Ventura County
Biographies
Alonzo L. Gordon
Alonzo L. Gordon was born in Caspar, Mendocino County, California, June 22, 1865, and was reared and educated there. His parents are of Scotch ancestry. His father, Alexander Gordon, was born in Montreal, Canada, and his mother, nee Christine Martin, is also a native of Canada. They have five children, of whom Alonzo is the third. Mr. and Mrs. Gordon came to California and settled in Mendocino County, in 1863, and there Mr. Gordon bought a ranch of 1,000 acres and engaged in cattle-raising and butchering. They still own and reside on that ranch. In 1885 they purchased a fine ranch of 1,000 acres of level land, located eight miles east of Hueneme, in Ventura County.
Alonzo Gordon has been reared on a ranch, and is thoroughly informed in all matters pertaining to ranch life. He gives strict attention to business, and is an enterprising young man; is manager of this ranch, and has five men in his employ. Since its purchase, many improvements have been made on this property, a house and suitable out-buildings having been erected. Mr. Gordon is extensively engaged in stock-raising, and also raises some barley, corn and hay. They have some fine Holstein cattle; and their horses, of which they keep about fifty, are mostly the Black Lewis stock crossed with the Clydesdale. They have a Black Lewis horse that is considered a very fine animal.
The subject of this sketch is a member of the I. O. G. T. Politically he is a Republican.
BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF THE COUNTIES OF SANTA BARBARA, SAN LUIS OBISPO, AND VENTURA, CALIF. by Ida Addis Storke, 1891, p 594 Transcribed by Sandy Neder
T. B. Gosnell
T. B. Gosnell, a prominent rancher of Ventura County, was born in Newark, Ohio, November 2, 1848. His father, Nelson Gosnell, was also born at the same place, and his grandfather, Joshua Gosnell, was a native of New York, his ancestors having emigrated from England to that State. His mother, Samantha (Barrick) Gosnell, daughter of John Barrick, a native of Pennsylvania, traces her ancestry back to the Pennsylvania Dutch. Mr. and Mrs. Gosnell had thirteen children, seven of whom are now living. The family removed from Ohio to Illinois when the subject of this sketch was nine years old, residing there eight years. In 1865 they removed to Missouri and remained there ten years. Mr. Gosnell was reared a farmer, and also learned the carpenter's trade. He returned to Ohio, and, in 1885, came to his present locality. Here he purchased 102 acres of land on the Ventura avenue, and built on it two houses and a barn. He is now engaged in erecting a very fine family residence on one of the most sightly spots of the whole avenue, it being on a high point of land that overlooks the entire valley in every direction, with all the beautiful homes on Ventura avenue in full view. Mr. Gosnell has a family orchard with a variety of fruit of nearly all kinds, and also 300 walnut trees.
In 1879 the subject of this sketch was united in marriage with Miss Caroline McGuire, sister of William McGuire, a history of whom will be found on another page of this book. It was on account of Mrs. Gosnell's health that they came to California. They are the parents of two children, Ira and Lena, both natives of Ohio. Mr. Gosnell is a Royal Arch Mason. Politically he is a Republican.
BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF THE COUNTIES OF SANTA BARBARA, SAN LUIS OBISPO, AND VENTURA, CALIF. by Ida Addis Storke, 1891, p 411 Transcribed by Sandy Neder