History of Riverside County, California, Part 47

Author: Holmes, Elmer Wallace, 1841-
Publication date: 1912
Publisher: Los Angeles : Historic Record Co.
Number of Pages: 845

USA > California > Riverside County > History of Riverside County, California > Part 47

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W. E. Gallwas received his education in the public schools of Los Angeles, accompanying his parents to their home ranch, located twelve miles west of Riverside, and here he remained as an able assistant to his father in making a comfortable home out of the desolate waste until he was twenty-six years of age. Striking out for himself he rented a place which gave him a start and he was enabled to buy some land for himself, which was the nucleus of his seventy acres of fertile land now under improvement. This place

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he developed to its present condition, erecting his comfortable house and all outbuildings, planting alfalfa and trees and carries on general farming and stock raising with success.

November 7, 1900, occurred the marriage of William E. Gallwas and Miss Mary J. Patton, a native of Los Angeles and a daughter of the late A. G. Patton, pioneer of California of 1852, of whom a sketch is elsewhere given in this work. Of the nine children born to Mr. and Mrs. Gallwas seven are living, as follows: Vera M., Mildred, Ernest, Ruth, Iva. Stanley and Ray. Vina, a twin of Vera, died at the age of three years, and Burton, the fourth in order of birth, died aged five.

Mr. Gallwas is a man of energy and judgment and has mater- ially assisted in the development of the community in which he has been a resident since boyhood. He has always been interested in political movements and is a Republican. He was appointed to the position of road-overseer of one part of the second supervisoral district of the county in 1910, and is found to be a competent official. He is public spirited and lends aid to all movements that are pro- moted for the welfare of the county, and with his wife enjoys the respect of their many friends and associates.

DR. NAZARETH ALEXANDRIAN

A man of worthy ambitions and high principles, a linguist, a highly trained physician, and a man who carried his progressive spirit and optimism through the most difficult situations of his life, was the late Dr. Alexandrian of Riverside. He was born in Aintab, Armenia, September 18, 1852, a son of a prosperous merchant, and upon the completion of his schooling he engaged in the dry goods business in his native town. relinquishing this to attend the Ameri- can Theological Seminary at Marash. Three years later he removed to Constantinople, where he served as translator in the American Bible House.

On November 26, 1879. at the age of twenty-seven years, Dr. Alexandrian was united in marriage with Miss Elizabeth Shaljian, a teacher in the Girls Home Seminary at Constantinople, from which institution she had previously graduated. In 1880 the young couple went to England, and locating in London, Dr. Alexandrian completed a five-year course in medicine in the London hospital. Upon receiving his degree he returned to Constantinople, accom- panied by his wife and two children, Naomi V. and Samuel E., both born in London during their parents' residence in that city. For

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the following ten years Dr. Alexandrian carried on a very success- ful practice in that city, devoting a goodly share of his time aside from his private practice to the care of the sick soldiers and the poor and sick of all nationalities of that city, without charge. While residing in Constantinople two sons were born, Vahram and Zareh. In 1895 the family again returned to England and for the follow- ing three years the doctor resided at Bournmouth, England.

In 1898, in the hope of benefiting his wife's health, Dr. Alex- andrian brought his family to the United States, locating in Fresno, Cal., and soon afterwards purchased a forty-acre vineyard, that was in a state of apparent ruin, being overrun with Johnson grass, a dreaded foe to horticulturists and ranchers. With characteristic energy the doctor set to work to have it cleared by digging out the grass and in time it was transformed into one of the most fruitful vineyards in the locality. His efforts stimulated others to emulate his example, and property very materially increased in value and enriched realty dealers by property transfers. When the doctor began his task of reclaiming the land many said it was useless to do so, as no one had ever been able to get rid of the Johnson grass. These remarks only added impetus to his efforts and by his per- sistency of purpose he won out. While a resident of Fresno Dr. Alexandrian evidenced his generous nature by preaching, free of charge, every Sunday to a congregation composed largely of Ar- menians, in their native tongue. His removal to Riverside was a decided loss to the citizenship of Fresno county, but a gain to Riv- erside, city and county.

Upon locating here the doctor bought eighteen acres of oranges at "Point of Rocks," in the Highgrove district, this proving a profitable investment. Soon after purchasing the orange grove he bought the site of their present home, located on West Eighth street, Riverside, erecting thereon a comfortable and well appointed house which has since been their residence. When they located in the city, theirs was among the first buildings erected in that section of town. Still retaining his interests in Fresno county, the doctor further added to his holdings by purchasing property in Imperial county, and bought and planted twenty acres in oranges in Grand Terrace, San Bernardino county.

On April 20, 1912, while on a trip to Fresno county to aid some friends who were in distress, Dr. Alexandrian suddenly passed away with heart failure, leaving to mourn his demise a large circle of friends and admirers, besides his wife and his four children. At the death of Dr. Alexandrian, Riverside loses one of her cultured, public-spirited and loyal citizens, one who was courteous, genial and kind to all. Of the children we mention the following: Naomi V, married C. P. Stone, of Riverside; Samuel E. is attending the Wis-

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consin University, finishing a course for the consular service; and Vahram and Zareh are graduates from the Riverside high school, class of 1912.

HOLTON WEBB

Sojourns of considerable duration in other parts of the state have enabled Mr. Webb to intelligently compare Riverside with localities elsewhere and it is his decision that this city possesses advantages neither small nor unimportant. During the decade in which he has made his home here he has formed a wide circle of acquaintances and has occupied an important place in the commun- ity life through his intelligent service in an educational capacity and through his capable labors as a justice of the peace, as well as through his general practice of the law, the profession for which he was educated and in which he received excellent training under prominent law firms. Those well qualified to judge concern- ing his work as justice state that he is impartial in his decisions and uses his broad knowledge of the law with telling results in his court. A conservative policy directs his work, it being one of his aims to urge the avoidance of expensive litigation and to promote an amicable settlement of difficulties.

The boyhood years of Holton Webb were uneventfully passed in Wisconsin, where he was born at Waukesha April 13, 1853, being a son of Eldridge G. and Anna S. Webb and a member of a family identified with the early history of that northern state. From the time he entered school until 1868 he was a student at Manitowoc, Wis. Later he removed to Oshkosh, same state, in 1871 and matric- ulated in the Wisconsin State Normal School, where he continued until the completion of the normal course and his graduation in 1876 with honors. Immediately after leaving school he came to California and settled at San Jose, where for four years he was employed as a clerk with the law firm of Houghton & Reynolds. Next he removed to San Francisco and secured a clerkship with one of the leading law firms of that metropolis. In addition to serving the firm in a clerical capacity he carried on a general study of the law and at the expiration of eighteen months he was admitted to the bar of California by the supreme court of the state.

Educational work and law practice have occupied the attention of Mr. Webb for more than one-quarter of a century. About the year 1885 he left San Francisco and settled in Santa Barbara county, where he remained until 1901, meanwhile laboring effec-

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tively in the schoolroom and as an attorney. The year 1901 found him in Riverside and here he has since resided, meanwhile teaching school until 1904 and then acting as deputy county clerk until August of 1909, at which time he took the oath of office as justice of the peace. While residing in Santa Barbara county he formed the acquaintance of Miss Idella Rudolph and they were united in marriage during the year 1890. Their family comprises three chil- dren, namely: Miriam Holton, John Rudolph and Elvin Elbridge. As communicants of the Episcopal Church Mr. and Mrs. Webb maintain a warm interest in the religious life of the community and contribute to charities and to missionary movements. The Repub- lican party has received his ballot in both general and local elec- tions and he is found to be intelligently posted concerning the issues of the age. Interested in fraternal work, he finds congenial associa- tions in the local organizations of the Masons, the Woodmen of the World and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.

On January 4, 1912, Judge Webb was assaulted by John Chin- nici, an Italian, who fired four shots at close range, one of which took effect in the left shoulder, penetrating the left lung. Chinnici was arrested, tried and convicted for an assault to murder. The jury was out but fifteen minutes when it returned with verdict of guilty. The assassin was sentenced by Judge Densmore to fourteen years in the state penitentiary at San Quentin. .

