Sacramento
County
Biographies
ANDREW
ROSS
ANDREW ROSS, one
of the best known of Sacramento’s business men, is a native of Germany, born at
Aschbach, Bavaria, October 20, 1830, a son of George
Ross, a hotel keeper and butcher of that place.
His mother died when he was a child of two years old. Andrew attended the public schools from the
age of six until he was fourteen, and then learned the butcher’s trade. In June, 1849, he embarked at Havre-de-Grace
on a sailing vessel for New York, the voyage occupying twenty-eight days, then
the fastest time on record. He went to
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and obtained work at his trade, remaining a year and a
half then proceeded to St. Louis, where he remained, with the exception of
seven months, until the spring of 1853.
Then he and three companions decided to come to California, and in May,
1853, they started. They proceeded to
St. Joseph, thence by Ft. Leavenworth, Kearney and Laramie to Salt Lake, where
Mr. Ross stopped for two weeks. He
purchased a couple of ponies and resumed the journey, which he made thereafter
all alone to California. He brought up
at Hangtown in August and went to mining, which
occupation he followed there, at Georgetown, Coloma, Kelsey, etc., until the
early summer of 1854, when he came to Sacramento. Here he obtained employment at his trade with
Bennett & Ramsey, at the Queen City Market.
Six months later they sold the business to Fred Cross, Mr. Ross
remaining with him until 1855. He then
started in business on his own account, on Seventh street,
between H and I. The present firm of
Ross and Ankener was formed in 1880. Mr. Ross was married in this city, on the
family place where they now reside, April 15, 1858, to Miss Catherine Faber, a
native of Wurtemburg, Germany. They have four living children, viz.:
Caroline, Pauline, William and Katie.
Mr. Ross was one of the charter members of Schiller Lodge, I. O. O. F.
and has always remained an active member.
He was one of the organizers of the Sacramento Hussars, was First
Orderly Sergeant, and afterward elected First Lieutenant. He is a Republican politically. No man in Sacramento has a higher reputation
for honesty and integrity than Mr. Ross, and he enjoys the confidence and
esteem of the community.
Transcribed by Karen Pratt.
Davis, Hon. Win. J., An Illustrated History of Sacramento County, California. Pages 584-585. Lewis Publishing Company. 1890.
© 2007
Karen Pratt.