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 127

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 127

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Mr. Bowden is public spirited and enterprising and is always ready to help worthy enterprises. Being interested in aiding the developing of the oil field in Southern Humboldt, he was one of the organizers and a director in the Briceland Oil Company. In San Francisco occurred the marriage of Mr. Bowden and Margaret Gildea, who was a native of Ireland. Being an energetic woman and possessing much business ability, she aids her husband materially in his manifold duties. Politically Mr. Bowden is a strong pro- tectionist and Republican.

LEE EDWIN EVANS was born near Fairfield, Jefferson county, Iowa, October 30, 1879, the son of Benjamin and Rosanna Catherine (McLeary) Evans, who still reside on their farm in Jefferson county, Iowa. The father

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served as a soldier for four years in the Nineteenth Iowa Volunteer Infantry. Of their thirteen children, ten of whom are living, Lee Edwin is the fifth youngest. One other member of the family living in California is Rawley W., who is foreman of the What Cheer ranch for the Z. Russ Co.

Lee Edwin Evans was brought up on the farm in Iowa and was educated in the public schools. After completing the local schools he continued to assist his parents until he was seventeen years of age, when he began for himself, working out on farms in the neighborhood until 1900, when he made his way to North Dakota. Near Minot he located a homestead, but left it and engaged in ranching in the same vicinity until 1906, then removed to Wyoming. There he found employment on the C. B. & Q. R. R., at bridge building for one year, after which he entered the employ of the Big Horn Timber Company as a flume builder, continuing with them for four and one- half years. During the second year he was made foreman of flume building and filled the duties of his position with ability and dispatch. His next position was with the Acme Coal Company at Acme, Wyoming, where he began at the bottom and learned the blacksmith trade, working as such until he came to California in March, 1913, desiring to follow ranching and stock raising. He obtained employment with the Z. Russ Co., and a month later was made foreman of the Bunker Hill ranch of about twelve hundred acres located six and one-half miles from Ferndale and is devoted to sheep raising. He has also been given charge of the Mountain Glenn ranch of twelve hundred acres adjoining Bunker Hill, which is devoted to raising cattle.

Mr. Evans is a young man of exemplary habits and by his close applica- tion and native ability is proving a valuable man in the position which he occupies.

BENJAMIN A. SNODGRASS .- Among the men who are making a success of cattle raising in Humboldt county is Benjamin A. Snodgrass, a native of Henry county, Mo., born February 7, 1872. His father, George W. Snodgrass, was also a native of Missouri, where he was a farmer. In 1879 he removed to Dixie Valley, in what is now Canyon county, Idaho, where he has since followed farming. The mother of Benjamin was Laura Sherman, also a native of Missouri, now deceased. Of their four children Benjamin A. Snodgrass was the second oldest. Up to the age of fifteen years he attended the public schools, then started out to make his own living, being employed on cattle ranches, riding the range in eastern Oregon and western Idaho. For three years he was on the Mammon cattle ranch and two years on the Burnett cattle ranch in Idaho, and became an expert rider and cattle roper. In 1892 he came to Humboldt county, and for the first year was employed on the What Cheer ranch for Z. Russ & Co., on Bear River Ridge, then about two and one-half years on the Mazeppa ranch as headquarters. Later he was in the employ of Ira Russ on Mad river for about three years, and during this time spent three winters attending the Eureka Business College, where he was graduated May 20, 1898. After his graduation he came to Rainbow Ridge ranch as foreman for the same man, and remained with him for three years, still later being foreman for Joseph Russ at the Ocean House ranch for seven years. The experience and knowledge gained during past years created an ambition to engage in cattle growing on his own account, so he rented two thousand acres of the Rockliff ranches on the Mattole and north

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fork of the Mattole and began the business of which he has since made a success. He bought two herds of stock cattle in Trinity county, four hundred forty-nine head, driving them to the Mattole, and after selling one hundred thirty of them he turned the remainder on the ranges. In 1911 he gave up the Rockliff ranches and leased the Taylor Peak ranch of about thirty-two hundred acres, five miles from Petrolia, at the head of the north fork of the Mattole, where he keeps on an average three hundred fifty head, besides which he is engaged as a cattle dealer and meeting with deserved success. His brand is the letter M. In connection with his own business, since 1911 he has also been superintendent of Z. Russ & Sons' Mattole ranches, including about five thousand acres devoted to cattle raising, about eight hundred head being kept on these ranches.

Mr. Snodgrass was married in Hydesville to Miss Lillie E. Feenaty, a native of Trinity county, the daughter of Henry Feenaty, an old settler of the county now living retired in Hydesville. Mr. and Mrs. Snodgrass have one child, Grace C. Fraternally he is a member of Ferndale Lodge No. 220, I. O. O. F., and of Myrtle Encampment at Ferndale, while with his wife he is a member of the Rebekahs. Politically he is a Democrat. As stated above, on coming to Humboldt county Mr. Snodgrass had the reputation of being one of the best riders in the county and at fairs and races gave exhibitions of horsemanship and riding. He rode some horses that were outlaws and considered unconquerable, and at one time rode a wild bull on the Ferndale grounds. Personally he is a very pleasant and affable man, and like the great west where he was reared is big hearted and liberal and has hosts of friends who esteem him for his kind and generous ways.

LUTHER WILLARD SIBLEY .- A prominent and enterprising rancher and the present postmaster at Iaqua, Luther W. Sibley is a native of Michi- gan, born near Dewitt, Clinton county, April 27, 1875, the son of Levi W. and Alzina (Carr) Sibley, natives of Plattsburg, N. Y. The father served in the Civil war as a member of Company A, Ninety-sixth New York Volun- teer Infantry, and was seriously wounded at the Battle of Gettysburg, and was also wounded in another battle. After a service of three years and eleven months he was honorably discharged, after which he came to Michigan, where, in Ingham county, he was married to Alzina Carr, the Carr family being very old settlers of the county. He became a well-to-do farmer and with his wife resides on his place near Dewitt.

Of their seven children Luther, the third oldest, received his education in the public schools and the Lansing high school, after which he entered the Michigan Agricultural College at Lansing, where he completed a special course. He then engaged in the creamery business, operating a creamery at Dewitt for ten and one-half years. In the meantime he started a lumber yard which he conducted the last five years of his residence in Michigan.

In 1906 Mr. Sibley made his first trip to the Pacific coast, and from Port- land, Ore., came to Humboldt county. Ile liked the country, and after making three trips within a year concluded to locate here, a change which he hoped would benefit his wife's health. Disposing of his interests in Michigan he located here permanently in 1907. Purchasing the old Frame ranch of eleven hundred forty acres at Iaqua, twenty-eight miles east of Eureka, he has since followed farming and stock raising, meeting with good success. He raises

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HISTORY OF HUMBOLDT COUNTY

an abundance of hay and grain and operates a thresher run by a gas engine, threshing not only his own grain, but that of others as well. He also specializes in dairying, milking about twenty-five cows. The ranch is located on Booths run and is also well watered by other streams and springs and is well wooded with fir and tan oak, about one hundred fifty acres of the ranch being under cultivation. Aside from the ranch he also owns some redwood and fir timber. In 1909 he secured the reestablishment of the postoffice at Iaqua and was appointed postmaster, and has had the postoffice at his place ever since.

In Dewitt, Mich., occurred the marriage of Mr. Sibley and Florence Pennell, a native of that place. She died here in 1910, leaving one child, Luther Willard, Jr. Mr. Sibley was school trustee of laqua district one term and was also clerk of the board. Fraternally he is a Mason, being a member of Dewitt Lodge in his native place in Michigan, while politically he is a Progressive.

JOHN H. GIFT .- Of old Quaker stock and an old settler of Humboldt county, having crossed the plains with his parents in 1864, John H. Gift, a prominent cattle grower of Iaqua, was born in Fontanelle, Adair county, Iowa, March 24, 1858. His father, Isaac Gift, was born in Philadelphia, Pa., where he was reared, later removing to Tiffin, Ohio, where he married Evelyn Overmier, a native of Ohio. Her father, Solomon Overmier, was also a Penn- sylvanian and a Quaker, who crossed the plains to California in 1846. He kept a hotel in Sacramento in which he met with success, afterwards returning to Ohio. His second trip to California was in 1864, he being the head of the train. He lived many years in Humboldt county, but died in Oregon. Isaac Gift removed from Ohio to Adair county, Iowa, where he became possessor of a beautiful farm on Nodaway bottoms. On May 12, 1864, with his family he started for the west, crossing the plains with ox teams and wagons. Two hundred miles west of the Missouri river, while crossing the Platte river, the party got a wetting, and the Gifts and some other members stopped to dry their clothes. Still others of the party, how- ever, went on without stopping. When the Gifts and Overmiers arrived near Fort Laramie they were told of the massacre of their late companions and were shown forty new graves. The Gift team arrived in Fort Laramie July 4 and then pressed on toward Green river. There they were surrounded by Indians and all of the little train would no doubt have been massacred but for the wisdom of Grandfather Overmier, who had had experience and under- stood the Indian nature. He had a long-stemmed pipe with a big bowl which he smoked from behind the wagon wheels, blowing smoke to the four winds. The Indian chief, after much hesitation, finally came down, threw away his arrows and implements of war and took a whiff of the Quaker's pipe, then gave a loud whoop and all of the bucks mounted their ponies, swam the Green river and left the train in peace. The party continued on to Salt Lake City, where they traded their oxen for a span of mules and started for Cali- fornia. They did not succeed in crossing the desert before one of the mules laid down and died. Isaac Gift was a large, strong man, one who would not give up, so he arranged a rope and pulled against the remaining mule, carrying the neckyoke for forty-eight hours, while the boys and others rolled on the wheels until their shoulders bled, the drops falling on their bare feet ; their

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shoes had given out and they could not replace them. To add to their suffer- ing, they ran out of water and their tongues became parched; finally the remaining mule gave out. In the midst of their distress a man rode up from behind and kindly loaned them his mule, and with the fresh animal they arrived at Sand Springs, Nev., with tongues parched and protruding. For- tunately there were soldiers stationed at the place who kept them from drink- ing water and also eating to excess, so all the members of the party were saved. They then made their way on to Virginia City, Nev., where Isaac Gift, being a millwright and carpenter by trade, found employment in the Golden Curry mill at $10 per day. The family remained in that city until the fall of 1865, when they came with a freighting outfit (sixteen-mule team with three big wagons, i. e., the two trailing the first one) through the Sierras, by way of Hangtown, or Placerville, to Sacramento, where they boarded the boat Chrisopolis for San Francisco, and then on the steamer Del Norte to Eureka, arriving October 12, 1865. The first three years the family spent in Eureka, until in 1868 they moved to Iaqua, where the elder Gift homesteaded one hundred sixty acres near a large, cool spring. After building his house he followed stock raising until he died in 1881. His wife continued to reside on the place until her death in 1903. Their family con- sisted of seven children, and of them we mention the following: Albert died in Eureka in 1914; Allen lives in Eureka ; Joseph in Iaqua ; Robert in Hoquiam, Wash .: John H. is the subject of this sketch ; Sarah L., Mrs. Russell, died in Hydesville : George L. is also a resident of Iaqua.

John H. Gift was a boy of five years when he crossed the plains with his parents, and on account of the harrowing Indian escapades and their narrow escape on the desert the trip was indelibly impressed on his memory. The members of the party walked nearly two thousand miles, most of it barefooted, and the lasting impressions will never be erased from Mr. Gift's memory. Since 1865 he has made his home in Humboldt county. He went to public school in Virginia City, Nev., Eureka and the Iaqua district. When twelve years old he began riding the range and driving cattle, also followed packing, cooking and teaming not only here, but in the Sacramento valley. He homesteaded eighty acres of land near Iaqua and began stock raising and improving the place, meantime making trips to the Sacramento valley, where he worked at teaming to earn money to improve his ranch. His stock in- creased and he did well and was thus enabled to buy land adjoining. For some years he was in partnership with his brother George, but a few years ago they divided their holdings and dissolved partnership. He now owns eleven hundred sixty acres of land. The John H. Gift ranch is well watered by streams and numerous springs and is well wooded, having quite a large tract of redwood and also other varieties, such as pine, oak and madrone. The place is devoted to cattle growing and he has about one hundred eighty head of the Short Horn Durham breed. Of late he also specializes in dairying, milking about twenty-eight cows in the season and manufacturing butter for the Eureka and San Francisco markets. He also raises large quantities of hay and grain, having threshed as much as four thousand bushels of oats a year.

