Harman, C. E.

Born in Iowa in 1867, C. E. Harman moved to California with his parents, Caleb and Sarah Harman, arriving in Fresno County near Parlier in 1875. He attended the local Mendocino district school, completed studies at the San Francisco Business College, and pursued specialized chemical training in Oakland, where he practiced chemistry before running a mercantile business in Santa Barbara County. Following the passing of his father in 1915, Harman inherited forty acres of the family’s original 1876 homestead northeast of Parlier, which he dedicated to cultivating high-quality raisin and table grapes.

In 1896, Harman married Santa Clara County native Gertrude Schuyler, with whom he had two daughters, Violet and Irene. A public-spirited citizen, Harman served for several years as a trustee for the Lompoc High School District Board in Santa Barbara County before returning to Fresno in 1919 to settle on North Van Ness Avenue, maintaining the Harman family’s long-standing reputation for civic dedication and hospitality.