USA > California > San Bernardino County > Ingersoll's century annals of San Bernadino County, 1769-1904 : prefaced with a brief history of the state of California : supplemented with an encyclopedia of local biography and portraits of many of its representative people > Part 98
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the best stock that the market demands, and this he is enabled to do by taking his timber from the stump and sawing it into lumber in the mountains, after which he transports it to his factory in San Bernardino and manufactures it into boxes.
Mr. Guernsey has been twice married; in 1882 to Miss Theresa McFarland of Austin, Minn. She left two sons-Peter B., superintendent of the Guernesy factory, and Roy G., also in his father's employ. In 1884 Mr. Guernsey married Linna Bailey and they have one daughter, Ruth, eight years of age. Mr. Guernsey is a member of the Methodist church and of the National Council, A. O. U. W., and Woodmen of the World.
JOSEPH E. RICH, official reporter of the Superior Court of San Bernardino county, was born in San Bernardino, December 22, 1867. He was the son of Jacob and Dora Rich. The father came from Germany to San Francisco in 1851, where he followed his previous occupation of merchant. Removing shortly to Los Angeles, he formed a partnership with J. P. Newmark. In 1864 he came to San Bernardino and opened a general mer- chandise store, which he continued until his death in 1872.
The school days of Joseph E. Rich were passed in San Bernardino. Then for four years he attended high school in San Francisco. The next two years were spent at work in a chemical laboratory, and in studying shorthand. Returning home, he entered the office of Mr. I. Benjamin, official court reporter. Then for a period of six months he was employed as stenographer in the chief engineer's office of the Southern California railway. When Department 2 of the Superior Court was created, in April, 1887, he received appoint- ment as one of the reporters of that court, a position he still holds.
He was married in July, 1889, to Sara Samelson, of Memphis, Tenn. They have two children-Lestor Jacob Rich and Lyman Samelson Rich. Mr. Rich is a Native Son, a member of the Fraternal Union of America, and is a Mason.
W. E. VAN SLYKE, of San Bernardino, was born at Johnstown, N. Y., May 31, 1835. He was the son of Peter and Julia Ann Easterly Van Slyke. His father's ancestry being German, while his mother was of Dutch descent, both old families of the Hudson River valley. His mother died when he was nine years old. His father was a shoe manu- facturer in New York state until 1850, when he went to Illinois to act as agent for the sale of buckskin manufactured goods, then in great demand in the west.
W. E. Van Slyke received his education in the common schools and attended an academy at Kingsborough, N. Y. In 1853 he went to Illinois and settled at Harrison, Winnebago county. In 1857 he visited Texas and afterwards crossed the Isthmus and arrived in San Francisco in May, 1858. He went to the eastern slope of the mountains along the Com- stock Lode, then in Utah, but while he was there the territory of Nevada was set off. Returning to San Francisco, he went up the coast and prospected the Salmon River district. While there the territory of Washington was divided and Idaho was formed. Two years later he was located at Bannock City when the territory of Montana was taken from Eastern Idaho.
After the close of the Civil war Mr. Van Slyke returned to New York, and January 12, 1865, married Miss Margaret P. Wilson, of Newburg. In 1867 he first visited San Bernardino, and the next year he returned, bringing his family, and has since made his residence in this city. After trying farming and stock-raising, he went into the mountains and engaged in the lumber business for about fifteen years. Since giving this up, he has been engaged in mining and in selling real estate. Mr. and Mrs. Van Slyke have a family of three sons and one daughter-William G., Mrs. Annie L. Showers, a widow; Thomas W., and Frank T .- all of them residents of California.
EVERETT R. WAITE, of San Bernardino, was born in Lyons, Wis, January 14, 1853, the son of the late Russell Waite of Redlands. He located in San Bernardino in 1886 and was engaged in a general produce business from that time until 1897, when he sold out. For several years he traveled through California as a salesman, with headquarters in Los Angeles, but in 1904 he again established himself in business in San Bernardino, locating on D street, between Third and Court. In 1883 he married Miss Grace Kimball, a native of Minnesota. She died April 15, 1901, leaving one son, Paul. June 22, 1902, Mr. Waite married Mrs. Hattie Ketchum, of San Francisco.
He is a member of the San Bernardino Lodge, F. & A. M .; Token Lodge, I. O. O. F .; Royal Arcanum, Woodmen of the World, and is prominently identified with the order of Elks, having been instrumental in establishing the order in Redlands and in San Bernardino.
