Historical and biographical record of southern California; containing a history of southern California from its earliest settlement to the opening year of the twentieth century, Part 132

Author: Guinn, James Miller, 1834-1918
Publication date: 1902
Publisher: Chicago, Chapman pub. co.
Number of Pages: 1366

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WILLIAM P. RAMSAUR. The death of William P. Ramsaur, in October of 1896, re- moved one of the substantial citizens and prin- cipal developers of Los Angeles county, and de- prived many friends of a faithful ally in whom they could invariably put their trust. While an all-around agriculturist on a large scale, he was particularly known as an authority on the sub- ject of hog raising, to which he devoted much time and attention, and in which occupation he achieved remarkable success. He came to Cali- fornia in 1869, with a large fund of practical business and other experience to apply to his in- terests here, having been previously a planter in Mississippi and Arkansas. He was born in North Carolina in 1834, and until the war was a southern sympathizer, but, after losing all that he had in the world while living in the south, his affiliations became essentially northern, and some of his most devoted friends and associates were supporters of the Union.

In 1876 Mr. Ramsaur settled in the vicinity of Florence, where he purchased one hundred acres of land, to which he added from time to time un- til he had four hundred and fifty acres. Orig- inally the property was a vast sheep pasture over- grown with wild mustard, but a transformation was effected under his industrious hand and good management, a fine rural home was erected, and barns and outhouses in keeping with the general air of thrift and prosperity. At present the extent of the ranch is two hundred and forty- five acres, and the staple crop is barley and alfalfa.

The marriage of Mr. Ramsaur and Florence Walker occurred in Los Angeles in 1874, Mrs. Ramsaur being a native of Quincy, Ill., and a daughter of E. D. Walker, who came to Califor- nia in 1861, and eventually died in the state of his adoption. The family is descended from that courageous band of French Protestants called Huguenots, and who dispersed to various parts of Europe in search of the liberty denied them in Catholic France. Mrs. Ramsaur, who is liv- ing on the home ranch, is the mother of four sons and one daughter : Lee M. of Los Angeles ; Wil- liam H., Lucian C., Sydney and Ernest. Lucian

C., who has charge of his father's property, is a fine business manager, and intelligent agricul- turist and stock-raiser. So large are his inter- ests, that in addition to the home property he works one hundred acres of land. Like his father before him he is a Democrat in politics.

JACOB BOSSHARD. Did he choose to dis- continue his successful occupation of farming, Mr. Bosshard has ever at his command a suf- ficient knowledge of music to make him a valu- able acquisition to any orchestra or musical organization, a talent which he exercised for many years with commendable results. A na- tive of the picturesque and thrifty country of Switzerland, he was born in 1849, a son of John and Catherine Bosshard, also born and reared among the grandest scenery in the world. The family emigrated to America in 1864, and a year later, in Utah, the father died, and left them dependent upon their own exertions. About 1870, Jacob Bosshard left Utah and settled in California, and in Los Angeles, which then had a population of five thousand souls, himself and two brothers organized a band known as the Bosshard Band, which was in wide demand, owing to their understanding of music, and their excellent interpretation of the best musical composers. This congenial occupation was con- tinued until 1891, at which time Mr. Bosshard left his brothers still pursuing their musical career, and he himself came here and purchased sixty acres of land on the corner of Compton and Shorb avenues. Thirty acres of this land was afterwards sold, but the remainder has been improved by its owner, and is valued at about $300 per acre. The farm has artesian water, and is devoted principally to the raising of alfalfa and the cultivation of beets.

In Los Angeles, in 1884, Mr. Bosshard mar- ried Mary Reishsteiner, and of this union there are five children, Olga, Hermann, Selma, Orlo, and Arthur. In national politics Mr. Bosshard is a Democrat, but his arduous duties have never permitted of the requisite leisure for the holding of political office. He is a broad-minded and enterprising member of the community, and his success is proof of well directed energy, and determination to faithfully perform the duties of citizenship.

J. W. COOK. His many years of residence in the far west have familiarized Mr. Cook with the conditions prevailing in the very early days, before the City of the Angels had been pro- phesied, or the Indians had come to regard with equanimity the presence in their midst of the ambitious and law abiding pale face. He was born in Wheeling, W. Va., April 27, 1836, and was reared in Texas, near La Grange, at Rabes Prairie, whither his father, J. W. Cook, Sr., had removed when his son was a mere boy.

