Harry S. Watanabe

Harry Watanabe came to Coalinga from Japan in 1915 at age 19 and first worked at Ayers Drug Store and the Sullivan Hotel. In 1928 he found his vocation in gardening, starting a nursery and experimenting with plants as Coalinga struggled with brackish hard well water and limited shade trees such as chinaberry, salt cedar, and cottonwood. Through his discoveries, he helped transform the city from a dusty frontier town into a community of shade and landscaped nearly every early public building, including schools, the hospital, and City Hall. His work as a professional nurseryman lasted from 1928 until the mid-1960s, and many people sought his advice for gardening assistance. In 1942, the Watanabe family, along with others of Japanese descent, was interned in Arkansas for the duration of World War II. The family returned to Coalinga in 1946 and reopened the nursery business. In 1972, Harry Watanabe and his wife Yoshino celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. He died in Hanford on January 7, 1987, at age 91.

Coalinga, California · United States