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 125

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 125

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With confidence in the future prosperity of this section, Mr. Sequeira, from time to time, invested in real estate. In 1883 he bought six acres of land on A Street, west of Fresno, and planted it to alfalfa, vines and orchard, which land he still retains and rents out. In 1887 he bought three lots at E and Tuolumne Streets, and here he built his home at that time. In 1903 he bought 160 acres of land at Wildflower, improving it with alfalfa, and rais- ing sheep, cattle and hogs, later selling this ranch. From 1893 to 1901, Mr. Sequeira was a member of the Fresno police force, and during this time he bought all but five lots of block 315, and also twenty-four lots in block 329; and he has sold all this property except eight lots.

Having seen his judgment as to the future in store for this region con- firmed. Mr. Sequeira has continued his development work and in 1918 pur- chased a ranch of 160 acres located nine miles from Hanford, in Kings County ; this property is now being developed. He has bought and sold Fresno real estate aside from his own holdings, and has aided materially in the growth and progress of the county, to which he came a poor boy with no other resources than the traits of character which make for success in any line. He has taken two trips back to his native country, one in 1890, and one in 1914, and now lives retired, looking after his various real estate holdings. Fraternally, he is a member of the I. D. E. S. and of the U. P. E. C. of Fresno. Mr. Sequeira has been twice married, his first union resulting in three children ; Manuel G .; Josephine, wife of Robert G. Prather of Fresno ; and Mercy, wife of Bert Stroud of Fresno. The second marriage united Mr. Sequeira with Rosie Martinez, also a native of the Azores Islands, and three children were born of this union: Anna, wife of J. J. Brum of Selma ; Mamie, wife of S. J. Brum of Scandinavian Colony ; and Eva, living at home, a pupi! in the Fresno High School.

PETER G. GIANINNI .- A descendant of a California pioneer who came to America from his distant European home in the early days of Cali- fornia, Peter G. Gianinni is a young man standing on the threshold of a promising future. He was born in Madera, Cal., August 5, 1895, and despite the fact that he has seen but twenty-four summers, has had crowded into life's comparatively short journey experiences that are usually reserved for the mature years of the average man.

At two years of age he and his older sister, Laura (now Mrs. Bellochi. of Sausalito, Cal.), were made half orphans when death's portals closed on the earthly career of his mother, Angelina. His father, Jasper, who brought

A.J. Sequeira

Lucas quanche

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HISTORY OF FRESNO COUNTY

five hundred dollars with him when he came to California, failed twice at farming, the first time in Madera County, and the second time at Reedley. His third and last attempt was a success, and in 1916 he again entered the matrimonial state, being united to Mrs. Aldina Rondi, widow of Renaldo Rondi, who died in 1915, leaving his widow with two children, Americo and Plino. Jasper Gianinni died November 8, 1917, aged fifty-one, his death occurring the year following his second marriage. He left a will in which he bequeathed the home ranch to his son Peter, and twenty thousand, dollars to his daughter, Mrs. Bellochi, and her oldest son, his grandson, to receive ten thousand dollars when he attains his majority.

Peter Gianinni began to experience life's cares when compelled at the age of twelve to leave school and go to work because of his father's financial misfortunes. At fourteen he practically ran his father's ranch. At fifteen he was in charge of the ranch, and when seventeen had full control of his own and his father's business, keeping the men's time, writing out pay checks, and directing the work on the ranch. An able business man and a hard worker, he at times employs many men, and successfully runs his large, well-improved ranch which lies across the line from Fresno County, in the Kingsburg District. four one-half miles northeast of Kingsburg and six miles south of Parlier, 116 acres of the 120 comprised in the ranch lying in Tulare County and four acres in Fresno County. A fine bungalow was completed on the ranch in 1917, two months before his father's death. On the home place Mr. Gianinni has planted fifteen acres in beans, twenty acres in corn and potatoes, ten acres in grain, ten acres in prunes, ten acres to Thompson seedless grapevines, five acres to Malagas, thirty acres to muscats and twenty acres to peaches. In addition he rents fifty acres of grain land and twenty- six acres of corn land in Fresno County. The gross expense of running his ranch is $7,000 and $4,500 of this sum is expended for labor.

Mr. Gianinni is a member of the Catholic Church, and has demonstrated his patriotism to his country by liberally purchasing Liberty Bonds.

Mr. Gianinni was married, May 8, 1918, at San Luis Obispo, at the home of his bride's parents, to Miss Lena Biaggini, a daughter of Ercole and Josephine (Mozzini) Biaggini, of Cayucos, San Luis Obispo County, where he owns seven fine ranches. Mr. and Mrs. Gianinni have one child, a boy baby, LeRoy Jasper, born May 20, 1919.

