USA > California > San Luis Obispo County > History of San Luis Obispo County and environs, California, with biographical sketches > Part 56
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JENS BENNEDSEN .- A progressive. patriotic citizen of the Late States and a successful business man co sah I ms Obisposis found in len Bennedsen, dealer in paints and wall paper, and a contractie pamter Ile was born in Schleswig Holstein, Germany, May 4, 1884. His parents die when he was quite small, and he was brought up by an uncle and aunt He was apprenticed to learn the painter's trade and serve I four years
From 1900 until 1910 he followed that trade in his native country, and in the latter year came to the United States and direct to San Im Ohypo reaching here with but five dollars in his pockets and unable to speak It English. He worked hard during the day at his trade as a Journeymm
SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY AND ENVIRONS
water and y loin he had become familiar with our customs, he began taking montracte of his own account and was very successful ; for he was thoroughly familiar with avery detail of his trade. Starting in a small way, he gradually built up a gond business, and in January, 1915, opened a store at 680 Higuera street, where he carries a full line of paints, oils, varnishes and wall paper. He is meeting with deserved success in this venture, and still contracts for business at his trade and has done considerable fine work for the leading building contractors in San Luis Obispo, as well as in the surrounding country.
Mr. Bennedsen owns his own home at 1426 Marsh street. He is an actively interested member of the Chamber of Commerce and the Merchants' Association, and also of the Lutheran Church of his adopted city. In June, 1916, he became a citizen of this country at San Luis Obispo.
When it is taken into consideration that Mr. Bennedsen was deprived of his parents in early childhood, and since that time has been thrown practically on his own resources, and that he is now embarked in an enterprise of impor- tance and stands high as a citizen who has made his own way to his present position in San Luis Obispo, it is clear that his is an example worthy of emulation.
FRANK COSTA .- A much-respected resident of Arroyo Grande, Frank Costa was born in the Azores Islands, December 9, 1850, the son of a poor farmer who had to have the help of his children in the support of the family as soon as they became old enough to work. Under these conditions, there was not much of an opportunity for obtaining an education except in the school of adversity. Frank Costa lived at home and helped his father until he was twenty-three years old.
Arriving in New York on May 20, 1873, his first work was in a brick- yard at Taunton, Mass., where he remained about eighteen months. During this time he had become accustomed to the ways of the country, and having heard about California, he decided that he would come West. He found employment in California City, near San Francisco, and from there he went to Marin county and worked in a dairy and, in 1882, had a dairy of his own.
With the experience obtained in farming, Mr. Costa came to San Luis Obispo County, in 1883, and for the following ten years leased part of the Hearst ranch at San Simeon, and ran a dairy of one hundred ten cows with uccess. His next move was to the Biddle ranch, six miles from Arroyo Grande, where he pastured one hundred cows on seven hundred sixty acres.
Viter twenty years of successful labor, during which, in 1893, he became weiteren of the United States, Mr. Costa came to his present place, where W own one hundred fifty-seven acres, devoted to the raising of beans, sort gill keeps a few cows in his dairy. There, in 1913, he erected a comfort- aby honp. Ile is practically retired from active life, and has turned his To Moto re r to his sons. In 1906, Mr. Costa bought a fine ranch of four localjoj serty nve acres on Morro creek, which is devoted to dairy purposes. He oftenhber of the Catholic Church and of the U. P. E. C.
Mh corto was united in marriage with Felicia Rosa ; and they have the 000 -ti Tb Lirem | rank, at Los Alamos : Manuel : Mrs. Mary Silva ; Joseph, of the Maxrierud 10. . nd George, Antone, John, Andre, Alfred, and Rosie. Mr. 15 00 - wiele man, and an honest and unselfish citizen.
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DAVID WAITE .- The town of Paso Robles, with its various lines of activity, has drawn within its hospitable and ambitious limits many men whose business capacity and fine traits of citizenship would be a credit any community. Foremost among these is David Waite, farmer, stockmann official and merchant, and promoter of the city's most substantial interests A native of England, he was born in Sheffield, October 4, 1844. llis father, William Waite, born in Lincolnshire, was a merchant in Sheffield, who mar- ried Ann Fotheringham, a native of Nottinghamshire; and they became the parents of five children.
David Waite was reared in Sheffield, attended the public schools and assisted his father in his store. At the age of fourteen he was apprenticed to a silversmith, and served seven and one half years: and he followed that trade until coming to America in 1866. On his arrival in New York City, he went to Taunton, Mass., and was employed by the firm of Read & Barton, the largest manufacturing silversmiths in that city ; and he remained with them until 1871, when he arrived in California.
He first went to Tulare county and located near what is now Hanford, Kings county, took up one hundred sixty acres of government land and engaged in raising grain and stock. Two years later he located on a ranch in the southeastern part of Fresno county and remained until 1878, when he settled in San Luis Obispo County and homesteaded one hundred sixty acres nine miles northwest of Cholame. He devoted his time to the stock business, making a specialty of Durham cattle, and using the brand DW. He successfully carried on this ranch until 1908, when he sold his stock and the next year disposed of the ranch; then he located in Paso Robles and bought forty acres for a home on Salinas river, expecting to retire.
In 1909, he entered mercantile life by purchasing the newspaper agen- cies, and established his present business on Twelfth street. lle is a dealer in books, stationery, and magazines, and has the agencies for the San Fran- cisco, Oakland and Los Angeles papers, and has built up a fine business throughout the city and his section of the county. He is a thorough going business man and gives his personal attention to conducting and developing the business.
In Taunton, Mass., was celebrated the marriage of David Waite with Miss Elizabeth Hill, who, like himself, was born in Sheffield, England. Her father, Benjamin Hill, brought his family to Taunton, where he engaged in his business of manufacturing files. Into the family of Mr. and Mrs Waite six children have been born. Arthur is employed in the oil fields ; Herbert lives near Salinas: Theresa has become Mrs. George Hopper, and resides near San Miguel; Annie is Mrs. Tolle, a dealer in art goods in Paso Robles ; and Lawrence and Alice are at home in Paso Robles.
Mr. Waite has served as a member, and was (mayor) president of the board of trustees of Paso Robles; was elected in 1892 a member of the board of supervisors from the first supervisoral district and served one term : and was trustee of the school board in Eagle school district for years, and helped to build the first schoolhouse. While in national affairs he favors the policies of the Democratic party, in local matters he votes for the men best qualified for the office regardless of party lines, believing that the best results are obtained by so doing. He is a member of and at present (1910) is Noble Grand in Santa Lucia Lodge No. 250, 1. O. O. F., and a member of the En
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campomy and a past officer, and also belongs to the Rebekahs. He is a member of and has served as vestryman in the Episcopal Church.
THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF SANTA MARIA .- The First National Bank of Santa Maria was organized in 1904. and the institution opened for business on August 5, 1905. Its original capitalization was $50,000, and the officers were as follows: Archibald MeNeil, president : Reuben Hart, vice-president : and John E. Walker, cashier. The directors were: John E. Walker, John Boyd, Reuben Hart, Archibald McNeil, and John Houk.
In 1908 E. H. Gibson succeeded John E. Walker as cashier, and on Jan- uary 1. 1910. J. L. Glines became assistant cashier. W'm. T. Laughlin is clerk. From the first the bank enjoyed the confidence of the community, for its of- ficers and directors were men of unquestioned integrity and honor ; and the business grew year by year until now it ranks with the solid financial insti- tutions of the central coast section. Besides paying dividends, the bank, ac- cording to the statement of November 17, 1916. has a surphis and undivided profits of $55,000, with resources of all kinds of $621,000. The presiding offi- cers and directors are all men of resources, and the progressive institution is practically a "home" bank.
WILLIS H. TRUESDALE .- Willis H. Truesdale, a successful farmer and stockman of the Shandon district, was born in Lima, Ohio, the son of George K. Truesdale, also a native Ohioan, and a stone-mason, plasterer and carpenter. The ekler Truesdale belonged to Company G, 81st Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in the Civil War, was wounded at the Battle of Corinth, re-enlisted at the close of his term of enlistment, and served until the close of the great struggle ; and few things give the son greater satisfaction today than the honorable record of his father, who became a first lieutenant, and as such led in many a brilliant attack. After the war, G. K. Truesdale resided at Lima; but in 1875 he came to Ventura, and there plied his trade. He wished to secure some good land, and came on an exploration trip to San Luis Obispo in 1883, with C. A. Barlow, afterwards member of Congress ; and that year found him the first homesteader. with a hundred sixty acres near what is now Shandon, and in addition an eighty-acre timber claim. To these two hundred forty acres he added thirty more. His wife was Miss Martha E. Smith, who was born at Poland, Ohio. She died on Decem- ber 20. 1912.
One of twin brothers, the third birth in a family of nine children (of whom eight are still living ). Willis Truesdale was born with his brother. 11 11 .. on January 19, 1872, and when only three years of age was brought to CAforma Ilis education was obtained in the local schools. From a lad The os oflived to help on the farm, and so he early learned the rudiments of When twenty-one years of age he and two brothers, J. C. and To A omvil Jand and engaged in raising grain and hay. Two years later. on 1-0400 24 1993. Willis was married, at Shandon, to Miss Zora Grainger,
11 Topeka, Kansas. Her father was C. Baxter Grainger. (30 dir. of English descent, who achieved some distinction in the Kansas farmer, Baxter Grainger came to California in ( Ventura county, where he farmed for eight years. In 1884 Myomle south of what is now Shandon, and later he was one phd a Wiat town. He now resides at Berros, this county. mumne was Jennie Gardner, was a native of Kan-
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sas. She died in Ventura county. Three children are still living. Zora and Nora, the eldest, and twins ( the latter now Mrs. H. H. Truesdale of Shandon ). were married the same evening. In time, Willis and his brother, Il. H., en- gaged in grain- and stock-raising. They began by leasing three hundred twenty acres, and afterwards leased other lands and enlarged their farming operations until they finally farmed a thousand acres. In 1897, they leased eight hun- dred eighty acres of the old Roselip place, two miles south of Shandon, which they operated for ten years and then purchased the place; and still later they bought the Baxter Grainger place of one hundred sixty acres, so that now they have 1,040 acres in a body on San Juan creek, nearly all grain land, which they operate together. In addition, they also leased about nine hundred acres of stock land, raising cattle and horses, their brand being a goblet placed upright on the left hip. In one year they raised 6,000 sacks of grain. It required fifteen days to harvest the crop with the harvester, and six weeks, with two eight-horse teams, to haul the crop to Paso Robles. They usually sow from four hundred to four hundred fifty acres to grain, mostly wheat.
In November, 1914, the brothers bought the store at Shandon, from Shimmin & Stevens, and also the stage line between Shandon and Paso Robles. The stage makes a round trip, twenty-one miles, each day. In winter. horses are used on the route; but for the rest of the year a truck is used. carrying a ton or more of freight and mail to Paso Robles via Union. In 1916. they sold their store ; but they still operate the stage line.
In 1914, Willis Truesdale brought his family, including seven children. to Paso Robles, where he owns a residence on Pine street, between 16th and 17th streets. A child Edwin had died in its first year : the others are Bertha. attending San Jose State Normal School: Bernice, a student in the Paso Robles High School ; and Thomas, Orville, Clarence, George and Ruth.
Mr. Truesdale has been prominent in the councils of the Republican party. Mrs. Truesdale is a valued member of the Methodist Church. They were school children when their parents settled on the upper Estrella Plain- They remember the early happenings in their section, and can relate many interesting incidents of pioneer days.
GEORGE M. DOANE, SR .- Among the pioneers of Santa Maria whose association with California began in 1880, mention is due to George Ml Doane, one of the leading contractors and business men of Santa Barbara county and senior member of the firm of George M. Doane & Sons of Santa Maria, Cal. He was born near Rockford, Winnebago county, Ill .. September 27, 1849, a son of M. M. and Jane ( Albright ) Doane, natives of Canada and Pennsylvania respectively. When a young man. M. M. Doane came to the United States from Canada, residing for a time in Michigan, where he mar- ried, and thence moving to Illinois, Wisconsin and lowa, in turn. He died in the last-named state at an advanced age. He was a Republican in politics. and active in the councils of the party, Although he never was an office seeker. His wife died in Iowa, aged fifty two years They were members . the Methodist Episcopal Church and became the parents of ten children
As a boy, George M. Doane was self-reliant and energetic. From the age of eleven, he was reared in Fayette county, F., attended the public schools. and at an early age began to work at the trade of carpenter, serving an ap prenticeship at Elgin, Ia. : after which he followed the trade and dealt im
SAN IME CHHISPO COUNTY AND ENVIRONS
roi v-labe wil yoning to California in 1880. Locating at once in Santa Waren le Meditaking contracts, displaying an active interest in the devel- option on the community. As fast as his sons became old enough to aid in the vroviser ol hi- business affairs, he took them into partnership; and the tiril of tworge \ Doane & Sons is one of the best-known in the central coast Fertigt For several years the firm dealt in paints, oils, varnishes and wall- papers until they sold out in 1917. They still deal in builders' hardware, and de a general contracting and building business. Mr. Doane is prominent in other business ventures also, and acts as president of the Santa Maria Planing Mill Co., a corporation doing a general planing mill business, and dealing in . 11 kinds of building material.
As a contractor, Mr. Doane has built all of the school buildings in Santa Maria, the Hotel Bradley, the three bank buildings, and all the business blocks except the Odd Fellows Hall and the Masonic building. The firm employ twenty mechanics on an average, and do business throughout the Santa Maria valley and in a part of San Luis Obispo County. They have erected about seventy per cent. of the residences in Santa Maria.
In Elgin, Ia., in 1869, occurred the marriage of George M. Doane and Miss Mary M. Hatfield, a native of Pennsylvania ; and they have had seven children born to them: George M., Jr., a dealer in grain and beans in Santa Maria : Mary G., the widow of W. A. Mattocks; Clarence M., a member of the firm of George M. Doane & Sons ; Milford L., manager of a lumber com- pany in Santa Cruz, Cal. : Perry P .; Oscar M., also a member of the firm and in architect : and Richard V.
Mr. Doane is still active in supervising the work of building. He is prominent in politics as a Republican, though not aspiring to any office, having In fact repeatedly refused to permit his name to be presented for any office. fle is a member of long standing in Hesperian Lodge No. 264, F. & A. M., in Santa Maria, and has served therein both as Junior Warden and as Senior Deacon.
FRANK A. AND MANUEL F. LIMA .- A respected citizen and pros- perous rancher, Manuel F. Lima has spent practically his entire life in San Ianis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties. He was born on the Laguna ranch, Tomary 12. 1870, the second child of Frank A. and Frances G. ( Enos) Lima, Tooth natives of the Azores Islands. Frank A. Lima was born on Fial island, Mich 14. 1823. the son of a sawyer. He learned the cooper's trade, and fol- loved it a short time in the old country. Then he took up a seafaring life, De twenty years sailing into many ports of the world, and even encircling The globe He made one trip into the Arctic regions on a whaling voyage, ant worked for different companies in the whaling trade. He landed in Cali- Lnis coming via Cape Horn, in 1852, as mate of a vessel, and first went into la Wina . On Sutter creek, where for three years he had success.
Ac Lima then became connected with the freighting business up and dx thebest 1. ind in the sixties was captain of a whaler and manager of the Formans Winthe Company in California with headquarters at San Simeon, where do pp al lighthouse stands. They had landings at Monterey Bay, - b 5000 0 Port Harford (now San Luis) and San Diego. He was con- nelle (if mustry ten years, when it declined.
My Lab 1 W married in Fial, and left his wife on the island until, after 1- back. he permanently located in California. She was born
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January 12, 1830, and died May 28, 1910. Ile came to San Luis Obispo County, settled on the Laguna ranch and in 1879 bought one hundred sixty acres, half of which he later sold ; and after he had farmed for some years, he bought thirteen acres near the town and lived practically retired until his death, February 16. 1908, aged eighty-five years.
Manuel F. Lima attended school in the Laguna district and at the San Luis Obispo High School, and lived at home on the ranch until he was twenty-one. He learned the trade of blacksmith with E. J. Kay, serving three years as apprentice, and then worked as a journeyman for J. Cooper and A. Peterson. Three years later, in 1896, he opened a shop of his own in Guadalupe ; and for eight years his was the busiest shop in the town, and he made plenty of money. He then became a rancher, and in 1902 leased two hundred forty acres, part of the J. H. Tompson ranch, near Edna, San Luis Obispo County, and began raising beans and grain. He eventually bought sixty-four acres and still leased land, thereby enlarging his operations and his income.
The memory of Mr. Lima takes him back to his boyhood days, in 1876, when the town of San Luis Obispo consisted of a cluster of adobe houses about the mission, and the lowlands along the creek were covered with tule. Many vineyards were growing where the prosperous homes are now built. Ile was married in San Luis Obispo, in 1902, to Miss Ellen Villa, who was born in Castroville in 1876, her parents being pioneers of this state. Their three children are Alister, Frank and Arthur.
Mr. Lima is a Republican in politics and wields an influence in his section. He is a member of the U. P. E. C., and a charter member of Edna Lodge, was president, in 1916, of the I. D. E. S., and is a Blue Lodge Mason. He is a self-made man, a citizen whose word is thoroughly reliable, and who, by fair dealings and intelligent service, has won a reputation for public spirited- ness throughout his native county.
WILLIAM H. SCHULZE .- One of the substantial citizens and a retired merchant of San Luis Obispo is William II. Schulze, a native of Ratze burg, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, who was born October 11, 1844, a son of Carl and Dorothy (Kuhlmann ) Schulze, both natives of that country. William received his education in the schools of his native country and at the age of fifteen was apprenticed to a merchant in Lübeck, for a period of four years. In 1865, when twenty-one years of age, he came to the United States well equipped, through a business training, for a good position. Going to Cin cinnati, O., he was employed as assistant bookkeeper and accountant with the firm of Duhme & Co., manufacturing jewelers and silversmiths, and held this responsible position four years.
In the meantime he had heard and read considerable of the Golden West, and in 1869 came to California. He remained in San Francisco one month, and then, with two friends, started for San Luis Obispo County, taking the train to Gilroy, then the end of the road. There they hired mounts, and rode horseback the rest of the way. Upon investigating conditions, Mr Schulze decided to cast in his lot here, and engaged in farming for a time, and also in the bee business, purchasing from J. P. Andrews one hundred thirty five stands of bees. In 1872 he went back to Cincinnati, and his okl friend Herman Duhme advanced him $5,000; and with this money he came West to Colorado and for the following eight years engaged in the sheep business in
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Huerfan county. During this time he suffered many hardships from severe storms and had considerable trouble with Indians, who in that section did not take kindly to the white men.
Mr. Schulze later conducted a general merchandise business at Aguilar, Las Animas county, Colo., until 1897, when he disposed of his store and trade, and with the proceeds of his years of hard labor again returned to California. This time he settled in San Luis Obispo and engaged in the clothing and gents' furnishing goods business with Julius Loewenstein. They conducted the business together one year, when his partner died and Mr. Schulze bought out his interest ; and since that time, with the aid of his sons, he has success- fully carried on the business.
During the time that he was engaged in trade at Aguilar, he served as postmaster for a number of years, and one term as assessor of Las Animas county, moving his family into Trinidad. While in that county he became a personal and lifelong friend of Judge Julius C. Gunter, the present governor of Colorado.
In 1880 he was united in marriage with Adelia Draper, who was born in Illinois, and who was a school teacher for several years. They have had nine children: Carl L .: William H., Jr. : Jewett : Carrie ; Claudius ; Otto F .; llertha, who is teaching school ; Cora ; and John H., who is employed in the Commercial Bank.
Mr. Schulze is a member of the B. P. O. Elks, Lodge No. 322, of San Luis Obispo. He is a trustee and one of the founders of the German Lutheran Church in San Luis Obispo. In 1912 Mr. Schulze gave the management of the clothing business over to his sons, Carl L., manager, William H., Jr., and Jewett. After an active career covering almost fifty years of business, there- fore, Mr. Schulze is now living retired with his wife and family, enjoying to the full the fruits of his labors. Ile is a progressive citizen, supporting all movements that in his estimation will build up the county and promote the general well-being of the people.
HARRY E. LYMAN .- Of the energetic and ambitious men who have sought opportunities in San Luis Obispo, none have done more to promote the general welfare of the city than Harry E. Lyman, one of the leading contract- ors and builders. He was born in Reno, Nev., August 3, 1878, a son of Albert 1 .. and Laura (Rugg) Lyman, natives respectively of Montpelier, Vt., and Canada. The year 1853 marked the date of the arrival, via Panama, of Albert F. Lyman in San Francisco, with his entire capital of ten cents, but with a willingness to undertake any honest employment to defray imme- digte expenses, and to carve for himself a name among California pioneers. Mowa- a cabinet maker by trade, and as nearly everyone was going to the como- to hunt for gold, he engaged in building cabins for the miners, and Inter oce saw mill in the Sierras for a time. In 1865, he went to Reno, Nev., wer ton red The employ of the Central Pacific Railway as an engineer, and bmwche or t Mod of lumber that was used to build the snowsheds. He m Wools employ of the company for twenty-three years, running an un 0- hento to Reno nearly all of that time. In 1888, he came to w ude . traity, purchased a ranch of one hundred twenty-three 00 100 San Luis Obispo and engaged in raising hay, grain and Tbb 4.000 1. in March, 1901, he died, survived by his three chil- W. F., the subject of this review : and Mrs. Edith M.
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