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 81

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 81

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In 1899 Mr. Diel came to Fresno, and soon after helped take ont the horse line. He also helped build the first electric car line here, a task of several years. Then he worked at ranching, with the same degree of success.

In partnership with his brother Henry, Mr. Diel formed the firm of Diel Brothers and they had a store on South F Street until the brother died, in 1912, when he bought out his interest and continued there until 1915. Then he purchased the corner at Kirk Street and Florence Avenue, and built his present store building. He also built a residence. He opened his store with a fine stock of general merchandise, such as dry goods, boots, shoes, hard- ware, groceries and meats, and the standard he then set he has ever since maintained. He is a Republican in national politics, and an ex-trustee of the Free Evangelical Lutheran Cross Church.

Nine children blessed the union of this happy couple, and eight are now living. Henry was a member of Company B of the Third Oregon Infantry, and served on the border during the Mexican trouble. He returned to Fresno and was honorably discharged. On July 16, 1917, he enlisted in the First Cal- ifornia Machine Gun Troop, and was at Camp Kearney six months and then at Camp Johnson three months. He was stationed in Philadelphia four months, and then sent to the Central C. O. T. S. at Camp Lee, Va ; and when the armistice was signed, he was commissioned a second lieutenant, and was honorably discharged.

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THEODORE E. ERICKSON .- Among the enterprising vineyardists of Vinland, Theodore E. Erickson, the owner of a twenty-acre ranch on Vinland, corner of Shaw Avenue, is especially mentioned as a successful grower of malaga and Thompson seedless grapes. He is a native of West- manland, Sweden, born on October 24, 1884. His father, Eric Johnson, emi- grated to the United States in 1902, settling at Wylie, Red Lake County, Minn., where he bought land and engaged in farming until his death in 1913. His mother, Minnie Johnson, is still living and resides in Wylie, Minn. She was the mother of eight children, Theodore E. being the fourth child. He was reared on a farm and when twenty-one years of age engaged in stock- raising and farming on the old home place.

In 1905, Mr. Erickson became interested, with his brother August, in a twenty-acre ranch at Vinland, Fresno County, Cal. He became anxious to leave the rigorous climate of Minnesota and to locate on his California ranch where he could enjoy the sunny southland of the Golden State. In three years' time he sold out his interests in Minnesota and moved to California, locating at Vinland in 1908. He improved the ranch and later purchased his brother's interest. Afterwards, Mr. Erickson still continued to develop and improve the place and engaged in dairying. He set out an orchard of peaches, Elbertas and clings : and planted a vineyard of eight acres to Thompson seed- less and malaga grapes.

Mr. Erickson has been very successful in conducting his ranch and is regarded as a very well posted man in the science of viticulture and one who believes in using the most progressive methods in the operation of his vineyard. He is interested in every movement for the advancement of the viticultural and horticultural interests of the county, and most naturally he belongs to both the California Associated Raisin Company and the California Peach Growers, Inc. Politically, he supports the doctrine of Democracy in national affairs.

ALBERT V. GLOUGIE .- A close observer and a thoroughly wide- awake man, who has amassed a fund of valuable experience, particularly in the best methods of farming, and who has improved many acres by bringing them under intensive cultivation, is A. V. Glougie, who first came to Fresno County in January, 1902. He was born in Austin, Minn .. in 1866, and was reared in Adams, Iowa. His father, John R. Glougie, was of French extrac- tion, and was born at Belvidere, Vt. His mother was Martha Hull before her marriage; she was also a native of Vermont and was united to Mr. Glougie in her native state. During the Civil War, John Glougie was in a Vermont regiment of the Union Army, served two years and eleven months, and was wounded at the Battle of the Wilderness. Later he came to Austin, Minn., and went in for farming; and in 1871 he secured a farm in Adams County. Finally, the parents came on to Fresno, and here the father died, while the mother resides on Blackstone Avenue, the mother of thirteen chil- dren, nine of whom are living.

A. V. Glougie is the oldest of these, and was brought up on a farm in Iowa, at the same time that he attended the public schools. He continued at home assisting his father, and married in Adams County, choosing Miss Lizzie Ammond, a native of Adams County, as his bride. He bought a farm of new prairie land on which he was the first to break land and later he bought more land and soon had a fine farm.

In January, 1902, he came to California and located near Parlier ; and after a year he moved to Sanger where he bought eighty acres of new land, and devoted it to alfalfa, leveling and checking, and also sctting out a vine- vard. He bought other lands and .owned other vineyards and orchards. He had a lemon and an orange orchard, and did well.

