Читать книгу History of Fresno County, Vol. 6 - Paul E. Vandor - Страница 6

A progressive young rancher, whose capable wife, a real and valuable helpmate, represents the family of a successful viticulturist prominent in the community, is Henry A. Dunklau, the viticulturist and horticulturist, who was born at Arlington, Washington County, Nebr. He is a son of Zacharias and Johanna Dunklau, who located in Washington County, Nebr., in 1865, and there homesteaded eighty acres. Later Mr. Dunklau bought property adjoining, until he had 240 acres. He planted it to corn and devoted part of it to the raising of stock; and there he now resides, at the age of eighty-five, while his good wife is seventy-three. Eight children, all living, have risen to bless their worthy name.

The fourth eldest in the family, and the only one in California, Henry was brought up on a farm and attended the public schools. He remained at home helping his father until he was twenty-one, and then he started out for himself, working here and there for others on farms. After a while, his attention was attracted especially to California, and he finally decided to come to the Coast.

In January, 1908, he arrived in Colusa County, and the following spring came to Fresno County. In Temperance Colony he secured employment in vineyards and orchards, and set to work to learn the propagation and culture of grapes, as well as of trees, and also the preparation and leveling of land, and the staking and planting of vines and of trees. Desiring to engage in ranching on his own account, he purchased for the purpose forty acres on Locan near Ventura Avenue, completing the transaction in 1910, and immediately set it out as a vineyard. He improved the acreage, built several needed structures, bought another forty acres, and then sold it at a profit, after keeping it a couple of years.

During 1916, Mr. Dunklau bought his present property of seventy-two acres in the Kutner school district, twelve miles northeast of Fresno, which he has improved and is devoting to a vineyard and an orchard. He has twenty acres of white Adriatic figs, interset with prunes, plums and peaches; two acres of alfalfa, and the balance in different varieties of vines. He has a pumping plant with an eight-horse engine, and a well eighty-six feet deep, in which the water rises to within eight feet of the surface of the ground, thus furnishing ample water for irrigating his ranch. However, his ambition was not satisfied with' this, and in partnership with his brother-in-law, Edward Bartels, he purchased forty acres across the county road from his ranch, which they also set out to vines. Mr. Dunklau has greatly enhanced the value of his home ranch by erecting a large, beautiful modern residence and by giving the grounds and ranch in general such excellent care that it has become known as one of the show places in the district. Believing in the cooperation of fruit-growers, he has always been an enthusiastic member of the California Associated Raisin Company.

At the home of the bride, in Temperance district, on November 22, 1911, Mr. Dunklau was married to Miss Emma Bartels, a native of Fresno and the daughter of Edward and Anna (Steinkamp) Bartels, settlers of Fresno County who are represented on another page in this history. Mrs. Dunklau, the eldest child, attended the public school and Heald's Business College in Fresno, and now has two sons, Henry E. and William E. Dunklau. The family attends the German Lutheran Church in Fresno, Mrs. Dunklau being an active member of the Ladies' Aid Society of the Church, as well as the Jefferson Auxiliary of the Clovis Chapter of the Red Cross. Mr. and Mrs. Dunklau showed their patriotism by giving their time and means towards the different branches of war-relief work, and they are active in all movements for the upbuilding of the community. They are both liberal and hospitable, and fortunate is the individual who is privileged to be entertained by them.