History of Orange County, California : with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its earliest growth and development from the early days to the present, Part 103

Author: Armor, Samuel, 1843-; Pleasants, J. E., Mrs
Publication date: 1921
Publisher: Los Angeles : Historic Record Co.
Number of Pages: 1700

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ROBERT F. HAZARD .- A native son both of California and Orange County, Robert F. Hazard of Westminster precinct belongs to the third generation of the Hazard family in this locality, his grandparents, Robert S. and Betsy Ann Hazard, having been pioneer settlers of Westminster, a sketch of the latter, who still resides on on the old home place, being given elsewhere in this work. Both born in Erieville, N. Y., the grandparents became pioneer settlers of Blackhawk County, Iowa, going there in 1860, remaining there until 1881, when they removed to Westminster, Cal.

Robert F. Hazard is the son of the late Frank Hazard, a prominent farmer who owned 120 acres of land near Westminster, and who was born in Blackhawk County, Iowa, coming here with his parents in 1881. He was married to Miss Alice Marden of Westminster precinct, who passed away in 1900, leaving three children: Harry is a rancher and resides near Lancaster; Robert F, the subject of this review, who was born September 30, 1885; and Luella, who married Gifford Giles and resides at Santa Ana; she was reared by her grandmother, Mrs. Betsy Ann Hazard, her mother having passed away when she was but two weeks old. Frank Hazard died January 22, 1916, at the age of fifty-seven years.

Beginning ranching on his own account when but a young man, Mr. Hazard has prospered in everything he has undertaken. Ten years ago he purchased the first forty acres of his ranch, which is attractively located on the Santa Ana-Huntington Beach Boulevard west of Bolsa. He has added to his original holdings until he now has 112 acres of choice land, which he devotes to sugar beets and alfalfa. Recently he has built a commodious bungalow and a large barn, with well, pumping plant and tank house, the improvements in all costing nearly $10,000. In addition to his own holdings he farms the forty-acre home place of his grandmother, Mrs. Betsy Ann Hazard.

Mr. Hazard's marriage, which occurred in 1904, united him with Miss Mabel Deakins of Westminster, and they are the parents of three interesting children, all boys: Roland, Clyde and Kenneth. A hard and efficient worker, Mr. Hazard is a very energetic young man, never doing things by halves. A capable manager, he has unusual executive ability, and his generous, liberal disposition has won for him a host of friends. Mrs. Hazard is in every way an excellent helpmeet and shares her husband's popularity. Politically, Mr. Hazard is an adherent of the principles of the Republican party, and gives it his loyal support.

CURTIS HENRY HICKMAN .- That specialization in any line will bring success, when accompanied by intelligence and persistence, is clearly shown in the experience of C. H. Hickman, who has for the past seven years devoted his ranch in the Bolsa district to the production of sweet potatoes, and has achieved splendid results. Mr. Hickman was born in Orange County, December 19, 1885, on the farm adjoining his own. His parents were James H. and Georgia Ann (Caraway) Hickman, the father being a native of Virginia, where he was born in 1845, while Mrs. Hickman was born in Linn County, Iowa, March 14, 1854. Her parents, Joseph and Delila (Scott) Cara- way, born in Ohio and Indiana, respectively, were among the early settlers of Linn County, Iowa. James H. Hickman passed away in 1903 at the age of fifty-eight years and Mrs. Hickman still resides on the old Hickman place, which adjoins the farm of her son, C. H. Hickman.

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James H. Hickman was an early settler of O'Brien County, Iowa, where he took up a homestead and farmed it for some time after his marriage, which occurred in 1871. About 1878, the family crossed the plains to California, and settled in the Bolsa district and Mrs. Hickman is now one of the oldest settlers of that locality. Mr. and Mrs. James H. Hickman were the parents of six children: Robert died at the age of nineteen months; Irene Belle is the wife of Frank B. Ireland, a rancher at Murrietta; Carrie May is the wife of Jolin Newell, a rancher at Stockton; Jessie is the wife of Eugene De Vaul, a field boss for the Anaheim Sugar Co .; Curtis Henry, of this review; and Stella, wife of Archie Morgan, a rancher at Wildomar. Henry Hickman, as he is popularly known, grew up on the home farm, attending the schools of the neighbor- food, at the same time learning the practical side of agriculture. In February, 1919, he purchased his present home ranch of ten acres, lying three miles west of Santa Ana on the Santa Ana-Huntington Beach Boulevard, and here he has developed a profitable and well-kept property. In addition to his own land he farms his mother's place of ten acres, the land adjoining his, and both tracts he devotes to the production of sweet potatoes, and which yield him attractive returns.

