Born:     Sept. 15, 1861      Marshall Co., Illinois   

       Children:   8

            John W Burson            Martha Virginia Fowler 

NOTE: History:

        John W. Burson. One of the most enterprising men of Ventura county is John W. Burson, who has for twenty years been interested in various important business enterprises and is now engaged in promoting and up building the Bakersfield & Ventura Railway in the Santa Clara valley.
        He was born September 13, 1861 in Marshall county, Ill., where his parents were engaged in farming. They afterwards removed to California and lived in Santa Barbara, where they both died. They were the parents of eight children, John W. being the fourth in order of birth. He was brought up on the farm and received his education through the medium of the public schools of Marshall county, Ill. In 1886 he came to California, settled at Santa Paula, Ventura county, and engaged in the general merchandise business, having occupied the third store erected in that town. He subsequently sold out and went to Grants Pass, Ore., remaining there during the year in which occurred the big fire, and then returned to Ventura county and established a merchandising business at Fillmore. He continued at this for some time, and when he sold out it was to engage in the oil business, drilling wells at various points. In two oil companies he was interested with Chester Brown and they continued operations together for a couple of years.
        Mr. Burson later made an exceedingly good strike in the Sespe district and afterward sold his interests to the Union Consolidated Oil Company, as he desired to engage in railroad promoting. He saw a great future for the outlet of the Bakersfield oil region and with H. M. Russell obtained a charter for the Bakersfield and Ventura Railroad. The company was incorporated and surveying for the line was begun in 1902. In May, 1903, construction was commenced and the twenty miles in the vicinity of Hueneme and Oxnard completed. It is a broad gauge line and is now in operation hauling sugar beets and pulp for the Oxnard sugar factory. When finished the road will run through Sespe canyon to Brownstone and into the San Joaquin valley. Other extensive business interests are also owned by Mr. Burson, among them being oil lands in Ventura and Kern county, a fruit ranch containing ninety acres at Fillmore, a grain ranch of three hundred and forty-six acres, and an interest in a two hundred and forty-five acre ranch which has ninety acres planted to beets, his partner in this latter holding being Colonel Perkins. 

        Mr. Burson's first marriage, in Oregon, united him with Miss Martha Fowler, a native of California, and the daughter of Welcome Fowler, one of the early 49ers in this state. She became the mother of six children, Clarence, Ralph, Nettie, Clifford, Roscoe and Martha. Her death occurred at Fillmore in September, 1897, depriving Mr. Burson of a faithful wife, and her children of a devoted mother. His second marriage took place at Hueneme to Miss Dell Burson, who was born in Illinois, and is an active worker in the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Burson has six brothers who are Shiners and he was made a Mason in the Santa Paula Lodge, is now a charter member of the lodge at Fillmore, belongs to Oxnard Chapter, R. A. M., is a member of the Los Angeles Consistory, being a thirty-second degree Mason, and belongs to the Al Malaikah Temple, A.A.O.N.M.S. In politics he is an earnest advocate of the principles embraced in the
platform of the Republican party and has served as a member of the county central committee. He is a progressive and leading citizen and his ability and worth receive the recognition of all with whom he comes in contact.

CENSUS: Ventura Co., CA; 1900; ED 166; Sh 24; Federal Archives San
Bruno CA.

BIOGRAPHY: A History of California by J. M. Guinn; 1800-1920; Vol. 1;
p841; Ventura Museum and Library.

Buried in Santa Paula Cemetery.

CENSUS: Merced Co. CA; 1870; ; p 271; Federal Archives, San Bruno, CA.

!NOTE: Federal Government, Merced Co. CA 1870 Census;;; p. 52 #405-324;,