Energy and progressive spirit have brought
George W. Anderson to a position of prominence and distinction among the
representative men of Imperial County. He is president of the Imperial
Valley Hardware Company in El Centro, and has had that office since the
amalgamation of the El Centro Hardware & Implement Company and the Anderson
& Meyer Company, January 1, 1913. Mr. Anderson was born in St. Marys,
Kansas, August 26, 1882, a son of George F. and Louise O. (Fletcher)
Anderson. His father was identified with the hardware and furniture business
at St. Marys, Kansas, for many years. He was one of the pioneers of that
locality and was numbered among the substantial and representative men of
his day. The father of Mr. Anderson passed away in 1902 and his mother died
in 1917. George W., the subject of this review, received his education at
the Washburn College at Topeka, and received the degree of B. S. Socially he
is a member of the Phi Delta Theta, a college fraternity. In 1904 he came to
California and located in San Diego for a few months, then went to Alaska,
where he followed mining for a time. This venture proved partially
successful, but he did not care to remain in Alaska long, and returned to
San Diego, where he engaged with the firm of Samuel Gordon-Ingle company,
later known as Hazard-Gould Company. Under Hazard-Gould Company, Mr.
Anderson became manager of the wholesale department. Later he and Mr. Howard
P. Meyer Company came to the Imperial Valley and purchased the hardware and
grocery store of King L. Kendle of Holtville, forming the Anderson & Meyer
Company on June 30, 1908. February, 1909, they purchased the hardware and
furniture store of G. W. McCollum at Calexico, where Mr. Anderson remained
for three and one-half years. After the consolidation of the Anderson &
Meyer Company and the El Centro Hardware Company, Mr. Anderson moved to El
Centro and became president and general manager of the Imperial Valley
Hardware Company. This firm now operates seven stores in the Valley.
Fraternally Mr. Anderson is affiliated with the Masonic Order. He is a
thirty-second degree Scottish Rite Mason and a Knight Templar, and a member
of the Shrine. He is also a member of the El Centro Chamber of Commerce. Mr.
Anderson was united in marriage in Los Angeles March 15, 1913, to Miss Edith
Mae Cliff, a daughter of John C. Cliff, who was largely identified with the
livestock business for many years, and now retired. The ancestors of both
Mr. and Mrs. Anderson are of colonial stock. In business Mr. Anderson has
the confidence and esteem of those with whom he has been associated and of
all who are in any way connected with him.
Source: "The History of Imperial County, California,"
Elms and Franks Publ., 1918, pp. 324-325.
Transcribed and submitted by Sally Kaleta, October, 2006.
The opening of the Imperial
Valley brought settlers from every state of the union: north, south, and
east contributing to the citizenship of the fertile section. Adolphus M.
Shenk, one of the men who has participated in the trans-formation of this
region, the development of which seems almost magical, has by his own
efforts and abilities overcome the difficulties atendant upon the settlement
of a new community, and by his industry, perseverance and capacity for
affairs of breadth and importance, has worked his way to a position of
prominence and is recognized as one of the important and representative
business men of Imperial County. His birth occurred in Omaha, Nebraska,
January 12, 1882, a son of John W. and Susan C. (Brooks) Shenk. His father
is a native of New York State, while his mother was born in New Jersey. The
parents of Adolphus M. were married in Cape May, New Jersey, October 27,
1867, and their golden wedding anniversary was celebrated in Pasadena at the
home of his son, Hon. John W. Shenk, Superior Judge of Los Angeles,
California. There were in attendance four sons and two daughters. The father
of the subject of this review was born in Cobleskill, Schoharie County, New
York, January 20, 1842. His wife was Susanna Cane Brooks, and she was born
in Tuckahoe, Cape May County, New Jersey, February 25, 1844, and married by
Rev. William A. Brooks, Mrs. Shenk's father. She was always very active in
missionary work and she was state organizer of the Woman's Foreign
Missionary Society of the Methodist Church in Nebraska. Mr. Shenk's father
is a graduate of the Garrett Biblical Institute, Northwestern University,
1865, and received the degree of B. D., in 1865. He was sent to South
America and from 1866 to 1867 he was junior pastor of the M. E. Church of
Buenos Aires. He held many important offices in the church in different
parts of the country. He was editor of the Omaha Christian Advocate in
1899. He received the degree of doctor of divinity from Nashville,
Tennessee, in 1889. His literary productions include "Higher Criticism and
the Christ," published in New York in 1906. Mr. Shenk was spending the
winter in Los Angeles of 1899-1900. In April of 1900 he and his wife,
accompanied by Sam Ferguson, a real estate man, took the Southern Pacific
train for the Imperial Valley. They drove from Flowing Well and crossed the
Colorado Desert and camped forty miles from the railroad, where Calexico is
located, the next day. Rev. Shenk took up sixteen hundred acres of land, a
half section for himself and wife and his three sons, being the first
locators of government land in Imperial Valley. Adolphus M. acquired his
education in the public and high schools of Omaha, after which he took a
business course, graduating from the latter. He took up stenography and
followed office work two years. January 12, 1901, he came to Imperial Valley
and settled on his land where he became identified with ranching, turning
the first water on lands for the purpose of irrigation and growing the first
crops. Mr. Shenk served on the school board and as a city trustee. He took
an active part in creating the County of Imperial. He is now identified with
the business interests of Calexico and maintains an office in the postoffice
building and specializes in real estate, farming and loans. Mr. Shenk was
united in marriage to Bernice B. Riddle of Santa Rosa, California. To this
union have been born two children, Joyce and Janet. Mrs. Shenk takes active
part in the social circles of Calexico, and is a member of Eastern Star and
the Improvement Club of Calexico. Mr. Shenk has the distinction of being the
second postmaster appointed in Calexico, and served in this capacity for
five years. He was manager for two years of a general merchandise store and
since his retirement from the store has engaged in the general brokerage
business and handles a large percentage of the loans of Imperial Valley.
Fraternally Mr. Shenk is affiliated with the Masonic Order, being a member
of Blue Lodge and Chapter. He is also a member of the I. O. O. F. Lodge.
Source: "The History of Imperial County, California,"
Elms and Franks Publ., 1918, pp. 325-326.
Transcribed and submitted by Sally Kaleta, October, 2006.