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 40

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 40
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 40
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 40
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 40

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).

In 1840 Mr. Gregory went to Europe as second mate of the packet ship Liverpool, and had the small-pox on his return voyage. He landed at Boston and went then to New Orleans, where he contracted ship fever, and then re- turned to his home in Marblehead, and remained there a year before he fully recovered his health. In May, 1849, he left Boston for California, in

the brig Chatham, and arrived here the October following. After a residence of two months in San Francisco, he left for Sacramento in the Chatham, when the company broke np, after dividing two years' provisions among the forty survivors. During the following winter he was engaged in placer mining on the Feather river, and owned several good mines.

A rumor of hidden gold mines sent Gregory and twenty other adventurous prospectors to the headwaters of the Yuba river. A violent snow storm set in after they had started across the mountains, and greatly impeded their progress. They traveled over the deep gulches until their horses and mules gave out, and still could not discover any dividing ridge in the mountains. In crossing a small creek they heard a roaring sound of the river below. Suddenly one of their party disappeared, and that was the last they ever heard of him; he was carried down the river and drowned. They found gold, but not provisions. The country was wild and inhabited only by Indiaus. After four days' journey Mr. Gregory became convinced that he would perish from cold and hunger, and after a variety of un- pleasant experiences he separated from the party with two companions. For over twenty days he lived on acorns, which he had to dig out from under the snow, which was in some places twenty feet deep! One of his companions dropped into the snow just as they came in sight of Springtown. Joseph Phillips and Cap- tain Gregory were the only men that ever reached Springtown alive, the rest having perished in the snow. At that place he spent over $20,000 in endeavoring to dam up the Yuba river about ten miles above the town, in benefiting mining enterprises. He finally abandoned it, as the scheme proved unsuccessful, and proceeded to San Francisco by the vessel and started for Santa Catalina Island, determined to find the lost treasure said to have been buried there in 1842. After thirty-six months in the fruitless search there he returned again to San Francisco, brought a cargo of lumber down to San Diego, and built the first wharf here. He followed

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the sea and visited Europe, Sandwich Islands, Oregon and many other points. Ile was aboard the steamer Ada Hancock, that brought the first cargo ever landed at Wilmington. The Captain made his last voyage in 1865, in the schooner Katura, and settled down in San Diego. In September of the same year İle married Miss Maryette M. Moody at San Pedro, and has three children: Ella Sophia, Angenette and Emma. The last named is married. The Captain settled in the Chollas valley. Five years ago last April a heavy earthquake changed his well into a wonderful mineral spring that is now famons through southern California as supplying the means for a " miraculous" cure for almost every known complaint.

The Captain is a rugged, hearty old pioneer, and is well known and respected by the com- munity. All his immediate male relatives were shipmasters; his brothers are captains and offi- cers in the United States navy. His sister, Mrs. Angenette Ames, has five sons, who are, strange to say, all physicians of prominence and ability. Their father, Emerson Ames, built the first railroad in Russia in 1852. He is well known in Baltimore as a distinguished railroad-builder and civil engineer. One of his danghters married Captain Nelson, stationed at Mare Island.

W. McGARVIE, one of the best known men in San Diego, was born in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, May 24, 1861. While quite young he went with his parents to Monroe County, Michigan, where both parents died when he was but eleven years of age. When seventeen years old he engaged with the Mich- igan Central Railroad Company, and remained in their employ four years, filling several respon- sible positions, as telegraph operator, station agent, etc., and was then transferred to the General Managers' office in Detroit. In 1883 lie went to St. Ignace, in northern Michigan, and started a semi-weekly newspaper, the St.

Ignace News. After publishing it about a year he sold out and removed to Denver, Colo- rado. Here he sought employment with the Union Pacific Railroad Company, and remained with it a year. Early in 1885 he came to San Diego and was appointed station agent at Bar- stow, where he remained until February of the following year, when he was transferred to the general passenger and ticket office in San Diego. During the memorable " boom" in Southern California he gave up his position with the rail- road company, opened a real-estate office and began selling corner lots. In this as in other things he was successful, and probably sold more land than any other man in San Diego. At the city election in the spring of 1889 he was a candidate on the regular Republican ticket for the office of city treasurer and tax collector, and received the largest vote of any man on the ticket. He was married in May, 1886, to Miss Ella Allsop, of Hnron, Ohio.

H. HIMEBAUGH was born Jannary 14, 1840, in Erie County, Pennsylvania. In 1855 he went to Kingsville, Ohio, to at- tend the Kingsvill- Academy. He moved to Dane County, Wisconsin, in 1858, and engaged in teaching the greater part of two years. In 1860 he moved to Aprleton, Wisconsin, where he entered Lawrence University, and pursued his studies until the spring of 1864, when he · left school to enter the army. He enlisted in ' Company E (Captain J. H. Hauser), of the Fortieth Regiment, Wisconsin Volunteer Infan- try, Colonel Angustus Rey, commanding. The regiment went to the front at Memphis, Ten- nessee, to relieve General A. J. Smith's com- mand, which was about to proceed against General Forrest, and took part in the repulse of Forrest in his raid on Memphis. The Fortieth, being mustered in for 100 days, was mustered ont at the end of its term of service, when Mr. Himebaugh resumed his studies at Lawrence University. In a few weeks, however, he re-

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HISTORY OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY.

enlisted and was mustered in as Second Lieu- tenant and Recruiting Officer to assist in raising the Forty-ninth Wisconsin Regiment. When the regimental roster was full he was innstered into service for three years, or during the war, as First Lieutenant of Company D (Captain J. HI. Hauser), Forty-ninth Regiment Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, Colonel Samuel Fallows commanding. Early in 1865 he was sent with the regiment to St. Louis, Missouri, and soon after to Rolla, Missouri, where the regiment remained several months doing guard duty. during a portion of which time Mr. Himebangh was on detached service as acting Depot and District Ordinance officer on General Brown's staff, who was then in command of the district. The Forty-ninth having been ordered back to St. Louis, when the posts at Rolla and Spring- field, Missouri, were discontinued, Mr. Hime- baugh rejoined his regiment and for several months was detached with his company on Post dnty at Benton Barracks. In the fall of 1865 he was mustered out with his regiment at Mad ison, Wisconsin, and resumed his studies at Lawrence University, where he graduated in June, 1866, with the degree of B. S. In the winter of 1866 and 1867 he engaged in the profession of teaching at Stevens' Point, Wis- consin. In the fall of 1867 he was appointed by Governor Lucius Fairchilds as assistant superintendent of public property in the State of Wisconsin, which position he held until the winter of 1874, wher he resigned his office and engaged in mercantile pursuits in the city of Appleton, Wisconsin. He sold out his business in the spring of 1885, and in June of the same year moved to Stockton, California, where he was employed in real estate and insurance until October, 1886, when, with his family, he re- moved to San Diego, where he engaged in in- surance and real estate.

He was married to Miss Ida J. Church, daughter of the late C. C. Church, of San Diego, at Atchison, Kansas, May 14, 1872. One daugh- ter, Nellie M., born in Appleton, Wisconsin, has blessed the union. Mr. Himnebangh is a

member of the Masonic fraternity, and of the Methodist Episcopal Church. In the last his membership dates back to 1854. He believes prohibition will prohibit. His father, Peter Himebaugh, took part in the war of 1812, and his grandfather was a veteran of the Revolution, being in the army during all that long struggle. Mr. Himebaugh has several of the relics of the " time that tried men's souls," which formerly belonged to his grandfather.

DGAR C. PEARSON was born in Maine, January 9, 1850; he was a resident of Bangor till 1877, and for twelve years was a half member of the firm of William T. Pear- son & Co., wholesale lumber manufacturers and dealers. The company was the largest in the Eastern States and did a very large business, which extended to England, Scotland, Cuba, Argentine Republic, Jamaica, Brazil, as well as to most of the United States. After leaving Bangor, Maine, Mr. Pearson traveled over New Mexico, Arizona and portions of Old Mexico. He remained one year at Winslow, Arizona, in charge of the car service department of the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad Company. While there he was disabled by an accident, and during his vacation came to California. He soon dis- covered sufficient attraction here to prevent his return to Arizona and resigned. He remained a short time in Los Angeles and in 1886 came to San Diego.

In January, 1889, he purchased the National City Reduction Works, and in May M. D. Arms, formerly of the firm of Arms & Chappel, bought an equal interest in the business. Both partners are stirring, active business men, level. leaded and honorable, and endeavor to render the best of satisfaction to all with whom they have business dealings. The works occupy a whole block of land in National City, adjoining the National City and Otay Railroad and San Diego Land and Town Company's general offi- ces, being situated right in the city. They have

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HISTORY OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY.

three lines of railroad, the National City and Otay, the California Southern and the Coronado, on three sides of their land; also first-class wharf accommodations, at both National City and San Diego, which give them good facilities for receiving and handling ores and fucl cheaply.

