History of San Luis Obispo County and environs, California, with biographical sketches, Part 39

Author: Morrison, Annie L. Stringfellow, 1860-; Haydon, John H., 1837-
Publication date: 1917
Publisher: Los Angeles, Calif., Historic Record Company
Number of Pages: 1070

USA > California > San Luis Obispo County > History of San Luis Obispo County and environs, California, with biographical sketches > Part 39

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Having finished with the local school, Elias went to the Hayesville Mademy, and later attended the State University at Delaware, (., after Which he began to teach. He belonged, however, to just that adventurous ofves to whom the great California gold excitement made its strongest appeal, and it was not long, therefore, before he was traveling to the Coast, by way of Panama. He reached the Isthmus in April. 1856, during the "Panama Mots," and landed from the "John L. Stevens" at San Francisco in May of mat year Arrived in California, he made his way to Placerville and the Welian Diggings; but perceiving the demand for other than miners, he soon 9We up his search for gold, and commenced teaching school instead.

Three years later, on April 2, 1859. Elias Brubaker was married at the Wollte Diggings to Miss Diantha Rodgers, and was thereby connected with ommeer family of more than ordinary interest. Miss Rodgers was born in Diesem Island. Nova Scotia, the daughter of Benjamin and Jessie (Camp- bil Koolgers, the former a native of Wales, and the latter of the Island AWild of the coast of Scotland. Her father was originally a blacksmith wlicoun rated to America and Nova Scotia. where he married, and then re- marco balena, Ill .- destined to be famous as the town in which Ulysses S. nemocliked in a country store-where he built and for three years ran a borse ferry across the Mississippi. In 1852 be sold out his business, and the flowing wear, with his wife and four children, crossed the plains to Cali- Want in a tram of aven and wagons. The party traveled by way of Des

Diantha R, Brubaker

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Moines, at that time a very small place; and here was a rope ferry that had become broken, thus causing great inconvenience. Being a clever mechanic, Benjamin Rodgers quickly repaired the damage by sphcing the cable. Up the River Platte and on to Laramie and Salt Lake the pioneers proceeded ; and from there they traveled over the Sierras to California, arriving in Hang- town, October 15, 1853, just six months to a day from the time when they set out.

On the way, an accident occurred which threatened for a while dire disaster to Benjamin Rodgers and his family. He was of a nervous tem- perament, and when crossing a ford or similar place, was always inclined to rush ahead. Once he drove into a river, intending to make for the other side; but owing to the heavy current, his wagon upset, and all the hard-tack and most of the flour loaded upon the vehicle were washed away. The family, therefore, ran short, a situation the more serious because the emigrants were without much cash ; but a stranger passing that way tendered the unfortu- nates twenty dollars, suggesting that the money could be returned when the borrower had reached his destination and had begun to earn. Needless to say, the promise thus evoked, through an incident that well shows how generally men trusted each other in those days, was sacredly kept.

For two years Benjamin Rodgers mined at Hangtown, and then he and his family moved to Indian Diggings, and in 1858 located near Firebaugh, Merced county. He found the district too sparsely settled, however, and so removed to a ranch near Stockton, where he lost his wife. Finally, in 1862, on account of the big flood, he left that swampy country for Redwood City, where he died.

To return to the fortunes of young Miss Rodgers, we find her attending school in various places, and finally re-opening her books, with probably more interest and liking for study, in the school at Indian Diggings, kept by Mr. Brubaker ; and there, after a year's acquaintance, the friendship be- tween her and the schoolmaster ripened into love and-"so they were mar- ried." This did not prevent Mr. Brubaker from teaching another eight years at the diggings, and in Fiddletown, now Goleta, after which he went to Walnut Grove, where he taught six years more. During the time of his pedagogical work he bought acreage on Staten Island, where he attempted, with others, to reclaim land ; but the same flood, that of 1862, washed away all levees, and the work of the enterprising settlers was lost.

