History of Los Angeles county, Volume III, Part 81

Author: McGroarty, John Steven, 1862-1944
Publication date: 1923
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 844

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ANDREW YOUNG. In the commercial activities that have made the old town of Wilmington one of the important transportation centers of South- ern California Andrew Young has been a conspicuous figure for over forty years. He is a marine engineer by profession, and on coming to Southern California entered the service of the old Banning interests, which practically represented everything in Wilmington at that time. Mr. Young for many years was superintendent engineer of the transportation interests of the Bannings, and though now somewhat retired retains connections with several old 'established and prosperous business organizations.

Mr. Young was born at Laprairie, near Montreal, Canada, October 24, 1849, son of Andrew and Jane (Fenton) Young. His father was born in Scotland in 1818, and was brought to Canada by his parents in 1825. He served with a Canadian regiment in the rebellion of 1836. His wife was born at Montreal, and both of them died in the city of Sherbrooke, the mother in 1918, at the advanced age of ninety.

Andrew Young was reared in Canada and served an apprenticeship at the machinist's trade at Sherbrooke, Quebec. For several years he, was located at Bay City, Michigan, and in 1875 came to California. However, he soon left the state and spent three years with the Seattle Coal and Trans- portation Company on Puget Sound. Coming to San Francisco, he was in the service of the Fulton Iron Works there until 1880. In that year he came down the coast as engineer on a steamer and, landing at Wilmington, entered the employ of General Banning. Mr. Young was associated with General Banning until his death in 1886, and then with the General's sons until 1917, a period of thirty-seven years. He was superintendent and engineer, having charge of the machine shops and docks at Wilmington and San Pedro. The business was operated by the corporation name of Wil- mington Transportation Company.

Before leaving this company Mr. Young had several years been a marine surveyor for the San Francisco Marine Underwriters, and since 1917 has continued in the same business for the same underwriters under the firm name of A. Young & Sons. He is senior member of this organi- zation, with offices in the First National Bank Building at Wilmington. Mr. Young is also a director of the First National Bank of Wilmington, a direc- tor of the Globe Milling Company of Los Angeles, and a director of the. Wilmington Building and Loan Association.

Mr. Young has witnessed all the important changes in this section of Los Angeles County during forty years, and has exerted his personal influ- ence in local affairs. During the World war he served on exemption board No. 3. of Los Angeles County at San Pedro. He is an old time republican, and was prominent in local politics until about ten years ago. He is a mem- ber of the Marine Engineers Association, the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce, belongs to the Masonic Past Masters Club of Los Angeles and is a past master of Wilmington Lodge No. 198, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, member of San Pedro Lodge No. 966, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and belongs to the original lodge of Odd Fellows at Wilming- ton, subsequently consolidated with San Pedro Lodge, of which he is a member.

On December 30, 1874, Mr. Young married Miss Carrie Kent, who was born at Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. They have six living children. All were born at Wilmington except the oldest, Mabel, who is a native of San Francisco, and is the wife of Albert A. Kendrick, mailing clerk for the Los Angeles Examiner. The second and third of the children are George A. and P. B., both in business with their father in the firm of A. Young & Sons at Wilmington. The fourth child, Fenton K., is chief engineer on the coast steamers of the McCormick Lines. The two younger .children are

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Mrs. Lee Neusbaum, of Wilmington, and Hudson L., a dentist at San Diego. Mr. Young resides in one of the fine residences of Wilmington, a home built at 129 K Street in 1918.

JAMES LOUIS MINNIS, SR., who resides for several months of the year in one of Long Beach's beautiful homes, located at 2521 East Ocean Boule- vard, is one of the ablest corporation attorneys of St. Louis.

He was born in Carroll County, Missouri, November 6, 1866, son of Thomas W. and Emeline (Templeman) Minnis. He finished his literary education in William Jewell College at Liberty, Missouri, studied law privately, was admitted to the bar in 1887, and laid the foundation of his professional career in his native county of Missouri. He served as prose- cuting attorney of the county in 1889-91, and was elected and served as a member of the Legislature during 1896-98. He was a delegate in 1896. and delegate at large in 1900 to the Republican National Convention.

Since 1900 his law practice and business have been centered at St. Louis. He served as general attorney in 1906-07, and as general solicitor from November 1, 1907, to January 1, 1912, of the Wabash Railroad. Following that he acted as general solicitor for the receivers of that road from January . 1, 1912, to November 1, 1915, and until May 1, 1919, was vice president and general solicitor of the Wabash. He has also been general counsel of the Pacific Express Company.

Mr. Minnis is a member of the St. Louis, Noonday Missouri Athletic, Sunset Hill County and Ridgedale Country clubs. He married, October 30, 1889, Miss Martha A. Standley, of Carlisle, Kentucky.

JAMES LOUIS MINNIS, JR., is an attorney, associated with the well known Long Beach firm of Swaffield & Swaffield, and began his professional career here soon after completing his university education.

He is a son of a well known winter resident of Long Beach, James Louis Minnis, Senior, a distinguished attorney, railroad man and financier of St. Louis, Missouri, whose career is briefly sketched above, due to the fact that his home for several months of the year is at 2521 East Ocean Boulevard.

The son was born at Carrollton, Missouri, October 1, 1897. He was educated in Smith Academy at St. Louis, the Lawrenceville Preparatory School in New Jersey, Dartmouth College and the St. Louis University Law School.

Mr. Minnis was admitted to the Missouri bar in 1921, and since July of that year has been associated in his professional work with the firm of Swaffield and Swaffield at Long Beach. He was admitted to the California bar in 1922.

He was a chief quartermaster in the Naval Flying Corps at Minneapolis during the World war, and was about to receive a commission as a naval aviator when the armistice was signed. He is a republican, is unmarried, lives at the family home in Long Beach, and is a member of the Alpha Delta Phi and the Virginia Country Club.

LOUIS BLANKENHORN. One of the most impressive figures in the life and affairs of the City of Pasadena was the late Louis Blankenhorn, who died November 16, 1922, at the age of seventy-four. He had been a resi- dent of Pasadena nearly forty years, and acquired many business interests in Southern California. In later years he was associated with his sons in the real estate business.

Mr. Blankenhorn was born at Poughkeepsie, New York, in 1848. He was reared and educated in the East, and had an experience covering some years in business in New York City. Prior to coming to Pasadena in 1884, his home was in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he was connected with the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad. When he came to Pasadena it was to identify himself as an official with the old San Gabriel Valley Rail- road, a line subsequently absorbed by the Santa Fe system. Mr. Blanken-

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horn served this road as general passenger agent. Subsequently he did some pioneer work in the development of the oil fields around Bakersfield, and later became actively interested with his sons, Mac Blankenhorn and David Blankenhorn in the real estate firm of the Blankenhorn Realty Company.

Throughout his long residence at Pasadena Mr. Blankenhorn held the loving confidence of a large number of friends and the respect of all who knew him. Quiet and unobtrusive in his daily life, his stalwart character won for him a high place in the esteem of the community. As a citizen he assisted in all movements for the upbuilding of Pasadena.

For over twenty years he was a vestryman at All Saints' Episcopal Church, where his funeral services were held, Bishop Johnson and Doctor Learned, the rector, officiating, while members of the vestry acted as honor- ary pall bearers. He was one of the early members of Corona Lodge of Masons at Pasadena, also belonged to the Pasadena Commandery of the Knights Templar.

While in Milwaukee Mr. Blankenhorn married Miss Lillian Stevens, who survives him. There are three sons, George Stevens, Mac and David Blankenhorn, and one daughter, Miss Barbara Blankenhorn. .

ARCHIBALD AND HARRIET E. BURNS. Among the lives of enterprise with the pioneer American period in California two venerable people, who spent their last years in Los Angeles, were Archibald Burns and his wife, Harriet E. On the mothers' side the parents were United States pioneers, their ancestors having settled in Connecticut about 1622. Archibald and Harriet Burns had crossed the plains in covered wagons in 1852, having been married in Peoria, Illinois, earlier in the same year. When they arrived in the vicinity of St. Joseph, Missouri, they found cholera epidemic, and many of the travelers were frightened and turned back. However, Mr. and Mrs. Burns remained there and assisted in caring for the stricken people. A sister in their party died, leaving two children to the care of Mr. and Mrs. Burns.

That year the Indians were unusually hostile on the plains. They seldom attacked a small party, but did all the damage they could to large trains. The people in the Burns party stood guard all night many times, and they were beset by many other adversities. Sometimes they traveled many weary miles before reaching water and supplies.

Their first location in California was Diamond Springs, later named Placerville. It was one of the busiest scenes in gold mining. Archibald Burns staked out a claim and went to work. Food was very high and all payment was made with gold dust. Greenbacks were then worth only fifty cents on the dollar in California, and every one demanded gold in payment. After losing his claim Mr. Burns planted fruit trees and vines on his land, and realized abundantly from this source of revenue. He also taught school, being paid sixty dollars a month for this service.

After about twelve years of residence at Placerville, where all their ten children were born, they moved to the valley south of Sacramento, where they occupied a farm and where he again did country school teaching. After school hours he built his home. Sometimes his school was twenty miles away, and he walked the distance to spend the week ends with his family. After many years on the farm he moved to San Jose. One of their grandchildren lived with them always and was regarded as a son, and he is now Dr. Herbert Graham, a dentist at Sacramento.

For twenty years their home was at San Jose, and from there they came to Los Angeles, where they spent their last years in retirement. Archibald Burns died in 1912, at the age of eighty-two, and his widow survived until the age of ninety-one, passing away November 18, 1922.

The living children of this old couple are: Archibald Burns, of Sacra- mento; Herbert Burns, of Oakland; Mrs. Alice Phelps, of Oakland; Dr. Juliette A. Coffer, of Lewiston, Idaho; Dr. Ralph E. Burns, a dentist in Los Angeles ; and Dr. Mary E. Burns, of Los Angeles.

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Mrs. Harriet Burns was a very brilliant woman, and up to a year before her death cast her vote, and had voted at every election since the franchise was given to women, when she was about eighty years of age. Her maiden name was Harriet E. Hyde. She was a descendant of an old American family that came to this country in the early period of colonization. The Hydes were pioneers of Illinois. She possessed a deed which had been given to her grandfather for a grant of land in Illinois under President Polk and had another signed by President Millard Fillmore.

Dr. Mary Burns and her sister, Doctor Coffer of Idaho, are both gradu- ates of the College of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons at Los Angeles. Dr. Mary Burns has a large established practice. Recently she moved her offices to the beautiful new Junior Orpheum Building at Eighth and Hill streets. Her home is at 1646 South St. Andrews Place.

WILLIAM H. BARNHILL, who had lived in Los Angeles twenty-nine years, was in his ninety-sixth year when he passed away April 6, 1923. His life was remarkable for its length and for its great variety of experience and achievement.

He was born at Georgetown, Kentucky, November 17, 1827, and when he was two years of age his parents, Samuel and Mary Barnhill, moved to Southern Illinois, which was then a frontier country. Samuel Barnhill served as a soldier in the Blackhawk Indian war of 1832, a war in which Abraham Lincoln had his early important military experience. Samuel Barnhill was also a soldier in the Revolutionary war. The late William H. Barnhill was one of the last survivors of that notable group of men "who knew Lincoln." He was a warm friend of the Illinois attorney, and seldom neglected an opportunity to attend court when Lincoln was engaged in a case.

The late Mr. Barnhill came of a long lived family. His father died in his eighty-sixth year and his mother in her ninety-third year, and his parents had been married sixty-four years.

William H. Barnhill received most of his early education at Paris, Illinois, and from the age of eighteen he taught school five or six years. He then took up building contracting, and for several years was a machinery salesman for Cyrus McCormick. As a youth of fourteen he was engaged in the pioneer transportation business of Illinois, freighting by wagons. He took loads of beeswax, tallow and other country produce to Chicago, return- ing with saleratus, spices and similar supplies. In this way he became acquainted with the City of Chicago when practically all its business interests were located along the river at South Water Street. He had the distinction of shipping the first car load of apples over the Illinois Central Railroad to Chicago. On leaving Illinois Mr. Barnhill went to Texas, bought a farm and remained five and one-half years in that new state. He then went to Western Kansas, acquired a large landed property near Jewell City, and for a time combined farming with grain buying and the elevator business, He also farmed for a time in Nebraska.

Mr. Barnhill came to California twenty-nine years ago, and for some twelve or thirteen years was engaged in the building contracting business at Los Angeles. He spent the last sixteen years of his life retired, having carried a share of business burdens until he was about eighty years of age.

On November 27, 1850, Mr. Barnhill married Miss Priscilla Cox, daughter of Abner Cox. She died August 28, 1915, at the age of eighty- three. A few months later they would have celebrated their sixty-fifth wedding anniversary.

