USA > California > Sacramento County > History of Sacramento 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, 1913 > Part 46
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The Capital Savings bank opened about 1870, at the southwest corner of Fourth and J streets. Julius Wetzler was president and R. C. Woolworth, secretary. It withdrew from business January 2, 1880.
The Odd Fellows' Savings bank was instituted in the '70s at the corner of Fourth and J streets, but met with disaster and went into liquidation September 23, 1878, having failed.
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California National Bank: The California State bank was organ- ized March 31, 1882, and the following were the original stockholders: N. D. Rideout, Fred Cox, C. W. Clarke, Albert Gallatin, George C. Perkins, J. R. Watson, Leland Stanford, J. O. B. Gunn, E. W. Hop- kins, A. Abbott, J. P. Brown, N. A. Rideout, A. N. Towne, W. R. S. Foye. The directors elected for the first year were: N. D. Rideout, president ; Frederick Cox, vice-president; C. W. Clarke, J. R. Watson, Albert Gallatin; A. Abbott, cashier. The authorized capital was $500,- 000, $100,000 of which was paid in at the time of the incorporation. The business of the bank was conducted at the southwest corner of Fourth and J streets until 1890, when the new building erected by the bank on the northwest corner of Fourth and J streets was completed and occupied. As the business increased the remaining $400,000 of the authorized capital was called for and paid in by the stockholders. The paid-up capital remained $500,000 until a few years ago, when it was decided to increase the capital to one million dollars to meet the re- quirements of the business of the bank. The additional stock was promptly subscribed and paid for and the paid-up capital of the bank has since stood at one million dollars. In January, 1907, the California State bank was nationalized under the name of the California National Bank of Sacramento. The directors of the bank at this date are: Fred J. Kiesel, G. A. White, W. E. Gerber, George W. Peltier, Fred W. Kiesel. The officers are: W. E. Gerber, president; George W. Peltier, vice-president; Adolf Heilbron, vice-president; Fred W. Kiesel, cashier; Egbert A. Brown, assistant cashier; J. I. Brunschwiler, as- sistant cashier.
The Peoples Savings bank was organized by William Beckman, being incorporated May 23, 1879, with a capital of $500,000, and opened for business July 1, 1879, with a paid-up capital of $225,000. The first board of directors was composed of E. C. Atkinson, William Beckman, J. L. Huntoon, William Johnston, E. J. Croly, George N. Hayton, Samuel Gottleib and William R. Knights. William Beckman was elected president and manager, and John L. Huntoon was elected vice-president, which positions both of these gentlemen still hold today. The other officers were William F. Huntoon, secretary, and I. N. Hoag, bookkeeper. Both of these gentlemen have passed away, as have also the balance of the first board of directors.
The first examination by the bank commissioners was made Decem- ber 8, 1879, when the total assets were found to be $324,175.45. The first dividend was declared December 31, 1879, at the rate of seven per cent per annum to stockholders and on ordinary deposits.
In 1881 there were three banks in Sacramento: The National Gold Bank of D. O. Mills & Co., with total resources of $2,166,330.99; the Sacramento bank, with total resources of $2,094,280.01, and the Peoples Savings bank, with total resources of $393,879.79.
The bank was located, when it was opened, in what is known as
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the St. George building, on the corner of Fourth and J streets, and remained there for nearly thirty-two years, the bank being part owner of the building, but in 1910 it began the erection of a seven-story fire- proof building, class A, on the corner of Eighth and J streets, at a cost of $280,000. The building was occupied for the first time April 1, 1911. The total assets of the bank May 1, 1912, were $4,286,000, and the paid-up capital and surplus amounted to $550,000. The bank al- ways has been conducted strictly as a savings bank, receiving deposits, paying dividends on the same and loaning money. It has been for- tunate in never having suffered one loss. The present directors are William Beckman, J. L. Huntoon, A. G. Folger, George W. Lorenz and J. J. Keegan, while the officers are as follows: William Beckman, president; J. L. Huntoon, vice-president; A. G. Folger, cashier, and J. E. Huntoon, assistant cashier.