In 1867, Mr. and Mrs. Brubaker removed to Lower Lake. Lake county, where he engaged for five years in cattle-raising ; and then he left the state to farm in Washington Territory, from which he returned to California at his first opportunity to sell. A winter was passed at Pleasanton, then a sojourn was made in Sonoma county and the great forests of Mendocino, and after that Mr. Brubaker bought a ranch near Cloverdale, which he so improved that the Swiss-Italian colony was glad to secure it for their head- quarters at a handsome figure. Financially reinforced, Mr. and Mrs. Bru- baker and family made a trip to Florida, looked in at the New Orleans Expo- sition, and visited many other points of interest in the South ; and on their return to California they spent a year at Santa Clara, and then, in 1887. came to San Luis Obispo County, where they located on the ranch they at present own, being among the first settlers in the district now known as Shandon. They liked the place so well that they paid two thousand dollars

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for one hotelteil wwwwhere- Af school land, later pre-empting one hundred sixty bers a fft ambia half away, and taking a hundred sixty acres of timber culture at this fogel. of their ranch. As a result, they now own four hundred forty acres DE splendid land, on which they have made all needed im- provements, building forn-, sinking wells, and otherwise equipping every- thing in a firstclass manner. Their holdings include one hundred twenty Here's of bottom Land, suitable for alfalfa cultivation, and a fine family orchard. They raise grain and stock, and having accomplished all by means of their own labor md sacrifice, they one no man a dollar. They have two children : Lloyd, a blacksmith, but now farming in Humboldt county; and Ray P. a merchant at Hollister.

A stockholder, from its organization, in the Farmers' Alliance Business Association, which has done so much for grain-raisers in this vicinity, Mr. Brubaker, with true public spiritedness, also helped build the mill at San Miguel, but as it later did not prove a financial success, he surrendered his stock to the company. Once a devoted Republican, and still having a lively interest in all political affairs, he is now an equally loyal adherent of the Democratic party.

Mr. and Mrs. Brubaker are devotedly interested in religious activities. They helped to establish and build the Methodist Episcopal Church at Shan- Jan. and Mr Brubaker has been a trustee of the congregation ever since ; While at different times both husband and wife have been superintendent of The Sunday school. In fraternal circles, Mr. Brubaker has long been popular a member of the Odd Fellows.

TAYLOR S. MELCHIOR .- What those of a previous generation in Smertea Fare offered in order that we might enjoy the good things of today o the most glorious country upon the earth, is told again in the annals of the Bank of Baalors. Melchior, one of the substantial farmers living near Paso Rof. . [ second ellest of three children born to Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Adeleor year De Kalb, Crawford county, Ohio, he came to California in the His father was born in Pennsylvania, and had settled in Ohio W. Arntjeffer and builder when the Civil War and the defense of his country valled lom frian lh- peaceful vocation.

At the first tap in 1801. Jacob Melchior joined Company 11, 64th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and served with honor for three years until, in 1864, he nor captured and sent to Andersonville, where he died. A souvenir of this Tocart sickening experience Taylor Melchior possesses in that precious legacy. Ju- father's honorable discharge. His mother, who, before her marriage, was Mit. Margaret l'ensinger, was born in Pennsylvania and died in 1886 in Ohio. Offe of the sons, named Charles, is at Toledo, Ohio, where he is proprietor of Fr Fri State Business College : another son. Jacob, is a horticulturist at Red-

Wier attending the public school, Taylor Melchior took a course of sample at the Lastoria Normal. He learned drain-tile making and built a Wetery Hent Tire, Ohio. From 1883 to 1899 he was engaged in the mann- Mijup cialram tile in sizes from 212 to 12 inches, and for his necessary output Je parle a fear factory. At Shelby, Ohio, he married an Ohioan, Miss Emma Comprathe Three children Vinton, who is in the automobile business at Paso Robles. Hazel. now Mrs. Grove, residing at Seattle: and Orville. living ot Trompe came torbless their union.

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In 1899, Mr. Melchior sold out, and, like so many others, turned his face westward; nor did he stop until he had reached Santa Paula, California. Afterwards, Mr. Melchior was at Oxnard for a year, employed in the beet sugar factory ; and then he went into the service of the Ventura County Power Co. as foreman of the gas and water department of the Oxnard district. This engagement lasted eleven years and encouraged Mr. Melchior to build a resi- dence there. Another fair California town, however, was to make a still stronger appeal, and in 1912 he sold everything and moved to Paso Robles. Here he bought forty acres, splendidly situated on the state highway, three and a half miles north of Paso Robles; and these he has since devoted to horticulture and the raising of poultry. Incubators, brooders and other scien- tific and modern apparatus needed in the conduct of the business have been installed on his ranch by Mr. Melchior. In this enterprise he has been stic- cessful, and ships large quantities of eggs.

Mr. Melchior has served for three years as a school trustee in San Marcos district. Politically, he is a Republican ; fraternally, he is a member of the Knights of Pythias.

