A memorial and biographical history of the counties of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura, California Containing a history of this important section of the Pacific coast from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its prospective future; with full-page steel portraits of its most eminent men, and biographical mention of many of its pioneers and also of prominent citizens of to-day, Part 56

Author: Storke, Yda Addis
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Chicago, The Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 738

USA > California > San Luis Obispo County > A memorial and biographical history of the counties of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura, California Containing a history of this important section of the Pacific coast from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its prospective future; with full-page steel portraits of its most eminent men, and biographical mention of many of its pioneers and also of prominent citizens of to-day > Part 56
USA > California > Santa Barbara County > A memorial and biographical history of the counties of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura, California Containing a history of this important section of the Pacific coast from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its prospective future; with full-page steel portraits of its most eminent men, and biographical mention of many of its pioneers and also of prominent citizens of to-day > Part 56
USA > California > Ventura County > A memorial and biographical history of the counties of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura, California Containing a history of this important section of the Pacific coast from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its prospective future; with full-page steel portraits of its most eminent men, and biographical mention of many of its pioneers and also of prominent citizens of to-day > Part 56

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

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another forty, and also eighty acres of hill and valley land. His main crops are beans, mus- tard, and barley for hay. He has a small orchard for family use, and about twenty-five horses for breeding and ranch purposes.

Mr. McClure was married at Santa Cruz, in 1874, to Miss F. L. Hall. They are blessed with three children, and a good, com- fortable home in which to pass the decline of life.

RZA PORTER was born in Lima, Liv- ingston County, New York, March 28. 1838, and was there reared and edu- cated. Livingston County, besides being famous for its rich soil, magnificent farms, trout streams, trout ponds, etc., is also famous for its schools with well developed and well detined systems of study. The Geneseo Nor- inal School, located at Geneseo in the bean- tiful Genesee Valley, is perhaps the largest of these institutions; but the Genesee Wes- leyan Seminary, located at Lima, is the old- est and probably the best known throughout the country. It was the latter institution that Mr. Porter attended for a time, being engaged in his studies there up to the time the family decided to move West. On ac- count of the delicate health of Mr. Porter's father, who was threatened with consump- tion, the family home was now moved to Morris, Grundy County, Illinois. Here Mr. Porter lived for four years on a farm owned by his father. He then made up his mind to go further west and seek new fields of labor. Hearing of the military excitement at Salt Lake City, in 1853, he crossed the plains with ox teams to that point. Finding nothing there to interest him, he planned to return home; but, owing to the heavy fall of snow, the trip across the plains was, of course,

impracticable, and he decided to go to Cali- fornia, although he originally had no thought of going so far. The party of which he was a member then packed their blankets and walked from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles, California, the entire trip across the plains from Illinois consuming six months and a half of time.

Once in California, Mr. Porter has since resided here, only returning East once, in 1874, for a visit. Los Angeles was his home from 1858 to 1863. A part of that time he was in the employ of the Stage Company, as he was also subsequently, when he moved to Santa Barbara. Mr. Porter came to Santa Barbara in 1863, and with the best interests of this city and county he was very closely identified for many years. He was elected Sheriff of the county in 1865, and held the office for six years. For two terms lie was also a member of the Common Council, com- mencing with the year 1873, or as near that as can be recalled.

It was in Santa Barbara that Mr. Porter was so fortunate as to meet Mr. Isaac J. Sparks and his family. Mr. Sparks, a sketch of whose life appears elsewhere in this pub- lication, was then well advanced in years, but apparently strong and hearty. Mr. Porter was married in 1870 to Miss Rosa Sparks, and up to very recent years continued to make Santa Barbara his home. At present Mr. and Mrs. Porter reside with their family, which consists of six children, in the IInasna Valley, San Luis Obispo County. Their ranch consists of two square leagnes of land (something over 10,000 acres), and is a part of the original grant of the Mexican Gov- ernment to Mr. Sparks. This splendid prop- erty is situated in as healthy a spot as there probably is in the world. No damp winds and no fogs are to be found in this valley. The soil, as might be expected, is rich and

