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 92

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

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setts. James Brackett married Anna Flower, a member of the Flower family which claim the late Governor Flower of New York and were represented by Major Lamrock Flower and his son, Major William Flower, in the Revolution- ary war. The Bracketts were represented in America and Massachusetts as early as 1634. The bearers of this name have ever distin- guished themselves in peace and war, and have been particularly prominent in mold- ing the political thought and tendency of their time. The great-grandfather, Nathan B., followed the fortunes of Washington through the Revo- lutionary war, and his descendants fought cour- ageously in the war of 1812 and the Civil war. Mrs. Haskin, who died at Skaneateles, N. Y., was the mother of three children, namely: James Heman, who is the proprietor of the Revere House at Ventura; Mrs. Webster and Truman Harrison, who died in Columbus, Wis., at the age of thirty years. Mrs. Webster was educated at the public schools in New York, and when seventeen years of age began to engage in edu- cational work, and during the twenty-three terms of her service taught in New York, Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, and California. She has taken a leading part in various forward move- ments in Ventura, and was president of the local Woman's Suffrage Society for one term. She is a member of the Woman's Christian Temper- ance Union and the Woman's Relief Corps. To Mr. and Mrs. Webster has been born one child, Capt. H. B. Webster who is ex-editor of the Ventura Signal, captain of the Ventura Sons of Veterans, and has one child, Morris La Fevre. He was formerly the owner of a little schooner plying between Ventura and the islands of the channel, engaged in seal fishing and freighting. The maternal heart of Mrs. Webster has ex- tended to the needs of other children than her own son and there are several whom she has reared and trained into paths of goodness and usefulness who also call her mother.

In the spring of 1871 Mr. Webster left Ohio and came to Santa Barbara, Cal., where he be- came interested in contracting mason and cement work, and also engaged in farming. In 1876 he purchased a ranch on the Santa Ana and extensively engaged in ranching, grain rais- ing and building, and in 1886 came to Ventura, which has since been his home. Among the notable constructions which are monuments of his skill as a builder and contractor may be men- tioned the Avenue bridge, Padre Juan bridge, of Santa Clara county, and most of the foundations of the best residences and buildings in Ventura. The interests of Mr. Webster are by no means self centered, for his help and support may be counted on for the furthering of all wise schemes of improvement. He has been promi- nent in the political undertakings of his town and county, and on the Republican ticket was

James Dr Cliffe

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elected marshal of Ventura, which position he hield for two years. He is one of the best- known members of the Republican Club, and was president of the same in 1896. Fraternally he is associated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Encampment, and the Can- ton, and is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, Cushing Post No. 44.

THOMAS BONES. The family represented by this citizen of Los Angeles is of English ori- gin. He was born in county Sussex, England, November 1, 1842, and in 1848 was brought to America by his parents, Thomas and Mary (Buss) Bones, natives respectively of Sussex and Kent. The family consisted of ten children, all but one of whom attained mature years, and eight are still living, three of these being resi- dents of California, while the others are making their homes in Wisconsin. In order of birth they are Mary, Thomas, William, Ellen, George and Edward (both of Los Angeles), Arthur and Anna. The grandfather, Arthur Bones, was a native of Sussex and for more than forty-five years served as sexton of the church at Sail- hurst; he lived to be ninety-six years old. The father, on coming to America, settled in Madison county, N. Y., but in 1867 removed to Vernon county, Wis., and there died at fifty-eight years of age. Throughout all of his life he followed farm pursuits.

The boyhood years of Thomas Bones were passed principally upon a farm in New York. During the Civil war he desired to enlist in the Union army and volunteered his services, but was rejected on account of crippled wrists. When twenty years of age he started out in the world for himself, his first venture being as a far- mer in the county of Madison, N. Y. In 1865 he removed to the vicinity of Hillsboro, Wis., which was then a new country, with few improvements and a sparse population. Immedi- ately after his arrival he bought a tract of raw land, to the clearing of which he resolutely set himself. One of his first improvements was the building of a house, which, though of logs, was homelike and comfortable. Under his energetic oversight forty acres were cleared and improved. In 1872 he removed to Rochester, Minn., and three years later, on account of his wife's health, he came to California to make his home. For a year he engaged in the manufacture of lumber at Redwoods, after which he came to Los An- geles and followed carpentering for three years. His next venture was as a farmer on the Ro- secrans tract, where he bought three hundred and twenty acres and has since conducted ex- tensive farm pursuits. Besides cultivating the land that he owned, he rented lands and engaged in grain and hay growing. Under his capable management the property proved remunerative and, though now rented to other parties, is still

