Plumas
County
Biographies
JOHN C. WERNER
John C. Werner, who is conducting an
extensive and prosperous ice and soft drink business in Quincy, has lived here
for many years and in pre-prohibition days was the owner of a profitable brewery
here. Born in Wittenberg, Germany, on
the 27th of May, 1863, he is a son of Michael and Marie (Scheible) Werner, who were lifelong residents of Germany,
where the father was engaged in farming.
John
C. Werner who is the oldest of the ten children born to his parents, received
his education in the common schools and remained at home until seventeen years
of age, when he came to the United States, landing in New York City, February
23, 1881. He went at once to Elizabeth,
Pennsylvania, where his uncle, John Werner, ran a brewery, in which he was
employed for thirteen years, becoming an expert brewer. In 1894, Mr. Werner arrived in Johnsville, Plumas county,
California, and for two years worked in a gold mine, after which he came to
Quincy, where he has since resided. In
April, 1896, he leased the old brewery and commenced operating it, being so
successful that in the following year he bought it. He made an excellent quality of beer and ran
the plant for twenty-two years, or until prohibition
compelled him to close down. He has
recently installed in this plant modern ice making machinery and is now
supplying ice to the community, in which business he is doing well—in fact, the
demand has grown beyond his manufacturing capacity and he recently shipped in a
carload of natural ice to supply his customers.
He has also built up a large and prosperous business in soft drinks of
all kinds, which he supplies to dealers in Quincy and vicinity.
Mr.
Werner was made a citizen of the United States at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in
1886, and has since given his support to the Republican Party. His religious faith is that of the Lutheran
Church, which is but natural in view of the fact that he came from Martin
Luther’s native state. He is a member of
the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias
and the Daughters of Rebekah at Quincy, and the
Benevolent Protective Order of Elks at Nevada City. His favorite sports are hunting and fishing
and every autumn he takes a hunting trip up the middle fork of the Feather
River, and the walls of his place of business are decorated with the heads and
antlers of numerous deer and other trophies of the hunt. Mr. Werner has wisely invested his money in
property in Quincy and is very comfortably situated. He is a cousin of William Werner, the present
county clerk and auditor of Plumas County.
He enjoys a wide acquaintance and has a large circle of warm and loyal
friends throughout this section of the county.
Transcribed by
Gerald Iaquinta.
Source:
Wooldridge, J.W.Major History of Sacramento Valley
California, Vol. 3 Pages 114-115. Pioneer Historical
Publishing Co. Chicago 1931.
© 2010 Gerald Iaquinta.