USA > California > Los Angeles County > History of Los Angeles county, Volume III > Part 10
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The initial work of Dr. Alexander in the practice of his profession was
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done at Sacred Heart Mission in the State of Oklahoma, and in 1906 he removed to the State of Washington, the following year having been passed in post-graduate work in college. In 1908 he engaged in active practice in the State of Washington, with preference given to surgical work, and from 1908 to 1912 he was also prominently concerned with banking enterprise at Mabton and Kennewick, that state.
In 1913 Dr. Alexander came to Los Angeles County and established himself in practice at Alhambra. Realizing the exigent demand for a mod- ern hospital in this community, he forthwith set himself with characteristic energy and progressiveness to the work of providing such an institution. In 1914 was completed the erection of a fire-proof hospital building in the pavilion style of architecture, such as has been approved and utilized in the construction of Government hospitals. This building, at the corner of Garfield Avenue and Bay Street, has been the most approved of modern equipment and facilities, affords bed accommodations for fifty patients, all wards and private bedrooms being on the ground floor, and the service of the institution being maintained at the highest scientific and humane stand- ard. This first unit of what is destined to be a great hospital of far greater scope was erected and equipped at an approximate cost of $60,000, and the institution stands as an enduring monument to the professional zeal and civic loyalty of Dr. Alexander. The facilities of the hospital are utilized by the leading representatives of the medical profession in Alhambra and neighboring communities, and the general control and management of the institution are vested in its founder, who is known and honored as one of the most skilled and successful surgeons in Los Angeles County. He is a member of the American College of Surgeons, the American Medical Association, the California State Medical Society and the Los Angeles County Medical Society. In the Masonic fraternity he has completed the circle of the York Rite and in the Scottish Rite has received the thirty- second degree, besides being affiliated with the Mystic Shrine and with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. He is a stalwart adherent of the democratic party, and he and his wife are communicants of the Protestant Episcopal Church.
In the World war period Dr. Alexander was indefatigable in his service in the advancement of patriotic activities and became a first lieutenant in the Ambulance Corps of the United States Army. He later won promo- tion to the rank of captain, and was detailed to special service in which he continued until the signing of the armistice brought the war to a close.
October 10, 1900, recorded the marriage of Dr. Alexander and Miss Kate Desmond, who was born and reared in Texas. She is a popular figure in the social and cultural activities of Alhambra, as well as in the service of the local parish of the Episcopal Church, and in the period of the nation's participation in the World war she was active in Red Cross and other mediums of patriotic service. She is affiliated with the Order of the Eastern Star and is a member of the Wednesday Afternoon Club. Dr. and Mrs. Alexander have two children: Thelma, who was born March 22, 1903, graduated from the Alhambra High School as a member of the class of 1922; Reginald, who was born April 10, 1905, is, in 1922, a student in Columbia University in the City of Portland, Oregon.
ALONZO PHILLIPS, whose death occurred at Long Beach, Los Angeles County, December 19, 1913, passed away after a period of nearly forty years' residence in California, and here his character and his accomplish- ment marked him as a man of integrity and one whose constructive thought was translated into worthy action. He was born at Sand Lake, New York, March 1, 1833, and it was in the fall of 1874 that he came to California and made temporary settlement in the vicinity of Los Nietos, one mile from Downey, Los Angeles County. Shortly afterward he removed to the San Gabriel Valley, where he rented land for two years just back of the old mission. Upon the opening of Alhambra as a subdivision he purchased five acres on the lower Alhambra, and later at the corner of
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Garfield and Stoneman avenues he purchased seventeen acres, the tract extending from Garfield Avenue to the Arroyo. The old concrete house which he here erected is still standing, with minor modifications and improvements, and is one of the fine home properties on Stoneman Avenue. He planted his land to orange and deciduous fruit trees, and eventually developed also an extensive nursery business. He retained his original property at Alhambra until 1904, when he sold the same and removed to Long Beach.
