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 JAMES G. FERGUSON. � A business man of exceptional initiative and executive ability, a gentleman of rare personal accomplishments and splendid attainments, a citizen glad that he is living under the Stars and the Stripes and within the varied landscape of the Golden State, but proud also that he represents by a worthy inheritance one of the oldest and most renowned clans of Scotland � such is James G. Ferguson, so well and favorably known in Fresno. His father, James Ferguson, was born in Perth and for many years was with the Cunard Steamship Line, having his headquarters and residence in Liverpool. The Ferguson family is traceable back to Stirlingshire, Scot- land, and has always played an important and honorable part in that storm- tossed but romantic country. Mrs. Ferguson was Helen Kerr Fead, also Scotch, and a native of Dumfreshire. Both parents died in Liverpool. The father had been married, as a matter of fact, twice, and by his first marriage he had four daughters and a son. Rather curiously, his second wife, Catherine Hilton, became the mother of four girls and a boy, all of whom are living. The girls are in Los Angeles, and the boy, Robert Hilton Ferguson, is an electrical engineer serving his country at the front in the war. Born at Liverpool, the third eldest child by the first Mrs. Ferguson, James G. was educated in the Northern Institute of that great harbor city, leading on to the Liverpool College and, at the age of only fourteen, passing the ex- aminations for the entrance to the University. Instead of commencing studies there, however, he took up an apprenticeship in the Bank of Liverpool ; and realizing that he was highly favored with such a prospect, he remained there six years, during which time he passed through each department satisfactorily. He served with James H. Simpson, now at the head and general manager of the Bank of Liverpool, and there are few pleasanter memories of the old days than those associated with this famous leader. Owing to close application to his exacting duties, Mr. Ferguson's health became impaired, and his phy- sician advised a long sea-voyage. He therefore shipped to Australia on a sailer, and in that milder climate he roamed about and took his ease, until he could note an improvement. Then he engaged in the shipping business in Sydney, and it would have been strange if, with such a background of experience and valuable preparation, he had not succeeded, as he did. While there, in January, 1886, Mr. Ferguson was married to Miss Ada Florence Bond, a native of Ballarat, Australia, and the daughter of Thomas Rhodes Bond, of Cornwall, England, a pioneer miner at Ballarat. She had been reared from childhood with care and every possible advantage at Syd- ney, grew to be just such a helpmate as a man of Mr. Ferguson's experience and activities would desire. The same year, Mr. Ferguson crossed the ocean with his wife to San Francisco, but instead of trying his fortune in the large city of keen competi- tion, he continued his journey to Humboldt County, and located at Areata, where he found employment with Harpst & Spring, shingle manufacturers, as head accountant. Eight months later he accepted a position with the Russ Lumber Company, to perform the same responsible work at the San Diego branch owned by C. A. Hooper & Company of San Francisco. This was in 1887. and when he reached San Diego, he found it aflame with the great boom. He held that post until 1889, when he was sent by Pope & Talbot of San Francisco to their mills on Puget Sound ; and he remained manager at Utsa- lady until 1891 when his merit was further recognized by the Puget Sound Lumber Company which offered him a position with the old San Joaquin Lumber Company at Fresno, his duties to be those of head accountant. It was now evident that James Ferguson was permanently identified with the West, and that it was only a question of this or that development of in- terests for him to be in general demand. When the Fresno Flume Company was organized in 1894, he was offered the management of the office at Clovis : and he accepted, taking charge in May of that year, and holding the position ever since. In 1912, when the old company sold to the Fresno Flume Com- pany of Nevada, Mr. Ferguson was elected secretary and treasurer of the corporation, and this position he has also held ever since. Clovis being the headquarters of the company, of which he is still the office manager. One child, Ada H., blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. Ferguson, and later attended the Dominican College at San Rafael. Now she is the wife of Luther William Bahney. late professor of mining at Stanford University, later hold- ing the same position at Yale College and now head of the Scoville Plant at Waterburv, Conn. They have two little girls, Elizabeth Ruth and Harriet Ada. Mr. Ferguson is a member of Fresno Lodge, No. 439. B. P. O. F.. and has been connected with that organization about twenty years. He was made a Mason in Clovis Lodge, No. 417, F. & A. M., where he has served as treas- urer. He is also a member of Fresno Chapter. No. 67. R. A. M.. and is a mem- ber of the Fresno Consistory, thirty-second degree Scottish Rite Masons. He belongs to Islam Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S.. of San Francisco, and is a mem- ber of the Woodmen of the World, being a charter member of Manzanita Camp, Fresno, 1894, and having been its first manager. He also belongs to the Fraternal Brotherhood, the St. Andrew's Society of Fresno, the Hoo Hoo's, the Episcopal Church, and the Republican party, having served the latter as a member of the county central committee. Few men in Fresno County have such an interesting record.