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 139

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

USA > California > Orange County > 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 139

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Messrs. Osterman and Osterman have $50,000 worth of equipment, consisting of buildings on rented ranch land, two threshing machines, one a grain separator of the Case make, and the other a bean thresher. They also own a Holt 75 tractor, and two headers, which they use in harvesting. They usually have about 1,700 acres in crop each year. Mr. Osterman is a Republican in national politics, although too broad minded to allow partisanship to affect his attitude toward local issues and movements properly endorsed, and fraternally he is an Elk-of the type all lodges are anxious to have among their number.

NEWTON BARRIS PIERCE .- It is not given to many men to leave behind them such an enviable record for specific accomplishment in a new field as that of the late Newton Barris Pierce, the widely-known vegetable pathologist, who conceived the magnificent idea of collecting and developing the wild flowers of the earth, and who identified modest little Santa Ana with his pretentious undertaking and almost unhoped for attainment. He was born at Brockport, N. Y., on September 26, 1856, the son of Franklin B. and Melissa (Hinman) Pierce, his forebears on the father's side having heen Bostonians of an old-established line, and doubtless related to the family of Presi- dent Franklin Pierce, and on the mother's side coming from New York State, and probably related to the Hinmans of Connecticut, recalling Americans distinguished as soldiers, scholars and educators. He attended the common and high schools of New York, Wisconsin and Michigan, and later, in 1882-83, entered Harvard College at Cam- bridge, Mass., where he studied in the Museum of Entomology. Then he went to Ann Arbor, Mich., and finished the course of vegetable pathology, giving the two years in that well equipped institution between 1887 and 1889.

At Ludington, Mason County, Mich., Mr. Pierce had a private laboratory from 1876 to 1889, and there he applied himself to collecting and studing insects. In 1890 he was commissioned to come to Southern California and study the grapevine disease; locating at Santa Ana. After a few months here, he concluded to go to Southern Europe and Northern Africa, where the trouble was said to have originated. The next year. he returned to California and Santa Ana, rich in added experience.

On March 11, 1897, Mr. Pierce married Miss Maude B. Lacy, the daughter of Dr. John McClelland and Eliza (Bean) Lacy, pioneers of Santa Ana, where Dr. Lacy was a prominent and well-known physician and surgeon. One child, Newton Lacy

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Pierce, now a sophomore in the Santa Ana high school, blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. Pierce.

As far back as 1874 in Michigan, Mr. Pierce was a lumber inspector, a partner in the firm of Pierce Bros., who established an office in Ludington in 1876, which they kept open until 1895. In time, he became connected with the sinking of early salt wells in Western Michigan. When the California grapevine disease threatened the industry on the Pacific Coast, David Hewes sent to Washington for aid, and the au- thorities at the Federal capital sent to Michigan for a competent man; and as the result of special recommendation, Mr. Pierce was appointed by the U. S. Agricultural Depart- ment to find a way to fight the disease.

In 1889, he was placed in charge of vegetable pathology for the United States Department of Agriculture, and three years later established the wild plant improve- ment gardens. He became a life member of the American Association for the Advance- ment of Science, a member of the International Association of Botanists, the American Association of Bacteriologists, and a life member of the Michigan and Illinois Hor- ticultural societies. He was also a member of the California Entomological Club and of the California Viticultural Club. In religion he was a consistent member of the First Presbyterian Church of Santa Ana.

Mr. Pierce, who was a true and reverent scientist, established an exchange bureau with various misssionaries throughout the world, thereby obtaining wild plants from all over the globe, and this important work is now being carried on by a special branch of the United States Agricultural Department. When he passed away, on October 13, 1916, to the sorrow of many besides his personal friends, he had given his name as author to several interesting books and numerous papers on plant disease, including : "California Vine Disease," edited in 1892, and "Peach Leaf Curl," a work produced eight years afterward.

FREDERICK E. BANGS .- A successful California rancher who may look back with satisfaction to a long and enviable record as a distinguished educator in the East, is Frederick E. Bangs, of 701 Orange Avenue, Santa Ana. He was born in the town of Groton, Tompkins County, N. Y., on July 27, 1848, the son of Samuel and Eliza (Berry) Bangs, farmer folk in a dairy country. They moved to Cayuga County when Frederick E. was a year and a half old, and purchased a farm there of 160 acres. The lad was therefore brought up on a farm, and until he was fourteen, sent to the district school. Then he continued his studies at Cortland Academy, Homer, N. Y., and later attended Lawrence University at Appleton, Wis., from which he was duly graduated with honors.

