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 154

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 154

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In March, 1918, Mr. Johnson enlisted in the Aviation Section of the Signal Corps, and was sent to North Isle, San Diego. From there he was transferred to the One Hundred Forty-fifth Field Artillery, and within less than five weeks, he was on his way with the troops to France. Genuinely pleased at the chance to get to the front, he served overseas for five months; and on his return to the Presidio at San Francisco received his honorable discharge. He is a member of Anaheim Post, American Legion.

When Mr. Johnson married, he took for his wife Miss Olive Schumacher, daughter of Oliver Schumacher of Placentia, a life-long friend and schoolmate of boyhood days; and the happy couple now reside on the old home ranch, built many years ago, where they have a very comfortable home. He is a member of the Placentia Orange Growers and the Placentia Walnut Growers associations, and a stockholder in the Anaheim Union Water Company. and he profits from their combined services. In national politics a Republican, Mr. Johnson is too much interested in the upbuilding, as well as the building up, of the community to allow partisanship to interfere with his hearty support of men or measures wanted for the public good.

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WALTER E. WHITACRE .- How valuable may be the services rendered by an experienced representative of a well organized association is clearly illustrated in the relations of Walter E. Whitacre, the Orange County agent of the California Vegetable Union, to that influential and progressive movement, now known as one of the great forces for promoting the best interests of the Golden State agriculturist. He was born at Shelbyville, Ill., on February 2, 1881, the son of George B. Whitacre, a physician and surgeon, long resident at Shelbyville, who married Miss Nettie Kelly, also a native of Illinois. Three children, two sons and a daughter, were born to this worthy couple; and Walter, the only one now living of all the family, was the second child in the order of birth. He was educated in the public schools, and also attended the Austin College at Effingham, Ill., after which he engaged in clerical work from 1899 to 1906.

In 1912 he was fortunate in coming west to California, and for a while he located at San Diego, where he bought a ranch which he operated for three years. When he sold out, he went to work for the California Vegetable Union. At first, he was assigned to Sacramento for a couple of months, but in April, 1914, he came to Fullerton, With this city as his headquarters, Mr. Whitacre was given the whole of Orange County as his district; nor could a more desirable field, considering both the character of the people he may deal with and the nature of the country, anywhere be found. After these years of energetic operation here, Mr. Whitacre is a member of the Board of Trade and the Fullerton Club, and a very "live wire" associate, also.

On June 8, 1904, Mr. Whitacre was married at St. Louis, Mo., to Miss. Marie C. Brendle, a native of Edwardsville, Ill. One child, Kenneth L. Whitacre, has blessed the union. Mr. Whitacre, a Republican, is also an Elk and is known for his fondness for fishing and many phases of out-of-door life.

JOHN H. HINCKLEY .- The enviable position of Fullerton today, as a kind of magnetic center drawing to it thousands from far and wide, is largely due to such far- sighted, level-headed, venturesome yet conservative men of experience and integrity as John H. Hinckley, a general broker. He was born at Waukegan, Ill., on January 14, 1873, the son of G. L. and Mary (Clarkin) Hinckley. These worthy parents had two children, and of these two, John was the elder.

He enjoyed the excellent grammar and high schools of Chicago, and for three and a half years he was at the University of Illinois, a student in the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Chicago. Because of poor health, however, he had to give up his studies, and then coming West, he engaged in San Francisco in the stock and bond business, at which he remained for four years. In the same city, he took up advertising, and for two to three years he was in Los Angeles, where he worked on subdivisions in the Imperial Valley.

In the fall of 1916, impressed with the advantages offered by Fullerton and its environs, he removed to this town and established himself in the real estate field. In May, 1917, he formed the partnership of Porter and Hinckley which has proven so successful, and of such a benefit to the realty interests of the town. In March, 1920, they dissolved partnership since which time Mr. Hinckley has been engaged in the general brokerage business.

On August 27, 1907. at Eureka, Cal., Mr. Hinckley was married to Miss Alice McConnell, a native of Eastern Canada. A man above party, under any and all circum- stances, Mr. Hinckley is decidedly a Progressive and seeks to vote for the best man and the best measures.

OLBERT ARVEL HALEY .- A native of Missouri who may have come West to be "shown." but who has made good in the showing. to others of much worth the observing, is Olbert Arvel Haley, proprietor of the well-equipped O. A. Haley Garage, the authorized agency for Dodge Brothers motor cars, who was born at Macon City, on September 17, 1873. His father was H. C. Haley, a business man, now deceased, who had married Miss Maria Fletcher, a native of Macon County, Mo .; the latter now makes her home in Rice, Wash. The union was blessed with the birth of two children, the elder of whom was the subject of our sketch.

Olbert A. Haley attended the public schools of his locality, and afterwards studied at the Little Rock, Ark., Commercial College. Then he went into the grocery trade and followed that in Arkansas and at Seattle. In the latter city he owned five stores; but he sold out in May, 1912. He next opened an auto business at Everett, Wash., which he continued to manage for four years. Coming to Santa Ana in 1916, Mr. Haley established the factory distributing agency for Orange County for the Dodge Brothers motor cars; and so successful has he since been that he employs nine salesmen to assist him in taking care of the business in Orange County.

The O. A. Haley Garage is located on the northeast corner of Fifth and Bush streets, fully equipped for sales and service. He also owns the southwest corner of

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Fifth and Bush, known as the Haley apartments, where he intends soon to build a large modern two-story garage. His business has grown to be very large in the county. He has a salesroom in Orange and has a subdealership at Anaheim conducted by Charles Mann, and one at Fullerton conducted by Miss Lillian Yaeger. Mr. Haley was president of the Anto Trades Association of Orange County for 1918-19, and is today an active member of the Chamber of Commerce and a director in the Automobile Club of Orange County. These honors are in keeping with the extent and elaborate complete- ness of his garage, with its fine display rooms and its thoroughly modern workshop. He is a stockholder in the California National Bank of Santa Ana.

On September 17, 1902, Mr. Haley was married to Miss Mary Ellen O'Conner, the ceremony taking place at Toledo, Wash. The bride, who was born in Toledo, is the daughter of W. W. and Mary O'Conner of that place, and now has two children, Hugh Warren and Margaret. She shares with her husband his public-spiritedness and interest in civic movements. He is president of the Kiwanis Club of Santa Ana, and is a member of the local lodge of Masons and the Royal Arch Chapter, and a life member of Santa Ana Lodge No. 794, B. P. O. Elks.

FRED W. TIMKEN .- A straightforward citizen who feels a keen interest in all that pertains to the rapid and permanent development of Orange County, and who leaves no stone unturned to promote, when possible, the general welfare, is Fred W. Timken, the well-known rancher residing on the Anaheim Boulevard at Olive. He was born in McPherson County, Kans., on December 27, 1883, the son of Jacob and Metha Timken, of Coal Camp, Mo., and was the second eldest of five living children of this union. His three brothers are Jacob G., Walter L. and Henry Timken, and he has a sister, Mrs. R. H. Paulus of Olive.

When our subject was one year old, his parents removed to Los Angeles, Cal., from which place they went to Acton, where Mr. Timken mined for gold for a year. Then he changed his residence to San Luis Obispo County, and there engaged in grain farming. He had some 180 acres, and devoted the same to small grain, fruit and grapes. Fred early learned to make himself useful, and finally became invaluable in farm work. In 1902 he removed with his parents to Orange.

In 1919, Mr. Timken went to Texas and on March 6 of that year married at Mercedes, the home of the bride, Miss Elda M. W. Schroeder, the daughter of Conrad and Dora Schroeder. This lady was born in Illinois on March 22, 1895, and, on October 13, 1911, arrived in California with her parents. The family lived at Olive for ten months, when a change to the climate of Texas was advised on account of the health of her father. They removed to Mercedes, therefore, in Angust, 1912, and there she lived at home until her marriage. In April, 1919, Mr. and Mrs. Timken came to Cali- fornia and settled at Olive.

Together with his brother, Henry, Mr. Timken owns twelve acres on the Anaheim Boulevard, one-half of which is set out to Valencia oranges, while the other half is planted to walnuts. Mr. Timken owns twelve shares of stock in the Santa Ana Valley Irrigation Company, and his land is watered from that company's ditch. This land is also included in the Samuel Camphouse oil lease, the object of which is to test the land for oil. One test well is now being sunk by the Olive Petroleum Company. Seven hundred acres, the property of many owners, is included in this Camphouse lease, of such importance to Olive and vicinity; at last accounts, the oil well had been sunk 3,300 feet, with good indications of success, so that much is expected from the venture. Mr. and Mrs. Timken are devoted members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church at Olive, and equally enthusiastic as Americans interested in civic efforts.

SALVADOR LABAT .- A resident of California since 1883, Salvador Labat was born at Hasparren, Basses-Pyrenees, France, March 19, 1865, the son of Martin and Marie (Cassou) Labat, farmer folk in that picturesque corner of France. There the mother passed away, after which the father came to California, arriving here in the early days of 1870. He first engaged in sheep raising in California and Nevada, later on making his headquarters in Bakersfield, Kern County. From there he came down to San Juan Capistrano, then the center of a great sheep district, and there he became superintendent for Oyharzabal Brothers, remaining with them until his death, in 1902. He was the father of three sons: G. P. died in 1914; Salvador, of whom we write; and Peter, who is with our subject.

Salvador Labat was reared in France until he was eighteen years of age, receiving a good education there. He came to California in 1883 and was employed by Oyharz- abal Brothers, running sheep in the mountains. He next went to Ventura, where his father was interested in the sheep business and continued there with him until 1890, when he sold his sheep and came to San Juan Capistrano. With his brother Peter, he purchased a place and engaged in farming and also in carpentering and building for a

JaSchweiger

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short time until he opened a meat market near the Mission in San Juan Capistrano; in this venture he was very successful, establishing a large trade which continued to grow until he sold out in 1917, after a period of eighteen years in business.

In Los Angeles, Mr. Labat was married to Miss Ysabel Arambell, also a native of Hasparren, France, who came here when a girl. She passed away in 1912, deeply mourned by her family and friends, leaving a son, Edward Labat. Mr. Labat is very progressive and is a highly respected citizen, well and favorably known for his liberality and enterprise. He is a member of the W. O. W. in Capistrano and is a Republican in national politics.

Peter Labat was born on March 1, 1868, and came to California in 1883 with his father to San Juan Capistrano, residing here and at Ventura ever since. He married Helene (Daguerre) Luc, also a native of Bigorre, France; she came to California in 1906. By this union they have one child, Juanita; by her former marriage, Mrs. Labat has two children, John Luc and Dominic Luc. Mr. Labat is a member of the Woodmen of the World.

G. A. SCHWEIGER .- A decided lover of travel, history and tradition, who has done much to induce thousands of other folks to travel to and through California, is G. A. Schweiger, the efficient, genial and exceedingly popular proprietor and manager of the Modjeska Inn at the Modjeska Ranch, which was the home of the world-famous Shakespearean actress, Madame Helena Modjeska, for a period of twenty-seven years. He was born on August 3, 1884, at Semmering, Austria, in the Tyrolean Alps, the son of Swiss parents resident there. He had a normal school education, and left home when he was nineteen, after which time he spent his years in travel and business pursuits, thus adding to his store of knowledge.

Going to England, he passed two years in London, at Brighton and in Wales, and then spent two years in France, where he was also in the hotel business. He had charge of Chateau Royale d'Ardenne, which was the castle of King Leopold of Belgium, and after two years in France, he spent a season at the Ghezireh Palace, which overlooks the Nile, at Cairo, Egypt. The next season he found himself at Ger- many's delightful resort, Baden-Baden, and from there, in 1907, he came to the United States, since then the scene of his operations.

For a year he was employed in New York City at the St. Regis hotel, and then he went to Colorado Springs, where he had charge of a department at "The Antlers" for a couple of seasons. He spent the following year mining in Arizona, on the Union Pass, old Fort Mojave Road, and after that he came to Los Angeles, where he was assistant manager of the Alexandria dining room until he leased Madame Modjeska's Inn in 1918, immediately taking charge, and a few months later, in order to more thoroughly carry out his plans for development, he acquired the property.

In France, in May, 1905, Mr. Schweiger was married to Mlle. C. Cuervo, by nature especially qualified to assist him in his responsible labors, and they have had three children. Joseph, born in France, came alone, at the age of only nine, to America, to join his parents here, and at present he is a student at the Santa Ana high school. The other two children are Amadeen and Marcell, both born in Los Angeles, and attending the Silverado School.

It is well known that the Modjeska Ranch, through the association of the late tragedienne, has attained a celebrity that is not only nation-wide, but international. So it is naturally Mr. Schweiger's sole ambition and desire to retain Madame Mod- jeska's Forest of Arden and the home in all of its original splendor and beauty, keep- ing it open to the public as a first-class mountain resort equal to any of the famous Swiss resorts, thereby doing his share towards the upbuilding of the hotel industry, not only in Orange County but the state of California as well.

