Joseph A. Teresi

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Joseph A. Teresi
Employer Sorosis Fruit Company, Winchester Dried Fruit
Occupation Orchardist, fruit dryer, and canner

Joseph A. Teresi was a Santa Clara orchardist and food processor[1].. Teresi ran the Sorosis Ranch and its associated Sorosis Fruit Company; he later teamed up with Bert Kirk to run the Winchester Dried Fruit Company.

Teresi was born in Sicily in 1899; his family moved to the United States in 1903. Teresi was a lawyer for the California Prune and Apricot Growers for one year. He then settled into the orchard business, first with a 38 acre orchard in Morgan Hill on Uvas Road. His father and three brothers joined him to buy the 220 acre Sorosis Ranch in 1921 as well as its packing house. The orchard at the time had 190 acres of prunes with the rest in prunes and peaches. The farm also owned rights to water in Saratoga Creek (also known as Quito or Campbell Creek).

Joseph operated the ranch through the 1950's. His daughter's obituary notes she helped her father and mother with chores around the farm[2]. Joseph's brother, Antonio, was active in the San Jose real estate business[3]. Another brother, Manuel Teresi, was killed when his car was hit by a train near Congress Springs[4].

References

  1. Joseph A. Teresi biography, in Eugene T. Sawyer, "History of Santa Clara County,California", 1922, Historic Record Co., p. 1480
  2. Marianne Pellegrini: Palo Alto Online obituary, May 13, 2012.
  3. Antonio Teresi. In Eugene T. Sawyer, History of Santa Clara County,California, 1922, Historic Record Co
  4. January 1, 1924 Santa Cruz Sentinel. "Manuel Teresi, 20, son of Salvadore Teresi, owner of Sorosis farm near Saratoga, while driving an automobile near Congress Junction in the Santa Cruz mountains was struck and fatally hurt by a Southern Pacific train this morning. Young Teresi died as a result of his injuries at the Los Gatos station an hour later. He was taken to Los Gatos by the train crew and Dr. S. W. Kuowles Was called."