California Genealogy

J.C. Hannon was born in England in 1828, and came to the United States with his parents five years later.  The family settled in Ohio where his parents remained the rest of their lives.  In 1859, J.C. Hannon started westward across the plains, and after spending four years in Nevada, he came to California and […]

John T. Haddox was among the early merchants of El Monte.  His store was centrally located and was well fitted and stocked as a representative country general store.  Mr. Haddox also combined the real estate and insurance business with his enterprise, and was the agent of E.J. Baldwin in his land sales.  A brief resume

One of the oldest settlers in the vicinity of El Monte was John Guess, who lived on mile west of the city and successfully engaged in general farming and stock raising.  Mr. Guess came to California in October 1852, as a pioneer, and witnessed and participated in the development and upbuilding of this community.  He

A native son, pioneer and son of a pioneer of El Monte and vicinity, Henry Guess, bears the added honor of being the first American white child born in Los Angeles County.  His parents were John and Harriet (Holifield) Guess, both natives of Arkansas who came to California by ox-team in 1852.  A sketch of

Fielding W. Gibson was born in Mississippi in 1809. During the early years of his life, he engaged in farming in Mississippi and Louisiana. In 1851, he traveled from New Orleans, through Mexico to Mazatlan and from there by boat, to San Francisco, and then to the mines were he stayed five months. The scarcity

Thomas Andrew Garey was born of German ancestry in Cincinnati, Ohio, July 7, 1830.  He started for California in 1850, stopping about a year in New Mexico and six months at Tubac, Arizona, arriving at San Diego, in 1852.  At Albuquerque, New Mexico, 1850, Mr. Garey was untied in marriage with Louisa J. Smith, a

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