WATSON, ERROL TRAFFORD -- An industrious and exceptionally able young man is Errol Trafford Watson, the second son of the widely-known and well-beloved pioneer, Jonathan Watson, who shares in the active management of the Watson ranch, raising in particular oranges, lemons and walnuts. He was born on June 3, 1894, and twenty years later graduated with credit from the Orange Union high school. His father being a rancher and horticulturist, Errol was therefore naturally interested in ranch work, and so has easily become expert in farm management. Like his father, who is known to have out-shot Buffalo Bill, he loves hunting in the great outdoors, and always carries a gun with him when he goes for a walk in the open. Should ravens, hawks or other birds get too close to the chicken yard on the Watson premises, therefore, they invariably suffer the penalty.
On September 6, 1916, Mr. Watson was married to Miss Beatrice Durkee, a native of Sioux Rapids, Iowa, and the daughter of Joseph E. and Lucinda (Stewart) Durkee, natives of Iowa, who were married in Minnesota. Her father was a public school teacher, and for twenty years served as superintendent of schools in Buena Vista County, Iowa. In 1908 they came to California, and settled in Los Angeles, where the mother died in February, 1909, leaving three children--Beatrice, Florence and Ruth. The following month Mr. Durkee removed to Orange County and bought a ranch of twenty acres, three and a half miles to the northwest of Anaheim, and there he is still living. Two children have blessed this happy union, June and Maxine.
The three Watson brothers, Floyd E., Errol Trafford and Harold Arlington, operate the ranch of one hundred twelve and a half acres belonging to their father, Jonathan Watson, and cultivate forty-five acres given to walnuts and the balance mostly in oranges. The walnut trees are from four to thirty years old. They use two tractors in operating the ranch, this being at least so far as the Watsons are concerned, a horseless age. This is all the more strange since Jonathan Watson, aided by his sons, was noted as a breeder of standard and draft horses. Errol Watson is director in the Orange County Walnut Growers Association at Santa Ana. California need not worry when its future destiny lies at the disposal of such brain and brawn as mark the conservative aggressiveness of these Orange County young men.
