Sacramento County
Biographies
HENRY DEHN
Significant service to the material upbuilding of Sacramento has been characteristic of Mr. Dehn
during the long period of his identification with the city. Dating his
arrival here as well as his first permanent location upon American soil from
September 2nd of the Centennial year, he came hither direct from Germany, where
he was born March 10, 1858, and where preceding generations of the family had
lived as far back as the genealogy can be traced. From the first period
of his association with the capital city he was precient
of its possibilities for growth and development. While earning a
livelihood through an association of ten years with the old Sacramento brewery and during the early '80s also serving as
secretary of the Sacramento Brewer's Association until that organization
disbanded, he did not fail to keep posted concerning the local property
valuations and the development of the building business. When the eastern
part of the city was still a marsh he bought the block between J and K streets,
extending from Twenty-eighth to Twenty-ninth. The tract appeared entirely
worthless and of course was purchased at a low figure. Covered by a
slough, its main use had been to furnish a place for the town boys to
swim. By putting in over ten thousand yards of dirt he converted the
block into one of the finest business and residence localities of the eastern
district of Sacramento. Here for a time was located the first
electric-car barn of the city, here the first electric car was put together and
from here it began its regular rounds of travel. The old building still
stands on his premises, but has not been used for street car purposes for many
years.
After relinquishing the position in the
brewery Mr. Dehn gave his attention to the taking of
contracts and he is now one of the oldest contractors of Northern California. Many of his contracts have been for street work and
the building of city sewers. As the Sacramento foreman for the San Francisco Street Improvement Company,
he had charge of the building of the first macadam road on K street. Many other important improvements were made under
his supervision. Perhaps no one is more familiar than he with the
condition of Sacramento streets, sewer work and building business,
and it may be stated as a fact generally known that all work done under his
oversight has proved substantial and permanent. When he first became a
citizen of the United
States he
entered into local politics and rendered efficient assistance to the Democratic
party in Sacramento, but his ambitions did not lead him into office-seeking
and at no time has he sought official honors from his fellow-citizens. Of
his original holdings he has sold a portion, but still owns one-fourth of a
block of the original purchase, besides which he has one-fourth block facing
Sutter's Fort on Twenty-eighth street. On this property stood the first printing-office in
Sacramento, also here, facing the alley, once stood the first
hospital of the town. The story is told that in the early mining days a
miner was brought to this hospital who had $40,000 in
gold-dust. While delirious he escaped from attendants, carried his bags
of gold outside and buried the treasure, which has never been found to this
day, although different parties have dug for the gold and for some time a
dredger also was operated in the vain hope of locating the hidden wealth.
When mining was still a very prominent industry it was the custom of miners to
come from the mines with their sacks of gold and gamble at Sutter's Fort.
Some of the dust would be dropped to the ground and often Mr. Dehn secured the sweepings, which amounted to more than at
first thought would be supposed. Remembering the conditions of the
country at the time of his arrival and noting the remarkable change brought
about by slow degrees, he has been a witness to advancing prosperity and has
contributed his own quota to the steady advancement of the city.
Transcribed by Sally Kaleta.
Source: Willis,
William L., History of Sacramento
County, California, Pages 702-705. Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, CA. 1913.
© 2006 Sally Kaleta.