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 71

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

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WILLIAM EDWARD MICHEL .- A thoroughly competent man and one who enjoys the entire confidence of his employer, employes and patrons

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is W. E. Michel, who is in charge of the livestock and packing house interests of the Pacific Lumber Company at Scotia, Cal. There is not one of his customers who would not gladly deal with him again. He is the buyer of all the cattle, hogs and sheep to supply the four stores and to feed the army of about three thousand workers connected with the great Pacific Lumber Company.

Mr. Michel comes from some of the leading American families. His father, Dr. William M. Michel, whose native state was Virginia, was a nephew of Gen. Joseph E. Johnston of the Confederate army. The Johnston family was one of the "F. F. V.'s"; the well-known writer, Mary Johnston, author of "To Have and To Hold" and other novels, is a member of this family. Mr. Michel's branch of the Michel family is traced back to King Robert Bruce of Scotland. His father served several years as a surgeon in the Southern army, and after the close of the Civil war as surgeon in the government navy. Later he came to Humboldt county, Cal., and was con- nected with the Round Valley (Mendocino county) and the Hoopa (Hum- boldt county) Indian Reservations. At the close of his term of service as doctor at the Hoopa Reservation, he moved to Ferndale, Cal., where he engaged in the general practice of medicine and also ran a drug store for several years. He was accidentally killed by the breaking of a banister rail- ing at a ball game in Ferndale, dying several weeks later from the effect of the accident. The mother of Mr. Michel was formerly Miss Lucy Dennis, a native of Virginia. She is now living with her daughter, Mrs. R. D. Porter, at No. 1628 E street, Eureka.

The parents of Mr. Michel had six children, four daughters and two sons. The eldest, Maynard H., is state sheep inspector and resides at Rohnerville, Cal .; Genevieve is the wife of William Smiley, a rancher and dairyman of Carlotta; Elizabeth is now the wife of R. D. Porter, manager of the Robert Porter estate and director of the Bank of Eureka; Marian is the widow of Ellis Roberts and resides at No. 1628 E street, Eureka; Lucy is the wife of Hon. John W. McClellan, of Bridgeville, proprictor of the Casa Loma Ranch (see his sketch) ; William Edward, the youngest of the children, was born in Mendocino county, August 6, 1880.

As a boy Mr. Michel had to work hard. At the age of fifteen he started in the meat market business at Ferndale with Payne & Beck, and has been in the meat market and stock business ever since, ten years in Ferndale and two in San Francisco. His association with the Pacific Lumber Company dates from the year 1907, when he was engaged to take charge of their packing plant. He and Alexander Lamb, Jr., worked together in devising plans for the packing house and refrigerating plant which the company adopted and which are still in use and regarded as one of the most satisfac- tory systems known to date. In 1910 Mr. Michel was put in charge and ever since has been at the head of the livestock and packing house department. He has made a special study of the animal and meat industry in all its phases, breeding, feeding, buying and selling, slaughtering, refrigerating, cutting, making lard, sausages, salt pork and other meats, curing, smoking, retaining, etc. It is an unfailing rule with him never to kill for use any animal unless it is free from disease and in good order, and he inspects all animals intended for the block while on hoof.

The Pacific Lumber Company kills enough hogs to provide all the lard

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consumed and handled by the Eel River Mercantile Company at its four stores located at Scotia, Dyerville, Shively and Field's Landing. Besides this, the company keeps on its cut-over lands about eight hundred head of stockers and feeders. They have six thoroughbred Hereford bulls which they use for breeding purposes, raising approximately two hundred head every year, and they kill twelve hundred annually.

It is almost beyond belief that there are but twenty-two horses employed by this gigantic lumber concern; yet this is true. Steam machinery is in- stalled for logging, loading and transporting the logs, and gigantic cranes and monorails handle the sawed lumber in units of about two thousand feet each. The horses are used mainly to haul building material to places where the company is building residences for its employes, and erecting other necessary structures.

While a youth at Hoopa Indian Reservation Mr. Michel became con- vinced that Humboldt county held great deposits of gold-bearing quartz, sulphuret of gold and iron, and at the present time he is largely interested as a stockholder in the Red Cap Mining and Development Company of Hum- boldt county. He has studied the mineral wealth of this county and has the utmost faith in its resources along this line, especially in the gold at Orleans Bar.

Mr. Michel was married in 1902 to Miss Adah Davis, daughter of Frank Davis of Rohnerville, a pioneer of Humboldt county. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Ferndale, and Myrtle Encampment at Ferndale ; is a member of the Wecott Tribe No. 147, I. O. R. M., at Scotia, being past sachem of the tribe; also Eureka Lodge No. 652, B. P. O. E.

FERNDALE BANK .- The history of this reliable and conservative banking institution dates back to March of 1893, when it was organized with a capital of $25,000 and the following officers: Adam Putnam, president ; William N. Russ, vice-president ; and J. H. Trost, cashier. Later E. P. Nisson became the vice-president and in July of 1905 F. N. Rasmussen was elected to the office of cashier. The officers of 1914 are as follows: Adam Putnam, president ; E. P. Nisson, vice-president ; and F. N. Rasmussen, cashier. The three officers together with the following other stockholders serve as directors of the concern : J. H. Ring, F. G. Williams, J. A. Shaw, P. J. Peterson, W. N. Russ and P. Calanchini. The growth of the bank has been healthy, dividends have been paid with unfailing regularity, and now the capital and surplus aggregate more than $100,000. After nineteen years of occupancy of quarters not especially designed for modern banking purposes, in July of 1912 the institution moved its headquarters into the attractive and substantial new building of re-enforced concrete with white tile trimmings, with interior equipment of the most approved and modern type, now occupied by the bank and used exclusively for banking purposes. For twenty years the institution was strictly commercial, but in January, 1913, a savings department was added and this has since become a very important accessory of the main institution.

DAVID PAGE CUTTEN .- The Cutten family was established in Humboldt county during the early '50s by R. D. Cutten, who for many years had many interests in connection with the timber industry and not only operated sawmills and shingle mills near Eureka, but for a time also owned an important ship-building business, continuing indeed until his death as one

Frank Peters Mary Peters

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of the well-known lumbermen of his adopted community. Six children formed his family, namely : David P., who was born in Colchester county, Nova Scotia, August 7, 1850, and joined his father at Eureka in 1868; Edward L., William F., Mrs. Thomas McDonald, Mrs. J. S. Murray and Mrs. Sophia B. Gardner, the latter deceased. Coming to this section of the country at the age of eighteen, David Page Cutten has remained here ever since, mean- while having large interests in a number of the industries connected with local advancement. For fifteen years he was employed by the John Vance Lum- ber Company in a clerical capacity and as private secretary, besides acting for a time as superintendent of the interests of Mr. Vance on Mad river. In valuation of timber land he came to be recognized as an expert and authority. For this reason David Evans of the California Redwood Company engaged him to buy large tracts of timber land, depending upon his judgment as to the proper price for the same. In addition he bought timber land for the Dolbeer-Carson Lumber Company.

As one of the organizers of the Redwood Land and Investment Company and as its secretary Mr. Cutten engaged in the buying and selling of timber lands, utilizing for the benefit of the concern his exceptional ability in judg- ing valuations. While filling the office of secretary of the board of harbor commissioners he originated a system of keeping records of exports and im- ports and prepared the first report concerning the same for the consideration of the board. The first successful system ever compiled by the board may be attributed to his intelligent mastery of the subject of imports and exports. The Samoa Company comprised a party of local men, himself included in the number, who bought six thousand feet of water front and two hundred forty acres of land occupying the present site of Samoa as well as the country adjacent thereto. The company subdivided some of the tract and sold a large number of lots, but later the Hammond Lumber Company purchased the entire property. Another important local enterprise of Mr. Cutten was the organization and promotion of the Dutch Colony, owners of one thousand acres at Fruitland, with one hundred sixty acres of the tract planted to prunes, apples, grapes and peaches. A school was built on the land and other improvements made necessary to the permanent well-being of settlers. Besides other local associations Mr. Cutten has engaged extensively in the buying and selling of real estate and has handled many large transfers of property. Fraternally he belongs to the Eureka Lodge of Elks. Some years after coming to Humboldt county he married Miss Catherine McGraw, daugh- ter of Hugh McGraw, an honored pioncer who assisted in locating and lay- ing out the town of Eureka in a very early day. Mr. and Mrs. Cutten are the parents of three children, namely : Charles Pryde, ex-state senator from Humboldt county and now attorney for the Pacific Gas & Electric Light Company in San Francisco; Ivy M., wife of B. F. Porter, Jr .; and David Page, Jr.

