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 61

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

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Cal., from which point he came to Soldiers' Home two years later.

The marriage of Dr. Hasse united him with Miss Adelaide Trentlage, who was born and reared in Milwaukee. They have five children, namely: Adelaide, who is librarian in the Astor library in New York city; Mrs. Elsa Andrae, of Milwaukee; Hilda, who is an artist in San Fran- cisco; Carl E., a civil engineer of Santa Monica; and Jessie, who is with her parents. The family attend the Presbyterian Church and Mrs. Hasse is a member of the same. During his residence in Milwaukee Dr. Hasse was several times elect- ed county physician, but with that exception always refused proffers of public offices, prefer- ring to allow nothing to interfere with his pri- vate practice. From the time he first had the privilege of voting he has supported Republi- can principles and been thoroughly in sympa- thy with its platform. His Masonic membership, which originally was in the blue lodge of Mil- waukee, is now with the Santa Monica lodge, and he is now connected with Stanton Post, G. A. R., in Los Angeles. One of his noticeable characteristics is a strong vein of humor, which lias not only enabled him to withstand the men- tal and physical depression incident to years of laborious practice and constant contact with suf- fering humanity, but has also aided him in bringing sunshine and good cheer into the lives of many patients and has thus brightened and blessed countless hearts.

ALBERT C. J. WILSON. As one of the Argonauts who were led to California by reason of the richness of her mines, Mr. Wilson arrived in California August 17, 1850. The voyage had been long and monotonous, having been begun at Wheeling, W. Va., from which point he sailed by steamboat down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers to New Orleans, where he embarked on the brig Zenobia for Greytown. From that place he proceeded to the head of Lake Nicar- agua and thence across the country. While on the Zenobia cholera broke out and a majority of the passengers were for abandoning the trip, but Mr. Wilson and others stoutly opposed this and, overruling the captain, they managed to land in Greytown, where the most of the pas- sengers got ashore in the night and the goods were landed in the morning. There the sailors abandoned the ship.

A party of twelve men hired two ox-carts to convey them one hundred miles to the Pacific ocean. This was the second expedition of Americans who crossed the Nicaragua route, and its members landed in San Francisco as soon as did those comprising the first party. At Realjo, on the Pacific coast, Mr. Wilson took the bark Rolla for San Francisco. There were ninety-five men on board, all of whom landed

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safely in San Francisco, from which point lie proceeded to the mines. Provisions of all kinds he found were sold at fabulous prices. For flour he paid as high as $65 per cwt .; other articles were proportionately high. Fortunately, he was successful in his mining ventures, and for sev- eral years averaged $8 a day, his work being mainly in the placer mines of Tuolumne county. Conditions were crude and civilization was a far degree from its present high standard. Like everything else, the postal service was totally inadequate to the needs of the people. An in- stance of this is found in the fact that Mr. Wil- son was sometimes delayed two years in receiv- ing letters, which by the time they reached him had extra charges amounting to as much as $6. This was largely due to there being so many men of his own name (Joseph Wilson) in Cali- fornia. To remedy the matter, he applied to the legislature and by an act of that body his name was changed to Albert Calhoun Joseph Wilson.

The Wilsons are of Scotch and English de- scent. John Wilson, a native of New Jersey, re- moved to Ohio county, W. Va., and became one of the pioneer farmers of the Ohio river valley. Indeed, when he settled in that region, there was no other white man for many miles along the river. By his marriage to Miss Abrahams, of New Jersey, he had a son, Louis, born in West Virginia, and a lifelong resident of Ohio county, who served during the war of 1812. He married Rosanna Brown, a native of the same county as himself and who also died in West Virginia. Her father, Frazier Brown, was born in Maryland, but died in West Virginia.

In a family of seven children, six of whom grew to maturity, the subject of this sketch was the only son of Louis Wilson, who came to the coast. He was born near Wheeling, W. Va., February 10, 1822, and as a boy assisted in the cultivation of the home farm. At the age of twenty-eight years he left Virginia and came to California, where he had many exciting and nar- row escapes while engaged in mining. In June, 1859, when he was superintendent of the Sonora Table Mountain Mining Company, in Tuo- lumne county, he had a narrow escape. For a time the company had worked at running an in- cline, but temporarily abandoned the work. On resuming it he was superintendent. He went down first to see if everything was all right, and called out to his men that he needed a pick. Be- fore he could add a word of caution as to how it should be sent down to him, a careless work- man threw it so that it struck and knocked out a brace. Immediately the dirt and debris came down in great quantities. Just as the debris caught him he jumped between two posts and a slab, which prevented him from being crushed and also left him a space for breathing. It was six o'clock in the morning when the accident

occurred, and twenty-five hours passed before he was released, as the men had to devise means to stop the downward flow of clay pipe and de- bris before they could dig him out. At times he despaired of being saved, as the posts and slabs were liable to break at any moment, but fortunately they endured the weight of debris and he was finally rescued.