Mr. Phillips realized the need of a desirable class of immigration to California, in the interests of civic and industrial progress, and in 1880 he arranged and conducted the first personally supervised excursion from eastern points to this state. He continued his activities along this line until 1898, and due to his efforts California gained a large number of valuable citizens. In the early days lack of railway facilities of direct order discouraged many tourists from making trips from the East to California, and by his system of personally conducting excursions Mr. Phillips was able to eliminate many of these difficulties and annoyances. In the furtherance of his enterprises he published booklets and other descriptive literature, which were circulated by the hundreds of thousands, and he established agencies in all leading eastern cities, including New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Chicago. He thus contributed much to giving California its first and best publicity of extensive order, and he was able to obtain special excursion rates for his tourists and prospective set- tlers, routing them through to the coast from Chicago without change of cars. His improvised system in supplying sleeping accommodations by a minor transformation of the ordinary day coaches on the railroads was a virtual forerunner of the present "tourist" sleeping cars. Indeed, it is safe to say. that the so-called tourist cars were provided through the effective demonstration that he had given of the need for such accommodations at reasonable rates. Mr. Phillips developed a very extensive and prosperous business, and was a power to be taken into account by the great transporta- tion lines of the United States. He invariably gave to his patrons the best possible service and consideration, and an instance in point may be noted. When a great washout occurred on the Southern Pacific Railroad, in Soledad Canyon Mr. Phillips promptly telegraphed to the Pacific Steamship Com- pany's offices in San Francisco and reserved for his passenger berths on the only vessel sailing to Los Angeles at the time. On the arrival of this vessel at the pier the Phillips passengers were given accommodations, while the first-class Pullman passengers had to be content with cots on deck. He showed a similar mastery of expedients in the handling of his excursion- ists to the San Francisco Exposition, and the great railroad transcontinental lines failed to baffle him in his objects when he was endeavoring to provide just accommodations for his patrons. His resourcefulness was shown in every detail, and he is to be credited as being the one man whose influence was greatest in turning the tide of western travel to California. His admirable publicity work inured greatly to the benefit of Los Angeles County and other portions of Southern California, and his name merits high place on the roll of builders of this section of the state.
Mr. Phillips was a scion of New England Revolutionary stock. His grandfather, Captain John Phillips, was an officer in the Continental Line in the great war for national independence. He finally brought to Califor- nia not only his own parents but also those of his wife, and here all passed the remainder of their lives.
Mr. Phillips married Miss Ada Byron Stevens, a daughter of William and Laura (Elton) Stevens, and her death likewise occurred at Long Beach, when she was venerable in years. Of this union were born eight children, namely: William L., Frank E., George D., Charles A., Murray, Annie De Forrest Elton, Helen M. Bates and Ada S. Mayberry. All of the children were born at Sand Lake, New York, and accompanied their parents on the removal to California. George D., Charles A. and Murray are now deceased. Annie DeForrest Phillips, who was born October 12, 1857,
2trong
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was united in marriage to Charles Elton in 1877, her husband having been a pioneer railroad engineer on the Southern Pacific Railroad, his run being between Los Angeles, California, and Tucson, Arizona, in the early days, and afterwards Yuma was made the division terminal. Mr. Elton later became associated with a Mr. Boquiest as half partner in a local transfer business in Los Angeles, which city then had no street pavements and no sidewalks. This enterprise was developed to handle all transfer business of railroads entering Los Angeles, and was the nucleus of the extensive business now controlled by the Los Angeles Transfer Com- pany. To Mr. and Mrs. Elton were born twelve children: Guy (died at the age of nine years), Winifred (Mrs. William Dunlap), Charles William (died at the age of nine years), Laura ( Mrs. Charles Oliver), Murray Stevens, Ada Helen (died at the age of fifteen years), Max (died at the age of eight years), Dorothy ( wife of L. S. Cutting, residing near Nogales, Sonora, Mexico), Mildred (died when nine months old), William, Hugh (died at the age of six months), and Charles (now in service in the United States Navy, on the ship "California").
Murray Stevens Elton, who was born at Los Angeles, October 17, 1883, was educated in Occidental College, was an early automobile agent at Long Beach, later was employed at the Craid ship-building plant, and after another period, of about three years, in the automobile business, he was for four years in charge of the flour and feed department of the T. H. Cochrane Company, Portage, Wisconsin. He is now actively engaged in the manufacturing of aeroplanes at Pasadena, California. He married Miss Margaret McSpadden, of Minnesota. Mr. Elton is secretary and treasurer of the Barnhart Air Craft Corporation. Representatives of the Phillips family have been prominently concerned with transportation enterprise, as the records in this sketch clearly indicate, and California pays high honor to the sterling citizen to whom this tribute is dedicated.
BENJAMIN C. STRANG is a Pasadena boy who grew up in that city, came into close contact with the use of his time and was active in several of the oil districts before taking up the study of law. He is now an attor- ney-at-law in the Chamber of Commerce Building, and also justice of the peace for Pasadena township, now serving his eighth year.
He was born in Calhoun County, Iowa, May 26, 1882, son of William G. and Caroline (Baldwin) Strang, both residents of Pasadena. His parents were originally Quakers, and they were related to some of the old time Quaker families who settled around Whittier, including the Lindleys, Baldwins and Hadleys. William G. Strang was a civilian secretary to a Union officer in the Civil war, and took part in the northwestern Indian expeditions. For many years he was a farmer and stock man in Iowa, and in 1887 brought his family to California, where he followed ranching and bought and sold real property, but is now retired. There are five children : John R., whose home is on Victoria Park Place in Los Angeles ; Mrs. Marshall Hazzard, of Pasadena; Benjamin C .; Grace O .; and Wil- liam H., who was connected with the Government Department of Mines in the oil fields of Texas and now general manager for the Texas Consoli- dated Oil Company. He is a Mason and Shriner. Grace O. Strang is regarded very highly by the British Government and military officials, she having worked in direct contact with them and was many times entertained by Lord and Lady Allenby and Sir Jacob Samuels, the present Governor- General of Palestine. During the World war she was in Jerusalem with the American-English Red Cross for the rehabilitation of Palestine. Later she was secretary of a Y. W. C. A. in Egypt, and is now in missionary work in Arabia.
Benjamin C. Strang was about five years of age when the family came to California, and he acquired a public school education in Pasadena. In 1893 he was a Pasadena newsboy, and he always kept up close associations with the newsboys and is always regarded as their friend. For several years he worked in the oil fields around Whittier, Los Angeles, Kern River
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and McKitrick in Kern County. Mr. Strang took up the study of law with Simpson & Simpson, and was admitted to the bar in 1912, and has practiced law now for a decade. His specialty is probate law, the settling of estates and work as office counsel. He is a director and counsel for the Judson Studios of Los Angeles, art glass manufacturers ; is attorney for the Pasa- dena Cemetery Association and other corporations.
Mr. Strang took an active part as a writer for newspapers and other- wise in some of the municipal campaigns. In November, 1914, he was elected justice of the peace of Pasadena Township, and four years later was re-elected without opposition. At this writing he is candidate for re- election in the November, 1922, election and has no opponent. He is a stand pat republican in politics, a member of the Pasadena Bar Associa- tion, and is an exponent for the mayor and council form of government. He is an honorary member of the John F. Godfrey Post of the Grand Army of the Republic (G. A. R.)
Judge Strang has gone thoroughly into some complicated cases that have come before him, and has submitted written opinions that have received commendation and approval in the Appellate Courts. He was defendant in the case of Austin vs. Strang (30 Cal. App. 265), wherein the question of default fees in civil actions was settled, holding that the defendant was right in exacting the fee. Through this case many thousands of dollars came into the treasury of Los Angeles County.
AUBREY WARDMAN. In telephone circles Aubrey Wardman is known throughout Southern California, for his achievements in rehabilitating and developing a number of local exchanges and systems into a serv- ice that covers a large part of Los Angeles and surrounding counties. Mr. Wardman's success as a telephone engineer and builder has been fully duplicated in his interests as a citrus fruit grower and more recently as an oil developer. He is owner of a number of producing wells in the Richfield, Santa Fe Springs and other tracts.
Mr. Wardman was born at Bradford, Ontario, Canada, September 12, 1877, son of Joseph and Mary (Wood) Wardman, both natives of Canada. They are of English-Scotch ancestry. His father was a farmer in Canada, but since February, 1912, has enjoyed a semi-retired life on his East Whittier ranch, where he has a five acre orange grove.
Aubrey Wardman was educated in the public schools of Ontario, and his experience in electrical engineering work began when a young man as an employe of the street car company of Toronto. He was there three years, and subsequently was in the employ of street rail- way and telephone companies in Detroit and in New York State.
On coming to Los Angeles in the fall of 1902 Mr. Wardman spent a year with the Old Home Telephone and Telegraph Company, and in the fall of 1903 came to Whittier as foreman of the construction crew of the Whittier Home Telephone and Telegraph Company. The builder of this independent telephone system died soon afterward, and Mr. Wardman purchased a controlling interest in the company and under- took to complete and develop the system. That was perhaps the most anxious period of his career, and he managed his personal affairs on the basis of strictest economy and worked almost night and day until he had the business on a prosperous foundation. When he bought the controlling interest the company had about six hundred telephones in operation. At the present time the company, with Mr. Wardman as manager, has over three thousand telephones, giving service to Whittier, North and South and West Whittier, La Habra, Los Nietos, Santa Fe Springs, Rivera and Rivera District. At about the same time he bought from the estate of P. T. Spencer the Downey Home Telephone and Telegraph Company, which had about seventy- five telephones, and the property of the Pacific Telephone Company had about forty telephones. These he took over and consolidated, and the plant now has over eight hundred subscribers. The building
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up of the business has been a notable achievement, and the service rendered compares favorably with any on the coast.
Mr. Wardman is a past president of the California Telephone Association, and has served several terms as president of the Cham- ber of Commerce of Whittier. After getting himself successfully established in the telephone industry he began investing in a small way in lands devoted to citrus culture, and is now owner of about fifty acres in different locations, largely planted to the valencia and navel oranges and lemons. One of his groves, comprising fifteen acres, is located in the Richfield District. About two years ago this tract became incorporated in the increasing area of oil production. At the time this was written Mr. Wardman owned five producing wells, yielding about twenty thousand barrels monthly. This property has been and is still being developed by the Selby, Root & Hogue Company. More recently Mr. Wardman bought twenty-four lots in Santa Fe Springs and a ten acre walnut grove adjoining it on the west. This land lies in the very center of the oil development. Mr. Wardman has had started a number of wells on these lots. The par- ties to whom he has leased are: The William Keck Drilling Com- pany, J. W. Jameson Drilling Company, J. J. Doyle, for whom the Mckeon Drilling Company is doing the work; Schaff-Noble Oil Syn- dicate, being drilled by the Federal Drilling Company ; Frank Peterson, being drilled by the Orange County Drilling Company ; Industrial Oil Syndicate, being drilled by the Orange County Drilling Company, and the White Star Oil Company.
Through his interests in oil, citrus production and the telephone industry Mr. Wardman is regarded as one of the wealthy men of Los Angeles County, and is the type of conservative business men who thoroughly deserve success, and his many friends think him entitled to every degree of prosperity that can come to him. He has a group of property interests in Whittier, including a two-story apartment house on North Bright Avenue and his home at 578 East Philadelphia Street. He owns a summer home on the slope of Old Baldy. He is affiliated with the Masonic Lodge of Whittier and the Eastern Star, is a past chancellor commander of the Knights of Pythias, a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and belongs to the Hacienda Country Club and is a republican in politics.
He married Miss Bonnie Nina Bell, a native of Nebraska. Their son, Irving Wardman, interested with his father in the oil business, is owner of a fifteen acre orange grove at Covina. Irving Wardman married Miss Helen Gwin and they have two daughters, Bonnie Jean and Gwin Ellen. Mrs. Aubrey Wardman is a graduate of the Whittier High School and is a member of the First Methodist Episcopal Church, the Eastern Star, the Woman's Club and the Daugh- ters of Rebekah.
HERBERT L. WARD, a fruit rancher of Los Angeles County, married a daughter of the prominent pioneer George Wright, whose interesting his- tory has been told on other pages and who on coming to California settled on Government land now included in the City of Los Angeles.
Herbert L. Ward was born in Ontario, Canada, in 1874, seventh among the nine children of Robert and Elizabeth (Kyle) Ward. His father was brought to Canada at the age of seven and his mother when three years old. His father died in Ontario in 1899, and the mother is now residing at Glendora.
Herbert L. Ward completed work of the eighth grade in the public schools of Ontario. In December, 1901, he arrived in California, and found his first employment in the orange grove of Otanes Wright, a son of the pioneer George Wright. In 1906 Mr. Ward married Miss Nancy Wright.
