Sharer, Marques Monroe

Marques Monroe Sharer, born near Griggsville, Illinois, on September 28, 1854, was an early pioneer and influential viticulturist in Fresno County, California. He worked on farms in Illinois and Carroll County, Missouri, before traveling to California and arriving in Fresno on October 6, 1881. He initially spent eleven years driving grain teams and later rented land to farm for himself during the regional agricultural boom. He eventually purchased 92.40 acres of unimproved land in Enterprise Colony, setting out one of the earliest vineyards in the area and perseverance through years when raisins sold for a cent a pound.

Over time, Marques expanded his operations to include additional acreage in Enterprise Colony and the Red Bank district, raising Malaga grapes, muscat raisins, grain, and hay. On September 26, 1888, he married Nannie Mary Reyburn, daughter of local pioneers James J. and Mary Reyburn, and together they raised eight surviving children named Florence, Clarence, Ethel, Wilbur, Mary, Bertha, Ressie, and Margie. Beyond his personal ranching success, he actively supported community development by serving as a trustee for the Jefferson School District and Clovis Union High School. He was also a charter member, deacon, and trustee of the First Presbyterian Church at Clovis, as well as a member of the California Associated Raisin Company. His long life and agricultural contributions established him as a cornerstone figure in the historical growth of the region.