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 55
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 55
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Tulare, thenee to Round valley, thence to Porterville and thence, in 1899, again to Tulare, where he remained until his death, which occurred November 9, 1909. Wherever he lived he combined his two occupations, farming and blacksmithing.
In 1866 Mr. Headrick married Sarah Palmer, a native of Wis- consin, who had been reared in Iowa and was then living at Fresno. She bore eleven children, six of whom are living: Leonard Fry, George Fry and Della Fry, who married Ellis Marvin of Hanford, Cal. (these three by a former marriage), and Arna, Emory and Ivy (by her marriage with Mr. Headrick). Arna is the wife of John E. Walker of Tulare, a biographical sketch of whom appears in these pages; Emory lives at Porterville: Ivy married S. J. Miller of Tulare.
HENRY JOSEPH BORGMAN
A leader in the transfer business at Exeter, Tulare county, Cal., Henry Joseph Borgman is the owner of considerable property in that city and its vicinity. One of the successful men of the town he has made his way in the world by his own unaided efforts and is recog- nized as one of the prominent self-made men of the county. He was born in Kewaunee county, Wis., in 1871, was educated in the public schools there and lived there until 1902, about the time he attained his majority. His father, Max Borgman, a native of Germany, landed in New York city April 14, 1865, the day of the assassination of President Lincoln. He died in 1894, and his widow, also a native of the fatherland, survived until 1907.
When Mr. Borgman came to California he found employment as a laborer and by industry and frugality as well as by good business ability, he has made himself the owner of the most ex- tensive transfer business in his part of the county. He keeps five teams and five men constantly busy. In connection with the enter- prise he maintains a large storage warehouse which has been in- stalled at considerable expense during the last year. He has bought property from time to time until he owns several valuable pieces in Exeter and in the country round about. Politically he is a Re- publican, and as a citizen he has in many ways demonstrated his public spirit, showing a willingness at all times to do anything in his power for the community with which he has east his lot. Fra- ternaHy he affiliates with the Modern Woodmen and the Woodmen of the World.
In 1895 Mr. Borgman married Miss Frances Wahl, a native of Wisconsin, whose father has passed away, but whose mother is a
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member of Mr. Borgman's household. Mr. and Mrs. Borgman have eight children: Lena, Eddie, Katie, Mary, Joseph, Clara, Antone and Adolph. The first four mentioned were born in Wisconsin, the others are native sons and daughters of California. Lena, Eddie, Katie, Mary and Joseph are students in the public school at Ex- eter.
WINFRED D. DRENNEN
This enterprising and skillful harnessmaker and saddler, whose place of business is on North Irwin street, between Sixth and Sev- enth streets. Hanford, Kings county, Cal., was born in Kansas, Jan- uary 1, 1877, and lived there until he was about eight years old. Then his father died and his mother brought him to California, lo- cating in Hanford, and here he was reared and educated. His first employment was on a ranch, and for some time he divided his labors between ranch work and such work as he found in packing houses. Eventually he began to learn the harnessmaker's trade with C. S. Cunningham of Hanford. Two years later Mr. Cunningham sold out to Mr. Uberbacher, for whom the young man worked until Mr. Uberbacher died, leaving the business to his widow, who continued it till September, 1911, when she sold it to Mr. Drennen, who has owned and managed it since. He mannfactures harness and sad- dles and deals in them and in whips, robes, carriage trimmings and harness and leather supplies, besides doing in a workman-like man- ner all repairs in his line.
Fraternally Mr. Drennen affiliates with the Improved Order of Red Men. the Foresters of America and the U. P. E. C. In these orders as well as in business circles he is justly popular, for he is of a friendly and helpful disposition, and as a citizen is public- spirited and solicitons for the general welfare of the community.
JOSEPH BEZERA
In the Azores, in February, 1866, was born Joseph Bezera, who is familiarly known to people around Hanford, Kings county, Cal., as Joe Bezera. He was brought up on a farm on his native island and remained there until he was sixteen years old, when he emigrated to the Sandwich islands, whence he came when he was eighteen years old to California, locating at Hanford before the end of 1884. Until 1893 he worked on farms and sheep ranches, and then he became a sheep raiser on his own account, and so successful was he in ac-
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emmulating stock that he came in time to have a flock of seven thousand; he disposed of this interest in 1911. Meanwhile, in 1900, he had bought one hundred and fifty-eight acres of land, a mile northwest of the city limits of Hanford. It was unimproved and he built fences and barns and a fine residence and otherwise fitted it for profitable use. About one-half of the place is in alfalfa and he raises much stock. With others he is the owner of an extensive dairy busi- ness which is conducted on a rented ranch of six hundred and forty acres, near Visalia, and there, too, stock is raised.
