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 52

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 52

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strike occurred. Mr. Blom went out at that time because of his convictions on the principles involved, and he has never gone back, but now gives all his time to the care of his extensive ranch. This is not Mr. Blom's first venture in the citrus industry, as he was formerly the owner of a grove of fifteen acres between Garden Grove and Anaheim. For many years while Mr. Blom was engaged in work in Los Angeles Mrs. Blom had charge of the orange grove and so successfully did she superintend its development that when it was sold it brought $50,000 net, nearly tripling its purchase price of $17,000. This ranch was one of the show places of Orange County and her flowers took prizes and received honorable mention at the Orange Flower Shows. Mrs. Blom has also shown her talent as a writer of poetry.

Mr. Blom's first marriage, which occurred in St. Louis, united him with Miss Mary Spenley, who passed away there, leaving five children, as follows: Josephine is the wife of R. T. Mitchell, a rolling mill worker in Los Angeles; Stella married Fred Conrad, Jr., employed in the lumber business in Los Angeles; Ollie W., formerly a steel worker, is now a producer of feldspar and silica at Ethanac, Cal., where he is the owner of a mine; Florence, who became the wife of Earl Ladd of Garden Grove, passed away in 1917. leaving two children-Vivian and Oliver; Helen died at the age of eleven in Los Angeles. Mr. Blom was married on March 8, 1905, to Mrs. Elise Floyd, the widow of George G. Floyd, the ceremony being solemnized in St. Louis. She is the daughter of Charles L. and Mary Josephine (Lahay) Pelot, the father being a native of Canton Berne, Switzerland, and the mother of French-Canadian extraction, and was one of a family of seven children, four of whom are now living, all residents of California. Mrs. Blom was born in Farmington, Mo., her father being a well-known business man of that place, but the family later removed to St. Louis, and there her girlhood was spent. Mr. Pelot built up a substantial business there, dealing in coal, lime and cement, having large yards in that city. He passed away there in 1907, at the age of fifty-one years; the mother is still living and makes her home with the Bloms on their beautiful ranch.

Entirely through his own efforts Mr. Blom has, by his untiring industry, reached a high degree of success, and he is now enjoying the fruits of his labor. He is devoted to the country of his adoption and is a firm believer in the permanent prosperity of this section of the country.

JOHN BRUNWORTH .- A liberal-minded, kind-hearted gentleman, who has im- proved acreage and who never fails to entertain with his interesting and instructive stories of early-settler days, is John Brunworth, of East Center Street, Anaheim. He was born at Edwardsville, Madison County, Ill., on New Year's Day, 1861, the son of Henry Brunworth, who came to St. Louis when that city was a small French town. He soon removed to Madison County and rented land, farming until he got a start; and finally he bought a tract on the rich prairies, and improved it, and added to that by other purchases, so that now, still living at the age of ninety-six, past, he owns 180 acres of very choice farm land. He had married Miss Sophia Bnettemeier, who died at the old home. They had ten children, six of whom are at present living; and among those John was the second in the order of birth.

He was brought up in Illinois, where he attended the public schools, and he early went to work at grain growing and stock raising. He also ran a steam thresher for seven years, and did general farming until 1887, when he came to Los Angeles, Cal. The town was then a small place, with not a foot of paving, and he went to work for a liveryman as floor manager. After that, for four years, he was a truck driver for Hellman, Haas and Company, and it was not until 1893 that he located at Anaheim.

He bought ten acres on Sycamore Street, planted to walnuts and figs; but he soon dug the figs out, and, instead, set out oranges. In 1910, he bought another ten acres which he improved, again setting out walnuts and oranges; so that he had twenty acres, which he managed with success until 1917, when he disposed of his holdings. He still owns residence property in Anaheim.

In Los Angeles Mr. Brunworth was married to Miss Ernestine Frederick, a native of Germany who died at Anaheim, the mother of two children. Albert was in the Sixth U. S. Marines, Second Division, and served overseas, on the Argonne front, without getting a scratch; Eleanor Brunworth became Mrs. Dyer of Hollywood. Mr. Brunworth married a second time, at Anaheim, choosing for his bride Miss Panline Kroeger, a native of Anaheim and the daughter of Henry Kroeger, one of the pioneers of the town. A Democrat in national politics, Mr. Brunworth is a nonpartisan "booster" in every local movement giving promise of contributing toward the building up and the elevating of the community and county in which he lives, works and prospers. He attends the Lutheran Church of Anaheim.

