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They called her “Old Maid Eckles” behind her back. She probably knew that, and didn’t care any more than she cared what they thought of her usual costume of a long, rough jumper over a pair of man’s overalls. She completed this with a man’s broad-brimmed hat and cowhide boots which she made herself. Miss Elmira Eckles came to San Dimas in 1888 from Minnesota, where she had been on the faculty of Minnesota State University. She had also served as a nurse during the Civil War, and was an accomplished artist. However, she left all that behind when she moved to California and devoted her energies to her herd of thoroughbred, prize-winning Jersey cattle and horses. She shoe-ed her horses herself and performed surgical operations on them when necessary. She lived in a small “hut”, kept padlocked and protected by both her rifle and revolver. It was said that on one occasion, she “pummeled” two young men and drove them from her property. She was up and ready for work at 4 o’clock in the morning, was contemptuous of Los Angeles, and saw no purpose in ever visiting there. |
In 1914, Miss Eckles ran afoul of one of the locals who disagreed with her practice of feeding her stock only once a day.
“The doctor and I made a trip to San Dimas and it was an expensive piece of investigation, costing us about $ 10 and taking the whole day to accomplish, but while we found that the complaints were entirely unwarranted, the journey is not regretted,” said Mr. Zimmer. “We met a most remarkable woman, highly educated, well-read, logical and ... possessing a wonderful knowledge of cattle and things of nature. But San Dimas people say that she is eccentric! As for the condition of her cattle, the woman has some magnificent Jersey stock and is the master of their care along the lines of her own theories. In case of necessity, I am sure that she would deprive herself before she would her cattle, her dogs, or her chickens.” At this time Miss Eckles was 60 years old and “active as a young girl of 20 and smarter than the average man”! |
