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 71

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 71
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 71
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 71

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county have risen to a rank par excellence with any county schools in this State. Mr. Armstrong is a man of fine exeentive ability, a favorite with the educational class, and is justly proud of the excellent high standing his schools have obtained and the good repu- tation they have abroad.

J. ROBISON, one of the prominent ranchers of the beautiful Ojai Valley,

0 was born in Bloomington, Indiana, July 22, 1838. His father, Andrew Robi- son, was born in Kentucky, July 4, 1800, re- moved to Indiana in 1826, bought a farm and there reared his family. He was a con- sistent member of the Church of Christ. His death occurred in 1872. Mr. Robison's mother, Nancy (Smoot) Robison, was a native of Kentucky, and the mother of four chil- dren, of whom the subject of this sketch is the youngest. Mr. Robison received his edn- cation in the public schools of his native State, and also in the Indiana State Univer- sity. He learned the blacksmith trade, re- moved to Ellis County, Texas, in 1859, and there opened a shop which he successfully conducted for twenty-six years. In 1882 he sought a milder climate, arrived in Los An- geles, purchased ninety-five acres of land at Azusa, which he improved by planting fruit trees and a vineyard, and also erecting build- ings, and resided there three years. At the end of that time he sold out and returned to Texas. A year later, however, he came back to California, and in May, 1886, came to his present locality in the Ojai Valley, and moved his family here in November of the same year. Mr. Robison is a very successful horticulturist, and is the owner of a fine fruit ranch of 115 acres; three acres are devoted to peach trees, six to apricots, sixteen to

French prunes, two to pears and a variety of other fruit. Twelve acres are in almonds, two in olives, six in raisin grapes, and one in figs. All these Mr. Robison planted, and lie has also erected a comfortable residence. He intends to prepare his fruit for market by drying it. The rest of his ranch is devoted to the cultivation of oats, wheat and harley.

Mr. Robison was united in marriage, in 1867, with Miss Laura Donglas, a native of Tennessee, and a daughter of N. L. Douglas, who was born in Charleston, Sonth Carolina. Her grandfather, Jesse Douglas, came from Scotland. Her father was born in 1801, and was a soldier in the Seminole war, enlisting when he was seventeen years of age. During his residence in Texas he was elected to the office of Assessor and Collector. He died in 1873. Mr. and Mrs. Robison have a family of six children, all natives of Texas, viz .: James M., Cynthia E. and Julia E. (twins), Annie, Marion, Ethel and Clara O. Both Mr. Robison and his wife are members of the Church of Christ. He is a Republican. Was a Sonthern mnan, but was for the Union. Through the force of circumstances he served in the Confederate army during the war. People who differ from him in political views give him credit for the honesty of his con- victions.

AMES EVANS, one of the early settlers and prominent pioneers and ranchers of Ventura, was born in Clarke County, Indiana, July 5, 1839. His father, Thomas Jefferson Evans, was a native of Kentucky. The ancestors of the family were Virginians of Scotch and English origin. Mr. Evans' mother, whose name before marriage was Catharine King, was a native of Pennsyl- vania, and her parents were Pennsylvania

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Dutch. Thus our subject has inherited an unusual degree of good quality. He was the third in order of birth of a family of five children. He received his first school- ing in Missouri; afterward, in 1844, his parents removed to Missouri, in 1852 to Ore- gon, and in 1859 to California, settling in Sonoma County, and he attended school in each of these States. In starting out in the world for himself, he first followed farming two years in Sonoma County, and then fol- lowed mining most of the time for four years in Idaho, made some money, but lost it; then he came to Salinas Valley in Mon- terey County and engaged in farming for two years; and finally, in 1869, his father came with his family to Ventura County, purchased 111 acres of land, and he (our subject) bought eighty acres, which he still owns. He has therefore been cultivating his present ranch for twenty years. He has raised corn, beans, barley and flax; but his principal crop at present is beans, on which he realizes $35 to $40 per acre.

Mr. Evans has never joined any society or held office, but he has ever been a Union man and a Republican. He was married in Octo- ber, 1884, to Miss Osmosen, a native of Ger- many, and they have two children, Plasent and Hallie, both born in Ventura.

