San Diego County
Biographies
HERBERT L. EMERY,
of San Diego County, was born in Rockland, Maine, June 30, 1843, son of William S. and Lucy (Spaulding) Emery, both descendants of Scotch-English parents, but natives of Maine. William S. followed the sea, being captain of the fine old bark Louisiana, making successful voyages to Europe, the West Indies, and other foreign ports. He made his first trip to California in 1849 by way of the Horn, bringing freight and passengers. Like many New England people he was the father of a large family, having fourteen children, eight of whom are now living, four sons and four daughters, of whom the subject of this sketch is the fourth in order of birth, having a twin brother, Henry. He came to California in 1853, then being ten years of age, and with his parents settled in Sacramento. In 1864 he enlisted in the California Volunteers, who for eight months were stationed at the Wilmington barracks, and were then ordered to Fort Mojave, while the regulars at the fort were sent to the front. He remained at the fort two years, doing escort duty to the pioneer wagon trains in defending them against the Indians. In 1866 his company was discharged and he returned to Sacramento. In 1868, in company with his father and twin brother, he went on the Fort Yuma road, on the Colorado desert, and bought up staging stations, where they opened stores under the name of Emery Brothers, which name and connection has been continued through all their enterprises. Becoming familiar with the grazing grounds of the locality they entered the cattle business, through the purchase of their stock from the drivers and exchanging hay therefore. Their interests were extended to Pine valley, through the purchase of school lands then occupied by a Texan, who for $50 gave up the possession and left the valley. Emery Brothers held possession until 1873 when the Government surveys were made and they took up and purchased
2,000 acres, which comprise the area of available land in the entire Pine valley, that lies at an elevation of 3,700 feet, but is shut out by the mountains from all sea breezes. The valley is subject to heavy frosts and much snow, but having a fine supply of running water it affords a fine valley for the grazing and rearing of stock. They have a herd of 600 head of cattle, which has been vastly improved through interbreeding with the Hereford stock, a small well-knit animal, adapted to grazing and beef rather than milk-forming qualities.
Henry, the twin brother, died in 1888, but the firm name continues the same. The father and mother, at the ages of seventy-three and seventy respectively, are still living, upon a ranch owned by the subject, in what is called the Alpine district, which is the warm belt of Southern California and extremely healthy for invalids. Mr. Emery also owns a fruit ranch of 100 acres, near Santa Cruz, where he grows the French prune, which he cures on his ranch and markets under the firm name He is a man filled with New England thrift and enterprise, whose younger days were fraught with great hardships in his pioneer experiences, but is enjoying the fruit of his labors and devotes his time to the management of his several estates.
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.- 306-307
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler
EDMOND NUGENT, M. D., F. R. C. S. I.,
San Diego, was born in County Dublin, Ireland, March 8, 1834, of parents who were natives of Ireland. His father, Edmond Nugent, was an Episcopal clergyman, and his grandfather, Sir Edmond Nugent, was for two terms Lord Mayor of the city of Dublin. The subject of this sketch was educated in Dublin, is a graduate of Trinity College, and in medicine a graduate of the King and Queen's College of Physicians, and in surgery Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons, graduating with full diplomas at the age of twenty-one. He left at once for New York, in December, 1855, as surgeon on board the sailing vessel Ontario, a passenger ship, owned by Grinnell, Minturn & Co., of New York, carrying 365 passengers. After a passage of twenty-eight days, much of which was through rough seas which frequently swept the decks, carrying away all the upper saloons and lite-boats, they landed in New York with no loss of life. After a short sojourn in New York, the Doctor went to Ontario, Canada, where he remained about three years, practicing his profession.
He there married Miss Jane Charlotte Branan, of Ontario, Canada, a native of Ireland, and returned to Dublin with his wife in December, 1859, where he spent sixteen years in practice. He was honored with several Government and other appointments, among them that of Surgeon Agent to the British Admiralty, Examiner at the College of Surgeons, and several dispensary, coast guard and constabulary appointments. In 1875 he returned with his family to Ontario, Canada, where he practiced until 1885, when, on account of the illness of his son, his attention was drawn to the genial climate of Southern California. Arriving at San Diego city in October of that year, he at once began the practice of his profession in general medicine at his present location in the Bakesto block, Fifth street. Seeking a higher altitude for his son, he was attracted to the Alpine district, which is elevated 1,150 feet, called the middle or warm belt, a district most favorable to all classes of invalids requiring an even, dry atmosphere, particularly to those suffering from affections of the throat and lungs. There the Doctor bought a ranch of 320 acres, and he finds the climate particularly adapted to nearly all the fruits of Southern California. The peaches and pears of the Alpine district having a special reputation, he has about eighty acres in fruit, largely in grapes for raisins and wines; also peaches, pears, oranges, nectarines, prunes, olives and walnuts. There are numerous flowing springs in the district, one of which, on the Doctor's grounds, is seven feet deep and twelve feet in diameter, the admiration of all comers, never changing its flow or temperature in summer or winter, but continuous from year's end to year's end, and noted for its purity.
The Doctor has had six children, five of whom, one son and four daughters, are living. His son-in-law, Captain G. P. A. Beabazon, a native of Ireland, now resides on his ranch, but the Doctor now thinks of retiring from active practice, so that he may end his days in peace and quietness in that most delightful of climates, 'neath his own vine and fig-tree. The Doctor has an exceptional and most interesting family. Highly educated and most accomplished, yet modest and retiring, their agreeable good sense and consistent lives commend them to the highest esteem and respect of those who know them, and to a rare appreciation in the higher spheres in which they move.
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.- 307-308
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler