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 7

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 7

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The total length of paved streets in the city aggregates 16.85 miles with about fourteen miles of oiled streets. Approximately fifty-eight miles of cement side- walks have been laid. The length of the sewers, including laterals, is seven and a half miles. The trunk lines, septic tank and outfall cost $35,000; extension to main and construction of laterals, under district assessment, cost $29,158.

The municipality owns the gas distributing system, which includes about twenty miles of mains and laterals. It has, 500 patrons consuming about 75,000 cubic feet of gas daily ; the gas is the natural article purchased from the Southern Counties Gas Company.

The city has four parks of moderate size aggregating about eleven and a half acres. It also has a pleasure pier constructed of reinforced concrete at a cost of about $60,000.

Following are the present city officers: Board of trustees, Ed. Manning. president : Richard Drew, C. J. Andrews, R. L. Obarr, Albert Onson ; clerk, Chas. R. Nutt ; treasurer, C. E. Lavering ; attorney, L. W. Blodget ; recorder, C. W. Warner; engineer. C. R. Sumner ; superintendent gas and sewers, F. L. Snyder ; marshal and superintendent streets, Geo. M. Taylor.

The city has a chamber of commerce with about seventy wide-awake mem- bers. The Free and Accepted Masons have a good healthy lodge, and the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows have a good membership and fairly good attend- ance. The Order of Eastern Star and the Rebekah lodges are reported to be very much alive. There is but one labor organization, The American Federation of Musicians, affiliated with the American Federation of Labor. There are two fraternal insurance lodges, the most active of which is the Modern Woodmen. although the Woodmen of the World has some membership.

The municipality gives aid to and partially supports a brass band under the direction of C. H. Endicott, more generally known as "Pop," who is a thorough musician and very active in every good work for the advancement of the com- munity and the county. The Huntington Beach Municipal Band under his leader- ship has become a very creditable organization and a veritable booster for the county.

Surrounded by a rich agricultural section, supplemented by the beach as a summer attraction, Huntington Beach will not only maintain its place in the struggle for existence, but it will forge ahead of some of its less favored com- petitors and become one of Orange County's important cities.

HISTORY OF ORANGE COUNTY

CHAPTER VIII THE CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH Supplemented by George P. Wilson

When the final history of California shall have been written Newport Beach will be counted as one of the most thriving of her coast towns. Not only is its location beautiful from a scenic point of view, but better still it has a more abiding attraction in its admirable location from a commercial standpoint. Located upon the body of water from which it takes its name, Newport Bay, which is the largest body of water between San Francisco and San Diego, it had been the habit of vessels of other days to make port here because it was possible to cross the bar on high tide. unload and reload the vessels in still waters, not on piers constructed for the purpose, but upon the solid ground of the mainland. Inasmuch as the Pacific Coast is not sufficiently equipped with ports of entry and as Newport Bay offers unsurpassed natural advantages, it is the earnest hope of citizens of the town located upon its borders that the Government, which needs for the carrying on of its own business every available port on this coast, will unite with the citizens of Orange County in perfecting one of the most important harbors on America's western coast. This hope is strengthened by the fact that comparatively speaking the improvement could be accomplished at small cost. Newport Bay is a perfectly land-locked body of water, covering eight square miles, and the union of Nature's efforts with modern engineering could easily convert this into one of the best ports in the world.

Appeals to the Federal Government have thus far brought no material assist- ance, although the inspecting engineers and visiting statesmen all speak favorably of the natural advantages of the bay for harbor purposes. The Hon. Josephus Daniels, Secretary of the Navy, in his recent trip through the county, gave strong encouragement for Federal aid. Some time ago the people of Newport Beach bonded their city for $100,000 to start the improvement. The good results from that outlay were so apparent that they were encouraged to solicit aid from the county. An election was called for June 10. 1919, to vote county bonds in the sum of $500,000 for the development of the harbor. The result of that election was: Bonds, yes 6,077; bonds. no 2,572. These bonds sold at a premium of $11,887, which speaks well for the credit of Orange County.

Not only will Newport Harbor become the yachting center of the Pacific Coast, it is expected, but the opening of this safe anchorage will no doubt attract industrial establishments to this already favorable location. A fish cannery has been built which will employ about fifty people and it is quite probable that this will lead to the location of other fish canneries on the harbor.

