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 57

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 57
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 57
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 57
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 57

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).

He was married to Miss Annic Redcliff, and

they had a family of four children, but one of whom survives, a young man, twenty-one years of age, now residing in Illinois. In 1878 a sad accident bereft him of his wife. She had a severe fall with a burning lamp in her hand. Her neck was dislocated and the lamp burned her badly.

In 1880 he was again married, to Miss Pan- line H. Manning, a lady whose parents were both from Germany. Mr. Johnston is a member of the I. O. O. F., Monument Lodge, No 421, Pittsburg, and has passed all its chairs. He and his wife belong to the United Presbyterian Church of Wildomar.

E. MUNCY is one of the men who have been identified with the settlement and growth of Wildomar. His native place is Warren County, Illinois, and the date of his birth Angust 26, 1858. His father, William Muncy, was born in Pennsylvania, and his mother, Elizabeth S. (Parker) Muncy, a native of New Hampshire, born November 10, 1832, and is entitled to the honor of being a direct descendant of the Parker who landed from the Mayflower at Plymonth Rock. His descend- ants setlled in New Hampshire, and all belonged to the United Presbyterian Church. Mr. Muncy was a ruling elder of the church, and a contribn- tor to the religions papers of the church of his time. Mr. Muncy was the fourth of a family of nine children, and was educated in Monmouth College, Illinois. Having the misfortune to lose his father before he was through with his coursc, he was obliged to return home to con- duct his father's business-a general merchan- dise store and a farm. His father had been a merchant most of his life. Mr. Muncy took charge of the business for four years, when he sold his interest to his brothers and removed to Iowa, where he engaged in farming. He re- mained here four years, when he sold out, Feb- ruary 1, 1886, came to Wildomar and bought, and built the second house in the town, and

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HISTORY OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY.

was among the first on the ground. He pur- chased eighty acres of land and has successfully . carried on a real-estate business ever since.

He was married December 27, 1881, to Miss Sadie E. French, born in Birmingham, Iowa, in 1833. Her father, Mr. William French, was a pioneer of Iowa, and now resides in Wildo- inar. They have four children, two boys and two girls, viz .: Helen C. and William, born in Iowa; Ralph Alexander, born in Wildomar. They also have a nameless little lady, one year old, born in Wildomar. Ralph Alexander has the honor of being the first child born in Wildo- mar. Mr. and Mrs. Muncy are members of the United Presbyterian Church, and are people of refinement.

E. ROBINSON, President of the Water Company, was born January 5, 1854, and moved to San Francisco in 1862, where he was brought up. Leaving school at the age of sixteen years, when his father, Tod Robinson, died, he entered the employ of the Wells, Fargo & Co Express, where he remained five years. He was then married, and removed in 1881 to San Diego, where he conceived the idea of that magnificent piece of engineering, the San Diego Flume, in 1884; and the day work was commenced in 1886. Mr. Robinson was the first vice-president of the company, and general manager. In 1889 he was elected president, and in February, 1890, was re elected.

C. McMILLAN came to Elsinore in 1886, and bought thirty-one acres of choice land, on the banks of the Elsinore lake, built a good house, and made other improvements on his grounds, such as hedges, trees and shrubs, and opened the first dairy in the place, and is still in the business, which has steadily inereased

from the first. He began with a few cows and horses, and has now about forty-five head of cattle and horses. He is also a practical butter- maker, having run a creamery in Iowa for sev- eral years. Mr. McMillan was born in the noted city of Belfast, Ireland. In 1870, when quite young, he went to Iowa, where he resided for seventeen years, a part of the time engaged in farming. He was made a citizen of the United States in 1875, which was as soon as the law would permit. He was married in 1873 to Miss Kezia Armstrong, a native of Illinois. They have two children, Arthur and Amy, both born in Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. McMillan are members of the Methodist Church, and are worthy citi- zens of Elsinore, full of energy, business ability and enterprise,-another of the large list of thrifty people of Ireland who have sought and found a free home in America.

