EDWARDS, JOHN H. -- Now living retired at Santa Ana, John H. Edwards occupies a distinct place among the honored pioneer ranchers of Orange County, as for close to half a century he has been identified with its progress, and through his aggressiveness and energy liberally contributing to every enterprise, not only of his own neighborhood, but of the whole country round about.
While the greater part of his life has been passed in California, Mr. Edwards is a native of Wisconsin, and there he was born near Hazel Green on October 16, 1855. His parents were Samson and Diana (Rogers) Edwards, honored residents of Orange County for many years, a sketch of their lives being found elsewhere in this history. During the early boyhood of Mr. Edwards, his parents removed to Jo Daviess County, Ill., and there he remained until early manhood. Then, in 1874, he came to California with his father, Samson Edwards, and located near Westminster in Orange County, and there they rented a ranch, which they cultivated together until John H. was twenty-one years of age. He then entered into a partnership with his brother, William J. Edwards, and for a number of years they were engaged in ranching, leasing land which they devoted to corn, barley, potatoes and live stock. They also maintained a dairy and conducted a meat business, running wagons over a wide scope of territory, and as they were energetic and progressive, they soon became leaders in the agricultural development of the Westminster section.
In 1882 Mr. Edwards purchased a ranch of his own near Westminster, and here he made his home until his removal to Santa Ana. His original purchase was a tract of forty acres, and this he added to until he owned 270 acres of valuable land. In connection with his ranching Mr. Edwards conducted a thriving butcher business for a number of years. In 1907 he rented the land to his two eldest sons, who have since given the ranch their careful attention, keeping it up to the same high state of cultivation. Despite his busy life in the early days of development of Orange County, Mr. Edwards was always keenly alive to the need for betterment of conditions in his community, and to any measure that was of present or future value to the county. As one of the directors of the Smeltzer branch of the Home Telephone Company, he was instrumental in the establishment of the telephone system connecting his neighborhood with the larger centers of the country. He was also a director of the Bolsa Tile Factory, whose products were a much-needed factor in the development and improvement of large tracts of land in Orange County.
Mr. Edwards' marriage, which was solemnized at Los Angeles, united him with Miss Julia A. Penhall, a native daughter of California, whose father, Uriah Penhall, was a pioneer of the Golden State, coming here in the early days and engaging in mining. Five children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Edwards: Reuben W., Lloyd E., Daisy M., wife of O. J. Day of Westminster, Mildred N. and Glen W.