The Farmers and Mechanics Savings bank was organized as a savings bank in September, 1890, having for its sponsors Sol Runyon, Dwight Hollister, Leland Stanford, Mrs. Jane Stanford, Robert T. Devlin and others. The healthy growth of the bank has been greatly accelerated since July, 1910, when George W. Peltier and associates purchased a controlling interest. Immediately thereafter the site of the new building on Oak avenue and Eighth street, between J and K, was purchased and steps taken toward the erection of what is admit- tedly one of the most modern buildings in the city. An evidence of the far-reaching plans for the enlargement of the bank's business and prestige was seen in the increase of the capital to $350,000 and the association with the bank of many of Sacramento's best known citi- zens as shareholders. The board of directors was increased to nine- teen, only one or two of whom have their major interests outside of Sacramento county. The great majority are citizens who have done much to advance the cause of Sacramento in many different direc- tions and who may be depended upon to work with the officers of the institution to place it in the van of California's solid and enterprising banking concerns. The new list of directors includes George W. Peltier, R. M. Richardson, Marshall Diggs, Judge Peter J. Shields, J. C. Coffing, W. F. Geary, Thomas J. Cox, Mahlon Williamson, E. A. Gammon, John L. White, Adolph Schnabel of Newcastle, J. L. Gillis, P. J. Harney, Henry Mitan, A. Van V. Phinney, W. F. Gormley, Philip Wolf, Jr., Bonus Lightner and J. H. Arnold. The officers are as fol- lows: George W. Peltier, president; R. M. Richardson, first vice- president; P. J. Shields, second vice-president ; Marshall Diggs, third vice-president, and Montfort K. Crowell, cashier. The new board as- sumed charge of assets totaling about two millions, and will guard the interests of depositors whose savings aggregate over $1,500,000.
The Sacramento Savings bank is one of the oldest in the city, being in fact next to the bank of D. O. Mills in age. It has always sustained a high reputation as a solid institution, and ranks among
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the strongest and safest banking institutions in the state. It was opened March 19, 1867.
The Capital Banking and Trust Company is the outcome of a small private bank started on Seventh street by Smith and Bassett, which increased and grew into the Capital bank. About 1911 it was changed to a national bank, Alden Anderson becoming the president and W. W. Bassett the cashier. It is in a prosperous condition.
The Dime Savings bank, which was opened in July of 1873, failed in May, 1878. The pioneer bank of B. F. Hastings & Co. failed in 1871.
The Sacramento Valley Trust Company was organized and incor- porated in 1910 and opened for business on April 4th of that year, with Albert Bonnheim as president and a capital stock of $225,000. In 1912 the title was changed to the Sacramento Valley Bank and Trust Company. Today it comprises three banks in one, a commer- cial, savings and trust company, with a branch bank at Ione, this state. Having had a career of continued growth, it ranks as one of the soundest and most progressive banks in the state. Its capital stock has been increased to $600,000, with resources of $2,517,507.53. The officers are as follows: A. Bonnheim, president; George J. Bryte, F. L. Holland and E. L. Southworth, vice-presidents; William Skeels, secretary; E. J. Rader and J. F. Azavedo, assistant cashiers. The net earnings of 1912 were more than double those of the previous year.