LUCAS JUANCHE .- An energetic young man who has helped materially in building up the Tranquillity section is Lucas Juanche, who was born at Biscarett, Navarra, Spain, on May 12, 1882, the son of Christobal and Firmina (Echeveria) Juanche, who were farmer folk in Navarra and spent their entire lives there. Lucas was reared on the farm and received his education in the common schools of his native place. He had older brothers and a sister who had migrated to California and he became interested in the land of gold and sunshine and determined to come here. So when nineteen years of age he left his home and in June, 1901, he arrived in Los Angeles. He made his way to Ventura, where he found employment with Dixie Thompson and learned farming as it was done in California. After remaining steadily with Mr. Thomp- son for five years he left for Nevada, where in partnership with his brother Telesforo Juanche he followed sheep raising for three years. At the end of this time they sold out and he returned to California, locating in Fresno. Here he was employed until 1912, when he purchased his present place of eighty acres at Tranquillity and located there. He made the improvements, building a residence and other farm buildings. He broke the raw prairie, leveled and checked the land, and now has forty acres in alfalfa, the balance being devoted to raising grain. It is under the irrigation ditch; but being of a progressive nature, Mr. Juanche sunk a deep well for artesian water. It is a flowing well 877 feet deep, the finest water in the vicinity and is used by others for domestic purposes. He is also engaged in raising high-grade Duroc-Jersey hogs, of which he has some fine specimens as well as raising high-grade sheep.

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HISTORY OF FRESNO COUNTY

The marriage of Lucas Juanche occurred in Los Angeles, where he was united with Miss Marie Muñoz, also born in Navarra, Spain; and to them have been born four children: Antonia, Joaquin, Frank and Dominica. Mr. Juanche has been rewarded for his efforts and close application to his work and now owns a productive farm, which yields him a comfortable competency. In their religious views, Mr. and Mrs. Juanche adhere to the Catholic faith.

JESSE AUGUSTUS BLASINGAME .- A capable and enterprising vineyardist and stock raiser, Jesse A. Blasingame, is industriously engaged in the prosecution of his chosen work. He was born on June 24, 1877, on the Dry Creek ranch, the home place of the Pioneer Blasingame family, of Fresno County, Cal. His education included attendance at the Alameda University Academy, from which institution he was graduated in 1895 and was supplemented by a course in the Fresno Business College. In 1897, J. A. Blasingame engaged in the stockraising business and the following year he returned to the home place, which consisted mainly of raw land, being used as a stock ranch and ranging at one time a thousand head of stock. After returning to the home ranch on Dry Creek, he improved forty acres and also in the Centerville district he improved 100 acres, where he set out a vineyard. When a man pursues a calling for which nature has specially fitted him, and in which work he finds great interest, success will crown his efforts, in nearly every instance. The efforts which J. A. Blasingame has so ably made in the development and improvement of the raw land in his section of the county, have met with deserved success, and at the present time he is the possessor of a well improved and thrifty vineyard of 160 acres of muscat grapes.

Jesse A. Blasingame was united in marriage with Mary Jane Sample, a native of Fresno County, and daughter of D. C. Sample. The parental home of the Blasingames has been blessed with one child, a son, Jesse Knox.

BEN HUNT .- A thoroughly enterprising American manufacturer of the type known as leaders of great industries, resident here since the middle eighties and honored by all who are familiar with his busy life and the scope of his activities, through which Fresno has profited so much as a growing manufacturing center, is Ben Hunt, who was born in Westfield, Ind., a suburb of Indianapolis, not far from the home of General Lew Wallace, the famous author of "Ben Hur," on May 29, 1852. His father was F. B. Hunt, a Quaker, who married Miss Elizabeth Moore, also of the Society of Friends, and for a while they resided near Indianapolis, then at Richmond, Ind., and later at Cincinnati. His father was an inventor who, having become very familiar with that line of work, was a clerk in the patent office until his death.