a source of considerable revenue to him. In 1894 he came to Los Angeles and erected the resi- dence at No. 1002 West Jefferson street where he has since resided. Politically he has voted with the Republicans in every community where he has made his home, and his support of the principles of the party is as ardent now as it was in his early manhood, but he has never identi- ficd himself with local politics nor has he ever cared to hold office. While living in Minnesota he was married near Rochester to Miss Martha C. Murdock, who was born in Rutland county, Vt., and accompanied her parents, Henry and Eunice (Hatch) Murdock, to Wisconsin in a very early day, later removing to Minnesota, where she was reared and educated. A son. Henry Harvey, has been born to the union of Mr. and Mrs. Bones. The family stands high in the various communities where they have lived, and number many intimate friends and well- wishers among their acquaintances both east and west.

JAMES D. CLAPP. Tracing the ancestry of the Clapp family, we find that they were iden- tified with the early history of New England. Nathan, the father of J. D. Clapp, was a native of Connecticut, where he grew to manhood and married. When J. D. was a child of two years. the family settled in York, Livingston county, N. Y., and there his boyhood years were un- eventfully passed. While educational advan- tages in those days were exceedingly meager. he was so diligent and ambitious that he ac- quired an excellent education, principally through attendance in the Wyoming (N. Y.) Academy, a well-known institution of that day. He was especially talented as a penman, and his fine writing always attracted attention and praise. For a time he taught penmanship in Temple Hill Academy, at Geneseo, N. Y., but later he turned his attention to the mercantile business. Ill health prevented him from joining the army and aiding the government in securing the downfall of slavery. During the war he made his home in Hazel Green, Delaware county, Iowa, but later returned to Livingston county, N. Y., and established himself upon a farm. However, not finding himself benefited by the change, he determined to come to Cali- fornia, where he hoped that the balmy air and sunshine would restore his health. The year 1871 found him in Riverside, where he soon re- gained his health to a considerable degree. Attracted by the place, he decided to cast in his fortunes with it, believing that in time the then village would become a populous city. Nor was his faith misplaced. He lived to sce Riverside one of the best-known fruit sections of America. and had the satisfaction of realizing that he had been a factor in securing this desired result.

Immediately after coming to Riverside. Mr.

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Clapp bought twenty acres on Brockton avenue, which he set out in oranges of various kinds, as well as other fruits. In 1883 he bought two and one-fourth acres on Ninth street and erected a residence that is now occupied by Mrs. Clapp and her daughter, Miss Helen. Here his last days were quietly and happily passed, and here his death occurred, March 23, 1896, when he was seventy-eight years of age. His various enterprises had brought him prosperity, and he was able to surround his family with all the comforts of existence. During his entire busi- ness career he never showed the recklessness of investment sometimes found among men. On the other hand, he was very conservative, arriv- ing at decisions only after having carefully weighed every side of the question, so that when he had made up his mind regarding any venture he seldom had cause to afterward change his opinion.

MAXWELL K. BARRETTO. The city mar- shal and tax collector of Santa Monica is one of the early settlers of the town, having come here in the spring of 1886 a few months before its incorporation as a city. The family of which he is a member, established a home in New York in a very early day and succeeding gen- erations have been identified with the state. His father, Francis, was born in New York City and spent his entire active life as a merchant of that metropolis, where he died at an advanced age. Maxwell K. Barretto was a native of New York City and received his education in its schools, remaining there as a business man until 1876, when he removed to California. He established himself in the then insignificant hamlet of Los Angeles, whose American population was still quite small. Looking about him for a suitable occupation and location, he saw the possibilities of ranching and became interested in lands near Downey. He made a specialty of the dairy business and owned a large number of milch cows. About 1875 his brother, F. J., had settled in Southern California and the two were asso- ciated together for three years, when they sepa- rated their interests, and the brother died about 1887.

