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 49
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108 | Part 109 | Part 110 | Part 111 | Part 112 | Part 113 | Part 114 | Part 115 | Part 116 | Part 117 | Part 118 | Part 119 | Part 120 | Part 121 | Part 122 | Part 123 | Part 124 | Part 125 | Part 126 | Part 127 | Part 128 | Part 129 | Part 130 | Part 131 | Part 132 | Part 133 | Part 134 | Part 135 | Part 136 | Part 137 | Part 138 | Part 139 | Part 140 | Part 141 | Part 142 | Part 143
Until he was nine years old Charles spent his childhood in the Shetland Islands, and then he sailed the briny deep, with his folks, finding a good harbor in New Brunswick. For a while he attended school there; but it was his wide reading and private study, of his own initiative, in later years, that enabled him to acquire his fund of information. His mother was a wonderfully sensible woman whose delight was to instil helpful principles into others, and from her companionship and example he profited in untold measure.
In May, 1881, Mr. Williamson came to California and pitched his tent in Fresno County. He had an uncle, Charles, who was at one time sheriff of Storey County, Nev., who had located in Fresno County, and to him he came. For a year he worked on a small farm and in an orchard, then he
1764
HISTORY' OF FRESNO COUNTY
obtained employment on a larger place, where he assisted in the care of the stock for G. H. Malter, on what is now the Minnewawa vineyard. He ran the first dairy on the place, and added some better ways of handling raw materials for dairying and dairy products.
Still later, Mr. Williamson was engaged by A. B. Butler on his 500-acre vineyard, and he came to superintend that important property before he was twenty-one. Fourteen months later he quit and was then employed by the Fresno Vineyard Company where he learned wine-making and distilling, and acquired a knowledge of the winery business, and then he was offered the superintendency of the Fresno Winery for the same company but he con- cluded that, on account of the early training by and example of his mother, he did not wish to continue his connection with the business. He therefore took up the superintendency of different vineyards here and in Tulare County ; and near Visalia, for two years, he managed a ranch of 4,500 acres -one of the best in California.
On his return to Fresno, Mr. Williamson started in to build up a business for himself. He bought a ranch in Lone Star, and engaged in viticulture; and he leased vineyards and there continued for four years. In 1897 he sold out, and the following year bought his present place devoted to viticulture and consisting originally of forty acres. He bought additional land, and then sold part of his holding ; now he has twenty acres adjoining the Kutner schoolhouse, eleven miles east of Fresno. These are set out to Thompson's seedless grapes, and for years he has engaged in packing and shipping the fruit of the vine.
In 1915, with his brother, David, Mr. Williamson went to Madera County and bought 200 acres of land near Madera. The tract was an old, run-down muscat vineyard; but with the aid of his sons, Howard and Ward, he took hold of it, superintended it himself, and, by proper irrigation and cultivation, he succeeded in obtaining two such excellent crops that he had no difficulty, in 1917. in disposing of the property at a big profit. His long experience had shown Mr. Williamson what was the matter with the vineyard, and what must be done to make it highly productive again.
In the fall of 1916, Mr. Williamson and his associates had one of the worst drying seasons known; and while most ranchmen lost their crops, he saved their entire crop by applying his energetic method of handling.
Mr. Williamson is very active in all movements for the advancement of the raisin industry, and in the recent work of the California Associated Raisin Company. A loyal, broad-minded citizen, Mr. Williamson has for years served as trustee and clerk of the Kutner school district.
HENRY FRIES .- A hard-working, reliable old-timer, who has im- proved and developed many acres and has become a successful farmer, is Henry Fries, who first came to Fresno in the early nineties. He was born in Stepnoia, Samara, Russia, on January 27. 1856, the son of George Fries, a farmer, and from a boy grew up to do farm work, while he attended the local school.
When twenty-two, he was married to Miss Mary Katie Scheidt, a native of that vicinity, and there began to farm for himself, and continued in agri- cultural pursuits until he came to America. In 1891 he managed to reach Cin- cinnati, and there he was employed until 1893, when he moved west to California.
On December 6, Mr. Fries set foot in Fresno, and for two years he worked in the vineyards, learning the science of viticulture. Then he bought six acres and a farm outfit, and rented land near Sanger, and for a year en- gaged in the raising of grain. After that he leased some vineyards, and tried viticulture : and at the end of three years, he bought the Grant vineyard of 160 acres. He devoted 100 acres to the vineyard, and raised raisins, and on the balance of the land raised stock and had a dairy.
