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 168

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 168

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The lady who became the wife of Mr. Pearson was Miss Ella A. Ott, who was also born near Doylestown, Bucks county, Pa., July 7, 1865, their marriage taking place in Doylestown, in 1882. She comes of an old Penn- sylvania family of German descent. Two daughters were born to them : Anna M., who makes her home with her parents; and Ruth E., who is Mrs. Cornish of Los Angeles. Politically Mr. Pearson is a Republican.

PAUL R. FECHTNER .- Upon his arrival in this city during the spring of 1910 he opened a machine and repair shop on the corner of Chester avenue

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and Twentieth street, but in August of the following year he removed to the new Berges building, Nos. 1817-1821 I street, where now he has ample quarters for every department of his business. A gunmaker by trade he has made a specialty of guns and ammunition. Besides carrying a full line of sporting goods and doing repair work he acts as agent for the Appeal, Iver Johnson, Crown, Savage, Miami and Racycle bicycles. He has fitted up the large basement for a modern machine shop with electric power.

At Pyritz, Pomerania, in the north of Germany, Paul R. Fechtner was born February 22, 1867, being a son of Martin and Ernestine (Schroeder) Fechtner, the latter deceased in 1900, the former January 20, 1913. Prior to the father's retirement he engaged in the shoe business. There were twelve chil- dren in the family and all but two attained mature years, while eight sur- vive at this writing. The sixth in order of birth was Paul R., who attended the public schools from six until fourteen and then began an apprenticeship of three years to the trade of locksmith and gun-maker. At the expiration of his time he worked for wages. Later he served for two and one-half years in the First Rhenish Heavy Artillery, Eighth Army Corps, of the German artillery, in which he was chosen gunmaster. Upon the expiration of his period of service he received an honorable discharge and returned to his trade, which he followed for a year in Germany and a year in Copenhagen, Den- mark. The year 1893 found him working at his trade in Chicago during the World's Fair. From that city he made three different trips through the United States, traveling from coast to coast and from the gulf to the British posses- sions. The expenses of these trips were paid through working at his trade. Finally he settled in Seattle, Wash., and opened a machine shop, where he made a specialty of electro-plating. After two years he sold the business and for a year worked as a machinist in the navy yard at Bremerton, Wash., going back from there to Seattle and erecting two residences, one of which he still owns. The next change of location brought him to Bakersfield, where he is now conducting an important business. While living in Chicago he married Miss Wilhelmina Ulrich, a native of Springfield, Ill., and by the union there. are three children, Leona, Wilhelmina and Erna. The family are identified with St. John's German Lutheran Church. In politics he votes with the Republican party. Besides being a member of the Eagles at Bakersfield, he was made a Mason in Alpha Kern Lodge, F. & A. M., in this city, and has been a prominent worker in its philanthropic efforts.

MICHAEL ARGY .- The chief engineer of the court house, who has filled the position since December 30, 1912, is of American birth and Irish descent. Born in Warren, N. H., in 1855, he was only one year old when his parents, Alexander and Kate Argy, removed to Chelsea, Mass. After he had completed the studies of the public schools he became an apprentice to the trade of machinist and when only nineteen was chosen stationary engineer for the Chelsea Gas and Light Company. After he had engaged with that concern for six years he was for eight seasons chief engineer for the Point Pines Company at Revere Beach, Mass., during the winters being with various manufacturing companies, and one winter serving as chief engineer of the Magnolia Hotel, in Magnolia, Fla. Coming to California in 1890 he secured employment with the Visalia electric light plant and gas works, where he remained for six months. A sojourn of six weeks in San Francisco was fol- lowed by his arrival in Bakersfield in 1891 and since then he has been a resi- dent of this city. At first he was employed as engineer with the Bakersfield Gas and Electric Light Company and its successor, at the same time having charge of the engines in the fire department, but about the middle of 1898 he resigned in order to become engineer of Steamer No. 1, Bakersfield fire department, and for fourteen and one-half years filled that position. After having charge of the engines for nineteen years he finally resigned for the

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HISTORY OF KERN COUNTY

purpose of accepting the position of chief engineer at the new court house. For some years he has been connected with the National Association of Sta- tionary Engineers No. 1, at San Francisco.

While living in Massachusetts he married Miss Margaret McKearn, of Boston, and they now reside at No. 2029 Q street. When a young man, at Revere Beach, he became an experienced oarsman and won many races; he was one of a team of four that won the four-oared race at Plympton, Mass., in 1872, and for ten years he followed that sport, winning many prizes and establishing an enviable record for his skill. Mr. Argy is greatly interested in the breeding of standard horses and he has owned and still owns several valuable horses. He owned Logonette, with record of 2.111/4, and Flora D., with record of 2.281/2, Birdie Monrce, 2.28, and also McGregor, Logonette, Jr., King Edward, King Solomon, Queenie and Flora D., Jr., constituting a fine string of valuable standard horses, are all the property of Mr. Argy. He sup- ports the Democratic party and is a member of Bakersfield Aerie No. 93, Order of Eagles.

JULES GIRARD .- Among the many men who came from the south of France to seek their fortune in the land of the Golden West and whose am- bition to succeed has been crowned with success we find Jules Girard, who came to Kern county, Cal., in 1890, locating in Delano when the country was all open plains and range. He was born at Gap, Hautes-Alpes, France, the son of Francois and Delphine (Julian) Girard, both natives of that place where they were successful farmers and are now deceased. Of their union there were born eight boys and one girl, only three of whom are now living, Philip, Joseph and Jules, all of Delano. Jules was born February 26, 1872, and grew up on the home farm, attending the public schools of his native place. When eighteen years of age, in 1890, he came to California, making his way imme- diately to Delano, where he was employed in the sheep business by his broth- ers who had preceded him. In 1892 he bought a flock of sheep and engaged in sheep-raising on his own account, ranging them on the plains and in the mountains. His herd increased and he met with merited success, his flock at times numbering as many as six thousand head. During this time he located a homestead fourteen miles east of Delano, which he still owns.

Mr. Girard was married in San Francisco to Miss Theresa Motte, also a native of Gap, and they have been blessed with five children, as follows: Leon, Louise, Jules, Hilda and Victoria. Believing in protection he is a stanch Republican. Since his marriage he has erected a comfortable home in Delano where he resides with his family.

GEORGE E. BURKETT .- Mr. Burkett was born in Marion, Grant county, Ind., August 13, 1862, son of Daniel and Henrietta (Owens) Burkett, born respectively in Pennsylvania and Indiana. The parents were farmers in Grant county for some years, and in 1870 removed to Holton, Jackson county, Kans., where they homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres. Until 1897 they resided there and then located at Dodge City, where the father and his sons became large land owners and successful stockmen. He is now in his eighty- eighth year, hale and hearty, and able to fully enjoy the fruits of his earlier labors. On his paternal side George E. is of German extraction. while on the maternal side his descent is Scotch and Welsh. Eight children were born to Daniel Burkett and his wife, all of them now living and proving a credit to their early training.

George E. Burkett was the sixth in order of birth in his parents' family. His early life and youth were passed in Kansas on the home farm, and he attended the local public schools. When he was fourteen he went to Kan- sas City, Mo., where he spent two years at the Armour packing plant learning the butchering business. At the end of this time he entered Campbell Uni-

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versity at Holton and in 1883 completed his course and was graduated. With his brother, R. C. Burkett (now of Santa Ana, Cal.), he then made a trip through Iowa, the Dakotas, Indiana and other states, finally returning to Kan- sas, where from 1884 to 1886 he engaged in the stock business. On July 4 of the last named year he came to California and made his way to San Diego, where he became superintendent of the San Diego Bituminous Paving Com- pany and two years later went to Fresno to take the position of fruit buyer for the Johnson-Locke Mercantile Company of San Francisco. Two years later he went to Los Angeles in the employ of the Cudahy Packing Company and for five years served as foreman in the killing room, at the end of this time accepting the superintendency of the Maier Packing Company's house, which he carried on for six years. The year 1905 brought Mr. Burkett to Bakersfield where he entered the Kern County Land Company's service as superintendent of their packing department at Bellevue Ranch, and here he has remained.

In San Diego was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Burkett and Miss Olive Harlan, the ceremony taking place in November, 1888. Mrs. Burkett was a native of Des Moines, Iowa, and graduated from Drake University, in which institution she taught elocution for two years. Seven children were born to this couple: Nina, who is the wife of J. M. Wallace, of Los Angeles; Lloyd, who died at the age of twelve years ; Clarence, who died at seven years; Flor- ence, who is attending the Kern County high school ; and Everett, Frances and Marshall, at home. Mr. Burkett is a member of the Woodmen of the World, and politically unites with the Democratic party. With his wife he is a mem- ber of the Christian Church of Bakersfield. Mr. Burkett is now serving as a member of the board of school trustees of Buena Vista district. With his wife, who is a refined woman of quiet tastes, he shares in the friendship of many of Bakersfield's people and they are much respected and esteemed.

DICK SHACKELFORD .- Few of those who crossed the plains during the memorable year of 1849 remain to recount to rising generations their ex- periences in a journey so entirely different from anything possible to the twentieth century. Although at the time he made the eventful trip Dick Shackelford was a boy of only seven he recalls vividly the dangers of the desert, the fear of savage Indians and of wild beasts and the perils, seen and unseen, connected with that large expedition traveling with wagons and ox- teams. The southern route was followed from Texas through New Mexico and Arizona and into California at Fort Yuma, from which the family pro- ceeded to San Gabriel Mission to spend the winter of 1849-50. The father, Montgomery Bell Shackelford, a Kentuckian by birth, had been a scout on the frontier and a member of the Texas rangers. Natural courage and frontier experiences qualified him for the safe encompassing of his plans and for a later identification with ranching in the west. Taking up a homestead in Pleasant valley on the Merced river in 1850, he began a brief connection with that locality. Shortly he removed to the vicinity of Snelling on the Merced river and there began to raise stock. However, the location did not prove satisfactory and he soon removed to Santa Cruz county and engaged in farming near Soquel, whence in 1855 he went to El Monte. There he died during the same year. Many years afterward at Tehachapi occurred the death of his wife, Mahala (Thompson) Shackelford, a native of Tennessee.

The family of the California pioneer consisted of seven children, but only four lived to maturity and but two of these survive at the present writing. The next to the eldest of the number, Dick, was born in Grayson county, Tex .. September 22, 1842, and was sent to subscription and public schools for a short time in boyhood, but the death of his father forced him to become self- supporting before his education had been completed. One of his first tasks was that of teaming between San Bernardino and Los Angeles. During 1862 he

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HISTORY OF KERN COUNTY

went to the Fraser river and had charge of a pack train to the mines, but the work did not prove profitable. In the spring of 1863 he went via Portland, Ore., to Merced, Cal., near which place he engaged in farming. As early as 1856 he had passed through Tehachapi, but it was not until April of 1864 that he became a resident of the valley and a pioneer of the cattle industry at that point. For a long time he was one of the leading stockmen of the locality. Every pioneer was familiar with his brand, a 7 and an L with a capital S inter- woven, but he later disposed of this and established the head of a cow for his brand. Both brands were original with him. During 1884 he took up a claim of one hundred and sixty acres in Brites valley. Later he bought adjacent land, so that he had the title to three hundred and twenty acres. There he made the headquarters of his cattle and ranch interests. He retired from the ranch and came to Bakersfield, where since 1901 he has made his home.

The marriage of Mr. Shackelford took place in Tejon canyon December 5, 1869, and united him with Miss Mary Frances Smith, who was born near Belknap, Young county, Tex., and is a lady of estimable character and a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church South. Twelve children were born of the union, viz .: Charles, a cattleman of Terome, Ariz., who died January 2, 1912 : Marcus, a Santa Fe engineer with headquarters at Prescott, Ariz .: Jesse, an orange grower near Lindsay. Cal .; George. who died at Tehachapi; Rowzee. an engineer on the Santa Fe and a resident of Bakers- field ; Ivy, Mrs. Freeman, of Hanford; Eva, who died at Bakersfield ; Mrs. Ida Wilkes, of Bakersfield; Grover, who is a brakeman. employed by the Santa Fe Railroad Company at Bakersfield; Ray, who died at Te- hachapi : Aubrey, now employed as a fireman on the Santa Fe and living at Bakersfield : and Ruth, who remains with her parents at the family residence. During young manhood Mr. Shackelford was made a Mason at El Monte and past master of Tehachapi Lodge, F. & A. M. With his wife he belongs to the Order of the Eastern Star and is past patron of Tehachapi chapter. In politics he always has supported Democratic principles.

JOHN McCAFFREY .- One of three brothers who were pioneers in the state of California, John McCaffrey was born in County Fermanagh in March, 1848. He was reared and educated near his birthplace and came to the United States in 1869. Locating in New York. he was employed on the old horsecar street railways, on Third, Sixth and Seventh avenues until 1878, when he migrated to California. His brothers, James and Peter, also came early to the state, and the latter died near Bakersfield. James served in the United States army in Indian wars in Arizona and New Mexico and later located in Kern county. He was a farmer and stockman on McCaffrey slough. but in time he sold his property there and passed away in Kings countv. When the subject of this notice came to the state and to the county he was for some years in the employ of the Kern County Land Company. He then bought a farm of one hundred and sixty acres which he improved and irrigated from the Kern Island canal. He has lived at Kern, now East BakersGeld. since 1902 and has made quite a success of the building and renting of honses.

In national politics Mr. McCaffrey has always been Republican. As a citi- zen he is public-spiritedly helpful to all worthy local interests. He is a member of the Catholic church. He married, in New York City, Miss Delia Owens, of Irish birth, who has borne him five children : Margaret E., now Mrs. Black; Peter D., who died in Tune, 1911; John A .; Minnie E., Mrs. Roberts, and William H., all residents of Bakersfield.

WILLIAM W. GUNN .- Born at Saint Kitts, West Indies, on Deceni- ber 26, 1848, W. W. Gunn was the third eldest of a family of seven children born to James Edward and Mathilda (Pencheon) Gunn, the father being a native of Scotland. He was the manager of a plantation on Saint Kitts, where he and his wife both passed away ; Mrs. Gunn was a native of that island and

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of English parentage. William W. Gunn attended the public schools near his birthplace until he was fourteen years old, then coming alone to Canada, where he lived two years. Then crossing the line into the United States he went south into Pithole City, Pa., where he made his home until in 1868. He then came to California via Panama and located in Fresno county, where he worked as a laborer until in 1874. Moving to Kern county and settling in the Jerry Slough he took up a homestead of eighty acres, being among the first to locate in that vicinity, and here he engaged in farming and teaming. In 1879 he moved to Bakersfield, where he devoted himself entirely to teaming and later he was thus employed in Fresno and San Diego counties. In 1890 he bought sixty acres of land of the Kern County Land Company, which had been devoted to the production of hops and cotton, but which he changed to grain and alfalfa land. He has since bought twenty acres more and has a fine homestead of eighty acres eight miles south of Bakersfield under the Farmers canal.

Mr. Gunn once held the office of school trustee. In 1898 he was elected justice of the peace for the Panama district and was re-elected to that office in 1902 and 1906, serving twelve years continuously.

JOSEPH ALBERT COCHRAN .- A native of Santa Clara county, Cal., born January 15, 1859, who first saw Kern county in 1865 and has lived within its borders since 1885, J. A. Cochran attended public schools in his native county until he was fifteen years old and afterwards worked on his father's ranches until he was twenty-two. He spent twelve years in hunting game for the market and was employed from time to time at farming and otherwise. Com- ing to Kern county in 1885 he gave his attention to farming and each season followed threshing on the coast. In 1887 he took up a homestead of one hun- dred and sixty acres back of San Emidio, to which he added a timber claim and on which he lived and farmed twelve years. From there he came to his pres- ent home ranch of eighty acres, most of which is under cultivation to alfalfa. He has given his attention to hog-raising and has one hundred stands of bees. Fraternally he affiliates with the Woodmen of the World and the Women of Woodcraft in Bakersfield. He was first married to Martha C. Powell, who was born in Texas and died in Kern county, leaving four children, Arthur, Hugh (now deceased), Esther and Kathleen. His second marriage was to Anna M. Replogle, a native of Iowa, and they have two children living, Albert and Leslie. As a citizen he has the best interests of the community at heart and there is no movement which in his opinion promises to benefit any considerable number of his fellow citizens to which he does not respond promptly.

