History of Kern 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 151

Author: Morgan, Wallace Melvin, 1868- [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1914
Publisher: Los Angeles, Cal., Historic record company
Number of Pages: 1682

USA > California > Kern County > History of Kern 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 151

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H. ROY SHEFFLER .- Throughout practically his entire life Mr. Sheffler has been familiar with the oil industry and since the age of sixteen years he has earned his livelihood from the occupation. An early training in the business came to him under the personal oversight of his father, Alex- ander, a pioneer oil man in some of the Pennsylvania fields, although in addition he also engaged to some extent in general farming. The home of the family was situated in Clarion county, Pa., and there the birth of Roy Sheffler occurred January 10, 1880; there he attended the public schools until he had completed the grammar grade and there he took his place among the busy workers in the workaday world. When sixteen years of age he secured a job in an oil field four miles from home. At that time his wages were only $4 per week, but later he received a gradual advance until he was getting $1.50 per day. From roustabout and errand boy he worked up to be a tool dresser, in which capacity he proved efficient and capable. After having worked on two wells in the home field he went to West Vir- ginia, where he remained for almost eight years, meanwhile finding employ- ment successively in the fields at Sistersville, Mannington, Wolf Summit and Parkersburg.

Upon returning from West Virginia to Pennsylvania and securing em- ployment at Bradford, Mr. Sheffler spent two years as a tool-dresser in gas and oil wells in that field. A similar position was then filled for six years at Little Washington, Pa., where he was in the employ of a noted oil oper- ator, who also owned the Monongahela Gas Company. A later venture led him to invest in a water-well rig, after which he engaged in drilling water wells and testing coal fields, but at the expiration of eighteen months he went back to oil drilling and tool-dressing. While in Westmoreland county, Pa., he formed the acquaintance of Clint McCall, for whom he worked about one year. Later he worked for Bob George and George Evans, who in turn were employed by Andrew Carnegie. In 1902, while still making Pennsyl- vania his home and business headquarters, he married Miss Annie Mat- thews, daughter of George Matthews, of Washington county, that state, where their marriage was solemnized. Accompanied by his wife he came to California in 1910, and established a home at Maricopa. Here he entered the employ of E. S. Good and acted as chief driller on the twenty-acre lease of the El Dora Oil Company, on section 32, township 12, range 23, where he drilled two excellent wells, one at a depth of twenty-three hundred and eight feet and the other twenty-four hundred feet deep. On August 1, 1913,

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he gave up his position with the El Dora, and is now drilling for the Spreckels Oil Company. His experience as a driller in California and Pennsylvania has given him a technical knowledge of every detail connected with the work, and in addition he engaged as a driller for a short time in Illinois at Robinson. Since coming west he has saved his earnings and invested in property, being now the owner of a ranch of twenty acres north of Bakers- field and thus substantially identified with Kern county not only as an oil man, but also as a property owner.

JAMES C. GRANT .- The foreman of the machine shop of the Cali- fornia Oil Well Supply Company at Taft is a member of an old Pennsylvania family and traces his lineage to Aberdeen, Scotland, from which city the forebears of Gen. U. S. Grant also immigrated to the United States. The old homestead in Butler county, Pa., remained in the possession of the family through several generations. There his father, Alexander B. Grant, died at the age of sixty-five years; there his own birth occurred December 23, 1858, and there too his only son. Fred D., was born. Aside from the endearing associations of youth, the farm itself has had a unique history, for upon it were developed the first oil and gas wells in that locality, and the tract of one hundred and eight acres for years presented scenes of stirring industry. Other wells later were developed in the name neighborhood dur- ing the '80s, and when Mr. Grant made a trip back to the old Pennsylvania home twenty years after the era of the first excitement, he was surprised to find these same pioneer wells still producing gas and oil in paying quantities.

The marriage of Alexander B. Grant united him with Elizabeth Ervin, who, physically and mentally alert at the age of eighty-two, is still a resi- dent of Harmony, Butler county, Pa. The family consisted of six children. One of these, a daughter, died at Oil City, Pa., at the age of eight years. The five survivors are as follows: James C., of California; Flora M., who married James Welsh, a hardware dealer of Harmony, Pa .; Samuel D., a machinist employed in Denver, Colo .; Etta E., wife of John Klofenstein, of Harmony, Pa .; and John A., a machinist now employed at Miles City, Mont. Born December 23, 1858, James C. Grant received a public-school education at Six Points, Butler county, and as early as 1882 aided on the building of derricks on the home farm. In addition to being one of the crew of four men who dug the first well, he personally carried one-fourth interest in the enterprise. Six wells were drilled on his father's farm and in addition he worked on nine other wells in the same neighborhood.

From the oil fields of Butler county going to West Virginia, Mr. Grant settled at Parkersburg and engaged in the building of a machine shop for the Oil Well Supply Company, into whose service he had entered prior to re- moval from Pennsylvania. After the shop at Parkersburg had been com- pleted and the machinery installed, Mr. Grant remained for one year for the purpose of testing out the plant and putting it in first-class running order. Next he built a machine shop at Weston, Lewis county, W. Va. After the plant had been put into working operation with the necessary machinery he was sent by the company to Woodsfield, Monroe county. Ohio, where he built, equipped and started a machine shop. Upon the completion of the plant he was ordered to St. Mary's, Pleasants county, W. Va., where he erected, equipped and put into running order a large machine shop, making two complete plants established within one year. A shop that previously had been erected at Cairo, Ritchie county, W. Va., he inventoried, purchased and put into working operation, after which for a time he super- intended all of the five shops. He became a powerful factor in the success of the company. The shops that he built were conducted with profit to the concern and established his own reputation for skill as a machinist and su- perintendent.

In the interests of the William Kavanaugh Company, of Pittsburgh,

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during 1904 Mr. Grant went to Kansas, leased a tract of ground at Chanute from the Santa Fe Railroad Company and erected a shop for oil-well ma- chinery. When the plant had been completed he remained to put it into successful operation. After a year he was sent to Oklahoma in the interests of the National Drill and Manufacturing Company, manufacturers of drill- ing and fishing tools. Arriving at Tulsa, he rented land from the Frisco Railroad Company, erected a shop, equipped the plant and put it in running order. Through his instrumentality the Oil Well Supply Company was induced to buy the plant, and it has proved to be their best-paying shop. The next work of Mr. Grant was done in New Mexico, where he spent two years, meanwhile with a brother, John A., putting in three portable drilling machines and drilling a number of artesian wells in the Pecos valley.

The company transferred Mr. Grant to their Los Angeles headquarters and he arrived in that city May 30, 1908, after which he was employed in the stock-room of the concern until transferred to Taft July 22, 1909, for the purpose of building the machine shop. A year was devoted to the building of the store-house. During his second year at Taft the company decided to pu: in a stock of fishing tools, with him in charge. Next it was decided to build the machine shop and the latter has been in operation now for two years (since 1911), electricity being used for motive power. On short notice the company is prepared to do every kind of work in the oil fields, including the building of derricks, the laying of pipe lines, the building of oil tanks, the drilling, shooting or cleaning of wells and the handling of the product. The foreman exerciscs the most painstaking oversight in every department of the business. Prompt, dependable, accurate and honest, he has built up a large patronage for the company of which he is an old and trusted employe. Since coming to Taf: he has erected a neat residence and here he and his wife, formerly Rebecca Artman, of Westmoreland county, Pa, have established themselves comfortably. The only daughter, Miss Nellie, is engaged as cashier in the store of Heard & Painter. The only son, Fred D., makes his headquarters at Torrance, Cal., where he has charge of the fitting department of the Union Tool Company. The family are iden- tified with the Presbyterian Church and Mr. Grant has been one of the leaders of that work in Taft, where he has served the church as chairman of the board of trustees, and in addition has rendered the most efficient service as superintendent of the Sunday-school.

FRANCOIS BERNARD .- The proprietor of the Tehachapi hotel, Frank Bernard, has been associated with that town and its affairs since 1907. He was born in Taurrontes, county of Orcirrise, Hautes-Alpes, France, Decem- ber 13, 1868, and there he attended school and spent his youthful days. With his studies came a desire to read and a yearning to see the country in which he found himself most interested, and in 1887 he came to the United States, traveling directly to Los Angeles, Cal., where he remained for a short time. Bakersfield, Kern county, was his next place of residence, and after staying there for about two years he went to Invo county for a year. Then he removed to Montana, where as a ranch hand and sheep herder he became thoroughly experienced. The next year he went to Wyo- ming and followed ranching and sheep raising on his own account for nine years, finding it most profitable as an industry. A longing for the homeland took him back to France and there in 1905 occurred his marriage to Marie Pellisson.