Ben Hunt, having been educated at the public and high schools in Rich- mond, learned the machinist's trade in Richmond, helping to manufacture steam engines, and in 1883 he came to Spokane and the next year to San Francisco, following his trade in each place. 1890 he came to Fresno, and ten years later he started his present business. This establishment, now known as the Valley Foundry & Machine Works, was incorporated in 1902, and Mr. Hunt has been president ever since. It is located at the corner of H and Mono Streets ; and although the building first occupied on I Street had a floor space of only 25x50 feet, the plant is now housed in a building 100x115 feet in size-all the result of the proprietor's strict attention to business, and his expert workmanship, which has brought patrons from all over the San Joa- quin Valley. With this investment of $100,000, Mr. Hunt manufactures gas engines and a patented, centrifugal pump, while he does a contracting ma- chine shop trade. Public-spirited and enterprising to a high degree, Mr. Hunt, as a self-made man supports every project that makes for the upbuilding of Fresno, while as a model employer of skilled labor, he enjoys the good will and lovalty of those in his employ.

At Richmond, Ind., Mr. Hunt married Miss Grace Parry, a native of that city and also a member of an old Quaker family, by whom he has had four

S. D. Hopper

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HISTORY OF FRESNO COUNTY

children. Walter is foreman in the machine shop of the Valley Foundry; Robert is foreman of the foundry department; Grace has become Mrs. Mau- rice Calderwood, secretary of the foundry; while Edward V. Hunt is in Porto Rico with a sugar company.

Reflecting in many ways the Twentieth Century spirit of Fresno, Mr. Hunt is doubly interesting as having afforded, in his rapid evolution, an ex- ample of that marvelously swift development and growth peculiar to Fresno County, now one of the most progressive centers in the State. He is also interesting as an example of real value to American youth, alert to study and idolize the "man who does." Both the City and County of Fresno cannot have too many such men as Ben Hunt.

CAPTAIN SAMUEL D. HOPPER .- A well-preserved octogenarian and a veteran of the great Civil War, in which he distinguished himself for bravery and the faithful performance of duty, is Captain Samuel D. Hopper. He is now enjoying the pleasures of retired, quiet life at 442 Calaveras Avenue, Fresno. He was born at Somerton, Belmont County, Ohio, on December 4, 1838, and grew up in his native State. His father was William Hopper, of Belmont County, and his grandfather, Robert Hopper, a native of Ireland who settled in Ohio in very early days. William Hopper was a tanner who later became a farmer, and for seventeen years he served his township as Justice of the Peace. He was a strong Abolitionist and took a hand in running the "underground railroad ;" while in religious faith he was a Universalist. He was married in Ohio to Miss Phoebe Lewis, who had been born in Pennsylvania of English ancestry, and by her he had eleven children, two of whom died in infancy. Five boys grew up, and each of them served in the Union Army; while all four of the girls who grew up were married in Ohio. The ninth child in the order of birth, Samuel D. Hopper is the only one of the family living in California.

The Hoppers made their living by very hard work, raising tobacco for the most part ; and as there were only four months of district school in the winter, Samuel got about sixty or seventy days of schooling a year. But he applied himself so diligently to his school books that at the age of nineteen he obtained a certificate to teach.

He enlisted as a private in Company E of the Sixty-second Ohio Volun- teer Infantry, October 17, 1861, at Camp Goddard, Zanesville, Ohio, and when the company was organized, he was appointed first or orderly sergeant ; at the end of six months he received his commission as second lieutenant, and three months thereafter his commission as first lieutenant; while after the siege and battle of Fort Wagner, S. C., he was commissioned captain to fill a vacancy. As captain he served until the end of his enlistment. Part of his service as captain was in Virginia under Gen. Benj. F. Butler. Finally, on November 10, 1864, he was mustered out. At the battle of Fort Wagner, a bullet struck and wounded his left foot; and at the battle of Deep Run, Va., a bullet struck the scabbard of his saber, the impact of the bullet ruined his sword but did no harm otherwise. Then he came home to Malaga, Monroe County, Ohio, whither his father had removed during the war. Wishing to reenter the service after reaching home, he wrote to President Lincoln and also to Secretary Stanton, and they gave him a recruiting commission as major under full pay to raise a regiment of volunteers for Hancock's Veteran Corps ; and he was thus engaged when the war closed.

In Belmont County, Ohio, in January, 1872, Mr. Hopper was married to Miss Rachel L. Foster, a native of Ohio, by whom he had five children : Leona M. is single and resides at Fresno, having formerly been a teacher; Bernal M. is a vineyardist and orchardist, resides at Fresno and owns 2,000 acres ; Max D. is a vineyardist and orchardist, now living at Palo Alto, and has a ranch twelve miles east of Fresno; Shirley M., who became Mrs. Lawrence

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HISTORY OF FRESNO COUNTY

Russell and is a widow, teaches in the San Francisco high school. Zulema E. Hopper is the fourth child, who after graduating from high school, married W. Morford. The first four of the children mentioned above graduated from Leland Stanford University. On the occasion of his second marriage, his first wife having died, Mr. Hopper took for his companion Mrs. Emma E. Neptune, a native of Ohio and a sister of the first Mrs. Hopper, and they have one son, Stanley R. Hopper, twelve years of age, living at home. A stepson, John R. Neptune, who was a soldier in the recent war, attends the University of Southern California, but makes his home with Mr. and Mrs. Hopper.