The city of Newport Beach is clustered about the bay and water front so promiscuously that it is hard to determine its area from the map with any degree of accuracy ; however, it seems to occupy from three to three and a half square miles of territory. The census of 1910 credits Newport Beach with a population of 445 ; the 1920 census gives the city a population of 898. The assessed valu- ation of the city for the year 1920 is $1,289,685. The city has one and a half miles of paved streets and seven miles of oiled streets, fourteen miles of cement sidewalks and one and one-half miles of board walk, and two pleasure piers.

The present city officers are as follows: Board of trustees, J. P. Greeley. president ; J. J. Schnitker, Art L. Heard, Dr. Conrad Richter, L. S. Wilkinson : clerk, Alfred Smith ; treasurer, Lew H. Wallace ; marshal and tax collector, J. A. Porter ; attorney, Clyde Bishop : street superintendent, Frank J. Knight ; gas man- ager, F. L. Rinehart : water superintendent, John McMillan; engineer, Paul E. Kressley ; recorder, Byron Hall ; harbor master, A. J. Beek ; clerk of harbor com- mission, Lew H. Wallace.

The following associations maintain organizations in Newport Beach : Metho- dist Episcopal Church, Bible Institute Chapel, Newport Beach Chamber of Com- merce, Newport Harbor Yacht Club.

HISTORY OF ORANGE COUNTY

CHAPTER IX THE CITY OF ORANGE

Supplemented by D. G. Wettlin

Almost in the exact center of the county of Orange may be found the city of Orange, thirty-one miles southeast of Los Angeles, on the Santa Fe Railroad. at the junction of the kite-shaped track with the surf line to San Diego. It is also centrally located on the upper half of the mesa between the foothills and the Santa Ana River, and is surrounded by a productive, densely populated area con- taining the communities of McPherson, El Modena. Villa Park, Olive, West Orange and Santa Ana, the county seat, all within a radius of four miles.

The following statement, taken from the testimony of A. B. Chapman in the famous water suit between the two sides of the river in 1877, explains the origin of the city :

"The townsite of Orange was laid off in 1870 or 1871 by Captain Glassell and myself. The town of Santa Ana was laid out at the same time. At that time I went to Santa Ana and there were two or three men there in tents, a Mr. Spurgeon and two or three others. Santa Ana was not laid off by the same parties who laid off Orange. I was the father of Orange and Spurgeon and Bradford were the fathers of Santa Ana. Columbus Tustin laid off Tustin and lives there."

The original townsite of Orange contained forty acres of land which was sub- divided into eight five-acre blocks with twenty lots in each block. Eight lots were reserved at the center for a public plaza. The town was called Richland, but later the name was changed to Orange, because there was already one Richland in the state and the government would not grant a postoffice to another. Additions have been made to the town from time to time by subdividing the acreage tracts surrounding the original townsite and naming such additions after the owners. In that way P. J. Shaffer, Joseph Beach, N. D. Harwood and others have left their names to streets or additions to the city.

Building material was an important item in the early days, the lumber in the first houses being hauled by team from Los Angeles or Wilmington. The resi- dence of Joseph Beck on Almond Avenue is said to be the oldest house in Orange, having been built for Captain Glassell's office where the Ainsworth block now stands. If we mistake not, the building moved to the northwest corner of the plaza square to make way for the Campbell building, was the first store.

The early settlers were a sturdy band, collected from all parts of the world for the sake of the cheaper land and the better opportunities afforded by a new country. Their very hardships and privations brought them closer together, enabling them to realize the truth of the proverb that "one touch of nature makes the whole world kin." Previous distinctions of birth, rank and precedence were forgotten ; individual peculiarities were either ignored or treated with good natured banter. All met on the common plane of good will and helpfulness.

Inexperience and ignorance are serious handicaps for any individual; but when a whole community is so afflicted, with no one qualified to suggest, advise or instruct, it means a frightful loss of time and energy in finding out by actual experience what the climate and soil of the new country, very different from that of the old home, are best adapted to produce and how to bring about the best results. For instance, Joseph Beach planted one ten-acre tract to four different kinds of trees and vines in succession, devoting several years to each before being convinced that it did not come up to his expectations. After millions of grape- vines had grown to maturity and a reputation for superior raisins had been estab- lished, some mysterious disease, which baffled the government experts, destroyed all the vines. Before there were any quarantine laws, the nurserymen imported several kinds of insect pests on their stock, which crippled fruit-growing for sev- eral years and even threatened its extinction ; but finally methods of spraying and

HISTORY OF ORANGE COUNTY

fumigating were perfected that keep the pests in check. The difficulties of de- veloping an irrigating system were almost insuperable, to say nothing about the litigation over the water rights. The soil, which never had been irrigated, was porous and the squirrels and gophers honeycombed the ditch banks, so that it was hard to make them hold water. Many an orchard was kept alive by water hauled in a barrel on a sled. While all these experiences were being worked out, the people had to live somehow. Every profession, trade and vocation had its repre- sentatives in the community ; while all kinds of farming, dairying, poultry raising. etc., were carried on with different degrees of success. Many men found employ- ment abroad and the women did the outdoor work at home.

Notwithstanding the hardships and privations of the early days, the educa- tional, religious and social wants of the community were not neglected. Schools were established, some of the children coming as far as eight miles on their ponies. At first religious services were held in the schoolhouse by the different denomi- nations, with a union Sunday school. People thought nothing of mounting the high seat of the farm wagon and riding from one to twenty miles to church ; in fact, one old Scotch couple used to walk the latter distance from the Santiago Canyon to the Presbyterian Church in Orange nearly every Sunday. The Musical Union was one of the earliest musical organizations, and from that time down to the present many other organizations, both vocal and instrumental, have furnished the people with music of a high order. Literary societies were carried on, and entertainments of various kinds for various purposes were frequent. One of the best amateur baseball clubs in Southern California, if not in the state, had its headquarters at Orange.

The esprit de corps, or spirit of local patriotism, was just as strong in the early days as now. Nearly every exhibit, of whatever character, from Orange in competition with others, won a prize, because the people were willing to con- tribute of their products and labor to make it a success. When the Santa Fe wanted a right of way through the valley, the citizens of this community donated one of their streets and $8,000 in money to get the railroad where they wanted it. A few months later a little diplomatic work secured the junction for Orange after it had been promised to Santa Ana. Some $1,500 was raised to improve the plaza, the ladies raising one-third of the amount by the production of an original play, with local coloring, and other entertainments ; a few years ago about $1,000 more was added to provide cement curbs and gravel walks. Bonds were voted from time to time to build schoolhouses as fast as they were needed, one $7,000 building being destroyed by fire. Most of the present church buildings were erected in the early days, though some of them have since been enlarged. The public library had grown to considerable proportions on private subscriptions, en- tertainments and membership dues before it was turned over to the city. When the new county was being formed, in 1889, the Rochester Hotel, which cost over $50,000, was offered free for a courthouse, and a vigorous but unsuccessful cam- paign was waged for the county seat. A little later the hotel was bought by the people, with the assistance of Rev. J. H. Harwood, and turned into the Orange County Collegiate Institute. After carrying on the school for three years, Mr. Harwood mortgaged the property to get his money out, and left the city. More examples of the early hardships might be given; but perhaps enough have been mentioned to show something of the difficulties encountered in the settlement of Orange and the character of the people who overcame those difficulties and made the later successes of the community possible.

The city of Orange was incorporated April 6, 1888, as a city of the sixth class, with an area of approximately three square miles and a population of about 600 people. Its location midway between the sea and the mountains gives it almost an ideal climate the year round. The invigorating sea breezes temper the extreme heat experienced farther inland, while the damp and chilling atmosphere prevailing nearer the coast, seldom causes discomfort here. There is scarcely ever sufficient frost to do any material damage. The soil of this portion of the valley is a sandy 3

HISTORY OF ORANGE COUNTY

loam, rich and fertile, easily cultivated and adapted to a great variety of products. Citrus and deciduous fruits, nuts, vegetables and all kinds of farm products are successfully grown and easily marketed over the many railroads or by ocean transportation.

The railroad facilities of this section are unsurpassed. The Santa Fe has stations at Orange and Olive. and the Southern Pacific at West Orange. Villa Park, McPherson and El Modena. The Pacific Electric has recently built through Orange on its way from Santa Ana to connect with its line from Los Angeles to Placentia. Its fine new depot is located on the northwest corner of Chapman Avenue and Lemon Street. On account of the convenient location of the Santa Fe depot in Orange and the excellent service of that road, it has received the greater part of the business of this community thus far.

Water for domestic purposes, for lawns and flower gardens and for street sprinkling, is supplied by the city water system. The city owns its water system, which consists of three deep wells, two 50,000 gallon tanks on sixty-foot steel towers and a large reservoir, steam engines, air compressors, pumps, etc., with mains and pipes adequate to supply the growing needs of the city. The water is abundant and wholesome. Ample fire protection has been provided, including a fine motor truck, hose and hose carts and hook and ladder equipment, in charge of a well organized volunteer fire department. Water for irrigation is supplied from the Santa Ana River by the Santa Ana Valley Irrigation Company, which is described elsewhere. The charges for water in both systems are very moderate -much below the average.

Notwithstanding its close connection with larger places, Orange is itself a business center, and has enough stores, shops and offices to supply all the ordinary wants of the people. These establishments represent almost every business, pro- fession and trade found anywhere; many of the lines have more than one repre- sentative in the city. The stores, shops and offices are generally housed in sub- stantial buildings and modern business blocks, some of which are equal to anything of the kind in the county. Surrounding this business center are hundreds of beautiful residences, furnished with all the conveniences and luxuries of the modern home. The cement sidewalks and well kept streets give easy access to all parts of the city for pedestrians and every kind of vehicle. There are twelve miles of streets with cement sidewalk and curb on each side, which improvement was made at a cost of about $75,000. Two and three-quarter miles of streets in the business section have been paved with the regular cement asphalt pavement. Twenty miles in the residence portions have been graded, oiled, wet down, graveled and rolled, making a smooth, firm roadway, free from dust, at a cost of about $750 per mile. The city trustees on March 8, 1920, let the following contracts for street paving according to specifications including five-inch thickness: To B. R. Ford. on Collins Avenue, .78 miles or 4,145.97 feet long by 8 feet wide at 211/2 cents per square foot, amounting to $7,131.06; to H. E. Cox, on Tustin Street, .98 miles or 5,197 feet long by 16 feet wide at 21 cents per square foot plus $618 for cilverts, $18,079.92; to H. E. Cox, on N. Glassell Street, .12 miles or 630.26 feet long by 44 feet wide and .37 miles or 1,982 feet long by 20 feet wide at 21 cents per square foot, $14,148. Total 2.25 miles at a cost of $39,358.98. This leaves only one mile of unsurfaced dirt road in the city. About nine years ago a good sewer system was installed, consisting of septic tanks, two and a half miles of outfall and several miles of laterals reaching all the thickly settled portions of the city.

A contract was awarded to Joseph A. Lieb on November 21, 1919, to erect 117 concrete electric light posts with single lamps complete in the business center and principal streets of Orange for the sum of $18,000. Bonds were voted on February 24, 1920, to the amount of $80,000 for a city hall ; also to the amount of $12,000 for an additional city well.

According to the United States census the population of the city of Orange in 1890, two years after its incorporation, was 866; ten years later, in 1900, it

HISTORY OF ORANGE COUNTY

was 1,216; and in 1910 it was 2,920, having more than doubled in that decade. The 1920 census gives a population of 4,884. Besides this good number in the city itself, the territory surrounding Orange, and tributary to it, is thickly settled, adding strength and support to the schools, churches and other institutions of the city.

The elementary schools, which take the children through the eighth grade, thereby fitting them to enter the high school, are housed in two substantial eight- room buildings and one larger intermediate building, with all the necessary con- veniences, which with the grounds are worth over $100,000. The Orange Union high school district includes the elementary school districts of Orange, El Modena, Villa Park and Olive. The four high school buildings, which are located in Orange, are among the most commodious and tasteful buildings in the state, con- sidering their cost, which was over $100,000, including the furnishings and six acres of grounds. The St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church supports a large parochial school at Orange, to teach the children the tenets of the church and to give them correct instruction in the use of their mother tongue, the German language. The school occupies two buildings valued at over $0,000.

