Contra Costa County
Biographies
JULIUS
F. STIEFVATER
JULIUS F. STIEFVATER.
A successful merchant of Point Richmond, Contra Costa county, and a citizen
prominent in the affairs of the community, is Julius F. Stiefvater, a native of Hesse-Nassau,
Germany, where his birth occurred June 16, 1873. His father, Andrew Stiefvater, was born in the same locality and upon his
emigration to the United States in 1855 located in New York state, where he
engaged in a mercantile enterprise. Upon the breaking out of the Civil war he
enlisted in the Thirty-seventh New York Volunteer Infantry, and served with
patriotism and fervor for his adopted country. Upon the close of hostilities he
returned to his native land and there engaged in a general merchandise business
until his final retirement from the active cares of life. His wife, formerly
Caroline Holcer, a native of the same place,
died in 1893, leaving a family of five children, four sons and a daughter, of
whom Julius F. is the youngest in order of birth.
In the common schools
of Germany Julius F. Stiefvater received a splendid
foundation for the knowledge which he has since acquired from contact with the
business world. Following the example of his father, he came to the United
States in 1892 and located in Modesto, Stanislaus county, Cal., where he
engaged with a brother, Andrew Stiefvater, who
was a general merchant in that location. February 15, 1902, he came
to Point Richmond and in partnership with W. Stitt,
established a small mercantile enterprise. March 1st the
following year he purchased his partner’s interest, and from their modest
beginning built up an extensive business, carrying at the present time a
diversified stock which supplies a lucrative trade. His stock is inventoried at
about nine thousand dollars.
In Modesto, Cal., Mr. Stiefvater was united in marriage with Nellie Wilson,
a native of that city. In his fraternal relations he is identified with the
Knights of Pythias, and politically is a stanch Republican. In addition to his mercantile interests
Mr. Stiefvater is a stockholder in the Bank of
Richmond as well as in the Santa Fe Building Association.
Transcribed by Marie Hassard 21 April 2015.
Source: History
of the State of California & Biographical Record of Coast Counties,
California by Prof. J. M. Guinn, A. M., Page 464. The Chapman
Publishing Co., Chicago, 1904.
© 2015 Marie
Hassard.
Contra Costa County Biographies