Sacramento County
Biographies
JOHN BELLMER
JOHN BELLMER, an old and honored
citizen, Eighth and L streets, Sacramento, was born near Bremen, Germany, May
11, 1833. At the age of fifteen years he emigrated to
the United States, landing in New York, remained there until October, 1852,
when, intending to go to Australia, he sailed in the barque
Catharine Augusta. The vessel stopped at Rio Janeiro, but the yellow fever
prevailed to such an extent that half the passengers died and those that could
get away were glad to go anywhere; and Mr. Bellmer
sailed in the clipper ship High Flyer around Cape Horn to California, arriving
in San Francisco in September, 1853. Like all others who came here seeking
their fortunes at that early day, he went to mining, at Michigan, Bluff and
Last Chance, and remained there four years and then came to Sacramento and
started business here in 1857, and since then, for the past thirty-three years,
he has been successfully engaged in his vocation here, and has passed through
fire and flood and borne his share of misfortune. In the fall of 1871 Mr. Bellmer was elected county treasurer, and after holding the
office two years was re-elected in the fall of 1873, and held the office until
1876. He has been an active, prominent member of the German Turn-Verein, in which body he has held the office of president
and secretary. He is also a prominent member of I. O. O. F., being now past
grand of that order. Mr. Bellmer was married January
18, 1860 to Miss Maria Grady, of New London, Connecticut. They have had twelve
children, six of whom are living: three sons--William F., Frank R. and Edgar
H.; and three daughters--Sarah E., Carrie L. and Alice E.
Transcribed by Vicky
Walker, 11/2/07.
Source: Davis, Hon. Win. J., An Illustrated
History of Sacramento County, California. Pages 791-792.
Lewis Publishing Company. 1890.
© 2007 Vicky Walker.