El
Dorado County
Biographies
ROBERT F. RODDAN
A
conspicuous figure in the business life of Placerville is Robert F. Roddan, manager of the Placerville Fruit Growers’
Association, which, under his judicious supervision, has become one of the
leading organizations in its line in this part of the state. Mr. Roddan was born
in Atoka, Texas, on the 26th of March, 1890, and is a son of David
F. and Eleanor Belle (Justice) Roddan. The father was a farmer, a sawmill owner, and
also engaged in the insurance business.
He was a native of Ohio, from which state, at the age of eleven years,
he accompanied his parents across the plains to California. They settled on the Yuba River, near
Wheatland, but the family subsequently went to Texas. After ten years they returned to California
and settled on the Yuba River, where the father carried on mining operations
until 1898, after which he spent a year in Berkeley, and the last twelve years
of his life were passed in Loomis, Placer county,
where his death occurred in 1912. He is
survived by his widow, who still resides on the home ranch near Loomis. The maternal grandfather, C. E. Justice,
brought the first Odd Fellows charter around the Horn in the early days of
California’s history.
Robert
F. Roddan was educated in the public schools and in a
business college in Sacramento. He was
first regularly employed by the Perfection Bread Company, later was employed at
station work by the Southern Pacific Railroad, and for a time engaged in the
operation of fruit ranches. He became
the assistant manager of the Penryn Fruit Growers’
Association, was promoted to manager, and about seven years ago became the
manager of the Placerville Fruit Growers’ Association. During this period the plant has been
enlarged and remodeled and the cooperative system of buying introduced. He also established a store for the benefit
of the members of the organization, permitting them to buy at wholesale prices. This is the largest green fruit packing plant
in the state of California and during the busy season employs three hundred
people. They also have a machine shop,
in which all kinds of automobile and machinery repairs are made for the
growers. They make cement pipe for
irrigating purposes and handle everything required in orchard work by the
growers.
Mr. Roddan
was united in marriage to Miss Verna L. Laird, who was born and reared at
Loomis and who was a school friend of her future husband. To them there have been born five
children: Lisle Laird, Dorris L., Ella Frances, Jean Eyre and David Carroll. Politically, Mr. Roddan
is an active Republican and served one year as member of the board of city
trustees. He is a member of El Dorado
Lodge, F. & A. M.; Sacramento Consistory, A. A. S. R.; Ben Ali Temple, A.
A. O. N. M. S.; the Lions Club of Placerville; and the Placerville Golf
Club. He is also inspector of the
Twenty-fourth Masonic district, a position of distinctive honor. He has a splendid business record, marked by
steady and substantial progress, and all who have been associated with him hold
him in high regard both for his ability and his sterling qualities.
Transcribed by
Gerald Iaquinta.
Source:
Wooldridge, J.W.Major History of Sacramento Valley
California, Vol. 3, Pages 194-195. Pioneer Historical
Publishing Co. Chicago 1931.
© 2010
Gerald Iaquinta.
Golden
Nugget Library's El Dorado County Biographies