Ventura
County
Biographies
GEORGE G. FITZGERALD
A civil engineer of recognized
ability, with a background of nearly thirty years of practical experience in
his profession, George G. FitzGerald has played an important part in the
development of Ventura County, and is also a prosperous agriculturist, owning a
valuable ranch in the Camarillo district.
He was born in Calgary, Canada, July 16, 1887, a son of James Gerald and
Mary (Chapman) FitzGerald, the latter a native of Hamilton, situated in the
province of Ontario, Canada. Born in
County Kerry, Ireland, James Gerald FitzGerald was reared and educated in that
country, which he left as a young man, and later in life became land
commissioner for the Canadian Pacific Railroad Company. After visiting other countries he was
stationed at Calgary, Canada, and in 1896 crossed the border, establishing his
home in Birmingham, Alabama. He moved to
Los Angeles in 1907. His death occurred
on the 8th of June, 1926, and his wife has also passed away.
George G. FitzGerald pursued his
education in Birmingham, Alabama, completing a course in civil
engineering. From 1904 to 1917 he
followed his profession in the states of Arkansas, Louisiana and California,
working for various railroad companies and other corporations during that
period, and then enlisted for service in the World War. He was commissioned a lieutenant in the
United States Army and in December, 1917, sailed for France with the engineer
corps. He returned to this country in
March, 1919, with a creditable military record, and was made captain of Company
B, Four Hundred Sixty-fifth Engineers.
Before entering the army, Mr. FitzGerald has been chief engineer of the
Ventura Power Company, a post which he held for four years, from 1913 to
1917. When mustered out he resumed the
work of his profession in Ventura County and has done considerable engineering
in this part of the state and Mexico.
His services as a civil engineer are constantly in demand and his
knowledge and experience enable him to find a ready and accurate solution for
all difficult professional problems. He
is also a scientific farmer and in developing his fine ranch near Camarillo has
contributed to the progress of agriculture in this district. His professional connections are with the
American Society of Civil Engineers and the American Society of Military
Engineers. Fraternally he is an Elk,
identified with Oxnard Lodge, No. 1443.
Mr. FitzGerald was married December
11, 1917, to Miss Ave Camarillo and they have three children, Carmelita Marie,
Geraldine Chapman and Gerald Camarillo.
Mrs. FitzGerald is a daughter of Adolfo Camarillo, a well known
capitalist and rancher and a resident of the town which bears his name. His father, Juan Camarillo, was born in
Mexico City, May 27, 1812, a son of Luis and Maria (Rodriguez) Camarillo, who
were also natives of Mexico. In that
country Juan Camarillo was reared and educated.
Leaving Mexico in 1834, he came to California with a colony whose
destination was Monterey. Several
members of the expedition landed at San Diego and continued their journey by
land. At Santa Barbara, Juan Camarillo
left the party and established his headquarters in one of the missions of that
locality. He purchased a stock of
merchandise and traveled between San Francisco and San Diego, trading with the
settlers in that region. He made two
thousand dollars in this manner and later opened a store in Santa Barbara, also
dealing extensively in land grants. He
was a businessman of keen discernment and had the energy, resourcefulness and
courageous spirit of the true pioneer.
He reached the age of sixty-eight years, passing away in December,
1880. On April 12, 1840, he had married
Miss Marina Hernandez, a native of California, and his large property holdings
in Ventura were inherited by his daughters, while the ranch was bequeathed to
his two sons, Adolfo and Juan, Jr.
Born at San Buenaventura, October
29, 1864, Adolfo Camarillo attended the parochial and public schools there and
the International Business College at Los Angeles. During his father’s lifetime the ranch was
devoted chiefly to the raising of cattle and sheep and fifteen hundred acres
were under cultivation. Progressing with
the times, Adolfo Camarillo installed modern improvements and has greatly
changed the appearance of the property.
He is the owner of a valuable herd of cattle and his fine dairy is
operated by electricity. He is a large
breeder of hogs and one of the leading stockmen of this part of the state. He has more than three thousand acres planted
to beans and two thousand acres are utilized for the growing of corn, barley,
alfalfa and other crops. The ranch comprises
ten thousand acres and ranks with the largest and best equipped in the
state. Mr. Camarillo became recognized
as the foremost agriculturist in this region and also won prominence as a
financier, serving for some time as vice president of both the First National
Bank of Ventura and the Ojai State Bank.
These interests he later sold but retained his place on the directorates
of the Levy Bank and the Pacific-Southwest Trust and Savings Bank of Oxnard,
giving to these institutions the benefit of his wisdom and foresight. He served for eight years on the Ventura
County board of supervisors, and was active in forming the Fair Association,
becoming its president. He was also
chosen president of Camarillo Parlor, No. 114, Native Sons of the Golden
West. A Roman Catholic in religious
belief, he has shaped his life by the teachings of the Church. He is a past grand knight of Oxnard Council
of the Knights of Columbus and also has fraternal relations with the Benevolent
and Protective Order of Elks.
In 1888 Mr. Camarillo was married to
Miss Isabella Menchaca, a daughter of Francisco Menchaca and of Spanish lineage. The five children of this marriage are: Mrs. Rosa Petit, Mrs. Ave FitzGerald, Isabel,
Frank and Carmen Camarillo.
Transcribed by
V. Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: California of the South
Vol. IV, by John Steven McGroarty, Pages 299-302, Clarke Publ.,
Chicago, Los Angeles, Indianapolis. 1933.
© 2012 V. Gerald Iaquinta.
GOLDEN
NUGGET'S VENTURA
BIOGRAPHIES