JOHN F. BACKSTRAND

The business institutions of every city furnish an index of its prosperity: In this respect Riverside, with its adequate comple- ment of commercial concerns and the attractive appearance of its business thoroughfares, furnishes an example worthy of emulation by many other municipalities. Business houses, large and small, vie with one another in their energetic and successful efforts to secure for their customers goods not only modern in style, but also substantial in construction and durable in service. Not less im- portant nor less successful than other establishments of the city is the large store owned and conducted by the firm of Backstrand &. Grout, who offer for sale an assortment of drygoods, shoes and clothing unexcelled for quality, style and serviceability. High principles of honor underlay the entire business and furnish the foundation upon which has been built a trade of profitable propor-

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tions, limited not by the limits of the city, but extending through- out the surrounding community.

The senior member of this firm is of Scandinavian birth and ancestry. Near where the tumultuous waves of the Cattegat break against the rocky coast of Gothland lies the little fishing village of Halmstad and there, in the humble home of Gustav and Mary Back- strand, he was born July 21, 1858. With an ambition greater than their means, the parents determined that their son should have an education and accordingly they sent him to the Swedish schools until he was thirteen years of age. Subsequently the family came to the United States and settled at Jamestown, N. Y. There the son secured employment as bundle boy in a drygoods store at $3 per week. His board cost him the entire amount of his wages, leav- ing nothing for clothing, so at first his path was thorny and dark. However, better days soon came. His ability was recognized by a deserved promotion and in 1880 he was made a clerk in the store.

A period of employment as clerk in a store at Sheffield, Pa., was followed in 1884 by the removal of Mr. Backstrand to Nebraska, where he settled at Holdrege, Phelps county, and engaged in the grocery business for himself. At the expiration of two years he disposed of his interests in that region and removed to Illinois, where he opened a shoe store at Princeton. Selling out that business in 1897 he came to California and established himself in Los Angeles, where he opened and operated a shoe store. Upon the disposal of that business in 1900 he moved to Riverside and opened an establishment for the sale of drygoods, shoes and cloth- ing as senior member of the firm of Backstrand & Grout. The business has met with steady progress and merited popularity and furnishes abundant testimony as to the energy and commercial acumen of its projectors.

While living in Jamestown, N. Y., Mr. Backstrand was united in marriage with Miss Christine S. Scott, February 16, 1884. Five children blessed their union. The eldest, Clarence F., is an employe in the city electrical department at Riverside. The only daughter, Lillian J., is a student in the Southern California University. Lawrence S. died September 22, 1911, aged twenty years and nine months, and the youngest sons, Clifford and Leland, are at home, and attend the public schools of Riverside. The family contribute generously to the missionary and charitable enterprises of both the Lutheran and First Methodist Churches of their home city. The political views of Mr. Backstrand bring him into affiliation with the Republican party, of which he is a firm champion. Fraternal rela- tions bring him into active relationship with the local societies of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Woodmen of the World.

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ARTHUR B. PILCH

The duties of office, assumed a number of years ago by Mr. Pilch and successfully discharged from the inauguration of the first term up to the present date, have given him charge of all the responsibilities appertaining to the county clerkship and by capable fulfillment have brought to him the confidence of the people irrespective of political sentiments. Native endowments peculiarly adapt him for official labors, for he possesses the intelligent appli- cation, the painstaking care, the unerring tact and the general in- formation indispensable to such positions. Long residence in the west enables him to judge accurately the conditions prevailing here and the material possibilities of the future. In addition he is fortunate in possessing considerable knowledge of the east, for he was a former resident of New York City and held a responsi- ble position in the employ of a large wholesale house of that metropolis.

The Pilch family traces its genealogy through a long line of English progenitors. The first representative in this country, William H., was born in the city of Norwich, England, in 1834, and as early as 1841 accompanied relatives to America, settling in New York state, where he attended school and acquired a fair educa- tion, adapting him for successful commercial pursuits. While still a mere boy he became an apprentice to the trade of a merchant tailor and in a few years he had gained a thorough knowledge of that trade, in which he was unusually proficient. Opening a shop in Canastota, Madison county, N. Y., he built up a large business in his line and received the patronage of the most prominent men of his community. In Canastota he and his wife, Ruth E. Pilch, for years owned and occupied a cozy, comfortable cottage and their removal, in 1880, to New York City for the purpose of forming advantageous business associations was deeply regretted by a large circle of warm friends in the smaller town.

An important and responsible position as clothing designer in New York City was held by William H. Pilch for thirteen years, but was relinquished in 1893 when considerations of health and a desire to retire somewhat from heavy business cares led him to come to California. A location was selected at Perris and forty acres were purchased, forming a desirable alfalfa ranch, but he did not give personal attention to the land, as shortly after he came here he retired from all active cares. When he came to the west he was accompanied by his son, Arthur B., who was born in Canastota, N. Y., November 28, 1868, and who had been a student in the grammar and high schools between the ages of six and six- teen. Upon leaving school he secured employment with a wholesale

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manufacturer of clothing in New York City and remained in the same house until he had mastered every detail connected with the work. In many respects, however, the occupation was uncon- genial and he therefore relinquished it upon coming to California in 1893, afterward for five years taking charge of his father's ranch. An opportunity to come to Riverside in a clerical capacity led him to remove from the ranch, at which time he became a deputy in the office of County Clerk W. W. Phelps. The deputyship af- forded him every opportunity to grasp the principles connected with the office work and qualified him for the position itself, to which he was elected in November, 1906, as the candidate of the Republican party. At the expiration of his term, in November of 1910, he was again chosen for the office and is now discharging its duties with customary energy and sagacity. During this term women's suffrage was adopted in California, which has more than doubled the work of his office in registration of voters and conduct- ing elections.

Among the many pleasant homes which Riverside boasts there is a comfortable cottage occupied by the Pilch family and graci- ously presided over by Mrs. Pilch, formerly Miss Martha Lutz, who · became the wife of Mr. Pilch September 11, 1895, in Perris, the home of her parents. Of their marriage there are three children, namely : Florence Ina and William Arthur, who are pupils in the Riverside schools; and Cloyes, the youngest member of the family circle. While Mr. Pilch has not been an active partisan he is stanch in his adherence to Republican principles and always has supported the party ticket. The fraternities with which he holds membership are the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, River- side Lodge, No. 643, and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. As a citizen he favors movements for the upbuilding of the com- munity and maintains a patriotic pride in the city and county with whose interests his own life has been identified.

FRANK P. WILSON

The degree of preparation necessary for the successful prosecu- tion of the duties of sheriff was attained by Mr. Wilson through able and meritorious service in the capacity of deputy sheriff, also in the position of constable and in the responsible office of chief of police. While the county of Riverside has been fortunate in the men selected to serve as sheriff, without the least reflection upon the good work of all of them, no administration of the office has

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been more efficient and progressive than the present one. The labors of his predecessors have enabled Mr. Wilson to build upon their foundations and he has brought to his task special training, public spirit, industry and vigor. His work has given to the county economy in the handling of prisoners and system in their classifica- tion, for which purpose a number of cells have been added under his supervision.

The county sheriff was born in Barry county, Mich., August 16, 1860, and is a son of the late James and Hannah K. Wilson. His father, who, like himself, was a native of Barry county, Mich., upon attaining manhood selected agriculture as his occupation. Nothing occurred to disturb the even tenor of his labors until the out- break of the Civil war. Early in 1861, when his son was yet an infant, he enlisted in the Union army and became a private in Company I, Second Regiment Missouri Cavalry, remaining in active service until he was killed by Morgan's band of guerillas in 1862 near Memphis, Mo. The widowed mother took her family to Illi- nois and settled among relatives at Sterling in 1863. There the son was sent to the public schools as soon as old enough to attend and he remained a student there until his studies were completed, after which he took a course in the Sterling Business College for one year.

