GUS A. BAUER

Sacramento County

Biographies

GUS A. BAUER

GUS A. BAUER.--A very representative man of affairs, whose public-spiritedness, repeatedly demonstrated, has contributed to his popularity and his influence, both at home and far beyond the community in which he is active, is Gus A. Bauer, the enterprising merchant, and stockholder and director of the Folsom Bank. He was born at Watertown, Wis., on July 1, 1867, and four years later, in April, was brought to Sacramento by his parents. He was the eldest son of August Bauer, a native of Germany, who came to America with his bride, a daughter of Germany, in 1863. They settled in Wisconsin, as farmers, and came on further West in 1871, locating in Sacramento, where they bought a home and Mr. Bauer worked for many years as a representative of Ebner Brothers. The worthy couple reared a family of eleven children, six sons and five daughters, and Mr. Bauer reached a venerable age, passing away in 1915 at the age of seventy-six. Mrs. Bauer is still living, in the home she proudly owns at Sacramento, a most interesting lady of eighty-four, active in body and alert in mind, and the center of a circle of devoted friends.

Gus A. Bauer attended the public schools, and at the age of sixteen entered the harness shop of D. McKay on J Street, where he served an apprenticeship of four years, after that going out as a journeyman, and he spent five years, prior to locating in Folsom, in the employ of the Natoma Ranch - now called Nimbus - in charge of the harness repairs, such an extensive ranch needing a deal of new harness, or remade harness, all the time. On March 11, 1897, he opened his own shop with a small stock of goods, bearing a heavy incumbrance, and from the beginning he had a hard struggle to win out. Through perseverance and strict attention to the wants and wishes of his customers, his efforts were rewarded by success, and from year to year he added to his store, being a dealer for years in buggies and wagons, and handling several lines. He sells men’s and boy’s shoes, leather-goods, gloves, harness, and has a harness-shop and a place for the expert repairing of fine shoes.

Mr. Bauer has recently bought the property on Sutter Street, where he is now the sole proprietor of the business, with a complete equipment of electrically-driven machinery of the latest devices for the handling of leather-repair work upon all kinds of shoes. Taking for his motto the ideal of service for others, Mr. Bauer has built up an enviable reputation for efficient workmanship and personal fidelity.

At Folsom, in 1904, Mr. Bauer was married to Miss Rosa M. Mars, a native of Folsom City and the daughter of the late Charles Mars, a pioneer carpenter. The Bauers own their own modern and comfortable residence, as well as other very desirable real estate in Folsom. He owns and has developed ninety-five acres of raw land into an orchard, equipped with an irrigation system of concrete pipe, especially useful in the development here of the citrus industry. This ranch was formerly the old reservoir site of the placer mining on the north bank of the American River, opposite Folsom, which lay idle for years before Mr. Bauer bought the same, in February, 1921. What man can do, is well illustrated in what Mr. Bauer has done by the use of the proper irrigation system, creating a show place well worthy of anyone stepping aside to see. Mr. Bauer is also very enthusiastic about the vineyard and orchard development of the American River Land Company, near his ranch.

A Democrat of the stand-pat type, but non-partisan in local affairs, Mr. Bauer for the past twelve years has served as United States fire commissioner in this district; and this responsibility has added to his knowledge and his experience. He is today one of the foremost citizens of

Folsom City, and his local good repute bids fair to stand by him.

Transcribed by: Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.

Source: Reed, G. Walter, History of Sacramento County, California With Biographical Sketches, Pages 982-983. Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, CA. 1923.