Boles, George M.

George M. Boles, born near Des Moines, Iowa, on March 17, 1868, was an experienced and influential businessman who became a highly prominent figure in Fresno, California. He moved west with his family after attending grammar and high schools in Cherokee, Iowa, and completed his education in Fresno. He began his professional career as a reliable bookkeeper for various firms before establishing his own commercial presence by opening a harness business on I Street in 1900. After managing this enterprise for seven years and later operating a meat business, he pivoted permanently to real estate operations in 1910. He founded the successful Boles Realty Company alongside his sons, George C. and C. E. Boles, specializing in fire insurance and the sale of San Joaquin Valley lands.

Beyond his commercial success, Mr. Boles dedicated significant energy to local civic organizations and public leadership. He served as a city trustee from the Second Ward for two terms after being elected in 1901 and reelected in 1913, and he spent ten terms as a director of the Fresno Chamber of Commerce. Furthermore, he spent seventeen years in the Second Infantry of the California National Guard, eventually retiring with the rank of Major in 1911. In his personal life, he married May Wafford of Texas in 1890, raised his two sons at their home on J Street, and actively participated in local fraternal groups like the Masons, Odd Fellows, and the Commercial Club. His diverse contributions to commerce, governance, and local military defense made him a foundational pillar of the developing Fresno community.