Individual Details
John Henry MYERS
(31 Dec 1837 - 11 Aug 1894)
1 Jun 1880, Tombstone Village, Pima Co., Arizona, ED 2 pg. 13:
John Myers, head, 40 (1839-40), born NY [very faint-may have tried to erase], parents' places of birth blank for entire family, cannot write, raising stock
Belle Myers, wife, 21 (1858-59), born Texas
Walter Myers, son, 14-9/12 (Abt Sep 1865), born CA, teamster, cannot write
Ira [indexed Ina] Myers, daughter, 13 (1866-67), born CA
John Myers, son, 11 (1868-69), born CA
Mary Myers, daughter, 9 (1870-71), born CA
Leva [sic] Myers, son, 4 (1875-76), born CA
Marna Myers, daughter, 1-3/12 (Abt Mar 1879), born CA.
Bio of John H. Myers in "An Illustrated History of Southern California", no author on title page, Chicago, 1890, by The Lewis Publishing Company. All info on this family from that bio. It gives his birthdate as 31 Dec 1834. Because both the 1850 and 1860 census have the same year of birth information, it is more likely to be correct than a bio written in 1890. Month and date of birth will be used per the bio. 31 Dec 1837 would be the date to be 12 in 1850.
Part of the bio is regarding John's parents, but the portion specifically pertaining to him states that he was the owner of the St. Cloud Hotel, Oceanside. "In 1850, when only sixteen years of age, he came to Hangtown, Placer County, California. He arrived there August 27, 1850, and engaged in mining, with good success, for four years. He then opened a little store of miners' supplies. He removed from therein 1884 [sic, s/b 1854] and went to a place twenty-one miles from Stockton, where he located a Government claim of 160 acres of land and built a hotel. In less than a year he sold out and became a teamster for a year. He next went to Tulare County and then went back to the mines. He settled at Fine Gold Gulch, where he engaged in the butchery business and remained there about a year, when he returned to Stockton and became a contractor and worked on the construction of the asylum. Soon afterward he returned to Tulare County, and from there went to Los Angeles County and engaged in buying stock and driving it to Tulare County. He continued in this business until 1880 and then removed to the Sweetwater, fifteen miles east of San Diego, and took a Government claim of 160 acres. Then he went to Los Angeles County, and from there to Phoenix, Maricopa County, then to Tombstone. While at the latter place he located another Government ranch. His nearest neighbor was six miles on one side and fifteen miles on the other. During all this time he was a stock-raiser and mined at intervals.After this he went to Los Angeles and took the contract for sprinkling the streets. In December, 1885, he came to Oceanside and opened a restaurant and hotel. In 1887 he built his present brick hotel. It is 48 x 50 feet, three stories high. It is substantially built and well designed to accommodate the traveling public. It contains thirty commodious rooms. Both Mr. and Mrs. Myers give it their personal attention, and see to the comfort of their guests. Mr. Myers was married to Miss Isabel Stroud in 1875. She was born in Texas in 1858. Her father, Samuel Stroud, was a soldier in the war with Mexico, and was also a member of the Sixteenth Texas Volunteers in the Southern army all through the war and received no injury. Mr. and Mrs. Myers have four children: Levi Jackson, born in Los Angeles County, April 25, 1876; Mable, born in the same place, February 8, 1879; Maud, born in Tombstone, Arizona, March 9, 1881, and Lester Allen, January 23,1890, at Oceanside. Mr. Myers was Sheriff of Mariposa County for one year, and was a member of the Common Council of Los Angeles two years." It later says that "In 1853, with a party of fifteen, Mr. Myers had the honor of being the first white man ever in Yosemite valley. They followed a party of Indians, and fought seventy-five warriers, burned down all their camps and killed twenty-five, driving them all out of the valley, after which white people settled there. Mr. Myers, when quite a boy, fought and killed a large California lion with rocks while his hunting dog and the lion were fighting. The lion measured nine feet, and his skin was sent to San Francisco for one of the largest drug stores in the city."
Note that the bio does not mention a first marriage. Some of the early dates are off a bit, as it is believed that the family didn't move to CA until 1851.
