USA > California > Fresno County > History of Fresno County, California, with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present, Volume II > Part 5
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James Henry Good attended the Simon Branch log schoolhouse in Lin- coln County until sixteen years of age, then removing to Nebraska, where he worked on his father's farm until 1894, when he came to the Pacific Coast, arriving in Fresno County October 10th. He was employed in the Tarpey vineyard for eighteen months, afterwards settling east of Clovis in the employ of others for one year. He then leased 640 acres of land from J. W. Potter, and followed ranching.
On October 15, 1898, Mr. Good was united in marriage with Rachael Kuhn, a native of Dearborn County, Ind., a daughter of Michael and Mary (Berg) Kuhn. Before her marriage, Mrs. Good, with her parents, removed to Missouri, where her father died; her mother is still living. Rachael Kuhn was educated in the schools of Queen City, Schuyler County, Mo. She came to Fresno, in 1893, where she met and married Mr. Good. Two children have blessed their union : Glen J., who graduated at the Clovis High School in 1918; and Velma May, attending Clovis High School, class of 1920.
After his marriage Mr. Good continued grain-farming on the Potter ranch, at first harvesting with a twelve-horse team by headers, and later with a combined harvester drawn by thirty-two head of horses and mules. Seeing the great opportunity for intensive farming, in the fall of 1900 he purchased twenty acres of land, the nucleus of the present home place, set- ting part of it to peaches and raisin grapes, and the remainder in alfalfa. In 1901 he purchased another twenty acres, planting it to raisin grapes and alfalfa, working in addition other people's land. In 1903 he purchased another twenty acres, improving this also. In 1907 he added to his acreage forty acres of partly improved land, altogether 100 acres. Seventy acres of this land is set to vineyard. of muscat, sultanas and Thompson seedless; twenty acres to orchard, and ten acres in alfalfa.
In 1904, Mr. Good built his present commodious and modern residence, where he resides with his family. He was one of the original stockholders of the Clovis Farmers' Union, and one of the directors. This company built a raisin-packing plant and operated it until they sold to the California As- sociated Raisin Company, of which he is a stockholder and member. He is also a member of the California Peach Growers, Inc. For a number of years he was Council Commander of Pine Burr Camp, Woodmen of the World, at 65
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Clovis, and his wife is an active member of the Neighbors of Woodcraft. Mr. Good is a member and trustee of the Methodist Episcopal Church South, and is ex-president of its board of stewards, and has been president of the Epworth League, and is teacher of the young people's class. Always inter- ested in having good schools, he has served acceptably as trustee of Jefferson School District and has been clerk of the board.
Mr. Good made his first trip back to Nebraska to visit his mother and relatives, in 1900, and in 1904, with his family, he went back to Missouri and then went on to his old West Virginia home. Again, in 1908, he made a trip to his old home in West Virginia, and in 1919, with his family, he made an extended trip east, visiting Nebraska, Missouri, and West Virginia, and also the interesting points in various eastern cities.
Mr. Good has seen Fresno County develop to its present position of importance in the commonwealth, and in his untiring efforts to assist in that development he has been instrumental in bringing many new settlers to the county.
OLNEY WHITESIDE .- Great honor is due the courageous pioneers of the Golden State, and in view of the great hardships they experienced, the perils they braved and their untiring efforts to blaze a path for a later civilization, their names should be perpetuated in such a manner that their labors, in the days of trial, may remain an inspiration and encouragement to the toilers of today.
Olney Whiteside is a pioneer of California and one of the few remaining survivors of those early days, having arrived here on January 1, 1856. He was born in Jackson County, Mo., while his parents were enroute from Illi- nois to Iowa, June 23, 1838, a son of Alexander Whiteside, a native of To- ronto, Canada, who came to the United States when nineteen years of age and made his home for a while in New Hampshire with a Mr. Sherman, whose daughter, Electa, afterwards became his wife. Grandfather White- side was born in Ireland, while the Shermans were descendants of an old American family. Alexander and Electa Whiteside, the parents of our sub- ject died in Los Angeles, the former at seventy-two, and the latter at seventy years of age.
Young Whiteside was brought up and attended school at Kainesville, Iowa, where his father and uncle followed the occupation of well digging, and the father was also engaged in teaming and lumbering, there being no railroads in Iowa at that time.
In 1852 the Whiteside family crossed the plains to Salt Lake City, Utah, and Olney drove one of the ox teams. That fall the father returned to Kaines- ville, purchased a threshing machine and in the spring of 1853 returned to Salt Lake, hauling the machine all the way across the plains. It was one of the first threshing machines used in the vicinity of Salt Lake City. At that time money was very scarce and Mr. Whiteside was obliged to accept wheat as pay for his threshing outfit, but this he disposed of to the emigrants pass- ing through Salt Lake City.
Olney Whiteside remained in Salt Lake City until the fall of 1855, when he, and an Indian agent named Irvin, drove 600 head of cattle to Montana and during their trip were among the Flathead Indians who were at war with the Crows and Blackfeet. The Indians secured the cattle after which young Whiteside, then only a boy of seventeen, sensed danger and showed his remarkably sound judgment by returning at once to Salt Lake City, a dis- tance of 300 miles, traveling alone on horseback and every night stopping with Indians. He arrived home in safety, but it is reported that Mr. Irvin, together with eight white men that remained, were all murdered.
Upon arriving home he found his father ready to make a trip to Califor- nia, so he joined the party and they landed in San Bernardino, going on to San Gabriel Mission where the father leased the Santa Anita Ranch, and ran a dairy (this is the same ranch that became the property of E. J. "Lucky"
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Baldwin). Mr. Whiteside says that they could have bought the place for twenty-five cents per acre, but they had come to California to dig gold and were not content with operating a dairy, so during the summer they sold the lease and dairy and started for Sacramento. On July 4, 1856, they were at Stockton, where they witnessed a bullfight. During the fall of 1857 Olney Whiteside owned sixteen head of oxen and lived in Yuba County and ran an ox team freighting outfit from Sacramento to Grass Valley, Nevada County ; and he has the distinction of having hauled material for the first quartz mill to Virginia City, Nev., the mill is known as the "Old Spanish Mill." To trans- port it required thirteen wagons, with four yoke of oxen to each, the route being through the old Geiger Canyon. After the quartz mill was delivered to Virginia City, the party loaded 8,000 feet of lumber, which they hauled to Fort Churchill, Nev. In the fall of 1864, Olney's father and uncle went over Silver Mountains, into Alpine County, Cal. They bought a quartz mill at Nevada City, which was torn down and hauled by Olney Whiteside over to Alpine County during the winter of 1863-64, and it required three teams of eight mules each and took several trips. This enterprise proved a failure and the father and uncle lost all they invested, in addition to which Olney lost $20,000 that he had put into the project. Undaunted by failure he returned to Yuba County, where he had a ranch of 400 acres which he farmed in partner- ship with a cousin.
On September 15, 1869, Olney Whiteside was united in marriage with Miss Ellen Bradshaw, a native of Illinois, who was a babe in arms when her parents brought her across the plains to Oregon and in that state she was reared to young womanhood. Her father was the Rev. Charles Bradshaw, a minister of the Christian Church in Oregon, and later of California, the family having moved from Oregon to Sutter County. Mr. and Mrs. Bradshaw are buried in Rosedale Cemetery, Los Angeles. Soon after marriage Mr. White- side sold his ranch in Yuba County and removed to Saticoy Springs, Ventura County, then a part of Santa Barbara County, and here he leased and operated a ranch of 320 acres. Later he farmed the Briggs Orchard place for several years. On account of his wife's failing health he removed to the Conejo Ranch, on the county line between Ventura and Los Angeles Counties, and purchased 4,000 acres, later selling 1,000 acres to Mrs. Riley. Mr. Whiteside remained here until 1887, when he rented his ranch and removed to Los Angeles, so as to provide better educational advantages for his children. He sold his 3,000- acre ranch to his oldest son for $20,000. During the three years that Mr. Whiteside lived in Los Angeles he helped grade some of the streets. After leaving the City of the Angels he was superintendent of the construction of the Turlock Irrigation Ditch, but while living there contracted malaria and it was thought he could not live. In 1890 he sent his teams over to Lemoore, and returned to Los Angeles. The sunshine and balmy air soon restored his lost health, then he returned to Lemoore and from there moved over the line into what was then Fresno County and rented 1,200 acres, but on account of a flood, that season, was unsuccessful in his undertaking and subsequently moved to the Summit Lake district where he broke 640 acres of land and planted it to wheat, but again he was destined to disappointment for the levee broke and his crop was washed away. Renting a combined harvester, al- though he had never seen one, he contracted to harvest 2,000 acres of grain, and his undertaking proved very successful. At the same time he rented 1,400 acres of the Boll & Hague ranch. Later Mr. Whiteside became superintendent of the Jeff James ranch of 73,000 acres. At the same time (1902) he purchased his present ranch consisting of 640 acres located four miles southeast of Helm, Fresno County.
Mr. and Mr. Whiteside are the parents of nine children: Eva, is the wife of Dr. W. C. Yates, of Coalinga ; Alexander Lyman, is a rancher in Ven- tura County ; Almond Elijah, married Miss Mattie Goff, they reside in Los Angeles ; Robert Olney, lives at Helm and farms all of his father's land and
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rents other acreage; Lena, is the wife of Samuel B. Williams, a rancher at Helm; Charles O., married Miss Campbell and they reside at Orland, Glenn County ; Melvina, died in 1890, at Los Angeles, aged eight years; John B. married Miss Williams and they live in Glenn County; Edward Sherman, who passed away on October 18, 1918, was manager of his father's place. Mr. Whiteside, now past eighty years of age, is vigorous and active, is a man of splendid character, a leader in matters pertaining to the upbuilding of the best interests of the county and his community. He and his wife are members of the Christian Church.
E. B. SWEEZEY .- A rancher who has had a valuable experience both in developing his own properties and in assisting other ranchers to develop theirs, and who, retired and able to place his savings at the disposition of those who need them, is still helping others to succeed, is E. B. Sweezey, who resides at 2946 Grant Avenue in Fresno, to which comfortable head- quarters he withdrew, after years of strenuous exertion, in July, 1919. He was born on Long Island, at Peconic, near Greenport, in the eastern county of Suffolk, the son of Samuel Sweezey, a native of Middle Island, the same county, and the grandson of the Rev. Azel Sweezey, a Presbyterian minister, who farmed 400 acres of land on Long Island. Samuel Sweezey married Miss Mary Maria Haynes, who died when our subject was only three years old; she was the daughter of an early settler on the Island, and a member of a family that originally came from England.
Through his second marriage he had one child that grew up, Samuel C. Sweezey. still single and a farmer on Long Island. Samuel Sweezey, Sr., met with an accident to his hand that caused blood poisoning, and he died at his home in his sixtieth year.
Edwin Beecher-for that is the full name of this only offspring from the first union-was born at Peconic, L. I., on October 11, 1853, and attended the public school of his district, where he received that thorough instruction which proved such a foundation for him in later life. He grew up on his father's farm, and when he left home he worked out by the month for a neighbor, resuming work for monthly wages from his father when he was twenty. Meanwhile, between his eighteenth and twentieth years, he had clerked in a general merchandise store at Peconic. He continued to work for a time, then decided to follow Horace Greeley's advice and "Go West." He first located at Edgar, Clay County, Nebr., where he was married to Miss Cora E. Cline, a native of Rochester, N .. Y., and the daughter of William B. and Louisa (Garrett) Cline; and in Nebraska he remained for four years. In 1884 with his wife and two babies he came out to the Coast and directed his course to Selma, where Mrs. Sweezey had two uncles named Cline, who were prosperous wheat-growers, and Mr. Sweezey worked on farms. He planted the Tremper vineyard of 160 acres set out to muscats, four and a half miles east of Selma, known at that time as the Cline Place, and that was one of the first large vineyards created east of Selma. For four years, too, he ran that vineyard, and then he took the vineyard of William T. Sesnon and managed the eighty acres for twenty-two years.
During part of this time he engaged extensively in raising wheat, oper- ating a ranch of 1,500 acres now known as the Great Western Vineyard five miles north of Reedley ; and although he sold wheat as low as seventy-four cents per cwt., he paid his debts on the basis of 100 cents on the dollar. He did not clear any profit, however, on wheat; so he bought ninety acres directly across the road north of the Sesnon place, and planted that to trees, vines and alfalfa. He also bought and improved other lands and sold them.
From 1904 to 1906 Mr. Sweezey managed 8,000 acres of a ranch of 16,000 acres in Monterey County, inherited by Mr. Sesnon and badly run down; and so well did he handle the estate that he brought it up again to a high state of cultivation. He conducted general farming and raised thoroughbred
a.
Fettit
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Hereford and Durham cattle, producing the first herd of thoroughbred Here- fords in that part of the county.
Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Sweezey's lives. H. C. Sweezey married Amy Sane, a rancher living east of Selma; F. E. Sweezey is also a rancher, and resides on and operates the Sesnon Vineyard, assisted by his wife, who was Ethel Johnson of Selma. Eva Alberta, called Birdie, is the wife of Alvin King, a rancher who lives southeast of Selma. Shirley married Claude Grimes, a rancher northeast of Selma; and resides in that town. Mr. Sweezey owns some fine residential property at Long Beach ; belongs to the Woodmen of the World, and is a Republican
In 1916, soon after he bought his present place, Mr. and Mrs. Sweezey took an auto trip to the Empire State and his old home on Long Island. He also visited Florida, and on his wide tour from San Francisco to New York, and Canada to Mexico, he motored through thirty states. None the less, these loyal people were glad to get back to the state of their adoption.
HON. MELVIN PETTIT .- A thoroughly responsible and well-known citizen of Fresno County who has worked unceasingly for every interest that would add to the upbuilding power of the community in which he lives, as well as the county at large, and who has been able to contribute some share to the sum-total of forces making for the good, is the Hon. Melvin Pet- tit, a Canadian by birth, he having been born in the great Dominion on August 13, 1859. He is the son of S. T. and Abigail (DeWitt) Pettit, and one of a family of ten children. All of these grew to maturity, and three are living in Fresno County.
Reared and educated in the environment of his own country, Mr. Pettit came from Canada to Michigan, where he engaged in the lumber business for five years, removing after that to California. In 1899 he located at Fowler, and at once bought twenty acres; and being more than pleased with his investment, he added another twenty and finally purchased until he owned 120 acres. He was proud enough of what he had, but like a wide-awake settler of the developing kind, he was ready to consider something better.
Seeing a good chance to become two-thirds owner, with W. D. Wilson, on a ranch containing 270 acres near Parlier, he sold his Fowler property in 1912, and moved to his new home. In the fall of 1918, he bought Mr. Wilson's interest in the property mentioned. Now his product is raisins, peaches, and Thompson grapes; and such is his splendid success, that he has obtained as high as two and a quarter tons to the acre. This success is doubtless due in part to the fact that Mr. Pettit is a scientific and up-to-date farmer, an extensive reader, and one who endeavors to keep abreast of the times.
But Mr. Pettit does not live to succeed alone as an horticulturist. He has a healthy interest in practical religion, and is a member of the executive board of Fresno County Young Men's Christian Association, on which he has served for a number of years. He also has a keen interest in the popular education, and has served with a definite purpose on the school board. He is an active member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and has been its Sunday school superintendent, besides holding other offices of trust and responsibility.
Mr. Pettit has also taken an active part in civic affairs and political life. In 1916 he was nominated by the Progressives, and supported by the Demo- crats and Prohibitionists as a candidate for the State Assembly, and was elected by a satisfactory majority. In 1918 he was reelected without op- position. He had the honor of casting his vote, at the forty-third session, for national prohibition. During his two terms in the legislature Mr. Pettit served as a member of the Educational Committee; the last session he was chairman of the Normal School Committee. It was during this session that he introduced a bill for the protection of vineyards by stopping the spread of Phylloxera ; the bill passed and was signed by the governor and is of especial interest to vineyardists throughout the entire state.
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During the Centennial year, Mr. Pettit was married to Miss Anna A., daughter of W. W. and Caroline A. (Cross) Kenny, by whom he has had several children who have grown to eventful careers. A daughter, Caroline W., married Rev. James F. Nelson, a minister of the Presbyterian faith ; A. Almeda, is the wife of Fred Aden, a missionary in Argentina; Hermon D., graduated from Occidental College at Los Angeles, studied for the minis- try and just as he had finished his course he entered the service of the United States Government during the World War, trained a month at Camp Kearney, then was ordered overseas with the Fortieth Division, reaching the front when the armistice was signed and was one of the fortunate boys to be selected for a college training and is now attending New College in London, still in the service of his country; Ruth O., graduated in June, 1919, from Oc- cidental College, having completed a teacher's course; Clare N., intends to devote himself to scientific farming.
Mrs. Pettit is by no means behind her husband in a life of usefulness and responsibility. For eight years she has been connected with the Woman's Christian Temperance Union and has done her share to advance the splendid work of that notable organization. Now she is serving as President of the local Union. She is also President of the County W. C. T. U. and is the First Vice-President of the W. C. T. U. of Northern California. A pleas- ing and convincing speaker, she is well-known for her fidelity to the cause of temperance, the total abolition of the traffic in alcohol and tobacco.
