California Biographies 

Source:
History of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura Counties, California
by: C M Gidney - Santa Barbara. Benjamin Brooks - San Luis Obispo. 
Edwin M Sheridan - Ventura
Volumes II - Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago, ILL., 1917

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

JOHN MONTGOMERY. One of the successful men of Ventura County, engaged in the 
management of a fine walnut ranch in the vicinity of Somis, John Montgomery has had a career 
of varied experience, and has always been willing to accept the chance and hazard of fortune in 
order to advance himself in the world.
He was born in Decatur County, Kansas, May 19, 1879, a son of John and Mary Montgomery. 
His education in public schools was concluded when he was fourteen years of age. After that he 
worked on his father's farm for several years and at the age of seventeen left home and found 
hard work and plenty of incident in Oklahoma Territory. He was employed in herding cattle in 
the old Cherokee Nation of that territory for eleven years, and then for three years was a 
farmer in Seminole County.
Leaving Oklahoma Mr. Montgomery came to Moorpark, Ventura County, California, was 
employed for nine months on the ranch of W. R. Sealy, and then for four months was employed 
by the American Beet Sugar Company at Oxnard. Following that he had an experience of seven 
months in an apricot orchard of A. Everett near Moorpark.
Mr. Montgomery subsequently became associated with Mr. James Evans in the Los Posas 
district of Ventura County, and remained with him until the death of Mr. Evans in 191,8.
In November, 1908, Mr. Montgomery married Mrs. Meda Evans, the widow of the late James 
Evans, and they now are living comfortably on their ranch and superintend the productive 
resources of a 128-acre walnut orchard.
The late James Evans, former husband of Mrs. Montgomery, was one of the prominent pioneer 
ranchmen of Ventura County. He was born in Clark County, Indiana, July 5, 1839, the third in a 
family of five children of Thomas Jefferson and Catherine (King) Evans. His paternal ancestors 
were Virginia people of Scotch and English origin, while his mother was a native of 
Pennsylvania and of Pennsylvania Dutch stock.
James Evans attended school in Missouri, later in Oregon, to which state his parents removed, 
and in 1859 the family came to California, settling in Sonoma County.
On starting out for himself James Evans followed farming for two years in Sonoma County, was 
in the mining district of Idaho about four years, but all the money he made there was lost, and 
after another experience of two years as a farmer in the Salinas Valley of Monterey County he 
came with his father and other members of the family in 1869 to Ventura County. Here Mr. 
Evans bought eighty acres and during his remaining active years was engaged in its 
development as a fine walnut plantation and also for general agricultural crops. He raised all 
the crops which are staples of this locality and his part in those activities was so successful that 
no history of Ventura County should omit some mention of his name. He was a republican in 
politics.
In October, 1884, he married Miss Meda Osmossen, who was born in Germany. Mrs. 
Montgomery by her former marriage has two children: Pleasant, a rancher in Ventura County ; 
and Mrs. Wilbur H. Stiles, of Ventura County.