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RUSSELL WAITE, of Redlands, was born in Genesee county, N. Y., in March, 1817, the son of Russell and Mercy Boothe Waite. He lived in his native place until 1838, when he removed to Wisconsin and settled in Walworth county, thus becoming one of the pio- neers of that region. He farmed and lived in Wisconsin until he came to California in 1884. During that time he was, for forty years, a member and deacon of the Baptist church of Spring Prairie. He lived for two and a half years in San Bernardino, and then, after a visit in the east, located permanently in Redlands. He purchased property on Redlands Heights and for many years cared for his own orange grove, and now at the age of eighty-seven is active and in possession of remarkably good health.
Mr. Waite was married January 16, 1844, in Walworth county, Wis., to Miss Adeline Herrick, a native of Branchport, Yates county, N. Y. On the fiftieth anniversary of this marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Waite celebrated their golden wedding at their home in Redlands, there being present on this occasion all of the children and grand-children, and three of the persons who were at the marriage fifty years before. Mrs. Waite died in Red- lands in 1902.
Mr. and Mrs. Waite were the parents of eight children, of whom Elon J., deecased; E. Burtis, deceased ; and Mrs. Ephraim S. Foote, have resided in Redlands; Elliott N. is a resident of Moreno, and Minnie B. is Mrs. D. C. Ross of Los Angeles; Everett K. Waite lives in San Bernardino; Fred C. Waite is deceased.
HENRY A. WALSH, of Oro Grande, is a native of Ireland, born in 1864. He came to America with relatives when about twelve years of age. He worked in the rolling mills at Hamilton, Ind., one year, then went to Indianapolis and worked for the Kingham Packing Co. for a couple of years, and later spent two years in Chicago. By stages, as teamster and general laborer, he made his way westward and to California. He came to Oro Grande in 1895 to work for the Union Lime Co., Los Angeles, and has for several years acted as foreman for this company, having about twenty men under his charge. He is also proprietor of the Hotel Whitman in Oro Grande.
He was married in 1899 to Miss Alice, daughter of George Jones, one of the pioneers on the Mojave river. Her father was a native of Kentucky and came to California in early days. He was a stock-raiser and was shot by an unknown assailant about fifteen years ago. His widow is now Mrs. Edward Decrow. Mr. and Mrs. Walsh have one daughter, Vera.
CLYDE E. McCONNELL, a successful orange grower of the Arrowhead school dis- trict, was born in Appleton, St. Clair county, Mo., October 14, 1880. He is the son of John P. McConnell, a native of Iowa, and Jennie Tyrrell McConnell, of Missouri, one of a family of three children-Clyde E. McConnell, the eldest; Claude, deceased; and Maud McConnell. The father, John P. McConnell, a saw-mill operator by occupation, came to California in the spring of 1884, locating with his family at San Bernardino, and soon afterward leasing and operating the Van Slyke saw-mill on Hueston creek and continuing the business several years. Mr. McConnell lost his life July, 1893, through a very dis- tressing accident consequent upon the giving way of the brakes of his wagon while making descent of the Daley grade from the mountains with a team and heavy load of lumber.
The McConnell homestead, consisting of eighty acres, is located at the base of the San Bernardino mountain range in the Arrowhead district, commanding a view of the entire San Bernardino valley. Twenty-five acres of this is planted with one thousand orange trees of standard and marketable varieties.
Clyde E. McConnell has charge of the interests of the estate. He is a young man of exemplary habits, commanding the respect of all who know him.
LOUIS RICHENBERGER, of Rincon, is a native of Germany, born in the Province of Baden, about seven miles from Baden-Baden, in the little town of Emendingen, January 17, 1861. His father Michor Richenberger was a dairy farmer and owned also a hotel. He came to America in 1883 and soon thereafter to California. He had acquired a practical knowledge of the dairy business at home, and found employment in this line in Santa Cruz county, where he made butter and cheese. Later he went to Tombstone, Arizona, pur- chased and operated a dairy, until 1888, when he returned to California and located at San Diego. Subsequently he engaged in business at Bakersfield and Los Alamitos, then he purchased 10 acres of land on the Rincon Grant in San Bernardino county, and a dairy, which he equipped for the manufacture of cheese and butter. He handles on the average about 400 pounds of milk daily. His appliances are of the latest improved for these pur- poses.
He married the 16th of August, 1899, Katie, a daughter of Joseph Kuntz, of Erhen-
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bach, Germany, and they have one son, Louis Jr. Mr. Richenberger has made three trips to his fatherland. He served two years in the German army before coming to America.
D. HARTLEY RICHARDSON, of East Highland, was born in La Salle county, Ill., July 24, 1871, the son of William R. and Isabel Setchell Richardson, the father a native cf Massachusetts, the mother of Mendota, Il1.
