USA > California > San Luis Obispo County > History of San Luis Obispo County and environs, California, with biographical sketches > Part 93
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Mr. Lauridsen carried on the farm alone, and also ran about seven html- dred acres of leased land. Ile had three teams and raised wheat on a large scale for three years ; then he purchased a three hundred twenty acre ranch on Dry creek, and one hundred sixty acres about one mile southeast of Union, living on the Dry creek ranch and farming eight hundred acres to grain until the fall of 1912, when he leased his ranches, and in May, 1913, with his wife and three children, made a trip to Denmark. He went to visit his okl home and rela- tives, and remained about five months. Going, he took the steamer "United States" to Copenhagen via Christiania, and returned by the same route on the steamer "Ilellige Olaf" to New York, and thence to his home in California. Now he leases most of his ranches, residing on the one near Union. He made another purchase in 1913 of one hundred sixty acres, also on Dry creek, located between his other two parcels of land, and so has an entire section in one body, as well as a half interest with his cousin in the original ranch. Ile resides on one hundred acres he reserves for himself, and has a small dairy.
Mr. Lauridsen was united in marriage in San Francisco on September
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14. 10000, With Mi-> Maren Jensen, also born in Schleswig, Denmark, and A dansloonie senin Jensen, a farmer and veteran of the Prussian-Danish War Gi 18pt Ar- Lauridsen came to California in 1888, and made her home in Premio 800) san Francisco until her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Lauridsen have three ofoblren Esther, Ingward and Margaretha. He is serving as a member of the board of trustees of the Union school district, and is a director in the Farmer- Alliance Business Association. He is also a member of the Lutheran Church and of Dania Lodge, No. 2, in San Francisco, lle is a very successful, public-spirited and enterprising citizen, and a self-made man in every sense "i the term.
ALBERTO DELEISSEGUES .- \ native son who has reason to be protid of his ancestry, Alberto Deleissegues was born in Monterey in 1847. the son of Captain Oliver, a native of France, a seafaring man who rose to be captain of a vessel, sailing around Cape Horn several years before the gold excitement in California. He was shipwrecked in the Bay of Monterey and saved his life by swimming ashore. He settled at Monterey, where he fell in love with and married Señorita Concepcion Boronda, a member of a fine old Spanish family that had assisted in the settling of Monterey. Captain Deleissegue was a merchant and also became the owner of a large ranch at Chorro, San Luis Obispo County. He died some years afterwards, leaving five children. Later, at San Juan, his widow was married to J. Munoz, a native of Mexico, and to them four children were born. After her marriage to Mr. Munoz, she moved to her ranch in San Luis Obispo County. where Alberto was reared and educated in the public schools, finishing at Santa Clara College. He served as collector of customs of the Port of San Luis Obispo, and after that, in partnership with his brother Alexander, engaged in stock raising in Kern county.
In San Luis Obispo occurred the marriage of Alberto Deleissegues to Rebecca llames, who was born in Oakland, the daughter of Benjamin and Carmen ( Laing) Haines. The father, born in New York, was a prominent civil engineer and fine mathematician. The mother was of South American birth, having been born in Chile. Mr. and Mrs. flames came to California s "Forty-niners," moving from Oakland to Santa Cruz, where he died ; later the mother passed away in San Luis Obispo. Grandfather Captain George Ooster Laing was a native of England, a ship builder and master mariner. On one of his trips he was married in Chile to Francisca Joffree and returned Last, afterwards coming to California in 1850. After his marriage. Alberto Served as deputy county assessor of San Luis Obispo, and later, with his brothers he engaged in the cattle and butcher business for many years, until be sold out and located at Nipomo, where he now resides. They have nine dobren living . Oliver, with the Western Union Oil Co. ; Eleanor, Mrs. Bosch of Nipomo: Benjamin, farming near Orby : Winton, with the Union De co Ineretia, Mrs. Joseph Dana of Nipomo: Albert, also of Nipomo: B/G .. Mrs Donovan, residing in Arizona ; George, with the Pinal Oil Co. : molly 000. A lo is in the employ of the Pinal Dome Oil Co.
Over, who attended school at San Luis Obispo and at Nipomo, was Die of s Gmmly of twelve children, nine of whom grew to maturity. First, he Tegnes wo ihrer le clerked ; and later he applied himself to various kinds In 1910, he married Miss Lizzie Hammer, who was born as Is Manto , the daughter of H. D. and Albertina (Schrempp) Hammer.
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natives of Germany, who settled in Santa Barbara county. One child, Glen Richard, came to brighten the home of Oliver Deleissegues and his wife. Mr. Deleissegues is now in the employ of the Western Union Oil Co., and he is also engaged in farming in Los Alamos valley.
AUGUST LOOSE, JR .- The state of California is a state of great, unde- veloped resources and a place where young and energetic men find an op- portunity to show their resourcefulness. This native Californian, August Loose, jr., was born in Cuffeys Cove, Mendocino county, February 4, 1882. a son of August Loose, a native of Germany, who came to California and located in Mendocino county, where he made and shipped railroad ties from Cuffeys Cove until 1880, when he located with his family in San Luis Obispo County. He bought a ranch on San Marcos creek and engaged in horticulture for a short time : but later he followed grain raising with profit. He soon bought adjoining land and owned six hundred forty acres, which he farmed until he sold it a few years ago to retire to Paso Robles to live. He was married to Louise Hess, a native of Germany, but who had come to America and located in Mendocino county. She had already been married to Charles Blechen, who died in Mendocino county. There were three chil- dren by her first marriage and two by her union with Mr. Loose.
Reared from the age of four in this county and sent to the public schools of San Marcos, young August remained at home assisting his father until he was of age, when, with his half-brother George Blechen, he rented six hundred forty acres of land and began raising grain and horses, prospering from the start. They leased land adjoining and farmed 1,120 acres, having two eight- horse teams and a header and thresher, and later added a combined harvester and continued operations until 1910, when he and his brother bought three hundred twenty acres adjoining the okl home. In 1912, he quit ranching, leased the land to his brother and started a draying business in San Miguel ; but two years later he sold this and started a garage, with the Studebaker agency, which he continued until 1916, when he sokl out.
Mr. Loose was married in San Marcos in 1968, to Miss Flsie Cushing. who was born near San Simeon, the daughter of B. M. and Martha (Gillespie) Cushing and granddaughter of Wm. Moore and Caroline ( Leffingwell) Gil lespie, pioneers of the Cambria section, represented elsewhere in this work. Mrs. Loose is a graduate of the San Jose State Normal, class of February, 1902, and was actively engaged in educational work until her marriage. They have one child, fra Jvan. Mr. Loose is a member of San Miguel Parlor No. 150, N. S. G. W. : was made a Mason in San Miguel Lodge No. 285, and is still a member : is a member of Nacimiento Lodge No. 340, 1. O. O. F., and past grand ; and both he and Mrs. Loose are members of Violet Chapter No. 102. Order Eastern Star, of which he is past patron, while Mrs. Loose is a worthy matron (1916). They are Republicans and have a host of friends throughout this section of the county.
JACOB R. DOTY .- In the days when the facilities for dairying were not as modern as they are today, and other farming was carried on mainly by hard work and long hours, Jacob Doty was growing to manhood in this county on a ranch owned by his father, who had settled in the Cambria section in 1871. Born in Sacramento county, Jacob Doty is a native son of the state; and as such he has shown his interest in the development of its resources for many years. His father was Benjamin F Doty, a native of
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Indiana, where he farmed until 1858, when he crossed the plains with ox- teams and prairie schooner and settled in Sacramento county. There, still farming successfully, he continued until 1871, when he located in San Luis Obispo County and engaged in farming and the stock business near Cambria, also running a dairy. Ile succeeded and accumulated one thousand acres of fine land, which was well improved by him and which occupied his attention until he retired to San Luis Obispo, where he died in 1915. His wife was Nancy Carroll, a native of Iowa, and she had eight children, all living.
Born in 1865, the fourth child in the parental family, Jacob Doty was a lad of about five years when his father brought him to this county. He was reared on the home place and went to the public schools at Cambria. From a boy he was interested in the dairy business, and when he was twenty-one years old he pre-empted one hundred sixty acres, which he improved for a dairy. Ile leased other lands, which he stocked with from seventy-five to one hundred thirty cows, operating eight hundred acres. In those days much of the work was done by hand; the ranch folk panned the milk, skimmed it by hand and churned by horse-power ; and after the butter was made into rolls or squares, it was shipped to San Francisco markets. Finally a separator was put in and the cream was sent to the creamery.
Mr. Doty bought and sold several ranches, and made money in trading. In 1910 he sold out and located in San Luis Obispo, where he intended to retire, as he had won a competence ; but in 1916 he leased the Kalar dairy and again started in with fifty to one hundred cows, and the modern methods for caring for the cream. Ile has large alfalfa fields that have attained a fine growth. He is also interested in mining in the Pine Mountain district in this county. He served as school trustee five years, and in politics is a Democrat.
Mr. Doty married, in San Miguel, Hattie Tucker, born in Missouri, a daughter of Douglas Tucker, whose sketch is given elsewhere in this work. Three children have been born to this union : Stella : Mildred, Mrs. Earl Davis of San Luis Obispo; and Noel. All have been reared and educated in this section of the county.
WILLIAM H. RUDE .- Among the hardy and venturesome Argonauts who crossed the plains when thousands were drawn to California in the early days of the mining excitement, was a man named Thomas G. Rude, a native of Kentucky, but a resident of Illinois for some years prior to coming to this state. Ile was the grandfather of William H. Rude, who was born in the Rincon valley, near Santa Rosa, Sonoma county, May 12, 1877, and the father of William L. Rude, who was born in Knoxville, Ill., and crossed the plains in 1852, when the pioneer of the family brought his family to California to make a home and fortune. (For a more complete story of the Rude family the reader is referred to the sketch of A. N. Rude, which appears on another rige of this work. ) In 1878, W. 1. Rude settled in San Luis Obispo County. far ned on Estrella plains, then engaged for some time in raising stock on Bitterwater, and is now conducting a feed yard in Paso Robles. He married romnica Baum, a native of Oregon ; she resides in Maricopa, Kern county. Mitli her daughter Jessie, Mrs. Lima of that place.
The youngest of the two children born to his parents, William H. Ride was educated in the schools of this county. Reared on the old Thomas Podle place, he learned the details of farming, so that when he began with Im uncle he was capable of taking his share of the work and responsibility ;
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and they farmed together for many years and met with success. When they dissolved partnership, W. 11. Rude rented his uncle's place and adjoining property and now carries on wheat raising with success and on a large scale. He prefers the blue-stem variety as the most hardy. Ile has had to make his own way in the world of business, and has won a place in the esteem of the citizens that have known him all his life, as well as those of later arrival in the section.
Mr. Rude was united in marriage in May, 1898, in Smartsville, Yuba county, with Miss Mary Murphy, who was born there, a daughter of Morris and Catherine (Havey ) Murphy, pioneer miners of that section. The former died in March, 1915, and the latter in May, 1898. Mrs. Rude is the oldest daughter of the family of nine children. To Mr. and Mrs. Rude one daughter has been born, Madalene. Both Mr. Rude and his wife are members of the Foresters and are Democrats in politics. They have a wide circle of friends throughout the county who esteem them for their whole-heartedness and strict integrity.
ABDON T. ONTIVEROS .- \ representative of one of the proudest Spanish and Mexican families in California, Abdon T. Ontiveros is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Jose D. Ontiveros, and grandson of Don Pacifico Ontiveros, who joined the Spanish soldiery in the effort to subdue the Indians in South- ern California and to protect the Spanish interests as well. Ile later became identified with Santa Barbara county by purchasing the Tepesquet ranch of nine thousand acres, upon which he lived until his death at the age of ninety- five years. The family are descended from the old General Patricio Ontiveros, a native of Spain and a man of high military rank.
Abdon T. Ontiveros was born on his father's home ranch December 29, 1882, attended the public schools of the Santa Maria valley and early learned the lessons of thrift and obedience, as well as habits of industry and the various branches of farming. He remained at home assisting his father until the latter's death in 1905, at which time he inherited the ranch now occupied by himself and wife, and has been enabled to win a name and place for himself by his own industry and perseverance.
In 1915 Mr. Ontiveros was united in marriage with Mrs. Grace Ontiveros, widow of his cousin, Sinecio L. Ontiveros, who met death in an automobile accident in 1914. Abdon Ontiveros erected a cement bungalow on his property, and laid out beautiful grounds with fine lawn, trees and iron fence the whole overlooking the Santa Maria, Sisquoc and Tepesquet valleys. Here he and his wife live in comfort. They have a host of friends and are popular socially throughout the valley.