There are nine religious denominations that are maintaining regular services in Orange, each having its own house of worship. These church edifices range in value from $1,000 to $50,000, including the furnishings and grounds. Lodges- or other titles-of nearly every known organization, benevolent, educational, fra- ternal, industrial, patriotic and social, have been instituted here and are well supported. The Orange Public Library, containing several thousand well-selected books, besides current papers and periodicals, is housed in a $10,000 Carnegie building, the grounds and furnishings for which cost about $2,500 additional. Miss Charlotte Field is the competent librarian and is assisted by her mother, Mrs. Anna C. Field, who had charge of the library for many years.

The officers of the city at the present time are as follows: Board of trustees, Elmer D. Hayward, president ; F. E. Hallman, W. T. Walton, O. E. Gunther. L. W. Hemphill ; clerk and assessor, D. G. Wettlin ; treasurer, Bessie Wilkins ; attor- ney, L. F. Coburn ; recorder, H. L. Dearing ; water rate collector, Florence Reavis ; marshal and tax collector, H. S. Warner; night marshal, C. W. Pulley; water superintendent, W. J. Richardson ; health officer, Dr. F. L. Chapline; gardener, C. F. Saner ; fire chief, A. L. Tomblin ; fire truck drivers, Wm. Vickers and D. C. Squires ; street superintendent and general inspector, G. W. Buchanan; board of health, Dr. F. L. Chapline, G. W. Whitsell, Perry V. Grout, F. A. Grote, C. C. Bonebrake.

The Edison Electric Company supplies electricity for light and power ; the principal streets, all of the business houses and most of the private residences are thus lighted, while practically all the manufacturing and repair shops use electric power. The Southern Counties' Gas Company furnishes gas for light and fuel. The city is provided with excellent mail, express, telegraph and telephone service.

Orange made commendable progress in 1919 with quite a number of new residences, a few new business buildings, and several fruit packing houses, the building cost totaling more than $100,000. The headquarters of the Orange County Fruit Exchange are in Orange, as well as several independent buyers. Following are some of the more expensive buildings recently erected in the city. as shown by the building permits : The Santiago Orange Growers' Association packing house, $52,290; Orange Union High School garage and machine shop, $7,000; A. H. Pease, packing house, $6,000; A. H. Pease, another packing house. $6,000; N. T. Edwards, addition to offices, $2,000; Santa Ana Valley Irrigation Company, garage, $2,200; George H. Pirie, remodeling building, $3,200; A. H. Pease, addition to packing house, $4,000; F. H. Kredel, business block, $7,000; H. W. Duker, dwelling and barn, $6,500; J. McInnes, packing house, $7,000.

One of the first acts of the first board of trustees was to forbid the sale of intoxicating liquors as a beverage in the city, and this opposition to saloons has been maintained from the incorporation of the city down to the present time.

HISTORY OF ORANGE COUNTY

Thus the city of Orange, with much that is good and little that is evil in its make- up, attracts and retains the best class of people for citizens.

Financial Resources of Orange District

There are two strong national banks and two savings banks in the city of Orange, and to these may be added the Orange Building & Loan Association and the First National Bank of Olive in estimating the financial resources of the district. All of these institutions by their liberal assistance, carefully administered, have done much toward the advancement of the best interests of the community. The large amount of deposits in each, in proportion to the size of the community, shows the confidence the people have in their stability.

The deposits in the National Bank of Orange, June 30, 1920, were $1,545,- 343.27, and in the Orange Savings Bank, affiliated with it, $863,572.06, making a total in these two banks of $2,408,915.33. The deposits in the First National Bank of Orange on the same date were $840,514.37, and in the Security Savings Bank, affiliated with it, $736,982.43, making a total in these two banks of $1,577,- 496.80. The Orange Building & Loan Association has deposits of $745,358.84 and the First National Bank of Olive, $169,436.51, making a total of $4,897,207.48 for the Orange district, a comfortable balance for the community after having invested considerably over a million dollars in the five Liberty Bond issues, to say nothing of War Savings Stamps and all the contributions to the various relief funds.

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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 7

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