Orange County
Biographies
W. M. McFADDEN,
a public-spirited business man and rancher at Anaheim, was born in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, February 19, 1840, and is a son of John and Rachel (McCormac) McFadden, being the oldest of eight children. He was educated at the public schools, the People's Academy at West Pitts, the Curry Normal Institute at Pitts, the Beaver (Pennsylvania) Academy in 1860, and at Bryant & Stratton's Commercial, at Louisville, in 1861. After this he kept books for a year in Jeffersonville, Indiana, and taught school in Aberdeen, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. He came to California in 1864, by way of the Isthmus, landing at San Francisco, June 29, and within nine days he was teaching school in Alameda County. Here he continued four and a half years, for one year being principal of the San Leandro Grammar Schools, two years and a half of the Alameda Grammar Schools, and one year at Pleasanton. He came to Los Angeles in December, 1868, and was for two terms County Superintendent of schools in this county. Altogether he was engaged in educational work twenty years. He bought a ranch of forty-six acres, four miles northeast of Anaheim, in 1869. This he improved while he was at the same time teaching school. He was one of the seven who organized the Cañon Irrigation Company, and completed the great canal at an expense of $100,000, and was its secretary for four years. He was appointed by Governor Waterman as one of the commissioners to perfect the the organization of Orange County. Was nominated by the Democratic party for the Legislature from the Seventy-eighth district, but was defeated by Colonel Edwards. He was a member of the Board of Education of Los Angeles County two years, and its president one year. In 1874 he built a school-house in his district with his own money, undertaking to wait until the district could reimburse him, and he served as trustee until one year ago. Mr. McFadden is Past Master of Lodge No. 207, F. & A. M.; in the lodge he has held all the offices except that of treasurer; is now Junior Warden. In 1881 he was representative to the Grand Lodge in San Francisco. He is also a member of Magnolia Council, No. 94, O. C. F. and Past Councilor.
He was married in December, 1866, to Sarah J. Earl, a native of Ohio. Their six children are: Carrie, wife of H. H. Ford, William E., Clarence, Toni, Ralph and Robbie.
SOURCE: An Illustrated History of Southern California: Embracing the Counties of San Diego, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Orange, and the Peninsula of Lower California… Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1890. p.- 853
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler
REV. JONATHAN B. TOMBES, D. D.,
Anaheim, was born in Albany, New York, attended Oberlin College three years, and graduated at Madison University in 1845, in the literary course. He also graduated in the regular course in theology. In 1870 the degree of D. D. Was conferred upon him. He was ordained to preach in 1848. For some time he was pastor of the Fourth Baptist Church at Richmond, Virginia; then had charge of Meadville Academy. In 1859 he took charge of Liberty Female College at Liberty, Missouri; but in 1864, on account of the war, wherein he was a true friend of the Union, he left his family there and went East, lecturing on the issues of the day. Soon after he was called to take charge of the North Baptist Church in Philadelphia, where he served as pastor for several years; next he was pastor of the Berean Church at Carbondale, Pennsylvania. Subsequently he edited and published a church paper at Charleston, West Virginia, called the Baptist Record; afterward took charge of Carlton College for a term of five years. In April, 1875, he came to Southern California. Here, near Anaheim, he is engaged as a horticulturist and has a beautiful home and orange trees and all other kinds of fruits and flowers. Still he does some professional work. He was mainly instrumental in organizing the Central Baptist Church in Los Angeles and was its first pastor. He continues to write articles for church papers, which exhibit thorough scholarship in divinity and collateral subjects.
He married Miss Mary A. McFadden, a native of Pennsylvania, and they have two interesting children, who are attending school.
SOURCE: An Illustrated History of Southern California: Embracing the Counties of San Diego, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Orange, and the Peninsula of Lower California… Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1890. p.- 853-854
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler
ROBERT PARKER,
vineyardist near Anaheim, was born in Beverly Township,
Wentworth County, Canada, March 18, 1838, the third in a family of thirteen
children of Robert and Ann (Stalker) Parker. He was brought up to steady work on
a farm, with but limited schooling. In 1868 he came to California by steamer,
followed mining a short time and then bought a Government title to 500 acres of
land in Mariposa County. In 1871 he bought fifty-five acres where he now lives,
a mile and a half north of Anaheim, and for several years he prospered in grape
culture, until recently, when the vines died, and he is now devoting his
attention to the cultivation of oranges and walnuts. Mr. Parker is a man of
considerable experience and good judgment. He is a member of Anaheim Lodge, No.
85, A. O. U. W., and of the Presbyterian Church; was one of the foremost in
building the Presbyterian house of worship at Fullerton. Politically he is a
zealous and able Prohibitionist, while
his wife is au active worker in the W. C. T. U. at Fullerton, being now
superintendent of the department of juvenile work.
Mr. Parker was first married in 1863, to Henrietta Patterson, a Canadian, by whom he had five children: Robert F., Donald, George, Mary M. (wife of Joseph Nichols of Santa Ana), and Louisa, who was drowned at the beach in 1888. January 15, 1882, Mr. Parker married Mrs. L. A. Keith, a native of the Indian Territory, born June 18, 1860. Her parents were Ira W. Wyman and Elizabeth Dunn, the former of English and the latter of German descent. Mr. Wyman met his death as a soldier in the late war. Mrs. Parker, by her former husband, H. P. Keith, had one son, named Minor L. By the present marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Parker, there are two children, Alice and Eleanor.
SOURCE: An Illustrated History of Southern California: Embracing the Counties of San Diego, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Orange, and the Peninsula of Lower California… Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1890. p.- 854
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler