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 47

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 47
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 47
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 47
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 47

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beantitnl in the city. He has also added an- other subdivision to the terrace known as J. P. Jones' addition to Silver Terrace.

Mr. Jones was married June 20, 1858, to Miss May T. Blackman, daughter of Nathan Blackman, of Sidney, Maine. They have one child, Etta M. Jones, born July 22, 1867. She is married to J. HI. Simpson, Jr., and resides in San Diego. Mr. Jones is a charter member of Heintzelman Post, No. 33, and is Past Post Commander and now Commander of the Seventh Inspection District Encampment. He belongs to the A. O. U. W. and to the Knights of Pythias. While in New York he belonged to the United Sons of America. He is an en- thusiastic lover of and believer in the great future of the town of hie adoption and is wide awake to her interests.

ORATIO S. MASON was one of the origi- nal purchasers of the town site and one of the first citizens of Murrietta. He was born in New York, December 25, 1830. His ancestors came from England before the Revo- lution. Mr. Mason's father, Hale Mason, was a farmer and was born in 1778, and was mar- ried to Miss Debora Henderson, of New York. Her family were from Connecticut and were of Scotch descent. She was married to Mr. Mason in 1799 and had a family of ten children, of which Mr. Mason was the youngest. He was raised and educated in western New York. When he was sixteen years of age he entered a store as clerk, where he remained for six years. In 1852 he came to California and settled down in Alameda County, where he engaged in farm- ing for eight years. In 1861 he went to Nevada and settled in Carson City, where he did a suc- cessful business for twenty-five years. In 1886 he came to Murrieta and purchased an interest in the Murrieta ranch. They subdivided the property and sold lots, and have been the pro- mnoters of the growth of this beautiful village. Mr. Mason has made a nice home near the town,

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has planted shrubs, flowers and fruit, and de- signs to engage in fruit enlture on a large scale. He was married, in 1858, to Miss Elizabeth Jane Cheney, who was born in Cortland County, New York, in 1838, and was the daughter of Mr. David J. Cheney. The result of their union is four children: Cathro M., born in Ala- mneda County, in 1861; Edwin H., born in Car- sont City, Nevada, in 1866; John C., born in Carson City, in 1868 and Frederick L., born in Carson City, in 1882. In 1865 Mr. Mason be- came a Free and Accepted Mason, and has been a leading Mason for many years. He has held nearly every position in the order and was elected an honoary member of the Masonic Veteran Association of the Pacific coast.

R. HOMER L. WELLS, San Diego, is a uative ot Perrysville, Richland County, Ohio, born October 30, 1839. His grand- father was born and raised in New York. His father, James Wells, was born in Madison County, New York, October 10, 1796. They were of English descent. Ilis mother, Sarah (Van Buren) Wells, a consin of President Van Bnren, was born in Madison County. New York, March 28, 1801, and was married to James Wells December 25, 1818. They had eight children, of whom the Doctor was the youngest but one. His early days were spent in Kalida, Putnam County, Ohio, where he attended the public schools until seventeen years of age. He was then sent to the academy at Fox Lake, Wisconsin. He graduated at the Eclectic Med- ical Institute, Cincinnati, in 1878, and re- ceived lectures on temperaments by Professor Powell. Dr. Wells enlisted as a private soldier in the army of the Republicon September 2, 1861, in Company A, Fifty-seventh Ohio Volunteers, Captain A. B. Rice (afterward General Rice) in command. He was in the following engage ments: battle of Shiloh, April 6, 7 and 8, 1862, in which he had command of Company A; on the 8th was in the advance on Corinth, Missis-

sippi; was at the Russell How skirmish; was in the skirmish at Morning Sun, Jnne 30, 1862; was at Vicksburg on the Chickasaw Bayon, on December 27, 28, 29, 30 and 31, 1862, and Jan- uary 1, 1863, and constituted a part of the rear gnard on the morning of January 2, 1863, during the evacuation; was at the battle of Ar- kansas Post, January 10 and 11, 1863; he was also in the siege of Vicksburg under Generals Grant and Sherman, and at the taking of Vicks- burg was one of the first men inside the lines when they surrendered. He remained there until the close of the war. in camp and garrison duty on detached service. He was promoted three times, first to Third Sergeant, then First Sergeant and then First Lieutenant. When he was mustered out he went to his old home, and from there to the medical college for the years 1865 and 1866. After graduating he went to Van Wert, Ohio, and remained two years. He went from there to Kansas, and was coroner and surgeon of the Second Kansas National Gnards and United States Examining Surgeon. He came to San Diego September 20, 1877, and has since been engaged in the practice of his profession. He belongs to the G. A. R., and is a member of Heintzelman Post, No. 33. He is a member of the A. O. U. W. and of the Knights of Pythias of Kansas. The Doctor is a Baptist, but has not yet united with the church in San Diego.

