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 77

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 77
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 77
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 77
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 77

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).

Bernardino County; and his admiration for this grand country and salubrious climate increases with each successive year of his residence here. He bought and settled on a ranch a mile and a . half northeast of the center of the city, and devoted his attention to agriculture, especially to growing alfalfa. His place comprised forty- six acres, for which he paid $100 per acre. In 1887 he subdivided it and sold it at prices rang- ing from $400 to $1,000 per acre. After spend- ing a season in the East, Mr. Dixon, in 1888, opened his present grocery store on D street, between Third and Fourth streets. He carries a fine stock of choice staple and fancy groceries, which he sells to cash customers at a small profit, and does a prosperons business. Mr. Dixon owns two large tracts of choice citrus and vineyard land in the popular and growing sections denominated East Riverside, which is worth $100 an acre. He expects to subdivide and improve it in parcels for his children.

Mr. Dixon married Miss Helm in Iowa, though she was a native of Indiana. They have a family of one son and three daughters, all born in Iowa except the youngest daughter.

In politics, Mr. Dixon is an active and out- spoken Republican, who is always ready to give the reasons for the faith that is in him when occasion requires, but never parades his opin- ions when uncalled for. He is a gentleman of decided convictions, and extraordinary force of character, a stanch friend and an uncompromis- ing foe.

EORGE MILLS COOLEY, the eldest of fourteen living children, nine sons and five daughters of George and Ellen Tolpntt Cooley, was born in Utah in 1856, and crossed the plains an infant in his mother's arıns, drawn by ox teams, to California. His parents are both natives of the county of Kent, England, and were married on shipboard while crossing the Atlantic to the United States. They settled in the San Bernardino valley, south of the city,

J. D. Shugart m. D.

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HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY.

and the subject of this memoir grew up to man- hood on the beantiful ranch where they now re- side, and where he mastered the arts of agri- culture. Deciding to enter mercantile life, he educated himself theretor in Heald's Business College, San Francisco, and began his hardware business in 1874, as clerk in the store which he now owns, for Ruffen & Biays, whom he bought ont in 1885, and has since been sole proprietor. This is the oldest hardware house in the county, having been established by John Ruffen nearly twenty-five years ago. Since coming in posses- sion of the business, Mr. Cooley has increased it several fold by his energy and the close appli- cation of his thorough knowledge of the hard- ware trade. He is not only master of the busi- ness but also personally superintends every department, and herein lies his phenomenal snc- cess. His stock embraces everything in the line of shelf and general hardware, stoves, piping and plumbers' goods, all of which he buys from manufacturers direct and in large quantities, thns reducing the cost to the minimum, and giving his customers the benefit in low prices. Among the special departments developed in his extensive and steadily growing business is scientific plumbing, for which he has created an enviable reputation throughont San Bernardino Connty. He makes all his own estimates and supervises the work in this branch, in which he employs from four to twelve skilled mechanics, and does the bulk of the work in this line in this portion of Southern California. Roofing and all kinds of job work also receives special attention, and form a prominent feature of the business. Within the past two or three years Mr. Cooley has given considerable attention to building on his own account, and has erected and owns six dwellings on Sixth and D streets, where he has two acres of land in that popular quarter of the city. He entered into competition with twenty-nine other pipe dealers to sell to the city ot San Bernardino pipe for its new water-works, which will be put into the streets this coming summer. Mr. Cooley was success- ful, and secured the contract for the entire city

system, defeating all competitors by from $4,000 to $14,000. Mr. Cooley married Miss Bessant, a native Californian, and daughter of a pioneer who crossed the plains in the same train with his parents. Their family consists of a daughter and two sons.

