Fresno County, California Biographies

Source: 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 (1919)

History By Paul E. Vandor 
Illustrated, Complete In Two Volumes 
Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, California, 1919
 
Notes: Missing+page1185-1186

Transcribed by Peggy Hooper

This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives 
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm


ALFRED JOSEPH ARNAUDON.� A family long known throughout 
Fresno County, particularly in the western section, has lost none of its pres- 
tige through the forceful business career of Alfred Joseph Arnaudon, whose 
splendid energies and dauntless courage have enabled him to amass an inde- 
pendent fortune. As the pioneer merchant of Mendota he has been con- 
nected with its upbuilding from its beginning, having been a resident of the 
vicinity before the advent of the railroad and was one of the first to aid in 
the development of the arid lands by irrigation and intensive farming. 

Mr. Arnaudon is a native of France, born at Gap, Hautes Alps, October 
14, 1853, and received a good education in his native land. He also learned 
stockraising at home, thus laying the foundation for his work in this country. 
When nineteen years of age he came to the United States, leaving France 
in December, 1871, and landing in New York with only twenty dollars in 
his pockets. Nothing daunted, however, he began his hunt for fortune in 
the new country, and February, 1872. found him in San Francisco. He went 
to work for the Remillard Brothers in their brickyard in San Rafael, and 
remained with them six years, then went to Sunol, Alameda County, and be- 
gan stock-raising for himself. He bought a flock of ewes and lambs and in 
partnership with two nephews continued in the business for three years ; the 
partnership was then dissolved and Mr. Arnaudon ran the business alone for 
two years. At the end of that period he purchased a ranch near Pleasanton, 
of 150 acres. This he cultivated, putting forty acres of it into vineyard. This 
land he later leased out, but still owns the property. 

In 1886, Mr. Arnaudon located in Fresno County, starting a hotel at 
White's Bridge, together with a stocking store, and served as assistant post- 
master there. Here he brought his sheep, and ranged them on the plains and 
stubblefields, 4.000 head or more. When the railroad was built into Mendota, 
in 1890, he put up the Arnaudon Hotel there and opened a general merchan- 
dise store, the first store in the town, and this he ran until 1917. . 

Some ten years ago Mr. Arnaudon bought his present ranch, first obtain- 
ing 160 acres, then an additional 160, making 320 acres in all, and established 
his sheep business on this ranch. He also owned six sections purchased from 
the Borland estate, but sold off all but one section which he still retains, 
situated one mile south of his home ranch, and uses for a stock ranch, has 
had it fenced and a deep well of 600 feet put in, with water within fifteen 
feet of the top. The home place he has improved with all modern facilities ; 
a deep well and pumping-plant installed, run by electricity; also three pump- 
ing-plants in all on the ranch ; which is devoted mostly to raising alfalfa, 
grain, sheep, cattle and hogs. 

The marriage of Mr. Arnaudon united him with Miss Marie Arbios, the 
ceremony taking place at Mission San Jose, September 24, 1881. His wife 
was a native of France also, born in Aysus, Basses-Pyrenees, a daughter of 
Jean Arbios, who emigrated to California in 1863, was a miner, then a dairy- 
man at Novato. and finally engaged in stock-raising in Sunol. His death oc- 
curred in Stockton, in 1917; the mother passed away in 1904, in Pleasanton. 
The third child in the family, Mrs. Arnaudon was brought up in France until 
fifteen years of age, when she joined her parents in California, and in Sunol 
met her future husband. Seven children were born to this pioneer couple: 
Emma, Mrs. Jury; Lucy, Mrs. Bowie of Fresno; Cora, Mrs. Hallum of Oak- 
land; Adelta, Mrs. Ricou, residing on the home ranch; Marie, Mrs. Smoot 
of Mendota ; Alfred ; and Joseph, Jr., assisting his father on the ranch. 

One of the oldest settlers of Mendota, Mr. Arnaudon has seen the country 
grow from desert land to its present thriving condition ; from roads where 
the wagons sank down into the mire so that they had to be pulled out, to the 
present smooth highways with automobiles skimming over them ; from stock 
land to the present diversified ranching ; he was one of the first to pump for 
irrigation, to set out orchards and vineyards and use the modern methods of 
agriculture. He was one of the organizers of the first school at Mendota and 
was trustee for years. He was postmaster of Mendota for many years, then 
his daughter Lucy took his place, and now Marie, Mrs. Smoot, holds the 
position. Mr. Arnaudon was a charter member of the Mendota Lodge, the 
Knights of Pythias, organized February 26, 1894, the only one left living, and 
is the proud possessor of a jewel given to members for twenty-five years of 
good standing in the order. He is a member of the California Wool Growers' 
Association, and with all his business cares has been an active participant in 
the growth of his section of Fresno County. He was also one of the organ- 
izers and is a director of the Growers National Bank of Fresno.