History of San Luis Obispo County and environs, California, with biographical sketches, Part 45

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 45

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February 21, 1876, Mr. McNeil was united in marriage with Margaret Morrison, daughter of Warren and Nancy (Tobin) Morrison, and they have four children : Flora, the wife of L. P. Scaroni; Edwina, who is employed in the Santa Maria Bank; Warren, superintendent of the flouring mills, who married Blanche Schwabacher; and Margaret, who is married to L. C. Palmtag of Santa Maria. The happiest moments of Mr. McNiel's life are spent in the home, where he has the companionship of his good wife and the society of their many friends.

WILLIAM TYLER EDDY .- A veteran of the Civil War and a worth- while citizen of San Luis Obispo County in Templeton, where he is now liv- ing, retired, after many years of activity in various parts of our Union, William T. Eddy is spending his last years in the enjoyment of a competence and the association of many friends. He was born at Saratoga Springs, N. Y .. August 31, 1840, a son of David Eddy, also born there, and a grandson of James Eddy, a native of Rhode Island, of Quaker belief, who settled in New York and engaged in farming on Parmerton mountain range. David Eddy was a stone mason and plasterer by trade, and also a farmer in Saratoga Springs. and he moved thence to Mt. Morris, Livingston county, N. Y., in 1852. Ile followed farming and his trades, and died there at the age of forty-six. Ile had married Susan White, who was born in Saratoga Springs, a daughter of Joseph White, a native of New Hampshire of English descent who settled

SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY AND ENVIRONS

SandySprings ogniged in building and contracting, and the manufacture our borle, ani dad as an advanced age. Susan Eddy died in Michigan, and of let seien children (liter are living-William Tyler being the second oldest

Arak oliguriing his studies in the public schools at Mt. Morris and in The at, Morris Agnemy, William Eddy took up the trade of plasterer, and Et Abge and brick mason; and while thus peacefully engaged in his www ( we id 1Sol he heard and responded to the call to arms. In October fre gulisted In Company C. 89th New York Volunteer Infantry, and was welgoed into the service at Elmira, November 6, 1861. He took part in the balck - of Antietam, South Mountain, and Fredericksburg ; in the siege of Fort Sumter ; and in the battles of Cold Harbor and Fair Oaks; and saw five months' service in front of Petersburg. At the expiration of his term of enlistment he was mustered out at Chapins Farm, Va., November 6, 1864. He had been in thirteen distinct engagements, was corporal, then sergeant, then first orderly sergeant, and March 23, 1863, was promoted and commis- sioned first lieutenant of his company for meritorious service. After he had been honorably discharged he went back to Mt. Morris and later engaged m operating in the oil fields in Warren and Franklin counties, Penn., until, m 1867, he went to Savannah, Andrew county, Mo., and was employed at Mi- trade.

Mr. Eddy was united in marriage in Savannah, Mo., February 25, 1869, With Miss Achsah A. Ely. She was born in Batavia, Ohio, and traces the Uh, family back to the Island of Ely, off the coast of England, in the tenth century. The name is also among the early settlers of New Jersey. Mrs. Ely is the daughter of William and Mary Ann (Robinson) Ely, natives of New Jersey and England respectively. They emigrated with their family 10 Shelby county, Ind., and thence to Missouri, and in March, 1865, settled two miles from Savannah, where Mrs. Ely passed away in November, 1871. Mr. Ely afterwards moved to the vicinity of Macon, Mo., and there died, m January, 188I, at the age of seventy-eight years. Mrs. Eddy had two brothers. Daniel J. and John Ely, who served in the Civil War, the former in the Third Indiana and the latter in the Sixteenth Indiana regiment.

After the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Eddy, they bought a farm six miles north of what became Maitland, Holt county, Mo .; and Mr. Eddy followed agriculture until 1886, when he moved to Pueblo, Colo., and engaged in market gardening until 1889. He then decided to come to California, and on his arrival in the state settled in San Jose. Soon, however, he took up his chosen occupation and farmed near that city until July 16, 1891, when be bought one hundred three acres near Templeton, San Luis Obispo County, wol here engaged in raising grain and stock. In 1910 he sold the ranch atot purchased his present home in Templeton, where he and his wife live otte choyment of the competency won through their labors of many years.

The beehive parents of four children. David M. is a bookkeeper for a como- offone company at Kennett; James A. was a successful farmer and forgios of Templeton, until his death in 1911; Samuel W., farmer and Topliste ( 31 0 a realty operator in Paso Robles ; and Joseph W., following Hos waywe love of activity, resides in Templeton. Mr. Eddy has always been mein Hof in the course of education in the various localities in which he has Uvol to Holy county. Mo., he was a member and president of the town-

Catherine & Serst. , 186 Serest

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ship board of education for many years ; and he was for seven years a member of the board of trustees of Bethel school district, serving six years as clerk of the board. He is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic. He was an active Republican for years, but now supports the Prohibition ticket. Both he and his good wife have a large circle of friends in their locality who enjoy their companionship and who highly prize their friendship.

MICHAEL GERST .- What Michael Gerst can tell you about pioneer days when there were more trees and bushes than clearings upon the land, and coyotes and perhaps mountain lions and bears jumped around and howled about the windows of one's shack-and for a while there wasn't even any shack-while you stirred your coffee with sugar that made the coffee still blacker (and very frequently there wasn't any sugar, and perhaps you didn't always pack up enough coffee, either) and you had to do things yourself in- stead of having them done, and it cost two prices for everything and espe- cially for all the modern comforts you may now enjoy on your well-cultivated ranch-well, just what Michael can tell you, you must learn for yourself by sitting down with him and letting him talk; for he is an interesting con- versationalist and you will get a very instructive story.

A native of the even then great city of New York, Michael was born January 1, 1850, the son of John and Theresa (Hooker) Gerst. His father was a carpenter who followed the builders' trade in New York up until twenty years ago, when he died there. He enjoyed an enviable reputation both as an honorable, plain citizen and as a boss pattern maker in one of the large foundries. Theresa Gerst bore three children, of whom Michael was the youngest. His mother died when he was a baby; and his father later married Miss Gertrude Hooker, a sister of his first wife, from which union there was born one daughter. Michael was brought up in the metrop- olis, was educated in its public schools, that is until he was ten years old, and then was put to work in a factory.

Seven years later, in 1867, he journeyed west to Norwalk, O., and lived there with a farmer until he was twenty-one, resuming his schooling in the winters. This farm work in Ohio he continued until 1873, when, as the only member of his family to come to the Coast, he pushed on still further west- ward and arrived in California in April, 1873. For a while he was employed in Tulare county by the railroad company ; and then he went to San Jose, where he worked on a farm for nearly two years.

Coming to Paso Robles in May, 1875, he entered the employ of J. Il. Blackburn at the Paso Robles grant, and was made, first a foreman and then superintendent of farming. At that time there was very little in the country but vast ranches devoted to stock-raising. Nine years later he homesteaded for himself, taking up a hundred twenty acres in the Oak Flat district, five and a half miles west of what is now Paso Robles. Ile moved onto the wild land, cleared it up and improved it; and with the same heroic effort which has contributed so much to develop California from a wild into a highly cultivated state, he brought his land under profitable cultiva- tion, adding to the original purchase until he had a ranch of three hundred seventy-five acres. One of the pioneer fruit growers of this district, he soon had thirty acres of orchard devoted to almonds, peaches, prunes, figs and vineyard, making one of the first commercially successful orchards in the district, and such a show orchard for real estate men that they brought pros-

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SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY AND ENVIRONS

pro ton layers ir mi miles away to demonstrate the resources of the upper Saliins salley for Truit raising. As the product of his labor and ranch, MIT Gers : mn Tos exhibited almonds at the St. Louis Exposition, and received Tutti Mikl diploma for the finest almonds shown from this or any other

It wa- very natural that with such experience and proficiency, Mr. Gerst 46 hild become one of the organizers of the Upper Salinas Valley Fair, serv- m& a- it - first president and bringing large crowds to Paso Robles to see me took, farm products and fruit. He has ever since been an exhibitor, di leust until he sold his ranch in 1913, and so has given practical demonstra- Moj of his method of boosting. For several years he was road master in Mis Thistrict and from 1894 to 1904 was deputy county assessor, and was deputy government census enumerator in 1900. In 1913, after selling his ranch, Mr. Gerst moved to a very comfortable residence at the corner of Fifteenth and Spring streets, Paso Robles.

On June 2, 1882, at Paso Robles, Mr. Gerst was united in marriage with Miss Catherine Janet Botts, a native of Missouri and a sister of John Botts, whose biographical sketch will be found elsewhere in this volume. Mrs. Gerst was reared and educated in Greene county, Ind .. and came to Cali- fornia in 1881. Six children resulted from this happy marriage: Zorada Belle, now Mrs. Patterson of San Francisco; Michael Edgar, in charge of Fair Oaks ranch as foreman of the orchard; Mildred Dorothy, residing with her parents; Althea Irene, Mrs. Fred Nelson of Oak Flat; Fredus Elwood, one of the proprietors of the Paso Robles Garage ; and John Burton, who 1% also at home.

