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 174

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 174

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

ISAAC R. HENDRIE .- An energetic, hardworking and far-seeing rancher of the sincere, modest type, whose relations to his neighbors are governed by the princi- ple of the Golden Rule, is Isaac R. Hendrie of 1110 West Washington Street, Santa Ana. He was born at Glenwood, Mills County, Iowa, on September 4. 1869, the son of Senator James S. Hendrie, born in Ohio, but a settler of Iowa, where he was a prosperous farmer, owning a half-section of land, half of which was usually devoted to the growing of corn and the other half to hay and timberland. He represented Mills and Montgomery counties as senator of the lowa legislature, and later was the Democratic sheriff of Mills County, Colo. He was married to Mary L. McClanathan, born in Ohio. In 1886 they moved to Colorado and located on a farm near Wray, then Weld County. When the county was divided he was appointed a commissioner of the new county (Washington County) by Gov. Alva Adams. Later Washington County was divided and he became a commissioner of the new Yuma County, and also county judge until he resigned, in 1909, to move to Long Beach, Cal., where he resided until he died, in the year 1911, at the age of eighty-three. His wife had passed away in 1910.

When a lad of sixteen, Isaac came to Colorado with his parents, who settled near Wray, 160 miles east of Denver. The young man lived at home and rode the range from 1886 until 1900, steadily acquiring, through his father's guidance, a thorough knowledge of agriculture and cattle raising.

Isaac R. Hendrie then purchased his father's land and continued to farm along the same lines as his father had pursued, until 1909, when he determined to push further west, and sold the acreage he had improved. He was a member of the Colorado Cattle Growers Association.

Settling for a while at Long Beach, Mr. Hendrie worked for the City Water Company there for five years, or until July 22, 1914, when he purchased seven acres on West Washington Street, Santa Ana. He set out four acres to apricots and the balance to walnuts, and soon had one of the trimmest small ranches to be seen any- where for miles around, made more valuable on account of the excellent water supply from the Santa Ana Valley Irrigation Company. Since purchasing this property Mr. Hendrie has established an extensive poultry business, with some 3,000 White Leghorn chickens. He built an incubator house, with two incubators of 500 capacity each, and also has the necessary brooders; he is a member of the Poultry Producers Association of Southern California.

On April 19, 1893, Mr. Hendrie was married to Miss Maude Dakan, the daughter of Riley and Emeline (Cahill) Dakan, born in Ohio and Kentucky, respectively, and early settlers of Marysville. Mo. In 1892 they came to Colorado, but later returned

1599

HISTORY OF ORANGE COUNTY

to their farm in Missouri, which they have now owned over fifty years. Mr. Dakan served as a soldier in a Missouri Regiment during the Civil War and is a prominent G. A. R. man.

Mr. Hendrie received a very thorough grammar school training at Glenwood, Iowa, while Mrs. Hendrie was equally fortunate in her training at Wesleyan College, Cameron, Mo., later teaching school in Colorado, and they have striven to give the best of educational advantages to their five children. The eldest, James R., is living at Oakland; Dorothy L. has become Mrs. W. L. Tubbs of Santa Ana; Mary E. lives at home and is a student at the Santa Ana high school; Harold is a pupil in the grammar school, and Walter B., the youngest.

JOHN T. LYON .- Southern California has offered many opportunities to John T. Lyon, and with the keen vision and foresight of a "born" real estate man, he has grasped the opportunities offered and climbed to success through his own abilities and energy. Born in Bastrop County, Texas, April 16, 1875, he was reared to boyhood in Llano, that state, and in 1884, when he was nine years old, the family moved to Wash- ington Territory, where his stepfather took up a timber claim. cleared the land and engaged in ranching.

On reaching nineteen years of age, in 1894, Mr. Lyon started out for himself, and came to Southern California, first locating in Pomona, where he worked for wages on different ranches. In 1895 he came to Santa Ana and worked for a time, then went back to Pomona, in 1896, and worked on ranches once more. In 1897 he settled in Chino, rented land and raised beets for the sugar factory. In 1898 he located at Spadra, raised alfalfa and engaged in the feed and fuel business. In 190] this enterprising young man bought an eleven-acre orange grove in North Pomona, next to the Richards ranch, and two years later sold this property for a profit of $2,000.

In May, 1904, Mr. Lyon located in Garden Grove, Orange County, bought fifty acres of land, the old Toomey place, and put in a pumping plant, the first one installed in that district; he improved the land and sold it in 1906. From 1906 to 1913 he located in Santa Barbara, erected a business block in that city, and engaged in the mercantile business; this he sold out in 1913, and then located in Los Angeles, where he engaged in the real estate business, selling land in the San Fernando Valley for the H. J. Whit- ley Company, which concern had opened up land in the Van Nuys to Owensmouth sec- tion. In this Mr. Lyon was very successful, selling over a million dollars' worth of property in this district.

In 1917 Mr. Lyon came to Anaheim, and engaged in the buying and selling of orange groves, and is at present the owner of a very fine grove near Anaheim. He started in the real estate business in that city in November, 1919, and his years of experience of the actual, practical sort, throughout Southern California, make him peculiarly adapted to the appraising of land valuations in this section of the state, and particularly in Orange County, and his settling in this district shows a keen appre- ciation of its possibilities.

The marriage of Mr. Lyon united him with Fannie M. Baker, a daughter of Andrew Baker, one of the early settlers of Anaheim. Fraternally Mr. Lyon is a member of the Santa Barbara Lodge of Knights of Pythias, and of Anaheim Lodge No. 207. F. & A. M.

RALPH A. FULLER .- A very popular and enterprising business man and horti- culturist of Orange, who is very enthusiastic and optimistic for the wonderful oppor- tunities and great future for Orange County, is Ralph A. Fuller, who was born on September 19. 1881. His father was Herman A. Fuller, an educator and one of a family of "down easters," tracing their ancestry back to England, which was also the case with the family of Mrs. Fuller, who was Ida WV. Andrews before her marriage. Mr. Fuller died when his son Ralph was only ten years old and the lad came to California with his mother in 1895. Mrs. Fuller purchased the old Ainsworth place on Yorba Street at McPherson, consisting of fifteen acres, and in 1909 sold it. Then she built on her ten acres at the southwest corner of Yorba and Chapman streets. These are now devoted entirely to Valencia oranges and the acreage is under the Santa Ana Valley Irrigation Company. Mrs. Fuller, who was a very active member of Hermosa Chapter. O. E. S., of which she was past matron and also past noble grand of the Rebekah Lodge of Orange, passed away on Christmas Day, 1913. Of her two children Ralph A. is the eldest, and his sister is Mrs. Olive M. Fine of 303 West Santa Clara Avenue, Santa Ana.

Ralph A. Fuller's early education was received at El Modena public school and Santa Ana high school. After school days were over he took charge of his mother's ranch, and being an admirer of standard bred horses, he was one of the organizers and an officer in the Orange County Driving Club, and also took an active part in their

1600

HISTORY OF ORANGE COUNTY

matinees. Among the fine animals he owned was the sire "Raymon," No. 12007. In 1909 he moved to his present place, which he later improved to Valencia oranges. In May, 1915, he took up life insurance and is now connected with the Travelers' Insur- ance Company of Hartford, Conn., and has become a leader among Southern California insurance men. He still finds time to look after his orange orchard and see that it has the proper care, and takes much enjoyment in its development.

Mr. Fuller is active in all community affairs and contributed liberally to the success of the bond drives during the World War. A Republican in national political affairs, he allows no partisanship to affect him in the discharge of his duty as a citizen in matters of local moment. Mr. Fuller is a prominent clubman and a leader in social affairs, not alone in Orange County, but in the metropolis of the Southland as well.

FRED RAY FRASER .- A hard-working, thoroughly capable young man, who is steadily rising in the esteem of his employers, is Fred Ray Fraser, who divides his time as foreman and rancher. He was born at Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on March 6, 1891, the son of Francis P. Fraser, who ran both a flour mill and a farm, and had married Miss Rebecca A. Scott. When he was four years old, his parents, in September, 1895, brought him to California, coming directly to Santa Ana, where his father purchased a one-acre apricot grove in Tustin. He lived at home with his parents, while he attended the Santa Ana grammar and high schools, from which he was duly graduated with credit, and well equipped to take his part in the world's work.

Immediately after finishing his high school studies, Mr. Fraser went to work for the Gowen and White packing house, and has since then so advanced in work and responsibility that he is foreman of the walnut and apricot departinents.

On December 6, 1911, Mr. Fraser was married at Santa Ana to Miss Hazel Crane, a Nebraska girl, who was born in Brown County. Her mother, Jennie Crane, died in Nebraska, and in 1908 her father, Fred O. Crane, came to California with his family. There were nine children, and she was the youngest daughter.

