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 91

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 91
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 91
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 91
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 91

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).

Mr. Twogood has always taken a great inter- est in the growth and prosperity of Riverside and in the establishment and support of schools and churches. He is a member of the Baptist Church and a trustee of the same. He was a member of the first Board of City Trustees, and prominent in establishing the municipal gov- ernment. In political matters he is a Repub- lican. He is a member of Riverside Post, No. 118, G. A. R. He has a family of two chil- dren, living, viz .: Lonie M. and Fred W. Mr. Twogood's parents were natives of New York, and representatives of old families in that State. Ilis father, Simeon Twogood, spent his life in agricultural pursuits. Mr. Twogood's mother, before marriage, was Miss Harriet Hoag.

ENRY GOODCELL, JR., attorney at law, and secretary of the San Bernardino Bar Association, was born in Dover, England, and was forty years of age in November, 1888.

When a child of four years he emigrated with his parents to the United States, and eame to San Bernardino when nine years old; hence he has resided here thirty-two years. He graduated from the California State Normal school in 1873, the first graduate of that institution from San Bernardino County. When entering the school he expected to pursue the profession of teaching, but after completing the course, upon the advice of a very dear friend and fellow-student, and after more mature reflection, he decided to enter the profession of the law. After graduating he was engaged in teaching for two years. In the fall of 1873 he was elected County Superintend- ent of schools, and he not only continned teach- ing while discharging the duties of that office, but also carried on his law studies with such facility and thoroughness that at the end of two years, early in 1875, he was admitted to prac- tice.

Soon after his admission to the bar, Mr. Good- cell was joined in marriage with Miss Minnie A. Bennett, of El Dorado County, the student friend before mentioned. He commenced the practice of law in Angust, 1875, as a partner with Colonel A. B. Paris. This relation was dissolved a year later by Mr. Goodcell accepting the position of deputy clerk, his duties being limited to Clerk of the Courts. Retiring from this office at the end of eighteen months, he resumed his profession in the capacity of assist- ant District Attorney; and upon the resignation a year after of the District Attorney, he filled that office by appointment. until the end of the term for which his predecessor was elected.

Mr. Goodcell enjoys a prosperous legal busi- ness, his preference being for the civil practice; and in this branch canses in equity are his choice. He possesses a judicial type of mind, and in examining the legal points of a case inclines more to the comprehensive, impartial analysis of a judge on the bench, than to the warped and one-sided view of the lawyer seeking the strong points in a client's favor. Upon the resignation of Judge Gibson from the office of Judge of the Superior Court of San Bernardino

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County, upon the occasion of his appointment as Supreme Court Commissioner, in the early part of 1889, Mr. Goodcell was indorsed by a large majority of the bar of San Bernardino County for the appointment as Gibson's succes- sor to the Superior Bench, but Governor Water- man did not act upon the recommendation of this majority, but appointed Judge Rowell, an able man, for the place.

While not a radical politician, Mr. Godcell has been for fifteen years actively allied with the Democratic party, much of the time a member of the county central committee, and was for years its secretary.

In 1886 Mrs. Goodcell died, leaving him with a family of three sons, exceptionally bright, promising lads, ranging then from nine to five years of age. In July, 1889, Mr. Goodcell married Miss Mary H. Bennett, a sister of his first wife. Both were formerly teachers and ladies of superior accomplishments. Mr. Good- cell's home has ever been a favorite resort for members of the pedagogical profession, it being pervaded by an atmosphere of culture congenial to them.

HOMAS JONATHAN WILSON, the oldest in active pedagogical work of all teachers in San Bernardino County, is a native of Union County, Kentucky, and was born February 7, 1845. At the age of eleven years he moved with his parents to Sedalia, Missouri, in which State he was educated for the purpose of teaching. He taught two years in Texas, and at the instigation of his father, studied medicine, nearly completing the course, and did some practice, sufficient to satisfy him- self that the duties of the school-room were more congenial to his taste than dealing out powders and pills. Meeting with an accident in Texas which brought on a hemorrhage of the lungs, he camne to California, hoping to benefit his health, and settled in San Bernardino. He began teaching his first school in this State, in Sep-

tember, 1867, and has taught in San Bernardino County every year since. Two of these years, from 1880 to 1882, he was principal of the schools of Colton. He is an ardent lover of his vocation, and enters into the labors of the school-room with a spirit and enthusiasm which ensure successful results. He has served six years as a member of the County Board of Ed- ucation, one year as chairman of the board. He is a zealons advocate and defender of our public school system ; and when occasion requires he has eloquently championed the cause of this mighty motor of civilization and progress with both tongue and pen.

