Teague, Charles

Charles Teague, born in Devonshire, England, in March 1869, was the son of William T. Teague, who brought his family to San Francisco in 1871. After attending public schools in San Francisco, Charles relocated to Fresno in 1881 and began acquiring California acreage by 1890. He established the Shephard-Teague Land Company in 1892 and later organized the Teague Investment Company in 1912, while also serving as the founder and initial president of the First National Bank of Clovis. Furthermore, he organized the Producers Oil Company, which was the first entity to develop oil in commercial quantities within the Midway field.

Throughout his career, Charles Teague colonized 60,000 acres in Fresno County and marketed extensive properties to settlers from across the United States and Europe. His public-spirited leadership proved critical in spring 1913, when his decisive stock subscriptions saved the Associated Raisin Company from failure. Following the outbreak of the World War in 1914, he offered 500 acres of his personal holdings to Belgian refugees under generous credit terms, while guaranteeing their living expenses. Married to Marguerite E. Butters on August 14, 1913, and serving as a co-founder of the Sunnyside Country Club, his dynamic business ventures left a lasting mark on Fresno County history.