USA > California > History of the State of California and biographical record of Coast Counties, California. An historical story of the state's marvelous growth from its earliest settlement to the present time > Part 84
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company him on a trip to St. Louis. Traveling in those days was a laborious undertaking. and in this instance was accomplished by steamboat to Chicago, by stage coach to Peru, Ill., and down the river by steamboat to their destination. The Missouri river was at that time very much swollen and spread out in all directions, and the steamboat paid little attention to its chart, steer- ing through woods or over fields in an effort to shorten its course. The travelers returned to Jefferson county, Mo., and remained until March, 1849, when Mr. Morgan became afflicted with the gold fever, and joined a party headed for the desired Mecca. Four ox-teams were utilized in going to St. Louis for supplies, and the full train for California was made up and started from St. Joseph, Mo. This train con- sisted of twenty wagons, with Dr. Bassett as cap- tain, but Mr. Morgan and two others became dissatisfied with the rest, and the three wagons separated from the train and proceeded on their own trail. Arriving at the Platte river, they economized by discarding one wagon, and the two continued their way, arriving in California with little save determination.
As a starter, Mr. Morgan obtained work at driving an ox-team for Și a day, but he soon branched out into mining, in which he was fairly successful. After working hard for some weeks he accumulated considerable of the coveted dust, which he kept in a vault in his cabin, the vault consisting of an old boat which had long since outlived its original usefulness. Upon return- ing one night he found the boat empty, and from then on the little cabin became an eyesore, his hopelessness being intensified by the rains which flooded the earth, and rendered the search for more dust impracticable and almost out of the question. Mr. Morgan thereupon went to Sac- ramento, then called Embarcadero, and later went to Negroes Bar, one mile below Norman's Island, on the American river. Here he man- aged an hotel for Francis Fowler on the Auburn road, near Sacramento, for a salary of $300 a month, but out of these expectations he received but $30 for three months' work. A more suc- cessful venture was at Ecker's bar, where he mined until February, 1851, when, owing to im- paired health from exposure, he returned to Mis-
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souri via the Isthmus, and was once again with the wife whom he had left behind, and whom he had married October 17, 1848. Mrs. Morgan was formerly Jane C. Pitzer, a native of St. Louis, and a daughter of Duig and Sarah (Myers) Pitzer, the latter of whom died when her daughter was an infant. The child was par- tially reared by her mother's parents until her father's second marriage, and she was trained in the household arts and taught the value of faith- fulness and duty.
In Missouri Mr. Morgan engaged in the man- ufacture of flour and lumber on the Big River, Jefferson county, until the spring of 1854, in which year he again longed for the freedom of the west, and persuaded his wife to accompany him across the plains. They arrived at Santa Cruz in August, 1854, where Mr. Morgan's sis- ter and husband were living, and he had charge of the wharf for a couple of years. In 1863 he purchased sixty acres of raw land near Santa Cruz, still owned by his widow, which he began to improve and upon which he farmed and lum- bered for about a year. He then moved to Bear valley and was in the employ of Gen. J. C. Fre- mont until 1857, when he took charge of the Hamlin mills on Merced river. After returning to his farm he bought one hundred and twenty additional acres of land, where he farmed and raised stock very successfully and accumulated a large competence. He was a very capable man, very active and enthusiastic, and he managed to give all of his ten children a more than ordinarily fine education. The west proved to be just the place for him, and the west needed his energy and progressiveness. The uniqueness of his per- sonality furnished many an interesting anecdote, and he was foremost on many occasions when the opportunity had been lost were it not for his foresight and certainty of success. With a man named John Baxter he went out into a row boat and received from the American ship the papers which announced the glad tidings that California had been admitted to statehood. Dur- ing the Civil war he enlisted in a cavalry com- pany formed at Santa Cruz, but the company was never in active service.
After the death of her husband, Mrs. Morgan stayed on the farm for some time, herself man-
aging the large responsibility, assisted by her daughter, Martha. In time the strain became more than she could attend to, and in 1899 she leased the property, and has since made her home in Santa Cruz. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Morgan are as follows: John Sanders, a resident of San Francisco, who married Cornelia Moger, by whom he has one son, Harry ; Samuel David, of Oakland, Cal., who married Miss Ten- nessee Beal, and has a daughter, Mrs. Ethel McCabe ; George D., who married Julia Walker, and has six children, George, John, Harold, Frank, Walter and Donald; Sarah, who is man- ager of the Woman's Exchange of Santa Cruz; Martha, who is living at home; Charles, who married Elizabeth Trevethen, and has six chil- dren, Mabel, Earl. Lucile, Everett, Lottie, and Madaline : William, who married Eva Treve- then, and has two children, Genevieve and Alex- ander; Bertha, who is the wife of Alexander Marquess of San Francisco, and has one son, Pierre; and Jeannette, who is a bookkeeper for the Sea Side store of Santa Cruz.
T. A. WORK.
One of the pioneer business men of Pacific Grove, and one of the most earnest and sub- stantial of her upbuilders, Mr. Work was born in the Shetland Islands in November of 1869, and came to his present home when seventeen years of age. At that time was inaugurated a career unaided by influential backing or the supposed advantage of money and to this necessity for in- dependent thought and action may be traced a subsequent meritorious success.
From a very small beginning Mr. Work em- barked in the hay, grain and wood business, and from this nucleus has branched out into a many- sided enterprise, the principal department of which is the supplying of building materials. He also has a complete line of hardware, paints, oils and glass, and has furnished about ninety per cent of the commodities used in the construc- tion of the town, including business houses, churches, schools and private residences. Nor has the outfitting of others constituted his sole ambition, for he has built and still owns more cottages than any other one citizen in Pacific
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Grove, and has erected the Work block, on Lighthouse avenue, the only three-story business block in the town. He has also engaged in the purchase and sale of real estate, and much valu- able and desirable property has passed through his hands. The excellence of his work has re- sulted in contracts for grading all the principal streets of the city. In one way and another he is connected with some of the largest concerns in this part of the state, among them being the Sperry Flour Company and the Loma Prieta Lumber Company, of which he is sole agent south of Salinas.
In 1895 Mr. Work married Maude E. Porter, a native of Toulumne county, Cal., and of this union there are three children. Mr. Work is a Republican in political affiliation, and in this (lepartment of city activity he has received many assurances of the confidence entertained for him by the general public. He has been city treas- urer since April of 1898. Fraternally he is as- sociated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Ancient Order of United Workmen, and the Elks of Salinas.
JAMES MORCY.
Previous to locating on his farm of sixty- seven acres near Soquel, Santa Cruz county, in 1878, James Morcy had familiarized himself with several parts of the great west, and had been variously occupied. He is one of the adap- tive Irishmen who have contributed to the well being of this country, and was born in county Waterford, Ireland, in 1840, and is sec- ond oldest of the six children born to James and Vary (Lee) Morcy. The other children were named Patrick, Margaret, Mary, Michael and Thomas.
Francisco May 13, 1860. In Santa Cruz he found employment at his old trade of paper mak- ing_ after which he went to San Francisco and tried his luck at mining. Desiring to reach Port- land, Ore., he walked all the way from San Francisco, and upon reaching that city went up the Salmon river in a skiff to Washington terri- tory, where he mined with average success for a couple of years. He subsequently spent a num- ber of years in Reno, Nev., and as before stated, came to Santa Cruz in 1878. He is engaged in general farming and stock raising, and besides raises a variety of fruits and grains.
In 1880 Mr. Morcy married Delia Donahue, a native of Ireland, who has proved a true help- mate and an inspiration to his success. Mr. Morey is independent in political affiliation, but has never interested himself in trying to secure office. He is a communicant of the Roman Cath- olic Church, and is credited with being a public spirited and enterprising citizen.
SYLVESTER J. MASON.
The term self-made applies in its truest sense to Sylvester J. Mason, who has traveled a long and hard road to his present position among the large land owners of Santa Cruz county, and to his retirement from active business life in the prosperous little town of Soquel. He was born in a little log cabin in Ohio, July 3, 1820, and his parents were born in Connecticut, his father, Sylvester, being a shoemaker by trade.
