USA > California > Mendocino County > History of Mendocino and Lake counties, California, with biographical sketches of the leading, men and women of the counties who have been identified with their growth and development from the early days to the present > Part 36
USA > California > Lake County > History of Mendocino and Lake counties, California, with biographical sketches of the leading, men and women of the counties who have been identified with their growth and development from the early days to the present > Part 36
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Floyd. She was first called the Hallie, after Captain Floyd's daughter, was afterward rebuilt and renamed the Hazel, and in 1913 was bought by Captain Anderson, of Lakeport, who changed her name to the Bartlett, as she is now known. All these years she has been sailing the waters of Clear lake. Cap- tain Fraser continued in Captain Floyd's employ for a period of eighteen years, taking full charge of all his land holdings, aggregating between seven hundred and eight hundred acres, and also looking after the Bellvenue resort at Lakeport, which had a successful career under his management. About 1892 he did some gold mining in Arizona, but he retained his California prop- erty, having a home ranch of one hundred and sixty acres of which he held the ownership until he sold in 1905, the year he came to his present prop- erty, which was formerly the Blunt place. He also took up one hundred and twenty acres on University scrip, but has sold some of this land, having at present one hundred and fifty acres, lying in what is known as the Mountain District precinct (formerly the North Kelseyville precinct). The tract has a frontage of about forty rods on Clear lake. and the Captain has established a complete boatbuilding plant there, having a boathouse, a place to build and repair boats, a marine railroad for the convenient hauling in of launches to be repaired, and a well equipped machine shop. As a boatbuilder he has a reputation equaled by few. In 1874 he built the City of Lakeport for Captain Floyd, the largest steamboat ever on Clear lake and in her day the fastest boat in the world in her class, her speed being between seventeen and eighteen miles an hour. She measured seventy-four feet over all, with a nine- foot beam. The Henrietta, a gasoline launch constructed in 1906, was the first boat the Captain built at his present place. In 1907 he built the Hiesther, the fastest boat on the lake at that time, which in June, 1907, won the silver cup in a race with the Battee and the Vaslav, the latter Gopcivich's boat. Again in 1909 she won the cup, and she has had another victory since, holding the record on Clear lake yet.
In the spring of 1900 Captain Fraser went up to Alaska, returning in the fall. He was engaged in dredging at Nome, working for "Borax" Smith's brother, B. G. Smith. Though now seventy years of age. Captain Fraser is as robust and active as ever, and his success in recent years in motorboat building is conclusive evidence that he has not fallen behind the times in any degree in the business which has won him such high reputation and afforded him so much pleasure. It has always been his pride to keep in the lead in this respect as he began, for the steamboat he brought here from San Fran- cisco for Captain Floyd was the first on the lake ; he ran her for several years. His present home is beautifully situated, adjoining the fine property of Cap- tain Behr on the west, and like that place is ideally located, being no less remarkable for grandeur of scenery than for the mild climate which is the result of its protected position on the east side of Mt. Konocti, with the hot springs of Clear lake to further modify the temperature. Captain Fraser was well adapted by nature for the hardships of pioneer life, coming of stock whose tastes led them to exploration and blazing the way for the less venturesome, and he has survived the privations and toil of the early days with constitution and health unimpaired. His upright life has earned him the thorough respect of all who know him.
In Lakeport in October, 1874, Captain Fraser married Miss Clara Lyon, sister of George A. Lyon, horticultural commissioner of Lake county. and she
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died leaving five children : Lyon, who is at present serving as sheriff of Lake county ; Richard Floyd, who is engaged in farming in Oregon ; Lovett K., an attorney, of San Francisco; Yolland I., an electrical engineer, who resides at Lakeport ; and Clara, a graduate of the University of California, 1914. The present Mrs. Fraser was in her maidenhood Miss Elizabeth Paul, a native of Rothiemay, Banffshire, Scotland (but reared in Aberdeen), who came to Victoria, British Columbia, from that country in 1904, and from Victoria to California with her brother, Dr. Ellis Paul, and sister, Jane Paul, who were the lessees of Buckingham Park, Lake county, for five years, 1905 to 1910. They were married at Buckingham Park in January, 1907. Mrs. Fraser's intelligence, hospitality and sincerity of character have won her many friends in the neighborhood of her home. In religious views Mr. and Mrs. Fraser are Presbyterians.
