San
Joaquin County
Biographies
LUCIEN BORDENAVE
As a successful sheep and wool
grower, Lucien Bordenave is well known throughout San Joaquin County; he is the
owner of what is known as the old Butterick place,
consisting of 187 acres five miles south of Stockton on the old Stockton
Road. He was born near Pau, France,
February 12, 1867, a son of J. Peter and Catherine M. (Souviet)
Bordenave, well-to-do sheep growers and farmers in
their native land; they were the parents of three children: John, Mary and Lucien, the subject of this
sketch. At eighteen years of age L.
Bordenave left home for America to join an uncle, but upon his arrival in New
Orleans he found that his uncle, N. Bordenave, had passed away, which was a sad
blow to the lad in a strange country. He
then went to Galveston, Texas, and found employment on a ranch at twelve
dollars per month; while there he suffered an attack of fever and as soon as he
was able he came to California, arriving at San Francisco in 1889. Going into the San Joaquin Valley he found
employment at general ranching until he entered the sheep business at Los
Banos, first as a herder, which occupied him for five years; then with a
partner bought 1,800 sheep near Fresno and since that time has increased his
herds and now holds a prominent position among the successful sheep and wool
growers of the Pacific Coast. Mr.
Bordenave took the contract to prune and care for the vineyard for the
Margaretta Vineyard Company of Madera County, and was also a teaming contractor
for the Sugar Pine Company for three years.
In 1903 Mr. Bordenave brought 1,300 sheep of his own and in company with
another man from Madera County, 6,000 sheep across the Siskiyou Mountains from
Oregon to the San Joaquin Valley; they used 150 French sheep bells and four
Indians as guides; they started in May, 1903, and were until October of the
same year reaching their destination. He
sold his bands of sheep in 1922 and is looking after his interests.
The first marriage of Mr. Bordenave
occurred in Stockton in 1905, which united him with Miss Josephine Bernard,
also a native of France, who came to America in 1900. Two sons were born to them: Peter is a graduate of Heald’s Business
College; and John. Mrs. Bordenave passed
away October 27, 1918; Mr. Bordenave was married a second time on June 3, 1920,
to Miss Catherine Condon, a native of Pau, France, who arrived in California in
1902. In 1915 Mr. Bordenave completed a commodious
residence at French Camp where he is well known for his hospitality.
Transcribed by V. Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Page
1479. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2012 V. Gerald Iaquinta.
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