HERMAN HUBER

 

HERMAN HUBER, deceased. The subject of this sketch was born in Switzerland in 1835, and came to this country with his parents in 1844. They were people of means, and settled in St. Louis with their nine children. The father, Henry, first came out with a colony of Swiss, most of whom settled in St. Louis. Both parents died young, the father at the age of forty-eight, and the mother still younger. Mr. Herman Huber came to California in 1851 and went to mining in Hamburg Cañon, Placer County, and continued in that business until 1869. He made a good deal of money, but sunk a considerable part of it in unprofitable ventures. On leaving the mines he first came to Sacramento, but soon moved to Colusa, where he went into business as a money broker. In October 1867 he was married to Miss Augusta J. Faulkner, a native of this county, born on Mormon Island, daughter of Charles Dix and Elizabeth (Binninger) Faulkner. His father was a native of Petersburg, Virginia, of Scotch descent; the mother was born in New York City, December 25, 1826, of German parentage. They were married in Sacramento January 15, 1850. On the evening of their wedding they attended a large ball at Sutter’s Fort. They had to go in a skiff from the Pioneer Hotel, which was kept by Mrs. Huber’s grandfather. This hotel was the first brick house in Sacramento. During the floods in 1850 they lived for several days on the table, and had to have the stove up there to do their cooking. The father, Jacob Binninger, lived to the age of seventy-four. Mrs. Huber was educated at the Franklin grammar-school in Sacramento. Her parents came to California in 1849 and settled in Sacramento. The father died in March 1857. The mother survived him twenty-seven years, and was married to Louis Binninger. They kept the Pioneer Hotel for many years. She survived her second husband eight years, dying in 1884, and leaving two daughters: Maggie, now Mrs. Henry Ward Watkins, of Oakland, who has a son born in July 1884, and a daughter born in February 1888; the second daughter, Lena M. Binninger, lives with her half-sister, Mrs. Huber. In 1870 Mr. Huber bought a ranch in Yolo County, about sixteen miles south of Sacramento, on the river, to which he added by further purchase until he owned 645 acres in that region. He did a large dairy business, milking from 140 to 200 cows in two places not far apart. In 1877 he bought 400 acres on the north line of Franklin Township, six miles south of Sacramento, increased by purchase in 1883 to 645 acres, devoted to general farming, chiefly wheat, barley and alfalfa, besides some horses for ranch use. Mr. Huber was killed by a fall from his horse within a few miles of his home in Franklin Township, February 3, 1889, leaving two sons: Charles Henry, born December 11, 1869, in Todd’s Valley; Herman Louis, in Sacramento city, January 30, 1873. Charles H. was graduated at Sacramento Business College, and Herman L. is now taking a course in the same institution. Mrs. Augusta J. Huber has been for six years a member of the order of Chosen Friends, Merritt Council, No. 141, which meets at Clarksburg, in Yolo County.