Mr. Hoop had come to California with his parents in 1906, but in 1907 he returned to Kansas, and entered the Kansas City Veterinary College. After completing the three-year course, which has made that institution notable in the West, he graduated with the Class of 1910. He has not only acquired scientific knowledge, but the latest ideas in practical devices, and as a result he has the most up-to-date electrical float and full equipment for veterinary dentistry and surgery. He very successfully treats anthrax, lumpy jaw, black leg, and tuberculosis, by means of vaccines and serums, and administers tubercular tests; and he also treats hog cholera by means of serums. He also castrates ridglings, stallions, etc., very successfully, having castrated forty-seven ridglings and never lost a case. His office is at 1612 East Front Street. Selma, and so successful has he been that he owns the building in which the office is located. He also owns the lots at the corner of his business street, that is, at the corner of East Front and Orange Streets. Dr. Hoop is a member of the State Veterinary Medical Association.
On February 11, 1913, Dr. Hoop was married to Miss Mary A. Wagner, a native of Oklahoma, who came to California about seven years ago. They have one child, J. D., four years of age. Dr. Hoop owns a handsome five-room bungalow residence at 2465 B Street, in Selma, where he resided with his family before he entered the service. Fie is a Mason and a member of Selma Lodge, No. 277, F. & A. M. He also belongs to the Foresters. He is a loyal booster for Selma and Fresno County, and actively supports the Raisin Growers' Association.
Dr. Hoop enlisted in the Veterinary Corps in the late war and was commissioned lieutenant, serving three months at Camp Lee, Virginia. When he enlisted he gave up his practice at Selma. He was honorably discharged on January 1, 1919. Since his return he has devoted nearly all his time to his two splendid ranches of twenty and forty acres, respectively, which lie about four one-half miles west of Selma, and which are in vines. Dr. Hoop and family moved to the city of Fresno upon his return from the service, and are now domiciled there.
D. A. WILLIAMS.
The career of D. A. Williams, one of Fresno County's successful vineyardists and horticulturists, furnishes a splendid example of what is commonly termed, a self-made man. He is a man of sterling integrity and worth and is highly esteemed in the community near Fowler, where he owns a ranch of 120 acres, on Adams Avenue, one mile west of Fowler. A native of the Lone Star State. Mr. Williams was born on December 3, 1866, near Georgetown. Texas, a son of William C. and Eliza (Ellison) Williams. His grandfather. Aaron Williams, was born in Virginia, but migrated to Tennessee and it was in this state that W. C. the father of D. A. Williams, the subject of this review, was born. The Williams family are descendants of Scotch ancestry, although D. A. Williams claims a trace of Welsh blood from his paternal grandmother. His mother's progenitors, the Ellisons, were natives of the Emerald Isle who immigrated to the United States, settling in Alabama during the early days of American history and later moving to North Carolina, then to Tennessee, afterwards to Texas and finally the present representatives of the Ellison family migrated to the Golden State. Both the Williams and Ellison families have experienced the trials, hardships and excitements of pioneer settlers. William C. Williams, the father of the subject of this sketch, was a scout and cavalryman during the Civil War, serving in the Confederate Army. At one time he farmed and raised cattle in Williamson County, Texas.
D. A. Williams was united in marriage with Estella Glossbrenner, daughter of A. F. Glossbrenner, of Fowler, Cal., the ceremony being solemnized in Mason County, Texas.
He was identified with the farming and cattle business in Texas, but owing to failing health, he moved from there to the Salt River Valley, Ariz., where he was interested in cattle-raising for six or seven years.
He arrived in Arizona with his wife and five children, and only five dollars in cash. Being undaunted by adversity and fully determined to succeed, he struggled along and by hard work, intelligent efforts and economical habits, he eventually succeeded.
In 1907 he moved to Fowler, Fresno County, Cal., and was engaged in the butcher business from 1909 to 1914. During the year 1913, he purchased his present ranch of 120 acres, one mile west of Fowler. By applying the same system of hard work and intelligent management to the raisin industry, that he did to the cattle business, Mr. Williams has succeeded equally as well and has gained for himself the reputation of being one of Fresno County's most successful vineyardists and horticulturists.
He is very public-spirited and always interested in those movements that have as their aim the upbuilding of the best interests of the community. He still possesses his Mexican lariat which he used about thirty-five years ago and can throw it today as well and effectively as any cow-boy.
Mr. and Mrs. D. A. Williams are the parents of six children, of whom they are justly proud: Lela, married George Wilkins and they reside one-half mile northwest of Fowler; Mabel, is the wife of Porter Brown, and they live in Fowler, where he is the foreman of the Phoenix Packing House; Lois, was the assistant postmaster at Fowler, she married Ervin Freer, of Fowler; William, married Mary Jackson, and assists in running the Williams home place near Fowler; Max answered the call of his country and served in the United States Army. He was honorably discharged in May, 1919, and is now assisting his father on the home farm. He was married July 31, 1919, to Miss Jonnie Newton of Fresno. Robert, who is eleven years of age, is at home. Mr. Williams is a man of high ideals and unquestioned integrity and his family are highly respected in their community.
SIMEON EDGAR WILLIAMSON.
A native son of the Golden State, grandson of a forty-niner who was a successful gold-miner and a descendant of an officer in the Revolutionary War, the subject of this sketch, S. E. Williamson, is a very energetic and progressive rancher in the Elkhorn school district, and a director of the Fresno District Fair. He was born at Stockton. Cal., January 15, 1877, a son of George F. and Ann (Ballard) Williamson; the former, who died July 11, 1919, was a native of Michigan, whose sketch will be found upon another page of this history; the latter, a native of the Golden State, is still living on the George F. Williamson home ranch near Riverdale. The family came to Fresno County in November, 1885, settling near what is now Caruthers. The trip was made to the new home with a team and wagon, and S. E. Williamson, then a small boy, well remembers that the family were detained at Fresno for three days on account of breaking the wagon tongue. The father raised wheat at first on a tract of land owned by Timothy Paige, who was a large landowner and pioneer, the ranch being situated about three-quarters of a mile south of Caruthers.
Simeon E. attended the Princeton school, and when but a small boy evinced a fondness for the "great out-of-doors," helping his father on the ranch when but nine years of age. He learned farming from his father and was always very industrious, which commendable trait has characterized him through his lifetime. Before coming of age, he started in business for himself, buying a team and contracting for earth-work, such as ditch-building, road-making, and reclaiming land, helping to drain the Murphy slough, by which thousands of fertile acres were reclaimed for farming. In 1898, before the Santa Fe Railway was built, he helped to build the first ditch in the Laguna de Tache Grant, where Laton now is situated.
On June 15, 1902, S. E. Williamson was united in marriage with Miss Alice Hatch, the only daughter of Mrs. Mary J. Hatch, a pioneer of the Elkhorn school district, a sketch of whose life appears upon another page of this history. They have six children: Sidney; Robert, who is called Bert; Mary E.; Edna T.; Francis L.; and George.
Mr. and Mrs. Williamson make their home on the old Dennis Hatch ranch, which Mr. Williamson operates, and he operates a 2,000-acre cattle-ranch besides. He is a director of the Fresno District Fair, which has proved a marked success; the board of directors comprises S. E. Williamson, I. E. Dickinson, H. E. Vogel, Frank Helm, A. McNeill, M. D. Huffman, and P. B. Thornton. Mr. 'Williamson is deeply interested in educational matters, and since 1912 has ably served as a member of the board of trustees of the Riverdale High School Mr. and Mrs. Williamson are highly esteemed in their community.