FRANK PETERS .- From the Azores Islands Mr. Peters has come to make his home in Humboldt county, Cal., of which state he has been a resident since the year 1874, never having regretted the change. Coming to this country with almost nothing, in a financial way, he has made for himself a comfortable fortune, and is an enterprising, liberal man, well liked in the vicinity where he resides, and blessed with an able helpmeet who has been an encouragement and assistance to him all along.

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Born in Manadas, Isle of St. George, in the Azores, December 4, 1851, Mr. Peters was the son of John and Marie C. Peters, likewise natives of Manadas, where the father was an attorney, both parents now being deceased. Frank was one of nine children, and the oldest of the family, of whom four have come to Humboldt county. John and William, both dairymen, died in this county, and Antone now resides in Ferndale. Mr. Peters was educated in the public schools at his home, remaining in that country until 1871, when he removed to Boston, Mass., securing employment near there in farming and dairying until 1874, when, having heard and read good reports of Hum- boldt county, he determined to try his fortune upon the Pacific coast. He was joined by two brothers, William and John, and together they came to San Francisco, a journey of fourteen days, arriving there on April 24, 1874. Thence they made a three days' trip on the steamer Pelican to Eureka, in Humboldt county, and from there came by a six-horse stage to Ferndale, which consumed an entire day. Mr. Peters' first employment in this state was at Peter Nissen's Whatcheer ranch on Bear River ridge, which he reached by a long journey afoot by the Wildcat trail, carrying his valise with him. After working for Mr. Nissen one season he was employed by D. A. Spear for eighteen months, after which he came to Ferndale with his two brothers, who had also been working on Bear River ridge. They engaged in digging potatoes at ten cents a sack, but in the same fall the three brothers purchased forty acres of wild land on Coffee creek, paying $600 cash for it, building thereon a cabin and barn. There they remained two winters, during the first winter hunting rabbits, duck and quail, Mr. Peters to this day well remembering the easy and carefree life they led, the hunting providing for them plenty of good hearty food. Improving their ranch, they started a small dairy, John being left in charge while William worked out during the busy seasons, during which time Mr. Peters was employed two years on the dairy ranch of Nat Hurlbutt and five years in the same occupation with others. A period of seven years was spent by him as a woodsman around Eureka in the employ of the Occidental Lumber Company under John Vance and Herman Doe. Then, determining to engage in the dairy business on his own account, in the autumn of 1888 Mr. Peters leased the O'Dell ranch at Capetown, consisting of four hundred fifteen acres, where he conducted a dairy of sixty-six cows, and a year later bought the place, making valuable improvements in the buildings and manufacturing butter for the San Fran- cisco market, continuing there in dairying and stock raising with notable success. In the latter part of the year 1911 he rented his ranch to others and retired from active business, purchasing a residence and three acres of property in Ferndale, where he now lives in the enjoyment of his retirement after a very energetic and industrious career.

The marriage of Frank Peters took place in Eureka, Cal., November 7, 1888, uniting him with Miss Mary Ruther, who was born in Texas, the daughter of Anthony and Mary Ruther. The Ruther family came to Napa county, Cal., via Panama, in 1860, remaining three years; in the fall of 1863 coming to Humboldt county on the old sailing vessel Metropolis, and made a twenty-four days' journey to Eureka from San Francisco; and the father then engaged in dairying at Cape Mendocino, and was later proprietor of the Ocean House, and the following year manager of the Centerville House. He then purchased a ranch on Coffee creek, where his wife died some years

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afterward, after which he sold his ranch and spent his time traveling. The daughter (Mrs. Peters) received her education in the public schools, and is now the mother of one son, Fred Peters. For many years Mr. Peters was trustee of the Capetown school district, and the fraternal associations with which he is connected are as follows: The Humboldt Lodge No. 77, I. O. O. F .; the Veteran Odd Fellows Association, both in Eureka, and Humboldt Camp No. 228, W. O. W., Ferndale.

