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 123
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In June, 1877, Major Wedemeyer's regiment was ordered west, and his company was stationed at Fort Wallace, Kans. During the following July he, with other companies of his regiment, were on duty in St. Louis, Mo., owing to the great railroad strike there; and in September, 1878, when the northern Cheyenne Indians broke away from the Indian territory, and were making their way through Kansas and Nebraska, the troops of Fort Wallace were called into requi- sition, and in December the Major's company were mounted and ordered to patrol the country to prevent further depredations from the red- skins. In May, 1879, he was sent to Baxter Springs, Kans., to drive out unauthorized per- sons from the Indian reservations, and just a year later he was ordered to Middle Park, Colo., to prevent the incursions of the Ute Indians. In November, 1880, the Sixteenth was sent to Fort Concho, Tex., and in October, 1881, Major Wede- meyer was detached from his company and ordered on recruiting service to Columbus Barracks, Ohio,
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where he remained until October, 1883. He re- joined his company in December, it being sta- tioned at Fort Stockton, Tex., and in June, 1885, returned to Fort Concho. In May, 1886, he was granted a sick-leave of one year, and spent this period at Hot Springs, Ark., and at his home in Watertown, Wis. Then, rejoining his command at Fort Concho, in June, 1887, in October of the same year he was ordered to San Antonio, Tex., where he remained until June, 1888. His regi- ment was then ordered to Utah, while his com- pany was sent to Fort Duquesne. There he re- mained until March, 1891, when he was promoted to the rank of major and was retired on account of disability.
In January, 1891, when it became certain that he would have to retire from the army perma- nently, Major Wedemeyer traveled extensively on the Pacific coast, and after making a thorough canvass of the matter decided to make his home in Los Angeles. During his whole service in the army his wife and children were always with him at permanent stations. His marriage to Miss Adol- phine Albertine Adele Becker, daughter of Dr. Johann Christian Becker, was solemnized at Pitts- ton, Pa., September 20, 1866. She was born in Wunsdorf, Germany, and her father, a distin- guished surgeon in the army of the kingdom of Hanover, came to the United States in 1850. He was born in Hildesheim, Germany, in 1808, and died in Pittston, Pa., in 1878. His ancestors had been citizens of Hildesheim for many generations. His wife, whose maiden name was Mathilde von Lode, was born in Hildesheim in 1810, and died in Pittston, Pa., in 1891. Her ancestors also were wealthy and influential personages in Hilde- sheim for hundreds of years. Two children blessed the union of our subject and wife: Adele Josephine, born October 14, 1869, at Vicksburg, Miss., and Otto Theodor, born at Nashville, Tenn., December 21, 1875. The daughter mar- ried John T. Griffith, and has a child, William Howard, born August 11, 1896. The son is a student in the University of California. The family attends St. Paul's Episcopal Church of Los Angeles.
In July, 1891, Major Wedemeyer, with his family, came to this city, and soon took up their abode in the pleasant home which he had built for them on Alvarado street. Since then he has
not engaged in business activities, though he has made a few local investments, and has a walnut ranch in the vicinity of Rivera. Politically he has been an earnest Republican since the organization of the party, and not only worked hard for the nomination and election of John C. Fremont in 1856, but when Lincoln was a candidate for the presidency he carried the torch and wore the cap and cape of a "wide-awake," and cast his last vote before entering the army for the Illinois "wood-chopper." His first vote after leaving the army service was cast in Los Angeles, in 1892, for Harrison. In 1896 he was honored by being chosen a delegate to the county and city conventions of Los Angeles.
Fraternally the Major is a member of the Masonic order, belonging to Pentalpha Lodge No. 202, F. & A. M. He takes great in- terest in local affairs, is connected with the cham- ber of commerce, the League for Better City Gov- ernment, and was the president of the humane society in 1896-97. He also belongs to the mili- tary order of the Loyal Legion and to the Grand Army of the Republic.
RTHUR L. WELLINGTON, who has been identified with the horticultural interests of Covina since 1891, is a well-known and - popular citizen, whose intelligence and worth are recognized among associates. In November, 1896, he was appointed postmaster, and filled the office for three and one-half years, winning good words not only from those of his own party, the Democratic, but from Republicans as well. At this writing, in addition to the management of his ten-acre orange orchard, he acts as vice- president and a director of the Covina Orange Growers' Association.
In Aroostook county, Me., Mr. Wellington was born May 6, 1857, a son of Albion P. and Myra G. (Foster) Wellington, natives of Maine. He was educated in common schools and the high school of Fort Fairfield, Me., after which he engaged in teaching school in his native county, and was also, for two and one-half years, a student in the University of Maine at Orono. On leaving the university he resumed teaching. For a short time he had charge of a mercantile business at Fort Fairfield. On coming further
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west he spent a short time in Minneapolis, Minn., and then went to Detroit, Mich., becoming a clerk for Pingree & Smith, shoe manufacturers, with whom he remained for ten years.
The first home of Mr. Wellington in California was at Pasadena, where he settled in 1890. The following year found him in Covina, which is still his home. He has witnessed the develop- ment of this valley and has himself been a factor in the promotion of its reputation as a centre for orange culture. The progress of his town has ever been a matter of importance to him. He assisted in the organization of the Covina Coun- try Club, of which he has since been an active member. He was also a prime mover in estab- lishing the Covina free reading room and library association, and at this writing holds office as president and a director of the same. Fraternally he is connected with the following orders at Covina: Independent Order of Odd Fellows, An- cient Order of United Workmen, Masons and In- dependent Order of Foresters.
G RIFFITH D. COMPTON. It has been said that men's lives are practically alike: that "born, married, died," is the summing up of the majority of careers, and, superficially con- sidered, this often appears to be truth. But, after all, the filling in of these meager skeleton of mountain-peak events in the life of the average man is what constitutes his individuality, and the one thing which truly counts, both in this life and the one to come, is character. And often has it been pointed out to us by the preacher, poet and philosopher, aye, by the lessons and experience of our own lives, that strong, rugged characters are formed only in the storm-that "flowery beds of ease" are not conducive to the nobility of soul and strength of mind which we admire and covet.
The paternal grandparents of our subject came from England to Virginia at an early day, and his parents, John J. and Susan (Chumley) Compton, were born and passed their entire lives in the old dominion. Griffith D. Compton was born in Pennsylvania county, Va., August 22, 1820, and, as he was reared upon a large planta- tion remote from schools, he had very meager op- portunities for obtaining an education. Indeed, his schooling was limited to attendance for six
months in the sixth year of his age. The school was held in an old log cabin, the cracks between the logs furnishing all the light in the building. When a mere child he was obliged to work on the plantation, of which his father was the over- seer, and from the time he was seven until he was sixteen he was kept at hard labor early and late. Small wonder that his spirit at last rebelled, for he was paid but little more than his board and a few poor clothes. One day he left home, without a cent of money and nothing of any value. He walked along the highway all day and that night stopped at the home of a friend of his family, Colonel Claybourn. Hungry and tired he told his story and resisted his friend's earnest admno- nitions to return home, saying that he would rather die. At last the colonel gave the young man a letter to a Mr. Stone, a rich man and mutual friend of the Comptons and Clay bourns. The colonel then gave him $5, which he ac- cepted as a loan, after protesting against taking it as a gift. Mr. Stone also treated him with kindness and tried to persuade him to return home, but, finding that he would not do so, he carried the unwilling prodigal back in his car- riage. After a long talk with our subject's parents Mr. Stone took him to his own home and placed him in charge of his son's small farm, with eight slaves to supervise. Calling them to- gether Mr. Stone informed them that they were to obey Mr. Compton, and, though the worthy man perhaps had some misgivings as to the ulti- mate fate of his tobacco crop, he risked it, and by trusting the young man gave him a sense of dignity and responsibility that he never had had before. At the end of three months Mr. Stone expressed his satisfaction as to the manner in which things had been managed on the plantation by paying our subject $100 and offering to hire him at a salary of $800 for the ensuing year. It finally was settled that he was to receive a pro- portion of the amount realized from the sale of the crops raised. At the end of the year he thus found himself in the possession of over $1,000 clear.
