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 40

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 40

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Mr. Edwards was always keenly alive to the need for betterment of conditions in his community, and to any measure that was of present or future value to the county. As one of the directors of the Smeltzer branch of the Home Telephone Company, he was instrumental in the establishment of the telephone system connecting his neighborhood with the larger centers of the country. He was also a director of the Bolsa Tile Factory, whose products were a much-needed factor in the development and improvement of large tracts of land in Orange County.

Mr. Edwards' marriage, which was solemnized at Los Angeles, united him with Miss Julia A. Penhall, a native daughter of California, whose father, Uriah Penhall, was a pioneer of the Golden State, coming here in the early days and engaging in mining. Five children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Edwards: Reuben W., Lloyd E., Daisy M., wife of O. J. Day of Westminster, Mildred N. and Glen W.

MONSIGNOR HENRY EUMMELEN .- If California the Golden, famed to the wide, wide world, is noted for anything besides its matchless climate and all the advan- tages to health and human happiness arising from that priceless blessing, it is that the great commonwealth is an empire of favored homes, a place where one may find peace and contentment, in an environment of uplift and hope, if one is disposed to be contented, happy and prosperous anywhere. For this second blessing-an advanced and assured state of society-Californians are indebted to various agencies long and strenuously at work; chief among which have been the untiring ministrations of the scholarly and faithful clergy, working unselfishly year in and year out to make the world a better place to live in, and California, perhaps, the choicest corner of all.

Eminent among these leaders of church work who have thus dedicated themselves and all that they control or direct to the public good, and often to the good of a public not always exactly in accord with them, may well be mentioned the Very Reverend Monsignor Henry Eummelen, distinguished years ago as the youngest Monsignor in the United States or Canada, and now a natural leader among the prelates of Santa Ana, who was born in the city of Lutterade, province of Limburg, Holland, on De- cember 8, 1862-a day doubtless serenely quiet in staid old Netherlands, but a date memorable for the beginning of General Grant's operations against Vicksburg, which riveted anew the attention of the Old World on America. His father was John Mathias Eummelen, who had married Miss Maria Elizabeth Demacker; and being God-fearing folk, and having noted the early aspiration of their first-born to conse- crate himself to the service of the Almighty, they afforded him every opportunity to prepare for the priesthood. For a while he attended the Jesuit College at Sittaert, Holland, but after four years, when he was just sixteen, he came to this country with his parents.

At Teutopolis, Ill., he resumed his studies, and remained for another four years at the Franciscan College, and then, for a year, he taught school. When he matricu- lated again, it was at the seminary at Mount Angel, Marion County, Ore., but since the Benedictines were not prepared to take secular students, he went to Vancouver, Wash., on the application of Bishop Junger, and taught at the college there for two semesters. He then went to New Westminster, B. C., where he joined Bishop Durieu in missionary work among the nine different tribes of Indians.

Impelled by the desire to resume his studies and reach his goal, Mr. Eummelen went for a while to the Ottawa University; and, as his parents had removed from Nebraska to California, he came to Bishop Mora, the first Bishop of Monterey and Los Angeles, who sent him to Santa Barbara to finish his theology under the famous Very Reverend Father Bergmeyer. When the latter gave up teaching, Mr. Eummelen came south to Los Angeles and taught languages at St. Vincent's, at the same time that he pursued his theological studies; and on the removal of his parents to Kansas, he accompanied them, to look after their affairs. Bishop Fink, of Leavenworth, was only too glad to welcome him to his diocese, and asked him to become a priest under his jurisdiction.

Our subject was thus ordained to the priesthood in Leavenworth on February 28. 1890, by Bishop L. M. Fink, and said his first mass in the Sacred Heart Church at Newbury, Kans., on the second of March following, in the presence of his parents and other relatives, and his first charge was that of assistant at the Cathedral. Sub- sequently he had to attend different missions in eastern Kansas, as a result of which the ardnous pioneer work of those early days proved altogether too much for his, or the average man's, strength. His health broke down, and he was advised by his physicians to move west again to the Pacific Coast.

