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



FRED SCHEIDT. � A successful business man who is equally prosper- 
ous in his ventures in horticulture and viticulture is Fred Scheldt, a native 
of Samara, Stepnoia, Russia, where he was born on May 22, 1871. His father 
was George Scheidt, a farmer, who spent his life there, and there were six 
children in the family, of whom Fred was the fifth in the order of birth. 

He was brought up on a farm and educated in German and Russian 
schools, but in December, 1890, he left home for Baltimore where he arrived 
on the following New Year Day. At Parkersburg, W. Va., he remained 
seven months, and then he removed to Cincinnati, where he lived and worked 
for seven years. For six years he was employed by the Cincinnati Lithograph 
Company, and then he went to Kansas. 

In July 1898. Mr. Scheldt came to Fresno and accepted employment with 
the Southern Pacific Railroad. He did not like the work, however, and after 
six days he entered the service of the Earl Fruit Company. At the end of 
the season he went with the Griffin & Skelly Fruit Company, and having 
been with them two years, he took up his residence in Hamilton and worked 
for the Sugar Beet Company there. He contracted with the company to 
raise sugar-beets, but at the end of the season he came back to Fresno. He 
worked for Otto Nestel for six years, and then for. seven years was with 
George Kaehler. 

During 1913, Mr. Scheidt bought out George Christian's grocery store 
at 440 F Street, where he continued the grocery business. Four years later he 
bought a ranch of thirty-two and a half acres, two and a half miles northwest 
of Clovis, and he now has one of the finest peach orchards and vineyards of 
Thompson seedless and malaga grapes, all developed under his personal su- 
pervision. He makes his residence with his family on the place. Such was 
his exceptional success, that he was sought by both the California Associated 
Raisin Company and the California Peach Growers, Inc. 

While in Cincinnati, Mr. Scheidt was married to Miss Margaret Walter, 
a native of Madison, Ind., whose parents settled in Indiana in 1848. Ten of 
their children are living. Matilda is the wife of C. Hunton of Fresno, a volun- 
teer in the United States Army, serving in France ; George is also in the 
United States Army; Anna. Eduard, William, Emma. Alfred, Elsie, Gussie 
and Arthur are at home. 

Mr. Scheidt is a welcome member of the Eagles.