After the Civil War Mr. Hopper taught school in Monroe, Belmont and Noble counties, Ohio, and for a while kept a store at Malaga, Ohio. Then, selling out, he came West, stopped for six months at Hastings, Nebr., and went on to Eastern Oregon, where he taught school for twelve months and had a half interest in a band of cattle, later buying a half interest in a band of sheep. When he sold out, he moved back to Nebraska, bought out a store at Kearney, ran it eight months, sold out and came to California, and in October, 1880, came to Fresno County.

He took up a homestead three-quarters of a mile northwest of Del Rey, and taught the first school in the Prairie school district. He proved up on his homestead of 160 acres, and planted it to Muscat and Thompson grapes, and peaches and apricots. He planted the 160 acres, and in 1915 sold the northern half, still retaining the southern half. For ten years he never missed a day's work. His main work in Fresno County has been the improvement of his land, in which he is assisted by his sons, and in this hard work, he may truly claim to have borne the heat and burden of the day. He has taken an active part in scientific raisin growing and in horticulture generally. He has been interested in all the movements for securing better marketing conditions and prices. He was chosen president of the old cooperative packing house at Fowler, and served for one year about twenty-five years ago; this was before the advent of the present Raisin Growers Association, in which he is signed up and holds stock, and also before the Peach Growers Association, Inc.

Mr. Hopper is a member of Atlanta Post of the G. A. R. at Fresno, and in national politics is a Republican.

MARTIN METCOVICH .- One who has given his best years and energy towards building up Fresno County is Martin Metcovich, a native of Dalmatia, Austria, born in 1848, the son of Nicholas and Nellie Metcovich, the parents having been farmers by occupation and owners of a large farm at a seaport town on the Adriatic sea. They are now both deceased, leaving six children, three boys and three girls, all of whom are living.

Martin was reared on the home farm and from a lad made himself generally useful, learning farming as it is conducted in his native country. It was there he first learned the care of vineyards and the making of wine, a business he eventually took up in Fresno County. As was the custom with many of the lads on the Dalmatian coast, he went to sea, and for five years served before the mast on a large sailing vessel, and in that way made trips to New York and Philadelphia, and to Australia. When he left the sea he engaged in farming the home place and while thus engaged he married Lucy Vusich, the daughter of John and Lucy Vusich, members of old and prom- inent Dalmatian families. Three of her brothers had emigrated to Cali- fornia, and sent glowing reports back to Dalmatia, telling of the opportuni- ties and wonderful resources in California. Mr. Metcovich became intensely interested and decided to seek his fortunes in the new country.

Leaving his wife in the old home, he arrived in California in 1885. He was first employed in Pasadena, then spent two years in the mines in Placer County, after which he made a trip back home to see his wife and father, remaining there eighteen months. When he again came to California, after two months spent in Placer County, he located in Fresno County, and here

Rachel L. Hopper,

Emma E. Hopper

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HISTORY OF FRESNO COUNTY

began working as a viticulturist. When the Klondike boom burst forth, he made the trip via Skagway and over the pass, packing into Dawson City, and for a year worked in the mines.

After his experience in Alaska, Mr. Metcovich returned to Fresno, via Seattle. He again returned to his home in Dalmatia, remaining until 1901, when he came back to Fresno County. He then concluded to stay, and his wife and family joined him, arriving in 1903. He purchased the present place of forty acres on North Avenue, about nine miles east of Fresno. It was raw land and he set to work improving it, levelled the land and set out the whole acreage to wine grapes, with the exception of a small grove of figs and a border of figs around the ranch and shading the avenue. He has installed two pumping plants and irrigates the entire acreage, thus producing large crops. As soon as his vines were bearing sufficiently he built a winery and engaged in the manufacture of wine until two years ago, since which time he is using his grapes for raisins.

Three children have been born to this worthy couple: Nicholas, and John, who are ranching on Belmont Avenue; while Nellie, the youngest, is an able assistant to her parents in household and business affairs.

