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 93

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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six years later selling his interest in the latter to return to farming in 1903, at which time he bought his present ranch, which consists of forty acres a mile above Arcata, on the Boynton Prairie road. At the time of Mr. Ander- son's location on the place it was all wild land, given up to stumps and brush, but he cleared the ground and broke it up, and is now successfully engaged in raising hay and stock thereon, and has built for himself a pleasant and com- modious residence overlooking Humboldt bay, the city of Arcata and Arcata Bottoms, the Mad river, the city of Eureka, and also the Peninsula in the distance. Here he makes his home with his wife, formerly Miss Lydia Adkins, a native of Savannah, Andrew county, Missouri, to whom he was married at Eureka, July 12, 1876, and his son Peter, who assists him in the work upon the ranch, the other three children being, namely, Bert, now a member of the night police in Arcata ; Charles, who is in the employ of the Northern Red- wood Lumber Company ; and Minnie, now Mrs. Peter Freeman, and residing on the Boynton Prairie road. Mrs. Anderson is the daughter of Enoch and Margaret (Stokes) Adkins of Virginia. The father died in 1851 ; the mother died at the age of eighty-two years. Mrs. Anderson came to California in 1875. In his religious associations Mr. Anderson is a member of the Lutheran Church, while his fraternal connections are with Anni- versary Lodge No. 85, I. O. O. F., at Arcata, of which he has for forty- two years been an active and valued member. An old settler of Humboldt county, his progress has been with that of the locality where he makes his home, the story of his industry and advancement being closely allied with that of the material growth of his adopted county.

D. H. SOWASH .- The success that has come to D. H. Sowash in his life battle has been due entirely to his own efforts. He was thrown on the world when he was a child of only eleven years, and secured his education by working for his room and board while attending school. He was a talented boy and very carnest and industrious and by the time he was twenty-one years of age he had saved $500 with which to make his start in business. Later, when he had reached a state of affluence, he became interested in the oil industry and through unfortunate operations lost all his savings, and was again obliged to start at the bottom, seeking for this purpose the same town and the identical building that had been the scene of his first business venture. His first money was made by trading horses, he having for this line the fabled gift of a "David Harum," and it was thus that he accumulated most of his first $500. He has been in the harness business for much of his lifetime, that being the line of his first undertaking, and the one to which he has always returned. He has a prosperous shop in Loleta, where he deals in harness, whips, robes, and all horse goods, and in the manufacture of harness, run- ning in connection a boot and shoe repair shop. He is also justice of the peace, having served in this capacity now for sixteen years, and giving such satisfaction that at the last primary election he received the nomination without opposition.

Mr. Sowash is the son of Joseph Sowash, a pioneer and frontiersman of Pennsylvania and Ohio, he keeping always just a little ahead of the march of civilization. He cleared two or three farms in western Pennsylvania, and then sold them to move further west, repeating the same process in Ohio. He was married in Westmoreland county, Pa., to Miss Jane Ann Armstrong, a native of that county, and descended from a very long-lived family, her

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mother living to be one hundred three years old. Some time after his mar- riage Mr. Sowash went to Ohio, where he engaged in farming, and where his wife died when the subject of this article was eleven years of age. Later the father married again, the second wife being a widow from Kentucky, and there they established their home, where the father died twenty-eight years later, at the age of eighty-four. There were nine children in the family, three daughters and six sons, and these were left to shift for themselves after the death of their mother.

D. H. Sowash was born in Armstrong county, Pa., July 9, 1834, and was some five or six years of age when the family removed to Ohio. He grew to manhood in Scioto county, and went up into Pike county when he was nine- teen, remaining there for a year. When he was a child of nine years he met with an accident which cost him his right leg, and this hampered him seriously in his efforts to secure an education, although he met with a marked degree of success. When he was twenty-one he returned to Pennsylvania and en- gaged in business in Westmoreland county. Investing his $500 in a stock of goods and employing an expert harness-maker, he opened a harness shop and there himself learned the trade. He was married in Westmoreland county December 2, 1861, to Miss Keziah MI. Grosscup, a native of that county, and after four years he disposed of his business there and went into Venango county, Pa., where he worked in the old fields, first as shipping-master, later as pumper, and then as machinist in charge of the machinery. After four years spent thus he began operating independently and soon lost everything that he had saved. He then returned to Westmoreland county and began again at the bottom, opening a harness shop in the same building that he had occupied many years before, at Murraysville. Later another oil boom struck Armstrong county, Pa., and he moved with his family into that part of the state, settling at Parker City. Here they met with a sad accident through the loss of their only child by fire, and after a year they returned to Westmoreland county and reengaged in the harness business there, meeting with his customary success in this line, which he has followed continuously since. Later he moved to Jefferson county, Ohio, where he followed the same line at Toronto, remaining for ten years, at the end of which time he came to California, locating first in Arcata, and later removing to Loleta, where he now makes his home.

Mr. and Mrs. Sowash became the parents of two children, the son whose death was due to the accident by fire being William H., then aged seven years, and another son who died in infancy. They now have an adopted daughter, Minnie, the wife of Henry Ott, a harness-maker of Ferndale. Both Mr. and Mrs. Sowash are very popular in Loleta, where they have lived since 1895, and also in Arcata where they made their home from 1886 to the time of their coming to Loleta. They are both members of the Congregational church in Loleta, and take an active and influential part in its affairs. Mr. Sowash is a member of the board of trustees and chairman of the board of business managers, while Mrs. Sowash is the superintendent of the Sunday School and also president of the Ladies' Aid Society and one of its most earnest and enthusiastic workers. Mr. Sowash is also a very prominent member of the Odd Fellows, having united with that organization in 1860, and has been through all the chairs, and also served one termi as deputy grand master of District 102, of Humboldt county, Cal.

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PETER PETERSEN .- No country has contributed more worthy sons to America than has the sturdy little kingdom of Denmark, and of these there is none truer to the best interests of his adopted country than is Peter Petersen, who is now engaged in dairy farming near Metropolitan, this county. He owns a valuable farm of more than forty acres about a half mile south of Metropolitan and two miles from Rio Dell, which he is operating in such a manner as to make it especially profitable. He takes a live interest in all that concerns the agricultural affairs of the county and is a member of the Alton farm center.

Mr. Petersen was born near Hadersleben, Sleswick, Denmark, August 26, 1856, the son of Andreas Petersen, also a native of Hadersleben, and a farmer. Peter grew to young manhood on the home farm and attended the public schools of his district. There were four children in his father's family, two sons and two daughters, of whom Peter and one sister, now Mrs. Mary Stephensen, of Chico, Wash., are the only living members. In 1875, when he was only nineteen, Peter Petersen came alone to the United States, locating in Cedar Falls, Iowa, where for six months he was employed on a farm. At the end of that time, in December, 1875, he came to California, coming direct to Hydesville, Humboldt county, where lived an uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. John Swansen, both now deceased. For a time he was employed on various dairy farms in this county, and during the first two years studied English under a private teacher. It was in 1886 that he was married in Eureka to Miss Anne Mai, also a native of Hadersleben, Denmark, who came to California as a young girl. She was a daughter of Mathias Mai, who for thirty-seven years was a musician and then became a merchant. She was reared and educated in local schools and in 1884 came to Eureka. Following his marriage Mr. Petersen rented land for a number of years and then bought a ranch at Hydesville, which he sold later and in 1895 purchased his present place at Metropolitan, where he has since made his home. He has placed splendid improvements on this property, erecting a beautiful dwelling and other modern improvements, and now has one of the most attractive places in the vicinity and is making a specialty of dairying. He finds alfalfa a very profitable crop, cutting it three times a year, besides pasturing it. He also raises large crops of corn, beets and carrots. Mr. and Mrs. Petersen were the parents of one child, a son, Andrew, who died in 1907, at the age of twenty- one years, after giving evidence of great ability as a student. This has been their one great sorrow and the only mar on an otherwise perfectly happy home. Mr. Petersen attributes his success in no small degree to the able as- sistance and counsel of his wife and helpmate, who has stood nobly by him in all of his undertakings and ambitions. Both Mr. and Mrs. Petersen are members of the Lutheran church, and he is a Progressive Republican and an ardent advocate of local progress and improvement along permanent lines.

