Ventura County Republican Project: History and Genealogy

Ventura County Republican Project: History and Genealogy

"A Memorial and Biographical History of the Counties of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura, California" (1891), page 578.

Leroy Arnold (Please see Edward Arnold's biography & genealogy of May 9th.)

Leroy Arnold is a pioneer of California, having come to this coast in 1852, when a boy ten years of age. He was born in DeKalb County, Illinois, January 22, 1842. His father, Cullar Arnold, is a native of Ohio, born in 1818, and now resides in Orange, Orange County, California. The Arnolds were among the early settlers of America. Mr. Arnold's mother, Emily (Hough) Arnold, was born in the State of Illinois. For a number of generations her ancestors were residents of the United States. Leroy Arnold is one of a family of nine children, six sons and two daughters now being residents of California, and one child having died in infancy. His father, on coming to California with his family, settled in Marysville, and opened two stores of miners' supplies, one at Nelson Creek and the other at Goodyear's Bar. He was there for three years, and then moved to Martinez, Contra Costa County, where he farmed two years. After this he kept hotel in Sierra County. In 1857 they went to Lassen County, engaged in farming and stock-raising, and remained there until 1868, when they came to Ventura County and located on 320 acres of land, where the Arnold brothers now reside. After finding that it was not Government land they bought the property, and later added 900 acres more. It is a splendid tract of land, three miles east of Hueneme. The brothers have bought and sold among themselves, and Leroy Arnold now owns 160 acres of it. He has improved this by building, tree-planting, etc. He has an artesian well, with seven and a half pipe, in which the water rises sixteen feet above the level of the ground. He has remodeled the house, built the barns, and, under his judicious management, the place presents an attractive appearance.

Mr. Arnold was married September 19, 1875, to Miss Carrie F. Hill, a native of Indiana, and daughter of William Hill. They have had seven children, all natives of the Golden State, and all living, viz.: Effie F. is the wife of A.D. Smith, and resides in San Buenaventura; Mary L. married S. G. Sheppard, and resides at Hueneme; and the following are at home with their parents, - Martha E., Oliver B., Royston C., Alton E., and Ida L. Mr. Arnold is a Master Mason and a member of the A. O. U. W. In politics, he is a Republican, having cast his first vote for Abraham Lincoln.

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History and Rootsweb genealogy compiled by Tony Larson and Jon Miller.