Coleman, Frank

Frank Coleman, born in Jersey City, New Jersey, on April 19, 1857, was a long-time California resident brought to the state during pioneer days by his parents, Patrick and Ann Grogan Coleman. His family traveled via the Isthmus of Panama in 1864 and settled in Contra Costa County, where his father pursued farming and dairying. Frank grew up working on his father dairy ranch and was educated across Alameda and Contra Costa counties. He later gained professional experience as a warehouse foreman for grain companies in Martinez before spending four years as a gripman for the Market Street cable railway in San Francisco. In 1893, he relocated to Fresno to recover from an illness known as lagrippe and subsequently built a permanent life there.

Upon arriving in Fresno, Frank found work driving a lumber wagon for the Madary Planing Mill Company, eventually serving as a yard foreman and tallyman during a dedicated twenty-six year tenure. His marriage united him with Memphis native Nancy Gift Pitts, who had also arrived in California via the Isthmus of Panama during her childhood. Through this union, his family included stepson William F. Pitts, a successful telegraph operator and sales manager who eventually served as business manager of the Burbank Seed and Nursery Company. The family strong patriotic ties extended to William two sons, W. F. Jr. and James H., who both served in the United States military. Politically, Frank aligned with the Progressive movement and maintained community ties through his membership with the Moose fraternity.