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Two years after the removal to the south, the father died, leaving a family of five sons and two daughters, who were more or less dependent upon their own exertions for a livelihood. At the age of sixteen, J. W., not being satisfied with the opportunities presented in Texas, left his home and removed to Sonora, Mexico, and after a few months there, located in California in 1858. Upon the present site of Los Angeles he remained for about a year, after which he took his way to Fort Yuma, where he lived un- til 1863. On the Colorado river he put in a ferry boat and made big money, his special op- portunity being during the trouble between the United States and Texas. Unfortunately, while serving as a go-between with the opposing factions he was arrested and court-martialed, but eventually secured his release and returned to California. He here bought some school warrants for land in the southern part of Los Angeles county, and in 1879 bought ten acres of land on the Fernando road, two miles from the city limits, which is his present home. The hitherto undeveloped property has been made to attain to its greatest fertility and usefulness, the fine house, commodious and convenient barns, and general modern improvements, con- stituting a truly desirable and profitable rural possession. Various kinds of fruit are raised, and agriculture on a small scale carried on. Mr. Cook has a family of five children, all of whom liave been educated at the public schools, the three oldest boys being now men, and inde- pendent as far as livelihood is concerned. In national politics he is a Democrat and a strong southern sympathizer. During his early life Mr. Cook had much to do with the Indians, and when but a boy was one of an advance guard for the pack trains that arrived in the country. At the Caves near San Pedro valley, Guada- loupe Pass, seventy-five white men were at one time massacred, and Mr. Cook was made captain of a party of three hundred who pursued and captured the assailants.

A. B. SIMMONS, M. D. Dr. Simmons, of Chino, was born in Miami county, Ohio, June 17, 1836, and was reared on a farm. While still a mere boy he went to Kansas to try his fortune in that then sparsely settled region. For a time he was employed in a shingle mill. However, his tastes did not run along commercial lines, and he was ambitious to gain a good education; so he taught school in Iowa, saving the money until he had sufficient to procure for him an academic education, completing his studies in a private school. Four terms of school teaching were followed by a visit to Ohio. In 1862, at Union City, Ind., he enlisted as a private in Company C, Fifth Indiana Cavalry. Shortly afterward he was promoted to the rank of first

lieutenant, in which capacity he was serving at the time of his discharge. While with his regi- ment at the front he was captured by the enemy and for seven months was confined in the prisons at Macon, Ga., Charleston, S. C., and Colum- bia, S. C.

At the close of the war he matriculated in the Cincinnati Medical College, where he took the complete course, graduating in 1867. His first experience in active practice was gained at Union City, Ind., and afterward he practiced in Kansas for eighteen months, going from there to Illinois, where he spent twelve years at Mor- risonville. The exposure to inclement weather and the hardships incident to building up a large practice that extended for many miles in every direction seriously undermined his health. In- deed, so critical was his condition that when he and his wife started for Southern California she had little hope of ever reaching here with him living. When they had gone as far as Kansas his strength failed so completely that he could go no further, so they stopped with friends in Lawrence. After a time he was able to proceed, and in 1886 they arrived in Los Angeles. A change soon became apparent and at the expira- tion of four years he was completely restored to health and able to begin practice once more. Going to Filmore, Ventura county, he continued there until 1897, when he moved to Chino, and in this place he and his wife have a cozy home on Central avenue. Mrs. Simmons was formerly Elizabeth A. Williams, of Morrisonville, Ill., and they have one son, Morton E., who is now at- tending the Los Angeles Commercial College.

Since Dr. Simmons came to Chino he has en- gaged actively in professional work and has built up a practice that covers a wide range of terri- tory. In addition to the management of this, he has served as deputy health officer of San Ber- nardino county, and in other ways has shown his interest in public affairs and his desire to promote the welfare of the community. His name is enrolled on the membership list of the California Eclectic Association, and in addition he is a thoughtful reader of current professional periodicals, thus keeping in touch with the ad- vance made within the realm of therapeutics

CHARLES E. PATTERSON. Just about the time that the attention of eastern people for the first time was being turned toward the far west and its possibilities, the gentleman who now acts as postmaster at Burbank and who since 1884 has been a resident of the state, was born in Monroe, Orange county, N. Y., the date of his birth being December 15, 1849. The genealogy of the family is traced to John Pat- terson, who emigrated from Scotland and set- tled in Orange county, N. Y., where he discov- ered and owned a mine. In later years the ore

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HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

from this mine became famous in the manufac- lure of guns. A son of this emigrant, George W., was born in New York, where in active life he conducted a hotel, carried on a store, culti- vated a farm, and owned the mine discovered by his father. During the war of 1812 he served in defense of the American cause and for the freedom of our ships on the sea. Next in line of descent was Charles Patterson, who was born and reared in Orange county, N. Y., and spent his life as a farmer, merchant and hotel pro- prietor, but, before success had crowned his exertions, he died at thirty-five years of age. To him descended the ownership of the mine, but he sold it before the value of its ore had become known.