Returning to the United States in the year of his marriage, Mr. Bernard spent about one year in Montana, afterward was in Delano for a short time, but since 1907 has been a resident of Tehachapi. Buying out the hotel he set to work to make many improvements and build up a good business, and his ambitious efforts have not been expended in vain. The Tehachapi hotel is nicely equipped in all details and gives general satisfaction to all its visitors

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and guests. Mr. Bernard votes the Republican ticket, and he takes a deep interest in all that pertains to the city's benefit.

The parents of Mr. Bernard, Francois and Rosalea (Garnea) Bernard, both passed away in France. His wife, Marie (Pellisson) Bernard was the daughter of Joseph and Angelina (Reymond) Pellisson, who are still living in France. Two children have been born to Mr. Bernard and his wife, viz .: Francois, Jr., and Edward.

MARY ELIZABETH M. STAPP .- A splendid example of the capable, energetic business woman is Mrs. Mary Elizabeth (Mitchell) Stapp, of Ba- kersfield, where she is engaged in the real-estate business.

Mrs. Stapp was born in Bracken county, Ky., the daughter of Isaac and Mary E. (Henry) Mitchell. Mr. Mitchell was born in Ohio, and worked as merchant tailor for some years, but on account of poor health was obliged to give this up, and later was a steward on the Ohio river. Deciding to take up farming he accordingly settled on a farm in Indiana, near Terre Haute, going from there to Illiopolis, Ill., where he remained until 1884. He then brought his family to California, arriving in Bakersfield on October 9 of that year. Here he spent the remainder of his life, becoming largely in- terested in real estate here and in East Bakersfield. His death occurred in 1901. The wife of Isaac Mitchell, who was born in Kentucky, passed away at the birth of her daughter, Mary Elizabeth, in Bracken county. Mr. Mitchell was a Mason fraternally.

Mrs. Mary Elizabeth (Mitchell) Stapp was the only child of her parents' union. She was brought up in Kentucky and Illinois, attending the schools of the locality, and came with her father to California in 1884. She has interested herself in the real estate business, has built several residences 111 East Bakersfield, one a large rooming house, and she owns the corner of Kentucky and King streets. She is the wife of W. C. Stapp, a native of Grass Valley, Cal., who is a steam-shovel engineer.

Mrs. Stapp is a splendid type of womanhood, and though she fills a man's position in business she has retained all the finer elements which rep- resent refinement and culture. She is a lover of art and from young woman- hood took up painting, in which she now excells and she makes a specialty of painting velvet pillow tops and painting on glass, from which she reaps both pleasure and profit.

GEORGE W. DERBY .- Although by no means belonging to the pioneer element of Kern county, Mr. Derby readily is accorded a position among the most progressive citizens and energetic ranchers in this favored region. From the time of his arrival in Bakersfield, some time during February of 1899, he has kept in touch with every movement for the upbuilding of the city and county, has kept in mind the uncontested fact that the locality offers unsurpassed opportunities for business, for the oil industry and for agriculture, has maintained an exceptionally clear insight into business meth- ods and with characteristic nerve, energy and ability has risked much in order that he might gain much. It is worthy of note that at three separate times and from three different parties he has bought two hundred and eighty acres situated on section 24, township 31, range 28, which tract he now owns and operates, devoting his mental abilities and physical strength to the trans- formation of the tract into a productive, remunerative ranch.

A native of Lapeer county, Mich., born July 29. 1867, George W. Derby grew to manhood in Kansas and in that state received a common-school edu- cation. Upon starting out in the world for himself he came to California in 1889 and secured employment by the day or month in Tehama county. In a short time he removed to Santa Clara county, where he spent nine years as a workman in and around San Jose, acting as agent for an ice company in that city. From San Jose he came to Bakersfield for ten years after his arrival in California. At once he was impressed with the resources of the region.

