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 II, Part 116

Author: Vandor, Paul E., 1858-
Publication date: 1919
Publisher: Los Angeles, Calif., Historic Record Company
Number of Pages: 1424

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 II > Part 116

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four children joined him, when he moved to Helena, Mont., at which place he was again employed in a smelter.

In 1896 Mr. Spomer came to Fresno, and leased a ranch of 160 acres at Wildflower. For six years he had a vineyard of raisins, and cultivated alfalfa and grew stock. He made some money, and then invested in a tract of raw land, buying sixty acres at eighty-five dollars an acre in Parent Colony No. 2, Arizona Colony. He leveled the land from hog-wa11 built a fine residence and the necessary outbuildings, set out an orchard, and the first year had in about forty acres of peaches. The balance was devoted to alfalfa and vines. Then he bought five acres more, and each year added twenty acres, until he had 120 acres in all, eighty acres in a peach orchard, and the balance in a vineyard. Recently, he has so divided up his property that he has given each of his children a part of all he had but ten acres. He has had nine children, and seven are still living. August is a rancher at Dinuba ; Christene is Mrs. Hansen, of Clovis; George ranches at Sultana; Peter is at Dinuba; and Charles, Adam and Conrad are in the Arizona Colony.

The Reverend Mr. Spomer makes his residence in Fresno. A duly or- dained minister, he organized the Church of God in Christ in 1907, built the church himself on the corner of his lot, and has been its pastor ever since. He is a member and stockholder of the California Peach Growers' Inc., and of the California Associated Raisin Company. In national politics a Repub- lican, he takes a keen interest in civic affairs, and prides himself on his American citizenship.

DOMENIC IMPERATRICE .- One who has persevered and had con- fidence in the producing qualities of the soil of Fresno County, and who has made "two blades of grass grow where none grew before," is Domenic Im- peratrice, a well-known viticulturist and formerly a leader in musical circles of Fresno. A native of Italy, he was born May 9, 1867, near Naples, a son of Giacomo Imperatrice, who joined his son in New York and later came to California, where he died at the home of his son.

Domenic was educated in the public schools till he was twelve. He had a natural talent for music and learned to play the harp. An uncle was coming to the United States and brought his nephew with him, stopping in Detroit, Mich., in 1879. There the lad played the harp at social gatherings until he went to New York, when he continued playing for dances, etc. A brother had come to Fresno, and accordingly Domenic came to join him in 1885 and the two gained a reputation, the former on the violin and Domenic on the harp, and soon were in demand at social gatherings in Arizona, New Mexico, and Denver.

Our subject had seen the possibilities of the soil of Fresno County for growing grapes and had bought twenty acres of desert land in the Limbo Estate Tract and set it to vines, being the pioneer there. His venture proved a success, although people said nothing would grow in that district. It was not all easy work, times were hard and his vines were destroyed by rabbits until he put wire netting around his ranch. By working at his music and on his ranch he weathered the "storms" and today is recognized as a successful man. In 1905 he moved onto the place, to which he has added until he owns 160 acres in four ranches, all in muscat, malagas and Thompson seedless grapes. For many years he has been engaged in shipping his fruit. This business has grown to such large proportions that he has found it necessary to build a packing-house on his ranch, located on the Interurban Railway. Here the table grapes are packed and loaded in cars which are consigned directly to Eastern cities and markets.

Mr. Imperatrice was married in New York to Isabelle Epifanio, born in Italy, and they have had eight children, six living: Lena, Mrs. Falotico; Net- tie, Mrs. Roselli; Jennie, Mrs. Shively; Jacob, who served in the 835th Aero Squadron of the Aviation Section of the United States Army Independent Air Force, serving overseas more than one year, and who enlisted in Fresno,

DImperatrice

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December 12, 1917, and was sent to Waco (Texas) aviation training-camp, then to Garden City, N. Y., where he became a sergeant, who afterwards was in camp near London, England, from there going to France where he was in camp at Courban, there receiving a First Sergeant's rank and continuing to serve as a flight sergeant until the signing of the armistice, after which he left for the American camp at La Tracey and two months later sailed from Brest for New York City, and was honorably discharged March 15, 1919, and returned home where he took up viticulture with his father; Charles and Domenic, Jr., twins; Rose, who died aged twenty-two years; and George, who died at the age of thirteen.

Mr. Imperatrice is a Republican and has served as a delegate to conven- tions. He is a member of the California Associated Raisin Company and is an enthusiastic booster for Fresno County, where he is well and favorably known as a leading citizen.

GEO. W. BARNES .- Extensively engaged in stock-raising and farming in Watts Valley is Geo. W. Barnes, who was born near Rolling Prairie, Laporte County, Ind., January 22, 1843. His father, Ezra, a native of New York, mar- ried Catherine Blaney; they crossed the plains to California in 1849; returning East they spent their last days in Indiana where Geo. W. was reared and fol- lowed farming until twenty-four years of age when he studied medicine under Dr Bowen Bowell and there attended the Cincinnati Electric Medical College. He practiced medicine at Three Oaks, Mich., until 1871, when he came to Califor- nia, practicing medicine at Julian, San Diego County, for five years. In 1876 he came to the San Joaquin Valley, following farming near Reedley. About 1885 he located in Sycamore, engaging in mining. He is now engaged in farming and stock raising in Watts Valley, owning 400 acres there, where he makes a specialty of raising hogs.

Always interested in education, Mr. Barnes has been a trustee of Hawkins school district for many years.

WILLIAM YERINGTON .- A gentleman well and favorably known in the western part of Fresno County is William Yerington, the popular hotel man at Mendota. He was born near Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa, on March 21, 1870. His father, Mordecai Yerington, was a native of Ohio who, when a young man, emigrated to Iowa, where he improved a farm. In 1876 he removed to Putnam County, Mo., where he resided on his farm until his death. Mr. Yerington's mother was Hannah Lovett, a native of Illinois, who also passed away in Missouri.

Of the seven children born to his parents, William Yerington is the fourth in order of birth. He received a good education in the public schools, and assisted his parents on the farm until twenty years of age, when he de- termined to come West. Arriving in Boise City in 1890, when Idaho was a territory, he was employed on a horse ranch and rode the range. Later on he drove a delivery wagon in Boise City. In 1893 he came to California and was employed on a ranch at Hayward, and then in horticulture at San Jose until 1895, when he came to the San Joaquin Valley. His first employment there was at general ranching on the Uriah Wood ranch near Volta, later he worked on other ranches in the vicinity until he entered the employ of Miller & Lux and rode section on the canals out of Los Banos for a period of three years. He then became foreman of the Hog Camp ranch on the Dos Palos ranch at Oxalis, a position he filled for six years, when he resigned and located in Mendota in the spring of 1907.

Two years later, in partnership with Alex Mccullough, Mr. Yerington purchased the Mendota Hotel. They ran it together till 1909, and then Peter Hansen bought Mccullough's interest. Since then the Mendota Hotel has been conducted by Yerington & Hansen as a first-class house, and has been well patronized. They built a large concrete garage, the first concrete fire- proof building in town.

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Peter Hansen is an old resident and a well-known man in the Mendota section. Coming to Merced County in 1890, he was in the employ of Miller & Lux about one year, when he began riding section on the canal for the San Joaquin & King City Canal Company, which he continued for cighteen years, during the first twelve years with his headquarters at the Dos Palos ranch, and the last six years at the Mendota Dam. He owns an alfalfa ranch at Stratford, Kings County. Mr. Yerington also owns an alfalfa ranch of seventy acres in the same locality.

William Yerington was married in San Jose to Miss Julia Haney, who was born in Iowa. Fraternally, Mr. Yerington is a member of the Knights of Pythias, of which he is Past Chancellor Commander.

WILLIAM MILTON BARCUS .- An experienced and successful dairy- man, and a large-hearted, liberal fellow, is William M. Barcus, who came to California in the spring of 1908. He hails from Kansas, having been born in Labette County, in 1882, the son of George W. Barcus, a native of Illinois, who removed to Kansas and settled there as a farmer. Later, he removed to Custer County, Nebr., and homesteaded at Broken Bow, where he died three years afterward. Mrs. Barcus was Sarah J. Miller before her marriage, and she was born in Illinois. She reared her family on the Nebraska homestead, and in later years removed to Illinois. Now she resides in Clovis with her daughter, Mrs. Nelson Hollisen. Three children made up the family : Mabel, who became Mrs. Hollisen ; L. R. Barcus, a farmer in Barstow; and William M., the oldest, the subject of our sketch.

Brought up in Nebraska until he was twelve years of age, William accom- panied his parents to Little Rock, Ark., and at the end of three years to Illinois. He had begun to work on farms and to assist his mother; and he went to live near Charleston, Coles County, Ill., in the broom corn section, where he became a foreman on a large broom corn farm. The season of 1907 he raised wheat at Detroit, Minn.