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productive, and for fruit purposes apparently cannot be excelled. Mr. Porter has recently set ont an orchard of twelve acres, near his house, containing a grape vineyard, and peach, prune and apricot trees-a model in its way. The trees are only four to six years old and, withont irrigation, the yield this year (1890) is something enormous, the peaches being especially large and of rare quality. As this was the owner's first ex- periment in frnit culture on the place it . illustrates well the remarkable fertility of the soil and its special adaptability for fruit raising. Mr. and Mrs. Porter are univers- ally popular; their home is distinguished for its hospitality, the visitor being welcomed with the kindness and attention so character- istic of the Californian.

Since making his home in San Luis Obispo County, Mr. Porter has held public office on one occasion. In 1884 he was elected As- semblyman, defeating Jndge D. R. McVen- able, his opponent, who was the following term elected to the same office over H. M Warden.

ON. LEMUEL C. McKEEBY came to Ventura in 1868 from Carson City, Nevada. He was born in New York city in 1825, and received his education there. His father, Edward McKeeby, was of Scotch descent and a native of New York. His mother, nee Catharine Miller, was born in New York and was a descendant of one of the old German families of that city. His great-grandfather was a soldier in the Revo- Intionary war. Mr. McKeeby served one year as private in the service of the United States during and until the close of the war with Mexico, when he was honorably dis- charged. He then made Milwaukee, Wis-

consin, his home. In 1850 he came to Cal- ifornia and engaged in mining, and was always a successful miner. He mined at French Corral and Sebastopol principally; was the first to introduce rubber hose for hydraulic mining, which was at Sebastopol, Nevada County. He there, with his associ- ates, carried on a large mine, the weekly yield being from $2,000 to $4,000. His company also pnt a fiume in the Ynba River twenty feet wide, at a cost of $20,000. Dur- ing his mining operations his gold was sent by Wells, Fargo & Co's Express to Marys- ville and to San Francisco, where it yielded an average of $14 per ounce. From this mine he went to Carson City, and with oth- ers erected a factory and engaged in the manufacture of sulphuric acid. In this en- terprise he was also successful. The expense at this time, 1863, of getting the material- some fifteen tons in all-to commence oper- ations, to that place from San Francisco, was ten cents per pound. The demand for the acid diminished and he sold out. While there he was elected Justice of the Peace and Police Judge. He was also elected a mem- ber of the first Legislature from the city of Carson, State of Nevada, and had the honor, in joint convention, of placing in nomination Hon. J. W. Nye for United States Senator; Governor Nye and Wm. M. Stewart were the two first United States Senators elected from that State.

Mr. McKeeby came to Ventura and en- gaged in the mercantile business, but for the past ten years has been engaged in the active practice of his profession, and is considered a very careful and successful lawyer. He has always been identified with the business interests of the town and county, and was one of the organizers of the first bank in the city-the Bank of Ventura-and is now its attorney and vice-president. He also took a

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prominent part in the organization of the public library of the city. The first meetings for its organization were held in his house, and he has been President of its Board of Trustees for many years. He is a charter member of the Masonic order, helped in the organization of the lodge, and was its first W. M., and continned such for many years.

In 1857 he was united in marriage to Miss Caroline A. Sampson, a native of the State of Maine. She is a daughter of Mr. Samp- son of that State, and a niece of Mr. Owen Lovejoy. Their union has been blessed with four children, three of whom are living, viz .: Charles B., born in Nevada County, Califor- nia, now a farmer in Ventura; Mary A., also born in Nevada County, California, is the wife of A. G. Bartlett, of Los Angeles, a member of the firm of Bartlett Bros., of Ven- tura and Los Angeles; George L., born in Ventura, is now living with his parents.

Mr. McKeeby has been a Republican since the war. He and his family are leading members of the Episcopal Church. They are people of high standing in the city in which they have lived so long and are identi- fied with all its best interests.

