FREDERICK W. MILLER

Butte County

Biographies

FREDERICK W. MILLER

F. W. Miller.--A pioneer merchant of Chico who belong to the old school and is a worthy representative of those masters of commerce who, although sometimes operating modestly, laid the foundations for sound financial operations of today, is F. W. Miller of Chico, who first came to Butte County in 1875. He was born near Hermann, Gasconade County, Mo., in 1845, the son of Christian and Wilhelmina (Moeller) Miller, natives of

Germany. The former was born in Bavaria and settled in Gasconade County, Mo., in 1841, where he established himself as a pioneer farmer and lived there until his death, January 22, 1849. His widow died in Missouri, in 1894. She reared her family, in which F. W. Miller, now the oldest of the two living children, is the only one in California.

He was reared in Gasconade County, where he attended the public schools, and later he was a student in the Commercial College at St. Louis, where he made orthography his major subject, and he could spell down anything and anyone. From a boy he had worked on a farm where he had driven three yoke of oxen, and he continued working for his step-father (his mother having married again) till he was seventeen, when he went to the town of California, Moniteau County, that state. He carried the mail and worked in the store owned by G. A. Burkhardt. It was at that time that an incident occurred which shows the wide-awake, enterprising spirit of the young man. A cooper shop had to be moved and five yoke of oxen were hitched to the same in charge of four teamsters, all of whom were

unable to move it. Young Miller, who was passing that way, said to the boss, "Let me drive"; and taking the whip he drove the oxen and pulled the building half a mile. Mr. Burkhardt, his employer, had learned the hardware trade in Germany, and his store was a good school for young Mr. Miller, who received three dollars a month and his board for his services the first year; the second year he was given eight dollars. His next step took him to a commercial college in St. Louis, and there he remained mastering commercial details until 1867, when the Lindell Hotel burned down. The effect of this disaster was to drive him back to California, Mo., and there he started a clothing and shoe business, which he carried on until 1873, when the panic of that year drove him, as it did thousands of others, out of business. It was in February, 1875, that he came to Chico, Cal.

His first effort to secure a position led him to buy a paper collar in a clothing store, and making known his desire for employment and his willingness to work for a month on trial, he was told to return at five o'clock. The result was that he went to work the next morning. Five weeks later he got a letter from his wife, who had remained behind with the four children, saying she had an opportunity to come to California, but questioned whether she ought to go on account of the children; and showing this letter to his employer, the latter gave him seventy-five dollars from the start and promised to raise his wages if he made good. Mr. Miller therefore wrote his wife to come on with the children, and on April 26, of that same year, she arrived.

Mr. Sanderson, his helpful employer, fell dead in front of the stove in his store, and Mr. Harris, his partner, sold out the next spring to Ticknor, Burnham and Company, with whom for thirteen years, Mr. Miller continued. For a while he was in the grocery department, and then became manager. He advanced from seventy-five to one hundred sixty-five dollars per month in salary, but he resigned to engage in business for himself. During these busy years he lost three children, and later two more of his offspring died.

On April 1, 1889, he started in business for himself at the corner of Third and Main Streets. He had to borrow $6,000, but such was his reputation for character and experience that he obtained this sum without security. When he began business he borrowed all the money necessary. He had already negotiated for $5,000, which he thought would do, but found he needed an additional $1,000, and was considering where he could secure it. He told his troubles to Dr. McFadden, when the doctor replied, "Why don't you ask me?" and he got it forthwith. He then went to San Francisco, to J. A. Folger, Sr., who gave him good advice and ever after he bought goods of that concern. He put the money into groceries, and the first ten months sold $65,000 worth of goods. The next year he did a business of $104,000, the third year he ran the total up to $112,000, and when he had reached a turnover of $132,000 he took in as a partner his head bookkeeper, J. H. Sawtel. Under the firm name of Miller and Sawtell the business was then conducted for three years, but at the end of that time Mr. Miller bought Mr. Sawtell's interest and continued the business alone.

He bought the site of the Miller Block and erected the structure now so favorably identified with his name, and into the new and commodious building he moved in September, 1910, and there he opened his enlarged grocery. About 1911 he accepted into partnership his bookkeeper, and the firm became Miller and Minderman, but at the end of three years he sold out to his partner and retired. On the second floor of the building are apartments, the finest and only up-to-date apartments in the city, and these contribute to make the building a good investment.

At California, Mo., in 1869, F. W. Miller was married to Miss America Phillips, who died here April 16, 1906, the mother of ten children, five of whom are still living; John; Mrs. Alice De Marais, of San Francisco; Bertha, Mrs. Burt, of Chico; Eva, Mrs. A. C. Gillespie, of Oroville; and Irene, who studied music and the piano in San Francisco, and is now the wife of George Cohen, of that city.

Mr. Miller is a Republican in politics. He is a member of the Odd Fellows, the Rebekahs, and the Chico Lodge of Elks.

Transcribed by Sande Beach.

Source: "History of Butte County, Cal.," by George C. Mansfield, Pages 650-654, Historic Record Co, Los Angeles, CA, 1918.

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