In 1867 Mr. Wilson came to Santa Barbara, where his was among the first American fami- lies to settle. He bought three blocks, contain- ing fifteen acres, and forming one of the finest property holdings in the city. The large pep- per trees that now adorn the place came from seeds that he planted. The residence was erect- ed under his supervision, and the other improve- ments represent his personal efforts. In the midst of his various business interests he has nevertheless traveled much. In 1854 he re- turned east via Panama, and in 1866 again vis- ited the old home, this time taking the Nicara- gua route. Although he was reared under slave influences, he has always been a stanch upholder of the Union and an opponent of the slavery system. In politics he is a Republican. While living in the east he was made a Mason, in Wheeling, W. Va. In 1856 he was a repre- sentative to the grand lodge, and the same year he represented his chapter in the grand chap- ter.

In Tuolumne county Mr. Wilson married Margaret A. Calder, who was born in Jefferson county, Ohio, and accompanied her parents to California via Panama in 1856. Three children were born of their union. The only daughter, Katharine W., married Harmon Bell, an attor- ney of San Francisco, Cal., and they have two sons, Traylor W. and Joseph Samuel, who as the only grandchildren of Mr. and Mrs. Wilson are especially dear to them. Louis was born December 24, 1859, and became a chief engineer in Mexico, but his prospects were blighted by his death, which occurred at Nogales, Ariz., in December, 1886. The other son, George, was born in 1865 and died in Santa Barbara when only seven years of age. Mrs. Wilson's father, James Calder, a native of New Jersey, was the son of a Scotchman, James Calder, Sr., a pio- neer of Jefferson county, Ohio. In 1856, accom- panied by his wife and five children, James Cal- der, Jr., came to California, and his was the first train to cross Panama after the riots. Taking the steamer Golden Gate, he landed in San Fran- cisco early in May. Later he engaged in ranch- ing in Tuolumne county until his death. Frater- nally he was connected with the Odd Fellows. llis wife, Elizabeth, was a daughter of William Wyckoff, and was born in Ohio and died in Tuolumne county, Cal. Of the five children forming their family three are living, viz .: Mrs. Wilson: George, a miner in Tuolumne county ; and Henry, also a resident of that county.

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HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

W. B. CUNNANE, M. D. One of the widely known and successful physicians and surgeons of Santa Barbara is Dr. Cunnane, who was born in Edinburg, Johnson county, Ind., November 16, 1854. His father, Bartholomew Cunnane, was born in County Mayo, Ireland, and in his youth enjoyed such advantages as come the way of the farm-reared Irish boy. Upon immi- grating to America via New Orleans he settled first in Hamilton, Ohio, and then in Edinburg, Ind., later in Missouri, and in 1890 came to Santa Barbara, Cal., where he died in 1900, at the age of seventy-five years. His wife, Mar- garet (Mullaney) Cunnane, was also born in County Mayo, Ireland, and came of a family for many years connected with Irish history and struggles. Mrs. Cunnane, who is living in Santa Barbara county, is the mother of six children, of whom three sons and two daughters are liv- ing. Mary A. is the principal of the Santa Ynez school; Margaret is now Mrs. Lewis of Santa Ynez; John B. is a druggist at Santa Ynez, and Thomas E. is a physician in Ventura.

When about eight years of age W. B. Cun- nane accompanied his parents from Indiana to Missouri, settling on a farm near Sturgeon, Boone county. He attended the early subscrip- tion schools of that county, but with the later advent of the free schools also availed himself of their advantages and subsequently graduated from Sturgeon Academy. In 1870 he entered the office of the general roadmaster of the Wabash Railroad at Moberly, Mo., and soon afterward took up telegraphy in that office. On gaining a knowledge of the work he was ap- pointed operator on the road between Moberly and St. Louis. He also took a course in phar- macy at the University of Louisiana. For three years he was with the Texas & Pacific Railroad, operating between Marshall and Texarkana, and Sherman and Texarkana. In the mean time, he had been cherishing ambitions for professional life, inspired, no doubt, by the success of his mother's brother, John Mullaney, a graduate of the Columbia Law School, and in time a partner of T. B. Hendricks. This uncle settled in San Francisco, where he practiced law for a time, but later devoted himself to educational work.

