Another El Monte Pioneer of the covered wagon days was Charley Blackley, who was born in England in 1830. Coming to the United States when a small boy, his parents settled in Illinois, where charley Blackley was educated in the public schools.

When a young man, he went to Texas where, for a time, he was employed on a ranch. In 1850 he joined a California-bound wagon train, riding on horseback and driving the cattle for the train. Upon his arrival in California, he entered the employment of the Temple’s and Workman’s on the ranch near Puente. He later engaged in farming in various tracts in this vicinity and finally acquired forty-four acres of land for himself southwest of Rosemead. Here he settled and spent many years developing and improving his property. He remained on this property until in 1899, when he purchased a residence in El Monte. Here he moved and spent the remainder of his life, his death occurring in 1901.

In about the year 1857, Mr. Blackley was united in marriage with Miss Minerva Johnston, a native of Arkansas, whose parents were El Monte pioneer settlers of the early fifties. To Mr. and Mrs. Blackley were born ten children, but three of who now survive, namely: John and Walter S., of El Monte, and Andrew J., of Santa Barbara. Mrs. Blackley died in 1935.

Mr. Blackley, politically was a Democrat, and in religion both he and Mrs. Blackley were members of the Baptist Church