Ingersoll's century history, Santa Monica Bay cities prefaced with a brief history of the state of California, a condensed history of Los Angeles County, 1542-1908, Part 43

Author: Ingersoll, Luther A., 1851- [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: Los Angeles, L. A. Ingersoll
Number of Pages: 634


USA > California > Los Angeles County > Ingersoll's century history, Santa Monica Bay cities prefaced with a brief history of the state of California, a condensed history of Los Angeles County, 1542-1908 > Part 43


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54


Mr. Quinn prospered in business and acquired some of the best realty holdings in the city of Butte. By reason of physical disabilities, the results of exposure in the vigorous climate of Montana, Mr. Quinn, after extensive traveling, came to California and in 1908 purchased a delightful home, retiring from active busi- ness life. In 1894 Mr. Quinn married Miss Bell Durnan, a native of Philadelphia, Pa., and a daughter of Charles Durnan, a boatman on the Erie Canal. Mr. and Mrs. Quinn have one son, Victor John Quinn, born in Butte City, Montana, January 23rd, 1897. The family home is at Ninth and Arizona Avenue.


HE. While residents of Nebraska the Quinn brothers took a prominent part in the warfare against the Indians of the Platte River Valley. They were typical and enterprising pioneers and brought the first harvesting machine into that country. When they finally went to Montana they took with them two Cham- pion mowing and harvesting machines, the first ever seen in that country. These machines were an innovation, and the enterprising Quinns had more work than they could do cutting hay at $35.00 per day. Mr. Quinn is a member of the Society of Montana Pioneers and a devout member of the Catholic Church.


SAMUEL L. BERKLEY, successful druggist of Santa Monica, was born in the town of Lowell, Muskingum County, Ohio, March 30th, 1864. His father, Thomas J. Berkley, was a native of Frederick County, Va., and there spent his boyhood and youth. He left home when a young man and located at Lowell, Ohio, where he engaged somewhat extensively in the milling business until 1871. He there married Nancy De Long, and there six daughters and three sons were born. In 1871 the family removed to Virginia and lived at Winchester, Frederick County, until 1875, when they came west to Harrison County, Iowa. Samuel L. Berkley is the sixth child of the family. He was seven years old when the family left Ohio to live in Virginia and eleven years old when they located in Iowa. He attended the public schools of Winchester, Va., and finished in the Missouri Valley High School. He learned the drug business at Woodbine, Ia., and there spent about twenty years in the business. He married at Wood- bine, in 1888, Miss Ruby A. Kling, daughter of Jacob R. and Emily Bliss Kling, of Troy Center, Walworth County, Wisconsin, and they have three sons, Hugh Kling, Laurence Jay, and Robert De Long.


Mr. and Mrs. Berkley are members of the Baptist Church. He is a member of the Woodmen of the World.


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R. F. MCCLELLAN, capitalist and influential citizen of Sawtelle, a native of the State of Maine, was born in the town of Brownville, Piscataqua County, April 21st, 1859. His father, John McClellan, was the son of Scottish parents who were pioneers of the "Pine Tree State;" located in Piscataqua County where they took an active part in the early developments of that far famed pine timber country.


John McClellan grew up in the vicinity of Brownville and became thorough- ly identified with its business growth and there married Miss Emily A. Mayo and with their six children came west to the timbered regions of Northern Minnesota in the year 1867. They located in the town of Princeton, where the family of five sons and two daughters grew up. In 1868, the father, while on a prospecting trip into the timbered wilderness of the Upper Mississippi River Valley, died under circumstances never fully ascertained by the family.


At thirteen years of age young Reuben F. McClellan commenced work in the lumber woods, doing whatever work came to hand. He acquired a thorough knowledge of the logging and lumber business. At the age of nineteen he em- barked in the business on his own account, getting out timber by contract on Rum river tributary to the Upper Mississippi, and was thus engaged for several years. Later he dealt extensively in timber lands with offices at Princeton.


He finally decided to enter upon a business enterprise that had for some time appealed to his aggressive and somewhat adventurous spirit and accordingly organized what later became known to the mining world as the McClellan party, for the purpose of prospecting the undeveloped mineral country of Alaska. He enlisted seven "good men and true" of his personal acquaintance in his home town of Princeton.