The year 1911 found Mr. Glougie near Brawley in the Imperial Valley, where he engaged in ranching, having sold his Fresno interests; and there he made a specialty of raising hogs. In a year he sold out and returned to

JEGerickson

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HISTORY OF FRESNO COUNTY

Fresno County. He bought a ranch at Barstow and sold it, and then he bought a ranch on Fillmore Avenue and sold that. Next he bought forty acres on California Avenue, eleven miles west of Fresno; this he improved, and he raises alfalfa and figs, making one of the finest showings in that section.

Four children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Glougie. Francis resides at Fresno; Blanche, who had become Mrs. Rudolph Garber, died in 1916 in her twenty-sixth year; Bernice is Mrs. Carter Anderson of Madera County ; and Vernon is at home.

In national politics Mr. Glougie is a Republican; but he deems it his duty as an independent citizen to support good local measures irrespective of party obligations, and so he works for a constantly higher standard in civic affairs.

JULIUS H. DAHLKE .- A native of Germany, J. H. Dahlke was born near Berlin, on September 6, 1872, the son of August Dahlke, who had mar- ried Minnie Lange; and when Julius was only eight years old, his parents came to America and settled in Hamilton County, Nebr., in which state he grew up. There were seven children in the family-five boys and two girls- and Julius was the third in the order of birth. He is the only one of the fam- ily in California.

He attended the public schools and was reared on his father's stock farm; and while still in Nebraska, married twice. His first wife was Miss Augusta Ahlmann, who died at the birth of her only child, Irene, who is still living. The second Mrs. Dahlke was Miss Sadie Edmonston, a native of Ireland, and by lier he has had six children. Raymond is at home and runs the tractor; Glenn is a lad of sixteen ; and there are Irma, Leah, Lula and Masel.

Going to Grand Island, Nebr., Mr. Dahlke took up the carpenter and builder's trade, and later embarked in the furniture business, in which line he continued until he came to California. In May, 1912, he arrived in Oakland, and there went to work for a dealer in new and second-hand furniture.

The same year, also, Mr. Dahlke came out to Hardwick, in Kings County, four miles southeast of Laton, where he became the foreman for Height & Hall, on a large stock grain ranch. This he managed successfully for a year, until the owners sold it. Then he leased the Davis Ranch at Dos Palos.

While at Hardwick, he had made the acquaintance of the late L. P. Denney; and when the latter offered him the foremanship, two and a half years ago, of the Summit Lake Ranch, he accepted the responsibility and at once entered upon the interesting and promising work. He had been in charge just seven months, and had brought everything into working order when Mr. Denney came to his tragic death; and since then he has continued as the ranch foreman, under the direction of Mr. Frank Hight, the administrator of the estate, and by order of the court.

Mr. Dahlke is a Republican and takes a live interest in civic affairs and in politics. He is an advocate of local reforms and supports, regardless of party lines, any movement for the improvement of the neighborhood. Mrs. Dahlke shares his interests and his ambitions, and the children attend the Crescent School.

FRED SCHEIDT .- A successful business man who is equally prosper- ous in his ventures in horticulture and viticulture is Fred Scheidt, a native of Samara, Stepnoia, Russia, where he was born on May 22, 1871. His father was George Scheidt, a farmer, who spent his life there, and there were six children in the family, of whom Fred was the fifth in the order of birth.

He was brought up on a farm and educated in German and Russian schools, but in December, 1890, he left home for Baltimore where he arrived on the following New Year Day. At Parkersburg, W. Va., he remained seven months, and then he removed to Cincinnati, where he lived and worked for seven years. For six years he was employed by the Cincinnati Lithograph Company, and then he went to Kansas. 95

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In July, 1898, Mr. Scheidt came to Fresno and accepted employment with the Southern Pacific Railroad. He did not like the work, however, and after six days he entered the service of the Earl Fruit Company. At the end of the season he went with the Griffin & Skelly Fruit Company, and having been with them two years, he took up his residence in Hamilton and worked for the Sugar Beet Company there. He contracted with the company to raise sugar-beets, but at the end of the season he came back to Fresno. He worked for Otto Nestel for six years, and then for. seven years was with George Kaehler.

During 1913, Mr. Scheidt bought out George Christian's grocery store at 440 F Street, where he continued the grocery business. Four years later he bought a ranch of thirty-two and a half acres, two and a half miles northwest of Clovis, and he now has one of the finest peach orchards and vineyards of Thompson seedless and malaga grapes, all developed under his personal su- pervision. He makes his residence with his family on the place. Such was his exceptional success, that he was sought by both the California Associated Raisin Company and the California Peach Growers, Inc.