GOTLIEB MEGER .- A citizen who is thoroughly loyal to his adopted country because it has given to him much that he never could secure in his native land, is Gotlieb Meger, who is living on his highly improved ranch of twenty acres west of Anaheim at the corner of Lincoln Avenue and the Garden Grove Boulevard. He is a native of Russia-Poland and was born July 25, 1850, the son of parents who were also born in that country. Gotlieb was educated and reared in his own country and lived there until 1900, when he felt that he could better his condition by coming to the United States, and begin life amidst new surroundings. With his wife and nine children he arrived in this country and spent one year in Michigan, then came on to California and bargained for the property that is now his home. At that time it was unimproved and was covered with stumps of eucalyptus, cypress and pepper trees and was used as a pasture. With his characteristic energy he set to work and cleared the land and in time he had as good a ranch as was to be found in the locality and where he set ont oranges that are in fine condition. He later bought fifty acres on the

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Ball Road and there he farmed and also set out Valencia oranges. Later he sold off twenty acres. On his home place he erected a set of good farm buildings which are in harmony with his well-tilled fields and which bespeak the successful owner.

Mr. Meger has been married twice; by his first wife, who was Miss Ernstina Ricka, he had one son, Edward, now a farmer in Oklahoma. His second wife was Malvina Evert and they became the parents of the following children who are still living: Rudolph, Theodore, Martha, Helena, Augusta, Emma, Hulda, Olga, Otto and Lydia. Rudolph married Tena Edinger and they have three children: Augusta became the wife of Emil Smith and they have two children; Martha, married William Everett and three children have been born to them. Amelia, the oldest daughter and child in the family, died in 1905 leaving four children, two of whom are still with their father, and two, Elsie and Victor, were taken by Mr. Meger and his wife to rear. Mrs. Meger passed away in 1916, mourned by her children and husband and by her large circle of friends. The family are members of the Baptist Church of Anaheim and are highly respected by all who know them. Mr. Meger has educated his children in the public schools of the county and in business college to fit them for their places in life and he is a loyal supporter of all American institutions that help to build up the government.

FRANK C. STEARNS .- An enterprising agriculturist whose strict attention to the problems he has had before him has enabled him to advance rapidly, according to the most scientific and progressive methods, as one of the noted raisers of pure-bred swine, is Frank C. Stearns, the resident manager of the firm of Matthews and Stearns, and the partner of F. C. Matthews, also well known in Orange County. He was born at Canisteo, Stenben County, N. Y., on January 8, 1866, and left the Empire State with his parents for Traverse City, Grand Traverse County, Mich., where he grew up until his sixteenth year. Then he removed to Kansas and lived there for six years, and after that he went to Trinidad, Colo., where he was married to Miss Elva A. Ingle, a native of Greenwood, Kans. Their two oldest children were born at Trinidad, and they are Edith, who is Mrs. F. C. Matthews; and Eva, the wife of C. A. Tucker, who is also engaged in farming. A third daughter is Gladys, a native of California, and she is the wife of Lisle Farquhar, formerly a banker at Orient, Iowa, now residing at Tustin. Mrs. Stearn's father was Enos Ingle, a native of Piqua, Ohio, in which state he was married to Marietta Freeman. The father of F. C. Stearns is John H. Stearns also born in Steuben County, N. Y., a lumberman living in Wellington, Kans., at the age of eighty- two. His wife was Demaris Batchelder, of New Hampshire, and as the representative of an old New England family, lived to be seventy-two.

Having already established himself in the cattle business, Mr. Stearns came to California in 1897 with his family and settled at Tustin. He took up the work of a sprayer of trees, and built up an extensive and lucrative patronage in assisting ranchers to save their fruit. At present, he directs the fast-growing interests of Messrs. Matthews and Stearns, breeders of pure-bred and high-grade Duroc-Jersey hogs upon Mr. Matthews' ranch of forty acres; and being widely known, partly as the former proprietor of the Tustin Manufacturing Company, he has no difficulty in disposing at fancy figures of all of their stock. His studious inclinations, and his hard, steady, sys- tematic work combine to assist Mr. Stearns to produce only the most desirable of breeds; so that, apart from his business success, he is rendering a patriotic service in thus scientifically seeking to attain a high goal for the benefit of thousands of the morrow as well as of today.