PATRICK KEATING .- A brief sojourn in Eureka as early as 1887 gave Mr. Keating a very favorable opinion concerning this section of country and he employed the period of his residence in Humboldt county in the building of houses not only at Eureka, but also at outside towns, particularly in Fern- dale. Prior to and after that year's sojourn in California he made his home in Canada, where he was born at Georgetown, Ontario, in December of 1853, and where, on the completion of a common school education, at the age of seventeen years he took up the trade of a carpenter. That occupation he learned in all of its details, acquiring such skill that he was able to secure steady work in his home town, a small place, with only a small amount of building in process of construction. With the exception of the early and brief period of employment in California he remained in Ontario, principally at Seaforth, until 1901, steadily following the business of a builder and officiating for three years as a member of the city council of Seaforth. While living in Canada he was united in marriage with Miss Julia Fitzgerald, a native of County Perth, Ontario, and two children, Joseph and Genevieve, were born of the union. The family are of the Catholic faith and Mr. Keating has been identified with the Catholic Mutual Benefit Association. Another fraternity, the Ancient Order of United Workmen, also has enlisted his sup- port and co-operation.

A goodly number of substantial buildings indicates the character of the work done by Mr. Keating since he came to Eureka the second time. Besides many cottages in Eureka, Ferndale, Fortuna and Loleta, he had the con- tracts for the Lincoln school in Eureka, St. Bernard's Roman Catholic Church, the John Ryan flats and four houses for F. D. Tobin. Among the residences . he has built are those of C. D. and J. F. Daly, A. B. Adams, E. F. Recse. J. Nellis, George Molloy, B. Call and B. Callaghan, besides numerous others. A careful workman, skilled carpenter and honorable business man, he is one of our fine types of Canadian-Californians and is counted among the reliable citizens of Eureka.

FRED BAUMGARTNER .- Throughout the entire period of his resi- dence in this country Mr. Baumgartner has followed the trade of a butcher and is now one of the proprietors of the Hurlbutt Market in Eureka. Switz- erland is his native republic, and he was born at Engi, Canton Glarus, October 11, 1857. He received his education in the public schools of his native country, and is regarded by associates as a well-informed man of affairs.

In March, 1881, Mr. Baumgartner came to the United States, going direct to Milwaukee, Wis., and the year following to Stillwater, Minn., where he learned the butcher business. After following his trade there for cight years he came to California in 1890, and here he has since engaged at his trade, first in San Jose for one year, and since 1891 in Eurcka, Humboldt county. From 1891 to 1893 he was employed with W. S. Clark, having charge of his slaughter house on Elk river, and afterwards he held a similar position

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with Frank Hurlbutt, from whom, at the expiration of eight years as a salaried employe, he bought the market in partnership with J. J. Weiss. Since that time he and his partner have devoted their attention to the management of the market, the sale of their product and the supervision of the slaughter house which they own on Elk river. About nine years ago they built a new slaughter house on Elk river, in which the most sanitary modern equipment is carried in the interests of the market. While Mr. Baumgartner is kept very busily engaged in the management of his department of the business he found time during the summer of 1913 to take his wife, Mrs. Marie (Luch- singer) Baumgartner, also a native of Switzerland, back to their old home, and together they revisited the scenes familiar to their early memories and enjoyed several months of pleasurable reunions with the friends of olden days. Their sons, Fredrich John and Ililarius, had remained in Humboldt county during their absence, and when the parents returned to their family, their home and their western friends, it was with the opinion that California excels other sections of the world as a place of residence and a center for business enterprises.

LANGFORD BROTHERS .- The ancient and potent laws of heredity, environment and training have made Thomas and George Langford luminous exponents of the principles of integrity and honor and have emphasized the dignity of labor, for these brothers, inheritors of the sturdy traits of the English race, as proprietors of the Eureka boiler works, doing business under the corporate name of Langford Brothers, are very practical industrial work- ers who learned boiler-making as a trade and personally superintend the filling of every order received at their plant. While giving due attention to the executive department of the business, with Thomas as president and George as secretary of the corporation, they give so much of their time to personally superintending the manufacture of boilers and tanks and to the filling of orders for sheet iron work that nothing leaves the plant until it has passed the most searching inspection and is known to be sound. The product is the best that skilled labor, good material and intelligent oversight can turn out. The reputation of the company for a high class of finished product has double-riveted their prosperity on Humboldt bay and has brought them no little outside business, the territory of their orders extending from Port- land, Ore., on the north to San Diego on the south.

