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 PRETZER, SR.� A worthy representative of the foreign-born 
resident of the State of California, one who is loyal in his support of all en- 
terprises that have for their object the betterment of conditions in general 
in the county of his adoption, is Henry Pretzer, St., a prosperous rancher 
on Blythe Avenue, where he owns an eighty-acre ranch. He was born in the 
province of Samara, Russia, November 18, 1859, a son of William and Katie 
(Helmuth) Pretzer, farmers in their native Russia. The mother died in 
1917, and the father makes his home with his son. 

Henry was the oldest of six children and was brought up on his father's 
farm, assisting with the work as soon as he was old enough. He was married 
there to Katie Webber, likewise a native of that section. In 1888, with his 
wife, he left the old country and came to America, settling for a year in 
Yankton County, S. D., but he found the winter too cold and they again took 
up their journey westward and arrived in Fresno County in 1889. Mr. Pret- 
zer worked for two years, during which time he saved enough to buy a team 
and wagon, then he bought twenty acres of land near Kerman and set out 
vines, but found out that his water-right was not perfect, although he had 
paid for it in good faith. He then left the place and bought twenty acres on 
North Avenue, set it to vines, erected a house and outbuildings, and in two 
years sold out at a profit. He next was a grain-raiser near Kingsburg for a 
year, and, following that, leased a ranch on California Avenue and ran it 
seven years. 

In 1903 he bought the place that is his present home, a tract of eighty 
acres on Blythe, between California and Church Avenues. This he has de- 
veloped from its raw state to a fine alfalfa ranch. At first he had forty acres 
in vines, but when the price of raisins went so low that it was no longer 
profitable to raise grapes, he dug them out and put the ranch in alfalfa ; he 
has a dairy of thirty cows, and also some hogs. He installed modern ma- 
chinery, an electric motor for pumping, and has an excellent irrigating sys- 
tem. With Mr. Erie, he rents 1,280 acres at Helm, which was all in wheat 
in 1918, but owing to the excessively hot weather they got little more 
than one sack per acre ; the year previous they planted to barley. 

Seven children have been born to Mr. Pretzer and his wife : Henry, Jr., 
August and Gotlieb, are ranchers on North Avenue. Mary is Mrs. Schmidt, 
and lives at home ; Lizzie is Mrs. J. Honigle ; Mollie is Mrs. Helmuth ; and 
Katie is Mrs. Erie and all live in Fresno County with their husbands who 
are ranchers. Mr. Pretzer is a member of the Methodist Church and in poli- 
tics is a Democrat.