After his marriage, Mr. Fraser and his wife lived on Valencia Avenue, but in 1919 he sold out and purchased an orange grove at 826 North Baker Street. However, he found the work of handling this new grove too much, with the responsibility of the packing house, so he sold the grove and bought the home at 710 West Washington Street, where he now lives. Three children brighten their home-Velda B., Vivian B. and Evelyn L. Fraser.

Francis P. Fraser, our subject's father, lived at his Tustin home until 1917, when he sold out and moved to Santa Ana, where he bought a home at 615 East Second Street. On May 30, 1919, he passed away, mourned by all who had the good fortune to know him. Mrs. Fraser lives at her home on East Second Street. Mr. Fraser did manly service in the Civil War, marching with Sherman on his celebrated campaign through Georgia, and for four long years engaging under his leadership in other battles; and he was well honored as a modest veteran, free from hate or rancor.

BARRY H. McPHEE .- A native son of California whose success in buying and selling property has been such that he thinks there is no place on earth equal to the Golden State, is Barry H. McPhee, who was born in Elsinore on November 1, 1893, the son of George W. McPhee, who became one of the proprietors of the Santa Ana Blade, and in whose comfortable home he remained until he was married in 1913. He attended the Santa Ana grammar and high schools, and made a specialty of the commercial course in that institution. Being apt and learning easily, he had time to spare, and so, at the same time that he studied, he also worked for the Blade.

On February 16 he was united in matrimony to Miss Helen Neff, the accomplished and popular daughter of L. H. and Lydia Neff, who came from Lincoln, Nebr., in 1912. Here she attended the Santa Ana high school, and made a host of friends.

Mr. McPhee is employed as a lineman for the Edison Company, in whose employ he has been for the past nine years, and is now connected with the Santa Ana branch, but he is something more than merely an electrician. He has bought and sold two groves and two homes in the past few years, and in doing so has turned over some rather attractive money.

His present holding is ten acres, all in walnuts, one-half of which is interset with Valencia oranges, and the balance is full bearing, and affords to the eye of even the novice a fine sight. The ranch is served by the Santa Ana Valley Irrigation Company, and that means plenty of good water, and at the right time.

One daughter, Joy McPhee, a pupil of the Santa Ana grammar school, brightens the home of this accomplished couple, and bids fair to be herself a young woman of the right sort of accomplishments. Santa Ana need not worry about her future with such enthusiastic "boosters" as the McPhees.

Re mc Millan

1603

HISTORY OF ORANGE COUNTY

RUFUS C. McMILLAN .- The wise man of the old has said: "A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches." The successful contractor of Santa Ana, Rufus C. McMillan, has, by his conscientious workmanship and high principles of business integrity, acquired as a reward that much coveted prize-a good reputation. He was born on Christmas Day, 1879, at Pine Bluff, Ark., and was reared and educated in his native state, early learning the trade of a carpenter. At the age of fifteen he began to follow his trade and when nineteen years old began contracting there, and for a time was in the employ of the Cotton Belt Railroad Company and in 1904 located in Mus- kogee, Okla., where he continued in the contracting and building business and built several fine residences, one of his patrons at Muskogee being a Mr. Williams, the banker and wealthy oil magnate. In December, 1906, he returned to Pine Bluff, where he spent four years in the building business, erecting many fine homes.

It was in 1910 that Mr. McMillan first came to California, having felt the call for some time previous to inspect the western part of our country. He arrived in Los Angeles on December 31, and for a time visited various cities of the southern part of the state looking for a suitable place in which to engage in his business and finally decided that Santa Ana held out the best inducements to a man of energy and deter- mination. On February 19, 1911, he brought his family here, purchased a lot and built a home for them and very soon demonstrated his judgment by branching out as a contractor and at the end of twenty-three months, beginning on May 1, that year he had completed forty-three buildings. Judging from the success he has achieved since he took up his residence in Santa Ana, his choice of location was well taken. Up to January 1, 1919, Mr. McMillan had erected 105 residences and business blocks in the town, and during 1919, at one time he had fourteen buildings under construction. Dur- ing the year 1920 he completed twenty-five important contracts and numerous smaller ones in the county. He has not confined his operations to Santa Ana as Fullerton, Placentia, Anaheim, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach and San Juan Capistrano show examples of his skill as a builder. Some of the residences he has built have cost as high as $23,000. Among the buildings in Santa Ana erected by Mr. McMillan men- tion is made of the Stanley and Gilmacher blocks; Wickersheim and County garages; sheriff's office; and the residences of Bert Annin and W. D. Woodward in Fullerton; Fiscus home in Anaheim; Ray McClintock's in Greenville; the Edwards and Hansen family residences in Placentia; Herbert Rankin, C. E. Jackson, Judge Thomas, W. D. Wilson, Briggs, C. T. Johnson and the Crose homes in Santa Ana; and the Ocean View school building.

