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 20

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 20

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While in Mendocino County, Mr. Lynch was married to Mary S. Garner, a native of Arkansas, who came to California on a stage with her uncle, J. F. Todd, and settled in Mendocino County. They have had five children, all of whom have reflected creditably on the parents: Edwin F., the eldest, is deceased ; William H. lives at home with his father; Marietta has become Mrs. Noyes of Fresno; Thomas K. is in Los Angeles; and Frederick M. re- sides on Kearney Avenue. Mr. Lynch belongs to the Baptist Church, and he was made a Mason in the San Benito Lodge, but is now a member of Fresno Lodge, No. 247, F. & A. M.

FRANK G. HOLMGREN .- In the life of this successful citizen of Fresno, are illustrated the results of perseverance and energy, coupled with judicious management and strict integrity in all his various business enter- prises.

Frank G. Holmgren was born March 8, 1860, at Ystad, in the southern part of Sweden. At the age of fourteen he was apprenticed to a carpenter for three years where, as is customary in European countries, he received no salary while learning the trade, but was provided with his board. Frank G. Holmgren was ambitious to better his condition financially, and like so many of his fellow countrymen, he emigrated to the United States, in 1880, and settled at first in Brockton, Mass., where he worked at his trade of a carpenter, and · while living there was also employed on the construction of the well known shoe factory of W. L. Douglass, in which he also worked for a time making shoe lasts.

After a residence of seven years in Brockton, Mr. Holmgren had a desire to see more of the great United States, particularly the Golden State, so in 1887 he migrated to San Diego, Cal., where for a while he worked at his trade, and on January 2, 1889, located at Fresno. Mr. Holmgren, being a first class workman and ambitious to succeed in his chosen line, soon found plenty of work and today can point with pardonable pride to some of Fresno's best buildings as an example of his high-class workmanship. His first employ- ment was upon the construction of the well known Temple Bar Block, he also helped in building the Farmers' National Bank Block, the People's Loan

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and Savings Bank Building, and the Barton Opera House. Afterwards he started in business for himself and erected the Swedish Lutheran Church, in Fresno. Later he abandoned contracting and engaged in the furniture business on J Street, Fresno, and also conducted a cigar store.

In 1909 he purchased twenty acres of raw land on Belmont Avenue, which he improved by planting to muscat grapes and building a fine resi- dence, where he lived for several years, and in 1913 disposed of the property at a good profit. In addition to these he has built and sold several houses in the city of Fresno, and at the present time is engaged in following his trade. Mr. Holmgren is thorough and conscientious in all his work, and is a member of the Carpenters' Union.

In 1889 F. G. Holmgren was united in marriage with Louisa Larson, a native of Sweden, and this happy union has been blessed with one daughter. Ida, who is now the wife of Erick Anderson, of Madera. They are the parents of three children. Mr. Holmgren is a member of the Swedish Lutheran Church. He is highly esteemed for his integrity of character and his success in business has been due entirely to his own well directed efforts.

LESTER F. HARTIGAN .- A young man of enterprise and business ingenuity, is the efficient superintendent of machinery for the California Associated Raisin Company. Lester F. Hartigan is a son of James and Margaret (Douglas) Hartigan. He first saw the light of day May 4, 1887, at Oleander, Fresno County, Cal. His education was received in the grammar and high school at Fresno, which was supplemented by a special course in Heald's Electrical and Engineering College, at San Francisco. After leaving college, Mr. Hartigan spent three years in the Central California Machine Shop, at Fresno, where he gained valuable experience as a machinist ; after- wards he was in charge of the seeding department of the J. B. Inderrieden Packing Company, of Fresno, for two years.

In 1914 L. F. Hartigan accepted a position with the California Associated Raisin Company as a machinist, and so efficiently did he discharge all of his duties, that, after only one year, in recognition of his superior ability, he was promoted to the responsible position of superintendent of all the ma- chinery in the great plants of the California Associated Raisin Company.

His maternal grandfather, Frank A. Douglas, a pioneer of Fresno County, invented the first machine used in stemming raisins. Mr. Hartigan has in- herited the inventive genius of his grandfather, and has introduced into the plant a number of important changes in the machinery, among which especial · mention is made of steel paddles used in the recleansing department, and has also made a number of minor improvements in the raisin machinery.

Lester F. Hartigan was united in marriage on September 29, 1910, with Isabel Birmingham, a native of Fresno and daughter of Thomas Birmingham. Fraternally, Mr. Hartigan is a member of the Red Men and Native Sons of the Golden West; and is a man of high moral character and unquestioned integrity.

SYLVESTER A. GEBHART .- Born in Henry County, Ind., December 6, 1876, Sylvester A. Gebhart was raised on a farm and received his education in the country schools of that district. At the age of twenty years he left home and started in life for himself, first finding employment on a farm in Missouri, going thence to central Iowa, where he worked for three and one-half years on farms and stock ranches. From there he went to South Dakota, and spent one season in the harvest fields of that state.

Mr. Gebhart arrived in Fresno, Cal., November 26, 1901, and here en- tered the employ of the Fancher Creek Nurseries, since which date he has remained with the firm. He started to learn the nursery business from the bottom, drove team for a while, and later looked after the growing stock, learning every branch of the work. He had charge as foreman of two nursery plants near Sanger for eight years, one located on Kings Bottom, below

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Sanger, and the other two miles south of Sanger, during the busy seasons having charge of 160 men and fifty-six head of horses and mules.

A man of broad sensibilities and progressive in his business methods, Mr. Gebhart has established a fine system in carrying on his work, and is always looking for further improvements to better facilitate the business. His success has been so marked that in 1912 he was made superintendent of all the plants of the company, and he brings to his larger field of work the same attention to detail and progress which made his beginning so success- ful. A self-made man in every sense of the word, Mr. Gebhart has risen to his present position solely through his own efforts and enterprise and well deserves the success which has come as a result. He is the oldest employee but one with the company, in point of service. With a keen appreciation of the growing prosperity of Fresno, he has backed his judgment by investing in Fresno real estate, and is a ready contributor to all movements which have for their object the further advancement of the county.

Mr. Gebhart's marriage united him with Bertha Sand, a native of Indiana, and two children have been born to them: Albert, born in 1909; and Luella, born in 1912.

SEPTER E. JOHNSTON .- Although the present population of Fresno is made up, to a considerable extent of the younger generation, there are quite a number of the old timers among its successful business men. Among these we note the name of Septer E. Johnston, born in Ray County, Missouri, October 22, 1859. His father, James L., brought his family across the plains in 1864 by ox team express, the usual method of transportation at that time, and located at Healdsburg, Sonoma County. In 1866 he returned to Missouri with his family via the Isthmus.

Septer E. lived in Missouri until 1874 when he removed to Cowley County; Kans., where he farmed until 1881, when he went to Washington County, Ark., where he farmed until 1883, and in that year made a trip to Arizona and returned to Arkansas in the fall of 1884, and continued farming in that state until 1887 when he came to Fresno, Cal. Upon his arrival at Fresno he took up mechanical engineering, working first for the Fresno Water Company. He helped to bore the first well at the Central Station and set the first pump. Afterwards he entered the employ of the Fresno Gas and Electric Company, in whose service he remained for six years. In 1894 he began work in the shops of the Southern Pacific Railroad, where he re- mained for four years as a repairman. He was then transferred to the rail- road yards as an inspector. Since October 30, 1911, he has been in the em- ploy of the California Packing House where he is now chief engineer of Plant No. 6, Pacific Coast Seeded Raisin Company. In 1885 S. E. Johnston married Rose Dees, a native of Arkansas, and they are the parents of six children, namely : Dr. E. Melvin, Monroe Ezra, Effie V., Viola, Forest E. and Theodore, all of whom were born and educated in Fresno.

Mr. Johnston is a member of the Methodist Church, South, and a Modern Woodman.

ANDREW MATTEI, JR .- In the earlier years of Los Angeles, the metropolis of Southern California, while the city was yet in the throes of the real estate excitement of the eighties, one of Fresno County's rising young business men, Andrew Mattei, Jr., was born in that city, September 26, 1887.

Mr. Mattei was educated at the Horace Mann School in the Malaga district of Fresno County, and supplemented his early education with a course at Santa Clara College, at Santa Clara, and St. Mary's College, at Oakland, graduating from the latter institution in 1908. Civil engineering and a com- mercial course were included in his curriculum, and he afterwards engaged in viticulture and the wine-making industry with his father, with whom he has been associated ever since, his special line of development work being the clari-

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fying of wine and placing it on the eastern market, selling direct to dealers instead of through local agencies, as in former years.