The son received a common school education in Humeston, Hamilton county, Neb., and graduated from the Nebraska State Normal School at Fremont in 1892. He first entered a dry goods store at Lincoln, Neb., and in 1893 went to Chicago to take charge of the Sandwich Manufacturing Co. during the Columbian Exposition. He then came to California, and after a few months-in Pasadena took charge of the ditches of the Kaweah Water and Power Co. in Tulare for a year. He made a trip to Arizona and took views of the Grand Canon for the Santa Fe Ry. Co., and next located in Highland as foreman for the Stearns Fruit Packing Co. After this he acted as manager for the store of Cram & Coy, East Highland, and in October, 1901, purchased the business. He was appointed postmaster of East Highland in January, 1902.
Mr. Richardson was married September 26, 1900, to Miss Louise Hill, daughter of W. R. Hill. of Highland. She was born in Visalia, Tulare county, February 15, 1882. They have one son and one daughter-Harold S. and Merle E.
J. F. JOHNSON, JR., of San Bernardino, was born at Salt Lake City, June 27, 1868. He lias been a resident of San Bernardino since his fourth year and is a self-made man, having attained most of his education at Sturges Academy, in which institution he served as janitor in pay for tuition. He afterward spent some time at the State University at Berkeley. Returning to San Bernardino, he was employed by the Santa Fe R. R. Co. and was afterward a deputy in the office of county recorder, under A. S. Davidson, for two years, under John Goodwin for two years, and under J. W. F. Diss for four years. In the fall of 1899 he was elected to the office of county recorder and was re-elected in 1902. He has proved himself a capable and conscien- tious official.
In 1895 Mr. Johnson married Miss N. F. Smith, a native of Oxford county, Me.
AUGUSTUS HENRY STARKE, of San Bernardino, was born in Petaluma, August 16, 1851, the first child born of white parents in the county of Sonoma. He was the son of August and Frances Starke, both natives of Germany. His father kept a hotel at Petaluma from 1851 to 1866. A. H. Starke was educated in the schools of his native town and took a special course in bookkeep- ing, a profession that he has since followed. He began life as a clerk in a grocery store in Petaluma. In 1867 he came to San Bernardino, where he acted as clerk for his father in the hotel, and later filled a similar position J. F. JOHNSON, Jr. at Mojave and at Needles. He has acted as deputy county assessor and served a two-year term as city assessor of San Bernardino. He is now filling the office of city re- corder. to which office he was elected for a four-year term, May, 1903.
Mr. Starke married Miss Maud Marian, daughter of Nathan and Sylvia A. Barton, a native of Utah. They have two sons-Herbert Augustus and Nathan Donald.
Mr. Starke is a member of the Episcopal church and of the I. O. O. F., San Bernardino Lodge No. 146, Arrowhead Parlor No. 110 of the Native Sons of the Golden West, and Orange Belt Lodge No. 345, Fraternal Union of America.
CHARLES F. THOMS, of Rialto, was born in Lewisburg, Union county, Penn. His father, Lewis F. Thoms, was a native of Switzerland who emigrated to America in the early days and located in Pennsylvania. Later he removed to St. Joseph county, Mich., and here Charles F. grew to manhood and learned the trade of cabinet maker. On the breaking out of the Civil war Mr. Thoms enlisted in the 19th Mich. Vol. Inf., Co. D, and served until July, 1865, when he was mustered out at Detroit. During his services he was twice captured and at one time was held a prisoner for a brief period in Libby prison.
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After his discharge from the army he engaged in farming in Michigan. About 1871 he removed to Saline county, Kans., and from here he came to California in 1891 and purchased a ten-acre tract at Rialto. Mr. Thoms is a member of the M. E. church of Rialto and of the G. A. R.
LEROY V. ROOT, of Needles, was born in Lyons, Mich., February 26, 1869, one of two sons of John A., a Michigan farmer, and Emily R. March Root. His parents still reside on the home farm in Michigan. The Root family are descendants of old English Puritanic stock settling in Massachusetts in the colonial days.
