Kern County
Biographies
J. R. NEFF
J. R. NEFF. -
The president of the Neff Colonies, who has become closely connected with the
material upbuilding of Kern county through the
promoting of irrigation colonies in the Weed Patch, began to be interested in
this region during the year 1907 and, after having carefully studied the soil,
climate and possible profitable cultivation of the land in intensive farming
through irrigation, purchased property and undertook the development of the
plans he had projected. With a record of successful identification with the
banking business he was qualified by executive ability and thorough knowledge
of financial problems to manage and develop large landed interests and those
associated with his projects in Kern County have found him to be not only enterprising
and progressive, but also far-sighted in discrimination, honorable in action,
and sagacious in judgment. The original colony which he established in Kern county, known as the Foothill Citrus Farms Colony, is
located on section 26, township 31, range 29, and was incorporated during 1907
with a capital stock of $24,000, which is the value of the pumping plant and
irrigation system. Upon the first election of officers Mr. Neff was chosen
president and he has filled the position up to the present time, H. A. Moyers
of San Bernardino being secretary, while the California State Bank of San
Bernardino acts as treasurer. The large
tract of land incorporated by the company is held privately by about twenty
colonists, who own shares in the water company. The two wells, which are each
twelve-inch bores, are two-hundred and fifty feet and three hundred and three
feet respectively, and produce sufficient water for the irrigation of the land
as well as for domestic purposes, as needed by the twenty colonists now on the
tract. During 1912 the company put in electrical motors and centrifugal pumps
and since then he has used electricity, buying the power from the San Joaquin
Light & Power Company. The products of the land include alfalfa, Egyptian
Corn, all the fruits known to Southern California; nut trees, such as English
and French walnuts and black walnuts; all kinds of berries; Logan berries
doing especially well; and vegetables of every kind.
The Bear Mountain
Orange Company, of which, Mr. Neff is also president, is located on Section 24,
township 31, range 29, Kern county, and was organized
in 1908, with a capital stock of $12,800, on the same plan as the older
company. In addition he manages the Orange Belt Farms Company, capitalized at $9,600, and owning the southeast quarter of section
23, township 31, range 29. All of the colonists, numbering now about
seventy-five persons, are interested with Mr. Neff in his enterprise. Under his
capable leadership, wise judgment and untiring energy, the prospects for future
development and growing success are most attractive, and there is every reason
to believe that the colonies will prove most profitable acquisitions to the
landed wealth of the county. Many of the persons buying in these tracts have
come from Southern California, quite a few being from Santa Ana, and they were
influenced to select property here from the fact that the soil and climate
ranked with their own section, the water facilities are adequate, and the price
of the land was low enough to meet their approval. Nor have they had reason to
regret their decisions in coming to Kern County. On the other hand, their
prospects for the future are the brightest.
Mr. Neff was born
in Baylor county, Texas, April 29, 1876, and grew to
manhood in that commonwealth, where for some years he held a position as
cashier of the City National Bank of Childress, also from 1900 to 1904 he
served as clerk of the district and county court of Cottle
county. At Austin, that state, he was united in marriage with Miss Bessie
Hutchinson, a resident of that city. There are two children in the family,
Lawrence and Pattie. During the latter part of 1904 Mr. Neff removed to
California and settled in San Bernardino County, but afterward removed to
Pomona, Los Angeles county, and now makes that city his home, superintending
through frequent personal trips the valuable interests which he has acquired in
Kern county and in which he has invested heavily with a firm faith in their
steady advancement in production and valuation.
Transcribed
by Sally Kaleta.
Source:
"History of Kern County with Biographical Sketches," Wallace M.
Morgan, Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, California, 1914, Pages 526-529.
© 2014 Sally Kaleta.
GOLDEN NUGGET'S KERN COUNTY
BIOGRAPHIES