Los
Angeles County
Biographies
WILLIAM KNICKREHM
A pioneer and leader in the house moving
business in Los Angeles, William Knickrehm first came to the city in 1882 and
at once engaged in business. He rented
his first home at 567 San Pedro Street but later moved to Broadway, near the
place where Walker’s Department Store now stands. For more than a half century, he was to be an
active factor in the city’s progress and development. Born in Beckeburg,
Germany, August 2, 1863, he was a son of
Carl and Caroline (Meyer) Knickrehm, who came to America in 1871, locating at
Elgin, Illinois, where the father operated a small farm and worked at his trade
of shoemaker. Both parents died there.
William Knickrehm attended the Elgin
public schools for a time, but received most of his education by reading good
books. He learned the trade of bricklayer
and followed that upon his arrival in Los Angeles. However, he soon turned to house moving, as
he could see a wide field for that business in the rapidly growing city. He became a leader in his field, employing as
many as sixty people in rush times. In
1925 he retired to look after personal interests and to enjoy home life. He had purchased a house, which he moved to
762 East Ninth Street and there resided for fifteen years. In 1910 he erected a fine home at 180 East Thirty-fifth Street and here the remainder of his life was
spent.
On January 11, 1890, William
Knickrehm was united in marriage with Augusta Father, a native of Texas, whose
parents had emigrated from their native Germany to America, making the trip in
a sailing vessel and taking six weeks to cross the Atlantic. After landing in the United States, the
family went to Fredericksburg, Texas, by ox-team and later moved to Sa Antonio,
when Augusta was a girl of eight years.
This trip was made with a mule team and covered wagon. Of this marriage six children were born. Hulda married C. W.
Glinn and they have two children, Evelyn and Clifton,
and reside at 180 East Thirty-fifth Street. Frederick, a minister of the Methodist
Episcopal Church at Pawtucket, Rhode Island, married Emma Wyatt and has two
children, Charles and Sarah Jane. Carrie
is a teacher in the grade schools in Los Angeles. Allen is carrying on the business followed by
his father. He married Carrie Lutz and
they have two children, Allen, Jr., and Robert.
Mary married Fred Rienecker of San Francisco
and has a son, Fred, Jr. Paul is now
operating an oil station on San Pedro Street in Los Angeles, but was formerly
employed in the banking business. There
are seven grandchildren. Mrs. Knickrehm
is very active in the interests of the German Methodist Church, especially in
home and foreign mission work. Mr.
Knickrehm was devoted to the Methodist Episcopal Church for nearly fifty years
and gave liberally of his time and means to help every righteous cause. He was also a liberal contributor to the
cause of prohibition. He liked to travel
and in 1901 spent three months taking his family to the Pan American Exposition
in Buffalo, New York, visiting Texas, the home of his wife, and his old home in
Elgin, Illinois. In 1925 with his wife
and daughter, Carrie, he spent four months traveling in Europe. He died at his home on January 15, 1933,
mourned by a wide circle of friends he had made during his residence here.
Transcribed by
V. Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: California of the South
Vol. IV, by John Steven McGroarty, Pages 557-558, Clarke Publ.,
Chicago, Los Angeles, Indianapolis. 1933.
© 2012 V. Gerald Iaquinta.
GOLDEN
NUGGET'S LOS ANGELES BIOGRAPHIES