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 75

Author: Armor, Samuel, 1843-; Pleasants, J. E., Mrs
Publication date: 1921
Publisher: Los Angeles : Historic Record Co.
Number of Pages: 1700

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Six children were granted this worthy couple. Amy W., the eldest, is married to Henry Meier of McPherson; Walter L. married Pearl Stone, since deceased, and is living on Prospect Avenue, Orange; he is the father of two children-Leo and Arletta; Percy G. is the husband of Ethel Traynor; they live at Sacramento, and have one child, Robert; Spencer A. is married to Bertha Hawthorne, and is the father of a daughter, Carmelita; Clarence H. married Gertrude McCullah, and lives at the old home on Benton Way. in Los Angeles; A. Roy West is employed at the Merchants National Bank of Los Angeles. Mr. and Mrs. West are members of the New Jerusalem Church of Los Angeles; they are Republicans in national politics.

Two sons have enviable war records, both having volunteered for the United States service. Both were with the One Hundred Forty-fourth Field Artillery, and both were made corporals. A. Roy West enlisted in August, 1917, and Clarence in Novem- ber of the same year. Clarence served in the capacity of a clerk, and Roy was in charge of a squad. They went with the Grizzlies to France, leaving Camp Kearny on August 2, 1918, and sailed direct for Brest. From August, 1918, until January. 1919, they saw foreign service. Finally, at the Presidio, in San Francisco, they were honorably discharged.

EDWARD ATHERTON .- Exceptionally interesting among the annals of pioneer literature is the life story of Edward Atherton, the rancher and owner of the Fullerton Ostrich Farm, who was born at Capetown, South Africa, on May 29, 1860, the son of John Atherton, a native of Manchester, England, who became a pioneer at the Cape. He was not only a merchant, but he owned 500 acres used for grain, stock and vine- yards; and on his farm he had two factories-one for sconring wool, the other for distilling liquor. Edward's mother died when he was an infant; but in common with the other five children, he enjoyed the best educational advantages that the local municipal schools afforded, and until he was twenty-six, he assisted his father on the farm, and helped develop the natural resources of the place.

In 1886 Mr. Atherton came to the United States, being accompanied by a Mr. Conning, with whom he associated himself to sell ostrich plumes. They came to Cali- fornia, bringing with them a large stock of feathers but did not find the ready sale they expected and soon abandoned their efforts. Mr. Conning remained in San Francisco and later engaged in the banking business but Mr. Atherton decided to stay with the ostrich business and in December, 1886, came to Anaheim and arranged to take charge of the ostriches that had been shipped to California in 1881, which originally numbered twenty-one birds, but which had increased to forty-six. The first shipment was on exhibition in San Francisco and was shipped to Anaheim in 1882, and was owned by a corporation known as the California Ostrich Farming Company, of which R. J. Northam was the manager. In 1887 the birds were moved to the ranch now owned by Mr. Atherton and situated two and one-half miles northeast from Fullerton. In 1891 the company sold out to Northam and Atherton, and in 1899, after an auction had been held to dispose of as many birds as possible, Mr. Atherton bought out Northam's interest and became the owner of forty birds. In 1902 he bought sixty-eight acres of land where he now lives, for ostrich farming and this he improved and eventually sold off all but thirty-one acres. He now owns eight ostriches. The land has been set to Valencia oranges and walnuts which are in fine bearing condition. He is a member of the Placentia Mutual Orange Growers Association and a man of much public spirit.

In 1897, Mr. Atherton was married to Miss Carolina J. Sellinger, daughter of John Sellinger, a pioneer vineyardist of Fullerton and Anaheim; and three children have blessed their nnion. Malcolm is the eldest; then comes Miranda; while the young- est is named Dalton. Mr. Atherton belongs to the Independent Order of Foresters. Both Mr. and Mrs. Atherton enjoy the friendship of a wide circle, and the fruits of long years of earnest, straightforward endeavor.

R.J. Gregory

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HISTORY OF ORANGE COUNTY

RICHARD SPENCER GREGORY .- A careful student of real estate in all its phases, and of land and realty development, Richard Spencer Gregory, a native of the fine old commonwealth of Virginia, has become well and favorably known in the insur- ance and real estate fields of California, and has for some time been privileged to influence the trend of events making for a safer and sounder future, with more flourish- ing conditions, for Orange County. He was born in Chesterfield County on March 30 of the -eventful Centennial Year of 1876, the son of E. S. Gregory, a farmer and merchant, who remained faithful to the Confederacy, fought with the Confederate Army, and finally died with an honorable record of forty years as justice of the peace. He married Miss Rosa H. Franklin, a charming Virginian, who is also dead. They had ten children, eight of whom are still living.

Trained for the most part in the public schools of the locality, Richard Gregory reached California at the age of seventeen, in 1893, and at the beginning located in Placentia, Orange County, coming to Fullerton as early as 1896. For four years he followed ranching, and then for another four years he engaged in the transfer business. When he sold out, he began his present business of realtor. With Messrs. Balcom, Fuller and Welton he purchased 100 acres just north of Chapman and east of Spadra, and subdivided a part as the Central subdivision of Fullerton, afterwards another addition, known as "Hill Crest," and the whole is now practically built up with beautiful homes. The new high school, which occupies twenty acres of the tract, is the pride of the people of northern Orange County. His residence on Hill Crest is one of the most attractive homes in the city. Mr. Gregory also laid out the following subdivisions to Fullerton: "Hermosa," "Jacaranda," "Ramona," "Orange Grove," "Wilshire." "Gregory," "Glenwood Square," as well as subdividing several ranches into smaller tracts. He has always engaged in citriculture, having improved several orange groves, and still owns a splendid orchard in the culture of which he takes much pleasure and pride. He has been very successful in all that he has under- taken, despite, or perhaps because, he was "self-made."

At Fullerton, on August 2, 1899, Mr. Gregory married Miss Mabel B. Schulte. a native daughter, born in Orangethorpe, and the daughter of Wm. and Mary Schulte, pioneers of Orange County. She is now the mother of two children-Erma and Merrill. The family are members of the Baptist Church of Fullerton, of which Mr. Gregory is a trustee.

An Independent Democrat, Mr. Gregory was a member of the City Council for six years, the last two of which he gave to the duties of mayor. During his service as trustee and mayor was the era of the beginning of public improvements in Fuller- ton. The streets were paved, the city sewer plant constructed, the city water plant built, the fire apparatus bought and the fire department started. Not wishing to serve longer, he was not a candidate for reelection, and retired from the board at the close of his second term. During the late war he was a member of the Home Guards.

He is a director of the Home Mutual Building & Loan Association of Santa Ana, and a director of the Farmers & Merchants National Bank of Fullerton. Public- spirited and active in all the bond and war "drives," he is still a director of Orange County Y. M. C. A. work. He belongs to the Fullerton Club and Newport Yacht Club, and fraternally he was made a Mason in Fullerton Lodge No. 339, F. & A. M.

FRED A. STOFFEL .- One of the most successful business men that ever "struck" San Juan Capistrano is Fred A. Stoffel, who built up the Mission Inn Cafe and is now erecting, at a cost of about $75,000, a new two-story hotel and store building. His education, experience and industry have contributed to enable him to overcome keen competition, while his genial, sympathetic personality, his disposition to please and to accommodate, have made him so popular that everybody in San Juan Capistrano is his friend, and thousands of the traveling public look back with satisfaction to hours spent in his hostelry and restaurant. Indeed, from a patch of weeds and rubbish to the picturesque, attractive San Juan Cafe, in the short space of five years, is the transformation wrought by the energy of Mr. Stoffel, who first came to San Juan Capistrano in 1915.

Fred was born in Frankfort-on-the-Main, Germany, on January 1. 1885, the son of John Stoffel, still living, who was a decorator of window glass, a fine art in the industry of glass painting. He had married Miss Caroline Renscher, who died in 1919. They had six children, and Fred, who first saw the light on New Year's Day, 1885, was the fourth in the order of birth.

He was given unusually good educational advantages, and besides being in- structed in his native German, was taught English, French and Spanish, and allowed to travel widely. When he married, he chose for his wife one of the most attractive women of Bavaria, Miss Louisa Steinmuller, who has made an excellent helpmate; and one son, Fred A., Jr., blessed their fortunate union.

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HISTORY OF ORANGE COUNTY

In 1906 Mr. Stoffel came to America, and after spending some time in Canada, Dakota, Milwaukee, Galveston, Houston, and a trip to South America, was in the service of George Borgfeldt and Company, the most important importers of toys and many other lines of high-grade wares in America, doing business on Sixth Street and Irving Place, New York. Coming to California, Mr. Stoffel pitched his tent at San Juan Capistrano in January, 1916, and began business here right after the disaster to the Otay Dam at San Diego, which was carried away by a freshet. Then the Santa Ana River overflowed its banks, and the waters of the Trabuco and the San Juan flooded the streets of San Juan Capistrano, and buried the Santa Fe tracks, so that traffic was crippled for three months. It was discouraging enough to the young man who had just invested so much opposite the Mission, but nothing daunted, he bought more land, until now he owns about two acres in the heart of the town, the choicest lots in town, and is located on the south side of Central Avenue, over to the Santa Fe right of way. It is the site of the old San Juan Inn, which burned down in 1918; and there Mr. Stoffel has built the New Hotel Capistrano.

