Ventura County Biographies

C. E. Soule

Submitted by Sandy Neder

This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm

 
C. E. Soule is one of the prominent citizens of Ventura County, California, and 
a pioneer of the Ojai Valley.  He was born in Canada, December 31, 1838, and is 
the son of Charles and Louis (Hurd) Soule, the former a native of Canada, of 
English and German descent. He was the younger son and the second child of a 
family of four children, two sons and two daughters, and received his education 
in his native country. Before he had quite reached his majority he came to 
California, in 1859, and worked on a farm for two years, after which he spent 
two years as a machinist on mill-work, in the mines in Nevada. He then returned 
to Sonoma County, California, and purchased a ranch on the Russian River, near 
Healdsburg. On this he built a house and barn, and otherwise improved, and in 
1874 sold the property and came to Ventura County. The journey was made in 
sixteen days, with two wagons, a four-horse wagon and a covered wagon for his 
family, which consisted at that time of his wife and four children. Mr. Soule 
had previously been to the Ojai Valley, and had bought land and erected a house 
which was ready for their occupancy when the family arrived. The valley at that 
time was a sheep ranch, with 10,000 sheep, owned by Messrs. Olds & Daily, and 
the only two houses there were those of Mr. Waite and Mr. Ayres. At first Mr. 
Soule obtained his mail at Ventura, and after getting a route established, the 
few settlers had to pay for the carrying themselves for a long time. Mr. Soule 
engaged in wheat-raising, but now devotes his time to general farming and fruit 
culture. He still retains 195 acres of his original purchase, upon which he 
raises fruit, hay, and horses, both draft and roadsters. His principal fruit 
crop consists of nectarines, apricots and prunes. He has ten acres in olives not 
yet in bearing. They have a dryer and dry their own fruit.
    Mr. Soule was united in marriage, in October, 1862, to Miss Addie Koger, 
daughter of William and Matilda (Anglen) Koger, the former of German descent and 
the latter of French. Her father was a Virginian by birth, and was one of the 
pioneers of California. He was a deacon in the Baptist Church, and a prominent 
rancher of this State. His death occurred when Mrs. Soule was quite young. Mr. 
and Mrs. Soule are the parents of five children, viz.: William E., a resident of 
Reading; Lillian E., Nina E. and Earl E., natives of Sonoma County, and Zadie 
E., born at their home in Nordhoff. Mrs. Soule is a warm lover of California, 
and rightly thinks there is no place like the Golden West. She is a member of 
the Presbyterian Church, and is a lady of culture and refinement. Her family are 
talented, being gifted in both music and drawing. Mr. Soule and his wife were 
charter members of the Grange. He was the first Master of the lodge, and she has 
also held important offices in the same. In politics Mr. Soule is a Republican, 
and has been a member of that party since its organization. For four years he 
has held the office of Justice of the Peace; and has been clerk of the School 
Board for fourteen years out of the sixteen years he has resided in the town. 
During the building of the Presbyterian Church, a fine structure, Mr. Soule was 
a member of the board of trustees. He has been a member of the Republican 
Committee of the county for the past ten years.
 
BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF THE COUNTIES OF SANTA BARBARA, SAN LUIS 
OBISPO, AND VENTURA, CALIF. by Ida Addis Storke, 1891, p 444