| Frank Silva 2 My Santa Maria Memories |
| Frank Silva brought these people to farm around Santa Maria. |
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Date later- Furakawa and wife from Japan. Frank set him in strawberry
farming on west Main. Furakawa was the first in the US to use one
machine to dig furrows,level bed,spray chemicals, lay plastic- at one
time- imported the first two machines from Japan in 1954. Furakawa
was also the first in the US to use a wheel to poke holes in the plastic
for planting seedlings.
1953- Masayoshi Tomooka and Toyokuma Tomooka to farm on the
Nipomo Mesa. Soon after, Toyokuma's mother, Kane, and Masayoshi's
wife Toshiko was brought here by Frank Silva, at the request of
Masayoshi and Toyokuma. Tomooka brothers later farmed with RF
Donovan(also brought to US by Frank Silva) in Santa Maria and by
themselves in Santa Maria, from the river bed to Betteravia Road,
except for about Chapel Street to Stowell Road.
1953-Kagawa and wife and son John-setup on Blosser Road as share
crop croppers with Santa Maria Berry Farms, who did not actually farm
themselves, at that time- Kagawas ran the Blosser Strawberry Stand.
1952-Koyama brothers- three of them. Names later. Set up in farming
at the south-east corner of Osa Flaco Road and Highway 1. Retired
from farming with $$$$$$$$$ Excellent for never seeing a tree before
arriving in the Santa Maria Valley- and not knowing any english. Older
brother and mother were living in the house when they arrived here.
1952- Edwardo and Joquin Mier- set up in house and farming along
Osa Flaco Road by Frank Silva on land owned by John Silva, brother
of Frank Silva. Miers started Mier Trucking, originating the practice of
spreading fertilizer on land to be planted with strawberries. Without
this step, there would not be the big berries now produced in the
Santa Maria Valley. Great thinking by a couple of Portugee clowns!!!
Date later- Mother and father of Bert Pereira- who lived on telephone
Road. Judy- where are you? What were the first names of your father's
parents? And when did they come here? I was not listening when he
and then she said when.
Parents of Toru Miyoshi and Toru, from Japan. Parents both worked
for Furakawa and later in business- did well in real estate.Toru did
better by using his City of Santa Maria position to make a fortune
selling what was his parents real estate to the City of Santa Maria.
Prison time for anybody else- City of Santa Maria police pretended
everything about Toru was good- he was a city council member!!
Date later- Farao and family from Azore Islands- worked and lived at
Rosemary Farms for years.
1951- Manuel Pires, 1952- wife and two daughters. Worked and lived
and retired from Rosemary Farms.
Date later- Gomes, worked for and retired from Rosemary Farms Lived
on Donovan Road. Later generation changed name to Gomez.
Date later- Family that moved in to farm near Buellton, south side of
valley, next to highway 101. Had their own furniture. I need lots of help
with this family.
1917- Olivera and wife from the Azore Islands( they showed me their
passports and the letter showing that Frank Silva was authorized to
bring them to the US by the Department of Immigration and
Naturalization). Set up and lived on ranch on Los Berros road. Frank
Silva paid first 5 years of mortgage on ranch interest free to Olivera
who repaid the principle. Son George "Americanized" his last name by
dropping the "a". Grandson Sandy owns the Chevron station at
Broadway and Dovovan.
More to come later.
farming on west Main. Furakawa was the first in the US to use one
machine to dig furrows,level bed,spray chemicals, lay plastic- at one
time- imported the first two machines from Japan in 1954. Furakawa
was also the first in the US to use a wheel to poke holes in the plastic
for planting seedlings.
1953- Masayoshi Tomooka and Toyokuma Tomooka to farm on the
Nipomo Mesa. Soon after, Toyokuma's mother, Kane, and Masayoshi's
wife Toshiko was brought here by Frank Silva, at the request of
Masayoshi and Toyokuma. Tomooka brothers later farmed with RF
Donovan(also brought to US by Frank Silva) in Santa Maria and by
themselves in Santa Maria, from the river bed to Betteravia Road,
except for about Chapel Street to Stowell Road.
1953-Kagawa and wife and son John-setup on Blosser Road as share
crop croppers with Santa Maria Berry Farms, who did not actually farm
themselves, at that time- Kagawas ran the Blosser Strawberry Stand.
1952-Koyama brothers- three of them. Names later. Set up in farming
at the south-east corner of Osa Flaco Road and Highway 1. Retired
from farming with $$$$$$$$$ Excellent for never seeing a tree before
arriving in the Santa Maria Valley- and not knowing any english. Older
brother and mother were living in the house when they arrived here.
1952- Edwardo and Joquin Mier- set up in house and farming along
Osa Flaco Road by Frank Silva on land owned by John Silva, brother
of Frank Silva. Miers started Mier Trucking, originating the practice of
spreading fertilizer on land to be planted with strawberries. Without
this step, there would not be the big berries now produced in the
Santa Maria Valley. Great thinking by a couple of Portugee clowns!!!
Date later- Mother and father of Bert Pereira- who lived on telephone
Road. Judy- where are you? What were the first names of your father's
parents? And when did they come here? I was not listening when he
and then she said when.
Parents of Toru Miyoshi and Toru, from Japan. Parents both worked
for Furakawa and later in business- did well in real estate.Toru did
better by using his City of Santa Maria position to make a fortune
selling what was his parents real estate to the City of Santa Maria.
Prison time for anybody else- City of Santa Maria police pretended
everything about Toru was good- he was a city council member!!
Date later- Farao and family from Azore Islands- worked and lived at
Rosemary Farms for years.
1951- Manuel Pires, 1952- wife and two daughters. Worked and lived
and retired from Rosemary Farms.
Date later- Gomes, worked for and retired from Rosemary Farms Lived
on Donovan Road. Later generation changed name to Gomez.
Date later- Family that moved in to farm near Buellton, south side of
valley, next to highway 101. Had their own furniture. I need lots of help
with this family.
1917- Olivera and wife from the Azore Islands( they showed me their
passports and the letter showing that Frank Silva was authorized to
bring them to the US by the Department of Immigration and
Naturalization). Set up and lived on ranch on Los Berros road. Frank
Silva paid first 5 years of mortgage on ranch interest free to Olivera
who repaid the principle. Son George "Americanized" his last name by
dropping the "a". Grandson Sandy owns the Chevron station at
Broadway and Dovovan.
More to come later.
Frank Silva