JAMES LERTORA .- James Lertora is one of the sons of Italy who has made good in the New World, and who has the confidence and respect of business men both in San Francisco and in San Jose, where he worked at his trade from 1876 to 1880, and in the Santa Maria valley, where he has been engaged in business ever since. He first came to Guadalupe, as the manager of a mercantile establishment for M. J. Fontana. He remained in this position three and one-half years, resigning his position, in 1884, for the purpose of coming to Santa Maria and engaging in business for himself. Ile has met with well-merited success here, has accumulated a competency and has given support to all matters pertaining to the improvement and advancement of his home city.

But it is as a man and fellow citizen that Mr. Lertora has ingratiated himself with the community, and he numbers among his friends hundreds of the best citizens of the Santa Maria valley. His pride in the upbuilding of the community is very real, while his broad and sympathetic humanitarian instincts cannot fail to cement strong friendships among his fellow citizens. He was born in Italy. December 15, 1850, and came from an old Genoese family. Owing to the prolonged illness which finally resulted in the death of the father, the family was left in very straitened circumstances. The mother, with five children, of whom James was the youngest, then a child of but three years, nobly set about to make the best of what to those less determined might have seemed an impossible situation. She determined to come to America. The three oldest children were left behind in Italy, while the mother, with her youngest girl and boy, set sail for New York, where they landed in 1854.

Through self-denial and hard work, they managed to live, and in about three years were joined by the three older brothers and sisters. They all struggled together for an existence. The mother's frugality and wise manage- ment served to keep the family together, while James laid the foundation for his subsequent successful business career by selling newspapers and peddling on the streets of New York City. This bitter experience has no doubt served to broaden his sympathies for mankind. As he grew older, he entered upon life's work with a zest, and he was soon a hopeful and self-respecting young

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man 11 tried Mis Hand at various occupations, but for sixteen years put in most of his tuincon kun and chair factories. In 1876, he came to California, where he has made a success.

Mr. Lertora |- the father of two children, both of whom reside in New York. Ilis wird thed several years ago. Socially, Mr. Lertora is prominent, being a member of several lodges in Santa Maria. He enjoys the friendship of a large number of citizens of the Santa Maria valley, as well as of San Francisco, and is regarded as a man of strict business integrity.

JOHN THORNBURG. The record of the Thornburg family in Santa At ria valley is typical of the county's growth and development. Before any attempt had been made to cultivate the land or build up villages, this family settled here John Thornburg and a twin brother, Henry, were natives of New Market, Jefferson county, Tenn .. born in 1800, sons of Henry Thorn- burgh, of Scotch-Irish birth. John received his education in the public schools and at U'nion College in Randolph county, Ind., and was married there to Thzabeth Hunt, a native of Ohio. He was a saddler by trade and built a tannery on his farm in Indiana. His wife died at the age of thirty-two, the Mother of ten children. Wilson, a merchant, lived and died in Hagerstown, Ind. : James Madison, a veteran of the Civil War, pioneer citizen of the Santa Maria valley and a director of the Santa Maria Bank, died July 22, 1916, aged owhty one year- having been married three times ; Henry, a saddler by trade, was a member of the Thirty-ninth Regiment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry, und died while in the army ; Sophie Butler, the widow of Thomas Allen Jones, is living in Santa Maria : Jesse 11 .. a Civil War veteran, farmed in Wayne county. Ind., and died in Santa Maria : Joseph, also a Civil War veteran and a farmer, died unmarried in the Santa Maria valley ; Larkin died in Indiana, it the age of fifteen years: Emma died in girlhood ; and two children died m infancy.

John Thornburg was descended from Irish and German forefathers. The original Irish spelling of the name ended with an "h." lle married the second Ipne. in Indiana Mrs. Minerva Maulsby, daughter of Marshall Maulsby, but Had no children by this marriage. In 1862, Mr. Thornburg came west to lowva, settled in Redfield and erected a large woolen mill, and engaged ex- whsively in manufacturing woolen goods until 1869, when he came to Cali- fornia. lle was a great sufferer with asthma and found that the climate of the valley in the northern part of Santa Barbara county agreed with him better than in parts of Ventura county, where he was looking about in search vi relief.

When he left lowa he had an idea that he had but a few years yet to live, we concluded he would spend them in a climate where he might get relief from his discase. He quit his trade of saddler and manufacturer, bought a pre emption claim of one hundred sixty acres, and began farming in Cali- He was a man of broad and liberal ideas, and it was he who proposed the 120 foot width of the two streets now called Main and Broadway in Santa Maria, then known as Central City. He laid out Thornburg's addition to the city, and all his deeds carried a clause against the sale of alcoholic liquors. He was a leading spirit in the Grange movement, and was one of the four men who started the Grange store. He donated the lot for the first Methodist Church erected in the town, which was erected as a union church, he being a member of the Christian denomination here, although he

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John Thornburg

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was born a Quaker, and was reared in that belief and had a birthright in the Quaker Church in the East.

Mr. Thornburg and four others laid out Central City, and it was he who gave to the town its present name, when they sought to have a post-office established and it was learned that there was already another place of the name proposed. He was familiarly called "Uncle John" by many of the older people, and "Grandpa Thornburg" by the younger element. He was generous to a fault, popular, kind-hearted and public-spirited. He died December 12, 1892, and at his passing, after having lived to enjoy to the full a well-rounded life, Santa Barbara county and the Santa Maria valley lost one of their most prominent and enterprising men and leading spirits, and a loyal and progressive citizen.

JOSEPH BENJAMIN DAVIS .- The interest which attaches to the biography of California pioneers is not that of mere curiosity : it is, rather, an expression of gratitude which their fellow-citizens feel towards those fore- runners of civilization who have done so much to make both habitable and attractive this glorious section of the Far West. Not only as a pioneer of the state, but also as one of the early residents of San Miguel and vicinity. Joseph Benjamin Davis, the well-known farmer and stockman, enjoys a high position among the people of his town and county. In the twilight of his busy and eventful life, he can review a varied past without remorse, and look confidently forward toward the future. His grandfather was Charles Davis, a native of England, while his grandmother was born in Scotland. His father, George Davis, on the other hand, first saw the light of day in New York City, in the remote year of 1816. He came West later as a trapper in the employ of the Hudson Bay Company, for whom he served under Kit Carson, obtaining from the famous veteran most valuable insight into Indian character and frontier life. In one of his expeditions which won for himself some reputation as a good scout, he came to California in the still dormant period of 1838.

Four years later George Davis made a trip through Oregon, completing the latter part of his journey on horseback ; and there he met Elecia Sumner. who was born on February 25, 1830, in Mississippi, came as a child to Arkan- sas, and then crossed the plains to Oregon in 1842 with her parents, Owen and Lucy (Preston) Sumner. An attachment sprang up between the young people, and George Davis journeyed with the Sumner family south in 1843, proceeding through Oregon and northern California, and arriving at Fort Sutter in July ; and there, on the seventeenth of the month, George Davis and Elecia Sumner were married by Captain Sutter himself. General John Bidwell. who used to be in charge of Bodega and Fort Ross, and also of General Sutter's Feather River possessions, was a witness to the marriage. It is stated on good authority that they were the first American couple married in California. About three months after their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Davis moved to Yerba Buena, now San Francisco, where they took up their resi- dence at the foot of Telegraph Hill, owning the lot on which the Bell Union Theater once stood. Seven months later they returned to Sacramento Valley. and for three years resided in different localities.

At the breaking out of the Mexican War in California, George Davis brought his family to San Francisco, where he left them in order that he might be free to hurry south with a company of volunteers who had armed

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themselves for the great struggle. At Rinconada, however, thirteen of the band were captured and held as prisoners for two weeks; and as he was one of those who were paroled, he returned to San Francisco. This nerve-testing experience did not prevent him from later serving as a scout; and in that capacity he did good service for General Fremont himself, piloting the intrepid explorer through many a dangerous pass. A nephew of George Davis, John flames, was also in the war, and helped raise the first American flag that few to the breeze at Monterey.

In 1847, the family moved to Oregon and resided there until the gold excitement in California, when they returned to Sacramento county, and lived for a time on the Cosumnes river, after which they went to Rio Seco, probably mi the vicinity of what is now Galt, halfway between Sacramento and Stock- ton : and there they kept a hotel for four years. In 1854, they removed to Santa Cruz, remaining until 1860.

