San
Joaquin County
Biographies
HENRY A. FRERICHS
A wide-awake, believer in irrigation
and development, Henry A. Frerichs as president of the board of directors of
the West Side Irrigation District uses his influence in creating a new era of prosperity
for the enterprising city of Tracy and environs. He was born in San Francisco on August 9,
1868, and a few months later was taken by his parents, John and Magdalena
(Schneider) Frerichs, to San Joaquin County, making the trip by boat to Mohr’s Landing,
near Bethany, then by wagon across the country to a tract of government land
just south of what is now the thriving city of Tracy. Mr. and Mrs. Frerichs were venerable and
honored citizens of this county, numbered among the worthy pioneers to whom the
county owes a debt of gratitude for what they accomplished in reclaiming its
wild lands. John Frerichs died on
November 7, 1907, having been preceded by his wife, who passed away on October
14, 1907.
Henry A. Frerichs attended the Ellis district school
and finished his schooling in the Willow district, which has since been
incorporated in the Tracy schools. Henry
A. Frerichs has always been identified in farming neterprises
since he was old enough to help his father, and subsequently he has been active
in perpetuating the policies of his father, who was a more successful man. At the time the first survey was made in the
West Side Irrigation District, Mr. Frerichs was active in making the system
cover 60,000 acres, but due to the great opposition this was cut down, so that
now about t12,000 acres are benefited, which means a loss to the county of many
thousands of dollars. Mr. Frerichs owns
160 acres of the original homestead settled on by his father in 1868, which has
been developed into a model alfalfa ranch.
The marriage of Mr. Frerichs united
him with Miss Susie c. Lingenfelser, a native of San Francisco, where she was reared and educated. They are the parents of three children: Myrtle is Mrs. Henry C. Fiske, a rancher near
San Joaquin City, and they have one child; Harry J. married Miss Marion Johnson
of Los Angeles, California, and they reside in Tracy. He served in the Ninety-first Division for
ten months; then with the 316th M. P. overseas for twelve months;
then he returned to the United States and was honorably discharged at the
Presidio, San Francisco, in 1919; Claude J. was corporal during the late war in
the 13th Division, 75th Infantry, Company L, and received
his honorable discharge in January, 1919, and is now at home with his parents
on the ranch. Mr. Frerichs is a charter
member of the N. S. G. W. of Tracy, and his sons are also active members; he is
also a member of the Woodmen of the World.
Politically, he is a Republican, a trustee of the West Side Union High
School for many years; also serves as county deputy assessor, which position he
has filled for the past six years. He
gives his support to every worthy project for the betterment of his locality
and is highly interested in the affairs of the local Farm Bureau.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Page
947. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
Golden Nugget Library's San Joaquin County Biographies
Golden Nugget Library's San Joaquin County Genealogy
Databases