Allen, Arthur W.

Arthur W. Allen, born in Chico within Butte County on February 16, 1879, was a young and prosperous viticulturist who became a successful ranchman in Fresno County. He moved to Fresno Flats with his parents, William and Sadie Allen, at two years of age before settling in the Scandinavian Colony in 1887. While working on the family ranch and attending the local district public school, he thoroughly learned the ins and outs of vineyarding. His early years in the region prepared him to contribute significantly to the local agricultural landscape alongside his younger brother Herbert and his stepfather Jacob Hinsberger.

On March 26, 1908, Arthur took possession of a fine forty acre tract on Virginia Way in the Wolters Colony, which he had helped his stepfather improve from raw stubble and hog-wallow. He transformed the land into a luxurious vineyard producing muscats, wine grapes, and alfalfa by sinking a well, installing a gasoline pumping plant, and utilizing the Gould ditch. On the same day he took over the property, he married Ida Anderson, the daughter of pioneering Swedish immigrant Fred Anderson who had helped form the Scandinavian Colony. Arthur advanced regional farming interests through his active membership in the California Associated Raisin Company while collaborating with his wife to support the continuous upbuilding of their community.