An illustrated history of Southern California : embracing the counties of San Diego, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Orange, and the peninsula of Lower California, from the earliest period of occupancy to the present time; together with glimpses of their prospects; also, full-page portraits of some of their eminent men, and biographical mention of many of their pioneers and of prominent citizens of to-day, Part 21

Author: Lewis Publishing Company
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : The Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1038

USA > California > Los Angeles County > An illustrated history of Southern California : embracing the counties of San Diego, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Orange, and the peninsula of Lower California, from the earliest period of occupancy to the present time; together with glimpses of their prospects; also, full-page portraits of some of their eminent men, and biographical mention of many of their pioneers and of prominent citizens of to-day > Part 21
USA > California > San Diego County > An illustrated history of Southern California : embracing the counties of San Diego, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Orange, and the peninsula of Lower California, from the earliest period of occupancy to the present time; together with glimpses of their prospects; also, full-page portraits of some of their eminent men, and biographical mention of many of their pioneers and of prominent citizens of to-day > Part 21
USA > California > Orange County > An illustrated history of Southern California : embracing the counties of San Diego, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Orange, and the peninsula of Lower California, from the earliest period of occupancy to the present time; together with glimpses of their prospects; also, full-page portraits of some of their eminent men, and biographical mention of many of their pioneers and of prominent citizens of to-day > Part 21
USA > California > San Bernardino County > An illustrated history of Southern California : embracing the counties of San Diego, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Orange, and the peninsula of Lower California, from the earliest period of occupancy to the present time; together with glimpses of their prospects; also, full-page portraits of some of their eminent men, and biographical mention of many of their pioneers and of prominent citizens of to-day > Part 21

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

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HISTORY OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY.

good deal of his time in search of a climate in which to prolong life. After several years travel he went to Savannah, Georgia; then he tried the Bermudas, where he remained a year or so; he then went to Crystal Springs, New York, where he established a hospital and prac- ticed his profession for fifteen years. While there he was a frequent contributor to most of the scientific papers. While in New York he was often called upon as an expert in court and before State and Senate committees to give tes- timony on scientific matters, and in such cases always gave his testimony without regard to consequences, or who was pleased or displeased. In the great Guiteau trial the Doctor differed from the other physicians who treated the lamented President Garfield, and believes that the facts were with him in both cases. Garfield could have been saved had the doctors not been inistaken in the location and track of the bullet. The Doctor has been obliged to battle constantly with his throat trouble and has finally brought his family to the sunny climne of southern Cali- fornia, but as yet has not tried the climate long enough to know how much benefit he will re- ceive. In Elsinore he has found a congenial clime, and water loaded with mineral substances valnable for medicinal purposes to a remarkable degree. He also sees in this vicinity large quantities of mineral wealth in an unimproved and undeveloped condition, and it only remains for capital to develop to make those interested in it very satisfactory returns.

The Doctor was married to Miss Mary Flem- ming, of Havana, New York, and their union lias been blessed with two children, a boy and a girl, viz .: Horace Phelps, now seven years old, and Mary Alma, five years old. The Doctor's con- nection with a college secret society caused his exile, and he has since avoided all secret socie- ties and in his lectures has advised all men to refrain from societies that would tend to keep them from their families at night. Politically he has been a Republican, but is in favor of free trade. He lived twenty-one years in the United States before asking for naturalization

papers, and is of the opinion that is as soon as a foreigner should vote. He is a believer in God and morality, and is educating his children in the way of truth and religion. Through his scientific attainments and long practice of his profession he has shown himself eminently fitted to treat the suffering and perform surgi- cal operations that require the highest order of talent and skill. He is now largely interested in the development and prosperity of southern California.

H. HEALD, one of the first business men and one of the original buyers of the town site of Elsinore, and one who has had most to do with the substantial growth of that place, was born in Cedar County, Iowa, July 10, 1854. His father, Wilson Heald, and his grandfather, John Heald, were natives of Ohio. His great-grandfather, William Heald, was a native of Virginia and a soldier in the Revolution. Mr. Heald's mother, Sarah (Macy) Heald, was a native of Ohio, and her father, Samuel Macy, was a descendant of Thomas Macy, one of the English Quakers who came to America to escape persecution in the mother country. There were six children in Mr. Heald's family, of whom the subject of this sketch was the oldest. He was educated in West Branch, Iowa, and finished his business education in Burlington. In September, 1874, he was married to Miss Annie M. Hoover, danghter of J. Y. Hoover, a Quaker minister. By this nnion he had one daughter, Edna, who now resides with him. After a happy union of one year Mrs. Heald died, on January 3, 1876. After this bereave- ment he lived with his uncle, William P. Wolf, who was a member of Congress from Iowa, with whom he read law, and also did some farm work. He remained here nearly two years, and in 1877 came to Pasadena, Califor- nia. While in Pasadena he did not engage in much business; he was in the mountains and through the country with his gun, principally

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HISTORY OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY.

for recreation and to relieve his mind. In 1882 he bought property there. One day while out on one of his excursions on San Antonio monn- tain he saw in the distance the glistening lake, now Elsinore Lake, and in November, 1881, he came to the property which he afterward, in connection with Mr. Graham and Mr. Collum, purchased. The first purchase covered about 14,000 acres, and he afterward purchased about 5,000 more. The cost of the original grant was $24,000. Mr. Graham and Mr. Heald made the purchase in San Francisco, and in Septein- ber of the same year the property was subdi- vided and sales followed rapidly. The wash-ont on the railroad that year retarded the growth and facilities of the place greatly, and lumber was brought by wagon from Riverside, Colton, and the San Jacinto mountains. The town-site was located where it was because of the valuable mineral springs. The next year Mr. Heald bought out his partners, they taking about 2,000 acres and he keeping about 12,000, for which he paid them $20,000.

When the postoffice was established and the name of the office and town was fixed, Elsinore was given the preference and Mrs. Graham was given the decision. She has the credit of nam- ing the place. Mr. Heald bas erected a mag- nificent residence on one of the hills in the town overlooking the beautiful lake, which first at- tracted him to the town. He started the first newspaper, the Elsinore News, and afterward sold it, but is again its owner. He also has the honor of starting the Exchange Bank of Elsin- ore and was its first president. Mr. Heald has also been instrumental in the building of a large hotel, the Lake View, a house good enough for any town, no matter how large. Mr. Heald has also built for Elsinore one of the finest, if not the finest, bath houses in southern California. Mr. McChaney discovered the coal mine and Mr. Heald has helped to develop that. Mr. Heald and his partner gave the Methodist So- ciety seven lots, and he has since given the other societies two lots each for building pur- poses, and both of the brick churches built

had from him 15,000 brick as a donation. He is a member of the A. O. U. W. and grand master of Elsinore district. He was married again, in 1881, to bis second wife, by whom he has two boys: David W. and F. H., Jr. He is a member of the Society of Friends (Quakers), as were also his parents before him. Mr. Heald is a man full of enterprise. His father was one of the "old John Brown's" men at Springdale, Iowa, and that is probably the reason Mr. Heald takes such a deep interest in politics. lle is a member of the Republican State Central Committee, also of the County Committee, and was a member of the'California delegation who helped to nominate Harrison.