A. A. HOWARD .- The whole world knows the fame of Plein, Ill .. as the home of a mechanical triumph in the highest degree creditable to Ameri- can ingenuity and science, but not everyone has heard of ligin, la., where, on November 29, 1868, a boy was born destined to prove a mechanical genius and one who, migrating farther west, should take a most active part m developing the great state of California. His father was Fias G. Howard. and his mother was Esther Ann Bartholomew, of the I nelish branch of the family. When a lad of sixteen, Mr. Howard began to make a living and tohelp support his mother; and in order to do this he worked in a lime kiln. Vest he labored in the Elgin Canning Factory, helping to put up corn, tomatoes and pumpkins, and there his aptness and desire to learn brought him forwar 1 43
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so that having been made machinist to the factory, he helped install the company's new machinery.
In 1891 Mr. Howard came to California, and went to work for Ellis H. Nicholson, who was in charge of the Suey Ranch. He developed exceptional capability, was more than patient and willing, and took the lead in fixing up the great harvesters and other machinery there, soon being rewarded with an appointment as blacksmith to Nicholson's ranch. In fact, his reputation as a mechanic who could do most difficult work traveled fast and far, and he Was soon compelled to turn from his shop much that was brought to him.
In 1890, Mr. Howard married Miss Vena Jack, and two years later he sent for his parents, both of whom now live at Santa Maria. Together with his father he then rented a part of the Nicholson ranch, and there for eight years the Howards raised beans. This new industry led young Howard to apply his mechanical genius in an effort to solve a problem very bothersome to bean growers, the result of which was that he built a first-class bean thresher with which he threshed all the beans raised upon his ranch.
His next move was to Santa Maria, where he became a partner in the Howard & Wear Blacksmith Co., and ran a good-sized shop on West Main street for two years. This was followed by a partnership as machinist in Oakley & Howard, a firm that rented the Roemer & Roemer shop and took advantage of the oil boom just starting at Santa Maria, selling out only at the end of two very prosperous years. An engagement as chief machinist for J. F. Goodwin on the Pinal lease followed, when Mr. Howard repaired the huge boiler and dressed the tools for Well No. 2 and Well No. 7; and while filling that position he conceived the idea of providing a complete machine shop for the lease. About this time he made the first bean cutter of the style now being used in California ; and perhaps because he did not patent it, it has turned out that the most successful bean cutters used today are made after his design. The truth is that, being a born mechanic and a man of great originality, Mr. Howard has patented a number of inventions, including an automatic ratchet for drilling cables, and this invention in particular bids fair to prove very valuable.
Mr. Howard owns his residence in Santa Maria, at 620 South Broadway. and there among steadfast friends, he resides with his wife and family, giving such of his spare time as he can afford to club life for activities under the auspices of the Knights of Pythias. Six children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Howard, and four-Charles S., Albert, Andrew, and Laura-are It home. George, a young man of eighteen and of great promise as a develop- mig machinist, died of diphtheria ; and Esther, an equally lovable child, died of the same dread disease when only twelve years of age. Despite these etal. more than the average share of blessings has been accorded this highly bothgent and hard working man and his devoted wife, both of whom, there- lone race the future with more than ordinary hopefulness.
MARION BELL RICE .- How efficiently a single citizen may serve the Commun ty in which he lives is shown by the career of Marion Bell Rice, for went wars past the obliging clerk of the Pleasant Valley school district Cabal Come three miles to the southeast of Santa Maria in the most Hogy "ma part of the same valley ), where he was born on February 2, 1886. Hi gem Whither was J. 11. Rice, the pioneer, and his father was William 11. Ries VE SOM Maria. Enjoying all the advantages of boyhood in such a
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favored part of the world. Mr. Rice attended the grammar and high schools and graduated with the Class of 1906.
Two years later, he married Miss Clara Stringfield, and the result of that union was three children-Florence E., Marion L. and Lyndall Barnett. Since leaving school, he has engaged in ranching, and now cultivates, with excep- tional skill, one hundred forty-eight acres of land.
As a Democrat and an active member of the Presbyterian Church, he performs his civic and religious duties in an exemplary manner ; while as an Elk, in affiliation with the well-organized lodge at San Luis Obispo, and a member of the Knights of Pythias, at Santa Maria, he proves his congeni- ality as a hail-fellow well met.
As everyone who is familiar with Santa Maria's history knows, the school district above referred to was settled by the sturdiest of pioneers, the Bradleys, Tunnells and Rices being among those who either have become wealthy or prospered most ; and it is only natural that we should find Henry Tunnell, Fred Bradley and Marion Bell Rice constituting the present board of school trustees, who are responsible for the excellent condition of the Pleasant Valley school.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN EAMES .- A native son who carries his honors modestly but well is Abraham Lincoln Eames, the owner of a rich grain and stock ranch near Orcutt, and a member of the old Yankee family in which Emma Eames, the celebrated prima donna, is a most distinguished repre- sentative. One of five children, Mr. Eames was born in Plumas county, Cal .. on January 22, 1865. His father, born in the State of Maine, was Jonathan Whitman Eames ( named after Whitman of the Mayflower), and his mother. also born in Maine, and married in Boston, was Angeline (Thompson ) Eames. About 1849 the father came to California by way of the Horn. then returned for his family and afterward mined in Plumas county.
When Abraham Eames was two years old, the elder Eames moved to Santa Barbara to homestead a hundred sixty acres of land, and this he proved up, living upon it for some time and dying at the ripe age of seventy- five years, his wife preceding him, at the age of fifty, into the spirit land. Abraham thus passed his boyhood on a farm in Santa Barbara county, and it was not until 1886, when he went to Los Angeles, that he saw much of the outside world. In the southern metropolis he engaged in teaming and in street grading, and while there stretched the cable line for the first cable cars used in Los Angeles and operated from the Plaza to Union avenue. An offer from Porter Ashe next took him to Merced county, where he remained a year, cleaning up his first surplus thousand dollars, which he in vested as an initial payment on the ranch he bought in 1891, and which he at present owns.
There he lived as a bachelor until he married Miss Emma Brookshire, daughter of Thomas J. Brookshire, who died two years ago at the age of seventy-three, leaving a wife now residing in Santa Maria. As a result of this marriage, six children were born Hazel. Roscoe, Ellery, Delores, Esther and Byron-and these young folks brighten the life of the home ranch of a hundred twenty acres, a mile and a half east of Orcutt and seven miles south- east of Santa Maria. Mrs. Eames' father owned some two hundred acres of land, now leased by the Brookshire Oil Co., a partnership made up of two brothers and two sisters: and in addition to his interest in these oil lands.
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Mr. EMines owns about forty acres on the Mesa in the oil belt. On all of These properties he has for years been making expensive improvements, while If- intelligence and industry have provided him with a fine country home urrounded by a grove of beautiful shade trees, all grown from the seed.
Mr. Rames has long been interested in education and in similar things de- signed to upbuild and uphit, and this has led him to serve for ten years or more in the responsible capacity of clerk of the Pine Grove school district. 1: is a member of Hesperian Lodge, F. & A. M.
ARTHUR E. COX .- Men possessing the sterling characteristics to which Ar. A. E. Cox is heir have again and again proven bulwarks of their humunities, nor have these traits and accomplishments often failed of tycognition at the hands of their discerning fellow citizens. Mr. Cox's father Alvin W. Cox, the Santa Maria valley rancher and pioneer of 1871, who held office very creditably for several years, first as supervisor and then as postmaster at Santa Maria, dying in June, 1915, in the seventy-third year of Mit age. He was a native of Ohio and migrated, a young man, to south- western Missouri, where he married Miss Mary A. Powers, a daughter of that State. Ilis mother, Anna Shang, had already come to California and the Santa Maria valley, and thither the young couple followed. . \. M. Cox, a brother, resides at Calistoga, and C. B. Cox, another brother, is pre-empting choice land in the Cuyama.
Arthur Cox received a grammar school education, and after that was reared on a farm : the same farm, in fact, which had belonged to his grand- mother, and was then purchased by his father, and upon which he now lives, after having acquired and greatly improved it. Mr. Cox's life, therefore, for the most part has been that of a practical and far-sighted rancher, although for some years he worked in the Pacific Coast railway office at Santa Maria, and for three years, at another time, he was assistant postmaster. It is as a farmer and bean raiser, however, that he has been phenomenally successful.
In 1894, Mr. Cox married Miss Edna Denise, and by her he has had four children Orville. Zetta, Roswell and Sherwood. Mrs. Cox is a daughter vi Charles and Caroline ( Fine) Denise, a lineal descendant of the pioneer Line who came to California from Missouri in 1846. along with ex-Governor Lilburn W. Boggs, who headed a great ox-team train, thus coming to know Governor Vallejo and the early settlements of the Bear Flag party. Very ably Mrs. Cox assists her husband in the management of his ranch, and in the working of other farm lands than those which he himself owns.
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