On June 1, 1890, he was appointed Deputy Collector of Internal Revenue for the First District of California, to reside at Los Angeles.

ANIEL TOY, a rancher of Santa Maria, was born in Wilmington, Delaware, in 1853. His father was a blacksmith, who followed his trade until fifty years of age; then, in 1865, he moved to Iowa and engaged in farming. Our subject lived at home until 1874, when he started in life for himself, continning farming. In 1878 he bought a small farm; but, thinking he could

do better in California, he sold ont his inter- ests in 1880 and came to Santa Barbara County. He first settled at Santa Ynez, where he was engaged in farming until 1885, and then bought his present ranch of 160 acres south of town, and there established himself for a permanent home, making im- provements, with a view to future comfort and convenience. He raises the usual crops of hay, potatoes and beans, but makes corn the leading crop, of which he planted about twenty-five acres. He has planted a small orchard, and has trees in his nursery for fifteen acres more, all to be winter apples, the trees being imported from Illinois. He has set ont 15,000 gum trees, for wind-break and fuel. Mr. Toy makes a specialty of small fruits, strawberries and raspberries doing re- markably well; he also keeps 200 fowls, and about fifteen head of horses and cattle, and his place bears evidence of his Eastern thrift coupled with intelligent farming.

Mr. Toy was married in 1877, at Storm Lake, Iowa, to Miss Laura Mudgett, a native of Maine, and they have four children :--- Zalia, Susan, Rebecca and Hugh.

- ACKLIN WILLETT was born in Co- lumbiana County, Ohio, June 13, 1838, son of George and Elizabeth (Rhodes) Willett. His father was born in Virginia, May 10, 1809, of English ancestors, and his death occurred June 3, 1879, at the age of seventy years; and his mother was born in Londoun Connty, Virginia, her father being of an old Virginia family, and her mother a Pennsylvanian. Mr. Willett was the third of a family of nine children. He received his education in Illinois, learned the black- smith's trade and worked at it two years be- fore coming to California, in 1859. He

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crossed the plains and went to the mines at Virginia City, and from there to Plumas County, where he continued to mine and where he met with financial losses. He then went to Santa Clara County and worked at his trade, and afterward engaged in farm- ing. In 1863 he returned to Illinois and engaged in the general merchandise bus- iness at Jeffersonville, and also carried on a milling business at the same time, remaining there until 1873. At that time he returned to California and purchased fifty acres of land at Ventura, where he has since resided. It is a very sightly place, on Ventura avenne, and here Mr. Willett is engaged in raising fruit, grain and beans, the latter product be- ing now more profitable than grain.

Mr. Willett was united in marriage, in 1864, to Miss Mary Holzhausen, a native of Ohio, born in 1843. She is a dangh- ter of Henry Holzhausen, who came to this country from Germany when fifteen years of age. They have three children: Angusta, born in Illinois, now the wife of W. Reynolds, of Ventura County; George, born in Ventura; and Muktar, also born in Ventura. Mrs. Willett is a member of the Presbyterian Church. Mr. Willett is a Granger; was formerly a Republican, but is now an independent. In company with Mr. Chilson and others, Mr. Willett built the Ventura Flouring-inill. During the years 1879 to 1887 Mr. Willett was engaged in mining in Arizona, New Mexico and old Mexico.

OHN R. MYERS came to Ventura, in 1874, directly from his native State, Iowa. He was born in Clayton County, July 1, 1846. His father; Jacob K. Myers, is a native of Beverly, Randolph County,