Leroy V. Root received his education in his native town, graduating from the high school in the class of 1886, of which he was "class prophet." He taught school during the winter of 1887-8, and the following spring was appointed deputy county surveyor for Ionia county, Mich. In the spring of 1889 he was elected city engineer of lonia, Mich., but did not complete his term of office. He entered the Grand Rapids business college, completing the regular nine months course in bookkeeping, stenography and typewriting in five months. Following this he was employed for a time in the Fourth National Bank of Grand Rapids, Mich., resigning to accept a position with the Mitchell Lumber Company of New Mexico, entering their employ June, 1892. February, 1893, he engaged with the J. M. Dennis Lumber Co. as general superintendent, taking charge of the books and work outside the mill. In October, 1893, he was employed with the Crescent Coal Co. of Gallup. N. M., first as clerk in their store and later as bookkeeper, a position he held until the latter part of 1896. He resigned to assume control of the "Gallup Gleaner," the local newspaper of the town, editing that paper nearly one year, and then engaging for a few months in some special work for the Albuquerque News.
Mr. Root came to Needles November 6, 1897, and was employed as storekeeper for the Santa Fe Railway at Needles, remaining with them until the spring following, when he leased "The Needles Eye" from Dr. Booth, conducting that journal until January 6, 1899. He was elected justice of the peace for Needles township, a position he still fills. Mr. Root is also secretary of the Desert Exploration and Development Co. of Needles. He is a prominent Mason, at present Senior Deacon of Needles Lodge No. 326. While a resident of Gallup he held all the offices within the gift of Lebanon Lodge of Gallup. He is a Royal Arch Mason, a Knight Templar, and member of the Mystic Shrine. Mr. Root married Miss Elizabeth Hartigan of Gallup in April, 1896.
ORLANDO PERRY ROBARTS, of San Bernardino, was born in Springfield, Ohio, April 22, 1844. He was the son of James W. and Eliza Pierce Robarts. His school days were passed in Iowa, to which state his parents had removed, and here he learned the carpenter trade. After spending some time in mining in Colorado, he returned to Iowa in 1863 and went from thence to Kansas. He there enlisted in the 17th Kansas Vol. Inf. and served until the regiment was mustered out in the spring of 1864. After the war he returned to the west and for many years "pioneered" in Colorado, Oregon and Idaho. He freighted; "ran" one of "Old Ben Holliday's" stage stations on the Platte river, just below Ft. Kearney, during 1865-66; took a government contract for building on the Nez Perces reservation, Idaho, etc.
He came to California in 1875, but did not remain long, as he took a government con- tract at Camp Apache, A. T., and later engaged in the lumber business in the territory. In 1881 he returned to California and located on the Rincon grant. After a couple of years he moved to San Bernardino and worked at his trade, until 1887, when he tried "real estate booming" with disastrous results. He now resides on his ranch on Waterman avenue.
Mr. Robarts married Miss Mattie A. Carr of Winchester, Mass., at Phoenix, A. T. She died in March, 1898, leaving five children-Mary J., Mattie H., Elsie F., James A. and Charles O. Robarts. Mr. Robarts is a member of the Presbyterian church.
FRED T. PERRIS, of San Bernardino, was born in England. While Mr. Perris was still a youth his family went to Australia and he received his training as a civil engineer in the city of Melbourne. In 1853 the family came to America and located at San Bernardino. Mr. Perris' first employment here was in the survey of the "out lots" about the city of San Bernardino for Lyman & Rich. He has served at different periods as deputy United States surveyor, and mineral surveyor, and as county surveyor. His first railroad work was in the construction of the Union Pacific road, under Samuel B. Reed. In 1879, when it was known that G. B. Wilbur and L. G. Pratt of Boston were to visit Southern California as representatives of the capitalists who proposed to build a trans- atlantic road, San Bernardino citizens called a mass meeting and appointed Mr. Perris and Mr. John Isaacs as a committee to visit San Diego and call the attention of the
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visitors to the advantages offered by this valley. As a result of this conference, the gentle- men visited San Bernardino, carefully inspected the country and decided on the Cajon route. Mr. Perris was engaged as engineer in the construction of the Southern California road from San Diego to San Bernardino, and also from San Bernardino to Barstow. He was the engineer and superintendent of construction for all the lines of the Santa Fe system in Southern California, and has been actively connected with the road since 1880. Mr. Perris is now in charge of the oil interests of the Santa Fe Company. They have a large number of wells and are annually producing large amounts of oil, which is now used almost exclu- sively as fuel for motive power.
As a resident of San Bernardino, he has always taken an active interest in all that makes for the welfare of the city. He was for a number of years a city trustee, and his services were most valuable, particularly at the time when the city incorporated and re- organized its government, investing large sums in water works, sewage system, etc.
