| Ventura County Biographies |
| Extracted from |
| "A Memorial and Biographical History of the Counties of |
| Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura, California" (1891) |
P. L. Byers
P. L. Byers was born in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, December 15, 1845. His grandfather, David Byers, came from Germany about the year 1768, and settled in Pennsylvania where Peter Byers was born in 1812. He was a well-to-do farmer and wedded Miss Susanna Sourwine. They were the parents of thirteen children, the ninth one being P. L. Byers, the subject of this sketch. He was reared and educated in his native state, and when eighteen years of age entered the war, enlisting in Company K, Eighty Ohio Cavalry. He was in the Army of the Potomac and participated in all the battles of the campaign. At the battle of Winchester, September 19, 1864, he was wounded in the right arm and laid up for three months in the Little York hospital, Pennsylvania. Upon his recovery, he returned to his regiment at Beverly, West Virginia, and served until the close of the war, being mustered out August 5, 1865. On account of the wound received, he gets a pension of $2 per month.
After leaving the service, Mr. Byers returned to the quiet life of the farm, and has been engaged in agricultural pursuits ever since. He came to Santa Paula, June 25, 1875, and after seven years gardening, he purchased his present home property of five acres. He has built a nice house, planted a hedge and all kinds of fruit trees and small fruit, and has one of the neatest little places in all the county. Mr. Byers was married, in 1870, to Miss A. Davidson, of Illinois. She was born in 1850, daughter of John Davidson of that State. Her ancestors were natives of Kentucky, but her father was born in Pennsylvania. They have had eight children, six of whom are living. The first two were born in Missouri and the others in California. Their names are Norman O., Ona M., John L., Creed H., Marge E. and Earl. Mrs. Byers is a member of the Presbyterian church. Mr. Byers has never joined any society, is a strictly temperate man, Democratic in his political views, is an industrious man, and one highly respected by his fellow citizens.