The works contain a five stamp mill, with 850-pound stamps, vats, pans, settlers, concen- trators, riffles, furnaces, etc., all complete and in fine working order, and capable of handling from twelve to eighteen tons of ore daily, run- ning with economy and saving from ninety to ninety-five per cent. of the precious metals. Their last four runs, with their new machinery, gave perfect satisfaction to the owners of the ore, Messrs. Noble, of Pine valley, and Hall & Hall, of Elsinore, both parties having splendid paying ore. They mill all the ore of the Cerros Island Mining Company of Mexico.

The buildings are the mill, engine-house, furnace-room, tool house, dwelling-house and assay office. The mill is so arranged that any number of stamps can be added, as the business demands. Motive power is supplied by a fifty- horse-power engine and a sixty-five-horse-power boiler. Competent judges estimate the value of the plant at $30,000, and with the rapidly- increasing popularity of the works it will speed- ily increase in value. He is the business man- ager, secretary and treasurer of the company. and has a wide acquaintance amongst business inen and through the country.

AMUEL J. BAIRD, of National City, was born in Perry County, Ohio, June 13, 1824, and lived in his native place until twenty-nine years of age. In the year 1853, wishing to see more of the world, he went to Whiteside County, Illinois, where he resided many years, doing his share in developing that country. For several years he served as one of the supervisors of the county in which he lived, and for three years he was elected presi- dent of the Whiteside County Agricultural So-

ciety. He was for some years a member of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry and assisted in organizing the State Grange. In 1882 he left thie associations which had grown up around him and came to National City to build up a home in this land of perpetual summer. How well lie has succeeded is attested by his fine residence with its beautiful surrounding and delightful view. In addition to his home tract of fourteen acres he owns 150 acres of excellent land in Chula Vista, one of National City's charming suburbs. In the organization of the Bank of National City, Mr. Baird was a stock- holder and was elected one of its directors and has annually been re-elected to that office. In April, 1888, he was elected one of the city trustees and still holds the position. In 1851 Mr. Baird was married to Miss Eliza Brown, dangh- ter of Isaac Brown, of Perry County, Ohio. Of this union five sons and three daughters were boru, all living at this date.

JOSE ANTONIO ALTAMIRANO, of San Diego, was born at La Paz, Lower Cali_ fornia, May 31, 1835. His father, Tomas Altamirano, was a commission merchant and shipper, and loaded vessels at La Paz for Mazat- lan, San Blas, and other points; he was an in- fluential and prominent man and had a large, prosperous business. He married Miss Dolores Carrillo, a native of Lower California, and was the father oftwelve children. Jose, the youngest child, received special care in his education, being naturally bright. Assisting his father in his business, he became acquainted with many principles which in after life proved of great value to him. In May, 1849, Jose concluded to leave home for Upper California, and shortly afterward he arrived in San Diego. During the early gold-mining period he spent over four years in the mountains from Merced river northward as far as the Klamath river, engaged in mining, supplying the miners with pro- visions, which he conveyed to them ou packed

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mules. He bought a large number of mnles in Lower California, and sold them at a great profit in San Diego. In 1859 he engaged in the rearing of live-stock on an extensive scale, on his ranch in San Jacinto, near San Diego His business increased upon his hands so greatly that in 1869 he found that he required a larger scope of country for pasturage, and he therefore drove his stock down into Lower California, into the Valle de las Palinas, a large ranch.

November 12, 1863, he married Miss Ysa- bel de Pedroena, a daughter of Don Miguel de Pedroena, who was born in Madrid, of a good family of high social standing. While still a young man he lived in London several years and acquired the English language. Don Mi- guel, Mrs. Altamirano's father, came to Cali- fornia in 1837, and is several times mentioned in Bancroft's history as a man of splendid character and high standing. In the history of her sister, Mrs. J. W. Wolfskill, of Los An- geles, the following record is made of Don Miguel: " From 1845 his home was in San Diego, where he married Miss Estudillo, by whom he had four children: Victoria, deceased ; Miguel, Jr., deceased, who married a daughter of General Burton; Ysabel, who married J. A. Altamirano, and Elena, who married J. W. Wolfskill. Don Miguel was the grantor of the rancho San Jacinto in 1846, and his wife was grantor of the rancho El Cajon in 1845; of the former of which Mrs. Altamirano still owns the portion she inherited. He strongly ap- proved the cause of the United States acting, as Juez de Paz and as Stockton's aide, with the rank of Captain, in the California Battalion. In 1847-'48 he was collector of customs at San Diego. He represented the State at Mon- terey in 1849, being one of the most popular members of the Spanish race in that lodge. He died in 1850."

