R.
Oppenheim, one of the well-known retired business men at Sacramento, is a
native of Prussia, born at Wollstein, June 20, 1822, his parents being E. and
P. Oppenheim, his father a merchant in the general trade. He was reared at his native place, and
between the age of six and fourteen years attended the public schools, after
that receiving instruction at private schools. In 1840 he accompanied a brother
to England, and from there, in company with another brother, came to New York.
After a short time there, they proceeded southward to Charleston, South
Carolina, in a brig. They were traveling for pleasure, and from Charleston proceeded
to Augusta and Savannah, Georgia, having their private conveyance in which to
make their interesting trip across the mountains. They crossed the Tennessee
river and traveled across the Raccoon and Lookout Mountains, to Columbus,
Georgia, and from there went to Nashville, where they sold the horse and buggy,
and took a steamer for St. Louis. In March, 1847, Mr. Oppenheim went back to
Europe, but in August of the same year, returned to the United States. He went
to Kentucky and engaged in business at Uniontown, Union County. On Tuesday,
January 16, 1849, at Morganfield, six miles from Uniontown, he was married to
Miss Louisa Gaugh, a native of Kentucky and a representative of one of the old
southern families. In 1851, Mr. Oppenheim went to New York (having decided to
go to California)and there took passage on the steamer Ohio. He crossed the
Isthmus to Panama, and, resuming his sea voyage on the steamer Tennessee,
landed at San Francisco, having left New York on the 5th of March. He came at once to Sacramento and opened a general
merchandise store at No. 6, J Street, where W. R. Strong & Co. now are. The
building was then a frame shanty, and was leased by its owner, Sam Brannan,
through his agent, a Mr. Wetzel. The building was destroyed in the big fire of 1852,
and as Mr. Oppenheim’s business demanded better accommodations than the old
building afforded, Mr. Brannan erected for him a brick structure, 25 x 60 feet
in ground area. Mr. Oppenheim took a lease of the building for four years at
$400 per month, while his stock consisted of about $2,100 worth of goods. Rents
soon came down generally, and though Mr. Oppenheim paid $400 the first year, Mr. Wetzel began coming down
$25 at a time until the price was only $200 a month. Finally after he had occupied
the place three years, Mr. Oppenheim told Mr. Wetzel that if he did not place
the rent at $100 he would move when his lease ran out, and Mr. Wetzel came to
his terms. In 1859 he went to New York for the purpose of importing goods, and
returning, his customers being uptown, he removed to where Mr. Petrie is now,
on J street, between Sixth and Seventh, and remained in business there until
September, 1865, when he closed out. Party feeling was running high at that
time, and as he was a Democrat and his customers Republican, they boycotted
him, which caused him to go out of business. He advertised that what goods were
not sold by Saturday night would be disposed of at auction in San Francisco,
and by the close of the appointed day everything he had in the store was closed
out excepting 100 dozen belts. Mr. Oppenheim commenced the laying of the
foundation of his large residence on the first Friday in April, 1866, and moved
into the house on the 6th of December. He has, since his retirement
from business made several trips to Europe. Mr. and Mrs. Oppenheim have three children viz.: their
oldest son Philip, was educated in Sacramento, and at a business college at San
Francisco, and is now secretary of the Pacific Cable Construction Company, of
San Francisco. He was married in this city, June 24, 1871, to Miss Mary
Cantrell of this county. E. Oppenheim, the younger son, lives a half-mile above
Florin. He married Miss Laugenbaugh,
daughter of John Laugenbaugh. California, the only daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Oppenheim, was born in this city. She is the wife of J. M. Thompson, president
of the Cable Company, at Seattle.
An Illustrated History of Sacramento County, California.
By Hon. Win. J. Davis. Lewis Publishing Company 1890. Page 314-315.
© 2004 Marla Fitzsimmons.