Phillips, Charles C.

Charles C. Phillips was born in Alameda County, California, on November 29, 1869, to Bonepart Phillips, a pioneer who crossed the plains in an ox-cart in 1849. Raised and educated in Santa Cruz County, he dedicated his early life to agricultural pursuits in that region. In June 1917, he expanded his farming endeavors by purchasing a fertile 150-acre ranch in the river bottom east of Centerville, Fresno County.

On his Fresno County property, Phillips applied modern agricultural methods to transform a former vegetable garden into land for growing grain, alfalfa, prunes, summer crops, and pasture. In 1896, he married Rosa V. Morehouse, a native Californian, and together they raised seven children named William, Roy, Glenn, Carrie, Wayne, Dick, and Neva. Recognized as a public-spirited citizen, Phillips built a reputation as an experienced California rancher committed to supporting local community enterprises.