Bonyman, Fred C.

Fred C. Bonyman, born on December 2, 1885, in Clark’s Valley, Lassen County, was a highly regarded resident who served as the clerk of the Caruthers Union High School. His father, Edward Bonyman, was a Nova Scotia native who migrated west across the plains in 1859, eventually establishing a stock and farming ranch in Lassen County with his wife, Mary Ann Rawlings. The family relocated to Fresno County in 1891, farming near Selma before settling permanently in the Caruthers area in 1911. Growing up in a household dedicated to regional development, Fred witnessed his family transition through several formative eras of California agriculture.

As a member of the agricultural firm Bonyman Brothers, Fred partnered with his siblings Newton, Albert, and John to operate a substantial 102 acre ranch southeast of Caruthers. The brothers specialized in growing raisins, dedicating fifty acres of their property to Thompson seedless and Malaga grapes while utilizing the remaining land for general farming. This successful cooperative venture in the Princeton district highlighted the family commitment to expanding the agricultural footprint of Fresno County. Through his public school service and joint farming achievements, Fred C. Bonyman played an integral role in the community advancement of the region during the early twentieth century.