Los Angeles County
Biographies
FRANK FIEDLE PELLISSIER
PELLISSIER, FRANK FIEDLE, Vice
President, Los Angeles Creamery Company, Los Angeles, California, was born at Faix, Hautes-Alpes, France,
November 12, 1873, the son of Francois Pellissier
and Justine (Garnier) Pellissier.
He married Marie Valla at Whittier, California, December 8, 1895, and
to them there have been born three children, Frank L., Leon A., and
Lawrence Raymond Pellissier.
Mr. Pellissier is a member of
one of the old families of the south of France and he received careful training
in the schools of his native country before coming to the United States.
Graduating from Aucelle School in 1888, Mr. Pellissier sailed shortly afterwards for America, going
directly to Los Angeles, where his uncle, Germain Pellissier, was engaged in business. He first went to work
for his uncle, then, with that enterprise which has been so characteristic of
his success, leased 160 acres of land in what is now the fashionable
Wilshire district of Los Angeles, and engaged in the dairying business. This
was within a few weeks after his arrival in Los Angeles and when he was but a
boy. However, he was full of business and had his eyes open for the main
opportunity. He had a vision of the future Los Angeles and felt that if he
could once get in the lead in his chosen field he would manage to keep there and
that one point has been his inspiring guide ever since.
At the end of his first two months in Los Angeles he
determined to take the lead, so formed a partnership with his two cousins and
engaged in the milk business on a larger scale. At that time Los Angeles was
only a small city and Mr. Pellissier’s firm
supplied a large part of the milk used by the residents. As the city grew,
however, he enlarged his facilities and in 1894 it had grown from a small
beginning to a large and substantial establishment.
Mr. Pellissier took over the
entire business in 1894 and conducted it until the latter part of 1895, when he
sold out his interest, in order to live a semi-retired life, and engaged in
farming on the historic Rancho Paso de Bartolo, the
former home ranch of Don Pio Pico, the last Governor
of California under Mexican rule. This famous property Mr. Pellissier purchased in 1897.
Mr. Pellissier was engaged in
farming on these lands for several years following, but in 1902 engaged in the
milk business in Los Angeles on a wholesale scale, turned his ranch into a
large dairy farm and there retained his residence.
For the next three years Mr. Pellissier
conducted his business with great success and in 1905 turned it into the Alpine
Farm & Dairy Company, of which he was elected Secretary. This company
conducted business for about a year and at the end of that time Mr. Pellissier, with several others, organized the Los Angeles
Creamery Company, which immediately became the principal factor in the dairy
business of Southern California. Mr. Pellissier was
actively interested in the organization of the new company and has served as
Vice President since its formation.
The Los Angeles Creamery Company was organized in 1907
for the purpose of economizing in the handling of the milk supply and for the
centralizing of pasteurization; and during the few years of its existence it
has become one of the most important enterprises in Southern California. In
addition to a main plant, modern in all details, the company has two butter
factories and various branch plants in and near Los Angeles. The milk is
brought into the city from the farms and dairies of the company and is then put
through an elaborate process of pasteurization at the main plant. The company
supplies Los Angeles and nearby towns with approximately 15,000 gallons of
milk daily and operates 100 delivery wagons. Its business runs into the
millions of dollars annually.
Mr. Pellissier has been an
important factor in the direction of the company’s affairs and in addition he
has become the second largest individual milk producer in the State of
California, a considerable achievement in itself. He
is thoroughly interested in his business, and is generally credited with having
been responsible for various important improvements in the handling of milk and
also for raising the standard to a point where all milk handled by his company
averages 4.25 pounds in butter fat, this being considerably in excess of
the legal requirements established by the city of Los Angeles. He is credited
with having done more than any other one man in improving the general
conditions surrounding the milk business for both the consumer and the
producer.
Outside of his immediate business, Mr. Pellissier is interested in a number of other important business
enterprises, chief among them being the Citrus Grove Heights Company, of which
he is President. This company is engaged in subdividing about 800 acres of
the finest citrus fruit land in Southern California, this land being part of
his famous Rancho Paso de Bartolo.
Mr. Pellissier is ranked among
the substantial business men of Southern California and has been a hard worker
for its building for many years, and all of his own investments have been in
substantial improvements.
He is a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of
Elks and was a charter member of the Legion Francaise,
a French society in which he still takes an active interest.
Transcribed by Marie Hassard
03 August 2011.
Source: Press
Reference Library, Western Edition Notables of the West, Vol. I, Page 741,
International News Service, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles,
Boston, Atlanta. 1913.
© 2011 Marie Hassard.
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