1765
HISTORY OF FRESNO COUNTY
This property was well situated twenty-two miles south of Fresno, on the Laguna Grant and when he could, he bought twenty acres more of the Grant, and 160 acres on the West Side. He had 200 acres on the Grant tract, and set out ten acres in an orchard, and he also acquired 160 acres at Wheat- ville, and 120 acres on the Coalinga road between Kerman and McMullen. This he maintains as a stockfarm, which he rents out to others. He sold all of his Grant land, however, except twenty acres.
In 1912 Mr. Fries retired and located in Fresno, where he built a hand- some residence at the corner of C and Inyo Streets. Since then he has built several residences and sold each of them at a good figure. He has traded in lands, happy in his good judgment of present and future values in this land of steadily-increasing prosperity.
Seven children blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. Fries. Henry ; George; Peter ; Jacob ; Katie is Mrs. Herstein ; Mary is Mrs. Nielmeier ; and Anna is Mrs. Knaup. The family attend the Zion Lutheran Church of Fresno. Mr. Fries is a Republican, but always an American particularly interested in the community in which he lives.
L. B. FARMER .- As senior member of Farmer & Jacobsen, the well- known real estate dealers, and also as a large fruit-raiser, L. B. Farmer is doing his share in the development of Central California. His father, William Kean Farmer, now deceased, was a well-fixed agriculturist of the Iron State, who was born in Tennessee. The Civil War ruined him but with character- istic British pluck-for his family was of English origin-and American en- terprise, he persisted and once more became well-to-do. The mother was Rachel Jane Amos before her marriage, and when twelve years old she came to Missouri from Kentucky, where she was born. There she married. reared a family of six boys and three girls, and is still living, maintaining the old Farmer homestead and farm of 240 acres in Dade County, Mo.
Born near Lockwood in that county on September 25, 1873, the seventh child in the family and the only one destined to come to the Golden State, L. B. grew up on the farm and attended the public grammar school of the neighborhood. He went farther, and graduated from the high school at Lock- wood, a member of the Class of '95. After putting aside his school-books, however, he did the very sensible thing of returning to the farm and topping off his knowledge of agriculture.
In 1897, Mr. Farmer was married in Dade County to Miss Ella Dill, a native of that region, and the daughter of J. H. and Rosa (Moore) Dill, both of whom belong to the honor ranks of Missouri pioneer farmer folk. She, too, had graduated from high school study, having pursued her courses at Dayville, and no more promising helpmate could have been found.
After continuing to farm for a while, Mr. Farmer went to Lockwood and there built a livery and sales barn; he then formed a partnership with his youngest brother, A. D. Farmer, for the purchasing and shipping to Kansas City of selected horses and mules. Consignments were also made to St. Louis and Memphis, and at the same time a good home market was created. It was not long before the partners were busy buying for the Spanish-American and the Boer Wars, and in that field of activity our subject continued until 1906 when he sold out to his brother, and turned his face farther westward. A prime reason for his change was deference to the views of Mrs. Farmer, who had begun to fix her interest on California, and to wish that she, too, were among the thousands blessed by its favoring climate, resources and economic conditions. Mrs. Farmer and her child had preceded him to the Coast, to spy out the land, as it were, when Mr. Farmer, in December, 1906, arrived at Selma, and both were delighted with the locality.
For the first four or five years Mr. Farmer engaged in various enter- prises, and in each he demonstrated his exceptional fitness for whatever he undertook. For three years he conducted the St. George Livery, and then
1766
HISTORY OF FRESNO COUNTY
was for a couple of years agent for the Standard Oil Company. Then he embarked with E. S. Habler in the buying and selling of land, and in this work he has been engaged ever since. They started at the corner of Second and Front Streets, on what was then known as the Unger corner, and the firm was known as Habler & Farmer. The fire of 1914 burned them out, whereupon Habler took up ranching and Mr. Farmer continued in the real estate business, moving over to the Rowell Block. He has owned, bought and sold several farms, and is at present the owner of four ranches. Now the firm consists of L. B. Farmer and H. J. Jacobsen; their office is at 1919 High Street.
Mr. Farmer is signed up in the California Raisin Growers Association, and is one of the boosters for Central California's prosperity. He has 120 acres devoted to grapes and as the possessor of four farms is well known as a fruit-grower. He gives attention to every detail, believing that the mastery of a subject is the only goal and that by individual perfection and success the highest standard of a community is reached, and he thus sets an enviable example of civic pride.
