Los Angeles County, CA, Biographies

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COLONEL JOHN OZIAS WHEELER.
 
        This gentleman has been a resident of and identified with the best 
interests of Los Angeles for the last forty years. His Puritan ancestors were 
among the early settlers of New England�the names of two are engraven upon the 
granite shaft erected in memory of those who fell in defense of Fort Griswold. 
Born and reared in New London, Connecticut, at the age of twenty he married and 
removed to Florida. In February, 1849, Colonel Wheeler started for California, 
involving a land journey to Vicksburg, thence by steamer up the Mississippi and 
Arkansas rivers to Fort Smith; thence to New Mexico, down the Gila River, 
reaching the Chino Rancho on the 12th of August of that year. In conjunction 
with Colonel Isaac Williams, the then proprietor of the Chino, Colonel Wheeler 
went back to the confines of the Colorado Desert with a train of merchandise and 
supplies, with headquarters at Agua Caliente, followed a few months afterward by 
a trading expedition across the Colorado Desert to the present site of Fort 
Yuma. In the summer of 1850 Colonel Wheeler, in company with his brother who had 
come to the coast via the Isthmus, started a general merchandise business in Los 
Angeles, in connection with a forwarding and commission house at San Pedro. 
Passengers and merchandise were crudely handled in those days. On the arrival of 
vessels, the former were mounted on half broken horses and headed for town. Some 
rode through, others came in later and on foot. Hauling was done with oxen and 
Mexican carts, or "caretas." The firm did a very extensive business, largely in 
Mexican goods, which came up the coast from the Pacific ports of Mexico. What 
was known as the First and Second Utah Expeditions were entirely armed and 
equipped, mounted and supplied while in the field by the firm, relying upon the 
credit of the State. In 1854 Colonel Wheeler and William Butts started a weekly 
newspaper, the Southern, Californian, which was published in English and 
Spanish. While this pioneer journal, a file of which Colonel Wheeler has lately 
presented to the Historical Society of Southern California, was not ostensibly a 
funny paper, it nevertheless contained a great deal of fun. Indeed, it was both 
lively and enterprising. On one occasion, and an exciting one at that, namely, 
the hanging of Dave Brown, the gambler murderer, by the people, the paper 
published a very full, and, the old settlers say, a very correct and graphic 
account of the affair before the hanging actually took place, in order, as the 
steamer left for the North that day, that the account might go up on that 
steamer and not have to wait for the next, two weeks later. The people who lived 
here in those days had determination and "back�bone," and knew what they wanted, 
and proceeded to go for it without circumlocution; and when they had fairly made 
up their minds, as they had that day, editors and reporters could forecast what 
their actions would be with much more certainty than they can in these 
degenerate, indeterminate days, when the Goddess of Justice so often lets 
herself be hoodwinked and balked. Those who know Colonel Wheeler will not be 
surprised to be told that he made a capital editor. In 1858 and 1859 he was in 
the county clerk's office, and in December, 1860, he was appointed clerk of the 
United States Court for the Southern District of California, the sessions of 
which were held alternately in Los Angeles and Monterey. He moved to Monterey 
soon after and filled this office till the death of Judge Fletcher M. Haight in 
1866, when the Southern and Northern judicial districts were consolidated. Mr. 
Wheeler then moved to San Francisco, where, as chief deputy of George C. Gorham, 
he conducted the office of clerk of the consolidated district until the close of 
the canvass made by that gentleman for Governor in 1867. During the years 
1870�'71�'72 and part of 1873 he was chief clerk of the Indian Department of 
California. In 1874 he returned to Los Angeles as deputy collector of internal 
revenues for the district comprising Los Angeles, San Bernardino and San Diego 
counties. From 1880 to 1883 inclusive he was deputy clerk of the Supreme Court 
of California, in charge of the office at Los Angeles. In 1853 Colonel Wheeler 
organized the first military company in Los Angeles under the State laws. He was 
on the staff of Brigadier General Andres Pico along in the last of the "50's." 
He later raised and commanded a cavalry company in Monterey. He became secretary 
and manager of the Main Street Railroad in 1877. In 1883 he was entrusted with a 
like position in the Olive Street Railway. His connection with both roads 
continued till 1886; when, for the first time, accompanied by Mrs. Wheeler, he 
revisited his old home, being absent in the East a little over a year. In early 
life Colonel Wheeler was a large land owner and fortunately held on to a 
remnant, which in these later years has become valuable. He has retired 
virtually from active business, though he is president of the Forphyry Paving 
Company. Colonel Wheeler has passed the meridian, but an iron constitution 
supplemented by uniform good health has preserved his health, and his erect 
figure and elastic step give but little token of the years that have fled. Much 
of the social and business success of the Colonel is due to his amiable wife. 
Arriving in Los Angeles in 1851, she adapted herself to the novel conditions, 
secured and maintained the esteem and confidence of those with whom she cared to 
entertain social relations, and has ever been an efficient worker in all 
charitable movements. Colonel Wheeler has three daughters: Mrs. William Pridham, 
of Los Angeles; Mrs. Clay M. Green, of New York; and Mrs. F. H. McCormick, of 
Alameda. His only brother, H. Z. Wheeler, has been for some years past and at 
present Appraiser General in the Imperial Custom House at Yokohama.
 
An Illustrated History of Los Angeles County, California �  Chicago, The Lewis 
Publishing Company, 1889   Page 694
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler