Neikirk, B. F.

B. F. Neikirk was born in 1852 in Smyth County, Virginia, to parents George W. and Mary J. Neikirk. After migrating to California in 1891 as the only member of his family to do so, he spent ten years managing local ranches as a foreman before taking possession of his own fifty-acre property in 1901. Through persistent effort and practical ranching techniques, he transformed the previously uncultivated land into a highly productive fruit and vine ranch specializing in nectarines, apricots, peaches, and grapes.

In 1877, Neikirk married Mattie McCall in Texas, uniting two families with deep ancestral roots in Virginia that traced back to the Revolutionary War and the Southern Confederacy. Together, they developed their ranch into a thriving home complete with diverse orchards and grapevines that allowed them to enjoy a comfortable lifestyle in their later years. Between April and November of 1917, the couple embarked on an extensive vacation across the South and Middle West, visiting key destinations such as Virginia, Washington, D.C., Tennessee, and Salt Lake City before returning to their ranch.