Sacramento County
Biographies
FRANK J. RUHSTALLER
The present
manager of the Sacramento Brewing Company represents an old and honored family
of Switzerland. The ancestral home was in the beautiful valley lying between
the lake of Luzerne and Zurich lake, and the thriving
city of Einseideln remained the headquarters of
several successive generations of the family. In that town lived and labored
Frank and Josepha (Ochsner)
Ruhstaller, the former a hat-maker during early
manhood, but later an industrious follower of the occupation of dairying, which
was a leading industry in the locality. Among their children was a son who bore
his father's name and whose birth occurred at Einseideln
November 8, 1847. After he had completed the studies of the common schools he
served an apprenticeship to the brewer's trade in Canton Berne. During July of
1862 he boarded a steamer at Havre, and at the close of an uneventful voyage
landed in New York, whence he proceeded to Louisville, Ky., where he worked in
the Falls City brewery. In a short time he crossed the Ohio river
to New Albany, Ind., where he was made foreman in the Reising
brewery before he was eighteen years of age.
Resignation from that position in Indiana
was followed by a short period of employment at Louisville, from which city, in
1865, Mr. Ruhstaller came to California via New York
and Panama. About the 24th of August he landed at San Francisco, came thence to
Sacramento and began to work in the City brewery; six weeks later he was made
foreman. After a year as foreman he entered the employ of the Pacific brewery.
Later he bought an interest in the Sutterville
brewery, where he carried on a partnership with Joseph Bechler
for seven months until the high water forced all work to cease. Returning to
the Pacific brewery, he resumed his connection with George Ochs
until the latter sold to Louis Knauer, and he then
worked for the new owner two years. For one-half year he operated the St. Louis
brewery with Fritz Futterer and Henry Altpeter. Next he drove a wagon for the Pacific brewery for
two years, after which he was made foreman.
Learning in 1873 of the illness of his
father, Mr. Ruhstaller went back to the old Swiss
home, but found that his aged parents had passed away during his own homeward
journey. August of 1873 found him starting back to California. Soon after his
arrival in Sacramento he opened a place of business opposite the Metropolitan theater, and there he continued until he bought the City
brewery in November, 1881. This brewery had been established about 1859 by Mr. Hillbert and William Borchers.
When Hillbert died, in March of 1865, his interest
was bought by Charles Schwartz, and he in turn retired from the firm in about
1887. When Mr. Ruhstaller secured control the plant
was operated by horse-power and had a capacity of fifteen barrels a day, but he
increased the daily capacity to sixty-five barrels and at the same time
maintained the reputation previously acquired for fine quality of the product.
In 1867 Mr. Ruhstaller
became a member of the Sacramento Hussars and from 1878 to 1882 he held a
commission as captain. At the April shoot of 1889 in the Foresters' Gun Club he
won the gold medal. Elected an honorary member of the Sacramento Rifle Club, he
gave to the club the cannon presented by General Sutter to the Swiss Rifle
Club. While a salute was being fired with the cannon a serious accident
occurred, A. Klebe's arm being blown off. The cannon was thereupon buried and $1800 collected for the victim of
the unfortunate accident. A prized souvenir in the possession of Captain Ruhstaller was the flag presented, with an address by
Governor Bigler, in 1854, to the Swiss Rifle Club by
the members of the Schutzen Club of Canton Zurich,
Switzerland.
The marriage of this pioneer of Sacramento
occurred in this city on Christmas Day of 1870 and united him with Miss
Charlotte Oeste, who was born in Germany, but crossed
the ocean at an early age and grew to womanhood in Milwaukee. Of their children
Otto, Wilhelmina and Charlotte died in childhood and six attained maturity,
Anna, Frank J., Minnie, David, August and Charlotte. During 1868 Captain Ruhstaller became a member of Schiller Lodge, No. 105, I.
O. O. F.; later he identified himself with Tehama Lodge, F. & A. M., the Sacramento Turn-Verein, Sons of
Herman and the Verein-Eintracht. His eldest
son, Frank J., was born in Sacramento, November 5, 1872, and attended the city
schools from the age of six until fifteen, after which he served an
apprenticeship to the brewing business with his father. For seven months in the
year 1891 he engaged as a brewer with the Fredericksburg brewery of San Jose,
after which he resumed work in Sacramento. During 1893 he attended the Chicago
Brewing Institute and at the expiration of six months was graduated, whereupon
he returned to Sacramento and became brewer in his father's plant. Since 1906
he has been manager of the Sacramento Brewing Company. By men competent to
judge he is considered one of the most experienced and capable representatives
of his trade in the city. When at leisure from the many duties connected with
his responsible position he finds enjoyment in the society of his friends and
in the companionship of his wife, who prior to their marriage, on November 22,
1899, was Miss Alice M. Root; he finds further pleasure as well as means of
helpfulness through his identification with various leading fraternities and
social organizations of the city, among them the Masons, Elks, Turn-Verein and the Sutter Club.
Transcribed by Sally Kaleta.
Source: Willis,
William L., History of Sacramento County,
California, Pages 851-853. Historic
Record Company,
© 2006 Sally Kaleta.