Amador
County
Biographies
PETER REICHLING
Through the years of his
identification with the interests of California Mr. Reichling has watched the
marvelous growth and development of the state, for he came to the Pacific coast
when this region was sparsely settled and when the work of civilization had
scarcely begun. He has been an active
factor in the business affairs of Amador County and at all times his honorable
methods and straightforward dealing have gained for him the confidence, good
will and respect of those with whom he has been brought in contact.
Mr. Reichling is a native of
Prussia, Germany, his birth having occurred there on
the 18th of December, 1824.
His parents, Jacob and Mary (Clafman) Reichling, were also natives of Germany and the father was
a forester by occupation. Both he and
his wife were devout members of the Catholic Church, and were people of the
highest respectability. He lived to be
eighty-three years of age, while his wife passed away at the age of
seventy-five years. They were the
parents of ten children, of whom only four are now living.
Peter Reichling was educated in the
schools of his native country and there spent the days of his minority. In 1856 he bade adieu to friends and
fatherland and sailed for the new world with the hope that he might better his
financial condition thereby. In December
of the same year he arrived at Volcano, Amador County, California, where he
resided with his brother Francis, who had crossed the plains to California in
1849. Together they engaged in
purchasing gold from the miners who took the precious metal from the earth, and
in 1858 Mr. Reichling, of this review, came to Jackson and opened a jewelry
store, which he conducted in connection with the other branches of the
business. He handled large amounts of
gold, shipping it to San Francisco and Sacramento, having an account with banks
in both of those cities.
He enjoyed an unlimited credit, the
banks honoring his check for any amount.
In this way for many years he served as a private banker for the miners
and was of material assistance to the business interests of the town. He acted as his own assayer and the gold was
received at banks without question, such was his known honesty in business affairs. Through all the years he was also extensively
engaged in the development of the rich mineral resources of the state, for ten
years occupying the position of superintendent of the Kennedy mine, and is now
one of the principal owners of the Anita mine, which has an eight-hundred foot
shaft on the main ledge of the Mather lode.
Mr. Reichling has prosecuted his business interests with such energy
that he has won most desirable success and is today one of the wealthiest
residents in Jackson.
In 1861 occurred
his marriage to Miss Antonie Kroll, a native of
Germany, and they have six children, namely:
Oscar, Walter, Olga, Lilly, Clara and Wanda. The daughter Clara is now the wife of David
C. Chambers. Mr. Reichling is one of the
oldest representatives of the Masonic fraternity in Jackson and also has a
membership relation with the Chosen Friends.
In politics he has been a lifelong Republican, unswerving in his support
of the principles of the party. He and
his family occupy a nice home in Jackson and have the respect of all those who
know them. He has been the architect of
his own fortune and has builded wisely and well. His life has ever been an honorable, active
and useful one, and over his business record there falls no shadow of wrong or
suspicion of evil, his reputation in business circles being at all times
unassailable. Such a history certainly
demonstrates the truth of the fact that honesty is the best policy, and should
serve to encourage others to pursue a course that will at all times bear the
closest investigation.
Transcribed by
Gerald Iaquinta.
Source:
“A Volume of Memoirs and Genealogy of Representative Citizens of Northern
California”, Pages 241-242. Chicago Standard Genealogical Publishing Co. 1901.
© 2010
Gerald Iaquinta.
Golden Nugget Library's Amador County Biographies