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. MRS. ELIZABETH F. VAN LEUVEN Mrs. Elizabeth F. Van Leuven, whose childhood memories touch pioneer life in both Utah and California, has been a resident of the latter state since 1858, and is now one of the venerable and revered pioneer women of San Bernardino County, where she maintains her home in the beautiful Mission district of Redlands. Her gracious personality and the experiences that have been hers in connection with the development and progress of this favored section of the state render it specially gratifying to pay to her in this publica- tion a merited tribute. Mrs. Van Leuven was born in the State of Illinois, on the 17th of March, 1846, and is a daughter of William J. and Rachel Robinson. The father was born in Missouri, in 1818, was there reared to adult age, and he was a farmer by vocation during the period of his youth and early manhood. He became a member of the Church of Latter Day Saints and when, at the out- break of the Mexican war, the Government of the United States made requisi- tion upon the Mormon Church for 500 men to serve as soldiers in the coming conflict Mr. Robinson was one of those who entered service. He became a member of what is known as the Mormon Battalion. This command was furnished with wagons and teams and assigned to the transporting of arms, equipment, and supplies to the stage of conflict. In the early summer of 1846 the militant caravan set forth from Jefferson County, Missouri, on the long and perilous overland journey through the wilderness to Mexico. The men traveled on foot and through the settled districts traversed by the cavalcade they added to the supplies to be transported to the front. The search was continued to Albuquerque, New Mexico, and thence through the desert country, with count- less obstacles to be overcome in passing through the arid districts of the Southwest. Thus was achieved by these hard men a feat of endurance well nigh unprecedented in history. The men of this party, as official records show, did mluch to further the success of the United States in the war with Mexico, and their record was one of loyal and arduous service. The members of the Mormon Battalion were mustered out while in Mexico. Some of them re- turned to Missouri by the same route that they had come, and Mr. Robinson and a member of other members of the command returned by wagon train through Mexico to Yuma, Arizona, thence to Wilmington, California, and on- ward through Salt Lake City, Utah, and he finally arrived at the home in Missouri in 1848. In May, 1852, in company with his wife and their five children, he became associated in the forming of a wagon train of many ox and mule teams, the train being divided into units of ten wagons each, with a captain assigned in charge of each of these divisions. Mr. Robinson was made captain of his unit. The members of the party were followers of Brig- ham Young, and they set forth to form a new Mormon colony, it having been the hope of the Latter Day Saints that after the annexation of territory at the close of the Mexican War they would be given a refuge and home in Cali- fornia. The immigrant train proceeded on its hazardous westward journey and suffered greatly by the scourge of cholera which marked the year of 1852, many members of the party having died of the dread disease, including Mr. Robinson, who died July 17, 1852, while the company was in the immediate vicinity of the Platte River, one of his daughters having died six days prev- iously. The bereaved wife and mother, with her four young children, continued her weary and desolate journey, and the daughter, Elizabeth, of this sketch, who was then six years old, well recalls the passing of the party through Echo Canyon, she having been greatly alarmed by the echoes, which she thought to be persons mocking the party. The memorable journey and its incidents left vivid impressions on her childish mind, and her reminiscences of this remarkable pioneer experience of the western wilds are most graphic and interesting. The travel-worn caravan arrived at Salt Lake City about the first of September, 1852, and Mrs. Robinson and her children there remained until 1858, when they became members of another wagon train and set forth for California. Mrs. Robinson later contracted a second marriage. Philomon M., the eldest of the Robinson children, was born in Missouri, as were the other four children, and he accompanied his mother on the journey to California; Elizabeth F., to whom this review is dedicated, was the next in order of birth; Louise, was the daughter who died en route to Utah; and the two younger children, Emma and William H., accompanied their mother to California. Mrs. Robinson established the family home at San Bernardino, and here she later married William Pugh, there having been three children of this union - Melvin, Cardinell, and Eleanor. Elizabeth Robinson was reared to adult age amid the pioneer influences and conditions that obtained in San Bernardino County, and her educational advantages were those of the locality and period. On the 14th of January, 1863, she became the wife of Anson Van Leuven, a California pioneer of 1852. In 1854 Benjamin Van Leuven, father of Anson, likewise came to California, and here he purchased eighty acres of land in the Mormon settlement in San Bernardino County. After his marriage Anson Van Leuven settled on this land, and the property, now finely improved, is still known as the Van Leuven ranch. This place is situated on Mountain View Avenue in the Mission district, and here Mrs. Van Leuven maintains her home at the present time. It is needless to say that the old home is en- deared to her by many hallowed memories and associations. On this place Mr. Van Leuven planted