Royce Gaylord Surdam (August 11, 1835 – September 2, 1891) was an American

businessman A businessperson, also referred to as a businessman or businesswoman, is an individual who has founded, owns, or holds shares in (including as an angel investor) a private-sector company. A businessperson undertakes activities (commercial ...

real estate agent Real estate agents and real estate brokers are people who represent sellers or buyers of real estate or real property. While a broker may work independently, an agent usually works under a licensed broker to represent clients. Brokers and age ...

and developer. He did a lot to build up

Ventura County, California Ventura County () is a County (United States), county located in Southern California, the southern part of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 843,843. The largest city is Oxnard, Ca ...

, and was the founder of the towns of Nordhoff, which was later renamed Ojai, and Bardsdale. Surdam never married, was a Royal Arch Mason and a staunch Republican.

Biography

He was born in

Dutchess County, New York Dutchess County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 295,911. The county seat is the city of Poughkeepsie. The county was created in 1683, one of New York's first twelve counties, and later o ...

, the eldest of four children of Lewis L. Surdam (c. 1810-1878) and Julia Lockwood (c. 1813-?). His siblings were Cynthia Surdam (c. 1843-?); Julia A. Surdam (1844-1931); and George L. Surdam (1847-1931). His parents were both born in

Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...

. The family moved to

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

, where they lived in LaSalle County when the 1850 census was enumerated. Surdam moved to

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

in 1854. For 10 years he worked in gold mining in various regions of the state. When the 1860 census was enumerated, he was a miner in Plumas County. In 1864, Surdam went from

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, ill with

bilious fever Bilious fever was a medical diagnosis of fever associated with excessive bile or bilirubin in the blood stream and tissues, causing jaundice (a yellow color in the skin or sclera of the eye). The most common cause was malaria. Viral hepatitis and ...

. A doctor sent him to the care of the

Sisters of Charity Many religious communities have the term Sisters of Charity in their name. Some ''Sisters of Charity'' communities refer to the Vincentian tradition alone, or in America to the tradition of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton (whose sisters are also of ...

, who nursed him back to health. He had charge of the gold mines on Santa Catalina Island in 1865, and was also active in entertaining visitors to the island and showing them points of interest. In 1866, Surdam moved to San Buenaventura, which was at that time in

Santa Barbara County Santa Barbara County, officially the County of Santa Barbara (), is a county located in Southern California. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 448,229. The county seat is Santa Barbara, and the largest city is Santa M ...

. Surdam built a warehouse and handled grain and oil for 10 years. When the 1870 census was enumerated he lived at Ventura and his occupation was recorded as real estate agent. On August 4, 1871, the Board of Supervisors granted the request of Thomas R. Bard and Surdam to build a

wharf A wharf ( or wharfs), quay ( , also ), staith, or staithe is a structure on the shore of a harbour or on the bank of a river or canal where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers. Such a structure includes one or more Berth (mo ...

at Hueneme. Ventura County was officially formed on January 1, 1873, bringing a great deal of change to the area. Surdam purchased of land in the Ojai Valley, in 1874, and laid out the town of Nordhoff. He built the hotel and donated for public use, and it soon became a noted

sanatorium A sanatorium (from Latin '' sānāre'' 'to heal'), also sanitarium or sanitorium, is a historic name for a specialised hospital for the treatment of specific diseases, related ailments, and convalescence. Sanatoriums are often in a health ...

. When he named the town for writer

Charles Nordhoff Charles Bernard Nordhoff (February 1, 1887 – April 10, 1947) was an American novelist and traveler, born in England. Nordhoff is perhaps best known for '' The Bounty Trilogy'', three historical novels he wrote with James Norman Hall: '' Mutin ...

, Surdam received a letter from Nordhoff thanking him for the honor and speaking in the highest terms of the climate and picturesque location. The name of the town was changed from Nordhoff to Ojai in 1917. In the 1875 Ventura County Directory, Surdam lived in Ventura and his occupation was listed as oil superintendent. He initiated the annual Ventura County Fair when he sponsored the celebration at Ventura in 1877."County Fairs." ''History of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura Counties, California, Vol. I''. Chicago: Lewis Publishing. 1917. p. 473. He lived at Saticoy when the 1880 census was enumerated and his occupation was listed as real estate agent. In 1887, Surdam founded Bardsdale on of land he purchased from Thomas Bard, who he named the town in honor of. The U.S. Post Office Department established the Bardsdale Post Office on May 18, 1887, and Surdam was appointed the first

postmaster A postmaster is the head of an individual post office, responsible for all postal activities in a specific post office. When a postmaster is responsible for an entire mail distribution organization (usually sponsored by a national government), ...

. He lived in Bardsdale, in 1891, and was manager of the whole property, which he termed his pet tract. R.G. Surdam died at age 56 from an accidental overdose of

laudanum Laudanum is a tincture of opium containing approximately 10% powdered opium by weight (the equivalent of 1% morphine). Laudanum is prepared by dissolving extracts from the opium poppy (''Papaver somniferum'') in alcohol (ethanol). Reddish-br ...

, which was self-administered, reportedly to calm his nerves after a drinking binge.Ventura County Death Index, Date: Sep. 2, 1891, Name: R.G. Surdam, Age: 54 ic Sex: Male, Marital Status: Single, Place of Birth: New York He is interred in the older section of Bardsdale Cemetery, where his tall upright gravestone stands under a large cypress tree. The inscription on the stone reads, "Living, he made the poor man's heart be glad, and at his death, the sorrowing ones more sad." The words are attributed to Thomas Bard.

References

External links

R.G. Surdam at Ventura County Biographies
* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20101129093632/http://venturacogensoc.org/dgrantor/Stol-Syke.htm Ventura County, California, Deed and Land Records Index, Stol-Syke Grantors {{DEFAULTSORT:Surdam, R. G. American real estate and property developers Businesspeople from California California postmasters 1835 births 1891 deaths People from Ojai, California People from Dutchess County, New York People from Ventura County, California Ojai, California History of Ventura County, California Accidental deaths in California Drug-related deaths in California 19th-century American businesspeople Real estate and property developers from California