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 109

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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When the recent war broke out, Mr. Tubbs went to San Francisco and took the officer's examination, and on April 9, 1917, was recommended for a commission; but he was later held back on account of being under weight. On November 2, 1917, he was finally admitted to the service, and served at Camp Lewis in the Ninety-first Division, in the enlisted men's ranks. In August, 1915, he was commissioned second lieutenant and was held as instructor in the Thirteenth Division at Camp Lewis. On December 3, 1918, he was honorably discharged. He is treasurer of Santa Ana Post, No. 131, of the American Legion. On his return to civilian life, Mr. Tubbs resumed his position with the Orange County Trust and Savings Bank. On June 1, 1919, he accepted the responsibility of representing the Auto Club of Orange County as office manager at Santa Ana.

J.a. I mapp

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On July 5, 1919, Mr. Tubbs was married to Miss Dorothy L. Hendrie, daughter of I. R. and Alice (Dakan) Hendrie of Santa Ana. She began her education in the public schools of Long Beach and continued her studies at the Santa Ana high school, and received private instruction in music and the drama. During the recent war, Mrs. Tubbs served as a nurse in the Good Samaritan Hospital at Los Angeles, disengaging herself therefrom when hostilities ceased on November 11, 1918. Mr. Tubbs is a mem- ber of the Chamber of Commerce and a life member of the Elks, and few if any enjoy a more deserved popularity.

JAMES ALLAN KNAPP .- A Californian of more than ordinary interest, both on account of his personality and his varied life story, is J. A. Knapp, one of the fore- most citizens of Garden Grove, and popularly spoken of as the "Chili King." His face and figure have become familiar to many non-residents who have attended the afternoon lectures by D. W. McDaniel, the capable representative of Orange County at the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. Knapp was born seventy miles north of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and ten miles northwest of Barrie, the county seat of Simcoe County, on his father's farm of 100 acres, on December 23. 1879, the third child and the second son of Peter B. Knapp, who had married Christina M. Livingston. Peter Knapp was of Scotch origin, and belonged to the loyal Tory stock in Pennsylvania, who returned to British soil, that is, removed to Canada, at the outbreak of the Revolutionary War. He was reared at Kingston, Ont., and became a farmer, and he died on January 6, 1903, aged fifty-two years, in California, to which milder region he had come for his health in 1898, with his eldest son, George Knapp. He had stopped first at Weiser, Idaho, from June until September, 1898, and from there he came to Anaheim, where he remained until March, 1899, when he went back to Canada, leaving his son here. He straight- ened out his affairs and returned to Anaheim, and there bought land, and made many friends; so that today he is favorably remembered in the neighborhood of his demise.

Seven children blessed the union of Peter and Christina Knapp. George was the eldest and died at the age of twenty-six, at Anaheim; May is the wife of George W. Dorr, the chief clerk of the U. S. Railway Mail Service running out of Los Angeles to El Paso, Texas, and resides at 235 East Adams Street, Eagle Rock; James Allan is the subject of this review; Annie died at the age of twenty; Rachel J. is the wife of E. M. Christensen, a farmer and cement contractor, living two miles northeast of Garden Grove, and Elmer C. and Robert L. are both single and live with their mother on the original Knapp farm of fifty acres, purchased in February, 1900, and now planted to oranges.

James A. was twenty years old when he came to Garden Grove. He had attended the public schools at Minesing, Canada, and the Collegiate Institute at Barrie, and so was well equipped for a successful tussle with the world. On his arrival in California, he lost no time in going to work as a farm hand on an orange ranch at eighteen dollars a month. At the end of the month, however, he quit to try his hand at walnut culture, and for three-quarters of a year he was on a walnut ranch. Then he went to work on the home ranch, where he remained until he was thirty years of age. While working at the walnut grove, he watched his neighbor grow a two and a half acre patch of Chili peppers, for canning, and since these were the first of that edible he had ever seen, the process interested him not a little. His father had thirty acres of idle land, and Mr. Knapp soon conceived the idea of utilizing it for pepper growing. The following year. therefore, he and his father put in eight acres, with good results, netting them about $200 an acre, and the second year they planted fifteen acres, and each year planted more and more, until now Mr. Knapp has 1,000 acres of peppers, leased land, all of which he supervises himself. The peppers are grown on contract, and he uses Mexican, Jap and white labor. In busy harvest seasons he em- ploys about 500 people. He owns the largest chili warehouse in Garden Grove, and Garden Grove is the largest and most important initial Chili pepper market in the United States, if not in the world.

