California Biographies
San Bernardino County and Riverside County

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

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WILLIAM HARTLEY 
 
              William Hartley is the efficient and popular general manager of the West
Ontario Citrus Association. The well equipped packing house is situated in two and 
one-half miles west of the City of Ontario, San Bernardino County. Mr. Hartley was
born in the fair Old City of Detroit, Michigan, on the 13th of February, 1886, and 
after his graduation from the high school he continued his studies in the Detroit
Normal School. In 1907 he came to Southern California, and after having here been 
connected with the fruit industry a short time he went to the northern part of the state
and became identified with mercantile enterprise. His preference for the southern
part of the state and for outdoor occupations led him to return and to take the posi-
tion of foreman of a fruit packing house at Charter Oak, Los Angeles County, in the 
employ of the Du Quesne Fruit Company of that place. Upon coming to Narod, 
San Bernardino County, he became foreman in the packing house of the West Ontario
Citrus Association, of which J. K. Adams was then manager. After the death of Mr. 
Adams he was advanced to his present office, that of general manager of this impor-
tant association, which was organized August 24, 1893, as a co-operative association
made up of the leading citrus-fruit growers of this district. The progressive men 
who promoted the organization were Morris L. S. Dyar; W. E. Collins; Granger Hyer; 
C. E. Harwood and others. The original title of the organization was the Ontario Fruit 
Exchange and the first corps of officers were as here noted: President, W. E. Collins;
Vice President, L. S. Dyar; Secretary, Granger Hyer; Treasurer, Ontario State Bank.
On September 19, 1901, a reorganization was affected and the title changed to the
West Ontario Citrus Association. This is one of the earliest of the mutual or co-
operative fruit associations organized in the state, and its history has been one of 
consecutive progress and increasing efficiency of service. From the packing and
shipping of a few carloads annually the business has expanded until the shipments
for the season of 1920 aggregated 415 carloads of oranges.  In that year the asso-
ciation doubled the capacity of its packing house and general equipment and in 
1921 additional storage capacity was provided by the erection of new buildings. The
season of 1921-22 recorded the estimated shipment of 550 carloads, the output 
being sold through the medium of the San Antonio Fruit Exchange at Pomona. Mr.
Hartley has gained high reputation as an efficient and enterprising executive in, this
connection, and has done much to further the success of the association and its con-
stituent members. In 1917 Mr. Hartley married Miss Ruby Ogilvie, who was born in
 Idaho, but was at the time of her marriage a resident of Ontario, California. She was 
reared and educated in the State of Washington, and as a talented pianist was a 
successful teacher of music prior to her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Hartley have one 
son, William Jr., who was born August 1, 1918. Mr. Hartley is a son of Philip Henry 
and Janet (Lynch) Hartley, the former of whom was born in England and the latter in 
Scotland. The parents were young folk when they came to the United States and
settled at Port Huron, Michigan, in which state they still maintain their home, the 
father being a painter and decorator by vocation. William Hartley of this review is the
eldest in a family of four sons and two daughters, and through his own ability and 
efforts he has achieved success and prestige in the state of his adoption.
 
Page1135.
 
Transcribed and submitted by Sally Kaleta, August 2010.