History of Humboldt 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, Part 124

Author: Irvine, Leigh H. (Leigh Hadley), 1863-1942
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Los Angeles, Historic Record Company
Number of Pages: 1328

USA > California > Humboldt County > History of Humboldt 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 > Part 124

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At Salinas, Cal., Mr. Piini was married to Miss Irene Omicini, also a native of Switzerland, she having been born in Locarno, in the canton of Ticino. In his political views Mr. Piini is a firm believer in the principles of the Republican party.

FERDINAND AMBROSINI .- Together with his brother Victor, Ferdinand Ambrosini has been engaged in dairying most of the time since coming to California, and the firm of F. and V. Ambrosini is well and fav- orably known among the dairymen of Humboldt county, this state, both

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men being members of the Ferndale Dairymen's Association and the Fern- dale Cow Testing Association.

A native of Lodrino, Canton Ticino, Switzerland, Ferdinand Ambrosini was born in that distant country November 14, 1873, the son of Gervaso, and grandson of Gregori Ambrosini, the latter having been a farmer and land-owner in Switzerland, as well as a member of the town council and the descendant of an old family in that district. Ferdinand Ambrosini's father was also a farmer and dairyman and member of the town council, of which he was for many years president, or mayor, and both himself and his wife, Maria (Sacchi) Ambrosini died in their home canton. They were the parents of five children, four of whom are living: Ferdinand and Victor, now in partnership in California: Theodorlinda, now the wife of Cipriano Ambrosini of Glenn county, and Severina, the wife of Sylvio Sacchi of Sonoma county. The sons were reared on the home farm, received their education in the local public schools and learned farming and dairying as they were carried on in that country. On February 3, 1892, attracted by the good reports he had heard of the opportunities for young men in Cali- fornia, the son Ferdinand set out for San Francisco, via New York, arriving in Humboldt county, Cal., on the twenty-fifth of the same month. Here he soon went to work on a dairy ranch of the Russ estate on Bear River Ridge, and in 1900 became foreman of the Woodland Echo ranch. In 1903 he and his brother Victor rented this ranch and also the Mayflower ranch of twenty-six hundred acres, where they engaged independently in dairying, milking one hundred seventy cows. All these years Mr. Ambrosini had been engaged in the making of butter, putting it up in squares, cubes and kegs, shipping it from Ferndale to Eureka and San Francisco at the rate of about three thousand pounds a month, and obtaining as high prices as any of the creameries. In the fall of 1913 he and his brother gave up the two ranches, having in 1910 purchased seventy-two acres of the Greis ranch adjoining Ferndale on the northeast, which they rented for dairy purposes until giving up their other ranches in 1913, at which time they engaged in dairying upon the seventy-two acres, adding thereto rented land of thirty-seven acres, so that`at present they operate one hundred ten acres of rich bottom land, raising thereon large crops of hay and green feed for their herd of about seventy-five high grade Jersey and Durham milch cows, one of the latter having made the best record for milk in 1914 of thirty-five hundred cows whose record was kept by the association, having produced fifteen thousand, two hundred thirty-two pounds of milk in nine months. The Ambrosini brothers are also engaged in cattle raising, for which purpose they rent the Guthrie ranch of six hundred six acres, located ten miles below Ferndale, on the coast.

Politically, Mr. Ambrosini is an upholder of Democratic principles, he was a member of the board of trustees of Bunker Hill school district for two terms, and served one year as clerk of the board; and he is at present a stockholder in the Russ-Williams Banking Company. His marriage took place in Ferndale, Mrs. Ambrosini having been formerly Louisa Biasca, of Lodrino, Switzerland, and they are the parents of seven children: Edna, Severina, Louis, Elsie, Wesley, William and Donald, all of whom are at home with their parents.

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JAMES JOHN CRONIN .- It is wide-awake men like James J. Cronin, men of optimism, ability and pluck, as well as high ideals and the courage of their convictions, that are bringing Humboldt county to the front in the sisterhood of the California counties, making it second to none in the state.

Mr. Cronin is a native of Nebraska, born at Bancroft, Cuming county, July 7, 1883. His father was Timothy Cronin, for many years a passenger conductor on the Grand Trunk Railway, while his mother was Margaret Cronin, a native of Canada. Later the father moved to Nebraska, where he took up land near Bancroft. The old Cronin homestead at Bancroft is still in the possession of the family, and is one of the local landmarks. The father died when James John was but two years of age and the mother continued to conduct the place, and there he grew to manhood, attending school and working on the farm. There were four children in the family, this one son and three daughters. They are: Mamie, who was Mrs. Kelly, of Bancroft, Neb., and who died in 1908; Nellie, now Mrs. James Gatzemeyer, of Ban- croft, Neb. ; and Alice, now Mrs. James Atkinson, of Scotia, Humboldt county, Cal. The mother is still living, and resides in Canada.