ELITA DAVIS SHUGART, M. D .-- No history of Riverside can be considered complete without a more than passing inention of the pioneer of Riverside colony whose name heads this sketch. In 1869 Dr. Shugart was a resident of Belle Plain, Iowa, and at that time was desirous of establishing his residence in some portion of Southern Califor- nia. Early the next year he associated himself with Judge North, Dr. Greves, Sanford East- man, C. N. Felton, of San Francisco, and Cap- tain Broadhurst and others, and formed the Southern California Colony Association. The object of the association was to purchase some desirable tract of land in Sonthern California and establish a colony, build up desirable homes, and engage in horticultural pursuits. Some months were spent by members of the associa- tion in seeking a suitable location, but they were unable to decide the vexed question. The Doctor became impatient at the delay, and in August of 1870 came to California and joined his associates. Judge E. G. Brown, who had joined the company, and Dr. J. P. Greves, vis- ited the Riverside valley in June, and made a partial examination of the lands, water supply, etc., and strongly recommended the purchase of lands by the association; but nothing was done. On August 25, 1870, Dr. Shugart, accompanied by Dr. Greves, Messrs. Luther, of San Fran- cisco, and Stewart, of San Bernardino, visited the lands and inade a thorough examination of the location as adapted to their purposes. The hearty endorsement of Dr. Shugart was strongly backed by his associates, and on September 13, 1870, Judge North, the president of the asso- ciation, who had not yet seen the lands, pur-

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HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY.

chased from the Silk Center Association the land now occupied by the Riverside city and Riverside colony. Surveys were immediately commenced and the Doctor forthwith started home for his family, and returned with thein and L. C. Waite, Esq., arriving in San Bernardino on the 7th of December, 1870; and on the 8th he, with his family, L. C. Waite, Esq., and Dr. Sanford Eastman, went over to Riverside, where the Doctor purchased the second two and one-half acre block sold in Riverside. He returned to San Bernardino with his family and Mr. Waite, and rented a honse on the 9th inst., and immediately commenced the erection of a small cottage on his block, which was between Ninth and Tenth and Mulberry and Linie streets, and on the 10th of January, 1871, he moved into it. His was the fifth family that located in Riverside. He was enthusiastic in his enterprise, and at once commenced prepara- tions for planting trees and vines. March 1, 1871, he planted his first orange, lemon and lime trees. These were the first citrus fruit trees ever planted in Riverside. He also planted the first olive trees and grape-vines. It is also worthy of mention that the first ornamental or shade trees planted in the colony were those pepper trees planted by him on Ninth street at the same time. Dr. Shugart was the treasurer of the association in 1870 and 1871, and later its vice-president, and took an active part in perfecting the organization, developing the water-supply, constructing irrigation canals, etc., until the sale of the colony lands and the water to the Riverside Land and Irrigation Company, in 1876. In the sminmer of 1875 Dr. Shugart sold his property on Ninth street, and purchased from L. C. Waite his present land on First street, at the head of Mulberry street. He purchased an eighteen-acre tract at that point, upon which he erected a substantial and well-ordered cottage home and outbuildings, and moved into his new residence January 25th, 1876, and in addition to his professional labors, has since devoted himself to horticultural pur- suits. He has one of the finest orange groves

in Riverside, composed of seedling and bndded trees of the most approved varieties. He is a thorough and painstaking horticulturist, as is well attested by the character of his fruit and the prolific yield he gets from his trees. In the early days of Riverside, the Doctor took the lead in organizing school districts, etc. He was a member of the second board of school trus- tees ever elected in the colony. In political matters he has been a Republican from the organization of that party in 1856, and has been a worker in its ranks, and served as a delegate in many of the conventions. He was chairman of the county convention in 1876. Though often solicited, be never would consent to accept any political office. He is a member of the Universalist Society, and an earnest supporter of Universalism, and he was the first to urge the organization of a Universal Society in River- side, and was one of the first trustees of the society. He has been a member of the Masonic fraternity for more than thirty years, and is affiliated with Evergreen Lodge, No. 259, A. F. & A. M. (of which he is a charter member), Riverside Chapter, No. 67, R. A. M., and Riverside Commandery, No. 28, Knights Tem- plar. During his residence in Riverside tlie Doctor has been in the practice of liis profes- sion, There is no man in that place who has a larger circle of friends and acquaintances than he. His professional skill, his kindly, genial temperament, coupled with his manly qualities, have gained him the respect and esteem of the community. The Doctor's medical collegiate course was taken at Keokuk in the Iowa Med- ical College, in 1857-'58, and at the Cooper Med- ical College, of San Francisco, California, in 1877. He is a member of the American Med- ical Association, California State Medical So- ciety, the Southern California Medical Society, and San Bernardino County Medical Society, which last owes its organization to Dr. Shugart and Dr. Fox, of Colton. The few facts given relating to the Doctor's earlier life are of inter- est. He was born in Randolph County, In- diana, April 13, 1829, and was raised a Friend

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HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY.

(Quaker). His parents, Zachariah 'T. and Susan- nah (Harris) Shugart, were natives of North Carolina, and among the pioneer settlers of In- diana. The Doctor was reared in his native State until twelve years of age. His parents then moved to Michigan and settled in Cass County. He was given the advantages of a good English education in the public and select schools, and npon reaching his majority entered upon his medical studies, under the tutorship of Dr. E. J. Bonnie, a prominent physician and surgeon of Niles, Michigan. After several years of thorough study, he entered upon the practice of his profession, and in 1853 located in Tama County, Iowa, and resumed his prac- tice until 1860. He then spent several years in the mining districts of Colorado, in the prac- tice of his profession and in mining enterprises. In the fall of 1864 he located at Belle Plain, Benton County, Iowa, where he resided until he came to. California in 1870. The Doctor has always ranked high in his profession in whatever community he has resided, and has been a student unceasing in his researches throughont all the years of his practice. His specialty, in which he has achieved a marked success, is the treatment of women and children. Dr. Shugart was married in 1852 to Miss Martha T. Reams, a native of Michigan. But two children have blessed this union: Lillian Moina and Leila Rosalia, who died February 28, 1872. Lillian Moina was married to Mr. L. C. Waite, a prom- inent and well-known citizen and pioneer of Riverside, April 5, 1872.

RUMAN REEVES, late proprietor of the oldest jewelry store in San Bernardino, and probably the only one-armed watch- maker in the world, established the business in that city in 1874. In 1857, when a youth of sixteen years, le commenced learning the watch- maker's and jeweler's trade with Julius King, in Warren, Ohio. He worked on his father's farm in Orwell, Ashtabula County, where he

had moved with his parents from Chardon, Ohio, his birthplace, until he went to the trade. Upon the inception of the war of the Rebellion, his ardent patriotism impelled him to respond to the first call by President Lincoln for volun- teers for three months' service, and at the expi- ration of his term of enlistment he re-entered the army for three years as a member of the Sixth Ohio Cavalry, in which he did valiant service, in recognition of which he rose by suc- cessive promotion to Second Lieutenant. At the battle of Cold Harbor, on May 28, 1864, his left arm was so badly shattered by a minie ball as to render amputation at the shoulder- joint necessary, and he spent seven months in the hospital. January 5, 1865, he was die- charged from the service and returned home.

In March of that year, and without any effort or knowledge on his part until the commission was handed him, Mr. Reeves was appointed Postmaster at Orwell, Ohio; and after filling the office with exceptional efficiency and general satisfaction for nearly three years, he was elected Recorder of Ashtabula County in 1868, for the term of three years, at the expiration of which he was re-elected as his own successor, filling the position for six consecutive years. He de- clined another re-election. Retiring from the office with broken health, he accepted the ad- vice of physicians and came to California in 1874, and settling in San Bernardino entered into partnership with N. B. Hale in the jewelry business, under the firm name of Hale & Reeves.

Mr. Reeves has always been an active and zealons Republican, and in 1882 was elected to the State General Assembly, being the only Re- publican elected in Southern California at that time, and beat his Democratic opponent by only abont forty-five votes. In 1884 he was re-elected by over 400 majority, which was conchisive evi- dence of his popularity among his constituents. After suffering the loss of his arm Mr. Reeves' friends thought his days at the watchunaker's bench ended, but he determined otherwise, and possessing a genius for invention he invented and constructed an ingenions and novel device

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HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY.

to take the place of the missing hand, which serves the place so thoroughly that lie performs with deftness and dispatch the most difficult and delicate watch-work requiring the most ex- pert workmen with two hands. In 1867 Mr. Reeves married Miss Marion E. McConkey, of Oberlin, Ohio. Two children, Clarence H. and Clara B. Reeves, comprise their family. In 1882 Mr. Reeves purchased ten acres of land in Redlands, and planted it to deciduous and citrus fruits, which are now in bearing, and on which the family now reside. Mr. Reeves is a member of Cornman Post, No. 57, G. A. R., and of the Congregational Church.

OHN P. CLUM, of San Bernardino, was born in Claverack, Columbia County, New York, in 1851, and his childhood and youth were passed on the banks of the historic Hud- son. At the age of nineteen he graduated at the Hudson River Institute, and entered the freshman class of Rutger's College, New Bruns- wick, New Jersey. After completing the first year and creditably passing all the examina- tions, adverse fortune compelled him to leave college, and in 1871 he entered the meteorologi- cal service of the United States Government. Having taken a course in meteorology and sig- naling, lie was ordered to Santa Fe, New Mexico, and there opened a station for meteoro- logical observations in November, 1871. He was honored with the appointment as delegate to the Presbyterian General Assembly, held at Baltimore in 1873, and at St. Louis in 1874. On February 26, 1874, he was appointed Indian Agent of the Apaches at San Carlos, Arizona, and discharged the difficult duties of the office with remarkable fidelity and efficiency, and to the great satisfaction of the citizens of Arizona and Colorado. February 26, 1876, Mr. CInm resigned the agency, bnt finally, at the urgent request of the department, withdrew his resig- nation in October following. He resigned again in March, 1877, and left the agency July 1,

1877. In November, 1876, Mr. Clum was united in marriage, at Delaware, Ohio, with Miss Mary D. Ware, daughter of the late Hou. Thomas D. Ware, of Cincinnati, a refined and cultured lady, whose untimely death occurred in Tombstone, Arizona, after four years of a joyous wedded life. During his service as In- dian Agent, Mr. Chum passed through many severe trials, hairbreadth escapes and thrilling adventures, one of the most exciting of which was the capture of the desperate and blood- thirsty savage, Chief Geronimo, the only time that wily old Indian ever was captured. This was effected at Ojo Caliente, New Mexico, April 21, 1877, after having marclied on foot 350 miles from San Carlos with 120 Indian police. His strategem ontwitted Geronimo; and he was captured and placed in irons withont the loss of a single life, and, together with several of his worst chiefs, was taken to San Carlos and put in confinement.

After severing his connection with the Indian Agency, Mr. Clum returned to Florence and studied law. He was admitted to practice in the District Court of Arizona at Pinal in 1877; but, preferring journalism to the law, he became editor and proprietor of the Tucson (Arizona) Citizen in November, 1877. He continued in that relation until February, 1880, when he sold it to R. C. Brown. In May of that year, he, in connection with Messrs. Sorin and Reppy, estab- lished the Tombstone Epitaph, and for two years continued the relation of joint owner and editor of this paper. In June, 1880, he was appointed Postmaster at Tombstone, Arizona Territory, and filled that office with ability and satisfaction. Early in January, 1881, he was elected Mayor of Tombstone, assuming the duties of the office January 12.

December 14, 1881, an attempt was made to assassinate him in the stage, en route from Tombstone to Tucson, by the lawless ruffians whom he gave no quarter in bringing to justice. In the latter part of 1882 Mr. Clum went to Washington and accepted a position in the office of the Chief Inspector of the Postoffice Depart-

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HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY.

ment. In February, 1883, he was again mar- ried, his second wife being Miss Belle Atwood, daughter of the late Judge J. P. Atwood, of Madison, Wisconsin. This estimable lady pre- sides over the destinies of his domestic affairs with happiest results. Mr. Clum remained in the department at Washington until January, 1885, when he was reappointed Postmaster at Tombstone. He resigned that office in August, and was elected Auditor and Recorder of Tomb- stone. In 1886 Mr. Clum removed to Califor- nia, and settled in San Bernardino, where he has since been engaged in the real-estate and insurance business. Having taken an active interest in the progress of his chosen county, he has twice taken charge of horticultural and mineral exhibits of San Bernadino in the East, one held in Washington in March, 1889, and the Citrus Fair, held in New York in the win- ter of 1889-'90. All of these enterprises were triumphant successes.

