Breschini’s Emporium in Blanco, is one of the well known and thriving mercantile concerns of Monterey county. In 1888 John Breschini came from Switzerland and settled in central California. For several years he worked on dairy farms in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties, and then bought a ranch near Blanco. In 1900 he gave a turkey shoot and raffle at his ranch, the first of its kind in this section of the state. Since then the annual event of this character is one of the “big doings” of the county. Frequently five thousand people are in attendance and from a thousand to fifteen hundred turkeys are distributed among the winners. In 1897 Mr. Breschini purchased the stock of goods and the building in which it was housed in Blanco and engaged in merchandising. Nine years later a new and larger building was erected and the general store then became Breschini’s Emporium by which name it is still known. In 1921 the entire business was transferred to Edward B. Breschini, the son of the founder, and his partner, Frank Arata.
Edward B. Breschini is one of a family of eight children born to John Breschini and his wife, the others being: Rose, who is now Mrs. Frank Arata; Peter; Della, now Mrs. Robert Moore, and John, Alice, Ernest and Arnold. Edward B. Breschini took a course in Heald’s Business College of Oakland, and became associated with his father in business. His father retired in 1921 and turned the Emporium over to his son and son-in-law, Frank Arata. Mr. Arata died on February 14, 1925, leaving one child, a son, Alton. Mrs. Arata is now active in the business in the place of her husband. The Blanco post office is an annex of the Emporium, and John Breschini is postmaster, taking care of all the actual post office work.
Source: History of Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties, California : cradle of California’s history and romance : dating from the planting of the cross of Christendom upon the shores of Monterey Bay by Fr. Junipero Serra, and those intrepid adventurers who accompanied him, down to the present day. Chicago: S.J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1925.