Colusa County
Biographies
CONRAD SCHMIDT
Having by industry and thrift accumulated a competency, Conrad Schmidt is now living in Arbuckle retired from active business cares. He is a man of sterling integrity and worth, and is held in high esteem throughout the community, where he is so well filling the obligations of a faithful citizen and neighbor. A native of Germany, he was born in 1842 in Hesse-Darmstadt, which was also the birthplace of his parents, Casper and Eva Schmidt. In 1853 Casper Schmidt immigrated with his family to New York, settling west of Brooklyn, where he followed farming until his death, in 1858. His wife preceded him to the better world, passing away in 1854, when she had been in this country scarcely a year.
The youngest of a family consisting of four daughters and two sons, Conrad Schmidt was but eleven years of age when he landed in New York. The family means being limited, he had to furnish his mite toward its support, and began working for $4 a month his board. He subsequently followed different occupations in New York, remaining there until 1863, when he came by way of the Isthmus of Panama to California. Locating in San Francisco, Mr. Schmidt worked as a day laborer for two months, after which he was for five years employed as a cook, first in that city, and then at Mission Bluff. In 1868, taking the Nicaragua route, he went back to New York for a brief visit. A few months later he went to New Orleans, from there returning to San Francisco in 1869. Resuming his labors, Mr. Schmidt accepted a position as cook at the Prescott house, from there going to the Winchester house, where, under Hugh Curran, manager of the hotel, he served as cook for eighteen years. In the fall of 1893 Mr. Schmidt came to Arbuckle to live, and in this pleasant place is enjoying to the utmost the reward of his earlier years of toil. On his estate, which contains five acres of good land, he has set out fruit of all kinds, in its culture deriving great pleasure and satisfaction. One-half of his land is devoted to a vineyard, in which he raises the Thompson seedless grapes and Muscats, both varieties thriving well in this soil.
In San Francisco Mr. Schmidt married Susanna Kaufman, who was born in Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany, and died, December 27, 1904, in Arbuckle, Cal. Politically Mr. Schmidt is independent, voting for the best men and measures regardless of party restrictions. Fraternally he is a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and of the Verein Endraoyd, of San Francisco. Religiously he belongs of the Lutheran Church.
Source: "History of the State of
California and Biographical Record of the Sacramento
Valley, Cal.," J. M. Guinn, Pages
588-589.
The Chapman Publishing Company, Chicago, 1906.
© 2017 Joyce Rugeroni.
Golden Nugget Library's Colusa County
Biographies