Energetic and versatile, Mr. Mattei exhibits an unusual capacity for business achievement. He has made a success of his work in whatever line he has been engaged. He is general manager of the Union Sales Company and also general manager of the General Tire and Rubber Company of Cali- fornia, with headquarters in Fresno and branch offices throughout the state. He has a chain of ten oil-filling stations located in San Francisco, Fresno, Merced, Tulare, Visalia and Porterville. He is also president of the Center Mercantile Company, located at 1151 J Street, Fresno.

Mr. Mattei's marriage united him with Miss Julia Eddy, one of Califor- nia's native daughters, and they are the parents of two children, Andrew, Jr. and Elleanor. In his fraternal associations he is a member of the Fresno Lodge of Elks, and of the Fresno Parlor of Native Sons of the Golden West. In 1917 he was vice-president of the Fresno Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Mattei makes his home on the ranch at Malaga and ably assists his father in caring for the various interests connected with their business.

HENRY RAUSCHER .- Of good old Pennsylvania stock, Henry Rauscher was born January 27, 1849, in Beaver County, in the state named for that unique figure in the annals of history, William Penn. He received a common school education and at the age of eighteen removed to Ten- nessee. As a young man he followed the business of photography before the day of the dry plate, when tin types were the only kind of pictures taken. In 1870 he came to Santa Rosa, Cal., and was one of the first men in Sonoma County to take photographs. After following this profession for nine years he located in Fresno in 1879 where he was also one of the first to take photos. The early inhabitants of Fresno recall his portable gallery on the corner of J and Mariposa Streets on the spot where the Grand Central Hotel now stands. Later he changed his location to J Street.

He followed this profession for a number of years, then turned his attention to mining and prospecting in the hills of Fresno and Merced Coun- ties. Not finding a bonanza, as a few of the more fortunate have here and there, after a time he turned his attention to other lines of business and at present conducts a confectionery and cigar store at 1601 Tulare Street in Fresno. He is one of the well known pioneers of the county and was in early days a famous crack shot with a forty-four calibre rifle. In fact his skill as a marksman was so well known that he was barred from the popular turkey shoots of those days, as the bird was quite certain to fall at the crack of his rifle. He was fond of hunting, and is full of reminiscences of those early days when antelope and other wild game were abundant on the plains in the country when he first came to the state, and when there were only four brick houses in Fresno. He has never aspired to any political office of any kind and is not affiliated with any social organization.

PROF. J. W. MOORE .- Fresno offers vast opportunities for the business and professional men who have been attracted from abroad and near, due to its marvelously rapid growth within a comparatively short time. This city affords rare advantages in all educational avenues, chief among which might be mentioned the fine arts, and has been honored with the establish- ment of the institution known as "The Fresno Academy of Music" by Prof. J. W. Moore, 1302 N Street, corner of Merced, where he installed for musical students a pipe-organ, piano, violin, voice, theory and harmony department, since the year 1916.

Professor Moore was born in Yorkshire, England, May 1, 1870, and was reared in a refined and religious home. His father being a pipe organist and choir director, J. W. Moore was given every advantage for a thorough musical education, for which he demonstrated rare talent and aptitude, having played a pipe-organ in church at the early age of eight years. He grad-

M.a. Nordstrom_

Hilden Nordstrom

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uated from the Royal Academy of Music in London, and Royal College of Organists, London, after which he traveled extensively in musical centers of Europe, studied the organ under Professor Guilmant of Paris, one of the world's leading organists; also Sparks of London, Dr. Crow of Ripon, and the late Prof W. T. Best of Liverpool. After completing his studies Professor Moore resided some years in Bradford, England where he was Municipal Organist. also engaged in teaching, specializing in voice culture, piano and pipe-organ.

In 1906 Professor Moore visited Southern California where the rec- ognition of his rare ability was so marked that he was induced to yield to the public's enthusiastic appeal for his permanently locating here where his talent was so needed and keenly appreciated by minds capable of recognizing his artistic efficiency. Since then many large audiences of California have recognized, with keen appreciation, Professor Moore as a talented musician and composer of no mean ability.

Professor Moore's Organ Recitals at the Auditorium in Fresno, as well as his work at the local churches have added superlatively to the reputation this city enjoys far and near as a musical center where rare talent may be found, and here such artists will find, in the growing tide of population, a fertile field for the inculcation of their talents upon the rising generation.

REV. MAGNUS ANDERS NORDSTROM .- A man of forceful charac- ter, pronounced business ability, extreme conscientiousness and deep religious convictions, and altogether a striking personality, who loves Fresno County and particularly one corner of it, where he has developed a splendid ranch, is the Rev. Magnus Anders Nordstrom, the pioneer of Vinland, who organized the Swedish Lutheran Church there, was its first pastor, and is now again in charge of that congregation's spiritual welfare. To him also is to be credited the organization of the first school district of Vinland. He was born in Vermland, Sweden, on June 7, 1856, in a community near Carlstad, the son of Anders Anderson, a farmer, and Anna Anderson, the mother of eight children, among whom our sub- ject was the third youngest. He remained at home and attended school until he was fourteen, and then he spent three years in Norway, one year in Eswold and two years in Christiania, in the manufacturing of shoes. When twenty, how- ever, he decided to study for the ministry.

Whereupon, Mr. Nordstrom entered the Oerebro (Sweden) Mission School and studied for three years, preparing for the life of a clergyman, and then, for a year, he studied at Westeras; and there he took the name Nordstrom. After four years he received a call from the Augustana Synod to continue his studies at the Augustana College and Seminary, at Rock Island, Ill., and hither he came in 1884. In 1887, when he had completed his course, he was ordained in Chicago, and then he accepted a call to Kane, Pa., as well as to Wilcox, in the same state, to serve two congregations. He soon traveled as a missionary pastor over a large territory, developing the field, and organizing congregations which are now directed by eight pastors. He built three churches and parsonages, and organ- ized congregations at Dubois, Smithford and Bradford, Pa. He labored in that field for five years, and then accepted a call to Woodhull, Ill. At the end of two years, in 1894, he moved to Minnesota as pastor of the Lutheran Church at Hoffman ; and he also took up missionary work. During ten years, he organized three congregations, and built four churches and a parsonage.

In the fall of 1903, on account of ill-health, the Reverend Nordstrom sought a milder climate, and came to California; and it was not long before he took up his residence in Fresno County. He had been here the spring before, and, after looking over the ground, had decided that this was the best place in which to locate. Eight friends from Minnesota accompanied him, and they made a small settlement. Each bought according to his ability or needs, and Mr. Nordstrom bought forty acres at the corner of what is now Madera and Shaw Avenues. He donated the site, and helped build the Congregational Church, after organizing

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the congregation, and was the first pastor. He continued in that pastorate for four years.

In 1908, the Reverend Nordstrom accepted a call to Riverside, Cal., as pastor and was there for two years, and then he came back to his ranch, which he improved with a vineyard and an orchard, growing Thompson seedless and malaga grapes, and peaches. He was a pastor in charge of work at Fresno, Turlock and Berea for about three years, while he made his home in Vinland ; and after that he was pastor, for about one year, of the Fresno and Vinland churches. When he resigned, in the Fall of 1914, he temporarily accepted the pastorate of the Ebenezer Lutheran Church in San Francisco, and after fifteen months when they had secured a permanent pastor, he returned to his Vinland ranch. A call from Los Angeles to take charge of the Angelica congregation took him there for eight months, but in June, 1918, he withdrew from that charge to become the permanent pastor of the church he originally built. Now he resides on his own ranch, and in his own home.

While in Minnesota he served as chairman, in the Alexandria District, of the Minnesota Conference; in California he has served several years as chair- man in the Central District of the California Conference.

In national politics the Reverend Nordstrom is a Republican, but he sup- ports good local issues regardless of any partisanship. He has been instrumental in locating nearly all the home-makers of Swedish extraction, in the Vinland Colony, Fresno County.

In New York City, on Oct. 10, 1889, Mr. Nordstrom was married to Miss Hildur Runstedt, a native of Stockholm, who was educated in the Guttenburg High School. Two daughters have been born to this very worthy couple: Magnhild, who resides with her parents; and Lillie Hildur, the wife of Arthur J. Anderson of Vinland, and the mother of a son, Gerald. Mrs. Nordstrom and her daughters were active in Red Cross work, in Los Angeles and at home.

