Side Road: Harry H Woodington, Longtime Employee of The Celery King

Orange County Celery Field

Harry H. Woodington was the youngest of three sons born, along with two younger girls, to George Woodington and Margaret Alice "Alice" Neal in Elizabeth, Woodbine Township, Jo Daviess County, Illinois in about 1874. He moved with his family to Westminster Township, in what was then Los Angeles County, in the late 1870s. You can read about George & Alice here.

Harry married Rella M Clemens on 07 Jul 1898 in Orange County. She is the daughter of Isaac and Isabelle Clemens who came from Canada. They resided in Michigan, where Rella was born, before moving on to Rapid City, South Dakota, where she was reared and then Wintersburg, California when she was 11.The Woodington's had two sons: Russell L Woodington and Donald Earle Woodington. Russell died at age 13 in 1913. Donald farmed in Bolsa, California.

Harry was educated in Westminster, but had a lifelong passion for farming. He worked on various ranches near his home even in after-school hours. As a young man, he met Daniel Everett (D. E.) Smeltzer, known through the produce world as "The Celery King" and operated Golden West Celery and Produce Company.  An extremely wealthy man, he not only introduced celery as a business to the So California ag community, he built his business up to impressive heights. Mr. Smeltzer hired young Harry, who worked his way up to foreman of the ranch. For many years, he toiled along with The Celery King at their work on the 400-acre celery farm in the peatlands of Orange County. Twenty rail cars per day; 1,200 per growing season went out of the Smeltzer, CA train station with his produce. The Wintersburg/Smeltzer area also became home to many Japanese, many of whom worked the fields. The village of Wintersburg, now devoured by Huntington Beach, is of historic importance to the Japanese-Americans who toiled to make the land a success.

Smeltzer also owned other business interests in Kansas. Unfortunately, 49-year-old Smeltzer overworked to such a degree, he had three complete breakdowns physically and mentally over the course of a year. He died at age 49 very, very wealthy, but overworked.

The company incorporated after Smeltzer's death and Harry was promoted again to the position of superintendent. Under his leadership, he further increased productivity. The apex of the celery market came in 1910-1912. It was downhill from there due to blight and pests and demand for other more marketable produce. On the upswing were lima beans and sugar beets, which were quickly overrunning former celery producing land.

Golden West Produce Co.20-ton Caterpillar Dredger

Woodington remained on with Golden West until the company sold out to the Anaheim Sugar
Company in 1919. Seeing the writing on the wall, Harry finally took the leap to buy land in 1918, purchasing his home place of 40 acres in Huntington Beach Township, which were used to grow Lima beans. In 1920, he also rented 60 acres, planting all 100 acres in Lima beans.

To augment his income, he started a bean threshing business with a 36-horsepower traction engine and a 36 x 60 separator.He did his work in Smeltzer and on the San Joaquin ranch.

Harry died at the relatively young age of 63 on 07 Jul 1937, his 39th wedding anniversary. His wife Rella lived until 1959, dying at age 77; and son Donald died in 1980; all dying in Orange County.