The varieties of peppers grown from seeds of Mr. Knapp's own raising are as follows: The Mexican type, Chili pod (parent stock being imported from Old Mexico). this type heing first grown by Mr. Knapp in 1907, and his first crop was sold at St. Louis in the same year; the California long red pod Chili, which is native; the Pi- miento, or sweet peppers, the seeds of which were imported from Spain in 1910, and brought over by various canning companies.

Mr. Knapp and his father built at Anaheim, in 1901, the first evaporator in Orange County used for drying peppers artificially, and now he has a number of drying houses, one plant containing eight separate buildings, or units. He has devised a type of evaporator, which has been very generally adopted by all the rest of the growers.

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The pepper contains at least ninety per cent of water, which is more than that generally found in vegetables, and this renders it necessary to have a special form of dryer. In 1915 natural gas fuel for generating the necessary heat for the evaporators was adopted in place of oil, and this was an important step forward.

Mr. Knapp's chili warehouse is a large frame structure, 40 x 100 feet, situated on the right of way of the Pacific Electric Railway, and was built by him in 1917. He works up his own markets for chili peppers, and has done so from the start. He does his own selling, and ships direct to his many customers in car load lots. The Latin races of California, New Mexico, Arizona and Texas were the first to use chili pep- pers, but his trade now includes the Mississippi Valley, and is traveling rapidly both East and North. In 1919 he even invaded New York City with a car load of that year's crop, and this shows how, under such splendid leadership as that of this captain of industry, the pepper market has been expanded.

In 1910 Mr. Knapp became interested in some other business affairs in Garden Grove. The previous year he had helped to organize the Garden Grove State Bank, when he became its first vice-president, and later its president, and this solid institu- tion has now become the First National Bank. In 1916 he was elected president of the Garden Grove State Bank, and he is still a stockholder.

Seventy acres of land belonging to Mr. Knapp are given up to Valencia oranges, and he also grows beans. He helped to organize the Garden Grove Bean Growers Association in 1915, and has served as the president ever since. In 1914 he helped to organize the Garden Grove City Water Company, a private enterprise, of which he is both president and manager.

On December 19, 1911, Mr. Knapp was married to Miss Nina Frances Richard- son, of Sibley, Iowa, where she was born and reared, the daughter of Robert and Catherine (Bremmer) Richardson, both of whom are still living in that place, where the father is a meat packer. She was educated at the Sibley high school and the State Teachers College, at Cedar Falls, Iowa, and coming to California, taught in the Gar- den Grove schools. They have one child, Dorothy Mae, and have lived at Garden Grove since their marriage. They belong to the Baptist Church of Garden Grove, and Mr. Knapp was on the committee which had charge of the erection of the fine edifice, which seats 300 people, and was remodeled in 1914. He is now chairman of the church board of trustees, and was also superintendent of the Sunday school for several years, resigning in 1917. Mrs. Knapp is a teacher in the Sunday school, and is an officer in the missionary society. Mr. Knapp is a Republican in national politics, and both he and Mrs. Knapp were participants in all the various war activities. He was made a Mason in the Anaheim Lodge, F. & A. M., in 1907, and is still a member there, being a past master.

FRED K. GRESSWELL .- The leader in his line of work, that of sign painting. window lettering, and the making of glass and metal signs, Fred K. Gresswell of Anaheim is noted for the excellency of his work and its artistic qualities. A native of England, Mr. Gresswell was born at Grimsby on October 9, 1855, but for many years he has been a loyal citizen of the United States, having taken out his final papers on November 4. 1898. He received his education in private schools and the Methodist College of his native land. In England, in those days, the training of the trades was very thorough, and Mr. Gresswell served as an apprentice at the painter's trade for seven years, and for one year as an "improver" which is slightly higher than an appren- tice, and with advanced wages. In those days the colors for paints were ground with a muller and stone and the oil was taken from the cake mill and boiled. This work was done in the winter, preparatory for the summer season, and Mr. Gresswell did a great deal of this primitive paint making and this thorough grounding in all the details of his work has added greatly to his proficiency.

