Los Angeles County, CA, Biographies

This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives 
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ANDREW BODDY.
 
        The subject of this sketch was born in the County of Leeds, Greenville 
Township, Province of Ontario, Dominion of Canada, in 1849. His father was 
Thomas Boddy, a veteran soldier of the English army, who, after his return from 
that service, entered into farming occupations. His mother, Elizabeth Ogletree, 
was of Scotch descent. When Mr. Boddy was five years of age the death of his 
father occurred, leaving the care of the family upon the mother. At the age of 
nine years young Boddy commenced to earn his own living by working for the 
neighboring farmers. He availed himself of such meagre facilities as were 
offered him in obtaining an education, and by his natural talent and persevering 
study led many of his favored competi�tors. In 1865 he came to the United States 
and located in Cayuga County, New York, where he was employed for several months 
at farm labor, after which he returned to Canada, and in 1871 came the second 
time to the United States and took up his residence in Summit County, Ohio. He 
engaged in farm labor and other occupations in that county until 1875. In that 
year he came to California and located at Arcata, Humboldt County. He spent 
about five years in that county, working at lumbering and farm labor, and in 
1880 came to Los Angeles County and took up his residence at Duarte. There he 
purchased a thirty-acre tract known as the Holland place, located on Buena Vista 
avenue, north of San Gabriel avenue, and entered into horticultural pursuits and 
general farming. In 1882 he sold ten acres of that place to Mr. Mitchell, 
retaining, the balance, which he thoroughly improved until 1887. In that year he 
sold out and invested a portion of his money in real estate in Monrovia, and 
also purchased a thirty-four-acre tract of land on the Temple road, south of El 
Monte, upon which he took up his residence. He spent two years in farming there 
and then returned to the north side of the valley, residing on Daffodill street, 
Monrovia. He also purchased a ten-acre tract on Falling Leaf avenue, about a 
mile and a quarter west of his residence. Upon this tract he has planted 687 
Navel orange trees and 187 deciduous fruit trees, comprising a large variety of 
the most approved fruits grown in his section. This land is located on the north 
side of Falling Leaf avenue, and is capable of perfect irrigation by water from 
the Santa Anita Water Company's pipes and ditches. The Duarte section is in no 
small degree indebted to Mr. Boddy for its present system of water. He was one 
of the most active and energetic men of that place, and the prime mover and one 
of the original incorporators of the Duarte Mutual Irrigation and Canal Company. 
He was the first president of the company, a position he held for two years, and 
later was the treasurer of the company. Politically he is a Republican. He is a 
member of Anniversary Lodge, No. 85, I. O. O. F., of Arcata, and also of the 
Society of Orangemen. October 1, 1855, Mr. Boddy married Miss Laura H. Potts, a 
native of Illinois. Her father, David Potts, died in Illinois. Her mother, Jane 
A. (Ramsay) Potts, afterward married Mr. Lutz and is living in San Diego County, 
California. Mr. and Mrs. Boddy are the parents of three children: George T., 
Elizabeth J. and Charles A.
 
An Illustrated History of Los Angeles County, California �  Chicago, The Lewis 
Publishing Company, 1889   Page 408
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler