Kearney Mansion Museum

The Kearney Mansion Museum in Fresno, California talks about M. Theodore Kearney. He was considered the prince of Fresno according to an 1895 newspaper article. Kearney was a self made man, who was born in 1842 in the UK. His parents lived in a Liverpool slum, but Kearney managed to get out of the slums and make money, enough to go on a grand tour of Europe.

Most of Kearney's wealth came from California, once he traveled across the ocean to the United States. He developed raisin vineyards at Fruit Vale Estate. He arrived in San Francisco in 1869 and bought the land for his farm. At his death the land was donated to the University. They ceased ranch operations in 1949 allowing the grounds to become a historical site. For more than 50 years the 230 acres has been part of a museum. Visitors to the museum can learn all about Kearney's early life from the time of the Liverpool Slums to his eventual passage to the United States. One can also learn about the transcontinental railroad trip to California, where he settled to become King of raisin vineyards. The museum accepts donations and is open on the weekends.