Bolum & chapman

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HISTORY OF ORANGE COUNTY

COLUM C. CHAPMAN .- Prominent among the level-headed, far-seeing men of invaluable experience and unimpeachable integrity, to whom not only Orange County but Southern California will ever be agreeably indebted for public-spirited interest and years of unselfish service in both the development of the state's resources and the upbuilding as well as the building up of the communities with which he has had to do, must be mentioned Colum C. Chapman, of the well-known Eastern family which has come to play such an enviable role, in one way or other, in the Golden State. He was born at Macomb, McDonough County, 111., on August 23, 1858, the son of Sidney S. and Rebecca Jane (Clark) Chapman, who removed with him, when he was ten years of age, to the village of Vermont, Fulton County, II1. In 1872 Mr. Chapman and his family moved again, this time to Chicago; and in that fast-expanding city Colum grew up and remained until the middle nineties.

During his residence in Chicago, Colum Chapman was connected with various enterprises, and they were all of such a character as to reflect with credit his inclina- tions and his ability. For some years, for example, he was head of the lithographing department in the publishing house of Chapman Bros., and as such had much to do with the extension of education in the Middle West, the proper preservation for future, accessible reference of historical data and memorials, and with the formation of popular taste in art. At Chicago, also, on November 9, 1887, Mr. Chapman was married to Miss Anna J. Clough, of Chicago, a gifted lady with the capacity for making friend- ships. Her father was a native of England, doubtless related to Arthur Hugh Clough, the poet of that country so popular with our New England bards, and her mother came of good old Puritan stock in Providence, R. I.

In March, 1894, Mr. Chapman made his first trip to California, to look over the lay of the land and decide upon a future site for location, after which he returned to Chicago; and in December of the following year he came out to Los Angeles, bringing with him his family. He then removed to Fullerton, and for four years he was on Charles C. Chapman's ranch, after which he went back to Los Angeles for another three years. He then went to Monrovia, where he had an orange grove of twenty acres, which he sold at the end of three years. Again he took up his residence in Los Angeles, where he remained until he came to Yorba Linda, in November, 1917.

Since taking up his residence and responsibilities here, Mr. Chapman has been active in various lines such as spell prosperity for others as well as himself, and angur well for a section of the great commonwealth with unrivalled resources awaiting appreciation and development. He has improved forty acres by the setting out of oranges, and leased part of his ranch to the Ridge Oil Company, in which he is a large stockholder. While in Los Angeles, he was engaged in the handling of important real estate and in building high-class residences, and he also superintended certain interest of his brother, and still looks after those interests.

Two sons bless the fortunate union of Mr. and Mrs. Chapman. Llewellyn Sidney was born in Chicago on May 22, 1891, and married Miss Ruth Reid, who is a graduate of the University of Southern California preparatory school and took a course at the University of Southern California; they live on the home ranch and are the parents of one daughter, Marilyn; Colum Clough Chapman was born at Fullerton, on February 11, 1899, graduated from the Hollywood high school, and is now pursuing a course in agriculture at the Davis branch of the State University. True to the traditions of the Chapman family, Mr. Chapman is a member and active supporter of the Christian Church, and being a man who favors training the body as well as the mind and the soul, he belongs to the Los Angeles Athletic Club.

MITT O. AINSWORTH .- A public-spirited citizen of Orange, whose position as vice-president and director in the Orange Savings Bank, and as a stockholder in the National Bank of Orange, makes him naturally a leader of wide, helpful influence, is Mitt O. Ainsworth, a native son who was born near Weaverville, Trinity County, Cal., on April 1, 1860. His father was Lewis Ainsworth, whose sketch is given on another page in this work. Mitt O. was reared in that locality until he was. eight years old, when he removed with his parents to Iowa. There, in Monticello, Jones County, he remained until he was eighteen; he went to the public schools, and in 1878 moved on to Glasco, Kans., where he engaged in farming. In 1888, he pushed out to the great Northwest, with his family, and at Salem, Ore., he followed farming. In 1890 he came back to Glasco; and when a bank was started there, he entered its service, and con- tinued banking for four years. Then he resumed farming and also took up stock raising; he cultivated wheat and corn, and fed cattle and hogs.

In 1903 Mr. Ainsworth came out to California, and at Orange embarked in the lumber trade, having his father and brother as partners; he became a member of the Ainsworth Lumber and Milling Company, and became its vice-president and a director. 20

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He took an active part in it until he sold out; they built a planing mill which was burned to the ground, and then they rebuilt it on modern lines, had a large lumber yard and enjoyed a fast-growing trade. Since he sold out, in May, 1914, Mr. Ainsworth has engaged in ranching, growing oranges, lemons and walnuts. He has bought, improved and sold ranches, and he now owns a ten-acre ranch of oranges and lemons, and another ranch of ten acres on Tustin Avenue, where seven and a half acres are given up to oranges and two and a half acres to lemons. Naturally enough, Mr. Ains- worth is a member of the Villa Park Orchards Association, and the Central Lemon Growers Association.

During his residence at Glasco, Kans., Mr. Ainsworth was married to Miss Nellie Sutton, a native of Iowa, the ceremony taking place in 1883. Four children have blessed the fortunate union. Rose has become Mrs. B. J. Fletcher of Orange; Ina is Mrs. Carl Schmidt of San Fernando; Jesse is a rancher in Orange; and Nellie is Mrs. Earl Johnson of Nuevo. Mr. and Mrs. Ainsworth are members of the Christian Church of Orange; and Mr. Ainsworth is a trustee and also a deacon in the church.

JOHN WEHRLY, M. D .- A physician who, following exceptional and technical preparation for his work, and years of illuminating practice, has come to take front rank among the best representatives of medicine and surgery in Santa Ana, is Dr. John Wehrly, the fifth oldest practitioner in point of service in the city. A native of Canton Aaru, Switzerland, John Wehrly was born April 1, 1868, the son of Samuel and Marie (Simons) Wehrly, both born in the same canton, and living only about five miles from the original Hapsburg Castle. They had four children, two of whom died in infancy, and the others were Samuel Wehrly, Jr .; a farmer near Kane, Greene County, Ill., and John Wehrly, of this review. The mother died in Greene County in 1913, aged seventy-seven years, and the father, now past eighty-five, makes his home with his son in Santa Ana. He was the owner of a 200-acre farm in Greene County for many years, selling it at a recent date at a very satisfactory advance in price.

John was but a lad of four years of age when his parents came to America, and he grew up on the Greene County farm, attending both the grammar and the high schools of Carrollton, in that county. Having a natural aptitude and a leaning for the medical profession, he began his studies under Dr. C. A. Armstrong of Carrollton, and a year later matriculated, in September, 1887, at the Missouri Medical College, and was graduated therefrom on March 4, 1890, with his degree of M. D. The young physician began his practice in Jacksonville, 111., and one year later removed to Highland, Madison County, that state, where he continued for three years as a general practitioner.

In 1894 we find Dr. Wehrly in St. Louis, specializing in diseases of the stomach and electro-therapeutics and winning a deserved popularity. Desiring a change of environment, he decided to come to California, and in 1901-an eventful year in his eventful career-located in the city of Santa Ana and opened an office in the Henry Finley Block, continuing there for eight years. As his practice grew he moved into the Farmers and Merchants Bank Building and remained there until able to move into his own building at 607 North Main Street. This was built in 1912, expressly for his growing clientele, and is equipped with all modern conveniences. Soon after locating in Santa Ana, Dr. Wehrly went east to Chicago and pursued a post-graduate course in electro-therapeutics and diseases of the stomach, intestines and bladder, and there learned the latest word of science and was enabled to take the lead in his specialties after resuming his practice here.

Besides having a large general practice, Dr. Welirly served as county physician from 1911 to 1915. At the beginning the hospital was located at the corner of Fifth and Spurgeon streets, in the city of Santa Ana, but in 1913 Dr. Wehrly encouraged the board of supervisors to purchase seventy-three acres of land in the West Orange Precinct for a county farm, and also assisted in planning the new county hospital building. This investment by the board has been a wise one, for the market value of the land has increased many times since it was made, and has shown the far-sightedness of Dr. Wehrly. . The Doctor is a member of the American Medical Association, the State Medical Society, the Southern California Medical Society, the Orange County Medical Society and the Pacific Coast Roentgen Ray Society, and was vice-president of the Santa Ana Hospital.