Mr. McMillan has been married twice; his first union was on August 4, 1901, in Pine Bluff, Ark., to Miss Callie M. Beach, and they had three children, Daisy Thelma, Grace and Mary Agnes. On December 16, 1914, in Santa Ana his second marriage united him with Miss Pearl Wilcox, a native of Kansas, where she was born near Ness City, but was reared and educated in Dodge City. They have two children, Engene and Pearl Larene. Fraternally Mr. McMillan is a member of Santa Ana Lodge No. 794, B. P. O. Elks. The high regard in which Mr. McMillan is held as a builder is best exemplified by the fact that his former patrons have retained him to construct their buildings without asking for competitive bids. Their confidence in his superior judg- ment and unquestioned integrity in all business transactions assures them that their work will be most satisfactorily completed.

ROY S. LANCASTER .- A wide-awake young rancher intensely interested in the growth of Orange County, and willing to do his share towards the advancement of Southern California interests, for the benefit of his neighbors as well as himself, is Roy S. Lancaster, whose talented wife and true helpmeet is proud of her birth as a native daughter. He was born in Travers County, Mich., in 1875, the son of James B. and Minnie (Tracy) Lancaster. His father was a druggist and postmaster, and Roy grew up with certain home advantages not accorded every young man.

This did not prevent him, however, at the age of seventeen, from feeling the lure of the outside world, and to such an extent that he went to South Dakota, and in Britton, Marshall County, worked in the harvest field. He also traveled considerably. stopping in each place only for a season, and at Rock Island, Ill., he engaged in mining for a year. From Rock Island he then went to Chicago, where he worked for nearly a year in the Harvey Steel Works, at the same time that he was attending the Columbian Exposition of 1893.

Mr. Lancaster's next move took him to Idaho, where he secured a timber claim; hut he stayed there only a year. The greater attractions of California brought him to Orange County in 1894, and here he found employment working out on farms. Since 1913 he has lived on his present ranch at 1426 North Baker Street, Santa Ana.

On July 2, 1901, Mr. Lancaster was married to Miss Grace Greenleaf, daughter of Eli F. and Lucy A. Greenleaf, who was born in Santa Ana. Her father was born

1604

HISTORY OF ORANGE COUNTY

in Maine and the mother in Ohio, their marriage taking place in Missouri. They crossed the plains in the sixties in an ox-team train, and spent several years in Northern California. Pioneer settlers of Santa Ana, they came there in 1871, and both passed away there. Six children-four boys and two girls-have blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. Lancaster: Berney; Robert is a high school student; Lucile, Catherine and Ray are pupils in the grammar school; and Jack is at home. Mr. Lancaster is a Republican in national politics, but never allows partisanship to interfere with his loyal and liberal support of any movement likely to make for the betterment of the community in which he lives.

EMIL KRUEGER,-A sturdy pioneer who has become one of the most loyal of American citizens and respected agriculturists of his neighborhood is Emil Krueger, the owner of a very productive ranch on La Veta Avenne, Orange. He was born in West Germany in July, 1863, and his parents were Herman and Mathilda Krueger. They had five children, and all three of those still-living are residents of California. Mrs. Krueger having passed away, the father emigrated to the United States nine months in advance of his children. He sought here and found a sheltering government under whose fostering care they could breathe the air of freedom and enjoy equal rights and privileges.

Emil grew up in his native country, and while profiting from the excellent schools there, met and cheerfully accepted the challenge of hard work. In 1883 he came to the United States and spent four years as a weaver in the cotton mills at Exeter, N. H., and in 1887 he came to Orange, Cal., where he worked in orchards and for the Santa Fe Railroad until he purchased his present ranch, which he improved, and thus advanced steadily. He is a member of the McPherson Heights Citrus Association and the Tustin Lemon Association.

In February, 1893, he was married at Orange to Miss Augusta Rosenthal, also a native of Germany, and by her he has had three children: Herman, a farmer here; Rose, now Mrs. Harris, and Bertha, now Mrs. Cook, both of Orange.

