An illustrated history of Los Angeles County, California. Containing a history of Los Angeles County from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its prospective future and biographical mention of many of its pioneers and also of prominent citizens of to-day, Part 83

Author: Lewis Publishing Company. cn
Publication date: 1889
Publisher: Chicago, Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1092

USA > California > Los Angeles County > An illustrated history of Los Angeles County, California. Containing a history of Los Angeles County from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its prospective future and biographical mention of many of its pioneers and also of prominent citizens of to-day > Part 83

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ceased), married II. Magec; Miguel, Jr. (de- ceased), who married a daughter of Captain Bur- ton; Ysabel, wife of J. A. Altamirano; and Elena, wife of J. W. Wolfskill. Mr. Pedrorena was the grantee of the Rancho San Jacinto Nuevo in 1846, and his wife was grantee of the Rancho El Cajon in 1845, the former of which Doña Elena still owns-the portion she inherited. He strongly favored the cause of the United States, acting as Jnez de Paz and as Stockton's aid, with the rank of Captain, in the California Battalion. In 1847-'48 he was Collector of Customs at San Diego. IIe represented the Sun Diego district in the Constitutional Convention at Monterey in 1849, being one of the most popular and influential members of the Span- ish race in that body. IIe died in 1850. Of him, Bancroft says: " Don Miguel was an in- telligent and scholarly man of excellent charac- ter, who by his courteous affability made friends of all who knew him." Mrs. Pedrorena died February 2, 1851, while Elena was still an in- fant. The orphaned children were reared by the grandmother, wife of Don José Antonio Estudillo. Doña Elena, who was educated at San Diego and at the College of Notre Dame, at San José, was married to Mr. Wolfskill, in San Francisco, September 20, 1869. They have a large family of eleven children; and they still live on the old homestead founded by William Wolfskill, over half a century ago.

J. KUBACII, contractor, East Seventh street, Los Angeles, was born in Ger- many, October 30, 1855. Ile received the advantages of a common-school education, and served an apprenticeship to the trade of car- penter and joiner, afterward pursuing a course of study at the architectural school in Heidel- berg. Upon reaching early manhood, he deter- Inined to seek his fortune in the new world, and accordingly came to America in 1873. Having an uncle in Pittsburg, he went there and re- mained one year; and the following year came

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HISTORY OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY.

to the Pacific Coast, and worked at his trade in San Francisco nntil 1876. He then went to Nevada and spent one year in Virginia City, and from there went to Sacramento. In the winter of 1877 he made a trip to Los Angeles, the fol- lowing year went to Sacramento and from there went to Mexico. In the winter of 1880 he re- turned to Los Angeles and since then has been prominently identified with the contracting and building interests of this city. He has taken the contracts for some of the best buildings in Los Angeles; has a large practical experience, and enjoys an enviable reputation for his ability, integrity and fair dealing; and he is a generous, public-spirited citizen, actively identified with the progress and development of the city. Ile is a member of the Masonic fraternity, the I. O. O. F., and the A. O. U. W. lodges. In 1883 Mr. Knbach married Miss Sophia Wetterhaver, a native of Germany. They have two dangh- ters: Rosa and Sophia.

J. KERNS is one of the substantial farmers of Los Angeles County. He

0 carries on a large dairy business, and is also largely interested in fruit growing. There is no kind of fruit grown in Southern Califor- nia that is not produced in fine varieties on his nicely arranged and well-kept grounds. Mr. Kerns is also engaged in breeding fine horses. Ilis residence, one mile sonth of Downey, is a neat structure, .where, with his wife and six children, he enjoys as innch true happiness as any other man in this or any other country. Ile is a native of Illinois, born in Kankakee County, in 1838. He is a son of John and Margaret (Vrooman) Kerns, natives of Schenec- tady County, New York. IIis father was one of the first settlers of Chicago, but thinking it would never amonnt to much of a town, he sold out and went sonth to Kankakee County, where he purchased a farin and was engaged in agricultural pursuits until his death, which oc- cnrred in 1842. The subject of this sketch left

