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 54

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

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HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

prising Horton's first addition to San Diego. There were many who believed disappointment awaited him as it had met a Canadian who, fifteen years before, attempted to make the land profitable. However, the people who pre- dicted failure had not counted on his pluck and perseverance. He agreed with General Rose- crans that, if a railroad could be built from Yuma to San Diego, the latter would make the finest harbor in the world. He

brought a shipload of piles from Santa Cruz and made arrangements to build a wharf. To anyone who would erect a building he donated a lot, and thus soon had more than twenty buildings. After due consideration he determinedi to make Fifth the principal street. To any man who erected a 12x16 building he gave a lot, and when twenty-one buildings had been put up he bought them back (excepting cne). At his own expense he whitewashed the side to the water front. Through all these meth- ods the town was widely advertised. In the carrying out of his plans he employed about one hundred and fifty men. Special induce- ments were offered merchants to locate in the new town. Constant improvements were made to the streets. It was an era of interest- ing experiences. Many men refused offers made by him that eventually would have made them independent fortunes. The Horton House and Horton's Bank building were the result of his indefatigable efforts to build up the town. Through his efforts a postoffice was established. Later a daily mail was secured to take the place of the previous weekly mail. The telegraph com- pany was induced to build to San Diego after he had agreed to back the enterprise financially.

As may be imagined, those were very busy days for him. Indeed, he often accomplished in a day what five or six other men by their combined efforts could not have done. He seemed tireless. There was no matter too great or too small for him to aid by co-operation. Finding that the gentleman who did all the freight and passenger business to the town was exorbitant in his rates, he endeavored to induce him to make some concessions, and when he would not Mr. Horton persuaded George Wright to put the steamer Tabor on between San Francisco and San Diego, and in this way passenger fare was reduced from $60 to $30 for the round trip, while freight was brought down from $15 to $9 per ton. His influence furnished employment to a great army of workmen. Just in all his dealings, these men felt the benefit of his kindly spirit when, without request on their part, he reduced the hours of labor per day from twelve to ten, while at the same time he was liberal with wages, paying $5 and $6 a day. When the first bank was started he became its president. Within nine months after beginning the erection of the Horton house he had it

completed at a cost of $150,000, and the hotel was a financial success from the start. For his homestead he selected the place where he landed on his first arrival here, on Horton Heights, at what is now State and Olive streets. From the first he realized the necessity of se- curing a railroad for San Diego, and his efforts were constantly bent toward that end, and in the end he was successful. When he wished to se- cure the passage of a railroad bill in Congress for the Texas Pacific he went to Washington, D. C., and there interviewed Sunset Cox, men- ber of Congress from Ohio, who had been a stanch opponent to the bill. Now, it happened that Mr. Cox had been attorney for the Panama inen who had sustained a loss during the riot, and Mr. Horton had been the main witness in securing damages for these men, costing the New Granada government over $2,000,000. For this reason Mr. Cox felt very friendly toward Mr. Horton, and was ready to listen to his argu- ments. Finally he withdrew his opposition to the bill, which was passed with the amendment that fifty miles a year were to be built east from San Diego and fifty miles or more west from Fort Yuma.

Turning to the personal history and ancestry of Mr. Horton, we find that Barnabas, son of Joseph Horton and a native of Leicestershire, England, settled in Hampton, Mass., in 1635, thence going in 1640 to New Haven and in October of the same year to Southold, L. I. His son, Joseph, removed to Rye, Westchester county, N. Y. Erastus Horton was born in Connecticut and died in San Diego, Cal., at eighty-seven years of age. His wife was Try- phena Burleigh, also a native of Connecticut, but of Scotch descent; she died in San Diego when eighty-five years of age. Of their seven children Alonzo E. was the oldest son. The youngest daughter is Mrs. W. W. Bowers of San Diego. The subject of this article was born in Connecticut October 24, 1813. When two years of age he was taken by his parents from Union, Conn., to Stockbridge, Madison county, N. Y., and four years later to New Haven, Oswego county, N. Y., where his first school lessons were taken under the direction of Miss Patty Woodward. When he was eleven the family moved to the shore of Lake Ontario, and it was there that his father had an illness that left him blind. Thenceforward he assisted in the support of the family, and, after returning from school, two miles distant, he worked at basket-making. Soon he left school and spent his time in chopping wood to supply orders from ()swego for hewed timber. At twenty years of age he began to clerk in a store, later was a lake sailor and afterward captain of the Wild Goose, between Oswego and Canada. Dur- ing the winter of 1834-35 he learned the cooper's trade, his specialty being flour barrels.

