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 89

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 89

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mate knowledge of the affairs of the publie. In October, 1859, Mr. Mappa was united in mar- riage to Miss Margaret Swift, a native of the eity of Albany, New York. They have three children: Elizabeth, wife of Frank R. Day, of this city, and two sons, John and William, both residing here.

MESSER, capitalist, corner of Jackson and Vine streets, Los Angeles, is a native of Germany, and was born August 25, 1824. Ile attended school and was reared in his native land. After reaching manhood lie determined to emigrate to the United States; sailed from Hamburg, November 9, 1850, on the ship Emma; was shipwrecked on Cape Verd the day before Christmas; had to wait there fifty days for another ship, the Clara C. Belle; went to Rio Janeiro; remained there over five months; and from that place eame around Cape Horn to California, on the old warship William Monney, reaching San Francisco, November 9, 1851. He went with the throng up to the mines where he remained abont one year, then returned to San Francisco and continued there several years. Ile was taken with fever, and in 1854 came to Los Angeles and was one of the pioneers of this place. Ile engaged in the brewing busi- ness, on a small scale, at the corner of Third and Main streets-the New York Brewery. Af- ter one year he sold out to his partner, and again entered into the same business, alone, on the corner of Los Angeles and First streets. In 1857 he bought the old Government vineyard of twenty acres; bought afterward more land up to the scale of forty-five acres, now occupied by the depot grounds of the Santa Fe Railroad, and carried on the business successfully for twenty- two years, when he sold it and bought the property on the corner of Rose and First streets, and en- gaged in the grocery trade. Ile carried on this business six years, after which he retired from active business, rented his property and removed to his present home on the corner of Jackson

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and Vine streets. Mr. Messer has been a resi- dent of Los Angeles for thirty-five years, and is well known as an honorable and generous citi- zen. He was married October 4, 1862, to Miss Johanna Louise Schmidt, a native of Germany. They have two children: Frank Joseph and Otto.

A. MENTRY, Superintendent of the Cali- fornia Star Oil Works and the Pacific Coast Oil Company, came to this State in August, 1875. Hle put down a well thirty- five feet, with a spring pole, and afterward sunk it to 135 feet by the same means. The first steam drilling was begun in 1876. Since that time twenty-three wells have been drilled, the deepest of which is 2,330 feet, and the daily out- put is about 350 barrels of oil. Mr. Mentry has charge of one of the largest industries in Southern California, and so thorough is his knowledge of the oil district, and of mining in all its branches, that it would be difficult, if not impossible, to fill his place. His first ex- perience in the oil business was in Venango County, Pennsylvania, in 1864. From there he went to Greene County and drilled two wells. Then, in 1865, he went to Pithole, and subse- quently drilled a well on the Hiner farm. He then took charge of some pumping and drilling wells for R. C. Lockwood. In April, 1868, he engaged in contracting, and this he followed un- til 1873, having an interest in several wells in Pennsylvania. In November, 1873, he came to California; first located in San Francisco, and later went to San Bernardino County, where he worked for the Holcom Valley Gold Mining Company. They soon suspended work, and he went to San Francisco and dealt in stocks from 1874 to 1875. In April of the latter year he came to Los Angeles County, and drilled a well 417 feet deep in Grapevize Cañon, for the Los Angeles Oil Company. Then, in company with J. G. Baker and D. C. Scott, they obtained a lease of Beal & Baker, at an eighth royalty,

for two years, in Pico Canon, known as the Pico Oil claim. The Pacific Coast Oil Company is an auxiliary to the California Star Oil Company, and managed by the same officers. Mr. Mentry was born in France, and came to this country in 1854 with his father, Peter Mentry. In 1878 he married Miss May Lake, of Pennsylvania. They have two children: Irene and Arthur. Mr. Mentry is yet a comparatively young man, but he has had large business experience. The foregoing sketch is but a brief outline of his life, but quite sufficient to give an intelligent idea of social and business relations.