OSEPH HARRIS, of Lompoc, was born in the town of Suffolk, England, in De- cember, 1843. His father, Rev. George Harris, was a minister in the Baptist Church at Rishingles; he also carried on farming, and he has been a continuous renter of the same farm for forty-five years. He is still living and preaching, at the age of seventy- four years. Joseph lived at home until 1866, and carried on his father's farm of 300 acres,

engaged in general farming. In 1866 he went to Flixton, and from the estate of Lord Waveney he rented 282 acres, where he car- ried on general farining and stock-raising. In 1871 he was married at Drinkstone, to Miss Kate Cooper, whose father was a renter of a farm which had been in the family con- tinuously for over 150 years. Joseph Har- ris, our subject, farmed at Flixton until 1877, when, on account of illness of his mother, he returned home and resided there until he bronght his family to California, in 1884. He came direct to Lompoc, and rented eight- een acres in the San Miguelito Cañion, where he built his home, planted two acres in fruit trees and started a market garden. They have one son, George, who was born Febru- ary 20, 1872. Mr. Harris is a strong ad- mirer of the freedom of the American people, and regrets that he did not earlier seek a home beneath our flag.

R. B. GUTIERREZ, Santa Barbara. The California pioneers were not all natives of our glorious Republic, as among the number whom we now find promi- nent among the residents of Santa Barbara, is the subject of this sketch, who was born at Santiago, Chili, in 1830. He was educated in private institutions of that place and also attended a course of lectures in pharmacy, as, his father being a druggist, he very naturally inclined to the same profession. During the gold excitement of 1849 he came north to California, landing at San Francisco, and for five years thereafter he followed mining very successfully in Placer, El Dorado and Cala- veras counties. He came to Santa Barbara in 1855, and in connection with Dr. M. H. Biggs, started the first pioneer drug store in the town. Santa Barbara was then a small

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Spanish settlement, and the natives were en- gaged in the raising of cattle and sheep, mar- keting in San Francisco. Land was then worth almost nothing, city blocks then sell- ing as low as $5 per block, and acre at 10 cents per acre, a radical difference from the boom of 1887, when the land on State street sold at $250 per foot. About 1872 Dr. Gnt- ierrez was appointed School Trustee for the terin of three years, and later served one term of two years as Coroner. He formerly owned much real estate, but sold too early to receive inch benefit from the boom. He still owns 1,000 acres at Carpenteria, which is farming and grazing land. He also has an interest in blocks corner of State and Ortega streets, where his drug store is situated, which he carries on in partnership with Dr. C. B. Bates. They carry a full line of drugs and chemicals.

The Doctor was married in Santa Barbara, in 1857, to Miss Soledad Gonzales, a native of Santa Barbara. They have had twelve chil- dren, only six of whom survive. The Doctor is a member of the Society of California Pio- neers, composed only of men who came to the State in 1849, and. though sixty years of age is still robust and well preserved.

S. HARKEY .- Among the well known pioneers of California we find the name of J. S. Harkey. He was born in Ca- barrns County, North Carolina, October 27. 1829. He was the son of Isaac Harkey, a resident of North Carolina for many years and afterward of Arkansas, from 1839 to 1872, when his death occurred in that State. His mother, Cottin P. M. (Shinn) Harkey, was born and reared in North Carolina. The progenitors of the family on both sides were German, but long residents of America. The subject of this sketch was the fourth of a

family of fifteen children, and was reared and educated in Arkansas. When he became of age he rented land from his father and en- gaged in farming for a time. He afterward went to school and studied law. A siege of typhoid fever at this time resulted in his abandoning the idea of engaging in the legal profession. After two or three years' farm- ing, he became a clerk in Norristown, on the Arkansas River, and eighteen months later bought out his brother's partner and engaged in business. Having met with losses in va- rious ways, in 1858 he closed out his inter- ests there, and, with his wife and son Thomas, then two years old, came to California. He left $1,500 dae him, from which he never realized a cent. He arrived in San Francisco December 15, 1858, and the same evening left for Russian River, Sonoma County. He there lived on a rented farm eleven years, and was not out of the county during that time. In 1869 he located in what was then Santa Bar- bara County, now Ventura, and bought a squatter's claim in Pleasant Valley, suppos- ing it to be Government land. When he ar- rived here he had, all told, property and money, about $1,500. He bought the grant to get title to his land and gained his suit, but afterward lost everything. In 1872 his wife was taken sick with typhoid fever and died February 26, that year, and he was left with a family of helpless children, without means. He manfully overcame his troubles, and cared for his family withont remarrying. In the fall of 1873 he was elected Justice of the Peace of Hueneme Township, serving two years. In the fall of 1875 he was elected County Assessor, and served four years. He is a Democrat, but was nominated by both parties. In the spring of 1877 he bought twenty acres of land where he now resides, at a cost of $70 per acre. He lias planted fruit trees of different kinds on his place, but

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his principal crop is corn and beans. The land produces from 1,800 to 2.400 pounds of beans to the acre, and they bring $2 and more per 100 pounds. Mr. Harkey las raised 4,600 pounds of shelled corn to the acre. He is farming adjoining lands.