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At the time of his arrival Bakersfield was a village of shacks, but the devel- opment of the oil industry caused the town to develop a boom and this gave him steady employment in contracting and building to provide quarters for incoming set.lers. Meanwhile he often visited the oil fields and constantly studied conditions there. As a result he invested financially in the west side district. He still owns a one-half interest in one-half section of deeded lands now leased to the Standard Oil Company, and in addition he has in- vested in other properties located on other sections. He now has one hun- dred and sixty acres in an excellent stand of alfalfa hay, while during the crop year of 1912 he had sixty acres in corn, the whole bringing him fair returns. On coming to the Weed Patch he found his greatest need to be facilities for irrigation. Accordingly he has drilled five wells one hundred and ninety feet deep, from which great streams of water are pumped by means of two Bessemer engines. One of these has twenty-five horse-power and the other furnishes forty horse-power. He was the pioneer rancher to demonstrate the feasibility of irrigating land in this part of Kern county from wells by means of pumps.

Mr. Derby and his wife, whom he married in 1895 and who was formerly Miss E. Alice Hunt, of San Jose, have made their home most of the time in Kern county.

R. L. BEWLEY .- Shortly after coming to Taft in 1910, Mr. Bewley bought out the interest of W. E. Pennell in the blacksmith shop of Pennell and Massa and later he purchased the interest of Lawrence Massa, thereby acquiring the complete ownership of the plant. During 1912, his quarters being insufficient for the demands of his growing trade, he rebuilt on Center street, where now he has a galvanized building 50x118 feet in dimensions, equipped with every modern convenience for blacksmithing and general repair work. Skill as a mechanic has given him the confidence of users of automobiles, who, find him thoroughly trustworthy in the care and super- vision of cars. To aid him in repair work he keeps on hand all kinds of automobile forgings and springs. Besides furnishing storage and gasoline for cars owned by others he has the Kern county agency for the Vulcan car. The care and repair and sale of automobiles do not represent the limit of his enterprise, for in addition he maintains three forges in his blacksmith shop and with the help of skilled assistants he is prepared to do horse-shoeing expeditiously and skillfully.

Of Pennsylvanian birth and parentage, R. L. Bewley was born in Craw- ford county, nine miles south of Corry, on January 30, 1880. The home town was Spartansburg and there he attended the public schools. During 1899 he apprenticed himself for three years under P. M. Nelson, owner of a blacksmith and machine shop at Oil City, Pa. For the first three months he received no remuneration. During the next twelve months he was paid $2.50 per week. Thereafter he received a slight increase in pay each month until at the end of his apprenticeship he was being paid $2 per day. On the expiration of his time he went to Tidioute, Warren county, Pa., where he worked as a machinist. From that place he went to other parts of the state as a journeyman. One winter was spent at Meadville and he gained familiarity with heavy machine work in the shops of the Erie Railroad Com- pany there. From Pennsylvania he went to West Virginia to work for the Ferguson Construction Company near Burnsville, and in a short time he rose to be a foreman, serving in that capacity in three different camps of that companv. Encouraged by success as a foreman, he decided to embark in business for himself. Returning to his home town of Spartansburg, Pa., he operated a blacksmith and repair shop until he entered the employ of the State Hospital Association as engineer and mechanic in their shops.

Upon resigning that position Mr. Bewley came to California during March of 1910, and from Los Angeles proceeded direct to Taft, where ever

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since he has engaged in the blacksmith and repair business. In this town he has built a cottage for his family. In his home town of Spartansburg, Pa., in 1905, he married Miss Grace M. Caral, by whom he has two children, Celess A. and Robert LeRoy.

F. S. COOK .- The business interests of Taft have a capable representa- tive in the well-known plumber, F. S. Cook, whose office and workshop are located in the Mariposa building and whose long experience in the plumbing business, especially as connected with oil fields, qualifies him for a rising patronage in such a city as Taft. Work in oil districts has taken him inte different parts of the country. His childhood years were passed in Catta- raugus county, N. Y., where he was born March 12, 1886, and where he at- tended the public schools. Ever since he was fifteen he has been self-sup- porting. Before he had reached man's estate he was an expert steam-fitter and could repair gas engines with a skill and promptness unexcelled by older hands. Primarily introduced to the oil industry through work as a roust- about in the fields of Monroe county, Ohio, he later had considerable expe- rience in well-known districts of West Virginia, Oklahoma, Indian Territory and Pennsylvania, where he became familiar with every phase of the work and with the varying possibilities of production in different fields. Mean- while he specialized in plumbing and gained a thorough knowledge of the trade, so that when he came to California and to Bakersfield in 1909 he experienced no difficulty in securing employment at a fair compensation.

