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 88
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 88
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 88
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The winter of 1849-'50 is remembered as the most severe in the history of California since American occupation; and when it opened in all its severity Dr. Shaw determined to carry ont an intention which he had formned in the early days after his arrival in this State, namely, to go to Mexico where he had friends
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and relatives residing. Securing passage on a vessel bound for Mazatlan, the agent of the line introduced him, before embarking, to Don Pedro Carrillo, of Santa Barbara, who was a cultivated man, educated at Boston. Said he to the Doctor: "Surely, you will not go to Mexico without seeing Santa Barbara, where the most aristocratic families of Cali- fornia live!" and added that he could then easily go to Mexico if not satisfied with Santa Barbara. Thus persuaded, the Doctor with- drew his passage money from the Mexican- bound vessel, and took passage on the fast- sailing schooner Honolulu, commanded by Captain Mallagh, who had come with him on the same sailing vessel from China, and whom he had often attended professionally on his frequent trips from Bombay to Hong Kong, where the Doctor was stationed. The captain was about to sail his schooner from San Fran- cisco to San Diego on a "trading expedition, and the Doctor thought this a good time to carry out the advice of his Spanish friends in Mexico.
Starting December 18 and stopping at various points, he arrived at Santa Barbara January 6, 1850. He found only a small Spanish village, not at all preposessing; nor did he find the imposing " aristocracy " he was led to expect; and, what was worse, he learned that he must return to San Fran- cisco if he wished to proceed to Mexico. Not finding any vessels leaving for Mexico, he remained in Santa Barbara in the practice of his profession.
In May, 1852, he left Santa Barbara for San Francisco overland, and at last, July 5, started for Mazatlan, whence he went by way of San Blas to Tepic, and there met his friends Barron, Forbes & Co., bankers and merchants. After a visit of about four months he went to the city of Mexico in November, and six weeks later left again
overland for Acapulco, his determination be- ing to return by Pacific mail steamer to San- Francisco. As the Pacific mail steamer was overcrowded and would not take passengers, he was obliged to wait in Acapulco for the Vanderbilt steamer, Independent, which though crowded gave him accommodations. This vessel met with terrible misfortune. After having been wrecked on Margarita Island, she was burned and 135 lives were lost, abont 400 being saved. Magdalena Bay lies between the island and the mainland. After going three days practically without food and water, some of the men crossed the island to the bay side, in search of relief, and there saw four ships at anchor, supposed to be whalers. Returning to camp, they reported their discovery, and the Captain organized a party to carry over to the opposite side of the island one of the boats which had been saved from the wreck, with the intention of going to the ships for assistance. About half way across they met a boat from one of the ships carrying a party going to the island to cut wood. On learning of the starving condition of the people wrecked, the officer of the whaling-boat proceeded to the camp, taking for the relief of the famished ladies of the shipwrecked party the two kegs of water and some crackers, which a whaling-boat always has on board. The second officer, who was in charge of the boat, proved to be an ac- quaintance of the Doctor, having been under his professional care at Hong Kong, and he asked the officer for a sip of the water. " Not a drop, Doctor," replied the officer, " until the ladies are served."
The officer, on returning to the ship, took the Doctor with him, where he found a berth. As soon as the news spread among the whal- ers, they manned all their boats and went to the island to rescue the party. Before night all the ladies were taken off and divided
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among the ships, and then came the men's turn. The captain of the wrecked steamer consulted the commanders of the whaling ves- sels as to the manner in which the people could be supported, and tried to charter one of their vessels, but found the respective cap- tains all unwilling to break up their whaling voyages.
Dr. Shaw then volunteered to go to La Paz to secure a vessel, and proceed on to Mazat- lan to procure assistance from the American or English consul. He went two or three miles away, secured horses and a guide, and made arrangements to start the next morning. About 8 P. M., however, he heard a voice calling out, " Doctor, where are you?" and answering learned that it was. the purser who had come to tell him that the captain had been successful in chartering one of the whalers, on which he requested the Doctor to return and take passage. After everything was arranged on the ship, the Doctor went aboard, where he found that the vessel would be terribly crowded and provisions searee. Knowing that it would take twenty-five days to reach San Francisco, he determined not to go, but made arrangements with the captain of his friend's vessel to take him to the Sand- wiel Islands. After a pleasant voyage he arrived at Honolulu, and waited there for a vessel to take him to San Francisco. In Honolulu the Doctor was most hospitably re- ceived by General Miller, the Consul General ot Her Britannic Majesty.
