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 E. I. BABER. � One of the most important of local industries, the Eisen Vineyard, as well as the very interesting history of its founder, are recalled by the life sketch of E. I. Baber, the well-known viticulturist and manager of the vineyard. He was born in London, England, in 1854, the son of a business man, Henry Baber, who had married Mary Benjamin. E. I. was educated in the world's metropolis at the College of Preceptors. His preparation was thorough, as is typical with British youth, and on completing his studies, he assisted his father in trade. England, commercially speaking, failed, however, to attract him long; and on January 5, 1872, he went to South Africa, where he spent some time in the interior as a representative for a Cape Town firm. Later he went to the diamond fields at Kimberley and, as a result, made two or three trips back to London, trading in diamonds. While on his last visit to the mother country, he intended to return to South Africa, but during an interview with an aunt, in Dublin, he determined to change his plans and go to the United States instead. He arrived in New York in 1875 and was naturally captivated with harbor and town, but he also heard so much of California that he soon decided to push on to the extreme West. By August, therefore, he had arrived in San Francisco and shortly went to Nevada City, where he clerked in a hotel for eight months ; then he returned to San Francisco where he met Francis Eisen, in the office of whose flour-mill he later found employment. Having taken a strong fancy to Mr. Baber, Mr. Eisen induced him to come to Fresno to take charge of his landed holdings; and October, 1880, found him in Fresno and established in his new quarters. The opportunity, as he soon learned, was full of promise, for Mr. Eisen had started improve- ments here as early as 1872, when he experimented with tobacco and cotton. He grew them both successfully at the time, but the railroad rates then pre- vailing were prohibitive and he was compelled to turn to other lines. He built a headgate at a dam he had constructed on Fancher Creek on the Hobbler ranch to bring water in a detour to his ranch for irrigating his vineyard, which he commenced planting in 1872. the first vineyard of the county. He also put in a turbine and the power was used to run the machinery and crushers at his winery, for four years, when, more power being required, they installed a steam plant. They propagate their own vines, and now the vineyard has more than thirty different varieties grafted onto wild stock. Air. Eisen is rightly credited with being the founder of the vineyards in this vicinity, for, by his experiments, he demonstrated the commercial possi- bility of grape-growing on this soil. When he started to plant grapes, he was ridiculed but he knew what he was about, and soon showed the doubting Thomases that he could succeed. It was his pioneer enterprise, therefore, that established the wine-industry here. It was Mr. Eisen, also, who gave such an impetus to the raisin industry, although in this his part was accidental. In 1878 it had become too late to pick some of the grapes and they dried on the vines. Seeing that they were in good condition, however, Mr. Eisen picked them, after which he shipped them to Goldburg & Bowen, San Francisco. There they attracted much admiration, and some of them even found their way back to Fresno stores. Twenty acres of muscats yielded, for several years, an average of ten tons green to the acre, and have sold to a Boston firm as raisins unassorted, for as high as 6 3/8 cents per pound. The vineyard has been planted and replanted, and 500 acres are now devoted to shipping and wine grapes. Naturally, the Eisen Vineyard has a large winery, with a storage capacity of nearly one million gallons, and fermenting capacity of about twice that amount. It is one of the largest wineries in Fresno County. The highly revered founder of this notable institution, as well as his estimable wife, are both dead, but his children have incorporated it as the Eisen Vineyard Company, and tinder that name they continue the business. In many ways, Mr. Eisen was a benefactor to Fresno County, and when he died, about 1893, Central California sustained a loss more and more apparent as the years have gone by. Mr. Baber is popular socially, especially in the circles of the Elks and the B'nai B'rith ; and numerous friends esteem him as a man who, given a great trust, has proven his ability and worth.