San Diego County
Biographies
HENRY CHASE,
one of the reliable pioneer farmers of Perris valley, was born in Attica, Wyoming County, New York, August 29, 1851. His parents removed to Dale when he was four years of age. His father, Isaac Chase, was a native of Connecticut, and removed to New York when a boy. He was married to Miss Sally Benham, who was born in Attica, Wyoming County, New York, in 1814. They raised a family of eight children, of which the subject of this sketch was the youngest but one. His father's death occurred in August, 1885, and his mother died in December, 1865. Mr. Chase was educated in the public schools at Dale, New York, and when a boy, worked on the canal, for which he has no reason to be ashamed, as he has had many an illustrious predecessor who did the same thing. Most of his life has been spent, however, in farming. In 1875 he came to California and settled in Westminster, Los Angeles County (now Orange County), where he bought twenty acres of land, and in two years sold it, and then farmed for four years on the Centinella Ranch. December 15, 1884, he came to Perris Valley and took up 160 acres of Government land, built his house and barns, and is making himself a comfortable home that some time in the near future will be worth a small fortune.
After several years of dreary "bathing" he became desperate, and October 1, 1887, he married Miss Nina G. Green, and he now wonders why he remained single so long. Mrs. Chase is a native of Massachusetts, born June 10, 1866. They have one nice girl—Ruby F., born in their present home June 10, 1889. Mr. Chase is sowing twenty acres of wheat, and the balance to barley. Both he and his wife are nice people, and are highly spoken of by their neighbors.
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.- 210-211
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler
GEORGE. P. OAKES
was born in Roxburys Massachusetts, February 14, 1846. His father, Nathan Oakes, was a native of Maine; his mother, Sarah (Noyes) Oakes, was born in Salem, Massachusetts. Mr. Oakes was the eldest of a family of seven children. He was educated in the public schools and at North Yarmouth Academy, and at the age of sixteen he entered the Union ranks in Company E, Seventeenth Maine Volunteer Infantry. Mr. Oakes' regiment went to the front at the time General McClellan was superseded, and shared the struggles of the great battles of the army of the Potomac until General Lee surrendered. He was twice shot,—once in the forearm (at Mine Run) and once in the head (at Chancellorsville); and his ankle suffers weakness from contusion. He was taken prisoner at Chancellorsville and paroled and sent to Belle Isle; from there in a short time he was exchanged and joined his regiment at the front. The weakness of his ankle caused him to be afterward transferred to the Veteran Reserve Corps, Company K, Fourteenth Regiment, and he did reserve service at Langley, Virginia, sixteen mile, from Washington. When mustered out of the service Mr. Oakes followed the sea in a sailing vessel. He made several trips to Europe, and August 12, 1868, landed at San Francisco from the brig Mary A. Reed, Captain Charles Johnson, 187 days from Brooklyn, New York, being twenty-five days going through the straits of Magellan. He spent a brief period in the following counties: Sonoma, Marin, Ventura, Los Angeles and San Bernardino. During the most of the time in these counties he was in the dairy business. In August, 1886, he came to Perris, San Diego County, and bought of the railroad company 160 acres of land, on which he built a house and barn and planted trees, and will soon have a very desirable place. He was married in 1878 to Miss Julia L. Moore, born in 1859, in St. Louis, Missouri, daughter of Levi N. Moore, of Orange County, New York. They had seven children, viz.: Levi M.; George P., born May 3, 1881; Charles H. W., born July 5, 1882; Sarah F., born October 31, 1883; Benjamin S., born February 2, 1885; Forest N., born September 5, 1887, and Leonard F., born April 1, 1889. The oldest child, Levi M., died when three years of age, of croup. Mr. Oakes has been an Odd Fellow and is a member of the G. A. R., Conman Post, No. 57. He is farming his land principally to grain, and usually sows 140 acres. He is an honest and reliable man and a good citizen.
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.- 211
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler