USA > California > San Benito County > History and biographical record of Monterey and San Benito Counties : and history of the State of California : containing biographies of well-known citizens of the past and present. Volume II > Part 10
USA > California > Monterey County > History and biographical record of Monterey and San Benito Counties : and history of the State of California : containing biographies of well-known citizens of the past and present. Volume II > Part 10
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mark the site of Tres Pinos, which is also noted as the depot for the product of the New Idria quicksilver mines and the Cienega limekilns.
The founder of the Farmers' Hay Company is of eastern birth and lineage, his parents hav- ing been Stephen S. and Nancy (Knight) Fred- son, natives of Maine, where the father was a shipbuilder and also for many years followed the sea. The family home was at Wiscasset, Lincoln county, near a point where the Atlantic washes the rugged shores of Maine, and there A. H. was born October 3, 1847. There, too, he received his early training and education. Be- fore he was fourteen years of age the country became involved in the Civil war and in 1863 he enlisted as a private in Company M, First Maine Heavy Artillery, assigned to the Army of the Potomac. Thus while yet a mere lad he became familiar with battle and bloodshed. It was his privilege to take part in several struggles that assisted in bringing ultimate victory to Union arms. In the memorable engagement at Petersburg, June 18, 1864, he was severely wounded in the leg, but he continued at the front until he received an honorable discharge in September of 1865. The regiment had suffered heavy losses and came out of service with only two hundred and fifty men to carry back to home and friends the tales of peril, exposure and hard- ships endured by the valiant members of the regi- ment.
Service in the army was followed by a short period of business activity in Maine, from which state, in 1867, Mr. Fredson came to California by way of Panama. For some years he engaged in farming in Sonoma county, where he took up land near Santa Rosa. The autumn of 1874 found him in the then tiny hamlet of Hollister and near this point he embarked in ranch pur- suits. During 1882 he removed to Tres Pinos and assumed charge of the Southern Pacific hotel, which he conducted for seven years, mean- while forming many pleasant friendships among the commercial travelers. It became evident to him that the village offered exceptional advan- tages for the shipment of hay and in 1895 he turned his attention to the business, and later incorporated the business into the Farmers' Hay Company. Since then he has been an indefat- igable and successful worker in securing the best
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HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
possible prices for the producers of hay and grain, and through his efforts the village has acquired an enviable reputation as a shipping point. For some years he has also been inter- ested in the insurance and real estate business and several important sales have been effected through his agency.
The first marriage of Mr. Fredson took place at Santa Rosa in 1870 and united him with Miss Addie Jose, who died in 1885, leaving three chil- dren, namely : Nellie ( Mrs. McCune), Lottie (wife of M. P. Wilkes), and Alonzo H., Jr. The present wife of Mr. Fredson, whom he married in 1887, was Miss Mary Moore, daughter of Dr. E. Moore, of Sonoma county. The services of Mr. Fredson to the local Republican organiza- tion have been important and effective. For more than thirty years he has been closely asso- ciated with all political happenings of note in the county and upon three occasions he has acted as delegate to state conventions. During 1887 he was first elected county supervisor, serving a term of four years. Again in 1898 he was chosen supervisor for a like period and in 1900 he was honored by being made chairman of the board. For the third time, November 4, 1902, he was elected for a term of four years, making his total service cover twelve years. In 1906 he was again selected for the position. The build- ing of the present court house is one of the enterprises due to his energy and the progressive spirit of his associates on the board.
LEONARD HUTZ.
A residence in the west extending over a period of many years has given Mr. Hutz a broad knowledge of the resources of the region as well as a patriotic and affectionate regard for our commonwealth. It is a mere truism to state that no men are more loyal to the welfare of Cali- fornia than those who have witnessed its growth, contributed to its progress and aided its develop- ment through a long period of activity, and such has been the citizenship of Mr. Hutz; although not one of the early settlers of the state, he has been a contributor for more than thirty years to the commercial advancement of that portion of the state where his lot has been cast. Hence his opinions concerning the possibilities of his local-
ity have not been gained at second-hand, but are the result of an observing eye, a logical mind and a keen, sagacious judgment.
Born in New York City, September 13, 1857, of German parentage, Leonard Hutz received a common-school education and then served an ap- prenticeship to the trade of a cigarmaker, which afterward he followed for two years in his native city. Finding, however, that the occupation was injurious to his health, and realizing the benefits to be derived from a change of climate, in 1874 he left the metropolis and the east for the more healthful regions of the western coast. Arriving in California he became interested in farming in Santa Barbara county, but at the expiration of two years he removed to Hollister, where he has since resided, meanwhile being interested in va- rious enterprises in San Benito county. For five years he engaged in the meat business at San Juan and for twelve years he was similarly occupied in Hollister, being one of the pioneers in that line of business in the county and acquiring a wide reputation for skill in judging the quality of meats and the values of cattle.
Discerning a future for a co-operative venture along mercantile lines, in 1897, Leonard Hutz formed a partnership with John Welch and started the Farmers' Exchange. Since then he has retained his association with the company, although Mr. Welch retired some years since. The Exchange conducts a large trade throughout the entire county and carries a full assortment of general merchandise, covering the needs of the thrifty housewife as well as the enterprising farmer. The large measure of success rewarding the company's investment is due principally to the men who have been its owners and pro- prietors. Their business acumen laid the foun- dation of a prosperity which has been enhanced by honorable methods of dealing with customers. Skill in buying has enabled them to meet the ef- forts of competitors and to place their goods be- fore customers at reasonable prices. The high standing they have gained is the result of honor- able methods adhered to with unwavering firm- ness. While promoting their own interests and the welfare of their patrons they have been influ- ential also in advancing the prosperity of the town and county and have contributed to progres- sive projects.
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HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
The Democratic party has had the unwavering allegiance of Mr. Hutz ever since he hecame a voting citizen. During 1900 he was elected city trustee of Hollister and ever since that year he has continued to fill the office, his long service proving his satisfactory tenure as an official. As early as 1887 he joined the local fire department and ever since then he has been identified with this movement, meanwhile aiding in preventing disastrous conflagrations in the town. His fra- ternal relations bring him into membership with the Masons, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Woodmen of the World, Independent Order of Foresters, Order of Eagles and Improved Order of Red Men, in all of which he maintains an in- terested activity. During 1881 he was united in marriage with Miss Mary Bullier, a native of California, and a woman of noble character, who shares with him the popular esteem. They are the parents of four children, namely: Stella, who married Daniel Denman, and resides in San Francisco; Nettie; Bertha, wife of George Rich- ardson, of Hollister; and Harry, also of Hollis- ter.
BENJAMIN FLINT.
Few names have become more prominently identified with the development of natural re- sources in California than that of Benjamin Flint, an important financial and industrial fac- tor during the period of his residence in the state covering over thirty years. His career was cut short while he was still a comparatively young man, but the enterprises which he inaugurated and fostered and his accomplishments of every nature bear witness to his keen understanding of correct business methods, which he observed to the letter in the smallest as well as in the largest undertakings with which he had to do. He thus brought to bear in his life work qualities in- herited from a long line of New England ances- tors, and he himself was a native of that part of the country, his birth occurring in New Vine- yard, Me., February 21, 1827.
Although he was one of a large family of chil- dren, being the third in order of birth among ten, Benjamin Flint was not stinted in advantages of an educational character, in fact, he received ad- vantages far above the average youth of his ac-
quaintance. A grounding in the primary and in- termediate studies was received in the public school of Anson, Me., and he later took an ad- vanced course in the academy at North Yar- mouth, in the same state. A taste for civil en- gineering and surveying led to special study along these lines and after his graduation from the academy he was thoroughly qualified to ac- cept a position whose duties incorporated work of this character. This he was fortunate in se- curing in the office of the Maine Central Railroad at the time that road was being constructed in the state. He also taught school for a time while in his native state, and was apparently satisfied with the chances which his home locality offered for the development of his future business career. Conditions in the far west, however, were de- veloping at a rate that was destined to soon over- throw the quiet satisfaction that pervaded the east, and among the first to succumb to this greater attraction on the Pacific coast was Benja- min Flint. Gold had been discovered in Califor- nia, and from the time the news reached the quiet precincts of his far eastern home until his plans were laid for the journey hither, he was restless indeed. March 15, 1849, was a memorable day, for it marked his embarkation on the vessel which was to bring him as far as the isthmus. After crossing this neck of land he embarked on another vessel that landed him in San Francisco on August 29 following.
