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 77

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 77

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HENRY EVANS .- The handsomely built city of Norwich, Norfolk County, Eng- land, with its world-wide reputation as a center for the manufacture of textile fabrics, was the birthplace of Henry Evans, the owner of a fine ranch located a mile southwest of Garden Grove.

Mr. Evans was born May 6, 1848, a son of William and Mary (Pierce) Evans, both natives of England who married, lived and died in their native country. The father, who was a stockman, died at the age of seventy-six, and the mother at forty- eight, when Henry was twelve years old. In a family of four children Henry is the youngest child and the only member of the family now living. His sister Sarah, and brother William, both unmarried, lived with him on his Garden Grove ranch and died there. Another sister lived and died in England. Henry grew up on his father's 100- acre stock farm in England, and was educated in the common schools and in boarding schools of his native country. Coming to America in 1881 he located in Texas, and after a year and a half drifted to the San Fernando Valley, Cal., where he spent eight years before he came to Garden Grove in 1891. He has lived on his present ranch thirty years, and now, at the age of seventy-two, has retired from the more active duties of life, and rents the property to tenants who raise chili peppers on it.

Mr. Evans has seen much of the development of this section of the state and Orange County and is a man of forceful personality, gifted with a high order of in- telligence, and his mental and moral characteristics are such as have won for him the esteem and confidence of all who know him. In his religious convictions he is an Episcopalian.

JOHN REEDER GARDINER .- A progressive upbuilder and a native son of Orange County, J. R. Gardiner of Fullerton has demonstrated his public spirit in many ways as a supporter of every movement that has had for its aim the betterment of conditions in general for Fullerton and its environs. He was born near what is now the town of Fullerton, on December 21, 1873, a son of the late Alexander Gardiner, a native of Scotland who came to the United States when he was eighteen years old and settled in Rockford, Tenn. He became the superintendent of a cotton mill there and demonstrated his ability as a machinist and an engineer on many occasions. He was married in Rockford to Miss Susan Reeder, a native daughter of Tennessee and they migrated to California in 1868, traveling by train to San Francisco and thence by boat to Los Angeles County, settling on a ranch in what is now known as the Orange- thorpe school district. There he developed a ranch and lived until he answered the final roll call in August, 1916, at the age of seventy-eight. His good wife survived him until June, 1920. when she passed away at the age of eighty-three years, the mother of seven children, six of them now living.

John R. Gardiner received his schooling in the Orangethorpe school district, and remained on the home ranch until he was eighteen years of age, when he went to Duarte to learn the trade of blacksmith and horseshoer in a shop owned by his brother- in-law. After mastering the trade he returned to Fullerton in 1896, the flourishing city being then little more than a village, and started in business. The venture did not prove profitable and he left it to work in the oil fields in Bear Canyon for a year. In 1900 he took charge of his brother's livery business and carried it on for three years. then went to Los Angeles and engaged in selling real estate. It was in 1907 that he again felt the lure of his native town calling him and he returned and began to work at the forge until 1910, when he purchased his employer's business and here he has been ever since. The business grew from a small beginning until it assumed the pro- portion of the largest blacksmith shop of its kind in this section of the county, Mr. Gardiner, by his genial manners and efforts to please, retaining his patrons, who came from far and near to secure his services. In 1920 he added to his establishment a complete line of agricultural implements, trucks and tractors, the whole representing many thousands of dollars invested and here he requires the services of from five to ten men to handle his work. The most modern of equipment is found in operation and his quality of work is considered his best advertisement.

On February 19, 1902, Mr. Gardiner and Miss Louise Dean were united in marriage . at Fullerton. She is a native of Wisconsin and a daughter of James W. and Susan (Brown) Dean, both now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner have had three children: Carroll D., Kenneth R. and Donald William. Mrs. Gardiner shares with her husband the good will and esteem of their many friends.

In politics Mr. Gardiner is a Democrat on national issues, but in local matters he is strictly nonpartisan and works for every local improvement. He was one of the first trustees of Fullerton after the incorporation of the city and he was reelected. serving for three terms, during which time many substantial and lasting improvements were installed. For eight years he served as city treasurer. He is a charter member

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of the Fullerton Club and when the World War was in progress he joined the local Home Guards and otherwise assisted in war work. Mr. Gardiner is a Mason, holding membership in Fullerton Lodge No. 339, F. & A. M., of which he is a past master; he is a member of Fullerton Chapter No. 90, R. A. M .; Santa Ana Council No. 14, R. & S. M .; Fullerton Commandery No. 55, Knights Templar and Fullerton Chapter, No. 191, Order of Eastern Star, in which he is a past patron. Mrs. Gardiner is past matron of the Eastern Star.

DAVID G. WETTLIN .- A gentleman unusually well qualified as a public official is David G. Wettlin, city clerk and ex-officio city assessor of Orange, formerly an experienced practicing attorney, who came to California about a decade ago. He was born at Woodville, Miss., on May 20, 1886, the son of G. A. Wettlin, a native of Germany, who settled as a merchant in Mississippi, where he lived until he retired. He now resides at Alhambra, Cal. He had married Maggie Lindenmeyer, a native of Mississippi, who died there when David was in his second year. They had three children, and our subject was the youngest in the family.

He was brought up at Woodville, where he was educated in the preparatory school, and at Sewanee, Tenn., in the Episcopal military academy, and after having finished their courses entered the University of the South at Sewanee, Tenn., where he continued for two years. Then he matriculated in the law school of the University of Mississippi at Oxford, from which well-known institution he was duly graduated, in 1907, with the degree of LL.B. He was admitted to the bar of Mississippi and practiced at Woodville for two years.

In 1910 Mr. Wettlin came to California and located at Los Angeles, where he engaged in real estate transacting, and at the end of two years removed to Hunting- ton Beach, for the practice of law. His knowledge of legal procedure was soon appreciated, and he was elected city attorney of that place, and when he gave up that responsible office, it was to leave there an enviable record for both ability and fidelity.

In 1913 Mr. Wettlin located at Orange, where he practiced law with success, and in April, 1918, he was elected city clerk of Orange, and in the middle of that month took up the duties of that office. In April, 1920, he was reelected city clerk without opposition, and has entered upon his second term. He was also made, by virtue of his office, city assessor. He belongs to the Orange County Bar Association, and as a Democrat is a member of the Democratic Central Committee from Orange County. He is a member of the Merchants and Manufacturers Association, and is secretary and treasurer of the Men's Club of Orange.

While at Huntington Beach, Mr. Wettlin was married to Miss Vera Pryor, a native of Arkansas, by whom he has had two children-Emma June and David G., Jr. He belongs to the Episcopal Church, and was superintendent of the Sunday School there last year. Mrs. Wettlin belongs to the Christian Church of Orange.

Mr. Wettlin was made a Mason in Woodville Lodge, Miss., and was exalted in Woodville, Miss., Chapter, R. A. M., and was knighted in the Malta Commandery at Woodville. He is also a member of the Eastern Star at that place, and is now affili- ated with Orange Grove Lodge No. 293, F. & A. M., and Orange Grove Chapter No. 99, R. A. M., and the Santa Ana Commandery, Knights Templar. With Mrs. Wettlin, he is a member of the Scepter Chapter No. 163, O. E. S., of Orange; he belongs to the Orange Lodge of Odd Fellows, and he and Mrs. Wettlin are members of the Rebekahs.

GODFREY J. STOCK .- Prominent among the successful, influential citizens of Anaheim must be mentioned Godfrey J. Stock, an American doubly interesting be- cause of his career as a "self-made" man. He was born in Lenawee County, Mich., on September 29, 1868, was reared on a farm, and attended the country schools of the neighborhood. Just twenty years later he arrived at Anaheim, Cal., where he had two sisters living; and although he came here sixty dollars in debt, he is now com- fortably prosperous, having long ago repaid all that he owed.

His first work was for H. C. Gade, who conducted a trucking and transfer busi- ness; and in time he bought him out, and carried on the business himself. The firm is now known as the Anaheim Truck and Transfer Company, and it is one of the pioneer institutions of the city. After selling out, Mr. Stock bought nineteen acres of the John Adams ranch on South Walnut Street, then partly set out to fruit, and this property he has greatly improved with orange and walnut trees. He erected two houses there, and has made of it one of the best-developed ranches in the county. He also has put up two modern garage buildings on South Los Angeles Street. on lots he bought seventeen years ago. For a number of years he has been engaged in real estate trans- actions, buying, selling and subdividing property, having put several subdivisions to Anaheim on the market.

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Mr. Stock served for a number of years as trustee of the city of Anaheim, and during that period many important improvements were undertaken. Streets were paved and sewers were built, and other steps forward made, of which Mr. Stock had long been a foremost advocate. He is a stockholder, and was formerly a director, in the Anaheim Citrus Fruit Association and the Walnut Growers Association, and he has contributed toward their growth, as he has profited by their activities.

On Christmas Day, 1892, Mr. Stock was married to Miss Mary Boege, a native of Anaheim, and the daughter of T. J. F. Boege, the pioneer. Three children have blessed the union. R. F. Stock graduated from the Polytechnic high school in Los Angeles, and was employed by the General Electric Company when the war broke out, at which time he resigned and enlisted for service of the U. S. Government in the electrical engineering and anti-aircraft division. He entered the officers' training school, successfully passed the examination, and was commissioned a first lieutenant. When he arrived in France he was placed with the Searchlight Division, and his command was at the front when the armistice was signed. He returned to the United States, and received his honorable discharge, and resumed his former position with the General Electric Company. He married, in Chicago, Miss Bernardine Price, formerly of Anaheim, and they have a daughter, Bertha. Oswald Stock is at home. Arthur, the youngest son, enlisted in the U. S. Marines in 1919 and is still in service. Both the younger sons graduated from the Anaheim high school. G. J. Stock has attained to all the chairs in Odd Fellowship and the Encampment, and he is a member of Anaheim Lodge No. 1345, B. P. O. Elks, and of the Knights of Pythias.

JOHN H. SCHROEDER .- A hard-working rancher, whose intelligent foresight, industry and thrift have been crowned with success, is John H. Schroeder, of 2203 Lincoln Street, Santa Ana. He was born at Visselhovede, in Hanover, Germany, on November 20. 1857, the son of Frederick and Mary Schroeder, highly-esteemed residents of that country, and was educated in the excellent schools of Visselhovede. He lived at home until he was twenty-two years of age, and then he migrated to America. Landing at Castle Garden, New York, in 1879, he came almost directly to Napoleon, Henry County, Ohio, where he spent a few months trying to get his bearings. Then he went to Kelly's Island, Erie County, Ohio, to work on farms, but soon returned to Henry County.

In November, 1880, Mr. Schroeder came out to California and soon found employ- ment as a farm hand in the vicinity of Santa Ana. He also early purchased ten acres lying between Santa Ana and Tustin, but within a year, sold it. In 1882, he purchased the homesite on which he is now living. This tract contained fifteen acres, one acre heing planted to a variety of fruit trees. In 1890, he sold two acres, and the remaining thirteen are now devoted as follows: five acres to walnuts, five to oranges, and three to apricots. The whole tract is served by the Santa Ana Valley Irrigation Company.

Some years after the date of these transactions, Mr. Schroeder purchased a seventeen-acre tract in West Orange, half of which is devoted to walnuts and apricots interset, and seven acres to oranges. On this tract he built a home which is now occupied by his son, Albert F. Schroeder. Little by little Mr. Schroeder added improve- ment after improvement, planting the trees with his own hands, so that he can feel more than the mere pride of ownership in what he has title to. He is a member of the Orange, the Apricot and Prune and the Walnut Associations and has always been favor- able to them as the sure way to market his crops at living prices. He has added, in the truest sense, to the wealth of the county, as he has, in the education and upbringing of his family, added to the honor and dignity of the state.

On April 20, 1893, Mr. Schroeder was married to Miss Sophie Haase, daughter of Frederick and Sophie Haase, and a native, like himself, of Visselhovede. She came alone to New York in 1885, her parents following seven years later; and reached Cali- fornia first in 1893. Five children blessed this auspicious union. The eldest was the late H. William Schroeder, one of the genuine heroes of the late war; while the second in order of birth was Albert F. Schroeder, who lives on the seventeen-acre ranch in West Orange. Freda is taking a course in the Normal School at Los Angeles; Carl is at home working on his father's ranch; and Emma is a pupil in the Santa Ana grammar school.