F. MACKAY, contractor, 927, Maple ave- . nue, one of the oldest, most responsible, and best known contractors on the Pacific Coast, is the subject of this sketch, a member of the firm of Mackay & Jones. He is a native of Cumberland County, Nova Scotia, born An- gust 18, 1830. He was reared and served an apprenticeship to his trade in his native prov- ince, and before reaching his majority started for the Pacific Coast, in 1849, but was diverted from his original purpose and went to New Or- leans where he remained until 1854. He then returned to Nova Scotia and engaged in bnsi- ness there several years. In 1858 he came to California, then went up to Nevada and located at Nevada City, where he engaged in con- tracting; was there four years. In 1862 he re- moved to Virginia City, and for twenty years was prominently engaged in contracting and building, doing a very large and successful business. In 1882 he came to Los Angeles, and engaged in contracting and building. The first two years his work was mostly on residences. He afterward erected Childs' Opera House, the Griffin Building, Foster's Block on Main street, the Los Angeles National Bank Building on First and Spring streets, the Kuhrts Block on Main street, Roberts Build- ing on the corner of Main and Seventh streets, the Pasadena Opera House, residence of Loeb,

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the French Consul, residence of I. M. Hellman on Tenth street, Walter D. Stevenson's resi- dence, and many others. He has had a large and successful experience and enjoys an envia- ble reputation as a contractor and builder. Mr. MacKay was married, August 31, 1852, to Miss Catharine Cook, of Nova Scotia. They have five children: James Ormond, a graduate of West Point and an officer in the army, stationed at San Antonio; Katie, now Mrs. John Kelley, of San Francisco; Jennie, Margaret Amelia, and Ida Agatha.

COLONEL HENRY HARRISON MARK- IIAM was born in Wilmington, Essex County, New York, November 16, 1840. On his father's side his ancestors were English. The Markhams in this country trace their origin back to Sir William Markham, who was deputy Governor under William Penn. On his mother's side, the McLeods were of Scotch descent. Colonel Markham, the subject of this sketch, received an academie education; and soon after he reached his majority he entered the army as a private of the Thirty-second Wisconsin In- fantry. He was in many battles in the West, and was with Sherman in the march to the sea; he received a commission as Colonel, was wounded in North Carolina, and was discharged in June, 1865. On his recovery, after the close of the war, he engaged in the practice of law in Milwaukee until his removal to Pasadena, in this county, in 1879, where since he has made his home. Colonel Markham never was a can- didate for or held any public office, outside the army, until he was elected to the Forty-ninth Congress, as a Republican, from the Sixth Con- gressional District of California (comprising the fourteen southern counties of the State), receiving 17,397 votes, against 16,990 votes for Del Valle, Democrat; 821 for Gould, Prohibi- tior.ist, and 236 for Kinley, Greenbacker. Be- fore his election to Congress he devoted his attention to mining, first, in the Oro Grande dis-

trict on the Mojave River, and afterward assist- ing in opening up the Calico mines. But he sold his interests in these shortly before he went to Congress. Colonel Markham was one of the most influential and efficient members of Con- gress Southern California ever had. Being a thorough business inan, and a man of brains he knew how to make himself useful to his constitu- ents, not by much talk, or "fuss or feathers," but by intelligent, well-directed, persistent la- bors. He knew how to "organize victory," even under discouraging circumstances. Notwithı- standing the great distance (3,000 miles) of his district from the capital of the nation; not- withstanding the lack of knowledge, the apathy, and sometimes the selfish prejudice of members of Congress concerning the vast material interests of the people he represented, he secured legisla- tion providing for needed improvements on this Pacific Coast that would have been voluntarily conceded long ago if California and its Sixth District had been located on the Atlantic Coast and near to the seat of Government, to-wit: (1) One hundred and fifty thousand dollars for a public building in Los Angeles, then a city of 32,000 inhabitants, but which lias since in- creased to nearly 100,000; (2) Appropriations for Wilmington Harbor and also for the Outer Harbor; (3) Appropriations for San Luis Obispo Harbor; (4) The setting off from the Federal Judicial District of California (which was some 700 miles in length) of the District of South- ern California; (5) The establishment of army headquarters of Arizona, New Mexico and Southern California, at Los Angeles, which in the old Spanish and Mexican times, and down to the discovery of gold, had been the metrop- olis of both Baja and Alta California; (6) Or- dering the Secretary of War to prohibit the filling up of the rivers of California by hy- draulic mining, etc. To carry through all these important measures, considering the obstacles in the way, required tact, persistency and ability of no mean order. After such faithful and ef- fective services as these, which received the plaudits of his constituents of both political par-

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ties, of course Colonel Markham could have been re-elected triumphantly. But on account of ill-health he voluntarily declined to stand for a second term, and has since devoted his atten- tion to his private affairs .- He is now president of the Los Angeles Furniture Company; and he is a director and charter member of the Na- tional Bank of Los Angeles. In March, 1889 , he was elected by Congress as one of the man- agers of National Homes for Disabled Soldiers, and he is the local manager of the Santa Mon- ica Home. Colonel Markham has lately built himself a beautiful home in Pasadena, where with pleasant surroundings, and the respect and confidence of a wide circle of friends, he now re- sides. He married in 1876 and has five children.

