San Bernardino County
Biographies
SENECA LA RUE,
one of the horticulturists of the Riverside colony, came to
Riverside in 1876 and located on Arlington avenue, where he purchased a claim of
forty acres of Government land for which he eventually secured a patent.
Immediately upon his purchase he commenced his horticultural pursuits, first
planting a vineyard and some deciduous fruits as well as oranges, but later his
experience led him to uproot the deciduous trees and replace them with citrus
fruits. His orange grove is about twenty-two acres in extent; fifteen acres,
being above the canal, is not irrigable. The older trees are seedlings, but the
greater part of his trees are budded, and vary
in age from those planted in 1878 to trees planted a year ago. Mr. La Rue has
engaged somewhat in raising nursery stock, from which he has made selections to
stock his own orchards.
His groves contain a fine class of
trees with substantial bodies well pruned. He has just reason to be proud of his
success. In 1888 his bearing trees produced a crop that brought over $300 per
acre. The improvements on his place which constitutes his home are first-class,
consisting of a substantial and well arranged two-story residence, commodious
out-buildings, etc. He has added much to the comfort and beauty of his home by
hedges, ornamental trees and floral productions.
Mr. La Rue is not a stranger to the Pacific coast, his first residence in California having been as early as 1850. He was born in Indiana in 1831, a son of Berrian H. and Mary (Nye) La Rue, the former a native of New Jersey and the latter of Massachusetts. Seneca La Rue was raised to farming. In 1850 he came to this State and located in the mining districts of El Dorado County. The following seven years he spent in mining, then returned to his native place, where he resumed his farming operations and led the life of an agriculturist until 1875, when he returned to California and located in Mariposa County. He again entered into mining operations, but not suited with that life he came to Riverside in 1876 and established his present residence and occupation. He is one of the enterprising and progressive citizens, and has been identified with building interests in Riverside besides his orange culture. He is well and favorably known in the community and has a large circle of friends. He is a member of the Universalist Church. In political matters he is a consistent Republican.
In 1858 Mr. La Rue married Miss Samantha Leach, a native of Indiana. They have eight children, namely: Jennie E., now Mrs. A. G. Simms, of Redlands; Sarah G., now Mrs. O. Styles, of Riverside; Sapronia A., Mary Olive, Scott W., Dwight Berry, Rexford and Irene.
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.- 671-672
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler
GEORGE H. DOLE.
Among the noticeably fine residences in the Arlington district of Riverside, is that owned by George H. Dole. It is located upon his twenty -acre tract on the north side of Arlington avenue, three miles south of Riverside. His two-story residence is of modern design and finish and is complete in its appointments. It is surrounded by well-ordered grounds abounding in ornamental trees, rich floral productions and beautiful lawns. Mr. Dole has sought Riverside as a desirable place of residence in which to rear his children and afford them the advantages of schools, churches, etc., while he devotes himself to horticultural pursuits. His orange grove is ten acres in extent, and with the exception of about 100 trees, is planted with Washington Navels. They were planted in 1883 and at later dates. He also has ten acres of vineyard, producing a large yield of raisin grapes of the Muscat variety. His grove and vineyard were planted by W. R. Russell, the former owner, and are well known among the representative places of Riverside.
The subject of this sketch was born in the Hawaiian Islands in 1842, and reared there. His father was the Rev. Daniel Dole, a native of Skowhegan, Maine, who early in life entered the ministry of the Congregational Church. He married Miss Emily Ballard, of the same State, and in 1841 entered the missionary service of this society and located on the Hawaiian Islands, where he was engaged in his labors as a missionary until 1878. Mr. Dole's early life was spent in obtaining his education. He then engaged in literary and other occupations, and was for some time connected with the leading journals of Honolulu as associate editor. Later he devoted himself to agriculture and horticulture, and was for many years employed as manager of some of the large plantations of the Islands. In 1867 he married Miss Clara M. Rowell, and as children were born in his family he decided to seek a more desirable place for their education. and in March, 1889, he established his present residence. Mrs. Dole is also a native of the Hawaiian Islands. Her father, the Rev. G. B. Rowell, was a native of New Hampshire, and spent many years of his life in missionary service. Mr. and Mrs. Dole have twelve children, all born on the Islands, viz.: Walter S., William Herbert., Marion F., Clara M., Charles S., Emily C., Alfred R., Norman, Wilfred H. Ethelbert G., Sanford B., and Kenneth L. His eldest son, Walter, is attending the Cornell University, of the class of 1892; Herbert is in mercantile life in New York; the other children are members of their father's household.
Mr. Dole is a desirable acquisition to the community of Riverside. He is a thorough business man and well versed in agricultural and horticultural pursuits, and is destined to take a leading part in these industries. He has for many years been a consistent member of the Congregational Church; he is also a member of the Masonic fraternity and affiliated with Hawaiian Lodge, No. 21, F. & A. M., of Honolulu.
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.- 672-673
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler