San Bernardino County and Riverside County, California Biographies History of San Bernardino and Riverside Counties By: John Brown, Jr., Editor for San Bernardino County And James Boyd, Editor for Riverside County With selected biography of actors and witnesses of the period of growth and achievement. Volume III, the Western Historical Association, 1922, The Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago, ILL This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written consent of the contributor, OR the legal representative of the submitter. WILLIAM L. PETERS William L. Peters of Riverside, is one of the many substantial residents of Riverside County to whom this region owes a heavy debt, for back of practically every project of moment which has been projected and carried through to a successful completion he has stood ready to contribute generously of his time , his mental equipment and his money. William L. Peters was born at Columbus, Ohio, October 3, 1864, a son of George M. and Caroline L. (Krag) Peters. George M. Peters, a native of Ohio, died in 1897. He was the organizer and head of the Columbus Buggy Company. A self-made man, a carriage-painter by trade, he learned the business of carriage manufacturing in the old-fashioned way. He was thus familiar with every detail of the business, so that when he began to manufac- ture buggies his success was certain, and he steadily progressed and built up a large trade. He was one of the first manufacturers in the United States to adopt the subdivision-of-labor plan, and to standardize his parts so as to make them interchangeable. A man of unusual character, he stood high in his community, was always active in the work of the Young Men's Christian Association and was a very active member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. His family is one of the old-established ones of the country, and is of English origin and Revolutionary stock. His wife, a native of Ohio, died in December, 1915. Her family originated in Alsace-Lorraine, France. William L. Peters attended the graded and high schools of Columbus, Ohio, and the Ohio State University, from which he was graduated in 1885, with the degree of Mechanical Engineer. During his university course he had military training, and at its close was ranking officer, his title being captain and adjutant. Returning home, Mr. Peters entered his father's factory with the intention of learning the business in all of the departments from the bench up, so as to be able to supervise all of its operations when he would succeed his father in the course of time. After two years he found it was impos- sible for him to continue these plans, as his wife lost her health, and acting under the orders of her physician, he came West and located at Riverside, California. He brought with him a carriage which was almost wholly of his own construction, and three days after his arrival he engaged in the carriage-selling business. In December, 1887, Mr. Peters and George R. Thayer formed a partnership and purchased the carriage and implement business of Clarence Stewart, one of the pioneers of Riverside. This enterprise prospered from the start, and to such an extent that in 1888 they opened a branch at San Bernardino, purchasing the business there owned by C. E. Lehman. The San Bernardino branch was continued until 1898. In 1891 Mr. Peters bought out Mr. Thayer's interest and continued the business alone. He acted as agent for the Columbus Buggy Company and for other well-known manufacturers of buggies, and continued the Riverside business until 1900, when it was sold to Thomas J. Wilson, who moved the stock to San Bernardino. Mr. Peters continued in the bicycle business, which had been included with the carriage and implement business, until 1902. From 1900 until 1913 Mr. Peters was engaged with Senator S. C. Evans in the de- velopment of a large apple and cherry growing company, operating a tract of land in the Yucaipa Valley formerly owned by T. J. Wilson. This project was one of the pioneer developments of this fertile valley, and the success of its promoters encouraged others, and is cited to this day to stimulate present investors. This company owned about 570 acres, and put in about seventy- five acres in apples and cherries. They made a somewhat extensive water development for irrigation, and were the first to put out a commercial pack in the proper form under the name of "Old Grayback." Messrs. Peters and Evans, Andrew Brothers, and several other pioneers are probably responsible for the development of the whole Yucaipa Valley. In 1902 Mr. Peters with P. T. Evans, D. D. Gage, formerly of Riverside, the Chase Nursery Company and others developed eighty acres in oranges for the Oasis Orange Company in what is known as Oasis. They sunk artesian wells, and as far as is known this was the first commercial grove of oranges in the Coachella or Imperial Valley. He was also interested with D. D. Gage in the development of what was the Foothill Tract, and what is now known as the Alvord Ranch. This property consisted of 225 acres of oranges and alfalfa. Since the development of these various properties Mr. Peters has devoted his time to the care of his varied realty holdings and business interests at Riverside and elsewhere. In 1906 he was one of the organizers of the National Bank of Riverside, and has since served it as one of its directors, and during 1918, one of the most critical periods, in the financial history of the country, he was its president. Mr. Peters is now developing some properties in Tulare and Kern counties, and still owns some orange and agricultural properties in Riverside and San Bernardino counties. In politics Mr. Peters is a republican, and has always taken an active part in local affairs. He has represented his party in city and county conven- tions, and served on the Progressive-Republican County Central Committee. His work in politics, however, has been of a still more arduous character. In 1898 he was elected a trustee for Riverside, and he served as such until 1902 and during that period a large part of the business of the municipal electric light plant was developed. Many strong foundation policies were established and settled in those four years when the plant was poorly financed. Hard fighting was required to get any measure adopted which called for necessary funds, but the trustees were men who were capable of handling the situation, and before they left office, had the satisfaction of seeing the plant in excellent condition, and a going and profitable city property. In 1901 two pioneer contracts for electric light and power were made; one with Prof. C. G. Baldwin on Mill Creek; and one with Judge John F. Campbell of San Bernar- dino on Lytle Creek, by which the city would have been assured ample, low- priced electric power developed by modern Hydro-electric generators on these two streams, and by which the city in thirty years, without other payment, would become the owner and operator. The contracts were signed, but owing to the failure of parties to finance the project the deals were not consummated. In 1903 or 1904 the Board of Trustees entered into a contract to acquire a water power electric plant on the Santa Ana River, just below Riverside, for $180,000. Mr. Peters was almost alone in his opposition to it, and fought it practically single-handed, making it an issue in the city election. The project was defeated, and the wisdom of his opposition was demonstrated when the plant was washed out and rendered worthless in later years. From 1902 to 1907 Mr. Peters was trustee and secretary of the Riverside Public Library, and in 1906 and 1907 was secretary of the Board of Freeholders that formed the present city charter, and under that charter took office as a member of the Board of Public Utilities at its inception in 1907 and served until 1910, when he declined a re-appointment at the hands of Mayor S. C. Evans. It was during his incumbency in office that the Board of Public Utilities systemitized the accounting of the electric light department and placed it on a modern basis. This same board developed the present concrete posts for street lighting. In 1912 Mr. Peters succeeded Mayor Evans as mayor of Riverside, and served for one term, or until 1914. During this term as mayor the present municipal water system was acquired and plans laid for the acquisition, con- solidation, and extension of the three existing water companies. They were the domestic system of the Riverside Water Company, supplying the west side and the valley side of the city; the Artesia Water Company, supplying most of the east side; and the H. P. Keyes Water Company, supplying the Keyes Addition. Bonds were issued for $1,160,000, and the city took over the three companies, consolidated them, and made the necessary connections and extensions. Another feature of his administration was the stand he took with reference to prohibition. Through his earnest efforts, and despite intense and bitter opposition the law was rigidly reinforced. Threats of a recall were made, but came to naught. Another public duty capably discharged by Mr. Peters was that of President of the Board of City Accounting, which office he held during 1907. On October 12, 1886, Mr. Peters married at Richmond, Indiana, Cora Belle Van Aernam, a native of that city, and a daughter of Thomas B. and Huldah A. Van Aernam. Mr. Aernam, now deceased, was in early life a whole- sale merchant. His widow, now an aged lady over eighty years of age, resides with her daughter, Mrs. Peters. The Van Aernams are of Revolutionary stock and of Holland-Dutch descent. Mrs. Peters is a descendant of William Penn, and was educated in a Quaker Academy at Richmond, Indiana, and in Earlham College, also in Richmond, which is a Quaker settlement. Mrs. Peters belongs to the Daughters of the American Revolution. She and Mr. Peters have no children. Mr. Peters belongs to a number of organizations, college, municipal, social, and benevolent, among them being the Phi Kappa Psi college fraternity, the National Municipal League, the American Economic Association, the National Economic League, the American Political Science Association, the Pioneers' Society, the Present Day Club, which he helped to organize, the Chamber of Commerce, of which he was at one time vice-president, and at one time he was a director of the Young Men's Christian Association. For many years he has been one of the leading members of the First Congrega- tional Church of Riverside, and still maintains his connection with it. He is a man of public spirit, devoted to the public good. Freely, gladly, without stint, he has given himself to matters of local moment. He has loved Riverside ever since locating here. Believing it to be the duty of the business man to labor and to sacrifice for the cause of good government, he has therefore worked in the field of politics, for the triumph of the party and the policies he believes to be right. He had always believed it possible to have a clean, honest business administration of the affairs of a city, and few even among those who opposed him at the polls, and fought his policies, while in office, can deny that he proved this to be possible during his own incumbency, which will always reflect creditably on his capacity, his honesty, and his honor. Pages 1082 to 1084. Transcribed and submitted by Sally Kaleta, February 2010.