Knowing Bishop Durieu of Vancouver personally, he went to him and there, as the only secular priest in the diocese, he labored for nine years, and during that time he made it possible to enlarge the Church of the Holy Rosary, which has since

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become the Pro-Cathedral, and he erected the parochial school and St. Paul's Hos- pital. Not being able, however, to live any longer in that climate, he came to Southern California and took up his abode in San Diego, where he spent three years in the drearisome effort to recuperate his health; and, again feeling stronger, he volunteered his services to Bishop Conaty of Los Angeles. The Bishop sent him to the Imperial Valley, and there, during three years of hardships in a pioneer country, he built no less than four churches. He was then sent to National City, and there erected a church; and he also caused one to be built at Otay. As far back as 1896, at the time of the patronal feast of the Church of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, Bishop Durien, on October 3, had Pope Leo XIII, in recognition of Father Eummelen's worth, ability and eminent services, appoint him a Monsignor, and the year previous he had been made an Honorary Canon of the Holy House of Loretto; and with all the years of added experience, accomplishment, prestige and influence, the Monsignor was given his present charge, in 1913-the important parish of St. Joseph's Church at Santa Ana.

On March 2, 1915, occurred the silver jubilee of Monsignor, or plain Father Eummelen, as he prefers to be called, and never, perhaps, has Orange County so honored itself in a similar way as in the proper celebration of the event-a celebration that took on more significance on account of the history of the flourishing parish. The first Catholic Church of Santa Ana was built and dedicated in 1887, and it was then called the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary. It was ministered to at first by priests from Anaheim, but later it had its own pastors-notably the Rev. Fathers Byrne, Grogan and Remhardt. In 1896 the little Church was completely destroyed by fire. The congregation rebuilt at once, and the new church was dedicated the same year. After the burning of the first church, the congregation was again attended from Anaheim, until July, 1903.

After successive pastorates by the Rev. Father Joseph O'Reilly, the Rev. Father John Reynolds and the Rev. Fathers F. X. Becker and P. Stoeters (under whom the old debt hanging over the church was paid off), Monsignor Enmmelen took charge in April, 1913, of St. Joseph's congregation, and he not only enlarged the church, but also the parochial residence. Now, after its enlargement and restoration, the church's interior presents a fine appearance. The furniture, though not ostentatious, is very pleasing, and contributes to the devotional spirit characterizing the place, and among the useful adornments are beautiful "Stations of the Cross" of very large proportions, painted in oil on canvas, and real works of art. This artistic work was done in the church building itself by the young Belgian artist, M. Ravenstein, who received his education in the art schools of Germany and France.

He also built the schoolhouse and established the parochial school. He is now completing a large addition to the school, which will give an additional seating capacity for seventy-five pupils. The school and high school are under the supervision of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Eureka, Cal. Preparing for future growth he has purchased a block of five acres of land one block north of the present site, on which he plans to build a new church at a cost of $100,000, then the present church and school build- ings will be devoted exclusively to the use of the Mexican population of the parish.

During the eight. years Monsignor Eummelen has been in charge, eight girls from the parish have joined the Sisterhood and two of the young men have become ecclesiastics, and the Knights of Columbus and kindred church societies are in a very flourishing condition. The school has been brought to a high standard and is not alone patronized by members of the congregation but by children from families of other denominations, who appreciate its high moral standard. It is visited by the county superintendent of schools, who gives it the highest commendations. He has been very active in the building up of churches and congregations in California, and in this diocese he has built eight different churches. Monsignor Eummelen also takes an active part in civic affairs as well as in the growth and development of the county. Every worthy movement that has for its aim the improvement or upbuilding of the county receives his hearty cooperation and support. During the late war he took part in the different drives for Liberty Bonds and other war funds, and was one of the four-minute speakers. He also organized the Catholic Homeseekers Information Bureau of the United States, with headquarters in Los Angeles. Fraternally, he is a member of the Knights of Columbus and the Santa Ana Lodge of Elks.

On the occasion of the Jubilee referred to, a poem, by Clarice C. Keefe, entitled "Pastor Fidelis," was dedicated to the jubilarian, and there were religious ceremonies at St. Joseph's Church, which began at 10 o'clock in the morning with solemn high mass. The procession proceeded from the rectory, led by the acolytes with their lighted candles, while three little girls dressed in white, carried before the jubilarian

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a white velvet cushion, upon which reposed a silver wreath of the symbolic wheat and grapes, and the Monsignor entered the church of which he had been the beloved pastor for two years, attended by the Right Reverend Bishop Conaty and the other clergy. The wreath was the gift of Father Eummelen's sister, Sister Mary Elizabeth of the Franciscan Convent in Chicago, who with his niece, Sister Mary Stanislaus of Tucson, were privileged to be present at the Mass. The two small nieces of Father Eumme- len, Gertrude Wiedenhoff and Marie Rudolph, and little Catherine Mallen had the honor of carrying the wreath. When the three little maidens presented the wreath they made a pretty poetical address.

