Ventura, California Daily Free Press on Wednesday evening, October 3, 1906
ARGONAUT ANSWERS CALL
On Friday, September 28, 1906 the bugle call once more sounded taps and another honored pioneer answered the call. Wm. Linebarger was born in Indiana, Sept. 19, 1831. At the age of four years he removed with his parents to Illinois and later from there to Missouri. In 1843 he went from Missouri to Oregon with the first train of immigrants that ever went through by team. The party was six months on the road and we of this generation that are whirled across the continent in Pullman and Palace car in less than a week know nothing of the hardships and peril of such a trip as they made sixty-three years ago over the unbroken prairie with ox teams. Peter H. Burnett, the first governor of California, was of that party and as long as they both lived he and Mr. Linebarger always retained the friendship that one Argonaut has for another.
Although but a boy Mr. Linebarger took his turn with the men of the party and walked over untold miles of sand and prairie sod urging "Buck and Bright" on their weary journey. Settling in the wilderness of Oregon Mr. Linebarger with others made himself a home and helped to make Oregon the fair land of plenty that it now is. For a number of years the only way the settler had of going to mill was to walk and carry the corn on their backs to be ground, and the meal home. In 1849 he came to California, but remained only a few months, returning to Oregon. He made his home there until 1852, when he was married to Miss Catherine Miller. Two children were born to them, one of whom, Supervisor Dallas Linebarger of Fullerton, still survives him. In 1853 he returned to California and has lived here ever since. In those early days the possibilities of this fair land were not dreamed of. Then its soil was untilled, its forests not utilized and its homes not built. And again he started in as a pioneer and has helped our glorious state become one of the richest and finest in the union, and California owes its glorious present and future to just such hardy pioneers as Mr. Linebarger.
After the death of his first wife, he married Mrs. Wm. Baker in 1870 in Los Angeles and came immediately to Santa Paula where he has resided ever since. Three children came to this union and as Mr. Linebarger was denied so many of the privileges of life in his early years, he struggled to secure them for his children. He gave to his own and his step children equally, all he had to give--a long life of patient, unceasing toil. Never had children a kinder, better or more faithful father. He survived his wife just three months to the day and was laid by her side in the beautiful silent white city on the Santa Paula hillside and another stone bears the loved name of father. One of God's noblest men has passed to the great beyond and while we sympathize with the bereaved children in their loss we would say to them, your loss is our loss also for who among us but will miss the dear old pioneer?
(written by Etta Ricker)
The small print: Contributed by Helen F. who maintains rights to this information. Used by permission.