USA > California > Los Angeles County > History of Pomona Valley, California, with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the valley who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present > Part 63
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count of poor health, he came to California in July, 1906, and located in the Pomona Valley, where he purchased a ten-acre orange ranch on East Holt Avenue, known as the Alberta Place, which he later dis- posed of. At present he is the owner of two fine orange groves, one of which, comprising ten acres of twenty-five-year-old trees, located in the Narod district and known as the Pitzer ranch, is among the best producing orange groves in the Valley. The other twenty-acre grove on Monte Vista Tract was fully developed by him, the land leveled, plowed and set to Navel and Valencia orange trees. The grove is seven years old, in bearing and is a fine piece of property.
Mr. Gammon's marriage united him with Miss Nellie Emigh, and they are the parents of a daughter, Daisy by name. In his frater- nal associations, Mr. Gammon is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America.
EDWARD D. BRADLEY
The fame of Pomona as a city not only of desirable homes, but of principled and experienced dealers in realty, desirous at all times of cooperating to provide such home places as must yield the largest percentage of human welfare and happiness, has long and widely been known, and has undoubtedly had much to do with attracting a very high grade of residents from even remote points. Among such dealers must be included Edward D. Bradley of the firm of Bradley & Eells, doing business at 290 South Garey Avenue, in the Hotel Avis Build- ing, who has steadily striven, with his partner, Frank C. Eells, to give stability to land and property values, present everything offered for sale or exchange in its true light, and to insist on the worth of each acre, lot or edifice, especially when that worth has been increased by exceptional natural advantages-thus contributing in the right fashion to a hastening of the day when Pomona must come to its own.
Mr. Bradley was born in Greene County, Ill., on January 19, 1865, the son of John C. Bradley, a native of Manchester, Ill., who is still living. Mrs. Bradley was Miss Temple E. Davis before her marriage, and, like her husband, she was a native of Illinois. She is now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Bradley had five children : Edward D., the subject of our interesting review, and L. R. Bradley, the manager of the Lemon Grove Association Packing House at Uplands, and the daughters, Mrs. Grace Kimball and Mrs. Helen Rodgers, both of Los Angeles, and Mary L., who died in Los Angeles. John C. Brad- ley came to California from Vernon County, Mo., about April 27, 1884, and located at San Jacinto, in Riverside County. Later, he went to Ontario and Imperial County, where he followed farming; but he now resides, retired, in Claremont.
Edward Bradley was five years of age when the family moved from Greene County, Ill., to Vernon County, Mo., where he was
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reared on a farm, while he attended the public schools. In 1884, he arrived in San Jacinto, and for a while worked at farming. Then he tried the hardware business, and in 1898 moved to Pomona, where he bought the stock of Louis S. Androus, and for ten years continued to sell hardware. He then entered the real-estate business, and has followed it ever since.
For a long time he operated alone, and later had Harold Dewey as a partner. After about six months he formed a partnership with Mr. Eells, under the firm name of Bradley & Eells, and this has now become one of the leading real-estate concerns in the city, and indeed throughout the Pomona Valley. They make a specialty of improved orange and alfalfa ranches, have put through some large deals, and carry on an extensive business, some individual transactions running as high as $65,000. They also deal in city property and business blocks. Mr. Bradley has himself built and sold eight houses in the Valley. The firm subdivided and put on the market a ranch of twenty acres at Chino; and Mr. Bradley owns a ten-acre orange ranch half a mile west of Claremont, where he makes his home. It is a part of the old Loop homestead, the Loop family having been one of the first to settle in the Valley. His residence, therefore, now remodeled, was originally the Loop homestead, one of the oldest houses in the district. Many of the orange trees on the ranch are forty-five years old, and were originally seedling trees, which were later budded to Valencias and Navels. About $10,000 worth of fruit was taken from this ranch in 1919. Mr. Bradley is president of the Pomona Cemetery Associa- tion, in which he has been a director for about fifteen years.
In Vernon County, Mo., on October 2, 1881, Mr. Bradley was married to Miss Helen Roodhouse, a native of Illinois and the daughter of James D. and Lucy L. ( Robinson) Roodhouse. Mr. and Mrs. Bradley attend the First Methodist Church of Pomona.
