History of San Luis Obispo County and environs, California, with biographical sketches, Part 83

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 83

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most of Hier time in Nevada, coming in 1911 to Paso Robles, where she makes her lønwe with her son, George F., the eldest of her four children, only two of whowe survive.

The schooling obtained by George Bell in Ilionis was limited, for there were no free schools at that time in his part of the country. In 1863 he crossed the plains with his parents to Carson City, where he and his father later bought a toll road, which he managed and afterward sold. He then came to California and in 1867 worked on a threshing machine in Santa Clara county, and then returned to Nevada. Desiring to fit himself for some career, he came back to San Francisco and took a course in Heald's Business College and went back to Nevada and secured a position in a merchandise establish- ment in Carson City. In 1872 he was married and concluded to branch out for himself; and in consequence he engaged in merchandising in different mining camps until he settled in Paso Robles, California.

The marriage of Mr. Bell united him with Miss Anna James, a native of Missouri and a daughter of John James, an Englishman, who was an engineer in a flouring mill in Missouri, but who crossed the plains to Nevada about 1850, where he farmed. Mrs. Bell was educated in the University of the Pacific. She became the mother of four children : Alberta, who married .A. H. Burnell of Martinez; Anna, a teacher in the Jackson High School : George. who is assisting in the store; and Bessie, a teacher in the Lux Domestic Economy School in San Francisco.

Mr. Bell was made a Mason in Douglas Lodge, No. 12, F. & A. M., in Genoa, Nev. He is a self-made man, successful, and interested in the upbuild- ing of Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo County.

WILLIAM JOSEPH MANN .- \ faithful employe of the Southern Pacific Railroad Co. as maintainer of auto-electric block signals, W. J. Mann merits the confidence of his superior officers. He was born at Newbury, Green county, Ind., on February 28, 1871. a son of Isaiah Mann, who settled in Green county, coming from Ohio, where he was born. His wife, Harriett Ghosner, was born in Green county, Ind., where she died in 1874, after which Mr. Mann returned to Ohio and lived until his death in 1876. They had a family of four children, two of whom are now living William Joseph Mann and Mrs. Martha E. Hoover, now of Oakland.

After the death of his parents, William J., then a lad of five years, had to paddle his own canoe and was kicked from pillar to post in Mansfield. Ohio. until, in 1881, he came to California to the home of an aunt, Mrs. Mollie I uper, who had settled on a ranch near Downey, Los Angeles county. Here he grew too young manhood, attended school until he was eighteen and then Am working for wages on nearby ranches. In 1890 he went to Wasco, in -lwrman county, Ore., followed ranching and riding the range, and continued How atter he came back to California. Ile also followed well drilling in Offer county. One year was spent as longshoreman at Newport Beach ; Will fer eighteen months, he was in the employ of the Russ Lumber Co., in Et Tore , wol then went back to Orange county and later to Indio, Riverside countyi willer le inguged in raising cantaloupes and farmed. Four years Kket With Spe Ti at the factory of the Los Alamitos Sugar Co.

App .8TH mere of travel in various parts of the state, he then went to Hore m doos and entered the employ of the Sperry Flour Co., going from Howto Bey Argo n 1907 as an employee of the Southern Pacific Railroad

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Co. in his present capacity, and three years later he was sent to Salinas, and in 1913 to Paso Robles, making daily trips with a railroad motor car, his dis- trict including the mileage from Bradley to Paso Robles.

In Orange county, Cal., on July 1, 1893. Mr. Mann and Miss Abbie Holliday were united in marriage. She was born in Rockdale, Texas, a daughter of Herbert and Lucy (Stephens) Holliday, natives of Illinois and Mississippi, respectively. They were farmers in Texas, came to California in 1884 and located in Norwalk, but are now residents of Watts. Grandfather John R. Holliday was an artisan in the Civil War and is living on Ninety-first street, Los Angeles, at the age of ninety-eight years. Of the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Mann the following children have been born: Grace, Mrs. Walling of Paso Robles; Gladys, Mrs. Sullivan of San Francisco; Willella : Lucile ; Eugene ; Esther and lone. Mr. Mann was made a Mason in Santa Lucia Lodge, No. 302, in King City, Monterey county. In politics he is a Republican. Mrs. Mann is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

GEORGE A. BAKEMAN .- The Civil War will always be an absorbing theme not merely to those who participated in it, but to the aftercomers who listen to the tales of veterans as if they were fairy stories, awful and some- times realistically grand. Even when such narratives are transmitted second- hand they frequently lose little of their charm or interest ; much depending. of course, on the manner in which the precious side-lights of history have been flashed from one soul to another, and are reflected with more or less of their original power. George A. Bakeman has some such narratives of thrilling and courage-testing experience, the heritage he received from his honored father, and if you should fall in with him some day as he is jogging comfortably along the fine highway near Paso Robles, you may depend upon being very profitably entertained.

Born in Keosauqua, Van Buren county, la., on May 15. 1867. George was the grandson of Henry Bakeman, who settled in that state in 1846, and died soon after his arrival. His wife, George's grandmother, Mary Recangh, passed away in 1866. A son, the father of George, was Henry Bakeman, a native of Hanover, Germany, who was born in 1839, and became a farmer with a most honorable Civil War record. Becoming a member, in 1861, of Co. F, Second Iowa Vol. Inf .. he served for three years and was honorably dis- charged, after which he was back in the Government service as a bridge builder, carpenter and teamster, and was wounded while hauling ammunition to the front, when he was attacked and shot through the calf of the leg. He remained until the close of the War, and left the service with the written testi mony, accompanying his inner conviction, that he had well performed his duty by his adopted country. At Keosanqua, he was married, on January 2. 1866, to Miss Eliza Ilarden, who was born near Logan, Hocking county. O., the daughter of Evan Harden, a Pennsylvanian, who had settled first in Ohio and then had come as a farmer to lowa. Her mother was Miss Mary Wolf. a native of Perry county. O., who died near San Luis Obispo, at the age of eighty-four. After his marriage, George's father and mother had come to San Luis Obispo, first farming for a while in lowa, and Mrs. Bakeman's brother, Jacob Harden, was a farmer and stockman in this county in Cholame Valley, and died about 1899.

For five years Henry Bakeman successfully engaged in stock raising and established the reputation of his brand, a combination of the ktter 11

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with an inverted J ; and then he went to Arroyo Grande, where he bought a ranch, in 1887, of thirty acres, one mile from the town. This he later sold and invested in a stock ranch, in time disposing of both the cattle and the brand. When he died, an honored member of the G. A. R., on April 21, 1895, he possessed one hundred twenty-six acres in one ranch, and a parcel of twenty acres in another. After his death, Mrs. Bakeman managed the farm for four years, eventually selling it and taking up her residence with her son. She is a member of the Woman's Relief Corps and of the Presbyterian Church. Two children were born of her marriage; Simon Perry, who died at the age of ten months, and George, who was brought up in San Luis Obispo County, and attended the schools at Arroyo Grande. His father being in ill-health, the lad went to work when he was seventeen, taking entire charge of the place, continuing the cattle business, and remaining home ; and when the ranch was sold, another one was bought in the valley adjoining Arroyo Grande. There he went in for the raising of beans, and now has fifty-three acres planted to that profitable crop, the land in some cases making a record-breaking yield.

In the old town of Arroyo Grande, George Bakeman was married to Miss Rosa Jane Love, a native of Napa county, who died in Arroyo Grande in 1900, leaving five children: Zenas Garfield, a farmer at Arroyo Grande: Ency Arden, the P. C. R. R. agent at Santa Maria; Verna, now Mrs. Russell Edwards, on the home ranch ; Ruby lone, who is studying in Los Angeles to be a trained nurse : and Nina Alice, who is also at home. A Mason, Mr. Bakeman is a member of the Arroyo Grande Lodge No. 274, while he is past grand of the Odd Fellows, at the same place, past chancellor of the Knights of Pythias, and also a member of the Rebekahs, and of the local Camp of the Woodmen of the World. In politics, Mr. Bakeman lines up with the old-gnard Republicans.

PETER McCANN .- Among the men who have spent their active years on Estrella Plains is Peter McCann, who was born near Malone, Franklin county, N. Y. His parents were Arthur and Margaret (Tierney) McCann, natives of the Province of Quebec, Canada, and Plattsburg, N. Y., respectively. The father made a trip to California at the time of the gold excitement on the coast, spent a few years in mining and then returned to New York and engaged in farming at Chateaugay. However, the call of the great West proved too strong for him ; so in 1888 he brought his family to California, homesteading near Delano, Kern county. Two years showed him that the desert was not what he wanted, and he came to San Luis Obispo County and bought three hundred twenty acres on the Estrella Plains, where he engaged in grain farm- ing with success. As he succeeded, he added another quarter section of land to his holdings. It was on this ranch that his beloved wife died, in 1900; he passed away in 1909. They had seven children, of whom six are now living, the subject of our sketch being the oklest.