GEORGE R. ALLEN .- One of the successful farmers and cattlemen of Humboldt county, George R. Allen, although in his sixty-eighth year, is still actively engaged with the care and management of his farm and herds, and has recently erected a handsome residence, modern in every appointment and with the latest scientific conveniences, in Waddington, where he will in the future reside, together with his wife and family. He is a man of much strength of character and genuine Yankee ingenuity and pluck, and descends from a hardy old English family of farmers and sailors, his own father having

Oster Petersen

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been interested in both lines of endeavor. Mr. Allen has been very successful in his various undertakings since coming to Humboldt county, and has amassed an appreciable fortune and also owns much valuable property in this vicinity.

Mr. Allen is a native of Maine, having been born in Jefferson township, Lincoln county, June 7, 1847, the son of George Alfred Allen and Mary (Rowell) Allen. The mother was a native of Maine, her people being early pioneers of the Pine Tree State. The father was born and reared in England, coming to Maine when a young man, and there meeting and wedding Miss Rowell. He engaged in farming during the summer and in the winter time took to the sea, meeting with much success in both occupations. Three children were born of this union, all natives of Jefferson, Lincoln county, Me. They were: Fannie, now deceased, who was the wife of Marcellus Mayhew, a farmer, and the mother of fourteen children ; George R., the present honored citizen of Waddington ; and Jesse A., a painter by trade, and now residing in Gordon, Me. The childhood and early youth of Mr. Allen were passed in his native village, where he attended the public schools. When he was twenty- two years of age he determined to come to California, and accordingly, on April 1, 1869, he set sail from New York on the steamship Arizona for the Isthmus of Panama, which he crossed on April 8, and again set sail on the steamship Montana for San Francisco, where he arrived on April 23. From there he went at once to Trinity county, locating near Weaverville, and en- gaging in the logging business, driving a three-yoke ox-team. In 1875 he came into Humboldt county, where he again engaged in lumbering, being located in the redwoods. For eleven seasons he drove a logging team, and following this for six years he worked on the "donkey" engine as second chain tender. Later he was for three seasons at Rohnerville, at Fortuna for eight seasons, and still later at Scotia and Newburg, making in all seventeen sea- sons. It was in 1892 that he quit the lumber woods and took to farming and stock-raising, which occupation has since claimed his attention.

The first marriage of Mr. Allen took place in Rohnerville, July 4, 1876, uniting him with Miss Clara Langdon. Of their union was born one daugh- ter, Bertha, married to Myron Hight, a blacksmith, at present residing in Oakland. She became the mother of three children, Ethel, Arthur and Robert, the former two making their home with their maternal grandfather, while the latter resides with his father in Oakland, their mother having died at Stockton in 1905. Mr. Allen and his first wife were separated by divorce, and later he married Mrs. Mary B. Winkler, a native of Switzerland, where she passed the early years of her childhood. When yet a girl she came to Hum- boldt county, where she met and married her first husband, becoming the mother of five children, three of whom are now living: Emil is employed on a ranch at Grizzly Bluff ; Eliza is the wife of Joseph Runner, who is employed at the Grizzly Bluff creamery ; and Chris, a carpenter at Ferndale. After the death of Mr. Winkler, the widow continued to conduct the farm for a number of years before her marriage with Mr. Allen. Of this second marriage four children have been born: Naomi; May died in infancy ; Archie, and Clara. The place where Mr. and Mrs. Allen have resided for some time is the prop- erty of Mrs. Allen, and comprises one hundred sixty acres lying in the foot- hills south of Waddington. Mr. Allen also owns large interests in the vicinity

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of Waddington, having two hundred aeres in the Price creek country, where he has extensive herds of livestock.

Mr. Allen has always given freely of his strength and ability for the publie welfare, having served in various capacities, and for eight years was a member of the school board in the Price creek district. He is a stanch Republican and is well grounded in the political faith of that party as it fell to his happy lot to hear the doctrines of the Grand Old Party expounded by his former friend and fellow citizen, the Honorable James G. Blaine. Mr. Allen enjoys the esteem of everyone, and possesses a host of friends and admirers.

