desire to advance the inter- ests of the ranch he has the active co-opera- tion of his wife, formerly Elizabeth E. Wolfe, and a native of Tennessee, but reared in Southern California. where their marriage took place October 26, 1901. Born of their union are three children, William A., Mabel Elizabeth and Eugene Douglas. While Mr. Warnock has always given his support to Democratic principles he has never sought lo- cal leadership in the party nor has he accepted any political office except that of constable. While filling the position of school trustee for two terms he gave his district faithful service in the interests of its educational progress and proved himself to be capable, well informed and progressive, aiming constantly to promote the welfare of the schools.

ALBERT J. FREEMAN. During the years immediately following the discovery of gold in California the tide of emigration drifted constantly from the east toward the shores of the Pacific. Among the thousands of home- seekers and Argonauts came William D. Free- man, who crossed the plains in 1854 in com- pany with a large party of emigrants making the journey with ox-teams and wagons. A native of New York, he was born in Chautau- qua county, September 27. 1827, and for many years he lived in Illinois, where he was a pio- neer and honored citizen of McHenry county.

ing in Amador county, but later settled in Marin county, where he and his wife still live at their old homestead, the former now seven- ty-nine years of age, and the latter seventy- two. Both are earnest members of the Chris- tian Church and for years have been identified with its fellowship. The wife and mother bore the maiden name of Mary Halstead and was a native of Canada, but came to the United States in girlhood, and September 15, 1850, be- came the wife of William D. Freeman. Born of their union were twelve children, of whom two daughters are now deceased. Ten are now living, among them being H. D., a well-known resident of Santa Barbara.

After the family had settled in Marin coun- ty a son was born February 5, 1858, who was named Albert J., and who, in common with his brothers and sisters, received a public-school education and grew up to a thorough knowl- edge of ranching. From early manhood he has been interested in the poultry business and still makes a specialty of that work. Until about 1898 he remained in Marin county, but at that time he moved to Santa Barbara coun- ty and settled on his present farm near Santa Maria. Of his tract of eighty-three acres he has forty acres sown in grain and twenty-five acres planted in corn. In his poultry yards he has three thousand young chickens and thir- teen hundred hens. During the hatching sea- son he uses five incubators with a capacity of from five hundred and four to five hundred and seventy-six each. These incubators he con- structed without other aid, for he possesses considerable ability as a mechanic and exe- cutes work with skill. Other necessary ar- rangements have been made on his well- equipped chicken ranch, and.the neat appear- ance of the place proves him to be a man of energy and wise judgment.

The marriage of Mr. Freeman was solemn- ized February 20. 1901, and united him with Miss Emma L. Hardisty, a native of Illinois, and they are the parents of two children, Ivy and Vina. Mrs. Freeman is a daughter of Charles W. and Clarinda (Meadows) Hardis- ty, the father born in Savannah, Mo., in 1844, and the mother born in Abingdon, Ill., in 1849. In 1879 Mr. Hardisty removed from Missouri to Montana and during 1883 arrived in Cali- fornia, settling in Santa Rosa, Sonoma coun- tv. A thoughtful study of present-day condi- tions has made Mr. Freeman a convert to the doctrines of socialism, which he upholds not only theoretically, but also at the polls. His wife holds membership in the Christian Church and both contribute to its mainte- nance. For some years Mrs. Freeman was one

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of the leading members of the Bloomfield Lodge of Rebekals 11 Sonoma county and during the entire period of her passing through the chairs therewith she did not miss one meeting of the lodge. At different times she filled all of its chairs and in recognition of her 'able leadership and deep interest in the lodge its members honored her with the past grand jewel of her office.

HENRY B. PRATT. The records that give the genealogy of the Pratt family show that its representatives of past generations, like those. of the present, held positions of honor- able prominence in the various localities of their residence. The first of the name in this country settled along the Atlantic coast in New England, later generations following the trend of emigration toward the west. Julius D. Pratt, a native of Connecticut, became a pioneer of Illinois in 1836 and took up a large tract of raw land near Sterling, where he en- gaged in farm pursuits and also for a time taught school. When thirty-one years of age he died in 1841 and his wife, Mary (Bowman) Pratt, a native of Pennsylvania, died the year following his demise. Their son, John B., was born in Dixon, Ill., March 24, 1835, and re- mained at home until the discovery of gold in Pike's Peak, when he went to the mines of Col- orado. Two years later he proceeded to Au- burn, Ore., and during the next five years he engaged in freighting between that country and Illinois and other points of the Mississippi valley, after which he spent a year at his old Illinois home. Going next to Iowa, he settled on a raw tract of land in Mitchell county, where he gave his attention to the develop- ment of an improved farm. Though prospered financially, he found the climate unpleasantly rigorous and therefore removed to California in 1892, settling on a farm near Ramona. Ten years later he rented the land and since then has lived in retirement. In addition to his tract of two hundred and forty-one acres in this valley he owns one hundred and fifty-two acres in the Sorrento valley. Politically he has voted the Republican ticket ever since the organization of the party.

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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 31

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