Jean Laws has provided typed extracts of newspaper articles done by a researcher on her behalf.
Obituary in the Oceanside Blade August 18, 1894:
Died -- J. H. Myers
J. H. Myers, died at the residence of his brother, A. J. Myers, last Saturday morning. The funeral services were held at the Baptist church the following Monday at 10 a.m., Rev. G. E. Eldridge officiating.
Mr. Myers was a native of Illinois, 63 years of age, married, and the father of eight children, seven of whom are living.
At one time he was quite wealthy having large interests in Los Angeles where the Hollenbeck now stands.
In the early history of this place he was quite prominent. He built the St. Cloud hotel, the first brick building in the town and was generally identified with all the movements for the up-building of the place.
He had a kind and gentle disposition, always good to his family, and his own testimony, just before his death was that his Lord had pardoned his sins, and he was ready to die.
His death was caused from lung trouble. The remains were interred in the South Oceanside cemetery.
Other items extracted on the same date, pertaining to this were:
Walter Myers and wife were down from Santa Ana to attend the funeral of the former's father, J. H. Myers.
Lee Myers came down from Fresno Sunday to assist in the last sad rites of burial consequent upon the demise of his father, J. H. Myers.
John Myers, head, 40 (1839-40), born NY [very faint-may have tried to erase], parents' places of birth blank for entire family, cannot write, raising stock
Belle Myers, wife, 21 (1858-59), born Texas
Walter Myers, son, 14-9/12 (Abt Sep 1865), born CA, teamster, cannot write
Ira [indexed Ina] Myers, daughter, 13 (1866-67), born CA
John Myers, son, 11 (1868-69), born CA
Mary Myers, daughter, 9 (1870-71), born CA
Leva [sic] Myers, son, 4 (1875-76), born CA
Marna Myers, daughter, 1-3/12 (Abt Mar 1879), born CA.
Bio of John H. Myers in "An Illustrated History of Southern California", no author on title page, Chicago, 1890, by The Lewis Publishing Company. All info on this family from that bio. It gives his birthdate as 31 Dec 1834. Because both the 1850 and 1860 census have the same year of birth information, it is more likely to be correct than a bio written in 1890. Month and date of birth will be used per the bio. 31 Dec 1837 would be the date to be 12 in 1850.
Part of the bio is regarding John's parents, but the portion specifically pertaining to him states that he was the owner of the St. Cloud Hotel, Oceanside. "In 1850, when only sixteen years of age, he came to Hangtown, Placer County, California. He arrived there August 27, 1850, and engaged in mining, with good success, for four years. He then opened a little store of miners' supplies. He removed from therein 1884 [sic, s/b 1854] and went to a place twenty-one miles from Stockton, where he located a Government claim of 160 acres of land and built a hotel. In less than a year he sold out and became a teamster for a year. He next went to Tulare County and then went back to the mines. He settled at Fine Gold Gulch, where he engaged in the butchery business and remained there about a year, when he returned to Stockton and became a contractor and worked on the construction of the asylum. Soon afterward he returned to Tulare County, and from there went to Los Angeles County and engaged in buying stock and driving it to Tulare County. He continued in this business until 1880 and then removed to the Sweetwater, fifteen miles east of San Diego, and took a Government claim of 160 acres. Then he went to Los Angeles County, and from there to Phoenix, Maricopa County, then to Tombstone. While at the latter place he located another Government ranch. His nearest neighbor was six miles on one side and fifteen miles on the other. During all this time he was a stock-raiser and mined at intervals.After this he went to Los Angeles and took the contract for sprinkling the streets. In December, 1885, he came to Oceanside and opened a restaurant and hotel. In 1887 he built his present brick hotel. It is 48 x 50 feet, three stories high. It is substantially built and well designed to accommodate the traveling public. It contains thirty commodious rooms. Both Mr. and Mrs. Myers give it their personal attention, and see to the comfort of their guests. Mr. Myers was married to Miss Isabel Stroud in 1875. She was born in Texas in 1858. Her father, Samuel Stroud, was a soldier in the war with Mexico, and was also a member of the Sixteenth Texas Volunteers in the Southern army all through the war and received no injury. Mr. and Mrs. Myers have four children: Levi Jackson, born in Los Angeles County, April 25, 1876; Mable, born in the same place, February 8, 1879; Maud, born in Tombstone, Arizona, March 9, 1881, and Lester Allen, January 23,1890, at Oceanside. Mr. Myers was Sheriff of Mariposa County for one year, and was a member of the Common Council of Los Angeles two years." It later says that "In 1853, with a party of fifteen, Mr. Myers had the honor of being the first white man ever in Yosemite valley. They followed a party of Indians, and fought seventy-five warriers, burned down all their camps and killed twenty-five, driving them all out of the valley, after which white people settled there. Mr. Myers, when quite a boy, fought and killed a large California lion with rocks while his hunting dog and the lion were fighting. The lion measured nine feet, and his skin was sent to San Francisco for one of the largest drug stores in the city."
