EDWIN ALLYN BURR

Sacramento County

Biographies

EDWIN ALLYN BURR

EDWIN ALLYN BURR. Discouragements and obstacles marked the early years of Mr. Burr’s identification with the pioneer history of California. Losses by fire and losses by floods met him at the outset of his life in the west, and more than once, after having gained an encouraging start, he was forced to begin anew entirely without capital. The indomitable spirit of the man is shown in the fact that these hardships had no power to quench his enthusiastic faith in the possibilities of ultimate success. With a firm and self-reliant courage he met and overcame each obstacle and now, in the twilight of life’s useful day, he rests in ease and comfort within his own substantial home, surrounded on every hand by evidences of the prosperity attained by ceaseless endeavors.

A pioneer of 1851 in Sacramento, where now he makes his home, Mr. Burr is a member of a colonial family of New England and was born in Hartford, Conn., October 12, 1822, descending from Revolutionary forefathers. His father, Chauncey Burr, died when Edwin was a mere child, but the mother, Sarepta A., daughter of Ethan Allen lived to an advanced age. The eldest among six children, Edwin A. Burr received such advantages as fell to the lot of New England boys of that generation and, as was the custom then, he learned a trade preparatory to taking up the active duties of manhood. For five years he served an apprenticeship to the trade of saddler and harness-maker, and afterward worked for two years as a journeyman in the shop of Smith & Bowen, later the most noted firm of Hartford in their special line.

When a young man of twenty-two years Mr. Burr established a home of his own, his marriage uniting him with Elizabeth Olcott, a native of Middletown, Conn., and a granddaughter of Jonathan Olcott, of Hartford, who lived to round out more than a century of years. A year after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Burr bade farewell to the friends of their youth and started out for the then unknown wilds of Wisconsin. Settling in the village of Beloit, he began to work at his trade. In 1851 Col Darius Fargo, then a resident of California, went to Beloit on a visit and his reports concerning the west were so favorable that Mr. Burr determined to inspect the new country, with the intention of settling there permanently in the event of being favorably impressed with prospects. Early in 1851 he returned as a member of a large party organized by the colonel. On arriving in Sacramento he began to work for his board, then secured employment at a fair salary in the confectionery shop of George Nagle. In the fall of 1851 he bought a bake-shop on Sixth, between I and J streets. After about six months, having decided to make California his permanent home, he returned east for his wife, and there was obliged to wait three months before he could secure passage back, so great was the rush toward the new west and so limited the accommodations. The two tickets for return passage cost him $640. On again landing in California he embarked in the restaurant business on J street, Sacramento, and also retained an interest in the bakery.

The first misfortune experienced by Mr. Burr was during the fire of 1852, which extended from Eighth street to the levee and which totally destroyed his place of business. Undismayed by this disaster, he started again in the same business. Some eight months afterward he opened a confectionery store on J, between Third and Fourth streets, and there again misfortune overtook him. In the fire of 1854 this shop and also his bakery burned to the ground. Forced to start in at the bottom once more, he went to Folsom, Sacramento county, where he erected a bakery, also the postoffice building. There being no railroad to the town at that time, he was obliged to walk from Alder creek on the Valley road. Less than twelve months later he returned to Sacramento and opened a second-hand furniture store, corner of Third and K. So successful was this undertaking that in less than a year he was forced to seek larger quarters, and then rented the corner lot, Fifth and K for $150 per month, there building a one-story brick house. However, his means had been impaired by his previous losses, and he retired from the business, and again started at the bottom, this time taking a clerkship with Millikin Brothers on J street. Under the auspices of the firm he went to Grizzly flat, Eldorado county, and for a year took charge of a store at that place. Next he was employed as superintendent of a ten-stamp quartz mill erected by the Goss & Lambert Company. On the completion of the mill he returned to Sacramento and became interested in a livery business on Ninth street, later engaged also in the hay, grain and feed business on J street, where once again he suffered heavy losses by fire, but continued in this twelve years or more until he retired. Meanwhile he had become interested in the teaming business and had three teams engaged in hauling to Nevada City, Aurora and Silver Mountain, his charge for freight being twelve and one-half cents per pound. After having conducted a feed business until 1884 he retired from active interests and now is passing his declining days in the enjoyment of comforts reaped by former years of arduous application.

The family residence is on O street, Sacramento, the birthplace of the two sons, Charles J. at home, and Richard P., who is manager for the Baker & Hamilton Hardware Company of San Francisco and Sacramento. While living at that place during the floods of 1862-63 for three months the only approach to the house was by means of a boat. Trying times he has experienced by two floods and seven fires, and many losses have come to him through these catastrophes; yet, in spite of such discouragements, he is thoroughly loyal to his home city and state; and when in 1876 he visited, with his wife, the Centennial Exposition and the old home in Connecticut, as well as other points in the east, on his return after an absence of three months or more, he was thoroughly convinced that, although other locations have their advantages, California still stand without a peer in all the galaxy of nations and offers its people advantages nowhere surpassed.

Transcribed by Kathy Porter.

Source: “History of the State of California and Biographical Record of the Sacramento Valley, California” by J. M. Guinn. Pages 623-624. Chapman Publishing Co., Chicago 1906.