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 133
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HISTORY OF FRESNO COUNTY
Coming out to California, he was for a short time in Los Angeles, but he had his attention directed to Kingsburg. A friend had bought a tract of 2,000 acres south and east of Kingsburg, and he offered him his first choice of any forty acres there, at a very reasonable price and on long-time terms. Mr. Johnson bought it, though unimproved; he had come to Kingsburg on Jan- uary 10, 1908, with only $300; he put what money he could into a barn, and lived in the barn for the first few years, until he could get enough means to build a house. He and his good wife and children worked very hard; they planted, built and otherwise improved; and the friend who sold him the land helped him out with credit. Finally, his place was all paid for and improved ; and in December, 1918, he sold it to his son Thor for $25,000, since which time he has lived retired in Kingsburg.
While in Holdrege, Mr. Johnson was married to Miss Anna Louisa John- son, and their union has been blessed with the birth of eight children. Minnie is now the wife of L. C. Nelson, and they live near Clark's bridge, east of Kingsburg ; Hazel is the wife of Joe Shirling, who conducts an automobile and bicycle repair shop in Kingsburg and is interested in two stores besides. Selma lives at home ; Thor is proprietor, as has been stated, of the old home place ; Vivian L. is in the United States Navy; Reuben is in the grocery business ; Linnea is at home; while Floyd is engaged in ranching near Kingsburg.
Mr. Johnson and his wife, together with their children, belong to the Swedish Methodist Church. He was naturalized in Nebraska and was orig- inally a Democrat; but of late years he has become a Republican, and re- cently he has marched in the same columns with Roosevelt and Johnson- the good fellowship of the Progressives.
PROSPER J. BERGON .- A native son of California who is making a success at ranching, Prosper J. Bergon was born in Riverside, April 2, 1888. His father, Frank Bergon, was born in Basses-Pyrenees, France. He served in the Franco-Prussian War in 1870 and 1871. About 1878 he came to South- ern California and began sheep-raising, making his headquarters in Fullerton. In the dry year of 1895 he lost many of his band of sheep, and then sold the balance and engaged in raising grain at Palms, where he continued until 1903. He then leased the Brea Ranch in Hollywood from Mrs. Hancock and farmed it until December 17, 1917, when he sold his outfit and stock and purchased a residence in Colegrove, on Melrose and Vine. Two months later he died, at the age of seventy years. His wife, the mother of Prosper J., was in maiden- hood Mary Noussitou also born in Basses-Pyrenees. She is living in Cole- grove. To this worthy couple were born seven children, five of whom are still living, Prosper being the eldest.
Mr. Bergon's childhood was spent on the farm in Southern California, where he received a good education in the schools in Palms. As early as eight years of age he drove horses on the hay baler. He continued with his father on the Brea ranch, and in time became his partner, operating with him until 1912 when he sold his interest to him and came to Fresno. Here he leased the Gallagher place of 860 acres in Dakota Colony, where he is engaged in raising grain, putting in about 300 acres a year to wheat. He finds he gets the best results by summer-fallowing each year, which gives him a surer and larger yield. About 100 acres is devoted to alfalfa and he is also engaged in raising hay and in dairying, in which is very successful.
Mr. Bergon was married in Los Angeles to Miss Anna Castahaude, a native of Basses-Pyrenees, France, who came to Los Angeles when she was a young lady. Mr. and Mrs. Bergon have had two children, Frank and Albert. The latter passed away in March, 1917, aged nineteen months. Mr. Bergon is clerk of the board of trustees of Sunset school district, having been a mem- ber since the organization of the district. Liberal and kind-hearted, he and his good wife have won an estimable place among the citizens of their com- munity. Mr. Bergon is a member of the Foresters of America in Los Angeles. In politics he is a Republican.
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HISTORY OF FRESNO COUNTY
ALBERT HAGOPEAN .- As early as 1881, Albert Hagopean came from Smyrna, landing in New York City, August 21, and the next day he took out his first papers for American citizenship, and he congratulates himself that at the earliest occasion possible, he cemented the bonds between him- self and his adopted country. The other fact of which Mr. Hagopean is proud is that he cast his lot in the Golden State.
