Sacramento County
Biographies
OTTO J. KOCH
One of the native sons of Sacramento who
are achieving success in the city of their birth is Otto J. Koch, the
well-known hop buyer, whose friends are many and whose business acquaintance is
co-extensive with the best part of Central California. Mr. Koch was born
November 2, 1876, a son of Anton and Marie (Carrow)
Koch, who came to Sacramento in 1859. When he reached school age he was
sent to the local schools and continued until he was seventeen, when he was
well-fitted educationally to take up the task of self-support. During the
ensuing two years he was employed on his father's ranch, and at nineteen he
secured a clerkship in the office of the Southern Pacific Railroad Company at
Sacramento, and was continued in that relation seven years, during which period
he established himself firmly in the good opinion of his superiors.
Leaving the employment of the Southern
Pacific Railroad Company, Mr. Koch engaged in farming and raising hops at West
Sacramento, Yolo county. He now has five ranches
leased, covering about five hundred acres, of which about a hundred and sixteen
acres are in hops fields. Aside from growing hops he is a dealer in that
commodity, buying in Sacramento and Yolo counties for large eastern houses in
the trade. he made such a success of this
business that he may be said to have formed a permanent connection with it, and
his operations have brought him in contact with hop men throughout a wide
territory, where he has won a reputation for honesty and fair dealing that
commend him to all intelligent growers. The amount of
his business annually, could it be here stated in the figures that cannot lie,
would be found to reach a large sum. It is increasing from year to
year as he grows more and more successful in his specialty.
In his social affiliations Mr. Koch is an
Odd Fellow and an Elk, and in his political sentiment he is a stanch
Republican. He married, at Sacramento, October 15, 1903, Miss Margaret
Hansen, who was born in Dallas, Texas. To them have been born three
children, Gladys, a child of seven, who is attending the public school; Helen,
five years, and Marian, who was two years of age on her last birthday.
Transcribed by Sally Kaleta.
Source: Willis,
William L., History of Sacramento County,
California, Pages 784-785. Historic
Record Company,
© 2006 Sally Kaleta.