H. M. PETERSON .- A gentleman of enterprise and progressive ideas who has entered heartily into the Orange County spirit and has been doing his share to advance the horticultural interests of the Golden State, is H. M. Peterson, the wide-awake rancher, whose trim-appearing orchard is on the Katella Road, near the State Highway about one mile south of Anaheim. He was born near New Hartford, Grundy County, Iowa, on June 2, 1884, the son of James and Mary (Nelson) Peterson, who located in Grundy County in 1869, and became owner of a 330-acre farm, which they improved and engaged in raising grain and stock. The mother died at Cedar Falls, November 22, 1917, while the father now makes his home with his son, H. M. Peterson in Orange County. This worthy couple had seven children, our subject being the eldest. Spending his childhood on the farm he attended the local schools and later the private academy at Stewart, in the same state.

When old enough to push out into the world, Mr. Peterson took up traveling for the United Neckwear Manufacturing Company of Waterloo, Iowa, and as their repre- sentative, covered Iowa, Minnesota and part of Nebraska. On June 2, 1917, at Mus- kogee, Okla., he was married to Miss Myrtle Ward, a native of Kansas, in which hustling Middle West state she was born at Abilene. Her father was William Ward, and he was born in Ohio, afterwards removing to Princeton, Ill., and later to Abilene,

R. Etischle

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Kans., where they were farmers; he had married Ida Bricker and they now live in Marshalltown, Iowa. Mrs. Peterson is the fourth youngest of their six children. For a time Mrs. Peterson attended the Iowa Teachers College at Cedar Falls, and afterwards the A. N. Palmer School of Penmanship in the same city and after her graduation became supervisor of penmanship in the Muskogee, Okla., schools, for a period of three years, up until her marriage, and soon after this they removed to Lamar, Prowers County, Colo., and there Mr. Peterson engaged in contracting and building. At the end of five months, however, he decided to come to California, and the step proved the wisest he had made.

On November 30, 1918, he arrived in Anaheim, and soon purchased a five-acre grove of Valencia oranges on the Katella Road, west of the State Highway. He obtains the water he needs for irrigating his orchard from a private pumping plant, and he is fortunate in having one of the best irrigation supplies available to anyone hereabouts. He is also engaged in contracting and building. Mr. and Mrs. Peterson are members of the Christian Church of Anaheim, and participate eagerly in any sensi- ble work likely to uplift the community. They are Republicans in matters of national politics, and ever ready to aid in advancing civic standards. They are delighted with Orange County as a home place with future prospects, and Orange County and the Katella district are satisfied with Mr. and Mrs. Peterson, and confident in respect to their coming prosperity. Mrs. Peterson is a member of Anaheim Chapter, P. E. O.

RICHARD FISCHLE .- The life story of Richard Fischle is a fine example of what can be accomplished by one man, providing he has the will to succeed and the energy and perseverance to carry him along to the goal he has set for himself. He is a native of Germany, born at Reutlingen, Wurtemberg, May 20, 1879, a son of Chris- tian F. and Bertha (Walz) Fischle, also born in Reutlingen. The father was a deco- rator of ability, and was very prominent in the local fire department, serving as chief of the department for thirty-six years.

Richard was educated in the local school, and as was the custom in that country, when he reached the age of fourteen he was apprenticed to a trade. He chose the con- fectionery trade, and so learned to make candy and French pastry, completing a three years' course, and paying for his tuition in a private school where he also studied both German and French. At the end of the three years he had to pass a rigid examination as to his ability before he was allowed to work at his trade. He worked in the leading cities of Germany, Switzerland and France, and during this time served two years in the German army.

Mr. Fischle had a brother-in-law, Chas. Lange, residing in Anaheim, Cal., and in 1903 he came here to live. On May 4, 1904, he opened his first candy store, with a capital of fifty dollars, establishing his business in a small store just east of what is now the First National Bank building. The store was divided into two front rooms, on one side was the first Public Library of Anaheim, and on the other side Mr. Fischle carried on his candy store, and had charge of the library in connection, making him the first librarian in Anaheim. He divided his time making and selling candy, and attending to the library patrons, and it is interesting to know that his first day's sales amounted to five dollars; some days the receipts would drop to three dollars, and when his day's tally showed eight dollars, business was good!

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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 154

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