Mrs. Harkey's maiden name was Mary Ann Petray. She was a native of Arkansas. They were married in Arkansas and had a family of six children, three sons and three daughters, viz .: Thomas N., George W., William D., Ida May, Fanny and Laura Ann.

Mr. Harkey is a man of his word, a strictly temperate man; and has been a Master Mason for thirty-seven years.

OSEPH H. SEATON, M.D., one of the most eminent physicians and estimable gentlemen in Southern California, was born in Centerville, Wayne County, Indiana, July 29, 1836, the son of Myers and Eliza- beth (Dill) Seaton. The father was a native of Pennsylvania, and also a pioneer merchant of Centerville, where he located in 1834; the mother was also a native of Pennsylvania. They raised a family of six sons and two daughters. Joseph H. Seaton, the third child, left home at about eighteen years of age, going to Louisville, Kentucky, where he took up the study of medicine, and graduated in the winter of 1856-'57. He was soon ten- dered and accepted the position of resident physician of the City Hospital at Louisville, which position he resigned in 1858 to go to Keokuk, Iowa, where his parents were then residing. He remained there until the break- ing out of the Rebellion, when he enlisted as Surgeon of the Twenty-first Missouri In- fantry, taking the rank of Major. Mr. Sea- ton served in the war from March, 1862, until its close in 1865. His regiment opened

the battle of Shiloh, where they lost 180 men, and their division commander, General Pren- tice, was taken prisoner. Anything like a detailed account of the Doctor's experience during his years of active service in the war would form a thrilling narrative, and his serv- ices as an army surgeon cannot be over- estimated in valne to his regiment and com- rades.

At the close of the war Dr. Seaton returned to Keokuk, Iowa, and resumed the practice of his profession, continuing there until 1875, when he came to California. His residence in San Luis Obispo dates from 1877, and since his residence here he has enjoyed the full confidence of the best people of the entire community, as a citizen and physician. He makes a specialty of diseases of women and children. He is affable in his manner, domestic in his social tastes, and charitable where charity is desired. He is a charter member of Fred Steel Post, G. A. R., No. 70.

Dr. Seaton was married in 1879, at Colusa, to Miss Josephine Blonnt, a native of Cali- fornia, and they have one son, Joseph, Jr. Besides other property Dr. Seaton owns one of the finest homes in the city of San Luis Obispo.

EORGE W. COFFIN, who is one of Santa Barbara's representative citizens and descends from Quaker stock, and whose ancestors formerly lived on the Island of Nantucket. His grandfather left the Is- land in 1778 on account of the oppression of the English, and settled in Washington, Dutchess County, New York, where George W. was born in June, 1817. His father was a farmer, and as it is said, " As a twig is bent so the tree inclines," so it was that the early life of George W. was spent in tilling the

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soil, and in the conducting of a farm on scientific principles. He lived at home until the age of twenty-two years, when he was married at Patterson, Putnam County, New York, to Miss Helen M. Howland, whose ancestors were from New Bedford, Massa- chusetts. He then settled at Amenia, New York, where for nineteen years he carried on farmning on a farm of 108 acres. Devoting himself to the high cultivation of the soil, and the improving of stock, only keeping Ayrshire cattle, and South Down sheep, but gaining notoriety as a practical farmer. About 1856 he sold out his farm in- terests and went to Poughkeepsie, New York, where he followed a mercantile life. He then went to St. Paul in 1864, where he became interested in manufactur- ing, and then to St. Louis, where for four years he was connected with the Atlantic & Pacific Railroad Company. In 1872 he came to Santa Barbara in the interests of that road. Returning to St. Louis in 1873 he severed his connection with the Atlantic & Pacific Railroad, and in 1874 brought his family to Santa Barbara to take np permanent residence. For eight years thereafter he was connected with Colonel Hollister as private secretary. In 1882 he began the real-estate business, which he has since continued. In 1884 he was elected Mayor and was re-elected in 1886. The first three years he drew no salary, but it went to a fund, called the Mayor and Common Council Fund, and was used in improving the city. Mr. Coffin was much interested in the sewering and paving of State street, which is one of the finest paved streets in California.

