LITMIR.BIZ

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owned 5.000 acres, raised sheep and followed farming.

      H. L. Ward's childhood was passed in that vicinity and when about five years of age he came with his parents to Fresno County and attended the first district school at Fresno Flats, now known as Oakhurst. His father was elected as a supervisor of Fresno County, where he farmed and raised stock.

      In 1874, the mother passed away, and the next year was followed by the father, who left seven orphan children. H. L. Ward, the subject of this review, was the fourth child and was nine years of age when his father died. The children were reared in the home of their uncle. Mr. Birkhead, H. L. Ward remaining with him until he was seventeen or eighteen years of age. In the winter time he attended school and in the summer worked on farms and ranches. When seventeen he began to make his own way in the world and by the time he was twenty-one he had by a hard struggle succeeded in finding enough spare time for studying and reading to gain sufficient knowledge to enable him to take the examination for a school teacher, which he successfully passed and received his certificate to teach; his first school being at Auberry Valley, in 1886. Mr. Ward continued to teach intermittently for ten years; in the meantime he was studying surveying and civil engineering, being his own teacher and instructor, but later on he attended the Vandernailen School of Engineering, San Francisco, where he pursued a course in engineering. Mr. Ward became acquainted with Nares & Saunders, the sales agents of the great Laguna de Tache Grant, who engaged him to survey the extensive acreage. More than ten years before this he had become acquainted with I. Teilman, the well-known civil engineer of Fresno, having worked with Mr. Teilman for several years, and was associated also with him in the year 1899, in surveying the Laguna de Tache, but in 1900, Mr. Teilman withdrew and opened an office in Fresno, but Mr. Ward continued the work of surveying the grant for irrigation, extending and remodeling the Lillis system of irrigation. Not only did he survey the 68,000 acres in the Laguna de Tache Grant but 20,000 acres bought subsequently, making a total of 88,000 acres owned by this firm. Mr. Ward continued to work for Nares and Saunders from 1899 to 1908, then after one year of rest he engaged with Tom Patterson of Fresno, to survey and lay out the mains and laterals for irrigating the Patterson Tract, and to lay out the townsite of Patterson, Cal. Mr. Ward was engaged on this project from 1908 to 1911. During this time he resided at Laton, but in 1911 removed to Patterson, where for two years he was superintendent of the Patterson project, which included looking after the ranch as well as overseeing the irrigation and engineering work. On August 1, 1913, he returned to Laton, where his personal interests now require most of his time.

      As a financier H. L. Ward has displayed great ability and was one of the organizers of the First National Bank, of Laton, which opened for business in 1910, when the former State Bank of Laton was merged into the First National Bank. The State Bank was organized in 1908 and in 1909 when it opened for business it had as its officers: W. E. G. Saunders, of Emmetsburg, Iowa, president; J. O. Hancock, vice president; C. A. Smith, cashier.

      The present officers of the First National Bank are: H. L. Ward, president; R. M. Bostwick, vice president; C. A. Smith, cashier; A. E. Hudson, assistant cashier. The Board of Directors: R. M. Bostwick, Alice N. Cornwell and H. L. Ward. Mr. Ward is also a trustee of the Laton Library Association.

      Mr. Ward helped to build the Kerman branch of the Southern Pacific Railway and was material inspector of the road in 1891. He was also material man on the line of the Southern Pacific Railway from Bakersfield to the asphaltum beds on the West Side and at one time surveyed an irrigation project for the Santa Fe Railway in the Tulare Lake district, which, however, never materialized. In 1890-91 he was also material man for building the Pulaski railroad, now a part of the Southern Pacific system, about twenty miles in length running from Fresno to Pulaski, now Friant.

      H. L. Ward was united in marriage with Miss Katherine B. McKenzie, of Laton, Cal, the ceremony being solemnized in San Francisco, on November 30, 1904. In 1908, he built his beautiful residence in Laton and, since August 1, 1913, has continued to make this town his home. Mr. Ward is an authority on irrigation and has been more than ordinarily successful in subdividing large tracts for disposition in small tracts to actual settlers. He is a man of resourcefulness and executive force and has by his unaided efforts succeeded in making a signal success in his chosen line and has always lived up to his high ideals of honor and lofty business principles.

      JOHN W. ARMSTRONG.

      The genial proprietor of the Pine Ridge Hotel and store is John W. Armstrong, who has been a resident of California for fifty years. He was born in Shelby County, Ill., February 12, 1861; his parents Washington and Delilah (Renfrew) Armstrong; brought their family across the plains in an ox-team train in 1869, and located near Stockton, where they resided for ten years, then moved on to a ranch on Little Dry Creeks above Academy in Fresno County, and there they spent their last days.

      John W., then a lad of eight and the youngest of four children, well remembers the trip across the plains with the slow-moving ox-teams and wagons. His schooling was obtained in the district where they lived in San Joaquin County. In 1879 he came to Little Dry Creek with his parents and soon started raising stock on his own account and in time purchased his father's farm and continued there for a few years. Then he sold and started in the livery business at the corner of L and Kern streets, the present site of the Auditorium. His brother James was in partnership with him and they operated under the firm name of Armstrong Brothers, proprietors of the Club Stables. They continued in business for twenty years, when they sold out in 1907.

      As early as 1903, Mr. Armstrong had purchased the Pine Ridge Hotel, and since 1907 has resided there and continued to run it as a first class hotel, and it has been a popular stopping place for stockmen and travelers. The hotel is a large two-story structure and was erected by Sam Jennings in an open space cleared from the pine and cedar timber. It is supplied by water from a mountain spring nearby. Mr. Armstrong also runs a general merchandise store, the building having been erected in 1877 by Gus Bernig. Mr. Armstrong has been postmaster of Pine Ridge post-office for the past twelve years. The ranch comprises 400 acres upon which he raises cattle. There is also a full-bearing orchard of apples and pears, a delight to the travelers, as well as the mountain towns close by whose inhabitants appreciate the delicate flavor of the fruit.

      Mr. Armstrong was married in Fresno, being united with Miss Leota Ingram, who came to California from her native state of Arkansas and they have one child, John W. Jr. Mr. Armstrong is a well-known and influential citizen and with his estimable wife is popular and well-liked.

      HERMAN GRANZ.

      A resident of the Golden State since 1869, a period of almost fifty years, during which time he has watched with a great deal of interest the progress of the upbuilding of the state and has done his share to help all worthy projects, Herman Granz of Fresno was born near Chemnitz, Saxony, Germany, August 1, 1841. His father was Samuel Granz, a descendant of an old Saxony family. A brother, Louis Granz, lived in San Francisco for many years and died there, in 1904.

      Reared on his father's farm, where he learned the rudiments of the various branches of agriculture as carried on in Germany, Herman Granz attended the public schools in his home locality, and, when he reached the age of sixteen, he was apprenticed to learn the cabinet-maker's trade. After he had thoroughly mastered the business, young Granz set out as a journeyman and worked in Austria, Switzerland and France. He heard of the great country beyond the sea, in the various places where he was employed and he made up his mind to come to the United States, and by 1868 he had made enough money to gratify his ambition. Upon arriving in New York City he worked at his trade one year in order to become used to the ways of the country and to learn the way business was conducted in this part of the world. California was the much talked-of state at that time and the account of its greater opportunities for young men decided this energetic young man to cast his fortunes with the newer state. He had saved enough money to bring him to California and he arrived in San Francisco via Panama.

      Mr. Granz followed his trade in the western metropolis a short time, then started a furniture factory in Hayes Valley. Beginning on a small scale, his business increased so rapidly that he established a factory on Barry Street, and four years

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