In 1911 Mr. Bezera revisited his native isle to renew acquaint- ance with scenes and friends of his earlier years, and after an ab- sence from Hanford of one year and eight months, returned in 1912 and was gladly welcomed by the many friends he had made in his adopted country. He has become known as a man of progress and enterprise, who takes an interest deep and generous in the general prosperity of the community. Fraternally he affiliates with the I. D. E. S. and the U. P. E. C. He married, in 1902, Miss Mary Amelia Rogers, who has borne him three daughters and three sons: Lena, Mary. Manuel, James, Joseph, Jr., and Amelia.
HERBERT ASKIN
In 1869 Herbert Askin was born in Crawford county, Mo., and in 1888 he came to California, having in the meantime acquired such education as was necessary to fit him for the career of usefulness upon which he was about to enter as well as a practical knowledge of the plumbing and tinning trades. For three years after he ar- rived in California he made his father's instruction available by work as a plumber in which he was so successful as to win the appro- bation not only of his employers, but of the general public of Fresno. From Fresno he went to Hanford, where he remained until January, 1894, when he came to Visalia and established himself in business as a plumber and tinsmith.
In 1896 Mr. Askin married Miss Louisa Dinely, a daughter of a Tulare county pioneer. He was successful almost from the outset of his career in Visalia, and in July, 1911, occupied his new build- ing on East Main street, which he erected according to his own plans and which in actual use has proven to be one of the most modern and best equipped structures of its class in this part of the state. While doing a general line of tinner's work he makes a specialty of water tanks and galvanized iron work. The following brief mention of buildings in which he has done the plumbing since he came to Visalia will afford an idea of the scope of his enterprise: City Hall, addition to the Court House, First National Bank build-
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ing, new high school, Washington grammar school, American hotel, Boone hotel, new Mt. Whitney Power company building, the Visalia club building, the Goldstein block, the Kaweah club building and very many of the fine homes erected or remodeled in the city in recent years.
In 1907 Mr. Askin was elected a city trustee of Visalia, in which office he served four years. He was especially honored in 1907 by being chosen to serve as acting president of the board on the oe- casion of the opening of the new city hall. The work of the board of trustees during his term of service resulted in many important im- provements and the administration of the municipal affairs at that time has passed into history as one conspicuous for its high busi- ness character. It relieved the city of a debt of $7,000, and in 1911 turned it over to the new board of trustees with $8,000 in the treas- ury. It put through a $45,000 bond issue to raise funds for the building of the new city hall and the erection of concrete bridges over irrigation ditches running through Visalia. It resurfaced all the paved streets of the town and laid twenty-nine blocks of new pavement. Not the least of its achievements was the putting of the Mill creek conduit into Visalia. Of all these measures Mr. Askin was a promoter and with the working out of some of the more im- portant of them he was personally concerned. During a part of the period of the activities of the Visalia Building & Loan association he was one of its directors.
MORGAN J. WELLS
A residence of over fifty years in California entitles Mr. Wells to the name of pioneer, and as such he has borne a noble part in bringing about the improved conditions which we of the present day enjoy. He was born in Dixon county, Tenn., June 15, 1833, the son of Henry Gilbert and Nancy (Wilson) Wells, both also natives of that same southern state. Mr. Wells has no knowledge of his native state, for he was less than six months old when his parents re- moved from Tennessee and settled in Pope county, Ark. Upon wild and unbroken land which the father purchased he improved a fine farm, carrying on general farming and stockraising for several years. Another removal of the family in 1856 brought them to California, ox teams being the motive power, and here the parents rounded out their useful lives, the father passing away at the age of eighty-one years, and the mother when sixty years old. Mrs. Wells was the daughter of Adam Wilson, a native of Ireland, who after his immigration to the United States followed farming in Ten- nessee.
