Merced-Contra Costa County CA Archives Biographies.....Souza, Frank F. 1869 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com February 10, 2006, 3:04 am

Author: John Outcalt (1925)

FRANK F. SOUZA

   A prosperous and well-known rancher of the San Joaquin, Frank F. Souza has
been active in development work in Merced County since November, 1888, and
during that interval of time has built up a reputation as a sweet potato grower
and shipper. Starting among the very earliest in sweet potato culture, he is now
one of the largest shippers of that product in the valley, and his trademark on
a shipment, "Frank Souza," carries weight to the trade wherever found, as to
quality and evenness of product. A native of Caveira, Flores, Azores Islands, he
was born September 21, 1869, the only son in a family of nine children born to
his parents, Juan F. and Catherina (Souza) Mendoza, who lived and died in their
native land, the mother in 1922, aged eighty years, and the father in September,
1925, aged eighty-three years. They were farmers, successful and well-to-do, and
highly thought of by their many friends.

   Frank F. received his education in the schools of his native isles; reared on
the home farm, he saw but few opportunities ahead and decided to start for the
New World, boarding the vessel Sarah, a three-master. After a voyage of
twenty-one days, he reached Boston on May 22, 1886, with seven dollars and a
half in his pocket, and took a job at New London, Conn., on ships and fishing
smacks, at twenty dollars per month, working two seasons on the water. The
inspiration received when he first saw Old Glory floating in the breeze on the
Massachusetts shore, never left the immigrant lad, and his one object was to
work and save, so that he could take advantage of the opportunities he felt sure
awaited him in his adopted land To this end he spent one and one-half years in
New London, saving what he could of his wages, and also sending some home to the
dear ones left behind; he was ambitious to succeed, and knew the only path for
him lay through hard work and self-denial.

   Late in 1888, with funds enough to make a start up the ladder, he came west
to California, and on reaching here, went to work on the Chowchilla; later
becoming foreman on a ranch for Joe King of Merced. After reaching this State he
found so many named Mendoza that it was difficult to receive any mail; so he
took the name of Souza from his mother's family, and has ever since been known
as Frank F. Souza. For the next five years he worked and saved, and in the
meantime made several small investments which proved good, and he was soon able
to start in business for himself, on twenty acres in the Buhach Colony. Over
twenty-four years ago he made his first shipment, 240 sacks of sweet potatoes,
to J. D. Martinez, a San Francisco broker, which brought him $105. He has
steadily carried on the business since, and in 1923 was the heaviest of any
shipper in the district, as shown by the books of December of that year. He does
most of his loading at Keyes and Fergus, dealing in fruits and sweet potatoes in
the territory from Turlock to Merced, his brand finding a ready market, and
known as dependable all over the State. In 1915, at the P. P. I. E. in San
Francisco, he received the gold medal for sweet potatoes of the San Joaquin Valley.

   The marriage of Mr. Souza, occurring at Martinez, Contra Costa County, on
June 1, 1896, united him with Mary Frietas, born at Alamo, that county, and
daughter of the late Joseph Frietas, a Forty-niner and gold miner in early days
in California. Six children have blessed their union: Catherine, deceased; Rosa,
Mrs. Arthur Brill, who has one son; John; Frank; Joseph; and Antone, deceased.
Mr. Souza is the owner of 130 acres of choice farming land in the Merced-Atwater
district. Besides his profitable shipping business he is interested in real
estate in Atwater. A progressive man in every respect, he received his
citizenship papers in Merced, from Judge Fred Ostrander, and has always been a
true patriot to the land which has proved so kind to him, doing all in his power
to bring even greater advancement to his section of the country. He is a
stockholder in the Merced Security Savings Bank. Fraternally, he is a member of
the Odd Fellows, both Lodge and Encampment, and is Past President of both the U.
P. E. C. and the I. D. E. S. Societies. For over twelve years he served as
school trustee in the Buhach district, helping to further the cause of
education; and he is a member of the Buhach Catholic Church, and donated
one-half acre of land to the Immaculate Conception Church.


Additional Comments:
From:

HISTORY OF
MERCED COUNTY
CALIFORNIA
WITH A
Biographical Review
OF
The Leading Men and Women of the County Who Have Been
Identified with Its Growth and Development
from the Early Days to the Present

HISTORY BY
JOHN OUTCALT

ILLUSTRATED COMPLETE IN ONE VOLUME
HISTORIC RECORD COMPANY
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
1925


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