Читать книгу History of Fresno County, Vol. 4 - Paul E. Vandor - Страница 32

Among the worthiest representatives of well-known pioneer families of California must be mentioned Lorenzo B. Church, the son of the founder of the canal system in Fresno County, and a native of Lake County, Ind., where he was born in 1845. His father was M. J. Church, a native of Illinois, who removed to Lake County and there married Sarah Whittington. He was a blacksmith by trade; but he gave up his business connections in the East and in 1852 crossed the great plains with his family, coming to California with the conventional ox teams and wagons. He settled on a ranch near Stockton, where he again opened a blacksmith shop; but after a year he removed to Napa County, near Middleton, in what is now Lake County, not far from the head-waters of Putah Creek, and there embarked in the stock business. He continued there as a stockman for eight years, and then he took up his residence in Napa City, built a large blacksmith shop and conducted that for a couple of years. When he sold out, he located in Fresno County at Centerville, and there he engaged in sheep-raising for another two or three years; and in 1870 he started the canals that made Fresno County famous. He began about three miles above Centerville, and took the water needed from the Kings River, calculating, as he progressed, on gravity; he bought lands and traded water rights; and as is more definitely set forth in the historical portion of this work, he constructed a system much needed and of the greatest value to the communities they sought to serve. Finally, he sold all of his interest in the canals, and in the transaction was cheated out of about one-half of what he was entitled to, so that the matter is still in the courts. Lorenzo's father then went to Oakdale and bought the Lane Mineral Springs; and he kept that resort and a cattle-ranch near-by until he died. When Mrs. Church died in Fresno she was the mother of eight children, only three of whom are still living. The oldest are Lorenzo B. and a twin sister, Mrs. Lodema Fanning of Fresno, and Amanda, Mrs. Munn of Fine Gold, Madera County.

Coming to California across the plains in his eighth year, Lorenzo was reared in Napa and educated in its public schools, and from a boy learned the blacksmith trade. As early as 1870, he came to Fresno County, remaining about nine months, then went to Lake County and engaged in sheep raising in Napa and Lake Counties; homesteaded and preempted also near Middletown, on Putah Creek. He bought more land, until he had over 800 acres, and continued there until the spring of 1879, when he sold out and located in Fresno County.

He immediately went to work constructing canals, and for five years he was foreman under his father, after which he was superintendent of the company that bought his father out. This was the firm of Perrin & Cheek, and under them and their successors he continued for about twenty-two years. Then he resigned, to look after his own interests.

Soon after he located here and bought 320 acres just west of Fresno. There be built a home and engaged in grain ranching, later laying out 100 acres in a vineyard and orchard. Still later he began renting for gardens, and for twenty years he ran the Church Dairy. He laid out Church Avenue, planting the beautiful shade trees there, and he also plotted out Fruit Avenue, as the eastern line of the ranch. He built a store on the corner and commenced the well-known mercantile business, which is now the property of his granddaughter, Mrs. J. D. Quick. In addition to these holdings, Mr. Church owns valuable residence and business property in Fresno. A man of affairs in the commercial world, he is also influential in politics, working for national issues under the banners of the Republican party.

At Lower Lake, October 3, 1868, Mr. Church was married to Miss Josephine Springston, who was born in the East and died July 13, 1913, the mother of five children: Carrie, was Mrs. Hickok and she died in Fresno County February 14, 1900, the mother of two children — Estella, now Mrs. Ben Brophy, who lives in Fresno; and Ina, now Mrs. J. D. Quick, of the same city; Rena, Mrs. Turnbull of Fresno, mother of three children, one still living. Lorilla, Mrs. A. T. Doore, also of Fresno; Lola died when she was twenty years of age; Leona, wife of M. Brophy of Fresno, and Lorenzo, a babe, survived only his first six months.