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 96

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 96

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Miss Dolph attended the common schools of Scranton and later the University at Lewisburg. Having a natural talent and love for music she studied the violin, cornet and piano, and came to be in much demand, especially for churches and societies,

Laura Reed Ford

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HISTORY OF ORANGE COUNTY

which she was always glad to help, and she also frequently favored communities of other cities in that region. Thirty-four years ago, on her first visit to California, in 1886, she first saw the neighborhood of San Juan-by-the-Sea, where she now resides. She had traveled extensively throughout the United States and Europe as well as the Orient, and her experienced eye enabled her to pick the site of her home on account of its beautiful view and natural beauty, commanding as it does a view of the broad Pacific as well as the beautiful San Juan Valley, while in the background are the Tem- escal Mountains in their grandcur. She still held, until two years ago, the old home at Scranton, but six years ago she built her beautiful mansion near Serra or old San Juan-by-the-Sea, one of the most picturesque mountain homes by the ocean in all California. Then she wisely invested in ranch land near San Juan Capistrano, and while she gives it the proper oversight, her main interests in life are humanitarian and charitable. Miss Dolph is a member of the Presbyterian Church, and she participated in Red Cross and other war activities. She has crossed the Continent sixty times, and on her trips in 1902 and 1908 crossed via the Isthmus of Panama. Her friend and companion, Miss Lucella McGaughey, who was pastor's assistant at the Second Pres- byterian Church at Scranton for eighteen years, a well-posted Bible student, has joined her in some of these transcontinental trips, and in 1917 they motored the entire dis- tance from New York City to their home at San Juan-by-the-Sea. She has had other places constructed for her, and among them a pretty residence at Arch Beach, nine miles north from San Juan Capistrano, along the coast.

Aside from her musical ability Miss Dolph also displays much talent as an artist and has a large circle of friends among the colony of artists who make their home part of the time in Southern California. Thus her rooms are replete with beautiful paintings from the hands of some of the best-known modern painters. Of a pleasing personality and hospitable nature it is indeed a pleasure to know and share Miss Dolph's friendship.

MRS. LAURA REED FORD .- A distinguished resident of East Villa Park is Mrs. Laura Reed Ford, the widow of John Critenton Ford, whose handsome residence is one of the attractions of Park Road. She is a native daughter, born near Downey, Cal., the daughter of Robb R. and Antonia (Troll) Reed. Her father came from Pennsyl- vania to California in pioneer days, while her mother crossed the plains in an ox-team train with her father in 1849 to San Francisco. After their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Reed came to San Luis Obispo, then to Downey and later still tc Julian, San Diego County, where they were engaged in merchandising until their death. Mrs. Ford is the second oldest of three children born of this union. John Critenton Ford was born at Benton, Franklin County, Ill., on November 7, 1861, the son of John P. and Louise (Young) Ford, old settlers of Illinois. Jno. P. Ford, who came to California in 1885, was a pros- perous farmer, with a splendid tract of 160 acres in Illinois, and very expert in the raising of corn, cattle and hogs. John Critenton attended both the grammar and the high schools at Benton, Ill., and lived on his father's farm until 1881, when he and his brother Theodore pushed west to California and settled at Santa Ana. John Critenton joined another brother, George W. Ford, and went into the nursery business. After a while, John Critenton moved to the Julian Mountains in San Diego County and went into the nursery and apple industry for himself.

Mr. and Mrs. R. R. Reed moved to Julian when Laura Reed was a child, and there she attended the grammar school. There, also, she met Mr. Ford, and they were mar- ried on May 11, 1892. Thereafter for eight years they lived in Julian, at which place Mr. Ford continued to develop his well-known nursery.

In 1900, however, Mr. Ford sold out and removed to a place northeast of Garden Grove, where he spent a year in raising beets. Then he moved onto a dairy farm on Fifth Street, in Santa Ana, and two years were spent in dairying on a ranch of fifteen acres. In 1903, another change was made, and the family moved to Edinger Street, south of Santa Ana, where Mr. Ford rented a ranch of 125 acres. He put in grain, and had a dairy. In the four years that he was there, he kept twenty-four head of cattle and seven head of horses.