Fort Sutter National Bank: In the summer of 1904 the Western National bank of San Francisco was growing very rapidly. The de- mand for its stock was so great that the price of shares rose very rapidly, pleasing some of the larger stockholders to such an extent that they discussed the advisability of organizing one or more banks in other cities. At that time the largest stockholder in the Western National bank was W. A. Schrock, a furniture manufacturer of San Francisco. It appeared that Mr. Schrock and Mr. Holland, the as- sistant cashier of the bank, took greater interest in the organization of another bank than did any others connected with that institution. The matter was left in their hands, with the result that after a care- ful survey of the field, including all of the large cities on the Pacific coast, these two men decided that Sacramento offered the most favor- able location for organizing a new national bank. After two or three preliminary trips by Mr. Holland to Sacramento, it was decided to send to this city as bank organizer A. L. Darrow, at that time manager of the exchange department of the Western National bank. Mr. Dar- row arrived in Sacramento November 10, 1904. Aided by Captain Frank Ruhstaller, George J. Bryte, E. A. Nicolaus, E. L. Southworth, F. J. Rubstaller, W. O. Bowers, F. H. Krebs and other local citizens, he secured a subscription of $200,000, and the bank was incorporated January 17, 1905. Business was commenced on the 1st of July fol- lowing. The first location was a small store room at No. 918 Seventh
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HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY
street. The deposits at the close of business on the first day were $108,799.63. From that time to the present the growth of the bank has been very rapid. January 1, 1907, the institution moved to the Bryte building, on the corner of Seventh and J streets, where it has one of the handsomest banking rooms in Northern California. At the time the bank commenced business the board of directors comprised the following-named men: F. Ruhstaller, G. J. Bryte, E. A. Nicolaus, A. L. Darrow, W. O. Bowers, F. H. Krebs, R. H. Hawley, R. M. Rich- ardson, E. L. Southworth and F. J. Ruhstaller. After the death of Captain Frank Ruhstaller, bank president, his stock was sold with that of three other directors. George J. Bryte was thereupon elected presi- dent. A. L. Darrow, who had served as cashier, became first vice- president, and E. L. Southworth was chosen second vice-president. H. W. Conger was promoted from assistant cashier to cashier. About January 1, 1911, a few other changes were made in the holdings of stock. The present board of directors is as follows: Messrs. A. L. Darrow, W. O. Bowers, L. P. Dodson, J. P. Hynes, L. B. Hinman, Charles Cunningham, Joseph E. Green, W. C. Walker and F. H. Krebs. The present officers are as follows: A. L. Darrow, president ; W. O. Bowers, first vice-president; L. P. Dodson, second vice-presi- dent and cashier; F. J. Allen, first assistant cashier; B. F. Howard, second assistant cashier, and J. H. Stephens, third assistant cashier.
The following table will convey an idea of the rapid growth of the institution :
DEPOSITS
July 1, 1905.
$ 108,799.63
July 1, 1906 405,809.20
November 6, 1911
1,864,127.44
NUMBER OF DEPOSITORS
December 31, 1907 2456
February 1, 1911 5821
November 6, 1911 6755
From old directories we find the names of a number of the banks and bankers of the early days:
1851-Hensley & Merrill (Samuel J. and Robert D.), No. 47 Sec- ond street, between J and K; Sacramento City bank (Rhodes, Sturges & Co.), No. 53 Second street, between J and K; B. F. Hastings & Co., No. 51 J street, between Second and Third.
1853-Adams & Co., Granite building, Second street, between the Orleans hotel and J street ; Grim and Rumbler (A. K. and F. R.), No. 3 J street ; D. O. Mills & Co., No. 58 J street; Francis W. Page, agent Page, Bacon & Co., of St. Louis, Mo.
1856-Wells, Fargo & Co .; John M. Rhodes, Second street, be- tween J and K.
1868-Sacramento Savings bank, No. 89 J street.
1871-Capital Savings bank, southwest corner of Fourth and J
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HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY
streets; Julius Wetzlar, president, R. C. Woolworth, secretary; Odd Fellows' Bank of Savings, St. George building, Fourth and J streets. SACRAMENTO CLEARING HOUSE
This was organized October 9, 1907, and commenced business Oc- tober 14, 1907.
The clearing house did great service during the panic of 1907 in maintaining the stability of finance. The great increase in the volume of its business is shown by the following figures:
1907-October (from 14th on), $2,796,778.53; November, $3,067,- 621.22; December, $3,177,155; total $9,041,554.75.
1908-January, $3,953,214.95; February, $3,597,441.44; March, $3,- 211,546.04; April, $3,546,380.22; May, $3,330,509.59; June, $3,173,- 939.35; July, $3,306,848.36; August, $3,914,556.35; September, $3,864,- 438.24; October, $3,804,202.32; November, $4,734,111.74; December, $4,- 191,572.00; total, $44,628,760.60.
1909- January, $3,865,408.79 ; February, $2,919,625.95; March, $3,- 892,713.34; April, $4,427,146.97; May, $4,067,114.29; June, $4,581,- 169.15; July, $4,788,787.72; August, $4,835,042.04; September, $4,804,- 176.89; October, $4,925,118.10; November, $5,969,756.38; December, $5,- 486,433.69 ; total, $54,562.493.31.
1910-January, $4,994,782.66; February, $4,590,404.71; March, $5,- 936,001.97; April, $5,530,551.44; May, $5,173,549.12; June, $5,328,- 561.82; July, $5,591,592.45; Angust, $5,468,016.15; September, $6,251,- 175.49; October, $6,758,973.83; November, $7,291,917.51; December, $7,- 955,469.98; total, $70,870,997.13.
1911-January, $6,274,703.01; February, $5,386,346.34; March, $6,- 238,421.46; April, $6,024,398.47; May, $6,062,887.13; June, $5,873,- 761.68; July, $6,359,992.79; Angust, $6,979,070.41; September, $6,362,- 802.00; October, $7,185,240.16; November, $8,088,287.35; December, $7,- 540,789.41; total, $78,376,700.21.
1912-January, $7,017,266.75; February, $6,004,874.78; March, $6,- 524,610.30; April, $6,969,224.99; May, $7,123,219.35; June, $6,501,- 435.18; July, $7,574,437.01; August, $8,274,491.92; September, $7,749,- 812.72; October, $10,587,858.28; November, $9,557,330.25; December, $8,862,499.16; total, $92,747,060.69.
FLOURING MILLS
Although flour was necessarily an article of daily diet among the miners in the days of '49 and later, the staple menu being flapjacks and bacon, beans and coffee, with an occasional addition of beef, veni- son or other game (a menu which, by the way, has not been much im- proved on for camp fare by the onting parties of today), there were not many flour mills in the early days. General Sutter built a flour mill, but as far as is known, there is no record of other mills being in operation during the first years of the rush for gold.
In 1853 the Lambard Flouring mills were erected on the north
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HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY
side of I street, at the head of Second street. For a couple of years they were run in connection with the Sacramento Iron works, the original building being of brick and only 20x40 feet in size. In 1856 it was enlarged and supplied with a solid foundation by James Kerr, a millwright from Boston, who afterwards lost his life on the ill- fated steamer Central America when she was lost. Additions were made from time to time, until the capacity was increased to run five stones. It was finally abandoned as a flouring mill and has been used for many years as a storehouse for feed and other things. Some years ago it was used as a storehouse for sawdust, which swelled and burst out from the wall on I street, several pedestrians narrowly escaping death or serious injury.
In 1853 the brick building afterward occupied by the Saera- mento Flouring mills on Front street, between L and M, was erected by Dr. Carpenter, a well-known and wealthy citizen, with the idea of having it made the State Capitol. The Capitol, however, was never located there, and after the completion of the structure its first floor was occupied by C. H. Swift, Campbell & Sweeney, and other grain stores, etc. In 1856-57 it arrived at the dignity of being used as the courthouse for the county. The property later passed from Dr. Carpenter to C. K. Garrison. In 1869 Charles and Byron McCreary purchased it and turned it into the Sacramento Flouring mills. One of the brothers died a number of years later, and the other closed the mill, it being gathered in by the Sperry Milling Company of Stockton, which formed a combination with a number of other mills in this county. MeCreary passed away near the close of the last century.
