Yolo County Biographies


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Del FENTON
 
Few departments of business activity affect more deeply the permanent welfare of 
a place and none is more vitally associated with the attractiveness of a town 
than that of contracting and building.  The village that boasts picturesque 
cottages and substantial business structures attracts the stranger who is 
repelled by a town containing only unsightly houses and public buildings lacking 
grace or convenience of design.  It has been the task of Mr. Fenton, during a 
somewhat brief identification with the citizenship of Woodland, to erect 
buildings attractive in exterior appearance, convenient as to interior 
arrangements and yet conserving of space as well as of expenditures of money.  
The buildings, both private and public, in many instances have been designed by 
the builder and the completed structure, symmetrical and harmonious, represents 
his intelligent oversight and architectural ability.
 
In his native city of Springfield, Ohio, where he was born in 1876 and where he 
had received a fair education, Mr. Fenton learned the trade of carpentering 
under his father, a practical and experienced builder.  Upon starting out for 
himself he came to California during 1900 at settled at Davisville, Yolo county, 
where he joined an uncle, Eli Snyder, and for three years he worked faithfully 
and well on the ranch owned by that relative.  Leaving the ranch and taking up 
work at his trade, he labored for a time at Goldfield, Nev., and next went to 
Medford, Ore., where he followed his chosen occupation.  Later going to 
Berkeley, Cal., he acted as foreman of the Newton Stanford Construction Company 
for fourteen months, and when he resigned that position he returned to Yolo 
county.  Since August of 1909 he has resided in Woodland, where he owns a 
comfortable home at No. 173 West Court street.
 
It is significant of the popularity enjoyed by Mr. Fenton in his home city that, 
during the two years of his residence here, he has erected over forty dwellings, 
in or near the city, representing an investment of from $90,000 to $100,000.  
While he refuses no contracts except for lack of time, he prefers to erect 
modern, elegant residences and for these he draws his own plans.  Two of the 
best houses in Madison, this county, were erected recently by him, also the 
Fillmore district schoolhouse and the country residence of J. C. Clark, beside 
the Woodland residences of A. R. Lee, F. V. Stening, H. E. Norton, O. Howard, E. 
Snavely, Mrs. Bray, Miss Alice Ralls, George Zane, J. J. Keene and John Dole, as 
well as two houses for W. Woolley and other buildings in or near town.  When he 
came to Woodland he brought with him his bride, whom he had married in Oregon in 
1909 and who was formerly Miss Josephine Ralls.  While she had lived in the 
northern state during much of her girlhood, she was born in California and is a 
member of an old family of the west.  With her husband she enjoys the friendship 
of the people of Woodland and has made many warm friends during the period of 
her residence in the city.  Fraternally Mr. Fenton holds membership with the 
Junior Order of United American Mechanics and maintains a deep interest in the 
activities of this order.  As a citizen he heartily supports all movements for 
the permanent advancement of Woodland and vies with older settlers in his 
devotion to civic progress and in his intelligent advocacy of progressive 
movements.
 
Transcribed by Bea Barton
Source:  �History of Yolo County, California� by Tom Gregory.  Published by the 
Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, California, 1913, pages 734 � 736.