Sacramento County
Biographies
AUGUST KAUFMAN
Industry and integrity were the foundation
stones upon which the late August Kaufman erected the superstructure of an
honorable existence, devoted to the welfare of wife and children, and to the
discharge of duties devolving upon him as a citizen of his adopted
country. With the exception of the first eleven years of his life, which
were passed in his native Germany, he was identified with the United States
throughout all of his busy career. Loyal and
patriotic in the highest degree, he maintained a peculiarly deep devotion for
the west, which was the scene of his mature efforts and his permanent
successes. Although in early life he had learned the trades of butcher
and blacksmith, and had followed both of these occupations for a time, he
gained prosperity through the tilling of the soil, and it was by diligence as a
farmer that he acquired the valuable estate left to his heirs.
Upon crossing the ocean in company with
his mother when eleven years of age and settling at Boonville, Mo., August
Kaufman entered the public schools in order to acquire a knowledge of the
English language and the education necessary for life's activities. After
he had completed the grammar course he began to assist his step-father in the butcher
business and thus gained a thorough knowledge of the trade. At the age of
twenty-one he came to California and settled in Sacramento, but after a time
removed to Woodland, Yolo county. Later he
established himself in business in Plainfield, where he invented and patented a
plow. During 1876 he was united in marriage with Miss Minnie Krinki, a native of Germany, born on January 2, 1852, but
from childhood a resident of the United States. The family lived for some
years in Ohio, near Belmont, and two of her brothers still reside in that
state. Four years before the family came to the western coast her father,
Charles Krinki, left Ohio and sought the
opportunities of California. When finally he had established himself on a
firm financial footing in this state he sent for his family, who came by ship,
one brother dying during the course of the voyage. At that time Mrs.
Kaufman was a young lady of eighteen and she settled at Woodland, living there
and at Davisville until the time of her marriage,
which was solemnized in Sacramento.
The united and unwearied efforts of Mr.
and Mrs. Kaufman resulted in the acquisition of a comfortable home and a
well-improved farm at Plainfield. Later they also bought four hundred and
fifty-two acres in Capay. Had his life been spared
to a good old age undoubtedly a greater prosperity would have crowned his
efforts, but when he lacked just two months of fifty years death removed him
from the sphere of his activities. Later his widow was married to Emil Kirch, who passed away in 1907. Although bearing a
different name, he was a brother of Mr. Kaufman, the difference being due to
the fact that he was reared in the home of a grandfather and was
given his name. For years he was identified with the Ancient Order of
United Workmen in San Francisco. Both brothers were brought up in the
German Lutheran faith and always remained firm believers in its
doctrines. For years the family have been
connected with that denomination in Sacramento. The widow still owns and
occupies the comfortable family residence at No. 2511 F street,
but her children have left the old homestead to take up the activities of life
and to establish homes of their own. Of the eight children comprising the
family all but one are still living, namely: Mrs. Rosa Grover, of San
Francisco; Jessie, who married William Born of Sacramento and has three
children; Lillian, who married Frank S. Schoenbackler,
also of Sacramento, and has three children; Minnie, Mrs. Julius Haller, of
Sacramento, who died in 1905, leaving two children, and Albert and Emil, both
of Sacramento. Mrs. Kaufman now leases the ranch of three hundred and
twenty acres purchased through her unremitting labors and keen judgment.
Transcribed by Sally Kaleta.
Source: Willis,
William L., History of Sacramento County,
California, Pages 768-770. Historic
Record Company,
© 2006 Sally Kaleta.