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


LOUIS E. GOBBY. � A stockman, large landowner and conservative 
financier, who began his struggle with the world when very young and has 
succeeded despite misfortunes that would have defeated one of less mental, 
moral and physical caliber, is Louis E. Gobby, the vice-president of the First 
National Bank of Riverdale. 

A native of Switzerland, Mr. Gobby was born in the Canton Ticino on 
November 5, 1865, a son of Jasper Gobby, a mason, contractor and builder 
at Campo Niva, Switzerland, where he died when Louis was only three years 
of age ; and his mother had been Mary Garzoli before her marriage. The chil- 
dren in the family included: Peter, who passed away in 1917; Louis, the 
subject of our review; Rocco, referred to elsewhere; Adeline and Josephine, 
both of whom died young. The good mother remained in Switzerland and 
lived to be sixty-five years of age. Louis E. grew up in that country to be 
twelve years of age. About that time his cousin, William Garzoli, who was 
a dairyman at Petaluma, revisited Switzerland and talked to the lad about 
California ; with the result that, after he had returned to the Pacific Coast, 
he wrote to the boy's mother, then a widow, and sent her money for her son's 
passage, and although only in his early teens, he came all the way from his 
home in the mountain republic to California, arriving in Petaluma on August 
17, 1878. He commenced work at once on his cousin's dairy ranch. He toiled 
from three o'clock in the morning until ten o'clock at night, all the while be- 
coming more and more infatuated with California, saved his money and wrote 
home to encourage his younger brother, Rocco S., to turn his face toward the 
great land of liberty. He sent him money for his passage and two years 
later, he sent for the older brother, Peter, who became a well-known dairy- 
man of Riverdale, and is now deceased. 

The three Gobby brothers continued dairying in Sonoma County, but 
in 1885 came down to Riverdale, with John Cerini, who was then renting 
land and running a dairy. Louis Gobby worked for Cerini during 1885-86, 
and then, for five years was in partnership with his brothers. They then 
started to expand in the dairy business, went back to Petaluma, bought 
eighty-five head of young stock and shipped them from Petaluma to San 
Francisco by boat, and thence by rail to Fresno ; from which point they drove 
them to Riverdale. Texas fever broke out and within ten days all except 
nineteen head had died. This unexpected misfortune "broke" the trio for 
the time being. 

Louis then returned to working for wages, and soon was able to make a 
second start. Again he rented, this time the John's ranch where, during 
1893-4, he milked ISO cows. Financial depression, panics and small prices 
interfered and made the profits very small ; but he then bought eighty acres 
of the Ballard place, taking his brother Rocco into partnership with him ; and 
this partnership continued for two years. Since 1895, each brother has oper- 
ated for himself. 

Now Mr. Gobby owns 820 acres in his own right, with two sets of build- 
ings. He rents out 100 acres, and he raises stock � mostly beef cattle. 

Not only is Mr. Gobby the vice-president of the First National Bank of 
Riverdale, but he was one of its very first stockholders. 

A public-spirited citizen, Mr. Gobby has followed the great leaders of the 
Republican party in national affairs ; but when it comes to local issues, he is 
for the best interests of Fresno County and Riverdale.