USA > California > San Luis Obispo County > History of San Luis Obispo County and environs, California, with biographical sketches > Part 47
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SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY AND ENVIRONS
11-(- The loud Je father had registered in the county in 1869, MIT, one of the grey to be recorded in the county, and a brand well known by Indians. Spanwpis ยป (nehmen and riders of the range. In due time he became a cow- boy, lju father having given him a pony when he was a small lad, hardly able to emastride of it, and he learned to ride and throw a lasso with the best of the rider 8.
Is las. George and his brother Henry were much together, and in later lfte became partners in the cattle business, ranging their stock in the Sisquoc from 1881 until October, 1916, when they dissolved partnership. During the Yours passed they owned several ranches as well as leased large tracts of land for grazing purposes. In 1900 they sold their cattle, but still carried on farming on the Suey ranch, where they had farmed since 1897. In 1902 the brothers bought subdivision No. 10 of the Tepesquet, containing eight hun- dred eighteen acres, and carried on their business until George sold to his brother his interest in the land, while the brother deeded over his interest in the eighty acres of the old homestead to our subject, where he now resides. For eight years Mr. Tunnell farmed on the Sucy ranch, with success as his reward.
In 1905, Mr. Tunnell was united in marriage with Miss Ellen Kortner, who was born in Denmark and was but four years old when she was brought to this country by her parents, who settled in San Luis Obispo county on the Nipomo, later moving to the Tepesquet. Two children have blessed this union-Teressa S. and George Curtis. Mrs. Tunnell is a member of the Presbyterian Church. Since 1893, Mr. Tunnell has been an active member in the Santa Maria Lodge of Odd Fellows, in which he has passed all the chairs. He and his wife belong to the Rebekahs, and he is a member of the Encampment as well. He belongs, also, to Hesperian Lodge No. 264, F. & A. M. As a man and citizen Mr. Tunnell has an ever widening circle of friends, by whom he is respected for his integrity and sterling traits of char- acter. and, like his father, is counted one of the upbuilders of the valley of the later generation.
HAMILTON BROWN MORRISON .- Born at Campsie, Stirling county, Scotland, October 27, 1853, Hamilton Brown Morrison was the son of Robert Morrison, a native of Stirling county, who is buried in the old churchyard at Campsie beside his wife, whose maiden name was Margaret Brown. Robert Morrison was a man of parts in his day. He was a black- smith by trade, but became quite celebrated in his locality as a veterinarian, and received a testimonial from the government, for services he performed, along with a beautiful silver pen and tiny scales, also a fine set of instru- ments to use in treating stock, especially horses. The family moved to Glas- you when 11. B. Morrison was a child, and at twelve years of age he had wished the public school and then went to work in Todd & McGregor's (now Henderson's) shipyards. Ilis first work was on a yacht, the "Fridzafar," for Un Khedive of Egypt, when he was sent into the boilers to shove the bolts into (r boles. In the bairfield shipyards he worked on the fast steamers "Alaska" MAL " Wri ona." five hundred feet long, the largest steamers then afloat. Alit was 11 1878. These ships had propellers, and were built for Elder & Co. Te amo wikol on the "City of Richmond," the fastest steamer that sailed in 17E Her ther was seven days and fourteen hours from Queenstown to
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Mr. Morrison decided to come to California, and sailed from oldreuses January 10, 1879, arriving in New York on the "Devonia." January 22; and that night he left by rail for the West, and reached Sacramento on February 2, 1879-twenty-four days of what was then considered fast traveling. H. went to Berryessa valley, Napa county, and engaged in blacksmithing with his brother, Robert Morrison. In 1882 they moved to Winters, Yolo county. and continued their business there until November, 1886, when 11. B. Morrison left to go into business at Templeton. He owned a blacksmith shop there and sold farm machinery until 1899, when sickness and loss of property combined to break his health for many years. For the last seven years he has been an engineer, for four years of this time at the sugar factory in Bet teravia, and for over a year with the Pinal Oil Co., where he is still, with health restored, and the Templeton episode put by.
W. S. WHITAKER AND IRA RAY WHITAKER. It is but natural that the son of a pioneer of the county should take pride in the achievements of his father and try to carry out some of the plans made by him ; and no one is more enthusiastic about the future of our great state than Ira R. Whitaker, who was born in Winchester, Van Buren county, Ja., September 10, 1859. He was the son of Winfield Scott Whitaker, who was born in Indiana, on February 18, 1832, himself a son of J. M. Whitaker, born Feb- ruary 11, 1801, a member of the Iowa legislature for twenty years, who had the honor of selecting the State University lands. He married Jane Phillips, a native of Ohio and a daughter of William Phillips, a pioneer of that state.
W. S. Whitaker was reared in Van Buren county, Ia., worked on the home farm, and attended the frontier schools of his neighborhood. In 1853 he crossed the plains to California, during the gold excitement, and engaged in mining at Dry Town, Calaveras county, but met with disappointment in his search for the shiny metal. He then moved to Grizzly Flats in Eldorado county, and continued his search ; and in two years he had saved $2,000.
In 1856, Mr. Whitaker sold out his mining interests there for $600. and, on account of poor health, caused from exposure and hardships he had to undergo, left in the dead of winter and walked through three feet of . snow to the Sacramento valley, returned to Iowa via Panama and engaged in the general merchandise business in his home county until 1862. In 1858 he was married in Iowa to Mary Gross, who had come to Iowa with her par- ents when a little girl. The call to return to California was too strong to be resisted, and Mr. Whitaker soon brought his family across the plains with him, settling in Marin county for a time. But as he had mined in early days in the state and the experience had secured a hold on him. he thought he would try his luck once more and went to Nevada, where he remained for six months. Then he concluded that he had had enough of that kind of adventure and would settle down to the life of a farmer.
On October 7, 1863, he landed in San Luis Obispo County, when it was a comparatively desolate country, and purchased land at the mouth of San Simeon creek, where he lived through the winter. The next spring he helped organize the firm of Grant, Lull and Co. and built a store at the mouth of San Simeon creek. After carrying on a general merchandise business for six months, he moved to Cambria and erected the first store building in that town, and put in a stock valued at $8,000. From that beginning, the town has grown until it has become a prosperous trading center.
SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY AND ENVIRONS
Zu Jace. Mr Whitaker sold his interest in the establishment and moved 1 Sm Siento assume charge of the wharf as agent for the Pacific Steam- In Co During the mining excitement at the quicksilver mines, he engaged w numis once more with George Van Gordon and others, meeting with ordinary success. He also engaged in the dairy business under the name of W hilber & Son, on their four hundred twenty acre ranch at the mouth of Sun pommefr creek, which joins the San Simeon grant. There he died, De- cemthe 31, 1894. and his wife survived him till February, 1915, dying at the que of seventy-seven years. They were parents of three children: Ira Ray; Nice ( . Mrs. William Bordine, who lives on the home place; and Lottie, Mr -. 1 .A. MeCabe of San Luis Obispo.
There was scarcely any line of activity that Mr. Whitaker was not in- uhsely interested in. He always was to be counted upon to support every movement that in his mind would further the interests of the county and bring in settlers. He was hospitable and ever ready to lend a helping hand to those worthy of his assistance. He held various offices in the county and was held in high esteem by all with whom he came in contact.
Ira R. Whitaker attended school at the first schoolhouse built on San Simeon creek and assisted with the work on the home ranch. At the age of twenty he took up the burden of life, and for eighteen years, up to 1899. engaged in stock-raising and dairying. Since that time he has devoted his energies principally to the stock business and has met with more than ordinary success. He put out the first fruit orchard in his section of the county. He raised several varieties of fruits, and showed what can be accom- plished in the fruit industry under the soil conditions there. He is one of the few members of the pioneer families still to be found in the county. and, like his father before him, is progressive, public-spirited and influential. In his political views he is a Democrat.
ALEXANDER McMILLAN. The marvelous transformation wrought in California during the past forty or fifty years is largely due to the energy and patient perseverance of pioneers who, having left comfortable homes in the East or even in foreign countries, identified themselves with the newer West, and here evolved a commonwealth out of a barren waste; and it is a pleasure to put somewhat definitely on record the story of their achievements. Such a pioneer, for example, as Alexander McMillan, with whom and with whose family McMillan's Canon will be forever associated, has a story to tell both highly interesting and deeply instructive. On December 7. 1861. he was born in Restigouche. county, New Brunswick. His father was James McMillan, a most worthy citizen of the flourishing province, the details of there life are noted elsewhere in another sketch.