home at the age of fifteen years, going to New York with the expectation of taking a steamer for California. Arrived there he found the fare to San Francisco was up to §210. This was more money than he had to spend, and meeting an old Irishman, who, after having purchased a ticket, had concluded not to venture so far from home, he purchased the Irishman's ticket for $160, and 'in great excitement took the steamer. They landed safe at the Isthmus of Panama. Mr. Kerns walked across it, and by the first departing steamer continned his journey to the Golden Gate, arriving in California in 1854. He went directly into the mines of El Dorado Connty, and continued there until 1864, engaged in mining in placer, hill and quartz mines. In 1864 he went to Sonoma County, and, in con- nection with Daniel Branthaver and C. W. How- land, built a saw and planing mill, and there made the first rustic siding ever made in that county. In 1869 he came to Los Angeles County, and bought 240 acres of land in the New River Settlement. This, however, he subsequently sold and pur- chased eighty acres where he is now so nicely lo- cated. In 1874 he was married, choosing for his partner in lite Miss Fannie G. Moores, daughter of the well-known pioneer preacher, Rev. Will- iam Moores. This marriage has been blessed with six children: Eva Moores, Mary Alma, Fannie M., Edith P., Willie E. and Florence E.

ACOB KUIIRTS, capitalist, corner of Main and First streets, Los Angeles, was born in Germany, August 17, 1832. At the age of twelve years he stepped on board of an English vessel and went to England, thence to America, Australia, China, and other foreign porte. He followed the sea for abont five years, and came from China to California in 1848. Soon after his arrival here he went to work at the Mission Dolores. Upon the discovery of gold in this State he was among the first to reach the mines in Placer County, and was en- gaged in mining until 1858 and then went to

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HISTORY OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY.

the Slate Range, 200 miles from here, where he continued his mining operations and was back and forth between this place and that for five or six years. In 1864 he engaged in mer- cantile trade in this city, on Spring street, where the new Shoemaker Block now stands, and two years later removed to the corner of Main and First streets, the location of his pres- ent block, which was erected for him in 1866. He carried on a large and successful business until 1878, and since then he has not been en- gaged in active business, but has given his attention to the care and improvement of his property. Mr. Kuhrts has been actively and prominently identified with the municipal gov- ernment of the city for many years. He has been a member of the city council fourteen years, serving in every position from president down. He held the position of chief of the fire depart- ment, also that of superintendent of streets, and now holds the office of fire commissioner. There are few persons in any community who have re- ceived such abundant evidence of the confidence of its best citizens as has the subject of this sketch. He has traveled extensively throughout the State and is familiar with its every portion; and there are few persons better known all along the coast. Mr. Kuhrts was united in marriage, May 29, 1864, to Miss Susan Bnhn, a native of Germany. They have four children: George, Emily, Grace, and William.

OHN M. KING, rancher, near Whittier, was born in Morgan County, Indiana, in 1849, and is the second son of William and Nancy (Murphy) King, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this work. He, with his two brothers, had very poor educational advantages, but they made very good use of what they did have, and by reading and observation he may be regarded as a man of more than ordinary intelligence. He was reared principally by, his step-father, and early thrown on his own resources. His first purchase of real estate was a small tract of

twenty acres near Santa Ana. This he after- ward sold and purchased where he now lives, near the beautiful town of Whittier. On this ranch may be seen over 400 English walnut trees in a good state of cultivation; also a vine- yard and an orchard of various fruits. In 1870 he was married to Miss Ellen Noe. This lady is a daughter of L. D. Noe, who died in Texas, and her mother married Alfred Hickox, who came to California in 1869. Mr. and Mrs. King have an interesting family of eight children: James, William, Mary, Daisy, Arthur, Gertrude, Lory and Allie. Mr. King is an enterprising man, and has been eminently successful. He is generous and public-spirited, and favors every enterprise that has for its object the public im- provement.

LBERT FENNER KERCHEVAL was born in Preble County, Ohio, March 10, 1829, and is of French IIngnenot ancestry on the paternal side, and on the maternal side, English. His father, who was a native of Vir- ginia, moved with his family from Ohio, when Al- bert was a child, to Northern Illinois, just before the Blackhawk War, in 1832. The latter received his education in the common schools and in an academy at Joliet. He was left an orphan at the age of sixteen, when he was thrown upon his own resources. In 1849 he came to California across the plains and reached Hangtown (now Placerville), where lynch law had before his arrival been inaugurated, from which fact the town had derived its name. At Sacramento he saw Sam Brannan on a pile of his own lumber (which was selling at 8500 per thousand whole- sale or $1 per foot, retail), haranguing the popu- lace, urging them to "clean out the squatters !" -he having bought land under the Sutter title, which included Sacramento. Eggs were then selling there at. $12 a dozen or $1 a piece. He worked at mining near Drytown with varied success; he had to send to Sacramento for rockers which cost $50 each. At one time he took out

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HISTORY OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY.

$75 a day, from " pocket diggings." Early in 1850 he went to Rough and Ready, near Grass Valley, where his party had a fight with the Indians who were hostile and very numerous. In March they started for the head-waters of the Yuba; the snow was deep and they had to send their mules back to where there was grass, and pack their things on their backs over the frozen crust of snow, that in places was twenty- five feet deep. Some of their men picked out with their knives $50 in an hour or two, on " Poor Man's Creek," which they turned, after six weeks' labor, when Kercheval took ont $300 in half an hour; and a company below took ont 840.000 to the man in about three weeks. Mr. Kercheval followed mining with the usual ups and downs till the fall of 1850, when he came to Sacramento, and he and his brother and an uncle named Runyon took up land below the city which the two latter still own. In 1855, after a visit East, he went to San Antonio, Texas, where he located 20,000 acres of land, with Texas Sol- diers' Warrants. In 1857 he married Sarah A. Wilson; they have three children living. Mr. Kercheval came to California again in 1860; lived awhile in the Sacramento Valley; in 1864 went to Austin, Nevada; engaged profitably in farming three years, but the water on which they depended was taken from him in a big lawsuit, cansing the loss of a $20,000 crop. In 1870, abont Christmas, he came with his family via Owen's River to Los Angeles. 1871 he moved on to the lot on the west side of Pearl street, near the end of Sixth, formerly known as the Geleich place, where he raised strawberries which he sold at 50 cents a ponnd, and early tomatoes which he sold in San Francisco for 20 and 25 cents a pound. Afterward he bought and moved on to his present home. Here he has an orange and lemon orchard which some years yields him as much as $500 per acre. Mr. Kercheval in 1884 published a volume of his poems, which was very favorably noticed by the local press. Some of his poems have genuine merit. Ile has great natural facility in versifica- tion, as also has his daughter, Rosalic, whose

sense of musical rhythm seems to be more highly developed than that of her father.

AWSON M. LA FETRA .- Among the representative farmers and hortientnrists of the Azusa Township is the above-named gentleman, who is the owner of 160 acres of rich and productive land, abont one mile south and west of Glendora. Mr. La Fetra took up his present residence in 1883, upon this land, which was then wild and uncultivated, and by his industry and intelligence has built up one of the most pleasant homes in his section. He has a fine orange grove of ten acres in extent, about two-thirds of which is in budded fruit. The most of his farm is devoted to general farm- ing and stock-raising. Among the stock are some fine specimens of Jersey cattle and good American horses. His improvements are first- class, consisting of a well-ordered cottage resi- dence and commodious barns and out-buildings, the general appearance of which attest the snc- cessful farmer. His cottage residence is located upon high ground, which affords a magnificent view of the Azusa Valley away to the south. It is situated in a natural park of live-oak trees, the grounds of which have been transformed into shaded lawns. Mr. La Fetra's lands are supplied with water from varions mountain cañons, which he has developed by tunnels, etc., and the system is capable of being increased so as to furnish from twenty-five to thirty inches. In addition to his home farm of 160 acres, he is the owner, in connection with his brother, M. H. La Fetra, of some 300 acres of land adjoining his premises. These lands are beautifully lo- cated, and among the most desirable for villa residence purposes in the East San Gabriel Valley. The erection of the Methodist Female College, under the direction and control of the University of Southern California, upon his lands, is to be one of the events in the near future. The subject of this sketch is a native of IIarveysburg, Warren County, Ohio, born in

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HISTORY OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY.

1844. His father was James H. La Fetra, a na- tive of New Jersey, who, early in life, took up his residence in Ohio, and there engaged in agrienltural and mercantile pursuits. His mother, nee Sarah Harmell, was a native of Warren County, Ohio. Mr. La Fetra was reared npon his father's farm until about eighteen years of age, receiving a good education. He was then for a short time engaged in his father's store, after which he completed his education at the Ohio Wesleyan University, at Delaware. Upon the completion of his studies at that in- stitution, he returned to his native place and was engaged in mercantile and other pursuits with his father, until about 1872. At that time he went to Washington, District of Columbia, where he was employed as the business manager of the Washington Chronicle. He held that responsible position until the summer of 1874, when he came to California, and in the spring of the next year located in Los Angeles, where he was engaged in mercantile pursuits and other enterprises until he took up his present residence in 1883. Mr. La Fetra is a man of culture and trained business habits, a desirable acquisition to any community, well meriting the respect and esteem accorded him by his friends and associates. He is a member and trustee of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Glendora. In polities he is allied with the Republican party, but in principle is a strong Prohibitionist. In 1881 Mr. La Fetra was united in marriage with Miss Stella B. Lanterman, the only daughter of Dr. J. L. Lanterman, a prominent citizen and principal owner of the famous Rancho La Cañada, Los Angeles County.