This is a very fine structure of two stories, in the mission style of architecture, made of brick, 125 front by 85 deep in size, on a site 127x120 feet square, and it has three fronts. It contains four stores, forty rooms and six apartments, a social hall and a lobby, and those who are familiar with Mr. Stoffel's way of doing things may rest assured that in all its appointments, and the manner in which it will be managed, it will meet the demands and preferences of the most fastidious and exacting taste. the surroundings will be restful; there will be ample ground for parking the motors of tourists, and the establishment is certain to become the resort both of the tran- sient guest and the student and artist more and more coming this way.

California, from the time of her proud entrance into the Union, has been fortu- nate in the character and experience of a large number of those who have undertaken to cater to the cafe and hotel wants of the public; and Orange County may well congratulate itself on the coming of this thoroughly-trained gentleman, by tempera- ment as well as by personal knowledge of the ins and outs of his enterprise so capable of success in his difficult field, and so likely, in his success, to do a fine thing for San Juan Capistrano, Southern California; as well as for himself.

ABE W. JOHNSON .- A representative of fine old Yankee stock, whose father was a captain in the Union Army, Abe W. Johnson, a Missouri boy, is making good in California, ranching as a wideawake tenant on the San Joaquin, with a full com- plement of mules, horses, a Fordson tractor and all the other necessary, up-to-date implements. He was born in the interesting old town of Kirksville, in Adair County, on June 13, 1872, and there grew up in an environment which has been helpful to some of the finest types of American manhood. His father, John Johnson, was born at Albany, N. Y., migrated to Missouri, and there, when less than eighteen years of age, enlisted as a bugler-owing to his lack of years-in Company E, Seventh Mis- souri Volunteer Infantry. He campaigned for four long years, and by merit alone rose to be captain, his sword, one of the precious heirlooms of our subject, speak- ing eloquently for his devotion to a righteous cause. He had the respect, admiration and confidence of every man in the company, and was a prominent G. A. R. man. But whatever glory he acquired was dearly purchased, for he was severely injured, so that he suffered much from its results. When the war was over, he married, at Kirks- ville, Miss Mary A. Waddill, then resident there, who was a native of Coles County, Ill., and buying a farm of 160 acres four and a half miles northeast of Kirksville, he pursued agriculture, and gradually recovered from his injuries, which were due to

a horse falling upon and crushing him in the chest. When he died, our subject was only twelve years of age, and he then became one of the mainstays of the mother, who is still living at Kirksville, in her eighty-second year. They had four children, and one died in infancy; the others, still living, being Alice M. Grassle, wife of George Grassle, a retired banker and capitalist, at Kirksville; Abe W. Johnson, our subject, and Dr. John K. Johnson, of Jefferson, Green County, Iowa.

Abe grew up on a farm in the country until he was eight years of age, and then his folks moved into Kirksville, where he attended the grammar school, and after- ward studied at the Kirksville State Normal, which graduated both General Pershing, and Captain Arthur L. Willard of the Flagship New Mexico, U. S. Navy. For three years he was apprenticed to the cigar-maker's trade at Kirksville, and when twenty- one assumed the management, with his brother, of his mother's farm. At Kirksville, too, he married Miss Jennie Wayman, who was born in Illinois, and after his marriage he continued to farm until 1899, when he decided to come west to the Pacific Coast.

Minnie C. Hockermeyer

Henry Hockenvoyer

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HISTORY OF ORANGE COUNTY

Arriving in California, he farmed for a year at Garden Grove, and then he went to the Fred W. Bixby Ranch at Long Beach, where for three years he farmed 700 acres to barley. In 1904 he came to the San Joaquin Ranch, and he has been here ever since. For several years he farmed grain, planting as much as 1,200 acres to barley and wheat. The second year that he was on the Irvine Ranch he raised a crop of sixty acres of lima beans. Since then he has been successful, and he is one of the pioneer lima bean growers on the San Joaquin. Now he is a member of the Southern California Lima Bean Growers Association.

Four children blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. Johnson: Leonore is the wife of Oscar Wilson, a rancher on the San Joaquin, one mile south of Irvine; Mary E. married Walter Stromeson of the U. S. Army, who is stationed at the fort at San Pedro, and Wayman K., husband of Miss Jessie Huff, of Santa Ana, is a rancher on the San Joaquin. Mr. Johnson is a Republican in national political affairs, and a nonpartisan, broad-minded advocate of everything worth while for the community. He has always been public-spirited, believing that only in proportion to what a citizen puts into the development of his town or county is he likely to get out, and for several years he served as road overseer of the district.

HENRY HOCKEMEYER .- Among the worthy pioneers of later date whose, ifse- ful lives are pleasantly recalled by all who were fortunate to know and profit from them, was the late Henry Hockemeyer, for several years superintendent of the Santa Ana Valley Irrigation Company. He was born in Adams County, Ind., on February 4, 1852, was reared and educated in his native state, and for years confined himself to his chosen occupation, that of a tiller of the soil. He was the son of Anton Hocke- meyer, a farmer in Indiana.

In 1883 Mr. Hockemeyer migrated to California, and located in Orange County, where he purchased his ranch of eleven and a half acres. At that time only a few acres were set out to vines, as viticulture here was only an experiment; and on account of the unprofitableness of vineculture, due to a disease on the vine, he soon turned his attention to apricots and walnuts. Eventually he found, with others, that the soil was better adapted to citrus fruit culture, and now the ranch is in a high state of cultivation, producing Valencias, Mediterranean Sweets and Navels.

In Orange, in 1886, Mr. Hockemeyer was united in marriage to Miss Minnie C. Peck, who was born near Milwaukee, Wis., a daughter of Adolph and Louise (Witte) Peck. Minnie Peck spent her early life and received a good education in Rochester, Minn., residing there until 1884, when she came to Orange, her parents joining her a year later. Her father has passed away but her mother is still living, making her home in Orange. Mr. and Mrs. Hockemeyer have three daughters: Alma, now Mrs. Schnutzen; Dora, the wife of Fred Newcomb and Mrs. Minnie Heinecke and all reside in the vicinity of the home.

After a useful, well-spent life, Mr. Hockemeyer passed away in August, 1905, leav- ing many friends to mourn his loss. He bequeathed to his widow a most comfortable and elegant home in which to spend the balance of her days. The family are members of and liberally support the Lutheran Church in Orange. Mrs. Hockemeyer is a mem- ber of both the Santiago Orange Growers Association and the Santa Ana Walnut Growers Association.

ARTHUR H. PATERSON .- Identified for a number of years with the oil indus- try, Arthur H. Paterson has for the past four years been the special agent for the Union Oil Company at Santa Ana, and through his efficient handling of the work the business has each year steadily increased. A native of Canada, Mr. Paterson was born at St. Mary's, New Brunswick, on December 18, 1880, his parents being Dr. Edward M. and Mand (Appleton) Paterson. Dr. Paterson, who was a well-known physician and surgeon, brought his family to Oakland, Cal., and there engaged in the practice of his profession, and there he remained until his death, which occurred in July, 1917, Mrs. Paterson having passed away several years previously.

Coming to California at the age of five years, Arthur H. Paterson received his early education in the schools of Oakland and after finishing his studies there he went to Marburg, Germany, and took up a course in medicine, thinking to follow in the footsteps of his father. He did not finish his course there, however, and returned to California, where he decided to engage in commercial pursuits. He started in this line of work as a salesman in 1901 for the Imperial Home Bakery and also as their routing manager, continuing with them until 1906 when he was interested in contract- ing and building for eighteen months. The next two years were spent with the well known firm of H. Jevne, in Los Angeles, where he gained a well-rounded experience through his connection with all the departments comprising their extensive business.

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HISTORY OF ORANGE COUNTY

In 1910 he entered the oil business and since that time he has given his exclusive attention to that field. He was first with the Union Oil Company, spending two years at their refinery at Oleum, then taking the position of special agent with the Union Oil Company at Redwood City, which he held for three years. Four years ago he came to Santa Ana as the special agent of the Union Oil Company, and he is still occupying that position, having made an unqualified success. The business has constantly increased during that time and Mr. Paterson now has five stations under his supervision. He also has an independent interest in the oil business, being presi- dent and manager of the Tepathol Oil Company; also secretary-treasurer of the Nuevo Oil Company.

