Butte County
Biographies
MATTHIAS OSSENBRIIGGEN
MATTHIAS OSSENBRIIGGEN.—A successful rancher, and a man of affairs of the
Sacramento Valley, Matthias Ossenbriiggen was born
near Hamburg, Germany, on July 8, 1864. He is a son of Matthias and Annie
(Rove) Ossenbriiggen, who were prosperous farmers in
his native country. Young Matthias was reared to farming in his native place,
where he helped with the work on the home farm; and there also he received his
education. He had an older brother, Peter, who had migrated to California in
1870 and was engaged in ranching on Grand Island, Colusa County. The letters he
wrote back to the home land mentioned the opportunities that here awaited young
men of brawn and energy, and Matthias was inspired to come to the Pacific Coast
and cast his lot in the wonderful West so vividly described by his brother. In
May, 1882, he arrived in California; and on the 28th of that month
he was at Grand Island. Necessity demanded that he at once go to work, and he
therefore found employment for a time on ranches in that section. Afterwards he
was employed in Sutter County for nine months, and then came back to Grand
Island, where for five years he was in the employ of W. F. Howell.
After this he assisted his brother Peter, working on his ranch for another
year.
Mr. Ossenbriiggen
had now resided in the state about seven years; and in the meantime he had
saved enough of his earnings to enable him to go into business for himself.
Accordingly, in 1889, with Adolph Fendt, he leased
from Fred Monson his ranch of four hundred eight acres, for five years, and
bought a ranching outfit, paying down twenty-two hundred fifty dollars, and his partner fifteen hundred dollars, on the
purchase price of sixty-five hundred dollars. They gave their notes for the
balance. The partners put in their crop, and then went to work for others with
their teams. Mr. Ossenbriiggen remembers making eight
hundred dollars; so that in spite of a flood that caused a total failure of
their crop, their work paid their expenses and the interest on deferred
payments. They stuck to their original plan, and were finally successful, in
the third year adding to their leasehold another tract of four hundred eighty
acres, which they farmed for three years. At the end of six years, they
dissolved their partnership, dividing their equipment, stock and profits.
In the fall of 1895, Mr. Ossenbriiggen went to Glenn County, and south of Butte City
bought four hundred forty acres of land, going in debt for much of it. With the
same tenacity of purpose displayed in his earlier operations, he kept at work
with his teams when he was not working for himself on his own place. He had a
lot of timber on his place, and this he hired cut, and sold it. All in all, he
made a success of his work, and in four years paid for his land and got out of
debt. In 1905 he bought another ranch of three hundred forty acres, north of
Butte City, and this he rented while he operated his own place. In 1908,
wishing to obtain better school advantages for his children, he rented both of
his places and moved to Chico, where he purchased a comfortable residence on
Sixth and Laburnum Streets, Chico Vecino, where he
has since made his home.
Mr. Ossenbriiggen
was married, at Grand Island, to Miss Amanda Fendt,
who was born in Holstein. Four children have blessed this union: George, who is
farming the home place; Annie J., who graduated from the Chico State Normal and
taught school until her marriage to L. F. Cecil, with whom she now
lives in Sutter County; Dora M., who became Mrs. Crenshaw, and lives
in Colusa; and Harry H., who lives at home. In 1892, Mr. Ossenbriiggen became a citizen of the United States; and
ever since he has been a stanch adherent of the
policies of the Republican party. He has served as a
delegate to county conventions, has done jury duty, and in every way has shown
his appreciation of the treatment accorded him in this country. He is a firm
believer in the principle of constitutional rights for every citizen. Mr. Ossenbriiggen was made a Mason in Emanuel Lodge, No. 318,
F. & A. M., at Biggs. He was reared in the Lutheran Church, and, with his
wife, attends the church in Chico. By hard work, good management, and
perseverance he has accumulated enough to enable him to live retired from hard
work and enjoy life with his wife at their home in Chico, where they have made
many friends.
Transcribed by Marie Hassard
01 July 2009.
Source:
"History of Butte County, Cal.," by George C. Mansfield, Pages 1197-1198, Historic Record Co, Los
Angeles, CA, 1918.
© 2009 Marie Hassard.
Golden Nugget Library's
Butte County Biographies