An Illustrated History of Southern California Collections – Page 20 of 20

Biographical Sketch of B. F. Townsend

B. F. Townsend a prosperous farmer near Garden Grove, was born in Bowdoinham, Maine, in 1834, educated at the high school there, and in 1855 left home to take care of himself. For nine years he worked in a wholesale boot and shoe store in Massachusetts, and from there, January 13, 1864, he went to Chicago, Milwaukee, Sioux City and other places; then to Omaha, and to Lawrence, Douglas County, Kansas, where he worked on a farm until 1866, teaching school during the winter seasons. Then he went to Baxter Springs, Cherokee County, Kansas, engaging in the manufacture and sale … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Arquis L. Sells

Arquis L. Sells a farmer near Westminster, was born in Wyandot County, Ohio, September 6, 1845. His parents, John and Mary (McKissen) Sells, were natives respectively of Ohio and Virginia, and had five children, three of whom are still living. John Sells was a well-known attorney in Wyandot County for a number of years, and died November 19, 1886. Marquis worked on the railroad as a trackman, and subsequently attended school at New Hagerstown and Harlem Springs. Then he taught school for some ten years in Ohio and Missouri, and in May, 1871, he came to California with two brothers … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Andrew Lytle

Andrew Lytle, deceased, was born in Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, in 1812. His parents moved to Akron, Ohio, when he was a small boy. At the age of twenty-one years he went back to Pennsylvania and married Hannah Hull. This lady was the daughter of Abner and Martha (Skinner) Hull, natives respectively of Pennsylvania and Connecticut. In 1834, two years after his marriage, he moved to Portage County, Ohio. Next he moved to Bidwell County, Missouri, and two years later to Nauvoo, Illinois. From the latter place he removed to Salt Lake, where he remained several years. In 1850 he came … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Andrew B. Paris

Andrew B. Paris, attorney, San Bernardino, was born in Virginia, in 1839, and was educated in the Virginia Military Institute, at which he was graduated in 1860. Upon the breaking out of the war he enlisted in the Confederate army, served four years, rose to the rank of Colonel, and at the close of hostilities was chief of artillery of General Hoke’s division of General Joseph E. Johnston’s army. After the war closed he studied law in the University of Virginia, and was admitted to the bar in 1866. Locating in Charlotte County, Virginia, he practiced his profession till 1873. … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Ander Mills

Ander Mills deceased, was born May 6, 1814, in Massachusetts. At the age of sixteen years he left home, and traveled extensively in different States. In Missouri, in 1852, he married Miss Ruth A. Ripper, and immediately started across the plains to California, with an ox team. In this State he first took up about 3,000 acres of Government land, on which he herded cattle for twenty years with considerable profit. In 1874, his health failing, he came to Southern California and bought 320 acres in the Westminster colony. His children were: Julia, wife of George McCormac; Maria, deceased; Amanda, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Amos Stiles

Amos Stiles, retired, San Bernardino, was born in Kennebec, Maine, in 1823. His father, Israel Stiles, a farmer, moved to the northern part of New Brunswick. In 1843 the subject of this sketch went to Ohio, where he remained four years, and then returned to New Brunswick, where he remained until 1819. He was married in Nova Scotia, in 1849, to Miss Rebecca O’Brien, and soon after his marriage he moved to Utah, where he lived four years. In 1860 he left with teams for California, and arrived in San Bernardino in December of the same year. Here he bought … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Alfred Beckett

Alfred Beckett a prominent citizen of Westminster, Orange County, was born in Ontario, Canada, June 7, 1830, a son of Stephen and Anna (Taylor) Beckett, and the sixth child in a family of nine. He received a good common-school education, worked at the mill and lumber business for several years and also did some farming, and in 1877 came to California and bought forty acres of laud in Westminster, which he has put under a high state of cultivation. Politically he is an intelligent supporter of the Republican party. Both himself and wife are highly respected members of social circles. … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Alexander Henry

Alexander Henry farmer and stock-raiser, near Anaheim, was born in Edinburg, Scotland in 1838, the son of Innes and Jacobina (Nicholson) Henry. His father had seven children by his first marriage, and eleven by the second: Alexander, who was a member of the second family, joined the English navy in 1850, and was in service throughout the Crimean war. He was at first errand boy and then ship’s carpenter. After the war lie served six years at the shipwright’s trade at Leith. Next he joined the Sidney of Glasgow and came to San Francisco in 1860, where he worked at … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Alex Gardiner

Alex Gardiner general farmer and fruit-raiser near Fullerton, was born in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1838, the fourth son of William and Mary Gardiner, who came to America in 1855, in a sailing vessel, landing in New York; thence they immediately sailed to Charleston, South Carolina, and thence they proceeded to Knoxville, Tennessee, locating ten miles south of Knoxville at Rockford. William Gardiner was a cotton spinner by trade. The subject of this sketch served five years as a machinist in Scotland, leaving school at the age of twelve years. In 1869 he came overland to California, starting from Knoxville, Tennessee, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Albert Johnson Chaffee

