Fresno Armenians

[Administrator]

Fresno, California is one of the first armenian communities in the united states. first settlers came around 1890. Share your knowledge of these first Armenians and where they came from. I think many Armenians can trace their roots to fresno.

[debbi]

Syracuse, New York was also a new start for Armenians .
There where a few before 1898 , The Harutun Azadians came in Oct 14,1899 to settle there . Where Grandpa helped many ,many others come to this country . He offered jobs , houseing etc. And Grandma Akabi a nurse by then would go out to help the sick. And both speaking 5 langanges could call the doctor as needed .
There still is a large pop. of Armenians in Syracuse ,as I have been told

[kharpert12]

I just came across a very nice book about the Armenians in Fresno its called "The Fresno Armenians" By Berge Bulbulian. Here are some
paragraphs from the Book.

"When Mardiros Yanikian Arrived in the United States, he said he felt like a nor mart (new man), so he adopted the name Frank Normat. He visited the Fresno area in 1874 and after he returned to the East Coast he praised the region to fellow Armenians, sparking an interest that was at least partly responsible for the first wave of Armenian immigration to Fresno. He and other members of his family eventually settled in Fresno in 1885....."
And it goes.....

"The first Armenian to settle in Fresno were the Seropian brothers, Hagop(Jacob), Garabed and Simon and their half-brothers Kevork(George), and Hovhaness (John) who arrived in 1881....."It is really interesting book, if any body have roots in Fresno.



Kharpert

[SactoBob]

Up against the Sierra foothills, east of Fresno, a small town of Yettem (which I am told means either paradise or Garden of Eden in Armenian) was established around 1900 by Moses and Haratune Jenanyan along with Krikor Aslanian. These two Jenanyans were my paternal grandfather Hatcher Jenanyan's second cousins. In 1912, Hatcher and family including my mother (who was a six-month old infant) and three of Hatcher's brothers left Marash (in south central Turkey) and came directly to Yettem.

A gentleman named Charles Davidian wrote a history of Yettem which can be found at http://www.putnampit.com/yettem.html Read and enjoy. There are quite a few Armenian names included.

[mpaloutz]

Hi, My name is Michelle Paloutzian and I have been researching my father's family for several years now. I have lots of information on the Paloutzian family especially, but also the related members of the Basmajian, Tatoian, Badigian, Keshishian (Kershaw), Hovasapian, Karabian, Chooljian, Tusoosian (Tusan), Shishmanian, Zaillian, and Mekealian families.

My families were from Biltis, Perchang, and Diyarbekir (Dickranagerd). They mostly settled in the Fresno and Sanger areas of California.

I write a blog about my research (it also includes my mother's family which is not Armenian), and have my tree on Ancestry.com. I would be glad to share information and would love to hear from others.

http://michellepaloutzian.blogspot.com/

[Carpet]

Fresno is not a cultural Mecca, nor is it a particularly great place to visit. Imagine my delight therefore to find this little gem. Authentic Persian/Armenian menu, good service, and good food. I would rate this closer to home cooking than gourmet, but all in all it was a good experience. I had the mast-kheear (yogurt with mint) to start and the rack of lamb which was good. The side salad had a dressing that had too much garlic. The hot Persian tea hit the spot. I was the only one in the restaurant which is too bad. I hope they do well because I'll definitely be back next time I am in the area.
The Armenian community here in the valley and around the world vows they will always fight for injustices their ancestors have faced, with or without the recognition.

[Mushrooms]

Now a days this is not a strange facts if we say that armenians have been identified as a distinct ethnic group for at least 2500 years.They have lived under foreign, often despotic domination retaining their identity throughout periods void of sovereignty while other ancient peoples disappeared . The initial Armenian nation dates from approximately 600 BC. It was formed by tribes, originally from Anatolia, who migrated east and west, but returned to their homeland about 1200 BC merging with other tribes who inhabited the plains of Mount Ararat. After several centuries of development, a common civilization and a nation emerged. Their homeland stretched from the Caucasus mountains in the east to the Euphrates river in the west. In modern times, much of Armenia became a part of the Soviet Union, a domination which lasted for seventy years. With the fall of the Soviet empire, the Republic of Armenia was established at the end of 19th century and now occupies a small portion of its historic homeland with the remainder of its former territories under Iranian and Turkish control.

[christineb1979]

I been looking for my family roots, because my grand parents told me that we have Foreign roots.

[Carpet]

Whether the missionairies (who first went to the Ottoman Empire in 1812 to convert follower of Islam to Christianity) helped save thousands of Armenians from certain death, or whether the conversion of many Armenians led to disunity that brought on the death of the Armenian nation depends on one's historical perspective." Christian missionaries in the Middle East ultimately led to the phenomenon of Armenians migrating to Fresno, California, to escape persecutions and prosper in a strange yet familiar land. At one point, Fresno had the largest population of Armenian people in the United States. Much more than a coffee-table edition of provincial or regional significance.

[Armo52]

"When Mardiros Yanikian Arrived in the United States, he said he felt like a nor mart (new man), so he adopted the name Frank Normat. He visited the Fresno area in 1874 and after he returned to the East Coast he praised the region to fellow Armenians, sparking an interest that was at least partly responsible for the first wave of Armenian immigration to Fresno. He and other members of his family eventually settled in Fresno in 1885....."

this is really cool because he is the brother of my great-great-great-grandpa and its cool to see how i got my last name and why it doesnt end with the traditional "ian"

[Mushrooms]

The family seems to be a productive part and and none burden to society. Why is it that so many others would be alloweed to stay that our society would have to support and after living here for so many years still can not speak our language!!! Something is wrong with this picture

[Group]

The Fresno Armenians" describes a remarkable history of a determined people driven by massacre and religious hatred from their 3,000 year old home in the Caucus Mountains and fecund plains of eastern Cilicia. In the San Joaquin Valley, Armenians became pioneers of agriculture very soon after their arrival. Through determined efforts of perserverance, they became leaders in business, religion, education and governement, prevailing in a difficult time of virulent discrimination. Presented in chronological order, "The Fresno Armenians" begins with a brief history of the nation before emigration.

[EasyForm]

The Seropian's were also the first Armenians to start a business in Fresno—numerous businesses in fact. With adamant determination, the Seropians went through continued hardships, loosing business after business to building fires and poor management style. Their final, and most successful business, the Seropian Brothers Company (incorporated in 1908), eventually became one of the nation's largest dried fruit and nut businesses, only to be taken away from the family due to litigation and lawsuits brought on by competing packinghouses.

[Coupon]

Beginning in 2006, the city of Fresno set out on a large-scale construction project that would include altering the landscape of what has come to be known as Old Armenian Town.

[rizzadaile]

The first Armenian known to have immigrated to America was Martin the Armenian. He arrived in Jamestown, Virginia, in 1618, when the colony was only eleven years old. A few other Armenians are recorded as having come to the United States in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, but they mostly came as individuals and did not form a community.