The professional aspirations of W. B. Cun- nane were directed toward the science of medi- cine, and he took his first readings with Dr. S. 1. Morriss, surgeon for the Texas & Pacific Railroad. In 1878 he entered the University of Louisiana at New Orleans (now Tulare Univer- sity), where he took the regular three years' course and also the special course in toxicology and chemistry, graduating in 1881. In the mean time his vacations had been spent with the Texas & Pacific Railroad under Dr. Morriss, a special privilege granted because of his services during the yellow fever epidemic. After gradu- ation he practiced in Queen City, Tex., for two

years. The year 1883 found him in Santa Bar- bara county, Cal., and for some years he was the only resident physician of Santa Ynez, where he conducted a drug store in order that he might have on hand a supply of medicine and general medical necessities. This store was afterward sold to his brother, and is still conducted by him. While in Santa Ynez the doctor became prominent in local affairs, served as county physician, was a member and the secretary of the school board, and helped to secure the erec- tion of the new schoolhouse. In 1893 he opened an office in Santa Barbara, and has since carried on a large general practice. The year of his arrival he was appointed a member of the board of examining surgeons for pensions, was secre- tary of the board, and held the position until his resignation in 1900. For the following few months he enjoyed a complete change, travel- ing through Arizona, Old Mexico, and other portions of the great southwest, and while in Sonora became interested in a mine, in which he still retains stock. For two years he was physi- cian in charge of the county hospital, and dur- ing that time was also health officer.

In Ballard, Santa Barbara county, Dr. Cun- nane married Mabel Johnston, by whom he has two children, William Bernard, Jr., and Mabel. The family have a pleasant home at No. 1327 De la Vina street. Mrs. Cunnane was born in Nevada, and is a daughter of W. F. and Mary (McCorkel) Johnston, pioneers of California, the foriner a cousin of Albert Sidney Johnston. Her mother is a member of the McCorkel fan- ily of Virginia, direct descendants of the Cal- houn family. In 1853 she started across the plains with a train of emigrants, who were all but wiped out by the cholera. Consumption had threatened to shorten her days, and, hoping the change would prove beneficial, she had decided to come to the far west. Strange to say, she is the sole survivor of that ill-fated train of trav- elers. She is now approaching the sunset of life, and is interestingly reminiscent of her terrible experiences on the plains and the early days in California. Her home is in Santa Maria, where Mr. Johnston is a large stock raiser and enter- prising business man.

While in Texas Dr. Cunnane was made a Mason and identified himself with Lodge No. 49 at Kildare, but is now connected with Lodge No. 242, F. & A. M., at Santa Barbara. An- other organization of which he is a member is the Woodmen of the World. Mrs. Cunnane is a member of the Episcopal Church.

J. B. CUNNANE. The well-equipped drug store at Santa Ynez, of which Mr. Cunnane is manager and proprietor, does a large business in the town and surrounding country, and car- ries a full line of remedies for the alleviation of human ills, as well as stationery and the inci-

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dental requirements of all communities. The first store opened by Mr. Cunnane came into being in 1888, and was prosperously making its way among the shoals of business life when overtaken by the disastrous fire of 1894. While the ashes were yet smoldering the plucky owner was evolving plans for a new and better struc- ture, which was ready for occupancy in 1895, and has since met with no serious drawbacks.

Although a native of Indiana, where he was born in 1863, Mr. Cumnane grew to manhood in Missouri, whither his father had in the mean- time removed. He was educated at the high school at Moberly, Randolph county, and also graduated at the school of pharmacy in the same town. In 1884 his ambition led him into the west, and for two years he lived at Santa Bar- bara, later traveling through Montana and Idaho, and permanently locating in Santa Ynez in 1888. The town was then but a small settle- nient, and he has grown apace with the increase of population and business, and may be said to be one of the pioneers of what is now a bustling and up-to-date community.

