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


EDGAR ORLANDO REESE.� A wide-awake agriculturist of Central 
California, whose kindheartedness has made for him many friends, is Ed- 
gar Orlando Reese, the representative of an old American family of distinc- 
tion in judicial and medical circles. He was born at Mossycreek, near Knox- 
ville, Nashville County, Tenn., on April 29, 1865, the son of George A. Reese, 
also a native of Tennessee. Great-Grandfather Reese came from Wales, was 
an attorney at law, and located in Philadelphia where he was elected a judge 
and served with honor for years on the bench. His son, Grandfather Reese, 
was a graduate of the Jefferson Medical College, at Philadelphia, which con- 
ferred on him the coveted Jefferson parchment of M. D., and was noted as a 
successful practitioner. 

George Reese was a cattle-buyer, and was of such experience and native 
ability that his services were sought as a member of the commissary depart- 
ment during the Civil War. In 1869 he removed to Texas and located in Kerr 
County, where he was both a cattleman and a farmer. On April 1, 1884, he 
came to California ; and after spending some time looking around in Fresno 
and Tulare counties, he settled at Selma, where he continued to reside until 
his death. Mrs. Reese's maiden name was Inez M. Caldwell; she was born 
in Tennessee and died at Kerman, the mother of eight children, all of whom 
are still living. 

Edgar is the oldest and was reared in Texas, where he was educated at 
the public schools. He worked at cattle-raising and rode the range ; and 
when he moved to Fresno in 1884, he was familiar with ranch-life, and his 
assistance was in demand by ranchers generally. When his father bought a 
ranch in the Fresno Colony, he worked there and also for other people ; and 
later he was in partnership with his brother, Arthur, in grain-farming. 

When he began grain-farming he bought a farm in Tulare County, south 
of Porterville and he also leased land. At first he met with hard times and 
reverses, but later, when he started stock-raising, he made a success with 
mules and cattle. In 1902 he and his brother dissolved their partnership and 
sold the land ; and then he located at Dinuba, where he bought a ranch. He 
planted it to alfalfa, and set out sultana and malaga vines; and, at the end of 
four years, he disposed of the ranch and bought others. This experiment of 
buying, improving and selling he repeated until he had acquired, developed 
and disposed of three different ranches. After that he moved to Berkeley, 
where he lived for five years. 

In 1907, Mr. Reese had bought his ranch of forty acres on Dakota Ave- 
nue, in Dakota Colony, when he was in the business of concrete and building 
materials at Berkeley ; and in the following spring he began to improve it 
and superintend it himself. In 1911 he sold his business and moved to the 
ranch. Now he has there a fine vineyard of malaga and muscat grapes, and 
five acres of peaches. He also leases ten acres adjoining. He is a member 
and a stockholder in both the California Associated Raisin Company and the 
California Peach Growers, Inc. 

At picturesque and historic old San Luis Obispo, Mr. Reese married Miss 
Maggie A. Carr, who was born in Iowa, and three children have blessed their 
union : Pearl, who is a graduate of the Kerman high school and is now attend- 
ing Heald's Business College; Ross, in the Kerman high ; and Merle, at home. 

A Democrat in matters of national politics, Mr. Reese has shown broad- 
minded and non-partisan tendencies in his public service as a trustee of the 
Dakota school district. He and his family are fond of social life, and are pop- 
ular in Fresno circles, as is indicated by his membership in the Woodmen of 
the World.