Mr. Krueger purchased his land in 1890, when it was unimproved stubble, and the uneven surface seemed to make it quite unfit for irrigation; but by very hard work during long hours and weary months, he at length set ont his fruit trees and accom- plished the task of improvement. Now the ranch is so productive and famous that the Valencia oranges are a wonder to behold, and the lemons bring the highest price. He now has fifteen acres in a body, under the Santa Ana Valley Irrigation Company. and he also has a pumping plant. He is a member of the Lutheran Church, and as a self-made man, Mr. Krueger belongs to that type of citizen of which the town and county of Orange may well be, as it ever is, justly proud.

SAM STEIN .- A hustling, thoroughly enterprising merchant who has steadily advanced from a modest beginning to a position of prominence in the commercial circles of Santa Ana, in which city he has gained the respect of all classes, is Sam Stein, the proprietor of Stein's Stationery Store at 210 West Fourth Street. By the public generally he is familiarly known for his stature and his jollity; while to his many patrons he is the one out of a hundred who not only takes infinite pains to please, but studies the conditions of today and so anticipates the wants of tomorrow. Once a man has come to be a customer of Stein's Stationery Store, he is seldom found to turn elsewhere for that kind of service.

He was born in Russia on September 5, 1885, and his parents were Samuel H. and Lena Stein. They had five children, and Sam was the second child born to them. When he was still a child, the parents crossed the wide ocean to the United States; and as they stayed in New York for a while, he attended the public schools there, and then for a couple of years went to the City College of New York.

When old enough to do so, Sam learned the plumber's trade, at which he also worked for a couple of years: but on coming to California in 1902 he entered the employ of the Lazarus Stationery Company at Los Angeles. This experience with one. of the best firms on the Pacific Coast proved the finest of mercantile schools.

In September, 1914. Mr. Stein came to Santa Ana and started in the stationery business in a small way, with one clerk; and having attended to business, business increased until now he employs eleven persons. He carries a full line of office supplies and stationery, and he maintains such a completely equipped kodak finishing house that, as the only concern of its kind in the county, he does work for many other stores all over Orange County. Naturally, he is a live wire in the Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce and the Santa Ana Merchants and Manufacturers Association.

On February 23. 1908, Mr. Stein was married at Los Angeles to Miss Celia Singer of Los Angeles: and two children have blessed their union-Arthur and Helen. He belongs to the Masons, the Elks and the Eastern Star: but as a man deeply interested in public affairs, he is above party and partisanship.

1605

HISTORY OF ORANGE COUNTY

ANDREW J. KOCH .- Coming to Orange County in 1900, Andrew J. Koch has indeed attained a splendid success in the twenty years of his residence here and is now one of the most prosperous citrus ranchers of the Yorba district. Mr. Koch's parents were Henry P. and Lydia (Buckting) Koch, the father being a native of Ger- many, while the mother was born in Missouri. Henry P. Koch was a pioneer settler of Rhineland, Mo., having left his home in Germany in early manhood, arriving at New York March 6, 1854. Some time after his advent to America he located in Rhineland, where he followed his trade of a blacksmith for many years. He was an industrious, upright citizen, loyal to the land of his adoption, having become a natural- ized citizen, and he occupied a respected place in his community. He served in the Twelfth Missouri Cavalry from 1861 to 1865 in the Civil War, being wounded in action. There were four children in the Koch family: Andrew J., the subject of this review; Theo, a wealthy farmer residing in Missouri; William, also a farmer in Missouri; and Clara, the widow of Louis Flucht, who died in Missouri, September 30, 1920. Born February 21, 1861, at Rhineland, Mo., when but a youth Andrew learned the blacksmith's trade in his father's shop. In 1883 he started a blacksmith shop in Luter Island, Mo., where he continued for a period of five years when he sold out and pur- chased a blacksmith business in his old home town, continuing in business there until 1900, when he came to California. Arriving here, he followed blacksmithing for a number of years at Fullerton, where he built up a profitable business. In the meantime he purchased seventeen acres west of Yorba on Yorba Boulevard. He sold some and retained eleven acres, and here he makes his home. The grove is planted to walnuts and oranges and is now in full bearing. He has brought it up to the highest state of cultivation and it is now one of the most profitable ranches in the vicinity, bringing in a handsome income. Mr. Koch has installed a complete system of cement irrigation pipes and has erected an attractive modern residence costing $4,000, besides up-to-date ontbuildings. The prosperous, well-kept appearance of the place betokens the industry and thrift of the owner. In October, 1919, Mr. Koch leased his ranch for oil, being included in a blanket lease. Two wells are now down and have struck oil so he is already receiving an income from his lease.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

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 174

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