The marriage of Mr. Cunnane and Alice Tor- ance, daughter of J. W. Torance, one of the oldest settlers here, was solemnized in 1891, and of this union there are three children, Philip J., Thomas and Margaret. The Cunnane home is a pleasant and refined one, and the visitor from far or near is assured of a hearty welcome, and enjoys the delightful and unos- tentatious hospitality. Mr. Cunnane is a Demo- crat in politics, and was appointed postmaster of Santa Ynez in 1894. Fraternally he is con- nected with the Knights of Pythias, and was the first chancellor of Santa Ynez Lodge No. 212. In 1887 he became identified with the Odd Fel- lows, and is now a member of the Channel City Lodge No. 232.

T. E. CUNNANE, M. D. A notable addition to professional circles in Ventura is Dr. T. E. Cunnane, than whom there is no medical and surgical practitioner in the town more popular and skillful. Of Gallic ancestry, he was born in Boone county, Mo., May 3, 1866. His father, Bartholomew Cunnane, who was born in County Mayo, Ireland, and crossed the ocean to New Orleans, La., when a mere boy, located in Ohio and engaged in farming, later residing for a time in Indiana, and eventually, in 1866, removing to Missouri, where he again interested himself in farming, until he became associated with the Wabash Railroad as timekeeper. In 1889 he came to California, and up to the time of his dicath, in 1900, lived in comparative retirement at Santa Barbara. His wife, who is still living, was formerly Margaret Mullaney, a native of Ireland, and is the mother of three sons and two daughters, now living, of whom Dr. T. E. is the youngest son. Of the other sons, Dr. W.

B. is a prominent physician of Santa Barbara, and John B. is a druggist at Santa Ynez.

The education of Dr. T. E. Cunnane was ac- quired in the public schools of Boone county, and at the high school of Moberly, Mo., from which he was graduated in 1883. His first inde- pendent effort at earning a livelihood was as a clerk in Hannibal, Mo., where he lived until 1889. Having decided to devote his life to a mastery of the science of medicine, he repaired to Santa Ynez in 1889 and began to study medi- cine with his brother, W. B., who was then lo- cated at Santa Ynez. At the same time, while studying, he was employed as a clerk in his brother's drug store. In this way he gained much valuable and practical knowledge, which was supplemented by taking the medical course at Cooper Medical College, San Francisco, from which he graduated in 1893. An opening for practice was available owing to the removal of his brother from Santa Ynez to Santa Barbara, and he settled down in the little town of Santa Ynez and built up a large and appreciative busi- ness, and before coming away was for some time county physician.

Thinking to better his prospects, Dr. Cun- nane came to Ventura in August of 1900, and it is doubtful if any could more nearly realize their expectations. As a general practitioner he is valued for his skill in diagnosis and success- ful treatment of complicated physical disorders, and for that geniality of manner and rare tact, which wins and holds friends in any walk of life. His many interests extend to social and fra- ternal organizations, and he is a member of the Masonic fraternity, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Knights of Pythias. He is medical examiner for a number of organiza- tions and societies and also is a member of the Board of Examiners of the United States Pen- sion Bureau. In politics he is a Democrat.

While living in Santa Ynez Dr. Cunnane mar- ried Nellie Blair, who was born and educated in West Virginia, and who is the mother of two children, Eugenia and Virginia.

J. M. STEADE, M. D. Since establish- ing his home in San Diego in January, 1895, Dr. Steade has engaged in a general prac- tice of medicine and surgery, and has his office in the Peterson block, No. 832 Fifth street. In addition to his private practice, he formerly gave his services as a member of the board of health, and at this writing is instructor of obstetrics in the San Diego Training School for Nurses, which institution he assisted in or- ganizing.

The first representative of the Steade family in America came from England and settled in North Carolina. His son, John, was a native of North Carolina and became a pioneer fron- tiersman and scout in Kentucky, where he had

Edmund M. Coworker

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HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

many thrilling experiences. Next in line of descent was Frank, who was born in Bowling Green, Ky., and became a scout for the govern- ment during the Civil war, holding the rank of captain. Some years afterward he died in Okla- homa. His wife, Tallie, was born in Pennsyl- vania, and now lives in San Diego county, Cal. Her father, William Young, was born in Orange county, N. Y., of remote English ancestry. In early life he moved to Bourbon county, Ky., where lie improved a farm. During the Civil war he was a stanch advocate of free-state prin- ciples.