In 1907 he sold out and bought the present Ford homesite on Park Road, in East Villa Park. It comprises about eight and a half acres, one-third of which is set out to Valencias and two-thirds to lemons. It is watered by the John T. Carpenter Water Com- pany, in which the Fords have twenty-three shares. Under Mr. Ford's skillful hand, this place was being nicely developed, when, on October 8, 1914, he was called upon to lay aside the cares and responsibilities of earthly life. Mr. Ford took an active part in the work of the Villa Park Congregational Church: and in this commendable work the esteemed widow and her family continue a live interest.

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HISTORY OF ORANGE COUNTY

Two sons and two daughters are a comfort and pride to Mrs. Ford. Homer F. is living on the old homesite, and is married to Ruby L. Kreschal. George C. Ford is an electrician and machinist, who lives at Orange and is married to Alma Ziesnig of Illinois. Annie L. is a graduate of the Orange high school; and Myrtle May is also a student there. Both daughters are interested in the study of the piano, playing well, and Myrtle also plays the cornet in the high school band, an organization of sixty pieces. Both sons belong to the Orange Lodge of Redmen. Mrs. Ford is a member of the Central Lemon Association of Villa Park and the Villa Park Orange Association.

Since Mr. Ford's death Mrs. Ford, with the aid of her children, has continued to care for and develop the ranch according to the plans which they had laid ont, and it is now a full-bearing orchard. On March 23, 1918, she met a severe loss, her home being destroyed by fire. She immediately rebuilt, erecting a modern bungalow, as stated above, the pride of the community, and attracting the attention of the passers-by. Mr. Ford always insisted on giving much of the credit of bringing their ranch to such a high state of development to Mrs. Ford, for by her assistance and help, not only in the home, encouraging him in his ambitions, but also in the starting of the orchard she worked by his side in the care of the trees, whether in cultivating, irrigating or pruning of the same. The citizens of Orange County can be proud to have a native daughter of Mrs. Ford's capability, energy and progressive ideas as one of its citizens and boosters.

JOSEPH YOCH .- Recognized as one of the leaders in all forward movements of the organization and early upbuilding of Orange County, Joseph Yoch is living practically retired from active business cares. He was born May 17, 1844, near Berlin, Germany, from which country his parents set sail to America in 1847. His father was 2 stonemason by trade and a contractor after landing in the United States. He was also engaged in agricultural pursuits which soon occupied all of the time of father and sons. The mother was Katharine Glorins before her marriage, and she became the mother of John, Joseph and Bernard. When the family left Germany, they brought with them all of their household belongings as well as their wagon and farming imple- ments and seeds. They landed at New Orleans and from there took a river boat up the Mississippi River to St. Louis, Mo. For ten years the family farmed and then the father sold out and engaged in coal mining, and so successful was he that he established one of the largest individually owned fields in the coal region. His wife died in 1863, and he lived until 1885, dying at Belleville, I11.

From the age of nineteen, Joseph Yoch controlled the business, allowing his father to retire. Under the firm name of Joseph Yoch and Brothers the three sons worked and were prosperous. While Joseph was the chief executive of the company, he ascribes its great success to the invention by his brother Bernard of the road engine, known as the B. Yoch engine, which is self-propelling. Joseph Yoch handled over three and one-half million bushels of coal annually. On the line of the Indianapolis and St. Louis Railway, near Litchfield, he had a coal field of 400 acres. The firm also had coal mines on the Louisville and Nashville Railway, on the Southern Illinois, and in the various counties and employed 300 to 400 men in the operation of their fifteen mines. One of the many interests built up by this company was the building of a transfer boat for the purpose of transporting coal from the east to the west side of the Mississippi River. This ferry attracted the notice of the Jay Gould interests that in 1886 bought out the company of Joseph Yoch and Bros., together with the Consolidated Coal Company, in which Joseph Yoch was prominent, and which controlled the output of coal in the zone for fifty miles about St. Louis. After the Jay Gould syndicate pur- chased these coal properties, they offered Joseph Yoch a position, but he remained only one month to help the new managers to become acquainted with this field.

In 1886, after disposing of his interests in the Illinois coal business, Mr. Yoch made a trip to California, returning with his family in 1887 to Santa Ana, where he purchased the present home place at 1012 North Main Street. He had become finan- cially interested in the Black Star Coal Mine of Santiago Canyon in 1887. Later he invested in other mining property in the Santiago, and for a number of years worked these two mines. The Black Star, however, has been inactive for more than twenty years. In 1889, Mr. Yoch established a brick yard in Santa Ana. In 1895 he became interested in ranching at El Monte, Los Angeles County, and sunk the first successful irrigating well in that vicinity; this property was disposed of some time ago and it is now owned by J. S. Killian.

The Laguna Beach territory claimed Mr. Yoch's attention in 1895, when he bought the hotel and store. Soon after he was appointed postmaster, which office he held for ten years. Besides a large amount of real estate in the town of Laguna Beach, which is under lease, Mr. Yoch also owns a fine ranch of 1,000 acres in Laguna Canyon, some of which is now leased for oil. It is due to his enterprise that this section had its

Juseph beach

Catherine yoch

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HISTORY OF ORANGE COUNTY

early water supply and its first telephone line, which Mr. James Irvine generously allowed Mr. Yoch to construct over ten miles of the Irvine ranch.

On May 14, 1878, Mr. Yoch was united in marriage with Catharine Isch, whose parents were natives of Lorraine, France. Her mother's family the Pfeiffers, came to America from France in 1825, and were pioneers of Illinois. John Nicholas Isch, her father, was a soldier of France in 1836, and on coming to Ameria, in 1840, located in St. Clair County, III. There were then a number of Indians in the vicinity and he established friendly relations with them, which always continned. Mrs. Yoch received her education in the public schools of that neighborhood, with a two years' course at the State Normal School at Normal, Ill., afterwards teaching at the school at Center- ville, which she had attended in her girlhood. Mr. and Mrs. Yoch are the parents of six children: Josephine is a teacher of languages in the Los Angeles high school; Bertha is the wife of Thomas Doyle, a stockraiser at Phoenix, Ariz., and they have six children; Elizabeth is the wife of Captain Theodore Lewton, chief engineer of the Coast Guard, U. S. N., and they have two children; Caroline is the wife of Redmond Barnett of New York, and they have three children; Agnes is the wife of Eliot West, the owner of a large confectionery manufacturing company at Norfolk, Va .; Florence, a graduate of the University of Illinois, resides in Los Angeles, and is a landscape architect of national fame.

Joseph Yoch was twice on the Santa Ana Board of Trustees, and was a supervisor for one term, during which term was built the first bridge across the river on Fifth Street, and the term when the present court house was located, serving as chairman during the entire period. In politics he has always been a Democrat both "in and out of season," but in local affairs adopts the wise measure of supporting the best men regardless of party lines. Mr. Yoch was a director of the First National Bank of Santa Ana for twenty years, and also its vice-president. In his character he is kind and has always scorned to speak ill of any person he knew. He is one who has devoted himself generously in public service to the land of his adoption.

RANCHO CAÑON DE SANTA ANA .- One among the few remaining large ranches in Orange County, is Rancho Cañon de Santa Ana, well watered by the Santa Ana River flowing through, and it is equally well served by the Santa Fe Railway, on its route from San Bernardino to San Diego. There is a switch and signal station on the ranch known as Gypsum from which the products of the farm are despatched, and where the home imports arrive. There is also a station named Horseshoe Bend. The farm is at the extreme eastern end of the Yorba precinct, in the northeastern part of Orange County. Its manager is Mrs. S. B. Bryant, of Los Angeles-whose maiden name was Bixby, explaining that the place was formerly known as one of the Bixby ranches, the property of John Bixby, now deceased, at present owned by his two chil- dren, Mrs. S. B. Bryant and Fred Bixby. It still comprises 6,000 acres, beautifully located in the canon of the Santa Ana River, and running clear up to the mountains, forming the boundary line between Orange and Riverside counties.

The principal product of the rancho is citrus fruit, of which there are 140 acres in all, sixty-three acres being given up to Valencia oranges, thirty acres to Navels, and forty-seven acres to lemons. The trees are, for the most part, seven years old, and are just coming into profitable bearing. There are, besides, forty-five acres in pears. During the season of 1919 a carload of Bartletts was shipped from this ranch. bringing eighty-five dollars a ton. The ranch has also sixty acres of budded walnuts. There are twenty acres of alfalfa, partly for ranch use and partly for sale; and 200 acres of barley for hay, and sixty acres of black-eye beans. There is a great deal of pasture land. Forty-five head of horses and four mules are used for the work of the farm, and a Sampson sieve-grip tractor is employed for plowing and cultivating. From fifteen to twenty men are also employed on an average, and since January, 1916, Ernest R. Johnson, superintendent, has had charge of these interests.

ARTHUR FRANK WALKER .- As an example of what may be accomplished by persistent energy, the life of A. F. Walker, known to a host of friends as Frank Walker, presents lessons of encouragement to young men starting out for themselves without the aid of means or influence, for starting without money, he is now the owner of 160 acres of choice land in the Bolsa district. Born in Santa Barbara County, November 18, 1881, Frank Walker is the son of Albert F. and Lottie (Stice) Walker, the father passing away when Frank was about six years old. There were two other children in the Walker family: Gillis A., a stock raiser at Red Bluff, and Edna, the wife of W. L. Ross, a rancher in the Bolsa precinct. Mrs. Walker later married J. A. Ross, a rancher, and they reside in the Bolsa precinct. Three children have been born of this marriage: Ralph, who resides at Red Bluff; Amelia, the wife of Cecil Combs, an oil man at Fullerton; and Vena.

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HISTORY OF ORANGE COUNTY

Mr. Walker attended school in Santa Barbara County and at Bolsa, the Ross family moving here in 1893. Even while he was living in Santa Barbara County, then but a mere lad, he started to work ont, saving his money year by year, and instead of buying a horse and buggy, as many of the other boys of his age did, he invested his savings in work stock, renting land for a number of years. As a boy he worked in the first celery field in Orange County. In 1904 he bought his first piece of land, a tract of fifteen acres, which he improved and sold, and he has at various times bought, improved and sold farming land in the Winterburg, Westminster and Bolsa precincts. He was one of the first in this locality to go into the raising of sugar beets on an extensive scale, and was the first to introduce the system of fall dry plowing of the land to be planted to sugar beets the next season, and this method has brought very successful and satisfactory results. He began raising sugar beets for the Los Alamitos Sugar Company and later for the Co-operative Sugar Company at Santa Ana. Mr. Walker still farms eighty acres of his land, devoting the acreage to lima beans, and the other eighty he rents out to Earl Gardner.

In 1905, Mr. Walker was married to Miss Lelah Kirk, a native of Iowa and the danghter of Charles Kirk, now a rancher in the Bolsa district. One daughter, Velda Marie, has been born to them. Mrs. Walker is a member of the Adventist Church and shares with her husband a just popularity in the community. Of strong physique, full of energy, determination and force of character, Mr. Walker has early in life achieved through his own unaided efforts a success in every way deserved.

HARRY W. STANLEY .- A tireless worker and an unusually aggressive man, fortunate in the possession of ability, energy and enterprise, is Harry W. Stanley, one of the upbuilders of Anaheim, who is now engaged in the building of bungalows on his own property. Born near Bowling Green; Pike County, Mo., Mr. Stanley is the son of Samnel and Sarah Stanley. The father was a native of Virginia, and during the Civil War he served four years in the Confederate Army, being wounded five times in different engagements. After the close of the war he came to Pike County, Mo., where he was married to Miss Sarah Martin, a native of that state. When Harry W. Stanley was but four years old the mother passed away and the responsibility of rearing the family rested on the father. He continued farming, making a good success of growing tobacco and raising stock, and he still continues to reside on his Missouri farm in the enjoyment of comfortable circumstances.