In politics Mr. Paterson adheres to the principles of the Republican party, and is an active member of the Chamber of Commerce and the Merchants and Manufac- turers Association. He is prominent in fraternal circles, being a member of the local lodge of Elks and of the Masons, holding membership in the Chapter, the Consistory, the Commandery and Shrine, and is Worthy Patron of the Eastern Star. Mr. Pater- son's first marriage occurred on May 9, 1906. At San Rafael, on November 27, 1912, he was united in marriage with Miss Blanche E. McCarter, and they are the parents of two daughters, Margaret Alice and Melba Anita. During his residence in Santa Ana he. has entered enthusiastically into the civic life of the community and is ever ready to put his shoulder to the wheel to help its progress.

WILLARD SMITH .- A native son of whom the Southland may well be proud is Willard Smith, the able and popular president of the Villa Park Orchards Associa- tion, and one of the best known citizens of Villa Park precinct. He is the only child of James M. and Sophronia (Abbott) Smith, natives of the state of New York, and was born on the home ranch he now operates in conjunction with his two half-brothers, O. K. and A. B. Clark, under the firm name of Smith and Clark. His maternal ances- tors were of English origin and were among the Pilgrims who accompanied Miles Standish to the New World on the Mayflower and settled Plymouth. The family were prominent members of and took an active interest in the early doings of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and did valiant service in the Colonial and Revolutionary wars, so Mr. Smith is entitled to membership in the order of the Sons of the American Revolution.

Mr. Smith's father was born in Orange County, New York, and died in Orange County, Cal., at the advanced age of eighty-five. He was a tailor by trade and occupa- tion and made his start in life with the needle. He came west, and lived in various places in the Middle West. A general breakdown of his health caused him to come to California in 1878 to rest and recuperate. He spent his first winter at Santa Barbara, and despite the doctors' prediction that he would not survive many months he recov- ered his health in the genial California climate. After coming to California he mar- ried Mrs. Sophronia Clark, the widow of Dana Clark, an early Californian who orig- inated the citrus industry in Southern California, and who planted the first orange orchard in Santa Paula. She crossed the Isthmus in 1866, and after her marriage to Mr. Clark lived at Santa Barbara, where Mr. Clark died and where the widow met Mr. Smith after her husband's death. They were married in Orange County, in 1880, which was then a part of Los Angeles County. The mother passed away at the age of sixty-five, five weeks before her husband's demise.

When a young man, Willard Smith served an apprenticeship in the photo engraver's trade at San Diego, Cal. He became proficient in this trade, which he followed for a period of five years, most of the time in Los Angeles. Quitting the engraver's trade he came back to the home ranch, which he has operated ever since. The ranch consists of sixty-two acres, forty acres of which are planted to Valencia oranges, and sixteen acres to Eureka lemons. Mr. Smith helped organize the Villa Park Orchards Association in 1913, a very important Orange County business institu- tion. This association has recently built a large orange packing house on a spur of the Southern Pacific Railway at Villa Park, and the magnitude of its business may be judged from its 1919 shipments of oranges, which amounted to $750,000 worth of fruit, which sum was disbursed to orange growers at Villa Park and vicinity. Mr. Smith is also a director in the Bixby Development Company, and with Hugh T. Thomson laid out, irrigated and planted 300 acres of the 400-acre tract known as the Peralta Hills Tract. The directors of the Bixby Development Company are: Willard Smith, Hugh T. Thomson, George H. Bixby, Jotham W. Bixby of Long Beach, and Attorney O'Melveny of Los Angeles. Mr. Smith, who is interested in many other enterprises and projects in Orange County, is well informed and a man of ripe experience and excellent judgment. His counsels are eagerly sought in matters of commercial and political importance. His marriage, which occurred June 1, 1910, united him with

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Mr & Mrs S.a. Mange

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HISTORY OF ORANGE COUNTY

Miss Edna Lee, daughter of Albert A. Lee, and they have two sons, George Abbott and Willard Irving. Mr. Smith is also president of the Serrano Water Company and is a member of the Republican Central Committee of Orange County. He was made a Mason in Orange Grove Lodge No. 293, of which he is past master; a member of Orange Chapter No. 99, R. A. M .; knighted in Santa Ana Commandery No. 36, K. T .: Los Angeles Consistory 32nd degree; is a life member of Al Malaikah Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., Los Angeles, and with his wife is a member of the Order of Eastern Star, Orange; he is also a member of Santa Ana Lodge No. 794, B. P. O. Elks.

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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 75

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