The only child of Frank and Tallie Steade was J. M., the subject of this article. He was born in Fort Scott, Kans., in 1862, and in infancy was taken to Philadelphia, Pa., but at seven years of age returned to Fort Scott, Kans. Af- terward he engaged in raising cattle on T 5 ranch, situated on the North Canadian river, in No Man's Land. From boyhood it was his am- bition to study medicine, and as soon as the way was opened he turned his attention to this work. In 1887 he was graduated from Cincinnati Ec- lectic College and in 1894 received the degree of M. D., also from the Cincinnati College of Medi- cine and Surgery.

HON. EDMUND M. BURKE, the tax col- lector of Santa Barbara county, was born in the city of Santa Barbara April 15, 1871, and re- ceived the rudiments of his education under private tutors in this place. In 1884 he entered St. Vincent's College, at Los Angeles, where he remamed until his senior year. The first po- sition of a public nature that he held was the office of deputy county tax collector under his father, and lie later served as deputy county as- sessor. April 21, 1898, hie assumed the duties of mayor, to which office he had been elected by the people of Santa Barbara, receiving a large majority. During his term a new charter was adopted which made the age of eligibility to the mayor's office thirty years, and he was therefore ineligible for re-election. Among the improvements made during his administration was the completion of the city water works plant. Streets and bridges were also put in bet- ter condition. Other improvements proved his activity as an official and his interest in the city's advancement. On the death of his father, in September, 1900, the board of supervisors ap- pointed him to fill the vacancy in the office of county tax collector, and he is now serving in that capacity, his term to expire in January, 1903.

The Republican party has in Mr. Burke a stanch supporter. With the firmest conviction of the value of party principles, he gives his allegiance to the men and measures for which the organization stands. He has served as chair- man of the county convention and been a mem-

ber of the county central committee, besides which he now represents this county on the state central committee. He is a member of the Santa Barbara Chamber of Commerce. Frater- nally he is connected with the Independent Or- der of Foresters; the Ancient Order of United Workmen; the Foresters of America, in which he is a past officer; the Native Sons of the Golden West, being past president of the Santa Barbara Parlor No. 116; the United Moderns; the Knights of Pythias, Uniform Rank; the Modern Woodmen of America, of which he is consul; Knights of the Maccabees; the Com- panions of the Forest, and the Elks. From boyhood he has been familiar with the Spanish language, in which he has acquired a knowledge as thorough as that of English. His marriage was solemnized in Ventura and united him with Miss Lorena May Garfield, who was born in Spring Valley, Minn., and by whom he has two children, Lorena A. and Edmund F.

MIGUEL F. BURKE. During the '20s, Cap- tain James Walter Burke, a native of Galway, Ireland, and an officer in the English merchant marine service, visited Santa Barbara. Although he had visited all the principal ports of the world and had once circumnavigated the globe, lie had found no spot so fair as this, and he de- termined to establish his home here. Settling in Santa Barbara, he turned his attention to farming and trading in stock. In Monterey lie married Señora Joséfa Boronda, member of an old Spanish family of California. Both lived to be quite old, he dying at seventy-eight and she when seventy-nine years of age. They were the parents of several children, but had only one son, Miguel F. He was born November 23, 1839, in an adobe house on Figueroa street, be- tween State and Anacapa, Santa Barbara. A part of that old house still stands, and adjoins the Congregational Church. It is a notable fact that he spent his entire life in the same lo- cality and died in the block in which lie was born.

There being no schools in Santa Barbara when he was a boy, he was sent to Holy Cross College, Worcester, Mass., where he remained until his education was completed, the distance being too great for him to return home during vacations. With the exception of this period at school, he spent his life wholly in Santa Bar- bara county, and was at various times teamster, clerk and express agent. Among the roads which he opened was the one from here to Gaviota, and in 1871 he assumed charge of Gaviota Landing, where he built a wharf, and for several years he was exceedingly prosperous, but later lost heavily through the depression in real estate. After leaving Gaviota in 1882 lie went to Buell Flat and thence to Santa Ynez. In the '7os he was master of road district No. 4.

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January 4, 1881, he was appointed supervisor of the third district, and served two years. From 1890 to 1894 he was a member of the common council. For sixteen years he served as county tax collector, being elected six consecutive times. The lowest majority he ever received for the office was forty-nine, and the highest nine hundred and ninety-one. Although a stanch Republican, he had a strong Democratic sup- port, and carried by a large majority Santa Ynez, the banner Democratic precinct in the county. He was filling the position at the time of his death, which occurred September 7, 1900, at the age of sixty years and nine months.

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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 61

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