Foster, Ernest Winterton

Ernest Winterton Foster was a dedicated agricultural leader born in Belmont County, Ohio, in 1875. After briefly visiting California in 1897 and returning east to manage his father-in-law’s farm, he permanently relocated to Fresno County in 1903. In the fall of 1904, he accepted the position of superintendent for the Phoenix Fruit Company ranch, a vast enterprise he successfully managed for decades.

Under Foster’s expert direction, the company’s 700-acre estate was transformed into an extensive, modern vineyard utilizing advanced ditch irrigation and four custom-installed pumping plants. He also developed a highly successful 40-acre private raisin ranch of his own. Alongside his wife, Clara, he raised four children while dedicating his time as a longtime trustee of the Kutner Colony school district and supporting the First Christian Church in Fresno.