Butte County
Biographies
GEORGE F. KEMPF
GEORGE F. KEMPF.—The
name of John Kempf is worthy of enrollment among the
very early settlers of Butte County who foresaw its great possibilities and put
their shoulders to the wheel to develop the opportunities by which they were
surrounded. Born in Germany, he early in life came to make his home in the new
world, first locating in Pennsylvania. In 1849, he came to California, and like
most of the study Argonauts of those early days of the gold excitement in our
state, he engaged in mining for a time. He butchered in Sacramento and
Oroville, and then settled in Chico, in 1851, and as a butcher was employed by
General Bidwell, working on which is now the site of the Chico State Normal.
Later, he opened a meat market, in which business he remained until his
retirement from active business cares. One of Chico’s earliest settlers, he
served as a city trustee, and, from his first days here, seemed to forecast the
future in store for this section of the state. He invested in real estate and
owned valuable business and residence property, as well as ranch lands, which
properties are still owned by the family. He married Catherine Englebrecht, and they were the parents of ten children.
Both John Kempf and his wife passed away in Chico,
the former in June, 1903, aged seventy-seven, and the latter on
January 5, 1915, in her seventy-ninth year.
The third youngest child in this pioneer
family, George F. Kempf, was born
November 25, 1874, in the residence he now
makes his home, his father having built it in 1871. He was educated in the public
schools, and, on reaching manhood, went to Salt Lake City, and was there
employed with the Gas and Electrical Works for fifteen years. At the end of
that period he returned to Chico, and for many years engaged in business, until
he sold out to give his entire attention to his apiary. Having become
interested in bee culture a few years ago, Mr. Kempf
started with four hives, in town. He met with such success that the venture
outgrew its quarters and his apiary is now established on Mud Creek, where he has
one hundred twenty-five colonies of bees, making honey in large quantities.
The marriage of Mr. Kempf,
which occurred in Salt Lake City, united him with Miss May Edwards, a native of
that place. Mrs. Kempf is a member of the Women of
Woodcraft. As the son of a Chico pioneer, Mr. Kempf
has taken an active interest in the advancement of Butte County, which has
verified so well the good judgment shown by his father in the early days of its
history.
Transcribed by Marie Hassard
29 October 2009.
Source:
"History of Butte County, Cal.," by George C. Mansfield, Pages 1282-1283, Historic Record Co, Los
Angeles, CA, 1918.
© 2009 Marie Hassard.
Golden Nugget Library's
Butte County Biographies