Immediately after landing Mr. Flint made his way to Amador county, in the mines of which lo- cality he met with average success for about one year. In the meantime he wisely foresaw that a profitable business awaited him in the cattle busi- ness, and giving up the original business which brought him to the west he established himself in the cattle business in Volcano, demands for supplies in the mining camps of the vicinity at once putting his business on a substantial foun- dation. In order to restock his ranch he returned to the east and purchased a band of fine cattle which he drove across the plains, reaching his ranch near San Jose April 1, 1853. The busi- ness thus early inaugurated continued to grow and prosper until it became advisable for Mr. Flint to share the duties and responsibilities with others. This led to a partnership being formed with his brother, Thomas Flint, and his cousin,
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HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
Llewellyn Bixby, business thereafter being car- ried on under the firm name of Flint, Bixby & Co. They raised and sold large numbers of cat- tle and sheep, which they grazed on a ranch of over one hundred thousand acres of fine pasture land near Los Angeles, and conducted a large and lucrative business in supplying wool for the markets. Subsequently Mr. Flint became asso- ciated with another cousin, Jotham Bixby, under the name of J. Bixby & Co., and purchased four thousand acres of land near Los Angeles, this also being used as grazing land for sleep. Still later Mr. Flint organized the firm of Peilsius, Flint & Co., raisers of sheep and the largest ex- porters of wool in the state if not in the entire west. He was also interested financially in the Guadaloupe Island Company, of which he was president. On this property the company raised high-grade Angora goats, their herd averaging seventy thousand.
Mr. Flint's versatility as a business man made him a desirable candidate for the office of presi- dent of the Southern Pacific Railroad, and he was unanimously elected to this responsible of- fice. While he recognized the honor this con- ferred upon him, he was yet unable to serve owing to pressure of other business. However, the board prevailed upon him to accept the office of vice-president, and as such, working in con- nection and sympathy with fellow-members of the board, secured from the government and city of San Francisco the various franchises which led to the completion of that important road. Be- fore the days of railroads in the state the firm of Flint, Bixby & Co. ran a line of stage coaches along the coast from San Francisco to Los Angel- es, were important factors in developing the beet sugar industry, and also developed various quick- silver and quartz mines.
Mr. Flint's marriage occurred May 27, 1857, and united him with Miss Caroline L. Getchell, who came from good old New England stock, she being a descendant of Governor Bradford of the Massachusetts colony. The only children of this marriage now living are Benjamin, William R., George C., Walter P. and Robert W. Mr. Flint passed away at his home near Hollister in Oc- tober, 1881, and was survived by his wife for many years, her death occurring October 17, 1908. During his life Mr. Flint had been a great
traveler, having visited all parts of the United States and Mexico, and in his bearing and attain- ments he displayed the culture and refinement which much travel and contact with the world be- stow. He was a man of high ideals, standing head and shoulders above the average man of his time, and though he passed from earth nearly thirty years ago, he is still remembered as one of the sturdy pioneer upbuilders of the common- wealth, and especially of San Benito county, where, on the San Justo ranch, he made his home for many years. Soon after coming to Califor- nia he joined the Masonic order, in 1854, and he was also a member of the Congregational church.
JOHN RILEY.
The old Riley homestead at Moss Landing, Monterey county, is now occupied by John Riley, who at the death of his father was appointed executor of the estate and has successfully man- aged the property in the interests of the second wife of the original owner, it having been deeded to her and his children shortly before the demise of Mr. Riley. The land is productive to an unusual degree and repays the care of its man- ager with bountiful crops, the principal products being oats and potatoes, although barley also can be raised with almost invariable success. The grazing tracts are utilized for the stock, a large number of which are carried by the present proprietor, and by care and wise intelligence he has secured profits in this department of the work.