ENRY MILNOR MITCHELL was born in Richmond, Virginia, December 14, 1846. Whilst yet a minor and attending the Vir- ginia Military Institute, he served as a member of the Cadet Corps in the Confederate army, in Ewell's command, and was at Appomattox. After the war he engaged in raising wheat and tobacco in Virgima; and in 1867 he taught school in North Carolina. In 1868 he came via Nicaragua to California and to Los Angeles. IIe first engaged here in surveying; then was a reporter and a law student for two or three years, being admitted to the bar in 1872, and to practice before the Supreme Court in 1879. He was under-sheriff during the incumbency of Alexander and Rowland, and assisted in the capture of the notorious bandit Tiburcio Vas- quez. Mr. Mitchell has also filled the positions of public administrator and notary public; and he served as Assistant Adjutant-General and Chief of Staff when General John M. Baldwin was in command of the First Brigade, National Guards of California. In 1877 Mr. Mitchell was elected sheriff of Los Angeles County. In 1880, after the expiration of his term, he re- sumed the practice of law. He also laid off the place on the San Rafael Rancho, where he now

lives. In October, 1879, he married the eldest daughter of Andrew Glassell, Esq .; they have two children. Mr. Mitehell was grand marshal of the celebration in this city of the Centennial of our National Independence. He served five years in the local volunteer fire department. Mr. Mitchell is a man of fine chivalrous in- stincts, and he has made an enviable record as an officer, as a journalist and as an attorney, and is held in deservedly high estimation as a cultured gentleman in the community in which he has lived now more than twenty years.

AMUEL MEYER, is a native of Stras- burg, Prussia, where he was born Febru- ary 25, 1830. He came to New York in 1849. Hle went to Macon, Georgia, and after- ward to Louisville and Vicksburg, from whence, in 1853, he came via Nicaragua to California, and to Los Angeles. He has been engaged in mercantile pursuits here ever since his arrival -nearly thirty-six years. Mr. Meyer was mar- ried to Miss Davis in 1861. They have eight children, six girls, two of whom are married, and two boys. Whilst Mr. Meyer's life has been a comparatively uneventful one, he has ever maintained the character of an honorable merchant and a good citizen. Mr. Meyer has been treasurer of the oldest Masonic lodge (No. 42), of Los Angeles, for twenty-three con- secutive years.

A. MONTANO was born in Los Angeles October 19, 1862. He is a son of Pedro Montano, a native of Spain, and at about seventeen years of age emigrated to Mexico, and came to California in 1849 where he pur- sued mining. He, in the early days of Los An- geles, located on the Los Angeles River near Boyle Heights, where he owned a tract of land and pursned agriculture. He died November 22, 1867, leaving seven children, of whom the

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subject of this sketch is the youngest. A sister, Mrs. F. Moreno, and two brothers, Pedro and Manuel, live in Inyo County. A. A. was edn- cated at Santa Clara College, this State, and at twenty-two years of age was elected auditor of Los Angeles, rendering the public a most satis- factory service, and was re-elected the following year, 1886. He is now the deputy auditor of Los Angeles. He married in 1885 Miss Eliza, daugliter of Daniel Henry, of San Luis Obispo, and they have two children, Edna and Josie.

J. MATHIES, of Los Angeles, is a native of Knoxville, Tennessee, born October 17, 1848. His father, the Rev. A. A. Mathes, a Presbyterian clergyman, lived in Knoxville for several years, where he pursued that avocation, and he also owned a plantation near the city. He endorsed the principles of the Abolition party, liberated his slaves, dis- posed of other property, and with the view of making lis future home on "free soil" removed to Missouri. In this the object of his move was not, however, accomplished, and he soon took up his residence at Sigourney, Iowa; he now lives at Canton, Illinois. At Sigourney the subject of this sketch received his schooling, and at sixteen years of age left his home, and at Burlington, Iowa, learned the printer's trade, which he later pursued in Chicago. With a partner he afterward established and for two years published the Wilton Chronicle, at Wilton, Iowa. They disposed of this property and es- tablished the Colorado Mountaineer, at Colorado Springs, Colorado; continned publication of it until March, 1875, when he came to Los Angeles and entered the job printing business. Later he became one of the publishers of the Weekly Mirror and made of it a first-class weekly newspaper, which received the hearty support of the community. They afterward became associated with two other gentlemen and organized the Times-Mirror Company, and started in connection with the Weekly Mirror