Though born in Wales, Thomas Langford was the son of English parents, his birth occurring March 17, 1851, and his education was received in Wales and England. He came to the United States in 1868, taking up the trade of a boiler-maker with the Dixon Manufacturing Company and continued with them five or six years. When he came to California in 1874 he secured em- ployment in the repair shops of the Central Pacific Railroad at Sacramento, from which city the company transferred him to West Oakland, there to repair the ferry boats operated by the railroad. Later the company sent him to Nevada and kept him for a time in the Wadsworth repair shops. On re- turning to Oakland he opened a cigar store and conducted the business for three years, after which he had charge of the Heald boiler works at Vallejo and also engaged in the manufacture of threshing machines. A later con- nection with the Baker & Hamilton Company gave him the supervision of their boiler works at Benicia. During 1885 he came to Eureka with his brother George, whose life history has been much the same as his own, except

John Plitsch Viala Plitsch

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that he had remained longer with the Central Pacific Railroad in Sacramento, coming direct from that city to Eureka and joining in the purchase of the Rose boiler works at the foot of E street. Under their skilled oversight and personal direction of every job, the business grew and expanded until larger quarters were needed. During 1903 they removed to the foot of T street on the bay front, where they own a large fireproof corrugated iron building and give employment to fifteen or twenty men in the manufacture of boilers and tanks and in similar lines of manufacture.

Personally the brothers stand high in the community as progressive, hardworking and capable business men, who take a praiseworthy, but not obtrusive, interest in public affairs and in all that tends to promote the permanent welfare of their city and county. Both are members of the Odd Fellows, Masons and Knight Templars. For some years George has been a member of the board of directors of the First National Bank of Eureka. By his marriage to Mamie Harrington, of Sacramento, he is the father of a daughter and son, namely: Mrs. Ethel Essig, of Berkeley; and George, Jr., a graduate of the State Agricultural College at Davis. Through his marriage to Susanna Jones, now deceased, Thomas Langford is the father of one son, Leslie. The brothers are thoroughly awake to the civic needs of Eureka and lend their aid to any enterprise tending toward the development of public interests.

JOHN PLITSCH .- Among the ranchers of northern Humboldt county, Cal., none holds a higher place than John Plitsch, a pioneer in that district, who located upon his claim in the early days of the county, when there was not even a wagon road through the new land, the settlers traversing it by means of a trail, packing their goods on horseback and either fording or swim- ming the Big Lagoon. Mr. Plitsch is a splendid man, an upbuilder and improver of the country, liberal and enterprising, a person in whose praise too much cannot be said, as is proved by the success which he has had since start- ing out for himself in the New World.

A native of Cologne, in the province of Rhein, Germany, Mr. Plitsch was born November 11, 1862, the son of John Plitsch, a farmer and merchant in that province. The son John was brought up on the farm and received his education in the public schools, after which he assisted in his father's store and on his farm until reaching the age of fifteen years, in the spring of 1878, at which time he made the journey to New York City, remaining there about two years. In 1880 he came to California via the Isthmus of Panama, and in San Francisco he was employed for a time in a meat market, in 1881 remov- ing to Trinidad, in Humboldt county, where he was employed in Hooper's sawmill for two years. When he had saved about $800, Mr. Plitsch pur- chased one hundred sixty acres on the hill at Stone Lagoon, where he engaged in ranching and stock raising, two years later selling the place at a good profit. He then bought two hundred acres in the valley at Stone Lagoon, which he still owns, and this he has improved and brought to a high state of cultivation, converting it into a dairy farm well stocked with high grade milch cows, as well as engaging in stock raising. After getting the ranch well started, he rented the dairy and herd, and for ten years has been giving his time to the work of road overseer of six miles of road in District No. 5. Successful in this as in his dairy enterprise, he keeps up his division in good shape and holds the high esteem of all who know him. In his political interests he is a

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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 71

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