Dow, Fred J.

Fred J. Dow was born in Indiana in 1865, where he received a public school education and practical agricultural training before moving to Fresno County with his family in 1884. He entered the regional fruit industry at the bottom of the ladder, spending twenty years climbing the ranks of the Griffin-Skelley Company to master all phases of the business and attain positions of high responsibility. As his personal financial standing grew, he systematically invested his capital into purchasing city lots and agricultural acreage across the developing region.

Capitalizing on his commercial success, Dow successfully diversified his business interests by leaving the fruit industry to acquire a partnership in the Merchants Warehouse Company and purchase half-ownership of a city shoe retail venture. In 1912, he co-founded the commercial contracting and building firm of Dow & Cannon, executing major building contracts and eventually purchasing a substantial business block adjacent to the landmark Griffith-McKenzie Building. An influential community upbuilder, he further secured his position as a prominent regional leader by becoming a long-term stockholder and director for both the Union National Bank and the Fresno Savings Bank.