As deputy sheriff Mr. Barretto served under W. R. Rowland and James C. Kays. On coming to Santa Monica he was made constable and in 1888 was elected to the office of marshal, which he held continuously until 1894. During that year he resigned in order to accept a position as deputy collector of customs in charge of the sub-port of Port Los Angeles. This position he filled until the fall of 1897, when a change of administration caused him to resign. In the spring of 1898 he was elected marshal and ex- officio tax collector, and two years later was re- elected to the office, which he still fills. He is

a leading Democrat in Santa Monico and has been a member of the county central committee. In religion he is of the Episcopalian faith. The Knights of Pythias, Independent Order of For- esters, Foresters of America and Independent Order of Odd Fellows (in the last-named of which he is a past officer), have enrolled the name of Mr. Barretto in their membership lists. His long service as marshal proves the confi- dence which the people have in his integrity and faithfulness as an officer.

O. N. CADWELL. From a comparatively small beginning when he started out to make his own way in the world at the age of twenty-one, Mr. Cadwell has steadily advanced in his knowl- edge of agriculture and business in general, until to-day he is one of the successful ranchers of the Carpinteria valley, and enjoys the regard of all his associates. He was born in Allegany county, N. Y., in 1830, his parents being Eras- tus T. and Abigail (Phillips) Cadwell, natives respectively of Connecticut and New Hamp- shire. He was reared on his father's farm and educated in the public schools, and when nine- teen years of age went to Ottawa county, Mich., where he bought a farm and cleared it from timber and brush. His efforts here were fairly successful, and he remained in Michigan until 1858, when he sold out and came to Cali- fornia, via Panama to San Francisco. Upon locating in Lake county he pre-empted a gov- ernment right on land, and was among the first to raise any kind of crops in that part of the state.

In 1868 Mr. Cadwell removed with his family to Carpinteria, and bought thirty-three acres of timber land which he cleared at a great expense of time and labor, and to which he later added until he now owns nearly three hundred acres. The land is devoted to fruit culture in the main, although general farming is engaged in to some extent, and he raises a great many walnuts. He was among the first to set out an orchard in the Carpinteria valley, and among the first to realize the extent of the possibilities of this part of the country. That success has attended the im- provement of his chances is owing to his inde- fatigable energy and persistent application to business. As proof of his confidence in the con- tinued prosperity of the county, and his inten- tion to make this his permanent abiding place, he has invested in real estate in different towns in the county, notably in Santa Barbara.

Mr. Cadwell is prominent in the general activi- ties of the community in which he lives, and his common sense opinions and ability have made him a valuable addition in connection with sev- eral of the most important enterprises of the county. He is a member and director in the Santa Barbara County Horticultural Society, and

CHARLES GRIMES

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is recognized as having at his disposal the re- sults of a profound research along horticultural lines. He is affiliated with the Masonic order at Santa Barbara.

CHARLES GRIMES. It has been the good fortune of Mr. Grimes to succeed beyond his expectations in the California enterprises in which he has been interested, and few have more readily adapted themselves to western oppor- tunities for advancement. Nor can it be said that his youth held more than ordinary induce- ments to make the most of himself, for he comes of humble parentage, and was second in a family of eight children, all of whom were obliged to shift for themselves at an early age. The family of which he is a member have for many years been connected with Montgomery county, Md., where his paternal grandfather was a farmer, living to be ninety-five years of age. His father, Charles H. Grimes, was born and died in Montgomery county, and during his years of activity was a shoemaker by trade. His mother, formerly Sarah Ann Hobbs, was born and died in Maryland, and of her eight children six are living, Charles, and the oldest son, W. T., being the only ones on the coast.