Mr. Mason was reared on a farm, and at an early age lost his father by death, so that it be- came necessary for him to shoulder responsi- bility at a comparatively early age. His first business position was with a general store in Ohio, and while thus employed he managed to acquire a fair education in the schools of Piqua
When very young James Morcy lost his father through death, and when nine years of age he . and Troy, near which latter town he was born. came to America with his mother on a sailing He was subsequently bound out to a Mr. Kink, in Lynn, Ohio, who was the proprietor of a jewelry store, and after his release went to live with an aunt in one of the near by towns of Ohio. After learning the joiner's trade he worked for fifty cents a day, and also for a time cultivated a sixty-acre farm. His various ex- periences in Ohio led him to believe that greater vessel, the voyage taking six weeks and a few lays. He continued to live at home until sey- enteen years of age, and during that time worked in a paper mill, being in the end fairly conversant with all branches of the paper man- cufacturing business. In 1860 he came to Cali- Fornia via Central America, landing in San
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chances awaited him on the coast, and he there- fore started over the plains with ox teams and wagons, in 1854, taking several head of cattle along with him. About 1860 he located in Santa Cruz, where he purchased a ranch and lived thereon until 1895. This land is at present rented ont to tenants, and the owner has retired from active life. He is a Republican in national pol- itics, but has never sought office, preferring to devote all of his time to his farm. He is fra- ternally associated with the Independent Order Odd Fellows.
The wife of Mr. Mason, Margaret ( Martin) Mason, was born November 10, 1822, and died in California November 17, 1895. The mar- riage ceremony was performed November I, 1844, and of the union were born seven children, viz .: Agnes L., born November 1, 1846, and (lied September 4, 1851: Charles S., born Feb- ruary 22, 1848; Frank H., December 8, 1850; Louis F., December 19, 1856; Caroline, April 14, 1858; Albert, born November 1, 1861, and died September 1, 1868; and Sylvester J., Jr., born February 28, 1868.
URIAL S. NICHOLS.
The ancestry of the Nichols family is traced back to Scotland and England, but years have passed since some of the name crossed the At- lantic to America. Patriotism has been a family trait, and was shown by one of the ancestors through his loyal service in the Revolutionary war. Descended from him was Samuel Nichols, who with a brother, James L., served in the war of 1812 and was present at Sacket Harbor. Samuel's son, Urial S., proved himself to be worthy of his patriotic lineage, for soon after the opening of the Civil war he offered his services to aid in putting down the rebellion, and enlisted, in Lewis county, N. Y., December 16, 1861, as a member of Company B, Ninety- seventh New York Infantry, under Col. Charles Wheelock. His service of three years was one of honor and recognized valor, and at the time of his discharge he was holding the rank of sergeant.
Lewis county, N. Y., was the native place of Urial S. Nichols and February 7, 1838, the date
of his birth. His parents, Samuel and Polly (Cahoon) Nichols, were farmers and lifelong residents of that county. An older brother, Ben- jamin C., came to California in 1852, and after he had completed his military service he decided to seek a home on the Pacific coast. Accordingly, with his brother, Merritt, he came to California in 1865, and at first engaged with his brothers in the lumber and sawmill business. Two years later he sold his interest in the business and removed to Aptos, Santa Cruz county, where he was employed as a carpenter and millwright. Returning to Santa Cruz somewhat later, he es- tablished his home here and engaged at the trade of carpenter until 1898, when he was elected constable of the city and township of Santa Cruz, a position that he has efficiently filled. His brother, the pioneer of 1852, died in 1901, while the other brother, Merritt, is now living in Lompoc, Cal.
The marriage of Urial S. Nichols united hin with a daughter of Jonathan Gile, of Santa Cruz, and two children were born of their union, Clara and Lois. In fraternal relations Mr. Nichols is a firm believer in the lofty principles of Masonry, and has allied himself with Lodge No. 38, F. & A. M., in which he has held minor offices. His views upon religious subjects are liberal. Dur- ing his long residence in Santa Cruz county he has endeavored to promote its welfare in every way possible and has given his influence and time to promote worthy projects.
GEORGE M. ORD.
.A painter by trade, and one of the well known citizens and politicians of Soquel, Mr. Ord is a native son of the state, and was born in Butte county, November 30, 1865. The oldest of the children born to John S. and Carrie (Max- well) Ord, he had two sisters, Catherine and Birdie N., and being the only son in the family was early trained to hard work on the paternal farm of one hundred and ten acres in Butte county. At the age of eighteen years he decided that his future prospects lay remote from the home surroundings, and as his first independent means of livelihood found employment with the Southern Pacific Railroad Company for four
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years. In 1888 ffe returned to Soquel from San Francis, where his railroad experiences were centered, and was forthwith elected constable of the town, a position maintained with satisfac- hen to all concerned for twelve years. In April, 1001, he was appointed justice of the peace, the duties of which office are carried on in connec- tion with his trade as painter. He has a shop in Soquel, and receives an extended patronage from those appreciative of good work.