He arrived again at Santa Barbara, in May of 1853, and took charge of Santa Cruz Island, belonging to his friends in Mexico, which he managed for sixteen years. This island, by the way, with an area of 54,000 acres, was formerly a penal settlement of the Mexican government, who transported thither some desperate characters. The government placed a certain number of inferior cattle for
their support. The prisoners made a raft, covered it with hides, pitched it with brea, and made their escape from the island, and landed abreast of Summerland. They set- tled at Santa Barbara and some of them be- came good citizens.
On commencing operations on the island, Dr. Shaw purchased from Alphonso Thomp- son 200 ewes. The first shearing yielded 400 pounds of very inferior wool. In 1854, hav- ing heard of a band of sheep containing 1,000 head just from the East overland, he went to Los Angeles and purchased them, and drove them to Santa Barbara, whence they were transported to the island by schooner. One of the chief difficulties which the Doctor found in working the island, was the dread the natives had of going there, supposing that it would be impossible ever to get away. Fortunately, however, he found three ship- wrecked sailors of the celebrated schooner on which Dana took his remarkable trip, a de- seription of which he published in his " Two Years Before the Mast." The sailors soon became useful " hands."
Dr. Shaw purchased a piece of land 300 feet square on the Santa Barbara beach as a corral, where he could keep the sheep when brought over until there were enough to drive or ship to San Francisco. These sheep were herded on land now covered by houses and gardens. To supply himself with a pure breed of rams, he bought 1,000 acres of land on Ortega ranch, now Summerland. He took this precaution to prevent the introduction of scab on the island, which had always been free from this disease.
The Doctor was signally successful in the management of this great sheep industry, and, as before stated, condneted it for sixteen successive years. It was then found neces- sary by the other owners to sell, and he turned over to the purchasers 54,000 head of
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sheep, and a large number of cattle and horses, the investors being a company of French and Germans. During the last year he managed the island, the gross proceeds were over $50,000. He was the first to send mutton sheep to the San Francisco market by steamer, and some choice ones brought there as high as $30 each, some dressing over 100 pounds, selling at thirty cents a pound. Some time before the island was sold Dr. Shaw bought over 22,000 acres of land on the ranchos of La Laguna de San Francisco and Los Alamos, which he stocked with sheep from Santa Cruz Island. He, however, soon found out it was much more difficult to carry on a sheep-ranch on the mainland than on an island. In the first place, supplies of all kinds, more particularly Inmber for buildings and corrals, were tre- mendonsly costly; and the wretched roads on which goods had to be hauled for seventy- two miles from SantaBarbara, which were excessively tedious. A load of never more than 2,000 pounds took from the time of leaving Santa Barbara on Monday until Saturday afternoon for the round trip, costing $30 for freight and provisions for the men and horses ! and then if an accident occurred to the wag- ons no blacksmith was nearer than Santa Barbara!
The country was full of wild animals, bears, pnmas, wild-cats and coyotes, which destroyed the sheep in large numbers. At the end of nearly three years he found he had fewer than he put in. Shepherds were most difficult to procure, and were most independent and un- reliable, coming perhaps in the evening say- ing, "I am going to quit and want my wages," and there was nothing to do but yield. He had no neighbors with sheep for some considerable time. At last scab made its appearance in some way or other, which horrified the Doctor, who never had anything
of the kind to manage previously or on the island. This determined him, even after his enormous outlay in building corrals, shearing sheds, etc., to gradually sell off his flocks and put the proceeds into graded short-horn or Durham cattle, selecting imported bulls famnons for beef and dairy purposes. The Doctor has sold about 15,000 acres at various times of his large rancho, retaining, however, nearly 6,000 acres, which he intends still to reduce, being convinced a smaller quantity can be better attended to and will result in larger profits upon the same capital invested.
The Doctor was married in San Francisco, in 1861, to Miss Helen A. Green, a Londoner like himself, and has had four children, all sons, three of whom have died. His first and only son now relieves him almost entirely of the supervision of the ranch, where he principally resides with his wife and children.