Mexander was the third youngest of nine children, and so, perhaps, conny of more schooling than some of the others who had a harder tussle with prin werl. le took his turn, however, following agriculture as the New Wowwwfel farmers practiced it, until he was twenty-three years of age: dico, m 1884, with his brother James, he came first to San Francisco. They Goodell along the coast by steamer and stopped for a time at Cayucos, San be Kon-po County. When they arrived, the brothers had only about pour bol J sl lars together : but they set to work, located a pre-emption wolzowkir colture claim, and later homesteaded another quarter seetion, oalegre the key had four hundred eighty acres cach in McMillan's Canon.
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SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY AND ENVIRONS
For seven years they engaged in stock-raising, which required much labot and a great deal of oversight, as the county was an open range with no fence between Tulare lake and the coast.
After a while the brothers dissolved partnership, and each began raising grain separately. They produced the first crops of wheat in this section. The first crop they produced in common yielded twenty-two sacks to the acre. and was of such extreme importance to the agriculturists that they campel by the growing grain, riding around it in relays each night to keep the cattle out. Mr. McMillan used a header to harvest his wheat, and with char acteristic enterprise got a thresher to come sixty miles to thresh it ; and he then hauled the wheat to Cayucos, fifty-five miles away, receiving for his harvest from $1.30 to $1.40 per hundred. It was quite a trip, too, four days being required for the journey; but this did not dissuade Alexander from raising wheat. The next year the railroad reached Paso Robles and the grain was delivered to that point. Then McMillan rented one hundred sixty acres and ran two teams, in this way operating a section. He usually had two hundred fifty acres a year, and in addition he raised some cattle and horses. This year he sold wheat at from $2.15 to $2.68.
Among the settlers of McMillan's Canon, Alexander is the oldest pioneer in the vicinity. The McMillan family own some two thousand seven hundred acres. He was married in Los Angeles to Miss Frances llarte, a native of Chicago, and is now the father of seven children : Gordon, who assists him on the farm; Laura, now Mrs. Le Roy Hopper, residing at Shandon ; Donald. who attends the San Luis Obispo Polytechnic : and lan, Eben, Milton and Dorothy, who are at home. When the Presbyterian Church flourished at Shandon Alexander McMillan was very properly chosen an elder, as one to whom his fellow-worshipers might look with confidence ; but the church hay ing disbanded, he affiliated himself with the Methodists. He is a member of the board of trustees of Eagle school district of McMillan's Canon. In politics. he is known as a fearless Democrat.
LEWIS DREW WEEKS .- It was while whacking bulls on the plain- in Dakota territory out of Deadwood that Lewis Drew Weeks had some mighty stirring times, showing the Redskins a pointer or two and coming desperately near to allowing the pesky Indians to show him something also: and if you don't believe it you have only to talk to Lewis and he will con- vince you in short order. You will find him, also, a most interesting talker and a rare, good story-teller; on which account, and a dozen others, every body likes Lewis Weeks, and no one begrudges him, with his large-hearted- ness and capacity as a kind and sympathetic neighbor, the degree of success he enjoys as the pioneer merchant of Santa Margarita. Coming from a grandfather, Jeremiah, who was born and who died in New Hampshire he is the son of Mitchell S. Weeks, a native of St. Johnsbury Plain, \t.
Mitchell Weeks was a tanner by trade, and followed that occupation until the spring of 1849, when he migrated to California. Having purchased mule-teams in St. Louis, he crossed the plains, along the overland trad and on July 4, 1849, they were at Independence Rock. The following winter he was engaged in chopping wood on the present site of Oakland. Afterwards he did teaming at Ilangtown (now Placerville ), when he was a miner. It was while there that he had the pleasure of voting for the application of California for admission into the Union.
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Ile humet la The Twinity of Yosemite Valley, and so primeval were the condiumie Holt In trunk candles, in moulds he carried with him, out of the laflaw adamud front deer. After tasting somewhat of Western life. he piluredu Moment, and afterward settled as a merchant in Winona, Minn. Vlow com- later. that is in 1859, he opened a store at St. Charles, a town not there he remained until 1871, when he sold out and started in De talllug business, building the first flour mill in that locality.
la 1879, he removed to Goodwin, Dakota Territory, taking the mill with low and making flour from Dakota wheat. Ten years later he located in San Luis Obispo, but did not remain in the old Mission town. Instead, with Ils son he moved over to Santa Margarita in March, and on the day of the fir-L sale of lots they bought a corner lot, and the next day began erecting the store building now occupied by his son. Mitchell Weeks continued there in business until he died. in 1901. Lewis's mother, who was born in Michigan City, Ind., and died in 1869 in St. Francisville, La., was Miss Mary J. Stuart. She had four children, but Lewis is the only one living.
Lewis Weeks was born on October 1, 1862, in St. Charles ; and when his father moved South, five years later, he resided for a while in Louisiana. Yellow fever took the mother and sister in 1869, and the father and son then returned to St. Charles. There the boy attended the public school; but in 1878, when only sixteen, he struck out for the Black Hills. For two summers he drove a bull team, between Fort Pierre and Deadwood, drawing five tons to the load, and during the winters he went to school at Winona. Ife was graduated from Stewart and Lambert's Business College, Winona, and then for two summers he ran the river as second mate for Imperial excursions on the Diamond Joc Line. He was then in the service of the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad, west of Winona, doing duty in various capacities from brakeman to conductor and later acting as engineer. He spent three years in their machine shop, and for seven years continued with them. Ile next passed to the service of the Sioux Line running out to Turtle Lake with a track to Gladstone on Lake Michigan, and he was also employed on the Wisconsin Central between St. Paul and Chippewa Falls and Abbots- ford and Eau Claire.
In the fall of 1885 he came to Los Angeles, and then in 1886 to San Luis Obispo and was employed as a carpenter for I. L. Wilson about one year. In December, 1888, he first came to Santa Margarita, where he settled ; and since his father's death he has continued alone the well-known general mer- chandise business there. For eighteen years his father served as postmaster, having been appointed under President Harrison; and as the office was in The store, Lewis often acted as postmaster.
Lewis Weeks has been twice married. His first marriage took place at San Luis Obispo, where he was united to Miss Rose Comport, a native of Nema England, who died at Santa Margarita five months after her marriage, I was buried with the first funeral rites observed in the new town. His -www! marriage also took place at San Luis Obispo, when he made Miss Kadetine Cavanagh, a native of San Jose, his wife.
4. Weeks is popular as a Mason. Ile was made a Mason in King Good Folge No 209. San Luis Obispo, and is a member of Chapter No. 62 in db any por, and he is equally acceptable with the San Luis Obispo Lodge
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No. 322, B. P. O. Elks. \ Republican-"true blue" -Mr. Weeks has done imo man service as a member of the county central committee.
CAPTAIN JAMES CASS .- There was no better-known pioneer in San Luis Obispo county than Capt. James Cass of Cayucos. He was born in Bristol, England, Nov. 24, 1824. At the age of eleven he sailed on the full- rigged ship "Bristol" for New York as a passenger, but before the boat landed he was made a sailor-boy. He was engaged in the Hudson river trade for some time and later with enterprises in the West Indies. During the years in which he followed the sea. he encountered many dangers and had many narrow escapes from death-once when the schooner "Convoy" capsized in a squall, on July II, 1841, while running between Mobile, Ala., and Franklin, La. It was about this time that Mr. Cass decided to make a visit to his okl home in England and joined the ship "Bengal" of New York, landing at Liverpool and going directly home. There he attended the Brockly Elm Academy for a time, and then went back to sea.
On January 8, 1849, he shipped before the mast for California on the "Orpheus" of New York, and arrived in San Francisco Sunday, July 8, 1849. On Monday, the 9th, he was added to the crew of the schooner "Olivia" on the Sacramento run, at $150 per month. The pilot, named William Burger, put the sounding line in young Cass's hands and said, "Take this and stay with it : I'll make a man of you." and he remained in the river service until he knew the river as well as any of the pilots. lle grew to be a pilot on his own responsibility and later became acquainted with James Woods of Cambria, who was bound with an ox-team for Dry Town, Eldorado county, to prospect for gold. Mr. Cass went to Amador creek, where he spent the winter. until February, in mining, then went north to the American river camps and mined until spring opened, when he went to Sacramento and started piloting on the river. He piloted the schooner "Gazelle" to San Fran- cisco, and continued at the work until June. With a former shipmate. he then returned to Dry Town and again engaged in mining until November. when, with other partners, he opened the Boston Store on Dry Creek near Ione valley. The following spring he sold his interest and purchased land in Ione valley and began farming. In the fall he sold the land and opened the Syracuse Store at Muletown, later selling out and again taking up mining.