Mr. McClellan had devoted much time and thought to a somewhat critical investigation of mining developments in Alaska-that new field of mineral developments-and had selected a place of destination, shown on the maps as the head of Copper River. The party left Princeton in the month of April, 1898, and via Seattle (where they outfitted) proceeded by steamer to a point about 600 miles northwest of Sitka, where they disembarked on a bleak and forbidding shore, in six feet of snow, where, as yet no human foot had trod, but where now stands the new and thrifty town of Valdez, having a population of about 6,000 people. From this point they crossed the Valdez Glacier, a mountain of ice and snow some thirty miles in length, each man making his way independent of others, drawing a sled freighted with 1,400 pounds of provisions and camping equipment, and by relay ing succeeded in getting into the field with about 1,400 pounds each. They towed their boats up the main channel, making at best only an average of about one mile a day.


It was May first when they struck a tributary to the Copper River about one hundred miles above its outlet and the same distance from its source. Here they tarried long enough to construct boats from spruce timber that grew along the stream, whip-sawing the lumber therefrom, and they then ascended the main


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valley of the Copper River to its head waters. Two hundred miles into the in- terior they opened camp in the month of July and commenced prospecting. Gold was found but not in paying quantities.


The party then divided and Mr. McClellan, with four of his comrades, crossed the country a distance of five hundred miles onto the Yukon River, mak- ing their own trail through a barren and forbidding country. They were the first white men to pass over that route. They arrived at Dawson August 24th, returning that fall to the Copper River Valley, finally discovering and locating what is known to be the most extensive and valuable copper deposit in the world.


Mr. MeClellan soon thereafter went to New York, made known his discoveries to heavy eastern capitalists, who at great expense inspected the property, the result of which is the capitalization of a company that has set aside twenty-five million dollars for the construction of a railroad from tidewater to the copper beds and equipment of a line of vessels to connect therewith for the purpose of transporting the ore of the Great Bonanza Copper Mine to the world's market. In this stupenduous enterprise are enlisted the Guggenheims, the New York copper kings; the Havermaiers, and other capitalists of almost limitless means. Mr. MeClellan realized a large sum of moncy on this deal and still retains a valu- able interest in that country. This deal was consummated in 1901, following which Mr. McClellan spent his winters in California and, in 1905, located with his family at Sawtelle where he has made liberal investments in city realty.


In 1906, he, with W. E. Sawtelle and others, organized the Citizens State Bank of Sawtelle, of which Mr. McClellan is president, W. E. Sawtelle, vice presi- dent, and H. M. Crane, cashier. The bank has established a branch at The Palms.


Mr. McClellan married at Wall Hollow, North Dakota, Miss Grace G. Loring, a daughter of George D. Loring, formerly of Princeton, Minn. Mr. McClellan is a Blue Lodge Mason, member of the Knights of Pythias, and of the Arctic Brother- hood, a fraternal secret order of Alaska. Mr. and Mrs. McClellan have one son, Neil D. McClellan.


Mr. McClellan is one of Sawtelle's most public spirited and popular citizens and his influence is always found favorably aligned with all movements looking to the progress and development of his home city.


WILLIAM F. PARRISH is a native of Pocohontas County, lowa, born near Pomeroy, February 1st, 1873. He is the son of Isaac E. Parrish, a carpen- ter, a native of Kentucky. His mother was Helen Phipps, a native of New York. The family came to California in October, 1887. Mr. Parrish is an expert horse- shoer, one of the best on the Coast, and a blacksmith, and has followed the trade for seventeen years. He opened his first shop at No. 1644 Temple Street, Los Angeles. In November, 1903, he located in Santa Monica and did an extensive business. He sold out June 1st, 1906. He owns a comfortable home at Towner


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Ave. and 18th Street, and was one of the first to locate in Fairview Heights- that thrifty suburb to Santa Monica. He also owns valuable property on Twentieth Street, between Michigan and Towner Avenues. Mr. Parrish has been twice married. His first wife was Ethel Grashauser. She died at Nordhoff, in Ventura County. in 1887. For a second wife he married Miss Martha T. Sluthour, a native of Missouri, born near Zodiac, Vernon County. They have three children Gladys A., Helen A. and Martha L. Fred, an only son, died December 30th, 1907, three years and nine months of age.


REV. GEORGE TAYLOR, of SAWTELLE, is of Scotch descent. He came to Southern California in 1885 and located in Pasadena. In early life he studied sculpturing and designing and, for years, in eastern cities, successfully pursued the same as a profession, doing statue and relief work on public buildings. He also designed and carved several soldiers' monu- ments. In Pasadena Mr. and Mrs. Taylor became interested in religious and reform work and important factors in the re- organization of the First Baptist Church, of that city and he was, for nine years, the church clerk. He was, meantime, licensed to preach and was for two years pastor of the First Baptist Church, of El Monte. He was there ordained as a minister of the gospel, April 9th, 1896. In July, 1897, he was called to the pastorate of the Memorial Baptist Church, of South Pasadena, and during his pastorate, freed the church from a burdensome debt, made additions to the church edifice and REV. AND MRS. GEORGE TAYLOR. left the organization in a prosperous spiritual and financial condition. For twelve years he has been clerk of the Los Angeles Baptist Association, and the Southern California Baptist Convention. Mr. Taylor had, for several years, been active in the practical work of the Young Men's Christian Association which experience proved a most valuable aid in his church work.


Mrs. Taylor is a native of Frederickton, New Brunswick. When a child, her parents removed to Hartford, Conn. Her ancestors were from France, England and Scotland, and five generations ago came to America and settled in South Carolina. Her greatgrandfather was a soldier of the American Revolu- tion and fought for independence. She is a relative, by marriage, on her father's


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side of the family to William Lloyd Garrison, journalist, orator and reformer of anti-slavery fame. Mrs. Taylor comes from a musical and literary family. She is a graduate of two musical academies and has been a professional music teacher for many years. She has also been a tireless student of the Bible, which accomplishments have fitted her for the duties of a pastor's wife.


Mr. Taylor commenced his religious work in Sawtelle November 5th, 1901, and, as a leader of a band of sixteen charter members, organized the present Baptist Church in that city, mention of which is made on another page of this work. December 1st, following, the organization was perfected and Mr. Taylor became duly installed pastor and both himself and Mrs. Taylor have bent their energies to the successful building up of an influential and prosperous church and society. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Taylor are : W. B. B. Taylor, attorney at law and first city attorney of Sawtelle; Hawley O. Taylor, Instructor in Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, in the Department of Physics and Science ; Almo R. Taylor, artist, manager of the art department, Out West Co., Los Ange- les. The three sons are married and there are four grandchildren.


J. D. BLANCHARD, Santa Monica, was born at Newton, Mass., January 10, 1862. His father, John B. Blanchard, in early life, was a seafaring man, as were his ancestors for generations past. Mr. Blanchard's mother, Nancy Lyon, was a native of Boston, Mass., a daughter of Dr. Henry Lyon. John B. Blanch- ard for many years sailed the open seas ; later he engaged in the sugar and shook business at Matanzas in Cuba as a member of the firm of Alphonzo & Blanchard. He died in 1874 at sixty-two years of age, leaving the widow with a family of five children, of whom the subject of this sketch is the youngest and only one living. Mr. Blanchard's early life was spent in Boston, where he attended the public schools and became a salesman in a " small-wears " store for five years. Later he held a position for five years with the Boston Rubber Shoe Company. Later he came to California and located on a ranch in Orange county, and subsequently spent three years at Beaumont, after which he came to Los Angeles and engaged in the dairy and creamery business. In 1902 he located at Santa Monica, and with others incorporated the Imperial Ice Company, of which he is the general manager. Mr. Blanchard married September 10, 1889, Miss Jamessetta Crockett of Los Angeles, a native of Massachusetts and daughter of Rev. James Crockett, a clergyman of the Freewill Baptist Church. Mr. and Mrs. Blanchard have one son, Howard. Mr. Blanchard is a member of the Santa Monica Board of Education. He is a member of the B. P. O. E., the Woodmen and Order of Red Men.


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ROBERT R. GRIMES, twenty-two years a resident of California, is a native of Missouri and was born at Macon City, that state, June 10th, 1848. His father, James Grimes, was a California pioneer of 1850. His mother, whose maiden name was Sarah Bast, died when he was but eighteen months old and from that time his life was one of hardships and uncertainties. During childhood, until he was six years of age, he lived with an aunt at New London, Mo., later spending some time with a neighbor, Robert Briggs. From 1856 to 1860 he lived with Professor Hugh Dunlop, which makes the sum total of his school days. He then worked out on farms. In 1868 he married Miss Ann T. Carter near Perry, Rolls County, Missouri, and they located at Hannibal, Mo., where he worked in the shops of the Hannibal & Saint Jo Ry. Co. In 1870 he went to Dallas, Texas. In 1875 he returned to Missouri and engaged in farming. Later he purchased a broom factory and for nine years he raised broom corn and manufactured brooms. In 1883 he sold this property and bought lands in Texas County, southeast Missouri. Later he purchased the Smalley Hotel at Licking, Mo.


