USA > California > San Bernardino County > History of San Bernardino and Riverside counties, Volume III > Part 6
USA > California > Riverside County > History of San Bernardino and Riverside counties, Volume III > Part 6
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On October 12, 1886, Mr. Peters married at Richmond, Indiana, Cora Belle Van Aernam, a native of that city, and a daughter of Thomas B. and Huldah A. Van Aernam. Mr. Aernam, now deceased, was in early life a wholesale merchant. His widow, now an aged lady over eighty years of age, resides with her daughter, Mrs. Peters. The Van Aernams are of Revolutionary stock and of Holland-Dutch descent. Mrs. Peters is a descendant of William Penn, and was educated in a Quaker academy at Richmond, Indiana, and in Earlham
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College, also in Richmond, which is a Quaker settlement. Mrs. Peters belongs to the Daughters of the American Revolution. She and Mr. Peters have no children.
Mr. Peters belongs to a number of organizations, college, muni- cipal, social and benevolent, among them being the Phi Kappa Psi college fraternity, the National Municipal League, the American Economic Association, the National Economic League, the American Political Science Association, the Pioneers' Society, the Present Day Club, which he helped to organize, the Chamber of Commerce, of which he was at one time vice president, and at one time he was a director of the Young Men's Christian Association. For many years he has been one of the leading members of the First Congregational Church of Riverside, and still maintains his connection with it. He is a man of public spirit, devoted to the public good. Freely, gladly, without stint, he has given himself to matters of local moment. He has loved Riverside ever since locating here. Believing it to be the duty of the business man to labor and to sacrifice for the cause of good government, he has therefore worked in the field of politics, for the triumph of the party and the policies he believes to be right. He had always believed it possible to have a clean, honest business ad- ministration of the affairs of a city, and few even among those who opposed him at the polls, and fought his policies while in office, can deny that he proved this to be possible during his own incumbency, which will always reflect creditably on his capacity, his honesty and his honor.
JOHN W. COVERT is one of the most representative men of River- side, and as president of the Riverside Title Company comes into close contact with some of the leading citizens of this region, by whom he is held in high regard. For many years a prosperous agriculturalist of Western Pennsylvania, he came to California a man of ripened judgment and experience, and has given to his new home the benefit of these qualities.
Born in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, in September, 1847, John W. Covert is a son of Isaac A. and Diademia (Wilgus) Covert, both natives of Pennsylvania. Isaac A. Covert belonged to an old Amer- ican family which was founded in this country by several brothers of English birth, who settled in the northern part of New York; from whence migration was later made into Pennsylvania. Mrs. Covert was of French ancestry. By occupation Isaac A. Covert was a far- mer, became prominent in his neighborhood, and for a number of years served as a justice of the peace.
John W. Covert attended the public schools of his native county and the Normal College of Western Pennsylvania, and then, after several years' experience as a school teacher he began farming and was so well satisfied with his results that he would probably still be a resident of the Keystone State had not the ill health of his wife necessitated the removal to a milder climate. In order to investigate Mr. Covert made a trip to Riverside, and was so delighted with the city and its surroundings that he looked no further, and in 1890 located here permanently. Owing to changed conditions he decided that horticulture offered more inducements than agriculture, and pur- chasing twenty acres of land in North Riverside he planted it to oranges, conducting this grove for about fifteen years, when he sold it, and since then has been occupied with looking after his own in- terests and those of the Riverside Title Company, with which he has
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been connected since its organization, at which time he was made a director. Later he was elected its vice president, and during the early part of 1921 was elected its president.
During the time he was condutcing his orange grove Mr. Covert bought two acres of land at 1038 East Eighth Street, which he planted, and on which he erected a handsome residence. The trees and palms are full-grown today, and his is one of the most attractive homes of Riverside, and it is very dear to him. He also erected the two-story brick business building at 666 Eighth Street which is known as the Covert Block, and this he still owns. Until he sold his grove he be- longed to the Riverside Orange Growers' Association and was one of its directors, but has withdrawn from it since he is no longer one of the orange growers. In politics he is a republican, and while he takes a deep interest in his party's successes he has never been active in public affairs, with the exception of one term when he served as trustee under the chairmanship of both Bradford Morris and C. F. McFarland.
