Early Settlers: Harvey B. Royer (railroad machinist/rancher)

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

“An expert machinist who has proven himself to be a successful  rancher is Harvey B. Royer,” biographer Samuel Armor wrote in 1921, “one of the dependable employees of the Santa Fe Railroad since 1909 and now also farming along the Romneya  Drive, to the southwest of Fullerton.” 

Royer was born in Lockhaven, Pennsylvania in 1871. His father was Franklin Royer, who owned a number of a lumber mills.

Harvey worked in his father’s mills until a fire destroyed one of them. In 1895, he married Rosie Schwenk. They had three children: Ruth, Merril, and Le Roy.

In 1900, Harvey moved to Johnstown, Pennsylvania and worked  as a machinist for the Cambria Steel Company.

In 1909 Royer moved to California to work as a machinist for the Santa Fe Railroad Company, working on locomotives.

Fullerton’s original train depot, 1906. Photo courtesy of the Fullerton Public Library Local History Room.

In 1912, he bought 12 acres in Orangethorpe on Romneya Dr., and built a home on the ranch.  

“When he bought the land, it was a barley field, and he himself  set out the ten acres to valencia oranges,” Armor writes. “He has  his own private pumping plant and so supplies what water he  needs for irrigation. His products in fruit he markets through the  Stewart Fruit Company of Anaheim.”

During World War I, Merrill enlisted as a military engineer. Before he could leave for Europe, he was shot during target practice, but made a full recovery. After the war he married Rose Livingston and worked for the Santa Fe railroad in San Bernardino.

LeRoy Royer also enlisted during World War I and served in the  motor transport service in France, and was stationed at such  places as Tours, La Rouchelle, Nantes, and St. Nazaire.  

In 1919, LeRoy returned to the United States and was honorably  discharged. He attended Fullerton high school and helped his  father on the ranch.

1921 FUHS yearbook photo of LeRoy Royer. Photo courtesy of the Fullerton Public Library Local History Room.

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