Charles Grimes was born in Montgomery county, Md., September 20, 1859, and was reared on the paternal farm. When twenty years of age, in 1879, he removed to Dallas, Tex., and for a year was employed on the construction of the Texas Pacific Railroad. He afterward went to Fort Worth, Tex., where he worked on the construction of the Missouri Pacific Railroad, and in 1881 worked on the Burlington & Mis- souri Railroad, from McCook, Neb., to the Hegler ranch in Colorado. Owing to the strike of 1882 he returned to Baltimore, Md., and found employment for a year as foreman for the Granite Company at Woodstock, and was then engaged on the construction of the Baltimore & Maryland Railroad out of Baltimore. In Oc- tober of 1885 he came to Pasadena in the em- ploy of his brother, who had started a cigar, pool and billiard enterprise in 1883, and con- tinued in this capacity until resigning in Feb- ruary of 1891. During the same year he started .. an independent business along the same line on South Fair Oaks avenue, and disposed of the same to R. H. Gaylord in 1897. On a small scale Mr. Grimes then engaged in the restaurant business on South Fair Oaks avenue, and so good an investment did this prove that he has since found it necessary to several times in- crease the capacity of his establishment, and is now most advantageously located in a new building called the Ward block, on South Fair Oaks. To his original business he has added cigars, four pool and billiard tables, and two bowling alleys. The Grimes restaurant and

amusement center is popular, and nets its pro- prietor a handsome yearly income.

In partnership with Mr. Sturtevant, Mr. Grimes is doing business in the tourist accom- modation line, and as Sturtevant & Grimes has gained a reputation as entertainers and caterers to the pleasure seekers of this region. They are especially interested in promoting Martin's Camp and Wilson's Peak, the latter above the clouds, and replete with grand and inspiring views of the surrounding mountain ranges. The firm supply burros, tents, and all necessities for an ideal camp existence, and the grounds are well fitted with rustic seats, chairs and ham- mocks. Unfurnished tents may be had for $1.50 for one person, or $2.50 for two persons; and furnished tents for $5.00 a week, or $12.00 a month. At the camp stores provisions, fresh fruits, vegetables, meats and bread are furnished at reasonable rates, and a laundry is also avail- able for guests. Sixty head of burros are owned by the firm, and plenty of games and opportuni- ties for hunting and fishing add to the attrac- tions of these typical southern California resorts.

In Pasadena Mr. Grimes married Florence E. Black, a native of Ohio, and of this union have been born two children, Zillah and Gladys. Mr. Grimes is popular in fraternal circles in Califor- nia. Made a Mason in Pasadena in 1895, he is a member of Pasadena Lodge No. 272, F. & A. M., the chapter, and commandery, and Al Malakiah Temple, N. M. S. He is also a meni- ber of the Woodmen of the World, the Knights of the Maccabees, the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, and Uniform Rank, Knights of Pythias, in which latter he has officiated as district deputy. Mr. Grimes is a Democrat in politics, a member of the Board of Trade, and a member of the Merchants' Protective Associa- tion. He is the owner of a finely improved ranch of five acres on Allen avenue, which is under navel and late Valencia oranges. This property is fitted with a well pumped by a gaso- line engine, the only well in the valley which can be pumped with a long stroke.

WILLIAM ALEXANDRE THOMPSON. Thoughi of Irish parentage, Mr. Thompson is of Scotch descent, his paternal grandfather hav- ing been a native of Aberdeen, Scotland. His father, William, who was born near London- derry, Ireland, settled in Ontario about 1839. bringing with him his wife, Sarah (Curtis) Thompson, and their three children. Thereafter lie gave his attention to the improvement of farmns, the buying and selling of lands and the raising of stock, and met with encouraging suc- cess until the age of fifty-two years, when he was accidentally killed by being thrown from his horse. His wife was born near Derry, Ire- land, and now makes her home in Nebraska.

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Both were reared in the Presbyterian faith and became communicants of that church. They had seven children, namely: Sarah A., of Den- ver, Colo .; James and Mathilda, who live in Ontario; Eliza, residing in Iowa; Margaret, of Ontario; William A., of Tropico, Los Angeles county, Cal .; and Rebecca, a resident of Litch- field, Neb.

On the home farm at Mitchell, Perch county, Ontario, William Alexandre Thompson was born August 22, 1853. When he was eleven years of age his father died. and afterward he remained with his mother until he was eighteen. The next two years were spent with an uncle, John Curtis, on a farm. About 1872 he came to the states, but fifteen months later returned to Ontario and spent a year at home. His next location was Shell Rock Falls, Iowa, where he engaged in farming for two years. During that time, at Cedar Rapids, he married Charlotte Minshull, who was born in England and died in California. Two children were born of this union, namely: Arthur Russell, a farmer and stockman in Nebraska; and Lottie May, who also lives in Nebraska.