HARLESJ. SAUERBREY, of Julian, was born in Raleigh, North Carolina, March 21, 1856. His father, Charles Sauerbrey, was a native of Bavaria, and emigrated to this country with his parents when a child, settling in Virginia. Being a mniner, he owned and worked mines, both in Virginia and North Carolina, removing to the latter State after his marriage to Miss Harriet Mitchell, a descend- ant of an old Virginia family. The subject of this sketch was brought to California just after the civil war, the family settling in El Dorado County, near the town of Placerville, then called Hangtown. There the elder Sauerbrey purchased an interest in the Montezuma inine, and became superintendent of the same. When old enough, the younger Sauerbrey took his first lessons in mining in this mine. In 1874 he removed to Amador County, where his father was engaged in mining, and here he was for a time employed in a store; but in September, 1877, being then past twenty-one years of age, he came to Julian and leased the Hubbard mine at Banner. After working this mine for two

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HISTORY OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY.

years with profit, the lease having expired, he went to Arizona and prospected and mined two years, with the usnal ups and downs of a miner's life. In the meantime he became acquainted with Ed. and Eff. Scheffelin, the former the locator of the famons Tombstone mine. In 1882, when the noted prospectors organized an expedition to investigate the mining possibili- ties of Alaska, they invited Mr. Sauerbrey to ae- company them, and for the next sixteen months he was absent from the State on this expedition, which was wholly unprofitable to the explorers themselves, though perhaps it saved many others from making a similar bootless trip. They also contributed much valuable information to Lieu- tenant Fred. Schwatka, whom they encountered on the latter part of his famous journey down the Yukon. Returning to Arizona, Mr. Sauerby resumed his mining operations, which he con- tinned with indifferent success for two years. Since then he has lived the most of the time at Julian.

March 18, 1886, in Los Angeles, Mr. Saner- brey married Miss Nettie, daughter of Alfred James, of that city, who was at one time one of the owners of the celebrated Stonewall mine. He sold his interest for about $35,000; it conld not now be bonght for less than $1,000,000! Mr. James is also one of the proprietors of the Owens mine at Julian, of which Mr. Sauerbrey has been for some time the working superin- tendent. Mr. and Mrs. Sauerbrey have one child, a boy, born in January, 1889.

ILLIAM J. HUNSAKER, of the firm of Hunsaker & Britt, lawyers, San Diego, was born in Contra Costa, Cali- fornia, September 21, 1855, where he resided until 1869. In October, that year, he came to San Diego with his parents, and has ever since resided here, except during the year 1880, when he was practicing law in Tombstone, Arizona Territory. After quitting school he learned the art of printing in 1871-'73. In 1875 he

entered the office of his father, E. H. Hunsaker, who was Sheriff of San Diego County during 1875-'76, and while there he was elected Mayor of the city of San Diego, on the non-partisan ticket. He has been eminently successful in his profession. llis pleasant home has been built from his own earnings, and besides is commodions. His firm stands at the head of the legal fraternity of San Diego.

He was married February 26, 1879, to Miss Florence Farland, being a very excellent lady, and they have four children.

APTAIN JAMES TROWNSELL, editor and proprietor of the Escondido Times, was at an early age thrown upon his own resources and has a varied history in business pursuits. At the early age of fifteen years he had charge of a stone quarry in Butler County, Ohio. Later he clerked in a dry-goods store, and afterward was engaged in the grocery busi- ness in Cincinnati. During the war of the Rebellion he served in the Fourth and One Hundred and Ninety-fifth Ohio Volunteer In- fantry. He was wounded at the battle of Chan- cellorsville, in the charge made by his brigade in front of General Hooker's headquarters; Sunday morning, May 3, 1863, he was wounded and taken prisoner; May 6, 1864, he was in the battle of the Wilderness, only three miles from the Chancellorsville battle-field of the year before; was taken to Danville, Virginia, and from that place to Andersonville; while being moved from that prison to South Carolina with ten others, he cut a hole through the bottom of the car, and when the train stopped at the depot at Sumterville, South Carolina, they, nnobserved by the gnard stationed on top of the car, dropped through and secreted themselves under the depot, and made their escape to the country at night. Dividing themselves into two parties, they started for the Union lines, and after trav- eling nineteen nights, hiding during the day, the party of whom comrade Trownsell was a

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HISTORY OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY.

member found themselves on the banks of the Pedee river, which was too high to permit of their crossing. While awaiting an opportunity to cross they built a fire, the smoke of which revealed their hiding place to some home guards, who captured them and took thein to Salisbury prison, thirty miles distant; but in March, 1865, they were exchanged. Comrade Trownsell accepted the adjutancy of the One Hundred and Ninety-fifth Ohio Volunteer In- fantry on the same day he was discharged from the Fourth, and served with that regiment until he was mnstered out in December, 1865.

