USA > California > Kings County > History of Tulare and Kings counties, California, with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the counties who have been identified with their growth and development from the early days to the present > Part 23
USA > California > Tulare County > History of Tulare and Kings counties, California, with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the counties who have been identified with their growth and development from the early days to the present > Part 23
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From 1902 to 1904-Trustees: Wm. Abbott, Wm. Camp, J. W. Rhoads, Harry Widmer and J. E. Viney. President of the Board, Harry Widmer; City Clerk, Jas. A. Hill; Treasurer, F. R. Hight; Marshal, A. M. Frederick.
From 1904 to 1906-Trustees: W. H. Camp, E. H. Walker, J. E. Viney, J. W. Rhoads and H. Widmer. President of the Board, Harry Widmer; City Clerk, Jas. A. Hill; Treasurer, F. R. Hight ; Marshal, A. M. Frederick.
From 1906 to 1908-Trustees: H. A. Beekhnis, W. H. Camp, E. H. Walker, Grant Starkweather and J. M. Dean. President of the Board, H. A. Beekhuis; City Clerk, Jas. A. Hill; Treasurer, F. R. Hight; Marshal, A. M. Frederick.
From 1908 to 1910-Trustees: H. A. Beekhuis, B. L. Barney, David Gamble, J. M. Dean, Grant Starkweather. President of the Board, II. A. Beekmmis, who resigned and B. L. Barney was chosen president ; City Clerk, James A. Hill ; Treasurer, F. R. Hight ; Marshal, A. M. Frederick.
From 1910 to 1912-Trustees: B. L. Barney, F. M. Parish, Grant
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Starkweather, David Gamble, A. W. Bass. President of the Board, B. L. Barney; City Clerk, D. C. Williams; Treasurer, F. R. Hight ; Marshal, A. M. Frederick.
From 1912 to 1914 Trustees: Charles H. Coe, J. H. Dawson, A. W. Bass, F. M. Parish, Grant Starkweather. President of the Board, Charles H. Coe; City Clerk, D. C. Williams; Treasurer, F. R. Hight; Marshal (now appointive), Samuel Humphreys. The latter resigned in January, 1913, and Clarence Seaman was appointed to succeed him.
The City of Hanford at this time, twenty-two years after it was incorporated, enjoys fifteen blocks of business streets paved with asphaltum concrete and curbed with granite. The city owns its own Holly water system for protection against fire, having one of the best duplicated systems of steam pumping through a system of under- ground water mains extending throughout the city that can be found in any city of its size. A volunteer fire department of thirty-five men is equipped with anto chemical and hose truck, hand chemicals, etc., which were purchased in 1912 and succeeded horse-drawn ap- paratus. In October, 1912, the city voted bonds in the sum of $35,000 to extend the then existing fire system, which was built in the early '90s and subsequently extended. At this election bonds of $80,000 were also voted to rehabilitate a city sewer system constructed orig- inally in 1900 by a bond issue. In the latter year a bond election was held, November 20, and bonds in the sum of $50,000 were voted, the vote being 324 for and 109 against the bonds. A sewer farm of one hundred and sixty acres was purchased, the same being the north- west quarter of section 12, 19-21. A septic tank was there built, and a system of sewers, the largest size of pipe used being twelve inch for the ontfall, was constructed. At that time, with the population of the city being about 2,900, the system was fairly adequate, but the rapid increase of population and the fact that the first sewer constructed was in many respects improperly done, permitting of deterioration, in the summer of 1908 the city reconstructed the outfall and extended the service within the city. This proved also only a tem- porary relief, and the growth of population having reached the 6,000 mark in 1912, the sewer question became a pressing one, hence the bonds called for and voted in November last, as above stated. The contract for this sewer extension, the building of the Imhoff disposal plant, etc., was awarded January 28, 1913. Through a technicality the courts declared the bond issue invalid.
Hanford is supplied with a city hall which is the headquarters of the fire department, as well as the seat of municipal government, where the city recorder and the city clerk have their offices in connection with the chamber of the board of trustees.
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VANISHING OF THE SALOONS
From the time when the Southern Pacific railroad had reached this point and Hanford was staked out, the traffic in intoxicating liquors flourished as in all western towns until 1912. While the license policy that prevailed in the town was perhaps as well managed as in any average city, there gradually grew up a sentiment that the liquor business was detrimental to the social welfare of the com- munity, although the revenue derived from the licensing of the traffic was considerable and helped in a large degree to defray the expenses of the municipal government. The religions element, as- sisted by others not within the churches, gradually encroached against the legal barriers thrown about the liquor traffic by ordinances for police protection, although the prime object was revenne, and in the winter of 1909 under the leadership of the ministerial association of the city a campaign was started and was fought out at the municipal election in April of 1910. One set of candidates pledged to oppose the saloons was nominated and contested for the offices of trustee against a "business men's" ticket, not pledged, but generally supposed to be pro-saloon. The campaign was bitterly fonght, and the election on April 11 resulted in the election of F. M. Parish, A. W. Bass and J. H. Dawson, "Good Government" or "Citizens' " candidates, over G. Starkweather, J. Hedgeland and C. F. Flemming, of the opposition.
The vote was close, the average majority of the winning candi- dates being but thirty-five votes. The election of these men gave the temperance forces a majority of the board, the holdover members being B. L. Barney and David Gamble. Between the total vote for Dawson and the total vote for Starkweather there was, however, a difference of only seven votes in favor of Dawson. This led to a con- test, which resulted in favor of Starkweather in a recount before the superior court, Judge Mahon, of Kern county, presiding. The case was appealed to the supreme court and the judgment of Mahon seat- ing Starkweather was affirmed, and he replaced Mr. Dawson on the board, thus insuring another term of the license system in the city.
The anti-saloon forces, however, would not quit. The campaign was taken up again by the Anti-Saloon League of California, and the state legislature of 1910-11 enacted the Wyllie local option law, which gave the anti-saloon people a chance for another round with the saloons in Hanford. Petitions were circulated for an election under that act, and to decide the "wet" and "dry" question in conjunction with the municipal election to be held on April 7, 1912. John Dawson, who had been onsted by the Starkweather contest of two years previ- ous, and Charles II. Coe were candidates for the anti-saloon ticket, and S. B. Hicks and W. R. Newport were the candidates of the oppo- sition ticket for trustees, although both sides were pledged to enforce the law on the liquor question in accordance with the expression of the
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voters. A lively and at times bitter campaign was fought out. At the election the total vote cast on the liquor question was 1,740 (the women voting under the new franchise act), and there were 753 votes cast for license and 987 votes cast against it. The large majority for the "dry" element successfully elected Messrs. Coe and Dawson, and when they took their seats on the board of trustees the board immedi- ately proceeded to eliminate the saloon traffic from the city. The ques- tion of granting salaries to the members of the board of trustees was also endorsed by the electors, and for the first time in the history of the city the trustees became salaried officials.
The new board met and organized on April 15. Under the new law the city marshal became an appointed officer, and Samuel Humph- reys was chosen. F. E. Kilpatrick was chosen city attorney. D. C. Williams was elected clerk by the people, and the board appointed A. M. Ashley city recorder. Thus organized the first city government under the "dry" regime began operation. Under the provisions of the state law the saloons automatically went out of business ninety days after the people had by a majority vote so decreed, and in Han- ford, on the night of July 6, 1912, after existing for thirty-five years with a legalized saloon system, the bars were closed and the traffic was abandoned by the edict of the people.
CHURCHES OF HANFORD
As early as 1874 a Christian Church organization was formed by Major T. J. MeQuiddy, W. R. McQuiddy, Elder Craigie Sharp, Court- ney Talbot, J. M. Patterson, Sally Cotton, Welcome Fowler and others. This organization held meetings in Eureka schoolhouse. Later the place of meeting was in the Grangeville schoolhouse. In 1878 Hanford was chosen by the society as a permanent location and a church was built at the corner of Eighth and Brown streets. Later this church was rebuilt in its present convenient and commodious proportions.