He taught school for three winters and a summer near Oshkosh, at the same time keeping up his college work, and afterward attended Yale University, from which he was graduated with the Class of '76, in the Centennial year of the Republic. He had received his degree of B.S. at Lawrence, and when he obtained his B.D. degree from Yale, he was given, automatically, the M.A. degree of Lawrence University. After that, he went into the mission field at Farmington, Iowa, for a year.

Then he was appointed principal of the five grammar schools in Wooster district. at New Haven, Conn., and there he remained from 1877 until 1894. Prior to beginning his teaching- that is, at New Haven on May 18. 1876-Mr. Bangs was married to Miss Edith Seaver Day. the daughter of Horace and Sarah (Seaver) Day, her father. a scholarly man, being secretary of the Board of Education of New Haven, serving forty years. She proved an invaluable helpmate, but passed away on February 28, 1884. A second time, four years later, on May 3. Mr. Bangs married, this time choosing Miss Augusta Crane, a native of East Orange, N. J. The ceremony took place at Little Falls in that state. She was the daughter of Charles and Louisa ( Munn) Crane, and her father was a dealer in general merchandise at Orange. Both the Munn and Crane families trace their ancestry back to colonial times. She was first sent to the Orange grammar schools, and later to the New Jersey State Normal at Trenton, where she was graduated in the advanced courses. She taught one year at Vineland, then she was an instructor in the schools at East Orange from 1876 to 1879 under C. F. Carroll. Then she was called to New Haven by S. T. Dutton and taught for two years in the Eaton school under him, and in 1880 she served as first assistant teacher to Mr. Bangs at New Haven, and continued to teach there until she was married.

After having had charge of the Wooster schools for seventeen years. Mr. Bangs retired from teaching in 1894, and returned to the old homestead at Groton, where he engaged in general farming. In 1901 he disposed of his holding and came west to California and Santa Ana. Here he purchased a ranch of eleven and a quarter acres on Orange Avenue, which was at one time the southwest part of the old Stafford estate, and later he sold four and a half acres lying east of the Pacific Electric Railway. Now he has about six acres, interset with oranges and walnuts. and thriving well under the service of the Santa Ana Valley Irrigation Company.

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E. l. Bangs.

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In national politics a Republican, Mr. Bangs endeavors to perform his civic duties in local affairs without restricting partisanship and in the broad spirit most likely to make for the best standards in citizenship. Naturally, he is an advocate of popular education, and leaves no stone unturned to advance and strengthen one of the most aggressive and most beneficent of American institutions.

Two children have blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. Bangs: Marguerite Louise is now Mrs. Charles H. Stearns of Santa Ana and the mother of two sons-Oliver Charles, born January 22, 1916, and Frederick Edward, born May 5, 1918. She gradu- ated from Pomona College with the Bachelor of Arts degree, and also received the degree of Master of Arts from the University of Southern California. She was a high school teacher at Bishop, Cal., for a year, and for another year at Visalia. Edward Crane Bangs is also a graduate of Pomona College with the degree of B.A., and is an alumnus of the University of California, having majored at Berkeley in chemistry. He was teaching in the high school at Arcata, when he enlisted in the United States Army in February, 1918, as a member of the Three Hundred Nineteenth Engineers Corps, and was sent to Camp Fremont. In April, he was sent to the officers' training school at Camp Lee. Va., and in the following month of May was commissioned a second lieu- tenant. He proved one of the ablest of the class, and was needed in the chemical de- partment of the army. He was then sent to the gas defense school, from which he was graduated in July, 1918. After that, he was despatched to Camp Grant, to become instructor in gas to the entire camp: and when it transpired that this camp was not ready for his work, he was sent on to Sparta, Wis., as the instructor to the artillery stationed there. He later returned to Camp Grant and took charge of the instruction in defense work, and rose to the rank of chief gas officer. On February 17, 1919, he was honorably discharged at Camp Grant, and returned to his home state, where he is now engaged as a high school teacher.

JO LOWELL .- An industrious, successful man of comfortable affluence is Jo Lowell. the rancher of 1108 West Fifth Street, Santa Ana, whose modest disposition. despite his useful, influential life, draws to him a circle of devoted friends. He was born at Sacramento on May 10. 1872, the son of William Henry and Mary Lowell. The father was an employe of the Wells Fargo Express Company, before the advent here of the railroad, and had charge of one of the wagon routes. The mother died when Jo was ten years old, and at that tender age he set out to seek his own fortune.