On March 8, 1871, Mr. Covert married Frances Luse, a native of Pennsylvania and a daughter of James Luse, a farmer of that state. Mr. and Mrs. Covert have one daughter, Mary, who is the wife of Emerson Holt, chief abstractor of the Riverside Title Company. Early uniting with the Methodist Episcopal denomination, Mr. Covert has always been active in its good work, and upon settling at River- side connected himself with the First Methodist Church of this city, and is now president of its Board of Trustees. He is a man of means, broad in his sympathies and generous in his donations. A believer in hard work, intelligently directed, he has not much patience for a slacker, but when he is convinced that a man has tried hard he does not hold failure against him, but is glad to lend him a helping hand. Deeply interested in Riverside, he has played an important part in securing its further development, and has not relaxed his efforts in its behalf. It is to such men as Mr. Covert that is largely due the credit for the wonderful strides forward that have been made by this region, this advancement attracting the attention of Eastern capitalists and bringing them here as investors and residents.
JAMES M. BABER, one of the oldest residents of Riverside, came to this county in 1882 and engaged in the business of raising oranges, following it through all of the changes in the industry to the present day. While many others have come here, made a brief stay and then left, to be replaced by others whose interest was quite as tran- sient, Mr. Baber has held to his original plan, and in the declining years of his useful and helpful life has a most comfortable home, income-producing property, and beautiful and congenial surroundings.
Born at Mackinaw, Tazewell County, Illinois, November 21, 1844, James M. Baber is a son of Charles and Mary Ann (Marsh) Baber, both of whom were natives of Exeter County, England, from whence they came to the United States and located at Mackinaw, Illinois, when it was a pioneer town, and there Mr. Baber conducted a hotel until his death in 1851. He was a prominent man in that community, and served as postmaster for some years. His widow died in 1876.
Growing up at Mackinaw, James M. Baber attended its schools and later assisted his mother in the work of conducting the hotel, or inn as it was then called. Still later he established himself in a mer- cantile business, and continued to live at Mackinaw until 1865, when he moved to Sterling, Illinois, remaining a merchant until 1878. He
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then went to Iowa, and for four years was engaged in the book and stationery business, but in 1882 left Iowa for California. Locating at Riverside, he bought twenty acres of orange land and groves on Brockton Avenue, and also on behalf of his two sisters and brother- in-law, M. S. Bowman, who were partners with him in the purchase. They soon thereafter joined him and began the cultivation of oranges, planting the acreage not already in. The ground was the original C. E. Packard place, and in the division of it Mr. Bowman retained that part on which the old brick building was located. Mr. Baber now owns eight acres of land, his home being at 245 Brockton Ave- nue, and he purchased the adjoining residence at 247 Brockton Ave- nue, which is now occupied by his sister, Miss Harriet A. (Hattie) Baber. Mr. Baber also built a new residence on the property, at 37 Webber Street, which he rents to tenants. His grove is valencies and navels, but most valencies. At one time he belonged to the River- side Fruit Exchange, but of late years has been selling his crops in- dependent of the exchange.
Mr. Baber is a republican, but has never taken an active part in politics, his interests centering more in church work, both he and his wife being consistent and zealous members of the First Baptist Church of Riverside. Mrs. Baber is also a member of the Riverside Woman's Club.
In Michigan Mr. Baber married in 1874 Miss Carrie Bowman, who died in 1884. She had one son, Charles Bowman Baber, who was born in 1877, and he is now a civil engineer and draughtsman of Los Angeles, California. The second marriage of Mr. Baber occurred at Riverside, September 25, 1907, when he was united with Alice (Mars- ton ) Stacey, a native of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. She is a daughter of Stephen L. Marston, of Portsmouth.
