Los Angeles
County
Biographies
JOHN
SCHUMACHER
This pioneer in California and his descendants have well carried out the deals of pioneering in a new state and they are deserving of mention in the archives of the Golden State as an inspiration to future generations of what can be accomplished by persistency of purpose and holding to the good in all people who make up our population. The progenitor of the family in California was John Schumacher, who was born in Wurtemburg, Germany, January 23, 1816, and he was left an orphan at the tender age of thirteen years He made up his mind to seek a new home in which to carry on the family traditions and selected America as the field of his future endeavors. He went to Paris and from there embarked on a sailing vessel for the New World and in due time arrived at the port of New York. He remained in that metropolis a few years and in 1846 enlisted for service in the Mexican war as a member of Company G, Stevenson's regiment of United States Volunteers. With the regiment he set sail on September 26, 1846, on the ship Thomas H. Perkins, for San Francisco, via Cape Horn, a trip that at any time was hazardous, and arrived at this destination in March, 1847. On April 3 his company sailed on the United States storeship Lexington for Monterey, and on May 5 reembarked on the same vessel for San Pedro and arrived in Los Angeles, then a pueblo and the headquarters of the regiment, on May 9. The company remained here until it was discharged from the service on September 28, 1848, at which time this young German lad was promoted to sergeant. Like nearly everyone else Mr. Schumacher went to the newly discovered gold fields along Sutter Creek and the American River in northern California. In his search for the precious metal he found a large nugget, which he afterwards sold for $800.00 in money, although he had been offered large tracts of land in the vicinity of San Francisco, which today are worth millions, for the nugget; and also was offered nearly all of the present site of the city of Sacramento.
Mr. Schumacher came back to Los Angeles. At that time the city was six miles square and was platted into lots of thirty-five acres each, which sold for thirty-five dollars, or one dollar per acre. On the first map of the city one of these lots was designated by the name of Schumacher, in honor of John Schumacher, who became an honored pioneer of southern California. In 1855 he married Mary Uhrie, a native of Paris, by whom were born six children, two daughters and four sons. Mary A., married Edward A. Preuss, a pioneer druggist of Los Angeles, and died in 1918 leaving a son, Kenneth Preuss. Caroline, married Paul Schumacher, a professor in the Smithsonian Institution and she is now a resident of Los Angeles. The sons were John H., Frank G., Percival F. and Arthur W.
Soon after settling here Mr. Schumacher erected a store building and did a very successful business until he abandoned merchandising in 1870. He was always called “Honest John” for the miners would come into his place and throw their sacks of gold dust on his counter and tell him to “take care of it” and he would put it in his strong box until they called for it. He began investing in land and during the remainder of his life accumulated much valuable real estate. For seven hundred dollars he bought the greater part of the block running from Spring street through to Fort Street (now Broadway). Here he built his home and reared his family. This property remained in the Schumacher family from 1852 until 1930, when it was sold to the county of Los Angeles and by them donated to the state for the new state building. In 1880 he built the family home on the property and in 1882 erected a brick building beside it and moved the family into that. The brick for this latter building was brought by Mr. Schumacher from San Francisco, and covered the entire lot frontage. He owned the land where Evergreen Cemetery is located and this he sold to that association. He also was engaged in the sheep business and pastured them on his land in the vicinity of what is now Temple street and Occidental boulevard. He started a vineyard on the Brea rancho to see if vines would grow without irrigation and it proved a success. One of the first pianos brought to Los Angeles was owned by Mr. Schumacher; and in the days of the Spanish carretas he owned a covered carriage that was made by hand by John Goller, a pioneer carriage-maker. In 1880-1881 he erected the Schumacher block on the site of his old store building. He took an active part in the early political life of the growing town and twice served as city councilman. Mr. Schumacher spoke French, German, Spanish and English fluently, and often assisted Spanish people who did not understand American laws in the management of their business affairs. He was bereaved of his good wife on July 25, 1880, and five years later, on March 2, 1885, he passed away in his seventieth year. The Schumacher holdings were very extensive, consisting of ranches and city property and these have continued in the family. The first house was an adobe fronting on Spring street. Mr. Schumacher always had an abiding faith in the future greatness of Los Angeles and supported every project he thought would add to the prestige of the city and county.
Of the sons of John Schumacher, John H. was born September 14, 1859, and engaged in the drug business for many years in his native city. He died in 1926. Frank George was born April 22, 1861 and became the leading photographer of his native city. His exhibits brought him high honors in the United States and at the Paris salons. He died November 5, 1930. Percival F. was born July 14, 1867, and early entered the banking business of Los Angeles with the German-American Savings Bank, which was incorporated in 1890, he being a member of the original official staff. He had a son John Schumacher, an attorney. Arthur W., born April 14, 1873, gained international fame as a diamond expert and was in the employ of Tiffany in New York. He died in Los Angeles November 27, 1920.
Transcribed
by: Jeanne Taylor.
Source: California
of the South Vol. V,
by John Steven McGroarty, Pages 657-659,
Clarke Publ., Chicago, Los Angeles,
Indianapolis. 1933.
© 2013 Jeanne Taylor.
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