The marriage of Mr. Gift occurred in Eureka, where he was united with Miss Anna C. Jewett, a native of Fredericton, New Brunswick, and they have

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three children, George, Harry and Lloyd. Mrs. Gift was an educator and is a woman of much ability, and for ten years taught school in Humboldt county. She is now serving as trustee of Iaqua school district, a position her husband also held for many years, he being clerk of the board for a time. Fraternally he is a member of Fortuna Lodge No. 221, I. O. O. F., in Eureka, and of Mount Zion Encampment, I. O. O. F. Politically he is a Republican. He served acceptably as road overseer of fifty-four miles of roads and trails in his district for five years.

MRS. MARY BARRY .- One of the old-time settlers on Kneeland Prairie is Mrs. Mary Barry, who was born in the city of Cork, Ireland, the daughter of Timothy and Bridget (Hassett) Mullen. She grew up in that city and was married to Edward Barry. They came to Philadelphia, Pa., in 1865, and a few years later came to California, locating at Ross' Landing, near San Rafael, Marin county, where they followed dairying. About 1875 they located in Humboldt county, where they purchased one hundred twenty acres on Kneeland Prairie and began improving the land and also carried on stock raising. Mrs. Barry has been a successful farmer and stock raiser, having added to the original acres and now owns two ranches adjoining, comprising six hundred forty acres, which are now operated by her son-in-law and daugh- ter, Mr. and Mrs. Cosgrove, who besides being engaged in cattle growing also run a small dairy with considerable success.

Of the children born to Mr. and Mrs. Barry, Timothy J., a farmer on Kneeland Prairie, married Ella Fink and they have one child, Alice L .; Phillip F., employed with the Hammond Lumber Company in Eureka, married Sadie Pierson ; Sadie is the wife of Charles Quigg, train dispatcher at Eureka, and they have three children, Thomas, Charles and Graham ; Mary is the wife of Thomas Cosgrove, who, as stated above, manages the ranches for Mrs. Barry, and they have one son, William Thomas.

Mrs. Barry is a pleasant woman with generous impulses and is always ready to lend a helping hand to those who have been less fortunate.

RAE FELT, M. D .- A representative member of the Felt family, and one of the most honored native sons of Humboldt county, Dr. Rae Felt is adding glory to the name of his father made famous in almost half a century of medical practice and business activity here. His position in the profession has always been among its most trusted members, and deservedly, and within recent years he has increased his reputation by his unselfish work in the interest of the Sequoia hospital at Eureka, of which he was the founder. He is now acting as president of the board and as chief surgeon of the institution, which is the most completely equipped establishment of the kind in Cali- fornia north of San Francisco. Dr. Felt's father, the late Theodore Dwight Felt, M. D., has full mention elsewhere in this work.

Rae Felt was born May 19, 1869, at Hydesville, and his early life was spent there and at other locations in the county-Felt's Springs, Rohnerville and Fortuna. His education was begun in the district schools, but he had the advantage of very superior home training which he has found of in- estimable value. During the time the family lived at Fortuna he assisted his mother in the drug store which she conducted for several years at that place, and thus his preparation for his life work began very early. He finished his public school work at Eureka, graduating before he was eighteen years

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old, at which time he was granted a teacher's certificate. He taught school for some time, and then devoted himself to the study of medicine, entering the medical department of the University of California, from which he was graduated, receiving his degree of M. D. in November, 1890. The next year he spent very profitably in the United States Marine hospital at San Fran- cisco, as surgical assistant, and was then appointed to the United States revenue marine service and assigned as surgeon to the steamer Richard Rush, which was ordered to the Behring sea and coast of Alaska to protect the seal industry. After a year in that position he returned to Eureka to commence practice, becoming associated with his father, who moved to Eureka in 1891, and they worked together until the father's death, in 1898. His modern training and apparent fitness for the profession supplemented his father's experience and resource, and they established a practice which the younger man has continued very successfully, proving a worthy successor to his father. In both general practice and surgery there is a wide demand for his services, his name having become well known in all parts of Humboldt county, where he has performed many successful operations and taken part in numerous consultations, his fellow physicians according his opinions the utmost respect. He has not only endeavored to make a success of his own work, but has labored zealously to uphold the most approved professional standards in the community. His own conscientious work, in his private practice and in his connection with the Sequoia Hospital and Sanitarium, shows his personal ideas on such matters. He was appointed the first chief surgeon on the Eel River and Eureka Railroad, which position he held until it was transferred to the hospital department of the Northwestern Pacific Railroad, and since then has filled his present position of division surgeon.