In 1866 lie moved to Tuscola, Illinois, where he conducted a music and jewehy establishment for twenty years; and while there, in 1885, he was elected mayor of that city, filling the office until the spring of 1887. His health then fail- ing, he came to Escondido in December, 1887, and purchased an interest in the Times, which was at that time owned by his brother-in-law, A. S. Lindsey, and was its business manager until July, 1889, when he purchased Mr. Lind- sey's remaining interest; since then he has con- dncted the paper alone.

ILLIAM H. BALDRIDGE was born at Wapello, Iowa, in the year 1850. At the age of fourteen he entered a drug store in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, to learn the busi- ness, where he remained four years, when he opened a drug store at Fort Dodge, in the same State. In consequence of poor health he sold out after two years, and went to Kansas, where for three years he was in the employ of the Union Pacific Railway Company, in train service. He then went to Texas, and for three years was conductor on a passenger train on the Texas Pacific road. In 1877 he opened a drug store in Fort Worth, Texas, where he remained three years. In consequence of an attack of " Texas fever," he sold out his business and removed to Kansas City, where he again engaged in the drug business. In October, 1887, he came to

Escondido, San Diego County, and once more engaged in his favorite business, having now (January, 1890) the largest and best drug store in the place. He has a large trade, which ex- tends over the larger portion of the surround . ing country.

He was married November 25, 1873, to Miss Fannie H. White, daughter of F. White, of Wyandotte, Kansas. He has fonr children, three sons and one daughter. He is a member of Escondido Lodge, No. 344, I. O. O. F.

C. ARNOLD was born at Toulon, Illinois, July 13, 1846, and came with his parents to California in May, 1853. For some months he lived in Sonora, Stanislaus County, where his mother died. In the fall of the same year his father moved to the Montezuma Hills, in Solano County, where he engaged in stock- raising. Here the subject of this sketch re- resided until 1876, a portion of the time at- tending the University of the Pacific at San Jose, from which he gradnated in 1869.

While a student at the University he made the acquaintance of Miss S. J. McConaughy, of Yreka, also a student, and October 10, 1870, they were married. At the time of his mar- riage Mr. Arnold was engaged in farming, and continued in the business until 1876, when, in consequence of the failing health of his family, he sold his farm and inoved to San Francisco, where he opened a money and stock-broker's office. Having heard much of the city of San Diego and its advantageous location for com- merce, etc., he visited the place in 1878. Real- izing the benefit that would accrue to the city by the advent of a railroad, as soon as the A. T. & S. F. Co. made known its intentions to build its line to that point, he removed to San Diego in 1880 and immediately opened a real- estate office. Although a stranger, he at once stepped to the front in the business and is now, January, 1890, the senior member of the firmn of Arnold, Jeffry & Mouser, the oldest regular

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HISTORY OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY.

real-estate firin in the city. He is also a trustee of the Escondido Seminary and of the Ramona Seminary, and secretary of both boards of trustees. He was one of the originators of the University of Fine Arts, now being erected on University Heights, which will be one of the finest educational institutions on the Pacific coast. Mr. Arnold is an enterprising, public- spirited man, as is shown by his having been prominently connected with nearly every lead- ing enterprise inaugurated in San Diego. He took an active part in the Grange movement, and was a member of Denverton Grange of Sonoma for some years. In October, 1887, he was elected a member of the city council of San Diego and served until the adoption of the new charter in 1889. He is a member of the Methodist Church, and is an active, earnest worker in every good work.

