Butte County

Biographies


 

 

 

 

MRS. KATHRINA LETCHER

 

 

      MRS. KATHRINA LETCHER.—A pioneer woman of Butte County who has taken her place in the business world, and is highly esteemed for her fine personality and public spirit, Mrs. Kathrina Letcher was born near Offenburg, Baden, Germany, September 20, 1846. Her father was Isaac Snider, who was born, reared and married in Baden; his wife was Christine Rinkle, and she was also born in that same locality. In 1849, Mr. Snider came to the United States. In 1852 he crossed the plains with ox teams to California, and upon his arrival here engaged in mining in Gibsonville, Amador County. He liked the country very much and was much impressed with the people; so he decided he would make this his future home, and homesteaded one hundred sixty acres of land on Mud Creek, Butte County, which he improved. In 1869, he was joined by his family, they having come from Germany. He farmed his land and made a comfortable home, and was active up to the time of his death. His wife died in Oakland.

            Of the five children in the family, Kathrina was the third in order of birth. She was reared in Baden and was educated in the public school, and in 1869 came, with her mother and the other children, to join her father in California. They embarked from Havre, France, and on arriving in New York, crossed the continent on one of the first continental trains running from coast to coast, the trip taking seventeen days. She remained under her father’s roof until her marriage, in 1870, to John Stokes. He was born in Schleswig, at Dusseldorf, and came to America in young manhood, and in an early day came across the plains to California with an ox team. The newly married couple took up farming two miles east of Cana, where they improved a fine ranch of one hundred sixty acres. Mr. Stokes died in 1872, aged forty-nine. They had one son, Isaac Stokes, who is now the owner of the original Stokes home ranch, given him by his mother. This he farms, besides running a blacksmith shop in Chico Vecino. He is married and has one son, Gene, who is a machinist, but is now in the aviation section of the signal corps, United States Army. After the death of her husband, Mrs. Stokes continued to run the ranch, and as she succeeded she added to the original place three hundred twenty acres adjoining. She raised grain and stock, and met with more than the ordinary success.

For her second husband, Mrs. Stokes married George Pfeiffer, who was a native of Prussia. He was a blacksmith by trade, and ran a shop on the ranch. He died in 1879, leaving a son, Fred Pfeiffer, who is a grain buyer, and makes his home with his mother. Mrs. Pfeiffer again married, her third husband being Valentine Letcher, a native of Switzerland.

      In 1908 Mrs. Letcher moved from her ranch of three hundred twenty acres, which she had moved upon and improved, to Chico, where she purchased a comfortable residence in Chico Vecino, and where she now lives in the quiet enjoyment of a well-earned rest. She believes in being progressive, and to show her faith in Chico she erected business buildings, including a store building, a garage and a blacksmith shop, in Esplanade, between Eleventh and Twelfth Streets. Mrs. Letcher is a liberal supporter of all projects that have for their aim the upbuilding of Butte County. She is a member of the Lutheran Church, and in politics is a Republican.

 

 

Transcribed 2-4-08 Marilyn R. Pankey.

Source: "History of Butte County, Cal.," by George C. Mansfield, Pages 693-694, Historic Record Co, Los Angeles, CA, 1918.


© 2008  Marilyn R. Pankey.

 

Golden Nugget Library's Butte County Biographies

 

California Statewide

 

Golden Nugget Library