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 200

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

USA > California > 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 200

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Through the purchase of ten acres of the Packard tract, Mr. Denison has acquired an orange and lemon grove that he still owns and superintends, giving especial attention to his oranges, which he finds to be more profitable than lemon-raising. In 1900 he bought the Cun- ningham property, known as the Fifth Avenue Hotel, which he has since remodeled and en-

larged and now rents. The building contains eighteen rooms, arranged in suites, and pro- vided with all modern conveniences for the com- fort of the many tourists visiting Pomona. Be- sides these properties he has other real-estate in Pomona and a number of business interests, the management of which requires considerable attention on his part, not to the exclusion, how- ever, of participation in municipal affairs and a thorough knowledge of current events of na- tional importance.

CASSIUS EDMUNDS. In point of years of business activity Mr. Edmunds is the oldest mer- chant of Burbank, Los Angeles county. When he came here in the spring of 1888 the village was an insignificant hamlet with a scanty popu- lation and no commercial activity. Since then it has grown to a population of little less than one thousand, while surrounding the town is a fine farming and fruit-growing section whose products find a ready market in Los Angeles, eleven miles distant. Besides the store which he owns, he has ten acres at Englewood and unimproved property in Los Angeles, also a home in Burbank.

Near Cleveland, Ohio, Mr. Edmunds was born September 25, 1846, a son of Stephen and Pauline (Darby) Edmunds. His father, who was a native of Vermont and a cousin of Senator Edmunds, grew to manhood in the Genesee val- ley of New York and in youth learned the moul- der's trade, which he followed some years. For five years he served in the regular army, being stationed principally at Fort Monroe. · An in- dustry in which he engaged during early life was the running of a canal boat, and he built and owned the Evening Star, a canal boat on which Garfield was employed in boyhood. While following the business some eight years, he be- came the owner of six boats. On moving to Portsmouth, Ohio, he engaged in the mercan- tile business. Shortly after the outbreak of the Civil war he enlisted in the Union service, be- coming a member of the First Ohio Light Ar- tillery in November, 1861, when he was forty- six years of age. In January, 1862, his son Cas- sius enlisted in the same company, but, being only fifteen years of age and weighing less than one hundred pounds, the medical authorities refused to accept him. However, notwithstand- ing this, he accompanied his father when the company started to West Virginia and remained with them for two years, fighting in their bat- tles and receiving his pay the same as other privates. At Chancellorsville he was wounded in the right leg below the knee, and he also fought at Winchester. Port Republic, Bull Run, Antietam, etc., while his father participated in every engagement of the company until Fred- ericksburg, being then discharged on account of physical disability.

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HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Keturning to Portsmouth, Stephen Edmunds resumed mercantile pursuits, being proprietor of a grocery and also carrying on the manufacture of brooms. An active Republican, his party sev- eral times elected him street commissioner and also to the office of justice of the peace. In re- ligion he was connected with the Methodist Episcopal Church. While he did not become wealthy and at his death, when sixty-eight years of age, did not leave a large estate, yet, consid- ering the disadvantages under which he labored in youth, he gained a success that was worthy of high praise. His wife was born near Cleveland and died in Portsmouth when fifty years of age. Like him, she was a faithful adherent of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Of their five chil- dren one died at six years of age and four are still living.

Until he went to war Cassius Edmunds at- tended school and assisted his father in the store. The wound to which allusion has previously been made proved so serious that amputation of the limb was necessary, after which he re- mained in Howard hospital, Washington, D. C., until he was able to return home. For a time he aided in the store as before, but subsequently turned his attention to the cultivation of a nine- ty-acre farm twelve miles from Portsmouth, where he remained seven years. On trading the land for a store at Scioto Mills, Ohio, he set- tled in that town, and continued there until the spring of 1888, when he came to California. Meantime he served for four years as township treasurer and also held office as justice of the peace. By his marriage to Susan Shafer, of Portsmouth, Ohio, he had six children, one of whom died at five and another at twenty-one years of age. Those now living are Emma : Will- iam, a broom maker in Los Angeles; Sarah, at home; and Urania, who is living in Santa Mon- ica. Both Mr. and Mrs. Edmunds are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Fra- ternally he is connected with N. P. Banks Post, G. A. R., at Tropico. Three times he has rep- resented this district on the county Republican central committee, and for nine years he has been the efficient clerk of the school board.