Mr. Gerst is a Mason, being a member of Paso Robles Lodge No. 286, and the first man made a Mason in that lodge. A Republican whose ad- Tice is often sought, Mr. Gerst has served with honor for twenty years as a school trustee of the Oak Flat district. Sad enough is it to relate of such # worthy pioneer that some years ago his eyesight failed, and ever since he has been denied much pleasure accorded to others. The silver lining of the dark cloud, however, is that his faithful wife never tires of reading to him the daily papers and current literature, thereby enabling him to keep himself unusually well-informed and abreast of the times, and to maintain his part in almost any conversation, both to the delight and to the instruction of the visitor.

CHARLOTTE M. (ASHBAUGH) THOMPSON .- Conspicuous among the transformations wrought during the latter part of the nineteenth century And the opening years of the twentieth has been the entrance of women into rimmercial affairs. There are now few occupations and few professions in winch at least a few women have not gained distinctive success, and more aml more it is being recognized that the mental capacities of the sex are far browder than former ages supposed. Scattered through California are women slo alone and unaided have gained success in their chosen callings. In the Bibi business women of San Luis Obispo and environs appears the name of Mr: charlotte M. Thompson, who for almost twenty years has carried on a ettecostul millinery business in Paso Robles.

She was born in Hamilton, Ontario, a daughter of John and Mathilda The revther Ashbaugh, the former born in Alabama, of a fine old Southern family. Ile went to Ontario and engaged in farming. Their daughter Char-

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SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY AND ENVIRONS

lotte was reared in Ontario and attended the public and high schools, com- pleting her education in Mount Pleasant Academy, near Hamilton; and there she was married to William Thompson, a native of Ontario.

In 1868, they came to Santa Cruz, California, where Mr. Thompson was proprietor of a hotel for many years. In 1898, they arrived in Paso Robles, and the following year Mrs. Thompson started her present millinery business here. By personal application to the minutest details, and by the exercise of native tact and ability, she has built up the best trade of that kind in the city, drawing her patrons from all over the valley within a radius of more than fifty miles. At one time she had branch stores in King City and San Lucas, but discontinued them to give all her attention to building up her business in Paso Robles, where she is centrally located on Park street. At the local fairs, she has had exhibits that have always received favorable comment as being the most beautiful displayed; and she takes a just pride in her success, as it has been the result of her own efforts and talents.

Outside her own business she is interested in lodge work, being a member and Noble Grand of Ysabel Rebekah Lodge, No. 217, and Past Matron of Idlewild Chapter, No. 19, O. E. S., in Santa Cruz. Mrs. Thompson bought the lot and erected her home, "The Pines," on Pine street. She is public-spirited and charitable, and supports all enterprises that she thinks will advance the county in the commercial world, and help to bring in settlers to develop its resources.

Mrs. Thompson's son, Charles Sydney, is a graduate of Stanford Uni- versity, class of 1905, with the degree of A. B., his major subject having been ornithology. After a year as principal of schools in Colorado, he came to Los Angeles, since which time he has been a teacher of sciences in that city. In early boyhood, he began making a collection of birds and birds' eggs, and is now the possessor of one of the finest collections in the Southwest Museum, Los Angeles, and for that matter in California. He was united in marriage in Alameda with Miss Alma Hand of Alameda, and they have one child-a daughter, Charlotte V .- who is the pride of the home circle, and particularly of her grandmother.

JONAH HOUGHTON .- The late Jonah Houghton was a pioneer of the state of California who, in the days of the gold excitement, made a trip from his native town of Anson, Maine, where he was born on May 15, 1839. After he had tried his luck at mining with the varied success usually attached to that precarious calling, he went back to his eastern home and remained until 1862, when he came once more to the Coast, via Panama. From that date lie remained an earnest advocate of the Golden State.

For the first twelve years of his residence here, he was superintendent of the Flint & Bixby ranch at Creston, and with the proceeds of his labors he made a purchase, in 1876, of six hundred acres of land near Los Berros and began for himself, devoting his land to the raising of hogs. Ile built a hog- tight fence around his ranch, and raised grain and hay. He became owner, too, of other valuable properties in the West. He had seventy-seven acres of bottom land in Los Berros and another ranch of one hundred sixty acres near by, and also owned land near Tacoma, Wash., and three lots in San Francisco as well as lots in Arroyo Grande and San Luis Obispo. This property was obtained by purchase, with the returns from careful management

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of his ranthe property, which received his undivided attention. He was called a Very successful farmer, and when he passed away, December 23, 1896, the county lost one of its progressive pioneer citizens.