The Gundlach Tank Company, for which Mr. Cook worked as a journey- man in Bakersfield, sent him to Taft in 1911 to take charge of a branch busi- ness at this point. Discerning the excellent opening for a plumbing shop he established himself in business in February, 1913, and has since given a number of plumbing contracts of considerable importance. Exact in all work, industrious in disposition, careful in the filling of contracts and ex- perienced as to the best methods of sanitation, he is winning recognition as a plumber and has every reason to be gratified with the progress thus far made in occupative advancement.

ALEXANDER CARVER .- The cattle industry in Kern county had an able representative in the late Alexander Carver, who was born in Calaveras county in 1857, the son of Joel and L. J. Carver, the latter also represented in this work. Coming to Kern county with his parents in 1869, he here attended the public schools and in 1876 graduated from Healds Business College in San Francisco. From a boy he learned the stock business, riding the range and after the death of his father he ran his mother's cattle at the same time starting a small herd of his own which gradually grew to such proportions he found it necessary to give it all of his time. He then purchased the nucleus of his ranch about fourteen miles east of Delano, afterwards adding to it until it contained over thirty-five hundred acres. This he improved with fences, wells and buildings and here he raised cattle, grain and hay, but more par- ticularly engaged in growing cattle of the Shorthorn variety until his death, June 27, 1912.

The marriage of Mr. Carver occurred in Visalia January 5, 1893, uniting him with Miss Eugenie E. Woody, who was born at Woody, Kern county, and in this county she was reared and educated. She is the eldest daughter of the late Dr. Sparrell Woody, a pioneer and one of Kern county's foremost men. (See biographies of S. A. and E. H. Woody.) To Mr. and Mrs. Carver were born six children : Inez L. and Ira J., both graduates of the Berkeley High School ; Lorene E., Marguerite M., Carl T. and Vernon L.

Soon after Mr. Carver's death his widow sold the stock and leased the ranch, removing with her family to Berkeley, where she built a comfortable home at No. 1617 Spruce street. A woman of high idcals and religious con- viction, she is a devoted member of the Christian Church.

BENEDITTO ARDIZZI .- The late Beneditto Ardizzi, or as he was more

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HISTORY OF KERN COUNTY

familiarly known, "Ben" Ardizzi, was born in Canton Ticino, Switzerland, and was there educated in the public schools. His father was an extensive mer- chant in Lagarno, Switzerland, and Ben became familiar with the mercantile business in boyhood. Becoming interested in California he came here at fourteen years of age and from San Francisco went immediately to the mines in the Sierras. He was also in the Frazier river country when the excite- ment was at its height. On his return to California he settled in Bear valley, Mariposa county, and with a partner, Victor Amy, engaged in the hotel business and also followed mining. Afterwards they carried on the same business in Snelling until the Southern Pacific was built to Delano, Kern county, when they established a store and restaurant there, When the railroad was continued into Sumner, now East Bakersfield, they started a store which afterwards grew to such large proportions that today it is one of the most extensive mercantile establishments in the county. The firm was Amy & Ardizzi until the death of the former in 1881, when Luis Olcese became a partner and business has since been done under the name of the Ardizzi- Olcese Co.

In 1887 Mr. Ardizzi married Mrs. A. Park, who in maidenhood was Son- tine DePauli, born in Bear valley the daughter of a California pioneer and a sister of James DePauli also born there. After Mr. DePauli completed his studies at the University of California in 1888 he came to Kern county and became associated with the Ardizzi-Olcese Co., of which from 1897 until his death, May 30, 1908, he was president and manager. He married Leonora Gazzola, by whom he had two children, Thelma and James. Fraternally he was an Elk and as a citizen was highly esteemed. For some years he served as a trustce of Kern city and part of the time was president of the b ard. By her first marriage Mrs. Ardizzi had two daughters, Etta, wife of Dr. J. M. Kane. of Oakland, and Millie, Mrs. A. Rudgear of San Francisco.

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History of Kern 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 151

Author: Morgan, Wallace Melvin, 1868- [from old catalog] Publication date: 1914 Publisher: Los Angeles, Cal., Historic record company Number of Pages: 1682

Author: Morgan, Wallace Melvin, 1868- [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1914
Publisher: Los Angeles, Cal., Historic record company
Number of Pages: 1682