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 ALBERT HAGOPEAN.� As early as 1881, Albert Hagopean came from Smyrna, landing in New York City, August 21, and the next day he took out his first papers for American citizenship, and he congratulates himself that at the earliest occasion possible, he cemented the bonds between him- self and his adopted country. The other fact of which Mr. Hagopean is proud is that he cast his lot in the Golden State. His grandfather was Hampartzoum Charkian, a native of Constantinople, as was his father before him, and the latter was a fisherman and owned a number of fishing smacks in the Sea of Marmora, with which he caught fish for the markets at Constantinople. The grandfather was a maker of gold- plates and cups for table use, for the aristocracy of the palace, such as the Sultan princes and pashas, shahs in Islam and caliphs � these being the lead ing ruling people of the Turkish Empire and the Mohammedan faith. He was the first man who imported a lathe from Europe with which to turn out gold and silver dishes ; and became well-to-do. His father, who was born in Constantinople of pure Armenian blood, the Rev. Hagopean, was a preacher of the Gospel and a Congregational minister, connected, for forty years, with the American Missionary Board. He- labored at Symrna, one of the seven churches in which the great St. Paul extempo- rized. Mrs. Hagopean was a rich man's daughter, Nectar Manoukian before her marriage, born in Jerusalem, and her father was the head of the Armenian Protestants in Smyrna, and was the recognized head of the latter body in dealings with the Government. The father became converted by the preach- ing of Dr. Hamlin, an American missionary of the Congregational Church stationed at Constantinople, and concluded to enter the ministry. He there- fore went to the Congregational Theological School at Babek on the Bos- phorus and there learned English. He graduated and before the Crimean War came to America on a sailing vessel, being on the ocean for four months ; the company braved both storms and icebergs, and were finally driven to Newfoundland, although their destination was New York harbor. Being a turner, he obtained work in his line at the Howe Sewing Machine works ; he attended night school and further enlarged his knowledge of English and other useful subjects. After five years he became seriously ill; and as the doctors advised a change of climate, he went back to Constantinople and there taught school. For a while he was again at Balat and at the Golden Horn in Constantinople, and then he was sent to Smyrna and ordained to preach by the Congregational Church. While there he fell in love with a teacher in an American private seminary and was eventually married to her. She was also highly educated in the Armenian, Turkish, Greek, English and French languages, and she became just as enthusiastic in pursuing the work of the Christian ministry as was her husband, who devoted the rest of his life to missionary preaching, serving thus for forty years. Then he retired and, in 1898, died at Constantinople, aged eighty years. His good wife out- lived him, and died, during 1904, in Constantinople, at the age of seventy- five years. This esteemed couple were blessed with three children. Albert was born, November 20, 1859. He was well-educated in the Ar- menian school at Smyrna and at the Robert College in Constantinople, where he learned English, French, Greek, Turkish and Armenian. He was made an apprentice to the trade of watchmaker at Smyrna and in Constantinople, and served six and a half years at the bench. In 1881 he came to America and during the first year worked in a jewelry store on John Street, New York City. The following year he moved west to Chicago and thence to Elgin, working in the famous watch factory, until 1910; and so skilled was he that he gained the distinction of being one of the expert workmen. Mr. Hagopean was married, at Elgin, in 1899, to Miss Blanche Mann, the daughter of Mi- chael and Margaret (Connor) Mann, the second child in a family of ten. She was educated in the public schools at Elgin, and thus well prepared to assume the duties and responsibilities of life. Our subject had long desired to see California; and having saved his money, he came west to look around in 1895, when he stayed a year; but the effect of the hard times rather discouraged him, and he concluded to go back to Elgin and the watch factory. In 1906 he came to Fresno County and to Parlier, and bought his present place of twenty-five and three-fourths acres, one one-half miles southeast of Parlier; but again he returned to Elgin, and it was only in 1910 that he sold his residence in the latter place and came to California for good, since which time he has been steadily improving his ranch. In the beginning the only fruit on the ranch was five acres of zinfandel grapes, but he has grafted the zinfandels onto Thompson seedless, and planted six acres to malagas ; he has two acres of alfalfa, while the balance of the land is rough and unimproved. He has erected a modern bungalow and neces- sary outbuildings. Mr. Hagopean has always displayed a fervid patriotism, and while at Elgin he enlisted in the State Militia and served five years in that city as a member of Company E of the Third Illinois Regiment. Again, when the Spanish-American War broke out, he volunteered for the infantry of the same organization, and reenlisted at Springfield, Ill., in the regular United States Army. He trained in camp at Chickamauga, went thence to Newport News, where he took the transport St. Louis to Porto Rico, and there served under Generals Brooks and Miles until peace was declared. There were many Corsicans at Arroyo and Guyama ; and inasmuch as Mr. Hagopean could speak French, he was selected as interpreter and later was made acting quartermaster. He continued with the regiment until it returned to the United States in November, 1898, coming back by way of Hoboken, and was honorably discharged at Joliet, Ill., on January 29, 1899, never once being sick. He is now a member of the Spanish War Veterans at Fresno. . His daily activities as a viticulturist and horticulturist engage him more and more, for Mr. Hagopean has the scientific mind and insists on himself growing while his plants and fruit develop. He is a member of the California Associated Raisin Company, and in supporting their programs does heroic pioneer work, realizing that the present prosperity of the county is due er> tirely to organization.