Shimmins, Mrs. Myra

Mrs. Myra Shimmins, a native daughter of California born in Yorktown, Tuolumne County, was a prominent resident of Fresno for twenty-eight years whose family history connects deeply to early statehood. Her father, Samuel Platt of Maine, discovered the productive Platt and Gilson Mine in Tuolumne County, while her maternal grandfather, Fred Klein, traveled around the Horn in 1849 before establishing a store, orchard, and vineyard in Yorktown. Following her father passing, her family relocated to the Livermore Valley, where she married Wisconsin native William F. Shimmins. The couple eventually moved to Fresno in 1890, where Mr. Shimmins worked for the San Joaquin Light and Power Company until his death in February 1915. Together, they raised four children, including William F., Mrs. Ida A. Perry, Mrs. Hazel R. Paul, and Olen L.

Utilizing her love for nature, Mrs. Shimmins established a small florist shop at 1145 I Street in 1902 and gradually expanded it into a thriving business located in the Griffith-McKenzie Building on J Street. She also demonstrated strong business foresight in 1900 by purchasing two and one-half acres in the Sierra Park tract on Belmont Avenue, becoming the first pioneer to build a home in that area before subdividing the land for residential development. Through her commercial success and active role as a parent, she helped guide the growth of Fresno from a town with central irrigation ditches into a prosperous city. Her children eventually pursued distinct paths, with her son Olen L. taking charge of her florist shop and her son William F. serving as a sergeant in the United States Army. Her life represents the enduring impact of pioneer families on the civic and economic development of Fresno County.