By reason of poor health he, in 1888, came to Santa Monica unable to walk without crutches. He was soon able to work and obtained his first employment of Stephen Jackson. He later spent one year at the U. S. Government Forestry Station and later was gardener for Senator John P. Jones for two years. He is well known in Santa Monica as an expert florist and scientific gardener. For his second wife Mr. Grimes married Miss Annie Wilson, a native of County Monaghan, Ireland. Mr. Grimes is father of six children by his former marriage. Mrs. M. A. Paley and Mrs. Dominguez, of Los Angeles; Mrs. Clark Burnham, of Pasadena; William, of Orcout, California; Robert and John, of Los Angeles.


ISAAC E. PARRISH is a native of Spencer County, Kentucky, born about twenty miles from Louisville. He is the son of Edward N. and Francis Eldridge Parrish, both natives of Virginia. He is a carpenter by trade, and a contractor and builder by occupation. He raised six boys and four girls. The subject of this sketch is the second son and only one in California. He learned the carpen- ters' trade. Leaving home at twenty years of age, he went to Michigan, spent a brief time at Lansing, and then went to Wood County, Ohio. At Miltonville he married Helen Miller, April 2nd, 1865. He went to Terre Haute, Ind., the following fall. Coming west to Des Moines, Ia., he there spent about thirty- eight years actively engaged in building operations. He came to California in 1887 and located in Los Angeles. Mrs. Parrish died July 24th, 1899, leaving six children, two by a former marriage.


For a second wife Mr. Parrish married Emily C. Bedwells Potts, widow of the late James W. Potts, one of Los Angeles' best known pioneers.


Mr. and Mrs. Parrish live near Twentieth and Oregon Avenues, Santa Monica. They are members of the Church of the Nazarene, Los Angeles.


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The names of Daniel Shively, with that of his most estimable widow, are intimately associated with the history of the City of Sawtelle. Mr. Shively was a native of Ohio and was born in Hardin County, October 24th, 1846. At the age of nine years he was compelled to assume responsibil- ities to aid in support of the family that usually come to men only. Upon the breaking out of the Civil War he enlisted in the 130th In- diana Infantry and served in the ranks for a period of three years, participating in many of the blood- iest battles of the conflict. He was twice wounded, an injury to his head causing him pain up to the day of his death. After mustering out of the army, Mr. Shively follow- ed contracting in brick work near Lima, Ohio.


In 1876 he married at Fort Wayne, Indiana, Miss Sarah Lucelia Booth, a daughter of Sidney Smith DANIEL, SHIVELY. and Mary Jane (Whaiples) Booth, of Mentor, Ohio. Mr. Booth was of English parentage, a son of Sir John Booth, Earl of Booth Ford, North of England, a landlord of wealth and high social standing. He came to America and located at Mentor. Sidney Smith Booth latterly located with his family at Paynesville, Ohio, and it was here that Mrs. Shively spent her girlhood. She was educated in a private school under the care of a governess. Mrs. Mary Jane Whaiples Booth was a direct descendent of William Whaiples, who was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.


Immediately after marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Shively came west to Peru, Kansas, where he engaged in farming and she, meantime, taught school. Later they lived at Dedan, Chanute and finally at Chard, Kansas, where they engaged exten- sively in merchandising and where he held the office of postmaster. Here they suffered severe loss by fire-the store with a valuable stock of merchandise all going up in smoke. Mr. and Mrs. Shively then went to Coffeyville, Kansas, and she engaged in the restaurant business, while he conducted a photograph gallery. In 1888 they came to California and for a time lived on Spring Street, Los Angeles.


In 1901 they located at Sawtelle when the now thrifty little city was in its infancy. They invested in town property and became a factor in its industrial social and civic advancement.


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Mr. Shively was in every way a most exemplary and useful citizen. He was a devout member of the religious order of Dunkards, was broad in his piety and tolerant of the religious beliefs of others. He was an honored member of Burn- side Post, No. 188, G. A. R., of Sawtelle, and the following tribute to his memory is quoted from a Memorial Address of the Post published in the Sawtelle Sentinel:


"In the death of Daniel Shively, another name is stricken from the ever lessening list of the G. A. R. He was a man of generous impulses and never forgot the hospitable ways of the pioneer. The stranger and the beggar never failed to find food and shelter at his hands. He was often at the bedside of the sick, and he delighted in the performance of all kinds of neighborly offices. He was a man of sound sense and strong convictions. He was candid and out- spoken in his convictions. He lived nobly and died peacefully."


Mr. Shively died June 26th, 1907, the result of a stroke of paralysis about six months previous thereto. The funeral obsequies took place at the Baptist Church, the Rev. George Taylor preaching the sermon which was followed by the service of the G. A. R. and the W. R. C. Interment was in Sunset Cemetery, at which a choir rendered his favorite hymn, Only Remembered By What I Have Donc.


Mrs. Shively is one of the most widely and favorably known of the women of Sawtelle. Upon arrival there she plunged into local work for the social, spiritual and civic upbuild- ing of the community. She worked diligently for the establishment of the first day school in Sawtelle, and was one of the prime movers for the first Sunday School, contributing the necessary funds to establish the same at Wyant's Hall on Fourth Street. MRS. SHIVELY. She is prominent in the work of the W. R. C. and has served three terms as its patriotic instructor. The following resolution of respect will indicate the esteem in which she is held by the corps :


"WHEREAS, That while we recognize that the present success and pros- perity of this Corps is due to the earnest efforts of all its members, we would at this time especially honor our Patriotic Instructor, Sarah L. Shively, the organizer of this Corps, who has by her generosity and constant efforts for the betterment of the Corps, won our highest esteem and deepest gratitude. Therefore be it


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RESOLVED, That Sarah L. Shively be recognized and honored as the Mother of Burnside W. R. C., No. 105. G. A. R. ; that the proper record be made on our minutes and a copy of this resolution properly attested be given to Mrs. Shively, and that our Post be duly notified of our action.


Elmira J. Stewart, C. P.


Seville A. Gray, Secretary.


She is a leading " Rebecca" and has served two terms as Chaplain in the local lodge. In 1904 she organized and uniformed the Sawtelle Guards, made up of twelve of Sawtelle's brightest boys, which became a feature of the social life of the new town. She was the leading spirit in the organization of the Sawtelle Cemetery Association, of which she is now secretary and treasurer.


Mrs. Shively has been a leading spirit in all communities fortunate enough to claim her as a member. Los Angeles was comparatively a small city when, in 1888, Mr. and Mrs. Shively came from the east and located there. Mrs. Shively was soon discovered and enlisted in the work of the Chamber of Commerce, then just organized and located in Mott Market, and served as one of the active mem- bers of its directing committee. Later they lived near Tropico and were instru- mental in securing the betterment of the highways between Tropico and Los Angeles, notably the building of the old Walnut Street bridge, crossing the Arroyo Seco at Twentieth Avenue-a result of her individual effort. While a resident near Tropico and the Southern Pacific Ry. track she, one dark night, in 1890, hearing unusual sounds of distress and though ill, ventured out to learn its source, and discovered that a team of horses had run away onto the railway right of way and fallen into a cattle guard, breaking their legs and obstructing the track. She rushed to the house, lighted a lamp and returned barely in time to flag an oncom- ing passenger train by frantically swinging her light across the track. Such heroism is certainly worthy of marked recognition, yet Mrs. Shively relates it as the performance of an act of duty simply.


Mrs. Shively, while a practical, discerning and alert woman of action, is at once inherently retiring and unobtrusive. She is nevertheless found wide awake when occasion demands and duty calls.


BENJAMIN STICKNEY HUNTER, of Santa Monica, is a native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he was born November 10th, 1879. He is the son of a manu- facturer of linseed oil. Mr. Hunter passed his early years and was educated in the City of Milwaukee. He studied law and was admitted to the bar. He married Miss Mabel Genn, October 30th, 1905. In July, 1896, he came to Cali- fornia, located in Los Angeles and entered a law office as clerk. He was ad- mitted to practice 1901. Later he took up his residence in Santa Monica and commenced the practice of law. In 1907 he was appointed City Attorney of Santa Monica to succeed F. H. Taft, Esq., resigned. He served until January 1st, 1908. Mr. Hunter is a member of the B. P. O. E.


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MAJOR ROBERT DOLLARD, a recent acquisition to Santa Monica, with his wife came here to make their home early in the winter of 1907. The Major was born at Fall River, Mass., in sight of Mount Hope, on Mount Hope Bay, where the famous Indian chief, King Philip, fell, and in view of the mouth of Taunton River, which empties into that bay where Thor Fin, the sea-roving Norseman, wintered in the eleventh century with one hundred and fifty men, four hundred years before Columbus discovered America.


Major Dollard was born on March 14th, 1842; was educated in the public schools of Massachusetts, entered the Union army at the outbreak of the war and served in the field with credit and distinction until its close. He rose from the ranks to major and the command of his regiment and was one of the youngest regimental commanders in General Grant's army in the campaign before Rich- mond and Petersburg, Virginia, in 1864 and 1865. During that campaign, in a battle before Richmond, where sixty percent of the men engaged were killed or wounded, he was promoted on the field by order of the commanding general of the Army of the James, the substance of which was:




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