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 93

Author: Guinn, James Miller, 1834-1918
Publication date: 1901
Publisher: Chicago : Chapman Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 996

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Just after sunset the building was completed, two hundred and fifty cots in position, dressed ready for patients, an office at the front end for records, etc., an operating room at one side near the center equipped for the surgeons, while at the rear end was a dining room, with tables and seats for one hundred convalescents, a kitchen, with stoves and furniture in place, and store- rooms for both provisions and clothing. Out- buildings, drainage and the general sanitary condition of the immediate surroundings had also been looked after. Dr. Hunt marks that as one of his busy days while in the service. Two days later, May 10, found him with his regiment,

together with several others, on the march for Norfolk, which city his regiment was the first to enter, the Confederate troops having evacuated on the approach of the northern forces, and the ironclad Merrimac lying near, had been burned and blown up. The doctor has a piece of one of her timbers, burned at one end, obtained for him by a member of his regiment, from the wreck, one of his souvenirs of the war. He had been in Norfolk but a few days when he was ap- pointed by the President and commissioned brigade surgeon of volunteers (afterward known as surgeon United States volunteers) in order to accept which, he resigned his state commission 'as regimental surgeon. He was now ordered back to Fortress Monroe to take charge of the hospital which had been so recently and hastily constructed under his supervision. He found it already christened "Mill Creek General Hos- pital," and filled to overflowing with wounded men; later, a number of buildings of like general character were constructed in the immediate vicinity, each having a capacity of about one hundred beds, all of which came uuder his super- vision. His labors were exceedingly arduous, and as a consequence, in September following, he became seriously ill, and was finally sent home, it was thought, to die, indeed it was re- ported at one time that he was dead, but, though brought to the edge of the grave, he did not succumb. In December, 1862, being still weak aud unfit for active duty in the army, he was honorably discharged from the service.

On his return to Jersey City, in March, 1863, he was requested to assume the position and duties of surgeon on a United States transport for one trip, from New York to New Orleans, and return, the regular surgeon being temporarily indisposed. He accepted the position, believing that the voyage would aid in hastening his further recovery of strength and endurance. In May following he returned to Jersey City and re- sumed practice.

In 1864 he was appointed examiner for the board of enrollment (preparatory for the draught for the army) in his district. Notwithstanding he had been honorably discharged from the serv. ice for disability, thereby being exempt from draught, he exhibited his patriotic feeling by sending a substitute into the army.

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For almost thirty years Dr. Hunt was engaged in practice in Jersey City. When he announced his intention to remove to California, his pro- fessional brethren arranged a grand banquet in his honor, and, besides the leading medical men of the city, many from New York and other cities attended, as well as some of the editors and prominent citizens; the presiding officer of the occasion being ex-Congressman Orestes Cleve- land, then mayor of the city. Among the speakers on that occasion ex-Mayor Collins contributed his testimony to the doctor's worth, professionally and otherwise, and then, in a remarkably feeling address, presented him with a handsome gold-headed cane, on behalf of his professional brethren. Dr. Hunt accepted the gift in a few words expressive of his gratitude and appreciation. This feast was but a slight indication of the genuine esteem in which he was held by the people of Jersey City. He did much to promote the welfare of the place. One of the lasting monuments to his work is the Jer- sey City Hospital, of whose medical board he was the first president, and a member of its surgical staff for nearly twenty years. He was also for several years surgeon to the Hudson County Church Hospital and Home. He was a member of the Hudson County Medical Society and many other medical organizations of the east.

When he came to Los Angeles, in 1889, Dr. Hunt made the change in the hope of benefiting his wife's health, which has been happily real- ized. Hedid not anticipate doing an extensive busi- ness, and does not now claim to have a large and lucrative practice, but to be doing only his share of business. Hischeering, sympathetic, conscien- tious care and advice, have often accomplished happy results for his patients, when the material materia medica failed. His judgment and skill as a surgeon have never been questioned by either his professional peers or the laity, who have known him, or had an opportunity to see the results of his labors.

While in the east he was actively identified with the Masonic order. I11 1892 he was elected commander of Stanton Post, G. A. R., of which he is still a member. He and his wife have been members of the Congregational Church for many years. His marriage, in Springfield, Mass., Oc- tober ro, 1866, united him with Miss N. Adeline

Reynolds, daugher of H. S. Reynolds. She is a lineal descendant from Revolutionary sires. Her mother's grandfather, Thomas Durant, was a corporal in the colonial army, and participated with the "minute inen" at the battle of Lexing- ton; later in the war he was promoted to a cap- taincy. The father of Capt. Thomas Durant's wife, William Clark, was also a captain in the Revolutionary army. Dr. and Mrs. Hunt have had four children, only two of whom are now living, John Wesley and Carll W. Hunt. The former was a member of the Seventy-first New York Regiment, Spanish-American war, and partici- pated in the battle of San Juan Hill, July 1, 1898. A bullet tore his tin cup from his belt and another passed through his hat, but he was uninjured by them; later in the day he was sun- struck, carried to the rear unconscious and lay upon the ground until the next morning, when he was taken to the hospital. A few days later he was placed on board a transport and sent to the general hospital at Fortress Monroe, where, just thirty-six years before, his father was caring for the sick and wounded from the battlefields of the great Civil war.

OHN F. FRANCIS. Leaders in govern- ment, leaders in social affairs, leaders in commerce, leaders in thought and in the alleviation of the ills of the human race are al- ways in demand, hence always born. To this class belongs John F. Francis, whose name is well known to the citizens of Los Angeles. The city owes much to his enterprise and wise judg- ment, and it were well, indeed, had Southern California a multitude of like noble men to de- velop her latent resources. As a business man he possesses the elements of accretion and retain- ment, as a host he has no superior and as a club man everyone admires him. His name is associ- ated intimately with many enterprises for the ad- vancement of his home town. He is a director of the Farmers and Merchants' Bank, vice-presi- dent of the Chamber of Commerce, vice-president of the Free Harbor League, vice-president of the Associated Charities, and a prominent member of the California, Sunset and Jonathan clubs. In 1897 he was president of La Fiesta de Los Angeles, and as such was largely instrumental

EMM Sovaly

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in securing the success of that festival, which forms so important a part of the social life of the city.

Born in Clinton, Iowa, Mr. Francis was the son of a shipbuilder who was employed on the Clyde and Mersey rivers in England, but came from there to America and lost his life in the mines of California in 1853. On leaving school Mr. Fran- cis started on a voyage around the world; but with a devotion which leads one to seek the land of his birth he sought his native country. Pos- sessing a love for military affairs, at the age of sixteen he enlisted in the Kansas Volunteer Cav- alry under the command of Capt. David L. Payne, with whom he had many thrilling experiences in the noted Indian campaign on the western Kan- sas frontier in 1867. Afterward he spent several years adventuring over the plains and mountains of Wyoming, Colorado and California, obtaining a rich fund of information, so that by the time he came of age he was in possession of valuable ideas regarding this great country. He next vis- ited all the great places and points of interest in Europe, returning to California in 1888. After a short time here the death of a friend took him back to Europe, where he remained until 1891.

The marriage of Mr. Francis in 1892 united him with Dona Maria de Los Reyes Dominguez, youngest daughter of Don Manuel Dominguez, whose father, Don Cristobal Dominguez, was an officer of the Spanish army at the time California came into the possession of the United States. During the last European trip of Mr. and Mrs. Francis, which lasted seven months, they met many of the leading statesmen on the continent, visited nearly every place of interest from Scot- land to the Adriatic and were given a private audience by the Pope in Rome. These broad ex- periences of travel and contact with the great men of both continents have made Mr. Francis a man of culture, wide in useful knowledge and replete in social characteristics. He knows so much and knows so well that his helpful hand and mind are sought in every movement to en- large the city's welfare and increase her influence in the great west. Socially he possesses qualities of a high order. A fine conversationalist, with agreeable manner, he is the life of every social circle. Moreover, he is a gentleman of generous impulses, sanguine in temperament, whole-souled

and open-hearted and attracts and secures confi- dence at first sight. With his admirable conver- sational qualities, his fund of anecdotes and his genial disposition he never fails to entertain his friends. Through all his life he has shown a deep attachment to his friends. Coupled with other qualities is his worth as a citizen, which has won for him the respect of the citizens of his home town.