Virginia, boru in 1824. His grandfather, John Myers, was also a Virginian. They were of German descent. His mother, Eliza- beth (Wood) Myers, was born in North Isl- and, Vermont, a danghter of Nathaniel Wood, of that State. Their ancestors, on the paternal side, were English, and on the ma- ternal, Irish. Mr. Myers was the oldest of three children. He was reared on a farm and educated as other farmer boys, learning to work and getting his book education be- tween times. This fitted him for the life of a farmer which he has since followed. When he was nineteen years old he bonght a colt, which was the first property he ever owned. At that time he began to do for himself. When twenty-two years of age, he bought eighty acres of land in western Iowa. On this property he built and made improvements and, after farming it eight years, sold it to come to Ventura, California. His first purchase here was ten acres of land. He improved it and lived on it seven years, then sold, and in July, 1882, bought his present fine property of twenty-three acres, on Ventura avenne, the best street in the city. He has planted the property to English walnuts, apricots, apples and other varieties of fruit. Between the younger trees, as his groves were growing, he has raised large crops of Lima beans, which have proved very remunerative.

In 1869 he was united in marriage to Miss Elena Dodge, a native of Oswego, New York, daughter of Mr. Samuel Dodge, a farmer of that locality. Their ancestors were English. This union has been blessed with three chil- dren, a daughter and two sons: Verner D. and Mary E., born in Monona County, Iowa, and Frank S., born in Ventura. The eldest died in his fourth year. Mr. and Mrs. Myers are both members of the Methodist Church, and, in politics, he is a Republican. They are enjoying life in their beautiful California

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home, engaged in the general employments attending fruit culture.

B YARD DAVIDSON, rancher west of Lompoc, was born in Nova Scotia in 1850, but in early life came to Califor- nia with his parents, by water. and the Isth- mus of Panama. His father bought 1,700 acres in Marin County, and there carried on farming nntil 1870, when he cut up the ranch and divided it- among his sons, Mr. Davidson receiving as his portion 330 acres. He then worked the farm until 1880, also conducting a dairy of forty cows. In 1880 he sold it, and in 1882 came to Lompoc. He bought 138 acres west of town close to the foot-hills, 300 acres being tillable land. He sows a large acreage in barley, and keeps a fine grade of stock. Mr. Davidson has fenced his ranch, and built a suitable house and ont- buildings.

He was married in Marin County, in 1877, to Miss Malvina E. Farley, a native of California. Five children now grace their household.

OSEPH NOAH JATTA, a rancher of Arroyo Grande Valley, was born Au- gust 6, 1842, on the St. John River, Canada, twenty-eight miles from Montreal. His parents, both French-Canadians, reared a family of eleven children. He was seven years of age when they removed to Monroe County, New York. Two years afterward they all returned to Canada except Joseph. He was placed in the family of a Mr. Lewis, who owned a farm three miles from the city of Rochester. Here he spent his boyhood, working on the farm and attending school,

until twenty-one years of age. Mr. Lewis gradually entertained a higher esteem for young Jatta and took pains to make his place a pleasant home for him. In 1863 he came to California, by way of Panama, in company with William Hartley, an old schoolmate. For the first three years here he was employed in the dairy of G. D. W. Gorden, who at that time had leased some of the Steele Brothers' property in Marin County. He then fol- lowed agricultural pursuits on Governor Haight's property in Monterey for a year. Afterward he came to San Luis Obispo County, where he has since resided. For two years he was employed on the property of Corral de Piedra. Next he leased the fine Tar Spring ranch, then owned by Frank Branch, and for four years operated a dairy, with success. After the expiration of the lease he purchased his present ranch of 300 acres in the Arroyo Grande Valley, located in the forks of Lopez and Arroyo Grande creeks He also owns a place of twenty-four acres near the town of Arroyo Grande. His prop- erty adjoins the ranch of the Hamic estate.

Residents of the county will recall the horrible murder of Walker and his wife in 1886 by young Hamie, at the instigation of his father, and how both were quickly cap- tured and subsequently hung from the rail- road bridge at Arroyo Grande by a lynching party. the mob capturing the prisoners from the officers in charge. Mr. Jatta was return- ing from Nipomo at the time of the tragedy, and was not a witness to the preceedings, but being a neighbor of both the Hamie and Walker families he was naturally greatly in- terested in the shocking affair.