Immediately upon entering the sanctuary, the Bishop began the ceremony of blessing the church, whose present beauty bears witness to the energy and generosity of its rector. Following the blessing, solemn high mass was sung by Father Eumme- len, assisted by the Rev. C. M. Raile as deacon, and the Rev. Father Golden as sub- deacon. Rev. Frank Conaty was master of ceremonies. The Right Reverend Bishop was attended by the Rev. Father Burelbach and the Rev. Father Hummert as deacons of honor. Father Theophilus, O. F. M., of St. Joseph's Church, Los Angeles, a boy- hood friend and schoolmate of the jubilarian, preached the sermon, which so eloquently portrayed Father Eummelen's career during the past twenty-five years. The Rt. Rev. Thomas J. Conaty, Bishop of Monterey and Los Angeles, followed with another sermon, and then the litany of the saints was chanted by the clergy, the music being under the direction of Father Fahey. Before the congregation left the Church, a committee of men of St. Joseph's Society, consisting of J. M. Maag, J. W. Hageman and Henry Cochems, stepped to the railing and presented the Monsignor with a well- filled purse as a slight token of appreciation from the parish. A banquet followed, with toasts by L. M. Doyle, Mayor Ey, Father Fahey, Father Burelbach, Father Theo- philus, Father Dubbel, Dr. Jos. Sarsfield Glass, then pastor of St. Vincent's, Los An- geles, and now Bishop of Salt Lake, Father Neusius, Bishop Conaty, Judge Thomas of the superior court, Father Campbell, and the guest of honor, Monsignor Eummelen himself. The receipt of many telegrams added to the pleasure of the event.

LEWIS AINSWORTH .- A prominent business man of Orange, whose healthy influence was felt far beyond the confines of both county and state, was the late Lewis Ainsworth. who passed away on March 22, 1914, in the eighty-fifth year of his age. He was born at Woodbury, Vt., in 1829, and came to Jones County, Iowa, with his parents when he was sixteen years of age. They made the trip by way of the rivers and lakes to Illinois, and then continued to Iowa with the aid of teams. In the Hawkeye State they entered Government land; and with from four to six yoke of oxen hitched to a plow broke the prairie and improved their farm. Under this Iowan environment the lad Lewis grew up.

In the stirring year of 1849 Lewis Ainsworth crossed the great plains, with other Argonauts, in an ox-team train, and having arrived safely in California, mined for a couple of years. Then, in 1852, he returned East by way of Panama, and on April 24, 1852, was married to Miss Persis Bartholomew, a native of La Moyle, Vt. She came with her parents to Illinois when she was seven years of age, and located at Buffalo Grove, now Paola, and two years later the family moved to the neighborhood of Monticello, Jones County, Iowa. She was the daughter of Daniel Bartholomew. who died in Iowa, and Augusta (Simmons) Bartholomew, who passed away in Napa Valley, Cal. Mrs. Ainsworth received a good education in the schools of Vermont, Illinois and Iowa. and so was a real helpmate to her husband.

The same day of their marriage, Lewis Ainsworth and his bride started across the plains with a horse team and wagon, on a trip which had been recommended for her health; and although she left home an invalid, she could walk and was quite well before the end of the journey. They remained at Jacksonville, Ore., for two years, and then, in 1856, returned to Iowa by way of Panama. They took the steamer John L. Stevens from San Francisco to the Isthmus, and the George Law from the Isthmus to New York; this ship sank on her next trip, with a loss of 365 persons.

Mr. Ainsworth remained on his Iowa farm of 640 acres until 1859, when he again came to California and brought his wife and two children, traveling via Panama. He spent ten years at Weaverville, in Trinity County, where he was engaged in mining and in the wood and timber business, and in 1869 returned to Iowa by the newly- established railway lines. Once more he took up agriculture on his Iowa farm, but in 1877 he sold the farm, and moved to Glasco, in Cloud County, Kans., and there bought several sections of land for the growing of corn and raising of cattle and hogs, which he shipped to the Kansas City markets. In 1888 he removed to Salem, Ore., where he remained until 1889, when they returned to Kansas; and there, with his sons, he started

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the Ainsworth Bank and ran it until 1900, while he continued to reside there and to prosecute other business interests.

