JOHN D. AND ANNIE H. LANTZ

Butte County

Biographies

JOHN D. AND ANNIE H. LANTZ

JOHN D. AND ANNIE H. LANTZ.--Among the prosperous residents at Oroville and vicinity who well deserve the good fortune with which their strenuous work and the efforts of years have been rewarded, are Mr. and Mrs. John D. Lantz. Mr. Lantz was born near Chico, the son of John Lantz, a pioneer from Illinois, who crossed the great plains with ox-teams in 1852, and was first engaged in freighting and teaming, then becoming a farmer near Chico, and there on his well-kept ranch he lived for many years, finally dying in Oroville at the age of eighty-seven. His wife, who had been Mary Sligar before her marriage, also crossed the great plains, traveling when a girl with her parents, and settled near Gridley, where she was brought up on a ranch. She came of a Southern family in good circumstances, and had an attractive personality. She also is dead. Five children, among whom Mr. Lantz is the youngest, were born to this pioneer couple.

From his fourth year, John D. Lantz was reared near Central House, and went to school at Honcut. After that, he was in the employ of a dredging company, and then he worked for the Mongold Company, and afterward for the New York Company. Finally, he entered the service of James H. Leggett, and remained with him for three years. At the expiration of that time he engaged with the Boston Machine Shop as a blacksmith, and was for a while a foreman rancher on Berry Creek. At the latter place he was employed to set out fruit trees.

In September, 1914, Mr. Lantz and Miss Annie H. Hurles, the daughter of the pioneer, Smith H. Hurles, were married at Hurleton, and a separate sketch will be found of her father in another part of this work. She was born in the town named after her parent, and there attended public schools.

When she was fifteen years of age, Miss Hurles started in business for herself. She had a room in her father's house, and carried a small miscellaneous stock of goods and notions. It grew and grew, however, until she had a large store there. She carries general merchandise, and also has a warehouse. All her goods are freighted from Oroville, and their arrival is a matter of considerable importance to the immediate neighborhood. She is the postmaster at Hurleton, and the agent of the Firemen's Fund Insurance Company. She also owns the Hurleton Hotel. Mr. and Mrs. Lantz have a place of business at the corner of Huntoon and Robinson Streets, Oroville, where they do a general hay, grain and feed business.

Mr. Lantz was made a Mason in Oroville Lodge, and he is a member of the Knights of Pythias. Both Mr. and Mrs. Lantz are members of the Order of the Eastern Star, and both are stanch Republicans.

Transcribed by Sande Beach.

Source: "History of Butte County, Cal.," by George C. Mansfield, Pages 682-683, Historic Record Co, Los Angeles, CA, 1918.

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