From a little boy, Harry was taught to work and was never allowed to be idle: he has always been an inveterate worker and this has proven the secret of his success in later years. At the age of sixteen he struck ont for himself, and going to St. Louis. Mo., he attended a trade antomobile school for two years, where he made a thorough study of anto and tractor mechanism. The. first eighteen months of that time he worked on an estate in his spare time, taking care of the lawn and doing odd jobs for his room and board. From St. Louis he went to Devil's Lake, N. D., and for five years worked at his trade in garages, remaining there until 1906, when he came to California. For the first five years he was employed on the Stanford University farm at Vina, Tehama County, where as master mechanic he had charge of all the repair work in their garages. repairing antos, tractors and farm implements, and all steam plumbing and boiler work. He next located at Wasco, Kern County, and here he built and opened a garage, which he conducted for a short time, later going to Downey, Los Angeles County, where he engaged in the garage business, and here he was very successful. selling the business for three times what he paid for it. About this time he was taken ill and confined in a hospital at Anaheim for three months, and all the money he had saved was consumed in this experience. When he recovered he had only a capital of $42.50, but he started in business again, this time in Anaheim, purchasing a small garage and shop called the Central Garage, located on South Los Angeles Street, giving his note for $1,000 to close the deal. In three months he had paid off all indebtedness and disposed of the business for $2,500. He was again taken ill, this time with influenza, and again his money vanished for expenses. On regaining his health he opened np a small repair shop at 133 North Lemon Street; this was called Stanley's Buick Repair Station and here he made an unprecedented success. An addition was built on to the building in the rear and he bought ont a tenant who occupied the other half of the building. He built up the business from a room 10 by 20 until he used a space 55 by 175 and had the largest repair business in Anaheim, and with his well-equipped machine shop was ready to take care of anything in the line of automobile repairing, ignition and battery work, as well as brazing and welding. In addition he carried extra parts for the Dodge and Bnick cars, and was agent for the Philadelphia battery. On March 4, 1920, Mr. Stanley disposed of this business at a lucrative figure, and then bought a confectionery store at Newport Beach. With his customary zeal he built up a fine

H.W. Stanley

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HISTORY OF ORANGE COUNTY

business there and in six months sold it at a big profit. He then moved back to Ana- heim, where he owns a number of lots, and is now engaged in building and selling bungalows. He has just finished a colonial bungalow at 112 North Olive Street, fur- nished complete with all modern conveniences, including electrical appliances for the household. The rooms are elegantly furnished with mahogany; as elaborate a home as can be found in the county.

Mr. Stanley's marriage, which occurred at San Bernardino, August 24, 1920, united him with Miss Lulu B. Putnam, the daughter of Edward and Estella Putnam, who came to California in 1908. Mrs. Stanley was born in Homer, Mich., and is a graduate of the Grand Rapids, Mich., Business College. Mr. Stanley has had his ups and downs, and has made and lost more than one fortune, but nothing daunted, he works all the harder and fortunately he has regained his fortune and now has a competency. He has indeed been fortunate in his helpmate, for his wife is well educated, cultured and refined and an encouragement to his ambition, as well as assisting him in business, for she is endowed by nature with excellent judgment and much business ability.

IRA E. PATTERSON .- A resident of California who has been active in the building business is Ira E. Patterson, who was born near Annawan, Henry County, III .. March 30, 1865, where he was reared and received a good education in the excellent public schools of that locality. When eighteen years of age he hegan learning the carpenter's trade, continuing in this line in Illinois until 1885, when he removed to Iola, Kans. He followed his trade a short time and then began in the mercantile business. He was first engaged in the grocery trade but later he had a hardware store and lumber yard and he also ran a plumbing and sheet metal works at Iola for seven years when he discontinued and for one year was superintendent of the city water and light plant.

In 1905 Mr. Patterson came to South Pasadena and became bookkeeper and cashier for the Live Hardware Company of that place. In 1908 he resigned this position to engage in contracting and building in South Pasadena and Pasadena, and was busily engaged in building residences in both places. In 1910 he began spending his summers at Anaheim Landing, where he followed contracting. In the summer of 1915, after hav- ing completed a large addition to the residence of A. C. Billicke, he came to Seal Beach for a month's vacation, but he liked it so well he remained here, engaging in contracting and building. In his contracting business he draws his own plans and superintends the construction.

Mr. Patterson was married in Iola, Kans., November 18, 1888, being united with Miss Susie B. Waters, born in Lawrence, Kans. When ten years of age her parents moved to Iola, Kans. Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Patterson: Arthur E. is in business in Los Angeles; Lyford M. served in U. S. Army overseas in the World War and now resides in Portland; Helen Ruth is Mrs. Thomas of South Pasadena. Mr. Patterson is greatly interested in civic matters having served two years as city treasurer of Seal Beach. He is now a member and clerk of the board of school trustees in the Bay City district. Mr. and Mrs. Patterson are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Seal Beach, Mr. Patterson having been a member for thirty-five years. They were among the original organizers of the Methodist Epis- copal Church at Seal Beach. He had charge of the constructing of the church, is one of its most liberal and enthusiastic members, being a member of the board of trustees from its organization and is also superintendent of the Sunday school; he is now one of the oldest settlers of the town. Mr. Patterson is a leading member of the Chamber of Commerce and in politics is a Republican.

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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 96

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