Mr. and Mrs. Barnhill became the parents of eight children. Four are still living. The two sons are John J., of Atlanta, Kansas, and Harry L., of Shreveport, Louisiana. The two daughters, both in Los Angeles, are Mrs. Nellie M. LeClaire and Mrs. Mary Alice Bartlett. Mr. Barnhill was also survived by twenty-six grandchildren and twenty-six great-grand- children, and by one sister, Mrs. C. J. Merkle, of Paris, Illinois.

Some years ago Mrs. Barnhill suffered a stroke of paralysis, and her

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daughter Mrs. Bartlett wanted her aged parents near her, and therefore had a home built on her own property. It was in this home that Mr. and Mrs. Barnhill spent their last years. Mrs. Bartlett exemplified remarkable devotion to her parents. Her father was a Baptist, at one time was affiliated with the Odd Fellows, and for some years had been a staunch friend of William Jennings Bryan. Mrs. Bartlett, a native of Paris, Illinois, is the wife of Thomas Bartlett, who has lived in Los Angeles for forty-three years. He attended school in Lawrence, Massachusetts, and some of his school mates are now prominent men of the country. By a former marriage Mrs. Bartlett is the mother of one son and one daughter : Jesse D. Cramer, residing at Graham Station, Los Angeles County and the father of two daughters, Evelyn and Dorothy Cramer, and Erma L., wife of George E. Beaman, of Venice, California, and has one son, Eugene.

WILLIAM W. ZIMMER was a well known business man of Los Angeles and had build up a prosperous grocery trade before his death. In former years he was well known in professional baseball circles.'

He was born at Marietta, Ohio, in 1872, son of John and Catherine Zimmer. He attended public schools in his native town, and completed his college education in Center College, Kentucky, where he served as coach of the football team, laying the foundation for the football team that Center College has enjoyed in recent years. While in college he attracted attention by his proficiency in baseball, and later played on one of the National League teams, and subsequently was secretary and treasurer of the Southern League, of which his brother Charles was president.

In 1905, after leaving baseball, Mr. Zimmer came to California and entered the grocery business at Thirty-ninth and South Normandie Avenue. He was one of the first merchants to establish a business in that section, was a pioneer, and had the satisfaction of seeing his judgment justified by the propsperous business that came to him. He was active in the management of the store, and continued it until his death on March 18, 1923. About three years before his death he had suffered injuries in an automobile accident that made him more or less of an invalid .-

Not far from his business house he erected his home, and took a great deal of pride in the companionship of his wife and daughter and the charm- ing surroundings of the residence. He personally planted all the trees and shrubbery on the grounds. Mr. Zimmer was an active member of the Christian Church.

June 24, 1902, he married Mary S. Curney, of Cleveland, Ohio. Mrs. Zimmer and her daughter, Frances Wilmary, born in 1912, survive and occupy the home at 3918 South Normandie.

ANGELO BESSOLO has been a resident of Los Angeles County nearly forty years, and for a long period was especially well known in the harbor city of the county, San Pedro, where he was landlord and proprietor of a hotel.

Mr. Bessolo, whose home is now at Eagle Rock, was born in Scarmagno, . .. Italy, May 9, 1860, son of John and Elizabeth (Goldino) Bessolo. His parents spent all their lives in that locality, where his father was a manu- facturer of fuel and powder. Angelo Bessolo had a common school education, worked with his father until he was seventeen, and then enjoyed a period of travel and work outside of his native land. For a time he was a foundry worker at Marseilles, France, did railway construction work in North Africa for three months, was employed on a canal at Nice, France, and then returned home to serve his three years in the Italian army.

Mr. Bessolo came to America in 1884, direct to Los Angeles. He was employed at the harbor at Wilmington, then three months at Ventura, spent about four years as an employe of the San Pedro Lumber Company of Wilmington, and following that for over twenty years was in the hotel business at San Pedro.

· Mr. Bessolo retired with a competence in 1911 and for three months

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visited his home land. He returned to California, which he has always regarded as his permanent home, and he built at Eagle Rock the fine residence he and his family now occupy.

