Читать книгу History of Fresno County, Vol. 3 - Paul E. Vandor - Страница 9

A pioneer and a native son, who was always a hard-worker and for years held responsible positions, is Frank L. Cooper, a man having the steady ambition to lead a useful life and so coming through unscathed, though surrounded by the temptations of the bar and the gaming table. Now, well-preserved, he is a strong advocate of temperance and all that makes for decent living. He resides a mile northwest of the Laton Creamery, maintains a first-class dairy, and is one of the representative farmers and stockmen of Central California.

Born near Santa Rosa, in Sonoma County, on August 17, 1867, he is the son of B. F. Cooper, who came to California from New York State when he was eighteen years old, in 1859, traveling by way of the Isthmus. The same year he settled in Sonoma County, and there married Miss Mary Schultz, who died when Frank was only nine, leaving four children. These included two sisters, who died of scarlet fever when seven years old, and a brother, Fred D. Cooper, who is a farmer near Stratford, in Kings County. The father is now about seventy-six, and lives on California Avenue south of Rolinda and about ten miles out of Fresno. He resides with his third wife, but he had children only by Frank's mother. When he came from Sonoma County he settled in Alameda County, then went to Contra Costa County, and after that to San Luis Obispo County. Then he moved to Fresno, and then to Stanislaus County, where they lived seven years; and finally the family came back to Fresno County.

Frank Cooper came to the Laguna de Tache in the fall of 1890, and he helped James Downing move over from Kings City, Monterey County. Mr. Downing bought land at Burrel, then known as Elkhorn, and he also bought a forty-acre vineyard near Fresno. Frank thus rode over all of the Burrel ranch in the early romantic days, when the tules were thick and tall. They were so thick and tall, in fact, that a rider on horseback could not see about or ahead of him, and when the cattle strayed off and got lost, the only way for the cow-boy to do was to ride into the tules, make all the noise that he could, and thus scare the cows into coming out on higher ground.

In the summer of 1905 Mr. Cooper bought his present place, at first investing in forty acres, then thirteen and a half, then twenty. Like his father, he has farmed grain extensively at what is now Riverdale, and there he has had a chance to display his ability in the driving of horses. He has driven thirty-two horses with a combined harvester, and once he drove forty horses over the rough hills of San Luis Obispo County. He is a true native son, and has been out of the State only once in his life when he made a trip to Reno, Nev.

It was in September, 1890, that Mr. Cooper came to Fresno County, soon after beginning his three years' work for Cuthbert Burrel on his 2,000-acre ranch at Visalia. Mr. Burrel also owned the Burrel Ranch of 18,000 acres, another ranch, of 2,000 acres, at Visalia with a section at Riverdale, and the lumber yard at Visalia. He did a good deal of heavy hauling for Mr. Burrel. He drove eight horses and superintended the work of the other drivers, hauling lumber for the ranch houses, which were being built in the vicinity of Barrel and Riverdale. He also hauled the lumber for the barn where H. M. Hancock now lives. During these years Mr. Cooper became a very trusted employer of Mr. Burrel, and almost assumed the relation of a son to him. Certainly "he formed a strong attachment for the rancher, and will always recall him as one of the noblest of the old pioneers of the San Joaquin Valley.

Mr. Cooper has always been a stockman and is, therefore, thoroughly familiar with the problems of stock-raising and the varying markets. Now he has a good ranch of seventy-three and a half acres, and rents an adjoining pasture of about 200 acres. He and his good wife have worked hard, and they deserve all that represents their wealth. As has been stated, he is an expert driver, and guides forty horses when the occasion demands. He had 480 acres of the Burrel ranch under lease when he was married, and ran it several years when his father cooperated with him and farmed grain. He cut his father's grain, his own and sometimes the grain of others besides.

His associations with Mr. Burrel led him often to conjure up the historic past, once so full of early California glory. While Mr. Burrel was running the 2,000-acre ranch and lumber yard at Visalia, he was also engaged in building up and developing his 18,000 acres at Burrel and his section at Riverdale. In carrying on this work a great deal of lumber, machinery and other material had to be hauled to Riverdale and Burrel, most of which was brought from Visalia before the advent of the railroad. Great eight-horse wagons were used, and the drivers would usually stop at old Kingston, now no more, but which was then a very lively and a very rough and tough place. In the real early days gambling was constantly carried on, and scarcely a night would pass without some shooting affray or fight; and often thousands in gold would change hands on the turning of a card. Kingston was on the line of the main freight trail from Stockton to Visalia, and was therefore a much-frequented place. It was the last scene of Vasquez looting, and now there is little to remind the wayfarer that it was once the scene of a wild and woolly western business town.

While living at Visalia, Mr. Cooper was married to Mrs. May Norton, a daughter of Oscar Stanton of Fresno; and by her he has had four children: Fred S. was in the United States Navy, on a transport ship, and made ten trips across the Atlantic; Margery Lillian is the wife of Edward McKenzie of Corcoran, the transfer man, and they have one child; Elizabeth married Harrison Askew, jr. and they reside in Laton, with their two children, where Mr. Askew is a baker; and Bernice is still at home. It was shortly after their marriage that Mr. Cooper rented the 480 acres of the Burrel ranch.