ASHINGTON G. RIFENBURG, one of San Diego's reliable citizens and business men, a fruit-grower, a mna- chinist and the inventor of the Wave Power Ma- chine, was born in Auburn, New York, January 3,1836. His father, Peter H. Rifenburg, was born in the city of Hudson, on the Hudson river, in 1792. He was a clergyman of the Christian denomination, and served his country as a soldier in the war of 1812. Mr. Rifenburg's grandfather was born at the Castle of Rifen- burg, Germany, and came to America before the Revolution. He was in General Washing- ton's army, and was born in 1743, and died in 1843, only lacking a few months of being 100 years of age. Mr. Rifenburg's mother, Perlina (Herbert) Rifenburg, was born at Brattleboro, Vermont, in 1802, and was the daughter of Henry Herbert, a farmer formerly of Germany. She was married to Mr. Rifenburg in 1828, and had a family of eleven children, the subject of this sketch being the sixth child. He finished his education in the academy at Auburn, New York. After leaving school he learned the ma- chinist's trade. In 1852 he went to Illinois with his father and family, and bought a farm in Yorktown, Bureau County, at $1.25 per acre, . of the Government. He remained there two

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HISTORY OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY.

years, and then went to Missouri, and then to Kansas, and was in the fruit-tree business eight years. From there he went to Colorado, and engaged in freighting from the Missonri river to the mountains. After this he engaged in mining in 1869, and continued it until 1881. He then came to California and landed in San Diego. He bought Ocean View, a farm of sixty acres, three and one-half miles east of the city, on which he built a house whichi cost $6,000. He planted ten acres to oranges and lemons, ten acres to deciduous fruit, and twenty- seven acres to raisin grapes. The balance was used for grain crops. He sold this property in 1887 and settled in the city of San Diego, where he started the Standard Iron Works in 1886, in company with others. Subsequently he sold his interest and bought a ranch in Jamnl valley, twenty-two miles east of San Diego, and is planting fifty acres to oranges and lemons. There are 240 acres in the ranch, which is called Mount Wakeshaw. Orange trees planted only three ycars are loaded with fruit. He is now engaged in perfecting his truly wonderful invention-the Wave Power Machine. It is a machine of great power and great simplicity, and capable of very cheap con- struction, and is adapted to all power where there are waves. In its present construction it will not propel a ship. As the machine has to be anchored in the water, it is so constructed that equal force is obtained from both the up- ward and downward motion of the wave, and the continnons motion of the shatt is obtained by a wheel within a wheel. Besides, it is de- signed that the float act as an engine and create a great power with a walking bean. That the machine is capable of great utility there can be little doubt. Mr. Rifenburg is entitled to great credit as well as great emolnment for this in- vention. Mr. Rifenburg is a Master Mason, and held the office of Sheriff for five years in Colorado. He was married in Kansas, Decem- ber 7, 1859, to Miss Emma L. Suits, born in Indiana, February 14, 1841, a dangliter of Mr. John Snits, of La Fayette, Indiana. He was a

pioneer and Indian agent there when the coun- try was new. He died in 1879, at the age of sixty-six. Mr. and Mrs. Ritenburg have had one child, Ella, born in 1864. Her death oc- curred when she was not quite one year old.

GREGORY .- In February, 1849, the bark Nautilus left the pier on North river, New York, bound for San Fran- cisco, with a company of ninety-three on board, in charge of a board of directors, with three years' supply of provisions and paraphernalia suitable to the mining interests of California. This company was sent out by a syndicate, who paid all expenses, with one proviso, that the profits of the expedition should be divided, and among this number was the subject of this sketch, Mr. E. Gregory, who was born in Mil- ford, Connecticut, June 21, 1821. His parents were natives of New England. They were 222 days en voyage, and before landing the company was entirely broken up and abandoned, and after the arrival at San Francisco, October 22, 1849, smaller companies were formed through friendship and social ties. Mr. Gregory and his friend, Mr. Wellington, first went to Carson creek, Calaveras County, where the mines were very rich. The claims were only sixteen feet square, but the gold nuggets were often pieked out of the dirt in rapid succession, one nugget weighing twelve pounds. Later he went to San Andreas, the county seat, where he followed his trade of harness, trunk and saddle making, also ran a general merchandise store and barber shop, remaining until 1869, when in seeking a more genial climate he came to San Diego and here continued the barber business. From 1876 to 1879 he took charge of the county hospital, and then rented at Ninth and K streets, and in 1884 was appointed superintendent of the county hospital in Mission valley, serving a two years' term.