NTONE SCHERMAN .- Among the many industrious and honorable citizens furnished the United States by Germany, is onr subject, who was born in Wirtemberg, April 11, 1845. His father, Casper Scherman, and his mother, Mary (Harz) Scherman, were natives of Germany. Mr. Antone Scherman was the oldest of seven children; he received his education in Germany, where he also learned the engineer and inachinist's trade. In 1863 he came to the United States, then to Chicago, and from there he crossed the plaius to Idaho, and for two years was engineer in a quartz mill. In 1866 he removed to Calaveras County, Califor- nia, where he was a placer miner for some time and also an engineer in saw-mills. He re- mained there about a year and then went to San Francisco and worked in the machine shops and also followed his engineering trade for a distil- lery. In 1871 he removed to Arizona, where he prospected for eight months, when he went to San Bernardino and engaged in the saw-mill business. From here he went to Calico and had the first quartz mill there. The mill is now

owned by Lieutenant-Governor Daggett and W. W. Stow. In 1884 he came to San Jacinto and started his steam saw-mill and lumber yard. His mill is located fifteen miles east of San Ja- cinto at an elevation of 6,000 feet, and is sup- plied with all machinery for saw-mill and box factory. The yard is known as the Clipper Lumber Yard, and is located at San Jacinto; he also owns a ranch five miles south of San Jacinto.

He was married in 1868, in San Francisco, to Miss Catherine Schumacher, a native of Ger- many. She came to America the same year Mr. Scherman came. They have five children, viz .: Joseph, Annie, Leonora, Antone and Henry. He is a member of the United Order of Red Men. He is a thorough mill and lum- berman, and attends closely to his business.

HARLES H. THOMAS is one of the pio- necrs of San Diego County; he was born in Chenango County, New York, in 1836. Being seized with a severe attack of the prevail- ing " gold fever," he took passage on the ship Tecumseh, for a trip around the Horn to San Francisco, where he arrived in November, 1849. In company with a young companion he pur- chased a mining outfit and went to Mariposa creek, in Mariposa County, where for six months they diligently and successfully dug for gold. Mr. Thomas then returned to San Francisco. In the fall of 1853, General William Walker, the noted filibuster, came to San Francisco from Marysville, organized a band of adventur- ous spirits, numbering forty-five all told, char- tered the bark Carolina, and in November left San Francisco for La Paz, in Lower California. Here Walker disembarked his forces, attacked and captured the town, taking the Governor prisoner. Another man was sent by the Mexi- cans to take command but he also was captured by Walker's forces. Finding himself too weak to hold the place, Walker and his forces left the town, after holding possession a week or more. Walker sailed first to Cape St. Lucas, then to

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HISTORY OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY.

Ensenada, whence he landed his men and a portion of his supplies, leaving the vessel in charge of the second mate. He, it is supposed, had been bribed by the Mexicans; at any rate, at the first opportunity he deserted his comrades and took the vessel to Gny, leaving Walker and his men in a hostile town, short of food and ammunition. Mr. Thomas started immediately for San Diego for a supply of percussion caps, of which they were greatly in need; he was successful in obtaining all that he wanted of a Mr. Rose, who then resided in San Diego, and returned to Ensenada to find that his friends were about to be attacked by a large body of Mexicans, and they were so nearly out of per- cussion caps that there were not more than five for each nian; his return doubtless saved his comrades from capture, for within fifteen min- utes they were surrounded by several hundred Mexican soldiers, who made a vigorous attack, in which five of Walker's men were killed. The Mexicans were repulsed with several killed and wounded. During the following night Walker assmined the offensive, and in a sharp tight succeeded in driving the Mexican troops off the field. Walker then buried his guns, and taking such supplies as he could, started for Sonora by way of Santa Catasina Paso; but after marching several leagues they found the route impracti- cable, and most of the party returned and sur- rendered to Captain Burton, then in command of the United States troops at San Diego. A few of the men went on and finally succeeded in reaching Sonora: what became of them we are unable to say. Walker and his men were taken to San Francisco, where Walker was tried in the United States court for a violation of interna- tional law, and on his acquittal in February, 1854, the others were released.

Finding himself a free American citizen once more he went to Half-moon Bay and took charge of the Pescadero Ranch, where he remained until 1855, when he went to Trinity river, and for three years was engaged in mining. In 1858 he returned to San Francisco, then went to Los Angeles; and the same year he, with others,

discovered the celebratel tin mines of Temes- cal. In 1861, he sold his interest in the mines to Don Abel Stearns and went to Heminet valley in San Diego County, where he took np 480 acres of Government land and purchased of the railroad company 4,000 acres more.

He was married in 1861 to Miss Genevieve Bardie, of Santa Barbara, and brought his bride to Hemniet valley, which has ever since been their home; here they have raised a family of five sons and six daughters, one dying in infancy. Mr. Thomas has made a business of raising fine stock; he brought the first herd of short-horned Durham cattle ever brought to San Diego County, and he now has some of the finest thoroughbred horses in Southern California.

