USA > California > Los Angeles County > Los Angeles > Historical and biographical record of Los Angeles and vicinity : containing a history of the city from its earliest settlement as a Spanish pueblo to the closing year of the nineteenth century ; also containing biographies of well known citizens of the past and present > Part 108
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108 | Part 109 | Part 110 | Part 111 | Part 112 | Part 113 | Part 114 | Part 115 | Part 116 | Part 117 | Part 118 | Part 119 | Part 120 | Part 121 | Part 122 | Part 123 | Part 124 | Part 125 | Part 126 | Part 127
The marriage of Mr. Pollard and Mary A. Bawden, daughter of Thomas and Jane Bawden, was solemnized September 30, 1866. They be- came the parents of six children, of whom two died in infancy and one at the age of seven and a half years. Eusebius and William Pollard are now the joint owners and managers of their fa-
792
HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
ther's nurseries and property, and are enterpris- ing and successful young business men. Celia A., the surviving daughter, is the wife of A. E. Johnson, of San Gabriel, Cal.
One of the founders of the Alhambra Methodist Episcopal Church, Eusebius Pollard, Sr., was one of its most valued members and earnest workers. His heart was wholly on the side of all worthy and elevating enterprises, and rarely was he ap- pealed to in vain by those in need of material assistance or public support. He was summoned to his reward June 10, 1894, but "his works do follow him," and to his children he has left the heritage of an unblemished name and reputation.
RANK WILBUR BURNETT. At an early period in the settlement of America the Burnett family was established in New York, and from that year (1723) to the present its members have borne an honorable part in the up- building of our country. Almost without ex- ception they have inherited from their Scotch forefathers the qualities of honesty, unflinching integrity, thrift and perseverance. One of the name, Capt. John Burnett, was an officer in the Revolutionary war, and his descendants, like himself, have always been found on the side of liberty and independence. The subject of this article was born in Jackson, Mich., in 1851, and in 1859 came to Illinois with his parents, Benja- min F. and Sarah (Mills) Burnett, his father afterward becoming a lawyer of prominence in sonthern Illinois. He was given exceptional educational advantages and took the law course in the University of Michigan, which is recognized as one of the foremost institutions in the world. After his graduation he weut abroad and spent the year 1873 visiting places of interest in the old world. On his return he continued the study of law. He was admitted to the bar at Edwards- ville, Ill., and became a member of the firm of Dale & Burnett. From that city he removed to Springfield, Ill., in 1880, and associated himself with two prominent attorneys in the organization of the firm of Green, Burnett & Humphrey, which became one of the leading and successful law firms of the state.
It had been Mr. Burnett's intention to devote his entire active life to professional work in Illi-
nois, where he had built up a large practice and gained a name for broad knowledge of the law. However, the failure of his health changed his plans for the future. He severed the associations of years and came to California, where the beatific climate and sunny skies restored him to his for- mer health. After a short sojourn in San Diego he came to Los Angeles in 1890, where he is en- gaged in practice. He has been on the successful side of a number of cases of importance, among them being, in the state supreme court, Adams vs. Seaman, and Barnes vs. Babcock; and, in the federal court, the Farmers' Loan & Trust Com- pany vs. the San Diego Street Car Company, in which, for the first time in California, principles of law were definitely settled of great importance to the financial institutions of the state. At this writing Mr. Burnett is attorney for two Los An- geles banks, the Los Alamitos Sugar Company, the Pasadena Gas Company, the Gila Valley, Globe & Northern Railway Company, and numerous other corporations and individuals of prominence. He has never held a public office, nor has he ever been a candidate for such honors. He is a member of the leading social clubs and fraternities of Los Angeles.
Mr. Burnett was married in 1879 in Edwards- ville, Ill., to Miss Katherine Bradsby, whose father, Col. Henry Clay Bradsby, a native of Illinois, is a writer of ability and a noted historian of local history. In 1890 Mr. Burnett built a residence at Eighth and Beacon streets, where he and his wife and their surviving child, Mildred, have since made their home.
OHN EDWARD HOLLENBECK was for years one of the most influential men of Los Angeles, to whose development he was a large and progressive contributor. His interests were varied and important; his career was one of unusual activity. Arriving in Los Angeles in the spring of 1876 he settled permanently in the city which he had visited two years before, and of whose future he had from the first cherished the greatest hopes. He purchased land on the east side of the Los Angeles river and erected what was at that time one of the most valuable residences in the entire state. This continued to be his home until his death. To the improve-
Mary J. Reich- Hyall
795
HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
ment of the place he gave much time and thought, and expended thousands in the embellishment of the several acres of grounds.
In 1878 Mr. Hollenbeck became a stockholder in the Commercial Bank of Los Angeles, and was elected its president, holding the position for three years. He then, with others, organized the First National Bank, of which he was chosen presi- dent, and he held the position until ill-health obliged him to retire from heavy business, respon- sibilities. After his resignation as president he and his wife spent many months in travel in this country and abroad. Before and after his return from Europe he bought large tracts of property, and at one time owned six hundred acres four miles south of the city limits. On this property he planted a vineyard of three hundred acres. He also owned land in the San Gabriel valley, on which he raised oranges, lemons and grapes. Among his other possessions was a grain and stock ranch, comprising thirty-five hundred acres of La Puente Rancho. In 1884 he built the Hol- lenbeck block, one hundred and twenty feet on Spring and two hundred and forty feet on Second street. At one time he was the principal owner of the East Los Angeles and Main and Sixth street horse-car line, and was also interested in the line to Boyle Heights.
After five months of gradually increasing weak- ness, Mr. Hollenbeck died September 2, 1885. His forethought was shown in the fact that he had made provision out of his estate for all of his relatives. In his passing from earth Los Angeles lost one of its most prominent and successful pioneers, and one who had ever been deeply in- terested in the promotion of the city's welfare.
RS. MARY J. KEITH HYATT. As a prominent factor in the social life and fra-
G ternal activities of Los Angeles, Mrs. Keith Hyatt is well known. She is the wife of Capt. C. W. Hyatt, whose· life-sketch appears in this work. The family of which she is a member originated in Scotland, and descends directly from the illustrious Marshal Keith. Those who came to America brought with them the sturdy qualities characteristic of their Scotch forefathers, and many of the name have been prominent in commerce and in society. Her parents were
William and Christie (Smith) Keith, the latter a sister of Capt. James Smith, of the Chicago Light Artillery, of Civil war fame. For years the head of the Smith family was George Smith, a successful banker of Chicago and an influential member of the Reform Club of Pall Mall, Lon- don; a man of keen business ability, he gained a financial success that was striking and notable, and all of his relatives were the beneficiaries of his generosity.
Mrs. Hyatt was reared in Chicago, Ill., and received fair educational advantages. February 10, 1865, she became the wife of Capt. C. W. Hyatt, who had obtained a leave of absence from the army in order to go to Chicago for the wed- ding ceremony. Captain and Mrs. Hyatt are the parents of a daughter and son living: Louise Maude and Major Chauncey Alanson, and lost one son, George Smith, in his infancy.
In the work of the Woman's Relief Corps Mrs. Hyatt has been prominent for years. She assisted in the organization of two branches of this order in Fremont, Neb., and also aided in the organization of the Ladies of the G. A. R. in the same town. In both of these organizations she is past-president and department aid, and for two years she served as chairman of the council of administration. Since coming to Los Angeles she has been equally active in the various ladies' auxiliaries of the Grand Army. She organized two tents of the Daughters of Veterans, and in Los Angeles she officiated as president and chap- lain. In addition, she held office as president of the Ladies of the G. A. R. She is also past- lady commander in the ladies' auxiliary of the Maccabees, and is identified with the Fraternal Brotherhood, also the Independent Order of For- esters. The State Grand Councilor of Chosen Friends conferred upon her a justly deserved honor by appointing her past-councilor, in recog- nition of meritorious services rendered this noble order. The appointment was made and the trib- ute paid to her successful work, both in her own and other lodges throughout the state, thus call- ing general attention of the members to her activities.
Mrs. Hyatt was assistant national instituting and installing officer of the Ladies of the Union Veterans' Legion for two years, also president and treasurer of this order in Los Angeles. Work-
796
HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
iug for and with the brave boys who wore the blue, and saved the Union, and brought back untar- nished the dear old flag that never knew defeat, has been her life work. How proud we are to have one country, one language and one flag!
