California Biographies 

Source:
History of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura Counties, California
by: C M Gidney - Santa Barbara. Benjamin Brooks - San Luis Obispo. 
Edwin M Sheridan - Ventura
Volumes II - Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago, ILL., 1917

This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm


FRED J. FITZGERALD has been a Californian for nearly forty years. The sum of his experiences 
and achievements is a fine fruit and general ranch at Simi, where he has lived for a number of 
years and has witnessed the fruition of his efforts at planting and is now possessor of a property 
that means a comfortable annual income.
Mr. Fitzgerald was born at Lexington in Sanilac County, Michigan, April 17, 1859, a son of 
James M. and Mary Fitzgerald. All his boyhood experiences were those of a Michigan farm. He 
attended the public schools, and developed his strength by such tasks as were assigned to him 
on the home place.
When he was seventeen years of age he came out to California, and at Oakland entered the 
service of E. D. Block & Company, and for twelve years was one of their dry goods salesmen. He 
then accepted a position as chief clerk in the bridge and building department of the Southern 
Pacific Railway Company at Houston, Texas. Three and a half years in that work and country 
seriously undermined his health, and he found it wise to return to California. The next four 
years were put in at Los Angeles as clerk in the Southern Pacific freight offices.
Having in the meantime accumulated a modest capital and having a very serious desire to 
settle down in life, he removed to Ventura County and bought twenty acres in the Simi Valley. 
This land he at once proceeded to develop as an apricot orchard. Since then from time to time 
he has bought seventy acres more, and of this additional tract he has twenty acres planted in 
walnuts and twenty acres in apricots. The rest of the land is used for hay and pasture.
Mr. Fitzgerald is a republican. He was married at Simi, California, in June, 1908, to Miss Nellie 
M. Parr. They have two children: Albert and Glenn. Albert is already in the public schools, while 
Glenn is two years old.