In 1909, Mr. Hickman was married to Miss Alice Galbraith, the daughter of Nelson L. and Helena (Yeakel) Galbraith. One of a family of seven children, Mrs. Hickman came to Santa Ana with her parents from Louisburg, Kans., when but a year old. Mr. and Mrs. Galbraith reside in Santa Ana, where he is a carpenter and builder. Mr. and Mrs. Hickman have three children: Helene Marguerite, Georgia Blossom and Walter Henry.

ADOLPH DITTMER .- A very successful business man whose valuable experi- ence, coupled with broad views, enabled him as chairman of the board of trustees of Orange to cast a weighty influence in favor of improvements, and so to help the grow- ing town to make young giant strides in the direction of permanent progress, is Adolph Dittmer, the popular proprietor of Dittmer's Mission Pharmacy. He came to Orange a decade and a half ago, an advent equally lucky for himself and the community.

He was born in Chicago in 1872, and three years later removed to Fort Dodge, Iowa, where he was educated in the grammar schools. When school was over, he entered the office of the Fort Dodge Messenger and, beginning as printer's devil, worked up as a printer in the job department.

Arrived at the decisive age of seventeen, he began as an apprentice in a drug store in Fort Dodge and later completed the study in the drug store owned and con- ducted by Senator Oleson. In due time he became a registered pharmacist. It was in 1905 that he came west to California and landed at Orange. Here he started Ditt- mer's Mission Pharmacy, in a building especially erected for him at 131 South Glassell Street; and when the opportunity was afforded, in 1909, to secure the corner of South Glassell and Plaza Square, he immediately made the move to the better location. Since that time he has conducted a general drug business there.

He makes a specialty of putting up prescriptions, in which responsible work he is assisted by his son, who is a graduate in pharmacy as well as a licentiate pharmacist; and their conscientious application to what is more and more regarded as of extreme importance, particularly with the advance of science and the introduction of new and powerful drugs, is fully appreciated by the patronizing public. He is a member of the State Pharmaceutical Association, and also of the Los Angeles Retail Druggists' Association.

While at Fort Dodge, Mr. Dittmer was married to Miss Louise Gunther, a native of that place, by whom he has had four sons, three of whom are still living. Adolph is a graduate of the pharmaceutical department of the University of Southern California, and Arthur and Harold are both attending school. Mr. Dittmer is a member of St. John's Lutheran Church, and is president of the Lutheran Men's Club of Orange.

For six years he served the city of Orange as a trustee, and for four years was chairman of the board, presiding during the period when the town put in paved streets and curbs, and the sewer was started, the sewer farm was purchased, and new water mains were added to the public works. This was a crucial time for the city, and only those who passed through the days and months of responsibility, when much opposition had to be overcome, and a good deal of unpleasant responsibility assumed by individual citizens for the public, know how valuable was the service to contem- poraries and to posterity rendered by the doughty city fathers. Intensely interested in civic and business affairs he is a charter member and ex-secretary of the Merchants and Manufacturers Association of Orange.

Mr. Dittmer has always advocated investments in local realty, and as an evidence of the faith that is in him, has come to own a fine orange and lemon orchard situated east of Olive in the Peralta Hill district.

Adol withwer

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HISTORY OF ORANGE COUNTY

HORATIO C. DAWES .- One of Santa Ana's best known citizens, now living retired after an active business life of many years, is Horatio C. Dawes, who has been a resident of that city since 1891. Mr. Dawes is a Canadian by birth, having been born near London, Ontario, on August 27, 1863, the son of Thomas and Sarah Louise (Allen) Dawes. Thomas Dawes was a physician, prominent in his profession, and he passed away in 1884. Mrs. Dawes, who is still enjoying life at the age of eighty-two, lives at Santa Ana; she is a sister of H. A. Allen of Tustin and Prescott Allen of Santa Ana.

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Dawes had a family of six children-three boys and three girls, and Horatio was next to the eldest of the family. Enjoying an excellent education in the schools of his native place, he began in early manhood to make a place for himself in the world. He became interested in the general merchandise business, learning it in all its details, and for thirteen years he was engaged in this line of work, part of the time in London and later in Montreal, being associated with the well known firm of W. E. Sanford, clothing manufacturers, in the retail branches of their business. For some time having had a desire to come to California he left his native home in 1891, made the long trip across the continent and located in Santa Ana, where he at once entered into the commercial life of the city. For six years he was with the Huff Dry Goods Company and later with Huff Brothers Clothing Store for a period of two years. With a partner he then engaged in the clothing business for himself under the firm name of Dawes and Huffman, and after five years he bought out his partner's interest and continued as sole proprietor until 1909, when he closed out his business. During this time he was also interested in the Stewart-Dawes Shoe Company of Los Angeles.

In 1910 Mr. Dawes, accompanied by his family made an extended tour of Europe, visiting the principal capitals of the old world and the noted places of interest, a trip that was filled with many interesting and pleasurable recollections. During his years of business Mr. Dawes was very successful, and while now not actively engaged in commercial pursuits his time is largely occupied in looking after his interests prin- cipally in Southern California. For a number of years he has been a director of the First National Bank of Santa Ana. He also gives generously of his time to civic affairs, now serving on the Board of Education.

Mr. Dawes' marriage which occurred on June 6, 1899, united him with Miss Florence A. Donahue, a native of Afton, Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Dawes are the parents of three children: Roberta attends Pomona College at Claremont; Truman is a student in the Santa Ana high school; and Charles. The family attend the First Pres- byterian Church of Santa Ana. In politics Mr. Dawes is an adherent of the Republican party, and in his fraternal affiliations he is a member of the Santa Ana Lodge of Elks and the Independent Order of Foresters.

JOHN M. WARD .- The twenty-acre ranch owned by John M. Ward located south- west of Garden Grove, is the fourth ranch he has owned and improved in Orange County. Mr. Ward was born February 14, 1880, at Glen Elder, Mitchell County, Kans. His parents, Elanson and Cordelia Ward, now deceased, were natives of New York and Iowa, respectively; they located in Kansas in 1870, and the father became the owner of two farms, one comprising 160 acres and the other 120 acres. John M. is the youngest child in a family of seven children and his experiences in early life were such as commonly fall to the lot of lads reared on a farm. He was educated in the common schools and graduated from the high school at Glen Elder, Kans., with the class of 1897.

His marriage, which occurred in his native state in 1900, united him with Miss Winnifred Weethee, a native of Ohio but reared in Kansas, and they are the parents of four children. Neva and Wilma were born in Kansas, and Elmer and Ruth are natives of the Golden State. Mr. Ward owned an eighty-acre Kansas farm, and town property at Iola and Logan, Kans., and also 160 acres in Red Willow County, Nebr. He was taken ill and came to California for his health, with the intention of remain- ing one year, but his health improving, California's charms were sufficient to cause him to settle at Orange, where he became the owner of a two and a half-acre place, which he improved and lived upon eighteen months, when he came to Garden Grove in 1912. In addition to ranching Mr. Ward follows the occupation of spraying, being a duly licensed sprayer, in which he is the pioneer at Garden Grove. He has a portable spray- ing outfit, driven by a gasoline engine, and gives the business his personal attention, employing two men besides himself, and covering a territory within a radius of six miles from Garden Grove. He has sprayed as high as 2,000 acres in a single year. He owns an acre of land in Garden Grove just north of the grammar school on which he raises nursery stock. He has 1,000 Valencia orange trees and 1,500 walnut trees; also has seedlings which were budded in 1920.

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He has set his home place to Valencia oranges and further improved the ranch with a good dwelling house and suitable outbuildings for his needs and hopes to con- vert it into one of the finest places west of Garden Grove. He is a member of the Garden Grove Orange Growers Association, and he and his wife are active members of the Mennonite Church, and consistent and earnest Prohibitionists. A man of good physique, strong and muscular, he is not afraid of hard work, and is possessed of excellent judgment and business acumen, successfully accomplishing all tasks he under- takes. His efforts are ever toward the advancement of all movements calculated to enhance the general welfare of Garden Grove, and his fellow-townsmen esteem him highly for his many excellent qualities.

WILL C. CRAWFORD .- One of the foremost men of his day in the business life of Orange County was the late Will C. Crawford, who established the first wholesale grocery store in Santa Ana, and started the First National Bank in Tustin, as well as improving lands to citrus orchards. He was very liberal and enterprising, and few have accomplished more in the short space of time than he did. He was born near Burlington, lowa, in 1862, the son and eighth child of W. D. and Margaret (Chapman) Crawford, who were born in Iowa and England, respectively, although the father was of Scotch descent.

Will C. Crawford received a good education in the public schools of Iowa. He was married at Middletown, lowa, in 1884, to Miss Effie Lindley, born in Green County, Pa., a daughter of Alvah and Rachael (Van Syoc) Lindley, natives of that state. They removed from the Keystone State to lowa in 1865, locating near Middle- town, where they followed husbandry until their death. After his marriage Will C. Crawford followed farming in lowa, until he came to California in 1898, selecting Orange County as his permanent home, and here he purchased the ranch on Glen Avenue, which was improved to a walnut and orange grove, where his widow still resides. He purchased land near Olive and there improved a fifty-acre orchard to Valencia oranges. He also purchased forty acres on the Newport Road and Santa Fe Railroad at the foot of Glen Avenue, which was devoted to general farming. How- ever, this was not the limit of Mr. Crawford's capabilities, for he was a live business man and saw a great future for Santa Ana and Orange County, so he conceived the idea of starting the first wholesale grocery store in Santa Ana, and incorporated the Santa Ana Wholesale Grocery Company, of which he was president and manager. He selected the site on East First Street and the Santa Fe Railroad and built a large two-story brick building with basement, the largest store building in Santa Ana. He continued actively as president and manager until his death. He also organized and was the president of the First National Bank of Tustin, a position he filled acceptably, having the entire confidence of the people, putting it on a paying basis, a task more easily accomplished by him, for he was a man of tact and rare business acumen and wide influence.

While attending the Baptist Association, held at Hemet, as a delegate, he died November 18, 1912, having been sick only three days, mourned by all who knew him. In his death Santa Ana lost one of her most enterprising and public-spirited citizens, whose place never can be filled. Mr. Crawford was intensely interested in mission work, and particularly in home missions. In his will he left a bequest of $25,000 to build and equip a chapel car for use on railroads, so constructed that a minister or evangelist and his wife could live in the car, the other part being equipped as a chapel with seating capacity for 125, and so could be moved by rail from state to state. Mrs. Crawford, following in the footsteps of her husband's desires, carried out his ambi- tion, and has endowed the chapel car with a fund, the interest of which is sufficient to pay the salary of the minister or evangelist, as well as his expenses. She has also endowed a chair of Ethical, Biblical and Missionary Instruction at the University of Redlands. It is known as the Will C. and Effie Crawford chair of Ethical, Biblical and Missionary Instruction.

Mrs. Crawford continues to reside at the family home on Glen Avenue, but has sold the other ranches and made the endowments stated above. She still holds her interest in the First National Bank of Tustin, as well as in the wholesale grocery business, its corporation name having been changed to Smart and Final Company. Cultured and refined, she is a very liberal and benevolent woman, and is a devout and active member of the First Baptist Church, as well as its missionary and women's societies. Mr. Crawford was a worthy and ardent member of the First Baptist Church of Santa Ana, the president of its board of trustees and a most valued member, being very active at the time of his death in the movement for raising the funds to pay for the building of the new church, so he was naturally mourned by a large circle when, in the prime of life, he passed to the beyond.

Will C. Crawford

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HISTORY OF ORANGE COUNTY

DAVID E. JESSEE .- An industrious, prosperous rancher and a citizen of high ideals, who has been blessed with a worthy helpmate and a family of capable children, is David Jessee, who owned two ranches, one place of twenty-nine and a half acres being near the New Hope schoolhouse, while the other ranch, which consists of seven- teen and a half acres lies east of Talbert where they now live. A native of Virginia, Mr. Jessee was born in Scott County, October 23, 1857. His parents were Archibald and Mary Ann (Purcell) Jessee, the father having been a farmer all his life, and although both were native Virginians, they remained loyal to the Union during the Civil War. One of a family of nine children, David Jessee's earliest recollections are of the Rebel soldiers foraging and skirmishing near his home, taking their corn, hay and horses for their troops. He attended subscription schools in the neighborhood and while still a lad went to live with his grandfather, David Jessee, for two years, running a grist mill and helping his grandfather on the farm.

In 1877, he went to Kansas, settling in the northwest part of the state, in Smith County. He remained there for five years, farming and raising stock, and then went back to Virginia to visit his old home. He came back to Kansas the next year, and the year following, the young lady who was to become his wife, whom he had met during his visit at home, Miss Maggie E. Godsey, came out to Smith County and their marriage occurred there on October 27, 1884. Mrs. Jessee was also a native of Virginia, as were her parents, Samuel and Sarah E. (Morgan) Godsey. She was born and reared in the same neighborhood as Mr. Jessee and received her education in the public schools there.

Mr. Jessee continued to farm in Smith County, Kans., for eleven years after his marriage, selling out there in 1895 and coming to California, locating in Orange County. His father, Archibald Jessee, had come out to California the year before and settled in the Bolsa precinct, where he lived until 1912, passing away at the age of eighty-two years. In 1900 they purchased a place in the New Hope district which was then a salt grass pasture. At first they put down a small two-inch well, later a seven- inch well and a pumping plant with a ten-horsepower engine, which furnished from forty to seventy inches of water, an abundance for the ranch. Mr. Jessee has also put in 1200 feet of cement pipe for irrigation, built a residence, barns and made many other improvements. This ranch was sold on June 17, 1920. On their other ranch, which he also improved in the Talbert district, there is a seven-inch flowing well, and Mr. Jessee has also installed a pumping plant there for use in exceedingly dry seasons. He raises grain, alfalfa, sugar beets and pimentos on his holdings, and has been very successful in growing the latter. They also own property at Manhattan Beach.

