History of Fresno County, California, with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present, Volume I, Part 146

Author: Vandor, Paul E., 1858-
Publication date: 1919
Publisher: Los Angeles, Calif., Historic Record Company
Number of Pages: 1362

USA > California > Fresno County > History of Fresno County, California, with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present, Volume I > Part 146

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Mrs. Gobby has the undivided love of her children and is highly respected in the community where she lives. She continues to maintain the family home: to keep her children together, and to work and sacrifice for them. Some are still attending the Riverdale grammar school, and among the bright and industrious pupils there they give evidence of becoming useful and hon- ored members of society.

M. P. BISCHOFF .- An oil man who has worked himself up from the lowest round of the ladder and is not only well-qualified to hold his present position of responsibility, but is fortunate in having many loyal friends, is M. P. Bischoff, superintendent of both the Caribou Oil Mining Company and the Record Oil Company. He came to Fresno in 1903. and has since been identified with the development of important Central California interests. He was born in Denver, Colo., on February 9, 1882, the son of Leopold and Mary Bischoff who were farmers in Kansas and had settled in the Colorado metropolis. There his father died, and his mother is still living at Denver, the mother of eight children, five of whom are living. The oldest in the family, M. P. was brought up in Denver and there attended the public schools until he was thirteen, when he went to work at the butcher's trade. This occupation took him to Fort Collins for three years, and there he was in the employ of Beach & Schrode, packers.

On August 7, 1903, Mr. Bischoff came to Fresno and for some time was employed in packing-houses and at ranching. The following May, however, he came to Coalinga and entered the service of the Associated Pipe Line while it was building its conduit to Monterey. He was next with the Inde- pendence Oil Company on No. 28, and after that with the California Oilfields Limited. In fact, he served with different oil companies until 1907, when he accepted the post of production foreman with the Caribou Oil Mining Company. In July, 1917, he was offered the position of field superintendent, accepted it, and has held it ever since. He has entire charge of the Caribou Company, which is operating on 100 acres, with twenty-six wells producing ; and, as has been said, he has charge also of the Record Oil Company inter- ests, on forty acres in the same section, where nine wells are producing. The high averages in well-yieldings reflect most creditably on Mr. Bischoff's ex- perience and methods.

At Oakland, Cal., he was married, some years ago, to Ethlven Graves, a native of Santa Rosa, and they have one child, Ethlyen Janyce. Mr. Bischoff belongs to the Odd Fellows of Coalinga and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of Fresno, as well as the Growlers Club in Coalinga. Loval and active in all patriotic movements, he was director in the Coalinga dis- trict war fund association and with his wife, was active in the Red Cross.

1157

HISTORY OF FRESNO COUNTY

EARL C. BUCHANAN .- Many years of successful buying of live stock and activity in the cattle business have won for Earl C. Buchanan the repu- tation of being one of the best posted men on live stock in Fresno County. He was born in Vernon County, Wis., August 7, 1869. At a very early age Mr. Buchanan became interested in the cattle business while living in Ne- braska. In 1889 he migrated westward and arrived in Madera, Cal., while that section of the state was still a part of Fresno County and during the campaign to cut off the northern part of the county, to form what is now Madera County, E. C. Buchanan took an active part in favor of the project. For ten years he resided in the town of Madera where he was engaged in buying and selling horses and mules and also raised grain for two years.

In 1899, Mr. Buchanan located in the city of Fresno where he conducted a livery business, operating the Palo Alto and the Crescent Stables as well as a horse and mule market. After selling his stables he operated a horse and mule market on L Street for five years, when he disposed of it. That Mr. Buchanan is regarded as an expert buyer of cattle by leading cattlemen outside of the state, is shown by his large purchases for prominent stockman in other states. For four years he was buyer and salesman for D. M. Mc- Lemore, the well known cattleman of Klamath Falls, Ore., and during that time purchased and shipped from Old and New Mexico and Arizona to Cali- fornia and Oregon, 72,000 head of cattle. During 1917, Mr. Buchanan bought some 2,000 head of cattle in California which he shipped to the Siegel Camp- bell Company at Denver, Colo. In April, 1918, he became associated with F. M. Haws, in stock-raising, leasing 2,400 acres four miles southwest of Caruthers, the land being known as Pacific Acreage, and they have 250 acres in alfalfa. The ranch is under the Liberty Ditch, and has three large pumping-plants.

Earl C. Buchanan was united in marriage in the city of Madera, on December 20. 1893, with Anna Harris, a native of Colusa County and of a prominent family in that section. They are the parents of three children : Mabel, who is now the wife of C. B. Bender, of New Dayton, Canada ; Her- bert, who served his country in the Signal Corps of the United States Army, stationed at Camp Fremont, and was honorably discharged at the close of the war; and Helene, a graduate of Fresno High School.

GEORGE EHNER FRAME .- A successful stockman of Warthan Canyon, Fresno County, George Ehner Frame was born at Copperopolis, Cal., July 10, 1867. His father, James W., was born in Indiana, of Welsh descent ; he crossed the plains to California with his father, David, who settled near Stockton afterwards removing to Lakeport, where he died. James W. Frame was engaged in sheep-raising ; but afterwards he moved to the moun- tains on the Fresno and Monterey County line, where he owned a ranch and ran cattle, most of his ranch lying in Fresno County. About 1899 he sold his ranch to his son, George E., and moved to Hanford, where he died, April 17, 1913. aged seventy-five years. The mother of George E. was Mary Turner, born in Wisconsin. Her father, James Turner, brought his family across the plains in an ox-team train in 1849. After following mining for some years he located in Monterey County, where he was one of the first settlers of what was called Turner's Valley but now called Wayland Valley. Here he raised cattle and hunted bears, lions and deer. When he finally sold his hold- ings he moved to Gilroy, but spent his last days at Riverdale, Fresno County, where he passed away, aged eighty-four years. Mrs. James W. Frame died on the old home ranch. Five of her six children grew up, namely: Adeline, Mrs. Victor Roberts of Jacolitos Creek ; George E., of this review ; Isobelle. Mrs. Lake of Hanford ; Era, who was Mrs. Dickman, died in San Francisco ; and William, in business in Stockton.

From the age of nine years George E. was reared in Fresno County, receiving his education in the public schools, with one year at school in

1158

HISTORY OF FRESNO COUNTY

Hanford. When twenty-one years of age, he entered 160 acres of land on Jacohlitos Creek, later buying railroad land. He was successful in raising cattle, in time purchasing his father's ranch and becoming the owner of 3,000 acres of land. In 1918 he sold all of his land except his Warthan Creek ranch of about 900 acres, where he is raising alfalfa and cattle, his brand being the diamond half circle. His residence is built on Warthan Creek, about the center of his ranch, under four beautiful giant oak trees.

In Fresno, in July, 1895, Mr. Frame was married to Miss Mary E. Mor- ton, born in Mantorville, Dodge County, Minn., the daughter of Asa C. and Mary (Sanford) Morton, born respectively in New York and Illinois. Her father was a wheelwright in Mantorville, Minn., till 1876, when he located with his family in Santa Cruz County, Cal., and in 1879 took a homestead on top of the mountain on the Fresno-Monterey County line. There being no school in the vicinity and having a large family, he moved to Fresno in 1881, where he followed his trade and also ranching near Fresno, on White's Bridge road. He passed away in Fresno, his widow surviving him in that city. Mrs. Frame received a good education in the schools of Fresno, where she is well posted on the early landmarks of that city.

Mr. and Mrs. Frame have two children: Eva, a graduate of Coalinga Union High and Fresno Junior College, and who is now attending the Santa Barbara State Normal Training School; and Era, who is attending Fresno High.

For seventeen years Mr. Franie was clerk of the board of trustees of Warthan school district, until his resignation. Politically he is a Democrat.

GEORGE FORSYTH .- Since his coming to Fresno County, nearly forty years ago, George Forsyth has witnessed many wonderful changes. He is a native of Scotland, born May 26, 1846, in the County of Aberdeen, Fyvie Parish. His parents were James and Mary (Shand) Forsyth, the father being a farmer and country storekeeper, operating forty acres of land and conducting a grocery store at Mactarry, Fyvie. He lived to be eighty- six, while his wife passed away at the advanced age of eighty-nine, and grandfather Forsyth lived to be ninety-nine years and nine months of age.

Mr. and Mrs. James Forsyth were the parents of four boys and two girls, George being the third child.

George Forsyth was reared on his father's farm and was brought up in the Scotch Episcopalian Church and attended the Episcopalian school. When he was eighteen years of age he went to Aberdeen where he learned the trade of stone-cutting which he followed for four years, when he moved to West- moreland, England, working at his trade for ten years with D. D. Finning. While living at Westmoreland, Mr. Forsyth was united in marriage with Jane Harrison, daughter of Robert and Elizabeth Harrison. Her father was a building contractor, dealing in stone and brick.

Having a strong desire to see America, he left his wife and three children in England and sailed for Canada with the intention of cutting stone for the Wellington Canal, then in course of construction. Arriving at Merritton, Ontario, on the Wellington Canal, Mr. Forsyth was disappointed in both the project and the country and consequently did not remain long there. While in Merritton the citizens were celebrating the Queen's birthday. Subquently he left for Boston, Mass., where he found the citizens celebrating the One Hundredth Anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill. The next day he left for Quincy, Mass., where he cut stone for three weeks when he received a letter from a friend asking him to come to Dix Island, off the coast of Maine, where granite was being cut for the postoffice building at New York City. After remaining sixteen months at Dix Island, cutting stone for the postoffice buildings at both New York City and Philadelphia, Mr. Forsyth returned to England, where he remained one year.

1159

HISTORY OF FRESNO COUNTY

In 1881, he returned to the United States, this time accompanied by his wife and family, his destination being Fresno County, Cal., where he had a brother, James Forsyth, who owned a half section of land known then as "the Adobe," but at the present time it is the property of Louis Gobby. That section of the county was then called Liberty. In partnership with his brother James, Mr. Forsyth farmed 200 acres on Dry Creek, but the very dry years of 1881-82 caused them to abandon their enterprise. Afterwards George Forsyth went to Placer County where he cut stone for Griffith Grif- fith, from Carnarvonshire, Wales. For two years he remained in Placer County when he secured employment with Frank Dusey, a contractor who built the stone steps for the Fresno County Court House. At the time the Hall of Records was built by Smiley Brothers, Mr. Forsyth cut the stone for this building. Afterwards, for eleven years, Mr. Forsyth was employed by the Fresno Canal and Irrigation Company. In the meantime he purchased 160 acres near Elkhorn, where he raised alfalfa. At Laton; in 1910, Mrs. Forsyth passed away, after which he located at Caruthers, where he bought the store building where he now conducts a pool hall, cigar stand and an oil-filling station.

Mr. and Mrs. George Forsyth had four children: Mary E., now the wife of Fred Goodrich, a rancher at Tranquillity : Margaret Jane, the wife of H. A. Adams, a rancher near Riverdale, whose sketch is given elsewhere in this history: James, who married Lucy Cirini, he is now deceased, and left one daughter, Margaret; and Robert Harrison, who was born on Dry Creek, Fresno County, and who is a mechanical engineer connected with a large farming enterprise in Mexico, and who married Miss Effie Goodle of Wheat- ville.

Mr. George Forsyth is a Mason, and holds membership in Mechanics Lodge, A. F. & A. M., Aberdeen, Scotland.

WM. L. GREENUP .- The late Wm. L. Greenup was born in Spring- field, Mo. His father, John Greenup, was a farmer in Missouri and spent his last days in California. Wm. L. was only a boy of fifteen when he en- listed in the Confederate Army and served until he was taken prisoner, just before the close of the war, and held at Little Rock, Ark., after his release returning to Missouri. In 1872 he came to Fresno County, where he was married on November 25, 1875, to Nancy J. Baley, born in Nodaway County, Mo. Her father. Judge Gillum Baley, was a very prominent character in the early history of Fresno County. He was born in Cairo, Ill., June 19, 1813, and was reared in Nodaway County, Mo. There he married Permelia Myers, born near Knoxville, Tenn., June 22, 1819. Judge Baley came to California via Panama in 1849, following mining for three years and then returned to Missouri. In 1858 he brought his wife and nine children across the plains, coming the southern route, on the Rio Grande. They were attacked by about fifteen hundred Indians, who killed eight of the men in the train. The guide told Mr. Baley if he could kill the chief the Indians would leave and not molest them. Having had the chief pointed out to him, Mr. Baley took a dead rest and killed the chief and the Indians withdrew, taking their dead with them. The train had lost most of its cattle, for they had been driven away by the Indians. The train then made its way to Albuquerque. Two young men volunteered to go ahead for relief and their effort was successful as government teams, with needed food and water, met them 200 miles from Albuquerque. The men of the train went to work and after nine months, in the spring of 1859, they started again and arrived safely in Southern Cali- fornia that fall, and in January, 1860, Mr. Baley and family came to Miller- ton. He mined on the Chowchilla River, and later on the Fresno River. He was elected county judge in 1869, and was reelected, and he was county judge when the county seat was moved to Fresno, in 1874. He held the office intermittently for fourteen years and then was county treasurer for one term,

1160

HISTORY OF FRESNO COUNTY

after which he was engaged in the grocery business for five years until he retired in 1887. He helped build the first Methodist Church in Fresno. He died in November, 1896, aged eighty-three years, and his widow died Decem- ber, 1905, aged eighty-seven years. Of their eleven children, ten grew up: Rebecca, Mrs. Shannon, died in Alameda ; Mrs. Catherine Krug died in South America ; Mrs. Frances Yancey lives at Tollhouse; Mrs. Elizabeth Ashman died at Millerton ; George, who resides at Academy : Mrs. Ellen G. McCardle, of Fresno; Patience died in Missouri, a little girl; Charles, who resides in Fresno: Mrs. Nancy J. Greenup; Mrs. Berthena Mckeon of Los Angeles; and Leach, who died in Fresno.

Nancy J. was reared at Millerton and at Tollhouse until 1874, when the family moved to Fresno, making their home on M Street between Fresno and Mariposa, and there she resided until her marriage. After their mar- riage Mr. and Mrs. Greenup moved to the ranch of 480 acres which they had purchased, above Academy, and here Mr. Greenup was engaged in farming and grain-raising until his death, on October 8, 1886, at the age of forty-one. He was for eight years deputy sheriff under Sheriff Stroud.

Mr. and Mrs. Greenup had four children: Pearl died in infancy: Joe assists his mother in farming, he married Alice Sarah Beals, born in Ten- nessee, and they have three children. Jack Baley, William Robert and Wil- letta Margaret; Bertha W. is Mrs. Faber, who resides with her mother ; John died in infancy.

After her husband died. Mrs. Greenup resided with her father in Fresno and rented the ranch. In 1908, they moved back to the ranch and are raising grain and stock. The soil is rich and there is an abundance of spring water. making it suitable for fruit as well as for a stock ranch. Mrs. Greenup is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, at Academy.

J. C. THOMSEN .- An able and experienced ranchman, who has im- proved and now owns a large orchard and vineyard with which he has done exceptionally well, is Jens Christian Thomsen, viticulturist and horticulturist, active in both the California Associated Raisin Company and the California Peach Growers, Inc. He was born at Blaakjerskov. Jylland, Denmark, on March 28, 1871, the son of Niels Thomsen, a native farmer of that section, and Mette Marie Jensen, by whom he had three children. Both parents are now dead. Of their four children two are living-the subject of this sketch and his sister Bolletta, now Mrs. Iversen, resident in Denmark.

From a lad J. C. Thomsen was brought up on the farm, and attended the school of the district until he was fourteen, when he was apprenticed to a cabinet-maker in Kolding, for whom he worked five years. On completing his trade, however, he was convinced that he did not like the work; and as farming had been his hobby from boyhood, he resolved to win his fortune in that field. Thinking the matter over carefully with respect to the future and to opportunity, he resolved to come to the United States. On May 25, 1890, after an eventful trip across the ocean and the great continent, he ar- rived in Fresno, and was soon fortunate in finding employment in a vine- yard at Oleander. He liked the work, took to it naturally, and remained there for two and a half years. Then, full of ambition, he decided to start business for himself. He had saved some capital, and with that he bought an outfit and leased land just west of Fresno. He operated 320 acres for three years, got ahead, and won the respect of his neighbors, business customers and friends.

Having thus established himself, Mr. Thomsen moved to the Red Bank district, where he leased 800 acres from D. C. Sample. He had the land for seven years, and in its operation used two big teams, a header and a thresher. He had his full share of the ups and downs of the times, and ofttimes suffered from hammered-down prices, which were as low as one dollar or less per cen- tal. One year, however, he had a bumper crop and good prices. In 1900, at

M. L. Boles.

1163

HISTORY OF FRESNO COUNTY

the end of five years, he found himself with enough earnings and savings to be able to buy some forty acres of raw land in the Enterprise Colony. He continued grain-farming thereafter for two years. In 1902 he built his fine residence, moved onto his present home-place, gave up the raising of grain, sold his outfit, set out his vines and orchards, and began the sowing of alfalfa. From that time on, he has been busy with viticulture.

In 1904, Mr. Thomsen bought fifty-four acres of land adjoining in the Eggers Colony, across the road from the original forty of his holding. It was raw land, but he soon had it set out with a fine orchard and planted to alfalfa. Now he owns ninety-four acres in all. Thirty-four of these are de- voted to pasture-land, twenty-five to alfalfa, fifteen to Lovell, Muir and Al- berta peach trees, and twelve acres of vineyard to muscat and Emperor grapes. Many of the Alberta peaches are shipped, and the balance of the peaches are usually dried there. The ranch is under the Enterprise Canal, and he has installed a pumping plant with a twelve-horse-power engine. All the wells are sixty feet deep, the water is within ten feet of the surface, and he can irrigate with the greatest ease and efficiency. He has one of the de- sirable places of this region, and his house, for which he hauled the lumber from Pine Ridge, is comfortable and attractive.

On March 24, 1897, in Washington Colony, Mr. Thomsen was married to Miss Marie Amelia Frikka, a daughter of James G. and Anna K. ( Petersen) Frikka, who are referred to on another page in this history. Mrs. Thomsen came to Wyoming, where her uncle, George Frikka, lived, in 1892, and six months later came to Fresno, where she wed Mr. Thomsen. She is a native of Kolding, Denmark. Mr. and Mrs. Thomsen have three children: Metta Christene is a graduate of Heald's Business College at Fresno and is em- ployed in the office of the county assessor; Anna Marie assists her mother in the home ; and James Gearhart attends the Clovis High School. Mr. Thom- sen is a Republican in national politics, but is absolutely independent in local affairs, and aims to support the men and the measures most likely to advance the interests of the community and the county in which he lives. He belongs to the Danish Brotherhood in Fresno.

MERL LEE BOLES .- A deservedly popular gentleman, whose experi- ence has naturally brought him to the high position of responsibility that he now enjoys, is Merl Lee Boles, who has been a long time in Coal- inga, and is one of the oldest of the "old-timers" in the oil fields. Although born in Bradford, Pa., on May 17, 1881, he was reared in California from the age of five years. His parents were John and Lillian (Gish) Boles, natives of Kentucky and Virginia, respectively. The father was a machinist by trade.

Merl was brought to Ottawa, Kans., before he was a month old, and there remained with his mother until 1886, when he came to Fresno, Cal. For a year the family resided in the Lone Star district, and then they moved to Los Angeles, where he received his education in the public schools. When fourteen, he went to work in the Los Angeles oil-fields on North Figueroa Street, dressing tools, and he continued there until 1898 when he came to the Coalinga field. At that time there were only four producing wells in the district. Chanslor and Canfield had two wells, besides their discovery well, and the Home Oil Company had one well.

At first, Mr. Boles was employed at dressing tools, for a year with the Old Home Company, and then with different companies in the same capacity until 1905, when he became a driller for the Pittsburgh-Coalinga Oil Com- pany, later drilling for other companies. About 1907 he undertook certain work for the W. K. and Turner Oil Company, as a driller on Sec. 2-20-15. and brought in their first well, which yielded 5,000 barrels a day. Afterwards he was foreman on the leases ; and when the Shell Company of California pur- chased the property, about 1914, he left that concern and became superin- tendent for the Coalinga-Mohawk Oil Company. Now he has charge of the

1164

HISTORY OF FRESNO COUNTY

development and production of the Company's holdings, comprising 640 acres on Sec. 12-20-15, development having been begun about 1907. Their deepest well is 4,760 feet, and besides being the deepest wells in the Coal- inga fields, they are among the very deepest producing wells in California and have the record for increasing their production. Mr. Boles is also inter- ested in the company as a stockholder, and in 1917 he was made manager.

In 1919 the Mohawk penetrated a deeper sand than any heretofore in the district. The well is below 4,200 feet and yields the highest gravity oil-900 barrels ; and is the biggest gasser of any well in the field-1,000,000 cubic feet per day.

Coalinga was the scene of Mr. Boles' wedding some years ago when he was married to Miss Lilian Stickler, a native of Oregon, by whom he has had two children: Earl and Evelyn. Popular, like his good wife, socially, Mr. Boles was made a Mason in Coalinga Lodge, No. 387, F. & A. M., and he is a member of the Fresno Lodge of Elks and the Coalinga Growlers' Club. As a member of the Coalinga War Fund Association, he rendered valuable service in the war fund and Liberty Loan drives.

MARTIN S. GREVE .- A native son of California, Martin S. Greve was born near Hollister, San Benito County, June 5, 1884. His father, Paul Greve, was born in Germany on the border of France, where he married Sophia Eberhart and soon afterwards they migrated to San Francisco, Cal., about 1863. Later they located in San Benito County, engaging in stock- raising for some years. Then he moved to Priest Valley, Monterey County, locating a homestead where he resided until his death, about 1895, aged sixty- four years. His widow, hale and hearty, at the age of seventy-four, still resides on the old home. Of the ten children born to this worthy pioneer couple, nine are living, of whom two were younger than Martin.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Fresno County, California, with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present, Volume I, Part 146

Author: Vandor, Paul E., 1858- Publication date: 1919 Publisher: Los Angeles, Calif., Historic Record Company Number of Pages: 1362

Author: Vandor, Paul E., 1858-
Publication date: 1919
Publisher: Los Angeles, Calif., Historic Record Company
Number of Pages: 1362