While in Cincinnati, Mr. Scheidt was married to Miss Margaret Walter, a native of Madison, Ind., whose parents settled in Indiana in 1848. Ten of their children are living. Matilda is the wife of C. Hunton of Fresno, a volun- teer in the United States Army, serving in France; George is also in the United States Army ; Anna, Eduard, William, Emma, Alfred, Elsie, Gussie and Arthur are at home.

Mr. Scheidt is a welcome member of the Eagles.

WILLIAM GARRIGAN .- An interesting oil man of many years varied experience not only in different fields in the United States but also in Borneo, is William Garrigan, who came to California in 1895. He was born at Bel- mont, Alleghany County, N. Y., on September 22, 1868, the son of Thomas Garrigan, a native of Erie, Pa., who came to the Golden State as a lumber- man about 1860, and here worked for a while as a shingle-sawyer. Then he returned to New York and was married to Belle Cartwright, a daughter of that state. After that he was engaged in the oil business in Pennsylvania as a contractor and driller until 1890 when he came to California. He settled at Newhall with the Coast Oil Company, and later went into the Kern River field. There he retired, and eventually died at Fullerton. Mrs. Garrigan died at Redwood City, the mother of two children.

William, the oldest and the only child of this union now living, attended the public school and at fifteen began work in the oil industry, entering the employ of the Emory Oil Company at Bradford. He commenced at the bottom rung of the ladder in 1882, and for three years was a pumper. Then, for eighteen months, he dressed tools for James Nottenberger, a contractor, and about January, 1887, when nineteen, he enlisted in the fourth United States Cavalry, and was stationed, first at San Carlos, Ariz., then at Fort Wingate, N. M .; and afterward at Fort Union, at which place, at the end of three years he was mustered out and honorably discharged.

Returning to Pennsylvania, he again took up tool-dressing, and then worked as a driller; and this he continued to do until April, 1895, when he came to California. For a while he was with the Pacific Coast Oil Company as a tool-dresser, and then as a driller in the Newhall field, staying there four years ; next the same company sent him to San Mateo County to drill three wells ; and after a year he went back to their Newhall field.

In 1901 he resigned and came to Coalinga, where he drilled for the Oil City Petroleum Company on Section 28; and then he worked for various companies as a driller. He was with the Turner Oil Company, and about 1914 was in the employ of the Anglo-Saxon Petroleum Company. This company sent him to Borneo, as cement man; and he was the last eighteen months in Brunai. He remained there until 1916, when he resigned and returned to

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California. Then he came to Coalinga, with the Coalinga Mohawk as driller ; and since 1917 he has been with the Southern Pacific in the fuel-oil depart- ment and is now holding the position of drilling foreman in the Coalinga field.

While at Newhall, July 19, 1899, Mr. Garrigan was married to Margaret Stickler, a native of Aurora, Ore., by whom he has two children-Lloyd and Ruth. He was made a Mason in Welcome Lodge, No. 255, F. & A. M., at Lemoore but is now a member of Coalinga Lodge, No. 387, F. & A. M. He is a member of Coalinga Chapter R. A. M. and Hanford Commandery K. T., and with his wife is a member of Eschscholtzia Chapter, No. 270, O. E. S., of which Mrs. Garrigan is Past Matron. Mr. Garrigan is also a member of the Modern Woodmen of America and Fresno Lodge, No. 439, B. P. O. Elks. Mrs. Garrigan has been Guardian Neighbor of the Neighbors of Woodcraft since its organization and is a member of Auxiliary, No. 2, of the Coalinga Chapter of the Red Cross.

A. H. KHAZOYAN .- The story of the success of three Armenian broth- ers, all sadly afflicted in the dire misfortune of their near of kin who have been victims of savagery in the recent war, is linked with that of the scholarly, progressive, public-spirited and generous-hearted rancher, A. H. Khazoyan, who is blessed with helpmate distinguished as a wife, mother and citizen. He was born at Harpoot, in Armenia, on March 3, 1879, the son of Rev. Hagop Khazoyan, a minister and missionary, concerning whom it is reported that he was massacred by the Turks, in his eightieth year. Mrs. Khazoyan was Mary Melcon before her marriage, and she died in July, 1917, when she was sixty-seven years old. Twelve children were born to this very worthy couple, and of these five sisters died in Armenia, a brother died in infancy, another brother was massacred, and a sister was married in Armenia to a soldier who was serving in the Turkish army when this war broke out. His absence from home left her unprotected, and it cannot be found out whether she also has been murdered or is still living. The eldest brother, long living in South America, is a dry goods merchant at San Paulo, Brazil; while the Rev. H. H. Khazoyan organized an Armenian Church, of the Congregational denomination, in New York City, and is one-third owner, with Benjamin H. and the subject of our instructive sketch, of the Khazoyan ranch two and a half miles southwest of Parlier. He preached for seven years, when an affection of the throat compelled him to resign from his devoted flock. Benjamin, a tailor, is working at present for the Government, in the tailoring department of the Army.

A. H. Khazoyan attended the schools in Armenia, and was early bap- tized into the Congregational Church there and reared in the refined atmos- phere of its social and religious life, having become acquainted with some American Congregational missionaries. From them he learned English, and in 1909 he came to the United States, landing in New York City on July 1. Previously, in 1898, he had been married at Harpoot to Rose Stephan, a native of Ichma, a pretty place about eighteen miles southeast of Harpoot, but he crossed the ocean without her and the four children blessing their union, and the first news that he received from home was that a fifth child had been born since his departure. While at Pasadena, after Mrs. Khazoyan had joined him in America, still another child was born to them, and later a seventh and youngest has come to give joy to the ranch circle.

Stopping for a week in New York, Mr. Khazoyan continued his journey by making a bee-line for Southern California and arrived in the City of the Angels on July 13, 1909. He had been a cabinetmaker by trade in Armenia, and for a couple of years found work as a cabinetmaker in Los Angeles. He then became a clerk in the store of his brother, H. H. Khazoyan, in the same city, and sold Oriental rugs; but in 1914 he came to the Selma section and bought, with his brothers, the 120 acres referred to, almost at the same time identifying himself with the good work of the Raisin Growers

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Association. He is now in charge of the Khazoyan ranch, which is the joint property of the firm known as Khazoyan Bros., and which, as one of the choice farm-properties of this region, is subdivided as follows: Eighty acres are unimproved, eighteen are devoted to malaga grapes, eighteen are in Thompson seedless; five are taken up with the ditch, and the balance is used for yards and similar purposes.

Their seven children are the pride and delight of Mr. and Mrs. Kha- zoyan : Helen is the eldest, then come Eunice, Esther, Mary, Lucy, and Rosa, while the youngest is Roberta.

CHRISTOPHER SMELLEY .- An old-timer in California, and for more than thirty years a rancher in Fresno County, Christopher Smelley has won the esteem and respect of a wide circle of friends who value his friendship for its real worth. He was born near Paris, Texas, in 1866, a son of John T. Smelley, who enlisted in the Confederate Army from Alabama, served through the war and then located in Texas, where he died soon afterwards. His wife, before her marriage was Mary Horn, and after the death of Mr. Smelley, she married again. Later, on account of the harsh treatment received from his step-father, young Chris left home at a tender age and went into western Texas where he found a home with some people who were kind to him. He was reared in the family of Thomas Woods, in Mcclellan County, became familiar with the stock business and rode the range with other cow-boys. His schooling was limited to about three weeks until he was twenty-one years old, then he started to get an education, realizing that to make a success in life, such an adjunct was very necessary. He paid his way with the money he had earned on the range, matriculated at the preparatory school of the Waco University, attending until his money gave out.

This was a turning point in the life of this energetic young man, for he came to California to make another stake, then go back and complete his courses. This was in 1887, and he went to work for Joe Prather at Caruthers, remaining about seven years, when Mr. Prather suffered from the panicky times, "went broke," and did not have enough money with which to pay his help. Christopher Smelley took a horse and wagon as part pay, went down into the Helm section and began farming on his own account by leasing 500 acres, having as a partner Theo. Campbell. He rented for one year and then was so successful that he began to buy land, which he farmed besides renting large areas from time to time. He owns 303 acres of good farming land, rents 160 more upon which he raises grain, wheat and barley, and has met with more than a moderate degree of success.

Mr. Smelley is still a bachelor, is a hard worker, an interesting talker, and by the methods he employs has shown his good judgment in the culti- vation and operation of his broad acres. He is public-spirited and in the crisis of the great World War supported every loan drive and other war charities to the best of his ability. In politics he is a Democrat and is a stanch supporter of the present administration. While he regrets that he has been unable to complete his education as he had set out to do, still he is thankful that his lot has been cast in such a pleasant place as Fresno County.

