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 138

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 138

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for a year. There they worked as hard as ever, so that between them they had about $2,000 when they came to Riverdale and rented 640 acres of the Burrel estate holdings. The brothers went energetically to work and ran a private dairy; they made butter and sold it in Fresno, and prospered. There the brother Peter joined them; and being overambitious, perhaps, they went back to Sonoma County and bought eighty-five head of young cattle, think- ing to clean up handsome profits in the investment. They shipped them by water and rail to Central California, and drove them to their definite destina- tion ; but the Texas fever broke out, and in two weeks they had all died save nineteen. Then, when the losses had broken them financially, the started again to work as farm hands at monthly wages, and began anew. Peter and Rocco S. rented John's Ranch, but when Peter went back to Switzerland to get married, Louis bought out his interest, and thereafter Louis and Rocco continued the business together and prospered. For one or two years the brothers continued in partnership, and then Rocco managed the dairy for himself. He bought this place of seventy-two acres, half a mile east of what is now Riverdale, and later bought a tract of land in partnership with his brother, Louis, of which Rocco has retained some eighty acres. This he has highly improved and made into a very fine dairy ranch. After a while, he bought sixty-three acres located between the home ranch and Riverdale.

Mr. Gobby, besides being a stockholder in the First National Bank, has also been a stockholder in the Riverdale Cooperative Creamery since its start in 1911, having done effective work in its organization. When his brother Peter, who was a director, died on July 15, 1917, the vacancy in the board of directors was filled by appointing Rocco; and being an excellent business man with progressive ideas, he has been able to serve the creamery to great advantage, and during the present year, additional building and machinery to the value of $25,000 have been added, making a total investment of about $50,000.

Rocco S. Gobby was married to Amelia Leon, sister of Camilli Leon of Burrel, and who was a native of the same canton as was her husband. Mr. and Mrs. Gobby have had four children. The first was still-born. The second was Louis Edward, who served his country as a machine gunner in the One Hundred Sixty-sixth Machine-gun Company of the Forty-second, Rain- bow Division, participating in the Aisne-Marne, July 25 to August 3; St. Mihiel, September 12 to 16; Meuse-Argonne, October 11 to 31, 1918. He re- turned to America with his division ; landed at Hoboken, N. J., April 25, 1919; was honorably discharged at the Presidio, at San Francisco, on May 21, 1919, and is now at home. The third child is Millie, at home; and the fourth is Albert, twenty-one years of age, engaged as a plumber at Riverdale. Their beloved mother passed away at the age of thirty years in December, 1898.

FRED HORCH .- A well-posted and successful horticulturist, is Fred Horch, who was born at Stepnofski, Samara, Russia, on March 29, 1876, the son of George Horch, a native of that section who was a farmer and died there in 1903. His wife was Kathrina Miller before her marriage, and she is still living, the honored mother of eleven children, six of whom are also living.

Fred attended the public schools of his home district and grew up on a farm ; one of his household being a sister, Christina, now Mrs. Salwasser, of Parent Colony, Fresno County. In 1897 Fred entered the Russian army, and was later transferred to the Russian navy and served four years in the Baltic fleet. In 1901 he was honorably discharged, having made a good record as machinist and engineer on the Lut Kamina. While in service his right hand was caught in a wheel so that he lost three fingers.

On January 31, 1902, Mr. Horch was married to Miss Christine Nilmeier, a native of his birthplace and the daughter of Fred Nilmeier, a farmer, still there at the ripe old age of seventy years. His wife, Kathrina, born there is

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also living. She is the mother of eight children, six of whom are living, five being in America: Annie is Mrs. Gross of Fresno; Christine is the wife of the subject of this review; August, who attended the same school, lives on the old homestead ; Sophie is Mrs. Michel, of Fresno; Maggie, Mrs. Sparks, dwells near by; and Marie is Mrs. Rosenthal, also a neighbor.

On May 5, 1902, Mr. Horch brought his wife to Winnipeg, Canada, and after two months came to Fresno, where he arrived in August, 1902. He went to work on the Southern Pacific Railway under Peter Nilmeier, and after a short time he was employed in a vineyard and packing-house, and then in an oil-refinery. He worked about six years, here and there, gathering more experience than money ; but he got ahead sufficiently to buy a ranch of twenty acres in the Laguna tract.