Mr. Altamirano's family comprises seven daughters and four sons. He has a pleasant home in the old town of San Diego, or North San Diego as it is now called. He is an inter- esting and enterprising business man, having

many heavy interests in the county. He is a stockholder in the San Marcos Land and Town Company, and has live-stock in San Jacinto and in Lower California.

MARION ASHER, the San Diego County Assessor, is a native of Adams Connty,

6 Illinois, and was born April 24, 1833. His great- grandfather, a resident of Kentucky, was a pioneer of that State and was a captain of volunteers. He was killed in a battle with the Indians on the land where Louisville now stands. His son, William Asher, born in Ken- tucky, was a farmer and mill owner. He owned and built the oldest mill now standing in Ken- tucky, located abont eight miles above Louis- ville. He removed to Hancock County, Illinois, where his death occurred in 1838. Bartlett Asher was the oldest son of William Asher, and was born in Kentucky, November 29, 1800. He was a surveyor and farmer. In 1830 he was married to Miss Elizabeth Button, daughter of Mr. Thomas Button, of Virginia, who was born in 1811, and the result of this nnion was a family of seven children of which Mr. Asher is the second. He had few early school ad - vantages. When he was seventeen years of age he went to school three months to a good teacher in Lee County, Iowa, and with him got his best educational start. He has devoted his whole life to study and is eminently a self-made man. He took a course of study in Bryant & Strat- ton's Commercial College in St. Louis. He then took to school-teaching and after several terms of teaching he engaged in clerking in a store. Here he had a chance to handle bank notes and he became an expert counterfeit-de. tector, and it was on this account that he was employed in the bank of George C. Anderson, in Keokuk, Iowa, where he held the position of teller for eighteen months. He then accepted a position as book-keeper in a wholesale grocery and commission house for Stafford & McCune. In 1858 he came to San Diego, then went to

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HISTORY OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY.

the mines, where he remained a year and a half, when he returned to St. Louis and engaged with a wholesale honse for a year and a half. He then returned to California in 1861 and landed at San Francisco. From there he went to Washington Territory, and British Columbia, where he remained four years, most of the time in the employ of the Government as inspector, deputy and acting collector of customs. In August, 1865, he was appointed an Internal Revenue officer, in which position he contin- ned for two years, when he took the position of commercial reporter for the San Francisco Daily Times. He then received the appointment of cashier of the San Francisco & San Jose Rail- road, in which capacity he overworked, his health became impaired and he resigned. In 1869 he came to San Diego, when he bought and improved the place in Paradise valley, which he afterward sold to Mrs. E. A. Brewster. Mr. Asher was the pioneer nurseryman of this part of the State and did much to develop the capability of the country. He helped to organ- ize the Horticultural Society of San Diego County and is still its president. He resided in the city of San Diego from 1872 to 1881, when he moved with his family to their very pleasant home and ranch at El Cajon, where they now reside, his sons conducting the place. After coming to San Diego he was deputy col- lector of customs and inspector of customs for five years. In 1885-'86 he was Public Admin- istrator, and in the years 1887-'88 and 1889 he held the office of county Assessor. Mr. and Mrs. Asher are both members of the Baptist Church, which he assisted in building and of which he has been a trustee for two years. lle is also a trustee of the Pioneer Society of San Diego County, a member of the Chamber of Commerce, and president of the San Diego County Produce Union. He has been a mnem- ber of the Masonic fraternity for twenty-five years and is a Knight Templar. He was mar- ried in San Francisco, July 3, 1867, to Miss Sarah H. Clark, daughter of Benjamin and Dor- cas Clark, formerly of Toronto, Canada, at

which place she was born in 1844. They have a family of eight children: Robert H., born in San Francisco, March 24, 1868; Josephine M., born in San Diego, January 17, 1870; Alpheus R., born in Paradise valley, February 13, 1872; Mary E., born in Paradise valley, April 20, 1874; Annie Brewster, born in San Diego, July 2, 1876; Josephus M., Jr., born in San Diego, October 15, 1878; Dorcas B., born in El Cajon, March 24, 1884, and Charles Z., born in El Ca- jon, January 28, 1886.