Dr. Felt took a leading part in the organization of the Humboldt County Medical Society, has served as president of that body, and is also a member in high standing of the California State Medical Society and the American Medical Association, the Pacific Association of Railway Surgeons and also a member of the American Association of Railway Surgeons. Socially he has numerous connections, belonging to Humboldt Parlor No. 14, N. S. G. W .; Humboldt Lodge No. 79, F. & A. M. (master in 1904) ; Humboldt Chapter No. 52, R. A. M .; Eureka Commandery No. 35, K. T., which he served as treasurer for several years, from May, 1902; Islam Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., of San Francisco ; the Order of the Eastern Star ; and Eureka Lodge No. 652, B. P. O. E., of which he was a charter member. He also holds membership in the Humboldt Club, and in the chamber of commerce at Eureka, and he was one of the principal organizers of the Gentlemen's Driving Club ; though deeply interested in the success of the latter he declined the presidency because of his numerous other responsibilities, feeling that he could not do justice to its duties. His interest therein is only natural, for he inherits his father's love for fine horses, and was at one time especially devoted to the breeding and raising of standard horses on his stock ranch at Capetown on the Bear river. He has a number of fine horses, among which are Telltale Perlo and Edith Light. The former comes from stock which his father raised, and her great-great-great-granddam Jude was the animal on which the elder Dr. Felt swam the Eel river on many occasions.

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Besides the ranch just mentioned Dr. Felt owns a dairy ranch of two hundred twenty-five acres at Freshwater, six miles from Eureka, which he supervises personally, hiring competent help for the actual labor. "The Maples," as his ranch is called, was so named on account of the beautiful natural maple grove at his summer home. He has lately improved the ranch with large barns, which are the most modern and sanitary in the county, having metal stanchions, concrete floor and large windows for admitting plenty of sunlight. Recently Dr. Felt brought from the east a carload of full-blooded registered Jersey cattle of the Island type, and now has a herd of about one hundred head, one of the finest registered herds of Island bred Jerseys in the state. The Maples is located about six miles north of Eureka on the Arcata road and is watered by the stream called Freshwater. In connection with the ranch large quantities of alfalfa are raised, as well as clover, rye, grass, carrots and beets, and grains.

Dr. Felt has been taking part in politics since he attained his majority, an ardent Republican like his father before him. He has been a delegate to political conventions since eligible, and in 1902 acted as chairman of the Republican county convention. His work in the party, as in everything else which attracts his interest, has been well directed, and has been appre- ciated by his coworkers and his fellow citizens generally, who trust him to look after their welfare as he would after his private concerns. There are few activities in the locality with which he has not been associated, in an influential capacity, and many of the best movements in the city owe their success to his cooperation.

On December 18, 1892, Dr. Felt was married to Miss Anna A. Smith, a native of Alameda county, Cal., the daughter of a pioneer family.

JOHN W. HAMILTON .- Humboldt county has had many instances of the opportunities which her early settlers enjoyed, as shown by the good fortune which has attended those who, coming here with no resources except their courage and strength, have acquired wealth and position. When land was cheap, simply because it was in an undeveloped region and there were no means at hand of marketing its produce, its potential value could not be counted as in these days of modern commerce, and the pioneers who then acquired large holdings did so with little or no expenditure. If they were farsighted enough to retain them, their fortunes were established. But that the opportunities were not exhausted with the passing of the old order is shown in the records of such men as John W. Hamilton, of Garberville, Hum- boldt county, whose success has been substantial enough, and so honorably gained, as to be creditable under any circumstances. He came to the county in 1896, for a year's stay in search of health, and was not only satisfied in that respect, but he has prospered so well in his business undertakings that he has remained here ever since.

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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 127

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