Peter Fuchs

 

Peter Fuchs.   Among the well-known business men of Sacramento who have made their start in this city is the gentleman whose name heads this sketch. He is a native of Germany, born at Bingen-on-the-Rhine, June 20, 1839, his parents being Carl and Christina (Bradner) Fuchs. His father followed the occupation of nail and bellows making by hand. Peter was left an orphan at the early age of three and a half years, and his mother died when he was twelve. He lived for one year thereafter, with his sister, and upon her marriage he went to live with another family, with whom he remained until he completed his education. At the age of fourteen years he went to Wies-Baden, where he worked for three years, in a cigar factory part of the time, at other times in a drug store, and at various occupations. He next obtained employment on one of the vessels navigating the Rhine, and after three or four months engaged in seafaring life on the high seas. His first vessel was the Ralphino Casino to Rika, Russia, and the second was the Adriana Peternella, on which he made a voyage to the East Indies. He followed the sea about four years and a half, going all around the world under Hollandish, German, English, Russian and American flags, and on the 1^st of December, 1860, sailed from New York on the Belle of the Sea, around Cape Horn to San Francisco, where he arrived on the 17^th of April, 1861. On the 21^st he came to Sacramento, arriving at 4 A.M., and at 6 P.M. he was at work for John Spring at the Crescent City Hotel. He remained there until August and then went to work for Dr. W. W. Light, at general work about the house and place, on November 25. He also obtained a job with Charles Langenbach, 408 J street, learning to make cigars and smoking tobacco; and would get up at 5 A. M. work for Dr. Light till 9 o’clock, then go down to Langenbach and do his day’s work there. When the first flood came on, December 1861, he had to give up either his job at the house or at the factory, and decided to leave the former, leaving December 20. In June, 1862, Mr.  Langenbach sold out, and Mr. Fuchs went into business for himself, upstairs at the corner of Third and J streets. Two months later he removed next to D. O. Mills’ bank building. In June, 1865, he removed into the Metropolitan Theatre building. September 1, 1868, he started at his present locality, 405 K street. He has built up an extensive cigar business, his principal brands being “Carl and Ernst,” “Two Brothers,” “My Boys Best,” “Peter Fuchs,” and “Peter Fuchs’ Best,” and also carries on the manufacture of smoking tobacco, making the well-known brands “Old Sport,” “Champion,” and “Havana.” These are splendid tobaccos and have a high reputation among smokers. Mr. Fuchs has always been strongly in favor of white labor. He was married in San Francisco October 28, 1866, to Miss Clara Gallwitz, a native of Berlin. They have six children, viz.: Clara, Carl, Ernst, Anna, Adolph and Frederick. Adolph was drowned August 8, 1889, at the age of eleven years, ten months and twenty-two days.  Mr. Fuchs is a member of Sacramento Lodge, No. 2, I. O. O. F.; of Pacific Encampment, No. 2, I. O. O. F.; Canton No. 1, P. M., I. O. O. F.; of Union Lodge, No 21, A. O. U. W., and of Unity Lodge, No. 2,088, K. of H. He is a self-made man and has built himself up to his present position from the smallest beginnings by indomitable will and energy. He is a popular man, and well deserves the success which has attended his efforts.