DWARD NATHANIEL McDONALD. A worthy representative of sterling Celtic an- cestors, Edward Nathaniel McDonald exem- plified in his life the traits for which his race have been noted in the annals of history-in- tegrity, courage and strength of mind, independ- ence of thought and action, and the power of molding and shaping circumstances into elements of progress. For nearly half a century his destiny was linked with that of California, and his dearest hopes and most ambitious plans cen- tered here. Her rapid and substantial progress was a matter of deep concern and rejoicing with him and, upon his side, he neglected no oppor- tunity to advance the welfare of his chosen state.

The father of the above-named gentleman, Collin McDonald, was a native of the highlands of Scotland, while the wife and mother was born near Dublin, Ireland. They crossed the broad Atlantic in an early day, and resided in Oswego county, N. Y., for a number of years. They were good and reliable citizens of their adopted land, and were honored and highly esteemed by all who knew them.

The birth of Edward Nathaniel McDonald took place upon the parental homestead in Oswego county, N. Y., May 9, 1832. His boy- hood was spent in the quiet routine of agricul- tural pursuits and his elementary education was obtained in the common schools of his neighbor- hood. He was an apt and ambitious student and it was early seen that he possessed the some- what adventurous spirit which has led to all of the great discoveries and conquests of remote and modern times. In 1844 he accompanied his parents to Berrie, Canada, but in 1848 he re- turned, alone, to New York state and made his home in Washington county until 1853, mean- time learning thoroughly both the blacksmith and wagonmaker's trades. He was at the most

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impressible age when the glowing accounts of the "forty-niners" in the far west reached him, and he determined to seek a home and fortune for himself as soon as possible in the famous Eldo- rado of the west.

After a voyage by steamer from Panama Mr. McDonald arrived in San Francisco October 17, 1853. From there he went to San Pedro, where he arrived October 25. He found employment with Alexander & Banning, with whom he re- mained until 1858, and then embarked in the mercantile business at San Pedro. However, he afterward moved his stock of goods to Wilming- ton and sold the business. His next business was as superintendent of the building of wharves and warehouses for Banning & Co. In 1859 he formed a partnership with S. H. Wilson, and embarked in sheep-raising on Catalina Island, where he remained for three years, until the dry season of 1862 forced him to give up the busi- ness. Obliged to begin once more at the foot of the ladder, without capital, he returned to Ban- ning & Co., as a wagonmaster. Soon he had general charge of their freight business and workshops. He continued in their employ until the close of the Civil war. In 1865 he opened a meat market at Wilmington. The next year he moved to Arizona, where he had a contract with Banning & Co., to move freight at six cents a pound. He freighted on the Arizona river and in one year earned $15,000. Returning to Wil- mington in 1867, he again entered the sheep business, this time meeting with good success. After fourteen years in that occupation he turned his attention to extensive farming, in which he was also successful. During the land boom, from 1886 to 1890, he sold much of his property, and invested some of the profits in Los Angeles city real estate.

For forty-six years he was a resident of Los Angeles county and during this long period he beheld its transformation from a condition little better than a desert to the fruitful and beautiful land as it appears to-day. With patriotic pride he strove to perform his full share of the gigantic labors in which his fellow-citizens have been en- gaged, in order to accomplish this wonderful change, and by his means, ballot and general in. fluence he stood firmly for progress and good government along all lines of human endeavor.

October 19, 1865, Mr. McDonald married Miss Mary Hamilton Winslow, of Washington coun- ty, N. Y. She was a daughter of Thomas and . Mary (Hamilton) Winslow, and was left an orphan at the age of eight years, after which she was adopted by James H. and Jane S. Savage. Shortly before her marriage in 1865, Miss Wins- low came to California, where she has since made her home. By her marriage to Mr. Mc- Donald two sons were born. The elder son, who was named Winfred Savage, in honor of Mrs. McDonald's foster parents, was born March 1, 1871, and lived to be a promising young man, but died June 22, 1896. The second son, Ran- som Waldon, was born October 26, 1872, and de- parted this life November 27, 1886. The death of Mr. McDonald, which occurred June 10, 1899, left Mrs. McDonald the only surviving member of the family, hence this last bereavement fell upon her with especial force. She is a lady of gentle character, kind to all, and by her long life of usefulness has won a warm place in the affec- tion of the community which has been her home for so many years.