the Los Angeles Daily Times. Owing to fail - ing health Mr. Mathes retired from the pub- lishing business and for about three years conducted a Pullman excursion business between Chicago and Los Angeles. In April, 1887, he en - tered the real-estate business, in which he is still engaged as an active member of the firm of Day, Hinton & Mathes, No. 8 North Spring street. Mr. Mathes is an enterprising, ambitious man of affairs, genial in his manners, and esteemned for his excellent social and business qualities. He was married in 1872, at Wilton, Iowa, to Miss Annie Strohm. Her father Samuel Strohm, was a capitalist of that city. They have two children: Grace E. and Susie M. They reside at 23 North Hill street.

OSEPII MULLALLY was born in Cincin- nati, Ohio, December 18, 1826. His father was a native of Virginia, and his mother of Pennsylvania In 1850 he left overland for Cal- ifornia, arriving at Hangtown (Placerville), August 5 of that year. He worked a while in the mines at Spanish Bar, on the middle fork of the American River. In March, 1851, he came to San Francisco, where he worked at his trade of brick-making till March, 1854, when he came to Los Angeles. With the exception of Captain Jesse D. Hunter, who made a few bricks here in early times, Mr. Mullally is the pioneer brick-maker of Los Angeles. He made the bricks for the first two-story school-houses, known as Number One, built in 1854, on the lot now occupied by the Bryson-Bonebrake Block, where so many of our boys and girls, now grown-up men and women, and fathers and mothers, were educated in the old pioneer days; and school house Number Two, on Bath street, built in 1856, which has also been demolished after many years of usefulness. He made the bricks for Henry Dalton's two-story residence, built in 1854, on the east side of Main street, corner of Second, which has only recently been cut throughi. This house, which Mr. Glassell

J. MULLALLY,

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occupied as a residence for many years, was torn down a few months ago. Other edifices erected with Mr. Mullally's brick were the old court-house (1858), and Arcadia Block, on Los Angeles street (1859), into which latter went 1,100,000 bricks, and cost about $80,000. It would not be easy to give the list of the build- ings of more recent years for which Mr. Mul- lally furnished the brick. He probably made four-fifths of all the bricks that were used here prior to 1864. The highest number he has inade in any one year was in 1888, when he mnade over 9,000,000. Mr. Mullally served nine or ten years as a city councilman, between 1857 and 1883.

ARRIS NEWMARK, dealer in hides and wool at Los Angeles, is a native of Prussia, and was born at Leoban in 1834. His father, Philip Newmark, was a manufacturer of boot blacking. Harris Newmark was reared and educated until he was fourteen years of age in his native city, when he went with his father to Denmark and Sweden, and remained with him in manufacturing boot blacking at Copenhagen and Gottenburg until he was nineteen. At that age he came to America and located at Los An- geles, whence his brother, Joseph P., had pre- ceded him two years, in 1851, and for whom he clerked in the mercantile business eight months. He then engaged in the same business for him- self, and afterward became a member of the firm of Newmark, Kremer & Co., at Los Angeles, doing a wholesale and retail business until 1861. He then retired from the firm and engaged in the commission business until 1865 when he founded the wholesale grocery house at Los An- geles, known as II. Newmark & Co., which existed until 1886. Since that time he has been dealing in wool and hides. In 1858 he was married at Los Angeles to Miss Sarah New- mark, by whom he has six living children: two married daughters, a son who is married, H., of the wholesale grocery firm of M. A. New-

mark & Co., of Los Angeles, and two young children. He and his family are members of the 'Brai 'Braith Congregation of Hebrews of Los Angeles.

REGOR McDONALD, manufacturer of the Universal Door Screen, 444 Grand avenue, Los Angeles, is a native of Canada, and was born August 20, 1851. He attended school and served an apprenticeship as carpenter and joiner; followed his trade there until 1881, when he came to California and located in Los Angeles, continning at his trade. His first job was on the Normal School building. In 1885 he established his present factory for manu- facturing the Universal Screen Door, and is one- half owner of the patent. The factory is large and commodious, his premises having a front- age of 122 feet on Sixth street by 120 feet on Grand avenue. He employs six to eight hands, and has built up a large trade. He has turned out 800 screens per month, being for doors and windows, and .all kinds of screen work. In 1880 Mr. McDonald married Miss Mary Mc- Naughton, a native of the north of Ireland. They have two children, Mollie and Hannah, and they have lost one daughter, Katie by name.

JACOB F. NORMAN .- Among the well- known residents of the Duarte is the above- named gentleman. Mr. Norman settled at the lower Duarte in 1883, and in the spring of that year purchased from Edward R. Chappelow eleven acres of the old Beardslee tract. This land is located on the east side of Mountain avenue, about a mile and a quarter southwest of the Duarte postoffice, in the Duarte school district. Mr. Norman's land is well improved and under a high state of cultivation, making one of the representative fruit ranches of this section. With the exception of 350 seedling orange trees of the "Wilson's Best" variety, his

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land is planted in deeidnous fruits, comprising some fifteen varieties of apples, peaches, pears, apricots, nectarines, quinces, prunes, plums, etc. Among his improvements are a neat cottage resi- denee and suitable out-buildings. Mr. Norman is also the owner of an orange grove of an acre and a half, on Duarte avenue, in Duarte, and also of improved real estate in Monrovia. In addition to condneting horticultural pursuits upon his lands, he has, since 1885, been engaged in shipping oranges to the Eastern markets. The subject of this sketch was born in Hay- wood County, Tennessee, in 1835. His father, Alfred Norman, was a native of North Caro- lina, who in his youth went to Alabama, and was rhere reared and married to Anna Byler, of that State. They subsequently settled in Ten- nessee. In 1840 Mr. Norman's parents moved to Missonri, and located in what was then a part of Cole County, but later became Monitean County. There the subject of this sketch was reared as a farmer, receiving his education in the common schools. In 1857 he married Miss Eliza Byler, a native of Missouri, and the dangh- ter of Abram and Mary (Bowinan) Byler. Mrs. Norman's father was of German deseent, and a native of Pennsylvania. Her mother was born in Missouri. In 1861 Mr. Norman located in Henry County, and there engaged in farming and stock-growing until 1869. In that year he took up his residence in Vernon County, where he continued his agricultural pursuits. In 1870 Mr. Norman was elected a justice of the peace in his county, and served as such until 1874, when he was elected clerk of the Circuit Court of Vernon County. Hle was re-elected in 1878 and served until January, 1883, when he resigned on account of ill health, and in the same month came to California. After a short stay in Los Angeles, he took up his present residence. Mr. Norman soon gained the respect of the com- munity in which he came to reside, and in 1886 was elected justice of the peace, and re-elected in 1888. Ile is Democratic in politics, and is a popular man, and was one of the only three Democratic justices elected in the county in

1888. Mr. Norman has his office in Monrovia, of which city he is recorder. He is a director and stockholder of the Beardslee Water Com- pany. For many years he has been a member of the Masonie fraternity, and affiliated with Argyle Lodge, of Nevada, Missouri. He is also a member of the Baptist church. From the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Norman there are four children living, viz .: William F., who mar- ried Miss Belle Churchill, and is residing in Vernon Connty, Missouri; Belle H., now Mrs. R. R. Smith, of Duarte; Emmett B., who mar- ried Miss Viola Shrode, also a resident of Du- arte, and Anna May.

UELLE & NICOL PLANING MILL, Alameda street. The business of this eom- pany was established in 1883, on a small scale, and carried on by Mr. Stovell until March, 1888, when the present company was organized and incorporated and succeeded to the business. Their factory is centrally located, the premises having a frontage of 210 feet on South Alameda street. They mannfacture sash, doors, blinds and all kinds of moldings and scroll work. The company has a large established trade and gives employment to seventy-five hands during the busy season. Mr. A. A. Nuelle, the president of the company, is a native of St. Louis, Mis- sonri, and was born May 16, 1850. He received his education in his native city and State. His father, William Nnelle, an old and honored citizen of St. Louis, was a prominent mill and Imınberman in that State for many years and, now retired from active business, is living in that city. A. A. Nnelle learned the business of his father, and for fifteen years was successfully engaged in lumber and planing-mill enterprises, in his native Statc. IIe came to Los Angeles and organized the Nuelle & Nicol Planing Mill Company, in March, 1888. He has had a large practical experience in all the details of the bnsi- ness, and this company has taken a leading position in the trade. In 1876 Mr. Nuelle was

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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