HENRY HARTWELL HOWELL, SR.
The history of Imperial
County would not be complete without the name of Henry Hartwell Howell, Sr.,
a successful rancher owning eighty acres of land in Water Company No. 8, at
Brawley. Dr. Howell can rightly be classed among the enterprising and
progressive citizens of Imperial Valley. He came to Imperial County in
September, 1908, and was born in Pope County, Arkansas, July 20, 1846, the
son of James A. and Sarah E. Howell. Both passed away and are buried near
Modesto, California. The family is of old Scotch-English origin. With his
parents, Henry H. migrated from Arkansas at the age of seven years.
California was the magnet which drew their footsteps westward. The subject
of this sketch received his education near Stockton, California, in the
public schools and the S. M. institution, also known as the Pacific
Methodist College, at Vacaville, California. In 1879 he graduated from the
medical branch of the University of California with a degree of M. D.
Following this he devoted his time largely to the study of medicine and
practiced his profession for ten years at Bishop, California. Teaching
school was also one of Dr. Howell's professions at this time. Since giving
up the practice of medicine Dr. Howell has turned to practical farming and
has been thus engaged ever since. When he first came to the Valley he rented
land until he purchased his present property, which was in 1914. He has
improved his ranch and has one of the most valuable holdings in the county.
In addition to this he owns eighteen acres near Fullerton, California.
Politically he is a Prohibitionist. He was married at San Francisco,
December 31, 1875, to Miss S. G. Summers, a daughter of Dr. G. M. and Amanda
Summers, both of whom are buried at Fresno, California. To this union six
children have been born: Mabel C., wife of W. T. Morris of Kern County;
Thurman B., a rancher of Orange County, California; Ethel G., wife of George
M. Warren, lieutenant in the home guards at Portland, Oregon; Frank T.,
employed in the ship-yards at San Pedro; Jessie L., wife of Arthur D. Evers,
interested in the ship chandlery business; and Henry H. Howell, Jr., located
at the submarine base at San Pedro, California. Dr. Howell is a member of
the State and American Medical Society. It has been primarily through the
individual efforts of Dr. Howell that he has achieved the success which is
rightly his due. He is conscientious, and enterprising, and influential
citizen and is always foremost among those who are constantly boosting for
better conditions in the county at large.
Source: "The History of Imperial County, California,"
Elms and Franks Publ. Co., 1918, pp. 434-435.
Transcribed and submitted by Sally Kaleta, January, 2007.
Ambition is what makes
this wide old world such a habitable place to live in. Ambition is what gave
to August Mayer, the subject of this review, a desire to achieve a worthy
object, which culminated in the forty-acre ranch which Mayer now owns in
Water Company No. 8, in the Westmoreland District. In the year 1909, on the
25th day of December, to be exact, August Mayer came to Imperial County, and
he has never regretted the impulse which started him in the direction of the
highly productive fields of this county, as success, with all its smiling
attributes, has come to the man whose history is chronicled in this sketch.
August Mayer was born in Germany, November 26, 1882, and came to this
country in the year 1907, having received his early education in his native
land, leaving school at the age of 14 years. With stalwart perseverance and
a determination to make good despite overwhelming odds, Mr. Mayer cast a
stern eye about him for some logical undertaking which he might pursue
advantageously and which in the end would make him a livelihood worthy of
his station in life. Being of strong physique, Mr. Mayer found work in the
ranches for two years in various parts, and upon his arrival in Imperial
County rented his present holding and later bought from the Southern Pacific
Railroad Company. Mr. Mayer has constructed a comfortable dwelling of
pretentious design on his property, where he lives with his family. At
present, Mr. Mayer is engaged in general farming, and each year harvests his
crops with the knowledge that the financial returns far exceed his
expectations. He has had splendid success in the way of raising alfalfa and
livestock of a high grade. Mr. Mayer was married at El Centro, California,
May 25, 1914, to Miss Marie Hora of Bohemia. They have one son, Eugene
George, born in the north end, May 29, 1916. A glance over the ranch of Mr.
Mayer convinces one that it has been primarily through hard and
conscientious work that he has made the marked progress which is noted
there.
Source: "The History of Imperial County, California,"
Elms and Franks Publ. Co., 1918, pp. 435-436.
Transcribed and submitted by Sally Kaleta, January, 2007.