Albert Johnson Chaffee of Garden Grove, was born in Kane County, Illinois, in April, 1848. His parents, Eber and Anna (Davis) Chaffee, emigrated from Vermont to Illinois in 1840, locating upon a farm twelve miles from Elgin, where he successfully carried on farming and stock-raising until his death in 1877, his wife having died a year. previous. They had in all twelve children, of whom nine are still living. Albert was educated at Jennings Seminary, Aurora, Illinois. He subsequently taught school in Kane County, Illinois, and in Clinton County, Iowa. He has been a citizen of the Golden State since … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Abner McCrary

Abner McCrary is a native of Union County, Illinois, born in 1835. His parents, John and Mary (Kellar) McCrary, natives of North Carolina and South Carolina respectively, moved to Hancock County in 1844. Next they moved to Wash vine, Iowa, and in 1846 to Council Bluffs, where they remained five years. In 1851 he moved to Utah, where he remained two years, and June 5, 1854, came to California, and bought forty acres of land three miles northeast of San Bernardino, where he now lives. Mr. McCrary has dealt some in buying and selling land, and has today a fine … Read more

Biographical Sketch of A. T. Armstrong

A. T. Armstrong of Newport, was born in Augusta County, Virginia, in 1844. His parents, Archibald and Betty (McCutchan) Armstrong, were natives of the Old Dominion, and the fourth generation born and reared on the same farm. They had nine children. Their father died in 1853, and the subject of this sketch took charge of the home place until 1864, when he entered Company A, First Virginia Cavalry, C. S. A., and served until 1865. From the close of the war until 1867 he again had charge of the farm; he then sold out, moved to Rockbridge County, Virginia, and … Read more

Biographical Sketch of A. Shay

A. Shay, of San Bernardino, was born in Maine, May 1, 1812, but reared principally in Nova Scotia. He learned the cooper’s and carpenter’s trades. When a young man he went to New Orleans, where he was successful for three years. Seeing then a specimen of gold from California, in 1849, he at once set out for the gold fields, coming by water and the Isthmus of Panama. He worked in the mines for a time and made and lost a great deal of money-lost heavily by the floods in the upper country. Then he carried on a large sheep … Read more

Biographical Sketch of A. R. Dresser

A. R. Dresser one of the pioneers of Santa Ana, and a successful businessman, was born in De Kalb County, Illinois, in 1839. For his parentage see sketch of William Dresser. He started out life for himself at the age of twenty-one as a farmer. In 1861 he came to California, located first in Sutter County, where he “held down a squatter’s claim” until 1870, when he Came to Southern California and located in Santa Ana, where he has since resided; and here he devotes his attention mostly to agricultural pursuits. His first purchase was that of 140 acres in … Read more

Biographical Sketch of A. J. Howe, M. D.,

A. J. Howe M. D., of Santa Ana, was born in Vermont in January, 1850. His father, Philip Howe, M. D., is still living in this city. He moved to Illinois when the subject of this sketch was only four years old, locating in Macoupin County, where he remained until 1863. He then made a three months’ trip across the plains to this State. Dr. Howe graduated at the State Normal School in San Francisco in 1870, and subsequently taught school in several different counties in this State, and at the same time prosecuted medical studies. In 1873 he graduated … Read more

Biographical Sketch of A. F. Clarke

A. F. Clarke, of the firm of Clarke Brothers, proprietors of the Ontario Record, is a printer by trade, and to him is due much of the credit which has been gained by that journal for its typo-graphical beauty and neatness. He is a native of Maine, in which state he received his education and learned his trade. He came to California in 1883 and located at Pasadena, where he was connected with the Pasadena Union. In December 1885, he located at Ontario and assisted in establishing the Record. He is fully identified with Ontario and its progress and is … Read more

Biographical Sketch of A. Ball

A. Ball, of Redlands, is a native of Vermont, born April 5, 1832. His father, Orange Ball, moved to Ashtabula County, Ohio, in 1840, where he farmed until his death, which occurred in December, 1873. The subject of this sketch was reared in the “Buckeye” State, and in 1854 left his native State to be gone only three months. He went to Jefferson County, Wisconsin, where he engaged in farming. Then he took five months to drive with wagons to Silver City, Nevada, where he mined and teamed until 1864, when he went to Sonoma County, California, and engaged in … Read more

Biographical Sketch of D. Scholl

D. Scholl of Tustin, was born December 25, 1807, a son of Jacob P. and Elizabeth Scholl, natives of Pennsylvania. His father, a blacksmith by trade, moved to New York in 1815, and died there in 1835; then the subject of this sketch, the eldest of the nine children in his father’s family, returned to Pennsylvania and learned the milling business with his grandfather. In 1834 he went again to New York State, married Miss Lucy Rowell, a native of Massachusetts, and the next year moved to Goshen, Indiana, where he engaged in the furnace and machinery business until 1849, … Read more