HERMAN LEIMBACH

Herman Leimbach, farmer, San Joaquin Township, was born in Hesse-Cassel, Germany, December 25, 1816, a son of Justus and Mary E. Leimbach. There were six children came to America excepting the subject of this sketch and one brother who lived in Baltimore; and in the old country only one is now living. Herman was raised on his father’s farm, and at the age of twenty-seven of twenty-eight years, in March, 1845, he sailed from Bremen on the brig Eberhardt, and in forty-nine days landed at Baltimore. First he was employed by Rothermacher at Baltimore at wagon-making, for $4 a month, and at the end of the first month he went to Lancaster to work in a brick-yard, but remained there only two weeks. Then he was employed in a brewery at $6 a month. Next he obtained a situation in a hotel, which was an easier position than any he had ever had in his life. At the end of four years the gold excitement of this State brought him hither. He came by way of Cape Horn, with Frank Russell, of Sacramento, on the brig Osceola, from Philadelphia. There were sixty-five passengers on board. They stopped at Rio Janeiro and at Tocohona, Chili. The weather was very rough, and they were twenty-seven days rounding Cape Horn, having nothing to eat but hard-tack soaked in water. They landed in San Francisco August 7, after a voyage of 207 days. Mr. Leimbach came to Sacramento by boat, paying $13 or $15 fare, taking over a week to make the trip. Going above Marysville with two other, he followed gold-mining, using a cradle made from the rotten base of a tree. The three made about $5 apiece on their own claim. At the end of about two months Mr. Leimbach returned to Sacramento, bought three yoke of cattle for $300, and in a few hours sold them for $1,500! Then he bought another team for $900 and went to freighting, many time having to unload and carry the freight for a quarter of a mile on his back. After the first trip he was taken sick, brought the team to Sacramento and turned them out. The flood soon came, and he never saw the oxen afterward. The wagon, being in a house, was saved. The flood coming on in the night, he went to the building and found it full of mules that had come in for shelter. He made a raft out of drift-wood, and went to the hills for safety. He had the ague for some time. On recovering he worked for Charles Henry two weeks for his board. After the flood subsided he bought a mule for $10 and went upon a piece of land owned by another party, and began making hay, selling it for $75 a load in Sacramento. He also cut wood and sold it to steamboats for $16 a cord. He remained on this place about three months. About six weeks afterward the cholera broke out, the owner of the property became frightened, and offered to sell out his interest for $300. Mr. Leimbach bought it, and in a short time sold it for $1,100,--$500 cash, and the balance on a note. Then he settled on the Miller ranch, about a mile distant. In the spring the old gentleman and one son died of small-pox, and Mr. Leimbach lost his $600 note. Next he went upon a stock ranch with thirty-four head of hogs, which he had purchased for $900. He sold seven head of fat specimens on foot, weighting about 300 pounds each, for 25 cents a pound. In 1855 he purchases his present farm of 320 acres at $12 an acre, paying $500 cash and promising the balance at 2 per cent interest. He made hay and sold it in Sacramento at $27.50 per ton in the hay yards. Before his note was due the holder offered to throw off the interest if Mr. Leimbach would pay the principal, which offer he accepted, putting in a watch and an old cow to make up the balance. From these transactions dates the beginning of Mr. Leimbach’s prosperity in Sacramento. Of land he has had as much as 1,440 acres at one time. At present he has 1,280 acres. Besides farming he has kept a dairy, in 1856-’57 leasing thirty-three cows of Mr. Robinson, for $400 a year. In that enterprise he made $1,100 the first year. On the expiration of the lease he had sixteen young cows, which enabled him to keep on in the business until the latter part of 1867. Then he made money in the sheep business for ten years, and since that time he has been a successful farmer. He has five shares in the Granger’s Bank in San Francisco. In his social relations he is a member of the Pioneer Society. He fully knows by experience what are many of the bitter trials and privatious of pioneering in California. He has a fine house on the upper Stockton road, upon a well-improved farm. Mr. Leimbach was married April 19, 1854, to Miss Catharine M. Bullivant, a native of London, England, and they have eight children: Albert E., Amy, Elizabeth, Edith, Maria, Mabel, Justus and John, all living in this county.

Transcribed by Karen Pratt.

Davis, Hon. Win. J., An Illustrated History of Sacramento County, California. Page 472-473. Lewis Publishing Company. 1890.