Mr. Jatta was married to Mary Hall (whose family reside in Ventura County), in the old adobe house on the road a short dis- tance from the town of Arroyo Grande, where hier people then lived. Mr. and Mrs. Jatta have

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ten children. He is a member of the Arroyo Grande Lodge, No. 160, K. of P.,-the only organization with which he is at present connected.

H. RICE, an early pioneer of Cali- fornia, and a prominent developer of the Santa Maria Valley, was born in Rhea County, Tennessee, June 20, 1832. His father was a farmer and a prominent trader of that period, who, ever in the ad- vance line of civilization, pushed to the front . in 1842 and emigrated to Arkansas, where he continued farming. The subject of this sketch was educated in the common schools, and remained at home until 1850. Then, " enthused " with the spirit of emigration and the gold excitement of California, he started across the plains with a mule team, and after a period of four months he arrived at Mnd Springs, Placer County, August 10, 1850. He then began placer-mining, and for one year shook the pan or rocked the cradle on the banks of the Yuba and Auburn rivers; but, meeting withi poor success, he resuined the industry of his youth, farming, and to that end settled in Sonoma County, in November, 1851, taking the " squatters'" claim and carrying on general farming for sixteen years. While there Mr. Rice was married, November 19, 1854, to Miss Mary A. Long, a native of Ohio, and they have six children, five sons and one daughter. In 1867 Mr. Rice removed to Monterey County, where he farined for six years, and in 1873 they removed to Santa Maria Valley, settling near Guadalupe. Through litigation with grant-holders, he deemed it wise to change his present location, which he did in 1874, and purchased from Martin Murphy 1,831 acres of the Punta de Laguna Rancho, at

$4.10-per acre, a barren tract, unfenced and no improvements upon it. Mr. Rice imme- diately began substantial improvements, and his well-fenced and well-stocked ranch is now satisfactory evidence of his progressive ideas with his energy and ability. The first ten years he farmed in wheat, barley and corn; but in 1884 changed to sheep, cattle and hogs, and in 1886 began his present success- ful and well-managed dairy, consisting of 160 cows. He makes the "R" brand of butter, shipping only in rolls, and averaging 2,000 pounds per month. His present farm- ing is for feeding purposes, raising eighty acres in barley hay, which averages three tons to the acre; forty acres of pumpkins, of twenty tons to the acre, and ten acres in corn, averaging thirty bushels to the acre. His ranch is very rich and prodnetive.

CANET came to Ventura in 1873. His native place was France, where he was born in 1833. He sailed for New York, and while there was engaged eight or nine years in the manufacture of bonnet frames. He returned to France, and then came again, to California, where he took up his present location of 137 acres of Government land. He afterward bought 270 acres, and has since added to his prop- erty until he now has between 1,300 and 1,400 acres of rich pasture and grazing land. The land was wild and nnenltivated, but he is improving it, and as the country grows it will increase in valne every year. He is raising cattle, horses and sheep, but most of his time is devoted to sheep-raising, keeping from 1,000 to 2,000. He employs from two to five shepherds, according to season, and hound-dogs to keep the wild-cats from his flocks. They shot fifteen during the last

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winter. When they are in pursuit of a wild- cat they make the hills resound with their " music." In addition to his stock-farining Mr. Canet raises corn and barley, to which the land is well'adapted; nor could it be sur- passed for fruit.

Mr. Canet was married in 1864, to Miss Kate Brangan, who was born in Ireland. They have one son, Ed. C., born in New York, in 1865. In his political views Mr. Canet is mostly independent, but has lately voted with the Republicans. Mr. and Mrs. Canet are members of the Catholic Church.