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Of the seven children born to Henry G. and Nancy (Wilson) Wells, Morgan J. Wells was the sixth child and is now the only one living. Needless to say that his educational advantages were meagre when it is known that his entire boyhood was passed in frontier sur- roundings. The school he was privileged to attend was a rude log affair with shake roof and slab benches, and he was taught to write with a quill pen of the teacher's own manufacture. When he was less than twenty years of age he was attacked with the gold fever and in the spring of 1852 he formed a company and started with ox teams for the Pacific coast. By way of what was known as the Cherokee route they went up the Arkansas valley, through Den- ver and along the Platte river to Salt Lake, and from there by way of Humboldt and Carson City to Tuolumne county, and from there to Sonora, six months having been consumed in the journey. After a year's experience in mining there Mr. Wells went to old Millerton, there combining mining and teaming for about three years, when he came to Tulare county and for a number of months thereafter he continued freighting, hauling lumber from the mountains with ox teams.
The year after coming to Tulare county, in 1857, Mr. Wells was married and settled with his wife on the ranch which they now occupy, five miles northwest of Visalia. The nucleus of his present property was one hundred and sixty acres which he entered from the government. The old shake house which at first adorned it gave place in time to a more substantial frame house. Year by year im- provements have been made upon the property, enhancing its value as well as its beauty. Mr. Wells carries on general farming and teaming, making a specialty of raising wheat, and he also raises cattle and hogs. Of late years he has given some attention to the raising of fruit, and now has a fine family orchard, thirty acres alone in prunes, which seem to be especially adapted to this locality. As means and opportunity have made it possible Mr. Wells has added to his acreage, the home farm now containing two hundred and forty acres, besides which he owns what is known as Bone Canyon ranch. eleven hundred acres of land fourteen miles northeast of his home ranch. The last-mentioned property is devoted almost exclusively to grain and stockraising. The Wutchumna canal, in which Mr. Wells is financially interested, supplies water to his property.
Mention has been made of Mr. Wells's marriage. In maidenhood his wife was Miss Catherine Fudge, a native of Tennessee, the daughter of John B. Fudge, a farmer, who settled as a pioneer in California in 1856. Six children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Wells: Mary, the wife of L. H. Douglass, died at the age of twenty-three years, leaving one child, David Roy Douglass, a graduate of the San Francisco College of Pharmacy; Sallie is a resident of Visalia; Susan E. became the wife of David Donglass and died in Visalia at
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the age of thirty-two; Maggie died when eighteen years old; John died when twenty years old; and William Reid is a prominent farmer and stockman, having charge of the Bone Canyon ranch. The son last mentioned married Linda Pleas, a native of California, and they have one son, Donald Morgan.
Politically, Morgan J. Wells is a Democrat, and at one time served as a member of the county committee. Elected to the office of sheriff in 1879, in March of the following year he took the oath of office and rendered his constituents valued service for two years and ten months. While holding this office Mr. Wells became asso- ciated with a number of celebrated cases, among them being that of Ben Harris, a negro, who killed his wife and child. Harris was overtaken in the brush by Mr. Wells and his deputies, and being defied by their victim, he was shot by one of the deputy sheriffs. Mr. Wells belongs to Visalia lodge No. 128, F. & A. M., as does also his son, William R .; and he is also a member of Visalia chapter, R. A. M., and the Ancient Order of United Workmen. Mrs. Wells is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Since 1909 Mr. and Mrs. Wells have resided in Visalia, having built a pretty little bungalow suited to their needs at No. 423 South Garden street.
ANDREW JACKSON DAVIS
To the pioneer belongs all honor, and he is invariably given due respect in his own country, for when he has passed away he is re- membered as one who gave his life as a part of the foundation on which rests the splendid social structure of a later day. Andrew Jackson Davis was a pioneer whose life spanned the period from November 3, 1833, to May 1, 1901, when he passed away. He was a native of Tennessee and in 1854 left his old home and came overland to California, arriving at San Francisco in the spring of the following year. For three years he was a miner at Hangtown and at other mines on the Frasier river. In 1858 he came to Tulare county and took up government land, near Farmersville, which he improved until he had one of the good farms in that vicinity. He married Sarah Ann Davis, a native of Illinois and of a family of Davises which bore no known relationship to his, and they had children as follows: Alfred A., Fitzhugh, Eva, Irene, Elizabeth A., Clement B., and Andrew P. Fitzhugh died in early manhood, Eva when she was seven years old, Irene when she was five years old and their mother in August, 1880. Elizabeth A. is the wife of B. W. Jennings, a ranchman near Farmersville. Clement B. died when thirty-three years old, leaving two children and a widow, residing in Los Angeles.