MADS PETER MADSEN .- The superior advantages offered to agri- culturists, by the United States of America, have attracted from all parts of the world those who have become our substantial and prosperous ranchers. Many of them arrived in this country handicapped by the lack of money, but eventually, through thrifty habits and untiring efforts, they have sur- mounted all obstacles and have not only gained a comfortable living, but they have in due time saved sufficient money to purchase land. Among the successful vineyardists of today, one who came with a wife and three chil- dren, without money, and is now the owner of an improved raisin ranch of forty acres, is M. P. Madsen, of Parlier.

M. P. Madsen was born on July 31, 1867, at Fredericia, Denmark, son of Jorgen and Maria Matsen, who were also natives of Denmark, where they both passed away, being the parents of four children: Maren; Marie; Mads Peter; and Jorgen. The subject of this review, M. P. Madsen, attended school in his native land from the age of six to fourteen, but owing to the financial condition of his father he was obliged to work out on farms from the time he was nine years of age, and thereby not only aided in the support of the family but gained valuable knowledge in farming. As is customary in Denmark, he was in the army at various times; in 1887 he served seven months; his last two years, ending in 1891, were in the Danish infantry.

Mr. Madsen had a brother-in-law living in Selma, Cal., Lars Larsen, who is now deceased, who sent him a ticket for himself and family, covering their transportation from Copenhagen to Fresno, Cal. On April 10, 1894, the family sailed from Copenhagen in a Danish steamer and after eighteen days landed in New York City; they arrived in Fresno, Cal., May 4, 1894.

After reaching Selma, he secured work by the day, for which he was paid ninety cents and boarded himself. After three or four years of labor- ing for others he rented a place for several years and engaged in the raisin business. The year 1908 is a memorable one in his career for it records the purchase of his present ranch of forty acres which is devoted to vines. fourteen of which are planted to Thompson seedless grapes, now two years old; eighteen acres are in muscat and six are planted to malaga grapes, the balance of the land is devoted to yards, buildings and the ditch.

On January 12, 1889, M. P. Madsen was united in marriage with Carrie Larsen, a native of Denmark, and this happy union has been blessed with seven children : Carl, a rancher in the Kutner Colony, where he was employed by the raisin growers association to farm some of their land, but now in the city of Fresno; Mary, the wife of George Richards, manager of the Asso- ciated Packing House at Del Rey; George, who married Marie Nielsen, is

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HISTORY OF FRESNO COUNTY

employed on a raisin ranch near Del Rey; Carlie, who was born in this country, is now the wife of Charles Johnson, a rancher near Hanford, and foreman for the American Vineyards Company, and she is the mother of one child; Peter, who returned home June 1, 1919, after serving in the United States Army in France; Christine, the wife of Benjamin Johnson, resides on his father's ranch near Parlier; and Alma, attending school in the district.

Mr. Madsen is a member of the Danish Lutheran Church, attending the church on the Reedley road, three miles west of Parlier. He is a Democrat, and a loyal citizen of the United States. He is a very intelligent and in- dustrious vineyardist; the success he has attained in ranching, without the aid of money at the start, is an inspiring example for other young men.

JES ANDERSEN .- One of the most successful and progressive ranchers and pioneer residents of Fresno County, in the vicinity of Parlier, is Jes Ander- sen, an enterprising horticulturist and viticulturist, a native of Denmark, where he was born on September 4, 1858, near Ribe, in Jutland. His parents, Hans and Maria Andersen, were blessed with five children, Jes, the subject of this re- view, being the oldest and the only one living.

In 1890, Jes Andersen immigrated to America and the same year arrived in Fresno County, Cal., where during the first summer he worked at his trade, that of a carpenter. The following year, 1891, he purchased his present place of twenty acres, which at that time was a field of wheat stubble, but he soon began to improve the place by planting vines and fruit trees, ten acres being devoted to muscat vines, four acres to peaches, one to apricots, two to seed- less grapes, the balance being used for buildings, yards, and for growing alfalfa. Having learned the trade of a carpenter and builder, in Denmark, he supplemented his income, while his crops were coming into bearing, with building houses and barns for other ranchers, as well as building the neces- sary buildings for his own ranch. By hard work, intelligent management. and the practice of those thrifty habits so characteristic of his fellow country- men, Jes Andersen met with a good degree of success in his undertakings. In 1902, he purchased from an heir of the Ross ranch twenty acres of land situated one mile east of his first place. This he also improved with vines and fruit trees, planting nine acres to muscat vines, three acres to seedless grapes, two acres to peaches, three to apricots. Mr. Andersen is a man of affairs in his community and has always given his support to every progres- sive movement for the uplift of the community.

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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 125

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