LLOYD H. ESTERLY. Now a resident of Pomona, Mr. Esterly was born in Middletown, Mahoning county, Ohio, in 1867, and spent his early years upon a farm. His father. B. J. Esterly, was an agriculturist in early life, but after he went to Colorado he followed mining principally, and remained in that state until his death. When a boy L. H. Esterly learned the trade of a tinsmith and cornice-maker, which lie followed in Ohio and later in Ottawa. Kans. From the latter city he went to El Paso, Tex .. where he met with a great misfortune in being poisoned, in his entire system, by the zinc and lead which he used in his work. His health

failed rapidly and serious results would undoubt- edly have followed had not he accepted the ad- vice of acquaintances to try the climate of Cali- fornia. When he arrived in Pomona he weighed one hundred and twelve pounds. From the first the climate benefited him, but a cure was not wholly effected until he had entered upon a diet of milk, which is an absorbent of poison. From that time on he rapidly gained, and now tips the beam at two hundred and nineteen pounds, en- joys excellent health and is a fine specimen of physical manhood and robustness. It is not necessary to add that Mr. Esterly is a firm be- liever in the beneficial results accruing from plentiful doses of that unsurpassed tonic, the climate of Southern California.

In 1891 Mr. Esterly purchased two acres on Hamilton avenue from B. E. Street. A fine grove of eucalyptus trees stood on the land, but there was no building except a barn. One of his first tasks was the erection of a house, and in this he has since made his home. Another early effort was the planting of fruit trees of va- rious kinds. In 1894 he started a dairy delivery of milk and cream, and now has one hundred and fifty patrons around Pomona. To supply his dairy he keeps thirty fine cows of the Jersey grade. Since coming to Pomona he has served for two years as city marshal, filling the posi- tion with credit to himself. He married Mrs. Mabel G. Marslı, widow of H. G. Marsh. They have two children (twins) Everett E. and Eve- lyn A., who are the pride of the home. The family are identified with the Baptist Church, and he is chorister in the same, filling this of- fice with satisfaction to all; indeed, he is said to be one of the finest tenor singers in the whole valley. Fraternally he is connected with the Knights of Pythias and the Woodmen of the World.

J. ELY JANES, M. D. In tracing the gençal- ogy of this well-known physician of Pasadena, the records go back to William Janes, who came from England to Massachusetts in 1638 and later removed to New Haven. Conn., thence to Northampton, Mass. His life work was that of teacher and preacher. He was one of the first educators in New Haven, and preached the first sermon in the town of Northfield, Mass., ad- dressing his hearers from beneath the shadow of a wide-spreading oak tree. From him de- scended Obediah Janes, a native of East Hamp- ton, Mass., an officer in the war of 1812, and by occupation a merchant, following the same un- til his death. Justus Lyman, son of Obedial. was born in East Hampton, and after graduating from Amherst College entered the ministry of the Congregational Church, filling pastorates successively in New York, Ohio and lowa, and remaining in the work until he died in Floyd county, lowa. In early manhood he married

HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1294

Abigail Ely, who was born in West Springfield, Mass., and died in Iowa. Her father, John Ely, likewise a native of West Springfield, traced his lineage back to an Englishman who, in 1634, crossed the ocean to Massachusetts and settled in Saybrook, Conn., later removing further north.