Mr. Wilson was appointed chief deputy as- sessor of San Bernardino County, and has filled that position for ten consecutive years, performn- ing the work of that office during school vaca- tions. His duties involve the active labors of the assessor's office, including book-keeping, drafting, etc., in which long experience has made him proficient. For twenty years he has been an occasional contributor to the columns of the current press, and is a racy and enter- taining writer. He has also delivered public addresses on numerous occasions; his oratorical efforts are characterized by clearness and direct- ness of thought, and smoothness and terseness of expression which both instruct and entertain his auditors. He has taken an active interest in fraternal orders, both beneficiary and secret. Was one of the founders of the Central Labor Union of San Bernardino County, June 15, 1887, which now numbers abont 1,300 members; was its presiding officer for five terms. He is also a member of the Knights of Labor, and has been statistician of local assembly No. 8,492 for six consecutive years; is now Worthy Fore- man of District No. 140, embracing the coun- ties of Southern California. He is serving his eighth consecutive year as secretary of Pliœnix Lodge, No. 178, F. & A. M., and is serving his sixth consecutive year as High Priest of Key- stone Chapter, No. 56, Royal Arch Masons. He served seven consecutive years as recorder of St. Bernard Commandery, No. 23, Knights

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HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY.

Templar: is now Generalissinio. He is also serving as Worthy Patron of Silver Wave Chapter, No. 75, Order of the Eastern Star. He was for five consecutive years a member of the committee on by-laws of the Grand Chap- ter of the State of California: vide the annual reports of that body.

In politics Mr. Wilson is a Democrat, and has taken an active part in local party matters; served two years as secretary and treasurer of the county central committee, and made a num- ber of speeches during the presidential cam- paign of 1888.

On July 4, 1871, he married Isabel A., youngest daughter of the late Henry Rabel; six children, tour sons and two daughters comprise their family. They reside on their homestead of 480 acres, twenty-three miles east of the city, at the base of the San Bernardino mount- ains, 3,500 feet above the sea, where they enjoy the perpetual luxury of mountain air and en- chanting landscape. Among the attractions of this country home are a fine library of standard works, and a collection of choice mineral speci- mens and sea-shells. A large portion of their place is under cultivation and is devoted chiefly to grain and stock-raising, though Mr. Wilson is turning his attention to the growing of decid- uons fruits.

LBERT S. WHITE, a Riverside horticult- urist, was born in Belfast, Maine, in 1840, and was schooled and reared in his native place. At the close of his school days he lo- cated in New York, and his first entry into business life was in mercantile pursuits. He became associated with Captain George W. Gil- christ in the ship-chandlery business. His keen business tact and energetic management ren- dered him valuable, and under the firm nanie of Gilchrist, White & Co. their house became one of the best known in the city and stood at the head of establishments in their line of business. In the spring of 1875 Mr. White was prostrated

by a severe attack of pneumonia, and, failing to rally from its effects, his physician recominend- ed a warmer climate and advocated a trip to southern Europe, but Mr. White preferred Cali- fornia. In January, 1886, he crossed the con- tinent and visited many well-known resorts of the Pacific coast in a vain search for health. Finding no relief from the coast climate, he de- cided to try the interior with its higher altitude and dryer climate. With this view he visited Southern California. In Riverside he found the long-sought fountain of health and passed the winter there, gaining rapidly in health and strength. Convinced that he could live in no other climate, before going East in the spring, he purchased forty acres of land about four miles sonth of Riverside, on what is now the beautiful Magnolia avenne, then but a dry plain. At that date Riverside was but a small settlement of 300 people.

Closing out his business in New York during the summer, he returned to Riverside in the fall of 1886 and entered with his customary zeal into the improvement of his ranch, bringing from the East the choicest variety of fruit trees and vines, and became at once a typical " River- sider." Of an enthusiastic and energetic tem- perament, he threw himself into every enter- prise tending to advance and build up the interests of Riverside, his chosen section. Bringing to his new calling a mind trained to reasoning and studying in order to secure the best results from whatever enterprise he engaged in, he soon became an expert horticult- nrist and rapidly built up one of the most productive horticultural industries in the col- ony. At this writing he has an orange grove of forty acres in extent, ten acres of which is in Washington Navels. This grove gives a yield that brings from the sale of the fruit from $300 to $600 per acre, according to the age of the trees. He is an enthusiast in orange growing and firm in the belief that Riverside ranks second to no place in the world for a successful prosecution of that industry.

Together with H. J. Rndisill he organized

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HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY.

in Riverside the first citrus fair ever beld in the world, which proved such a success that he went to work to raise funds for a suitable building in which to hold future fairs. The Citrus Fair Association and the erection of the pavilion was the result of those labors; and in all succeeding fairs Mr. White has been a leading spirit, devoting time and money to their advancement and success. Among the many prominent works that Mr. White has been connected with were the building of the Presbyterian church and the Arlington school- honse; the founding of the Library Associa- tion; the organization of the Citizens' Water Company and its successor, the Riverside Water Company, serving as a director on each board, as also being vice-president of the River- side Land Company. When the State Board of Horticulture was organized, Mr. White was appointed by Governor Perkins to represent Southern California on the board, which posi- tion he held for two years, until the election of Governor Stoneman. He was one of the original incorporators and a director of the Riverside and Arlington Railroad Company, also of the Riverside Railroad Company. In 1887 he was one of the promoters and incor- porators of the Riverside Improvement Com- pany, and was president of the company dur- ing the time that it developed and piped the domestic water supply of the city and valley, which was done at an outlay of over $200,000; he is still at the head of that corporation. He is also president and principal owner of the Riverside Heights Water Company and a director of the Loring Opera House Company. He is a trustee of the Riverside Library Asso- ciation and a director and member of the Board of Trade. He has recently been elected a member of the city board of trustees.

In politics Mr. White is an earnest Repub- lican and has been prominent in efforts to seenre the nomination and election of good men for office in San Bernardino County. He is always found allied with the best elements of his party and has no political ambition;

the only political position he ever held was representing Riverside on the county board of supervisors, having been elected to that office in 1884 for a four years' term. He is an earnest worker in the ranks of his party and is vice-president of the County Central Com- inittee He is a strong supporter of schools and churches, and is a member and trustee of the Universalist church of Riverside. He has never failed in his great faith in the future growth and prosperity of Riverside, therefore, several years ago, he purchased a tract of land above the canal adjoining the city on the east. This tract has been subdivided, a very perfect system of piped water connected with it, and it is now known as White's addition, one of the most desirable portions of the city for resi- dences or business, as the freight depot, several packing houses, etc., are already located there.

In 1887 Mr. White associated himself with F. A. Miller and entered largely into real estate and insurance business, but this has not prevented him from being, in the present as in the past, one of Riverside's most public-spirited citizens. His long residence and the leading part he has taken in the business interests of Riverside has gained for him a large circle of friends and acquaint- ances, and he is universally respected and es- teemned. Although a great admirer of the female sex, he remains unmarried, a hale, hearty bachelor, upon whom " female arts are lavished in vain."

NON. FREDERIC W. GREGG, of the law firm of Harris & Gregg, is a Green Mountain boy, born in Vermont, thirty- two years ago; was educated in Dartmouth College, celebrated as the alma mater of emi- nent men of action, men who have led in the fields of law and politics and commerce, where a combination of mental and and physical vigor are the motive power of success. Graduating from Dartmouth in the class of 1878, Mr. Gregg studied law in the office of Hon. Frank Plum-

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HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY.

ley, United States District Attorney for Ver- mont, and at the Columbia Law School. In June, 1881, he came West and opened a law office in Tucson, Arizona. In March, 1882, he was appointed United States Commissioner for the First Judicial District of Arizona, which office he filled for three years. In November, 1882, he was elected a member of the Board of School Trustees of Tucson. He ran for district attorney of that county in 1884 on the Republi- can ticket and was defeated by a few votes. In March, 1885, upon the petition of the bar of the county, Mr. Gregg was appointed County Judge of Pima County, and at the expiration of the term of two years was elected to the office as his own successor, receiving a larger vote than any other candidate on the county ticket. In the summer of 1887 he removed to San Bernardino and entered into partnership with . William A. Harris, which still continues. Harris & Gregg are both gentlemen of fine legal attainments and exceptional ability, and already occupy a prominent position in the bar of Southern California. Their legal busi- ness is one of the largest in San Bernardino County. Judge Gregg is a scholarly, polished gentleman, whose affable manners win the friendship and esteem of all with whom he comes in contact.