FREDERICK W. RITTER
A dealer in real estate, loans and insurance who has done much to make and maintain his field of activity as one of the most self- respecting and honorable in the domain of commerce, is Frederick W. Ritter of the well-known firm of F. W. Ritter & Company, having offices at 238 Investment Building, Pomona. He was born in Keokuk County, Iowa, and grew up in a farming district, where he attended the country schools. At the age of nineteen he left the farm and moved to Ottumwa, Iowa, where he learned the trade of a tinner, but after two years he returned to his native town of Hedrick, where he bought a half-interest in a hardware business, associated himself as partner with M. W. Owen; later, he bought out his partner and carried on the business alone, and still later he took in L. Dudgeon with him. Mr. Ritter was twenty years in business in Hedrick, during which
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time a large brick store and other buildings were erected to house the growing establishment. He carried a general line of hardware, as well as buggies, farming implements, etc., and while there he took an active part in the affairs of the growing town. For seven years he was a member of the city council, and he was also on the Hedrick board of education. He was treasurer of the First Baptist Church, and was a director in the Iowa State Hardware Dealers Association. Selling out, he traveled for a year, part of the time in the North and East, part of the time in Texas.
In October, 1907, Mr. Ritter came west to California and located at Pomona, where for eight months he was in the employ of the Russell Hardware Company. Then he became interested in real estate, in which field he has been active for the past eleven years. He started in for himself in 1908, and for the year, 1911-12, was in partnership with W. S. Palmer & Son. He was the agent for the lots in Ganesha Park Tract, and built the first house on that tract, and also erected and sold a number of residences in Pomona.
He also organized the California Farm and Fruit Lands Com- pany, which was formed for the purpose of buying, selling and dealing in lands, and he has been president of the company since the first year of its organization. This company owns thirty-nine acres of fine fruit land, located northeast of Claremont in the College Heights Tract, and it has seventeen acres in bearing lemons. Mr. Ritter was also an important factor in the development and marketing of the College Heights Tract of 1,120 acres, located northeast of Claremont between Eighth and Sixteenth streets, and extending east into the Uplands district. He made many sales in this property, and the part already improved is one of the best improved citrus-fruit districts of Pomona Valley.
Mr. Ritter does a general real-estate business, working with his son, George A. Ritter, as partner. He is thoroughly posted on land valuations in the Valley, and his standard of business ethics leads him to offer only the actual values, and, through representation and not misrepresentation, to maintain and secure the value that ought to be recognized. He was secretary of the building committee which erected the Baptist Church on North Garey Avenue, and for three years he served as custodian of the church. He has been a Mason since he was twenty-one. Mr. Ritter was one of the organizers of the Pomona Chamber of Commerce, at which time he was chosen a director, an office he has since filled with satisfaction to all concerned.
In Cincinnati, Ohio, Mr. Ritter was married to Mrs. Emma C. Bayer, a native of that city, by whom he has one son living, George A. Ritter. During the war, George A. entered the air service, and trained in Texas and Mississippi, but, despite his patriotic desires, the armistice was signed before he could see active service abroad.
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CYRUS H. COLE
The well-known painting contractor, paper-hanger and tinter, Cyrus H. Cole, who resides at 459 West Fifth Street, Pomona, Cal., was born at Mineral Point, Iowa County, Wis., December 14, 1860, a section of country renowned for its lead mines. It is also a rich farming district and Mr. Cole was brought up on his father's farm and educated in the country schools of his native state. He worked on his father's farm until twenty years of age, and later on other farms in the district, on threshing machines, etc. When twenty-five years old he went to Sheffield, Franklin County, Iowa, and engaged with the D. E. Loomis Company, dealers in agricultural implements, as salesman. He sold and installed many windmills and also agricultural implements on the road, and was the owner of a one-half interest in a steam threshing machine outfit. For two years he ran a music store in Sheffield.
When a young man sixteen years of age he took up carriage painting at home and also worked at home in a carriage shop. In 1893 he came to California and soon located at Santa Monica, where he took up painting and papering contracting. He became expert in this line of work in which he was engaged for twenty-six years in Los Angeles County. January 6, 1911, he located at Pomona, where he has since continued the vocation of contracting papering and painting. He is a thoroughly reliable workman and his first-class work is evi- denced in many apartment houses, store fronts, bungalows and fine residences. People who send for him to make estimates on decorat- ing and papering houses depend on his judgment, and his services and advice concerning the quality and class of work are eagerly sought.