In the family of Rev. Justus Lyman Janes there were two children, namely: J. Ely, who was born in Guilford, N. Y., February 7, 1842; and Mrs. Amelia Champlain, who died in Cresco, Iowa. In 1855 the family removed to Chester, Geauga county, Ohio, where the son attended the Geauga Seminary. In 1861 he entered the Western Reserve College, at Hudson, Ohio. While in that institution the war broke out be- tween north and south. With sympathies ar- dently enlisted on the side of the Union, he de- sired to serve his country at the front. During the spring of 1862 he became a member of Company B, Eighty-fifth Ohio Infantry. his captain being C. A. Young, who is now pro- fessor of astronomy in Princeton University. On the expiration of his term of service he re- turned to college, remaining until he was grad- uated in 1865 with the degree of A. B. Three years later the degree of A. M. was conferred upon him. His earlier work, before taking up medicine, was as instructor in schools and acad- emies, and by the careful economy that he prac- ticed he saved sufficient money to defray the ex- penses of his professional studies. In 1873 he took up the study of materia medica under Dr. William A. Smith of Newark and later was with Dr. Joseph D. Bryant of New York. In 1876 he was graduated from Bellevue Hospital Medi- cal College with the degree of M. D., after which he opened an office in Newark and built up an excellent practice in that community. Mean- time his studies were not neglected, but by post- graduate work in New York City he kept in touch with the many lines of advance made in the profession. Besides his private practice he acted as surgeon of the eastern division of the Erie railroad, was connected with the New Jer- sey Academy of Medicine, an active participant in the meetings of the Essex District Medical Society, and a member of the Newark board of school trustees.

In Hillsdale, Mich., in 1867, occurred the mar- riage of Dr. Janes to Miss Sarah C. Reynolds, who was born and reared in that city. Two chil- dren were born of their union. The older, Jen- nie June, who died in 1898, was a talented ar- tist, a pioneer in the kindergarten movement and the possessor of abilities far above the ordi- nary. The younger, Mina Louise, is the wife of Hubert Ives. of Pasadena.

On account of trouble with asthma Dr. Janes decided it was advisable to leave Newark and seek a more healthful location. Accordingly in 1893 he came to Pasadena and opened an of-

fice, erected a residence, and became identified with the city's activities. On the organization of the Pasadena Medical Association he was a charter member and since 1896 has served as its secretary and treasurer. Other organizations with which he is connected are the American Medical Association, Southern California Medi- cal Society, and Alumni Society of the Western Reserve College. At one time he was a director of the Pasadena Board of Trade and a member of the board of library trustees. The days of the Civil war are kept in mind through his mem- bership in the John A. Godfrey Post, of which he is surgeon. The First Congregational Church has the benefit of his counsel as dea- con and he formerly served as one of its trus- tees, besides which he is deeply interested in one of its missions for the benefit of the Chinese and acts as superintendent of the Sunday- school.

HON. RUSSELL JUDSON WATERS, whose service as member of congress from the sixth district of California entitles him to rank among the influential men of the state, was born in Halifax, Vt., June 6, 1843. When he was four years of age the family, upon his father's death, removed to Colerain, Mass. After his father's estate was settled it was found that there was only enough money remaining to purchase a small cottage and lot, leaving the support of the family to the exertions of the widow and children. He attended the village school until his eighth year, after which he was self-support -- ing. May 12, 1868, he was admitted to the bar, after which he successfully practiced in Chicago until impaired health rendered a change neces- sary. In 1886 he came to California and settled at what is now East Redlands. In 1894 he re- moved to Los Angeles and built a residence on Adams street, where he has since made his home. He is vice-president of the Citizens Bank, a director of the Columbia Savings Bank, and has been treasurer of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce and president of the Los Angeles Directory Company. Besides his city interests he is connected with outside enter- prises, notably the Pasadena Consolidated Gas Company, of which he is president. In 1897 the council chose him to serve on the board of park commissioners. At the congressional conven- tion in Sacramento, Mr. Waters was nominated for congress by acclamation, without one dis- senting vote. The nominating speech was made by his old friend, ex-Governor John L. Bever- . idge, of Illinois. He was elected by a plurality of three thousand five hundred and forty-two, this being the first time fusion was defeated in the district. As congressman he introduced im- portant bills, secured the establishment of many rural free delivery routes in his district, and fostered movements of benefit to his constit- .ents.

