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


PHILIPP RATHGEBER.� A valuable addition to the citizenry of 
Fresno County is Philipp Rathgeber, a well known pioneer of Yankton, S. D., 
and a successful cattleman and large landowner in that state. He made his 
advent into Fresno County in May, 1918, when he purchased the I. N. Zook 
place, a well improved ranch of forty acres devoted to raising peaches, figs 
and raisin grapes. This property he sold in February, 1919. 

Philipp Rathgeber was born in Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany, November 
14, 1857, a son of Christian and Barbara (Stiers) Rathgeber, both of whom 
were natives of Germany and were married there. In 1870, Mr. and Mrs. C. 
Rathgeber, with their family of four children, emigrated to America, re- 
maining in New York City about six months, then they removed to St Louis, 
Mo., where they resided eighteen months. Mrs. Rathgeber had one brother 
and two sisters at Yankton, S. D., which was then known as Dakota Terri- 
tory, and in 1872 the family moved to Yankton where the father bought a 
farm and here he continued to live until his death, during the winter of 1882, 
aged fifty-eight years. The mother continued to make her home at Yank- 
ton until she passed awaj' in 1916, at the age of eighty-two years, hav- 
ing resided in Dakota for forty-four years. Mr. and Mrs. Christian Rathgeber 
were the parents of four children : Philipp ; Katie, who is the wife of Gust 
Mielands, of Yankton; Jacob, ex-sheriff of Yankton County. S. D., and a 
hardware merchant in Yankton ; and Barbara, who is the wife of Bruno Strube, 
a partner in the hardware business with Jacob. 

Philipp Rathgeber grew to manhood at Yankton, where he worked on 
the home place, having broken up the prairie land with oxen and horses for 
his father, who was in poor health. When twenty-four years of age in 1882, 
Mr. Rathgeber was united in marriage with Mary Ruben, a native of .Madison 
County, Ill., who came to Yankton in the winter of 1880. They are the parents 
of five children: Emma, the wife of Mike Crowell, farmer and stockman 
of Meade County, S. D. : Pearl, the wile of Bert Zook, a raisin-grower of 
Fresno County; Walter, who married Miss Hazel Wilkinson, of Sanger, and 
served his country in the army; Lucy and Cassius, who are at home. 

After his marriage Mr. Rathgeber started farming for himself in Bon 
Homme County, S. D., and in 1886 he moved to Rapid City where he took 
up a homestead and proved up on 160 acres. He engaged in the cattle busi- 
ness on the Cheyenne River and became very prosperous, and added by 
purchase to his original homestead until now he is the owner of 750 acres. 
Mr. Rathgeber continued farming in South Dakota until the spring of 
1918, when his health began to fail, and like many others who needed a 
change of climate, his thoughts turned towards California and in May, 1918, 
he came to Fresno County, and here he is regaining his health and enjoying 
the glorious climate and sunshine of the Golden State, happy in the thought 
that now he is safe from the severity of Dakota's blizzards. Mr. Rathgeber 
is a man of much business ability and numbers among his acquaintances in 
South Dakota such noted men as Hon. Bartlett Tripp of Yankton, Ex- 
Governor Andrew E. Lee of Vermilion, Ex-Senator Frank Pettigrew of 
Sioux Falls, and Senator Johnson of Armour, S. D.