In November, 1880, the Presbyterian Church society, which had been organized, was given a new impetus by Rev. N. W. Motheral, who was given its leadership. He put his native ability and force into immediate action by building a new church building. In this enterprise he was obliged to haul lumber fifty miles from the mills, then in operation about Tollhouse in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Accordingly he engaged Julius Coe, Wesley Underwood. Ben Scrivner and a man named Barker, who formed a wagon train of five big teams to make the trip to the mills for lumber. In March, 1881. the church was completed and the first service held in it by the Presbyterian so- ciety was the funeral of Joseph Motheral. the sixteen-year-old son of N. W. Motheral, the founder of the church. Mr. Motheral held the pastorate of the church for many years, when he resigned to serve an appointment on the State Horticultural Commission. Rev. E. Lisle then served a term as pastor, at the end of which Mr. Motheral again 14
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took up the pastorate and served until his health failed. The Preshy- terian church has grown and prospered with the city and county under the pastorate of the Rev. Sanders, I. B. Self, George B. Gregg, J. W. Mount and John Steel. In 1912 the lot at the corner of Eighth and Douty streets on which the church was located was sold to the county for the sum of $16,000. The church society moved the old building to a new location on the southwest corner of Irwin and Dewey streets.
In the year 1880 the Methodist Church society organized, and bought an old schoolhouse, which they moved on to a lot at the south- east corner of Douty and Eighth streets. Here the congregation worshiped through the struggling vicissitudes of its pioneer days, which, as is common to all church societies, seemed at times to baffle all efforts to sustain it. In 1886 a new pastor came from Tennessee in the person of Andrew G. Parks. He was a young, energetic man, who took command with ability and vigor. It was not without great self- denial and a perseverance at times sublime that he kept the lights burning until the dawn of better times and a growth in the whole community that brought a prosperous era. About the year 1891 the Methodist society sold their property and relocated on the corner of Irwin and Park avenue, where a new and commodious church building was erected under the pastorship of Rev. G. E. Morrison. He was considered a specially qualified man to plan, build and collect funds for church building, and as such did a good job for the church here, but later he became a resident of Texas, where he was convicted of poisoning his wife and was hung. The church has since prospered and is supported by a substantial congregation.
In 1880 an Episcopal church was organized, the first service being held under Rector D. O. Kelley in the uncompleted Presbyterian church building. Rev. Nixon followed in the work until in 1884 Rev. C. S. Linsley took charge and built a comfortable church on South Douty street, where the society flourished under various rectors until the year 1911, when under Rector G. R. E. MacDonald a new brick church was built on the corner of North Douty and Eleventh streets. Mr. MacDonald was a justly popular leader and under him the church grew to be a leading factor among religious interests of the city of Hanford. His predecessor, J. S. Maynard, was also a popular rector, whose work left a favorable impress on the community.
In the year 1882 the Catholies built a mission church here on the corner of Seventh and Reddington streets. Services were held once a month for a while by Father Guerrio, a Spanish priest, located at Visalia. Following him were Fathers Caraspo, Smith, Murphy, Brady and Scher. Father Smith was the first resident priest. In 1912 Father Scher made plans to move the church property and enlarge its accom- modations. Ground was secured at the corner of Donty and Florinda streets. The new property will include five large buildings, a school, a convent, a rectory, a church and an assembly hall. The property as
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a whole will occupy sixteen lots. The Catholic church has a large and increasing following among the Portuguese and other foreign blood citizenship.
The Seventh Day Advent church was first established at Lemoore about 1887. The second church of that denomination was formed at Grangeville a few years later, but about 1900, to make it more cen- tral for the increasing membership, it was moved to Armona. In the early '90s the Adventists built another church at Hanford on the cor- ner of Ninth and Harris streets, and in 1906 also built a church on the island northwest of Lemoore. The sect has about 400 members in the county and maintains schools in connection with their churches at Hanford, Armona and on the island. Elder J. W. Bagby has had leading charge of the work for about twelve years.
The Church of God, at No. 315 East Eleventh street, was estab- lished locally abont 1904 and later acquired the church property be- longing to the United Brethren. The society maintains services, bnt has no regular pastor.
The First Baptist church, at No. 521 North Irwin street, was es- tablished on July 17, 1892. Its first pastor was I. T. Wood, and Thomas A. Dodge its first clerk; Moses P. Troxler, deacon.
First Church of Christ, Scientist, was established as a society in 1898 and as a church in 1902, with thirty-two members. W. R. Me- Quiddy and Mrs. Isabella Lloyd were the first and second readers, re- spectively, for the first term.
First Church of Christ was established in a new building built for that purpose at the corner of Irwin and Myrtle streets in 1908 with Major T. J. McQuiddy, S. J. White and David Utterback its principal promoters, J. A. Craig being its first pastor.