His grandfather was Hampartzoum Charkian, a native of Constantinople, as was his father before him, and the latter was a fisherman and owned a number of fishing smacks in the Sea of Marmora, with which he caught fish for the markets at Constantinople. The grandfather was a maker of gold- plates and cups for table use, for the aristocracy of the palace, such as the Sultan princes and pashas, shahs in Islam and caliphs-these being the lead ing ruling people of the Turkish Empire and the Mohammedan faith. He was the first man who imported a lathe from Europe with which to turn out gold and silver dishes; and became well-to-do.
His father, who was born in Constantinople of pure Armenian blood, the Rev. Hagopean, was a preacher of the Gospel and a Congregational minister, connected, for forty years, with the American Missionary Board. He- labored at Symrna, one of the seven churches in which the great St. Paul extempo- rized. Mrs. Hagopean was a rich man's daughter, Nectar Manoukian before her marriage, born in Jerusalem, and her father was the head of the Armenian Protestants in Smyrna, and was the recognized head of the latter body in dealings with the Government. The father became converted by the preach- ing of Dr. Hamlin, an American missionary of the Congregational Church stationed at Constantinople, and concluded to enter the ministry. He there- fore went to the Congregational Theological School at Babek on the Bos- phorus and there learned English. He graduated and before the Crimean War came to America on a sailing vessel, being on the ocean for four months; the company braved both storms and icebergs, and were finally driven to Newfoundland, although their destination was New York harbor. Being a turner, he obtained work in his line at the Howe Sewing Machine works; he attended night school and further enlarged his knowledge of English and other useful subjects. After five years he became seriously ill; and as the doctors advised a change of climate, he went back to Constantinople and there taught school. For a while he was again at Balat and at the Golden Horn in Constantinople, and then he was sent to Smyrna and ordained to preach by the Congregational Church. While there he fell in love with a teacher in an American private seminary and was eventually married to her. She was also highly educated in the Armenian, Turkish, Greek, English and French languages, and she became just as enthusiastic in pursuing the work of the Christian ministry as was her husband, who devoted the rest of his life to missionary preaching, serving thus for forty years. Then he retired and, in 1898, died at Constantinople, aged eighty years. His good wife out- lived him, and died, during 1904, in Constantinople, at the age of seventy- five years. This esteemed couple were blessed with three children.
Albert was born, November 20, 1859. He was well-educated in the Ar- menian school at Smyrna and at the Robert College in Constantinople, where he learned English, French, Greek, Turkish and Armenian. He was made an apprentice to the trade of watchmaker at Smyrna and in Constantinople, and served six and a half years at the bench. In 1881 he came to America and during the first year worked in a jewelry store on John Street, New York City. The following year he moved west to Chicago and thence to Elgin, working in the famous watch factory, until 1910; and so skilled was he that he gained the distinction of being one of the expert workmen. Mr. Hagopean was married, at Elgin, in 1899, to Miss Blanche Mann, the daughter of Mi- chael and Margaret (Connor) Mann, the second child in a family of ten. She was educated in the public schools at Elgin, and thus well prepared to assume the duties and responsibilities of life.
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HISTORY OF FRESNO COUNTY
Our subject had long desired to see California; and having saved his money, he came west to look around in 1895, when he stayed a year; but the effect of the hard times rather discouraged him, and he concluded to go back to Elgin and the watch factory. In 1906 he came to Fresno County and to Parlier, and bought his present place of twenty-five and three-fourths acres, one one-half miles southeast of Parlier ; but again he returned to Elgin, and it was only in 1910 that he sold his residence in the latter place and came to California for good, since which time he has been steadily improving his ranch. In the beginning the only fruit on the ranch was five acres of zinfandel grapes, but he has grafted the zinfandels onto Thompson seedless, and planted six acres to malagas; he has two acres of alfalfa, while the balance of the land is rough and unimproved. He has erected a modern bungalow and neces- sary outbuildings.
Mr. Hagopean has always displayed a fervid patriotism, and while at Elgin he enlisted in the State Militia and served five years in that city as a member of Company E of the Third Illinois Regiment. Again, when the Spanish-American War broke out, he volunteered for the infantry of the same organization, and reenlisted at Springfield, Ill., in the regular United States Army. He trained in camp at Chickamauga, went thence to Newport News, where he took the transport St. Louis to Porto Rico, and there served under Generals Brooks and Miles until peace was declared. There were many Corsicans at Arroyo and Guyama ; and inasmuch as Mr. Hagopean could speak French, he was selected as interpreter and later was made acting quartermaster. He continued with the regiment until it returned to the United States in November, 1898, coming back by way of Hoboken, and was honorably discharged at Joliet, Ill., on January 29, 1899, never once being sick. He is now a member of the Spanish War Veterans at Fresno. .
His daily activities as a viticulturist and horticulturist engage him more and more, for Mr. Hagopean has the scientific mind and insists on himself growing while his plants and fruit develop. He is a member of the California Associated Raisin Company, and in supporting their programs does heroic pioneer work, realizing that the present prosperity of the county is due en tirely to organization.
J. P. I. BECK .- Numbered among the enterprising and successful ranch- ers in the vicinity of Kerman, is J. P. I. Beck, who is the owner of 180 acres of land which he operates himself. During the few years in which Mr. Beck has been engaged in viticulture he has attained enviable success as a vine- vardist. Mr. Beck is a native of Denmark, born April 29, 1886, at Trige, Jut- land, a son of Niels and Metta Marie Beck. The parents are living retired in Aarhus, Denmark. Of their eight children, J. P. I. was the fifth in order of birth, and was reared on the home place, receiving his education in the pub- lic schools of his neighborhood. When fifteen he was apprenticed to a baker at Aarhus, for four years, and after learning the trade he worked as a journey- man baker in different parts of Denmark. Mr. Beck desired to see more of the world, and especially the United States of America, where so many of his countrymen had achieved success. Bidding good-bye to his native land, he emigrated to America, arriving in New York City, in April, 1906. He found work at his trade in the great metropolis and also followed it in Brooklyn and across the river in New Jersey.
The turning-point in the life of J. P. I. Beck was reached when he de- cided to leave the eastern cities and seek his fortune in the great West. It was in 1907 that he came to California, and settled in Fresno County, where he decided to abandon his trade and engage in viticulture. He secured work in Mr. Petersen's vineyard in the Empire Colony, and also worked on the place which he afterwards owned. Later he worked on an alfalfa ranch in the Barstow Colony and in 1908 leased an alfalfa ranch which he operated for two years. During these years Mr. Beck was gaining valuable experience
Andrew Nelson
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HISTORY OF FRESNO COUNTY
and planning to have a ranch of his own, which happy day came in 1910, when he purchased his present ranch of fifty acres on Empire Avenue, and there for two years he conducted a dairy. Afterwards he engaged in viticul- ture and horticulture and increased his holdings by purchasing a twenty-acre tract devoted to an orchard and vineyard, located one-half mile west of his place. Later he purchased 110 acres of raw land and has twenty acres of this devoted to alfalfa, and he also raises grain and corn.
In September, 1910, J. P. I. Beck was united in marriage with Miss Mary Hansen, a native of Copenhagen, and a daughter of A. C. Hansen, whose sketch will also be found in this volume. Their marriage was solemnized in Fresno ; they have four children : Herman, deceased; Anna, Ellen and Laura." They are members of the Danish Lutheran Church at Fresno. Mr. Beck is a member of the Danish Brotherhood and holds membership in both the Cali- fornia Associated Raisin Company and the California Peach Growers, Inc He is held in high esteem in this community.
ANDREW NELSON .- A man who left an enviable record for doing things and building up the viticultural and horticultural interests of Fresno County is the late Andrew Nelson, who was born at Olgod, Jylland, Denmark, December 30, 1855. His parents being farmers, he was reared to that occupation. After completing the public and high school he studied agriculture on a large farm under an experienced preceptor. After this he served the required time in the Danish Army after which he gave his attention to farming until 1881, then he spent one year in a mercantile establishment in Varde when he decided to come to America. He arrived in New York City in the spring of 1882, he came gradually westward until the fall of 1882 he located in Fresno.
Entering the employ of Einsteins, he was foreman of the workhouse for several years. However, his agricultural experience in his native place led him into viticulture and he took charge of improving and planting vineyards; among others he leveled and set out the Mason Osborn vineyard. About the same time he purchased twenty acres on Madison Avenue near the Osborn place which he improved, bringing it to a high state of cultivation. In 1904 he purchased a quarter section of land three miles southeast of Dinuba. This was raw land but he set to work to improve it to vines and orchard. He is a member of the Danish Brotherhood as well as Dania. He is also a member of the Odd Fellows in Fresno. Mr. Nelson was one of the leading men of Fresno County and deserves much credit for the work he has accomplished. He is one of the original stock- holders in the Danish Creamery Association.