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HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Then the city of Oswego elected him constable by the largest majority ever given any candi- date on the Whig ticket.

Upon the advice of a physician, who, how- ever, thought him incurably ill with consump- tion, he came west. In 1836 he landed in Mil- waukee, and for a time he was busily engaged in making investments, all of which showed his keen judgment and sound common sense. Nor were those days devoid of danger, for fre- quently his life was sought by highwaymen, and more than once it was only his quick wit that saved his life. Returning east, he passed the time until 1840 in employment in various places. His first western home was purchased in the town of Oakland, Wis., that year, and his father and family followed to that locality not long after. Through investments in cattle in Illinois, which he sold in Wisconsin, in one year he in- creased his capital of $150 to $4,000. In St. Louis he saw profits in land warrants and bought sufficient to locate fifteen hundred acres. Out of this investment grew the village of Hor- tonville, Wis. His first town was buried in the woods, and with eight men he cut a four-mile road to his proposed mill site. By the time he had lots to sell he was sawing lumber with which to improve them. The prices and pay- ment for material were of small account with the proprietor. Houses must be built whether settlers had money or not. In a year from the completion of the mill there were one hundred and fifty people living in Hortonville. At the end of two years he sold the remaining prop- erty there at a profit of $7,188.

The first trip made by Mr. Horton to Cali- fornia was in 1851. His mining ventures, unlike his experiences in other lines of activity, were not successful. However, in other ways he was prosperous. He opened a store at Pilot Hill and constructed a ditch six and one-half miles long to supply the miners with water. After a year he sold his waterworks and other inter- csts for $6,500. His next employment was trad- ing in gold dust on account of the Adams Ex- press Company, usually realizing $30 a day in commissions. After the failure of the company he began in the work for himself and met with remarkable success. Although he carried large quantities of gold dust about with him, he man- aged by dress and actions to lead highwaymen into believing him to be a "green Yankee," and he was never attacked. At the same time he carried on another successful venture. This was the putting up of ice twenty-five miles above Georgetown, which was so remunerative that threehundredandtwelve tons netted him $8,000.

Among the passengers on the steamship Cor- tez, in March, 1856, was Mr. Horton. After the steamer arrived at Panama the memorable uprising of the natives occurred, and had it not been for his promptness the mob would have

carried out their plan. Nearly two hundred persons from the steamer were dining in the hotel when the attack took place, but only three had firearms. The announcement that the riot- ers were coming caused a stampede from the iable to the upper rooms. On bursting into the house the leading ruffians were halted at the stairway by Mr. Horton and his aides, and a few effective shots drove the assailants into the streets. Immediately a reign of terror began, and there were many who owed their lives to Mr. Horton's steady aim in shooting down their assailants. His coolness and bold action suc- ceeded in bringing the passengers together in safety on the ship. He had lost $10,000, but had the gratification of having saved many lives. On their arrival in New York the passengers chose Mr. Horton to proceed to Washington and make a statement of the occurrences at Panama in response to a demand from the authorities to that effect. Accepting the ap- pointment, he gave his time to a settlement of the claims. A demand for reparation was made by the United States. However, his own claim for $10,000 was strenuously opposed by the gov- ernor of New Granada, who knew the part he had taken in resisting the attack and who wished vengeance for the lives lost among his country- men. As a compromise, Mr. Horton gave up his claim in order that the others might be paid the amount of their losses. Starting again to the west after the Civil war, he included a trip to British Columbia and engaged in mining in the Caribou district, but unsuccessfully. Reach- ing San Francisco without capital, he tried vari- ous plans for restoring his lost fortunes, but hach not met anything especially attractive at the time he heard San Diego discussed as one of the great cities of the future. The value of the harbor and climate were the topics of the even- ing at a private gathering he attended. So im- pressed was he that sleep was impossible. Get- ting up, he began a careful study of a map of California. He decided that the location was excellent and offered special inducements, and determined to go at once. With this decision he returned to bed and slept soundly until morning. Within three days his store was closed and the stock sold. With the proceeds, less than $500, he started to San Diego, arriving April 6, 1867. He was pleased beyond his ex- pectations, and decided to invest, with the re- sults previously stated.

It was some time after coming to San Diego before Mr. Horton could arouse the people to a necessity of having regular elections. Finally he secured an election for trustees, who were cm- powered to sell city lands. Candidates were provided and elected. The property was legally advertised and sold. A deed to seven hundred and fifty acres was made at twenty-six cents an acre, and the only bidder was Mr. Horton. The

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work of advertising the new city was imme- diately commenced. His labors were untiring from the time he measured off lots and blocks with a tape line and laid out the streets for his workmen to clear from cactus and sage brush until the winter of 1869-70, when his sales aver- aged $15,000 a month. From $3,000 in 1867 his receipts increased to nearly $85,000 in 1869. All the money he received was invested in im- provements to the town, and it is safe to say that $300,000 have been used by him for that purpose. His faith never failed him, even when crops failed for want of rain and croakers be- gan to publish accounts of retrogression and certain death to the enterprise. In every way his fellow-citizens have endeavored to show him the respect which they hold for his judgment and ability. In the senatorial contest of 1871 he carried his own county (although it usually gave a large Democratic majority), and only failed of election by reason of the adjoining county giving the usual Democratic major- ity.

While living in Wisconsin Mr. Horton mar- ried Sally Millington Wright, who was born in New York, and died in Jefferson county, Wis. His second marriage united him with Miss Sarah Wilson Babe, who died while on a visit in the east. His present wife was Lydia M. Knapp, a native of Massachusetts. One of the endearing traits in Mr. Horton's character was his long and kind care of his parents. From an early age the burden of their support largely fell upon him, and not only did he discharge every duty that filial affection prompted, but he also gave them that love which made their latest years their happiest and most comfortable, and his tenderness toward his mother made the separation from him the severing of the dear- est and last earthly tie before her departure from this world.

HON. POMEROY W. POWERS. The de- cade which measures Mr. Powers' identifica- tion with the building activities of Los Angeles represents an era of great importance in his life. Shortly after coming to this city, in 1892, he became a member of the real estate firm of Bowen & Powers, one of whose chief enter- prises was the improvement of the Jones tract, between Pico and Sixteenth streets and West Union avenue, by the building of almost all of the two-story residences now to be seen on that tract. Since the erection of these buildings the firm has improved property in other parts of the city, and has also maintained important mining interests.

Near Canandaigua, at Rushville, Yates county, N. Y., Mr. Powers was born February 19, 1852, being the second child of B. W. and Sinah L. (Hudson) Powers, natives of Rushville. His paternal grandfather was an attorney, while his

maternal grandfather, John Hudson, was a large farmer. For years B. W. Powers bought and sold live stock in his native town, but about 1855 he moved to Lyons, lowa, where he became a large contractor. Going to Kansas in 1860, he was a member of the company that laid out the town of Irving, on Blue river, in Marshall county, five miles below Blue Rapids, and he bought one hundred and sixty acres in that vicinity, but the great drought of the same year discouraged him and he sought a home amid the more encouraging surroundings of Manhattan, Kans. In addition to cultivating land near there, he engaged in contracting, and for several years served as a member of the city council. His death occurred in 1891, when he was visiting in Kansas City. Politically, he voted with the Re- publicans, while in religion he was a Methodist. His wife, who is now eighty-eight years of age, inakes her home in Kansas City. They were the parents of three sons and three daughters, all of whom are living but one daughter.