H. C. ECKER, of Coronado, was born near Allegheny, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, May 6, 1849. When four years old he went with his parents to Gal- lipolis, Gallia County, Ohio, where he improved the advantages of an academic education, later attending the Law School in Cincinnati, gradn- ating in 1874. He then returned to Gallipolis, where he practiced law until 1887, when on ac- count of poor health his attention was turned to California, and he came ont in February of that year, spending nine months at San Jose.

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HISTORY OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY.

In December of that year he came to San Diego and, the climate being beneficial, opened an office and resumed the practice of his profession in general law. He is a resident of Coronado and is deeply interested in the welfare of the city of San Diego. As to climatic influences, although living at sea level he experiences no dampness therefrom ; and he finds the sea breezes of the Pacific extremely soothing and healing to his particular trouble of throat and bronchial tubes and asthina. He is a member of the Rose Commandery, No. 43. of Gallipolis, Ohio.

N. BUCHANAN .- On the hillside west of Murrietta may be seen a picturesque º C'alifornia home. This beautiful resi- dence site, containing sixty acres of land, was bought by Mr. Buchanan of the owners of the town site, and it was the first purchase made by an actual settler. The buyer showed his good taste in making the selection, as he has since sold half of the original purchase for what the whole cost, leaving him his beau- tiful homestead clear. He was born in Dan- ville, Pennsylvania, May 9, 1849. His grand- father, David Buchanan, came from Scotland and settled in Pennsylvania; his wife was Rebecca Hatfield, an English woman. Their son, David Buchanan, was born in Perry County, Pennsyl- vania, and was a land owner and farmer. He was married to Sarah N. Kepner, who was born in Perry, and was of German descent. They had a family of six children, all of whom are living. While a young man, the subject of this sketch learned several trades; first tanning, then plas- tering, then cabinet-making and carpentry. He now carries on a ranch, is a contractor and builder, mannfactures Robit fence, and sells and sets up both the Adams and Splendid windmills. He was married in Perry County, Pennsylvania, May 2, 1870, to Miss Mary Snyder, who was born in Perry County, in 1851. Her father, Emanuel Snyder, was a farmer and native of Pennsylvania, and was of German descent. Mr.

Buchanan's family consists of five children: Sarah E., born in Perry County October 8, 1871; David E .. born in Dauphin County, July 28, 1875; Allie J., born in Perry County, October 30, 1876; Catherine E., born in Grand Island, Nebraska, January 6, 1885, and Josie Mabel, the nice baby, born in Murrietta August 21 1889. He removed to Nebraska, where he fol- lowed his business in several different places, but finally lost his health. He was sick with the neu- ralgia during the years 1881, 1882, 1883 and 1884, and removed to Murrietta, California, where he arrived November 15, 1884. On February 5, 1885, he bought his land and built the first residence, in which he now resides. Both him- self and wife, and the two oldest children are members of the Methodist Church, of which he is class-leader and steward. Mr. Buchanan has found that " a man's life does not consist in the abundance of things which he has," and he car- ries abont with him a cheerful, pleasant smile, indicative of the peace within.

RANK H. CARPENTER is not only a pioneer of Perris, but also a native of Cali- fornia. He was born in San Joaquin County, January 5, 1859. His father, Ira Car- penter, was a native of Ohio. He came to California in 1858, and settled near Stockton. In 1856 he married Miss Mary Heald, danghter of Amos Heald, a resident of New York. Their son, the subject of this sketch, received his edu- cation at Stockton in the public schools, and followed farming for several years. He and his father were also contractors in Los Angeles and many of the beautiful streets of that city were graded by them. In 1884 he came to Perris with his mother, and located a Government claim of 160 acres adjoining the town of Perris, which be improved until the town started. He then platted a part of it to extend the town " Carpenter's Addition to Perris." When Mr. Carpenter first came into the valley where Perris now is, there were only two or three houses near

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him: Mr. M. Lutz, Mr. L. D. Reynolds and Albion Smith. Mrs. Albion Smith, his aunt on his father's side, and Mr. Carpenter built the first main building, a two-story hotel, that was built, which has since been enlarged. He afterward sold his interest to Mrs. Smith for a stock of general merchandise at Pinicate. Ile moved the goods to Perris and opened the first store, at that place, in a part of the hotel build- ing. He continued the business for two and one-half years, and was the first Postmaster in that place, at the end of which time he sold his store business and engaged in the real-estate business. In March, 1888, he bought the Perris livery stable, which he still owns. He was married, Angust 20, 1888, to Miss Ada M. Peebles, who was born in Lovilia, Iowa, in 1865. Her parents are George Peebles and Mary (Wray) Peebles. Her father was a farmer and school-teacher, and her brother, Ed. L. Peebles, is a member of the staff of the San Diego County Reporter. Mr. and Mrs. Carpenter have one child, Charles Casper, born in Perris, July 7, 1889. Mr. Carpenter is a charter mem- ber of the Independent Order of Foresters, organized in Perris. When he came to Perris he brought four horses, two cows and farming implements. He now owns 620 acres of land, 175 town lots, and a well stocked livery stable, and has accomplished this in six years. He is one of the leading, reliable and successful busi- ness men in Perris.

HOMAS J. CAPPS has been a re-ident of San Diego since 1885. He was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, July 6, 1827. His ancestors were from England. Mr. Capps' grandfather was a native of Virginia, born in 1752, and died at the age of eighty, in St. Clair County, Alabama. Mr. Capps' father, Caleb Capps, was a native of Tennessee, but had a large plantation in Alabama. He was in the Creek war under Jackson. His mother, Mar- garet (Hood) Capps, was a daughter of Aaron

Hood and a cousin of General Hood. She was inarried to Mr. Capps in 1832, and the union was blessed with seven children, of whom the subject of this sketch was the fourth. He spent his young life in Alabama and Tennessee, on the farmn, where he plowed and hoed, cradled and mowed and sowed, and on Sunday went to the Baptist Church. He was sent to the Uni- versity of East Tennessee at Knoxville. Boys were selected and sent to be educated by the State as cadets are sent to West Point. He graduated in 1854, and was made Master of Arts by the same university in 1856. He taught in the high school and read law till 1860; he also read law with Casper W. Bell, and was licensed to practice, and when the war broke ont he was practicing law at Rutledge, Ten- nessee. He was offered the commission of Major in the rebel army, but would not accept. He was treated kindly by the rebel leaders, and his opinion had often been asked in regard to the result of the war. He told them he was in sympathy with all the rights of the South, but that the United States Government had never infringed on any of them. He held the Union paramount to all other questions and that the United States must ultimately triumph. For this stand he was respected by his friends, but for some reason not known to him he was noti- fied by the Provost Marshal to report to the rebel conscript camp as a high private for duty. He had no alternative but to flee to the woods. He sent his wife and two children to her father. who lived near Campbell's Station, and left everything else behind him. He kept in hiding during the day, and was concealed by a Union family through the night, and at twilight of the next evening, being fully prepared with a haversack of provisions, he repaired to a secret meeting of the Union men of Granger, Jefferson and Hawkins counties, in a secluded spot called the Indian Old Fields. By midnight there were about 1,200 Union men assembled. Each man had a haversack full of provisions. Mr. Capps had taken two drinks from his bottle of apple- jack, and as he was unused to drinking it had

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made him about half drunk. · Being a little stupid he sat down by a pine stump. Just then some one got up on the stump and addressed the promiscuous multitude, and in conclusion made a motion that Prof. Capps act as their leader and tell them what course to pursue. Mr. Capps then took the stump and alluded to the gravity of the situation and the dangers surrounding them, thanked them for the honor conferred on him, and said they would find him at the gap of the fence next the road; there he would form them in line four deep, and would carry them through to the Union lines or to h --. They had to travel 150 miles before getting to the Union lines. Through byways, through woodlands and hills, they made their way by day and night, having freqnent skir- inishes with squads of rebel cavalry, and at one time they captured a whole company of rebels, taking their horses and guns and ammunition, but treated them well and took them along with them. They were headed off, however, by four regiments of rebel cavalry under Mosby, near Cumberland Gap, in Powell's valley, just at the foot of Cumberland mountains, where they had a desperate rough-and-tumble fight, forty on each side being killed, and Mosby wounded, and being surrounded on all sides, with 100 picked men he cut his way out and got into the fastnesses of the Cumberland mountains, and was safe. He was elected Captain of the com- pany and joined the First Tennessee Cavalry, forming Company F of said regiment under Colonel Johnson at Camp Garber, on Cumber- land river in Kentucky. He was at the cap- ture of Cumberland Gap June, 1862, and was on the retreat from Cumberland Gap under Generals George Morgan and De Coursey. He resigned his commission of that regiment, went to Lexington, Kentucky, where he raised and drilled a regiment of Tennesseeans, in which regiment, through General Burnside, he was promoted to Colonel. They went to Camp Nelson, and the Government stores at Lexington were left unprotected.

The Confederates, under General Scott, were

marching on Lexington to capture and destroy our Government stores there. General Hard- saft, being apprised of General Scott's move, telegraphed General Mott to send every avail- able man on donble-quick to protect Lexington. There was at Camp Nelson two parts of Michi- gan regiments of cavalry and part of a Ken- tucky regiment, and there were four batteries of artillery. General Mott being sick, Colonel Capps took command of them and went on double-quick to Lexington, got there just in time, marchied out on the Richinond road to Ashland, there formed a line of battle and held Scott in check until next morning, when they were largely re-enforced by General Sanders, who took command. They moved on Scott, had a fight at Manchester, defeated him, capturing a large number of prisoners; followed the re- treating rebels up, and captured squad atter squad until Scott got away with no more than a corporal's guard. They sent the prisoners north, where they were well fed. The com- mands all returned to Camp Nelson. Then General Burnside planned his expedition to capture Knoxville and Cumberland Gap. Col- onel Capps was sent with his regiment with others to invest Cumberland Gap on the west side. After General Burnside had captured Knoxville he invested Cumberland Gap on the east, tlius penning up abont 6,000 rebels, under General Frazier, in the Gap; but the rebels had more to eat than the Union forces, as they had thousands of bushels of wheat and a good water- inill to grind it. The only chance was to starve them out, as an assault would have been sui- cidal. Our heroic boys were equal to the occa- siou. About 200 picked men made their way into the mill, and with turpentine balls and inatches set the mill and stores on fire and burned them np. General Frazier then sur- rendered his whole command, and our forces had the Gap again. General Burnside then de- tached bim and his regiment to go on an expe- dition to burn bridges up into Virginia along the East Tennessee & Georgia Railroad. On the way up they had a fight at Jonesborongh

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HISTORY OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY.

with Pegram's command, ronted them and then went on up in Virginia, bnrned the bridges, destroyed the wires and returned to Greenville.

Abont that time the battle of Chickamauga came off, and General Burnside with his whole command was sent to Knoxville, and from there went further down and were met by Longstreet with an overwhelming force. They fell back to Campbell's Station and made a stand and a des- perate bloody resistance. They then fell back to Knoxville and commenced fortifying, and kept Longstreet at bay for twenty-one days. Their supplies were almost wholly exhausted and condition hopeless, and they expected to have to surrender the next day and go to Rich- mond as prisoners of war, when during the midnight hours their noble scont, Reynolds, came in from General Grant, at Chattanooga, informing them that they had won Mission Ridge and Lookont Mountain and dispersed the rebels, and General Sherman was on his way to their succor, and to hold Knoxville at all haz- ards, to the bitter death, which they did till next evening. Late the next evening they heard the booming of Sherman's cannon in the far distance, and by daylight Longstreet made a desperate onslaught on Fort Sanders, was des- perately defeated, and in a few hours was on his way retreating up the country, and Sher- inan's old veterans were marching into Knox- ville, the bands playing Hail Columbia and our batteries playing on the retreating ranks of the rebels, and East Tennessee was saved. Colonel Capps was wounded in the wrist by a piece of shell and was one month in the service that he rode with the bridle rein over his arm until gangrene set in and he was discharged. He then went to Central Illinois, where he engaged in the practice of law, at Shelbyville, for fifteen years, when he moved to Denver, Colorado, in 1878. In 1884 he left Denver with his three sons, having three guns, a covered wagon and a complete camping outfit, and traveled all over the western country, stopping among all kinds of people in nearly all kinds of places, never being molested in the least, and finally bringing np at San Diego in 1886.

He was married to Miss Caroline Morris, and to them were born the following children: Kate Ann, born December 15, 1858, in Knox Conn- ty, Tennessee; Edwin M., born December 25, 1861, in Knox County, Tennessee; Engene E., born March 24, 1864, in Madison County, Ken- tucky; Arthur V., born March 4, 1869, at Shel- byville, Illinois. After being left with her parents Mrs. Capps remained nearly a year, and, contrary to the advice of her friends, took her little children and started ont to find ber husband. When told that it would be a haz- ardous undertaking she said, " Where there was a will there was a way." She traveled in a small wagon by night and by day through a country beset with lawless men and guerrillas, down in the ravines, np through the mountain steeps, over almost impassable roads, until she reached Kentucky, when she was captured by a rebel regiment. When she heard shots and saw cavalry men making a rapid charge, and the stars and stripes flying, she scarcely knew what she was doing; but she found herself standing up in the wagon waving her hand- kerchief to the victorious boys in blue. It was a mounted regiment of Ohio infantry that had pounced npon the rebels, driven them back and rescued her and her children and brought them through to the Union lines. She found her husband, and General Burnside furnished her with an ambulance, and in that way she fol- lowed the army and sewed on buttons and mended rent clothes for the soldiers and was nearly worshiped by the inen. As soon as a battle was over she was on the field to see if her husband was safe and to do what she could for the wounded. She died December 15, 1879. She was a good mother and a faithful wife.

Colonel Capps stayed with the children until they were all grown, and in 1887 married Miss Angusta K. Skelley, a resident of Riverside, formerly from Canada. He became a Mason in Tennessee in 1852, and joined the G. A. R. when it was first organized, and has been a member ever since. He is now a member of Heintzelman Post, No. 33, G. A. R., at San

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Diego, California. Such a man may be justly proud of his loyalty to the Union and his fight in its defense. He is now abont sixty-three years of age, in the full vigor of mental and physical ability. He is in easy circumstances, surround- ed by all of his children, enjoying a quiet old age, in the sun-kissed vales of Southern Cali- fornia, under the flag of the Union, whose folds now cover all the States and gives protection to all.

OOK BROTHERS & OAK .- In the lat- ter part of the year 1887, Mr. Ora Oak was looking over Southern California for a place to engage in business. After considering the merits of the many new places that were starting in California at that time, he returned to Oakland, most favorably impressed with San Jacinto. In San Francisco he met Mr. Joseph F. Hook, an old acquaintance, who was also de- sirons of exchanging city for country business, and they went to San Jacinto with the intention of going into business there. But the real-es- tate valnes being too high they went to Perris. There they met Mr. George S. Blethen, from whom they bought the property on which they have since built. The bargain was closed for block 3, January 3. 1888. In the months of February and March following they put up their store, and in April, 1888, the Perris Val- ley Supply Company's general merchandise store was opened. In August of the same year they bought the ground and built their warehouse and side-track. In addition to their general store business they handle wagons, agricultural implements, lime, cement, and are wholesale dealers in hay, grain, honey, etc. From their start they grasped the idea of what Perris needed in the way of a supply store, and their success has been beyond their highest expecta- tions. The men who compose this firm are hard- working, pushing men, who do business on the live-and-let-live basis, and not only have their eyes been wide open to their own interests but

also to the development and growth of their town. They have been leading factors in the improve- ments already made in Perris. The firm con- sists of Joseph F. Hook, Albert W. Hook and Ora Oak. They are all natives of the State of Maine, which State has developed so many hardy, self-reliant sons. Joseph F. Hook was boru in 1850, and Albert W. in 1856. They came to Los Angeles in 1864, and in 1888 to Perris, where with Ora Oak they began busi- ness under the firm name of Hook Brothers & Oak. Mr. Oak was born in Garland, Penob- scot County, Maine, June 21, 1851; his ances- tors were pioneers of Garland. After attending the public schools of his town, the Foxcroft Academy and a few months in the State College of Maine, he came to California, arriving at San Francisco January 1, 1872, and engaging with the Bancrofts as entry clerk in their large book-publishing house. In 1876 he went to Nevada, where he remained five years, having all the varied experiences of pioneer life. In 1881 he again went to work for Bancroft & Co., spending several years as their representative in Old Mexico. In 1886 he came to Southern California, the country of his choice.

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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