As early as 1852 Henry Riley came to Cali- fornia, a soldier of fortune, anxious to see the far west and to prospect for gold in its mines. No special luck came to him, however, and he soon enlisted under the government to serve in the Indian war in Oregon. At the close of the struggle with the savages he returned to New York state, where all of his early life had been passed. About 1862 he was united in marriage with Anna Ford, who was born in Syracuse, N. Y., in 1837, and died in 1892. Eleven sons and two daughters were born of that union, of whom there now survive seven sons and the two daughters.
After his marriage to Miss Ford in the east
Home built by Rafael Estrada, first cousin of Esequiel Soberanes, Sr. Built in 1840. Adobe. RESIDENCE OF ESEQUIEL SOBERANES, JR. MONTEREY.
Ezequiel Soberanes Dolories Cantina de Soberanes.
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HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
Henry Riley removed again to the region west of the mountains and for a time engaged in mining in Virginia City, Nev. As might be expected of that occupation, he had his share of misfortune and discouragements, yet he also en- joyed somewhat of success. From Nevada he came to California just across the state line and engaged in farming in Lassen county at what is known as Honey lake valley, meeting with encouraging success in the undertaking. Re- moving to Monterey county about the year 1869, he engaged in farming on the Santa Rita ranch and profitably conducted operations on that place. With the proceeds of his labor he bought from Matthias Williams a tract of three hundred and fifty-six acres at $35 an acre and removed to the new purchase, the development of which occupied his later years, the place continuing to be the scene of his labors until his death in 1906. During the earlier period of his residence at Moss Landing he made a specialty of wheat, but continual re-cropping robbed the soil of its wheat element, and he thereupon turned his at- tention to barley and oats. Both of these grains proved money-makers and the ranch brought profitable returns both under his management and under the subsequent supervision of his son. John, who was born February 19, 1871, near the village of Santa Rita, and received his education at Santa Rita and Moss Landing. He is un- married and resides at the old homestead, whose profitable management is his chief occupation in life.
ESEQUIEL SOBERANES.
Prior to the discovery of gold and the admis- sion of California into statehood, the Soberanes family flourished among the representatives of Spanish aristocracy. Since the commencement of the era of American authority they have been less prominent perhaps, but not less devoted to the prosperity of the commonwealth and not less loyal to local interests. Patriotism has ever inspired them to deeds of valor for their coun- try and their homes, nor have they been lacking in the quiet domestic virtues that bring content- ment to their own spirits and the affectionate re- gard of others. The genealogy shows that Ese- quiel, Sr., was born in Monterey, Cal., about the
year 1818 and remained a resident of this state through his entire life, dying at the age of seventy-seven. He was a nephew of Gen. Mari- ano Guadalupe Vallejo. By occupation a stock- man, he was an expert in the handling and rais- ing of horses, sheep and cattle, and his advice concerning stock was frequently sought by younger men. Mariano Soberanes, his father, was administrator of San Antonio Mission.
Among the properties owned by Esequiel So- beranes, Sr., was the San Bernardo ranch form- ing the present site of Bradley. Further, for a time he owned the Ben Porter ranch (better known as Sapeguie), but this he sold to a French- man. After coming to Monterey he built an adobe house and there spent his last years in comfort, ministered to by his children. In early manhood he had married Maria Ygnacia Mo- reno, who was born in California in 1834 and died at the age of fifty-five years. Santiago Mo- reno, Mrs. Soberanes' father, was administrator of the San Luis Obispo Mission about 1832, and at the time the Americans took possession was owner of Sausal rancho. Jose Tiburcio Castro, her great-grandfather on the maternal side, was the administrator of San Juan Baptista Mission about 1839. Born of the marriage of Esequiel Soberanes, Sr., and his wife were the following children : Bersabe R., widow of T. B. Slate ; Esequiel; Dimas, of Sonora, Cal .; Maria, de- ceased; Ygnacio, a resident of San Francisco; Roberto, deceased; Rose, Mrs. Edward E. Wa- ters; Bernardo, of San Francisco; San- tiago, a resident of Santa Barbara; Maria Ygnacia, deceased; Gaspar, of San Francisco; and Sara, Mrs. F. E. Slattery. Nine of the children are still living. Of these Esequiel was born at Mission San Antonio, Monterey county, March 3, 1854, and received a thorough English education, after which he took up the manage- ment of land and stock. At this writing he still occupies the adobe building erected by his father many years ago.