In 1879 Mr. Gresswell came to the United States, locating in Chicago, where he followed his trade for some time. He went back to England, but returned to Chicago, later coming west. He arrived in California in 1903, engaging in his line of work at Los Angeles and Long Beach until 1907, when he came to Anaheim. Here he established himself as a painting contractor, continuing in this until he took up his present work of sign painting, window lettering and glass and metal sign making, and in this work he has been most successful. He makes a specialty of gold lettering on glass and has done all the work of this kind on the First National Bank Building, the Anaheim Na- tional Bank Building and the Golden State Bank Building, and part of the work on the First National Bank Building of Fullerton and the First National Building of Victorville. He also does all the lettering for the city of Anaheim. For a number of years he has had the decorating contract for the Orange Show held in San Bernardino each season. One of the most enthusiastic boosters Anaheim has ever had, even during his vacation he carries his paint pot with him, and on rocks, fences and buildings paints

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the number of miles from Anaheim, which has proved very convenient and helpful, especially to strangers driving through this part of the country. In addition to his own line of work, Mr. Gresswell has also been interested in a number of real estate operations. He sold the land on which the Anaheim Sugar Factory is located for the owner, W. F. Patt of Los Angeles. He owned twenty-four lots next to the site, on which he established a Mexican colony, thus segregating them from the city proper, and at one time there were 300 Mexicans living there. He has also dealt in other Anaheim property and erected two houses.

During the war Mr. Gresswell was very active in the Liberty Loan drives, helping Anaheim go over the top. He designed the Statue of Liberty used in the Third Liberty Loan and painted the signs for the Fourth Loan which were placed in the public square. Both the above were fine and artistic in their concept and attracted much attention. For his work in the Victory Loan he received a medal from the United States Government. He has always been prominent in the work of the Chamber of Commerce, being a director and chairman of the advertising committee and of the exhibits. He designed the exhibit now being used in the Board of Trade rooms.

In his early days in England, Mr. Gresswell was much interested in natural history, being a member of the Naturalist Society of Grimsby, and the curator for five years of the Marine Fisheries of England. In 1882 the latter was taken over by the English government. Fraternally, he is a member of the Anaheim Lodge, No. 1345, B. P. O. Elks.

While still living in England, Mr. Gresswell was married to Rebecca Reed, a native of that country, who passed away in Los Angeles. She was the mother of four children: Herbert, a bookkeeper in the Los Angeles postoffice is married and has two children; Ada is Mrs. David Pryor of Huntington Park, and she is the mother of four children; Clara married Gage Owen of Pasadena and has one child; and Ella, who is Mrs. William Schmitt of Los Angeles, has two children. Mr. Gresswell was married a second time to Mrs. Eliza Bowles, born in England, who passed away in Long Beach. In Anaheim, in March, 1920, Mr. Gresswell was married a third time to Mrs. Emma G. White, also a native of England, and they reside at 317 Clementine Street. In national politics Mr. Gresswell is decidedly Republican.

BERNARD J. DRESSER .- It is peculiar to Orange County, and particularly to Anaheim, that the men engaged in business there are men who have had years of experience in their special lines, and have brought to this section the benefit of their knowledge, as shown in the many fine business establishments in the county, equal to those in any of the larger cities of the state, and with the most modern methods used in carrying on their various lines. Among these may be mentioned that of Bern- ard J. Dresser, proprietor of the White Lily Bakery, at 307 West Center Street, Anaheim.

Mr. Dresser is a native of Missouri, born in Osage County, June 22, 1860. The family moved to Portland, Ore., in 1874, when he was a lad of fourteen, and there he finished his education. In 1884 he and his father came to Anaheim, where they re- mained until 1893, and Bernard J. assisted his father in developing his twenty-acre orange ranch, and also clerked in grocery stores in the city. In 1893 they returned to Portland, and Mr. Dresser became a member of the grocery firm of F. Dresser and Company, remaining in the firm for over twenty years, during which time he became very active in affairs pertaining to the grocery business in Portland; for three years he was president of the Retail Grocers Association of that city, and in 1908 attended the National Convention of Retail Grocers as a delegate, held in Boston, Mass. He was also one of the founders of the Portland Grocers and Merchants Magazine, and helped to put it on a sound financial basis; the periodical is still published and is now one of the influential and popular publications of the northern city.