THOMAS S. FULTZ .- Born in Claiborne county, Tenn., September 7, 1874, he lived there until he was six years old when his parents, John and Martha (Taylor) Fultz, removed to Kentucky. Here he was a student in the schools until 1885, when they again moved, this time to Illinois, where he was sent to school until he reached the age of sixteen. In 1890 he came west and arrived in California. First settling in Santa Ana, Orange county, he worked as a clerk for a time and in April, 1893, came to Kern county. His ambition was to work on his own account, but he worked for other people for about a year before he started for himself. Leasing land on Stine road, a tract of ninety- five acres in all, he engaged in general farming for six years and also followed dairying on a small scale. In the fall of 1903 he came to the farm where he now resides. Purchasing forty acres four miles southwest of Bakersfield, of which ten acres were under cultivation, he labored diligently on this land, and it is now all under cultivation to grain and alfalfa. He has also an orchard of various fruits on the place, and aside from farming he is engaged as a stock- raiser, owning a number of fine-bred horses and cattle.

Mr. Fultz was married January 17, 1900, to Ivy Amburn, who was born September 23, 1879, in the state of Kansas, and they have one child, Leta

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Shirley. He has fraternal connections with the Woodmen of the World and the Ancient Order of United Workmen and is a man whose interests are for the public welfare.

FRANK H. CORSETT .- Born November 4, 1855, in Cattaraugus county, N. Y., he was there reared to manhood, his parents giving him the benefit of an excellent school training, as at the age of seventeen he completed his public school course and was sent to Ten Brooks Academy, in Franklinville, N. Y., studying there for two years. At the expiration of this period he re- turned to his father's place and worked for the latter until he reached his majority when he started out for himself. Upon coming to California, in 1877, he settled in Gilroy, Santa Clara county, where he secured employment, but the spirit of travel was strong within him, and he left there to travel from one state to another, working at whatever presented itself to him. Finally, however, he returned to California, and in 1884 came to Kern county and secured a position with the Kern County Land Company, for whom he worked for two years.

Experience and observation had by this time taught Mr. Corsett that the most profitable business life was that of being one's own employer, and he accordingly decided to gain something tangible by his own efforts. He rented a place of a hundred and sixty acres, which was unimproved, and started in the raising of stock and also some general farming. He was obliged to rent this place for eight years, when he found himself able to buy his pres- ent place of eighty acres at Old River, and thus reaped the fruits of his labor, for which he had been striving. He has cleared this tract and has it under cultivation of crops which are most profitable, principally alfalfa and grain. He engaged in dairying for a short time, but gave it up to devote his time to his other affairs. In 1893 he was appointed to fill the vacancy left by the death of T. J. Bottoms who was supervisor and in 1904 was elected supervisor of the Fourth district on the Republican ticket, his term extending over four years, and he gave entire satisfaction in the execution of the duties of that office. In fraternal connection he is a member of the Knights of Pythias.

The marriage of Frank H. Corsett and Josephine St. Mary occurred in October, 1891. Her birth occurred in 1856 in Stanislaus county, Cal., where her early life was spent. She passed away in 1899, leaving three children, Con F., Howard and Beryl, the latter attending the Kern County high school. Always interested in the cause of education, Mr. Corsett has served for fifteen years as clerk of the board of trustees of the Old River district.

S. G. TRYON .- In Crawford county, Pa., near the city of Titusville, Mr. Tryon was born August 26, 1873, being the son of a farmer of that county. An ordinary public-school education was given to him at the age of twenty years and he secured employment as a roustabout in the Pennsylvania oil fields in Butler county, where he remained for two years, meanwhile learning many of the details connected with the industry. For a time he engaged with a drilling gang. When twenty-two years old he went to the Ohio oil fields in Wood county and became a practical driller in the employ of a company at Prairie Depot. The years of his work in Ohio gave him a thorough knowledge of the business, so that he was qualified for future responsibilities. Coming to California in 1899, he proceeded to the Kern river field and secured employ- ment on the Monte Cristo lease, where he drilled a large number of wells. Five years of steady work in that connection gave him a reputation for skill and also proved financially profitable for himself. After two years at Coalinga he was called back to the Monte Cristo holdings in the Kern river field.

The identification of Mr. Tryon with the Sunset field began in October of 1908, when he was appointed superintendent of the Monte Cristo proper- ties. He came to his present lease in 1910, since which time he has satisfac-

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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 168

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