Mattei, Andrew

Andrew Mattei was born on a small farm in Canton Ticino, Switzerland, on August 9, 1855, to Francisco and Ursula Pelanda Mattei. He arrived in the United States in April 1874 and worked in Eureka, Nevada, before moving to California to gain experience in dairy farming across Modesto, San Jose, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. In 1887, he purchased 320 acres in Fresno County, eventually settling there in 1890 to transform raw land into extensive vineyards.

Through decades of expansion near Fresno, Andrew became the largest individual vineyardist and wine manufacturer in the United States, producing up to 1,000,000 gallons of wine annually and winning top honors at the 1915 Panama Pacific Exposition. He married Eleanor J. Joughin in Los Angeles in 1886, and together they raised three children named Andrew Jr., Anne Joughin, and Eleanor Theadolinda. Dedicated to community growth, he served for years as a local school trustee and actively supported regional civic organizations before earning widespread respect for his business leadership.