The wife of Charles Patterson was Emeline Ashland, who descended from a Hessian soldier of the Revolutionary struggle. This ancestor, becoming convinced that the cause of America was a righteous one, deserted the English at the battle of Trenton, swam the river to the Amer- ican army, and there, at midnight, took the oath of allegiance to our country. The next day found him fighting in the colonial ranks. At the close of the war he engaged in teaching school in New York state. Mrs. Patterson spent her early life in that state and after the Civil war moved to Buffalo, where she died at sixty-three years of age. In religion she was connected with the Episcopal Church. The four children of her marriage were named as follows: Charles E., of Burbank, Cal .; John A., who is living in San Francisco; Mary E., deceased; and George W., of Buffalo, N. Y.

When Charles E. Patterson was a boy of seven years his father died. His education was ob- tained in the public schools of Orange county. Starting out for himself at the age of twenty- two years, he went to Ohio, and followed the trades of machinist and engineer at Cincinnati and Portsmouth. A later location was at Aus- tin, Tex. For five years he traveled in different states, working as a journeyman machinist. For six months he was a member of the Texas Rangers and during that time saw service in the frontier districts. Two years were afterward spent in Kansas City, Mo., and Arizona, whence in 1884 he came to California, and for three years traveled through the northern part of the state. It was in June, 1887, that he came to Burbank, Los Angeles county, and bought forty acres one-half mile northwest of town, where he has since engaged in raising walnuts and al- falfa. Having his own pumping plant, he has mastered the problem of irrigation, and the value of his property is greatly increased. His home is brightened by the presence of his wife (formerly Mary Bell, of Elkhart, Ind.) and their three children, Pearl, Julia B. and Forrest A.

During the Civil war Mr. Patterson volun- teered as an engineer in Company D, First New

York Volunteer Engineer Corps, and for six months served in the engineering corps under General Grant in the army of the Potomac. In the battle of Petersburg he was wounded in the knee, and at Appomattox and Farmville he also received slight injuries; on another occasion a ball penetrated his hat. At the expiration of his period of service he was honorably discharged from the army. Since the organization of the Grand Army of the Republic he has been warmly interested in its work, and is now a member of Kennesaw Post in East Los Angeles. Another organization with which he is identified is that of the Foresters. Since becoming a voter he has always supported Republican principles, and on that ticket he has been elected to various local offices, besides which he has represented his party as a delegate to county conventions. He was elected supervisor from the fifth district of Los Angeles county, serving for a term of four years. His interest in educational matters led him to accept the office of school trustee and this he filled efficiently for twelve years. In 1898 he was appointed postmaster at Burbank, and in this position he lias given general satisfaction, proving himself to be the right man in the right place.

HENRY ADDISON SCOTT. While Mr. Scott has been connected with various enter- prises since he came to Downey in the spring of 1885, his most intimate associations are with the banking interests of the community. The year after his arrival he was instrumental in se- curing the organization and establishment of the Los Nietos Valley Bank, which he conducted for five years as a private institution. The growth of the city demanded banking facilities com- mensurate with the increase of population and business importance, hence in 1891 the bank was incorporated under state laws, and for the ten ensuing years he acted as cashier and manager, disposing of his interests in July, 1901. The Bank of Downey. of which he is now the man- ager, was organized under his leadership Febru- ary 12, 1902, and has already gained an estab- lished place in the finances of the community, its high standing being due to the confidence reposed in the manager by the people.

