California Biographies, San Joaquin Valley

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


 FELIX DESIRE DUOUESNE is remembered by the old pioneers as an upbuilder of Fresno, and is given 
an honorable place in the records of the city and county. He was born in Louvain, Belgium, and was 
there reared to manhood and educated as a physician. On account of his health he gave up the 
practice of his profession and left his native country. In 1853 ne cam e to California, making the trip by 
way of the Isthmus of Panama. Upon his arrival in the state he followed mining in Tuolumne county, 
and later was deputy county trustee and city trustee of Sonora, in which city he also engaged in the 
liquor business for a time. In 1878 he went to San Francisco and there engaged in the painting 
business, then spent six months in Kern county, after which he came to Fresno. In 1881 he engaged in 
the hotel business on H street, remaining so occupied until he was burned out twenty-three months 
later. In the meantime he had purchased several lots on H street, where he had built a small house. He 
was employed by Dr. Leach in his distillery until he built on a lot which he owned on I street, where he 
engaged in the wholesale liquor and wine business, known as the Pioneer Liquor Store. Later he built a 
winery and wine cellar on H street, known as the Pioneer Wine Cellar. He was very successful in his 
work, but lived only a short time after, his death occurring November 27, 1887, from blood poisoning, 
resulting from an accident. Fraternally he was a Master Mason, and in his political convictions was a 
stanch adherent of the principles advocated in the platform of the Democratic party. In Sonora, Cal., 
January 2, 1864, Mr. Duquesne was united in marriage with Mathilda Amy, who was born at Frankfort-
on-the-Main, Germany. Her father, Claude Amy, was born in Lyons, near Paris, France, and was the 
representative of an old family of that section. He was a wholesale merchant in Frankfort until 1852, 
when he brought his wife and five children (one son, Victor, having preceded them in 1849) to 
California. The journey was made via Cape Horn on the Courie de L'linde and occupied seven and a half 
months from Havre to the port of San Francisco, a stop having been made at Rio Janeiro in Brazil, and 
at Valparaiso, in Chili. Upon their arrival in California they went to Sonora, Tuolumne county, where 
Mr. Amy engaged in farming until his retirement from active duty. His death occurred in that location 
in 1 901, at the age of eight) -eight years. Fraternally he was a Mason. His wife, formerly Julie Deboissy, 
was a native of Beaumont, and her death occurred in Sonora in 1892, at the age 01 seventy-eight 
years. They were the parents of six children, of whom two are living, Mrs. Duquesne being the fourth 
in order of birth. She received her education in the schools of Frankfort, and was of an age to enjoy 
the long yet interesting trip from her birthplace to California. Since her husband's death she has 
looked after the interests of the property, still owning the Pioneer store and her home residence. She 
has two daughters, of whom Pauline is the wife of Henry Robson, of Oakland, and Leonie is the wife of 
W. C. Abbay, of Berkeley. She is a member of St. John's Catholic Church, and politically is in sympathy 
with the principles of the Democratic party.