JOHN P. HOFFMAN .- The memorable summer of 1849 brought a mot- ley throng of Argonauts across the plains, men young and old, high and low, of every occupation and profession, and in all of this vast army of emigrants perhaps none was more alert of perception, more capable in action or more sin- cere of purpose than John P. Hoffman, a stalwart young man of twenty-three years, whose savings from a small salaried position as school teacher were devoted to transportation expenses on that long and eventful journey. Born near Milton, Pa .. December 5, 1825, there had been no occurrence of especial interest in his boyhood and youth, which had been passed in a quiet routine of home duties and school attendance. More fortunate than some of those early miners, he secured some returns in his mining operations and after he had engaged in placer mining at Sonora, Weaverville and Placerville until he had accumulated over $2000 in gold, he fastened $1500 of his precious treasure in a belt around his body and started for the east. The sailing vessel, Trescot, in the voyage from San Francisco to the Isthmus, was becalmed for thirteen days, so that the harbor was not reached until some time later than was usual for that voyage. However, he eventually reached his destination and invested his gold in merchandise in Chicago and Milwaukee, shipping the stock of goods to Lena. Ill. From there a few years later he moved his stock to Springville, Linn county, Iowa, where he opened a store. The business flour- ished to a satisfactory degree, but his mind reverted so frequently to the sights and scenes of California that he finally determined to return to the coast. Meanwhile he had married in Springville Iowa, Miss Jane B. Kirkwood, a native of Elkhart county, Ind., and a school teacher.
The family consisting of husband and wife and infant child left Iowa April 19, 1860, and arrived at Ione, Amador county, Cal., August 19 following, after a tedious and eventful trip across the plains. The first location was near Ione on a well improved farm which proved a successful undertaking. Next, removal was made to Mendocino county, where Mr. Hoffman selected Ukiah as a location especially desirable by reason of its healthful climate. Near the town he selected and purchased a tract of seven hundred and forty acres, known as the old John Hopper ranch. This property had one of the very first orchards planted in the valley and he added to the same by the planting of fruit trees of choice varieties. Much of the land was covered with brush. It was possible at that time to engage Indians to clear off the brush. The land cleared, he took up the task of cultivation and in this he was uniformly suc- cessful. For years grain formed his principal crop. The entire ranch was
J.P. Hoffman
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fenced under his personal supervision and at heavy expense. Later he bought mountain land suitable for the pasturage of his herds of cattle. The man- agement of the large ranch did not represent the limit of his activities. With characteristic energy he threw himself into many movements for the upbuild- ing of the community. Seeing the need of a substantial financial concern, he was one of the promoters of the Bank of Ukiah and was the first president of the institution. From that time until his death in February of 1903 he con- tinued as a director of the bank and his high standing gave weight and solidity to the institution. In order to oversee his large business interests he moved from the ranch into Ukiah, where he bought a residence and conducted a general mercantile business. He believed thoroughly in the public schools and served acceptably as trustee of his district. The Republican party received his ballot in local and national elections. For years he was one of the largest contributors to the Methodist Episcopal Church of Ukiah and that denomina- tion had in him one of its most loyal supporters and leading local workers. He is survived by his widow, who resides on the old homestead, surrounded by inembers of her family and friends. She is a woman of large information and a strong character, and it was largely due to her perception, assistance and wise counsel that Mr. Hoffman met with such splendid success. It was also due to her oversight and supervision of the children's studies that they ob- tained their good educations, and the moral training which they received made them citizens of worth, and men and women of the highest ideals.
