Kings County Biographies


This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm



PERRY C. PHILLIPS
 
A pioneer of his section of the county of Kings that was last partitioned from 
Fresno county, as well as one of the successful men who are now residents of the 
county, is Perry C. Phillips, who was born on April 7, 1838, in Gibson county, 
Ind. His schooling was limited to a brief attendance at the common schools in 
the vicinity of his home and he early gained experience in farming as it was 
carried on there. In 1854 he crossed the plains with ox-teams and located at 
Grizzly Hill, Nevada county, engaging in mining for a time. In 1860 he came to 
the San Joaquin valley and settled in Fresno county, locating on his present 
home place on October 23 of that year. Visalia, twenty-five miles distant, was 
the principal trading place. He first bought eighty acres of land upon which is 
now located his home, and by subsequent purchases increased his holdings until 
he is now the owner of about four thousand acres. Nearly all of this soil; 
twenty acres are now in fruit, the balance in alfalfa and grain for general 
farming purposes, and he makes a specialty of raising hogs.
In the early days of the irrigation movement Mr. Phillips became prominent and 
was one of the men of foresight who saw that by the construction of ditches to 
carry the water from the river a large area of unproductive land could be 
converted into one of the world's garden spots. How well he and his associates 
planned the history of this whole region testifies. He was for a year a director 
of the People's Ditch Company, and as a citizen he has ever had in view the 
greatest good to the greatest number, firm in the belief that the prosperity of 
one is the prosperity of all, and he has been ready at all times to respond to 
any call on behalf of the uplift and development of the community.
Mr. Phillips was united in marriage April 29, 1860, at Vacaville, Solano county, 
with Elizabeth Hildebrand, born in Shelby county, Ind., October 22, 1840. She 
came to California in 1853 with her parents, who settled first in Sierra county 
and later lived at Grizzly Hill, where she first met Mr. Phillips. After their 
marriage they came that fall to Fresno county and settled on their present home 
place. They had eight children: Florence E., wife of E. D. Morton; Martha I., 
wife of W. D. Runyon; Carrie W., the wife of L. L. Lowe; Ada B.; Dora E., 
deceased; George H.; Robert H., and Oscar L., all born, reared and educated in 
central California. Mr. and Mrs. Phillips are the last of the pioneers in this 
section of the county.
 
History of Tulare and Kings Counties, California with Biographical Sketches - 
Los Angeles, Calif., Historic Record Company, 1913
pp.  777-778
Transcribed by Kathy Sedler