Schultz, Barney

Barney Schultz, born in Grand Detour, Ogle County, Illinois, on July 25, 1859, was a late pioneer farmer who became a dedicated resident of Fresno County, California. He was the son of Frederick Schultz, a native of Germany who worked as a plow fitter, and Lottie Miller, who was of French and German descent. Raised in Illinois and Grundy County, Iowa, Barney moved to Sully County, South Dakota, in 1884 with his brother Herman to improve a 160-acre land claim. Through hard work, raising stock, and building extensive farm improvements, he successfully expanded his agricultural holdings in South Dakota and later farmed in Woolsey.

In 1910, Mr. Schultz made his first trip to California and purchased land in the Dakota Colony and Hawkeye district before permanently relocating to Fresno County in the spring of 1915. He accumulated sixty acres devoted to Thompson seedless grapes, alfalfa, and grain, and joined the California Associated Raisin Company as an active viticulturist. On July 13, 1892, he married Reno M. Livingstone, a native of Ontario, Canada, and a relative of the explorer Dr. David Livingstone; together they had one daughter, Myrtle M., who married United States Army veteran Ira T. Maxwell. Beyond his agricultural pursuits, he served as a Republican township supervisor, treasurer, and assessor in South Dakota and belonged to the Brotherhood of American Yeomen. His relocation and investments in Fresno County reflect his strong belief in the region climate and soil during the early twentieth century.