Santa
Clara County
Biographies
CHARLES FREDERICK BOPP
It was in 1884 that Mr. Bopp first became a
resident of Santa Clara county, and at that time he purchased thirty-four acres
on the Los Gatos road, four miles southwest of San Jose, and upon this place he
has lived ever since, devoting the latter years of his life to fruit culture. He
has since sold a part of his land, but still has twenty-two acres, and the
excellence of his prunes, apples, peaches and pears is well known throughout
this locality. A part of the time Mr. Bopp leases the place on account of his
advanced years, but he still makes it his home.
In tracing the ancestry of Mr. Bopp
we find him to be the third in a family of seven children, four sons and three
daughters, born to Henry and Katherine (Ankele) Bopp,
both natives of Wurtemberg, Germany, and their entire
lives were probably spent in that locality, where they also died. The father
was a nailworker by trade. Charles Frederick, born
September 1, 1834, was of German birth, and was educated in the common schools
of his native place. His school days over, he began working at the
nail-worker’s trade, which he followed until his twentieth year. He then came
to America, arriving in United States April 26, 1854, landing in Baltimore, Md.
Five days later he secured employment in the brick yard at Martinsburg, Va.,
working there during that summer. Hagerstown, Md., was his next location and
there he worked at the blacksmith’s trade for five years, completely mastering
all the details of this business. Desiring to see more of the country, he then
went west as far as Springfield, Ill., working there during the fall of 1859
and from there he was induced to go south to Texas, working at wood-chopping
one year near Austin. When the war broke out Mr. Bopp went north to Indiana and
enlisted in Company K, Twenty-second Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and served in
the Department of the Southwest, under Fremont. He participated in the battle
of Pea Ridge and one month later was placed in the Regimental Band in charge of
the bass horn. One year afterward this band was disorganized and he took his
place again in the ranks, being honorably discharged from service in 1862.
Returning to Mt. Vernon, Ind., Mr.
Bopp engaged in farming during the summer and in the fall of that year went to
Indianapolis, where he followed his trade until 1864. He then came to
California, making the trip by the way of the Isthmus of Panama, and for a year
and a half he was located in Napa valley, but subsequently worked at his trade in
Gilroy until 1868. Removing to a more favorable location in Colusa county he followed similar work there, and subsequently
purchased a four hundred acre farm near Colusa. There for a number of years he
followed his trade in connection with ranch pursuits and in 1878 he sold his
farm, but continued to remain in that vicinity until 1884, the date of his
removal to Santa Clara county, where he has lived ever since. In his religious
views Mr. Bopp was for many years a member of the Methodist Church, but now is
a member of the Christian Catholic Church, better known as the Dowie Church. He is
a steadfast Republican in his political affiliation.
Transcribed By: Cecelia M. Setty.
Source: History of the State of California & Biographical Record of Coast
Counties, California by Prof. J. M. Guinn, A. M., Pages 741-742.
The Chapman Publishing Co., Chicago, 1904.
© 2015 Cecelia M. Setty.