Mr. Coffin, having lost his first wife, was re-married in Santa Barbara in 1886, to Miss Susan Robinson, a native of Thomaston, Maine. Mr. Coffin has been quite a traveler, having crossed the continent fourteen times

and by every route. He owns a large amount of property, and is now devoting himself to his own interests and in the settlement of certain prominent estates.

AMUEL T. MOORE was born in York- shire, England, in 1828. His father was a stone dealer, owning extensive quarries. Samuel T. learned the trade of stone-cutting and carving in his native place, serving an apprenticeship of seven years, and becoming proficient in every kind of masonry He immigrated to the United States in 1867 and settled in Minnesota. The weather, however, being too severe, he soon afterward located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he worked six years. In 1873 he came to California. After spending about one year in Los Angeles, he came to Santa Barbara and arranged for permanent settlement. He soon set up his business on State street, and in 1881 established his present yard in East Santa Barbara near the cemetery, purchasing the corner lot and erecting his residence in 1889. He keeps in stock Italian and Ver- mont marbles, and also all the popular granites of America and Scotland, and native stones. He has done much contract work in the city and was superintendent of the stone work for the residence of Mr. Dibble, also the J. F. Myer & Garland Block, and many others. For the past nine years he has been superintendent of the cemetery. Mr. Moore has thoroughly identified himself with the best interests of Santa Barbara, has been quite successful in business and owns much paying property.

Mr. Moore's first wife, a native of Corn- wall, England, but a resident of Pennsylvania for a number of years, died in 1877, leaving two children. In 1878 he married Miss

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Charlotte Dixon, a native of Belfast, Ireland, but a resident in the family of Dr. William Hyde for eleven years in Stonington, Con- necticut.

HILEMON GARCIA is a native of California, born February 10, 1849. His father, Francisco Garcia, was a native of San Francisco, and his grandfather Garcia, also named Francisco, was born in Mexico, and came to California in an early day. His mother, Maria Antonia (Paraulta) Garcia, was born in San José, this State. They had nine children, seven sons and two daughters, of whom six are now living. Philemon Garcia was educated in the Eng. lish schools, and at the early age of eleven years began to work for himself. He was first employed to ride race horses, riding Langford, Miami and Norfolk at the most noted races. They were then considered the best horses. He then worked on a ranch for II. Williams, and afterward on threshers for different parties, until he had a thresher of his own. Mr. Garcia, in company with A. B. Smith, was the first to start a cook house, in connection with threshing-machines, to board the hands. He came to Ventura County in 1873, and bought of Edward Borchard his present home place of twenty- six acres, paying $1 down, the purchase price of the property being $500. He paid it all the same year, and since then has built a house and barn and made other improve- ments, making his money by raising grain and threshing. He cleared a piece of land for Thomas R. Bard, and raised a crop on the same, for which he received $2,000. He is also clearing up other lands for Mr. Bard. Mr. Garcia runs a steam corn-sheller, with which he is doing a large business.

In 1884 he was married to Miss Filetica Vasques, a native of California, and daughter of Francisco Vasques, also born in this State. They have three children, Filetica, Anneta and Philemon. Mrs. Garcia is a member of the Catholic Church. For serveral terms Mr. Garcia has served the public as School Trustee. Politically, he affiliates with the Republican party.

D. COOK, one of the founders of Santa Maria, was born in Clermont County, Ohio, in 1832. His father was a carpenter and farmer. Our subject lived at home and learned the trade of car- penter with his father. In 1850 he went to Quincy, Illinois, where he clerked for a short time. In the spring of 1851 he started for California, with an ox team; he drove the team and cooked for his passage. They came by the old Carson route, and landed in Sono- ma County, in September, where he imme- diately began working at his trade, at $4 per day, and in two weeks became "boss" of the job, at $10 per day. He followed his trade two years, when he began farming, and on October 12, 1854, he was married to Miss Genette Nelson. He continued farming un- til 1855, when he went East, by the Panama route, and passed the winter in St. Louis, where, in partnership with C. C. Money, they purchased 350 head of cattle and twenty horses. They drove them across the plains in three months, with very slight loss. They landed in Sonoma County, and there con- tinned in the cattle business until 1861, when on account of dry weather they lost heavily. The following five years Mr. Cook was variously employed at farming, carpen- tering, etc. In May, 1869, they started sonth, landing in Santa Maria Valley, which

