Early Settlers: The Gardiner Family

The following is from a work-in-progress about the history of Fullerton. You can support my ongoing research and writing on Patreon.

Alexander Gardiner was a native of Scotland who immigrated to Tennessee at age 18. He then migrated to California in 1868 with his wife Susan, eventually settling on a ranch in what was then known as the Orangethorpe school district. They had seven children including Jennie (who married Otto des Granges of another pioneer Fullerton family), John R. (later elected to the very first Fullerton City Council) and James (the first deputy constable/police officer) in town.

Alexander Gardiner helped to establish the Fullerton Walnut Growers Association.

John R. Gardiner was born in 1873. He went to school in the Orangethorpe school district, and worked on his father’s ranch until he was 18, when he moved to Duarte to learn the trade of blacksmithing. 

After learning the trade he moved back to Fullerton in 1896, and started a business; however he was not initially successful, and went to work in a variety of jobs (working in oil fields, selling real estate in Los  Angeles).

In 1900, tragedy struck the Gardiner family. A flood took the life of James.

John Gardiner, in a 1955 interview, said that his brother went to the rescue of two young girls during the flood. James “immediately swam his horse across the creek to rescue them. By the time he got them to safety he was exhausted and dropped off to sleep without changing to dry clothes. He took sick with pneumonia and was dead four days later.”

John married his wife Louise in 1902 in Fullerton. They had three  children: Carroll D., Kenneth R. and Donald William.

In 1907 he returned to Fullerton to work as a blacksmith. In 1910 he purchased his employer’s business, which became quite successful.

Gardiner eventually expanded his business. He built the new building up around the old wooden frame structure.

Alexander Gardiner died in 1916, at the age of seventy-eight, and Susan died in 1920.

John served as one of the first trustees (City council members) of Fullerton after the incorporation of the city and he was reelected, serving for three terms. He served eight years as city treasurer.

The building which is now occupied by Heroes restaurant/bar in Downtown Fullerton was built by John R. Gardiner. It is listed as a local landmark.