Sacramento County
Biographies
HERMAN BERNARD F. WACHHORST
H. WACHHORST. One of the familiar
landmarks of the Capital City
is the jewelry establishment of H. Wachhorst, on
lower J street,
at the sign of the town clock. Not only is this the leading house in this
line, but it is also the pioneer jewelry establishment, as well as the most
complete in all its details, in the trade. A brief outline of the
well-known founder of this house and of his antecedents will be read with
interest, in connection with this, the historical volume of Sacramento
County. Born in Hanover,
Germany, in May, 1827, he
early in life acquired the trade of his father and grandfather, both of whom
were celebrated watchmakers and dealers in previous stones. In 1843 he
came to the United States
and spent a year in acquiring a thorough mastery of the language of what was to
be his adopted country. He then became an employe
(sic) in the house of Hyde & Goodrich, the "Tiffany" of the
"Crescent City,"
justly celebrated as one of the most extensive dealers in the United
States. He remained with this firm five
years, becoming an expert in stones, to which branch of the trade he devoted
much time and attention. When the excitement incident to the discovery of
gold in the valley of the Sacramento attracted the attention of the world to
this locality, he, like so many other ambitious young men, determined to seek
his fortunes in the far West; and, taking passage on the bark "Mary
Waterman," Captain James Higgins, commander,—a vessel of 300 tons, 175
passengers,—he started out on one of the roughest voyages known to history,
around the Horn, stopping at Rio de Janeiro, through Magellan Straits, stopping
at Valparaiso and Chili (sic) and up the Pacific coast to the Golden Gate, and
thence after a short rest at San Francisco, to Sacramento and
the mines at Mormon Island. Six months of the rough life of the
miners’ camp was quite enough for him, and returning to Sacramento in December,
1850, he opened a small shop in a room about eight feet wide on J street,
between Front and Second, for which he agreed to pay $500 per month rent in
advance; but money came easy in those pioneer days, and possessing a general
and practical knowledge of the business, he made money rapidly during the next
three or four years. In 1854 he sold out, thinking he had a sufficient
income, $800 per month, and removed to San Francisco,
where he lived a life of elegant leisure, following his tastes and giving much
attention to music, both vocal and instrumental. Having acquired a
competence, he traveled extensively abroad, throughout Europe, England,
France and Italy
for two years, and having satisfied his ambitions in this respect, he returned
once more, in 1859, to the land of sunshine and gold. In 1859 he purchased
the business of Messrs. Heller & Andrews, now the proprietors of the
diamond Palace, Montgomery street,
San Francisco. This firm
continued until after the floods of 1861; and Mr. Wachhorst
has been in business in Sacramento since that time, gaining an enviable
reputation, particularly in diamonds, which branch of the business he has made
a specialty, and gathering together one of the finest selected stocks to be
found anywhere in the country; not this alone, but such has been the probity of
his business life that the name of "Wachhorst"
has become a synonym of the highest standard of honor and fair dealing in the
line of his chosen profession. Truly the mantle of his ancestors has
fallen upon his shoulders, and his name perpetuates the memory of those who
have gone before him. Early in life Mr. Wachhorst became
identified with the Masonic fraternity and he is a Royal Arch Mason in good
standing. His sixty years of life rests lightly upon him, and he retains
to a really remarkable degree, that energy, enterprise and business acumen for
which he was noted in early life,—characteristics which brought him to the
front rank among the representative men of the golden State of
California. He has given much time and attention to the study of music and
is prominently identified with musical interests in the city and throughout the
State. He has an excellent voice and is passionately fond of music.
Transcribed 10-9-07 Marilyn R. Pankey.
Source: Davis, Hon. Win. J., An Illustrated
History of Sacramento County, California. Pages 775-776.
Lewis Publishing Company. 1890.
© 2007 Marilyn R. Pankey.