In 1870 Mr. Houghton made a trip back to his boyhood home and on Angust 5 of that same year married Miss Maria Remick, who was born in Stark. Maine, December 30, 1852. They had five children: Mrs. Ollie Ketchum, of Arroyo Grande ; Mrs. Mamie Ware, of Berkeley ; Mrs. Gertrude Johnson, of Oakland ; Ilattie, of Berkeley; and George A., who is carrying on the home ranch. The mother is living in Berkeley.

GEORGE A. HOUGHTON .- A worthy son of his father, George A. Houghton was born in Creston in 1873, and was educated in the public schools of the county. At an early age he became associated with his father in farming, and continued with him until his death, when he became manager of his father's properties. On the six-hundred-acre ranch he had a dairy of one hundred and ten cows that yielded good returns. Mr. Houghton manu- factured cheese, and also raised cattle and hogs. In 1913 he sold his cows and now makes a specialty of hogs, having Berkshire and Poland China strains. The ranch is valued at seventy dollars per acre, and in 1915 pro- duced four hundred sacks of beans, three thousand sacks of barley, one hundred tons of hay, seventy head of cattle, twenty-five head of horses and five hundred hogs.

From his early association with his father, George A. Houghton became an expert on the raising of hogs; and with this knowledge he has devoted his time and attention to the industry that has meant so profitable a business. Like his father he has been a progressive citizen and has made a name for himself in the county, where he spent his entire life, and where he has made a host of friends by his sound business judgment and fair dealings with his fellow men. He keeps the ranch and buildings in the best of repair, and under his able management the value of the property is increasing each year.

CHARLES FINK .- Besides an honored name, Charles Fink left a legacy of a well-directed life to those nearest and dearest to him. He was a pioneer of 1849 in California, having crossed the plains with his step-father, who was a Mr. Miller, his mother, whose maiden name was Mary Wagner, her son John Fink, and her three daughters. There was a large train of ox- teams that left the east for the long and dangerous trip over desert, mountain and plain ; and in due time they arrived at their destination, stopping for a time in the Placerville section where Charles and his brother John mined and ran a butcher shop for a number of years with good success.

The young man wanted to see his native country, Germany, where he was born in 1835, in Baden; so after he had made some money, he went back for a visit. But he soon returned to California, and in Sacramento he was mimed in marriage with Miss Sarah Holmes, whose parents were pioneers of filtrado county, they having settled in Pleasant Valley upon their arrival in the date in the days of the early mining excitement. Soon after his mar- riart. Mr. Link secured employment with the parties who had the contract t. V 13 the telegraph line from Sacramento to Salt Lake City, remaining with Them until the work was done.

I was about 1868 or 1869 when he came to San Luis Obispo ; and in that 0%. wiltell Me- then a small hamlet with a few houses of adobe and wood

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clustered about the old mission, he started a restaurant, but soon turned it into a hotel that was known as Hotel Fink, one of the first hotels in the place.

In 1876 he went to the Arroyo Grande valley and purchased some land, adding to it until he owned, at one time, two hundred seventy acres. This he improved with buildings, grubbed out the brush and vines, and began farming, continuing until his death in May, 1907. IIe and his wife left five children : Mrs. Mamie McNeil ; Mrs. Maude Haskins; Mrs. Flora Clevenger ; Carl; and Mrs. Sadie Pruitt. Mrs. Fink died in March, 1907, aged about fifty-nine years.

CARL FINK .- Carl Fink, the only son of Charles and Sarah ( Holmes) Fink, was born September 3, 1883, on the old home ranch, from which he at- tended the public school. He worked on the farm, being accustomed from a lad to hard work, and also worked for wages. Finally he bought from his grandmother sixty-five acres of the old home place, leased other land, and here carries on a dairy, raising beans, alfalfa and general farm produce, and is making a name for himself in the county where his entire life has been passed. He is a stockholder and a director of the Arroyo Grande Commer- cial Company. He was united in marriage with Miss Dora Stevens, a native of the county and a daughter of Charles Stevens; and they have two children, Charles S. and Evelyn M.

