Fresno County Biographies

MAX FRANKENAU

Submitted by Kathy Sedler

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MAX FRANKENAU
senior member of the mercantile firm of Frankenau Bros., of Sanger, was born in 
Bavaria, in 1850.  His father, S.A. Frankenau, was an early pioneer of 
California, and settled at San Francisco, with a store at Gilroy, and for many 
years was engaged in a general mercantile business.  Our subject was educated in 
Europe, both in the classics and mercantile pursuits, and came to America in 
1867, and after a few months in New York City he came to San Francisco, where 
for about three years he was engaged as book-keeper in the large mercantile 
establishment of Buckingham & Hecht.  In 1871 Mr. Frankenau, with his father, 
opened a general mercantile store on King’s river, at Centerville, under the 
firm name of S. A. Frankenau & Son, which is still in operation, and is the 
oldest mercantile house in the County.  Modesto was at that time the nearest 
point on the railroad, and from thence they staged to Centreville, which was the 
only settlement on the upper King’s river.  The store contained a general 
assortment of merchandize pertaining to the ranch or household, and during their 
business career they acquired thousand of acres of ranch property, and were also 
quite extensively engaged in the stock business.  In the spring of 1889 the firm 
of Frankenau Bros. was established at Sanger, which is composed of the three 
brothers, Max, Sigmund and Albert.  They constructed their brick store, with 
spacious basement, 40 x 100 feet, at Sanger, in February, 1889, and opened the 
store for business on July 1, 1889, keeping a general assortment of household 
goods and all ranch requirements, and carrying a stock of about $35,000.  The 
store at Centreville is still continued, which, however, they are about closing, 
as with their satisfactory business connection the trade will follow them to 
Sanger.
            Mr. Max Frankenau is a charter member of the Farmers’ Bank of 
Fresno, and of the bank of Central California, of which he is a director. The 
firm are also charter members of the Bank of Sanger, of which Sigmund Frankenau 
is Vice-President.  Mr. Frankenau was married in San Francisco in 1886, and now 
resides at Centreville, but is about to build a spacious residence in Sanger.
 
Memorial and Biographical History of the counties of Fresno, Tulare and Kern, California
Chicago, The Lewis Publishing Company, 1892  p671