While a resident of Highland, Madison County, Ill., Dr. Wehrly and Miss Augusta Wehrle were united in marriage on November 17, 1892. She is a native of Highland and the daughter of Andrew and Katherine (Raber) Wehrle. Mr. Wehrle was a well-known business man of that city and there the daughter was reared and educated. Two children blessed their union: John L., graduated from the Santa Ana high school in 1916 and became a student at the U. C. Dental College in Los Angeles. During the World War he enlisted in the students' training corps and, after his

Chas, & Ruddock

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honorable discharge at the signing of the armistice, resumed his studies, being a member of the class of '21; Waldo S., graduated from the Santa Ana high school in 1918 and was in the students' training corps as a student at Throop College at Pasadena. After his honorable discharge he resumed his college work and is now taking a medical course in the medical department of the University of California at Berkeley, Cal. The family attend and belong to the First Methodist Episcopal Church at Santa Ana, where Dr. Wehrly is a member of the board of stewards.

Dr. Wehrly was chief examiner for Exemption Board No. 1 of Santa Ana, during the World War, until enlisting in the service in August, 1918, being commissioned captain of the base hospital at Camp Kearney, and was given charge of the gastro- intestinal ward until transferred to Fort Snelling, Minn., and while stationed there base hospital No. 108 was organized. From Fort Snelling he was ordered to France, and sailed from Hoboken, N. J., October 31, 1918, on the George Washington, one of the captured German liners. The vessel arrived at Brest on November 9, 1918, and two days later the armistice was signed. His services were still needed, however, and he assisted at the base hospital at Meves, near Nevers, France; was promoted to major on May 2, 1919, and on May 3 was transferred to the Thirty-sixth Division, made up from Texas and Oklahoma. He left Brest in May and landed at Hoboken June 2, and was honorably discharged at Camp Dix, N. J., June 8, and arrived home in Santa Ana June 13, 1919. Dr. Wehrly is a major in the Medical Reserve; a member of the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States; president of Santa Ana Post No. 131, American Legion; chairman of the Santa Ana Chapter of the American Red Cross; and chairman of the Santa Ana Board of Health. In matters fraternal he belongs to Santa Ana Lodge No. 794, B. P. O. Elks, and is a Knights Templar Mason and belongs to the Eastern Star Chapter, in which he is past patron. In national politics always a Republican. Dr. Wehrly never lets partisan affiliation interfere when it comes to local offices, and supports men and measures he deems best suited for the greatest good to the greatest number of people, and for the upbuilding of the city and county of his adoption, where he is held in the highest esteem by all who know him.

CHARLES EDWARD RUDDOCK .- One of the most esteemed and helpful resi- dents of Fullerton was the late Charles E. Ruddock, and his death, which occurred on February 2, 1917, in the prime of his manhood, was a distinct loss to the com- munity, where he had won a high position in the regard of his fellowtownsmen; and he left behind him a record of quiet, honest and earnest integrity which has placed his name on the roll of honored citizens of that city. Like hundreds of California's citizens who have aided in bringing it to its present wonderful development, Mr. Rud- dock was an Easterner by birth. He first saw the light of day on March 8, 1864, in Chenango County, N. Y., his parents heing Chester S. and Sarah J. (Chandler) Ruddock, natives, respectively, of Massachusetts and New York.

When he was but three years of age, Mr. Ruddock's parents decided to try their fortunes in the Middle West, and they traveled out as far as Wisconsin, settling in Winnebago County, where the father engaged in agricultural pursuits. Here Charles was reared, receiving his education in the country schools, and like the other lads of his day, learned the rudiments of farming by assisting his father on the home place. He grew to manhood in this state, near Berlin, Green Lake County, and on November 27, 1884, was united in marriage with Miss Lila L. Ruddock, a native of Wisconsin, the daughter of Asahel Dwight and Julia Amelia (De Forris) Ruddock.

On November 1, 1896, Mr. and Mrs. Ruddock came to Fullerton, Cal., and entered at once into the life of the community. Mr. Ruddock puurchased twelve acres on West Wilshire Street; this was planted to young Navel oranges and walnut trees. and later he set out late Valencias, and other varieties. He also bought twelve acres of raw land, three-fourths of a mile west of Fullerton, which was planted to lemons, and which he later disposed of. He built a substantial home on Common- wealth Avenue, and here he made his home for fifteen years, then hought a place on North Birch Street, Santa Ana, and lived there five years, then moving into the home on West Wilshire, where he died. Always interested in promoting every worthy project for the good of the community, and a firm believer in cooperation, he was a member and stockholder in the Placentia Orange Growers Association, the Fullerton Walnut Growers Association and the Anaheim Water Company.

