McDonald, James Marshall

James Marshall McDonald was born between Bellefontaine and Urbana, Ohio, on July 9, 1870, to John B. McDonald and Lydia Marshall. He moved with his parents to Fresno, California, in 1886, where his father worked in the local post office after serving as a military officer in Ohio. In Fresno, James learned upholstering, worked for the postal service, served as an early volunteer and paid firefighter, and later ran a successful private detective agency.

In September 1913, James became the superintendent for the Villa Land Company, overseeing the development of the Biola townsite and its water infrastructure. He began managing the local fruit packing plant, which was leased in 1915 by the California Associated Raisin Company, where he served as manager. Married to Ollie V. Richter in Fresno on December 24, 1894, he successfully expanded the Biola raisin operations into a modern brick packing facility with electric power.