San
Joaquin County
Biographies
FRANK GALLEGO
Another strong advocate of
irrigation, whose success in ranching has given force to his arguments as to
one of the most vital of all needs in parts of California, is Frank Gallego,
the popular and wide-awake merchant of Banta.
A native son, he was born at Pleasanton, Alameda County, on September
24, 1862, the youngest son of Anselmo Gallego, a native of the City of Mexico,
who came to California in the great Argonaut year of 1849. He settled in Pleasanton Valley and became
prominent as a stockman, trying his luck in the mines of that period. His paternal ancestors were subjects of the
Crown of Spain, and he inherited much that anyone might envy. The father married Juanita Carrasco, a native
also of the City of Mexico, and a charming and accomplished lady. These worthy parents made a splendid
record. Both are now deceased, having
passed away at Banta in 1887.
And there Frank Gallego grew to
maturity, and became a rider on the range of his father; and when his parents
died, he continued near Banta until 1897, farming to grain and stock. Mr. Gallego was married to Miss Bernal, a
daughter of Antonio Bernal, and a descendant of Don Bruno Bernal of San Jose de
Guadalupe, and owner of the Rancho Santa Teresa; and two children were born to
them: Juanita has become the wife of
Paul de Ranga, and they have one daughter, and reside
at Stockton; and there also Antonio resides.
Mrs. Gallego died at San Jose in 1893, and Mr. Gallego’s
second marriage united him with Miss Refugia Ortega,
a sister of Mrs. John A. Fellom, Sr., of Gilroy. She was born at San Ysidro, received a good
education at St. Mary’s Convent, Gilroy, and was married in 1895. Now she is the mother of one son, Anselmo R.,
who is employed by the Southern Pacific Railway at Tracy, and resides at
Banta. Mr. Gallego is a Republican. He is a member of the I. D. E. S. at
Stockton.
In 1897 Mr. Gallego removed to
Banta, and there he now conducts a soft-drink parlor, and also owns and manages
much good realty, including his residence.
He has 120 acres adjoining Banta on the south, and there he has
installed a complete irrigation plant, greatly improving the property, which he
operates himself as a grain and alfalfa farm.
Mr. Gallego’s
first business in Banta in the early ‘90s was to operate a sheep-shearing and
sheep-dipping camp. He was a
professional sheep shearer, working in California, Nevada and Oregon. His record was shearing 143 sheep per day,
then dancing all night, and shearing as many as the next day. He made this record at Firebaugh, Fresno
County, when he worked for Miller & Lux.
His excellent wife kept a boarding house in Banta for eighteen years and
was in every way a true and loyal helpmate to her husband.
Transcribed by V. Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Page
1410. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2012 V. Gerald Iaquinta.
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