Mr. and Mrs. Jessee are the parents of four children: Charles Palmer resides in Santa Ana and is in the transfer business there; Lizzie Ellen is the wife of W. O. Ater, a cotton and alfalfa grower at Blythe, she is the mother of three sons living and a daughter deceased; William is a plumber at Santa Ana; Earl Randolph is a sophomore at the Santa Ana high school. Mrs. Jessee's mother, now the widow of Thomas Fowler, makes her home with them and is now past seventy-six years of age and blind. Public spirited and progressive, Mr. Jessee has for years taken an active interest in advancing the educational and material interests of his district, and in this he has been ably seconded by his wife, a woman of great force of character who has proved herself in every way a faithful helpmate.

WILLIAM LEHNHARDT .- Although newcomers to Bolsa precinct, the family of William Lehnhardt have already made for themselves a very definite place in the community, for they are indeed an acquisition to the moral, intellectual and industrial life of the neighborhood. A native of Michigan, Mr. Lehnhardt was born at Montague, Muskegon County, August 21, 1873. His parents were William and Mary (Hendricks) Lehnhardt, both born and married in Germany, coming to America about 1865, and set- tling in Michigan. The father died in Muskegon, and when William was twelve years of age he came with his mother and the rest of the family to Chicago. He received his edu- cation in the public schools of Muskegon and Chicago and then learned the trade of cornice maker and sheet metal worker. During the stringent times succeeding the World's Fair at Chicago in 1893, he found it very difficult to get steady work there, so in 1897 he went to South Dakota and began working in a hardware store at Tyndall, Bon Homme County, and while working there he also learned the tinsmith's trade. for many years he ran the hardware business of John Weisser, his father-in-law, after- wards becoming the proprietor of a store of his own, which he conducted successfully for a number of years.

In 1907 he sold out his hardware business at Tyndall and came to California, settling at Long Beach, where he remained until 1908, when he bought twenty acres of land in the Bolsa district and here now owns forty-five acres of well improved land, ten acres being set to Valencia oranges. He has made many improvements here, put-

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ting in a well and pumping plant. He has gone in quite extensively for truck gardening and has been very successful in growing pimento and chili peppers, cabbage, sweet and Irish potatoes. He also rents ten acres in addition, which he farms.

On April 25, 1900, Mr. Lehnhardt was married to Miss Elizabeth Weisser of Tyndall, S. D., a daughter of John and Eva Weisser, the father being born in Odessa, Russia. Mrs. Lehnhardt, received an excellent education, being a graduate of the Tyndall high school and after that a student for two years at the University of South Dakota, at Vermillion. Mr. and Mrs. John Weisser came to California in 1907, later settling in the Bolsa district, Mr. Weisser passing away in May, 1916, at the age of seventy-one years. Mrs. Eva Weisser is the owner of a ten-acre ranch just across the road from the Lehnhardt home, and here she resides, having recently erected a fine bungalow on the place. Mr. and Mrs. Lehnhardt are the parents of nine children: Robert, a graduate of the Santa Ana high school and now attends the University of Redlands; Walter and Laura attend the Santa Ana high school; Emma, Elizabeth and Margaret are in the New Hope grammar school; and John W., Carl Edward and Ruth Anna are at home. Keenly alive to the importance of giving the best possible educational advantages to the coming generation, Mr. Lehnhardt is serving as school trustee of the New Hope district. Politically he inclines to the principles of the Republican party. The family are members of the Baptist Church at Garden Grove. Intelligent, industrious and progressive, the whole family are indeed a welcome addi- tion to the community. The excellent education received by Mrs. Lehnhardt is made manifest in all the details of their home life, and she is a model wife and mother. Of a jovial disposition, Mr. Lehnhardt makes friends wherever he goes and he is always ready to give of his time and energy to any good cause.

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History of Orange County, California : with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its earliest growth and development from the early days to the present, Part 103

Author: Armor, Samuel, 1843-; Pleasants, J. E., Mrs Publication date: 1921 Publisher: Los Angeles : Historic Record Co. Number of Pages: 1700

Author: Armor, Samuel, 1843-; Pleasants, J. E., Mrs
Publication date: 1921
Publisher: Los Angeles : Historic Record Co.
Number of Pages: 1700