Mr. Bessolo is a member of the Catholic Church, and belongs to the Improved Order of Red Men. ' On September 1, 1888, he married Lucy Cesare, who was born at Cesare, Italy, April 25, 1872, and was reared and educated there. Six children were born to their marriage: John, Joseph, and Elizabeth, deceased; Angelo, Catherine and Lucile, who are residing with their parents.

J. RAY BENTLEY is vice president of the Bentley Lumber Company, one of the most complete organizations of its kind in Los Angeles County. The company has planing mills, specializes in interior wood work, and handles immense quantities of lumber of all kinds and other building material. The business was established in 1914 as the Bentley-Schoeneman Lumber Company, which bought out the plant of the Valley Lumber Company. On January 1, 1923, the Bentley Lumber Company was organized, being incorporated for $250,000. John Bentley is president, J. Ray Bentley vice president and George H. Bentley secretary and treas- urer. The business is one employing fifty people. The company has an acre and a half of ground devoted to yards and warehouses and offices. They also maintain a house plan service department.

J. Ray Bentley was born near Waterloo, Iowa, September 22, 1887. He was reared and educated there, and when nineteen years old went to California. After finishing a business course at Long Beach he became associated with a wholesale lumber concern at Wilmington, and then worked in different retail yards until entering his present business .at Glendale in 1914. Mr. Bentley is a member of the Chamber of Commerce, is a director of the Kiwanis Club and belongs to the Western Retail Lumber Association.

EDWARD J. GARNER. The realtor is fast becoming one of the most vital forces of his community, and his work is of so dignified a char- acter as to raise his calling to a profession. No section reaches its full perfection until it has had the services of a first-class realtor, and the possibilities of this line of endeavor are constantly increasing, especially in a region like Los Angeles County, where nature's most wonderful effects are being magnificently developed in a manner never before wit- nessed. Not only are all of the older dealers in real estate carrying on a flourishing business, but the opportunities are so many and advantageous that many of the best salesmen in other lines are coming into the field and achieving most satisfactory results. One of the newly-created realty firms of the county is that of Garner Brothers of Long Beach, one of whose members is Edward J. Garner, who has taken the place in his community to which his abilities entitle him, and who is recognized as a leader in real estate circles.

Edward J. Garner was born at Park College, Missouri, August 31, 1883, a son of Hugh Holmes and Catherine (Surber) Garner, who are now living at Long Beach, to which city they came from St. Louis, Missouri, in 1904. When war broke out between the two sections of the country Hugh Holmes Garner enlisted in the Union Army, and gave his country a brave service as a soldier. With the declaration of peace he settled down to be equally useful in training the minds of the rising generation, and taught school for many years in Kansas and Missouri. He and his wife had six sons and one daughter, and of them four of the 'sons are residents of Long Beach, and the fifth son is in New York. The sixth child and only daughter lives at Los Angeles.

The public schools of Kansas City and Old Orchard, Missouri, gave Edward J. Garner his educational training. His initial- experience in business was secured in the retail shoe trade of St. Louis, Missouri, and he continued in that field for fifteen years, the last ten years of that

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period being manager of one of C. H. Baker's retail shoe stores, the largest establishment of its kind west of Chicago. He had come to Cali- fornia in 1904, and for a short period prior to going with Mr. Baker handled the Regal shoes with Vandegriff of Los Angeles. With his resignation from the position of manager for Mr. Baker's interests Mr. Garner embarked in the real estate business, handling Long Beach prop- erties, and became so convinced of the future of this part of the coast that he became a resident of the city in June, 1922, and proposes to make it his permanent home. Associated with him in business are Clyde A. Garner and William E. Garner, both of whom are mentioned elsewhere in this work, and the three are a strong combination. They handle first- class properties and securities, confining their operations to those of California, and they maintain their headquarters at 140 Locust Avenue, Long Beach.

On December 27, 1906, Mr. Garner married Miss Ethelyn June Keller at Los Angeles. She was born and educated at Tustin, California, and she also attended school at Santa Ana, California. Her father, George W. Keller, owns and operates a fine orange ranch at Whittier, California. Mr. Garner is a republican, but he is not active in politics, although he is interested in the success of his party and the placing in office of competent and conscientious men.

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History of Los Angeles county, Volume III, Part 81

Author: McGroarty, John Steven, 1862-1944 Publication date: 1923 Publisher: Number of Pages: 844

Author: McGroarty, John Steven, 1862-1944
Publication date: 1923
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 844