Henry William Schroeder, whose sacrifice for his country will be spoken of with pride so long as the annals of Orange County tell to future generations the devotion and suffering of Santa Ana youth, entered the United States service in September, 1917. and trained at Camp Lewis in Company D of the Three-hundred sixty-fourth Infantry. In March he was sent to Camp Green, N. C., where he was transferred to Company M of the Forty-seventh Infantry. At Camp Green he trained for two months, when he went East to Camp Mills, N. J., and set sail for France. He served in the great

John. H. Schroeder Sophie Schroeder

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Chateau Thierry drive, St. Mihiel, and on September 30, 1918, died in the field hospital, after notably brave action and initiative, and where he had so conducted himself that he reflected honor on himself and all those closely related to him, breathing his last from wounds received in the fierce Meuse-Argonne offensive. In such a death as this of one of the most promising of Orange County's young men, may it not be said that John H. Schroeder, the pioneer, has generously paid whatever debt he once owed to the land of his adoption.

ASMUS PETER JACOBSEN .- A man whose untiring industry and exemplary management have made him comfortably well-to-do, so that now he owns a fine estate of twenty acres, with a cosy, well-furnished residence, is Asmus Peter Jacobsen, who first came to California in the "boom" period of the late eighties. He was born in Flensburg, province of Schleswig, on September 9, 1862, the son of a farmer, on which account he was reared on a farm and educated in the local schools. In 1878 the Jacob- sens emigrated to the United States and located at Sycamore, in De Kalb County, Ill., and there Asmus continued his schooling, while he also assisted his father. He worked for his father until he was twenty-five years of age, and during that period of faithful apprenticeship he helped to clear the home place of debt.

In 1887, Mr. Jacobsen pushed out for himself, west to California, and settling at Orange began to work on a citrus ranch and in a vineyard. His employer was Mr. Leslie, and the latter soon appreciated both the ability and the willingness of the young man. Once well established here he married Miss Marie Ehlen, a native of Hanover, Germany; and with her help as new capital of the most desirable kind he rented the farm of twenty acres he at present owns. In 1902 he was able to buy the ranch, and he at once set to work to make improvements thereon. He set out the choicest Valencia oranges and lemons, and added to the number of buildings, and in due time had a ranch of the kind prized by the most experienced, enabling him with confidence to share the activities of the Santiago Orange Growers Association, the Central Lemon Association, and the Richland Walnut Growers Association.

Mr. Jacobsen has a family of four children-Walter, Sirene, Esther and Ernst- all of whom are at home in the fine residence erected by their father. The family attend the Lutheran Church, and Mr. Jacobsen serves on the board of trustees. Orange County has always extended the most cordial welcome to such pioneer settlers as the Jacobsens, and it must be said that the welcome has not been offered to the thousands of desirables flocking here in vain.

GEORGE D. DIERKER .- A dependable American citizen of much executive ability and pleasing personality, who is both an experienced citrus grower and horti- culturist and a successful business man, is George D. Dierker, who resides with his family in his beautiful country bungalow on his ranch of twenty-five acres, two and a half miles northeast of Orange, on Tustin Street. He was born in the fine old county of St. Charles, in Missouri, on December 9, 1869, and is the oldest son and third child of Henry Dierker, long one of the most honored citizens of Orange, Cal. When two years old he was taken to Cuming County, Nebr., where his father was to farm, and there attended first the common district schools and then the high school at West Point. In 1892, with the rest of the Dierker family, he came out to California, and settled at Orange. At first he bought ten acres on an extension of North Main Street, in the West Orange precinct. and planted the same to Navel oranges, lemons and apricots. He stayed there ten years, in the meanwhile improving his acreage, and in 1904 sold it at a good advance in price. Two years before, Mr. Dierker bought his present place, twelve acres of which he has planted to Valencias, five acres to Navels, and six to lemons. The balance of the twenty-five acres is given up to yards surrounding his fine dwelling, which he had erected in 1911-12. He is an active member of the Villa Park Orchards Association, which has a packing house at Villa Park as its main ship- ping point. He is also a director in the Santa Ana Valley Irrigation Company, which irrigates 17,000 acres. He has served continuously as director for the past fifteen years, and was president of the company from 1909 to 1915.

In 1894 Mr. Dierker was married to Miss Lena Bandick, a native of Kansas, who came to California a little girl in the early eighties, accompanying her parents. Now they have four children. Agnes W. is the wife of the Rev. W. L. Westerman of Kansas City. Esther H. is the wife of John Eltiste, of Fullerton. Alma M. is a grad- uate of the Orange high school. Urban G. is the youngest of the family. Mr. and Mrs. Dierker arc members of the Lutheran Church at Orange, and he served on the building committee at the time of the erection of the large, new Lutheran Church edifice in Orange, put up in 1914 at a cost of over $52.000. He has endeavored to lead a clean. industrious, exemplary life, and votes for the best men and the best measures, irrespective of party affiliations.