As a railroad man Mr. Thompson gained his first experience in Canada in November, 1876. A year later he became foreman on the Grand Trunk Railroad at Flint, Mich. Two years later he was transferred to Blue Island, Ill. After six months he was promoted to be assistant road- master on the Chicago division, which position he held nearly two years. He then accepted a position on the Canadian Pacific, but after only a month resigned. In 1884 he became foreman for the Southern Pacific road at Tulare, Cal., from there was transferred to Bakersfield. next to Caliente and later to Fresno. In 1888 he was appointed roadmaster of the Fresno division, and in June of the following year was transferred to Yuma, Ariz. While there he married Miss Vena Louise Ewing, who was born in Flint, Mich. The only child of this union is Adeline Ewing Thompson.

The location at Yuma not being agreeable. Mr. Thompson resigned and went to Bealville, Cal., as section foreman, from which place he was transferred to Los Angeles, in December, 1893, as foreman of section 45, San Joaquin division. In this capacity he has been retained to the present time, having charge of six miles and its siding. As a railroad man he has been painstaking and energetic. In 1895 he built a residence in Tropico, where he has since made his home, and at this writing he is erecting another house here. His interest in educational matters has led him to accept an appointment as a mem- ber of the Tropico district school board, and during the six years he has held this office he has been very helpful in advancing the interests of the school. Politically he is a stanch Repub- lican. While living in Illinois he was made a

Mason in the Blue Island Lodge, and now holds membership in East Gale Lodge No. 290, in Los Angeles. Personally he is a genial and companionable man, who numbers a host of friends among the people of Southern California.

ABNER RUSH. This veteran of the Civil war, now residing in Santa Barbara, was born in Beriin township, Trumbull county, Ohio, February 1, 1832. The family is of German de- scent, and the paternal grandfather. John, was a native of Pennsylvania, removing to Youngs- town, Ohio, where he owned and managed a farm up to the time of his death. Eli Rush, the father of Abner, was born in Westmoreland county, Pa., and was eighteen months old when his father settled in Ohio. His education was received in the Youngstown schools. In 1846 he settled in Pike county, Ill., where he farmed for two years. His next locations were, succes- sively, Sangamon and Morgan counties, Ill., and Nebraska, in which latter state his death oc- curred. His wife, Jane (Parkhurst) Rush, was born in Ohio, of Scotch descent, and died in Kansas. She was the mother of two sons and four daughters, of whom one son and three daughters are living, Abner being the third in order of birth.

Until his fourteenth year Abner Rush lived in Ohio, and then accompanied the family to Illi- nois, via the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, settling at Perry opposite Naples. After studying in local schools, he began to teach, following that occupation for three years. Later he engaged in the mercantile business at Elkhart, Ill., and then at Springfield, same state. In Illinois, in 1856, he married Ellen Perkins, who was born in Indiana of Kentucky parentage and was a cousin of ex-Senator Saunders of Nebraska. A son of this union, John T. Rush, is living in Portland, Ore., and was for years connected with the Northern Pacific Railroad Company: Also, two daughters of this union are now living. one in Lincoln, Neb., the other in Kansas. In 1862 Mr. Rush volunteered in Company A. One Hundred and Fifteenth Illinois Infantry, at Springfield, and was made fourth sergeant. He served in Kentucky until he was taken ill with valvular heart trouble, and was obliged to remain in the hospital until his honorable discharge, in March of 1863, for the same trouble. Return- ing to Springfield, for a short time he engaged in the mercantile business, and afterward became interested in fire insurance, traveling in that ca- pacity over Illinois and Missouri for about four years. Removing to Lincoln, Neb., he engaged in teaching school and later in commercial enter- prise. In 1882 he removed to Santa Barbara. Cal. Between the years 1887 and 1894 he lived on a ranch in Montecito valley, afterward re- turning to Santa Barbara, where he now makes

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his home. He was the first lecturer in Santa Barbara county for the Farmers' Alliance and Industrial Union, and was one of the organizers of the Farmers' Alliance. In politics he is in- dependent, though inclining to the principles of the People's party.

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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 92

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