San Bernardino County
Biographies
E. A. BALL,
of Redlands, is a native of Vermont, born April 5, 1832.
His father. Orange Ball, moved to Ashtabula County, Ohio, in 1840, where he
farmed until his death, which occurred in December, 1873. The subject of this
sketch was reared in the "Buckeye " State, and in 1854 left his native State to
be gone only three months.
He went to Jefferson County, Wisconsin, where he engaged in farming. Then he
took five months to drive with wagons to Silver City, Nevada, where he mined and
teamed until 1864, when he went to Sonoma County, California, and engaged in the
dairy business for three years. He was married in Wisconsin in 1858, to Miss
Jennie McElroy, of Clarkson Center, New York, and they have had eight children,
five of whom are still living, viz.: Edith, now Mrs. McCrary; Effie died at at
the age of four years; Edison died at the age of two years; Forest, Frank died
at the age of four; Lewis, Grace and Jennie. Mr. Ball has been a resident of the
county since November 12, 1869. He was a citizen of Riverside from 1873 to 1879.
After this he ran a farm three miles east of San Bernardino, on Base Line, until
1886, when he moved to Redlands and engaged in the hotel business, keeping the
Pioneer House. He now runs a saloon and billiard hall. Last spring he took up a
ranch of 160 acres on Santa Ana river, on Bear valley trail. He also owns
property in Redlands, all of which is devoted to oranges. Politically Mr. Ball
is a Republican. He is an I. O. O. F Riverside Lodge, No. 282.
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.- 550
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler
WILLIAM CRAIG. M. D.,
Redlands, was born in Pennsylvania, January 2, 1818. His father, Samuel Craig, was a tanner and farmer, and moved to Clark County, Ohio, in 1819. Our subject attended the common schools of Clark County, and in 1848 graduated at the Starling Medical College, at Columbus, Ohio. He then practiced medicine in Shelby county three years, and in Auglaize County three years. The five years following this he practiced in Winchester, Indiana, where he also carried on a drug business. Then he went to Muncie, Indiana, where he engaged in the drug business and practiced medicine for ten years. Then he successfully engaged in the baking powder business for some two years. In October, 1870, he moved to California, and was one of the first settlers in Riverside, where he pre-empted eighty acres of land and plowed the first furrow ever plowed there. He also built the first hotel in Riverside, and carried on the hotel business for about seven years, or until his hotel was burned. He, having previously purchased 108 acres of fine land three miles east of Redlands, has a magnificent country residence and as fine a vineyard as there is in the valley; also, 500 orange trees in full bearing. Dr. Craig has been twice married ; first at Muncie, Indiana, March, 30, 1838, to Joanna Moore. In six months she died, and in 1846, he married Charlotte Moses, also a native of the "Keystone" State. By her he has reared three children: Scipio, Mary E. and Joanna. He was made a Mason in 1849, and is also a Knight Templar. At three different places he has been Worshipful Master of a Masonic lodge. He was a charter member of Evergreen Lodge, No. 259, with which he still affiliates. Dr. Craig has been an active member of and an earnest worker in the Presbyterian Church. He first joined the church in 1848, and has held all the different offices in the church at various times and places, and has been an elder since 1854. Dr. Craig is an honored and highly respected citizen, and one whose character is beyond reproach, and no name in this work is more worthy of mention than his.
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.- 550-551
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler
B. F. GARNER,
residing on Mount Vernon avenue. San Bernardino, was born near Quincy, Illinois, March 5, 1835. His parents were George and Elizabeth Garner. His father moved to Nauvoo, Illinois, at an early day, and remained there one year when he crossed the plains to Utah, where he spent one winter. Frank was fifteen years of age when they left the Missouri river, and he drove an ox team all the way to California. While crossing the Missouri river on a ferry-boat, the team which he afterward drove became frightened and jumped off the boat into the water, and swam across safely with the yoke on. They left St. Joe with a train of sixty wagons in the spring of 1850, but many died on the way of cholera. The train being so long they divided it into six divisions of ten wagons each, and took turns leading. The ten wagons that led one day fell behind the next. George Garner was captain of ten wagons, and one day he was to lead he told his men to follow, and do hard driving, and by that means they would leave the rest behind, which they did, and got to the end of the journey just two weeks in advance of the rest. They lost two of their number by cholera and had some trouble with the Indians. Mr. Garner had a family of eight children. For awhile after their arrival they lived in the fort at San Bernardino, and then Mr. Garner took up Government land, which he farmed fifteen years. He then purchased 100 acres on Base Line. In 1853 the subject of this sketch went to San Jose valley, and was in the northern mines for some time; and also farmed and ran a thresher. In 1855 he came back here and was married to Miss Amanda Thompkins. She was the daughter of Thomas Tompkins, who came to San Francisco from Steuben County, New York, on the steamer Brooklyn, the first that ever sailed. He then went to Utah, and then as a Mormon missionary he went to the Tahiti islands. After this he moved to the San José valley, where he farmed on an extensive scale for several years. He then removed to San Bernardino County, where he died.
Mr. and Mrs. Garner have reared eight children: Frank, who is a stock-dealer in Aniz; Jane, now Mrs. George Evans; Levina, wife of Harry Hagan; Charley, Addison, Lewis, Jessie and Arena. Mr. Garner has been one of the successful men of San Bernardino, and is now retired from active business, in his comfortable home on Mount Vernon avenue.
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.- 551
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler