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 HENRY A. MOMSON. � There are few, if any, more inspiring ex- amples of self-won success, in the history of Fresno County farmers, than that furnished by the career of Henry A. Momson, the pioneer rancher of the Summit Lake country, near Riverdale, and owner of 960 acres situated eight miles west of Riverdale. His ranch is regarded as one of the best and most highly improved in the west side district and is located within the Crescent Reclamation District, which embraces 6,000 acres of reclaimed swamp land, protected by levee. The land is very fertile and produces enormous crops of grain and alfalfa. The owner of this splendid ranch, H. A. Momson, was born in Schleswig- Holstein, October 15, 1863. When but three years of age his father brought him to America and his boyhood days were spent in Clinton and Crawford counties, Iowa. At the early age of eleven he started to work, and in the spring of 1881 he accompanied his father to California. The father re- mained in Tulare and Kings Counties, and passed away in 1906, near Porter- ville. Mr. Momson followed grain-farming near Hanford and Grangeville, where he rented land until 1888, when he located in the Summit Lake country, near Riverdale, Fresno County. For the first ten years he rented land, farming about 1,500 acres to grain. In 1897 he purchased his present ranch consisting of 960 acres, located eight miles west of Riverdale. Of this, 320 acres are devoted to alfalfa, the balance being sown to wheat and barley. The land is all under the Crescent Canal, the main canal being twenty- seven miles long, and 12,000 acres being irrigated by this company. His crop of alfalfa averages one ton to an acre and four cuttings a year; the wheat averages ten sacks to an acre and the barley twenty sacks, although during the season of 1917 some of the barley averaged forty sacks. The yearly total number of sacks is from six to seven thousand. In 1906, Mr. Momson started a dairy and has at present sixty head of milk cows, including many pure Holsteins. The ranch is equipped with a large modern barn, 56 x 100 feet, and 24 feet in height. In addition to his dairy interests, he raises Poland-China hogs of a fine strain, having sold, during 1917, $4,200 worth of pork, he also sold that same year 150 head of beef cattle. Mr. Momson is regarded as one of the leading and most successful dairy and grain farmers on the west side of Fresno County. His home, comprising a half-acre lot, is located at 145 Glenn Avenue, Fresno, and in addition to this he owns other valuable real estate in Fresno. Mr. Momson was united in marriage on September 4, 1888, with Emma Batty, a native of Iowa, and this happy union was blessed with three chil- dren : Christopher, who was in the aviation service of the United States Army returned home in December, 1918, having been honorably discharged ; he was married in February, 1919, to Miss Elisa Hall of San Francisco, whom he met at the University of California, and he is now in charge of the farm. Eleanor is the wife of H. L. Daily, of Fresno and they have a son, Harry Lee. Dorothy graduated from the Fresno High School and is now a student of the California Art Institute of San Francisco, a department of the University of California. Mrs. Momson and the children are active members of the Presbyterian Church in Fresno. Fraternally Mr. Momson is a Mason and member of Center Lodge, No. 465, F. & A. M., at Fresno, and is a Knight Templar. He is now a thirty- second degree Mason. He is also a member of the San Joaquin Milk Pro- ducers Association and the State Alfalfa Growers Association. He is highly esteemed in the community and always ready to give his aid to all move- ments for the advancement of Fresno County.