JOHN YOUNG SPENCE .- A successful California viticulturist is John Young Spence, a native son who was born in the Scandinavian Colony, in Fresno County, on August 9, 1888. He is the son of Alexander D. Spence, a native of the Orkney Islands, Scotland, and a university-trained man who married, at Dumfermline, Miss Christiana Young. He was a professor of languages at the Dollar Academy in Dollar. Scotland, and having become interested in Fresno County lands, he came to the United States and Cal- ifornia, bringing his wife and six children.

He arrived here about 1882 and located on twenty acres in the Scandi- navian Colony, and there he followed viticulture until his death, ten years later. His good wife passed away in 1909, the mother of eight children, three of whom are still living. One son, now deceased, was William Spence, the

RDV Weldon

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editor of the Sun Maid Herald, and he died in December, 1918. An older brother is David Spence, with the California Associated Raisin Company, while a sister, Mrs. Elizabeth Brown, resides near Clovis.

The lad John was educated at the public schools of the Scandinavian district and the Fresno High School, and from a boy became interested in viticulture. As early as 1904, he and his brothers, William and David, pur- chased land in the Garfield district, and improved a fine vineyard, raising it from a mere stubble-field to a well-leveled tract, on which were set out the choicest of malaga, muscat and Thompson seedless grapes, as well as five acres of olives. He and his brother and sister now own eighty acres in vine- yard and orchard, the firm being incorporated as the Spence Vineyard Com- pany, with David A. Spence as manager. The Spence Vineyard is historically interesting as it was one of the first set out in this locality.

Growing up to manhood amid the blessings of the American Republic and the comforts and luxuries of the Golden State, it was natural that Mr. Spence should develop a tiptop patriotism; so that it is not surprising that he was among the first twenty-five men who left Fresno in the first draft for the Great War. He volunteered for the first five per cent. of the draft in Sep- tember, 1917, and was in the 364th Infantry at Camp Lewis. On May 15, 1918, he entered the fourth officers' training camp, and on August 25 was commissioned a second lieutenant. On January 10, 1919, he was honorably discharged and returned home, to again take up work in the Spence Vineyards.

The Spence brothers are members of the Melvin Grape Growers Asso- ciation and the California Associated Raisin Company, in both of which or- ganizations they are active in promoting those movements making for the broad and substantial development of California agricultural interests.

Mr. Spence is a member of the Fresno Lodge, No. 439, B. P. O. Elks.

ROBERT W. WELDON .- Nestling among the foothills of the Sierras in Watts and Burroughs Valleys lie the ranches of Robert W. Weldon, a very successful cattle-grower of Fresno County, who is making a specialty of Hereford cattle. He was born in Denton County, Texas, on December 27, 1871, a son of A. J. and Martha (Lindsey) Weldon, natives of Boone County, Mo., and Alabama, respectively. During the Civil War A. J. Weldon served under General Price, afterward moving to Texas where he engaged in rais- ing cattle. In 1886 he removed with his family to Fresno, Cal., and followed grain-ranching in the Red Bank district, after which he set out a vineyard near Centerville, eventually moving to Santa Cruz, where he resided eight years and then returned to Fresno County. His death occurred in Clovis and in that place his widow still resides. Eight children were born to this worthy couple, all of whom are living, Robert W. being the second in order of birth.

Robert W. received a good education in the public schools of Texas. In 1886 he came to Fresno and immediately went to work aiding his father at grain-ranching, at which he was steadily employed until twenty-two years of age, when he acquired a farming outfit and leased land east of Clovis and raised grain until the land was cut up into smaller tracts and sold. He then purchased forty acres one mile east of Clovis which he devoted to vineyard, orchard and alfalfa, until November, 1901. He had always had a desire to own a ranch and raise cattle, so in that year he purchased a ranch of 800 acres in Burroughs Valley, on which he located and then began the stock business in which he has been so successful. He has added to the place which now comprises over 1,200 acres, and he also owns a ranch of 760 acres in the lower part of Watts Valley, and a 900-acre ranch in the upper part of Watts Valley, onto which he moved in 1917 and where he is making his home, having built a modern residence and made permanent improvements. He has fields of alfalfa irrigated from the headwaters of Watts Creek, making it a splendid stock-ranch, as well as very sightly. He devotes his different ranches to raising cattle, horses and hogs. After experimenting with differ- ent breeds of cattle he found the Herefords suited his purpose best and were

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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 81

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