HERON H. PALMER, architect and builder, and a worthy representative of the business men of Southern California, was born February 14, 1849, in Joliet, Illinois, to which place his parents immigrated from New York State several years previons. In his early childhood they removed to the young city of Chicago, where young Palmer attended school, and upon entering his 'teens started in to learn the drug business. Soon after the war of the Rebellion broke out, though considerably under the required age, fired by youthful patriotism, he attempted to enter the army, and was twice thiwarted in his purposes by paternal interference. But not discouraged by failures, he made the third trial, which resulted in his becoming a member of Company G. Nineteenth Illinois Infantry, which afterwards became Bat- tery B, of the First Illinois Light Artillery, and upon the reorganization of the army formed a part of the Third Division of the Fourth Army

Corps, General O. O. Howard commanding. Mr. Palmer participated in twenty battles, was once slightly wounded, and was honorably dis- charged in Chicago, July 8, 1865, having served over four years. On retiring from the army he resumed the drug business for a few months, when, the mining excitement having attained its height in Montana, he and two room-mates, after reading the glowing accounts in the papers one evening, resolved to try their for- tunes in the lottery of gold-seeking, and started for the mines the next morning, in May, 1866, and reached Salt Lake July 8. They spent about a year in Montana and Utah mines, then visited a number of different mining districts, and were the original discoverers of the since famous Little Cottonwood mine. Coming to California late in 1867, Mr. Palmer remained in Sacramento until 1869, and after stopping for a time in Red Bluff, Marysville, San Fran- cisco and other points in the northern part of the State, located in San Bernardino in 1872.

Since coming to the Pacific coast he has de- voted his attention chiefly to building and the study of architecture. He and his former part- ner, Mr. Jones, were the pioneer professional architects in San Bernardino, and many of the most elegant business blocks and dwellings of the city and vicinity owe their existence to Mr. Palmer's architectural taste and skill. Among them are the Occidental block, the Urbita, Fair- view. Rialto and Ontario school buildings, and the new hall of records for San Bernardino County, now (1890) in process of building, which will probably be the masterpiece of his constructive skill, being Romanistic in style, ornate in design, and one of the finest public buildings in California. The entire structure, which is to be about 65 x 65 feet, and two stories in height, will be of stone, brick and iron, and will be strictly fire-proof. The Court street front is to be San Bernardino County sand-stone, and the other fronts of brick, witlı stone trimmings. Mr. Palmer's design was chosen in competition with plans by a number of the best architects of Sonthern California.

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HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY.

The estimated cost of the building is about $40,000.

Mr. Palmer was one of the projectors of the Mentone and Bear Valley toll road, which is partly built, and he and his office partner, Mr. J. E. Mack, are among the principal owners of the enterprise. He also owns quite large land interests in Perris valley, and some improved city property.

In 1886 Mr. Palmer was joined in marriage with Miss Mabel E. Smith, a native of Michi- gan, but a resident of California from child- hood.

HARLES J. PERKINS, attorney-at-law and an active member of the Southern California bar, came to the State in 1883, and the following year located in practice in San Bernardino. He was born in the Empire State in 1856, but his father, F. J. Perkins, mnoved with his family from New York to Illinois in the fall of that year, and purchased a farm, on which they settled. In 1877 yonng Perkins started out in railroad business as au employé in the operating department of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad. At that time train robberies on the western frontier were much more frequent than now, and assaults by des- peradoes upon trains supposed to carry valuable treasures were not uncommon. Mr. Perkins had some thrilling experiences with this lawless class. While serving as conductor on that line, he was shot at four different times in one year; and on one occasion observing that the train was not properly controlled, he went forward to the engine and found the engineer and fireman both dead in the cab, having been shot while at their post of duty by men in ambashı. He also filled the position of traveling auditor during his connection with the Denver & Rio Grande Company. Deciding to make the legal profes- sion his life-work, Mr. Perkins entered Wiscon- sin University at Madison and gradnated in the law department of that institution in 1882.

Soon after graduating he married Miss Edith Collins, of Rochelle, Illinois. In 1883 he came to the Pacific coast, as one of the attorneys for the Northern Pacific Railroad, under the Villard management, and when that magnate lost con- trol Mr. Perkins was succeeded by a friend of the new management. He visited the most desirable points on this coast before selecting San Bernardino as his choice, and since settling here has devoted his attention to mining and commercial law, making a specialty of the former, and has been connected on one side or the other with nearly every important mining snit tried in this part of the State during the last five years. He is an active, energetic man, and is an indefatigable worker in any cause he undertakes. In addition to his law practice, Mr. Perkins has been instrumental to a large extent in developing the grand arte- sian water supply of the San Bernardino valley, having sunk many of the hundreds of fine, flow- ing wells in that connty. Mr. Perkins is a member of the San Bernardino County Bar As- sociation.

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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