LAUBERSHEIMER, druggist in Wil- mington, eame to Los Angeles County as

6 a soldier in 1861, and in 1864 located here as a druggist, which business he has suc- cessfully and profitably carried on up to the present time. This gentleman is a native of Bavaria, Germany. Ile came to America in

1849, landing first in New York, and later going to St. Louis, Missouri, where he engaged in the grocery business. After this he traveled exten- sively through several of the States, and in 1856 came to California, coming by the typical mode of travel at that time-the ox team, and being a little over six months on the road. He eu- gaged in mining in Amador County until he entered the service of the country. He enlisted in the First Regiment, California Infantry Vol- unteers, serving three years and being mustered out at Prescott, Arizona. He was hospital steward, and was in several Indian fights, and was also on the celebrated march to the Rio Grande, under General Carlton. Mr. Lauber- sheimer was married Angust 20, 1867, to Miss Lucy Chapman, of Los Angeles, and daughter of Charles Chapman. They have a family of five children: Lilian, a graduate of the Normnal School at Los Angeles, and now an active teacher in the county; Adina, Daniel, George and Grace. The subject of this sketeh has dealt suc- cessfully in real estate, and is the owner of val- uable lands in this and San Bernardino County. He has built as fine a residence on the corner of Fifth and D streets, Wilmington, as there is south of Los Angeles.

B. S. LEWIS, now engaged in the milling business in Long Beach, has 6 been a resident of California since

1877. He located first at Wilmington where he farmed for about a year. He subsequently purchased farm lots five and six of the Wilining- ton tract of the Cerritus Ranch. This he lived on and improved until he came to Long Beach, where he has built the mill property, and where he has also been actively and successfully en- gaged in buying and selling real estate. Mr. Lewis is a native of Missouri, and a descendant of one of the best old Virginia families. He was born in Saline County, Missouri, in 1840, and is the son of William II. and Elizabeth Lewis. He received a good common-school

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HISTORY OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY.

education, and after the death of his father, which occurred in 1857, his mother sent him to school in Virginia. He attended school at Staunton preparatory to the University. From here he returned to the old homestead and took charge of the farm until the war broke out. He at once enlisted in the Southern army, and en- tered Company D, Gordon's Regiment, Missouri Cavalry, Shelby's Brigade. He was captured by Price's last raid, and carried a prisoner to Indianapolis, where he was kept until May 22, 1865. After the war he again took charge of the old farm. October 13, 1868, he married Miss Mary Garrison, a native of Kentucky, and a danghter of John and Sarah Garrison, who were also descendants from one of the best families of Kentucky. Mr. and Mrs. Lewis have been blessed with four children: Sadie M., William H., John C. and Ernest Lynn. Polit- ically the subject of this sketch affiliates with the Democratic party. He and his wife are both highly esteemed members of the Presby- terian Church, in which Mr. Lewis holds the office of elder. Their residence is on the corner of Second and Linden streets, Long Beach, Cali- fornia.

M ARTIN LUPER, a fariner three miles south of Norwalk, is a native of the Key- stone State, born in Crawford County, Pennsylvania, in 1817, and is a son of Jacob and Nancy (McMuntry) Lnper. His father moved to Huron County, Ohio, when Martin was twelve years old, and there followed farm- ing until his death. Mr. Luper went to Illi- nois when a young man, and there, on October 24, 1841, married Margaret Robinson, who dicd April 11, 1844, leaving one child. He married Frances Dunbar, April 14, 1846, with whom he crossed the plains in the early days of California, coming with three two-horse wagons and eighteen yoke of cattle, about half of them being cows, and one span of mules and one of mares. They were on the way from April till

August 27, 1853. His wife died May 16, 1859, leaving five children. He followed farming very successfully in the Willamette Valley, Oregon, till 1878, when he moved to Los An- geles County. Since coming here he has also been very successful. He owned a fine farın near Downey till recently, when he sold out at a hand- some profit and bonght 160 acres of land where he now lives. He has built a very commodious residence and barn, overlooking the finest scope of country toward the ocean that can be seen in this county. On this ranch he has two fine artesian wells, and has planted some fine or- chards of bluegum, oranges, peaches and apricots; and in his wide and fertile pastures may be seen some of the finest horses in this or any other part of the State. Mr. Luper married Mary Gosner in Los Angeles, February 8, 1889. She is a native of the Buckeye State, being born near Mount Vernon, and is a daughter of Dr. Joseph and Sarah (Plne) Gosner. Her father was of Pennsylvania Dutch origin, and her mother of French. Her father was a farmer in his early life, but later a practicing physician. Mr. Luper has been a man of energy and eminently suc- cessful. He is one to whom " Nature has been kind," and in his old days, which are now be- ginning to come on, he will be able to extract as much comfort from life as any man living.