Peter MeCann was reared on the home farm in New York and near there wedded the public schools; and after coming to California. he assisted Mp Either for a few years with the ranch work in the various places in Ques They lived together. Then he was to be found at Buttonwillow, Kern Ho ... of The employ of Miller & Lux; and there he remained for five years, whoff or come back to Paso Robles, where he has since been engaged in Here he owns a quarter section of land about five miles from the bad m. And he is also leasing three hundred twenty acres adjoining; and

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each year he farms about two hundred fifty acres to grain and each year summer fallows. Mr. McCann is a natural lover of horses and has given much study to their ailments, making a special study of veterinary dentistry ; and this fact being known, he is frequently called upon to minister to horses in that capacity, and is very successful.

Mr. McCann was united in marriage in San Miguel with Mrs. Caroline (Crediford) Givens, who was born in North Kona, Hawaiian Islands. Her father, Joseph Crediford, was a native of Maine, and her grandfather, Josiah Crediford, was born in London, came to the United States and settled in Maine, where he died at the age of ninety-one years. An uncle of Joseph Crediford on his mother's side, Otis Blabon, came to California by way of Cape Horn as early as 1846, returning to Maine some time later ; and in 1848 he made a second trip to this state.

When a boy of seventeen, Joseph Crediford rounded the Horn for San Francisco, where he was going in search of gold ; and immediately on arrival in the bustling seaport town, he went to the mining section and there took up mining, in time amassing a fortune. On account of failing health, caused by the exposure necessary to mining, he removed to Santa Clara county, but was not benefited; and then he sailed for the Hawaiian Islands, where he recovered his health and became a man of large affairs. Ile married there Sarah Johnson, of English descent, but born in the Islands. They became parents of seven children, of whom five are living. These are: Arthur F., in Pleyto, C'al .: Caroline, of this review; Mary E., Mrs. Coates of Han- ford ; Herbert, of Bradley ; and Adela, who died in Paso Robles, on December 30, 1916.

Joseph Crediford was at different times engaged in business as a mer- chant, sugar planter, tanner and leather manufacturer. He made saddles and harness, and had a large stock ranch, upon which he afterwards raised taro. a native species of tuber. He met with success in his ventures, and became a prominent man on the islands, where he was well and favorably known. Ilis wife died there; and in 1886 he came to California with his oldest son, and located a homestead of one hundred sixty acres in Indian valley, Mon- terey county. He then returned to Hawaii, closed out his hollings there and. in 1887, brought the rest of his children to this state. He also entered one hundred sixty acres, set out an orchard and vineyard of thirty acres, and was actively engaged in horticulture and farming until his death, on September 2, 1901, after a most unusually active and useful career.

Caroline was the oldest daughter. After the death of her mother she cared for the home and younger children with a mother's care, aiding her father in many ways to his sucess. She was educated in the Sacred Heart Convent in Honolulu until she came to California in 1887, with her father. She assisted with the household duties, continuing to preside over his home until she herself was married in December, 1893, at San Luis Obispo, to John Givens, a native of Ireland. He came to this country and this state, and in San Rafael engaged in gardening, later continuing in San Jose. On settling in San Luis Obispo County, he homesteaded eighty acres, one-half mile from Estrella, and afterward purchased three hundred twenty acres adjoining the Sacramento ranch. This he soll, in time, to the management of that ranch. Hle continued farming on his homestead until his death in 1902; and after that time Mrs. Givens operated the ranch with success until 1910, when

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the purchased a home in Paso Robles at Fifteenth street and Riverside drive, where she resided until her marriage to Mr. McCann, having left the care of the ranch to her son, John E. Givens. Her other child, Robert D. Givens, fives at Palo Alto. Mr. and Mrs. McCann are members of the Catholic Church. The matters political, she is a Republican, while Mr. McCann is an adherent to Democratic doctrines and policies.