Graduating from the public schools, Mr. Cronin entered business college in Lincoln, Neb., and completing his course he entered the employ of his brother-in-law, M. Kelly, in the general merchandise business at Bancroft, continuing in this position until 1900. He then came to California, locating at Eureka, where he engaged with the H. H. Buhne Hardware Company for five years, this being one of the finest hardware stores on the coast. Follow- ing this he went to Metropolitan, Humboldt county, and conducted the Metropolitan Lumber Company store for a year, and from there went to Scotia and took charge of the mill supplies and hardware stock for the Pacific Lumber Company, as store-keeper and purchasing agent. He re- mained with this company for a period of five years, and then returned to Eureka, and became traveling salesman for the Leutzinger & Lane Com- pany, handling grocery specialties, fruit, etc., traveling out of Eureka for a year, and covering all of Humboldt county. IIe then traveled for a year for the Eureka Foundry, and in December, 1913, he came to Fort Seward and became associated with the Helmke Mercantile Company, as manager, a posi- tion he was by experience well qualified to fill. In 1914 he was appointed post- master at Fort Seward. He took an active part in the commercial life of Fort Seward during the opening of the through line of the Northwestern Pacific Railroad to San Francisco. Resigning his position with the Helmke Mercantile Company as well as his commission as postmaster, in April, 1915, he accepted his present position as manager of the mercantile department of the Eel River Valley Lumber Company at Newburg, and removed to the latter place to take charge of the stores of this company. He is a man of experience in this line and is capable and wide awake to the needs of the business and the demands of the trade. His chief object is to meet the demand with an adequate supply and it is seldom indeed that he fails to do so. He is popular in the county, and is especially well known, having spent several years as a traveling salesman throughout the county, and elsewhere in northern Cali- fornia. He is very enthusiastic over the prospects of this section of the state and is certain that its business and commercial supremacy is an assured fact.

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HISTORY OF HUMBOLDT COUNTY

However, he never fails to aid any movement toward this desired end, and is untiring in his efforts to enhance the present prosperity of the county.

While in the employ of the Buhne Company Mr. Cronin was married, in Eureka, on July 24, 1903, to Miss Tillie Barry, of that city. Mr. and Mrs. Cronin have become the parents of four children, three daughters and one son : Catherine, Dorothy, James John, Jr., and Elizabeth. Both Mr. and Mrs. Cronin have a host of friends throughout the county, who esteem them for their personal worth and their kind and charitable dispositions.

JOSEPH MOSSI was born in the village of Carena, Canton Ticino, Switzerland, February 10, 1882, the son of James and Anna (Buletti) Mossi, who are engaged in farming and dairying at Carena. They were the parents of twelve children, nine of whom are living, Joseph being the youngest of the family. From a lad he made himself useful on the farm, excepting when he was attending the public schools. After completing his studies in the local school he assisted his parents until 1902, when he came to the United States, a desire he had cherished for some time. His first location was at Cheshire, Mass., where he was employed in factories for four and one-half years, after which he went to New York city, where he was employed in hotels for two an one-half years. In May, 1909, he came to California, and at Santa Cruz spent nine months on a dairy. In April, 1910, he went to Petaluma, there also working on dairies until the spring of 1913. It was in this year that he came to Humboldt county, and immediately found employment with a dairyman. He remained with this employer until November, 1914, when he determined to start in business for himself and leased the present ranch of eighty acres, two miles north of Ferndale, which he devotes to a dairy, having at present twenty-two milch cows, the product being sold to Libby, McNeill & Libby. The ranch lies in the Eel river bottom, the rich land raising ample hay and green feed for his herd.

In South Adams, Mass., occurred the marriage of Joseph Mossi and Delfina Sarina, also a native of Ticino, and to them have been born four children, as follows: Albert, Harry, Mabel and Alvina. Mr. Mossi is an energetic and ambitious young man and the success he is accomplishing is well merited.

ANDREW GALLIA .- The proprietor of the Sequoia dairy, Andrew Gallia, is a progressive and enterprising young man. He was born in the Valtropia Valley, Province of Brescia, Italy, December 30, 1883. His father, Antonio Gallia, was a dairy farmer, so young Andrew naturally became famil- iar with the occupation he now follows when he was a young lad. After he had completed the public schools he aided his parents on the home farm until 1903, when he made his way to Ticino, Switzerland, and there he was employed on a dairy in the Alps region. In 1906 he came to California. After spending a short time in Marin county, he hired out to a dairyman at Modesto, where he remained for eighteen months. In 1909 he came to Eureka, being employed for short periods on the Sweasey dairy and the Torkelsen dairy until 1910. In that year he started in the dairy business for himself and the outgrowth is the Sequoia dairy, where he is doing a successful business and has now a large number of customers. His dairy, which comprises two hundred acres of grazing land, which he leases, adjoins Sequoia Park. He has built up a splendid dairy herd and by his close application to business and the high

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standard of the milk he retails he has met with well deserved success. Mr. Gallia is well liked and has made many friends since his advent in Hum- boldt county.

JOHN AND ROCCO SCALVINI .- We find among the late comers to Humboldt county enterprising dairymen in John and Rocco Scalvini, natives of Bagnolo, Province of Brescia, Italy, born July 5, 1879, and August 15, 1885, respectively, and sons of John Scalvini, who is represented in the sketch of his two other sons, George and Antonc Scalvini. John and Rocco received a good training on the farm in Italy as well as good education in the public schools. In 1904 John came to the United States and located in Humboldt county, where he was employed on dairies in the vicinity of Ferndale for five years. He then returned to Italy, spending seventeen months in his native land, when he again returned to Ferndale.

Rocco Scalvini came to Syracuse, N. Y., in 1906, and worked on a railroad and in a soda factory for nine months. In April, 1907, he came to Ferndale, where he was busily employed on a farm and dairy until 1911, when the four brothers, John, Rocco, George and Antone leased the S. Smith ranch of ten hundred acres in the Guthrie district and operated a dairy. One year later John and Rocco purchased the interest of the other brothers and still con- tinue to operate the large ranch and dairy of seventy-five milch cows. The ranch is well adapted to dairying and the Scalvini brothers are meeting with merited success. Politically they believe the principles of the Republican party are for the best interests of the country.

FRANK L. VANDUSEN .- It is interesting to chronicle the career of a man who has successfully held important positions and filled them ably and well, always being equal to the emergency. Such a man is Frank L. Van- dusen, who was born in Glens Falls, Warren county, N. Y., October 29, 1862. His father, James Walter Vandusen, a native of the same place, was descended from an old Knickerbocker family of New York. He was superintendent of a sawmill in Glens Falls and during the Civil war served in a New York regi- ment as a musician until the order to muster out all regimental bands. After the war he removed to Ottawa, Canada, where he was superintendent of the sawmill for the Brunson-Weston Lumber Co. He died in 1883, aged fifty- six years. The mother was Eliza (Crandle) Vandusen, also born in Glens Falls, N. Y. She died in Ottawa in 1912. Her brother, Stephen Crandle, came to California during the gold excitement, crossing the plains with ox teams in 1849. He was afterwards a pioneer rancher near Petaluma, Sonoma county. Of the five children born to Mr. and Mrs. James W. Vandusen, only two are living.

Frank L. Vandusen was the second oldest of the children comprising the parental family and he received a good education in the public schools of Ottawa. As a boy he worked around the sawmill of the Brunson-Weston Lumber Co., learning the business and working his way up in different depart- ments of the mill. When his father died he succeeded him as superintendent of the mill, being then twenty years of age, and continued in that capacity until all available timber was used up and the mill closed down. Mr. Van- dusen then went across the Ottawa river to Hull, Quebec, entering the employ of the E. B. Eddy Manufacturing Company as mill superintendent and three months later was made assistant superintendent of the plant, continuing for

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a period of twelve years. In 1909 he accepted a position with the Brunson- Weston people, owners of the Little River Redwood Lumber Company, with a mill at Bulwinkle, Humboldt county, of which he became superintendent in February, 1909. Ever since he has held the position, performing his duties with care and efficiency that years of experience in the lumber industry have made possible. During the six years he has been connected with the mill it has not shut down for repairs and no repairs have ever been made on Sundays. Mr. Vandusen has applied himself closely to his calling and from the time he was twenty, when he was made mill superintendent, began studying mechanical drawing and he has become very proficient, so much so that he makes all his drawings of new and old work, and is thoroughly familiar with every part of the work in hand.

Mrs. Vandusen was in maidenhood Florence Graham, a native of Ottawa, of Scotch parents and a lady of good family and refinement who presides over his home with grace and dignity. By his former marriage Mr. Van- dusen has a daughter, Ruby, who is a graduate of Miss Heads' school in Berkeley.

Mr. Vandusen was made a Mason in Eddy Lodge No. 41, F. & A. M., at Hull, Quebec, and still holds membership in that lodge, besides which he is a member of Ottawa Lodge No. 224, I. O. O. F., of which he is past Grand, and of Geo. B. Encampment, I. O. O. F. in Ottawa. He is also a member of the Hoo Hoo's, an organization among lumber men. He has a deep regard for Christianity and is a member of the Christian church, while politically he is a Republican. Mr. Vandusen is intensely interested in the lumber manu- facturing of Humboldt county and has plans for making a practical use of the waste of the mills that otherwise would go to the slab fire. His experience in the East with E. B. Eddy & Co. demonstrated to him that all the waste can be manufactured into useful articles, such as pails, tubs, washboards, brush- backs, matches, etc., and would create new industries for the county and give employment to many people.

WILLIAM W. PASS .- A native son of Humboldt county, born in Eureka September 17, 1882, William W. Pass is the son of William Venables and Frances (McConaghy) Pass, natives of Liverpool, England, and York county, New Brunswick, respectively. When a child the father came to New Brunswick with his parents, William and Martha (Colburn) Pass, and there he grew to manhood, following lumbering until 1875, when he came to Cal- ifornia and followed lumbering until his death. William W. Pass' great grand- mother was the .Rev. Mrs. Venables of Liverpool, England, and Mrs. Martha (Colburn) Pass was a sister of the late Andrew Colburn, of St. John. New Brunswick.

William W. Pass was reared in Eureka and received his education in the public schools and after completing it he entered the employ of the Vance Lumber Company at Essex, in the cook house. Later he held the same posi- tion at the Newburg Mills, where he remained about five years, then for four and one-half years was with the Occidental Company in the same capacity, afterwards he was for two and one-half years with the Hammond Company.

In October, 1911, Mr. Pass came to Bulwinkle, entering the employ of the Little River Redwood Company. He has continued with them as cook ever since and is prominent among the citizens of Eureka.

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Mr. Pass was married in Eureka in 1904 to Miss Ola May Cartwright, the daughter of J. F. Cartwright, one of the very old settlers of Arcata. Mr. and Mrs. Pass have two children, William and Auda. Fraternally he is a member of Eureka Lodge No. 8012, M. W. A.

BERT HUGO TORONI was born at Vogorno, Canton Ticino, Switz- erland, March 8, 1885. His father, Battiste, was also a native of Ticino. At the time of the mining excitement in Australia he was one of the gold- seekers and followed mining at Greenfield, Australia, in which he was quite successful. After sixteen years he came to San Francisco and followed gardening near that city for eleven years, when he returned to Ticino, where he was married to Catherina Jacobs, and he settled down to farming near Vogorno. The father is dead ; the mother still resides on the old home place. Of their eleven children, Bert is the second youngest, receiving his education in the schools of Vogorno, after which he was apprenticed as a baker, follow- ing that trade for two years and eight months. From a child he had a desire to visit the Pacific coast, a desire that came to him naturally from hearing his father tell of his experiences in foreign lands. He also had a brother Joe F., an aunt, Mrs. Victoria Moranda, in Humboldt county. So in April, 1901, he reached Eureka. He found employment immediately on the Bunker Hill ranch, on Bear River ridge, where he continued for nearly three years, and then on the Mayflower ranch in the same vicinity for four years, when, having practiced economy, he was in a position to start dairying on his own account. Leasing the Clausen ranch near Waddington for two years, and then a ranch on Paradise Island, which he ran for seven months and sold out, in 1913 he leased a part of the Herrick place of two hundred twenty acres at Loleta, where he milked sixty cows. Selling his lease at a good profit in 1914, he purchased twenty acres on Cock Robin island, which he devotes exclusively to dairying, owning a splendid herd of fifteen milch cows. The soil is rich bot- tom land and he raises large crops of hay and green feed.

In Ferndale, December 8, 1908, Mr. Toroni was married, being united with Amelia Nellie Mary Genzoli, a native daughter of Capetown, Humboldt county, the daughter of Maurilo and Rosina (Minnetta) Genzoli, natives of Ticino, Switzerland. The father was one of the first Swiss settlers of Hum- boldt county, where he is one among the most prominent and prosperous dairymen in the county, now operating a large dairy at Capetown ; he also owns a ranch at Newman, Cal., and another at Willows, and is well and fav- orably known. Mrs. Toroni is the oldest of four living children born to Mr. and Mrs. Genzoli. She was educated in the public schools at Capetown and is the mother of three children: Rosa, Clara and Margaret. Politically Mr. Toroni is a firm believer that the principles set forth by the Republican party are for the best interest of the whole country. Personally, Mr. Toroni is a very pleasant and agreeable man, and he is well liked by all who know him.

SECUNDO CRIVELLI .- Secundo Crivelli was born at Toricella, near Logarno, Canton Ticino, Switzerland, July 6, 1884. His father Giuseppe Cri- velli, was a bricklayer and was foreman on the construction of buildings for many years in Paris, until his marriage to Carolina Mayistretti, after which he engaged in farming and dairying in Ticino, where he raised his family. They are now retired and make their home with their son, Secundo, on Elk river. They were the parents of eight children, as follows: Silvio resides

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at Loleta ; John, of Alton; Antone lives in Yuba county ; Secundo, of whom we write ; Charles J., a dairyman near Loleta ; Olympia, Mrs. Fasoletti, lives near Grizzly Bluff; Teresa, Mrs. Fasoletti, lives in Switzerland; Rosa, Mrs. Rezzonico, also of Grizzly Bluff.

Secundo Crivelli received a good education in the public schools until twelve years of age, when he was apprenticed at the bricklayer's trade in Paris, and after completing the trade he followed it in France and afterwards in Switzerland until November, 1905, when he came to California, persuaded by the good reports he had heard that he could better his condition here. He came to Petaluma and was employed on the Lakeville ranch. In 1907 he came to Eureka and was employed on a dairy at Loleta, then for a time on Salmon Creek, when he returned to Loleta and was employed on the dairy of Antone Rava for eighteen months. Having saved enough money to start in business, he formed a partnership with his brother, Charles J., and leased a part of the Herrick ranch at Loleta and there operated a dairy of eighty cows. A year later he sold his interest to his brother and came to Elk river. In November, 1911, he leased the James Nellison place of about one hundred sixty acres, which he devotes to dairying ; a year later he rented an additional twenty-one acres adjoining for two years. However, at present he runs the Nellison ranch where he has a dairy of twenty-four cows. The place is rich bottom land where he has plenty of pasture and also raises ample feed for his herd.

In Eureka occurred the marriage of Mr. Crivelli and Mrs. Amelia (Trippi) Christanini, a native of Lucca, Italy, and to them have been born two children : Simeon and Lorenz. By her former marriage Mrs. Crivelli had one child, Joseph. In his political views Mr. Crivelli espouses the principles of the Republican party.

VALENTINE FRANCIS HARRIS .- The superintendent of Sequoia Park, V. F. Harris, is well and favorably known in Eureka for his great inter- est in the improvement of the park. He was born in Auckland, New Zealand, February 14, 1849, the son of William Harris, born in England, where he married Miss Leone Conley and they removed to New Zealand, and in 1852 brought their family to San Francisco, when V. F. was three years of age. He received his education in the public schools of California, after which he followed mining and ranching, coming to Humboldt county in September, 1871, and November 25, 1881, locating in Eureka where he has since resided, being variously employed until June 14, 1904, when he was appointed superin- tendent of Sequoia Park, and has held this position ever since, except two years he was out on account of the change of administration; after which he was reappointed, August 7, 1907, and the concensus of opinion is that he has filled the position satisfactorily and well, and indeed he gives all of his time to looking after the Park and seeing that it is well kept.

The Park was purchased from Bartten Glatt in 1894 by the city of Eureka and work was begun on its improvement, June 14, 1904, and under Mr. Harris' superintendence it has been transformed from an old log claim to a beautiful park. The fifty acres are laid out with beautiful roads and walks and an artificial lake has been constructed. Mammoth Sequoias that have fallen he has converted into bridges and others are made into stairways, giving a splendid rustic effect. There are a children's playground, band stand and picnic grounds, in different parts of the park, arranged with seats and tables,

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History of Humboldt 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, Part 124

Author: Irvine, Leigh H. (Leigh Hadley), 1863-1942 Publication date: 1915 Publisher: Los Angeles, Historic Record Company Number of Pages: 1328

Author: Irvine, Leigh H. (Leigh Hadley), 1863-1942
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Los Angeles, Historic Record Company
Number of Pages: 1328