Citrus is a Good Place to Start

Those of you who were Cosmic America readers may remember a while back when I stumbled across a Union Civil War veteran's grave in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Unsure of exactly who this person was, I turned to my readership to discover  - with the help of a few people much better at these things than I - that said veteran, one F.A. Whitehead, had served in two branches of the armed forces, had a run-in with the government over desertion (he name was eventually cleared) and wound up as a citrus farmer in Florida and ultimately...Southern California. As we all know citrus farming was a primary motivating factor for a number of the Civil War era generation when it came to pursuing their livelihood in the West. Of those who moved to the region to proceed with this lucrative vocation, almost all were well-to-do middle class or higher types, and most were middle aged or older.

It took money, patience, and experience to succeed in the citrus business - something perhaps not best suited for a younger, perhaps insolvent individual.

I revisited Hollywood Forever Cemetery today to pay my respects to Whitehead and look for other Union veterans. I found plenty. So again...I turn to my readers. Any information on these fine fellows would be greatly appreciated. I wonder if they were in the citrus business too.

With compliments,

Keith