Tulare County Biographies

CHARLES FELTON BURR

Transcribed by Jeannie Miyama

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


Charles Felton Burr, mayor of the city of Lindsay, California, and head of a 
large fruit-packing and shipping plant, was born in Menlo Park, San Mateo 
county, California, May 6, 1876.  His father, John Burr, was a native of 
Scotland and came to California in the �50s via Cape Horn.  About the same time 
a Scotch lassie named Annie Philpot also made the voyage via Cape Horn and 
landed in California, where she became the wife of John Burr, who was a gardener 
in Scotland before coming to the United States.  For fourteen years he followed 
that occupation in Menlo Park, in the employ of ex-United States Senator Charles 
N. Felton.  He then spent two years in Goshen, at the end of which time he 
located in San Fernando, Los Angeles county, where he bought a tract of land and 
established a nursery.  He was elected sheriff of Los Angeles county and was the 
first man to hold that office for a term of four years.  His death occurred in 
1913 on the ranch in San Fernando, where his widow is still living.
 
Charles Felton Burr received a good public school education.  In 1897 he 
accompanied his brother John to Lindsay and bought a ranch of one hundred and 
twenty-eight acres.  They still own the same acreage, which is devoted to orange 
culture, and John still lives on the ranch.  Another brother, William, lives 
with their mother in San Fernando.  Charles lived on the ranch with his brother 
until 1908, when he became manager for the Randolph Fruit Company, packers and 
shippers.  Six years later he went to the Joseph Digigeorgio Fruit Company as 
manager and started the citrus development for that company.  In 1918 he bought 
the business, which he now conducts under the name of Charles F. Burr, Packer & 
Shipper.  He handles as high as five hundred cars of citrus fruit every season.  

 
Mr. Burr also owns an interest in a ninety-acre ranch, or orchard, in Los 
Angeles county, and a tract of one thousand, five hundred acres near 
Watsonville.  He was one of the organizers of the First National Bank of 
Lindsay, of which he was vice president for three years.  He also assisted in 
the organization of the Lindsay Board of Trade (now the Chamber of Commerce), in 
which he is one of the directors, and is president of the Lindsay Mercantile 
Company, another concern he helped to establish.  From these several business 
connections it can readily be seen that Mr. Burr is one of the live wires of 
Lindsay, ready to assume responsibilities for the good of the community, as well 
as for his personal benefit.
 
Since 1912 Mr. Burr has been one of the city trustees and he is now serving his 
second term as mayor of Lindsay.  The first term as mayor Mr. Burr was appointed 
to fill out the unexpired term of Allen McGregor, who was appointed judge and 
resigned the office of mayor.  As a public official he has displayed the same 
sound judgment, the same careful attention to details that have distinguished 
him in his private business affairs.
 
On August 21, 1901, Mr. Burr was married to Miss Elsie L. Hoyt, of San Fernando, 
and this union has been blessed with two sons- Felton and Allen.  Felton is 
married and is associated with his father in business.  Allen is a student in 
the Fresno State College, where he has achieved quite a reputation as an 
athlete, his most notable record being in the high jump.  Mr. Burr is a 
republican in politics.  Fraternally he is a member of the Woodmen of the World 
and he has been the ruling spirit of the Lindsay camp of that order for the past 
fourteen years.  He is also a Mason and belongs to the Elks in Porterville.
 
History of Tulare County and Kings County, California � Kathleen Edwards Small & 
J. Larry Smith, Vol. I, Chicago, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1926, Page 
354