Читать книгу History of Fresno County, Vol. 4 - Paul E. Vandor - Страница 22

Great honor is due the courageous pioneers of the Golden State, and in view of the great hardships they experienced, the perils they braved and their untiring efforts to blaze a path for a later civilization, their names should be perpetuated in such a manner that their labors, in the days of trial, may remain an inspiration and encouragement to the toilers of today.

Olney Whiteside is a pioneer of California and one of the few remaining survivors of those early days, having arrived here on January 1, 1856. He was born in Jackson County, Mo., while his parents were en route from Illinois to Iowa, June 23, 1838, a son of Alexander Whiteside, a native of Toronto, Canada, who came to the United States when nineteen years of age and made his home for a while in New Hampshire with a Mr. Sherman, whose daughter, Electa, afterwards became his wife. Grandfather Whiteside was born in Ireland, while the Shermans were descendants of an old American family. Alexander and Electa Whiteside, the parents of our subject died in Los Angeles, the former at seventy-two, and the latter at seventy years of age.

Young Whiteside was brought up and attended school at Kainesville, Iowa, where his father and uncle followed the occupation of well digging, and the father was also engaged in teaming and lumbering, there being no railroads in Iowa at that time.

In 1852 the Whiteside family crossed the plains to Salt Lake City, Utah, and Olney drove one of the ox teams. That fall the father returned to Kainesville, purchased a threshing machine and in the spring of 1853 returned to Salt Lake, hauling the machine all the way across the plains. It was one of the first threshing machines used in the vicinity of Salt Lake City. At that time money was very scarce and Mr. Whiteside was obliged to accept wheat as pay for his threshing outfit, but this he disposed of to the emigrants passing through Salt Lake City.

Olney Whiteside remained in Salt Lake City until the fall of 1855, when he and an Indian agent named Irvin, drove 600 head of cattle to Montana and during their trip were among the Flathead Indians who were at war with the Crows and Blackfeet. The Indians secured the cattle after which young Whiteside, then only a boy of seventeen, sensed danger and showed his remarkably sound judgment by returning at once to Salt Lake City, a distance of 300 miles, traveling alone on horseback and every night stopping with Indians. He arrived home in safety, but it is reported that Mr. Irvin, together with eight white men that remained, were all murdered.

Upon arriving home he found his father ready to make a trip to California, so he joined the party and they landed in San Bernardino, going on to San Gabriel Mission where the father leased the Santa Anita Ranch, and ran a dairy (this is the same ranch that became the property of E. J. "Lucky" Baldwin). Mr. Whiteside says that they could have bought the place for twenty-five cents per acre, but they had come to California to dig gold and were not content with operating a dairy, so during the summer they sold the lease and dairy and started for Sacramento. On July 4, 1856, they were at Stockton, where they witnessed a bullfight. During the fall of 1857 Olney Whiteside owned sixteen head of oxen and lived in Yuba County and ran an ox team freighting outfit from Sacramento to Grass Valley, Nevada County; and he has the distinction of having hauled material for the first quartz mill to Virginia City, Nev., the mill is known as the "Old Spanish Mill." To transport it required thirteen wagons, with four yoke of oxen to each, the route being through the old Geiger Canyon. After the quartz mill was delivered to Virginia City, the party loaded 8,000 feet of lumber, which they hauled to Fort Churchill, Nev. In the fall of 1864, Olney's father and uncle went over Silver Mountains, into Alpine County. Cal. They bought a quartz mill at Nevada City, which was torn down and hauled by Olney Whiteside over to Alpine County during the winter of 1863-64, and it required three teams of eight mules each and took several trips. This enterprise proved a failure and the father and uncle lost all they invested, in addition to which Olney lost $20,000 that he had put into the project. Undaunted by failure he returned to Yuba County, where he had a ranch of 400 acres which he farmed in partnership with a cousin.

On September 15, 1869, Olney Whiteside was united in marriage with Miss Ellen Bradshaw, a native of Illinois, who was a babe in arms when her parents brought her across the plains to Oregon and in that state she was reared to young womanhood. Her father was the Rev. Charles Bradshaw, a minister of the Christian Church in Oregon, and later of California, the family having moved from Oregon to Sutter County. Mr. and Mrs. Bradshaw are buried in Rosedale Cemetery, Los Angeles. Soon after marriage Mr. Whiteside sold his ranch in Yuba County and removed to Saticoy Springs, Ventura County, then a part of Santa Barbara County, and here he leased and operated a ranch of 320 acres. Later he farmed the Briggs Orchard place for several years. On account of his wife's failing health he removed to the Conejo Ranch, on the county line between Ventura and Los Angeles Counties, and purchased 4,000 acres, later selling 1,000 acres to Mrs. Riley. Mr. Whiteside remained here until 1887, when he rented his ranch and removed to Los Angeles, so as to provide better educational advantages for his children. He sold his 3,000-acre ranch to his oldest son for $20,000. During the three years that Mr. Whiteside lived in Los Angeles he helped grade some of the streets. After leaving the City of the Angels he was superintendent of the construction of the Turlock Irrigation Ditch, but while living there contracted malaria and it was thought he could not live. In 1890 he sent his teams over to Lemoore, and returned to Los Angeles. The sunshine and balmy air soon restored his lost health, then he returned to Lemoore and from there moved over the line into what was then Fresno County and rented 1,200 acres, but on account of a flood, that season, was unsuccessful in his undertaking and subsequently moved to the Summit Lake district where he broke 640 acres of land and planted it to wheat, but again he was destined to disappointment for the levee broke and his crop was washed away. Renting a combined harvester, although he had never seen one, he contracted to harvest 2,000 acres of grain, and his undertaking proved very successful. At the same time he rented 1,400 acres of the Boll & Hague ranch. Later Mr. Whiteside became superintendent of the Jeff James ranch of 73,000 acres. At the same time ( 1902) he purchased his present ranch consisting of 640 acres located four miles southeast of Helm, Fresno County.

Mr. and Mr. Whiteside are the parents of nine children: Eva, is the wife of Dr. W. C. Yates, of Coalinga; Alexander Lyman, is a rancher in Ventura County; Almond Elijah, married Miss Mattie Goff, they reside in Los Angeles; Robert Olney, lives at Helm and farms all of his father's land and rents other acreage; Lena, is the wife of Samuel B. Williams, a rancher at Helm; Charles O-, married Miss Campbell and they reside at Orland, Glenn County: Melvina, died in 1890, at Los Angeles, aged eight years; John B. married Miss Williams and they live in Glenn County; Edward Sherman, who passed away on October 18, 1918, was manager of his father's place. Mr. Whiteside, now past eighty years of age, is vigorous and active, is a man of splendid character, a leader in matters pertaining to the upbuilding of the best interests of the county and his community. He and his wife are members of the Christian Church.