Anaheim and its beckoning opportunities had never faded from his mind, however, and in 1915 Mr. Dresser came there to reside, and purchased the White Lily Bakery, since which time he has built up an actually phenomenal business in a short space of time, and made many improvements. When he took over the business one baker and one helper were employed: fifteen people are now employed and a large wholesale and retail trade supplied, three delivery trucks deliver bread to all the surrounding towns in the valley, and new agencies are constantly being added. His retail trade is growing rapidly, as the fame of White Lily bread has spread from household to household, and it is a case of "the proof of the pudding is in the eating." A full line of cakes and fancy pastry is also made, and this bakery is the only one in the county with two ovens, the combined capacity of which is 8,000 loaves daily, with a daily output at present of 3.600 loaves. All the new and modern machinery is used: after the dough is put into the moulds, they are put on racks and wheeled into the steam room, after which they are ready for the ovens. The bakery floors are cement, and the walls and

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ceilings in white enamel paint, with the entire plant as clean and sanitary as a good housekeeper could keep her kitchen.

The marriage of Mr. Dresser, in Portland, Ore., 1895, united him with Elizabeth C. Heitkemper, a native of lowa, and two children have blessed their union: Bernard H., and Catherine. A true helpmate in every sense of the word, Mrs. Dresser has been of great assistance in carrying on the business, and like most women of today, keeps in touch with current events and with the business and civic, as well as the social life of the community. The family attend the Catholic Church, and Mr. Dresser is a member of the Anaheim Council No. 1154, Knights of Columbus. He is also a member of the Anaheim Lodge of B. P. O. Elks No. 1345, and of the Woodmen of the World. Prominent in business circles in the county, he stands ready at all times to aid in every way the best interests of his community, and as a member of the Anaheim Board of Trade, and the Merchants Association, he does his share in all movements for the fur- ther advancement of Orange County.

FRANK E. PARTRIDGE .- Among the bright, far-sighted and promising young men of his district, to whom Orange County naturally looks for much of its future development and prosperity, must be noted Frank E. Partridge, the progressive rancher who cultivates a productive orchard of oranges located on Fairhaven, between Yorba and Prospect avenues, which he has brought to a high state of perfection. He has owned his acreage only since 1906, and in the intervening years he has made all of the improvements which mark the property as a choice estate.

Of an old Eastern family, Frank E. Partridge was born in Philadelphia, Pa., September 12, 1889, his parents being Joseph A. and Mary H. (Freeman) Partridge, both natives of Brooklyn, N. Y. Joseph A. Partridge was well known in the mercantile circles of New York City, having established the firm of Partridge and Wilcox, whole- sale dealers in notions and dry goods, the business still being conducted under this name although he passed away over twenty years ago.

The youngest of a family of five children, three of whom are living, Frank E. Partridge was educated in the public schools, later attending the Vermont Military Academy at Saxton's River, Vt., for two years. In 1903 the Partridge family came to California, spending a year at San Diego. Coming back in 1905, they went to Pasadena to look over property with a view to buying, but returned to their Eastern home with- out purchasing. In the spring of 1907 Frank E. Partridge came to Ocean Park and then to Santa Ana, and in the fall of that year, with his mother he purchased a tract of ten acres on Fairhaven Avenue, near Orange. To this ranch he has given intelligent and careful attention, increasing the planting from 210 to 640 Valencia orange trees, and the orchard is now in a thriving condition and is an excellent producer.

On October 11, 1919, Mr. Partridge was married to Mrs. Josie (Stearns) Jamar, the daughter of William and Lillie (Richie) Stearns; her parents were ranchers at Orange, but now reside in Arizona. Since his first residence here Mr. Partridge has shown himself to be public spirited and progressive and he stands high in the regard of the community for his willingness to cooperate in advancing the welfare of this section in all lines. He is a member of the McPherson Heights Citrus Association and the Santa Ana Valley Irrigation Company, and in political matter is a staunch adherent of Republicanism. While devoted to business, Mr. Partridge still finds time to enjoy outdoor sports, of which he is fond, and which the climate of California makes so attractive the year round.