B. F. GARNER, formerly of San Bernardino, was born near Quincy, Ill., March 15, 1835, the son of George and Elizabeth Garner. His parents moved to Nauvoo, Ill., and thence to Utah. He was fifteen years of age when the family left the Missouri river for the journey to the west, and he drove an ox team from the Missouri to California. The party left St. Joe in the spring of 1850 with a train of sixty wagons, divided into sections of ten wagons each, each section taking its turn in leading the march. Many of the party died with cholera while on the road. The Garner family came on to San Bernardino and were among the occupants of the old fort. In 1853 Mr. Garner went to the northern part of the state, where he engaged in farming and in mining. In 1858 he returned to San Bernardino and married Miss Amanda, daughter of Thomas Tompkins, who came to San Francisco from New York on the steamer Brooklyn in 1849. Mr. and Mrs. Garner had eight children-Frank, of Arizona; Jane, Mrs. George Evans; Levina, wife of Harry Hagan; Charles, Addison, Lewis, Jessie and Arena. Mr. Garner lived for many years on his property on . Mt. Vernon avenue and there died.
WILLIAM HENRY McKINZIE, of Chino, is a native of this county, born near the city of San Bernardino, January 31, 1866, the son of William L. McKinzie, now of San Bernardino, and the grandson of Murdoch McKinzie. He lived at home until about 1891, when the beet sugar factory was built. He then located at Chino and was one of the first to engage in beet raising. He owns ten acres of land on Euclid avenue. In February, 1892, he married Miss Viola S., daughter of Charles Graft of Chino. She is a native of Kansas. They have four children-Eva M., Helen Florence, Alberta and Ruth E.
JOHN M. FOY, formerly of San Bernardino, was born in Washington, D. C .. the son of John M. Foy, whose father was of Irish descent and the gardener in charge of the White House grounds at Washington. A brother of John M. Foy was a pioneer resident of Los Angeles. On the death of the father, the mother removed to Covington, Ky., and there John M. received his education and learned the trade of harness maker. In the fall of 1850 he sailed to Panama, walked across the isthmus and took passage for San Francisco. He worked in the mines for a time and then in 1854 located in Los Angeles, and in company with his brother, S. C. Foy, opened a harness shop. In 1865 he came to San Bernardino and established a harness shop in this city. The business, which is still conducted by his son, C. W. Foy, is the oldest business house in the place, having been conducted continuously since its foundation. Mr. Foy died January 17, 1892.
He was married in Los Angeles to Miss Louisa, daughter of Dr. Obed Macey, an early settler of that place, for whom Macey street was named. Mr. and Mrs. Foy had a family of eight children. Of those living. John M. Foy is secretary of the Alameda Lumber Association, Berkeley ; Charles W. lives in San Bernardino.
CHARLES W. FOY was born in San Bernardino October 5, 1871. His school days were passed here and he was a member of the first class to graduate from the high school in 1889. He taught for several years and then took a two years course at Stanford. In 1895 he took charge of the business which his father had left, and has since that time been engaged in manufacturing and dealing in harness, etc.
CHARLES SCHUMACKER. of Upland, was born October 13, 1839, at Herschen, Ger- niany. His father, Christian Schumacker, was a teacher in the government college at Herschen, and there Charles received his education. He afterwards spent three years in the Commercial Altenkirchen, Westerwald, Germany. In 1864 he came to America, and in 1862 located at Atchison, Kans. There he enlisted, in 1863, in the 18th Reg., Co. D.
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Kansas State Militia. He was discharged at Atchison the same year. He lived in Kansas and Nebraska until 1886, when he came to California. Here he first engaged in the hard- ware business in Los Angeles. Later he took a position with the North Ontario Citrus Nursery Co. as general manager.
Mr. Schumacker married Miss Christina Gutzmer, of Nebraska City, June 8, 1867. Mrs. Schumacker is a native of Germany, born near Berlin. They have had a family of six children, one child, a son, having died in 1894. The children are Etta, Karl, Mamie, Anna and Linna. Mr. Schumacker is a member of the Select Knights, Atchison, and also of the A. O. U. W. of Atchison.
ANTONIO P. PRECIADO, of . Victorville, was born in Calaveras county in 1860. He was the son of Manuel and Jesus, Padilla Preciado, who came to Cali- fornia from Hermosilla, Mexico, in 1849. The father mined successfully in Calaveras county and later engaged in grain raising. He came south to San Bernardino, where he died in 1878. The mother still lives, residing now with her children at Victorville. Of this marriage six sons and two daughters were born-Damian, Francisco, Jose, Jeusucita and Antonio P., all reside at Victorville; Ygnacio lives at Downey; Manuel in San Ber- nardino.
Antonio P. Preciado is actively engaged in mining developments in the vicinity of Victorville. In 1897 he married Miss Guadalupe Soto at Yuma, A. T. They have two sons-Manuel and Eduardo.
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