Mr. Ainsworth had been coming in winter time to Southern California, and in 1900 he moved to Orange, and bought a town home and a block of ground. Soon after that, with the aid of his children, he started the Ainsworth Lumber Company, and with the first planing mill there, they made a quick and lasting success. He built the Ainsworth building, was also a stockholder in the First National Bank of Orange, and in the Orange Savings Bank, and was both a builder up and an upbuilder of the city and county. Although never a church member, he was a true Christian, and for over forty years had been an Odd Fellow.

Mrs. Ainsworth, now eighty-four years of age, has survived her husband, and is widely esteemed by all who know her. She is a member of the Christian Church and the Gordon Granger Post, W. R. C., and she continues to reside at the old home on East Chapman Avenue, where her devoted children lighten her labors and shield her from care. Mr. Ainsworth had made thirteen and a half round trips between California and Iowa, and Mrs. Ainsworth made eight and a half trips. For many years she has had the commendable hobby of clipping items of particular interest from the newspapers and pasting them into scrap books, and in this way she made two large books of the Spanish-American War. She has also made fourteen of the World War, besides nine volumes of soldier-boy letters; she began her scrap-book making in 1877, making one every year, excepting years of war, and has made over sixty books in all, and it is probable has never had a rival in California. The three children of Mr. and Mrs. Ainsworth are: Frank L., Mitt O. and Mrs. Ina Butler, all residing in Orange.

GEORGE J. MOSBAUGH .- Among the most interesting personalities of Orange County must be mentioned that of George J. Mosbaugh, for some time secretary of the Santa Ana Valley Irrigation Company, and later president of the Commercial Bank of Santa Ana. He was born in a log house on a farm near Cicero, Hamilton County, Ind., on May 17, 1840, and was reared on his father's farm. His father was Conrad Mosbaugh, born in Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany, where he grew up and learned the weaver's trade. He was also married there, on September 1, 1836, to Anna Maria Brehm, and together, the following year, they started for America. They were accompanied by Grandfather Joseph Mosbaugh, or Mosbach, and his entire family. In 1837 they bought land and settled in Hamilton County, Indiana, where they made a clearing and built a log house, with its mud and stick chimney, from the native hardwood timber, affording them a rude but hospitable home. Joseph Mos- bach was born at Offstein, Hesse-Darmstadt, in 1775, and was a farmer by occupa- tion. He married Justina Rasph, who was born in 1781, and they had seven children, and all came to America in 1837. The name was originally written Mosbach, but about 1848 an uncle named Franz began to write it Mosbaugh, on account of the various mispronunciations given the name by English-speaking people. Thereafter, the rest of the kin followed his example. Excepting said uncle, Franz, who was a shoe- maker, all the Mosbaughs followed farming.

George Mosbaugh attended the district schools in the pioneer days of Indiana, became a teacher, later a soldier in the Civil War, and after the close of the war resumed his studies at Boyd's Business College at Louisville, Ky., and later studied at the State University of Indiana. After graduating there, he became the proprietor of a commercial college at Terre Haute, Ind., known as the Terre Haute Business College, and still later became proprietor of the Bloomington, Ill., Business College. But, before entering upon his career as professor in business colleges, his first experi- ence was as a teacher in the district schools in Hamilton County, Ind. He was thus engaged in 1862 when he enlisted in the Fifty-first Indiana Volunteer Regiment under Colonel Streight, but did not enter the service for the reason that the recruiting failed to raise the necessary quota of men, and the recruiting officer and himself enlisted as privates in another Indiana regiment. Mr. Mosbaugh then went back to his public school and finished his term of teaching, and after that became a student at Bryant's Business College in Indianapolis, Ind. He was engaged in a mercantile establishment in Indianapolis when in May, 1864, he enlisted in Company D, One Hundred and Thirty-third Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and he assisted in guarding the bridge across the Tennessee River, on the Nashville & Chattanooga Railway, and in doing picket duty at Bridgeport, Ala. He was honorably discharged by reason of the expiration of the term of his enlistment on September 5, 1864. After that he took . up business college work and conducted the schools already mentioned.