Her mother bore the maiden name of Jane Gazaway, and was the
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widow of Jesse Danks when she married George Wright. Jesse Danks died in Texas, leaving his wife with a farm which she was unable to manage. She provided for her children by weaving and spinning cloth, and subsequently sold her Texas holdings, bought two yoke of oxen, and with a party of travelers started across the desert to California in 1869. It was one of the pioneer journeys to California, fraught with incidents, adventure and danger almost daily. While in Arizona the food supply ran low, and her brother, John Gazaway, started on ahead of the party, since he could travel on foot faster than the oxen. He walked all the way to El Monte, where he arrived without money, but soon secured contribu- tions of money and food. One of the liberal contributors was George Wright. He started back to meet the party, but they took the south trail by way of San Diego and he missed them. In the meantime the party, enduring hunger and with many other hardships to contend with, arrived in the mountains back of San Diego, where they found settlers and food. This stopping place was the rancho of John Wesley Mulkins, who was absent, but his foreman took in the destitute party and fed them. Mulkins returned and extended them every hospitality known to that pioneer time. He married Miss Clara Gazaway, a sister of Mrs. Danks. Mrs. Danks then came on to Los Angeles and El Monte, and subsequently was married to Mr. George Wright.
Mrs. Nancy Ward is one of the children of this pioneer woman. Mr. and Mrs. Ward have three children : Lorne George, born at Azusa, October 3, 1908; Clarence Robert, born May 3, 1910; and Herbert Wright Ward, born June 15, 1916. Mrs. Ward inherited nine acres of land from her father and subsequently by purchase has added until she is proprietor of twenty acres of orange grove located on the Foot Hill Boulevard between Glendora and Azusa.
Mrs. Ward, like her brothers and sisters, was liberally educated. Her father, George Wright, was a pioneer California educator, and his daughter, Mima Wright, since deceased, was also identified with school work here. Mrs. Ward attended the Citrus Union High School. Her sister, Mrs. Harris, attended school in some of the pioneer adobe buildings, furnished with benches but without backs and with only a single writing desk.
ARTHUR JACOB WINGARD is a civil engineer by profession and train- ing, but is now prosperously established as a merchant of Pasadena, being proprietor of the Washington Grocery and Market at 1332 North Lake Avenue.
Mr. Wingard finished his education in California, but was born at Sheldon, Illinois, December 20, 1886. He is a son of Jacob Z. and Lizzie A. Wingard, who for many years lived on their farm at Sheldon, Illinois, but since 1918 have been retired in Pasadena.
Wingard is an old American family, and the lineage of A. J. Wingard runs back to Capt. Martin Winger, six generations removed. Captain Martin served throughout the American Revolution. He was born in the Canton of Berne, Switzerland, and settled in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, in 1736. Through this Revolutionary ancestry Arthur J. Wingard is a member of the Sons of the American Revolution. . The great-grandfather of Mr. Wingard was John Winger, who was a soldier in the War of 1812. The grandfather, Jacob Wingard, first to write the name in its present form, was a soldier in the Mexican war, so that the military record of the family is well-established.
The only child of his parents, A. J. Wingard, came to California as a youth, graduated A. B. from Pomona College with the class of 1910, and subsequently did post-graduate work in Stanford University. For six years Mr. Wingard was engaged in civil engineering and highway con- struction for the City of Pasadena. In 1920 he established himself in the grocery business at the location above noted, and has enjoyed a very extensive trade here. Post Office station No. 2 of Pasadena is located in
Tilliqu OR
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his store, and Mr. Wingard has had charge of this station since August 1,1921.
Mr. Wingard contributed to the military record of the family by serving as a member of the Fifth Infantry of the United States Army during the World war. From 1906 to 1910 he was a member of the Seventh Regi- ment, California National Guard. He is a republican, is master in 1923 of Corona Lodge No. 324, F. and A. M., is a thirty-second degree Scottish Rite Mason and a member of Pasadena Consistory No. 4, is past sachem of Oneonta Tribe No. 241, Improved Order of Red Men, and a member of Hancock Council No. 20, Junior Order United American Mechanics. He also belongs to the Pasadena Golf Club, the Merchants Association of Pasadena and the Central Christian Church.
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