Butte County
Biographies
AUGUST GATTIKER
AUGUST GATTIKER.—A native of
Switzerland, August Gattiker was born at Richterswyld, Canton Zurich, March 7, 1873, the
son of Casper and Emelia (Pfister)
Gattiker, farmers in Zurich. The father died in 1875.
The mother reared the family of four boys, and she is still hale and hearty,
making her home with our subject.
August was the youngest of the family; he
received a good education in the public schools of his native place, assisting
his mother on the home farm until thirteen years of age, when he was
apprenticed at the harness-maker’s trade for three years. About the time he
reached his seventeenth year he migrated to America, in 1891 coming to San
Antonio, Texas. For a time he followed farming, then worked
at his trade in Dallas, and afterwards as coachman. While in Texas he
took out his first citizen’s papers. Removing to Grangeville, Idaho, he bought
a farm which he operated for two and one half years, then sold it and removed
to Salt Lake City, Utah, where he became foreman on a ranch, a position he
filled for a period of four years, and then purchased a ranch of one hundred
sixty acres eleven miles from Salt Lake City, and engaged in stock-raising.
While there he secured his full citizenship papers. Disposing of his ranch, he
removed to Sinaloa, Mexico, purchasing one hundred acres and paying one
thousand dollars on the purchase price. However, he soon found it was not what
he wanted, neither did he like the country, so he left the place, preferring to
lose his first payment rather than to continue there. He came to Lindsay, Cal.,
in the fall of 1908. Soon afterward, however, he removed to Klamath Falls, Ore.,
where he remained until October, 1909, when he located in Butte County, and in
November of the same year he purchased his present place of twenty acres two
miles southwest of Gridley. He improved the land and brought it to a high state
of cultivation. In 1914 he sold the place and removed to Nevada, and located a
homestead of one hundred sixty acres in Ruby Valley. After making the necessary
improvements he committed it and paid out on it, and then returned to Gridley,
Butte County, as he was better satisfied with its soil, climate, and irrigation
facilities than with any place he had ever seen. He soon purchased his old
twenty-acre ranch and moved onto it, and has since purchased forty acres in the
same vicinity and has continued the improvements, devoting both places to
raising fruits, alfalfa and beans, and dairying. The marriage of Mr. Gattiker occurred in Utah, where he was united with Miss
Martha Battensperger, a native of Zurich. Three
children have been born of the union, as follows: Theo August, Emely Martha, and Werner. With his family he is a member of
the Church of Jesus Christ, Latter Day Saints; and politically is a Social
Democrat.
Mr. Gattiker has
travelled quite extensively over the Pacific Coast region, both by team and
rail, and from his observations and experience, he thinks Butte County has the
greatest all-around advantages.
Transcribed by Marie Hassard
04 November 2009.
Source:
"History of Butte County, Cal.," by George C. Mansfield, Pages 1298-1299, Historic Record Co, Los
Angeles, CA, 1918.
© 2009 Marie Hassard.
Golden Nugget Library's
Butte County Biographies