He went into Kern County, on the south fork of the Kern River, and worked on T. S. Smith's stock ranch of one thousand acres; and for twenty years he was in the employ of the same man. In the fall of 1903 he came to Santa Ana; and on November 18 he was married to Miss Mabel T. Townsend, a native daughter born in San Ber- nardino, whose parents were B. F. and Anna Townsend. They came to Garden Grove when she was two years old, and became pioneers of Orange County, so that Mabel was sent to the Garden Grove district school. Later, she continued her studies at a preparatory school at Orange and in time was graduated from Stanford University. Their wedding took place at Santa Ana, and was one of the quiet, pleasant events of the year. For a while thereafter, while they made Santa Ana their home, Mr. Lowell worked on ranches in the vicinity.

In 1906 he went to San Diego, Texas, and ranched sixteen miles to the southwest of that town until 1909 on 2.300 acres. On his return to California, he farmed 260 acres near Stockton, raising barley and potatoes. In 1912, he came back to Santa Ana. to take care of his fourteen and a half-acre ranch, ten acres of which were devoted to Valencia oranges, and four and a half acres to walnuts. This neat little ranch was purchased by B. F. Townsend. Mrs. Lowell's father, in 1886. and as he died in May, 1917. Mr. and Mrs. Lowell inherited it. They have also inherited 2.300 acres in Texas. once owned by Mr. Townsend. as well as the latter's home. at 1108 West Fifth Street. Santa Ana.

. Three children have come to make still happier the delightful home life of these thoroughly American folks. Kenneth Townsend Lowell is a high school student at Santa Ana: Virginia May is in the intermediate school; and so is Charline Elizabeth. Fraternally, Mr. Lowell is a Mason; in national politics he is a Republican.

RODGER BROS .- Conspienons among the most properous and interesting indus- trial establishments of Balboa is that of the auto and shipbuilding firm of Rodger Bros .. composed of C. G. and E. D. Rodger, who own a first-class garage, machine shop and ship ways, are always active in promoting the best interests of the tourist, and who have added to the attractiveness of Balboa as a harbor resort by keeping well-equipped boats for charter.

C. C. Rodger, popularly known as Cordie Rodger, was born in Iowa, in April. 1876, while E. D. Rodger was also born in Iowa. in August, 1878. They were both the sons of Glaud H. and Nancy M. Rodger, who came from lowa to Californii.

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although the father had been here before, and was in many ways a thorough, typical Californian. Grandfather Glaud Rodger was a native of Glasgow, Scotland, who had married Miss Matilda Clark, a native of Liverpool, England. They crossed the great American plains in 1852, and stayed at Salt Lake over winter, and there their child, Glaud H., was born. The following season they came on to California and settled at San Bernardino. The grandfather was a farmer, and Glaud H. grew up to follow agriculture. He went back to Iowa, and when twenty-two years old married Miss Nancy M. Sutherland, the ceremony taking place in Decatur County, Iowa.

Mr. and Mrs. Rodger lived in Iowa for thirteen years, and then they came to California in the spring of 1887, and settled at what is now Laguna Beach. Later they went to El Toro and farmed on the Moulton Ranch-in fact Mr. Rodger did the first grain farming on the great Moulton acreage, and he bought and operated the first header ever brought on to that place. Now he and his devoted wife are both living in their comfortable residence at Balboa. They belong to the reorganized L. D. S. Church. Of their nine children, six grew to maturity, three having died in fancy. Jessie married William Woodhouse, a rancher at El Toro; but she died four years ago, mourned by many. C. G. and E. D. Rodger, the subjects of this instructive review, have materially advanced the importance of Balboa in its relation to the outside world and as an attractive place for outsiders to come to and settle in. Fred is a rancher at El Toro. Dolly is the wife of William Cubben, the machinist; and Ethel is at home.

Twelve years ago, E. D. Rodger came to Balboa and went to work as a machinist for W. S. Collins at the Collins shipyard in Balboa, and later he founded the firm of Rodger Bros., which got along at first with a building 35x126 feet in size, now adjoin- ing on the east their newer structure of. 1920, 35x136 feet in size. They have built and equipped many boats, among them the Limit, constructed in 1916, and the Harriet N., 1918-both fine specimens of naval architecture; and they repair much of the craft used on the bay and the ocean. Even as boys, both of the Rodgers were apt machinists, and it is not surprising that their patrons come from miles around. They make a specialty of motion picture water work-now one of the departments of a most impor- tant modern undertaking, with its effect on the civilization of the four quarters of the globe. In 1900, E. D. Rodger was married at El Toro to Miss Viola Zimmerman, a lady of talents and the capacity of cooperation, who also has her circle of friends.

