San Diego County
Biographies
GEORGE H. CRENSHAW
George H. Crenshaw, secretary and manager of the Fall Brook Citrus Association, was born in Newport, Kentucky, a son of H. E. and Mabel (Lawson) Crenshaw, who were residents of Escondido, San Diego county, California. The family came to the Golden State in 1910 and resided in San Dimas, Los Angeles county, prior to removing to Escondido. H. E. Crenshaw, who was identified with the citrus packing industry for several years, is a well known nurseryman and a recognized authority on citrus and other fruits. To him and his wife were born four children, as follow: George H., of this review; John R., who is at home with his parents; Hope, the wife of Ed B. Kennedy, son of the well known Senator Kennedy of the First National Bank of Pomona, California; and Mabel Louise, the wife of Jack Prior, son of W. W. Prior, esteemed pioneer and successful fruit rancher of Escondido.
George H. Crenshaw received his early education in San Dimas, Los Angeles county, and subsequently pursued a course in business administration in the extension department of the University of Southern California. For many years he has taken an active part in the work of the Fall Brook Citrus Association, in which he holds the official position of secretary and manager, and he is also affiliated with the Sunkist Association of California. He cultivates a fine lemon orchard comprising ten acres and is an industrious, enterprising young man whose labors are being attended with well merited success.
To Mr. Crenshaw and his wife, who bore the maiden name of Lois Gretchen Huffman, have been born two children, George Lee and Martha Ann, who are eleven and seven years of age, respectively. Mrs. Crenshaw is a member of the Woman’s Club and manifests an active and helpful interest in civic affairs. Mr. Crenshaw has served as president of both the Chamber of Commerce and Kiwanis Club and fraternally is affiliated with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. He resides with his family on Sunkist Hill in Fall Brook.
The following interesting article, written by Mr. Crenshaw, was printed in a local newspaper.
There is no doubt as to Fall Brook’s adaptability to the growing of citrus fruits. Lemon acreage is in the majority and well it should be, as the even climate of this locality and the soil type seem to be ideal for this fruit. A fair amount of summer volume is almost always produced and the general character of the fruit ranks high. Valencia oranges do well and the eating quality of our Navel oranges is excellent, whereas their holding qualities hardly compare with those grown in certain sections which have come to be known as Navel orange districts.
The Fall Brook Citrus Association, which is affiliated with the California Fruit Growers Exchange, the Sunkist organization, is wholly owned and controlled by local growers. This association picks, hauls, stores, packs and ships the citrus crops of the grower member whose interest in the business is in proportion to his acreage.
An idea as to the increase in volume and returns can be gained from the following figures which show gross returns and distribution for the 1920-21 season as against gross returns and distribution for the 1930-31 season, ten years later.
1920-1921
Picking ---------------------------------------------------- $ 6,070.43
Packing Expense ----------------------------------------- 15,103.49
Freight ----------------------------------------------------- 19,221.35
Refrigeration ---------------------------------------------- 762.30
Auction ---------------------------------------------------- 687.67
Selling Expense ------------------------------------------ 1,812.83
Net to
Growers ------------------------------------------- 27,526.03
Gross Business ---------------------------------- $ 71,184.10
1930-1931
Picking ---------------------------------------------------- $ 21,798.31
Packing Expense ----------------------------------------- 52,399.48
Freight ----------------------------------------------------- 65,804.87
Refrigeration ---------------------------------------------- 2,339.05
Auction ---------------------------------------------------- 2,092.36
Selling Expense ------------------------------------------ 10,866.96
Net to
Growers ------------------------------------------- 144,925.98
Total Business ----------------------------------- $300,227.01
The fact that this district is free from damaging frosts, making the use of smudge pots unnecessary, together with its other natural advantages for ideal lemon growing points to a steady increase in this variety. The lemon, like many other sub-tropicals, is more or less “choosy” and therefore “made to order” conditions are rather limited, in fact, so much so that lemon acreage on the whole has decreased rather than increased in California during the past ten years. Water for Fall Brook’s citrus acreage is pumped from individually owned dug wells.
Transcribed
by Joyce Rugeroni.
Source: California
of the South Vol. V, by John Steven McGroarty, Pages
394-396, Clarke Publ., Chicago, Los Angeles, Indianapolis. 1933.
© 2012 Joyce Rugeroni.
GOLDEN NUGGET'S SAN DIEGO BIOGRAPHIES