Imperial-Los Angeles-Riverside County CA Archives Biographies.....Bannister, Leslie Oakley 1873 - 
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Author: F. C. Farr (editor, 1918)

LESLIE OAKLEY BANNISTER.—Prominent among the representative ranchers of Imperial
County is Leslie Oakley Bannister, whose name heads this sketch. Mr. Bannister
came to Imperial County in September, 1905, and was born at Brantford, Ontario,
Canada, December 14, 1873, the son of Ely and Mary Bannister. Both have since
passed away and are buried at Ontario, Canada. Mr. Bannister is the owner of a
sixty-acre ranch in Water Company No. 8, in the Westmoreland district, and is
held in high esteem owing to the broad and conservative methods which he is
constantly employing on his ranch property. The family is of old English origin.
Mr. Bannister received his education at Brantford, Ontario, during an early age,
and left school at fourteen, following which he assisted his father on the home
farm until he reached the age of 17 years. He then went to Chicago, working for
the Pullman Company in their shops during 1892 and 1893, this being during the
World's Fair period. At that time California was the magnet which drew Mr.
Bannister westward, and after severing his connections with the Pullman Company
he left immediately for California. Upon his arrival here he engaged in team
work in the orange orchards and nurseries for eighteen months. He also followed
this vocation at Pomona for a short time. After being in the San Jacinto Valley
for about eight years, where he worked on ranches in general, in addition to
having charge of the water system for the Hemet Land & Water Company for about
six years, Mr. Bannister made up his mind to try the Imperial Valley. He arrived
in this county in 1905. His first employment was as foreman on the Chaplin ranch
and later with the National Lumber Company. Shortly afterwards he put in a crop
of cantaloupes with a partner, and following this pursuit, which was
unsuccessful, he secured a position as forest ranger for the United States
Government, having had previous experience prior to his arrival in California.
Having taken the civil service examination in California, Mr. Bannister followed
his ranger job for three years and eight months. Later in his career Mr.
Bannister went to Westmoreland, where he laid out the townsite which is now such
a credit to the community. He planted 6000 trees, made the survey of the
streets, and looked after the work for the townsite people for about two years,
when he bought his present property, which under his able supervision has been
brought up to a high state of cultivation. Mr. Bannister has been very
successful in raising milo maize, and on the home ranch has constructed a
pretentious residence which is one of the show places of the county. Mr.
Bannister is a Republican and has also acted in the capacity of school trustee
in his district. He was married at San Jacinto, California, December 12, 1898,
to Miss Mary Worden, daughter of Henry and Lauretia Worden. The father of Mrs.
Bannister has passed away and is buried in the San Jacinto cemetery. The widow
resides at Hemet. To Mr. and Mrs. Bannister have been born four children:
Gladys, born near Hemet, California; Helen, born in the same house at Hemet;
Esther, born at San Jacinto, and George, born in the Imperial Valley. Owing to
the fact that he is the owner of one of the model ranches in the Imperial
Valley, Mr. Bannister is entitled to a great deal of credit for his progressive
methods adopted in following his chosen line.

Additional Comments:
From:

THE HISTORY
OF
IMPERIAL COUNTY
CALIFORNIA
EDITED BY
F. C. FARR

IN ONE VOLUME
ILLUSTRATED
Published by ELMS AND FRANKS
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 1918


Printed by Taylor & Taylor, San Francisco


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