JOSEPH M. WALKER .- Although a native of Switzerland, Joseph M. Walker has spent practically his entire lifetime in America, having come to San Francisco, Cal., when he was a lad of twelve years. When he was seven- teen he came into Humboldt county and soon thereafter rented a place and commenced dairy-farming, this having been his chief occupation since that time. He now owns three handsome ranches in the county, all of which are kept in model condition, and all of which are especially profitable. He is engaged in dairying and diversified farming and is meeting with the greatest of success, as is but natural with one whose application and industry go hand in hand with wisdom, judgment, honesty and fair dealing. He is a man of great executive force, strong in mind as well as in body, manly, self-reliant and altogether respected in his home community, and, in fact, wherever he is known.

Mr. Walker was born in Andermatt, Canton Uri, Switzerland, April 28. 1873, the son of Joseph and Mary N. (Rinner) Walker. His early childhood was spent in his native Canton, where he attended school, learning the German language. When he was twelve years of age, however, he came to the United States with his mother and brother Max, the father having made the journey ten years previously, and being then engaged in business in San Francisco. There were only these two sons in the family, Max being now engaged in dairy farming at Pleasant Point, this county. Joseph never attended school after coming to California, but at once went to work. His parents remained in San Francisco until he was eighteen years of age, when they removed to San Mateo county, and he secured employment on a dairy farm. Before this he had frequently found employment on the farms near San Francisco and Oakland, milking cows and doing other farm tasks, and when he was only twelve years of age was earning $20 per month. Soon after he was eighteen he came up to Humboldt county, he being the first of the family to locate here. He was soon joined by his brother Max, and together they rented an eighty-aere ranch at Port Kenyon, and for five years were engaged success- fully in dairy farming. At the end of that time the partnership was dissolved, Joseph buying out the interests of Max and taking over the farm as an in- dependent enterprise. Since that time he has continued in this line of occupa- tion and now owns three valuable ranches. There is one of seventy acres at Pleasant Point near Waddington, one of forty acres at Port Kenyon, and another, his home place, consisting of ten acres, and located a half mile north of Waddington. He raises a variety of erops, in all of which he is excep- tionally successful, and has several orchards of beautiful, healthy trees in full bearing. His ranches are models of order and sanitation, and his herds of milch cows are among the finest in the valley.

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The marriage of Mr. Walker took place when he was but twenty years of age (1893), the bride of his choice being Miss Emma Ragli, a native of San Francisco, who came with her parents to the Eel river valley when she was but three years of age. There she grew to womanhood, receiving her education in the district schools, and there she met and married Mr. Walker. Of their union have been born five children: Joseph F., assisting on the ranch ; Mary died at the age of four years ; Clara, Charles and Marie.

The extensive dairy and farming interests of this industrious and capable man have not been sufficient to absorb all of his time and attention, and he is heavily interested in a number of widely varying enterprises. He is one of the shareholders in the International Automobile League Tire Company, of Buffalo, N. Y., and is also a shareholder in the Starritt Pump and Manu- facturing Company, of San Francisco.

In addition to his influence as a business man and property owner, Mr. Walker has also made for himself an enviable position in the fraternal and educational circles of his home town. He is a prominent member of the Woodmen of the World, in Ferndale, and was for several years a trustee of the Coffee Creek school district, where he resided for a number of years.

PETER H. CHRISTENSEN .- A man in the very prime of life, strong, active, intelligent, industrious, successful and progressive, Peter H. Christen- sen is acknowledged to be one of the leading men in Humboldt county, and a dairy farmer of more than ordinary ability and standing. He is a native of Denmark and came to America when he was still in his 'teens. Here he married a good and beautiful girl, a native of Michigan, but born of Danish parentage. She has made him a most excellent helpmeet and is a woman of splendid character, hospitable and refined, and possessing a rare gift of common sense and good judgment, and is withal a hard worker. She has been of invaluable assistance to her husband in many ways, and especially in the promotion of his large business interests, in which Mr. Christensen is very aggressive. Their children are bright and attractive, and are receiving the best of educational advantages. Mr. Christensen is noted for his splendid executive ability and the way in which he succeeds in business generally. He employs six or seven men all the time, and more when there is a rush of farm work; he drives a fine automobile and has his business interests well in hand. He has at this time a herd of choice graded milch cows and Guernsey bulls which are valued at $25,000. He is also prominent in church and school circles, and in the various Danish societies of the state and county. His ranch is located on the north bank of the Salt river, opposite Port Kenyon, near Ferndale, and is known as the Upper Riverside ranch.

Mr. Christensen was born on the Island of Aeroe, in Denmark, December 8, 1873. His father was a dairyman and landowner, but died when this son, Peter, was but three years of age. His mother is also deceased. There were eight children in the family of which the present respected citizen of Ferndale is next to the youngest, and is the only one in America. His early life was spent in Denmark, where he received his education in the public schools of the kingdom, being taught in the Danish language. Later he worked on a dairy farm in his native land, being employed on his mother's place much of the time. In 1892, when he was but eighteen, he determined to come to America, having at that time two brothers in Cleveland, Ohio. The young Peter, however, had heard many tales of the golden opportunities offered in

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California, and so came directly to the coast, locating first in Marin county, where he secured employment as a dairy hand on one of the great farms, being employed by the month, and continuing thus for about four years. He next engaged as buttermaker at the Burdell creamery, and following that engaged as a stage-driver out of Olema to Tocoloma. The following year he came up to Humboldt county, and secured employment near Ferndale on a dairy ranch where he remained for a short time, and then, in partnership with John Larsen, rented the Willowbrook ranch, on Salmon river. This partnership continued very successfully for three years, at the end of which time Mr. Christensen sold his interests to Mr. Larsen and rented a ranch at Loleta, operating this property alone for five years. It was during this time that he was married to Miss Emma S. Smith, a native of Michigan, but a resident of Humboldt county for many years. Of their union have been born five children : Elmer H., Arlina, Harry M. and Hazel M., twins, and Kenneth.

It was in 1908 that Mr. Christensen removed to his present location, the Upper Riverside ranch. This property consists of three hundred fifty acres of excellent valley land, on which he has a dairy herd of about two hundred graded Guernsey milch cows, headed by eight Guernsey bulls, two of which are full-blooded and registered.

Mr. Christensen has taken an active part in the general affairs of the community, where he makes his home, for many years. He is progressive and public spirited and supports all movements for the permanent improve- ment of the state, county and community. He is a member of the Dania Society, a Danish fraternal society of national scope, and of the Danish Lutheran church, in Ferndale, being also one of the church trustees.

REDMOND O. McKEON .- The fact that Mr. McKeon has been chosen to fill the responsible positions of secretary, treasurer and superintendent of the Union Labor Hospital bespeaks an ability rarely found in a man of his years. Not only is he a native son of the state, but he is also a native of Eureka, his birth occurring here May 31, 1886. He is the son of John McKeon, who came to California from St. John, New Brunswick, where as a stationary engineer he was in great demand, for he was an expert in his calling. Need- less to say that on coming to Eureka he had no difficulty in finding employ- ment, and the proprietor of the old Vance mill was fortunate in securing his services. The attractions of the north at the time of the rush to Klondyke proved too strong to be resisted and giving up his position in Eureka he went to Alaska as a marine engineer, continuing to run on steamboats up to the time of his death in Victoria, B. C., in 1908. His wife, who in maiden- hood was Miss Mary O'Connor, is still living, making her home in Eureka. Seven children were born of the marriage of John and Mary (O'Connor) McKeon, of whom six are now living.

The fifth of the parental family, Redmond O. Mckeon, was reared in his native city, Eureka, and was primarily educated in the public schools. In the midst of his schooling he began to carn his own living, and while thus engaged attended night school in order to more fully round out his education, and to this he added a course in Eureka business college, all of which he paid for by his own efforts, demonstrating his perseverance and determina- tion to forge ahead and win an education by his own endeavors.

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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 93

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