Kirkman, William T., Jr.

Born to pioneer nurseryman W. T. Kirkman and Dora Akridge Kirkman, who relocated their family from Arkansas to Merced, California, in 1888, W. T. Kirkman, Jr., engaged in the nursery trade from early boyhood alongside his father. In 1906, he established Kirkman Nurseries, Inc., in Fresno, building the enterprise into a prominent regional agricultural supply firm with its headquarters located at the corner of O and Tulare Streets.

From 1910 until his death in 1917, Frank P. South served as the company’s secretary and treasurer, contributing to its operational expansion across Fresno County. While his retired parents established their residence in Pasadena, Kirkman continued to actively direct the operations of Kirkman Nurseries, Inc., remaining one of Central California’s leading commercial nurserymen.