2 ON PIO PICO, the last governor of Upper California under Spanish rule, was born in the mission of San Gabriel May 5, 1801, and was a son of José M. Pico by Doña Maria Eusta- quia Gutierrez, the former of whom died at San Gabriel in 1819 and the latter in 1846. One of their sons, Gen. Andrés Pico, a conspicuous char- acter in the early history of California, was born at the old presidio of San Diego November 30, 1810, and died February 14, 1876. When the United States invaded Mexico he served in the army of his country as general, and signed the peace agreement with General Fremont, who in after years was one of his stanch and warm friends. Another of the sons, José Antonio Pico, who was a soldier at Monterey, died at Santa Margarita. There were several daughters in the family, one of whom became the wife of Don Juan Forster, and another was Mrs. Maria Ortega, while two others married, in succession, José A. Carrillo.
The life of Don Pio Pico covered almost the entire period of the nineteenth century. He often in later life recalled the great earthquake of 1812 that destroyed the unfinished church of San Juan Capistrano, with many lives. He also remembered that in 1810 his father was impris- oned on account of having talked concerning Mexican independence in the company of which he was sergeant. In 1818 his father was sent to San Gabriel on account of the rising of the neophytes of the mission, but during the same year was recalled to San Diego to assist in the de- fense of that port against some pirates.
In 1821 Don Pio was employed by his brother- in-law, José Antonio Carrillo, to take twenty-five barrels of brandy to distribute among the mis- sionary fathers of the northern part of the terri- tory, as a present from Carrillo, who was then one of the most influential men in California. In 1828 Don Pio was appointed secretary of a con1- mission, of which Captain Portilla was the head, which was ordered by Governor Echandia to try
some charges against a Mexican citizen, in which the question of the precedence of the civil over the military authority was vigorously contested. The course of General Victoria was resisted by him, with others, in 1831, and their pronuncia- mento gained the support of all the military con- panies in San Diego. General Echandia placed himself at the head of the force and sent fifty men, under Captain Portilla, to Los Angeles, with orders to imprison the alcalde, Vincente Sanchez, and set at liberty citizens illegally im- prisoned. These orders were faithfully carried out. At the same time General Victoria reached the mission of San Fernando. The next day an en- gagement took place between the two forces, which resulted partly in favor of Victoria, but the next day he surrendered to Portilla.
Don Pio Pico was governor at the time of the change of government and faithfully endeavored to defend the territory, but the contest was a hopeless one, and he and his brother accepted the inevitable and became good American citi- zens, continuing as such during their remaining years.
OLOMON LAZARD. For a quarter of a century the president of the Hebrew Benev- olent Society, which he was mainly influen- tial in founding, Solomon Lazard has long been prominent in Los Angeles, and no less in his business than in his social career has he won the esteem and admiration of all who know him. He has witnessed nearly all of the growth of the modern "City of the Angels" and has been ac- tively connected with its commercial upbuilding for almost half a century. He is a charter mem- ber of the Pioneers' Society, and enjoys meeting the patriarchs "who builded better than they knew," and who, though hopeful, little dreamed of the wealth and beauty, the advanced civiliza- tion which a few decades would bring to this sunny southland.
A native of the province of Lorraine, France, Solomon Lazard was born in April, 1826. His father, Alexander Lazard, was a successful merchant and lived and died in Lorraine. He reached the ripe age of eighty-nine years, and his wife, Jeanette (Levy) Lazard, was three-score and ten years old when she was called to the si- lent land. One of the ancestors of our subject
797
HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
served as one of the guards of Napoleon Bona- parte. Of the six sons and one daughter born to Alexander and Jeanette Lazard, only Solomon and Leah survive.
When he was seventeen years of age young Lazard bade adieu to his native land and loving relatives, going forth to seek his fortune in the unfriendly world. He sailed from Havre, France, on the Silver de Graf, which vessel subsequently burned at San Diego, Cal. Arriving in New York City the young man clerked for about two years, and when the Mexican war came on he went to New Orleans and there established a store, which he managed successfully until 1851. He then sold out and with four friends started for California by way of the Isthmus of Panama. Nearly seventy days were consumed in making this trip, and in the meanwhile the ship barely escaped being wrecked several times. Mr. Laz- ard, with his fellow-voyagers, suffered terribly during this perilous trip in the totally unsea- worthy craft, and glad, indeed, were they to see the beautiful Golden Gate at San Francisco. Proceeding to Sacramento, he thence went to San José, where he remained for six months, but was not very successful in finding a business opening.
