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


JACOB P. CHRISTIAN. � A progressive and able man, one who would 
make a place for himself in any country, Jacob P. Christian has weathered 
both prosperity and adversity in the confines of Fresno County, and is now 
building his fortunes anew from the fertile soil of this section. He is a 
native of Russia, born March 17, 1872, in Dinkel, on the Volga River, Samara, 
a son of Phillip and Katie (Reinhardt) Christian, both of that country, and 
there the father died, January 28, 1918; the mother is still living on the home 
farm. They were the parents of nine children, two girls and seven boys, 
of whom Jacob P. is the oldest of three brothers now living in America, the 
others being Henry, of Fresno, and Carl, of Kutner Colony. 

He was brought up on the home farm, and received his education in the 
public schools of his native country and also in a special advanced school. 
He remained at home until twenty-one, when he entered the Russian Army, 
in 1894, in a cavalry regiment, entering training school in Poland ; in his 
examinations he stood second highest out of forty-eight, received second 
prize and was commissioned second lieutenant, advanced to first lieutenant, 
and also made maps of maneuvers. He served five years, and received prizes 
for horse-breaking and for shooting. Before he obtained his honorable dis- 
charge, Mr. Christian had some difficulty with the military authorities be- 
cause of his expose of the misappropriation of supplies by General Tomas- 
chefski, who sold them and put the money in his own pocket. Instead of be- 
ing protected for his honesty, the military powers shielded the general. The 
result was that Mr. Christian made an appeal to the German Emperor, under 
whose flag his forefathers had been reared, and through his influence he was 
given a full release as a citizen of Russia and his discharge granted. While 
this was being consummated he was a resident of Germany for seven months, 
during which time he decided he would seek a new field for his talents. 

In December, 1898, therefore, Mr. Christian arrived in Fresno ; he spoke 
German-Russian and Polish, and soon acquired a good knowledge of Eng- 
lish. He engaged in ranching near Fresno, buying a 120-acre ranch from 
Balfour-Guthrie Company, for $72 an acre ; of this property he sold 100 acres 
to friends for $80 per acre, and improved the balance to vineyard and orchard, 
and later sold it. He then engaged in grain-farming, leasing 640 acres of 
the old Hyde ranch and 320 acres of the A. S. Kellogg ranch, part of which 
was in alfalfa, and a dairy was also maintained on the ranch. Later, on 
account of his wife's health, Mr. Christian sold out and located in Fresno, 
where he bought a grocery store on Elm and California Avenues, which he 
operated for sixteen months as the Elm Avenue Grocery Company ; at the 
end of that period he sold out and engaged in real estate under the firm 
name of the South Realty Company, and also became a notary public. He 
continued in the realty business for about five years, and then bought back 
the grocery, continuing under the old name from July, 1915, to May 14, 1916, 
when he was burned out and lost all he had made in years. Nothing daunted, 
however, he again began ranching, purchasing twenty acres on Floyd Avenue 
which he devoted to Thompson seedless grapes. He still is authorized to do 
notary public work and conveyancing. 

The marriage of Mr. Christian on July 24, 1899, in Fresno, united him 
with Miss Katie Klamm, born in Russia, and a daughter of Jacob Klamm, 
now living retired in Fresno ; she was brought to Fresno when thirteen 
years of age, by her parents. To Mr. and Mrs. Christian seven children have 
been born: Lizzie; Mollie ; Alex; Henry; Fred; Emelia ; and Lydia. They 
attend the Free Evangelical Lutheran Church, and Mr. Christian is secretary 
of the Brotherhood of German Churches in Fresno County and Dinuba, and 
during the drives collected funds for the Red Cross, of which he is a life 
member, and he was active in other patriotic work during the war. He is 
a member of the California Associated Raisin Company and of the Califor- 
nia Peach Growers, Inc. Progress and advancement have been his watch- 
words, and, always a student, he is now putting in his spare time in the 
study of law. Mr. Christian organized and started what is now the California 
Post, published in Fresno, and was its president and director for several 
years, when he resigned for lack of time to give to the publication. He is 
well read and of keen vision, and has been an active, loyal Republican.