Sacramento County
Biographies
CHARLES
WILKE
CHARLES WILKE, manufacturing jeweler, Sacramento, is a native of Germany, born at Hoff, Bavaria, on the 31st of July, 1841, his parents being John and Elizabeth (Zinn) Wilke, the father a musician by profession, and leader of a military band. The subject of this sketch was reared at his native place, received the education afforded by the public schools of Hoff, and was graduated at the Lower Polytechnic School, which he attended for three years after leaving the common schools, being one of the successful candidates, although forty eight out of a class of sixty-four were rejected. He served an apprenticeship at the jeweler’s trade with John Laupmann, then traveled to polish his knowledge of the trade, being engaged in all five and a half years in Europe, including his apprenticeship. He worked at Prague and Vienna, thence went to the frontier. He decided to go to America, and on the 3rd of September, 1863, he sailed from Bremen on the old ship Atlantic, and landed at New York on the 25th of October. He remained there until the 1st of December, working in his own room, then went to Pittsburg. There he engaged with Charles Terhuyten, with whom he remained three years. He then worked in his own shop for the firm of McFadden & Co. In 1870 he started for himself, and later worked some six or seven months for the leading firm of Pittsburg (now James R. Reed & Co.). In 1876 he came to California, locating at Sacramento, and soon commenced business on the corner of Fifth and J streets, upstairs. He manufactured work for the trade there nearly seven years, and in January, 1883, established himself at his present location on Seventh street, between J and K. Mr. Wilke was married in December, 1863, to Miss Louisa Dietrich, a native of Bohemia. They have had eight children, of whom six are living, viz: Chris, who married Emma Schwann; Emma, wife of Seaman Wilde, of Sacramento, and Martha, George, Nellie and Charles. Mr. Wilke is a member of California Lodge, K of P; of Harmony Lodge, K & L of H; of Walhalla Grove, No. 6, A. O. D., and of Verein-Eintracht. He is a pushing man of business, and has earned his success by his own efforts.
Transcribed by: Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
Davis, Hon. Win. J., An Illustrated History of
Sacramento County, California. Pages 725-726. Lewis
Publishing Company. 1890.
© 2007 Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.