SCAR M. REECE, a merchant of Ocean- side, was born in Dubuque, Iowa, Septem- ber 7, 1842; his father, James W. Reece, was a native of Philadelphia, and died February 11, 1863, at the age of forty-eight years. He was of German descent; his mother, Nancy (Madden) Reece, was born in Ohio in 1823; she was a daughter of Mr. Peter Madden, a native of Scotland, and was married to Mr. Reece in Dubuque, Iowa, in 1841. They had threechildren, two boys and a girl; the subject of this sketch was the oldest; he received his edu- cation in the public schools and graduated from the High School in 1859. He then engaged in railroading, which business he followed until August 11, 1861, when he enlisted in Company E, Fifth Iowa Cavalry, under Major Carl Schaf- fer von Bernstein's command. He participated in a number of engagements, among which were Donelson, Murfreesboro, Shelbyville, Guies Gap, Pleasant Hill, Dutch River, Franklin, Rousseau's and McCook's raids, Nashville, etc., and chased General Hood and his army back to the Tennessee river, which pursuit was a contin- ned fight for eighteen days. They were in the last battle of the war, at Columbus, Georgia, April 18, 1865, nine days after the surrender of General Lee, and were advancing on the rebel forces under General Howell Cobb, at Macon, Georgia, April 21, when General Cobb sent a flag of truce that General Lee had sur- rendered several days before (this was the first

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they had heard of the surrender). The rebel army under Cobb laid down their arms and surrendered 7,000 prisoners, and the Union sol- diers were filled with joy, but the news of Pres- ident Lincoln's assassination, which came to them at the same time, terribly overshadowed their joy. During the last two years of Mr. Reece's service in the army he held the position of Regimental Brigade and Division Postmaster; he was mustered out September 12, 1865, and soon after was appointed by President Andrew Johnson, Deputy Surveyor of Customs at Du- buque, in which capacity he acted one year, when he engaged with the Illinois Central Railroad as locomotive engineer, and continued in the business until the fall of 1874, when he came to Visalia. California. Here he engaged in the auction and commission business. In 1875 he went to Santa Barbara, where he continued the business until 1878, when he removed to Los Angeles, but in 1879 he went back to Santa Barbara and become local editor of the Santa Barbara Press. Colonel Otis was its chief editor. In the fall of 1879 he went back East, and engaged with the Union Pacific as division foreman on the Utalı & Northern & Oregon Short Line division. He was stationed at Bat- tle Creek two years and two years at Shoshone. In Februry, 1885, he came to Oceanside and engaged in the general inerchandise business with his brother, under the firm name of Reece Brothers. He has been elected Justice of the Peace in Oceanside three years in succession. He is now Notary Public and is carrying on his real-estate and auction business. When he first came to Oceanside, in 1865, it had only three houses. He was married November 4, 1869, to Miss Hatty M. Tower, who was born May 29, 1846, at Osin, New York. She was the daugh- ter of a Methodist minister, and a second cousin of Henry Ward Beecher. Their union has been blessed with four children, two of whom are living: Hatty M. Reece, born in Dubuque, Iowa, April 28, 1873, residing with her father at Oceanside, and Joseph B. Reece, who was born at Santa Barbara, November 4, 1875, and

is now attending school in Oceanside. Mrs. Reece died in Los Angeles, January 14, 1878. Mr. Reece is a member of the G. A. R., Heintzel- man Post, No. 33, San Diego, and belongs to the Masonic fraternity, and is a member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers.

ILLMAN A. BURNES, one of San Dic- go's pioneers and wide-awake business men, is a native of Arkansas; his father, Samuel H. Burnes, was a native of Kentucky and of Scotch parentage; the mother, before marriage, Miss M. A. S. Stevens, of German and English descent, was born in Tennessee. They had three children, namely: the subject of this sketch, born June 6, 1847; Susan, June 6, 1849, and Julia, May 6, 1851. On their journey across the plains Susan fell from a wagon, was run over and killed, when three years old; they buried her at Fort Kearncy. The train with which they came consisted of eighty wagons. They arrived in Portland, Oregon, in 1853, and California in 1854, and stopped at San Francisco, where Tillman learned the engraving trade, owning and running a shop of his own when nineteen years of age. His health failed him and his family physician informed him that a change of climate was imperative, so he came to San Diego in March, 1869, his mother ac- companying him, and they bought and built a a home in Old Town. He recovered his health, returned to San Francisco and remained but one year. when his health again gave ont. Return- ing to San Diego, he engaged in a variety of businesses,-owned a sale stable, a saloon, and ran a Lower California stage, and speculated in various ways, since 1872.

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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