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NEREUS H. LEONARD .- A well-known rancher whose exceptional prosperity, enabling him in later years to live comfortably retired, could not fail to make him satisfied with Orange County and devoted to the great Golden State, is Nerens H. Leonard, who long ago campaigned for prohibition, when that ideal, now a glorious reality, seemed far away as a goal. He was born at Greensboro, N. C., on January 21, 1852, the son of Elisha and Laura (Reynolds) Leonard, who were in sympathy with the North and opposed to slavery, and so found it advisable, when sectional troubles came, to remove to a more peaceful zone. In 1857, therefore, they sold their farm of 100 acres in North Carolina and migrated to Danville, Ind .; and there they stayed until 1860, when they again disposed of their property and removed to Spring Valley, Minn. And in the latter place they acquired 200 acres of land.

Nerens Leonard left home in December, 1873, to seek his fortune, and almost directly came to San Bernardino, Cal., where he worked on a ranch and also for W. S. La Praix in the lumber business. Three years later, he returned to Spring Valley and purchased a large tract of cheap land; and then, for twenty-one years. he engaged in the raising of stock on an extensive scale.

On August 22, 1878, Mr. Leonard married Lucy A. Bradley, at Spring Valley, the daughter of Philo and Mary Ann (King) Bradley. The Kings early took Government land in Sumner township and later near Fairmount, Minn., and after great hardships due to the grasshoppers, they returned to Spring Valley. In 1897, Mr. Leonard came to California with his family and seventeen years later sold his Spring Valley holdings.

Choosing Orange County, the Leonards built their home near the old Ocean View schoolhouse on a ranch of forty acres devoted to celery, corn and potatoes. At the end of two years, they sold this property, and moved to a ten-acre ranch on Santa Clara and Grand avenues. There they lived until 1905, when Mr. Leonard purchased forty-six acres at West Orange, later selling nineteen acres to his son-in-law. C. S. Minter.

Mr. Leonard afterward purchased forty acres known as the Mayberry Tract; and this, together with his previous acquisition, gives him sixty fine acres. thirty-two of which are under the service of the Santa Ana Valley Irrigation Company. He lived on his ranch until 1907, when he built a house at 2227 North Broadway, Santa Ana, and moved into it. On the first of January, 1920, he removed to 601 West Fifth Street, where he at present resides.

Despite his busy life, Mr. Leonard has always been a leader in the promotion of progressive movements for the community's good. and on no one thing can he look back with more satisfaction perhaps, than in the active part he took in the organization of the Orange County Farmers' Mutual Fire Insurance Company, a sketch of this company being given elsewhere in this work. A member of its first board of directors, Mr. Leonard served as its vice-president for several years, and personally wrote the first four or five applications filed with the secretary of the company.

Four children have honored these worthy parents. The eldest is Mrs. Eleanor Minter, who lives on a ranch at the north end of Bristol Street and the mother of four children-Ivo, Neal Dow, Glenn and Claudine. Doxander P. resides on a ranch in West Orange. He married Edna M. Ward and they have four children-Dorothy, Dorcas, Rodney and Hazel. Edith has become Mrs. E. F. Minter, of Sanger, Fresno County; while the fourth in the order of birth is Frances, who is a student nurse at the Santa Ana Hospital.

D. R. MACDONALD .- Emphatically a man of energy and enterprise, who is aiding in a most substantial way the higher development of the citrus industry of Orange County is D. R. Macdonald, the popular and successful dealer in fertilizers. He was born in Ontario, Canada. May 25, 1873, and when he reached young manhood migrated to the United States, locating in Montana, where he entered the employ of Nelson Story, on his 4,000-acre ranch near Bozeman. At first he rode the range as a cowboy; later on he was advanced to the responsible position of foreman of the Story ranch, where both cattle and grain were raised.

During the year 1901, Mr. Macdonald located in Seattle, Wash., where he engaged in the contracting business, making a specialty of street grading, and did a large and important work in cutting down the hills and leveling the land in that city. In 1910, Mr. Macdonald came to California and located at San Diego, where he was engaged as superintendent of construction work under State Highway Engineer A. B. Fletcher, and helped in constructing the splendid state highway in San Diego County; he also built the roadway on the Poway grade and helped in the construction of other roads in the county.

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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 77

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