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HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

HON. FRED M. SMITH. The city of Los Angeles is notable for the high character of the statesmen it has given to the commonwealth. Nor is Senator Smith unworthy of the high prestige established by his predecessors. Since coming to this city he has not only been identi- fied with local business interests, but has also been a participant in public affairs and a pro- moter of Republican success. In 1900 he was elected to the senate from the thirty-seventh senatorial district, embracing the city of Los Angeles. His popularity is proved by the fact that he received a plurality of twenty-five hun- dred and twenty-four over the two other candi- dates, this being the largest plurality received by any member of the thirty-fourth general assembly. After assuming the duties of his of- fice he was appointed chairman of the reforma- tory committee, in which position he was en- trusted with many responsibilities. One of his bills that passed both upper and lower house empowered boards of supervisors to levy a spe- cial tax, at their option, in order to display the products and industries of the respective counties at all foreign and domestic expositions.

In Ledyard, Cayuga county, N. Y., Mr. Smith was born, April 12, 1858, a son of Frederick O. and Sophronia (Maltby) Smith, natives of the same county as himself, the former of German, the latter of English descent. His maternal grandfather, Watson Maltby, a native of York- shire, England, came to the United States at eighteen years of age and afterward engaged in farming; he married Phoebe, daughter of Joseph and Sarah (Baker) Wright, the former a Revo- lutionary soldier and the latter the daughter of a hero of that conflict. The Wrights were an old New England family, but settled in New York at an early day. At this writing Mrs. Sophronia Smith is living in Indianapolis, Ind., having gone there after the death of her husband in New York. She had but two children, and of these Fred M. is the elder and the only son. His early childhood years were passed upon a farm, but at twelve years of age he went to Elmira and began to clerk in a store. For a few years his life passed very uneventfully. Habits of industry and enterprise became im- planted in his nature and he laid the foundation for subsequent success.

Leaving New York in 1880, Mr. Smith went to Topeka, Kans., and for eighteen months was in the employ of the Santa Fe Railroad. In the fall of 1882 he went to Deming, N. M., where he was employed as ticket agent for the Southern Pacific road. At that time the Santa Fe had not been completed to Deming. Resign- ing his position in 1885, he established the mer- cantile house of Fred M. Smith & Co., which

became one of the largest wholesale and retail mercantile establishments in the southwest and built up a large trade through Old and New Mexico and the eastern part of Arizona. It was while in charge of this large enterprise that Mr. Smith proved himself to be admirably adapted for mercantile pursuits, possessing the wise judg- ment, the energy in action and promptness in decision that characterize a successful merchant. On selling out that business in 1893, he opened a wholesale house in Trinidad, Colo., where the firm of Fred M. Smith & Co. met with the same success as before. Selling out in February, 1895, he came to Los Angeles, which he rightly judged offered better opportunities than the mountain towns of the interior. His first com- mercial connection in this city was as treasurer and a director of the Keystone Milling Com- pany, in which business he engaged until the fail of 1896. He then established the Electric feed mill, which is one of the largest plants of its kind in the city and is located on East Third street.

In Elmira, N. Y., Mr. Smith married Miss Hattie Shepherd, who was born in Steuben county, that state, and descends from a New England family that had representatives in the Revolutionary war. Her father, George S. Shepherd, was the general freight agent of the Erie Railroad, while her brother, A. D., is now general freight agent for the Southern Pacific at San Francisco. Prominent in the career of Mr. Smith is his connection with Masonry. He was initiated into the order in Deming Lodge, and is now connected with Southern California Lodge, No. 278, F. & A. M. In Deming he was also raised to the chapter degree and now has his membership in Signet Chapter at Los Angeles; was raised to the commandery at Den- ing and is now connected with Los Angeles Commandery, No. 9, K. T .; while in Al Mala- kiah Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., he has the office of illustrious potentate. The Benevolent Pro- tective Order of Elks and the Woodmen of the World number him among their members. Since coming to Los Angeles he has been identified with the Chamber of Commerce and one of its active workers. His political views, as previ- ously intimated, are of no uncertain nature. The spirit of the Republican party, its honorable his- tory, its platform based upon a knowledge of the needs of the common people and its sturdy prin- ciples alike appeal to him and he gives his stanch support to the men and measures which the party advocates. While in New Mexico he served on the territorial and county central com- mittees, and for a time after coming to Los Angeles he was a member of the county central comittee and one of its leading workers.

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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 200

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