Imperial-Riverside-Orange County CA Archives Biographies.....McConnell, Foster 1864 - 
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Author: F. C. Farr (editor, 1918)

FOSTER McCONNELL.—One of the commanding figures in the agricultural life of
Imperial County is Foster McConnell. He is a figure of importance in the life of
the Valley and understands every phase of ranch development. A man of
progressive spirit and good business foresight, Mr. McConnell is a native son
and was born at Corona, California, March 21, 1893, a son of H. F. and Lora
McConnell. His father passed away May 3, 1912, and is buried at Corona,
California. His mother resides in the home place. The ancestors of Mr. McConnell
originally came from Ireland, but owing to political troubles they moved to
Scotland. Foster, the subject of this review, received his education in the
public schools of Corona. At the age of fifteen years he began ranching on the
present place, which then consisted of 252 acres and only ninety acres was
leveled. Mr. McConnell is imbued with a progressive spirit and he at once
started to level the balance of his land. Other tracts were bought at various
times until he now owns 535 acres. Each year he has added improvements. In 1917
Mr. McConnell took a commercial course. He has ninety milch cows and 350 head of
other stock. He also set out all of the trees in his splendid orchard and has
thus added greatly to the attractiveness of his place in general. Mr. McConnell
is largely interested in hogs and poultry. Foster and his brother, Leslie, are
partners in their ranch affairs and their efforts have brought about great
changes on their ranch. Leslie was born in Redlands, California, October 4,
1889, and received his education in Santa Ana, California, and later took a
business course. Leaving school at the age of sixteen, he went with his parents
to Corona, where his father owned a ranch, and remained there until the family
removed to Imperial County. Leslie was united in marriage February 4, 1917, with
Miss Caroline Heil, a daughter of Joseph and Mary Heil. Her father is deceased
and is buried in Santa Ana. The mother resides in El Centro. McConnell Brothers'
ranch has been brought up to a high state of cultivation and is one of the model
places of Imperial County. Their father's death was deeply mourned by all who
knew him. He led an honorable and useful life, and his career bore the closest
investigation and scrutiny. His life record gained for him the unqualified
respect and esteem of the people in every locality where he lived. His life was
ambitious and was founded on honorable and progressive ideas. His wife and
family may find justifiable pride in the fact that he not only achieved success
in a material way, but his deeds and actions as a model father and loving
husband will be perpetuated in the history of Imperial County, which is a
monument to his career.

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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