his first orange grove in the year 1862, and the trees which he thus planted were the first to bear oranges within the borders of San Bernardino County, the first ripened products having here been garnered in 1867. Apples and peaches raised on the Van Leuven ranch in the early days were dried, and grapes were manufactured into wine. These products were sold and shipped out by wagon freight, as was also the grain raised for market. There was nothing sybaritic in the condi- tions that were in evidence here in the early days, and Mrs. Van Leuven states that she wore simple calico dresses, which she made by hand, as did she all other clothes used by herself and her children. She was the mother of three children before she ever saw a sewing machine, and it can thus be understood that she acquired skill with the needle as a matter of virtual necessity. In her possession to-day, as a prized relic, is a surrey that gave long and effective service, this vehicle having been manufactured in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1849, and Nathan Meek having used the same in making the overland trip to California. Mr. Van Leuven purchased the vehicle in 1863, and it continued to as the family carriage for many years - until, in fact, it gave place to the modern automobile. In coming to Cali- fornia Mr. Van Leuven crossed the plains with an ox team, and a some- what attenuated heifer, which he purchased, was hauled on a wagon the entire distance from Bitter Springs. This animal played well its part in the family entourage and lived to the age of thirty-four years. Mr. Van Leusen served as sheriff of San Bernardino County from 1858 to 1861, and it will be understood by the students of early history of California, that his duties were of strenuous and often hazardous order, as horse and cattle thieves and other outlaws were active in pursuit of their nefarious work. The large cattle and horse ranch known as the San Jose Ranch was the site of the present fine little city of Pomona, and ran its cattle in the bottom lands of the Mojave River. Thieves stole a large number of horses from this ranch, and they were tracked through Cajon Pass. The owner of the ranch, in riding about and looking after his cattle, recognized his stolen horses in the distance. He notified Sheriff Van Leuven, who took up the trail, re- covered the horses, and captured four of the six thieves. After their con- viction he alone took charge of them on the trip to the state prison, the sheriff and his prisoners having gone to San Pedro on horseback and having thence continued up the coast by steamer. The ranch owner, fear- ing an attempt would be made to rescue the prisoners, brought sixteen men to guard them on the trip to Los Angeles, but Sheriff Van Leuven declined this aid and proceeded alone with his prisoners. The sheriff traced the men by the track of the defective hoof of a horse which one of the number was riding, he having recognized this peculiar deformity as being that of a horse stolen from the San Jose Ranch, and on this occasion he manifested much finesse, as did he on many other occasions. His vigorous administration rid the district and county of many lawless and desperate characters, for rarely did a guilty man escape him. He served as a deputy United States Marshall during the period of the Civil War, and was one of the prominent and influential men of his county. In 1863 he was elected to represent San Bernardino County in the Legisla- ture, and as a member of the Lower House he made an excellent record of service in the General Assembly of 1864. He was a stalwart repub- lican, a man of inviolable integrity, marked loyalty and much progress- iveness and public spirit. Long before the close of his life he and his wife had severed their allegiance to the Church of Latter Day Saints. Honest and upright in all of the relations of life, Mr. Van Leuven left a benignant and enduring impress upon the community in which he lived and wrought, and he was one of the honored pioneer citizens of San Bernardino County at the time of his death, in 1896. Mr. and Mrs. Van Leuven became the parents of five children, all born in the old home place in San Bernardino County. Myron Franklin, eldest of the number, was born November 25, 1863, and he resides with his widowed mother on the old home place, his wife, whose maiden name was Mary Hughes, being deceased. Sarah, the second child, was born June 8, 1865, and her death occurred in 1882. Byron, who was born April 2, 1869, is a bachelor and remains with his mother on the home ranch. Henry, born April 21, 1871, is a prominent business man of Redlands. He married Miss Lucy M. Luch, of Redlands, and they have one son, William H., born November 12, 1914. Maude, born March 2, 1883, is the wife of C. J. Boone, who is a successful orange-grower, residing on part of the old homestead near Redlands. Mr. and Mrs. Boone have three children, Carroll Jackson, William Bruce, and Richard Lewis. Mrs. Boone is an active and influential member of the Parent-Teacher's Association of Redlands, and is earnest in work for community betterment, besides being popular in the social life of the locality which has represented her home from the time of her birth. Mrs. Elizabeth F. Van Leuven has witnessed the marvelous development of San Bernar- dino County, much of which was a desert waste when her family here established their pioneer home, and she has taken her part in the march of progress, has lived to enjoy the gracious rewards of former years of endeavor, and is one of the well-known pioneer women of the county, with secure place in the affectionate regard of all who have come within the compass of her gracious and kindly influence. Pages 1103 to 1106. Transcribed and submitted by Sally Kaleta, February 2010.