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The youngest of his father's family, Andrew P. Davis was born at Farmersville, Tulare county, Cal., May 27, 1877. After leaving school he helped his father on the latter's ranch of one hundred and sixty acres until his father's death, then received thirty acres as his share of the property. He began to farm on his own account in 1898 and planted a fine orchard which adorns his place. Having made a careful study of fruit culture, he has been enabled to obtain the very best results from his trees and in a general way his entire venture has been very successful. In 1907 he took two hundred and thirty tons of prunes from one thousand trees, an average of eight boxes to the tree, and in 1911 the same trees yielded him two hundred and twenty tons. From two hundred and seventy-five Phillips eling-stone peach trees he gathered sixteen tons of fruit in 1910 and fifteen tons in 1911.
In 1897 Mr. Davis married Elizabeth Titrich, a native of Kan- sas, and they have children named Melbourne and Irvin P. Fra- ternally Mr. Davis affiliates with the Woodmen of the World.
JOHN WHITTAKER BAIRSTOW
Numbered conspicuously among the successful fruitgrowers of Hanford and vicinity is John Whittaker Bairstow, who was born in England, May 23, 1859. He was reared in England and there edu- cated and taught the secrets of the nurseryman, and it was as a nurseryman that he was employed in his native land till he was thirty years old. Leaving his wife and three children behind him in England he came to California about the first of July, 1889, crossing the continent by rail from New York city. He sought work in vain at different nurseries in Oakland and Alameda and was finally compelled to take employment in the planing mill of George C. Pape at East Oakland, where he worked about eighteen months. Mean- while he made the acquaintance of J. C. Kimball, the well-known prune grower of Kings county, and went with him to Hanford in 1891, remaining in his employ till the fall of that year. During this time he was engaged in setting out a prune orchard for Mr. Kimball and the latter's brother and some of their relatives, handling all the trees and distributing them to different ranches until five hundred and four acres had been put under that fruit. For six months he helped to bud nursery stock in the Lucerne vineyard.
Mr. Bairstow later brought his family over from England and set up his home near Hanford, renting twenty acres of vineyard of N. M. Newell. After the first season, he pulled up the vines and for six years he farmed the land, working out whenever he could spare time from the place. Itis next venture was as a nursery-
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man, raising his own stock. In 1896 he bought twenty acres of the J. C. Courtner ranch, and ten years later an adjoining twenty, of the Lucerne vineyard. He set seven acres of vineyard on the original twenty, an acre of apricots and a small family orchard, but at this time he uses all the land for nursery stock. In 1902 he established a nursery yard at Hanford, where he carries Early May, Elberta, Lovell, Muir, Admiral Dewey, Wheatland and late and early Crawford free-stone peaches and Heath, Sullivan, Orange, Phillips and Lemon cling-stone peaches; Early Royal, Routier Peach, Tilton and St. Ambrose apricots; Ben Davis, White Winter Pearmain, Red June and Red Astrakhan apples; Bartlett and Winter Nellis pears; French, Robe de Sargent and Tradegey prunes; Prunes Simona and English Dawson plums; Muscat and Thompson seedless grapes; nec- tarines, and sycamore, maple, California walnut, poplar, Texas um- brella and other shade and ornamental trees. Ile was the first nurseryman to put on sale the Tilton apricot, exhibiting it at the State Fruit Growers' convention in Sacramento in 1902 and taking a first grade diploma for choicest dried fruit in competition with all the fruit produced in the state. This apricot originated here in King's county with J. E. Tilton, and Mr. Bairstow handles it in his trade.
In March, 1877, Mr. Bairstow married Miss Lonisa Williams, a native and then a resident of England, and she has borne him five children, of whom two, Lott and Samuel, survive; Rosson, their eldest, died at Hanford; Ethelbert died in infancy in England, and another, born in California, died in infancy. Mr. Bairstow is an American in everything except actual birth that the name can imply. His interest in the community with which he has cast his lot is such as to make him a citizen of much public spirit, and no call for aid toward the betterment of the condition of any considerable number of his fellow citizens fails to receive his prompt and generous response.
EDMUND J. FUDGE
Among the most prominent citizens of Visalia was the late Ed- mund J. Fudge, who made his home at No. 423 South Garden street. Hle served for eight years as deputy sheriff of Tulare county, C'al., and was four times elected marshal of the city mentioned. Mr. Fudge was born in Madison county, Tenn., in 1832, a son of John B. Fudge, and was taken in infancy to Arkansas, where his family lived until 1856. Then they crossed the plains to California with ox-teams, driving cattle and otherwise making the journey in primitive ways
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of pioneers. In 1859 they came to the vicinity of Visalia, where the father prospered as a stockraiser until he passed away.