While he was managing the business college at Bloomington, Mr. Mosbaugh went to Indianapolis, and on November 25, 1868, was married to Miss Melissa J. Har- rey, a native of Indiana. She died at Santa Ana on October 9, 1896, leaving three

Ечита Расмий Ноградв.

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children. Edwin H., who was for many years chief of the Redlands Fire Depart- ment, is now assistant chief of the department at Riverside; Maude M. is the wife of Dr. J. F. Galloway, the dentist, at San Pedro; and Marie is bookkeeper for a San Diego automobile and tire company.

Mr. Mosbangh was married a second time, on May 16, 1900, when Mrs. Emma (Palmer) Thelan, the widow of the late Charles C. Thelan, became his wife. Mr. Thelan was a pioneer harness maker of Santa Ana, and they had one child, H. Percy Thelan, of Santa Ana. She was the daughter of Noah and Susan (Evans) Palmer, and was born in Santa Clara County, Cal. Mr. Palmer was a native of Lowville, N. Y., while Mrs. Palmer came from Indiana; and they were married at Laurel, Franklin County, Ind. Mr. Palmer came overland to California in 1849, leaving his wife in Indiana, and in 1852 he went back after her. For a while he mined gold at Placerville, and later he took up a government claim four miles out of Santa Clara, and became one of Santa Clara's early horticulturists. There were three children in Mr. and Mrs. Palmer's family: Almira, Mrs. R. E. Hewitt, came to Santa Ana in 1874, and she and her husband are both now deceased; Emma is the wife of Mr. Mosbaugh, and Lottie E. resides in Santa Ana. Mr. Palmer was very prominent in Santa Ana, where he died on January 10, 1916, preceded some years by his devoted wife, who had passed away on October 28, 1903. They were very highly honored people at Santa Ana, Santa Clara and everywhere else where they had lived, and Mr. Mr. Palmer was an excellent farmer, banker and street railroad builder, and was influ- ential in political circles, being a stanch Republican.

Mr. Mosbaugh was engaged as bookkeeper for Lockhart and Company at Pitts- burgh, Pa., for nine years, and became a partner in their business in 1873. Two years later he came out to California and settled at Orange, May, 1875, where he lived the first eight and a half years. During this time he developed one of the early orange orchards at Orange. In order to replenish his purse during the waiting time, he accepted the secretaryship of the Santa Ana Valley Irrigation Company, and at the time of the establishing of the Commercial Bank at Santa Ana, in 1882, he became its first bookkeeper, so that he is able to say, with a smile of satisfaction, "I began as janitor and bookkeeper, and came out as president." Since 1904, Mr. and Mrs. Mosbaugh have resided at their commodious residence at 636 North Broadway.

Mr. and Mrs. Mosbaugh attend the Presbyterian Church, and Mr. Mosbangh is an active member of Sedgwick Post No. 17, G. A. R., in Santa Ana, and has been adjutant and quartermaster for a number of years. He is also a member of Santa Ana Lodge No. 241, F. & A. M.

A few years ago Mr. Mosbaugh prepared a family genealogy, of which he distributed gratuitously one hundred copies among near-of-kin and intimate friends, and in that work he placed the following preface:

"Aside from our duty and the gratitude we owe to our Creator, to whom do we owe our existence? Is it not to our ancestors, through whom God in His infinite wisdom has given us birth and life? It is wrong for us to say that we do not care for our ancestors. Besides giving us being, they have given us good government, churches, schools and colleges, and laid the foundation for the many blessings we are now enjoying. Let us then keep our family record with pride and reverence. This hook- let is intended as a starting point. It is the hope of the writer that each person who receives one will continue to keep an accurate record of his or her family, and will pass it on to coming generations. Read the first seventeen verses of the first chapter of Matthew, and you will readily see that our forefathers in an early day kept a better family record than we are now keeping. Lastly, I desire hereby to express my earnest gratitude to all those who assisted me by furnishing names, dates or information for the completion of this booklet."

Mr. Mosbangh has always been punctilions, prompt, and most conscientious in all his business affairs, and this in part explains his success in life; he has also been fond of poetry and other idealistic things, and this reflects his inner character. The following are among his favorite selections of poems:

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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 40

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