History of San Luis Obispo County and environs, California, with biographical sketches, Part 77

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

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Physically, Mr. Johnson is well built, a man of stalwart figure, indicating great muscular strength, and his frank, genial face evidences quite as much strength of character.

A Republican, Mr. Johnson does his own thinking. He is a member of the Lutheran Church and is treasurer of the Young People's Society, and thus finds opportunity along the lines of organized effort to give expression to his large-heartedness and hospitality.

MARION FRANCIS GATES .- \ farmer and dairyman of the Temple- ton district whose position and standing are the result of hard work, energy and foresight conscientiously and carefully applied, Marion Francis Gates is a native son, born in Fresno county on October 12, 1879. His father was Solomon Gates, a Canadian farmer, who came to California when he was fourteen in company with his older brother, Thomas. The two crossed the plains to Mendocino county, and near Willits they took up farming and the raising of cattle. Solomon Gates, in time, married Miss Zerelda Shimmin, who was born in Wisconsin, a daughter of William E. and Farewell Shimmin, more details of whose lives will be found in the sketch of the brother, Marion Shimmin. In 1874, the couple went to Tulare and Fresno counties, and in 1885 they located for several months at Arroyo Grande. They resided for a time at Adelaida, and also at Shandon. Mr. Gates located a homestead in the Eagle district, where he took possession of a hundred sixty acres. As soon as he was able, he bought more land, farming the whole successfully for many years, until his retirement, when he settled at Fresno. The good wife of Solomon Gates, Marion's mother, died nearly thirty years ago, near Edna, this county.

Our subject was the third youngest of seven children, five of whom are still living, and when the mother died he lived with grandmother Shimmin. the father being away, and there he was brought into vigorous competition in farm work with the Shimmin boys. When twenty he engaged, with his brothers and sisters, in more extensive farming, renting lands, some of it on the Estrella, and cultivating three hundred acres or more. This partner- ship was continued for six or seven years, after which it was dissolved, and Marion went back to Fresno county, where he leased a dairy at Cross Creek with fifty cows. At the end of a year he sold out and went to Fresno, and after two years of activity there he was back in San Luis Obispo County, at Paso Robles, where he put in a year and a half as one of the valued em- ployees of Shimmin & Stevens, at the Emporium.

Severing his connection with that institution, with a partner he bought his present farm of a hundred thirty acres across from Templeton, took charge of the ranch and made many improvements, installing a pumping plant and bringing twenty acres under excellent irrigation. Here they set up in market gardening, and also raised grain and hay. In addition, they have a small herd of dairy cattle ; and for the last seven or eight years they have also been raising hogs.

While at Cambria, Marion Gates was married to Miss Lulu M. Phillips. who was born near there, and who is a daughter of William Phillips, the well-known pioneer ; and from this marriage have come six children-Le Roy Douglas, Kenneth, Marion Roland, Meredith Eugene, and Lloyd Maitland. 1 all of whom are still living, and Marjorie Frances, deceased. Mr. Gates is a member of the Independent Order of Foresters. He is an elder in the Pre-

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Interien Church at Templeton, is superintendent of the Sunday school, and was a delegate from the Santa Barbara Presbytery to the General Assembly at Rochester. N. Y., in 1915. He is serving his third term as school trustee for the Templeton district, and is now clerk of the board.

JAMES PETER NEGRANTI, SR .- The son of a miner who came from his native canton of Ticino in the Swiss Alps to California, via Cape Horn, In 1851, and who, after landing in San Francisco, went to the mines to try his luck in that kind of work, but later became a rancher and owned a ranch near Sacramento, now the site of the Sacramento County Hospital property- such is the lineage of James Peter Negranti, the son of James Negranti. After a few years of successful ranching, the elder Negranti returned to his native land, but in crossing the St. Gothard mountains his legs were so badly frozen that he was laid up for months. He married Maria Stockini and located on a farm in Ticino, but the "Wanderlust" was so strong in him that he joined a party of young men bound for Australia, who, after landing at Melbourne, went to Ballarat and mined for about five years. Then Mr. Negranti was taken sick and died, leaving a widow and an only child, the subject of this review. The mother lived on her place in her native land until her death in 1913, at the age of eighty years.