There were eight children in the family of the late John P. Hoffman. Of these four survive, viz .: Mrs. Emily J. Pettis, Mrs. Ella Mckinley, Mrs. Nellie Sanford and John Hoffman. The first-named in 1876 became the wife of Charles E. Pettis, who was born at Somerset, Bristol county, Mass., Febru- ary 12, 1854, and received a seminary education in the old Bay state, supple- mented by attendance at the University of the Pacific at San Jose, Cal., in 1873. A year after his arrival in the west he came to Ukiah and since then (1874) he has been more or less identified with this section of the state. After a term of service as bookkeeper with his brother, W. H. Pettis, and a period oi business association with J. P. Hoffman, he accepted the advice of friends and relinquished business for a ministerial career. After four years of theo- logical study in the Methodist Episcopal conference, he was ordained to the ministry of the Gospel and admitted to the conference. For twenty-seven years he preached the Gospel in Marin, Amador, Santa Clara, Monterey and Mendocino counties. Eventually in 1912 he retired from the ministry and erected a house on the ranch of ninety acres at Talmage near Ukiah, where he and his wife have since given their attention to the improvement of the property and the building up of a remunerative ranch. Their sons have left the home roof to take up life's activities, the eldest, John A., having entered the law as an attorney at Fort Bragg, while Charles H. has engaged in ranch- ing and cattle-raising in Arizona and Edward V. is clerking in San Francisco. The youngest, Ashley B., a musical genius whose talents have been developed through study in Europe, now conducts a studio in San Francisco, where he ranks among the leading pianists and composers and where his remarkable musical memory and unerring accuracy in the art have elicited the most flattering comments from the press. Alice is at home.
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EUGENE McPEAK .- The history of the McPeak family in America is indicative of that strong pioneer temperament which led the march of colonization from the Atlantic seaboard by successive steps across the con- tinent to the Pacific coast. It was Henry McPeak who transplanted the name from North Carolina to Tennessee, where he settled on a plantation in Ruther- ford county and married Nancy Fain, a native of Virginia. In their young married life they became pioneers of Arkansas, where he developed a tract of wild land into a productive plantation. On that ranch, situated near Osceola, a son, Eugene, was born March 4, 1837. From Arkansas the family crossed the line into Missouri during 1840 and settled on an unimproved tract of land thirty miles from the nearest school. There were two sons in the family, Eugene and Peter, the latter now a resident of Guerneville, Sonoma county, Cal. It was impossible for the boys to attend school owing to the great distance. Nor had they the advantage of education through contact with neighbors, for settlers were few and they were isolated to a degree un- common even in that pioneer period. Fortunately, the mother was a woman of culture and had received an excellent education in an academy near Mur- freesboro, Tenn., so that she was able to instruct her sons in the public-school branches as well as impress deeply upon their consciousness the necessity of honor, integrity and industry.
The father died on the home farm near New Madrid, Mo., in 1848, and in 1852 the mother came to California, where she died at Willits at the age of seventy-five years. At the time of crossing the plains with an ox-team train, Eugene McPeak, then a rugged, stalwart youth of fifteen years, was given the charge of the cattle, and he drove the herd all the way across the plains until they were sold to a trader at the sink of the Humboldt. Arriving at Placerville he found work. In 1854 he went to Plumas county and there and in Sierra county he engaged in mining with fair success until 1857, when he took up government land four miles .west of Santa Rosa. With the aid of his mother he proved up on a tract, which he devoted to general farming and stock-raising. When that place was sold he bought three hundred and twenty acres in the same vicinity. The latter farm he operated until 1877, when he sold out and came to Little Lake valley, Mendocino county. Here he bought and improved a farm of two hundred and eighty acres five miles southeast of Willits. About sixty acres were put under cultivation to grain and hay, but the principal acreage was devoted to range for cattle, sheep and hogs. In 1910 he sold the farm and retired to Willits, where he owns an acre homestead on Humboldt street, with an irrigation plant for fruit and vege- tables made possible by an electric motor of standard make.
