Charles
Schwartz, retail butcher, Sacramento, is a native of Germany, born at Neckar-Gemund,
Baden, his parents being August and Caroline (Wentzel) Schwartz. His father was
at the head of the Gens-d’ Armes in that district, and was a military man all
his life. When Charles Schwartz was but nine years of age his father died, and
his mother removed to Adelsheim, and there be was reared, and attended school
until the age of fourteen years. In 1853 he came to the United States, sailing
from Bremen on the two-masted schooner Figaro. At 2 o’clock on Friday morning, after
they had been three or four days out of port, they were shipwrecked in the
English Channel, but picked up and transported on a barge to Ramsgate. Fifteen
days passed by, the schooner was repaired and made ready again, and they
proceeded on their way to America. On the voyage the captain became sick, and
they landed at Bermuda for medicines. From there they proceeded to New York,
where they landed the latter part of May, or the first part of June. Mr.
Schwartz had two sisters at Albany, and he went up to see them. After his visit
he returned to New York City, and learned the butcher trade with John Mittler,
No. 504 Houston street. In 1855 he came
to California via Nicaragua, leaving New York on the steamer Star of the West,
and landing at San Francisco about the 15th of September, from the
steamer Uncle Sam. On the latter vessel cholera played sad havoc, and nearly
200 out of those on board died. Mr. Schwartz came on up to Sacramento, and went
to work for Louis and Jacob Korn, who kept the St. Louis Market on K street,
near sixth. Six months later he went to work for Schwartz & Bosler, at the
City Market, where Wilson’s livery stable now is. He remained there about a
year, then engaged with Charles Lehman, where the water works are now located.
He remained there until February 22, 1859, then started in business for
himself, on the corner of Seventh and L streets, in partnership with Charles A.
Yoerk, of the National Market. That
partnership continued until the flood of 1862, when Mr. Yoerk retired from the
firm. Mr. Schwartz has continued in business at that location ever since, and
the business of the L street market is now managed by his son Clemens. In 1880
Mr. Schwartz started, in addition, the P street market, on the corner of
Seventh and P streets, and now an extensive business is carried on at both
places. Mr. Schwartz was married in
this city May 28, 1864, to Miss Mary Neidhardt, a native of Hamburg, Germany.
They have six children, viz.: Clemens, Edward, Louis, Charles, Alice and Fred.
Two have died, viz.: Carl and Caroline. Mr. Schwartz is a member of Schiller
Lodge, No. 105, I.O.O.F., and held the presiding chair in 1863. He is also a
member of Sacramento Lodge, No. 80, A. O. U. W. Mr. Schwartz has made his start
in Sacramento, having come here with but $10 in his pockets, while now he ranks
among the substantial men of the city. He is enterprising and pushing in business,
and is, withal, a popular man with a very large circle of friends.
An Illustrated History of Sacramento County, California.
By Hon. Win. J. Davis. Lewis Publishing Company 1890. Page 319.
© 2004 Marla Fitzsimmons.