Corrick, Claud D.

Claud D. Corrick, born on August 8, 1888, on a ranch in Fresno County, dedicated his entire life to the occupation of agriculture. He was the son of Lewis C. Corrick, a West Virginia native who arrived in California in 1870 to establish a 700-acre homestead for farming and stock-raising, and Mary Cobb, a member of an old pioneer family. Claud received his early education at the Fort Washington public school until the age of fourteen, gaining practical knowledge on the family land alongside his father up-to-date machinery. Following his father death in 1901, the young boy stepped forward to take charge of the operations and assist his mother in managing their extensive ranch affairs.

Upon reaching adulthood, Claud successfully leased the family property to conduct general farming and livestock operations, finding a ready market for his grain, cattle, and hogs. He utilized his personal savings to purchase a forty-acre home tract for alfalfa, eventually expanding his holdings to 500 acres with plans to cultivate vines, figs, and prunes. In February 1914, he married Arvilla Martin, a Fresno County native and daughter of a forty-niner named Wm. F. Martin, during a ceremony held in Oakland. As an active member of the Clovis Lodge, Knights of Pythias, he remained a passionate booster for his birthplace and consistently supported movements aimed at advancing local county interests.