Graff, John C.

John C. Graff, born in San Francisco in 1889, moved to Fresno County as a young child with his parents, settling near Oleander and Fowler. He was raised in a prominent agricultural family; his father, John H. Graff, was a progressive farmer known for his scientific methods, and his uncle was the highly successful Fresno merchant Hans Graff. After attending local schools and working for his uncle at a young age, Graff spent over two years serving in the United States Navy at Mare Island and aboard a naval auxiliary ship before returning to civilian life and working on his father’s ranch.

Following his 1912 marriage to Fresno County native Millicent Gower—daughter of the prominent local horticulturist Edwin Gower—Graff leased and managed a highly productive 40-acre family estate northeast of Fowler. He successfully cultivated a diverse selection of premium fruit, featuring a choice peach orchard and several varieties of raisin grapes, including muscats, sultanas, and Thompson’s Seedless. After selling this flourishing ranch in April 1919 to pursue new opportunities, Graff settled into the community as an active member of the Odd Fellows and, alongside his wife and daughter Rosamond, earned widespread respect for his dedicated civic engagement and home-front support during the World War.