The Free Methodist church at No. 621 North Harris street was established in the year 1891. Its first pastor was B. L. Knoll. It has a membership of forty-three and maintains regular services, class meetings and a Sunday school.
The Grace Methodist Episcopal Church, South, at the corner of Brown and Ninth streets, was established about 1895, first holding its meetings in a cottage in the western part of Hanford. Later the society built and moved into the property where they now worship. Their first pastor was Rev. W. E. Phillips.
The African Methodist Episcopal Zion church, now located at South Donty and Second streets, was established about 1890 by Rev. Sydney Knox. The society had several years of uphill work, but conditions improved and the society maintains its work in the com- munity.
The Second Baptist (colored) church, at South Irwin and Second streets, was started in 1898, its first officers being Heury Wyatt, John Welcher, Stephen Shaw. The first pastor was Rev. E. F. Bickers.
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SCHOOLS OF KINGS COUNTY
The educational affairs of Kings county are among its proudest assets. When the county was organized in 1893 there was but one high school, and the formation of the county was in itself an inspira- tion for better educational advantages. At the birth of the county there were twenty-nine school districts employing forty-three teachers. There were only two thousand census children, and there were only five schools employing more than one teacher. Of the sixteen hun- dred pupils then enrolled in schools of the county, the one high school, that located at Hanford, enrolled fifty-four pupils. The school prop- erty of the county was estimated at less than $90,000.
The growth of territory by annexation, and the extending of the cultivated area, together with the rapid settlement of the farming districts and the towns, has brought the school attendance up to three thousand two hundred in 1912.
There are now three high schools, one at Hanford, employing ten teachers; one at Lemoore, employing five teachers, and one at Cor- coran, employing two. The enrollment in all high schools, including two joint high school districts, was two hundred and twenty-four. The Hanford Union High School was established in 1892, the Lemoore High School in 1900, and the Corcoran High School in 1912. There were at the beginning of 1913 forty grammar school districts in the county, employing eighty-five teachers. The enrollment in the gram- mar schools was two thousand eight hundred and fifteen, with an aver- age daily attendance of two thousand three hundred and eighty-two.
There were graduated from the grammar schools in 1912 one hundred and forty pupils, and from the high schools thirty-seven. The school property of the county is now valued at $299,050. As the educational affairs of the state at large advance the general effect is noted in the building of modern school buildings, and the county has today very excellent country school buildings and the city schools are also modern in design and facilities for carrying on the work. Since the county was formed there have been three different county superintendents in office, viz. : James A. Graham, Charles McCourt and Mrs. N. E. Davidson, the latter being the present incumbent.
HANFORD FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY
The city of Hanford possesses a free public library which today is the central library of a county library system, the latter being established in 1912. The history of the movement which finally developed a free city library and afterwards extending its benefits and influences county-wide, began back in 1890, when a meeting of citizens of the then unincorporated town was held December 27 and a reading room association was formed. This association opened a reading room on May 26, 1891, in a wooden building on
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Seventh street between Douty and Irwin streets. Mrs. M. A. Harlow was chosen president of the association and presided at the meeting. Mrs. Nellie Henderson (now Mrs. Malone) was the first librarian. At the meeting refreshments were served, and interested citizens brought books and formed the nucleus of a library. After that through the means of donations, socials and concerts sufficient funds were raised to maintain the reading room, pay rentals and a little something to the librarian.
In May, 1892, after Hanford had been incorporated, the reading room control was transferred to the city authorities and a library board was selected by the city trustees, the selection being as follows: Mesdames D. L. Phillips, R. G. White, N. Abrams, J. W. Barbour, and W. V. Bnekner. Miss Lanra Lemon was employed as librarian. In a rented building the library was conducted by this board, and in September, 1902, application was made to Andrew Carnegie for a gift of money with which to establish a library. The application was for $15,000, and Carnegie offered $10,000. This was not considered sufficient by the ladies. A second request was forwarded to Mir. Carnegie, and he raised his donation to $12,500. This was accepted by the library trustees, and they set abont securing a site. After considerable discussion, which bronght out no little contention, the Kutner-Goldstein Company offered to the city a site on East Eighth street where the present library is situated, and the same was pur- chased. In connection with the disposal of the lots the Kutner- Goldstein Company pledged the city $500 worth of books as a gift as soon as the new Carnegie building was finished.