Note that the bio does not mention a first marriage. Some of the early dates are off a bit, as it is believed that the family didn't move to CA until 1851.
Jean Laws has provided typed extracts of newspaper articles done by a researcher on her behalf.
Obituary in the Oceanside Blade August 18, 1894:
Died -- J. H. Myers
J. H. Myers, died at the residence of his brother, A. J. Myers, last Saturday morning. The funeral services were held at the Baptist church the following Monday at 10 a.m., Rev. G. E. Eldridge officiating.
Mr. Myers was a native of Illinois, 63 years of age, married, and the father of eight children, seven of whom are living.
At one time he was quite wealthy having large interests in Los Angeles where the Hollenbeck now stands.
In the early history of this place he was quite prominent. He built the St. Cloud hotel, the first brick building in the town and was generally identified with all the movements for the up-building of the place.
He had a kind and gentle disposition, always good to his family, and his own testimony, just before his death was that his Lord had pardoned his sins, and he was ready to die.
His death was caused from lung trouble. The remains were interred in the South Oceanside cemetery.
Other items extracted on the same date, pertaining to this were:
Walter Myers and wife were down from Santa Ana to attend the funeral of the former's father, J. H. Myers.
Lee Myers came down from Fresno Sunday to assist in the last sad rites of burial consequent upon the demise of his father, J. H. Myers.
Events
| Birth | 31 Dec 1837 | Illinois | |||
| Census | 1850 | Salisbury, LaSalle Co., IL, page 212, in family of Edward Swanson. John H., 12 (1838) born IL. | |||
| Census | 1860 | Tulare Co., CA, pg 3. In household of John Swanson. Henry, 22 (1838), farmer born IL. | |||
| Marriage | Abt 1863 | California - Elizabeth FANCHER | |||
| Marriage | 1875 | Isabel STROUD | |||
| Census | 1 Jun 1880 | Tombstone Village, Pima Co., Arizona | |||
| Death | 11 Aug 1894 | ||||
| Burial | Aft 11 Aug 1894 | South Oceanside Cemetery, San Diego Co., CA | |||
| Reference No | 1920 |
Families
| Spouse | Elizabeth FANCHER (1848 - 1871) |
| Child | Walter MYERS (1865 - 1894) |
| Child | Ina MYERS (1866 - ) |
| Child | John MYERS (1868 - ) |
| Child | Mary MYERS (1870 - ) |
| Spouse | Isabel STROUD (1858 - 1949) |
| Child | Levi Jackson "Lee" MYERS (1876 - ) |
| Child | Mable I "Mae or Marna" MYERS (1879 - ) |
| Child | Maud MYERS (1881 - 1900) |
| Child | Lester Allen MYERS (1890 - 1981) |
| Father | John MYERS (1780 - 1845) |
| Mother | Eleanor (Ellen) HAYES (1790 - 1847) |
| Sibling | Joseph William MYERS (1826 - 1910) |
| Sibling | Nancy Eliza MYERS (1834 - 1860) |
| Sibling | Andrew Jackson MYERS (1839 - 1907) |