Mr. Gregory was married at San Andreas, October, 1862, to Miss Sarah Petty. They are

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HISTORY OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY.

now passing a genial and happy old age in their pleasant cottage at 618 Logan avenue, a happy close to lives who have passed through the hardships of the miner's camp and the pio- neer's experience.

SAUNDERS, of San Jacinto, was born in Dedham, Maine, December 22, 1830. His grandfather, William Saunders, was a Scotchman. His father, William Saunders and his mother, Ruth (Patterson) Saunders, were both natives of Maine. They had eight children, Mr. A. Saunders being the youngest. He was educated in his native State, and when eighteen years of age he engaged in the lumber business at Ellsworth, where he remained for four years. In 1852 he came to California by way of Cape Horn, and arrived in San Fran- cisco in the spring of 1853. He went to the tines in Tuolumne, Calaveras and Sierra coun- ties, and sought for glittering gold for four years, until 1856, but it eluded his grasp. Then he went into the lumber business in San Mateo County until 1858. There was an attraction there more precious than gold, and it did not elude him, for he was married to Miss F. J. Philips, daughter of Richard Philips, a Maine farmer. She was born in 1838. They have three children, viz .: Ethelbert E., born in Alameda County in 1859; Fanny Maud, born in Men- docino County in 1875, and Ina Blanche, born in Mendocino County in 1878. His son is married and lives in San Francisco, where he is engaged in railroading, and the girls are at home with their parents. After spending two years in Alameda County, he removed to San Mateo County, and was there in business until 1868. He then removed to Mendocino County, where he continued his. lumber business until 1879, when he sold out and removed to River- side, and bought land and engaged in orange and raisin culture, and built. In 1880 he went up into the San Jacinto mountains, and bought the mill in the Strawberry valley. It was a

small water mill, but he put steam into it and ran it for six years. While running this mill his family spent the summers in the mountains, and the winters at their home in Riverside. He purchased property in San Jacinto when the town was starting, and built a very nice home, where he now resides. It is on First street and Jordan avenue. In connection with a partner he has a 13,000-acre ranch in Lower California, where they are running a dairy. Neither Mr. nor Mrs. Saunders belong to any society except that she is a member of the W. C. T. U., but nevertheless they are as highly respectable peo- ple as any in the city of San Jacinto.

M. WOODS, who at present is Chairman of the Board of Supervisors of San Diego, was born at Wheeling, West Virginia, in May, 1831. His grandfather was a farmer, and one of the first settlers in Wheeling; his father was a merchant and speculator in that city; his mother was a native of Pennsylvania. He was in a family of eight children, seven of whom are still living. At the age of thirteen years he moved to Missouri, and soon after accepted em- ployment on a Mississippi river steamboat as freight clerk, which he followed for four years. In 1852 he started for California, in a company of about 100, with thirty wagons and about 800 head of cattle. They were about six months en route, driving from Hannibal, Missouri, through Salt Lake City to Stockton, California, crossing the mountains by Central Pass, coming by the Volcano route. They lost very few cat- tle, but were engaged in many skirmishes with the Indians, who tried to steal their cattle. At Stockton the cattle were turned loose, and Mr. Woods and brother went to the mines of the Tuolumne river until the wet season came on, when they went to the dry diggings in Mari- posa Connty, and they followed placer mining until 1865, making considerabie money. He then bought a ranch in the Buckeye valley, Amador County, and followed ranching until

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HISTORY OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY.

1869, when a syndicate, who owned a floating Mexican grant, settled upon his land. He then came to San Diego and began farming and stock- raising in the Jamul valley, and later the sheep business in Poway valley, buying 160 acres and grazing in the mountains. In 1883 he went to the Pamo valley and bought 1,000 acres of land, which he still owns, and which is to be the reservoir site of the Pamo Water Company; it is now being surveyed, and the building of the dam will commence in the spring of 1890. The reservoir syndicate is formed, and they have every prospect for securing the contract of supplying the city of San Diego. In 1884, Mr. Woods was first elected as supervisor under the law districting the county, drawing the short term of two years. In 1886 he was elected for four years, and was appointed charman of the board.

Mr. Woods has been twice married, first in Amador County, his wife dying in 1873, leav- ing three children. He was again married, at Poway, in 1880, to Miss Rosa Babb, a native of Oregon. They have three children, all of whom are living and at home.

A. CLARK .- On the south side of Dia- mond valley, nine miles sontlı of San Jacinto, with the foot hills for a back- ground, and the beautiful valley of the San Jacinto and San Bernardino range of mountains in front, stands the nice new residence of Mr. P. A. Clark. October 23, 1883, broken in purse and in healthi, he came to the present site of his now comfortable home and took up a Government claim of 160 acres of choice land. He built himself a place to live in and has rap- idly improved in both health and purse. He has made many improvements on his ranch back of the property, and above it he has two fine springs of pure water and has one of them piped to his residence. He has twenty acres of land planted to every description of fruit trees, many of them bearing. The altitude of the place is 2,000 feet, and here are growing orange trees

loaded with fruit. He is also raising as fine apples as can be raised in any State of the Union. He is also raising grain and some stock, but is doing most in the nursery business, and has a good supply of young trees on hand. He was born in Knox County, Illinois, February 9, 1845. His father, J. W. Clark, was a native of New York. His grandfather, Jolın W. Clark, was also born in New York, but the family were originally from New England. His mother was Miriam Daugherty, born in Orange County, Indiana. Mr. Clark was the oldest of a family of seven children, and came to California with his father and family when fifteen years of age. They came across the plains in 1860, and settled in Yolo County, where they remained four years, when they removed to Oakland. They remained here one year and then went to St. Helena, Napa valley, when, Mr. Clark being of age, he went to the silver mines. He found silver, and becoming eager to get rich, he spent all he had gained prospecting. After four years of this kind of work be removed to Anaheim and engaged in the book and stationery business. He settled there in 1871 and continued there until 1877, when he was again taken with the mining fever and for four years more dug and prospected back of Anaheim. Then he lost his health and became disgusted with the mining business. He was then for awhile with the Baker foundry in Los Angeles. Then with a partner he tried the real-estate business, which he soon gave up and went to Pasadena, where he was with his brother, B. O. Clark, then in the nursery busi- ness. He had, when younger, learned telegraphy, and at this time went into the railroad station at Anaheim and learned the routine of a station agent, so that he has had quite a diversity of business experiences. In 1886 he was married to Mrs. Dora Summers, widow of Joseph Sum- mers, of Illinois. They have one child living, Mabel, born November 30, 1889, and his wife has one daughter, Myrtle, born in February, 1883. They also have one adopted daughter, Gertrude, born in England in 1881. Mr. Clark was elected Justice of the Peace, and was As-

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HISTORY OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY.

sistant Postmaster there; he was also Notary Public and District Recorder, and Postmaster while at Silverado, Los Angeles County. At present he is Justice of the Peace, one of the school trustees and clerk of the board. He is a member of the Pentalpha Lodge, F. & A. M., Los Angeles. Mr. Clark is a pioneer and a leading citizen of his county, and is demonstrat- ing the capabilites of this fine soil to raise choice fruits in this unequaled climate.

