View source for WIDING, Captain Fred J.


<span style="color:#006400">'''WIDING, Fred J.'''</span> (1843-    ), Norweigan sea captain who immigrated in 1872. In the 1900 U.S. census he lived in San Pedro, California, was 57 and was single. Captain Widing was master of the schooner ''Santa Rosa'' Island from 1903 continuing into 1908.


'''March 29, 1903 [LAH]:''' “Arrived. Schooner ''Brothers'', Captain Widing, from Clemente Island with sheep and wool.”


'''June 2, 1903 [SBMP]:''' “The ''Brothers'', a freight schooner, brought over a load of 549 sheep Sunday from Santa Rosa Island for the local markets. She will go to San Pedro today, when her captain, Fred Widing, will take command of the new schooner [''Santa Rosa Island''] recently completed for Vickers and Vail, owners of Santa Rosa, to ply between this port and the island. The new vessel will be the largest of the local fleet, equipped with a 92-horse-power gasoline engine. She was recently launched at the Banning ship yards.”


'''July 17, 1904 [LAT/SP]:''' “On the waterfront. Port San Pedro, Los Angeles. Sailed. Saturday, July 16. Schooner ''Santa Rosa Island'', Captain Widing, for Santa Rosa Island.”


'''July 20, 1904 [LAT/SP]:''' “On the waterfront. Port San Pedro, Los Angeles. Arrived. Tuesday, July 18. Schooner ''Santa Rosa Island'', Captain Widing, from Santa Rosa Island.”


'''July 22, 1904 [LAT/SP]:''' “Sailed. ''Santa Rosa Island'', Captain Widing, for Santa Rosa Island.”


'''July 31, 1904 [LAT/SP]:''' “On the waterfront. Port San Pedro, Los Angeles. Arrived. Saturday, July 30. Schooner ''Santa Rosa Island'', Captain Widing, from Catalina.”


'''October 2, 1904 [SBMP]:''' “The ''Santa Rosa Island'' schooner, in charge of Captain Widing, left yesterday morning for Santa Rosa Island with a gang of ten sheep shearers who will be employed the next two weeks shearing the sheep that are raised on the island. The schooner has just returned from San Pedro where she delivered a load of sheep from the island. Large numbers of sheep have been shipped from there lately, leaving only about 700 head.”


'''October 15, 1904 [PRP]:''' “Island sheep shearing. The ''Santa Rosa Island'' schooner, in charge of Captain Widing, left recently for Santa Rosa Island with a gang of sheep shearers, who will be employed during the next two weeks shearing the sheep that are raised on that island. The schooner has just returned from San Pedro, where she delivered a load of sheep from the island. Large numbers of sheep have been shipped from there lately, leaving only about 7000 head.”


'''February 6, 1905 [LAT/SP]:''' “Port San Pedro, Los Angeles. Arrived. Sunday, February 3. Schooner ''Santa Rosa Island'', Captain Widing, from Goleta; List of vessels in Port. Schooner ''Santa Rosa Island'', Crescent Wharf.”


'''June 17, 1905 [SBMP]:''' “Captain Widing brought in a cargo of cattle yesterday on the power schooner ''Santa Rosa Island''. The next several trips will be to Santa Barbara.”


'''August 6, 1905 [SBMP]:''' “The schooner ''Santa Rosa Island'', Captain Widney [Widing?], arrived yesterday from San Pedro. She has been engaged in transporting cattle from the island to the Los Angeles market.”


'''January 10, 1906 [LAH]:''' “The steam  schooner ''Santa Rosa Island'', Captain Widing, arrived this morning from that island after having left a load of horses there. She will sail again tomorrow for San Clemente Island to bring back here a load of fat sheep for the market.”


'''May 30, 1907 [SFCall]:''' “The power schooner ''Santa Rosa Island'', Captain Widing, has been chartered to transport several head of cattle from Santa Rosa Island to the mainland.”


'''June 30, 1907 [LAT]:''' “Captain Fred Widing, master of the schooner ''Santa Rosa Island'', which arrived this morning from the island of that name with a cargo of cattle, picked up F. Trader, who was adrift in an open boat which was leaking badly. Trader had lost his oars.”


'''June 30, 1907 [SFCall]:''' “Captain Fred Widing of the schooner ''Santa Rosa Island'' from the island of the same name arrived today with a cargo of cattle. Captain Widing picked up F. Trader off Santa Rosa Island adrift in an open boat, which was leaking badly. He had been visiting relatives on San Miguel Island and had gone out on a fishing trip. He had accidentally lost his oars and was at the mercy of the waves when rescued by Captain Widing.” 


'''June 1, 1907 [SBMP]:''' “The San Pedro correspondent of the Los Angeles Examiner notes that the little power schooner ''Santa Rosa Island'', Captain Widing, has a long task ahead this summer...”


'''August 6, 1907 [LAT]:''' “When the power schooner ''Santa Rosa Island'', Capting Widing, was returning from Santa Cruz Island with a cargo of cattle about a week ago, one particularly big fat steer was overcome by a feeling of homesickness and, being loathe to leave the good pastures of his former home,  leaped overboard from the schooner and 'steered' for shore. At the time, the schooner was about three miles out, and a heavy rough sea was running, and darkness had come on. Captain Widing never expected to see the steer again, and charged him up to profit and loss, but when the ''Santa Rosa Island'' returned to the island last Friday for another load, his steership was one of the first inhabitants to welcome the vessel. Yesterday the ''Santa Rosa Island'' returned here and the steer was one of the steer-age passengers.”


'''November 13, 1907 [SBMP]:''' “The pretty power schooner ''Santa Rosa Island'', Captain Widing, said he came over for a  load of cattle in from Arizona. The cattle had not yet arrived in this city, but they are expected at any moment. Captain Widing reported rough weather off the islands.”


'''November 15, 1907 [SFCall]:''' “The schooner ''Santa Rosa Island'', Captain Widing, has gone to Santa Barbara, where the vessel will be employed for a month transferring 8,000 cattle from the mainland to Santa Rosa Island. The shipments are being made by Vail & Vickers of Los Angeles.”


'''November 19, 1907 [SBMP]:''' “The power schooner ''Santa Rosa Island'', Captain Widing, is lying at anchor off the commercial wharf awaiting the arrival of a shipment of 2,000 head of cattle from Vail & Vickers’ ranch at Tucson, Arizona, consigned to grazing lands in Santa Rosa Island where they will be fattened for the market on the luscious grass.”


'''May 2, 1908 [SFCall]:''' “San Pedro. May 1. The power schooner ''Santa Rosa Island'', Captain Widing, from San Miguel Island with a cargo of wool, arrived today.”


'''May 17, 1908 [LAH]:''' “San Pedro. Captain Widing of the steam schooner ''Santa Rosa Island'' has returned from Santa Rosa Island, whither he went a few days ago with three Denver cattlemen. The stockmen inspected the cattle and placed an order for a shipment of 2000 head. Captain Widing made an effort to get the steam schooner ''Capistrano'' enlisted in the services, but information from the owners was couched in negative terms, as they stated their belief that a special license was required for the transfer of cattle.”


'''May 22, 1908 [SFCall]:''' “San Pedro. May 21. The power schooner ''Santa Rosa Island'', Captain Widing, departed for Santa Rosa Island this evening to bring cattle to the mainland. The cattle are consigned to the Maier and Cudahy packing companies and shipments will be made until 2000 head are transferred.”


'''May 26, 1908 [LAT]:''' “The power schooner ''Santa Rosa Island'', Captain Widing, from Santa Rosa Island, brought in eighty head of cattle consigned to the Maier Packing Company of Los Angeles.”


'''May 30, 1908 [SFCall]:''' “San Pedro. May 29. The power steamer ''Santa Rosa Island'', Captain Widing, from Santa Rosa Island, brought a cargo of cattle.”


'''August 9, 1908 [SFCall]:''' “San Pedro. August 8. Schooner ''Santa Rosa Island'', Captain Widing, arrived from Santa Rosa Island with a cargo of cattle for Los Angeles.”


'''September 12, 1908 [SFC]:''' “San Pedro. September 11. The power schooner ''Santa Rosa Island'', Captain Widing, has arrived from San Diego, having been on the ways for cleaning and painting.”


'''November 23, 1908 [LAH]:''' “The power schooner ''Santa Rosa Island'', Captain Widing, arrived from Santa Rosa Island with a cargo of horses, mules and cattle.”