Next he took up land in Sacramento county, in 1854, and engaged in farming. While there, he was married, on July 8 of that year, to Miss Mary Stone, a native of England, who had come with her father across the plains with ox teams in 1852. Mr. C'ass followed farming there until 1867. when he sold out and came to San Luis Obispo, arriving in November of that year. He immediately located in Cayucos, took up a government claim of three hun- dred twenty acres one mile back from the ocean, and there he farmed two years. At that time there was no shipping point at Cayucos, and owing to his sea-faring experiences he conceived the idea of a seaport. With that end in view he made investigation and compiled the necessary statistics and found the amount of grain and produce was sufficient to justify him in endeavoring to get in touch with those interested in the shipping business on the coast. He made the acquaintance of Captain J. Ingalls, then running a schooner between Port Harford and San Francisco. He was interested and Mr. Cass piloted him and his vessel from the port to Cayucos. As every thing was satisfactory, his company induced Mr. Cass to go to San Simeon
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and pilot another Wesel to Cayucos. This being satisfactory, he then made arrangements to get cargoes for the vessels and at once let it become known that he could forward grain and produce. At first the grain was piled on the beach until a warehouse could be erected, and the vessels were loaded by surfing boats. That winter he bought a house and hauled it to Cayucos and made a temporary warehouse of it; and the next year he put in a stock of merchandise, having sold his ranch in the meantime.
January 1. 1872, he started to build a jetty to low water mark, and it was two years before he commenced to build the wharf. In this undertaking it was necessary for him to have aid, so he interested the firm of Schartz- Harford & Co. to take a half interest, and then built the wharf and ware- house ; and in 1875 they began a wharf and general warehouse business. The wharf was about 1000 feet long, and steamers and ships could land alongside practically the same as at present. In 1875 the new store was an ell on the warehouse. In eight or ten years both of Mr. Cass's partners died and he bought their interests. In 1875 the rancho Morro y Cayucos was subdivided and he bought three blocks of water frontage for his company, and also took up considerable tide lands. At various times and from different owners, Captain Cass purchased land; and he owned several stock ranches, among them the Glenbrook ranch across the summit, where he himself set out a forty-acre apple orchard. He also owned a four-hundred-acre ranch adjoining Cayucos, which gave him a mile of ocean frontage ; and with his son he en- gaged in cattle-raising and dairying. The store is still run under the cor- porate title James Cass & Co.
As the years passed Mr. Cass prospered and several changes were made in the personnel of the firm; but his personality was the dominating factor through it all. Prior to going into the merchandising business, Mr. Cass had started the first lumber yard at Cayucos ; and safe to say, almost all lumber used in the building of houses, barns and fences passed over his wharf. Ocean-going steamers can land ; and he it was who piloted the "Joseph Wooly," the first vessel to enter the harbor. His handsome home in Cayu- cos was purchased by him when he decided to make the place his home. As has been said, he owned the Glenbrook ranch of five hundred acres between C'ayucos and Templeton ; and it is noted for its fine apples, including the fol- lowing varieties: Newtown Pippins. white and red Pearmains, Jonathan, Winesap, Bellefleur, and Spitzenburgh. It is one of the show places in that part of the county, and it was developed under the personal supervision of Captain Cass.
Captain Cass was a man of great ingenuity, and having had much expe- gjence with the teredo, he invented and patented a pile-preserver which has mice been adopted by many wharves along the Coast. He was a Knight Tem- Mar Mason and a Shriner, passed all the chairs in the Odd Fellows lodge, wk- justice of the peace and notary, and was a man of great public spirit. Abriss interested in the cause of education, he was a member of the first 'vad beard and helped to buik the first schoolhouse at Cayucos. Mrs. Mary Stone Cass died in Sacramento in 1858, leaving four children : Sarah, How Presed ; Charles .A., engaged in farming : Emily J., wife of A. L. Bur- mughe, and llenry K., who was associated with his father in business. In 1860 Mr. Cass married his second wife, Mary McMurry, who was born in New York and died in Cayucos, leaving one daughter, Rosa M. On March
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