The public schools and Bluemont College of Manhattan, Kans., afforded Pomeroy W. Pow- ers excellent educational advantages. It was his father's determination that each boy should learn a trade, and he was apprenticed for four years to a harness-maker in Manhattan. At the expiration of his time he began selling lumber at Junction City, Kans., and after nine years in that place went to Kansas City as general man- ager of the Western Lumber Company's offices. Shortly afterward he was chosen president of the company, and under his able management the company acquired the ownership of many yards, principally on the Santa Fe line. His rise from an employe to the president of the company within a comparatively short period shows that he has an abundant supply of energy, force of character and resourcefulness. The seven years of his service as president were characterized by a steady growth and large pro- portionate increase in the company's business. In addition to this important responsibility he engaged considerably in buying and selling property and erecting houses, all of which fitted him for his subsequent career in Los Angeles. On severing his associations with Kansas City he moved to the Pacific coast.

In Chenango county, N. Y., Mr. Powers mar- ried Miss Ida Bowen, who was born in German, that county. They are the parents of seven children, namely: Benjamin Nelson, who acts as superintendent of the building business of P'. W. Powers; Hale P., who is engaged in the cattle business at Junction City, Kans .; Grace B., Mrs. Hannas, of Los Angeles; John R., a student in the State Agricultural College of Manhattan, Kans .; Clifford, Earl and May. Dur- ing the Spanish-American war John R. was a soldier in the army, having enlisted in Company F, Seventh California Infantry.

J. W. Erving

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HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Since coming to Los Angeles Mr. Powers has taken an active part in politics, and has become known as an earnest. and pronounced supporter of Republican principles. Three times he has been chosen to act upon the county central com- mittee and each term his service has been char- acterized by activity, keen judgment and fidelity to the party's welfare. The Union League Club numbers him among its members. During De- cember, 1900, he was nominated to represent the Fourth ward in the common council and was elected by the largest majority given any can- didate for the council that year. On the or- ganization of the council he was elected its president, and this post he now fills, having also, during the absence of Mayor Snyder, served several times as acting executive of Los An- geles. In his office he has done good service not merely for his party but for the entire citi- zenship, being one of those men who, while they advocate the principles of their party, yet rise above narrow partisanship in their desire to promote the welfare of their home city and advance the interests of their fellow-citizens.

FELIX WINFIELD EWING was born in Wayne county, Ill., May 27, 1849, and is the only child of James and Harriet (Huston) Ew- ing, natives respectively of Indianapolis, Ind., and Wayne county, Ill. His paternal grandpar- ents, Joshua and Ann Ewing, natives of Ohio, removed to Indianapolis, where the former en- gaged in milling and contracting. The maternal grandfather, Joseph Huston, was a pioneer of Wayne county, Ill., where he married Clarissa Skinner. After working as a postal contractor in Wayne county, James Ewing became an early settler of central Illinois, near Decatur, where at first he continued in the occupation he had previously followed, and later engaged in agri- culture. In 1865 he removed to the vicinity of Portland, Ore., where he continued as a man- ufacturer until his retirement from business life. Later he removed with his family to Ashland, Ore., where he died October 13, 1878. His widow passed away March 21, 1889, while visiting in Ellensburgh, Wash., and was buried beside her husband in the Ashland cem- etery.

When sixteen years of age Mr. Ewing ac- companied his parents by wagon train across the plains from Decatur, Ill., to Portland, Ore., following up the Platte river, then going to the Columbia, and traveling down the same. After an interesting though dangerous journey of six months he reached his destination and shortly afterward became a student in a high school near Portland. Subsequently he attended an academy at Ashland and then taught school in that vicinity, while pursuing law studies in the office of Judges Kahler and Watson at Jackson- ville. Not having sufficient means to enable

him to continue legal work exclusively, in De- cember, 1875, he went to Modoc county, Cal., where he taught school for a time in addition to his law studies.

In May, 1877, Mr. Ewing was admitted to the bar of the twenty-first judicial district court of California, and in May, 1881, was licensed by the supreme court in Sacramento. In the fall of 1877 he was elected district attorney of Modoc county, an office which he filled for three successive terms. He continued to reside at Al- turas, Modoc county, where he practiced law with niuch success until 1889, when he toured the state of Washington in search of a new home, but finally, in December of that year, set- tled with his family in San Diego, where he re -. mained until going to San Buena Ventura, his present home.

Since establishing himself in San Buena Ven- tura, August 8, 1892, Mr. Ewing has engaged in the practice of law. A partnership which he formed with N. Blackstock (now railroad com- missioner) January 2, 1893, has continued ever since, and the firm of Blackstock & Ewing is well and favorably known in the community. In addition to a large general practice they act as attorneys for the bank of William Collins & Sons, Santa Paula Bank, A. Levy & Co., bank- ers, and the Ventura County Lumber Company. They have a fine suite of well-equipped offices in the Collins Bank Block, and possess one of the best law libraries in Southern California. The two partners own a ranch of eighteen hun- dred acres, where they carry on a general stock and farming business, finding in the manage- ment of the property a relaxation from their professional labors.

Since attaining mature years Mr. Ewing has been an adherent of the Democratic party and now takes a leading part in its local councils, his interest being demonstrated by his labors as chairman of the Ventura Democratic central committee, which office he filled for two terms with zeal and intelligence. In 1898 he was his party's nominee for district attorney in Ventura county, and was elected, running six hundred votes ahead of his ticket. He assumed the du- ties of his office in January, 1899, for a term of four years, and is discharging its obligations effi- ciently. Fraternally he is a past officer in the order of Odd Fellows.

The, marriage of Mr. Ewing and Miss Bertie Somers Kemble was solemnized in Lake City, Modoc county, Cal., August 29, 1877. Mrs. Ewing was born in Jefferson City, Mo., but re- ceived her education in a Sacramento (Cal.) academy. Two children have blessed their union, Edna Maude and James Felix. Mr. Ew- ing owns and occupies with his family a fine modern residence in Ventura-by-the-Sea, which commands beautiful views of the city and the bay.

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HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

WARREN C. KIMBALL. Some years ago the writer of this article, with a party of friends from the east, was enjoying a tour through California. They were one day in National City, and chance led them to a pretty homestead nestling among the trees, whose owner, with the typical western hospitality, bade them wel- come and took them on a tour of inspection over his ranch. This gentleman was none other than Mr. Kimball. Although a stranger to all of his guests, his courtesy and friendly spirit were so marked as to leave a delightful impression in the minds of his visitors, and not one of them has ever forgotten the few hours spent at Olivewood ranch.

A resident of San Diego county since 1868, Mr. Kimball was born near Concord, N. H., in 1839. September 14, 1861, he arrived in San Francisco with his two brothers, Frank and Levi, all of whom engaged in contracting and building for nearly ten years under the firm name of Kimball Bros. In 1871 he came to the present site of National City, where in 1868 he had bought a Spanish land grant containing 26,632 acres, purchasing in partnership with his brothers. At once the land was surveyed into tracts of fromten toone hundred and sixtyacres, and these the proprietors began to sell. About five square miles were utilized in the survey for the town of National City, which they laid out and divided into blocks and streets. On the property remaining in their possession they kept a flock of several thousand sheep. In 1872 they made a resurvey of National City and changed the streets so as to run north and south, or east and west. Realizing the need of railroad facilities, they did all within their power to se- cure the same, and in 1869 bonded ten thousand acres to the Memphis & El Paso Railroad under General Fremont, but the road was never built through to California, and the land reverted to the original owners, the Kimball brothers. In 1869 they organized a water com- pany, taking the supply for irrigation and do- mestic use from Sweetwater river. After many years of connection with the sheep business in 1881 they disposed of their flocks and turned their attention to the raising of fruit.

As early as the fall of 1868 Frank Kimball had built a house on the ranch, and in 1872 Warren C. began the erection of a commodious residence. It is here that he has since made his home. The community is under great obli- gations to them on account of their efforts to interest others in horticulture, and it was they who first proved that fruit could be raised on the bay. They were among the first to intro- duce oranges in this district and the first to plant olive trees, having set out an orchard of fifteen hundred trees in 1875. Water for the orchard was supplied by a windmill. Besides the olives fifty acres were planted in oranges

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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 54

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