This he improved to alfalfa, and a year later sold it at a profit. He re- turned to Fresno, and after a year rented an orchard and vineyard of 120 acres in the Wilson tract, which he ran for a year. He then bought a thirty- acre ranch on McKinley Avenue, which he improved and conducted for two years ; and when he sold it he returned to Fresno. At the end of two years he leased an orchard on Belmont Avenue. After another period of two years he leased a place in the Mckinley district. This has forty acres of orchard, with Muir. Lovell and Elberta peaches, and well equipped in every respect. He has a Bean power-sprayer, and a sulphur house and drying grounds. He be- longs to the California Peach Growers, Inc., and has been a member and a stockholder from its organization.

Two children, Kathrine and Edward, have added to the friends of the Horch family, and with their parents attend the Lutheran Church in Fresno, of which Mr. Horch is an ex-trustee. He belongs to the Republican party and does his share in working for civic uplift and local improvement.

ANDREW SODERBERG .- Among those from foreign shores who are loyal to the country of their adoption and who have made for themselves a place in the community where they reside, Andrew Soderberg is a quiet, unas- suming and industrious rancher and fruit-raiser who came to America with the in- tention of making good and is doing it. He was born in Dalene, Sweden, December 24, 1855. His father was a farmer and the son was brought up on the farm. His mother was Sarah Erikson. Both parents are now dead. They had two children, Andrew, in California, and Frederick, in Minnesota.

Mr. Soderberg attended the public schools in his native land, and learning the carpenter trade, engaged in building and contracting, until in 1879, when he came to America, going to Hudson, Wis., where he engaged in lumbering for a year. In 1880 he located a homestead of 160 acres in Saint Hilaire, Minn. While im- proving his place he engaged in contracting and building, following this for many years in connection with his farming. He bought forty acres additional, and then had 200 acres, which he put in grain, and he also handled stock.

In 1910, Mr. Soderberg made a trip to California and, being well pleased with the country, purchased thirty-six acres and began improvements, and in 1912 moved onto it. He now has ten acres of peaches, six and a half acres in Thompson Seedless, and the balance in alfalfa and grain.

Mr. Soderberg was married.in Minneosta to Miss Hannah Anderson, who was born in Sweden, but came to Minnesota with her parents when a child. Of their six children we name the following: Arthur, with the Southern Pacific, in San Francisco; Albert, with the United States Army in France; Milton, a graduate of the University of California, and a teacher of Agriculture, is also in the United States Service ; Ethel, a graduate of Kerman High, is attending the University of California; Arnold, also of Kerman High School.

While in Minnesota, Mr. Soderberg was for many years a school director, and here he is a member of the Lutheran Church. He is also affiliated with the California Peach Growers, Inc., the California Associated Raisin Company, and the Modern Woodmen.

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HISTORY OF FRESNO COUNTY

REV. GEORGE HAROOTUNE FILIAN .- A ranching evangelist who, with his wife, leads the simple life, devotes every minute to useful activity of some kind, and gives freely of all his surplus earnings, is the Reverend George Harootune Filian, the well-known author and lecturer, whose literary and ministerial accomplishments are familiar to thousands in many parts of the United States. He farms with success on his ranch of fifty-three and a half acres three-quarters of a mile south of Parlier; but unlike many who gladly take the fruits of the earth and hoard them for their own selfish ben- efit, the Reverend Filian devotes all the excess of the gross income of $7,000 a year to the relief of his countrymen.

He was born at Antioch, in Armenia, on January 20, 1853, in the place where, according to Biblical narrative, the Disciples first were called Chris- tians. His father was a banker at Antioch. Nine boys and four girls were born to these parents, and three of the family became ministers. George was the twelfth child, and as almost the youngest, received perhaps more than the usual tender care from the mother, who was Rosa Chalikian before her marriage.

The paternal grandfather was John Filian, and there is an interesting story as to the origin, from his time, of the family name. He was an orphan child ; and as he grew to maturity, he became exceptionally large and muscu- lar. He was therefore nicknamed "Filian," which in the Armenian language means "son of an elephant," or gigantic; and this name so stuck to him that it was transmitted to his children and their descendants. He began life poor, but was a hard worker and he became one of the largest and wealthiest farm- ers in the vicinity of Antioch. Grandfather Filian died in Armenia at the age of seventy-five. George's father, also George Filian, inherited his father's business ability, and becoming a banker, he grew to be one of the wealthiest men at Antioch. He loaned money to silk-growers in that vicinity, for the country round about Antioch has become famous for its silk culture. He also died aged seventy-five, and the mother passed away in her seventieth year.

George's father owned seven or eight farms near Antioch, and so he was able and disposed to do well by his children. The lad went to school and learned the Armenian language. He was christened in the Gregorian Church, · to which his parents belonged; but in 1856 he was converted by American Congregational missionaries-Messrs. Powers and Morgan, then preaching at Antioch-and thereafter he went to the American missionary schools in Armenia, and in 1873 he entered on the academic course, and studied English and the Bible until 1876.

Having finished the regular school course, he began to preach as an evangelist in different Armenian cities, and in 1878 he started for America, still further to equip himself. He sailed from Samasoun by way of Constan- tinople, Gibraltar and Great Britain, landing at Cardiff and re-sailing from Liverpool ; and finally, on July 4, 1878, he arrived at New York City. There he started at once to work for a living ; and when he had made such headway that he had laid aside a part of his earnings, in 1879 he matriculated at Oberlin College; in 1880 he entered the Union Theological Seminary in New York. He studied the Bible there, and then continued as a student in the Chicago Theological Seminary ; and was graduated in 1882, after which he was ordained as a preacher of the Congregational ministry and lectured in the states of the East and Middle West.

In the fall of that year he went back to Armenia, where he was married, on November 15, to Miss Housdiane Minasian, an Armenian but a native of Constantinople. She was the daughter of a wealthy merchant, Bedros Mi- nasian, proprietor of the "Minasian Armenian Store" there ; her mother was Sirpuhi, also a native of Constantinople. After the marriage, Mr. Filian entered upon his life work as a minister and evangelist.

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Soon after being ordained, Mr. Filian was a Congregational minister at Wheaton, Ill., the scene of his elevation to the pulpit, and there he first began to get that real understanding of the American people and the institutions of this country. He has crossed the Atlantic five times. His second trip to America was made for the purpose of raising money for the erection of a church at Marsovan in Armenia. He was able to get together $20,000, returned to Armenia and had built a church to hold 1,500 souls. This edifice he turned over to the Protestant congregation at Marsovan; but the Turkish author- ities, learning of the event, banished him and massacred the members of the church, at the same time that they appropriated the edifice, and converted the church into a Mohammedan mosque.

It was the first year of the new century that witnessed Mr. Filian's ad- vent in Fresno, for then he came and built the Armenian Presbyterian Church in J Street. He left the Congregational, and joined the Presbyterian Church in order to associate himself with the new movement; and although the congregation was organized in 1900, only two years were required for the erection of a suitable church home. In 1903 he came to Parlier and bought his ranch referred to, and for fifteen years he has worked to steadily improve it. Mr. and Mrs. Filian have one child, Rose, who is now the wife of Ohan Ohannesian, the well-known attorney at Fresno; and they have two children, Theodore G. and Elsie H.

Besides lecturing on Armenian problems, Mr. Filian wrote several books that have had notable sales and have undoubtedly effected great good. "Ar- menia and Her People" was published by the American Publishing Company at Hartford, Conn., in 1896, and was a volume of 374 pages. His next work was "Heavenly Lights," a book of his sermons set in 415 pages, and run from the press of the American Tract Society. It was printed in the Armenian language, and Mr. Filian paid for printing this himself. The volume has been circulated and read by his fellow-countrymen, in America as well as in Ar- menia, and he has never made a penny out of the transaction, which has thus helped to spread the Gospel. In addition to the above, he has the man- uscript, written in his own hand in the Armenian language, for a greatly enlarged edition of "Heavenly Lights" and this will soon be published as a five volume work. This he will also pay for himself; for he takes Christ at his word, and believes that "it is more blessed to give than it is to receive." His illustrated lecture on "Armenia and Her People" is presented with more than two hundred and fifty beautifully colored lantern views of Armenia, Con- stantinople and the Holy Land.

Among other publications of the Reverend Mr. Filian is a fifteen-page pamphlet, "Armageddon and the Battle of Armageddon," which was copy- righted in 1913. In it the author definitely locates the battlefield, and predicts that a great world war will take place in 1914; and he goes so far as to prophecy not only the participation of European nations in the great affray, but says that even the United States will be dragged into it. It is remark- able that the gist of this pamphlet, which is based on the prophecies in the scriptures, was also given in his "Armenia and Her People," published in 1896, and which was dedicated to the martyrs of Armenia who lost their lives in defense of the Christian faith.

AUGUST PARRET .- Among the enterprising and progressive men who crossed the ocean from France to cast in his lot on the Pacific Coast we find August Parret, who was born in Ambrun, Hautes-Alpes, March 1, 1872, the oldest of nine children born to Eli and Philomina (Rispaud) Parret, well-to- do farmers in Ambrun, where the mother died, and where the father is still living at the old home.

August Parret was reared to the life of a farmer, and received a thorough education in the elementary branches in the public schools. After completing the local schools he was apprenticed at the baker's trade and continued to fol-

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low that occupation until December, 1890, when he migrated to the United States, coming immediately to Fresno, Cal. On his arrival he went to work in the French Bakery, where he completed his trade. In 1894 he and his brother Eli started the Parisian Bakery, which they conducted for one year and then sold. Mr. Parret then became foreman for the Fresno Bakery, a position he filled satisfactorily for eight years, when he resigned and again went into partnership with his brother Eli and purchased the Parisian Bakery, at 737 G Street, which they conducted successfully for nine years. August then sold his interest to his brother, and accepted a position as foreman in the Tulare Bakery. This position he held for four years, resigning to engage in farming.

About three years ago Mr. Parret purchased his present ranch of thirty acres in Vinland Colony, where he is engaged in raising alfalfa and fruits. He is growing peaches and Thompson seedless vines and is meeting with well-merited success on his ranch. He also owns property in Clovis.

The marriage of Mr. Parret occurred in Fresno, where he was united with Miss Catherine Houkert, a native of Basses-Pyrénées, France. They have three children: Philomina, a graduate of Fresno High, and a stenogra- pher for the Underwood Typewriter Agency in Fresno; Eli, assisting his father on the farm; and Albert, who is also at home.

Mr. Parret is a member of the Ancient Order of Foresters, the Califor- nia Associated Raisin Company, and the California Peach Growers' Associa- tion. He speaks Italian as well as French, and for many years was frequently called as interpreter in those languages in the courts of the county. At one time he was nominated for city trustee, but withdrew as a candidate before the election. He was made a citizen of the United States in 1895, and is a Democrat in politics.

JOHN PHILLIP HELMUTH .- An example of what can be done by persevering industry and the determination to succeed is shown in the life story of John Phillip Helmuth, an enterprising rancher of the Biola district. He is a native of Russia, born in Ososki, Samara, July 28, 1860, a son of Jacob and Kathrina Elizabeth (Gammel) Helmuth, the father now deceased and the mother, aged eighty-five, making her home with her son John Phillip.

The third oldest in a family of six children, Mr. Helmuth was educated in the public schools of his native place and worked on his father's farm. After the latter's death, he ran the home place for his mother, and in 1881 he was married to Kathrina Weyand, also born in Samara, and a daughter of Phillip and Kathrina (Martin) Weyand; the mother died when Mrs. Helmuth was a child of five years, and her father died when she was seventeen.

After his marriage John Phillip followed farming in the old country until 1901, when they came to California and settled in Fresno, and for nine years he did ranch work in Fresno and vicinity. He then went to Hamilton, Glenn County, and was employed in the beet-sugar factory there. He returned to Fresno, and in 1909 bought a forty-acre ranch on Shields Avenue, in the Empire district, making all the improvements on the land, which with the exception of five acres in orchards, is set out to Thompson seedless vineyards. In 1916 he bought forty acres at Biola, and this he has also improved to Thompson vineyards; has built a new residence, and operates the property to splendid advantage, irrigating both from ditches and from a pumping-plant he has installed.

Ten children have come to Mr. and Mrs. Helmuth: Katie, Mrs. Sol- wasser of Vinland ; Maggie, Mrs. Will of Biola ; Jack, a vineyardist of Biola ; Henry, in viticulture in Vinland; George, vineyardist of Vinland; Phillip, served with the United States Army in France, being in service eighteen months; Christian, who has twenty acres at Biola; and August, Marie, and Peter, at home. The family attends the Congregational Church of Fresno. Mr. Helmuth is a member of the California Associated Raisin Company, and a man of liberal ideas, willing to work for the upbuilding of the community.

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PHILIP BURT THORNTON .- Among the men of southern lineage whose names should be mentioned in writing the history of the development of Fresno County is Philip Burt Thornton, attorney at law, Cory Building, Fresno, a native of Greene County, Ala.

