San Bernardino California

Biography of Richard H. Stetson

Richard H. Stetson, Tax Collector of San Bernardino County, was born in the suburbs of Boston, Massachusetts, in 1856. His father, James H. Stetson, was a direct descendant of Cornet Stetson, who settled on the place where he was born in 1634. His mother was Miss Phebe C. Nickerson, great-granddaughter of Sir Thomas Nickerson, and was born and reared at Chatham, on Cape Cod. Richard enjoyed the educational advantages of the schools of Boston. On reaching manhood he came direct to California, locating in San Bernardino in March 1877. He was employed as clerk in the office of a lumber … Read more

Biography of Albert E. Phelan, M. D.

Albert E. Phelan, M. D., one of the leading physicians of San Bernardino County, and a representative of the progressive school of medicine, was born in Montreal thirty-two years ago; he was graduated at the University of Bishop’s College in that city in 1886, and the following year was graduated at the College of Physicians and Surgeons in Quebec, having had charge during the years 1886-’87 of the Western Hospital as house surgeon. He came to San Bernardino in September 1887, and immediately settled in practice, forming a partnership with Dr. C. G. Campbell, a prominent old physician of the … Read more

Biography of Hon. William A. Conn

Hon. William A. Conn, of San Bernardino, is one of those strong individualities in the pioneer history of California, who by his force of character and intellect stamped his impress upon the early civilization of the Golden State. Though a number of the first years of his residence on the Pacific coast were passed in the northern part of the State, at San Francisco, yet for a third of a century Southern California has had the benefits of his public-spirited patriotism, his business attainments and his generous philanthropy. Mr. Conn was born in 1814, on the West India Islands, where … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Reginald E. Mcdonald, M. D.

Reginald E. Mcdonald, M. D., has been in the active practice of medicine in San Bernardino since 1884. He is a native of the city of Toronto, Canada, born in 1856, and obtained his literary education in Victoria University and Upper Canada College. He spent one year studying for his profession in the College of Physicians and Surgeons in Toronto, and three years in the California Medical College at San Francisco, and was graduated at the latter in 1883. Before coming to California, Dr. McDonald spent a year and a half, 1881-’82, on North Georgian Bay, as surgeon for a … Read more

Turner, Zeek – Obituary

Richland, Oregon Zeek Turner, 91, of Richland died April 23, 2002, at the Boise Veterans Hospital. A Celebration of Life memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Richland Christian Church. Pastor Gordon Bond of the church will officiate. Disposition was by cremation at Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Crematory. Zeek was born on Dec. 8, 1910, at Homer, La., to Zeban and Rosalee Turner. He was raised by his grandfather at Marshall, Texas. He was married to Margaret Clark around 1960. He served in the U.S. Army from 1942 to 1946. After his discharge he and Margaret … Read more

Biography of John P. Clum

John P. Clum, of San Bernardino, was born in Claverack, Columbia County, New York, in 1851, and his childhood and youth were passed on the banks of the historic Hudson. At the age of nineteen he graduated at the Hudson River Institute, and entered the freshman class of Rutger’s College, New Brunswick, New Jersey. After completing the first year and creditably passing all the examinations, adverse fortune compelled him to leave college, and in 1871 he entered the meteorological service of the United States Government. Having taken a course in meteorology and signaling, he was ordered to Santa Fe, New … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Lyman Nelson Bedford, D. D. S.

Lyman Nelson Bedford, D. D. S., a leading dentist of Southern California, is a native of Pennsylvania, born in 1851. He began the study of dentistry with his eldest brother, Dr. E. Bedford, in Sioux City, Iowa, in 1876, was graduated at the Pennsylvania College of Dental Surgery in 1885. He practiced in Sioux City until 1886, when at the request of his brother, Dr. A. D. Bedford, he came to California and located in San Bernardino, since which time he has carried on an active and lucrative professional business. Dr. Bedford’s specialty is in fine operative dentistry, and the … Read more

Biography of John Hartley Smith

John Hartley Smith, the founder and president of the First National Bank of San Bernardino, and one of the most thorough business men and experienced bankers in Southern California, was born in Jackson County, Virginia, in 1835. He came to Ohio at the age of fifteen, and in 1853 he came to California and spent two years in the gold mines, chiefly in Mariposa County. He was quite successful, and in 1855 returned to Ohio with considerable money and a fund of experience which has proved of great value to him in his subsequent business career, as well as fraught … Read more

Biography of James W. Waters

James W. Waters, deceased, a noted mountaineer, trapper, hunter, and guide of the Rocky Mountains, was born near Brainard’s Bridge, in Rensselaer County, New York, June 20, 1813. In 1835 he started out, a young man twenty-two years of age, with his rifle in hand, bound for the Rocky Mountains and the great West, to begin his career. For nine years he hunted and trapped from the head waters of the Columbia and Yellowstone rivers along the mountain ranges as far south as Texas, accompanied by such noted hunters as Kit Carson, the Sublettes, Major Fitzpatrick, the celebrated Bents, Old … Read more

Biography of Malcom Macdonald

Malcom Macdonald was born in Cumberland County, Nova Scotia, May 9, 1833. He left home and became self-supporting at sixteen years of age. He married in July 1859, and he and his estimable wife have a family of four children, three daughters and one son: John Monroe Macdonald, aged twenty-one years, who is studying for the medical profession. San Bernardino Artificial Stone and Improvement Company was organized in March 1887, with a capital stock of $250,000, divided into 2,500 shares. John C. King was elected president; A. M. Murphy, vice-president; M. Davenport, secretary, and Malcom Macdonald, manager. The purpose of … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Reuben J. Anderson

Reuben J. Anderson was born in Smithfield, Madison County, New York; he passed his youth and early manhood like most boys, and in the spring of 1853 came by water to California. He landed at San Francisco May 5, 1853, and followed mining for three years. He subsequently purchased 160 acres of land five miles from San Jose, and here farmed for two years. He then sold out and bought a place a mile west of Haywards, and remained on it until 1856, when he removed to San Bernardino County. He bought land near town, on which he kept stock. … Read more

Biography of John C. Ralphs

John C. Ralphs, of San Bernardino, was born in Utah in 1852, while his parents were on their way to California. His father, Richard Ralphs, and his mother, Mary (Newal) Ralphs, were both born in England. His father was a potter and also a bricklayer by trade, and made the brick for the Los Angeles jail, also that in the old Workman property, after coming to California. He wintered once in Salt Lake City, and in 1852 he crossed the plains by ox team to California and bought seven acres of land, on which he built a cabin; this was … Read more

Biography of John Andreson

John Andreson, prominent among the men whose business sagacity and enterprise have made San Bernardino an important railroad center, and one of the prettiest and most flourishing interior cities of California, was born in Schleswig-Holstein, near the border of Denmark, in 1834. He came to America, sailing around Cape Horn to the Peruvian Guano Islands, in 1850, and returned with the loaded vessel to London, England. While there he taw the grand pageant on the anniversary of the Queen’s birthday, and saw the Queen near Buckingham Palace. In 1852 he returned around Cape Horn to the Pacific coast, and, after … Read more

Biography of Colonel John Feudge

Colonel John Feudge was born in Waterford, Ireland, November 3, 1824. His parents came to the United States immediately after the inauguration of President John Quincy Adams. The subject of this sketch was first engaged assisting his father, who kept a market garden in the suburbs of New York City. When about sixteen years of age he was apprenticed and learned printing and stereotyping. He had worked some time, before becoming an apprentice, at type casting, by the old hand-mold method, and also as composing room devil, fly-boy, and wrapper-writer in the offices of the two great commercial papers of … Read more

Biography of George W. Prescott

George W. Prescott, of San Bernardino, Master Mechanic of the Southern California Railroad, and one of the most expert mechanical engineers in this country, was born in New Hampshire fifty-one years ago. At the early age of seven years he was left without father or mother, and at thirteen he left his native State and started out to fight the battle of life alone and unaided. Going west as far as Ohio, he spent the next-five years in the old city of Chillicothe, where, following the natural bent of his mind, he studied the business of machinist, and when just … Read more

Biographical Sketch of William J. Guthrie

William J. Guthrie, one of San Bernardino’s brightest and most successful business men, was born in Detroit, Michigan, and was there brought up and educated, and started out in life as an employee in a mercantile agency, where he obtained a thorough knowledge of business customs and methods. His connection with that branch of business continued for years, during which time he rose from a reporter to joint partner in the McKillop Mercantile Agency. In 1878 he came to California and spent a year in the Ohio valley, Ventura County, when he was made superintendent of the Dunn Mercantile Agency … Read more

Biography of Isaac W. Hazelett, M. D.

Isaac W. Hazelett, M. D., one of the longest in practice in San Bernardino, and a leading member of the medical profession in this county, was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, October 6, 1855; was reared from infancy till seventeen years of age at Zanesville, Ohio, and received his early education in the public schools of that city and in the Ohio Wesleyan University. He prosecuted his medical studies in Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, graduating therefrom in March 1879, having been resident house physician in the hospital for a year previous. After graduation he spent two years in the hospital, … Read more

Biography of Theron H. Palmer

Theron H. Palmer, architect and builder, and a worthy representative of the business men of Southern California, was born February 14, 1849, in Joliet, Illinois, to which place his parents emigrated from New York State several years previous. In his early childhood they removed to the young city of Chicago, where young Palmer attended school, and upon entering his teens started in to learn the drug business. Soon after the war of the Rebellion broke out, though considerably under the required age, fired by youthful patriotism, he attempted to enter the army, and was twice thwarted in his purposes by … Read more

Biography of Nelson Sleppy

Nelson Sleppy, successor to the firm of Sleppy & Bullis, is one of the representative business men of Colton. He is at the head of one of the largest hardware establishments in that city and the pioneer in the business in Colton, having established his store in 1882. He conducted the establishment alone until 1888, when he formed a partnership with William S. Bullis, now the mayor of Colton, and the business was conducted under the firm name of Sleppy & Bullis, with Mr. Sleppy as the chief and managing partner, until February 5, 1890. The subject of this sketch … Read more

Biography of Lucian D. Crandall

Lucian D. Crandall, senior partner of the firm of L. D. Crandall & Co., proprietors of one of the largest retail grocery houses in San Bernardino, is a native son, born in that city in 1857. As he grew to manhood he had a strong desire to visit other portions of the continent, and, wishing to combine business with travel, he joined his brother, W. N. Crandall, when about eighteen years old, in railroad contracting, and they were engaged in that business in Utah, Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico, Idaho, Montana and the Dominion of Canada and the Northwest Territory about … Read more