CHARLES OSTMAN

Sacramento County

Biographies

CHARLES OSTMAN

CHARLES OSTMAN.--One of the successful orchardist of Sutter Island, Sacramento County, Charles Ostman comes of a long line of illustrious forebears in his native country. Born in West Jutland, Sweden, January 12, 1852, he is the son of P. G. and Catherine Ostman, and the direct descendant of an old and very powerful military family of Sweden, his grandfather having been a field marshal in the Swedish army. The name was handed down from one generation to another, instead of the usual way of adding “son” to the given name of the father, and the Ostmans were of the military aristocracy. At one time in the early government of Sweden the family plotted against the crown to overthrow the government and establish themselves in power. This plot was frustrated and some of the family migrated to Finland.

Charles Ostman received his early education in his native land, and when seventeen years old came to the United States with his parents, finishing his education with three terms at college at Rushville, Ill. The family settled in Moline, Ill., and in 1869 Charles started out to make his own way in the world, first working in dry goods stores as clerk, which he put to good advantage later, as in 1875 he came to California and for ten years had a merchandise store in San Francisco. In 1885 he came to Sacramento County and purchased fifty-six acres of land in the tules of Sutter Island, on Sutter Slough. Here he has developed a productive ranch, but not without many hardships and discouraging circumstances; three times the floods destroyed the work he had put in on improvements, and only after the high levee had been thrown up by the dredges has his work shown for some account. He now has a fine orchard of shipping pears, using a six-inch pump for irrigation and has installed all modern improvements on the place, such as packing shed and the necessary farm buildings for carrying on his work, and from the bare undeveloped land now has surrounding his home a beautiful orchard of marketable fruit, evidence of his years of industry and good management.

The marriage of Mr. Ostman, which occurred in San Francisco, December 22, 1879, united him with Louisa Johnson, born in Smalland, Sweden, and daughter of John Isaacson and Carolina (Peterson) Isaacson. Her father was a farmer in the old country, and in 1869 she came to the United States with her aunt, her father following later, and the family settled in Calhoun County, Iowa, at Manson, for a time, where the father bought a quarter section of land, which he farmed for a short time and later sold. One son has been born to Mr. And Mrs. Ostman, Alvin Charles, who married Hannah M. Hansen, a native of Denmark, and they are the parents of five children: Charles Peter; Louisa Charlotte; Morris Alvin; Erma Marie; and Alvin, Jr., the family making their home on a fourteen acre fruit ranch on Steamboat Slough, Sutter Island. The son, Alvin Charles, owns a home ranch of fourteen acres of his own, also another ranch of forty-four and one-third acres. Our subject’s wife owns fifty-six acres individually, in her own name, and Mr. Ostman owns 124 acres, all on Sutter Island, and has become wealthy, having been unusually prosperous. He gives full credit to his good wife, who has borne up bravely under adverse conditions, such as the floods. They have worked hard, lived frugally and contributed steadily to charitable and religious matters, to Red Cross, Sunday school, missions, and benevolence generally.

In national politics Mr Ostman is a Republican, in local matters giving his decision to the right man for the office. He was raised in the Lutheran Church, but affiliates with the Swedish Mission Church of America; but since this denomination has no church at Courtland he attends the Baptist Church of that place. He is a firm believer in living rightly and in each man doing his share in the worlds’ work.

Transcribed by: Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.

Source: Reed, G. Walter, History of Sacramento County, California With Biographical Sketches, Pages 913-914. Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, CA. 1923.