EORGE H. LONG, an early pioneer and prominent rancher of California, was born in Lancaster County, Penn- sylvania, in 1815. His grandfather manu- factured the first hand-sickles made in the United States, and his father was an exten- sive manufacturer of sickles and agricultural implements. George left home at the age of fourteen years, and went to Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, where as hostler-boy he entered the service of Dr. Peter Schoen- berger, an extensive manufacturer of iron, etc., from a fine quality of pipe iron ore, the doctor owning his own mines. By faithful service George H. was rapidly promoted, and before twenty years of age he became super- intendent of the entire manufactory. After nineteen years of service, in partnership with his brother, he built a charcoal furnace, at Lewiston, Pennsylvania, but only contin- ned until 1852, when he started for Califor- nia in a sailing vessel, around Cape Horn. Sailing from Philadelphia, they were ninety days on the voyage to San Francisco. Mr. Long then went to the mines on the Yuba River, and, striking a rich claim, in ten

turned to the East by way of Panama. He was employed by the Pennsylvania Railroad Company for two years, but could never for- get the genial climate and productiveness of California, and he returned to the State in 1856. He again sought the mines, but not with his previous success; still he followed mining through the mining districts of Cali- fornia and Nevada, with varied success. In 1860 he, with others, under guard of troops from Fort Mohave, located many rich claims about Prescott, Arizona; but at the breaking out of the war, in 1861, the troops were re- called, and all had to leave the country for fear of the Indians. Mr. Long then took a drove of cattle and sheep from Fort Tejon Rancho, in Los Angeles County, to Virginia City, and on his return was engaged by Thomas Dibble as superintendent of the Santa Anita Rancho, where he looked after stock interests. In 1864, when Hollister & Dibble bought the Lompoc Rancho, Mr. Long brought their sheep up to that ranch; when he came to the valley in 1865 there was not an American farmer nearer than Santa Barbara. The valley was covered with brush and timber, and filled with deer, griz- zly bear and many other wild beasts, and people exclaimed at the idea of bringing sheep to the valley, thinking all would be devoured by the wild beasts. By careful herding, and poison for the wild beasts, few sheep were lost, and the wild beasts were ex- terminated. No farming was done in the valley until after 1874, when it was opened by the Lompoc Colony.

Hollister & Dibble had very large ranch interests, owning 136,000 acres, and as high as 70,000 sheep. Mr. Long acted as super- intendent of this ranch for sixteen years, and in 1876 bought the Rancho la Honda, of 2,000 acres, where he raised cattle and months he had cleared $15,000, and then re- | horses. In 1888 he bought his present

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ranch of 250 acres, west of town, and in 1889 built his residence which, standing on an eminence, commands an extended view of ocean and valley. He sold Rancho la Honda in 1890, and now carries on general farming and raises hogs and a fine grade of horses.

Mr. Long was married at Santa Barbara, in 1870, to Miss Mary Davison, who died in 1886, leaving five children. Mr. Long was then remarried, in 1888, to Miss Mary Rios, and that union has been blessed with one child. Mr. Long has always been a stanch Republican; he voted for William Henry Harrison for President, in 1840, and in 1888 for his grandson, Benjamin Harrison, for the samne honorable position.

S. RILEY was born in Milford, Oakland County, Michigan, Octo-

8 ber 8, 1839. His father, Charles Riley, came from England, and was a hard- ware merchant in Milford. His mother, Sarah (Senior) Riley, was also born in Eng- lan 1. They were the parents of eleven chil- dren, the subject of this sketch being the eighth child He was reared and educated in his native town, and arrived in California September 5, 1861. After spending some months in Sacramento, he went to San Fran- cisco. August 5, 1862, he left the latter place, and landed in Ventura August 6, at eight o'clock in the evening, and has been here ever since. Mr. Riley was first employed by the California Petroleum Company, J. P. Green, of Pennsylvania, being president. In 1873 he started a livery business in Ventura, beginning with a spring-wagon, carriage and four horses; and some time afterward, when he sold his business to Mr. Logue, his stock had increased to twenty horses and fifteen carriages. With Mr. E. S. Hall, he engaged

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Author: Storke, Yda Addis Publication date: 1891 Publisher: Chicago, The Lewis Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 738

Author: Storke, Yda Addis
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Chicago, The Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 738