Following the decision of the city authorities to purchase the site referred to, members of the library board dissatisfied with the selection of the site, and backed by other citizens, sued out an injune- tion in the courts to prevent the acceptance of the site by the city. The case was heard in the superior court, Judge Austin, of Fresno, presiding, and the injunction was denied. An appeal was taken and on Jannary 31, 1905, the appellate conrt affirmed the decision of the lower conrt, sustaining the action of the city board. This led to the resignation of the ladies, who comprised the library board. They had, however, secured plans for the new library building, which they had on file.
The city trustees then appointed a new board composed of men to carry forward the library work. The new board selected consisted of Fred A. Dodge, chairman; P. M. Norboe, secretary; Dr. J. A. Moore, Z. D. Johns and U. S. Bock.
This board immediately went to work, slightly altered the plans on hand for the building, and let the contract to David Gamble for the erection of the building which was to be of artificial stone or concrete block. The building work proceeded and on August 12.
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1905, the cornerstone was laid with simple ceremony, consisting of a brief address by City Clerk James A. Hill. Within the cornerstone were placed copies of the Hanford Daily Sentinel, copies of the Hanford Semi-Weekly Journal, a complete set of the then existing city ordinances, a card bearing the names of the first board of city trustees, viz .: B. A. Fassett, E. Axtell, J. O. Hickman, George Slight and J. Manasse, and the first city clerk, W. R. McQuiddy, and many other relies of the early history of the town. The construction of the new building progressed, and on February 6, 1906, the library board met and set February 22 as the date for the dedication of the new building.
The arrangements were carried out, and at the commodious and well-furnished Carnegie library building with a number of fairly well-filled book stacks, on the night of February 22, the people assembled for a brief program. Fred A. Dodge, chairman of the library board, called the assemblage to order and introduced Prof. E. H. Walker, principal of the Hanford Union High School, who made an address on "The Function of a Public Library." Miss Margaret E. Dold, the librarian, also gave an address on "The Library and its Wants." Chairman Dodge then on behalf of the board of library trustees presented the completed building to the city of Hanford. Secretary P. M. Norboe made an address in which he presented the financial statement of the construction showing that the building had been erected and made ready for public use for the sum of $12,472.99, leaving a balance from the Carnegie gift in the treasury amounting to $27.01. In his remarks Secretary Norhoe gave credit to library trustee Z. D. Johns, who had freely given his time in superintending the construction, for assisting in enabling the board to complete the building within the amount appropriated.
The new building was accepted on behalf of the city by Harry Widmer, chairman of the board of city trustees, in which he compli- mented the library board on the excellent work done.
Since the dedication of the library it has grown and become a most serviceable and prized institution in the city. Miss Dold served a number of years as librarian. She was succeeded by Miss Norma Burrell, who served until in the fall of 1911, when she was succeeded by Miss Bessie Hermann.
In 1912 Miss Hermann successfully undertook to extend the scope of the Hanford library and make it the center of a county library system. She brought the matter before the city trustees and the library board, and those bodies acting with the county board of supervisors, carried out the plan under the existing state laws, and now the institution is county-wide, having branch libraries at Cor- coran, Armona, Guernsey, Grangeville, Lemoore and Hardwick. The library is supported from the publie treasury.
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CHAPTER XXVIII
LEMOORE
Lemoore, located on the Southern Pacific Railroad, nine miles west of Hanford, the county seat, is the second city in size in the county, having an estimated population of 2500. It was founded by Dr. Lavern Lee Moore, who located with his family on land where the city now stands in April, 1871. The following August Dr. Moore surveyed a few acres, and ten of them were staked out as town lots, where business soon was set up by the pioneers of the town. Dr. Moore christened the young town Latache. The settlers then had neither railroad or mail facilities and the postoffice at Grangeville was the nearest point from which postal accommodations were enjoyed. Soon Dr. Moore petitioned the department at Washington for the establishment of a postoffice, and a new name was selected for the place by abbreviating the middle name and combining it with the last name of the founder and calling the new postoffice Lemoore. Mr. Moore died September 11, 1898, at the town he founded.
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