Ventura County Biographies

Henry M. Stiles

Submitted by Sandy Neder

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

 
Henry M. stiles, one of the pioneers of California, came to Ventura in the 
winter of 1867. He was born in Medina County, Ohio, December 15, 1837. His 
father, Milton Stiles, was born in the State of Massachusetts, in 1808. A large 
part of Mr. Stiles' life has been spent, both in Ohio and California, in the 
mercantile business. He is now spending the remainder of his days with his son 
Henry M. in Ventura; he is eighty-two years of age. Mr. Stiles' grandfather, 
Dorus Stiles, was also a native of Massachusetts; his mother, Catherine (Nelson) 
Stiles, was a native of Massachusetts. Mr. Stiles was the fifth child in a 
family of seven children. He received his early education in the public schools 
in Ohio, and at fourteen years of age began to earn his own living by working on 
a farm. In 1852 he went to Kalamazoo, Michigan, and worked there for a while, 
and then to Minnesota, then a Territory, and, like President Lincoln, ran a 
flatboat on the Minnesota River to St. Paul, and was soon made captain of the 
boat. He had three men under him; the business was freighting lime. After being 
engaged in this business for two seasons, he returned to Ohio, and from there 
came to California, in 1856, and settled in Amador County, and with his father 
engaged in mining for five years. In 1864 Mr. Stiles went to Oregon, and 
remained there one winter, then he went to the mines in Placerville, Idaho 
Territory, being very successful. The next year he lost all he had made, and 
went to Montana and prospected for a while, and then to Salt Lake and next to 
Prescott, Arizona, where he drove a four-horse team for a time; thence he came 
to Los Angeles, and from there, in 1867, in November, to Ventura. Here he 
purchased a lot, erected a livery stable, - the second in the town, - which eh 
ran for four years; and since that time he has been back and forth in the 
Territories several times, but has always considered Ventura his home. In 1866 
he made a prospecting trip into Idaho, with sixty men and 100 horses. Getting 
far into the snow, the party became disgusted with their leader and separated. 
While two or three were out hunting the Indians shot one of them; the others 
made their escape back to their comrades. They started twenty-five men on 
horseback after the Indians, but they failed to reach them.
    In Arizona Mr. Stiles made another prospecting tour, with fifty men, to the 
head of Black River, but found neither gold nor silver; and they were not 
troubled by the Indians. Since coming to California he has made three trips to 
the East. He is now proprietor of the Ventura Soda Works, furnishing the whole 
of the county with temperance drinks. In company with his brother, he also owns 
266 acres of land in Pleasant Valley, which they are improving, by planting 
trees, sinking wells and erecting buildings. In 1874 Mr. Stiles built a brick 
building in Ventura, the best in the town at that time. He also built the house 
where he resides and owns a building on Main street above the Ventura Bank. Mr. 
Stiles has seen much of frontier life and has had many interesting experiences; 
he is now one of Ventura's reliable and prosperous citizens.
    He was married in 1874 and had one son, Freddie, who now resides in Idaho. 
In 1885 he was again married, this time to Miss Theresia Frank, who was born in 
San Francisco. Her father, Philip Frank, N. D., was from Vienna, Austria, and 
her mother was a native of New Orleans. By this marriage there are two children: 
Wilbur H., born in Lead City, Dakota Territory, and Milton P., born in Ventura.
 
BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF THE COUNTIES OF SANTA BARBARA, SAN LUIS 
OBISPO, AND VENTURA, CALIF. by Ida Addis Storke, 1891, p 468