Mr. Cole married Miss Amanda Hull and they are the parents of two daughters, Irene and Blanche.
LESLIE L. ELLIOT
An enterprising man of trade, thoroughly familiar with his important field, who reminds one, in his advancement from being proprietor of a small shop to becoming the owner of an extensive works, of the famous proverb as to the growth of oaks from acorns, is Leslie L. Elliot, a native of Toledo, Ohio, where he was born on September 28, 1887. He went to school in Toledo until he was ten years of age, and then came to California and Pomona. Here he attended the Kingsley School, and then went to the Throop Polytechnic at Pasadena ; and having finished his studies there, he was engaged as timekeeper at the Wentworth, now the Huntington Hotel, at Pasadena, while it was being constructed.
Returning to Pomona in 1909, he entered the employ of the Pratt Music Company for a time, and then he opened a bicycle shop
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on South Thomas Street, where he had the first vulcanizing plant in the Valley. After that, having sold out his place at Pomona, he started a shop at Redlands.
When he had conducted a business in Redlands for a while, he sold out to advantage and returned to Pomona and bought a five-acre orange grove on East Holt Avenue, which he developed to the best of his ability and sold after four years. He next entered the employ of S. B. Barnes at Pomona, dealer in auto supplies and proprietor of the vulcanizing works then conducted in the shop he now owns at the corner of Thomas and West Third streets; and having in time bought Mr. Barnes out, he came to conduct the business under his own name.
Here, in this well-appointed establishment, Mr. Elliot has built up a large and ever increasing trade, being distributor to the Valley of the famous Kelly-Springfield tires and the Goodyear tires, and there is little of value needed by the motorist that he does not carry or cannot at least obtain if it is ordered.
Mr. Elliot was married, on May 11, 1911, at Los Angeles, to Miss Antha Greenleaf, of Detroit, the daughter of Fred Greenleaf, of Detroit; and three sons have come to bless their happy home. They are Leslie G., Vincent and Marcus Elliot.
Mr. Elliot is, of course, a live wire in the Pomona Chamber of Commerce ; and he is equally live as a member of Pomona Lodge No. 107, Knights of Pythias, and of Pomona Lodge No. 789, B. P. O. Elks.
RALPH SMITH, M. D.
An exponent of the last word in medical science who has accom- plished much good work for humanity since first he settled in Pomona, and has therefore contributed to the attractiveness of the town as a home place, is Dr. Ralph Smith, the specialist. He was born at Villisca, Iowa, in 1872, the son of Elias Smith, now deceased, who married Miss Bertha Van Sittert, now living at Long Beach.
Educated at the common and high schools of his home district, Ralph Smith put behind him some preparatory work and eventually graduated from Rush Medical College in 1900. For four years, be- ginning with the new century, he practiced medicine in Iowa, and for the next eleven years in Illinois. These fifteen years of varied applica- tion of knowledge to experiment, and the derivation of knowledge from practical experience, gave a splendid equipment to the physician before, in August, 1915, he came to Pomona to make his home and continue his professional work.
Doctor Smith also took post-graduate work in his special field in New York, Chicago and Vienna, so that for the past decade and a half he has been specializing, more and more. Today he has a flat-
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tering practice and is recognized as one of the leading physicians and surgeons of Pomona. He is influential for a higher standard of civic life in the councils of the Republicans, and a leader, when opportunity offers, in work by the Chamber of Commerce for bringing the city into still closer touch with the outside world.
Doctor Smith's marriage to Miss Cora Diemer took place at Denmark, Iowa, on May 16, 1905 ; and from this fortunate union has sprung one son, Harold, who is attending school. Doctor Smith is a Knight Templar Mason.
ERNEST D. FERREE
Standing at the head of the contracting business in plastering, Ernest D. Ferree has occupied a prominent position in the business world of Pomona, Cal., since 1914. He makes a specialty of exterior work and furnishes estimates at any time and place.
