San Bernardino County
Biographies
HENRY A. PULS.
Among the older
settlers and well-known residents of Riverside is the subject of this sketch.
Mr. Puls came to Riverside in 1876, seeking a home, and in the same year
purchased a ten-acre tract on Bandini avenue, about one-half mile west of
Brockton avenue, and commenced his horticultural pursuits. In 1878 he purchased
five acres adjoining his original tract. His was the first house built in this
locality, and he may well be called a pioneer of that section of the colony.
He has each year added to his improvements, taking up many of the deciduous
trees first planted and replaced them with citrus fruits. He has now orange
groves and vineyards that he has just reasons to be proud of. His eight acres of
orange trees are some of the first in the colony, and these trees that are in
bearing are remarkably prolific in yield. In 1889 the orange crop on five acres
of his orchard sold on the trees for $4,262. Four acres of his land are in
Bartlett pears that give satisfactory return. Two acres are devoted to raisin
grapes.
Mr. Puls is not devoting all his
attention to his home place, for he is the owner of a thirty-acre tract one-half
mile west of the North Cucamonga Railroad station. He is rapidly improving this
land, and is raising a nursery stock, which will be sufficient to plant the
whole acreage in choice budded fruit, and has a fine
vineyard of fifteen acres on the place that give a large yield of raisin grapes.
Mr. Puls has been identified with the growth and building up of Riverside, and
in addition to his horticultural industries was from 1876 to 1883 engaged as a
carpenter and builder.
Mr. Puls is a native of Prussia born in 1846. In 1851 his parents, Gotleib and Yetta Puls, emigrated to the United States and located in Chicago. There he received his education and learned his trade, being apprenticed at the age of seventeen years. He worked as a journeyman in Chicago until 1871, and then spent about two years at Little Rock, Arkansas. Returning to Illinois he located at Evanston, near Chicago, and was there engaged as a builder until he came to Riverside.
In 1875 he married Miss Mary Eliza Huse, a native of Maine; she is a daughter of Abel W. Huse, now a resident of Riverside. From the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Puls there is one child, Winnie Inez, who was born in Riverside. Mr. Puls has ever taken a deep interest in the prosperity and progress of this place. He is a director and member of the Board of Trade, and prominent in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, being a member of the lodge and encampment, and a charter member of the last-named. In politics he is a stanch Republican.
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.- 652
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler
THOMAS R. CUNDIFF
came to California in 1874, and the next year located in Riverside. Upon his arrival he sought work as a nurseryman, and first worked for Mr. Carleton, and then Mr. Russell. He soon became familiar with horticultural pursuits, and purchasing a team and wagon engaged in improving and planting orchards and orange grove lands for non-residents. He worked for several years at this, and some of the now finest fruit groves in the colony were those he planted in the early days, among which may be noted the groves of Peter Suman and Henry Jaracki, on Brockton avenue.
In 1875 Mr. Cundiff bought twenty acres in Brockton square, on the south side of Bandini avenue, and this he partially improved and then sold to Aberdeen Kieth, and in 1877 purchased a twenty-acre tract on the north side of Bandini avenue. Upon that land he commenced his horticultural pursuits upon his own account, planting a large variety of citrus and deciduous trees and also raisin grapes. In latter years he corrected his mistake by rooting out his deciduous trees and vines and planting oranges. In 1882 he sold the east ten acres of his tract to George Bryant. This fine place is now owned by Captain J. W. Sayward. The remaining ten acres Mr. Cundiff reserved for his home, and erected upon it a neat cottage residence and comfortable out-buildings. He is destined to have one of the most productive places in Brockton square. Nearly all of his land is in budded orange trees at this writing. Some six acres is giving a fair yield, and trees are coming into bearing every year. His grove shows the care and attention of a thorough horticulturist.
Mr. Cundiff is a native of Missouri, dating his birth in 1852. He was reared and schooled in Farmington, Missouri, until he came to California, in 1874. His parents were Richard and Agnes (Blue) Cundiff. His father is a native of Kentucky, and his mother of Tennessee.
In 1882 Mr. Cundiff was united in marriage with Miss Anna Finch, the daughter of William Finch, a well-known resident of Riverside. From this marriage there are four children: Florence A., Grace A., Harry T. and Bert N. Mr. Cundiff's long residence has made him well known in the Riverside colony, and his consistent course of life and sterling qualities have won him a large circle of friends. In political matters he is a conservative Democrat.
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.- 652-653
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler