Pettit, Hon. Melvin

Hon. Melvin Pettit was born on August 13, 1859, in Canada to parents S. T. and Abigail DeWitt Pettit. After working five years in the Michigan lumber industry, he relocated to California in 1899, establishing himself as a prominent viticulturist by building up a 270-acre ranch near Parlier focused on raisins, peaches, and Thompson grapes. Alongside his agricultural achievements, he served on the executive board of the Fresno County YMCA and held leadership roles within the local Methodist Episcopal Church.

Elected to the California State Assembly in 1916 and re-elected in 1918, Pettit cast key legislative votes for national prohibition and authored important legislation to protect California vineyards from Phylloxera. He married Anna A. Kenny during the 1876 Centennial year, with whom he raised five children: Caroline, A. Almeda, Hermon, Ruth, and Clare. His wife, Anna, was an equally prominent civic leader, serving as the President of both the local and county W.C.T.U., as well as the First Vice-President of the W.C.T.U. of Northern California.