JOHN BROPHY .- Besides an honored name and the example of an upright, well-directed life, John Brophy has done his share in the service of his country. Ile was born in Kells, Ireland, April 16, 1849, and came to White Plains, N. Y., with his parents, Patrick and Mary (Mahoney ) Brophy, when he was a lad three years old, soon afterwards moving to Janesville, Wis., where he was reared and attended the public schools. One of his brothers, Michael, served in Troop B, 3rd Wisconsin Cavalry, in the Civil War, and was wounded at the Battle of Pea Ridge; one other brother, Thomas, crossed the plains to Virginia City, Nev., in 1862. After his school days were over, John Brophy remained in the East for some years, in 1863 apprenticing himself to learn the trade of machinist in the Rock River Iron Works at Janesville ; and there he remained until 1869. Going then to Hart- ford, Conn., he worked in Pratt & Whitney's machine shop about six months, and then went to Macon, Ga. The next few years were spent in traveling about the country working in various cities in different states. perfecting his trade ; and during this time two years were passed in Houston, Tex., and a year in St. Louis.

In February, 1872, Mr. Brophy came to California and was employed in the machine shops of the Central Pacific, now the Southern Pacific Rail- road. at Sacramento, after which he worked in leading shops in different cities of the state: and in 1887, at the sale of lands in Templeton, he bought his present ranch, on which he has made all the improvements and where his family have since had their home. Mr. Brophy was married near Grass Valley, on November 26, 1874, to Miss Clara V. Ganoung, a native of Rock- ford. Ill., and a daughter of Myron Ganoung, who was born at Lima, N. Y .. and was killed April 6, 1862, at the Battle of Shiloh, while serving as sergeant @ the 56th Illinois Volunteer Infantry. Mrs. Ganoung was in maiden- Tod Mary 1. Bates, a native of Syracuse, N. Y., and taught school from the www id sixteen years until, at the age of nineteen, she married Mr. Ganoung. Mier her husband's death, Mrs. Ganoung sold the farm and removed with her parents to Illinois, locating on the Pecatonica river near Durand. Winnebago Then, in 1864, with her two little girls, she accompanied her sister wwwthe latter's husband, Samuel Kincaid, across the plains, locating near Kas Valley, California. In 1869, Mrs. Ganoung married I. N. Ritchie and w Trllary. 1869, buried her eldest daughter, Flora, who, previous to the finte Ff ben death, had been finishing her education in the convent at Grass w Jud Mrs Ritchie left Nevada county in 1892 and came to San gor counts with their daughter, Mrs. Brophy, locating near Tem- WFm Con Afr Ritchie passed away in 1898. Mrs. Ritchie died at the home [ http: wollt years later, in 1006, when nearly eighty years of age.

WWWW the pohy daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ganoung after the Ma hor ddet daughter. finished her education in the local dey und resided there until her marriage. Since then she alledie assistant to her husband, who for a while worked as

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machinist and served his country in the navy and navy yard. She managed the farm and looked to the education of their six children-Flora May, Mrs. Gibson of Los Osos; Myron, a butcher in Fresno; Ella, the wife of W. J. Williams of Turlock: Benjamin, also a butcher in Fresno; Andrew S., who operates the home farm; and Alice H., who is attending the Paso Robles high school.

In 1898, while employed in the machine shops of the Southern Pacific railroad in Sacramento, Mr. Brophy enlisted for service in the Spanish- American war. He was chief machinist on the cruiser "Philadelphia" for one year, when he was honorably discharged by reason of the expiration of his time. He then worked in the Mare Island Navy Yard for some time, helping to build various vessels; but after about thirteen years spent there, he re- signed, thinking that he had put in time enough at his trade, and came home where his family had lived all the years he was working. He also spent five years in the Waite machine shop in San Luis Obispo, since his residence in the county. Mr. Brophy is a member of the Spanish-American War veter- ans, H. W. Lawton Camp at Vallejo. He is an Independent Republican in politics and is a self-made and highly respected citizen in the county.

ALEX FRANKLIN GIBSON .- In this day and age attention is being turned towards the scientific side of farming-making two blades of grass grow where one grew before; and this trend in agriculture is illustrated in the career of Alex F. Gibson, a promising rancher and dairyman in the Templeton district. He is a native of this county, born on his father's ranch (now leased by him) on November 27, 1895, a son of John C. and Flora (Hazell) Gibson, who are residents of San Luis Obispo. The elder Gibson bought land on Paso Robles creek four miles from Templeton and began improving a home, adding acreage by purchase from time to time, until he owned eighteen hundred acres of fine farming and grazing land, upon which he has made such success as to enable him to retire from active labors and enjoy with his wife all the comforts of life away from the cares attached to ranching.