In 1908, stirred by the reports of climate and opportunities in California, Mr. Barcus started for the Pacific Coast, and not long after arrived in Clovis, where he bought a forty-acre vineyard, which he ran for four and a half years, but eventually lost, because of the low price of raisins, there being no association. Then he came to Barstow Colony, where he was made fore- man on J. E. Dickinson's ranch, and this position he held for the next six years. It was an alfalfa ranch, with cattle and horses, and the experience there gained proved later of great value. During this time he bought forty acres from Dickinson, and improved it by setting out Thompson vines, and in two years he sold it at double the cost.

In the meantime, also, Mr. Barcus had bought the present place of eighty acres, an alfalfa ranch, near the San Joaquin River, and made of it one of the most profitable alfalfa ranches in the district. He installed a dairy herd of forty-five Holstein cows of pure breed and high grade, and made a Holstein dairy which has proved a pronounced success. In 1917 he built there a fine residence and barns, and in various details he equipped the ranch and made it equal to any for miles around.

Believing in cooperation he has always supported the different fruit associations, being one of the original members of the Clovis Farmers Union. He was very active in interesting viticulturists in the California Associated Raisin Company, and was one of the organizers of the Fresno Cooperative Milk Producers, which was later merged into the San Joaquin Valley Milk Producers Association, of which he is an enthusiastic member.

In Charleston, Ill., on June 19, 1907, Mr. Barcus was married to Miss Christine Westrup, a native of Illinois, and a daughter of Charles and Helen (Van Dolen) Westrup. Mr. and Mrs. Barcus have had seven children : Charles, who died in Clovis in his second year; Leroy; Mabel; Warren; William Nelson; and the youngest are twins, Morris and Marjorie. The

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family attends the United Presbyterian Church, of which Mr. Barcus is the trustee, and he is also clerk of the board of trustees of the Barstow school district. He is a member and director of the Barstow Vinland Farm Loan Association. He belongs to the Fresno Lodge of Odd Fellows, and Illinois Chapter of the Modern Woodmen of America, and the Red Men of Fresno.

J. C. MATTHEWS .- A whole-souled, open-hearted gentleman, J. C. Matthews is familiarly known by all of his friends as Jack Matthews. He was born in Tarrant County, Texas, in 1861, the son of James and Sarah (Runnells) Matthews, natives of Missouri and Tennessee, respectively. They removed to Texas, where the father was a cattleman and where both parents spent their last days. James Matthews spent four years in the Civil War. Of - the five children born to this worthy couple only two are living, of whom J. C. Matthews is the youngest. He was reared on the frontier in Texas. The nearest public school was over 100 miles away, and his education was there- fore, naturally limited, being obtained under private instruction. From a youth he rode the range and learned the cattle business.

Mr. Matthews was married near Castroville, Medina County, Texas, to Elizabeth Asher, born in Stone County, Mo., the daughter of Leonard and Patsey (Hall) Asher. The father was born in Kentucky and the mother in Georgia. They moved to Missouri, where they followed farming. Leonard Asher served all through the Black Hawk Indian War and was always a fron- tiersman. The mother died in Missouri. The father removed to Arkansas, where he died. Of their union two children were born, of whom Mrs. Matthews is the younger and the only one living. She made a trip to Medina County, Texas, where she had a half-sister living, and there she met and married Mr. Matthews.

After his marriage, Mr. Matthews engaged in cattle-raising, having the brand I. P. with a bar over it. His range was located in both Medina and Frio Counties. In 1898 he sold his cattle and removed to Rhine, Okla., and fol- lowed farming until 1911. In that year he migrated to Fresno County, Cal., and since then has engaged in horticulture and viticulture. He is now super- intendent of the Herbert F. Brown ranch, southwest of Rolinda, a position which he ably fills. This ranch is devoted to alfalfa and vineyard.

Mr. and Mrs. Matthews have five children living: Harvey, residing in Oklahoma; Noah, at Barstow, Fresno County; Minnie, now Mrs. Donovan, of Oklahoma ; and Laura and Meda, who are at home assisting their parents. Mrs. Matthews is a Baptist, while Mr. Matthews adheres to the doctrines of the Church of God. Politically, he is a Democrat.

ROZELL W. RICE .- A resident of Fresno County since 1891, Rozell W. Rice was born in Kalamazoo, Mich., August 7, 1858. When he was ten years old the family moved to Irving, Kans., and after residing there for a period of seven years, went back to Michigan, Rozell W. receiving his edu- cation in both states. At the age of nineteen he went to work for the Hart and Ire Company in a shingle mill in the north woods of Michigan, north of Grand Rapids. After three years in this employment, he went to Van Buren Countv, Mich., and settled in the town of Lawton.

Mr. Rice's marriage, in 1882, united him with Ida Norton, a native of Michigan, and for five years he worked on the farm of A. H. Norton, his father-in-law.

In 1887 Mr. Rice removed to Schoolcraft, Mich., and there engaged in the grocery business for two years, later working as foreman of a ranch owned by Senator Brown of that state. Coming to Fresno, Cal., in 1891, he worked for the Lusk Canning Company for one year. then as a carpenter and builder was eight years with C. B. Hanner, during which time they erected some of the finest homes in Fresno. They made a specialty of a carefully planned house and one special design became so popular that they built twenty-eight homes from that one plan in the city. Later Mr. Rice was

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foreman for contractor Z. T. Maxwell, and superintended the construction of the Emerson school and two other school buildings on C Street. During his years of building here Mr. Rice was closely identified with the construc- tion of many homes and store buildings in Fresno and received recognition as a builder of ability. Since 1911 he has been superintendent of Mountain View Cemetery and fills that responsible position with his customary thor- oughness.

Fraternally, Mr. Rice and his wife have been prominent in the county. Mr. Rice is a member of the Fraternal Aid Union and has been secretary of that order for twenty-one years; he is a Past Noble Grand of the Fresno Lodge No. 186, I. O. O. F., and has been a delegate to many of the Grand Lodges; he joined the Rebekah Lodge in 1903 and was financial secretary of the same twelve years; was out of office one year, and became secretary again in January, 1918. Mrs. Rice is also a member of the Rebekahs; they are both active members of the board of stewards of the First Methodist Church, and Mr. Rice is treasurer of the Sunday School. One daughter was born of the union of Mr. and Mrs. Rice, May Pearl, now deceased.

JOHN KOVACEVICH, JR .- A prosperous and well-known citizen of Central California, who arrived in Fresno a poor boy, but by the hardest of labor, severe frugality and the highest integrity has attained to a success not reached by many with far greater advantages, is John Kovacevich, one of the best representatives of the Slavonic race. He was born on February 5, 1883, in Dalmatia, Jugoslavia, and when a young man of only nineteen, he first saw Fresno, on April 6, 1902. For a while he worked for wages in the Barton and also the Butler vineyards; and so well did he progress that in three years he decided to start for himself in business. He became a fruit buyer, and his very initial venture and its outcome show how well adapted he has been to that field of operation. He paid five dollars for some figs lying on the ground; and having picked up, cleaned and properly handled the same, he sold the lot at a profit of $160. From that time, he succeeded as a buyer; and from buying he advanced to raising fruit, making a specialty of raisins. When he was able, he bought forty acres in the Perrin Colony No. 2. The land was raw, but John Kovacevich at once set about to clear it and otherwise improve the same. He set out a vineyard of muscat grapes, with fig-trees on the border; and being pleased with the result, he bought another twenty acres in the same colony. This, also, was raw land; but he improved it and planted figs there. Then he purchased forty acres of the Fruitvale estate-an old vineyard yielding muscat grapes. In time he added 160 acres, one-half of which was in vineyard and the rest in alfalfa and raw land, and then he bought another 160 acres, thirty of which are in figs and oranges, while the rest is in raw land. Mr. Kovacevich still owns these prop- erties. Besides these holdings in his own title and right, Mr. Kovacevich has rented 1,000 acres of vineyard bearing raisin grapes (but in 1919 is operating his own), and so well has he contrived all his work and commercial oper- ations, that in 1917 he sold 1,200 tons of green and wine grapes. He also produced and sold 100 tons of figs and 120 tons of raisins. In the ordinary season, he employs regularly from ten to thirty hands; but when work and trade gets busy, he affords labor for from 100 to 300 hands. He has equipped his ranches sufficiently to operate and do a successful business, has made many improvements through a sense of pride and a liking to see the most up-to-date appliances and machinery installed. A self-made man, he can look back with satisfaction to the successive steps by which he has developed his properties.

Mr. Kovacevich chose for his bride Ellen Bogdanich, a daughter of the Jugoslavia, on the beautiful Adriatic, and this happy union has been blessed with four children-John, Madeline, Mary and Corrina, all proud of their Fresno County birth. He is the leader of the Jugoslavic race here, and has been the means of bringing into the county over 100 compatriots. He is

Jolm Kovacevich Pz.

Ella Kovacevich

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active in the Croatian-Slavonic Association, and stands high in the esteem of his own people. He is influential among them, and has used his influence to make them loyal citizens of the United States, and appreciative of the free- dom of life in this country. By his influence and through his wealth, he is constantly active in improving the condition of his people. Nor does he work alone for the Jugoslavs here ; he has helped materially in collecting thousands of dollars, from the Slavonian-Americans on the Pacific Coast, for the free- dom of the Jugoslavia in his native land; and this money has been secured from the more fortunate sons and daughters in America.

CHARLES SEMPE .- An industrious and successful stockman is Charles Sempe, who was born in Whart Cize. Basses-Pyrenees, France, October 20, 1880, the son of Jean and Jennie (Chilibolost) Sempe who were well-to-do farmer folk in France, and spent their entire lives in that country. Charles thus learned farming and caring for stock as it is done in his native land from the time he was a lad, at the same time receiving a good education in the local schools. When he reached military age he served a year in Company 'Eight, the Forty-ninth Regiment, at Bayonne. Having a desire to try his fortune in California he came to Fresno, arriving December 27, 1904. Being familiar with stockraising he found employment with a sheep man, continuing in that employment for several years. In 1911 he purchased a flock of sheep and ranged them on the plains for three years, when he sold them. However, in 1917. in partnership with Jos. Bidegaray he purchased a flock of 2,000 sheep of which he has charge and is ranging them on the plains in Fresno county-a business in which they are doing very well. He is an ardent Republican.

PETER A. PILEGARD .- A well-to-do raisin grower, owning an im- proved place of twenty acres near Bowles, Cal., Peter Pilegard and his esti- mable wife represent the best element of Fresno County's large Danish- American population.

Peter A. Pilegard was born at Fyen, Denmark, August 4, 1868, and is the son of Anders Jorgrensen Pilegard and Annie (Jorgnesen) Pilegard. The parents owned a good farm in Denmark and were well-to-do. They were the parents of seven children. George, the first of the children to come to America, lived in Marshalltown, Iowa, for one year, then came to Fresno and worked for the Madera Flume & Lumber Company for three years. He then came to Oleander and bought forty acres of land in 1887, which he improved. He was one of the first Danes to settle in Oleander. He married, brought up a family of five children, and died in Oleander twelve years ago. Peter A., joined his brother George in California in 1888. Hans has the Pilegard farm in Denmark. Robert A. is manager of the Richter wholesale bottling works at Fresno, where he resides. Chris is a rancher at Oleander.

Peter Pilegard was reared in Denmark, received his education in the Danish schools and was brought up in the Lutheran faith. When nineteen and a half years of age he took passage on the Steamship "Island," of the old Thingvalla line, and after a fourteen-day voyage landed at New York and went directly to Oleander, Cal., where he arrived May 23, 1888. He helped his brother George and worked on various ranches, on the hay press, etc. In 1897 he was married to Dagmar Meyer, one of his country- women. Her father, Carl Herman Hartwick Frederick Meyer, went from Germany to Denmark, where he followed the trade of machinist. He was naturalized and married in that country to Ovine Christine Johanne Hansen, and they became the parents of seven children. Carl lived, married and died in Denmark, leaving three children. Magnus is a boiler maker and resides at Copenhagen, Denmark. Marie is single and is a resident of Oakland, Cal. Sophie is the wife of Mr. Thompson, and they live in Stockton, Cal. Harald is single, and is a barber at San Francisco. Nicolai is a sailor and his home is in Belfast, Ireland. Dagmar came to Fresno (accompanied by 109

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her mother from Denmark) when only seventeen. She worked for the late Dr. Rowell and in the Gundlefinger family at Fresno for several years.

Mr. and Mrs. Pilegard have no children, and live comfortably in their commodious country residence, which Mr. Pilegard built in 1893. Mrs. Pile- gard is a woman of refinement and culture, and the home atmosphere radiates the true home feeling and the graces of an exalted Christian life. Their well- kept, very productive ranch is planted to Thompson's seedless and muscat vines and peaches.

Mr. Pilegard has made two visits to Denmark. On the last visit, in 1908, he was accompanied by his wife and they remained in Denmark six months. Mrs. Pilegard's mother, who accompanied Mrs. Pilegard to America, made her home with Mr. and Mrs. Peter A. Pilegard until her death in 1916.

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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 II, Part 116

Author: Vandor, Paul E., 1858- Publication date: 1919 Publisher: Los Angeles, Calif., Historic Record Company Number of Pages: 1424

Author: Vandor, Paul E., 1858-
Publication date: 1919
Publisher: Los Angeles, Calif., Historic Record Company
Number of Pages: 1424