In Benton, near Little Rock, Ark., Mr. Scott was born July 16, 1852, being the elder of two children who attained maturity, the other being David M., who is a farmer at Riverside, Tex. The father, Joseph, was born in Alabama, the son of a South Carolinan, and at the age of six years was taken to Arkansas by his parents. On attaining manhood he selected agriculture for his life work, and by a course of industry and economy acquired a farm and a number of slaves. However, like many other southerners, he suffered severe reverses by reason of the Civil war. For many years he served as county

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HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

judge and at other times he was called to differ- ent local offices of trust and responsibility. His sympathies being with the south, he enlisted in a company of home guards, of which he was colonel until the last year of the struggle, when he joined Price's command, on its raid to Mis- souri, as a private. When financial troubles came, he might have availed himself of the bankrupt law and evaded the payment of his debts, but not considering such a course honor- able, he set himself to the task of paying every dollar of his own indebtedness, besides endorse- ments he had made for friends. In spite of these discouragements he is now comfortably situated financially, and, at seventy-four years of age, still manages his farm and looks after his vari- ous interests. In carly manhood he married Elizabeth Dodd, who was born in Alabama and reared in Arkansas, dying there at twenty-four years of age. In religion she was a Baptist, while her husband was connected with the Meth- odist Episcopal denomination.

When four years of age Henry A. Scott was orphaned by the death of his mother. He was then taken into the home of his grandparents, but, at the second marriage of his father, two years later, he returned home, remaining there until seventeen years of age. His first employ- ment was that of clerk in Benton and Little Rock, and his leisure hours were utilized in study, in order that he might acquire an educa- tion. In 1875 he entered the employ of the Iron Mountain Railway Company as agent at Boughton, Ark., from which point he was trans- ferred to Malvern and thence to Fulton. After six and one-half years with the railroad he turned his attention to the mercantile business in Malvern, in which enterprise he continued for three and one-half years. From Arkansas he came to California in 1885 and settled in Dow- ney, where he conducted manufacturing interests a short time, and has since been interested in banking. In addition, he owns and conducts a warehouse for the storage of fruit, and the pack- ing and handling of grain; also superintends his walnut ranch of seven and one-half acres, sitt- ated one-half mile from Downey, and forming his homestead. Mrs. Scott was formerly Miss Carrie Smith, of Missouri, and they have an only daughter, Elma A., now twelve years of age. The family attend the Christian Church, with which Mrs. Scott is identified. Politically a believer in Democratic principles, Mr. Scott is always ready to assist such of his friends as are candidates for office in his party, but has never sought or desired official positions for himself. In fraternal relations he is a member of Downey Lodge No. 220, F. & A. M., and Nietos Lodge No. 197, I. O. O. F. His honor- able course in business, excellent financial abil- ity and tact in the management of affairs have brought him before the public and have given

him a merited reputation for reliability and skill in the conduct of important banking interests.

JOSEPH SMITH. Very few of the citizens of Downey have been identified with its history and development for a longer period than has Mr. Smith, the present postmaster. Arriving in Los Angeles county in 1873, three years later he came to Downey, and identified himself with the interests of this then straggling and unambi- tious community. In this and adjoining districts he was engaged as school teacher for nine years, and during vacations found employment as clerk in stores. His first appointment to the office of postmaster came in 1889, at which time he held the commission for four years, and then after an interval of four years, was again appointed to the office, which he has since filled with efficiency and energy.

The parents of Mr. Smith were Joseph and Mary A. (Staley) Smith, natives of England, the latter having been born near the birthplace of John Wesley. After their marriage they came to the United States in 1842 and settled in the then frontier county of McDonough, Ill., where the father bought raw land in Eldorado town- ship and devoted his subsequent years to the development of a valuable farm. He was a par- ticipant in the Mormon war which threatened the disruption of the neighboring county of Han- cock, during the winter of 1845-46. Years after- ward, when the Civil war came on, he was eager to assist soldiers and their families and gave his support to the cause of the Union. On the or- ganization of the Republican party he became one of its adherents and afterward sustained its principles by his ballot. Schoolhouses, churches, and all movements for the good of the commu- nity received his support to the extent of his ability, and he was public-spirited to an unusual degree. When he died he was four score years of age, and his wife passed away when eighty- one. Both were faithful members of the Meth- odist Episcopal Church. In their family were three children, namely: Joseph, who was born in Eldorado township, McDonough county, Ill., June 17, 1845, and is now living in Downey, Cal .; Mary A., Mrs. Robinson, and Rebecca, Mrs. William Miles, both of Illinois.

