Briggs - BB (Dr) - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

The following correspondence from LaCresenta in the Herald of Los Angeles, Cal will be of interest to the hundreds of friends of the late Dr. Briggs in this city. A shadow of sorrow is cast over our whole community by the death of Dr. BB Briggs on the 15h of February. Though he had been ill with consumption for some time, when the final summons came, no one but himself seemed prepared for his death; but he had indeed “set his house in order,” for all time, having put all his business in California into the hands of his nephew, Mr. George Crane of Ventura with absolute power to act and everything was arranged to save complication and trouble. He met death with a calmness which no one else could summon. He will be greatly missed from our midst as he has long been the mainspring of the entire colony, coming here before any of the present residents with one or two exceptions, and, together with Messrs. Childress and Lowell of Los Angeles buying most of this valley which was named “Crescenta” by Dr. Briggs from the crescent shape of the mountain back of it; they subdivided it into 10-acre lots, developed water and laid out the townsite. Dr. Briggs afterward bought out his partners, made other large purchases and conducted the enterprise alone. He had always subscribed largely to all public enterprises, giving 10 acres of land to the church organization, besides generously contributing money whenever asked; he gave two and a half acres on the townsite for a park, set out trees, built the fountain basin, etc. gave two town lots for a store, several lots for a hotel, besides many more gifts for the good of the place. He had recently finished a fine large reservoir for storing the water for the town. He had looked forward to the good of the place in the future and disliking to be thanked, yet his monument is in the hearts of those to whom he has been kind and helpful and will  endure forever. His funeral at his home, The Terrace was attended by nearly all the residents of the place and his body at his express wish was taken to LA and cremated at the Rosedale Cemetery.  Dr. Briggs was well known in LA as well as in this locality having done business there for many years. He left a wife and one daughter (who is now in Persia) besides a stepson and daughter the latter whom was with him at the time of his death.