Three years of early manhood were devoted to farm pursuits near the home of his boyhood, after which Mr. Wilson came to Cali- fornia and settled at Riverside in 1886. During the first two years of his residence here he secured employment as a carpenter. Next he was elected constable and for five years he filled that posi- tion, meeting with such success in the handling of its duties that he was elected chief of police, an office that he filled for twelve years. Meanwhile he had served as a deputy sheriff. Recognition of his courage and impartiality came with his election as county sheriff in 1906 and at the expiration of his first term, in November of 1910, he was honored by re-election, thus receiving eloquent testimony as to the satisfactory nature of his service. While stanchly Republican in politics, his election to the various offices has come less through political influence than through a general recognition of his fitness for the duties in question. All through his life he has met every duty with spirit and energy. No work has been shunned that came his way and offered him an opportunity to earn an honest livelihood.

While still living in Illinois Mr. Wilson was married at Sterling, that state, December 19, 1883, his wife being Miss Lydia Bressler, of that city. They became the parents of a daughter and son, the former being the wife of A. W. Reynolds, of Riverside. The son, James F., is a graduate of the Riverside high school and a young

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man of education and ability. In the midst of the duties that have filled his days with action, Mr. Wilson has found leisure for participation in social recreations and in fraternal affairs and has been an active worker and local leader in the blue lodge of Masons, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Benevolent Protec- tive Order of Elks.

ABRAHAM C. CHRISTERN

In a region where the beauties of nature are enhanced by man's artistic skill, an attractive residence seems as completely in har- mony with the environment as the rhythmic melody seems attuned to the instrument that produces it. The cheerful homes of River- side long have been a theme for the admiration of observers. Their adornment of well-kept groves or lawns radiant with flowers sug- gests the love of the beautiful common to the people of the district. In such a galaxy of charming homes it would be impossible to select a few for mention. All of them, the bungalow and the mansion, have their own special attractions and satisfy the most critical eye. As "A vision of beauty is a joy forever," so a lovely home is an unfailing delight to its occupants and to the passers-by. Standing at No. 227 Orange street is the residence of Mr. Christern, who maintains a justifiable pride in his comfortable home, the visible expression of his prosperity and the merited reward of years of labor.

Born in Bucks county, Pa., February 2, 1843, Abraham C. Christern is a son of Frederick and Abigail Christern and received common-school advantages in his native county. During the year 1858 he began to serve an apprenticeship to the trade of a car- riage-maker and at the expiration of his term of service he worked as a journeyman. Removing to Illinois in 1865, he engaged in the manufacture of carriages at Henry and established a large and growing business. Upon selling out the plant in 1880 he found himself the possessor of a neat income and accordingly retired from commercial activities. However, a life of idleness proved very uncongenial to a man of his active temperament and in 1885 he came to Southern California. where he engaged in the flour, feed and fuel business at Riverside. Two years later, in 1887, he sold out and returned to his old home in Henry, Ill., remaining there until 1890, when the call of the west again lured him to River- side. During 1892 he engaged in the lumber business, but sold the yard in 1893 and since then has given himself to the enjoyment of

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his home and the society of wife and friends. Mrs. Christern was a member of the Keeler family, of Bucks county, Pa., and since her marriage, in January of 1864, she has been of inestimable assist. ance to her husband by her co-operation, tact, sympathy and ener- getic helpfulness. In religion they are identified with the New Jeru- salem Church. In all the years of his active association with affairs, Mr. Christern never mingled in political circles and took no part in elections save the quiet part of casting a Republican ballot at the polls. The blue lodge of Masons and the Tent of the Mac- cabees number him among their members and their philanthropies receive his generous contributions.

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History of Riverside County, California, Part 47

Author: Holmes, Elmer Wallace, 1841- Publication date: 1912 Publisher: Los Angeles : Historic Record Co. Number of Pages: 845

Author: Holmes, Elmer Wallace, 1841-
Publication date: 1912
Publisher: Los Angeles : Historic Record Co.
Number of Pages: 845