- ANIEL OLSON, the proprietor of the San Diego Steam Laundry, was born in Sweden, in September, 1849. He was educated in the common schools and under the Lutheran Protestant religion; his father was a farmer. The subject of this sketch was mail carrier in Sweden for about two years, at the age of from fifteen to seventeen. He emigrated to the United States in 1868, landing in New York. He then went to Chicago, where he worked five years in the dry-goods business, and then started a laundry, which he continued for fifteen years, with good success. He came to San Diego in January, 1887, and bought one end of a block on B street, between State and Columbia. He built a laundry building on the corner of State and B streets, 47 x 75 feet, two stories in height, and in the rear he built stables, and houses for bis help. His laundry plant is valned at $8,000, and has facilities to do all kinds of plain and fancy laundry work. He employs from twenty to twenty-five hands and runs four wagons; it is the leading laundry in the city.

Mr. Olson was married in Chicago, in 1875, to Miss Hattie Hultgren. They have two chil- dren, both of whom are living.

OHN NICOLSON is a native of Scotland, born March 15, 1836. He got his edu- cation there and learned the trade of mason, and in 1867 he came to California and settled 9

in San Francisco, where he worked for the rail- road as a mason. In 1868 he came to San Bernardino and spent two years in the mines, both making and losing. When he tired of mining he went to San Diego during the first boom there, where he remained a year, and then came to Riverside and took np a Government claim, which afterward proved to be the Jurupa Mexican land grant, and he with thirty others who had settled there were obliged to give it up, but were permitted to remove their improve- ments. It was a serious loss to him and the others. In 1880 he came to Diamond valley, where he was the first settler. It is located nine miles south and a little west of San Jacinto and five miles from Winchester. Here he has 320 acres of choice land. Being a mason he knew how to build and has made a very neat adobe house. It stands in a nook of the foot hills, overlooking his own lands in the beautiful val- ley before him, surrounded with very picturesque foot hills. Here his fine herds of cattle pasture. He is making stock-raising his principal busi- ness but raises grain and hay also. Scotland has furnished many a noble specimen of the American yeoman to the United States, and Mr. Nicolson is one of those generous, open-hearted Scotch-Americans.

EWIS LETTNER was born in Nashville, Tennessee, October 22, 1833. His father, John Lettner, was born in Germany, came to America when a boy, and married Palina Dindle, a native of Tennessee. They had five children, the subject of this sketch being the oldest son and second child. Like many others his early education was limited, and he has him- self obtained most of his information from books. When he was three months old his family emigrated to Illinois, where they re- mained twelve years. At that time the subject of this sketch began to earn his own support, and three years later drove an ox team across the plains to California. There were eighty in

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the party when it started, but in order to ob- tain feed they divided, and at the end of the journey there were only ten in his party. He soon engaged in mining on the middle fork of the American river. He commenced mining September 17, 1850, and mined for ten years, nearly all the time. He had good success, taking out from $10 to $15 per day, and the best find he ever made was a nugget that sold for $315. Like many others he spent most of his gold in speculating and prospecting. After this he bought land and turned his attention to farming, in which he engaged in San Joaquin for twenty-five years. In September, 1884, he came to Los Angeles and became acquainted with Mr. G. D. Compton, and with him came to see the San Jacinto town site and bought twenty acres of land, on which he built a good house and planted a raisin grape vineyard of six acres from cuttings. They are now bearing nicely and have sold well. He has an artesian well on his place which affords an abundance of the best water, but does not irrigate his grapes, as they do well without. He is also raising grain and hay. He was married in 1862 to Miss Carrie Laws of North Carolina, born in 1843. Her parents were southern people. They have three sons living, viz .: William, born in Walnut Grove, Sacramento County, in 1868; Lewis F., born in Contra Costa County, in 1869, and Leonard Burt, born in Contra Costa County, in 1878. Mr. Lettner was for many years a inember of the Independent Order of Chosen Friends. Mrs. Lettner is a member of the Christian Church. They are worthy citizens of San Jacinto and enjoy the confidence and respect of the county.

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Author: Lewis Publishing Company Publication date: 1890 Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : The Lewis Publishing Company Number of Pages: 1038

Author: Lewis Publishing Company
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : The Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1038