Mr. Nelson made a trip back to his old home in Denmark in 1891. He was married in Fresno, December 17, 1892, to Miss Mette Petersen also a native of Olgod, the Nelson and Petersen families being neighbors. She came to Fresno in the spring of 1892. They have a daughter, Meta, who is a graduate of the University of California. After her husband's death Mrs. Nelson continued to run the vineyards on the same line as her husband, carrying out his plan for the improvement and beautifying of the place. In 1912 she installed a pumping plant on his ranch, thus having two systems of irrigating the ranch. In 1917 Mrs. Nelson rented her ranch and returned to Fresno where she built a beautiful modern residence at 629 North Van Ness Avenue, where she now lives. Mrs. Nelson is a member of the Dania Sisterhood and a Lutheran in religion. After visiting the old home in Denmark she was indeed glad to get back to California for she had learned to appreciate and love the State of her adoption.
JOHN W. HUMPHREYS .- A native son, proud of his association with the Golden State, John W. Humphreys was born at Tollhouse on October 24, 1872, the son of John W. and Martha (Flinn) Humphreys who were pioneers of California and aided in the building up of Fresno County. John attended the public school at Tollhouse, and from a lad learned the stock business. On the death of his father-J. W. Humphreys, Sr.,-his widow con- tinued to reside on the home place and to manage both ranch and mill with the aid of her sons, J. W., Roy and Miles O., who had mastered many of
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HISTORY OF FRESNO COUNTY
the conditions peculiar to California life at that time. Together they ran the estate from 1900 until 1913, rebuilding the mill from time to time, and even moving it to different localities on Pine Ridge, and adding to their acreage, so that the sons own 1,500 acres in a body on Dry Creek. A decade ago, these same enterprising young men purchased 960 acres under the Herndon Canal which they had no difficulty in reselling, on account of the favorable location, in lots of twenty acres and up, and now only 120 acres are left.
J. W. Humphreys, Jr., followed stock-raising until the death of his father, when he undertook the manufacture of lumber and gave to it so much of his attention that he was successful where others failed. After a while, however, he came down onto the plains and tried a new field-that of vineyardist and orchardist ; and in 1913, finding that the mill took too much time, the family sold it, and John was able, by renting the stock-farm, to give all his time to viticulture and horticulture. On the Humphreys ranch, eight miles north- west of Fresno, he was the first to introduce certain features of the industry ; and there he has erected a handsome residence and otherwise improved the property. And he threw into the work of the California Peach Growers, Inc., and the California Associated Raisin Company such support and active cooper- ation as he could.
At Selma, Mr. Humphreys was married to Miss Georgia Davis, born in Illinois ; and together Mr. and Mrs. Humphreys have participated in many movements designed to better life in their community. Mr. Humphreys in particular has been interested in the elevation of politics; and under the ban- ners of the Democratic party he has contributed effective influence. The name of Humphreys is among the most honored in Fresno County annals.
G. N. SHISHMANIAN .- America has always been the refuge of the oppressed from all lands and many have shown their appreciation by a life worthy such kindness, and none is more conspicuous for having made the most of his opportunities than Mr. Shishmanian. He was born in Turkey, in Asia, on the banks of the Euphrates, eighty-four years ago. His father was a banker in Constantinople, and the son grew up amid scenes of refine- ment and wealth. He was schooled in Babek Seminary, on the banks of the Bosphorus, known as Dr. Hamlin's school, who was an American missionary of the Congregational Church. He learned the Greek, Turkish, Armenian, and English languages, the sciences, mathematics, history and theology.
After a four years course, he was sent to America to complete his educa- tion, and entered the North Yarmouth Academy, in the State of Maine. He continued his studies there for two years, when his health failed and he re- turned to Turkey. Mr. Shishmanian was in Turkey during the Civil War, and at its close came back to America and took up photography for a pastime. He went to Texas and at Dallas joined the Christian Church. Mr. Shishma- nian went to Kentucky and entered the University Theological School, and upon graduating, was ordained a missionary.
He married Miss Lucy McClellan, at Lexington, and with his bride re- turned to Turkey and began his missionary work at Constantinople. For twenty-six years he continued this work under the auspices of the Christian Church.
