California Biographies Transcribed by Peggy Hooper This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm Source: History of the state of California and biographical record of the San Joaquin Valley, California. An historical story of the state's marvelous growth from its earliest settlement to the present time. Prof. James Miller Guinn , A. M. The Chapman Publishing Co., Chicago 1905 Notes: Missing Page: 865-866,983-984,1175-1176 HECTOR BURNESS. The records of the Burness family prove them to have a long and honorable Scotch ancestry. Their most distinguished representative, Robert Burns, whose name is immortal in the world of literature, changed the spelling of the family name to the form by which he is universally known, but other members of the family retained the original spelling. Among the near relatives of the Scotch bard was William M. Burness, a native of Montrose, Scotland, and a manufacturer by occupation. In religion he adhered to the Presbyterian religion, which had been the family faith since the founding of that denomination. Among his children was a son, John Young, born at Lawrencekirk, Kincardineshire, near the shores of the North sea. Possess- ing mechanical ability of more than ordinary extent, he utilized his genius in the starting of the first power loom at Brechin, Forfarshire, not many miles from the place where he was born and reared. The plant which he built up became one of the most important concerns of that city and furnished employment to more than eight hundred hands. His successful management of an undertaking of so great magnitude proved the possession on his part of business ability as well as mechanical genius. With the passing of the years and the approach of old age, he found the responsibilities of the plant greater than his physical strength justified, and he therefore re- linquished the management of the works, and in 1893 came to San Francisco, where he has since made his home. In his younger years he possessed a voice of rare melody and power, and his ability as a musician brought him into circles where artistic genius was the open sesame and the sole passport. In his marriage he became allied with an old Scotch family, his wife, Mary Forbes, having been born at Marykirk, near Lawrencekirk and Montrose, where her father, John Forbes, made his home, following the occupation of a fisherman on the coast of the North sea. In the family of John Y. and Marv (Forbes) Burness there were seven sons and three daugh- ters, all of whom are living but one son and one daughter. Of the sons we note the following: William M. and John E. are employed respectively as first engineer and chief engineer of the Pal- ace hotel in San Francisco : Thomas N. is an instructor of music and organist in the Dalziel par- ish church in Matherwell, Scotland : Hector is the representative of Balfour, Guthrie & Co., in the San Joaquin valley, and resides in Fresno: Alexander is connected with the same company at Bakersfield. this state; David died in boyhood; and Robert D. is professor of music and organist in Calvary Church, San Francisco. Hector Burness was born at Dundee, Scotland, January 18, 1859, and attended the Brechin public schools until twelve years of age, when he was apprenticed as a bookkeeper in the Denburn works (founded by his father at Brechin). After three years there he was apprenticed as a banker in Brechin, where he served a term of three years and then continued for about eighteen months as an employe. On resigning that place, he went to Lon- don and for four and one-half years held the position of head bookkeeper in a merchant's office. Leaving England in August. 1884, Mr. Burness came to the United States in order to accept a position previously offered him as head bookkeeper for a large wholesale dry goods house in Austin, Tex. Arriving there, the firm wished him to wait for a time before taking up the work, but, the position still not being given him, in January. 1885, he came to San Francisco, where his first position was in the auditing department of the Wells-Fargo Company. After three months he resigned to become bookkeeper with Balfour, Guthrie & Co., on the Chowchilla ranch in Merced county. This position he filled for four years. When the company purchased twenty-five hundred acres of wild land in Fresno county, in August, 1889, he was sent to Fresno to take charge of the land and superintend its improvement. Immediately taking up the work, he set out a vineyard and orchard and placed many acres under alfalfa. Some of the land he also laid out in small tracts and sold. However, while some was sold, the company kept increasing their hold- ings by purchase, until they now have about sixteen thousand acres in the San Joaquin valley, directly under the control of Mr. Burness. Among their properties are the Anita and Las Palmas vineyards of one hundred and sixty acres each, both vineyards of the very best class. In 1890 Mr. Burness was appointed the company's sole representative in the San Joaquin valley and was placed in charge of their loans, with headquarters in Fresno. Under bis direct supervision are the following properties: Pacific and Agricultural Colonization Company's lands, aggregating six thousand acres and including the Anita vineyard of one hundred and sixty acres ; Strathmore Land Company, with over four thousand acres of orange land, irrigated by a modern pumping plant ; the Balfour. Guthrie Investment Company's holdings of two thousand acres in Stanislaus county, all in alfalfa, and improved with pumping plants, etc. ; the Thompson ranch in Napa county, comprising six hundred acres, of which four hundred acres are being re- claimed ; and other properties under the control of Balfour, Guthrie & Co. His offices are in the Patterson block, Fresno, while he makes his home on the Anita vineyard, one of the most pictur- esque vineyards in the entire state, and frequently visited by tourists who have heard of its many attractions. Besides the numerous responsibilities that come to him as the company's representative in the San Joaquin valley, Mr. Burness finds time to identify himself with other activities, notably the Fresno Realty & Agency Company, which he assisted in organizing and of which he is now a director ; also the South Branch Ditch Company, of which he is vice-president and a director; the Kearney Vineyard Syndicate, in which he is a director ; and the California Raisin Growers' As- sociation, in which he served as a director during 1901-02 and at the same time held office as its treasurer. After coming to Fresno he married Miss Mary Young, who was born at Almond Bank, near Perth, Scotland. Of their union are three children, Hector Ian, Thomas Binny, and Mary Anita (the two latter being twins). The family attend the Presbyterian Church and Mr. and Mrs. Burness are active workers in that denomination. His political views are in harmony with Republican principles and he casts his ballot for the men and measures of that party. An ac- tive member of St. Andrew's Society, at one time he officiated as president of the organization. While in Sanger he was made a Mason and has since transferred his membership to Fresno Lodge No. 247, F. & A. M. Personally he is a man of rare qualities, combining the honor, thrift and in- tegrity of his Scotch progenitors with the enterprise and keen judgment that are distinctively American traits. Perhaps none of his characteristics impress the stranger more than his excel- lent judgment, which is evinced in his sagacious control of the lands and loans of his firm and their allied companies. With justice he is ranked among the most influential men in the valley.