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was then settled by only five American fami- lies, without a shrub or brush in sight. The location proved desirable, and he bought a claim of 160 acres, and built a two-story house, hanling his lumber from Port Har- ford. In October, having his house inclosed, he gave a dance, with which to raise funds to erect a school-house. He sent invitations far and near, and received for his commendable enterprise $305, and so was established the first school-house in Santa Maria, there now being twenty-eight school-houses in the same district. Farming in this valley was a failure for the first three years, the crops being eaten by grasshoppers, and Mr. Cook made his living by killing deer and gathering wild honey, which he shipped to market. He worked at his trade when opportunity offered, and at farming until 1874, when he started a blacksmith shop, which he continued until 1876. He then sold out and built his pres- ent livery stable, which business he has since continued. His land, covering the center of the town he had platted and laid out, in 1874, when it was located; and of his original purchase he still owns 125 acres adjoining the town, and 40 acres south of the town. He still continues his livery business, keeping horses and carriages suitable for the trade.

Mr. and Mrs. Cook have five children living, four danghters and one son. Mr. Cook was elected School Trustee for twelve years.

S. CANON, Postmaster of San Luis Obispo, was born in Crawford County, Ohio, September 24, 1837. After a thorough schooling in the public institutions of his native place, he commenced a course of study in Wittenberg College, Springfield, Ohio, with a view of graduating,

but the Rebellion having broke out he turned his attention to the preservation of the Union. In 1861 (August 15) he enlisted in the Union army, under Colonel W. H. Gibson, in Company C., Forty-ninth Ohio Infantry, as a private, but was soon promoted to the rank of First Sergeant. In October, 1862, he was transferred to the veteran reserve corps (hav- ing been disabled while under fire at Battle Creek, Tennessee), and was appointed Ser- geant Major of the Seventh Regiment, which was on detached duty at Nashville, Ten- nessee, and Lonisville, Kentucky. During the latter part of his term of service his regiment was transferred to the defenses of Washington, where they remained until August 15, 1864. Having served three years his term of service expired, and he received an honorable discharge. Mr. Canon pro- ceeded to Auburn, Indiana, to which place his parents had removed, and soon found em- ployment at Ft. Wayne, in the office of the Pittsburg, Ft. Wayne & Chicago Railway as check clerk, which position he held one year. He afterward did train service one year, and was advanced to a conductor- ship, in which capacity he served about five years. He continued in the railway service. in the East, until 1876, when he came to the coast, and was with the Sonthern Pacific Railway Company until August, 1881, thus devoting seventeen years of his life to railroad service. Owing to exposure his healthı be- came impaired, and he located at San Luis Obispo, purchasing the Central Hotel, which he operated until his appointment as Post- master of his city, February 19, 1890.

Mr. Canon was married to Miss Irene Snyder at Ft. Wayne, Indiana, in 1866; she was a native of Ohio, and a mnost estimable lady. They have three daughters and two sons. Mr. Canon is held in high esteem by the cititzens of San Luis Obispo. He has

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been a member of the Board of Trustees, and was two years its chairman; and is also a member of Fred Steele Post, G. A. R., No. 70, and is Past Commander of the same. In his present Federal position he is proving a most competent and satisfactory official. He is fully abreast of the demands of the times, and has located the postoffice in a handsome new building erected and equipped for the purpose. He is such a citizen as no city can do withont.

J. SIMMLER, of San Luis Obispo, was born in the city of Mulhans, in the Province of Alsace (now a portion of Germany), July 18, 1826. At that time Charles X was king of France, and this province was an important department of that kingdom. His father, George Simm- ler, a pupil of the celebrated Pestalozzi, the great educator, was a professor of thirty-one years' standing in the college of Mulhaus. He was born and reared in humble circnm- stances and educated himself. He died at the age of seventy-eight years, in France. He had three sons and two daughters. The sons emigrated to America, the second one coin- ing in 1835 and settling as a pioneer in Texas. He was a professional pianist and piano manufacturer in the old country. Be- ing an intimate friend of General Sam Hous- ton, he entered public life and lived until 1881, having three sons and three daughters.

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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