Of late years the Doctor has been a resi- dent of Santa Barbara city, though he gives considerable personal attention to his large ranch interests. He has entirely withdrawn from medical practice. He is a man of rare benevolence and nobleness of character, and in the community, of which he has long been an honored member, he commands a measure of esteem well earned by a life of integrity.
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J. HOBSON is a young business man of Santa Paula, who makes no preten- sions to having a history worth writing; but, as he has, by his business tact, made himself a factor in the growth and de- velopment of his town, he is deserving of mention in the history of the county; for history is a record of the present as well as the past.
Mr. Hobson was born one mile west of the business center of San Buenaventura, on Ven-
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tura avenne, January 10, 1863. His father, W. D. Hobson, was a business man of that town,-first as a farmer, and afterward exten- sively engaged in pork and lard packing, with his sons; is now in business in San Francisco. Mr. Hobson's grandfather, William D. Hob- son, was born in America, of English ances- tors. His mother, nee 1. J. Winemiller, was born in Ohio. He is the seventh of a family of ten children, and had a twin sister who died. Young Hobson attended school in Ventura, and finished his education at a busi- ness college in San Francisco. For a time he was engaged in farming, and for seven years worked in the packing business. He came to Santa Paula in January, 1887, and bought lard in quantities, which he subdivided and sold at a gain, and also did some business for others in the same direction. He has built twelve dwelling-houses, and owns a half in- terest in a fine brick block, two stories high, containing three stores, on the best street in Santa Paula.
January 10, 1888, Mr. Hobson was united in marriage with Miss Olive Hink a native of Mendocino County, California, born April 18, 1870. She is a daughter of Samuel Hink, a resident of that part of the State. Mr. Hobson has been a Republican all his life.
W. F. JOHNSON, Proprietor of the Petrolia Hotel, Santa Paula, Califor- nia, was born in Terre Hante, Indi- ana, April 22, 1853. His father, George W. Johnson, was born and reared in Indianapo- lis. While attending school, he spent three years of his life in the family of Henry Ward Beecher. For a long time he was employed on the Daily Sentinel, now a leading paper of Indianapolis. Mr. Johnson's grandfather, Collin P. Johnson, was a pioneer of Indian-
apolis. He was a native of Winchester, West Virginia. Mr. Johnson's mother, nee Mary E. Kittlemen, was born in Indianapolis, and her father, James Kittlemen, was a pioneer there. Her grandfather was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, and lived to be 104 years old.
The subject of this sketch was the oldest of a family of three children. He received his early education in Iowa, Kentucky and Oregon, completing his studies at Plymouth College, Oregon. The first work he did was to help Mr. Ben Hodely construct a tele- graph line. After that he was engaged for ten years in the hotel business. In 1883 he purchased the Calistoga Hot Springs, to- gether with 148 acres of land known as the old Sam Brannan property, and conducted it a year a half, after which he sold it to Gov- ernor Stanford, who now owns it. In So. noma County, he bought 500 acres of land and for two years carried on general farming and stock-raising. On account of his wife's failing health, her physician ordered them Sonth, and they traveled for nearly two years, seeking health for Mrs. Johnson, but without success; and finally located at Plicnix Ari- zona, on a farm of 640 reres. There Mr. Johnson established the Calistoga breeding farm, importing and breeding fine stock of all kinds. After conducting this two years, he sold out and engaged in business in Phoenix, formning the firm of Hiller & John- son, dealers in investments, bonds, warrants, etc. While in that business they purchased 150 acres of land, joining the city of Phoenix, which city is now the capital of Arizona, and laid out the Hiller and Johnson addition. During the last year he spent in Phoenix, Mr. Johnson conducted the Lemon Hotel- then the leading hotel of the Territory.
March, 1, 1888, Mr. Johnson sold his in- terest to his partner, Mr. E. Hiller (now the
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cashier and manager of the Hartford Bank- ing Company of Phoenix), and came to Santa Paula. He purchased the lease of the old Union Hotel, and conducted the house snc- cessfully for ten months, when it canght fire and burned down. Three months later he bought the ground and commenced the erec- tion of the Petrolia Hotel, which he com- pleted and furnished in a very satisfactory manner. It is 50 x 110 feet, with two stories and a half and a basement, containing forty rooms, and having a central location on Main street. The house is lit with gas, does a good business, and is well managed. It is the regular eating-house for passengers on South Pacific trains, and it is the leading hotel of the place.