Menno S. Bowman, the brother-in-law of Mr. Baber, was a man of high standing at Riverside, and at the time of his death he was secretary of the Riverside Building and Loan Association. He was born in Ontario, Canada, September 13, 1838, and was a graduate of Otterbein Academy at Westerville, Ohio, class of 1859. He married at Mackinaw, Illinois, August 3, 1863, Miss Amelia Baber, a sister of J. M. Baber. After establishing himself in his home on Brockton Avenue in 1895 Mr. Bowman established a boot and shoe business, which he continued for four years. In 1898 he was elected public administrator, and served as such until January, 1911, when he was made secretary of the Riverside Building and Loan Association. In the meantime, in 1904, he disposed of his orange grove. He stood high in Masonry, belonging to the Blue Lodge, Chapter and Com- mandery, but his greatest work was done in connection with the Riverside Methodist Church, for he was a man who exerted himself in behalf of those not as fortunate as himself. His wife devoted her- self to church work and was president of the Missionary Society, and when she and her husband died all of their property was left to the church. This bequest was a very valuable one and amounted to thou- sands of dollars.
BERT L. MORGAN-One of the old philosophers taught that the best way to achieve success was to work at only that which pleases, and in this there is more truth than is generally admitted. Unless a man di- rects his efforts in behalf of something which interests him he has to struggle against a handicap which oftentimes prevents his attaining tangible results. The first requisite for ultimate success, without doubt,
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is an aptitude and liking for the work; the second is the determination to acquire a thorough knowledge of the business in every phase; and third, the persistence to keep working hard and saving something from every pay check. If these three rules are closely followed the results are sure to be gratifying. Such has been the experience of Bert L. Morgan, vice president and general manager of the B. L. Morgan Manu- facturing Company of San Bernardino, who has built his present flourish- ing concern up from very small beginnings, and his own prosperity from nothing.
Bert L. Morgan was born in Wellington, Ohio, February 17, 1873, the son of farming people, natives of Ohio. His father was born De- cember 27, 1848, and died September 22, 1918. His mother was born April 11, 1849, and died in March, 1904. Bert L. Morgan has made his present line of business his life work, commencing it May 15, 1887, when he entered the employ of the Western Automatic Machine Screw Company, with which he remained until March 1, 1906. On May 19, 1904, he was made foreman, which position he held until he left the employ of that concern, and was associated with R. D. Perry and W. W. Fay, who founded the Perry-Fay Company, of which Mr. Morgan was general superintendent. The business of this company increased very rapidly, additional capital was secured, and a new and larger plant was built. Mr. Morgan remained with the Perry-Fay Company until Sep- tember 1, 1917. In the meanwhile he had cherished a desire to have a business of his own, and this hope was realized May 5, 1919, when he opened his machine shop at 938 Third Street, San Bernardino, with a very small equipment, consisting of two small automatic screw ma- chines and a limited machine tool equipment. However, he knew his business, stuck to it, and laid his plans for the future. On January 12, 1920, he succeeded in having the B. L. Morgan Manufacturing Company Incorporated, with A. E. Ferris, president; W. M. Parker, vice president ; J. F. Hosfield, secretary and treasurer; and B. L. Morgan, general manager. On February 26, 1920, the plant was moved to the present quarters, northeast corner of Rialto and East streets, the premises having been purchased from the San Bernardino Brewing Company. At the annual meeting in January, 1921, the following offi- cials were elected: A. E. Ferris, president; B. L. Morgan, vice presi- dent and general manager; and E. E. Katz, secretary and treasurer. On account of ill health Mr. Katz resigned and R. G. Dromberger was elected as secretary and treasurer of the company.
When the B. L. Morgan Manufacturing Company was incorporated the monthly sales only averaged $1,000, but in the short time this con- cern has been in existence the sales have so multiplied as to average $8,000 monthly. At the time of incorporation the working force was comprised of Mr. Morgan and one helper. At the present time employ- ment is given to twenty-two. The premises occupied by the plant cover a space of 140x150 feet. The building that houses the plant is 100x60 feet, and there are a number of outbuildings on the lot. Among the machine equipment of this company are fourteen automatic screw machines, ranging in capacity from three-eighths to two and one- half inches. This company conducts a strictly manufacturing institu- tion, and produces an endless variety of screw machine products, among which are the following: Hexagon, square, fillister and button head cap screws; square head and headless set screws; thumb screws; collar screws ; hexagon nuts; stubs and pins; screws and turned metal parts for scientific instruments, clock, watch, optical, gun, electric, camera, typewriter, adding machine, automobile, aeroplane and tractor work;
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spark plug parts; hardened and ground work; all articles turned from silver, aluminum, bronze, brass or steel rods; also taps, dies and gauges. There is also a finely equipped tool department capable of turning ont the highest quality of tools.
Mr. Morgan was married first to Nellie M. Shute, who was born at Elyria, Ohio, and died May 5, 1912, leaving three children : Victor S., who was born April 25, 1894, is a machinist and tool maker who has been largely associated with his father in business. He married Mar- jory Vogler of Elyria, Ohio. They have two children, Rosemary and Robert. Ruth O., who was born May 5, 1896, is the wife of E. A. Ledyard, of San Bernardino. They have three children, Jean Ellen, Wayne and Philip. Edwin L., who was born October 8, 1899, enlisted in the headquarters company of the Fifth Marines on April 19, 1917, and sailed for France on August 5 of that year. He fought throughout the war with the famous Second Division. He went through all en- gagements and the only wound he received was a scratch on the leg. He was awarded a medal for bravery in action, and was discharged in August, 1919, returning to New York just two years after he sailed. He is now engaged with the Standard Oil Company in San Bernardino.
In April, 1917, Mr. Morgan married Miss Lura Potter, a native of Ashtabula, Ohio, and a daughter of Eugene M. Potter, and they have four children, namely : Louise Alice, Anna E., David E. and Burt, Junior. Mr. Morgan has devoted himself so exclusively to business that he has had but little time for outside matters, although he does take an intelligent interest in local affairs. He is one of the sound and de- pendable men of San Bernardino County, and holds a high position among his business associates. He is a life member of Lodge No. 836, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, of the Knights of the Macca- bees, the Royal Arcanum, Huron Tribe, No. 200, Red Men, and of the Rotary Club. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the San Bernardino Chamber of Commerce, vice president of the Manu- facturing and Wholesalers Association of San Bernardino, vice presi- dent and general manager of the Sta-tite Nut Company, to which he is devoting his time almost exclusively, is interested in the M. & M. Manufacturing Company of Wilmington, Los Angeles County, a general machine and manufacturing institution, and was president of the Board of Health at Elyria, Ohio, during the epidemic of contagious diseases.
HENRY D. BRADLEY is one of the prominent civil engineers of River- side, who has devoted much time and effort to the building up of the Coachella Valley, the only logical place in the United States in which to grow dates upon a large commercial scale. He has specialized in hydraulic work and planning irrigation systems so as to bring as much land as possible under the water. Knowing all of its natural ad- vantages, Mr. Bradley is an enthusiastic booster for the Coachella Valley and Riverside County generally. When he first went to the Valley over twelve years ago very little development had been made. Since then he has been an active factor in the wonderful changes which have been effected in that district, and the present rapid rate of improvement promises to make a garden spot of all of the tillable land from Banning to the Salton Sea.
Mr. Bradley was born at New Haven, Connecticut, September 1, 1870, a son of Dana and Caroline (Tuttle) Bradley, both of whom are deceased. Dana Bradley was a farmer and prominent in his home community. He came of Revolutionary stock and English descent. Mrs. Bradley's ancestors came to the American Colonies long prior to the Revolutionary war and settled in New Haven.
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After attending the public and high schools of his native city Henry D. Bradley matriculated at Yale University, and was grad- uated therefrom in 1893, with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. He then took up general engineering work in Connecticut, and for a long period worked for the New England electric roads.
In 1904 Mr. Bradley came to California, and for four years was engaged in civil engineering and map work in the City of Los Angeles, and then, in 1908, came to Riverside. From then on he has been engaged in civil engineering and map work, and, as before stated, specializes in planning irrigation systems for the development of land. Mr. Bradley has mapped out the region north and west of Riverside from Colton to Wineville, the Palo Verde Valley and the Coachella Valley. His maps are very complete and accurate, and they are recognized as official by both the county and city of River- side. There is a wealth of detail in his maps, particularly in that of the Coachella Valley, which evokes the admiration of all those who have occasion to use them.
Mr. Bradley has also done much work in the Mojave Desert along the line of the Salt Lake Railroad, developing land and assisting in laying out the road along the old Arrowhead trail from Barstow and Daggett, via Silver Lake to Nevada. This will eventually be paved and will make a great national highway across the desert that will be much traveled. He is now engaged in developing a number of large date orchards in the Coachella Valley, including some of his own land, which will ultimately be in dates. In addition Mr. Bradley is the owner of some undeveloped mining and oil prospects in the desert which in time will doubtless become very valuable.
In addition to all these interests Mr. Bradley is secretary of the Riverside County Title Guarantee Company, of which D. W. Lewis is president ; is a member of the Riverside Realty Board, and of the Present Day Club. While he votes the republican ticket and is in- terested in the success of his party, he is not active in politics. Cal- vary Presbyterian Church of Riverside holds his membership.
On September 2, 1909, Mr. Bradley married at Riverside Matilda Cary, a native of Quebec, Canada. It would be difficult to over-esti- mate the importance of the work accomplished by Mr. Bradley in the development of his irrigation systems, which bring under cultiva- tion so many acres of hitherto waste land. A man of broad vision, he has been able to see the future in date culture and to impress others with the possibilities of this industry, which when properly expanded will bring many thousands of dollars into this region and afford op- portunities for the energies and capital of some of the best men of the nation. To him belongs part of the credit of awakening the people to the wealth which lies at their door, and his name will go down in history in connection with the date industry of the country.
J. EUGENE COPELAND .- For the last thirty-two years J. Eugene Cope- land has found congenial surroundings and profitable employment of his energies in the orange industry at Riverside, and has developed his fine home place of twenty acres from the wild state to its present perfect bearing condition. His grove is of naval oranges, and is one of the finest in the county. His residence, which is a handsome and commodious two-story building, is located in one corner of the prop- erty, on the southwest corner of Blaine Street and Chicago Avenue, and is surrounded by fine trees, palms, flowers and shrubbery, which
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were planted by his wife and himself, and attract admiring attention of all who pass the place. Twenty years ago Mr. and Mrs. Copeland planted a slip of a seedling English walnut tree, and today this is probably the largest of its kind at Riverside, having a magnificent spread of seventy-five feet, and yielding about 300 pounds of nuts annually. Mr. Copeland finds great pleasure in his horticultural work, and devotes all of his time to it.
J. Eugene Copeland was born in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, August 19, 1862, a son of Justin M. Copeland, a native of New Hamp- shire and a son of a Methodist minister. He was a scholar and spent his life in educational work, teaching school in many states, and traveling all over the country in search of a climate in which he would not be subjected to the rigors of a severe winter. During this period he was superintendent of schools in Key West, Florida. Finally he came to California. Reaching this state in May, 1881, he realized that his long search was ended, and it was under the sunny skies of this Southland that he spent the remainder of his life. He secured a school on Central Avenue in Arlington district during the fall of 1881, and taught it for one year, when he went to Orange County and continued the same work there until 1891. His eyesight then com- mencing to fail him, he went to Los Angeles and took the agency of the Standard Dictionary, continuing that connection until forced to relinquish it on account of his eyes. During his last years he led a retired life, and passed away March 25, 1915. He came from Revolu- tionary stock, his generation being the eighth removed from the original settler who came to this country from England. His widow, who was Mary E. French prior to her marriage, is a native of Maine, and also comes of Revolutionary stock and English ancestry. She survives her husband and is living at Santa Ana, California.
J. Eugene Copeland was educated in the public schools of Orange County, California, and the University of Southern California. He was interested with his father in farming in Orange County until 1895, when he took up his residence on the home place, 601 Chi- cago Avenue, comprising twenty acres, which he had bought in 1882, and here he has since resided. Mr. Copeland is also interested in thirty acres of sugar beet land at Oxnard, Ventura County, California. He is one of the directors and vice president of the Riverside County Mutual Fire Insurance Company, and is a director of the Monte Vista Packing Company. In politics he is a republican, but has never been active in his party, and has never sought public honors.
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