James Peter Negranti went to school at Maggia until he was fourteen years old ; but so many of the young men of his section were leaving for California, the land of sunshine and gold, that he made up his mind that he would try his own fortunes here. Accordingly, on December 1, 1874, we find him just arrived in Bodega, Sonoma County, with fifteen lonely dollars in his pocket. He obtained work, for that was what he came for, and was on a dairy ranch two years; and during the summer he had a chance to go to the Bodega Bay school, thus improving his English and fitting himself for business in later life. He was ambitious to get ahead, and he stuck to his work and saved his money. In 1876, he came down to San Luis Obispo County and worked one year on a ranch on Old creek. The year 1877 was a dry year, and there was no work ; so he went to Napa county and stayed two years, and then went to Sacramento county, the old stamping-ground of his father, and worked for wages about two years.

In 1883, he went back to see his mother in Switzerland, and while there he was married on February 26, 1884, to Miss Cora de Bernardi. She was born in Maggia, a daughter of Peter and Ursula (Bonetti) de Ber- mardi, who were farmers and hotel keepers, and there the young people re- mained until April, 1886, when Mr. Negranti came back to California, leaving his wife in Maggia. He engaged in farming and teaming for about a year in Sacramento, and then went to Washoe county, Nev .. where he teamed to the mines for two years. He found this fairly profitable, but he wanted to get into something more stable; so in 1889 he came back to San Luis Obispo County, rented a ranch on Toro creek, about four miles from Cayucos, and engaged in dairying.

In 1891. his wife and his two children joined him there, and the next Year he moved to a ranch on Old creek and conducted a dairy until 1900, @ban he bought the place he now operates, which contains four hundred fifty- melon ares, on Willow creek, two miles and a half from Cayucos. He has More seventy milch cows, raises grain and hay, and is meeting with success. I& mnoch is well watered by Willow creek and numerous springs, the water

Parar Négranti

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SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY AND ENVIRONS

being piped to the residence and dairy house, which has a water power of arator and churn. He used the old methods in the carly day -. ofosi tlo milk and skimmed it by hand, and ran the churn by horse-power Wohl :lo modern machinery since installed, the work is done in short order, and mmich more satisfactorily in every way.

In 1910, Mr. Negranti bought the old Wallace place on Toro ergek, ylure he first started in business. This has five hundred sixty acres of min | ol and is conducted by his oldest son, James P., Jr. The place will 0-7020 about seventy cows; the dairy house is equipped with a cheese wetery. operated during a certain season of the year, where is manufactured the tien of California cheese.

Mr. and Mrs. Negranti have six children : James P., Jr., and Virgil who own an alfalfa ranch near Imperial, which is conducted by the Line and Cora, Peter, Stella and Mario, all at home with their parents Mr Xczrandi served for years as a trustee of the Central school district The MAND belong to St. Joseph Catholic church in Cayucos. In politics, Mr Se=ranti is a stanch Republican, and is heartily in accord with all progressnico ments for the upbuilding of the county and the state of his adoption With his wife he enjoys the esteem of a wide circle of friends and artfu.bifalles and looks back through the vista of years to a life well spent and 8 -1 86 of his own making.

FREDERIC CUENDET .- Beginning at the bottom of the Bile am working his way to a position of prominence in the communay los los man persistency of purpose and strict attention to business. Fredifu Ggenlei won a place for himself in the citizenship of Pas, Rolde- Ihr and Saint Croix, canton Vaud, Switzerland, August 7, 183, a small mil copie who was born there and was a musician of ally The _rindfuiher Ulysses Cuendet, a blacksmith. The Cuendet family truc ther flores to France, where, as Calvinists, they were forced to ise fait . mitts account of religious persecution of the Huguenots, and smile . amitser land they settled there. The mother was Louis | Godt and afin husband she is living in Switzerland. Of their the Spapier In off of du second in order of birth and the only one living if Worry d

Frederic Cuendet was educated in the grabfast and for --- after completing the high school course was d ordinando escolawith St. Croix, served four years, and then worked o . 0 and France.

Sailing from Bremen in 1965 for Cobb mi by ofender arrived in Paso Robles in February ist that Aur 10 a Bosco3 0 trade, starting at fifteen dollars a month al bal Conesoss salones gris English, he took what was offerel lim cant le 0 0:0 4 50: 50-70 having a private teacher for six nul- 06 he could converse and read Enchi-l

His advances in salary were sapo he bought out his employer. J. \ Hele al blacksmith business at the same dlapomodoriconesto To needs, and adding new machinery Los nos cours mi Lar kinds of repairing and blacksmithone . 0.0 01 carriages and wagons. Mr. Chem K x cloio n publican, and a Calvinist.