WILLIAM H. BOON .- To be recognized as a self-made man is the honor accorded to William H. Boon, the popular agent for the Harley-Davidson motorcycles at Anaheim. His career presents a striking example of what industry and resourceful- ness, coupled with thrift and an indomitable will to succeed, can accomplish even in the face of seemingly insurmountable difficulties.

William H. Boon was born in Parsons, Kans., August 22, 1888. In 1904 his parents migrated to California, locating at Randsburg, Kern County, where William finished his school days and afterwards for a short time was employed in a book store. His next employment was with the Yellow Aster Mining Company where he remained seven years during which time he rendered faithful and efficient service in various capacities until he worked his way up to the important position of fireman in the large mill.

After leaving the Yellow Aster Mining Company Mr. Boon was at Colton, Cal., for a short time where he was connected with the Pacific Fruit Express Ice Company; afterwards, for three months, he was employed by the Fontana Company at Fontana, Cal. During this time he formed the acquaintance of J. W. Smith, who had the con- tract for sinking wells for the Fontana Company in Lytle Creek, and entered his employ for two years. In 1910 Mr. Boon came to Anaheim, in the interests of J. W. Smith

Frank E. Partridge

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who had contracted to sink wells for the Anaheim Union Water Company at Anaheim. While engaged in this work in Orange County, he was so greatly impressed with Anaheim as a business center that he determined to make it his home and as soon as practicable he entered into partnership with John Kemper and operated a bicycle shop under the name of Boon and Kemper at 205 South Los Angeles Street. Soon after- wards Mr. Kemper sold his interest to Charles Griffith, who later sold out to Fred Minyard. He remained but a short time when Mr. Boon bought his interest and became the sole owner of the business.

By his judicious management, Mr. Boon has greatly increased the business and now occupies new and modern quarters at 147 South Los Angeles Street. He has the agency for northern Orange County for the well known Harley-Davidson motor- cycles, his sales averaging twenty-five new machines annually. He also carries in stock a line of American bicycles, does repair work, has a complete welding outfit with which he does the welding for the automobile companies of Anaheim.

The marriage of Mr. Boon united him with Launa Whittaker, a native of Colo- rado, and of this happy union three children were born: lona Ray and Iola May, twins; and Robert Harry. Mr. Boon is a member of the Anaheim Board of Trade and the Merchants Association. Ever since he was twenty years of age he has made his way in the world and although coming to California originally for his health's sake, he is now strong and vigorous and one of Anaheim's successful business men.

ERNEST HENRY RURUP .- A successful rancher who has so well prospered in California that he is naturally very devoted to the Golden State, is Ernest Henry Rurup, of North Flower Street, Santa Ana, the fancier of and authority on Percheron horses. He was born in Onhausen, Prussia, Germany, on' June 28, 1849, and came to America in January, 1866. For four years he worked in Cottage Grove, Dane County, Wis., and then leased a farm in the same vicinity and engaged in general farming for seventeen years. In 1889 he removed to Nebraska, where he farmed from 300 to 400 acres near Aurora, in Hamilton County. He soon purchased half a section of land in the same locality, and this he used for general farming until 1903. While there he made a specialty of raising short-horn cattle and Percheron horses.

In that year, having made up his mind to remove to California, he came direct to Santa Ana and bought twenty acres on North Flower Street. This is now devoted to choice walnuts, and is under the service of the Santa Ana Valley Irrigation Com- pany. The land has always been rich, and since Mr. Rurup has brought it to a very high state of cultivation, it makes one of the choicest ranches in all Orange County.

On September 22, 1871, Mr. Rurup married Miss Johanna Grote, a native of the Duchy of Braunschweig, or Brunswick, Germany, who came to America with her parents in 1871, and settled in Wisconsin. Nine children blessed their happy union. Charles L. is in the implement business in Judica, Nebr .; William is on a farm in Hamilton County, in the same state; Clara married Louis Holland and lives at Orange; Henry is living in Arizona; Minnie resides at El Centro; Walter works in the oil field at Newport Beach; Emma .is now Mrs. Miles Hill and lives at home; Flieda is Mrs. C. Irwin of Brea; and Ernest George lives at Phoenix, Ariz.

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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 109

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