In 1895 Mr. Ord was united in marriage with Mrs. (Mason) Comstock, the daughter of S. J. Mason, a prominent resident of Soquel. Mr. Ord is a Republican in politics, and is fraternally connected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He is enterprising and broad minded, and is one of the younger generation of business men of whom his adopted town may well be proud.
BENJAMIN F. PORTER.
Strongly outlined against the history of Cali- fornia since the early '5os is the career of Ben- jamin F. Porter, one of the best known, wealth- iest, and most influential residents of Santa Cruz county. While his present business standing is partially indicated by his position as vice-presi- dent of the Bank of Santa Cruz, this responsi- bility constitutes but one of the many avennes of activity invaded by the unusual business sagacity and far-sighted acumen of this large land owner and successful manipulator of west- ern resources. He was born in the state of Ver- mont, April 20, 1833, and is a son of Dr. Ben- jamin and Sophia ( Hutton) Porter, natives re- spectively of Connecticut and Northfield, Vt .; and grandson of Isaiah and Hannah (Gallup) Porter, the former a native of Salem, Mass. Benjamin Porter was a medical practitioner up to the time of his death in 1887, and he was the father of four children, viz .: Elizabeth, Edward. Edwin and Benjamin F.
Into the otherwise uneventful youth of Ben- jamin F. Porter came the opportunity to remove to California, and he set out upon the journey via Central America, March 17, 1853, arriving in San Francisco on his twenty-first birthday. Ilis first work on the coast had to do with tele-
graph poles, and he cut the first poles used be- tween San Francisco and San José. For a year he engaged in the lumber business and cut lum- ber for many of the oldest buildings in San Francisco, and in 1857 he started over the moun- tains with ox teams, locating on Aptos creek. Here he made shingles for a livelihood, and managed to ship half a million of them to the surrounding towns. He also engaged in field reaping, and in 1855, in partnership with his cousin, George K., and C. W. Moore, began to operate the Soquel tannery, in connection with which they manufactured boots and shoes at a plant in San Francisco. The cousins afterward bought out the interest of Mr. Moore, and the firm became Porter, Slesinger & Co., continuing thus for five years. Mr. Porter stepped out of the tannery and boot and shoe business in 1879, having in the meantime accumulated a com- petence, and purchased a tract of fifty-six thousand acres of land in Los Angeles county. Here he located and farmed, and after disposing of part of his land for $455,000, still had twelve thousand acres left. This property is still in his possession, as is also fifteen thousand acres in Monterey county, and seventy-five hundred acres in other parts of the state.
During the greater part of the year Mr. Porter lives on his ranch in Santa Cruz county, between Sequel and Aptos, although for the conduct of his many sided affairs he has offices at Nos. 211- 13 Sacramento street, San Francisco, and also in Los Angeles. He is a direetor in the State Loan and Trust Company, and has been vice- president of the Bank of Santa Cruz since Jan- uary 14, 1902. In national politics he is a Re- publican, but aside from the formality of casting his vote, has never been identified with the more strenuous political life. In 1867, in Vermont, he married Kate Hubbard, and of this union there is one daughter, Mary S., who is the wife of W. T. Sisnon, of San Francisco, and who has three children, Porter, Catherine, and Barbara. Mr. Porter has the notable personal characteristics inseparably associated with pro- nounced and continuous success, augmented by the special attributes of patience and discernment so well understood by the splendid pioneers of the coast.
CHARLES MCFADDEN
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CHARLES MCFADDEN.
A pioneer of the early 'sos who turned his California opportunities to good account was Charles McFadden, who owned a four hundred acre ranch in Salinas district, Monterey county, and at one time extensively engaged in dairying and stock-raising. He was born in the north of Ireland in 1822, and died in Monterey county May 14, 1898.