In 1854 R. D. Carey purchased what was known as the Ice House on Front street, near what is known as "Jibboom" street, adjoining the railroad shops. He converted the building into the Pioneer Flour mill. He afterward failed in business, and the property was purchased by E. P. Figg. Carey went to Philadelphia and afterward became quite wealthy, it is said. In 1858 Seth Garfield and Aleck Dyer pur- chased the mill from Figg and thoroughly remodeled the plant. It was destroyed by fire in October, 1863, the owners losing about $10,000 over their insurance. At the time it was burned it was run- ning day and night, turning out two hundred barrels of flour a day, the net profit on which was $75. Dyer left the city after the fire, and Garfield and A. C. Bidwell went into partnership, rebuilt the mill which now stands there, and had it in running order in four months. Three days afterwards Bidwell sold out to H. G. Smith, who, with Garfield, ran the mill until the close of 1864. J. H. Carroll then came in as a third partner, and the firm expended $70,000 in increasing the capacity of the mill to five hundred barrels a day. The three partners conducted the business till 1869, when Carroll and Garfield sold out their interest to H. G. Smith and G. W. Mowe, who took the name of the Pioneer Milling Company. It also entered into the Sperry com-
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HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY
bination and the old mill stands idle, the warehouse of the company having been removed to the northern part of the city.
We are indebted to Mr. Ferdinand Kohler for the following in- teresting sketch of the business of manufacturing flour in Sacramento county and the Sacramento valley. Since the day of the wheat barons has passed away, wheat has ceased to be a staple product of the val- ley, and only enough flour is manufactured to supply the local and adjoining markets, the export having passed to Oregon and Washing- ton as their wheat-growing area increases, and the land of the Sac- ramento valley, impoverished for wheat raising by continued sowing of the same crop, rendered it unprofitable to raise that cereal. Not until the owners of the larger tracts of land in the valley were forced by conditions to recognize this fact did they let go their grasp on the big ranches and suffer them to be subdivided and put to other uses. During the first years of the settlement by whites in the Sac- ramento valley the flour used was made in the eastern states and brought around Cape Horn by sailing vessels. No one thought at that time that California would some day become the banner wheat state of the Union. It was not long until wheat was introduced in the Sacramento valley and yielded well, and the acreage increased from year to year.
About 1850 the first flour mill was built by Seth Garfield in the American river canyon about a mile above Folsom. The basement of this mill was built of stone quarried on the ground. The mill was run by water power and ran for ten or twelve years; it laid idle for two years before it was burned in 1865, and was never rebuilt. The ruins are still in evidence.
The Phoenix mill was built in Sacramento city at Thirteenth and J streets in 1853, and after many changes of ownership has done busi- ness continuously excepting two years (1879-80) until this day. In 1881 George Schroth, J. H. Arnold and F. Kohler, under the name of George Schroth & Co., bought the mill, which had then laid idle two years, and built an entire new plant. The mill was burned in 1885, but was immediately rebuilt. Although changed in 1891 into a cor- poration, called the the Phoenix Milling Co., the stock is still held by the same parties or their heirs.
Garfield, who had sold his interest in the Folsom mill about 1853, built the Bay State mill at Second and N streets in Sacramento. This was destroyed through a boiler explosion, and after that rebuilt at the mouth of the American river, and later moved a little further down the river to about where Jibboom street is. Later it became the property of Messrs. H. G. Smith, J. H. Carroll and Mowe. Still later Lew Williams bought out Carroll and Mowe, and the mill con -. tinned under this management until taken over by the Sperry Flour Company in 1892.
The Lambard mill, built in the '50s at Second and I streets, ran
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HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY
a few years and did a large business under the ownership of General Redington.
After wheat was introduced into the Sacramento valley and yielded so well the acreage was increased from year to year until in 1880 California raised the largest crop, and during the following year exported over two million tons, which at $30 per ton makes a total of $6,000,000. It was then the banner wheat state in the Union. At this time hundreds of ships were engaged in carrying wheat from Cali- fornia to Europe. Flour mills were running all over the state, their products being shipped to adjoining states and to Central America, the Islands, China and Europe. There were mills at Roseville, Wheat- land, Sheridan, Marysville, Yuba City, Oroville, Gridley, Chico, Te- hama, Red Bluff, Ball's Ferry, Williams, Colusa, Yolo, Woodland, Knight's Landing, Dixon, Elk Grove, Ione and Stockton. Most of these are now extinct.