He is a native of Garland, Kans., where he was born July 2, 1888. Reared and educated in his native state, he learned his trade under the tutelage of his father, a plastering contractor at Pittsburg, Kans., where the son worked at the plastering business for his parent and farmed for himself for three years in that section. In 1911 he came to Pomona, Cal., and was employed at his trade with G. W. Clark, later, in 1914, becoming a contractor for himself. He formed a part- nership with A. E. McMullin under the firm name of Ferree and McMullin. When Mr. Ferree entered the war the firm was dissolved, July, 1918. He was attached to the Thirteenth Division, U. S. A., of the Machine Gun Battalion, stationed six months at American Lake, Washington, and discharged before seeing active service in France. He returned to Pomona and resumed his old trade of plastering con- tractor. He has done all the large contracts in the Valley in recent years, and had the contract for the Pomona Greek Theatre at Ganesha Park, the Home Telephone Company's building at Pomona, the new girls' dormitory at La Verne College, the Arcadia City Hall, the First National Bank building at Puente, the precooling plant of the San Dimas Orange Growers Association, the precooling plant of the In- dian Hill Citrus Association, North Pomona, and the school house at Whittier. The interior of Holmes Hall, Pomona College, at Clare- mont, is his work, and also the Opera garage, the Clark Brothers' ga- rage, the White garage, and the Heubsch garage, at Pomona. He has also done the work on many of the fine homes in Pomona and vicinity.
On March 7, 1907, at Garland, Kans., he married Miss Marie Claypool, a native of Kansas, born July 24, 1888, and they are the parents of a son named Walter Jennings. Fraternally, Mr. Ferree is associated with the Yeomen, and is a member of the Pomona Lodge of Loyal Order of Moose and the Knights of Pythias.
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EMMO C. BICHOWSKY
To have lived in Southern California for the last thirty-five years and watched the really phenomenal changes wrought here in that com- paratively short length of time, and in addition to have helped in this progress and building up of a struggling section, has been the privilege of Emmo C. Bichowsky, one of the leading factors in Pomona's de- velopment, and a man of broad insight and keen business acumen. He has made his impress felt in the growing community, and a record of its achievements without mention of his part in them would be incomplete.
Emmo C. Bichowsky was born in Terre Haute, Ind., February 29, 1856, and educated in the public schools of his early environment. His first business position was as cashier for Hulman & Cox, of Terre Haute; next he was teller in the bank of McKeen & Company, of Terre Haute, and in 1884 he located in San Gabriel as deputy county tax collector for Los Angeles County. In 1886 he became general manager for L. J. Rose & Company, Limited, San Gabriel, owners of a large winery, the "Sunny Slope Vineyard" being their property. In 1897 Mr. Bichowsky became manager for the California Green and Dried Fruit Company of Los Angeles.
Mr. Bichowsky had previously bought an interest in the implement business of Philip Stein & Company of Pomona, and in August, 1899, he came here to live, acquired a majority of the stock in that concern, and changed the name to the Pomona Implement Company, of which he is president, and which at that time was the largest concern of its kind in the Valley. Besides his business interests Mr. Bichowsky en- gaged in the citrus industry and is the owner of a twenty-five-acre orange grove in San Marino, his trees averaging sixty years old, and are heavy producers of the seedling variety.
The marriage of Mr. Bichowsky, in Boston, Mass., April 10, 1883, united him with Ella M. Mason of that city, and four sons have blessed their union: Karl died at eight years of age; Foord, a graduate of Pomona College and the University of California, and a mechanical engineer by profession; Francis, also a graduate of these two institu- tions, and professor of Geographical Laboratory of the Carnegie In- stitution at Washington, D. C., and James, of Los Angeles. Francis Bichowsky was recently honored by being one of thirteen men to receive appointment to National Research Fellowships in physics and chemis- try by the National Research Council. This Council was formed dur- ing the war under the auspices of the National Academy of Sciences, to place at the disposal of the Government the scientific knowledge and resources of America, and has since been reorganized on a peace-time basis. Each fellowship carries a stipend of $1,500 or more.
As a public-spirited and influential citizen, Mr. Bichowsky has taken an active part in many important movements in the advancement of Pomona's best interests ; he was one of the organizers of the Pomona
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Board of Trade and president of that body for seven years; he was the organizer of the Pomona Valley Hospital and its president for the first five years; he was secretary of the Pomona Securities Company, which developed ninety acres south of Ganesha Park, subdivided and sold the property, which is a part of the fine residence district of the city; with others, he was instrumental in the building of the Pacific Electric lines into Pomona, and a member of the committee on that project ; he is vice-president and director of the San Gabriel Cemetery Association. In politics he is a stand-pat Republican and has twice been foreman of the grand jury in Los Angeles County.