EARL L. MATTHEWS .- An admirable example of the man who can accomplish much entirely through his own initiative and determination to succeed is found in Earl L. Matthews, the president of the Orange County Ignition Works, Inc., the largest business of its kind in the county, and his reputation for thorough workmanship and absolutely reliable service has brought him a lucrative patronage that is in every way well deserved. His career, in its practical results, is an encouragement to every strug- gling young man who has ambition and genins and is willing to make sacrifices and endure long hours of hard work.

Earl L. Matthews is a native of Ohio, being born at Toledo on April 23, 1888. His parents are William H. and Frances ( West) Matthews and they left their Ohio home in 1906 and came to California to reside. They located first at Porterville in Tulare County, remaining there for two years, then removing to Long Beach, where they re- sided for another period of two years, coming to Santa Ana in 1910, and they still make their home there. The only child of his parents, Earl L. Matthews was edu- cated in the public and high schools of Toledo, Ohio, and later took a commercial course in the Toledo Business College. Always of a mechanical turn of mind, after coming to California in 1906 Mr. Matthews became interested in auto electrical work and very wisely decided that the surest way to success was to begin at the bottom and master every angle of the business. Accordingly he spent considerable time in some of the largest shops in Los Angeles, learning all the details of the work and gaining a most valuable practical experience.

On coming to Santa Ana in 1910, Mr. Matthews started the nucleus of his present large business, beginning in a small store building at 414 West Fourth Street, and by well-directed effort the business increased so rapidly that he saw the need of expansion, and so occupied three other locations before coming to his present place at the corner of Fifth and Spurgeon streets. In 1916 he incorporated his business as the Orange County Ignition Works and since that time he has built up a wonderfully successful business, employing over thirty people, and having branch houses at Fullerton and Orange. At both of these places he occupies fireproof buildings, which have been erect- ed according to his own designs and needs. He handles the Willard storage battery and specializes in electrical apparatus pertaining to automobiles, confining his business to this line of work. He maintains a thoroughly equipped electrical repair department which is fully prepared to handle ignition and electrical trouble on every make of auto- mobile and particular attention is paid to electrical trouble on trucks and farm tractors,

& L. Matthews

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thus giving assistance and immediate aid to ranchers and transportation men in the fields and remote highways.

Mr. Matthews' marriage at Los Angeles on April 28, 1909, united him with Miss Letitia Hennessey of Santa Ana and they are the parents of two children, Russell P. and Marjory F. The family attend the Methodist Episcopal Church. In politics Mr. Matthews gives his allegiance to the Republican party and in fraternal circles he is prominent in the ranks of the Elks and is a Knights Templar Mason. To further the interests of his own line of work he is a member and vice-president of the Orange County Auto Trades Association, and he is no less zealous in aiding in the work of the Merchants and Manufacturers Association and the Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce, holding membership in both of these organizations. He finds much enjoyment in ont- door life and is particularly fond of fishing. Generous and liberal, he is one of Orange County's loyal boosters and can always be counted upon to support all movements for the public good.

JAMES ARTHUR ROSS .- A most interesting representative of a long-honored pioneer Santa Ana family is J. Arthur Ross, familiarly known by his friends as Ott Ross, a son of Samuel Ross, who crossed the great plains in the middle sixties, accom- panied by his bride of a few weeks, to whom he had been married in Ross Township, Ill. This Samuel Ross became one of the earliest settlers at Santa Ana, and Ross Street was named after a brother, Jacob Ross, who was county tax collector and assessor in early days. Mrs. Ross was Catherine Leonard before her marriage, and she died when J. Arthur was nine years old. Ott Ross was born at Santa Ana on January 15, 1881, and grew up in that town, one of eleven children, six of whom are still living. He attended the public grammar schools and learned to be a farmer.