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SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY AND ENVIRONS

Usa suited in marriage with Miss Christine Mohl, born in Tuebingen, Guimos and they have one child, Stanley Samuel. Mrs. Cuendet is a 1 mtjeopp Mh. Cuendet is a member of the Knights of Pythias. He is a selittle man and one who has hosts of friends in this part of the county, w. here he is Well and favorably known.

LAURITS N. AAROE .- It is always interesting to chronicle the life history of a truly self-made man, who, beginning at the bottom of the ladder with une thing but his two strong hands and a strong, healthy body, has by industry and close application become a substantial, well-to-do man. Such an one is Laurits N. Aaroe, who is now a substantial and progressive farmer and stock raiser, living near Paso Robles. He was born at Apenrade, Schles- wig, Denmark, December 29, 1860, in the home of his father, Aaben Aaroe. a well-to-do farmer, and of his mother, Annie Lauritsen. Mr. Aaroe was the eldest and the first to come to California. Then three others came. The mother being deceased, the father could not stand the depletion of the family ; so with the three youngest children, he came to California in 1884. where he spent the rest of his days.

Laurits Aaroe received his education in the schools near his home and from a lad assisted with the work on the home farm. There he learned the lessons of industry and thrift, which aided him greatly in acquiring a foot- hold and competency, after he was started in this land of opportunity, the Golden West, where he arrived in 1877. He first worked for wages on farins and at teaming in Monterey county until 1882, when he leased some of Dave Jacks' land, and harvested his first crop of grain by means of header and thresher. The next year he rented land at Gonzales, continuing until 1890. when he went to Soledad, and leased nine hundred twenty-five acres from A. Allen. There he raised grain for sixteen years, using two big teams in its cultivation, and at times his crop yielded from nine to ten thousand sacks. In 1905, he removed to Paso Robles, purchasing his present place of four hundred fifty acres, later adding eighty acres to it. Ile now has a ranch of five hundred thirty acres in a body, two and a half miles east of Paso Robles. Here he has made valuable improvements, building a new residence and barns and setting out an orchard. About three hundred acres are sown to grain. In the operation of his farm he uses the latest improved machinery, including a combined harvester by which, after his crop is cared for, he cuts and threshes for his neighbors, averaging in a season about 1.000 acres. He is also engaged in raising cattle, horses and mules. In Gonzales, Sep- tember 17. 1887, he was married to Miss Ingeborg Hansen, who was also born in Schleswig, and is a sister of the late Mrs. Thomas Petersen of Temple- lon, a daughter of Hans J. and Ingeborg Hansen, farmers, who passed their entire life near Apenrade. Mrs. Aaroe was educated in her native place and Calle to Monterey county in May, 1886, where her brother, Matt Hansen. and her sister, Mrs. Petersen, were living. Mr. and Mrs. Aarve have two MMdren Hans N., farming at Union, and Anna C., who married Herman Je ferson, a farmer near her home. Mrs. Aarde is a thrifty and painstaking wwan and has been an able and valuable assistant to her husband in aiding hyr Bil encouraging him in his ambition to succeed and become a man of \ Lutheran in religion and a Democrat in politics, Mr. Aaroe is an Citerla Ling and progressive man whose reliability and integrity are unques- tioned and whose word is as good as his bond.

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MATT WILLIAM ERICKSON .- Matt William Erickson is not the first man in the history of the world who, in the language of sacred writ, spent all his money upon physicians, in the end only to be benefited by none of them : and what interests us the most is the fact that his misfortune led him to come to California, a decision he has never had cause to regret. In Oravis. Vasalan, Finland, on the 3rd of June. in 1870, Matt was born, his father and mother being plain but God-fearing farmer folk, who gave the lad the best start they could. Particularly did his sainted mother, who died at the age of seventy-nine, light his pathway at the threshold of life, and Matt loves to tell how the dear old lady gave him private instruction, so that when he was confirmed he received from his pastor a beautiful bible as a prize and testimonial of his high standing in the class. He early assisted about the farm. learning to handle teams, and at fifteen he went to Helsingfors, where he was apprenticed to a carpenter to learn the carpenters' trade.