At Santa Rosa, Cal., June 19, 1870, Mr. McPeak married Miss Mary J. Norris, who was born in Bloomfield. Davis county, Iowa, and came across the plains in 1859 with her parents, Charles and Martha (Harris) Norris, natives of Ohio. After successive temporary sojourns in Missouri and Iowa. Mr. Norris had decided to migrate to California and brought his family west with wagons and ox-teams as well as a drove of cattle. At the expiration of six months he landed in California and took up government land six miles from Santa Rosa, where he developed a farm and remained until his death. His widow is still a resident of Sonoma county. Of their seven children six are still living, Mrs. McPeak being the eldest of the number. For years she has been an earnest worker in the Christian Church, in the Rebekahs and in
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Willits Lodge No. 314, Order of Eastern Star. Together with Mr. McPeak she has been a capable worker in the interests of education and for twenty years served on the board of education in Whitcomb district. When the high-school board was organized and the building erected, Mr. McPeak was a member of the board, and his efficient services in that capacity covered eight years. For four years he was a member of the board of trustees of Willits and during two years of the time he was honored with the chairman- ship. In politics he votes with the Democratic party. He was made a Mason in Lafayette Lodge No. 126, F. & A. M., at Sebastopol, and later became a charter member of Willits Lodge No. 365, F. & A. M., besides which he has been interested in the Eastern Star. The soul of honor in all the relationships of life, he has formed heart to heart links stretching out into a circle of friendships which encompass every locality in which he has lived. Everyone speaks well of his fine qualities of character. While his life has been quiet and unmarked by stirring events, it has been none the less very useful to his community. Through high principles of honor and generosity of soul he has stood foremost among the citizens pledged to the welfare of town and county and instrumental in promoting enterprises of permanent value to both.
DAVID FRANKLIN, M. D .- From the time when, a lad of fourteen years, Dr. Franklin arrived in New York City December 1, 1870, alone and friendless, with no means of support except such as his own energy made possible, he has traveled widely and met with many thrilling experiences, the most harrowing and disastrous of which were associated with the San Fran- cisco earthquake in 1906. A native of this country, born at Brooklyn (Old Williamsburg), N. Y., May 16, 1855, he was only two years of age when his father, John, returned to Sweden, the land of his birth, and took up mercantile enterprises at Tursby, so that the Doctor's earliest recollections cluster around the home of his ancestors. Conditions there, however, were not to his liking and at the age of fourteen he ran away from home, coming back to the land of his birth and earning a livelihood through the selling of papers. Industry and energy enabled him to pay his way through the night high school in New York City. Although fairly well educated by this course of study, he was not content until he had taken a complete medical course. As early as 1873 when eighteen years of age he matriculated in the medical department of New York University. His own efforts defrayed all the expenses of the course and in 1878 he received the degree of M. D., after having paid all ex- penses in connection with a thorough medical education. It was his good fortune to have among his preceptors Dr. Plummer, a surgeon of national fame.
Shortly after his arrival in San Francisco, October 22, 1879, Dr. Franklin opened an office at Sixth and Market streets. The interests of health forced him to later relinquish his practice and seek the benefits of an outdoor occu- pation, for which purpose he rode the range in Wyoming. The year thus spent was filled with exciting incidents, but repaid him through the restora- tion of his health. Next he enlisted in the United States navy as a member of the Rogers expedition in search of the crew of the Janet. The course of the long voyage took them into the Arctic ocean above Point Barrows and there they met with a serious misfortune in the burning of their ship, after which they spent the winter among the Eskimos and finally were rescued
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and brought back to the United States on the revenue cutter Bear. On the return to San Francisco the Doctor resumed practice and remained in the city until after the great earthquake and fire of 1906, when he was burned out and lost all of his possessions. Forgetting his personal misfortunes, he set himself to the task of aiding the injured and worked as a surgeon in the relief camps, where he witnessed many distressing sights and was able to assist greatly in the alleviation of suffering. When there was no further need of special assistance he sought other places of professional labor, spending a time at Caspar, Mendocino county, also at Fort Bragg and Laytonville. September 15, 1913, he came to Willits and opened an office, also erected a hospital of seventeen rooms and a well-equipped operating room. The building, recently completed and newly equipped, ranks with the best of the kind north of San Francisco and will afford to people of the community the best of medical care and skilled attention in all cases of sickness or operations of a critical nature.
The present wife of Dr. Franklin, whom he married at Fort Bragg, was Miss Windla Johnson, who was born in Finland of Swedish descent. While in San Francisco he had married Miss Tina Love, who was born at Half Moon Bay and died at San Francisco, leaving an only child, Mrs. Evelyn E. Fitz- patrick, of Los Angeles. After the death of his first wife he was united with Miss Sophia Erickson, who was born in Sweden and died in Nevada. The three children of that union, Oscar G. A., Elsa Clinstene and Carl J., are living in Nevada. In politics the Doctor is a progressive Republican. In the various places of his residence he has been allied with different fraternities, with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Genoa. Nev .; with Ivanhoe No. 5, K. of P., in San Francisco; with the Improved Order of Red Men at Van- couver, Wash .; with the Eagles at Eureka and the Moose at Willits, being at present physician of the last-named lodge.