In 1869, his parents, Dr. George F. Thornton and Susan Ann (Perrin) Thornton, removed from Alabama, their native state, to San Francisco, Cal., where they resided until they came to Fresno in 1891. In the early seventies Dr. Thornton went to Bakersfield, Kern County, Cal., as the general manager of the Haggin, Carr and Tevis interests. For many years he held that position, and it was under his management that the vast property now known as the Kern County Land Company's property, was first developed. Associated with Dr. Thorn- ton in the upbuilding, re-claiming and development of that property were the Hon. H. A. Jastro, Walter James, Temple Taylor and many others. Irrigation and intensive farming were in their infancy at that time; many things that are now taken for granted had to be worked out and developed. California certainly owes a lasting debt of gratitude to such men as James B. Haggin, W. B. Carr, Lloyd Tevis, Henry Miller and other intellectual and financial giants, who had confidence in the agricultural future of the State and backed that confidence with their money.

Philip B. Thornton was educated in the private schools of San Francisco. After studying in the University School under George Bates, a famous teacher of the day, he entered the University of California and was graduated from that institution with the degree of Bachelor of Arts, in 1889. From 1889 to 1893 he was associated with his father in the cattle business in Arizona. Then he began the study of the law in San Francisco, in the offices of Garber, Boalt & Bishop, under John Garber, and was admitted to practice in 1896.

After practicing in Arizona, he came to Fresno in 1900, and became inter- ested in the large Minor & Thornton cattle and dairy ranch. As a rancher Mr. Thornton was largely instrumental in building up a splendid dairy herd of pure- blooded Holstein-Friesian cattle on the Minor-Thornton Ranch.

The present prosperous condition of the dairy business in this section of the State is largely due to the efforts of the early dairymen and breeders; they de- veloped the resources of the country and showed what could be done. As an advocate of pure-blooded stock, and of progressive, up-to-date methods, Mr. Thornton has certainly left a lasting impression upon the development of Fresno County.

MARIANO ELICECHE .- A gentleman who was engaged in the stock business in Fresno County up till the time of his death was Mariano Eliceche, who was born in the Province of Navarra, Spain, in 1873 and passed away in San Francisco, Cal., in February, 1918. He was reared on the farm in his native place, where he received his education in the local schools. Deciding the Pacific Coast held greater opportunities for a young man with energy and an ambition to work and succeed, he migrated to California when twenty- five years of age, coming to Fresno County, where he was employed by a sheep man. A few years later, having accumulated some money, he pur- chased a small flock and began raising sheep on his own account. About 1904 he came to Coalinga, where he made his residence and headquarters. Later he purchased land near Alcalde, and there engaged in ranching, run- ning his sheep and cattle in the hills. In 1914 he became associated with Levy's in stockraising, continuing with them until his death.

Mr. Eliceche was married in Fresno, September 7, 1903, to Miss Juana Alverez, also a native of Navarra, Spain. Her father died when she was six years of age, and the mother and four children came to Fresno in 1901, where the mother died in 1916. Of the union of Mr. and Mrs. Eliceche five children were born, as follows: Michael, Geraldine, Mary, Frank, and Joseph. Since her husband's death Mrs. Eliceche has sold the stock, and rents her land and continues to make her home in Coalinga, where she is rearing and educating her children. The family are members of the Catholic Church.

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ANTONE GARCIA .- The superintendent of the Helm division for Mil- ler & Lux, Antone Garcia, was born in the Province of Coruna, Spain, Decem- ber 28, 1887, and was reared on his father Manuel Garcia's farm, receiving a good education in the local schools. Having heard tell of the opportunities to be had in California, he resolved to come hither and, though only thirteen years of age, found the opportunity offered when his uncle M. Garcia was returning to California from a visit in Spain. He obtained permission to ac- company his uncle and on arrival entered the employ of Miller & Lux at Buttonwillow, Kern County. Later he was employed on the Panama ranch near Bakersfield, and while there attended night school in Bakersfield for two and a half years. At nineteen years of age he became foreman at But- tonwillow under James Ogden. In 1908 he was transferred to Firebaugh as foreman and continued in that capacity until 1916, when he was promoted to his present position as superintendent of the Helm division for Miller & Lux, with his headquarters at the Helm ranch near Mendota. He has seven different ranches under his supervision, extending from Kerman to Oxalis. He gives the different places the best of attention and active supervision, and is well qualified to fill the position as he is now one of the oldest in years of service with the company.

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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 138

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