Having heard favorable reports of Southern California, Mr. Lazard came to Los Angeles to- wards the close of 1851, and having secured a stock of goods went to San Diego on the next steamer. He soon sold out there with the under- standing that lie would not become a competitor of the merchant to whom he disposed of his goods. Accordingly he arranged to embark in the same line of business at Stockton, and had just become well established there when he re- ceived word to the effect that he was needed in San Francisco, where the general headquarters of Lazard Freres were located. They had been destroyed by fire, and, true to the old saying, that "misfortunes never come singly," Mr. Laz- ard had not been gone from Stockton more than two hours when his own store there caught fire and was burned. Notwithstanding the series of disasters which had seemingly rendered useless all of his efforts to achieve a competence, he pos- sessed that determination of character which sur- mounts every obstacle so long as health remains. In July, 1852, he returned to Los Angeles and
opened a store at the corner of Aliso and Los An- geles streets, and for the ensuing fifteen years, and in fact during the most interesting part of the history of this city, he continued to do busi- ness at that one place. Fidelity to the best inter- ests of the public led to his receiving a large share of its patronage and year by year his profits increased. In 1867 he built one of the first brick stores erected in this city, and this place on Main street, known far and wide as the "City of Paris," was managed by him until 1875.
Thirty-two years ago Mr. Lazard, with Dr. J. S. Griffin and P. Beaudry, obtained a franchise from the city for the supplying of the city water, and from that time until the present Mr. Lazard, be- ing the only survivor of the above originators, has served as a member of the board having the matter in charge. As stated at the beginning of this article, he has had deeply at heart the wel- fare of the Hebrew people, and many of his re- ligious faith, as well as hosts having no claim whatever upon him, have been aided in the time of need by him, and in consequence he possesses the gratitude and veneration of a multitude. Kindly and sincere in disposition, of sterling honor and justice, it is small wonder that his name is a synonym for integrity. He long ago became a member of the Odd Fellows order and stands high in that fraternity.
The marriage of Mr. Lazard and Carrie New- mark took place in Los Angeles, July 5, 1865. Of the ten children born to them, but six survive, of whom the three daughters are married and live in Los Angeles. The oldest son is in the employ of the Capitol Milling Company of Los Angeles; one is with the London, Paris & Amer- ican Bank of San Francisco, while the youngest is studying medicine in Europe.
DWARD H. ROYCE. At the time when Mr. Royce first settled in Pasadena it pre- sented none of its present attractions except its picturesque scenery and delighful climate. These, however, were sufficient to draw to its peaceful abodes a number of eastern gentlemen, whose faith in its ultimate development and pros- perity never wavered from the first. One of the early settlers was Mr. Royce, who arrived here from Marshalltown, Iowa, in 1874. Although for
798
HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
some years subsequent he dwelt in Los Angeles, yet he constantly kept in touch with the develop- ment of Pasadena, and in 1881 returned to this city. He purchased twenty-two acres of land fronting on South Hill avenue, near the city lim- its, and planted the same to different varieties of citrus and deciduous fruits. From time to time he made valuable improvements to the property, and here he still resides. In addition to the man- agement of his ranch, he has been since 1891 a director of the Pasadena Lake Vineyard Land and Water Company, one of the most flourishing organizations of its kind in this section. He assisted in the incorporation of the Mountain View Cemetery Association, of which he served as president some twelve years, and which laid out the Mountain View Cemetery in 1883.
