Ventura County
Biographies
Michael Fagan
Michael Fagan is a pioneer of California and of Ventura County. He was born in Pennsylvania, August 26, 1840, the son of John and Annie (Dinnell) Fagan. The father was born in Dublin, Ireland, and emigrated to Canada when a boy. Michael Fagan is one of a family of nine children, five of whom are now living. After living in Illinois nine years he came across the plains with ox teams to California, arriving August 13, 1852, and he was reared and received his education in Calaveras Country, California. His mother died in 1851, and his father in November 1852. He spent the years 1852-'53-'54 in mining, and when he was eighteen years of age he had about $11,000. Then for a time he was engaged in stock-raising. In 1862 he went to Aurora, where he was interested in quartz-mining. About that time he met with reverses and lost nearly all that he had made. In 1863 he engaged in farming in San Joaquin County, in partnership with his brother. They sowed 1,000 acres in wheat, and, the season being dry, the crop was a failure. In March, 1864, Mr. Fagan sailed for Mexico, where he engaged in cotton-raising, and the last six months of his stay there he was in a store. He sold out, prospected a year in Arizona, with but little success, returned to California and settled in Stanislaus County, where he purchased 640 acres of land at Dry Creek. Two years later he again sold out, went to San Joaquin, engaged in the meat business with his brother, and after remaining there a year, disposed of his interest in the meat market, in 1869, and came to Ventura. Here, for four years, he was engaged in sheep-raising, having as high as 3,500 head of sheep at one time, and a part of the time being in partnership with Mr. Snodgrass. He traded the last of his sheep for property in Ventura, and during the boom sold it and bought 100 acres of land in the vicinity of Saticoy. He planted the first orchard there, improved his property, and, in 1884, sold it for $75 per acre. He then bought his present ranch, 740 acres, and erected his pleasant home in a most picturesque spot. The property is principally a stock-farm, is fenced in two fields, and an abundance of water is supplied for stock from a sulphur spring on the place, the water being brought in pipes. Mr. Fagan has some fine Durham cattle. His property being located so near Santa Paula, he pastures a great many horses for other people. In addition to other improvements made, Mr. Fagan has planted a large variety of fruit trees, principally for home use.
He was married, April 9, 1879, to Miss Hattie Tillotson, a native of New York. They have five children, all born in Ventura County, namely: Frank D., Cora May, Ettie Bell, Walter Miller, and Marion Morris. The children are all at home with their parents and attend school in Santa Paula. Mr. Fagan is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and votes the Democratic ticket.
BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF THE COUNTIES OF SANTA BARBARA, SAN LUIS OBISPO, AND VENTURA, CALIF. by Ida Addis Storke, 1891, p 335 Transcribed by Sandy Neder
George W. Faulkner
George W. Faulkner is the son of George Faulkner, who was born in England in 1806, came to Ohio in 1838, and settled on a farm in Richland County, where he still lives and where, August 16, 1846, his son, George W., was born. Mr. Faulkner's mother was nee Julia A. Green, a native of Franklin County, Ohio. Her father, William Green, was a pioneer in Ohio, and built the third house in the township in which he lived. The subject of this sketch was the fourth of a family of six children, was reared and educated in Ohio, and was engaged in agricultural pursuits on the farm on which he was born until coming to Ventura County, California, in 1879. He purchased seventy-three acres of land near New Jerusalem, and three years later came to his present location, near Santa Paula. Here he bought a farm of 150 acres, on which he has made many improvements, planting trees and building a large barn. He has not yet built his new house, but has selected a beautiful building site and already has the grounds planted with shrubbery and trees. Mr. Faulkner has eighteen acres of apricots and a general assortment of prunes, apples, pears and citrus fruits, and has twenty-eight acres of bearing walnut trees. This place presents a fine appearance with its flowers, fruit-trees, ponderous barn, and well kept stock grazing in the green pastures. Mr. Faulkner is carrying on general farming, but the crop of which he makes a specialty is Lima beans, raising as high as a ton to the acre, the price being now four and a half cents per pound. He employs two farm hands all the time and often more.
Mr. Faulkner was united in marriage to Miss Roda S. Seymour, a graduate of Baldwin University, class of '72. She is a native of Ohio, and a daughter of Rev. S.D. Seymour, of the North Ohio Conference, Methodist Episcopal Church, now a resident of Texas. Mr. and Mrs. Faulkner are the parents of two daughters and one son: Alpha and Stella, born in New Jerusalem, and George Seymour, in Santa Paula. Mr. Faulkner is forty years older than his little son, and his father is forty years his senior. He showed the writer something unique in the way of a picture, the three portraits, father, son and grandson, being arranged on one card.
Mr. and Mrs. Faulkner are members of the Methodist Church. Politically he is a Prohibitionist.
BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF THE COUNTIES OF SANTA BARBARA, SAN LUIS OBISPO, AND VENTURA, CALIF. by Ida Addis Storke, 1891, p 559 Transcribed by Sandy Neder