San Diego County Biographies

San Diego County

Biographies

CHARLES A. TREANOR,

a twenty years' resident of San Diego, was born February 17, 1861, near Sacramento, California, his father being a farmer and owning a farm near that city. There the subject passed the first eight years of his life. May 3, 1869, his family moved to this city, where they have since resided. The following years he passed as attendant of the city schools, and out of school hours he was employed in delivering papers for the Old San Diego News. In 1881 he entered the employ of the California Southern Pacific Railroad Company, and was engaged in various capacities until the fall of 1884, when he became bookkeeper and cashier for the Russ Lumber & Mill Company, a position which he still holds, September, 1889.

The subject is still unmarried, being one of the class of dutiful sons, who considers the care of mother his first pleasure. His father is deceased. He is a member of the Sons of the Golden West, a society composed entirely of native-born sons of citizens.

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.- 342

Transcribed by Kathy Sedler

JOHN HEERANDUER,

a native of Obernberg, Austria, was born in 1825. He left Austria in 1848, by the good ship Baltimore, from Rotterdam, and after a quiet passage of forty days arrived safely in New York. He went at once to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, thence to Burlington, for a few months, and to Rochester, where he passed about a year working at his trade, that of machinist, which he acquired in Austria. In 1850 he joined a train at Racine, Wisconsin, managed by David Barton, to cross the plains to California. They came via St. Joseph, Fort Leavenworth, North Platte and Greene rivers, crossed the Rocky mountains by the Great South Pass in June, and, after a pleasant journey, devoid of unusual experiences, arrived at Hangtown, now called Placerville. Although their own trip was a pleasant one they were witnesses of the sufferings of others, as on the latter part of their journey the trail was lined with the carcasses of dead horses and cattle, which the early pioneers had left behind them. At Hangtown Mr. Heeranduer worked at mining for a while, then went to Gold Spring, taking up a claim, and, with a partner, struck it very rich; but, owing to a disagreement with his partner, he sold out and went to Walmouth, where he opened a saloon, hauling supplies from Stockton; but the miners encroached upon his land, so he sold out and went to Yankee Jim, where he opened a wagon shop; hut, work being scarce and food expensive,—flour being from 75 cents to $1 a pound,—he gave up his shop and went to chopping wood. In the spring of 1852 he went to Michigan Bluff and opened a car shop and foundry, with great success; there being no coin there gold dust and nuggets were weighed out in exchange for supplies. In 1856 the town was destroyed by fire, but he rebuilt and remained until 1859, when he went to Watsonville, Santa Cruz County, California, and worked at house-moving in summer and ran a ferry-boat across the river in winter. He secured a charter from the State and built a toll bridge across the river, which proved very profitable; finally sold out his toll bridge to a toll company, and was employed by them in building roads and bridges across the low lands and rivers. He then converted his ferry-boat into a freight boat and carried freight to the several dealers.

In 1870 he came to San Diego city with about $2,500, bought a corner lot at Sixth and K streets, started a planing mill and began the business of house-moving, being the pioneer establishment, and having a monopoly in that line of business for fifteen years. During the boom of 1886 he sold his property for $12,000, and then built a large bath-house at the foot of Sixth street, with hot and cold baths, which he has carried on until the present summer, 1889.

In 1871 Mr. Heeranduer was married, in San Diego, to Miss Caroline Nordk, who died in 1885, leaving no children. Though sixty-four years of age, Mr. Heeranduer is still active and quite a musician. He has now rented his bath house, and, from the income of his possessions, anticipates a less active and laborious life.

Transcribed by Kathy Sedler

THOMAS J. DOWELL,

one of San Diego's promising young business men, was born in Calaveras County, December 21, 1855. His father, John A. Dowell, was a native of Virginia, born in 1828; most of his life was spent in Missouri. He came to California in 1851, and was foreman of the Meadow Valley Mining Company. He had charge of the first train loaded with machinery, taken to Pioche, Nevada. Mr. Dowell's mother was Calista Palacio, born in El Rosario, State of Sinoloa, Mexico. They had but one child, Thomas. His early education was entirely Spanish; later he attended Santa Clara College. In 1874 his father gave him money to start in the mercantile business in Pioche. The firm name was A. D. Reccabarren & Co. At the end of a year he sold out and engaged in mining with his father. Five months later his father was killed by falling down a shaft in the mine. Mr. Dowell went from there to Silver Reef, Utah, and opened a book store, which he sold out two years later and went to Tombstone. He was there engaged in mining for four years, one year of which time he was in the service of the Mexican government in the Palomina custom-house. After this he was in the store of Max Marks & Co. In 1886 he came to San Diego and was engaged in bookkeeping four months. He afterward entered the service of the International Company of Mexico. Finally he formed a partnership with Pedro Aguirre, in Mexican and American custom-house brokerage and commission. They are opening and developing a trade with Mexico, which will no doubt result in an increase of business between San Diego and Mexico. Mr. Dowell is an Odd Fellow and a Chancellor Commander of the Knights of Pythias, and a member of the San Diego Chamber of Commerce.

Transcribed by Kathy Sedler

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