HARLES C. BROWN, a pioneer of Pasa- dena, has numerous important interests in this city. For some years he has engaged in buying, selling and transferring real estate, and also carries on an insurance business, repre- senting the London Assurance Company, of London, England. He was one of the original promoters of the Pasadena Lake Vineyard Land and Water Company, with which he- has since been officially connected; not only has he for years been a director of the company, but he has also served as president of the board, and thus has been influential in promoting its interests in a more than ordinary degree.

Mr. Brown was born in Wigtownshire, Scot- land, December 18, 1844, a sou of James and Sarah (Cowan) Brown. His father was a na- tive of the north of Ireland and moved to Scot- land when a young man. His mother was a native of the Scottish Lowlands. The former, during the greater part of his life, was overseer of the Bruce estate and resided with the third generation of the family on that plantation. His death occurred when he was about eighty-two

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years of age. The boyhood days of our subject were passed in a region made famous by Robert Burns in his inimitable poems. In 1859 he came to America and proceeded to Lake county, Ill., where he hired out as a farm hand to a Mr. Horton. Later he was employed by the Cleaver family in the same county and for several years managed their farm. During the winter months he attended the district school, doing chores on the farm to pay for his board. In that way he gained the elements of an education, to which practical experience added in after years.

In April, 1863, Mr. Brown enlisted in Battery M, Second Illinois Light Artillery, which was assigned to the Fourth Army Corps under Gen- eral Burnside. He enlisted as a private and was afterward promoted to be sergeant of Bat- tery M. During the latter part of his service he was a civil route agent, carrying mail between different points from April, 1864, until he was discharged, some three months after the surrender of General Lee. At the siege of Knoxville he carried a dispatch across the river to Colonel Cameron, who commanded the infantry there. The act was considered a very daring feat, and in recognition of his bravery he was allowed to return home for three months as a recruiting officer.

February 3, 1864, Mr. Brown married Miss Augusta Cleaver, of Lake county, Ill. They had one son, Charles H., now deceased. Their only surviving child is a daughter, Ethelyn M.

In 1877 Mr. Brown came to California and took charge of the fruit interests of C. T. Hop- kins at Oakland, where he remained until 1879. He then came to Pasadena, his present home, under a four years' contract to take charge of the Mutual Orchard Company's interests. After the expiration of the period stipulated in the con- tract he remained with the company for eight- een months, and then turned his attentiou to real estate and insurance. The welfare of his city and county receive a due share of his thoughts. He favors measures for the benefit of his com- munity. The Republican party receives his vote, both in local and national elections. For four years he served as street commissioner of Pasa- dena. For a similar period he was a commis- sioner of Los Angeles county. He is connected with the Episcopal Church and has officiated as

a vestryman in the same. Fraternally he has been identified with the blue lodge and chapter of Masonry in Pasadena.

SOL. I. R. DUNKELBERGER. Surely no one is more deserving of a place in the an- nals of his country than the man who has fought on many a battlefield in order that the nation might be preserved in its unity, and who, when resuming the ordinary routine of life, proved himself no less patriotic and devoted to whatever he believed to be for the lasting benefit of the land. This, in brief, is the epitome of Colonel Dunkelberger's career, but a more de- tailed account of his life will prove of interest to his numerous friends.

Needless to say, the family of which he is a member is of German extraction. About one and three-quarters centuries have passed since it was founded in America. His ancestors crossed the Atlantic ocean in the ship Morehouse, which arrived in Philadelphia, August 24, 1724. He was born in Northumberland county, Pa., May 4, 1832. Early in life he entered the law office of Hon. J. B. Packer, of Sunbury, Pa., where he continued his studies until he was admitted to the bar.

