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



CHARLES BACON.� A thoroughly posted buyer of fruit in the San 
Joaquin Valley, Charles Bacon has had the good fortune to grow up with 
Fresno. He was born in Sampson, Turkey, August 15, 1877, and when eleven 
years of age came to the United States, with a sister. They came direct to 
Fresno, which at that time had a population of about seven thousand. The 
public schools and the Sparrow Business College furnished young Bacon 
his education, and after he had finished school he went to work on a ranch 
and continued for eight months at his first job. He then decided to rent some 
land and work for himself, and leased the El Capitan Vineyard, 160 acres 
of which were in vineyard, twenty acres in Malagas, and sixty acres in Mus- 
cats, while the other eighty acres of the ranch were given over to diversified 
farming. After several years of successful operation, Mr. Bacon bought the 
vineyard, and two years later sold off some of it at a good profit. The property 
has been a large producer, one year yielding 115 tons of raisins, which sold 
for five and one-fourth cents per pound ; and 150 tons of Malagas, which sold 
for $3,000. 

During the time Mr. Bacon was looking after his own property interests, 
he was buying fruit for other parties. He organized and conducted the Pala- 
gan Fruit Company, and the Star Fruit Company. Fruit and raisins were 
bought and packed at their packing houses in Fresno. For the past eight 
years Mr. Bacon has been buying fruit for the Fresno Fruit Growers Com- 
pany, and his years of experience in that line of industry make him an in- 
valuable man and a successful buyer. During the season, about eight months 
of the year, he is a very busy man and travels about 135 miles daily,, by auto- 
mobile through the valley. 

Mr. Bacon has made a success in life by his own efforts, and believes in 
progress and development of all industries, and does his best to support such 
projects. He is the father of three children: Gorkin, Hig, and Zobel.