In 1905 Mr. Shishmanian with his family returned to Kentucky, spent a year and a half among friends, and then came to Fresno in 1907, where he now owns a ten acre raisin vineyard, with good house on Orange Avenue. He also owns a twenty-acre orange grove in Tulare County. .
Mr. and Mrs. Shishmanian are the parents of five children : John, a lieuten- ant in the French army ; Orienta, wife of Alfred Aram, U. S. Aviator teacher, who has taught and trained over one hundred aviators ; she is now living with her father; Lucy, is the wife of Joseph Cortozian, a merchant in Portland, Ore .; two children died in infancy. Mrs. Shishmanian is a member of the Daughters of the Confederacy and the California Chapter. She was elected a delegate to the convention at Louisville, Ky., in 1919.
Martin Ordohai
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HISTORY OF FRESNO COUNTY
MARTIN ARDOHAIN .- That perseverance and close application to a chosen line of business will succeed is well illustrated in the life history of Martin Ardohain, a native of France, born near St. Jean, Basses-Pyrenees, March 9, 1876, the seventh oldest of a family of twelve children born to Pierre and Marie Ardohain who were farmers and stockraisers in the Pyrenees region. Of their family of twelve children four are honored residents of California. Martin Ardohain received a good education in the local schools of his native place and from a lad assisted his parents on the farm. When twenty years of age, as was the custom of that country, he entered the French Army, serving in the Sixth Company of Sixth Regiment of Infantry and after the required time was honorably discharged. Becoming interested in the land of the Pacific . Coast from the stories told by his countrymen who returned telling of the oppor- tunities awaiting young men willing to work, he concluded to cast in his lot in California, so came hither, arriving in Fresno, October, 1900. Unfortunately he was taken ill and it was more than two months before he recovered sufficiently to go to work. The expense of this illness, as well as his indebtedness for his expenses from his home to California, left him $700 in debt. Nothing daunted he went to work and applied himself steadily to earn the money to pay his debt and then to acquire capital with which to start in business for himself as was his ambition. He worked the first year for $25 a month and board. So well did he do his duties and work, his employer then gave him $30 a month and he con- tinued steadily for four years .. Having paid off his debt and acquired some means, in 1905 he and two brothers bought 3,000 head of yearlings, ranging them for seven months and sold out at a profit; then Martin, with his brother, John, bought a flock together and engaged in sheep raising, increasing their flock and doing well. After thirteen years of harmonious business association they dis- solved partnership.
Mr. Ardohain now has several thousand head of sheep which he ranges on the plains and in the mountains. He owns a ranch of 160 acres southeast of Huron that he has for his headquarters of his sheep camp in the winter, while summers he leases the Shaver Lake property as well as of the National Forest Reserve on the Upper Kings River. He has also engaged in grain raising at Huron. In 1917 he moved his family from Huron to Fresno, where he resides at 1357 Glenn Street. Mr. Ardohain was married in Fresno, August 15, 1910, to Miss Marie Yrigaray who was also born in his native place and they have two children, Carmen and Louis. He is one of the original stockholders in the Growers National Bank of Fresno.
G. MASELLI .- Mr. Maselli has achieved success in the face of discour- agements and deserves the position he now occupies. He was born at Bari, Italy, May 15, 1864. His father was a proprietor of large vineyards and or- chards in Italy. His mother's name was Mary Campagna. Both parents died in Italy. Mr. Maselli was highly educated in the University of Padua. He took a special analogist and vineyardist course and became proficient in chem- istry. He was a producer and grower of olives, and manufactured olive oil in Italy. He built up a large business, and owned several vineyards, wineries and distilleries, and an olive oil factory. He also owned a chemical laboratory, which he operated in connection with his other business. While thus occu- pied he devised the method of extracting the oil from grape seeds in commer- cial quantities. When his first experiments were made, he was a boy at home, and later he worked the process out.
Fifteen years ago Mr. Maselli came here as the special agent and chemist for the California Products Company, his particular work being the extraction of oil from the seed of grapes. It has been found that the seed from ripe grapes contains from fifteen to eighteen per cent. of oil. This oil is used in making fine soaps and fine paints. In paints this oil dries very quickly. Mr. Maselli has the honor of being the first man in the world to do this work in commercial quantities.
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