The marriage of Esequiel Soberanes, Jr., took place December 4, 1895, and united him with Dolores Cantua, member of a prominent pioneer family of Monterey county. Her mother was the eldest sister of the mother of Esequiel So- beranes and likewise was the eldest niece of the illustrious General Castro. Her father, Juan
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HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
Ygnacio Cantua, who died in 1906, at the age of eighty years, was a citizen of influence and wide reputation, and during the early period of Cali- fornia history he held a commission as lieutenant under the Mexican government. For a time he was also color-bearer of his regiment. As an officer he took part in the battle of Natividad and on what is now known as the Encinal he was wounded by a soldier under General Fremont. Not only was he distinguished for valor in times of war, but likewise he was progressive as a pri- vate citizen and possessed the qualities that en- dear a man to his fellows. By inheritance and by purchase he became the owner of vast tracts of land. Included in his possessions at one time were all the lands where the city of Salinas now stands, also those bordering on the Salinas river extending several miles up the valley in an east- erly direction.
GEN. MARIANO GUADALUPE VALLEJO.
The Vallejo family traces its descent from sol- diers and nobles of the heroic days of Spain, and is as well known in the mother country as in California. A genealogy filed in the archives in Spain tells that Don Alonzo Vallejo commanded the Spanish troops on board the vessel which brought the royal commissioner Bobadilla to America, with orders to carry Columbus a pris- oner to Spain. Another Vallejo was a captain under Cortez, following him to the complete con- quest of Mexico, and became governor of Pan- uco, lord of the silver mines and master of in- numerable peons.
Don Ignacio Vicente Vallejo, born in 1748, in Mexico, was designed for holy orders and the service of the church by his family. He rebelled and volunteered for service in Junipero Serra's expedition and landed in San Diego in 1769. He thus became a pioneer among the Spanish and soon became prominent in many capacities, as military commander of many towns and for a long period was the only civil engineer in the province. His engagement and marriage to Maria Antonia Lugo is a matter of history. He was present at her birth in 1776 in San Luis Obispo and at once made a declaration for her hand as soon as she would be old enough. This speaking for a babe in arms became a family
proverb in Southern California, but the union became a happy and fortunate one. He died in 1831, and she survived her husband until 1851.
Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, the eighth child in a family of thirteen, was born in 1808, in the old town of Monterey and died in 1890 in So- noma. At the age of sixteen he was an officer in the army and secretary to the governor. In 1829 he became lieutenant commander of the northern department, which included all the ter- ritory north of Santa Cruz, and made his head- quarters at the presidio. He organized the first town government of Yerba Buena. He was a member of the territorial deputation in 1831, and brought articles of impeachment against Gov- ernor Victoria, who was driven from California. In 1832 he married Francisca Benicia Carrillo, and they had seventeen children.
In 1840 he had reached the rank of lieutenant- general, and was the one man in California to whom the people turned with perfect confidence in emergencies. Governor Micheltorena appointed him military commander of the whole territory north of Monterey. He founded the town of So- noma and spent a quarter million dollars there. He sent to Mexico for a printing press and with his own hands set up his orders and proclama- tions ; this was in 1839.
He owned, as he believed, the largest and fin- est ranch in the province and thought he had an unassailable title ; he dispensed a very lavish hos- pitality, so generous and universal that it was admired and extolled even among the old Span- ish families.
In 1846 the famous convention of leading ranchers was called to be held at Santa Bar- bara; English influence was strong, but Vallejo exerted all his influence and secured an adjourn- ment to Monterey, where he had the assistance of Thomas O. Larkin. General Vallejo made a strong talk against the English protectorate, against a separate republic, and in favor of an- nexation to the United States and ultimate state- hood. The convention closed with its leaders ready to adopt his views and then came the Bear Flag episode, and Vallejo was carried a prisoner to Sutter's fort, and thus the opportunity for peaceful conquest was lost. As soon as he was released he threw himself heart and soul into or-
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HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
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