Santa Ana California

Biography of Julias A. Crane, M. D.

Julias A. Crane M. D., of Santa Ana, is of New England parentage, and was born in Portage County, Ohio, January 21, 1846. His father, Rev. Eber Crane, was a clergyman of the Baptist denomination, born in Clinton, Connecticut (on Long Island Sound), May 3, 1808, and died at Mount Pleasant, Iowa, April 4, 1884. He was educated at the academy in South Reading, Massachusetts, and pursued his professional studies at the Newton Theological Institute, in the outskirts of Boston, at which time-honored institution he was graduated August 20, 1834. He was a zealous and life-long Abolitionist, a coadjutor and … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Jacob Ross

Jacob Ross, deceased, formerly a resident of Santa Ana, was literally the first pioneer in this place, coining here when the land was owned by the Spaniards, and buying some 2,500 acres of the Santa Ana de Santiago rancho. He also bought other lands near where the city of Santa Ana now stands, and improved a farm one mile west of the city, where Mrs. Ross now lives. He crossed the plains to this coast with wagons in 1865, and many were the hardships he endured. In the early days here his crops had to be guarded both day and … Read more

Biography of George Ridgeley Broadbere

George Ridgeley Broadbere editor of the Santa Ana Free Press, was born in New York city and educated at Cambridge University, England. He began the newspaper business as war correspondent while serving in the naval brigade in the Zulu war in Africa, and while there he was severely wounded. In China he did war correspondence for the London Daily News. Returning to America, he was employed on the New Orleans Picayune as reporter and traveling correspondent in Louisiana and Texas; next he was a traveling agent and correspondent for the States of the great southwest for the St. Louis Globe-Democrat; … Read more

Biography of Prof. C. N. Andrews

Prof. C. N. Andrews, of Redlands, was born in Guernsey County, Ohio, in 1852. His father, Robert Andrews, crossed the plains to California with an ox team in 1857. They were on the plains at the time of the Mountain Meadow massacre, and were five months and ten days from Boonville to Sacramento. He purchased a farm in Sonoma County, in 1859, and is still living on it. He had a family of four sons and one daughter. The subject of this sketch received his early training in the common schools of Sonoma County, is a graduate of several prominent … Read more

Biography of James W. Layman

James W. Layman deceased, late of Santa Ana, was born in Peoria, Illinois, January 24, 1846. His parents, Martin and Elizabeth Layman, were from the State of New York, and had thirteen children, of whom James was the eighth. He was educated at Minneapolis, Minnesota, where his father had moved when the son was seven years old. He followed farming with his father in Minnesota until 1871, when he came to California. His first purchase here was a ranch near Newport, where he lived four years. He then purchased property on Main Street in Santa Ana, which he improved and … Read more

Monroe, Martha Ann Rafn Mrs. – Obituary

Baker City, Oregon Martha R. Monroe, 72, of Baker City, former co-owner of the Monroe Mortuary, died Oct. 26, 2002, at St. Elizabeth Health Services. Her funeral will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Coles Funeral Home, 1950 Place St. Pastor Susan Barnes of the First Presbyterian Church will officiate. Vault interment will be at Mount Hope Cemetery. Visitations will be until 7 o’clock tonight at the funeral home. Martha Ann Rafn was born Aug. 26, 1930, at Houston. She was the only child of Harold J. and Pearl Padgett Rafn. Her father was in the military and they lived … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Henry A. Peabody

Henry A. Peabody manager of the Santa Ana Blade, was born in Detroit, Michigan, Starch 19, 1837; in 1847 he was a newsboy in Cincinnati, Ohio; in March, 1857, as a journeyman printer. He started from Columbia, Missouri, for California, crossing the plains, and arriving at Colusa, California, September 1, 1857, barefooted and without a coat to his back. There he hired himself out to drive an ox team, three yoke, to Petaluma, California, earning his first money in the State. About September 20 he took work in the Democrat office at Santa Rosa, California, and from that time followed … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Dorr B. Chaffee

Dorr B. Chaffee a resident of Garden Grove, was born in Kane County, Illinois, in 1841, a son of Eber and Anna (Davis)Chaffee, natives of Vermont, and of English and Scotch origin. His father was born in 1799, and died in 1877, and his mother, born in 1803, died in 1876. The subject of this sketch, the first in their family of twelve children, born in Illinois, was educated at Elgin Academy. Afterward he taught school in Kane County, and then engaged in the dairy business a number of years at Elgin. He came to California in 1881; has made … Read more

Biographical Sketch of R. Q. Wickham

R. Q. Wickham, the first County Clerk of the new county of Orange, was born in a Hancock County, Ohio, January 31, 1855. He is by trade a printer, and by profession a teacher, and followed said avocations alternately in Iowa, Dakota and Nebraska, from 1872 to 1887, when he came to California and engaged in the real-estate business at Santa Ana, and resided at Garden Grove. When the movement was revived for the organization of a new county, he joined in with zeal and pushed the matter along. He was appointed by Governor Waterman one of the commissioners on … Read more

Walker, Harriet Hortense Ward Mrs. – Obituary

Harriet Walker, 98, died on April 11, 2006, at Arcadia, Calif. With the help of Tami’s Pine Valley Funeral Home, Harriet is now resting next to her parents at Cloverdale Cemetery in Boise. Harriet Hortense Walker, or “Aunt Horty” as she was affectionately known, was born at home in Nampa, Idaho, on Aug. 8, 1908, to Kate Share Ward and Henry B. Ward. She lost her hearing at the age of 9 months, the result of scarlet fever and whooping cough. At age 7, Harriet and her mother boarded a train at Nampa on their way to the Idaho State … Read more

Biography of Carey R. Smith

Carey R. Smith President of the Savings Bank of Santa Ana, was born in Strykersville, New York, in 1843. His father, Rev. Dexter P. Smith, D. D. was a native of New York State, and his mother, nee Hannah J. Borland, was a native of Vermont. They moved to Iowa in 1845. Carey was educated at the State University of Iowa, graduating in the normal department in 1860. He then taught school until 1861, when he entered the army, in Company F, First Iowa Volunteer Cavalry, and served three years, most of the time on detached service, his health failing. … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Josiah Ross

Josiah Ross, one of the first settlers of Santa Ana, was born in Clinton County, Indiana, in 1844. His parents were Jacob and Elizabeth (Thompson) Ross, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this work. For a number of years the subject of this sketch has been a quiet but successful tiller of the soil on his fine farm one mile west of Santa Ana. Most of his attention has been given to horticulture, and his well kept orchards show many varieties of deciduous and semi-tropical fruits. He has not cared to take an active part in political matters, but … 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