Although he left France at a very early age and since then has been identified with Kern county, Mr. Espitallier has not forgotten the sunny climate or the picturesque scenery of that far-distant land. There lived and died his parents, Francois and Antoinette (Ducere) Espitallier, humble tillers of the soil at Ancil near Gap, department of Hautes-Alpes and there too he was born March 19, 1877, being: the third among seven children, all but two of whom are still living. The family were poor, the struggle for a livelihood was keen, and hence he had meager chances to acquire an education, for he has been self-supporting from early years. Coming to America during 1900 and proceeding direct to California, he found employment with a sheep-raiser in Kern county. Although the language was strange to his ears and the customs of the people different from those of his native land, he was adaptable and eager to learn, therefore soon proved himself a capable assistant in the sheep business. During 1904 he bought a small flock of sheep and embarked in the business for himself, afterward ranging the drove in Kern and Inyo counties along the mountains and in the valleys. The venture proved fairly successful and he began to prosper financially, but a desire to have an established home and to escape the hardships incident to following the range led him to dispose of his flock in 1910, when he bought and named Hotel des Alpes at No. 793 Humboldt Street, East Bakersfield. Mr. Espitallier is still engaged in the sheep business.

The marriage of Mr. Espitallier took place in East Bakersfield October 9, 1909, and united him with Miss Leah Grimeaud, a native of Hautes-Alpes, France, and a lady of skill in the domestic arts, hospitality in the home and efficiency as an assistant in the hotel, which under their able management has been enlarged and remodeled to meet the demands of the increasing business. In fraternal relations Mr. Espitallier is connected with the Druids and Loyal Order of Moose.

History of Kern County, California, with biographical sketches
of the leading men and women of the county who have been
identified with its growth and development from the early days
to the present.

Publisher: Los Angeles, Cal., Historic record company, 1914