When quite a young boy Mr. McFadden came to America with an uncle and aunt, with whom he located in St. Johns. New Brunswick, and was there reared and educated. In time he made his way to Dane county, Wis., where he lived for three years, but was not entirely satisfied with the state as a future place of residence. Stirred by the glowing accounts he had heard of the undeveloped west, he determined to cross the plains, and came by way of Council Bluffs and Salt Lake City. Upon arriving on the coast he went at once to the mines. Being de- ficient in the robustness required for an extended life in the camps, he was obliged to abandon min- ing as a means of livelihood after a trial of three months, and forthwith went to San Francisco, where he remained for a short time. Thinking to make a success of milling among the red- woods of Santa Clara county, he removed there and remained for five years, in that time partial- ly realizing his expectations. In 1859 he bought about two hundred acres in Monterey county, to which he added sufficient land to make four hundred acres, and here he carried on general farming, stock-raising and dairying. He was very industrious, a good manager, and had good business ability.
Mrs. Sophia McFadden was born in Baden, Germany, June 15, 1850, and was a daughter of John and Margaret (Gigling) Fabry, also na- tives of Baden. Mr. Fabry was a farmer in his native land, and brought his family to Amer- ica in 1865, settling in the Salinas district. After a few months he removed to the eighty-acre ranch upon which he died twenty-four years later, at the age of sixty-seven years. The par- ents brought $5,000 with them to the United States, and invested this so wisely that they left quite a large property. Mrs. McFadden was fif-
teen years of age when she crossed the ocean, and she was variously employed in California previous to her marriage. She is the mother of six children, viz .: Frank A., who assists with the management of the home farm which has not yet been divided, and who is married and has three children ; Tressa, the wife of Conrad Storm of Salinas: Sarah, David, Mary and Charles. The McFadden ranch is well improved, and equipped with modern buildings. A large part of the ranch consists of pasture land, and the model dairy, maintained in addition to general farming and stock raising, utilizes the milk from between sixty and seventy cows. The family are well known and have many friends, and are regarded as among the worthy and enterprising developers of the district.
HORACE W. POPE.
To the constant efforts of the earnest pioneers of Santa Cruz, those who enjoy the civilization and improvements of the present day owe a debt of gratitude that few wholly realize or under- stand. It is difficult for us to comprehend the trials confronting those courageous men who, in the early days, identified themselves with the possibilities of a then undeveloped and unprom- ising region. Were Mr. Pope still living he could tell many an interesting story of the Santa Cruz of 1859. the year of his arrival in this city. He was a native of Danville, Vt., and at an early age went to Cincinnati, Ohio, whence he came to California in 1859, settling in Santa Cruz. For a time he worked in the mines and he also filled the position of justice of the peace. Not long after his arrival he bought a small house on Mission street. This he enlarged and about 1867 opened it as a boarding house for summer vis- itors. With the capable assistance of his wife he continued to conduct the business until his death, in 1884. resulting from apoplexy of the brain. At the time of his death he was fifty- eight years of age.
The marriage of Mr. Pope united him with Anna McDonald, who was born in Danville, Vt. While they had no children of their own, they opened their home and hearts to several whom they carefully reared and trained, among these
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being Mrs. J. J. C. Leonard. For the business in which she is still engaged Mrs. Pope has dis- played noteworthy ability. Her genial hospitality has made the house popular, and often her ac- commodations are taxed to the utmost for the benefit of those who have been her guests in the past and refuse to seek new quarters on their arrival in Santa Cruz. Additions have been made from time to time, to increase the capacity of the place. Cottages were erected at different times and finally a commodious two-story build- ing was erected, so that they have facilities now for accommodating ninety persons at one time. In an carly day the grounds were improved by the setting out of elm trees, which now cast a grateful shade over the finely-kept lawns. Walks have been laid out through the grounds, and flowers and shrubbery add to the charm of the environment. For the pleasure of those who enjoy lawn tennis, a court has been added, and there are other sources of recreation and enjoy- ment for the visitor. In the main building both electricity and gas are used for lighting pur- poses. All modern improvements are to be found in the rooms, so that the guest finds here all the comforts of a home. Not only are the grounds attractive to the eye, but there is also a delight- ful view to be had from the place of the city and the bay. Facilities of transportation are con- veniently provided for through the proximity of the street cars. Only the most select patrons are received, and many of the most prominent peo- ple of the state have been entertained here by the popular lady to whose energy and tactful over- sight the present success and conveniences are due.
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