When he was married, he chose for his wife Mrs. Jennie (Smith) Kight of Santa Ana. a native of Madison, Ga., a daughter of William and Carrie (Reid) Smith, also of that state. The father served in the Confederate Army in the Civil War and died when Mrs. Ross was a child; she was reared and educated in Georgia. Her uncle, Capt. John G. Smith, was one of the early settlers of Birmingham, Ala., and was a promi- nent veteran of the Confederacy and a Mason and laid the cornerstone for the Masonic temple at Birmingham. She is the youngest of three children: the eldest was Henry who died in Box Springs, Ga., and Wm. Eugene is an extensive cotton buyer at Madison, Ga. In 1899 Mrs. Ross came to Santa Ana with her mother where she met Ott Ross, the acquaintance resulting in their marriage and she has proven the most helpful of helpmates. Her mother died here in 1915. They have four children- Catherine, Lula, Christy and Leonard. Mr. Ross has engaged in farming in the district south of Santa Ana for twenty years and since 1918, farming on the Irvine ranch.

Notwithstanding a serious set-back in 1919, such as might well discourage many. Mr. and Mrs. Ross are succeeding and, little by little, attaining their goal. In that year, a mysterious fire burned down their barn, shed and other outbuildings, and de- stroyed, among other things, a great quantity of hay. It was a severe blow, for Mr. Ross had little or no insurance. He bravely rebuilt, however, for like the other tenants on the San Joaquin ranch, he owns his own buildings and equipment. He is energetic and persistent; Mrs. Ross is cheerful and optimistic; and it is not surprising that he and his family live happily, and that those who know them, expect great things from them in the years to come. He leases 270 acres, where he devotes about 200 acres to lima beans; the balance to hay and blackeye beans. Mr. and Mrs. Ross are believers in protection for Americans and are naturally strong Republicans.

ASBURY J. SHAW .- Numhered among the successful ranchers of the El Toro district is Asbury J. Shaw, who is equally proficient as a machinist, as he does a great deal of work on automobiles, gasoline engines, threshers and all kinds of farm machin- ery, maintaining a well-equipped blacksmith shop on his place. A native son of Cali- fornia, Mr. Shaw was born on the original El Toro ranch in Aliso Canyon on October 2, 1891. His parents were R. L. and Catherine Ellen (Little) Shaw, natives, respectively. of Texas and Georgia. Besides the subject of this review, a daughter, Fannie Pearl, was born to Mr. and Mrs. Shaw and she is now the wife of Albert Gibson, a rancher on the Irvine ranch. R. L. Shaw was twice married; by his first marriage he had two children, one of whom is living, Frank Shaw of Laguna Beach. Catherine Ellen Little was also married twice, her first husband being Peter Fraser Groover, who was born in Georgia. They came to California about 1872, and located in Fresno County, where they were engaged in sheep raising: afterwards they came to Gospel Swamp. now Talhert, and later to Aliso Canyon, where they homesteaded and farmed. Mr. Groover died at Downey in 1881. Of this marriage there were five children: Frank, who is a mechanic, resides in Arizona; H. L., also a mechanic, makes his home in Santa Ana; F. E. farms on the Irvine ranch; Hattie Gertrude is Mrs. Boxley of Los Angeles; V. D.

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also farms on the Irvine ranch. About three years after her husband's death Mrs. Groover married Robert L. Shaw, who came with his parents across the plains in an ox-team train, in the early fifties. He followed ranching in Los Angeles and Orange counties and he and Mrs. Shaw still make their home in Orange County.

Asbury J. Shaw spent his boyhood days on the Aliso Canyon ranch, and early in life started to earn his own way, working out as a farm hand on the neighboring ranches, earning at first only ten dollars a month. He became expert at handling mules when he was only a boy and this helped him to get employment in hauling cement and other heavy freight at the time of the building of the great Los Angeles Aqueduct. He was considered one of the best drivers on the entire job and handled a team of twelve mules perfectly.

In 1913 Mr. Shaw began ranching operations for himself by leasing 150 acres of the Santa Margarita ranch, the property of James O'Neill. Since then he has added to his acreage and now has 275 acres, all plow land, which he devotes to grain, barley and hay being his principal crop. He has a $5,000 equipment on his place, owning ten head of horses, six mules, a twelve-foot Deering header, a fifteen horsepower Fair- banks-Morse portable engine and a separator for threshing either grain or beans. Recently he has been engaged in rebuilding a Ventura threshing machine and putting a gasoline engine in shape, and with this combination he will thresh his own crop of barley and beans, as well as threshing for others in the neighborhood. Mr. Shaw's blacksmith shop is also equipped with wood-working machinery and with his natural aptitude toward everything mechanical he does considerable work in this line. For several months he was at Yuma, Ariz., where he was engaged in running a gasoline hoist at the old Pecachio gold and silver mines.

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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 139

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