Receiving in time good wages, he had saved enough, in four years, to pay his way to New York City ; and he sailed to that port in 1880. In that great city of marvelous architectural features, he worked as a carpenter and bridge- builder, and in time directed gangs on the skyscrapers in New York, Phila- delphia, Buffalo and Albany, and on the Pennsylvania and Erie railroads. Seven times he was taken to the hospital through injuries received in the prosecution of his dangerous work ; and while at New Haven or Hartford he contracted malaria of the most persistent form. All medical aid proved of little avail, and following the advice of physicians to come to California, he made for the Pacific Coast : and here he almost immediately experienced relief. In New York he married Matilda Nylund, a native of Finland, and she having a sister, Mrs. Sandberg. in Linne, San Luis Obispo County, the expectant couple directed their steps to that town. There they settled, but some years afterwards a terrible accident deprived him of his beloved wife and cast a deep shadow over his life. As she was driving along a mountain roadway her horse shied and backed the carriage over the edge of the road. Mrs. Erickson was killed, while her little child was injured and died three weeks later, although the six-year-old son, Edwin, miraculously spared. crawled from under the debris, and was able to make his way to some work- men near, to whom he gave the alarm.

Mr. Erickson had bought eighty acres with a house and then built a barn and laid out a vineyard and an orchard, and soon after he added another parcel of equal size, which he devoted to the raising of stock and grain. Five children, four of whom are still living, were born of his first marriage: Theodore, who is in the San Luis Obispo Polytechnic ; Leo, who is raising grain: Edward, who is assisting his father on the farm; and Vivian, who it at home.

Some years later Mr. Erickson married a second time. at Linne, where he was united to Miss Elizabeth Malmberg, a native of Iowa, the daughter of Rev. Anders O. Malmberg, whose sketch will be found elsewhere in this volume. Victor, John W. and Otto L. are the names of the three children by this second marriage. Aside from his absorbing duties as an agriculturist, Mr. Erickson finds time to follow the political events of the day, in which he takes an active interest, in the main supporting the Republican party and its platforms.

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THOMAS FRANCIS FREEMAN .- Starting at the bottom of the lad- ler, after the failure of his father on account of the devastating Civil War, Thomas F. Freeman has won success for himself in California, and as one of the Vigilantes who cleaned up Texas and disposed of the undesirables there, as did the Vigilantes here, he helped make that state a better place in which to live. Born in Indian Springs, Butts county, Ga., July 25, 1850, he is a son of Josiah, a native of North Carolina and overseer on a plantation, who married Sarah W. learn. She was born in Putnam county, a daughter of Samuel Francis Hearn, a native of Scotland who came to Georgia and was a freighter there before any railroads were built, and who became a cotton planter and died in Georgia. The grandfather, Thomas P. Freeman, brought the family to Monroe county, Ga. He served in the War of 1812, and was otherwise prominently identified with his state till his death. lle was of Scotch-Irish (lescent, and of the hardiest of the pioneer class. Josiah Freeman became a cotton planter after his marriage, and had three thousand acres in his planta- tion when the war broke out ; but the war made such inroads upon his fortune and property, destroying all that he had, that he never recovered his financial position. He died at the age of seventy-one years.

The oldest of five living children of the ten born to his parents, Thomas Francis Freeman was raised on the plantation and went to the subscription schools until the war broke out, when there were no advantages at all for get- ting an education. Afterwards he studied for a time and continued at home assisting his father until he was twenty-four; then he was united in mar- riage with Miss Susan Brown, who was born in Monroe county, Ga., a danghter of Alex and Mary S. ( Bryant ) Brown. The ancestors of the Brown family came from England and were members of the Oglethorpe colony in Georgia.

After Mr. Freeman had married, he located on a farm in Monroe county and engaged in cotton raising until 1880, when he removed to the Lone Star State and near Graham, Young county, bought a large ranch and engaged in farming and raising stock, having at one time three hundred head. His brand was for a time SOS, later changed to S on the hip and shoulder. He Had 3,000 acres fenced and well improved. There Mr. Freeman made a -necess of his undertaking and continued prosperously engaged until selling mont in 1905, when he came to California.

While residing in Texas that state was terrorized by a band of rene- @he's and cattle thieves known as the rustlers, who ran off thousands of head of Ack from the ranches. The cattlemen banded themselves together to old country of these thieves; and the "Vigilantes" elected Mr. Freeman Jesoient of their organization. They waged relentless war on the bandits Modules were driven out of the state, co-operating with the various regularly Hotel authorities in their work.

Vier loroting in Monterey county for two years, Mr. Freeman came Kodi lo fire vicinity of Paso Robles and bought a fine ranch of two hundred dy pam miles from town, where he engages in raising mules, having two o Que For jack in this part of the state. Here he has been successful and Will make Highest esteem. He and Mrs. Freeman are very hospitable W mot friends throughout this section of the country. They have led & Wakifries and five of them are now living: Rega D., who is on musila mmel touching : Josiah, a rancher near here ; Mollie Holtz, man-

Vincenta Malsi

Carolina Bassi,

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aging the home farm; Anna Ethel, Mrs. Jones of Corona ; and Maude May, Mrs. Spencer, who is at home.

Mr. Freeman was made a Mason in Georgia, and affiliated with the lodge at Graham but is now demitted. He is a Democrat in politics and served as school trustee for years in Texas. Mrs. Freeman is a member of the Bap- tist Church.

VINCENZO BASSI .- It is largely due to the enterprise of the Swiss people that San Luis Obispo County is recognized as one of the leading dairy sections in the state. They practically pioneered that industry, which from a small beginning has developed into large proportions. Among the men who have taken an active part in this line of work, Vincenzo Bassi is deserving of credit. He was born in the town of St. Antonio, canton Ticino, December 8, 1859, a son of Andrea Bassi, who was also a native of that place. V. Bassi spent his early boyhood attending school in his native town ; but as he grew to young manhood he could find no avenue by which he could make any advancement. He had a brother, Antone, in California, who had written encouraging letters home ; and he was fired with the ambition to seek his fortunes in the New World,

Leaving home in December, 1878, he came to New York by way of Liverpool, and direct to San Francisco, arriving in January, 1879. lle was accompanied by a friend, Ercole Biaggini, from whom he separated in San Francisco, Mr. Bassi going to Fort Ross, Sonoma county, where his brother lived. He found employment almost immediately, and for the following three years was engaged on various ranches in that county, working for fifteen months near Duncans Mill. Ile next spent six months in Vallejo, and from there, in 1883, came down to San Luis Obispo County, whither three of his brothers had already preceded him. He learned that in this county better opportunities were offered for a working man to get a start, and his first year here was spent on a dairy ranch. lle then leased five hundred acres of land three miles from Cambria, bought stock and began an inde- pendent enterprise of dairying ; but meeting with little success on that place, he moved to Santa Rosa creek, leased the Archer ranch of six hundred acres and followed the stock and dairy business with a fair degree of reward for the energy expended.

As he prospered, he saved his money, and then made his first purchase of land, about fifteen hundred acres at the head of Green valley, upon which he immediately set to work to make improvements, engaging in the grain and stock business. The land was unimproved when he bought it, and he has made all the improvements seen today. Ile added by purchase four hundred sixty acres more, and on his nineteen hundred sixty acres he has been busily and profitably employed in raising stock and grain. Ile has given his entire time and attention to his business, and while he has met with success in his work, it was not without many almost unsurmount able discouragements.

lle made and sold butter to the market for many years, and when the Harmony Valley Creamery Association was formed, he became a stockholder and soon afterwards a director. The Bassi ranch is watered by Green Valley creek, Villa creek, and numerous mountain springs, making of it a fine ranch. The land is cleared and sufficient hay and grain are raised for the stock. The water is piped from three different springs, about a mile and a half away, 36

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to the nenlened amtsther buiklings, and furnishes power to run the separator, to grund feel alld to supply the laundry.

ME Basta became a citizen of this country in 1883, and is a Republican in prinic- 18 has always been in favor of good schools, and has served on the board of trustees of the Mammoth Rock district six years, and is now trustee, wal las feyn clerk vi the board, of Olmstead district. During these years the Tools have been materially improved.

Off No ember 26, 1883, in San Luis Obispo, occurred the wedding that united \ Bassi and Carolina Carmine in marriage. She was born in Giu- leasco, canton Ticino, June 6, 1863, and arrived in this country with her sister in 1883. Her father was John Carmine, a stock-raiser near Bellanzana. who now lives on his farm, at the fine old age of eighty-eight years. His wife was Josephine Bomio, and she also was born at Giubiasco. She became the mother of six children, four of whom are living in San Luis Obispo County. Mrs. Bassi was educated in the public schools of her native place vid was reared on the farm of her parents until coming to California. Mr. and Mrs. Bassi have had nine children: Andrew, in Los Angeles; Emma, the wife of Frank Morenzoni, of Santa Rosa creek district; Americo, a farmer near home ; Amelio, at home : Josie, who married Marino Filipponi of Cambria ; and Sylvia, Alfred, Olivia, and Mary, the last three being at home with their purents. . All the children have been born and educated in San Luis Obispo County and are prepared for the battle of life and to enter upon its activities.

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History of San Luis Obispo County and environs, California, with biographical sketches, Part 77

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