After acquiring such education as was afforded him, Edmund J. Fudge took up the activities of life in the teaming business in Tulare county, and in 1861, when he was thirty years old, he went to Arizona and New Mexico, where he teamed and prospected for ore. and about this time he mined in Nevada and for a year in Stanislaus county, Cal. In Arizona he narrowly escaped being killed by Indians; he and four companions were chased by a band of redskins, and three of his companions were killed. Mr. Fudge's horse was shot under him, and he sprang to a seat beside his re- maining companion, whose horse made good in a race with their pursuers. For many years after his return to Tulare county Mr. Fudge was engaged in stockraising with M. J. Wells, his brother-in- law, who has an enviable place in the history of Tulare county as one of its most efficient sheriffs. Under Sheriff Wells Mr. Fudge was appointed deputy sheriff, in which office he served eight years, giving the greatest satisfaction in that capacity. Elected four times city marshal of Visalia, he filled the office with singular fitness and fidelity.
Mr. Fudge owned a quarter-section of ranch land near Visalia and a quarter-section of timber land in the mountains, but was for some time before his death practically retired from active busi- ness. Fraternally he was affiliated with Knights Templar Masons and with the Knights of Pythias. As a citizen he was always public- spiritedly helpful to all good interests of the community. Mr. Fudge died at Visalia November 14, 1911. He left an estate valned at about $16,000.
IIARRY JEROME RAISCH
The ability to see a good opportunity and the promptness and energy which enables a man to take time by the forelock are as requisite to the farmer who would succeed as to men in any other business or profession, and perhaps in his work these factors are brought into demand oftener than in the work of his neighbors in other walks of life. One who has demonstrated this fact by the sagacious buying of good land. and by improving and cultivating it with due regard for all influencing conditions, is H. J. Raisch, who lives five miles north of Hanford, in Kings county, Cal.
It was in the honored old state of Kentucky that Mr. Raisch was born on February 7, 1861. However, he lived there but a com- paratively short time, for he was early taken by his family to Kan- sas, where he was reared to manhood, educated in the public schools
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and initiated into the details of practical farming. In 1883, when he was about twenty-two years old, he came to Hanford, where he prospered for some years at teaming and as a farmer on rented land. In 1907 he bought twenty-two acres five miles north of the city, ten acres of which was a fine peach orchard. He has since ac- quired an adjoining tract of the same area and is preparing to go quite extensively into fruit culture. Besides this property he owns one hundred and sixty acres of grazing land on the west side which he rents out. In 1912 he inherited twenty-two acres of his father's estate, which is located opposite his home place and is all in vines. He has improved his homestead with buildings and fences and ontfitted it with everything in the way of machinery and ap- pliances that is essential to the successful prosecution of his enter- prise.
In 1885 Mr. Raisch united his fortunes by marriage with those of Miss Cinderella Barlow, who by her sympathy and advice has aided him materially in the winning of his most substantial suc- cess. Genial of disposition and social in all his instincts, he has from time to time identified himself with fraternal orders, notably with the Knights of Pythias and the Woodmen of the World. As a citizen he has shown his devotion to the general good by giving all due encouragement to snch measures as have been promoted for the development of his town, county and state.
JOHN CULBERSON RICE
A pioneer of Central California who has been identified with its development for over half a century is John Culberson Rice. He was born in Benton county, Ark., April 27, 1849, son of Isaac and Martha E. (Gardner) Rice, natives of Tennessee. In 1857, Isaac Rice. with his wife and children, crossed the plains with ox-teams to Califor- nia, their journey consuming six months. They passed the winter of 1857-58 in Napa county and in the following spring went to Clear Lake, Lake county, where the elder Rice went into the raising of cattle, horses and hogs. In 1862 he went back to Wooden valley, where he had passed his first winter in California, and bought one hundred and sixty acres, on which he raised stock until in 1867, and then moved to Vacaville, Solano county, in order to obtain better educational facilities for his children. Buying town property there, he also rented land outside which he farmed with success till 1872, when he came to Tulare county and took up a quarter-section north of Visalia. Later he farmed near Dinnba, where he passed away in 1888, his wife surviving him till in 1907. As a Mason and as a citizen, Mr. Rice stood high in the public regard. Following are
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