Mr. Bichowsky erected the brick block on the corner of Third Street and Garey Avenue, which building he now owns and occupies a part of it for his business establishment. Prominent in church affairs for the past ten years he has been on the board of trustees of the Uni- tarian Church here. Fraternally he is a charter member of Pomona Lodge No. 789, B. P. O. Elks.
It is to such men as this that Pomona owes her place as one of the leading cities of Southern California, and all honor is due the unselfish work they have done to advance their home community to its present substantial position in the state.
SAMUEL W. MCINTIRE
A man of sturdy character and habits of industry, which have brought him a competency in a comparatively short time, Samuel W. McIntire has made Pomona his home for the past nineteen years, and has, besides developing his own ranch, taken an active part in the planting and developing of other ranches and orchards in the Valley. Born in Buchanan, Mich., March 30, 1847, he was raised in that state. Left an orphan at an early age, he tried to enlist in the Civil War, but was too young, so he worked on farms near South Bend, Ind., and later taught school for a number of years in Indiana, Michi- gan, Kansas and Iowa.
Mr. McIntire came to Pomona in 1900, and for a time worked on ranches in the Valley. With but thirty dollars for the first pay- ment, he bought his ranch, on the corner of Glendale and Washington avenues, and developed it in a short time to great productiveness, making it pay for itself as a result of his energy and perseverance, and in the meantime assisting in the planting and development of other ranches in the district. For seven years of this time he was "Zanjero" (in charge of the ditch) on the Kingsley Tract.
The marriage of Mr. McIntire united him with Mary M. Miller, a native of Indiana, and seven sons and two daughters were born to them : Wiley B., a stockman of Iowa; Martin, school teacher in Au-
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dubon County, Iowa ; Charles E. of Pomona ; James, in the insurance business in San Francisco; Frank served his country in the United States Army during the World War; Earl of Pomona; Roy S., super- intendent of a sugar factory at Ogden, Utah; Florence; and Alice, who is deceased; a family to take pride in and who have taken advan- tage of the good educations given them by their parents. The mother passed to her reward in 1915.
WILLIAM O. FRITZ
Among the many who have been drawn to the city of Pomona because of its attractions and bright future prospects is William O. Fritz, who was born in Medina County, Ohio, October 11, 1852.
In 1868, when a lad of sixteen, William went to Gratiot County, Mich., where his father was a pioneer and the owner of one hundred sixty acres of timber land, which he cleared and farmed. In 1873 William attended the Michigan Agricultural College at Lansing, Mich. With characteristic energy and determined purpose, the young man worked his way through college, teaching in the winter and attend- ing school in summer. He graduated from the institution in 1877. He was township superintendent of schools in Gratiot County, Mich., two years. For four years he was district agent for the Union Central Life Insurance Company of Cincinnati, Ohio, with headquarters at La Fayette, Ind. In 1882 he became foreman of Purdue University State Experimental Station at La Fayette, Ind., and later, when the national and state farms were merged, became superintendent of the farming and experimental department of the station. In 1902 he pur- chased a grain and stock ranch in Marshall County, Ind., and after farming the property for four years, came to Pomona, Cal., in Novem- ber, 1906. After looking around for a time, he purchased his present seven and one-half acre orange grove, where he has since lived and successfully raised oranges. Since coming to Pomona he has bought and sold three other orange groves. His home place is nicely improved and has produced bountifully.
Mr. Fritz married Miss Elizabeth Shoemaker, who was born and reared at La Fayette, Ind., and they are the parents of a daughter, Mary A., a student in Pomona College. Mrs. Fritz graduated from Purdue College in 1884, and in 1886 was the first student to receive the degree of master of science from that institution. She taught school one year in the La Fayette, Ind., public schools, and also taught the botany class one year at Purdue College.
When the Trinity Methodist Church of Pomona was formed, Mr. and Mrs. Fritz were charter members and helped to build the church. Mrs. Fritz was prominent and very active in the church, was enrollment secretary of the Sunday School, was one of the Sunday
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