JOHN S. ROSS .- A knowledge of the lumber industry acquired through years of experience enables Mr. Ross to discharge with efficiency his respon- sible duties as manager of the Mendocino Lumber Company. In fact, so remarkable is his grasp of the business, so alert his mind in grasping all of the intricacies connected with the work, so resourceful his judgment and so sagacious his decisions that he has gained a wide reputation in his chosen calling. The reputation as one of the most successful lumber managers on the Pacific coast has come to him through his own determined efforts and unsurpassed ability. Flattering offers to fill similar positions in the east have been made to him, but he prefers the west for his home and has resided in Mendocino county throughout so much of his life that the ties of friendship, business relations and material enterprises bind him very closely to the spot.
Of Canadian birth, born in Ottawa in 1867, John S. Ross, is the son of Rev. John S. and Jane (Ralston) Ross, born in Scotland and Canada, respec- tively. He was brought to California by his parents in 1870 and has been identified with Mendocino county from the age of three years up to the pres- ent time. Here he attended the public schools and laid the foundation of the broad fund of information which now gives him a reputation as one of the best-posted men of his community. One of the first positions he ever held was that of bookkeeper in the Discount Bank at Mendocino and the Bank of Mendocino. After two and one-half years as a bank clerk in December of 1886 he became connected with the lumber industry, his first work in that line being as bookkeeper with the Pudding Creek Lumber Company. Seven
Kohn S. Rors
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years were spent with the same concern and during the last three years of the time he acted as manager. Since then he has engaged as manager in charge of different lumber companies, having had charge of the L. E. White Lumber Company at Greenwood for eighteen months and the Little Valley Lumber Company for two and one-half years. Since September 1, 1902, he has held the position of manager of the Mendocino Lumber Company, where his comprehensive knowledge of the industry and his long experience have been of inestimable valne to the organization.
Association with the lumber industry, which has been so important a factor in the history of Mendocino county, by no means represents the limit of the activities of Mr. Ross, who has contributed of his time and talents to enterprises connected with the material upbuilding of town and county. and has been particularly active in the founding and growth of the Mendocino Bank of Commerce, being now vice-president of the bank and a member of its board of directors. Sterling qualities of character have given him a prom- inent place in commercial circles and in the regard of many friends. The high principles of Masonry have enlisted his cordial support and he has been prominent for years in Mendocino Lodge No. 179, F. & A. M., and Mendocino Chapter No. 88, R. A. M., being Past Master and Past High Priest, and with Mrs. Ross he is a member of Ocean View Chapter No. 111, O. E. S., both being past officers in that Order. He is also a member of Ukiah Commandery No. 33, K. T. Conscientiously faithful in every department of life, his citizen- ship has been of that ideal type so essential to the permanent progress of any community. Sharing with him the esteem of acquaintances is his wife, formerly Miss Lulu Willis, who is a native daughter of California and re- ceived an excellent education, being a graduate of the Santa Rosa High School and the University of Nevada at Reno. For two years she was engaged in educational work in that state. Mrs. Ross is the daughter of Rev. F. M. Willis, a native of Illinois, who rode horseback across the plains when a young man, accompanying a train in 1850. He graduated from the old Sonoma Academy and has been a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church for over fifty years. The family of Mr. and Mrs. Ross comprises two children, Dor- othy and John S., Jr.
MARTIN VAN BAKER .- A long identification with the stock business in the west, especially in Nevada and Eastern Oregon, has given to Mr. Baker a thorough knowledge of this section of the country and has made him conversant with every detail of one of the leading industries for a vast region of forest range and foothills. Hardships necessarily have come into such a career. Privations were accepted as a part of the business during those long years in the open, but there was much of pleasure in the work and at times something of profit, although the remuneration was not com- mensurate with the labor involved. Only a few years ago he closed out his interests in the range country and shortly afterward purchased two hundred and six acres about two miles northeast of Willits, where since he has engaged in the raising of grain, hay and potatoes.
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