Coates, W. W.

W. W. Coates, born near Selma in Fresno County on August 14, 1876, built a highly successful career through self-reliance and determination. His father, James B. Coates, was a prominent pioneer who settled in the county in 1850 after traveling by way of the Isthmus, and his mother was Luzeta Fanning. Losing his mother at the tender age of six, W. W. Coates was thrown onto his own resources early in life and had to make his own way after attending public school. He eventually entered the business world in Fresno, where he operated a well-known local establishment for eleven years.

His dedicated path to community service began in 1912 when he was appointed deputy sheriff under W. S. McSwain. He earned reappointments under subsequent sheriffs Thorwaldson and Jones, ultimately distinguishing himself as the oldest deputy in office. In his personal life, he married Rose Harman in 1889, and they raised three children named Jesse, Evalyn, and Wesley. The family settled on a beautiful five-acre tract on Chance Avenue in East Fresno, purchased in 1917, where he enjoyed growing flowers and poultry, participated in the Eagles fraternity, and attended the Baptist Church.