Sacramento County
Biographies
CHRISTIAN ZIMMERMAN
CHRISTIAN ZIMMERMAN,
deceased, formerly a grocer at Twelfth and E streets, Sacramento, was born in
the canton of Berne, Switzerland, near the French boundary line, July 5, 1834,
a son of John and Elizabeth (Bartche) Zimmerman. While he was yet a babe his
parents emigrated with him to America, settling in what is now called Highland,
Madison County, Illinois, about thirty miles from St. Louis, Missouri. The
first immigrants at that point being from Switzerland, it was named New
Helvetia, from the ancient Latin name of Switzerland. This family was a pioneer
household there. Mr. Zimmerman kept a hotel there known by his name, and he
resided there until his death, from Asiatic cholera, August 6, 1849. Young
Christian continued in charge of the hotel, keeping the family together two
years longer. At length his mother married again and the children naturally
were scattered. He went to the residence of John Mottel, of whom he learned the
blacksmith’s trade. At the age of nineteen years he came across the plains,
with Jerry Decker, in a train, working his way and receiving $50 in cash upon
his arrival at Donner Lake, where the party stopped. He soon secured a claim,
which he named the Town Talk Mines, and engaged in mining. Then, after a short
residence in Virginia City, he came to Sacramento, and during 1861-’62 he
followed farming. After the disastrous floods of the latter year, he was
employed by William Pritchard in Idaho for fifteen years, and then in Nevada
for a time, where he was Mr. Pritchard’s trusted foreman on a railroad
contract. May 7, 1875, is the date of Mr. Zimmerman’s marriage to Miss Annie
Krebs. In August following he, in partnership with Mr. Pritchard, engaged in a
carriage factory in Sacramento, at the corner of Eighth and K streets. Within
three years he was “dead broke,” and for six months he was out of employment.
He then raised $600 on a life insurance policy, upon which he kept his family
until he could obtain a start again in business. Borrowing $1,500 of Wendell
Kerth, Fred Stoffer becoming his security, and borrowing also from Jacob
Meister without security, he built and stocked a store at the corner of Twelfth
and E streets, in March, 1879, naming it the Town Talk Grocery. Here, within
two years he bought the property and in four years had it all free from
incumbrance. He had good health until about seven months prior to his death,
which occurred March 9, 1889. He was a man of sterling integrity, who never
forgot his promises or his friends. He was prominent in several fraternal
organizations, as Eureka Lodge, No. 4, I. O. O. F.; Elko (Nevada) Lodge, No. 5,
F. & A. M.; Sacramento Lodge, No. 40, F. & A. M.; Chapter No. 3,
Council No. 1, Commandery No. 2 and Thirty-Second degree of Scottish Rite
Masonry.
Transcribed by Vicky
Walker, 11/29/07.
Source: Davis, Hon. Win. J., An Illustrated
History of Sacramento County, California. Page 804.
Lewis Publishing Company. 1890.
© 2007 Vicky Walker.