ROBERT WESLEY EARL .- Active in movements for the uplift of humanity and the development of the county, Robert W. Earl is counted a popular and progressive citizen. A native of Canada, he was born in Mon- treal, December 19, 1859, a son of fairly well-to-do parents, Duncan and Esther (Reilley) Earl, natives of Canada, of Scotch and Irish extraction, respectively. The former was a farmer and well-driller, who moved to Lec county I11., in 1860, where he farmed until 1872, when he came to California. Ile stopped in Placer county for a short time and then spent two years in Gilroy

In the fall of 1876 the family settled in the Santa Maria valley, where Mr. Earl took up a homestead of one hundred sixty acres, proved up on it and farmed, and lived to be eighty-three. His wife passed away at the age of seventy-six. Their children are: Robert W., of this review; Mary, one of the trustees of the Union high school, president of the Minerva Literary Club and widow of John Winter; Lizzie, the wife of Matt Jessee; Luhu, who married Bert Ward of San Jose; and Chancey, on the Suey ranch. Grand- father Reilley was born in. Ireland and settled in Lee county, Ill., at an early day, and lived to be an aged man.

The eldest of five children, Robert W. Earl was a babe in arms when his parents left Canada and settled in Illinois. He attended the public school of Lee county until fourteen, and then accompanied the family to California and grew up to man's estate in the Santa Maria valley. Upon leaving home. he farmed the G. Muscio ranch twenty-one years, and the Fugler ranch for ten years, and in 1916 moved into Santa Maria. In 1904, Mr. Earl was ap- pointed by the board of supervisors as road supervisor of this district, and he has held the position ever since. He is an experienced road builder, who has under his direction road-making machinery to the value of over $15,000. and employs many men and several road overseers. Ilis roads compare favor- ably with those in other sections of the county. lle is conscientious in the dis- charge of his duties and is well liked by all who know him.

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3D Iol was moved in Santa Maria to Miss Nettie Norris, a daughter co telor Kabaal and Mary (Mattingly) Norris. The former was born in Vuemake Her Mundt fo Missouri, and in 1849 crossed the plains to California. Ito mordor a Time in Mariposa county and after that settled in Sonoma cours where He married. His wife was a native of Missouri. They came to the South Maria valley in 1878, lived for a time in Guadalupe, and later moved do the vicinity of the present site of Orcutt. In their family were ten children- Robert, of Orcutt; Alex, who died at the age of sixteen; Mary, the widow of Calvin Drumm, who lives at Orcutt; Emma, living with her brother John; Nettie, now Mrs. Earl; Eliza, the widow of George Klink, who resides in Santa Maria; Edward, of Mariposa county ; Mattie, Mrs. A. 1. Downs, of Santa Maria; Jesse, who died aged four years; and John M., i rancher in the Orcutt district.

Mr. and Mrs. Earl have five children : Fred; Mable, the wife of Frank 11. Gates of Santa Maria; Alice, who married William Grant of Santa Maria; John Robert ; and Lottie, who married Aden Johnston of Santa Maria.

Mr. Earl is prominent in fraternal circles, is a member of Hesperian Lodge No. 264, F. & A. M., and was master the year preceding that in which the union with the old Santa Maria Lodge was consummated. He has passed all the chairs in the Knights of Pythias, and is a member of the Independent Order of Foresters. With Mrs. Earl he is a member and past patron of the local chapter, Eastern Star, of which she is past matron, and both belong to the Pythian Sisters. Mr. Earl is an old-line Republican and upholds the tenets of the party at all times. He is a self-made man, has succeeded as a rancher and is now able to retire to enjoy a well-earned rest, although looking after the roads of the district, which keeps him fairly busy.

ABRAM MUSCIO .- The success and standing in the community that have come to Mr. Muscio since he landed in San Luis Obispo County speak volumes for his sterling traits of character. He was unfamiliar with the English language, and for a time had to send his savings back to his parents in Switzerland. In spite of these and many other hindrances, he has become one of the largest property owners and substantial citizens of the county.

Ile was born in Someo, canton Ticino, Switzerland, March 12, 1849, the youngest of nine children of his parents, who were poor people. For this reason he received but a limited education, and when he was seventeen he left home, in November, 1866, and came to the United States, the land of "golden opportunity." California was his objective point, and he at once proceeded to this state by way of Panama, crossing the isthmus by rail and arriving in San Francisco on January 12, 1867. The boat on which he was a passenger took twenty-two days to come up the coast from Panama. Abram Alakon went at once to Marin county, where many of his countrymen had heady located; and his first year was spent on a dairy ranch where he Topun acquainted with the business and in the meantime learned to speak om Duglish.

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History of San Luis Obispo County and environs, California, with biographical sketches, Part 45

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