June 12, 2019

George W. Dobyns, revered and respected among El Monte’s early settlers, was born in Illinois, June 13, 1852. When he was only a boy his parents moved to Missouri where they remained until George was past his majority. In about the year 1874, they made the journey overland to California. Mr. Dobyns settled first in […]

R.C. Fryer was born in Alabama in 1821. When he was 18 years old, he moved to Arkansas, where he engaged in farming for a number of years. In 1852, with his family, he started across the plains, and arrived at El Monte the same year. He purchased a tract of land near here, and

A native son of the State, Henry F. Fryer, was born January 4, 1855 in El Monte. He was the son of Reverend R.C. and Caroline (Veazey) Fryer. The father was born in Alabama in 1821. When he was eighteen years old he made his first removal toward the west, at that time going to

No more prominent family than that established in California, by William H. Freer, holds rank among the representative citizens of Los Angeles County, the name being especially well known and esteemed in El Monte and vicinity. The pioneer, William H. Freer, was a native of the Middle West states, his birth having occurred on the

Thomas Freer, one of the sterling citizens of El Monte, gave to the state of his birth his most loyal allegiance, upholding her interests in every possible way. He was born in Barryessa, Santa Clara County, California, December 25, 1859, a son of William H. Freer, one of the early pioneers of California. For a

Martin Stucker Freer was a native Californian, born in Barryessa, Santa Clara County, October 1, 1854, his father being William H. Freer, the pioneer, whose history is given at length elsewhere in this volume. Reared on the home farm for the first twenty-one years of his life, Martin S. was educated in the public schools

Inheriting the qualities of character which have made the Freer name respected and esteemed throughout El Monte district and indeed, all Los Angeles County, Lee Freer held rank as one of the representative citizens of El Monte. He was a native son of the State, and a twin of Jackson Freer, whose sketch is included

John H. Freer, well known among El Monte’s early settlers, was the son of William H. Freer, who settled in El Monte in the seventies, a separate review of whom is given in this work. John Freer was born in San Jose, California in 1852, and in 1874, came to El Monte and located on

James Bascom Freer, the second son of William H. Freer, whose name is known and honored throughout Southern California as that of a pioneer, was born in Trenton, Grundy County, Missouri, April 15, 1843, remaining a resident of his native state unit 1849, when he was brought across the plains to California. Although a child

Jackson Freer, son of William H. Freer, who is represented elsewhere in this work, was born April 6, 1870, in San Jose, Santa Clara County, California. He was a twin brother of Lee Freer, a review of whom is to be found elsewhere in this volume. In 1875 he was brought to Southern California by