John and Flora Gibson became parents of five children : George 1., who died in infancy ; John, in Paso Robles ; Edna, Mrs. Pearl of Carson City, Nev .. Helen, Mrs. Neilsen, of San Francisco; and Alex F., who was reared on the home ranch and attended the public school in the Oakdale district, and then took a course in the State Polytechnic School at San Luis Obispo, and was graduated in 1914, after which he returned to the ranch and leased the dairy established by his father and began dairying and stockraising on his own account.

In 1915 he bought a half interest in the cattle, numbering about one hundred head, and carried on a dairy of twenty five cows until 1916, when, with George Fruits, he leased the eighteen hundred acres, which they operate together as a grain and dairy ranch, raising large quantities of wheat and barley. They have about four hundred acres in grain and hay. The business is growing under the judicious management of Mr. Gibson and his partner. who have entered into the undertaking with a full knowledge of the respon- sibilities it entails. Mr. Gibson is alive to the needs of the county and is a booster for modern facilities in every branch of farming. He is a Repub- lican and is an attendant of the Presbyterian Church.

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H. H. COLBY, D. O .- How many men successful in professional work owe what they have accomplished to persisting in their pursuit of an ideal, although compelled for the time being to follow deviating paths and meet experiences more calculated to discourage than to inspire! Such, at least, was the experience of II. H. Colby, osteopath and director of the golf links at the Paso Robles Hot Springs Hotel, who was born at Great Barring- ton, in the green Berkshires of Massachusetts, January 3, 1876. There, also, his father, Alfred R. Colby, was born, a skilled carpenter whose brother, George, had an honorable record in the Civil War as a member of the 46th Pennsylvania Regiment. In April, 1888. Alfred Colby brought his family to Los Angeles, where they remained until June, when they came to Mayfield. For five years following he was employed in assisting to build Stanford Uni- versity, much of the time being engaged in fine finishing work, in which his son, Albert, also took part.

Alfred Colby married Susan Redgrave, a native of London, and the daughter of Stephen Redgrave, who married Martha Lincoln, in turn the daughter of one of the well-known hatters of London, now advertising as Lincoln & Bennett. Grandfather Stephen Redgrave had taken the family to Australia ; but after mining at Ballarat he returned to England, from which country he migrated to Norfolk, Va. There he located a farm adjoining Norfolk which he called Redgrave Farm ; but dissatisfied with the southern country he went to British Columbia and settled at Golden, where he became sheriff and judge of Kootenay district, dying there at the age of eighty-eight. At the time of his death he held the position of recorder of births and deaths. In the same neighborhood his wife also passed away. Mr. Colby's father and mother were married in Massachusetts. The mother died in 1895, at Berke- ley, Cal. After the death of his wife, Alfred Colby returned east, where he married again. He came back to Paso Robles, but now resides at Santa Cruz, the father, by the second marriage, of four children, all of whom are still living. Sanford is in Modesto; llerman and Raymond are at Paso Robles; and Dorothy is at home.

Besides the subject of our sketch, the children by Mr. Colby's first marriage were Alfred, Robert and Grace, who died in their youth, and Albert Richard, who is now in Victoria, B. C. From his twelfth year, when he completed the grammar school, H. H. Colby was brought up in California. Ile commenced ranch work in the Cholame Valley, in 1891, where his mother had a farm devoted to grain and stock-raising. The following year he went north to Victoria, and there labored at the plumber's trade, but in the fall 1894 he returned to the Cholame ranch.

In the middle of the nineties Mr. Colby began a business course at Har- uman's Commercial College in San Francisco, following which he studied voicopathy with Dr. Wilson in the metropolis, practicing, on the receipt of l diploma. in Victoria and Vancouver. When his mother died, however, w wturne I to the home ranch and operated it until 1899, when he came back w Victoria and entered the service of the Canadian Pacific Railway Naviga- 0 01 68. Ferving as steward on their boats running to Alaska. In 1901, The wordysh rred to the Vancouver run, but the following year he resigned.

Tff Vas ust. 1902, at Vancouver, Mr. Colby and Miss Dorothy Margaret Diele a native of St. Louis, were joined in wedlock, and after the marriage de Mindreont weht to work for the B. C. Milling, Trading & Lumber Co.

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In December of that year he once more returned to the Cholame ranch, and engaged in farming, taking charge also of the Wallace ranch until he went to Hanford, where he was employed by the J. K. Armsby Packing Co. The next year or two found him again on the ranch, but after the San Francisco fire, in 1906, he located in Paso Robles, where he followed carriage painting, and in the evenings practiced osteopathy.

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History of San Luis Obispo County and environs, California, with biographical sketches, Part 83

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