Los Angeles County

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 made his home in San Jose, where he married Elizabeth Carr. In 1869, he moved to Los Angeles County and settled on 160 acres, two miles northwest of El Monte.  He was elected County Supervisor in 1876, and served eight years.  He also served as deputy … Read more

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 of his life and association with the industries of the San Gabriel Valley is as follows: He was a native of Hancock County, Ohio, dating his birth in 1858.  His father, Jacob Haddox, was a native of that State, but a descendant of an old … Read more

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 was a native of the South, born in Batesville, Independence County, Arkansas, March 28, 1827.  His father, Joseph, was born in the east and became an early resident of Arkansas, where he engaged in farming throughout his active life.  His death occurred from cholera in … Read more

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 John Guess and his parents is given elsewhere in this volume. Henry Guess was born January 14, 1853 on the old Lugo Ranch, a few miles southwest of El Monte.  He attended the first public school in El Monte, located in what is now the Rio … Read more

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 of cattle in the north induced him to go to Mexico where he purchased a herd of cattle, and attempted to drive them to northern California. The Mexicans in his employ, however, stole most of the stock by the time he reached San Gabriel Valley, … Read more

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 native of Massachusetts. Soon after their arrival in San Diego, they came to and settled in El Monte.  Several years later, Mr. Garey bought land on San Pedro Street in Los Angeles, and engaged extensively in the citrus nursery business.  The demand for young orange, lemon … Read more

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 the vicinity of El Monte, engaging for several years in farming. In 1886 he moved to Tehachapi and ranched for about five years. A few years following the death of his wife, in 1891, Mr. Dobyns returned to El Monte where, in partnership with E.J. … Read more

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 engaged in general farming. Having always been a man of deep religious convictions, one of his first acts after his arrival in El Monte was to begin the organization of the First Baptist Church to be founded in the state. In 1854, he was ordained … Read more

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 Conway County, Arkansas, and settling on a farm. It was about this time too, that he formed domestic ties by his marriage with Miss Caroline Veazey, the ceremony being performed in Alabama in 1839. Thirteen years later, Mr. Fryer continued his westward journey; coming over … Read more

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 Little Miami River, in Ohio, February 5, 1814. he was a son of Jonathon Freer, who was born in North Carolina, and became a pioneer settler of Ohio, here with his wife, formerly Hannah Swords, of Virginia, he engaged in farming. He finally removed to … Read more