Mr. and Mrs. Farmer have one child, Bessie, who is a member of the Class of '18 of the Selma High School, and everywhere a favorite as well as the mainspring of life at the Farmer residence, 2004 High Street. The family attends the Baptist Church of Selma and has participated in its various activities.
GEORGE MCKINLAY .- There are men to whom defeat is an unknown quantity, opposition is swept aside, aggression is met with stubborn resis- tance, and success finally crowns their determined efforts to win. This has been the experience of George Mckinlay, who was born in Scotland, on May 10, 1856, at Stirling. He is a son of James and Elizabeth (Morton) McKin- lay, who were both natives of Scotland and were the parents of nine children, George being the only member of the family in the United States. James Mckinlay was a merchant tailor who conducted an extensive business at Stirling. George was reared in Scotland and is a graduate of the high school at Stirling.
On March 5, 1878, George Mckinlay was united in marriage with Miss Margaret Currie, a native of Scotland, and they had seven children: James, who is married and has a son, James, Jr .; George, who is married but has no children; Nancy, is Mrs. J. M. Macdonald, and the mother of three chil- dren, Elizabeth, Ian and a baby ; William is married but has no issue : Eliza- beth, single; Erick is married and has an infant daughter. These children are all living and residents of California. Robert C. is deceased. The wife and mother passed away in 1910.
George Mckinlay immigrated to the United States and, with his family, located on his present ranch in the Minkler district, Fresno County, Cal. At that time the ranch contained but forty acres. Mr. Mckinlay began to im- prove the place and built a residence, also bought the necessary implements for the operation of his ranch, but owing to the fact that his ranch would be unable, for at least two years, to produce crops sufficiently large to support his family, exclusive of other employment, he was obliged to move to Fresno, where he operated a ladies' tailoring establishment which he conducted for three years. Mr. McKinlay had learned the tailoring business in Scotland, where he had conducted a ladies' tailoring shop. During the three years spent in Fresno his crops had so increased in volume, and his bank account, too, that he was able to return to his ranch with the full assurance that Mother Earth would amply supply his wants. Since his return he has made exten- sive improvements. His home is large and attractive and contains eleven rooms, all elaborately furnished, having modern conveniences which include hot and cold water and electricity. In 1917, Mr. Mckinlay purchased twenty- five acres more, which increases his ranch to sixty-five acres. It is a very
.
-
Mr.and mrs. H. Pretzer
1769
HISTORY OF FRESNO COUNTY
productive and profitable ranch and is planted to various kinds of grapes, including the Emperor, Muscat, Sultana and Mission varieties. From a tract of fifteen acres of Emperor grapes he received an average of $1,000.
Mr. Mckinlay is a practical and systematic rancher and believes in using up-to-date methods in viticulture, to which can be attributed his great suc- cess in this enterprise. On an average he employs three men the year around on his ranch. He has been a member of all the raisin associations since they were started. His entire ranch is operated by gasoline motor power.
The second marriage of Mr. McKinlay was solemnized in 1911, when he was united with Miss Effie A. Aitken, a native of Glasgow, Scotland.
HENRY PRETZER, SR .- A worthy representative of the foreign-born resident of the State of California, one who is loyal in his support of all en- terprises that have for their object the betterment of conditions in general in the county of his adoption, is Henry Pretzer, Sr., a prosperous rancher on Blythe Avenue, where he owns an eighty-acre ranch. He was born in the province of Samara, Russia, November 18, 1859, a son of William and Katie (Helmuth) Pretzer, farmers in their native Russia. The mother died in 1917, and the father makes his home with his son.
Henry was the oldest of six children and was brought up on his father's farm, assisting with the work as soon as he was old enough. He was married there to Katie Webber, likewise a native of that section. In 1888, with his wife, he left the old country and came to America, settling for a year in Yankton County, S. D., but he found the winter too cold and they again took up their journey westward and arrived in Fresno County in 1889. Mr. Pret- zer worked for two years, during which time he saved enough to buy a team and wagon, then he bought twenty acres of land near Kerman and set out vines, but found out that his water-right was not perfect, although he had paid for it in good faith. He then left the place and bought twenty acres on North Avenue, set it to vines, erected a house and outbuildings, and in two years sold out at a profit. He next was a grain-raiser near Kingsburg for a year, and, following that, leased a ranch on California Avenue and ran it seven years.
