California Biographies Mendocino and Lake Counties, California Transcribed by Peggy Hooper This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm Source: History of Mendocino and Lake Counties, California With Biographical Sketches History by Aurelius O. Carpenter And Percy H. Millberry Illustrated, Complete In One Volume Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, California, 1914 CHARLES ARTHUR McFAUL.� A veteran of the Civil war, Charles A. McFaul was born in Appleton, Wis., January 3, 1849. His father, Elijah, removed from Canada and became an early settler of New London Mills, Wis., where he was engaged in contracting and building. He and his wife, Mar- garet, spent their last days with our subject and died at Bridgeport. Charles Arthur McFaul was educated in the schools of New London Mills, Wis. At the age of fifteen years, August 24, 1864. he volunteered and enlisted in Company A, Forty-second Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, serving until the close of the war, when he was mustered out and honorably discharged. After about a year he entered Eastman's Business College, Chicago, where he was graduated in 1867 and then returned to his old home and taught school for one year. From 1868 to 1872 he taught at the Calumet and Hecla mine, Houghton county, Mich., after which he engaged in manufacturing extract from hemlock bark at Clintonville, Wis., until the fall of 1875. In that year he made prepa- rations for removing to California, and arrived at Little River, Mendocino county, in January, 1876. He entered the employ of Coombs & Perkins and for six years was in charge of the yards and shipping. In 1882, in partnership with Charles Keen, under the firm name of McFaul & Keen, he bought the mill at Bridgeport and engaged in the manufacture of lumber. Four years later, having sawed all the available timber they sold the mill and continued in general merchandise and tie business at Bridgeport. Mr. McFaul pur- chased a ranch of one hundred and twenty acres at Bridgeport, which he still owns but is now leasing. In 1896 the Hardy Creek Lumber Company was organized with Mr. McFaul as manager. The wharf was built and he continued with the com- pany until 1899, when he sold his stock and retired from the company. In that year, with his sons, he bought the present place and organized the Union Commercial Company and they built the Union landing and wharf. They engage in general contracting, getting out ties and tanbark, and they make and ship ties for the Los Angeles Railway Company and the Pacific Electric Company to Los Angeles and also operate a saw mill for them on Alviso creek. This is the shipping point not only for the above named companies in schooners to Redondo and San Pedro, but for the output from Howard creek. The wharf and landing are well equipped for loading and shipping lumber, ties and tanbark, and the business has grown to large proportions under his able management, he being assisted by his sons. They have built nearly all the roads in this vicinity and are now interested in building a road to Hollow Tree for an outlet for settlers there and in the Jackson valley country. Most of the work has been done at their own expense. They built the new grade from Union Landing to Alviso creek and so well was it built that the earthquake did not create slides. Since then other roads have been rebuilt and constructed with easier grades. In Houghton county, Mich., Mr. McFaul married Mary E. Pound, who was born in Holland, Mich., and to them have been born five children, as follows : Wilson E. resides in Fort Bragg. Charles W. and E. J. are partners of their father. Stella, a twin sister of E. J., is the wife of E. H. Dean, of Fort Bragg. Arthur P. is still at home. Mr. McFaul has always been inter- ested in the cause of education and has been an active member of the board of school trustees in the district. He has resided and is now clerk of the board of trustees in the Rowena district. Politically he is a staunch Repub- lican. Mr. McFaul has had many ups and downs and adversities, but he has overcome obstacles and been most successful. He is liberal and kind hearted, but his charities are all accomplished in an unostentatious manner, and his career is well worthy of emulation.