Octave Valere Dargeles
24 June 1867 Montegut Arros, France
16 October 1927 Caruthers, Fresno County, Fresno, Ca., USA
Brothers Octave and Jean Marie, with their father, left Montegut before dawn one morning in1885.
They traveled slowly over dirt paths in an ox cart pulled by the family cow. The beginning of their journey would take them the better part of the morning to reach the nearest train station 13 km away in Rabastans de Bigorre.
It was here their father, Raymond Dargeles, bid them a final and emotional farewell. Their adventure had begun. They boarded the train to deliver them to Bordeaux and then on to a steamer ship to New Orleans, Louisiana.
These two young men would never see their french family, Montegut, or France again. Yet, they would always feel a strong connection to their family.
Octave and Jean Marie were the two youngest sons in the family. A sister, Helene, and older brother Joseph would stay in Montegut. Octave and Jean Marie were given what little money the family could spare to pay for their travel. There was little work in their area of France, and being adventurous spirits, they turned their sights to unknown possibilities and stepped confidently toward their future.
The brothers stayed in New Orleans, enduring a bitterly cold winter. Neither Octave nor Jean Marie spoke English upon their arrival. They worked hard to learn both the language and customs in the US. Thankfully, there was a fairly large population of native French speakers, and they soon found lodging and employment. But their goal was California!
Both young men were hard workers and eager to continue their travel to California. They hired on to a cattle drive headed west. Keep in mind this was a purely American occupation. In Montegut, they cared for the farm animals, including horses, milk cows, pigs, sheep, and chickens, which held little resemblance to the American Cowboy's new duties!
Arriving in San Francisco, they were directed to a large community of French immigrants near San Jose. Here they were welcomed and encouraged to pursue their dreams. Quickly able to find work, they worked long hours and saved money while mastering a new language and making plans for the next step of their adventure. Ironically, it was in San Jose where they learned to bake French bread! Little did they know it would be a large part of their future. For these two optimistic young men it seemed nothing was out of their reach.
Both brothers learned how to bake bread! Soon Octave and Jean Marie were introduced to two beautiful French sisters. Victorine and Nancy Bonnabel had recently emigrated from the Lyon region of France. In 1890 Octave married Victoria and Jean Marie married Nancy.
These two young men would never see their french family, Montegut, or France again. Yet, they would always feel a strong connection to their family.
Octave and Jean Marie were the two youngest sons in the family. A sister, Helene, and older brother Joseph would stay in Montegut. Octave and Jean Marie were given what little money the family could spare to pay for their travel. There was little work in their area of France, and being adventurous spirits, they turned their sights to unknown possibilities and stepped confidently toward their future.
The brothers stayed in New Orleans, enduring a bitterly cold winter. Neither Octave nor Jean Marie spoke English upon their arrival. They worked hard to learn both the language and customs in the US. Thankfully, there was a fairly large population of native French speakers, and they soon found lodging and employment. But their goal was California!
Both young men were hard workers and eager to continue their travel to California. They hired on to a cattle drive headed west. Keep in mind this was a purely American occupation. In Montegut, they cared for the farm animals, including horses, milk cows, pigs, sheep, and chickens, which held little resemblance to the American Cowboy's new duties!
Arriving in San Francisco, they were directed to a large community of French immigrants near San Jose. Here they were welcomed and encouraged to pursue their dreams. Quickly able to find work, they worked long hours and saved money while mastering a new language and making plans for the next step of their adventure. Ironically, it was in San Jose where they learned to bake French bread! Little did they know it would be a large part of their future. For these two optimistic young men it seemed nothing was out of their reach.
Both brothers learned how to bake bread! Soon Octave and Jean Marie were introduced to two beautiful French sisters. Victorine and Nancy Bonnabel had recently emigrated from the Lyon region of France. In 1890 Octave married Victoria and Jean Marie married Nancy.
They decided to leave San Jose and settle in Fresno, located in California’s Great Central Valley, which has a climate and terrain similar to their beloved Montegut. Fresno was still a young but energetic town with dirt streets, wooden sidewalks, and a railroad station. There was only a spark of what would later become one of the most important agricultural centers in the United States and eventually the world.
Octave and Jean Marie opened the first French Bakery in Fresno. The bakery was located at 1318 K street AND with a telephone 771 Red (1900 letterhead). It was a broad wooden building with two large windows with striped awnings to tame the hot Fresno summer sun. There was a living area above the bakery. Soon a baby arrived. Jean Marie and Nancy welcomed their son, Cesar, Then Ernest, the first son for Octave and Victorine. The flat soon became crowded, Jean Marie, Nancy, and Cesar moved to a small house nearby. Octave and Victorine’s family continued to grow; Frank and then Henry was born.
Sadly, in 1897 Jean Marie died of tuberculous in a sanitarian in San Jose. Nancy and Caesar stayed in Fresno. Nancy remarried, and Cesar was adopted and raised by Octave and Victorine.
The bakery was successful… but the wine business in the basement provided the majority of their income. The business soon became The French Bakery and Wine Cellar.
In 1907 a daughter was born, Octavia Victorine Dargeles, Barry’s mother. A couple of years later, Francine, a second daughter, followed by Raymond (later nick-named Frenchie).
But Octave was not satisfied. He longed to return to farming in his heart, the thread that connected him to his Montegut roots and France. From father to son, for a century or more it was who he was and what he wanted for his family. In letters to his brother Joseph, Octave shared ideas of combining American and French farming techniques he was convinced it would be successful. He purchased a section of land (640 acres) in Caruthers. And for a few years he continued the baking in Fresno and then took the wagon to Caruthers to work the rest of the day developing his vineyards and dairy farm. He designed and built a large impressive home, reminiscent of Montegut, for his family. After all the years, he still held those country values and memories in his heart, so in 1911 he moved his family to Caruthers. Stories repeated through the family stated Octave felt that Fresno had grown too big, too metropolitan for his children!
Octave regularly mailed letters to his family in France, sending news about his family and business. Finding these letters has been a gift beyond any expectation. The last letter we have found was dated 1911, there were certainly more, but we are grateful for those letters that survived.
A family portrait arrived in Montegut just before the turn of the century. This beautifully framed photo has been hanging in Montegut for nearly 120 years. Victorine (1872-1957) with Ernest (1895-1950) and Frank (1898-1972), Octave with Cesar (1895-1943).
There was close to a 100-year span from Octave’s last letter to his family in France and the arrival of France's first letter to the few remaining Dargeles descendants in the US. Which in turn, changed the course of our life by reconnecting us to our French roots.
And, if you have, thanks for reading.
Aurevior
Octave and Jean Marie opened the first French Bakery in Fresno. The bakery was located at 1318 K street AND with a telephone 771 Red (1900 letterhead). It was a broad wooden building with two large windows with striped awnings to tame the hot Fresno summer sun. There was a living area above the bakery. Soon a baby arrived. Jean Marie and Nancy welcomed their son, Cesar, Then Ernest, the first son for Octave and Victorine. The flat soon became crowded, Jean Marie, Nancy, and Cesar moved to a small house nearby. Octave and Victorine’s family continued to grow; Frank and then Henry was born.
Sadly, in 1897 Jean Marie died of tuberculous in a sanitarian in San Jose. Nancy and Caesar stayed in Fresno. Nancy remarried, and Cesar was adopted and raised by Octave and Victorine.
The bakery was successful… but the wine business in the basement provided the majority of their income. The business soon became The French Bakery and Wine Cellar.
In 1907 a daughter was born, Octavia Victorine Dargeles, Barry’s mother. A couple of years later, Francine, a second daughter, followed by Raymond (later nick-named Frenchie).
But Octave was not satisfied. He longed to return to farming in his heart, the thread that connected him to his Montegut roots and France. From father to son, for a century or more it was who he was and what he wanted for his family. In letters to his brother Joseph, Octave shared ideas of combining American and French farming techniques he was convinced it would be successful. He purchased a section of land (640 acres) in Caruthers. And for a few years he continued the baking in Fresno and then took the wagon to Caruthers to work the rest of the day developing his vineyards and dairy farm. He designed and built a large impressive home, reminiscent of Montegut, for his family. After all the years, he still held those country values and memories in his heart, so in 1911 he moved his family to Caruthers. Stories repeated through the family stated Octave felt that Fresno had grown too big, too metropolitan for his children!
Octave regularly mailed letters to his family in France, sending news about his family and business. Finding these letters has been a gift beyond any expectation. The last letter we have found was dated 1911, there were certainly more, but we are grateful for those letters that survived.
A family portrait arrived in Montegut just before the turn of the century. This beautifully framed photo has been hanging in Montegut for nearly 120 years. Victorine (1872-1957) with Ernest (1895-1950) and Frank (1898-1972), Octave with Cesar (1895-1943).
There was close to a 100-year span from Octave’s last letter to his family in France and the arrival of France's first letter to the few remaining Dargeles descendants in the US. Which in turn, changed the course of our life by reconnecting us to our French roots.
And, if you have, thanks for reading.
Aurevior