In 1903 he bought the place that is his present home, a tract of eighty acres on Blythe, between California and Church Avenues. This he has de- veloped from its raw state to a fine alfalfa ranch. At first he had forty acres in vines, but when the price of raisins went so low that it was no longer profitable to raise grapes, he dug them out and put the ranch in alfalfa ; he has a dairy of thirty cows, and also some hogs. He installed modern ma- chinery, an electric motor for pumping, and has an excellent irrigating sys- tem. With Mr. Erie, he rents 1,280 acres at Helm, which was all in wheat in 1918, but owing to the excessively hot weather they got little more than one sack per acre; the year previous they planted to barley.
Seven children have been born to Mr. Pretzer and his wife: Henry, Jr., August and Gotlieb, are ranchers on North Avenue. Mary is Mrs. Schmidt, and lives at home; Lizzie is Mrs. J. Honigle; Mollie is Mrs. Helmuth ; and Katie is Mrs. Erie and all live in Fresno County with their husbands who are ranchers. Mr. Pretzer is a member of the Methodist Church and in poli- tics is a Democrat.
CLAUS HARDER .- A self-made man who has, by hard work, un- tiring efforts and thrifty habits, become a successful fruit-grower and vine- yardist, is Claus Harder, whose post office is Del Rey, Fresno County. He is a native of Germany, being born on November 18, 1857, a son of Claus and Marie Harder, who were the parents of five children: One is deceased, three still reside in their native land, and Claus, the subject of this review, who immigrated to the United States in 1885, settling in California.
Like so many of our worthy citizens of foreign birth, Mr. Harder came to this country to better his condition financially and secure a ranch for him-
1770
HISTORY OF FRESNO COUNTY
self, but having very limited means .he at first accepted various kinds of ranch work by the day, but after following such a livelihood for some time he decided that such a process of accumulating money was too slow for him, so he rented a ranch and by so doing he forged ahead and by 1899 he had accumulated enough money to purchase a ranch consisting of twenty acres of improved land, the same being the property upon which he now resides.
By careful management and industrious efforts he continued to prosper and in 1906 he bought twenty acres of unimproved land across the road from his home place, which he improved with vines and fruit trees, and today this ranch is yielding a splendid crop.
In 1890, Claus Harder applied for his first papers of naturalization and in due time became a full fledged and patriotic citizen of the United States of America.
On December 14, 1900 in Hamburg, Mr. Harder was united in marriage with Miss Ortie Jokshas, from west Prussia and they journeyed back to Fresno County and this happy union has been blessed with five children: Gus; Marie; Elsie; Anna; and Henry. Religiously, the family are all mem- bers of the German Lutheran Church, and in politics Mr. Harder is a Re- publican. He also belongs to the California Associated Raisin Company and the Peach Growers, Inc.
BENDIKS TOBIASEN .- A well-educated gentleman, who comes from an excellent Danish family, but is heart and soul an American, loyal to the Administration of the United States, and who gave the most intelligent support to all war work making for the ultimate victory of Yankee colors, is Bendiks Tobiasen, usually called Ben. He owns a fine tract in the Ross School District, two and a half miles south of Parlier, where he has been for sixteen years, although he has claimed residence in Fresno County a couple of years longer.
Born at Ribe, in Denmark, on February 27, 1874, he is the son of Tobias Hansen, who owned a good-sized farm in Denmark and was well and widely respected. The father was born, lived and died in Ribe, and there he mar- ried Kirsten Sorensen, who is still living in that neighborhood, at the age of seventy-eight years. There were ten children, and only two came to Cali- fornia. One is Bendiks, who was the fifth eldest, and the other is the daughter, Margretha, who dwells near her brother, and who is the wife of Peter Tomsen.
Bendiks attended the public schools of Denmark, at the same time that he was preparing for confirmation in the Lutheran Church, to which his family still belong; but in addition, he studied at the Latin School at Ribe for three and a half years, and successfully passed all the preliminary examinations. He had read of California, however, and had corresponded with friends in Fresno County; and when Mr. James Andersen (whose life-story is related elsewhere) revisited Denmark, Ben resolved to accompany him to the New World. Sailing on the American Line by the steamship St. Louis, he landed in New York about the first of May, 1900; and on the sixth of that month reached Selma.
