Sacramento County
Biographies
CHARLES W ZIMMERMAN
CHARLES W. ZIMMERMAN,
chief engineer of the steamer San Joaquin No. 4, was born in Ross County, Ohio,
November 10, 1835, and was the son of Aaron and Jane (Noble) Zimmerman. His
mother was a daughter of George Noble, who was a native of Kentucky, and at the
age of eighteen years settled upon a piece of timber land in Ohio. In his
family were eleven sons and eleven daughters. Aaron Zimmerman removed with his
family to Iowa in 1845, and at the age of thirteen years Charles started out
for himself. Going to Peoria County, Illinois, he worked on a farm there until
1863, when in company with two friends,--Charles Boyle and John Mooney,--he
went to New York, and on March 11 set sail on the Northern Light for the land
of golden promise; from the Isthmus he came on the Golden Age, Captain Hudson,
and on the 6th of April steamed through the Golden Gate. The next
day he landed here in Sacramento, joining his two uncles, Jesse and Andrew Zimmerman, the former the captain of the
Chindewan, and the latter the engineer, plying between this city and San
Francisco. July 5, 1863, he began as fireman on the steamer Defiance from
Sacramento to Colusa, continuing three years; then in the same capacity he went
up on the snag-boat Rainbow, belonging to the California Steam Navigation
Company, Captain Woodruff; then he was on the steamer Governor Dana, which made
daily trips to Marysville, under Captain Brewington. Eighteen months afterward
he went on the Goodman Castle, of which his uncle, Jesse Zimmerman, was the
captain, and then on the Banner, and next on the Gem, running to Chico, Tehama
and Red Bluff, and then on the Dover, Captain Roger Strickland. In 1871 he went
to work in the railroad shop; and seven and a half months afterward he returned
to the river, going upon the Chindewan, which was in the grain trade, and then
he was employed again upon the Dover. March 31, 1874, he was engaged by the
Sacramento Transportation Company, as engineer on the steamer Verona, in which
position he continued three years. The San Joaquin No. 3 being then complete,
he took charge of her as chief engineer; and in January, 1888, he took charge
of the San Joaquin No. 4, which position he now holds. He was married in 1870
to Catherine Hoselton, of Ohio, an old schoolmate, and they have two
children,--Fairie Mae and George. They have a
comfortable and happy home on K street, near
Sixteenth.
Transcribed by Vicky
Walker, 11/29/07.
Source: Davis, Hon. Win. J., An Illustrated
History of Sacramento County, California. Pages 802-803.
Lewis Publishing Company. 1890.
© 2007 Vicky Walker.