From 1881 the crop of wheat in California began to decrease. The practice of raising wheat year after year on the same land finally wore out the soil and the quantity diminished, until in 1908 there was but 220,000 tons raised. The quality also declined, and California millers were forced to import hard wheat from Utah, Kansas, Dakota and Washington to mix with the home product. The flour produced from this mixture proved a happy blend and cannot be excelled any- where in its baking qualities.
The farmers were obliged to discontinue wheat raising and turn the land into pasture. In the meantime new varieties of wheat were introduced by the aid of the State University, and with the re-cultivat- ing of the land better results have been obtained, and the production of wheat is again increased. In 1909 the crop was 280,000 tons and in 1910 390,000 tons. In 1911, on account of unfavorable weather, the yield again decreased, but the quality of the grain improved won- derfully, so that it can safely be said that the crop of 1911 was the best milling wheat raised in California for twenty years or more.
As above stated, with the decline of the wheat crop the flouring mills shut down one after another. The export trade was entirely lost and the mills were confined to the home trade alone. Sacramento city, which with its four mills at one time produced over twelve hun- dred barrels of flour daily, does not average over three hundred bar- rels now. Stockton, with a capacity of four thousand barrels a few years ago, manufactures only about one thousand barrels per day at this time.
In 1891, when it was plainly seen that the export flour trade would be lost to California, and with the capacity of the flour mills of the state four or five times larger than the local demand justified, a move- ment was set on foot to organize all the better mills into one large concern in order to prevent disastrous competition which was surely to follow. The result was the incorporation of the Sperry Flour
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HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY
Company in 1892. The Pioneer and the Sacramento mills of Sacra- mento, the Buckeye of Marysville, the Chico mill of Chico, the Sperry and the Farmers' Union of Stockton, the Central Milling Com- pany, owning five mills in the Santa Clara valley, and the Golden Gate of San Francisco were taken in. The Phoenix of Sacramento and the Crown of Stockton, however, could not be won over. The latter, with a one-time daily capacity of sixteen hundred barrels, is not running any more, nor are the Pioneer and the Sacramento mills of Sacra- mento in operation.
The prospect for the milling industry is not very bright. Land is becoming too valuable for wheat culture and is diverted to fruit, dairying, beans, hops, etc. The export flour trade is therefore a thing of the past. The mills can look only for such an increase of their business as is consequential to the increase of population, which fortunately gives great promise.
CHAPTER XXXIX PUBLIC UTILITIES
GAS WORKS
Early in the history of Sacramento the necessity became apparent for a system of lighting more generally available and more elaborate than the tallow-dip. Kerosene at that date was not in general use and acetylene and other substances were not then known. Gas had been in use in cities for a long time and was therefore the logical means for lighting streets and houses. Early in 1854 a Scotchman named William Glenn obtained a franchise for establishing and maintaining gas works in the city of Sacramento. He made no attempt to build the works, but instead sold his franchise to a joint-stock association, which organized August 18, 1854, as the Sacramento Gas Company, Angus Frierson was elected president and N. W. Chittenden, secre- tary. The capital stock was $500,000, and by May, 1856, $200,000 had been expended. The initial step in constructing the gas works was taken October 20, 1854, by Mayor R. P. Johnson, who turned the first soil excavated for placing the gas meter tank, the location being in Slater's addition. The new enterprise was pushed forward energetic- ally until March 7, 1855, when the rise of the American river and the submergence of that part of the city caused its temporary aban- donment. The prosecution of the work was resumed August 4, 1855, and energetically carried out. The city was lighted with gas for the first time on the evening of December 17th in the same year. The officers of the company at that time were: R. P. Johnson, president and superintendent; W. H. Watson, secretary; D. O. Mills, treasurer ; P. B. Normai, engineer; James Murray, W. F. Babcock, L. McLean, Jr., R. P. Johnson and W. H. Watson, directors.
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