In the meantime Mr. Compton had earnestly endeavored to atone for some of the deficiencies of his education, and, by the kind assistance of his employer's daughter, learned to read, write and figure very well. He remained with Mr.
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Stone until he was nearly twenty, working diligently and carefully saving his funds and striving to improve himself in every way. At last he decided to try his fortune in the west, and, after giving his mother $3,000 which he had so long and arduously worked for (retaining only $50 for himself), he, in company with two others, started for Missouri. While passing through Kentucky he cast his first presidential ballot for Gen. W. H. Harrison. He changed his mind about going to Missouri and left the party to go to Illinois.
Arriving in Hamilton, Il1., he engaged in farming, and later was similarly engaged in Iowa. He was married in Illinois in 1840. In 1847 he went to Marion county, Iowa, and there, in company with a Mr. Jordan, laid out the town of Pleasantville. In 1849 he sold out to his partner and started for California by the overland route.
Arriving in Sacramento he engaged in mining, his first business being to repay the man with whom the made the journey and with whom he had contracted to work for a year and a half in return for the money which the other had ad- vanced for provisions and the expenses of the trip. Two other men had entered into the same agree- ment with the head of the train, but they lost no time in leaving him when they had reached their destination. Needless to say Mr. Compton did not follow their example, for he always has been a man of integrity and principle. His employer was grateful to him and did not hold him to the letter of their contract, instead paying him $500 for three months' work. At length, when he was ready to return home and to the wife and child, whom he had left in Iowa, he had $6,000 in gold to carry back. He returned by way of the Isthmus of Panama, and was one of about a thou- sand passengers on the old ship Constitution, bound for New Orleans. They were provided with such meager and obnoxious food that a small mutiny arose and fifty men were detailed to demand better fare, as they had paid for and been promised. After visiting the captain and stating their case in no mild terms, they threw overboard fifty barrels of poor bread, meat and other sup- plies, and during the remainder of the voyage fared much better. Mr. Compton went from the Crescent City to Keokuk, Iowa, ou a Mississippi
river steamboat and soou was at home. In 1852 he started with his wife and child for California, but the former died of the cholera in Nevada. There he continued to dwell for thirteen years, since which time he has been a resident of Los Angeles and has been practically retired. By judicious investments in real estate here he made his wealth, and at various times thousands of acres have passed through his hands. Honesty and justice have characterized all of his dealings with his fellow-men, and everyone who knows him respects and admires him. After settling in California he was married, in San Joaquin county, July 4, 1853. He is the father of four children now living: Mrs. George Flood; Eda, wife of Samuel Prince, of Riverside, Cal .; Charles Grant Compton, of Los Angeles; and Emma C., who married Frank B. Harbert, deputy sheriff of Los Angeles county.
Realizing to the full the value of a good edu- cation, for he often has felt himself sorely handi- capped for the lack of it, he has warmly seconded the building of institutions of learning and better facilities for the rising generation. He was one of the first trustees of the University of Southern California, and worked hard for the establishing of the university in Los Angeles. For the past sixteen years he has favored the Prohibition party, prior to which he gave his allegiance to the Republicans. For sixty years he has been an active aud valued worker in the Methodist Episcopal Church, and has been a liberal con- tributor to the building and maintenance of churches, having assisted in the erection of no less than forty-four churches in this conference district. During nearly the entire time of his connection with the denomination-three-score years-he has occupied official positions in the different churches with which he has held mem- bership.
ILLIAM B. SCARBOROUGH, member of the Los Angeles board of police commis- sioners, and prominently connected with the real-estate interests of this place, descends from an old English family after whom the town of Scarborough in England was named. From that city in a very early day two brothers came to America, one settling in Louisiana, the other in the northern states. William B. was born in
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the parish of Jackson, La., April 4, 1853, a son of of the grand council, Royal and Select Masters, J. W. and N. S. (Rutland) Scarborough. The of the state of California. father was captain of a cavalry company in the Confederate army during the Civil war. The mother was a member of a prominent eastern family in whose honor the town of Rutland, Vt., was named; one of her brothers was for years a judge of the superior court of Louisiana.
When our subject was three years of age his parents moved to Natchitoches, on the Red river, and there his early life was passed. In 1868 they again moved, this time settling in Waco, Tex., where he became a student in the university, tak- ing the regular course and graduating iu 1874. During the same year he started out in life for himself and has since been self-supporting. His mother had died when he was small, and his father now lives with him. His first position was that of assistant bookkeeper and cashier in a wholesale mercantile institution, but after six months he embarked in business for himself. Although he had prepared himself for the law, his tastes were in the line of business. In 1875 heopened a wholesale and retail grocery in Waco, Tex., and this enterprise he conducted until March, 1882, meantime gaining an excellent rep- utation for reliability and intelligence.
Since February, 1885, Mr. Scarborough has re- sided in Los Angeles, his home being at No. 1020 West Twenty-second street. He has carried on a large conveyancing business and is said to have drawn more legal papers, deeds, mortgages, etc., than any other gentleman in the city. He has also laid out, or assisted in laying out, a number of valuable additions to the city. In other ways he has been closely identified with the progress and development of his home town, to whose wel- fare he is ardently devoted and of whose future he has the most glorious hopes, believing that the city by the sunset sea will in time stand far ahead of any other city west of the Mississippi Valley. The Democratic party, in which faitlı he was reared, has always received his support, and he has never swerved in his allegiance to its principles. While living in Waco, Tex., he served efficiently as a member of its city council. He now holds the office of police commissioner. Fraternally a Mason, he had filled all the chairs in his lodge, chapter and commandery before he was thirty years of age and he is now an officer
The remarkable clerical ability of Mr. Scar- borough has been demonstrated in many ways, and he is by nature peculiarly fitted for this work. His memory of names and addresses of the mem- bers of large bodies has become proverbial. For the past seven years he has been secretary of two of the higher bodies of Masonry, viz .: Signet Chapter and Los Angeles Commandery, and he can give, without a moment's hesitation, the name and address of every member of both or- ganizations.
It 1878 he married Miss Maggie Daniel, who was born in Selma, Ala., reared in Marion, that state, and graduated from the Judson Female Institute. Of the seven children born to their union, only three are living, Margie, Robert Rut- land and Ruth.
ROF. CHARLES MELVILLE PARKER, president of the board of directors of the Pasadena Lake Vineyard Land and Water Company, has made his home in Pasadena since September, 1885, and is one of the well-known horticulturists of this vicinity. Those who meet him in California, find him so thoroughly in- formed concerning the resources of the state, so enthusiastic concerning its possibilities and so progressive in his citizenship, that it is difficult to believe he has ever resided elsewhere. How- ever, like so many of California's best known men, he has spent much of his life in the east and is a descendant of colonial ancestry. His great- grandfather, Capt. Richard Parker, commanded the Boston tea party and had charge of the throw- ing of the British tea into Boston harbor. He had a relative, Captain Parker, of Acton, Mass., who was among the first patriots to fall in battle during the Revolutionary war. Another member of the same family, in later generations, was the illustrious Theodore Parker. Scarborough Park- er, the professor's grandfather, was a soldier in the war of 1812.
In Franklin county, Me., Charles M. Parker was born. November 17, 1843, a son of Cyrus and Harriet (Norton) Parker, natives of Maine. He prepared for college in the Maine Wesleyan Sem- inary, at Kent's Hill, Me. In 1868 he graduated
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from Wesleyan University at Middletown, Conn., receiving the degree of A. B. then, and that of A. M. later. Subsequently he taught in prepar- atory schools and also filled the chair of mathe- matics in the Wesleyan Female College at Cin- cinnati, Ohio. His entire work as an educator covered a period of seventeen years. In the work of teaching he was more than ordinarily success- ful. He had the faculty of imparting knowledge in an interesting manner, and almost invariably was able to aronse the enthusiasm of the student concerning the study in hand.
Oncoming to Pasadena, Professor Parker became interested in the raising of fruit, in which he has since continued with success. Since 1891 he has been president of the Pasadena Lake Vineyard Land and Water Company, in the management of which he has been the principal factor. With all of his business cares he yet finds time for relig- ious work. He was the first president of the Pasadena Y. M. C. A. and served in that capacity for several years. He is connected with the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Pasadena and at this writing is president of the board of trustees. The high esteem in which he is held is shown by his appointment as executor of several estates, both in the east and in California. The confi- dence of the people is his. He is a public-spir- ited man and gives his encouragement to enter- prises for the benefit of his city and county. Po- litically he has ever been in sympathy with Re- publican principles. He cast his first presiden- tial vote for Gen. U. S. Grant in November, 1868, walking fourteen miles in the face of a north- east snow storm, to vote for the man of his choice.
August 17, 1871, Professor Parker married Miss Mary E. Hatch, of Sanford, Me., daughter of the late Stephen Hatch, of that place. They are the parents of four children, namely: Emma E., a graduate of Pomona College at Claremont, Cal .; Mary M., also a graduate of this institution; Edith B., a student in Pomona College; and Carl H., who is attending the Pasadena high school.
EGRAND PARKER. Standing at the head of several important local enterprises, and actively identified with the welfare of Los Angeles, LeGrand Parker is entitled to rep- resentation among our citizens and progressive
business men. He is one of that large class of men that America especially delights to honor -- one who has carved ont his own way, and from a poor boy has risen to a position of wealth and in- fluence entirely on his individual merits.
His father, D. L. Parker, was a successful law- yer, but he was called to the silent land when our subject was a mere child, and in consequence the latter was early thrown upon his own resources. His mother, a native of Lorain county, Ohio, was a Miss Rood in her girlhood. The birth of Le Grand Parker took place in Washington county, Iowa, in May, 1844, and for several years he at- tended the public schools. When he was sixteen years of age he left the quiet routine of home life, and entered upon the more serious duties opening before him.
At that time he took charge of an ox-team and joined a company which started from the Mis- souri river and proceeded over the plains to Den- ver. Though the trip was an exceedingly long and dangerons one, it was not his last, for he made several journeys of the kind, sometimes when the Indians were on the warpath and the little cavalcade was particularly menaced, as a number of times during the progress of the Civil war, when the redskins in the west took advan- tage of the necessary withdrawal of army troops. In 1863 and 1864 young Parker engaged in mining and prospecting to some extent in Montana, and there he witnessed some of the extreme meas- ures to which the "vigilance committees" were forced to resort in order to preserve even a sem- blance of order. The climax of his experiences in this direction took place one night, when sixteen men were hanged for various deeds of violence and outlawry.
Eventually returning to his native state, Mr. Parker obtained a position with the United States Express Company, and in time became thorough- ly trusted and relied upon by all with whom he had business dealings. He remained in the em- ploy of that company until he had completed a quarter of a century of service, fifteen years of that period being spent in Milwaukee.
Having accumulated considerable capital by judicious investments, Mr. Parker determined to try his fortunes on the Pacific coast, and in 1892 came to Los Angeles county. Buying several ranches, he proceeded to improve and develop
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them, but of late years he has been especially san- guine over the oil business, and has made some excellent investments. He now stands at the head of the Milwaukee Oil Company, which was organized three years or less ago, and has already assumed flattering proportions. The company owns a large and well-equipped plant, and the trade which it controls is especially desirable and remunerative. Mr. Parker's ability and good judgment in business matters are beyond ques- tion, and to his energy much of the prosperity which his company enjoys must be attributed. His career reflects great credit upon him, for he has been animated by lofty principles from his youth, and his sterling traits of character com- mand the admiration and respect of all who know him.
Mr. Parker is married and has two children. In his political convictions he is a Democrat. Though he has frequently been urged to accept public offices of more or less responsibility and honor, he has declined such distinction until re- cently, when, to please his political friends, he became a city police commissioner of Los Angeles. Needless to say, he is as conscientious and faith- ful to the interests of the public as he has ever endeavored to be when in the private walks of life.
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