The day following that important event in his history, being the day of the firing on Fort Sumter, Mr. Dunkelberger enlisted in Company E, First Pennsylvania Infantry, and was soon promoted to be first sergeant of his company. May 26, 1861, he was commissioned second lieutenant of the First United States Dragoons, later known as the First United States Cavalry. On the Ist of June he was commissioned first lieutenant in the same regiment. Two years later, in recog- nition of his bravery, he was promoted to the captaincy of Company K, First United States Cavalry. After his distinguished bravery at the battle of the Wilderness he was made major of his regiment. For daring and brilliant action at the engagement of Cold Harbor he was brev- etted lieutenant-colonel. Though in active serv- ice during the entire war he was fortunate in escaping injury in every battle except two. While he was in command of his regiment, at Trevilian Station, Va., he was shot through the body and seriously wounded. After the war he

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continued in the regular army, and for six years he was stationed in Arizona fighting the Apaches. At the expiration of that period he resigned his commission and retired from the army. In 1876 he was reappointed and was ordered to Texas, but declined to serve. After leaving the army he established his home in Los Angeles. Here he soon won the esteem of those with whom busi- ness or social relations brought him into contact. In 1877 his fellow-citizens recommended him for appointment as postmaster of Los Angeles, which position was tendered him by General Grant, then president. From that year until 1885 he filled the office with the same zeal and ability which had characterized him during his army service.

The marriage of Colonel Dunkelberger and Miss Mary Mallard, of Los Angeles, took place February 26, 1867. They became the parents of seven children, viz .: James Cameron, deceased; Cordelia D., Orem, Rothermel, Victor, Augusta, Coey and Josephine. Mrs. Dunkelberger is a daughter of Joseph Stillman Mallard, of French descent, whose grandfather, Capt. Jean Mallard, was an officer under Napoleon. Joseph Stillman Mallard came to Los Angeles January 1, 1850, and was one of the first three Americans who brought their wives to this city. He was an attorney, but later became interested in horti- culture. A pioneer of the true old type, he was honored and respected by all. He died in Los Angeles, May 13, 1894.

D HARLES FREDERICK HOLDER, LL.D., is widely known throughout the United States and many foreign lands for his work in literature. He comes of sturdy English stock, his ancestors having been among the eleven Friends who fled from England in 1657 and sailed for America on the ship Woodhouse. Five of the eleven settled in New York, others went to Rhode Island, while Christopher Holder and John Copeland established their home in Boston. However, in the Bay state, as in England, they found that their religious belief brought them frequent persecution and imprisonment, as in- tolerance had already taken deep root in Massa- chusetts. Opposite the Friends' burying-ground at Lynn, Mass., is the old Holder residence,

which, although erected in 1690, is still in good condition and is occupied at the present time. In this house was born Joseph Bassett Holder, M. D., who became a naturalist of note and was the author of many scientific works of value. He was an intimate friend of Louis Agassiz and Prof. Spencer F. Baird, the latter of whom was for years secretary of the Smithsonian Institute at Washington.

In 1859, at the solicitation of Professors Agas- siz and Baird, Dr. Holder made a thorough exam - ination of the coral reefs and fauna of the states and countries bordering on the gulf of Mexico. During the seven years that he was engaged in this work he gained a most valuable fund of in- formation regarding the natural history of the regions he visited. Afterward he became as- sociated with Prof. A. S. Bickmore in the estab- lishment of the American Museum of Natural History in Central Park, New York City.

Charles Frederick Holder was born in Lynn, Mass., August 5, 1851. When he was a boy he had the advantage of study with his talented fa- ther, whom he accompanied on many important expeditions, including the tour of the gulf of Mexico countries. When not more than seven- teen years of age he contributed articles to the literary press of the day. In 1875 he became consulting naturalist of the New York Aquarium, where he conducted the scientific classification of specimens and published articles relating to then.

To Professor . Holder is due the enlistment of young people in the study of natural history in America, for he popularized an otherwise dry and to many a tedious study. His researches and labors have not been confined to the United States. His writings have been translated into the French and Swedish languages and many of his articles have been published in the leading magazines of those and other countries. In 1877 he gave up all other interests in order to devote himself wholly to literary work, his first book, "Elements of Zoology," being published in 1885. A year later appeared "Marvels of Animal Life," which was followed in 1887 by the "Ivory King," a book devoted to the elephant and his allies. The same year he published the "Living Light," which treated of animal phosphores- cence. During the years 1888-89 he wrote "A

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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 93

Author: Guinn, James Miller, 1834-1918 Publication date: 1901 Publisher: Chicago : Chapman Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 996

Author: Guinn, James Miller, 1834-1918
Publication date: 1901
Publisher: Chicago : Chapman Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 996