ALBERT SIDNEY JOHNSTON SHANNON .- Named in honor of the Civil War general, Sidney J. Shannon is a true type of the manhood of Fresno County, where he is now ably holding the office of Deputy United States Marshal in and for the northern division of the southern district of the State of California, his office being located on the second floor of the Post Office Building in Fresno, while he and his family are nicely domiciled at his resi- dence at 951 Devisadero Street.
He was born at Millerton, Fresno County, on August 27, 1868, and is the third child and second son of the late Jefferson M. and Rebecca Margaret (Baley) Shannon, and a grandson of the late Gillum Baley. He was six years old, when with his parents, he came to the new town of Fresno, then in its infancy. He was one of the first generation of Fresno boys and girls to attend the public schools of Fresno, the schoolhouse being then located at the corner of L and Tulare Streets. In 1881, while a mere lad, he began working for Miller & Lux as chore-boy, doing general all-around work -- clerked in their store, rode the range, etc., until after his parents had moved to Alameda where he joined them in July, 1888. He there entered and took a commercial course at a branch of Heald's Business College, located at Oakland.
January 1, 1889, he went to work for the Pacific Improvement Com- pany, entering their general offices in San Francisco. He began as office-boy and ended as chief accountant and paymaster, serving continuously until April 30, 1901, when he went back to work for Miller & Lux as their general auditor. He became well and personally acquainted with the late Henry Miller, who appointed him to take charge of the land department for his great firm, and for many years Mr. Shannon had charge of the buying and selling of lands, particularly the colonization and upbuilding of the follow- ing Miller & Lux colonies : Dos Palos ; Los Banos; Volta ; Gustine; Madera ; Mendota : Firebaugh and Newman, looking after all the townsite and coloni- zation projects of the corporation from Mendota in Fresno County to New- man in Stanislaus County. On April 15, 1910, he retired to private life in Fresno. On March 12, 1914, he was appointed Deputy United States Marshal ; he is also deputy sheriff of Fresno County.
The epidemic of fire which threatened to destroy Fresno City in the summer of 1918 was stopped by the vigilant and vigorous efforts of Mr ..
Gry Stockton
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Shannon, who dealt very promptly and severely with the I. W. W. element, and the city was saved. As a reward for his strenuous efforts of the past years of application to business, Mr. Shannon has acquired considerable property. He is furthermore interested with his brothers Scott A., and L. S. as a one-third owner of the Shannon Estate, which owns a large and very valuable vineyard, producing malagas and emperors, choice varieties of table-grapes, in the production and shipping of which the Shannon brothers are experts and their product is eagerly sought in the eastern markets and the markets of the Middle West, where the "Shannon Estate" brand of table grapes are at a premium.
They also own and operate the celebrated Shannon Estate stock ranch at Wheatville, Fresno County. The latter property has been acquired by the Shannon brothers since their father's death.
An able officer and an excellent business man, Mr. Shannon is well- known throughout California. He is particularly well-known among the Native Sons of the Golden West, in which order he is the oldest member in good standing in the state, having been a member for thirty-two years. He is now a member of Fresno Parlor, No. 25, and is past president of Halcyon Parlor at Alameda. He is also an oldtime and valued member of the Fresno Lodge, No. 439, B. P. O. Elks; he is a Thirty-second Degree Scottish Rite Mason, a Knight Templar, both at Fresno, and is a life member of Islam Temple at San Francisco.
Mr. Shannon was married to Miss Johanna M. Brock, an Alameda girl, and a daughter. of C. C. and Johanna M. (Ankerson) Brock of Alameda. C. C. Brock was a retired ship-master and well-known at the Bay. Mr. and Mrs. Shannon have one daughter, Marie Margaret Shannon, who was mar- ried September 4, 1919, to Merrill Ostrom, of Fresno.
The Shannon home continues to be the center of hospitality where the oldtime Fresno cordiality continues to greet young and old friends and strangers alike.
GUY STOCKTON .- Now one of the successful promoters of Fresno, Guy Stockton has gained that position through sheer enterprise and grit. The genealogy of the Stockton family can be traced back to Sir Richard Stockton, a Scotch-Irish nobleman, the progenitor from whom all of that name have descended. The Stocktons have played a prominent part in the history of California, the city of Stockton being named after one of the family.
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