A stanch Republican, Mr. Ruddock was always prominent in the councils of his party and in the political life of the county. In 1910 he was honored by being elected to the office of sheriff of Orange County, serving a four-year term. Prior to this he was city marshal of Fullerton for eight years. For years he was very active in fraternal life, being a Scottish Rite Mason, past master of the Fullerton Lodge, a Knight Templar and Shriner. He was also a member of the Odd Fellows and Elks

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lodges of Santa Ana. In his religious affiliations, Mr. Ruddock was an adherent of the Presbyterian Church and was a prominent member and trustee of the Fullerton organization. A natural musician, he was an excellent performer on both the violin and cornet, and in Winnebago County, Wis., organized and led the band at Koro for seven years. He organized the Fullerton band and was its president.

Mr. and Mrs. Ruddock were the parents of two children. Ray, the only son, is deceased; the daughter, Pearl L., is the wife of W. E. Oswald of Fullerton, and she is the mother of two children-Una Claire and Wanda Mae. Mrs. Ruddock has also always been prominent in fraternal circles, being past worthy matron of the Eastern Star Chapter at Fullerton, and past noble grand of Sycamore Lodge of Rebekahs at Santa Ana; during the war she was very active in Red Cross work. When she came to Fullerton with her husband it had a population of only 750 people, and from this small hamlet she has witnessed its growth to its present thriving proportions. While Mr. Ruddock was in the East, she erected a beautiful new bungalow at 211 West Wilshire Street, Fullerton, and here she makes her home. She has also subdivided the remainder of the twelve acres on West Wilshire Street which they first purchased. This is known as the Ramona subdivision and is one of the finest residential sections of Fullerton, many beautiful residences being erected there.

MAX NEBELUNG .- In a roster of the pioneers of Orange County, no name is more deserving of prominence than that of Max Nebelung, for not alone was he one of the earliest settlers in this section, but he was a pioneer in industry as well, for it was through his unaided efforts that two of Orange County's greatest sources of wealth received their start-that of walnut growing and the raising of sugar beets, for through their development millions of dollars are added each year to the wealth of the county. So marvelous have been the improvements and changes which the past few years have brought that it is difficult to picture, even in the imagination, the barren, undeveloped state of this locality when Max Nebelung arrived in 1868, alone and practically penniless.

Born in Germany, at Ellrich in the Province of Saxony, on November 25, 1844, Mr. Nebelung received a good education in the schools of his native land. On com- pleting his education he followed the occupation of clerk in retail stores, but when he had reached the age of twenty-three years, he felt that there were greater oppor- tunities in store for him in America. Accordingly he left his native shores in 1867, arriving in New York in July of that year. Going to Utica, N. Y., he secured work in the woolen mills located near there. In 1868, however, he decided to come to Cali- fornia; he made his journey by way of the Isthmus of Panama, coming to San Fran- cisco by steamer. He had as a companion a boyhood friend who had come from Ger- many with him; not finding employment in San Francisco the two boys, in company with two others, came south to San Pedro, where they found a small wharf about twelve feet long, one house and a small lumber yard. They proceeded to Los Angeles, bought a wagon and mules, and started overland to Arizona, intending to try mining. Near Searchlight, Nev., they worked for a time in a silver mine, but as the prospect of wealth seemed so uncertain they disposed of their outfit and proceeded to Fort Mojave, where a troop of U. S. cavalry were stationed. Here they experienced some of the thrills of the early day, before they found an opportunity to join a man who was coming to California and came to San Bernardino and on to Los Angeles, remaining there a few weeks; then hearing of the colony which had settled at Anaheim, Mr. Nebelung made his way there, arriving in December, 1868, and liked the looks of the place. He first found employment in a winery, where he remained a year and a half, afterwards clerking in a general store and became acquainted with the people and con- ditions. In those days Anaheim Landing was the port of entry for steamers, and Mr. Nebelung secured the position of freight clerk for the Anaheim Lighter Company, working there two years, assisting in loading, unloading and checking freight that came and went by steamer. He then went back to clerking, taking a position in the general store of August Langenberger, who was the first storekeeper in Anaheim. He remained there for eight years, the last five as manager of the store.

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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 52

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