Mr. Royce was born in Grant county, Wis., November 28, 1847, a son of Lyman P. and Laura (Bristol) Royce. His father, a native of New York state, settled in Wisconsin in an early day; in 1852 he came to California and in 1875 to Pasadena, where he still makes his home. He is now (1900) in his eighty-seventh year. In his family are one son and two daughters, the latter being Mrs. E. P. Virgin, of Artesia, Cal., and Mrs. R. C. Case, of Westminster, Cal. Our subject was a boy of thirteen when, in 1860, he first came to California, crossing the plains from Wisconsin and arriving at Eureka after a tire- some journey of three months. In 1862, upon the death of his mother, he returned east via the Isthmus of Panama. After a short time in Illi- nois he again crossed the plains with other mem- bers of the family, arriving in Virginia City, Nev., in 1863. Soon afterward he went from there to Austin City, Nev., where he remained for three years. In 1866 he traveled across the plains on horseback, going to the vicinity of Chi- cago, Ill. Subsequently he went to Ohio and settled in Monroeville, where he was employed for two years. From there he returned to Chi- cago and spent one winter. In the spring of 1869 he made his third trip across the plains to the land of the golden gate. For a time he worked at Hamilton, White Pine county, Nev. In 1871 he went back east and spent some time in Chicago and Marshalltown, Iowa, in which latter place he was married, in 1873, to Miss Elsie A. Giddings. His travels have made him
familiar with with all of the great west, and the trans-Mississippi region is to him a great book, concerning which he has acquired a broad know1- edge. He is a man of public spirit, and has proved to be a good citizen, promoting plans for the benefit of his community and identifying himself with worthy interests. While he has never sought office nor been a politician, yet he is well informed in regard to public questions, and in politics gives his allegiance to the Repub- lican party. Fraternally he is connected with the Pasadena lodge of Masonry.
C. WELBOURN, M. D. During the few years which mark the period of Dr. O. C. , Welbourn's professional career he has met with gratifying success, and though his residence in Long Beach dates back scarcely six years, he has won the good will and patronage of many of the families of this place. He is a great student and endeavors to keep abreast of the times in everything pertaining to medical science, taking the leading journals devoted to the discussion of "the ills to which flesh is heir," and the treat- ment thereof. Progressive in his ideas and favor- ing modern methods as a whole, he does not dis- pense with many of the true and tried systems which have stood the test of years.
His father was Dr. E. L. Welbourn, who was actively engaged in medical practice in Union City, Ind., for many years, and was one of the most influential and respected citizens of that section. The birth of our subject occurred in that place twenty-nine years ago, and there he passed the days of his youth. He received his elementary education in the public schools and subsequently it was his privilege to pursue a course in the higher branches of learning at Bethany College, in West Virginia. He then began the study of medicine, for from his early years he had mani- fested unusual aptitude in everything relating to his father's profession, and under his guidance had laid the foundations of medical knowledge. After taking a thorough course in the Cleveland (Ohio) Eclectic Medical College and being grad- nated from there in 1891, he gave several years to practice in the hospitals in order to better equip himself for his subsequent duties. In 1894 le came to Long Beach, where he established an
GW tweedy
799
HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
office. Within a very short time he won the recent scions decided to try their fortunes in confidence of the people and his practice has steadily increased, until his time now is fully occupied and he rarely has any leisure.
That Dr. Welbourn stands high among his professional brethren is shown by the fact that for the past four years he has been honored with the responsible position of secretary of the South- ern California Medical Association and of the State Medical Association. His handsome suite of offices is in the Long Beach Bank building. He has erected a pretty, modern residence for his family and is prospering in every way. Socially he possesses those qualities of mind and heart which rarely fail of winning friends. Fraternally he belongs to the Knights of Pythias, the Macca- bees and the Woodmen of the World. He also has been identified with the Masonic order for some time and stands high in the estimation of his brother Masons.
Eight years ago Dr. Welbourn married Miss Daisy L. Vinson, who was born and reared in Kentucky, and who is a lady of amiable qualities and excellent attainments. They have one child, a little daughter, Hester L. by name. In the domestic circle the doctor finds his chief pleasure, and like the majority of California householders he spends considerable time in the beautifying of his property and in keeping his flowers and lawn in fine condition.
G EORGE WASHINGTON TWEEDY. Prominent among the many men in Lower California whose untiring efforts in the early days of her prosperity have contributed to the upbuilding and development of her boundless re- sources, George W. Tweedy has already reaped the reward of a useful and busy life in the vicin- ity of Rivera. His original purchase of land in 1869 was but the nucleus of various additions of more recent date, so that he is now one of the largest land owners in this section of the country.
Mr. Tweedy is a native of Conway county, Ark., where he was born January 13, 1844. His parents were Robert and Mary (Holyfield) Tweedy, natives respectively of Illinois and Alabama. The Tweedy family is of English ex- traction, the first members to arrive in America having settled in Alabama. In 1852 the more
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.