JOHN L. HUTCHINSON .- A native of La Salle County, Il1., John L. Hutchinson first saw the light of day on January 5, 1854, on a farm near Tonica. In his native state he received a good education, having attended both high school and college, the latter being located at Eureka. When he reached his majority, Mr. Hutchinson went to Chatsworth, Ill., where he taught school and engaged in farming for seven years. In 1882 he migrated westward, locating at York, Nebr. Here he bought a farm containing 169 acres, and followed grain-farming for three years, after which he sold the place and moved to Indianola, Nebr., where he purchased a section of land. After remaining there three years, he removed to Edgemont, S. D. MF. Hutchinson, being a very enterprising business man, soon realized that Edgemont needed a water supply, and at once installed pipes and a complete system, whereby he supplied the town with this indispensable necessity.

During the great rush to the Alaska gold fields, in 1898, John L. Hutchinson joined the great host in quest of the precious yellow metal in the Klondike, where he was quite successful. In 1900 he came to San Fran- cisco, Cal. There he pursued a course in civil and mining engineering, in the Van Dernailen School of Engineering, after which he went to James- town, Tuolumne County, and for ten years was an engineer on the Sugar Pine Railroad from Oakdale to Stockton, the road being operated into the moun- tain lumber camps. In 1911 Mr. Hutchinson located at Fresno, where for one year he was engaged in the real estate business. He then left, in 1912, for Sangamon County, Ill., to settle an estate, and remained five years, until January 1, 1917, when he returned to Fresno County. Since that time he has made many important investments in ranch property, among others forty acres southeast of Clovis and forty acres northwest of Clovis. In the spring of 1918 he purchased forty acres at Orosi, Tulare County, and later twenty acres southeast of Orosi. All of these tracts were partially improved with vineyards and orchards, but with his characteristic enterprise Mr. Hutchinson

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started at once to further improve his properties and bring them all up to a high state of development, planting new vines and improving the buildings. His various ranches are devoted to peaches, figs, apricots and grapes. As an example of the high state of cultivation to which he has brought his peach orchards, mention is made of the 1918 crop from eight acres, for which he received a $2,500 check. He is intensely interested in the permanent development of scientific horticulture and viticulture, and is an influential member of the California Peach Growers' Association and the California Associated Raisin Company.

In October, 1917, Mr. Hutchinson purchased his beautiful modern home in the City of Fresno, on the corner of Wishon Avenue and Peralta Way, and has since improved the grounds with flowers and shrubbery, making it a very attractive home place. Mrs. Hutchinson was in maidenhood Alma Trumbo, a native of Chatham, Sangamon County, Ill. Mr. and Mrs. Hutchin- son have reared a boy, Stewart Hutchinson, who is now seventeen years of age. Mr. Hutchinson is a man of unquestioned integrity and high ideals. He was a charter member of Edgemont Lodge, No. 63, K. of P. Religiously, Mr. and Mrs. Hutchinson are members of the Christian Church.

LUTHER ROY McGUIRE .- The memories associated with the child- hood and young manhood of Luther R. McGuire have their setting in the Old Dominion. He was born in Augusta County, October 16, 1886. Brought up on his father's farm, he attended the country schools of his native state and worked on the farm until he attained his majority, after which he went to Washington, D. C., and took charge of the farm of the National Training School for Boys-an agricultural and business school for 400 boys who were in attendance. During the three and a half years that Mr. McGuire was in charge of the farm he made many improvements in the way of clear- ing up timber land, increasing the acreage for planting, enlarging the herd of dairy cows, etc.

After relinquishing charge of this farm he returned to his Virginia home, and for one year was engaged in the grocery business with his brother at Herndon, Va. He came to California in the fall of 1913, and desirous of learning the fruit growing and packing business entered the Malaga Packing House. Later he became fruit buyer for the packing house. Afterwards he superintended the improvement and development of land for his uncle, J. F. Niswander, planting a vineyard near Clovis, and in the fall of 1916 he entered the employ of the California Peach Growers' Association. He installed ma- chinery in the Valley plants and later was made inspector of plants, after- wards being made manager of Plant No. 9, in Fresno.

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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 20

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