HARLES THOMAS, JR., was born at Temecula, California, in 1866; he was edu- cated in the common schools, and lived with his parents until he was twenty years of age. He was always fond of horses, and when but thirteen years of age he began to ride race horses. In 1883 he obtained 160 acres of land and turned his attention to the raising of stock. He also studied and became an excellent veterin- ary surgeon, and in 1887 commenced manufact- uring " Thomas' Universal Horse Liniment and Neuralgic Safe Cure," which has steadily grown in favor until it has a large sale; he moved his business to San Jacinto in 1889, where with greater facilities he is giving his attention to the manufacture of the above named valnable remedies.

W. GERLACH, San Diego, was the youngest child of a family of seven chil- dren, and was born at Wurtemberg, Ger- many, in May, 1846, where he received his edu- cation. His father was a butcher, and G. W., being born and raised in that business, very naturally made that the basis of his business

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career. In 1864 he emigrated to America, going directly to Philadelphia, where he began his labors in this country. In 1866 he enlisted with five schoolinates, in the Fourth Cavalry, regulars, following the service two and a half years, on the frontier between Texas and Mexico; he was badly wounded in an Indian engagement, and in a skirmish near Fort Clark his horse was shot under him, which rearing fell back- ward, and Mr. Gerlach was badly disabled, and was discharged from service at Fort Concher, Texas, in 1868, returning to New York, and after four months' rest opened his own butcher shop in that city. In 1878 he removed to Colorado, opening shop, and was also interested in mining speculations, still owning interests in mines in Chaffee County, Colorado. In 1887, from ill health, his attention was directed to Southern California, and he came direct to San Diego to breathe in the health-giving qualities of this gen- ial climate. Being satisfied with the locality he soon invested in a small bath-house built off from the Pacific steamship wharf, which he has since enlarged and made very complete and comfort able; his buildings now front 110 feet on the wharf, and about the same depth; with ample accommodations for hot and cold baths at al' hours of day and night, and two large swin- ming tanks for the summer bathers, having one tank expressly for ladies, with dressing-rooms conveniently adjoining.

Mr. Gerlach was married in New York, in 1870, to Miss Louisa Schwartz. Their sumn- mers are passed at the bath-house, in rooms tastefully arranged, and in the winter when business is more quiet they reside in the city. Mr. Gerlach is a member of the Turnverein Society, and also of the I. O. O. F.

OHN R. AITKEN, LL. B., Judge of De- partment 1 of the Superior Court of San Diego County, is a gentleman of high social and professional standing, having and deserving the highest esteem of all who know

him. His selection for the above named office by the people was wise in the extreme, as his record shows him eminently adapted to the re- quirements of the office, which he has filled with credit and honor to himself and to the satisfac- tion of the public at large. A gentleman in the full sense and significance of the term, imbued with the highest principles of honor, and pos- sessing great legal knowledge and experience, his future may be foretold, as the open page in his history of his past career may be read to- day, and always without a blot to mar the purity of the tissue.

Judge Aitken was born in San Francisco, his parents having been among the argonants of the Golden State. When old enough he attended the public schools of that city, until he arrived at the age of twelve, when, becoming imbued with the spirit of adventure he shipped before the mast for New York; returning to the city of his birth after some years of wandering, he set- tled down to hard work, and after a severe course of study entered the University of Cali- fornia, from the law department of which he graduated with the highest honors, and at once entered into the practice of the law, in which he has made for himself a name and professional reputation enviable, honorable and creditable in the extreme.

In his domestic ties the Judge has been fortunate, being the happy possessor of a wife and two children, to whom he is greatly attached ; with them all the spare moments which can be snatched from a busy life are spent. It is said of his son, Master Frank, an exceptionally bright boy of twelve, that he is the youngest editor in the United States, he being the presid- ing pen-pusher of the " Middletown Electric Light," a bimonthly paper published by the school children of San Diego.

During his residence in San Francisco and in San Diego, Judge Aitken has become widely known. His great ability, his recognized firm- ness of character and independence of spirit are everywhere acknowledged by the people, and the press, ever ready to acknowledge merit,

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have characterized him as one of the youngest and best judges on the Pacific coast.

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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