Mr. Johnson was united in marriage to Miss Sarah M. Booth, a daughter of Mr. James R. Booth. She was born in Oregon in 1857. Their union was blessed with two sons and one daughter, namely: Chester, born in Napa County, September 1, 1877; Carl, in the same place, February 2, 1879; and Pearl E., in Adin, Modoc Connty. Not- withstanding the efforts put forth to save the life of Mrs. Johnson, she died, of consnmp- tion, in 1884. In August, 1885, Mr. Johnson married Miss Mary F. Fornia, a native of Nebraska City, born in 1869. She is the daughter of Mr. Milton Fornia, a merchant of Leadville, Colorado. They have two inter- esting children: George N., born in Phoenix, May 30, 1887, and Eleanora Cecelia, born September 13, 1889, in Santa Paula.
For the last five years Mr. Johnson has been a contractor for the Government posts in Southern California and Arizona. While in Arizona, Governor F. A. Tritle appointed him Secretary of the Territoriai Fair Asso- ciation, at a salary of $1,200 per year. He was a stockholder in the Valley Bank, and in the Hartford Bank. Mr. Johnson has
obtained every degree in the I. O. O. F., and has passed all its chairs. He is a K. of P, and a member of the military order of the Loyal League of the United States. In poli- tics he is a Republican, but is not radical. He is a prominent business man and a very obliging hotel-keeper.
C. DAVIS, one of the prominent busi- ness inen of Santa Paula, was born in the town of Derby, Orange County, Vermont, May 12, 1857, the son of Dudley M. Davis, a native of Canada, who came to the United States in 1838, settling npon a farm in Vermont, where he brought up his family and still resides. He has been select- man of his town for many years. His grand- father, Enoch Davis, was a Canadian, and lived to be ninety-four years of age. Mr. Davis's mother (name before marriage Lydia Blake) was born in Canada, a daughter of Rev. Isaac Blake, a Methodist minister, who was also a native of the Dominion. His grandfather was Daniel Blake, and the Blake family trace their ancestry back to the Nor- mans of England, and their forefathers have been of more or less historical note. Mr. Davis has an uncle, Isaac Elder Blake, now living in Denver, Colorado, who made a vast fortune in the oil regions in Pennsylvania, but lost it all in speculation; yet he has re- gained another fortune and is immensely rich. He is a fine musician and organist; has donated to the Methodist Church a mag- nificent pipe organ, equal to six common or- gans combined, at a cost of $30,000, and he himself is the performer upon this instru- ment. He is still Superintendent of the Continental Oil Company. His youthful resolution never to drink tea or coffee or any strong drink, lie has faithfully kept.
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Mr. Davis, our subject, next to the young- est of four children, completed his school education at Derby Academy, Orleans County, Vermont, at the age of sixteen years. He obtained his certificate and taught school in the winter seasons for seven terms. In 1879 he visited the oil fields of Pennsylvania, where his father and uncle had made money, but decided to come to California, where his uncle had come two years previously, to in- trodnce the shipping of oil on a car he had invented. On arriving in San Francisco his uncle met him at the station and offered him $100 per month to run the Sacramento station of the oil business, which position he declined because he did not feel competent. He final- ly went to the warehouse without his uncle's knowledge and told the keepers that he was a young man from the East wishing to learn the oil business. They permitted him to commence work, at $7.50 per week, and in two years he became one of the salesmen. During the first year in his new situation he and four others were each to receive $100 per month if they sold 300 gallons each a day; but if less than that, $75 per month. At the end of the year it was found that his sales nearly equalled all four of the others, and he was given the position of superin- tendent and general manager of the business in San Francisco.
In 1873 he came with his uncle to Santa Paula on a prospecting tour, and while here organized the Mission Transfer Company, for the purpose of transferring oil by pipe-lines and marketing it. Leasing the territory they obtained a royalty on the oil produced. He and his uncle held fifty-one shares of the stock, and two years ago sold out their entire interest; but Mr. Davis has revived his in- terest in the company, and has also stock in the Oil Company of California. He also has a large stock ranch and considerable real
estate in Santa Paula. He is one of the own- ers of the Champion Livery Stable, is inter- ested in the driving park, being secretary of the association, which has eighteen or twenty fine blooded horses in training. He has a neat home in the town. He is a Master Mason, being now Senior Deacon of his lodge; is also an Odd Fellow; at San Francisco he was Vice-Grand of the lodge. In his political views he is a Republican, and as a business man he is one of Santa Paula's best citizens.
He was married in 1884, to Miss Miriam Garrison, a native of San Francisco and daughter of Lewis B. Garrison, of New York; she was born April 27, 1864, of Scotch an- cestry. Mr. and Mrs. Davis have had two children; the first born, a daughter, died; and their son, Walter Elmer, was born April 1, 1888.
J. HUDSON, a rancher near Temple- ton, is one of the early pioneers of California, having come to this State in 1845, while it was Mexican Territory. His train, consisting of 100 men, was the first emigrant train that crossed the Sierra Nevada Mountains to California, and they had considerable trouble with the Indians. When they started their destination was Ore- gon, but learning that California had a better and more healthful climate they decided to locate here. In the spring of 1846 a Span- ish officer went to them and in a polite way gave them notice to leave the country. Fin- ally General Vallejo came to them, and after staying with them over night and being treated kindly, he told them he would like them to leave the country. They replied that they would not go yet, as they would have to make some preparations for the journey, and would need provisions. In the morning the
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immigrants got together and concluded they would stay and take the country. Twenty- one immigrants and six of Fremont's men took the town of Sonoma and General Val- lejo, and sent him to Sutter's Fort for safe keeping. They hoisted the Bear Flag over the town; it was made of a red flannel skirt, belonging to Miss Elliott of the party, and white cotton cloth, on which a bear was painted. Mr. Hudson's family remained in Sonoma six months, until peace was declared, and the Bear Flag party accepted the situ- ation with joy.
In 1849 Mr. Hudson's people moved to Guilicos Ranch, and his father bought 2.500 acres, where they were engaged in rais- ing wheat and stock. In 1854 they moved to Napa County, joining the town of Saint Helena, and bought 200 acres of land, which he fenced. He planted an orchard and vine- yard, and built and ran a stock ranch until 1866, when his father died and the estate was divided. In 1868 Mr. Henderson came to San Luis Obispo, and settled near the town. In 1879 he purchased 1,000 acres of land near Cayncos, and continned stock-raising. In 1875 he sold his stock and ranch, and re- moved to Lake County, but returned to San Luis Obispo and purchased 539 acres on the Paso Robles Ranch. Here he is engaged in stock-raising, and has built a fine house, where he intends to spend the evening of life. Mr. Hudson is interested in mines in Mex- ico, and in the State of Sonora is engaged in real-estate business.
Mr. Hudson was born in Missouri, March 3, 1837. His father, William Hudson, is a native of Virginia, born in 1810. His grand- father, William P. Hudson, came from Eng- land. His mother, whose maiden name was Smith, was a native of Missouri, and of Scotch-Irish descent. They have eight chil- dren, of whom five are living, all born in Cali-
fornia. He was married in 1863, to Miss Sarah Burtnett, a native of Illinois, and danghter of Mr. Peter Burtnett, a native of the same State. They have had nine children, viz .: Willie, John, Harry, Tina, Eınına, Ber- tha and Carrie. In his political views Mr. Hudson is a Democrat, but is liberal and in- dependent. He is well preserved for a pioneer of 1845, weighing 285 pounds. He is genial and cordial, and has plenty of busi- ness vim for years to come.
T. HOGG was born in the eastern part of Kentucky, May 20, 1849. His o father, Herman Hogg, was a native of Virginia; was a Republican, and served as County Judge for ten years. Their ancestors were residents of the Old Dominion as far back as anything is known of them. Mr. Hogg's inother was nee Polly Roark, born in Ken- tucky, daughter of James Roark, a native of Tennessee. His parents had seven children; and by his father's subsequent marriage seven other children were born. The subject of this sketch received his education in the public schools of his native State. When he became of age, he went to Nebraska, bought eighty acres of land, built a house and im- proved the land, and was there engaged in farming for eight years. He then sold out to come to California, and arrived at Paso Robles in February, 1886. He purchased sixty-five acres of land, located a mile and a half south of the town. On this property he has built a home and made other improve- ment, and has planted prunes, apricots, pears, peaches and cherries. He keeps a dairy of twenty-two cows, and furnishes the milk supply for Paso Robles.
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