Welcome to the Bouris Family Site
In 1905, George Hercules Bouris left his village in Kalavrita, Greece and arrived in the land of opportunity where many immigrants came to seek a better life. He was only 14 years old. Over the next few years, he worked to build subways, roads, and railways, and he eventually made his way west to Los Angeles. He sent his brothers Sam and Ted money to join him in the land of opportunity, and the they lived in a house they rented near Union Station.
Although George was doing well as a co-owner of a billiard hall in Santa Barbara, he longed for the farm life. He met Mary Ballas in 1922, and they were married a few months later. He decided to more actively seek a farm somewhere in southern California, and when they found the 640 acres in Menifee Valley, they knew it would be home. The land resembled their homeland with its streams, rocks, and live oak trees.
George, Mary, and Sam lived off the land and sold their fruit, vegetables, and cheese in Los Angeles and in the surrounding communities. They loved their life on the farm, and George and Mary soon welcomed a daughter and a son into the world.
Hercules George Bouris grew up farming with his parents and uncle in Menifee Valley, and after marrying Betty Leake, they bought a farm on Zeiders Rd. After working for himself and for a neighbor, Herk farmed wheat with the partnership BKM for 12 years. In 1973, BKM sold out, and Herk and Betty formed a partnership with their son Mike and his wife Elese. Bouris Ranches was born.
Together they farmed wheat and sugar beets, and as the valley grew, they went further and further away to find land. The partnership was very successful, and the men kept busy planting crops, repairing equipment, and helping Herk with his passion of collecting and restoring antique tractors and equipment.
Herk loved taking rusty old heaps, anything from tractors to gas engines to stoves, and making them like new. He then exhibited his treasures at tractor shows in Tulare & Vista and at the Lake Perris Fair. He built his own tractor "museums" at the ranch and always loved it when visitors would stop by and ask for a tour.
When Herk died in September of 2004, he had been a wheat farmer for 55 years, and he left a legacy for the future through his antiques which continue to give visitors a glimpse into the history of Menifee Valley and the life of a 20th century farming family.