Placer
County
Biographies
JACOB KUENZLY
Jacob Kuenzly,
one of the prominent old-time residents of Colfax, came to the state of
California in 1859, and during the years that have intervened between that date
and the present time he has done his part as a citizen to aid in the
development of the state, and as a result of his years of well directed effort
he is today in the enjoyment of a pleasant home and a comfortable competency.
Mr. Kuenzly
is a native of Switzerland. He was born
June 1, 1839, a son of Henry and Elizabeth (Isler) Kuenzly, natives of that country, and he is now the only
survivor of the family. His mother
departed this life in Switzerland at the age of sixty-one years; his father
died in California, in 1874, at the age of sixty-eight years. They were members of the Reformed Church and
were highly respected people. The
father, in 1859, accompanied by his son Jacob, came to this country, arriving
in Auburn, California, on the 13th of April; and the other son,
Henry, joined them here four months later.
Jacob Kuenzly
began his business career in California as a placer and drift miner at Dutch
Flat. He next learned telegraphy and
entered the employ of the Western Union Telegraph Company, with which he was
connected as an operator for a period of fifteen years, and after which he
turned his attention to the real estate business. He has bought and sold a number of pieces of
realty in Colfax and has built several good houses here, including a very
handsome residence, which he and his family occupy at the present time. Also he owns several tracts of land,
consisting of two hundred and forty acres.
Mr. Kuenzly
has been a lifelong Democrat. At various
times he has been placed in responsible public position and he has always
discharged his duty faithfully and well.
In 1895 he received the appointment of postmaster under the
administration of President Cleveland, and served in that office four years
with an efficiency that gave general satisfaction, and during that time the
income of the office steadily increased.
Mr. Kuenzly has also served as justice of the
peace, having been elected year after year for a period of thirteen years, in a
district that had a Republican majority of one hundred and twenty, and during
this long term of service he acquired a reputation for the fairness of his
decisions. He has also held the office
of notary public for eighteen years last past, and is today holding that
office.
Mr. Kuenzly
has long been a valued member of the A. O. U. W.; is a past master workman and
for several years has served his lodge as master workman, recorder and
financier. He is also a member of the
Telegraphers’ Mutual Profit Association.
In 1873 Mr. Kuenzly
married Miss Maria Kerins, a native of the state of
Rhode Island, and their union has been blessed with two children: Frank D., a resident of San Francisco; and
Lulu, the wife of Henry Lobner, a prominent merchant
of Colfax.
Transcribed by
Gerald Iaquinta.
Source:
“A Volume of Memoirs and Genealogy of Representative Citizens of Northern
California”, Pages 331-332. Chicago Standard Genealogical Publishing Co. 1901.
© 2010
Gerald Iaquinta.