For a couple of years he worked out on farms in this vicinity, and he then bought twenty acres, once a stubble field, but which came to present an entirely different appearance under his intelligent attention. In 1903 he was married to Miss Inger Paulsen, who was born in the same place in Den- mark, and was the daughter of Paul Paulsen of Ribe. Her mother had been Meta Maria Sorensen before her marriage, and she is still living in Denmark.
A member of the Danish Lutheran Church at Selma. Mr. Tobiasen is treasurer of the congregation, and is active in church work. He belongs to both the California Peach Growers, Inc., and the California Raisin Growers' Association, and as a practical vineyardist delights in advancing California
1771
HISTORY OF FRESNO COUNTY
husbandry. American by adoption, he outdistances many in patriotism of the pure and unadulterated sort ; and a Republican in respect to party prefer- ences, he knows no party politics when it comes to supporting a Democratic administration in time of war, or when matters of local improvement and social uplift are up for discussion and support, and need unselfish and altru- istic backing.
Mr. and Mrs. Tobiasen are the parents of four children: Tobias, Marius, Oscar, and Christian. They are held in high esteem in the community.
HANS A. NIELSEN .- A successful vineyardist, and one of the most reliable and substantial residents of his section of the county, southwest of Sanger, is H. A. Nielsen, a native of Denmark, where he was born in Grenaa, June 30, 1862, a son of N. P. and Catherina Nielsen, who were the parents of five boys. Mr. and Mrs. N. P. Nielsen and three sons died in Denmark.
H. A. Nielsen, the subject of this review, and his brother Christ im- migrated to the United States and both are living, H. A. in Fresno County and Christ, in Oakland. It was in 1888 that H. A. Nielsen left his native land for America, and after his arrival came to California locating in Fresno County, where in time he purchased twenty acres of land which he dis- posed of later in order to buy his present ranch, where he has lived con- tinuously since 1901. It consists of twenty acres situated in Section 2, of the southeast one quarter and northeast one quarter, Section 33, Township 14, Range 20, and is a well cultivated and productive ranch devoted princi- pally to vines, three acres being devoted to Thompson's seedless grapes. ten acres to muscats, while the remainder is given to vegetables, grain and alfalfa. On an average Mr. Nielsen's Thompson's seedless grapes yield two tons to an acre, while from ten acres of muscat vines, eleven tons were raised. By hard work and careful management he has made of his property a productive ranch and a profitable investment.
Like many another foreign-born citizen, he could not speak English when he arrived, but possessed with that self-confidence and determination to succeed, which are so characteristic of the men of his native land, Mr. Nielsen soon learned enough English, by the close study of men and their ways, so that he could transact business affairs.
On November 29, 1891, in Fresno County, H. A. Nielsen was united in marriage with Miss Anna Jonsen, a native of the same place in Denmark, born June 23, 1866, and of this union three children were born, two of whom are living: Christina, born October 25, 1892, and Agnes, born July 1, 1896. Mr. and Mrs. Nielsen are members of the Danish Lutheran Church and for several years he has served as a trustee of the Bethel School District. He is a member of the California Associated Raisin Company, and the Peach Growers, Inc., and supports all measures for the upbuilding of the County.
HARRY C. MORGAN .- A viticulturist of established reputation who has seen much of our great country and is interested, as a natural result, in its history, and especially in the preservation of Fresno County and other California annals, and whose studies and work in general are shared by an excellent and gifted wife, is Harry C. Morgan, the son of P. M. Morgan whose interesting and highly-suggestive sketch also has place in this volume. Harry C. was born at Sedgwick City, Kans., on February 13, 1871, the first white male child to claim Harvey County as its place of birth, and was educated at the public schools of that locality, finishing at the Great Bend Normal, from which he graduated in 1891.
He then immediately entered the service of the Santa Fe Railroad, go- ing into its shops as a boiler-maker apprentice, and completing the trade at Newton, Kans. He worked at his trade in various parts of the United States, and traveled widely in the employ of many railways, going as far east as Ohio and west to San Bernardino, where he became assistant foreman. In 1901 he returned east in railroad work. Six years later, or soon after his
1772
HISTORY OF FRESNO COUNTY
father had located in California, he returned to the Coast and assisted the former to improve the ranch he had acquired. They set the balance out to vines, and he now has a vineyard in splendid bearing condition, and has become a man of affairs in the community in which he has cast his lot. A stanch Republican, he has been a trustee of the Garfield school district for several years ; and he is not only a member of the California Associated Raisin Company, but is fruit inspector from Belmont Avenue to the northern line of the county for Fresno County.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.