OLOMON LAZARD, who has been a resi- dent of Los Angeles for thirty-seven years, is a native of Lorraine, France, where he was born April 5, 1827. He came to New York in 1844, and to California, via New Orleans and the Isthinns, in 1851, and to Los Angeles in 1852. Ile was engaged in mercantile business, on the corner of Aliso and Los Angeles streets, from 1852 till 1867-about fifteen years-when he moved to Main street, northeast of the Dow- ney Block, where he carried on a large dry- goods business, under the name of " The City of Paris," till 1874, when he sold out to Eugene Meyer & Co., who afterward removed that ex-

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HISTORY OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY.

tensive emporium to its present quarters on Spring street. In 1868 S. Lazard, P. Beaudry and Dr. J. S. Griffin bought of J. L. Sainsevaine and D. W. Alexander their lease from the city to lay pipes and supply water, etc., with the understanding that the city would renew the lease for thirty years, and the new lessees would lay iron in place of the wooden pipes with which the city was then being supplied with water. A joint stock company was formed, of which the original members were: Lazard, Beaudry, Grif- fin, Meyer, Sainsevaine, C. Lepan and ex- Governor John G. Downey. The original water pipes laid for the city by Mr. Sainsevaine and D. Marchessault were made of logs of pine from the mountains of San Bernardino, bored and fitted end to end together. The cost of iron pipes was then thought to be beyond the reach, financially, of our primitive city. Of course, soft sugar-pine logs could not be made into very durable water pipes, and, as a consequence, they were continually bursting, and springs of water were constantly making their appearance in our streets wherever these wooden pipes were laid. Workmen were compelled to clamp them with iron bands; but the leaks were too many for them. Mr. Marchessault, who had formerly been mayor of the city, and who was superill- tendent of these wooden water-works, committed suicide one morning in the old city council room, in the adobe on the site of the present Phillips Block, on Spring street. Whether dis- conragement at the hopelessness of stopping these perennial leaks had anything to do with driving him to this desperate deed is not cer- tainly known. Mr. Sainsevaine, who died a month or two ago in this city, offered these water-works to the administrators of the Will- iam Wolfskill estate for abont $9,000, which, though he truly characterized them as " mag- nifique," they declined. The City Water Coin- pany, to whom he sold the franchise later, have now a magnificent and very extensive iron pipe system, with an annual income running up into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, thus mak- ing trne to the letter the words of good Don

Louis Sainsevaine that, in view of its future value, he was offering for a mere nominal price something that was really " magnifique." Mr. Lazard, who had the nerve and the foresight to take hold of this great enterprise, has been a stockholder and director of the company from the first organization of the same till the present time. On July 5, 1865, Mr. Lazard married Miss Carrie, daughter of Mr. Joseph Newmark, · long a resident of this city, but now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Lazard have six children-three boys and three girls. The eldest daughter is married to Lonis Lewin, of the firm of Michel Levy & Co. In 1861 Mr. Lazard visited France, when he was arrested on the pretext that, though he was a naturalized citizen of the United States, he owed military duty to his native country. He was promptly tried by court-martial and sentenced to six days' imprisonment, which he served, when he was taken to the barracks of his regiment. The matter was finally settled by his hiring a substitute, when he was released. Our Minister, Mr. Faulkner, took innch interest in the matter; but he could do very little, as France insists that every native-born Frenchman owes seven years' military service to his country, and that absence or expatriation does not annul that obli- gation, and if lie ever returns he must perform it. Formerly, French law provided that if the subject paid a certain amount (3,500 francs), which was the amount Mr. Lazard paid, the Government would undertake to supply the substitute. But that law has been abrogated, and now if an expatriated Frenchman owing military duty sets foot on French soil, he is con- pelled to serve out liis time in prison.

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Author: Lewis Publishing Company. cn Publication date: 1889 Publisher: Chicago, Lewis Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1092

Author: Lewis Publishing Company. cn
Publication date: 1889
Publisher: Chicago, Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1092