ALVIN LOGAN THOMAS, a rancher. two and a half miles southeast of San Bernardino, was born in Bledsoe County, Tennessee, January 5, 1837. His father, E. H. Thomas, was a native of Kentucky, and his mother, Edna (Zinn) Thomas, was born in South Carolina. His parents moved to Jackson County, Missouri, when the subject of this sketch was but four years old. From there the removed to McDonald County, where they remained until 1852, when they crossed the plains by ox team to Oregon. When they got to Utah, however, they found it was too late in the season, so they changed their original plan and came by the

southern ronte to California. They arrived in San Bernardino County December 25, 1852. Here Mr. Thomas remained, a true and trusted citizen, until his death in 1874. He had a fam- ily of seven children, of whom the subject of this sketch is the third. He received a good common-school education, and in 1866 was married to Miss Salome Wells, who was born in Iowa, the daughter of Otho and Salome (Stewart) Wells. Her father was born in Vir- ginia; her mother in Ohio, and they had eight children. Mr. Wells was murdered in Western Texas in 1875. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas have four children: Dell, now Mrs. John Black- burn; Adeline, now Mrs. Mason Binkley; Eva and Alzada. Politically Mr. Thomas affiliates with the Democratic party, and for ten years has faithfully filled the office of deputy assessor. He held this office previous to this, in 1868, and at one time was constable. So- cially he is an I. O. O. F., Token Lodge, No. 396, San Bernardino.

ILLIAM LLOYD GARRISON SOULE, Auditor of San Bernardino County, and founder of the mining town of Calico, is a lineal descendant from Pur- itan stock, and was born in the State of Maine, in July, 1836. He was reared from early child- hood in Massachusetts, and started to learr the printer's trade in Boston at the age of fourteen. He came with his parents to Kansas in 1854, and set the first stickful of type ever set within the boundary of that State, on the Herald of Freedom, established at that time in Lawrence. Being like his illustrious namesake, an uncon- promising enemy of slavery, and an active par- ticipant with John Brown and other champions in the five years' struggle which made Kansas a free State, besides being born and bred an Abolitionist, the son of a man who had worked shoulder to shoulder with Garrison, Greeley and Gerrit Smith in the anti-slavery cause, he had, as a journeyman printer, traveled quite extens-

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HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY.

ively in the South and had personally witnessed the blighiting effects of human slavery.

In 1859 Mr. Sonle took a quartz mill to Col- orado, which he set up and run for two years. Returning to Kansas in 1861 he served as city marshal at Lawrence until that city was de- stroyed by Quantrell and the rebel guerrillas, in 1863. Soon after that event he entered the ariny and served throughout the time, a portion of the time as superintendent of the quarter- master's department under quartermaster Ran- kin, in the Department of the Cumberland, in Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama, with Sherman's command. On retiring from the army he returned to Colorado, and wa's for a time connected with the editorial staff of the Colorado Farmer, and while there he collected the matter and wrote part of the work entitled " The Black Hills and Big Horn Country," a twelve-mo. volume of about 500 pages, pub- lished by Robert Strahorn. During the years intervening between 1873 and 1879 Mr. Soule filled the offices of Justice of the Peace and Postmaster in Ouray and Gunnison counties re- spectively. Was the first Justice of the Peace in Ouray County: served as Postmaster at Irwin, Gunnison County, two years.

In December, 1879, taking the advice of his physicians, he came to California, for the benefit of his health. After spending the winter in San Diego, and finding his health improved, he was seized with the prospecting fever, and, starting ont, finally located on the site of Cal- ico, where he erected the first building, opened the first store and fonnded and named the town in 1881. He was the first Postmaster and thic first Justice of the Peace in the place, is still a joint partner in a general store in Calico, and also has some mining interests there. His partner, Mr. Stacy, is his successor as Postinas- ter. He has considered San Bernardino his home for the past three years. He was elected Anditor of San Bernardino County on the Re- publican ticket in the fall of 1888, and assumed the duties of office January 1, 1889.

