Rosenthal, Jacob

Jacob Rosenthal, born in Russia on August 27, 1870, was a self-made man who immigrated to the United States in 1900 and arrived in Fresno County the following year. He was the son of Andrew and Barbara Rosenthal, and he grew up with seven siblings, three of whom also came to America. Upon arriving in Fresno County, he located at Sanger and worked diligently for seven years with the Sanger Lumber Company, saving approximately two thousand dollars. He used his savings to transition into agriculture by renting a ranch in Kutner Colony in 1908. His early efforts allowed him to buy twenty acres of unimproved land in Del Rey in 1909, which he leveled, improved, and planted to vines and peaches.

Throughout his farming career, Mr. Rosenthal continued to expand his holdings by purchasing a twenty-seven acre vineyard near Reedley in 1915 and later acquiring eighty acres in Barstow Colony. He was a strong advocate for cooperative agriculture, holding membership and stock in both the California Associated Raisin Company and the California Peach Growers, Inc. In his personal life, he married Mollie Esheim in 1889, and together they raised six surviving children named Jacob, Herman, John, Frieda, Edward V., and Norman. He became a full citizen of the United States in 1906, and his family remained active in the Sanger Lutheran Church, the Red Cross, and local patriotic endeavors. His journey from an immigrant laborer to a successful landowner highlights his lasting contribution to the development of Central California.