With a desire to acquire a better education than the district schools afforded, Joseph Smith saved his earnings on the farm and at twenty- one entered Lincoln (Ill.) University, an institu- tion under the auspices of the Cumberland Pres- byterian Church. After having graduated with honors he began to teach school, following the occupation a year in Illinois, and in 1873 coming to California, where he taught at Spadra for three years. Since then he has made Downey his home. In 1872 he married Eugenia Jones, of Lincoln, Ill., who died in 1886, leaving three

H & Parks

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HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

children: Minnie, wife of W. W. Cocke, of Downey; Joseph Howard, who is engaged in the jewelry business at Colton, Cal .; and Wil- liam Perry, an employe in the Los An- geles postoffice. The present wife of Mr. Smith was formerly Miss Anna Barnett and has resided in Downey from childhood. In pol- itics he is pronounced in his support of the Re- publican party. For eight years he served as a member of the school board, besides which he has filled other local offices. In fraternal matters he is connected with the Ancient Order of United Workmen. His activity in religious af- fairs has extended over a long period of years. In the Methodist Episcopal Church South he has officiated as a trustee and steward, besides filling the office of Sunday-school superintend- ent.

WILLIAM S. PARKS. In innumerable ways the county of Santa Barbara has profited by the residence upon its fertile acres of William S. Parks, one of the most successful agricultur- ists in the neighborhood of the town, and one who, as supervisor, has accomplished much in bringing about general improvements. He was born in Baltimore county, Md., in 1847, a son of Peter and Angeline (Treadwell) Parks, who were also born in Maryland. On the maternal and paternal side of the family English descent is claimed, the mother being a daughter of Wil- liam Treadwell, and the father, who was a farmer in Baltimore county, being a son of Peter Parks, Sr., whose father emigrated from England some time during the eighteenth century.

When a child of tender years, William S. Parks went to live with his oldest sister in the city of Baltimore, and was there reared to ma- turity and educated in the public schools. At the age of twenty-one he returned to his home in the country, and farmed on the old homestead for three years. He then removed to Indiana, forty miles from Chicago, and engaged in farm- ing for four years. While living in the Hoosier state he married Corinne J. Pierce, a native of Indiana, and daughter of I. B. Pierce, originally from Canada, and an old settler in Indiana. In 1875 Mr. Parks came to California and bought fifty-two acres on the Modoc road, two miles west of the courthouse. To this he has since added so that at present he has one hundred and twenty-eight acres of land, and besides rents six- teen hundred and fifty acres helonging to other parties. He engages in general farming, stock- raising, and bean culture, having sixty acres of the latter product. There is a model dairy on the farm, and one of the most pleasant houses in the county. Milk from the dairy is delivered every day in Santa Barbara, two wagons making stated trips, and supplying a large demand. The railroad runs through the farm, and a nearby station is being considered,

Five children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Parks: Maud, who is the widow of Clare Hil- ton, of Santa Barbara; I. B., Arthur, Pearl and Harry. The children are objects of special pride to their parents, who are giving them every ad- vantage in an educational way. The sons are of great assistance to their father in the manage- ment of his large interests, Arthur especially is worthy of mention, for his interest in everything pertaining to the farms is fully as deep as his father's.

In politics Mr. Parks is a Republican, as was his father before him. In November of 1898 he was eletced supervisor of the third district, his re-election following in 1900. His administra- tion has been noteworthy, for, in co-operation with Messrs. Tallant, Broughton, Cox and Bay- lard, the other supervisors, great results have been achieved. When first elected Mr. Parks found few bridges in his district, but now there are numerous stone culverts, excellent bridges, and the hills have been graded down. The former existing debt has been wiped out, and at present there is more money in the treasury of the third district than in any of the other five. The services of Mr. Parks are fortunately appre- ciated by his fellow townsmen, who recognize in him one who has the best interests of his neigh- borhood at heart, and who uses his position of trust as a stepping stone to the highest citizen- ship possible. Fraternally he is connected with the Ancient Order of United Workmen and the .Odd Fellows at Santa Barbara.

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Historical and biographical record of southern California; containing a history of southern California from its earliest settlement to the opening year of the twentieth century, Part 132

Author: Guinn, James Miller, 1834-1918 Publication date: 1902 Publisher: Chicago, Chapman pub. co. Number of Pages: 1366

Author: Guinn, James Miller, 1834-1918
Publication date: 1902
Publisher: Chicago, Chapman pub. co.
Number of Pages: 1366