Mr. Sonle married Miss Wagner, daughter of

Judge Wagner, deceased. She is a native of the Pacific slope. Her parents came from Illinois. Mr. Soule's only brother, Captain Silas Soule, of the First Colorado Regiment, was assassin- ated in Denver while Provost Marshal; was also a radical Abolitionist and possessed the courage of his convictions. When Dr. Charles Day was in jail in St. Joseph, Missouri, for as. sisting slaves to run away, he went to the jail, and as a raw Irishman got permission to visit the jail, and notified Day of an attempt to rescue him that night. About ten o'clock at night he again went to the jail in company with the subject of this sketch and several other friends, who claimed to have just ar- rested him (Silas) for some crime committed, and wished him locked up for the night. The jailor opened the door and was at once dis- arıned, the keys taken from him, Day released and the other prisoners locked up securely. Day was taken across the Missouri river in a skiff, and by wagon to Lawrence. They were pursued several miles into Kansas, but, having the fleet- est horses, escaped.

After John Brown's capture at Harper's Ferry and incarceration in prison, Silas Soule went to the prison and, feigning the drunken Irishman, succeeded in getting locked up for the night, and, while confined in the prison that night investigated the situation of Brown and his other friends with a view of planning their escape; but, finding no hope of being able to release them, he sobered up and was set free next morning withont his identity or his inten- tions being even suspected by the authorities.

EORGE W. SUTTONFIELD was born at Fort Wayne, Indiana, February 14, 1825. His father, Colonel William Suttonfield, a native of Virginia, was in the regular army, under General Harrison, in the Black Hawk war. He built the first house in Fort Wayne and lived there until his death, which occurred in 1841. His wife, Laura (Taylor) Suttonfield,

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HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY.

was a native of Connecticut. They had six children, of whom the subject of this sketch was the fourth. He attended Wabash College at Crawfordsville, Indiana, for four years, and in 1849 came to California. He started from Fort Smith, Arkansas, in April, and in October of the same year arrived in San Francisco. Mr. Suttonfield can tell some interesting stories of how they had to eat dried pumpkins and beans for many days at a time. Their train was a wealthy one from the South. They had some very fine stock, but lost heavily and arrived on the coast with almost nothing. Many of thein were afoot and out of provisions. At one time all that Mr. Suttonfield had was but a pint of green coffee. He crossed the Colorado Desert afoot and followed a trail to San Diego. From there he went to San Francisco on a coal bark, and did'nt have a cent of money when he got there. He knocked around all day and got very hungry. At last he bargained to work for a restaurant keeper at $1 a day, digging and wheel- ing a bank of earth into the bay. He played a few games of cards and won $16. At night he unloaded vessels at $2 per hour. The boarding- house man, seeing that he was industrious and honest, started hin in business. He sold pies, cakes and coffee on the corner of Clay and Ports- mouth Square, and took in from $40 to $50 per day. He then sold out his coffee stand on credit and went to the mines. Here, the first day, he took out $86. He continued in the mines for about three years, when he went to Mariposa County, and went into the stock busi- ness. This was from 1856 to 1861. In 1862 he went to Stockton, where he engaged in the livery business for a time, and subsequently went to Arizona and engaged in the stock business for seven years. In 1882 he came to San Ber- nardino and engaged in the livery business, from which he has recently retired and at present he is operating gold quartz-mines, 100 miles east of San Bernardino.

Mr. Suttonfield was married June 1, 1851, to Mrs. Sarah Smith. This was the first recorded marriage in Mariposa County. The union re-

sulted in five children, and in 1870 the mother died. Ten years later Mr. Suttonfield married Sarah Chadwick. They now live on Mount Vernon avenue, southwest of the city two miles. While in Mariposa County, our subject was judge of the first election held in the county. September 28, 1866, he organized the Pioneer Society at San Bernardino, with twenty-two members. He is in the truest sense a pioneer and a highly respected citizen.

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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