In the spring of 1800 George Davis moved into Monterey county, located on San Antonio creek, and went into the sheep business. He owned a ranch, which he subsequently sold to R. G. Flint. In 1870, he shifted to the neighborhood of San Miguel, and continued the raising of sheep, ranching partly in southern Monterey county and partly in the northern section of San Luis Obispo. He picked out a homestead and pre-empted land, having three hundred twenty acres. He also bought more land at other places for his sheep camps, distributing his flocks on the different ranges, running them into the San Joaquin Valley and pasturing them on the side of the Sierra Nevadas. His flocks were large, embracing, all in all, not less than eleven to twelve thousand head: and to care for these he had half a dozen or more perienced herders. In the dry year of 1877, when it was almost impos- sible to get water or satisfactory pasture for animals, George Davis was hard hit : but he pegged away pluckily at the sheep-raising enterprise, and in the end enjoyed considerable success. In January, 1891, at the age of seventy- five years, and at the completion of a life of more than ordinary ups and downs, this worthy pioneer passed to his rest and reward. Not the least interesting item to his credit was his encouragement of education, for he helped build the first schoolhouse at San Miguel. In 1913, at the age of eighty-three. Mrs. George Davis followed her husband to the grave.

Thirteen children were born in the Davis family, and eight of these grew to maturity. David was born in Oregon in 1847, but was brought up in Cali- fornia. He pre-empted land in the Indian Valley, had a flourishing stock business. and now lives retired, making his home with the Davis Bros. Eliza, who became Mrs. Azbell, died in the same vale. Joseph, farmer and member of the firm of Davis Bros., lives at San Miguel ; and Buchanan is his partner. Mary, Mrs. Still, is a stock-raiser near the old Davis home. Annie has become Mrs. R. G. Flint, of San Luis Obispo. Charles resides at San Miguel; and Elecia makes her home with her brothers, Joseph and Buchanan.

Joseph B. Davis was born in Sacramento on March 15, 1852, but from his eighth year he was reared in the vicinity of San Miguel. At that time there were no public schools in that neighborhood, and what formal instruc- tion Joseph enjoyed was imparted to him by private teachers. One of these, he recalls, was Prof. Frank Seymour, an Englishman, while another teacher whom he remembers was an Irishman by the name of Frank Mckay, a graduate of Dublin. While yet a lad, Joseph was initiated into the stock

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and cattle business, and with his superiors rode the range; and well it was that he had such a practical experience with life in the open, for in the dry year of 1877 he was given an opportunity to show the stuff that was in him. Then Joseph and Buchanan Davis took a band of three thousand sheep into the San Joaquin valley and over the Sierra Mountains in search of green feed, nor did they stop until they reached the Inyo district and had crossed into Mono county. Again they crossed the mountains on their return to San Joaquin, and in January, 1878, they returned to the coast. Up to this time several of the Davis brothers were in the sheep business together.

In 1880, Joseph and Buchanan started in the sheep and cattle business for themselves, on a claim that had been pre-empted about 1874, the rights of the original claimant having been purchased. They did the usual cleaning up and made the needed improvements, and Davis Bros., as the new firm was called, soon came to have a very substantial standing. Joseph took a home- stead on the adjoining hills, and so did Buchanan, and soon they had some six hundred forty acres, including their pre-emption claims. They did more than this, however, for they laid hold of some favorable land east of San Miguel, where there were good springs, and before many months they had four to five thousand sheep feeding on the range. Drought bothered them, too, but quick, decisive moves prevented catastrophe. They had about a hundred fifty head of cattle on the home ranch, and their brand was and is the square and compass. Later, they disposed of this ranch, and for some years they farmed on the Nacimiento, and there raised horses and mules.

In 1909, the brothers leased the present place, the Corriente Rancho, of twelve hundred eighty acres, and engaged in the raising of grain, cattle and horses. They found it profitable to add to this area, and continued their expansion until they were leasing twenty-two hundred acres. Somewhat more than a third of this great area was given to grain, to farm which they employed three eight-horse teams. Then they went in for breeding Durham cattle and Percheron-Norman horses. In the meantime, Mr. Davis has found time to keep in touch with the social world. He is a past presi- dent, and now treasurer, of San Miguel Parlor, No. 150, Native Sons of the Golden West. For ten years he has been trustee of the San Miguel school district, and part of the time served as its clerk. As a Democrat, he is a member of the county central committee, and has been a delegate to both county and congressional conventions. At times he has been a member of the grand jury.

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History of San Luis Obispo County and environs, California, with biographical sketches, Part 39

Author: Morrison, Annie L. Stringfellow, 1860-; Haydon, John H., 1837- Publication date: 1917 Publisher: Los Angeles, Calif., Historic Record Company Number of Pages: 1070

Author: Morrison, Annie L. Stringfellow, 1860-; Haydon, John H., 1837-
Publication date: 1917
Publisher: Los Angeles, Calif., Historic Record Company
Number of Pages: 1070